12mo ago

What book(s) are you currently reading or listening? 08 April

Finished Starsight by Brandon Sanderson. Second book in Cytoverse series. Loved the way the series progressed, though didn't liked the post-ending much. Going to start the novella soon.

Started Three Days to Never by Tim Powers. It's a standalone sci-fi. Don't remember who recommended Tim Powers or when, but he was mentioned in my list, so got couple of his books. I have just started the book, something is happening, but I am not sure what, so no idea what to think about it yet. Let's see how it turns out.

What about all of you? What have you been reading or listening lately?

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About half way through Three Body Problem. Overall I really like it.
- Watched the show yet? Or want to read the books first?
  
  Yeah I watched the show first. It started out really great and then got less great towards the end but I still liked it. So decided to check out the book.
- Nice! I liked these too. I haven't seen either of the shows yet.

Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
- And so it begins! 😀 How are you liking it? I tried reading it a while ago, and got confused, and gave up. Have been meaning to start again but haven't gotten around to it yet.
  
  I am enjoying it quite a bit. I’m trying not to be anal about understanding or remembering every detail and just kinda vibing.
- Nice! I'll be starting that series at the end of June. Last summer was a Wheel of Time summer (and autumn), this year: Malazan!
  
  Yeah I’m enjoying it so far. His style is a lot different than any I’ve read. Very intriguing in my opinion. I’ve read books with better developed characters (although I’ve heard this improves) and better descriptions of things in the world. I’m a sucker for well described landscape and food. But I really like the way he reveals things and how the story flows.

Finishing off the last couple of books in Iain Banks' Culture series. I read them 10+y ago but had largely forgotten the content of most books, I'm up to Surface Detail again and really enjoying the ride.
Also read Ian McDonald's The Dervish House for the first time recently and highly recommend it, it's another excellent book.
- Yeah I been re reading hydrogen sonata, good shit. I like matter best tho I think. If you've not read them yet you might also like the algebraist and transition.
  Yeah I read those Ian McDonald books way back and they're about ready for a re-read, enjoy!
- ooh those are fun. I've only read a couple of them, but I want more.

I’m working picking up where I left if with the books of the Murderbot Diaries by Margaret Wells. I read the short story Compulsory a couple nights ago, and Rogue Protocol last night. I figure I can get Exit Strategy, Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory, and Network Effect for sure done by this time next week.
Having most of the early works in the series being Novellas or occasionally short stories really makes it fly.
- Problem with some short stories and novellas is that not all authors/publishers collect them properly, so it can be a pain to find them all. Hope this isn't the case for this one.
  
  The Murderbot series (at this point) doesn’t have any of them locked away in collections. They are all available for sale (at least in digital versions) right next to the others.

Tiamats Wrath by James S. A. Corey.
Its been a few years since my first time reading so it's been great going back to it as I'd forgotten most of this one apart from the major points.
Also I've struggled to want to read something new recently so also re-read Murderbot Diaries and The Martian.

The Mad Ship by Robin Hobb. It's the second book in her Liveship trilogy. It's much better than the first one, which was very slow to start.
I aim to read all her books in The Realm of the Elderlings series eventually (current book I'm on is #5). She's not my most favorite writer, but she's up there.

Skyward Flight is fantastic. As are the next two novels in the series. I just finished Defiant a couple weeks ago. Brandon did such a good job concluding the series, I'm so hyped for Stormlight 5's conclusion. I'm also very excited to see how Janci continues in Skyward Legacy.
I just started Greencloak by Lyndsey Luther, which sounds like it's going to be a fun high fantasy novel in a unique setting. She's also the person Lyn in the Stormlight Archive is based on
- Brandon did such a good job concluding the series.
  That makes me excited. I wanted to start the novellas right away, but didn't want to burn out so moved to another book, but now I keep thinking about reading those, so maybe I should have just gone ahead and keep reading the series.
  Ah, that's cool about Lyndsey Luther, will check it out.

I'm re-reading glen cook's black company series. Read em before, years ago, but happily my memory is shit and they almost fell like new again. Also reading summer of blood by Dan Jones, history of the peasants revolt.
- I should revisit the Black Company books. I'm vaguely aware that there are several additional books in the series from when I read them a decade+ ago.

I'm just about to hit the climax at the end of Finder by Suzanne Palmer, first in a four-book space opera. It's been enjoyable so far, so if she sticks the landing, I'll probably add the next book to my TBR list. Not sure what I'll end up reading next.
- Nice! Space operas are fun, so do share how you end up liking the whole series.

My book club is going to discuss Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte this week. I finished pretty early, so I've been listening to The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch. It's also standalone sci-fi, though it's doing the thing I don't so much like where it oversimplifies some of its key tech. The prologue was fantastic!
- Seconding the excellent prologue in The Gone World. I had a couple of quibbles with the rest of the book, but overall really liked it when I read it. Hope you end up liking it, too!

After a reccomendation on here, I'm working my way through the World War series by Harry Turtledove. Currently halfway through Striking The Balance. Excellent series but I must admit to skimming in places in this volume. I feel that it's been padded out a bit. Will keep on though and finish the series. Excellent author and really does go into alternative history scenarios with detail.
Also, as I have since about 1967, constantly reading The Lord Of The Rings ;-)

Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi

I read it for a social-cultural diversity class (it's not a textbook), but I would highly recommend White Fragility by Diangelo. Very eye-opening, perspective-shifting book.
Also read How to be an Antiracist by Ibram Kendi for a book report, and it was also a great read.

Decoding Your Cat & How to Read a Book.
Decoding Your Cat is actually written by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, and it's about general cat behavior, behavioral issues, the issues cats face in addressing behavioral issues, how to train your cat and debunking cat myths [For example, contrary to popular belief, cats don't actually see us as "clumsy cats". They know we are a different species, but still use cat body language to communicate— though they're still apt to mimic when they can]. Every chapter has anecdotes so that you can get an idea of how conflicts play out between cats and humans. I have already finished this book last month, though I review it every now and then to refresh what I know, but mostly because of the cute cat pictures. Also, I wanted to recommend this book.
I'm only a fourth into "How to Read a Book" by Mortimer J. Adler, and unfortunately I still haven't done pre-reading on it (ironic, given that the book says that it's one of the first kinds of reading that you must do) so I'm just plowing through it, but from my impression it's an interesting read that offers information that you would otherwise not reflect on. Well, besides the tips on how to read, it tells you why, and those parts are the most interesting to me. I'm currently on the part about words vs terms, and it gives me an insight of how words are used as terms in text from different fields. There are many definitions of a word, but in technical books some words are important that they specify one term, though one term can be described by more than one.

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones.
Been in the mood for weird horror. Just finished The Fisherman by John Langan. It was pretty good.

I started Shadows of the Dark Crystal by JM Lee, I hadn't realized there was a Dark Crystal extended universe.
Lot of terms to look up, but I'm very much enjoying it so far.
I'm also planning on reading the comics this week.

Finished:
The Confession - John Grisham, started exciting, began to slog mid book.
Make Death Love me - Ruth Rendell
Started:
Reason - Miyuki Miyabe
The Fisherman - John Langan
Still Ploughing Along:
Rouges - George RR Martin
Some of the Best from Tor.com: 15th Anniversary

Heaven's River by Dennis E. Taylor, book 4 of the Bobiverse. Had Covid last week (for the 4th time now) and read books 1-3 in three days flat. Good series

Stolen Focus by Johann Hari

James.
The 'Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' story, told from the perspective of Jim.
The best part is where Jim and the other slaves have to practice playing dumb and incompetent and speaking gibberish in front of the white folks to avoid making them feel bad.
Not done yet, but really enjoying the first few chapters.
- In Three Days to Never, I just read a sentence, "Huck Finn is told by Huck Finn himself, from his point of view". For a moment I thought you were referencing that, and it is going to be something important going forward.
  That sounds interesting, but I have forgotten most of Huckleberry Finn, will have to revisit that first.

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