bluesalamanders 2021

Converses75 Books Challenge for 2021

Afegeix-te a LibraryThing per participar.

bluesalamanders 2021

1bluesalamanders
gen. 1, 2021, 3:54 pm

Hi! I haven't been particularly active here the past couple of years, but I'm trying to change that. I'm Blue, I live in New England, and I mostly read science fiction and fantasy. I've read dramatically different amounts of books over the past few years, so I'm giving up on goals for the most part. I hope to read at least a couple of nonfiction books, and it would be nice if I read an equal number of new books and rereads, though if this year is anything like last year, the latter is unlikely (and in fact I'm more likely to read fanfic than new books currently).

50 Book Challenge lists: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
75 Book Challenge lists: 2011, 2011.2, 2012.1, 2012.2, 2013.1, 2013.2, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020

And, well. Here's to a better 2021.

2bluesalamanders
Editat: gen. 24, 2021, 9:20 pm

Books that I am definitely currently reading:
(see my most recent post)

Books that I started and theoretically want to get back into:
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
My Real Children by Jo Walton
Stories of the Raksura, Book 1 by Martha Wells
Because Internet by Gretchen McCulluch
Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn

Books that I haven’t started yet but keep meaning to:
Seven Surrenders by Ada Palmer
Or What You Will by Jo Walton
Dreadful Company by Vivian Shaw
Six Harvests in Lea, Texas by Sam Starbuck

3Esquiress
gen. 1, 2021, 4:21 pm

Hey there! I saw your post in Introductions, and I thought I'd stop by to say hi and wish another sci fi/ fantasy friend a good new year :) I'd love to swap recommendations with you!

4FAMeulstee
gen. 1, 2021, 5:11 pm

Happy reading in 2021, Blue!

5bluesalamanders
Editat: gen. 1, 2021, 5:30 pm

>3 Esquiress: Hi and welcome! I'm always happy to talk book recs with a fellow SFF fan. :) Looking at your library, I think the first thing I'd recommend is the October Daye series by Seanan McGuire, or maybe Old Man's War by John Scalzi, for two wildly different options.

>4 FAMeulstee: You, too, FAM!

6drneutron
gen. 1, 2021, 6:00 pm

Welcome back for a great new year!

7thornton37814
gen. 1, 2021, 7:20 pm

Enjoy your 2021 reading!

8PaulCranswick
gen. 1, 2021, 8:06 pm



And keep up with my friends here, Blue. Have a great 2021.

9mahsdad
gen. 1, 2021, 9:26 pm

Happy New Year!

Dropping my star, looking forward to a great year!

10ronincats
gen. 2, 2021, 12:16 am

Blue!! Welcome back!

11MickyFine
gen. 2, 2021, 11:00 am

Happy to see you back, Blue! Dropping off a star.

12ronincats
gen. 2, 2021, 12:18 pm

Dropping off my and wishing you the best of new years in 2021!

13karenmarie
gen. 2, 2021, 12:52 pm

Hi Blue! Star dropped, although not as fancy as Roni's.

Happy New Year and all the best for 2021.

14PersephonesLibrary
gen. 2, 2021, 1:13 pm

I find it sometimes hard to keep up with everything on LibraryThing and have promised improvement in 2021. I am always looking for nice fantasy recommendations as well.

Happy New Reading Year!

15norabelle414
gen. 2, 2021, 1:41 pm

Happy New Year, Blue! I think we should come up with some kind of format for recording fanfic reading in this group, so that people don't think it doesn't count.

16bluesalamanders
gen. 2, 2021, 6:44 pm

>6 drneutron: Thanks, newt! Happy new year!
>7 thornton37814: You, too, thornton!
>8 PaulCranswick: Sounds like a plan, Paul.

>9 mahsdad: Happy New Year, mahs!
>10 ronincats: Hi, roni!!! It's good to be back.
>11 MickyFine: Hey Micky!! Thanks!

>12 ronincats: Ooo, sparkly ;)
>13 karenmarie: Hi, karen! Happy new year.

>14 PersephonesLibrary: Same, same, especially since I'm so out of practice. I got sucked into tumblr and discord and I dropped off of a lot of other sites I used to go to. And, hm. I might recommend Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire and possibly some Robin McKinley.

>15 norabelle414: Happy New Year, Nora!
I'm kind of iffy about the idea, I admit. Not that recording fanfic as reading is a bad idea per se, since it certainly is reading, but I'd be concerned that it would encourage people to add fic as works on LT, and that is not a good idea.

17justchris
gen. 3, 2021, 2:43 am

>16 bluesalamanders: Yah, I got sucked into discord last year and am currently balancing that and this.

Sounds like we're pretty similar in terms of activity and preferences.

18bluesalamanders
gen. 3, 2021, 1:26 pm

>17 justchris: I appreciate discord, it's a good way to keep in touch with different groups of people, especially now, what with Everything. But sometimes all the social media is just A Lot and I miss the days of like, LJ and AIM and stuff. (The nostalgia-heavy post I just read on tumblr maaaay be contributing to that. It's possible.)

19PersephonesLibrary
gen. 3, 2021, 2:22 pm

>16 bluesalamanders: Thank you for the recommendations! I will check them out! Indeed, there is too much going on online. Though I focus on a little bit of Twitter and mainly LT for this year. That's at least the plan.

20bluesalamanders
gen. 3, 2021, 5:28 pm

>19 PersephonesLibrary: You're welcome! I hope you like them. Yeah, there is definitely too much going on online. And it's too easy to just keep finding more things to follow instead of trying to maintain some kind of balance.

21curioussquared
gen. 4, 2021, 12:37 am

Hi Blue! I don't think I've followed your thread before, but it looks like we might have similar taste so I'm dropping off a star :)

22bluesalamanders
gen. 4, 2021, 1:09 pm

>21 curioussquared: Welcome, curious!

23PersephonesLibrary
gen. 4, 2021, 1:23 pm

I am looking forward to this... :) Thanks for the recommendation again.

24bluesalamanders
gen. 5, 2021, 4:55 pm

>23 PersephonesLibrary: I poked around, and it looks like that's an omnibus of the first three books? That's so cool! Enjoy!

25Esquiress
gen. 10, 2021, 6:05 pm

>5 bluesalamanders: Sorry for the delay in responding, but both of those recommendations have made it onto my wishlist now! Have you read Seveneves by Neal Stephenson? I really enjoyed that one. It was long but worth it. I just finished Red-Headed Stepchild and one of its sequels too, and I enjoyed that. Happy reading :)

26PersephonesLibrary
gen. 11, 2021, 1:51 pm

>24 bluesalamanders: Thank you very much for the recommendation! Yes, indeed, there are three stories in it. I have read Nancy's, Jack & Jill's story and now I am in the middle of Sumi's daughter's story. At the beginning I thought I was too old for it because of the school situation. But I very quickly started to like it - and now, I am enjoying it a lot!

27bluesalamanders
gen. 11, 2021, 6:13 pm

>25 Esquiress: I have read Seveneves! It was a few years ago, but I liked it, as I recall. I haven't heard of Red-Headed Stepchild, I'll look into it. Thanks! :)

>26 PersephonesLibrary: You're welcome! I'm glad you're enjoying them! I like a lot of Seanan's books - the October Daye series is another favorite, but pretty much all of her books are good, and if you like horror (which I do not) she also publishes under Mira Grant - but I'm particularly fond of the Wayward Children. There are so many wonderful characters. I love Nancy and I love Cora and Jack and Kade and Christopher and Sumi are all so great.

28bluesalamanders
gen. 11, 2021, 6:21 pm

Finished Book 1: Old Man’s War by John Scalzi
Old Man’s War, book 1
Reread, adult, science fiction, audiobook, 9h 58m

Hey, look! I finished a book!

Books that I am definitely currently reading:
The 99% Invisible City by Roman Mars
The Last Colony by John Scalzi
Balance of Trade by Sharon Lee, Steve Miller

Books that I started awhile ago and theoretically want to get back into:
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
My Real Children by Jo Walton
Stories of the Raksura, Book 1 by Martha Wells
Because Internet by Gretchen McCulluch
Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn

Books that I haven’t started yet but keep meaning to:
Seven Surrenders by Ada Palmer
Or What You Will by Jo Walton
Dreadful Company by Vivian Shaw
Six Harvests in Lea, Texas by Sam Starbuck

Well, that last one I just got, so it really isn't keep meaning to, but still. There's really a lot more books in those last two categories, these are just the easy ones to fine. Let's see if I can actually make some inroads in my tbr shelves.

29Esquiress
gen. 11, 2021, 8:46 pm

>27 bluesalamanders: It was something my roommate just happened to have lying around, and it was fun. It's definitely more urban fantasy, vampire type stuff. I don't know if you've ever read any of the Dresden Files books or God Save the Queen, but it's in the same vein.

30bluesalamanders
gen. 12, 2021, 4:00 pm

>29 Esquiress: I haven't read Dresden Files, though I did watch the tv show and October Daye is often compared that series. I'm not familiar with God Save the Queen.

31mahsdad
gen. 12, 2021, 6:38 pm

>28 bluesalamanders: Have you read Forever War by Joe Haldeman? Its another hard scifi about war at long distances. Scalzi says that it isn't, but many people say its an inspiration for Old Man's War. I love them both.

It was on Prime Reading (if you have Amazon Prime), but I'm not sure if it is anymore.

32bluesalamanders
gen. 13, 2021, 1:10 pm

>31 mahsdad: I've heard of it, but I don't think I've read it. That's definitely one for the tbr list, thanks!

33bluesalamanders
gen. 13, 2021, 1:50 pm

Finished Book 2: Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire
Wayward Children, book 6
New read, fantasy, young adult, audiobook, 4h 3m

Although this is the sixth in the Wayward Children series, it’s a standalone book with no reference to characters in the previous books. Definitely not my favorite, but a solid addition to the series.

Content warning: children bullying, bullying re intersex, discussions of puberty, missing child, discussion of and implied murder, kidnapping

Finished Book 3: The Last Colony By John Scalzi
Old Man’s War, book 3
Reread, adult, science fiction, audiobook, 9h 51m

34bluesalamanders
gen. 14, 2021, 4:30 pm

Finished Book 4: Six Harvests in Lea, Texas by Sam Starbuck
New read, fantasy, adult, dead tree, 222p

Six Harvests is set in Texas in the 1930s and is largely the story of one family just trying to get by. Wild Mayer comes home after a year of agricultural college to take over the farm when his stepfather dies and the first thing he sees in town is the new church, which has always been there. And that’s just the start of the odd things that happen in their small town.

I really liked this. The characters have a very strong voice (or voices, I guess) and the setting is really grounded (no pun intended). I like Wild’s calm acceptance of the oddities he keeps running into, and the cyclical nature of the story, which fits well with a story about farms and harvests.

Sam is better known as the fanfic author copperbadge but he’s put out half a dozen or so books, largely (like this one) self-published through lulu.

Content warnings: brief discussions of a pandemic, injury from apparent lightning strike, child death (off page), murder (off page), pregnancy, abortion, childbirth, cultlike behavior. There is a more detailed list at the end of the book itself.

35justchris
gen. 15, 2021, 3:18 am

>31 mahsdad: I read The Forever War awhile ago when I was reading all the Hugo winners in the novel category. It was meaningful to me to learn that Haldeman was a Vietnam Vet and published this in 1974--so the story is very much a response to his wartime experiences. Here's a great writeup about it: https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2011/apr/14/back-to-the-hugos-joe-ha.... Note that it includes spoilers.

36PaulCranswick
gen. 22, 2021, 9:52 pm

>34 bluesalamanders: Never heard of that one but it looks like a winner.

37bluesalamanders
gen. 24, 2021, 9:01 pm

>36 PaulCranswick: I'd be surprised if anyone had heard of it, really :) He self-publishes for fun and doesn't advertise except to his existing followers. Plus it was new. It was definitely a winner, though!

38bluesalamanders
gen. 24, 2021, 9:28 pm

Finished Book 5: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by NK Jemisin
Inheritance Trilogy, book 1
Reread, adult, fantasy, audiobook, 11h 46m

I love this whole series, but this is definitely my favorite book of the three.

Entertainingly, I had a video chat with a friend last week and he asked if I'd read this book, which I was about halfway through at the time. I honestly didn't even know he liked fantasy - I've tried recommending him books in the past and I was always under the impression he wasn't particularly interested in them - but he liked this one at least and we ended up having a great conversation about books.

Books that I am definitely currently reading:
The 99% Invisible City by Roman Mars
Balance of Trade by Sharon Lee, Steve Miller
The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
How Long 'Til Black Future Month by NK Jemisin

39justchris
gen. 24, 2021, 9:32 pm

>38 bluesalamanders: Thanks for the strong rec. I picked this one up as a trade paperback soon after it came out. I am hoping to finally read it this year as part of my ROOT challenge. And of course, I would like to pick up The Broken Earth trilogy at some point.

40bluesalamanders
gen. 24, 2021, 9:52 pm

>39 justchris: You're welcome! It is a wonderful book, I've read it at least three times (*checks* make that five). The Broken Earth trilogy is in some ways even better, though it's denser and not something I'll reread quite as often.

41Esquiress
Editat: gen. 25, 2021, 1:07 am

>30 bluesalamanders: Jumping back a bit to this comment: I highly recommend the Dresden Files books. We're big fans in this household. One of my roommates does a spot-on cosplay of Harry too!

>40 bluesalamanders: I think I just added The Broken Earth trilogy to my wishlist, if I'm remembering correctly...

42Esquiress
Editat: gen. 25, 2021, 1:07 am

Oh for heaven's sake. What is going on with my posts?! Sorry that things may have shown up twice.

43bluesalamanders
gen. 30, 2021, 11:03 pm

Finished Book 6: The Android's Dream by John Scalzi
Reread, adult, science fiction, audiobook, 10h 34m

This is a light and funny (mostly funny) book, which is what I needed.

If you do read this, just try not to judge the whole book on the first chapter. Scalzi sometimes decides to experiment with his books, and this time the experiment was to see if he could write a chapter-long fart joke. Which, I mean. He did? Yay, I guess? But in my experience, it can turn off some readers who would likely enjoy the rest of the book.

Finished Book 7: The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
The Invisible Library, book 1
New read, adult, fantasy, ebook, 352 pages

There is a library that exists between the worlds of the multiverse, and the librarians who work for it gather books from various worlds. For reasons. The main character (whose name I don’t remember right now can't be bothered to look up) is a librarian with a Very Special Past (and also a nemesis), who has an assistant who is Clearly Hiding Something, and together they’re sent on An Unusual Mission.

It’s fine. It sounds like it should be pretty great (or, you know, if someone who liked it better described it, it would), but really...it’s fine. I’m probably going to check out the sequels because anything that holds my interest enough to finish right now is a good thing, but I don’t actually have any strong feelings about it.

Except, ok, come to think of it, I’m not sure why there had to be four (possibly five or even six, depending how you count them) antagonists? That seems a bit much. Also, why did they need the Librarian with the Special Past, the Sexy Assistant She Doesn’t Want Who is Secretly a Dragon, AND The Great Detective as the good guys? Again, seems like a bit much.

I didn’t realize until I was writing this that this was Cogman’s first book. It has that kind of “throw everything at the wall and see what sticks” feel that happens sometimes.

44MickyFine
gen. 31, 2021, 9:41 am

Sorry to see you didn't enjoy The Invisible Library more as I'm pretty fond of the series. Maybe it'll grow on you...

45Esquiress
gen. 31, 2021, 11:48 pm

>43 bluesalamanders: Hmmm... I think The Android's Dream needs to make its way onto my reading list... I did peek at the spoiler, though, and that's good to know -- I'd have thrown it at the wall otherwise, I'm sure. I've dumped boyfriends for excessive humor of that variety (okay, okay, there were other reasons too), so I'd drop a book like a hot potato XD

46ronincats
gen. 31, 2021, 11:50 pm

I love The Android's Dream although that first chapter! And I like later books in the Invisible Library series better than the first.

47bluesalamanders
feb. 1, 2021, 1:54 pm

>44 MickyFine: I didn't dislike it, just. Yeah. I have heard the sequels are better, though, from roni and other friends.

>45 Esquiress: I hope you like it! I feel like I have to warn for that every time I recommend the book to anyone, which is kind of annoying, especially considering how uncommon good humorous sff is.

>46 ronincats: Same. I don't even actually hate the first chapter, I just know it turns some people off, so I always want to warn for it!

I am planning to check out the later Invisible Library books, hopefully I will also like them better also.

48bluesalamanders
març 6, 2021, 6:24 pm

Finished Book 8: The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter by Theodora Goss
The Athena Club, book 1
Reread, adult, fantasy, audiobook, 13h 39m

The characters are delightful, the story is entertaining, and the commentary is hilarious - the book is written as though it’s a sort of memoir, written by one of the characters, and the other characters occasionally break in with suggestions, questions, and comments. Highly recommended, particularly the audiobook with Kate Reading, who is simply one of the best audiobook narrators I’ve ever listened to.

Finished Book 9: Imaginary Numbers by Seanan McGuire
Incryptid, book 9
Reread, adult, fantasy, audiobook, 12h 32m

I really like this book. I like Sarah’s perspective and it’s interesting to hear from a member of the family that isn’t all action hero-ing around. The cliffhanger ending was a shock the first time I read it, though.

Content warnings: kidnapping, discussion of murder, telepathy, unintentional mind alteration, unconsensual mind alteration, probably some other stuff I can’t think of right now

Finished Book 10: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
Wayfarers, book 1
Reread, adult, science fiction, audiobook, 14h 23m

This is one of my favorite books right now.

49bluesalamanders
Editat: març 6, 2021, 6:31 pm

Finished Book 11: Calculated Risks by Seanan McGuire
Incryptid, book 10
New read, adult, fantasy, dead tree, 448p

This is the first book that I’ve read by Seanan McGuire that I actively disliked. And on the one hand, I don’t actually disagree with most of the things in the story that I didn’t like - I can appreciate that a plot point or piece of character development makes sense even if I don’t want to read about it.

But on the other hand. 1) I did not sign up for a zombie story. Of all the fantasy monsters, I fing hate zombies the most. 2) Artie and Annie being assholes through the whole book was not fun to read, I don’t care how much sense it made, and 3) I absolutely hated the end. I didn’t like it, I didn’t buy it, and frankly I felt there was no time spent selling it.

I didn’t hate everything about the book. There were plot points and character beats that I liked. Greg is great. Mark, surprisingly, has really good character development. I like Sarah a lot and I enjoy seeing things from her perspective.

But I can’t get past all the things I disliked, most of all the end. Artie’s mind was wiped. I do not buy Sarah being able to snap her fingers and recreate him from other people’s memories. I don’t care that she’s Super Mega Extra Cuckoo now or that she had spent so much time in his mind growing up or whatever. It was not sold to me that a conglomeration of other people’s memories could become a person, and I didn’t feel like we were given the chance to see whether or not he was actually him. And maybe some future Incryptid book is going to include him trying to piece himself back together, but there wasn’t enough time spent in this book to sell me on it. It just didn’t work for me, and that soured everything I did like about the book, to the point where I haven’t been able to pick it up and read the short story.

Content warnings: zombies, telepathy, unintentional mind alteration, nonconsensual mind alteration, consensual mind alteration, moderate gore, giant spiders, giant bugs, kidnapping, birth (off page)

My friend C, who shares pretty similar tastes in books with me, did not agree about the end. I’m curious what you think, if you’ve read it?

Books that I am definitely currently reading:
Or What You Will by Jo Walton
A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers

50MickyFine
març 8, 2021, 12:26 pm

I think I'm far enough away from my first read of A Long Way... that I can try reading the sequels now. I love that first book and the characters SO much and I knew I'd resent the sequels for not being about them if I read it right away. Have to put it in the library holds queue... sometime. :P Glad to hear your re-read hit the spot.

51bluesalamanders
març 8, 2021, 1:32 pm

>50 MickyFine: Oh, I hope you like it! I love A Closed and Common Orbit as much as I love the first one.

52MickyFine
març 8, 2021, 3:43 pm

>51 bluesalamanders: That's awesome to hear.

53bluesalamanders
març 16, 2021, 8:23 am

Finished Book 12: Ancestral Night by Elizabeth Bear
New read, adult, science fiction, audiobook, 16h 48m

I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of this book. It was a space adventure where two humans, their AI, and their cats (space cats, aww!) found a derelict ship and were trying to figure out what it was and how to tow it back to civilization to get rewarded for the salvage. The characters were neat, the universe was interesting, the cats were adorable, and the story was engaging.

Unfortunately, then there was the second half of the book.

A lot of stuff happened, but the real turning point for me was when, out of nowhere, Connla and Singer (human and AI respectively) and the cats were apparently blown up and I had to go look for spoilers in order to keep reading. They’re all fine in the end, but it feels unsatisfyingly deus ex machina for that to be true. Like, the AI just happened to have finally gotten past his qualms about reproducing without permission (it makes sense in context) at just the right moment to copy himself over to the new ship, and Connla and the cats just happened to have gotten all space-suited up already, and when their ship was destroyed it just happened to be in such a way to magically not kill Connla and the cats (but yes kill Singer’s original iteration)? Eh.

And also, since Connla and Singer were “dead”, the rest of the book followed Haimey and a pirate who was trying to steal the salvage out from under them, who was incredibly condescending and unpleasant the entire time, all the while thinking she was being tantalizing. If I didn’t like Haimey (the POV character) so much, I would have given up long before the end of the book, because the second half was a real slog.

There is a lot of discussion of politics and philosophy and I don’t know if I’m just out of practice or if I have less patience with bullshit than I used to (considering the times we live in), but the pirate tried to frame her arguments as freedom versus servitude when she was really arguing for anarchy versus community, and it wasn’t even a very interesting argument. (There are certainly arguments to be made against the society Haimey lives in, but the pirate’s - I can’t remember her name - were not good ones.)

Overall, disappointing and not recommended.

Content warnings: apparent animal death (it turns out they’re fine), apparent major character death (it turns out they’re fine too), gaslighting, infidelity, cults/cult-like behavior, drugs/mood altering technology, surgical body modification (possibly body horror), giant intelligent bugs, murder of sentient beings for profit, voluntary and involuntary memory modification, terrorism, blood, hunger, weight loss due to lack of food

54bluesalamanders
març 16, 2021, 8:42 am

Finished Book 13: A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers
Wayfarers, book 2
Reread, adult, science fiction, audiobook, 11h 29m

I actually finished this before book 12 but forgot to record it.

Pearl’d: The Emperor's Wolves by Michelle Sagara
It was on my tbr list and it was available from the library so I got the audiobook. And then returned it within a couple of days because I was just so bored. There was an entire chapter where two characters were trying to convince a third to be recruited into the Wolves by explaining what and why they are, repeatedly - after those characters had already talked about it several times in the previous chapter. I was so bored. If I’d been reading a paper book, I could have just skimmed past to see if something interesting was happening soon, but with an audiobook I didn’t have that option, so instead I just gave up.

Fanfic
Also, since I started occasionally recommending fanfic last year:

Demonology and the Tri-Phasic Model of Trauma: An Integrative Approach by Nnm
This is a novel-length (100k words) fic about Crowley going to therapy, from the perspective of Aubrey Thyme, the therapist. It is really excellent.

55MickyFine
març 16, 2021, 1:21 pm

>53 bluesalamanders: Dang. The first half sounds so delightful but the do not recommend will have me keeping my distance.

56bluesalamanders
març 16, 2021, 8:19 pm

>55 MickyFine: The first half is delightful! Unfortunately the second half ditches just about everything that makes it so. It was very disappointing.

57bluesalamanders
març 26, 2021, 3:12 pm

Finished Book 14: The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
Reread, young adult, fantasy, audiobook, 12h 20m

I love this book. The first time I read it, it felt like I was rereading an old favorite, a comfort read, a book I’d read a dozen times before. Not because it was predictable, just - there was something about the story, the worlds, the characters, that struck a chord with me the way new books seldom do. Now, on my third reread, I still love it and it is becoming an old favorite in truth.

Content warnings: animal harm, racism, child neglect/abuse/endangerment, emotional abuse/manipulation, body horror, mild gore, cutting, mental institution
Even more spoilery warnings: the dog does not die, the parents are not dead either

Finished Book 15: The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi
The Interdependency, book 1
Reread, adult, science fiction, audiobook, 9h 24m

Finished Book 16: The Consuming Fire by John Scalzi
The Interdependency, book 2
Reread, adult, science fiction, audiobook, 8h 19m

Finished Book 17: The Last Emperox by John Scalzi
The Interdependency, book 3
Reread, adult, science fiction, audiobook, 8h 7m

I like this series but they’re not my favorite of Scalzi’s books.

Content warnings (not separated by book): sexual assault/rape, attempted murder, murder, torture, kidnapping, involuntary medical procedure (off page), classism, discussion of genicide, probably some other stuff

I got my Fifteener badge the other day, for being a member of this site for 15 years. That's. A while.

That got my sister and I to look at some other sites and see how long we've been on those (she joined LT the year after I did). It turns out I joined LJ in 2003, fb in 2007, DW in 2009, Tumblr in 2010, and ao3 in 2014. My sister joined most of those several years before me, except DW which we joined not only in the same year but on the same day.

58mahsdad
març 26, 2021, 7:57 pm

I've been meaning to read this Scalzi series. I love his stuff, but I'm not quite sure why I let this one fall off my radar.

Congrats on 15 years at LT. You'll have to let us know what your 16 Thingaversary books are. :) This is my 14th, amazing how time flies.

59bluesalamanders
abr. 8, 2021, 10:23 pm

Finished Book 18: Lock In by John Scalzi
Lock in, book 1
Reread, adult, science fiction, audiobook, 10h 56m

Finished Book 19: Head On by John Scalzi
Lock In, book 2
Reread, adult, science fiction, audible, 7h 36m

Finished Book 20: Velveteen vs the Junior Super Patriots by Seanan McGuire
Velveteen vs, book 1
Reread, adult, fantasy, audiobook, 7h 17m

Finished Book 21: Velveteen vs the Multiverse by Seanan McGuire
Velveteen vs, book 2
Reread, adult, fantasy, audiobook, 12h 34m

Currently reading:
Empress of Forever by Max Gladstone (audiobook)
Catfishing on Catnet by Naomi Kritzer (ebook)
Or What You Will by Jo Walton (dead tree)

60bluesalamanders
abr. 20, 2021, 10:09 am

Finished Book 22: Catfishing on Catnet by Naomi Kritzer
CatNet, Book 1
Reread, young adult, science fiction, ebook, 296p

I really like this book and I wanted to reread it before the sequel comes out.

Content Warnings: stalking, attempted kidnapping, abusive relationship, warterboarding (mention), torture (mention), mutilation (mention), spiders (mention), bats, misgendering

Finished Book 23: Empress of Forever by Max Gladstone
New read, adult, science fiction, Audiobook, 19h 38m

This book is so good. It drew me in from the very beginning. But it took me almost a month to finish it, both because it’s long and because it is A Lot. It’s worth it, though! Fantastic worldbuilding, great characters, fascinating story. Thoroughly recommended.

Content Warnings: kidnapping, drowning, attempted murder, violence, moderate gore, body horror, betrayal, starvation, nonconsentual drugging, torture, probably other things, this book is kind of a lot, but it’s so good!

61bluesalamanders
abr. 20, 2021, 10:25 am

Finished Book 24: Beauty by Robin McKinley
Reread, young adult, fantasy, audiobook, 7h 5m

This has been one of my favorite books since I was young. This was the first time I listened to it on audiobook instead of reading my much-battered paper copy and maybe that’s why some things struck me differently this time, or maybe not, but it was definitely a different experience.

There are a lot of things I love about the story. I love that Beauty’s sisters are as kind and generous as they are beautiful, but they don’t feel like paragons; they feel like a family. I love how kind all of their friends are, throughout every stage of the story. I love the Beast’s castle and all the magic there, half of which just seems like a weird sort of time-travel thing, what with the automatic doors and books from the future. And I really, really love how nearly all the conflict and tension in the story is people worrying about each other. Not in weird or overbearing ways, just people legitimately worrying. It's so sweet!

That’s what I like, and that’s what I usually remember when I think about how much I like the book.

What I never usually think about - or what I didn’t used to think about, anyway - is how incredibly creepy the Beast actually is. Even beyond the whole "monster in an enchanted castle looking for a wife" thing, which is pretty creepy on its own but since that’s the point of the story, we let that one go. No, this Beast is, unfortunately, a creepy stalker. He spends hours lurking in the shadows, watching Beauty go about her day. He uses magic to spy on her family without their knowledge. He sends dreams showing Beauty - again, without her knowledge - to her family.

The fact that the last two, or at least the last one, is intended to be comfort, doesn’t actually make it better. Look at it without the magic: a man spies on his crush, secretly surveils her family, and sends videos of her to them without her consent. Ick.

Also he’s about twice Beauty’s age even if you don’t count the two hundred years he spent enchanted. A 20-year age gap (or even a 200-year age gap) would not really be that big a deal except Beauty is, like, seventeen.

I don't think this is going to stop me rereading this book in the future - I still reread The Blue Sword, after all, and that has similar issues - but it may stop me from recommending it as strongly as I have in the past.

Content warnings: Manipulation, stalking, magical surveillance, large age gap

62bluesalamanders
abr. 20, 2021, 10:33 am

Pearl’d (probably): The Future of Another Timeline

I really wanted to read this, because the premise sounded great, but nobody who recommended it to me warned me about the first chapter, and I was sitting in a dark room with a migraine, trying to relax, when I started listening to this audiobook. I was so disturbed that I had to turn on a light and put my glasses on. With a migraine. It was not fun.

So, I’m not sure I’m going to be going back to it. But I am warning you. All this happens basically at the same time, very early in the book (I think in the first chapter): sexual assault, attempted rape, attempted murder, murder (self-defense), gore. So, be aware.

63swynn
abr. 20, 2021, 10:59 am

>61 bluesalamanders: I'm also a fan of Catfishing on Catnet, and looking forward to the sequel.

64ronincats
abr. 20, 2021, 11:43 am

Another fan of Catfishing, Max Gladstone although I haven't read that one yet, and Beauty.

65curioussquared
abr. 20, 2021, 4:49 pm

>60 bluesalamanders: I started Catfishing on Catnet for the first time a few days ago -- glad to see it has some fans!

66bluesalamanders
abr. 20, 2021, 5:44 pm

>63 swynn: It's so good, isn't it?

>64 ronincats: Highly recommend Empress of Forever! I haven't read much else by Gladstone but that is definitely a good one.

>65 curioussquared: Definitely! I hope you're enjoying it!

67bluesalamanders
Editat: abr. 22, 2021, 9:46 am

Finished Book 25: Voyage of the Basilisk by Marie Brennan
Memoirs of Lady Trent, book 3
Reread, adult, fantasy, audiobook, 11 hrs and 52 mins

Finished Book 26: In the Labyrinth of Drakes by Marie Brennan
Memoirs of Lady Trent, book 4
Reread, adult, fantasy, audiobook, 10h 31m

So I felt like reading the Memories of Lady Trent, but I only felt like reading these two for some reason? Yeah, I don’t know. I read them, they made me happy.

Finished Book 27: The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers
Wayfarers, book 4
New read, adult, science fiction, audiobook, 9h 55m

An unusual mix of travelers are temporarily stranded together planetside when an accident in orbit makes it unsafe to leave.

I absolutely loved this book. It is about getting to know people from very different cultures, and rethinking prejudices and first impressions, and trying to figure out how to include people who have differing needs.

I really love that two of the main characters are of species that previous books in the series only showed in negative lights, because this gives a much more nuanced view of their species, and also through them we get to see different perspectives on people we already care about. The interactions between Pei and Speaker are particularly interesting in this regard. I appreciate, too, that those two don’t ever end up as friends like some of the others seem like they probably will, but they do respect each other in the end.

I could keep going on about what I liked about the book, but it would basically just be the whole book. Thoroughly recommended, especially if you like the rest of the series, of course. I don’t think you need to read the rest of the series to read this book, but a lot of nuance will be lost if you haven’t read the first book, at least.

Content warnings: war (discussion), genocide (discussion), slavery (mention), asphyxiation, coma, vomit, racism (between alien species), pregnancy, branding

68bluesalamanders
maig 21, 2021, 4:01 pm

Finished Book 28: Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells
Murderbot, book 6
New read, adult, science fiction, ebook, 176p

Absolutely loved the new Murderbot book.

Finished Book 29: Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon
Reread, adult, science fiction, audiobook, 11h 20m

I really love this book.

Content warnings: accidental mass murder, mass murder, animal death, child endangerment, bugs (sort of), murder, assault

Finished Book 30: Chaos on Catnet by Naomi Kritzer
New read, young adult, science fiction, ebook, 304p

Stressful but very good.

Content warnings: cults, conversion therapy (mention), stalking, riots, kidnapping, hostage situations, attempted murder, starvation

69bluesalamanders
maig 21, 2021, 4:07 pm

Finished Book 31: Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire
October Daye, book 1
Reread, adult, fantasy, audiobook, 11h 20m

Finished Book 32: A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire
October Daye, book 2
Reread, adult, fantasy, audiobook, 11h 52m

Finished Book 33: An Artificial Night by Seanan McGuire
October Daye, Book 3
Reread, Adult, Fantasy, audiobook: 12h 32m

Finished Book 34: Late Eclipses by Seanan McGuire
October Daye, Book 4
Reread, Adult, Fantasy, audiobook: 11h 51m

Finished Book 35: One Salt Sea by Seanan McGuire
October Daye, Book 5
Reread, Adult, Fantasy, dead tree, 354p

Finished Book 36: Hunger Pangs by Joy Demorra
Hunger Pangs, book 1
New read, adult, romance, ebook, 516p

Really enjoyed this. There’s a very well-developed fantasy setting as a background for this romance and both the romantic plot and the fantasy plot are very interesting.

Finished Book 37: Crewel Intentions by Joy Demorra
Hunger Pangs short story
New read, adult, romance, ebook, 48p

This is a short story set sometime after Hunger Pangs. I enjoyed it but it's a little jarring to read without reading the buildup that presumably happens in book 2.

Finished Book 38: Ashes of Honor by Seanan McGuire
October Daye, Book 6
Reread, Adult, Fantasy, audiobook: 12h 26m

70bluesalamanders
maig 21, 2021, 4:13 pm

Finished Book 39: How to Date Your Dragon by Molly Harper
Mystic Bayou, book 1
New read, adult, romance, ebook, 230p

I heard about this book from a youtuber I follow, and he said that while he was a little annoyed that the book follows the typical “characters dislike each other then fall in love” trope, he was pleased to note that all the sex that happens is entirely consensual (which was not the case in many of the other romance novels he’d read).

That sounds like damning with faint praise (in this day and age, that is the bare minimum of what I want in a romance novel, and that is one of the reasons I'm more likely to read fanfic than romance novels) but really it's a fun book. It made me laugh out loud a few times, I liked the characters, the setting was interesting, the sex wasn’t mortifying to read, and the way the characters were thrown together by the various plot threads worked for the story.

If you like shifter romances, this is a pretty good one.

Content warnings: Gaslighting (mention), emotionally abusive relationship (description), murder, mild gore, pregnancy (discussion), sexual assault (mention)

71bluesalamanders
maig 21, 2021, 4:18 pm

Finished Book 40: Angel of the Overpass by Seanan McGuire
The Ghost Roads, book 3
New read, fantasy, adult, dead tree, 312p

This has been a good week for new books! Though it’s hardly surprising that I like this one, considering how much I enjoyed the first two books in the series. It was very satisfying to see Rose take down Bobby at last. Also I liked the ghost dinosaur...thing.

And it's nice to know I can still sit down and read an entire book in one day.

Content warnings: car crashes (accidental and intentional), body horror, stalking, betrayal, discussions of death (the series is from the POV of a ghost, it’s to be expected)

72bluesalamanders
juny 29, 2021, 5:43 pm

Finished Book 41: Love and Other Wild Things by Molly Harper
Mystic Bayou, book 2
New read, adult, romance, ebook, 300p

Content warnings: strangulation, attempted murder, poison, fatphobic insults

Finished Book 42: Chimes at Midnight by Seanan McGuire
October Daye, book 7
Reread, adult, fantasy, audiobook, 12h 15m

Finished Book 43: Selkies are a Girl’s Best Friend by Molly Harper
Mystic Bayou, book 3
New read, adult, romance, ebook, 220p

Really, I’m enjoying this whole series. It’s full of great characters and friendships and found family along with the romances. One of my favorite scenes in this one was when three men have a conversation where they talk about how much two of them love their partners and how the third needed to apologize for something he’d said to his girlfriend, including specific suggestions for what kinds of gifts should be part of the apology, showing that they clearly pay attention when their partners talk.

Content warnings: body horror, abusive relationship (description), kidnapping, pregnancy, morning sickness, vomit (sort of), miscommunication

73bluesalamanders
juny 29, 2021, 5:51 pm

Finished Book 44: A Red-Rose Chain by Seanan McGuire
October Daye, book 9
Reread, adult, fantasy, audiobook, 12h 47m

Finished Book 45: Once Broken Faith by Seanan McGuire
October Daye, book 10
Reread, adult, fantasy, audiobook, 11h 27m

Finished Book 46: The Brightest Fell by Seanan McGuire
October Daye, book 11
Reread, adult, fantasy, audiobook, 11h 36m

Finished Book 47: Always Be My Banshee by Molly Harper
Mystic Bayou, book 4
New read, adult, romance, ebook, 224p

Finished Book 48: Night and Silence by Seanan McGuire
October Daye, book 12
Reread, adult, fantasy, audiobook, 11h 28m

Finished Book 49: The Unkindest Tide by Seanan McGuire
October Daye, book 13
Reread, adult, fantasy, 11h 57m

Finished Book 50: A Killing Frost by Seanan McGuire
October Daye, book 14
Reread, adult, fantasy, 11h 48m

I like this book, but (major series spoiler) it is really not clear to me how Toby knows that Officer Thornton is Oberon.

74bluesalamanders
juny 29, 2021, 5:52 pm

Pearl’d: Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean
The main character is thrust into an unfamiliar situation and the people around her are not very helpful or sympathetic. In fact, from her perspective, a lot of them are downright hostile about her completely understandable ignorance.

My sister recommended this to me, she really liked it. I struggled through chapter 9 and my skin was crawling by the time I gave up. The entire first third of the book is secondhand embarrassment with no end in sight.

If secondhand embarrassment bothers you, do not read this book. If it doesn’t bother you, well, give it a shot. I don’t think it’s bad, just extremely not my thing.

75bluesalamanders
juny 29, 2021, 6:02 pm

Finished Book 51: Indexing by Seanan McGuire
Indexing, book 1
Reread, adult, fantasy, audiobook, 12h 5m

Finished Book 52: Indexing: Reflections by Seanan McGuire
Indexing, book 2
Reread, adult, fantasy, Audiobook: 12h 18m

Finished Book 53: Firebreak by Nicole Kornher-Stace
New read, Audiobook

Very, very good. Tense and sad. Reminded me of The Hunger Games series for a while, with the main character thrust into a leadership position by being in the right place at the right time (or maybe the wrong place at the wrong time), not through skill, or aptitude, or even desire to do so.

Content warnings: major character death, abduction, torture, riots, slavery, discussions of kidnapping, medical experimentation

76bluesalamanders
Editat: oct. 14, 2021, 8:56 pm

Finished Book 54: A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan
Lady Trent series, book 1
reread, adult, fantasy, audiobook: 10h 16m

Currently Reading:
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green (ebook)
Or What You Will by Jo Walton (paper)
Latchkey by Nicole Kornher-Stace (ebook)
Tropic of Serpents by Marie Brennan (audiobook)

I just got a new job starting next Monday! That is both exciting and anxiety-inducing.

77mahsdad
juny 29, 2021, 7:26 pm

Hi Blue,

You always have an interesting selection of reads, one that respective orbits cross over a bit. I've been sitting on A Natural History of Dragons for a while, my kid and my wife have read it. I'll have to push it up the TBR.

I'm also reading The Anthropocene Reviewed right now. I'm really enjoying it. Because they are short little tidbits I've been spreading them out, reading a couple a night. I just finished the Harvey review last night. I think I'll have to go watch it, never have.

78bluesalamanders
juny 29, 2021, 9:57 pm

>77 mahsdad: A Natural History of Dragons is so good! I've read it a few times - it's relaxing to listen to the audiobook when I have a migraine.

I'm not loving The Anthropocene Reviewed, honestly, which is disappointing since it sounded really amazing. I might try one or two more reviews, give it another chance, but if nothing really wows me, I'll probably stop. I'm glad you're enjoying it, though!

79mahsdad
juny 30, 2021, 11:09 am

>78 bluesalamanders: That's too bad, about AR. Oh well, there are plenty of other books in Life's Library. Not everyone is going to be a hit with everyone.

Have a great day!

80justchris
juny 30, 2021, 11:30 pm

>76 bluesalamanders: Congratulations on the new job! Good luck on Monday!

I'm now 4 months into my new job after 58 weeks unemployed. So I feel you on the anxiety and the excitement both.

I appreciate the content warnings. I haven't done that with my reviews, and it's something for me to consider going forward. Looks like you're reading some real fun stuff.

81bluesalamanders
jul. 1, 2021, 11:04 am

>80 justchris: Thanks, chris! Congrats on your job, too, I hope it's going well. I have been unemployed for basically the whole pandemic, so yeah. That is definitely contributing to the anxiety.

I wish more people would do content warnings - heck, I wish books came with warnings. As a fanfic reader, it's something I've gotten used to, so sometimes when I run across something unexpected I'm really thrown for a loop. I'm always reminded of the time when I bounced off a book because I wasn't in the mood to read a rape scene, only to have the next book also have one...and the next one. And the next one. Five books in a row. Sigh.

82bluesalamanders
oct. 14, 2021, 9:06 pm

Finished Book 55: Archivist Wasp by Nicole Kornher-Stace
Reread, young adult, science fiction, ebook, 256p

Content warnings: murder, attempted murder, torture, kidnapping, child abuse, suicidal ideation, manipulation, ghosts, implied animal harm, memory loss

Pearl’d: The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
I just didn’t find any of it particularly interesting. This is another case where I’m not judging whether I consider a book good or bad, just that it didn’t appeal to me.

Finished Book 56: Tropic of Serpents by Marie Brennan
Memoires of Lady Trent, book 2
Reread, Adult, Fantasy, Audiobook, 10h39m

Finished Book 57: Latchkey by Nicole Kornher-Stace
Reread, young adult, science fiction, ebook, 336p

Finished Book 58: Halfway Through the Wood by Seanan McGuire
Incryptid short story (Patreon)
New read, adult, fantasy, ebook, 247p

Finished Book 59: All Systems Red by Martha Wells
The Murderbot Diaries, book 1
Reread, adult, science fiction, ebook, 160p

83bluesalamanders
oct. 14, 2021, 9:09 pm

Finished Book 60: Voyage of the Basilisk by Marie Brennan
Memoirs of Lady Trent, book 3
Reread, adult, fantasy, audiobook, 11h45m

Finished Book 61: Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
Murderbot Diaries, book 2
Reread, adult, science fiction, ebook, 160p

Finished Book 62: Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells
Murderbot, book 3
Reread, adult, science fiction, ebook, 160p

Finished Book 63: Exit Strategy by Martha Wells
Murderbot Diaries, book 4
Reread, adult, science fiction, Ebook, 133p

Finished Book 64: One Hell of a Ride (reread, 23p)
Finished Book 65: No Place Like Home (reread, 25p)
Finished Book 66: Married in Green (reread, 25p)
Finished Book 67: Sweet Poison Wine (reread,50p)
Finished Book 68: The First Fall (reread, 37p)
Finished Book 69: Loch and Key (reread, 46p)
Incryptid short stories by Seanan McGuire (ebooks)

Finished Book 70: Network Effect by Martha Wells
Murderbot Diaries, book 5
Reread, adult, science fiction, dead tree, 352p

84bluesalamanders
oct. 14, 2021, 9:11 pm

Finished Book 71: We Both Go Down Together (reread, 53p)
Finished Book 72: Oh Pretty Bird (reread, 55p)
Finished Book 73: Bury Me In Satin (reread, 29p)
Finished Book 74: Snake and Ladders (reread, 41p)
Incryptid short stories by Seanan McGuire (ebooks)

Finished Book 75: Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory by Martha Wells
Murderbot, book 4.1
New read, science fiction, adult, ebook, 23p

Finished Book 76: Broken Paper Hearts (reread, 12p)
Finished Book 77: The Star of New Mexico (reread, 23p)
Finished Book 78: The Way Home (reread, 31p)
Finished Book 79: The Lay of the Land (reread, 27p)
Finished Book 80: Take the Shot (reread, 24p)
Finished Book 81: Winter Sunshine (new read, 28p)
Finished Book 82: Off-Balance (new read, 46p)
Finished Book 83: All That Glitters (new read, 30p)
Finished Book 84: What You Pay For (new read, 30p)
Incryptid short stories by Seanan McGuire (ebooks)

Finished Book 85: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games, book 1
Reread, Young Adult, Science Fiction, audiobook, 11h 14m

85bluesalamanders
oct. 14, 2021, 9:13 pm

Finished Book 86: What You Build (new read, 39p)
Finished Book 87: The Hand of the Forest (new read, 40p)
Finished Book 88: By Any Other (new read, 35p)
Finished Book 89: To Build a Better… (new read, 28p)
Incryptid short stories by Seanan McGuire (ebooks)

Finished Book 90: The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix Harrow
Reread, young adult, fantasy, audiobook, 12h 20m

Finished Book 91: Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
Monk and Robot, book 1
New read, science fiction, adult, dead tree,

Dex is a tea monk - a sort of counselor who offers a friendly ear or a shoulder to cry on and a cup of tea mixed just for you - who isn’t sure where their life is headed and Mosscap is a sentient robot who wants to learn about humans.

Psalm for the Wild-Built is a beautiful, meditative book that was a real pleasure to read, a contemplative story interwoven with some very pointed criticisms of capitalism and disposable culture. Loved it. Definitely recommend it.

Content warnings: No major warnings! There is one scene with mild embarrassment, some bugs, and a brief mention of a dead pet, but that’s it.

86ronincats
oct. 14, 2021, 9:20 pm

Can't go wrong with rereads of Lady Trent and Murderbot!! I have got to manage to track down those Encrypted short stories one of these days.

87drneutron
oct. 14, 2021, 9:25 pm

You’ve blown way past the goal! Congrats!

88bluesalamanders
oct. 14, 2021, 9:26 pm

>86 ronincats: They are good stories! I wish her publisher would let her put out a few anthologies to go with the novels.

Lady Trent and Murderbot are some of my absolute favorites these days.

89bluesalamanders
oct. 14, 2021, 9:28 pm

>87 drneutron: Thanks! The new job gave me a lot of time to read. It always feels weird to say that, since the work is tiring and all, but the forced breaks and lunchtime during a workday is a time I always find good for reading, especially now that I can carry ebooks around with me.

90bluesalamanders
oct. 14, 2021, 9:32 pm

Speaking of the new job, I am off work for the next few weeks, since I broke my ankle. It's not a bad break, but I can't do my job without walking around quite a bit, never mind walking up and down stairs to get in and out of my apartment, and all the standing and walking I'd have to do to prepare every day. So, you know. That's a thing that happened.

91MickyFine
oct. 15, 2021, 10:36 am

Congrats on surpassing the magic number but sorry to hear you broke your ankle. Hope it heals quickly!

92FAMeulstee
oct. 15, 2021, 5:49 pm

>84 bluesalamanders: Congratulations on reaching 75!

>90 bluesalamanders: Sorry you broke your ankle, a cast for the next 6 weeks?

93mahsdad
oct. 15, 2021, 6:18 pm

Delurking to offer my congrats on reaching the arbitrary goal we put on ourselves. :)

Good luck with the leg and healing!

94bluesalamanders
oct. 25, 2021, 2:33 pm

>92 FAMeulstee: Thanks!

No cast, thankfully. I got a walking boot and 4 weeks to stay at home and walk as little walking as possible, with the possibility of more depending on how the appointment at the end of it goes.

And I'm very grateful it was that minor, because I live alone and far from my family, so if I needed round-the-clock help, things would have been very difficult. As it is, I've mostly managed on my own, with friends coming over a couple times a week to help with groceries and trash and anything else I can't manage (mostly things that involve leaving my second-floor apartment - going down stairs is The Worst, plus I'm not supposed to, obviously).

95bluesalamanders
oct. 25, 2021, 2:34 pm

>93 mahsdad: Thanks :) It is arbitrary but fun nonetheless.

96MickyFine
oct. 25, 2021, 4:05 pm

>94 bluesalamanders: Fingers crossed your 4-week checkup is all good news.

97PaulCranswick
nov. 25, 2021, 6:05 am

A Thanksgiving to Friends (Lighting the Way)

In difficult times
a friend is there to light the way
to lighten the load,
to show the path,
to smooth the road

At the darkest hour
a friend, with a word of truth
points to light
and the encroaching dawn
is in the plainest sight.

Blue, to a friend in books and more this Thanksgiving

98bluesalamanders
des. 14, 2021, 8:40 pm

Finished Book 92: The 99% Invisible City by Roman Mars
New read, nonfiction, adult, audiobook, 10h 49m

99% Invisible is one of my favorite podcasts and this is was a lovely book by the creators. I enjoyed the audiobook, since it is narrated by Roman Mars, who has a wonderful voice, but I’m sorry I didn’t get to see the accompanying art, which is supposed to be pretty neat.

Also, hey look, I read a whole nonfiction book!

Finished Book 93: A Dead Djinn in Cairo by P Djeli Clark
New read, fantasy, adult, ebook, 66p

Finished Book 94: Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire
October Daye, book 1
Reread, adult, fantasy, audiobook, 11h 20m

Finished Book 95: Halfway Through the Wood by Seanan McGuire
Incryptid short story (Patreon)
Reread, adult, fantasy, ebook, 247p

99bluesalamanders
des. 14, 2021, 8:41 pm

Finished Book 96: The Perilous Life of Jade Yeo by Zen Cho
New read, adult, fiction, 72p

Finished Book 97: A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire
October Daye, book 2
Reread, Adult, Fantasy, 377p

Finished Book 98: An Artificial Night by Seanan McGuire
October Daye, Book 3
Reread, Adult, Fantasy, 354p

Finished Book 99: Not Your Sidekick by CB Lee
Sidekick Squad, book 1
New read, young adult, science fiction, ebook, 304p

This is a fun series, if you’re looking for something reasonably light and a superhero story will do.

Finished Book 100: Old Man’s War by John Scalzi
Old Man’s War, book 1
Reread, adult, science fiction, audiobook, 9h 58m

100bluesalamanders
des. 14, 2021, 8:43 pm

Finished Book 101: The Last Colony by John Scalzi
Old Man’s War, book 3
Reread, adult, science fiction, audiobook, 9h 51m

Finished Book 102: The Human Division by John Scalzi
Old Man’s War, book 5
Reread, adult, science fiction, audiobook, 14h 53m

Finished Book 103: The End of All Things by John Scalzi
Old Man’s War, book 6
Reread, adult, science fiction, audiobook, 11h 24m

Finished Book 104: A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
New read, adult, science fiction, audiobook, 15h 42m

It took me a while to get through A Memory Called Empire, because it’s very dense, but it’s a wonderful book. I loved the characters, the setting was fantastic, and the story was fascinating. Definitely recommended.

Finished Book 105: The Unkindest Tide Seanan McGuire
October Daye, book 13
Reread, adult, fantasy, audiobook, 11h 57m

101bluesalamanders
des. 14, 2021, 8:47 pm

Finished Book 106: A Killing Frost by Seanan McGuire
October Daye, book 14
Reread, adult, fantasy, 11h 48m

Finished Book 107: When Sorrows Come by Seanan McGuire
October Daye, book 15
New read, adult, fantasy, audiobook, 12h 13m

A somewhat lighter story as Toby books go. I mean, of course she’s covered in blood by the end of it, but at this point that’s basically par for the course. Besides, her wedding dress is so enchanted, it works as freaking armor, so there’s that too.

The next book is going to be…a lot, isn’t it. Oh, boy.

Finished Book 108: Not Your Villain by CB Lee
Sidekick Squad, book 2
New read, young adult, science fiction, ebook, 320p

Finished Book 109: A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
Monk and Robot, book 1
New read, science fiction, adult, dead tree, 160p

Finished Book 110: Tea Dragon Festival by Kay O'Neill
Tea Dragon Society, book 2
New Read, young adult, fantasy, graphic novel, 136p

Finished Book 111: Aquicorn Cove by Kay O'Neill
Tea Dragon Society, book 3
New Read, young adult, fantasy, graphic novel, 96

These books are incredibly cute, the art is wonderful and the stories are darling. Definitely recommended.

102bluesalamanders
des. 14, 2021, 8:50 pm

Finished Book 112: Not Your Backup by CB Lee
Sidekick Squad, book 3
New read, young adult, science fiction, ebook, 304p

Finished Book 113: Fire by Kristin Cashore
Graceling, book 2
Reread, young adult, fantasy, audiobook, 12h 40m

Pearl’d: City of Bones by Martha Wells
I got about an hour into the audiobook and had to stop. The book itself is probably fine, Wells is a good author and I like all her other books that I’ve read, but the narrator, Kile McCarley, does that thing some narrators do where everyone who isn’t a main character has an incredibly grating, irritating voice, and I just couldn’t stand it.

Finished Book 114: Zoe’s Tale by John Scalzi
Old Man’s War, book 4
Reread, young adult, science fiction, audiobook, 10h

Finished Book 115: Little Fuzzy by H Beam Piper
Fuzzy Sapiens, book 1
Reread, adult, science fiction, audiobook, 5h 52m

I really like these anachronistic, retro-futuristic books. Unfortunately I couldn’t find an audiobook for book 2 anywhere.

103bluesalamanders
des. 14, 2021, 8:54 pm

Finished Book 116: The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
Reread, young adult, fantasy, audiobook, 12h 20m

It’s been a migraine-y year and this is a very relaxing book to listen to.

Finished Book 117: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
Wayfarers, book 1
Reread, adult, science fiction, audiobook, 14h 23m

Finished Book 118: Blood Price by Tanya Huff
Blood books, book 1
Reread, adult, fantasy, dead tree, 272p

Finished Book 119: Soulless by Gail Carriger
Parasol Protectorate, book 1
Reread, Adult, Fantasy, audiobook: 10h 48m

Finished Book 120: Changeless by Gail Carriger
Parasol Protectorate, book 2
Reread, adult, fantasy, audiobook, 10h 33m

Finished Book 121: Blameless by Gail Carriger
Parasol Protectorate, book 3
Reread, fantasy: steampunk, audiobook: 11h 59m

Finished Book 122: Heartless by Gail Carriger
Parasol Protectorate, book 4
Reread, adult, fantasy, audiobook, 11h 19m

104bluesalamanders
des. 14, 2021, 9:03 pm

Finished Book 123: Lock In by John Scalzi
Lock in, book 1
Reread, adult, science fiction, audiobook, 10h 56m

Finished Book 124: Head On by John Scalzi
Lock In, book 2
Reread, adult, science fiction, audible, 7h 36m

Pearl’d: Death With Peacocks by Donna Andrews

I gave up on this one due to all the homophobia. I’m sure there’s a way to write “everyone thinks that guy is gay but he isn’t actually” without it being gross, but this is not it. Everyone thinks the love interest in this book is gay because…he’s well-spoken? And polite? And doesn’t jump at the chance to sleep every woman who flirts with him (especially considering they’re his customers)? Also, while the main character was only “disappointed” that he was gay, she immediately decided that spending time with an intelligent, friendly, attractive person was “a chore” simply because they weren’t relationship material. Pass.

Pearl’d: Tempting Danger by Eileen Wilks

I stopped reading this one for two reasons. First, I was listening to the audiobook and the background noise was so loud and distracting I had trouble hearing the voice actors, and the voice actors were using accents so over-the-top they verged on comedy accents. Secondly, the small amount of the book I read was so aggressively heterosexual I just couldn’t take it.

Obviously I read straight romances, otherwise I wouldn't have picked this up in the first place. My problem is when an author is so desperate to justify not including queer characters that they create a “biologically straight” fantasy race - which is bad enough - and then dump said fantasy race into kink clubs, which in the real world are notoriously queer spaces. At that point I was just done.

Finished Book 125: Slippery Creatures by KJ Charles
Will Darling Adventures, book 1
New read, adult, romance, audiobook, 7h 6m

After the last two disappointments, I asked some friends for recommendations and got this one, which was so, so much better. The plot was fine but I honestly cared much more about the characters than the mystery. I could have done with a little less blowing hot and cold from the love interest, but it does make sense within the story and I’m looking forward to more character development in the next two books. Also, this book has the best sex scenes of any published book I’ve read so far. Mostly the ones I’ve read in other books range from okay to mortifying, but these are extremely good. I also like how discussions of consent and preferences are worked in without interrupting the flow of the scene, and even enhancing it.

Content warnings: explicit sex, lying, betrayal, kidnapping, starvation, attempted murder, murder, strangulation, discussions of war (WWI)

105ronincats
des. 24, 2021, 2:46 pm

106mahsdad
des. 24, 2021, 6:29 pm

107PaulCranswick
des. 24, 2021, 7:51 pm



Have a lovely holiday, Blue.

108PaulCranswick
gen. 1, 2022, 2:42 am



Forget your stresses and strains
As the old year wanes;
All that now remains
Is to bring you good cheer
With wine, liquor or beer
And wish you a special new year.

Happy New Year, Beth.

109bluesalamanders
gen. 3, 2022, 7:38 pm

Finished Book 126: The Sugared Game by KJ Charles
The Will Darling Adventures, book 2
New read, adult, romance, audiobook, 7h 47m

Content warnings: explicit sex, lying/betrayal, discussion of self-harm, blackmail, murder

Finished Book 127: Subtle Blood by KJ Charles
The Will Darling Adventures, book 3
New read, adult, romance, audiobook, 8h 37m

Content warnings: explicit sex, torture (mostly threats), murder, kidnapping, betrayal, really fucking stuck up aristocracy

Finished Book 128: Pattern Recognition by William Gibson
Blue Ant, book 1
Reread, adult, science fiction, ebook, 400p

Content warnings: racism, kidnapping, 9/11, gaslighting, involuntary drugging, whatever the word is for deliberately exposing someone to images you know will cause panic attack-type reactions

It’s been years since I’ve read this and wow, I did not remember anything but the barest outline of the story. I remembered Cayce, the logo allergy, and the footage, but nothing about the Russian mafia, the psychologically terrorizing coworker, the useless coworker, the kidnapping, the uncomfortable Asian fetishization, or that it had anything to do with 9/11. For all that weirdness, it’s a reasonably good book and I did enjoy it. That said, if I never hear the words Asian sluts again, it will be too soon.

110bluesalamanders
Editat: juny 1, 2023, 8:30 am

Final books of 2021!

Finished Book 129: Half-Off Ragnarok by Seanan McGuire
Incryptid, book 3
Reread, adult, fantasy, audiobook, 10h 16m

Content warnings: Snakes, death, mild gore, racism/xenophobia

Finished Book 130: Magic for Nothing by Seanan McGuire
Incryptid, book 6
reread, adult, fantasy, audiobook, 12h 41m

Content warnings: death, spiders, snakes, lying

Finished Book 131: You Sexy Thing by Cat Rambo
New read, adult, science fiction, Ebook, 304p
Content warnings: kidnapping, torture, gore, bugs (one short gross scene), mutilation (one brief non-detailed scene), mind control (discussion), major character death

“Farscape meets GBBO” is a pretty good description - if that sounds interesting, you’ll probably like this book (though there is no actual bake-off, sadly).

Aside from a couple of short scenes I could’ve done without (see the content warnings), I really enjoyed this book, the worldbuilding, and the wide variety of characters. While things get wrapped up fairly well at the end, there’s a clear setup for a sequel, so I hope there will be more books with this crew in the future.

Finished Book 132: Tricks for Free by Seanan McGuire
Incryptid, book 7
Reread, adult, fantasy, audiobook, 11h 49m

Finished Book 133: That Ain’t Witchcraft by Seanan McGuire
Incryptid, book 8
reread, adult, fantasy, audiobook, 12h 23m

111bluesalamanders
gen. 4, 2022, 6:46 pm

It's been a long time since I've done this, but if you're interested, here is my 2021 Book Poll!

112bluesalamanders
gen. 4, 2022, 9:23 pm

And here is my 2022 thread.

113bluesalamanders
gen. 7, 2022, 8:20 pm

Overview:
133 finished books totaling 10178 pages and 33d 16h 48m

Adult/YA:
18 YA, 115 Adult

Genre:
77 Fantasy, 45 Science Fiction, 13 Romance
1 Fiction, 1 Non-Fiction

Format:
10 Dead Tree, 2 Graphic Novel
72 Audiobook, 50 eBook

Author/Editor gender:
112 female, 21 male

New or Old:
42 new reads, 91 rereads

Series:
122 in series, 11 standalone

The wrap-up is another thing I haven't done in a while, but I felt like doing again. I am entertained by the "genre" categories (some of the books overlap, which is why they don't add up properly) and interested in how many new reads there were. Last year was a bad year; I'm actually surprised that nearly a third of my reads were new.