
This year, I just can’t seem to shake the reading slump. Bingo helped a bit, as did the bookclub, but I just end up reading less and less somehow. But I’m still making Bingo progress (however slowly, it’s just one card), and I discovered an excellent new show. So we’ll get there.
April:
- The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older: Basically lesbian Sherlock Holmes set on Jupiter. Incredible worldbuilding, and a second chance romance subplot I actually rather liked.
- Lone Women by Victor LaValle (ARC): An excellent, very readable horror western about secrets, guilt, and families, both biological and found.
- The Inheritance Cycle #1-3 by Christopher Paolini (reread): Felt like something nostalgic, so I went and reread my childhood favourites. All three in less than a day. They’re not the best books, but they did the trick. Good to know I still have it in me when it comes to speed reading, too 😂
May:
- Watched Trigun Stampede, which was excellent. I didn’t think I was an anime person, but it’s just so good. Pretty animation, surprisingly emotional story, fast pacing, general delight to watch. One of my all tima favourite shows. Thank you bigolas dickolas.
- Followed that with the ’98 Trigun anime, which was…decidedly less excellent? A lot of very gross sexist jokes (yes, I was warned) that ruined it, but even without them it would have been 3* with a few 4* episodes. The pacing is also very uneven. Still deciding if I’ll write a review.
- The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty: Great, fast-paced pirate adventure. The author has clearly done a lot of research for the worldbuilding, and I liked following a protagonist who is in her 40s, a Muslim, and a mother. Looking forward to the sequels!
Currently reading:
- Trigun manga by Yasuhiro Nightow: About half a volume in. If I’m doing a completionist run, why not? So far, better than the ’98 show, but the way action scenes are drawn is very confusing, a lot of visual noise. I hope it improves by the point I no longer know the plot, or I’ll be quite lost…
- The Etched City by K.J. Bishop: Another Bingo book, but I have barely started it, so no real thoughts yet. I heard this one is weird, though.
Books read in 2023: 12 (+ 5 rereads)
2023 r/Fantasy Bingo Challenge progress: 3/25 (12%)