Narilka redacts her reading in 2023 - part 3

Time for a new thread as the old one was getting long. Thanks fuzzi for inspiration for the title :D

My Rating System
- Absolutely horrible, don't bother

- Meh, I finished the book somehow but would not recommend it

- An entertaining read

- Highly enjoyable, I would probably recommend this book

- Excellent! The book may not be perfect but it was perfect for me. Possibly a new favorite.

A star is given for a book that falls between those categories.

Currently Reading


Listening To

Books Read in 2023
1. The Buddhist Enneagram by Susan Piver
2. Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson
3. The Wizard's Butler by Nathan Lowell
4. Side Jobs by Jim Butcher
5. Big Trouble by Andrew Seiple
6. The Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross
7. Magic Tides by Ilona Andrews
8. The Concrete Jungle by Charles Stross
9. Freddy's Magic Garden by Angelina Dayan
10. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling
11. Gobbelino London & a Scourge of Pleasantries by Kim M. Watt
12. At Large by Andrew Seiple
13. Ghost Story by Jim Butcher
14. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling
15. Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City by KJ Parker
16. Going Rogue by Drew Hayes
17. Well Done by Andrew Seiple
18. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
19. Cold Days by Jim Butcher
20. Gobbelino London & A Contagion of Zombies by Kim M. Watt
21. Quarter Share by Nathan Lowell
22. The Frugal Wizard's Handbook for Surviving Medieval England by Brandon Sanderson
23. Skin Game by Jim Butcher
24. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by NK Jemisin
25. Dragon Hack by Andrew Seiple
26. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling
27. Brief Cases by Jim Butcher
28. Waybound by Will Wight
29. Magic Claims by Ilona Andrews
30. Peace Talks Jim Butcher
31. Friends with Bunny Feets by Andrew Seiple
32. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling
33. Battle Ground by Jim Butcher
34. Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson
35. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
36. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling
37. 14 by Peter Clines
38. The Metaframe Adept by Graeme Rodaughan
39. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
40. The Fold by Peter Clines
41. Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson
42. Beware of Chicken by Casualfarmer
43. Spellslinger by Sebastien de Castell
44. All Systems Red by Martha Wells
45. Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
46. The Dream, The Journey, Eternity and God by Sara Landon
47. Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells
48. The Silva Mind Control Method by Jose Silva
49. Beware of Chicken 2 by Casualfarmer
50. Starter Villain by John Scalzi
51. Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo

Fun Stats
Books Read: 50
Total Pages Read: 14045
Audio Book Hours: 164h 19m
Rereads: 6
TBR Challenge: 8/12

2023 Series Stats
In progress: 19
Up to date: 15
On Hold: 5
Completed: 4
Abandoned: 7

Mount TBR
Start 2023: 216
End 2023: ?

TBR Challenge

A new year, a new list - happy 2023! I'm (mostly) freshening up both my lists this year. Aiming for 12 read.

8/12

Primary
1. Gobbelino London & a Scourge of Pleasantries by Kim M. Watt Read Feb 8
2. Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake
3. The Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross Read Jan 20
4. Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson Read Aug 20
5. Terciel & Elinor by Garth Nix
6. Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know by Adam Grant
7. Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo DNF Oct 2
8. Spellslinger by Sebastien de Castell Read Aug 31
9. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke Read Aug 13
10. The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett
11. Ghost Story by Jim Butcher Read Feb 20
12. Artificial Condition by Martha Wells Read Sept 9

Secondary
1. Foreigner by C. J. Cherryh
2. Digital Fortress by Dan Brown
3. A Cat Named Darwin by William Jordan
4. Someone Like Me by MR Carey
5. Black Powder War by Naomi Novik
6. Thud! by Terry Pratchett
7. You Are the Placebo by Joe Dispenza
8. By Book or By Crook by Eva Gates
9. Swordheart by T. Kingfisher
10. Uncanny Collateral by Brian McClellan
11. Terminal Alliance by Jim C. Hines
12. My Life in a Cat House by Gwenn Cooper

My Personal Incomplete Series Challenge
Keeping my never-ending series list going for yet another year.

Series Stats Summary
In progress: 19
Up to date: 14
On Hold: 5
Completed: 4
Abandoned: 7

In Progress
Discworld: Rincewind - 6/8
Discworld: City Watch - 6/8
Discworld: Tiffany Aching - 3/5
Discworld: Overall - 32/41
Temeraire - 2/9
Joe Ledger* - 6/10
World of the Five Gods - 2/3
Space Team* - 4/11
Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot Mysteries - 1/4
Awaken Online: Tarot* - 1/3
Of Cats and Dragons* - 1/5
Hunter - 1/3
Manners and Monsters - 2/5
Nathaniel Cade* - 2/3
Spells, Swords and Stealth* - 3/5
Sanderson's Secret Projects - 3/4
Gobbelino London, PI - 2/5
Blasphemy Online - 1/3
Threadbare Pt 2* - 1/3
Threshold* - 2/4
Murderbot - 3/7

Up to date and waiting
The Band - 2/2 - #3 expected 2024
Skyward - 3/3 - #4 due Nov 2023
The Darkwater Legacy* - 1/1 - #2 expected 2023
The Brackenford Cycle - 4/4 - #5 TBD
5-minute Sherlock* - 2/2 - #3 TBD
The Witchlands - 4/4 - #5 TBD
World of the Others - 3/3 - #4 TBD
Mystwick* - 2/2 - #3 TBD
The Locked Tomb - 3/3 - #4 expected 2024
Aurelia Ryder - 1/1 - #2 TBD
Innkeeper Chronicles - 5/5 - #6 TBD
The Wizard's Butler* - 1/1 - #2 TBD
Kate Daniels Wilmington Years - 2/2 - #3 TBD
The Dresden Files - 17/17 - #18 TBD
Beware of Chicken* - 2/2 - #3 expected 2023

Temporarily On Hold While I Try to Reduce my TBR
The Burning - 1/2
The Folk of the Air* - 1/3
Awaken Online* - 4/6
The Siege - 1/3
Spellslinger - 1/6

Completed in 2023
Small Medium* - 3/3
Cradle - 12/12
Harry Potter - 7/7
The Metaframe War - 7/7

Abandoned in 2023
Laundry Files - 1/12
The Vampire Knitting Club - 1/13
King of Scars - 1/2
Trader Tales from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper - 1/?
Inheritance Trilogy - 1/3
The Book of the Ice - 1/3
The Goddess War - 1/3

*Indicates series on audio

Happy new thread!

Happy New Thread!

>5 clamairy:, >6 Karlstar: Thanks!

I'm going to attempt to play a little catch up on all the reviews I'm woefully behind on :)

19. Cold Days by Jim Butcher



Cold Days, the fourteenth entry in to The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, is a fresh breath of pure winter air after Ghost Story. As hinted at by the title, this is all about Harry learning what it means to be the Winter Knight. Being the Winter Knight definitely has it's challenges. First Harry has to survive Mab's idea of proper training, then survive the Winter Court's idea of proper court politics, followed by surviving the fight for control of the Mantle itself and, if that wasn't enough, finally survive the first job Mab gives Harry in his new role: kill an immortal.

Now this is what a Dresden novel is supposed to be like! Fast paced and funny, with some tricky situations for Harry to navigate as he adjusts his thinking to the additional responsibility he's taken on. And lots and lots of action. While I found Harry's time in the Winter Court interesting, I'm glad it didn't last too long and we were back to Chicago fairly quickly. I felt bad for Harry having to basically attempt to revive/renew many old relationships that were harmed from actions of the previous two books. At the same time, because of this, the story continues to allow these characters to grow and deepen with complexity. As I think back to how far Harry has come from Storm Front, I'm blown away at his growth while also retaining his core values after all he's gone through.

I'm also impressed with how well Butcher has planned out his series. Story threads that were started at the very beginning of the series are beginning to tie together and give a fuller view of things that were only hinted at previously. Being given new insights into what's been moving behind the scenes also allows for new story arcs to start. I have so many thoughts and questions. All I know is I'm excited to see where this is all heading.

Rating:

20. Gobbelino London & a Contagion of Zombies by Kim M. Watt



My favorite feline PI and his trusty human sidekick are back in Gobbelino London & a Contagion of Zombies, the second entry in the Gobbelino London, PI series by Kim M. Watt. The story opens with Gobbelino and Callum walking through a local cemetery when a dog wanders over carrying an arm in it's mouth like a stick, looking to play. Callum wants to investigate where the recently unearthed limb has come from and return it to the owner while Gobbelino thinks taking a job without pay is a bad idea. Bad idea or not, it's not long before the detective duo are immersed in a problem with slightly whiffy body parts that don't belong to them and going to any lengths to prevent the end of custard as we know it. It's a cat thing.

This follow up to Scourge of Pleasantries is just as enjoyable as the first. While I'm not normally a big fan of zombie stories, Callum and Gobs make solving the problem so darn fun that I didn't mind all the highly questionable meal choices. Gobs continued inability to get human idioms correct, as well as his unique view of the world, are a delight. I may have to start using his saying of "no baby goats" haha! Adding to the enjoyment factor are the new characters Callum and Gobs meet along the way. I hope Gertrude becomes a recurring character in the series. Gobs needs to keep his flow of super tasty cat treats flowing.

Rating:

21. Quarter Share by Nathan Lowell



Ishmael Wang finds himself at a crossroads in life. Just as he was preparing to start university, Ishmael's mother dies, leaving him in a predicament. Ishmael's mother used to work for the university, which made attending there affordable and provided for their housing. Finding himself about to be evicted from his home and with his credits running low, Ishmael takes the only opportunity he sees available to him - enlisting for two years as a galley helper on a deep space commercial freighter.

Quarter Share is the first book in the series Golden Age of the Solar Clipper by Nathan Lowell. This is a no stakes, slice of life story about Ishmael learning to be a trader while making the best coffee ever for the crew onboard the SC Lois McKendrick. I enjoyed the slice of life aspect to things for the most part and found the story pretty relaxing. It should appeal to those who like there science fiction with a lot less action. For myself, even for low stakes I do need a bit more challenges for the characters to overcome instead of everything seeming to be so easy. Ishmael took on any task with a relatively low effort and it seemed like he breezed through becoming an advanced trader with little difficulty.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Jeffrey Kafer. Kafer's narration worked well with the story, bringing the characters to life as they went about their work onboard the ship. This title is currently available on Audible Plus.

Rating:

>9 Narilka: I very glad to hear you liked Gobbelino London & a Contagion of Zombies. Might have to break down and buy it because I enjoyed the first one so much. For some reason my library does not have the series available as ebooks.

Happy new thread! >1 Narilka:

>11 clamairy: I have the third one in my TBR too :) Such fun books.

>12 jillmwo: Thanks!

Rogue Protocol Ch 1 It was nice to get a snippet of Dr Mensa again and see how MB responded. MB has feelings! It would probably be horrified (or at least embarrassed) to realize that lol

MB's laser focus on it's personal mission is interesting. I wonder what it plans to do after uncovering the bad actors. A little retribution or turning over to authorities?

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread! Glad to hear the second Gobbellino London book is as good as the first!

>15 quondame: & >16 Sakerfalcon: Thanks!

Rogue Protocol Through Ch 3 Miki is so sweet. Very child like. I wonder if the human couldn't have a kid so "adopted" Miki instead. Poor MB doesn't know how to respond lol

Rogue Protocol I finished. This is my favorite Murderbot book so far. What a sad ending! Poor Miki, it was such a sweet bot and truly seemed to care about her human. Too bad that relationship wasn't further explained. Again, the pro and con of the novella format. That was quite a feat of writing to get us to care in 150 pages but also a tad frustrating because I want more :)

This character growth for MB is profound. It's learning it's has more in common with humans that it thought and also that it had some wrong assumptions about humans along the way due to its previous employment. Seems its discovering that being a rogue SecUnit has some wrong assumptions about it too. No murderous rampage yet.

I'm excited to think we'll be returning to Mensa's team next. Here's hoping GrayCrys get some comeuppance.

I finished Beware of Chicken 2. It was just as enjoyable as the first, though I was starting to get book fatigue around 75%. Apparently I prefer my audio books in the 8-12 hour range and this was 18 hours. I still plan to pick up the 3rd when it releases on audio as I enjoy these characters and their antics.

I started Starter Villain this morning. I loved that dedication by Scalzi, very sweet. I'm listening on audio so don't have an easy way to repost it as I didn't write it down as I was listening. I'll have to search for it later.

>20 Narilka: Ah, that one needs to go on Mount Tooby. Scalzi is such an unabashed cat lover.

Thank you Amazon! Here's the dedication for Starter Villain:

This book is dedicated to:
Everyone who could make someone's day worse, but tries to make it better instead.
Thank you. It's more important than you think.
Also, to Sugar, Spice and Smudge, my current set of cats.
You all are a real pain in my ass, and I love your stupid furry faces.

Edit: and now it's added to the work's page.

>22 Narilka: Ha! That's perfect.

>22 Narilka: Love that. I'm way behind on my Scalzi reading. I think he is one of those authors I save for when I really need a book I love reading, because I am almost sure to like his books.

Starter Villain I am absolutely loving this book!

Through Ch 9 That was possibly the most entertaining and hilarious memorial service ever. I loved how tactful the mortician was able to remain through it all though Charlie is basically having one huge, if controlled, freak out.

Man I wish I could have a cat centered computer system for my cats to type into and communicate through in plain english. Not that they need our language, I'm reasonably well trained at this point, but it would be nice for more complicated answers.

It is ultra adorable that the kitten Persephone is an intern :D

Sentient dolphins. OMG that would be so awesome even if all they do is swear lol talk about useful!

That definition of "villain" is a masterwork: "Which is to seek out, fund and create the sort of technologies and services that bring disruptive change to existing industrial and social paradigms, and offer them, on a confidential basis, to interested businesses and governments."

I am starting to see, right along with Charlie, how this could be pretty beneficial from a certain perspective lol

It's books like this and Kaiju that make Scalzi an insta buy for me.

>8 Narilka: You really made me want to get back into the Dresden Files with that review.

>22 Narilka: I've been keeping my eye on Starter Villain, now I may have to pick it up soon.

Count that as 2 BB's.

>25 Narilka: This is one that I will most likely borrow and then buy when it goes on sale. I know... I'm not cheap exactly. It just kills me to pay $15 for an ebook.

>26 Karlstar: YAY!!!

>27 clamairy: Yeah, I don't blame you. You can probably get a hard cover for that price. I used an Audible credit for the book. I like how Wil Wheaton narrates Scalzi's stories.

>28 Narilka: Oh, I might break down and do that, then. I loved Wil's narrations for Agent to the Stars and Lock-in.

>25 Narilka: That looks fun!

Starter Villain Through Ch 15 I love how fish out of water Charlie is. I also like that he's still a good person and trying to protect the evil bastard in that poorly executed assassination attempt.

I'm very curious as to what role Hera will play at the big shin dig. Personal security? Will she be on Charlie's shoulder or something the whole time?

Is it bad that I can actually get some of the villainous logic and even agree a bit??

I'm afraid I'm going to finish this too quickly :)

Starter Villain Through Ch 22 Is it me or is Charlie already a better Villain than several who have been in the business for decades? I'd say his business journalism and middle school teaching jobs weirdly prepared him for some of this, specifically the human management side.

So I've been attempting to read Rule of Wolves on my Kindle. I haven't made it very far in a week. I think it's been too long since I read any Grishaverse that I've lost the connection to the characters. The story is generally interesting but not gripping. I am debating a DNF.

I finished Starter Villain. This was a highly enjoyable and satisfying read. The twists were appropriately twisty and the plot appropriately villainous. I especially loved all the crates in the vault being empty lol And the labor dispute ending in forming a union! For dolphins and whales!

I had no idea that button boards for animals are an actual thing and have now gone down the internet search rabbit hole. I am seriously debating trying this. Perhaps this will be a Christmas present this year. Edit: I sent my husband a link. He vehemently rejected the idea lol

Next up I am continuing my reread of the Threshold series with Dead Moon. It seems appropriate for the month.

22. The Frugal Wizard's Handbook for Surviving Medieval England by Brandon Sanderson

Here at Frugal Wizard Inc.©, we provide the highest quality experience at a fraction of the prices charged by other dimensional toursim companies.

A man wakes up in a clearing with no idea who he is or where he's at. All he has is the clothes he is wearing and the scattered pages of a guidebook. Apparently being hunted, the man's only hope is to recover his missing memories and gain the trust of locals while collecting as many pages of the guidebook as he can to figure out what's going on. The the guidebook is titled The Frugal Wizard's Handbook for Surviving Medieval England.

We believe that the Interdimensional Wizard™ deserves options. Predetermined, groomed experiences are right for some, but others prefer a more rugged experience, full of unexplored lands and adventure.

This was a fun and different type of story from Sanderson's regular writing. Not set in the Cosmere, our hero finds out he's in an alternate dimension of Medieval England, where things are both different and similar to the fragments he remembers from childhood history classes. Absolutely up to expectation, the story features an interesting blend of modern technology with "boasting" magic that combine to give the world a unique feel. I admit I initially had a hard time with other ways flavor was added to the world in the form of misspelling of names and things from our world, modern or otherwise. Once I got used to it I was able to relax into the story.

As the story unfolds, we learn more about our main character and his background. It comes as a surprise and emphasizes the hero journey he finds himself on. I ended up liking him and the locals who join him on his quest.

Your life isn’t unremarkable. You are merely living in the wrong time. Find your Perfect Dimension™. Embrace your destiny— whether it be to bring Promethean light or exert relentless domination— and travel the dimensions. Become a wizard.

Unexpectedly entertaining were all the marketing blurbs spaced throughout the story. Frugal Wizard Inc.© has one heck of a marketing department. Also funny was our main character's need to constantly rate things. I'm sure your enjoyment may vary depending on if you find either of those as humorous as I did.

There is a classic Sanderson twist at the end that I did not see coming even with all the hints. The ending is left open enough that Sanderson could write more in this universe in the future if he wanted.

I received my Kickstarter hardback copy after I had finished the ebook. The physical book is absolutely gorgeous. I can't wait to reread it with all the art and doodles in context.

Rating:

23. Skin Game by Jim Butcher



Skin Game is the fifteenth entry in The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. Working for Mab has its drawbacks. For example, Harry being loaned out to the Evil League of Evil for a heist to settle one of Mab's debts. Harry finds himself working with his most despised enemy to break into a high-security vault so they can steal something from the Nevernever. Harry's going to have to watch his back to survive this mess.

I love a good heist! Harry is forced to team up with his enemies as they embark on an Ocean's 11-style trip to the underworld. This makes for a hell of a good time and something I had never really considered: that even the paranormal sometimes want to store something in a vault.

There is a lot to unpack character wise in this installment. While not everyone has page time, I enjoyed the ones who did. I did not see that change for Butters coming at all! I love how Butters is embracing his inner nerd as part of his new role. It feels true to character. I feel a small pang of loss that Bob and Harry aren't working partners any more though it seems that Bob and Butters work well together. It is in turns frustrating that Murphy has to sit this one out and yet makes total sense so that it gives Michael an opportunity to join in. He is uniquely suited to this undertaking and helping watch Harry's back. We're also introduced to Goodman Grey this book which opens up some interesting ideas given how much of a contrast he is to the only other skinwalker we've met in the series so far.

There are so many other reveals in this one that it's hard to keep track. I'm very curious to how some of this will play out over the rest of the series. I'm also sure that's not the last we've seen of the Denarians. Thank you Mr Butcher for finally having Harry make a move on his relationship problem!

Rating:

I started Dead Moon. I appreciate that Clines gets right to it. In Ch 5 things are already going sideways :D

Yeah, I'm going to DNF Rule of Wolves @ 25%. I didn't read it at all yesterday and didn't miss it. That's my sign. Perhaps if I ever want to return to the Grishaverse again I'll do a series reread and try again.

Instead, I'm starting Sanderson's Secret Project 4 - The Sunlit Man. I love this cover!



I'm excited to get started tonight.

>38 Narilka: It's very cool! I hope you love it. Sadly I am only about 12% of the way through the 1,000+ page The Shadow Rising, so The Sunlit Man will have to wait a bit.

>39 clamairy: Oh my lol Wheel of Time is definitely a series of door stoppers. Good luck finishing up.