Book Lists 2023 • Page 6

Currently reading:
- A rising man: Abir Mukherjee. It belongs to a saga and for now it is very very entertaining.

What app do you use to control your library of books?

 

Managed to go on quite the reading spree. Maybe it's my mood but didn't feel particularly enthralled by all, bar one.

Andrew Watson is a great upcoming author that has created an Egyptian-inspired fantasy filled with mystery and a great new magic power.

I read RJ Barkers Gods of the Wyrdwood that just felt very info-dumpy. The Forsaken Planet that felt very chad-y sci-fi. Voice of War thats got rave reviews but didn't connect with me at all.

Reading an ARC of Daniel Abraham's Blade of Dream, book 2 in Kithamar, so hoping that gets me out the slump. Hoping to then shortly go into book 3 of the Sun Eater series which i'm really enjoying!

 

June update:

I picked up This Is How You Lose the Time War because of the viral tweet about it. It's so short that I felt like I was just getting used to the style by the time it was wrapping up, but I really liked the time travel mechanics and hints at world building. It's also one of the more successful co-authored books I've read. Those tend to feel pretty disjointed to me (Good Omens in particular), but this solves that by having each author write one of the characters.

Between the World and Me is as great as I'd heard. I'm really interested in reading Coates's novel now too.

I wanted something brainless to read during the first couple weeks of being a parent, so I picked up Angels and Demons, but I underestimated just how brainless it would be. It turns into a serviceable thriller by the end, but I don't really have anything good to say about it otherwise.

The Nickel Boys was so good that Colson Whitehead might now be my favorite currently active author. I guessed how the story would play out around the halfway point, but that just made it even more heartbreaking.

 

I have had a slow July but Tender is the Flesh was so good. I’m stalled on the fourth Dark Tower book just because I know it’s a big commitment so I’m going to continue my simultaneous book and audiobook two at a time strategy to break it up lol

 

July update

I was a church kid who loved fantasy, so it's surprising that I never read The Chronicles of Narnia growing up. They're kind of slight in terms of story and allegorical to a fault, but I really like how they treat wonder and awe and imagination. The way Lewis engages with the idea that children have access to worlds of the mind that adults simply don't, and the way he allows his main characters to age out of the fantasy world, runs so counter to the "you can be a kid forever" mentality that it would feel kind of daring coming out today. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is easily my favorite of the bunch — a rollicking adventure with memorable side characters and a few legitimately weird and scary moments. Eustace's transformation to and from a dragon is genuinely emotional, even it's yet another obvious retelling of a bible story. After that one, the series lost me a bit. The Silver Chair is a blander version of Dawn Treader that spends multiple chapters on a "they're having us for dinner" joke, and The Last Battle is just an insane departure: The blackface sequence; the antagonists that are so obviously middle eastern/Islamic-coded; literally killing all of the child heroes in a train crash. Strange way for this series to go out.

 

I once read all 7 in one day back in high school. Very wild how the story develops and turns when read as if it’s one book. Haven’t read any of them in 15+ years. Horse and His Boy was always my favorite.

 

Little behind, so here's the last three months. And some thoughts.

Novels
- Poul Anderson remains one of the best writers in SFF. This was a highly entertaining romp. Very similar to Frugal Wizard in some ways, actually, which was neat.
- The Flight of the Golden Bird was a charming collection of stories. I foresee reading them to my sons at bedtime for years to come.
- Brian Lumley continues to enthrall. Paused his stuff for a bit so I'm not overloaded, but I'm excited to jump into the other parallel series and then read the conclusion to the Titus Crow books.
- Flames of Mira was fun. Good debut novel from last year. A little confusing in audio—I need a map or a written version of the names to fix them in my head. But I liked it a lot. Cool worldbuilding, interesting deep lore, and a compelling and mildly unreliable narrator.
- Mirabilia Descripta was fascinating, as are all kind-of-fictitious accounts of the East from the Middle Ages.
- Jack Vance is another classic SFF author I'm just now discovering. Loved The Dying Earth. Will absolutely be reading more.
- Fate of the Fallen was fun—a nice upending of some classic tropes. Enjoyed it.
- The Cradle of Ice was the best book I've read this year. So excited to see where this story goes next. I hope it's more than a trilogy just because I want more.

Comics etc.
- Spider-Man is good, Captain Marvel is good. Once I catch up on these series, I'm going to need to update my reading lists and pick what to tackle next; I've been a little aimless with comics and I want to dive into a new series soon.
- Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips are consistently amazing. No surprise there!
- Witch Owl Parliament was a huge disappointment, actually. The pitch is incredible: steampunk Frankenstein in an alternate-history Mexico with magic?! But... the art wasn't compelling, the dialogue was flat, the worldbuilding was hamfisted, and the story has zero tension. Big shame on that front. Cool idea though.

 

August update. Only finished one book last month, but it was a good one. Bradbury is just always reliably great, especially in this personal, reminiscent mode. He captures that feeling of waking up to the world and starting to understand your place in it as perfectly as anyone ever has. His childhood home and the ravine he writes about aren't too far from where I live, so I'm definitely going to make a trip up there soon.

The rest of the month was spent on Fire and Blood, which was slow going at first, but it's finally picking up.

 

Took a break from Malazan and went on an absolute reading tear. Back on to Malazan now, but definitely considering taking breaks after each SE/ICE pairing to read something else.

The big highlight is that Light Bringer is finally here and is exquisite. So excited for the finale in that series.

 

Haven't updated in a while but I read a lot of books on holiday so here we go!

Listened to the prequel of Legends & Lattes, Bookshops & Bonedust, by Travis Baldree and it was as delightful as expected. A few holiday thrillers but Murder in the Family was a unique Netflix-esque style show in the form of a book which was gripping. Water by John Boyne was a short read and i'm excited to see where the other books go.

I didn't like RM Schultz book which is a shame because I felt that it could have been more however the plagiarism (or "influence") is rife and i couldnt get past that.

Isaac & The Egg was an uplifting, yet full of grief, tale that was humourous. Whalefall was perhaps too scientific for my liking but I can see why others would like it.

ARC of Brandon Sandersons SP4 which was INCREDIBLE and I cannot wait for general release so I can actually talk about it.
The real contenders are the Needle and Leaf novels by Andrew D Meredith. Short but damn, the lore is outstanding!

Going to read a few that i've missed just to play catch up then i'll continue with Sun Eater.

 

Hadn't heard of the Schultz book, but it looks cool—what's the influence/plagiarism?

Super excited for SP4. I'm currently reading Tress finally and loving it. Would you prioritize reading SP3 or SP4 next for any reason?

I follow Meredith on Twitter and am interested in his books, they seem pretty cool—what all of his have you read/what's the gist?

 

SP3 is so goooooood

 

I would agree it looks cool and I wish it was marketed to its strengths rather than trying to copy others. If you can read the blurb of Cahills Of Blood and Fire and Schultz Through Blood and Dragons you’ll see what’s happened. I don’t want to steer anyone away from reading it though because it is enjoyable, I just can’t see past some of the things. Which I’m gutted for because the books look really nice, at least.

There’s no need to prioritise any. SP3 and SP4 are totally different stories. I will say that SP4 is SA-adjacent but not required reading at the moment. Both were fantastic though! Just choose whichever appeals first.

I’ve read the Needle & Leaf series, 2 books currently. Leaf is a mysterious young boy, son of Jovan. A hard-boiled man just trying to keep him safe. Throughout the journey we discover secrets, unravel a plot and dive deep into the world. They’re short books, compared to other fantasy stories, but damn does Meredith not show how well he can write a story and lore without the need for hundreds of pages. It’s incredible and I’m eagerly waiting book 3. Reminded me of a fantasy-esque The Road meets Earthsea (no dragons as yet but the journey is there) in the terms of the personal journey they both go through and how little the books are.

 

I reached my goal this week of 20 books. Very happy about that considering how bad I’ve been with consistently building time for myself to read. For October/November, I’ve given myself a challenge of four horror books that I’ve wanted to read so that will be my next goal.

 

Hasn't been the best year of reading for me. I hit a total slump and wasn't feeling the need to read and am still in that. I know sometimes easy thrillers are the way back in but honestly those right now feel like the last I want to read haha

1. A Winter Haunting - Dan Simmons
2. Dreamcatcher - Stephen King
3. The Nightmare Man - J.H. Market
4. Playground - Aron Beauregard
5. Island - Richard Laymon
6. How to Sell a Haunted House - Grady Hendrix
7. The Cabin At the End of the World - Paul Tremblay
8. Episode Thirteen - Craig DiLouie
9. Below - Laural Hightower
10. Mystery Walk - Robert McCammon
11. Gothic - Phillip Fracassi
12. The Cellar - Richard Laymon
13. The Queen of Bedlam - Robert McCammon
14. Strung - Per Jacobsen
15. Mister Slaughter - Robert McCammon
16. The Providence Rider - Robert McCammon
17. The Dark Half - Stephen King
18. My Heart is a Chainsaw - Stephen Graham Jones
19. Insomnia - Stephen King
20. Maeve Fly - C.J. Leede
21. The Summer I Died - Ryan C. Thomas
22. Dead Eleven - Jimmy Juliano
23. The Saturday Night Ghost Club - Craig Davidson
24. Camp Slaughter - Sergio Gomez
25. Our Share of Night - Mariana Enriquez
26. Christine - Stephen King

 

Sadly I'm pretty sure it is my best reading year haha

1 - George R.R. Martin - A Game Of Thrones (started 2023)
2 - Terry Pratchett - Hogfather (started 2023)
3 - Joe Abercrombie - The Blade Itself (audiobook)
4 - Octavia E. Butler - Kindred (audiobook)
5 - Grady Hendrix - How To Sell A Haunted House
6 - Joe Abercrombie - Before They Are Hanged (audiobook)
7 - Robert Jordan - Lord of Chaos
8 - Timothy Zahn - Thrawn (audiobook -- reread)
9 - Joe Abercrombie - Last Argument of Kings (audiobook)
10 - Augustina Bazterrica - Tender Is The Flesh (audiobook)
11 - Leopoldo Gout - Piñata
12 - George R.R. Martin - A Clash Of Kings
13 - Peter Benchley - Jaws (audiobook)
14 - Stephen King - Duma Key (audiobook)
15 - Andrzej Sapkowski - Sword of Destiny

 

September update

Took me almost two months (going back to work after paternity leave means even less reading time), but I finally finished Fire and Blood. It was kind of a slog outside of the Dance of Dragons parts. HBO definitely picked the right parts of it to focus on for House of the Dragon.

 

Fell behind a bit after starting my MBA, but this is where i’m at so far:


1. The Splendid and The Vile - Erik Larson
2. A Short History Of Nearly Everything - Bill Bryson
3. To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee
4. Chasing The Thrill: Obsession, Death, and Glory in America’s Most Extraordinary Treasure Hunt - Daniel Barbarisi
5. A Gentleman In Moscow - Amor Towles
6. The Andromeda Strain - Michael Crichton
7. Travels with Charley - John Steinbeck
8. Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
9. Empire Falls - Richard Russo
10. The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
11. The Winter of Our Discontent - Steinbeck
12. Isaac’s Storm - Erik Larson

 

Is it okay to post about non-fiction in here? Here's what I've read in 2023:

1. Stalin: From the Caucasus to the Kremlin - Christopher Read
2. Basic Principles of Marxism-Leninism: A Primer - Jose Maria Sison
3. Marxism: A Living Science - Kenneth Neill Cameron
4. The BBC: Myth of a Public Service - Tom Mills
5. Riding the Wave: Sweden's Integration Into the Imperialist World System - Torkil Lauesen
6. The Battle for China’s Past: Mao & the Cultural Revolution - Mobo Gao
7. The Counter-Revolution of 1776: Slave Resistance and the Origins of the United States of America - Gerald Horne
8. Korea’s Place in the Sun: A Modern History - Bruce Cumings
9. Napoleon: A Concise Biography - David A. Bell
10. Robespierre: The Man Who Divides Us the Most - Marcel Gauchet
11. War and Revolution: Rethinking the 20th Century - Domenico Losurdo
12.

 

Updated through October. I am... so ready to be done with Malazan. 9 more to go. Hoping to do that by the end of the year.

 

Updated list:

January:

1. Stella Maris - Cormac McCarthy
2. The Light Pirate - Lily Brooks-Dalton
3. No One Left to Come Looking for You - Sam Lipsyte
4. The Deluge - Stephen Markley

February:
1. The Drop - Dennis Lehane
2. On the Road - Jack Kerouac (This has been on my shelf for forever but I've somehow never read it)
3. Monolithic Undertow - Harry Sword

March:
1. The Drifter - Nicholas Petrie
2. Demon Copperhead - Barbara Kingsolver

April
1. Burning Bright - Nicholas Petrie

May
1. The Midnight Library - Matt Haig
2. The Sellout - Paul Beatty
3. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
4. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins
5. Mockingjay – Suzanne Collins

June
1. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes – Suzane Collins
2. Where Are Your Boys Tonight? – Chris Payne
3. Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs – Jamie Loftus
4. Small Mercies – Dennis Lehane

July
1. Outer Dark – Cormac McCarthy
2. The Hotel New Hampshire – John Irving

August
Didn’t read. Busy Month

September
1. A Prayer For Owen Meany – John Irving

October
1. The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro
2. Starter Villian – John Scalzi
3. The Times – Adam Nagourney
4. Project Hail Mary – Adam Weir
5. Light It Up – Nick Petrie
6. Negatives – Amy Fleisher Madden

Currently Reading:
Top Eight: How Myspace Changed Music – Michael Tedder
I want to like this book, but its hard to get through and reads like a bunch of different interviews were pasted together. It feels messy. Going to finish it before the end of the year to reach my goal.

The World According to Garp – John Irving
I’ve had 3 Irving books on my shelf for years but never touched them until this year. I think he may be my new favorite author.

 

October update

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Geoff Rickly is a great writer, but I kind of am. His prose is just as effective as his lyrics. Someone Who Isn't Me lives in a really strange space between fiction and memoir, where truth seems like a secondary concern. It's a little frustrating as a huge fan of the band — I want more actual detail about the making of the albums because I find that stuff interesting, but that's obviously not the story that he's interested in telling. I do wonder how this reads to someone who isn't familiar with the band and the story of Collect Records. Like, how odd would it be that Martin Shkreli, of all people, just shows up for a minute?

I pulled The Fifty Year Sword off the shelf because I hadn't read it since it came out and I remembered out of the blue that it's a Halloween story. Danielewski is my favorite author, and I have a pretty high tolerance for his formal conceits and visual flourishes. The idea for this one is that it's narrated by five characters, each denoted only by different colored quotation marks. This gimmick doesn't work for me, either on a literal level — I'm colorblind enough that I can't tell some of them apart — or on an artistic level. You can ignore the quotation marks and just read it as a really good short story. But it is still a really good short story.

I'm just over 100 pages into Stephen King's Needful Things now. That'll take a me a bit, but I'm glad I started it during spooky season.

 

I'm likely finished with my list for this year but may add a couple of AOT volumes as i'm really enjoying that.
It's been the best and worst rated year for reading for me. I've read some absolutely stinking novels that i need to learn to DNF but I've also read some of the best ever. I'll likely do a post at some point.

Moving forward, my goal is to read less. By that, I mean not to jump on any hype trains or accept ARCs unless I really want to. Reading became less enjoyable at times and I missed out on reading what I was in the mood for due to some opportunities and I just want to be able to get immersed again.

That being said, i'll likely being doing a Stormlight and Bound and the Broken re-read before books 5 and 4 respectively.

 

2023 was my best year for reading; 38 books so far but way more long ones than in previous years.

Currently reading: Never Come Morning (Nelson Algren); When We Cease to Understand the World (Benjamin Labatut)

Read:
1. The Secret History (Tartt)
2. Black Mass (Lehr)
3. The Spy Who Came in From the Cold (LeCarre)
4. Desperadoes (Hansen)
5. The Talented Mr. Ripley (Highsmith)
6. This is How You Lose Her (Diaz)
7. American Wolf (Blakeslee)
8. In a Lonely Place (Hughes)
9. Killers of the Flower Moon (Grann)
10. Libra (DeLillo)
11. What We Talk About When We Talk About Love (Carver)
12. Lincoln in the Bardo (Sanders)
13. The Devil's Chessboard (Talbot)
14. The Sun Also Rises (Hemingway)
15. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (LeCarre)
16. The Hunters (Salter)
17. Fatale (Manchette)
18. Blacktop Wasteland (Cosby)
19. Blood Meridian (McCarthy)
20. The Last Good Kiss (Crumley)
21. American Prometheus (Bird, Sherwin)
22. The Wager (Grann)
23. In the Skin of a Lion (Ondaatje)
24. Stick (Leonard)
25. Foe (Reid)
26. Sleepwalk (Chaon)
27. The Sympathizer (Nguyen)
28. Night Boat to Tangier (Barry)
29. Pale Fire (Nabokov)
30. A Pale View of Hills (Ishiguro)
31. In Cold Blood (Capote)
32. The Master and Margarita (Bulgakov)
33. Our Share of Night (Enriquez)
34. The Prone Gunman (Manchette)
35. The Psychopath Test (Ronson)
36. The Long Goodbye (Chandler)
37. The Honourable Schoolboy (LeCarre)
38. Smiley's People (LeCarre)

 

I didn’t realize we’d been doing book threads the last few years! Would anyone be interested in doing a Chorus book club? Keep it loose with one book a month maybe? I’ve had a lot of trouble focusing on reading the last few years but am finally getting back into it