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Currently reading



Secret Stories: Tales from the Secret History by F. Paul Wilson
Mythos by Stephen Fry, read by the author

January
1. How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell, read by David Tennant—BAC ★★★★
2. Flip Flip Slowly by Mame Ohtako, translated by Adrienne Beck ★★★
3. The Roman Guide to Slave Management: A Treatise by Nobleman Marcus Sidonius Falx by Jerry Toner—BAC ★★★1/2
4. Papi by Rita Indiana, translated by Achy Obejas ★★
5. How to Be a Pirate by Cressida Cowell, read by David Tennant—BAC ★★★★
6. The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox by Katrina Kwan ★★★1/2
7. The Compendium of Srem by F. Paul Wilson ★★★
8. Maurice by EM Forster—BAC ★★★★1/2
9. Something Is Killing the Children Vol. 9 by James Tynion IV ★★★★1/2
10. The Devil's Beloved by Zwahk Muchoney ★★1/2
11. Guardians of the Poor by Jackson Marsh—BAC ★★★1/2
12. Talking Classics: The Shock of the Old by Mary Beard—BAC ★★★
13. Wardenclyffe by F. Paul Wilson ★★★1/2
14. Kill 6 Billion Demons: Book One by Tom Parkinson-Morgan ★★★1/2
15. She Waits Where Shadows Gather by Michelle Tang ★
16. How to Speak Dragonese by Cressida Cowell, read by David Tennant—BAC ★★★★
17. The Girl from Lamaha Street by Sharon Maas—RLT ★★★1/2
18. The Squire and His Prince by Briar Niran ★★★★
19. Keepers of the Past by Jackson Marsh—BAC ★★★
20. Everything Dead & Dying by Tate Brombal ★★★★1/2
21. How to Cheat a Dragon's Curse by Cressida Cowell, read by David Tennant—BAC ★★★★
22. Black Wind by F. Paul Wilson ★★★1/2
23. No Man's Land by Szymon Kudrański ★★★1/2
24. Battlestar Galactica: Six by J. T. Krul ★★★
25. The Keep by F. Paul Wilson ★★★1/2
26. Agents of the Truth by Jackson Marsh—BAC ★★★
27. George Falls Through Time by Ryan Collett ★★★★
28. The Witch by Marie NDiaye, translated by Jordan Stump 1/2
29. The Ship's Cat by Richard Adams—BAC ★★★
30. Seeing Through Shadows by Jackson Marsh—BAC ★★★
31. Feersum Endjinn by Iain M. Banks—BAC ★★★
32. Ian Fleming's James Bond: Casino Royale adapted by Van Jensen ★★
33. How to Twist a Dragon's Tale by Cressida Cowell, read by David Tennant—BAC ★★★★
34. Alcyon 1 - Harmony's Necklace by Richard Marazano, translated by Jeremy Melloul ★★★1/2
35. Fabulous Creatures: Legendary Animals from Around the World by Cornelia Funke, illustrated by Ruby Warnecke, translated by Anna Schmitt Funke ★★★★
36. The Dreaded Pox: Sex and Disease in Early Modern London by Olivia Weisser ★★★1/2
37. The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly by Luis Sepúlveda, illustrated by Chris Sheban, translated by Margaret Sayers Peden—RLT ★★★1/2
38. A Hero's Guide to Deadly Dragons by Cressida Cowell, read by David Tennant—BAC ★★★★
39. A Hole in the Sky by Peter F. Hamilton—BAC ★★★★

February
40. The Found Object Society by Michelle Maryk ★
41. Kei X Yaku: Bound by Law 9 by Yoshie Kaoruhara, translated by Kevin Steinbach ★★★
42. Speaking in Silence by Jackson Marsh—BAC ★★★1/2
43. Starting with Secrets by Jackson Marsh—BAC ★★★1/2
44. The Larkspur Legacy by Jackson Marsh—BAC ★★★1/2
45. Reborn by F. Paul Wilson ★★★1/2
46. Secret Histories by F. Paul Wilson ★★★1/2
47. Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead by KJ Parker—BAC ★★★★
48. Sunstone Volume 1 by Stjepan Šejić ★★★1/2
49. How to Ride a Dragon's Storm by Cressida Cowell, read by David Tennant—BAC ★★★★
50. Secret Circles by F. Paul Wilson ★★★1/2
51. The Witcher {graphic novel} by Andrzej Sapkowski, adapted by Aleksandra Zielińska, translated by Stefan Kiełbasiewicz ★★
52. Elecboy Volume 1: Birth by Jaouen Salaün, translated by Edward Gauvin ★★1/2
53. "Diane...": The Twin Peaks Tapes of Agent Cooper by Scott Frost, read by Kyle MacLachlan ★★★★1/2
54. The Author Immortal Volume 1: Death of the Author by Frank J. Barbiere ★1/2
55. The Twin Soul of Alexander by Lawrence M. Scheier ★★
56. First Knight: A Novelization by Elizabeth Chadwick—BAC ★★★1/2
57. The Princess Away Beyond the Mountains by Valeria Angela Pisi, illustrated by Francesc Rovira, translated by Cecilia Ross ★★★★1/2
58. Star Trek: Red Shirts by Christopher Cantwell ★★
59. Hematite Volume 1: Serenade by Victoria Maderna and Federico Piatti—RLT ★★1/2
60. I Met Shiro In a Hidden World by Joanne Chiang ★★1/2
61. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight translated by Simon Armitage ★★★★★
62. Weavingshaw by Heba Al-Wasity ★★★
63. Pretenders to the Throne of God by Adrian Tchaikovsky—BAC ★★★★1/2
64. The First Step by Tao Wong ★★★1/2

March
65. Prince Abaddon by Zwahk Muchoney ★★★
66. Another One Bites the Past by Vladimir Provorov ★★1/2
67. The Relic of the Wildwood by E. J. Venter ★★★1/2
68. Dune: Edge of a Crysknife by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson ★★
69. The Raven and the Songbird by Zwahk Muchoney ★★★1/2
70. The Demon Overlord's Retirement Plan by M. H. Foster ★★★★1/2
71. Honey Bee & Lemon Balm 1 by Jil Hashikura, translated by Adrienne Beck ★★★
72. Love, Politics, and Other Acts of War by M. H. Foster ★★★★1/2
73. The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant & Blood on the Neck of the Cat by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, translated by Anthony Vivis ★★
74. Grief Is the Thing With Feathers by Max Porter—BAC ★★
75. The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan, read by Rory Barnett and Imogen Church ★★★★
76. Escape Volume 1 by Rick Remender ★★1/2
77. Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler by Susana M. Morris ★★
78. Recital of the Dark Verses by Luis Felipe Fabre, translated by Heather Cleary—RLT ★★★
79. No Man's Land by Richard K. Morgan—BAC ★★★1/2
80. All These Worlds by Dennis E. Taylor ★★★
81. Trad Wife by Saratoga Schaefer ★1/2
82. Secret Vengeance by F. Paul Wilson ★★★1/2
83. The Only Harmless Great Thing by Brooke Bolander ★1/2
84. The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff—BAC ★★★★1/2
85. Deadpool Samurai Vol. 3 by Sanshiro Kasama, translated by Amanda Haley ★★★
86. The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley—BAC ★★★
87. 30 Days of Night: Falling Sun by Rodney Barnes ★★1/2
88. Wes Anderson: The Graphic Novel by Kateřina Horáková ★★★
89. How to Break a Dragon's Heart by Cressida Cowell, read by David Tennant—BAC ★★★★1/2
90. The Sun King's Dawn by Briar Niran ★★★★
91. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller ★★1/2
92. Wretch: or, The Unbecoming of Porcelain Khaw by Eric LaRocca ★
93. The Fourth Wife by Linda Hamilton ★★★1/2
94. The Reaper and The Waiting by January Sun ★★1/2
95. Freezing Point by Anders Bodelsen, translated by Joan Tate ★★
96. How to Hold Someone In Your Heart by Mizuki Tsujimura, translated by Yuki Tejima ★★★1/2
97. You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom by Vincent Tirado—RLT ★★

April
98. Scarlet Birthright: What They Left Behind by Scarlet Ibis James—RLT ★★1/2
99. Sweet Pea by Kit de Waal—BAC ★★★★
100. Green City Wars by Adrian Tchaikovsky—BAC ★★★1/2
101. An Encyclopedia of Gardening for Colored Children by Jamaica Kincaid, illustrated by Kara Walker—RLT ★★
102. The Poems of Catullus: A Dual-Language Edition with Parallel Text by Catullus, translated by Stephanie McCarter ★★★★
103. What Did You Eat Yesterday? Vol. 23 by Fumi Yoshinaga, translated by Yuki Tejima ★★★★
104. Fruit of the Underworld 1 by Aya Kanno, translated by Kevin Steinbach ★★★1/2
105. Dragon Myths and Legends: Tales of Adventure from Around the World by Samantha Newman, illustrated by Katarzyna Doszla—BAC ★★★★
106. The Inheritors by William Golding—BAC ★★1/2
107. Kei X Yaku: Bound By Law 10 by Yoshie Kaoruhara, translated by Kevin Steinbach ★★★
108. Hana and Taru: The Forest Giants by Léo Schilling, translated by Joseph Laredo ★★★1/2
109. Cold City by F. Paul Wilson ★★★1/2
110. Pride of Baghdad by Brian K. Vaughan ★★★★
111. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry ★★★★★
112. Dark City by F. Paul Wilson ★★★1/2
113. Our Rogue Fates by Sarah Glenn Marsh ★★
114. Namibia - Episode 1 by Léo & Rodolphe, translated by Jerome Saincantin—RLT ★★★
115. An Accident of Dragons by Cheri Radke ★★★1/2
116. How to Fake It In Society by KJ Charles, read by Will Watt—BAC ★★★★
117. Marsupilami: The Beast - Part 1 by Zidrou, translated by Montana Kane ★★★★
118. 'Tis Thee, Not Me: A Modern Medieval Guide to Bad Dates and Worse Decisions by Clarice Tudor, illustrated by the author—BAC ★★1/2

May
119. The Distinctly Competent District Councillor by Jonas Jonasson, translated by Ruth Martin ★★★★
120. Out Law by Jim Butcher ★★★★
121. Muntu by Eugen Bacon ★★
122. Lovers of the Empire Vol. 1 by Yudori ★★★1/2
123. Voices in the Sea Foam by Kotaro, translated by Cat Anderson ★★
124. The Half Life of Valery K by Natasha Pulley—BAC ★★★★1/2
125. Love Bites Vol. 1 by Alicia Wallace, adapted by Ele ★★
126. Event Horizon: Dark Descent by Christian Ward ★★1/2
127. The Lost Book of Lancelot by John Glynn ★★★
128. Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare ★★★★
129. Radiant Star by Ann Leckie ★★★
130. I'll Watch Your Baby by Neena Viel ★★1/2
131. See You In Memories by Pen So, translated by Book Buddy Media ★★★1/2
132. The Power Fantasy Vol. 1 by Kieron Gillen—BAC ★★★★
133. Fish and Water by Gengoroh Tagame, translated by Anne Ishii ★★★★
134. Ermyntrude and Esmeralda by Lytton Strachey, illustrated by Erté—BAC ★★★★
135. The Summer War by Naomi Novik ★★★1/2
136. The Summer Boy by Philippe Besson, translated by Sam Taylor ★★★
137. Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett ★★★
138. Nonesuch by Francis Spufford—BAC ★★★★
139. And Put Away Childish Things by Adrian Tchaikovsky—BAC ★★★★
140. The Ordinary Princess by MM Kaye—★★★★
141. Dad Vs. Evil: A Detroit Tale by William T.D. Feeley ★
142. The Relic of the Frostark by E. J. Venter ★★★★
143. Mr. Moonlight: Brian Epstein and the Making of the Beatles by Philip Norman—BAC ★★★1/2
144. Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks—BAC ★★★1/2
145. Fear City by F. Paul Wilson ★★★1/2

June
146. Bromantasy by Máire Roche ★★
147. So Late in the Day: Stories of Women and Men by Claire Keegan ★★★
148. Ladies of the Knight by Fiona Marchbank—BAC ★★★
149. Fix by JA Konrath, Ann Voss Peterson, and F. Paul Wilson ★★★

Q3

Q4

British Author Challenge

Wildcard: To Be Read
1. The Roman Guide to Slave Management: A Treatise by Nobleman Marcus Sidonius Falx by Jerry Toner ★★★1/2
2. Maurice by EM Forster ★★★★1/2
3. Guardians of the Poor by Jackson Marsh ★★★1/2
4. Talking Classics: The Shock of the Old by Mary Beard ★★★
5. Keepers of the Past by Jackson Marsh ★★★
6. Agents of the Truth by Jackson Marsh ★★★
7. Seeing Through Shadows by Jackson Marsh ★★★
8. Speaking in Silence by Jackson Marsh ★★★
9. Starting with Secrets by Jackson Marsh ★★★1/2
10. The Larkspur Legacy by Jackson Marsh ★★★1/2
11. Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter ★★
12. The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff ★★★★1/2
13. The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley ★★★
14. The Inheritors by William Golding ★★1/2
15. The Power Fantasy Vol. 1 by Kieron Gillen ★★★★
16. Nonesuch by Francis Spufford ★★★★
17. And Put Away Childish Things by Adrian Tchaikovsky ★★★★

January: Cressida Cowell and Richard Adams
1. How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell, read by David Tennant ★★★★
2. How to Be a Pirate by Cressida Cowell, read by David Tennant ★★★★
3. How to Speak Dragonese by Cressida Cowell, read by David Tennant ★★★★
4. How to Cheat a Dragon's Curse by Cressida Cowell, read by David Tennant ★★★★
5. How to Twist a Dragon's Tale by Cressida Cowell, read by David Tennant ★★★★
6. A Hero's Guide to Deadly Dragons by Cressida Cowell, read by David Tennant ★★★★
7. How to Ride a Dragon's Storm by Cressida Cowell, read by David Tennant ★★★★
8. How To Break a Dragon's Heart by Cressida Cowell, read by David Tennant ★★★★1/2

1. The Ship's Cat by Richard Adams ★★★

February: Elizabeth Chadwick and Nevil Shute
1. First Knight: A Novelization by Elizabeth Chadwick ★★★1/2

March: Obscure Works (<300 catalogued)
1. A Hole in the Sky by Peter F. Hamilton ★★★★
2. Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead by KJ Parker ★★★★
3. Pretenders to the Throne of God by Adrian Tchaikovsky ★★★★1/2
4. No Man's Land by Richard K. Morgan ★★★1/2
5. Green City Wars by Adrian Tchaikovsky ★★★1/2
6. Dragon Myths and Legends: Tales of Adventure from Around the World by Samantha Newman, illustrated by Katarzyna Doszla ★★★★
7. How to Fake It In Society by KJ Charles, read by Will Watt ★★★★
8. 'Tis Thee, Not Me: A Modern Medieval Guide to Bad Dates and Worse Decisions by Clarice Tudor, illustrated by the author ★★1/2
9. Event Horizon: Dark Descent by Christian Ward ★★1/2
10. Ermyntrude and Esmeralda by Lytton Strachey, illustrated by Erté ★★★★
11. Mr. Moonlight: Brian Epstein and the Making of the Beatles by Philip Norman ★★★1/2

April: Kit de Waal and Stephen Fry
1. Sweet Pea by Kit de Waal ★★★★

May: MM Kaye and Iain M. Banks
1. Feersum Endjinn by Iain M. Banks ★★★1/2
2. Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks ★★★1/2

1. The Ordinary Princess by MM Kaye ★★★★

British Author Challenge

June: The Stuarts and Interregnum (1603-1714)

July: Natalie Haynes and Mohsin Hamid

August: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala & Melvyn Bragg

September: Xinran and George MacDonald Fraser

October: Monty Python

November: Natasha Pulley and Siegfried Sassoon
1. The Half Life of Valery K by Natasha Pulley ★★★★1/2

December: Jodi Taylor and JRR Tolkien

Roads Less Traveled

January: Chilean Authors
1. The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly by Luis Sepúlveda, illustrated by Chris Sheban, translated by Margaret Sayers Peden ★★★1/2

February: English Speaking Caribbean
Antigua and Barbuda: An Encyclopedia of Gardening for Colored Children by Jamaica Kincaid, illustrated by Kara Walker ★★
The Bahamas:
Barbados:
Belize:
Dominica:
Grenada:
Guyana: The Girl from Lamaha Street by Sharon Maas ★★★1/2
Jamaica:
St. Kitts and Nevis:
St. Lucia:
St. Vincent and the Grenadines:
Trinidad and Tobago: Scarlet Birthright: What They Left Behind by Scarlet Ibis James ★★1/2

March: Mexican Authors
1. Recital of the Dark Verses by Luis Felipe Fabre, translated by Heather Cleary ★★★

April: Hispanic North Americans
1. You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom by Vincent Tirado ★★

May: Brazilian Authors
1. Namibia - Episode 1 by Léo & Rodolphe, translated by Jerome Saincantin ★★★

June: Non-fiction About the Americas

Roads Less Traveled

July: Cuban Authors

August: Franco Caribbean Authors

September: Colombian Authors

October: First Nation North Americans

November: Argentinian Authors
1. Hematite Volume 1: Serenade by Victoria Maderna and Federico Piatti ★★1/2

December: Other Parts of the Continent

I'm only listing the first book I read for a country because I don't want the list to get out of hand.

2020
1. United Kingdom--Weight: The Myth of Atlas and Heracles by Jeanette Winterson
2. South Korea--Tokyo Ueno Station by Yu Miri
3. Equatorial Guinea--La Bastarda by Trifonia Melibea Obono
4. Iran--Women Without Men by Shahrnush Parsipur
5. Brazil--Along the Tapajós by Fernando Vilela
6. United States--Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire
7. Bangladesh--The Gurkha and the Lord of Tuesday by Saad Z. Hossain
8. Poland--Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski
9. Japan--The Heart of Thomas by Moto Hagio
10. Canada--Fifteen Poems by Leonard Cohen
11. Spain--Bowie: An Illustrated Life by María Hesse
12. Nigeria--We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
13. Suriname--The Cost of Sugar by Cynthia McLeod
14. France--The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
15. Taiwan--Notes of a Crocodile by Qiu Miaojin
16. Egypt--Heart of the Night by Naguib Mahfouz
17. Turkmenistan--The Revenge of the Foxes by Ak Welsapar
18. Russia--Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
19. Jamaica--Falling in Love with Hominids by Nalo Hopkinson
20. Rwanda--The Barefoot Woman by Scholastique Mukasonga
21. India--Shubh Diwali! by Chitra Soundar
22. Israel--Bear and Fred: A World War II Story by Iris Argaman
23. China--The Moon Opera by Bi Feiyu
24. Republic of the Congo--Jazz and Palm Wine by Emmanuel Boundzéki Dongala
25. Belgium--Cassio 1. The First Assassin by Stephen Desberg
26. Malaysia--Rupert Wong, Cannibal Chef by Cassandra Khaw
27. New Zealand--Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
28. Sweden--Vei Vol. 1 by Sara Bergmark Elfgren
29. Croatia--Harleen by Stjepan Šejić
30. Botswana--The Silence of the Wilting Skin by Tlotlo Tsamaase
31. Singapore--Farquhar by Joshua Ip
32. North Korea--The Red Years: Forbidden Poems From Inside North Korea by Bandi
33. Australia--Phoresis by Greg Egan
34. Mexico--Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
35. Netherlands--Rampokan Java by Peter van Dongen
36. Barbados--Redemption in Indigo by Karen Lord
37. Madagascar--Beyond the Rice Fields by Naivo
38. Zimbabwe--Running with Mother by Christopher Mlalazi
39. Algeria--The Meursault Investigation by Kamel Daoud
40. Eswatini (formerly Swaziland)--Teaching English in Swaziland: essays on the life of Gordon James Thomas by Sarah Mkhonza
41. Angola--Good Morning Comrades by Ondjaki
42. Italy--Mirka Andolfo's Mercy Vol. 1: The Fair Lady, the Frost and the Fiend by Mirka Andolfo
43. Kenya--The Perfect Nine: The Epic of Gĩkũyũ and Mũmbi by Ngũgĩ wa Thiongʾo
44. Turkey--Soulscape by Bahadir Baruter
45. Switzerland--Lyric Novella by Annemarie Schwarzenbach
46. Germany--Lucky Luke Saddles Up by Mawil
47. Austria--Little Death by Thomas Kriebaum
48. Norway--Peer Gynt by Henrik Ibsen
49. Colombia--The Bitch by Pilar Quintana
50. Argentina--Petite Fleur by Iosi Havilio
51. Ireland--Deadpool vs. Old Man Logan by Declan Shalvey

2021
52. Finland--The Brothers by Asko Sahlberg
53. Burundi--Weep Not, Refugee by Marie-Thérèse Toyi
54. Zambia--The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell
55. Thailand--Arid Dreams: Stories by Duanwad Pimwana
56. Indonesia--The Original Dream by Nukila Amal
57. Cameroon--Black Caps and Red Feathers by John Nkemngong Nkengasong
58. Armenia--Three Apples Fell from the Sky by Narine Abgaryan
59. Côte d'Ivoire--Queen Pokou: Concerto for a Sacrifice by Véronique Tadjo
60. Mauritania--The Desert and the Drum by Mbarek Ould Beyrouk
61. Venezuela--The Caiman by María Eugenia Manrique
62. South Africa--Cape Town Curios by Colin Cloud Dance
63. Mozambique--Rain and Other Stories by Mia Couto
64. Iceland--The Blue Fox by Sjón
65. Chad--Told by Starlight in Chad by Joseph Brahim Seid
66. Djibouti--Naming the Dawn by Abdourahman A. Waberi
67. Uruguay--The Naked Woman by Armonía Somers
68. Sri Lanka--Dressing up with Archchi by Nadishka Aloysius
69. Afghanistan--Earth and Ashes by Atiq Rahimi
70. Libya--Under the Tripoli Sky by Kamal Ben Hameda
71. Albania--Three Elegies for Kosovo by Ismail Kadare
72. Uzbekistan--The Dead Lake by Hamid Ismailov
73. Czech Republic--Animal Adaptations: Unique Body Parts by Radka Píro
74. Ecuador--Crude: A Memoir by Pablo Fajardo and Sophie Tardy-Joubert
75. Kyrgyzstan--Jamila by Chingiz Aĭtmatov

2022
76. Palestine--Describing the Past by Ghassan Zaqtan
77. Yemen--From the Land of Sheba: Tales of the Jews of Yemen collected & edited by S. D. Goitein
78. Syria--The Luzumiyat of Abu'l-Ala by Abū al-ʿAlāʾ al-Maʿarrī
79. Qatar--The Firefly by Ameera H. Al-Naemi
80. Oman--Mah and Me by Ibtihaj Al Harthi
81. Kuwait--The White Nights of Ramadan by Maha Addasi
82. Jordan--The Sandwich Swap by Rania Al Abdullah & Kelly DiPucchio
83. Bahrain--Blood & Moon by M. G. Darwish
84. Iraq--Ibn Fadlan and the land of darkness: Arab travellers in the far north
85. Lebanon--I, the Divine: A Novel in First Chapters by Rabih Alameddine
86. Saudi Arabia--Wolves of the Crescent Moon by Yousef Al-Mohaimeed
87. UAE--The Sand Fish by Maha Gargash
88. Pakistan--A God in Every Stone by Kamila Shamsie
89. Uganda--Waiting: A Novel of Uganda at War by Goretti Kyomuhendo
90. Tunisia--Goat Mountain by Habib Selmi
91. Portugal--The Tale of the Unknown Island by José Saramago
92. Tajikistan--The Sandalwood Box: Folk Tales from Tadzhikistan translated by Katya Sheppard
93. Greece--The Archipelago on Fire - Part 1 by Giorgos Vlachos
94. Kazakhstan--Behind the Silk Curtain by Gulistan Khamzayeva
95. Serbia--Cross to Bear by Marko Stojanović
96. Haiti--Blue by Emmelie Prophète
97. Vietnam--The Secret of Hoa Sen by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
98. Azerbaijan--Ballad of the Stars by G. Altov and Valentina Zhuravlyova
99. Philippines--Juan and the Asuangs: A tale of Philippine ghosts and spirits by José Aruego
100. Guatemala--Barrilete: A Kite for the Day of the Dead by Elisa Amado
101. El Salvador--Magic Dogs of the Volcanoes by Manlio Argueta
102. Benin--The Barefoot book of tropical tales by Raouf Mama
103. Cambodia--Dara's Cambodian New Year by Sothea Chiemruom
104. Laos--Dia's Story Cloth: The Hmong People's Journey of Freedom by Dia Cha
105. Nepal--Dog Named Haku: A Holiday Story from Nepal by Margarita Engle, Amish Karanjit, and Nicole Karanjit
106. Mongolia--My Little Round House by Bolormaa Baasansuren
107. Myanmar--Smile As They Bow by Nu Nu Yi
108. Bhutan--Aunty Mouse: a traditional folktale from Bhutan by Kunzang Choden
109. Panama--Christmas Surprise For Chabelita by Argentina Palacios
110. Cuba--Child of the sun: a Cuban legend by Sandra Martín Arnold
111. Mali--A Gift from Childhood: Memories of an African Boyhood by Baba Wagué Diakité
112. Liberia--Why Leopard has spots : Dan stories from Liberia by Won-Ldy Paye and Margaret H. Lippert
113. Ghana--Sosu's Call by Meshack Asare
114. Chile--The Composition by Antonio Skármeta
115. Bolivia--Waira's First Journey by Eusebio Topooco
116. Tanzania--Shadow Dance by Tololwa M. Mollel

2023
117. Morocco--The Elusive Fox by Muḥammad Zafzāf
118. São Tomé and Príncipe--Island Moors & Native Dance by Gervásio Kaiser
119. Seychelles--Beyond the Horizon by Robert Grandcourt
120. Niger--The Epic of Askia Mohammed performed by Nouhou Malio
121. Samoa--Tales of Polynesia: Folktales from Hawai'i, New Zealand, Tahiti, and Samoa
122. Cabo Verde--WHO AM I? by Bela Monteiro
123. Guinea-Bissau--The Ultimate Tragedy by Abdulai Silá
124. Eritrea--The Conscript: A Novel of Libya’s Anticolonial War by Gebreyesus Hailu
125. CAR--African Tales: Folklore of the Central African Republic collected and translated by Polly Strong
126. DRC--The River in the Belly by Fiston Mwanza Mujila
127. Senegal--The Beggars' Strike by Aminata Sow Fall
128. Sudan--The Wedding of Zein and Other Stories by Tayeb Salih
129. Bulgaria--Natural Novel by Georgi Gospodinov
130. Gabon--Mema by Daniel Mengara
131. Malawi--Smouldering Charcoal by Tiyambe Zeleza
132. Ethiopia--The Afersata by Sahle Sellassie
133. Namibia--Desert December by Dorian Haarhoff
134. South Sudan--There Is a Country: New Fiction from the New Nation of South Sudan edited by Nyuol Lueth Tong
135. Burkina Faso--The Parachute Drop by Norbert Zongo
136. Somalia--The Last Nomad: Coming of Age in the Somali Desert by Shugri Said Salh
137. The Gambia--Folk Tales and Fables from the Gambia: Volume 1 by Dembo Fanta Bojang and Sukai Mbye Bojang
138. Togo--The Shadow of Things to Come by Kossi Efoui
139. Comoros--The Kaffir of Karthala by Mohamed A. Toihiri
140. Mauritius--Eve Out of Her Ruins by Ananda Devi
141. Romania--Whisper of the Woods by Ennun Ana Iurov
142. Western Sahara--Settled Wanderers: The Poetry of Western Sahara by Sam Berkson and Muhammad Sulaiman
143. Guinea--The Dark Child by Camara Laye
144. Ukraine--Who Will Make the Snow? by Taras Prokhasko & Marjana Prokhasko
145. Lesotho--Chaka by Thomas Mofolo
146. Sierra Leone--Hand on the Navel by Lemuel Johnson

2024
147. Hungary--Story of the Everything, the Nothing, and Other Strange Stories by Gyula Gábor Tóth
148. Denmark--What Kingdom by Fine Gråbøl
149. Estonia--Between Two Sounds: Arvo Pärt's Journey to His Musical Language by Joonas Sildre
150. Slovakia--We're Off to the Forest by Katarína Macurová
151. Montenegro--The Son by Andrej Nikolaidis

2025
152. Luxembourg--The Pleasure of Drowning by Jean Bürlesk
153. Monaco--My Book of Flowers by Princess Grace of Monaco and Gwen Robyns
154. Kiribati--Waa In Storms by Teweiariki Teaero
155. Kosovo--Glimmer of Hope, Glimmer of Flame by Ag Apolloni
156. Latvia--The Horses of Atgazene Station by Inga Ābele
157. Georgia--The Knight in the Panther Skin by Shota Rustaveli
158. Liechtenstein--Liechtenstein National Museum: The Permanent Exhibition edited by Hansjörg Frommelt & Norbert W. Hasler
159. Moldova--Set in Stone by Stela Brinzeanu
160. Belarus--King Stakh’s Wild Hunt by Uladzimir Karatkevich
161. Bosnia and Herzegovina--Death in the Museum of Modern Art by Alma Lazarevska
162. Lithuanian--The Fox on the Swing by Evelina Daciūtė
163. Cyprus--Census by Panos Ioannides
164. N Macedonia--Homunculus: Fairy Tales from the Left Pocket by Aleksandar Prokopiev
165. Dominica--The Snake King of the Kalinago by Grade 6 of Atkinson School, Dominica
166. Peru--Fonchito y la Luna by Mario Vargas Llosa
167. Solomon Islands--Cruising through the Reverie by John Selwyn Saunana
168. Tonga--Marbles and Mangoes/Mapu Moe Mango by Sione Tapani Mangisi
169. Fiji—Sunrise to the Coup: A Collection of Short Stories by Joseph Veramu
170. Andorra—The Teacher of Cheops by Albert Salvadó
171. Vatican City—Dear Pope Francis: The Pope Answers Letters from Children Around the World
172. East Timor—The Crossing: A Story of East Timor by Luís Cardoso
173. Malta—Confidential Reports by Immanuel Mifsud
174. Slovenia—Three Loves, One Death by Evald Flisar
175. San Marino—The Republic of San Marino by Charles de Bruc

2026
176. Dominican Republic—Papi by Rita Indiana
177. Guyana—The Girl from Lamaha Street by Sharon Maas
178. Trinidad and Tobago—Scarlet Birthright: What They Left Behind by Scarlet Ibis James
179. Antigua and Barbuda—An Encyclopedia of Gardening for Colored Children by Jamaica Kincaid

reserved

reserved

Welcome back, Amanda! Congrats on being the first in!

>13 drneutron: Thank you for setting up the group again!

Merriest of 2026s, Amanda!

>15 richardderus: And the same to you!

I am glad but of course not surprised that one of my besties is back for 2026.

>10 amanda4242: You have almost got them all done. This year you might get the other 20 or so needed.

>17 PaulCranswick: I don't think there was ever a doubt about either of us joining!

I'll definitely finish off the Americas next year, thanks to your upcoming challenge, but I may not get through the Pacific islands.

Happy reading 2026, Amanda!

>19 Kristelh: And happy reading to you!

Happy New Year, Amanda. You are doing great reading through the world. I will use you as an inspiration! I hope 2026 is a great year for you.

>21 BLBera: Thanks, and happy New Year to you!

New Year greetings from Kuala Lumpur. My project is at least physically completed and an addition to the city scape.

Look forward to keeping up with you in 2026

>23 PaulCranswick: I expect you'll remember to visit my thread more often then I do!

Happy New Year.

Hi, Amanda. Happy New Year!

You have a very interesting list of books from around the world at the top of your thread. Thanks for the suggestions.

>25 ffortsa: Happy New Year!

Wow! Impressive world reading!!

>27 Berly: Thank you! And Happy New Year!

1. How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell, read by David Tennant

It was rainy and windy here today, so I decided to lounge around in my fuzzy jammies and listen to one of my favorite audiobooks.

2. Flip Flip Slowly by Mame Ohtako, translated by Adrienne Beck

A romantic relationship grows between a librarian and a customer.

It's so refreshing to find a book where love is built between characters instead of happening instantaneously. It was lovely to see Hagiwara's and Yabumi's love develop as they get to know each other, and it made the sex scene in the bonus chapter that much more satisfying.

I'd happily read more books by this author.

Received via NetGalley.

3. The Roman Guide to Slave Management: A Treatise by Nobleman Marcus Sidonius Falx by Jerry Toner

An informative and entertaining read. Each chapter is written in the voice of Marcus Sidonius Falx, a slave-owning Roman citizen, and is presented like an "insider's" view on the laws, customs, and attitudes about slavery in the Roman Empire; at the end of the chapter is Toner's commentary, where he expands on some bits and gives his sources for the chapter's topic.

I started Shardik today and I am already about 20% in and really enjoying it.

4. Papi by Rita Indiana, translated by Achy Obejas

An eight-year-old girl rattles on for ~150 pages about her deadbeat/criminal father.

5. How to Be a Pirate by Cressida Cowell, read by David Tennant

Books two establishes the quest that will continue for the rest of the series, and introduces the main villain. Another thrilling entry.

6. The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox by Katrina Kwan

In this East Asian-inspired fantasy, a fox demon and a demon hunter must work together to escape Hell.

I truly enjoyed aspects of this book: the story is intriguing, the two leads are solid, and there are many scenes with amazing descriptions. However, I don't think the book worked as well as a whole as it should have.

Despite having many of the parts to make a great book, I don't think they are fitted together in a way that makes a truly satisfying read: the world-building isn't strong, the supporting characters aren't well developed, and transitions between scenes are abrupt. The feeling I got while reading was akin to looking at an intricately sketched picture that was filled in like it was a paint by numbers.

Although I don't think The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox lives up to its potential, I believe Katrina Kwan is a writer with potential and I hope continues to develop her skills.

Received via NetGalley.

7. The Compendium of Srem by F. Paul Wilson

A short novella from The Secret History of the World series about a mysterious book.

This one reads kind of like a filler, but Wilson manages to balance the historical setting with the needs of his series pretty well.

8. Maurice by EM Forster

Re-reading for a group. My original review still stands. https://www.librarything.com/work/2156487/reviews/80392895

9. Something Is Killing the Children Vol. 9 by James Tynion IV

Volume nine returns to Erica Slaughter's past, showing her well into her apprenticeship with Jessica Slaughter.

Erica's young life has been full of horror and tragedy, forcing her to take on responsibilities well beyond her years; in this volume we see her taking on even more as she has become the caretaker for her alcoholic mentor.

This series continues to impress me with its well-rounded characters. I care about what happens to the characters, which makes the horrors they endure all the worse.

Received via NetGalley.

See you are reading up a storm as usual, Amanda. 9 books already!

>36 PaulCranswick: Short books at the start of the year to make me look good!

Hope your week is going well.

10. The Devil's Beloved by Zwahk Muchoney

Exiled goblin king Badinel decides to write erotic M/M angel romance.

The parts that are about Badinel are goofy and kind of fun, while his angel porn book is, unsurprisingly, ridiculously bad. I'm undecided if I'm going to read book two.

11. Guardians of the Poor by Jackson Marsh

First book in the Larkspur Mysteries. I like the characters and found the story engaging enough.

12. Talking Classics: The Shock of the Old by Mary Beard

Mary Beard's knowledge of her subject is clearly vast, and she has many fascinating things to say about the history, the uses, the abuses, and the future of the study of Ancient Greece and Rome. However, reading this book sometimes felt like a chore: it started as a series of lectures, and it often felt like she wasn't coming to a point.

Overall, I do appreciate what Beard is saying, but I just don't think she said it very well here.

Received via NetGalley.

13. Wardenclyffe by F. Paul Wilson

A very good horror novella. The Lovecraft influence is strong, but it works perfectly with Wilson's Secret History.

I'm really glad that this was not the first book I'd ever read in the series. As someone who already has knowledge of later events it was great to see the Lady, the Order of Septimus, and even the chew wasps; however, if I didn't already know their roles, I could easily see myself dismissing this as tantalizing, but incomplete.

14. Kill 6 Billion Demons: Book One by Tom Parkinson-Morgan

A young woman trying to have sex with her boyfriend is interrupted by otherworldly beings and ends up on a mystical quest.

The art in this one is impressive, and shows an impressive world. Unfortunately the writing is not of the same caliber: the story is confusing as hell and there are a lot of infodumps about the world's dense cosmology.

I like that art enough that I'll pick up the next volume in hope that the writing improves.

Received via NetGalley.

15. She Waits Where Shadows Gather by Michelle Tang

Married couple Avery and Carlos travel to the Philippines to help Carlos's parents try to sell what turns out to be a haunted house.

Michelle Tang draws on the rich folklore of the Philippines for the horror aspects of this novel. Reading about the different traditions of witchcraft, monsters, and protection rituals was fascinating, and could have made this a compelling horror novel if Tang hadn't buried it all beneath the soap opera of an unhappy marriage.

So much time is spent on Avery and Carlos blaming each other for their misery that I often forgot this is supposed to be a horror story. The most horrific thing about the majority of the book is that the two leads have been married for years and apparently never had a frank conversation with each other.

The bulk of the supernatural aspects are dealt with at the end of the book in a way that is deeply unsatisfying; it's rushed through and very much a case of telling rather than showing.

Received via NetGalley.

4 Cressida Cowell books already, Amanda. From my own more fleeting experience I would say that she is a YA author who knows how to tell a story to the right audience.

>40 PaulCranswick: I've only read the one series, but I would say that's a fair assessment.

>41 amanda4242: Well I started the later series and I am not sure that I'll read all of them but I wouldn't rule it out.

>42 PaulCranswick: Willingness to pick up a second book by the same author usually speaks well of their skills.

>43 amanda4242: Yes, as does willingness to pick up three more!

>44 PaulCranswick: lol!

Hope that you have had a productive weekend, my friend.

>46 PaulCranswick: Read some books, wrote some reviews, and stayed out of the fog as much as possible...maybe not productive, but enjoyable!

>47 amanda4242: Depends on definition but it sounds pretty productive to me!

>48 PaulCranswick: :)

16. How to Speak Dragonese by Cressida Cowell, read by David Tennant

17. The Girl from Lamaha Street by Sharon Maas

18. The Squire and His Prince by Briar Niran

This was a joy to read! It's an engaging blend of courtly life, drama, and politics, with a dollop of magic and hints of romance. And the characters are beautifully realized people who were a pleasure to get to know. I'm eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.

Received via NetGalley.

19. Keepers of the Past by Jackson Marsh

20. Everything Dead & Dying by Tate Brombal

Just when I thought zombie stories were done and had nowhere left to go, Tate Brombal comes along and proves me wrong.

Through five heart-shattering issues, we are shown a man desperately clinging to his former life after he is, seemingly, the only person left uninfected by a zombie plague that struck a dozen years before. As he continues his unvarying routine we're shown flashbacks of his life before, juxtaposing his devotion to his family in death with his sometimes careless behavior in life.

Received via NetGalley.

21. How to Cheat a Dragon's Curse by Cressida Cowell, read by David Tennant

22. Black Wind by F. Paul Wilson

This one had me itching to revise it. I liked it, but I really wanted it to have a stronger connection to the mythology of the series: like, where did the sword come from? Did the instructions for the Black Wind originate in the Compendium of Srem? Did the cult have any connection to the Order of Septimus?

23. No Man's Land by Szymon Kudrański

It's 1963 and there's been a murder in the middle of the ice bridge that connects US and Soviet territory; the FBI and KGB both investigate, with the specter of the Cold War haunting the search for the killer.

First, the opening text sets the perfect tone: there's a chilling irony in not being sure if it's speaking of the US, the Soviet Union, or both. The art does a magnificent job of maintaining the feeling, with its grey impressionistic look.

Where the book fumbles is in the actual story. It works well for three issues, but then in the fourth and final part everything is neatly tied up. The ending feels completely unearned.

Received via NetGalley.

24. Battlestar Galactica: Six by J. T. Krul

The art is pretty good and the story is a decent addendum to the Battlestar Galactica reboot, but Six's journey seems...simplistic.

Received via NetGalley.

25. The Keep by F. Paul Wilson

One heck of a horror novel! The mounting fear, the ethical dilemmas, and the epic showdown were all grand. The only thing I *really* didn't like was how Magda was little more than a sex object for most of the book; she had all the traits necessary to be an interesting character, but barring the end where she's whacking zombie Nazis with the hilt, she's mostly there to either be nearly raped or say "yes, Papa."

26. Agents of the Truth by Jackson Marsh

27. George Falls Through Time by Ryan Collett

George's life is at a low ebb: he's lost his job, his boyfriend moved out, and he can't even get his name sorted out on his utilities bills. When two of the dogs he's walking to earn some semblance of a wage run off, he hits rock bottom...and finds that he's fallen over seven hundred years back in time.

Getting stuck in the fourteenth may be the best thing that could have happened to George.

Let's get one thing clear: George is not a pleasant character. He's whiny, shallow, and bad at taking responsibility. However, being stripped of all the distractions of twenty-first century life forces him to take a long, hard look at himself; he doesn't much like what he sees, either.

Yes, the book has time travel and a dragon—and a pretty cool dragon, too—but this is very much a story of George's journey towards becoming a better person, and I am in favor of books where characters experience actual personal growth. George doesn't suddenly become a sterling example of humanity, but the changes his internal and external struggles force him to undergo make him ready for a better path forward.

Side note: I like the cover, but it really isn't representative of the type of story being told.

Received via NetGalley.

28. The Witch by Marie NDiaye, translated by Jordan Stump

This is a very different book than what the publisher's description promises. It is the pathetic ramblings of a woman who sticks like superglue to her banal existence. It is a litany of miseries trying to pass itself off as insight into the human condition.

Received via NetGalley.

29. The Ship's Cat by Richard Adams

30. Seeing Through Shadows by Jackson Marsh

31. Feersum Endjinn by Iain M. Banks

I'm normally against infodumps, but I honestly believe Feersum Endjinn could have benefited from one or two.

I was able to follow the multiple POV sections with little difficulty, but felt completely adrift trying to form any sort of sense about the larger world and purpose of the book. I got there in the end, but the journey was exhausting.

Oh, and one quarter of the book is written phonetically. People who are willing to read aloud or who are adept at deciphering the meaning of the average social media post will have the most luck with those sections.

Received via NetGalley.

32. Ian Fleming's James Bond: Casino Royale adapted by Van Jensen

Casino Royale is a strange choice for a graphic novel adaptation since much of the action takes place at tables and the tension is over the turn of a card. It's a story that requires imagination and skill to adapt effectively; sadly, this book shows neither.

This is less a graphic novel than it is an illustrated abridgment of novel. There's no effort to use the art to help tell the story; instead, large chunks of Fleming's prose are superimposed over bland drawings. It feels amateurish.

Skip this book and read the original instead—it's short and can be read in about the same amount of time it would take to watch the movie.

Received via NetGalley.

33. How to Twist a Dragon's Tale by Cressida Cowell, read by David Tennant

34. Alcyon 1 - Harmony's Necklace by Richard Marazano, translated by Jeremy Melloul

Two teens go on a quest to find a legendary necklace they hope will save their homeland.

This was an entertaining Greek myth-inspired adventure story. It's fast-paced and the lead characters are fun. I'll be reading volume two.

Received via NetGalley.

35. Fabulous Creatures: Legendary Animals from Around the World by Cornelia Funke, illustrated by Ruby Warnecke, translated by Anna Schmitt Funke

Well, this one is a delight!

In this picture book for young children, Cornelia Funke provides text for Ruby Warnecke's gorgeous, vivid illustrations of legendary creatures. I was so pleased that the "Around the World" part of the subtitle is accurate: rather than just rehash the some Greek mythological creatures with a token Asian or American one thrown in, this book includes animals from every continent and gives a bit of information about their legends.

My one complaint is that the text was sometimes a bit twee for me, but I'm sure the target audience will love it.

Received via NetGalley.

36. The Dreaded Pox: Sex and Disease in Early Modern London by Olivia Weisser

This a look at the impact of social diseases on society. Weisser discusses how rampant venereal diseases affected not only medical practices and societal attitudes towards disease, but also how even laws and fashion were shaped by them.

This is a bit more academic than popular non-fiction, but those willing to put a little effort into reading will gain a great deal of knowledge—and will most like come to the sad conclusion that while diseases change, people do not.

Received via NetGalley.

37. The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly by Luis Sepúlveda, illustrated by Chris Sheban, translated by Margaret Sayers Peden

38. A Hero's Guide to Deadly Dragons by Cressida Cowell, read by David Tennant

39. A Hole in the Sky by Peter F. Hamilton

Generation ships, culling people, and societies built on deception are hardly new topics for science fiction, but Peter F. Hamilton uses these ideas to craft an extremely well told story. It was a true pleasure to read a book written with consideration for how the setting would have been created, and to see the characters gain knowledge and actually consider the implications of what they learn.

I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in book two.

Received via NetGalley.

That is an impressive reading month, Amanda

>55 PaulCranswick: it’s because she’s shelters from all the fog.

>55 PaulCranswick: Thanks!

>56 blackdogbooks: This is true.

40. The Found Object Society by Michelle Maryk

A woman whose parents died tragically twenty years ago receives a mysterious offer to experience the deaths of people from across time.

This is not a redemption story or a cautionary tale. This is the story of a stupid, shallow, and entitled person who, unwilling to change herself, spends obscene amounts of money so she can get a rush from parasitizing the past.

I am annoyed with myself for not dumping this book after fifty pages.

Received via NetGalley.

>59 amanda4242: I always like it when you are not sure about a book!

>60 PaulCranswick: lol!

Believe it or not, that's the *nice* version. There used to be a rant about how this super-rich twit made me understand why French peasants cheered when aristocrats were guillotined, and that by the end of the book I was ready to start seizing the means of production.

>61 amanda4242: That would be in the list of which books influenced you the most!

My great influence from a political point of view as a young man was the socialist politician Tony Benn who was principled if not always right. I worked in his election campaign in the Chesterfield Bi-election when he was returned to Parliament in 1984.

>62 PaulCranswick: I'm unlikely to take up socialism, but I would be tempted to start rallying the proletariat if I met anyone in real life who's like the main character of that book.

>63 amanda4242: I have moved quite some way from my youthful agitation days too!

>64 PaulCranswick: Agitating would cut into valuable reading time!

Stats

Books
new reads: 31
re-reads: 8
British Author Challenge: 16
Roads Less Traveled: 3

Original language:
English: 33
French: 2
German: 1
Japanese: 1
Spanish: 2

Translations: 6

From
Kindle Unlimited: 6
Kobo Plus: 3
Library: 3
NetGalley: 15
Open Library: 1
Shelves: 11

pages read: 7,314 pages
audiobook hours: 19 hours 25 minutes
average rating: 3.37 stars

Authors
female: 15 books by 10 authors
male: 21 books by 16 authors
N/A (multiple authors, unknown, etc.): 3 books

Nationalities
American: 9
British: 16
Canadian: 3
Chilean: 1
Dominican Republic: 1
French: 2
German: 1
Guyanese: 1
Japanese: 1
N/A (unknown, multiple authors, etc.): 3
Polish: 1

41. Kei X Yaku: Bound by Law 9 by Yoshie Kaoruhara, translated by Kevin Steinbach

42. Speaking in Silence by Jackson Marsh
43. Starting with Secrets by Jackson Marsh
44. The Larkspur Legacy by Jackson Marsh

Finished off The Larkspur Mysteries. The series is unlikely to ever take the world by storm, but I liked it enough to read all of it and to look for more works by the author.

45. Reborn by F. Paul Wilson

For a book where most of the action takes place at the end, it's a surprisingly effective thriller. I thought the "abort the antichrist" scene was both horrifying to read and an eminently practical solution to how to stop evil from entering the world. I'm left wondering if the creators of South Park read this book before writing "Woodland Critter Christmas."

46. Secret Histories by F. Paul Wilson

And I'm finally to Repairman Jack! From a technical standpoint, I think Jack is written too much like a shorter version of his older self, but that doesn't stop me from liking the book. And Weezy is there to remind me that Wilson did get better at writing female characters.

47. Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead by KJ Parker

Two clerics are sent to assassinate a princess at an ecumenical conference. Things don't go quite the way they were supposed to.

If you like unreliable narrators, cynicism, long games, histories of invented worlds, and morally dubious characters, then this book is for you. I love all of those things and am looking forward to reading book two.

Received via NetGalley.

48. Sunstone Volume 1 by Stjepan Šejić

What is this? A romance where the relationship is built on trust and mutual respect? I feel like I've discovered a unicorn!

Sunstone isn't my usual genre, but I found the characters' awkward nerdiness endearing and wound up invested in their relationship.

I do think the writing is a bit wordy and the quality of the art is occasionally uneven, but on the whole I really liked this unconventional romance and wouldn't mind reading the next volume.

Received via NetGalley.

49. How to Ride a Dragon's Storm by Cressida Cowell, read by David Tennant

50. Secret Circles by F. Paul Wilson

51. The Witcher {graphic novel} by Andrzej Sapkowski, adapted by Aleksandra Zielińska, translated by Stefan Kiełbasiewicz

Another cash grab. I don't know why I still bother.

52. Elecboy Volume 1: Birth by Jaouen Salaün, translated by Edward Gauvin

This one starts well, with a really cool battle between creatures without fixed shape, but then turns into a bog-standard story of a pocket of civilization in a post-apocalyptic world.

The writing isn't bad and the art is good, but I'm not seeing anything novel or special here that makes me want to seek out volume two.

Received via NetGalley.

53. "Diane...": The Twin Peaks Tapes of Agent Cooper by Scott Frost, read by Kyle MacLachlan

Reading A Place Both Wonderful and Strange: The Extraordinary Untold History of Twin Peaks has made me want to rewatch the series; since I don't have time right now to binge watch the series, I tracked down this short audiobook. It's clips from the show interspersed with original material and has, temporarily, scratched that Twin Peaks itch.

54. The Author Immortal Volume 1: Death of the Author by Frank J. Barbiere

A disgraced author hires a skeezy academic to help her reboot an obscure series of fantasy novels; the academic and his surly teenage kid get sucked into a fantasy realm while on a research trip.

Where to start? The story lacks originality; the writing is mediocre; the art, while good, seems more appropriate to a middle grade fantasy title; and the characters are so insufferable that I kept hoping monsters would eat them—slowly.

My time would have been far more pleasurably spent revisiting The Magicians.

Received via NetGalley.

>69 amanda4242: I like the snarky reviews a lot.

>70 blackdogbooks: Thanks! I'm most eloquent when I'm annoyed with a book.

55. The Twin Soul of Alexander by Lawrence M. Scheier

Boring. Jealousy and bed hopping doesn't suddenly become interesting just because Alexander the Great is in the story.

56. First Knight: A Novelization by Elizabeth Chadwick

Chadwick's really good at describing setting and action sequences. The dialog's a little clonky sometimes, but that's not her fault. Reading it reminded me that the movie's biggest problem is casting; why anyone thought Richard Gere should play Lancelot is beyond me.

57. The Princess Away Beyond the Mountains by Valeria Angela Pisi, illustrated by Francesc Rovira, translated by Cecilia Ross

This book is a treasure! It shows the danger of making assumptions, the importance of standing up for yourself, and the bonds of friendship.

The wonderful story and the superb illustrations make this a great book for anyone who wants a picture book about a princess who doesn't need saving.

Received via NetGalley.

58. Star Trek: Red Shirts by Christopher Cantwell

Christopher Cantwell takes the nameless people in red who are always the first to die on away missions and gives them names, backstories, hopes, fears, and dreams—and then kills them.

There's a cynicism running through this title that completely turned me off. I do tend to like the darker, morally complex Trek stories, but this one is so devoid of hope it should be called Star Trek: Grimdark.

Received via NetGalley.

59. Hematite Volume 1: Serenade by Victoria Maderna and Federico Piatti

The worldbuilding in this one is kind of cool, with humans and all sorts of monsters living side by side, but strip away the trappings and the story is garden-variety teenage drama.

I do love the art, which has a surprisingly warm color palate for a horror title.

Received via NetGalley.

60. I Met Shiro In a Hidden World by Joanne Chiang

A teenager visiting her grandmother steps through a gate into a magical world and meets a talking snake.

That one sentence summary up there? That pretty much sums up the entire book. I know the book's only ~120 pages long, but the story's pretty thin even for the short page count.

The characters are no more well developed than the story. The protagonist is supposed to be eighteen, but she comes across like a polite eight-year-old.

I won't be on the lookout for volume two.

Received via NetGalley.

61. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight translated by Simon Armitage

62. Weavingshaw by Heba Al-Wasity

A young woman desperate to save her brother cuts a dangerous deal with a man who trades in secrets.

Weavingshaw's greatest flaw is that it is so freaking slow. It did pick up eventually, but the first half often had me asking myself why I was still reading.

It is also incredibly wordy. It would have been fine if the word count was contributing to character development, atmosphere, etc., but it just felt like it was in service of page count.

Despite my criticisms, I did find the story intriguing and am curious enough to want to read book two.

Received via NetGalley.

63. Pretenders to the Throne of God by Adrian Tchaikovsky

The Palleseen's conquest has been delayed by an ongoing siege of a city built on the back of a dead god. The cracks in the Pal army are showing, but so too are those in the uneasy alliance between the factions holding the city.

I continue to be not just impressed, but positively astounded by the Tyrant Philosophers series. Tchaikovsky's ability to balance the specific—the stories of individual characters, each book in the series—with the broad—the full story of the book, the overarching story being told in the series—is masterful.

I'm excited to see where the next book will go.

Received via NetGalley.

64. The First Step by Tao Wong

A farmer conscripted into the army is invited to join a prestigious cultivation sect after distinguishing himself.

The First Step draws heavily from Chinese xianxia novels, a genre that draws from Chinese mythology and involves martial artists whose training involves intense spiritual discipline. Tao Wong does a very good job of explaining the concepts of the genre without leaving the reader feeling overwhelmed.

This is another story of an underdog who triumphs over snobby rich kids via hard work and dedication. I never doubted that the hero, Long Wu Ying, would succeed, but I enjoyed reading about his journey and I look forward to reading his further adventures.

Received via NetGalley.

Stats

Books
new reads: 51
re-reads: 13
British Author Challenge: 23
Roads Less Traveled: 4

Original language:
English-Middle: 1
English-Modern: 52
French: 4
German: 1
Italian: 1
Japanese: 2
Polish: 1
Spanish: 2

Translations: 12

From
Kindle Unlimited: 10
Kobo Plus: 3
Library: 7
NetGalley: 27
Open Library: 1
Shelves: 16

pages read: 13,284 pages
audiobook hours: 23 hours 58 minutes
average rating: 3.30 stars

Authors
female: 22 books by 16 authors
male: 35 books by 24 authors
N/A (multiple authors, unknown, etc.): 7 books

Nationalities
American: 16
British: 23
Canadian: 5
Chilean: 1
Croatian: 1
Dominican Republic: 1
French: 3
German: 1
Guyanese: 1
Italian: 1
Japanese: 2
N/A (unknown, multiple authors, etc.): 8
Polish: 1

Wow, you've read so much already Amanda.

It really is impressive. And a couple snark reviews, which always bring a chuckle.

>75 Kristelh: There was a lot of rain and fog keeping me indoors.

>76 blackdogbooks: Authors who insult my intelligence deserve what they get.

I love to read snarky reviews!

>79 Kristelh: I won't say I love to write them because that means I've suffered through a crappy book, but there is something satisfying about venting.

>80 amanda4242: I usually abandon the book before I've wasted that much time and get robbed of a snark review - but I got one recently with Fix, Rescue, Free - except for the Jack, quite horrible!

>81 blackdogbooks: I need to get better at throwing in the towel, but sometimes there's just enough good stuff for me to keep believing it might get better.

65. Prince Abaddon by Zwahk Muchoney

Exiled goblin king Badinel continues to write over-the-top angel porn.

I find myself charmed by the story of Badinel's life in the mortal realm, from his put-upon retainers to his losses at the hands of sock stealing demons.

The OTT angel porn is...OTT angel porn; however, if we read between the lines of Badinel's descriptions of angel/angel lovin', we can infer that he is both horny and desperate for true romantic companionship.

This isn't the type of book I normally read, but I do find myself wanting to see what else Badinel gets up to.

66. Another One Bites the Past by Vladimir Provorov

The manager of an unnamed—but instantly recognizable—band starts having the disconcerting feeling reality is not behaving the way it's supposed to.

This science fiction novella has a lot of descriptions of the technical aspects of live rock concerts, and a dash of philosophical musings about the nature of reality and consciousness. You can read this and be left thinking, "Oh, okay. And?" or you can pull up a video of a live Queen performance on the biggest screen with the best sound system you can wrangle and be ensorcelled.

Received via NetGalley.

67. The Relic of the Wildwood by E. J. Venter

A princess desperate to hear the voice of her goddess is sent on a quest to gather relics needed to save her kingdom from an encroaching threat.

For nearly half of the book I would have called the pace sedate, but at about the forty percent mark I realized it was slowly building to increasing stakes. A little unusual to drag it out that long, but not unpleasant.

The world building is not overly complex, but it's well thought out. The characters could have used a touch more personality, but they're solid and, most importantly, not annoying.

I'm looking forward to seeing where the series goes.

Received via NetGalley.

68. Dune: Edge of a Crysknife by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson

The backstory of Shadout Mapes, a minor character from Dune.

I really should know by now to only read Dune books written by Frank Herbert. This title wasn't as bad as others, but the dialog is bad, the story makes the Fremen seem like fools, and the art looks like it came from a 1990s' animated TV series that was cancelled after three episodes.

Received via NetGalley.

>76 blackdogbooks: Another dedicated fan of the snarky reviews.

68 book thus far is really impressive.

>84 PaulCranswick: 68 book thus far is really impressive.

Short books and bad weather.

>85 amanda4242: Your numbers often seem to defy the weather, Amanda.

>86 PaulCranswick: If it's not soggy and miserable, then it's hot and miserable, so I always have an excuse to stay in and read a lot!

>83 amanda4242: I have a different Dune rule - never read any other Dune books except the original.

>88 blackdogbooks: That's probably a better rule.

>88 blackdogbooks: & >89 amanda4242: I should probably introduce a motivational slogan to myself - GET ON THE DUNE BANDWAGON, BUT MAKE SURE IT IS THE RIGHT WAGON TRAIN.

>90 PaulCranswick: lol!

Dune is demanding and, even for a scifi fan, kind of a slog sometimes, but the first book is worth reading at least once.

>91 amanda4242: Interesting, the one and only original didn't feel sluggish to me. But I firmly stop myself anytime I see a sequel book on the shelves of a bookstore.

>91 amanda4242: Back to work today and slowly getting back into the threads, Amanda. It seems to have been quiet these last few days.

>93 PaulCranswick: Been busy reading. :)

Congratulations on whizzing past 75 books already by the way.

>95 PaulCranswick: Thanks!

At your snarkiest best for one of the recent reviews - loved it.

>97 blackdogbooks: Thanks!

>97 blackdogbooks: So true that. It is an artform - the put down in a sentence or two at the most!

>99 PaulCranswick: Authors who waste my valuable reading time deserve a good swipe.

69. The Raven and the Songbird by Zwahk Muchoney

Angel Rideriel has survived the abuses he suffered when he first entered Hell and is now ruling the place with Heaven's mandate. Thanks to the...ardent efforts of his lover and the royal concubines, Rideriel is discovering it's good to be the king.

This is unashamed and exuberant angel/demon porn. It's not my kink, but I can appreciate the enthusiasm and enjoy the way the characters are written.

I did miss seeing Badinel in this installment, but I understand he'll be back for book four.

Received via the author.

70. The Demon Overlord's Retirement Plan by M. H. Foster
72. Love, Politics, and Other Acts of War by M. H. Foster

This series was recommended in one of Jodi Taylor's newsletters, and I'm glad I gave it a try! I had a blast reading it and am looking forward to book three.

71. Honey Bee & Lemon Balm 1 by Jil Hashikura, translated by Adrienne Beck

A former yakuza member who is fresh out of prison trips over a florist and finds himself falling in love.

If anyone in real life acted the way these characters do I'd probably run the other direction. However, this has such a super sweet hearts and flowers vibe to it that I can put up with the characters' nonsense with just a bit of an eye roll.

I wouldn't say I loved this book, but I'm rooting for the main characters and want to see their story continue.

Received via NetGalley.

73. The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant & Blood on the Neck of the Cat by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, translated by Anthony Vivis

It can be a hard thing to judge a play by reading the script: without an actor to give voice to the writing, the words often just sit as dead things on the page. Unfortunately, that was my experience of reading these two short plays.

In The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant I found the characters selfish and malicious and Blood on the Neck of the Cat left me feeling like I was standing in the middle of a crowd being overwhelmed by other people's conversations.

These two plays might be brilliant when they're performed, but I can't recommend them as reading material.

Received via NetGalley.

74. Grief Is the Thing With Feathers by Max Porter

Would have been great if it didn't have the bloody bird.

75. The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan, read by Rory Barnett and Imogen Church

An immortal monster hunter is called to fight the Beast of Gévaudan.

Wow! Debut author Cameron Sullivan manages to balance multiple timelines and POVs, while also writing memorable characters and telling one hell of a horror story. I was swept up by this book and did not want it to end.

The Narrators

Rory Barnett did a good job as the primary narrator. He spoke clearly and conveyed emotion well. I didn't particularly care for his accents, but that's a minor quibble.

I did not care for Imogen Church's reading. She alternated between sounding like a cackling fishwife and bellowing like a third-rate Shakespearean actor. Fortunately her sections were few and brief.

My rating of the audiobook is three and a half stars, but I'm going to bump that up to the four stars I'm sure it would have been had I read this in print.

Received via NetGalley.

76. Escape Volume 1 by Rick Remender

A bomber pilot shot down behind enemy lines must evade capture to complete his mission.

I'm not sure why Remender thought it would be a good idea to write a World War Two story with anthropomorphic animals. He writes that it's "a stark look at the cost everyone pays in war, from the righteous pilots and innocent civilians to the generations that follow"; however, everything he says in this book has been said countless times before and with far more skill.

I doubt I'll bother reading the next volume.

Received via NetGalley.

77. Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler by Susana M. Morris

Butler herself gets lost in this biography as Morris spends more time discussing the social climate and summarizing Butler's novels than she does in covering her life.

78. Recital of the Dark Verses by Luis Felipe Fabre, translated by Heather Cleary

79. No Man's Land by Richard K. Morgan

Primeval forests have suddenly returned to Europe in the aftermath of World War One. A veteran with a dark past makes his living by rescuing children stolen by the creatures who inhabit the Forest.

This isn't quite the book I was expecting. I thought there would be exploration of why the Forest had appeared and the purpose of the child thieving; instead, it's more action focused, with a lot of human scheming going on in the background. I did enjoy the book, but it took me a little while to adjust my expectations.

I'm knocking the book half a star for the ending, which feels too tidy.

There are clearly more stories that could be told in this world, and I hope Morgan writes them someday.

Received via NetGalley.

80. All These Worlds by Dennis E. Taylor

The plot threads of the Bobiverse are tied up.

The problem I had with the first two books in the series is still present in the third: despite raising myriad questions about planetary colonization, alien contact, ethics, existence, etc., the questions are not explored in any meaningful way. Heck, even practical matters are often hand-waved off-screen.

I did enjoy reading these books and they inspired much pondering, but I wish the author himself had spent more time pondering and less trying to think up ways to show how clever the Bobs are.

I am interested in reading the next two books in the series; I just hope that they will have a little more depth now that the world is well established and the major plot threads of the first three books are finished.

Received via NetGalley.

81. Trad Wife by Saratoga Schaefer

Takes aim at an easy target—trad wife influencers—and does the expected.

The writing style is repetitive and I didn't even get the slightest chill, let alone a fright. The book is as shallow as the lifestyle image it's criticizing.

Received via LibraryThing.

82. Secret Vengeance by F. Paul Wilson

83. The Only Harmless Great Thing by Brooke Bolander

In my original review I said this novelette's chief virtue is its length; my opinion has not changed.

84. The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff

85. Deadpool Samurai Vol. 3 by Sanshiro Kasama, translated by Amanda Haley

It's Deadpool. In a manga. If you like both those things, then you'll like the book.

86. The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

I'm kind of surprised this got a Hugo nomination: it's the kind of scifi-lite writing that "serious" literary awards claim "transcend genre."

It was okay, but I got the feeling Bradley never really decided on what genre she wanted to write; it's mostly slice of life, then thriller, and a brief glimpse of dystopia.

87. 30 Days of Night: Falling Sun by Rodney Barnes

Vampires have returned to Barrow, Alaska.

This comic reminds me of a direct-to-video sequel in a long-running horror franchise: there are one or two novel elements, but it's basically a rehash of previous entries. While reading I kept thinking that if the citizens of Barrow have been living in fear of vampires for decades, why didn't they have a battle plan or at least stockpile some weapons and supplies?

The art is very good, and is worthy of a much better story.

Received via NetGalley.

88. Wes Anderson: The Graphic Novel by Kateřina Horáková

A whistle-stop tour of Wes Anderson's life and works.

I'm left wondering what the point of this book is: there is no analysis or critique of Anderson's work, and the biographical information is bare-bones. There's little here that I couldn't get from reading IMDb.

The art is good, and references the visual style of Anderson's films.

Received via NetGalley.

89. How to Break a Dragon's Heart by Cressida Cowell, read by David Tennant

90. The Sun King's Dawn by Briar Niran

The veil that protects the kingdom of Ardenia is failing and evil is slowly seeping into the land. King Richard must find a way to protect his kingdom while navigating complex political and personal relationships.

First, I love how Briar Niran balances all of the different parts of the story. There are action sequences, court politics, personal relationships, research trips, inter-kingdom politics, and horror scenes, but I never felt lost by all the goings on or that any aspect of the story was being sacrificed in favor of another.

The force that is corrupting the land is not just written as a vague menace, but a genuinely terrifying force that is mutating things into creatures that could have stepped out of a David Cronenberg film. The antagonist is a true threat, and has actual motivations for his actions rather than just being evil for the sake of it.

What I like best about this book is the relationships between Richard and his siblings. It's a delight to read about a healthy family with members who may disagree and fight, but who also love and respect one another.

Richard and Kaelen's romantic relationship is progressing slowly, but it feels realistic to me. They have known each other all their lives, but changing the nature of the relationship is a huge step and I like that Niran is treating it with care.

I know it's only March, but I'm pretty sure The Sun King and His Knight series is going to be at the top of my favorite finds of 2026 list.

Received via the author.

91. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

I don't see what all the fuss is about: Miller's style is dry as fuck and there's more pathos in a few lines of The Iliad than there is in the entire novel.

92. Wretch: or, The Unbecoming of Porcelain Khaw by Eric LaRocca

A man grieving the death of his husband gets involved with some weird and shady people.

In his further reading suggestions, the author describes the world of Wretch as "surreal, erotically charged." Well, bless your heart for thinking that, sir. I would describe it as a turgid mess of poorly connected, half-formed ideas and crowned with an ending that is almost as much of a cop-out as "it was all a dream."

Received via NetGalley.

93. The Fourth Wife by Linda Hamilton

In this supernatural gothic tale, Hazel Russon, a young woman living in 19th century Utah, is coerced into a polygamous marriage with a man who has more red flags than a Soviet military parade.

Author Linda Hamilton knows her Gothic tropes—pious heroine, sinister man, dark secrets, creepy house, uncanny phenomena—and executes them well. Hazel is both sympathetic and intelligent, and it was easy to get swept up in her story.

My only real complaint about the book is that I didn't feel the supernatural element was particularly strong. It's present and important to the story, but I felt it got lost behind the more mundane horrors Hazel and her sister wives had to endure.

I don't see The Fourth Wife ever becoming a classic of its genre, but it is a marvelous way to while away an afternoon.

Received via NetGalley

94. The Reaper and The Waiting by January Sun

A spirit attaches himself to a Reaper in hope of getting the Reaper to remember their shared past.

This one was okay, but the story felt pretty shallow. The interactions and backstory all felt very surface level.

I also felt the art wasn't particularly strong. There are some pretty panels, but it all looked pretty basic with not enough detail.

Received via NetGalley.

95. Freezing Point by Anders Bodelsen, translated by Joan Tate

A man with terminal cancer agrees to an experimental freezing procedure in hope of being revived when he can be cured. He is defrosted into a very different world.

I wasn't surprised to learn that Anders Bodelsen is not really known as a science fiction writer. He tackled themes that were, and still are common in the genre—life, death, aging, technology and societal changes, etc.—but did it in a way that seems dated even by the standards of the time it was written.

The style feels awkward and very stiff, but I'm not sure if that's due to Bodelsen's writing or Joan Tate's translation.

Received via NetGalley.

96. How to Hold Someone In Your Heart by Mizuki Tsujimura, translated by Yuki Tejima

This sequel to Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon is, like its predecessor, a gentle and thoughtful look at death, duty, family, grief, and love. It doesn't really cover any new ground, but it is a meditative novel that invites reflection.

Received via NetGalley.

97. You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom by Vincent Tirado

A young woman must contend with her toxic extended family and demons both metaphorical and literal at the reading of her grandfather's will.

I wish someone had told Tirado horror works better when characters have redeeming qualities. You cannot fear for a character's safety when they are such a complete asshole that you really want them to die in agony.

The story is okay—kind of Knives Out with demons and without the inventiveness. It would have worked better if it had been filled with characters rather than caricatures.

Received via NetGalley.

Stats

Books
new reads: 81
re-reads: 16
British Author Challenge: 28
Roads Less Traveled: 5

Original language:
Danish: 1
English-Middle: 1
English-Modern: 79
French: 4
German: 2
Italian: 1
Japanese: 5
Polish: 1
Spanish: 3

Translations: 18

From
Edelweiss: 1
Kindle Unlimited: 13
Kobo Plus: 3
Library: 13
NetGalley: 44
Open Library: 1
Shelves: 20

pages read: 19,887 pages
audiobook hours: 45 hours 22 minutes
average rating: 3.17 stars

Authors
female: 35 books by 26 authors
male: 48 books by 36 authors
N/A (multiple authors, unknown, etc.): 14 books

Nationalities
American: 30
Australian: 2
British: 28
Canadian: 6
Chilean: 1
Croatian: 1
Czech: 1
Danish: 1
Dominican Republic: 1
French: 3
German: 2
Guyanese: 1
Italian: 1
Japanese: 5
Mexican: 1
N/A (unknown, multiple authors, etc.): 12
Polish: 1

You have been a busy reader, Amanda! Have a great April.

>108 Kristelh: Thanks! You too!

>105 amanda4242: That is one of the less enthusiastic reviews I have seen of Miller's book!

Have a great weekend, Amanda

>110 PaulCranswick: The characterization in The Song of Achilles is crap, and the "romance" is presented worse than your average YA novel. Oh, and the one female character who isn't toxic is a doormat.

All I can think is that the people who praise Miller haven't read Mary Renault, who did much the same thing but 1,000 times better.

Happy weekend!

>111 amanda4242: Timely reminder to read some of the Mary Renault books waiting for me on the shelves!

>112 PaulCranswick: I really like The Last of the Wine and The Charioteer.

Have a great weekend, Amanda. Reading plans this weekend?

>114 PaulCranswick: I don't know what the weekend will bring, but the week leading up to it was great: I just got back from visiting a friend in Montana, and we spent Wednesday driving around Yellowstone.

Happy weekend to you.

>115 amanda4242: That sounds great. Wide open spaces and fresh air. Montana is on my bucket list for sure.

>116 PaulCranswick: Go if you ever get the opportunity.

Wishing you a great weekend, Amanda.

I hope to make some headway with Iain Banks this weekend myself.

>118 PaulCranswick: And a great weekend to you!

I'm hoping to get through a good chunk of Consider Phlebas this weekend.

98. Scarlet Birthright: What They Left Behind by Scarlet Ibis James

A young man has a passionate affair and then abandons his lover for another woman; decades later, their daughter confronts their legacy.

This is one of those books where there's nothing wrong with the writing, but where something just feels off. I think everything just felt a little too tidy for me: the characters had perfectly reasonable motives for their actions and conflict was met with rational reactions when emotional ones would have been more natural.

Received via NetGalley.

99. Sweet Pea by Kit de Waal

A woman's dreams are shattered when the man she loves is killed in a car accident; she takes the broken pieces of her life and rebuilds her self a new, and unexpected, one.

I can't remember the last time I read a realistic novel with characters who are so...realistic. De Waal has created people who are so beautifully, messily human that I couldn't help but cry for their pains and cheer for their triumphs.

This is the first book I've read by Kit de Waal, but it definitely won't be the last.

Oh, and I think the original title, The Best of Everything, fits the book better than its American title.

Received via NetGalley.

100. Green City Wars by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Humans have created an eco-friendly utopia for themselves; all they need to sustain it is an underclass of genetically engineered animals to do all the work. Skotch, a raccoon and PI, has been hired to find a mouse who may be able to upend the entire system.

Whoever decided to market this as "Philip Marlowe meets Redwall" is only half right: the world of Green City Wars has more in common with the horrors of The Island of Doctor Moreau than with the residents of Redwall Abbey.

Tchaikovsky has, once again, created an incredibly complex world that looks at real world issues: treatment of vulnerable groups, class distinctions, exploitation of animals, ethics of scientific advancements, etc. Unfortunately the amount of exposition needed to establish the world of Green City Wars means the detective part of this scifi/noir mashup gets lost in the shuffle; the secret with the potential to radically alter society becomes little more than a MacGuffin.

The highlight of the book for me was Skotch, who is a great example of the put-upon gumshoe. I wouldn't mind if Tchaikovsky wrote a few more stories featuring him.

Received via NetGalley.

101. An Encyclopedia of Gardening for Colored Children by Jamaica Kincaid, illustrated by Kara Walker

102. The Poems of Catullus: A Dual-Language Edition with Parallel Text by Catullus, translated by Stephanie McCarter

A new English translation of Catullus's poetry, with the original Latin text included.

Catullus did write some beautiful and moving poems, but he's more memorable when he was being catty and sex obsessed. This collection is full of bawdy and vulgar lines and is 100% worth reading.

McCarter's translation is clear and easy to follow, although I'm not sure about a few of her neologisms. Her introduction is informative, and the robust notes at the end provide context and also assure the reader that yes, Catullus was saying exactly what you think he was saying there.

Received via NetGalley.

103. What Did You Eat Yesterday? Vol. 23 by Fumi Yoshinaga, translated by Yuki Tejima

104. Fruit of the Underworld 1 by Aya Kanno, translated by Kevin Steinbach

Seiji has been struck by bad luck after accidentally visiting the underworld. After ten years of narrowly escaping death on a regular basis things suddenly get a lot worse and the fate of the world is at stake.

This is a really fast-paced book with a lot of action in it, and it has some light humor despite the dark setting. I wish there had been a little more story and a little less action, but I enjoyed reading it and am looking forward to volume two.

Received via NetGalley.

105. Dragon Myths and Legends: Tales of Adventure from Around the World by Samantha Newman, illustrated by Katarzyna Doszla

An illustrated collection of dragon stories from around the world.

First, I love that this story features so many stories from outside the UK, which I've found is kind of rare for this type of collection. Nine of the stories are from outside Europe, and only two of the European stories are from the UK.

Each story is a few pages long and retells a myth or legend in a simplified but engaging way. The stories all have a couple of appealing illustrations in bright colors.

I think this would be a good book for children to read to themselves, but it would also work well for reading aloud.

Received via NetGalley.

106. The Inheritors by William Golding

A novel of the dying days of Neanderthals and the rise of Homo sapiens.

I get what Golding is doing, but I don't like it. I find the writing agonizingly boring and think there is more than a bit of the "noble savage" to the story.

Received via NetGalley.

107. Kei X Yaku: Bound By Law 10 by Yoshie Kaoruhara, translated by Kevin Steinbach

108. Hana and Taru: The Forest Giants by Léo Schilling, translated by Joseph Laredo

A village of hunters/warriors are being overrun by madden animals from the fores; the future of both species lies with Taru, a misfit hunter, and Hana, the prisoner Taru befriended.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say author Léo Schilling is a fan of Hayao Miyazaki. Hana and Taru's story and its emphasis on empathy, environmentalism, and understanding are strongly reminiscent of Princess Mononoke and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Fans of Studio Ghibli films will probably like this book.

Received via NetGalley.

109. Cold City by F. Paul Wilson

110. Pride of Baghdad by Brian K. Vaughan

A graphic novel inspired by the true story of four lions who escaped from the Baghdad Zoo during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

This is not some happily ever after Disney story; this is a heart-wrenching look at war through the eyes of four innocent victims. The anthropomorphic animals serve as a vehicle for looking at the meaning of freedom.

Niko Henrichon's art perfectly illustrates the story. The animals are realistic and have an untamed look as they roam through the masterfully-rendered bombed-out city.

Received via NetGalley.

111. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

Breathtaking.

112. Dark City by F. Paul Wilson

113. Our Rogue Fates by Sarah Glenn Marsh

Two former best friends and their foster sister go on a quest for ancient treasure.

Oh, where to start? The characters are shallow, the "quest" feels like an endless cycle of people getting injured doing dumb stuff, and the worldbuilding is so sparse that it's almost nonexistent.

As for the romance, all I can say is Griff and Mal definitely belong with each other so they won't be inflicting their juvenile selves on other people.

Received via NetGalley.

114. Namibia - Episode 1 by Léo & Rodolphe, translated by Jerome Saincantin

115. An Accident of Dragons by Cheri Radke

A lord bound to a dragon must rescue his kidnapped daughter.

Based on the cover and the publisher's description, I expected this to be lighter and more whimsical than it is. It's leagues away from grimdark, but I don't think it's quite cozy either.

Whatever its subgenre, An Accident of Dragons is an entertaining tale with wonderful characters. I'll be on the lookout for more books by the author.

Received via NetGalley.

116. How to Fake It In Society by KJ Charles, read by Will Watt

This review is of the audiobook read by Will Watt.

A shopkeeper who unexpectedly inherits a fortune in need of a guide to the upper classes becomes involved with a count of dubious title and equally dubious motivation.

This has everything I love about KJ Charles novels: an entertaining plot, engaging characters, and rich period detail. I enjoyed every minute I spent with Titus and Nico.

Narrator

Will Watt read the book well. He spoke clearly and at a good pace, he gave distinct voices to the characters, and he conveyed emotion well.

Received via NetGalley.

117. Marsupilami: The Beast - Part 1 by Zidrou, translated by Montana Kane

In post-WWII Belgium a strange creature escapes from animal traffickers and is rescued by a boy who is being bullied by his schoolmates.

I've never read a Marsupilami book, but I always had the impression they were bright, lively tales. This new version is dark, drab, and full of cruelty; however, the heroes of the book are still able to act with kindness and mercy. It's a sad story and ends on a cliffhanger, but it's poignant and I very much want to read volume two.

Received via NetGalley.

118. 'Tis Thee, Not Me: A Modern Medieval Guide to Bad Dates and Worse Decisions by Clarice Tudor, illustrated by the author

Comics about dating and romance done in the style of medieval art.

It's you. It is you, even if you refuse to admit it. What's being portrayed as humorous is actually insufferable behavior, written in an annoying "ye olden times" English.

As much as I dislike the writing, I have to say I kind of loved the art. Tudor caught some of the bizarre aspects of medieval art and did apply them well here.

Received via NetGalley.

What is happening in AmandaLand?

Not like you to be absent from your own thread for the best part of three weeks.

>124 PaulCranswick: The same thing that's always happening: I'm neglecting my thread in favor of reading. :)

>125 amanda4242: Well I suppose that is a good trade.