What are you reading in 2022?

[dragoner]

Read Friday by Heinlein, it was not so good, for some reason I thought I had read it before, except I had not, or I have no memory of it. On the recommendation from another gamer, I am read Crystal Express, for the Swarm initially, though the rest is good. This one I bought and had on the shelf, thinking I had read it, yet evidently I hadn't.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I finished Vance's Emphyrio. Great stuff, with weird people, creatures, and cultures. And a sharp critique of oligarchy and cultural stratification.

Now I'm re-reading Stephen Donaldson's Lord Foul's Bane. It's been eight years since I last read the series.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Really struggling to finish Perhaps the Stars, the final Terra Ignota volume. Maybe because it's 800+ pages, I don't know. Also struggling with the first of the Liveship Traders trilogy, Ship of Magic. I think maybe I'll mix it up with a mystery novel.

 

[Ulfgeir]

Just finished Battle Ground, by Jim Butcher. Book 17 in the series The Dresden Files. This is the climax to the buildup from Peace Talks, and follows directly on the end of Peace Talks (I think it was intended to be just one book from the start, but it grew...). It is basically non-stop action, where Harry Dresden is outmatched almost all the time. We finally get to see some individuals that has been mentioned before, and we know they will make in impact further on the series.

We see just how tough some of the supernatural heavy-weights really are (and what happens when their power is not enough). Though some of the things do come across a little bit of a Deus-Ex-Machina, in that not everything is properly set up beforehand. On the other hand the things that have been set up properly (sometimes many books back) have powerful payoffs in most cases. There are a few of those that I would have like to see more off.

The series however need now to stop the power-creep for a while, and throw some other types of problems than those that can be solved by bigger fireballs at Dresden. He has personal problems that need to be dealt with.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Just finished Battle Ground, by Jim Butcher. Book 17 in the series The Dresden Files. This is the climax to the buildup from Peace Talks, and follows directly on the end of Peace Talks (I think it was intended to be just one book from the start, but it grew...). It is basically non-stop action, where Harry Dresden is outmatched almost all the time. We finally get to see some individuals that has been mentioned before, and we know they will make in impact further on the series.

We see just how tough some of the supernatural heavy-weights really are (and what happens when their power is not enough). Though some of the things do come across a little bit of a Deus-Ex-Machina, in that not everything is properly set up beforehand. On the other hand the things that have been set up properly (sometimes many books back) have powerful payoffs in most cases. There are a few of those that I would have like to see more off.

The series however need now to stop the power-creep for a while, and throw some other types of problems than those that can be solved by bigger fireballs at Dresden. He has personal problems that need to be dealt with.

I think there's only 3-5 books left?

 

[Blue]

Read Friday by Heinlein, it was not so good, for some reason I thought I had read it before, except I had not, or I have no memory of it. On the recommendation from another gamer, I am read Crystal Express, for the Swarm initially, though the rest is good. This one I bought and had on the shelf, thinking I had read it, yet evidently I hadn't.

Friday suffers from both being a product of it's times, and chock full of references to other people or concepts in the Heinlein Universe and if you're not seeped in that context falls flat at times. When I first read it back in the 80s I enjoyed it, greatly enjoyed it even, and reread several times over the years. But some of his writing hasn't aged well, and other of his writing works differently for me as I've matured.

 

[Blue]

Really struggling to finish Perhaps the Stars, the final Terra Ignota volume. Maybe because it's 800+ pages, I don't know. Also struggling with the first of the Liveship Traders trilogy, Ship of Magic. I think maybe I'll mix it up with a mystery novel.

I've read both of them. Perhaps the Stars recently, and witht he change of PoV character, de-escalation of so many important points from earlier books, and the more literal mixing in myths and stories, it got cumbersome. Was still worth finishing.

Liveship Traders I read because of how much I liked the first FitzChivalry trilogy. It's in the same world. But it never grabbed me as much, and it's one of the few series that I've bothered to keep but not bothered to reread, butting it sort of right on the edge of my valuation.

 

[Blue]

So last update I was reading The Three-Body Problem which wasn't gripping me and The Traitor Baru Cormorant which was. These both remain true, but not primary.

I haven't touched Three-Body Problem in over a week. I think I want to push through eventually, we'll see if that holds.

Quite enjoying The Traitor Baru Comorant. Solid 8 of 10 so far, including realistically messing up which I enjoy. Almost at the end, was just readingit a few minutes ago.

But one of my guilty pleasures took me over - teen supers. I noticed that Arthur Mayor had out books 7-9 in his series that started with Sidekicks on Kindle Unlimited. And I've been devouring them. I've gone through 7, 8, and half one 9. I'm not sure 24 hours has passed. And it's been almost all action. As much as I enjoy the exploits of Raven, he needs to sleep at some point. But still: guilty pleasure.

Next up on kindle when I finish those is a new Dresden novella The Law, also free on Kindle Unlimited. (And tagging @Ulfgeir , who was just reading some Dresden.)

 

[dragoner]

Friday suffers from both being a product of it's times, and chock full of references to other people or concepts in the Heinlein Universe and if you're not seeped in that context falls flat at times. When I first read it back in the 80s I enjoyed it, greatly enjoyed it even, and reread several times over the years. But some of his writing hasn't aged well, and other of his writing works differently for me as I've matured.

Agreed, and I think the Friday I have is first edition, hardback. After that, I am finishing up a short story collection called Crystal Express by Sterling, another I thought I had read, and didn't. I buy a lot of used books, and sometimes forget to read them all, I am trying to pare down the lot though. Next I want to re-read Surface Detail by Banks.

 

[Blue]

Quite enjoying The Traitor Baru Comorant. Solid 8 of 10 so far, including realistically messing up which I enjoy. Almost at the end, was just readingit a few minutes ago.

The Traitor Baru Cormorant called to me last night as being near the end. Unfortunately, it wasn't as close to the end as I expected. I finished up at Dark o'clock in the morning.

It nudged up from 8 to about an 8.5. All I will say is the book is well named, which is obvious at basically every point past the introductory chapter.