Another busy week without much reading done. Just my daily chapters of different web novels.
What about all of you? What have you all been reading or listening to lately?
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I have been reading The Dawn of Everything, an archeology book trying to prove that capitalism and centralised power are not a necessity for civilizations. While the book is dense and the political bias is clear, it’s an interesting if slow read. Very slow…
You might like Lost Worlds by Patrick Wyman. It tries to show civilization didnt just happen A to B to C using archeological data and DNA evidence. Only say that because last week someone mentioned this exact book in a reply to me finishing Lost Worlds.
David Graeber readers unite! Finally getting back to reading Debt: The First 5000 years here.
Yeah, I started reading that too; it’s definitely dense.
Just finished “There Is No Anti-memetics Division” by QNTM, and heading to the library now to pick up the second book in the “Old Man’s War” series by John Scalzi. Loved TINAMD, btw. Very creepy, lots of existential dread. Quick read, too - only like 270 pages.
TINAMD has been on my “maybe to read pile”, can you sell it a bit more?
There’s an organization that deals with weird, anomalous stuff in the world; their antimemetics division specifically studies things that make you forget information. Part of their mandate is figuring out how to protect against world-ending phenomena that can’t be remembered… like the one creeping up on them right now.
If you like SCP or the game Control, this is liable to be your jam.
Anything along the lines of Control makes it the next on the to read list. Thanks
The book began life as a series of stories set in the world of the SCP Foundation. If you’re a fan of that kind of cosmic mystery/horror it’s a must-read.
Well - it’s inspired by the SCP Foundation wiki. The guy who wrote it was a prolific poster to that. Some of what’s in the book was actually posted by him in serialized format there; in fact, there’s even a video series covering some of the stories:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-IiVeGAydE
If the videos seem like your cup of tea, you should give the book a read.
To my mind the best part is going in blind, cause the ideas are what makes it. To me the first half/three quarters are excellent, then it was just OK.
Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman. It’s got the same feel as Dungeon Crawler Carl. Enjoying it so far as well, after this it’s book 2 of the Corellian Trilogy. Hopefully the proofreading in this one is better.
I disagree. It doesn’t feel like DCC but you can see some of the same humor. Especially with the AI. It’s still worth a read and I hope there is more in the future.
Same humor, same writing style, same tempo, yes it’s not in the same universe and lacking the “RPG” parts, if that’s what you meant. It could almost be one of the levels at this point.
Maybe we read it differently. I didn’t feel like it was even close. This felt more like medieval uprising to me than alien takeover.
Medieval? They went to the planet on generational ships to build an instaportal back to earth. The mechs are controlled by fully immersive simulators.
And in DCC they’re fighting with swords and bows as well as spells, with the tech and aliens. The parallels are there.
I’m currently reading Hexed. A book about a small town cursed by a witch who drives you to suicide if you try to leave the town permanently. It’s a really slow book but in these last 20% or so it’s really ratcheted up.
I also started listening to the Isles of Emberdark. It’s pretty good. I’m still early on in the book but being that it’s Sanderson it feels very familiar
Hexed sounds quite interesting. I’m a horror novels fan, would you recommend it?
If you don’t mind a lot of world building. It’s a lot better now but a few times I did think “what’s the point” and considered dropping it. But overall I’m glad I stuck with it.
I’m sold! I’ll see if my local library has a copy to borrow next time I go there. Thanks!
Who’s the author of Hexed? Lots of books with the same title it seems.
So this is kind of weird because I swear my Kobo version calls it hexed. But Goodreads calls it hex
Hmm that’s weird, I checked on my Kobo and it appears to be titled Hex. Though there seems to be multiple versions (still all by the same author). Thanks, this sounds properly creepy!
Still slowly making my way through book 1 of He who fights with Monsters. I am enjoying it some, its only second litRPG i have read. I think DCC is better so far but this one kinda feels more fleshed out in some ways? I dunno maybe its because its book 1 and DCC was the same in book 1 but its been a minute since i read it so I dont remember. Maybe its more fleshed out in that its not a world ending event that kicks everything off like DCC.
Also started The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa. I like it so far not far, but i really want to know more about this world. Hopefully there is something explaining things by the end.
I’m coming up to the end of book 11 of He Who Fights With Monsters at the moment. During the first book I thought that DCC was better, mirroring your sentiments in a way.
Now I think it is superior to DCC. I wouldnt say there is a lot in it as I think both are great but I think he who fights just tips it.
If you like both of those you should also check out;
Solo Levelling Beware of Chicken Buy Mort: Shopocalypse saga
If you want more litrpg goodness :)
I read The Memory Police many years ago with my book club. I don’t remember everything, but I remember really enjoying that book. I hope you like it too!
I just received and started Sleeping Beauties by David Byrne. Not too far into it, but it looks intriguing.
The Shock Doctrine by Nami Klein - An interesting read so far. Some detail on history that I vaguely remember or heard about as a child. While it’s good, it’s more on the pile of how screwed we are socially, politically, and economically so some days I avoid it if it’s too heavy.
On Food and Cooking - Harold McGee - Pretty much the bible of cooking. It’s been a long slow read for me over the last 18 months when I’m not sure what else I want to read.
Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age - Vauhini Vara - A reflection on the impact of tech on modern life.
Just finished Piranesi by Susanna Clark and quite enjoyed the dreamlike setting and protagonist’s innocent perspective. Some people might find the descriptions repetitive at first but I think they emphasizes his limited worldview. It was a quick read.
Just started reading The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath last night. Only about 20 pages in, so no big take-aways yet. Reading it on a recommendation to help understand how other people feel on a daily basis.
I really like it! I don’t want to give you any spoilers, I think it’s a great read and definitely fits your description
I loved that book but I didn’t finish it because it got too heavy for me. But I really enjoyed the beginning of it, I wish it went a different direction lolol.
Reading The Second Sleep as part of a book club, it’s an interesting alternative timeline (both history and future)/mystery story about a death, the control of religion, and over reliance on technology (as far as i can tell). A good read so far!
Who’s the author? That sounds interesting!
Robert Harris, he’s best known for Fatherland
Thank you! Have never read him, I’ll check them both out.
I’m trying for the umpteenth time to read Dracula but as always the Mina chapters are destroying any interest I have in the story. I will try to finish it this time though!
I’m also slowing grinding the last couples of chapters of Orbital by Samantha Harvey. I did enjoy the book at first but after a while it feels a bit samey. Gorgeous descriptions will only take you so far imho.
As non fiction goes, I started +KAOS. Ten Years of Hacking and Media Activism, a collection of interviews to A/I members, the Italian collective recently shut down by Trump. Incredible read, highly recommended it!
Try the “Daily Dracula”. They email you the chapter on the same day as in the book, so on May 11, you will get whatever is on May 11 in the book. Too late for this year, but you can subscribe for next year’s and get the email when it starts.
Dracula. It took me forever to get through. IMO it is not good. Just watch the Coppola movie.
“3 bodies problem” by Liu Cixin.
that i went through the book in just a weekend is a sign that i was hooked … yet i would rewrite (as i did) some parts about one or two protons and a nice cute ending where Trisolarians renounce to the Earth and terraform Mars instead.
Almost done with “Stiff” by Mary Roach. Funny, well written overview on cadaver treatment through history.
Really liked smoke gets in your eyes, about cremation mostly
I recently reseted my ebook and sadly lost my progress on various books. R.I.P. However, I was in the middle of Julius Caesar by Shakespeare and started My Brilliant Friend, which I’m loving. As soon as I finished them I’m going to read The Haunting of Hill House for the spooky season 🎃🎃
Istanbul (2016) by Thomas F. Madden, a so-far fantastic history of the city. About 350 pages, and so far, midway through the book, worth every one of them.
Edit: Here’s a passage that I enjoyed (with wiki links for further context):
Hippodrome-goers were not the only targets of John Chrysostom’s sermons. He frequently berated clergy more interested in wealth, finery, and banquets than in the care of Christ’s flock. What made him most popular among the common people, though, was his barbed, even mocking condemnation of the lavish ostentation of Constantinople’s wealthy elite. He ridiculed the rich vestments and heavy jewelry of the aristocracy, which they proudly wore even in the church. After one such sermon, the empress [Aelia] Eudoxia concluded (probably correctly) that his barbs were directed at her. She was, after all, the best-dressed woman in the city. With silent rage she conspired with John’s enemies in the church to convene a synod to discern whether he held heretical views. Realizing that he would be condemned regardless of the facts, John refused to attend, instead condemning the whole affair in his weekly sermons. As expected, the synod in 404* found the patriarch guilty, deposed him of his office, and banished him from the empire. Outraged at the ouster of their beloved patriarch, the city mobs took to the streets outside the Hippodrome. In the confusion, someone thought it a good idea to burn down Hagia Sophia. The horrible destruction, and a subsequent powerful earthquake, convinced Eudoxia that she had made a mistake. John was allowed to retain his position in Constantinople—that is, until the next year, when he condemned Eudoxia as a self-serving manipulator of the emperor after she convinced him to erect a statue of her in the Augusteion. The banishment order was instantly renewed. No earthquakes followed.
Note: This may be a typo, as Britannica states the Synod of the Oak that deposed John was in 403, while the second was in 404. This would be more in line with Aelia Eudoxia dying in 404.
Not reading Constantinople? :)
I finished the second Dungeon Crawler Carl and I’m working on finishing Want Submitted by Anonymous Edited by Gillian Anderson.
I was recently recommended Sellout by Dan Ozzi and I happened to find it on the shelves of a newly opened Barnes & Noble, so I picked it up. It’s about punk, emo, and hardcore bands from 94-07 that went on to sign with major labels. I’ve only started the intro, but it’s an interesting history to a few of the bands I listened to in those days. I’m sure I’ll enjoy it ☺️
Stupid sexy centipede.
