Hey Beehaw (and friends)! What’re you reading?
Novels, nonfiction, ebooks, audiobooks, graphic novels, etc - everything counts!
‘glyph’ by Percival Everett (who has rapidly become one of my favorite authors).
I’m currently reading Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper, which is the first book in the Dark is Rising sequence.
I first read this book years ago, and what has stuck me ever since was the vivid use of imagery by Cooper. I’ve also watched the movie, but it’s the book that has always stuck with me.
About to dive into The Tin Drum again. Last read it 30 years ago…
Death’s End, which is part of the Three Body Problem series by Cixin Liu
I actually just finished Three Body Problem yesterday. Really fascinating perspective and lots of big ideas, even if the characters could be better and there could be less telling and more showing. But can’t wait to get my hands on the rest of the trilogy!
Three body problem series is fantastic in my opinion. I love that heavy sci-fi shit. And viewing the world from a different cultures perspective was fascinating.
Yes. Without going into spoilers, the event that started the Deterrence Era blew my mind. It’s so rare to have an unexpected reversal like that in sci fi it really caught me by surprise.
I really wish I could read it in the original Chinese. The translator did a great job though.
Right now I am reading An Urban History Of China by John Lincoln. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I am enjoying reading it, since I am a sucker for anything history.
Just finished the Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy by Cixin Liu a couple days ago…it’s reminded me of how mind-blowing and mind-expanding sci-fi can be. It’s an incredibly bleak and yet somehow still hopeful series and aside from issues with how Liu handles characters, I can’t wait to re-read it after I’ve had some time to digest the ideas in it. Definitely recommend if you like big ideas in sci-fi and can deal with some iffy character writing.
Just bought Dune from a second hand store, never read it. Gonna start that soon!
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/33726/first-contact
First Contact by Ralts Bloodthorne (no relation)
Eight Thousand Years after the Glassing of Earth, Terran Descent Humanity has largely become a post-scarcity society based on consent and enjoying life. With the discovery of another ancient race beyond the "Great Gulf", events and history collide to draw the Terran Confederacy into war against a hundred million year old empire that has always won and believes it always will. With allies and enemies of multiple species, the Orion Galactic Arm Spur will be wracked by warfare the likes of which have not been seen. Cracked, harried, wounded, and damaged, Terran Descent Humanity willfully throws itself against the universe itself. "The universe hates you and will take away everything you love, laughing while it does so." - Terran belief.
«Elsewhere, Perhaps» - Amos Oz (1966).
I randomly picked up Ruth Ozeki’s Tale for the Time Being at the library and couldn’t put it down. It really was the level up of literature I have been waiting for. While it did have a few words I needed to look up, it was generally very approachable and enjoyable to get through. What I also appreciated was that even though some of the subject matter is difficult, it is not so detailed and exploitive that it created a triggering response, at least for me. I really look forward to reading more of her work. I’m shocked I had never heard of her and only bumped into this book by chance!
I read ‘the book of form and emptiness’ by her a few weeks back and absolutely loved it. also looking forward to reading more of her.
I recently finished the 7th book in the Wheel of Time series, A Crown of Swords. I am currently contemplating whether to start book 8 or read something else to not get burned out. A Crown of Swords is the first book in the series I did not enjoy that much.
Definitely take a break! That’s about the spot where most people struggle to get through. Take your time; there’s a lot of setup, but the pacing is not great.
Also, I think book 8 is The One Without Mat, so it took me forever to get through it.