What are you reading in 2024?

[Ralif Redhammer]

Fantasy has absolutely exploded in (frequently intersectional) diversity in recent years. The spell of grimdark has faded since the last Song of Ice and Fire book. And if Winds of Winter ever comes out, I wonder at its reception. Though the world of ASOIAF is a diverse one, it has not done great at having diverse POV characters. And the tropes of grimdark, such as the violence against women, have not all aged that well.

I finished reading REH's Sword Woman. The Dark Agnes stories were great, though I think they should've left the unconnected fragments out at the end.

Now I'm re-reading Elizabeth Moon's Sheepfarmer's Daughter. Haven't read it in over 20 years.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B3XQBGPS/

I'm wrong. I mentally conflated her with a real-life pirate queen. This is about a strictly fictional one.

The cover is def giving me Oz type vibes for some reason...

Duncton wood-water ship down but moles is the closest I can describe. Enjoying so far

Basically Watership Down meets Wind in the Willows? Sounds great

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The spell of grimdark has faded since the last Song of Ice and Fire book.

The last holdouts are the folks putting out new 5E grimdark settings on Kickstarter, seemingly on a weekly basis. There's definitely an audience out there for grimdark, even if it's substantially smaller than it was.

I personally found a lot of House of the Dragon to verge on misery porn, although I know a lot of people really enjoyed it.

 

[overgeeked]

misery porn

That's how I've always described grimdark in general. Not quite as catchy, but far more accurately descriptive.

 

[Parmandur]

Started reading my physical copy of Yumi & The Nightmare Painter. Very odd but good read so far.

Decided to listen to Way of Kings on Audiobook, and...it really holds up on re-read.

 

[Zaukrie]

Fantasy has absolutely exploded in (frequently intersectional) diversity in recent years. The spell of grimdark has faded since the last Song of Ice and Fire book. And if Winds of Winter ever comes out, I wonder at its reception. Though the world of ASOIAF is a diverse one, it has not done great at having diverse POV characters. And the tropes of grimdark, such as the violence against women, have not all aged that well.

I finished reading REH's Sword Woman. The Dark Agnes stories were great, though I think they should've left the unconnected fragments out at the end.

Now I'm re-reading Elizabeth Moon's Sheepfarmer's Daughter. Haven't read it in over 20 years.

Love sheep farmer's daughter. So good.

 

[prabe]

Last three books--How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix: A pretty conventional haunted house novel centered around a borderline-stereotypical Southern Oddball family; The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: Rereading a book I read in college, better than I remembered it, more complex and deeper, pity it gets dissected so brutally in classes; Piranesi by Susanna Clarke: Another remarkably complex short-ish novel, this one playing all sort of unreliable narrator games while weaving themes of identity and reality, a novel that kinda kept reassembling itself as I read it (that's not snark).

 

[Thomas Shey]

I've had How to Sell a Haunted House pop up on recommendations a couple times, but I can't make up my mind if it'd interest me or not.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Last three books--How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix: A pretty conventional haunted house novel centered around a borderline-stereotypical Southern Oddball Fantasy;

I keep meaning to read Grady Hendrix. Probably the Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires, but they all sound fun.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: Rereading a book I read in college, better than I remembered it, more complex and deeper, pity it gets dissected so brutally in classes

It's a book that's wasted on teenagers, IMO. It's a much better read in middle age, when the themes hit very hard.

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke: Another remarkably complex short-ish novel, this one playing all sort of unreliable narrator games while weaving themes of identity and reality, a novel that kinda kept reassembling itself as I read it (that's not snark).

Man, I love this. Hard to discuss without spoiling the hell out of it, but it's a great fun read, and lightning quick compared to Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, which demands a lot more of readers than this does. (Probably related to Clarke's battle with chronic fatigue syndrome.) I will say that, if you are a big fan of classic 20th century fantasy written by famous Brits, Piranesi has some fun Easter eggs waiting for you.

 

[misc.affinities]

I've had a good start to the year so far. Finished off my (mostly) annual re-read of LotRs, the Silmarillion, and Children of Hurin. Also been plugging away at the new translation of the Iliad - it's sensational, and best read at least partly aloud. I've also finally picked up The Blade Itself, which I'm about to start. Something I'd been meaning to get for a long time.