2024: A Year's Reading

Since 2020, I've been keeping track of my reading for pleasure (as opposed to the substantial amount of reading I do in my job as a university professor). What follows are the books I read for fun in 2024. They are listed in the order I read them, with new favorites being indicated by asterisks (rereads are favorites by default):

Books

1. Serhii Plokhy, Chernobyl: The History of a Nuclear Catastrophe
2. Elizabeth Bear, Range of Ghosts
3. Drew Williams, The Stars Now Unclaimed
4. Greg Egan, Scale
5. Lloyd Alexander, The Black Cauldron (reread)
6. Lloyd Alexander, The Castle of Llyr (reread)
7. Elizabeth Bear, Undertow
8. J. S. Dewes, The Exiled Fleet
9. Emily Tesh, Some Desperate Glory*
10. M. R. Carey, Infinity Gate*
11. Tana French, The Hunter
12. Terry Pratchett, Moving Pictures
13. Frances Hardinge, Unraveller
14. W. P. Wiles, The Last Blade Priest
15. Alastair Reynolds, Machine Vendetta
16. Lois McMaster Bujold, Penric’s Labors
17. Garth Nix, The Left-Handed Booksellers of London
18. Neal Asher, The Technician (reread)
19. Jack McDevitt, Infinity Beach*
20. Barbara Hambly, The Iron Princess
21. Steven Erikson, Gardens of the Moon (reread)
22. Ian C. Esslemont, Night of Knives
23. Steven Erikson, Deadhouse Gates (reread)
24. Steven Erikson, Memories of Ice (reread)
25. Steven Erikson, House of Chains (reread)
26. Steven Erikson, Midnight Tides (reread)
27. Steven Erikson, The Bonehunters (reread)
28. Steven Erikson, Reaper’s Gale (reread)
29. Steven Erikson, Toll the Hounds (reread)
30. Ian C. Esslemont, Return of the Crimson Guard
31. M. R. Carey, Echo of Worlds*
32. Ian C. Esslemont, Stonewielder
33. Bethany Jacobs, These Burning Stars
34. M. R. Carey, The Book of Koli
35. Peter S. Beagle, I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons
36. Ian C. Esslemont, Orb Sceptre Throne
37. Marko Kloos, Descent
38. James S. A. Corey, The Mercy of Gods
39. Ian C. Esslemont, Blood and Bone
40. J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings (reread)
41. Ben Aaronovitch, Rivers of London*
42. Richard Powers, Playground
43. Michael Mammay, Planetside
44. Naomi Mitchison, Travel Light
45. Miles Cameron, Artifact Space
46. Bethany Jacobs, On Vicious Worlds
47. Judith Tarr, Ars Magica
48. Seth Dickinson, The Traitor Baru Cormorant*
49. Adrian Tchaikovsky, Alien Clay
50. Ken MacLeod, The Corporation Wars: Dissidence
51. Diana Wynne Jones, Howl’s Moving Castle (reread)
52. Ken MacLeod, The Corporation Wars: Insurgence
53. Iain M. Banks, The Algebraist (reread)
54. Iain M. Banks, Look to Windward (reread)
55. Diana Wynn’s Jones, Archer’s Goon*
56. Iain M. Banks, Matter (reread)
57. Iain M. Banks, Excession (reread)
58. C. J. Cherryh, Cuckoo’s Egg
59. Seanan McGuire, Every Heart a Doorway
60. Adrian Tchaikovsky, Days of Shattered Faith
61. Barbara Hambly, The Ladies of Mandrigyn*
62. Robert Jackson Bennett, The Tainted Cup*
63. K. J. Parker, Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead
64. Garth Nix, Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz*
65. Alix E. Harrow, The Ten Thousand Doors of January
66. Moniquill Blackgoose, To Shape a Dragon's Breath
67. Patricia A. McKillip, The Bards of Bone Plain

I also read the following comics and manga series:

American Comics

1. Absolute Superman
2. Absolute Wonder Woman
3. Birds of Prey
4. Daredevil
5. Exceptional X-Men
6. Fantastic Four
7. Immortal Thor
8. JSA
9. Love & Rockets
10. Titans

Japanese Manga

1. Akane-Banashi
2. Asadora
3. Blue Period
4. Call of the Night
5. Hiryasumi
6. Kageki Shojo!!
7. Komi Can't Communicate
8. Mob Psycho 100
9. One Punch Man
10. Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun
11. Witch Hat Atelier

Merry (Lemurian) Christmas!

A slayer-iffic Santa by Conor Burke

A lot has happened since my last post (29 June 2021), much of it involving eldercare and heavy-duty adulting, but the impending release of Ludospherik's Barbarians of Lemuria Mythic+ Edition has got me thinking about sword and sorcery blogging again. So here I am with holidays wishes—and BoL stats for the Lemurian version of a certain jolly old elf!

KRINGAL OF VALGARD

Attributes
Strength 2
Agility 1
Mind 0
Appeal 1

Combat
Initiative 1
Melee 2
Ranged 0
Defense 1

Careers

Barbarian 1

Beastmaster 1

Mercenary 1

Thief 1

Resources
Lifeblood 10
Hero Points 5

Gear
Valgardian axe (d6, can be thrown 10')

Red gambeson (light armor, d6-3/1)

Large sack

Boons
Detect Deception

Stealthy

Trademark Weapon (Valgardian axe)

Flaws

Distinctive Appearance

Feels the Heat

Kringal grew up in frozen Valgard, helping his family herd the giant deer of the north. Lured south by mercenary company recruiters promising easy riches, Kringal soon grew tired of military life. He now dwells in Satarla, where he has acquired a reputation as a skilled second-story man, able to get in and out of houses without waking any of his targets ("he sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake"). He has an uncanny ability to distinguish truth from falsehood ("he knows if you've been bad or good") and can be readily recognized by his obsession with wearing red garments. He plans to return home once he has acquired a sizable hoard—enough to challenge for leadership of his clan.