An overrated book called The Fifth Season. Meh. I wanted to try some sci-fi to get my mind off earth, but this is like an emo album wrapped up in one decent idea.
I started reading Bill Bryson's The Body. He makes anything a little more interesting. Talking about phantom itches he tells the story of a woman who got one on her forehead after a bout of shingles. "......Medications didn't help. She rubbed the spot furiously while asleep- so much so that one morning she awoke to find a trickle of cerebrospinal fluid running down her face. She had scratched through her own skull bone and into her own brain."
Working my way through the second book of the Kingkiller Chronicles. Googling around it looks like it might be another series in a GoT style writers block for finishing out which is disappointing. Like reading current series but might start learning more towards series that are finished.
Most WWII readers have read about the drop into Normandy and/or the later Operation Market Garden drop into Holland. Thanks to Band of Brothers, the 101st Airborne has become heroes in today's folklore when referring to WWII. Then there is the 17th Airborne which entered combat in January of 1945 as the division tasked with protecting Patton's left flank as he counterattacked into the southern edge of the the Bulge taking 50% casualties in some of it's battalions over the course of 3 days. Two months later, comes Operation Varsity the airborne component of Montgomery's crossing the Rhine in late March 1945 and the subject of this book. The author described it as "the largest bar fight in history" and the action within it proves the point. My father as a Glider Trooper of the 194th GIR survived both the Bulge and this operation, but I had never heard anything about it till this book came along...certainly not from my dad anyways. I'm grateful for this glimpse into his life as a 19 year old and recommend the book to all WWII aficionados.
Many fantasy fans consider Name of the Wind the best written fantasy book ever. But yes, Rothfuss is in the same strata of slow writers as Martin and Scott Lynch.
I've been listening to the audiobook of Throne of Bones by Vox Day for the past several weeks. Blurb: In Selenoth, the race of Man is on the ascendant. The ancient dragons sleep. The ghastly Witchkings are no more; their evil power destroyed by the courage of Men and the fearsome magic of the Elves. The Dwarves have retreated to the kingdoms of the Underdeep, the trolls hide in their mountains, and even the savage orc tribes have learned to dread the iron discipline of Amorr's mighty legions. But after four hundred years of mutual suspicion, the rivalry between two of the Houses Martial that rule the Amorran Senate threatens to turn violent, and unrest sparks rebellion throughout the imperial provinces. In the north, the barbarian reavers who have long plagued the coasts of the White Sea unexpectedly plead for the royal protection of the King of Savondir, as they flee a vicious race of wolf-demons who have invaded their islands. And in the distant east, the war drums echo throughout the mountains as orcs and goblins gather in vast numbers, summoned by their bestial gods. Epic fantasy at its deepest and most gripping, A THRONE OF BONES is Book I in the ARTS OF DARK AND LIGHT. DRM-free. What makes this book unique is that the Humans are modeled after the Roman empire, complete with military makeup, naming similarty and political machinations. It also incorporates a sort of pseudo Catholic church into the Human religion. The Elves are French, and the orcs/goblins/whatever are sort of the barbarians of the Roman era. It's sort of jarring and dry at first but it's starting to grow on me. There are two books in the series. The author has an interesting biography, and I find that authors with varied pasts tend to be the most creative: Six-time Hugo Award finalist Vox Day writes epic fantasy as well as non-fiction about religion, political philosophy, and economics. He is a multi-platinum-selling game designer who speaks four languages and a three-time Billboard Top 40 Club Play recording artist.
read David Blight's biography of Frederick Douglass over the weekend. One of the best biographies I think I've ever read. really good book.
The first of three Reacher books that will be co-wrote between Andrew Child and his 14 year younger brother Andrew. Afterwards, Lee Child retires. I do not recommend. The last few Reacher books before this one were some of the weaker books of the series. Guessing after 20+ Reacher books, Child was losing interest, which is certainly not surprising. This book squarely puts its timeline in 2020 sans Covid. This is a departure for the series where most of the timelines are not anchored so firmly in a given year. Finally, Andrew Child is changing Reacher's persona a bit, which might turn off some fans. Can't go deeper without spoilers. Spoiler: mildly a spoiler As an aside, there is a bit of a technology sub-plot. At one point in the story line to move the story along, we have to suspend disbelieve that computer security experts do not understand basic cellphone security issues. Cringe worthy. Prior Reacher books do not do technology. Lee Child has said that he does not grok technology, so neither does Reacher. Back to the moving the story along point, this is becoming a huge pet peeve for me in books that I read. The author builds up a character to be a competent professional ... but ... then has the character "stick his fool head in a lion's mouth" which is completely out of character just to move the plot along.
I've recently been on a horror comic/manga tear. I've read pretty much all of the lauded series in both genres. I decided to tackle a huge manga series: Berserk. It's a manga that has been ongoing for 32 years, since 1989 until the author's death last month. A good friend of mine counts the anime as his favorite so I decided to give it a go. It's not noted as a horror book but it absolutely is a horror book with a lot of action/battles. It's right up my alley because my favorite genre in any media is military action. I've read through 12 'chapters' so far and it hasn't failed to impress me so far. Super graphic, bloody, and honestly, some real cringe-worthy stuff in it. Not for kids, at all.
Re-read the Princess of Mars (aka John Carter) trilogy. Now reading the 4th book in the series for the first time - Thuvia, Maid of Mars. This book isn't about John Carter. It's good though, maybe even better than the last 2 Princess of Mars books. Idk
