What are you reading in 2023?

[Cadence]

Up through #23 (Dead Water) in Ngaio Marsh's Inspector Alleyn series. It is one of my favorites so far of hers.

 

[HaroldTheHobbit]

Finally got all of EE Doc Smiths Lensman series on my e-book reader, so I’m gonna enjoy that when I finish my Felix & Gotrek spree. My Lensman paper books are sadly a mess of loose pages.

 

[Nellisir]

I loved Christopher Moore. I haven’t read any of his stuff in years. Good to see he’s still going.

He definitely is. I like his other stuff pretty well, but Lamb is #1 and the Pocket books have the same vibe.

 

[Nellisir]

Witch King by Martha Wells currently underway. Liking it so far.

Update: I like Witch King but so far it's more Raksura than Murderbot or Ile-Rien so YMMV.

 

[ichabod]

So I finished The Long ARM of Gil Hamilton. Three mysteries. One that I liked, one that I think display's a naive view of human nature on Niven's part, and one that is not so much hard science fiction as confusing science fiction. I also thought his villains gave up way too easy. I think those cases are going to be hard to prove in court.

I have started reading Looking for the Good War by Elizabeth Samet. It's about the mythology of World War II: how it evolved, how it differs from the historical record, and how it has affected America, especially American warfare.

 

[overgeeked]

One that I liked, one that I think display's a naive view of human nature on Niven's part, and one that is not so much hard science fiction as confusing science fiction.

Human nature is hard to pin down. It always seems to be either exactly what the writer’s society values, the opposite of that, or some idealized third option.

 

[Longfingers]

On Book 2 of John Gwynne's The Faithful and the Fallen series. Quotes on the jacket are all 'if you like Game of Thrones you'll love this' but it's the closest I've come to the feel of David Gemmell. And to think I got about 100 pages into the first book and I put it away because it hadn't grabbed me - glad I went back and gave it a second chance.

 

[dragoner]

I have started Vinge's Tangled Up In Blue, another Snow Queen book, I think I read it while back, and found it pretty weak.

 

[Nellisir]

Update: I like Witch King but so far it's more Raksura than Murderbot or Ile-Rien so YMMV.

So, I ended up liking Witch King quite a bit, as the start of something. The characters themselves don't particularly stand out, but M. Wells has always done spectacular non-Eurocentric, non-Tolkien world-building and that seems to be the direction the series is headed. Also, it's a nice change to see characters that aren't just starting out (although there's a fair bit of that too).

She's got a real thing for large ruined cities and structures built in what my mind imagines is a brutalism architectural style; this is at least the fourth time it's cropped up. A funny and kinda enjoyable quirk.

Skipping over Guy Gavriel Kay & have started (2 pages in) The Frugal etc etc by Brandon Sanderson.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

I have started Vinge's Tangled Up In Blue, another Snow Queen book, I think I read it while back, and found it pretty weak.

Oh, I didn't realize Joan Vinge had another Snow Queen sequel. Too bad it's pretty weak. The first two were quite nice