Books in January 2025

 

My reading in 2025 has got off to a good start, with nine books finished and a total of 2,460 pages read. Of those books, one was both non-fiction and an audiobook, two were roleplaying games and the balance novels.

The non-fiction book was Gina Martin's "No Offence but..." which would probably get me frowned at by the current US administration. It explores common phrases and how they can impact on people who aren't from the UK's dominant white (and male) culture. I learned a lot and loved the way that this was presented; Gina Martin alternatives with other writers as they go through the audiobook, so it reflects a diverse set of voices. Definitely worth the time.

The roleplaying books were "The Lost Caravan" which is a road trip set after an alien invasion. I liked this, but it's very much a one-shot campaign, albeit one that would probably play out differently every time you run it. Starting from a variety of locations, your caravan crosses from one side of the USA to another and becomes increasingly involved with the events of the invasion. Not sure that I will run this but definitely don't regret the impulse purchase.  I must read Fria Ligan's "Electric State" and compare the feel of that to this. 

I also read "Tokyo: Otherscape". Gorgeously illustrated, well written and evocative, it didn't quite land for me. I'd hoped it would make me super-excited about this setting from the publishers of City of Mist, but although there were a couple of moments where I though 'Oh that's interesting" it didn't give me the GM tingles. It's a shame in some ways as the way the City of Mist Engine has been built, this looks like really well built system for any cyberpunk type game. Perhaps running this at Revelation in February will change my mind a little.

Non-fiction was varied. My favourite two books for the month were Charles Stross' "A Conventional Boy" and Derek B. Miller's "Radio Life".

The Stross delightful mixes the early 1980s Satanic Panic over roleplaying games with a geek's first game convention and twisted cults in the Laundry universe. Miller's book is a post-apocalyptic tale in a future were humanity has collapsed back from a technological high. It reminded me a little of the Legacy: Life Amongst the Ruins roleplaying game in flavour and was extremely well written. Loved the thread of hope for the future in this story. I do like Miller's turn of phrase and all his books so far have drawn me in. 

"Norwegian by Night" is another novel by the same author which I also read. In this one, a former US Marine is living with his grand-daughter in Norway, when he witnesses a killing and ends up trying to protect a small child. The protagonist perhaps has the early signs of dementia, or perhaps it's the weight of the years that he has lived. I enjoyed this and it was quite different.

"Galveston" is by the show-writer for the first season of True Detective and it shows. There's that intimate feel of the south of the USA. The main character is a flawed career criminal who faces a set up that puts his life in danger. Overall, a good book even if I never liked the protagonist.

"Good Girls Don't Die" was a return to Christina Henry. It's a twisty tale of three women who find their lives threatened when they end up somewhere they don't expect to be. Their stories intersect and come to a fast but effective conclusion. 

Finally, I read Sarah Penner's "The Conjurer's Wife" which was a short novella about the wife of a Conjurer (no surprise there). They are performing in 1820s Venice, in a show that seems to have real magic. Olivia is his assistant and wife, but a secret from their past is about to be revealed. Enjoyable, even if I did half-guess what the reveal would be.