What did you just read?

Finished the 'Flux' audiobook on my trip home. This is now the 3rd Jeremy Robinson book I've listened to with the previous books being 'Infinite' and 'The Others.'

Robinson isn't bad but one thing that seems common with these is that they're sort of all over the place. In some respects they almost start off as one genre but then shift in to other genres or maybe they're just scattered. Interesting books but the execution just isn't quite there for how broad they are.

'Infinite' so far was more standalone sci fi whereas 'The Others' and 'Flux' were very slightly related. I do want to continue going through them just to see what ideas he comes up with next, but they're pretty much saved for time when I'm on long road trips and don't have anything else interesting going on during the drive.

They're free on Audible I think so 'Tribe' and 'NPC' are up next.

I read this way back in the early 90s, and while I remember enjoying it immensely, I had forgotten almost everything about it. After re-reading it now, I am reminded of why it has always been in the back of my mind as one of the best books I have ever read. This book is fucking amazing.

I first encountered McCammon in Swan Song, which is kind of a rip off of The Stand, although better in many ways (and worse in others). Then I read a bunch of his early work, much of it being horror or supernatural focused stuff. His very first book, Baal, was pretty fucking rough if I remember correctly. Stinger was good but not amazing, Wolf's Hour didn't really grab me, and a couple others were obviously forgettable since I can't even recall their names. But then he wrote Boy's Life, and nothing else matters.

Some coming of age books don't translate well to reading them well into adulthood, and others written before even stuff like cable television can feel a bit dated now, but none of that matters with this book. I know it sounds like I'm overselling it, but I promise most of you will love this book. It's on Kindle Unlimited too.

5/5 stars, easily. One of the best books I've ever read.

EDIT: Oh, I forgot another thing. Since it is set in the 60s, it deals with segregation, racism, etc. This is literally one of the best quotes I have ever seen on the subject, spoken by a black woman in the book that is over 100 years old at the time, to people that question why she would want people to remember their slave roots. It isn't formatted like it should be, but imagine proper paragraph breaks.

“You want the people of Bruton to remember their ancestors were slaves?” Mom asked. “Yes, I do. I want ’em to remember it not to feel pity for themselves, or to feel put-upon and deservin’ of what they don’t have, but to say to themselves, ‘Look where I have come from, and look what I have become.’ ” The Lady turned to face us. “Ain’t no way out but up,” she said. “Readin’. Writin’. Thinkin’. Those are the rungs on the ladder that lead up and out. Not whinin’ and takin’ and bein’ a mind-chained slave. That’s the used-to-be world. It ought to be a new world now.” She moved around the room, and stopped at a picture of a fiery cross. “I want my people,” she said quietly, “to cherish where they’ve come from. Not sweep it under a rug. Not to dwell on it either, because that’s nothin’ but givin’ up the future. But to say, ‘My great-granddaddy pulled a plow by the strength of his back. He worked from sunup to sundown, heat and cold. Worked for no wages but a master’s food and a roof over his head. Worked hard, and was sometimes whipped hard. Sweated blood and kept goin’, when he wanted to drop. Took the brand and answered Yes, massa, when his heart was breakin’ and his pride was belly-down. Did all this when he knew his wife and children might go up on the auction block and be torn away from him in the blink of an eye. Sang in the fields, and wept at night. He did all this and more, and by God … by God, because he suffered this I can at least finish school.’ ” She lifted her chin in defiance of the flames. “That’s what I want ’em to think, and to say. This is my dream.”

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The Mountain in the Sea: A Novel https://a.co/d/co7zDBx

Just wrapped this up and enjoyed it. Not amazing but a pretty gif 1st novel. SciFi in that it is messed future so there’s some advanced tech, mostly AI related. But it centers mostly around communication with a non-human species and what that means philosophically as well as scientifically.

The only real negative feedback I have is at the end, about 90% of the way, there’s an info dump between two main characters. That isn’t my favorite and feels lazy when so much dialogue happens between them previously.

I’d read a second novel by the guy for sure.

Intrinsic said:

The Mountain in the Sea: A Novel Amazon.com

Just wrapped this up and enjoyed it. Not amazing but a pretty gif 1st novel. SciFi in that it is messed future so there’s some advanced tech, mostly AI related. But it centers mostly around communication with a non-human species and what that means philosophically as well as scientifically.

The only real negative feedback I have is at the end, about 90% of the way, there’s an info dump between two main characters. That isn’t my favorite and feels lazy when so much dialogue happens between them previously.

I’d read a second novel by the guy for sure.

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I checked out the author’s site and he was promoting a novella coming out Jan 16th and mentioned pre-order copies were available from a bookstore in Washington. They mentioned signed copies were available but I didn’t see a link. Emailed them last night and they said just order the hard copy and put a note I’d like it signed and he’ll do it when he comes by the store. That’s pretty cool. So asked about copies of The Mountain in the Sea and they said sure. So should have two signed copies of these on the way some time the next couple of weeks.

Started reading House of Leaves after hearing about it randomly. It's quite interesting. Do recommend. You can't get the kindle version of it though which I dislike. Get it off of libgen.

So got about halfway through and I really like the angle it goes for. I have a general hardon for found footage/lost tapes/lost journal style narratives. This one is kind of like a Lovecraft tale where someone finds a journal of depicting some eldritch experience.

However it also does that thing a lot of books do these days. Where it makes you question the validity of even what it says is going on. I mean that not in a good way. Like it tells you outright none of the shit in this tome existed and the narrator had looked for years to prove any of it. So it just makes this weird mystery that may or may not really be a mystery. I just hate that shit. Its like Huruki Murakami who I also think is fucking trash but people like it for some reason.

TJT said:

So got about halfway through and I really like the angle it goes for. I have a general hardon for found footage/lost tapes/lost journal style narratives. This one is kind of like a Lovecraft tale where someone finds a journal of depicting some eldritch experience.

However it also does that thing a lot of books do these days. Where it makes you question the validity of even what it says is going on. I mean that not in a good way. Like it tells you outright none of the shit in this tome existed and the narrator had looked for years to prove any of it. So it just makes this weird mystery that may or may not really be a mystery. I just hate that shit. Its like Huruki Murakami who I also think is fucking trash but people like it for some reason.

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Interesting to think about House of Leaves as an ebook. The physical copy seems so tied to the story. The way the pages are jumbled and the writing is staggered, the snippets of evidence, annotations, etc. It is a somewhat difficult book to read because of that, but also helps evoke the sense of confusion and anxiety. It is worth picking up if you haven't seen it.

Starling House by Alex Harrow. Basically finished with this. Picked it up since SubPress is doing a special edition later this year and wanted to see if it was going to be worth buying. I liked it. Not my absolute favorite but it was interesting enough. Will probably pick up the special edition.

Not technically read but my recent business trip had enough driving time for me to listen to the first three Murderbot Diaries. The guy doing the narration (Kevin Free) annoyed me at first because he sounded very NPR. But after a short time it grew on me and put a great character to the Murderbot. I’m really looking forward to continuing this series. Very pleased with them.