Wednesday Reading Meme
I really should be writing my yuletide fic instead of, well, anything. Oh well. That's what the weekend will be for. Why do I always do this sort of thing to myself?
What I've recently finished reading
Jan Guillou: 1968
I liked this better than the previous book, but it keeps the same main character. Essentially, the book series seems to be moving away from fictionalized family saga and into the realm of fictionalized autobiography. Further complicated by the inclusion of a character that is the main character from another autobiographical novel. I got the author's actual autobiography from the library, just to have something to compare and contrast with from here on out.
Neal Stephenson & Nicole Galland: The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.
Finally. That took - forever. Neal Stephenson is always a slow read for me. It's an excellent book, actually. Scientists bringing magic back and using it to time travel and there's a mix of science fiction and historical fiction and time travel paradoxes everywhere. And they visit Constantinople at the time of the Varangian Guard, which is nice. It's frustrating though - it's long and dense, and yet there are so many things unanswered, and it feels like the first book in a series, and yet there are no signs of more to come?
Riad Sattouf: L'arabe du futur volume 3.
Finally she's beginning to show signs of wanting to get away from this life. Finally. Please tell me the next chapter is all about a divorce. (The author's mini-biography not mentioning growing up in Saudi Arabia gives me hope.)
G. Willow Wilson: Ms. Marvel: Civil War II
Why do everybody always think these major events are a good idea? They're annoying.
Jonathan Green: Howl of the Werewolf
This was fun. I used to read all the books of this sort I could get my hands on as a kid - in more or less terrible translations, back then. I'm pretty sure this one has never been translated to Danish, anyway. So it was nostalgic, leafing back and forth and writing down things I found (and then cheerfully skipping the fight bits and always assuming I won, because the fights are no fun anyway, and then backtracking and seeing where the other choices led.) It's such a delightfully gothic horror, Hammer movie style world to explore.
Ben Aaronovitch: The Furthest Station
Fun. All the ghosts, a bit of policing, and a random water baby.
Svend Åge Madsen: Af den anden verden
I'll admit that as a technical exercise in worldbuilding - a society created by a group of heavily traumatized and utterly amnesiac people, isolated from all others - it's interesting. I don't find it realistic, but interesting. As a story? Not my thing.
Maggie Stiefvater: The Raven Boys
I must admit, I didn't expect that much from this book going in. So many others have been enthusiastic that my expectations were conversely low - too many bad experiences with so-called bestsellers over the years, I'm afraid. It took some time to get going and I'm still not exactly overwhelmed by it, but I'm curious enough that the next is requested at the library. I'm just enough whelmed, I suppose.
What I'm reading now
Nothing. Just finished one book. Will start a new tomorrow.
What I'm reading next
Jesper Wung-Sung's En anden gren, because it sounds interesting.
Total number of books and comics read this year: 189
This entry was originally posted at https://oneiriad.dreamwidth.org/480539.html, where it currently has
comments.
What I've recently finished reading
Jan Guillou: 1968
I liked this better than the previous book, but it keeps the same main character. Essentially, the book series seems to be moving away from fictionalized family saga and into the realm of fictionalized autobiography. Further complicated by the inclusion of a character that is the main character from another autobiographical novel. I got the author's actual autobiography from the library, just to have something to compare and contrast with from here on out.
Neal Stephenson & Nicole Galland: The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.
Finally. That took - forever. Neal Stephenson is always a slow read for me. It's an excellent book, actually. Scientists bringing magic back and using it to time travel and there's a mix of science fiction and historical fiction and time travel paradoxes everywhere. And they visit Constantinople at the time of the Varangian Guard, which is nice. It's frustrating though - it's long and dense, and yet there are so many things unanswered, and it feels like the first book in a series, and yet there are no signs of more to come?
Riad Sattouf: L'arabe du futur volume 3.
Finally she's beginning to show signs of wanting to get away from this life. Finally. Please tell me the next chapter is all about a divorce. (The author's mini-biography not mentioning growing up in Saudi Arabia gives me hope.)
G. Willow Wilson: Ms. Marvel: Civil War II
Why do everybody always think these major events are a good idea? They're annoying.
Jonathan Green: Howl of the Werewolf
This was fun. I used to read all the books of this sort I could get my hands on as a kid - in more or less terrible translations, back then. I'm pretty sure this one has never been translated to Danish, anyway. So it was nostalgic, leafing back and forth and writing down things I found (and then cheerfully skipping the fight bits and always assuming I won, because the fights are no fun anyway, and then backtracking and seeing where the other choices led.) It's such a delightfully gothic horror, Hammer movie style world to explore.
Ben Aaronovitch: The Furthest Station
Fun. All the ghosts, a bit of policing, and a random water baby.
Svend Åge Madsen: Af den anden verden
I'll admit that as a technical exercise in worldbuilding - a society created by a group of heavily traumatized and utterly amnesiac people, isolated from all others - it's interesting. I don't find it realistic, but interesting. As a story? Not my thing.
Maggie Stiefvater: The Raven Boys
I must admit, I didn't expect that much from this book going in. So many others have been enthusiastic that my expectations were conversely low - too many bad experiences with so-called bestsellers over the years, I'm afraid. It took some time to get going and I'm still not exactly overwhelmed by it, but I'm curious enough that the next is requested at the library. I'm just enough whelmed, I suppose.
What I'm reading now
Nothing. Just finished one book. Will start a new tomorrow.
What I'm reading next
Jesper Wung-Sung's En anden gren, because it sounds interesting.
Total number of books and comics read this year: 189
This entry was originally posted at https://oneiriad.dreamwidth.org/480539.html, where it currently has
comments.