What are you reading this year 2020?

[Older Beholder]

I posted this in a different thread a few weeks ago, but this is a better place for it.

I Just wanted to mention the new Susanna Clarke novel : Piranesi
Whilst it's very different to her first novel Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, it's a much easier read for one, it's no less interesting or enjoyable.

I've been pretty slack this year though, I found it hard to concentrate during the early stages of lock down and have read very little.
The only other things I've managed this year were a couple of Jeff Vandermeer books:
Dead Astronauts
The Strange Bird

 

[KahlessNestor]

So, I keep saying that modern Superhero fiction isn't my bag, and then coming up with some exceptions I like. So I figured I'd give the genre a chance. Cheapest way was there was a 3-montsh for $5 total Kindle Unlimited offer.

I started reading the Arsenal series (okay, "Full Metal Superhero" is the name of the series) by Jeffery Haskell. Started with a "oh look, a Tony Stark expy who knows far too many types of sciences with a really powerful AI", but the main character (a paralyzed from-the-waste-down young woman) grew on me. It had none of the deconstruction I call out enjoying in the books I liked, but I found myself reading all of them. Light and enjoyable.

I had intended to skip between different authors and series, but I was still going at book 9, which ended up with a corssover to book 4 of another series in the same world with a dark vigilante. So I read that series. I didn't like it as much,but it wasn't bad and it was quick. And now I'm back on book 10 of the orignal series, which is also a crossover with those two, but back to the original POV.

After this, don't know. There's a LOT of modern superhero fiction on kindle unlimited. Feel free to make suggestions.

Read Brandon Sanderson's superhero series "The Reckoners," starting with Steelheart. Kind of some deconstruction in there. Also, his series of three "Legion" novellas are more sci-fi, but sort of super-heroish. Would make a good quirky detective series like Monk or Psych. Even Sanderson's fantasy tends toward superhero.

 

[Janx]

Battle Grounds just came out..i'm waiting for my copy to show up.

yeah, I realized that and put Dread Nation aside (only at chapter 2) and downloaded Battle Grounds last night before the internet spoils everything. I'll resume Dread Nation after. It looks like a good read.

 

[trappedslider]

yeah, I realized that and put Dread Nation aside (only at chapter 2) and downloaded Battle Grounds last night before the internet spoils everything. I'll resume Dread Nation after. It looks like a good read.

I read Dread Nation when it came out, but that's all I remember lol. I'll read Battle grounds while I wait for someone to return The living Dead started by George A. Romero before he passed away then finished by Daniel Kraus to the library. I've also got Dawn of The Dead on my wish list.

EDIT: However, I just now saw that The Tower of Nero (Trials of Apollo, The Book Five) (Trials of Apollo, 5) comes out next week,so that will jump to the head of the line after BG lol

 

[Blue]

I have put aside everything else I was reading as Battle Ground arrived yesterday.

My spoiler-free review is - I have cheered out loud several times, and am about 20% through it. Also, Harry may have some snarky lines.

My very-slight-spoilers review is that like other Dresden books it has lots of callbacks. Having read the side stories as well as the main books will bring even more enjoyment.

 

[TwoSix]

yeah, I realized that and put Dread Nation aside (only at chapter 2) and downloaded Battle Grounds last night before the internet spoils everything. I'll resume Dread Nation after. It looks like a good read.

If you happened to be peeved with Peace Talks "all setup and no payoff" (I wasn't, but I know people that were), I'll say only that Battle Grounds has significantly more payoff.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I thought Dread Nation was quite good. I am curious about Romero's novel. The Empire of the Dead comics were pretty enjoyable.

I thought it a shame that he never did get to make his final zombie movie (which sounded like it was going to return to the main continuity, rather than the soft reboots of Diary and Survival). Zombies in a demolition derby sounds pretty wacky, but it's not like he hadn't slowly been hinting at increased intelligence.

I read Dread Nation when it came out, but that's all I remember lol. I'll read Battle grounds while I wait for someone to return The living Dead started by George A. Romero before he passed away then finished by Daniel Kraus to the library. I've also got Dawn of The Dead on my wish list.

 

[Cadence]

Continuing my gradual reading of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe books. If unfamiliar, picture something like a reclusive American Mycroft Holmes (Nero Wolfe) who is partnered with a classic American radio show type detective like Johnny Dollar or Richard Diamond (Archie Goodwin). There were 47 volumes published from 1934 to 1975, and a posthumous one in 1985. Several of those contain multiple shorter works, and some modern collected volumes contain a few of the 47.

I was inspired to try it based on reading that Glen Cook's Garrett P.I. books were partially inspired by them (they are not particularly similar beyond the surface) and by the spectacular voice of Sydney Greenstreet in the radio show. I have since since seen an episode or two of the A&E TV show from 2001-2002, and a bit of the old pilot with Shatner as Archie, and a bit of the William Conrad TV version... and should get to those at some point too. It's hard not to miss Greenstreet's voice if you heard the radio show first.

After exhausting the university and county library systems over the past few years, I had been slowly buying used copies when I ran across them or trying inter-library loan. Of course, now that ILL is only partly working and I don't have a ton of book space, but do have a kindle, it finally occurred for me to get one that way. And so, #21 "Prisoner's Base" - I thought it was a particularly strong volume, with several nods that those familiar with the characters would definitely appreciate (much of the fun in reading the series is the characters more than the mystery). There's one bit about the reveal that I wish had been resolved, but can't have everything.

For anyone wanting to try reading the series, It's not particularly important to read them in order, but I might suggest reading the first few to get a feel for the character before jumping around (and it looks, so far, like most of the recurring characters start somewhere in the first 11). I would be careful to read #13 "And Be a Villain", #15 "The Second Confession", and #17 "The Best Families" and not until having read several others.

And now I have to resist ordering the next one so that I can actually do some work!

 

[Janx]

If you happened to be peeved with Peace Talks "all setup and no payoff" (I wasn't, but I know people that were), I'll say only that Battle Grounds has significantly more payoff.

Nah, I knew it was a big novel chopped in half by the publisher. Plus as a writer who studied Butcher, I have a decent grasp of why he does things.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Continuing my gradual reading of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe books. If unfamiliar, picture something like a reclusive American Mycroft Holmes (Nero Wolfe) who is partnered with a classic American radio show type detective like Johnny Dollar or Richard Diamond (Archie Goodwin). There were 47 volumes published from 1934 to 1975, and a posthumous one in 1985. Several of those contain multiple shorter works, and some modern collected volumes contain a few of the 47.

I was inspired to try it based on reading that Glen Cook's Garrett P.I. books were partially inspired by them (they are not particularly similar beyond the surface) and by the spectacular voice of Sydney Greenstreet in the radio show. I have since since seen an episode or two of the A&E TV show from 2001-2002, and a bit of the old pilot with Shatner as Archie, and a bit of the William Conrad TV version... and should get to those at some point too. It's hard not to miss Greenstreet's voice if you heard the radio show first.

After exhausting the university and county library systems over the past few years, I had been slowly buying used copies when I ran across them or trying inter-library loan. Of course, now that ILL is only partly working and I don't have a ton of book space, but do have a kindle, it finally occurred for me to get one that way. And so, #21 "Prisoner's Base" - I thought it was a particularly strong volume, with several nods that those familiar with the characters would definitely appreciate (much of the fun in reading the series is the characters more than the mystery). There's one bit about the reveal that I wish had been resolved, but can't have everything.

For anyone wanting to try reading the series, It's not particularly important to read them in order, but I might suggest reading the first few to get a feel for the character before jumping around (and it looks, so far, like most of the recurring characters start somewhere in the first 11). I would be careful to read #13 "And Be a Villain", #15 "The Second Confession", and #17 "The Best Families" and not until having read several others.

And now I have to resist ordering the next one so that I can actually do some work!

Love Archie and Nero. Also am a fan of Fritz and the tantalizing mentions of delicious foods (blackened eggs? What even are they?). At some point there was a Nero Wolf Cookbook, which I'd love to own. I'm sure it's got way more salt and butter than modern cooking recommends; but there's a reason Wolf was a 7th of a ton.

Similar to your project, I have been thinking of reading the following Golden Age of Mystery authors in publication order. All together, year by year.
Dorothy Sayers (Peter Wimsey)
Agatha Christie (Poirot, Marple)
Ngaio Marsh (Alleyn)
Rex Stout (Wolfe/Goodwin)
Josephine Tey (Alan Grant)
John Dickson Carr (Mostly Gideon Fell)
Georges Simenon (Maigret) (in the original French? Maybe...)
Margery Allingham (Albert Campion)

And then write a quick blog post about each one as I go... It would be interesting to see how a) technology progresses in the novels and b) how major geo-political events impact each novel. For example, my sense is post WWII, many of series got a bit darker in feel.