2022 Goals Update – January/February

Where I look at my goals for this year and tally up the books I’ve read in the last two or so months.

Book Review Roundup: Some Mid-Feb Reads

Where I round up some quick reviews of books I don’t have the time or inclination to give a full review for.

On My Radar: Books I Want to Read

In the absence of last year’s Weekly Roundups, I thought I’d start a less frequent series of posts that quickly lists some books on my radar that I probably haven’t set as one of my yearly goals.

These are mostly books I already own, generally any ARC or e-book, that I want to read sooner rather than later. It’s not really a promise, or even a goal. Whether or not I get to these books is immaterial. But it’d be great if I did.

Book Review: Death’s End

Potential Spoilers Ahead: Death’s End is the third book in the Remembrance of Earth’s Past series. As such, the blurb for this book and the following review will inevitably have some level of spoilers for the previous book/s. I’ve tried to keep those spoilers to a minimum, but you have been warned.

Half a century after the Doomsday Battle, the uneasy balance of Dark Forest Deterrence keeps the Trisolaran invaders at bay. Earth enjoys unprecedented prosperity due to the infusion of Trisolaran knowledge. With human science advancing and the Trisolarans adopting Earth culture, it seems that the two civilizations can co-exist peacefully as equals without the terrible threat of mutually assured annihilation. But peace has also made humanity complacent.

Cheng Xin, an aerospace engineer from the 21st century, awakens from hiber­nation in this new age. She brings knowledge of a long-forgotten program dating from the start of the Trisolar Crisis, and her presence may upset the delicate balance between two worlds. Will humanity reach for the stars or die in its cradle?

Death’s End by Cixin Liu is a powerhouse of a finale, covering an insane amount of in-universe events and status quo changes, improving on the two previous volumes in every way.

Book Review Roundup: Too Many Great Books

Where I round up some quick reviews of books I don’t have the time or inclination to give a full review for. This month has been superb for books, from both authors new to me and extremely familiar.

Book Review: A Practical Guide to Conquering the World

Note: A Practical Guide to Conquering the World is the third book in the Siege trilogy, and thus this review will have some level of spoilers for the previous two books.

This is the true story of Aemilius Felix Boioannes the younger, the intended and unintended consequences of his life, the bad stuff he did on purpose, and the good stuff that happened in spite of him.

It is, in other words, the tale of a war to end all wars, and the man responsible.

A Practical Guide to Conquering the World is a vestigal limb of a third book. There’s nothing wrong with it, per se, but advertising it as the conclusion to K.J. Parker’s Siege trilogy feels wrong, considering how little page time the characters and locations of the previous two books are featured.

Book Review Roundup: Looking Back at January

Where I round up some quick reviews of books I don’t have the time or inclination to give a full review for. I read a good number of books in January, so here are some quick reviews that wouldn’t pass their muster in a full post!