little over halfway through the year so hereās a quick reading round up. of the 70 books i've read so far these are the ones i liked best (more or less in order of reading). also! a shameless plea for any recs i am always hungry for more
Between Two Fires, Christopher Buehlman
i really, really loved this book and am kicking myself for not reading it sooner. a bad man trying to make good for his weird daughter. what does it mean to be a good person under hellish circumstances? lotta catholic stuff flew right over my head i must admit but loved how this brought the medieval era to life
On Tennis
this was a reread but i still love how DFW writes about tennis. he makes the sport come alive so beautifully it makes me momentarily care about it even a little
How to Cook a Wolf, M.F.K. Fisher
a guide to recipes and how to eat well during WWI & WWII. lovely prose and an interesting read, written by someone with a genuine love for food and a truly wonderful voice
Journeys, Stefan Zweig
short essay collection about travelling in Europe spanning 1900s to early 1940s. really interesting, beautiful descriptions, writer is a snob. what more could you ask for?
The Everlasting, Alix E. Harrow
really enjoyed this !!!! a great premise, not entirely unpredictable, definitely not without flaws, but truly made me love the characters very deeply. i think going in knowing as little as possible is a boon
Apparently Sir Cameron Needs to Die, Greer Stothers
genuinely funny, delightfully surprising, and clearly made with a lot of love. for fans of ferdibert which i am, soooo ! !
If on a Winterās Night a Traveller, Italo Calvino
what could i say about this book that hasnāt been said before? itās as good as everyone says it is. maybe even better
Voyage Around My Room
french aristocrat writing a comedically over the top narration of his time under house arrest because he was in an illegal duel. great narrative voice. read it for free now!! (very short)
The Summer War, Naomi Novik
i love a novik novella, however as a guy who isnāt into fairies and fairy courts there is a limit to its appeal. but if thatās your bag hop in. great style as always
The Tainted Cup & A Drop of Corruption, Robert Jackson Bennett
murder mystery SFF with generally elegant and v interesting world building sign me UP. love me a soggy man who can [redacted for spoilers]
Stoner, John Williams
ooooh my god genuinely so beautiful. the writing is so crisp and so clear. an incredible experience to read. more of a style over story book, though the story is lovely and meditative too
Loved One, Aisha Muharrar
an interesting set up for a book about grief that resists easy answers. i do love a protagonist who makes crazy choices. i wanted more from it, but was an enjoyable read and i would read more from this author
Onna no Sono no Hoshi
fucking delightful slice of life manga. genuinely thee funniest jokes delivered so flawlessly. wayama can do no wrong
Pale Rider, Laura Spinney
really great overview of the 1918 pandemic. very hard to balance a global perspective with any degree of detail in a single book, but does it well
The Black Death, Philip Ziegler
another great overview, this time of the 1349 plague. an early attempt to synthesize scholarship, written with a clear voice and a drive to humanize the devastation. great!
The Will Darling Adventures (trilogy), KJ Charles
tasty period romance. great protagonists, and substantial plot - so much so not sure if id categorize it as romance? which for me is a major plus, love to see two guys put in situations
The Incandescents, Emily Tesh
magical school story from pov of a teacher at the school. imo it didnāt quite stick the landing, but some great set pieces, interesting ideas, good characters - a fun read, esp if you teach
The Big Sleep, Raymond Chandler
really beautiful style, obviously the ānoir voiceā has been done to death but truly shines here. easy to read in bogartās voice (a plus). also very funny! a nightmare to track the characters/motives but whatever, im just along for the ride
The Empress of Salt and Fortune, Nghi Vo
a good premise executed well love to see it. truly not much more to say, i love fantasy novellas
Written on the Dark, Guy Gavriel Kay
i love a Kay book i cannot lie. the style here took some getting used to, but i enjoyed the premise (a brief moment in history expanded and told from the perspective of āminorā figures). always love thinking about history and stories, etc.
In Winter I Get Up at Night, Jane Urquhart
oooo i love stories about memory and landscapes. great to read something set in the prairies that i love so much. admittedly took me a while to get into the rhythm of the narrative but then found it really enjoyable
The Empusium, Olga Tokarczuk
really great atmosphere, lovely attention to setting. lotta similar themes to I Drive My Plow Over the Bones of the Dead (only a good thing) + i do love stories set around the turn of the century
Everything is Tuberculosis, John Green
fun to read this so soon after the empusium. a very readable overview of tb, how itās been portrayed and perceived over time and the human made systems that enable tb to continue to thrive in the 21st c. remarkably hopeful, despite the topic
The Great Mortality, John Kelly
covers pretty much the same ground as Zieglerās book, but i did like how much cultural/historical context surrounding the plague was included. emphasis is definitely more on the context and consequences of the plague than the details of the plague itself
Star Shipped, Cat Sebastian
iāll read everything cat sebastian publishes forever bc she is my GOAT !!! that said, not a huge fan of books that incorporate fandom but did find it mostly endearing here. a great read for anyone who struggles with feeling like a burden on their loved ones
Clouds Over Paris, Felix Hartlaub
really beautiful descriptions of paris written by a german soldier during the occupation. as advertised many striking descriptions of clouds:
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