2025 Reading Challenge

08. Me and Paul: Untold Stories of a Fabled Friendship by Willie Nelson with David Ritz
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 A fantastic love letter to a lifelong friend not long gone. As easy and comfortable to read as Willie's songs are to listen to, this is a wonderful collection of memories told well. While it took me a week from start to finish, it was only three sittings.
 
Book 7: Dust by Hugh Howey (Cornerstone, 2023)

The final in the "Silo" trilogy from Hugh Howey and its a belter. I lucked out on reading the first book before seeing the show and it hooked me in straight away. It's such a fantastically imaginative story that builds and builds. I just wish there were more to read. I think I read an article that said Howey was looking to release another book that links to the story somehow, which is to be released this year sometime....so looking forward to that one!

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Selaws said:
Book 7: Dust by Hugh Howey (Cornerstone, 2023)

The final in the "Silo" trilogy from Hugh Howey and its a belter. I lucked out on reading the first book before seeing the show and it hooked me in straight away. It's such a fantastically imaginative story that builds and builds. I just wish there were more to read. I think I read an article that said Howey was looking to release another book that links to the story somehow, which is to be released this year sometime....so looking forward to that one!

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My wife is about 1/3 of the way onto this one. She's been loving the books, she didn't start them until after we watched the season.
 
ranbalam said:
My wife is about 1/3 of the way onto this one. She's been loving the books, she didn't start them until after we watched the season.
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I hope she enjoys it! It's a fantastic series that has enough extra/variations to the TV show to make it a worthwhile read. Lots more lore and backstory that hasn't yet been picked up in the show. No spoilers, but the final of the second season hints at the beginning of the second book, so in theory there's a few more seasons to come before they get close to wrapping up. I felt like there could have easily been an extra book or two in the series without it feeling stretched out, so hoping we get a spin off or two.
 
Book 8 - The Librarianist by Patrick Dewitt

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Was a really easy choice to pick this one off the shelf after enjoying The Sisters Brothers so much a few weeks back. Took it away as a bit of holiday reading and smashed through it a couple of chapters at a time over the week.

Quick review - it’s great. DeWitt has this ability to write great characters and emotion. This is the third book of his that I’ve absolutely loved and if he keeps going I could have another Irving style obsession where I keep re-reading his books over and over. In short… I’m a fan (which is also the name of another hugely recommendable book).
 
Book 3: The Bump by Sidney Karger

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After book 2 I definitely wanted something light and funny, Sadly this was just a really frustrating read though. All the conflicts come from the two main characters just not talking; which to an extent I understand and relate to but this was borderline unbelievable how little they talk about anything. Honestly feels like this married couple don’t like each other at all so it’s hard to root for them getting a child. Also this uses a baby and a time skip to fix the problems in the relationship which feels unrealistic and unearned.

Rating - 2/5
 
09. Invisible Dead (A Wakeland Novel) by Sam Wiebe
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I was looking for a big change of pace from music biographies and Star Wars books, so I figured I'd finally start checking out Sam Wiebe's books. He's been a familiar name for a decade or so; I've read a couple shorter pieces he's written, and we have a few mutual friends in the Vancouver literary scene. Here we meet ex-cop private investigator Dave Wakeland for the first time. And after reading this one, I'm sure I'll be reaquainting with Wakeland sooner than later. This was a damn fine crime novel made extra fun, for me at least, by its taking place in the familiarity of the Vancouver area. I love that earlier this evening, with 75 pages remaining, I still wasn't certain how everything would go down. And the conclusion was rather thrilling.

Also, Wakeland is a vinyl nerd (leading me to imagine Wiebe is too). Anytime a stereo system shows up, its components get listed and they've typically got nice specs. Also nice to see Nick Cave and Isobell Campbell & Mark Lanegan getting love from the protagonist.
 
avecigrec said:
09. Invisible Dead (A Wakeland Novel) by Sam Wiebe
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I was looking for a big change of pace from music biographies and Star Wars books, so I figured I'd finally start checking out Sam Wiebe's books. He's been a familiar name for a decade or so; I've read a couple shorter pieces he's written, and we have a few mutual friends in the Vancouver literary scene. Here we meet ex-cop private investigator Dave Wakeland for the first time. And after reading this one, I'm sure I'll be reaquainting with Wakeland sooner than later. This was a damn fine crime novel made extra fun, for me at least, by its taking place in the familiarity of the Vancouver area. I love that earlier this evening, with 75 pages remaining, I still wasn't certain how everything would go down. And the conclusion was rather thrilling.

Also, Wakeland is a vinyl nerd (leading me to imagine Wiebe is too). Anytime a stereo system shows up, its components get listed and they've typically got nice specs. Also nice to see Nick Cave and Isobell Campbell & Mark Lanegan getting love from the protagonist.
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He is on my list to check out
 
My wife recommended I read this as a natural follow-up to my last book. I'm not a big fiction reader but this is just great about halfway through.

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Book 4: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis

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I need to spend some time out of the gay romance genre and I’ve Been wanting to read this series forever and all 7 books were available for 1 audible credit so this was the perfect opportunity!

Finished this one super quickly. The religious aspects of it were a bit heavy handed but that’s understandable for a children’s story. And surprisingly the book gets less interesting once they actually get to Narnia. But overall it was a delight and I can’t wait to move on to book 2

Rating - 3.5/5
 
mdmost said:
My wife recommended I read this as a natural follow-up to my last book. I'm not a big fiction reader but this is just great about halfway through.

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Finished it tonight. It’s worthy of the massive praise it received last year. I forgot Percival Everett wrote Erasure which was what American Fiction was based on.
 
mdmost said:
Finished it tonight. It’s worthy of the massive praise it received last year. I forgot Percival Everett wrote Erasure which was what American Fiction was based on.
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And The Trees which is equally brilliant. But he also wrote Dr. No and I'm Not Sydney Poitier which are kinda middling to not great. The dangers of being ridiculously prolific.

His short stories are well worth checking out too though
 
Book 8: The Queens Gambit by Walter Tevis (W&N, 2020)

Really enjoyed this, gripping from the start to the end. The show is pretty much scene for scene the same and nothing really was missed out (just the odd bit here and there) but the book really fleshes it out and it well worth reading.

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10. Star Wars: The High Republic - Seeds of Starlight by George Mann
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The first of 2 audiobook-only additional junior novelas taking place within The High Republic publishing initiative. Very enjoyable story that ties in with what's going on in the other comics and books, at the same time as being its own unique story.
 
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