Music Monday's originated at The Tattooed Book Geek's fantastic blog and has shown up hither, thither, and yon since then.
Fantasy with Friends is a weekly meme hosted by the good people over at Pages Unbound. Fantasy with Friends poses questions each Monday about fantasy, either as a genre as a whole or individual works.
This week’s prompt is:
What fantasy books do you think will be classics in the future?
This question is making me stumble. That’s not Pages Unbound’s fault. It’s just the way my brain works.
First, I’m stumbling over the idea of “contemporary.” Are we talking about the last couple of years, the 21st century, or something else? And, yes, I’m certain that the way this question is phrased is that it’s up to me to decide for the purpose of this post. I’m sticking with this century, although I’m squeamish about calling it contemporary.
For the purposes of this post, I’m not going to define classic as anything more than “you know it when you see it.”
The other problem I’m having with this question is that I don’t know how many people can predict what’ll become a classic. How many people e reading about that band in the Mines of Moria back in 1954 were thinking, “There will be an entire genre that’s largely defined by people reacting to/reacting against/building from this book?” Did Peter S. Beagle’s editor know the impact that little book about a unicorn would have on countless readers for decades?
Who knows what effect the events in the world and what’s being published are going to have on the aesthetics of generations to come? It’s so hard to guess what books will be read in 2060, what books that writers of 2090 will resonate with. How many of those things we’re throwing awards at will be punchlines to our great-grandkids?
Isn’t that part of the fun? Reading something and having no idea what people who aren’t on social media are thinking about it? What’s going to get passed on to a child/grandchild—and what percentage of that will actually get read? (I know full well what my kids do with the books I give them, but that doesn’t stop me from trying). I love it when I stumble onto someone younger than me stumbling onto The Prydain Chronicles and feeling what I felt in elementary school. I imagine a lot of Tolkien’s early fans felt a sense of satisfaction and surprise seeing his work captivate their children and grandchildren. I’m eager to look around in my dotage and see what I recognize on bookstore shelves—or the shelves in people’s homes (I’m one of those people who spend half their attention as a guest scoping out the titles on my host’s shelves to really understand them)
And lastly, I know that no one is going to bring up my guesses in 25 years to point and laugh at me. No one is going to Nelson Muntz me. (Will anyone in 25 years know Nelson Muntz?) This is, of course, assuming I live to my mid-70s. (get your mockery in early, folks—you don’t know what this sedentary lifestyle is going to do to my longevity).* Still, I hate giving an answer I can’t feel reasonably sure is correct.
My big prediction is that there are going to be fewer White European Dudes (percentage-wise) in the Fantasy Canon. We’re going to see a lot of non-Europeans, a lot of Women, and read a lot of voices that will make Tom Bombadil say, “That’s a little strange.” There are plenty of future classics that aren’t making a lot of Best Seller lists here in the States/UK, and my grandkids are going to go wild over them and shake their heads at me for missing.
But that meandering is not what the question asked for. So here’s my stab at it…just a stream of consciousness here, totally not binding. I hope that The Name of the Wind will be seen with affection by a bunch of people who can’t be bothered to care about the fate of The Doors of Stone. I don’t know if I’d put money on The Lies of Locke Lamora standing the test of time, but I’d love it if it would. It’s possible that all/part of A Song of Ice and Fire will be considered a classic—see TNotW, but all of them feel less stand-alone-ish than Rothfuss’ book is, so we might actually need a conclusion. I’m sure something by Jemisin—if not her entire oeuvre—will be a classic, I don’t know that I can choose one. Brandon Sanderson almost has to have a future in the canon—if only because of volume. Terry Pratchett, too (but will people find him funny?) R.L. Kuang? John Gwynn? Nnedi Okorafor? S.A. Chakraborty?
As much as I adore some of Gaiman’s works** I’m guessing his stuff is doomed to obscurity***. I don’t know if Joe Abercrombie is going to last longer than this generation (I hate to say that, I hope he does), ditto for Seanan McGuire or Jim Butcher. I’m not trying to throw shade on the subgenres, but I don’t know that the best Romantasy or Cozy Fantasy authors are going to be remembered, much less celebrated.
I cannot wait to see what titles and authors are mentioned by the less cautious bloggers–a.k.a. those who don’t have to issue paragraphs of disclaimers before their anxiety will let them publish–have to say. Check out this post for links to the braver-than-me-souls.
* Wow, this is taking a dark turn.
** Stay with me here.
*** Deservedly.
Do you have responses to this? (either for the comment section below or from your own post)
Happy Indie Bookstore Day 2026! I hope you can get out and show your local some support.
Odds ‘n ends about books and reading that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
No, Books Are Not Remotely Too Expensive: Let’s Explore a Little Math—Joel J. Miller pokes at the “book affordability crisis” idea going around social media. Turns out we’re getting bargains (even if it doesn’t feel like it). I, for one, am embracing this idea today when I go celebrate Indie Bookstore Day–look how much money I’m actually saving, dear!!
Bookshop.org’s Sales Grew 55% in 2025, Sparked by Romance and E-books—Publishers Weekly reports: “Six years on, the online bookseller continues to grow at a remarkable pace”
Dragonlance: Selling the Dream—Tracy Hickman talks a little about the origins of the series. (Hat Tip: Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub
Star Wars Day 2026 Gift Giving Guide—This Dad Reads’ annual guide (I’ve yet to part with actual money after reading these posts, but I’ve mentally spent hundreds each time)
Imagining Future Book Titles by AI… The Future is Bright!!—The Organgutan Librarian gets speculative…
Monthly Manga Mania Featuring Firsty Duelist: Seven Deadly Sins by Nakaba Suzuki —The Firsty Duelist gets mildly critical…
Ten Recommended Indie Fantasy/Scifi Novels—C.T. Phipps gives a list of knock-out titles (I’ve read 2 of these, and can see why they make the list for sure)
My favorite sentence/passage/phrase (or two) that I read this week:
“There is always more after the ending. Always the next morning, and the next. Always changes, losses and gains. Always one step after the other. Until the one true ending that none of us can escape. But even that ending is only a small one, larges as it looms for us. There is still the next morning for everyone else. For the vast majority of the rest of the universe that ending might as well not ever have happened. Every ending is an arbitrary one. Everything ending is from another angle, not really an ending.”—Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie
To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago This Week?
Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire—I’m still talking about this book…
Life, The Universe and Everything by Douglas Adams
Fate Ball by Adam W. Jones—the title brings back near-visceral memories. This one did a number on me.
And I mentioned the releases of: The Drafter by Kim Harrison (in paperback); Dead is Best by Jo Perry; Scarlett Epstein Hates It Here by Anna Brewslaw; and Almost Infamous by Matt Carter
This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
The Photonic Effect by Mike Chen—”A starship captain and her crew face conspiracies and betrayals as they clash with various factions of a galactic civil war in a thrilling space adventure.” It’s been too long since I’ve read Mike Chen, this looks like a great way to end the drought.
Don’t Die Dave by A.R. Witham—JCM Berne vouches for this, that’s good enough for me. “A death game where the prize isn’t power or money — it’s health insurance.”
Gods & Comics by Kat Cho—about “a teen whose life is upended when the gods in her anonymous viral web comic inspired by a forgotten Korean myth come to life and the hero falls in love with her.”
It’s the last Friday of the month, so it’s time for my Most Captivating Character of the Month post. This month, I don’t think I have any choice but to select Baru Cormorant, who is likely the most captivating character I’ve read this year. She’s the protagonist from The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson, I posted about it earlier today.
Please note that I said, “captivating.” Not: heroic, likeable, sympathetic, honorable, valorous, fun, or anything else. She is those at some times, but generally, “captivating” is the appropriate word. She’s also, according to the title of the book we meet her in, a traitor. Later titles suggest that she becomes a monster, a tyrant, and something to be disclosed in the title of book four. I bet none of those take away from the captivating.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
When Baru was a child, an Empire came and took over the island she and her family lived on–and had for generations. Without a lot of fanfare or violence, the Empire established its power by bringing medicine, fiat currency, vaccines, dental care, clean water, education, and a particularly strict form of morality–and all the people of Taranoke had to do was to embrace the benefits and let their culture be methodically wiped out.
Baru is an exceptionally bright child and is enrolled at a local school–despite what that does to her family–and through that education, she understands what’s happening. She decides to destroy the Empire, who “could not be stopped by spear or treaty, she would change it from within.” She’s bright and she also has a pretty good ego. And a vengeful streak wider than her body.
I’m not going to walk you through what happens after school in detail–she’s sent to another conquered land to act as the Imperial Accountant. And she does a great job of manipulating the economy to the benefit of the Empire, and does many, many other things to prove that she deserves to get close enough to the center of Imperial power that she can change it from within. She cuts herself off (almost as much as she thinks she does) from emotions, concern for others, and basic decency to accomplish her goals.
But Baru doesn’t do this through the traditional means of a Fantasy novel–she takes a quiet (at least for her), cerebral approach. The book is full of places where she’s quietly thinking by herself. The reader gets to know some of her thoughts and feelings–but not all of them (especially her thoughts). She seems always to be a few steps–if not miles ahead–of her opponents. She has the driven focus of Darrow of Lycos and the cunning of Darrow of Lykos, Sand dan Glokta, Zhu Chongba, and Baldrick combined. That’s probably underselling it–but it’s the best I can come up with. Basically, do not cross her. Your doom won’t come from her hand–but she’ll be behind it, I can promise you.
She’s not perfect. Baru frequently stumbles–part of that is due to her (young) age and lack of experience, part of that is due to her ego, and part of it is that she frequently forgets that other people will not necessarily act the way she thinks they will or that she wants–more than once, she forgets to account for the agency of others. Watching her recover (mostly) from those moments and pivot to a new plan is really quite something.
One quick quotation from one of her biggest times of self-doubt shines a lot of light on her as a character:
The terror that took Baru came from the deepest part of her soul. It was a terror particular to her, a fundamental concern—the apocalyptic possibility that the world simply did not permit plans, that it worked in chaotic and unmasterable ways, that one single stroke of fortune, one well-aimed bowshot by a man she had never met, could bring total disaster. The fear that the basic logic she used to negotiate the world was a lie.
Or, worse, that she herself could not plan: that she was as blind as a child, too limited and self-deceptive to integrate the necessary information, and that when the reckoning between her model and the pure asymbolic fact of the world came, the world would devour her like a cuttlefish snapping up bait.
(a few pages later, and you’ll have trouble believing she ever thought this)
Now, I’ve only read one book of the three published (with at least one to come) about Baru–so I don’t know where all she’s going. But the deepness, the richness, the unique way she’s depicted all makes her my captivating character of the month.
What character would you name for last month?
The Traitor Baru Cormorant
DETAILS: Series: The Masquerade, #1 Publisher: Tor Books Publication Date: November 29, 2016 Format: Paperback Length: 399 pg. Read Date: April 10-13, 2026
“The tide is coming in,” he said. “The ocean has reached this little pool. There will be turbulence, and confusion, and ruin. This is what happens when something small joins something vast.”
What’s The Traitor Baru Cormorant About?
This is tricky…in brief, the Empire of Masks comes and (mostly peacefully) annexes the island of Taranoke. Social hygienists and others come in to help civilize and educate the inhabitants. Part of that involves teaching their children—Baru Cormorant is one of the (if not the) brightest of the students—and she is told that she can go far in the world. Perhaps even to be part of the Empire’s government. Which makes her study harder.
She knows that the Empire cannot be beaten—especially by her people—militarily. Any change will have to come from within, so she has to earn a position of influence.
After school, she’s sent to be the Imperial Accountant to a region annexed some time before her home was—but there are still many groups trying to rebel and a variety of methods being employed to keep them down.
Baru finds corruption and fraud on all levels—and comes up with a very clever way to throw cold water on the upstarts through a little monetary manipulation.
Then, she’s swept up in a movement on the other side—people from Aurdwynn tired of bowing the knee (literally and figuratively) to the Empire—they want their land back. And Baru ends up acting as one of their leaders in the effort. Maybe she couldn’t help her people, but maybe she can be of service to these?
Things get wild after that.
Why did I pick this up? Why did I keep reading?
I picked this up because it was the Fantasy Book Club pick for the month. I knew nothing about it beyond that.
Why did I stick with it? Well, for the most part, because it was the Fantasy Book Club pick for the month. The writing was good, Baru was interesting, I liked the opening pages. But honestly—economic manipulation, political games that don’t seem to matter, and auditing the finances of the territory and various Dukes/Duchesses is not my idea of a riveting read.
But somewhere after the halfway point (arguably too late, and this would’ve been a good DNF candidate), things started to pick up. And then the action got a bit brisker, the political maneuvering wasn’t just about backroom deals that added up to little victories—they became about life and death—and not just in a theoretical way. The book kept getting better and better—like the proverbial snowball rolling downhill, getting bigger and faster all the way.
And then Dickinson threw in his twists, and…oh, reader, I cannot tell you how hard I fell for this book.
What does this book tell us about humanity?
First, I’m going to lift two paragraphs from my post earlier this week about Adrian Tchaikovsky’s City of Last Chances (a book I thought about a lot as I read this one)
For one, there’s a great depiction of the utter lack of compassion and naked ambition that can befall those who are convinced they/their group are absolutely correct, the only determiner of what is right/wrong, as they try to elevate/educate/correct another group of people.
On the other side, we have a selfishness and greed that a resistance can give shelter to. “Yes, I want to push back against this oppressive regime—but not so much that it’ll interfere with my art/scholarship/business or cause me any more inconvenience than I’m currently experiencing.”
But that’s a cheat—also, it’s not the biggest thing that stands out to me about this book. This book is a fantastic depiction of vengeance and what it can do to a person. Time after time after time, Baru gets the opportunity to live a decent life, to take some pleasure in things, to trust people (at least some), to work for the betterment of someone—anyone. And she really can’t—at least not for long—because she’s so entirely driven by her mission to change the Empire from within. Nothing comes before that—nothing is equal to that.
This makes her life dark, unpleasant, and unfulfilling, sure. It also makes her a handy tool for those who recognize her single-mindedness. I won’t get into who uses her in this way (or tries to, or sets her on a path to being used this way)—but despite what she thinks—and she really can’t see how easily she lets them do it to her. (or does she?)
I think it’s easy to see Baru and her thirst for vengeance all around us—not to the same degree that often (thankfully). But it’s there. It’s one of the uglier sides of humanity (and there are more than enough of those). And the reflective reader is going to pick up on this.
So, what did I think about The Traitor Baru Cormorant?
Even for the 200 hundred or so pages that I really wondered about this book, I couldn’t deny that Dickinson had writing chops. He captured characters and little moments between them so well. His descriptions were vivid and brought this world to life. And there were just so many quotable lines throughout the book, things like “This is the truth. You will know because it hurts.”
But, the pacing…I just don’t know. I don’t know if enough readers will stick with the political posturing, the economics, the audits, and the like to get to the good stuff. Yes, in retrospect, it’s absolutely worth it. And I can make the argument for him pacing it the way he did. I just don’t know that he should’ve. At one point, he writes about Baru, “She accepted the bargain without understanding the price. A terrible mistake, for an accountant.” I similarly wonder if the price Dickinson asks readers to pay to get to the latter half of the book is a terrible mistake for a writer.
But the book as a whole is just brilliant. For all the twists, turns, and shocks that fill these pages, he plays fair with the audience. Towards the end, there are a few pages where Baru thinks back over what had happened, and Dickinson lays it all out for us so we can see where he’d told us everything we needed to know. He’s like a Golden Age mystery writer, putting all the clues right out in the open for the reader to put together.
I was blown away by this book. Baru is a fascinating character—as are so many others, but I can’t really get into the who and why I find them so fascinating without revealing too much about them. Maybe I’ll be able to write about the survivors after the next book—if more than one or two show up.
This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
Saturday is the annual celebration of Indie Bookstore Day, a day where small bookstores across the country conspire to get people like me to open up their wallets without complaining. A few weeks back, I thought it’d be fun to get some Q&As done with local shops about the store and what they were doing for Indie Bookstore Day.
Good idea, right? Well, it’d have been better if I’d sent the invitation to participate and the questions. I had them ready, just needed to copy and paste into an email and send. About a week ago, I realized I’d dropped the ball and opted for this instead–a quick look at the stores in the area that I’m most familiar with, and a list of what they’ll be up to Saturday. Locals should check all of these places out (not necessarily on Saturday, but why not?)
If you’re not a local, you should still come and check them out–let me know when you’re in town, we’ll do something. 🙂
Or, if you don’t want to travel hundreds of miles just for these bookstores, check out IndieBound.org’s Participating Stores Map and find somewhere local to support.
Rediscovered Books
Location: 1576 W Grove St, Boise, ID 83702 Website: https://rdbooks.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rediscoveredbooks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rdbooks YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RediscoveredBooks Twitter: https://x.com/rdbooks Shop Online: https://rdbooks.org/books Librofm: https://libro.fm/rdbooks
This is the Indie Bookshop juggernaut in the area. Well, as much of a juggernaut as an Indie Bookshop can be. They’ve been around for 20 years, are on their 3rd main location (they had one for a brief period of time closer to me, but that didn’t last). They’ve got a good stock and a knowledgeable staff—yes, I have temporarily stumped them with a question or two, but that was always a temporary thing (and along the way I typically got a recommendation that I wasn’t looking for, but ended up enjoying).
Most of the region’s author events/other literary happenings have them to thank in some way (the percentage is decreasing because other groups are stepping up, not because they’re backing down). They have a good number of book clubs and other regular happenings, too. Their new location even has an event space you can rent out.
If you’re in the area and haven’t been there, I’d question your bookish credentials, if that didn’t make me a jerk.
Announced activities for Indie Bookstore Day
Their website states:
- Golden Ticket Hunt – find the Golden Ticket in-store and get a year’s worth of audiobook credits from Libro.fm!
- Bookish Flash Tattoos from local artist Deb Bryant – check out her work here – from 10 AM to 4 PM – flash sheets coming soon
- Food Truck – Tango’s Empanadas from 11 AM to 2 PM
- Indie Bookstore Day Exclusive Items – Special Edition books, totes, activity sheets, and more–only available in-store on April 25th
Canary Books
Location: 1403 3rd St S, Nampa, ID 83651 Website: https://canarybooksnampa.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Canary-Books/61550654169548/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canarybooksnampa/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@canarybooks Libro.fm: https://libro.fm/canarybooksnampa
This is a tiny used bookstore that just celebrated its 2nd anniversary (or “bird-day”). Which is probably why it doesn’t have that used bookstore smell (I’m not the only one that thinks they all smell the same, am I?—it’s a nice smell, but distinct to the species). I’ve gotten away from used book stores in the past few years—but Canary Books has made me rethink that (I first went in for a special new book for a charity drive thing they did).
It’s a cozy and friendly atmosphere–stocked with “a curated selection of second-hand literary fiction, mystery/thriller, sci-fi & fantasy, narrative non-fiction, young adult, and children’s books.” Curated well, and in really good condition, too. I’ve spent double my budget for the day each time I went in there.
Announced activities for Indie Bookstore Day
A Facebook post states: Double punches on loyalty cards, a new Treasure Valley Bookstore Crawl challenge kicking off, and search the store for the “golden ticket” for a year of free audiobooks from @librofm.
Kuna’s Book Habit
Location: 102 E 2nd St, Kuna, ID 83634 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kunasbookhabit/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kunasbookhabit/
As far as I know, this is Kuna’s first bookstore—and it needed one, especially as the community keeps growing the way it is.
It is a tiny place, practically bursting at the seams with new and used stock of a wide variety of genres/tastes. (okay, I haven’t been in their “new” location, but it’s in the same building as the old, so I have a pretty good idea what it’s like). When you walk in, you feel surrounded by friends/prospective friends (for those of us who consider books as friend material).
The proprietor is Bryan McBee, a local indie author who is very supportive of other local authors. There are signing events so often that I can’t keep track of them (and I have an unerring ability to find out about the ones that I want to attend too late, I really need to do better about checking those earlier). Kuna’s Book Habit is the local place for Indie Authors.
It’s a real, too-often-overlooked, gem of a shop.
Announced activities for Indie Bookstore Day
They haven’t announced any particular activities for the day, however they will be having a signing by a local author and their semi-annual Fill-a-Bag Sale, which would mandate me buying a new bookshelf unit.
Oldspeak Book Bear Bar
Location: 3640 West Chinden Boulevard Garden City, ID 83714 Website: https://www.oldspeakbar.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisroomislit Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oldspeakbar/ Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/shop/thelitroom
This is a combo bookstore/bar/coffee shop. Technically, they “have a wide variety of non-alcoholic beverages including a tea and light coffee program, NA beer options, ERTH BEV switchels, sparkling water, kombucha, etc.” I haven’t sampled deeply from their drinks menu (I tend to get stuck on something I like right away and have trouble moving on), but I’m told by the more adventuresome folks I’ve gone there with that what I haven’t tried is good.
To me, this feels like an art-house movie theater from the 90’s morphed into a bookstore. The selection isn’t large—but it’s deep and varied. I remember one time seeing these deep, award-winning literary works cramming one shelf, and just one over, they had a front-facing copy of Dungeon Crawler Carl. They feature local writers, and indie publishers. Their non-fiction section is pound-for-pound the best in the area. There’s a decent selection of translated works—just a few selections per language, but in translation from more languages than I’m used to seeing (then again, I’m not used to seeing books in translation separate from everything else).
The atmosphere is just great—you can sit and chat, play a tabletop game, talk books, or just sip a drink and read. I’ve been there with non-readers who were as eager to go back as the readers.
In my (limited) experience, you need to be in the store at the right time to talk to staff about books, so far, I haven’t been. The staff behind the counter could ring up the purchases and fetch/pour/make your drink just fine—but talking about the books, answering questions? I haven’t had that much luck (although I’ve overheard others with better timing doing well on that front)
Announced activities for Indie Bookstore Day
Facebook and Instagram state:
• Free cake by @wickedcakes.co
• Book sales! Buy two get the third half off.
• Cool vendors! @samarchide @rollinrecsboise @thesnarkyswede
Plus, our new food vendor @lastbiteinc will be serving their tasty light bites from 11am-6pm.
Shared Stories
Location: 106 South Kimball Avenue Caldwell, ID 83605 Website: https://sharedstoriesbooks.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Shared-Stories-61558055019022 BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/profile/sharedstoriesbooks.bsky.social Threads: https://www.threads.net/@sharedstoriesbooks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharedstoriesbooks TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sharedstoriesbooks Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/shop/sharedstories Libro.fm: https://sharedstoriesbooks.com/audiobooks
I can’t promise that I’ll make it to any of the above stores on Saturday, but I will be here. Shared Stories came to town around this time in 2024 (there’s a Q&A with the owner here) and quickly became my go-to brick-and-mortar stop for books. It’s also the host of the two book clubs I attend (and several more I don’t have time for).
Beyond selling books, gifts, and so on, their goal is to be a Third Space for the area “where we could meet, spend time and talk about our different stories.” And it’s as warm and welcoming as you’d want for that space.
The staff is friendly and knowledgeable–and ready to chat about books (and more) at the drop of a hat. They get to know regular customers and their tastes to a degree that makes you wonder if they’re using cookies on you.
They have plenty of events, too–cooking classes, craft days, local author signings, and more–including an upcoming Speed Friending event.
Announced activities for Indie Bookstore Day
I combined an Instagram post and their event page to come up with:
✰In-Store Raffle
✰Find the Libro.fm Golden Ticket
✰Exclusive Sticker
✰Blind Date with a Book Drop
✰Snacks & Music
✰Walk Up & Craft Book Bedazzle Station
✰Flash Tattos by @magpie.mady and apprentice @posietattoos
…..& More TBA!
I’m dealing with a stupid cold this week–nothing like a cold to make me feel like I’m 12 again. Snot-nosed punk. It’s messing with me–I have a different kind of post that was supposed to go up yesterday or today–and now I’m hoping I can get it together by tomorrow. We’ll see if I can stay awake long enough.
This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words—and shown to me by Aurore-Anne-Chehoke at Diary-of-a-black-city-girl.
The Three Ws are:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
Seems easy enough, right? Let’s take a peek at this week’s answers:
What are you currently reading?
 |
 |
 |
| A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine |
The Book of Spores edited by Frasier Armitage, Eleni Argyró, Adrian M. Gibson & Ed Crocker |
Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie, read by Adjoa Andoh |
I’m having some trouble getting into Martine’s book (yesterday, I couldn’t get my eyes to focus…stupid cold). But what I’ve read, I’ve really dug. This world is fascinating.
The Book of Spores features a lot of stories that are not in a genre I read much of, but on the whole, they’re working for me. I think I’m going to end up being really impressed.
I haven’t found a lot o time for an audiobook this week, but the third book in Leckie’s trilogy is really strong. I’m having more fun with it than I did with the other two–which makes me pretty sure that things are going to get dark before it’s over.
What did you recently finish reading?
 |
 |
| Worse than a Lie by Ben Crump |
This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page |
Crump might be a great attorney, but he’s no novelist. Do yourself a favor and bypass this one.
On the other hand, Page’s book is a celebration of the life-changing power of the right book at the right time, a tribute to readers, and a love story to independent bookshops. The story might be a little on the predictable side (still, she zagged a couple of times I expected a zig–including with the resolution). A sweet read.
What do you think you’ll read next?
 |
 |
| A Violent Masterpiece by Jordan Harper |
The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, read by Amber Faith |
I have no doubt that I’m going to be in awe over A Violent Masterpiece–which is a pretty good tagline for Harper’s novels in general.
I read The Naturals a few years back, but didn’t finish the series–I think I want to tackle that this year, better start with a revisit. Okay, I just checked…”a few years” is 11 in this case. Yeah, I’d better revisit.
How are you all feeling? Is that helping or hindering your reading?
City of Last Chances
DETAILS: Series: The Tyrant Philosophers, #1 Publisher: Head of Zeus Publication Date: May 28, 2024 Format: Paperback Length: 498 pg. Read Date: March 12-17, 2026
What’s City of Last Chances About?
I’m tired of trying to come up with a succinct way of saying this, so I’m just going to paste the text from the back of my paperback:
There has always been a darkness to Ilmar, but never more so than now. The city chafes under the heavy hand of the Palleseen occupation, the choke-hold of its criminal underworld, the boot of its factory owners, the weight of its wretched poor and the burden of its ancient curse. What will be the spark that lights the conflagration?
Despite the city’s refugees, wanderers, murderers, madmen, fanatics and thieves, the catalyst, as always, will be the Anchorwood – that dark grove of trees, that primeval remnant, that portal, when the moon is full, to strange and distant shores.
Ilmar, some say, is the worst place in the world and the gateway to a thousand worse places.
I’m not sure what I think about this…
There are several groups that oppose the occupation, each for their own reasons, too. Partially patriotic, partially something varied from group to group. And given that, there are different levels of eagerness to begin. Each group has a particular goal, a particular set of events that they’re waiting for to launch their rebellion—and each fully expects the others to join in once the fuse is lit.
That’s a mistake—some won’t when this particular fuse is aflame. Some will claim to be coming to help, but will instead hole themselves up. Others just want to bide their time.
And overcoming that is a lot for those who have thrown their hats in the ring.
This is probably very realistic—it’s never going to be as easy as a well-organized group rising up to counter the invaders/ruling class. It’s going to be various alliances and sects. So well done, Tchaikovsky. It very much makes it feel like a fantasy version of the French Revolution.
Why did I pick this up? Why did I keep reading?
I picked this up because it was the Fantasy Book Club pick of the month.
I kept at it because there were a lot of interesting plot threads, some fascinating characters, and great scenes, and I was eager to see how they all tied together by the end.
What does this book tell us about humanity?
For one, there’s a great depiction of the utter lack of compassion and naked ambition that can befall those who are convinced they/their group are absolutely correct, the only determiner of what is right/wrong, as they try to elevate/educate/correct another group of people.
On the other side, we have a selfishness and greed that a resistance can give shelter to. “Yes, I want to push back against this oppressive regime—but not so much that it’ll interfere with my art/scholarship/business or cause me any more inconvenience than I’m currently experiencing.”
There are some who don’t seem so materialistic in their approach—I should stress, but their motives aren’t necessarily that “pure.” They’re just more intangible, while largely selfish.
There’s a lot of self-delusion to go around, basically.
So, what did I think about City of Last Chances?
There are just so many fantastic characters—on all sides of the conflict. I don’t know how many times I would get into a scene or return to a character and would’ve been content to stay in that POV for hundreds of pages. I never got that opportunity.
Some of the plot lines were just delicious—the combination of characters, their aims, and what they do to try to accomplish those aims. So close to perfection.
There were scenes that you just want to re-read to suck all the marrow out of it. Tchaikovsky phrases things so well, and crams so many ideas into the book that it can make your head swim. There are bits that are so sweet and heartwarming, there are bits that will make you chuckle, some incredibly gross moments, too—and your pulse will pound more than once. And you will frequently bask in Tchaikovsky’s cleverness in how he orchestrates scenes/events/plotlines.
However (yes, sorry, there’s a however). You put it all together and…it just flops. It might be that there’s just too much of a good thing; it could be that everything doesn’t have the chance to breathe and get fully fleshed out; I just might not have the attention span for it all (I would note that most at our Book Club meeting shared my sentiment here, though); it might be the conclusion of the novel wasn’t as satisfying as it could’ve been (I will not get into that more).
It’s entirely likely to be something else, too. I dunno—I just walked away more than ready for my next read.
Oh, and the fact that we don’t get back to this city until (as I’m told) the 5th book in the series? That makes it really hard for me to think about trying Book Two.
Your results may vary, obviously. The book and series have received plenty of honors. The fact that Tchaikovsky has released four books in the series so far, suggests that there is an audience for it. And if one of those wants to fill up my comments with all the reasons I should read on in the series—I’m all ears.
This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
Music Monday's originated at The Tattooed Book Geek's fantastic blog and has shown up hither, thither, and yon since then.
This is how you do a cover.
I thought I’d get this up no later than the 3rd. Oh, well.
Last year was a disaster for my plans and goals…both those stated and unstated. That only bothers me a little—I had too much fun with what I did accomplish, and was so tired because of everything else in life that perspective is easy. This is a hobby—I didn’t hobby the way I wanted to. But, still, hobbying was done.
This year, I think my plans (at least the stated ones) are more achievable…I fell back on the ol’ SMART Goal model, and cut myself a lot of slack (see below)–even stating upfront that I expected to fail with at least one goal. I do really wish my Literary Locals thing had a bit more life to it–I’ve got three Q&As in the works and hope for more soon. I’ve got some pitches for HC Chats, too–I just need to actually send them out. Grandpappy’s Corner has gathered more dust than I like–but I have a stack of those I need to make time for. I’m thiiiis close to just devoting a week to them.
How’s the perennial, “Cut down on my Goodreads Want-to-Read list and the unread books that I own” goal going? It could be better, but overall…?
| Audio | E-book | Physical | Goodreads Want-to-Read |
NetGalley Shelf/ARCs/Review Copies |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| End of 2025 |
4 | 89 | 112 | 192 | 11 |
| End of the 1st Quarter | 4 | 88 | 118 | 202 | 10 |
| End of the 2nd Quarter | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| End of the 3rd Quarter | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| End of the 4th Quarter | 4 | – | – | – | – |
2026 Book Challenges
Goodreads Challenge
I honestly don’t care about them, I talk about them just as an indicator of how I spend my time (for myself), although it often comes across as something else. I’m also tackling some more thought-provoking and slower reads this year, but it’s not reflecting in that number (so far). I’m okay with that.
My TBR Range Challenge
As the table above suggests, there’s not really a lot of change on the pre-20206 heights—and that 2026 bar is higher than I want. Still…
- A book with a building or cityscape on the cover: City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky
- A book with a color in the title: Black Bag by Luke Kennard
I could be doing better on this one—but I’ve read two this month, and I have the titles for some of the others already picked. I’m feeling okay.
The 2026 Booktempter’s TBR Challenge
- January–It’s a classic task for a reason: Read the very last book to enter your TBR pile. TBRs come from the habit we have of not reading books because we put them off. You have my permission to indulge yourself—Lit by Tim Sandlin
- February–Partners in crime?: For the month of Valentines you can choose a book about a partnership be it friends, lovers or whatever combination comes to mind—Hidden in Smoke by Lee Goldberg
- March–First Bloom: As Spring arrives for this change I’d like to read a book that is the debut of an author. Who knows this may become someone you’ll follow forever!—Nav’Aria: The Marked Heir by K.J. Backer
Haven’t hit a stretch goal yet, but there’s still time.
25 Greatest Picture Books of the Past 25 Years
Whoops, I stumbled a bit here. But I’ve recovered this month.
2026 Speccy Fiction Challenge
- A speculative novella (less than 250pgs)—Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite
- The first book in a speculative fiction duology/trilogy/series—Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
- Speculative fiction that features a creature (animal/monster)—Strange Animals by Jarod K. Anderson
- A fantasy based on myth, legend or folklore—The Lost Daughter of Sparta by Felicia Day, Rowan MacColl
- A scifi that takes place on a spaceship or space station—Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Cutting Myself Some Slack
I added one goal after the year started. My “To Write About” pile was out of control–seriously. And it was eating away at the back of my mind. So I did two things–I started those Monthly Leftover posts–requiring myself to write a catch-up post at the end of the following month for the books I haven’t gotten to yet (e.g., At the end of February, write about January books; at the end of June, write about the May). I also removed every book from 2003-5 from that list–unless I’d promised someone (an author, publicist, NetGalley) a much-overdue post or the Lewis books from last year I hadn’t tackled yet.
That cut 252 books from my list, and so much anxiety. It’s down to 29 at the moment–which is still daunting, but it’s really doable if I focus a bit (and a couple of those are going to be three-fers, tackling an entire trilogy in one post, etc.) Who knows, I might be back saying the same thing at this point next year…but hopefully not.
20 Books of Summer
Assuming that this is done again—hopefully last year’s hosts are up for it—I’ll be there. It’s a fun tradition.
How’re your reading goals/plans going so far this year?
The image for the Picture book list is taken from the article. The Book stack image by yeliao521 from Pixabay. The “finger scissors” image is from Clker-Free-Vector-Images on Pixabay.