Started The Lies of Locke Lamora, by Scott Lynch. Pretty interesting so far, though different from what I expected at the moment.

Still reading The Nature Fix, by Florence Williams and rereading A Fire Upon the Deep, by Vernor Vinge.

Dropped Shogun. Just couldn't deal with the protagonist

Last week I started Shogun, by James Clavell and am continuing it, but I will probably be reading it alongside other books because it's both longer than I thought it was and it didn't hook me like I thought it would. I've read ~50 pages and am still not sure if I'm going to finish it unless it has something reel me in within the next 150 pages or so. Most of the time books that I like will hook me within the first 25 pages...

So the first book I'm going to be reading at the same time as it is actually a reread of A Fire Upon the Deep, by Vernor Vinge. I read this several years ago and have forgotten a lot of details of it so am rereading it.

A Fire Upon the Deep, by Vernor Vinge

Read here that it was great sci fi, and was just absorbed by the world, automation and the intrigue. Great book.

Still reading Shogun, by James Clavell (though considering abandoning it if it doesn't get better), The Nature Fix, by Florence Williams, A Fire Upon the Deep, by Vernor Vinge, and A Canticle for Leibowitz, by Walter Miller. The other three books make Shogun bearable to switch between. I'm much more likely to finish and enjoy all of them than it.

I'm still reading Shogun, by James Clavell and rereading Fire Upon the Deep, by Vernor Vinge. Shogun is starting to get better, but I still can't stand the protagonist. Fire is not as gripping as I remembered it being, but it's still an enjoyable book and it may just reflect a slight change in my taste in writing /books in general.

I also started reading The Nature Fix, by Florence Williams. I am thoroughly enjoying this exploration into how /why spending time in nature seems to help us to destress, find calm, and make us healthier. So far it's mostly describing the early stages of the research being done into this, which is not fully fledged yet nor is there a consensus on the mechanisms by which nature helps us in terms of health yet. Theories and lines of research range from the intake of certain aromatic particles replenishing immune system cells to the simple fact that walking around in nature takes less high level attention than a typical office environment and thus allows parts of the brain to recover to "we evolved in nature, so we feel most at ease in nature." I have a feeling that there will be multiple reasons and mechanisms by which spending time in nature, or at least away from high stress work and urban environments, helps our bodies and minds, but since the research is still relatively new and isn't flashy or easily commoditizable we may not even know why or how for a number of years still.

Finished: Shogun by James Clavell

What an incredible book. Maybe it wasn't the most historically accurate and some of the culture was glamorized but it was an absolutely incredible ride. I'll read more from him in the future for sure. Now I'll miss Anjin-san and Mariko.

Finished: A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge

Wow. Some of the best sci-fi I have ever read. I had to fight a bit in the beginning. There were lots of occasions where I almost quit during the first 100 pages but it was all worth it. Absolutely incredible and unique concepts and quite a ride of a story.

Started: Congo by Michael Crichton

Wanted something short to finish the year and I quite like Michael Crichton. This wasn't really on the top of my to read list but it fit my mood. 30 pages in and so far so good. He is very cinematic in his writing style and I love how science-y he can get.

This week I’ll be reading:

A Fire Upon The Deep, by Vernor Vinge This one will take awhile :)

The Positronic Man, by Issac Asimov

I finished A Fire Upon the Deep, by Vernor Vinge

Switching between Shogun, by James Clavell, The Nature Fix, by Florence Williams, and Fire Upon the Deep, by Vernor Vinge on my Kindle, using the other two to help get through Shogun. Shogun is better now than it was when I started it but it's still a bit of a struggle to get through.

Also started A Canticle for Leibowitz, by Walter Miller in a physical copy because the US Kindle store doesn't have the license or something. It's pretty good so far, though I'm only 2 chapters in.