LeSamourai
Well-Known Member
I'm starting the George Smiley series today as a long-term reading project. I'll definitely be reading some other books between novels in this series, so we'll see how long it takes!
2025 Reading Challenge
- Thread starter Selaws
- Start date
I'm starting the George Smiley series today as a long-term reading project. I'll definitely be reading some other books between novels in this series, so we'll see how long it takes!
LeSamourai
Well-Known Member
Didn't realize how short the first book was... I'll probably finish it today.
Joe Mac
Well-Known Member
I read them all a few tears ago. They’re all really readable in a short enough period of time.
Bull Shannon
Well-Known Member
Book 2: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams
I’ve been contemplating annihilation recently, and considering the absurd circumstances of our present fate, thought a bit of silliness was in order. I’ve read the Guide before, having had it personally placed in my hands by a shrewd high school teacher who truly was in the right place at the right time. He said this is a book everyone should read once, a lesson driven home on second reading.
This one went down rather clunky this time around. Maybe I’ve aged out of humorist writing. Don’t get me wrong: I like books with humor, but comedic, joke-based fiction increasingly strains my receptors; one can feel the author taking pride in their cleverness and sacrificing pace and immersion for goofy digressions. When you’re having fun with the blend of heady sci-fi with uncle humor it’s easy to overlook the story, but when the concepts are no longer surprising and you know the punchlines, you’re left with more space to notice the pattern of cleverly-but-recursive expositional conversations punctuated by a chase or gunfight, concluding in a miraculous-but-silly escape. The characters are defined solely by their wackiness or their normality, and each fades to the background as Adams introduces the next one.
Now, I really try not to bring the outside world into my experience of a book, and especially not my assessment of it or how I express it. But memetics haven’t served this book well; 42 has gone from an answer without a question to a punchline without a setup. It all feels a bit like revisiting badger badger badger mushroom mushroom: any absurdity has been bashed repeatedly into the dirt. It’s hard to read the Hitchhiker’s Guide knowing there’s a piece of space junk currently orbiting the planet bearing the monogram DONT PANIC, carrying a copy of the book and a towel, and that the person responsible understands humor like Vogons do poetry.
I hope I’m not coming off as bragging about having read this book “when it was cool;” it’s simply that I read it when I wasn’t online. That’s on me but, in a more real and accurate way, it’s on everyone else but me.
I’m hoping to continue the series through the year; I haven’t read past this first book, and hope i can keep an open mind for the next three of the trilogy.
I’ve been contemplating annihilation recently, and considering the absurd circumstances of our present fate, thought a bit of silliness was in order. I’ve read the Guide before, having had it personally placed in my hands by a shrewd high school teacher who truly was in the right place at the right time. He said this is a book everyone should read once, a lesson driven home on second reading.
This one went down rather clunky this time around. Maybe I’ve aged out of humorist writing. Don’t get me wrong: I like books with humor, but comedic, joke-based fiction increasingly strains my receptors; one can feel the author taking pride in their cleverness and sacrificing pace and immersion for goofy digressions. When you’re having fun with the blend of heady sci-fi with uncle humor it’s easy to overlook the story, but when the concepts are no longer surprising and you know the punchlines, you’re left with more space to notice the pattern of cleverly-but-recursive expositional conversations punctuated by a chase or gunfight, concluding in a miraculous-but-silly escape. The characters are defined solely by their wackiness or their normality, and each fades to the background as Adams introduces the next one.
Now, I really try not to bring the outside world into my experience of a book, and especially not my assessment of it or how I express it. But memetics haven’t served this book well; 42 has gone from an answer without a question to a punchline without a setup. It all feels a bit like revisiting badger badger badger mushroom mushroom: any absurdity has been bashed repeatedly into the dirt. It’s hard to read the Hitchhiker’s Guide knowing there’s a piece of space junk currently orbiting the planet bearing the monogram DONT PANIC, carrying a copy of the book and a towel, and that the person responsible understands humor like Vogons do poetry.
I hope I’m not coming off as bragging about having read this book “when it was cool;” it’s simply that I read it when I wasn’t online. That’s on me but, in a more real and accurate way, it’s on everyone else but me.
I’m hoping to continue the series through the year; I haven’t read past this first book, and hope i can keep an open mind for the next three of the trilogy.
Nee Lewman
बैस्टर्ड
I love Hitchhikers and have read it at least ten times. It’s been at least a decade though since the last time.
It’s just a long silly Monty Python sketch.
It’s just a long silly Monty Python sketch.
Bull Shannon
Well-Known Member
I don’t mean to slag on it very hard; for all my musings and misgivings it was a 3.5-4 out of 5 read.
WhiteDahlias
Active Member
Hi everyone! I always start the year off posting in these threads and then fall off at some point, but I'm trying to be less "online" this year because everything is a dumpster fire and I have bad anxiety, so hopefully I will have more time to devote to reading and thinking more deeply about the books I read. I set my goal to 30 this year, and I'm already at 5 (though a few of those I started last year).
1. Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism - Amanda Montell
I really liked Montell's first book, Wordslut, but I think I wanted a bit more from this one. I wish it had gone a bit more in depth/technical on the actual linguistics but I realize that would not appeal to people who don't have a master's in linguistics so that is definitely a me problem and not necessarily an issue with the book.
2. Heartstopper Vol. 3 - Alice Oseman
Not the most challenging read, but my friend described this series as her comfort series and I get it. The art style is very cute and the story is heartwarming. I do plan on watching the TV show at some point so I will probably read the rest of the books first since they are pretty quick reads.
3. 100 Boyfriends - Brontez Purnell
I have a bad habit of grabbing ebooks when they are on sale for like $2 and then forgetting to read them so I'm trying to get through some of them this year. This was the first one I started this year. A short story collection that follows many different gay relationships. I really liked the writing style even though I don't tend to read things that are this explicit. I was surprised that I liked this collection as much as I did.
4. Maybe In Another Life - Taylor Jenkins Reid
A lot of people I know rave about TJR but I think I'm ready to admit that she's not for me. I liked The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, though I thought there were some plot points that were kind of unnecessary, and I thought Daisy Jones and the Six was okay, but even though I was excited by the sliding doors-esque premise of this book, I ended up very bored.
5. A Farewell to Arms - Ernest Hemingway
This book entered public domain this year in the US. The only Hemingway I've read before were a few snippets of The Sun Also Rises for a writing class in college. I think Hemingway's writing is maybe a bit more staccato than I usually like ("I did this and then this etc"), I definitely felt like I connected with the characters. This one was lovely but now I need a palate cleanser.
I'm currently reading Blue Sisters which I am trying to finish in the next few days before I have to return it to the library but I am really liking it (though I definitely wouldn't consider it a palate cleanser, lol). I also have a rather large stack of things I started before this year and still need to finish so I will probably pick one of those back up once I'm done.
1. Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism - Amanda Montell
I really liked Montell's first book, Wordslut, but I think I wanted a bit more from this one. I wish it had gone a bit more in depth/technical on the actual linguistics but I realize that would not appeal to people who don't have a master's in linguistics so that is definitely a me problem and not necessarily an issue with the book.
2. Heartstopper Vol. 3 - Alice Oseman
Not the most challenging read, but my friend described this series as her comfort series and I get it. The art style is very cute and the story is heartwarming. I do plan on watching the TV show at some point so I will probably read the rest of the books first since they are pretty quick reads.
3. 100 Boyfriends - Brontez Purnell
I have a bad habit of grabbing ebooks when they are on sale for like $2 and then forgetting to read them so I'm trying to get through some of them this year. This was the first one I started this year. A short story collection that follows many different gay relationships. I really liked the writing style even though I don't tend to read things that are this explicit. I was surprised that I liked this collection as much as I did.
4. Maybe In Another Life - Taylor Jenkins Reid
A lot of people I know rave about TJR but I think I'm ready to admit that she's not for me. I liked The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, though I thought there were some plot points that were kind of unnecessary, and I thought Daisy Jones and the Six was okay, but even though I was excited by the sliding doors-esque premise of this book, I ended up very bored.
5. A Farewell to Arms - Ernest Hemingway
This book entered public domain this year in the US. The only Hemingway I've read before were a few snippets of The Sun Also Rises for a writing class in college. I think Hemingway's writing is maybe a bit more staccato than I usually like ("I did this and then this etc"), I definitely felt like I connected with the characters. This one was lovely but now I need a palate cleanser.
I'm currently reading Blue Sisters which I am trying to finish in the next few days before I have to return it to the library but I am really liking it (though I definitely wouldn't consider it a palate cleanser, lol). I also have a rather large stack of things I started before this year and still need to finish so I will probably pick one of those back up once I'm done.
mdmost
Well-Known Member
I'm sorry. Yes, it's not really enjoyable so much as terrifyingly effective and impeccably researched. It really has no points to set it down other than the breaks for the history of nuclear weapons and protocols. Even then, you're wanting to get back to the main story to see what happens next. It's interesting as I have a harder time getting into fiction than nonfiction but this one is more of nonfiction book written as if this actually happened in an alternate universe. My brother had a similar experience with it and is now reading Area 51 by Annie Jacobsen.
Since I love cheerey works of nonfiction, this is my next one before I think I can finish it in the next week.
Since I love cheerey works of nonfiction, this is my next one before I think I can finish it in the next week.
Last edited:
Rowan
Well-Known Member
I think this falls into the category of easy to read Japanese kitch. Basic concept of 10 short stories featuring characters that are all interconnected in some way. Putting this one straight into the ‘harmless’ pile. Reviews cite Murakami but it’s definitely not of that calibre or complexity. But enjoyable enough and a bit of light relief from the ‘big book’ I’ve been working through at the same time.
Quality front cover though
jamieanderson1968
ninniest jackaninny
I have been reading on my Kobo pretty exclusively that last couple of years. I picked up a few physical book cheap last fall and tried to crack both open since the new year.
Physical books are big and awkward and a total pain in the ass. One that I was really interested is almost unreadable to me with my glasses. The font is small, the paper quality is poor and the ink is light. After just a couple of pages I have to stop because of the eyestrain. The worst part is I paid I think $12 for it, but the ebook version would cost me $29. Bloody hell.
Physical books are big and awkward and a total pain in the ass. One that I was really interested is almost unreadable to me with my glasses. The font is small, the paper quality is poor and the ink is light. After just a couple of pages I have to stop because of the eyestrain. The worst part is I paid I think $12 for it, but the ebook version would cost me $29. Bloody hell.
Rowan
Well-Known Member
Book 3
This is brilliant. I’ve read a couple of other Denis Johnson books over the years but this had been sitting in a pile for ages. Thought I had no excuse not to punt through a 100 page novella and I’m a bit annoyed it took me so long to get around to starting it (and finishing in one sitting). For anyone who wants a short, sharp and quite wonderful book to read then just dive on it as it’s fantastic.
This is brilliant. I’ve read a couple of other Denis Johnson books over the years but this had been sitting in a pile for ages. Thought I had no excuse not to punt through a 100 page novella and I’m a bit annoyed it took me so long to get around to starting it (and finishing in one sitting). For anyone who wants a short, sharp and quite wonderful book to read then just dive on it as it’s fantastic.
Last edited:
livinsmall
Member
Love love love this book.
avecigrec
Well-Known Member
02. Murmur by J. Niimi
I love this series. The books within it cannot be any more different than they are, yet they are all collected together by nature of the series. There is a lot I loved and a lot I didn't love in this particular volume; the majority of it boiling down to the writing itself. There's a pompousity to the text that continually threatens to derail the book entirely; in fact, at times it does just that. Mostly the rest of the time it rides the line with some genuinely clever bits. I enjoyed the first half much more than the last.
I love this series. The books within it cannot be any more different than they are, yet they are all collected together by nature of the series. There is a lot I loved and a lot I didn't love in this particular volume; the majority of it boiling down to the writing itself. There's a pompousity to the text that continually threatens to derail the book entirely; in fact, at times it does just that. Mostly the rest of the time it rides the line with some genuinely clever bits. I enjoyed the first half much more than the last.
LeSamourai
Well-Known Member
After breezing through the first two George Smiley books, I'm taking a break from sad British spies for a book about a sad Korean writer. (In English, the title is We Do Not Part.)
Selaws
Well-Known Member
Book 2 - The Expanse Book 2: Caliban's War by James S. A. Corey (Orbit, 2023)
I've been slow on the reading so far this year because of a busy work schedule, but I did get chance to read the 2nd book in the epic Expanse series. I watched the show a few years ago and loved it and have since made a goal to read the entire series. I randomly read the 3rd installment early last year and then went backward to get the first 2. Still hunting down the rest of them. They are such captivating reads that I get through them quite quickly, so I'm breaking them up with other books in-between.
I've been slow on the reading so far this year because of a busy work schedule, but I did get chance to read the 2nd book in the epic Expanse series. I watched the show a few years ago and loved it and have since made a goal to read the entire series. I randomly read the 3rd installment early last year and then went backward to get the first 2. Still hunting down the rest of them. They are such captivating reads that I get through them quite quickly, so I'm breaking them up with other books in-between.
Last edited:
LeSamourai
Well-Known Member
They're really compulsively readable.
Selaws
Well-Known Member
For sure, I find I have to pace myself otherwise I could read the whole thing in just a few sittings.
When it comes to books I typically try to buy from charity shops to provide a bit of support. I've lucked out with 3 of the first in the series (different visits) but it's becoming difficult. There's a charity bookshop a few towns away from me and they said that when it comes to the Expanse they rarely get individual books, but usually get the whole series (or most of it) donated in one go.
ranbalam
Well-Known Member
My wife plowed through all of them after we watched the show. She couldn't put them down.
Mr Moore
Well-Known Member
January, 2025
Book 1: Patricia Highsmith - Ripley Under Water (1991)
Capping my four year tradition of starting the year with the continuation of the Ripliad series with this fifth and final instalment. Despite generally lacklustre reviews at publication, I found it really entertaining. The sins of Tom's past come back to haunt him with the appearance in town of a nosey American couple looking to dredge up the past. The pacing was good, the tension just right and enough reminders of the past books for new readers and those familiar alike. There's some really taut moments as Tom's future seems to look more uncertain than ever.
Book 2: Paul Auster - Man in the Dark (2008)
This was good. It's a story within a story which sees a man waking in a deep hole and being recruited to fight in an American civil war in an alternate present following Bush's 2000 election win. This turns out to be a story that is being told during his sleepless hours and to himself by an aging writer who, with his daughter and grand-daughter under the same roof, are all suffering their own version of loss or grief. The mission of the man from the hole is to find the writer and kill him to stop the alternate America from existing. It's a bizarre twisty double helix of a tale but, Auster dishes up the puzzle really well and there are some genuinely sad instances of familial grief and love nestled in the writer and his family's narratives.
Book 3: Nilanjana Roy - Black River (2022)
This featured on one of the 'best of' lists posted toward the end of last year in the other thread. I put a bunch of them on my wishlist and this one dropped to 99p a few days later. It's really, really impressive. Ostensibly, it's a murder mystery of a prostitute and an 8 year old girl who witnesses the crime. The story's backdrop of a small Indian farming village on the outskirts of Delhi, a grieving father, the quest for village justice, the corrupt and corruptible, Hindu and Muslim issues all colour the story to perfection lending it an otherworldly feel from another time to readers in the west. Superb and would highly recommend.
Book 4: Fyodor Dostoyevsky - Notes from Underground & The Double (1864 & 1846)
Twofer featuring a novella and a shortish novel. Both concern themselves with a lead character that spends most of their story inside their own head. What would typically be an internal monologue, under Dostoyevsky feels more like a dialogue as these men are seemingly reacting internally against a world that they perceive has it out for them. Both are paranoid, twisted manifestations of men feeling downtrodden and insignificant but, their actions make them seem petty and seriously self-obsessed. Both tough reads to be honest and neither gave me the gut reaction that Crime and Punishment (my only other Dostoyevsky read) did but, they both do feel equally ahead of their time in their depiction of mental health issues.
Book 5: Patric Gagne - Sociopath: A Memoir (2024)
I really enjoyed this memoir from a self-confessed sociopath who spares no details in describing how she sees herself as different to all around her. From her childhood through to the publication of this book, Gagne lays bare herself and her condition along with her methods of dealing with it. Just as interesting as I found the book has been reading some of the vitriolic reviews from armchair psychologists who find their many faults with the memoir. I dare say there's some grounds for criticism if you had confused this with a self-help manual or clinical text-book but, it isn't either of those things and some of the keyboard warriors' sputum really comes across as a serious lack of empathy ironically enough for someone who was born to think differently but, was fortunate enough to be born into wealth. I found it to be a fascinating insight into one person's experiences.
Book 6: Haruki Murakami - Norwegian Wood (1987)
This one surprised me. It was a country mile different to the previous Murakami books I'd read. The detailed and difficult relationships surrounding a barely 20 year old boy made for captivating reading. I suppose we all feel like we're swimming through treacle at that age but boy, I'm glad I didn't have to deal with some of the complexities and tragedies this kid did. Heart-breaking at times but really tender how he tries to do right by those in his life that are struggling. It never felt cloying though as he retains a human instinct for some level of selfishness in order to be more than simply a bolster to others.
Book 7: Rachel Cusk - Parade (2024)
I really like Rachel Cusk's books and her writing is impeccable but, I did find this one a bit tough at times. As always, her characters are wonderfully developed and seem all too real, speaking wonderfully natural dialogue (albeit quite cultured and highbrow being largely artists and their sphere of influence) and they do interesting things and lead interesting lives. But, there are lots of characters (including multiple artists all named simply, G), appearing across the four chapters that seem like they could/should possibly be connected and yet, there simply wasn't enough meat on the bones to allow my little brain to clearly make those connections, ultimately leaving me with a bit of a soup of characters and no bread to mop them up with. True to form though, the book isn't a complete loss because Cusk raises as many philosophical questions about life, love, family and art as all her characters are capable of and it leaves an imprint on the reader as you're left mulling them over.
Book 8: Ian McEwan - Enduring Love (1997)
Really good, probably my favourite McEwan so far. A chance encounter amidst a tragedy leads a troubled man to perceive a passing glance from another man as an indication of love and in turn become dangerously infatuated with him. Based on a real but rare psychological disorder, Erotomania or de Clérambault's syndrome, McEwan tells of the strain on an existing relationship when the third party infiltrates their lives. The third act slides dangerously close to becoming a Hollywood ending with the acquisition of a gun through an underground connection but, McEwan just about makes that work. The book is complete with an appendix, medical journal case history style, that tracks what we've just read and hints at future events for the affected couple not featured in the main story. According to wikipedia, the appendix fooled many readers it seems as being a real case history, apparently including the NYT who criticized McEwan for having "simply stuck too close to the facts". The false study is credited to Drs Wenn and Camia, an anagram of Ian McEwan! Nice touch.
Book 1: Patricia Highsmith - Ripley Under Water (1991)
Capping my four year tradition of starting the year with the continuation of the Ripliad series with this fifth and final instalment. Despite generally lacklustre reviews at publication, I found it really entertaining. The sins of Tom's past come back to haunt him with the appearance in town of a nosey American couple looking to dredge up the past. The pacing was good, the tension just right and enough reminders of the past books for new readers and those familiar alike. There's some really taut moments as Tom's future seems to look more uncertain than ever.
Book 2: Paul Auster - Man in the Dark (2008)
This was good. It's a story within a story which sees a man waking in a deep hole and being recruited to fight in an American civil war in an alternate present following Bush's 2000 election win. This turns out to be a story that is being told during his sleepless hours and to himself by an aging writer who, with his daughter and grand-daughter under the same roof, are all suffering their own version of loss or grief. The mission of the man from the hole is to find the writer and kill him to stop the alternate America from existing. It's a bizarre twisty double helix of a tale but, Auster dishes up the puzzle really well and there are some genuinely sad instances of familial grief and love nestled in the writer and his family's narratives.
Book 3: Nilanjana Roy - Black River (2022)
This featured on one of the 'best of' lists posted toward the end of last year in the other thread. I put a bunch of them on my wishlist and this one dropped to 99p a few days later. It's really, really impressive. Ostensibly, it's a murder mystery of a prostitute and an 8 year old girl who witnesses the crime. The story's backdrop of a small Indian farming village on the outskirts of Delhi, a grieving father, the quest for village justice, the corrupt and corruptible, Hindu and Muslim issues all colour the story to perfection lending it an otherworldly feel from another time to readers in the west. Superb and would highly recommend.
Book 4: Fyodor Dostoyevsky - Notes from Underground & The Double (1864 & 1846)
Twofer featuring a novella and a shortish novel. Both concern themselves with a lead character that spends most of their story inside their own head. What would typically be an internal monologue, under Dostoyevsky feels more like a dialogue as these men are seemingly reacting internally against a world that they perceive has it out for them. Both are paranoid, twisted manifestations of men feeling downtrodden and insignificant but, their actions make them seem petty and seriously self-obsessed. Both tough reads to be honest and neither gave me the gut reaction that Crime and Punishment (my only other Dostoyevsky read) did but, they both do feel equally ahead of their time in their depiction of mental health issues.
Book 5: Patric Gagne - Sociopath: A Memoir (2024)
I really enjoyed this memoir from a self-confessed sociopath who spares no details in describing how she sees herself as different to all around her. From her childhood through to the publication of this book, Gagne lays bare herself and her condition along with her methods of dealing with it. Just as interesting as I found the book has been reading some of the vitriolic reviews from armchair psychologists who find their many faults with the memoir. I dare say there's some grounds for criticism if you had confused this with a self-help manual or clinical text-book but, it isn't either of those things and some of the keyboard warriors' sputum really comes across as a serious lack of empathy ironically enough for someone who was born to think differently but, was fortunate enough to be born into wealth. I found it to be a fascinating insight into one person's experiences.
Book 6: Haruki Murakami - Norwegian Wood (1987)
This one surprised me. It was a country mile different to the previous Murakami books I'd read. The detailed and difficult relationships surrounding a barely 20 year old boy made for captivating reading. I suppose we all feel like we're swimming through treacle at that age but boy, I'm glad I didn't have to deal with some of the complexities and tragedies this kid did. Heart-breaking at times but really tender how he tries to do right by those in his life that are struggling. It never felt cloying though as he retains a human instinct for some level of selfishness in order to be more than simply a bolster to others.
Book 7: Rachel Cusk - Parade (2024)
I really like Rachel Cusk's books and her writing is impeccable but, I did find this one a bit tough at times. As always, her characters are wonderfully developed and seem all too real, speaking wonderfully natural dialogue (albeit quite cultured and highbrow being largely artists and their sphere of influence) and they do interesting things and lead interesting lives. But, there are lots of characters (including multiple artists all named simply, G), appearing across the four chapters that seem like they could/should possibly be connected and yet, there simply wasn't enough meat on the bones to allow my little brain to clearly make those connections, ultimately leaving me with a bit of a soup of characters and no bread to mop them up with. True to form though, the book isn't a complete loss because Cusk raises as many philosophical questions about life, love, family and art as all her characters are capable of and it leaves an imprint on the reader as you're left mulling them over.
Book 8: Ian McEwan - Enduring Love (1997)
Really good, probably my favourite McEwan so far. A chance encounter amidst a tragedy leads a troubled man to perceive a passing glance from another man as an indication of love and in turn become dangerously infatuated with him. Based on a real but rare psychological disorder, Erotomania or de Clérambault's syndrome, McEwan tells of the strain on an existing relationship when the third party infiltrates their lives. The third act slides dangerously close to becoming a Hollywood ending with the acquisition of a gun through an underground connection but, McEwan just about makes that work. The book is complete with an appendix, medical journal case history style, that tracks what we've just read and hints at future events for the affected couple not featured in the main story. According to wikipedia, the appendix fooled many readers it seems as being a real case history, apparently including the NYT who criticized McEwan for having "simply stuck too close to the facts". The false study is credited to Drs Wenn and Camia, an anagram of Ian McEwan! Nice touch.