Didn’t get any reading done this week, so still reading:
- Your Money Or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence by Vicki Robin.
- The Passage by Justin Cronin
What about all of you? What have you been reading or listening to lately?
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Probably going to get called a liar but I actually finished War and Peace. I remember the get smart tv show and they had a running gag that no one made it thru the book. I said when I was younger challenge accepted.
I honestly loved War and Peace. It was so beautiful and rich, I had no problem finishing it. I did need to take time remembering all the characters, but it got easier after the first 200 pages.
The book I had a hard time finishing (and only finished because it was known as the book nobody ever finishes) was Gravity’s Rainbow. That shit was nearly unreadable.
Heh, congratulations on finishing the book! Any reviews?
And what are you going to start next?
Just finished Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir for the third time (1st time listening.) Hate it’s only available on Audible (cause F Amazon) but amaze is it so good.
Can’t wait to try another Ray Porter narrated book. Heard the Bobiverse series is worth a go.
I’ve read the Bobiverse series. I would recommend it to everyone. It’s simple, but it’s a very, very good simple.
Frantz Fanon — Black Skin, White Masks (90% on audiobook)
Mary Shelly — Frankenstein (chapter 7)
Andrea Levy — Small Island (p. 229)
Robert A. Heinlein — The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (chapter 8)
I can’t keep track of the physical copies of books. I grab whatever is closest.
Frankenstein, I read a chapter each evening I’m able, alongside my son’s reading.
Small Island is some fascinating insight into my family history, at least the segment of my family that emigrated to the UK.
Fanon is for the car. Some insight into my distrust of the mainstream discourse for psychotherapy.
And, I need a sci-fi on the go. Touring the classics these days.
Finished;
- Slewfoot
- Close as neighbors
Slewfoot startes really good, the built up to the end story was immensely well done but personally felt that the ending could’ve been better. Felt a bit rushed unfortunately. Still was a solid read though. I’m hoping to find similar books but better ending.
Close as neighbors was a surprising read for what it was, the story was cliche but the characters were fun to read. I will leave it at that, Google it if you want to know more hah.
Currently reading;
- Eleanor is completely fine
- 1984
I picked up Eleanor is completely fine after a long while again and just kinda pushed myself through it. I started to genuinely like both main characters and within 3 days managed to get around 88% of the book. Will finish it hopefully this weekend.
Started a bit of 1984 and it’s interesting. I’m not very far into it but it really peaks my interest. The setting makes me sad though and sometimes wondering whether we in reality go slowly but steady into that direction.
It’s generally “pique my interest”, though interest can be peaked too. Don’t want to nitpick but not everyone has English as their native language, and that’s how you learn. :-)
When I read 1984 I was surprised to see how many of those things are actually happening today. Would love to hear what you think about it when you have finished the book.
Just restarted “Getting Things Done” by David Allen.
Also slowly making my way through the short stories of Thomas Ligotti in “Teatro Grottesco”.
Finished off “The Dark” by Jeremy Robinson and since have been burning through the audio book adaptation of “Solo Leveling” by Chugong.
Coming towards the end of book 5 now and I can’t stop listening, I was gonna go back to Deathlands for a break but I may just carry on with Solo Leveling for a while instead!
Is this narration of original light novel, or a modified script made specially for audio book?
Based solely on the credits I believe it is just a narration of a translation of the novel as there are no mentions or credits in terms of adaptation only of original translation.
Ah okay, thanks for the info.
The Cloven by Brian Catling
It’s the third book in a trilogy set in and around a darkly fantastical forest in central Africa, roughly based on the Congo Basin. I’ve been enjoying the trilogy, but I’m only two chapters into this book, so can’t say anything definitive about it yet.
Just started Esrahaddon by Michael J Sullivan. It’s the last book in an 11 book series, which is actually a 3 book series with a 5 book prequel series plus 3 interim books to bridge the two series. There are some side books related to the first series, too. It’s honestly a great fantasy series with a large story arc and good character development.
I really like his books. They got me back into Fantasy, at a time when I was tired of all the grim dark. I finished the prequel books and now need to start the Empyre. I do have Nolan and Fairlane and still need to get Esrahaddon
“All the Knowledge in the World: The Extraordinary History of the Encyclopedia” by Simon Garfield
I’m in enjoying it a lot! I think the author has found a good balance of keeping it interesting while still informative. I’d recommend it to anybody interested in encyclopedias.
Will check it out, thanks for the recommendation!
I found fulcrum entertainment on YouTube. Voice acted audio books they’re amazing.
I’ve been listening to starwars death troopers this week. I’m in the last parts now.
After this I’m going to listen to red harvest by the same YouTube channel
IQ84. Really enjoying it, but it’s a long one and I’m only about 40% done.
Worth it.
Reading
“The Passage” - Justin Cronin
I remember reading the book when it was first released, but didn’t like it. I was reminded of this book by the recent tv show, and thought, maybe I was too young. So I’m giving it another try.
Finished
“Blue Labyrinth” - Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child
“Project Hail Mary” - Andy Weir
Hiatus/Continuous Reading
“Best of Tor”
“Rouge” - George RR Martin edit.
It’s pretty long, and is giving me Stephen King vibes. I am still within first 100 pages or so, which isn’t even 10th of the book.
Yup, which is one of the reason why it interests me at first (I like big books and I can not lie), I believe what turned me off the first time is the time skip (90 years?) from Part I to Part II. I have invested in those characters in Part I and can’t accept that they simply doesnt exist anymore in Part II.
Lets see how a decade effects my point of view.
Been reading The Green Mile by King.
I need to finish by Saturday for book club, but after that I plan on starting The Eye of the World.
Awesome book, I really like it and have read it a few times. Think the film is massively over rated and didn’t do it justice at all however.
Oooh, starting The Wheel of Time series. Good luck!
I finally picked up Cinder by Marissa Meyer last Thursday. I knew immediately that I was going to want to read the whole series, so ordered them to be shipped to my house. Unfortunately, I finished the first book on Friday, and my package still hasn’t arrived. I was able to check out the 2nd through Libby, but I read that in 2 days as well, and the 3rd is checked out through my library, so I’m stuck waiting for the shipment.
In the meantime, I started reading Top Ten Games You Can Play by Yourself In Your Head - I found it through a random role playing game blog, and bought it on a whim. While I support expanding your imagination, and the games and structure included do seem pretty entertaining, the author has managed to write the most pretentious book I’ve ever encountered - it’s insane.
So, to take a break from that, I’m rereading The LEGO Book - LEGO’s retelling of their history. I’ve read it once before, but it’s been a while, and it’s a pretty fun walk through the history of the company, from tiny wooden toy shop to globally dominant construction toy company.
Didn’t get much reading done last week; I’m about 40% of the way through On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers.
How are you enjoying it? My Tim Powers experience wasn’t very conclusive, I need to read more of his work to see if I like it or not.
I’m liking it pretty well (haven’t read anything by him before). There’s a big, foreshadowed event coming up pretty soon, I think, and then I’m not sure where it’s going to go, beyond “save the girl”.
Did you have issues with Three Days to Never besides the first half being slow? This has been fairly quickly paced so far.
Slow and dense, but that could just be me. It’s also possible I didn’t like the start because of my expectations. I was expecting a sci-fi, and while it is a sci-fi, it’s a very different kind of sci-fi.
On Stranger Tides is one of his most known work, so will give it a try.
Ah, gotcha. Yeah, something not being the kind of sci-fi you were expecting is always rough. I hope you find On Stranger Tides more enjoyable!
I finished the book earlier this year, however, I find myself not liking the main character so much.
