Shejidan / What have you been reading lately?

**Posted by Griffinmoon** 9/14/2025 2:56 pm

Might one suggest tea, star-nandi. Lots of chamomile/tulsi/ashwaganda/blue pea butterfly/mint tea. Does wonders just before bed.

**Posted by starexplorer** 9/14/2025 3:56 pm

Thank you 🙇🏻‍♂️ Tea is a good thing in any case!

**Posted by Surtac** 9/14/2025 7:20 pm

I second the tea recommendation.

And I already have Labatut's Maniac on my radar, so the signal boost for that is timely and appreciated also.

**Posted by Surtac** 10/09/2025 4:35 pm

Well, that's curious.

I had been anticipating the new Al Reynolds novel due at the end of October, so have been concentrating on reading shorter works for the last few weeks, mainly taken from the more literary stuff I've had lurking in The Pile for a while now and not gotten to - books like Krasnahorkai's The Last Wolf & Herman, Christina Rivera Garza's The Taiga Syndrome, and Olga Tokarczuk's Primeval and Other Times.

So yesterday I discover that the Reynolds book has slipped until January, and this morning I find out that Krasnahorkai has won the Nobel Prize for Literature.

What are the odds?

And, more importantly, what do I read next?

Anyone have any ideas or recommendations?

**Posted by starexplorer** 10/09/2025 5:32 pm

I’ve never read Krasnahorkai. I guess this would be a good time.

**Posted by Aja Jin** 10/09/2025 5:52 pm

Surtac wrote:
…
So yesterday I discover that the Reynolds book has slipped until January, …

And, more importantly, what do I read next?

Anyone have any ideas or recommendations?

Shoot. I was just getting ready to order the Reynolds.

I just finished Perdido Street Station, a re-read after many years. The story isn’t exceptional, but the language, mood, world building, and lots of weird are all fantastic. Recommended, but I can see it being a love it or hate it book.

For a palette cleanser, next up was Red Rising by Pierce Brown. Lots pf people seem to like it a lot, but I suspect they read it as teens. I give it a big meh.

Working on Alan Moore’s The Great When. Only 15% in, undecided.

Next up will be The Scar, another Mieville Bas-Lag book. Claimed to be better than PSS.

**Posted by Surtac** 10/09/2025 10:54 pm

Aja Jin wrote:
I just finished Perdido Street Station, a re-read after many years. The story isn’t exceptional, but the language, mood, world building, and lots of weird are all fantastic. Recommended, but I can see it being a love it or hate it book.

I loved it. That first 200 or so pages is one of the finest examples of world-building that I have ever read. I'd consider a re-read now myself if I didn't have so much unread on The Pile.

And choosing what to read next these days is very much a mood-driven process, sad to say.

**Posted by Aja Jin** 10/23/2025 4:52 pm

Just completed Mieville’s The Scar. Another “banger”, as is said these days.

I’m downshifting to some Simon R Green.

**Posted by Surtac** 10/23/2025 8:42 pm

Aja Jin wrote:
Just completed Mieville’s The Scar. Another “banger”, as is said these days.

I’m downshifting to some Simon R Green.

I like The Scar too, but then I'm an avowed fan of that whole Bas Lag world of his.

His most recent book The Book of Elsewhere (a supposed collaboration with Keanu Reeves of all people) was actually one of my favourite reads of this year so far.

And Simon R Green. That name brings back memories. Some fifteen or so years ago, my job at the time had me driving longish distances in rural New South Wales and Victoria. A colleague had suggested the audiobooks of Green's Deathstalker series so I gave them a go and ended up listening to most of the series. They were often quite silly but they were a lot of fun and, more importantly, kept me awake at the wheel.

**Posted by Aja Jin** 10/24/2025 8:13 am

I'm a big fan of his Nightside books.