Not much change at my end. A bit further in the books, but still reading the same books:
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Ultra-processed Food by Chris van Tulleken
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The Bullet Journal Method by Ryder Caroll
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The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson, 3rd book in the 2nd era of Mistborn
What about all of you? What have you been reading or listening to lately?
For details on the c/Books bingo challenge that just restarted for the year, you can checkout the initial Book Bingo, and its Recommendation Post. Links are also present in our community sidebar.
Bullet Journal is good, I can also recommend “Getting Things Done” (but don’t take everything seriously though) and any book on the Pomodoro technique.
Right now I’m reading
- Designing Your New Work Life which seems interesting (science-backed philosophy on why work sucks and how to love it, it’s a fun book so far), and
- the latest version of Discrete Mathematics with Applications for computer sciences (the latest version).
BTW, why are we using librarything instead of goodreads? It’s the first time I’ve seen this web site.
I read about GTD and watched some videos when it was released, but never got around to reading the book, may do that.
Nice books! I enjoyed Discrete Maths in college but never really used it anywhere after that.
Well, I believe LibraryThing has been around since before Goodreads, but I can be wrong about it. For cataloging books, it is pretty much the best site around (though I haven’t really checked up any other sites in last few years), you have the ability to select the correct edition of your book, have proper cover page etc. There are also library related features if you are interested in that. All accounts can also act as a mini library, giving you complete features of lending etc.
I don’t really care about social features much so after trying multiple applications / websites settled on LibraryThing more than a decade ago.
I migrated from GoodReads to Hardcover.app and I really like it
I’m still reading Marshland by Otohiko Kaga
The start is slow and wasn’t really keeping my attention but it is starting to get better. The writing is decent and the story is fairly standard “guy meets girl”. I’m sure it’ll become more interesting.
Good luck! Would love to hear your review when you are done with it.
I recently finished listening to Watership Down by Richard Adams, read by Peter Capaldi. ~11 hours long, if Libro FM was right.
I’ve been listening to him at work, and Peter Capaldi making animal noises and accents just maaaaade my days :3
That sounds amazing. I love Capaldi and had no idea he did audio books. I’ve also been wanting to read Watership Down.
I just started Moby Dick. This Ishmael guy really doesn’t want to sleep with some random harpooner.
Finished Winter Tide for next podcast episode (recording is on Saturday) and have just started Old Soul by Susan Barker. I’m only 30ish pages in but its a strong start - for fans of literary horror akin to Peter Straub’s work.
The William H. Gass Reader. It’ll take a while, but I’ve rarely come across someone with such an enjoyment of literature, writing, and criticism.
A short story collection by Elwin Cotman
I’m spending my commute learning, so less audio book listening
I just finished:
Starship Troopers I still think it is satire. I don’t want to believe that there are people who actually believe that the described system is a good one. It is more military fantasy than sci fi. I was entertained but prefer the movie for once.
The Stepford wives is a very quick read and I was well entertained. From a contemporary point the position of the main character still feels very Hausfrau, even so she doesn’t feel this way. I would have loved to get a little more depth for the reason and how the Hausfrau thing works but maybe it is better to be a mystery.
Currently reading:
House of leaves. Damn I needed a break from this book. It is very tough to read but a cool concept. I think I might have to appreciate it from afar.
Jurassic Park never in my life did I read a book which is so close to my profession and I know it is bending the reality and science a bit, but damn do I feel good seeing a Fasta file actually printed on paper. Name dropping everywhere. Even in the introduction it already starts where you have to check when does reality end and fantasy starts (wanted to take a pen and add Franklin to the list). But I should not have googled the author.
I’m reading House of Leaves right now too. I just got up to chapter 9 and had to put it down. What an incredible book.
Finished The Strength of the Few by James Islington on Monday.
I need some time to digest. I don’t know if I’m gonna get anything else read this week as I need a palate cleanser from reading so many heavy and dark books lately, but I also can’t imagine anything but a direct sequel to be a satisfying follow-up after that book.
Just finished The Will of the Many on Monday and started Strength. There’s a lot going on in this second book and I’m only 10% in
The end of The Will of the Many really puts a spin on everything that happened prior, and The Strength of the Few runs with it and it’s insane. I don’t know how Islington does this, his books are amazingly paced and plotted.
I have to admit, I had to take periodic breaks while reading Strength, no spoilers, but it’s extremely involved with separate concurrent plots that are all in depth.
Yeah I listen to audiobooks and the interweaving plotlines with similarly named characters is confusing
Trying to remain spoiler free here, but how does the audio book handle the… context switching, shall we say, when there’s a perspective change? I’m curious since I recommended the series to my wife who also enjoys audio books.
On the written novel there was a icon below the chapter header to signify.
No helper audio to indicate the difference.
a different narrator, for example, would REALLY help
That one has been on my list for a bit. I read the Licanius trilogy by the same author and loved it.
If you liked Licanius, good chance you’ll love Hirarchy.
I’m listening to Pratchett’s Mort and noticing how neither Pratchett nor Serafinowicz had quite figured out the Death character yet.
I also DNF-ed The Great When (did Moore swallow a thesaurus?) and Setterfield’s The Thirteenth Tale.
I just started The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman today. I’m only a few pages in, but it picks up about 20 years after The Book of Dust and 8 years after The Amber Spyglass. I have no doubt I will love this book as much as the last one.
I also just finished My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness by Niagara Kabi. I have started grabbing short books randomly at the library and this was my last pick up. It’s a memoir manga and a pretty quick read.
I chose to read “Reform or Revolution” by Rosa Luxemburg this week. I’ve just finished it today. It’s a very interesting book, with a critical perspective on capitalism, militarism, and reformist “socialism.” It should be remembered that Rosa was also against authoritarianism.
I’ve started Going Postal, I’ve never read anything by Pratchet before
Love that one! Going Postal, Mort, and Equal Rites are my favorites in the Discworld series so far (I haven’t read all of them)
The audiobook is very good, the voice for Mr Pipe is well done
Reading The Clown by Heinrich Böll.
Probably his most famous novel this book mostly criticises post war catholic/capitalist German society for it’s hypocrisy and not really denazifying. It’s good, but the main character, who loses his girlfriend to a catholic and is handling it pretty badly is quite the doomer at times. There is enough cynical humor, sarcasm and irony to not make it too dark to read, but depending on how the story ends it definitely could become pretty dark in the end. It also cuts very close to home with some issues, but that rather enhances the reading experience, despite being quite uncomfortable at times. At times it’s a bit hard to discern wether the author did something on purpose to give his protagonist some negative traits, or if he just believed that stuff himself (especially how women are treated is pretty bad) but I’m quite sure that I’ll be able to judge this better by the end of the book. Overall I’d recommend reading it, but it’s definitely an emotional downer.
The Maid’s Secret by Nita Prose, and I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy.
I’m glad my mom does is a great book I look forward to never reading again.
It’s been really captivating so far, and very well written. It almost doesn’t feel like a memoir in the way that it’s presented.










