What are you reading these days?

I've just started reading Dune (1965). I really enjoyed the movies and was always curious what had to change from the books to make it to these blockbuster films, especially since previous attempts at adapting the books weren't as successful. I'm only a few chapters in and man, the books really do just bombard you with the world-building right from the start. That being said, I'm really enjoying it. I'm really bad about reading books, mainly because I struggle to maintain attention and end up reading the same page or paragraph over and over again. However, this book has managed to maintain my attention for the short bursts I've been reading it in.

I've heard so much about the Culture books, and now I've started reading them. I started with the first one (I later read that's not recommended, and I can really understand why). Now I'm reading Player of Games.

I'm still fairly ambivalent towards them at the moment. On the one hand, there's some really interesting ideas in there, and I love the characterisation of the machines. On the other hand, the writing style feels really stilted, and I keep on waiting for the interesting stuff to start in the stories. I'm going to finish this book, but right now I'm not sure if I really want to keep on going with this series.

The Last Thing He Wanted by Joan Didion. To be honest, I didn't even know she wrote fiction until I came across this in the library but it was great. A political thriller set during the Iran-Contra affair, it has all the hallmarks of her reporting style - cutting, insightful, paring people down to the essence of their character.

The Underground Man by Ross Macdonald. I don't normally read detective fiction but I'd heard good things about his writing and I enjoyed it. There is a sense of looming dread over the whole thing, the wildfire menacing and everyone trying to forestall their secrets being exposed.

I'm reading King, Warrior, Magician, Lover by Robert Moore. This was recommended by a friend, and what prompted me to read it was some discussions I've come across on Tildes about masculinity. The author employs a Jungian approach, using archetypes, to define certain "roles" associated with the typical perception of masculinity.

I began my reading somewhat skeptically, knowing little about the reputation of Jungian psychology (often dismissed as 'mumbo jumbo'). Initially, there are elements of that, but the first chapters start off quite solidly, albeit with a bit too many anecdotes, analogies, and cherry-picked historical excerpts to justify some of the author's points. Nevertheless, I've dismissed some of those, as I've found that some points stand well enough on their own, notwithstanding any demagogy.

However, my opinion shifted when I reached the chapter titled "The Magician," where the aforementioned 'mumbo jumbo' seemed to intensify. An excerpt from the chapter exemplifies this:

There are indications that Jung thought of himself as a Magician. When asked once if he believed in God, he replied, in true Gnostic fashion, “I don’t believe in God; I know.” Some of his earliest followers have said that he imparted secrets to them that they could not reveal except to those initiated into the highest, or deepest, levels of psychic awareness.
This isn’t mumbo jumbo. Every analyst knows that he or she must be careful how much to reveal to an analysand at any given time. The power of the unconscious energies is so great that if they are not controlled, contained, and channeled, if they are not accessed at just the right moment and in just the right dose, they may blow the Ego structure to bits. Too much power without the proper “transformers” and the right amount of “insulation” to contain it will overload the analysand’s circuits and destroy him. The revelation of secret information must be measured out, because there are reasons for its having been hidden from the Ego in the first place.

It's ironic that the author begins a paragraph full of 'mumbo jumbo' with the assertion "This is not mumbo-jumbo."

Nevertheless, despite this, I've appreciated some of the insights regarding typical masculine personas. Setting aside esoteric nonsense, I've chosen to interpret these "archetypes" simply as patterns that may or may not have naturally evolved within a symbolic, anthropological context. The author presents both the "full" versions of these archetypes as symbols of virtuous facets inherent to masculinity, and the "shadow" versions, which represent corrupted manifestations associated mainly with aggressiveness, narcissism, or passivity. Interestingly, one manifestation of this "shadow magician" seems directly related to my previous quote:

The active pole of the Shadow Magician is, in a special sense, a “power Shadow.” A man under this Shadow doesn’t guide others, as a Magician does; he directs them in ways they cannot see. His interest is not in initiating others by graduated degrees—degrees that they can integrate and handle—into better, happier, and more fulfilled lives. Rather, the Manipulator maneuvers people by withholding from them information they may need for their own well-being. He charges heavily for the little information he does give, which is usually just enough to demonstrate his superiority and his great learning. The Shadow Magician is not only detached, he is also cruel.

I suppose the irony was lost on the author. Despite this, it was an interesting enough read, challenging me to discern between substance and nonsense when reading non-fiction. Typically, I would abandon a book at the first sign of a mistake by the author, but lately, I've been contemplating whether even the ramblings of madmen can hold some value. Since it's a short book with just one more chapter left, I intend to finish it. Moreover, this book has sparked my interest in anthropological symbolism, and I plan to explore more from scientifically sound sources. Additionally, the insights about masculinity, particularly the patterns leading to the classification of these roles, have prompted me to reflect on some of my own actions and those of others around me.

I am reading Kingbird Highway: The Story of a Natural Obsession That Got a Little Out of Hand as recommended by @gadling in this thread. It's fantastic! I'm also reading a linguistics textbook, although that's slower going.

In fiction, I just finished Dungeon Crawler Carl, which is every bit as fantastic as people said it would be.

2 current:

Elder Race by Tchaikovsky, Adrian

A novella that tells the story of an encounter between two technologically and culturally distinct groups of human descended peoples, one being the technically primitive society resulting from an ancient human galaxy wide diaspora and the other a modern, anthropological outpost studying that culture. Very "prime-directive" tropey. The first I've read from Tchaikovsky and I'm enjoying their style.

Chan Buddhsim by Peter D. Hershock

An academic work that is nevertheless suited for Chan/Zen practitioners that investigates the history and cultural context that led to Chan as we know it today (in contrast to the traditions received historical origins). I'm enjoying this analysis which is similar in scope and approach to John McRae's Seeing through Zen: Encounter, Transformation, and Genealogy in Chinese Chan Buddhism.

And 1 just completed:

Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology

An excellent anthology of "dark fiction" by indigenous authors, Never Whistle at Night collects 27 short stories ranging from supernatural to man-made horrors. Whether it's Wendigos and poltergeists, or racism and other remnants of colonial oppression; horror fans of all stripes will find something here to keep them up at night and looking over their shoulder. Just don't soothe yourself by whistling if you find yourself alone in the dark. And remember, sometimes dead is better...

I really liked so many of the stories in this anthology. Quite a lot of variety in subject matter, writing style, and depth. Recommended.

Just finished reading "Chain-Gang All-Stars" by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah. I enjoyed it, it's a thrilling story with really interesting, well developed characters. Some of the characters had quite clearly committed terrible crimes but you can't help feel for them taking part in the hell they're going through for a shot at freedom.

The footnotes Adjei-Brenyah includes throughout the novel offering background on the fictional characters is great but the footnotes interrupting the novel to offer the reality of those in prison, providing statistics on racism, bigotry, corruption, and abuse in the American prison system are grim and harrowing.

I did think Part 2 dragged a little, felt like I was willing it to move on as the pieces fell into place but Part 1 and especially Part 3 were fantastic.

I've now moved on to "The City and the City" by China Mieville. About 70 pages in so far and enjoying it a lot, my first Mieville novel but I don't think it'll be my last.

Nearly finished with Cloud Atlas for book club discussion next week.

Finished the King of Attolia, third in the Queen's thief series. It was fun and satisfying. So far for me, book one and three in that series were excellent. Book two carried the story forward but was kind of meh.

I started I Capture the Castle and I really like these characters so far.

About a third of the way through nonfiction Bananas: How the United Fruit Company Shaped the World

I just finished Juniper and Thorn by Ava Reid. I had enjoyed her previous book, The Wolf and the Woodsman, for

Overall, it was an enjoyable book, but solidly average IMO.

So I was unprepared for Juniper and Thorn which really blew me away. However, it deals with some serious issues, so trigger warnings for sexual abuse, cannibalism, eating disorders, body horror, and racism

I just finished Loot by Tania James. It's an interesting riff written around Tipu's Tiger, an 18th century automaton. James's history of the tiger's construction, and the lives of its constructors is entirely imagined but beautifully sited in India and Britain. It's a nicely put-together story I found hard to put down. And I've seen the tiger!

I started Midnight Tides, the fourth book in Steven Erikson's Malazan: Book of the Fallen series.

All of these books have required my full attention to grasp and absorb, which I'm loving. They feel like super rewarding work, and the kind of books that will benefit from a re-read into the future.

I finished Sharp Objects two days ago. I think Flynn’s work is better in film or TV. The timing was way better in series and the visuals were outstanding.

Still a good book, but I think this is also true for Gone Girl.

A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms by George R. R. Martin. It's much more light-hearted than ASOIAF but has all the elements that make the main series so good. I love it.

I'm reading Outlive by Petter Attia. Very interesting take on medicine and longevity!