Sneaky weekly post, as I didn’t see a new sticky post for the week. :3
Check out the community bingo post for 2026, it’s a genuinely fun way to navigate your reading, and it’s accompanying recommendations post. Happy reading and spooky season! 🎃👻📖
Book of Doors by Gareth Brown. Probably my new favorite comfort read.
I read that book a few months ago and really enjoyed it. You might enjoy what I’m reading now, The Book that Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence.
Thanks for the recommendation. I’ve added it to my list.
Oh great to hear! I’ve had his works on my tbr for a minute, what made it your new favourite?
I almost immediately fell in love with most all of the characters, they give the book a warm and cozy feel. I just finished it yesterday, so it hasn’t had time to gel in my mind yet, but it had a sort of “je ne sais quoi” that kept me captivated. I’ll probably re-read it in a few months and see if it has stuck at the top of my list.
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Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor’s End Times Fascism. Someone help, I need comfort. I feel somewhat compelled to understand the forces at play reshaping the way we live (or don’t live). But it is harrowing.
Binged some Kline maybe a year ago, she’s great bit depressing
I’m hoping Cory Doctorow’s The Reverse Centaurs Guide to Life after AI will be a bit of an antidote afterwards
Not sure about that, but “lost cause” was!
I hadn’t come across that one of his! Thank you for mentioning it. I could do with some sci fi to offset all my non fiction
Interrupted my Culture re-read to give John Green’s Hollywood, Ending a go. It was my first time reading his fiction, and apart from the characters being a little too self-aware, it was memorable, and has kept me thinking about it a lot since finishing it.
Also got through Excession (from the culture re-read), and if it’s possible, it was better than I remember. The amazing thing about going through this series again is that at the end of each of the books I inevitably think “that one was my favourite of the series”
I really ought to read through the Culture series already 😱
Yes, highly recommend. Just don’t start with the first book, Consider Phlebas. A Player of Games is a better entrance to the series, and you can read Consider Phlebas last.
Thanks for the tip!
Funny enough, I had tried to start with Consider Phlebas back in May 😅, however, my interest waned with other things. I was finding it enjoyable from what I recall, I’ll take your suggestion instead as I do remember it being a bit meandering. I’m certain I’ve come across your exact suggestion from others too before, but I think there’s that part of me who feels odd starting out of order in a series haha.
More Everything Forever. Pretty good overview of the rationalist and effective altruism movements that have turned Silicon Valley and the AI industry into what it is today. I have heard the author say in interviews that a good alternative title is “These fucking people”.
I read John Polidori’s The Vampyre, an early modern vampire short story. It was pretty good, given its context. It was based on the story Lord Byron wrote for their little writing competition that also spawned Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Funnily enough, Polidori based the titular vampire on Lord Byron’s personality. From what I gather, Byron was a bit of a shit. Anyway, it was a quick read.
Margaret Killjoy read this one on their book club podcast. I always love their commentary and before the ep starts they go into some of the background and how obvious it was made that this was about Lord Byron, lol
It Could Happen Here: CZM Book Club: Part One of “The Vampyre” by John Polidori
Episode webpage: https://omny.fm/shows/it-could-happen-here/czm-book-club-part-one-of-the-vampyre-by-john-poli
We’re you inspired by the recent meme post about how the three of them had the little writing competition and Shelly turned out one of the most famous works of all time?
Nah, I had this book on my reading list for a long time. I don’t recall how I found it.
EDIT: If anything, I assume I came across this book via Le Fanu’s Carmilla, which is also great.
Oh, neat. I was certain you’d say yes because it was posted about the right number of days ago for someone to have read a book.
In the past week I finished Reamde by Neal Stephenson, finished The Gate of the Feral God by Matt Dinniman, and started The Witch King by Martha Wells.
Any plans to move on to Fall, or Dodge in Hell?
I’ll likely read it. I’m a little worried that the story should just end with Reamde, but I did put it on my list.
The two books are very different, with just a few characters in common.
Oh, interesting, thanks.
I greatly enjoy reading your mini book reviews, thanks for sharing!!
Oh, thank you! I appreciate you saying that.
No problem :), I’ve you got tagged as “the book reviewer” because of it 🖖
I’m unreasonably happy to know I’ve been tagged with anything at all.
I’m glad I my appreciation can bring some joy to you :).
How did you like Witch King? I ended up reading a bunch of hers, and though it was interesting to compare themes among Raksura, Murderbot, and Ile-Rien. I think early Murderbot are my favorite.
I had just started it when I posted, and now I’m about 30-40% through. I’m enjoying it. Wells for sure has a knack for creating an interesting world with interesting rules. It’s easy to forget that Murderbot was written by the same person as Raksura (I never read the Ile-Rien series). In any case, Witch King seems to be a solid contribution thus far.
When They Burned the Butterfly by Wen-yi Lee. It’s been sitting on my Libby queue for a while and I figured I’d better read it before the hold expires in a couple of months. I’m glad I did, since it’s been very interesting thus far.
Never heard of this before, what’s it about from what you’ve read so far?
Teenage girl in Singapore (I think) has ability to create fire. Her mother suddenly dies and it turns out is more than what she knew. Ends up joining a gang of women and trying to investigate her mother’s death. I’m only about 25% of the way in, so that’s largely all I can say about it.
Oh cool, that sounds intriguing! Anyone else using elemental powers, or just the MC?
Hard to say exactly. Seems like there is some sort of system where certain tattoos convey certain powers that are associated with different gangs.
I’ll check it out, added to the tbr, thanks! Look forward to hearing your thoughts when you finish it.
I finished Neverwhere, Neil Gaiman, which was just okay, at the end of the day. Not something I’d write home about. On the other hand I’m accidentally listening and reading to two books with protagonists with eidetic memory, both of which I’m loving! The Fold, Peter Clines, and A Trade of Blood, Robert Jackson Bennett, are both great so far.
The Fold, is the second in a connected lovecraftian-inspired universe, and nails the government secret project energy. Blazing through this one.
Then A Trade of Blood continues the mysteries in Cline’s awesome and weird biological science fantasy world. Trying to savor it.
I finally listened to the audiobook of American Gods.
The whole idea of how the gods work is fascinating, but honestly I thought the TV show was better in a lot of ways.
I’ve heard good things about Clines and have had Bennett’s books on the tbr for a wee bit. What about The Fold is making you blaze through it? He wrote 14, right?
Yup, 14 is the first in this series! It had a very slow burn into the weirdness of his world. The Fold knows that the reader is in on it even if the characters don’t yet. I think that’s a main reason I’m into it, but Clines also does a very good job at writing believable people which keeps it engaging.
Highly recommend Bennett’s Ana and Din Mysteries. Super world, good mystery, and interesting characters. I’ve nearly finished his Foundryside series (2/3), and while neat, they aren’t as strong in my opinion.
Thanks, I’m even more excited to read them both! I’ve heard the magic system in the founders trilogy is quite unique.
Pretty unique and well developed. Also an interesting setting. I think the characters in that series aren’t as well flushed out or believable in comparison to his more recent work.
I’m about 100 pages from finishing Dune. After this Dune: Mesiah will be a cake walk—I hope!
Dune Messiah is lighter on the hard politics but brings in weirder concepts and larger universe views. I found it easier to read but not as good overall. Children of Dune continues that trend. God Emperor jumps feet first into the “what in the fuck did I just read” pool. Heretics was better, and Chapterhouse was just fine.
You got this 💪
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Revisiting some old favorites of mine. Finished Cryptonomicon recently, and now I’m binging Pratchetts night watch books
I need to reread Cryptonomicon. I reread Snow Crash last year, and read Reamde for the first time last week. Stephenson is so good.
I’m lukewarm on Stephenson, tbh. His early books are great, but I find that his later works seem more like a product of him being interested in a topic, then he does some world building on top, and attached a fairly basic plot. Seveneves is a great example: Interesting premise, great world building, but in all honesty I found the book pretty boring.
I read Rise and Fall of the d.o.d.o a while back, and I find that one a lot better. For starters I found the epistolary writing style highly entertaining. Secondly, I suspect that Nicole Gallands participation really added to the story, precenting it from becoming another “world building first, story second”-book.
China Miéville’s new novel, The Rouse.
Oh, what did you think of it? I’ve really liked what I’ve read of his so far, but they can be so depressing that I need to take breaks in between his books.
Exciting, I understand it’s being described as an epic. How you liking it thus far?
I’m liking it so far, but it’s unlike most of his other stuff (at least at first)—it reads as straight literary/historical fiction, following the life of a single mother in 1970s London. My understanding is that the “weird” elements don’t enter until well into the story.
Just finished witchcraft for wayward girls. That book was horrifying in so many different ways. I loved it.
The Devil Amongst the Lawyers, by Sharyn McCrumb. It’s based on the 1935 trial of Edith Maxwell, but fictionalized enough that the author saw fit to change her name to Erma Morton. Except that it not about her at all, because nobody really cares about her story. Especially not the New York reporters descending upon Wise County, looking for the next Lindbergh baby case to sensationalize. (They’ve agreed Erma is a hottie, hence that portraying her as innocent is better business, facts notwithstanding.) Lots of Appalachian culture, as expected from McCrumb, but a surprising amount of Japanese culture due to one of the New Yorkers recalling his years in Japan hiding from American law.
Working my way through the Booker Prize longlist
Title Author List Star Rating The Shadow of the Object Chloe Aridjis Longlist 3.5 Switzy Emma Cline Longlist Helen of Nowhere Makenna Goodman Longlist 4.5 The End of Everything M. John Harrison Shortlist 2 The Disappearers Marlon James Shortlist Black Bag Luke Kennard Shortlist 4.5 The Renovation Kenan Orhan Longlist May We Feed the King Rebecca Perry Shortlist The Palm House Gwendoline Riley Longlist 3.5 The Things We Never Say Elizabeth Strout Shortlist 4.5 John of John Douglas Stuart Shortlist All Them Dogs Djamel White Longlist 4 The Vivisectors Missouri Williams Longlist 4 My secret goal is to read at least one longlisted book before they’re announced. I successfully picked up The Things We Never Say this year and thoroughly enjoyed it. The Disappearers was on my TBR but I hadn’t gotten to it yet… oh well, be faster next time.
I’ve done this three years in a row and I rarely have a book I hate. It’s a nice look at literary fiction and “good” writing.
Whoa that’s awesome! Do you have a vested interest in the literary world/“good writing” by chance – i.e., do you write? Or more so out of enjoyment?
Also, how do you gage which books will be longlisted? I’ve not followed literary awards much.
I just read a lot. On pace for 130 books this year.
Discovery is hard… I was tinkering with an app
A personalized book radar that continuously surfaces new and forthcoming books from publishers, critics, awards, and reader communities before they become obvious or popular. It helps you filter that broad stream into books worth investigating without trapping you in a taste bubble or relying on generic bestseller lists.
Unfortunately, publishers really don’t make their catalogues readily available to the public. You have to be a bookshop or library or known reviewer. Huge pain. Edelweiss does have some data you can use that’s cross-publisher, but it’s not an API.
I just want a place that is not the most popular books. Like, I really enjoyed the Dungeon Crawler Carl series… but it’s been top of the lists for over a year. Sigh
Ah I see, that is an incredible reading volume – putting my number to shame haha. What’s your secrets? ಠ_ಠ
Huh that’s fascinating, thanks for elucidating that part of the book world for me. I can only imagine being the first to discover titles, being bit of a skill combined with access to certain resources (like most things).
Audiobooks on 2x and Always Be Reading haha.
If I crack the secret to book discovery, I’ll let you know. There’s a real opportunity there, I just haven’t figured out how to do it yet
Damn, when do you make the time to doom scroll then?! /s
I look forward to hearing about any new insights you uncover about it, never something I’ve thought about as a potential problem space. I think that app idea might be the start of something, most solutions are usually things that you had troubles with yourself, clearly your in the mud of the space haha.
