This week I'm mostly reading The Quantum Astrologer ~ Michael Brookes. Engaging from the off—putting out books is this guy's second career (he's a quantum physicist by education). He's taken a different tack this time around within his genre (science) and gone into story mode as he relays his info. I'm mighty envious (well jell) of his ability as a creative writer.
The Sacred and The Profane - Eliade The Interpretation of Cultures - Geertz Structural Anthropology - Levi-Strauss VERY happy with my choices here
I've been working my way through Hillary Clinton's What Happened biography of herself and the 2016 election. It's reading more or less exactly how I thought it would, painting Hillary as a hero who was abused by the nasty-wasty media and Trump as some kind of demon. It doesn't provide much of an unbiased lens to the election and I didn't know it was going to be so damn long. It's over 400 pages. I got it the last Christmas from my girlfriend's sister (my girlfriend mentioned to her sister I wanted it, and she got it for me, which was embarrassing as I hadn't gotten her anything). If I hadn't gotten it as a gift, I probably wouldn't have gotten it at all because it's just so long. It's page after page of pretty much the same thing: Hillary was great and her election was awesome and diverse and Trump is evil and she should have won and she can't believe she lost and etc etc etc. One of the last books I read was Trump's Crippled America, a shitty little book that was written while Trump was on the campaign trail back in 2016. It's much shorter than Hillary's book and while it's even more biased and pointless to read, at least it was a quick read and it was delightfully poorly written. It was an obviously ghostwritten (duh) work that was quickly self-published and is full of typos and grammar mistakes. I counted 8 editing errors/typos (including whole misplaced lines) in a book that was only some 40,000~ words long. Other than that I've been primarily reading Nazi and Hitler history books as of late. After I finish (or perhaps outright abandon) Hillary's book, I have an e-book on Nazi concentration camps waiting. Come to think of it, I haven't read an actual novel in almost a year now.
Just finished Thin Air by Michelle Paver, a ghost story set on a 1930's mountaineering expedition. Highly recommend this one--it's very well paced, winding up the tension cleverly through simply describing the vital routines of mountaineering and how even the simplest mistake can lead to disaster....and then you add in an unseen stalker. Currently about halfway through Ivanhoe, by Walter Scott. When I read books from 200+ years ago, I'm braced for them to be a slog, but I'm getting through this one at a good pace. It's very much a Boy's Own adventure story with dashing heroes and vile villains, but for their simplicity, the characters are interesting and well-realised, and I like how even the damsels in distress get their moments to impress.
Sounds interesting, I'll have to take a look for it, thanks! ETA a minute or two later: Shit! Amazon doesn't have a Kindle edition for it. That is, amazon.com doesn't, but amazon.co.jp has the paperback...for twenty bucks (don't ship dead trees across the ocean, m'kay?) and they also have a Kindle edition, but... I don't have a Japanese Kindle account, and Amazon only allows one account (or at least country account) per device without going through some really difficult uninstall/install hoops. Next incarnation, I guess.
"Stardust" by Neil Gaiman. I'm almost done and I can't wait to be finished with it. I haven't enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed the movie.
Almost finished Woken Furies by Richard K. Morgan. You'd think a world with immortality would prove desirable in other ways, but it's a terrible, terrible place, sometimes because of the tremendous scientific leaps. The whole Kovacs series combines high-minded scientific and philosophical shit with massive doses of violence, drug use, organized crime, religious fundamentalism, and other human achievements. Very dark, but very respectable, if you can tolerate all the cursing. I bought You're Making Me Hate You: A Cantankerous Look at the Common Misconception That Humans Have Any Common Sense Left by Corey Taylor last week on my Kindle. It's some of the most negative shit I've ever seen, in print or otherwise, but the complaining goes so far off the deep end in such creative ways that it becomes a thing of beauty. Although there is a lot of negativity. Imagine someone who hates bad drivers and drunk airport tourists as much as carbon monoxide hates your airways.
Godspeaker is hit-and-miss. Spoiler The first book is set in an incredibly original culture, one of the best I've seen, that spits in the eye of Tolkien-mimicry. As if to balance things out, the second is set in the purest 'white-bread' fantasy land, essentially England, and has a spoiled princess as the protagonist. There were some interesting moments, and it would work as a setup for the finale - which completely lets you down. None of the mysteries of the setting are answered in any satisfactory way, none of the characters really feel like they get the resolution they deserve (except the cliched princess who, true to character, gets a boring happily ever after) and many of the plot threads introduced in the second book seem pointless. I'm not sure if I would advise others to stop reading after the first book. It's not a satisfying ending, but neither is the final ending.
Just finished The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick. I can't think of many books at all where I re-read several passages because I was thinking about the text later and realised I'd missed some hidden meaning. Extremely clever especially towards the end. I found some of the spiritual Chinese musings to be heavy going, but they tied the story together excellently. Raised several questions about the nature and reality of the timeline, and the mindset of the people occupying it. Overall enjoyed very much. Will be checking out the TV show at some point.
Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner It's not the first novel of manners I've ever read (The Age of Innocence, Brideshead Revisited, etc.), but it is the first one I read with the intention of understanding and appreciating the components, tone, and structure of such a novel. Also, needed a break from Westeros.
Finally picked up Green Rider, by Kristen Britain. Finishing up running through a stack of Greg Egan's books, which are great fun. Re-reading Tanith Lee's Birthgrave novel. And reading a William Trevor short story here and there for quicker reads.
I tried reading TMITHC and I found it hard going, I love some of his other work though, just not that one. If you get the chance to see the series it is excellent in my opinion, although it diverts from the original, as they all do.
Currently reading 'I, Claudius' which has been voted very highly in 20th century literature. I'm nearly half-way through and it's certainly a good read, with lots of diligent attention to detail. It's good reading for my own novel because my MC also has a disability.
I'm forcing my way through a contemporary romance-legal thriller, Deadly Proof, by Rachel Dylan. It's a testimony to the fact you can't trust trad pub editors anymore. It's so bad with the weak characters, unbelievable plot devices, and always, always, always the telling, telling, telling, that I haven't been able to help myself. I've taken out my pencil and I'm crossing out lines, rearranging sentences, and questioning the action as I go. You'd think I was getting paid. The only reason I'm keeping on with it is because a good friend gave it to me for Christmas. She really liked it, and I'm hoping to find something, anything nice I can say about it when she asks.
Just finished Trick Roller, the 2nd book in the Seven of Spades series by Cordelia Kingsbridge. Absolutely amazing and blew past Kill Game, the first book in the series. If each book keeps getting exponentially better I'm going to need therapy by the time the 5th and final book A Chip and a Chair comes out.
I have 80 pages to read in 100 Years Of Solitude for a class. It's a rather short class, and a rather big book; so I imagine it will only get worse in the coming weeks.
I just started to (re-)read Clive Barker's The Hellbound Heart, the book that introduced Pinhead to the world. "Now you must come with us and taste our pleasures." -Pinhead.
I'm curious but terrified at the same time. I enjoyed The Martian quite a bit, and Casey and Andy was funny, but something about the synopsis of Artemis made me leery. Let us know what you think.
This year it's been Lolita by Nabokov, From Here to Eternity by Caitlin Doughty and tomorrow my first Lovecraft book should arrive. I've always been interested in Lovecraft, have read Dagon and a few others, and even watched the Fear of the Unknown documentary 3 times, but never actually bought a collection of his.
I hope you bought it because you prefer paper to e-readers; most if not all of his work is in the public domain now anr available for free online.
I always buy books, even if the author's work is available for free online. I just like books as tangible, collectable objects.
