# So what are you reading this year 2021?



## Nellisir

New year, new thread.
Between my gf and myself I got _The Expanse RPG_; _Deep Magic_; and _The Compendium of Forgotten Secrets: Awakening_ for RPG books so far, so that's what I've been occupied with. Really impressed by all of them.


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## Eyes of Nine

I've been reading the Sandman Slim novels. I'm not sure how much I like them. They are ok, and I like the punk rock attitude of the main character; but often I find the interrelationships between everyone confusing. I'm 5 books in; and while indeed there was a long break between me reading 1&2 and 3-5 recently, there are a lot of characters who come back that I'm like - uh, is that person important?

Just started 1st book of _Murderbot Diaries_. Looking forward to it, have heard good things.


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## Zaukrie

A Song for Arbonne. He's the best writer.....


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## Levistus's_Leviathan

I'm currently reading the Arc of a Scythe series by Neil Shusterman. I'm on the third and final book, and the series is a really good read. It contains a very unique and realistic utopic world. I definitely recommend it.


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## GreyLord

Well, last year I set out to read the Neuromancer series and the Wheel of Time series.  Finished the First easy, didn't finish the second.  Got bogged down by Wheel of Time but managed to eek out finishing Book 11.  Started Book 12 (the Gathering Storm) over Christmas and it's actually moving a LOT faster (or at least a lot more fun reading it) and already 2/3 of the way through.  Figure I'll actually finish the WoT series this year, if the last few books are like Book 12, probably within the next month.

After that, perhaps Redwall.  I've also gotten several history books to refresh my memory on the History of Great Britain (so, not just Britain, but England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales with various books detailing the history of each).


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## Nellisir

Eyes of Nine said:


> I've been reading the Sandman Slim novels. I'm not sure how much I like them. They are ok, and I like the punk rock attitude of the main character; but often I find the interrelationships between everyone confusing. I'm 5 books in; and while indeed there was a long break between me reading 1&2 and 3-5 recently, there are a lot of characters who come back that I'm like - uh, is that person important?
> 
> Just started 1st book of _Murderbot Diaries_. Looking forward to it, have heard good things.



I felt basically the same way about Sandman Slim. It's fine, but honestly Mike Carey's series is a lot better.

Murderbot IS THE BEST!!!!


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## Eyes of Nine

The books I got for Christmas...
Piers Anthony _Macroscope_
EL Doctorow _Ragtime_
Barry Hughart _Bridge of Birds_

Just finished _Murderbot Diaries vol 1 All Systems Red_ and super enjoyed it.


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## Nellisir

Eyes of Nine said:


> The books I got for Christmas...
> Piers Anthony _Macroscope_
> EL Doctorow _Ragtime_
> Barry Hughart _Bridge of Birds_
> 
> Just finished _Murderbot Diaries vol 1 All Systems Red_ and super enjoyed it.



Dude. _Bridge of Birds_. Number Ten Ox. Master Li has a slight flaw in his character. 

Also, I'm currently reading _Karen Memory_, also by Elizabeth Bear. (I think I've been confusing her with Elizabeth Moon.) She is really good, and I am absolutely going to search out more of her books. Murderbot is so worth it.


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## Nellisir

I happened to be at the Book Warehouse yesterday. I don't exactly need more books, but I had to pick up my daughter in the outlet mall.... Turned out to be a major score.

_Karen Memory_, by Elizabeth Bear, which was on my Amazon shortlist.
_Assassin's Fate_, by Robin Hobb, which was on my Amazon shortlist.
_The Edge of Worlds_, by Martha Wells. I'm kinda meh on the Raksura books but I REALLY like everything else Martha Wells has done, so...
_Agatha H and the Voice of the Castle_, by Phil and Kaja Foglio. I've read the first book and enjoyed it, and..Phil Foglio. Can't go wrong.
_Dragon Weather_, by Lawrence Watt-Evans. I don't know this one, but I generally know of Lawrence Watt-Evans and I'm cool with taking a chance.


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## Richards

I finished _Crooked River_ (which was good) and am now starting a rather lengthy novel by Pamela Sargent called _Venus of Dreams_.  It's apparently a multigenerational saga about the future colonization of the planet Venus and has spawned a sequel or two.  I don't recall having read anything of hers, but the back cover blurb sounded interesting and at 536 pages for a 50-cent paperback from a library book sale I'm getting quite the bargain if it's good.

Johnathan


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## BookTenTiger

I like to start each year by reading the_ Best American Short Stories_ for that year. I've just started this year's batch. My partner also got me a subscription to my local book store's book of the month... They always pick out really interesting new books! So right now I'm also reading a collection of rather surreal stories by Mexican writer Julián Herbert called _Bring Me the Head of Quentin Tarantino_.

On my pile of books to read this year I have _The Water Dancer_ by Ta-Nehesi Coats, _Conversations with Friends _by Sally Rooney, and others!


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## Alzrius

I'm finishing up one or two holdovers from last year, but I'm excited to start reading Jon Peterson's (the author of _Playing at the World_ and co-author of _Art & Arcana_) new book _The Elusive Shift: How Role-Playing Games Forged Their Identity_ (affiliate link).


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## Mallus

I just finished Agatha Christie's _The Big Four_. It's a short Hercule Poirot novel that reads like a child wrote a spy adventure while on cocaine. It's kinda terrible, but fun. I'm going to try her _Death on the Nile _next.

I'm also reading the new-ish translation of Lem's _Solaris _and Becky Chamber's 2nd Wayfarers book.


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## Nellisir

BookTenTiger said:


> I like to start each year by reading the_ Best American Short Stories_ for that year. I've just started this year's batch. My partner also got me a subscription to my local book store's book of the month... They always pick out really interesting new books! So right now I'm also reading a collection of rather surreal stories by Mexican writer Julián Herbert called _Bring Me the Head of Quentin Tarantino_.
> 
> On my pile of books to read this year I have _The Water Dancer_ by Ta-Nehesi Coats, _Conversations with Friends _by Sally Rooney, and others!



That sounds like a pretty excellent mixture. I used to have dreams of being a Well-Rounded Reader and reading all kinds of Posh Lit'rit'chur, but genre fiction is way too much fun for me to do more than occasionally dabble elsewhere. 

(A really good friend did get me a collection of Donald Hall's essays, but I'm not sure that counts because he only lived a few miles away and I drive by his old house fair often. So I'm inclined to read him anyways; he wrote about _*my*_ world.)

*Edit:* I read _Karen Memory_. Not as good as Murderbot, but then, what is? Still a good read, particularly if you're a fan of Cherie Priest's historical steampunk work - it's the same playbook. 4/5
And because I can't walk into a used bookstore and NOT buy a book, and because I had exactly $1.85 in my pocket and it was exactly $1.85 after VT tax (TAXING BOOKS IS BLASPHEMY YOU HEATHEN HIPPY LOTUS ICE CREAM EATERS!!!!); I picked up _Hawkmistress_, by Marion Zimmer Bradley. A Darkover novel.


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## Mallus

BookTenTiger said:


> I like to start each year by reading the_ Best American Short Stories_ for that year. I've just started this year's batch.



I remember when I used to do that! Nowadays I find I barely read short fiction. Last collection I read was Denis Johnson's _The Largesse of the Sea Maiden_ - which was excellent, BTW.


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## BookTenTiger

Mallus said:


> I just finished Agatha Christie's _The Big Four_. It's a short Hercule Poirot novel that reads like a child wrote a spy adventure while on cocaine. It's kinda terrible, but fun. I'm going to try her _Death on the Nile _next.
> 
> I'm also reading the new-ish translation of Lem's _Solaris _and Becky Chamber's 2nd Wayfarers book.



Yeah, I was going through a real Agatha Christie kick, and The Big Four killed it for me. Definitely not her finest work.


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## BookTenTiger

Mallus said:


> I remember when I used to do that! Nowadays I find I barely read short fiction. Last collection I read was Denis Johnson's _The Largesse of the Sea Maiden_ - which was excellent, BTW.



I love, love, love short fiction. I just read, back to back, two volumes of Alice Munro's short stories. As I said to a friend, somehow the quotidian lives of Canadian women is just the escapism I need right now.

I usually pick up the O'Henry Awards Short Stories for the year around now, but it looks like that collection has been delayed.


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## KahlessNestor

GreyLord said:


> Well, last year I set out to read the Neuromancer series and the Wheel of Time series.  Finished the First easy, didn't finish the second.  Got bogged down by Wheel of Time but managed to eek out finishing Book 11.  Started Book 12 (the Gathering Storm) over Christmas and it's actually moving a LOT faster (or at least a lot more fun reading it) and already 2/3 of the way through.  Figure I'll actually finish the WoT series this year, if the last few books are like Book 12, probably within the next month.
> 
> After that, perhaps Redwall.  I've also gotten several history books to refresh my memory on the History of Great Britain (so, not just Britain, but England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales with various books detailing the history of each).




That's the first of the Brandon Sanderson books. He paces really well, so it should go fast. Love Sanderson. My favorite living author. I haven't read Wheel of Time, though, so haven't read those.


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## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Exploring Eberron_ by Keith Baker.

Still reading _Searching for Bobby Fischer._

Finished reading _Proven Guilty_ by Jim Butcher.

Finished reading _The Last Threshold_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Finished reading _The World of Critical Role: The History Behind the Epic Fantasy_ by Liz Marsham & the cast of Critical Role.

Still reading _Rhythm of War _by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Hillbilly Elegy _by J. D. Vance.

Started reading _Killing Crazy Horse: The Merciless Indian Wars in America_ by Bill O'Reilly & Martin Dugard.


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## Nellisir

I want to say, I love the wide variety of books and reading people here engage in. I pay attention to what people read and enjoy (or not), and look for those books, even if they're outside my normal habits.


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## Ralif Redhammer

Neuromancer is still a razor-sharp read. As for WoT, yeah, that middle stretch slog is a real momentum-killer.



GreyLord said:


> Well, last year I set out to read the Neuromancer series and the Wheel of Time series.  Finished the First easy, didn't finish the second.  Got bogged down by Wheel of Time but managed to eek out finishing Book 11.  Started Book 12 (the Gathering Storm) over Christmas and it's actually moving a LOT faster (or at least a lot more fun reading it) and already 2/3 of the way through.  Figure I'll actually finish the WoT series this year, if the last few books are like Book 12, probably within the next month.




I finished reading Moorcock's The Knight of the Swords. Beautifully written, and melancholy.

Next up is Barry Strauss' The Battle of Salamis. I know relatively little about the event, so I'm looking forward to giving it a read.


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## HawaiiSteveO

Ballad of Song Birds and Snakes, Suzanne Collins - pretty fun light read after finishing Rhythm of War..!


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## Eyes of Nine

Nellisir said:


> And because I can't walk into a used bookstore and NOT buy a book, and because I had exactly $1.85 in my pocket and it was exactly $1.85 after VT tax (TAXING BOOKS IS BLASPHEMY YOU HEATHEN HIPPY LOTUS ICE CREAM EATERS!!!!); I picked up _Hawkmistress_, by Marion Zimmer Bradley. A Darkover novel.



My "retirement dream job" is to open a used bookstore. (I'll also have a bike shop and a cafe all in one set of 3 spaces next to each other - and my wife will have a thrift store on the end) We'll be depending on you and 10,000 others' $1.60


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## corwyn77

I picked up The Expanse and Savage Rifts and Cyberpunk 2020 in the last month so I'm skimming those, plus reading Doctor Sleep and The Gripping Hand. 

Also going through GURPS Monster Hunters for an upcoming game.


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## KahlessNestor

Ralif Redhammer said:


> Neuromancer is still a razor-sharp read. As for WoT, yeah, that middle stretch slog is a real momentum-killer.
> 
> 
> 
> I finished reading Moorcock's The Knight of the Swords. Beautifully written, and melancholy.
> 
> Next up is Barry Strauss' The Battle of Salamis. I know relatively little about the event, so I'm looking forward to giving it a read.



I've not read the book, but I know the Battle of Salamis. Important naval battle. I'll have to look up the book.


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## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Exploring Eberron_ by Keith Baker.

Still reading _Searching for Bobby Fischer._

Started reading _White Night_ by Jim Butcher.

Started reading _The Companions_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _Rhythm of War _by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Hillbilly Elegy _by J. D. Vance.

Still reading _Killing Crazy Horse: The Merciless Indian Wars in America_ by Bill O'Reilly & Martin Dugard.


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## Marc_C

Eyes of Nine said:


> The books I got for Christmas...
> Piers Anthony _Macroscope_
> EL Doctorow _Ragtime_
> Barry Hughart _Bridge of Birds_
> 
> Just finished _Murderbot Diaries vol 1 All Systems Red_ and super enjoyed it.



Bridge of Birds. Such a classic!


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## Ralif Redhammer

My previous knowledge of it pretty much begins and ends at "Athenian Navy defeats the Persians." So far, I'm digging the book, as it sets the scene and brings the world to life.



KahlessNestor said:


> I've not read the book, but I know the Battle of Salamis. Important naval battle. I'll have to look up the book.




Gods, retiring and opening a used bookstore does sound lovely. My vague plan for retirement is to volunteer or work part-time at a library. After taking a transatlantic cruise, that is.



Eyes of Nine said:


> My "retirement dream job" is to open a used bookstore. (I'll also have a bike shop and a cafe all in one set of 3 spaces next to each other - and my wife will have a thrift store on the end) We'll be depending on you and 10,000 others' $1.60


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## Nellisir

Eyes of Nine said:


> My "retirement dream job" is to open a used bookstore. (I'll also have a bike shop and a cafe all in one set of 3 spaces next to each other - and my wife will have a thrift store on the end) We'll be depending on you and 10,000 others' $1.60



I've got...a considerable number of books around. And my gf has friends who a) run an independent bookstore (hybrid of new & used books), and b) might be downsizing. I'm not looking to buy them out or take over their business directly (they're in north-central PA; I'm in New Hampshire and OMG we are STARVED for good used bookstores here), but seriously looking into it something bookstore-related is on my list for 2021. I live near Concord NH. Capitol city. Very nice. No used bookstores. Two bookstores total. The downtown one I used to work at is now a bagel place. I've been toying with the idea of doing something mobile. Much cheaper to get a street vendor license than a storefront. And if I could set up in front of, or near, the state house a couple days a week it'd be gold.

Edit: I'm not rich, and the startup costs of a business terrify me. Plus, I'm not overly "business-minded", so starting small and minimizing costs are key. I'm at least going to hit flea markets and the like this year, selling some of what I have around (both books and other).

Edit edit: And as long as I'm rambling, I was in Manchester VT the other day (meeting my ex to get my daughter) and wandered into the Manchester Woodcraft store. Almost died from envy. Woodshop in one part of the building, store in the other. Nothing in the store I couldn't make. I might want that more than a bookshop. (Incidently, the name Wicked Good Books is TAKEN by some place in Salem MA and I'm most wroth about it.)


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## aco175

My son received those D&D books aimed at young people- Young adventurer's guides or such that I will most likely read.  I tend to put the golf magazines away until March when the snow starts to melt where I live.  I would like to collect all the Casca books again and read those.  I also think there are a few new ones from another author since Barry Sadler died.


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## Ryujin

I just received my copy of the "Fartherall Companion", by Matt Vancil (writer of "The Gamers" series of movies, JourneyQuest, etc.). This is going to take quite a while to read through. It's a comprehensive "world bible" for the universe in which Matt's works are set. It covers 9 ages of the world, the various races, politics, cosmology.... AND it's 458 pages long!  

I'll be a while. Please hold my calls.


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## doctorbadwolf

Zaukrie said:


> A Song for Arbonne. He's the best writer.....



Gods above I love that book. 

“I guess it was a love song, after all...” <cries in nerd>


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## doctorbadwolf

Last year I started listening to every book of the Dresden Files, read by James Marsters. I managed to read all the novels except Battle Ground (book 347 of the series), and right now I’m listening to Side Jobs, then I will go back to the next novel. 

When my wife is done with it, I’ll read Harrow The Ninth, sequel to Gideon The Ninth, which was one of the best sci-fantasy books I’ve ever read.

I also have Graveyard Boys waiting for me on audible.

I also listened to Ysabel last year, and have a powerful need to listen to more GG Kay this year, but I also need to finish the delightful Darker Shade of Magic series...


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## Ath-kethin

I'm reading old Eberron novels for myself, and once I finish this trilogy I'm going to catch up on various China Mieville books I've purchased but never read. Maybe I'll even get to that several-year-old Dying Earth omnibus.

When it comes to bedtime reading for my 7yo, we're almost halfway through Dragons of Winter Night and going strong. The kid absolutely loves the story and my poor spouse no longer even gets a turn reading (we used to trade off who read each night, with different books) since the demand for Dragonlance is so high.

It's pretty cool.


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## Eyes of Nine

Nellisir said:


> I've got...a considerable number of books around. And my gf has friends who a) run an independent bookstore (hybrid of new & used books), and b) might be downsizing. I'm not looking to buy them out or take over their business directly (they're in north-central PA; I'm in New Hampshire and OMG we are STARVED for good used bookstores here), but seriously looking into it something bookstore-related is on my list for 2021. I live near Concord NH. Capitol city. Very nice. No used bookstores. Two bookstores total. The downtown one I used to work at is now a bagel place. I've been toying with the idea of doing something mobile. Much cheaper to get a street vendor license than a storefront. And if I could set up in front of, or near, the state house a couple days a week it'd be gold.
> 
> Edit: I'm not rich, and the startup costs of a business terrify me. Plus, I'm not overly "business-minded", so starting small and minimizing costs are key. I'm at least going to hit flea markets and the like this year, selling some of what I have around (both books and other).
> 
> Edit edit: And as long as I'm rambling, I was in Manchester VT the other day (meeting my ex to get my daughter) and wandered into the Manchester Woodcraft store. Almost died from envy. Woodshop in one part of the building, store in the other. Nothing in the store I couldn't make. I might want that more than a bookshop. (Incidently, the name Wicked Good Books is TAKEN by some place in Salem MA and I'm most wroth about it.)



I'm pretty much at the other end of the US, in the Santa Barbara CA area. We've got 3 used bookstores in town (one is a hybrid). I managed then owned a comic/game store for 12 years, so I can do retail... But for my dream, I'll need 3 solid managers - one for each segment of my stores.

I've got it all planned out, except where I'll source the ~$1M or so needed to get this thing started


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## KahlessNestor

Nellisir said:


> I've got...a considerable number of books around. And my gf has friends who a) run an independent bookstore (hybrid of new & used books), and b) might be downsizing. I'm not looking to buy them out or take over their business directly (they're in north-central PA; I'm in New Hampshire and OMG we are STARVED for good used bookstores here), but seriously looking into it something bookstore-related is on my list for 2021. I live near Concord NH. Capitol city. Very nice. No used bookstores. Two bookstores total. The downtown one I used to work at is now a bagel place. I've been toying with the idea of doing something mobile. Much cheaper to get a street vendor license than a storefront. And if I could set up in front of, or near, the state house a couple days a week it'd be gold.
> 
> Edit: I'm not rich, and the startup costs of a business terrify me. Plus, I'm not overly "business-minded", so starting small and minimizing costs are key. I'm at least going to hit flea markets and the like this year, selling some of what I have around (both books and other).
> 
> Edit edit: And as long as I'm rambling, I was in Manchester VT the other day (meeting my ex to get my daughter) and wandered into the Manchester Woodcraft store. Almost died from envy. Woodshop in one part of the building, store in the other. Nothing in the store I couldn't make. I might want that more than a bookshop. (Incidently, the name Wicked Good Books is TAKEN by some place in Salem MA and I'm most wroth about it.)



That book kiosk sounds cool. Have you seen those "take a book, leave a book" boxes on people's sidewalks? You could even have a small one of those in your shop, for those newer/best selling/cheap paperback type titles, too, possibly.


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## Zaukrie

Started Tales From The Dying Earth..... hard to embrace after the higher quality of writing i just finished, but I'll get into it eventually....


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## Ralif Redhammer

I finished reading the Battle of Salamis. A wonderful account of that pivotal conflict. Next up is Fritz Leiber's The Swords of Lankhmar. I went years without realizing I had a hole in my Fafhrd & Grey Mouser collections somehow, so I'm looking forward to reading some all-new-to-me content.


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## trappedslider

I'm reading Alas, Babylon again,as part of my nuclear war/world war 3 kick. After i finish it,i'll read Ready Player Two. Also picked up the PHB for 5th.


One book/series I read during my kick was the Computerized Attack/Defense System series. It's  currently 8 books on kindle. It has a typical 80s  action b movie feel. The suits are like the description of the mobile infantry suits from Starship troopers,but with the long list of capabilities that the Ironman suit has. As the series goes on it starts to break my suspension of disbelief. The first book was okay,but it starts to break down towards book 3 and on.


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## hawkeyefan

So the last couple of years my reading has really fallen off. I used to read a good amount. But then I had kids.

Not entirely fair to blame it all on the kids, though. My phone has been a real distraction for a while, and I’ve also been reading a lot of RPG books.

But I want to get back to reading more novels.

I’m currently wrapping up Joe Hill’s “NOS4A2”. It’s solid and entertaining. Very much like his father’s work but with a bit more modern of a voice.

Once I’m done with that, I need to catch up on my Joe Abercrombie. So “Red Country” will be next. I need to read that (finally) before I can start the new trilogy (I have both books already).

Then “Perdido Street Station” will follow. My wife got it for me for Christmas. My reading of China Mieville is limited to some of his comic work and I’ve meant to get to this book for some time, but for some reason my local B&N never had a copy.

We’ll see. I used to be able to bang out a couple decent sized books like these in a few weeks. Hopefully, it won’t be July and I post how I’m halfway through Red Country.


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## Eyes of Nine

hawkeyefan said:


> Then “Perdido Street Station” will follow. My wife got it for me for Christmas. My reading of China Mieville is limited to some of his comic work and I’ve meant to get to this book for some time, but for some reason my local B&N never had a copy.



Will be interested in hearing your opinion of Perdido.


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## Blue

Late coming to the party, but I've finally started reading Malazan Book of the Fallen series.  I'm just a bit into Gardens of the Moon.

My immediate TBR pile includes The Riddlemaster of Hed by Patricia A. McKillip, Syd Field's Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting, and The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin.  Oh, and I started and put aside The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. with holiday hectic-ness that I should pick back up - but it wasn't quite engaging me.

I see several mentions of Bridge of Birds. Really enjoyed it, and I saw a used copy of all three books in one cheap so I picked it up even though I own the first. Anyone have any experience with the other books in the series? It doesn't seem set up for a sequel.


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## Nellisir

Finished _Agatha H and the Voice of the Castle_, by Phil and Kaja Foglio. I'm going to go ahead and say 5/5, because it's a really good/fun read and compelling enough that I'm going to search out the one I (think) I have and get whatever I'm missing. PROBABLY the most Pratchett-like voice I've read aside from Pratchett himself (not the social satire side, just the humor and asides). It's a hefty book (good paper) and 484 pages, so it took me quite a bit longer than expected. On the down side, I have no idea who some of the characters were towards the end. They all just blurred.

My gf gets bookstore credit from her mother every year. Like, a really large amount. And she finally realized that she doesn't have to buy certain books anymore (unlike her previous job, which required a lot of reading according to certain criteria), and can buy ANYTHING. So she's also getting ME books. (I'm starting to get freaked out by how many books I've gotten in the past few months. Even for me it's insane. I've lost track. All half-price/gifts/used.)

Anyways, I'm closing in on the complete collection of Andrew Lang fairy books; got _Noi_r by Christopher Moore, and the three most recent Arkady Renko books by Martin Cruz Smith: _Three Stations_; _Tatiana_; _The Siberian Dilemma_.


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## Nellisir

Blue said:


> I see several mentions of Bridge of Birds. Really enjoyed it, and I saw a used copy of all three books in one cheap so I picked it up even though I own the first. Anyone have any experience with the other books in the series? It doesn't seem set up for a sequel.



I wrote a reply, but it didn't post or something?
Anyways, I love the _Riddlemaster of Hed_ and NK Jemisin.

The sequels to _Bridge of Birds_ are, basically, forgettable. It was lightning in a bottle, I guess. Barry Hughart apparently had an appalling time with his publishers (and hated that he was lumped in the fantasy genre), and quit writing after those three just so he wouldn't have to deal with them. He recently died, alas.


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## Eyes of Nine

Nellisir said:


> Finished _Agatha H and the Voice of the Castle_, by Phil and Kaja Foglio. I'm going to go ahead and say 5/5, because it's a really good/fun read and compelling enough that I'm going to search out the one I (think) I have and get whatever I'm missing. PROBABLY the most Pratchett-like voice I've read aside from Pratchett himself (not the social satire side, just the humor and asides). It's a hefty book (good paper) and 484 pages, so it took me quite a bit longer than expected. On the down side, I have no idea who some of the characters were towards the end. They all just blurred.
> 
> My gf gets bookstore credit from her mother every year. Like, a really large amount. And she finally realized that she doesn't have to buy certain books anymore (unlike her previous job, which required a lot of reading according to certain criteria), and can buy ANYTHING. So she's also getting ME books. (I'm starting to get freaked out by how many books I've gotten in the past few months. Even for me it's insane. I've lost track. All half-price/gifts/used.)
> 
> Anyways, I'm closing in on the complete collection of Andrew Lang fairy books; got _Noi_r by Christopher Moore, and the three most recent Arkady Renko books by Martin Cruz Smith: _Three Stations_; _Tatiana_; _The Siberian Dilemma_.




Ok, just ducked (alternate search engine duckduckgo) "Andrew Lang Fairy" and


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## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Exploring Eberron_ by Keith Baker.

Still reading _Searching for Bobby Fischer._

Still reading _White Night_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _The Companions_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _Rhythm of War _by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Hillbilly Elegy _by J. D. Vance.

Finished reading _Killing Crazy Horse: The Merciless Indian Wars in America_ by Bill O'Reilly & Martin Dugard.

Started reading _The Battle of Salamis _by Barry Strauss.


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## Ralif Redhammer

I finished Leiber's The Swords of Lankhmar. I was honestly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. My general feeling is that the latter you go in the series and the longer the story, the worse in quality. Yet Swords never dragged, kept that snappy dialog and action that the best Fafhrd and Grey Mouser tales have.

Next up is Hannes Bok's The Sorcerer's Ship.


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## Nellisir

Ralif Redhammer said:


> Next up is Hannes Bok's The Sorcerer's Ship.



Oh, I think I have that! I'll see if I can find it & read it!


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## Ralif Redhammer

I've only casually bumped into the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series, but am starting to pay more attention to it. The late 60s/early 70s had such a groundswell of interest in fantasy in music, art, and literature that contributed to the creation and popularity of D&D.



Nellisir said:


> Oh, I think I have that! I'll see if I can find it & read it!


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

I finished Bok's The Sorcerer's Ship. Quite enjoyable, with an unexpected ending that made me love it even more. And even though it's not in Appendix N, it feels like it should be. There's illusion and healing magic, even sort-of clay golems. The illusion magic especially feels like an influence on D&D. It's specifically called out that an illusion of flame generated no heat.

Next up, Anthony A. Barrett's Rome Is Burning: Nero and the Fire That Ended a Dynasty.


----------



## Nellisir

Ralif Redhammer said:


> I finished Bok's The Sorcerer's Ship. Quite enjoyable, with an unexpected ending that made me love it even more. And even though it's not in Appendix N, it feels like it should be. There's illusion and healing magic, even sort-of clay golems. The illusion magic especially feels like an influence on D&D. It's specifically called out that an illusion of flame generated no heat.
> 
> Next up, Anthony A. Barrett's Rome Is Burning: Nero and the Fire That Ended a Dynasty.



I haven't found my copy yet. Sad face. But that's a great review to hear!


----------



## dragoner

Just finishing The Fall of the Towers by Samuel Delany, thinking about Oath of Fealty by Niven, supposedly the origin of the "Feudal Technocracy" thrown around so much in sci-fi of that era, including Traveller's Third Imperium setting. Not super excited about that book though. I did get an Amazon card, so thinking about getting Bone Silence by Alastair Reynolds, the final one of his Revenger trilogy, or Agent of the Imperium, by Marc Miller, of Traveller fame.


----------



## Richards

I finished up _Venus of Dreams_ and I can't really say I enjoyed it much.  The main character, Iris, was somebody you could really root for when she was young, but as she aged throughout the book she became self-absorbed, selfish, and even something of a Mary Sue, in that of the thousands and thousands of people working on terraforming Venus she was always right there wherever anything important was going to happen and everyone around her automatically adopted her suggestions - even her enemies.  And I would have preferred a bit more action over the 536 pages; a great deal of this was devoted to character development, which would have been fine if it was a character I actually still liked after the first hundred pages or so.

But I'm now moving on to _Bad Ronald_ by Jack Vance, one of my all-time favorite authors.  While he's primarily known for his fantasy and science fiction, this is a modern novel (well, it was written in 1973) about a teenager implicated in a murder, whose mother then seals him up in a hidden section of the house they live in and tells everyone he ran away.  The plan is for them to move away to somewhere where nobody knows them once she's saved up enough money - but then she dies from an illness and a new family buys the house, not knowing about Ronald still hidden away there in his secret room....

Johnathan


----------



## Eyes of Nine

I keep hoovering up the Murderbot books, just finished vol 4 and have vol 5 in hand. Vol 5 seems to be more novel length than novella. I've been really liking the novella length, and may start looking at picking up more of them.

I'm also reading on a book called _Polaris Rising_. I'm not sure where I got the impulse to read that book - but it all of a sudden showed up at the library in my name. It's ok, although has a lot of romance tropes.


----------



## Lidgar

Eyes of Nine said:


> The books I got for Christmas...
> Piers Anthony _Macroscope_
> EL Doctorow _Ragtime_
> Barry Hughart _Bridge of Birds_
> 
> Just finished _Murderbot Diaries vol 1 All Systems Red_ and super enjoyed it.



I remember really liking Macroscope. It definitely has a trippy vibe, but like the basic premise which involves how we can conduct intergalactic exploration without worm holes or faster then light travel.

Currently finishing up _Lockwood & Co. _Will be finishing _The Broken Earth _trilogy after that.


----------



## Richards

Well, I read through _Bad Ronald_ in one day and it was a very good read - suitably creepy and yes, he was definitely a _bad, bad_ Ronald.  Now I'm starting _The Blue Nowhere_ by Jeffery Deaver, a novel about a convicted hacker being freed from his prison sentence to help the police track down a killer who uses hacking techniques to find out everything he can about his future victims, to lure them into a false sense of security so he can get close enough to kill them.  It was written in 2002, so the book starting off with a glossary that describes what are today well-known computer terms was kind of funny, but so far the novel itself is looking good.

Johnathan


----------



## Nellisir

Eyes of Nine said:


> I keep hoovering up the Murderbot books, just finished vol 4 and have vol 5 in hand. Vol 5 seems to be more novel length than novella. I've been really liking the novella length, and may start looking at picking up more of them.



MURDERBOT!!


----------



## Older Beholder

I picked up The Light of the Jedi when it was released at the start of the year. Having never read a Star Wars book before I figured this would be a good time/place to jump in. Just over half way through and I'm enjoying it.

One thing I've always loved about Star Wars is the visual design, so I find myself having to go online and google pics to see what some of the ships and characters look like.


----------



## Sacrosanct

I HAD been reading Tigana up until today. But it’s such a slog I just couldn’t continue any longer. So I completely switched gears and started I, Strahd, which I’ve never read before.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

I finished Rome is Burning. While it's meticulously researched, it gets lost too frequently in the weeds of digressions and citations. Bummer, because Nero and the fire of Rome in 64 AD should've been a fascinating subject.

Next up is Joe Haldeman's The Forever War.


----------



## Blue

Sacrosanct said:


> I HAD been reading Tigana up until today. But it’s such a slog I just couldn’t continue any longer. So I completely switched gears and started I, Strahd, which I’ve never read before.



Different strokes for different folks, but I'd urge you to go back to Tigana and push through.  I'm a big GGK fan, and Tigana is one his best.  It's just a lot of different things happening.


----------



## Zaukrie

Sacrosanct said:


> I HAD been reading Tigana up until today. But it’s such a slog I just couldn’t continue any longer. So I completely switched gears and started I, Strahd, which I’ve never read before.



Inconceivable. My favorite author.


----------



## Khelon Testudo

I've read four of the _Murderbot _series, slight but enjoyable. I re-read Peter Watt's _Blindsight_, followed by _Echopraxia_. They're both intriguing, but the second isn't as meaty as the first. His exploration of ideas is great, though. From one end of the positivity spectrum to the other, I'm close to finishing Kim Stanley Robinson's _Ministry of the Future_.  

The first half shows how much naughty word we're in, which he depicts incredibly well, and the various ways of overcoming and reducing the forces of climate change are absorbing and informative. It's actually possible, even from here and now. He mentions them in passing but Kim's really too nice to write the bits I'd like to have followed: eco-terrorists and black departments that did the dirty work. Especially after seeing how the book starts. That's gonna stick with me - KSR should try his hand at horror.


----------



## trappedslider

Khelon Testudo said:


> . From one end of the positivity spectrum to the other, I'm close to finishing Kim Stanley Robinson's _Ministry of the Future_.
> 
> The first half shows how much naughty word we're in, which he depicts incredibly well, and the various ways of overcoming and reducing the forces of climate change are absorbing and informative. It's actually possible, even from here and now. He mentions them in passing but Kim's really too nice to write the bits I'd like to have followed: eco-terrorists and black departments that did the dirty work. Especially after seeing how the book starts. That's gonna stick with me - KSR should try his hand at horror.



I read it and thought it was interesting, I would have preferred also to have seen more about what was being done off the record, along with more info regarding the climate induced disasters.


----------



## turnip_farmer

I've just started on _Remembrance of Things Past_, which I've had sitting around for ages but never read. Quite enjoying it so far. I can already see why it's so long, since there is a lot of introspection and little of anything actually happening.


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Khelon Testudo said:


> I've read four of the _Murderbot _series, slight but enjoyable. I re-read Peter Watt's _Blindsight_, followed by _Echopraxia_. They're both intriguing, but the second isn't as meaty as the first. His exploration of ideas is great, though. From one end of the positivity spectrum to the other, I'm close to finishing Kim Stanley Robinson's _Ministry of the Future_.
> 
> The first half shows how much naughty word we're in, which he depicts incredibly well, and the various ways of overcoming and reducing the forces of climate change are absorbing and informative. It's actually possible, even from here and now. He mentions them in passing but Kim's really too nice to write the bits I'd like to have followed: eco-terrorists and black departments that did the dirty work. Especially after seeing how the book starts. That's gonna stick with me - KSR should try his hand at horror.




Gawd I love Peter Watts, but his stuff is b.l.e.a.k.
I'm also a fan of KSR, at least most of it. Haven't read Ministry of the Future, but it's on my TBR list.

Speaking of climate change, I am up for any solar punk stories folks have read and enjoyed.


----------



## Retreater

Currently reading way outside my usual: "Mere Christianity" by C. S. Lewis. I'm reading to prepare as the agnostic guest on a Christian podcast.


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Retreater said:


> Currently reading way outside my usual: "Mere Christianity" by C. S. Lewis. I'm reading to prepare as the agnostic guest on a Christian podcast.



Good luck! Hopefully they don't gang up on you.


----------



## Sacrosanct

Zaukrie said:


> Inconceivable. My favorite author.



Part 1 was roughly 200 pages. I could summarize everything important that happened in one paragraph without missing anything of consequence. It seemed to drag on and on, spending significant page count on Devin reminiscing about having been laid or trying to get laid or being left out. And reminding the reader that Barbadians were bad. Over and over. 

Not saying it's a bad story or anything, just not my cup of tea.


----------



## Wolfram stout

In celebration of backing the Iron Kingdom Kickstarter, I have started McClellan's Powder Mage series. So far it's pretty good.


----------



## Richards

I'm now reading Jeffery Deaver's _Garden of Beasts_, in which an American hitman is captured by Navy Intelligence forces in 1936 and given the opportunity of a new life (his earlier crimes expunged) if he'll use his skills for one more assassination: the Nazi behind Hitler's rearmament scheme.  It's set during the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, with the hitman going in undercover as a freelance reporter.

Johnathan


----------



## Nellisir

Sacrosanct said:


> I HAD been reading _Tigana_ up until today. But it’s such a slog I just couldn’t continue any longer. So I completely switched gears and started _I, Strahd_, which I’ve never read before.



Seriously, you like what you like and that's cool. My mother and I have learned not to give each other recommendations, because I can't stand what she loves and vice versa.

But otherwise, you're dead to me and off my Christmas card list, you heathen.  

I have a rule regarding lists of Best Fantasy Novels: if they don't contain at least one of _Tigana_; _Bridge of Birds_; or _Little, Big_, it's a shite list. (And yes, all three rightfully make regular appearances on said lists, and yes, my formative years were 1985-1995; Gen X all the way).
(If you found Tigana slow, I do not recommend _Little, Big_. Maybe _A Song for Arbonne_ though.)



Ralif Redhammer said:


> I finished Rome is Burning. While it's meticulously researched, it gets lost too frequently in the weeds of digressions and citations. Bummer, because Nero and the fire of Rome in 64 AD should've been a fascinating subject.
> 
> Next up is Joe Haldeman's_ The Forever War_.



An excellent choice.

I read _Three Stations_ by Martin Cruz Smith, and have started _Tatiana_ (same). I realized after she bought these that I already had _Tatiana_, and I'm finding that I read it fairly recently but cannot for the life of me remember if I finished it or not. It's agonizing, because every sentence feels like a retread but I have to keep going. A reminder of why I so rarely reread books.

Found TWO decent used book stores yesterday; one only took cash and we were rushed for time at the other, but return trips are planned. I need more books like I need a hole in the head, but at least it's not drugs? I think that's what I'm supposed to say. (Note: One had quite a collection of TSR books - Dragonlance, FR, and the like. I might pick up a few for nostalgia and kicks & giggles. Recommendations?)

In gaming stuff, I've gotten _Blackmarsh_ and _The Majestic Fantasy RPG_ (both from Rob Conley) in print; something called _Wardlings Campaign Guide_, which is a 5e campaign rules/setting where only kids are magical; _Old School Essentials_ by Normal Gavin (6/5 for layout, though it's a both amazing and potentially visually overwhelming in presentation); and delivered yesterday, _My Dad's Monster Manual_ (5/5 straight up), by James Introcaso (based on material by Lucian Introcaso); _The Green Witch for Swords & Wizardry_ and_ The Warlock for Swords & Wizardry_, both by Timothy S. Brannan; _Filling in the Blanks - A Guide to Populating Hexcrawls_ by Todd Leback; _The Grand History of the Realms_, by Brian R. James and Ed Greenwood; and _Elminster's Forgotten Realms_, by Ed Greenwood.

_My Dad's Monster Manual_ deserves a special mention because it does what I've really only seen one, maybe two other D&D products do before, which is present a fairly complete set of monsters that sketch out a really different sort of campaign world. Brief backstory: James showed his dad pictures from the 5e _Monster Manual_; his dad made up names and details of the creatures. Beholders become tiny creatures that move by rolling; ankhegs are friendly-ish humanoids; bulettes are small pink humanoids that grow armor to protect themselves.

Quite a few of the creatures become intelligent and, if not always friendly, at least not overtly hostile. There is also a network of relationships and history: potentlings create scorpdillos as servants (missed opportunities too; why aren't ugoths immature potentlings?); granino are birthed from stratonians who hurl pieces of themselves at trespassers; gordaans are genie empowered by angels; Donafur is a rebel archdevil.
_Pars Fortuna_ achieved something similar, creating a ecosystem of monsters that bypassed the Old Standards in a convincing manner, but otherwise nearly every book since the mid-80s leans on the assumed presence of goblins, orcs, dragons, and so forth. (Yes, Dark Sun is the potential exception to the rule...).


----------



## KahlessNestor

Retreater said:


> Currently reading way outside my usual: "Mere Christianity" by C. S. Lewis. I'm reading to prepare as the agnostic guest on a Christian podcast.



Great book. One of my favorites.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Wolfram stout said:


> In celebration of backing the Iron Kingdom Kickstarter, I have started McClellan's Powder Mage series. So far it's pretty good.



Read the first book and thought it was excellent. Haven't had a chance to get back to the series yet, though.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Richards said:


> I'm now reading Jeffery Deaver's _Garden of Beasts_, in which an American hitman is captured by Navy Intelligence forces in 1936 and given the opportunity of a new life (his earlier crimes expunged) if he'll use his skills for one more assassination: the Nazi behind Hitler's rearmament scheme.  It's set during the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, with the hitman going in undercover as a freelance reporter.
> 
> Johnathan



Hm. Interesting. Erik Larson has an excellent nonfiction history book dealing with the same period (Germany, 1930s) called _In the Garden of Beasts_ detailing the lives of the American ambassador to Germany in that period, his initial admiration of the regime, his daughter's romantic dalliances with high level Nazis, and his eventual growing disillusionment, horror, and unheeded warnings about them. Ironically (not covered in the book), his daughter went on to marry a communist and become a communist spy in America after the war, an interesting story in itself.


----------



## Scottius

So far this year I've consumed Flame and Crimson: A History of Sword & Sorcery, did a reread of the 1st edition AD&D Player's Handbook, and absolutely devoured the massive Monster Manual Expanded volumes 1 & 2 from the DMs Guild. 

I'm currently perusing Treacherous Traps and Spectacular Settlements from Nord Games. I'm also planning to start reading the Savage Sword of Conan omnibuses from Dark Horse which I've been picking up second hand lately.


----------



## Nellisir

Scottius said:


> ... absolutely devoured the massive Monster Manual Expanded volumes 1 & 2 from the DMs Guild.



How are those? They're next on my list.


----------



## Scottius

Nellisir said:


> How are those? They're next on my list.




Absolutely packed with beasties to unleash on your PCs. I can tell that I'll be getting tons of mileage out of these two books. Having more diverse options for the various monster types both in challenge level as well as varied skill sets should help make for more varied and interesting encounters. I'm now  eagerly awaiting the third books release later this year.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

How was it? I'm thinking about reading this next.



Scottius said:


> So far this year I've consumed Flame and Crimson: A History of Sword & Sorcery,


----------



## Scottius

Ralif Redhammer said:


> How was it? I'm thinking about reading this next.



As someone who is deeply into Appendix N, Conan, Lankhmar, and S&S fiction i found it engrossing and fascinating.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

That sounds right up my alley, thanks!



Scottius said:


> As someone who is deeply into Appendix N, Conan, Lankhmar, and S&S fiction i found it engrossing and fascinating.


----------



## Davies

Just Finished: _The Baron of Magister Valley_, by Steven Brust, a Paarfi-written romance that owes a bit to _The Count of Monte Cristo_, which reveals the startling backstory of a figure from the Vlad Taltos novels. My jaw nearly dropped at the final reveal.

Currently Reading: _I, Lucifer_, by Peter O'Donnell, one of a series of novels the creator of the _Modesty Blaise_ comic strip wrote about the series' characters. Dated as heck, but a fun ride.

Planning to Read: _The Incrementalists_, by Skyler White and Steven Brust.


----------



## Blue

Davies said:


> Just Finished: _The Baron of Magister Valley_, by Steven Brust, a Paarfi-written romance that owes a bit to _The Count of Monte Cristo_, which reveals the startling backstory of a figure from the Vlad Taltos novels. My jaw nearly dropped at the final reveal.



I've been waffling picking that up, and this just pushed me over the edge.


----------



## Zaukrie

Man, so far, I just cannot get into Tales of Undying Earth.....I may need to set it aside occasionally, as it is a series of short "stories" anyway.....


----------



## Zaukrie

Davies said:


> Just Finished: _The Baron of Magister Valley_, by Steven Brust, a Paarfi-written romance that owes a bit to _The Count of Monte Cristo_, which reveals the startling backstory of a figure from the Vlad Taltos novels. My jaw nearly dropped at the final reveal.
> 
> Currently Reading: _I, Lucifer_, by Peter O'Donnell, one of a series of novels the creator of the _Modesty Blaise_ comic strip wrote about the series' characters. Dated as heck, but a fun ride.
> 
> Planning to Read: _The Incrementalists_, by Skyler White and Steven Brust.



I do love those Brust books.....might need to pick that up.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Exploring Eberron_ by Keith Baker.

Still reading _Searching for Bobby Fischer._

Finished reading _White Night_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _The Companions_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _Rhythm of War _by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Hillbilly Elegy _by J. D. Vance.

Still reading _The Battle of Salamis _by Barry Strauss.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

I just finished Haldeman's The Forever War. Definitely a massively influential work that has filtered down through the ages. Parts of it remained dated, while other parts were quite prescient. 

Next is, as indicated, Flame and Crimson: A History of Sword and Sorcery, by Brian Murphy.


----------



## dragoner

The Forever War was also hugely controversial in the sci-fi community, it is a great book though, pretty much in the 'must read' category.

Right now I am finishing a collection of short stories by John D MacDonald called Other Times, Other Worlds.


----------



## ThomasDiSantare

I read books about psychiatry, and I advise you to be very interested in learning about how our brain works


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Exploring Eberron_ by Keith Baker.

Still reading _Searching for Bobby Fischer._

Started reading _Small Favor_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _The Companions_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _Rhythm of War _by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Hillbilly Elegy _by J. D. Vance.

Still reading _The Battle of Salamis _by Barry Strauss.


----------



## Zaukrie

I read this in 2 nights, including staying up until midnight to finish it:









						Sweet Silver Blues - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org
				




Private Investigator series by Glen Cook. It was a fun little book, if you can get by some sexism and racism (aimed at other fantasy races)......I also own the second one in the series, so I'll likely read that in the coming weeks.

Back to a bit of Tales of the Dying Earth for a few chapters, then something else I'm sure......


----------



## dragoner

Started Oath of Fealty by Niven, pretty much a dystopia predicated on his political leanings.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Exploring Eberron_ by Keith Baker.

Finished reading _Searching for Bobby Fischer._

Started reading _Small Favor_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _The Companions_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _Rhythm of War _by Brandon Sanderson.

Finished reading _Hillbilly Elegy _by J. D. Vance.

Still reading _The Battle of Salamis _by Barry Strauss.

Started reading _The Queen's Gambit _by Walter Tevis.

Started reading _Unmasked: Inside Antifa's Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy_ by Andy Ngo.


----------



## Richards

I finished up _Garden of Beasts_ - it was very good; I spent this afternoon finishing it up - and am now moving on to _More Twisted: Collected Stories, Volume II_ by the same author, Jeffery Deaver.  I read (and enjoyed) his first short-story collection, _Twisted_, within the past year or so but I've found that while he's the master of the plot twist, in a short story there's usually so much less going on that it's much easier to spot the twists coming.  But I'm looking forward to the collection nonetheless; he almost never disappoints.

Johnathan


----------



## Davies

Just Finished: _I, Lucifer_, by Peter O'Donnell. I think the author sometimes overcorrects for all those stories in which nothing goes wrong for the protagonists by having too much go wrong for Modesty and Willie while still having them pull through okay. Also finished the third volume of _The Saint's Magic is Omnipotent_ by Yuka Tachibana. The plot is starting to get a bet boring now that the only antagonistic character has been shooed off the stage, and the only real problem the protagonist faces is her emotional issues.

Starting: _The Incrementalists_, by Skyler White and Steven Brust.

Planning to Read: _Tales of the Velvet Comet_, by Mike Resnick.[/I]


----------



## Marc_C

The Murderbot Dairies series by Martha Wells. It's a blast!


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Marc_C said:


> The Murderbot Dairies series by Martha Wells. It's a blast!



I just finished book 5 and yes!

Now reading _Left Handed Booksellers of London _by *Garth Nix* (an author whose work I usually like).


----------



## Richards

I finished Jeffery Deaver's second short story collection and have now moved on to his third.  He switched up the naming convention, though: the first two were _Twisted_ and _More Twisted_, but this one's _Trouble in Mind_.

Johnathan


----------



## Nellisir

Eyes of Nine said:


> I just finished book 5 and yes!
> 
> Now reading _Left Handed Booksellers of London _by *Garth Nix* (an author whose work I usually like).




Murderbot!!!!  I told you!!! 

I've only read the Abhorsen trilogy. First two books were fantastic; the third was like "oh crap, gotta wrap this up". Haven't had the heart to read _Beyond The Wall_ yet.


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Nellisir said:


> Murderbot!!!!  I told you!!!
> 
> I've only read the Abhorsen trilogy. First two books were fantastic; the third was like "oh crap, gotta wrap this up". Haven't had the heart to read _Beyond The Wall_ yet.



I liked the abhorsen trilogy, but yes the 3rd was kind of a "gotta wrap" feeling. 

I would also mildly recommend Nix's Keys to the Kingdom series. The Keys to the Kingdom - Wikipedia


----------



## Maxperson

I'm re-reading The Black Company and American Gods.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Exploring Eberron_ by Keith Baker.

Still reading _Small Favor_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _The Companions_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _Rhythm of War _by Brandon Sanderson.

Finished reading _The Battle of Salamis _by Barry Strauss.

Still reading _The Queen's Gambit _by Walter Tevis.

Still reading _Unmasked: Inside Antifa's Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy_ by Andy Ngo.

Started reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Been thinking about a re-read of The Black Company myself. And it's hard to go wrong with Neil Gaiman.



Maxperson said:


> I'm re-reading The Black Company and American Gods.




I finished reading Murphy's Flame and Crimson. It was solid overview that didn't shy away from critiquing Sword and Sorcery when it deserved it. One thing I wish is that it had illustrations - there's a lot of discussion of the cover art, and it would've been nice not have to look some of them up on my own.

Right now it's snowy enough that reading Maria Dahvana Headley's new Beowulf translation seems perfect, so that's what's next.


----------



## dragoner

Bone Silence by Alastair Reynolds


----------



## Scottius

Maxperson said:


> I'm re-reading The Black Company and American Gods.



I've re-read the original Black Company trilogy 4 times now. For my money it has my favorite depictions of evil wizards unleashed in the 10 who were taken. 

The books after The White Rose just didn't grip me the same however.


----------



## Maxperson

Scottius said:


> I've re-read the original Black Company trilogy 4 times now. For my money it has my favorite depictions of evil wizards unleashed in the 10 who were taken.
> 
> The books after The White Rose just didn't grip me the same however.



I personally liked the Books of the South where you learned more of the history of the company.


----------



## HawaiiSteveO

Read In the Kingdom of Ice years ago, catching up on his other books. Easy reads, but very interesting and well done. At first I didn't think I would be 100% interested in subject matter, but he's really engaging. After Blood & Thunder only have Americana left. 

Hampton Sides   –  Blood and Thunder


----------



## smetzger

Retreater said:


> Currently reading way outside my usual: "Mere Christianity" by C. S. Lewis. I'm reading to prepare as the agnostic guest on a Christian podcast.



Another good one by CS is Screwtape Letters.


----------



## HawaiiSteveO

smetzger said:


> Another good one by CS is Screwtape Letters.



Andy Serkis reading Screwtape... mic drop!


----------



## Nellisir

Maxperson said:


> I'm re-reading The Black Company and American Gods.



I've reread American Gods at least 3 times. It just doesn't stick with me, beyond a vague memory of being good.

Then again, I'm halfway through my reread of Murderbot #5, which I read...a year ago, and it's like I didn't read it at all, so that's confusing. (I stalled out on _Tatiana_ because despite not remembering if I even finished it, it was TOO familiar...). I just reread Murderbot 1-4 as well.


----------



## Maxperson

Nellisir said:


> I've reread American Gods at least 3 times. It just doesn't stick with me, beyond a vague memory of being good.



I have ADD, and books don't stick with me in general.  I remember some high points, but I forget enough that I can re-read almost anything every few years and have an enjoyable experience.  


Nellisir said:


> Then again, I'm halfway through my reread of Murderbot #5, which I read...a year ago, and it's like I didn't read it at all, so that's confusing. (I stalled out on _Tatiana_ because despite not remembering if I even finished it, it was TOO familiar...). I just reread Murderbot 1-4 as well.



I think being able to re-read things is fantastic.  I love to read, but quite often there's nothing new out that I want to buy.


----------



## Zaroden

KahlessNestor said:


> Still reading _Exploring Eberron_ by Keith Baker.
> 
> Still reading _Small Favor_ by Jim Butcher.
> 
> Still reading _The Companions_ by R. A. Salvatore.
> 
> Still reading _Rhythm of War _by Brandon Sanderson.
> 
> Finished reading _The Battle of Salamis _by Barry Strauss.
> 
> Still reading _The Queen's Gambit _by Walter Tevis.
> 
> Still reading _Unmasked: Inside Antifa's Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy_ by Andy Ngo.
> 
> Started reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.



I see you're a multi-reader like myself!

Anyways, I'm just sticking to _Annihilation_ by Jeff VanderMeer and some other nonfictin books.

No spoilers!


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Just started _a long way to a small angry planet_, a book I have been waiting for from the library for a while. I love the characters so much; but about 75 pages in and wondering if there will be a conflict? There have been several hints for each character of a "dark secret" each one holds; now waiting to see how these all play out.

(btw, I could VERY MUCH see role-playing this; although not sure what system would be best)


----------



## Nellisir

Maxperson said:


> I have ADD, and books don't stick with me in general.  I remember some high points, but I forget enough that I can re-read almost anything every few years and have an enjoyable experience.



I also have ADD, but reading & writing are my "focus" areas, and I generally remember books for years. I've been rereading quite a bit recently, and generally it's gone well, but it's not something I do a lot.


Maxperson said:


> I think being able to re-read things is fantastic.  I love to read, but quite often there's nothing new out that I want to buy.



So, I hit that point about 10-11 years ago. I realized my reading had dropped to maybe 2-5 books per year, which is bonkers. I grew up without a tv, and I'm a fast reader. I can easily clear 1-2 books a week. I thought "there's no way in hell I've read everything good out there", so I came up with a plan.

I went through lists of Best Books, Best Fantasy books, Best SF Books, etc, etc. I went through the NY Times best books of the year going back 10 years. I made a list of everything that looked interesting, regardless of genre - I actually intentionally went outside my normal reading bounds, actually. I also asked friends to recommend their FAVORITE books and their BEST books - which are often not the same. And I read/reread through "Years Best SF/Fantasy" books and noted down the authors that had stories I enjoyed - they almost always have novels as well.

Then I purged my bookshelves. I saved any books that had meaning, or I just really enjoyed, or that I would recommend (I'd ask myself if I'd recommend it to my daughter in 10-15 years). If a book failed in all categories, and wasn't otherwise useful, I bagged it up.

At the time there were two really good used bookstores in the local area. I hit the best and traded in anything they'd take for credit. Then I hit the next one and gave them whatever they'd take, for credit. At one point I had $500+ in credit at the first store and $150+ in the second.

There was also a twice-yearly HUGE used book sale in town. Anything that didn't sell I donated there. The book sale ran three weekends, with the price dropping daily. I went the first weekend and got high priority items. Second weekend I went and got anything else on my list. Third weekend I went and bought whatever the heck caught my eye. I think I maxed out at $90 total one year.

Then I hit the used bookstores and got anything that was on my list but I hadn't gotten at the book sale. I think the first year I cleared about 40% of my list between the sale and the stores, and had 100+ books to read, with _maybe_ the aforementioned $90 in actual cash outlay.

That helped me find new genres, categories, and authors to read (or avoid). I still avoid most historical biography, but it's actually pretty good occasionally. Scandinavian noir is excellent. Michael Moore is excellent; David Sedaris is somehow not to my taste. _Lolita_ and _One Hundred Years of Solitude_ tie for best book I've ever read, but both are intense and deep and not light pleasure reading. General mass-market detective/mystery isn't really my thing. Etc and so forth.

It's really rare now that I buy new books. It's almost always if an author I really like has something coming out. Instead I haunt book sales and used book stores. I only buy copies in good condition, without a lot of abuse, preferably in trade paperback format, and $4 is about average, so I can get 3-4 of those for the price of one new.

Look for library sales, thrift stores, and used book stores. Even Goodwill and Salvation Army have book sections. Check out collections (years best, etc) and the authors. There's more out there than you've tried.

*Some people really like libraries. I am unable to remember what books I've read unless it was bad, or I have a physical copy of it. So I prefer to buy books over borrowing them, because if I like it I'll look for more to buy, and end up buying the same one I just read. Books that I don't like/won't recommend go back to the bookstores, etc.


----------



## Richards

I finished my Jeffery Deaver short story collection and just started _Breathless_ by Dean Koontz.  It looks like another "man and dog" focused story, with typical Koontzian oddness thrown in for good measure.

Johnathan


----------



## KahlessNestor

Zaroden said:


> I see you're a multi-reader like myself!



Yeah, there's just too much I want to read. But then I get stuck not remembering things, so I have to cut down. Currently I'm trying to limit it to dissimilar things so I remember more. One fantasy, one history, one current topics, etc. Though even that is starting to slip again LOL


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Exploring Eberron_ by Keith Baker.

Still reading _Small Favor_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _The Companions_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _Rhythm of War _by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _The Queen's Gambit _by Walter Tevis.

Still reading _Unmasked: Inside Antifa's Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy_ by Andy Ngo.

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

On the recommendation of a friend, I started reading the first book in the _Ranger's Apprentice_ series, _The Ruins of Gorlan_ by John Flanagan.


----------



## TheSword

Malcolm Gladwell’s How to Talk to Strangers. Really eye opening stuff!


----------



## Voadam

I just started The Geomancer's Apprentice by Yin Leong. A Feng Shui ghost story set in D.C. It is the first novel of a good friend of mine so I am excited for her.


----------



## Eyes of Nine

enjoyed _the long way to a small angry planet_, which I didn't realize had originally been Kickstarted (only 53 backers and now a Hugo winner!). I love that fact.

Started the sequel a few hours ago (_a closed and common orbit)_, and looks orthogonal to the original series. Having read the Murderbot series over the last 4-5 months, not sure if I'm super excited for another tale about a sentient AI - but I'm willing to give it a go.


----------



## Cadence

Finished reading all of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe (and related) books.   There weren't many where I actually found myself paying attention to the clues because the characters were so front and center and engaging.  I'm trying to reread and see if anything jumps out that I missed the first time through.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Finished reading Headley's Beowulf translation. The language is modern and muscular, but still maintains the alliteration and cadence. It practically begs to be read aloud, loudly.

After reading the history of Sword & Sorcery volume, I found myself with an itch to re-read some R.E. Howard. So I am now reading Kull, Exile of Atlantis.


----------



## Li Shenron

I have started to re-read all the Lovecraft bibliography, in case I missed something.


----------



## Richards

I finished off Dean Koontz's _Breathless_ in less than 24 hours - it was 337 pages long, but the print was almost at Large Print size and I'd bet in a normal-sized print it would have been closer to about 200 pages.  A good read, but not one of his better novels, as he had about four different characters having their own story and some of them didn't get pulled together into the main plotline until the very end.  And the deal with the twin at the farmhouse made no real sense at all; it almost seemed like that plotline didn't really need to have been in this book at all.

Anyway, now I'm trying out _Superhuman_ by Michael Carroll.  It deals with the first supervillain, an immortal superhuman from 4,000 years ago who's being brought into the present day somehow, where he'll end up being fought off by a band of young heroes who have recently discovered their own powers.  I'm not sure if this is a Young Adult novel or what, but at fifty cents from a library book sale I figured it was worth a shot.

Johnathan


----------



## Blue

Zaukrie said:


> Private Investigator series by Glen Cook. It was a fun little book, if you can get by some sexism and racism (aimed at other fantasy races)......I also own the second one in the series, so I'll likely read that in the coming weeks.



There's a lot of the Garret P.I. books.  They absolutely build on each other though each book is self contained.  They're of varying quality between fun and pretty good.  I've collected them over the years, mostly from second hand stores.


----------



## Cadence

Blue said:


> There's a lot of the Garret P.I. books.  They absolutely build on each other though each book is self contained.  They're of varying quality between fun and pretty good.  I've collected them over the years, mostly from second hand stores.




I love the first six volumes (and think it has a lot of inspiration for D&D like games).  I think seven through nine are worth reading, but they make me a little sad because the plot ideas and most of the writing is strong, but there are spots in each where the (non-graphic) writing about interpersonal relationships with the opposite sex felt juvenile and repetitive.  Re-editing a few pages could have made them as good as the first six to me.  I wish 10 never happened, and it don't think it really regains its footing after that (although a character introduced in nine really starts shining, and another character who was definitely not shining gets shown the door).


----------



## Mallus

I'm still reading Agatha Christie, following our early pandemic binge-watch of every episode of the David Suchet Poirot series. Death on the Nile is a terrific good book (as opposed to her The Big Four which is a terrific _bad_ book). So in my early 50s I am finally discovering the appeal of the mystery genre.

Perhaps I should have read fewer books with dragons, spaceships and mutants on the cover?


----------



## Nellisir

Mallus said:


> I'm still reading Agatha Christie, following our early pandemic binge-watch of every episode of the David Suchet Poirot series. Death on the Nile is a terrific good book (as opposed to her The Big Four which is a terrific _bad_ book). So in my early 50s I am finally discovering the appeal of the mystery genre.
> 
> Perhaps I should have read fewer books with dragons, spaceships and mutants on the cover?



No.  But check out Raymond Chandler.


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Mallus said:


> I'm still reading Agatha Christie, following our early pandemic binge-watch of every episode of the David Suchet Poirot series. Death on the Nile is a terrific good book (as opposed to her The Big Four which is a terrific _bad_ book). So in my early 50s I am finally discovering the appeal of the mystery genre.
> 
> Perhaps I should have read fewer books with dragons, spaceships and mutants on the cover?




Or potentially, you read the exact right number of books with dragons, spaceships and mutants on the cover so that at exactly at this moment in time your brain was perfectly poised to love the murder mystery genre.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

I finished R.E. Howard's Kull, Exile of Atlantis. Way better than I remembered. I used to think of Kull as a dry run for Conan, a less interesting prototype. But Kull is, more than any other character, a reflection of R.E. Howard's depression. He broods, he suffers from melancholy, he philosophizes, ponders existence.

Now I've finally moving to the conclusion of N.K. Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy, with The Stone Sky. Been slowly savoring this series, but it's time to see how it ends.


----------



## Blue

Have been getting surprisingly little reading done.  Lost my current book to just find it last night.  Mostly I've been re(-ish)reading the Cortex Prime book.

I kickstarted it, so I've read early editions of it but not the current one.  So it's a combonation of reading and re-reading that I just coined re-ish-reading.  Where do I go to collect my royalties when people use this much-needed word?


----------



## Richards

I just started a trio of novels in a collection called _Guards of Haven: The Adventures of Hawk and Fisher_ by Simon R. Green.  It's the novels _Wolf in the Fold_, _Guard Against Dishonor_, and _The Bones of Haven_ and the two main characters are a married couple of Guard Captains in a fantasy city (the eponymous Haven).  I'm just a few chapters into the first novel but I'm already liking it: it's a D&D-style fantasy with the added twist of being a kind of police procedural.

Oh, and _Super Human_ (the book I just finished up) was apparently young adult after all (despite not being labeled as such) and not much to my liking: I think I'll ignore any more in that series.

Johnathan


----------



## KahlessNestor

Blue said:


> Have been getting surprisingly little reading done.  Lost my current book to just find it last night.  Mostly I've been re(-ish)reading the Cortex Prime book.
> 
> I kickstarted it, so I've read early editions of it but not the current one.  So it's a combonation of reading and re-reading that I just coined re-ish-reading.  Where do I go to collect my royalties when people use this much-needed word?



I do like Cortex Prime. Just haven't had a chance to play it a lot. Played a couple games of Marvel Heroic, but nothing since then.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Exploring Eberron_ by Keith Baker.

Still reading _Small Favor_ by Jim Butcher.

Finished reading _The Companions_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _Rhythm of War _by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _The Queen's Gambit _by Walter Tevis.

Still reading _Unmasked: Inside Antifa's Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy_ by Andy Ngo.

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _The Ruins of Gorlan_ by John Flanagan.

Started reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.


----------



## dragoner

Finished Bone Silence, last of Reynolds' Revenger trilogy; to me Revenger is great, Shadow Captain good, and Bone Silence is OK. I think sometimes these series get drawn out by the publisher's attempts to capitalize on writers, forcing them to drag out or shoehorn in ideas that don't always fit good.

Next is a collection of Samuel R Delany shorts, his complete nebula award winners. I have read most before, but it's good enough I will read again.


----------



## trappedslider

A time for Mercy by Grisham, it has a bit more humor than A Time to kill despite the subject matter.


----------



## Zaukrie

I thought once Tales of the Dying Earth got into the 2nd book, and it was an actual story, I'd like it more.....but it is till just kind of (FOR ME) stupid with stupid names. And the way women are treated is getting harder to take as I go along.....(I get it is a product of its time, but still). I am not sure I will ever finish it. Going to put it aside and read something else from the shelf.


----------



## billd91

I just finished Antony Beevor's 2012 *The Second World War* and based on that and a recent documentary, I've checked *Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich* by Normal Ohler. 
I also have *Beria, My Father: Inside Stalin's Kremlin* by Sergo Beria on request from the library.

Just one of my occasional deeper dives into WWII history...


----------



## Mercurius

Over the last six months or so I've been collecting a ton of mass market paperback science fiction and fantasy, mostly from the 60s-70s era. I am particularly drawn to that era of "New Wave" writing.

The last two books I read were *Isle of the Dead *by Roger Zelazny and _*Roadside Picnic* _by the Strugatsky brothers, which is the book that the Tarkovsky film _Stalker _was based on.

I just started _*Fourth Mansions* _by RA Lafferty. Great, very unique writing.

Next up... I don't know, but maybe another Strugatsky or JG Ballard or Richard Cowper or Kate Wilhelm or Joanna Russ. Or...


----------



## KahlessNestor

billd91 said:


> I just finished Antony Beevor's 2012 *The Second World War* and based on that and a recent documentary, I've checked *Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich* by Normal Ohler.
> I also have *Beria, My Father: Inside Stalin's Kremlin* by Sergo Beria on request from the library.
> 
> Just one of my occasional deeper dives into WWII history...



Sounds interesting. Beria, though. _shudder_ That man was creepy AF.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Exploring Eberron_ by Keith Baker.

Finished reading _Small Favor_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _Rhythm of War _by Brandon Sanderson.

Finished reading _The Queen's Gambit _by Walter Tevis.

Still reading _Unmasked: Inside Antifa's Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy_ by Andy Ngo.

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _The Ruins of Gorlan_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Started reading _Bobby Fischer Goes to War: How a Lone American Star Defeated the Soviet Chess Machine _by David Edmonds and John Eidinow.

Started reading _Turn Coat _by Jim Butcher.


----------



## turnip_farmer

billd91 said:


> I just finished Antony Beevor's 2012 *The Second World War* and based on that and a recent documentary, I've checked *Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich* by Normal Ohler.
> I also have *Beria, My Father: Inside Stalin's Kremlin* by Sergo Beria on request from the library.
> 
> Just one of my occasional deeper dives into WWII history...




I'd recommend Beevor's book on the Spanish Civil War if you enjoyed his World War II book. It's engagingly written and surprisingly easy to follow considering the confusing nature of the conflict.


----------



## fearsomepirate

Just finished up Goetzmann's Exploration & Empire: The Explorer and the Scientist in the Winning of the American West. It's a somewhat dry, but thorough overview that is exactly what the title says. Goetzmann does a really good job bringing clarity to the mindset of various actors at various times and what sort of world they inhabited. For example, an overwhelming concern of early post-revolutionary America was that it quite literally bordered the three most powerful empires in the world. Of course I knew that in some sense, but Goetzmann brings into focus what it actually meant to an American in 1800 to have the British, the French, and the Spanish within spitting distance of your own territory, and to be functionally in a state of continuing hostility with two of them, with the Spanish being more culturally alien and closed-off, where accidentally trespassing in their territory could be just as dangerous as finding yourself among hostile Crow. That's just one of dozens of such topics hit. 

I can't say I enjoyed reading it, as it really is pretty dry, but I learned a tremendous amount. But if you ever wanted an overview of how we went from hard-bitten fur-trappers to trans-continental railroads, that overall does as much justice as it can to the complexities of internal American politics and foreign relations in 700 pages, it's worth it.


----------



## Mallus

I'm now on to Agatha Christie's The Mysterious Affair at Styles. The prose isn't as assured as in Death on the Nile. The last cast of suspects, I mean characters, isn't introduced with the same precision and clarity, making the early chapters a tad confusing. On the plus side, it's narrated by Hastings, character I have great affection for after watching Hugh Fraser's turn as him on the ITV series.

I'm also almost done rereading the first book in the Foundation Trilogy. Been a long time since I touched early Golden Age SF. All I can say is it's wonderful, despite so many important things being absent from it. Like woman characters, for instance. Or characterization, for that matter (I realize these are fix-ups from short stories, so the relative lack of characterization is to be expected). Looking forward to the upcoming TV series. But man, does that writers room have its work cut out.

And I have to get back to the new(ish) translation of Lem's Solaris I picked up, then put down.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Finished Jemisin's The Stone Sky. That trilogy absolutely deserves all its accolades. It hits heavy as a mountain, but the smaller parts are so intricately woven.

I also read Amra vol. 2, #50, from the late 60s. It was a fascinating glimpse into fandom past. The art illustrations totally felt like they could've been in an early D&D book.

Now I'm going for a re-read of Anderson's Three Hearts and Three Lions. It's been a while.


----------



## Richards

I picked up a couple of books in _The Destroyer_ series and had brought #125: _The Wrong Stuff_ with me as a backup book on an all-day courier trip by military aircraft on Wednesday, when my courier partner belatedly realized he hadn't brought anything with him to read on the plane.  So I lent him that book, which he's still reading - he got halfway through it on the courier trip and said he'd try to finish it up and give it back by tomorrow.  But in the meantime, I finished the book I'd been reading (about 10 minutes from landing back home Wednesday evening, so good timing) and have moved on to _Destroyer #139: Dream Thing_.  I'm know I'm reading them out of order, but that's okay; they're all pretty much standalone and even when they reference things from the past (usually recurring villains) they provide enough backstory for context.

Johnathan


----------



## Zaukrie

Finished book two of the Garret PI series, Bitter Gold Hearts. Both better and not, than the first. Definitely well buy more if I can find them used.  Guess Mistborn is next!


----------



## KahlessNestor

Zaukrie said:


> Finished book two of the Garret PI series, Bitter Gold Hearts. Both better and not, than the first. Definitely well buy more if I can find them used.  Guess Mistborn is next!



Mistborn! Enjoy! It's wonderful.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Three Hearts and Three Lions remains an enjoyable read, and one that is a must for anyone interested in the origins of D&D. One thing I noted is that it is one of the few entries in Appendix N that has an explicitly nonwhite character portrayed in a heroic light (Carahue). 

Now I'm revisiting an even farther removed re-read, the Thieves World Face of Chaos anthology. I haven't read that since the 80s, most likely.


----------



## Blue

Ralif Redhammer said:


> Three Hearts and Three Lions remains an enjoyable read, and one that is a must for anyone interested in the origins of D&D. One thing I noted is that it is one of the few entries in Appendix N that has an explicitly nonwhite character portrayed in a heroic light (Carahue).



Another entry, A Wizard of Earthsea, also has an explicitly non-white protagonist, but some of the older covers that show him white.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Shockingly and criminally, A Wizard of Earthsea is not listed in Appendix N. Though, it does appear in the Moldvay Inspirational Reading list. That list rectifies some of Appendix N's notable omissions, and includes far more women writers. 



Blue said:


> Another entry, A Wizard of Earthsea, also has an explicitly non-white protagonist, but some of the older covers that show him white.


----------



## Blue

Ralif Redhammer said:


> Shockingly and criminally, A Wizard of Earthsea is not listed in Appendix N. Though, it does appear in the Moldvay Inspirational Reading list. That list rectifies some of Appendix N's notable omissions, and includes far more women writers.



I had cheated and just checked Appendix E from the 5e PHB since I had it handy.  I figured given it's age it was in the current it would be in back then.

Good catch.


----------



## Zaukrie

I really should read earthsea some day


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Honestly, its lack makes little sense. It's got wizards, dragons, shape-shifting. The Gebbeth is a monster that you could easily have snuck into the MM1 or 2 and had it fit in perfectly. Yes, it's not quite the sword & sorcery action tales that predominate Appendix N, but neither is The Blue Star (the inclusion of which still is a head scratcher for me).



Blue said:


> I had cheated and just checked Appendix E from the 5e PHB since I had it handy.  I figured given it's age it was in the current it would be in back then.
> 
> Good catch.




A Wizard of Earthsea is a book I didn't get to until my late twenties, and is one I wish I had read far sooner. It's one of those books that shows fantasy literature at its best, that is both deep and magical.



Zaukrie said:


> I really should read earthsea some day


----------



## Blue

Ralif Redhammer said:


> A Wizard of Earthsea is a book I didn't get to until my late twenties, and is one I wish I had read far sooner. It's one of those books that shows fantasy literature at its best, that is both deep and magical.



It is the book that got me started on fantasy, which but a few years later led me to D&D.  Before that I was all SF, preferably hard SF.  Asimov, Clark, Heinlein, Lem.


----------



## Ryujin

Blue said:


> It is the book that got me started on fantasy, which but a few years later led me to D&D.  Before that I was all SF, preferably hard SF.  Asimov, Clark, Heinlein, Lem.



It was also one of my earliest fantasy books. I read "Lord of the Rings" and didn't understand why restraint was necessary. "A Wizard of Earthsea" taught me that.


----------



## Zardnaar

Dissolution book 1 of the War of the Spider Queen. Read it before but 15 odd years ago.


----------



## Nellisir

I finished _Tatiana_ and _The Siberian Dilemma_, both by Martin Cruz Smith, which makes me (finally) current on the Arkady Renko series. Also read _The Quest of Kadji_ by Lin Carter, which wasn't bad at all, and _The Night Sessions_, by Ken Macleod. Pretty sure I read a couple other books, but I had to rebox a whole bunch of stuff in order to move a bookshelf, and frankly I don't remember. I've been buying a lot recently, and really have to take a break and get mildly organized. Also been doing a fair amount of game reading.


----------



## Rob Kuntz

When I have down time it's usually good short fiction and essays.  Giving this baby a once over in between the design and writing:


----------



## Alzrius

Having finished Jon Peterson's _The Elusive Shift_, I'm now getting ready to start reading Joseph Laycock's _Dangerous Games: What the Moral Panic over Role-Playing Games Says about Play, Religion, and Imagined Worlds_.


----------



## CleverNickName

I started a thread for a summer reading list over at this elegant and finely-crafted link.  If you've got a moment, and if you feel inspired to do so, I'd like to invite you to nominate (and vote for!) some excellent books to your fellow ENWorlders.


----------



## Zaukrie

About 80 pages into Mistborn.....I see why people like it so much.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

It really is quite good. I think Elantris remains my favorite Sanderson novel, but Mistborn is my favorite series of his.



Zaukrie said:


> About 80 pages into Mistborn.....I see why people like it so much.




I finished reading The Face of Chaos. I read it many years ago, not long after it first came out, and it still holds up. One thing that I noticed that doesn't get talked about enough, is that the Thieves World series is probably the most concentrated collection of women writing Sword & Sorcery.

Now I'm reading another anthology, Peter Bebergal's Appendix N: The Eldritch Roots of Dungeons and Dragons.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Ralif Redhammer said:


> It really is quite good. I think Elantris remains my favorite Sanderson novel, but Mistborn is my favorite series of his.




Interesting. Elantris is what got me into Sanderson, but it's usually considered his weakest novel, since it was his first published. It's usually overshadowed by Mistborn, Mistborn Era 2, and Stormlight. I definitely want the Warbreaker sequel. I think there is an Elantris sequel somewhere in the State of Sanderson...eventually.


----------



## ART!

*Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend,* by Matthew Dicks. It's ostensibly a first-person narrative told by the imaginary friend of a withdrawn, picked-on elementary school-aged boy. The author seems to be building a metaphor for the parts of ourselves that interact differently with the exterior world than other parts. The boy's parents and teachers wonder if he's Autistic or how much so. I'm not very far in yet, but it's really good. The imaginary friend has some great observations about the world that the boy does not actively or outwardly know or think about. 

Also: *The Folk Keeper*, by Franny Billingsley. It's also told in first-person, by a very self-possessed teenaged girl who's job seems to be keeping the Fae and their destructive antics at bay. Wealthy houses seek out people who have the talent for this, but don't seem to treat them very well. It's YA, but not really noticeably so


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

It was my first Sanderson read as well. I dig it so much because of its introspective nature, the metaphor for chronic illness, and that it is, so far, just a stand-alone work. 



KahlessNestor said:


> Interesting. Elantris is what got me into Sanderson, but it's usually considered his weakest novel, since it was his first published. It's usually overshadowed by Mistborn, Mistborn Era 2, and Stormlight. I definitely want the Warbreaker sequel. I think there is an Elantris sequel somewhere in the State of Sanderson...eventually.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Ralif Redhammer said:


> It was my first Sanderson read as well. I dig it so much because of its introspective nature, the metaphor for chronic illness, and that it is, so far, just a stand-alone work.



There is a follow up short story, and The Emperor's Soul is set on the same planet, though a different part of the world.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Yeah, I read that. Enjoyable, but not necessarily resonant to me in the same way.



KahlessNestor said:


> There is a follow up short story, and The Emperor's Soul is set on the same planet, though a different part of the world.


----------



## Richards

I finished _Destroyer #139: Dream Thing_ and was slightly disappointed.  Unlike most Destroyer books, the events were going on all over the world and the two main characters didn't play much of a role in the main plot up until the end.  That's now how most of the series goes.  In addition, this had world-shattering events that can't help but be noticed by the rest of the world at large, whereas Remo and Chiun are usually engaged in events that go by unnoticed by those not immediately involved.  They tend to be behinds-the-scenes actors, as is appropriate for members of a secret assassination bureau.

So now I'm on to the next unread one I own: _Destroyer #142: Mindblower_, in which Remo and Chiun are up against a mad inventor whose weapon creates hurricane-level gusts of air.  Now _that's_ more like it!

Johnathan


----------



## Zaukrie

I'm reading Mistborn too fast, I don't own the third book!


----------



## Janx

I'm reading book 4 of the Bobiverse series, "Heaven's River"


----------



## Richards

I'm moving on to _Destroyer #150: The End of the World_, written by Warren Murphy, one of the original two authors of the series.  It's significantly shorter than most of the books in the series: only 181 pages, and that's with overly-large print.  So novella size, really.  We'll see how it goes; it apparently involves a dead Mayan god returned to life.

Johnathan


----------



## Eyes of Nine

I don't know what happened, I stopped getting notifications of this thread.
Since I last posted, I believe I have read all of Rebecca Chambers' Wayfarers series.
I started a book called Empire of Silence, and couldn't even finish the first page.

Currently reading _Invisible Life of Addie LaRue_, and it's costing me sleep...


----------



## ccs

Trust & Tax laws as my mothers estate is getting set to wrap up here in the next few months.


----------



## Ryujin

Only just settling in to read the last 11 chapters of Matt Vancil's Star Trek parody "The Fatal Frontier." He completed these chapters less than two weeks ago and it should soon be going to press.


----------



## Eyes of Nine

ccs said:


> Trust & Tax laws as my mothers estate is getting set to wrap up here in the next few months.



Sorry about your loss.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Exploring Eberron_ by Keith Baker.

Still reading _Rhythm of War _by Brandon Sanderson.

Finished reading _Unmasked: Inside Antifa's Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy_ by Andy Ngo.

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _The Ruins of Gorlan_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _Bobby Fischer Goes to War: How a Lone American Star Defeated the Soviet Chess Machine _by David Edmonds and John Eidinow.

Still reading _Turn Coat _by Jim Butcher.

Started reading _Emma_ by Jane Austen.

Started reading _Discount Armageddon_ by Seanan McGuire.


----------



## Myth Master

Getting the Vlad Taltos novels together to dive into again, a perennial favorite. That will last me a few months before I need to look for anything else. I'll probably dig into the Deryni novels after that, take me through the rest of the year, although I've had my eye on the Thieve's World anthology series.


----------



## Richards

Well, _The Destroyer #150:  The End of the World_ was horrifically bad - without a doubt, and with no contenders anywhere near it, it was the absolute worst in the entire series I've ever read.  A stupid plot, stupid characters, nonsensical actions; the whole thing was just an embarrassment and a stain upon the series as a whole.  I have since moved on to a different entry in the series: _Choke Hold_, in which the series is now thankfully back on track.  Then the only other unread Destroyer book I have on hand is the one I lent to a coworker and have yet to get back, so it's entirely possible I'll have to read something else besides the Destroyer if I finish this book too soon.  (Fortunately, I stocked up at the library book sale last week so I'm good to go on that front.)

Johnathan


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Exploring Eberron_ by Keith Baker.

Still reading _Rhythm of War _by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _The Ruins of Gorlan_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _Bobby Fischer Goes to War: How a Lone American Star Defeated the Soviet Chess Machine _by David Edmonds and John Eidinow.

Still reading _Turn Coat _by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _Emma_ by Jane Austen.

Still reading _Discount Armageddon_ by Seanan McGuire.

Started reading _The Strange Death of Europe_ by Douglas Murray.


----------



## Zaukrie

Mistborn did not disappoint. Onto book 2.....


----------



## Richards

I finished _Choke Hold_ this morning and it was a much better entry in the Destroyer series.  Now, having temporarily depleted my readily-available Destroyer books, I'm about to start _Life Signs_, a Firefly novel by James Lovegrove.  This is a story I've been waiting for years to find out about, as it goes into detail about Inara's hinted-at medical issues.  It takes place in the time span between the end of the _Firefly_ series and the beginning of the _Serenity_ movie, which is exactly where I like my new Firefly stories to take place, when we still have the full complement of crew.  (I'm a bit ticked at the current set-up of the ongoing comic book series, where there's been a time jump and all sorts of unexplained things have taken place that's split the main group into several different factions - that's not at all to my liking.)

Johnathan


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Exploring Eberron_ by Keith Baker.

Still reading _Rhythm of War _by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _The Ruins of Gorlan_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _Bobby Fischer Goes to War: How a Lone American Star Defeated the Soviet Chess Machine _by David Edmonds and John Eidinow.

Still reading _Turn Coat _by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _Emma_ by Jane Austen.

Still reading _Discount Armageddon_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Strange Death of Europe_ by Douglas Murray.

Started reading _Rosemary and Rue_ by Seanan McGuire.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

I finished Bebergal's Appendix N: The Eldritch Roots of Dungeons and Dragons. Really great collection of Appendix N tales and works that feel like they could have been on the list. Was super-glad to finally read Margaret St. Clair's "The Man Who Sold Rope to the Gnoles."

I then read Seanan McGuire's Beneath the Sugar Sky. Another amazing novella in the Wayward Children series.

Now I'm re-reading L. Sprague De Camp's The Fallible Fiend. 

As an aside, I've been doing another library purge and reorganization and this is tough. Some stuff is going to the nearby little library, some to a box in the attic (as much as I love the Malazan Book of the Fallen series, I am not likely to tackle the 11,000+ page series anytime soon). I had gotten into a bad habit of putting books in front of books on my shelves, and stuff was starting to get lost in the shuffle (Like the Fallible Fiend). Stopping doing that is making for some hard and honest decisions about what I want to keep.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Finished reading _Exploring Eberron_ by Keith Baker.

Still reading _Rhythm of War _by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _The Ruins of Gorlan_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _Bobby Fischer Goes to War: How a Lone American Star Defeated the Soviet Chess Machine _by David Edmonds and John Eidinow.

Still reading _Turn Coat _by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _Emma_ by Jane Austen.

Still reading _Discount Armageddon_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Strange Death of Europe_ by Douglas Murray.

Still reading _Rosemary and Rue_ by Seanan McGuire.

Started reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Started reading _Tasha's Cauldron of Everything_ by Wizards of the Coast.


----------



## Nellisir

Finished _Shadows of the Self_, by...that guy. Mistborn. I didn't realize that it was #2 in a sequal trilogy to the original trilogy, so while it was fairly engaging, there were clearly Important Characters that did nothing, and lots of unanswered questions/backstory. Also, I remember the magic system but not the religion, so I gotta reread Mistborn now. Or soon. When I find it.


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Read _Secret Life Of Addie LaRue _by VE Schwalb. Very highly recommended if you have exactly the same taste in books as I do lol.

Now reading _The Diamond Age_ by Neal Stephenson. Not sure how I missed this one; but I believe it was the book he wrote after _Snowcrash_ (unrelated). Stephenson is up and down for me. I really liked _Snowcrash_, was bored to tears with _Cryptonomicon_, enjoyed _Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O._ So far _Diamond Age_ is shaping up to be in the "enjoy" category.


----------



## Nellisir

Eyes of Nine said:


> Read _Secret Life Of Addie LaRue _by VE Schwalb. Very highly recommended if you have exactly the same taste in books as I do lol.
> 
> Now reading _The Diamond Age_ by Neal Stephenson. Not sure how I missed this one; but I believe it was the book he wrote after _Snowcrash_ (unrelated). Stephenson is up and down for me. I really liked _Snowcrash_, was bored to tears with _Cryptonomicon_, enjoyed _Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O._ So far _Diamond Age_ is shaping up to be in the "enjoy" category.



_Cryptonomicon_ was a snoozefest. He had a story, he just sorta sauntered it along. _Snowcrash_ & _The Diamond Age_ are my two favorites of his.


----------



## Manbearcat

Rereading all of Cormac McCarthy's novels.

Just finished _All the Pretty Horses.  Blood Meridian _will likely be next.


----------



## dragoner

Manbearcat said:


> Rereading all of Cormac McCarthy's novels.
> 
> Just finished _All the Pretty Horses.  Blood Meridian _will likely be next.



Two great books.


----------



## Richards

I finished _Firefly: Life Signs_ and it was the best of the three I've read thus far, but I also discovered two others have been published that got past me somehow - I'll have to keep my eyes out for those.  In the meantime, I'm about to start _Interworld_, a story that crosses multiple different universes.  It's a Young Adult novel, which would normally make me a bit leery, but in this case I think I need not worry: it was written by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reeves, two authors whose solo works I've really enjoyed.

Johnathan


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Richards said:


> I'm about to start _Interworld_, a story that crosses multiple different universes.  It's a Young Adult novel, which would normally make me a bit leery, but in this case I think I need not worry: it was written by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reeves, two authors whose solo works I've really enjoyed.
> 
> Johnathan



I enjoyed the first Interworld.


----------



## HawaiiSteveO

Not exactly of superior / and or lasting artistic merit, but just plain dang fun to read!

The Monster Hunters (Monster Hunters International combo volumes Book 1) eBook: Correia, Larry: Amazon.ca: Kindle Store


----------



## Blue

Had to put down Gardens of the Moon, the first Malazan Book of the Fallen.  Just wasn't capturing me.  Since then I've dived into Six of Crows, from the Summer Reading List thread (D&D General - Nominations for the ENWorld Summer Reading List)


----------



## Zardnaar

Started book 5/6 War of the Spider Quuen. Annihilation iirc.


----------



## dragoner

Voices From The Sky by Arthur C Clarke, mostly non-fiction essays about space.


----------



## Khelon Testudo

I recently read *Fifth Season* by NK Jemesin. It is rather intense, and an examination of justified repressed rage. And even when justified, the results of giving in to that rage are always harmful.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Nellisir said:


> Finished _Shadows of the Self_, by...that guy. Mistborn. I didn't realize that it was #2 in a sequal trilogy to the original trilogy, so while it was fairly engaging, there were clearly Important Characters that did nothing, and lots of unanswered questions/backstory. Also, I remember the magic system but not the religion, so I gotta reread Mistborn now. Or soon. When I find it.



Great series!

Alloy of Law is the first in that second series (called Mistborn Era 2 by us fans). Like the first book of the original trilogy, it stands up on its own, while working to allow a series to develop after, so a lot of the new characters are introduced in Alloy of Law. The religion in Era 2 though is wholly new, and you won't find it in Mistborn. Not that I would discourage you from rereading it! It's wonderful, and I need to read it again too.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Rhythm of War _by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Finished reading _The Ruins of Gorlan_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _Bobby Fischer Goes to War: How a Lone American Star Defeated the Soviet Chess Machine _by David Edmonds and John Eidinow.

Still reading _Turn Coat _by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _Emma_ by Jane Austen.

Still reading _Discount Armageddon_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Strange Death of Europe_ by Douglas Murray.

Still reading _Rosemary and Rue_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Tasha's Cauldron of Everything_ by Wizards of the Coast.

Started reading _The Burning Bridge_ by John Flanagan.


----------



## HawaiiSteveO

KahlessNestor said:


> Great series!
> 
> Alloy of Law is the first in that second series (called Mistborn Era 2 by us fans). Like the first book of the original trilogy, it stands up on its own, while working to allow a series to develop after, so a lot of the new characters are introduced in Alloy of Law. The religion in Era 2 though is wholly new, and you won't find it in Mistborn. Not that I would discourage you from rereading it! It's wonderful, and I need to read it again too.



The first one is better value, includes second linked novella as well as other great stuff. 

You shouldn't read Secret History until you've finished the first 3 though - spoilers.

There's always another secret...

Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection (The Kharkanas Trilogy (3)) eBook: Sanderson, Brandon: Amazon.ca: Kindle Store

Mistborn: Secret History eBook: Sanderson, Brandon: Amazon.ca: Kindle Store


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

I loved that series, but I don't know if I'll ever work up the gumption to re-read all 11,216 pages of it. Knowing this, I boxed up all of them to make room on my bookshelves.



Blue said:


> Had to put down Gardens of the Moon, the first Malazan Book of the Fallen.  Just wasn't capturing me.




I finished reading De Camp's Fallible Fiend. While parts of it were still a ton of wry fun, I had forgotten about the big threat in the final part of the book...the invading army of cannibal black people. Not something that has aged well at all.

Now I'm back to Farmer's World of Tiers series with Behind the Walls of Terra.


----------



## Richards

I'm now starting up the first of two books by Carol O'Connell, _Winter House_.  It features Kathy Mallory (and so does the other one I picked up at a library book sale, so I'm hoping I like them), a young sociopath brought up by a policeman foster dad, and who eventually became a cop herself.  Sounds interesting, so I thought I'd give it a shot.  This one involves a housewife who fights off a burglar and kills him with a pair of scissors, and who is eventually discovered to be a missing person from a 60-year-old case file, who had apparently killed her family with an ice pick as a child.  That's a plotline you don't see every day.

Johnathan


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Last thing I need is a long series, but I've been getting tempted by Malazan series (both authors). I like how so many people say "It feels great, although I didn't really like it, but I still kept reading them..." Such a strange reaction, yet one I have heard from multiple people. Color me intrigued.








						Malazan Book of the Fallen - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

I loved the series - the worldbuilding, the characters, the long-game character and plot development, the epic warfare. I will say that some of the books, you can really tell they needed a bit tighter editing - the contracted quick turn-around shows. Also, "Ursto Hoobutt."



Eyes of Nine said:


> Last thing I need is a long series, but I've been getting tempted by Malazan series (both authors). I like how so many people say "It feels great, although I didn't really like it, but I still kept reading them..." Such a strange reaction, yet one I have heard from multiple people. Color me intrigued.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Malazan Book of the Fallen - Wikipedia
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> en.wikipedia.org


----------



## Zaukrie

Blue said:


> Had to put down Gardens of the Moon, the first Malazan Book of the Fallen.  Just wasn't capturing me.  Since then I've dived into Six of Crows, from the Summer Reading List thread (D&D General - Nominations for the ENWorld Summer Reading List)



I also put it down......


----------



## Richards

I all but finished _Winter House_ on my plane trips yesterday, reading the last remaining 40 pages or so this morning.  It was good, and gives me confidence I'll like the other one in that same series I picked up.  But first, I got back the _Destroyer_ book I had lent to my co-worker, so that's jumping to the front of the line and I'll be reading it - _Destroyer #125: The Wrong Stuff_ - first, before I read the other novel in the Kate Mallory series.

Johnathan


----------



## Nellisir

Eyes of Nine said:


> Last thing I need is a long series, but I've been getting tempted by Malazan series (both authors). I like how so many people say "It feels great, although I didn't really like it, but I still kept reading them..." Such a strange reaction, yet one I have heard from multiple people. Color me intrigued.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Malazan Book of the Fallen - Wikipedia
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> en.wikipedia.org



I read one of them a while ago. It was...long. What ultimately put me off was being told by numerous people that "yeah, it really picks up after book 3 or 4!! Just get through those and it's great!"

So...yeah. I'm gonna look for books that are great by chapter 4, not book 4.


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Nellisir said:


> I read one of them a while ago. It was...long. What ultimately put me off was being told by numerous people that "yeah, it really picks up after book 3 or 4!! Just get through those and it's great!"
> 
> So...yeah. I'm gonna look for books that are great by chapter 4, not book 4.



Yeah, life is too short. You get 100 pages to get me on board.


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Eyes of Nine said:


> Yeah, life is too short. You get 100 pages to get me on board.



Although, that said @Nellisir I did find that the Dresden books took 3-4 books to really hit their stride. But 1 and 2 were ok enough to keep me reading to when stuff started to get really good. And for me, it was all the vampire courts and the fae courts and all those politics and the White Wizards and how Harry fit into all that - that was when stuff started to get good, for me.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Rhythm of War _by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _Bobby Fischer Goes to War: How a Lone American Star Defeated the Soviet Chess Machine _by David Edmonds and John Eidinow.

Still reading _Turn Coat _by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _Emma_ by Jane Austen.

Still reading _Discount Armageddon_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Strange Death of Europe_ by Douglas Murray.

Still reading _Rosemary and Rue_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Tasha's Cauldron of Everything_ by Wizards of the Coast.

Still reading _The Burning Bridge_ by John Flanagan.

Started a reread of _The Doomsday Book_ by Connie Willis. I read this years ago and was floored, just blown away. So far the first couple chapters are still good, though not quite as I remember, since I now know the gut-wrenching agony waiting for me at the end of the book. :/


----------



## Nellisir

Eyes of Nine said:


> Although, that said @Nellisir I did find that the Dresden books took 3-4 books to really hit their stride. But 1 and 2 were ok enough to keep me reading to when stuff started to get really good. And for me, it was all the vampire courts and the fae courts and all those politics and the White Wizards and how Harry fit into all that - that was when stuff started to get good, for me.



I've been really wary of the Dresden books. Urban fantasy is generally a huge fail for me. (That said, I haven't actually read any of them and yes, someday I will try them!)

I just started The Jennifer Morgue by Charles Stross and, 50 pages in, have tossed it. Endless references to things that happened before, and just...ugh.

I'm jonesing for a really good high fantasy novel, but nothing is leaping out at me. <sigh> I did burn through the rest of second mistborne trilogy earlier, and read some of the Raksura series by Martha Wells. Mixed feelings about that.


----------



## Eyes of Nine

KahlessNestor said:


> Still reading _Rhythm of War _by Brandon Sanderson.
> 
> Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.
> 
> Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.
> 
> Still reading _Bobby Fischer Goes to War: How a Lone American Star Defeated the Soviet Chess Machine _by David Edmonds and John Eidinow.
> 
> Still reading _Turn Coat _by Jim Butcher.
> 
> Still reading _Emma_ by Jane Austen.
> 
> Still reading _Discount Armageddon_ by Seanan McGuire.
> 
> Still reading _The Strange Death of Europe_ by Douglas Murray.
> 
> Still reading _Rosemary and Rue_ by Seanan McGuire.
> 
> Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.
> 
> Still reading _Tasha's Cauldron of Everything_ by Wizards of the Coast.
> 
> Still reading _The Burning Bridge_ by John Flanagan.
> 
> Started a reread of _The Doomsday Book_ by Connie Willis. I read this years ago and was floored, just blown away. So far the first couple chapters are still good, though not quite as I remember, since I now know the gut-wrenching agony waiting for me at the end of the book. :/



That's a lot of books to be in progress. I'm curious about your book-reading "process"...


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Nellisir said:


> I've been really wary of the Dresden books. Urban fantasy is generally a huge fail for me. (That said, I haven't actually read any of them and yes, someday I will try them!)
> 
> I just started The Jennifer Morgue by Charles Stross and, 50 pages in, have tossed it. Endless references to things that happened before, and just...ugh.
> 
> I'm jonesing for a really good high fantasy novel, but nothing is leaping out at me. <sigh> I did burn through the rest of second mistborne trilogy earlier, and read some of the Raksura series by Martha Wells. Mixed feelings about that.



Have you read Butcher's Codex Alera books? I enjoyed.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Eyes of Nine said:


> That's a lot of books to be in progress. I'm curious about your book-reading "process"...




Yeah. I've always been a multibook reader. I've tried paring down to one at a time, but it only lasts so long, because there's another book I NEED to read, or the next book in some series I'm reading comes out. Currently, I'm TRYING to keep it relatively genre-different, so one fantasy, a history, one current affairs, etc. It doesn't always work, obviously. Generally I'll read one book on one day, and switch to another book the next. On weekends I'll stick with one book. It's about at the limit, though, where I'm not quite remembering what happened the last time I picked it up, so I'll be paring down again once books start finishing.


----------



## Blue

Nellisir said:


> I've been really wary of the Dresden books. Urban fantasy is generally a huge fail for me. (That said, I haven't actually read any of them and yes, someday I will try them!)



The first two or so books are good and servicable and then it starts coming together and ramps up even more.  But I can't recommend skipping those first books - the whole series has a truely wonderful amount of callbacks, recurring characters, and important plot points that come back around.



Nellisir said:


> I just started The Jennifer Morgue by Charles Stross and, 50 pages in, have tossed it. Endless references to things that happened before, and just...ugh.



That series is also well connected to the earlier books, not a standalone read.  While I enjoy the series, it's a particular Venn diagram of British humor, IT, Cthulhu horror, and government bureaucracy that if you are not in all of the circles can easily not be to taste.



Nellisir said:


> I'm jonesing for a really good high fantasy novel, but nothing is leaping out at me. <sigh> I did burn through the rest of second mistborne trilogy earlier, and read some of the Raksura series by Martha Wells. Mixed feelings about that.



Wish I could help, my favorite new novels of the past few years didn't include any high fantasy.  Have you tried Fifth Season?


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Blue said:


> That series is also well connected to the earlier books, not a standalone read.  While I enjoy the series, it's a particular Venn diagram of British humor, IT, Cthulhu horror, and government bureaucracy that if you are not in all of the circles can easily not be to taste.



Yeah, I like those books. Charles Stross I like most of his books what I have read. Although the Bob books are mostly not carried at my library, so I try to track them down at used bookshops. Same with the Rivers of London books (Lt. Pete).


----------



## KahlessNestor

Nellisir said:


> I'm jonesing for a really good high fantasy novel, but nothing is leaping out at me. <sigh> I did burn through the rest of second mistborne trilogy earlier, and read some of the Raksura series by Martha Wells. Mixed feelings about that.



Have you tried The Stormlight Archive? That's the hottest epic fantasy out there, and it is Brandon Sanderson. Newest book just came out in November.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

I cannot praise Evan Winter's The Burning series enough. It's got Dragons, magic, swordplay, demons, and more. Each time I put the book down after a reading session, I felt like I had been holding my breath the whole time.



Nellisir said:


> I'm jonesing for a really good high fantasy novel, but nothing is leaping out at me. <sigh> I did burn through the rest of second mistborne trilogy earlier, and read some of the Raksura series by Martha Wells. Mixed feelings about that.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

I finished Farmer's Behind The Walls of Terra. For a 220 page book, this sure was a slog. Taking the World of Tiers to (then) modern-day Earth felt like that part in a sci-fi or fantasy series when they go to current Earth to cut corners on the budget. The fast-paced action, stripped of the imaginative worldbuilding, turned into a real grind. Hopefully the next in the series in better.

Now I'm reading T. Kingfisher's Nine Goblins.


----------



## Janx

Presently reading Black Panther: Tales of Wakanda


----------



## Zaukrie

Just finished Well of Ascension. I like to be surprised......very good book.


----------



## dragoner

I just finished Brin's Sundiver, and I am starting Startide Rising; you can definitely feel the late 70's in Sundiver, we will see about Startide.


----------



## Richards

I finished _Find Me_ by Carol O'Connor, featuring Detective Kathy Mallory, an NYPD officer who's a bit of a sociopath herself.  While I enjoyed the previous Mallory book I'd read earlier (_Winter House_), this one blew it out of the water - it was firing on all cylinders, with a good plot, great characterizations, and a final "didn't see that coming" plot line that hit you hard at the very end.  I'll definitely keep an eye out for other books in this series.

So now I'm reading _Find Me_ by Debra Webb.  Despite the identical title, this one is about a woman investigative reporter looking into a murder and kidnapping (of two different victims) in a small town in Maine.  And I have to admit, I bought both books not only because the blurbs on the back of each sounded interesting but because I couldn't pass up the opportunity to read two completely different novels with the exact same title back to back.  I'm only about 40 pages in and so far it's pretty interesting, but Debra's got her work cut out for her if she's going to try to top Carol's novel.  We'll see how it goes.

Johnathan


----------



## AmerginLiath

After last year’s delve through the complete works of Aristotle, I’m continuing my survey of (the surviving works of) the classical Neoplatonists this year. Most of 2021 has been spent with Proclus, not surprisingly, but I’m maybe a thousand pages away from moving on from the Hellenistic pagan to patristic Christian philosophers (where, after Origen and the Cappadocian Fathers, I’ll likely spend a few months working through Augustine).


----------



## francisbaud

I was reading principles of anatomy and physiology. And interesting book!


----------



## Nellisir

Blue said:


> Wish I could help, my favorite new novels of the past few years didn't include any high fantasy.  Have you tried Fifth Season?



Read it as it came out. NK Jemisin is excellent.


----------



## Nellisir

KahlessNestor said:


> Have you tried The Stormlight Archive? That's the hottest epic fantasy out there, and it is Brandon Sanderson. Newest book just came out in November.



I'm holding off for the moment only because I might already have some of the books in the unread boxes. I estimate I've got about 30 boxes of books and 10-15 of them are unread books. The trouble is I don't have shelf space to get them out. I haven't read it earlier because I'm leery of starting a mega-series until it's at least a few books in. Sanderson does have a really good track record though, so I'm willing to give it a whirl.


----------



## Nellisir

Blue said:


> The first two or so books are good and servicable and then it starts coming together and ramps up even more.  But I can't recommend skipping those first books - the whole series has a truely wonderful amount of callbacks, recurring characters, and important plot points that come back around.



It's climbing up my list of books to look for. I'll have to note which ones to grab first.


Blue said:


> That series is also well connected to the earlier books, not a standalone read.  While I enjoy the series, it's a particular Venn diagram of British humor, IT, Cthulhu horror, and government bureaucracy that if you are not in all of the circles can easily not be to taste.



It's possible I'll enjoy it more if I read the earlier books, but seriously, the part of it I got through was like going to party with 20 people who know each other, and me. I don't mind a few callbacks, but these were neither subtle nor infrequent. Or maybe I'm just bitter and cynical?


----------



## Richards

I took a brief timeout from the novel I was reading for a higher-priority action: my comic shop got in the trade paperback of _Dear Becky_, the 8-issue follow-up miniseries to _The Boys_.  It was good, but didn't go over that much new territory - still, it was nice to revisit those characters for a bit.  Monday I'll be bringing it into work, as I have four co-workers who have also read their way through _The Boys_ who I know will want to borrow the book.

Johnathan


----------



## Blue

Nellisir said:


> It's possible I'll enjoy it more if I read the earlier books, but seriously, the part of it I got through was like going to party with 20 people who know each other, and me. I don't mind a few callbacks, but these were neither subtle nor infrequent. Or maybe I'm just bitter and cynical?



Yeah, that was a real rogue's gallery tying together threads from a _bunch_ of other books.  Not the norm, but the norm does have a high level of callbacks.  Heck, there's a short story all about a throwaway line in an earlier book about getting audited on the number of paperclips they have.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Finished T. Kingfisher's (Ursula Vernon) Nine Goblins. Completely charming and wholesome. 

Now I'm onto Moorcock's The Queen of the Swords.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Nellisir said:


> I'm holding off for the moment only because I might already have some of the books in the unread boxes. I estimate I've got about 30 boxes of books and 10-15 of them are unread books. The trouble is I don't have shelf space to get them out. I haven't read it earlier because I'm leery of starting a mega-series until it's at least a few books in. Sanderson does have a really good track record though, so I'm willing to give it a whirl.



Well, Rhythm of War (the latest book) is the 4th book in the first 5 part series. The second half (books 6-10) will happen after a time jump. So it's nearly the end of of the first series. Sanderson keeps people up to date with his State of the Sanderson blogpost every December, if you're worried he won't finish.


----------



## ShinHakkaider

I'm reading/have read:

CASTE by Isabel Wilkerson, 

THE SUM OF US by Heather McGhee, 

MEDIOCRE by Ijeoma Oluo, 

SHOW YOUR WORK by Austin Kleon,  

THE COLOR OF LAW by Richard Rothstein, 

and HITLER'S AMERICAN MODEL by James Q. Whitman.


----------



## Zaukrie

I understand why, and it is well written, but Hero of Ages is depressing so far....... I think I'm done with part one or two..... It's an interesting experience, as I contemplate the tone of a book I'm writing....


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Finished Moorcock's The Queen of the Swords. Still quite good, but it felt a little more traditionally "Moocockian" than the first Corum volume. Also read Harry Harrison's The Misplaced Battleship. The short story moves fast and snappy - there's little time for worldbuilding, but it is clever and enjoyable.

Next up is Burroughs' At Earth's Core. I've long been a fan of his Barsoom stories, but have never read any of the Pellucidar series.


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Ralif Redhammer said:


> Finished Moorcock's The Queen of the Swords. Still quite good, but it felt a little more traditionally "Moocockian" than the first Corum volume. Also read Harry Harrison's The Misplaced Battleship. The short story moves fast and snappy - there's little time for worldbuilding, but it is clever and enjoyable.
> 
> Next up is Burroughs' At Earth's Core. I've long been a fan of his Barsoom stories, but have never read any of the Pellucidar series.



I loved the Pellucidar series as a youngun back in the 80's. Read at least twice. Tried to re-read recently, and couldn't get past the racism. ymmv.


----------



## Richards

I finished _Find Me_ by Debra Webb and it was no contest - it was nowhere near as good as the novel with the exact same title by Carol O'Connor.  The plot was okay - investigative reporter digs around a small town in Maine where there's been a recent murder and a kidnapping, both of which mirror events from 20 years ago - but the main character is such a Mary Sue it's ridiculous.  Not only is she right with all of her assumptions (but of course nobody believes her at first), but at the end she's practically put on a pedestal by just about the whole town who line up to visit her in the hospital and sing her praises.  And worse yet, about halfway through the so-so murder plot the author decides she'd like to be a romance author as well so from that point on we get a gratuitous sex scene every 40-50 pages or so through the rest of the novel (the worst offense is when they're supposed to be stalking out the house of a suspect from a boat on the water, but suddenly decide nope, it makes more sense for us to boink right now).  I think Debra Webb's on my "don't need to read anything else from her" list.

So, next up is another _Firefly_ novel: _Generations_ by Tim Lebbon, in which the crew of the _Serenity_ finds the location where at least some of the Arks used to ferry colonists from Earth-That-Was are parked.  Sounds interesting.

Johnathan


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

I'm about a third of the way through and yeah, it's really egregious. I suppose that, coming from the creator of Tarzan, it shouldn't be a surprise. At this point I'm going to try to see it through to the end.



Eyes of Nine said:


> I loved the Pellucidar series as a youngun back in the 80's. Read at least twice. Tried to re-read recently, and couldn't get past the racism. ymmv.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Zaukrie said:


> I understand why, and it is well written, but Hero of Ages is depressing so far....... I think I'm done with part one or two..... It's an interesting experience, as I contemplate the tone of a book I'm writing....



The ending is a kicker, and what made me fall in love with Sanderson. Completely out of left field.


----------



## Ulfgeir

I finished reading "The Sisterhood of the Blade". It is an anthology of stories set in 3-musketeeof the era, but all the main characters are women, who serve as the Queen's guards. It is written by a number of different authors (Ed Greenwood being the most famous). 

The first of the character is a samurai who had married a Frenchman, and moved to France. He was a spy for the king, but got murdered on a mission. The second is the daughter of a general. She is very good at swordfighting, and likes to drink, fight, and have lots of sexual relations. The third is a dark skinned female pirate, fluent in a number of languages. She too likes to drink, and fight and have sex  (with both men and women).   All sex is off-screen, and only referred to in off-hand comments.

It is an interesting idea, but the stories are a bit uneven, and would have benefitted from more editing given that some of them have contradictionary descriptions of the characters, and the language/style varies a lot.  The three women have frequent fights with the Cardinal's guards. If you like swashbuckling, it is an interesting read.


Currently reading:
A book that is for instructors in archery. Since it is for the international market it's focus is on recurve (olympic) archery.

The expansion book for Good Society - A Jane Austen rpg.  I do intend to run a one-shot for it with my gaming group)

Also doing proofreading on stuff for a number of Swedish RPG's.

A campaign for *Kopparhavets Hjältar*
Adventures for *Chock åter från graven* (Inspired by Chill 1e which was called "Chock" in Swedish. The title translates as "Chock back from the Grave", which is fitting since it has been out of print since the late 80's. Uses a different rule-system)
Going though the main rulebook for Chock åter från Graven, as they are thinking about doing a 2nd printing, and they felt that the proofreading on the first edition was lacking in quality.
Adventures for *Kutulu*. A Swedish Cthulhuesque game with allegedly simpler rules. Have one adventure left out of 4 written by Gabrielle de Bourg, who is one of the more frequent scenario-writers in Sweden, and have written for games like Vaesen, Tales from the Loop, Call of Cthulhu Sverige, and also a scenario for The Troubleshooters which was one of the stretchgoals for that kickstarter campaign.


----------



## Ryujin

Ulfgeir said:


> I finished reading "The Sisterhood of the Blade". It is an anthology of stories set in 3-musketeeof the era, but all the main characters are women, who serve as the Queen's guards. It is written by a number of different authors (Ed Greenwood being the most famous).
> 
> The first of the character is a samurai who had married a Frenchman, and moved to France. He was a spy for the king, but got murdered on a mission. The second is the daughter of a general. She is very good at swordfighting, and likes to drink, fight, and have lots of sexual relations. The third is a dark skinned female pirate, fluent in a number of languages. She too likes to drink, and fight and have sex  (with both men and women).   All sex is off-screen, and only referred to in off-hand comments.
> 
> It is an interesting idea, but the stories are a bit uneven, and would have benefitted from more editing given that some of them have contradictionary descriptions of the characters, and the language/style varies a lot.  The three women have frequent fights with the Cardinal's guards. If you like swashbuckling, it is an interesting read.
> 
> 
> Currently reading:
> A book that is for instructors in archery. Since it is for the international market it's focus is on recurve (olympic) archery.
> 
> The expansion book for Good Society - A Jane Austen rpg.  I do intend to run a one-shot for it with my gaming group)
> 
> Also doing proofreading on stuff for a number of Swedish RPG's.
> 
> A campaign for *Kopparhavets Hjältar*
> Adventures for *Chock åter från graven* (Inspired by Chill 1e which was called "Chock" in Swedish. The title translates as "Chock back from the Grave", which is fitting since it has been out of print since the late 80's. Uses a different rule-system)
> Going though the main rulebook for Chock åter från Graven, as they are thinking about doing a 2nd printing, and they felt that the proofreading on the first edition was lacking in quality.
> Adventures for *Kutulu*. A Swedish Cthulhuesque game with allegedly simpler rules. Have one adventure left out of 4 written by Gabrielle de Bourg, who is one of the more frequent scenario-writers in Sweden, and have written for games like Vaesen, Tales from the Loop, Call of Cthulhu Sverige, and also a scenario for The Troubleshooters which was one of the stretchgoals for that kickstarter campaign.



The second sounds to have been inspired, at least a little, by Julie d’Aubigny, aka La Maupin. She was, by parts, an opera singer, a countess, a duellist.... There is a story of her taking a fancy to a woman she saw at a party and kissing her, passionately, in front of the woman's three male suitors. Those men, all three, challenged her to a duel in somewhat the fashion of The Three Musketeers and d'Artagnan. She defeated all three.









						Julie d'Aubigny - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org


----------



## Ulfgeir

Ryujin said:


> The second sounds to have been inspired, at least a little, by Julie d’Aubigny, aka La Maupin. She was, by parts, an opera singer, a countess, a duellist.... There is a story of her taking a fancy to a woman she saw at a party and kissing her, passionately, in front of the woman's three male suitors. Those men, all three, challenged her to a duel in somewhat the fashion of The Three Musketeers and d'Artagnan. She defeated all three.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Julie d'Aubigny - Wikipedia
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> en.wikipedia.org



  I think they are more intended to be the equivalents of the 3 musketeers.  The Samurai = Aramis, The Generals daughter = Athos, and the former pirate = Porthos.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Finished Burroughs' At Earth's Core. It really didn't do much for me. Exceedingly racist, even for the time, with a dash of misogyny for good measure.

Also finished Rothfuss' The Lightning Tree. It was good, though not great like The Slow Regard of Silent Things. It was nice to revisit that world, but the short glimpse brought the long and fruitless wait for Doors of Stone into acute focus.

Next up is You Died: The Dark Souls Companion by Keza MacDonald and Jason Killingsworth. It's a collection of essays on Dark Souls, one of my favorite videogame series.


----------



## Ryujin

About to dive into "The Dragon Stone Conspiracy" by Amanda Cherry; a novel set in the Strowlers universe.


----------



## Zaukrie

Just finished Here of Ages. I DID NOT see that coming. The ending seemed almost too quick, but I get it......I may need to go back and re-read the last half.....did he shorten chapters? Did he change the style? It seemed like we were hurled forward, through the writing.

I really enjoyed Mistborn....quite a great trilogy.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Zaukrie said:


> Just finished Here of Ages. I DID NOT see that coming. The ending seemed almost too quick, but I get it......I may need to go back and re-read the last half.....did he shorten chapters? Did he change the style? It seemed like we were hurled forward, through the writing.
> 
> I really enjoyed Mistborn....quite a great trilogy.



I know, right! Total blindside! I swear I yelled at the book. NO! 

The last half... That's what fans tend to call the Sanderlanche. His books often are slow and steady world and plot building, and then in the last hundred or so pages, the pace just picks up as the plot all comes together, pulling you along, you can't put it down, and it's 3 AM, and you have that presentation in the morning, but you'll be fine, you're so close to the end! BAM!

The Sanderlanche


----------



## Older Beholder

I just picked up the new Jeff Vandermeer book, 'Hummingbird Salamander' which came out last week,
only 30 pgs in but I'm already hooked. A bit more grounded than his last novel 'Dead Astronauts'.


----------



## Marc_C

Just finished the first book of *Deathworld* by Harry Harrison. It's a great 60s sci-fi concept that could be turned into a campaign using a sci-fi rpg. The first book is a short, action pack read. It's a series of 3 books and a short story. Started book two last night. Each book takes place on a different planet.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

I've really been grooving on Harry Harrison's short stories of late. They're sharp and punchy, Deathworld being no exception.



Marc_C said:


> Just finished the first book of *Deathworld* by Harry Harrison. It's a great 60s sci-fi concept that could be turned into a campaign using a sci-fi rpg. The first book is a short, action pack read. It's a series of 3 books and a short story. Started book two last night. Each book takes place on a different planet.


----------



## TheAlkaizer

After years of dancing around it, I'm finally taking the dive into Dostoievski with _The Brothers Karamazov_. I'm very excited.


----------



## Marc_C

Ralif Redhammer said:


> I've really been grooving on Harry Harrison's short stories of late. They're sharp and punchy, Deathworld being no exception.



I miss old school writing that was about a 'cool sci-fi idea' that didn't take 450 pages to read.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

It's intense and throws a lot at the reader, but very good. 



TheAlkaizer said:


> After years of dancing around it, I'm finally taking the dive into Dostoievski with _The Brothers Karamazov_. I'm very excited.




I've been growing increasingly fond of shorter works under 200 pages. I used to be all about the 500+ page fantasy novels, but there's something to be said for the economy of storytelling, for getting your point across without padding, while still giving the reader vivid worldbuilding and characters.


Marc_C said:


> I miss old school writing that was about a 'cool sci-fi idea' that didn't take 450 pages to read.


----------



## Khelon Testudo

I've started reading a compilation of the first 3 Garrett PI books by Glen Cook. Entertaining mostly, but _yeesh_, the sexism/misogyny! These were written in the late 80's, it looks like he decided Heinlein wasn't sexist _enough_.
So far though it's mostly background. He's not here to write about how bad women are. Just mentioning it when women do show up now and then.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Finished reading You Died, and sure enough, I went back to my replay of Dark Souls 1 on the Switch before I was done. The book did a great job of capturing what makes the game so special.

I then read Philip K. Dick's Second Variety. Written 30 years prior, it feels like such a strong precursor to Terminator.

Now, I'm onto re-reading Lloyd Alexander's The Book of Three, for the ENworld Summer Book Club.


----------



## Marc_C

Khelon Testudo said:


> I've started reading a compilation of the first 3 Garrett PI books by Glen Cook. Entertaining mostly, but _yeesh_, the sexism/misogyny! These were written in the late 80's, it looks like he decided Heinlein wasn't sexist _enough_.
> So far though it's mostly background. He's not here to write about how bad women are. Just mentioning it when women do show up now and then.



Cook himself is not mysogynstic judging from his body of work. Some of the characters are. Was it a good idea to do that? For me it's no. I couldn't finish the first book.


----------



## KahlessNestor

TheAlkaizer said:


> After years of dancing around it, I'm finally taking the dive into Dostoievski with _The Brothers Karamazov_. I'm very excited.



My favorite book! It's amazing! It did help me to read it twice. The first time you get down all the characters and everyone's three names, and the plot. The second time you can focus on the deeper themes of the novel (death of God, redemptive suffering, etc).

I need to put _Crime and Punishment_ on my stack.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Rhythm of War _by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _Bobby Fischer Goes to War: How a Lone American Star Defeated the Soviet Chess Machine _by David Edmonds and John Eidinow.

Still reading _Turn Coat _by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _Emma_ by Jane Austen.

Still reading _Discount Armageddon_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Strange Death of Europe_ by Douglas Murray.

Still reading _Rosemary and Rue_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Tasha's Cauldron of Everything_ by Wizards of the Coast.

Still reading _The Burning Bridge_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _The Doomsday Book_ by Connie Willis. 

Started reading _Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life_ by Jordan B. Peterson.


----------



## Richards

I finished _Generations_ and I wouldn't have expected a _Firefly_ novel taking place in one of the Arks that took humanity from Earth-That-Was to their present system to be so boring, but it was.  Definitely a letdown.  Now I'm starting up the first of three (seemingly unrelated) novels by Lisa Gardner: _The Third Victim_, about a police detective investigating her first homicide in a small town and finding out the guy confessing to the crime likely wasn't the one who did it; the back-cover blurb hints that the real murderer is somehow tied in to the detective's past.  I'm hoping it'll be good, and I'm taking comfort in the fact that the other two of the author's novels I picked up (having been written over a decade later) are in that "overly tall" paperback format that are usually reserved for best sellers.

Johnathan


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Put _The Promised Land_ and _Four Hundred Souls_ on pause since they had to go back to the library. I have re-reserved, but each has long waiting lists.

Meanwhile, I inhaled _Piranesi_ in one setting and LOVED it. Then I read v5 of the Lady Sherlock series (_Murder on Cold Street_), which I forgot I had already said to myself that I wasn't very interested in continuing. Now reading the most recent Arkady Martine book, _A Desolation called Peace_.

Waiting in the wings is the first Mary Robinette Kowal Lady Astronaut books, _The Calculating Stars_. I'll read that and the next two, hopefully by end of summer, including _The Relentless Moon_ 2020 Hugo nominee. That will mean that for first time ever I will have read all of the Hugo nominees prior to the award being given.


----------



## Blue

Marc_C said:


> Just finished the first book of *Deathworld* by Harry Harrison. It's a great 60s sci-fi concept that could be turned into a campaign using a sci-fi rpg. The first book is a short, action pack read. It's a series of 3 books and a short story. Started book two last night. Each book takes place on a different planet.



Gosh, I haven't read those in a while, after multiple reread when I was younger.  Got into them aftter reading some of his Stainless Steel Rat series.


----------



## Blue

Khelon Testudo said:


> I've started reading a compilation of the first 3 Garrett PI books by Glen Cook. Entertaining mostly, but _yeesh_, the sexism/misogyny! These were written in the late 80's, it looks like he decided Heinlein wasn't sexist _enough_.
> So far though it's mostly background. He's not here to write about how bad women are. Just mentioning it when women do show up now and then.



A good part of that is the Noir Hard-boiled Detective style that he's emulating.  It does get better later on.


----------



## Blue

Richards said:


> I'm hoping it'll be good, and I'm taking comfort in the fact that the other two of the author's novels I picked up (having been written over a decade later) are in that "overly tall" paperback format that are usually reserved for best sellers.



Do you mean trade paperback format vs. mass market paperback?  It's not a format they bother with for everything, and basically assumes there's a hardcover which not all books get.  The trade paperback is the same layout as the hardcover, and usually has better quality and acid-free paper compared the the smaller mass market paperback.


----------



## Blue

Just finished Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, based ona  recommendation from the Summer Reading thread.  I enjoyed it, a solid 7.5-8 for me.  It had been compared to The Lies of Locke Lamora, but didn't quite live up to that for me.  One reason could be that except for a early scene that introduced three of the main characters, there was a lot more tell than show until halfway through the book.  Of course, Lies is a very high bar - it's a standout that even the later books in the Gentleman Bastard's series haven't been able to match.

Would recommend, and planning to pick up more by Leigh Bardugo.

Which brings me to a tangential question.  Shadow and Bone by the author has been made into a Netflix series that's gotten good reviews from friends.  Has anyone that has consumed both suggest if I should read then watch, or watch then read?


----------



## Richards

Blue said:


> Do you mean trade paperback format vs. mass market paperback?  It's not a format they bother with for everything, and basically assumes there's a hardcover which not all books get.  The trade paperback is the same layout as the hardcover, and usually has better quality and acid-free paper compared the the smaller mass market paperback.



I'm unsure of the proper terminology, but the standard paperback book is about 4" wide and almost 7" tall.  Lately, some of the better-selling books have been coming out in a taller format, still only about 4" wide but now 7 1/2" tall.  I suppose it's to make them stand out more or something, but it irritates me, especially when I have a series that started out in standard paperback format (like the "Agent Pendergast" series by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child) that now comes out first in hardback and then in the "tall" paperback format.  So much for standardization on my bookshelf!

There's also an even larger format, about 5 1/4" wide and 8" tall, that's comparable to a hardback book but comes in paperback format.  Is that the trade paperback size you referred to?

Johnathan


----------



## Blue

Richards said:


> I'm unsure of the proper terminology, but the standard paperback book is about 4" wide and almost 7" tall.  Lately, some of the better-selling books have been coming out in a taller format, still only about 4" wide but now 7 1/2" tall.  I suppose it's to make them stand out more or something, but it irritates me, especially when I have a series that started out in standard paperback format (like the "Agent Pendergast" series by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child) that now comes out first in hardback and then in the "tall" paperback format.  So much for standardization on my bookshelf!
> 
> There's also an even larger format, about 5 1/4" wide and 8" tall, that's comparable to a hardback book but comes in paperback format.  Is that the trade paperback size you referred to?



Trade paperbacks are the layout for the hardcover, so the page size is the same though as a whole it's smaller because the cover is flush, nto projecting.  But it it's only half an inch taller, it might just be a mass market in a different format.  Then look to the quality and thickness of the paper to tell if it's a large mass market or a small trade.

Here's a handy infographic I found about the differences between trade paperbacks and mass market paperbacks.  





Source: Mass-Market Paperback Books Vs. Trade Paperback Books: A Guide For Self-Publishers |


----------



## Khelon Testudo

Blue said:


> A good part of that is the Noir Hard-boiled Detective style that he's emulating.  It does get better later on.



It is getting slowly better. I'm in the second book.


----------



## doctorbadwolf

Just read The Aeronaut’s Windlass by Jim Butcher. 

Honestly, as much as I love the Dresden Files, Ithink this book is just a stronger work. Either way though, Butcher is a master of making the reader care about what happens to the characters.


----------



## Blue

Khelon Testudo said:


> It is getting slowly better. I'm in the second book.



It's disturbing viewed through today's lens, but it's not something present in any other body of work and the intensity that he mimicked the style fades as he continues.  Though I think the vocabulary stays mostly true to that source even as the rest of the writing (and the protagonist) changes so if that's too much of a barrier you know it now.


----------



## Blue

doctorbadwolf said:


> Just read The Aeronaut’s Windlass by Jim Butcher.
> 
> Honestly, as much as I love the Dresden Files, Ithink this book is just a stronger work. Either way though, Butcher is a master of making the reader care about what happens to the characters.



I enjoyed Aeronaut's Windlass, but for me I put it above his earliest Dresden and some of the Codex Alera, but behind late Dresden and well behind middle Dresden.  But I've agreed with a lot of your book assessments before and it's sitting ten feet from me after my wife read it, so maybe I'll give it a re-read.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Finished Alexander's The Book of Three. Still magical, still wonderful.

Now I'm re-reading Robert Asprin's MYTH-ing Persons. Haven't read that one since I was a kid.


----------



## doctorbadwolf

Blue said:


> I enjoyed Aeronaut's Windlass, but for me I put it above his earliest Dresden and some of the Codex Alera, but behind late Dresden and well behind middle Dresden.  But I've agreed with a lot of your book assessments before and it's sitting ten feet from me after my wife read it, so maybe I'll give it a re-read.



Yeah that’s probably fair. I think that there are maybe some lessons he has learned that are easier to apply to a new series than an to the series from which you learned the lessons, if that makes sense? 

And he is much better now, IMO, at writing women. But weirdly like, it’s more noticeable to me in Windlass than in Peace Talks and Battle Ground.


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Blue said:


> Just finished Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, based ona  recommendation from the Summer Reading thread.  I enjoyed it, a solid 7.5-8 for me.  It had been compared to The Lies of Locke Lamora, but didn't quite live up to that for me.  One reason could be that except for a early scene that introduced three of the main characters, there was a lot more tell than show until halfway through the book.  Of course, Lies is a very high bar - it's a standout that even the later books in the Gentleman Bastard's series haven't been able to match.
> 
> Would recommend, and planning to pick up more by Leigh Bardugo.
> 
> Which brings me to a tangential question.  Shadow and Bone by the author has been made into a Netflix series that's gotten good reviews from friends.  Has anyone that has consumed both suggest if I should read then watch, or watch then read?



There's a whole thread here that's not super spoilery.








						[Netflix] Shadow & Bones
					

I really liked to first two episodes. Anyone else watching this?  "Ravka, a fantasy kingdom based on the Tsarist Russian Empire, is set in a war-torn world plagued by the Shadow Fold, a swath of permanent darkness separating East from West Ravka which is inhabited by carnivorous winged creatures...




					www.enworld.org


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Richards said:


> I'm unsure of the proper terminology, but the standard paperback book is about 4" wide and almost 7" tall.  Lately, some of the better-selling books have been coming out in a taller format, still only about 4" wide but now 7 1/2" tall.  I suppose it's to make them stand out more or something, but it irritates me, especially when I have a series that started out in standard paperback format (like the "Agent Pendergast" series by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child) that now comes out first in hardback and then in the "tall" paperback format.  So much for standardization on my bookshelf!
> 
> There's also an even larger format, about 5 1/4" wide and 8" tall, that's comparable to a hardback book but comes in paperback format.  Is that the trade paperback size you referred to?
> 
> Johnathan



Yes, the 4" x 71/2" format lots of Stephen King books are in this format now. Still a mass market pb; but just... larger. Annoying for the bookstores that were maximizing their shelf space with shelves that were exactly tall enough to fit the classic mmpb size book, like my local used bookstore.


----------



## Zaukrie

The first book in the Duck and Cover series is on sale on Kindle for 99cents....a fun little, light, series I enjoy.






						Amazon.com: Post-Apocalyptic Nomadic Warriors (A Duck & Cover Adventure Book 1) eBook : Wallace, Benjamin: Kindle Store
					

Amazon.com: Post-Apocalyptic Nomadic Warriors (A Duck & Cover Adventure Book 1) eBook : Wallace, Benjamin: Kindle Store



					www.amazon.com


----------



## Sithlord

Rex stout Nero Wolfe series

Louis L’Amour westerns


----------



## Khelon Testudo

Blue said:


> It's disturbing viewed through today's lens, but it's not something present in any other body of work and the intensity that he mimicked the style fades as he continues.  Though I think the vocabulary stays mostly true to that source even as the rest of the writing (and the protagonist) changes so if that's too much of a barrier you know it now.



Thanks. Yeah, it's annoying, but the vocab is part of the genre he's using, or rather mashing with the fantasy genre. The actual treatment of characters is sort of improved in the second book, but I don't think the term "fridging" had been coined at that point. Because of that improvement, and because I'm by turns amused and intrigued by his versions of fantasy 'races', I'm keeping on reading.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

MYTH-ing persons was fun and quick. One thing new that I caught was that the Woof Writers were clear references to Wendy and Richard Pini. Not having read Elfquest until my twenties, that went over my head as a kid.

I then read Manly Wade Wellman's The Golgotha Dancers short story. Effective and quick, it felt like it could've done with a little more expansion.

Now I'm reading Abraham Merritt's Creep, Shadow!


----------



## Richards

I finished Lisa Gardner's _The Third Victim_ and all of my hopes for the book were met: good characters, intriguing plot, logical resolution.  It helps that I was on an all-day courier trip on a military plane on Tuesday, but I finished the 373-page book in almost one sitting - I had only the last 50 pages or so to finish up Wednesday and Thursday nights at bedtime.  So now I'm starting the next of hers that I own: _Touch & Go_, about a missing family - possibly abducted - and the attempts to find out what happened to them, with uncovered pieces gradually painting a much different picture of the apparently perfect family than the neighbors ever saw.  I enjoyed the previous book enough that I'm not worried that it'll be good; I'm a dozen pages into it and I'm already liking it.

Johnathan


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Rhythm of War _by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _Bobby Fischer Goes to War: How a Lone American Star Defeated the Soviet Chess Machine _by David Edmonds and John Eidinow.

Still reading _Turn Coat _by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _Emma_ by Jane Austen.

Still reading _Discount Armageddon_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Strange Death of Europe_ by Douglas Murray.

Still reading _Rosemary and Rue_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Tasha's Cauldron of Everything_ by Wizards of the Coast.

Still reading _The Burning Bridge_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _The Doomsday Book_ by Connie Willis.

Still reading _Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life_ by Jordan B. Peterson.

Started reading _Crime and Punishment _by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.


----------



## Khelon Testudo

KahlessNestor said:


> Still reading _Rhythm of War _by Brandon Sanderson.
> 
> Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.
> 
> Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.
> 
> Still reading _Bobby Fischer Goes to War: How a Lone American Star Defeated the Soviet Chess Machine _by David Edmonds and John Eidinow.
> 
> Still reading _Turn Coat _by Jim Butcher.
> 
> Still reading _Emma_ by Jane Austen.
> 
> Still reading _Discount Armageddon_ by Seanan McGuire.
> 
> Still reading _The Strange Death of Europe_ by Douglas Murray.
> 
> Still reading _Rosemary and Rue_ by Seanan McGuire.
> 
> Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.
> 
> Still reading _Tasha's Cauldron of Everything_ by Wizards of the Coast.
> 
> Still reading _The Burning Bridge_ by John Flanagan.
> 
> Still reading _The Doomsday Book_ by Connie Willis.
> 
> Still reading _Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life_ by Jordan B. Peterson.
> 
> Started reading _Crime and Punishment _by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.



Do you read at least some pages of each of these every day, week, or month? Or are all these books just bookmarked, and you just read a few to completion at a time?

To contribute: I've put aside Garrett: PI after the second book for now. I'm reading Glen Cook's _Port of Shadows_, a fixer-upper of some of his later short stories about  the Black Company. I'm liking the writing better, but women don't fare much better than in the detective series. With the exception of Her Ladyship, they're pretty much victims and/or whores.


----------



## trappedslider

Working my way through the Harry Potter series again, about to start book four. I realized that having grown up with the books, that I don't mind that in some cases there's a lack of internal consistency or somethings just plain don't make sense but that's okay because they entertain me, and I'm pretty sure in saying that they weren't set out with the purpose of being great literature on the same level as Lord of the Rings.


----------



## Marc_C

In May I'm participating in a book club that reads The Island of Doctor Moreau. Never read it.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Khelon Testudo said:


> Do you read at least some pages of each of these every day, week, or month? Or are all these books just bookmarked, and you just read a few to completion at a time?




I rotate through them. Usually I get about 30-50 pages done in one a day. I'm about getting to my limit, though, so as I finish ones they will whittle down.


----------



## Nellisir

Eyes of Nine said:


> Yes, the 4" x 71/2" format lots of Stephen King books are in this format now. Still a mass market pb; but just... larger. Annoying for the bookstores that were maximizing their shelf space with shelves that were exactly tall enough to fit the classic mmpb size book, like my local used bookstore.



Yep. I don't understand the point of this format, which is apparently called "premium". That said, I just did some googling and apparently several publishers are switching to a "max" format that's 4.75 x 7 for improved legibility & readability.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

I finished A. Merritt's Creep, Shadow!...the exclamation point being part of the title. While I found The Moon Pool to be more difficult to read, and I was close to writing off Merritt as "not for me," Creep, Shadow! was more accessible and enjoyable. Very eerie, too...sections definitely gave me the chills.

Now I'm reading Fletcher Pratt and L. Sprague De Camp's The Land of Unreason.


----------



## Ryujin

I just received "The Books of Earthsea: The Complete Illustrated Edition" and will be digging into it starting this weekend. I've already read "A Wizard of Earthsea" (multiple times), "The Tombs of Atuan", "The Farthest Shore", and "Tehanu", but have never read "Tales from Earthsea", "The Other Wind", nor "A Description of Earthsea" before.


----------



## dragoner

Finished Brin's Uplift War, then Benford's Artifact, and on to Clarke's Sands of Mars, after that I have Bear's Slant waiting.


----------



## Eyes of Nine

dragoner said:


> Finished Brin's Uplift War, then Benford's Artifact, and on to Clarke's Sands of Mars, after that I have Bear's Slant waiting.



I have queen of angels on my tbr list; and I have 3 of the 4 books of the series. Just missing Heads. I would be happy to purchase that from you if you are willing to give it up... If yes, please DM me.


----------



## dragoner

Eyes of Nine said:


> I have queen of angels on my tbr list; and I have 3 of the 4 books of the series. Just missing Heads. I would be happy to purchase that from you if you are willing to give it up... If yes, please DM me.



Message sent


----------



## Richards

I finished _Touch & Go_ and it was a good read, but I'm afraid my years of reading Jeffery Deaver made me quite immune to Lisa Gardner's plot twist at the end - i saw it coming from a mile away.  Still, I enjoyed it, although the fact that every third chapter or so was told from first person perspective (the wife in the kidnapped family of three) while the rest of the novel was third person was a bit jarring at first.

Anyway, now it's on to the last Lisa Gardner novel I picked up: _Fear Nothing_, about two daughters whose serial killer father has been dead for years - one grew up to become a pain management specialist, the other to be a murderer who's now incarcerated.  Now a detective needs both of their help to stop another serial killer who preys on women.

Johnathan


----------



## Ryujin

I hadn't realized that Dorian Hart (posts here as Sagiro) had released book 4 of his Heroes of Spira series. I enjoyed the first three very much and just picked up book 4, "The Infinite Tower", on Kindle.


----------



## Ulfgeir

Just started reading Blades in the Dark.


----------



## Zaukrie

Wasn't sure what to read.... But someone put the sequel to The Name of the Wind in my little library, so, I guess I'll read The Name of the Wind!


----------



## Khelon Testudo

Just finished reading Andy Weir's _Project Hail Mary. _Solid positive SF of the Hal Clement and Asimov school, where the problem and solution are based on logic and science, and the protagonist is basically a good person doing their best, depicted better than Asimov or Clement ever did. Much like _The Martian_ before it.


----------



## trappedslider

checked out a couple from the library today:


Lord of Order by Brett Riley 



Spoiler



Long after the destruction of all electronic technology, the Bright Crusade rules the world as a fundamentalist Christian theocracy. Gabriel Troy is Lord of Order for the New Orleans Principality. For years, he and his deputies have fought to keep their city safe from the attacks of the Crusade’s relentless enemies, the Troublers—heretical guerillas who reject the Crusade’s rule and the church’s strict doctrines. As their crowning achievement, Troy’s forces capture the Troublers’ local leader. The city has never been more secure.


Alarming intelligence leaks from Washington: Supreme Crusader Matthew Rook plans to enact a Purge—the mass annihilation of everyone deemed a threat to the Crusade. Rook orders his forces to round up all but the blindly loyal and march them to New Orleans. Once the prisoners have been chained inside, the Crusaders will wall off the city and destroy the levees. The resulting deluge, reenacting the Biblical deluge of Noah’s time and the city’s devastation during Hurricane Katrina, will kill everyone inside.


Forced to choose between the Crusade and the city he has sworn to protect, Troy and five other conflicted conspirators gird for battle, fully aware that the looming apocalypse will demand horrific choices, test their faith, and require them to join forces with their sworn enemies.



and Nuclear Folly: A History of the Cuban Missile Crisis by Serhii Plokhy


Spoiler



Nearly thirty years after the end of the Cold War, today’s world leaders are abandoning disarmament treaties, building up their nuclear arsenals, and exchanging threats of nuclear strikes. To survive this new atomic age, we must relearn the lessons of the most dangerous moment of the Cold War: the Cuban missile crisis.


Serhii Plokhy’s Nuclear Folly offers an international perspective on the crisis, tracing the tortuous decision-making that produced and then resolved it, which involved John Kennedy and his advisers, Nikita Khrushchev and Fidel Castro, and their commanders on the ground. In breathtaking detail, Plokhy vividly recounts the young JFK being played by the canny Khrushchev; the hotheaded Castro willing to defy the USSR and threatening to align himself with China; the Soviet troops on the ground clearing jungle foliage in the tropical heat, and desperately trying to conceal nuclear installations on Cuba, which were nonetheless easily spotted by U-2 spy planes; and the hair-raising near misses at sea that nearly caused a Soviet nuclear-armed submarine to fire its weapons.


More often than not, the Americans and Soviets misread each other, operated under false information, and came perilously close to nuclear catastrophe. Despite these errors, nuclear war was ultimately avoided for one central reason: fear, and the realization that any escalation on either the Soviets’ or the Americans’ part would lead to mutual destruction.


Drawing on a range of Soviet archival sources, including previously classified KGB documents, as well as White House tapes, Plokhy masterfully illustrates the drama and anxiety of those tense days, and provides a way for us to grapple with the problems posed in our present day.



We'll see what if anything new this brings to the knowledge i already have.


----------



## Richards

I finished _Fear Nothing_ this morning, breezing through the last 100+ pages in one fell swoop - it was very good, probably the one I enjoyed most of the three Lisa Gardner novels I picked up.  But since purchasing them, I had the opportunity to hit up the library book sale again and found three more of her novels, so I grabbed them up.  Next up is _The Killing Hour_, about a series of killings involving two young women at a time - one of which has her body dumped almost immediately with a clue as to the whereabouts of the other, taunting the police to find her before she dies of exposure in the Georgia summer heat.  This one was published back in 2003, a couple of years after _The Third Victim_, which was the first book of hers I read and enjoyed enough to add her to my list of authors whose books I'm automatically willing to give a shot.  I discovered Jeffery Deaver's novels in the same way - inexpensive books purchased at the library book sale - and he's since become one of my favorite mystery/thriller writers; Lisa Gardner's a welcome addition to that list.

Johnathan


----------



## Khelon Testudo

Read Stephen King's "Later". Straightforward, well-written horror/thriller, with an ending that works. All in less than 250 pages - for King, that's a short story! I often find Kings larger works lose focus towards the end, and end unsatisfactorily. This was quite satisfactory.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Finished A Fighting Man of Mars. I always forget just how much I love those Barsoom tales. Also, I wonder if cruel and spider-haunted Ghasta isn't part of the inspiration for the drow and Lolth:

"Upon it were painted in brilliant colors the most fantastic scenes that imagination might conceive. There were spiders with the heads of beautiful women, and women with the heads of spiders."

I read Cassandra Khaw's Rupert Wong, Cannibal Chef. Quite enjoyed that. It felt way denser than it's 90-some pages, though it kept the pace up.

Now I'm re-reading Saberhagen's The First Book of Swords. I remember only liking it so-so years ago, but I hadn't read the Empire of the East series then, so I'm curious if that'll change my appreciation.


----------



## Zaukrie

Zaukrie said:


> Wasn't sure what to read.... But someone put the sequel to The Name of the Wind in my little library, so, I guess I'll read The Name of the Wind!



About half way thru....I can see why so many really like this book. The writing is very good.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Rhythm of War _by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Finished reading _Bobby Fischer Goes to War: How a Lone American Star Defeated the Soviet Chess Machine _by David Edmonds and John Eidinow.

Still reading _Turn Coat _by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _Emma_ by Jane Austen.

Still reading _Discount Armageddon_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Strange Death of Europe_ by Douglas Murray.

Still reading _Rosemary and Rue_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Tasha's Cauldron of Everything_ by Wizards of the Coast.

Still reading _The Burning Bridge_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _The Doomsday Book_ by Connie Willis.

Still reading _Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life_ by Jordan B. Peterson.

Started reading _Crime and Punishment _by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Started reading _The Immortal Game: A History of Chess_ by David Shenk.


----------



## dragoner

Finished Queen of Angels by Greg Bear, next is Slant, then Heads (which I am going to send to someone if they still need it), and Moving Mars to finish the series.


----------



## Blue

More than half way through Crooked Kingdom, sequel to Six of Crows.  Really enjoying it.  This has enough plan-counterplan-twist-scheming face-another twist-counterplan chess going on with a healthy dollop of character and relationship development.  About the only part I didn't like was sudden introduction of a nemesis that felt like they should be in a high fantasy novel, and I'm not talking about the one from the prelude.


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Finished Mary Robinette Kowal's _Calculating Stars, _enjoyed immensely.
Now reading SK Divya's _Machinehood_.
Will probably also read a bunch of graphic novels, I've got 8-9 stored up.


----------



## Ulfgeir

Just finished Reese & Reeves: Overture by K.L Brown.

It is a weird steampunk novel that are supposed to be the start of a series clearly filtered through a manga-lens of victorian life. Bought it through a kickstarter. I do have the followup-book as well.  The author makes it hard on herself (and the reader) by having her two protagonists have almost the same name. 

It is an ok debut, though some better proofreading would not have hurt.


And still reading that archery coaching manual. Doesn't really give my anything as it is clearly aimed only at recurve (olympic) style archery, and we use different  manuals for teaching here in Sweden.  Also reading Blades in the Dark.


----------



## Richards

My gaming friend from work lent me a book he wants me to read, _The Big Book of the Continental Op_ by Dashiell Hammett.  It's a compendium of all 28 stories and two serialized novels from the pulp magazines.  I've never read any Dashiell Hammett before but I've recently taken a liking to detective fiction so I'll looking forward to giving him a try.  If I like him, this is what I'll be reading for quite some time - the book is 733 pages long, and that's in an oversized book (the pages are 7" by 9.25" with two columns per page).

Johnathan


----------



## Zaukrie

Finished Name of the Wind. He didn't even pretend that was a whole book. Which I find interesting. Really a fan.... Looking forward to the next one.


----------



## Zaukrie

Oh. Cool. Another book/series that isn't done..... Should have figured that out, I guess.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Zaukrie said:


> Oh. Cool. Another book/series that isn't done..... Should have figured that out, I guess.



I haven't read them yet, but I knew it wasn't finished. My big beef was I saw Patrick advertise on his Twitter the "Tenth Anniversary Edition" and was like "YOU DON'T GET A TENTH ANNIVERSARY EDITION IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED THE SERIES YET!!!" LOL


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

At this point, I fear that, like GRRM, he's never going to finish the Kingkiller Chronicles. Ever since last year, when his editor said that she hasn't seen a single page from Doors of Stone, I've just resigned myself to it. And now he's talking about a book 4, when he hasn't even finished what was supposed to be the conclusion.



KahlessNestor said:


> I haven't read them yet, but I knew it wasn't finished. My big beef was I saw Patrick advertise on his Twitter the "Tenth Anniversary Edition" and was like "YOU DON'T GET A TENTH ANNIVERSARY EDITION IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED THE SERIES YET!!!" LOL


----------



## Nellisir

Richards said:


> My gaming friend from work lent me a book he wants me to read, _The Big Book of the Continental Op_ by Dashiell Hammett.  It's a compendium of all 28 stories and two serialized novels from the pulp magazines.  I've never read any Dashiell Hammett before but I've recently taken a liking to detective fiction so I'll looking forward to giving him a try.  If I like him, this is what I'll be reading for quite some time - the book is 733 pages long, and that's in an oversized book (the pages are 7" by 9.25" with two columns per page).
> 
> Johnathan



I like Dashell Hammett OK, but Raymond Chandler is where it's at for me. His plots are...occasional, at best, but the phrasing and imagery is just...stunning.


----------



## Richards

I'm only three stories in thus far (each only about 10 pages long), and so far they're...okay.  Nothing terrific, but not disappointing.  I figure I'll give it a hundred pages or so and see what I think then.

I've never read any Raymond Chandler.  Perhaps some day - so many good books to try, so little time...I've long since consigned myself to the sad realization I'll never have time to read all of the books I'd really like to.

Johnathan


----------



## Nellisir

Richards said:


> I'm only three stories in thus far (each only about 10 pages long), and so far they're...okay.  Nothing terrific, but not disappointing.  I figure I'll give it a hundred pages or so and see what I think then.
> 
> I've never read any Raymond Chandler.  Perhaps some day - so many good books to try, so little time...I've long since consigned myself to the sad realization I'll never have time to read all of the books I'd really like to.
> 
> Johnathan



Dashell Hammett weaves a good solid story, but yeah. They lack a certain something, IMO.  
Honestly, I'm putting these quotes here because I haven't read Raymond Chandler for a bit and I went looking for a quote or two and now I'm drunk on them. 

“I needed a drink, I needed a lot of life insurance, I needed a vacation, I needed a home in the country. What I had was a coat, a hat and a gun. I put them on and went out of the room.”
― Raymond Chandler, Farewell, My Lovely

“The girl gave him a look which ought to have stuck at least four inches out of his back.”
― Raymond Chandler, The Long Goodbye

“I don’t mind if you don’t like my manners. They’re pretty bad. I grieve over them during the long winter evenings.”
― Raymond Chandler, The Big Sleep

“He snorted and hit me in the solar plexus. I bent over and took hold of the room with both hands and spun it. When I had it nicely spinning I gave it a full swing and hit myself on the back of the head with the floor.”
― Raymond Chandler, Pearls are a Nuisance

“She had eyes like strange sins.”
― Raymond Chandler, The High Window

“Mr Cobb was my escort. Such a nice escort, Mr Cobb. So attentive. You should see him sober. _I_ should see him sober. Somebody should see him sober. I mean, just for the record. So it could become a part of history, that brief flashing moment, soon buried in time, but never forgotten - when Larry Cobb was sober.”
― Raymond Chandler, The Big Sleep


----------



## Blue

Zaukrie said:


> Oh. Cool. Another book/series that isn't done..... Should have figured that out, I guess.



Worse then that, he's George R.R. Martin slow.

His wordcrafting in amazing, especially the lead for each chapter.  But I'm still waiting, and waiting.


----------



## Zaukrie

Blue said:


> Worse then that, he's George R.R. Martin slow.
> 
> His wordcrafting in amazing, especially the lead for each chapter.  But I'm still waiting, and waiting.



I'm trying to decide if I care. The writing is so good.


----------



## Blue

Finished Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo.  Second half to Six of Crows.  Quite enjoyed it.  I liked 6oC, but it had some flaws such as the pacing in the first half of the novel and the deux ex machina solutions they came up with in the second.  This seemed to be on the money and avoided those pitfalls.  The only thing that left me hanging is where the prologue introduced got a somewhat weak closure.  Besides that, it wrapped things up.  I was ready to end with the second-to-last chapter -- it hit all the emotional points I needed for the denouement.   But remember how I said this wrapped up well -- that last chapter was no mistake.  Just the last taste of the book on your lips.

Will pick up more by the author.


----------



## Blue

Zaukrie said:


> I'm trying to decide if I care. The writing is so good.



I didn't.  I read them knowing what a wait I was getting into.  Love his way with words.


----------



## Zaukrie

well, I did start book 2......so, I guess I don't care.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Rothfuss' writing is so gorgeous, it's clever and evocative. I think it also covers up some of the flaws of an author that is still early in his career. Though I suppose that at the rate of publication he's maintaining, he could also be at the end. In any case, for all else I delight in reading his prose.



Zaukrie said:


> I'm trying to decide if I care. The writing is so good.




I finished reading Saberhagen's The First Book of Swords. I definitely got more out of it on the second read, after having read the Empire of the East series. The 80s were a time of codification of fantasy, though, and it shows as the post-apocalyptic lost tech elements aren't as prominent here.

I read Weldon and Bjornstad's Playing with Fire, a prime document of the Satanic Panic. It's a fascinating piece of propaganda, that makes a big show of being a fair and scholarly assessment of RPGs, but is pretty much a kangaroo court from the beginning. I'm reminded of the quote from the Witcher series..."You talk nonsense while making wise and meaningful faces."

Now I'm re-reading Jack Vance's The Star King.


----------



## darjr

Reading 1e Manual of the planes


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Blue said:


> Finished Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo.  Second half to Six of Crows.  Quite enjoyed it.  I liked 6oC, but it had some flaws such as the pacing in the first half of the novel and the deux ex machina solutions they came up with in the second.  This seemed to be on the money and avoided those pitfalls.  The only thing that left me hanging is where the prologue introduced got a somewhat weak closure.  Besides that, it wrapped things up.  I was ready to end with the second-to-last chapter -- it hit all the emotional points I needed for the denouement.   But remember how I said this wrapped up well -- that last chapter was no mistake.  Just the last taste of the book on your lips.
> 
> Will pick up more by the author.



Glad to hear. I've got the first book of the series that's now on stream reserved at library; but as is usually the case, that'll be a while. Which is OK, as my to be read list is quite long.


----------



## Sithlord

I been rereading lord dunsany. But I really been going through all my Robert A Heinlein books again.


----------



## Blue

Sithlord said:


> I been rereading lord dunsany. But I really been going through all my Robert A Heinlein books again.



So, my wife picked up for me "The Pursuit of the Pankera".  Basically, Heinlein wrote this, tossed the second 2/3 of it, and rewrote it in a different direction as "Number of the Beast".

I'm just touching the new section so I have no feeling for how it differs, and after the last "rediscovered Heinlein" of Variable Star which I wasn't particularly fond of, I'm keeping my expectations in check.

But really, none of that is the thrust of the point.  The Pursuit of the Pankera has an introduction by David Weber, and it's a great - and frank - discussion about Heinlein as a trendsetter and influence.  I can't say those few pages of introduction are worth the cost of the book by itself, but if you have read a good chunk of Heinlein I recommend reading it if you get a chance.


----------



## Sithlord

Blue said:


> So, my wife picked up for me "The Pursuit of the Pankera".  Basically, Heinlein wrote this, tossed the second 2/3 of it, and rewrote it in a different direction as "Number of the Beast".
> 
> I'm just touching the new section so I have no feeling for how it differs, and after the last "rediscovered Heinlein" of Variable Star which I wasn't particularly fond of, I'm keeping my expectations in check.
> 
> But really, none of that is the thrust of the point.  The Pursuit of the Pankera has an introduction by David Weber, and it's a great - and frank - discussion about Heinlein as a trendsetter and influence.  I can't say those few pages of introduction are worth the cost of the book by itself, but if you have read a good chunk of Heinlein I recommend reading it if you get a chance.



I love the number of the Beast. I really need to reread that one soon too. I been focusing on Lazarus long stories. Moon is a harsh mistress and starship troopers (way better than the movie franchise)


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Finished The Star King. It's no Dying Earth, but does not lack for creativity. Hildemar Dasce is as wild and strange as any denizen of The Dying Earth.

Now I'm finally getting to Michael Moorcock's The Fortress of the Pearl. I've had it since it first came out, but I leant it to a friend before I read it. He returned it damaged, and I was so mad I couldn't bring myself to read it after that. What can I say, I can hold a grudge?


----------



## Sithlord

Ralif Redhammer said:


> Finished The Star King. It's no Dying Earth, but does not lack for creativity. Hildemar Dasce is as wild and strange as any denizen of The Dying Earth.
> 
> Now I'm finally getting to Michael Moorcock's The Fortress of the Pearl. I've had it since it first came out, but I leant it to a friend before I read it. He returned it damaged, and I was so mad I couldn't bring myself to read it after that. What can I say, I can hold a grudge?



I fear lending books to a friend out of fear of ending a friendship. Some people don’t understand the value of written gold and words of gems.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Yeah, I was young back then. Learned my lesson after what happened to that book and to my copy of Interview with the Vampire.



Sithlord said:


> I fear lending books to a friend out of fear of ending a friendship. Some people don’t understand the value of written gold and words of gems.


----------



## Nellisir

Ralif Redhammer said:


> Finished The Star King. It's no Dying Earth, but does not lack for creativity. Hildemar Dasce is as wild and strange as any denizen of The Dying Earth.
> 
> Now I'm finally getting to Michael Moorcock's The Fortress of the Pearl. I've had it since it first came out, but I leant it to a friend before I read it. He returned it damaged, and I was so mad I couldn't bring myself to read it after that. What can I say, I can hold a grudge?



I generally don't lend books; I give them. And the best ones I try to buy used copies of when i find them so I have spares.


----------



## Zaukrie

Nellisir said:


> I generally don't lend books; I give them. And the best ones I try to buy used copies of when i find them so I have spares.



This. I never expect to get a book back .... though sometimes I do.


----------



## dragoner

My book shelves are stacked fairly deep, so it isn't unusual for me to give out 20-30 paperbacks that I have bought used.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Wise, that. A thoughtfully-given book is a great gift, too.



Nellisir said:


> I generally don't lend books; I give them. And the best ones I try to buy used copies of when i find them so I have spares.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Finished reading _Rhythm of War _by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Finished reading _Turn Coat _by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _Emma_ by Jane Austen.

Still reading _Discount Armageddon_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Strange Death of Europe_ by Douglas Murray.

Still reading _Rosemary and Rue_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Tasha's Cauldron of Everything_ by Wizards of the Coast.

Finished reading _The Burning Bridge_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _The Doomsday Book_ by Connie Willis.

Still reading _Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life_ by Jordan B. Peterson.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment _by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading _The Immortal Game: A History of Chess_ by David Shenk.

Started reading _Assassin's Apprentice_ by Robin Hobb.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Finished Moorcock's Fortress of the Pearl. Good stuff, though not surprisingly it felt different from the prior Elric tales. Still good, and far preferable that he backfilled it in with the rest of the saga rather than resurrecting him after the series ended.

Now I'm reading Jack Williamson's The Reign of Wizardry. Had been looking for this one for a while and finally picked a copy up.


----------



## Stefano Rinaldelli

*Lieber*. Absolute.
*Moorcock*. Overrated.
*Sanderson*. Bulls*it.
*Jemisin*. Hollow manifesto of inclusion themes, sycophantic. Hugo Prize payed it's tribute to the zeitgeist.
*Asimov*. Wonderful and poetic even if sometimes clumsy and didactic


----------



## Blue

Finished Heinlein's The Pursuit of the Pankera.  To give a little history, he wrote this, tossed the latter 2/3 of it, and rewrote it as The Number of the Beast.  Drafts and manuscrips still existed, and they just recently published it.

Well, it does come across as genuine Heinlein, which puts it ahead of Variable Star.  But that doesn't make it good Heinlein, and we see why he left this on the floor.  It plays around with the concept of alternate universes are fiction, solidifies that concept pretty well, and then goes on long homages to some authors I believe he enjoyed from the care he spent on them.  He also broke one of the unspoken taboos and had characters discuss contemporaneous authors and even has a few lines discussing himself - though mostly to show he wasn't on the "shared favorite" list of where they were appearing so he didn't have one set of alternate-universe traveling characters visiting other settings of his.  (Something which the published TNotB did end up doing.)

If I was more of a Barsoom and Lensman fan it may have held more for me, but in 2021 that context wasn't in the common idea pool.  I did have some basics of both, but some may not even have that.

And there's a lot of pages spent just interacting with characters from other author's works, and then a lot of time skipping for other parts where they just tell you "oh, this happened in the past 15 years".  Plus characters either didn't seem to grow, or manifested growth in unexpected directions without preamble or foreshadowing in a deux ex machina sort of way.

All of that said, you can definitely see the bones of The Number of the Beast in here, and that wa a bit of an odd duck of Heinlein's, in line with the tail end of his work.

I'm torn if I'm ever going to reread this, and since every other bit of Heinlein I have I've reread - but had decades more to do so - I'm unsure if that's meaningful.  I think The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress is the only one I've reread in the past five years.

I'm sure I will reread the intro by David Weber.  It's fantastic about the Heinlein writing Heinlein and the unapologetic strengths and weaknesses of that and how it influenced SF.

I'm glad I read it.  And like the chance to read the original (and possibly superior) ending of Podkayne of Mars, I'm glad to be able to see his original intent.  But in this case I feel like the right call was made and this is more valuable for it's historical/completionist point than as a story, where it is both a lesser one of Heinlein's works and an homage to works that the modern reader is likely not familiar enough with to gain the full enjoyment from.


----------



## Zaukrie

IMO, Kvothe spends way too much time on the University and Denna stories in book 2. I'm about 80% thru it, and glad he's somewhere else, though now, well, more training........He's the second most famous warrior / magician, and we are 60% thru his story (assuming a trilogy was the plan....) and most of what he's alleged to do still isn't touched on......


----------



## Nellisir

Apparently it's been a while since I did this. I've read...
The 1st & 3rd books of the 2nd Mistborn trilogy, by Brandon Sanderson, 4/5;
_Elantris_, by Brandon Sanderson, 4/5;
_The Sorcerer's Ship_, by Hannes Bok, 3/5;
_The Quest of Kadji_, by Lin Carter, 3/5;
_The Poppy War_, by R.F. Kuang, 4/5;
_Rook_ & _Stiletto_, by Daniel O'Malley, 4/5;
_The Raven Tower_, by Ann Leckie, 4/5;
_Gideon the Ninth_, by Tamsyn Muir, 4/5;
_Fugitive Telemetry_, by Martha Wells, 4/5;
_Use of Weapons_, by Ian Banks, 4/5;
_The Lies of Locke Lamora_, by Scott Lynch, 5/5

I think there were more, but I don't keep them very organized so that's what I could find. _Lies_ was an accidental reread, but it was far, FAR better than I remembered and I'm currently waiting for the sequels to arrive. _Gideon the Ninth_ was...fun, I guess. Good. Interesting world-building. I'll definitely grab _Harrow the Ninth_ soon. _Rook_ & _Stiletto_ were also a lot of fun. _Fugitive Telemetry_ was a good Murderbot entry that occurs before the novel and fills in some of the transition there.

Also misc other stuff, comics, etc.


----------



## Zaukrie

the Lies of Lock Lamora is a great book. truly.


----------



## Nellisir

Zaukrie said:


> the Lies of Lock Lamora is a great book. truly.



Yeah, I wasn't sure if I'd read it or not, but I had the distinct impression that I was kinda "meh" on it if I had. One page in, I KNEW I'd read it, but I was completely wrong about the "meh" part. I went ahead and got the next two from Amazon, a little splurge of mine. (As usual, I might have Red Skies somewhere, but to heck with it.)


----------



## Zaukrie

Nellisir said:


> Yeah, I wasn't sure if I'd read it or not, but I had the distinct impression that I was kinda "meh" on it if I had. One page in, I KNEW I'd read it, but I was completely wrong about the "meh" part. I went ahead and got the next two from Amazon, a little splurge of mine. (As usual, I might have Red Skies somewhere, but to heck with it.)



I accidentally sold mine when we moved (thought I'd kept them....). Re-bought the first so far.....


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Zaukrie said:


> I accidentally sold mine when we moved (thought I'd kept them....). Re-bought the first so far.....



LoLL was the poster child of why I give every book exactly 100 pages before I abandon it. I was seriously on page 96 or so and was like - "yup, I'm done, I don't like the characters and the setting isn't doing it for me. But I'll give it the 4 more pages..." And then by page 100 I was like "ohhh, these characters are bastards, but they are _gentleman bastards_." And I finished the book and enjoyed it. Haven't gotten around to picking up the rest yet...


----------



## Zaukrie

Finished The Wise Man's Fear. I didn't feel the prose as much as the first book. I also felt it dragged for the first half a bit. Still a really good book, just not sure it was great. I recommend it. Up next? Maybe the collected Amber books?


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

I really dug this book. It felt like a missing Appendix N work, featuring both illusion and healing magic, for example.



Nellisir said:


> _The Sorcerer's Ship_, by Hannes Bok, 3/5;




So dang good! Harrow the Ninth is also good, but it requires patience for much of it, throwing the reader into the deep end and weaponizing that confusion until you're almost at the breaking point before resolving it. Technically brilliantly done, but tough on the reader.



Nellisir said:


> _Gideon the Ninth_, by Tamsyn Muir, 4/5;




I kinda concur. The language of Name of the Wind was really striking, whereas with Wise Man's Fear you get more of a feel that the series is a first-time author's effort. Still good, though.



Zaukrie said:


> Finished The Wise Man's Fear. I didn't feel the prose as much as the first book. I also felt it dragged for the first half a bit. Still a really good book, just not sure it was great. I recommend it. Up next? Maybe the collected Amber books?


----------



## Nellisir

Read _Proxima_, by Stephen Baxter. For a big book it read really fast. Pretty good...4/5


----------



## Zaukrie

Reading the collected Amber books. I went in blind. Finished the first one in one sitting. Not what I expected, but I did enjoy the first book.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _Emma_ by Jane Austen.

Still reading _Discount Armageddon_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Strange Death of Europe_ by Douglas Murray.

Still reading _Rosemary and Rue_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Tasha's Cauldron of Everything_ by Wizards of the Coast.

Finished reading _The Doomsday Book_ by Connie Willis.

Still reading _Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life_ by Jordan B. Peterson.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment _by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading _The Immortal Game: A History of Chess_ by David Shenk.

Still reading _Assassin's Apprentice_ by Robin Hobb.

Started reading _Changes_ by Jim Butcher.

Started reading _The Icebound Land_ by John Flanagan.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Finished Williamson's The Reign of Wizardry. The Bronze Age setting helps it stand out from other Appendix N reads, and it is a fast, captivating tale. The character Snish hasn't aged well, though.

Now I'm back to the World of Tiers with Philip Jose Farmer's The Lavalite World. Hopefully it's better than Behind the Walls of Terra.


----------



## Eyes of Nine

I've been thinking about re-reading Chalker's "Well of Souls" series. I just love the idea of the multiple worlds within a huge planet. I'd love to run an RPG in that setting tbh. (I may have posted that here before...)


----------



## Cadence

Rereading the Nero Wolfe corpus and related books, in publication order this time.

Reading Return of the King to my son.


----------



## Richards

So I don't usually do this (I normally prefer to read one book at a time and finish it before starting another), but while I'm still reading _The Big Book of the Continental Op_ by Dashiell Hammett, it's an oversized book (and a borrowed one at that) so I didn't feel like subjecting it to being read in airports and on planes - I've been on a business trip since Sunday.  So while I brought it with me and read it in the hotel room (and as of this morning before leaving my hotel I've finished all the short stories and only have the two novels left to go), I picked up two other books to read, one on the trip there on Sunday and one on the trip home today (and during the breaks at the week-long meeting I was attending).

The first of these was Jeffery Deaver's _The Goodbye Man_, the second novel in the "Colter Shaw" series about a guy who makes his living earning rewards for finding missing people and the like.  This one dealt with a cult (which he infiltrated), but also answered some questions about his father's death that the first novel had hinted at.  It was good, with the typically excellent Deaver plot-twist swerves.

The second book was one I picked up at a library book sale because the title literally jumped out at me and demanded my attention.  It's written by M. E. Harrigan and the title is "9800 Savage Road" - the address for the National Security Agency, where I worked for three years while I was still in the active duty Air Force.  It's a novelization of the intelligence-gathering efforts leading up to 9-11, authored by a woman who worked at the NSA for 37 years.  I'm just over halfway done with it and while I can't comment on the intelligence-gathering aspects of it - I wasn't involved in that part of NSA - the description of the NSA buildings, culture, and surrounding areas are spot on.  And the fictional Director of the NSA in the novel is quite obviously patterned after General Michael Hayden, a real-life DIRNSA (and before that he was the Commander of the US Strategic Command).  It's been an interesting read so far and has definitely been holding my interest.

But now I guess I need to finish _9800 Savage Road_ before going back to and starting the two "Continental Ops" novels, because by my own logic those are two novels I haven't started yet, even though they're in a collection with a bunch of short stories/novellas I have read.

Johnathan


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Finished PJ Farmer's The Lavalite World. While it's better than the last one, it's still not great - for me, I feel like the stories went downhill fast once it switched to Kickaha as the main character.

I read Nghi Vo's When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain after that. Really good stuff. Tor Books's SFF novellas continue to be real gems.

Now I'm re-reading The Sword of Shannara. It's been long years since I last touched it. I also haven't read a book longer than 400 pages in forever.


----------



## dragoner

Finished Moving Mars, last of the Queen of Angels setting books, the ending was ok. Sent Heads off, media mail is slow. Read Gehenna Station, an Asimov Presents sci-fi from the 80's, kinda felt like it too, fairly generic of that era. Star Dragon, from the early aughts, not bad, trying too hard to be sexy, except the science is pretty out there, but sort of sound, as the writer, Mike Brotherton is a Physic and Astronomy Professor. Next is Limit of Vision by Linda Nagata.


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Currently finishing up _Spinning Silver_ by Novik. Enjoying at least as much as _Uprooted_


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Next up _Relentless Moon_, 2nd book in the Calculating Stars series. I liked the first.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Finished reading _Emma_ by Jane Austen.

Still reading _Discount Armageddon_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Strange Death of Europe_ by Douglas Murray.

Still reading _Rosemary and Rue_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Tasha's Cauldron of Everything_ by Wizards of the Coast.

Still reading _Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life_ by Jordan B. Peterson.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment _by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading _The Immortal Game: A History of Chess_ by David Shenk.

Still reading _Assassin's Apprentice_ by Robin Hobb.

Still reading _Changes_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _The Icebound Land_ by John Flanagan.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Finished Brooks' Sword of Shannara. I haven't re-read it in years (generally, my feeling has been that if I wanted to do so, I'd just re-read The Lord of the Rings). Which is a little unkind, in hindsight. Sure, Sword feels very much like a person's first novel, and it certainly owes plenty to Tolkien. But it also has its own themes running through it, and the post-apocalyptic setting works. And re-reading it, there's still that part of me that's a little kid thrilling to the adventures of Allanon, the Ohmsfords, and the rest.

I also think that The Sword of Shannara represents the dividing line, perhaps the exact moment when the ideas of fantasy became codified.

Next up is the blissfully much shorter REH's Conan the Wanderer.


----------



## Rabulias

Just finished reading a friend's first novel, _Trials of the Horseman_, by Dean Radt. I am biased, of course, but it's a good read! Fantasy military fiction, is how I would describe it. A cavalry soldier is called to serve in a secret mission with a "SEAL Team 6"-like team that is much like a D&D party (fighters, a rogue, and a wizard). He is working on the next book now, so there will be more if you like this one.


----------



## Nellisir

Read:

_Use of Weapons_, by Ian M Banks; 4/5 (I actually read this a while ago, and forgot it in the previous recap.)
_Red Seas Under Red Skies_, by Scott Lynch; 5/5
_The Republic of Thieves_, by Scott Lynch; 5/5
_How Long 'Til Black Future Month_, by NK Jemisin; 4/5
_The Last Watch_, by JS Dewes; 3/5
_Priest of Bones_, by Peter McClean; 4/5
normal comic books and stuff. If it pleases the gods let us start getting some ANSWERS to Hickman's X-Men saga sometime eventually?

The Scott Lynch books were depressing because, while there's a fourth book, it's not out until OCTOBER. I TRIED to read them slowly!! I guess at least it's this year..._Republic of Thieves_ was published in 2014, so he's beaten Rothfuss and Martin, for whatever that's worth.

The other books were fine. Hard to follow Locke Lamora. _Priest of Bones_ is the same vein (urban criminal protagonist), but mafia instead of solo operator. Pretty good, actually.

I swung Book Warehouse just before the 4th and got _The Collected Fantasies of Clark Ashton Smith, Vols. 1&2_. I found Vol. 4 there a while back, so that was pretty cool. Also found the Starfisher Trilogy by Glen Cook, and _Priest of Bones. _$20 very well spent. I am on vacation this week, in various places, and gods know literally BOXES AND BOXES of unread books isn't enough to keep me from desperately wanting something NEW to read....

<sigh>

Working on Vol. 1 of Smith, and _The War of the Roses_ by Alison Weir, because it's been on the shelf MOCKING me for...I dunno. Since I built that shelf. Eight months?


----------



## Nellisir

OK, am I high or does the MMPB edition of Death of the Necromancer go for a totally insane price? Because it's a good book, and I want to (re)read more Martha Wells, but I will ABSOLUTELY consider selling my copy for $200+ dollars.





__





						The Death of the Necromancer: Wells, Martha: 9780380788149: Amazon.com: Books
					

The Death of the Necromancer [Wells, Martha] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Death of the Necromancer



					www.amazon.com
				




*Edit*: The MMPB cover art for _The Element of Fire,_ book 1 of  Ile-Rien, is stunningly bad. Whereas the art for _Death of the Necromancer_, which is Book 2, is rather stunningly good/evocative.


----------



## Levistus's_Leviathan

I just finished _The Eyes of the Dragon_ by Stephen King, and it is also the first Stephen King book that I've read. It was quite a slow read and very standard fantasy (this isn't really a criticism on the book, because it came out almost 40 years ago, just something that turned me off a bit), but I still enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone that hasn't read it yet.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Is it confirmed yet? I know he's turned in the draft and all, but I think the release date is still under speculation, with a couple different dates being given over different sites.

Regardless, yeah, my money is on him beating GRRM and Rothfuss for the next overdue entry in their respective series. 



Nellisir said:


> The Scott Lynch books were depressing because, while there's a fourth book, it's not out until OCTOBER. I TRIED to read them slowly!! I guess at least it's this year..._Republic of Thieves_ was published in 2014, so he's beaten Rothfuss and Martin, for whatever that's worth.




CAS does really good stuff. The writing is beautiful, the worlds magical and eerie. And so many great ideas to borrow for your campaigns.



Nellisir said:


> I swung Book Warehouse just before the 4th and got _The Collected Fantasies of Clark Ashton Smith, Vols. 1&2_. I found Vol. 4 there a while back, so that was pretty cool.


----------



## Zaukrie

Finished Guns of Avalon last night. I've not read the Amber books before, but the first two read like TV scripts......

I'll probably move off the giant Amber collection next, as it is too big to bring on an airplane.....


----------



## Richards

I'm now reading Lisa Gardner's _Alone_, in which a police sniper takes out a violently abusive man who was about to kill his wife...only to have the slain man's father - a powerful and crooked judge - do everything he can to ruin the cop's life.

Johnathan


----------



## Blue

Nellisir said:


> The Scott Lynch books were depressing because, while there's a fourth book, it's not out until OCTOBER. I TRIED to read them slowly!! I guess at least it's this year..._Republic of Thieves_ was published in 2014, so he's beaten Rothfuss and Martin, for whatever that's worth.



I can't find anything reliable about when Thorn of Emberlane (Gentleman Bastard #4) publication date.  Manuscript has been in.  October would be wonderful, but I would expect Amazon and such to know it by now.


----------



## Blue

I'm reading Thrawn, part of the new SW universe now that the EU has been jettisoned.  It is written by Zahn, same as the original trilogy.  It's his early career, though it's mostly from the PoV from two others.

It's good.  But it's not original Thrawn trilogy good.  It's more believable, but has less Star Wars iconics.


----------



## dragoner

Re-read Roadside Picnic, still 5 stars; now have started Revelation space for re-read.


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Eyes of Nine said:


> Next up _Relentless Moon_, 2nd book in the Calculating Stars series. I liked the first.



Derp, turns out _Fated Sky (FS)_ was the 2nd book, and _Relentless Moon (RM)_ is the 3rd. So I have read them out of order. My OCD is going crazy, but turns out RM is told from a different POV character, so I think I can still go back to FS and enjoy it.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Finished REH/DeCamp/Carter's Conan the Wanderer. Even by low pastiche standards, it wasn't great. DeCamp and Carter seem to just not always understand the character of Conan, so his dialog, his actions will ring false to those that have read the original REH tales. And there was some pretty egregious racism (like, moreso than usual).

Next up in John Peterson's The Elusive Shift.


----------



## Zaukrie

I read The Summer Tree in one sitting yesterday. I either have a terrible memory, or haven't actually read this before.....I mean, Guy Gavriel Kay is probably my favorite author, and I didn't remember 1 thing about that book.....


----------



## Zaukrie

Heading back to MN for a few days....and plan to hit Half Price Books.....I'm combing this thread for recommendations....

Planning to buy (if they have):
Any Sanderson book I don't have
Foundation (I accidentally bought the French version, and cancelled that order)
Book three of the Fionavar Trilogy
Book three of the Magister trilogy
Ian Banks that I haven't read (I suppose I should figure out if I've read 1 or 2)
Jamie Oliver cookbooks maybe


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _Discount Armageddon_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Strange Death of Europe_ by Douglas Murray.

Finished reading _Rosemary and Rue_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Tasha's Cauldron of Everything_ by Wizards of the Coast.

Still reading _Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life_ by Jordan B. Peterson.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment _by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading _The Immortal Game: A History of Chess_ by David Shenk.

Still reading _Assassin's Apprentice_ by Robin Hobb.

Still reading _Changes_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _The Icebound Land_ by John Flanagan.

Started reading _A Lone Habitation_ by Seanan McGuire.


----------



## Zaukrie

Probably going to read the first Dresden Files on the plane, to see if I should buy more....


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Zaukrie said:


> Probably going to read the first Dresden Files on the plane, to see if I should buy more....



That's fair, although I would say (and most of the rest of the internet agrees with me for once) that the series doesn't quite hit its stride until book 3 or so. If the first book doesn't actively turn you off, it's probably worth getting/reading books 2&3.


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Relentless Moon was fun. Now onto most recent _Murderbot_ and next Becky Chambers.


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Who doesn't love a _Murderbot_ novella? Already breezed through it and it continues to deliver awesome.


----------



## Nellisir

Eyes of Nine said:


> Who doesn't love a _Murderbot_ novella? Already breezed through it and it continues to deliver awesome.



So much good.


----------



## onomel

I just finished "The Long Walk" by Stephen King a day ago. Such an underrated Stephen King book, loved every bit of it.

As someone interested in reading, I can ask papercheap put together an enjoyable introduction for my research, haha.


----------



## Blue

Zaukrie said:


> Probably going to read the first Dresden Files on the plane, to see if I should buy more....



The first two books are good but not as great as the later ones.  It really hits stride after that.

That said, later books definitely reference things from the the first book, so I don't recommend people skip it.


----------



## Blue

Superheros.  So I've been reading Invicib... no, that was the Amazon Prime series.  The Incredi... no, movies.  Soon I Will Be Invic... no, still not Invicible, and that one is even further away.  Mr. Invulnerable!  No, that was a Champions character a long time friend of mine ran.  Ah, I remember: The Indestructables by Matthew Phillion,

And really, that was just a cheap joke, the series is easier to remember than that.  I finished the eponymous named first book, and now I'm on The Indestructibles: Breakout.  I think adrift teen supers is a new category I'm grooving on.  You know, ones where half the word out is on the drama within the team.  Super soap operas if you will.  Which does match my favorite style of superhero RPG.  I've been told I want to give Masks a try next.

Anyway, these are worth reading the series, especial since with Kindle Unlimited they are including in my subscription.  The characters are good, though you've got your Batman and Superman expys.  Ah, the perfectionist vigilante ex-dancer one of the other heroes calls Assassin Barbie.  But you've also got the too-young-to-be-in-this-but-her-powers-are-too-dangerous-not-to, and some others.

Written as an ensemble with differing points of view each chapter it's pretty decent.  7/10 I'd say.  If you've got Kindle Unlimited, I've found Arthur Mayor's Superhero Chronicles, starting with Sidekicks, to be a better read.  But if you've finished those and enjoy the subgenre, these are good to head to next.  And if you are more into buying books instead of a subscription, don't miss the Wearing the Cape series.


----------



## KahlessNestor

@Blue If you like superheroes, Brandon Sanders has a three book series called The Reckoners. Basic premise is a cosmological event gives people superpowers...but only very bad people get powers. The narrator is an 18 year old living in what's left of Chicago under the rule of Steelheart (the title of the first book). The country has basically broken down into petty little fiefdoms ruled by the supers. The Reckoners are a terrorist organization that attempts to discover the weakness of the supers and kill them. I found them enjoyable. They aren't quite YA, though with a teenage protagonist they trend that way. At the end of this month, a new Reckoners story is coming out in audio form, a collaboration between Sanderson and another author. Brandon has been experimenting with "audio only" books and recently founded a company for them.


----------



## Blue

KahlessNestor said:


> @Blue If you like superheroes, Brandon Sanders has a three book series called The Reckoners. Basic premise is a cosmological event gives people superpowers...but only very bad people get powers. The narrator is an 18 year old living in what's left of Chicago under the rule of Steelheart (the title of the first book). The country has basically broken down into petty little fiefdoms ruled by the supers. The Reckoners are a terrorist organization that attempts to discover the weakness of the supers and kill them. I found them enjoyable. They aren't quite YA, though with a teenage protagonist they trend that way. At the end of this month, a new Reckoners story is coming out in audio form, a collaboration between Sanderson and another author. Brandon has been experimenting with "audio only" books and recently founded a company for them.



Cool, I'll give that them a try.  I'm not into them "in general", my subgenre is more into ones that deal with drama on the teams and such, but with Sanderson I don't have worry about good characterization.  I also like when they deconstruct/reconstuct the tropes.


----------



## Marc_C

Sword of Shannara for the first time. If I had read this 25 years ago I would have been appalled by the rip-off. Now I kind of find it entertaining comparing the two stories. No one could get away with that today!


----------



## Richards

I'm starting up the last of the Lisa Gardner novels I bought in one fell swoop.  This one is called _Gone_ and it involves the sudden disappearance of a criminal investigator who's been the main character in several other of her novels.

Johnathan


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

When I first read it as a kid, I didn't notice it at all. But when I re-read it again in my twenties, yeah, I couldn't not see it. Re-reading it most recently, I could appreciate it for what it is. Tolkien's influence casts a long shadow, but I feel like the codification of fantasy as Elves/Dwarves/Humans aided by a Kindly Wizard, fighting a Dark Lord really happened here with Sword of Shannara.



Marc_C said:


> Sword of Shannara for the first time. If I had read this 25 years ago I would have been appalled by the rip-off. Now I kind of find it entertaining comparing the two stories. No one could get away with that today!


----------



## Marc_C

Ralif Redhammer said:


> When I first read it as a kid, I didn't notice it at all. But when I re-read it again in my twenties, yeah, I couldn't not see it. Re-reading it most recently, I could appreciate it for what it is. Tolkien's influence casts a long shadow, but I feel like the codification of fantasy as Elves/Dwarves/Humans aided by a Kindly Wizard, fighting a Dark Lord really happened here with Sword of Shannara.



He is certainly not without imagination. I liked the one-handed rogue with the silent troll. I bought the omnibus of the first three books. I'm currently reading Elfstones of Shannara.


----------



## Erekose

Just finished reading Counterfeit Realities by Philip K Dick - it contains:

The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep
Ubik
A Scanner Darkly
Really interesting read. I’d only read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep before but the four stories, although completely unrelated, make a nice “bundle”.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Yeah, the best parts of SoS are easily the things without LOTR analogs, where he does his own thing. That weird hybrid-machine-insect is more striking than the Not-Nazgul Skull Bearers, for example.



Marc_C said:


> He is certainly not without imagination. I liked the one-handed rogue with the silent troll. I bought the omnibus of the first three books. I'm currently reading Elfstones of Shannara.




I finished reading The Elusive Shift. Really good stuff - still a scholarly discussion, but more accessible than Playing At The World. Now I'm reading Clark Ashton Smith's Poseidonis.


----------



## HaroldTheHobbit

Besides catching up with non-fiction academia stuff, I picked up two large piles of SF classics at a sale - some to read again, some that I somehow missed back in the devouring days. Currently on Brian Aldiss Non-Stop. 

I have also finally gathered courage and players to start 7ed Masks of Nyarlathotep in September, and are on a second note-taking read-through of that material.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _Discount Armageddon_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Strange Death of Europe_ by Douglas Murray.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Tasha's Cauldron of Everything_ by Wizards of the Coast.

Still reading _Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life_ by Jordan B. Peterson.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment _by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading _The Immortal Game: A History of Chess_ by David Shenk.

Still reading _Assassin's Apprentice_ by Robin Hobb.

Still reading _Changes_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _The Icebound Land_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _A Lone Habitation_ by Seanan McGuire.

Started reading _My Grandfather's Son: A Memoir_ by Clarence Thomas.


----------



## Blue

I don't remember if I mentioned I finished Thrawn.  In general I like it, but it sort of fizzled out.  They set up a recurring bad, who in the end just turned down Thrawn, and died to someone else's hand.  There was a "big twist" that basically didn't have anything really supporting it anywhere else int he book, and sort of made parts of the book less important.  And the character with the most character growth had it in a direction that made them less able to emphasize with.  And there was an "end twist" that was actually foreshadowed _against_ happening and seemed more to set up future books. It was pretty good while I was reading it, but the wrap up was disappointing.

I'm currently reading three books.  I mentioned Indestructables before, I'm on book 2.

I started Dawn, the first book of Lilith's Brood by Octavia Butler.  The beginning is slow - it's got lots of good set up that I hope it capitalizes on, but right now it's not holding my interest.

And I am just a few pages into Steelheart, the first book of Brandon Sanderson's The Reckoners series, based on a recommendation from this thread.  Engaging, and and interesting reconstruction of the supers myth though there's still a lot of unknown that doesn't quite make sense - that I'm more than willing to suspend disbelief because it's Sanderson and he's good at having it all hang together perfectly by the end.


----------



## dragoner

Blue said:


> I started Dawn, the first book of Lilith's Brood by Octavia Butler. The beginning is slow - it's got lots of good set up that I hope it capitalizes on, but right now it's not holding my interest.



It gets better? I mean it is a real favorite of mine, I liked it from the beginning, you might not like it though.


----------



## Blue

dragoner said:


> It gets better? I mean it is a real favorite of mine, I liked it from the beginning, you might not like it though.



I'm expecting so.  It's just a slow start.


----------



## dragoner

Blue said:


> I'm expecting so.  It's just a slow start.



I think part of it is her personal experience, which could be off-putting to what someone is looking for in a typical sci-fi romp.


----------



## Blue

dragoner said:


> I think part of it is her personal experience, which could be off-putting to what someone is looking for in a typical sci-fi romp.



There's nothing off-putting about it.  It's just a slow start, it happens.  She's wandering around inside the Ship, and it appears we're getting very little progress or even new information in spite of her attempts.  I'm sure it will pick up.


----------



## Richards

I finished _Gone_ and while it was an entertaining read the reveal at the end as to identity of the kidnapper seemed kind of lame and not entirely well thought out - almost as if was just a plot twist for the mere sake of having a plot twist and really any old plot twist would do.  (I guess I've just gotten spoiled over the years by Jeffery Deaver.)

So I finished that book half-way through an all-day courier mission on a military plane.  Fortunately, I brought a spare: _The Siege of Eternity_ by Frederik Pohl, published back in 1997.  I picked it up because the back cover blurb seemed interesting: aliens coming to Earth from Skylab and bringing with them several clones of people who had already come back from there.  However, about 50-60 pages in I started wondering if I'd read this before and 100 pages in I was certain I had, for I specifically recognized the alien named "Dopey" and his two golemlike "Docs."  When I got home I realized why I hadn't recognized the title: it's the middle book of a trilogy that I have in one entire volume, _The Eschaton Sequence_, which I've previously read.  So now I'm considering dropping the book entirely, as having already read it once before and it barely registering in memory means it apparently wasn't that exciting a read.  (And reading through it this second time a couple decades later just reminds me I tend to prefer Frederik Pohl's short stories over his novels.)

So, next up I'll probably go with Mike Resnick's _Santiago: A Myth of the Far Future_.  I've heard good things about it from several sources, so when I saw it for sale I thought I'd give it a go.  After all, that's what got me to try _The Lies of Locke Lamora_, one of my smartest purchases ever.  I won't hold Resnick to that high standard, but I am hoping for a good read.

Johnathan


----------



## Blue

Richards said:


> So, next up I'll probably go with Mike Resnick's _Santiago: A Myth of the Far Future_.  I've heard good things about it from several sources, so when I saw it for sale I thought I'd give it a go.



For me, Resnick's Santiago stories were fun romps.  No critical plot analytics were hurt in the writing of them, but they are definitely quick and enjoyable - beer and pretzels of books.  That's not a downer, I own a bunch of them.  Actually, I find they get better the more of them you read in that you see more development and different points of view and it builds the setting.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _Discount Armageddon_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Strange Death of Europe_ by Douglas Murray.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Finished reading _Tasha's Cauldron of Everything_ by Wizards of the Coast.

Still reading _Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life_ by Jordan B. Peterson.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment _by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading _The Immortal Game: A History of Chess_ by David Shenk.

Still reading _Assassin's Apprentice_ by Robin Hobb.

Still reading _Changes_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _The Icebound Land_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _A Lone Habitation_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _My Grandfather's Son: A Memoir_ by Clarence Thomas.

I got an Audible account for my first audio books. At first I wasn't sure I would like them, because I thought I would just have my mind drift or something and not pay attention. But Brandon Sanderson has released his latest two books (collaborated with other authors) and made them audio only releases.

So I listened through his first audio only book _The Original_. The blurb hadn't really appealed to me, and part of me wondered (before listening) just how involved Brandon was in writing it (given EVERYTHING he writes), but it really held my attention, gave me visions of making it into a movie in my head (he tends to be very cinematic anyway, and this would definitely work as a movie), and reminded me a bit of _Legion_ and _Snapshot_, so very Sanderson. I very much enjoyed it, and the concept was very interesting once I got into it.

Now I have started listening to the new Reckoners novel, _Lux._ Also very good so far. Much longer than _The Original,_ and nice to revisit that universe again.


----------



## Marc_C

Finished Elfstones of Shannara. Much better than Sword of Shannara. Good for easy and lazy summer fantasy reading. Started Wishsong of Shannara.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Finished CAS' Poseidonis. Really great stuff, though I think the quality starts to dip in the latter half of the book. The Double Shadow, though, that story was one of the most chilling tales of Appendix N I've come across.

Now I'm reading Fred Saberhagen's The Second Book of Swords.


----------



## Zaukrie

Listened to about a third of the audible version of Sandman. Much darker than I realized, and I knew it was dark.  ..... Got just past 24 hours.... So far.


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Decided to read one of the many unread books on my game shelf, so I'm reading _The White Hack_. It's interesting so far... Maybe even some day I'll be able to get it to the table.


----------



## Marc_C

Finished Elfstones of Shannara and Wishsong of Shannara. They are better than Sword of Shannara. A few good ideas but is too repetitive and predictable. I would have like these books when I was 13-14. I'm done with Terry Brooks.

Starting David Edding's Pawn of Prophecy (Belgariad book 1) for the first time.


----------



## Arilyn

Right now: 
Planetary Omnibus by Warren Ellis (graphic novel) 

Locked in Time by Dean R. Lomax (book about fossils)


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Arilyn said:


> Right now:
> Planetary Omnibus by Warren Ellis (graphic novel)
> 
> Locked in Time by Dean R. Lomax (book about fossils)



Planetary is so good - I love John Cassaday's art.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Finished Saberhagen's Second Book of Swords. I liked this one more than the first volume. It felt more connected to the Empire of the East, and the heist/dungeon crawl setup made for a more focused plot.

Now I'm reading Barry Strauss' The Spartacus War.


----------



## Nellisir

Eyes of Nine said:


> Planetary is so good - I love John Cassaday's art.



Planetary is fantastic.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Marc_C said:


> Starting David Edding's Pawn of Prophecy (Belgariad book 1) for the first time.




I really liked the Belgariad. Excellent series I need to reread again.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _Discount Armageddon_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Strange Death of Europe_ by Douglas Murray.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life_ by Jordan B. Peterson.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment _by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading _The Immortal Game: A History of Chess_ by David Shenk.

Still reading _Assassin's Apprentice_ by Robin Hobb.

Still reading _Changes_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _The Icebound Land_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _A Lone Habitation_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _My Grandfather's Son: A Memoir_ by Clarence Thomas.

Still listening to _Lux_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Started reading _Black Widow: Forever Red_ by Margaret Stohl.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Strauss' The Spartacus War was excellent. If all his books are this good, I'm going to have to track the rest down!

Now I'm back to Appendix N, with Lin Carter's The Enchantress at World's End.


----------



## Blue

Haven't had much reading time recently.  Primarily reading Steelheart (Sanderson, Reckoners book 1, trade paperback) while Dawn (Butler, Lilith's Brood book 1, paperback omnibus) and Breakout (Phillion, Indestructables book 2, kindle ebook) linger.

Reading is not just something I greatly enjoy for itself, but also a recharge mechanism for me.  But with go-somewhere social engagements still low compared to "the before times", I don't need the recharge as much.  Plus I have more evening activities scheduled remotely with people that take up time.


----------



## Zaukrie

Started The Initiate Brother this week.....


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _Discount Armageddon_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Strange Death of Europe_ by Douglas Murray.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life_ by Jordan B. Peterson.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment _by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading _The Immortal Game: A History of Chess_ by David Shenk.

Still reading _Assassin's Apprentice_ by Robin Hobb.

Still reading _Changes_ by Jim Butcher.

Finished reading _The Icebound Land_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _A Lone Habitation_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _My Grandfather's Son: A Memoir_ by Clarence Thomas.

Still listening to _Lux_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Black Widow: Forever Red_ by Margaret Stohl.

Started reading _The Battle for Skandia_ by John Flanagan.


----------



## Marc_C

Finished David Edding's Pawn of Prophecy (Belgariad book 1). More and better world building than Brooks. There are a few echoes of LOTR, which is fine since they are not obvious theft. Nothing irked me. I can see why young readers like this series. It's clever to use a clueless 14 year old hero who slowly discovers his manifest destiny as the main character. It felt like a short read. 

Started the second book, Queen of Sorcery.


----------



## Richards

I started up a book called _The Birth of the Blade_ by Dennis McCarthy.  It's a ragtag group of not-heroes destined to bring about the creation of a powerful magic sword that will potentially save their world.  Seems like pretty much a generic fantasy world, but it's engaging enough a couple chapters in.  We'll see how it goes.

Johnathan


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Carter's The Enchantress at World's End was a fun, quick read. It's not something I'd list as the best of Appendix N, but it's so enjoyable and goofy-weird that I can't help but love it.

Now I'm reading Master of Five Magics by Lyndon Hardy. Technically it's a re-read, as I read this a long time ago when I was a kid, but I don't really remember much at all about it.


----------



## Zaukrie

Zaukrie said:


> Started The Initiate Brother this week.....



Good book. Guess I need to buy the second one......


----------



## Zaukrie

Zaukrie said:


> Good book. Guess I need to buy the second one......



There appears to be no ebook for this available....which is fine, I don't love ebooks.....but still....


----------



## Marc_C

Finished book two of the Belgariad by Eddings. A few plot twists are weird. Seems like Eddings wanted them to happen and couldn't be bothered to explain how or why they happened.

Starting book 3.


----------



## Mallus

I'm catching up with some quality sci-fi that I missed over the years: finished Ted Chiang's collection Exhalation, 20 pages into Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower.


----------



## trappedslider

reading an interesting AH YA novel called American Royals. The POD is instead of saying no, Washington becomes King. I expect some will be a bit irritated over the point of divergence, the book being YA and more focused on the characters doesn't really dive into the ripples beyond a few mentions here and there. 



Spoiler



Two princesses vying for the ultimate crown.
Two girls vying for the prince's heart.
This is the story of the American royals.

When America won the Revolutionary War, its people offered General George Washington a crown. Two and a half centuries later, the House of Washington still sits on the throne. Like most royal families, the Washingtons have an heir and a spare. A future monarch and a backup battery. Each child knows exactly what is expected of them. But these aren't just any royals. They're American.

As Princess Beatrice gets closer to becoming America's first queen regnant, the duty she has embraced her entire life suddenly feels stifling. Nobody cares about the spare except when she's breaking the rules, so Princess Samantha doesn't care much about anything, either . . . except the one boy who is distinctly off-limits to her. And then there's Samantha's twin, Prince Jefferson. If he'd been born a generation earlier, he would have stood first in line for the throne, but the new laws of succession make him third. Most of America adores their devastatingly handsome prince . . . but two very different girls are vying to capture his heart.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _Discount Armageddon_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Strange Death of Europe_ by Douglas Murray.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life_ by Jordan B. Peterson.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment _by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading _The Immortal Game: A History of Chess_ by David Shenk.

Still reading _Assassin's Apprentice_ by Robin Hobb.

Still reading _Changes_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _A Lone Habitation_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _My Grandfather's Son: A Memoir_ by Clarence Thomas.

Still listening to _Lux_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Black Widow: Forever Red_ by Margaret Stohl.

Still reading _The Battle for Skandia_ by John Flanagan.

Started a reread of _Mistborn: The Final Empire,_ book 1 of the Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. Been a while since I read it, and the last book in Mistborn Era 2 will be out this  year, so want to reread to remind myself. Plus now I can read Mistborn: A Secret History immediately after the trilogy instead of years later when I'm not remembering a lot.


----------



## Richards

I finished _Birth of the Blade_ and it was a good read.  I realized fairly early that this was a novel somewhere in the middle of a long line of novels by the same author set in the same world, but it was fairly standalone so that didn't bother me too much.  And there were two young maidens who shared a habit I absolutely adored: when one was upset, she'd say "Oh, foof" and the other would instantly respond, "Skeek."  (I gather this was something along the lines of, "Oh drat!" and "Oh drat right back at you.")  I don't know why I like that as much as I do, but I do.  So while I won't necessarily go out of my way to try to hunt up all of the other books in the series, if I ever stumble across one at a book sale I'll be sure to pick it up.

Anyway, now I'm moving on to an old classic I've never gotten around to reading: _The Fellowship of the Talisman_ by Clifford D. Simak.  It takes place on an alternate Earth, where the 20th century looks a lot like the Middle Ages, in part because every 500 years or so an army of "demons" shows up somewhere on Earth and burns everything they can to the ground, these incursions rarely lasting less than a decade at a time.  Also, mythical creatures like goblins, fairies, banshees, and griffins exist and it sounds like the European civilization has yet to discover the Americas.  I'm about 40 pages in and I'm enjoying it.

Johnathan


----------



## Matthew Popkes

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _Discount Armageddon_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Strange Death of Europe_ by Douglas Murray.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life_ by Jordan B. Peterson.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment _by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading _The Immortal Game: A History of Chess_ by David Shenk.

Still reading _Assassin's Apprentice_ by Robin Hobb.

Still reading _Changes_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _A Lone Habitation_ by Seanan McGuire.

Finished reading _My Grandfather's Son: A Memoir_ by Clarence Thomas. This was amazing.

Still listening to _Lux_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Black Widow: Forever Red_ by Margaret Stohl.

Still reading _The Battle for Skandia_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _Mistborn: The Final Empire_ by Brandon Sanderson.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Finished Hardy's Master of Five Magics. It's aged better than I expected. Part of the fun is that it feels a bit like someone transposed an 80s John Cusack movie into a fantasy novel.

Now I'm reading the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series' Dungeons and Dragons and Philosophy.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Finished Dungeons and Dragons and Philosophy. It was enjoyable, though at times it gave me flashbacks to my undergrad philosophy requirements.

One thing of note is that it was written in early 2014, and even then, pegged biologically always evil beings as a problem.

Now I'm reading L. Sprague DeCamp's The Goblin Tower.


----------



## Alzrius

I'm currently about halfway through Ethan Gilsdorf's _Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks_.


----------



## Richards

I finished up Clifford D. Simak's _The Fellowship of the Talisman_ - and he was doing the "not all members of so-called evil races are evil" thing back in 1978, considering his fellowship included a good witch, a good goblin, a good ghost, a good banshee, and even a good demon!

I brought as my back-up book (I was away from home for the past four days) _The Year's Best Science Fiction_ from 1997, edited by Gardner Dozois.  I picked it up from where I had last left off, two stories in, and have progressed by another three short stories.  I'll probably keep reading it (mostly at bedtime) until next Monday, when I go on a business trip for four days, as it's a hardcover book and I prefer paperbacks for airplane flights as they take up less room.

Johnathan


----------



## Nellisir

Richards said:


> I brought as my back-up book (I was away from home for the past four days) _The Year's Best Science Fiction_ from 1997, edited by Gardner Dozois.



These were must-buys for me until Mr. Dozois passed away a couple of years ago. I reread a bunch of them a few years ago, and found my memory was not deceiving me; I really did absolutely loathe a LOT of SF in the late 90's.


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Currently: _The Diamond Age_
Then waiting for me at the library are _Klara in the Sun_ and _Convenience Store Woman_
Then I'll read about 8-9 Zinequest games from all 3 of the Zinequest campaigns.


----------



## Zaukrie

Gatherer of clouds..... It's interesting to think about how differently Guy Kay writes Chinese vs Sean Russell...... Russell feels like he's telling a western story, moreso than Kay did. Both are good, just different feeling.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

I enjoyed it, though I think the pervasive idea within that playing D&D was somehow childish hampers it, especially over a decade later when D&D is considered cool. Still, at it's best, it's quite emotionally affecting.



Alzrius said:


> I'm currently about halfway through Ethan Gilsdorf's _Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks_.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _Discount Armageddon_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Strange Death of Europe_ by Douglas Murray.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life_ by Jordan B. Peterson.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment_ by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading _The Immortal Game: A History of Chess_ by David Shenk.

Still reading _Assassin's Apprentice_ by Robin Hobb.

Still reading _Changes_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _A Lone Habitation_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still listening to _Lux_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Black Widow: Forever Red_ by Margaret Stohl.

Still reading _The Battle for Skandia_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _Mistborn: The Final Empire_ by Brandon Sanderson.

*Started reading Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft by WOTC in preparation for playing in the Misthunters epic.

Started reading Critical Role: Tal’dorei Campaign Setting by Matthew Mercer.*


----------



## Blue

Eyes of Nine said:


> Currently: _The Diamond Age_



Diamond Age and Zodiac may be my favorite Neal Stephenson books, followed by Snow Crash.  I do enjoy his meandering style though some of his recent books are a bit too much.


----------



## Blue

Finished the three Reckoner books by Sanderson.  Enjoyed them a good deal.  For all of Sanderson's famed ability to nail series endings, this one felt a bit lame to me.  As in it was both expected and the twist was less interesting and poorly explained enough that he might have been leaving plot holes for another series to wrap up.  That said, they were good reads - just not great ones.

Just started Faerie Tale by Raymond E. Feist.  It's been over a decade since I read anything by him.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Blue said:


> Finished the three Reckoner books by Sanderson. Enjoyed them a good deal. For all of Sanderson's famed ability to nail series endings, this one felt a bit lame to me. As in it was both expected and the twist was less interesting and poorly explained enough that he might have been leaving plot holes for another series to wrap up. That said, they were good reads - just not great ones.



I believe there was an intent for a kind of alt-universe Reckoners novel, but Brandon couldn't get it to work. Apocalypse something?

In any case, try out his latest, _Lux, _It's audio book only, and written with another author, but still very Brandon Sanderson. It deals with a Reckoners team in Texas, roughly during the time of the second book.

Also, you should read _Mitosis_, an e-book only novella that occurs between books 1 and 2.


----------



## Richards

I'm off on my 4-day business trip today, so I'm beginning Stephen King's _Cell_, wherein cell phones are somehow tied into what might as well be a zombie apocalypse, as those with cell phones start turning into mindless killing machines.  The action started almost immediately, so I'm off to a good start.

Johnathan


----------



## turnip_farmer

Blue said:


> Just started Faerie Tale by Raymond E. Feist.  It's been over a decade since I read anything by him.



I really enjoyed that book. It had quite a different feel to it than his Riftwar stuff.

That was more than 20 years ago, though. No idea if the older and wiser fatter me would find it quite so compelling.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _Discount Armageddon_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Strange Death of Europe_ by Douglas Murray.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life_ by Jordan B. Peterson.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment_ by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

*Finished reading The Immortal Game: A History of Chess by David Shenk.*

Still reading _Assassin's Apprentice_ by Robin Hobb.

Still reading _Changes_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _A Lone Habitation_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still listening to _Lux_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Black Widow: Forever Red_ by Margaret Stohl.

Still reading _The Battle for Skandia_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _Mistborn: The Final Empire_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft_ by WOTC in preparation for playing in the Misthunters epic.

Still reading _Critical Role: Tal’dorei Campaign Setting_ by Matthew Mercer.

*Started reading Discrimination and Disparities by Thomas Sowell.*


----------



## embee

Currently reading: *The Uninhabitable Earth *by David Wallace-Wells


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Finished DeCamp's The Goblin Tower. Not as enjoyable as The Fallible Fiend, but it still had its share of wit and humor. The frequent digressions into a story-within-a-story slowed the pace.

Now I'm re-reading (for the first time since I was a kid) the Wings of Omen Thieves World anthology.


----------



## Eyes of Nine

embee said:


> Currently reading: *The Uninhabitable Earth *by David Wallace-Wells



Had to nope out of that one - too depressing. I mean, good for what it is; but I'm already stressed by the climate crisis... I did read the last chapter though. Spoilers - there are things we can do as individuals, communities, and nations.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _Discount Armageddon_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Strange Death of Europe_ by Douglas Murray.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life_ by Jordan B. Peterson.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment_ by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading _Assassin's Apprentice_ by Robin Hobb.

Still reading _Changes_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _A Lone Habitation_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still listening to _Lux_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Black Widow: Forever Red_ by Margaret Stohl.

Still reading _The Battle for Skandia_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _Mistborn: The Final Empire_ by Brandon Sanderson.

*Finished reading Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft by WOTC.*

Still reading _Critical Role: Tal’dorei Campaign Setting_ by Matthew Mercer.

Sill reading _Discrimination and Disparities_ by Thomas Sowell.


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Swallowed _Convenience Store Woman_ in one sitting (it's very quick). It is not a genre book, but has a protagonist that asks hard questions, and finds her own answers to them. Recommended.

_Klara and the Sun _is Kazuo Ishiguro's latest, and it's very compelling.

My wife and I have been listening to it on audiobook, and we just took a road trip this weekend - so got another 4 hours into it. But now we are back home, so we have to decide how to finish the final 53 pages... The voice actor for the audio book is really good.


----------



## Richards

I finished Stephen King's _Cell_ and it was a good read, but it had a somewhat surprising ending for a King book.  I've found one main difference between Stephen King books and Dean Koontz books is that Koontz allows his protagonists to have happy endings, whereas King often has the good guys appear to win...only for the evil to still be around and open the possibility for it come back later just as strong or stronger.  This time, the ending was left up in the air - there's every possibility that the good thing you hope will happen at the end of the book will indeed happen, but he ends it before resolving it one way or the other.  (I guess for a Stephen King horror novel, that's as close as we're likely to get to a happy ending.)

So now I'm starting up another Stephen King novel that I picked up specifically for last week's business trip (and then ended up not getting in as much reading time as I had anticipated): _The Institute_, wherein kids with special abilities are being kidnapped and whisked away to be experimented upon.  It kind of sounds like a cross between "The Prisoner" and the X-Men with a horror spin.  It should be interesting.  So far, though, it's been about a former cop working in a small town as a "night knocker" (night watchman) - I'm not sure yet where he'll fit into the picture.

Johnathan


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.

*Finished reading Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire. - Very interesting worldbuilding. Light-hearted and doesn’t take itself too seriously.*

Still reading _The Strange Death of Europe_ by Douglas Murray.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life_ by Jordan B. Peterson.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment_ by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading _Assassin's Apprentice_ by Robin Hobb.

Still reading _Changes_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _A Lone Habitation_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still listening to _Lux_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Black Widow: Forever Red_ by Margaret Stohl.

Still reading _The Battle for Skandia_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _Mistborn: The Final Empire_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Critical Role: Tal’dorei Campaign Setting_ by Matthew Mercer.

Sill reading _Discrimination and Disparities_ by Thomas Sowell.

*Started reading The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien.*


----------



## Nellisir

Richards said:


> So now I'm starting up another Stephen King novel that I picked up specifically for last week's business trip (and then ended up not getting in as much reading time as I had anticipated): _The Institute_, wherein kids with special abilities are being kidnapped and whisked away to be experimented upon.  It kind of sounds like a cross between "The Prisoner" and the X-Men with a horror spin.  It should be interesting.  So far, though, it's been about a former cop working in a small town as a "night knocker" (night watchman) - I'm not sure yet where he'll fit into the picture.
> 
> Johnathan



I haven't kept up with King in ages; this sounds like one that'd tie into, or at least reference, _Firestarter_ and possibly _Carrie_ (plus others, no doubt).


----------



## Mallus

Ministry For the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson. The perfect book to be reading the week Hurricane Ida turns the Vine St. Expressway into a canal and ravages my home state of NJ.

I've also got Octavia Butler's Parable of the Talents on deck. My timing, as always, is impeccable.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Finished Thieves World's Wings of Omen. Thieves World is one of my foundational fantasy works, having read it a little too young, so it's hard for me to be objective about the series.

Now I'm reading Simon Hawke's Wizard of 4th Street. I'll admit, mostly for the cover. But so far, it's a heck of fun read...


----------



## Carlsen Chris

I read the bible quite a bit.


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Carlsen Chris said:


> I read the bible quite a bit.



Big fan of Matthew 5:3-12, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, Psalms, Revelation, although it's been a while.


----------



## Carlsen Chris

Eyes of Nine said:


> Big fan of Matthew 5:3-12, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, Psalms, Revelation, although it's been a while.



Sorry not that one.   This one.


----------



## Nellisir

Ralif Redhammer said:


> Finished Thieves World's Wings of Omen. Thieves World is one of my foundational fantasy works, having read it a little too young, so it's hard for me to be objective about the series.



Reading, or rereading, personal "foundational works" is pretty awesome. I can very clearly attribute my interest in D&D to Joel Rosenberg's _The Sleeping Dragon_, in which a group of college gamers is transported to a fantasy world by their gamemaster/professor. I also encountered the 1e _Monster Manual_ around that time, and made up my own system using what was noted in the novel (levels started at A and went up) and the MM. Alas, many of my notes* flew (literally) out the window during a drive from NH to Alabama for a Christmas vacation. Fortunately, my older AL cousin played ACTUAL D&D....

(Side Note: The fate of one of the characters early on in the book STILL stands out in my mind as a stellar example of This Is Not Like Other Books; Here There Be CONSEQUENCES! I love this whole series, to be honest.)

As a teen in the mid and late 80s, other serious influences were Guy Gavriel Kay, Robert Holdstock, CJ Cherryh, and a few others I can't recall right now. I feel like my fantasy world should be a lot more cerebral than it actually is....

*I had Ewoks as a PC race, I remember that much. And stats were on a 1-6 scale.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.

*Finished reading The Strange Death of Europe by Douglas Murray.*

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life_ by Jordan B. Peterson.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment_ by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading _Assassin's Apprentice_ by Robin Hobb.

Still reading _Changes_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _A Lone Habitation_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still listening to _Lux_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Black Widow: Forever Red_ by Margaret Stohl.

Still reading _The Battle for Skandia_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _Mistborn: The Final Empire_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Critical Role: Tal’dorei Campaign Setting_ by Matthew Mercer.

Sill reading _Discrimination and Disparities_ by Thomas Sowell.

Still reading _The Silmarillion_ by J.R.R. Tolkien.

*Started reading Midnight Blue-Light Special by Seanan McGuire.*


----------



## Scars Unseen

Finally closing in on finishing my 7th reading of Worm.  Debating on moving on to another reading of the sequel or picking back up where I left off on Pale before I got distracted.


----------



## Eyes of Nine

KahlessNestor said:


> Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.
> 
> Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.
> 
> *Finished reading The Strange Death of Europe by Douglas Murray.*



Hey congrats on completing a book lol (gentle ribbing, no harm meant)


KahlessNestor said:


> *Started reading Midnight Blue-Light Special by Seanan McGuire.*



Been interested in this series. If you are willing, would love to hear non-spoilery feedback on discount Armageddon and this one...


----------



## niklinna

I am halfway through _Nueva Historia del Tango_ by Hector Benedetti. Taught myself Spanish a couple years ago before going to a tango workshop in Buenos Aires, and picked that up while there. Reading it has definitely improved my fluency of not only the language, but also the music & dance!


----------



## Zaukrie

Just picked up the omnibus version of the Deed of Paksanarrion (which I've read several times, but not for years).


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

I wouldn't pick up on the series until later, but back in the day Guardians of the Flame had ads all over Dragon magazine.

My foundational works would be the aforementioned Thieves World, The MYTH series, Tolkien's Middle Earth works, Beowulf, The D'Aulaires Norse and Greek books, and a dash of Poortvliet and Huygen's Gnomes.



Nellisir said:


> Reading, or rereading, personal "foundational works" is pretty awesome. I can very clearly attribute my interest in D&D to Joel Rosenberg's _The Sleeping Dragon_, in which a group of college gamers is transported to a fantasy world by their gamemaster/professor. I also encountered the 1e _Monster Manual_ around that time, and made up my own system using what was noted in the novel (levels started at A and went up) and the MM. Alas, many of my notes* flew (literally) out the window during a drive from NH to Alabama for a Christmas vacation. Fortunately, my older AL cousin played ACTUAL D&D....
> 
> (Side Note: The fate of one of the characters early on in the book STILL stands out in my mind as a stellar example of This Is Not Like Other Books; Here There Be CONSEQUENCES! I love this whole series, to be honest.)
> 
> As a teen in the mid and late 80s, other serious influences were Guy Gavriel Kay, Robert Holdstock, CJ Cherryh, and a few others I can't recall right now. I feel like my fantasy world should be a lot more cerebral than it actually is....
> 
> *I had Ewoks as a PC race, I remember that much. And stats were on a 1-6 scale.




I've got Sheepfarmer's Daughter on my list to re-read. When I was rediscovering my love of all things fantasy and D&D right when Fellowship of the Ring came out, I went to the library and got a couple of books almost at random, based just on covers and back blurbs. Three of the books were GRRM's A Game of Thrones, the first Elfquest collection, and Moon's Sheepfarmer's Daughter. I can still remember walking home from the library in winter, the city so quiet that you could hear the snow falling.



Zaukrie said:


> Just picked up the omnibus version of the Deed of Paksanarrion (which I've read several times, but not for years).


----------



## Zaukrie

Zaukrie said:


> Gatherer of clouds..... It's interesting to think about how differently Guy Kay writes Chinese vs Sean Russell...... Russell feels like he's telling a western story, moreso than Kay did. Both are good, just different feeling.



So, I think I really liked these two books, but I'm not sure I loved these two books......


----------



## Levistus's_Leviathan

I recently got into Brandon Sanderson's books. I love them. 

Last month I read the _Rithmatist_, _Way of Kings_, _Words of Radiance_, and _Oathbringer_. 

I just finished _Mistborn_.
Currently reading _Rhythm of War_ (The Fourth book in the _Stormlight Archive_). 

If you think you've read a long book before, look up the _Stormlight Archive_. Brandon Sanderson is planning on there being 10 in the series (he's working on the 5th book now), and all of them are well over 1,000 pages. I've read some long books and series before, but this is something else.


----------



## Scars Unseen

AcererakTriple6 said:


> If you think you've read a long book before, look up the _Stormlight Archive_. Brandon Sanderson is planning on there being 10 in the series (he's working on the 5th book now), and all of them are well over 1,000 pages. I've read some long books and series before, but this is something else.



Pretty close to Worm, then.  Worm is around 11,000 pages long (serialized), and the sequel, Ward, is around 4,500 pages.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Eyes of Nine said:


> Hey congrats on completing a book lol (gentle ribbing, no harm meant)
> 
> Been interested in this series. If you are willing, would love to hear non-spoilery feedback on discount Armageddon and this one...



LOL It's actually been a decent week finishing books  If I ignore watching all the streaming stuff I'm also trying to do...

The InCryptid series has so far been really enjoyable to read. It's light-hearted and doesn't take itself too seriously. I also started McGrath's other series October Daye. I was pointed to both when looking at Dresden stuff, and it really is a lot like Dresden, but sort of split up. All the hard core, gritty Dresden seems to be in October Daye, and all of the snarky, laugh out loud Dresden stuff is in the InCryptid series.

So the first two books (I'm only a little way into _Midnight Blue-Light Special_) feature Verity Price as the first person narrator. Verity is in her twenties living in a "semi-legal" apartment in New York. She comes from a family of cryptozoologists (people who study creatures of myth and legend, some of which are as sentient as humanity). Part of that is also culling the monsters if they start to be a threat to humans, though mostly they're scientists. Verity is trying to decide if she wants to continue full in with the family plan, or devote herself to her other passion, professional ballroom dancing. Meanwhile, she runs into a young Italian hottie who is a member of the Covenant of St. George, an order devoted to killing such creatures as evil abominations. Also devoted to killing Verity's family because they used to be Covenant three generations ago. And then they find out there might be a dragon, thought extinct for centuries, asleep under Manhattan.

One of my favorite parts of the series is each chapter has little epitaphs of quotes from Verity's grandmother usually, which kind of give an indication of just what kind of family she grew up in.

A couple from _Midnight Blue-Light Special:_

"The best thing I ever did was figure out how to hide a pistol in my brassiere. The second best was let Thomas figure out how to find it, but that's a story for another day." - Alice Healy (main character's grandmother)

"Well, that's not something you see everyday. Go tell your father that Grandma need the grenades." - Enid Healy

"Treat your weapons like you treat your children.  That means cleaning them  caring for them, counting on them to do the best they can for you, and forgiving them when they can't." - Enid Healy

"Any man who doesn't believe in carrying weapons on a first date is not a man worth knowing." - Frances Brown

Other books in the series go into other members of Verity's family, like her younger sister Antimony, or her brother and her "cousin" Susan (not really a cousin -- she's a cuckoo cryptid, a species that usually preys on humans, but she isn't evil, that was adopted. Susan loves ketchup. She puts it on everything. Mmmm...ketchup milkshake...)

Hope that wasn't too spoilery. Didn't really give anything plot wise you wouldn't get from reading the back of the book. Check it out. It was fun.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Zaukrie said:


> Just picked up the omnibus version of the Deed of Paksanarrion (which I've read several times, but not for years).




You know, I picked this up a while ago, but haven't read it yet. I should do that. I love paladins.


----------



## KahlessNestor

AcererakTriple6 said:


> I recently got into Brandon Sanderson's books. I love them.
> 
> Last month I read the _Rithmatist_, _Way of Kings_, _Words of Radiance_, and _Oathbringer_.
> 
> I just finished _Mistborn_.
> Currently reading _Rhythm of War_ (The Fourth book in the _Stormlight Archive_).
> 
> If you think you've read a long book before, look up the _Stormlight Archive_. Brandon Sanderson is planning on there being 10 in the series (he's working on the 5th book now), and all of them are well over 1,000 pages. I've read some long books and series before, but this is something else.




Awesome! I am wanting the Rithmatist sequel, but doubt that will end up happening, unfortunately.

And Stormlight is actually going to be two series of 5 books. There will be a big time jump after book 5.

Currently Skyward and finishing Mistborn Era 2 is up next. Skyward 3 is in November. Wax and Wayne finale is currently in revisions.


----------



## Levistus's_Leviathan

KahlessNestor said:


> Awesome! I am wanting the Rithmatist sequel, but doubt that will end up happening, unfortunately.
> 
> And Stormlight is actually going to be two series of 5 books. There will be a big time jump after book 5.
> 
> Currently Skyward and finishing Mistborn Era 2 is up next. Skyward 3 is in November. Wax and Wayne finale is currently in revisions.



Good to know. However, IMO, if the Stormlight Archive is going to be "two series of 5", I'm fine with just calling it one series of 10. Like how the Percy Jackson series has 10 full books in it (well, 15 if you count the Trials of Apollo). Thanks for letting me know about the time-skip, though! 

I actually read at least the first Mistborn book when I was in Middle School, but I couldn't get into it back then. I'd also read the Rithmatist a few years later, but didn't realize that it was the same author until about a month ago. I don't have the rest of the Mistborn series right now, but I'll probably get them for my birthday later this month. 

Yeah, I wish that the sequel to the Rithmatist was already out, and it's extremely disappointing that he doesn't seem to have it coming up anytime soon, but it's good for what it is right now. It was the book that got me into internally-consistent magical systems in the first place, and I'm glad to have reread it after these past few years. 

Thanks for the info!


----------



## KahlessNestor

Sanderson has said he realizes he needs to do a lot more research into Mesoamerica before he can write the Rithmatist sequel. Unfortunately, he doesn't know when he'll have time for that research. So the sequel is kind of...in limbo.

The Alcatraz final book is at least on his schedule. You could check out the Alcatraz series.


----------



## Blue

Currently reading:

*The City We Became* by N.K. Jemisin. Wildly inventive, as I've come to expect from her.

*Invincibles: The Entropy of Everything* (Book 3) by Matthew Phillion. Delving more into the heroes-that-left - the previous generation that had abandoned Earth.

*The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents* by Terry Pratchett.  I have two words: Terry. Pratchett.  How could you go wrong?


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Finished Hawke's The Wizard of 4th Street. It was a fast-paced read, but I feel like that made it stumble a bit on the ending as it could used more time to make better sense of what was actually happening.

Also finished reading Carl Sagan's Cosmos. That was an amazing read - even 40 years later, it still feels exceptional, expanding my understanding of the universe and my wonder at it.

Now I'm finally getting around to Stephen King's Firestarter.

Also, at some point I need to try the first Stormlight Archive book again. Despite liking all of Sanderson's other works, that one was a DNF for me.


----------



## Zaukrie

Finished Sheepfarmer's Daughter and started Divided Allegiance. I had forgotten how they are really just one long book. It is REALLY noticeable when reading the omnibus version and you just turn the page from one book to the next.


----------



## dragoner

@Eyes of Nine sent me Machinehood by SB Divya (thanks!), it was good, well written, sort of the cyberpunky dystopia where everyone takes designer drugs like zip or flow to move and think faster to compete with machines. Ending was a bit anticlimactic.

Also re-read the Revelation Space trilogy, it was good, sort of same deal with the end though. Re-read Roadside Picnic, always awesome. Re-read Bujold's Shards of Honor, 1st of the Vorkosigan saga, easily it is sort of the weakest of the series, as she really hits her stride in the middle part. Now I think I am going to re-read Pandora's Star by Peter F Hamilton, same as with Revelation Space and Shards of Honor, I bet there are parts which I have completely forgotten. I would like to re-read Consider Phlebas by Banks, except I gave that one away.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Blue said:


> Currently reading:
> 
> *The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents* by Terry Pratchett.  I have two words: Terry. Pratchett.  How could you go wrong?



Yeah, can't really go wrong with Pratchett. I think the Maurice story would be an amazing animated film. Or even live action with CGI cat and mice.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Ralif Redhammer said:


> Also, at some point I need to try the first Stormlight Archive book again. Despite liking all of Sanderson's other works, that one was a DNF for me.



Way of Kings does have a pretty steep learning curve to it, because it's probably the most "world building" he has to do, which slows things a little (though I still found it fascinating). But it is a world where you can't just "assume" a lot like in other fantasy. Flora and fauna are VERY different. The races are very different. And you get impacts of ancient history and religion that aren't immediately explained and you just have to take it in and move on. But it's all well worth it. Especially when you run across easter eggs like the first Interlude chapter with the strangers in the tavern or meet Wit and Zahel.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life_ by Jordan B. Peterson.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment_ by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading _Assassin's Apprentice_ by Robin Hobb.

Still reading _Changes_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _A Lone Habitation_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still listening to _Lux_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Black Widow: Forever Red_ by Margaret Stohl.

Still reading _The Battle for Skandia_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _Mistborn: The Final Empire_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Critical Role: Tal’dorei Campaign Setting_ by Matthew Mercer.

Sill reading _Discrimination and Disparities_ by Thomas Sowell.

Still reading _The Silmarillion_ by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Still reading _Midnight Blue-Light Special_ by Seanan McGuire.

*Started reading The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors by Dan Jones.

Started reading The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon.*


----------



## Blue

Can anyone recommend an entertaining biography of Richard Feynman?  I've read two of his collected takes, "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman" and "What Do You Care What Other People Think", but I tried to read James Gleick's "The Life and Science of Richard Feynman" but it was so try.  Yes, I'm looking for more actual accounts then just amusing anecdotes (though those are fun), but for someone portrayed as such a character in those first too books, none of that came across in Gleick's work and it was a chore to read.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

It's definitely Sanderson's most ambitious bit of worldbuilding. And that part was definitely enjoyable. I think part of it was that I've been burnt on 700+ page fantasy novels ever since I did the whole of the Wheel of Time over the course of a year. 



KahlessNestor said:


> Way of Kings does have a pretty steep learning curve to it, because it's probably the most "world building" he has to do, which slows things a little (though I still found it fascinating). But it is a world where you can't just "assume" a lot like in other fantasy. Flora and fauna are VERY different. The races are very different. And you get impacts of ancient history and religion that aren't immediately explained and you just have to take it in and move on. But it's all well worth it. Especially when you run across easter eggs like the first Interlude chapter with the strangers in the tavern or meet Wit and Zahel.


----------



## Alzrius

Currently working my way through Bill Owen's book, _Judges Guild's Bob & Bill: A Cautionary Tale_, third edition. The history of Judges Guild is one I'm far less familiar with compared to TSR, and the plethora of illustrations is quite something as well. The extremely short chapters make it easy to peruse it in small bits when there's not much free time.


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Alzrius said:


> Currently working my way through Bill Owen's book, _Judges Guild's Bob & Bill: A Cautionary Tale_, third edition. The history of Judges Guild is one I'm far less familiar with compared to TSR, and the plethora of illustrations is quite something as well. The extremely short chapters make it easy to peruse it in small bits when there's not much free time.



Bob turned out to be somewhat... problematic. Any discussion of that in the book? I used to love that Judge's Guild stuff existed, although I always found it a bit thin, at least their early stuff.


----------



## Alzrius

Eyes of Nine said:


> Bob turned out to be somewhat... problematic. Any discussion of that in the book? I used to love that Judge's Guild stuff existed, although I always found it a bit thin, at least their early stuff.



As I recall, that was Bill Jr., not Bill Sr. I haven't finished the book yet, but given that this edition was published in 2014 (which was before the controversy broke out), I don't think it's going to mention that.


----------



## Zaukrie

Finished the Deed of Paksanarrion. Starts much stronger than it finishes. It's my third reading, and I've decided book three is my least favorite. The last third just doesn't excite me for some reason.


----------



## Richards

I'm starting a new series by Ruth Downie (an author I've never read before), four novels of which I picked up in hardback at the library book sale for a dollar apiece.  This first one is called _Medicus_ and it's the first in the series (published in 2006) so I shouldn't have too much trouble with the others I bought, given there are some books missing between them.  But as it's a mystery series, I assume each book will be more or less standalone as far as not needing to have read all of the previous ones.

In any case, the main character is a down-on-his luck doctor in ancient Roman times, off to his new duties in the faraway land of Brittania, where he'll apparently rescue a young slave and soon after get involved in a series of murders involving prostitutes.  I enjoy ancient Roman historical fiction and I've taken to mysteries, so this should be a good mixture of the two.

Johnathan


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life_ by Jordan B. Peterson.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment_ by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading _Assassin's Apprentice_ by Robin Hobb.

Still reading _Changes_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _A Lone Habitation_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still listening to _Lux_ by Brandon Sanderson.

*Finished reading Black Widow: Forever Red by Margaret Stohl.*

Still reading _The Battle for Skandia_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _Mistborn: The Final Empire_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Critical Role: Tal’dorei Campaign Setting_ by Matthew Mercer.

Sill reading _Discrimination and Disparities_ by Thomas Sowell.

Still reading _The Silmarillion_ by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Still reading _Midnight Blue-Light Special_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors_ by Dan Jones.

Still reading _The Deed of Paksenarrion_ by Elizabeth Moon.

*Started reading Black Widow: Red Vengeance by Margaret Stohl.*


----------



## Ryujin

Reread "PWNED" by Matt Vancil.


----------



## Blue

Ralif Redhammer said:


> It's definitely Sanderson's most ambitious bit of worldbuilding. And that part was definitely enjoyable. I think part of it was that I've been burnt on 700+ page fantasy novels ever since I did the whole of the Wheel of Time over the course of a year.



We need a support group.

Me: "Hi, I'm Blue, and I read through the entire Wheel of Time."
All: "Hi Blue."


----------



## HawaiiSteveO

On a spy kick lately, going to read some of his other books - Agent ZigZag up next.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

It really does leave a mark on a person, in both good and bad ways. I read the whole Malazan Book of the Fallen series, and that didn't leave me as burnt out on long-form fantasy as the Wheel of Time. I suspect that if a person went in and re-wrote that middle slog to condense it and keep the pace going, it might hit differently.

I also wonder whether if Robert Jordan hadn't died before he finished the series, if we'd view GRRM's delays and procrastinations differently, but that's another conversation.



Blue said:


> We need a support group.
> 
> Me: "Hi, I'm Blue, and I read through the entire Wheel of Time."
> All: "Hi Blue."


----------



## Blue

Ralif Redhammer said:


> It really does leave a mark on a person, in both good and bad ways. I read the whole Malazan Book of the Fallen series, and that didn't leave me as burnt out on long-form fantasy as the Wheel of Time. I suspect that if a person went in and re-wrote that middle slog to condense it and keep the pace going, it might hit differently.
> 
> I also wonder whether if Robert Jordan hadn't died before he finished the series, if we'd view GRRM's delays and procrastinations differently, but that's another conversation.



I think the slog that I never recovered from was when Faile was kidnapped and Perrin spent like three books chasing after her with very little change in status.  Perrin was one of my favorites (moreso than Rand) and putting him in not just status, but verbose, wordy, lingering status without character development or plot development around him was a major turn-off.

I loved when they finally cleared The Taint from the male half of the One Power.  But then that the first many-hundred pages of the next book was just reactions of the various ensemble cast (and villains) as it was visible around the world just killed all the inertia.

I have the books bagged up downstairs to give to a friend.  After I finished I realized I was never going to read them all again, so I should give them away to make space on my shelves.

All of that said, I'm still a sucker for long-form fantasy.  Guess I never learn.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

If I had to pick my favorite characters, it would Nynaeve and Perrin, definitely. Super happy with the casting on both of them, too. Totally agree with you on that part of the books, too.

I got the books on Kindle. I pretty much got a Kindle for the express purpose of saving the space they'd take up on my bookshelves and not having to lug them around. I might re-read them some day, but not anytime soon.



Blue said:


> I think the slog that I never recovered from was when Faile was kidnapped and Perrin spent like three books chasing after her with very little change in status.  Perrin was one of my favorites (moreso than Rand) and putting him in not just status, but verbose, wordy, lingering status without character development or plot development around him was a major turn-off.
> 
> I loved when they finally cleared The Taint from the male half of the One Power.  But then that the first many-hundred pages of the next book was just reactions of the various ensemble cast (and villains) as it was visible around the world just killed all the inertia.
> 
> I have the books bagged up downstairs to give to a friend.  After I finished I realized I was never going to read them all again, so I should give them away to make space on my shelves.
> 
> All of that said, I'm still a sucker for long-form fantasy.  Guess I never learn.


----------



## Blue

Ralif Redhammer said:


> If I had to pick my favorite characters, it would Nynaeve and Perrin, definitely. Super happy with the casting on both of them, too. Totally agree with you on that part of the books, too.
> 
> I got the books on Kindle. I pretty much got a Kindle for the express purpose of saving the space they'd take up on my bookshelves and not having to lug them around. I might re-read them some day, but not anytime soon.



I got Eye of the World in softcover back in '90 or '91.  I've got a hangup - if I have a series I want it one way or the other (or both).  Having to switch back and forth, while a truly trivial task, bothers me.

One of the short stories in the Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold I had only the electronic release of it, and every time I hit a used bookstore I searched for a collection that had it in print.  Even though I had it.  As a short story that was not a big deal in terms of the overall arc of everything.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Yeah, having a mish-mash of a series split between digital and print versions would bother me as well. To tell the truth, getting different editions within a series kinda does too.



Blue said:


> I got Eye of the World in softcover back in '90 or '91.  I've got a hangup - if I have a series I want it one way or the other (or both).  Having to switch back and forth, while a truly trivial task, bothers me.
> 
> One of the short stories in the Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold I had only the electronic release of it, and every time I hit a used bookstore I searched for a collection that had it in print.  Even though I had it.  As a short story that was not a big deal in terms of the overall arc of everything.




I finished reading Firestarter. Enjoyed it, though as I've said before, there's thread of misanthropy that's run through all of Stephen King's works I've read so far. It was also striking how little the movie adaptation deviated from the book.

Now I'm reading William Hope Hodgson's The Boats of the Glen Carrig.


----------



## Zaukrie

Are all mazalan books as confusing as the first one? Good golly. In fairness, I keep putting it down and picking it up much later, but still. So many characters....


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

I'm a fan and honestly, yeah. You get a better grasp as the books go on, but they throw a lot at you, with a large cast of characters that only continues to expand.



Zaukrie said:


> Are all mazalan books as confusing as the first one? Good golly. In fairness, I keep putting it down and picking it up much later, but still. So many characters....


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life_ by Jordan B. Peterson.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment_ by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

*Finished reading Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb. This was a really good book. Good worldbuilding and characters.*

Still reading _Changes_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _A Lone Habitation_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still listening to _Lux_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _The Battle for Skandia_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _Mistborn: The Final Empire_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Critical Role: Tal’dorei Campaign Setting_ by Matthew Mercer.

Sill reading _Discrimination and Disparities_ by Thomas Sowell.

Still reading _The Silmarillion_ by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Still reading _Midnight Blue-Light Special_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors_ by Dan Jones.

Still reading _The Deed of Paksenarrion_ by Elizabeth Moon.

Still reading _Black Widow: Red Vengeance_ by Margaret Stohl.


----------



## Zaukrie

Finally finished Gardens of the Moon.

Once I read more at one time, it didn't seem as daunting. ... But still. So many characters. I own the next two, but I think I'll finish Priest by Colville, then try something else.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Finished Hodgson's The Boats of the Glen Carrig last Friday. That was a most excellent and chilling read, one that does not feel as old as it is. The way the fear of the very real threats of the open ocean worked with the fear of unknowable horrors was a well-balanced escalation device. I'm surprised it's not been adapted for the screen, because it seems like it would make for a great movie.  

And at the price of "free" on Kindle, definitely worth it.

Now I'm re-reading RE Howard's The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life_ by Jordan B. Peterson.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment_ by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading _Changes_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _A Lone Habitation_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still listening to _Lux_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _The Battle for Skandia_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _Mistborn: The Final Empire_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Critical Role: Tal’dorei Campaign Setting_ by Matthew Mercer.

Sill reading _Discrimination and Disparities_ by Thomas Sowell.

Still reading _The Silmarillion_ by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Still reading _Midnight Blue-Light Special_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors_ by Dan Jones.

Still reading _The Deed of Paksenarrion_ by Elizabeth Moon.

Still reading _Black Widow: Red Vengeance_ by Margaret Stohl.

*Started reading Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb.*


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Finished re-reading REH's Savage Tales of Solomon Kane. I'm really mixed on the collection. When the stories are at their best, they're astonishingly good. Solomon Kane is like the anti-Michael Myers; we never find out what drives him, have only hints about his history; he is a relentless force for good.

But then there is some truly horrific racist language - which while present in REH's other tales, really comes into focus with the stories set in Africa. After a certain point, I ended up skipping those.

Now I'm re-reading Clive Barker's Books of Blood Vol. 1. Oh, do I love the schlocky covers of the editions I have:


----------



## Richards

I finished _Medicus_ last night (skipping an hour or more of sleep at bedtime to do so - I wanted to see how it ended and didn't want to wait until today to do so).  It was a great read and now I'm starting up the first sequel, _Terra Incognita_, in which Roman army doctor Gaius Petreius Ruso is stationed even further north in the backwaters of Britannia, in the lands where his new slave Tilla is from - and in which he'll get embroiled in another mystery against his better judgment, this time involving Tilla's former lover, who's charged with killing a Roman soldier.

Johnathan


----------



## TwoSix

Scars Unseen said:


> Pretty close to Worm, then.  Worm is around 11,000 pages long (serialized), and the sequel, Ward, is around 4,500 pages.



You should try reading The Wandering Inn.  Worm is about 1.8 million words, The Wandering Inn is currently at 8.3 million words and nowhere close to done.

Practical Guide to Evil is also another excellent, long web serial.


----------



## reelo

I just recieved "The Illuminated Edda" by Andrew Valkauskas, author the RPG "Fate of the Norns"
I've just skimmed over it so far, but it looks delightful (and got much praise from Ed Greenwood)


----------



## Eyes of Nine

KahlessNestor said:


> *Started reading Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb.*



Read the first trilogy earlier this year. Appreciated it a lot. Have the first book of her 2nd series, the LiveShips trilogy, but haven't cracked it open yet.


----------



## trappedslider

read _Invisible Sun_, the third and final volume of Charles Stross's second Merchant Princes series. It was okay. I may reread the series if I'm bored and don't have anything else but it won't join my list of books/series I read every year.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life_ by Jordan B. Peterson.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment_ by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading _Changes_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _A Lone Habitation_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still listening to _Lux_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _The Battle for Skandia_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _Mistborn: The Final Empire_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Critical Role: Tal’dorei Campaign Setting_ by Matthew Mercer.

Sill reading _Discrimination and Disparities_ by Thomas Sowell.

Still reading _The Silmarillion_ by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Still reading _Midnight Blue-Light Special_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors_ by Dan Jones.

Still reading _The Deed of Paksenarrion_ by Elizabeth Moon.

Still reading _Black Widow: Red Vengeance_ by Margaret Stohl.

Still reading _Royal Assassin_ by Robin Hobb.

*Started reading Sly Flourish’s The Lazy Dungeon Master by Michael E. Shea.*


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

I finished Barker's Books of Blood, volume 1. For being some of his earliest works, the stories still hold up. I think they're at their best when they have a wry and oh so dark sense of humor, like The Yattering and Jack (which apparently was adapted into a Tales from the Dark Side Episode in 1987, something I had no idea about until now).

Now I'm reading Clark Ashton Smith's Hyperborea.


----------



## Zaukrie

Read Atomic Habits in a few hours. Lots of obvious advice, but some real nuggets also. I wouldn't pay full price, but at a discount it's a decent book on habits.


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Zaukrie said:


> Read Atomic Habits in a few hours. Lots of obvious advice, but some real nuggets also. I wouldn't pay full price, but at a discount it's a decent book on habits.



I've got a friend who swears by this. Maybe I'll get it sometime. I've been meaning to look at used bookstores - I'm with you wouldn't want to spend full pop on it...


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

I finished reading Clark Ashton Smith's Hyperborea. CAS has become one of my favorite pulp/Appendix N-ish authors. Hyperborea is weird and beautiful and horrific all at once. 

Now I'm reading P. Djeli Clark's Ring Shout.


----------



## Zaukrie

Reading Stephen King's Memoir on Writing, or some such title. Getting ready to write a novel starting next month.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life_ by Jordan B. Peterson.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment_ by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading _Changes_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _A Lone Habitation_ by Seanan McGuire.

*Finished listening to Lux by Brandon Sanderson.*

Still reading _The Battle for Skandia_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _Mistborn: The Final Empire_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Critical Role: Tal’dorei Campaign Setting_ by Matthew Mercer.

Sill reading _Discrimination and Disparities_ by Thomas Sowell.

Still reading _The Silmarillion_ by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Still reading _Midnight Blue-Light Special_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors_ by Dan Jones.

Still reading _The Deed of Paksenarrion_ by Elizabeth Moon.

Still reading _Black Widow: Red Vengeance_ by Margaret Stohl.

Still reading _Royal Assassin_ by Robin Hobb.

Still reading _Sly Flourish’s The Lazy Dungeon Master_ by Michael E. Shea.

Still reading _The Black Echo_ by Michael Connelly.

*Started reading Matchlock and the Embassy: A Thirty Years’ War Story by Zachary Twamley.*


----------



## Zaukrie

Plot and Structure

Or, the long title: 
Write Great Fiction - Plot & Structure: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting and Plot That Grips Readers from Start to Finish​Skimmed/read it one night. I didn't read the exercises or all the basic plots (I'm not writing a love story!)......there are some real nuggets in here for sure. I'll be going back over this one with a highlighter.

I also finished Stephen King's Memoir on Writing (or somesuch title). Some good stuff. I wasn't sure at first how much biography I wanted, but when I look back at my life, I can see how it shaped me to want to write about glass ceilings (which seems to be a them in all three books I've started, in very different genres). 

I have Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life and Steering the Craft: A Twenty-First-Century Guide to Sailing the Sea of Story next up in terms of "how to write" books. And I'm reading Aurora for fiction (which, frankly, as I read, I think.....I write this well. But my characters aren't this good).


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

I finished Clark's Ring Shout. Crackling good, cinematic action, with plenty of emotional heft. And seeing racists get their due is tops in my book.

Now I'm reading Brian Lumley's second Titus Crow novel, The Transition of Titus Crow.


----------



## Mallus

I'm reading a mystery about a flock of philosophical sheep who solve a murder. Of a shepherd, obviously. Leonie Swann's Three Bags Full. Take a shot of Douglas Adams, a shot of Richard Adams, toss a few cubes of Agatha Christie, shake vigorously...


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life_ by Jordan B. Peterson.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment_ by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading _Changes_ by Jim Butcher.

*Finished reading A Lone Habitation by Seanan McGuire.* - A good series, but tends to be...dark. Even when she solves a case, Toby is usually pretty beat up, and lots of people die. Was a sad ending. Bittersweet. But I guess that’s what the Fae will do to you.

Still reading _The Battle for Skandia_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _Mistborn: The Final Empire_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Critical Role: Tal’dorei Campaign Setting_ by Matthew Mercer.

Sill reading _Discrimination and Disparities_ by Thomas Sowell.

*Still reading The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien.* - Going to drop this for now. I’ve read it twice, I’m reading it on Kindle, and I have lots of new books on Kindle I need to read, two of which I need to get done before Brandon Sanderson’s book comes out next month.

Still reading _Midnight Blue-Light Special_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors_ by Dan Jones.

Still reading _The Deed of Paksenarrion_ by Elizabeth Moon.

Still reading _Black Widow: Red Vengeance_ by Margaret Stohl.

Still reading _Royal Assassin_ by Robin Hobb.

Still reading _Sly Flourish’s The Lazy Dungeon Master_ by Michael E. Shea.

Still reading _The Black Echo_ by Michael Connelly.

Started reading _Matchlock and the Embassy: A Thirty Years’ War Story_ by Zachary Twamley.

*Started listening to Skyward by Brandon Sanderson.* - I want to reread the two Skyward novels before the next one comes out next month, so I decided to do it via audiobook.

*Started reading Sunreach by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson.* - Preparation for _Cytonic_ out next month.


----------



## Richards

I'm now onto the third book in Ruth Downie's series of novels about a Roman military doctor (medicus) who keeps getting involved in solving murders.  This one's called _Persona Non Grata_ and has the protagonist returning to his family home in Gaul where he'll have to deal with the many people his family owes money to, and he'll naturally get involved in another murder along the way.  It's a good series and I'm enjoying it, but after this one I only have the fourth book next in my lineup.

Johnathan


----------



## Sacrosanct

Ralif Redhammer said:


> I finished reading Clark Ashton Smith's Hyperborea. CAS has become one of my favorite pulp/Appendix N-ish authors. Hyperborea is weird and beautiful and horrific all at once.
> 
> Now I'm reading P. Djeli Clark's Ring Shout.



I'll have to add that to my list. I'm finally getting around to reading Jack Vance's Dying earth. Everyone should read this. Not because of the tie ins with DnD and how heavily this book influenced the game (beyond the vancian magic), bit period books like this are a treasure trove of vocabulary that has died out and you don't see in modern books any more. That to me is the best treat.


----------



## Richards

Jack Vance is one of my all-time favorite authors, for that very reason.

Johnathan


----------



## Blue Orange

Sacrosanct said:


> I'll have to add that to my list. I'm finally getting around to reading Jack Vance's Dying earth. Everyone should read this. Not because of the tie ins with DnD and how heavily this book influenced the game (beyond the vancian magic), bit period books like this are a treasure trove of vocabulary that has died out and you don't see in modern books any more. That to me is the best treat.




Vance wasn't just taking words from his period, though. The guy actively sought out obscure and obsolete words in his vocabulary to give the feeling of something that sounded like English but he could give a new meaning to. A deodand was a pre-20th century legal term for a thing that was given up because it had caused a person's death; Vance turned it into a monster.


----------



## Richards

Gene Wolfe did that a lot too, especially in his "Torturer" series.

Johnathan


----------



## dragoner

I'll third a vote on Dying Earth, it is so good:

"I am more inclined to punish Hurtiancz for his crassness, said Ildefonse. But now he simulates a swinish stupidity to escape my anger. Absolute falsity! roared Hurtiancz. I simulate nothing! Ildefonse shrugged. For all his deficiencies as polemicist and magician, Hurtiancz at least is candid."


----------



## Zaukrie

I really did not like dying Earth at all


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life_ by Jordan B. Peterson.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment_ by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading _Changes_ by Jim Butcher.

*Started reading An Artificial Night by Seanan McGuire.* - Next October Daye novel.

Still reading _The Battle for Skandia_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _Mistborn: The Final Empire_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Critical Role: Tal’dorei Campaign Setting_ by Matthew Mercer.

Sill reading _Discrimination and Disparities_ by Thomas Sowell.

Still reading _Midnight Blue-Light Special_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors_ by Dan Jones.

Still reading _The Deed of Paksenarrion_ by Elizabeth Moon.

Still reading _Black Widow: Red Vengeance_ by Margaret Stohl.

Still reading _Royal Assassin_ by Robin Hobb.

Still reading _Sly Flourish’s The Lazy Dungeon Master_ by Michael E. Shea.

*Finished reading The Black Echo by Michael Connelly.* - First Harry Bosch book.

Still reading _Matchlock and the Embassy: A Thirty Years’ War Story_ by Zachary Twamley.

Still listening to _Skyward_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Sunreach_ by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

By far, Gene Wolfe, Jack Vance, and CAS are the three authors I find myself most having to look up the meaning of words. But the one thing I find with them is that it's not so much using obscure terminology, but obscure terminology that evokes a certain feeling.

For those interested in archaic and unused words, according to Luke Gygax, Poplollies & Bellibones was a volume Gary Gygax frequently had on hand. 



Sacrosanct said:


> I'll have to add that to my list. I'm finally getting around to reading Jack Vance's Dying earth. Everyone should read this. Not because of the tie ins with DnD and how heavily this book influenced the game (beyond the vancian magic), bit period books like this are a treasure trove of vocabulary that has died out and you don't see in modern books any more. That to me is the best treat.






Richards said:


> Gene Wolfe did that a lot too, especially in his "Torturer" series.
> 
> Johnathan


----------



## Sacrosanct

Ralif Redhammer said:


> By far, Gene Wolfe, Jack Vance, and CAS are the three authors I find myself most having to look up the meaning of words. But the one thing I find with them is that it's not so much using obscure terminology, but obscure terminology that evokes a certain feeling.
> 
> For those interested in archaic and unused words, according to Luke Gygax, Poplollies & Bellibones was a volume Gary Gygax frequently had on hand



I find this website to be pretty valuable.





__





						Compendium of Lost Words
					

Compendium of Lost Words: 400 ultra-rare words that appear only on this page



					phrontistery.info


----------



## payn

My brother has a book club with some friends and they have been going strong for about 10 years or so. I join up as a guest for their annual retreat each year. The book this time was _Hyperion _by Dan Simmons. It was bad, very hard for me to finish. Some ok ideas, but seemed inconsistent, had a poor metaplot, and downright juvenile at times. A little surprised to see it was Hugo winner.


----------



## Zaukrie

Just finished two books:

Bird by Bird, which is a book about writing. Not my style. Lots of people love this book, though...

Where the Deer and the Antelope Play by Nick Offerman. Preachy. Not for those on the more conservative side of politics. I enjoyed it, but preachy and there are parts where you'll wonder if he knows how lucky/ privileged he is (he does, and acknowledges it at times).

Also reading Aurora and It Was the Best of Sentences, It Was the Worst of Sentences (which is DENSE with information, but seems good so far).


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _Night of the Hunter_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life_ by Jordan B. Peterson.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment_ by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading _Changes_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _An Artificial Night _by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Battle for Skandia_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _Mistborn: The Final Empire_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Critical Role: Tal’dorei Campaign Setting_ by Matthew Mercer.

Sill reading _Discrimination and Disparities_ by Thomas Sowell.

Still reading _Midnight Blue-Light Special_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors_ by Dan Jones.

Still reading _The Deed of Paksenarrion_ by Elizabeth Moon.

Still reading _Black Widow: Red Vengeance_ by Margaret Stohl.

Still reading _Royal Assassin_ by Robin Hobb.

Still reading _Sly Flourish’s The Lazy Dungeon Master_ by Michael E. Shea.

Still reading _Matchlock and the Embassy: A Thirty Years’ War Story_ by Zachary Twamley.

Still listening to _Skyward_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Sunreach_ by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson.

*Started reading The Black Ice by Michael Connelly.* - the next Harry Bosch book.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Just finished Lumley's The Transition of Titus Crow. While the first one was very much a love letter to pulp horror, this one is more a love letter to weird fantasy. But I found it less enjoyable; it was fine, but not great. The plot sort of ambles along until it finishes.

Also finished Time-Life Books' Night Creatures, from The Enchanted World line. Oof, is the book filled with some nightmare fuel. Turning the page feels like you're an interloper stumbling on some horrid sight:






Now I'm reading Tolkien's The Nature of Middle-Earth.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Tolkien's The Nature of Middle-Earth went very quickly. It is an impressive work, though perhaps the pages and pages of elvish rates of aging isn't always interesting in itself. But everything in it is a fascinating window into the thought process that went into creating his world. And there is much that is interesting in it.

Tolkien clearly indicates that only dwarf men have beards, for what it's worth (also, that Aragorn, Boromir, Denethor, and Faramir should all be clean-shaven, as a result of the elvish-by-way-of-Numenor blood in them).

Another thing in it is that he completely invalidates every modern attempt to create a lembas bread recipe by saying that it is made from corn from The Undying Lands.

Now, in preparation for the Wheel of Time TV series coming next month, I'm finally getting around to reading Robert Jordan's New Spring.


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Here's a bunch of things I have read recently. 1 of which I didn't finish. 3 of them are from various Zinequests.

_Rise_, a solo game where you draw out a dungeon (like, physically on a piece of graph paper), but you do it from the perspective of the evil mastermind. It uses cards to help guide you in what to draw. It's hilarious when you draw the "adventurers/heros" and they come and wreck everything you have been working towards. I haven't actually done the drawing part, but the game was cool. Here's the Goodreads. And here's the link to the itch.io page. It was one of 3 by the same author that came in the zinequest, but the first one I have read. All for 7 quid - I LOVE ZINEQUEST!

I just a few hours ago finished Bridge of Birds, by Barry Hughart. Really enjoyed it a lot. Loved the fantasy China, and appreciated also the "investigation" angle. Sort of reminded me of Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin in an ancient fantasy China. Ultimately, about halfway through the book I realized the entire thing was about love in it's many forms - eros, agape, philos, etc - and it didn't decrease my enjoyment one bit 

_Usagi Yojimbo Homecoming_. By Stan Sakai (duh!). Sakai continues to be incredible. The history packed into this one, as well as the musings on how one can't even really go home; and then the great action scenes that he draws in a way that I love. I highly recommend Usagi Yojimbo to anyone, but this one was even a cut above many of the others I have read. Goodreads.

I recently finished the entire 6-volume adventure path _"War for the Crown" _from Paizo. The mix of politics and court intrigue, as well as standard D&D type adventuring makes this a possible winner in the next campaign I run for one of my groups. I'll probably have to do some sort of conversion to 5e, which won't be easy, but will probably be fun. There are two sub systems that I'm eager to try out. One is court intrigue; and the other is having "agents" go around the countryside and the towns and do your bidding and try to influence things in the various factions and individuals in the games. They are both cool, and cover some areas that I think are often glossed over in typical rules sets.

Another Zinequest item - I wrote up my review of _Dungeons and Dilemmas_ on Goodreads here. Short summary - it'll give you a different way to look at building dungeons and how they can fit into your world. Also, I recommend it. If you want to buy it, you can get it in pdf from Drive Thru here, and in hard copy from the publisher here.

Finally, the item I didn't finish. I backed _Command? Dungeon World: A Solo Game About Learning Games_ thinking it was a game that told me how to use Dungeon World to do solo adventuring. What it turned out to be was mostly a choose your own adventure game. I guess I should have guessed by the URL; but the campaign page itself doesn't make that clear. Choose your adventure's cool; but it's not my bag. So I put it down around p14.


----------



## Richards

I'm finished the third book and am now about to start the fourth book in Ruth Downie's "Medicus" series, about an ancient Roman doctor, Gaius Petreius Ruso, who keeps getting involved in solving murders with his Britton slave Tilla.  Book four is called _Caveat Emptor_ and will involve Ruso and Tilla back in Brittania and away from his family estate in Gaul (where the action in book three took place), no doubt to the relief of both.  Checking ahead in Wikipedia it looks like there are five more novels in the series after this one, but these are the only ones I picked up at the library book sale.  However, I have enjoyed them enough I'll probably try to pick up the other books in the series; in that respect, it's similar to how I ended up with all of the novels in the "Sano Ichiro" series by Laura Joh Rowland, detailing the murder investigations by a samurai investigator in feudal Japan.

It looks like I'm a sucker for historical fiction mysteries.

Johnathan


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

*Finished reading Night of the Hunter by R. A. Salvatore. *- This one is a bit...weird. I like that Bruenor still carries some remnants of his time as a semi-Chosen of the dwarven gods (fighting the balor before his death), Wulfgar seems healed. Regis is useful. Cattie-brie is a real spellcaster. It’s a real D&D party now. But Mielikki is now declaring orcs and goblinkin to be inherently evil and a stain on the world. Bruenor is planning to start a genocidal war against a relatively peaceful Many Arrows. I actually _liked_ the establishment of Many Arrows in 4e and was disappointed that they were removing it in 5e. It was a great storyline. But now you have good characters planning a genocide crusade. It’s only made halfway palatable by the fact that the drow are planning the same thing and manage to get it off first.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life_ by Jordan B. Peterson.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment_ by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading _Changes_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _An Artificial Night _by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Battle for Skandia_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _Mistborn: The Final Empire_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Critical Role: Tal’dorei Campaign Setting_ by Matthew Mercer.

*Finished reading Discrimination and Disparities by Thomas Sowell.* - very informative and revealing. Learned a lot.

Still reading _Midnight Blue-Light Special_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors_ by Dan Jones.

Still reading _The Deed of Paksenarrion_ by Elizabeth Moon.

Still reading _Black Widow: Red Vengeance_ by Margaret Stohl.

Still reading _Royal Assassin_ by Robin Hobb.

Still reading _Sly Flourish’s The Lazy Dungeon Master_ by Michael E. Shea.

Still reading _Matchlock and the Embassy: A Thirty Years’ War Story_ by Zachary Twamley.

Still listening to _Skyward_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Sunreach_ by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson.

Still reading _The Black Ice_ by Michael Connelly.

*Started reading Rise of the King by R. A. Salvatore.*


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

I also wish they had kept it. I'm considering bringing back the Many Arrows kingdom for my Rime of the Frostmaiden campaign, but I'm not sure the best way to introduce it. I have avoided using orcs as antagonists in the adventure until I figure that out.



KahlessNestor said:


> I actually _liked_ the establishment of Many Arrows in 4e and was disappointed that they were removing it in 5e. It was a great storyline. But now you have good characters planning a genocide crusade. It’s only made halfway palatable by the fact that the drow are planning the same thing and manage to get it off first.


----------



## Zaukrie

I  put down Aurora about 60% or so thru. I have no idea why this book is considered great, or even good. 

I started The Windup Girl, which already seems 100x more interesting. With actual characters.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

*Finished reading Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life by Jordan B. Peterson.* - Excellent, as was his first book.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment_ by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading _Changes_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _An Artificial Night _by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Battle for Skandia_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _Mistborn: The Final Empire_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Critical Role: Tal’dorei Campaign Setting_ by Matthew Mercer.

Still reading _Midnight Blue-Light Special_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors_ by Dan Jones.

Still reading _The Deed of Paksenarrion_ by Elizabeth Moon.

Still reading _Black Widow: Red Vengeance_ by Margaret Stohl.

Still reading _Royal Assassin_ by Robin Hobb.

Still reading _Sly Flourish’s The Lazy Dungeon Master_ by Michael E. Shea.

Still reading _Matchlock and the Embassy: A Thirty Years’ War Story_ by Zachary Twamley.

Still listening to _Skyward_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Sunreach_ by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson.

Still reading _The Black Ice_ by Michael Connelly.

Still reading _Rise of the King_ by R. A. Salvatore.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Finished Jordan's New Spring. At about 400 pages, it's practically a novella for the Wheel of Time. And yet it has that deep attention to worldbuilding and all the other trademark Robert Jordan-isms. At its best, that detailed approach brings the world vividly to life; at worst, it slows the story to a slog.

I also read Nnedi Okorafor's short story, The Black Pages. After New Spring, that economy of storytelling was a balm.

Now I'm reading Michael Moorcock's Count Brass.


----------



## trappedslider

Finished up Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan, it was good. The basic idea is that Jules Vern's books 20 000 leagues under the Sea and The Mysterious Island were recounted to him by actual people.

I think if I had read both before this book, it would have added to my enjoyment, even without that the book was really good.


----------



## payn

Finished book 8 of _The Expanse_ series. Got book 9 on pre-order for end of month. Pretty decent series that the writers really improved for the screen.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment_ by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

*Finished reading Changes by Jim Butcher.* - Dang. Just...dang. That ending… Everything. Very appropriate title!

Still reading _An Artificial Night _by Seanan McGuire.

*Finished reading The Battle for Skandia by John Flanagan.* - I thought this one very good. The power of massed English longbows vs. Mongol mounted archery would have been interesting to see historically.

Still reading _Mistborn: The Final Empire_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Critical Role: Tal’dorei Campaign Setting_ by Matthew Mercer.

Still reading _Midnight Blue-Light Special_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors_ by Dan Jones.

Still reading _The Deed of Paksenarrion_ by Elizabeth Moon.

Still reading _Black Widow: Red Vengeance_ by Margaret Stohl.

Still reading _Royal Assassin_ by Robin Hobb.

Still reading _Sly Flourish’s The Lazy Dungeon Master_ by Michael E. Shea.

Still reading _Matchlock and the Embassy: A Thirty Years’ War Story_ by Zachary Twamley.

Still listening to _Skyward_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Sunreach_ by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson.

Still reading _The Black Ice_ by Michael Connelly.

Still reading _Rise of the King_ by R. A. Salvatore.

*Started reading The Sorcerer of the North by John Flanagan.* - Next _Ranger’s Apprentice_ book.

*Started reading Ghost Story by Jim Butcher.* - Next Dresden Files book.


----------



## Zaukrie

Finished the Windup Girl.

It really should come with a warning label over all the abuse......that said, I enjoyed the book and the worldbuilding quite a bit. Just, wow, if you are triggered by abuse, you really need to NOT read this.

I'm going to re-read Atomic Habits, which I skimmed thru in a few hours a month or so ago. Probably pick up the next Amber book.


----------



## trappedslider

Zaukrie said:


> Finished the Windup Girl.
> 
> It really should come with a warning label over all the abuse......that said, I enjoyed the book and the worldbuilding quite a bit. Just, wow, if you are triggered by abuse, you really need to NOT read this.
> 
> I'm going to re-read Atomic Habits, which I skimmed thru in a few hours a month or so ago. Probably pick up the next Amber book.



Unless i'm mistaken his other books (Shiper breaker and the two that follow) also take place on the same earth


----------



## Umbran

Just finished Andy Weir's newest novel, _Project Hail Mary._

It is a return to his strengths in _The Martian_ - a story about an isolated scientist who has to handle extraordinary situations.  I found the work had the same strengths as its predecessor - it got me turning pages, which is no small feat, as I've had an extremely hard time concentrating on extended reading for more than a year and a half.  So that, in and of itself, was delightful.

In _Project Hail Mary_, Weir dives into more speculative science, and he has to do some hand-waving about subatomic particles and invoke some unobtanium to make it work out.  In addition, he didn't stick the landing, emotionally, due to how he resolves one conceit of the work's basic premise.

But still, I was delighted to sit with a book and really _want_ to read it.


----------



## Ryujin

Zaukrie said:


> Finished the Windup Girl.
> 
> It really should come with a warning label over all the abuse......that said, I enjoyed the book and the worldbuilding quite a bit. Just, wow, if you are triggered by abuse, you really need to NOT read this.
> 
> I'm going to re-read Atomic Habits, which I skimmed thru in a few hours a month or so ago. Probably pick up the next Amber book.



Much like how "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" should come with a warning that "You will want to kill every male character in this book, when you're done"?


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Finished _The Diamond Age_ by Neal Stephenson, from 1996. Like most of Stephenson's work, it's got a ton of interesting ideas in it. That tugged me along slowly for first 250 pages or so. But then finally the protagonist became clear, and her arc also became roughly clear, and I gobbled up the remaining 249 pages. I would recommend, although 



Spoiler



there is sexual assault towards the end that is mostly hand-waved, which I think sadly is a pretty 90's cis-male approach


.

Next up more zines! Oh also the Green Lantern graphic novel written by NK Jemisin, _Far Sector._


----------



## Blue

Eyes of Nine said:


> Finished _The Diamond Age_ by Neal Stephenson, from 1996. Like most of Stephenson's work, it's got a ton of interesting ideas in it. That tugged me along slowly for first 250 pages or so. But then finally the protagonist became clear, and her arc also became roughly clear, and I gobbled up the remaining 249 pages. I would recommend, although
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> there is sexual assault towards the end that is mostly hand-waved, which I think sadly is a pretty 90's cis-male approach
> 
> 
> .
> 
> Next up more zines! Oh also the Green Lantern graphic novel written by NK Jemisin, _Far Sector._



Diamond Age is a wonderful mess.  I've re-read it a good number of times, as the experience changes when you know what's going on.  It's perhaps top 3 and definitely 5 top of his works for me.

Oh, if you've read Snowcrash, there's a pseudo-confirmed by Author cameo by a quite old YT.

Onto the second part - NK Jemisin wrote Green Lantern?  She's absolutely one of my favorite author's that's I've been exposed to in the last 5 years.  I had no idea she did that though, thank you for mentioning it!


----------



## Blue

Haven't been doing as much reading.  I have more half-finished books then I like.  Finished the 3rd Indestructables book, The Entropy of Everything.  It ... was weaker than the first two.  Had some quite good areas, but the stakes were raised to a point that the characters couldn't accept them if everything went pear shaped - and had a handy escape mechanism so wouldn't have to.  Between those, it didn't hold the tension.  There was some good character growth, but that's what you read teen superhero books for, so I hope so.


----------



## dragoner

I have been writing enough that reading is mostly printed out rules sets. Though I began re-reading Merchanter's Luck by CJ Cherryh.


----------



## Richards

I'm reading _The Mask of Loki_ by Roger Zelazny and Thomas T. Thomas.  I'm not sure how I missed this one, as I had thought I'd read just about all of Zelazny's novels.  In keeping with his favorite topic - updating various mythological beings to the current or future day - this one deals not only with Loki in the near future, but also a Templar plotline involving recurring battles against assassins over the centuries.

Johnathan


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Blue said:


> Diamond Age is a wonderful mess.  I've re-read it a good number of times, as the experience changes when you know what's going on.  It's perhaps top 3 and definitely 5 top of his works for me.
> 
> Oh, if you've read Snowcrash, there's a pseudo-confirmed by Author cameo by a quite old YT.



Yes I caught that and very much enjoyed the easter egg. It's been a very long time since I read Snowcrash (within a year or two of it's publication); but I will never forget the skateboard with the wheels that stuck to the road (being an active skateboarder at the time).


----------



## BookTenTiger

We just had a baby, so I've been reading a lot in between / during feedings. Lately I finished:

Beautiful World Where Are You, by Sally Rooney

If you are a Rooney fan (and I am), this is a must read. She's much more experimental in this novel than her others, and I think it really pays off.

Hamnet, by Maggie O'Farrell

This is subtitled A Novel of the Plague, making it strangely appropriate to read now. It's about Shakespeare's wife and kids (including his son Hamnet, which was synonymous with Hamlet at the time). It's a beautiful, emotionally devastating book, full of neat historic details, and I'm not sure reading it at the birth of my son was a good idea!

Best Short Stories of 2021: O'Henry Prize Winners

I get this collection every year, and it never disappoints. This was the first year they used translated stories, as well as the usual stories published in English. A really wonderful collection, each story worthy of the prize.


----------



## payn

BookTenTiger said:


> We just had a baby,



Congratz.


----------



## BookTenTiger

payn said:


> Congratz.



Thanks!

I've actually been reading a lot more books, but they tend to be printed on cardboard and have very simple words.


----------



## payn

BookTenTiger said:


> Thanks!
> 
> I've actually been reading a lot more books, but they tend to be printed on cardboard and have very simple words.



I know what you mean. My Nephew just turned two and likes to read his books


----------



## Ryujin

Got my advanced copy of Todd Downing's "Raiders of the Red Storm", book 6 of the "Airship Daedalus" pulp series, and am digging into it.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

I just finished re-reading Fletcher Pratt's The Blue Star. I liked it more than the first time I read it, but that's somewhat damning it with faint praise. It's still got an unpleasant cynicism to it. Though I suspect that was the point, it grated on me.

Now I'm onto another re-read The Return of the King. It's been almost six years since my last readthrough.


----------



## Levistus's_Leviathan

I just finished _Rhythm of War_ from the _Stormlight Archive_ by Brandon Sanderson, and am starting _Warbreaker_ by the same author.


----------



## KahlessNestor

> AcererakTriple6 said:
> 
> 
> 
> I just finished _Rhythm of War_ from the _Stormlight Archive_ by Brandon Sanderson, and am starting _Warbreaker_ by the same author
Click to expand...



Ah. Didn't read _Warbreaker_ first, huh? Well, you're in for some more good stuff that will connect to _Stormlight Archives_ then!


----------



## Mallus

I’m about 150 pages in Anthony Doerr’s new book Cloud Cuckoo Land. He’s got a wonderful storyteller’s voice. I’m too brain-frazzled to describe it better right now, but if you liked his earlier book All the Light We Cannot See definitely give this one a go.

As long as your up for a story that takes place, so far, in and around 15th Century Constantinople, present day Idaho, 1940s Idaho, and outer space aboard a generation starship.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment_ by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading _An Artificial Night _by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _Mistborn: The Final Empire_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Critical Role: Tal’dorei Campaign Setting_ by Matthew Mercer.

Still reading _Midnight Blue-Light Special_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors_ by Dan Jones.

Still reading _The Deed of Paksenarrion_ by Elizabeth Moon.

Still reading _Black Widow: Red Vengeance_ by Margaret Stohl.

Still reading _Royal Assassin_ by Robin Hobb.

Still reading _Sly Flourish’s The Lazy Dungeon Master_ by Michael E. Shea.

Still reading _Matchlock and the Embassy: A Thirty Years’ War Story_ by Zachary Twamley.

Still listening to _Skyward_ by Brandon Sanderson.

*Finished reading Sunreach by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson.*

Still reading _The Black Ice_ by Michael Connelly.

Still reading _Rise of the King_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _The Sorcerer of the North_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _Ghost Story_ by Jim Butcher.

*Started reading ReDawn by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson.*


----------



## Richards

I finished _The Mask of Loki_ and it turns out I _had _read it before.  It was eminently forgettable and I had apparently done just that, because I didn't remember a thing about it as I read through it...except for one bit involving King Guy and his Crusaders in the Holy Lands, drinking from a small pool of water that had been contaminated on purpose with the carcass of a dead sheep.  Other than that one scene, none of it was familiar and it was easily my least favorite novel that Roger Zelazny ever had a hand in.  I do not recommend it.

So next up, as a palate cleanser, I'm going with _Hull Zero Three_ by Greg Bear, a science fiction novel about a man who wakes up early on a generation ship, traveling to an unknown destination - unknown to him at least, as he awakens with no memory of who he is or how he got there.  So there will be mysteries unfolding as he learns about the environment he wakes up in...sounds interesting.

Johnathan


----------



## megamania

Invincible Omnibus Vol 4 and Shadowman Omnibus.

Looking to start books about The Men in Black soon.


----------



## Jmarso

Going back and forth between the Seth material and a Song of Ice and Fire. With a LOTR re-read (+Silmarillion) thrown in about mid-year for good measure.


----------



## wicked cool

Ralif Redhammer said:


> Just finished Lumley's The Transition of Titus Crow. While the first one was very much a love letter to pulp horror, this one is more a love letter to weird fantasy. But I found it less enjoyable; it was fine, but not great. The plot sort of ambles along until it finishes.
> 
> Also finished Time-Life Books' Night Creatures, from The Enchanted World line. Oof, is the book filled with some nightmare fuel. Turning the page feels like you're an interloper stumbling on some horrid sight:
> 
> View attachment 145750
> 
> Now I'm reading Tolkien's The Nature of Middle-Earth.



i love his vampire books!


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment_ by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading _An Artificial Night _by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _Mistborn: The Final Empire_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Critical Role: Tal’dorei Campaign Setting_ by Matthew Mercer.

Still reading _Midnight Blue-Light Special_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors_ by Dan Jones.

Still reading _The Deed of Paksenarrion_ by Elizabeth Moon.

Still reading _Black Widow: Red Vengeance_ by Margaret Stohl.

Still reading _Royal Assassin_ by Robin Hobb.

Still reading _Sly Flourish’s The Lazy Dungeon Master_ by Michael E. Shea.

Still reading _Matchlock and the Embassy: A Thirty Years’ War Story_ by Zachary Twamley.

*Finished listening to Skyward by Brandon Sanderson.*

Still reading _The Black Ice_ by Michael Connelly.

Still reading _Rise of the King_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _The Sorcerer of the North_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _Ghost Story_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _ReDawn_ by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson.

*Started listening to Starsight by Brandon Sanderson.

Started reading When Christmas Comes by Andrew Klavan.*


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

I do as well. They now seem like such a snapshot of the Cold War. I'll be curious to see what the TV series is like (if it makes it to production). 



wicked cool said:


> i love his vampire books!




I finished reading The Return of the King. The Scouring of the Shire is such an important part tonally - I get why Jackson removed it, but will disagree with that decision eternally.

I also read Lord Dunsany's The Gods of Pegana. Moving and thought-provoking. Though it's not in my top Dunsany tales, its influence on fantasy is clearly enormous.

Now I'm reading Fred Saberhagen's Third Book of Swords.


----------



## wicked cool

Ralif Redhammer said:


> I do as well. They now seem like such a snapshot of the Cold War. I'll be curious to see what the TV series is like (if it makes it to production).
> 
> 
> 
> I finished reading The Return of the King. The Scouring of the Shire is such an important part tonally - I get why Jackson removed it, but will disagree with that decision eternally.
> 
> I also read Lord Dunsany's The Gods of Pegana. Moving and thought-provoking. Though it's not in my top Dunsany tales, its influence on fantasy is clearly enormous.
> 
> Now I'm reading Fred Saberhagen's Third Book of Swords.



there was a movie option (felt like it took years and i think the studio lost it ). Is there a tv rumored?


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

As of this summer, yes. There's a lot that was announced as possible, but as to what actually happens, that remains to be seen:









						Revelations Entertainment Acquires 1980s’ Horror Cult Classic Novel Series ‘Necroscope’
					

EXCLUSIVE:  Best-selling English author Brian Lumley’s Necroscope sci-fi/horror novel series is being adapted by Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary’s Revelations Entertainment across multiple m…




					deadline.com
				






wicked cool said:


> there was a movie option (felt like it took years and i think the studio lost it ). Is there a tv rumored?


----------



## Ryujin

Ralif Redhammer said:


> I do as well. They now seem like such a snapshot of the Cold War. I'll be curious to see what the TV series is like (if it makes it to production).
> 
> 
> 
> I finished reading The Return of the King. The Scouring of the Shire is such an important part tonally - I get why Jackson removed it, but will disagree with that decision eternally.
> 
> I also read Lord Dunsany's The Gods of Pegana. Moving and thought-provoking. Though it's not in my top Dunsany tales, its influence on fantasy is clearly enormous.
> 
> Now I'm reading Fred Saberhagen's Third Book of Swords.



That's my one regret about the movie adaptation, as it's a "coming of age" moment for the Hobbits. I don't nitpick the colour of Galadriel's dress or the lack of Tom Bombadil and the Ents, but "The Scouring of the Shire" was such a great literary moment for me.


----------



## Zaukrie

I found the scouring a cynical effort to say it really doesn't matter, bad changes come no matter what you do. 

I just got two new Ottolenghi cookbooks, and am reading them. I'm also reading The Wandering Fire by Guy Kay Gavriel.


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Found 9 books on my to-read list (I have this wacky goal to read every Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy award winner and nominee published after 1980) at a used bookstore. Huzzah!

And yet, here I go reading a non-H/N/WF award nominee in the form of Robin Hobbs _Liveship Traders_ trilogy. Ah well, she's delivered the goods so far with the Assassin's Apprentice series, so I'm looking forward to the ride.


----------



## Mallus

%70 of the way through the ninth and last Expanse novel, Leviathan Falls. I’m going to be sad when I’m done.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Yeah, it reaffirms that the hobbits are the true heroes of the tale, and shows how they've grown from the beginning. It also gives Saruman a proper ending, one entirely and shockingly absent in the theatrical cut.



Ryujin said:


> That's my one regret about the movie adaptation, as it's a "coming of age" moment for the Hobbits. I don't nitpick the colour of Galadriel's dress or the lack of Tom Bombadil and the Ents, but "The Scouring of the Shire" was such a great literary moment for me.




Partially, but though it takes time, the Shire also ends up more beautiful than before, thanks in no small part due to Samwise's efforts. The only Mallorn tree outside of Lothlorien grows there.

Rather than cynicism, I think it shows how war comes home, even to those that think they can stay clear of it by sticking their heads in the ground. It also shows what the hobbits can do, when they're roused and riled up.



Zaukrie said:


> I found the scouring a cynical effort to say it really doesn't matter, bad changes come no matter what you do.


----------



## Ryujin

Ralif Redhammer said:


> Yeah, it reaffirms that the hobbits are the true heroes of the tale, and shows how they've grown from the beginning. It also gives Saruman a proper ending, one entirely and shockingly absent in the theatrical cut.
> 
> 
> 
> Partially, but though it takes time, the Shire also ends up more beautiful than before, thanks in no small part due to Samwise's efforts. The only Mallorn tree outside of Lothlorien grows there.
> 
> Rather than cynicism, I think it shows how war comes home, even to those that think they can stay clear of it by sticking their heads in the ground. It also shows what the hobbits can do, when they're roused and riled up.



I would agree. To me, "The Scouring of the Shire" is about growing up and personal empowerment to make change. The Hobbits were stand-ins for Tolkien's own children. These were stories _for_ his children and, while he said that he didn't do allegory, the stories were certainly influenced by his children. Lessons were learnt.


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Mallus said:


> %70 of the way through the ninth and last Expanse novel, Leviathan Falls. I’m going to be sad when I’m done.



I have been wanting to get back on the Expanse train. Dropped after book... 3 maybe? Probably need to start at the beginning, I forget everything except that there's a detective and a ship captain and some sort of (maybe) supernatural thingie.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment_ by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading _An Artificial Night _by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _Mistborn: The Final Empire_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Critical Role: Tal’dorei Campaign Setting_ by Matthew Mercer.

Still reading _Midnight Blue-Light Special_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors_ by Dan Jones.

Still reading _The Deed of Paksenarrion_ by Elizabeth Moon.

Still reading _Black Widow: Red Vengeance_ by Margaret Stohl.

Still reading _Royal Assassin_ by Robin Hobb.

Still reading _Sly Flourish’s The Lazy Dungeon Master_ by Michael E. Shea.

Still reading _Matchlock and the Embassy: A Thirty Years’ War Story_ by Zachary Twamley.

Still reading _The Black Ice_ by Michael Connelly.

Still reading _Rise of the King_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _The Sorcerer of the North_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _Ghost Story_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _ReDawn_ by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson.

Started listening to _Starsight_ by Brandon Sanderson.

*Finished reading When Christmas Comes by Andrew Klavan.*


----------



## Mallus

Eyes of Nine said:


> I have been wanting to get back on the Expanse train. Dropped after book... 3 maybe? Probably need to start at the beginning, I forget everything except that there's a detective and a ship captain and some sort of (maybe) supernatural thingie.



The book series ends strong and books 5 - 6 are fantastic. There's some consensus around book 4 being a letdown, but I liked it. It dives pretty deeply into the 'supernatural' stuff. Mild spoiler: it's super-science, not supernatural.

The TV series is also very good. Though it's a bit darker in tone than the novels. The books often feel like summer blockbuster movies. The show is more Serious Prestige TV - still fun, though.


----------



## Umbran

Slowly finding ways around my covid reading block.  First Andy Weir's _Project Hail Mary_, and now John Scalzi's _The Lost Colony_, the third in his "Old Man's War" series.


----------



## Nellisir

Mallus said:


> The TV series is also very good. Though it's a bit darker in tone than the novels. The books often feel like summer blockbuster movies. The show is more Serious Prestige TV - still fun, though.



The books really grew on me. My reaction to the first was "Oh look, they're doing "X" in space now", but then it actually went somewhere. There's definitely a blockbuster/popcorn action movie sort of quality, but they're also well written, very well planned out, and solid. Not a neverending series.

The Expanse on tv is amazing.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

I finished Saberhagen's Third Book of Swords. It was a re-read of the series, though the first one was long ago. I found I liked it much better this time, all the moreso because I had finally read the Empire of the East series before attempting the re-read.

Now I'm reading Andre Norton's Web of the Witch World.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment_ by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading _An Artificial Night _by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _Mistborn: The Final Empire_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Critical Role: Tal’dorei Campaign Setting_ by Matthew Mercer.

Still reading _Midnight Blue-Light Special_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors_ by Dan Jones.

Still reading _The Deed of Paksenarrion_ by Elizabeth Moon.

Still reading _Black Widow: Red Vengeance_ by Margaret Stohl.

Still reading _Royal Assassin_ by Robin Hobb.

Still reading _Sly Flourish’s The Lazy Dungeon Master_ by Michael E. Shea.

Still reading _Matchlock and the Embassy: A Thirty Years’ War Story_ by Zachary Twamley.

Still reading _The Black Ice_ by Michael Connelly.

Still reading _Rise of the King_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _The Sorcerer of the North_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _Ghost Story_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _ReDawn_ by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson.

Still listening to _Starsight_ by Brandon Sanderson.

*Started reading Critical Role: Vox Machina – Kith and Kin* by Marieke Nijkamp.


----------



## Levistus's_Leviathan

I just finished Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson. I haven't read a book by him that I haven't liked as of yet, but I definitely didn't like it as much as Mistborn or the Stormlight Archive. It was good, and I recommend it, but it wasn't super amazing or anything. Had nice and cool moments, I really liked the characters and worldbuilding, but wasn't really anything super special, IMO.


----------



## KahlessNestor

AcererakTriple6 said:


> I just finished Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson. I haven't read a book by him that I haven't liked as of yet, but I definitely didn't like it as much as Mistborn or the Stormlight Archive. It was good, and I recommend it, but it wasn't super amazing or anything. Had nice and cool moments, I really liked the characters and worldbuilding, but wasn't really anything super special, IMO.



I like its understatedness, and obviously we aren't done with a couple of the characters. The sequel is on the docket for...soonish? (in Brandon terms). Watch Brandon's website this month for State of the Sanderson to find out when.


----------



## Richards

I finished _Hull Zero Three_ today and I'm glad I did so, for that was the second-least enjoyable Greg Bear novel I've read (the top title going to his _Darwin's Radio_, a novel I really hated and only finished because I was stuck on a plane and had no other options).  I remember enjoying some of his shorter fiction but I think I'm going to have to drop him from my list of authors.  This one just spent a lot of time going nowhere, with characters who didn't even have names for the first half of the novel (and thus I had a hard time really caring much about them).

So, to make up for a bad reading experience, I've opted to go with a book I'm almost certainly guaranteed to enjoy much better: _Bully Pulpit_, #151 in the _Destroyer_ series.  I'm not often steered wrong by the adventures of Remo Williams and Chiun, the Master of Sinanju.  It'll be nice to catch up with them for a bit.

Johnathan


----------



## Hex08

I am about halfway through Leviathan Falls, the last book of The Expanse. So far, this series has not disappointed, and the last book isn't an exception. I am going to miss this series, both books and TV, when it's done.

Next, I am moving on to book three of The Empire of the East, Ardneh's World, by Fred Saberhagen and then The Complete book of Swords also by Saberhagen


----------



## Blue

Thanks to all of the people reading Leviathan Falls who have only talked in general, spoiler free terms.  My copy is hopefully gift-wrapped and waiting for me, but it will be a few weeks before I can read it.


----------



## Nellisir

I wasn't disappointed by _Leviathan Falls_. My gf was a little annoyed at how fast I finished it though.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment_ by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading _An Artificial Night _by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _Mistborn: The Final Empire_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Critical Role: Tal’dorei Campaign Setting_ by Matthew Mercer.

Still reading _Midnight Blue-Light Special_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors_ by Dan Jones.

Still reading _The Deed of Paksenarrion_ by Elizabeth Moon.

Still reading _Black Widow: Red Vengeance_ by Margaret Stohl.

Still reading _Royal Assassin_ by Robin Hobb.

*Finished reading Sly Flourish’s The Lazy Dungeon Master by Michael E. Shea.*

Still reading _Matchlock and the Embassy: A Thirty Years’ War Story_ by Zachary Twamley.

Still reading _The Black Ice_ by Michael Connelly.

Still reading _Rise of the King_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _The Sorcerer of the North_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _Ghost Story_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _ReDawn_ by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson.

Still listening to _Starsight_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Critical Role: Vox Machina – Kith and Kin_ by Marieke Nijkamp.


----------



## HaroldTheHobbit

RPG wise I'm (still) reading Masks of Nyarlathotep and have started on the Swedish version of Coriolis RPG, while waiting for the new ed of Twilight 2000.

For fiction I've just started on Leviathan Falls by James SA Corey, while continuing Dead Lies Dreaming by Charles Stross, Sherlock Holmes and the Miscatonic Monstrosities by James Lovegrove, and Termination Shock by Neal Stephenson - all good stuff!


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment_ by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading _An Artificial Night _by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _Mistborn: The Final Empire_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Critical Role: Tal’dorei Campaign Setting_ by Matthew Mercer.

Still reading _Midnight Blue-Light Special_ by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors_ by Dan Jones.

Still reading _The Deed of Paksenarrion_ by Elizabeth Moon.

Still reading _Black Widow: Red Vengeance_ by Margaret Stohl.

Still reading _Royal Assassin_ by Robin Hobb.

Still reading _Matchlock and the Embassy: A Thirty Years’ War Story_ by Zachary Twamley.

Still reading _The Black Ice_ by Michael Connelly.

Still reading _Rise of the King_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _The Sorcerer of the North_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _Ghost Story_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _ReDawn_ by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson.

*Finished listening to Starsight by Brandon Sanderson.*

Still reading _Critical Role: Vox Machina – Kith and Kin_ by Marieke Nijkamp.

*Started listening to Sunreach by Brandon Sanderson.*


----------



## wicked cool

been reading a series of books that fall under Arkham horror-currently reading Littany of Dreams. Liking them so far

earlier this year tried the nameless dwarf series. Finished book 1 but didnt enjoy it. Anyone else read these? If so did they get better


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

I finished reading Andre Norton's The Web of Witch World. Really grooving on this series in a way that the other Norton works I read just didn't spark in me.

Also read Margaret St. Clair's The Garden of Evil short story. That twist at the end definitely felt in line with her work.

Now I'm re-reading Karl Edward Wagner's The Dark Crusade.


----------



## Zaukrie

Reading the second book in the Fionovar trilogy (and the 30% of a novel I wrote in November, and need to finish)...


----------



## Ryujin

About 3/4 of the way through "Raiders of the Red Storm", which is the 6th and final book in the "Airship Daedalus" series. The character that the author named for me gets an almost Monty Pythonesque death just off-screen


----------



## Alzrius

Continuing with the spate of non-fiction books I've been reading about tabletop RPGs in general and D&D in particular, I'm paging my way through _30 Years of Adventure: A Celebration of Dungeons & Dragons_.

It's...not that great, so far. I mean, it's a nice coffee table book, and it has some mildly interesting anecdotes about the development of various parts of D&D, but it's as much art as it is words, a lot of the testimonials are fairly pointless, to say nothing of how the slanted (and often colorized) presentation of the actual text makes it hard to read in many places.


----------



## Richards

I'm now reading the other _Destroyer_ novel I picked up with the one I just finished.  This one is #154: _Blood Brotherhood_, in which a Chinese death cult tries to take out the House of Sinanju with ancient vampires.  It's a "lost" novel, being shoehorned into the ongoing story line somewhere around 2002 although it was just published this year.

Johnathan


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

30 Years of Adventure is an interesting time capsule and coffee table book, but I agree, the early 00s graphic design feels so very dated (and difficult to decipher) now.



Alzrius said:


> Continuing with the spate of non-fiction books I've been reading about tabletop RPGs in general and D&D in particular, I'm paging my way through _30 Years of Adventure: A Celebration of Dungeons & Dragons_.
> 
> It's...not that great, so far. I mean, it's a nice coffee table book, and it has some mildly interesting anecdotes about the development of various parts of D&D, but it's as much art as it is words, a lot of the testimonials are fairly pointless, to say nothing of how the slanted (and often colorized) presentation of the actual text makes it hard to read in many places.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment_ by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading _An Artificial Night _by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _Mistborn: The Final Empire_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Critical Role: Tal’dorei Campaign Setting_ by Matthew Mercer.

*Finished reading Midnight Blue-Light Special by Seanan McGuire.*

Still reading _The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors_ by Dan Jones.

Still reading _The Deed of Paksenarrion_ by Elizabeth Moon.

Still reading _Black Widow: Red Vengeance_ by Margaret Stohl.

Still reading _Royal Assassin_ by Robin Hobb.

Still reading _Matchlock and the Embassy: A Thirty Years’ War Story_ by Zachary Twamley.

Still reading _The Black Ice_ by Michael Connelly.

Still reading _Rise of the King_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _The Sorcerer of the North_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _Ghost Story_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _ReDawn_ by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson.

Still reading _Critical Role: Vox Machina – Kith and Kin_ by Marieke Nijkamp.

Still listening to _Sunreach_ by Brandon Sanderson.


----------



## Zaukrie

I took a pause on a book, picked up Throne of the Crescent Moon..... And finished it in a few hours. Good fantasy. Looks like he's not written more in the series.


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

That that book appears to be a one-and-done makes me sad. Well worth reading, and I could probably do with giving it a re-read some time.



Zaukrie said:


> I took a pause on a book, picked up Throne of the Crescent Moon..... And finished it in a few hours. Good fantasy. Looks like he's not written more in the series.


----------



## Zaukrie

Ralif Redhammer said:


> That that book appears to be a one-and-done makes me sad. Well worth reading, and I could probably do with giving it a re-read some time.



It's a quick read. The cover says book one, but I'm not holding my breath.


----------



## Cadence

Two books left in my reread of the Nero Wolfe corpus.  I am fairly certain the fat man (ironically?) will be bringing them on the 25th.  Not sure I'll get them both done this year.

About 3/4 of the way done with Game Wizards.


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment_ by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading _An Artificial Night _by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading _Mistborn: The Final Empire_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Critical Role: Tal’dorei Campaign Setting_ by Matthew Mercer.

Still reading _The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors_ by Dan Jones.

Still reading _The Deed of Paksenarrion_ by Elizabeth Moon.

Still reading _Black Widow: Red Vengeance_ by Margaret Stohl.

Still reading _Royal Assassin_ by Robin Hobb.

Still reading _Matchlock and the Embassy: A Thirty Years’ War Story_ by Zachary Twamley.

Still reading _The Black Ice_ by Michael Connelly.

Still reading _Rise of the King_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _The Sorcerer of the North_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _Ghost Story_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _ReDawn_ by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson.

Still reading _Critical Role: Vox Machina – Kith and Kin_ by Marieke Nijkamp.

Still listening to _Sunreach_ by Brandon Sanderson.

*Started reading Half-Off Ragnarok by Seanan McGuire.*


----------



## LongTimeLurker

Good line up for 2022: Justine and Juliette by de Sade, Malleus Maleficarum by Kramer and Sprenger, Might Makes Right by Redbeard and the Simon Necronomicon.


----------



## Blue

An online boardgaming group I'm part of did a Secret Santa for books.  I just received Blindsight by Peter Watts.  Haven't read anything by him before, excited to crack it open.


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Blue said:


> An online boardgaming group I'm part of did a Secret Santa for books.  I just received Blindsight by Peter Watts.  Haven't read anything by him before, excited to crack it open.



Ooooh. I like his stuff; but it's not for everyone. I'll be interested to hear your reaction after you are done...


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Finished reading Wagner's The Dark Crusade. I liked it a whole lot more than the previous collection of Kane short stories I re-read a little bit ago. I think the difference is that in this tale, Kane isn't really the center of the story, but one of a number of players. And moreover, Kane makes mistakes here. In the short stories, it frequently ended up just being story after story about how much smarter, stronger, and more powerful Kane was.

Now I'm giving the first Black Company novel, by Glen Cook, a re-read.


----------



## Zaukrie

Read Dave Grohl's The Storyteller in two nights.......I'd say I liked about 80% of the chapters. You can only read so many paragraphs about smoking and drinking and name dropping. He certainly loves Paul McCartney! Anyway, good, not perfect, book.


----------



## trappedslider

Picked up The Outlier: The Unfinished Presidency of Jimmy Carter by Kai Bird along with a few other books from the library


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment_ by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading _An Artificial Night _by Seanan McGuire.

Still listening to _Mistborn: The Final Empire_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Critical Role: Tal’dorei Campaign Setting_ by Matthew Mercer.

Still reading _The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors_ by Dan Jones.

Still reading _The Deed of Paksenarrion_ by Elizabeth Moon.

Still reading _Black Widow: Red Vengeance_ by Margaret Stohl.

Still reading _Royal Assassin_ by Robin Hobb.

Still reading _Matchlock and the Embassy: A Thirty Years’ War Story_ by Zachary Twamley.

Still reading _The Black Ice_ by Michael Connelly.

Still reading _Rise of the King_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _The Sorcerer of the North_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _Ghost Story_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _ReDawn_ by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson.

Still reading _Critical Role: Vox Machina – Kith and Kin_ by Marieke Nijkamp.

*Finished listening to Sunreach by Brandon Sanderson.*

Still reading _Half-Off Ragnarok_ by Seanan McGuire.


----------



## Richards

I just started _The Official Prisoner Companion_, a behind-the-scenes book on the making of Patrick McGoohan's 17-episode TV show, _The Prisoner_.  My oldest son saw it in a used book store and knew I'd like it (and he was so right!) so he picked it up for me as a Christmas gift.

Johnathan


----------



## Richards

I'm now halfway through _The Scorpion's Tale_, a suspense novel by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.  It's part of the Agent Pendergast shared universe, featuring archaeologist Nora Roberts and FBI Agent Corrie Swanson, both characters from previous books in his series.  They were both featured in a previous novel, _Old Bones_, so it looks like Preston and Child are using these two as the start of a new series-within-a-series.  Which is fine, but I tend to prefer Agent Pendergast over these two.  Still, this has been a decent read thus far.

Johnathan


----------



## Zaukrie

Book four of the Amber books.


----------



## Mercurius

Re-reading _*Eye of the World *_by Robert Jordan_, _although stalled out a bit over the last week. Will get back into it shortly but I got distracted by...

_*The Road to Corlay* _by Richard Cowper. Really enjoying this. Beautiful prose, and a nice sf-fantasy mode that isn't focused on violence or action. I think you could categorize Cowper as at least a cousin species to the British New Wave, though this trilogy was written at the tail-end of that era, in the late 70s and early 80s. Probably enjoyable to readers of Le Guin, Crowley, Zelazny, etc.

The short version: it is 3000 AD, 1000 years after the Drowning which saw Britain not only split into multiple islands (and the Seven Kingdoms), but fall back into a theocratic Medieval state. I'm only about 60 pages in, but it seems to be about the emergence of a new mystical religion that is repressed by the Church Militant.


----------



## Erekose

Zaukrie said:


> Read Dave Grohl's The Storyteller in two nights.......I'd say I liked about 80% of the chapters. You can only read so many paragraphs about smoking and drinking and name dropping. He certainly loves Paul McCartney! Anyway, good, not perfect, book.



I did pretty much the same thing and came to the same conclusion!


----------



## Ralif Redhammer

Finished Cook's The Black Company. Still holds up, and quite obviously influential. A few of the turns of phrase haven't aged as well, but they are thankfully limited.

Now I'm reading Jonathan French's The True Bastards, the second in the Lot Lands series. At almost 600 pages, it's a bit longer than any book I've read in a while.


----------



## Cadence

Got non-e copies of the last two Nero Wolfe books for Christmas (and the cook book) to finish my collection and finished my reread of the series.  I was trying to read them in order, but missed the fact that the books with the collected novellas need to have their parts split up between the surrounding books. Guess I'll have to read them again...


----------



## Zaukrie

Apparently I'm also reading Priest by Matt Colville. I keep forgetting because I'm reading the ebook.


----------



## Richards

I have just started _Piranesi_ by Susanna Clarke, author of _Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell_ - which is all it took to convince me I needed to read it.  It's a much smaller work, oddly enough about a boy living in a mansion of infinite size.

Johnathan


----------



## Nellisir

Richards said:


> I have just started _Piranesi_ by Susanna Clarke, author of _Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell_ - which is all it took to convince me I needed to read it.  It's a much smaller work, oddly enough about a boy living in a mansion of infinite size.
> 
> Johnathan



How are you liking it? I keep forgetting that exists when it comes time to make a book list.


----------



## Richards

I'm not very far into it yet, but so far so good.

Johnathan


----------



## Eyes of Nine

Guess we'll need another 2022 thread...


----------



## KahlessNestor

Still reading _Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr._ by Ron Chernow.

Still reading _The Battle for Spain_ by Antony Beevor.

Still reading _Crime and Punishment_ by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading _An Artificial Night _by Seanan McGuire.

Still listening to _Mistborn: The Final Empire_ by Brandon Sanderson.

Still reading _Critical Role: Tal’dorei Campaign Setting_ by Matthew Mercer.

Still reading _The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors_ by Dan Jones.

Still reading _The Deed of Paksenarrion_ by Elizabeth Moon.

Still reading _Black Widow: Red Vengeance_ by Margaret Stohl.

Still reading _Royal Assassin_ by Robin Hobb.

Still reading _Matchlock and the Embassy: A Thirty Years’ War Story_ by Zachary Twamley.

Still reading _The Black Ice_ by Michael Connelly.

Still reading _Rise of the King_ by R. A. Salvatore.

Still reading _The Sorcerer of the North_ by John Flanagan.

Still reading _Ghost Story_ by Jim Butcher.

Still reading _ReDawn_ by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson.

Still reading _Critical Role: Vox Machina – Kith and Kin_ by Marieke Nijkamp.

Still reading _Half-Off Ragnarok_ by Seanan McGuire.

*Started reading The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan.*


----------



## HawaiiSteveO

Maybe 100 pages in Promise of Blood (Powder Mage book 1) by Brian McClellan, great start enjoying it so far. Couldn’t pass up all 3 books kindle version $8.99 .


----------



## Blue

Eyes of Nine said:


> Guess we'll need another 2022 thread...



Started a 2022 Thread.









						What are you reading in 2022?
					

A new year, a chance to read books both new and old.  Let us know what you are reading, and how you enjoyed it (or not).  Fiction, non-fiction, gaming tomes or cookbooks - we don't judge, we just want to share.  So, what are YOU reading in 2022?




					www.enworld.org


----------

