[Abyss]

amphibian, on 21 December 2023 - 04:00 AM, said:

... I really enjoyed Mike Carey writing another Felix Castor story (The Ghost in Bone).
...

...wait....

WHAT???
*googles*
*finds*
*buys*

[Abyss]

JPK, on 21 December 2023 - 03:59 AM, said:

Abyss, on 21 December 2023 - 03:32 AM, said:

2023 Bestestiest Reads...

GO

Well, what were they then? Trying to keep us in suspense?

Atter i posted that i did a quick scan... my year's highs were high and the lows were low and i couldn't decide quickly...

CONTENDERS FOR BEST READ OF THE YEAR

Esslemont's FORGE OF THE HIGH MAGE
Wes Chu, ART OF PROPHECY
Illona (and that other guy) Andrews' MAGIC TIDES / MAGIC CLAIMS
Sanderson's THE SUNLIT MAN

...those four were the ones that jumped out as my fave reads of the year. I think MAGIC is eliminated because while it was so very great to revisit the Katemine, 'best of' is a lofty thing. SUNLIT was good, very good even, but on the 'fantasy lit that blew me away' scale FORGE and ART were better.
Between the top two... tough call... when i reread my posts i see i enjoyed the hell out of FORGE but there were elements that were less 'wow', while ART OF PROPHECY just surprised me on every point and exceeded any expectations i had, so my bestest read of 2023 goes to Wes Chu's ART OF PROPHECY, w FORGE OF THE HIGH MAGE in a close second place.


More year end thinks when i have a minute. Trying to clear work for holiday time and the damn shoggoths keep spawning and emailing themselves to third world spam accounts.

[worry]

For me the best were definitely The Books of Babel by Josiah Bancroft & A Creature Wanting Form by Luke O'Neil. Babel kept improving all the way to its glorious end, and proved that even nerds can be heroes. A Creature Wanting Form is dozens of short stories, many of them quite brief, and it really got to the heart of what it feels like here at the end of things. Very sad, very funny. Not always ha-ha funny.

Honorable mentions are: The House War (1-3) which is all I read from Michelle West so far and really liked, particular her characterization. Strange Beasts of China by Yang Ge, which many of you also read, and was really unique even if a little too opaque sometimes. Really cool out of left field selection. Sad that Apt passed away shortly after we all finished it.
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata - this one's hard to describe. It's short, acerbic, funny, and thoughtful.Forge of the High Mage - maybe the wheels came off the bus of continuity a bit in this one, I dunno, but I still enjoyed the adventure all the way through.

Graphic Novels/Comics:The Immortal Hulk -- maybe up there in the top 3 things I read. I don't read superhero comics that often anymore but I love Hulk and this got him exactly right.Gender Queer -- I think comics are such a cool way to do memoirs / autobios, and this is one of the best ones I've read.
Paper Girls -- I wanted to read this before watching the Amazon show, and I wound up liking it a lot, and then I didn't end up watching the Amazon show cuz they cancelled it after just the one season. Oh well, it's great fun and does time travel pretty well. I might still watch the show eventually.

[Tiste Simeon]

Forge of the High Mage by Esslemont is definitely one of the best I've read this year.

I also really enjoyed The Malevolent Seven by Sebastian de Castell.

I think my read-through (or listen through I suppose) of the Rivers of London series was this year. And they were utterly phenomenal.

[flea]

worry, on 21 December 2023 - 04:58 PM, said:

Sad that Apt passed away shortly after we all finished it.

Wait, what?

[worry]

Sorry that was a joke because he hasn't been posting lately! Hopefully he's currently safe and well.

[polishgenius]

Best book I read last year: At the Feet of the Sun, by Victoria Goddard. As I've been saying in the reading threads, Goddard is some kind of wizard. Feet of the Sun is a very different book to Hands of the Emperor, but just as delightful.

Honourable mention: The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez, a weird-as-shit story of revenge, redemption, and love. It's not going to be everyone's cup of tea just because it's so bizarre but the storytelling on show is superb.

Honourable mention: The Ballad of Perilous Graves,by Alex Jennings - a sort-of-New-Orleans based jazz-and-blues-led coming of age adventure fantasy. A delight.


Best book I read last year that came out last year: probably Shadow Baron, the second in the Burnished City series by Davinia Williams. Improved on the already-rolicking Notorious Sorcerer, which I read at the start of the year. It's just really good high-magic city-based rogue fun, which I think would be right up this board's alley tbh.



Honourable mention: The Archive Undying by Emma Mieko Candon is a bit too messy at the end to nick the top spot, but it's atmospheric as hell, one of the best premises I've read in ages, and characters which while frustrating are interestingly unusual in a bunch of ways.

[Abyss]

ok peoplez.... 2024 has been a year, let's see what your bestiest reads were... ebook, earbook, pretty piccy book, dead tree, stone tablets... top 10, top 1, top 3, bottom 5, i top u bottom, i'm just happy to be here.... whenever it was written, if you read it this year we want your rants and raves and recos.... whatever you got, share w the class!!!

[QuickTidal]

Most middle of the road, but still enjoyable read: FATEMARKED by David Estes

Best Re-read: PERCEPLIQUIS by Michael J. Sullivan

Best Welcome Surprise Random eBook sale purchase Read: EMILY WILDE'S ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FAERIES by Heather Fawcett

Best Classic Novel I'd never read before: WHEN GRAVITY FALLS by George Alec Effinger

Best Foreign Translated Read: STRANGE WEATHER IN TOKYO by Hiromi Kawakami

Best 90's Fantasy I'd seen a million times ion the shelf and never read: MEDALON by Jennifer Fallon

Best Comic series I read: TMNT reboot series.

Best Non-Patrick O'Brian Royal Navy fiction Read: THE KING'S COAT by Dewey Lambdin


I don't have any "worsts" I don't think. I had a few DNF's but nothing I hated, just stuff I did vibe with.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 20 December 2024 - 05:16 PM

[Tiste Simeon]

And once again I have completely forgotten every single book I read this year.

[Abyss]

Tiste Simeon, on 20 December 2024 - 08:12 PM, said:

And once again I have completely forgotten every single book I read this year.

thats okay Tiste, most of it was Dora the Explorer novelizations and tiktok influencer self-help books anyways.

[JPK]

So 2024 was a really good year for me for reading and there were several books that really stood out to me. No particular order on these.

THE CITY AND IT'S UNCERTAIN WALLS - Haruki Murakami. I know I said that these aren't in a particular order, but I think this one is my top read of the year. I'll say that ymmv on this, but this was very much a book that I needed to read when I read it. This one has less of the odd sex stuff that his novels can contain and is very very introspective and has a large focus on how people protect themselves after trauma and loss.

THE MIGNOLAVERSE - I've said it before and I'll say it again. I was dumb to wait so long to start this. Absolutely top notch storytelling that borrows a bit from everything and manages to combine it into something so unique and refreshing. I'm a good chunk in now, and I think this is slowing cementing itself as my favorite graphic novel series.

THE WARLORD CHRONICLES - by Bernard Cornwell. I am ashamed at how long this trilogy sat on my audio trp before I finally got to it this year. Absolutely compelling and a refreshing take on several of the classic Arthurian archetypes that still managed to stay true to them. Fuck Lancelot.

CRUCIBLE OF CHAOS and PLAY OF SHADOWS by Sebastien de Castell. I adore de Castell's Greatcoats novels and they're a must read on release for me. These expand the world past Falcio and Co to new POV characters that are still witty and fun, but bring something new to the world.

SONG OF THE MYSTERIES - Janny Wurts. The final book of her long running WARS OF LIGHT AND SHADOWS. I've been following this series for over 20 years now and it feels weird to finally have the ending. Especially since that ending really delivered. I think that those that found things to enjoy in Michelle West's books would find a lot to like here.

DARBI - Sherard Jackson. Just absodinofuckinglutely glorious. So so good. No notes.

THE SILMARILLION - JRRT. I've tried to get into this one for years but bounced off of it every time. This year we finally got an audiobook narrated by Andy Serkis and it was just absolutely beautifully done.

Honorable mention - A DEEPNESS IN THE SKY - Vernor Vinge. This one is only getting an honorable mention at the moment because I'm still reading it and am currently only a little over halfway. I am in awe of this novel though and it's easy to see why this won the Hugo for best novel that year. I'm planning to finish this one by the end of the year though to end on a strong note.

[amphibian]

My favorite book this year was The Daughters' War, the sequel to the Blacktongue Thief.

Beautifully sad, moving, and full of action adventure that made both books deeper. The thoughts on grief, whether individual or societal, were amazing and never overwhelmed the rest of the story.

[QuickTidal]

JPK, on 21 December 2024 - 07:16 PM, said:

So 2024 was a really good year for me for reading and there were several books that really stood out to me. No particular order on these.

THE CITY AND IT'S UNCERTAIN WALLS - Haruki Murakami. I know I said that these aren't in a particular order, but I think this one is my top read of the year. I'll say that ymmv on this, but this was very much a book that I needed to read when I read it. This one has less of the odd sex stuff that his novels can contain and is very very introspective and has a large focus on how people protect themselves after trauma and loss. .

I have this on my Xmas list. Excited to get it. Question, is it a spriritual sequel to HARD BOILED WONDERLAND AND THE END OF THE WORLD, or is it an actual sequel? Like do I need to reread that one, or can I go into this one clean?

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

Best new read (fiction): David Gemmell's Troy trilogy. Still can't believe it took me this long to get to them!

Best new read (non-fiction): Probably a tie between David Mitchell's Unruly - a snarky, sweary whistle-stop tour through the rulers of England up to Elizabeth I, and Fern Brady's Strong Female Character - an eye-opening memoir which has a lot to say about the experience of female autism and how poor society is in terms of recognising it or indeed accommodating it. It's both incredibly funny and at times hard to read in equal measure.

Most surprising read: Kiran Millwood Hargraves's The Mercies. A very affecting novel setting out a fictional account of the Vardo storm in Norway in the 1600s which left an island community without any of its men, and how the women survived only to be ultimately subjected to witch trials when the king sends a new priest to shut the dangerous independent women up. God forbid they went out fishing themselves so they didn't starve, can't have that...

Best re-read: Peter S Beagle's The Last Unicorn. It's lovely to see all his work back in print now the legal troubles with his former manager are over. I've got all his other novels waiting in the bookshelf to be read now, will probably get through at least one over the Christmas break.

This post has been edited by TheRetiredBridgeburner: 23 December 2024 - 12:12 PM

[Macros]

Can't believe you hadn't read the Troy Trilogy.

I'm 1/3 of the way through Fall of King's, reread number goodness knows how many times.

So much awesome and so many choke the throat I'm not crying you're crying! Moments.

I've yet to determine which parts were Stella and where the reins were taken up


Stuff I've read

A lot of reread

A big lull mid year with little reading, but of new stuff I've read (new to me anyway)
The book that wouldn't burn by Mark "wheres my free book bro?" Lawrence tops out for new reads, a few middle of the roads (priory of the orange tree being the biggest of those in terms of expectation)

[JPK]

QuickTidal, on 23 December 2024 - 11:38 AM, said:

JPK, on 21 December 2024 - 07:16 PM, said:

So 2024 was a really good year for me for reading and there were several books that really stood out to me. No particular order on these.

THE CITY AND IT'S UNCERTAIN WALLS - Haruki Murakami. I know I said that these aren't in a particular order, but I think this one is my top read of the year. I'll say that ymmv on this, but this was very much a book that I needed to read when I read it. This one has less of the odd sex stuff that his novels can contain and is very very introspective and has a large focus on how people protect themselves after trauma and loss. .

I have this on my Xmas list. Excited to get it. Question, is it a spriritual sequel to HARD BOILED WONDERLAND AND THE END OF THE WORLD, or is it an actual sequel? Like do I need to reread that one, or can I go into this one clean?

I have to confess that I went in without rereading HARD BOILED WONDERLAND AND THE END OF THE WORLD, and that is likely the Murakami novel I remember the least as I read it over a decade ago. THE CITY AND IT'S UNCERTAIN WALLS stands well on it's own, but I do wonder if I would have pulled even more out of it had I reread HBWATEOTW first.

Another thing to note is that there was a new translation for that one that dropped this year: END OF THE WORLD AND HARD BOILED WONDERLAND. I'm strongly considering picking that up this upcoming year based on how deeply TCAIUW touched me.

[pat5150]

It hasn't been a banner year for me, at least regarding SFF works published in 2024. The only exceptions are Peter F. Hamilton's Exodus, Katherine Arden's The Warm Hands of Ghosts, and Stephen King's You Like It Darker.

My favorite reads were all non-fiction titles: Steve Coll's Ghost Wars and Kim Ghattas' Black Wave were incredibly detailed and nuanced reads for anyone interested in the conflict in the Middle East and the rest of the Muslim world.

Alex Van Halen's Brothers is a love letter to his little brother and a look back at the band. The same goes for Beastie Boys Book, the biography written by Mike D and ADROCK, which is also a love letter to their good friend MCA who passed away.

Here's to hoping that 2025 will be better as far as speculative fiction is concerned.

Happy New Year to everyone!

[Abyss]

So firstly and foremostest let me take this opportunity to wish you, my people, Malazan Olde Guard, Forumites to the end and beyond, the bestest, healthiest, and generally happiest for the new year. This place and you (mad) people are an ongoing source of entertainment and comradery and even comfort for me, and i hope my mindless contributions do the same for you however slightly.
2024 was a weird little reading year for moi.... a quick search through the Reading thread tells me i actually finished 37 books this year. Mostly earbook, a few ebook, one dead tree (thank you Anthony Bourdain's ghost for your infinite patience). Nine of those are 'novellas', but that's a nuance. On top of that I managed a massive amount of audiodrama and a whole pile of comics. I'm surprised at myself. And possibly fatally underslept wheeeEEEeeeeee ooo is that a spider?

Anyhoot....

BEST BOOK I READ ALL YEAR... I read a lot of really good fantasy this year, and a lot of it was in trilogies and series binges. Some of that can blur together but we don't stand on formality here and if i wanted to give this award to strong contenders Mark Lawrence's BOOK OF THE ICE or Seanan McGuire's WAYWARD CHILDREN i damn well could, but but but... Rob Redick's Fire Sacraments bk 2 SIDEWINDERS gets the prize for my single bestest book read this year. I loved the characters, the desert setting, the pace, the worldbuilding, the action beats, all of it. I'm borderline stunned to give this to a middle book in an unfnished series but if i look at everything i read this year and crunch down to one book that i loved, Sidewinders gets it.

BEST SERIES I BINGED THIS YEAR - it's my post and i can categorize what i want to... plenty of series' this year... Red Sister, Book of the Ice, The Interdependency, Wayward Children, Raksura.... all enjoyed, zero complaints. I have to give the best award to McGuire's WAYWARD CHILDREN tho. For sheer originality of concept, pace, use of cast, use of format, tieing all the disparate pieces together effectively, cleverly jumping between 'now' and 'past'... just overall an exceptional work of writing.

AUDIODRAMAS MOST OF YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT BUT I DO DAMMIT look i spent a LOT of hours on ADs this year, and while they are divided into seasons it's hard not to think of them as 'books' when most of my reading is done by ear these days. THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES/PROTOCOLS were creepy fun, THE SILT VERSES is some very impressive writing.... but MIDNIGHT BURGER just wrecks me episode after episode and i have to ack the sheer brilliance of the writing and the cast for delivering it... they put out one 90min'ish episode a month and my anticipation level is ridiculous and satisfaction surreal.

PRETTY PICCIES GO BAM SMASH - stupidy good year for comics even if most of them weren't written this year... Kieron Gilllen came in guns blazing w ONCE AND FUTURE and then THE WICKED AND THE DIVINE, the MASSIVERSE bundle was fun, the entire IDW TMNT run was just a treat to read, and over on webtoons WAYNE FAMILY ADVENTURES brought more feels and fun than i could have expected.... but....
....but...
....bestest comic of the year, and probably oh fuckit i'll call it overall
MY ABSOLUTE BESTEST READ OF THE YEAR was an asshole little dinosaur and his siblings...
DARBI... seasons 2-5. I. Cannot. Believe. How masterclass good this webtoon was. Maybe just a function of where and when i was at this year, but this online strip wrecked and thrilled me week after week and left me rereading during breaks. At least two strips had me up on my feet cheering. I may have cried manly football shaped tears at least twice. I yanked a few of you along for the ride and iykyk, and since it's now complete the rest of you really should read DARBI while it's free because someone is going to throw money at the creator to make this into a book and cartoon and movie and broadway play and i dunno a breakfast cereal any minute now and it will dissappear and then i'll say i told you so and giggle like a child and possibly go cry in a corner later.


So all in all a good year. I look fwd to whatever reads 2025 has in store for us.

[Hammerhead88]

 Abyss, on 06 January 2025 - 05:12 PM, said:

This place and you (mad) people are an ongoing source of entertainment and comradery and even comfort for me, and i hope my mindless contributions do the same for you however slightly.

They absolutely do!

2024 was the year I started reading Hellboy/the Mignolaverse which I am absolutely in love with. I have finished the main hellboy story (apart from hellboy in hell) and am on Omni 5 of BPRD, so will be continuing with that this year.

I finished dust of dream and the crippled god (yes for the first time!) as well as Rotcg and most of stoneweilder. So finishing the ICE series is on my list this year too.

My other favourite graphic novel aside from Hellboy was 'In' by Will Mcphail which is just a fantastic story about human interaction and I would highly recommend it!