2019 - Majkia's Reading - Part 1

This year I'm planning to do less planning. Reading mostly TBR books, but hoping to finish off more than a few series I've started.

Three things I strongly believe in: The Pearl rule, the Bechdel test, and the Oxford comma.

Happy New Year everyone!

Winter



January

1. Brilliance - Marcus Sakey - 3.5* 🎵
2. The Wrong Stars - Tim Pratt - 3.5* - ebook
3. Deadhouse Landing - Ian C. Esslemont - 🎵
4. Hunting Party - Elizabeth Moon - 3.5* - ebook
5. The Girl Who Played With Fire - Stieg Larrson - 4.0 - 🎵 (Simon Vance)
6. Artificial Condition - Martha Wells - 🎵 (John Banks)
7. Amberlough - Lara Elena Donnelly - DNF
8. Quantum Lens - Douglas E. Richards - 3* - 🎵 (Marc Vietor)
9. The Mongoliad - Neal Stephenson - 3.5* - 🎵 (reader: Luke Daniels)
10. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - Stieg Larsson - 4.0* - 🎵 (Simon Vance)
11. A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe - Alex White - ebook
12. The Andromeda Strain - Michael Crichton - 3.5 - 🎵 (David Morse)

February
13. Karen Memory - Elizabeth Bear - 3.5 - 🎵 (Jennifer Grice)
14. The Poppy War - R.F. Kuang - 2.0* - 🎵 (Emily Woo Zeller)
15. Night Train to Rigel - Timothy Zahn
16. The Far Pavilions - M. M. Kaye - 4.0* - 🎵 (reader: Vikram Adam)
17. Salvation - Peter F. Hamilton - 4.0* - 🎵 (reader: John Lee)
18. The Silent Patient - Alex Michaelides - 4* - 🎵 (readers: Jack Hawkins, Louise Brealey )

March
19. Lock In - John Scalzi - 4.0* - 🎵 (reader: Wil Wheaton)
20. Unlocked - John Scalzi - 4.0* - 🎵 (reader: various)
21. There Before the Chaos - K. B. Wagers - 4.5*
22. Head On- John Scalzi - 4.0* - 🎵 (reader: Wil Wheaton)
23. Deepsix - Jack McDevitt - 4.0* - 🎵 (reader: Kristine Hvam)
24. A Cold Treachery - Charles Todd - 4*
25. An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors - Curtis Craddock - 3.5* - 🎵 (Erin Bennett)
26. How the Light Gets In - Louise Penny - 4* - 🎵 (reader: Ralph Cosham)
27. Under the Pendulum Sun - Jeannette Ng - DNF
28. 14 - Peter Clines - 3.5* - 🎵 (reader: Ray Porter)
29. The Secret Place - Tana French - 3.5* - 🎵 (readers: Stephen Hogan, Lara Hutchinson )
30. Shadow's Edge - Brent Weeks - 3.5* - 🎵 (Paul Boehmer)

Spring


April
31. The Plague of Swords - Miles Cameron - 4* - 🎵 (Neil Dickson)
32. Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen - Lois Bujold - 4.0* - 🎵 (reader: Grover Gardiner)
33. The Daedalus Incident - Michael J. Martinez - 3.5*
34. Sorcerer to the Crown - Zen Cho - 4* - 🎵 (reader:Jenny Sterlin)
35. Rogue Protocol - Martha Wells - 4* - 🎵 (reader: Kevin R. Free)
36. Exit Strategy - Martha Wells - 4* - 🎵 (reader: Kevin R. Free)
37. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien- 4* - 🎵 (reader: Rob Inglis)
38. Sporting Chance - Elizabeth Moon - 4*
39. The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue - Mackenzi Lee - 4* - 🎵 ( Christian Couson)
40. A Long Shadow - Charles Todd - 4*
41. The Enceladus Crisis - Michael J. Martinez - 3.5 - 🎵 (reader:B.S. Clark/K Kalbli)
43. Zoe's Tale - John Scalzi - 4* - 🎵 (reader:Tavia Gilbert)

May

June

Summer


July

August

September

Autumn



October

November

December

OK. I have to ask. Where did you get those wonderful icons?

Happy new year! :) I look forward to following your 2019 reads.

>6 Bookmarque: Feel free to snag them! I have no idea where I got them originally.

Happy New Year! Following along again :)

1 Brilliance - Marcus Sakey

An Alt History which deals with children being born with advanced mental traits, and the societal consequences as those children grow, and more and more of the population becomes so gifted.

A thriller, nicely written, with a plot that moves the story right along. Characters you can care about and cheer for, with a few twists I did not see coming.

>7 YouKneeK: >9 Narilka:

Thanks for stopping by! Hope we all have a terrific reading year.

Following...and have a splendid reading year. Looking forward to multiple bullets...

Happy new year! I hope it is a good one for you in books and in real life.

Added my three beliefs for reading to the first post:

Three things I strongly believe in: The Pearl rule, the Bechdel test, and the Oxford comma.

Happy New Year! May you enjoy your reading in 2019!

2. The Wrong Stars - Tim Pratt Series: Axion #1

Interesting sci fi with a strange alien race the humans call Liars. When the survivor of a goldilocks ship turns up unexpectedly with a piece of alien tech that could change life forever, things start to go badly wrong.

Quite well written, a plot that moves things along nicely, likeable characters, and distinctly inscrutable tech and aliens.

>15 majkia: Yes, yes, and yes!

>1 majkia:

I really enjoyed the series that begins with Hunting Party, especially the first three.

>19 suitable1: I've got the Heris Serrano combo 1-3 so hoping to read all of them. Good to hear that!

>18 SylviaC:. LOL Thumbs up!

>1 majkia: >19 suitable1: >20 majkia: I agree that the first three in that universe are particularly good, though I've enjoyed all of them and the Vatta's War series, though the repetition does wear a bit. They still read better than the woman-military-leader books written by men.

>1 majkia: >19 suitable1: >20 majkia: >22 quondame: (whew, what a row of referrers!) I'm in two minds - I enjoyed Hunting Party well enough to continue to read all the Serrano stories, and then to go on to read Vatta's War.
I did like Vatta's War better, but both was enjoyable reads. Felt a bit light-weight, though, and thinking about it I think maybe that was because they were a bit formulaic.
I have Vatta's War lined up for rereading, though, so it can't be that bad :)

I really enjoyed Vatta's War series. So far Hunting Party - I'm not very far in - reminds me of that, the characters are similar with a similar set up - no longer in the military.

My thoughts on Vatta's War series was that it was the most realistic depiction of women in the military I've yet read. Having been there myself for 20 years, I have a bit of experience with it. ;)

That part I enjoyed, and I have no issues with the authenticity, at all. It's more how similar the stories and characters are, and the predictability of the relationships - things like that.
All in all I liked both series, Vatta's War enough to reread but not enough to pick up the newly published sequels - mainly for fear of getting the original story spoiled - and would recommend at least Vatta's War to anyone who's into space opera or military sf.

>25 Busifer: Yes. I knew you weren't critiquing that. Most older sci fi seems to me, to follow a lot more conventions of the genre than the newer stuff. I blame the publishers.

>26 majkia: I didn't think so, I just wanted to clarify myself :-) And I very much agree with you on publishers and convention. It is like they thought that no one would buy a book if it wasn't very much like all other books that previously been successfully published.

I for one very much enjoy the present-day variety of sf, at least as long as I feel that the author has been subject to some editing. But I feel that has gotten better as well. There was a time in the 00's when every book seemed to be at least 500 pages, many of which held a lot of superfluous stuff.
The mark of a real good author of olden times was, to me, that they could tell a compelling story in under 200 pages. There was a time recently when 200 pages hadn't even got the story started...

I'm enjoying the comments on Hunting Party, the Serrano series, and Vatta's War in this thread. I've enjoyed all those books, and I was planning a reread of Vatta's War once I finish some library books. I was surprised to see that Busifer was doing the same. I may go on to reread the Serrano series once I'm done with Vatta's War.

I preferred the Serrano series over Vatta's War. I cared for the Serrano characters much more.

I too own the Serrano omnibus of the first 3 books. I read Hunting party some years ago and really enjoyed it but never carried on. If majkia is reading them this year then perhaps it will inspire me to do the same.

On the reread of Vatta's War I might chose to do a listen this time around. A long time ago I got Trading in Danger from Audible, and I have some credits to spare, too.

If I instead chose to read my paper editions it will be later on in the year, as I've some other books lined up first: I have accumulated quite the TBR pile while awaiting for my reading spirit to rise it's head and want to prioritise getting through some of them before I start to reread golden oldies :)

3. Deadhouse Landing - Ian C. Esslemont Series: Path to Ascendancy #2

Throughout the Malazan series, I moaned about how little of Dancer and even Kellanved we saw. So when Esslemont came out with this prequel series I was ready to grab it up. And I'm delighted I did. The two of them together are hilarious, and seeing them grow up together and Dancer's constant frustration with his little mage friend makes me grin.

I listened to the audiobook read by John Banks who did a terrific job.

Eager for the next book.

We've been having the kitchen redone and it is nearly finished. Folks have asked for pictures so here it is, at least as it is today. Just a few more things to do and then I can actually use it! New sink, new cooktop and vent, new countertops and backsplash. Cabinets were re-pickled.

Very nice.

>33 majkia: That looks great!

That's very nice, and I like the bird collection!

That's great, and I love the birds too!

Lovely! I love that the bird collection is on glass shelves for better viewing. What a great idea! Very pretty color combination, it rather puts me in mind of marsh grass or beach at sunrise, probably because of the birdies. :) Seems relaxing.

There are a lot more shorebirds up there. Once the rest of the counter gets cleaned off I'll take a photo of the rest of it. Thanks for the comments. I'm really pleased with how it came out.

Here's the rest of the counter showing all the shorebirds

Oh, that is lovely!

Happy New Year, majkia! Your new kitchen looks amazing. May 2019 bring you many wonderful books and meals!

>40 majkia: Love it! An inspiring place to cook.

4. Hunting Party -Elizabeth Moon Series: Heris Serrano #1

I really enjoyed her series Vatta's War, so was looking forward to reading this. She's really good at depicting women in the military, and does a great job of getting the types of thinking that is required of anyone in charge of other people and their health and well being.

Hunting Party didn't disappoint in this regard. This is an older woman in this series, where the heroine in Vatta's War was young and new to the experiences. This time, this woman is seasoned and unhappy about having resigned her commission and missing all that went with it.

I enjoyed the characters and the different settings, although I confess I learned more about fox hunting that I really ever expected to, but as there was quite a bit of character development going on with it, I didn't mind all that much.

The younger characters were annoying at first but definitely grew through the adventures they endured.

If you like military sci fi, give this a try. It's quite different from most of the genre but all the better for that.

5. The Girl Who Played With Fire - Stieg Larrson - Series: Millennium Trilogy #2

I listened to the audiobook read by Simon Vance.

Tricksy, with lots of diversionary tactics, these books keep you reading and wondering just how things can possibly turn out well. The main character, Lisbeth, is a troubled young woman who has no idea how to back down. You come at her and she comes right back at you with all her strength, intelligence and ability.

Characters are interesting, flawed and complex. They interact in surprising ways and the plot is hard to predict.

Really enjoyed it and hope to read the last of the trilogy soon.

>45 majkia: I enjoyed the trilogy very much. The Swedish film of the first book is very good. I found the film sequels lacked something. I have only seen the trailer for the American film and I cannot see it adding anything to the experience other than some loud music with heavy beats to tell the viewers they are supposed to feel tense and scared.

6. Artificial Condition - Martha Wells Series: Murderbot Diaries #2

Sooo much fun. Love the murderbot and her obsession with 'Sanctuary Moon'. Like her new friend too. :)

I listened to the audiobook read by Kevin R. Free, who does a great job, and gets the humor just right.

7. Amberlough - Lara Elena Donnelly Series: Amberlough #1

Did Not Finish

This book was just not doing it for me. Too much sex and nothing else really going on for 62 pages.

Nicely written and maybe I'll pick it up sometime in the future, but probably not.

8. Quantum Lens - Douglas E. Richards

I had issues. Mostly about the one female character who gets used, although she's supposed to be as bright as the boys. And who is then expected to just forgive her treatment because, of course, it was for the 'greater good'.

Otherwise, lots of good sciency stuff which I always enjoy. Too bad about the above. Oh, also in several parts too much lecturing about politics.

I listened to the audio version, read by Marc Vietor who did an okay job.

Just popped by to meet my new neighbours. Thank you for introducing me to "The Pearl Rule ". I had mot encountered it before - and I certainly recognise the upbringing it rebels against!

>50 -pilgrim-: Always glad to intro folks to Nancy Pearl. :)

Welcome to the pub. I look forward to following your reading.

>45 majkia: OOOH! Simon Vance. I think he narrated Bring Up the Bodies. Is there as much blathering about the publishing world in that second Larrson book as there was in the first?

>47 majkia: Murderbot! :o)

>52 clamairy: Not sure about the pub world carrying on but I thought the second book was even better than the first. Hope the last one holds up to the other two!

Murderbot! My hero.

9. The Mongoliad - Neal Stephenson - Series: The Mongoliad #1

I listened to the audio version read by one of my faves, Luke Daniels.

This wasn't at all what I expected. Pretty much straight historical, although granted I have no idea about the Mongols and he could be spinning lots of alt history and I'd have no idea. Not real magic or tech though, so... Still, an interesting story with his signature interweaving of multiple storylines.

I love his writing so I'll put up with straight historical if he writes it!

>54 majkia: Starting with The Mongoliad and it's sequels I seemed to be spending a lot of time on the steps as I picked up Jack Weatherford's books and The Tiger Queens and there is even a bit in The Sky-Blue Wolves. Not to mention Elizabeth Bear's books.

>47 majkia: I have mentioned it before, but I love Murderbot!

>54 majkia: Neal Stephenson used to be an auto-buy, but at some point I just gave up on his editorial skills. But, you say The Mongoliad is readable?

>56 Busifer: I bought the Mongoliad series (for kindle) at a discount last year. I think they were on sale for $1.99 each or something like that. I have not yet gotten around to reading them but my understanding is that the series is a collaboration by many authors with Neal Stephenson and Greg Bear being primaries. The Wikipedia Page explains it pretty well.

I usually enjoy historical fiction, (especially secret histories), and am a fan of Stephenson's other work, so I'm looking forward to digging into these soon.

>57 ScoLgo: Yeah, I know, but while a fan of his since back when Snowcrash was first published everything has a limit... I'd never get an audio version of anything of his that I haven't read first, as the format makes it hard to find at which point he's going to leave off his pointless expositions and pick up with the story again. I think fx Cryptonomicon has a 10-12 page section were a protagonist analyses his masturbatory patterns.
It doesn't add anything to either story or character... well, a bit might do for the character, but 10 pages, with diagrams? Just no.
So I kept away from The Mongoliad for a reason - so many other good books out there, waiting for attention!
But if people I trust says it's worth reading, then I'll probably get it.

>58 Busifer: The embedded short story - I think it is in Cryptonomicon - which involves black stockings and heirloom furniture - is actually the best, most coherent, piece of writing Stephenson has ever done. I love reading his novels, but at the core of each of them is a hole so huge that it seems like a feature. I enjoyed the Mongoliad series too, but I don't think it's very good.

>58 Busifer: I fully agree about his proclivity for pointless exposition. I personally don't recall the masturbation section in Cryptonomicon but I do recall becoming irritated with the minute analysis of Alan Turing's faulty bicycle sprocket. Pages of detail about the algorithm Turing worked out to avoid the chain coming off the sprocket struck me as nothing more than an author wanting to show how clever they are. Which in itself is rather masturbatory, I suppose... ;)

But. I still enjoyed that book quite a lot.

well, The Mongoliad is no where near as long as much of his work. So there's less time for long periods of navel-gazing. I thought he stuck with the story pretty well.

We're on our first camping trip of the year, not very far from home, but at the beach. Topsail Hill State Park.

>62 majkia: Looks delightful. I do hope you're staying warm enough.

Beautiful picture. I love the reflections.

What a beautiful place!

We are staying warm and quite comfy. Mr Majkia went fishing yesterday but alas didn't catch anything, not even the pelican who tried to steal his bait.

10. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - Stieg Larsson Series: Millennium Trilogy #3

I listened to the audio version read by Simon Vance.

Boy, is the title ever appropriate. All the threads come together and we see more clearly just how everything fits together. Elisabeth grows and evolves, the plot threads come together well, and the book was a satisfactory finish to a very complex and involved story.

I thoroughly enjoyed the trilogy. Every book was well done.

>67 majkia: I found the trilogy very enthralling.

>67 majkia: I've only read the first one. I liked it, but it was rather disturbing. I started the second but couldn't get into it at the time. I wonder if I could now. Hmmm, I'll think about it.

>69 catzteach: The first one is very disturbing, agreed. The second and third deal more with understanding what happened to Elisbeth so they didn't feel so raw to me as the first one did.

I have triggers, so I understand how disturbing books can be.

>60 ScoLgo: I had forgotten about that one. Or repressed it. And despite several such stories the book as a whole is still a great piece of storytelling: I have both read and reread it several times, even if it has been a long time now.

>59 quondame: I can't seem to remember that one, but then it has been a long time since I last reread or read any of his books. There's an episode involving heirlooms in Cryptonomicon, but I can't seem to remember any stockings. Oh well.

One thing I liked with Cryptonomicon was how The Baroque Cycle tied into it. Or maybe it's the reverse - I enjoyed the Baroque Cycle for how it connected to Cryptonomicon ;-)

>62 majkia: Beautiful, looks very serene.

The view of the beach from the restaurant this afternoon.

>70 majkia: good to know. Maybe I will give them a try again.

Beautiful pic! So peaceful!

>73 majkia: Beautiful, but looks very cold?

>75 Busifer: No, it was quite nice, 65F or so, but a storm was coming ashore.

>76 majkia: It looked a bit dark, maybe that's why I guessed cold. I love the sea, though, so think it beautiful in any weather :-)

Such a calming photo :)

11. A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe - Alex White Series: The Salvagers #1

What a fun read. It hit all my buttons: smart-mouthed women, lost artifacts, bad guys on their tails. Fun world building, impressive character growth, complex plotting .

Will definitely read the next one.

>79 majkia: Sounds fun!

12. The Andromeda Strain - Michael Crichton

I listened to the audiobook, read by David Morse.

Written in 1969, the main thing that blares out at you (given it's age) is the lack of any important female characters. The only ones in the book are 'nurses' and 'assistants.' All the scientists are male.

Other than that, I enjoy this sort of thriller with lots of science stuff and details about the investigation into a mysterious illness that kills a small town.

>81 majkia: Is it set in "the future"? That gender mix seems all too plausible for a sixties laboratory environment.

>82 -pilgrim-: No it is set in current time, which was 1969. Agreed. 1969 was definitely like that.

>81 majkia: My first exposure to The Andromeda Strain was when I saw the film on TV some time in the 70s. It was only a few years ago that I got around to reading the book. I liked the premise and enjoyed the story, but more as a documentary warning us what could happen rather than as an exciting adventure story. Neither the film nor the book stood out as things to recommend other than as a thought expeiment on what would happen if... It was very topical at the time as the space race was in full flight (if you would excuse the pun). 1969 was the year of the first manned lunar landing.

>84 pgmcc: I was working at a Research Lab in 1969, right after I graduated from university. We got involved in Apollo 13 when they were trying madly to get it down safely. I was an 'assistant' at the research center, and they wouldn't send me too school to learn to program because 'that was for men'. I quit in late 1970 and joined the US Air Force where my job was programming and computer analysis.

Probably more than you want to know, but memories crop up like that some times.

>85 majkia: I find your memories fascinating. Having bitten my nails the whole way through the Apollo 13 mission I think it is amazing to meet, albeit virtually, someone who had any involvement with the effort to get the crew back safely.

1979 was the year I started full-time employment. I joined a software company as a trainee computer programmer. Eighteen of us started on the same day and there were I think four females in the group. My first manager was a woman from whom I learned a lot about focus, planning and the technical elements of programming. I am sorry your experience was so negative. While the company I was in was predominantly male the skill of the employees was recognised with no reference to gender, at least at middle management level. They did not have any women at ranks above project manager at the time.

By contrast, a consultancy company I worked for in 1999 - 2001 had a female Joint Managing Director. She soon took over as sole Managing Director. While in that company I built a consultancy team from six to twenty-six. When I joined, the team consisted of six men. When I left there were eight men and eighteen women. I recruited solely on merit.

Plans for February:

Cast, In Order of Disappearance - Simon Brett
Salvation - Peter Hamilton 🎵
✔ Karen Memory- Elizabeth Bear 🎵 (Jennifer Grice)
Obelisk Gate - N.K.Jemisin 🎵
One Way - SJ Morden
There before the Chaos - KB Wagers
Night Train to Rigel - Timothy Zahn 🎵
The Poppy War - RL Kuang 🎵
Zoe's Tale - John Scalzi 🎵
Semiosis - Sue Burke
Three Parts Dead - Max Gladstone
The Far Pavilions - MM Kaye 🎵

Probably won't get to them all but hoping I can make a dent.

13. Karen Memory - Elizabeth Bear Series : Karen Memory #1

What a fun read. Just goes to show that even 'fallen doves' aren't what they seem, as a young woman steps up to the bad guys in old timey western cowboy style.

I listened to the audio read by Jennifer Grice.

>88 majkia: This is on my TBR pile. Glad you enjoyed it.

>89 Sakerfalcon: It is a lot of fun. Steampunky, spunky and written with a lot of humor.

>88 majkia: Ok, I think I will have to read Karen Memory next. It's been on my list for a while now...

>91 ScoLgo: Hope you enjoy it. I certainly did.

We're heading out this morning for our second camping trip of the year. We're headed to a Federal Park, Eastbank, which is, ahem, on the east bank of Lake Seminole, above the dam there on the Chattahoochee River. We might have to come home early if the Federal Government shuts down again on the 15th. Hopefully not, but who knows.

The area was flattened during Hurricane Michael, which was still a CAT 4 when it rolled across this area. The park has just reopened a couple of weeks ago. We expect to see massive changes, mainly pretty much all the trees gone. I'll probably be posting lots of pictures on Facebook, and possibly a few here on LT.

Happy reading, everyone. I'll still be checking in here regularly.

We were really concerned about the state of the campground here, after Hurricane Michael. I'm delighted that the camping area is nearly as nice as it was before, with only a few trees gone. THe road down the hill to the campground, however, shows the violence of the storm, with tens and tens of trees blown over and still not cleared up because they are well off the road and caught up in forested areas.

The las to half of our drive showed us how the trees had been stripped and toppled. It looked as if someone had come in and clear cut along the expressway for miles and miles.

This used to be heavily wooded along the sides of the roads and in the median:


And sunset from our site:

>94 majkia: lovely!

>94 majkia: Great pictures. Thank you for the descrption and pictures of the storm damage.

Nice to find such loveliness after the devastation.

14. The Poppy War - R.F. Kuang Series: The Poppy War #1

I listened to the audio version read by Emily Woo Zeller

I got very frustrated with how very YA this was, especially the first third or so of the book. I read on hoping the brain fairy might appear, but alas... I suppose those who really like YA might really enjoy this, but it was pretty frustrating for me.

>98 majkia: LOL about “brain fairy”. :)

>94 majkia: That’s a beautiful sunset picture! I’m glad the campground is still in good shape.

It's always sad when woods gets destroyed, whether by humans or weather. I hope there's some re-forestation scheme, to stop erosion turning the area into a desert.

15. Night Train to Rigel - Timothy Zahn Series- Quadrail #1

Frank Compton, human, is hired (by a guy dying) to discover who is attacking the mysterious Quadrail system, that connects multiple alien worlds throughout the galaxy. He's no Poirot, instead managing to get attacked by multiple races. The mystery is pretty complex and kept my interest throughout. I enjoyed it.

We moved to a different campsite, but still at the same campground.

>102 majkia: I love your camper. It is of a scale that can only be imagined here.

>103 pgmcc: I can’t imagine driving it! I’ve always owned smaller cars and have only driven larger vehicles when given one by a rental company during a trip.

I haven’t had much trouble up to the minivan size, but the largest vehicle I ever drove was a Chevrolet Tahoe, a full-sized SUV that can seat 8 people. It was nowhere near the scale of Majkia’s camper of course, but I was pretty uncomfortable driving it. My colleagues and I had rented it for a business trip, and I was the most practical person to pick it up based on our schedule and the location of the rental company. I picked it up and drove it to the first colleague’s house and I was very happy to give him the keys and not drive it again until we got back. While driving it, I had trouble telling where I was in proximity to the lines on the road, especially on the far right side. I pretty much just focused on keeping the driver’s side inside the lane and trusted to logic that the car was not wider than the road despite what my eyes were telling me. I’m sure I would have gotten used to it with practice, but it was a bit nerve-wracking the two times I drove it.

>104 YouKneeK: For one of my weekend camping trips I was upgraded to a Tahoe and loved it - but it goes for more than the Dodge Caravan that actually has more hauling space when set up for 2, so that's what we rent these days. I loved our Smart Car for getting around town & parking in the compact spot between SUVs, but it suicided and our smaller car is now a Prius C.

>104 YouKneeK: I can sympathise. Our "main" vehicle is a 1.5-ton truck, and turning it in the cramped driveway of the old dear we take to church every Wednesday is an epic procedure. But it's a joy for the weekly shop, or carting books between Inchanga and home!

>103 pgmcc: >104 YouKneeK: >105 quondame: >106 hfglen: LOL. Our motor home is 35ft, which for the US, is small for a motor home. They go up to 45ft long. I don't drive it, but Mr Majkia has no problems driving it. We also tow our Honda CR-V behind it. That too is fairly typical for even the bigger motor homes, to tow a car to use when camping.

I confess to trying to look away from the road ahead since I have a depth perception problem which makes everything seem much much closer than it is. (So bad I nearly didn't get a driver's license when I was young). Better than seeing things further on, I guess, which could end up with me crashing into things.

>107 majkia: "We also tow our Honda CR-V behind it. That too is fairly typical for even the bigger motor homes, to tow a car to use when camping." I had heard of this but the first time I saw it, in person, about 23 years ago, in Louisiana, I just gawked.

Totally unheard of at least in the parts of Europe that I have been to. Roads are too narrow, in general.

This is standard European motor home that I found on the interwebz, for comparison -

>198 Actually, that's bigger than I thought were common in Europe and the UK. what with wider roads in our cities and much more open country, I suppose it all makes sense.

16. The Far Pavilions - M.M. Kaye - 4* - 🎵 (reader: Vikram Adam)

Enjoyed the audio very much. The reader very effective.

This was a re-read for me, having first read it in the 1990s. Held up pretty well, although it has more romance in it than I remembered. Still, well crafted story, with a plot that keeps moving, and much character growth.

>109 majkia: There are actually a lot of places were one can't go in a motor home of that size, especially in areas were the old medieval roads and houses and town plans are still in place. Those travelling in one knows to check beforehand what routes are available.

17. Salvation - Peter F. Hamilton Series: Salvation Sequence #1

First in a new sequence by Peter F. Hamilton. Its structure is very much like the rest of his books, so am unsure why so many folks find it confusing. He generally skips around through time and space to tell a story, then combines the threads as the story goes on.

It is a bit different from the rest of the books I've read by him, in that we are meeting a new alien species and we are early on in the development of the society and world he normally writes in.

I enjoyed the look at the history of the world and how things began to come together, and was intrigued by the new species and wondering just what they were up to. Not surprisingly, things are not what they seem. and although the humans realize this, it is difficult to see through the fog to what is really going on.

I'll definitely read the rest of this series, as Hamilton is a favorite writer of mine.

I listened to the audio read by John Lee excellently as always.

Ah, I really need to read some Hamilton! Do you have any good recommendation were best to start?

The first book of the Commonwealth saga is Pandora's Star. It's the first of his I read, and it is a pretty good representation of his writing style, world-building, and characterization.

Many of his characters reappear in subsequent books since technology let's them live thousands of years through rejuvenation, so seeing them develop is interesting.

18. The Silent Patient - Alex Michaelides

I listened to the audio book excellently read by Jack Hawkins and Louise Brealey.

A page turner of a psychological thriller. A woman who murdered her husband is in prison, in a psychiatric ward. A young therapist has followed her trial and hopes to help her. We follow two storylines, his own private background and issues, and hers as he manages to get her to open up to him, no longer silent.

It is well written, and a compelling psychological thriller. I enjoyed the book and didn't see the twist coming until quite far on.

>113 Busifer:, >114 majkia: I've only read Great North Road so far, but I thought it was excellent. It's also a stand-alone (though as long as any three normal books!) Salvation sounds good so I may give that a try.

>114 majkia:, >116 Sakerfalcon: - Ah, thanks! Narrowed down to two options; great *thumbs up*

19. Lock In - John Scalzi Series: Lock In #1

I listened to the audio read by Wil Wheaton

I do love Scalzi's writing. He writes with a lot of humor, even in serious circumstances, because his characters are snarky, smart and cool.

World building is quite complex and the story is intriguing.

20. Unlocked John Scalzi Series Lock In #.5

Audio by various readers. Prequel describing the syndrome and a good background for book 1.

>118 majkia: I read Lock-in earlier this year and enjoyed it too. I'm looking forward to the sequel.

>119 Sakerfalcon: I had to jump right into Head On. Halfway through or so. So far, it's as good as the first book.

21. There Before the Chaos - K.B. Wagers Series: The Farian War #1

Hailimi Bristol, former gunrunner, now Empress of Indrana, has been manipulated into agreeing to head up a peace summit, to stop a war before it starts. Things go downhill from there.

I love Hail and her bodyguards and her friends. The action is great, the plotting is complex and the world building is intriguing.

Highly recommended for those who love Space Opera.

22. Head On - John Scalzi - Series Lock In #2

A fun and imaginative series. Read by Wil Wheaton who definitely heightened the humor. Lots of cool and snarky characters make the book.

>118 majkia: I've been looking at Lock In for my Audible queue but felt like I should really listen to something not Scalzi after listening to three books in a row read by the inimitable Scalzi-Wheaton combo.

It have this far ended with me listening to nothing at all, instead, so maybe I should jump in.

Mark me down as bleeding from a full hit.

Edited because I realised that I had dropped some words while writing.

>123 Busifer: they do make quite a pair, don't they? Enjoy!

23. Deepsix - Jack McDevitt - Series: The Academy - #2
I listened to the audio version (reader: Kristine Hvam)

I love archaeology in space so love the series. Exciting, and great characters. Powerful women. What's not to like?

24. A Cold Treachery - Charles Todd Series: Ian Rutledge #7

I love this series. It is written by a mother and son duo and I think that gives so much emotional depth to it. The Inspector is struggling with shell shock and memories of WWI as he attempts to find his place back in the normal world of Scotland Yard and find a way to have a fairly normal life outside of it. Since he has a ghost living in his head, it ain't easy.

Colorful characters, vivid descriptions of the lesser known countryside of Britain and Scotland, and convoluted plots made more complex by people who lie for many reasons, most of it not at all related to murder.

I was not sure at all who was the culprit in this one in particular.

25. An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors - Curtis Craddock Series: The Risen Kingdoms #1

I listened to the audio version read by Erin Bennett

A fun steampunky romp with airships, and a partly mechanical man, weird gods and power-hungry kings and queens.

>127 majkia: Thanks for the reminder! The second is now out.

>128 quondame: Oh good!

26. How the Light Gets In - Louise Penny Series: Armand Gamache #9

I listened to the audio, read by Ralph Cosham.

Once again the little town not on any maps becomes the center of the action as Gamache attempts to understand the conspiracy he's been after since book 1, while he attempts to solve the murder of a friend of Three Pines.

Three Pines, of course, is center of the action.

The series is psychological thriller and mystery wrapped up in one.

27. Under the Pendulum Sun - Jeannette Ng

I wanted to like this book. The writing was excellent, but I admit I dislike religious books and especially dislike missionaries. So I got tired of the religious quotes and the concentration on that.

Did Not Finish

28. 14 - Peter Clines

A fun sendup of the horror genre. I really enjoy Clines books, as he adds a lot of humor to sciencey stuff. I listened to the audio version read wonderfully by Ray Porter.

>131 majkia: I was disappointed with Under the pendulum sun too. It had the potential to be interesting but was slow and dull, with characters I couldn't relate to. OTOH, you've reminded me that I need to get back to Three Pines soon!

>133 Sakerfalcon: Really Especially the fact that Catherine is brave enough to head for Arcadia alone, but then sits around in the castle or whatever it is for months, with no real interest in setting off to explore

>134 majkia: Yes! What a waste of that setting, to limit the viewpoint to just the house and immediate area.

29. The Secret Place - Tana French Series: Dublin Murder Squad #5

I listened to the audio version, readers: Stephen Hogan, Lara Hutchinson.

Not my favorite Tana French, but still a good read. It's just a lot of teens in a room which gets wearisome and hard to pay attention to. Still, a good book, if not quite as enjoyable as the others of hers I've read.

I felt the same way. The teenagers were exhausting. Hated the lot of them. If they'd only just kept killing each other off, the book would have been easier to bear.

>132 majkia: So glad you enjoyed 14 :) Just started re-listening with the hubby this weekend because he hadn't heard it yet and I enjoyed it so much.

>137 Bookmarque: Is that a comment on teenagers in general or just the ones in this book?

>139 pgmcc: Mostly about the privileged wealthy teens in the book who spend their time creating drama and treating each other shittily.

Majkia is spot on. The kids in the book were foul to each other, but I strongly suspect it is art imitating life.

>140 majkia: & >141 Bookmarque:

So, it is all the kids you see on teen situation comedies except for those in Happy Days and That 70s Show.

:-)

Well, without TV it's hard to know what current shows are like. Haven't had cable since 2015.

30. Shadow's Edge - Brent Weeks - 3.5* - 🎵 (Paul Boehmer) Series: Night Angel #2

Pretty good second book for a trilogy. Lots of character development, action and the plot moves right along.

31. The Plague of Swords - Miles Cameron - 4* - 🎵 (Neil Dickson) Series: Traitor Son Cycle #4

I love this series. Old fashioned sword and sorcery, with a smart ass hero who always has plans within plans. The cast of characters are diverse and well drawn, and the world-building is first rate.

>145 majkia: I haven't heard of this series before, but I think I'm going to get the first book and give it a go. Thanks for the recommendation!

>146 Darth-Heather: I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

32. Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen - Lois Bujold - 4.0* Series: Vorkosiverse #17

- 🎵 (reader: Grover Gardiner)

Enjoyable revisit to Cordelia and company. MIles wasn't as obnoxious as usual so that made me happier. Only Ivan was missing. Sigh.

33. The Daedalus Incident - Michael J. Martinez - Series: The Daedalus Series #1

A very strange book... Two timelines, two alternate worlds. One where sailing ships sail the Rocky Main between the planets, one more recognizable, where we have a colony on Mars that suddenly becomes at risk with Mars having quakes, and other phenomena.

Interesting, sort of like reading Horatio Hornblower goes to space.

>149 majkia:
You have reminded me of Bob Shaw's novel, The Wooden Spaceships, the second book in his "Land and Overland" trilogy, a trilogy well worth reading.

The other books are, The Ragged Astronauts (1) and The Fugitive Worlds (3).

>150 pgmcc: I'll look for that!

>149 majkia: The name of Daedalus seems to be coming up a lot just now! I finished Alternate Routes, the latest Tim Powers novel last night. It features Deadalus and the Labyrinth of the Minotaur as part of the otherworldly plot. This one has nothing to do with space or Mars though since it's basically a ghost story. Still, I enjoyed it. I had not heard of The Daedalus Incident before but I see that my library has book #1 on Overdrive so I plan to borrow it soon. Thanks for the mention!

34.. Sorcerer to the Crown - Zen Cho - Series - Sorcerer Royal #1

What fun. Fantasy of Manners, takes on England's past, with a feminist punch.

Well written, interesting world and characters, and imaginative.

35. Rogue Protocol - Martha Wells - 4* - 🎵 (reader: Kevin R. Free) Series: Murderbot Diaries #3

What can I say? I love Murderbot, and confess I was surprised to be chatting with someone who read Murderbot as male whereas I think of her as a her! Even though read by a male.

Good job by the author then of completely managing to show that it makes no difference how you see her/him.

Love it.

>154 majkia: Lock In and Head On by John Scalzi does the same. I read Scalzi's novels as having a male protagonist and Murderbot, for me, came across as female. Neither author ever actually specifies gender though. I don't know for sure but assume it was a conscious decision by Wells. On the other hand, Scalzi has posted that it was definitely intentional on his part.

>154 majkia:, >155 ScoLgo: My memory of the Murderbot Diaries is that the protagonist doesn't have a gender, but is an "it".

I think it's the reader who expect every active agent in a story to have a gender or gender identity: we use gender norms to judge a person, whether his or her actions are acceptable compared to what is expected of them, but also because we unconsciously give the person a certain set of abilities based on it; we use or expectations to fill in the blanks in the characterisation.
Murderbot explicitly being genderless challenges that.

I have Lock In in my queue (I have the Audible version read as male, mainly because I love Wil Wheaton's voice acting) and so can't comment on that one yet.

>156 Busifer: I agree, Murderbot is genderless but it's how we hear it in our minds that interests me. And yes, {lock In is genderless also. But I thought of 'it' as male. Perhaps I'm identifying because of the author's gender in both cases. As both I listened to read by males.

36. Exit Strategy - Martha Wells - 4* - 🎵 (reader: Kevin R. Free) Series: Murderbot #4

Yay, go Murderbot!

37. The Hobbit JRR Tolkien

I listened to the audio read by Rob Inglis.

I'm re-reading the Lord of the Rings and thought I'd start with The Hobbit.

I was surprised to hear the term 'necromancer' used several times during the book, which I did not remember. Also, I don't remember all those songs. Well done, BTW, by Mr Inglis.

>159 majkia: From the perspective of The Hobbit, Sauron had been defeated, a matter of ancient history. The Necromancer in Mirkwood is the known evil and part of the tragic history of Thorin's family.

>160 -pilgrim-: Thanks!

>160 -pilgrim-: And by ancient history, I mean really ancient. Sauron was defeated by the Last Alliance of elves and men, led by Gil-galad and Elendil, 2941 years prior to the beginning of The Hobbit.

38. Sporting Chance - Elizabeth Moon - 4* Series: Heris Serrano #2

Horsy space opera continues with excellent second of series. I love the characters, lots of action, plot is complex and interesting. But the characters are the strength of the series.

>163 majkia: I do like that series!

>163 majkia: You're inspiring me to do a reread soon.

39. The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue - Mackenzi Lee - 4* - 🎵 ( Christian Couson)

What a fun read. A little bit steampunky, and a little bit of fantasy, but mostly just fun storytelling with interesting characters.

>166 majkia: Glad you enjoyed this. It's on my TBR pile.

40. The Long Shadow - Charles Todd Series: Ian Rutledge #8

As usual, excellent characterization, complex plot and great writing.

>166 majkia: that was a fun read! The sequel is about the sister. It was fun, too.

>169 catzteach: Oh, great! Looking forward to it then.

We've been glamping for the last two weeks at Eastbank Campground, on Lake Seminole again. A couple of pictures I took:





Mr Majkia's sister spent the whole two weeks with us, and the daughter and her husband joined us for a few days as well.

That second shot is of a couple of Canada Geese with their goslings. Too far out for a good picture alas.

Great pictures, looks serene.

>171 majkia: Erm, what is "glamping"?
*blushes at ignorance*

>173 -pilgrim-: "glamour" + "camping" i.e. camping in style and comfort.

ETA: For example, each of the six stands at Motswedi campsite in Mokala National Park has a brick-built kitchen and bathroom unit. You supply your own tent for sleeping in.

>173 -pilgrim-: Glamorous camping - often the tents are set up by staff and there are comforts such as real showers and facilities and prepared meals. But you're away from obvious city/suburbs, and the shelter is usually tent like.

So camping for people who think that "roughing it" means room service is late?

>174 hfglen:, >175 quondame: Thank you both. What is the benefit of this approach, rather than renting a cabin?

>176 haydninvienna: Ouch.

In our instance it is camping in our motor home. But yeah, glamping can get rather out there.

>176 haydninvienna: MEOW!

>177 -pilgrim-: The upside, at least in SANParks reserves, is (1) it costs half as much, or less, and (2) you're often away from the noise and bustle of the cabins.

At Motswedi that could also be a downside (to haydninvienna) in that SANParks reserves do not allow members of the public to drive between camps at night, which means that glampers don't have access to the restaurants at Mosu and Lilydale for dinner: only breakfast and lunch.

Here's our camp at Motswedi a few yeas back:



You can see the kitchen/bathroom behind our vehicle. Not shown is the private view (behind the camera) of the waterhole just outside the camp fence.

ETA: Just checked the tariffs for Mokala. Motswedi glamping is R459 to R490 per night for two; Mosu and Lilydale vary between R898 and R1440 per night for two. There is also a de luxe bungalow at Haak-en-steek at between R1453 and R1550 for four. There is also a variable conservation fee. Conversions are about $1=R14, GBP1=R19.

A little story from my dark past.

Quite some years ago, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, I spent a short while serving my country in its reserve army. Occasional forays into the bush were involved (and were definitely not glamping by any definition). However, one of those forays happened to coincide with the Regimental Sergeant-Major's birthday, and special arrangements were made. At the midday meal on the day, while the rest of us diggers sat around with our ration packs, the RSM was served a hot, specially prepared lunch from the mess, with the full kit of starched tablecloth and proper cutlery.

>189 quondame: Hah!

41. The Enceladus Crisis - Michael J. Martinez - 3.5 - 🎵 (reader:B.S. Clark/K Kalbli)

Not as good as the first, and it ended on a cliff hanger. Not sure I'll read the last.

>177 -pilgrim-: Usually the places you can do it and the feeling of being out-of-doors. My group camps in sub-groups withing larger 2000-10000 groups a few times each year, and there are some facilities of different types available. We can buy food by the meal from concessions, and can organize our sub-group for co-operative eating, called the meal plan. It's not exactly glamping for those of us with primitive tents and little ability to transport outdoor furnishings, but some of us have quite impressive ancient or medieval living arrangements.

>183 quondame: Do I detect a Living History enthusiast?

>184 -pilgrim-: History-lite as to activities. I appreciate those who hand-stitch their garb and don't mix eras in their kits, but the SCA allows for all levels once the reasonable attempt has been made. My tent is a 3-room pop up, not a canvas pavilion, and we lay on the solar lights liberally. Of course flames inside tents are prohibited by the venues.

>186 -pilgrim-: Aha. The group I was associated with were a tad more rigorous, recreating a specific regiment from a specific war. Authentic materials only etc. etc. It was a fascinating experience - but it did render some of the week-long reenactments a bit too hardcore for me! One of the members subsequently loaned his farm for a year-long recreation of farming in that period, which was, I believe, televised.

>186 -pilgrim-: Different goals. In the eighties some of us liked getting dressed up for the occasional ball, and some liked taking on personas, building 3day wardrobes and acting their parts over long weekends. Now I just pull on tunics and hang out in the out doors, mostly reading my kindle and joining others for meals and drinks.

>187 quondame: Yes indeed. If I say that your lot seem into the romance of history, whilst mine were interested in the facts, please don't take that as a put down. I have been known to LARP, so I hope I can understand the appeal of the other approach.

>188 -pilgrim-: I think you have it spot on, especially for the founders and many more. For themselves, as individuals there are a number who are very into real historic detail. And a few who'd like to rule us all!

Your photos are all wonderful, but the ones in 171 are gorgeous.

>126 majkia: Hey, I think A Cold Treachery was the first Ian Rutledge that I read, and I really enjoyed it. Then I read the first one and stopped. I need to get back into those.

>158 majkia: Yay, Murderbot! I just heard Martha Wells is writing a full length Murderbot novel to be released in May of 2020, so WOOHOO!

>190 clamairy: I really enjoy the Ian Rutledge books.

And yeah, I'd heard something about a full length Murderbot. THanks for letting me know when it's supposed to appear!

And thanks for the photo comment. :)

I still have the first Murderbot lying around half read. I'm going to have to start again. I think I just wasn't in the proper mood for it back when I started it.

Is there an omnibus edition?

43. Zoe's Tale - John Scalzi - 4* - 🎵 (reader:Tavia Gilbert) Series: Old Man's War #4

I do love how John Scalzi writes. Simple, straight-forward, tells his tales and lets the readers fill in a lot of the detail in their heads. This entry is particularly special because he tells the tale of a teenager who is allowed to grow and learn and is shown as intelligent, yet young and struggling to find her way in the world.

>190 clamairy: Full length Murderbot novel?! Yay!!!

>192 littlegeek: There is! https://www.librarything.com/work/22426051

>195 majkia: thanks!!!