Oh, I forgot about today’s weekly thread. So without further ado,
What have you all been reading or listening to lately?
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I’m about half way through To Kill a Mockingbird. I went in blind and I haven’t enjoyed a book this much in a long while.
That’s how I read it the first time. Amazing book.
I did the same a couple years ago. We had tickets to see it in play form. I had no idea what it was about and wanted to read the book first. It’s really good!
I’m nearly done with Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett. It’s delightful, and I do love seeing more of the Librarian, but I’m a little confused about how much hype it gets. Don’t get me wrong, I still think it’s pretty great! I’m just not finding it better/more accessible/etc than the other Discworld I’ve read so far.
Still kinda in a reading slump, so probably grabbing something fast-paced next.
I also didn’t get the hype of Guards! Guards! And I too enjoyed it. I think it’s the nature and one of the great things about Discworld, that the different stories resonate with different people.
Absolutely, I loved it and thought it was one of the best Discworlds, I guess it takes all sorts
I just binged the entire Hitchhikers Guide series, so I took a couple of weeks off after finishing “And Another Thing” to digest everything.
This week I started listening to New York 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson.
This is the first audio book I’ve listened to with a cast of people each doing characters, and it’s a bit different, so I’ll see how I feel about it in the long run.
My desk book (for when I take small breaks and want a short story) is still The Martians by KSR, although I realized I never finished Asimov’s The Complete Stories Vol 1 that used to be on my desk, so I think I may pull it back out next.
I’m a fan of Asimov and would also read his short stories on lunch.
I also have read The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury several times, it is a fun collection that I highly recommend.
I’ve been enjoying DCC too much lately, I usually alternate my books between Star Wars and another one. Asimov is one of the main ones, but I also don’t want to be done them!
This is my read Asimov shelf, doesn’t include his editor only ones.
And my used, to be read section of his.
Thanks! I’ll add it to the list.
On chapter 50/77 of DCC book #5, The Butcher’s Masquerade.
Had a few months break from DCC to re-listen (3rd time) to Project Hail Mary before the movie came out and a few others. Back at it and loving it again.
This one is my favorite of the series so far! Enjoy!
Currently reading Want Submitted by anonymous. Collected by Gillian Anderson.
I don’t read a lot of nonfiction but this one has been fantastic so far. The section On Fantasies was very interesting, I enjoyed seeing different women’s perspectives on what they fantasize about. I’m on the section Rough and Ready and it’s helped me feel like my thoughts are more normal than I realized. A line written by Gillian Anderson in the intro of the section made me feel like my perimenopausal brain is definitely normal “I’ve read that someone going through menopause, for instance - when their minds and bodies are sometimes experiencing terrifying upheaval - is more likely to fantasize about BDSM than pretty much anything else”. Some of the letters are like they took thoughts directly from my brain, which is incredibly refreshing.
I recommend this to any woman out there who was taught women should be ashamed of being sexual or sometimes feels her thoughts are abnormal, because they definitely are not. Or honestly, just any woman should read this book!
Beginning The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin as someone who loves some of her other books I am excited and liked the first chapter decently.
I just finished Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. It was not what I was expecting and I didn’t really enjoy it. I thought the Octopus would have been more than just a plot device, the book was very boring and predictable.
Currently re-reading the Hunger Games trilogy. I read it when it first came out and it was the first real post apocalyptic dystopian fiction I was introduced to and really enjoyed it but I couldn’t make it through the movies.
Got a lot of reading in this week actually! Finished up DCC 6 and am already halfway through (Star Wars legends) book 2 of the black fleet crisis, Shield of Lies.
It’s an interesting difference in story telling from the first book, the first book was your “standard” change between the 3 storylines wherever, maybe every chapter as a good average. But this book, parts 1/2/3 and maybe 4. First part of the book was all Landos storyline, while Part two so far is Luke.
After this, I’m diving into DCC #7 (edit) and that’s just south of 900 pages, so it’ll take the week+ likely.
I’m about a quarter of the way through Tom’s Crossing by Mark Z. Danielewski. He’s the guy who did House of Leaves
It’s an updated take on the western genre (I love McMurty, McCarthy and Michener…) set in the 80s. Fantastic writing.
Last week I finished:
- Biological War by Annie Jacobsen. Not quite as thrilling a start as her Nuclear War but ended in a much more concerning place
- When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stand. I liked the constrained storytelling conceit. I wish it were longer…
- Unsouled by Will Wight. I did not really like it… I thought Lindon was a weasel
I loved House of Leaves, but never read anything else from him. Is Tom’s Crossing similar in anyway e.g. atmosphere?
It’s a sprawling western. More about the characters and the journey than anything else.
New kid Kalin March “steals” two horses and takes them on a journey through the Utah valley to release them. The owners of the horses are an affluent family who are more interested in power and its trappings than in the actual value of the horses. Kalin’s friend’s sister Landry is from the rival affluent family (they’d been feuding for over a hundred years) and she joins Kalin on the journey.
it’s not the weird meta fictional style novel like House of Leaves, which admittedly I have not read, but it is sprawling with a lot of characters and overlapping perspectives and retrospective comments on the events from years in the future.
Well it does sound intriguing, so maybe I will give it a shot at some point. Thanks for the answer.
Just started book six in the Dresden files. It’s funny because a cell phone is both expensive and very small.
It’s funny to see evolution of a cell phone and internet when you read books in last couple of decades.
Didn’t notice the user name until right now, heheh.
Yes, it’s Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden!
Demon Crown - James Rollins. I just love how deep he gets into biology while still keeping it exciting. His latest Trust No One was absolute fire for those who aren’t into the Sigma series
Recently finished Lucky Day by Chuck Tingle. I felt called out by the main character, especially what tips her decision in the climax. I felt like there was something missing in the book, but I did really enjoy its message and found it solidly enjoyable. It was never boring, although I would have preferred more outlandish deaths.
Recently started the final Marvel What If? book series (the DOOM one). It’s been okay. It’s been a minute, but compared to the previous book (at least in my memory), this version of Kitty Pryde feels like it’s pulling from Evolution instead of the comics. I’m also incredibly dissatisfied with a certain happening fairly early into the book, and hoping that won’t be the permanent state of affairs, but as is usual when it comes to these superhero things, it probably will be.
Also, just from a writing perspective. I feel like writing Doom has to be a blast for the author. I know I’d be having fun with it.
About halfway through NK Jemisin’s weighty “The City We Became” (2000).
Back in February I realized it felt a bit off to be binge-rereading (dismal racist) HP Lovecraft’s complete works throughout Black History Month, so I pledged to balance it out with something equally weird by an author of color. Lovecraft may rightly be called the founding father and foremost pioneer of the “cosmic horror” genre - but as far as technical skill, his storytelling technique never evolved past amateurish.
I am close to the end of book 4 of Shirtaloons “He Who Fights With Monsters”
When I first went into book one I wasn’t too sure about it in general but I am now completely hooked and so glad I still have more to go as I am enjoying it a lot!
I have heard the series mentioned a few times, any idea how long the series is going to be?
I have no idea I’m afraid, I know the 13th book is coming up in October and in terms of audiobooks they are all around 20 - 24 hour run time sort of length so there is a decent amount already to sink your teeth into.
How long it will be once finished though I don’t know I’m afraid.
Yeah, I am not afraid that there isn’t enough to read, I am afraid it won’t end any time soon 😀
Robert Jordan burned me real bad, and Jim Butcher didn’t help much, so I try not to start series that aren’t finished. There are always exceptions though.
Yeh, that is fair enough.
I have quite a few on going series on the go now that I think about it but I don’t mind too much. The main thing I dislike about it is coming back when a new book is out in a series and having that feeling of what the fuck was going on again for a while.
At least with a finished series I will usually binge it and I can keep that thread of what is happening alive in my mind.
coming back when a new book is out in a series and having that feeling of what the fuck was going on again for a while.
lol, that’s a very common feeling for me. I don’t have a great memory and used to re-read whole series when new book will come out. Don’t have that much time now. So try to read whole series or where books are coming out every year or so, that keeps the memory fresh enough.
Buckle up and get ready for a RIDE! (I was very bummed out when I got caught up, fun read!)
I have plowed straight into book 5 today and I am thinking it may be better than Dungeon Crawler Carl but I feel like saying that around here may be akin to blasphemy xD
It is definitely as good for me so far!
Hikikomori by Saitō Tamaki
The english translation foreword has an interesting point about them staying at home in Japan vs youth homeless in the west.
1/4 of the way through
