Reading Roundup: August 2026

Published on September 1, 2026

Life updates

August has flown in a blur. It's the busiest time off school for our teenager, the wife's birthday, and the hottest month of the year all tied up together.

Rereads or books off-catalogue

William Hertling's [Singularity series, books 1-4.

I reread these whilst on holiday. they stack up great as AI stories still, and I found myself enjoying them afresh after a number of years since I'd last looked at them.

Joe Haldeman - Accidental Time Machine

I've read this a handful of times, no idea what triggered the reread this time about.

Champion of Fire by WokFriedIce

A Triwizard tournament rehash fanfiction. I enjoyed it, but I struggle a bit with WokFriedIce's fluff to be honest.

Timshel (Thou Mayest), by amtm1017

This is a redemptive Snape fanfic. I liked it again to a point, but it was very emotion heavy as you'd expect but to the point of saturation. I don't know if I'll go for a sequel.

New reads for August

Book Description:

Everything in the universe comes with a price. When Diurnia Salvage and Transport undergoes a change in management, Captain Ishmael Horatio Wang finds himself adrift in a sea of red ink, and intrigue. He dives in only to find that he is over his head in a universe where cut-throat competition takes on an all new meaning. What tragic price will Captain Wang pay for his Owner’s Share?

My Thoughts:

A great way to end Ish's story, and not quite how one expects either. Nothing but satisfaction in every book of this saga, I look forward to revisiting the universe in the follow-on yarns.

This Book: has 575 pages, a community rating of 4.56, was first published in 2010.

Book Description:

A good captain protects his crew. Who protects the captain? A shuffling of cabins puts Ishmael Horatio Wang in command of the worst ship in the fleet. He learns that being captain doesn't make you infallible and that life in the captain's cabin is filled with new kinds of challenge as he tries to keep the ship moving, the crew out of trouble, and turn a profit to earn his Captain's Share. In a ship where the officers outnumber the crew, can he keep everybody happy? Welcome to the SC Agamemnon.

My Thoughts:

The irony is we literally get a day-by-day breakdown during each book, and yet we leap from the lowest aboard to Captain between books. That works, of course - and it's great to see the new dynamics kicking into play. I sort of expected I'd be getting itchy feet after almost half a dozen books, but I really enjoy Ish's story.

This Book: has 420 pages, a community rating of 4.51, was first published in 2013.

Book Description:

AN INEXPERIENCED OFFICER. A DYSFUNCTIONAL SHIP. LIFE IN THE DEEP DARK JUST GOT A LOT HARDER. In his first assignment as an officer, Ishmael Horatio Wang finds himself fresh out of school, wet behind the ears, and way out of his depth. Aboard the William Tinker the senior officers are derelict and abusive, the crew demoralized and undisciplined, and change unwelcomed and dangerous. Can Ishmael use what he learned aboard the Lois McKendrick to help the crew find the ship’s heart? Or will he discover that bucking the system may come at too high a price? Return to the Deep Dark with Ish in this fourth installment of the award winning Solar Clipper Series as he makes the transition from crew to officer.

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this as much as any of the rest. Ish gaining his pips changes the feeling a little bit and it does feel like some time has gone bye, which is nice. I confess I started to wonder if we'd have any time jumps, things proceeded a long in a very day-by-day fashion, but it was also still very compelling reading.

This Book: has 308 pages, a community rating of 4.27, was first published in 2008.

Book Description:

A Trader's Tale from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper : Book 3 The Lois McKendrick runs headlong into trouble when a routine in-system transit goes bad. Ishmael and the rest of the crew must scramble to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it in order to keep the ship alive. Learn more about the officers and crew of the Lois McKendrick as they struggle to keep their ship and discover how Ishmael finds out how wrong he's been about what it means to be a spacer in this latest Trader's Tale.

My Thoughts:

This feels like a natural pause point, tying up the first arc very neatly. I am of course going to read more because I'm a bit addicted!

This Book: has 300 pages, a community rating of 4.25, was first published in 2008.

Book Description:

SIX MONTHS IN THE DEEP DARK. FOUR VERY DIFFERENT WOMEN. ONE MAN DISCOVERS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A SPACER. It's a time of change on the Lois McKendrick. Sarah Krugg joins the mess deck and Ishmael Wang moves to the environmental section. Just after getting accustomed to life aboard a solar clipper, Ishmael must learn a whole new set of skills, face his own fears and doubts, and try to balance love and loss in the depths of space. Both Ish and Sarah must learn to live by the mantra, "Trust Lois." For Sarah, there is the hope of escaping a horrifying past. For Ish, he must discover what type of man he wants to become and learn the consequences of his choices. Return with the crew of the SC Lois McKendrick, as you set sail in the next installment of the Trader Tales of the Solar Clipper Series. All your favorites Ish, Pip, Cookie, Brill, Diane, and Big Bad Bev. You might even discover some new friends as you travel among the stars. TRADER TALE BOOKS IN THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE SOLAR CLIPPER Quarter Share Half Share Full Share Double Share Captain's Share Owner's Share SHAMAN TALE BOOKS IN THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE SOLAR CLIPPER South Coast Cape Grace Forthcoming REVIEWS "This is a thoroughly enjoyable coming of age story that had me deciding, three-quarters of the way through, to buy the second book in the series, as I wished to follow Ishmael's journey to becoming a full share (and beyond) crew member aboard a space trader." "This story has no major conflict, no vilian, no drama, no surprises...I couldn't put it down. Story of life on a deep space freighter with good characters." "For me this book brought up shades of Robert Heinlein to me. The scrappy characters fighting to get ahead make you want to root for them. This is not your typical space aliens conquer the universe book. Nathan Lowell takes a seemingly mundane thing (trade and business) and makes it into something you want to learn about." "I'm not the first to say there's a connection here to the works of Robert Heinlein, but the shoe fits. Lowell's writing is crisp and his future is vivid; it's a place you'd like to live." "The story just flows well...I couldn't put the book down until I finished. And then right when I finished (at 1 AM in the morning) I was back on Amazon's site looking for the next book in the series." "I just want to add to all the praise for Lowell, this book was an excellent read, and if you are a fan of SciFi, definitely recommended."

My Thoughts:

Nothing about this was any worse than the first, but it very much felt like a continuation of the story. It's a well-progressed and well-paced entry and, even if the womanising is a bit of an odd angle compared to the rest of the stuff, it worked and I didn't feel too jarred.

This Book: has 252 pages, a community rating of 4.08, was first published in 2007.

Book Description:

THE GOLDEN AGE OF SAIL HAS RETURNED -- IN THE YEAR 2351 When his mother dies in a flitter crash, eighteen-year-old Ishmael Horatio Wang must find a job with the planet company or leave the system--and NerisCo isn't hiring. With credits running low, and prospects limited, he has just one hope...to enlist for two years with a deep space commercial freighter. Ishmael, who only rarely visited the Neris Orbital, and has never been off-planet alone before, finds himself part of an eclectic crew sailing a deep space leviathan between the stars. Join the crew of the SC Lois McKendrick, a Manchester built clipper as she sets solar sails in search of profit for her company and a crew each entitled to a share equal to their rating.

My Thoughts:

OK, so I knew I liked Lowell's slice-of-life fantasy. I've read and reread The Wizard's butler a handful of times. I was sort of afraid of going into a new world in case I was disappointed. I finished this and started the next without even a second thought. Should have started ages ago!

This Book: has 250 pages, a community rating of 4.11, was first published in 2007.

4 stars to Fun Times at the Bloodbath, by Jeff Strand

Book Description:

“No author working today comes close to Jeff Strand’s perfect mixture of comedy and terror.”—Cemetery Dance The game you can’t stop playing… even if it kills you. Fun Times at the Bloodbath may be the most insanely violent video game ever designed. The only thing more addictive than playing is the chaos it unleashes. Currently, only a select few have played the beta version, and it’s to die for… literally. Players are instantly addicted to the point of death: one man dies of dehydration, a woman brutally murders her husband with a meat cleaver after he unplugs the console, and others violently defend their right to keep playing and harm anyone who gets in the way. Margo’s brother is one of the game’s victims, and she is determined to uncover the game’s creators and prevent anyone else from succumbing to its addictive grasp. As she discovers the sinister plot behind Fun Times at the Bloodbath, Margo tries to warn people before it launches to the general public. But with threats to herself, her family, and anyone who helps her, she’s right to be scared… When Fun Times at the Bloodbath launches nationwide, the United States is plunged into chaos, and the rest of the world is next. As the carnage spreads, Margo and others impacted by the game’s toxic hold infiltrate the company and shut it down before it’s game over for everyone.

My Thoughts:

One of my more enjoyable Strands, I liked this one quite a lot. It was well-paced, with Jeff's usual macabre humour and enjoyment of gore. Not exactly a funny read, but perhaps a fun one.

This Book: has 240 pages, a community rating of 4.16.

3 stars to Red Dwarf: Titan: The hilarious, instant bestseller from the co-creator of the iconic TV show, by Rob Grant

Book Description:

Before the beginning... The mining ship Red Dwarf is in orbit around Saturnian moon Titan, and the bulk of the crew is heading down for their shore leave A strangely reluctant hen party; a relaxing cheaty golfing break; a terminally-boring cultural Odessey; a marathon drinking and fighting binge; a stomach-challenging culinary beanfeast and an invigoratingly violent tour of Shore Patrol... Menial chicken soup machine repairmen Dave Lister and Arnold Rimmer have slightly less noble ambitions. Rimmer is in search of some illicit exam-cheating tech, to land a much-lusted-for promotion, and Lister plans to acquire a cat to smuggle back on board as part of a nefarious scheme to return to Earth. Mainly they just want to get as far away from each other as possible. However, their objectives are scuppered when they receive a cryptic message... from the future. The two feuding crewmen are catapulted into a breakneck race to save not only this, but every other Reality. Along the way, they'll find themselves united again, for the first time, with some new, but somehow old friends, as they embark on a labyrinthian quest through the seediest, most dangerous underbelly of humankind's furthest outpost, where lurk bizarre off-worldly dangers and one mysterious hidden nemesis with an obscure, yet clearly lethal agenda. So strap yourself into your Holly Hop Drive, and set your bazookoids to "thrill" - the Dwarfers are taking on TITAN. 'Don't tell my mother I died with my arm up a gorilla's bottom.' 'But sir - it will be on the death certificate.'

My Thoughts:

I really wanted to enjoy this more, but much of it didn't land very well. The tone was quite off compared to the former books, the end of all possible universes is far too serious a hook to hang an ending on, and the whole thing just felt like flogging a bit of a dead horse, unfortunately. I liked it for the attempt, Chris's narration in parts of the audio was pretty funny, and occasionally a glimmering of the humour poked through. But all-told, this felt like an attempt to tap into something that's been and had its fun.

This Book: has 406 pages, a community rating of 3.83.

5 stars to Life After Hell (Poor Man's Fight Book 7), by Elliott Kay

My Thoughts:

I re-read No Man's Land to catch up on Tanner's latest escapades and flew straight into this. I had Becky Chambers vibes at points, things felt a little less military for a time, and yet the conflict and the combustibles all kicked-off just as satisfyingly as ever they did before. A classic entry in the series and one I enjoyed end-to-end.

This Book: has 708 pages, a community rating of 4.68.

Coming up

I'm a bit at sea with new releases and things at the moment, so what comes will come.