Started the second Mistborn book by Sanderson. The first one was good and the second is still holding my interest. I think the plot and lore he's created is top notch but his prose and overall writing style is rather meh. I'm about to start taking a shot of Bourbon for everytime a character rolls their eyes or signs in conversation.

I just finished Perchance to Dream by Howard Weinstein. It’s the first Star Trek novel I’ve ever read and I went with TNG because it’s my favorite series. I really enjoyed the book and loved how I could hear the voices of Picard, Geordie, Worf, Tori, Riker, all of them in my head. I have mild aphantasia so books based on characters from shows and movies I have watched are a lot easier for me to picture.

I’m currently going through the September/October 2024 Asimov’s Science Fiction periodical that I paused last year. Nice scifi short stories, poems, and novelettes to read until my next book.

On that note, my next book is my vacation book. I had 2 I was thinking of reading, but decided on Polaris Rising by Jessie Mihalik. I really enjoyed her Starlight’s Shadow series, so when I saw space princess and outlaw soldier romance, I said YES PLEASE!! Please give me more science fiction/space opera romance!

I’m currently reading "Los pazos de Ulloa" by Emilia Pardo Bazán. It’s a literary work that critiques 19th-century Spanish society. Pardo Bazán was heavily influenced by naturalism [1] , a literary movement that was very popular in France, with Zola as its main representative. The book is a classic and a cornerstone of Spanish literature.

[1] Naturalism

Heretical Fishing 4

The Jewish pirates of the Caribbean by Edward Kritzler

Unzipping Gender: Sex, Cross-Dressing and Culture, by Charlotte Suthrell.

I finished all the Super Powereds related stuff that’s out. The main series and one spin off that may get a sequel in the future. There’s also a potential follow up that happens 20-ish years later.

Fun books in general with a little patience needed for areas where it really could have been tightened up. But I would feel comfortable recommending it to someone. Overall probably high B or low A tier.

Now I’m on to Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell. It’s had pretty good reviews and is quite cozy.

I just finished Alchemised. Amazing love story set during a civil war, but also a story about the way we see ourselves and the way we're remembered.

I finished Master and Margarita a couple of weeks back - it was great! Surreal and funny, plus a brilliant satire of Russian society at the time. Knowing how certain elements of the plot reflect the author's own experiences make it particularly poignant.

Yesterday I finished reading Old Man's War. Really enjoyed it! An interesting premise, fascinating technology & alien races coupled with some genuinely moving moments. The exploration of the implications of war and life extension were surprisingly well thought out for what I expected to be a comedic/light-hearted novel. I look forward to reading more in the series.

I have just started To Kill a Mockingbird - somehow I've got this far in life without reading it. Will see how it goes!

The Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros, I'm not ashamed to admit.

Many years ago I bought the book adaptations of 'Yes Minister' and 'Yes Prime Minister', which I then forgot to take with me in the divorce around '08. I recently spent far too much money getting new copies from Booktopia.com.au. My god they're still hilarious.