What are you reading?

[SilentRoamer]

2 hours ago, DojoToad said:

Definitely not criticizing.  You do you.  I don't have as much time to read as I used to, so getting through all 15 books is a major time commitment for me.  I totally get breaking it up if it works for you.

 

Yeah its all good - I didn't take it as a criticism, just as an observation to your own reading habits, so I thought I would fill in the void with my own 🙂

 

I normally try and read for at least an hour daily, with work commitments and my wife/kids its tough though. Sometimes if the Office is quiet I might sneak a couple of chapters at my desk.

I'm also not the fastest reader as I tend to read every word - I don't skim or scrimp. Too scared to miss important bits. 🤣

[DojoToad]

I don’t skim either. Too much to miss, and I’m too old to change

[SinisterDeath]

4 hours ago, DojoToad said:

Definitely not criticizing.  You do you.  I don't have as much time to read as I used to, so getting through all 15 books is a major time commitment for me.  I totally get breaking it up if it works for you.

Just wanted to chime in... I've been working on BA's Oathbringer since it came out. (Just finished the audio book last week)

In that time, I've read all of the Dresden Files, 3? Witcher books, Starlight Enclave by R.A Salvatore, Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse), a Little Hatred By: Joe Abercrombie, The Blade Itself By: Joe Abercrombie, Redshirts by Jon Scalzi, Ready Player Two, and a few of the Elminster novels.

 

  

48 minutes ago, DojoToad said:

I don’t skim either. Too much to miss, and I’m too old to change

Closest I come to skimming, is setting an Audiobook's speed to 2.5x.

[DojoToad]

13 minutes ago, SinisterDeath said:

Just wanted to chime in... I've been working on BA's Oathbringer since it came out. (Just finished the audio book last week)

In that time, I've read all of the Dresden Files, 3? Witcher books, Starlight Enclave by R.A Salvatore, Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse), a Little Hatred By: Joe Abercrombie, The Blade Itself By: Joe Abercrombie, Redshirts by Jon Scalzi, Ready Player Two, and a few of the Elminster novels.

Damn Dude!!  Save some for the rest of us.

[SinisterDeath]

2 hours ago, DojoToad said:

Damn Dude!!  Save some for the rest of us.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/121841375

I only listed 242 books read on goodreads. About a hundred of those were from the summer of 2012.

[SilentRoamer]

17 hours ago, SinisterDeath said:

Just wanted to chime in... I've been working on BA's Oathbringer since it came out. (Just finished the audio book last week)

In that time, I've read all of the Dresden Files, 3? Witcher books, Starlight Enclave by R.A Salvatore, Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse), a Little Hatred By: Joe Abercrombie, The Blade Itself By: Joe Abercrombie, Redshirts by Jon Scalzi, Ready Player Two, and a few of the Elminster novels.

 

How did you find Ready Player Two? - I found it a disappointment. I kind of felt the same with Armada but felt that at least Armada had an original concept. I really really enjoyed Ready Player One, I know it is essentially an 80s cult pop reference book with some VR overlaid onto it but I just really enjoyed it. I did not enjoy the RP2 revelation that Halliday is essentially a creep - why cant the geeky intellectual guy just be that? 

[SinisterDeath]

4 hours ago, SilentRoamer said:

How did you find Ready Player Two? - I found it a disappointment. I kind of felt the same with Armada but felt that at least Armada had an original concept. I really really enjoyed Ready Player One, I know it is essentially an 80s cult pop reference book with some VR overlaid onto it but I just really enjoyed it. I did not enjoy the RP2 revelation that Halliday is essentially a creep - why cant the geeky intellectual guy just be that? 

I didn't mind it. The first one is definitely better.

Some of the tech in the sequel had interesting ramifications. Like the possibility of solving world hunger, and interstellar travel.

[SilentRoamer]

3 minutes ago, SinisterDeath said:

Some of the tech in the sequel had interesting ramifications. Like the possibility of solving world hunger, and interstellar travel.

 

I agree it was pretty interesting but none of it was novel, these were all Sci Fi Tropes that have been used before.

I guess the reason I enjoyed the first so much was the pop culture aspect which was still present in the sequel but for me seemed much more specific. If I was a Prince fan it might have spoken to me more like the Spielberg/War Games/Gaming conventions did in the first book.  

[DojoToad]

44 minutes ago, SilentRoamer said:

 

I agree it was pretty interesting but none of it was novel, these were all Sci Fi Tropes that have been used before.

I guess the reason I enjoyed the first so much was the pop culture aspect which was still present in the sequel but for me seemed much more specific. If I was a Prince fan it might have spoken to me more like the Spielberg/War Games/Gaming conventions did in the first book.  

RP1 was one of the few books that I liked the movie better.  They crammed too much (for me) pop culture references into the book - many of them I didn't get, even being an old guy.  I think the movie handled it well.  If there was a reference or two I didn't get, it wasn't as distracting as it was in the book.  I recommend the movie to everyone.

[SinisterDeath]

41 minutes ago, DojoToad said:

RP1 was one of the few books that I liked the movie better.  They crammed too much (for me) pop culture references into the book - many of them I didn't get, even being an old guy.  I think the movie handled it well.  If there was a reference or two I didn't get, it wasn't as distracting as it was in the book.  I recommend the movie to everyone.

I'd say the Book and the Movie are about equal in terms of how much I liked them, but the Movie was definitely no a 1:1 adaptation. 😛 

Updating some of the pop-culture references, using current video game/movie assets makes 100% sense. (Still would have loved if they did that D&D scene)

But other things, like how they handled Aech (Audiobook it sounds like the Letter H), was just bad in the movie. The actor did great, but the producers/writers just didn't do a good job of capturing that characters big reveal, and why it was more than just her being a woman.

[DojoToad]

1 hour ago, SinisterDeath said:

I'd say the Book and the Movie are about equal in terms of how much I liked them, but the Movie was definitely no a 1:1 adaptation. 😛 

Updating some of the pop-culture references, using current video game/movie assets makes 100% sense. (Still would have loved if they did that D&D scene)

But other things, like how they handled Aech (Audiobook it sounds like the Letter H), was just bad in the movie. The actor did great, but the producers/writers just didn't do a good job of capturing that characters big reveal, and why it was more than just her being a woman.

I was probably more forgiving because I didn't care for the book all that much.  D&D would have been great though.

[DojoToad]

I finally did it.  Re-purchased Dragonlance Chronicles and Legends.  Not high literature by any means but they were fun and enjoyable for me back in the day.

 

I still have to get through my David Eddings, but then on to D&D goodness.

 

Then Dune and then back to WoT.  Again, I don't read as much as I used to, these will probably take me through the end of 2023...

Edited August 18, 2022 by DojoToad

[PrestigiousPut8887]

Masters and Margarita. Great book. I didn't think it would be so engaging.

[DojoToad]

On 9/15/2022 at 7:44 AM, PrestigiousPut8887 said:

Masters and Margarita. Great book. I didn't think it would be so engaging.

Just read a synopsis.  Sounds interesting.

[Forsakenaelf]

I am rereading Night Angel 1 to refresh myself since bk 4 is coming this April. It’s been 11 yrs since I read the trilogy and I’m really digging it all over again.

[Chivalry]

I'm reading American Cosmic - a fascinating exploration of the UFO phenomenon as a sort of modern religion.

[Asthereal]

Reading now: Dune Messiah

(really like it so far: thoughtful and introspective, not much action though)

 

Previously:

Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson 8/10 (solid, especially character development, looking forward to book 5)

Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson 8,5/10 (loved it, hard to put down)

Artemis by Andy Weir 7/10 (characters a bit weak, story a tad unbelievable, yet still a hoot to read and worldbuilding is cool)

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 9/10 (loved it, very hard to put down, almost as good as The Martian)

Edited January 12, 2023 by Asthereal

[Ashaman novice]

7 hours ago, Asthereal said:

Reading now: Dune Messiah

(really like it so far: thoughtful and introspective, little action though)

 

Previously:

Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson 8/10 (solid, especially character development, looking forward to book 5)

Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson 8,5/10 (loved it, hard to put down)

Artemis by Andy Weir 7/10 (characters a bit weak, story a tad unbelievable, yet still a hoot to read and worldbuilding is cool)

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 9/10 (loved it, very hard to put down, almost as good as The Martian)

Almost as good? I thought it was better because of the character dialogue. I didn’t really like the ending though

[Asthereal]

On 1/10/2023 at 11:35 PM, Ashaman novice said:

Almost as good? I thought it was better because of the character dialogue. I didn’t really like the ending though

 

Well, The Martian is my favourite SF novel of all time. It's special. And so topping it will be a rough one, even for the man who wrote it. But I can totally see how some people will like PHM better. I can only give my honest opinion. 🙂 

[whiskey delta]

A Rumor of War by Philip Caputo

[slynese]

I am currently re-reading the gathering storm.

[LilyElizabeth]

I'm the odd duck. I'm currently reading a YA series about the Disney Villiains. It's just called the Villains series and they are really quite good if you like a light read. 

[Delirium]

I am currently reading Malazan Book of the Fallen -  Dust of Dreams

 

Malazan has been a real slog for me.  I really enjoy some of the characters but when those characters disappear for a couple of books....I get apathetic. 

 

Don't get me wrong, I am interested in the story and have no issue with the writing style.  It has never taken me this long to read a series of books before.  I started about 2 years ago.  I have read about 50 other books in between chapters of Malazan books.

 

Thankfully this book is back with my favourite group of characters and I should be able to finish it within a couple of days, then just one book left to finish the series!

[CaddySedai]

Moved into the Glasswrights Series by Mindy Klasky

[gigglemonkey]

Just finished Stoner by John Williams. Definitely one of the better books I've ever read. Just from the first page you can already tell you'll be reading a classic, and it just delivers all the way through.

Highlight is probably either the final pages (I'll avoid spoilers) or Walker's oral exam and what follows - how he writes tension, anxiety, and contempt is just brilliant.

Next up and what I'll start on tonight is either Plath's Bell Jar or Play It As It Lays by Joan Didion.

 

Quote

I'm reading Alice in the Wonderland by Lewis Carrol, in preparing 250 word essay for my work.

Reading unemployed professors review can be pretty helpful in this regard. 

Edited May 2 by gigglemonkey