Books Read 2024

[ehyde]

I didn't keep a complete list of everything I read in 2024, but here's a partial list and a probably short comment about the ones I remember.

If Found Return to Hell

A fun premise that was kind of an awkward length. I think maybe it should've been either a short story or a full novel; the novella length had me going "wait, how'd we get to 'found family' this quick?" But if you enjoy bodysharing via demon princes who just want normal lives: yep.

Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know

Another by Cyan Wings, so I expected to enjoy it and indeed I did. I was more into the characters and themes than the story itself--had a little bit of a "when's it going to get exciting?" [get to the end] "ah, it was the friends we made all along" moment with this one I guess? But yeah it was good!

We Live in Nanjing

This was one of the novels that probably should have been nominated for a Hugo award but wasn't because [racist worldcon fuckery]. I read it via mtl, only intending to check out the beginning, but got intrigued enough to keep going, and I would love to read it properly translated.

Happy Doomsday

It's presented as "scientist wakes up in post-apocalyptic dystopia" and gradually you realize just how much of a dystopia the world he left behind was, too (a lot of the dystopian stuff has to do with ableism, just as a warning). Artificial intelligence! Enemies to enemies-with-benefits! (they get to lovers eventually). Blood drinking! (for the healing factor that's the only reason nothing else going on here).

C Language Cultivation

It's unfortunate that "programmer trying to get his AI startup off the ground" has become a completely unappealing character trait due to no fault of the author but I beg you to look past that. At first I thought the romance was 'meh, character type I'm just not into' and I was mainly here for the modern-day cultivation aspects, but then! The romance became a terrifying rollercoaster that had me actually in tears (happy ending tears).

the Last Binding trilogy

A fun series, but I think it either needed to be more about the Threat to the Very Nature of English Magic, or less about it. Where it ended up felt a little bit "okay, and?"

Mist

I like wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stories, so I expected to like this one more than I actually did. The main couple was not for me.

Master and Commander

I've seen the movie and that did not in any way prepare me for how slice-of-life (positive) this would be. Really enjoyed it, planning to come back for more. If you read this having mostly read danmei for the past year-plus you will just assume it's setting up Aubrey/Maturin as canon.

The Smiling, Proud Wanderer

I know where so many tropes come from now.

Comments

[headstone]

Your thoughts on If Found, Return To Hell are also my thoughts—lots of fun ideas and fun characters but the kind of pacing that gives novellas a bad name.

[anehan]

Chiming in to say that I thought the same you and ehyde did.

[halfcactus]

had a little bit of a "when's it going to get exciting?" [get to the end] "ah, it was the friends we made all along" moment
This is such a useful note (since my reading habit lately is to just wait for the exciting parts ^^;)

[kate_nepveu]

If you read this having mostly read danmei for the past year-plus you will just assume it's setting up Aubrey/Maturin as canon.

yeah, I can see that!

I love the series passionately and also I've decided that on reflection, the last three complete books don't exist in my world.

[duckprintspress]

ah, yay, I'm glad you liked Master and Commander. I'm rather fond of that series.

[geraineon]

XD Yes, now you know where many tropes came from!

Jin Yong really is the originator of so many modern wuxia tropes...

[kolleh]

We're reading Devil Venerable for my Saturday book club right now! I get the feeling the others are enjoying it more than I am, but comedy stemming from casual "villainous" behaviour and violence towards minor characters rarely works for me.

My favourite characters are Baili Qingmiao and Zhongli Qian, so...the boring nice ones. Whoops. I am predictable that way.

[xmarksthespotwhereistand]

C-language cultivation is from one of my favourite (danmei) authors and the other novels from her i've read also had, what i would describe as, an outsider arriving in a situation gaining seeming superpowers for almost meta reasons and i put this one on my to-read list but didn't get to it yet because of exactly what you mention. I enjoyed the other superpower ex machina devices more.
But her prose and handling of tropes are so good, it always pays off at the end! Glad to see you felt the ending was satisfying.