What I Just Finished Reading
龍宮 – 川上 弘美 (Ryugu – Kawakami Hiromi)
Aside from one dud of a story (“Kitsunedzuka”), this was an all-around excellent read. The stories “Hokusai,” “Ugoromochi,” and “Kaiba” were standouts.
廻る世界の君と僕 – 直野 儚羅 (Mawaru Sekai no Kimi to Boku – Naono Bohra)
A cute if not particularly groundbreaking collection of Naono’s yomikiri. I was surprised the secondary characters in the first story didn’t get their own standalones later on, and pleased that some secondary characters who’d appeared in yomikiri in another tankoubon (Yubisaki no Koi, I believe) got their own stories here.
What I Am Currently Reading
Senlin Ascends – Josiah Bancroft
This book has become my old school bedtime reading, in that I tackle one chapter a night before turning in. I’m currently on chapter 12, by which time our hero has found himself in ever more dire straits. (And to be honest, some of the characters who took him in took me in too.)
The Black Company – Glen Cook
I can see why basement-dwelling fantasy bros would lap this pablum up.
The Raven Tower – Ann Leckie
So, so good. I’m very much enjoying the dynamics of divine-human and divine-divine interaction.
A Necessary Evil – Abir Mukherjee
Mukherjee’s writing has noticeably improved over his debut novel, and it looks like there are some interesting political machinations afoot.
Intermediate Japanese – Takae Tsujioka & Shoko Hamano
This week I reviewed several of the early chapters, and tackled later ones on direct and indirect quotations, and on relaying notable experiences.
The Age of Surveillance Capitalism – Shoshana Zuboff
This is a riveting book, but not one to be tackled without access to a quiet room and a long span of uninterrupted reading time.
日出処の天子 ニ – 山岸凉子 (Hiidzurutokoro no Tenshi vol. 2 – Yamagishi Ryoko)
I'd forgotten how much the story bogs down in this volume while everyone's armies are tromping across Asuka and Emishi moons around. None of this is helped by the fact that I have this series in bunko format, which restricts my reading window to the hour or so of strong daylight after I get off of work.
What I'm Reading Next
Assuming I can wrap up one or more of Raven Tower, Black Company, or Necessary Evil, my current plan is to tackle Stacey Hall’s The Familiars.
これで以上です。
