What are you reading?
Re: What are you reading?
Well, I didn’t have to live with the cliffhanger, did I?
'You just said "your getting shorter": you've obviously been drinking too much ent-draught and not enough Prim's.' - Jude
Re: What are you reading?
I don't mind *to be continued* sort of books... not if the author is fairly prompt with the sequel. What irks me is authors who wait YEARS between books.
It's been 12 years since the second KingKiller book came out (Patrick Rothfuss) and all we've seen since then are two novellas and a short story about minor characters from the main novels.
When she was a puppy, I named one of our dogs after one of the main characters and she's now a senior citizen dog, gray muzzled and moving slow.
Shoot, I'm getting gray muzzled and slow these days!
I really wish he'd finish the third book so I can finally find out why the trilogy is called the Kingkiller Chronical.
It's been 12 years since the second KingKiller book came out (Patrick Rothfuss) and all we've seen since then are two novellas and a short story about minor characters from the main novels.
When she was a puppy, I named one of our dogs after one of the main characters and she's now a senior citizen dog, gray muzzled and moving slow.Shoot, I'm getting gray muzzled and slow these days!
I really wish he'd finish the third book so I can finally find out why the trilogy is called the Kingkiller Chronical.
Re: What are you reading?
I do wish Rothfuss would get on with it.
Authors should go back to publishing interminable stories in weekly installments.
Meanwhile, I finished The Serpent on the Crown, an Amelia Peabody book. If I read it before, I don't remember it. It hits similar beats to other stories in the series, and it's post-war, so there's less historical drama, but it's still a fun read.
Hm, yes, he was a trendsetter on splitting a story into multiple books for publishing reasons. But at least each book is hefty by itself. When the combined story is a fairly slim volume, is when I get salty.
Authors should go back to publishing interminable stories in weekly installments.
Meanwhile, I finished The Serpent on the Crown, an Amelia Peabody book. If I read it before, I don't remember it. It hits similar beats to other stories in the series, and it's post-war, so there's less historical drama, but it's still a fun read.
If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life.
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
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RoseMorninStar
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Re: What are you reading?
I pity the people who read The Two Towers when it first came out, and had to wait for the next book to come out to find out what happened after "Frodo was alive but taken by the enemy".
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Voronwë the Faithful
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Re: What are you reading?
To be fair, Tolkien never wanted to publish The Lord of the Rings in three parts. That was a decision forced on him by the publisher.
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
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narya
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Re: What are you reading?
Meanwhile, where have we heard this before... for the past 12 years...?
https://wikiofthrones.com/george-r-r-ma ... books-soonGeorge R.R. Martin hopes to finish all 7 Game of Thrones books “soon”
In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. ~ Albert Camus
Re: What are you reading?
Voronwë the Faithful wrote: ↑Wed Sep 13, 2023 7:25 pmTo be fair, Tolkien never wanted to publish The Lord of the Rings in three parts. That was a decision forced on him by the publisher.
We know that, but I still don't see why they had to be published years apart in that case...
The Vinyamars on Stage! This time at Bag End
Re: What are you reading?
I got a taste of it. I started reading LotR when my brother was reading it. Because he was reading "his" copy, I got mine from the School Library. I finished Two Towers on a Friday night and had to wait till Monday to continue the story. And then Tolkien had the nerve to jump back to Gandalf and Pippin!
The Vinyamars on Stage! This time at Bag End
Re: What are you reading?
Yes, I have to admit that the first time I read it, I rushed through Book 5 without really taking it in because I needed to find out what happened to Frodo and Sam.
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Voronwë the Faithful
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Re: What are you reading?
I think it probably is fair to assume that that was not Tolkien's choice, either!Alatar wrote: ↑Fri Sep 15, 2023 9:16 amVoronwë the Faithful wrote: ↑Wed Sep 13, 2023 7:25 pmTo be fair, Tolkien never wanted to publish The Lord of the Rings in three parts. That was a decision forced on him by the publisher.
We know that, but I still don't see why they had to be published years apart in that case...
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
Re: What are you reading?
Got the latest Murderbot book, System Collapse, from Libby. It's a fun thriller, feels like there's more non-stop action than in the previous books. Possibly because our favorite Murderbot has gone through a lot of character development, which is great, but it does mean that its interactions wirh humans are now based on its own experiences and not its serials, and also that it is slightly less paranoid about some things. Still a banger, and I love how one of the central themes in the series is the power of stories.
If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life.
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
Re: What are you reading?
Like brand new book? I had something on pre-order…
(Runs off to look)
(Runs off to look)
'You just said "your getting shorter": you've obviously been drinking too much ent-draught and not enough Prim's.' - Jude
Re: What are you reading?
SQUEEE. It’s here, in my kindle.
'You just said "your getting shorter": you've obviously been drinking too much ent-draught and not enough Prim's.' - Jude
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narya
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Re: What are you reading?
W00t! Added the latest Martha Wells book to my Libby queue. Like I need more in my queue...
I've been busy reading, since I've been too sick to do anything else. Other than rereading my favorite addiction *cough*Expanse*cough* again, because it is something I can fall asleep to, and not miss out on anything new, I've read the following since the last time I checked in on September 10th:
*The Black Sun's Daughter Series of 5 books, by Daniel Abraham. The first book is titled Unclean Spirits. These are all available on Hoopla. This was a guilty pleasure - ridiculous urban fantasy by a co-author of The Expanse, who wrote it under a pseudonym, as he explained, so you wouldn't be expecting the same sort of writing as his other works. I felt uncomfortable with all the cultural appropriation. It's one thing to have a fantasy with goblins and dragons and mages. It's quite another thing to have a fantasy that dabbles in voodoo, Catholic exorcism, and other actual belief systems that are being exploited by the author. That said, the story line was riveting.
* A Stitch in Time, by Andrew J Robinson. Robinson was the actor who played Garak, the Cardassian tailor/spy, on Star Trek Deep Space Nine. Robinson was so into this character that he invented/wrote Garak's memoir. It started with Garak's childhood in an unpleasant boys' boarding school, which almost made me drop the book entirely. But as it turns out, Robinson himself was the victim of an unpleasant boys' boarding school experience, so this was not just a trope, to explain the Cardassian mindset. The book is wandering, bemused, and not that well written, imho, but hey, I was reading it during a 101*F fever, so maybe it was just me. If you are a DS9 fan, as I am, it is worth reading.
* How to Change, by Katy Milkman. Again, read while not all that mentally alert, but it did seem to be a good coaching book. I took snapshots of the Chapter Takeaways - two or three pages of bullet points at the end of each chapter. These are on my phone, and in about a month, when I get my mental and physical energy back, I will look thru them again and make some SMART goals. (SMART = Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time Limited).
*A Walking Life, by Antonia Malchik. This was a selection for my local walking book club, and focused on why walking is essential to a good life. As a retired transportation engineer, with an emphasis on multimodal (including pedestrian) travel, there wasn't anything new in here for me.
*Red Team Blues, by Cory Doctorow, a favorite author of mine. I have researched cryptocurrency enough that I could grasp most of this techno-thriller, and just be taken for a good ride on other parts. I recommend it, and all of his novellas.
*The Body Keeps the Score, by Bessel van der Kolk. This is a classic, and viscerally exhausting, if you are at all empathic, or have any trauma in your background. I read it in short bits, interspersed with lighter fiction. But it is a good book to read, because it goes through the history and development of the PTSD diagnosis, and latest trends in treating it. One of the successful treatments is EMDR, a type of rapid eye movement exercise to defuse unpleasant memories. Doing EMDR while listening to the book helped greatly in getting through it in one piece. I can cautiously recommend it.
*The Dread Empire's Fall series, by Walter Jon Williams, including The Praxis, The Sundering, and Conventions of War. I was excited by the chance to read a space opera trilogy by a new (to me) author. It was off to a great start - humanity was part of a space-faring empire that was enjoying a thousand-year pax romana. There was a military, but they just went around doing very ritualized combat drills with no one actually getting hurt. Great! I thought. Then, of course, it all went to pieces. Combat ensued. Except for the rather lengthy battle scenes, it was a good story. The author presented a complex and stratified society run by lords and ladies of various clans, then pointed out its flaws. The conflicting womens' roles - in some cases serving as respected admirals, in other cases married off by their fathers for their clan's political advantage - was a little jarring. If you are a fan of Bujold, you'd probably like this series.
And now off to finish the 27 books on my loan shelf, and 23 more on my hold shelf...
I've been busy reading, since I've been too sick to do anything else. Other than rereading my favorite addiction *cough*Expanse*cough* again, because it is something I can fall asleep to, and not miss out on anything new, I've read the following since the last time I checked in on September 10th:
*The Black Sun's Daughter Series of 5 books, by Daniel Abraham. The first book is titled Unclean Spirits. These are all available on Hoopla. This was a guilty pleasure - ridiculous urban fantasy by a co-author of The Expanse, who wrote it under a pseudonym, as he explained, so you wouldn't be expecting the same sort of writing as his other works. I felt uncomfortable with all the cultural appropriation. It's one thing to have a fantasy with goblins and dragons and mages. It's quite another thing to have a fantasy that dabbles in voodoo, Catholic exorcism, and other actual belief systems that are being exploited by the author. That said, the story line was riveting.
* A Stitch in Time, by Andrew J Robinson. Robinson was the actor who played Garak, the Cardassian tailor/spy, on Star Trek Deep Space Nine. Robinson was so into this character that he invented/wrote Garak's memoir. It started with Garak's childhood in an unpleasant boys' boarding school, which almost made me drop the book entirely. But as it turns out, Robinson himself was the victim of an unpleasant boys' boarding school experience, so this was not just a trope, to explain the Cardassian mindset. The book is wandering, bemused, and not that well written, imho, but hey, I was reading it during a 101*F fever, so maybe it was just me. If you are a DS9 fan, as I am, it is worth reading.
* How to Change, by Katy Milkman. Again, read while not all that mentally alert, but it did seem to be a good coaching book. I took snapshots of the Chapter Takeaways - two or three pages of bullet points at the end of each chapter. These are on my phone, and in about a month, when I get my mental and physical energy back, I will look thru them again and make some SMART goals. (SMART = Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time Limited).
*A Walking Life, by Antonia Malchik. This was a selection for my local walking book club, and focused on why walking is essential to a good life. As a retired transportation engineer, with an emphasis on multimodal (including pedestrian) travel, there wasn't anything new in here for me.
*Red Team Blues, by Cory Doctorow, a favorite author of mine. I have researched cryptocurrency enough that I could grasp most of this techno-thriller, and just be taken for a good ride on other parts. I recommend it, and all of his novellas.
*The Body Keeps the Score, by Bessel van der Kolk. This is a classic, and viscerally exhausting, if you are at all empathic, or have any trauma in your background. I read it in short bits, interspersed with lighter fiction. But it is a good book to read, because it goes through the history and development of the PTSD diagnosis, and latest trends in treating it. One of the successful treatments is EMDR, a type of rapid eye movement exercise to defuse unpleasant memories. Doing EMDR while listening to the book helped greatly in getting through it in one piece. I can cautiously recommend it.
*The Dread Empire's Fall series, by Walter Jon Williams, including The Praxis, The Sundering, and Conventions of War. I was excited by the chance to read a space opera trilogy by a new (to me) author. It was off to a great start - humanity was part of a space-faring empire that was enjoying a thousand-year pax romana. There was a military, but they just went around doing very ritualized combat drills with no one actually getting hurt. Great! I thought. Then, of course, it all went to pieces. Combat ensued. Except for the rather lengthy battle scenes, it was a good story. The author presented a complex and stratified society run by lords and ladies of various clans, then pointed out its flaws. The conflicting womens' roles - in some cases serving as respected admirals, in other cases married off by their fathers for their clan's political advantage - was a little jarring. If you are a fan of Bujold, you'd probably like this series.
And now off to finish the 27 books on my loan shelf, and 23 more on my hold shelf...
In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. ~ Albert Camus
Re: What are you reading?
I liked the Murderbot series, but it's been so long since I read the last one that I forget most of it. I should probably reread before I tackle the new one.
Or find a summary somewhere...
Or find a summary somewhere...
Re: What are you reading?
Reread, reread. I just re read them all & it’s a joy. 
'You just said "your getting shorter": you've obviously been drinking too much ent-draught and not enough Prim's.' - Jude
Re: What are you reading?
Yes, they hold up very well. The new one picks up where Network Effect leaves off, so you can probably just reread that one.
Fugitive Telemetry was published later but takes place earlier. It's a fill-in-quel, I guess.
Fugitive Telemetry was published later but takes place earlier. It's a fill-in-quel, I guess.
If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life.
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
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narya
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Re: What are you reading?
Intraquel?
In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. ~ Albert Camus
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RoseMorninStar
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Re: What are you reading?
Is anyone here familiar with LibriVox? I don't really care to listen to books on tape, but if I understand correctly, this site has recordings of books which are in the Public Domain in the USA (those from other countries need to verify copyright status in their respective country).
narya, that's a lot of reading.
I've not heard of the Murderbot series. Perhaps I'll give it a try after those in my queue are read.
I've been reading 'The House Witch' series (which is a 'cozy' easy fantasy read) and now I'm on 'All the Light We Cannot See' by Anthony Doerr. I liked his ' Cloud Cuckoo Land'.
narya, that's a lot of reading.
I've not heard of the Murderbot series. Perhaps I'll give it a try after those in my queue are read.
I've been reading 'The House Witch' series (which is a 'cozy' easy fantasy read) and now I'm on 'All the Light We Cannot See' by Anthony Doerr. I liked his ' Cloud Cuckoo Land'.
My heart is forever in the Shire.