Well, hi, all. I've got a plan to read 23 books on 2023. Probably laughably few for some of you, but, hey.
I figure reading in here will boost my plan, so I'm going to scour for some recs. That KS in advance!
Right now I'm reading a pretty lackluster book called Dragonfly by Leila Meacham that was gifted to me at Christmas, but I'm almost done, so I'm going to persevere.
The tl;dr - every character is a Mary Sue, and nothing is earned.
I listened to The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson while I was driving back and forth a couple of times at Christmas time. The science was riveting and the mechanations of that world were pretty fascinating to me - the intermingling of academia and commercial endeavors -- though he sometimes got a bit... I dunno, puerile?... with interpersonal stuff. (I don't think I've ever had to spell that word out before. It was hard.)
I've been really lucky in my fantasy reading this month.
When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb: If I had to elevator pitch this, I'd call it Jewish Good Omens in early 20th century NYC, and it's so charming and sweet.
Saint Death's Daughter by C.S.E. Cooney is a rather long and twisty story of a rather sunny-natured necromancer with a literal allergy to violence.
Siren Queen by Nghi Vo is Old Hollywood with fae and dark magic.
Oh, hey, I picked up a sample of Saint Death’s Daughter - I think because of a review but I don’t actually remember how I came across it. Anyway, good to hear you liked it! Adds some weight to its entry in the what-to-read-next lottery
I really enjoyed When the Angels Left the Old Country. It was less Good Omens-y than I thought it might be (no apocalypse, for one thing), but I didn't mind. I thought it was well-plotted and the specifically Jewish theology of the angels and demons was really interesting to me. And I appreciated how joyfully queer the story is without feeling anachronistic. I predict many Buffistas would like it too!
I finally finished my reread of Ninth House and OMG I had forgotten so much. I knew
Sandow and Belbalm were the bad guys and Darlington was in a Hell dimension, but that was about it.
I guess that’s what you get for reading like your life depends on it during a pandemic and not really taking any time to reflect on any of it. I’m hoping to start the sequel tonight.
I’m relieved I’m not the only one, sj.
Oh, good-t! I’m relieved too. I’m going to read other things for a couple of days before starting the sequel.
I’m reading
Vampire Weekend
by Mike Chen & thoroughly enjoying it as a different take on life as a vampire.
Taking a break from KJ Charles, lest I read them all and have no more to read. Parnassus on Wheels at the moment, then Madly Deeply, Alan Rickman's memoirs, a loaned copy of Le Guin's Always Coming Home which I must read and return before its owner thinks I've absconded with it for good. And The Alice Network, about which I've heard good things.
Taking a break from KJ Charles, lest I read them all and have no more to read.
She has a new book coming out in 2 weeks!
