Second paragraph of third chapter:

Fairly high on the list, however, was: Why breakfast?

Third in Marske’s The Last Binding trilogy. I was not totally convinced by the first of this series, but liked the second much more. I’m afraid that the third lost me not quite half way through, with the protagonists of the previous two books bouncing off each other and around various Victorian (or was it Edwardian?) stately homes. I wasn’t interested enough in the characters or convinced enough by the details of the settings. So I put it down. You can get A Power Unbound here.

This was my top unread book acquired in 2024 (as part of the Hugo packet). Next on that pile is Red Rabbit, by Alex Grecian.

Second paragraph of third chapter:

A few groups of richly dressed people still lingered standing, like clusters of jewels hung from a woman’s throat, but most were seated. The steward who’d opened the door for Maud cleared his throat meaningfully.

Sequel to A Marvellous Light; I acquired them both as part of the 2022 Hugo packet and have the third still to go. It’s a sorcerous murder story set on an Edwardian transatlantic liner, with a lot of lesbian sex. Tremendous fun. Second of the series, and I had forgotten what happened in the first volume but enjoyed this anyway. You can get it here.

This was my top unread book by a woman. Next on that pile is Emily Wilson’s translation of The Iliad. (And we don’t really know what Homer’s gender identity was either.)