No agenda, no stretch goals — just a commitment to return to reading more books and less doomscrolling, social skimming and gaming. This page serves little purpose other that to catalog what I am reading for those curious in discovering more about my likely poor tastes.
Below are the books I’ve read since 01 September, 2025. Or I am currently reading. Or I am planning to read. They are in reverse-order of completion.
Comments are open in case you feel a need to weigh in on any of the books below or make suggestions on to how to better improve the quality of my choices.
Legend:
[*]= currently being read
[?] = planned future read (subject to change)
Current/planned reads
[*] Best Served Cold, Joe Abercrombie [audiobook]
In progress; 50% read.
[*] Trouble Boys: The True Adventures of The Replacements, Bob Mehr
In progress; 50% read.
[*] Finders Keepers, Stephen King
In progress.
[?] Freedom and Necessity, Steven Brust and Emma Bull
Soon.
Finished reads
Forks firmly stuck in these for the time being.
The Way of the Shaman, Michael Harner
Abandoned 02dec25. I was hoping this wasn’t what I feared it was. Three pages in and it was obvious it was what I feared. Cringy New Age whoo-whoo that it often mentioned by other authors. Not my “speed”; too much extrapolation to be informative.
Only recommended if you like that kind of thing. I don’t.
Mr. Mercedes, Stephen King
Finished 30nov25. The first 20% of the book, I was skeptical that it would hold my interest, mostly because King had strolled out several of his favorite (somewhat worn-out and inauthentic) tropes for the characters and Bradley was such a disgusting antagonist with zero redeeming qualities. But I was determined to get through the book and I am glad that I did. That said, while the pacing was good, I don’t know that I felt it was all that exceptional until the last 40% of the book. I’ll probably read the next Bill Hodges book, but I’m am still skeptical about the quality of the series.
Cautiously recommended. I like King, but feel like this is not amongst his best writing.
The Ritual, Adam Nevill
Finished 14nov24. A reunion of four college friends on a hiking trip in remote Sweden goes sideways when they detour through an ancient forest, hoping it is a shortcut to civilization for two of the friends who are not fit enough for the trip. Something in the forest is hunting them one by one…
Recommended. Warning: light horror elements and ultraviolence.
The Hellbound Heart, Clive Barker
Finished 10nov25. This is the novella which was the inspiration for the 1987 film “Hellraiser”. I read the Kindle Unlimited edition without being aware that I was reading the movie’s novella, but saw right away the connection. It reads like a movie script in many ways and you can tell Barker is a fairly new writer that was lucky enough to grab someone’s attention. In all honesty, I had better memories of the movie’s story than what I read and I probably should have stuck to those memories instead of refreshing them by reading this novella; usually it is the other way around.
Not terrible, but I can’t recommend either.
Ghost Story, Peter Straub
Finished 09nov25. Impressions here.
Recommended for post-1970 horror aficionados and the curious. Not recommended for readers for whom horror holds no interest.
[?] The Inheritance Trilogy, NK Jemisin
Contains three novels and a novella: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, The Broken Kingdoms, The Kingdom of Gods and the novella, The Awakened Kingdom.
Pending/on hold. Titles in bold have been completed. The remaining titles have moved to “pending reads”. Impressions of the first novel are posted here.
[?] Chronicles of the Black Company, Glen Cook
Containing three novels: The Black Company, Shadows Linger, and The White Rose
“The White Rose” is currently on hold. Titles in bold have been completed. I will read the last book in the initial trilogy after I explore other books and authors. “Shadows Linger” was finished on 31oct25.
Recommended for those looking for a grittier take on epic high fantasy. I wouldn’t so far as to label this grimdark, nor does it particularly embrace the hero arc of high fantasy. Nice change of pace from both, but my interests currently lie elsewhere.
Crossroads of Ravens (The Witcher), Andrzej Sapkowski
Finished 25oct25. Tales of the younger Geralt at eighteen (-ish); foolish in ways that most of us men are foolish at that age. Taken under the wing of an older Witcher after being saved from a lynching, Geralt learns more than his training up until then has been able to prepare him for the world outside of the remote training grounds of Kaer Morhen.
Recommended.
Flood, Stephen Baxter
Finished 24oct25. See impressions here.
Neutral in terms of recommendation. Some people may get mileage out of the read, I was less than satisfied.
Yendi (Vlad Taltos, #2), Steven Brust
Finished 18oct25. Another noir-like fantasy novel of where the character is an assassin and “godfather”-like persona who falls in love with the woman who kills him. They get married afterwards, and work together to understand the shenanigans that brought them together.
Recommended.
Season of Storms (The Witcher), Andrzej Sapkowski
Finished 17oct25. Taking the place before the events of the larger saga, this is a story about a Witcher who loses his swords and is asked to hunt down demons without them. And, just for spice, there is a coup d’état in the works.
Recommended.
The Lady of the Lake (The Witcher Saga 5), Andrzej Sapkowski
Finished 09oct25. Final book in the Ciri saga. Ciri finds her parents, and also… her father. Ciri explores time and space. The war is over… maybe. Geralt finds someone who gives a fork. Triss finds her courage.
Recommended.
The Tower of Swallows (The Witcher Saga 4), Andrzej Sapkowski
Finished 05oct25. Ciri loses her Rats and gains a scar. Geralt ends up travelling in the right direction to meet his Destiny. Yennifer takes a plunge, and then another. Samhain comes and the seasons change.
Recommended.
[Abandoned] Dies the Fire, S.M. Stirling
Abandoned 25sept25. It usually takes me around 100 pages in before I give up a book. This might be a record at 30 pages. After giving it a week’s break I went in hoping the deus ex machina might go away after the initial few pages or that I was just in a bad mood the first day, but I my hopes were dashed. The author keeps adding details that “save the moment” after a crisis emerges and I can’t read something that is based so heavily on miracles after the fact (or foreshadowed need without a meaningful basis for needing something). It was getting insulting by the time the fire-starting kit in a river-soaked jacket saved people from freezing — apparently exactly the reason the character made sure the waterlogged jacket escaped the chaos after the wreck. Because that’s absolutely what I worry about when I am escaping my sinking plane.
A stinker. Cannot recommend.
Baptism of Fire (The Witcher Saga 3), Andrzej Sapkowski
Finished 24sept25. Ciri becomes a Rat, Geralt joins a fellowship against his better judgment (and will), teetotalling vampires in recovery, Yennifer decompresses and joins a fellowship against her better judgment (and will).
Recommended.
The Time of Contempt (The Witcher Saga 2), Andrzej Sapkowski
Finished 20sept25. The saga continues, where Ciri discovers she also has magical abilities, Geralt and Yennifer make amends, there is a sorcerer’s conclave that goes bottoms up and Geralt discovers his mortality.
Recommended.
Jhereg (Vlad Taltos #1), Steven Brust
Finished 13sept25. Part hard-boiled noir, part scififantasy, part assassin before assassins were cool… The story follows the assassin Vlad as he untangles the story around his target while trying to stay alive himself. Backstabbing is just a part of doing business. Bonus: reptilian familiars and magic.
Recommended.
Blood of Elves (The Witcher Saga 1), Andrzej Sapkowski
Finished 09sept25. The first full novel of the Witcher saga. Ciri, the Child Surprise, deposed princess presumed to be dead and object of prophecy, is training to be both Witcher and sorceress during an uneasy peacetime with the first winds of war brewing. Kings, emperors and their hirelings make life miserable for all parties. Oh… and a river monster.
Recommended.
Sword of Destiny (The Witcher), Andrzej Sapkowski
Finished: 07sept25. More short stories about the adventures of Geralt, the witcher. Introduces the key character of the saga, Ciri, in the final novella-length tale. Stories take on more sociopolitical and philosophical enquiries.
Highly recommended.
The Last Wish (The Witcher), Andrzej Sapkowski
Finished: ~02sept25. I restarted the Witcher books to refresh my memory for the prequels which have been translated to English since I finished reading the full saga. The book is a series of short stories about Geralt, a monster-hunting “witcher”. Only: humanity seems the more monstrous than the creature he hunts. Framed by a series of short pieces that tie those stories together.
Recommended.