Books

I finished The Button: The New Nuclear Arms Race and Presidential Power from Truman to Trump, by William J. Perry and Tom Z. Collina. So, this is my first non-fiction of 2026 and I found it very interesting but also a bit frightening (especially in regards to recent events, this book is from 2020). I think this is a must read to understand many of the geopolitical stakes of today.

After that, I started (and still reading) The Passage, by Justin Cronin. So far very very good and I'm just at chapter 3.

just finishing Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. it's definitely taken me a lot longer than i would have liked, but between moving to a new city, a new job, and other hobbies/interests, it's taken me a month and a half

going through some sci-fi i've been wanting to read for a while, so next is either Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Project Hail Mary, or There is no Antimemetics Division

I'm about halfway through 11-22-63. Audiobook, quite good

Not sure I'll finish this one, but currently I'm reading Magna Carta by David Carpenter. It's a pretty heavy historical book on - you guessed it - the Magna Carta, an important British legal document written on 1215. I picked this one up from the library refuse bin for a nominal fee. I suppose I felt inspired to read more on the document since it established that the king is not above the law and habeas corpus. Principles that some unnamed countries should consider.

Neuromancer by William Gibson

Lots of modern cyberpunk seems to have come from this book.

Just discovered Cory Doctorow and started "the internet con" very good so far

• Currently finishing up Elantris by Brandon Sanderson. I've been looking to read more Science Fiction, and had heard Brandon was a staple, so I went to the library and picked one of his books almost at random. Turns out it was Fantasy. Still a blast though, I have enjoyed it a lot.
• Earlier this week I also got inspired by the new show and picked up A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. I have read A Song of Ice and Fire way back (all that we got at least), but never read any of his other stuff before.

This is kinda part of a new shift to "go back" to reading more fantasy and science fiction again. The last years I have mostly read contemporary stuff and non-fiction. Over Christmas I read both Children of Time (very good, but not quite as captivated as many others) and I re-read A Game of Thrones (even better than I remembered it), and it has kinda rekindled my love for reading.

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Someone mentioned the author in another thread saying he was peak sci-fi right now, so went off just that and went in blind.

It’s definitely got my attention so far. Very interesting.

My phone broke, so in the last week I read 8 books in the Executioner pulp series from the 70s, Larry Niven's "Destiny's Road", and Warthog: Flying the A-10 in the Gulf War.

I love Larry Niven's writing. In this book he created a lot of world, and there are corners that we never got to see. Good stuff.

Warthog was a really well-written book based on interviews right after the Gulf War. It's one of my favorite military planes. I got pretty attached to the pilots by the end of the book.

Still working my way through Katabasis by RF Kuang.

I am enjoying it, it does not feel as, I guess, academic as Babel did in that most of what is talked about academically in the book is around classic literature and philosphies about hell.

I think one thing that is going to annoy me with book will be the same as Babel, we have this alternate reality where magic plays a major role in things and i want to explore that so much more. How does it work? How was it discovered? How did it affect things? The book makes direct reference to WW2 and if magic is real to an extent how did it change thingsm

The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity

• The Dark Tower series by Steven King

This is actually the first Steven King book I think I've read. Which is surprising because one of my best friends in school was obsessed with his books and I read a novel a week back then and usually would take suggestions. I'm not sure why I never read King. I even read John Saul.

At any rate, The Tower is fantastic. I'm glad I never read it so that I can enjoy it now. Heh.

I have nearly read the Mistborn series a few times. I might need to check that out

Paris 1919 by Margaret Macmillan - all of these dudes are so racist and hate poor people it is nuts man. Also Wilson was a prude who should have let the queen of Rumania hit.

What is to be Done by Lenin - to keep me sane while I read about those losers

Working my way through The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman, it’s the second book in the Book of Dust trilogy.

I’m loving it. So much.

I read The Fifth Season and am now onto The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin.

The first book was pretty dark and covers some themes I’m not used to reading about (child death from mother’s perspective). I found that a bit shocking but very emotional.

The magic and world building is very interesting and I’m pretty hooked. I think the first book is better so far but will see how it ends in the third one!

Build Your House Around My Body by Violet Kupersmith.

About halfway through and I still have no idea what I'm reading -- all I know is I'm really enjoying it so far.

I just started the Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson. The first one really sucked me in so I’ll probably finish this and the third book by the weekend.

I started the 10 book series of X-Wing Rogue Squadron. Seems to be Top Gun in space. I always enjoy a good space shoot up.

Yesterday, I finished up the last book of the trilogy Silo. Wonderful read.

After the first XWing book I’ll hit up some Nebula winner short stories to alternate with X-Wing for a little variety.

After two failed reads so far in the year, I'm just over 10% into Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky. It's been good so far, but clocking in at ~600 pages means there's parts of the world building I'd prefer were a little shorter. Overall, it's been good so far.

I’m reading Network Effect by Martha Wells. It’s the fifth book in The Murderbot Diaries series. I love it so far and 30% done with the book currently.

Carl's Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman

A a sequel, it's a wild ride, like the first book in the series. Page turning is happening. Wish I read faster, is all...

The Dark Forest by Cixin Liu, about halfway through its really good. Its book 2 of The Remeberance of Earth's Past trilogy

All That We See or Seem by Ken Liu and The Incandescent by Emily Tesh. Having a bit of trouble with the relationships in The Incandescent so I've put it aside and am enjoying Ken Liu's latest, which is mostly about anonymity in an AI-rich society so far.

I've been reading "Great Short Stories by Contemporary Native American Writers", which has been pretty good.

Currently reading The Colour of Magic after starting the year with Sourcery, from the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett.

I'm partway through Sipsworth. The main character is a bit sad but personable and I'm curious about the mouse. My partner says to expect things to get exciting.

I'm looking forward to the next Murderbot from Martha Wells — sarcastic cyborg who mostly hates humans but also ends up saving them.

Also looking forward to the next in the Nampeshiweisit Series by Moniquill Blackgoose which apparently is coming very soon. A boarding-school-with-dragons adventure but with lots of Native / queer folks, exploring a slightly alternate timeline of American colonization.

Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century by Kim Fu.

Its a fast read, 12 short stories and I'm a bit more than half way through. I've been taken in by several of them.

This is for everyone by Tim Berners-Lee

About the invention of the world wide web and the events that followed.

Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell

How to do Nothing - I'm about halfway through now and liking it more, but not a lot. Still waiting for actionable items instead of the author just quoting a bunch of other writers.

A Confederacy of Dunces - I read the first chapter a while back and bounced off it, because the main guy is too insufferably realistic to how many Americans are. Started it again and I'm really enjoying it now.

I'm almost done with Structural Sin and the Death of Institutions by Susannah Cornwall.

I've read another one hundred pages of Marshland by Otohiko Kaga.

It's become more interesting. The writing is still very straightforward but I enjoy the descriptions of Japan and its nature. The characters are becoming a little more complex.

The Pedant in the Kitchen by Julian Barnes.

I heard his last book (or what he claims is his last book) "Departure(s)" is out today and looked up what other stuff he's done, this one caught my eye being a very snarky collection of essays about cooking and cookbook authors.

Just finished listening to "Breakneck" by Dan Wang. His take on China vs. US approach to economy, technology, and the future.

Main thesis is that China follows an "Engineering" approach to solving social problems (most of the leaders are engineers or scientists) whereas US has a "Legalistic" approach (most members of Congress are attorneys). Engineering gets things done and lets you build things fast, but without guardrails or protections. Legal slows things down and makes building more expensive, but has more guardrails against risk or harm. Not sure I bought the whole analogy. There was a gut-wrenching chapter on China's One Child policy and how it was implemented. Made me want to find out more about it.

I'd recommend the book to anyone interested in an alternative view, from someone with a foot in both worlds.