What are you reading in 2025?

[Jeremy E Grenemyer]

Anyway, she’s a terrific writer, but if you are going to read it, approach with the mindset of reading a collection of interlocking poems.

I tried to read this book. I couldn’t finish it. But I’m going to keep it anyway. Someday I’ll try again.

 

[Alzrius]

Yeah, it's definitely a case of Lucas' reach far exceeding his grasp. In the hands of a better writer, it could have -- should have -- been really compelling.

And the prequels aren't bereft of good stuff:

• A lot of the Jedi characters are cool, even if the Jedi Council as a whole is a mess.
• The art deco style of the late Republic is awesome.
• Natalie Portman is great.
• So is Ewan McGregor.
• General Grevious is interesting.
• Palpatine's plan of creating a insurgency for the Republic to overreact against isn't terrible (although it's the kind of thing that sounds good in fiction but tends to be a hapless failure in real life).

One can make a similar list for the sequel trilogy. But in both cases, they needed a firmer (and better, sorry, George) hand at the wheel.

It's worth pointing out that pretty much all of the cool stuff about the Sith also comes from the prequel trilogy. Yeah, the OT refers to Darth Vader as "Dark Lord of the Sith," but it's the prequels which establish:

• That "Sith Lords" are the Dark Side-using enemies of the Jedi Order, with multiple individuals having had that title.
• That Sith Lords always have the title "Darth" preceding some menacing name.
• That there are always two, a master and an apprentice.
• That Sith Lords use red lightsabers.

And probably several other details I'm forgetting. All of those come from the prequels, which elevates just how much they added to the mythos of Star Wars as a whole.

 

[trappedslider]

So going back to books before this becomes YET ANOTHER star wars thread, I looked in on my interlibrary loan, and they are still looking for a library to loan out a copy of The Man From the Train.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Finished Wintersmith, which was a really wonderful Tiffany Aching novel, maybe Pratchett's best, and a very seasonal book. Strongly recommended.

Starting Tales from Earthsea.

 

[Autumnal]

I haven’t read Wintersmith. Making a note to fix that.

I’m two-thirds through Shadows Upon Time, and it is being a superb conclusion so far. There’s the stuff that’s been foreshadowed since the beginning of the first volume, and things set up along the way, but much that wasn’t foreshadowed at all and that drastically change the context of a lot I was waiting for. Part of me wants to just reread the whole series as soon as I finish. Maybe next year.

 

[Cadence]

A few more "Josephine Tey Mysteries" by Nicola Upson...
#4 Fear in the Sunlight has some things about Hitchcock that are neat, but it struck me as a bit too well wrapped.
#5 The Death of Lucy Kyte is vying with Two for Sorrow with being my favorite so far. I had to google if some of the things really happened and as always Upson bases a lot of things on the truth.
#6 London Rain had a lot of interesting things about the BBC and the coronation. Again, the wrap up was too cute.
#7 Nine Lessons. Probably important to know what happens to go further in the series. But I would skip it. Definitely, definitely skip it.
Hoping #8 rebounds and that it hasn't jumped the shark. But in any case, even if I dislike the larger plot in one of them, I think the actual writing on the smaller scale is well done.

And another "Pinkerton" by Zenith Jones (as David Frome)
#3 Two Against Scotland Yard, like the previous one was fine... but apparently I want my detectives themselves to stand out a bit more. I might have auto-clicked getting the next volume on the kindle, but I don't think it will get me to track it down on interlibrary loan.

 

[Thomas Shey]

"Stone and Sky" the latest Rivers of London book (though ironically, this one takes place in Scotland). As usual, the author manages to take you on an entertaining trip.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

A few more "Josephine Tey Mysteries" by Nicola Upson...
#4 Fear in the Sunlight has some things about Hitchcock that are neat, but it struck me as a bit too well wrapped.
#5 The Death of Lucy Kyte is vying with Two for Sorrow with being my favorite so far. I had to google if some of the things really happened and as always Upson bases a lot of things on the truth.
#6 London Rain had a lot of interesting things about the BBC and the coronation. Again, the wrap up was too cute.
#7 Nine Lessons. Probably important to know what happens to go further in the series. But I would skip it. Definitely, definitely skip it.
Hoping #8 rebounds and that it hasn't jumped the shark. But in any case, even if I dislike the larger plot in one of them, I think the actual writing on the smaller scale is well done.

Been keeping my eyes open for Vol 2 of the Upson Tey series. I liked vol 1 enough to read vol 2.

However, I think I'm going to focus on catching up on Elizabeth George's Lynley/Havers books, I stopped at vol 9. Also would like to read most recent (2023) Deborah Crombie. All of which to say, I've got a lot of other books on shelf to read, including some Allingham, Simenon, and Carter Dickson aka John Dickson Carr. And those are just my mysteries!

 

[Necropolitan]

I've read the first two books in the Florin and Lorenzo series and am about to start the third.

They're set in the Warhammer Fantasy world and the protagonists are the dashing rogue (or at least that's how he thinks of himself) Florin and his long-suffering sarcastic manservant Lorenzo as they go on adventures for purely monetary reasons.

They're a lot of fun and showcase the stranger species in Warhammer. The first one deals with Lizardmen, the second with Ogres. The second is particularly hilarious because Florin and Lorenzo keep assuming the Ogres are big stupid brutes and keep getting humiliated as a result. The tagline is "The feral fury of the ogres is unleashed!" but it's more like "The amusement and mild exasperation of the ogres is unleashed" until you get to the final battle.

I like how Warhammer's stuck to keeping nonhuman species as being inhuman instead of turning them into differently-shaped humans. The Florin and Lorenzo novels are at least 50% xenofiction and it's great.

 

[Cadence]

Been keeping my eyes open for Vol 2 of the Upson Tey series. I liked vol 1 enough to read vol 2.

However, I think I'm going to focus on catching up on Elizabeth George's Lynley/Havers books, I stopped at vol 9. Also would like to read most recent (2023) Deborah Crombie. All of which to say, I've got a lot of other books on shelf to read, including some Allingham, Simenon, and Carter Dickson aka John Dickson Carr. And those are just my mysteries!

I just binged all of the Lynley TV seasons the last two weeks. After they fade a bit in my memory I think I will try the books. The TV version of Havers is currently my favorite DS across all the Britboxing I've done.

For reading, I need to get to all of those you mentioned still.