Books

I'm reading "The Eyewitness" by Muhammad Saeed Mehdi. It's a self biography by a Pakistani civil servant since the 1950s. I'm a Pakistani American who recently visited Pakistan for the first time in 20+ years. I bought the book while I was over there.

I'm woefully ignorant of the history of Pakistan despite my parents complaining about Pakistani politics my entire life. I will say that book is amateurishly written, it's clearly written by someone my grandfather's age who didn't hire a professional writer to help with this book. It is still fascinating because it's like listening to my grandfather tell a story about characters I've heard about my whole life. It's about events my parents and grandparents lived through. Its giving my a different perspective on the lives my parents led before moving to the US.

Currently in 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami. The story is reasonably interesting, but what keeps me coming back is the beautiful use of metaphor.

"Once you pass a certain age, life becomes nothing more than a process of continual loss. Things that are important to your life begin to slip out of your grasp, one after another, like a comb losing teeth."

Just finished listening to Project Hail Mary earlier today. Otherwise I listen to 99% interesting podcast or horror narrations on YouTube.

I have a lot of time to listen to things since I'm just a lowly garbage truck driver.

Since my last reply to one of these I have got through a few things.

I finished what was left of Dungeon Crawler Carl which was good, I'm looking forward to more.

Read a few Outlanders books again which was nice to go back to.

And now currently half way through the third book of "The Remaining" series of books by Molles. It is alright so far.

Just finished listening to A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin, as read by Harlen Ellison (the author). He did a god job with it.

Also nearly finished the Autumn Republic, the final book of the Powder Magic trilogy.

Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annihilation_(VanderMeer_novel)

I'm almost done with it and then I understand it's part of a trilogy so I'll go hunt down the next book. Its spooky in an X Files way and I'm digging it.

I've got three going.

Canadian Pie, a mix of Canadiana, satire, and travelogue by Will Ferguson.

Dust of Dreams by Steven Erikson, because I don't find the world dark and depressing enough. It's my first reread of the Malazan books and I remember very little as I read it when it was first published.

Brothers in Arms by Lois Bujold-Mcmaster. I just love the Vorkosigan Saga.

Slow Gods, by Claire North. Quite decent so far, shades of the Culture novels but more political. Borrowed a bit from Adrian Tchaikovsky's "Final Architecture" series in terms of how hyperspace works, but I guess he put his seal of approval on it since he's endorsing it on the cover

I'm reading Flowers over the Inferno by, er, that Italian lady whose name I can't remember.

I'm most of the way through Ships of Oak, Guns of Iron: The War of 1812 and the Forging of the American Navy. I checked it out from the library based on recommendation from somewhere, I don't recall where anymore. It fills in so many things I never knew about the War of 1812, super interesting.

I read The Two Hotel Francforts by David Leavitt, which was so-so. I wouldn't recommend it since I wouldn't know why.

Now I'm reading Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin. I've only just started, but I really like it so far. It's my first read of Baldwin and I'm really impressed by his writing.

Re-reading the Sandman comic series for the first time in about twenty years.

We Few by Nick Brokhausen, which is a first person account of his time in MACV-SOG.

I'm reading Paternus: Rise of Gods by Dyrk Ashton. The beginning was a bit slow, but it really picked up about 100 pages in. I'm about halfway through and feeling quite invested in the story.

After this I just need to pick up a cozy book and I'll have completed my bingo board!

I'm on the second Ian Cormac novel, "Line of Polity," about which I learned from this community!

Child Star by Shirley Temple, and listening to King Sorrow by Joe Hill.

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett, and Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett.

Still on Summer by Edith Wharton and All Quiet on the Western Front.

I am nearly finished with Summer and I am a bit stressed for Charity.

Trying for something lighter next, Love Among the Chickens by P.G. Wodehouse.

Listening to Speedrunning the Multiverse by adastra339. amoral overpowered MC who only cares about getting stronger.

I am enjoying it.

A short story anthology edited by Asimov called “Ghosts”. It’s the tenth rendition iirc and each of the Fantasy and Science Fiction anthos has its own theme. Just a random antho in my collection, I don’t have any others of this theme style though

Next is Star Wars XWing book 9, and I need to bug my brother to swap more books for the next batch of Star Wars. Jedi Academy Trilogy is next.

Working my way through the Lost Fleet series. It's mediocre, but in an entertaining way.

Almost done with The Rise of Endymion by Dan Simmons. My first time through the full Cantos. I’ve heard the series is peak in book 1 and 4 with a lull in 2/3. I found 2 and 3 much worse than Hyperion, so here’s hoping he can land the ship in the final book

I think next I’ll pick up The Antidote by Karen Russell - a magic realism book set in the 1930s Dust Bowl era

I’ve been listening to the Stephanie Plum series for the last few weeks I’m at 20 of them in March.

Equations of Life by Simon Morden - it's ok post apocalyptic sci-fi. It's got a lot of Russian swearing mixed in which is fun, if slightly incomprehensible

Will Save the Galaxy for Food by Yahtzee Croshaw - just finished this because the third book is finally available for E-readers. If you have any experience with Yahtzee from the internet I would encourage you to give his books a try. He is a very talented writer and I frequently laughed out loud at this book. He had that very British knack for humorous asides that can be a whole page or just a single aside

Dragon Ball - My new e-reader has a color screen so I've been trying manga on it. This volume covers the Goku/Tien fight and it was easily the best one in the series up to this point

I've barely been reading, so that + being on the section of 1984 that's (mostly) unnecessary info dump means I'm still 2/3 of the way through it.

I did finish

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman (contemporary) | bingo: continent HM, adaptation, steppin' up HM, cozy, jerk

A cantankerous old man's plans are interrupted by new neighbors.

Not my normal fare, but this was a cute, poignant story about found family and starting a new chapter. I knew nothing about it going in, so I was surprised about Ove's intentions in the first half. A little repetitive in places IMO, but otherwise pretty solid.

Just finished Star Trek TNG Fortune’s Light by Michael Jan Friedman. I liked it and I love reading Riker books. I’m really enjoying the Star Trek books, they are fun quick reads that I find in thrift stores. I think part of why I enjoy them is because I have mild aphantasia and since Star Trek is one of my all time favorite shows, I’ve watched a ton and it’s far easier for me to see more detailed images of what I read after I read it.

I decided to start Velocity Weapon by Megan O’Keefe next. I prefer finding books more organically by walking through bookstores or libraries, or finding them in thrift stores. I had 2 of the 3 books in the trilogy, but I was unable to find the 3rd until I was in a bookstore this weekend. So life chose for me.

Also, the local book crawl is coming up at the end of the month and I could not be more excited!!!!