Part 1 of the Roundup
Part 2 of the Roundup
I know that one of the things I wanted to do in 2023 was to work through my stack of free books I got from Tor, including Tamysn Muir’s Gideon the Ninth series (which I abandoned halfway because I was not in the right headspace) but I only managed to get through three of those, because most of the time I was running through the books coming in from Libby. But I did get through some in my Google Play books that went unrecorded, including:
Books I read in the Google Play Book reader
- Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikubu
There are three parts to this according to the Gutenberg Project, and I’ve only managed to read two. I can see though, that it is a book written for a different age, and I’ve been reading it to see Genji get his comeuppance. It is definitely not a book I would have picked otherwise, and I wonder if it is to the translator’s credit that the women seem to have more agency than expected in the book. Not sure if I want to even try hunting down the last part. - Building a Second Brain by Tiago Forte
This, together with Deep Work and Atomic Habits, inspired me to start trying to catch stray thoughts and ideas, and I am glad I began. It has led me to be more mindful of my own thoughts, the ideas that come, and where they come from, which in turn lead to more introspection and problem-solving. Sometimes. I am grateful to this book though, because it helped me create a list of places to suggest for dinner outings, instead of relying on a Google search or random finds. So far I’ve had some pretty good success stories. - Atomic Habits by James Clear
I got this from my previous manager quite some time ago, but never actually finished it. I finally reread the entire thing from start to finish, and honestly I can see why this book is one of the most popular books when it comes to personal productivity. Unlike most others I’ve read, it’s not just the actual practical knowledge that’s useful, but the way James Clear writes – I don’t get any sense of judgement or fake positive productivity, only a pretty gentle and firm tone that’s reassuring and practical. This would probably be one of the few non-fiction books I would recommend everyone to read.
And that’s it for Google Books. Now to dive into Libby between October and end of December haha sobs. Honestly half-dreading this, because while Libby has a wonderful list by month of what books I read and when, it also shows me all the books I borrowed and then returned because I didn’t feel like reading them then.
Books I read on Libby that were unrecorded in my reading tracker (recent to oldest)
- The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo
This was a surprising story for me. I was only familiar with the movie version, so throughout the entire book I could only imagine Leonardo DiCarpio as Gatsby. It was a really nice read for me and was delightful in its ending of Nick Carraway. Overall, it was a really nice and easy way to end the year. - Bitter Medicine by Mia Tsai
This was… a comfortable book to read. It is a romance, and thus have a happy ending, and I was kept pleasantly surprised by how much plot there was. There are parts which seemed contrived to me, but there are a lot more parts which I found thoroughly enjoyable. What I am now curious about is how other parts of the world are set up. It feels both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time, which is something I enjoy. - Witch King by Martha Wells
I… adored this story. It starts in the middle and as you travel to find its beginning, the story unfolds itself, revealing a wonderful tapestry that stays true to its core. I actually wondered if I had picked up a middle book by mistake, because it felt like I should have known or been familiar with the world, but learning that it was simply the first book made me feel better for my ignorance. - Buddha In the Attic by Julie Otsuka
I enjoyed reading this, especially the writing style that described the lives of so many, so quickly. But the subject… it’s not for me. It deals mainly with the Japanese-American internment, and in that sense, this was a personal story that was just not for me. - Before We Say Goodbye by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
This is the latest book of the “Before The Coffee Gets Cold” series. By now I was actually getting fatigued of the series, mainly because I had devoured most of it in a rush the preceding months. You could say I overdosed myself on these books, so I am giving the entire series a break before picking them up again in the future. They are, however, books I am keen to get physical copies of (especially since they are available in Malaysia!) when I have the time, space, and money for. (I have no bookcase space if that’s what you’re wondering). - The Lost Metal by Brandon Sanderson
I can see now why people highlight Sanderson’s leaning into his evangelical roots. Read this book mainly for completion, and after doing so, it has pretty much cured me of the desire to read the rest of the Cosmere series. It’s not that he’s a bad author, it’s just that like Julie Otsuka’s writing, this is no longer for me. - The Water Outlaws by S.L.Huang
I adored this! I am unfamiliar with the Water Margin tales, though I know of them in a very vague, “this is a popular Chinese literature work that gets adapted all the damn time” kind of way. I have seen some reviews that nitpick how the heroes are just as vicious as the villains and honestly I think that’s not a bad thing. It prompts a reexamination of the motives that drive people and honestly that wilful blindness? I felt it in my core because it is very relatable. - Books 2 and 3 of the Before The Coffee Gets Cold series
Lumping these together but these two felt comforting to me, though there is a change in the location that was foreshadowed in Book 1. By now, this felt like eating my favourite dishes on a regular basis – something I knew was dependable and enjoyable, yet never quite the same every time. - Her Radiant Curse by Elizabeth Lim
This was… honestly painful and gut-wrenching to read – in a very good way. I loved every moment of this, but I really think it is not something you should read before finishing the previous books – Six Crimson Cranes and The Dragon’s Promise. Her Radiant Curse wraps up what happens in those two books, pulling back the curtain on the events happening in Lor’yan. I would recommend once finishing this book, to go back and reread Spin the Dawn and Unravel the Dusk, which I think takes place long after the events of these books and yet sets the stage for them.
That’s a wrap!
Ho wow this took longer than I anticipated. I am actually pretty pleased with the books I have been reading throughout the year in various forms. I’ve added some books to the “I want a physical version of this” list and some more books to look out for. I am also glad I got to read books that I would not have usually read thanks to recommendations from others. Now I can finally close this little blog series hahaha.