accomplished*****
Books Read in September, 2018
Martians Abroad by Carrie Vaughn (r)
Tales From Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
August, 2018 Locus
Rockets and Ray Guns: The Sci-Fi Science of the Cold War by Andrew May
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
Capharnaüm - The Tales of the Dragon-Marked Roleplaying Game by Raphaël Bardas, François Cedelle, Pierre Coppet, Sarah Newton et al (RPG) (r)
September, 2018 Reader’s Digest
Twelve Kings in Sharakhai by Bradley P. Beaulieu
All Systems Red by Martha Wells
The Dinosaur Knights by Victor Milán
The Private Lives of the Impressionists by Sue Roe
The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks (r)
*****
And those were my reads in the month of September. This was a month of a couple of re-reads, some quality new books (for me, anyways!), as I was kept busy doing translation on an rpg and didn't have as much reading time as I would have liked. I managed to read a non-fiction book that I was planning on, so I'm pleased.
The books I enjoyed the most were:
Twelve Kings in Sharakhai by Bradley P. Beaulieu - The first book in the Shattered Sands series, Twelve Kings tells the story of Ceda, an orphan of the streets in a fabulous, Arabic-inspired city called Sharakhai, who hungers for revenge on the twelve Kings of the title for the death of her mother when she was still a child. The author paints a vivid picture of both the city and the world around it, infusing it with life that takes the reader on a lovely ride, and invests the reader in Ceda's life and her plans - which, as in all good stories, get somewhat derailed. An interesting cast of characters surround Ceda, and these are brought to superb life by the author, making the book a terrific read despite its length. Highly recommended.
The Private Lives of the Impressionists by Sue Roe - I was inspired to read this book when I finished up Sacre Bleu by Christopher Moore a couple of months ago. This book could be a difficult read for those with little to no experience with the history and background of the Impressionists of Paris during the time they painted, but it is nevertheless an excellent read. The book discusses each painter one after the other in a seamless fashion, also providing details on early friendships, exchange of ideas, and the eventual falling
out of some of the painters. The book also goes into some detail about the personal struggles of various Impressionists who came from wealthy families. The book also gives credit to the early collectors and the struggles to bring the Impressionist work to America, which was oddly enough opposed by Monet. Well researched, Roe's book also seems to go into topics on the subject that other books often don't. Recommended.
Note: I would have recommended a couple of other books that I read in September, but to be honest, I'm quite ill at the moment and don't have the energy to do so. I would have recommended the books by Le Guin and May as well this month.
Overall, I managed to read 9 novels, 1 RPGs and RPG product, 2 magazines, 0 comics, and 0 graphic novels in September. This brings the year total in 2018 to a set of numbers that look like this: 67 books, 35 RPGs and RPG products, 17 magazines, 0 comics, and 3 graphic novels.
Anyway, thoughts and comments are always welcome. :)