looking to expand my horizons. My last 2 books: the power of introverts and the subtle art of not giving a f*ck.
I mean I’m a communist so YMMV, but I’m re-reading the Vietnamese textbook on Dialectical Materialism that Luna Oi translated. I’m re-reading it because I also have the second textbook she translated (on Historical Materialism) and I wanted to brush up before diving in to that one.
Luna Oi is a great comrade! She is doing so much for the cause!
Noice. I hope to get this sometime.
I’ve found it to be the most concise and straightforward (and yet thorough) primer on dialectical materialism that I’ve come across so far. In particular I liked how the book split dialectical materialism (the philosophy) from materialist dialectics (the tools of analysis).
The only thing I am reading rn is Capital but I don’t think you came here for political theory so I will recommend The Hot Zone. It’s the last book I read and it’s about the discovery of Ebola, its investigations, and how it got to the US.
For non fiction I’m reading The Concept of Mind by Gilbert Ryle, and can highly recommend. Short, thought provocative, and engaging. For fiction, Children of Strife is great, latest instalment in Tchaikovsky’s Children of Time series which I really enjoyed overall.
Children of Time is great. I also thought Alien Clay by Tchaikovsky was interesting. Although I’m a little skeptical about how aliens work in that one.
I was gonna say, it was a neat concept, but he didn’t really spend the time to make it convincing or explain the mechanism for how life would evolve to be like that. It’s like he just had this idea that life could be more modular, but didn’t bother fleshing it out past that. I actually enjoyed Shroud a lot more, I feel like he put more work into making it plausible. Can recommend if you missed it.
I haven’t read Shroud. I will put it on the list, thanks.
Will definitely check those out
I recently read (listened to the audiobook actually) Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel.
It’s about the life of Thomas Cromwell. The narration style is not for everyone, but it’s the best historical fiction story I’ve read.
The show is also excellent
Currently reading about all the horrors of the CIA - finished The Jakarta Method and Washington Bullets, currently reading through Killing Hope, and next on my list is Operation Gladio.
The Fifth Season. I’m currently on the second book The Obelisk Gate so can’t attest for the quality of the whole thing but it’s geological fantasy and I find it quite fascinating. The scale of the world and conflict keeps getting bigger and bigger. It’s very dark but also really draws you in as things ramp up. Themes of the paradox of tolerance, and the challenge of preparing for future crises. The magic system she came up with also feels very fresh to me
“Venomous Lumpsucker” by Ned Beauman was good. The writing style reminded me of Weir a bit.
“The Reformatory” by Tananarive Due was also pretty good.
Very different books from each other. Neither are completely without flaw, but both books were a solid B+.
Ive never read a bad Agatha Christie book.
My favorite book is “A Confederacy of Dunces” by John Kennedy Toole, and his novella “Neon Bible” was also very good.
“The Dog Stars” by Peter Heller was good.
“Godshot” by Chelsea Bieker was very good.
The blade itself is what I’m current reading (when not frantically trying to catchup on one piece)
Thinking fast and slow - Daniel Kahneman
Hunter x Hunter manga, currently in the chimera ant arc
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
Technically still reading the Dune series but I need to get back to it.
Solaris by Stanislaw Lem. Truly magnificent, just like the movie by Tarkovsky.
In parallel to that I went also down the rabbit hole about what cybernetics was and what happened to it.
Finished Dungeon Crawler Carl book 8. Reading Witcher: Crossroads of Ravens
Just hopped on the dcc train! Definitely recommend. It will never go down in history as a sublime piece of literature, but it sure is good. I would also recommend giving the audio book a try, the narration is hilarious.
I’ll do you one better. The narrator, Jeff Hayes, he founded Soundbooth Theater. DCC in an immersion tunnel, with full cast and sound effects.
The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer
I recently started The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
Kaiju battlefield surgeon








