Re: What are the best books you've read in 2024?

On 26 Dec 2024, Sam Whited wrote:

On 2024-12-24 11:52, Mark Carroll wrote:
 > On 14 Dec 2024, Sam Whited wrote:
 >> - "The Player of Games" by Ian M. Banks
 >
 > This is one of my favorites among his science-fiction novels, though I
 > recall it's also one that divides readers: people tend to rather like it
 > or not. It's an interesting premise that he just about pulls off.
>
Interesting, I was under the impression that this was the most widely
acclaimed! You may be thinking of the first one, "Consider Phlebas",
which I know some people recommend skipping and reading later on, but
personally I loved that one too and thought it was a great introduction
to the series. Or I could just be wrong. After the first two, I could
take them or leave them, but these two I found extremely compelling!

Thank you - ha, then I don't know which of us is right about which
divides fans more. I should reread "Consider Phlebas" and "Look to
Windward", it's been too long. "The Player of Games" I'd suggest is at
least a little unusual among Banks' SF in its single focus on a not-SC
protagonist on a specific SC mission, with the typical novel tending to
be spread across a rather wider theater with characters acting more
within their experience. For instance, I rather like "Use of Weapons"
which is more of that ilk.

 >> - "Record of a Spaceborn Few" by Becky Chambers"
 >
 > Hmmm, I've got the first of the series on my library reserve list, the
 > only copies are either missing or overdue so goodness knows if any will
 > ever turn up.
>
If you can get a copy of these, I definitely recommend it! All four
books were absolutely fantastic.

(snip)

Thank you again, good to know! I'll make more of an effort then, worst
case I end up picking up a cheap used copy from eBay or wherever; in
similar fashion I just paid a princely £4 for a used copy of Zebrowski's
"Macrolife" (also new to me) so I'll probably get there in the end.

(snip)

Despite "Player of Games" and "Record of a Spaceborn Few" being two of
my favorite books in general, I'm not normally all that into the "space
opera" style of grand sci-fi narrative. If you want something a little
more cozy and self-contained, try "A Psalm for the Wild-Built" which is
also on my list (and is by the same author as "Spaceborn", Becky
Chambers).

(snip)

Haha, it looks as if Glasgow's library system will fail me there too but
I'll give it a chance. I like to imagine that they have some means of
noticing when a practically unavailable book is accumulating unfulfilled
reservations so that they can think about buying another.

Veering away from SF, two other of Iain Banks' books I rather like are
"The Wasp Factory" and "Whit", I suppose both deal with a young person
finding their way in the strange environment they grew up in. I'm not
the best reader for his work, he'll do things like slip in puns that I
don't notice because I engage more with what's literally in my face, I
race along past the subtleties.

-- Mark