There's been a few book threads but they're all dead so let's start a new one

I recently got a library card again for the first time since i was in middle school. I've been planning to mostly because the library has some interesting events, but i discovered the library has a digital borrowing app for ebooks.

I have bought a toooon of ebooks over the years but the number I've actually finished is vanishingly small. Usually i never even start it, but if i do, i get about halfway, really into it, and then for whatever reason never pick it up again. But that's still better than a lot of my success with physical books.

But borrowing an ebook is a nice compromise. I don't waste any money, and i have a deadline for when i have to read it by. The only problem is the selection isn't quite what i would like, but it has more than i expected

Gonna try to do a lot of reading this summer

Trying to read more this year too. I always say that but so far I’m doing pretty good (thanks Squash!)

Been reading Lovecraft’s Bloodcurdling Tales of Horror and the Macabre on and off for awhile. It’s a collection of his stories so I tend to read one of those and then hop back to whatever else I’m reading for a bit

Currently reading The Fisherman by John Langan. Horror book that’s been on my list for awhile, so far so good

Mostly trying to go back and forth between an Agatha and a horror book, I really don’t read anything else. Though I should dip more into sci-fi or fantasy. I’d be interested in getting into some high quality, long running fantasy/swords and sorcery series if anyone has any recs. Not any of these dumb YA ones

Its hard to find good fantasy. I'm planning to start reading some of Terry Prachett's Discworld books after watching Hogfather this christmas and then more recently the Soul Music mini series adaptation. I did pick up one as an ebook but I took longer reading my other book than I expected so I returned it until I'm ready to pick it back up

Most recent book I finished was The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century by Kirk Wallace Johnson

cover	+

REALLY GOOD!

It's nonfiction, I guess technically a true crime novel, but it's about a dude who robbed the British museum of natural history of a bunch of rare historically significant taxidermized birds so he could sell the feathers for fly fishing lures. VERY STRANGE! It follows the whole situation, the story behind the birds, the building they were in, the guy who stole them, and the fly fishing lure hobby forums, and the author's attempts to find the missing birds. It's both upsetting and at times very funny. Wild ride!

I've also been reading Dracula Daily this year. It's basically Dracula told by (more or less) daily newsletter emails in chronological order, since the original book is made up of dated journals and letters. It just started this year earlier this week, and it's a lot of fun so far.

If anyone wants to join in you can sign up here for the emails or just read it every day:

https://draculadaily.substack.com/

Curtis @ 8/5/2024 9:45

Currently reading The Fisherman by John Langan. Horror book that’s been on my list for awhile, so far so good

Finished this. Enjoyed it! This is accidentally the third Lovecraftian horror book I've read in a row

Walking Practice - Shorter horror book about an alien/monster that gets stranded on earth, shapeshifts into a human, and uses a dating app as Uber eats basically and goes around eating their dates. Lots of body horror and disgusting descriptions of bodies in general. 3.75

The Westing Game - Apparently a classic mystery from my youth, I had never heard of it. Probably the fastest I've ever read a book, I flew through it. Fun mystery, lots of characters and the author does a great job of jumping rapidly between their POVs. 4.0

Anyone else use Goodreads or Storygraph? Apparently we the people are boycotting against Goodreads because of Sir Jeffrey Bezos and making the jump over to Storygraph, which is fine by me because I hated the outdated Goodreads interface. Storygraph is p good, I'm gonna use it to set a reading goal next year

Never had much interest in joining one of those but one of my big 2025 goals is to read more so I'll sign up for Storygraph

Drop that username