Reading Record 2023 - Living 1000 Lives Before We Die - The Bear and Badger

Cos

Gremill wrote:

14. The Bear & The Serpent (Adrian Tchaikovsky) Second in the Echoes of the Fall fantasy trilogy by my favourite author, continuing the story of the shapeshifting clans facing an ancient existential threat from times of myth. This part introduces new clans in a new part of the world, as the Champion of the North (sort of based on North/Native American legends) travels to the Sun River Nation (sort of South/Central American/Aztec legends) to act as bodyguard to their boy-king who is facing challenge to the throne from within his own family. All the while, the Plague People land on the shores of the North and slaughter all of the clans they meet. A great story, full of great characters and ideas - looking forward to the final part. 15. Homage to Catalonia (George Orwell) Goddamn, George Orwell was a fucking badass. His account of fighting alongside the Communists and Anarchists against Franco's fascists in the Spanish civil war. Brilliantly written, as you'd expect, but also tragic, funny and moving. You can feel Orwell's frustration and passion in every chapter and his genuine love for the Spanish people and country. His accounts of his actions under fire are very typically British and self-effacing but as terrified as he describes the experience as being, you don't charge a machine gun nest with a shitty gun that isn't likely to work when you want it to and take it out with hand grenades that are as likely to kill you as the are the fascists without being a genuinely courageous person. Legend.

@Grem Both of those sound great. I've only read Dogs of War by Tchaikovsky so far, a couple of years ago I think but it was one of the best I read that year. Will have to search out more.

Cos

I haven't been keeping track very well this year so will try to update more but currently struggling with Vineland by Thomas Pynchon. First of his I've read but it's so chaotic I find it really difficult to keep track of what's going - characters are introduced and it often then goes off on a tangent about their background, which seems to include some info about their parents but then starts giving background on them before resolving the original introduction.

This all happens seemingly in the middle of sentences so I often find myself backtracking trying to tie up which point of time he's talking about and how the characters related to what I was reading about 30 seconds ago.

Very frustrating, I've about hit the halfway point and reluctant to give up but then wondering if I'm actually enjoying it? There's something good in there but it's almost too dense and madcap. Will try another chapter or two I reckon and make a call, too much other good stuff out there I could be reading is my feeling at the moment.

acemuzzy

Git gud @ reading m8

acemuzzy

I'm struggling to read much atm tbh. Not quite sure why. Movies on my commute + early bed times the main blocker I suppose.

Anyway, midway through The Stand now. Enjoying it. Seems very long though, not quite sure where exactly its gonna build towards...

Gremill

Cos wrote:

Gremill wrote:

14. The Bear & The Serpent (Adrian Tchaikovsky) Second in the Echoes of the Fall fantasy trilogy by my favourite author, continuing the story of the shapeshifting clans facing an ancient existential threat from times of myth. This part introduces new clans in a new part of the world, as the Champion of the North (sort of based on North/Native American legends) travels to the Sun River Nation (sort of South/Central American/Aztec legends) to act as bodyguard to their boy-king who is facing challenge to the throne from within his own family. All the while, the Plague People land on the shores of the North and slaughter all of the clans they meet. A great story, full of great characters and ideas - looking forward to the final part. 15. Homage to Catalonia (George Orwell) Goddamn, George Orwell was a fucking badass. His account of fighting alongside the Communists and Anarchists against Franco's fascists in the Spanish civil war. Brilliantly written, as you'd expect, but also tragic, funny and moving. You can feel Orwell's frustration and passion in every chapter and his genuine love for the Spanish people and country. His accounts of his actions under fire are very typically British and self-effacing but as terrified as he describes the experience as being, you don't charge a machine gun nest with a shitty gun that isn't likely to work when you want it to and take it out with hand grenades that are as likely to kill you as the are the fascists without being a genuinely courageous person. Legend.

@Grem Both of those sound great. I've only read Dogs of War by Tchaikovsky so far, a couple of years ago I think but it was one of the best I read that year. Will have to search out more.

I've never read anything of his I didn't like. If you liked Dogs, check out the sequel (of sorts) 'Bear Head'. It's fucking great too.

Cos

acemuzzy wrote:

I'm struggling to read much atm tbh. Not quite sure why. Movies on my commute + early bed times the main blocker I suppose.

Similar and consequently haven’t got through much this year. Feel like I’ve conditioned myself to fall asleep when reading in bed now, useful for actual rest I guess.

Cos

A few other things I've read this year:

Death's End by Cixin Liu
I think Davy summed this up pretty well last year, it's a dip from the superb first two books but I still enjoyed reading more about that universe. It's a fitting end to what is overall an incredible trilogy, and certainly retains the impressive scope and engagement with complex themes.

The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
Absolutely loved this. I've definitely got a soft spot for time travel and stories that span vast periods, whilst this time travel is entirely one way I guess it's the ability to experience a universe beyond a standard lifetime that appeals. The shift of contemporary war stories and experiences into a sci-fi setting is handled so well, enabling aspects of the 'alien', arms races and tactical changes to be amplified.

Each shift in age as the protagonist wakes from another period in cryo sleep brings something new and there are some incredible moments of tension as the changes of the age are revealed, not to mention some of the battles on planets or in space. A classic for a reason but also one of those books that just hits on the right combination and feels like it was written for my specific taste.

You Should Have Left by Daniel Kehlmann
This might well have been recommended by someone here, kudos if so. A short novel about a screenwriter on vacation with his family in a remote house in the mountains. It falls into the category of the less you know about it the better but it's a wonderfully dark tale, brilliantly told with barely a word wasted and using the medium to great effect.

Gremill

The Forever War sounds brilliant, and as it's only 99p on Kindle at the moment I've nabbed it. Part of a trilogy too.

Cos

Never read the others actually, think they were written 20 years later or something.

LivDiv

Mythos by Stephen Fry

Greek myths superbly told by Stephen Fry.
Not a lot to say really, it's a perfect match of writer and subject matter.
Dips a bit towards the end but that's more the myths tailing off/getting repetitive compared to the gloriously wild Genesis type era of creation and begining.

In general I can get on board more with the fallible gods of the Greeks (and later Romans) than the jumped up bores of the Abrahamic religions.

Gremill

I feel you could have a pint and a laugh with Dionysius, but JC would be crapping on about whatever he'd read in The Mail that day.

LivDiv

Just keep an eye on Zeus, he'll turn into a cow and steal your girl, or steal your girl and turn her into a cow.

Raiziel

Cos wrote:

You Should Have Left by Daniel Kehlmann
This might well have been recommended by someone here, kudos if so. A short novel about a screenwriter on vacation with his family in a remote house in the mountains. It falls into the category of the less you know about it the better but it's a wonderfully dark tale, brilliantly told with barely a word wasted and using the medium to great effect.

Might have been me. Read the book a couple of years ago and loved it.

Also, I hated Death’s End with a hatred. A great first book. Loved that first book, those next two were utter nonsense.

Cos

Oh, interesting. I read them back to back and whilst the first is clearly the stand out, the dark forest theory really grabbed me and enjoyed how the second played out. I do wonder if the third would hold up to a revisit but will be a few years before I think about that.

davyK

I liked all 3 but 1 and 2 were better.

Cos

The Satsuma Complex by Bob Mortimer

A classic noir tale of everyman getting mixed up in events beyond his small world view but with Mortimer's surrealist edge. Quite enjoyed this overall, I listened to the audio book which was a bonus for the most part but reminded me a bit too much of Athletico Mince characters at times.
There's a few elements familiar from his autobiography and they help to ground the story so that the silly indulgences throughout don't overpower the plot, which is clever enough to keep you guessing and funny enough whilst still allowing serious or heartfelt moments to land.

Only real criticism is Gary is a bit too much of a shithouse at times though interactions with a particular acquaintance allow him to think around the details that part of him may be trying to ignore. It sped along too so a sign that I was constantly going back to find out what happens next. Thoroughly entertaining and the audio book which is on Spotify for anyone with premium so highly recommend that.

Gremill

Loved The Satsuma Complex - just a great, throwaway amusing little mystery.

Wookienopants

Gremill wrote:

Loved The Satsuma Complex - just a great, throwaway amusing little mystery.

It's very good, listened to it on Audible in three sittings.

Cos

I’m officially giving up on Vineland. Mentioned some of the various issues already but ultimately I’m just not enjoying it and only about halfway through so what’s the point in forcing it? On to something more enjoyable!

Wookienopants

About 8 hours into The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson on audible.
Still have 32 hours to go. It's an epic listen but I'm really into it. So so good

acemuzzy

Had that on my shelf for ages. Dauntingly long tho.

Wookienopants

It really is but it's so good. Still feels like I'm in the intro though, takes a while to get going. I'm still not sure where all of these separate characters and storylines are going to connect but the writing is so good I'm keen to continue

Raiziel

I’m doing an epic listen too at the moment. Marion Zimmer Bradley’s The Mists of Avalon. It’s a shade over fifty hours long. It’s very good so far.

Cos

Madly, Deeply: The Alan Rickman Diaries
It’s quite an intimate act to be allowed access to someone’s diaries and this was a mix of personal insight, self critique, behind the scenes and a splash of external assessment. Rickman is clearly a driven actor who values the art of application whatever the particular project and is blunt in his own summary of himself and those working with or around him.

It’s candid as one might expect, both in the personal and professional realms as Rickman applies a similar high standard to both sets of relationships. There’s a glimpse into machinations of both Hollywood and theatre establishments as viewed from the perspective of actor, producer and director in various projects. The reality of meeting those obligations is overlayed against the everyday mundanity of paying bills, socialising and downtime.

I had no idea that Rickman was so heavily involved in the theatre, both as active participant and as a guardian. The downside of reading this is a feeling of loss at not having seen him live on stage but countered by the push to embrace more live experiences and to embrace life more broadly.

If I can come away from this with a modicum of the honest self examination displayed by Rickman whilst recognising how to to do so positively, it will be a valuable experience. The realisation of dwindling pages left here was quite potent, knowing what the end of the book meant and there is certainly a weight to those final entries but ultimately I found myself moved by the experience and privileged to have had the access. A beautiful epitaph to a committed artist.

Gremill

16. The Hyena & The Hawk (Adrian Tchaikovsky)
The final book in the Echoes of the Fall trilogy does not disappoint. Part all action fantasy and part allegory of how much the human race are total cunts, it doesn't let up and has you shouting from the rafters for the true people to beat the unstoppable Plague People. Yet another superb story from my all time favourite author.

Gremill

17. After the Revolution (Robert Evans)
It's 2070 and around 20 years after the first shots were fired in the second American civil war, the USA has become a lot less United and a lot more chaotic. Paramilitaries and militias try to control the violence across much of the continent and mass conflicts have mostly died down to regional skirmishes between the balkanised nations left over. The Republic of Texas lies in an uneasy and fractious peace between the people of the American Federation and the held at bay Christian Fascists of The Heavenly Kingdom - until the borders are breached and the soldiers of Christ start slaughtering their way towards the free city of Austin. Told from the slowly converging perspectives of a fixer (Manny), a brainwashed and naive teen desperate to get to her 'love' and serve her God in the Heavenly Kingdom and an ex-military near-immortal post-human cybernetic killing machine (Roland), this is a story of PTSD, fascism and how normal people can become complicit in and desensitized to the horror of war and the things done in their name. I loved it.

acemuzzy

Have you read American War by Omar El Akkad? I thought it was very good, and has a loosely similar thing to ^ going on (though I reckon different enough to buy feel samey!)

Gremill

acemuzzy wrote:

Have you read American War by Omar El Akkad? I thought it was very good, and has a loosely similar thing to ^ going on (though I reckon different enough to buy feel samey!)

Yeah, that's a cracking book. This one is a bit more gonzo and darkly funny though. Like a Verhoeven movie.

The Daddy

Can’t believe it’s been 10 years:

https://www.eurogamer.net/remembering-iain-banks-a-prolific-terrific-talent

Moot_Geeza

The Fisherman by John Langan

Two widowers find solace in fishing trips, and hear rumours & whispers regarding a particular fishing spot that seems to come with the usual 'don't you be goin' up there!' local warnings. Their story bookends a tall tale that plays a part in getting them on the hook, which kind of plays out like an early 20th century version of the underground bits of Stephen King's IT and (somewhat unexpectedly) takes up the majority of the book.

It sounds great, I just couldn't get on with it, to the point where it became such a chore to read I was only managing half a dozen pages at a time and constantly putting off any real effort to finish it. It's not particularly long but it took me well over 6 wks of occasionally dipping my toe in. I didn't click with the writing style whatsoever - especially the slight stylistic shift for the centrepiece tale, which is supposedly being told by an old guy in a restaurant - and would probably go as far as saying I genuinely disliked it.

Big thanks to @DarkSoldier for chucking this one my way, I really fancied it when I read the blurb/reviews. Unfortunately it's a nice idea that somehow manages to be relentlessly dull.

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