What Books did You Start or Finish Reading this Week?: October 19, 2026

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[u/lizwithhat]

Finished:

Fearful Symmetry, by Olivia Woods

This is a Star Trek: DS9 flip book telling two related stories, one from a Bajoran perspective (Kira Nerys) and the other from a Cardassian perspective (Iliana Ghemor). It was okay, but not great.

Unfit to Print, by K J Charles

K J Charles writes open-door queer romances in historical settings, which are always meticulously researched. They often touch on other period social issues – racism, poverty and sex work, in this case – but the focus is on entertaining through the romance. If you set your expectations accordingly, they're great, and this one was a good example.

Stille blutet, by Ursula Poznanski

Thriller set in Vienna involving a series of murders where each victim has announced their own death in advance via different media. I liked both premise and execution, as well as the female detective who has newly transferred in and has to struggle with the sexist partner she's been assigned to as well as with her own self-doubt. I plan to read the next in the series.

Scheiß auf Selflove, gib mir Klassenkampf: Eine neue Kapitalismuskritik, by Jean-Philippe Kindler

The title roughly translates to "To Hell With Self-love, Give Me Class Struggle: A New Critique of Capitalism". It's not really particularly new, imo, but it's well laid out and would make a good entry-point into class analysis for someone who doesn't fancy going straight to the 19th-century classics.

The first three on my "Started" list this week are unfortunately also DNFs – I was looking for something to fit a challenge prompt and either in a bad mood or just plain unlucky:

House of Margins, by Tlotlo Tsamaase

Felt like it turned into a different, more confusing book around the 25% mark.

No One is Talking About This, by Patricia Lockwood

Written in a very fragmentary style that I couldn't really get into.

The Pyramid of Needs, by Ernest Price

There was too much fatphobia on the page early on; I'm an eating disorder survivor, so I have to be careful how much of that I expose myself to.

However, I'm currently reading and do expect to finish these two:

Remote Control, by Nnedi Okorafor

The Jakarta Method: Washington's Anti-communist Crusade and the Mass Murder Program That Shaped Our World, by Vincent Bevins