Just ordered this one, from one of my favorite historians/writers: "Harrigan, surveying thousands of years of history that lead to the banh mi restaurants of Houston and the juke joints of Austin, remembering the forgotten as well as the famous, delivers an exhilarating blend of the base and the ignoble, a very human story indeed. [ Big Wonderful Thing is] as good a state history as has ever been written and a must-read for Texas aficionados.”—Kirkus, Starred Review
I just played a couple sessions of D&D at a recent anime con in San Antonio and made friends with one of the couples that ended up at our table. They were from the Texarkana area, and he said that they often make it down to Houston if their favorite author, Brandon Sanderson, was in town signing books. So, this post here is the second time I've seen him mentioned highly favorably recently. Maybe I should check out his stuff. Open to suggestions on where to start.
I mainly read technical books, so I don't read too much for recreation. I also tend to start things and not finish them. If you like comic books or just aren't opposed to graphic novels, I cannot recommend Joe Hill's Locke and Key series enough. And I'm not a comic guy at all. But a few friends pitched in and gave me the full set for my birthday a couple years ago, and once I got started, I was incredibly hooked. Phenomenal original story. I read Dune a few years ago out of nowhere, and I've never consumed a book that fast. Haven't read any of Frank Herbert's five sequels, and I refuse to acknowledge his son's and Kevin J. Anderson's 50 more of them. But Dune is absolutely incredible. Currently assigned by my former pastor to read The Courage to Be by Paul Tillich. That's not for fun; that's for trying to understand existential fear. Speaking of fear, Locke and Key got me interested in Lovecraftian horror, so I have H.P. Lovecraft: The Complete Fiction nearby, but I never remember to read it until it's bedtime, and that is the last thing I need to read before I go to sleep.
I recently read the first two books and started the third book in the Vampire Earth series by E. E. Knight. It's sci-fi, very pulpy and I got tired of it so I had to put it down. Still, very interesting premise and take on vampires and probably worth a read if you're bored. I love me some Military sci-fi and fantasy so I started out the Deed of Paksenarrion series by Elizabeth Moon. I was attracted to this series because it's different:The main character is a woman warrior in a fantasy world, and the books are written by a woman. So far I'm really enjoying it. Very gritty, very action and military oriented. Reminds me a touch of The Black Company books. I will definitely check this out. Currently reading The Boys comic and will put this next on my list. Love me a touch of Lovecraftian storytelling every few years. I've since read all three books in this series and the novelette that happens between books 2 and 3. Sanderson says he's planning on 10 books in this series, but the first overall arc will be over after 5, then he will write another series or two, then come back and do books 6-10. I've since discovered that all of his books (except maybe the final two Wheel of Time books, which he 'co-wrote' after Jordan died to finish the series) are tied together in a big universe. It makes me want to read all of his stuff even more.
Finally read the Le Guin classics: The Lathe of Heaven, and The Left Hand of Darkness. Really loved both of them -- they're very very different books. She had quite a range.
I'm halfway through Don Quixote (for the first time since HS), it's high quality, esp the new translation I've got, but it does definitely get repetitive.
BUMP. What is one book that surprised you (in a good way) this year? Here's mine: Should appeal to nerds and artists of all kinds of various stripes. Guy is wicked smart and has a fascinating eye for simplification and story-telling. I can't name another book exactly like this, as even the formatting is fairly unique. Wonderful incorporation of historical anecdotes and voices as well.
This is a fantastic book. Wow. Ghost Soldiers is a great book as well, I'm trying to read The Plot Against America, but it's difficult at the moment. "Empire of the Summer Moon" is my next one.
This book, written in the form of a movie script, satirizes the pop-culture stereotypes of Asian Americans, written by a lawyer turned TV/Movie writer
reading this one for probably the 3rd time...this book will force you to re-examine everything we have been taught about the battle of the alamo.
You might enjoy this award winning work. @Buck Turgidson's earlier mention of Austin's Stephen Harrigan made me think of it (nice thread bump, Buck!).
ive got it! i love reading about texas history and specifically texas revolution history. ive got a couple dozen books just on that subject. finished harrigans "big wonderful thing" a couple months ago. great read.
I, Claudius is the best thing I’ve read in a while. It’s the story of the early Roman Empire (Augustus - Claudius, including the mad Caligula) from Claudius’ perspective. Historical fiction in the hands of a master. Graves was faithful to the source material, so it is regarded as accurate story telling, so far as those things go. These folk make Game of Thrones families look like Kardashians.
If any of you are still in the "optimize your free time" phase of the quarantine, this book is the granddaddy of life hacks for learning. It builds off of learning how to learn and the professor who did that course/book endorses the principles behind this one. It's not really a shortcut, but it gives you a way to work smart for your hard work.
