"Until you stalk and overrun, you can't devour anyone"*

 Thanks to Mago's unintentional prodding, I've come up with a list of books I've read over the last year or two. Well, most of them, anyway.  And I've just discovered that the last time I did a proper Books post was in September 2018!  Although I can't remember everything I've read since then (I'm sure it's not a lot), I did find one book in my Kindle that I must have read just after that last book post:

∘ Record of a Spaceborn Few, by Becky Chambers

Anyway, on to 2019 (the month and year in brackets after the title and author is aproximately when I read each book):

∘ Available Light (Star Trek: The Next Generation), by Dayton Ward (April 2019) - Oh, dear...  What a disappointment.  I'm over all the political fallout rubbish that features in half of this novel, and the "adventurous" other half was just dull.  Worf was great, though!

∘ Prime Directive (Star Trek: The Original Series), by Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens (April 2019) - This old novel (my fourth or fifth re-read) is still wonderful, though.

∘ Exploring Calvin and Hobbes: An Exhibition Catalogue, by Bill Watterson (May 2019) - the last (but hopefully not least) Calvin and Hobbes book I bought.  But not the last one I read...

∘ The Captain's Oath (Star Trek: The Original Series), by Christopher L Bennett (June 2019) - Christopher L Bennett is one of my favourite Trek authors, and this Original Series novel is one of my favourite of that era.

 

∘ Witch Hat Atelier (vol.1), by Kamome Shirahama (June 2019) - A rather delightfully illustrated graphic novel that I'm going to have to read again as I've forgotten what happens.

∘ The Way to the Stars (Star Trek: Discovery), by Una McCormack (August 2019) - A really lovely novel about some formative experiences in Tilly's early life.

∘ To Be Taught, If Fortunate, by Becky Chambers (August 2019) - Not a Wayfarer's novel, but just as good!

∘ Six Months, Three Days, by Charlie Jane Anders (August 2019) - An engaging novelette.  From Wikipedia: Doug and Judy are both precognitive: Doug can see "the future", and Judy can see "many possible futures". They fall in love, even though they both know that their relationship will last exactly six months and three days and end very badly.

 

∘ Autonomous, by Annalee Newitz - Started but not finished in September 2019 as it didn't really engage with me (or I with it?).

 

∘ Only Create Daughters, by Nickolas Fish (with foreword by Pauline Lal)

2020:

∘ The Higher Frontier (Star Trek: The Original Series), by Christopher L Bennett (March 2020) - I was at once excited and reticent to read this novel concerning human telepathy (amongst other things) in the Star Trek universe.  Excited because the subject (which I'm fascinated with) hadn't really been touched upon before, and reticent because I remember reading somewhere that Christopher was not a fan of human telepathy (or telepathy in general, I think) and I thought his excellent knowledge and grasp of science might dull the mystery of it somewhat.

 Unfortunately for me, the reasons for my reticence were correct.  Although well written, logical and scientifically plausible as always, the story and explanation for human telepathy were very disappointing.

∘ Holding the Wrong Hand, by Simone Thelius (March 2020) 

 

∘ A Brief History of Time, by Stephen Hawking (April 2020) - It was slow going as I was concentrating hard in order to understand everything, and then I got just past the "Trousers of Time", or thereabouts, and it stuck its tongue out at me (😛) and left me for dust! I still finished it, though - mainly due to Hawking's engaging (and humorous) writing style.

 

∘ Delilah Smythe's Gateaux from the Black Lagoon.  To be honest, I preferred the solicitation cover...  Oh, and to make the horror complete, free with it was her Complete Cookery Cock-ups DVD. 

 

∘ Foundation, by Isaac Asimov (started but not finished, April 2020)

 

∘ Stoneskin, by K B Spangler (September 2020) - This novel is about witches in the future.  Kind of...

 

∘ Babel-17, by Samuel Delany (October 2020) - I could tell this was a product of its time (written in the mid-1960s) as it's so unavoidably "retro-future", and it's weird but I enjoyed it.

 

∘ Calvin & Hobbes: Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons, by Bill Watterson (November 2020) - I really must re-read more C&H very soon.

 

* Title from page 66 - wise words from Hobbes.

∘ Help the Witch, by Tom Cox - I'd been reading this book of short stories on and off for about a year, finally finishing it in December.  Very creative with some lovely humour.  I think it was one that Dinah had recommended?

∘ Wyrd Sisters, by Terry Pratchett - I re-read this Discworld novel about the Ramtops witches - Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, and "wet hen" Magrat Garlick - thanks to Emmet Asher-Perrin's Terry Pratchett Book Club over at Tor.com.

 

2021:

 

∘ Maskerade, by Terry Pratchett - More of those Ramtops witches.  This time with new witch Agnes Nitt who replaces Magrat Garlick (as Magrat is now Queen).

 

∘ Witches Abroad, by Terry Pratchett - I should have read this one before Maskerade (I got the order muddled up).

 

∘ Practical Demonkeeping, by Christopher Moore - A novel I borrowed off Indescribable last year, and have only just got around to reading.

 

∘ Heroes, by Stephen Fry - I started this gift from my sister, Indescribable, but probably won't finish it as I don't enjoy Stephen Fry's writing.  He retells some Greek myths and legends, but they're very spare and the attempts at humour just fall flat (for me, anyway).

~o~

 

 Right.  That's one of the drafts published.  Only 15 more to go...

 

 

P.S. Try and ignore the giant astronaut and narrowboat on my sideboard (although, do read the linked post).  Dinah thought it'd be "fun" to reblog something from a Wordpress blog again...