Books read in January 2019

[nou]

As per usual, by default I’m just stating whether I’d recommend the book (yes/maybe/no), whether I decided not to finish it (DNF), whether it’s a re-read, and whether I can remember there being any content that needs to be warned for (cw). I’m happy to expand on the reasons for my opinions if anyone is interested though — just comment and ask.

Definitely recommend:

• The Steerswoman, The Outskirter’s Secret, The Lost Steersman, and The Language of Power, Rosemary Kirstein (cw: violence, torture, violent death, xenophobia)
• The Second Mango, Climbing the Date Palm, A Harvest of Ripe Figs, The Olive Conspiracy, and Tales From Perach, Shira Glassman (all re-reads) (cw: incest jokes, homophobia)

Maybe recommend:

• The Magicians, The Magician King, and The Magician’s Land, Lev Grossman (all re-reads) (cw: violence, murder, rape, fatphobia, weirdness around queerness that doesn't quite reach the level of homophobia, mental illness oneupmanship, suicidal thoughts, amputation)
• The Freeze-Frame Revolution, Peter Watts (cw: mass murder, solitary life imprisonment)
• The Expert System's Brother, Adrian Tchaikovsky (cw: body horror, starvation, murder)

Wouldn’t recommend:

• Iain M Banks, Paul Kincaid
• Buying Time, E M Brown (cw: black woman killed to provide character development for white woman, women killed to provide character development for man, homophobia used as set dressing, fatphobia, women are fungible, creepy men in their 50s in love with teenage women)