Michael Schmitt

July 2025 — Book club read. I'll be thinking about this one a while. Delves into themes of motherhood/marriage, being trapped in those roles vs desiring/needing those roles, trying to define ourselves vs what a perceived society expects, mid-life turning points both biological and psychological, self-imposed limits, depression, self-discovery and a ton more. Plus a lot admittedly not for me and/or over my head. Enjoyed in spite of finding nearly every character absolutely insufferable.

July 2025 — Space opera adventure that, while felt a little sluggish for me at times, legitimately had me wondering which way of life depicted would come out on top for our narrator. Like a lot of excellent sci-fi, the setting may be futuristic but the big ideas feel universal: who are we outside of our past, what defines our sense of self, how much of ourselves should we give to our peers and community.

June 2025 — Picked this up after enjoying Moonbound by Sloan so much. Reading this in 2025 was hard though as so much of it revolved around Google, big tech engineers, and their power to churn through all of human knowledge in a heartbeat. We've seen what these corporations will do with such power -- much of which is presaged by this book -- but the relatively bright-eyed 2010s-era depiction of these companies overshadowed the fun and humanity-focused themes of this book for me.

June 2025 — Book club read. Lighthearted exploration of the effects of infinite choice. I really liked the straightforward core of magic in this: take reality, add one weird warp, then press play to see what happens. That leads to plenty of setups that escalate into enjoyably tense/cringe-worthy situations, plus a lot to chew on.

May 2025 — Downright enjoyable sci-fi journey. Devoured this one quickly as it's a delightful read and I found myself picking up as much as I could to find out what comes next. Wonderful exploration of humanity's automations caught in loops with some really memorable set pieces and characters.

May 2025 — Love a book that plays around in the world of King Arthur and this one doesn't disappoint. What happens to the people and nation King Arthur leaves behind? Were the heroes really what we thought? What would Arthur want and should that matter? Great characters and adventures here.

May 2025 — Book club read. Not for me; found it cruel, gross, shallow.

April 2025 — Phew, a journey to get through this one. I could quibble with the length and whether everything here is necessary, but overall earns its reputation as a thrilling, engaging story.

March 2025 — WIP

March 2025 — WIP

March 2025 — WIP

February 2025 — WIP

February 2025 — WIP

January 2025 — Read The Goblin Emperor if you haven't, I beg you. This is the latest work in that world and -- much like Leckie's Imperial Radch -- it's just an environment that I love to be in. Such interesting characters, a fascinating world, exciting adventures/mysteries, and warm relationships. As the name implies there's a lot of sadness here as well, but Addison has such a talent for building up connections between characters slowly and paying them off in heartwarming, loving ways. Even at its saddest this feels like a warm hug. I read it in two days.

December 2024 — Where Bad Cree was creepy and heartwarming, this is creepy and brutal. A relentless adversary and narrative style that keeps you off-kilter really add to the unsettling experience of reading this book. I read the ebook and at one point reached a break thinking "my goodness what a punch of an ending" only to realize I was just 50% through. Just an overall excellent horror read. Warning: do not get attached to the dogs.

November-December 2024 — Bookclub read that we have not yet discussed, so I'm hoping that chat will help clarify my thoughts and feelings about this work. But as it stands, a book that just made me feel dimwitted for missing the magic that others felt.

November 2024 - A cozy mystery with woodland animals. What more do you need? My 11 year-old, Redwall-obsessed self would be quite pleased with me.

October 2024 - Bookclub read. Wasn't really for me. I got my hopes up waiting to hear the events of Dracula from the narrator's perspective, or an interesting twist on them, and was let down.

September 2024 - Again Leckie weaves a heart-warming sci-fi tale around truly alien -- and this time downright disturbing -- characters. One of the best sci-fi writers who can deliver jaw dropping moments without epic space battles.

Loved the Expanse. This first entry in their new series is different but not wildly so: still very readable, fast-moving, but more brutal in ways (it is an apocalypse-type story afterall) with real trauma the characters spend most of the book dealing with in different ways. Looking forward to the next entry.

Book club read. Both genuinely creepy and heartwarming. Once the book grabs you, you'll finish in an afternoon to unravel the mystery. Surprisingly made one my favorite classic horror stories (to name it would be a spoiler) seem downright shoddy by comparison.

Re-reading as a refresher before starting Translation State. As delightful as I remember! Leckie's Imperial Radch universe is so fascinating -- at once truly alien but with characters that make it feel downright cozy. Simply one of my favorite authors.

Quick tense thriller in a sci-fi near-future setting. The less you know going in the better.

Fast-moving conclusion to an engaging Pre-Columbian American-inspired fantasy trilogy. Honestly didn't know how this was going to be wrapped up & was not disappointed!

Dahm is a genius and I adore everything he does. I fondly recall following his updates on this work during the pandemic. Worth the wait! A surreal & dizzying experience. Highly recommend reading in one sitting.