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What I Just Finished Reading
A Rising Man – Abir Mukherjee
A quick and entertaining, if somewhat superficial read. Mukherjee’s main character is cut so wholly from the “jaded but socially progressive, with a tragic past and a burgeoning drug addiction” cloth he doesn’t really come off as a character so much as a set of attributes. He floats from scene to scene as the narrative demands, but never seems to follow through on evidence or clues in any rational fashion. His Indian sidekick gets surprisingly little page time. Other characters fall neatly into entirely predictable types: the virtuous whore, the fawning landlady with shitty cooking skills, and on and on. Having said that, I do plan to read the second novel in the series, so make of this review what you will.
The Good Vices – Harry Ofgang & Erik Ofgang
The authors never delve deeply into the evidence that so-called vices can actually be good for you in moderation, with the result that each of the book's chapters reads like an introduction to an upcoming discussion that’s never developed. The authors make claims that they fail to back up with citations, cherry pick evidence (the chapter on sex is particularly execrable), and contradict themselves (e.g. by cautioning readers not to treat the relative statistics in medical studies as absolute statistics...when they themselves treat relative statistics as absolute when citing studies that back up their assertions). It's unfortunate because their message is a good one about which they're clearly enthusiastic, with much evidence to support it, but readers will have to go elsewhere to find it.
Witchmark – C.L. Polk
This one was a solid meh.
What I Am Currently Reading
The Raven Tower – Ann Leckie
Early days, but so far, very good. But. But! Why do there not seem to be any chapters? Authors, if you don’t put in any chapters, I try to read the book in a single sitting and this is not conducive to having a job or other adulting.
Intermediate Japanese – Takae Tsujioka & Shoko Hamano
This week I revised the exercises from several early chapters.
Alif the Unseen – G. Willow Wilson
Such a well-written and enjoyable book. I’m really looking forward to tackling The Bird King.
龍宮 – 川上 弘美 (Ryugu – Kawakami Hiromi)
The third story read more like a toned-down Murakami Ryu than Kawakami, and nothing Murakami Ryu has written has ever impressed me. On to the next, which is a bout a kitchen god and promises to be better.
What I'm Reading Next
Probably nothing new until I finish some of my ongoing reads.
これで以上です。
A Rising Man – Abir Mukherjee
A quick and entertaining, if somewhat superficial read. Mukherjee’s main character is cut so wholly from the “jaded but socially progressive, with a tragic past and a burgeoning drug addiction” cloth he doesn’t really come off as a character so much as a set of attributes. He floats from scene to scene as the narrative demands, but never seems to follow through on evidence or clues in any rational fashion. His Indian sidekick gets surprisingly little page time. Other characters fall neatly into entirely predictable types: the virtuous whore, the fawning landlady with shitty cooking skills, and on and on. Having said that, I do plan to read the second novel in the series, so make of this review what you will.
The Good Vices – Harry Ofgang & Erik Ofgang
The authors never delve deeply into the evidence that so-called vices can actually be good for you in moderation, with the result that each of the book's chapters reads like an introduction to an upcoming discussion that’s never developed. The authors make claims that they fail to back up with citations, cherry pick evidence (the chapter on sex is particularly execrable), and contradict themselves (e.g. by cautioning readers not to treat the relative statistics in medical studies as absolute statistics...when they themselves treat relative statistics as absolute when citing studies that back up their assertions). It's unfortunate because their message is a good one about which they're clearly enthusiastic, with much evidence to support it, but readers will have to go elsewhere to find it.
Witchmark – C.L. Polk
This one was a solid meh.
What I Am Currently Reading
The Raven Tower – Ann Leckie
Early days, but so far, very good. But. But! Why do there not seem to be any chapters? Authors, if you don’t put in any chapters, I try to read the book in a single sitting and this is not conducive to having a job or other adulting.
Intermediate Japanese – Takae Tsujioka & Shoko Hamano
This week I revised the exercises from several early chapters.
Alif the Unseen – G. Willow Wilson
Such a well-written and enjoyable book. I’m really looking forward to tackling The Bird King.
龍宮 – 川上 弘美 (Ryugu – Kawakami Hiromi)
The third story read more like a toned-down Murakami Ryu than Kawakami, and nothing Murakami Ryu has written has ever impressed me. On to the next, which is a bout a kitchen god and promises to be better.
What I'm Reading Next
Probably nothing new until I finish some of my ongoing reads.
これで以上です。
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