Still reading Cold Days by Jim Butcher, the 14th book in Dresden Files series.
Yet another busy week but things have started to settle down, got back to reading properly yesterday and have reached the point where we get some interesting reveals. Very excited about where it goes from here.
What about all of you? What have you been reading or listening to lately?
For details on the c/Books bingo challenge that just restarted for the year, you can checkout the initial Book Bingo, and its Recommendation Post. Links are also present in our community sidebar.
For fiction I’m reading “Thud!” By Pratchett. For non-fiction I’m reading " The Traitor and the Spy"
Just finished the expanse. Starting isles of the emberdark.
Dexter in the dark. Been reading the Dexter books lately, pretty good, just about done with this one.
Stuff is really stressful right now, so I’m just sorta retreating into the comforting hole of Discworld.
Hope things get better for you soon.
Thank you!
The last week or so has been busy for me too so it’s been sporadic, but I’ve been reading through Brigands and Breadknives by Travis Baldree. It’s the first true sequel to Legends and Lattes given that the second book in the series is a prequel. It reunites a main character from Legends and Lattes with a friend from the prequel. I’m enjoying it so far but not quite as much as the prior 2 yet, but I’m still only about 40% in.
How is the series? I have heard it mentioned many times but have never gotten around to reading it myself.
The 1st one arguably was a big part of what got me back reading regularly. I read it during Covid and it was what I needed at the moment. The second was enjoyable. The third is good, but I’ve been busy and haven’t been able to keep at it. But all are very enjoyable.
Good to know, will see if I can pick a copy, thanks!
Just finished the Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I was hoping for more puzzles and less teeny bopper romance, but it was still compelling. Still working on Galaxy Outlaws by J. S. Morin, and I’ll probably pick up another anthology of his on sale from Audible. Currently reading The Jolliest Bunch by Danny Pellegrino. Christmas is my favorite holiday, so I like to read something Christmasy this time of year, fiction or nonfiction.
I’m listening to There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm right now. It’s both fun and terrifying at the same time.
I just finished listening to Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky and really enjoyed it. It was a nice departure from the Dying Earth Breaking Down theme, even though it was definitely a Dying Earth Breaking Down story. It was like a wholesome, lighthearted Earth dying.
I’m also reading The Farthest Shore by Ursula K Le Guin to my boys right now. They go to sleep in minutes after starting it and have no idea what is going on when I ask them about it in the morning, but it’s a great book and I’m enjoying reading it even after they go to sleep.
I’m so happy that There is no Antimemetics Division is back in print. I found out about it right after the self published edition went out of print, so I made do with JVSCP’s reading on YouTube. I picked my copy of the new edition up this weekend and am excited to dig back in.
I started reading Demons by Fyodor Dostoevsky. It’s about the spread of new ideas, namely nihilism, in the mid-1800s Russia. As such, the topic reminds me of Ivan Turgenev’s Fathers And Sons, which I remember liking. This is a hefty tome, so it’ll take me a while to get through it.
I was supposed to buddy read three different books and all of my buddies backed out. I’m sitting here not sure what to read :( I was so ready for House of Leaves too.
Maybe it’s time to finally pick up Absolution by Jeff Vandemeer
They didn’t like the books? Or just not big readers?
It was a mix of things really. One had her grandma unexpectedly pass, one found out they were pregnant, the third did just decide they didn’t like the book (who doesn’t like Lord of the Rings though?)
I still might get two of them eventually back but no idea when.
Ah, life happened. Nothing can be done about that.
Warlock by Oakley Hall. A Western novel about the town of Warlock and it’s a very good example of revisionist western: where characters are shades of moral grey instead of classic old west good vs. Bad.
The writing though does a lot of effort to make dialogs appear old-timey (was written in 1958) and characters will often go around to beat some desert bush, making some conversations dreadful.
Regardless, a solid recommendation for anyone with a western itch.
Haven’t really read many westerns, might be something to try.
Blood Meridian is also recommended as a revisionist Western, and probably better than Warlock (though that’s a bit unfair as the earlier came out later).
All in all, both worth a read, if you have to choose:
- Blood Meridian if you are OK with some harsh violence and some “men are animals” narrative.
- Warlock if you want to read an honest effort in historic fiction for a town set in a period that is often aggrandized in our own mythology.
If somehow neither of these are interesting to you, there’s also Butcher’s Crossing, which is contemporary to Warlock, but a completely different novel (while still a big part of the revisionist western).
These three are called the greatest western novels (Iirc).
Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson. Just about 3/4 of the way through.
Im currently working on book 2 of the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. Its a fantastic listen so far. Unfortunately it seems it was only available on Audible so I had to sail the high seas to get it.
The Dungeon Crawler Carl audiobooks are some the best l I’ve listened to!
I’m sure you’re aware of this, but they do have the first book available as an audio drama from:
https://soundbooththeater.com/series/dungeon-crawler-carl/
They call it an “audio immersion tunnel.” Season 1 = Book 1, and more are in production. Episode 1 is free, the whole “Season” is $21 USD.
It’s much better than the Graphic Audio productions, at least in my opinion.
Edit: Cold reads/bts streams are also on their YouTube channel. Interesting to see behind the curtain a little bit.
Holy shit I had no idea! I will happily pay for something like this. I remember hearing something about it at the end of the first audiobook, but didn’t know it’d be a separate company selling it themselves.
Thank you kind stranger!
Glad I mentioned it then!
If it wasn’t clear, the narrator is the same person from the Audiobooks (Jeff Hays), and he still does a fantastic job with most of the voices.
Just finished Way of Kings, and I told my self I should continue with a palate cleanser, something a lot shorter. So I picked up The Stand. 🤦
lol, have fun!
From the Fatherland, With Love. by Ryu Murakami
Tom’s Crossing is sitting here, taunting me. That’s probably next on the list:
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/588857/toms-crossing-by-mark-z-danielewski/
