I've been reading a lot of horror this year. More than I usually do, which was already a large amount. I've been feeling the need for extreme escapism. And despite the truism that good horror reflects current societal fears, I still find it very escapist. Recently, I shared this article from Tor about women characters in … Continue reading Why read horror?
In lieu of a reading recommendation this week, I offer some unfocused thoughts about book abandonment. Many readers seem to think that it is a virtue to finish every book they start, even if they aren't enjoying it. I used to think so myself, but as I have gotten older and more aware that time … Continue reading Some thoughts about immersion and book abandonment…
So my attempts to journal my reading here have fallen by the wayside, other than the occasional recommendations of books I loved. If you're that interested in the minutiae of what I read (some people are--it's crazy!), you can always check out my thread on LibraryThing. I still like to share my acquisitions, especially when … Continue reading Pretty books: Recent acquisitions
It's been over a month since I've posted a reading journal update. Most of my reading has lately not-so-inspiring--although I did enjoy reading Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor so much that I wrote a rather long response to it. Another post-apocalyptic book I enjoyed was Far North by Marcel Theroux. It is set in post-climate change Siberia and … Continue reading Reading Journal: Beginning of April
Recently, I attended a panel discussion of local writers on something entirely unrelated when one of them said something that confirmed a suspicion I already had. He said that an editor had actually asked him to shove 10,000 more words into his manuscript. Apparently, long books look more substantial on bookstore shelves, so I guess it … Continue reading Literary elephantiasis…
Reading has slowed down, although I have one new recommendation to post shortly. I reread The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin with my son, which I think was a bit too old for him, but I still love it. I also reread Dracula on audio. I last read Dracula as a pre-teen or youngish teen. I don't remember exactly when, … Continue reading Reading journal: Mid-February
Not full reviews or even necessarily recommendations, just some notes on what I've been reading. I will never read all the dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction out there, but I keep trying. This month I read a very early apocalypse story by Jack London: The Scarlet Plague (free to read online). This short story feels like an ur-story … Continue reading Reading journal: January wrap-up
I promise that this is the absolute last reading list I will post. Ha ha, no. What if you are starting your reading completely from scratch? What should you read to have a good foundation on which your future reading will rest? What are those books that sparked legions of imitators and inserted themselves permanently … Continue reading A foundational reading list…
This year, I've decided to post snippets from my ongoing reading journal that aren't full reviews, just thoughts about what I'm reading and what I want to read. This will possibly be terribly dull; I'll let you decide. Here's what I've been reading since the start of the year -- a lot of short books! … Continue reading Reading journal: Ringing in 2016
Happy new year! I have decided that 2016 is the year of not giving a fuck. And yes, there is a book for that. Here's a fresh roundup of links for your reading pleasure. Those books that we buy and then pile up on our shelves, unread? There is a word for that. Rebecca Solnit, … Continue reading Links for readers…
