Comment by Cloudly

Just finished For Blood and Money - Nathan Vardi. Enjoyed the real world characters who drove the developments of cancer research forward and the messy business of pharma.

I enjoyed Ra - more than "There is not anti-mimetics division" which I felt lost itself in the second half.

I greatly enjoyed Anathem - though I have always been a sucker for Stephenson.

I found 2666 to be profound and tragic. Obviously the intention of the book - but given that the crime rate in my country is analogous to Mexico's - the pain of the femicide in the book and casual cover-ups felt tangible to me. I feel it is clear that is is incomplete due to the Author's death, but I don't think that takes away from the book.

In a similar vein, but in completely different genres I finally finished the wheel of time series which I started nearly 15 years ago. After getting to book 11 I pushed through the rest this year. Unfortunately I felt mostly underwhelmed. I think the Sanderson transition did not age as well as initially received. Maybe it's because I have read too much Sanderson before getting to him. His voice is noticeably different to Jordan's.

Finally I really enjoyed both the Wager and Pachinko.

I have started a slew of other books and not completed them but there are pending standouts. I am still halfway through Stalin by Monetfiore, and I enjoy returning when I can stomach the horrible history.

Honorable mention to Apple in China which I did not complete and might eventually. Don't think I will finish Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas though.

In the current growing pending pile I have 1493 - which I know I will enjoy, everything is tuberculosis and now it can be told. We shall see if I make any headway :)