'Babal' by RF Kuang, a historical fantasy set in 1828 Oxford University, where "silver-working is the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars". A tall order to swallow the premise but once past that it's tremendously entertaining, as the Royal Institute of Translation is housed in the tallest structure on campus called of course the Tower of Babel and takes you through some very intriguing permutations of history and linguistics with a dash of misty magic and social commentary thrown in to spice up the narrative. Rebecca Kuang is Hugo and Nebula award nominated. Kept me engrossed while quarantined, highly recommended
In a follow up - yesterday I finished Babi Yar. I believe it required reading for everyone not because it is particularly enjoyable (it's disturbing, uncomfortable, grueling), but so history is not repeated.
It is frightening how much of the motivation, manipulation, actions, and ideologies of the Nazis and Soviets in 1941 mirror and reflect the talking points of the far right and Trumpism today.
I recently retired and have made it my mission to read more fiction. I just finished The Measure by Nikki Erlick (disturbing but interesting concept), Drive Your Plow Over The Bones by Olga Tokarczuk (it was like a fever dream) and People Of The Book by Geraldine Brooks (loved it!). I'm debating what to start next. I have both Tomorrow And Tomorrow And Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin and The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen on my nightstand so I think I'll need to flip a coin.
Just finished "Tune in Tomorrow" -- fantasy/comedy/media satire by entertainment reporter Randee Dawn -- and "Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop" by Nat Segaloff and Mallory Lewis (her daughter), biography of the ventriliquist/entertainer and her impact on children's television. Both recommended. Now I'm continuing my exploration of Charles Dickens which I started a few years ago with "Oliver Twist."
As a bookseller I'm always interested in what others are reading. I was glad to see Backman's trilogy on your list. I hope you read A Man Called Ove.
My own preference is non-fiction and some of my favorites so far this year are: Untold Power by Rebecca Boggs Roberts, about Edith Wilson. The Bill of Obligations by Richard Haass, should be required reading for all. The Ruin of All Witches by Malcolm Gaskill; The Pirate's Wife by Daphne Palmer Geanacapolous. I'll stop now or go on forever.
Read that one for Grant! It was very good. Another very well written bio (and surprisingly interesting since he's not considered to be in the top tier of presidents), is "President McKinley: Architect of the American Century" by Robert Merry.
Max Hastings: "the Abyss: Nuclear Crisis in Cuba 1962." Max Hastings is my favorite military historian, since he brings a journalist's eye to the topics. If his name is on the cover, you can pick up the book in confidence, whichever one it is. He always presents a different way of looking at what you think you knew about the topic, and he certainly does it here.
A really good example of just how good he is, is "Operation Chastise" the story of the "Dambusters" raid. He grew up on the movie, like I did. But 50 years ago, when they were all still alive, he interviewed *everybody* who was alive from Barnes Wallis down to airmen who worked on the engines, which nobody else did. He also got the real picture of Guy Gibson, the leader (the polar opposite of how he was portrayed in the movie by Richard Todd). And then he takes you out of the bombers and down to the towns below the dam, and tells you what happened to the Polish POWs and the factory girls who were locked in their barracks at night.
I've also discovered Dmitri Volkogonov, who really has to be listed as the best modern Russian historian. He was in charge of the Red Army's historical section, and in the 1970s, because he was so "reliable," he was allowed to look at the archives of the *real* history of the USSR - which changed him forever. His biographies of Lenin and Stalin are really relevant to understanding things in Russia today.
Sorry for recommending only heavy-duty "serious" books - they're my idea of "recreational reading." As someone who used to write SF (and is still a member of SFWA) I have lost my taste for it in recent years.
I love when you tell us what you are reading!! I read Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Tomorrow that you suggested and it was very good!! My favorite book this year so far was ‘Finding Me’ an autobiography by Viola Davis!!! I recommend it to everyone!!!
I recently finished the first book in the biographical trilogy about Theodore Roosevelt called "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt", by Edmond Morris.
It was incredible - thoroughly researched, well written, candid. No stone was left unturned. It deserved the Pulitzer it won in 1980.
I have been on a journey to read (in order) a bio of each president between my fiction interests. This one rivals "Washington - A Life" by Ron Chernow.
It ranks in the top 4 bios out of the first 26 I've read.
Just finished a nonfiction book called “The Big Year”, by Mark Obmascik (might have misspelled the last name). It’s based on a competition to see the most birds in a single calendar year. Before you laugh, it was absolutely riveting. Great characters, the whole nine yards. It was also made into a fine movie, starring Jack Black, Owen Wilson, Steve Martin and Rashida Jones, which I also highly recommend!
'Babal' by RF Kuang, a historical fantasy set in 1828 Oxford University, where "silver-working is the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars". A tall order to swallow the premise but once past that it's tremendously entertaining, as the Royal Institute of Translation is housed in the tallest structure on campus called of course the Tower of Babel and takes you through some very intriguing permutations of history and linguistics with a dash of misty magic and social commentary thrown in to spice up the narrative. Rebecca Kuang is Hugo and Nebula award nominated. Kept me engrossed while quarantined, highly recommended
Read it and LOVED it.
In a follow up - yesterday I finished Babi Yar. I believe it required reading for everyone not because it is particularly enjoyable (it's disturbing, uncomfortable, grueling), but so history is not repeated.
It is frightening how much of the motivation, manipulation, actions, and ideologies of the Nazis and Soviets in 1941 mirror and reflect the talking points of the far right and Trumpism today.
Gideon The Ninth- sci-fi necromancy. Very engaging
I recently retired and have made it my mission to read more fiction. I just finished The Measure by Nikki Erlick (disturbing but interesting concept), Drive Your Plow Over The Bones by Olga Tokarczuk (it was like a fever dream) and People Of The Book by Geraldine Brooks (loved it!). I'm debating what to start next. I have both Tomorrow And Tomorrow And Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin and The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen on my nightstand so I think I'll need to flip a coin.
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is incredible
The Sympathizer is excellent. So are his other books.
I am almost finished with The Long Alliance: The Imperfect Union of Joe Biden and Barack Obama.
Would love if this became a weekly column, Chris
Good idea!
Just finished "Tune in Tomorrow" -- fantasy/comedy/media satire by entertainment reporter Randee Dawn -- and "Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop" by Nat Segaloff and Mallory Lewis (her daughter), biography of the ventriliquist/entertainer and her impact on children's television. Both recommended. Now I'm continuing my exploration of Charles Dickens which I started a few years ago with "Oliver Twist."
I loved "Cold People." It may be the best SF I've read this century after the Three Body Problem trilogy. Thanks for this tip and others as well!
As a bookseller I'm always interested in what others are reading. I was glad to see Backman's trilogy on your list. I hope you read A Man Called Ove.
My own preference is non-fiction and some of my favorites so far this year are: Untold Power by Rebecca Boggs Roberts, about Edith Wilson. The Bill of Obligations by Richard Haass, should be required reading for all. The Ruin of All Witches by Malcolm Gaskill; The Pirate's Wife by Daphne Palmer Geanacapolous. I'll stop now or go on forever.
Read that one for Grant! It was very good. Another very well written bio (and surprisingly interesting since he's not considered to be in the top tier of presidents), is "President McKinley: Architect of the American Century" by Robert Merry.
What a fascinating time period.
Max Hastings: "the Abyss: Nuclear Crisis in Cuba 1962." Max Hastings is my favorite military historian, since he brings a journalist's eye to the topics. If his name is on the cover, you can pick up the book in confidence, whichever one it is. He always presents a different way of looking at what you think you knew about the topic, and he certainly does it here.
A really good example of just how good he is, is "Operation Chastise" the story of the "Dambusters" raid. He grew up on the movie, like I did. But 50 years ago, when they were all still alive, he interviewed *everybody* who was alive from Barnes Wallis down to airmen who worked on the engines, which nobody else did. He also got the real picture of Guy Gibson, the leader (the polar opposite of how he was portrayed in the movie by Richard Todd). And then he takes you out of the bombers and down to the towns below the dam, and tells you what happened to the Polish POWs and the factory girls who were locked in their barracks at night.
I've also discovered Dmitri Volkogonov, who really has to be listed as the best modern Russian historian. He was in charge of the Red Army's historical section, and in the 1970s, because he was so "reliable," he was allowed to look at the archives of the *real* history of the USSR - which changed him forever. His biographies of Lenin and Stalin are really relevant to understanding things in Russia today.
Sorry for recommending only heavy-duty "serious" books - they're my idea of "recreational reading." As someone who used to write SF (and is still a member of SFWA) I have lost my taste for it in recent years.
Have you read Child 44? I keep thinking about it months after having read it … and I’m still not sure how I feel about it.
I haven't but I think I am going to.
I love when you tell us what you are reading!! I read Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Tomorrow that you suggested and it was very good!! My favorite book this year so far was ‘Finding Me’ an autobiography by Viola Davis!!! I recommend it to everyone!!!
Read Age of Vice. Crime/mob thriller set in India. Violent with a picture of an Indian world that is completely new to me. A page turned.
I recently finished the first book in the biographical trilogy about Theodore Roosevelt called "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt", by Edmond Morris.
It was incredible - thoroughly researched, well written, candid. No stone was left unturned. It deserved the Pulitzer it won in 1980.
I have been on a journey to read (in order) a bio of each president between my fiction interests. This one rivals "Washington - A Life" by Ron Chernow.
It ranks in the top 4 bios out of the first 26 I've read.
Get Chernow's "Grant." That is a real "mind changer."
I did a list of best presidential bios when I was at WaPo. It's here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/01/19/the-best-biographies-of-all-44-presidents-including-donald-trump/
Just finished a nonfiction book called “The Big Year”, by Mark Obmascik (might have misspelled the last name). It’s based on a competition to see the most birds in a single calendar year. Before you laugh, it was absolutely riveting. Great characters, the whole nine yards. It was also made into a fine movie, starring Jack Black, Owen Wilson, Steve Martin and Rashida Jones, which I also highly recommend!
PS. The book is a bit hard to find, but it’s worth the search.
i started Checkout19, but didn't get so far before bailing
i did like Cormac McCarthy pair: 'The Passenger' and 'Stella Maris'