The three ‘W’s are what are you reading now, what have you recently finished reading, and what are you going to read next, and you can find this week’s post at the host’s blog here if you want to check out other posts.

What are you currently reading?

I’m most actively reading Making the Monster by Kathryn Harkup. So far it’s more a biography of Mary Shelley and the writing of the book than really being about the science behind it, but it’s starting to get into the background a little more. I loved Harkup’s book about Agatha Christie’s use of poisons in her fiction — it gave me a whole new appreciation, actually — so I’m hoping this will be the same!

What have you recently finished reading?

Oof, I’m not sure — it’s been a couple of days. The October Man, I think? Which was okay, but the voice was so similar to that of the main series, it kind of dampened my enthusiasm. My review is up for that, anyway, so you can read all my thoughts here.

What will you be reading next?

Who knows? But I’m sort of tempted to dig into Olivia Waite’s  The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics. Romance and classic crime fiction seem to suit my mood at the moment, because you know that typically they will set the world to rights by the end, and there’ll be a happily ever after in the case of romance (and often in crime fiction as well, really).

I think we can really use the world being set to rights. Oof.

What are you reading?

The three ‘W’s are what are you reading now, what have you recently finished reading, and what are you going to read next, and you can find this week’s post at the host’s blog here if you want to check out other posts.

What are you currently reading?

Many things at once, as ever, so I’ll pick out the two standouts! I’m most of the way through a book on the Voyager probe missions, which is pretty fascinating: it’s a little old now, and there have been other missions that added to our knowledge both since the probes did their fly-by and since the book was published, if I’m not mistaken. Still, Voyager was a heck of an undertaking, and completely admirable. I loved the part on the Golden Record and how things were chosen for it, and how Sagan guided it to represent humanity’s hopes and not our fears.

I’m also reading Dorothy L. Sayers’ The Documents in the Case, which I’d never actually picked up before, despite it being Sayers. It’s not Peter, of course, but it is very Sayers: she brings to life some rather different voices, exposes them mercilessly for all their faults, but with a kind of wry fondness for humans and all our foibles.

What have you recently finished reading?

The last book I finished was It Walks By Night, with which I was heartily unimpressed. Before that it was Smallbone Deceased, which was a bit more to my taste. I’m afraid I really don’t get on with the author of the former, John Dickson Carr; I’ve read a couple of his now, and he does exactly the same flourish in each like it’s meant to be impressive. Smallbone Deceased actually reminded me of Sayers a little, though — not so much in style, but in the way he brought to life the setting.

What are you going to read next?

Search me! I have a book on deciphering lost languages by Andrew Robinson which I’m partway through, so I might focus on that. Or I might pick up Magic Slays, the next book in my Kate Daniels reread. Or finish up rereading Dreadful Company in time for Vivian Shaw’s new book, which hopefully will arrive on my doorstep tomorrow!

You get the gist, I’m bad at this.

What are you currently reading?

The three ‘W’s are what are you reading now, what have you recently finished reading, and what are you going to read next, and you can find this week’s post at the host’s blog here if you want to check out other posts.

What are you currently reading?

A few books at a time, as ever! First of all, my current non-fiction read is Max Adams’ The King in the North. Ostensibly about Oswald of Northumbria, it’s a little wider ranging than that, covering the whole context of Oswald’s life — so much of it occurs before he’s born or after his death. I found myself totally bored by a similar sort of book recently, but this one works; something in the prose style keeps it moving. It helps that it’s very clearly referenced, too; I have fewer questions about the validity of some of the claims. (Though I do think a lot of imagination is at work here, too, Adams is much clearer about when things are his opinion.)

In fiction, I’m reading Hekla’s Children, by James Brogden, which came very highly recommended. Personally, I’m finding it a bit predictable? I’m also partway through Alexandra Rowland’s A Conspiracy of Truths, and honestly would probably be further along with it if it were chaptered instead of one long exhausting narrative with only breaks between paragraphs instead of fresh chapters. And finally, I picked up Gideon the Ninth somewhat by accident (I was curious to read the first couple of pages, but ended up reading 50). I’m very curious about this one; it’s so hyped, and yet people have been saying they’ve struggled with it.

What have you recently finished reading?

I think the most recent thing was The Body in the Dumb River, by George Bellairs. It’s not a hugely original or surprising piece of Golden Age detective fiction, but it’s satisfyingly of its type. I find that most of the British Library Crime Classics are like that — solid enough, but not something to knock you over with stunning originality.

What will you be reading next?

As ever, who knows? I have picked what my next random pick from my shelves will be: I’m going to reread Banewreaker, by Jacqueline Carey. Technically, I’ve read it before, which would make it ineligible, but it’s on my list of unread books because I bought it in paperback after originally reading it in ebook. So there.

What are you currently reading?

The three ‘W’s are what are you reading now, what have you recently finished reading, and what are you going to read next, and you can find this week’s post at the host’s blog here if you want to check out other posts.

What are you currently reading?

I have a small informal project now for reading my unread books: each week I go to the next shelf and pick up an unread book from it that appeals to me, and either read it or put it in my bag to go to charity. This week was the start of that project, in the As in my fantasy/SF section, and the book choice was Heraclix and Pomp, by Forrest Agguire. So far it’s not really working for me; it’s readable enough, but there’s a sort of “and then this happened, and then this happened, and then the other thing happened” quality to the prose which is annoying, and I’m just… not that thrilled?

What have you recently finished reading?

I juuuust finished up my reread of Ancillary Justice, earlier today! I care more about the world and characters each time I read it. This time I particularly enjoyed the way Seivarden — in all her flawed and unpleasant glory — becomes so necessary to the narration and so dear to me. She might not be one of Breq’s favourites, but somehow you come to love her anyway. Perhaps partly because she has begun to learn and begun to try.

What will you be reading next?

No idea! I’ve not written a reading list for this month, and I think I’ll give that a break for a while. I was failing a bit too much at it, and chafing at it too. I’d like to finish rereading Ann Leckie’s books, including Provenance, and I have Dreadful Company to reread, too.

What are you currently reading?

The three ‘W’s are what are you reading now, what have you recently finished reading, and what are you going to read next, and you can find this week’s post at the host’s blog here if you want to check out other posts.

What are you currently reading?

I’ve tucked into a reread of Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw, since the third book is coming out in September, and I felt the need for a bit of pure joy. As always, I am greatly entertained by the fact that it treats the idea of a doctor for supernatural creatures seriously; I am delighted by the ghoul on antidepressants and the demon with COPD and… yeah.

I’m also still reading The Gendered Brain, by Gina Rippon. I think Cordelia Fine’s similar book was more readable, somehow, because this one just isn’t sticking in my brain; I had to restart it after a couple of weeks where I’d put it down, because I couldn’t remember the thread of the argument.

What have you recently finished reading?

Mmm, what have I recently finished reading? I think the most recent was possibly Turning Darkness into Light, which was wonderful; it may also have been the novella A Little Light Mischief, by Cat Sebastian, which was fun and cute.

I also ditched Townsend’s The Aztecs for somehow managing to be entirely boring, despite talking about a civilisation that is fascinating to me.

What will you be reading next?

I’m not sure. I’m feeling the need for a bit of whim, particularly as we just tidied and that involved a fair amount of rearranging my shelves, thus making me very aware there are books I want to read or reread that I’ve wanted to read or reread for weeks, months, and sometimes years. Whoops. I do think I’ll get to Angel Mage soon, in proper thanks for having been given a proof copy; I’m also intending to get to the next book in the Kate Daniels series soon.

What are you currently reading?

The three ‘W’s are what are you reading now, what have you recently finished reading, and what are you going to read next, and you can find this week’s post at the host’s blog here if you want to check out other posts.

What are you currently reading?

I’m partway through the same Daisy Dalrymple book as last week! That’s surprisingly slow for me and this series; maybe it’s already time for another short break before I pick up the next book. It’s not that I don’t enjoy Daisy in a cosy sort of way, but still… it is getting frightfully predictable.

I’m also paging through the Good Omens script book, which I picked up today.

What have you recently finished reading?

I think the last thing I finished was Joanne Harris’ The Blue Salt Road, which is a selkie story. Fairytale-like narration, but some surprising stuff under the hood at times. And lovely illustrations! It was worth finally picking it up, for sure.

What will you be reading next?

Well, my preorder of Turning Darkness into Light is here, so even if I was holding off because I prefer to read this series in dead tree rather than ebook (I couldn’t say why, I guess it’s all part of the experience), now I have no excuse! Time to dig in. Possibly during the trip to Dublin…?

Which, again, if anyone is going to Worldcon, lemme know! Let’s maybe meet up!

And, as always, what are you reading?

The three ‘W’s are what are you reading now, what have you recently finished reading, and what are you going to read next, and you can find this week’s post at the host’s blog here if you want to check out other posts.

What are you currently reading?

I picked up Carola Dunn’s Die Laughing today; it’s the next in the Daisy Dalrymple series, and while it’s not particularly fresh and new (even within the series), it’s good to just sit and let the book take it away. They’re always absorbing, even if they’re not super new.

I’m also partway through Within the Sanctuary of Wings, which I should give some more attention to!

What have you recently finished reading?

I just finished The Warrior Queen, by Joanna Arman. Ostensibly it’s about King Alfred’s daughter, Æthelflæd, but in practice it’s mostly about the menfolk around her. I know that’s the hazard with women in history, but it was really heavily waited toward discussing Alfred, or Æthelflæd’s husband, or her brother. The two-ish chapters discussing her in her own right are pretty interesting, but… meh. Also, the book is badly edited and just all round a bit suspect.

What will you be reading next?

Something from my August TBR, most likely, but what I couldn’t say! I might hurry up and get to The Fated Sky before my wife does…

What are you currently reading?