Well, if there’s one silver lining of Goldbug starting to skip his late afternoon nap and therefore requiring to go to bed early (and from past experience, that means I now go to bed early), it’s that I have guaranteed reading time in the evening, when I might otherwise watch TV or putz around on the Switch or otherwise while away the hours. And that definitely helped me hit my four books for the month of February.
During February, I finished Nerve, From Baby Brain to Writer Brain, Story Engineering, and Gardening Without Work. Which of course means I’ve added several new books to my currently reading pile! I am currently reading nine books, which means the warning lights are flashing. (Find out why in my post on 3 Common Poly-Reading Mistakes.)
Currently Reading:
Notes:
You Beneath Your Skin: Just started this one a couple days ago. It’s always fun to read something by a blogger I’m following! Just barely under the skin (hehe!) in this one so far, but enjoying the setup of what promises to be an intense read.
The Usual Suspects: Another pal’s book! I’ve known Maurice Broaddus for the better part of…oh geez, has it been eight years already?! I knew him as a writer before that, but that’s when we met in person at Mo*Con (which, if you’re a spec fic fan anywhere in the driving-vicinity of Indianapolis, post-pandemic you should attend! It’s casual and fantastic fun.) This is Maurice’s first MG book, so I’ve been looking forward to it. So far, true to form, his characters are vividly alive on the page, and there’s plenty of trouble for everybody. Looking forward to how this one wraps up!
Into the Planet: Just picked this up the other day as I realized it’d been a while since I read an adventure-science book, and boy, if cave-diving doesn’t scratch that itch, nothing will. The first couple chapters are already promising some INTENSE experiences. Probably don’t read this one if you’re claustrophobic…
Saga – Book 3: SAGA I LOVE YOU. Okay, seriously though. If you’re chill with graphic depictions of literally anything that could be described as “graphic,” I cannot recommend this series enough. Killer characters (literally and figuratively), brilliant theme and concept, and a no-holds-barred plot that just keeps charging. It’s a perfect melding of its subject and its presentation, and if you’re not too squeamish (seriously), it’s an absolute delight. Every time I pick up a Saga volume, I’m reminded of the sheer beauty of a perfectly executed story.
The City of Gold and Lead: Haven’t made a lot of progress on this one just yet with B-Bug. It’s slower than The White Mountains, and they’re still far from the tripods, so it’s just taking a little time to get into. Will be picking this one up again soon.
Cetaganda: I love Miles Vorkosagan. He’s such a fantastic character, and I’m thrilled to be taking up another adventure with him. And these books are just so darn FUN, which I really need with my Currently Reading Pile potentially overloaded with INTENSE books. Plus, I’m doing it as an audiobook (which is what I’ve done for every Vorkosagan saga book), which means I get to lie in bed quietly and feel like I’m getting a book read to me.
Gideon the Ninth: Picked this one up in February, but haven’t made huge progress on it. It’s fun and bizarre and fascinating, but it’s also kind of like really rich chocolate cake. I can only chomp through about a chapter at a time before my brain starts buzzing with the insane (and awesome) world-building.
The Power Broker: Haven’t progressed much in this, but I am a few chapters farther than I was last Notes! This is in part because I went ahead and downloaded it as an audiobook, which means I can listen to it at night, and that eliminates the difficulty of not being able to hold it single-handed.
Designology: I’ve been chipping away at this one. For some reason, it’s not a super easy “just read” kind of book. It’s got a lot of information that I’m hoping will be useful, though, so I probably just need to knuckle-under and get it done.
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So that’s what’s on the docket this month. I’ve got a hankering to get another “just fun” book on there, and I’ve got a lot of those kicking around, plus I have a number of novellas/short novels I could slip in to help hit my month’s reading goals. I’m pretty confident that I can finish The Usual Suspects, Saga, and Into the Planet by the end of the month, and maybe The City of Lead and Gold if B-Bug and I get back on track, and maybe Cetaganda if I get enough listening hours in.
One of my big reading goals this month is to get back into the habit of reading one short story per day, so I’ll need to pick an anthology to keep near the bed in case I forget/don’t get a chance to read one during the day.