January Reading Thread

[Montero]

Last night I bought and immediately read the new Bujold novella (or short novel, if you go by Nebula word counts) featuring Penric and Desdemona, Demon Daughter.

It was nice to visit with old friends and see how they were doing. Also, some intriguing new twists on accidental demon possession. It struck me early on in the story (though it was never alluded to) that the Fifth God had approved the Pen and Des partnership in the very beginning because, among other reasons, they had the potential to be very good at handling special cases of approximately this sort. And I was glad to see that Penric is now officially teaching seminary classes, as who has broader experiences and deeper understanding—not to mention more words!—than he and Desdemona? This was something I was hoping to see in future stories before this one came out, and though we don't actually get to see it, the fact that it was established here might mean that we do see him in action teaching young divines in future stories.

I had missed that it was on its way. Bought Wednesday too, read by yesterday evening, now on a re-read to pick up some of the nuances. Lovely book. Everything that you said Teresa.

 

[Danny McG]

Next up, Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett.
I read this a few years ago but we didn't have the sequels back then. Now we have all 3 books so that will be my January sorted!

@AE35Unit

You do know that there's five books in the Tiffany Aching series?

 

[AE35Unit]

@AE35Unit

You do know that there's five books in the Tiffany Aching series?

Yea i found out earlier

 

[Dave Vicks]

BILLY BUDD, by Herman Melville.

 

[Steve Harrison]

Just started Budapest: Between East and West by Victor Sebestyen.

I know next to nothing about the city (or should I say cities?), so very much looking forward to it.

 

[Bick]

I’m travelling and have been for a while, hence my lack of recent updates on my reading matter. For what it’s worth, I’ve mainly been reading crime novels over the last few weeks, having enjoyed:

Ripley Under Ground - Patricia Highsmith
The Two Faces of January - Patricia Highsmith
The Crime at Black Dudley - Margery Allingham
Strong Poison - Dorothy L. Sayers
Mystery Mile - Margery Allingham

And currently I’m reading The Blunderer, another novel by Patricia Highsmith.
At some point I’ll get back to SF, but I’m rather enjoying the crime spree at the moment.

 

[Danny McG]

The Doomsday Code by Sara Yager....a cyber tech thriller about a rogue AI

 

[Montero]

I’m travelling and have been for a while, hence my lack of recent updates on my reading matter. For what it’s worth, I’ve mainly been reading crime novels over the last few weeks, having enjoyed:

Ripley Under Ground - Patricia Highsmith
The Two Faces of January - Patricia Highsmith
The Crime at Black Dudley - Margery Allingham
Strong Poison - Dorothy L. Sayers
Mystery Mile - Margery Allingham

And currently I’m reading The Blunderer, another novel by Patricia Highsmith.
At some point I’ll get back to SF, but I’m rather enjoying the crime spree at the moment.

The Dorothy Sayers and Margery Allingham I've read several times (at least). Not read Highsmith but seen her around. If you haven't already tried her, try Ngaio Marsh - roughly a contemporary of Sayers and Allingham. Another gentleman detective, and a lot of good settings - she favours settings involving art, theatre and some in high society or its fringes. She was actually a theatre producer, especially in New Zealand.

 

[Dave Vicks]

A GRIEF OBSERVED, by CS LEWIS, 1961.

 

[Dave Vicks]

THE CARACTERS OF PHYSICAL LAW. By
Richard P. Feynman. 1965. Lectures.

 

[Danny McG]

. If you haven't already tried her, try Ngaio Marsh

She should have chosen a pen name, I wouldn't ever try to ask for a book by her in a bookstore, like how'd you pronounce that first name?
Un-gah-eye-oh?

 

[Elentarri]

She should have chosen a pen name, I wouldn't ever try to ask for a book by her in a bookstore, like how'd you pronounce that first name?
Un-gah-eye-oh?

That's when you write it on a piece of paper and give it to the person in the book store and ask if they have anything by this author. Otherwise, you are going to end up having to spell it out for the clerk as well.

 

[Montero]

Nayo
It's Maori.
Strangely enough it is also a Kenyan name - when I was carrying a copy of one her books under my arm, I was asked by an excited Kenyan about the book that had been written by what she saw as a male Kenyan.

 

[Chris von shannow]

I am re reading Priest of bones by Peter McLean

first of 4 books really hard boiled fantasy

 

[AE35Unit]

Nayo

 

[Dave Vicks]

COLLECTION OF POE stories.

 

[Danny McG]

Yet again it's Mote time

 

[Dave Vicks]

PLEASE UNSUBSCRIBE THANKS! by Julio
Vincent Gambuto.2023.
Thesis : Take back your life.

 

[Elentarri]

The Northmen's Fury: A History of the Viking World by Philip Parker.
History book. A broad, straight forward overview of Viking history.

 

[AE35Unit]

The Northmen's Fury: A History of the Viking World by Philip Parker.
History book. A broad, straight forward overview of Viking history.

I find the vikings very interesting. There was a mini series recently in which a 1000 year old viking ship was built and sailed to America to see if the vikings could have achieved landfall before columbus, and all evidence points to the fact that they did just that!