Sherlock Holmes and the Mysterious Friend of Oscar Wilde by Russell A. Brown
Wow, what a horrid little book. If it were any longer, I would not have finished it. The plot is somehow both obvious and convoluted, in that the vast majority of scenes were written solely to be able to shoehorn in as many Oscar Wilde quotes and references to the original Doyle canon as humanly possible. This left the book feeling like less of a novel that had Wilde as a character and more that the novel was written using an "Oscar Wilde quotes generator" that the author clicked on each time he wanted Wilde to speak. I also don't understand the point of making both Holmes and Watson violently homophobic, yet also implying that they were gay. Was this a way to get around being censored by Doyle's estate? It was wildly out of character and served to further muddle whatever point, idea, or plot that the author was attempting to convey. This feels very much like the work of someone who believes themselves to be smarter than they actually are. Do not bother with this one.
~ Wesley (wannabewesley)
Am I having fun now? By Suzi Ruffell
I liked it! Suzi is one of my fave comedians and this was her memoir - as a fellow anxiety sufferer I found the sections on this very relatable. She’s very funny but also sees the world how I would like to see it too which always makes for a good read - I listened to the audiobook read by Suzi which added an extra layer
~ Laura (watchtheflow on bsky)
Exit Strategy by Martha Wells
I have been whipping through these so fast! This is the fourth Murderbot book and I still love it. This one felt like a conclusion of sorts, although I know its not over! The next one is a full length novel instead of novella though, so I'm curious about how that will change things.
~ Aletea
The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman
Look. The Thursday Murder Club books are a fun romp and that's all they need to do and they do it well đ 4/5 if you like aggressively British nonsense and cosy crime and the three previous books in the series.
~ anathxmadevice
A History of the World in 47 Borders - Jonn Elledge
It really helps open your eyes regarding what constitutes as a nation, as a border, as a reason for building one or for destroying one. It really puts into perspective current conversations regarding immigration and sovereignty of nations to exist, in a way that doesn't feel too heavy in history... Despite what the book is.
~ PomPomPastel
Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank
Written in 1959, the book chronicles the days leading up to, The Day, and the year after nuclear war breaks out between Russia and the United States.
First time I read this, I had nuclear war nightmares for a week.
~ killerweasel
Pizza, Pickles, and Apple Pie: the stories behind the foods we love by David Rickert.
It's a juvenile nonfiction book. It contains quite a bit of information about the history of certain foods and talks about the creators of some of our favorites.
~ killerweasel
Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh
I read this one every summer, and it was still a delight watching Silver and Tobias fall for each other again against the backdrop of dangerous folklore and woodland magic.
~ acesaru
All Systems Red by Martha Wells
Read the first couple Murderbot books years ago, but wanted to re-read after the series came out. And, at the risk of pissing off other fans of the novella... as great as the book is (I love what a frustrating narrator Murderbot himself is!), just this once I actually like the adaptation better. It had more room to explore the humans around him and amped up the drama, and while the book talks about how he's learning about humanity from watching endless tv, I loved actually getting to see more of how he's learning (for better and for worse). Martha Wells deserves all the props, the adaptation is so good. Please don't @ me.
~ AceofGames
Slither: How Nature's Most Maligned Creatures Illuminate Our World by Stephen S. Hall
This is another one where I wish there were pictures - a whole book about snakes and the only photograph of one is in the author photo? I also wish there had been more of a dive into the historical/cultural side of things. That's just a personal preference thing though; overall this was a solid pop science book and well worth a read if you're at all interested in snakes.
~ remreader
"Shanties from the Seven Seas" collected by Stan Hugill
This book is a great resource for historical shanties. Most popular shanty arrangements that we hear today are embellished, harmonized, include instruments, etc. but of course that's not how they historically would have been performed. This book gives the melodic notation for the shanty tunes, explaining what shipboard function they would have served, and also provides known variations on the lyrics. There were lots of shanties that I recognized and plenty more that were unfamiliar to me.
Something I was curious about was how certain "bawdy" lyrics which were "camouflaged" or revised, otherwise they would have been "unprintable." The book was originally published in 1961 and I think our standards have changed since then, and I would have liked to know what the lyrics originally were, especially because the book presents itself as a very precise and accurate resource. In contrast, some of the songs (and also the author's narrative) contain racial slurs, which, while historically accurate, makes for jarring reading at times.
Overall an excellent resource for those interested in the finer details of work-songs and their use at sea.
~ spacecadetglow
Sunrise On the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
Devastating, of course.
~ remreader
The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles
An easy read with some intrigue. Is it perfect? No, but what is? For a modern queer period romance with a mystery plot, it's very fun. I'll admit that it took me a while to get into it, but once I did, it was fairly hard to put down (which may have something to do with the fact that a lot of the action and suspense comes a bit later in the book).
~ unfunpleasures
Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson
As harrowing as it is compelling. Highly recommended.
~ HipHopAnonymous
Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie
I loved it. There wasn't a warm up period like I had with book 1 of this trilogy - I was already enjoying the world and characters. I've already picked up the third book in the trilogy, excited to start it!
~ Aletea
We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer
I really, REALLY liked this book! It was the exact level of creepy that I was looking for and then some. Sure, it's a basic "couple moves in to old house to flip it" trope... At first. There were some very surprising moments and, while I may have fallen asleep, I was never bored. I definitely would recommend this book to anyone looking for something a bit unsettling. CW: Mental health issues alluded to.
~ Callous
A kingdom of stars and shadows by Holly Renee
I can't lie this was soooo a Twilight fanfic and the author's notes were like laughable (I'm sorry to be mean!) but at least it had actual sex scenes so good for author for loving their dreams
~ Highwaystars
The Voyage of the Basilisk by Marie Brennen
Loooove. My husband put me onto this series and I absolutely love it. This one is a sea voyage and as I'm on pirate grindset it ruled even harder. Would recommend
~ Highwaystars
Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra
Delicious. Devoured this in a day. Absolutely terrifying, frustrating, twisty and un-put-down-able!
~ HipHopAnonymous
Mundo de CartĂłn by Gloria AlegrĂa RamĂrez
it's a nice book relating from a kid point of view living in a poor neighborhood in Chile, being friends with an old man who helps and encourages him to write everything. The kid writes every day thanks to him. It's a nice friendship and there are other plots but that friendship sticks with you, like you're living it too.
~ Feña
The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic - and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World by Steven Johnson
A very interesting and engrossing read.
~ remreader
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Too damn long. There were entire chapters that felt completely lacking in any character or narrative development. It's over a thousand pages but the story could have been told in half that. The last 100 pages make up for how frustrated I had gotten by that point, though. Loved the ending.
~ Tripinmidair
Pines by Blake Crouch
Such an amazing twist. By the hallway point in the book, you're just as confused and frustrated as the MC! Looking forward to continuing the series and seeing where the story goes now that some of the secrets have been revealed.
~ Tripinmidair
Exposure by Ramona Emerson
I really enjoyed the premise and characters in this book (and in book 1 which I read earlier this year). I think it suffers a bit from limitations of first person narration, because sometimes it feels like the main character is just recounting a series of events rather than bringing us with her through them. However, when it works, it works really well, and it is necessary to be in Rita's head. Overall both books are enjoyable crime thrillers with a supernatural bent, so if that's appealing as an idea to you, they're worth a read!
~ michellethestan
The Wager by David Grann
I'll be honest, when I bought this I thought it was a novel, because I had heard how exciting it was. But it was very engaging nonfiction about an English fleet that sought to round Cape Horn in pursuit of a Spanish treasure ship in the 1740s. This book follows the misfortune of one of those ships, the Wager. It was great and I tore right through it!
~ SpaceCadetGlow
Kim de l'Horizon "Blutbuch"
(english below)
unglaublich gut. so virtuos und sprachgewaltig, dass ich mich fast zu vergleichen mit meinem heiĂgeliebten parfum hinreiĂen lassen möchte. krass beeindruckendes debĂŒt. oszilliert zwischen feinfĂŒhliger zĂ€rtlichkeit und absolut obszönen beschreibungen und ist dabei aber immer absolut prĂ€zise und klug. ich will definitiv mehr davon, glaube autofiktion als genre muss ich mir mal nĂ€her anschauen
english title: blood book
incredibly good. written with such virtuosity that i'm almost tempted to compare it to my favourite book perfume. super impressive for a debut novel. oscillates between tenderness and vulgarity but never ceases to be precise and smart. i definitely want to read more autofiction like it.
~ florenceafter12.bsky.social
Jack Hartnell "Medieval Bodies. Life, Death and Art in the Middle Ages"
not a lot of new information for me, and because of the format, this book only scratched the surface on many topics, but i still had a lot of fun with it and highly recommend it. the full colour illustrations alone make it worthwhile, and i liked the way different aspects of the human body are discussed via various artworks. a very beginner friendly book for people who don't know much about art, medicine or the middle ages, i would say.
~ florenceafter12.bsky.social
Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant
Intriguing premise, some interesting characters, ideas and a lot of potential - I did enjoy it but found it lacking in places and the ending was underwhelming. It would have made a better movie. Still it was fun and it felt good to finish something!
~ Trees
Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism By Sarah Wynn Williams
Fascinating. I believe her as everything is in line with what meta is currently doing.
She worked at Facebook during some of the early days and saw the fall of Zuckerberg into evil politics and abuse of power. The people he surrounds himself with enable him and are even worse. Another example of why billionaires should not exist.
~ AJ McKay (ajmckay)
Pacific Harvest by Jennifer Hahn
Really nice foraging book for the Pacific Northwest, beautiful photographs. It's not very comprehensive, but it does go into seaweeds and shellfish more than most foraging books do. I found a few new recipes to try, too.
~ LarndeSolen
Psalm for the Wild Built, Becky Chambers
Enjoyed it, not as much as the Wayfarers series, but still full of what you expect from a Chambers story.
~ tightenupmate
JRR Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
It's one of my all-time favorite books, and I return to it when the world sucks because it's full of hope against the impossible. I've listened to the audio book this time, narrated by Andy Serkis, which is just quite frankly excellent. He does the voices!
~ Miles (bsky @edteachsbadknee.bsky.social, tumblr @blackbeardskneebrace)
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers
Reread this for about the millionth time, it’s my favorite book in the world and I read it for the hope it gives me.
~ Miles blackbeardskneebrace
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
Another reread to finish out the series, it’s one of the best books of all time in my opinion.
~ Miles blackbeardskneebrace
Mercedes Lackey, Arrows of the Queen
This was not a winner for me, the plot was weak and the characters felt one-dimensional and underdeveloped. I might try out one of the other trilogies in this overarching series to see if it’s just a case of this being a very early part of the series.
~ Miles blackbeardskneebrace
Tad Williams, The Navigator’s Children
A somewhat lackluster and overlong conclusion to the series, and it failed to tie up the loose ends because it’s clearly setting the groundwork for a sequel series. I expected a bit more from this series based on the previous series’s quality. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great.
~ Miles blackbeardskneebrace
Tad Williams, Into the Narrowdark
A really solid entry into this series, it’s my second favorite out of the series as a whole. Strong writing, compelling action, and answers to a lot of worldbuilding questions left mysterious in Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn.
~ Miles blackbeardskneebrace
Tad Williams, Empire of Grass
My favorite book in this series, I found it fascinating and compelling and read the whole thing in one sitting, which is impressive for a Tad Williams book since they’re egregiously long.
~ Miles blackbeardskneebrace
Tad Williams, The Witchwood Crown
Decent start to this series, it pulls in characters readers will know and love from Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, and also introduces us to a new cast of characters and new POV characters from the different beings in Osten Ard like the Hikedaya, who featured only as somewhat one-dimensional villains in the previous series. It does take a while to get going, but from there it kept me hooked.
~ Miles blackbeardskneebrace
Tad Williams, To Green Angel Tower
This took me ages to finish (in part because it’s so long that the print version had to be split into two parts to be able to sell them!), but it was a fairly satisfying conclusion to the series. My only complaint is that the ending felt very rushed, which I don’t think should be the case when your book is so massive it has to be split up to get printed!
~ Miles blackbeardskneebrace
The Madonna of Bolton by Matt Cain
A sweet coming of age story through the progression of gay rights in the UK and love of a pop star
~ moderatecitrus
Tom of Finland's Complete Kake Comics, edited by Dian Hansen
Tom of Finland's leather daddy character, Kake, is such a recognizable figure of early modern gay male culture. I think it's so important for queer people to learn about the history of the community because of how so much of it has been taken from us - through book burnings, historical revisionism, and the loss of a whole generation of queer elders through the AIDS epidemic. All these things make it harder to know and understand who we (the community) are and where we come from. Why are leather daddies such an integral aspect of queer masculinity? In part it is because of Tom of Finland and the influence of his art. This collection is some of his most recognizable pieces and even if it's not your particular cup of tea, I think there is something to be learned and felt from his depictions of gay sexuality and sensuality, especially in the context of the 70s and 80s during which they were being produced. Absolutely recommend for queer adults who enjoy and/or don't mind graphic sexual imagery.
~ wannabewesley
Iron Widow Xiran Jay Zhao
Amazing mix of Chinese culture, mecha-warriors and feminist truths. I had to reread before diving into the sequel and it’s so rich and dynamic.
~ Ironstrangle
The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
Haven’t read this since I was a kid, but it still strikes me deeply. The imagery, the story, the life! It’s so beautiful.
~ IzzyHandsArt
N.K. Jemisen, The Stone Sky
AMAZING. The groundwork Jemisen laid out in the previous books paid off so well. I’m ashamed I hadn’t read this series much, much earlier, and it’s definitely one of the best and most unique fantasy series I’ve ever had the pleasure to read.
~ Miles blackbeardskneebrace
N.K. Jemisen, The Obelisk Gate
Amazing. Showstopping. Incredible. I could not put it down. More incredible worldbuilding and the story itself is so fucking good.
~ Miles blackbeardskneebrace
N.K. Jemisen, The Fifth Season
I was hooked immediately. Jemisen’s worldbuilding is so unique and fascinating, and the characters have real motivations and flaws and complicated relationships to the world and each other. Instant fantasy classic for me.
~ Miles blackbeardskneebrace
Martha Wells, Artificial Condition
I’m not normally a sci-fi enjoyer, but this series is so fun! I’ve been listening to the audiobooks and the narrator’s diction really adds to murderbot’s character in my opinion. and I LOVE ART.
~ Miles blackbeardskneebrace
Zombie Fallout, Mark Tufo
I really enjoyed this book the characters are pretty well written
~ bonnietylerfan
Legal Drug Omnibus by CLAMP
Lots of classic CLAMP tropes, including crossovers with their other series. My favorite part about Legal Drug is the monster-of-the-week storyline, much like my no. 1 favorite CLAMP manga, CardCaptor Sakura.
~ Cap / gentleranium
All Systems Red by Martha Wells
A favorite reread. Listened to the audiobook, voiced by the excellent Kevin R. Free, with the girlfriend so she’d have context for what I’ve been talking about since 2017. (And why I looked so tense during the s1 finale of Murderbot đ
.) I think my favorite thing is how matter-of-fact Murderbot is and the wholesale "no thank you" re: leading the bot & construct revolution. An effective and very fun subversion of the usual scifi tropes.
~ Cap / gentleranium
Artificial Condition by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries #2)
I love All Systems Red and Artificial Condition as a duo. Murderbot exists in between human and bot, simultaneously both and neither. These two novellas explore what that means for Murderbot’s sense of self, as well as for its relationships with its humans and ART, respectively.
~ Cap / gentleranium
Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries #3)
This novella always seems like the most classic scifi of the series, what with the haunted space station vibe. I think that’s also because it’s the first book with consequences that deeply affect Murderbot.
~ Cap / gentleranium
Count Crowley: Reluctant Midnight Monster Hunter vol. 1 by David Dastmalchian (Writer), Lukas Ketner (Illustrator), and Lauren Affe (Colorist)
Horror and scifi are siblings, and although I’m a big coward, I always loved pulpy horror. I really enjoyed the nods to Creature Features and other similar locally-broadcast shows that featured low-budget monster & scifi movies. (Such as the one I knew, Chicago icon Svengoolie). There were some great visual nods, too, such as the facsimile of comic mail-order forms: 2 for 1 monster masks with five classic Universal Monsters & that guy, who’s president again, which I missed the first time. My favorite was the item that read, “THEY’RE JUST SHRIMP”
~ Cap / gentleranium
No Such Thing as Duty by Lara Elena Donnelly
My first read from Neon Hemlock's Volume Six Novella Series! Excellent queer historical fiction with a speculative twist. I was so immersed in the world that when the speculative thing happened, it was the best sort of surprise.
~ Cap / gentleranium
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