What Am I Reading Wednesday - December 23

It's two days before Giftsmas and I...have entirely finished all the preparations I needed to finish ahead of Giftsmas. It's a weird feeling. For once I am going to learn what it feels like to sit down and relax during the lead-up without having to juggle frantic last minute work demands, and travel, and gift acquisition, and interacting with the larger familia. It should be interesting. Anyway, here's:

What I Finished Reading This Week

Howl’s Moving Castle – Diana Wynne Jones
I first read this book over the course of a few long winter nights while living in Japan. Back then, kerosene space heaters were the standard way to keep one’s living space warm; mine had a wire grate through which you could see the open flame, and I promptly named it Calcifer.

I’ve reread this book countless times since, and it remains, in my opinion, one of the finest fantasy books ever written. I love the way Jones uses language, and how you don’t ever realize all those bits of charming fantasy background scenery are Chekhov’s guns until they’re firing. This is such a good, good book.


What I Am Currently Reading

In A Dark Wood – Michael Cadnum
Another of my traditional late-year reads.

[Title] – [Author]
For reasons.

The Fellowship of the Ring – JRR Tolkien
I can confirm that this other traditional holiday reread is currently in progress.

The Bass Rock – Evie Wyld
Sixty pages in, this is turning into a gripping book but oof, those hinted plot developments. I may have to put it down until after the holidays.


What I'm Reading Next

I picked up Garth Ennis’s Punisher: The Complete Collection vol. 1 and Christopher Moore’s Practical Demonkeeping, and I’ll also probably add a couple more seasonal rereads to my queue this week.

これで以上です。