Reading Roundup Wrapup: August 2026

Pick of the month: Crucible of Gold by Naomi Novik. It was a little bit of a struggle to pick a winner this month, because I don't think I really read any standout books, and indeed, a number of the books I read were not very good at all, alas. But Crucible of Gold is another solid installment in the Temeraire series, with some excellent parts.

All books read:

1. Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz by L. Frank Baum, illustrated by John R. Neill
2. Colourfields: Writing About Writing About Science Fiction by Paul Kincaid
3. The Struggle for Mastery: Britain 1066–1284 by David Carpenter
4. Star Trek: Vanguard: Declassified by Dayton Ward, Kevin Dilmore, Marco Palmieri, and David Mack
5. Sex, Lies and Private Eyes edited by Joe Gentile and Richard Dean Starr
6. Victoria’s Secret: Her Life by Lida Bell Lunt
7. Young Avengers by Heinberg & Cheung by Allan Heinberg, Jim Cheung, et al. 
8. Doctor Who and the Space War by Malcolm Hulke
9. The Road to Oz by L. Frank Baum, illustrated by John R. Neill
10. Crucible of Gold: Book Seven of Temeraire by Naomi Novik
11. Legion of Super-Heroes Archives, Volume 8 by Jim Shooter et al.

All books acquired:

1. Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold
2. JSA, Vol 3: Year One by Jeff Lemire and Gavin Guidry
3. DC Finest: Events: Crisis on Infinite Earths, Part Two by Marv Wolfman, Roy Thomas, Alan Moore, George Pérez, et al. 
4. Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny 

 Currently reading:

• Again, Dangerous Visions edited by Harlan Ellison
• Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold
• Star Trek: Vanguard: What Judgments Come by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore 
• DC Finest: Events: Crisis on Infinite Earths, Part Two by Marv Wolfman, Roy Thomas, Alan Moore, George Pérez, et al.
• Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny
• The Hollow Crown: A History of Britain in the Late Middle Ages by Miri Rubin

Up next in my rotations:

1. Star Trek: Vanguard: Storming Heaven by David Mack
2. The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Sixteenth Annual Collection edited by Gardner Dozois
3. The Poe Clan Vol. 1 by Moto Hagio 
4. On Progress in Physics and Subjectivity Theory: An Amateur’s Meanderings as Inspiration for Actual Physicists by N. Otre Le Vant 

Books remaining on "To be read" list: 675 (down 1)

Steady progress!