Istanbul (2016) by Thomas F. Madden, a so-far fantastic history of the city. About 350 pages, and so far, midway through the book, worth every one of them.

Edit: Here’s a passage that I enjoyed (with wiki links for further context):

Hippodrome-goers were not the only targets of John Chrysostom’s sermons. He frequently berated clergy more interested in wealth, finery, and banquets than in the care of Christ’s flock. What made him most popular among the common people, though, was his barbed, even mocking condemnation of the lavish ostentation of Constantinople’s wealthy elite. He ridiculed the rich vestments and heavy jewelry of the aristocracy, which they proudly wore even in the church. After one such sermon, the empress [Aelia] Eudoxia concluded (probably correctly) that his barbs were directed at her. She was, after all, the best-dressed woman in the city. With silent rage she conspired with John’s enemies in the church to convene a synod to discern whether he held heretical views. Realizing that he would be condemned regardless of the facts, John refused to attend, instead condemning the whole affair in his weekly sermons. As expected, the synod in 404* found the patriarch guilty, deposed him of his office, and banished him from the empire. Outraged at the ouster of their beloved patriarch, the city mobs took to the streets outside the Hippodrome. In the confusion, someone thought it a good idea to burn down Hagia Sophia. The horrible destruction, and a subsequent powerful earthquake, convinced Eudoxia that she had made a mistake. John was allowed to retain his position in Constantinople—that is, until the next year, when he condemned Eudoxia as a self-serving manipulator of the emperor after she convinced him to erect a statue of her in the Augusteion. The banishment order was instantly renewed. No earthquakes followed.

Note: This may be a typo, as Britannica states the Synod of the Oak that deposed John was in 403, while the second was in 404. This would be more in line with Aelia Eudoxia dying in 404.

Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman. It’s got the same feel as Dungeon Crawler Carl. Enjoying it so far as well, after this it’s book 2 of the Corellian Trilogy. Hopefully the proofreading in this one is better.

My current nonfiction read is Femina by Janina Ramirez. As for fiction, I’m reading Said the Dead by Doireann Ní Ghríofa, which I’m really enjoying. And I’m listening to Good Girl by Aria Aber, which is excellent. I usually have a few books going at once, and I’m glad to have a few great ones at the same time.

Yesterday, I finished “Mister Magic” by Kiersten White. I enjoyed this one. The form was pretty okay. Basically it had chapters of narrative separated by a small chapter of something like a wiki page or a reddit thread or an email. It’s meant to lean horror and at no point was it terrifying, but it was a bit creepy at times. The writing hinted at some literary ability, but it didn’t ever break out and have me ooing and awing, but the writing was very solid. At the end it got a little bit muddy, but the author was describing an imaginary world – it’s a tall order to keep that 100% coherent. I also thought the metaphor/allegory of the story was about as subtle as being kicked by a horse, and the epilogue drove the message home like having a piano dropped on you.

All that said, I likes the dialogue and the characters. I felt each were unique from each other. I liked the story too. The descriptions of the desert were very good. For any of its faults, it never stopped being entertaining.

For all of those reasons, I give this book 4/5 Fudgy points. Give it a read before Halloween for a taste of creepy, but know that you won’t be scared at any point.

Pretty good book.

I’m currently reading Hexed. A book about a small town cursed by a witch who drives you to suicide if you try to leave the town permanently. It’s a really slow book but in these last 20% or so it’s really ratcheted up.

I also started listening to the Isles of Emberdark. It’s pretty good. I’m still early on in the book but being that it’s Sanderson it feels very familiar

Just finished Piranesi by Susanna Clark and quite enjoyed the dreamlike setting and protagonist’s innocent perspective. Some people might find the descriptions repetitive at first but I think they emphasizes his limited worldview. It was a quick read.

I have been reading The Dawn of Everything, an archeology book trying to prove that capitalism and centralised power are not a necessity for civilizations. While the book is dense and the political bias is clear, it’s an interesting if slow read. Very slow…

I just devoured A Closed and Common Orbit in like 4 days. This is a sequel and I did the same with the first one as well. Now to find something else to read

I’m trying for the umpteenth time to read Dracula but as always the Mina chapters are destroying any interest I have in the story. I will try to finish it this time though!

I’m also slowing grinding the last couples of chapters of Orbital by Samantha Harvey. I did enjoy the book at first but after a while it feels a bit samey. Gorgeous descriptions will only take you so far imho.

As non fiction goes, I started +KAOS. Ten Years of Hacking and Media Activism, a collection of interviews to A/I members, the Italian collective recently shut down by Trump. Incredible read, highly recommended it!

It’s time to put an end to this. I started reading A Memory of Light by Brandon Sanderson, the final book of Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time. First hundred or so pages have been great, so I have high hopes. It’ll be good to have finished this project I first started in the 90’s. Though I suppose a part of me is sorry Jordan couldn’t finish it himself, even if Sanderson is the far better writer.

Just finished “There Is No Anti-memetics Division” by QNTM, and heading to the library now to pick up the second book in the “Old Man’s War” series by John Scalzi. Loved TINAMD, btw. Very creepy, lots of existential dread. Quick read, too - only like 270 pages.

Got all of Narnia for a fucking dollar and man am I happy. Got it from an Spca thrift store too so it helped some critters

The Priory of the Orange Tree - still at the beginning, but so far the intrigue is deep, lots of politics and dragons. There is a lot of characters introduced in the very beginning, I am having some trouble keeping up with whos who in the cast, keep having to flip back and re read parts. But as I get further along I am sure I’ll absorb it

I am also listening to Dungeon Crawler Carl audiobook, figured I should get in there while its still pop culture. I am on Chapter 14, right after the encounter with the goblin shamans.

Finished up the latest Discworld readthru and am currently on an Isaac Asimov Foundation readthru.

I’m reading two because they’re related. Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle, and White Fire by Preston and Child. I’ve mostly had second-hand exposure to Sherlock Holmes, and figured if I’m going to read / watch / play things inspired by the thing, it’s time to read the original thing directly. At about the halfway point, I’m liking both and hoping they finish strong.