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Books read, 2022
3 January 2023 22:07What I read in 2022, more or less in the order that I read it:
Downbelow Station by C.J. Cherryh - One of those sci-fi classics that I had never read. Very good space opera stuff, lots of factions all out for their own interests, some stuff is a little dated, but it still holds up pretty well. Also interesting in retrospect seeing other sci-fi that was influenced by this, the action centers around a distant self-sufficient space station trying to maintain its independence and echoes can definitely be found in Babylon 5 and DS9.
Penric & Desdemona series by Lois McMaster Bujold - 10 novellas and 1 novel, starting with Penric's Demon. I found these delightful, basically a mystery series, set in a fantasy world with a bunch of supernatural stuff going on. They did an excellent job of keeping me company during my bought of Covid last spring. The books build on each other, each adding a bit a world building in addition to whatever its mystery is and Penric's relationship with the entity sharing his body deepens as it goes with some exploration of gender along the way. Also found these lighter in tone most other recent fantasy, so if you're looking for some without the grimdark these might be for you.
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin - My adoration of Jemisin continues. There is a Sandman story about cities that become self-aware, and this takes that idea and explores it more fully, I already really like stories about personifications of cities, so this feels like it was written for me. I don't think it has quite the brilliance of the Fifth Season books, but it's also not as demanding and easier to just be along for the ride. Found this to be way better than Robinson's New York 2047 which has a kind of similar setting. Definitely recommended for New Yorker's especially.
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson - Non-fiction, this is the history of the great migration of African-Americans out of the southern U.S. to the northern and western cities. This, or something very like it, really ought to be required reading in U.S. history classes, the great migration is so very basic to understanding our country and it is not well taught. This book is very well done and a pretty comprehensive treatment, it alternates a sort of traditional telling of history with following the stories of 3 individual families that made the migration and I think those stories make this much more personal and engaging. Highly recommended.
Cats Eye by Andre Norton - A short sci-fi story about a bunch of animals kicking bad guy ass, not much depth to it, but fun, with a nice pro-environment theme that feels it was probably a bit ahead of its time back in 1961 when this was written.
Northshore & Southshore by Sheri S. Tepper - These were ok, but not Tepper's best, definitely similar themes that she more fully develops in later books, like many of hers it's about a society that revolves around a central lie and what happens when it unravels. Good for folks that are already Tepper fans, but if you are new to her work go for The Gate to Woman's Country, Grass, or Beauty which are all excellent.
Lion of Ireland by Morgan Llywelyn - Historical fiction about Brian Boru who unified Ireland around 1,000 AD. Overall pretty good, I thought the historical, military and political aspects very well done. There were some bits that would take me out of the story like sticking some Paganism in there which I'd normally appreciate except that it was obviously modern Neo-Paganism and not period accurate Paganism. Also I didn't think the writing on his relationships was very good, his partners coming across as caricatures rather than real people. Still well worth the read if interested in Irish history.
Four for Tomorrow by Roger Zelazny - Four sci-fi short stories, ok, but none of them really stood out for me, not as good as the Amber stories he is more famous for.
Lost horizon by James Hilton - Written in 1933, the very first mass market paperback and the book that gave us Shangri-la. I was pleasantly surprised by how well this has aged, there were a few bits of casual racism and misogyny, but not as much as expected and those mostly coming from a character portrayed as an asshole. The central theme of a group trying to preserve knowledge in the face of the imminent collapse of civilization still seems relevant.
The Noman Way by J.T. McIntosh (aka James MacGregor) - This on the other hand has not aged well, from 1964, a sci-fi story about a sports obsessed society - at least when the bad guys turn out to be Nazis there is some satisfying Nazi punching to be had.
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher (aka Ursula Vernon) - This is a retelling of Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher" giving it substantially more backstory and doing some playing with gender while keeping all of Poe's creepiness. I don't normally even read horror, but I trust Vernon's storytelling abilities completely and this is extremely well done. Highly recommended if you like the creepy.
The Wolf of Winter by Paula Volsky - A Russian-esque fantasy world exploring magic use as a drug and the potential abuse that comes with that. Not bad, but I think Ferrett Steinmetz's "Flex" is a more interesting book about the same idea, granted that is urban fantasy while this is more traditional. And among Volsky's other books I liked "Illusion" a lot better.
Life Among the Apaches by John C. Cremony - Non-fiction, an account published in 1868 from a man involved in fighting and later translating for the Apache and other tribes of the southwestern U.S. Not something I'd really recommend other to history buffs, the author has many opinions that are now cringeworthy, and he was writing with an ulterior motive of trying to paint the Apache as a serious threat, but it's also obvious that he admired them in many things, and he rails against the abysmal U.S. policies towards Native Americans of the day. Despite its flaws I found it interesting just because it was a first-hand account from a time and place that not many have survived. Read while taking a trip to New Mexico with my Mom, and so doubly interesting to read descriptions of the landscapes we were driving through while they were still controlled by the Apache.
Indexing by Seanan McGuire - Urban fantasy where fairy tales come to life and there is a secret agency to protect the normals from them. Reminds be a little of the Jasper Fforde Thursday Next books. Having a hard time really getting into this, starting it during the summer in e-book form and still haven't finished, still plugging away though.
Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse - Back to the southwest, this is a post-apocalypse world set on the Navajo reservation where the Diné legends have come to life and our protagonist hunts supernatural monsters. Very Shadowrun-esque and full of Diné myth meeting modern day Diné culture. Great stuff and I think this would make for an awesome movie. This is the start to a series and looking forward to more of them.
Hawk of the Wilderness by William L. Chester - They can't all be winners; this is a Tarzan knock-off from 1936 and I didn't make it very far before giving up. Sets the action in the arctic instead of the jungle and it just doesn't work, while also being cringeworthily racist.
Star Rangers by Andre Norton - From 1951, one of Norton's first sci-fi stories, and despite pre-dating Star Trek by over a decade it feels kind of like a Star Trek story. Imagine if the Federation collapsed due to internal divisions but ships out on the frontier continued their missions of exploration even without a home to report back to and you have this story.
You are Here by Thich Nhat Hanh - Non-fiction, some Buddhism 101 from the famous monk and teacher. I hadn't read him before, and I can see why his writings are popular. A very straightforward style and he emphasizes the more practical aspects of Buddhism, what does it look like in practice in terms of day to day living, how to practice and what are the benefits in coping with modern life. Not finished yet and no idea how it compares to his other books, most of which I believe are very similar, but definitely intend to try and adopt some of his recommendations.
That's it for 2022. First one up for 2023 is Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki which I just got for Christmas and am very much looking forward to.
Downbelow Station by C.J. Cherryh - One of those sci-fi classics that I had never read. Very good space opera stuff, lots of factions all out for their own interests, some stuff is a little dated, but it still holds up pretty well. Also interesting in retrospect seeing other sci-fi that was influenced by this, the action centers around a distant self-sufficient space station trying to maintain its independence and echoes can definitely be found in Babylon 5 and DS9.
Penric & Desdemona series by Lois McMaster Bujold - 10 novellas and 1 novel, starting with Penric's Demon. I found these delightful, basically a mystery series, set in a fantasy world with a bunch of supernatural stuff going on. They did an excellent job of keeping me company during my bought of Covid last spring. The books build on each other, each adding a bit a world building in addition to whatever its mystery is and Penric's relationship with the entity sharing his body deepens as it goes with some exploration of gender along the way. Also found these lighter in tone most other recent fantasy, so if you're looking for some without the grimdark these might be for you.
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin - My adoration of Jemisin continues. There is a Sandman story about cities that become self-aware, and this takes that idea and explores it more fully, I already really like stories about personifications of cities, so this feels like it was written for me. I don't think it has quite the brilliance of the Fifth Season books, but it's also not as demanding and easier to just be along for the ride. Found this to be way better than Robinson's New York 2047 which has a kind of similar setting. Definitely recommended for New Yorker's especially.
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson - Non-fiction, this is the history of the great migration of African-Americans out of the southern U.S. to the northern and western cities. This, or something very like it, really ought to be required reading in U.S. history classes, the great migration is so very basic to understanding our country and it is not well taught. This book is very well done and a pretty comprehensive treatment, it alternates a sort of traditional telling of history with following the stories of 3 individual families that made the migration and I think those stories make this much more personal and engaging. Highly recommended.
Cats Eye by Andre Norton - A short sci-fi story about a bunch of animals kicking bad guy ass, not much depth to it, but fun, with a nice pro-environment theme that feels it was probably a bit ahead of its time back in 1961 when this was written.
Northshore & Southshore by Sheri S. Tepper - These were ok, but not Tepper's best, definitely similar themes that she more fully develops in later books, like many of hers it's about a society that revolves around a central lie and what happens when it unravels. Good for folks that are already Tepper fans, but if you are new to her work go for The Gate to Woman's Country, Grass, or Beauty which are all excellent.
Lion of Ireland by Morgan Llywelyn - Historical fiction about Brian Boru who unified Ireland around 1,000 AD. Overall pretty good, I thought the historical, military and political aspects very well done. There were some bits that would take me out of the story like sticking some Paganism in there which I'd normally appreciate except that it was obviously modern Neo-Paganism and not period accurate Paganism. Also I didn't think the writing on his relationships was very good, his partners coming across as caricatures rather than real people. Still well worth the read if interested in Irish history.
Four for Tomorrow by Roger Zelazny - Four sci-fi short stories, ok, but none of them really stood out for me, not as good as the Amber stories he is more famous for.
Lost horizon by James Hilton - Written in 1933, the very first mass market paperback and the book that gave us Shangri-la. I was pleasantly surprised by how well this has aged, there were a few bits of casual racism and misogyny, but not as much as expected and those mostly coming from a character portrayed as an asshole. The central theme of a group trying to preserve knowledge in the face of the imminent collapse of civilization still seems relevant.
The Noman Way by J.T. McIntosh (aka James MacGregor) - This on the other hand has not aged well, from 1964, a sci-fi story about a sports obsessed society - at least when the bad guys turn out to be Nazis there is some satisfying Nazi punching to be had.
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher (aka Ursula Vernon) - This is a retelling of Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher" giving it substantially more backstory and doing some playing with gender while keeping all of Poe's creepiness. I don't normally even read horror, but I trust Vernon's storytelling abilities completely and this is extremely well done. Highly recommended if you like the creepy.
The Wolf of Winter by Paula Volsky - A Russian-esque fantasy world exploring magic use as a drug and the potential abuse that comes with that. Not bad, but I think Ferrett Steinmetz's "Flex" is a more interesting book about the same idea, granted that is urban fantasy while this is more traditional. And among Volsky's other books I liked "Illusion" a lot better.
Life Among the Apaches by John C. Cremony - Non-fiction, an account published in 1868 from a man involved in fighting and later translating for the Apache and other tribes of the southwestern U.S. Not something I'd really recommend other to history buffs, the author has many opinions that are now cringeworthy, and he was writing with an ulterior motive of trying to paint the Apache as a serious threat, but it's also obvious that he admired them in many things, and he rails against the abysmal U.S. policies towards Native Americans of the day. Despite its flaws I found it interesting just because it was a first-hand account from a time and place that not many have survived. Read while taking a trip to New Mexico with my Mom, and so doubly interesting to read descriptions of the landscapes we were driving through while they were still controlled by the Apache.
Indexing by Seanan McGuire - Urban fantasy where fairy tales come to life and there is a secret agency to protect the normals from them. Reminds be a little of the Jasper Fforde Thursday Next books. Having a hard time really getting into this, starting it during the summer in e-book form and still haven't finished, still plugging away though.
Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse - Back to the southwest, this is a post-apocalypse world set on the Navajo reservation where the Diné legends have come to life and our protagonist hunts supernatural monsters. Very Shadowrun-esque and full of Diné myth meeting modern day Diné culture. Great stuff and I think this would make for an awesome movie. This is the start to a series and looking forward to more of them.
Hawk of the Wilderness by William L. Chester - They can't all be winners; this is a Tarzan knock-off from 1936 and I didn't make it very far before giving up. Sets the action in the arctic instead of the jungle and it just doesn't work, while also being cringeworthily racist.
Star Rangers by Andre Norton - From 1951, one of Norton's first sci-fi stories, and despite pre-dating Star Trek by over a decade it feels kind of like a Star Trek story. Imagine if the Federation collapsed due to internal divisions but ships out on the frontier continued their missions of exploration even without a home to report back to and you have this story.
You are Here by Thich Nhat Hanh - Non-fiction, some Buddhism 101 from the famous monk and teacher. I hadn't read him before, and I can see why his writings are popular. A very straightforward style and he emphasizes the more practical aspects of Buddhism, what does it look like in practice in terms of day to day living, how to practice and what are the benefits in coping with modern life. Not finished yet and no idea how it compares to his other books, most of which I believe are very similar, but definitely intend to try and adopt some of his recommendations.
That's it for 2022. First one up for 2023 is Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki which I just got for Christmas and am very much looking forward to.