I am Legend is fantastic. I was apprehensive about it as I read it after the (terrible) film but the book was far better.I just started Blood Heir by Amélie Wen Zhao. Felt like some lighter YA material after finishing a horror novel then I Am Legend (which I should have read years ago). So far so good. The writing is nice and the world she's slowly building seems intriguing.
I am Legend is fantastic. I was apprehensive about it as I read it after the (terrible) film but the book was far better.
Howdy book nerds. I've been struggling to reclaim a love of reading since grad school burned me out. I think I'm going to try the 52 book challenge in 2020. Has anyone done it in the past and if so, what advice do you have?
As for currently reading:
Wild by Cheryl Strayed
The Name of the Wind by Philip Rothfus
Holy crap! I have managed maybe 20 or so. The last couple of weeks I've started reading 30 mins to an hour every night on the sofa with my partner and made very quick progress.Good reads says I've read 157 books so far this year, though I probably forgot to log a couple. I do most of my reading on my commute.
I have read one book for almost the entire year, Moby Dick. I still haven't finished it (about 50 pages to go).Howdy book nerds. I've been struggling to reclaim a love of reading since grad school burned me out. I think I'm going to try the 52 book challenge in 2020. Has anyone done it in the past and if so, what advice do you have?
As for currently reading:
Wild by Cheryl Strayed
The Name of the Wind by Philip Rothfus
I finished the series earlier this year and count it amongst my favourites. That said it's been a long time since I read the first couple of books chronologically so I might not be remembering things as clearly. Some things to bear in mind. The majority of the stories going forward have Miles as a main character, and they're not all as over the top (although I don't remember having an issue with that in The Warrior's Apprentice) and also this is him just starting out in his career. Miles is variously described as manic-depressive, hyperactive and manipulative, usually followed by "git" or similar. It's part of his character, it's something that others often joke about or point out in the series. It's something he grapples with too. The series gets deeper, more complex and layered as you go on, and features some phenomenal character development for a whole range of the cast, not just Miles. I don't think it's played as straight as Vatta's War (from the sounds of it anyway, I haven't read those books), there's lots of oscillating between comedy and drama. Some books swaying more to one side over the other. If you absolutely can't stand to read more stories with him in, then there's slim pickings in the rest of the series I'm afraid. Miles does change but there is always going to be that little bit of crazy in there somewhere (that does drive other characters up the wall too!). I'm not sure if that really helps any. Perhaps I misunderstood what you dislike about the book?
I've only read like 11 or 12 books this year lol. I tend to read in bursts and sort of wear myself out by reading for hours on end day after day for a week or two, then take a break for months.
Got addicted to Better Call Saul so I didn't do any progress with Barrayar this weekend after all, either.
Yup, I mix it up to some extent, but I stay in my comfort zone when I feel like I want to. If I want to push myself to try something new, I will. Speaking of...I don't make any reading goals. Just read what you like, when you like. Reading should be entertainment and enjoyment, like playing games or watching TV.
Ah. In that case I would say don't worry. There's a quote in the books that Miles takes to heart, "No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy." It should give an indication of the way things can go in the series. It doesn't all go his way. Part of the fun is seeing him adjust to that. Again though, worth bearing in mind that not every book is a military SF book. Some read like murder mysteries. There's one very memorable comedy of manners even.No it helped me a lot!
My gripe was not with the Character itself, just how easy he talk his way out of things. How he gets his first ship and then another and then a space station and more ships and soldiers. It seemed so effortless how he talks seasoned captiains and soldies into following through his lunatic plans. But now it get the feeling that it wont work out in any good way for him mayhaps?
If it gets deeper and i am on boards again. Because as the earlier cites vatta's war , they don't.
Thank you again for helping to get me through this first bit :)
The ending of the last book was heartbreaking. I've never been able to re-read them because of how it ended. Also, I highly doubt the TV show is going as hard with the underage sex and "religion is fucking terrible" angle the books pushed, but I guess we'll see?
I never read this series in the period it was actually being released in the 1990s. I recall first hearing about it in the early 2000s, in the context of one of those articles attacking the Harry Potter series for lack of literary merit and which cited Philip Pullman's book as a worthier example; as a fan of Harry Potter, hardly a context likely to make me interested in reading it. In any event, with the TV series coming out, I felt it was time to take a crack at it. I quite enjoyed it, and can see why it was popular. As a history nerd, a lot of the ways that Pullman constructs his alternative history is really fun. It's also, by times, remarkably gory for a book aimed at children (thinking in particular of the polar bear ritual combat). Also, the book early on teases the idea that Lyra will have to unknowingly betray somebody, but the seeming fulfillment of this at novel's end is a pretty big stretch to call a "betrayal".
Slowly getting through Lonesome Dove.
I've heard it's a slow burn, didn't think it would be this slow, but they've done a good job of defining each of the characters so I'm interested to see what happens.
The ending of the last book was heartbreaking. I've never been able to re-read them because of how it ended. Also, I highly doubt the TV show is going as hard with the underage sex and "religion is fucking terrible" angle the books pushed, but I guess we'll see?
YA books can't tackle grownup themes?
Is that not YA? Anyway, regardless of what you think, it tackles some pretty adult themes. A lot better than most YA tripe in my opinion by a country mile.Didn't say YA. Thought it was a book for young kids 9-13 age range.
Interestingly, Pullman's most recent novel spends a lot of its time attacking Dawkins-style rationalistic atheism and insisting on the importance of imaginative belief. I think it's mostly organised religion he wasn't a fan of.I enjoyed the Dark Materials books when I was young but I think they're poisoned in my mind because I associate its themes with Richard Dawkins level activist atheism which is unfair to the books really.
That is interesting. That's why I said it was unfair of me to make that association in my mind. If he was an atheist along those lines he probably wouldn't have been able to write such good books.Interestingly, Pullman's most recent novel spends a lot of its time attacking Dawkins-style rationalistic atheism and insisting on the importance of imaginative belief. I think it's mostly organised religion he wasn't a fan of.
This looks good!I'm exactly halfway through The City in the Middle of the Night.
Really enjoying it so far, it has a fascinating premise, I like the characters, the worldbuilding is very well done without being overbearing and I really like the pace so far; like I said I'm halfway through and I've read through 3 "mini arcs" and can't wait to find out what's next.
I'm really into this trilogy. Starting the third book now. Fitz might be one of my favorite fantasy protagonists. I loved seeing him grow as a character throughout these books.
Additionally also started to read Daniel Abraham's Long Price Quartet yesterday. I started it years ago, but never finished. Don't remember much, or where I left off anyhow, so restarting from scratch.
This series was ok but his Dagger and Coin series is really so much better. Really epic and I highly recommend it.
]I finished Pandora's Star yesterday at 4 am. After getting all excited with how it was starting to culminate, I have to say that I found the ending to be a very unsatisfying letdown. After such a long read not much was resolved but instead, there were a huge bunch of cliffhangers to get one to buy the next book. One is not amused! After all the praise I am once again out of step with others in my opinion/tastes. Oh well, I shall give it awhile for this feeling to pass and give the sequel a go. I might feel more kindly disposed towards it then.
After mooching around Google Play, however, this caught my eye:
I downloaded the sample and didn't even bother finishing it before I had nabbed the full book. I adore his OMW series so this had a good chance but 'space opera with humour' that is a really easy read? Sign me up!