What Are You Reading?

[dbuzman]

Just started reading Zoey Punches the Future in the Dick. It's the second in a series. SF.

"Zoey Ashe, suddenly in charge of the most decadent city in the world is just trying to cope with nightmarish superhuman villains, an all-seeing social network; mysterious, smooth-talking power players; and her very, very smelly cat. But when a disembowled corpse rampages through her house and accuses her of murder, Zoey has to work out what she owns, who works for her, and if she was responsible... "

[Mikkel]

Brandbilen som försvann by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö.
I'm rereading the whole series in the original language, just because I can .
Bought them for my Kindle at a Swedish booksellers homepage.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys.

[Ghel]

I finished Johnathan Strange and Mr. Norrell a couple weeks ago. It's the sort of book I should like. An alternate history set in late 1790s / early 1800s Europe (mostly England) with magicians influencing the outcome of events. It was... ok. I would have liked the women in the story to have more agency. But, then, most of the characters in the story had no agency. The real hero of the story [minor spoilers] is neither of the title characters, though they certainly think they are at the end.

Now I've started The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin. My fiancé got me the trilogy for Christmas. The worldbuilding is incredible. It's the sort of fantasy novel where there were prior civilizations with greater magic/technology that's largely been lost due to time and natural (or perhaps unnatural) disasters. It's definitely not a happy-go-lucky book, but the world and characters are intriguing and it makes me want to keep reading.

[Jay 2K Winger]

Been actually working my way through some of my backlog by having three separate books going at once. One at work, one in the bathroom at home, and one in the car, which I read while eating breakfast before work, or when I'm eating out in the car.

Recently finished Leviathan Wakes, the first book of The Expanse series, actually on recommendation from my Dad. He's not a sci-fi person at all, but he ended up getting the book somehow, and mentioned how it pulled him in. So I figured, if it'll keep his attention, then it's got to be good. And it was. Haven't picked up book 2 yet.

Currently working on the first Jack Reacher book, also a gift from my Dad. He likes the books, thought I'd like it. And so far I'm enjoying it.

At work, recently started Book 4 of the Wheel of Time series, which is a bit dense, and it's still early, so the book's plot hasn't really kicked off yet.

I've also been working on The Rook by Daniel O'Malley. The urban fantasy take here is interesting and I find myself looking forward to digging into the next chapter.

[Ironclad Alibi]

Wow! Nothing new posted in 3 months.

I am now reading Balshazzar's Serpent by Jack L. Chalker.

It is science fiction.

With the universe's wormholes collapsed, darkness has fallen across interstellar civilization, and superstition once again holds sway over the masses, until Dr. Karl Woodward, commander of the starship The Mountain, ventures to an uncharted world and into a terrifying confrontation with a ruthless gang of space pirates.

[Pixelated]

Nearly finished with Sword of Kings by Bernard Cornwell, and OF COURSE i picked up the twelfth book in a series ...

It was a bit difficult to follow, as Cornwell uses the names of the time, so the reader is contending with Æthelstan and Ælfweard and Æthelflæd, and you find yourself wondering irritably why they couldn't simply use Jim and Bob and Susie (Æthelflæd is a woman; the other two are men).

And then there are the place names, also given as accurately as possible for the ties. Some are easy enough to deal with (the river Temes, which flows through Lundene, for example). Many bear enough of a resemblance to today's names that you can make an educated guess. But then you run across something like Werlameceaster, and it's current name is ... St. Albans?? (In Hertfordshire). He gives a list of the 'old' names with their current ones, and I found myself occasionally having to go back and check where exactly the characters were.

I still want to read the rest of the series, though.

[Ghel]

Rejected Princesses is amazing. My fiancé got it for me for Christmas a couple years ago. I glance through it every once in a while for inspiration. The Disney-inspired art just sells the theme.

[greek_jester]

Rejected Princesses: Tales of History's Boldest Heroines, Hellions, and Heretics by Jason Porath

Well-behaved women seldom make history. Good thing these women are far from well behaved . . .

Illustrated in a contemporary animation style, Rejected Princesses turns the ubiquitous "pretty pink princess" stereotype portrayed in movies, and on endless toys, books, and tutus on its head, paying homage instead to an awesome collection of strong, fierce, and yes, sometimes weird, women: warrior queens, soldiers, villains, spies, revolutionaries, and more who refused to behave and meekly accept their place.

This is a book that came from a popular Tumblr blog. The author kindly includes a key, so if you are triggered by abuse, rape, etc. then you know which entries to skip.

The book is funny and heart-breaking and inspiring and terrifying, much like the women being written about. The later entries are not easy to read, but it does shine a light onto women who have been written out of history, or edited to the point that they are unrecognisable.

The author has also written a sequel, Tough Mothers: Amazing Stories of History's Mightiest Matriarchs. There are also further details on the website, including women that weren't included in either book.

[It's me]

Just finished "Finder" by Suzanne Palmer. Well written, moves at a good pace, good world development.

Pulled this from the Amazon blurb:

Fergus Ferguson has been called a lot of names: thief, con artist, repo man. He prefers the term finder.

His latest job should be simple. Find the spacecraft Venetia's Sword and steal it back from Arum Gilger, ex-nobleman turned power-hungry trade boss. He’ll slip in, decode the ship’s compromised AI security, and get out of town. What was supposed to be a routine job evolves into negotiating a power struggle between factions. Even worse, Fergus has become increasingly—and inconveniently—invested in the lives of the locals.

It doesn’t help that a dangerous alien species Fergus thought mythical prove unsettlingly real, and their ominous triangle ships keep following him around.

[dalesys]

Memoirs of a C Student – Don White

To his son about to graduate from college:
... Toward the end of our meal I took a paper napkin and I wrote these words on it: "One excellent decision." I held it up for him to read and then I folded it in half and then in half once more. I handed it to him and said, "Put this in your wallet. You only get one of these. Use it when you are deciding who to marry."

[Ironclad Alibi]

I have started reading Empires of the Sky by Alexander Rose.

It is the story of when airplanes and zeppelins competed to conquer the skies.

[Kristev]

That was a nice book.

I'm reading The Plug-In Drug, by Marie Winn.

[Ghel]

I'm a couple chapters into Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke. It's an alternate history set in early 1800s England. So far, Mr. Norrell is trying to bring magic back to England. It's fairly light reading with an undertone of darkness that I rather like.

[Ironclad Alibi]

I just finished The Mouse That Saved The West by Leonard Wibberley.