scijessreads

I feel like after the last couple of years with so many books consumed, this year is looking to be a little more sedate. Reading is still such a cornerstone of my life, but I have finally settled into a pace that is more sustainable for a time when there are a lot of other things going on. I guess maybe I’m not trying so actively to avoid so much by getting lost in books. I am getting things done, and dabbling in new things (like writing) and making space for all of it. In making space for everything, I no longer have time to only read. And I’m not mad about it. For everything there is a season.

January saw a variety of things. There are a couple of books not on this list that are noted in my StoryGraph list (a “re-read” that was a listen as an audiobook, and a couple of very niche romance/erotica books that don’t make the Goodreads cutoff). Even then, the overall total would only be 13. Easily half of what I had been making my way through each month last year.

I am still fully onboard with The Murderbot Series. Network Effect was the first full-length novel, and we got to see ART again! I love these books so much. As far as ARCs go, these two were in the eldritch horror end of things, which is apparently something I like now? Creepy horror with a touch of fantasy and a lot of unease and darkness. Your Blood, My Bones was excellent. Reviews for both ARCs will be coming closer to their publication date.

Audiobooks are becoming more and more of a staple. There were so many years where I would only listen to them on long road trips, but now they are part of the daily commute. Part of doing chores on the weekends. They can definitely be made or broken by the narrators, but I am learning to love them more and more. It helps that I listen at 1.5X to 2X speed, so they go at a pace that I can get through. 1X speed is too slow for me (I could read it faster myself). Also, some books work better for me than others as audio. When it comes to spicy romance, I only listen to those as a reread. For some reason, listening to that genre without having read it first just feels weird to me. But as a way to revisit stories I loved? Then it works. I’ve heard great things about the Butcher and Blackbird audiobook, and one of these days I’ll get to it as a reread as well.

As for now, January lasted for an eternity. And yet, it feels weird that it’s already February.