Readings:
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Ultra-processed Food by Chris van Tulleken
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The Bullet Journal Method by Ryder Caroll
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The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson, 3rd book in the 2nd era of Mistborn
Still the same books as last week. I don’t think it was a good idea to start 3 books at once, I am probably going to focus of Bands of Mourning, which has become really interesting. Still have about 1/3rd of the book to go though.
What about all of you? What have you been reading or listening to lately?
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just finishing Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. it’s definitely taken me a lot longer than i would have liked, but between moving to a new city, a new job, and other hobbies/interests, it’s taken me a month and a half
going through some sci-fi i’ve been wanting to read for a while, so next is either Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Project Hail Mary, or There is no Antimemetics Division
I’m about halfway through 11-22-63. Audiobook, quite good
Not sure I’ll finish this one, but currently I’m reading Magna Carta by David Carpenter. It’s a pretty heavy historical book on - you guessed it - the Magna Carta, an important British legal document written on 1215. I picked this one up from the library refuse bin for a nominal fee. I suppose I felt inspired to read more on the document since it established that the king is not above the law and habeas corpus. Principles that some unnamed countries should consider.
- Currently finishing up Elantris by Brandon Sanderson. I’ve been looking to read more Science Fiction, and had heard Brandon was a staple, so I went to the library and picked one of his books almost at random. Turns out it was Fantasy. Still a blast though, I have enjoyed it a lot.
- Earlier this week I also got inspired by the new show and picked up A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. I have read A Song of Ice and Fire way back (all that we got at least), but never read any of his other stuff before.
This is kinda part of a new shift to “go back” to reading more fantasy and science fiction again. The last years I have mostly read contemporary stuff and non-fiction. Over Christmas I read both Children of Time (very good, but not quite as captivated as many others) and I re-read A Game of Thrones (even better than I remembered it), and it has kinda rekindled my love for reading.
Neuromancer by William Gibson
Lots of modern cyberpunk seems to have come from this book.
Neuromancer was one of the first sci-fi books I ever read and it convinced me the genre was worth reading.
My phone broke, so in the last week I read 8 books in the Executioner pulp series from the 70s, Larry Niven’s “Destiny’s Road”, and Warthog: Flying the A-10 in the Gulf War.
I love Larry Niven’s writing. In this book he created a lot of world, and there are corners that we never got to see. Good stuff.
Warthog was a really well-written book based on interviews right after the Gulf War. It’s one of my favorite military planes. I got pretty attached to the pilots by the end of the book.
Just discovered Cory Doctorow and started “the internet con” very good so far
- The Dark Tower series by Steven King
This is actually the first Steven King book I think I’ve read. Which is surprising because one of my best friends in school was obsessed with his books and I read a novel a week back then and usually would take suggestions. I’m not sure why I never read King. I even read John Saul.
At any rate, The Tower is fantastic. I’m glad I never read it so that I can enjoy it now. Heh.
I have nearly read the Mistborn series a few times. I might need to check that out
Oh boy, you are in for a RIDE. How far into it are you?
Beyond the 8 books of the Dark Tower proper, there are a BUNCH of books that touch that part of the King Universe. Eyes of the Dragon, It, Insomnia, Desperation and the Regulators, Rose Madder, Hearts in Atlantis, The Talisman (indirectly), Black House (Talisman sequel, directly connects it together), The Stand, The Shining, Salem’s Lot. Fairy Tale is similar enough, but not directly related.
There’s a 3rd Talisman book coming this year as well.
I’m just starting Wizard and Glass (Book 4). I am definitely enjoying the ride. I was thinking about reading The Stand after this series, if reading order doesn’t matter. If there is a prefered reading order after finishing the series I might follow that.
After book 4 I’d read, at a minimum, Insomnia and Hearts in Atlantis. Insomnia came out in the (FIVE YEAR!) gap between 3 and 4. Hearts in Atlantis shortly after 4.
But the Stand is never a bad choice!
Fair warning, I didn’t think books 5-7 were as good as the first four. He stops doing the flashbacks to young Roland and there are gaps in that story now.
I started the 10 book series of X-Wing Rogue Squadron. Seems to be Top Gun in space. I always enjoy a good space shoot up.
Yesterday, I finished up the last book of the trilogy Silo. Wonderful read.
After the first XWing book I’ll hit up some Nebula winner short stories to alternate with X-Wing for a little variety.
I really loved the old EU. I’ve read almost everything except I think I only read the first 3 books of Rogue Squadron. I might have to fix that at some point. I really wish they kept the EU as canon and made movies from that.
Still working my way through Katabasis by RF Kuang.
I am enjoying it, it does not feel as, I guess, academic as Babel did in that most of what is talked about academically in the book is around classic literature and philosphies about hell.
I think one thing that is going to annoy me with book will be the same as Babel, we have this alternate reality where magic plays a major role in things and i want to explore that so much more. How does it work? How was it discovered? How did it affect things? The book makes direct reference to WW2 and if magic is real to an extent how did it change thingsm
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Someone mentioned the author in another thread saying he was peak sci-fi right now, so went off just that and went in blind.
It’s definitely got my attention so far. Very interesting.
Me too! I think I saw that same thread.
I think it’s interesting as well, but I do have a few issues with it. I’m looking forward to seeing where the story goes though.
I read it just last month, very interesting book. You can really tell he studied zoology.
Me too!
I’m reading Network Effect by Martha Wells. It’s the fifth book in The Murderbot Diaries series. I love it so far and 30% done with the book currently.
Paris 1919 by Margaret Macmillan - all of these dudes are so racist and hate poor people it is nuts man. Also Wilson was a prude who should have let the queen of Rumania hit.
What is to be Done by Lenin - to keep me sane while I read about those losers
I read The Fifth Season and am now onto The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin.
The first book was pretty dark and covers some themes I’m not used to reading about (child death from mother’s perspective). I found that a bit shocking but very emotional.
The magic and world building is very interesting and I’m pretty hooked. I think the first book is better so far but will see how it ends in the third one!
This is such a great book, I don’t remember a single page being boring or uninteresting. RIP David!
absolutely agree!
as a somewhat casual reader about early human history, I was surprised about how much of “common prehistory lore” is actually history written through a very thick Victorian lens.
The “we’re all animals in a pit” version? :)
The first seed of the realization of the opposite of that came with Kropotkin, but Graeber backing that up scientifically with this was very exciting at the time. Still is, but I sure wish I could read this book for the first time again.
Please enjoy.
Along with Naomi Klein and Ta-Nehisi Coates works, plus John Ralston Saul’s The Unconscious Civilization, Rutger Bregman’s Utopia is for Realists and several Massey Lectures, these have shaped my outlook on the world as it is.
Because this came last, for me, it recast this human experiment of ours and the depth of misdirection that is going on now.
