Just read "Bird Box" by Josh Malerman, and recommend it! All I knew going in was: horror, film, boat, blindfold. I normally don't like watching horror, but I wanted to give reading it a try. Bird Box balances dread and hope, mystery with survivorship, love with loss. Check it out! #booksky

Started reading Gallant by V.E. Schwab and enjoying it so far! A voiceless girl, abandoned at an orphanage, receives a letter to go live with her uncle...who died a year ago. Spooky vibes, very Addams Family coded. I'm enjoying it so far! #booksky

Tonight, our first book club stream! With special guests, @scarletrebel.bsky.social and @penshalo.bsky.social ! Tune in, starting 4:15pm Eastern / 9:15pm UK www.twitch.tv/kaz_phd It's our first time, so it'll be focused on introductions, talking about reading as a hobby, tips and tricks, etc.!

About to read Murder on the Orient Express for the first time, in French! Hope it goes well; it's a short novel, so should be okay! #booksky

Just finished Denise Hamilton's The Jasmine Trade, a crime novel set in semi-modern LA, and it was a good read! I'm slowly checking out other genres, and this one, Hamilton's first, was rich, vibrant, maybe a little "too real" at times, but well-paced and delivered. #booksky

Finished "Blood of the Gods" by David Mealing, part 2 of The Ascension Cycle series, and enjoyed it! Imagine fictional France, England, and native American tribes battling for control of the New World, using powers controlled by Gods, who themselves were ascended champions. Well-paced and fun!

Finished reading "Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade" by Oliver Bowden and enjoyed it! Telling the tale of Altaïr's life, it was great to relive the game and story! Honestly, made me want to play the games all over again! Great way to dive in without slowing for an 80-hr playthrough 🤣 #booksky

Finished Les Vengeurs (The Avengers) by William Shatner & enjoyed it! A neat "what if" that weaves itself around the Star Trek canon. Some characterizations felt a bit off at times, but fun overall. Found the ecological critique to be interesting. Proud for reading it in French! #booksky

Finished Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown last night and had a fantastic time! A beautiful game, with a full story, secrets, a wonderful Metroidvania with excellent fundamentals that expand into cool abilities, lots to explore! Really appreciate the incorporation of myths. Definitely recommend!

Finished N.K. Jemisin's triple Hugo award-winning Broken Earth trilogy & loved it! Mixing apocalyptic with personal, it is a masterclass of deep, emotional storytelling. A woman of colour writing about a woman of colour, motherhood, & the best use of 2nd-person perspective I've ever seen! #booksky

Me, listening to Journey from #Destiny2

Just finished "Dr. Gully's Story" by Elizabeth Jenkins, and...it was fine. Claimed to be exciting, enthralling, "all the way through" it just didn't grab me. Historically-accurate, as far as can be told, but 1) the story takes a LONG time to develop, 2) I just can't get behind the characters.

Taking a break to catch up on some French reading! #booksky

Just finished N.K. Jemisin's "The Fifth Season" and enjoyed it! I admit that it took time to get into. The writing is a skilled mix of straightforward yet complex. Featuring 3 storylines, 2nd-person perspective, & a well-established world. Fantasy with heavy themes. #booksky

Just finished reading the first 4 books of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin, and enjoyed it! Even if I had read these as a child, they're worth a reread as an adult. They deal with some universal, adult themes through the lens of fantasy and adventure, giving them quite a timeless quality. #booksky

Finished reading "The Tombs of Atuan" by Le Guin, and found it to be quite bold writing! Focused on one female protagonist in one specific place. The setting and themes are haunting, ritualistic, oppressive. Less magical but more impactful. Like the Tombs, a lot under the surface. #booksky

Finished reading "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin! Not sure how I missed it, but I'm glad to have caught up with it. It's a large world but focused purely on one character's journey. Earthsea is at once magical but ordinary, classic English writing. #booksky Two more things👇

It's my birthday! Check out this amazing cake my wife made me! www.instagram.com/p/DWwgTAJiPP...

Just finished reading Elantris, by Brandon Sanderson, and really enjoyed it! His first published novel, amazing to see the world building already in motion! The cultures, the politics, the magic system, and the themes of responsibility, hope, and charity made for a fascinating read! #booksky

Just finished reading Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir and enjoyed it! Easy to read, combining hard science with fair speculation, told in a way to make it plausible, enjoyable, and legible. Quite an exciting adventure and I'm excited to see the movie! #booksky

I finished the Shades of Magic trilogy by Victoria Schwab and really enjoyed it! Adventure, magic, parallel worlds, pirates, and more! There was plenty of room for more, but the story moves forward briskly. The author made an interesting choice for the 3rd book, but I respect it! #booksky

Just finished V.E. Schwab's A Gathering of Shadows and had a great time! Book 2 of the trilogy, scaling back the adventure from the first, deepening the exploration of the main characters and providing some world building via the different Red London kingdoms. Excited for the third! #booksky

Just finished reading V.E. Schwab's "A Darker Shade of Magic", and really liked it! A very cool concept, well-paced, exciting and fun magic story! A story with 4 parallel Londons, some can travel between, but magic is as dangerous as it is exciting! Diving into the sequel next! #booksky

Just finished reading Chakraborty's The Kingdom of Copper, book 2 of a trilogy, and I liked it! I'm tempted to say this was better than the 1st as we got a deeper and more diverse set of storylines that all converged excitingly in the final third of the book! Excited for the finale! #booksky

Just finished "The City of Brass", book 1 of a trilogy, and liked it! Fun to read fantasy not inspired by typical Tolkien! Enter a world of djinn, magic, curses, and royalty balancing power and responsibility. Excited for more! Special thanks to my wife for surprising me with the book! #booksky

The French version was called The Bonies!

Just finished Tress of the Emerald Sea, by Brandon Sanderson, & I highly recommend it! A grown-up fairy tale, inspired by The Princess Bride, part of Sanderson's larger work but also completely standalone! Witty, charming, sweet, adventurous, & beautiful! I really enjoyed my time there. #booksky

Starting this tonight! Been looking forward to it! #booksky

Started reading Eden Fluide by Alexis Flamand a few days ago and am enjoying it! My sister-in-law asked a bookkeeper for something for an intermediate French learner to read in the realm of fantasy, and so far, so good! It's slow going. I read, translate, and read again, but I'm liking it so far!

Just finished reading Destination: Void by Frank Herbert, & sadly, would not recommend. Interesting premise, too caught up in techno-jargon to be enjoyable. A story about building artificial intelligence, but spends too much time with faux biology, psychology, & philosophy. Can't all be winners.