Recently Read - book reviews from The Incomparable artwork

Recently Read - book reviews from The Incomparable

67 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 months ago - ★★★★★ - 13 ratings

A podcast in which we tell you about a book we just finished, and what we thought of it.

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Episodes

67: "Witch King" by Martha Wells

August 17, 2023 13:42 - 1 minute - 2.07 MB

Scott read Wells’ latest and thinks you should too! Now we await the eventual Murderbot/Witch King crossover. Scott McNulty.

66: "Blood, Sweat, and Pixels" by Jason Schreier

August 10, 2023 16:32 - 3 minutes - 2.43 MB

Antony recommends a book that (finally) accurately explains how videogames are made, and the struggles involved. Antony Johnston.

65: "The Cruel Stars" by John Birmingham

August 22, 2022 15:50 - 4 minutes - 2.98 MB

Antony reads the first in a rip-roaring space opera series in which humanity is faced with an existential threat, and comes away impressed. Antony Johnston.

64: "The Man on the Street" by Trevor Wood

June 19, 2021 21:51 - 2 minutes - 1.36 MB

Antony recommends a crime novel that’s already won multiple awards, and which he considers one of the most accomplished debuts he’s read. Antony Johnston.

63: "Blade Reforged" by Kelly McCullough

June 07, 2021 03:02 - 3 minutes - 2.83 MB

Erika continues enjoying her reread of the Fallen Blade series. And Blade Reforged is a good jumping-on point! Erika Ensign.

62: The Nightshades Series by Melissa F. Olson

June 07, 2021 02:54 - 2 minutes - 2.23 MB

Sometimes entertaining escapism means three short, bloody books about vampires. Erika Ensign.

61: "Fireheart Tiger" by Aliette de Bodard

June 05, 2021 22:38 - 2 minutes - 1.67 MB

A beautifully written, complicated queer romance … plus politics … plus a fire elemental. Erika Ensign.

60: "Tea and Sympathetic Magic" by Tansy Rayner Roberts

June 05, 2021 21:58 - 2 minutes - 1.81 MB

Who would want to jockey against a sea of debutantes to win a marriage to a Duke when there’s a library full of books to be read and plenty of good tea to drink? Erika Ensign.

59: "Brightfall" by Jaime Lee Moyer

June 05, 2021 21:09 - 3 minutes - 2.52 MB

A post-myth Robin Hood tale that is at turns sad, dark, frightening, and eventually hopeful. With fae and dragons! Erika Ensign.

58: "The Galaxy, and the Ground Within" by Becky Chambers

June 03, 2021 20:41 - 4 minutes - 2.6 MB

It’s a book in which nothing much happens, just a bunch of aliens sitting around waiting for the sky to clear. And yet Becky Chambers works her magic on it, and makes it memorable and moving. What a magic trick. Jason Snell.

57: "Slow Horses" by Mick Herron

June 03, 2021 17:24 - 5 minutes - 3.51 MB

In anticipation of the upcoming Apple TV+ show, Antony recommends a spy series quite unlike any other. Antony Johnston.

56: "Broken Blade" by Kelly McCullough

November 05, 2020 21:05 - 3 minutes - 2.78 MB

Erika revisits an old favourite and discovers it’s even better the second time! Erika Ensign.

55: "Guns of the Dawn" by Adrian Tchaikovsky

November 05, 2020 20:58 - 2 minutes - 2.07 MB

Erika enjoyed a regency-style fantasy novel about war! Who woulda thunk it? Erika Ensign.

54: "Beneath the Rising" by Premee Mohamed

September 27, 2020 00:41 - 2 minutes - 2.18 MB

This book is (partially) set in Edmonton, which is exciting for Erika. It’s about monsters and friendship and what monsters can do to friendship. Erika Ensign.

53: "Stasiland" by Anna Funder

August 11, 2020 18:00 - 2 minutes - 1.65 MB

A compelling book on a difficult subject, telling the stories of people who lived behind the Berlin Wall and lived in fear of the Stasi. Antony Johnston.

52: "Or What You Will" by Jo Walton

August 09, 2020 21:18 - 2 minutes - 3.43 MB

Do you like meta-fictional meditations on the nature of storytelling and Italy? Has Scott got the book for you! Scott McNulty.

51: "Plague Land" by S D Sykes

July 23, 2020 19:19 - 2 minutes - 2.65 MB

Scott hasn’t left his apartment in 4 months, so he decided to read a book about fictional people who had it even worse. Scott McNulty.

50: "Interior Chinatown" by Charles Yu

July 18, 2020 23:12 - 1 minute - 2.38 MB

Charles Yu has been working in television for awhile, and it isn’t hard to see that (obvious) influence on this novel. Scott McNulty.

49: "Working" by Robert Caro

June 30, 2020 13:45 - 2 minutes - 3.4 MB

Scott finally finished a book by Robert Caro (no, not that one). Scott McNulty.

48: "The City We Became" by N.K. Jemisin

May 18, 2020 18:47 - 2 minutes - 3.42 MB

Need a book to restore your readerly habits? This one worked for Scott! Scott McNulty.

47: "Famous Men Who Never Lived" by K. Chess

December 27, 2019 23:36 - 9 minutes - 7.16 MB

People from an alternate timeline live as refugees in our New York City. It’s full of grief, sadness, frustration, and coincidences.

46: "Underground Airlines" by Ben H. Winters

September 27, 2019 01:02 - 5 minutes - 3.36 MB

Nathan reviews Ben H. Winters’s Underground Airlines, a gripping thriller set in an alternate history that feels too close to our own.

45: "Six Stories" by Matt Wesolowski

September 26, 2019 19:30 - 3 minutes - 2.81 MB

Antony discusses SIX STORIES by Matt Wesolowski, a book tailor-made for podcast listeners.

44: "How To Do Nothing" by Jenny Odell

September 25, 2019 17:48 - 2 minutes - 1.69 MB

How hard is it to do nothing, anyway?

43: "The Long Lavender Look" by John D. McDonald

September 05, 2019 19:38 - 8 minutes - 4.89 MB

Re-reading the Travis McGee adventure novels of the 60’s and 70’s in the twenty-first century.

42: "Children of Ruin" by Adrian Tchaikovsky

July 11, 2019 17:15 - 4 minutes - 2.5 MB

The sequel to “Children of Time” does the original one better by adding new planets, new species, and maybe even aliens?

41: "Fall; or, Dodge in Hell" by Neal Stephenson

July 09, 2019 00:02 - 7 minutes - 3.85 MB

Once again, Neal Stephenson has buried 250 great pages in a 900-page book.

40: "My Book of Genesis" by Richard Macphail

July 01, 2019 17:00 - 4 minutes - 3.69 MB

Antony discusses the infamously-not-dead Genesis road manager’s story, finally told in a delightful book.

39: "His Majesty's Dragon" by Naomi Novik

May 24, 2019 23:49 - 4 minutes - 3.65 MB

Erika needed some dragons. She got them. She also got a war. So, swings and roundabouts.

38: "Ghosts in the Schoolyard" by Eve Ewing

May 16, 2019 20:34 - 4 minutes - 2.07 MB

Quinn talks about school closings, civil responsibility, and Eve Ewing’s sociology book “Ghosts in the Schoolyard.”

37: "Educated" by Tara Westover

April 26, 2019 18:08 - 3 minutes - 2.35 MB

One million people have read and recommended Educated, but Quinn is here to be number one million and one.

36: "Places in the Darkness" by Chris Brookmyre

April 25, 2019 17:15 - 3 minutes - 2.07 MB

Antony discusses Chris Brookmyre’s sci-fi murder mystery PLACES IN THE DARKNESS.

35: "Terminal Alliance" by Jim C. Hines

April 03, 2019 19:46 - 5 minutes - 3.97 MB

Do you love post-apocalyptic fiction, but for your soul’s sake you need to keep it light? Has Erika got a book for you!

34: "Spirits, Spells, and Snark" by Kelly McCullough

April 03, 2019 19:42 - 2 minutes - 2.06 MB

The sequel to Magic, Madness, and Mischief delivers more of what Erika loved about the first book.

33: "Spinning Silver" by Naomi Novik

March 04, 2019 20:49 - 4 minutes - 2.44 MB

Like “Uprooted” before it, “Spinning Silver” is a more modern remix of classic fairy tale and fantasy scenarios. Royal weddings! Ice kings! Just don’t mention Rumpelstiltskin.

32: "In The Company of Others" by Julie E. Czerneda

February 11, 2019 01:24 - 3 minutes - 1.51 MB

Scott doesn’t remember why he had a copy of this book, but finally got around to reading it and enjoyed it!

31: "Trail of Lightning" by Rebecca Roanhorse

February 10, 2019 17:57 - 3 minutes - 2.47 MB

Quinn got recommended a book by the Chicago Public Library, and now trusts the library completely.

30: "Magic, Madness, and Mischief" by Kelly McCullough

February 10, 2019 03:54 - 5 minutes - 3.82 MB

Erika read this middle-grade fantasy both recently and not-so-recently. Turns out re-reading it is just as delightful as the first time through.

29: "Hidden Sun" by Jaine Fenn

February 10, 2019 03:40 - 4 minutes

Erika went in search of a novel worthy to add to her Hugo nomination list — and she found one!

28: "The Wise Man's Fear" by Patrick Rothfuss

January 12, 2019 03:58 - 5 minutes - 3.6 MB

Monty’s a few years late, but he just got to the second book in Patrick Rothfuss’s Kingkiller Chronicles.

27: "Crimson Frost" by Jim C. Hines

December 20, 2018 00:46 - 2 minutes - 1.97 MB

Merry Christmas, readers! For your holiday pleasure, Erika brings you a wacky-yet-dark Christmas mashup. It’s a shortie, so you can read it while your wine is mulling or your chestnuts are roasting.

26: "Children of Time" by Adrian Tchaikovsky

December 20, 2018 00:33 - 5 minutes

Arachnophobes, steer clear. Hard sci-fi fans, pull up a chair!

25: "Salvation" by Peter F. Hamilton

November 13, 2018 03:04 - 3 minutes - 1.63 MB

Scott is a fan of Hamilton (no, not that one), but does his latest hold up?

24: "Love and Romanpunk" by Tansy Rayner Roberts

November 10, 2018 02:18 - 4 minutes - 3.4 MB

In which Erika loves “twisted history” and Tansy. Not necessarily in that order. But maybe.

23: "Embers of War" by Gareth L. Powell

November 10, 2018 02:14 - 4 minutes - 3.49 MB

In which a good tweet convinces Erika to read a good book.

22: "Record of a Spaceborn Few" by Becky Chambers

October 21, 2018 00:11 - 7 minutes - 5.1 MB

The third book in Becky Chambers’ “Wayfarers” universe — but there’s no need to read either of the other two before diving into this one.

21: "Impostor Syndrome" by Mishell Baker

October 02, 2018 22:21 - 5 minutes - 3.18 MB

The third book in the “Arcadia Project” series is great, but start with “Borderline” if you haven’t read any of them—and if you’ve read the first two, be sure to bone up before diving in to book three.

20: "The Golden Minute" by John Birmingham

September 10, 2018 17:44 - 4 minutes - 3.79 MB

A rollicking time-travel adventure featuring an 1870s lawman and a 21st century game developer, lost in time—and on the run from historical danger as well as deadly time police. It’s fun!

19: The Sam Clair Mysteries by Judith Flanders

August 30, 2018 17:08 - 3 minutes - 1.77 MB

Scott read all 4 books in the series over the course of 4 days. You will too.

18: "Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World" by Dan Koeppel

August 29, 2018 20:32 - 6 minutes - 4.97 MB

I guess you could say that this is a book that has… appeal.

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