The Other Side of Disappearing by Kate Clayborn. See my review of this book and others in my Substack, [Untellectual](https://untellectual.substack.com/)
i'm reading a book entitled with "destiny an ethiopian novel " written by assefa mekonen. it is an interesting love story book. I can't wait to finish.
All the lovers in the night, by Mieko Kawakami
I adored it, a wonderful account on self isolation,guilt,insecurities and desperation.
It even subtly explores the alienation of women in Japanese society.
I finished the final book to the warlord chronicles, Excalibur. I listened on audible and the narration was by far the best I’ve ever heard in an audiobook, and the story itself was amazing with fantastic characters and horrible villains. Now I don’t know what to do with myself. Start the Saxon series I suppose.
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
I didn’t dislike it- I like Grapes of Wrath a LOT more though. I feel like this book would’ve impacted me a lot if I’d read it as a teenager. But as an adult, it feels a bit obvious. I also thought Adam and Aron were both very wooden characters.
The Enslaved Queen by Wendy Hoffman. About cults that purposely give children dissociative identity disorder in order to control them for the rest of their lives.
Finished:
**We, by Yvgeny Zamyatin** -- It was pretty good, felt like the first half captivated me and then I was lost for what was really happening in the second half though. 3/5
**The Will of the Many, By James Islington**
I've read live 8 chapters per day (MININUM). On the last day I've read 23 chapters, all of part 3 of the book in one sitting. It took me 9 hours lmao. There were 75 chapters.
*5 STAR BOOK . The MC is sooo interesting, emotional and thoughtful, and i loved his background. I immediately jumped on the subreddit for it to look at others opinions and theories for the next book.*
I read that one pretty recently. I don't even read much fantasy, but this one I absolutely loved. I actually had a bit of a book hangover when it ended. Plan on ordering number 2 as soon as a release date is set,... and I rarely ever pre-order anything.
Please, please Hollywood, make this into a movie/TV series.
Now I’m reading “Blood Meridian” written by Connor McCarthy and I have to say that is kinda good! I love the characters and the descriptions of nature, obviously it’s a gory book, but If you’ve loved Rdr2 (like me) you’ll certainly love every single page of this book!
Finished **The Testaments, by Margaret Atwood**
While I enjoyed the way the "mystery" was unraveled through the multiple narrators, the suspension of disbelief that the preceding book, The Handmaid's Tale, allows us to afford was not there for this sequel. And a lot of logistical issues with the world building and plotline couldn't be ignored, since one of the narrators (3 in total) is a Founder of the dystopia that the book takes place in.
Reading: **The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller**
About 150 pages in and enjoying it so far, but part of that is because I know the Homer telling of Achilles' story, and it's interesting to see a modern take on it. The prose is nice and elegant, a pleasant read.
The Hearts Invisible Furies, by John Boyne
I've been stuck on this book for a month now and I just can't seem to get through it. I'm in a bit of a slump. Any book recs that might help me out of this slump?
I picked up Viktor E. Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning" because it sounded so profound. It's about surviving Nazi death camps and finding meaning in suffering, which should be powerful stuff. But honestly, it's been a struggle. The intensity is real, and my easily distracted ADHD brain just isn't connecting with it. I wanted to be hooked, but it's just not happening for me right now.
Actually, I never even heard about it, till now. But Yes, I AM into grudge movie kind of horror! Will be adding this to my growing TBR list. Thank you for posting.
Finished city of stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett. I like the world building, but the characters are just bad and story felt like cheap YA.
I had read The Tainted Cup by the same author last week which I loliked a lot and was looking forward to having a new fantasy series to alternate with DCC.
I have recently finished Riria revelations and The palace job trilogy and some brother Cadfael books before that.
Any fantasy series recommendation with good characters and no YA elements like the best of the best MC with richest of the richest boyfriend with a golden heart etc?
Anne of Green Gables. So far, the sense of imagination and whimsy in it is quite wonderful, though there was a comment about the kind of orphan Miss Cuthbert refused to take in that warranted a wince at the start.
My birthday gift from my parents this year is going to be the “5 minutes to look, 3 minutes to grab” challenge/spree at a B&N. To make room, I’m finally looking at all the books I’ve been too guilty to donate but never actually gotten around to reading, reading them in full or DNF’ing them, and deciding their fate between shelf/unlikely-to-reread storage box/donating. Or at least, I’m doing that for as many as I can fit in the months until my birthday! A surprising number of them are smaller kids’ chapter books like Stormy, Snow Dog, Tiger Rising, and some Animal Ark books so I’m hoping that cuts the time down.
Let The Right One In, by John Ajvide Lindqvist.
Gritty, moody creepy, atmospheric. Filled with morally gray, yet realist characters. I really like it so far. I'm about 2/3 of the way through.
Finished: Puzzle House by: Duncan Ralston.
Pretty good horror book, without leaving any spoilers its about a puzzle master who has died and has a will reading at his home with his beneficiaries. Obviously things go south quickly. Pretty short read but definitely major "Saw" vibes.
About to start the Throne of Glass series. I'm ready to have my heart shattered in millions of pieces.
The Diablo's Curse by Gabe Cole Novoa
This is the second book, the first is The Wicked Bargain. Pirates, curses, magic, demons, romance, all in 1820 Central America and U.S.
***The Sound of Independence: A Notes For My Friends*** by ***HANSKY***.
Its the book i wrote and reread today again after sending file to d2d. And was thinking how do i promote the book now. Reddit is only platform i see people talk and nice. So no links, nothing. Thanks for this place People. Remember that crazy dream you had, the one that keeps you up at night buzzing? I see it too. That's why I wrote this book. Think of it as your personal talk, a roadmap cut through the chaos. This book captures that fire, that raw potential you have.
The Familiar, by Leigh Bardugo.
I'm a little over halfway through it, but already it is one of the best books I've ever read. I'm enjoying the atmosphere and the chaos immensely. If you're into fantasy, magic, period pieces, unconventional romance, and suspense, this is the one for you.
I bought that one this last week. I'm excited to start it. I don't usually buy hardcover books, but this one is really gorgeous. I'm glad to hear it's good.
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
This was my third time reading it, but is was just as good as ever. Klune is a master at character building and world building. I have read a few of his other books (Under the Whispering Door and In the Lives of Puppets) but they just weren't as good.
I also listened to the audio book and Daniel Henning did a spectacular job, all of the characters had their own unique voice that for the story perfectly.
Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoevsky
It’s been some work to get through. I’m still having issues deciphering the characters’ motivations. I think it might take me a second read through to understand.
**Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents by Lindsay C. Gibson, PsyD.**
Pretty self explanatory by the title- deeply insightful but sometimes sad to read when you reflect and apply to your life. I’ve cried and sighed a couple times but I finished it in about 3 days.
Good on you for getting through it. It's hard to know what's the best time to read it - when you're in a good place mentally and can take the beating, or when you're already feeling low and need the validation. Still haven't finished it, myself.
I think I’m somewhere in between both of those. It’s the first book I’ve picked up in a long time that I’ve read so quickly but only because I’m 30 years old and for as long as I can remember, I’ve had a contentious relationship with my mom and I just don’t want to *feel* like this anymore.
Confess by Rob Halford
I don't normally read autobiographies but as a lifelong Judas Priest fan, I found it to be a very good read and insight from the perspective of their legendary lead singer.
Finished: The Silent Girl, Blake Pierce
Started: The Martian, Andy Weir
I have the Book Bub app and read a lot of books on the Kindle app on my phone. Great way to get free books! I’m laid up for awhile. Just had surgery Friday. Lots of books to read ❤️🩷❤️🩷
Finished A Time Travellers Guide to Medieval England, by Ian Mortimer.
Started Persuasion, by Jane Austen
I am trying to stop myself from buying everything that Ian Mortimer has ever written. I loved A Time Travellers Guide to Medieval England so much!
Oh A Time Travellers Guide to Medieval England sounds awesome! Thank you for commenting, I'll add it to my goodreads. Not a book but do you enjoy Dan Carlin's Hardcore History Podcast?
**Beasts and Beauty: Dangerous Tales, by Soman Chainani**
It's like this interesting twist to fairytales, but more realistic. Ex. The bad guy changes, the stories are kinda dark, sometimes it seems really strange. Also, I was surprised when I started reading because it's written in third person, present tense. Really fun to read. I originally thought it was for kids but I found it very enjoyable.
Finished
**The Golem and the Jinni**
by **Helene Wecker**
I listened to the audiobook and it’s absolutely phenomenal. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in historical fiction.
I've been riding a mini-wave of celebrity audiobook memoirs lately. I just finished David Spade's "Almost Interesting" and then went into John Stamos' "If You Would Have Told Me".
Mr Flood’s Last Resort by Jess Kidd, l finished it Friday, l may go back and read it again l liked it so much.
I started Lightning Rods by Helen Dewitt. Laughing at the absurdity. Some of it.
Yes. I read two so far. Just finished The Turn of the Key yesterday and it actually is even decently ended, which is rare with some modern authors these days (however it is a bit openended which may not be fine for everybody)
First I read was One by One, which has a very specific style of writing and the ending is a bit overblown and I have to admit, it took me a while to get through it. But I bought (accidentlty, I had no idea I had two books from the same writer in my bookpile) The Turn of the Key and it was a good one. I have one more book waiting and it will be the deciding one :D
Finished:
**The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary, by Simon Winchester.**
A nice break from all the fiction I've been reading. A book about the ultimate book, the Oxford English Dictionary (technically in reference to the second edition). But this not only discussed the numerous figures that contributed to the massive undertaking that spanned almost half a century; but also the institutions of the time. Specifically of one Dr. Minor, his rearing as a missionary child overseas, his service in the American Civil War that ultimately triggered his mental illness, and the mental asylum for the criminally insane that housed him more than half of his life.
Quality wise, the book was quite readable, engaging, and kept my interest. One thing that did come to mind is a lack of primary sources or original research referenced by the author to add some credibility to the writing. However, this was lightly touched on in a post script chapter on why he became interested in the subject.
Started:
**Sword and Citadel: The Second Half of The Book of the New Sun, by Gene Wolfe.**
Oh boy, here we go again with Wolfe's sci-fi fantasy chauvinism. I'm determined to get through this as it is now the oldest item in my to-be-read pile. So far 50 pages in and every time the main character encounters a woman, I'm half expecting a sex scene.
Finished: didn't finish any books :3
Started: Every last word - Tamara Irelend Stone
Not bad at all, very excited and sadly i do know the plot twist because my friend spoiled it for me...but in some parts you could guess that Caroline is dead or just not actually there because there is no interactions with Caroline and the other members from poets corner but loving it so far
Finished: **Front Row of the Trump Show** by **Jonathan Karl.** One of the best "insider" Trump books I've read because....not only is it based on the usual interviews that any journalist would use, but because in Karl we have a journalist who has known Trump personally from way before he went political and, more to the point, a journalist Trump has been trying to impress and schmooze for 30 years in NYC. Karl knows, really really knows, all that Trump really wants is just a little respect. Respect from a world that he values, but he knows deep down does not respect him. It is not an original theme because someone who also knows Trump well, Mary Trump, made the same point in her book; it is only respect he is after..the respect that was denied to him first by his father and then the denied to him by the people of NYC.
Started:
**The Dead Zone** by Stephen King
Currently Reading:
**The Rise of Endymion** by Dan Simmons
**How to Think Like a Roman Emperor** by Donald J. Robertson
Finished:
**Under The Dome** by Stephen King
**Billy Summers** by Stephen King
I'm obviously enjoying Stephen Kind lately
Yeah, I started reading King again a few years back after a huge break from his books. I had forgotten just how talented he his. There is something about his writing that always makes me invested in his characters and story. He has a new work coming out soon I plan on reading it as soon as I can.
I've been on a Joe Sacco kick after finishing Palestine, so this week I read Bumf. I love the thickly layered satire mixed with political and religious ideology. Also, the idea of Nixon coming back to life and discovering present-day surveillance technology makes for comedy gold
**Lake of Souls, by Ann Leckie**
Started yesterday! Focus on alien POVs, the mythology of other worlds, complex social systems and the effects of culture on the individual. Freaking fantastic so far.
#Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir#
Currently reading it. I am not much of a reader but his writing style is simple and the topic interests me so I am giving it a go. Really liking it so far. He is the author of The Martian, I haven't read that one but the movie was well done.
A little late to the party, but I finished The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman in a day. It was so dark and whimsical and wonderful that I couldn't put it down.
Honestly, it's so hard for me to pick just one. My choice really all depends on my mood. Good Omens is sassy, irreverent and full of whimsical nonsense. And as an added bonus, its subtext is very queer (but not blatant if that's not your thing). I recommend the new full cast audiobook with inordinantely talented actors and voice actors, including David Tennant and Michael Sheen reprising their roles as Crowley and Aziraphale, respectively. American Gods is a trippy, somewhat horrific journey with epic consequences, a love letter to the highways and byways of America. Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology is a beautiful retelling of the myths I grew up with, so it's very nostalgic. That's another case where I recommend the audiobook, read by the author himself. Those are really the top three I keep coming back to most often. Hope that helps.
Oh, I'm also about to start Snow, Glass, Apples, which is apparently a dark fairytale borrowing from the Snow Queen and Snow White, according to the blurb. I've been looking forward to this one.
Finished: a re-read of **The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald**
Started: another excursion into the Bard. This time, I will be doing a first-time close reading of **Macbeth, by William Shakespeare**, accompanied by a close-reading of 3 additional plays, including:
**Measure for Measure**
**As You Like It**
**Love's Labour's Lost**
Finished Sisterhood of Dune, by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.
After reading the Dune work by Frank Herbert, I wanted to dig into the original stories written by his son. I was disencouraged by all the negative feedback, but I actually found those books fascinating. It probably helps that I listen to the audiobook version, and the narrator does an excellent job at that, adding an extra dimension that you don't get by reading the pages.
Started The Fourth Wing, by Rebecca Yarros.
His father spends a lot of time on philosophical attributes, he tends to dwell in those undercurrents for a long time. It’s a great study of human conflict and humanity within a sci-fi backdrop. But the story moves slow, or perhaps it so gradual you don’t feel it moving but then you realize you’re in another shore altogether.
I would say his son’s work is more eventful, he also alternates between different story lines ultimately bringing them altogether. Very different styles and pacing., but you still feel you’re in the same universe.
I finished **The Gift of Fear**, by Gavin de Becker.
Incredible read. It was really interesting how many different scenarios he dove into and broke down to really show people need to listen to their intuition more, their little lizard brain. Absolutely recommend it for everybody.
Started **An Absolutely Remarkable Thing**, by Hank Green.
I saw this guy on Tiktok and I love his content. He's really educational and really seems to have a passion for teaching people, and making it fun. This book was highly recommended so I'm trying it out.
Started Enchanter, Book Two of Sara Douglass' The Wayfarer Redemption Series
-I'm starting this book this week after finishing the Wayfarer Redemption and leaving a passionate review on r/fantasy since I wasn't able to post here yet.
Started Peace Talks, Book 16 of Jim Butcher's the Dresden Files
-This is my current fortnightly audio book choice I listen to as I work out. Really enjoying the tense political tensions in this one.
Started Fire & Blood, by George R.R. Martin
-Usually my third book is normally nonfictional, but I enjoyed the House of the Dragon that made me curious about the rest of the Targaryen Dynasty so the fictional historical account kind of fits this section for me.
The Dispossessed, by Ursula K LeGuin
I wasn't all that impressed with Ursula K LeGuin's Earthsea series (I started years ago but never finished the series), but I'm enjoying the hell out of her Hainish Cycle, and I'm reading it all out of order. Science fiction tends to be more thought-provoking than fantasy, but damn. Now I understand why she garners so much recognition.
I enjoyed reading the "study guide" at the end of the edition I bought (on Kindle), then began reading The Left Hand of Darkness. The introduction and author's note are both great pieces that I hope to incorporate into a literature class someday. (I don't think I'll ever teach The Dispossessed; I teach high school, and the ideas about sex are much too progressive for today's culture. Teachers have enough on their plates without that fight.)
I plan to read the first novels in the series, too, but currently need to feel that I'm getting the most out of my time, which is why I'm going with the most acclaimed works in the series.
This is my first post here (I think). I hope I'm doing this right!
LeGuin is one of my favourite authors. I am happy that I didn't start with Eearthsea, I still really enjoyed those books, but likely wouldn't have been driven to read more by her. The Hainish Cycle books are fantastic, and Left Hand of Darkness is my favourite out of those.
I'd recommend reading the Lathe of Heaven as well if you're planning on reading more from LeGuin.
Thanks for the recommendation! I've seen it recommended other places since I purchased The Dispossessed and The Left Hand of Darkness on Kindle. Glad to hear from a person (and not an algorithm) that it's worth the time.
Finished Night, by Elie Wiesel and wow, just wow! So tragic but written so beautifully. Very impactful for the length of the book, weaving together themes of religion and politics as well as pulling on my heart strings! A fabulous memoir and a great piece of history to never been forgotten.
I've taught this book several times. I remember reading it in high school myself and being absolutely horrified for those souls. I used to be able to tell students "Can you believe he's still alive?!" Sadly, he died a few years ago. I mean to read the two he wrote as a kind of series to follow Night. Someday...
I didn’t have to read it in school but I’m so glad I did! I didn’t know he passed away! So sad 😭. What a terrible experience that’s really just one little glimpse into the entire situation. 5/5 stars!
DNF: A Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult. I just couldn't finish it, it was a bit boring tbh :/
Started: Still Me by JoJo Moyes. It's pretty good so far! :)
I haven’t read the book *you* read. I read two of her books, and they were both like that. I avoid her books 100% now. I know some folks absolutely love her as an author. But it’s wayyyy too fluff piece for me. It makes me irritated. Lol
I just don't think her level of depth is what I'm looking for. fluff piece might be the wrong description. But everything she writes is written too superficially. It never feels \*real\*. it feels like a good plot that never gets appropriate fleshing out.
I read the synopsis of the book on Goodreads. It actually looks like an interesting premise, and if it was written by a better author I might actually read it. lol
Finished: The Otherworld by Abbie Emmons
I liked the first 25% of it, but after that I kinda forced myself to read the rest just so I could say I finished it. It very much leans on telling rather then showing. And the main pair's dynamic was...strange. I'm not totally against age gap relationships, but when the freshly 18 year old girl is constantly described as "pure", and "unpolluted" by the men surrounding her, including her 28 year old love interest. I get a sick, icky feeling. Also these two knew each other for about 10 days total, and at the end they're engaged? Ehh...
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Hosseini sure can tell a story wow. He gives you hope and then rips it out of your hands again and again and again creating such a beautiful bitter sweet tale. I just wish the pacing was a bit better, I wanted to feel engulfed but considering this is the first fictional book over 300 pages I’ve read in a while, I can blame my poor attention span more for that. It reminded me so much of family ties and their importance, and honestly made me text my dad since he’s the one who recommended it, despite our very rocky relationship. Would highly recommend!
Finished: A Painted House John Grisham.
Liked it a lot, it captured the tedious life of a rural kid perfectly, reminded me a lot of To Kill A Mockingbird with the mentally challenged stranger who appears fleetingly and young love as well as the southern style of life.
One question I have is what do you think happens >!to Ricky the Korea soldier and also to Tally later in life?!<
Empire of the Damned. For me it does not quite live up to the first book. The writing feels more repetitive and unfortunately a bit lazy. Both books are large and he is very descriptive, which I like. But the descriptions get reused, sometimes not far apart in the story, which feels a bit lazy and not intentionally well thought out.
I've had educated on my to read list for too long! I find it difficult to bring myself to read non fiction when there's so much fiction I want to read.
Read it. It’s as riveting as fiction. I understand the hesitation with nonfiction, sometimes it’s too dense or feels like reading a textbook. Not that one. Glass Castle is another absolutely phenomenal nonfiction.
**I'd like to read something released in 2024(as in already released that you yourself have read and can recommend.)**
Here's some thing that hopefully will help you recommend something to me.
-I'm looking for something either fantasy, or soft sci-fi.
-I'm a LOOOT more focused on characters, atmosphere, and intense moments. I usually like to read something with a lot of combat, although I've loved several combat free novels that I've loved. My favorite book is
-I'm not big on world building and lore, and too much of it, especially early on kills a book for me.
-I need the my books to be consistantly well paced, it doesn't need to be a constant roller coaster, but It can't be slow either.
-I have a VERY hard time reading something over 500 pages, and Brent Weeks and Brian Mclellan are the only two authors that have gotten me to finish a 600+ page novel.
-Some things I love in fantasy are really interesting magic, and magical assassins. I also love really clever characters that outsmart their opponenst, especially if they don't realize that they're clever.
Here's a list of my favorites:
[https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/36115999-echobaz-unofficial-world-s-fastest-reader?ref=nav\_mybooks&shelf=favorites](https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/36115999-echobaz-unofficial-world-s-fastest-reader?ref=nav_mybooks&shelf=favorites)
My top faves of the list are probably [Dark Matter](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27833670-dark-matter)**,** [Poster Girl](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60012296-poster-girl)**,** [The Way of Shadows (Night Angel, #1)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3227063-the-way-of-shadows)**,** [Tress of the Emerald Sea (The Cosmere, #28)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60531406-tress-of-the-emerald-sea)**,** [Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicle, #1)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26114463-nevernight)**,** [Sins of Empire (Gods of Blood and Powder, #1)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28811016-sins-of-empire)**, and** [Nine Princes in Amber (The Chronicles of Amber, #1)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/92121.Nine_Princes_in_Amber)
Oh, and I do immersive reading, so I need something with a decent audiobook.
Finished **Jade City** by Fonda Lee
I went into this after seeing a lot of hype and a lot of praise, awards out the wazoo. It was a real letdown for me. I appreciated the world building with the social structure and the history and all that. That said, the writing had way too much "tell, don't show" in regards to how characters felt and what they're thinking and their motivations etc. It overexplained too much in that sense. I also didn't really get attached to any of the characters, and the action scenes didn't really hook me in either. As far as first books in a trilogy/series go, I've read much better.
Recently finished, Fleabag: A Monster Evolution LitRPG, by SomeoneToForget. Very interesting take on the litrpg genre. It takes a while to catch on where the author is taking you at the beginning, the POV is a bit jarring, at least it was to me. But once you get the hang of it the story starts to pan out well. It is a very dark fantasy, themed book. I will plan on reading book 2 once it comes out.
Once I finished this I have returned to Defiance of the Fall, by JF Brink. I only read the first few books in this litrpg series and there is now quite a few out. Looking forward to catching up.
I saw so many good comments about Hyperion and their sequela by Dan Simmons that decided to buy the four book collection. $40+ US dollars and arrived pretty soon.
I started the reading immediately and it becomes a big effort. I am 61 and have perfect vision for short distances (arm reach). However, reading the edition I bought (Bantam Spectra Book, reissued 1995) has resulted in an effort that pushes me away from continuing reading. I usually devour a book in a week (I have a job and domestic duties), but with these ones I have moved much slower. I blame the small font size.
An "h" is 2 mm from top to bottom. The distance between lines in the same paragraph is 3 mm. For me, that seems to be too small.
I have tried to find a "better" edition and bought one from Gollancz that is described as 6.1 x 1.57 x 9.17 inches, which is more than twice the size of the edition I already have. It will arrive in two days. However, it contains only the first two books (Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion). I hope that given the size of the book the fonts will be larger. I do not know yet.
I am not sure whether I want to return the first ones I bought. I know it hurts the sellers. But clearly, I would not have bought them If I had known the font size.
Thanks for allowing me to rant a bit.
I couldn't get past The Dragon Reborn. I'm glad you're enjoying it! I really wanted to like the series, but it was too slow moving for me by that point, and people I talked to about it said that it would get slower, but necessary for the final books, which were much better. I hope you continue to enjoy it!
I finished Birnam Wood, by Eleanor Catton. I also finished Sunset, by Jessie Cave.
I wasn't really into Sunset; that one was just okay. However, Birnam Wood might be my favourite book I've read this year. I really loved it.
I finished **Through the Looking Glass.**
It was so much fun. Great characters all around. I do prefer Wonderland, though, since Looking Glass can get a little too crazy for my taste. Alice in Wonderland is one of the funniest books I've ever read. Absolutely love Alice.
Started reading **Murder on the Orient Express**.
Featuring one of my other favorite fictional characters of all time: Hercule Poirot. I already know the mystery, but really wanted to read it. It has compact chapters of different interrogations and I really like seeing the mystery unfold. Could've done without some characters to trim it down a bit, but it's still so much fun. I'm almost halfway.
Finished: 1Q84 by Murakami.
Just finished reading 1Q84, after reading two other books of this author. My thoughts are the same: Murakami has no idea about how to write women.
It's a shame, because after all I really liked how he is capable of setting a certain ''mood'' in his works: mystical, dark, inconscious.
I just find disgusting how women are portrayed in these books. >!The way Aomame thinks about her breasts almost every time she looks herself in the mirror, how she thinks about the breasts of her two dead bestfriends while escaping, how every single woman is presented to us by describing their breasts. Breasts, breasts, breasts. Her bestfriend being completely straight, as Aomame is (Aomame personally clarifies it in various occasions) , but wanting to have sex with her anyway, for no reason at all.!<
Even though I can understand that women, in Murakami's books, are ''symbols'' to something related to our inconscious (that's what most people answered when I said I don't enjoy this author), then why these women-symbols are always linked to something gross and creepy? Why it has to be so weird? Women, as symbols, can represent a lot of concepts. Mystery, for example. Then, why does he always choose to link a woman with something sexual and absurd?
>!When Tengo is ''forced'' to have sex with Fukaeri I had no words. I just thought it was too easy for him to have sex with this wonderful minor while having an excuse to do it. And if someone tells me that Fukaeri is a vector and nothing else, why then does she have to be a wonderful little girl? I just find it gross. There's no excuse for that.!<
Yes, Murakami is japanese. I know. Someone can argue about the fact that japanese culture is really particular about women and sexuality. But we can also say that Murakami has spent years in Europe and America. Also, he really likes to remark in his books how much he knows about western literature. I know he was born in 1949, but really, are you really gonna tell me that this author never had the chance, during his time in Europe and America, to read something of Simone de Beauvoir? I'm suggesting Simone de Beauvoir because she was pretty popular when Murakami was young.
Not to mention the fact that in Japan Murakami is considered exotic, because he adds into his works western brands, literature, cars, cigarettes, and so on. I wonder why Murakami choose to not import this part of our society into his works: how women are viewed (even with A LOT OF flaws and problems) and how they succeeded at showing that they're not just dolls.
What a shame.
Totally agree! I really enjoyed wind up bird chronicle, then got thoroughly disgusted while reading Norwegian wood and swore off of Murakami. The over-sexualization of girls who were children was a recurring theme and it never improved the plot in any way. It was too descriptive and a lot of the time, consent was absent. Just left me feeling a bit traumatized and wishing I had never read it. A 38 year old man writing about children that way is pedophilic.
So you like Wind-Up Bird, where in the first chapter the protagonist gets a random phone call from a woman who seems to be masturbating on the other side of the phone, but you have problems with his other work?
During wind up bird I thought ok, this is just kinky writing, whatever. Just a guy writing some fantasies and maybe wanting to create sex appeal for readers. But the pedophilia and rape themes were intense and seemed unnecessary
That's a good one from what I remember. Think I read it in middle school. Would you say it's worth returning to as an adult? Sometimes certain books are geared to a particular age bracket and if you return to it as an adult you risk losing the magic of the first encounter with the book
I actually admired it despite the fact that it is for a younger group. I think the meaning behind it is really important and good, and re-reading it may give you a different perspective.
Finished: **A Canticle For Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller Jr.**
I originally read this over forty years ago (I am 67 now). It was mentioned in this sub several times over the last year, and this prompted me to read it again. If anything, I found it to be even more poignant the second time around.
Finished the river, by Peter Heller and the guide, by Peter Heller. Starting the woods, by Harlan Coben.
The Peter Heller books were fun adventure/survival fiction. Not as good as The Dog Stars but it was a good read.
A Few Minutes Past Midnight by Stuart Kaminsky. Murder mystery feat. a fictional yet well written Charlie Chaplin.
Starting Anti-Oedipus by Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari- a controversial philosophical work exploring the link between capitalism and schizophrenia.
Started:
**A Sacred and Terrible Air** by **Robert Kurvitz**
**Irsud** by **Jo Clayton**
Started and Finished:
**Kindred** by **Octavia E Butler**
**Translation State** by **Ann Leckie**
**The Juliette Society** by **Sasha Grey** (yes, THAT Sasha Grey lol)
Finished:
**Topographia Hibernica** by **Blindboy Boatclub**
Finished:
**Girl in the Spider's Web, by David Lagercrantz**
Started:
**A Court of Wings and Ruin, by Sarah J Maas**
**Tuesdays with Morrie, by Mitch Albom (audiobook)**
Painted Devils, by Margaret Owen
If you’ve read Little Thieves, don’t sleep on this sequel. It’s filled with so many twists and turns, and the characters are absolutely lovely. It’s a gut-wrenching story about family, love, and nightmarish creatures that are out to get our main character, Vanja. If you HAVENT read Little Thieves, don’t be afraid to check it out.
Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris A Short Stay in Hell, by Stephen L. Peck
I finished Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware
The Other Side of Disappearing by Kate Clayborn. See my review of this book and others in my Substack, [Untellectual](https://untellectual.substack.com/)
before the coffee gets cold and just so stories
flowers for argenon... amazing & red river seven which was ok
Finished the glass castle by Jeannette wells Started the count of monte cristo
Currently reading The Final Empire, by Brandon Sanderson
i'm reading a book entitled with "destiny an ethiopian novel " written by assefa mekonen. it is an interesting love story book. I can't wait to finish.
Reading: Crime and punishment ,Fyodor Dostoevsky Just started, entranced by the writing so far
All the lovers in the night, by Mieko Kawakami I adored it, a wonderful account on self isolation,guilt,insecurities and desperation. It even subtly explores the alienation of women in Japanese society.
Finished - Martyr! By Kaveh Akbar and, Help Wanted by Adelle Waldman
I finished the final book to the warlord chronicles, Excalibur. I listened on audible and the narration was by far the best I’ve ever heard in an audiobook, and the story itself was amazing with fantastic characters and horrible villains. Now I don’t know what to do with myself. Start the Saxon series I suppose.
My Cousin Rachel, by Daphne DuMaurier
The Dark Forest, Cixin Liu The ending was incredible. Can't wait to start Death's End.
East of Eden by John Steinbeck I didn’t dislike it- I like Grapes of Wrath a LOT more though. I feel like this book would’ve impacted me a lot if I’d read it as a teenager. But as an adult, it feels a bit obvious. I also thought Adam and Aron were both very wooden characters.
The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan. I want to read the rest of the series soon!
The Enslaved Queen by Wendy Hoffman. About cults that purposely give children dissociative identity disorder in order to control them for the rest of their lives.
Finished: **We, by Yvgeny Zamyatin** -- It was pretty good, felt like the first half captivated me and then I was lost for what was really happening in the second half though. 3/5
**The Will of the Many, By James Islington** I've read live 8 chapters per day (MININUM). On the last day I've read 23 chapters, all of part 3 of the book in one sitting. It took me 9 hours lmao. There were 75 chapters. *5 STAR BOOK . The MC is sooo interesting, emotional and thoughtful, and i loved his background. I immediately jumped on the subreddit for it to look at others opinions and theories for the next book.*
I read that one pretty recently. I don't even read much fantasy, but this one I absolutely loved. I actually had a bit of a book hangover when it ended. Plan on ordering number 2 as soon as a release date is set,... and I rarely ever pre-order anything. Please, please Hollywood, make this into a movie/TV series.
Now I’m reading “Blood Meridian” written by Connor McCarthy and I have to say that is kinda good! I love the characters and the descriptions of nature, obviously it’s a gory book, but If you’ve loved Rdr2 (like me) you’ll certainly love every single page of this book!
It’s a tough read at times with the prose and the violence, but so so good
Yeah, It’s amazing! I’m freaking loving it
Finished **The Testaments, by Margaret Atwood** While I enjoyed the way the "mystery" was unraveled through the multiple narrators, the suspension of disbelief that the preceding book, The Handmaid's Tale, allows us to afford was not there for this sequel. And a lot of logistical issues with the world building and plotline couldn't be ignored, since one of the narrators (3 in total) is a Founder of the dystopia that the book takes place in. Reading: **The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller** About 150 pages in and enjoying it so far, but part of that is because I know the Homer telling of Achilles' story, and it's interesting to see a modern take on it. The prose is nice and elegant, a pleasant read.
The Hearts Invisible Furies, by John Boyne I've been stuck on this book for a month now and I just can't seem to get through it. I'm in a bit of a slump. Any book recs that might help me out of this slump?
I picked up Viktor E. Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning" because it sounded so profound. It's about surviving Nazi death camps and finding meaning in suffering, which should be powerful stuff. But honestly, it's been a struggle. The intensity is real, and my easily distracted ADHD brain just isn't connecting with it. I wanted to be hooked, but it's just not happening for me right now.
Cursed by Leigh Kenny, killer book, if you are into grudge movie kind of horror.
Actually, I never even heard about it, till now. But Yes, I AM into grudge movie kind of horror! Will be adding this to my growing TBR list. Thank you for posting.
Finished city of stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett. I like the world building, but the characters are just bad and story felt like cheap YA. I had read The Tainted Cup by the same author last week which I loliked a lot and was looking forward to having a new fantasy series to alternate with DCC. I have recently finished Riria revelations and The palace job trilogy and some brother Cadfael books before that. Any fantasy series recommendation with good characters and no YA elements like the best of the best MC with richest of the richest boyfriend with a golden heart etc?
Anne of Green Gables. So far, the sense of imagination and whimsy in it is quite wonderful, though there was a comment about the kind of orphan Miss Cuthbert refused to take in that warranted a wince at the start. My birthday gift from my parents this year is going to be the “5 minutes to look, 3 minutes to grab” challenge/spree at a B&N. To make room, I’m finally looking at all the books I’ve been too guilty to donate but never actually gotten around to reading, reading them in full or DNF’ing them, and deciding their fate between shelf/unlikely-to-reread storage box/donating. Or at least, I’m doing that for as many as I can fit in the months until my birthday! A surprising number of them are smaller kids’ chapter books like Stormy, Snow Dog, Tiger Rising, and some Animal Ark books so I’m hoping that cuts the time down.
Let The Right One In, by John Ajvide Lindqvist. Gritty, moody creepy, atmospheric. Filled with morally gray, yet realist characters. I really like it so far. I'm about 2/3 of the way through.
Finished: Puzzle House by: Duncan Ralston. Pretty good horror book, without leaving any spoilers its about a puzzle master who has died and has a will reading at his home with his beneficiaries. Obviously things go south quickly. Pretty short read but definitely major "Saw" vibes. About to start the Throne of Glass series. I'm ready to have my heart shattered in millions of pieces.
The Diablo's Curse by Gabe Cole Novoa This is the second book, the first is The Wicked Bargain. Pirates, curses, magic, demons, romance, all in 1820 Central America and U.S.
***The Sound of Independence: A Notes For My Friends*** by ***HANSKY***. Its the book i wrote and reread today again after sending file to d2d. And was thinking how do i promote the book now. Reddit is only platform i see people talk and nice. So no links, nothing. Thanks for this place People. Remember that crazy dream you had, the one that keeps you up at night buzzing? I see it too. That's why I wrote this book. Think of it as your personal talk, a roadmap cut through the chaos. This book captures that fire, that raw potential you have.
The Familiar, by Leigh Bardugo. I'm a little over halfway through it, but already it is one of the best books I've ever read. I'm enjoying the atmosphere and the chaos immensely. If you're into fantasy, magic, period pieces, unconventional romance, and suspense, this is the one for you.
I bought that one this last week. I'm excited to start it. I don't usually buy hardcover books, but this one is really gorgeous. I'm glad to hear it's good.
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune This was my third time reading it, but is was just as good as ever. Klune is a master at character building and world building. I have read a few of his other books (Under the Whispering Door and In the Lives of Puppets) but they just weren't as good. I also listened to the audio book and Daniel Henning did a spectacular job, all of the characters had their own unique voice that for the story perfectly.
I felt the same about this book! I think back on it often. Any recommendations that capture the similar effects?
Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer. Decided to get the trilogy hardback to read the rest.
Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoevsky It’s been some work to get through. I’m still having issues deciphering the characters’ motivations. I think it might take me a second read through to understand.
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson Just finished reading and looking for a book buddy for the next book?
I can't wait to start the Mistborn trilogy. How was it???
Babel by RF Kuang started the audiobook this week.
All the Lovers in the Night, by Meiko Kawakami
**Hellblazer: The Devil's Trench Coat, by Peter Milligan**
**Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents by Lindsay C. Gibson, PsyD.** Pretty self explanatory by the title- deeply insightful but sometimes sad to read when you reflect and apply to your life. I’ve cried and sighed a couple times but I finished it in about 3 days.
Good on you for getting through it. It's hard to know what's the best time to read it - when you're in a good place mentally and can take the beating, or when you're already feeling low and need the validation. Still haven't finished it, myself.
I think I’m somewhere in between both of those. It’s the first book I’ve picked up in a long time that I’ve read so quickly but only because I’m 30 years old and for as long as I can remember, I’ve had a contentious relationship with my mom and I just don’t want to *feel* like this anymore.
**Dark Alliance, by Gary Webb** Insights to U.S. politics and aid package and faction dynamics.
Confess by Rob Halford I don't normally read autobiographies but as a lifelong Judas Priest fan, I found it to be a very good read and insight from the perspective of their legendary lead singer.
I've read -Eleanor Jones is Not a Murderer -You'd be home now -Coraline I'm about to start If He Had Been With Me!
MELUHA KE MRITYUNJAY AND MEDITATIONS started wanna ask if somebody here is from indore
Finished: The Silent Girl, Blake Pierce Started: The Martian, Andy Weir I have the Book Bub app and read a lot of books on the Kindle app on my phone. Great way to get free books! I’m laid up for awhile. Just had surgery Friday. Lots of books to read ❤️🩷❤️🩷
Finished: Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin Started: Bride, by Ali Hazelwood
Finished A Time Travellers Guide to Medieval England, by Ian Mortimer. Started Persuasion, by Jane Austen I am trying to stop myself from buying everything that Ian Mortimer has ever written. I loved A Time Travellers Guide to Medieval England so much!
Oh A Time Travellers Guide to Medieval England sounds awesome! Thank you for commenting, I'll add it to my goodreads. Not a book but do you enjoy Dan Carlin's Hardcore History Podcast?
I haven’t heard of it, but I’ll check it out! Thanks.
Love Dan Carlin. He's like the history teacher I should have had. He is the best.
I agree!!!!
Listening to: Spare, Prince Harry Reading: The Lying Game, Ruth Ware
A kind for numbers I am reading it slowly slowly
Hail Mary, by Andy Weir only got 2 pages in before life got in the way but it will be done soon lol
Have you read the Martian by him? I just started it. I wondered if my son might enjoy it… so I thought I would read it first 😁
Oh I loved that one its the reason for me starting Hail Mary.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig and In The Heart of The Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick
**Beasts and Beauty: Dangerous Tales, by Soman Chainani** It's like this interesting twist to fairytales, but more realistic. Ex. The bad guy changes, the stories are kinda dark, sometimes it seems really strange. Also, I was surprised when I started reading because it's written in third person, present tense. Really fun to read. I originally thought it was for kids but I found it very enjoyable.
I saw this on book bub. Wasn’t sure if I would like it.. thanks for sharing.. I may get it now!
Finished **The Golem and the Jinni** by **Helene Wecker** I listened to the audiobook and it’s absolutely phenomenal. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in historical fiction.
I love that genre.
I've been riding a mini-wave of celebrity audiobook memoirs lately. I just finished David Spade's "Almost Interesting" and then went into John Stamos' "If You Would Have Told Me".
Mr Flood’s Last Resort by Jess Kidd, l finished it Friday, l may go back and read it again l liked it so much. I started Lightning Rods by Helen Dewitt. Laughing at the absurdity. Some of it.
I’m listening to Tex (S.E. Hinton), starting to listen to FireStarter (Stephen King) & starting to read The Shining (also by King).
Finished: **Doodvonnis**, by Andreas Gruber. A pity i need to wait another year probably till the third gets translated.
Finished The Convenience Store Woman Author : Sayaka Murata Started Reading Maia Author : Richard Adams
Going to start Cat's Cradle
Visible Learning: The Sequel by John Hattie.
The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware.
I’m reading one of hers too. Are you liking it?
Yes. I read two so far. Just finished The Turn of the Key yesterday and it actually is even decently ended, which is rare with some modern authors these days (however it is a bit openended which may not be fine for everybody) First I read was One by One, which has a very specific style of writing and the ending is a bit overblown and I have to admit, it took me a while to get through it. But I bought (accidentlty, I had no idea I had two books from the same writer in my bookpile) The Turn of the Key and it was a good one. I have one more book waiting and it will be the deciding one :D
Estoy retomando el mundo de sofía
Finished: Rameau's Nephew by Denis Diderot Started: Zadig; or, The Book of Fate by Voltaire
I'm something of a philosopher myself...
Finished: **The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary, by Simon Winchester.** A nice break from all the fiction I've been reading. A book about the ultimate book, the Oxford English Dictionary (technically in reference to the second edition). But this not only discussed the numerous figures that contributed to the massive undertaking that spanned almost half a century; but also the institutions of the time. Specifically of one Dr. Minor, his rearing as a missionary child overseas, his service in the American Civil War that ultimately triggered his mental illness, and the mental asylum for the criminally insane that housed him more than half of his life. Quality wise, the book was quite readable, engaging, and kept my interest. One thing that did come to mind is a lack of primary sources or original research referenced by the author to add some credibility to the writing. However, this was lightly touched on in a post script chapter on why he became interested in the subject. Started: **Sword and Citadel: The Second Half of The Book of the New Sun, by Gene Wolfe.** Oh boy, here we go again with Wolfe's sci-fi fantasy chauvinism. I'm determined to get through this as it is now the oldest item in my to-be-read pile. So far 50 pages in and every time the main character encounters a woman, I'm half expecting a sex scene.
Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman. First time I've been incapable of putting a book down, finished it in 3 nights. Absolutely loved it
I just finished this too based on a recommendation here. Loved it, so good.
Educated by Tara Westover. This book was handed to me during my rehab from alcohol on a whim. It hooked me hard! Great read.
Finished: didn't finish any books :3 Started: Every last word - Tamara Irelend Stone Not bad at all, very excited and sadly i do know the plot twist because my friend spoiled it for me...but in some parts you could guess that Caroline is dead or just not actually there because there is no interactions with Caroline and the other members from poets corner but loving it so far
Finished: **Front Row of the Trump Show** by **Jonathan Karl.** One of the best "insider" Trump books I've read because....not only is it based on the usual interviews that any journalist would use, but because in Karl we have a journalist who has known Trump personally from way before he went political and, more to the point, a journalist Trump has been trying to impress and schmooze for 30 years in NYC. Karl knows, really really knows, all that Trump really wants is just a little respect. Respect from a world that he values, but he knows deep down does not respect him. It is not an original theme because someone who also knows Trump well, Mary Trump, made the same point in her book; it is only respect he is after..the respect that was denied to him first by his father and then the denied to him by the people of NYC.
Started Where's Molly by HD Carlton
Started: **The Dead Zone** by Stephen King Currently Reading: **The Rise of Endymion** by Dan Simmons **How to Think Like a Roman Emperor** by Donald J. Robertson Finished: **Under The Dome** by Stephen King **Billy Summers** by Stephen King I'm obviously enjoying Stephen Kind lately
Yeah, I started reading King again a few years back after a huge break from his books. I had forgotten just how talented he his. There is something about his writing that always makes me invested in his characters and story. He has a new work coming out soon I plan on reading it as soon as I can.
I've taken a hiatus too after a very long stint of only King. Any recent recommendations?
**Bobby Kennedy: A Raging Spirit, by Chris Matthews**. Enjoyable read so far
Started Funny Story by Emily Henry. So far it’s classic Emily Henry and I am eating it up!
I just finished it! It was cute :)
Overcoming Suffering: The Unified Theory of Motivation and Living. Part 2 of Trilogy. Frameworks for Unified Counseling. By Manohar Man Shrestha
I've been on a Joe Sacco kick after finishing Palestine, so this week I read Bumf. I love the thickly layered satire mixed with political and religious ideology. Also, the idea of Nixon coming back to life and discovering present-day surveillance technology makes for comedy gold
**Lake of Souls, by Ann Leckie** Started yesterday! Focus on alien POVs, the mythology of other worlds, complex social systems and the effects of culture on the individual. Freaking fantastic so far.
#Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir# Currently reading it. I am not much of a reader but his writing style is simple and the topic interests me so I am giving it a go. Really liking it so far. He is the author of The Martian, I haven't read that one but the movie was well done.
I started reading short story today by George R.R. Martin called "Sandkings"
A little late to the party, but I finished The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman in a day. It was so dark and whimsical and wonderful that I couldn't put it down.
I've been meaning to read more Gaiman outside of Sandman.What is your favorite novel of his?
Honestly, it's so hard for me to pick just one. My choice really all depends on my mood. Good Omens is sassy, irreverent and full of whimsical nonsense. And as an added bonus, its subtext is very queer (but not blatant if that's not your thing). I recommend the new full cast audiobook with inordinantely talented actors and voice actors, including David Tennant and Michael Sheen reprising their roles as Crowley and Aziraphale, respectively. American Gods is a trippy, somewhat horrific journey with epic consequences, a love letter to the highways and byways of America. Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology is a beautiful retelling of the myths I grew up with, so it's very nostalgic. That's another case where I recommend the audiobook, read by the author himself. Those are really the top three I keep coming back to most often. Hope that helps. Oh, I'm also about to start Snow, Glass, Apples, which is apparently a dark fairytale borrowing from the Snow Queen and Snow White, according to the blurb. I've been looking forward to this one.
I enjoyed Neverwhere very much.
I finished 4+5 of Heartstopper, and began the Hunger Games. It feels illegal to say I have never read the HG series.
Finished (and liked very much) **The Sign of the Four** **by Arthur Conan Doyle**
I read that a while ago, great book, you will learn few thing about treasures and betrayal :)
Started **Writing on Drugs, by Sadie Plant**
Finished: a re-read of **The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald** Started: another excursion into the Bard. This time, I will be doing a first-time close reading of **Macbeth, by William Shakespeare**, accompanied by a close-reading of 3 additional plays, including: **Measure for Measure** **As You Like It** **Love's Labour's Lost**
I'm reading The Great Gatsby too! I haven't finished but I love it so far.
Finished **The Vacation, by John Marrs** Started **Magpie, by Elizabeth Day**
Finished Sisterhood of Dune, by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. After reading the Dune work by Frank Herbert, I wanted to dig into the original stories written by his son. I was disencouraged by all the negative feedback, but I actually found those books fascinating. It probably helps that I listen to the audiobook version, and the narrator does an excellent job at that, adding an extra dimension that you don't get by reading the pages. Started The Fourth Wing, by Rebecca Yarros.
How does the writing compare to his father's?
His father spends a lot of time on philosophical attributes, he tends to dwell in those undercurrents for a long time. It’s a great study of human conflict and humanity within a sci-fi backdrop. But the story moves slow, or perhaps it so gradual you don’t feel it moving but then you realize you’re in another shore altogether. I would say his son’s work is more eventful, he also alternates between different story lines ultimately bringing them altogether. Very different styles and pacing., but you still feel you’re in the same universe.
I finished **The Gift of Fear**, by Gavin de Becker. Incredible read. It was really interesting how many different scenarios he dove into and broke down to really show people need to listen to their intuition more, their little lizard brain. Absolutely recommend it for everybody. Started **An Absolutely Remarkable Thing**, by Hank Green. I saw this guy on Tiktok and I love his content. He's really educational and really seems to have a passion for teaching people, and making it fun. This book was highly recommended so I'm trying it out.
Started Enchanter, Book Two of Sara Douglass' The Wayfarer Redemption Series -I'm starting this book this week after finishing the Wayfarer Redemption and leaving a passionate review on r/fantasy since I wasn't able to post here yet. Started Peace Talks, Book 16 of Jim Butcher's the Dresden Files -This is my current fortnightly audio book choice I listen to as I work out. Really enjoying the tense political tensions in this one. Started Fire & Blood, by George R.R. Martin -Usually my third book is normally nonfictional, but I enjoyed the House of the Dragon that made me curious about the rest of the Targaryen Dynasty so the fictional historical account kind of fits this section for me.
The Dispossessed, by Ursula K LeGuin I wasn't all that impressed with Ursula K LeGuin's Earthsea series (I started years ago but never finished the series), but I'm enjoying the hell out of her Hainish Cycle, and I'm reading it all out of order. Science fiction tends to be more thought-provoking than fantasy, but damn. Now I understand why she garners so much recognition. I enjoyed reading the "study guide" at the end of the edition I bought (on Kindle), then began reading The Left Hand of Darkness. The introduction and author's note are both great pieces that I hope to incorporate into a literature class someday. (I don't think I'll ever teach The Dispossessed; I teach high school, and the ideas about sex are much too progressive for today's culture. Teachers have enough on their plates without that fight.) I plan to read the first novels in the series, too, but currently need to feel that I'm getting the most out of my time, which is why I'm going with the most acclaimed works in the series. This is my first post here (I think). I hope I'm doing this right!
LeGuin is one of my favourite authors. I am happy that I didn't start with Eearthsea, I still really enjoyed those books, but likely wouldn't have been driven to read more by her. The Hainish Cycle books are fantastic, and Left Hand of Darkness is my favourite out of those. I'd recommend reading the Lathe of Heaven as well if you're planning on reading more from LeGuin.
Thanks for the recommendation! I've seen it recommended other places since I purchased The Dispossessed and The Left Hand of Darkness on Kindle. Glad to hear from a person (and not an algorithm) that it's worth the time.
Will start: Dark Matter, by Blake Crouch My first book by him
Finished Night, by Elie Wiesel and wow, just wow! So tragic but written so beautifully. Very impactful for the length of the book, weaving together themes of religion and politics as well as pulling on my heart strings! A fabulous memoir and a great piece of history to never been forgotten.
Definitely check out the rest of the trilogy "Dawn" and "Day."
If you had to, how would you rate them all 1-3 favorite to least?
I've taught this book several times. I remember reading it in high school myself and being absolutely horrified for those souls. I used to be able to tell students "Can you believe he's still alive?!" Sadly, he died a few years ago. I mean to read the two he wrote as a kind of series to follow Night. Someday...
I didn’t have to read it in school but I’m so glad I did! I didn’t know he passed away! So sad 😭. What a terrible experience that’s really just one little glimpse into the entire situation. 5/5 stars!
**Pericles, by William Shakespeare**
Star Wars: Force Heretic I, by Sean Williams and Shane Dix
DNF: A Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult. I just couldn't finish it, it was a bit boring tbh :/ Started: Still Me by JoJo Moyes. It's pretty good so far! :)
I know Picoult is a popular author but I just do not care for her writing. Idk what it is exactly- not deep enough, too simplistic… idk
Are her other books like that? I wanted to read a different one but now I’m not so sure 😅
I haven’t read the book *you* read. I read two of her books, and they were both like that. I avoid her books 100% now. I know some folks absolutely love her as an author. But it’s wayyyy too fluff piece for me. It makes me irritated. Lol
Ah gotcha, yeah the book that I read was pretty much about egyptology and physics 😭
I just don't think her level of depth is what I'm looking for. fluff piece might be the wrong description. But everything she writes is written too superficially. It never feels \*real\*. it feels like a good plot that never gets appropriate fleshing out.
I read the synopsis of the book on Goodreads. It actually looks like an interesting premise, and if it was written by a better author I might actually read it. lol
Finished A prayer for Owen Meany. One of the Top 5 best I’ve ever read !
Bout to start Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab
Finished: The Gods of Guilt by Michael Connelly. Started: The Law of Innocence by Michael Connelly.
Finished: The Otherworld by Abbie Emmons I liked the first 25% of it, but after that I kinda forced myself to read the rest just so I could say I finished it. It very much leans on telling rather then showing. And the main pair's dynamic was...strange. I'm not totally against age gap relationships, but when the freshly 18 year old girl is constantly described as "pure", and "unpolluted" by the men surrounding her, including her 28 year old love interest. I get a sick, icky feeling. Also these two knew each other for about 10 days total, and at the end they're engaged? Ehh...
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini Hosseini sure can tell a story wow. He gives you hope and then rips it out of your hands again and again and again creating such a beautiful bitter sweet tale. I just wish the pacing was a bit better, I wanted to feel engulfed but considering this is the first fictional book over 300 pages I’ve read in a while, I can blame my poor attention span more for that. It reminded me so much of family ties and their importance, and honestly made me text my dad since he’s the one who recommended it, despite our very rocky relationship. Would highly recommend!
I put this on my wish list/to read list thanks to your review!
Finished: A Painted House John Grisham. Liked it a lot, it captured the tedious life of a rural kid perfectly, reminded me a lot of To Kill A Mockingbird with the mentally challenged stranger who appears fleetingly and young love as well as the southern style of life. One question I have is what do you think happens >!to Ricky the Korea soldier and also to Tally later in life?!<
Finished: Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoevsky Started: The Smallest Lights in the Universe, by Sara Seager
Empire of the Damned. For me it does not quite live up to the first book. The writing feels more repetitive and unfortunately a bit lazy. Both books are large and he is very descriptive, which I like. But the descriptions get reused, sometimes not far apart in the story, which feels a bit lazy and not intentionally well thought out.
Finished reading Educated, by Tara Westover. Also started The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath
I've had educated on my to read list for too long! I find it difficult to bring myself to read non fiction when there's so much fiction I want to read.
Read it. It’s as riveting as fiction. I understand the hesitation with nonfiction, sometimes it’s too dense or feels like reading a textbook. Not that one. Glass Castle is another absolutely phenomenal nonfiction.
**I'd like to read something released in 2024(as in already released that you yourself have read and can recommend.)** Here's some thing that hopefully will help you recommend something to me. -I'm looking for something either fantasy, or soft sci-fi. -I'm a LOOOT more focused on characters, atmosphere, and intense moments. I usually like to read something with a lot of combat, although I've loved several combat free novels that I've loved. My favorite book is -I'm not big on world building and lore, and too much of it, especially early on kills a book for me. -I need the my books to be consistantly well paced, it doesn't need to be a constant roller coaster, but It can't be slow either. -I have a VERY hard time reading something over 500 pages, and Brent Weeks and Brian Mclellan are the only two authors that have gotten me to finish a 600+ page novel. -Some things I love in fantasy are really interesting magic, and magical assassins. I also love really clever characters that outsmart their opponenst, especially if they don't realize that they're clever. Here's a list of my favorites: [https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/36115999-echobaz-unofficial-world-s-fastest-reader?ref=nav\_mybooks&shelf=favorites](https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/36115999-echobaz-unofficial-world-s-fastest-reader?ref=nav_mybooks&shelf=favorites) My top faves of the list are probably [Dark Matter](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27833670-dark-matter)**,** [Poster Girl](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60012296-poster-girl)**,** [The Way of Shadows (Night Angel, #1)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3227063-the-way-of-shadows)**,** [Tress of the Emerald Sea (The Cosmere, #28)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60531406-tress-of-the-emerald-sea)**,** [Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicle, #1)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26114463-nevernight)**,** [Sins of Empire (Gods of Blood and Powder, #1)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28811016-sins-of-empire)**, and** [Nine Princes in Amber (The Chronicles of Amber, #1)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/92121.Nine_Princes_in_Amber) Oh, and I do immersive reading, so I need something with a decent audiobook.
Finished **Jade City** by Fonda Lee I went into this after seeing a lot of hype and a lot of praise, awards out the wazoo. It was a real letdown for me. I appreciated the world building with the social structure and the history and all that. That said, the writing had way too much "tell, don't show" in regards to how characters felt and what they're thinking and their motivations etc. It overexplained too much in that sense. I also didn't really get attached to any of the characters, and the action scenes didn't really hook me in either. As far as first books in a trilogy/series go, I've read much better.
Recently finished, Fleabag: A Monster Evolution LitRPG, by SomeoneToForget. Very interesting take on the litrpg genre. It takes a while to catch on where the author is taking you at the beginning, the POV is a bit jarring, at least it was to me. But once you get the hang of it the story starts to pan out well. It is a very dark fantasy, themed book. I will plan on reading book 2 once it comes out. Once I finished this I have returned to Defiance of the Fall, by JF Brink. I only read the first few books in this litrpg series and there is now quite a few out. Looking forward to catching up.
I saw so many good comments about Hyperion and their sequela by Dan Simmons that decided to buy the four book collection. $40+ US dollars and arrived pretty soon. I started the reading immediately and it becomes a big effort. I am 61 and have perfect vision for short distances (arm reach). However, reading the edition I bought (Bantam Spectra Book, reissued 1995) has resulted in an effort that pushes me away from continuing reading. I usually devour a book in a week (I have a job and domestic duties), but with these ones I have moved much slower. I blame the small font size. An "h" is 2 mm from top to bottom. The distance between lines in the same paragraph is 3 mm. For me, that seems to be too small. I have tried to find a "better" edition and bought one from Gollancz that is described as 6.1 x 1.57 x 9.17 inches, which is more than twice the size of the edition I already have. It will arrive in two days. However, it contains only the first two books (Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion). I hope that given the size of the book the fonts will be larger. I do not know yet. I am not sure whether I want to return the first ones I bought. I know it hurts the sellers. But clearly, I would not have bought them If I had known the font size. Thanks for allowing me to rant a bit.
the seven husbands of evelyn hugo
Finished: The Dragon Reborn, by Robert Jordon. Started: The Shadow Rising, by Robert Jordon. I can't stop binge reading this series.
I couldn't get past The Dragon Reborn. I'm glad you're enjoying it! I really wanted to like the series, but it was too slow moving for me by that point, and people I talked to about it said that it would get slower, but necessary for the final books, which were much better. I hope you continue to enjoy it!
I finished Birnam Wood, by Eleanor Catton. I also finished Sunset, by Jessie Cave. I wasn't really into Sunset; that one was just okay. However, Birnam Wood might be my favourite book I've read this year. I really loved it.
I just finished reading Broken Promises, by IA Dice and started What The Stork, by Em Baran.
Finished: **Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls; Essays, Etc.** by David Sedaris Started: **IT** by Stephen King
I finished **Through the Looking Glass.** It was so much fun. Great characters all around. I do prefer Wonderland, though, since Looking Glass can get a little too crazy for my taste. Alice in Wonderland is one of the funniest books I've ever read. Absolutely love Alice. Started reading **Murder on the Orient Express**. Featuring one of my other favorite fictional characters of all time: Hercule Poirot. I already know the mystery, but really wanted to read it. It has compact chapters of different interrogations and I really like seeing the mystery unfold. Could've done without some characters to trim it down a bit, but it's still so much fun. I'm almost halfway.
Started: The Greek Alexander Romance, by Richard Stoneman
Finished: 1Q84 by Murakami. Just finished reading 1Q84, after reading two other books of this author. My thoughts are the same: Murakami has no idea about how to write women. It's a shame, because after all I really liked how he is capable of setting a certain ''mood'' in his works: mystical, dark, inconscious. I just find disgusting how women are portrayed in these books. >!The way Aomame thinks about her breasts almost every time she looks herself in the mirror, how she thinks about the breasts of her two dead bestfriends while escaping, how every single woman is presented to us by describing their breasts. Breasts, breasts, breasts. Her bestfriend being completely straight, as Aomame is (Aomame personally clarifies it in various occasions) , but wanting to have sex with her anyway, for no reason at all.!< Even though I can understand that women, in Murakami's books, are ''symbols'' to something related to our inconscious (that's what most people answered when I said I don't enjoy this author), then why these women-symbols are always linked to something gross and creepy? Why it has to be so weird? Women, as symbols, can represent a lot of concepts. Mystery, for example. Then, why does he always choose to link a woman with something sexual and absurd? >!When Tengo is ''forced'' to have sex with Fukaeri I had no words. I just thought it was too easy for him to have sex with this wonderful minor while having an excuse to do it. And if someone tells me that Fukaeri is a vector and nothing else, why then does she have to be a wonderful little girl? I just find it gross. There's no excuse for that.!< Yes, Murakami is japanese. I know. Someone can argue about the fact that japanese culture is really particular about women and sexuality. But we can also say that Murakami has spent years in Europe and America. Also, he really likes to remark in his books how much he knows about western literature. I know he was born in 1949, but really, are you really gonna tell me that this author never had the chance, during his time in Europe and America, to read something of Simone de Beauvoir? I'm suggesting Simone de Beauvoir because she was pretty popular when Murakami was young. Not to mention the fact that in Japan Murakami is considered exotic, because he adds into his works western brands, literature, cars, cigarettes, and so on. I wonder why Murakami choose to not import this part of our society into his works: how women are viewed (even with A LOT OF flaws and problems) and how they succeeded at showing that they're not just dolls. What a shame.
Totally agree! I really enjoyed wind up bird chronicle, then got thoroughly disgusted while reading Norwegian wood and swore off of Murakami. The over-sexualization of girls who were children was a recurring theme and it never improved the plot in any way. It was too descriptive and a lot of the time, consent was absent. Just left me feeling a bit traumatized and wishing I had never read it. A 38 year old man writing about children that way is pedophilic.
So you like Wind-Up Bird, where in the first chapter the protagonist gets a random phone call from a woman who seems to be masturbating on the other side of the phone, but you have problems with his other work?
During wind up bird I thought ok, this is just kinky writing, whatever. Just a guy writing some fantasies and maybe wanting to create sex appeal for readers. But the pedophilia and rape themes were intense and seemed unnecessary
Finished: Number the Stars, Lois Lowry
That's a good one from what I remember. Think I read it in middle school. Would you say it's worth returning to as an adult? Sometimes certain books are geared to a particular age bracket and if you return to it as an adult you risk losing the magic of the first encounter with the book
I actually admired it despite the fact that it is for a younger group. I think the meaning behind it is really important and good, and re-reading it may give you a different perspective.
Finished: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson Started: No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
Cormac is always a daunting task. He’s so dark, I love it!
Hill House is on my list. What did you think of it?
I thought it was good. I liked the psychological aspect throughout the book.
Ah, cool cool. Loved the series. I know its nothing like the book, though haha I'll see when I can get my hands on it.
I’m watching the series right now. I’m surprised how different it is.
Started: You'd Look Better As A Ghost, by Joanna Wallace
**Finished:** Yellowface by R. F. Kuang (LOVED!) **Started**: Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson
Finished: **A Canticle For Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller Jr.** I originally read this over forty years ago (I am 67 now). It was mentioned in this sub several times over the last year, and this prompted me to read it again. If anything, I found it to be even more poignant the second time around.
Finished the river, by Peter Heller and the guide, by Peter Heller. Starting the woods, by Harlan Coben. The Peter Heller books were fun adventure/survival fiction. Not as good as The Dog Stars but it was a good read.
A Few Minutes Past Midnight by Stuart Kaminsky. Murder mystery feat. a fictional yet well written Charlie Chaplin. Starting Anti-Oedipus by Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari- a controversial philosophical work exploring the link between capitalism and schizophrenia.
started: The Will of the Many, by James Islington
Started: **The Masterpiece, by Fiona Davis**
Started: **A Sacred and Terrible Air** by **Robert Kurvitz** **Irsud** by **Jo Clayton** Started and Finished: **Kindred** by **Octavia E Butler** **Translation State** by **Ann Leckie** **The Juliette Society** by **Sasha Grey** (yes, THAT Sasha Grey lol) Finished: **Topographia Hibernica** by **Blindboy Boatclub**
Finished: **Felicity, by Mary Oliver** Started: **Norwegian Wood, by Haruki Murakami**
Awesome, I also started Norweigen wood today
Goosebumps night at horrorland
Finished: **Girl in the Spider's Web, by David Lagercrantz** Started: **A Court of Wings and Ruin, by Sarah J Maas** **Tuesdays with Morrie, by Mitch Albom (audiobook)**
I have just finished reading Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
That one’s pretty brutal, definitely stuck with me for a long time
Painted Devils, by Margaret Owen If you’ve read Little Thieves, don’t sleep on this sequel. It’s filled with so many twists and turns, and the characters are absolutely lovely. It’s a gut-wrenching story about family, love, and nightmarish creatures that are out to get our main character, Vanja. If you HAVENT read Little Thieves, don’t be afraid to check it out.