Hey there, I am curious what everyone is reading and how you are feeling with it. I started demon copperhead yesterday, made it about 70 pages in and decided to read the first book in the chthulu CaseBooks. It’s a kinda retelling of Sherlock Holmes but with a Lovecraft quist.
I am digging it so far, about 50% through and it’s a fun ride.
So what are you all reading?
I just finished blazing through Life of Pi in a single day today. I thought it would be obnoxious and tryhard, but it turned out to be a surprisingly interesting read and a hell of a page-turner. Gets a bit… weird… toward the end, but definitely a book I’d recommend, and one which I’ll probably be thinking about for the next few weeks.
Onward to rereading Children of Dune!
I LOVE Life of Pi! It’s one of my favorite books.
Currently reading Heretics of Dune. It’s…very different from the first three but only as different as God Emperor of Dune was.
Oh man, I’m so jealous at you getting to read the Dune books for the first time. I’m about to start Children on my third reread, and every time I read the series I’m just as enthralled as the first time. Dune + Children is probably my second favorite novel ever written, though God Emperor is close behind them.
Am I the only one who loved Dune Messiah?
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I read Cell a long time ago and remember it being really good, but it almost felt like a Dean Cain book or something. Perfect airplane kind of book.
I’m reading Thinner by Stephen King. It’s my first King novel and I’m really enjoying it.
Currently I am reading two books. The first is; This is your brain on music by Daniel Levitins and the second is; The subtle art of not giving a fuck by MArk Manson.
The first is really nice, but requires a lot of attention of me as termnology I am unfamiliar with is used. Yet it is able to convey tons of information on every page and the subject fascinates me.
The second is really good, very easily digest able and I like the nuance it provides on how to (amongst other things) prioritize your life.I’ll be finishing the last 3 Expanse books once I get my new library card after I moved over a year ago. I made the decision to read the forward and first chapter of my copy of LOTR *eta today. Damn, does it feel like it reads differently than when I read through any of them 8+ years ago. Had a touch-and-go with reading for enjoyment for a while from having to learn different organization/local SOPs for a couple years (during which I read the middle 1/3 of the Expanse). Great to get back into it, though! For Sci-Fi folks, LeVar Burton posted an article on LinkedIn this past week of top modern SciFi. He does say it’s also celebrating him being included on that list. https://theportalist-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/theportalist.com/adult-sci-fi-books?amp=1 Some mild webpage ad alert
Hell yeah! The expanse is such a long series, congratulations
Thanks! Fortunately, I find them to be a pretty easy read. The Sci-Fi explanations and concepts aren’t overly technical, and just enough to really get a good feel for the setting and tech IMO. The first 2/3 were great. I’m really interested in what’ll be going on in the time jump.
Would you recommend reading the expanse books even if someone’s seen the show??
100% even for people who would consider themselves more of a casual or infrequent reader. Anecdotally, I’ve found it harder to sell the show to some people after they watched the first two or three episodes compared to the books for any acquaintance I know who’s into Sci-Fi/reading. The descriptions of the social/society explanations are just as well written as the series’ tech, and the co-authors do a great job. At least one of them was one of GRRM’s editors, so the style structure is somewhat similar, but the writing is an easier read. It is written in character chapters, so as long as that isn’t a total turnoff I’d recommend them.
There are some slight differences that are typical between the show/book. I believe the first 2 seasons are mostly from book 1 and then it picks up from there. I believe it’s the second book, where there is a bit more of the geopolitical storyline compared to the others. Like with most reading, you get better insight to characters’ thought processes and motivations. Books 7-9 aren’t touched on at all in the show, and take place after the show’s end. That’s all I really know about the final 1/3 of the series.
I’m reading Essex Dogs by Dan Jones. It’s a historical fiction novel about a group of mercenaries who join England’s invasion of France in the 1300s. It’s violent, vulgar and does an excellent job highlighting the mundane parts of war: endless marching, heat, shitty food, illness, dirt/grime/stink, insects biting you endlessly. I’ve stayed up until 2 AM on work nights 3 times this week because I can’t put it down. I was expecting to like it, and only intended for it to be a palate cleanser between Stormlight Archives books 3-4, but I absolutely love it.
I unfortunately don’t get to do a lot of leisure reading, which is why I love the whole idea behind Bookrastinating. The last book I read is Jillian Tamaki’s Boundless, which I thoroughly enjoyed for the way its stories linger. Before that, I read William Gibson’s Idoru, which I enjoyed. Currently, I’m hoping to have time to dive in to Jon Courtenay Grimwood’s End of the World Blues, hoping to see how this Anglophone author writes a novel set in sci-fi Japan compares with Gibson.
All very interesting reads here, by the way! (I’ll try to play around with tagging your handles…)
I read Cell when it first came out and quite enjoyed it. You’re certainly right about the pace, @mizu6079.
@JustJack23, that looks interesting, too, as most Verso titles are. I especially like these titles that invite a rethinking of the State of Things. That approach reminds me of Peter Frase’s Four Futures: Life After Capitalism. I haven’t read my copy of that yet though.
@TheaoneAndOnly27, thanks for mentioning the Cthulhu Casebooks. Sounds fascinating. Have you read Shadows Over Baker Street? That seems like something that’s up your alley. Good contributors, too, for the most part!
I’m currently reading Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan. It’s a pretty rough experience so far; I’ve basically been reading it extremely slowly since it’s boring af about 50% of the way so far. This is definitely the peak of the “slog” so far that other people who have read Wheel of Time mention.
Sanderson ties the ending up masterfully.
Keep going the end is worth it.
Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson.
Third book in the series, bloody massive, and loving it. Damn that man can write… and write faster than I can read. 😂
Had a long pause for a while, but back to making my way thru all of Discworld in publishing order. I’m on Monstrous Regiment at the moment and enjoying Terry Pratchett’s delightful writing as always.
Chthulu Casebooks sounds fun, I’ve never heard of it but I enjoy Holmes and mysteries in general, will make a note to check it out!
Finally reading Dune for the first time. Enjoying it so far, about a third of the way through. I’ve been dying to watch the movie, but I’m the book-before-movie type.
I’m a few chapters into The Descent by Jeff Long and oh man, I’m freaked out. I’ve been a fan of horror for a long time but have never picked up this book, despite its praises being sung on most lit forums. If you haven’t given a shot yet I highly recommend it! Don’t put it off like I did! Lol
How is the SH and the Shadwell Shadows? I’ve had that series on my to-read list for a while but haven’t touched them.
I went down a deep horror fantasy rabbit hole and I just came out of it. Now I am jumping back into discworld with Terry Pratchett for a while. I just finished The Fifth Elephant and I’m going to try to finish the watch series in the next couple weeks. I might sprinkle a few short stories in there for palette cleansers haha. Pratchett is always my favorite author to come back to after I do a deep dive on a different genre or author. It’s like a warm blanket that makes me giggle.
I think of I was either a bigger Sherlock fan, or a bigger Lovecraft fan it would have been better. I feel like there were a lot of references I just didn’t understand. I probably won’t continue the series. But it was a fun quick read.
City of Beasts by Isabel Allende. Didn’t realize it was for young adults until after I bought it, but it’s pretty good so far!
