Dark academia at its finest. Maps have always contained magic for me, maybe that‘s because I‘m Gen X and I grew up with them crammed in my parents‘ station wagon glovebox. Peng Shepherd revives that magic in this incredibly complex, beautiful novel in this age of digital cartography in our pockets. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

But we love ya, Paul!

Gotta stay healthy! ☕️

“Advanced Reader Copy” — whoops. Finally unboxed that stack of books from our move more than a year ago. Better late than never, I suppose.

A Neil Gaiman narration is more than enough to get me to listen to an audiobook, but to throw in the added bonus of Wil Wheaton narrating the World‘s End portion as Brant Tucker? *chef‘s kiss*

I love Gaiman‘s writing, but I particularly love his short-form narrative. The Sandman is a perfect format for Gaiman to intertwine short stories into a long-form narrative. Morpheus takes a short journey with Delirium to find their brother Destruction.

I feel like I make this mistake daily.

Back to Act III.

Happy Monday!

Dystopian YA at its finest. We've got a brutal wasteland ruled by a tyrannical empire, giant mechs called Windups used for oppression, and a badass rebellion called the Gearbreakers fighting back. Not a ton of world-building, but the writing kept the plot moving at a solid pace, and it was just a fun read for the summer. Guess I'll be jumping into the sequel shortly.

Apparently my new book obsession is Asian Military Fantasy novels.

A very enjoyable romp. Obviously, nothing to do with the movie. (Full Disclosure: I have not seen the movie but do know the premise of it)

I saw the plot twist coming but the payoff of the reveal was well-played. I like the characters and the villains were well-written. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Probably both.

Don‘t normally start two new books in the same week, but my hold came in for this one. What can you do?

I‘m in need of the dulcet tones of Neil Gaiman reading to me.

(It‘s difficult to say whether this is an Audible production 🤣)

#BookMadness #MarchMadness #ReadingBracket2024 #TopRead2024

April: Passing by Nella Larsen
May: A Shadow Intelligence by Oliver Harris

But R.F. Kuang remains undefeated with A Dragon Republic — but it was VERY close.

This was a fascinating mix of sci-fi, horror, and political/spy thriller. The graphic violence was on par with horror. The science was straight sci-fi. Then Maberry threw in a dash of political thriller just for fun. This was my first of his novels, and this is all stuff Maberry is known for. Thoroughly enjoyable and breathtakingly frightening. Not sure if Maberry is a genius or a madman!

But is it a 🚩?

Part political thriller. Part science fiction. Part horror. Color me intrigued, but we shall see.

Sadly as telling now as it was when first published in 1929. Nella Larsen‘s own life as a mixed-race woman informed her writing, making her an important part of the Harlem Renaissance. American author Darryl Pinckney wrote of Larsen: “No matter what situation Larsen found herself in, racial irony of one kind or another invariably wrapped itself around her.”

😳😳😳

Found this one on BookTok and already a quarter of the way through it.

(Also had to convert up the Netflix logo because you know they are gonna ruin this book.)

Having live through and watching the fall of the Berlin Wall while also being scared 💩-less by my older brother of impending nuclear annihilation by the Soviet Union as a child, this book was a fascinating behind-the-(Iron)-Curtain look into just exactly how the West was able to curtail Russian paranoia and ultimately dismantle generations of mistrust. One man sacrificed everything in pursuit of freedom.

So hard for it, honey!

Preferably hot. Save your ice for your Coke.

A little nonfiction to kick off the weekend.

I unknowingly read this series out of sequence. I‘m actually glad I did. I liked the second book but, having really enjoyed this one, I might have been disappointed. “The Shadow Intelligence” was a masterfully plotted espionage thriller. The twists were unexpected and pacing increased as the story moved the reader along toward the chaotic, crescendo ending. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

How did ppl know when to poop before coffee?

#SolarEclipse2024

NEXT!

Just sayin‘

#BookMadness #MarchMadness #ReadingBracket2024 #TopRead2024

January: The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang
February: Dead Wake by Erik Larson
March: View From the Cheap Seats by Neil Gaiman

Bonus: The Burning God by R.F. Kuang (from January)

Nope

This “novel” is making me so incredibly mad. 😡

As a writer, it is fascinating to see the work that Harper Lee and Tay Hohoff, Lee‘s editor, put in to mold an American classic into existence. But to market this as anything more than an unedited first draft of “To Kill A Mockingbird” is disingenuous at best.

Apart from the academic, there is no literary value to publishing “Watchman”. It was an obvious cash grab, and a stain upon Lee‘s legacy.

…but first…

Instead of my annual rereading of “To Kill A Mockingbird”, I thought I‘d finally read the original unpublished first draft of it.

We shall see if this is an abomination or not, whether it should have ever seen the light of day, or is a valuable companion to the original giving more depth to already beloved characters.

Very enjoyable espionage thriller. I figured out the twist about 2/3rds into the book, but a fun read nonetheless. Will definitely be going back to read the first in this series, but first…

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Didn‘t realize it was No. 2 in a series until I was knee-deep and could not turn back. 🤣

Another solid historical outing from Neal Bascomb. I knew Germany was close to creating an atomic bomb, I just didn‘t realize how close and how many times the Allies had to employee this ragtag unit from Norway thwart the German program. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Grabbing another quick non-fiction read with Neal Bascomb.

Speeches inspiring art students to create good art. Speeches inspiring comic book creators to create good art. Speeches to inspire comic book dealers to sell good art. Essays about interviewing Lou Reed. Essays about interviewing Stephen King.

Water = Coffee. Coffee = Happiness. Water is essential to happiness.

Neil Gaiman is my favorite hoodie. Baggy, unfashionable (I see the looks I get when I say that my Top 3 authors are Dickens, Gaiman, and whoever I‘m currently reading), and immensely comfortable as well as comforting. Thankful, I‘m not sure that I‘ll ever run out of material.

A solid 4 ⭐️ IMO. Bascomb keeps the reader engaged with novel-like pacing and structure. I love history, and I‘m seeing more and more historians embrace this ethos. They are seeing the value in good storytelling, not just in-depth research.

Anyone else have years like this? Just me? Cool.

Well except readers. They are my ppl.
.
📸:: Death Wish Coffee Co.

Bite-sized WWII nonfiction about the capture of one of Germany‘s most infamous SS officer, Adolf Eichmann, in Argentina.

Powerful and beautiful. A lovely Irish Christmas story—a remarkable tale for the zealots and heathens alike. Claire Keegan well earned every accolade garnered for this novella. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ / 5

I know nothing of this book except that BooksAreSick on IG absolutely loved it. Looks like it is only about a 2-hour read so I should knock it out today!

REREAD: Sarah Vowell is a Gen X historian with a Gen X wit, which is to say this book is a dark, wisecracking comedic take on U.S. history. While Vowell very much shows her personal interest in the Lincoln assassination, she also reminds us that Garfield and McKinley were assassinated as well, you know. And one of the assassins even had ties to a 19th Century biblical sex cult-turned-kitchenwares company. But we already knew that. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Rereading because Sarah Vowell is hilarious and super American history nerdy. 😂 🤣 😂

“Dead Wake” by Erik Larson is an exhilarating journey through history, written with the finesse of a master storyteller akin to Tom Clancy, Ian Fleming, or Robert Ludlum. Larson skillfully navigates between the roles of hunter and hunted, immersing readers in the heart-pounding suspense of the era.