Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag 2022

Yoinked from Cyberkitten

1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2022

How to Think Like a Roman Emperor, Donald Robertson

2. Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2022
   Crusader, Ben Kane. It followed Richard the Lionheart as he traveled abroad from England, mixing it up with Mediterranean potentates as well as Saladin.
   
3. New release you haven’t read yet but want to

An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the World Around Us, Ed Yong. Yong did a great book on bacteria a few years ago. I need to finish this year’s science survey first, though.

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

Wild Problems: A Guide to the Decisions that Define Us, Russ Roberts. My introduction to Roberts was through his podcast, which at the time was more oriented towards economics. Over the years Roberts has shifted more towards conversations about human flourishing.

5. Biggest disappointment (so far!)

Amazon’s “Warmer” collection. Almost none of the stories were interesting, and their SF content was unoriginal at best.

6. Biggest surprise of the Year (so far!)

(shrug)

7. Favourite new author. (Debut or new to you)

James Holland. I would have finished his WW2 trilogy if people didn’t keep bringing me books in the hospital..

8. Newest fictional crush

Not something I do.

9. Newest favourite character

Sergeant Tanner from James Hollands’ WW2 trilogy.

10. Book that made you cry

Bringing Columbia Home, Michael Leinback. A history of Columbia’s breakup and the massive undertaking to reclaim her crew’s bodies, as well as the remains of Columbia herself, and to piece together what happened to the Shuttle fleet’s flagship. I was moved not only by the ego-less cooperation of so many different organizations, but the generosity of various east Texas communities and the amount of volunteer labor that made it possible to house and feed over 20,000 people involved in the search.

11. Book that made you happy

Churchill’s Shadow Raiders, because it was a book-level treatment of a raid that I declared should GET a book-level treatment eleven years ago.

12. Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)

Dangerous Passions, Deadly Sins had good cover art.

13. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

All of them. Finishing or at least DNFing-for-good The Oil Kings would be good.