What Are You.... Reading?

From: myusername - bought & paid for by BigPharma #51
Date: 01/20/26 @ 5:00 PM

myusername said:
I was doing some house cleaning and I found a collection of short stories called CATFANTASTIC II

Turns out there are 5 CATFANTASTIC books and I guess I'm committed now.

From: ghoast - is Pope of Chili town #52
Date: 01/23/26 @ 2:40 AM

Re-reading 'The Stupidest Angel' by Christopher Moore
Imma go ahead and greenlight the movie. Gonna chuck Walton Goggins in there somewhere

From: japanface - so spontaneous and brave #53
Date: 01/25/26 @ 6:04 AM

seems like it's been news for a few months now but if you didn't know, china mieville is dropping a new novel this year and it's brick
picador says 1264 pages

COMING SEPTEMBER 2026

From the bestselling and award-winning master of speculative fiction comes a deeply moving, decade- and continent-spanning epic: forced to investigate a devastating personal tragedy, an ordinary woman stumbles on dark conspiracies, and provokes the attention of uncanny forces.

some quote of him says he's been working on it for 20 years
something to look forward to this year

From: phapster #54
Date: 02/01/26 @ 2:15 AM

Just bought this fine book: Melania: Devourer of Men

From: myusername - bought & paid for by BigPharma #55
Date: 02/01/26 @ 2:31 AM

myusername said:
Turns out there are 5 CATFANTASTIC books and I guess I'm committed now.

I'm currently reading the first CATFANTASTIC, in hardback.

From: phapster #56
Date: 02/08/26 @ 4:53 AM

Read a 5 or 6 chapters of The Whispering Delulu, by Sohil Makwana, but set it aside. Maybe I'll give it another try, but so far, not really getting into it.

Finished Mornings Without Mii, by Mayumi Inaba.
Didn't enjoy it, even though I am fond of cats & interested in Japanese culture. 2/5

Picked up The Ministry for the Future, by Kim Stanley Robinson, and about 1/2 way through.
Bit of a jumble of a book, I find myself glazing over the copy/pasted statistics & infodumps, and being more taken by the intertwining stories of the different characters.

From: idsaluteyoubub #57
Date: 02/12/26 @ 6:16 PM

Finished up Saramago's Blindness a while back and loved it. Very gifted writer, reminds me of McCarthy a little bit. The story was very cool, especially if you like post-apocalyptic type stuff.

Finished up A Clockwork Orange last week. Short read, but enjoyable. Kubrick kinda made the movie on the nose, but a lot of his inner monologue isn't present of course. Lingo was cool, and you take to it after a while. Found myself using some of it in thoughts while reading through. I am unsure if I liked the last chapter/ending. It makes a point, and is the lesson of the story, but...I think without it, it would make an even better point.

Halfway through Child of God by McCarthy. Trying to complete the set with him. So far it's...not the strongest of his writing, but only halfway through. But honestly, he can write about paint drying and I'd be all in.

From: myusername - bought & paid for by BigPharma #58
Date: 02/12/26 @ 8:07 PM

I'm currently reading CATFANTASTIC III

From: jed #59
Date: 02/12/26 @ 10:05 PM

I haven't read A Clockwork Orange since high school. One of the only books that came with it's own dictionary.

From: myusername - bought & paid for by BigPharma #60
Date: 02/17/26 @ 1:44 AM

Time for CATFANTASTIC IV

From: phapster #61
Date: 02/17/26 @ 2:53 AM

Finished Ministry for the Future, by Kim Stanley Robinson. eh, bit of a slog, mixed bag.

Started Fatal Error: Confessions of a Trash Droid, by Michael Cheney. Seems sort of MurderBot lite.

From: jed #62
Date: 02/18/26 @ 12:07 AM

let me know about the trash droid story. I've had it pop up recommended a few times.

From: bfte #63
Date: 02/18/26 @ 1:43 AM

I am reading Micro, a Michael Chrichton novel I bought at an airport in 2011 and got maybe 40 pages into.

It's alright.

From: phapster #64
Date: 02/18/26 @ 1:50 AM

jed said:

let me know about the trash droid story. I've had it pop up recommended a few times.

It's very lite junk food kinda writing. Moves fast, a quick read, but leaves me feeling empty.
Not any depth to the writing, sort of like a trailer for some low budget action/comedy movie.

From: jed #65
Date: 02/19/26 @ 2:46 PM

that's too bad. That style writing isn't new, but seems to have made a comeback lately.

From: Slutbinwalla #66
Date: 02/20/26 @ 12:05 PM

I've been reading the Clan of the Cave Bear series and it started out pretty strong.
I'm on book 4 now just to keep the train going but it's getting stale.
Still, paleo-historical fiction is a fun genre and she does it well.
I wanna do drugs with neanderthal shamans

From: jed #67
Date: 02/20/26 @ 2:54 PM

I love those books, particularly the 1st two - totally agree the rest got more and more meh as they went along.
The very last one Land of Painted Caves is particularly boring, and has some of the dumbest lines I've ever read in a novel.
But an A for effort for Jean Auel. She does thoroughly research her material.
But after the 2nd one, even the sex scenes were cringy - Jondular and his massive cock and Ayla, with her perfect body, is the only woman who has ever been able to take his entire, throbbing member all the way to the hilt.

From: GoonGoonington - Put some SPH 90 on that thing #68
Date: 02/20/26 @ 3:43 PM

Artemis by Andy Weir

Do you like welding? Andy Weir fucking loves welding. So if you are into welding and welding realted things, you are going to love this.

It's a beach read, nothing more.

From: japanface - so spontaneous and brave #69
Date: 02/20/26 @ 7:18 PM

slogging through permutation city by greg egan
i like a good sci-fi, but maybe i'm not the biggest fan of hard sci-fi; it is quite interesting and egan has some cool ideas many of which came to pass

also started john barth the floating opera which i am enjoying a lot more

From: phapster #70
Date: 02/20/26 @ 8:00 PM

Started The Fahrenheit Twins, by Michel Faber last night. A collection of short stories, liking them so far.

From: CBee #71
Date: 02/22/26 @ 2:24 AM

From: phapster #72
Date: 02/22/26 @ 3:06 AM

The Fahrenheit Twins, by Michel Faber.
hmmm. I'd describe this as a collection of drafts, rough ideas, experiments.
Reminds me a a vivid set of dreams interrupted by an alarm clock.
An interesting writer, but not his strongest work. 2.5/5

From: WayGroovy - Looking Back #73
Date: 03/02/26 @ 5:11 AM

It's time for a reread of Marshall Brain's Manna

https://marshallbrain.com/manna1

From: phapster #74
Date: 03/02/26 @ 5:19 AM

Empire of the Ants, by Bernard Werber. Saw it recommended on reddit, gets pretty mixed reviews. About 1/2 way through it.

From: butterknife - calcium depraved #75
Date: 03/02/26 @ 6:37 AM

CBee said:

heyo ceeb
you still a friend of bills?

From: Timred - Stamina of a year old #76
Date: 03/03/26 @ 12:08 AM

Just finished https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/697650.The_Frontiersmen
Damned good narrative on brutality

Now onto https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6611240-three-felonies-a-day?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_16

Began it last night and the forward is over 100 pages long...total pages on my kindle says something like 7000 pages...That's too many.

From: phapster #77
Date: 03/11/26 @ 7:30 PM

Finished Mal Goes to War, by Edward Ashton in one marathon when I had insomnia.
Readers who enjoyed the MurderBot series will probably be entertained, as I was.
Mal is an AI consciousness dealing with "monkey problems", war between rival human factions. 4/5

Working on Space is Just a Starry Night, by Tanith Lee.
It's a mixed collection of Lee's writings.

From: myusername - bought & paid for by BigPharma #78
Date: 03/11/26 @ 8:20 PM

I'm reading CATFANTASTIC V

From: japanface - so spontaneous and brave #79
Date: 03/13/26 @ 5:43 AM

finally finished permutation city by greg egan

it was very interesting and much more enthralling to me as it entered maybe the final third

i didn't really follow

Spoiler

the peer and kate storyline but just googled it and i guess i follow, but in the end i guess it was just another plot almost for filler?

and i somewhat get why it ended how it did - what caused what to happen

shout out greg egan for having the ultimate climax then half page denouement; really great pacing in the final act

From: phapster #80
Date: 03/17/26 @ 6:48 PM

About 1/4 way through Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang, by Kate Wilhelm.

From: JTWood #81
Date: 03/18/26 @ 5:46 PM

From: phapster #82
Date: 03/28/26 @ 4:09 AM

Finished Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang, by Kate Wilhelm last weekend. 3.5/5

Finished The Bird Cage, by Kate Wilhelm. A collection of 4 short stories, bit hit & miss. 3/5

Finished Artemis, by Andy Weir a couple of nights ago in one reading. Typical Weir, some humour, fast paced, science-y from time to time, protagonist gets in serious life-threatening troubles, but ends up happily. 3.5/5

Finished The Cabin at the End of the World, by Paul Tremblay last night in one sitting.

I heard about it on the old Slorum What are You Reading? thread, sounded interesting and finally got around to reading it.

I'm not into Horror stories, but holy crap, this one you got to me.
If it was an Andy Weir story it would've had a happy ending.

Spoiler

It did not have a happy ending.
Wen :-(

From: GoonGoonington - Put some SPH 90 on that thing #83
Date: 03/30/26 @ 1:57 PM

Artemis.

HEY! DO YOU LIKE WELDING?

From: japanface - so spontaneous and brave #84
Date: 03/30/26 @ 4:11 PM

been reading more of emerald wounds by joyce mansour
not really a huge poetry reader but hers is incredible; the original french on one page and translated on the other, it's like nothing i've read before

she's got a selected short stories coming out in a few months i'm going to preorder i think

From: phapster #85
Date: 03/30/26 @ 5:13 PM

working on Life of Pi, by Yann Martel.
Odd book.

From: jed #86
Date: 03/30/26 @ 6:53 PM

I enjoyed the movie and had no idea it came from a book. I'm impressed how truly they stuck to the book. Definitely a great read.

Currently re-readingThe Dog Stars by Peter Heller, one of my favorite books in the past 20 years.
Incidentally, they're turning it into a movie - Ridley Scott directing, so it could either suck or be pretty good.

It better not suck.

From: Scarlet - I like turtles #87
Date: 04/01/26 @ 8:38 PM

Currently reading Shift by Hugh Howey. I read Wool while I was on vacation. I like it okay in relation to the TV show (Silo) - it's like the same story but takes place in a different universe.

From: Scarlet - I like turtles #88
Date: 04/01/26 @ 8:42 PM

myusername said:

I'm reading CATFANTASTIC V

You might also like The Cat Who... mystery series. They are cute easy reads and pretty fun.

From: phapster #89
Date: 04/02/26 @ 4:14 AM

jed said:

I enjoyed the movie and had no idea it came from a book. I'm impressed how truly they stuck to the book. Definitely a great read.

Finished Life of Pi. Didn't see the movie, and had no clue what was going to happen in the book.
An odd book, sort of 4 different stories that were quite differently laid out.
Just about gave up multiple times, but once it got to the section where Pi & the animals are on the lifeboat, just had to finish it around 2:00a

jed said:
Currently re-readingThe Dog Stars by Peter Heller, one of my favorite books in the past 20 years.
Incidentally, they're turning it into a movie - Ridley Scott directing, so it could either suck or be pretty good.

It better not suck.

That was a memorable book! It took me some time to get comfortable with his style of writing, but it really hit hard. Must re-read one day.

Scarlet said:

Currently reading Shift by Hugh Howey. I read Wool while I was on vacation. I like it okay in relation to the TV show (Silo) - it's like the same story but takes place in a different universe.

I really enjoyed the Silo series, another I need to read again.

From: Teharteest #90
Date: 04/02/26 @ 4:34 AM

Do androids dream of electric sheep

From: jed #91
Date: 04/02/26 @ 3:04 PM

That was one where I enjoyed the movie more than the book lol

From: GoonGoonington - Put some SPH 90 on that thing #92
Date: 04/03/26 @ 5:28 PM

PKD's dickishness tends to leap off the page.

From: phapster #93
Date: 04/03/26 @ 6:04 PM

Midway through Insects and Elephants, by Charles Harvey.

From: Teharteest #94
Date: 04/03/26 @ 11:42 PM

jed said:

That was one where I enjoyed the movie more than the book lol

It's no Storm, that's for sure.

From: jed #95
Date: 04/05/26 @ 12:47 PM

I named on of my books Storm...probably not movie material lol

From: phapster #96
Date: 04/05/26 @ 3:51 PM

Finished Insects and Elephants, by Charles Harvey.
It was silly, reminded me a a more polished version of the throwing the chair at his labtop thread, by some n00b on Fazed, named something like funnyJacob.

On to The Time Traveler's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger.

From: Teharteest #97
Date: 04/07/26 @ 4:19 PM

That might have sounded like a dig. It wasn't. The dreaming androids is a slow burn. If I hadn't been committed to finishing it I probably would not have gotten past 15%... But after about 30% I got into that world a little more...

From: jed #98
Date: 04/07/26 @ 7:41 PM

nah no worries. I didn't take it as a dig...if you've read Storm, it is slow in places I concede. Most of my books start on the slow side. I'm not one to come off with a ton of action on the first page. I guess I would if I wrote action thrillers.

I don't even know what genre to call my books

From: jed #99
Date: 04/07/26 @ 7:44 PM

oops but Storm is on the girly side, of course being the MC is a young woman.

Funny I always figured folks would like Lemon Drops for Poppy the most - near-future, post war psychological drama, but it never took off.
Hard enough to write the damn things but marketing them and attracting readers is the hardest thing I've ever done. And I'm terrible at marketing, apparently :D

From: Denkar - Don't panic. #100
Date: 04/07/26 @ 7:49 PM

I liked Lemon Drops