I Read Many Things

Tag: Fiction

  • 2024 Year in Review

    Here’s a quick recap of the 72 books I’ve read in 2024. Some stats were picked on Goodreads, and from a quick peek they seem a bit incomplete, but it’s still a good summary of the year. As far as rankings go, I’ve decided to exclude re-reads. Non-Fiction books : 45 Fiction books : 27…

  • Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir

    I started reading this book at 10 one evening and, an instant later, it was 11 and I had to be a reasonable adult and turn off the lights. As I fell asleep, I kept thinking about what I had just read and decided then that I had to write about it. This might be…

  • The Silmarillion, by JRR Tolkien

    Like most, you probably associate Tolkien’s name with The Lord of Rings Trilogy or The Hobbit, easily the most influential works in the fantasy genre and arguably in all of 20th century fiction. However, Tolkien’s work on this universe began much, much earlier. In fact, he started writing about Arda, the name given to our…

  • L’Affaire Alaska Sanders, par Joël Dicker

    Il s’agit du troisième ouvrage de Joël Dicker mettant en vedette l’écrivain Marcus Goldman, après La Vérité sur l’Affaire Harry Québert et Le Livre des Baltimore. J’ai eu l’opportunité de lire ceux-ci dans les dernières années, mais pas les autres livres de l’auteur. Ceux qui ont apprécié Harry Québert ne seront pas déçus. L’Affaire Alaska…

  • Troy, by Stephen Fry

    The legendary story of Troy, from the gigantic wooden horse to the (almost) invincible Achilles, is a classic case of a well-known story that is actually not well-known at all. We can usually recall the main plot points fine. A young prince from the city of Troy – Paris – takes Menelaus’ wife, the beautiful…

  • Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin

    On reading forums where I sometimes hang out, this novel by Gabrielle Zevin kept popping up for the past few months as a favourite among users. I was intrigued, so I jumped in completely blind. I didn’t even know what it was about, all I saw was the unusual title and the funky cover design.…

  • Sous les Vents de Neptune, par Fred Vargas

    C’est le troisième Fred Vargas que j’ai eu l’occasion de lire au cours des derniers mois, grâce aux suggestions judicieuses de mon épouse. Je peux maintenant dire que je comprends mieux ces lecteurs qui dévorent roman policier après roman policier, et surtout la présence des millions de ces livres dans les librairies. “Sous les Vents…

  • Assassin’s Quest, by Robin Hobb

    Finally, I have finished this very long book. It took me more than a month! Not only because it’s a long read (760+ pages, tiny letters, small margins, etc.), but because my reading habits have shifted significantly for a couple of reasons. In the end, I can say it was worth it. As the third…

  • The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Arthur Conan Doyle

    I don’t think there is any debate as to who is the best known detective in all of fiction. Conan Doyle’s consulting detective has been adapted and re-adapted countless times in so many different eras and genres. Apparently, Sherlock Holmes has been the recipient of a Guinness World Record as the most portrayed individual in…

  • Royal Assassin (Farseer Trilogy, book two), by Robin Hobb

    A couple of months ago I wrote about the first instalment in the Farseer Trilogy, Assassin’s Apprentice, and thought the universe set up by Robin Hobb was intriguing. It left me wanting for more. The first book felt like a gigantic introduction to a new world where we learn about its geography, its political realities,…