Reading project - 2021 report
Jan. 1st, 2022 12:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dagibbsSince 2016 I've been tracking my reading with two goals: to average a book a week (52 in the year), and to broaden the diversity of the authors I read from the cis-het-white-men who have tended to dominate the shelves in SF&F.
The pandemic, for some reason, hit my reading really hard -- I just didn't have the focus to read. I only read 35 books in 2020, and this year was looking to be even worse -- by the end of October, I'd only finished 18 books. But, I found my reading groove again in November, and read 23 books in two months, to bring my year's total up to 41. On the diversity benchmark, it looks like 5 were by CHWM.
Books/series of note: (full list below the cut):
The Afterward - E. K. Johnston - what happens after the heroes save the world.
Sovereign - April Daniels - Trans superhero.
Terra Ignota series - Ada Palmer - Utopia?
Steerswoman Series - Rosemary Kirstein
A Desolation Called Peace - Arkady Martine
Beneath the Sugar Sky - Seanan McGuire. Wayward children #3. Good enough to keep reading the series, I liked it a bit better than #2.
In an Absent Dream - Seanan McGuire. Wayward children #4. Good enough to keep reading.
Rogue Protocol - Martha Wells. Murderbot #3. Enjoyable space adventure.
Exit Strategy - Martha Wells. Murderbot #4. Enjoyable space adventure. Murderbot struggles with humanity.
9 out of 10 Climbers Make the Same Mistakes - Dave MacLeod. Insightful, if I want to focus on getting better, this seems to have some good ideas on how to start.
Come Tumbling Down - Seanan McGuire. Wayward children #5. Also enjoyable.
Spells Gone Bad - Annie Reed. A collection of urban-fantasy short stories and one longer work. Enjoyable but essentially light weight.
THe Blade Itself - THe First Law Trilogy, Book 1 - Joe Abercrombie. Standard-ish Euro-fantasy.
Before They Are Hanged - #2 of 3 - Joe Abercrombie. It continues.
The Last Argument of Kings - #3 of 3 - Joe Abercombie. It finishes. Ok, not quite standard -- nobody is a good guy.
10
The Firebird - Nerine Dorman. Chapbook, so short. Good, but a bit too much inner dialog and angst for me.
The Afterward - E. K. Johnston. Good. YA. Gay. What happens after the quest is successful and the world is saved.
Kingdom of Souls - Rena Barron. Good, YA.
Rebel Seoul - Axie Oh. Ok.
Red Dust and Dancing Horses and Other Stories - Beth Cato. Short-story collection, some quite strong.
Seven Surrenders - Ada Palmer. Continues to be very good. What cost Utopia? Also, plots within plots and betrayals after betrayals.
Forest of a Thousand Lanterns - Julie C. Dao. Readable but not really my thing. Not worth getting more in series.
Redwood and Wildfire - Andrea Hairston. Good, but not an easy read. Worth it.
Sovereign - April Daniels. (Nemesis - Book 2, sequel to Dreadnought.) Superheros, trans. Really enjoyed it, even through tough bits.
The Will to Battle - Ada Palmer. Book 3. Still very good. Not light, though, not light. I am, perhaps, reminded of Umberto Eco by the depth of language and allusion.
20
The Iron Will of Genie Lo - F.C. Yee. Still good, but not quite as delightful as the first.
Harrow the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir. Work rather than pleasure (Gideon was much more fun). And, still, I want to read the 3rd.
The Descent of Monsters - Neon Yang. Tensorate, book 3. Short, interesting. I think earlier in series were better.
The Ascent to Godhood - Neon Yang. Tensorage, book 4. Short, almost more history lesson than story. Ok.
Perhaps the Stars - Ada Palmer. Book 4, very long, but conclusive. All in all an interesting and impressive series.
Forests of the Night - Tanith Lee. Collection of short works. Mostly not my thing.
The Outskirter'S Secret - Rosemary Kirstein. Steerswoman book 2. Really enjoyable.
The Lost Steersman - Rosemary Kirstein. Book 3. Continues enjoyable.
The Language of Power - Rosemwary Kirstein. Book 4. Continues very enjoyable. Finish at 5am enjoyable.
A Desolation Called Peace - Arkady Martine. Very good.
30
Cross Fire - Fonda Lee. Sequel to Exo. Good enough, but not the Jade series.
A Peace Divided - Tany Huff. Enjoyable milsf.
The Traitor Baru Cormorant - Seth Dickinson. Good. Perhaps not as good as I'd expected from others' praise, but maybe even very good. Another book full of not-nice people.
Finders - Melissa Scott. Enjoyable space adventure. Nice that the protagonists are in a stable, happy, triad.
Witchmark - C. L. Polk. Good fantasy. Buy rest of series.
The Privilege of Peace - Tany Huff. (Peacekeeper #3) Enjoyable MilSF.
Hivemind2: Defender - Janet Edwards. Continues to be fun sf-adventure.
Zeroboxer - Fonda Lee. Very readable, but not as good as others of hers.
Curse the Dark - Laura Anne Gilman. Enjoyable urban/modern fantasy.
Bring It On - Laura Anne Gilman. Another enjoyable urban/modern fantasy.
40
Hivemind3: Hurricane - Janet Edwards. Not quite as good, but still a fun YAish page-turner.
The pandemic, for some reason, hit my reading really hard -- I just didn't have the focus to read. I only read 35 books in 2020, and this year was looking to be even worse -- by the end of October, I'd only finished 18 books. But, I found my reading groove again in November, and read 23 books in two months, to bring my year's total up to 41. On the diversity benchmark, it looks like 5 were by CHWM.
Books/series of note: (full list below the cut):
The Afterward - E. K. Johnston - what happens after the heroes save the world.
Sovereign - April Daniels - Trans superhero.
Terra Ignota series - Ada Palmer - Utopia?
Steerswoman Series - Rosemary Kirstein
A Desolation Called Peace - Arkady Martine
Beneath the Sugar Sky - Seanan McGuire. Wayward children #3. Good enough to keep reading the series, I liked it a bit better than #2.
In an Absent Dream - Seanan McGuire. Wayward children #4. Good enough to keep reading.
Rogue Protocol - Martha Wells. Murderbot #3. Enjoyable space adventure.
Exit Strategy - Martha Wells. Murderbot #4. Enjoyable space adventure. Murderbot struggles with humanity.
9 out of 10 Climbers Make the Same Mistakes - Dave MacLeod. Insightful, if I want to focus on getting better, this seems to have some good ideas on how to start.
Come Tumbling Down - Seanan McGuire. Wayward children #5. Also enjoyable.
Spells Gone Bad - Annie Reed. A collection of urban-fantasy short stories and one longer work. Enjoyable but essentially light weight.
THe Blade Itself - THe First Law Trilogy, Book 1 - Joe Abercrombie. Standard-ish Euro-fantasy.
Before They Are Hanged - #2 of 3 - Joe Abercrombie. It continues.
The Last Argument of Kings - #3 of 3 - Joe Abercombie. It finishes. Ok, not quite standard -- nobody is a good guy.
10
The Firebird - Nerine Dorman. Chapbook, so short. Good, but a bit too much inner dialog and angst for me.
The Afterward - E. K. Johnston. Good. YA. Gay. What happens after the quest is successful and the world is saved.
Kingdom of Souls - Rena Barron. Good, YA.
Rebel Seoul - Axie Oh. Ok.
Red Dust and Dancing Horses and Other Stories - Beth Cato. Short-story collection, some quite strong.
Seven Surrenders - Ada Palmer. Continues to be very good. What cost Utopia? Also, plots within plots and betrayals after betrayals.
Forest of a Thousand Lanterns - Julie C. Dao. Readable but not really my thing. Not worth getting more in series.
Redwood and Wildfire - Andrea Hairston. Good, but not an easy read. Worth it.
Sovereign - April Daniels. (Nemesis - Book 2, sequel to Dreadnought.) Superheros, trans. Really enjoyed it, even through tough bits.
The Will to Battle - Ada Palmer. Book 3. Still very good. Not light, though, not light. I am, perhaps, reminded of Umberto Eco by the depth of language and allusion.
20
The Iron Will of Genie Lo - F.C. Yee. Still good, but not quite as delightful as the first.
Harrow the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir. Work rather than pleasure (Gideon was much more fun). And, still, I want to read the 3rd.
The Descent of Monsters - Neon Yang. Tensorate, book 3. Short, interesting. I think earlier in series were better.
The Ascent to Godhood - Neon Yang. Tensorage, book 4. Short, almost more history lesson than story. Ok.
Perhaps the Stars - Ada Palmer. Book 4, very long, but conclusive. All in all an interesting and impressive series.
Forests of the Night - Tanith Lee. Collection of short works. Mostly not my thing.
The Outskirter'S Secret - Rosemary Kirstein. Steerswoman book 2. Really enjoyable.
The Lost Steersman - Rosemary Kirstein. Book 3. Continues enjoyable.
The Language of Power - Rosemwary Kirstein. Book 4. Continues very enjoyable. Finish at 5am enjoyable.
A Desolation Called Peace - Arkady Martine. Very good.
30
Cross Fire - Fonda Lee. Sequel to Exo. Good enough, but not the Jade series.
A Peace Divided - Tany Huff. Enjoyable milsf.
The Traitor Baru Cormorant - Seth Dickinson. Good. Perhaps not as good as I'd expected from others' praise, but maybe even very good. Another book full of not-nice people.
Finders - Melissa Scott. Enjoyable space adventure. Nice that the protagonists are in a stable, happy, triad.
Witchmark - C. L. Polk. Good fantasy. Buy rest of series.
The Privilege of Peace - Tany Huff. (Peacekeeper #3) Enjoyable MilSF.
Hivemind2: Defender - Janet Edwards. Continues to be fun sf-adventure.
Zeroboxer - Fonda Lee. Very readable, but not as good as others of hers.
Curse the Dark - Laura Anne Gilman. Enjoyable urban/modern fantasy.
Bring It On - Laura Anne Gilman. Another enjoyable urban/modern fantasy.
40
Hivemind3: Hurricane - Janet Edwards. Not quite as good, but still a fun YAish page-turner.
