#jedediah will forever be my fave

[meep-meep-richie]

Owen playing a cowboy being a whole ass genre [and I'm here for it]

[rhetoricandlogic]

2018 in books (including the December list)

In many ways this was an exceptionally good year. 

For one: I learned about web-serials; well, not exactly: learned. I knew of them already but since I’m not a serial type of reader (watcher), they never drew my curiosity. Until I discovered the Wandering Inn. But, since I’m not a serial type, I converted and download all of it, that had been there (up to chapter 5.6) to .mobi and then vanished into a reading hole for 2 month to devour all the 9.800 pages that had been written then. This was a completely new experience for me. To linger in the same world for such a long time - I never did the like before. I mean, yes, re-read what there is of Stormlight Archive and Kingkiller Chronicle and occasionally Gentleman Bastard is all well and fine - and over in 3 weeks or so - it doesn’t quite compare. Will repeat next year.

For another: the Murderbot series is finished and that was The Best. I re-read the complete series just to enjoy having the story in one go and then resolved to give the adult books by Martha Wells a complete go, so Ile-Rien it was, followed by The Bone City. Wells is rapidly climbing the list of my fave authors.

Still another: you can’t beat Brandon Sanderson when it comes to creativity and after years of only watching I finally read all of Steelheart and was surprised how much I enjoyed it.

Even more: new author to watch: Claire North. The Gameshouse series is my fav but this author is so very versatile it’s astonishing. Do recommend, though let it be said that 84K is best not read while depressed.

Aliette de Bodard and T. Kingfisher - enough said. Both already on my fave list since forever. Same as Martha Wells: I have no idea why these women are so underrated. Seriously, what is wrong with readers?

Also: reduce money spent on books by at least 25%. Mission accomplished. Far less than the over 100 books/year I’ve read in the past.

Jade City - Fonda Lee

The Girl Who Dared to Think - Bella Forrest

The Girl Who Dared to Stand - Bella Forrest (abort series ^^ )

Winterglass - Benjanun Sriduangkaew

Hyperbole and a Half - Allie Brosh (re-read)

Lincoln in the Bardo - George Saunders

Steelheart - Brandon Sanderson

Mitosis - Brandon Sanderson

Firefight - Brandon Sanderson

Calamity - Brandon Sanderson

Into the Drowning Deep - Mira Grant

The Citadel of Weeping Pearls - Aliette de Bodard

The Manual of Detection - Jedediah Berry

Children of Thorns, Children of Water - Aliette de Bodard

The Winged Histories - Sofia Samatar

Spoonbenders - Daryl Gregory

The Stars Askew - Rjurik Davidson

Binti - Nnedi Okorafor

Binti Home - Nnedi Okorafor

Binti The Night Masquerade - Nnedi Okorafor

Traitor’s Blade - Sebastien de Castell

Hyperion - Dan Simmons

The Fall of Hyperion - Dan Simmons

Knight’s Shadow - Sebastien de Castell

The Ballad of Black Tom - Victor Lavalle

Clockwork Boys - T. Kingfisher

The Wonder Engine - T. Kingfisher

Acadie - David Hutchinson

The Tea Master and the Detective - Aliette de Bodard

Clade - James Bradley

Artificial Condition - Martha Wells

Penric’s Demon - Lois McMaster Bujold

The Toymakers - Robert Dinsdale

Space Opera - Catherynne M. Valente

The Refrigerator Monologues - Catherynne M. Valente

Silently and Very Fast - Catherynne M. Valente

Prophethy’s Ruin - Sam Bowring

Iraq +100 - Editor: Hassan Blasin

The Things They Carried - Tim O’Brien

The End of the Day - Claire North

The Serpent - Claire North

The Thief - Claire North

The Master - Claire North

Revenant Gun - Yoon Ha Lee

Briony and Roses - T. Kingfisher

Kingfisher - Patricia A. McKillip

The Raven and the Reindeer - T. Kingfisher

Summer in Orcus - T. Kingfisher

The Poppy War - R. F. Kuang

In Shadows We Fall - Devin Madson

The Blood of Whisperers - Devin Madson

The Father of Lies - K. J. Parker

I Reap You Not - Catelyn Winona

All Our Wrong Todays -  Elan Mastai

Night’s Master - Tanith Lee

Rogue Protocol - Martha Wells

In The Stacks - Scott Lynch (author-improved and otherwise revised version)

Every Heart a Doorway - Seanan McGuire

The Wandering Inn (9.800 pages of it)  - pirateaba

Exit Strategy by Martha Wells

The House of Binding Thorns by Aliette de Bodard

The Owls of Juttshatan - Benjanun Sriduangkaew

After-Swarn -  Benjanun Sriduangkaew

84K - Claire North

Nyx - D. M. Livingston

Passing Strange - Ellen Klages

Siphon - Jay Boyce (the 1st volume and then up to chapter 88)

Witchmark - C. J. Polk

Death’s Master - Tanith Lee

The Element of Fire - Martha Wells

Slade House - David Mitchell

City of Bones - Martha Wells (re-read)

The Decent of Monsters - JY Yang

The Death of the Necromancer - Martha Wells

Swordheart - T. Kingfisher

In The Vanishers Palace - Aliette de Bodard

Senlin Ascends - Josiah Bancroft

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August - Claire North

The Wizard Hunters - Martha Wells

2017

2016

2015

2014

Not entirely sure I’ll continue the lists and reviews at this point ...

... but if you like to talk about books, give recs (or ask for some) I’ll be always here for you.