Kriti's (kgodey) 2023 reading

I'm Kriti, I live in a small college town in Ohio, although I'm originally from southern India.

At work, I run an open source software project at a nonprofit. The project is launching early this year, and I anticipate that it will keep me pretty busy. I've primarily been a software engineer in the past, but my current job is most similar to running a company, and I feel out of my depth pretty often. But I'm learning a lot!

I'm theoretically interested in reading pretty much anything. In practice, I end up mostly reading science fiction and fantasy with a smattering of nonfiction. My reading slowed down significantly in Oct 2022 because of a slow recovery from a concussion, but I'm hoping I'll be able to pick up the pace soon.

My other interests include history, movies, and cooking. One of my goals for 2023 is also to make our home less cluttered.

Here's my 2022 thread – I had an abnormally good year and read over 250 books, but usually I read closer to 100 books.

January 2023

1. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson (Jan 2, 537 pages, hardcover, reread)
2. The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson (Jan 8, 578 pages, hardcover, reread)
3. The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson (Jan 10, 556 pages, hardcover, reread)
4. Mistborn: Secret History by Brandon Sanderson (Jan 10, 233 pages, hardcover, reread)
5. The Ivory Tomb by Melissa Caruso (Jan 13, 495 pages, paperback)
6. The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson (Jan 17, 1001 pages, hardcover, reread)
7. Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson (Jan 21, 1080 pages, hardcover, reread)
8. Edgedancer by Brandon Sanderson (Jan 22, 268 pages, hardcover, reread)
9. Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson (Jan 25, 1233 pages, hardcover, reread)
10. Dawnshard by Brandon Sanderson (Jan 26, 277 pages, hardcover, reread)
11. Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson (Jan 29, 1219 pages, hardcover, reread)
12. Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson (Jan 30, 475 pages, hardcover)
13. Wizard's Hall by Jane Yolen (Jan 31, 133 pages, hardcover)

February 2023

14. Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao (Feb 1, 391 pages, paperback) – skimmed last part of this
15. Arcanum Unbounded by Brandon Sanderson (Feb 4, 673 pages, hardcover, reread) – did not read Mistborn: Secret History or Edgedancer since I read them in January.
16. The Way of Kings Prime by Brandon Sanderson (Feb 6, 802 pages, hardcover)
17. Elantris by Brandon Sanderson (Feb 9, 590 pages, hardcover, reread)
18. Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson (Feb 12, 592 pages, hardcover, reread)
19. White Sand (unpublished) by Brandon Sanderson (Feb 15, 1047 pages, ebook, reread)
20. Aether of Night (unpublished) by Brandon Sanderson (Feb 16, 763 pages, ebook, reread)
21. White Sand Volume 1 by Brandon Sanderson (Feb 17, 160 pages, hardcover)
22. White Sand Volume 2 by Brandon Sanderson (Feb 18, 160 pages, hardcover)
23. White Sand Volume 3 by Brandon Sanderson (Feb 18, 160 pages, hardcover)
24. The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan (Feb 24, 657 pages, hardcover, reread)
25. The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan (Feb 28, 577 pages, hardcover, reread)

March 2023

26. The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan (Mar 5, 578 pages, hardcover, reread)
27. The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan (Mar 11, 681 pages, hardcover, reread)
28. The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan (Mar 17, 683 pages, hardcover, reread)
29. Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan (Mar 20, 699 pages, hardcover, reread)
30. A Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan (Mar 22, 664 pages, hardcover, reread)
31. The Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan (Mar 23, 591 pages, hardcover, reread)
32. Winter's Heart by Robert Jordan (Mar 25, 656 pages, hardcover, reread)
33. Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan (Mar 26, 681 pages, hardcover, reread)
34. Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan (Mar 27, 761 pages, hardcover, reread)
35. The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson (Mar 30, 766 pages, hardcover, reread)

April 2023

36. Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson (Apr 1, 843 pages, hardcover, reread)
37. A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson (Apr 2, 909 pages, hardcover, reread)
38. New Spring by Robert Jordan (Apr 4, 336 pages, hardcover, reread)
39. Blitzscaling by Reid Hoffman and Chris Yeh (Apr 11, 315 pages, hardcover)
40. Blink by Malcolm Gladwell (Apr 13, 276 pages, paperback)
41. The Book of Jhereg by Steven Brust (Apr 20, 471 pages, hardcover)
42. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (Apr 24, 329 pages, paperback, reread)
43. Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones (Apr 25, 383 pages, paperback, reread)
44. How to Fight a Hydra by Josh Kaufman (Apr 25, 115 pages, paperback)
45. House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones (Apr 27, 404 pages, paperback, reread)
46. Taltos by Steven Brust (Apr 28, 181 pages, paperback)
47. Phoenix by Steven Brust (Apr 30, 245 pages, paperback)

May 2023

48. Athyra by Steven Brust (May 3, 243 pages, paperback)
49. Orca by Steven Brust (May 4, 290 pages, paperback)
50. Dragon by Steven Brust (May 6, 286 pages, hardcover)
51. Issola by Steven Brust (May 8, 255 pages, hardcover)
52. Dzur by Steven Brust (May 9, 285 pages, hardcover)
52. Jhegaala by Steven Brust (May 11, 300 pages, hardcover)
53. Iorich by Steven Brust (May 11, 319 pages, hardcover)
54. Tiassa by Steven Brust (May 14, 335 pages, hardcover)
55. Hawk by Steven Brust (May 15, 320 pages, hardcover)
56. Vallista by Steven Brust (May 17, 334 pages, hardcover)
57. Tsalmoth by Steven Brust (May 18, 276 pages, hardcover)
58. The Desecrator by Steven Brust (May 19, 20 pages, ebook)
59. The Frugal Wizard's Handbook for Surviving Medieval England by Brandon Sanderson (May 20, 339 pages, hardcover)
60. Brokedown Palace by Steven Brust (May 21, 351 pages, paperback)
61. The Phoenix Guards by Steven Brust (May 23, 331 pages, hardcover)
62. Five Hundred Years After by Steven Brust (May 25, 444 pages, hardcover)
63. The Paths of the Dead by Steven Brust (May 26, 399 pages, hardcover)
64. The Lord of Castle Black by Steven Brust (May 27, 397 pages, hardcover)
65. Sethra Lavode by Steven Brust (May 28, 351 pages, hardcover)
66. The Baron of Magister Valley by Steven Brust (May 29, 447 pages, hardcover)

June 2023

67. Jhereg by Steven Brust (Jun 1, 239 pages, paperback, reread)
68. Yendi by Steven Brust (Jun 2, 209 pages, paperback, reread)
69. Teckla by Steven Brust (Jun 3, 214 pages, paperback, reread)
70. Taltos by Steven Brust (Jun 4, 181 pages, paperback, reread)
71. No Foreign Sky by Rachel Neumeier (Jun 7, 427 pages, paperback)
72. The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud (Jun 9, 381 pages, hardcover, reread)
73. Phoenix by Steven Brust (Jun 12, 245 pages, paperback, reread)
74. The Whispering Skull by Jonathan Stroud (Jun 15, 424 pages, hardcover, reread)
75. The Hollow Boy by Jonathan Stroud (Jun 17, 374 pages, hardcover, reread)
76. The Creeping Shadow by Jonathan Stroud (Jun 17, 435 pages, hardcover, reread)
77. The Empty Grave by Jonathan Stroud (Jun 18, 437 pages, hardcover, reread)
78. The Notorious Scarlett and Browne by Jonathan Stroud (Jun 21, 422 pages, hardcover)
79. Unraveller by Frances Hardinge (Jun 23, 423 pages, hardcover)
80. Dark Lord of Derkholm by Diana Wynne Jones (Jun 24, 517 pages, paperback, reread)
81. The Chronicles of Chrestomanci, Volume I by Diana Wynne Jones (Jun 25, 598 pages, paperback, reread)
82. The Chronicles of Chrestomanci, Volume II by Diana Wynne Jones (Jun 27, 548 pages, paperback)
83. The Chronicles of Chrestomanci, Volume III by Diana Wynne Jones (Jun 28, 675 pages, paperback)
84. Cart and Cwidder by Diana Wynne Jones (Jun 28, 222 pages, paperback)
85. Drowned Ammet by Diana Wynne Jones (Jun 29, 324 pages, paperback)
85. The Spellcoats by Diana Wynne Jones (Jun 30, 289 pages, paperback)
86. The Crown of Dalemark by Diana Wynne Jones (Jun 30, 486 pages, paperback)

July 2023

87. The Year of the Griffin by Diana Wynne Jones (Jul 1, 390 pages, paperback)
88. Dogsbody by Diana Wynne Jones (Jul 2, 239 pages, paperback)
89. A Tale of Time City by Diana Wynne Jones (Jul 3, 327 pages, hardcover)
90. Enchanted Glass by Diana Wynne Jones (Jul 3, 292 pages, hardcover)
91. Eight Days of Luke by Diana Wynne Jones (Jul 4, 150 pages, paperback)
92. The Ogre Downstairs by Diana Wynne Jones (Jul 5, 212 pages, hardcover)
93. Witch's Business by Diana Wynne Jones (Jul 6, 201 pages, hardcover)
94. The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander (Jul 6, 186 pages, paperback, reread)
95. Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson (Jul 9, 479 pages, hardcover)
96. Vile Visitors by Diana Wynne Jones (Jul 10, 220 pages, hardcover)
97. Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan (Jul 12, 649 pages, paperback, reread)
98. Rise of Empire by Michael J. Sullivan (Jul 16, 756 pages, paperback, reread)
98. Heir of Novron by Michael J. Sullivan (Jul 18, 895 pages, paperback, reread)
99. Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell (Jul 29, 379 pages, hardcover)

August 2023

100. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell (Aug 2, 299 pages, paperback)
101. Mixed Magics by Diana Wynne Jones (Aug 4, 171 pages, paperback)
102. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell (Aug 5, 296 pages, hardcover)
102. David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell (Aug 11, 275 pages, hardcover)
103. Tano by Rachel Neumeier (Aug 20, 286 pages, hardcover)
104. Tasmakat by Rachel Neumeier (Aug 27, 540 pages, hardcover)
105. Unsouled by Will Wight (Aug 29, 371 pages, hardcover)
106. Soulsmith by Will Wight (Aug 30, 310 pages, ebook)
107. Blackflame by Will Wight (Aug 31, 405 pages, ebook)

September 2023

108. Skysworn by Will Wight (Sep 1, 311 pages, ebook)
109. The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander (Sep 4, 229 pages, paperback, reread)
110. The Dark Lord's Daughter by Patricia C. Wrede (Sep 7, 360 pages, hardcover)
111. Invictus: Captive by Rachel Neumeier (Sep 18, 382 pages, paperback)
112. Quarter Share by Nathan Lowell (Sep 28, 213 pages, paperback)
113. Half Share by Nathan Lowell (Sep 30, 223 pages, paperback)

October 2023

114. Full Share by Nathan Lowell (Oct 1, 256 pages, paperback)
115. Cold Magic by Kate Elliott (Oct 9, 502 pages, paperback)
116. Invictus: Crisis by Rachel Neumeier (Oct 21, 407 pages, paperback)
117. The Sunlit Man by Brandon Sanderson (Oct 24, 446 pages, hardcover)

November 2023

118. Defiant by Brandon Sanderson (Nov 26, 420 pages, hardcover)

December 2023

No books logged yet.

Welcome back, Kristin!

Wishing you a comfortable reading year in 2023, Kriti.

>14 drneutron: Thanks Jim!

>15 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul!

Thanks for the link in my thread; I've added a star.

Happy New Year and here's to lots of good reading in 2023!

Hello! Starring this now so I won't forget to drop in and holler at you throughout the year.

(Also — just catching up on your '22 thread — I'm so, so sorry about your concussion. That /really/ sucks. It sounds incredibly uncomfortable/painful, as well as frustrating that the symptoms are lingering for so long. I'm glad that you're slowly starting to feel a bit better. Hopefully this little holiday break helps with your recovery.)

Hope you have a great year of reading!

Happy New Year and happy new thread Kriti!

Happy New Year, Kriti!

Wishing you a good reading year.

>17 ArlieS: Hi Arlie!

>18 kaida46: Thanks Deb, and you too.

>19 andrewreads: Hi Andrew, and thanks! I've barely noticed my symptoms over the break, so that's been nice. I get back to work on Tuesday, and things will probably get harder again.

>20 thornton37814: Thanks Lori!

>21 humouress: Thank you, Nina! Happy New Year to you too.

>22 EllaTim: Thanks Ella, and you too!

I visited and starred a whole bunch of threads, but I'm not sure how well I'll be able to keep up once work starts back up on Tuesday.

We usually watch a lot of movies, but we haven't been because of my concussion. Last night, we watched Treasure Planet, which was fun. I enjoyed the aesthetic, and the movie had a surprisingly solid emotional core.

I'm still slowly re-reading Mistborn, which should be my first book of 2023.

Happy New Year, Kriti!

Happy New Year and happy reading in 2023, Kriti!

Starred your thread, so glad to have found you.
We share a similar taste in reading and for similar reasons (109 titles in my library of 761 are in yours). Except I'm not a fan of most dystopian or Sci-Fi themes.

I requested Permanent Record based on your 2022 comment. Hope that nasty concussion is done and dusted. Scary!

Happy New Year, Kriti!

Happy new year Kriti!

>25 norabelle414: Thanks Nora, and you too!

>26 alcottacre: Thanks Stasia, and you too!

>27 SandyAMcPherson: Nice to see you here Sandy! I saw that last year we commented on the same people's threads often, so I'm glad you have a thread here in 2023. I hope you enjoy Permanent Record.

>28 ronincats: Hi Roni! Thanks and same to you.

>29 quondame: Thank you Susan, and same to you!

Dropping a star and wishing you happy new year!

Happy New Year Kriti and a year full of great books!

Happy New Year!

May 2023 be kinder and gentler to us all.

Happy New Year, Kriti! Wow to your reading numbers from last year and OOF to the concussion and its lingering effects. Glad that you are feeling better and getting back into reading. I like what fuzzi said, "May 2023 be kinder and gentler to us all."

Glad to see you here, Kriti. Starred. 😊

>31 swynn: Hi Steve, Happy New Year to you too!

>32 Kristelh: Hi Kristel, thank you and you too!

>33 fuzzi: Thanks Lor! Happy New Year to you too.

>34 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie, thanks, you too! I don't think I'll be able to keep up with my reading numbers from last year, but that's fine.

>35 MickyFine: Hi Micky! Nice to see you here.

Book #1 is a reread of Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. This is one of my old favorites, so I don't have that much to say about it. This is my first time reading it in hardcover (I decided to upgrade from my old mass-market paperback box set) and it made the story seem more epic somehow. It's probably also my slowest read, and I noticed more foreshadowing than I usually do. It's also more clear that this is Brandon Sanderson's first book – the writing is a bit clunky and so much interesting stuff happens off screen.

Still, highly recommended.

Happy new year and happy new thread! A good starting pick -- I love Sanderson, and need to pick up his later books in that series.

>37 kgodey:, Kritri, one I've wanted to get to one of these days, I like Sanderson's writing.

>38 foggidawn: Thanks Misti (and thanks also for friending me on Facebook!)

>39 Kristelh: Sanderson's one of my favorite authors, this was the first book I read by him (well, other than his Wheel of Time work). I hope you enjoy it when you get to it.

Repaying your visit to my thread, Kriti. I've been delaying my library hold on Mistborn for months now and should probably get to it soon!

I've been back at work this week, and I definitely still have post-concussion symptoms, my head has been getting fuzzy after a couple of hours of work and I've had to take long breaks and have short workdays. We moved a couple of bookshelves upstairs a few days ago, and I think I pulled my back. I've mostly been a couch potato since doing almost everything hurts.

But it's all getting better! I've been making progress on reading The Well of Ascension (book 2 of Mistborn) slowly. And we (re)watched another movie last night, From Up on Poppy Hill, which is a great Ghibli movie. I definitely wasn't able to do 6 hours of work + a movie + some reading all in one day before the holidays.

---

I wrote up my favorite books of 2022 on a comment on Rachel Neumeier's blog, and I figured I post them here too.

2022 was an extraordinarily productive year for me in terms of books read – over 250. I read all of Rachel Neumeier's work, most of Georgette Heyer's and Lloyd Alexander's books, and all of Gail Carson Levine's books. It's hard to pick a favorite from those, but if I had to pick one from each, I would say:
- Tuyo by Rachel Neumeier
- The Westmark books by Lloyd Alexander (I did not reread The Chronicles of Prydain in 2022, or that would be here too)
- A Ceiling Made of Eggshells by Gail Carson Levine - unlike most of her work, this is historical fiction rather than fantasy
- Sylvester, or the Wicked Uncle by Georgette Heyer for romance + screwball comedy and An Infamous Army for historical fiction

Other books I read for the first time and really enjoyed:
– The Dispossessed and The Word for World is Forest by Ursula K. LeGuin
– The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia McKillip
– Sabriel + sequels by Garth Nix (Sabriel is the best one, and Lirael and Abhorsen are pretty good too)
– Replay by Ken Grimwood
– The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell (this is not a fun read, but it’s good). The sequel, Children of God is not as good, but you need to read it to recover.
– The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon
– Harpy's Flight by Megan Lindholm
– Tea with the Black Dragon by R.A. MacAvoy
– The Lost Metal by Brandon Sanderson
- The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik

Also I re-read so many favorites! The Vorkosigan saga and Sharing Knife series by Lois McMaster Bujold, the Dresden Files and Codex Alera by Jim Butcher, the Winternight series by Katherine Arden, Uprooted and Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik, all of Jonathan Stroud's books (but especially Bartimaeus).

>41 curioussquared: I hope you enjoy it, Natalie!

>40 kgodey:,Kritri, I have not read The Wheel of Time which is by Robert Jordan, but I was watching TV series that was on Prime, but I don't think they stayed true to the series. I liked Elantris and Rithmatist by Sanderson. I enjoyed them. He is a prolific author.

>42 kgodey: The Dispossessed, The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, The Deed of Paksenarrion, Tea with the Black Dragon, and The Golden Enclaves are all books I loved for quite a while - well, GE is new. I'm not as bowled over by The Sparrow as I was when I first read it. Partly Jo Walton's influence and partly just having read a lot of books I liked more. Georgette Heyer is also one of my read-everything-by authors.

>44 Kristelh: Kristel, I've stayed far, far away from the Wheel of Time TV show, I like the books too much. I would not judge the books based on the show. Based on what I've read about the show, they've abandoned most of the themes I find compelling about the books.

Elantris is one of my favorite Sanderson books. I haven't re-read The Rithmatist in a long time, I've been waiting for the sequel (which still seems at least a few years away, unfortunately).

>45 quondame: Susan, I had to go look up Jo Walton's opinion of the The Sparrow, which I found here. I agree with pretty much everything she said, I don't think it is compelling science fiction, but I liked the structure of the book and I'm interested in religious characters in science fiction. I'm personally not religious, but I enjoy characters for whom faith is important.

I also read Hyperion and A Canticle for Leibowitz last year, which dealt with similar-ish concepts, although they didn't make my 2022 best books list. I have A Case of Conscience on my shelves too. Movies I like that explore similar themes include The Mission and Silence.

I still have a few Georgette Heyer books that I haven't read – mostly her historical fiction and some of her early work, The Black Moth, etc. I'm looking forward to the historical fiction, not so much to the early books. I did read These Old Shades and Devil's Cub which seemed way too melodramatic.

>46 kgodey: I do kind of prefer Lois McMaster Bujold's characters interactions with their gods in World of the 5 Gods series books. And P.C. Hodgell has an interfering bunch of gods, few of whom I'd want around. I have less fun when the faithful characters don't actually have interactions with their deities, though.

>47 quondame: I feel like if you're interacting with your gods, that's no longer faith – you know your god(s) exist. It's more like loyalty or piety or something like that. I enjoy characters that stick to their beliefs despite having no evidence, and stories that involve testing those beliefs.

>48 kgodey: That's one aspect of the stories, though sometimes the characters are more like, sure you exist, but are you worth worshiping or can you benefit me, so it's not quite I will believe as told because the gods are real. Then there is the The Redoubtable Pali Avramapul who goes and kills a god.

Besides, having had what I could easily claim was a religious experience myself, yet not feeling that it justified belief, my belief is that the experience of the divine is real, but no proof that divinity is.

>49 quondame: I don't think most characters who just believe as they are told (about anything, really) are compelling, unless their arc involves growing out of it. You need personal choice of some sort – I think that's what makes characters like Penric and Ista (from the Five Gods books) and Paksenarrion so good.

I've only read The Hands of the Emperor and Petty Treasons by Victoria Goddard so I'm not as familiar with Pali. I haven't read any P.C. Hodgell either, although I have a copy of God Stalk on my shelves.

I'm someone who second guesses and worries about everything, so I think I find characters who are SURE about things (like faith in a divinity) interesting to read about. I don't see myself ever being that way but it seems nice to have something unshakeable to lean on.

Book #2 is a re-read of Mistborn book 2, The Well of Ascension. This whole series is a favorite of mine, so not much to say. Both the story and the character viewpoints expand considerably, and I particularly like Elend's arc in this book. Vin's arc is more violent than I remembered.

I'm immediately starting book #3, The Hero of Ages. I may also read parts of Mistborn: Secret History in parallel since they take place during this trilogy. I would not recommend this to new readers – Mistborn: Secret History is best read after The Bands of Mourning for first-time readers.

Happy new year Kriti!

>37 kgodey: & >47 quondame: I also have a big soft spot for the Mistborn trilogy and have been meaning to do a reread of the trilogy and continue on with the rest of the Cosmere as I have got really behind with Sanderson's releases (I think the most recent one I read was The Way of Kings).

I've heard really good things about the latest Mistborn release but it sounds like it ties in lots of Cosmere stuff so I think I probably need to get up to date with Stormlight Archives as well.

>42 kgodey: Sorry to hear you've been struggling with the return to work but glad you're feeling a bit better.

>44 Kristelh: & >46 kgodey: Last year I got into the Wheel of Time books (after trying a couple of times and abandoning) after watching and falling in love with the TV series. I ended up listening to some podcasts on the TV series and then got drawn into reading the books and I think I love both now (which for me seems to work if I watch the TV/film adaptation first but never the other way round). I've only read the first 4 WoT books so far though and need to get back to the series.

Hi Kriti, and Happy New Year!

I haven't read anything by Brandon Sanderson or Georgette Heyer, although they are both on my lists of authors to read. I'll get to them eventually. I hope your work days are getting better.

>30 kgodey: I noticed your name, too (on threads I visited). Plus a few others who also had similar comments on the threads I frequented a lot.
This year I determined to look at more entry-introductions to find like-minded souls. I starred more threads this year than in my previous 3 years in the group, so I have a wide variety of folks to check out. I think it will be fun.

I am not assiduous in keeping up with the supersonic threads that have a couple hundred entries (and more) every month, so if you don't see me around much, it is because I skim and lurk.

Happy reading in 2023, Kriti!

>52 souloftherose: Thanks Heather!

I don't think you need to catch up on Sanderson's other series' to read The Lost Metal, there is some Cosmere stuff in there, but it's all explained in context and there's also some new stuff in there that hasn't been in any books so far.

I'm doing better with work now, which is good.

I'm glad that the TV show inspired you to look at the WoT books! I'm probably going to do a reread of the books in the next year, it's been a while since my last readthrough.

>53 aktakukac: Hi Rachel! My work days are getting better, thanks for asking. I think Brandon Sanderson and Georgette Heyer are both hard to dislike, so I hope you'll enjoy them when you get to them.

>54 SandyAMcPherson: I starred more threads this year too, Sandy and am already overwhelmed by the number of posts. I don't spend a lot of time on LT and I'm not the chattiest person, so my single thread usually lasts the entire year.

>55 FAMeulstee: Thanks Anita! You too.

      

Books #3 and #4 were rereads of The Hero of Ages and Mistborn: Secret History by Brandon Sanderson. I interleaved the two, to get different perspectives of the same events. Again, I would not recommend that for a new reader, but it was fun! I really love how well this series is plotted, and the characters are great too.

Book #5 was The Ivory Tomb by Melissa Caruso, which wraps up the Rooks and Ruin trilogy I started a year or two ago. It's also set in the same world as the Swords and Fire trilogy. It was fine – it wrapped up the story satisfactorily. All of this author's books are entertaining while you're reading them (partly because of the constant danger and action) and not very memorable afterwards. That's fine sometimes, but I'm not sure if I'll read more of her books. The characters also talk and act like current day humans, which takes me out of the story.

>50 kgodey: I'd like to say 'I think you'll enjoy God Stalk' but I don't want to jinx it. I would recommend it, though; Chronicles of the Kencyrath is one of my favourite series and God Stalk is one of the best books in it.

>56 kgodey: Re your answer for 54, it's nice to know I'm not the only one here overwhelmed by the number of posts.
This year, I resolved to spend less time on LT going forward and not 'go spare' trying to keep up, just simply enjoy the commentary. I like to post book reviews and confess to the BBs for my TBR pile.

>49 quondame: "my belief is that the experience of the divine is real, but no proof that divinity is"

This!

At the very least, most concepts of god(s) wind up in logical contradictions in fairly short order, even those concepts advanced by people who (say they) have experienced the divine personally.

>58 humouress: That's good to know, Nina. I'll probably bump God Stalk up on my TBR list. I know Roni is also a fan.

>59 SandyAMcPherson: I'm sure lots of us are overwhelmed by all the posts, Sandy. I mostly focus on book related posts and don't pay as much attention to people's life updates. Although I'm trying to post a little more about my life here this year than I usually do.

>60 ArlieS: I'm not that interested in real world religion, Arlie (other than from a historical / anthropological / sociological perspective) – there's too much specific doctrine involved. I went through a militantly atheist phase as a teenager, but have settled into agnosticism.

I've never had an experience of the divine, but I do have questions about the fundamental nature of existence and life (why are we here? what does it mean to be conscious?). I used to be a materialist, now I'm not so sure.

This past week at work went a lot better. My husband has been helping me plan out my workday to avoid fatigue, and it seems to be working. I'm still sleeping around 9 hours every night, but that's not too bad in terms of symptoms.

I'm back to more normal levels of reading, but I want more familiar reads, so I've decided to reread more Sanderson. I'm currently making my way through The Way of Kings. The Stormlight Archive books are huge, so I think they'll keep me busy for a couple of weeks at least.

Hope you keep feeling better! Yes The Stormlight Archive books will definitely keep you busy.
Happy reading!

>60 ArlieS: Humans have so many senses that we rarely credit and so complicated nervous systems with such varied responses to pharmaceuticals that it surprises me that more of us aren't raving about messages from above, beyond, and where ever.

Hi Kriti, saw your question on Susan's thread, and have expanded the topic on my thread so I can find the conversation later! Perhaps you might wander over chez moi and add you thoughts?

>42 kgodey: wow, you've read a couple of my favorites, Sylvester and Tea With the Black Dragon.

Hope your head continues to improve.

>63 kaida46: Thanks Deb!

>65 SandyAMcPherson: I commented on your thread, Sandy!

>66 fuzzi: Thanks Lor! Do you have any more of your favorites to recommend? :P

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Book 6 was my reread of The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson.

This is the first book of the series so I've re-read it a couple times before now. It's still good!

Hi Kriti! Where in India are you from? I was in Chennai and Bangalore years ago. Very interesting places!

>68 The_Hibernator: Hi Rachel! I'm from a city called Visakhapatnam (although that name is too long, so the locals call it "Vizag"). Here's the Wikipedia article. It's in South India on the same coast as Chennai.

Were you visiting India for vacation or for something else?

>67 kgodey: 'Thanks Lor! Do you have any more of your favorites to recommend? :P"

Ha! Smartie. You asked for it.

How about SFF books by CJ Cherryh and Tad Williams?

And westerns by Louis L'Amour?

And Watership Down by Richard Adams?

And the Poldark series by Winston Graham?

And Here Be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman and its sequel Falls the Shadow?

And anything by author Irene Hunt, who wrote books that both adults and juveniles can read, like Across Five Aprils and The Everlasting Hills? I have loved every one of her books that I have read.

And The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King? She also wrote a book that took place in India called The Game. Very good read.

Is that enough? :P

>70 fuzzi: Stop! Stop!



Darn it woman.

>71 humouress: bwahahaha!

>70 fuzzi: Some great ones there, Fuzzi. Sharon Penman was a tremendous writer of historical fiction.

Looks like your January was a love-in with Brandon Sanderson, Kriti!

>73 PaulCranswick: There's a whole lot to love about Sanderson's stuff, Paul! Especially when it comes in thick brick form disguised as a book!

Happy reading Kriti!

>70 fuzzi: Thank you for all these recommendations, Lor! I've read Watership Down (which is great) and some C.J. Cherryh and Tad Williams, but the rest are new to me. I'm not currently inspired by my TBR pile of new books, so I'm probably going to read some of these this year.

>73 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul! February has been full of Brandon Sanderson too. Many of his books are set in the same universe (different planets), and I'm enjoying my current re-reads because I know the stories really well and I'm picking up more foreshadowing and connections between books.

>74 kaida46: Thanks Deb!

BOOK UPDATES

Work has left me exhausted, so I'm gravitating towards comfortable favorites, which so far is mainly Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere books.

    

Books 7-11: I finished my Stormlight Archive re-read with Words of Radiance, Edgedancer, Oathbringer, Dawnshard, and Rhythm of War. I haven't read the whole series in a single stretch before, and it was fun. I particularly enjoyed seeing the characters, world, and storyline expand with each book (or in some characters' cases, regress and then grow).



Book 12 was Tress of the Emerald Sea, which is Sanderson's newest book. I finally got my hardcover edition from the Kickstarter.

It's more lighthearted, fairy-tale-like and whimsical than most of his work (think Stardust, not Wheel of Time). It has his hallmarks of immersive and interesting worldbuilding (oceans of colorful spores with ships that travel using fluidization!) and characters you can't help rooting for. I really enjoyed it.



Book 13 was Wizard's Hall by Jane Yolen. I've never read anything by Yolen before, although I've heard about her a lot. This was a short book aimed at kids, about a young boy who joins a wizarding school and saves the day. It reminded me of Eva Ibbotson or Lloyd Alexander's work. I enjoyed it, but I hadn't realized how short/simple it would be, and I wanted something meatier. I'd probably enjoy it more on a re-read.



Book 14 was Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao. This book seems to be fairly well-reviewed, but I pretty much hated everything about it. I ended up skimming the last part because I didn't care anymore. I found the main character unsympathetic – she's selfish, angry, violent, and thoughtless, and does not change at all. I also found the worldbuilding lackluster – I loved the idea of a far-future society based on Chinese culture combined with mechas, but the execution was awful. And dialogue, writing, and plotting was terrible. I could go on for a while, but it's probably not useful.

---

After a lackluster two books, I decided to go back to reading Brandon Sanderson.



Book 15 was Arcanum Unbounded, which is a collection of Cosmere stories (they are not exactly short, since this is Brandon Sanderson). I read all of them except Mistborn: Secret History and Edgedancer, which I'd read in January.

They're all good in different ways. My favorites are The Emperor's Soul and Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell. I was also surprised to find some tie-ins to The Lost Metal in one of the early Mistborn short stories, which was published more than a decade before The Lost Metal.



Book 16 was The Way of Kings Prime, which I'd never read before. It's the first draft of The Way of Kings, and Brandon Sanderson released it for free as part of one of his Kickstarters (I have a hardcover copy as a Kickstarter reward). He describes it as one of his greatest failures, and it's meant as a curiosity, so I can't be too harsh on it.

Let's just say he's a much, much, better writer now – especially in terms of characterization. His characters in most books leap off the page, these are just cardboard cutouts in comparison. And his writing style is also undeveloped – this book seems like it was trying to copy the style of popular fantasy of the time. I wouldn't recommend reading it to most people.



Book 17 is a re-read of Elantris. This is one of my favorite Brandon Sanderson books – it's more character-focused and there isn't as much action. I love all three viewpoint characters. Most of Sanderson's protagonists tend to be broken in some way, but Raoden and Sarene are just pleasant people – they're well-adjusted, smart, and funny (but they're not Mary Sues). I also like the trope of a person being thrown into a large and disorganized society and bringing order to it (e.g. The Borders of Infinity).

---

Now I'm re-reading Warbreaker, which is also one of my favorites.

LIFE UPDATE

I'm probably recovered from my concussion, although I still feel like I'm getting mentally fatigued faster than normal. Maybe I'm just more aware of it, though – I've had a pattern for a long time where I over-stress myself without noticing.

At work, we're finally close to launching the open source software application I've been working on for two years. We have a website! It's exciting, but there's a lot to do still before we launch at the end of the month, and I'm coordinating all of it. And after launch, I have to raise funding to keep the project going and keep myself and my team employed. The upcoming months are going to be pretty hectic.

I also signed up for Martha Stewart's meal kit service, Marley Spoon. I haven't had a lot of time or attention for meal planning lately, so we were ordering takeout pretty regularly. It's nice to have homecooked food without much stress and I've been pretty happy with how the food tastes.

>76 kgodey: The sustained anger was one of the aspects I liked about Iron Widow. Blowing away everyone who crippled her, devalued her and yet used her for their own gain was such a fun release! Not deep, no. But understandable.

>77 kgodey: Good luck with your new release.

Here's hoping you continue to heal, and kudos for having talent with the software and web site. That's out of my league, but give me a bacteria or a blood cell to identify and I'll be all over it and squinting in the microscope, lol.

Glad you liked Tress of the Emerald Seas, it was a fun romp. I love The Emperor's Soul and Elantris as well, along with others.....
Have you read Legion? I found it interesting as well, and have also enjoyed the Dragonbone Chair series by Williams. Have you ever read any Patrick Rothfuss? The Name of the Wind, etc.

For my series read this year I'm doing the Ender series by Orson Scott Card. Ender's Game, etc.

>77 kgodey: Mathesar looks awesome! I just starred your Github repo. I have never messed around with PostgreSQL before, is the query syntax similar to standard SQL/MySQL? I looked for an issue I might want to contribute to, I might be able to tackle the API documentation. Not sure if I will have time though, I have a lot going on right now.

>79 kaida46: The Dragonbone Chair series is fantastic, glad to see another person who appreciates Tad Williams.

>78 quondame: Thanks, Susan!

>79 kaida46: Identifying bacteria and blood cells is definitely out of my league, Deb! I've read pretty much everything by Brandon Sanderson. I found Legion interesting too and Elantris is one of my favorite books. I don't like his YA/middle-grade books as much as the Cosmere books, but Skyward is probably my favorite of those.

I've read the Memory, Sorrow, & Thorn series, although I've only read the first book of the follow-up series. I've also read all three of Patrick Rothfuss's books... I'm hoping he completes the series eventually.

I'm probably due for an Ender's Game read, too. I've only read the first book.

>80 sisyphus_happy: Hi Rio, and thanks for starring the repo! Postgres is pretty similar to other SQL dialects (MySQL, etc.) Postgres takes a different approach under the hood to some things, and it also has more features.

We're somewhat overwhelmed by contributors right now because of Google Summer of Code. Things should be calmer in a couple of months once the application process is complete. You're welcome to contribute anytime, though!

>81 fuzzi: Agreed! Have you read The Last King of Osten Ard, Lor? Is it as good as the original series?

BOOK UPDATE

i've just been finishing up the rest of Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere books.

18. Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson
19. White Sand (unpublished) by Brandon Sanderson
20. Aether of Night (unpublished) by Brandon Sanderson
21. White Sand Volume 1 by Brandon Sanderson
22. White Sand Volume 2 by Brandon Sanderson
23. White Sand Volume 3 by Brandon Sanderson

#18: Warbreaker – not much to say here, I really like this book and I've read it a few times before.

#19 and #20 are books that haven't been published, but you can get them by emailing the author. I think they are going to be released as bonus content in upcoming Kickstarters, similar to The Way of Kings Prime, but I just have the .doc files that I got from Brandon. They are both better than The Way of Kings Prime, but worse than his published work. And they're not canon anymore, but still interesting to read. I found Aether of Night especially interesting after Tress of the Emerald Sea, since they both deal with aethers.

#21-23 is a graphic novel adaptation of the unpublished White Sand. I wouldn't recommend it, it's confusing and hard to follow, and the I think only reason I understood what was happening was because I read the prose version a few days before.

Apparently there's a revised omnibus edition that makes a bunch of changes, and people like it more. I haven't read that one, although I did just order it. I'll report back if I end up reading it.

---

I'm still not in the mood to read anything new, so I think I'm going to reread The Wheel of Time next. There's so much going on at work and I'm having decision fatigue every time I try to pick a new book, so a 15 book series sounds like a great idea.

These are hefty books to pour through. Did you do Wheel of Time?

>84 The_Hibernator: Hi Rachel! I just finished The Eye of the World. One down, fourteen to go. :)

>82 kgodey: I have the first book in The Last King of Osten Ard, but have not yet read it. After it was published it took me a couple years to finally read The Heart of What Was Lost, possibly out of a fear that it wouldn't live up to the original series. It was wonderful, and I expect the new series will be wonderful as well. I just don't have the time right now to devote to a Williams' epic.

I haven't had the inclination to do mini-reviews because I've been pretty fried from work over the last few months, but I'm still reading and I just finished book #99 (I've been keeping my log in the first few posts up to date).

Congrats on your 75+.

I hear ya on not wanting to review. My weekly posts are a somewhat forced habit to keep myself accountable. Don't sweat it. Do what you want, when you want.

Glad you're still around.

Congratulations on 75!

Congratulations on reaching 75 in June, Kriti!

Yes, congrats on 75!!!

>88 mahsdad: Thanks Jeff! I do like writing reviews sometimes but ever since my concussion last year, I've been very aware of what causes me cognitive load and my brain is more quick to go "that's enough thinking!" I've had to do a lot of new communication-oriented stuff for work this year and that part of my brain has just had enough I think.

>89 humouress: >90 FAMeulstee: >91 Kristelh: Thanks Nina, Anita, and Kristel!

Thinking about you during the festive season, Kriti

>93 ronincats: >94 PaulCranswick: Thanks Roni and Paul! I hope you are having a wonderful holiday season.

Wow, it's the last day of 2023 already. I got to 118 books this year, which seems pretty respectable. The real total is probably a couple dozen higher, I've read most of several non-fiction books, but I'm not sure how to log that, so I haven't been logging them.

I got diagnosed with ADHD in October and have started medication for it, which has changed my life. I have a lot more energy and time, and my brain seems to be completely reconfiguring itself. The way I look at pretty much everything in my life is changing, which is weird and confusing but also liberating. I've been wanting to do very different things with my time, and that also means I haven't been wanting to read as much.

Anyway, long story short, I'm not going to set up a new thread in the 2024 group just yet, I'll do that if/when I'm reading more again.

I hope everyone has a great 2024!

>96 kgodey: look forward to seeing you around, whenever you read.

>96 kgodey: Congrats on your diagnosis! Happy New Year!

>97 fuzzi: >98 norabelle414: Thank you Lor and Nora!