Sometimes we have to do what we have to do, so I read so many of my oldest, favorite books -- and it was 100% worth it.
The best and most interesting b Sometimes we have to do what we have to do, so I read so many of my oldest, favorite books -- and it was 100% worth it.
The best and most interesting books of my year:
Mangas: I caught up with One Piece (fantastic) and Bleach (also fantastic). Really enjoyed Mob Psycho 100. Maus easly blew most other comics away, but for a different reason.
Horror: Going back to early Stephen King was a real treat.
Science Fiction: Anything and everything by Adrian Tchaikovsky, Neal Stephenson, Stephen Baxter, Daniel Suarez, and Charlie Stross are my go-to guys.
Fantasy: The Will of the Many because I'm a total fanboy of the author from before and this one hit all the right notes again. All of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files -- So good! Had to re-read all of Harry Potter, but this time with my daughter, and we both loved it. Brandon Sanderson and Seanan McGuire have become constant comfort reads.
LitRPG: Total fast food. I can't say that most are particularly great literature, but it is still very tasty and comforting. I seem to be reading a LOT of them.
I should note I did try to do a lot of new reads this year, as I try to do every single year, but most never sparked my imagination more than, "Hmm, it's okay." It's not like I'm limiting myself entirely to the old stuff. But, alas, too many have begun to be irksome, often carbon copies of other recent titles. Don't get me started on modern thrillers or YA fantasy or dust-grinding of thin-blooded litSF that keeps on getting published.
I want MEAT and VARIETY in my reads. When I say I want diversity, I want diversity in storytelling, character types, and imagination. So often, I keep getting the SAME story told over and over again, which may not be an issue in moderation, but becomes a serious problem if the publishing industry seems to be completely spinning its wheels.
Please, publishers, if you're reading this: spread your wings, give us variety, not utter boredom in the name of any pushed ideology. Entertainment should be king, not agenda. This should be a rule. But I guess someone forgot.
Anyway! Let's push forward! 2023 is DEAD. Long live 2024!
(Yeah, I know this resembles the whole ancient Chinese Curse and all.)
So be it! Let us live in interesting times!...more
Of course, that's the charm of all LitRPG. I'm not minding this at all. Electricity-based powers getting more and more Ever onward and more powerful.
Of course, that's the charm of all LitRPG. I'm not minding this at all. Electricity-based powers getting more and more powerful is the name of the game. A few battles here and there, less character development, and tons and tons of skill development.
Good thing that's what I wanted, right? There's a purity to this kind of writing....more
I received a little treat for the end of the year. This author reached out to me out of the blue and asked if I wouldn't mind reading and reviewing thI received a little treat for the end of the year. This author reached out to me out of the blue and asked if I wouldn't mind reading and reviewing this non-fiction on the origin of humanity and because it just tickled my fancy (even though I've read many, many books on the same,) I said yes.
Here's the thing, though: It's written very well, it's really short and to the point, and while it doesn't go the sensationalist popular route of trying to be funny or charming with anecdotes or any wild theories, it DOES have the pure charm of being extremely good with the facts.
Indeed, it only starts with Evolution and Darwin and branches out wonderfully to the Simian world, what characteristics were really selected for during our own genetic progression, and so much more.
I can't say that I've read anything new in this book, but I have read over four hundred science books, so I tend to judge these things on how well they're written and the ideas and/or facts within them.
For Ms. Nitam's work, it is clear she used her Doctorate of Philosophy to a wonderful purpose. This is an excellent synthesis of our current understanding of the field.
Indeed, as I was reading it, I came to the conclusion that I would have LOVED to read exactly this book as I was just getting started.
It is no-nonsense, full of great facts, and would have been a perfect introduction for a serious student. There's absolutely no wasted time and it's perfectly accessible.
In other words, this book OUGHT to be well-received everywhere. All it really needs is great marketing. I wish it, and the author, all the luck....more
Solid LitRPG that doesn't really go for the nitty gritty of skills progression hacking like most of the other titles. Instead, it just sets out to do Solid LitRPG that doesn't really go for the nitty gritty of skills progression hacking like most of the other titles. Instead, it just sets out to do one or two things well, like lightning skills, and just reveling in the OP status as all the other characters in the background become ash in her wake.
This isn't exactly a bad thing. It's a power fantasy, after all, with lots of fighting, a cute electric cat, and the eventual reunion with her water-element sis.
The point is, I had fun. I consider this an average title that's weak on the RPG and strong on the power fantasy. It could be much worse. ...more
It's one thing to say that a Jodi Taylor time-travel historian hijinx tale is a true holiday tradition, but you'd be wrong. It's a MARKHAM Jodi TaylorIt's one thing to say that a Jodi Taylor time-travel historian hijinx tale is a true holiday tradition, but you'd be wrong. It's a MARKHAM Jodi Taylor time-travel historian hijinx tale.
And it is, as we think, all about the pie. Fun stuff, as always!...more
A pretty fun LitRPG as long as you A: don't expect a real progression system other than "Ding, Ding, Ding" when fighting as an underleveled and underpA pretty fun LitRPG as long as you A: don't expect a real progression system other than "Ding, Ding, Ding" when fighting as an underleveled and underprepared electricity user, and B: don't expect anything more than a fairly decent post-apocalypse wish-fulfillment power-user type novel that puts the reigns in the hands of the "altered" over especially the military types that just don't get the skill-ups they so desperately desire.
All told, despite the logic errors and the sloppy RPG elements, I didn't mind it so much. It was a popcorn read and it was pretty great just zapping everything with lightning and slashing with spears and knives.
If you leave your brain at home, you might just have a great time. And honestly, I guess I did, too....more
Here's a bright surprise of an older YA SF book. This 1968 novel reads perfectly as if it were of the modern type. Bright and clear in all ways, it giHere's a bright surprise of an older YA SF book. This 1968 novel reads perfectly as if it were of the modern type. Bright and clear in all ways, it gives us an exploration of life aboard a huge generational spaceship and its interactions with colony worlds.
Most importantly, it's fantastic for the very reason of its title. It's about growing up, learning more and more about your own society and how it clashes with others, of where you or they can be wrong, and where you could or should fit within it.
That's an exceedingly simple description, of course, but I'll point out that this well-written novel is quite down-to-earth in every way possible. It's fascinatingly straightforward and really digs into prejudices and misconceptions. The best part is that its pretty damn universal.
I could had this book to just about anyone, regardless of preferred genre, and I can pretty much promise that it will not offend and it will likely stay with you a long time afterward.
One thing I will point out: it gives me an impression of being a much better YA than most I have read. The best parts are the questions....more
This was a fine example of turn-of-the-last century soap opera. Clear language, often painfully direct and uncomplicated, it reads like a grand, tradiThis was a fine example of turn-of-the-last century soap opera. Clear language, often painfully direct and uncomplicated, it reads like a grand, traditional family soap opera, complete with rich beginnings and ending with a slow, complete decline.
I had a distinct impression that I was reading a take on the American gentry, meant to aggrandize and admire wealth at all costs. There are a few interesting takes, but the one thing that was driven home was how insufferable and unlikable George was in most of the grand sweep of his life.
It's just a mark of how good a writer Tarkington is that we eventually get SOME redemption from him, but honestly? The final failure of the family seems quite justified. It doesn't matter if it's moral or common sense failings, intelligence or the heart. He was commonplace, spoiled, and idiotic.
The rest was all a pretty enjoyable soap opera, honestly. I'd place it up there with Downton Abbey for lively characters and feel.
As for why such a novel that OUGHT to have stood the test of time... I think there's plenty of reasons why it slipped of the pedestal. The casual racism is bad enough, but it's the commonplace plots and thin characters, however well-written, that made it fall. It IS good, even sharp, but frankly, everyone and their little fat dogs have repeated this success endlessly since then....more
Quite a claustrophobic post-apoc alternate reality novella. No complaints with the feel.
Taken out of context with many other great post-apoc SF, it eQuite a claustrophobic post-apoc alternate reality novella. No complaints with the feel.
Taken out of context with many other great post-apoc SF, it even seems to shine a bit: a monastic crew aboard a nuclear sub, barely surviving after a nuclear war that sparked after the Bay of Pigs.
But it's the rest where I have a few minor quibbles. I'm a big fan of the Fallout game series and this novella just feels like a minor scene in the milieu. When it comes to the monastic feel, it's super easy to recall A Canticle for Liebowitz or especially the superlative Anathem -- but those two did it a lot better in every way.
I'm forced to think a bit deeper in this novella, unfortunately, about the incomprehensibility of keeping a nuclear sub going for so long... using stolen children. It's not like you can truly jury-rig the whole setup.
But that being said, the FEEL is pretty good....more
No, it's not about genres. It's about live venues vs. remote, where it suddenly becomes illegal to haveThis is our definitive musical conflict novel.
No, it's not about genres. It's about live venues vs. remote, where it suddenly becomes illegal to have large gatherings thanks to something a bit worse than Covid. It's about corporate stoogery versus real connection. It's about the very real dystopia of our lives that could easily swap out with anything we do, when we're progressively losing our social identity, the reality of real people.
The music underlines it as, truly, most stories of music always does. Let's face it, there's hardly anything better suited to this theme of rebellion and belonging than music.
I really enjoyed this novel. It may not have completely blown me away in every aspect, but what it does right, it does very well.
This novella took me on a few interesting turns. I really, really enjoyed the worldbuilding in it. I was totally invested from the get-go. Post apocalThis novella took me on a few interesting turns. I really, really enjoyed the worldbuilding in it. I was totally invested from the get-go. Post apocalyptic, great potential set-up for a whole series, even.
And then it went in a direction that seemed like dithering until I realized the entire novella wasn't about a new start in a very interesting post-apoc world at all. Once I got THAT through my head, I was fully back on board.
The real moral of the story? Well? Should I spoil? No. I won't. But I did appreciate it for what it actually became. The THEME was the real twist.
But really? I think I would have loved to see a full SF series. Who knows, maybe later, but that might mess with the impact of this one's message.
I decided to read this mainly because of a renewed interest in Doctor Who AND a whim that I should always have read Stephen Baxter's entry into the seI decided to read this mainly because of a renewed interest in Doctor Who AND a whim that I should always have read Stephen Baxter's entry into the series.
So, I did. And while I didn't hate it, it suffers from a bit of don't-care-ism. It's the Second Doctor. And while we do see a lot of Jaime (kinda a weird companion at any point) and we spend a lot of time near Saturn, I never quite vibed with either this tale or this particular doctor.
I did want to like it more than I did, of course, and I did enjoy the actual Science bits, but the rest was rather deflating. Alas. ...more
Increasing tensions between Fae and Were is the name of this game. In the previous, it had been a tug of war game for a stick, and now it's between a Increasing tensions between Fae and Were is the name of this game. In the previous, it had been a tug of war game for a stick, and now it's between a were with some fae powers.
While I thought it was pretty okay and certainly unoffensive, this particular novel never sparked a moment of "oh, that's brilliant" from me. While it's not as bad as some recent paint-by-numbers fantasy, I'm definitely getting a formula vibe without the kinds of twists that elevate a good UF from the rest.
Well now! This was a delightful set of secret service short stories by the inestimable Somerset Maugham.
Being who I am, I find it hard to judge ANY kiWell now! This was a delightful set of secret service short stories by the inestimable Somerset Maugham.
Being who I am, I find it hard to judge ANY kind of spycraft story except through the lens of Bond, but I'm happy to say it's not only on par, it's much older and doubly fascinating for that reason.
There's murder, intrigue, lots of trains, and even a story taking place on the eve of the Russian Revolution.
But there's something about this that I got a much bigger kick out of: it's almost like all these stories weren't really about spycraft at all. Almost all of them were fascinating character studies that were oddly reminiscent of Hemingway in their clear brevity and sharp anti-moralistic scenes. It's all up to us to make up our minds. It was really quite delightful.
A point I should make, however: Maugham WAS an agent for England in RL. Ashenden, the agent in the stories, was also a writer. I know we should never associate a writer's product, their characters, with the author, but COME ON....
This was all well before Flemming, too. The similarities are almost so hardcore that Flemming stole the whole shtick from Maugham. Delightful, no? ...more
This book suffers from a very common problem with many books of this type.
It attempts to convince an audience that is already convinced. Those who ouThis book suffers from a very common problem with many books of this type.
It attempts to convince an audience that is already convinced. Those who ought to read a book like this generally avoids it at all costs. This is a nasty paradox.
The good: It touches upon much of the opposition, the climate deniers and free-trade-at-all-cost, the ones who are focusing on profit to the detriment of any long-term good, and some of the well-funded organizations.
It also illustrates just how bad off we are along many milestones.
Best of all, it shows us how many of us are on board, that there is vast climate support. What we need is a truly massive popular movement to put the right kind of pressure on those who would lie, cheat, and loot -- and this includes pressure on all political and oligarchical bad-actors.
The bad: As I've said, this is all old news. One individual person asking, "But what can *I* do?" is never going to get the answer they wish. There is no easy solution. What we need is a full mass-movement that must push through opposition from the rich, from astroturfing and propaganda, and resisting the worse danger of physical force that would put down the greater number of us as we just try to secure our futures.
Because let's face it: our futures are far from certain and most of us are getting very close to the breaking point. The point where either we're completely broken, or where we must all stand up and do the right thing.
This book came out about 5 years ago and it was already pretty dire. After what we've gone through so far, it should be extremely clear just how much danger we're in. Make no mistake: emissions from the rich make up the vast majority of the pollution and waste, and yet their movement to just use up the rest of the earth is reaching a fever pitch.
Do we want to live the rest of our increasingly unpleasant lives in fatalism, or what?
This old '82 Nebula nominee seemed to be a good starting point to read Bishop, who, alas, I had neglected up till now. He had just died a month ago buThis old '82 Nebula nominee seemed to be a good starting point to read Bishop, who, alas, I had neglected up till now. He had just died a month ago but I had heard his name plenty of times in the past.
So there's this book. There's plenty good and some that's slightly icky, but not so bad if you consider the time in which it was written. It obviously wants to be strong and freeing, with a main character that is black, smart, and courageous. He going all out to get what he wants, honoring traditions, using his dreamtime/hallucination power to travel far back in time, make changes there, and most importantly, LIVE and love.
He goes far back enough to encounter and live among near, pre-human hominids, finds love there, and more, the novel is about belonging, growth.
Where I like it: It's smart, well thought-out, and rather deep. We avoid most prejudices by working through them the hard way, by engagement. It may as well be a roundabout way to tackling our own modern issues. Indeed, the science-fantasy bit of a cutting-edge almost Wakanda-like civilization was both heartening and quite amusing in a good way.
Where I don't like it: That same avoiding prejudices bit may as well be a double edged sword for the reader. A snide look at the premise of the book, as it is also written by a white guy, in conjunction with the realization that this black man may as well be marrying a theoretically sub-human hominid, have a baby with her, might come across as -- complicated. And by complicated, I mean under many various interpretations that might very well be -- quite racist.
I don't believe the book is intentionally racist at all, honestly. It is careful and quite exploratory, which makes it a good novel, but let's face it: optics are a thing, and while it's often used crazily, it is always worth considering. Of course, that's rich that I should be mentioning this 41 years after it was written AND after the author's death, but I'm still doing it.
It IS a quite interesting time-travel novel....more
We go back in time to the height of the Prador War in this standalone hard-SF and I have to admit I enjoyed going back to the genesis of some great siWe go back in time to the height of the Prador War in this standalone hard-SF and I have to admit I enjoyed going back to the genesis of some great side-plot-character points in a number of other novels. The reptilian AI symbiote? Hell yeah.
But more-so, I thought it was pretty fantastic to see the creation of one of the greatest generals (with the help of AIs and some pretty nasty scientists) of the Prador War. When it comes to hard-SF, Neal Asher is rather a master. Tons of great elements woven together into constantly great stories, but more importantly, great characters wrangling with the implications of all such.
In this particular novel, I loved the total philosophy about power. Truly impressive battles, overwhelming force, and the implications of mental control all made this a rather important piece of the entire series. It really focused on it. Very enjoyable. ...more
Murder, writers, continuing several deep character setups -- all this should have been in my wheelhouse. I should have loved the novel with or withoutMurder, writers, continuing several deep character setups -- all this should have been in my wheelhouse. I should have loved the novel with or without the extra knowledge that it is Rowling's work.
But I'm simply not feeling the charm. I got through the first book, thinking it was competent enough, and decided to go for the second, assuming it might sink in better. Unfortunately, it didn't. It's one of those "It's me, not you" situations, I guess.
I simply didn't buy-in to the characters, got bored, couldn't even concentrate on the mystery, and wound up eyeing the page count way too often for my mental health. I wish I could have said something better about it....more
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