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funkywoodjam.bsky.social
The FWJ
@funkywoodjam.bsky.social
86 followers 130 following 100 posts
TTRPG enthusiast, cat-dad, hockey fan, amateur historian, occasional poet, and recovering G and T kid.
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funkywoodjam.bsky.social
What I Read in 2024 19/19

Finally, the last books I read in 2024:
Secrets and Sacrifices by Cath Lauria
The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman

I recommend all of these, although "Secrets and Sacrifices" might not be for you if you're not into Call of Cthulhu.

💙📚 #booksky
The cover for Cath Lauria's "Secrets & Sacrifices" The book is available here: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/446891/Secrets--Sacrifices-Call-of-Cthulhu The cover for Lev Grossman's "The Bright Sword" The book is available here: https://interabangbooks.com/book/9780735224049 The cover for Leigh Bardugo's "The Familiar" The book is available here: https://interabangbooks.com/book/9781250884251
January 22, 2025 at 5:42 AM
funkywoodjam.bsky.social
What I Read in 2024 18/?

The largest reading project I finished this year was most of Allison Weir's "Six Tudor Queens" hexalogy. I started "Anne Boleyn: A King’s Obsession" in 2023, finished this up in 2024 and then went on to complete the next four volumes.

💙📚 #booksky
The cover to Allison Weir's "Katharine Parr: The Sixth Wife" The book is available here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/katharine-parr-the-sixth-wife-alison-weir/15078669?ean=9781101966655 The cover to Allison Weir's "Katheryn Howard: The Scandalous Queen" The book is available here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/katheryn-howard-the-scandalous-queen-alison-weir/8606659?ean=9781101966624 The cover to Allison Weir's "Anna of Kleve: The Princess in the Portrait" The book is available here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/anna-of-kleve-the-princess-in-the-portrait-alison-weir/8606591?ean=9781101966594 The cover to Allison Weir's "Jane Seymour: The Haunted Queen" The book is available here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/jane-seymour-the-haunted-queen-alison-weir/21008685?ean=9781101966563
January 20, 2025 at 11:39 PM
funkywoodjam.bsky.social
What I Read in 2024 17/?

And to finish out the #Battletech fiction I read this year, I read the following novels:
In the Shadow of the Dragon by Craig A. Reed
Without Question by @swankmotron.com
Ember of War by Jason Schmetzer
💙📚 #booksky
The cover for Craig A. Reed, Jr.'s "In the Shadow of the Dragon" The book is available here: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/486941/BattleTech-In-the-Shadow-of-the-Dragon The cover for Bryan Young's "Without Question" The book is available here: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/475957/BattleTech-Without-Question The cover for Jason Schmetzer's "Embers of War" The book is available here: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/176287/BattleTech-Embers-of-War
January 20, 2025 at 2:46 AM
funkywoodjam.bsky.social
What I Read in 2024 16/?

I also read the following #Battletech anthologies: "Gray Death Rising" by Jason Schmetzer, "The Mercenary Life" by Randall Bills, and the "Counterattack" BattleCorps anthology.
💙📚 #booksky
The cover for the "Gray Death Rising" collection of stories by Jason Schmetzer. The collection is available here: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/467530/BattleTech-Gray-Death-Rising-A-BattleTech-Collection?src=also_purchased The cover for the fifth anthology of BattleCorps fiction, "Counterattack" The anthology is available here: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/134644/BattleTech-Counterattack-BattleCorps-Anthology-Volume-5 The cover for "The Mercenary Life" a collection of storied by Randall N. Bills. The collection is available here: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/353757/BattleTech-The-Mercenary-Life-A-BattleTech-Anthology
January 20, 2025 at 2:42 AM
funkywoodjam.bsky.social
What I Read in 2024 15/?

Rounding out the #Battletech short-fiction I read this year is the Fortunes of War pentalogy: Giving Up the Ghost by Bryan Young, Blood Rage by Craig A. Reed, A Skulk of Foxes by Jason Hansa, Hounds at Bay by Geoff Swift, and Heavy is the Head by Phillip A. Lee
💙📚 #booksky
The cover for Geoff Swift's "Hounds at Bay" The story is available here: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/493741/BattleTech-Hounds-at-Bay-Fortunes-of-War-Novella-4?src=also_purchased The cover for Jason Hansa's "A Skulk of Foxes" The story is available here: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/489219/BattleTech-A-Skulk-of-Foxes-Fortunes-of-War-Novella-3 The cover for Craig A. Reed, Jr.'s story "Blood Rage" The story is available here: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/468645/BattleTech-Blood-Rage-Fortunes-of-War-Novella-2?src=also_purchased The cover for Bryan Young's story "Giving Up the Ghost" The story is available here: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/462288/BattleTech-Giving-up-the-Ghost-Fortunes-of-War-Novella-1?src=also_purchased
January 20, 2025 at 2:37 AM
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What I Read in 2024 14/?

More #Battletech short-fiction I read this year includes "A New Game" by Steven Mohan, Jr., "Emerald Sword" by Tom Leveen, and "Let Slip the Dogs of War" by Bluesky's own @swankmotron.com.
💙📚 #booksky
Cover for Tom Leveen's "Emerald Sword" The novella is available here: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/454399/BattleTech-Emerald-Sword-A-BattleTech-Novella?src=also_purchased The cover for Bryan Young's "Let Slip the Dogs of War" The novella is available here: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/493357/BattleTech-Let-Slip-the-Dogs-of-War-A-BattleTech-Novella
January 20, 2025 at 2:28 AM
funkywoodjam.bsky.social
What I Read in 2024 13/?

I filled in some of the spans between books with #Battletech short-fiction such as "Fang and Claw" by Michael Ciaravella, "Rules of Engagement" by Blaine Lee Pardoe, "The Field is Lost" by Lance Scarinci, and "Lethal Lessons" by Daniel Isberner
💙📚 #booksky
The cover for Daniel Isberner's "Lethal Lessons" The novella is available here: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/424753/BattleTech-Lethal-Lessons-A-BattleTech-Novella
January 20, 2025 at 2:20 AM
funkywoodjam.bsky.social
What I Read in 2024 12/?

I also finally took the plunge into #cosmere with the first #mistborn trilogy: The Final Empire, The Well of Ascension, and The Hero of Ages.

💙📚 #booksky
The cover of Brandon Sanderson's "The Final Empire" The book is available here: https://interabangbooks.com/book/9781250318541 The cover to Brandon Sanderson's "The Well of Ascension" The book is available here: https://interabangbooks.com/book/9781250318572 The cover to Brandon Sanderson's "The Hero of Ages" The book is available here: https://interabangbooks.com/book/9781250318626
January 15, 2025 at 5:43 AM
funkywoodjam.bsky.social
What I Read in 2024 11/?

In keeping with the genre fiction theme, I tried to read Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd & the Gray Mouser stories. I made it through Swords Against Death, Swords & Devilry, Swords Against Wizardry, Swords in the Mist, and The Swords of Lankhmar before I took a break.

💙📚 #booksky
Cover of Fritz Leiber's "Swords Against Death" The book is available here: https://interabangbooks.com/book/9781497699939 The cover of Fritz Leiber's "Swords and Deviltry" The book is available here: https://interabangbooks.com/book/9781497699922 The cover of Fritz Leiber's "Swords Against Wizardry" The book is available here: https://interabangbooks.com/book/9781504068925
January 15, 2025 at 5:36 AM
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Post your favorite Doctor Who. Wrong answers only.
Richard Nixon
January 13, 2025 at 7:22 PM
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What I Read in 2024 10/?

Quag Keep by Andre Norton gets its own post. I dug this up because it is the first #D&D novel. Written after Andre had played a game with Gary Gygax, it was fascinating to see a bit of Greyhawk before it coalesced into the product it is today.
💙📚

#booksky #dnd
The cover to Andre Norton's "Quag Keep" from the DAW Books paperback edition. The book is available here: https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31950664880
January 13, 2025 at 5:09 AM
funkywoodjam.bsky.social
What I Read in 2024 9/?

And we're back after a brief break so I could prep a #Deltagreen game. Continuing on the #battletech tip, I read four issues of Shrapnel this past year: 15, 16, 17, and 18.

I usually read these as soon as they come out and have already plowed through issue 19

💙📚
#booksky
Cover for Shrapnel #18. This is available here: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/494251/BattleTech-Shrapnel-Issue-18-The-Official-BattleTech-Magazine Cover for Shrapnel #17 This is available here: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/483563/BattleTech-Shrapnel-Issue-17-The-Official-BattleTech-Magazine Cover for Shrapnel #16 This is available here: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/474146/BattleTech-Shrapnel-Issue-16-The-Official-BattleTech-Magazine Cover for Shrapnel #15 This is available here: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/463608/BattleTech-Shrapnel-Issue-15-The-Official-BattleTech-Magazine
January 8, 2025 at 4:37 AM
funkywoodjam.bsky.social

What I Read in 2024 8/?

Delving into licensed fiction, I continued my attempt to catch up on the #Battletech Dark age novels with:
Wolf Hunters by Kevin Killiany
Surrender Your Dreams by Blaine Lee Pardoe
Dragon Rising by Ilsa J. Bick

Only seven more Dark Age novels to go!

💙📚 #booksky
Cover for Ilsa J. Bick's "Dragon Rising" The book is available here: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/391050/BattleTech-Legends-Dragon-Rising The cover for Blaine Lee Pardoe's "Surrender Your Dreams" The book is available here: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/390195/BattleTech-Legends-Surrender-Your-Dreams the cover for Kevin Killiany's "Wolf Hunters" The book is available here: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/385074/BattleTech-Legends-Wolf-Hunters
January 3, 2025 at 5:16 PM
funkywoodjam.bsky.social
What I Read in 2024 7/?

Rounding out the non-fiction for the year, I read Bob Woodward's "Fear", David Dean Barrett's "140 Days to Hiroshima", and Rashid Khalid's "Resurrecting Empire"/

💙📚

#booksky
The cover for Rashid Khalidi's "Resurrecting Empire" The book is available here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/resurrecting-empire-western-footprints-and-america-s-perilous-path-in-the-middle-east-rashid-khalidi/8990897?ean=9780807002353 The cover for David Dean Barrett's "140 Days to Hiroshima" The book is available here: https://interabangbooks.com/book/9781635767520 The cover to Bob Woodward's "Fear" The book is available here: https://interabangbooks.com/book/9781501175527
January 3, 2025 at 5:10 PM
funkywoodjam.bsky.social
What I Read in 2024 6/?

Turning to English history, I read Dan Jones' "The Plantagenets" and "The Hollow Crown" and finished off the year with Philippa Langley's "The Princes in the Tower."

Jones' "Henry V" is in the queue for 2025.
💙📚

#booksky
Cover for Dan Jones' "The Hollow Crown" The book is available here: https://www.abebooks.com/9780571288076/Hollow-Crown-Dan-Jones-0571288073/plp The cover for Philippa Langley's "The Princes in the Tower" The book is available here: https://interabangbooks.com/book/9781639366279 The cover for Dan Jones' "The Plantagenets" The book is available here: https://interabangbooks.com/book/9780143124924
January 3, 2025 at 12:47 AM
funkywoodjam.bsky.social
What I Read in 2024 4/?

My wife encouraged me to pick up @rickriordan.bsky.social's Percy Jackson series in preparation for the Disney+ series in 2023. I continued with "The Sea of Monsters" and "The Titan's Curse" in 2024. Like with several other series I hope to finish in 2025.

💙📚

#booksky
Cover for "The Titan's Curse," book 3 of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. The book is available here: https://interabangbooks.com/book/9781368051484 Cover for "The Sea of Monsters," book 2 of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. The book is available here: https://interabangbooks.com/book/9781368051491
January 3, 2025 at 12:32 AM
funkywoodjam.bsky.social
What I Read in 2024 5/?

Inspired by media consumed this year I finally managed to read through Clavell's "Shogun," tackled "Masters of the Air" by Donald L. Miller, and Jake Adelstein's "The Last Yakuza."

💙📚

#booksky
The media tie-in cover of James Clavell's "Shogun" The book is available here: https://interabangbooks.com/book/9798212173476 The cover for Miller's "Masters of the Air" The book is available here: https://interabangbooks.com/book/9780743235457 The cover for Adelstein's "The Last Yakuza" The book is available here: https://interabangbooks.com/book/9781957363578
January 1, 2025 at 6:33 PM
funkywoodjam.bsky.social
What I Read in 2024 3/?

Combine the Rook and Rose trilogy with Roger Crowley's history of Venice, "City of Fortune," and I think my #D&D players can look forward to some Venice-themed shenanigans in the future, particularly for the Oops, All Rogues game.

💙📚
#booksky
Cover for Roger Crowley's "City of Fortune" The book is available here: https://interabangbooks.com/book/9780812980226
January 1, 2025 at 5:03 PM
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What I Read in 2024 2/?

My favorite read of the year was @macarrick.bsky.social's Rook and Rose trilogy: The Mask of Mirrors, The Liar's Knot, and Labyrinth's Heart.

💙📚
#booksky
Cover for M. A. Carrick's "The Mask of Mirrors." The book is available here: https://interabangbooks.com/book/9780316539678 The cover for M. A. Carrick's "The Liar's Knot" The book is available here: https://interabangbooks.com/book/9780316539715 The cover for M. A. Carrick's "Labyrinth's Heart" The book is available here: https://interabangbooks.com/book/9780316539739
January 1, 2025 at 4:59 PM
funkywoodjam.bsky.social
What I Read in 2024 1/?

To start off the year I knocked out C.S. Forrester's "The Good Shepherd" and John le Carre's The Spy Who Came in From the Cold". I very much enjoyed both of these and intend to return to le Carre, at least, at some point.

💙📚 #booksky
The cover for C. S. Forester's The Good Shepherd which depicts personnel standing on the deck of a ship by a depth charge launcher. The ship is presumably a destroyer. They are watching an explosion in the middle distance while you can see another ship on the horizon. This book is available here: https://interabangbooks.com/book/9780143134121 The cover for John le Carre's The Spy Who Came in From the Cold. The cover depicts a bicycle which looks to have been hit by a car. It is lying in the snow and there are blood drops scattered about. At the top of the image you can see a pair of feet clad in shoes and up to about the trouser cuff. This book is available here: https://interabangbooks.com/book/9780143124757
January 1, 2025 at 8:41 AM
funkywoodjam.bsky.social
3/3

And somehow I forgot to include the picture of the TROs in the original post.
The covers for the Recognition Guide Vol. 1: Classics and Vol. 2: Ilclan
December 31, 2024 at 11:02 PM
funkywoodjam.bsky.social
2/?

And the #Battletech additions to the collection, which includes the first TROs I have purchased since TRO: 3055 was released in 1992.

I also purchased three each of the Clan Invasion, Mercenaries, and Battlefield Support salvage boxes.

Guess I need to get painting.
December 31, 2024 at 10:58 PM
funkywoodjam.bsky.social
1/?

One of my flgs' runs a buy-two-get-three sale from 12/26 through 12/31. Combine this with my Christmas bonus and it turns into a bit of a mess.

#callofcthulhu #dnd #ttrpg #runequest #thirstyswordlesbians
December 31, 2024 at 10:58 PM
funkywoodjam.bsky.social
On the twelfth day of 'Mechmas l, delay due to transit time from the jump point, the Home Clans gave to me a Dragonfly.

#mechmas #battletech
Plastic miniature of the Viper/Dragonfly omnimech from Catalyst Game Labs for Battletech.
December 27, 2024 at 6:51 AM
funkywoodjam.bsky.social
On the eleventh day of 'Mechmas Clan Sea Fox had a special on Crossbows so we bought one.

#battletech #mechmas
Plastic Crossbow miniature from Catalyst Game Labs for Battletech.
December 23, 2024 at 4:48 AM