What are you reading? Options

[Decrepit]

At 1414 this afternoon, 5 Dec 2021, I concluded an initial read of L. Frank Baum's 1914 The Patchwork Girl of Oz, book seven in his Oz series. The original artwork of John R. Neill is included. It's a decent entry. Better than book four and, especially, five, which I consider the weakest series entries thus far. Not on par with six and the first three in my estimation.

I've added titles to my Kindle e-book library, three due to price drops rendering them super cheap at time of purchase, one because it is reasonably priced and interests me. They are as follows:

(link) Lavinia, by Ursula K. Le Guin ("In The Aeneid, Vergil’s hero fights to claim the king’s daughter, Lavinia, with whom he is destined to found an empire. Lavinia herself never speaks a word. Now, Ursula K. Le Guin gives Lavinia a voice in a novel that takes us to the half-wild world of ancient Italy, when Rome was a muddy village near seven hills.") (link)

(link) Poilu: The World War I Notebooks of Corporal Louis Barthas, Barrelmaker, 1914 – 1918 (link)

(link) The Cypria: Reconstructing the Lost Prequel to Homer's Iliad (Reconstructing the Lost Epics of the Trojan War Book 1) by D.M. Smith (link)

(link) The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer (link)

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Dec 30 2021, 02:20 AM

[Decrepit]

At 2045 yesterday evening, Pearl Harbor Day 2021, I concluded an initial read of L. Frank Baum's seventh Oz novel, Tik-Tok of Oz. An okay entry, better in the second half than the first, imo. Late in the day as it was when I finished Tik-Tok, I've not yet decided what to read next. Most likely it'll be Oz book eight, but I'm more and more craving a change-of-pace. We shall see.

[Decrepit]

At 1603 this afternoon, 15 Dec 2021, I concluded an initial read of The Long Sword, book two of Christian Cameron's Chivalry series. Here we see Sir William Gold in his role as Hospitalier, first in Italy then the Holy Land, in events leading up to and culminating in the "Alexandria Crusade". As always with Cameron, this is well researched historical/military fiction. And as always, Cameron's is a master at bringing historic combat to life.

I currently have no further Cameron in my library. Tempted as I am to buy the next volume in either this series or The Long War, what I ought to do is tackle a book in my on-hand initial-read TBR pile.


ADDENDUM: Almost forgot to mention that, with only half-a-month to go, the year's few reading-slump has set in.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Dec 16 2021, 10:09 PM

[Decrepit]

At 1027 today, 18 Dec 2021, I concluded an initial read of L. Frank Baum's The Scarecrow of Oz, book nine in his Oz series. It's an okay series entry. I had hoped to read something meatier, but an ongoing reading-slump kept me from maintaining focus on the several 'mature' titles I attempted. The Oz books are such easy reads that I have no trouble concentrating on them, even during a slump. (Or so it seems.)

[Decrepit]

I am in the midst of an initial read of the nonfiction book Poilu: The World War I Notebooks of Corporal Louis Barthas, Barrelmaker, 1914-1918. I'd normally not mention it until finished. But, with my reading drastically slowed after becoming ill this past Monday, and the book being quite lengthy, I do not expect to finish it until next year. Should that prove true, it will not count as a 2021 read, despite having read the vast bulk of it this year.

I like it quite a lot. What's more, I see similarities between myself and Barthas, something that almost never happens. Mind you, Barthas is the better man on all counts. But then I'm a pretty low bar. I certainly lack his courage under intense pressure. Nor do I have his physical strength/stamina. Not now. Not when I was his age. I can't see myself surviving what he went through. He seems to have been an extraordinarily lucky man, barely cheating death, or even wounding, on any number of occasions, while others in his immediately vicinity suffered all sort of unsavory ends.

(Barthas would list me among those he calls 'slackers', military personnel who are not frontline soldiers, but instead hold jobs that keep them out of harms way, barring the unexpected.)

It is a tale of great misery without end (except for occasional too-brief breaks), and is very good at depicting the war as seen by the common solder rather than those in high positions.

At any rate, it's a book I can easily recommend to anyone interested in "The Great War".

[Decrepit]

To my surprise, I finished an initial read of Poilu: The World War I Notebooks of Corporal Louis Barthas, Barrelmaker, 1914-1918 as translated by Edward M. Strauss, at 2247 yesterday evening. I hadn't expected to finish it this year. Turns out, the book proper ends at around 80-85% (as shown on my Paperwhite). There follows a relatively short afterward, which I read, and rather lengthy notes, which I skipped. (Had I intended to read those, I'd have done so by pressing their reference-markers as they appeared in the text.) My opinion has not changed, this is a very good book.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Dec 29 2021, 01:30 PM

[Decrepit]

At 1115 this morning, 31 Dec 2021, I concluded an initial read of L. Frank Baum's RinkiTink in Oz, book 10 of his Oz series, illustrated by John R Neill. This entry began life as an unpublished 'fairy tale' unrelated to Oz. Baum later altered the ending so that several Oz characters 'come to the rescue' of the book's protagonists, concluding with a brief visit to Oz by said protagonists before they return to their homes. The Nome King (who also doesn't live in Oz) makes an appearance during the altered ending, the last of several antagonists. I'd like to someday read the original, unaltered story, assuming it's available for consumption.

[Decrepit]

Here it is, what everyone has been waiting for, my complete list of reads for 2021:

01. 01/02/2021: 1532 “All The Weyrs of Pern” by Anne McCaffrey (fourth read)
02. 01/13/2021: 2035 “The Breaking of Northwall” by Paul O. Williams (fourth read)
03. 01/21/2021: 2105 “The Ends of the Circle” by Paul O. Williams (fourth read)
04. 01/30/2021: 0417 “The Dome in the Forest” by Paul O. Williams (fourth read?)
05. 02/07/2021: 2155 “The Fall of the Shell” by Paul O. Williams (fourth read)
06. 02/14/2021: 1148 “An Ambush in Shadows” by Paul O. Williams (fourth read)
07. 02/17/2021: 1259 “The Song of the Axe” by Paul O. Williams (fourth read)
08. 02/20/2021: 1300 “The Sword of Forbearance” by Paul O. Williams (fourth read)
09. 02/23/2021: 1242 “The Mississippi Wrestling Territory, The Untold Story” by Gil Culkin
10. 02/25/2021: 1524 “Living the Dream, Memphis Wrestling, The Randy Hales Story” R. Hales
11. 02/27/2021: 1733 “Saxon Tales: The Pale Horseman” by Bernard Cornwell
12. 03/11/2021: 1152 “Sword of Fire” by Katharine Kerr
13. 03/15/2021: 1343 “Saxon Tales: Lords of the North” by Bernard Cornwell
14. 04/04/2021: 1230 “The Tower of Fools” by Andrzej Sapkowski
15. 04/09/2021: 0429 “Saxon Tales: Sword Song” by Bernard Cornwell
16. 04/12/2021: 2247 “Saxon Tales: The Burning Land” by Bernard Cornwell
17. 04/24/2021: 0813 “Agincourt” by Bernard Cornwell
18. 05/08/2021: 1650 “The Confederate Reader” by Richard B. Harwell
19. 05/xx/2021: ???? “The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway” by John Minnis
20. 05/26/2021: 1647 “Mossflower” by Brian Jacques (third read)
21. 06/11/2021: 1338 “Demonwar Saga: At the Gates of Darkness” by Raymond E. Feist
22. 06/16/2021: 1226 “Saxon Tales: Death of Kings” by Bernard Cornwell
23. 06/28/2021: 1700 “Shooters” by Jonathan Snowden
24. 07/04/2021: 0328 “Chaoswar Saga: A Kingdom Besieged” by Raymond E. Feist
25. 07/11/2021: 0418 “Saxon Tales: The Pagan Lord” by Bernard Cornwell
26. 07/23/2021: 2111 “Sarantine Mosaic: Sailing to Sarantium” by G.G. Kay (fourth read)
27. 08/04/2021: 2021 “Time Master Trilogy: The Initiate” by Louise Cooper (third read)
28. 08/09/2021: 1400 “Time Master Trilogy: The Outcast” by Louise Cooper (third read)
29. 08/12/2021: 2133 “Time Master Trilogy: The Master” by Louise Cooper (third read)
30. 08/26/2021: 1648 “The Firemane Saga: King of Ashes” by Raymond E. Feist
31. 09/02/2021: 1447 “Chaoswar Saga: A Crown Imperiled” by Raymond E. Feist
32. 09/09/2021: 1314 “Chaoswar Saga: Magician’s End” by Raymond E. Feist
33. 09/13/2021: 1309 “Riftwar Saga: Magician – Apprentice” by Raymond E. Feist (sixth read)
34. 09/17/2021: 2051 “Riftwar Saga: Magician – Master” by Raymond E. Feist (sixth read)
35. 10/01/2021: 2115 “Immortal” by Jessica Dunchen
36. 10/04/2021: 0001 “Heir to the Crown: Book One, Servant of the Crown” by Paul J Bennett
37. 10/09/2021: 1511 “The Long War: Book One, Killer of Men” by Christian Cameron
38. 10/16/2021: 1535 “The Long War: Book Two, Marathon” by Christian Cameron
39. 10/19/2021: 2127 “Saints of Steel: Book One, Paladin’s Grace” by T. Kingfisher
40. 10/21/2021: 0436 “Vlad the Impaler: A Life From Beginning to End” by Hourly History
41. 10/23/2021: 1347 “The Violinist of Auschwitz” by Ellie Midwood
42. 10/28/2021: 0204 “The Firemane Saga: Queen of Storms” by Raymond E. Feist
43. 11/01/2021: 1857 “The Long War: Book Three, Poseidon’s Spear” by Christian Cameron
44. 11/07/2021: 1343 “Dracula” by Bram Stoker
45. 11/14/2021: 0908 “Parsival: The Lost Years - The Quest for Avalon” by Richard Monaco
46. 11/16/2021: 1500 “Oz, book 2: The Marvelous Land of Oz” by L. Frank Baum / Illustrated by John R. Neill
47. 11/17/2021: 2008 “Oz, book 1: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum / Illustrated by W.W. Denslow
48. 11/23/2021: 1506 “Chivalry, book 1: The Ill-Made Knight” by Christian Cameron
49. 11/25/2021: 1318 “Oz, book 3: Ozma of Oz” by L. Frank Baum / Illustrated by John R. Neill
50. 11/27/2021: 2044 “Oz, book 4: Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum / Illustrated by John R. Neill
51. 12/01/2021: 0934 “Oz, book 5: The Road to Oz” by L. Frank Baum / Illustrated by John R. Neill
52. 12/03/2021: 1319 “Oz, book 6: The Emerald City of Oz” by L. Frank Baum / Illustrated by John R. Neill
53. 12/05/2021: 1414 “Oz, book 7: The Patchwork Girl of Oz” by L. Frank Baum / Illustrated by John R. Neill
54. 12/07/2021: 2045 “Oz, book 8: Tik-Tok of Oz” by L. Frank Baum / Illustrated by John R. Neill
55. 12/15/2021: 1603 “Chivalry, book 2: The Long Sword” by Christian Cameron
56. 12/18/2021: 1027 “Oz, book 9: The Scarecrow of Oz” by L. Frank Baum / Illustrated by John R. Neill
57. 12/28/2021: 2247 “Poilu: The World War I Notebooks of Corporal Louis Barthas, Barrelmaker, 1914-1918” by Louis Barthas / translated by Edward M. Strauss
58. 12/31/2021: 1115 “Oz, book 10: Rinkitink in Oz” by L. Frank Baum / Illustrated by John R. Neill

[Decrepit]

NOTE: See my preceding post for a detailed listing of every book read during 2021.

2021 was a pleasantly unconventional reading year. I set myself a soft, non-binding goal of reading 50 books within any given year once more in whatever time remains to me. Lo and behold, on 31 Dec I finished my 58th book! Admittedly, some of those fifty-eight are short, chiefly the L. Frank Baum Oz series, of which I’ve read ten titles, with four to go. But, I did not choose to read Oz, or any other book, when I did because of their length.

For decades the vast bulk of my reading has been within the fantasy genre. Some years see me read next to no non fantasy whatsoever. 2021 saw an exact 50/50 split between fantasy and non fantasy titles.

The majority of my reading is normally re-reads, and has been for a good many years. Some years I’m lucky to read five or six new-to-me titles, and rarely go much higher than that. Yet in 2021 forty-three of my reads were initial reads, with only fifteen re-reads!

2021 is the year I entered the world of digital reading, acquiring a 10th gen Kindle Paperwhite in Sep. My initial reason for getting it is that it is becoming increasingly difficult to read bulky paper books lying down, which is how to do almost the whole of my ‘serious’ reading. It is good that I bought it when I did, as I damaged my right hand in a fall one month later, and found it awkward to hold paper books of any size lying down. The Paperwhite, along with a case-with-holding-strap, solves that dilemma. The Kindle also takes much of the credit for my more diverse book consumption, since with many e-books either ultra cheap or free, I am more willing to take risks.

Best Reread of the Year:
This is an easy one; Paul O. Williams seven book Pelbar Cycle, receiving its fourth read. I’m not much of a Sci-Fi reader, but make an exception here. It likely helps that it is not ‘hard’ Sci-Fi. Whatever the case, it’s decidedly good reading.

Best Initial Read of the Year, a two-way tie:
One, Jessica Dunchen’s Immortal, the very first book read on my Paperwhite. It’s about as niche as it comes. To fully appreciate the work, it helps to be well versed in the life and times of Ludwig van Beethoven and the von Brunswick family, matters related to Beethoven’s ‘Immortal Beloved’, and how Josephine von Brunswick fits into the picture. I consider myself reasonably knowledgeable on these subjects. What’s more, I’ve long favored Josephine as the Immortal Beloved. (Of a certainty, she was Beethoven’s one long-term female love interest, whether she was the intended recipient of the letters or not.) My only real quibble with the book is one or two liberties Dunchen takes with the facts that I find detract from rather than enhance the story.

Two, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, another early Kindle read, a freebie to boot. Unlike Immortal, which once read I put behind me, I find myself sometimes revisiting (in my head) bits from Dracula. It has well earned its reputation, imo. During the read, I was occasionally put off by protagonists who are sometimes clueless or wrongheaded or both. Yet afterward I came to appreciate this aspect of the book, deciding that it is refreshing, if also frustrating, to encounter such fallible characters.


Happy Discovery of the Year:
The well researched military/historical fiction of Christian Cameron. I’m in the midst of two of his series, The Long War and Chivalry. I think anyone who enjoys Bernard Cornwell will feel right at home with Cameron.

Disappointing Read of the Year:
I consider Guy Gavriel Kay our best active writer whose output is published as fantasy. What’s more, I consider The Sarantine Mosaic top-notch Kay. I look forward to each read. Yet 2021’s reading of book one, Sailing to Sarantium, didn’t affect me as emotionally as have past reads. It was an enjoyable read, more so than some other books read during 2021, but Kay should be more than that. This time it wasn’t. I didn’t continue on to book two, Lord of Emperors.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Jan 8 2022, 09:15 PM

[Acadian]

Decrepit, nice summary of 2021 as it relates to your voracious reading pace.

[treydog]

Having read the first 3 of Lois McMaster Bujold's "Penric and the Demon" series, I decided to revisit the "Vorkosigan Saga."

That has been a grand treat, especially as there are now novels (and shorter) pieces I have not yet read.

[Decrepit]

At 1342 this afternoon, 8 Jan 2022, I concluded an initial read of The Master's Apprentice: A retelling of the Faust Legend, book 1 by Oliver Potzsch, as translated by Lisa Reinhardt. It is my first exposure to the writings of Mr Potzsch, and my first completed read of 2022. Continuing my lucky streak with Kindle/e-book purchases, I like it quite a lot.

I'll either plow on with book 2 or, more likely, take a short breather to read Oz book 11 before tackling the second volume.

This reminds me that I need to finish watching the silent film version of Faust. Come to think on it, maybe I better wait until finishing book 2 before returning the movie.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Jan 8 2022, 09:42 PM

[Decrepit]

At 1448 this afternoon, 9 Jan 2022, I concluded an initial read of L. Frank Baum's eleventh Oz book, The Lost Princess of Oz. It must be one of the series' shorter entries, considering that I finished it as quickly as I did. As previously mentioned, I have the Oz series as an omnibus e-book, which measures progress for the series as a whole, but not for individual books. I thus have no quick and easy way to know the length of any given book. I can of course look it up elsewhere, but why bother?

I now move on to book two of Oliver Potzsch's Faust retelling, The Devil's Pawn. I've assumed that book two is the series' finale. It might well be. But the name doesn't sound overly final. Combined with the fact that The Devil's Pawn was published only last year (2021), I now have room for doubt. As with individual Oz book lengths, I can easily look it up but have decided I'd rather not know until Potzsch wants me to.

[Decrepit]

At 1921 this evening, 15 Jan 2022, I concluded an initial read of the second and final book of Oliver Potzsch's Faust retelling, The Devil's Pawn. For those interested in the subject matter, the series is an easy recommend. One thing I like about the two books is that their unfolding plots continually surprised me, certainly more often than most books I read. It helps that, going in, my memory of the Faust legend was sketchy at best. I've never read any of the several 'classic' Faust tellings, but was at one time passingly familiar with the gist of it.

[Decrepit]

At 1901 this evening, 16 Jan 2022, I concluded an initial read of L. Frank Baum's twelfth Oz book, The Tim Woodman of Oz. While Baum wrote a total of fourteen Oz books, this is the last to be published before his death. (The remaining two were published posthumously.) As has been the case with all Oz books in the omnibus edition I acquired via Amazon, the original artwork of John R Neill is included.

I enjoyed the 'plot' of this entry. The Woodman decides to find the girl he long-ago courted, first as a meat person then later as a tin man, and offer to marry her. Many interesting 'people' / creatures and perils are encountered along the way. The conclusion is satisfactory for all parties concerned, if not exactly as anticipated. (The Woodman's origin story is more fleshed-out and interesting in the books than in The Wizard of Oz movie.)

I've not yet decided what to tackle next. My paper-book initial-read TBR pile remains largely untouched since before I damaged my right hand last year. I hope to know how well it's healed by week's end. (I ought to have known 30 Dec 2021, but had to push back that appointment when I took sick earlier that week.)

Which reminds me that my brother gave me Forbidden Hollywood, The Pre-Code Era (1930-1934): When Sin Ruled the Movies as an Xmas present. It's a large-format hardback, with thick glossy pages and lots of high quality stills from the various movies it chronicles. I'm reading at the kitchen table during the meals I eat there, basically all suppers and some lunches, and am a bit over halfway done.

[Decrepit]

After a number of false starts, I might have settled on my next read. I really wanted it to be Jan Swafford's Mozart: The Reign of Love. Problem is, it's a hardback chunkster. Try as I might, my damaged right hand can't cope with it while lying on the sofa. (My hand's much better now, but not yet enough so to handle a book of that size and weight.) Back on the Paperwhite, I tested a couple of books that I'm apparently not in the mood for at the moment. What I settled on is Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo. It too is a chunkster, but that doesn't matter on the Paperwhite, so long as I'm willing to devote the time required to finish it. I almost went with William Shirer's The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, ultimately deciding its 1,800-pages is a bit more than I want to tackle now.

[macole]

The Count of Monte Cristo was a bit much for me. I think it was the style of the translation that I found difficult to read.

[Decrepit]

The Count of Monte Cristo was a bit much for me. I think it was the style of the translation that I found difficult to read.

Mine is a Penguin Edition translated by Robin Buss, for what that's worth. This might have been the very first book I bought (as opposed to DL'd for free) for my Paperwhite. I can't recall if I researched translations beforehand. Whether I did or didn't, I'm pleased enough with the tiny portion I've read thus far. <crosses fingers>

Speaking of translations, I'm thinking to buy Tolstoy's War and Peace as an ebook at some point. Here I did audition various translations. Sadly, my choice is the translation of Anthony Briggs. Why sadly? Well, Briggs costs money, while some other translations are free to DL. (I have a vague memory of owning W&P, but a thorough search of my 'library' doesn't find it.)

[Decrepit]

At 0004 this morning, 2 Feb 2022, I concluded an initial read of Mark A Vieira's Forbidden Hollywood, The Pre-Code Era (1930-1934) – When Sin Ruled the Movies. This is the book my brother gave me for Xmas. It's a premium quality large-format printing. Nice thick glossy images. Lots of high-quality photo reproductions. I've been reading it at the kitchen table during suppers since Xmas day. This worked to my advantage, as the book's too big and heavy to hold while lying on the sofa. Had I been able to read it on the sofa, I'd likely have finished it in two days, three tops.

That said, I 'did' finish it on the sofa. It was doable because I was only three pages from its end. This past night was 'interesting'. Despite having taken a powerful prescription sleeping pill at 2100, I simply could not fall asleep. Forbidden Hollywood was but one of several books used to pass time while waiting to nod off. That finally happened while looking at steam-loco photos in my LB&SCR (a pre-grouping British railway line) book. I doubt I slept more than 3.5 hours total, though I remained on the sofa long enough to rack up seven hours of CPAP usage.

[Decrepit]

At 1421 this afternoon, 12 Feb 2022, I concluded an initial read of L. Frank Baum's thirteenth Oz book, The Magic of Oz, in an e-book edition that includes original illustrations by John R. Neill. This entry interweaves two storylines. The Nome King returns to menace the Kingdom, aided by a Munchkin boy who acquires a magic word of transformation. Meanwhile, several series mainstays go in search of birthday presents for the land's ruler, Ozma. An enjoyable entry and a quick read. Rather, it should have been a quick read. This one took me far longer to finish that it had any rights to, simply because I've done little reading lately.

After being recommended by my favorite BookTuber, then reading its opening some pages at Amazon, I purchased the Kindle e-book edition of Camera Man: Buster Keaton, the Dawn of Cinema, and the Invention of the Twentieth Century by Dana Stevens. It will very likely be the book I tackle next.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Feb 12 2022, 10:01 PM