2026.Book39 - Like, Literally, Dude (Fridland)

 Interesting linguistics, especially "um"

2026.Book38 - Creation Lake (Kushner)

 Very good, probably deeper than I understand 

2026.Book37 - Addiction by Design (Schüll)

 Excellent sociology of video poker in particular, and what players want, which is dissociation/escape/"the zone". Do manufacturers share blame if they're giving players better versions of what the players want? (Yes)

2026.Book36 - Antimatter Blues (Ashton)

 Pretty good sequel, solid not spectacular 

2026.Book35 - Shards of Honour (Build)

 Excellent. Good characters, nonstop plot, emotional epilogue 

2026.Book34 - Canon (Lewis)

 Pretty good, endearing, kind-hearted to all. Best jokes: band t-shirts and army volunteers

2026.Book33 - Babel (Kuang)

What Oxfordian hurt this author? Minor craft-level misses (21st-century NA phrases, handcuff anachronism, leer vs. sneer, denigrate vs. degenerate). Larger scale, plot is one-eye-closed mass murder revenge fantasy

2026.Book32 - The Fraud (Smith)

 Excellent, more-real 19th century 

2026.Book31 - Nonesuch (Spufford)

 Excellent, not too many things as some have said. Last three words are a copout but maybe that's to be expected from Spufford, not exactly one to bite bullets

2026.Book30 - Riccardino (Camilleri)

 Excellent finale

2026.Book29 - Dead Man's Walk (McMurtry)

 Very good prequel 

2026.Book28 - Cain (Saramago)

 Very good, funny, angry, more-truthful rewrite. (Book of nonsense)

2026.Book27 - Everybody's Perfect (Walton)

 Very good, chill, interesting world 

2026.Book27 - The Cook of the Halcyon (Camilleri)

 Another good one, more action 

2026.Book26 - Pillars of the Earth (Follett)

 Pretty good historical epic. Eventually repetitive. Forgiveness of Remigius was the highlight 

2026.Book25 - Don't Tell Anyone The Secrets (Williams)

 Interesting memoir; more life than music but Williams is more of a poet

2026.Book24 - Peace is Every Step (Hang)

 Inspiring 

2026.Book23 - The Long Fall (Mosely)

 A bit awkward, infelicitous phrasing. Good story.

2026.Book22 - Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl (Brownstein)

 Really good memoir (Sleater-Kinney)

2026.Book21 - The Night Manager (LeCarré)

 Very good, lots of characters, plot