Readings:
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Ultra-processed Food by Chris van Tulleken
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The Bullet Journal Method by Ryder Caroll
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The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson, 3rd book in the 2nd era of Mistborn
Still the same books as last week. I don’t think it was a good idea to start 3 books at once, I am probably going to focus of Bands of Mourning, which has become really interesting. Still have about 1/3rd of the book to go though.
What about all of you? What have you been reading or listening to lately?
For details on the c/Books bingo challenge that just restarted for the year, you can checkout the initial Book Bingo, and its Recommendation Post. Links are also present in our community sidebar.
I finished The Button: The New Nuclear Arms Race and Presidential Power from Truman to Trump, by William J. Perry and Tom Z. Collina. So, this is my first non-fiction of 2026 and I found it very interesting but also a bit frightening (especially in regards to recent events, this book is from 2020). I think this is a must read to understand many of the geopolitical stakes of today.
After that, I started (and still reading) The Passage, by Justin Cronin. So far very very good and I’m just at chapter 3.
I’m about halfway through 11-22-63. Audiobook, quite good
just finishing Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. it’s definitely taken me a lot longer than i would have liked, but between moving to a new city, a new job, and other hobbies/interests, it’s taken me a month and a half
going through some sci-fi i’ve been wanting to read for a while, so next is either Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Project Hail Mary, or There is no Antimemetics Division
Neuromancer by William Gibson
Lots of modern cyberpunk seems to have come from this book.
Neuromancer was one of the first sci-fi books I ever read and it convinced me the genre was worth reading.
Just discovered Cory Doctorow and started “the internet con” very good so far
Not sure I’ll finish this one, but currently I’m reading Magna Carta by David Carpenter. It’s a pretty heavy historical book on - you guessed it - the Magna Carta, an important British legal document written on 1215. I picked this one up from the library refuse bin for a nominal fee. I suppose I felt inspired to read more on the document since it established that the king is not above the law and habeas corpus. Principles that some unnamed countries should consider.
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Someone mentioned the author in another thread saying he was peak sci-fi right now, so went off just that and went in blind.
It’s definitely got my attention so far. Very interesting.
Yeah very good book indeed, read it last year. It’s really fascinating throughout the whole story.
For others that read it, are the sequels worthy reading?
Fantastic book, I think it’s one of my all-time favs.
Me too! I think I saw that same thread.
I think it’s interesting as well, but I do have a few issues with it. I’m looking forward to seeing where the story goes though.
Me too!
I read it just last month, very interesting book. You can really tell he studied zoology.
- The Dark Tower series by Steven King
This is actually the first Steven King book I think I’ve read. Which is surprising because one of my best friends in school was obsessed with his books and I read a novel a week back then and usually would take suggestions. I’m not sure why I never read King. I even read John Saul.
At any rate, The Tower is fantastic. I’m glad I never read it so that I can enjoy it now. Heh.
I have nearly read the Mistborn series a few times. I might need to check that out
Oh boy, you are in for a RIDE. How far into it are you?
Beyond the 8 books of the Dark Tower proper, there are a BUNCH of books that touch that part of the King Universe. Eyes of the Dragon, It, Insomnia, Desperation and the Regulators, Rose Madder, Hearts in Atlantis, The Talisman (indirectly), Black House (Talisman sequel, directly connects it together), The Stand, The Shining, Salem’s Lot. Fairy Tale is similar enough, but not directly related.
There’s a 3rd Talisman book coming this year as well.
I’m just starting Wizard and Glass (Book 4). I am definitely enjoying the ride. I was thinking about reading The Stand after this series, if reading order doesn’t matter. If there is a prefered reading order after finishing the series I might follow that.
After book 4 I’d read, at a minimum, Insomnia and Hearts in Atlantis. Insomnia came out in the (FIVE YEAR!) gap between 3 and 4. Hearts in Atlantis shortly after 4.
But the Stand is never a bad choice!
Fair warning, I didn’t think books 5-7 were as good as the first four. He stops doing the flashbacks to young Roland and there are gaps in that story now.
Please enjoy.
Along with Naomi Klein and Ta-Nehisi Coates works, plus John Ralston Saul’s The Unconscious Civilization, Rutger Bregman’s Utopia is for Realists and several Massey Lectures, these have shaped my outlook on the world as it is.
Because this came last, for me, it recast this human experiment of ours and the depth of misdirection that is going on now.
Which Massey lectures would you reccomend?
Ill only recommend ones from those I’ve read. Here are 10. Looking at the list on Wikipedia, I want to read almost all.
1995 – John Ralston Saul, The Unconscious Civilization
I didn’t realize this was a Massey Lecture when I read it. A fascinating insight into the business culture of management. Forecasted the runaway hit book Bullshit Jobs
2003 – Thomas King, The Truth About Stories*
This is the only one recommended that I havent read I do so on the strength of the other book by Thomas King I read: the Inconvenient Indian (which is a game changer, and I should’ve mentioned in my 1st post).
- Note: in my research for this post I discovered that, as of November 2025, Thomas King is a self- reported Pretendian. This… complicates things. IMHO, his lifelong contributions outweigh his DNA test. But, really, I don’t get a say. See also: Buffy Ste. Marie.
2004 – Ronald Wright, A Short History of Progress
Vital. A top 3 pick.
2008 – Margaret Atwood, Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth
This was the first one I read at the time it was released, knowing it as a Massey Lecture and before the lectures were delivered. She wrote it in early 2008. Published in the summer of '08 and the the bottom fell out of the stock market in September. She then toured Canada saying, and I’m paraphrasing here, “Well, shit. I didnt know I was this right.”
2009 – Wade Davis, The Wayfinders: Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World
Wade Davis is a cultural anthropologist. His perspective is fascinating. For everyone who loves Moana he consulted on that film. One of his lectures is about Polynesians expanding across the Pacific.
2010 – Douglas Coupland, Player One: What is to Become of US
This, the 50th anniversary, is the first series of lectures that are fictional. Also, the first ones that I attended in person. I’m still waiting for lecture 1 to actually happen.
2012 – Neil Turok, The Universe Within: From Quantum to Cosmos
I love these ones because they’re accessible science. Top 3.
2018 – Tanya Talaga, All Our Relations: Finding the Path Forward
I guess, because of the Thomas King revelations above, these are the first lectures delivered by a person of First Nations descent.
2020 – Ronald J. Deibert, Reset: Reclaiming the Internet for Civil Society
Blew my absolute mind. Top 3.
2023 – Astra Taylor, The Age of Insecurity: Coming Together as Things Fall Apart
I love this one. The first lecture, Cura’s Gift, captured my heart.
Whoa, thanks for the detailed reply, this is awesome! Can’t wait to take a look!
Quality over quantity, friend. I’ve promoted the Massey Lectures for over a decade to anyone who’d listen. Today, you get a detailed response and I get something to refer back to. Non-zero sum gains are the best gains.
Thanks for your original ask. I’m glad you took interest.
This is such a great book, I don’t remember a single page being boring or uninteresting. RIP David!
absolutely agree!
as a somewhat casual reader about early human history, I was surprised about how much of “common prehistory lore” is actually history written through a very thick Victorian lens.
The “we’re all animals in a pit” version? :)
The first seed of the realization of the opposite of that came with Kropotkin, but Graeber backing that up scientifically with this was very exciting at the time. Still is, but I sure wish I could read this book for the first time again.
Paris 1919 by Margaret Macmillan - all of these dudes are so racist and hate poor people it is nuts man. Also Wilson was a prude who should have let the queen of Rumania hit.
What is to be Done by Lenin - to keep me sane while I read about those losers
- Currently finishing up Elantris by Brandon Sanderson. I’ve been looking to read more Science Fiction, and had heard Brandon was a staple, so I went to the library and picked one of his books almost at random. Turns out it was Fantasy. Still a blast though, I have enjoyed it a lot.
- Earlier this week I also got inspired by the new show and picked up A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. I have read A Song of Ice and Fire way back (all that we got at least), but never read any of his other stuff before.
This is kinda part of a new shift to “go back” to reading more fantasy and science fiction again. The last years I have mostly read contemporary stuff and non-fiction. Over Christmas I read both Children of Time (very good, but not quite as captivated as many others) and I re-read A Game of Thrones (even better than I remembered it), and it has kinda rekindled my love for reading.
I just started the Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson. The first one really sucked me in so I’ll probably finish this and the third book by the weekend.
Oh man, the Mistborn series is so damn good. LOVED it.
Yeah I am really enjoying the magic system. I can’t stop thinking about how fantastic of a video game it would be.
I’m also on a Brando Sando kick! If you’re loving it, I highly recommend jumping straight into Mistborn era 2 when you finish. It’s a bit more lighthearted than the original trilogy with some amazing character development and plenty of references back to the originals. Mistborn was my gateway drug into the Cosmere, and I am absolutely hooked now haha. Working my way through the Stormlight Archives now, but I’ve taken a small break to read Warbreaker. It’s been a treat finding all the connections between the different series and learning more about the universe he’s building as a whole.
I read The Fifth Season and am now onto The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin.
The first book was pretty dark and covers some themes I’m not used to reading about (child death from mother’s perspective). I found that a bit shocking but very emotional.
The magic and world building is very interesting and I’m pretty hooked. I think the first book is better so far but will see how it ends in the third one!
I started the 10 book series of X-Wing Rogue Squadron. Seems to be Top Gun in space. I always enjoy a good space shoot up.
Yesterday, I finished up the last book of the trilogy Silo. Wonderful read.
After the first XWing book I’ll hit up some Nebula winner short stories to alternate with X-Wing for a little variety.
I really loved the old EU. I’ve read almost everything except I think I only read the first 3 books of Rogue Squadron. I might have to fix that at some point. I really wish they kept the EU as canon and made movies from that.
Build Your House Around My Body by Violet Kupersmith.
About halfway through and I still have no idea what I’m reading – all I know is I’m really enjoying it so far.
