Narilka redacts her reading in 2023 - part 3

Time for a new thread as the old one was getting long. Thanks fuzzi for inspiration for the title :D

My Rating System
- Absolutely horrible, don't bother

- Meh, I finished the book somehow but would not recommend it

- An entertaining read

- Highly enjoyable, I would probably recommend this book

- Excellent! The book may not be perfect but it was perfect for me. Possibly a new favorite.

A star is given for a book that falls between those categories.

Currently Reading


Listening To

Books Read in 2023
1. The Buddhist Enneagram by Susan Piver
2. Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson
3. The Wizard's Butler by Nathan Lowell
4. Side Jobs by Jim Butcher
5. Big Trouble by Andrew Seiple
6. The Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross
7. Magic Tides by Ilona Andrews
8. The Concrete Jungle by Charles Stross
9. Freddy's Magic Garden by Angelina Dayan
10. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling
11. Gobbelino London & a Scourge of Pleasantries by Kim M. Watt
12. At Large by Andrew Seiple
13. Ghost Story by Jim Butcher
14. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling
15. Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City by KJ Parker
16. Going Rogue by Drew Hayes
17. Well Done by Andrew Seiple
18. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
19. Cold Days by Jim Butcher
20. Gobbelino London & A Contagion of Zombies by Kim M. Watt
21. Quarter Share by Nathan Lowell
22. The Frugal Wizard's Handbook for Surviving Medieval England by Brandon Sanderson
23. Skin Game by Jim Butcher
24. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by NK Jemisin
25. Dragon Hack by Andrew Seiple
26. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling
27. Brief Cases by Jim Butcher
28. Waybound by Will Wight
29. Magic Claims by Ilona Andrews
30. Peace Talks Jim Butcher
31. Friends with Bunny Feets by Andrew Seiple
32. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling
33. Battle Ground by Jim Butcher
34. Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson
35. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
36. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling
37. 14 by Peter Clines
38. The Metaframe Adept by Graeme Rodaughan
39. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
40. The Fold by Peter Clines
41. Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson
42. Beware of Chicken by Casualfarmer
43. Spellslinger by Sebastien de Castell
44. All Systems Red by Martha Wells
45. Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
46. The Dream, The Journey, Eternity and God by Sara Landon
47. Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells
48. The Silva Mind Control Method by Jose Silva
49. Beware of Chicken 2 by Casualfarmer
50. Starter Villain by John Scalzi
51. Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo
52. The Sunlit Man by Brandon Sanderson
53. Exit Strategy by Martha Wells
54. Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells
55. Dead Moon by Peter Clines
56. The Mutt for Me by Don Hughes
57. Gobbelino London and a Complication of Unicorns by Kim M. Watt
58. Terminus by Peter Clines
59. Network Effect by Martha Wells
60. A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
61. By Book or By Crook by Eva Gates
62. Defiant by Brandon Sanderson
63. The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik
64. Booked for Trouble by Eva Gates
65. The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik
66. Uncanny Collateral by Brian McClellan
67. Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake
68. The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett

Fun Stats
Books Read: 68
Total Pages Read: 17437
Audio Book Hours: 235h 18m
Rereads: 9
TBR Challenge: 12/12

2023 Series Stats
In progress: 19
Up to date: 13
On Hold: 5
Completed: 8
Abandoned: 8

Mount TBR
Start 2023: 216
End 2023: ?

TBR Challenge

A new year, a new list - happy 2023! I'm (mostly) freshening up both my lists this year. Aiming for 12 read.

12/12

Primary
1. Gobbelino London & a Scourge of Pleasantries by Kim M. Watt Read Feb 8
2. Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake Read Dec 25
3. The Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross Read Jan 20
4. Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson Read Aug 20
5. Terciel & Elinor by Garth Nix
6. Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know by Adam Grant
7. Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo DNF Oct 2
8. Spellslinger by Sebastien de Castell Read Aug 31
9. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke Read Aug 13
10. The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett Read Dec 31
11. Ghost Story by Jim Butcher Read Feb 20
12. Artificial Condition by Martha Wells Read Sept 9

Secondary
1. Foreigner by C. J. Cherryh
2. Digital Fortress by Dan Brown
3. A Cat Named Darwin by William Jordan
4. Someone Like Me by MR Carey
5. Black Powder War by Naomi Novik
6. Thud! by Terry Pratchett
7. You Are the Placebo by Joe Dispenza
8. By Book or By Crook by Eva Gates Read Nov 22
9. Swordheart by T. Kingfisher
10. Uncanny Collateral by Brian McClellan Read Dec 22
11. Terminal Alliance by Jim C. Hines
12. My Life in a Cat House by Gwenn Cooper

My Personal Incomplete Series Challenge
Keeping my never-ending series list going for yet another year.

Series Stats Summary
In progress: 19
Up to date: 13
On Hold: 5
Completed: 8
Abandoned: 8

In Progress
Discworld: Rincewind - 6/8
Discworld: City Watch - 6/8
Discworld: Tiffany Aching - 3/5
Discworld: Overall - 33/41
Temeraire - 2/9
Joe Ledger* - 6/10
World of the Five Gods - 2/3
Space Team* - 4/11
Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot Mysteries - 1/4
Awaken Online: Tarot* - 1/3
Of Cats and Dragons* - 1/5
Hunter - 1/3
Nathaniel Cade* - 2/3
Spells, Swords and Stealth* - 3/5
Gobbelino London, PI - 3/7
Blasphemy Online - 1/3
Threadbare Pt 2* - 1/3
Murderbot - 6/7
Lighthouse Library Mysteries - 2/4
Beware of Chicken* - 2/3
Valkerye Collections - 1/2

Up to date and waiting
The Band - 2/2 - #3 expected 2024
The Darkwater Legacy* - 1/1 - #2 expected 2023
The Brackenford Cycle - 4/4 - #5 TBD
5-minute Sherlock* - 2/2 - #3 TBD
The Witchlands - 4/4 - #5 TBD
World of the Others - 3/3 - #4 TBD
Mystwick* - 2/2 - #3 TBD
The Locked Tomb - 3/3 - #4 expected 2024
Aurelia Ryder - 1/1 - #2 TBD
Innkeeper Chronicles - 5/5 - #6 TBD
The Wizard's Butler* - 1/1 - #2 TBD
Kate Daniels Wilmington Years - 2/2 - #3 TBD
The Dresden Files - 17/17 - #18 TBD

Temporarily On Hold While I Try to Reduce my TBR
The Burning - 1/2
The Folk of the Air* - 1/3
Awaken Online* - 4/6
The Siege - 1/3
Spellslinger - 1/6

Completed in 2023
Small Medium* - 3/3
Cradle - 12/12
Harry Potter - 7/7
The Metaframe War - 7/7
Sanderson's Secret Projects - 4/4
Threshold* - 4/4
Skyward - 4/4
Scholomance* - 3/3

Abandoned in 2023
Laundry Files - 1/12
The Vampire Knitting Club - 1/13
King of Scars - 1/2
Trader Tales from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper - 1/?
Inheritance Trilogy - 1/3
The Book of the Ice - 1/3
The Goddess War - 1/3
Manners and Monsters - 2/5

*Indicates series on audio

Happy new thread!

Happy New Thread!

>5 clamairy:, >6 Karlstar: Thanks!

I'm going to attempt to play a little catch up on all the reviews I'm woefully behind on :)

19. Cold Days by Jim Butcher



Cold Days, the fourteenth entry in to The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, is a fresh breath of pure winter air after Ghost Story. As hinted at by the title, this is all about Harry learning what it means to be the Winter Knight. Being the Winter Knight definitely has it's challenges. First Harry has to survive Mab's idea of proper training, then survive the Winter Court's idea of proper court politics, followed by surviving the fight for control of the Mantle itself and, if that wasn't enough, finally survive the first job Mab gives Harry in his new role: kill an immortal.

Now this is what a Dresden novel is supposed to be like! Fast paced and funny, with some tricky situations for Harry to navigate as he adjusts his thinking to the additional responsibility he's taken on. And lots and lots of action. While I found Harry's time in the Winter Court interesting, I'm glad it didn't last too long and we were back to Chicago fairly quickly. I felt bad for Harry having to basically attempt to revive/renew many old relationships that were harmed from actions of the previous two books. At the same time, because of this, the story continues to allow these characters to grow and deepen with complexity. As I think back to how far Harry has come from Storm Front, I'm blown away at his growth while also retaining his core values after all he's gone through.

I'm also impressed with how well Butcher has planned out his series. Story threads that were started at the very beginning of the series are beginning to tie together and give a fuller view of things that were only hinted at previously. Being given new insights into what's been moving behind the scenes also allows for new story arcs to start. I have so many thoughts and questions. All I know is I'm excited to see where this is all heading.

Rating:

20. Gobbelino London & a Contagion of Zombies by Kim M. Watt



My favorite feline PI and his trusty human sidekick are back in Gobbelino London & a Contagion of Zombies, the second entry in the Gobbelino London, PI series by Kim M. Watt. The story opens with Gobbelino and Callum walking through a local cemetery when a dog wanders over carrying an arm in it's mouth like a stick, looking to play. Callum wants to investigate where the recently unearthed limb has come from and return it to the owner while Gobbelino thinks taking a job without pay is a bad idea. Bad idea or not, it's not long before the detective duo are immersed in a problem with slightly whiffy body parts that don't belong to them and going to any lengths to prevent the end of custard as we know it. It's a cat thing.

This follow up to Scourge of Pleasantries is just as enjoyable as the first. While I'm not normally a big fan of zombie stories, Callum and Gobs make solving the problem so darn fun that I didn't mind all the highly questionable meal choices. Gobs continued inability to get human idioms correct, as well as his unique view of the world, are a delight. I may have to start using his saying of "no baby goats" haha! Adding to the enjoyment factor are the new characters Callum and Gobs meet along the way. I hope Gertrude becomes a recurring character in the series. Gobs needs to keep his flow of super tasty cat treats flowing.

Rating:

21. Quarter Share by Nathan Lowell



Ishmael Wang finds himself at a crossroads in life. Just as he was preparing to start university, Ishmael's mother dies, leaving him in a predicament. Ishmael's mother used to work for the university, which made attending there affordable and provided for their housing. Finding himself about to be evicted from his home and with his credits running low, Ishmael takes the only opportunity he sees available to him - enlisting for two years as a galley helper on a deep space commercial freighter.

Quarter Share is the first book in the series Golden Age of the Solar Clipper by Nathan Lowell. This is a no stakes, slice of life story about Ishmael learning to be a trader while making the best coffee ever for the crew onboard the SC Lois McKendrick. I enjoyed the slice of life aspect to things for the most part and found the story pretty relaxing. It should appeal to those who like there science fiction with a lot less action. For myself, even for low stakes I do need a bit more challenges for the characters to overcome instead of everything seeming to be so easy. Ishmael took on any task with a relatively low effort and it seemed like he breezed through becoming an advanced trader with little difficulty.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Jeffrey Kafer. Kafer's narration worked well with the story, bringing the characters to life as they went about their work onboard the ship. This title is currently available on Audible Plus.

Rating:

>9 Narilka: I very glad to hear you liked Gobbelino London & a Contagion of Zombies. Might have to break down and buy it because I enjoyed the first one so much. For some reason my library does not have the series available as ebooks.

Happy new thread! >1 Narilka:

>11 clamairy: I have the third one in my TBR too :) Such fun books.

>12 jillmwo: Thanks!

Rogue Protocol Ch 1 It was nice to get a snippet of Dr Mensa again and see how MB responded. MB has feelings! It would probably be horrified (or at least embarrassed) to realize that lol

MB's laser focus on it's personal mission is interesting. I wonder what it plans to do after uncovering the bad actors. A little retribution or turning over to authorities?

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread! Glad to hear the second Gobbellino London book is as good as the first!

>15 quondame: & >16 Sakerfalcon: Thanks!

Rogue Protocol Through Ch 3 Miki is so sweet. Very child like. I wonder if the human couldn't have a kid so "adopted" Miki instead. Poor MB doesn't know how to respond lol

Rogue Protocol I finished. This is my favorite Murderbot book so far. What a sad ending! Poor Miki, it was such a sweet bot and truly seemed to care about her human. Too bad that relationship wasn't further explained. Again, the pro and con of the novella format. That was quite a feat of writing to get us to care in 150 pages but also a tad frustrating because I want more :)

This character growth for MB is profound. It's learning it's has more in common with humans that it thought and also that it had some wrong assumptions about humans along the way due to its previous employment. Seems its discovering that being a rogue SecUnit has some wrong assumptions about it too. No murderous rampage yet.

I'm excited to think we'll be returning to Mensa's team next. Here's hoping GrayCrys get some comeuppance.

I finished Beware of Chicken 2. It was just as enjoyable as the first, though I was starting to get book fatigue around 75%. Apparently I prefer my audio books in the 8-12 hour range and this was 18 hours. I still plan to pick up the 3rd when it releases on audio as I enjoy these characters and their antics.

I started Starter Villain this morning. I loved that dedication by Scalzi, very sweet. I'm listening on audio so don't have an easy way to repost it as I didn't write it down as I was listening. I'll have to search for it later.

>20 Narilka: Ah, that one needs to go on Mount Tooby. Scalzi is such an unabashed cat lover.

Thank you Amazon! Here's the dedication for Starter Villain:

This book is dedicated to:
Everyone who could make someone's day worse, but tries to make it better instead.
Thank you. It's more important than you think.
Also, to Sugar, Spice and Smudge, my current set of cats.
You all are a real pain in my ass, and I love your stupid furry faces.

Edit: and now it's added to the work's page.

>22 Narilka: Ha! That's perfect.

>22 Narilka: Love that. I'm way behind on my Scalzi reading. I think he is one of those authors I save for when I really need a book I love reading, because I am almost sure to like his books.

Starter Villain I am absolutely loving this book!

Through Ch 9 That was possibly the most entertaining and hilarious memorial service ever. I loved how tactful the mortician was able to remain through it all though Charlie is basically having one huge, if controlled, freak out.

Man I wish I could have a cat centered computer system for my cats to type into and communicate through in plain english. Not that they need our language, I'm reasonably well trained at this point, but it would be nice for more complicated answers.

It is ultra adorable that the kitten Persephone is an intern :D

Sentient dolphins. OMG that would be so awesome even if all they do is swear lol talk about useful!

That definition of "villain" is a masterwork: "Which is to seek out, fund and create the sort of technologies and services that bring disruptive change to existing industrial and social paradigms, and offer them, on a confidential basis, to interested businesses and governments."

I am starting to see, right along with Charlie, how this could be pretty beneficial from a certain perspective lol

It's books like this and Kaiju that make Scalzi an insta buy for me.

>8 Narilka: You really made me want to get back into the Dresden Files with that review.

>22 Narilka: I've been keeping my eye on Starter Villain, now I may have to pick it up soon.

Count that as 2 BB's.

>25 Narilka: This is one that I will most likely borrow and then buy when it goes on sale. I know... I'm not cheap exactly. It just kills me to pay $15 for an ebook.

>26 Karlstar: YAY!!!

>27 clamairy: Yeah, I don't blame you. You can probably get a hard cover for that price. I used an Audible credit for the book. I like how Wil Wheaton narrates Scalzi's stories.

>28 Narilka: Oh, I might break down and do that, then. I loved Wil's narrations for Agent to the Stars and Lock-in.

>25 Narilka: That looks fun!

Starter Villain Through Ch 15 I love how fish out of water Charlie is. I also like that he's still a good person and trying to protect the evil bastard in that poorly executed assassination attempt.

I'm very curious as to what role Hera will play at the big shin dig. Personal security? Will she be on Charlie's shoulder or something the whole time?

Is it bad that I can actually get some of the villainous logic and even agree a bit??

I'm afraid I'm going to finish this too quickly :)

Starter Villain Through Ch 22 Is it me or is Charlie already a better Villain than several who have been in the business for decades? I'd say his business journalism and middle school teaching jobs weirdly prepared him for some of this, specifically the human management side.

So I've been attempting to read Rule of Wolves on my Kindle. I haven't made it very far in a week. I think it's been too long since I read any Grishaverse that I've lost the connection to the characters. The story is generally interesting but not gripping. I am debating a DNF.

I finished Starter Villain. This was a highly enjoyable and satisfying read. The twists were appropriately twisty and the plot appropriately villainous. I especially loved all the crates in the vault being empty lol And the labor dispute ending in forming a union! For dolphins and whales!

I had no idea that button boards for animals are an actual thing and have now gone down the internet search rabbit hole. I am seriously debating trying this. Perhaps this will be a Christmas present this year. Edit: I sent my husband a link. He vehemently rejected the idea lol

Next up I am continuing my reread of the Threshold series with Dead Moon. It seems appropriate for the month.

22. The Frugal Wizard's Handbook for Surviving Medieval England by Brandon Sanderson

Here at Frugal Wizard Inc.©, we provide the highest quality experience at a fraction of the prices charged by other dimensional toursim companies.

A man wakes up in a clearing with no idea who he is or where he's at. All he has is the clothes he is wearing and the scattered pages of a guidebook. Apparently being hunted, the man's only hope is to recover his missing memories and gain the trust of locals while collecting as many pages of the guidebook as he can to figure out what's going on. The the guidebook is titled The Frugal Wizard's Handbook for Surviving Medieval England.

We believe that the Interdimensional Wizard™ deserves options. Predetermined, groomed experiences are right for some, but others prefer a more rugged experience, full of unexplored lands and adventure.

This was a fun and different type of story from Sanderson's regular writing. Not set in the Cosmere, our hero finds out he's in an alternate dimension of Medieval England, where things are both different and similar to the fragments he remembers from childhood history classes. Absolutely up to expectation, the story features an interesting blend of modern technology with "boasting" magic that combine to give the world a unique feel. I admit I initially had a hard time with other ways flavor was added to the world in the form of misspelling of names and things from our world, modern or otherwise. Once I got used to it I was able to relax into the story.

As the story unfolds, we learn more about our main character and his background. It comes as a surprise and emphasizes the hero journey he finds himself on. I ended up liking him and the locals who join him on his quest.

Your life isn’t unremarkable. You are merely living in the wrong time. Find your Perfect Dimension™. Embrace your destiny— whether it be to bring Promethean light or exert relentless domination— and travel the dimensions. Become a wizard.

Unexpectedly entertaining were all the marketing blurbs spaced throughout the story. Frugal Wizard Inc.© has one heck of a marketing department. Also funny was our main character's need to constantly rate things. I'm sure your enjoyment may vary depending on if you find either of those as humorous as I did.

There is a classic Sanderson twist at the end that I did not see coming even with all the hints. The ending is left open enough that Sanderson could write more in this universe in the future if he wanted.

I received my Kickstarter hardback copy after I had finished the ebook. The physical book is absolutely gorgeous. I can't wait to reread it with all the art and doodles in context.

Rating:

23. Skin Game by Jim Butcher



Skin Game is the fifteenth entry in The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. Working for Mab has its drawbacks. For example, Harry being loaned out to the Evil League of Evil for a heist to settle one of Mab's debts. Harry finds himself working with his most despised enemy to break into a high-security vault so they can steal something from the Nevernever. Harry's going to have to watch his back to survive this mess.

I love a good heist! Harry is forced to team up with his enemies as they embark on an Ocean's 11-style trip to the underworld. This makes for a hell of a good time and something I had never really considered: that even the paranormal sometimes want to store something in a vault.

There is a lot to unpack character wise in this installment. While not everyone has page time, I enjoyed the ones who did. I did not see that change for Butters coming at all! I love how Butters is embracing his inner nerd as part of his new role. It feels true to character. I feel a small pang of loss that Bob and Harry aren't working partners any more though it seems that Bob and Butters work well together. It is in turns frustrating that Murphy has to sit this one out and yet makes total sense so that it gives Michael an opportunity to join in. He is uniquely suited to this undertaking and helping watch Harry's back. We're also introduced to Goodman Grey this book which opens up some interesting ideas given how much of a contrast he is to the only other skinwalker we've met in the series so far.

There are so many other reveals in this one that it's hard to keep track. I'm very curious to how some of this will play out over the rest of the series. I'm also sure that's not the last we've seen of the Denarians. Thank you Mr Butcher for finally having Harry make a move on his relationship problem!

Rating:

I started Dead Moon. I appreciate that Clines gets right to it. In Ch 5 things are already going sideways :D

Yeah, I'm going to DNF Rule of Wolves @ 25%. I didn't read it at all yesterday and didn't miss it. That's my sign. Perhaps if I ever want to return to the Grishaverse again I'll do a series reread and try again.

Instead, I'm starting Sanderson's Secret Project 4 - The Sunlit Man. I love this cover!



I'm excited to get started tonight.

>38 Narilka: It's very cool! I hope you love it. Sadly I am only about 12% of the way through the 1,000+ page The Shadow Rising, so The Sunlit Man will have to wait a bit.

>39 clamairy: Oh my lol Wheel of Time is definitely a series of door stoppers. Good luck finishing up.

The Sunlit Man Ch 1, Cosmere question BEUs. Breath Equivalent Units as a measure of investiture. Very interesting. Is this used in Stormlight or something new here? I know breath is from Warbreaker.

Through Ch 6. I got some Mad Max vibes based on Nomad's (and our) introduction to this land. Hopefully with the investiture they just absorbed Nomad and Aux will be able to understand the language and we can learn a lot more about the people here.

The world itself is pretty unique. What an awful way to live, always having to be in the move or be incinerated. Unless Aux's speculation is right and it's a creation, not strictly nature, then it could possibly be reversed.

The Sunlit Man Through Ch 10 A mistborn connection!! This is fun :D

Seems multiple planets enter the space age in a general way.

Through Ch 32 We are about to go on a Mission Impossible. Cue the music...

What I'm most curious about at this point is the sun. If the sun was normal above the clouds, what is in the clouds that converts it into a death ray? Is it a natural phenomenon of the planet or was it put in place? Perhaps the answer will be in the maelstrom.

Dead Moon In Ch 7 and we have zombies!! :D

Through Ch 10 I love Callie and Jake's exchange around here. She's all "its weird how fast they're moving" and he's like "A zombie invasion and the weird thing is their movement speed?" lol

My brain has been super weird on this reread. I get Oingo Boingo's "Dead Man's Party" in my head while reading LOL

I finished The Sunlit Man. This is definitely one for Cosmere fans and particularly those who are up to date with Stormlight Archives, which I am not. I enjoyed getting to know Nomad, Aux and the people of Beacon. It was a darker story overall given the set up for the world the story is set on. I think I'd like to reread this after I've read Stormlight and see how that changes the story when I can see all the connections.

Next up, back to Murderbot and Exit Strategy.

Exit Strategy Ch 1 & 2 As a person that has tons of ad blockers installed MB has landed in a ad-inundated corporate dystopia lol Oy.

I'm so excited that we're going to reconnect with Mensah and team! Poor MB feeling responsible for the situation Mensah has found herself in too.

Exit Strategy through CH 4 I love how even through all the awkwardness, MB does care about this group of humans, giving them a survival plan is it heads off to rescue Mensah.

I shut my risk assessment module down. has to be the best ending line. I am expecting some awesome mayhem coming right up :D

Dead Moon Ch 32. Just when you think things are almost ok... the tentacle horror shows up lol Greed ruins the day yet again.

Kind of interesting how the squale fragment is trying to rebuild its body by absorbing human bodies into a weird mess, kind of like how Andrew in the Fold had other people's body parts grafted on to him.

So...I have hesitated to listen to Dead Moon because of mixed reviews. I really loved 14 and the subsequent books set in the same loose world (The Fold more than Terminus), but wonder how connected this one is? Folks seem to think it's pretty weak and not necessary to fill in the larger story the other 3 told. Can you elaborate without spoiling? LOL, thanks.

>47 Bookmarque: The connection is minor - some of the universe mysteries come in to play but not in the grand way as they do in 14 or The Fold. It's set something like 150 years in the future with a whole new cast and, per the title, on the moon. It's a good Halloween read if you're wanting something seasonal don't mind a little more scifi horror than the other books. Ray Porter's narration is fabulous as always.

Exit Strategy Ch 5 & 6 were satisfying. Murderbot explores feelings! I about melted when it let Mensah hug it lol

The whole rescue scene - damn MB is clever. I also loved how even though it rescued Mensah, the humans rescued it right back. That feels appropriate. Now how about they get off this port and retrieve their mail with all the damning evidence against GreyCris. At least that's where I'm guessing this is heading.

I also noticed that MB did its best to not kill anyone or anything.

I finished. That was a nice ending for the original story arc. I was very surprised that MB damn near lost itself, its personality, but going so deep into the other bot to save everyone. That was an even bigger sacrifice than just getting blown up IMO.

It's pretty awesome that others want to hire "Rin" again and see the value of a free SecUnit. It gives hope that there could be others like MB out there if they were to hack their own governor units.

I'm moving straight on to Fugitive Telemetry which is technically book 6 in publication order but chronologically follows book 4.

>44 Narilka: I am also not up to date. Oh well. Hopefully I will enjoy it anyway. I'm glad you didn't hate it. :o)

I'm hoping you get to Foreigner, and don't let the slow start stop you from continuing. I've read a majority of CJ Cherryh's works and have learned that she gives you a roller coaster situation...first that slow crawl up the slope and then the downward rush into an incredible ride!

>51 fuzzi: I absolutely agree with you. It's been my observation of Cherryh's work as well.

Fugitive Telemetry Ahh, a murder mystery for Murderbot! Ch 2 So how long is it going to take Security to realize that MB knows what it's talking about? lol

I do hope MB gets to upgrade Mensah's security set up at some point. Sounds like it's needed.

Ch 4 MB's attempt at misdirection lol MB has a ways to go before really understanding human humor lol

And finished. This was fun. I was also tricked into thinking it was a human murderer and surprised at the final reveal. I loved all the bots on the station going to defend/avenge one of their own.

Seems MB has made another friend or two whether it likes it or not :D

I was thinking after my long, difficult day at work yesterday that Murderbot is my spirit animal. Or spirit organic robot. Whatever lol All I wanted yesterday was to escape meetings so I could go do some low level entertainment :D

I also finished Dead Moon. It was fun. Also by listening to them closer together I noticed an interesting parallel I missed my first time through. I'll be moving on to the final book, Terminus, as my next audio book.

Still not sure what regular reading book I want to start. Is Foreigner more on the serious side or does it turn into a thriller? I don't own the whole series so this would be my sampler to decide if I wanted to take the full plunge in the future.

24. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by NK Jemisin



The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is the first in the Inheritance Trilogy by NK Jemisin. The plot is fairly straight forward - Yeine Darr is summoned by her grandfather, the ruler of the world, to the ruling city of the kingdom to be named one of his heirs and told she's now in a weird 3-way duel to the death to see who will be the next ruler. Can Yeine, who has never been to court before since her mother was banished before she was born, survive?

I'm not sure what I was expecting when I first started this and I found myself surprised by how much of a YA read this is so be prepared for some YA tropes. The story is told primarily by the main character is a bit jerky, which was confusing at first but makes much more sense half way through after the first reveal. The plot is slower and gradually revealed over time Yiene is a decent enough protagonist and, while I can empathize with being put into a situation you're unprepared for, I initially had a harder time buying into it at first. We are told Yiene has been trained as a competent ruler by her mother, has been running her small kingdom for a little while and is also a warrior, none of which serve her as she thrust into court life. I guess I expected Yiene to be slightly better at politics than she was initially. The character eventually grew on me as she learned the ins and outs of court life.

The part I enjoyed most was how this story felt a lot like the telling of a myth. The three gods, their interactions with each other and how they interact with mortals was fascinating and reminded me of Greek gods with their meddling ways.

The ending seemed to tie up the story nicely and I think could be read as stand alone. I'm not entirely sure where the second book would go next unless it's more like a trilogy of loosely related stories instead of one story arc in three books.

Rating:

I opted to start The Mutt for Me which I won in a giveaway. It's a nice little animal memoir about a man who had volunteered in an animal rescue for years, helping pets get adopted, before he finally adopts his first dog. I'm enjoying it a lot. It's also a fast read so I'll probably finish today or tomorrow.

I did finish The Mutt for Me quickly. It was heartwarming and lovely. I'm back to a conundrum of what to read next. I may just try the first chapter of several books and see what sticks.

25. Dragon Hack by Andrew Seiple



Dragon Hack is the first in the Blasphemy Online trilogy by Andrew Seiple. The story centers around teenager Richard Royal, living in a church-controlled dystopia. Richard finds his only break from his broken home life and bullying at school in the online gaming. Introduced to a very illegal online game, Rich logs in for the first time and finds himself in a dragon body, a quest to see to pledge himself to an evil power and very little instructions. It's not long before Rich figures out there's a lot more to this game it appears as it seems to be affecting him in realspace too.

The series serves as an origin story for the world of Threadbare. It is vastly different from the Threadbare books, being more of a traditional litRPG, so make sure you go in with adjusted expectations.

The story has a rough beginning and is on the cliche side to start. Our "hero" being a teenage boy has the ambition of what I assume typical teenage boys want - to get laid. Since he has little prospects in reality, he thinks maybe this new illegal game may be his option. After finally logging in the story turned into a fun and intriguing adventure. Obviously Richard has been chosen for something else in Generica Online though that's not fully revealed yet. I liked seeing the early version of the world and from a whole new perspective. It gives background on the mysterious "players" from the Small Medium series along with a hint as to what may have happened to them all. The whole consciousness swapping plot turned out satisfactorily. Plenty of different ways this can go next.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Nick Podehl. I liked Nick's narration well enough so I was surprised to see that there is a narrator swap for the rest of the series. The new narrator does not get very favorable reviews so it's highly probably I'll be continuing this series on my Kindle. Assuming I can hold off from starting the second Threadbare trilogy first.

Rating:

26. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling



Reread 2023: It's been so long since I read the later books in the series that, while I remember the main plot arc, I've forgotten a lot of the details. This made for a fun rediscovery of the Order of the Phoenix. I'd remembered this was where the series takes a much darker turn but I'd forgotten just how grim it was. I am impressed with how much depth and detail the book packs in. Poor Harry, so angry and irritated for most of the book. It's not without reason though it made some parts difficult to read. I usually hate when characters withhold information from each other but man that huge reveal with Dumbledore made a whole lot of sense. I loved how even Neville had some growth and more confidence. I wish we'd had a little more time with the new student addition, Luna. Dolores Umbridge is a near perfect villain, one that is so easy to hate. I had completely forgotten how she'd gotten her comeuppance and had thought she lasted another book. Guess I'll find out soon.

Rating:

27. Brief Cases by Jim Butcher



Brief Cases is the second collection of short fiction in the Dresden Files. It contains 12 stories that range from historical events in the Wild West to a sweet day at the zoo for Harry's first "normal" dad experience. We also get more stories from different perspectives, some I found surprising. As with Side Jobs, Butcher provides an introduction to each story with a little background about how/why he wrote it and also where it fits in the series. This is a great collection and a must read for fans of the series as it addresses small questions of things that aren't explained in the main books.

Rating:

Gobbelino London and a Complication of Unicorns won me over with its opening line: "I have faced creatures from the void - well, a couple of different voids, actually - furious sorcerers, very small dragons, dentists, cats of the Watch who give the feline kind their bad reputation, humans who do the same for their kind, and, most recently, the ravenous undead, a mad mortician, zombie-fied chickens, and a cake-wielding reaper."

Time to see just how bad unicorns turn out to be in this world. Through ch 3 and already learned never take on imps or pixies as clients and that history really does have teeth. Specifically Callum's past is rearing its potentially ugly head. And feline wisdom of "Discretion is the better part of value, or whatever." :)

>61 Narilka: Thank you for the reminder to get to the second book in that series. I love the humor.

>61 Narilka: For some deviant unicorns there's Charles Stross' Equoid.

>61 Narilka: and >63 quondame: I am both intrigued as well as somewhat alarmed. I had no idea that there actually were deviant unicorns.

>64 jillmwo: You should be alarmed!

>63 quondame: Putting that on my wish list to keep an eye out for.

>64 jillmwo: I think the ones in my book are mostly bad tempered based on the rumors. Still waiting to meet one.

Gobbelino London and a Complication of Unicorns through Ch 11 Progressive trolls and a pocket universe gone wrong. Callum's past catching up with him is definitely not good. I really wish Gobs didn't insist on going back to Dimly. I doubt the two witches will be able to help out a second time.

Gobbelino London and a Complication of Unicorns through Ch 18 It's obvious by now that Kara wasn't kidnapped and is obviously in on the con. The question is if she's the mastermind or just a lieutenant/henchman. I'm also wondering if Poppy rescued the unicorns from the "mean people" as she put it. She seems to genuinely care.

Gobbelino London and a Complication of Unicorns Finished. That was fun. The author has an amazing knack for writing chaotic and hilarious climax scenes. Soooo much mayhem in the warehouse lol I'd love to see that on a big or small screen.

So I was right about Poppy and half right about Kara. Even though the hint was dropped about Ez, I skipped right over it.

I finished Terminus today too. That was quite enjoyable and a great halloween read. I'm glad I reread the series. Hopefully Clines returns to this world some day.

Next up, I'm starting A Deadly Education on audio and Network Effect as my regular read.

I finished Network Effect and loved it. I had to make an unexpected trip for a family health emergency so missed out on my regular commentary. (My family member is doing ok and seems to be on the road to recovery so far.) Very basic spoilers for the whole book. Murderbot has feelings! Feelings for ART!!! Now I have feelings lol

I like how we gained a first hand view of what has been meant by alien remnant contamination. I also like how we have another rogue SecUnit and that Wells is breaking her in world stereotype of them all being murder machines. I hope we get to hear about Three's updates in the future.

I'm very much looking forward to the new book releasing this month.

I started Entangled Life next for something a little different. I'm at 10% in and enjoying it. It's a slower read for me so I make sure I understand it all, which I still might not :) The author is doing a good job of keeping a balance between easy enough for the layman with some technical biology bits about fungus.

A Deadly Education It has an interesting set up. Somewhere in Ch 2 So a Hunger Games/Harry Potter! Only it's the school that eats the students instead of students against each other.

Seems we have a romantic set up right off the bat. I'm trying not to roll my eyes.

I discussed this with my other book club and they let me know that this actually started off as Harry Potter fan fiction. I've never read "professional" fan fiction before so this is an interesting experience. Apparently Naomi Novik is a bit supporter of the fan fic scene.

I'm almost done with Ch 3 and I find the book interesting but I'm not feeling that urgent "need to read" hook yet. I hope this changes after we get past the necessary background information and dig into the story more. I do think it's clever of El to turn her annoyance of Orion's "help" into something to make her own situation better/safer. For now anyway.

>72 Narilka: I absolutely loved the Scholomance series. Yes, Naomi Novik is one of those authors with roots in the fanfic world, in which there are many splendid writers who explore other authors' worlds and characters in conversations built of stories.

I find the trilogy inventive and engrossing, among the best fantasy books of the last 5 years.

>73 quondame: That's high praise indeed!

A Deadly Education. Had further discussion with my group about El and we agree that she's been forced to be more "mercenary" as a way to survive, vs just being manipulative. It was also pointed out that their whole society is this way as a means of survival. This has helped me re-frame the story in a positive way. I've just started Ch 6. I was finding El's voice... not annoying exactly but it wasn't working for me. Re-framing it as her needing to be mercenary to survive, as well as being a prickly teen, has helped me to empathize with the character.

I've also hit the part where I realize this is an enemies to friends relationship which is refreshing.

A Deadly Education Finished Ch 6 and part way through 7 That monster slaying was plenty gory. It could almost fit for Halloween heh

Interesting choice El makes to keep quiet about it. I think it's great that the friendship is shining through with how worried Orion was about her. Too bad no one recognized her magic there, either the cause for why she's so drained or what she did with the "recharge". When/if any of the enclaves figure out her depth of power, they'll all want her to join.

A Deadly Education Ch 8 hehe someone is finally starting to figure out just how powerful El is and how well she's kept it hidden. This is setting El up for some great allies.

I suspect this might be attempting to set up El to found/form her own Enclave after graduation. She obviously has the power and perhaps her mom would join that.

Entangled Life has been interesting, if slower going. In 3 chapters I've learned way more about fungi that I've ever known in my whole life - especially around truffles, how mycellium works and lichens in general. Sheldrake's passion for the subject is on every page.

I'm a little bit of a mushroom nut, but I couldn't get through Entangled Life. Too precious, repetitive and anthropomorphic for my tastes. I'd read other books, some of which are only "field guides" that told me more and in a more scientific way.

>78 Narilka: & >79 Bookmarque: I bought this one as a trade paperback, but I think I will be doing it as an audio. When it gets repetitive my attention will just flit off elsewhere for a bit.

>79 Bookmarque: I can understand that.

>80 clamairy: I think audio may have been a better choice for me too. I tend to fall asleep easily reading it at night lol

A Deadly Education Ch 9. I feel like Murderbot. I need to go have a private emotion. It's very sweet for El to go through what it feels like to be seen for her and actually liked for her. That little group is well on their way towards a great alliance. Now she just needs to get Orion onboard.

Nice backstory on Orion too. Poor guy.

Finished! I absolutely loved when the book went meta and El explained "I'm the 'love me and despair' version" when talking about her name LOL Like a double fan fic or at least an extra Tolkien nod. You can never go wrong with a nod to Tolkien :D

And awww, they actually ARE dating. HAHAHAHA This has to be my favorite relationship in a YA story in years. It felt very organic, growing over time.

It's also great that El made female friendships too. Real ones. And had girl talk!

Interesting hook for book 2. I wonder if mom's warning is because Orion is in an Enclave or something else. Too bad that note didn't have more details.

I started The Last Graduate this morning. I like how this picks up literally where book 1 left off. Same line even!

Ch 1 It appears Scholomance is setting El up to act as a mentor (and protector?) for this group of freshman.

I'm starting to think the school has reasons for everything it does and being infested with deadly mals is just an unfortunate side effect. However the "trail by fire" set up does prepare the kids for the real world so it accomplishes that goal too in addition to academic learning.

I set aside Entangled Life for the moment and started By Book or by Crook. It's a cozy mystery set in a North Carolina lighthouse that's been converted to a library. The murder happens by chapter 2, in the rare books section naturally, and now it's up to the new assistant librarian, Lucy, to help figure out who the murderer is before the wrong person goes to jail. On top of it all, it's not long before a couple of rare and valuable books also go missing from the library. It's hitting the right spot for a lighter read and pretty typical for a cozy mystery. There's even a library cat! Admittedly, Lucy hasn't really done much sleuthing so far, mostly just overhearing conversations. There is a set up with one of the locals trying to scare Lucy with stories about the library being haunted to try to get Lucy to go home to Boston. I'm hoping that character is either the murderer or the thief (I'm thinking different people at the moment) so she won't be in the next book if I continue the series. The I don't like character, Louise Jane, one bit. Also the obligatory 2 potential love interests and a surly jerk of a police captain.

I've been horribly lax at keeping up with proper reviews this year. I'm going to attempt to make up for that a little this holiday week.

28. Waybound by Will Wight



With the release of Waybound, Will Wight's Cradle saga is complete. What a fun and exciting ending it is! The story is jam packed with everything the Cradle books are known for - humor, action, Monarchs, Dreadgods, progression, Dross - only dialed up even higher. I don't know how Wight managed that but he did. My only complaint is there wasn't enough Eithan. Seems like I say that a lot in the later books. I liked where all the characters ended up, especially Lindon & Yerin's HEA and the reunions at the end. The bloopers were hilarious so be sure not to miss them.

It seems like not that long ago that Lindon was just a lowly unsouled with no hope of a future. I have thoroughly enjoyed joining Lindon, Yerin, Eithan and all the rest on their progression through the world of Cradle. While I hope there will be a sequel series in the future, this was a satisfying ending to their journey. I already know I'll be rereading the whole series again in the future.

Rating:

29. Magic Claims by Ilona Andrews



Magic Claims is the second in the Kate Daniels: Wilmington Years series by Ilona Andrews. Yeah, Kate and Curran really don't know how to keep a low profile. Not long after events in Magic Tides the power couple is approached with an offer they can't refuse - save a town from a mysterious evil in the nearby forest that's holding it hostage and own the land when they're successful. The clock is running out as the deadline for the town's "sacrifice" is fast approaching.

That was fun! I'm liking the novella format of these books. They're just the right size to be satisfying (though I wouldn't turn down another full length Kate Daniels). While there were a couple things that seemed very convenient, the story was just so much fun I didn't mind too much. I like the plans Kate and Curran have for their new life. It leaves so many directions for the story to go. Perhaps this will act as a bridge to another full series.

Rating:

>86 Narilka: I really have to start this series! The ratings are through the virtual roof.

>88 clamairy: I hope you enjoy it if you give it a try :)

30. Peace Talks Jim Butcher



"Some free advice for you: Never fight an old man. They've been there, done that, written the book, made and starred in the movie, designed the T-shirt, and they've got no ego at all about how the fight gets won."

Peace Talks is the sixteenth entry in The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. The Accorded nations have decided it is time to end hostilities and have chosen Chicago as the location to host Peace Talks. The White Council is providing security for the event and have drafted Harry Dresden as part of the team. Nothing could possibly go wrong with all the main powers of the supernatural community gathered in one place...

Butcher sure packed a lot into this one. While the story mostly serves a set up for Battle Ground, a lot was covered. The story was surprisingly deep with poignant thoughts and moments around family, home and love, in addition to all the politics surrounding the talks. Harry being Harry there are plenty of eye roll worthy ogling and funny moments too.

Speaking of family, Harry and Ebenezer finally face some of the outstanding issues between them. I feel bad about Ebenezer. He's let his hate run away with him. I don't really expect anything much here other than him being a royal pain in Harry's side. And scaring poor Maggie. Maybe I'll be surprised and he will come around eventually about Thomas. Even though he can be a difficult old man, Ebenezer is truly a bad ass. It was highly enjoyable witnessing a battle with a Senior White Council member in it.

Butcher also did his research on Irish myths for this story. I hope I didn't spoil the second book for myself by looking up the Fomor and Ethniu as he's been pretty true to the myths so far.

If they had to break it into two books, I like where this ended. The stage is well set for Battle Ground without really being a cliff hanger. The only thing missing is Lugh of the Tuatha if Butcher is going to keep following the myth. I hope Chicago survives the battle to come.

Rating:

31. Friends with Bunny Feets by Andrew Seiple



Once upon a time there was a teddy bear who rescued his little girl, saved a kingdom and thought they had their happy ending. However, happy endings don't last forever. Trouble has returned to Cylvania as a hidden conspiracy seeks to overturn the new order of things. There's also something wrong with Celia and Threadbare is having trouble determining what the cause is.

Friends with Bunny Feets, the fourth book in Andrew Sieple's Threadbare series and the beginning of Threadbare's second story arc. Readers will want to have completed the original Threadbare trilogy and the Small Medium trilogy before diving in. There were no connections back to Blasphemy Online's story or characters so far.

The first half of the book is a rough/slow start with heavy politics and a tad depressing after how hard Threadbare and crew worked in the original trilogy. The kingdom of Cylvania has undergone great changes between books.

With all the background out of the way, the story moves on into a nice adventure and the second half feels like a Threadbare novel again. There are multiple story threads happening at once to set up for the remaining books. It was great being reunited with some of my favorite characters again. I hope for more of that in the next books. I also can't wait to see how Chase and Threadbare work together. Seems like a good combo for fun shenanigans.

It ends with an interesting twist for the toys and hopefully something to help Celia out. I'm looking forward to continuing the series.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds. He is absolutely perfect for this series. I'm glad he was kept on as narrator.

Rating:

32. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling



Reread July 2023: It's amazing how much of this book I had forgotten over the years. This one has a lot of character building, plenty of relationships and the most serious tone of the books so far. I'm impressed with how Rowling doesn't shy away from the gravity of the events that happen. By the end I found myself so completely wrapped up in the story that even though I did remember the final climax it still caught me by surprise and left me just as shocked and sad as the first time I read it.

Rating:

The Last Graduate I'm just a few minutes into Ch 4 Awww, they're working on mouse familiars and she named hers Precious to keep the Tolkien theme LOL And the mice seem to be picking up some personality cues from their wizards :D

Yeah, it seems this is building to El wanting to form her own enclave using that book she has.

Interesting problem they all have with the mals gone and not enough magic.

So how long before Orion formally joins the little group?

I'm guessing since this chapter gets us through midyears that most of the book will be prepping for the graduation run.

Also interesting how in a momentary lapse El uses her powers in front of an enclaver and now they all know. She's in for an interesting rest of the school year.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to you!

>94 Narilka: Hope you day was awesome!

>96 clamairy: It was pretty great :) Hope yours was too!

I finished By Book or by Crook. It hit the cozy mystery spot pretty well though it had some glaring editing issues, which was weird. I hope the second book is free from those as I'm planning to give it a try. Lucy mostly got the hang of sleuthing by the end which was a nice character growth for her. While my hopeful person wasn't the killer, I did figure it out too just ahead of our lead so that was fun. I guess Louise Jane is set up to be the series frenemy.

Next up, Defiant.

The Last Graduate About a third of the way through Ch 5 Aww, El is turning out to be a great human being while keeping her surly exterior. A healing spell without any strings attached?? Plus sharing that moment giving Orion mana? Good little chaperone mousie lol

Half way through Ch 7 And there's the romance. Impressive how Orion restrained himself.

I like how the school sets up obstacle courses for the kids to practice with. That's actually nice of it.

33. Battle Ground by Jim Butcher



"Speak for yourself," Murphy said. "I just gave my last grenade to a Valkyrie and ordered her to blow up a kraken. I'm having a ball."

Battle Ground is the seventeenth entry in The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. The title of the book is literal. If you don't enjoy action and battle scenes, you're going to hate this book. Luckily I'm an action junkie and enjoyed every minute of it.

So much happens in this installment that I'm assuming is to set up for the remainder of the series. And I thought Changes changed everything! This is even more fundamental of a shift in the story now that humanity, at least in Chicago, knows some of the truth. The story was also was one heck of an emotional roller coaster beginning to end. I think just about every secondary character, and many of the bad guys, make an appearance in this book. I still can't believe Butcher did that to Muprhy. At least she got to have some fun first. Nor did have any clue as to Marcone and all he's been up to. And Butters being MVP in the battle. Who would've ever expected that from where Butters started? Also, Harry has had the Winter mantle long enough that he's starting to think a little like a fae.

My copy also contained a short story titled Christmas Eve about Harry and Maggie on their first Christmas together. It was heartwarming and adorable.

It feels odd to be caught up on the series after taking my time reading it. Yet now that I'm caught up, it's going to be fun to start speculating and see if I can guess anything that's heading Harry's way next correctly.

Rating:

Defiant Finished Part 1. For anyone wondering, you can start this without having read the novellas. A friend confirmed that the important parts of those are contained in the prologue. I was feeling a bit concerned since I noticed they were referenced in the first couple chapters and I hadn't read them yet and didn't want to stop. Anyway, I'm finally feeling hooked by the story again :) Interesting that Spena is almost having PTSD and definitely heavy guilt. I'm sure she'll pull through it by the end. She really does need to figure out how to block Brade from linking to her whenever. That's a pretty huge security risk. Her merging with Chet is having some very interesting effects. I can't wait for her to master them like she did on that raid.

I'm not sure what to make of MBot as a ghost. I don't think he's really a ghost exactly, though definitely is incorporeal so technically the description fits. I hope they can find a new... something? Body doesn't feel right lol To inhabit again.

I'm loving all the various slug types and it's so adorable to have a slug holster.

Defiant through ch 11 Their date was very sweet. I think Sanderson has gotten better at writing relationships.

Spensa is freaked out and fighting with herself over the merge with Chet. It's going to be OK. You're in a Sanderson novel ;) She'll figure it out once she can relax.

I'm behind on posting.

Defiant finished Part 2/Ch 22. While it's completely understandable that Spensa would not be of sound mind after going through all her experiences with the Superiority and the Nowhere, the self-tortured "I am a monster, I am a weapon, I should be the only one having to make hard decisions so I can save others from feeling the way I do, no one understands me" got old fast. It's turned this book into a slog to read. Part of my enjoyment of the series is Spensa being Spensa. I realize this is for character growth but I'm not enjoying it.

I enjoyed the slice of life moments with Hesho and then the crew cleaning. That was nice. I'm glad Spensa had that semi-return to normalcy just in time for Brade to force the plot along. Ironically I'm also irritated with Brade for spoiling such a nice moment lol

Through Ch 30. Gran Gran is my hero. Such a great speech!

Ok, so now Spensa has gone OBE (out of body experience). And she's still just sort of wringing her hands in inaction. A lot of metaphysics in this series. At least with the fake ship fight we saw a little of the old Spensa again, which I've missed. She's also been making really poor decisions, falling for whatever Brade has planned. I think this is for character growth but I'm finding it more annoying than anything. Not sure YA is working for me right now as I DNF'd another YA not long back too.

Winzik was evil murdering Comfort. Glad Brade betrayed him and Spensa finished him off.

And finished the book. It did work for me, it was a proper ending to the series and satisfying. Ch 30 is a the turning point. I just wish I'd enjoyed the previous 300 pages to get there more. Scanning GR reviews there are a lot of 5 stars so either others are more forgiving or they enjoyed the whole book more. I'll likely give this 4 stars.

The Last Graduate through Ch 10 I like how the story is showing the depth and breadth of El's powers with all these practice runs. Before it was all telling. This is finally the dark sorceress using her abilities.

Mid way through Ch 12 Feels like the school is setting El up, letting her make her own (probably wrong) conclusions about to the creatures being gone.

It is sweet that I think the school appreciates that she wants to get everyone out and support its stated mission even if it's not what the builders ever really cared about.

I do like how the school is a character.

>86 Narilka: those look like fun. Is it set in Wilmington, NC? We lived there for several years, so that would be kinda cool. Do these work without having read all the prior Kate Daniels books?

>105 Jim53: Yes it is set in Wilmington NC. I think you may have a problem without some of the general background on the series. Have you read any of the Kate Daniels books?

>104 Narilka: I just finished this one recently, and agree with you about the storyline development; it's gone some surprising places for sure! The ending made me want to start the next one right away but I've got too much other stuff lined up so it will have to wait but hopefully not for too terribly long.

>104 Narilka: Yes, all of that. I do love this series!

I finished The Last Graduate. Be still my beating heart! Now that's a proper cliff hanger of an ending. I'm glad this series is complete so I can move directly on to The Golden Enclaves. I am a bit sad for the Scholomance. It's not really destroyed, just going to be floating in space, full of angry mals, for who knows how long. I know it's not living exactly but it's a terrible fate for anything sentient, which the school is. Oh and with Orion for however long he lasts if El can't find a way back to grab his monster killing ass through the door. Wish the kid would've just stuck to the plan but sadly this is directly in line with his character. It's probably the one time he's really been able to feed his power properly and might have been too big of a high to resist.

The Golden Enclaves I started just as soon as I finished the last book. First, thank you Ms Novik for NOT making us suffer and picking the story up immediately after that cliffhanger.

About 10 minutes into Ch 2 Holy hell the gut punches just keep coming. That seems to be it for Orion :( El can't say she didn't try with all the power she had available. Mom's warning about Orion was a misunderstanding of his power and seems irrelevant. AND the dang golden sutras was an open ended request with El and possibly Orion paying the price for them? Oy. I think the commune is very very luck that El is (1) a fundamentally good person and (2) out of power at the moment. If anything was going to get her to give in and lash out, it would be this series of events.

I had to stop for work where Lisel just showed up. Hopefully she has some good news or can use her super smart brain to help El think of what to do next.

>106 Narilka: I haven't read any Kate at all. Would the first one or two of the main series give me enough to proceed to Wilmington? Are they reasonably edible?

>111 Jim53: Hmm. That would be enough to give you an intro to the characters and the world. If you jumped to Wilmington after then you'll have so spoilers on where the character growth and relationships ended up should you decide to go back to the main series at all. I enjoy Ilona Andrews writing style and UF so I definitely don't have an unbiased opinion :)

The Golden Enclaves I'm half way through Ch 4 El's new spell is almost too easy. Able to kill a molmouth with barely any mana. I think she's fortunate no one witnessed how she accomplished what she did. Funny she wants the enclave to share the gardens.

Through Ch 5 It's interesting how Leisel and El need eachother to acheive their goals. Leisel to climb the power structure and El to figure out what's next for her.

I'm around 2/3 through Ch 7 That moment with Orion's dad was so nice. His shock at his son making a special friend!

I also like the hope we have. Is Orion actually dead or not? I was thinking he was a goner. Looks like we'll get to find out.

I needed something lighter so read Booked for Trouble. It's the sequel to By Book or By Crook. It hit the spot. I still think it's funny that the main character doesn't much sleuthing but the mystery is solved in the end anyway. Even though I liked the book, I'm not sure how serious I am on continuing the series. Perhaps if I can find them at the library.

I've gone back to Entangled Life. I think I'm going to skim to the end. It's still interesting but not something I feel driven to read and has a tendency to make me tired after a few pages.

The 2023 roundup hunt is fun :) I've found all but 3 so far and I think I have another but the page isn't giving me credit. I'll check talk later as sometimes these can be buggy on the first day.

The Golden Enclaves Finished Ch 13 It's nice to see the Sutras work. I'd been wondering if El would ever get to try them out. Also pretty horrible that it's alluded to that all the molmouth's are created by torturing someone to build a modern enclave. No wonder El's mum never wanted to live in one. It was more than just the malia. And Orion can eat anyone/thing with mana. That can't be good. Poor kid probably feels like a monster.

I got through another two chapters of Entangled Life and am switching to Uncanny Collateral. Two chapters in and I'm liking the set up. Our main has a trapped djinn in his head (he's wearing the item she's trapped in and can't remove it) and works as a reaper to collect souls owed due to overdue contracts. Now Death has approached him with a job. I'm assuming some excitement is ahead.

The Golden Enclaves I admit I'm a bit annoyed starting Ch 14 That we're off to save yet another Enclave instead of going with Orion to deal with his issue/make his mom reverse whatever she did, assuming that's possible.

Finished 14 & 15 Yep, got my confirmation about Orion and his evil mum.

It was nice meeting El's Indian family but... eh. I'm getting book fatigue and just want it to get to the point. Which I think it just did at the end of 15.

I am going to attempt to get through some of my backlog of reviews. Wow I've really let this go this year lol

34. Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson



Yumi and the Nightmare Painter is the third of Brandon Sanderson's Secret Projects and is another tale in the Cosmere. Before digging in to read the book I flipped through to check out the art, which appeared to be Japanese/anime inspired. Turns out I guessed correctly though I'm not familiar with the inspirations used for this story.

Two main characters, two worlds, one story. Yumi lives in a land of sun and heat, where the people request help from spirits for their daily living needs. Painter lives in a world of twilight and neon energy, where the occasional nightmare comes to life to feed on unsuspecting sleepers. Through a seeming quirk of fate Yumi and Painter find their lives are crossed as each begins to experience the other's world and start to understand the mystery of what's really going on.

I found Yumi to be a highly enjoyable read. Such a sweet story about art, friendship, a slow burn romance, spirits and saving a planet. And Hoid, of course. I am really enjoying Hoids voice in telling this story and Tress though it was more muted in this installment. I hope there's more stories told by Hoid in the future.

This was a very different style from Sanderson's other work. I ended up liking both Yumi and Painter very much. Yumi is an interesting mix of sweet and sternly disciplined while Painter is seemly the goof off yet highly talented artist. Their relationship was a joy to read and shows how much Sanderson has grown in the romance department. The resolution to their story even brought a tear to my as it felt so perfect for these characters.

I can say that while I was on the right track to solving the mystery, I was also very very wrong! The Cosmere references I picked up on were minimal. I really need to read Stormlight Archive. I feel like I've said that a lot this year.

Rating:

35. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie



What a funny synchronicity. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is the fourth Hercule Poirot novel in publication order by Agatha Christie and also the fourth Hercule Poirot novel I've read though I'm going vastly out of order. In this one, Poirot has retired in a quiet rural village when he's called back to action as the world's premier detective to solve the murder of one Roger Ackroyd, a man who might have known too much.

The story is narrated by Dr. Sheppard as he follows Poirot throughout his investigation and also tries a little investigating himself. Dr. Sheppard is the local medic who was called to the scene of Acroyd's murder and whose sister is a fabulous village busy body with great insight into everyone and everything going on.

Wow! I can't believe I guessed the answer accidentally!! Apparently my little grey cells were working without my knowledge. Very, very clever detective work and amazing writing by Christie with all the twists and turns she included in a short amount of pages. It's a rather tragic tale too. If this hasn't been turned into a movie yet I hope it is some day.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Richard Armitage. I enjoy the sound of Armitage's voice greatly and he does a wonderful job with each of the characters.

Rating:

36. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling



Reread July 2023: I liked that ending. I remembered more than I did the previous two books though not everything. I wish Rowling had introduced the Hallows in a previous book, like she did the Horcrux. It seems like a missed opportunity for foreshadowing. The battle for Hogwarts was as epic as I'd remembered. I had completely forgotten just how many deaths there were, both on page and off. All's well that ends well. I shouldn't wait so long between rereads of the series next time.

Rating:

37. 14 by Peter Clines



Reread Aug 2023: I loved the story just as much this time through as the first. I am surprised at how well the plot has stuck with me over the years as I remembered most of the story. Kavach Building is a weird and wonderful place. Hopefully we'll meet back up with Nate at some point and see what new discoveries he's made. Original review below.

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Nate needs to find a new apartment and fast. It's by sheer luck that an acquaintance mentions there is availability in the Kavach Building. The old building is close to Nate's job, has low rent and all utilities are included. It's not long after moving in, as Nate meets his neighbor, that he starts to notice there's something odd with Mandy's apartment. And Veek's. And Tim's. Pretty soon Nate and his neighbors are all curious about the mysteries they keep finding and they begin to investigate. Things are more strange than they ever imagined.

After reading The Fold earlier this year I have definitely been keeping Peter Clines in mind for when I had that science fiction/thriller itch. 14 hit the spot! 14 is set in the same world as The Fold, the stories are loosely linked while being distinctly separate and both books are written in the same style. 14 was published first so technically I read them out of order. It did not hurt the experience at all. In some ways I enjoyed reading them reverse as it made 14 feel like an origins story as it expanded on parts that were laid out in The Fold.

It was loads of fun going with Nate and his team as they unraveled the mysteries of the Kavach Building. Clines has a great way of slowly building the suspense. Things start off fairly normal and gradually get weirder and weirder the farther Nate goes in his investigations. The story is so engaging I found that I did not want to stop listening after I'd reached my destination. Once the action starts, hang on tight for a wild ride to the finale!

Nate and his neighbors are a fun group of characters. They are a diverse bunch including an ultra conservative church goer, a tattooed art student, an "ex-publisher" and an Indian computer hacker to name a few. Each one brings different and valuable skills to the team and all have great personalities. The characters have fun joking and bantering with each other and it all feels very natural. There are even a few pop culture references, like when they started comparing themselves to the Scooby Gang.

There are a few horror nods. If you're a Lovecraft fan, you'll be quite appreciative of certain sections of the book. Things never get too gory, it's more of the creepy type horror. The horror aspect is woven in well with the overall mystery.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Ray Porter. His performance is perfect as always. I love the character voices he uses.

Overall this was a highly satisfying read. I hope that Clines writes more in this world some day. I'd buy that book up in a heartbeat.

Rating:

>120 Narilka: Thanks for the review, along with the others who've enjoyed this one, I'll add it to my list.

38. The Metaframe Adept by Graeme Rodaughan



The Metaframe Adept is the seventh and final book in The Metaframe War by Graeme Rodaughan. It is time for the final conflict between humans and vampires to see who will end up controlling reality itself. The world has been changed. Chloe Armitage has consolidated her power and united the vampires in open rule over the human population and any resistance is met with extreme prejudice. Things are looking grim.

The story takes a very dark turn for our heroes. Unbelievably, the stakes for our characters are ramped up yet again turning this into an emotional read as I kept wondering who was going to survive to the end of the tale. One of the main themes in this final installment is one of unforeseen consequences. I loved how they kept popping up when least expected for basically everyone. Rodaughan has a true gift for writing cinematic quality action and this final installment doesn't disappoint. It was also highly satisfying to see the Metaframe in action.

I enjoyed joining Anton, Li and Peter for their final journey. It's a fitting and hopeful end for just about everyone which was a surprise with all the twists and turns. There is even a small hook left open should the author decide to revisit this universe in the future. My only complaint - the story needs more tanks ;)

Rating:

>124 Karlstar: Happy to help! I hope you enjoy it when you give it a read.

39. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke



Piranesi is a stand alone novella by Suzanna Clarke. I think this is one of those that is best to go into as blind as possible. I feel conflicted about this book. I liked the setting and found the mystery of Piranesi's situation it compelling. I felt like the final reveal to be a bit of a let down and the whole thing a depressing and uncomfortable read which made me not want to pick the book up at times. I'm leaving it at 3 stars.

Rating:

40. The Fold by Peter Clines



Reread Aug 2023: That was satisfying. I sure hope Clines returns to writing in this universe some day. Bumping up to 5 stars. Original review below.

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The Fold by Peter Clines is a stand alone science fiction/thriller. Clines takes the classic scifi trope of teleportation and weaves it into a wonderful mystery giving the trope fresh feeling that is a whole lot of fun. This is old-fashioned science fiction done right.

Mike Erikson has a unique gift: he has an eidetic memory. Sure he could be doing anything he wants, like running the FBI or something, but he much prefers his quiet life as a high school English teacher in a small New England town. That's right until and old friend presents him with the ultimate mystery to solve. Out in the California desert a group of scientists has a device they call the Albuquerque Door, a sophisticated computer that uses mathematical equations to allow a person to cover great distances in a single step. The team of scientists who all insist the door is safe also keep saying they need more time to test and they need additional funding. Why would additional testing be needed if the project is a success? Mike agrees to take a trip to the site to gather information and provide a recommendation on the future of the project. It's not long before Mike realizes that things are not right, though how "not right" everything is will take some digging.

The first half of the book is all about laying the groundwork for the mystery. The story moves slowly as it introduces us to people and concepts yet never feels like an info dump. Even after Mike gets to the site and begins to dig, it takes him a little while to figure out what's going on. There is definitely a secret everyone is keeping. Then at the halfway point there's a major incident as an unintended consequences of what the scientists are doing. After that it is one heck of a thrill ride as the twists and reveals keep coming, lots of action to keep the pages turning, the tension remaining high right up to the very end.

The team of characters are fun. I liked seeing into Mike's thought process. I really enjoyed how Clines explains the way his eidetic memory works using different types of ants to represent memories and emotions. I can see just how useful that kind of memory could be but some things are meant to be forgotten! It's definitely both a blessing and a curse. The team of scientists is also good, having their own quirks. The character banter added a great touch of humor. Plenty of cultural references are worked in, especially Star Trek.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Ray Porter. He is fantastic! I really enjoy his voice and how different he makes all the characters sound.

The ending wraps with enough closure to make this a standalone novel though the writer has left himself an opening to continue on with Mike's story should he wish to. I hope he does.

Rating:

41. Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson



As the title says, Thunder Dog is the story of a blind man and his guide dog surviving the attacks on the World Trade Center on 9/11 by taking the stairs down from the 78th floor after the first plane hit. Michael and Roselle's tale is an amazing one. I just wish it had been given more page time. Each chapter starts with some of the story from 9/11 and then segues over to another aspect of Michael's life before eventually coming back to the title premise. It's not a bad memoir. I just had mismatched expectations for the book.

Rating:

42. Beware of Chicken by Casualfarmer



Everybody was kung-fu farming...

Beware of Chicken by Casualfarmer is the first volume in the series by the same name. It is a casual cultivation story where the main character, Jin, rejects his society's vision of what it means to be a cultivator and go live a quiet life on a farm with his animals. What is his society's idea of a cultivator? One who practices the cultivation of qi in combination with mastering martial arts and tends to be a total jerk to anyone else who is considered weaker than themselves. I see why Jin rejected the idea.

This was definitely a case of the right book at the right time. Apparently I needed a fantasy slice-of-life about a cultivator who rejected the traditional cultivation route and decided to farm instead. Turns out that farming is a powerful way to cultivate even if no one realizes it! So many funny, laugh out loud moments in the story. Plus I loved all the animal points of view!

I listened to the audio book narrated by Travis Baldree. I think Travis had fun working on this one, especially with how he did the animal's voices.

It's straight on to Volume 2 for me.

Rating:

>120 Narilka: I'm glad you enjoyed this. I still haven't read The Sunlit Man, so Yumi is still my favorite of the secret projects. That may change, but I doubt it.

>121 Narilka: Good job solving this one!

>131 clamairy: My favorite remains Tress of the Emerald Sea. I'll review The Sunlit Man soon. I think lol

I finished The Golden Enclaves. The truth was much worse than I imagined. Anyone else feel this is basically a tragedy? Like no one in the older generation learned that IT'S WRONG TO SACRIFICE PEOPLE TO MAKE YOUR ENCLAVES. I mean seriously. Hopefully El and Orion live long enough that after they're done molmouth hunting and keeping the oldsters afraid that the younger generation can take over with the knowledge of how it all works and to only make golden enclaves. Sadly, that's not necessarily human nature and Novik has given us lots of typical human nature in this final book :( I would like a short story follow up on how El and Orion are doing but am also OK if we never get one.

I still can't believe that Orion's mom sacrificed her own child to make a molmouth and then reform it back in the shape of her own child. What a mind fuck. No wonder Orion was obsessed with hunting mals. It's amazing he had any humanity left at all.

It was nice that El was able to save the Scholomance and Orion. I'm glad the Scholomance can finally be the school it was supposed to be and Orion is basically its self made care taker, or that's how I took that ending.

So generally I'm going to echo El's final words: It was, actually, a bit nice. No idea how I'll review this one lol Rating it 3.5 stars at the moment.

Next, going to start Beware of Chicken 3 on audio. I need some relaxing farming.

43. Spellslinger by Sebastien de Castell



Spellslinger is the first in the YA series of the same name by Sebastien de Castell. The story opens by introducing us to Kellen, a magic student, about to start his mage trials by facing his first mage's duel. There's only one problem: Kellen's magic has faded. In a society that values magical ability above all, this is problematic and Kellen finds himself looking for alternatives to get through these trials before he is declared Sha'Tep, one without magical ability, and cast out from society.

This makes for an interesting start to a series. Kellen is a nice kid, stuck in a bad position that he should never have been in, who does a decent job of relying on his wits to survive. Who doesn't enjoy a plucky underdog? He's eventually joined by Ferius, a wandering Argosi who tends to end up where world changing events are starting, and Reichis, a squirrel cat. Reichis is surprisingly funny in a furious way. Ferius is interesting. I'm curious what it really means to be an Argosi.

The setting is supposed to be in another part of the Greatcoats univerise, which is interesting, and yet seems vastly different than what was presented in that series. Too bad the society Kellen is part of, the Jin'Tep, is pretty awful. Their relationship with the Sha'Tep is equally horrible the more you learn about it. Hell, even Kellen's family, especially his sister, are fairly awful. It made me sympathetic to Kellen's plight and also a little to that of the Sha'Tep, though I don't think their actions can be excused either. Fair warning - there is harm to animals in this book so if you're sensitive to this you may want to steer clear.

In the end Kellen's story show promise of better things to come and I'll likely seek out the second book in the future.

Rating:

44. All Systems Red by Martha Wells



Reread 2023: The story is just as I remembered. Socially awkward robot, check! Desire to ignore the job and watch dramas, check! Pretty quick to the action, check! On to the next novella? Check! Original review below.

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All Systems Red is the first in a series of novellas titled The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. Based on that kind of title who would have expected a story about a security robot that hacks it's own governing module so can watch tv all day instead of doing its job? I know I didn't. And boy was this story great fun.

Sometime in the future, the Company approves and supplies all planetary missions. As standard procedure all teams are accompanied by Company provided security androids, called SecUnits, a regulatory 1 android per 10 humans. On a distant planet, a research team is conducting surveys of the surface. Sure, there have been strange computer glitches from time to time, all perfectly normal considering programming contracts tend to go to the lowest bidder. That is right up until a neighboring mission goes dark and the scientists are determined to find out what happened.

Clocking in at just over 150 pages, Wells does an impressive job. The plot takes off immediately, with the researchers and Murderbot finding themselves in a highly dangerous situation they never expected. On top of that she weaves in great characterization for Murderbot. Being an android who is finds dealing with humans uncomfortable and slightly annoying, preferring instead just watch them on tv, it's highly relatable to anyone who was an awkward teen growing up or just on those days when you'd rather not deal with people. Though Murderbot tries to come across as apathetic, I think it does care underneath it all. The downside to having such limited space is the rest of the characters aren't nearly so fleshed out. That's ok though since this is Murderbot's story.

Well written and entertaining, this was a satisfying short read.

Rating:

45. Artificial Condition by Martha Wells



Artifical Condition is a great follow up to All Systems Red. Our favorite Murderbot is being forced way out of its comfort zone as it has to attempt to pass for human while on it's mission.

This is a very interesting look into humanity. I enjoyed Murderbot's new friend ART (a research transport vessel) a lot and I absolutely loved Murderbot's reactions as it made friends. It both made me laugh and was heartwarming. I hope we get to see ART again in the future. I also enjoyed learning more about Murderbot's past. On to the third novella soon!

Rating:

>121 Narilka: The only movie for this particular Christie of which I am aware is the one done with David Suchet. But good for you in figuring out the solution ahead of time. This was the novel that vaulted her to fame!

>137 jillmwo: I can see why.

47. Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells



Rogue Protocol is the third novella in the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. Moving on from its last mission, Murderbot is on its way to a planet where it hopes to uncover more of what GrayCris is up to since the corporation tried to take out Murderbot's clients.

This is my favorite entry to the series so far. Miki was so sweet! It made me very sad about that ending. I loved all of Murderbot's interactions and its continued character growth. Making friends is weird and complicated and causes emotions and MB seems to be doing a fantastic job at it. I can't wait to find out about what MB does with the data it collected and am looking forward to where the story goes next.

Rating:

48. The Silva Mind Control Method by Jose Silva



The Silva Method is a series of mental exercises that teaches meditation, relaxation, visualization and thinking in deeper states of consciousness to help improve your life. This made for a fascinating read as I continue on my journey to explore and practice this topic for myself. The first half of the book provide instructions on several of the methods to practice along with descriptions of the available classes, while the second half is focused on sharing results and real life stories about how these techniques have impacted peoples lives. I have already started to implement the first couple steps so I will see how it goes. So far, so good!

Rating:

49. Beware of Chicken 2 by Casualfarmer



Beware of Chicken 2 is another satisfying entry into the series. Since this is slice-of-life fantasy, there isn't a regular plot and the narrative meanders as it switches between characters going about their lives. And there are a LOT more POVs in this second installment, including some from the antagonists. The biggest surprises were Big D and Washee's story lines. I loved how the author worked in a traditional Chinese myth as part of Washee's character growth. Big D's quest for knowledge was heartwarming with the others that he interacted with and helped out. I admit I was getting a bit of book fatigue by the end as it was almost double the audio length than what I'm used to. It ends on a wonderful note and with plenty of interesting things for the characters to explore in the next installment.

Travis Baldree continues to do a great job at narration though, with all the added POV characters, sometimes the voices sound a little more similar. Also, since I'm listening to this on audio, I'm not entirely sure if I have the character names spelled correctly.

Rating:

50. Starter Villain by John Scalzi



Starter Villain is another novel by John Scalzi that is in the similar vein as Kaiju Preservation Society - it takes place in the modern day and the cast of characters has to deal with an extremely unlikely situation with some fantastical elements. In this case, Charlie's Uncle Jake has died and Charlie has absolutely no idea what he's in for when he agrees to stand for his Uncle at his Uncle's funeral. Things go downhill from there in the best way possible.

This was a highly enjoyable and satisfying read. The twists were appropriately twisty and the plot appropriately villainous. The villains were... well, human I suppose with very logical motivations that I could see playing out in real life. Charlie got through it all like a champ. I don't know how Scalzi did it but even with all the villainy this story is truly heart warming. That ending hit me right in the feels. I'm glad I had one of my own cats sitting with me when I finished.

I also never knew that button boards for animals were a thing and have now gone down the internet search rabbit hole. I am seriously considering trying this with my cats. This is probably a bad idea since one of my cats is already quite a talker.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Wil Wheaton. Wheaton's narration + Scalzi's prose = chef's kiss for me.

I've already listened to the story a second time with my husband and he found the whole thing hilarious.

Rating:

51. Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo



DNF @ 25%. I think needed to read this a lot closer to the first book as I just wasn't connecting with the story. Perhaps I'll try again in the future.

Rating: N/A

>143 Narilka: Too bad, that is such a cool cover!

>145 ronincats: Thanks! Merry Christmas to you and your family also!!

Merry Christmas!

Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year

>147 Narilka: The best of the holiday season to you and your family. Take a bit of time to catch a nap and read a good book!

>147 Narilka: Merry Christmas!

>148 quondame: >149 hfglen: >150 jillmwo: >151 Karlstar: Thanks everyone :)

Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones! I hope you're having a great time!

52. The Sunlit Man by Brandon Sanderson



The Sunlit Man is the fourth and final of Brandon Sanderson's Secret Projects. Set at some point in the far future, a man calling himself Nomad finds himself on an unusual planet after he world hops in an attempt to outrun his pursuers. His jump lands him immediately in trouble with the local population's authorities as he's unable to understand the language and the world politics. Low on power can Nomad survive long enough on this strange new world to rebuild his strength and move on before the Night Brigade catch up with him?

This was an interesting read, a more serious and dark tale than the three previous Secret Projects. The world set up is fascinating, with the inhabitants perpetually on the move for fear of burning up by the planet's daytime sun, which can reduce a body to ash in moments. It gave me a lot of Mad Max vibes with the frenetic need to constantly keep moving and the technology that seemed haphazardly put together and frequently repaired. While I enjoyed meeting all the characters I just didn't connect to Nomad very well which always robs a story of its enjoyment for me.

Sanderson wrote in his author's note that this book is dedicated to all the Cosmere fans. I have to agree. The Sunlit Man is the most connected of all the Secret Projects and relies on the reader knowing more about the Cosmere, specifically Roshar and events in Stormlight Archives, for full appreciation and context. The friends I read this with thankfully were able to explain the things I was not understanding. While the story stands well on its own I am looking forward to rereading it once I've caught up on Stormlight and see how this changes the experience.

Rating:

53. Exit Strategy by Martha Wells



Murderbot's story comes full circle in Exit Strategy the fourth installment in the series. Having traveled the galaxy to learn more of its past as well as uncovering what GreyCris was willing to kill its clients for, Murderbot heads home to Dr. Mensah to follow up on the evidence it collected and determine how to stop GreyCris Corporation.

That was a great ending to the Murderbot's original story arc. I loved how it all came back together with the original cast. MB sure has done a lot of growing in these short novellas! It goes without saying but I'm going to say it anyway: Mensah is a bad ass. I am delighted where this little crew ended up and love that MB has a bright future ahead of it if it wants. I also like that there's hope for other bots out in this universe.

Rating:

54. Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells



Fugitive Telemetry is the sixth book in The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. It is recommended to read this one after completing the novella arc as events in this book occur directly following Exit Strategy. A body has been found on Preservation Station and Murderbot is forced to make friends work with station security to determine what is going on.

Murderbot solves a murder mystery! That was a lot of fun. The ending surprised me. I loved how all the bots on Preservation came together to protect/avenge one of their own after they realized what happened. Plus Murderbot made more friends. What's not to love.

Rating:

55. Dead Moon by Peter Clines



Reread Oct 2023: This was a fun read for Halloween. Since I'm rereading these closer together I noticed a different parallel between events here and book 2 that I didn't catch last time which was a fun Easter egg. Onward to Terminus! Original review below.

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Dead Moon is the third book in the Threshold universe by Peter Clines. Yes "universe" and not "series". While taking place in the same universe as 14 and The Fold, this story is completely unrelated to those books with only one very loose connection. Dead Moon definitely works well as a stand alone and won't spoil any of the surprises from the previous two books should you want to pick this one up first. With that out of the way....

The year is 2243. The Moon has become the largest graveyard in the solar system, the perfect solution to over crowding on Earth. It's also the perfect place for someone like Cali Washington to go to escape her troubles. Signed up to be a Caretaker, a lunar grave digger, Cali travels to Luna City to begin her new career. Just as she's starting to get the hang of how to use the grave digging equipment a meteor hits the Moon, causing the largest dust storm ever recorded. It's only after the dust begins to settle that everyone realizes that there's something very wrong and the dead have become restless.

It's zombies on the moon! I never expected to enjoy this book so much, with it's B-movie premise and pulpy delivery. This book is straight up a scifi/horror and it gets to the main point almost immediately. When I realized I had 10 hours to go and the action was already happening, I let go of all my preconceived notions and just enjoyed the ride. As you might expect, the body count is high and the action is violent. While character development is on the lite side, Clines still gives us people to root for as they fight for their survival. There are also some neat ideas in this book which made me think about physics on the moon. I'd love to see this translated to the big screen just to see how those effects would play out.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Ray Porter. Porter gives a stellar performance as always. I'm looking forward to the next Threshold installment.

Rating:

56. The Mutt for Me by Don Hughes



The Mutt for Me is a heartwarming rescue story. Don Hughes had been working at an animal shelter for two years, helping many pets find their forever homes, when he he finally decides to adopt his first dog. There was something different about Barbie, who had been deemed unadoptable due to behavioral problems. With much trepidation, Don takes the plunge and brings Barbie home.

The book covers roughly Don and Barbie's first year together. It was quite a challenge! It is through a labor of love on both sides that Don and Barbie work together to help Barbie be the great dog Don knew she could be. Even though she's a full grown adult dog, many of the chapters it was like Don had a newborn with the around the clock care Barbie needed in the beginning. It all ends well with Don and Barbie having many years ahead of them. These books, along with my own adopted pets, always makes me ask: who rescues who?

I won a copy of this book in a GoodReads giveaway.

Rating:

>158 Narilka: It's for sure that dogs rescue us. We sometimes rescue them from others of us, so I think the dogs deserve the award!

>133 Narilka: I finished The Golden Enclaves and finally got to read your spoiler comments :) I completely agree and really liked how the ending worked out. I kind of expected El to go in, guns blazing so to speak, and wreak some real havok on Ophelia and Orion, but I'm much happier with how it really came about. That poor school, trying so hard... .

I'm definitely going to recommend this trilogy to a few people I know, and hope they see it through to the final book.

>160 Darth-Heather: Awesome! I'm glad you enjoyed it too :)

>159 quondame: I think that way about all my adopted pets too :)

57. Gobbelino London and a Complication of Unicorns by Kim M. Watt



Callum's past comes back with sharp teeth in Gobbelino London and a complication of Unicorns the third book in the Gobbelino London, PI series by Kim M. Watt. Turns out that unicorns, presumed extinct, are very much not-extinct (un-extinct?) and a former friend from Callum's past has had his herd stolen. Unable to turn down an old friend, no matter how much of a bad idea it is, Callum and Gobbs are off to see if they can track down where the herd has disappeared to.

These are not your typical story-book unicorns Callum and Gobbs are off to rescue! They are pathologically bad tempered and utterly hilarious when we finally meet them. I'm glad we also got some insight into Callum's past, his family and friends (all varying degrees of horrible), as well as being introduced to the idea of a "pocket" where magical folk can live in relative peace. Usually. Sometimes. Ok, not this time but that would be spoilers. The situation that Gobbs and Callum uncover add to the lore of the world as there is obviously something rotten going on in a larger scale than just this little area.

The author has quite a talent for chaotic and hilarious final climax scenes. I'd love to see all that action in the warehouse on the big screen.

This series is so much fun. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of trouble Gobs and Callem get into next.

Rating:

58. Terminus by Peter Clines



Reread October 2023: That was quite a ride! Just as enjoyable as the first time through. It's nice rereading the series close together to spot even more of the connections. It's also a perfect read for the season with just enough horror for my tastes. Original review below.

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Finally! Terminus is the Threshold book I've been waiting for since reading both 14 and The Fold, but especially 14. While you might be able to get away without reading The Fold first I would highly recommend reading both books before Terminus for full story context. Dead Moon is likely optional, though I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see connections there too in some future installment. But I'm getting ahead of myself. How about a synopsis?

The Family is close to achieving their ultimate goal of destroying the machine. With Anne as their Minister she knows it's her destiny to pave the way for balance to be restored on the planet. The hunt takes them all to an uncharted island where the walls of reality are thin and the apocalypse has already started.

It is really hard to talk about this book without spoilers so I'll keep things short. This book kept me on the edge of my seat almost the entire time. The situation our characters end up in is relentlessly grim and yet has so many touches of humor and ends with a bit of hope. Fans of the series will be excited by the major reveals and connections to previous books. Several things I had questions about since the beginning are answered even though it just created more questions. I was sooo excited to see a couple familiar faces and meet many new ones. I think I can see how Chase will be important in this universe's future. That last mention of "needing a new Tim" made me a tad teary eyed. With that ending I have no idea where the author will go from here and I'm super excited to find out! This is easily my go to series for scifi/thriller/horror.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Ray Porter. I think he may be my favorite narrator by this point. Love his narration! He's amazing.

Rating:

59. Network Effect by Martha Wells



Network Effect is the fifth book in the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells and the first full length novel in the series. Timeline wise events in this book happen after those in Fugitive Telemetry. Murderbot is on a research survey with its Preservation crew when their ship is taken captive and an old friend of Murderbot's is in dire need of help.

I'm so glad that Ms. Wells finally wrote a full length MB novel. The longer format allowed for much deeper exploration of MB's relationships with both humans and other AIs/bots while they worked through a dangerous situation that also added to the MB universe with an actual encounter with some alien biological material. It also shows great hope that human's misinterpretation and fear of SecUnits may be entirely off base. I'm not sure what it says about me that I enjoy meeting more bots and AI personalities than I do humans.

I absolutely loved this story. Murderbot has feelings! Feelings for ART!!! Now I have feelings!! I can't wait for the next book.

Rating:

>165 Narilka: I am always so happy when people are enjoying Murderbot! I've reread this one recently (in preparation for System Collapse), and it was even better than the first time.

>165 Narilka: I've read half of the Murderbot stories, I'll see if I can catch up on the rest this year.

>166 Alexandra_book_life: I still need to read System Collapse. I think it's going to be one of my January books.

60. A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik



What would happen if Hogwarts was a sentient school that gave the students assignments without any teachers, has monsters lurking around every corner just waiting to pounce and locks all students in for four years until graduation? If you're Naomi Novik you'd get A Deadly Education the first in The Scholomance trilogy.

The story is told entirely from El's point of view, a sophomore, and we're in her head the whole time getting insight to her thoughts and motivations. El is an interesting character. She's brash, angry at the world and forced to be coldly calculating to survive the school. It took me about half the book to get used to El's narration. She likes to provide rambling info dumps to introduce us to the world of the Scholomance. Eventually El grew on me and I came to enjoy her and her insights.

The school and world set up is brutal. No teachers, no holidays, and students are not allowed to leave until graduation. Interacting with other students to form alliances as a matter of survival instead of friendships. The magic in the world is based on belief and it draws creatures that are hungry for the magic and those who wield it. It also has an odd sense of balance and everyone is born with a magic affinity. It was neat discovering what the various students had.

There are many other students at the school in addition to El. Amazingly enough, she does form actual friendships which was wonderful to read about. I liked how the friendships built over time and still showed the difficulties of surviving what equates to high school, if more on the deadly side. At first I thought there was a romance set up, but it ended up becoming an enemies to friends relationship with potential for more later.

By the end really found myself enjoying this world and these characters. I'm looking forward to seeing what their Senior year has in store for these kids.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Anisha Dadia. She captured El's narrative voice well for me.

Rating:

61. By Book or By Crook by Eva Gates



Lucy Richardson, realizing she needs a change from her life in Boston, contacts her Aunt Ellen and moves to the Outer Banks of North Carolina to become the assistant librarian at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library. Only a week into her new life, the chairman of the library board is murdered in the rare books section of the library. Then a first edition Jane Austen novel is stolen. Lucy is determined to solve the mystery before the wrong person goes to jail for both crimes.

By Book or By Crook is the first in the cozy Lighthouse Library Mystery series by Eva Gates. I needed a lighter read and this cozy mystery hit the spot. I enjoyed getting to know the library staff, some of the island locals and liked most of the characters. There's even a library cat! Lucy isn't the greatest sleuth as most of her time is spent over hearing other peoples conversations. This doesn't hurt her likability in the slightest and leaves room Lucy's character to grow. She sort of gets the hang of things in time for the finale.

What dropped my star rating was the odd editing job of this book. For example, in back to back paragraphs our lead "kicks off her shoes" to settle down to read. The other editing errors were less glaring though they added up. Hopefully this will be smoothed out in the second book as I think I'd like to continue the series.

Rating:

62. Defiant by Brandon Sanderson



Defiant is the fourth and final book in Brandon Sanderson's Skyward series. Events pick up not long after where book 3 ended with Spensa back with her old flight and about to face down the Superiority's galactic dominance to attempt to free humanity.

I went into this without having read the Skyward Flight novellas. Turns out this was OK as there is enough information contained within Defiant as the other characters bring Spensa up to speed so the reader has the context needed for the story.

For those hoping for a Spensa/Jorgen romance you are in luck! I can see how Sanderson has improved greatly in his romance writing as theirs was so sweet and nice to read.

I admit the book almost lost me with Spensa's continual self doubt since it felt so out of character and lasted for almost 3/4 of the book. For those encountering a similar frustration, Ch 30 is the turning point and well worth pushing through. Gran Gran gives one of the best speeches I've read in a while and I just absolutely love all the taynix. The last quarter of the book is written from alternating points of view that I enjoyed immensely. It really tied everything together for me.

Overall, this is a satisfying end to the series and Spensa's story, with all the loose ends tied up nicely.

Rating:

>169 Narilka: Oh, I am so curious to see what you will think of the rest of the Scholomance series! Naomi Novik took the books to places I did not expect, especially the final one. A great series, imo.

>172 Alexandra_book_life: I really enjoyed it :) I'm playing catch up on reviews due to some RL stuff that took me away for a while. Only 5 reviews left to write so they are on the way hopefully today. Tomorrow at worst.

In my frenzy to catch up on writing reviews, I've neglected updates on current reads. I finished Entangled Life and Uncanny Collateral. I should be getting reviews out for those today/tomorrow. I started The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents for my final regular read of 2023. For being a YA book it sure has some dark themes. I anticipate finishing the book later today and writing the review tomorrow.

On audio, continuing with Beware of Chicken 3. This has been the relaxing, enjoyable listen I was looking to end the holidays on. It's good to be with these characters again :) I'm in Ch 8 Absolutely loved how when Tigger showed off a taste of her power she completely intimidated all the cultivators in the restaurant lol Same for Sho Lan being able to stand up to her elders because she's on the same power level as them. Stupid society.

Through Ch 19 The tournament is interesting so far. Tigger getting others to try spider leg is hilarious lol Funny how everyone is shocked by Rizzo and her healing. Conversely, I love how in Jin's story line the gem crafter girl is completely smitten with the spirit animals, especially bunny Li :) It makes for an interesting contrast.

In ch 47 I think the Cloudy Mountain demon guy has bitten off more than he can take on lol they did not anticipate the Song brothers being anything more than the yokels they appeared on the surface. And with Jin on the way... I hope this is the end of this guy.

in Ch 57 and I was not disappointed by Jin's appearance at all. That was quite a comeuppance for the Cloudy Mountain dude. Now I'm laughing like crazy at just what he's gotten himself into with the all the leaders of the sects lol Jin's (un)officially become protector of the whole region. Hell even the mountain welcomed Jin much to everyone's surprise.

It's also nice with everyone pitching in to rebuild the town and that Sho Lan seems like she will make a full recovery.

I hope we make it back to the farm by the end and get to meet Jin and Meimei's new baby :)

63. The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik



The Last Graduate is the second book in The Scholomance trilogy by Naomi Novik. The story picks up right where the first book left off, with the same line of text! It's senior year for El and her friends. Time to solidify alliances formed at the end of sophomore year, work on strategies for the final run through the graduation hall and, hopefully, freedom.

In the first book there was a lot of telling about what El's powers are like. In this book we finally get to witness El in all her dark sorceress glory first hand. "Love me and despair" version indeed! It was glorious. El, Aadya and Liu all go on character arcs as they work through how to make their magic work together for the betterment of all. Initially I was annoyed we didn't see very much of Orion. It did make sense as the book progressed and his problem with his magic was revealed. Also, that romance was very sweet and almost restrained, which was probably for the best considering the situation.

What I enjoyed the most is the characterizations of the Scholomance itself. Even though the kids keep thinking the school is out to get them, it really isn't. The "trial by fire" approach is brutal yet effective at building the skills the kids will need to survive graduation. Scholomance is doing its best to fulfill its charter to protect and educate all the wise born children of the world. The school even gives El a classroom full of freshmen for her to care about and mentor as part of her growth. Very clever of it as I think this was part of what got El onboard with the school's mission.

Be still my beating heart! Now that's a proper cliffhanger of an ending. I'm glad this series is complete so I can move directly on to The Golden Enclaves. That ending was an emotional roller coaster even before the cliffhanger. I am a bit sad for the Scholomance. It's not really destroyed, just going to be floating in space, full of angry mals, for who knows how long. I know it's not living exactly but it's a terrible fate for anything sentient, which the school is. Oh and with Orion for however long he lasts if El can't find a way back to grab his monster killing ass through the door. Wish the kid would've just stuck to the plan but sadly this is directly in line with his character. It's probably the one time he's really been able to feed his power properly and might have been too big of a high to resist.

Rating:

64. Booked for Trouble by Eva Gates



Lucy's mother, Suzanne, has come to visit and appears to be in some distress as she attempts to convince her daughter to return home to Boston. It's not long before a childhood friend of Suzanne's turns up murdered and Suzanne is the police's prime suspect. Lucy is now on the case to clear her mother's name.

Booked for Trouble is the second in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series by Eva Gates. The mystery was a fun one with a couple of obvious suspects for Lucy to sort out. The characters continue to be enjoyable and I liked getting to know Lucy's mom. The setting of the lighthouse library just can't be beat. I'm liking this cozy mystery series. Hopefully I can find the third book soon.

Rating:

65. The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik



The Golden Enclaves is the final book in The Scholomance trilogy by Naomi Novik. Again, the story picks up immediately where the second book leaves off so we don't have to wait to see the outcome of that cliffhanger. Thankfully! I can only imagine how much the wait would've sucked for someone reading this series as it published. El's crazy plan to get everyone out of Scholomance was, for the most part, a success. Now El is forced to face what to do with the rest of her life and there's an Enclave war about to start.

This book has left me with mixed feelings. After the initial resolution of the cliffhanger, the pacing slows down significantly. We're back to many info dumps of background information needed to setup for the final third of the book. I'm glad we got to learn the truth of the world right along with El. It is an ugly truth, one that has stuck with me even a couple weeks after finishing as I consider the philosophical question it asks: Is it OK to sacrifice one person in a most horrible for the benefit of the many? I'm just glad El had an alternative for everyone. Even so, this ending has a feeling of tragedy to it though there is technically a HEA in there too. Perhaps I should round up to 4 stars for how this is making me think things through.

Over all I think El's final words sum things up well: "It was, actually, a bit nice."

Rating:

66. Uncanny Collateral by Brian McClellan



Alek Fitz is a reaper who collects on overdue debts and extracts payment for a variety of employers, from the Lords of Hell to even completing a jobs for the Tooth Fairy. Death hires Alex to solve the problem of tracking down stolen property. Consequences for not completing this job are high and the clock on the is ticking.

Uncanny Collateral is the first in the Valkyrie Collections by Brian McClellan. It is a series of novellas currently. With so few pages there is just enough world building to get a sense of our characters and setting to kick off the fast paced plot. I like the world that we're introduced to. The main character, Alek, is an anti-hero of sorts and his partner Maggie is a trapped djinni. They have a great working relationship as they balance each other out well. The story is wrapped up nicely and there's a good hook for the second book.

Rating:

67. Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake



Entangled Life is author Merlin Sheldrake's ode to fungi. Sheldrake's passion for all things fungus is reflected on every page. I can understand why as is turns out to be a fascinating subject. Fungal life is highly complex and touches almost every aspect of our lives whether we know it or not. From growing building materials to creating pharmaceuticals to cleaning up the environment to some species being tasty food and everything in between. I'm glad I read the book.

The most interesting part for me was the environmental aspect. There are species of fungi that will eat/decompose almost everything including used diapers, cigarette butts, plastics, nuclear waste, neurotoxins and even glyphosate. The possibility to naturally clean up toxic spills and other waste utilizing fungus seem endless. I hope this area is given more study and serious consideration as it could change the planet.

Rating:

68. The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett



The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents is a Discworld retelling of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. It is the 28th book in the series, the first aimed at a YA audience, and can easily be read as stand alone.

As the story starts we are immediately introduced to Maurice (a talking tom cat), a group of talking rats (who have taken names from canned goods), and a stupid looking kid (named Keith, not that they've ever asked) traveling by coach to the town of Bad Blintz. Maurice is planning how to scam the town by using the old rat piper routine by first staging a rat invasion and then offering the solution as the kid poses as a piper to lead the rats away for a small fee. This isn't sitting well with the rats as it seems immoral and everyone agrees it will be the last time they perform this stunt. As the group moves into town to get started, they discover all is not as it seems and things turn deadly as Maurice and the Clan uncover the town's dark secret.

Terry Pratchett is a master at working deeper themes into what seems like it would be a simple story. It's also pretty dark for one aimed at kids, showing how nasty humanity can be at times. I enjoyed all of the characters immensely and found the names the rats had chosen for themselves (such as Dangerous Beans and Hamnpork) to be fun and quirky. Even Malicia grew on me with her "Sisters Grim" view of the world and thinking of everything as a story. It's a pretty profound insight into the human. She makes a good point: "If you don't turn your life into a story, you just become a part of someone else's story."

Rating:

>177 Narilka: It was a heart-wrenching and angry book. I loved it because of the things it made me feel.

>181 Alexandra_book_life: Oh for sure. I bet this is great on reread. Even though the series is over I hope Novik goes back and writes a short story about how El and Orion are doing after everything.