Literature

After quitting Reddit finally getting to my book backlog. The Expanse: The Sins of Our Fathers and then got to pick another old Star Trek book.

I'm working my way through Thinking, Fast and Slow at a chapter a day. It took me a minute to get his point (well near the 30% mark, that is) but it's illuminating about how people think.

Roots by Alex Haley The Boat of a Million Years by Poul Anderson Ten Years of Madness: Oral Histories of China's Cultural Revolution by Feng Jicai

Now I'm reading Wheel Of Time, stuck on the 4th book.

I'm reading the savage detectives by Bolaño. I read it about 6 months ago and haven't stopped thinking about it. Re-reading it now in Spanish to help practice the language and it's great. He writes pretty simply and i can't put it down!

I've been reading Manufacturing Consent lately after hearing so much about it. It's very interesting through the new introduction and the first part, where the propaganda model is explained, but it drags some as the authors try to apply it to certain historical events, like the 1984 Nicaraguan Election.

Still, it's interesting, and while the model still applies to mainstream media today, the advent of the internet, smartphones, and social media's resulting displacement of mass media has lessened its effectiveness.

Finished up To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini last week. Was a great read, a loooong book though. Just noticed that there is a prequel to the book so perhaps I will read that at some point, though it was not available at my library (at least as e-book).

Currently got nothing to read. And actually due to me being here instead of reddit I am cutting down on internet-time anyway so it would be a good time to start a new book. I have some ideas like Neuromancer, Slaughterhouse five, Project Hail Mary, The Forever War and Arrival but perhaps I'll find something completely different. I also read the Elder Race by Tchaikovsky a few months back and it was great, perhaps I'll read another one of their books next.

I'm reading The Bible for Dummies now lol. I wasn't raised religiously, but I do find it important to have knowledge about other people's beliefs. It analyses the bible, but before that it gives you a very good idea of the origin of Christianity and how it's linked to other Abrahamistic religions. Would recommend if you're interested in learning about religion.

I'm currently reading Oblomov by Goncharov, after it I might jump to "Ears of corn under your sickle" by Karatkievič

I'm reading The Anglo-Saxons by Marc Morris. It's non-fiction. Morris' books have a good narrative, but they are scholarly works. I haven't gotten very far into The Anglo-Saxons yet, but one bit I greatly enjoyed was the author drawing parallels between Beowulf and Tolkien's Rohirrim, all while discussing the archaeological evidence for feasting halls and the zeitgeist of the people who'd built those halls.

A historic description of the life of Finnish executioners. Pretty dope stuff!

Read Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami, and liked the dreamy atmosphere. Currently reading Kafka on the Shore by same author. Many people recommended Norwegian Wood so that is also on the reading list.

Nothing right now but I have Foundryside coming tomorrow which I am looking forward to

just finishing The Indifferent Stars Above about the Donner party - really great. these folks were built of different stock than we are.

No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai. Great read so far.

Finally almost finished with Neuromancer.

Then I'll be flipping to work mode and reading "The Grammar of Systems: From Order to Chaos & Back".

Currently Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman

Almost done with Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight. Had a few friends and family members talk about how great the Dragonlance books are, but I grew up reading The Legend of Drizzt books. So far I absolutely love it, and if you play DnD I suggest you get a copy.

Dune: Messiah, second one in the series. Way better than I thought, and honestly don't get the criticism

Notes from a Dead House by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Very interesting so far. I'm about a third of the way through it.

History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell. Going for a cursory overview because of Philosophy club at my uni that has pretty cool people.

If you haven't read The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green, you gotta.

Just getting started on the last book of the Cradle series by Will Wight. Enjoyed the first 11, and hoping it's as good!