Read My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine.
It’s a rom-com, which I don’t generally read, so I can’t judge if it was actually good or not. Personally, it felt too much like one of those K-Dramas, where a poor girl meets super rich guy, who is super handsome, and she keeps thinking about her all the time. Except this one has a Vampire. Not a big fan, but overall it was a fine time pass.
Bingo squares: Jude a book by its cover.
What about all of you? What have you been reading or listening to lately?
For details on the c/Books bingo challenge that just restarted for the year, you can checkout the initial Book Bingo, and its Recommendation Post. Links are also present in our community sidebar.
The art of batting. Just started it. Big fan of the writer (Jarrod Kimber) and the sport (cricket).
I fell down the journaling rabbit hole and got into Digital Minimalism, by Cal Newport.
I finished One Hundred Years of Solitude recently and really loved it. The blend of real life events and magical elements was beautifully done. It felt like an elderly relative was recalling their memories whilst embellishing them with little touches of magic. SO MANY family members, but each of them was unique. In terms of the Bingo, I’ve added it to ‘Set in War’ (though it would have also fit in several other categories).
I’ve just started The Wager by David Grann. It seems really fascinating so far and has already given me quite an insight into maritime life. I didn’t realise until now that it recounts a true event!
I read Gabriel’s Love in the time of Cholera, and while I don’t remember much about it now, I loved his writing. It was one of the major reason I started learning Spanish (but never got around to properly study and reach a level where I could read a book), cause I wanted to experience his writing as he has written them.
Should just read it now. Even if I learn Spanish, to be able to reach a level where I can read a book of this caliber and fully enjoy the writing, it would take a long time.
I’ll have to give it a go! He has a lovely way of writing, really capturing those little details of people and places.
Would love to hear what you think about it.
Unfortunately it won’t be any time soon, I have a huge backlog of ebooks to get through xD
Heh, no worries. Take your time!
Red Rabbit by Alex Grecian.
A motley crew of misfits follow a witch hunter through the old West to collect on a bounty. Supernatural shenanigans ensues.
This year I have been catching up with some SF: broadly alternating Banks’ Culture series with others. A few weeks back, after finishing Use of Weapons, I read McCarthy’s The Road - which kinda counts as SF - and that spoiled other books for me for a while. His excellent, sparse use of language topped off a brilliantly understated and impactful tale.
Life got in the way for a bit following that, and rather than going into the next Culture novel, I happened to have Niven and Pournelle’s The Mote in God’s Eye to hand and so started that, but not only was the writing extremely mundane compared to McCarthey, but the setting of “Nelson’s navy in space” left me comparing it to O’Brien’s Aubrey and Maturin tales - and it didn’t do well on that front either.
So I will not continue with that one and will be starting Excession - which I believe many find to be the best of the Culture books - shortly.
Any favourites in SF, from this year’s reads?
The first three of Dennis E Taylor’s Bobiverse tales, definitely: easy reads and the most compelling that I have read for a long while. The next ones may be too - I just decided to take a break before continuing.
Also Dan Simmon’s Hyperion for it’s breadth of styles if nothing else.
The early Murderbot diaries by Martha Wells. After the first five there were some elements that started to get a little repetitive, so I took a break there. I expect to enjoy them again when I restart though.
And then The Road, of course, which is by far the most literary, and probably The Player of Games so far from the Culture tales.
The least favourite would be This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, which I found naïve and unconvincing.
Working my way through Hyperion again! Never finished it, lost interest pretty fast, but now I want to see how it all ends.
I downloaded a bunch of classics from the Gutenberg Project. I’m reading Frankenstein finally.
Nice! It’s a classic for a reason. Very different from many of it’s adaptations though
That’s one of the reasons I wanted to read it. I never got to it when I was in school and figured that there is no time like the present. I’ve just started but so far it is a really interesting window into the views of the world in the early 1800s. The magnetic North pole was considered a scientific mystery, and the Northern Passage from Europe to the Americas was considered a foregone conclusion that would be solved in a few years by plucky explorers!
I have been reading The Way of Kings for what seems like the past ten thousand years. Why are these books so long???
… you do know that every subsequent book in the series longer than the previous one, right? ._.
I do. Thankfully I’ve really enjoyed it so far, but I have to put it down for extended periods from time to time because of fatigue. I started it in late April and I have about a fifth of the book left.
Slow and steady wins the race! 😀
Goodbye to all that by Robert Graves
A personal British view of WW1 from the trenches. It is interesting because of its personal account of things which I only know about via histories. Have read Graves’ I Claudius previously, which is also a great read. The writing is different but the voice is familiar.
- Rebecca Kuang: Babel, or the Necessity of Violence
- John Crowley: The Solitudes
- Wu Cheng’en: Journey to the West (Arthur Waley’s abridged translation)
Haven’t seen the name “Abou Ben Adhem” in a long long time.
Is that your real name or are you one of those who loves the God’s people (or however it was mentioned)?
The final book of the Dark Tower series! Been slowly working my way through them, and just started the seventh volume.
“One more turn of the path, and then we reach the clearing.”
You should write and let me know what you think of the end!
Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses by Robin Wall Kimmerer
There was someone here reading about Fungii recently, and now we have moss. Are you the same person?
Nope. Just a guy who had some moss volunteer in his garden last year and found a new passion.
Trying to finish all of Hyperion again. Love Dan Simmons, and he’s masterful at writing from different points of view, but I got bored around book 2 or 3. On 3 now!
Speaking of Simmons, Song of Kali is straight unnerving.
I’m at the end of Hyperion right now, and it’s pretty fun. He really does a good job with different styles and voices.
I might get Song of Kali based on this recommendation, thanks!
I definitely bounced off book 2 at first because they’re so different. Once I’d accepted the choice it was a great read though
Currently reading The Midnight Library by Matt Haig and really enjoying it.
Recently finished Gladiator, 24 Hours In Ancient Rome, and A Year In The Life Of Ancient Greece. All very light pieces by the same author, very fun reading.
Just cracking open Warrior of God: Jan Zizka and the Hussite Revolution right now.
Warrior of God: Jan Zizka and the Hussite Revolution was extremely poorly organized and edited. Would not recommend. Still, I’ve gained a firmer base of knowledge for future reading on the Hussites.
Made it to the 4th book of the Temeraire series before needing a break (the 3rd book felt a little slow/less engaging than the first 2, and it probably isn’t, I just need to read something else for a bit), and my new library holds arrived, so I read Murder at Haven’s Rock by Kelley Armstrong last night. It’s a spin-off or sequel series to Rockton, and revisiting the characters was a treat.
