As I thought it would happen my interests wavered and I leapt ahead to read “Mercy of gods” by James S A Corey before tackling the last 120 pages of the Aliens Omnibus I was already reading. The Mercy book was good fun, wish there was a follow up ready to jump into right now. The problem of jumping on a new book series right away is the interminable wait for the next installment. Luckily it wasn’t a massive book at just over 400 pages, so I could skim it a second time once I have the second book in hand, provided this one takes off like The Expanse series did. I feel like they were building a lot in the background so that the action & intrigue could take off in book two onwards. I liked it a good deal. But now I’m right back where I was pre Christmas holidays, trying to stay focused enough to finish this damn Aliens novel. I have three more to read on my TBR list for 2025, plus two Dune novels. I just pre ordered the fourth Lady Astronaut book about Mars from Mary Robinette Kowal, due out in March. The title escapes me, as I ordered it the second I discovered it was coming this year. I have greatly enjoyed the other three books, two of them especially, and one other was perfectly fine, no complaints.
I’m hoping for a new release from John Scalzi, George RR Martin, Robert J Sawyer, or any number of other authors to round out this years list. Or, on the flip side to come across a new writer whose work I enjoy and can start to dig through their back catalogue. Like how I found Adrian Tchaikovsky, and his Void series, and the space faring spiders series. That was a lucky break. I know I should read more widely, about topics, and genres, but I don’t like it to feel like homework. Nothing kills the vibe surrounding a book, like it feeling like a book report, or an obligation. Ugh! Yuck.
I found some authors by reading D & D novels geared at adolescents that was fortuitous, as I really loved those books. Unfortunately I don’t see a fifth Fart Quest book on the horizon, nor another entry for the Adventourous D & D series whose titles escape me, unless I go look. ** Dungeon Academy** Well—well, according to google AI there was to be a Fart Quest book 5 out in November of 2024, but I can not locate any other corroborating evidence for that statement, so my initial feeling still stands. It provided no title, and no synopsis, so my guess is, it’s not really a concrete thing.
I have my finger on the button ready to purchase Scott Lynch’s next Locke Lamora, Gentlemen Bastards book should it ever achieve a release date. Now there’s a series I really enjoyed a great deal. The first three books were all excellent. I could read those again without too much hesitation. While a tad on the long side for me now, at around 600 pages each, they are engrossing, and very, very entertaining. Lots going on. Many surprises to be reckoned with. Fantastic. Praise worthy each one of them.
I do wish Yann Martel would write another fiction book, as I have loved everything of his I’ve come across. Life of Pi, Self, Beatrice and Virgil, The facts behind the Helsinki Roccamatios, What is Stephen Harper Reading? . All of them were very positive experiences. Plus he’s Canadian, just like Robert J Sawyer!
You know who else I wish would release more books, Gail Z Martin, her Chronicles of the Necromamcer series was amazing, I bought all four books in the series, plus two more from The Fallen king’s Cycle, but that one didn’t take off, as I never saw a third entry. Maybe it was a pseudonym she was writing under, and her other works fared better in the long run. I don’t really know.
I was also captivated by Jonathan Stroud’s Bartimaeus trilogy. It’s geared toward youth, but I still loved every word of it. I’m not above reading a fun book geared at the YA crowd. It was a very pleasant series to read.
That’s my time for today. Go read something just for fun. A sentence, a paragraph, a page, a chapter. Whatever it is, go explore and have some fun! Ciao Bella.
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