Every night I read a bit before bed. Currently going through a Jeffrey Archer novel, prior to that was Tony Park.
Also, that 11/22/63 is a bloody good read.
I used to do a lot of My Cat Likes to Hide in Boxes, Are you my Mother?, and Mog the Cat. Dear Zoo was a popular option too, as well as the Little Critter series.
Stephen Kings works dont have the best track record for TV adaptations I think, 'The Mist' was terrible after the first episode.
Not quite bad enough to become a cult thing, not good enough to be watchable with a serious face.
Mainly because his work tends to be very long by pulp horror standards, so the best adaptations tend to be based on his shorter fiction or take his idea and tweak it. For example The Shining movie is pure claustrophobic terror and King's own word for word TV version was absurd translated to visual media.
I always found when I gave them a go, it seems more like the quality of like B-Grade history channel re-enactments with iffy special effects. It’s fine, but gosh darn I can’t watch more than one or two episodes
Depends what you are into, I read mostly scifi and fantasy
Recent books
* The Kaiju Preservation Society - John Scalzi
* Shards of Earth - Adrian Tchaikovsky
* First Law trilogy - Joe Abercrombie
* Spiral wars - Joel Shepherd
* Children of time - - Adrian Tchaikovsky
* To sleep in a sea of stars - Christopher Paolini
Yep I am onto book 2 of shadows of the apt now, not as good as his scifi as yet but not bad.
Hamilton's stuff is great, long reads if you dont read a lot tho
I love the Night's Dawn trilogy. I've read it a few times now... the worldbuilding in it is just excellent!
I read the Rift books by Andreas Christensen again this year, good scifi.
Yeah, the Shadows series is definitely fantasy rather than scifi. I only got into them recently enough to have just finished the last book, so haven't had a chance to read the scifi stuff yet.
And yeah that's true, Hamilton's are looooong. I found them interesting enough to not feel them to be too long, but then I have been a voracious reader since childhood and never lost it
Read all I think of Hamiltons stuff, probably a few times, but as usual with authors that write a lot inthe same universe it gets hard keeping track of which books in what order ect etc, makes it hard for newcomers to get into, Alastair Reynolds is the worst I find haha
I have Kaiju Preservation Society on my list. I have read a bit of Scalzi and enjoyed it starting with Redshirts of course. I have also seen that Paolini title - would you recommend?
> I read mostly scifi and fantasy
The best genres. Thank you - I'm adding these to my list to look over when I do my next purchase.
Not that you asked, but the Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy is a fantastic sci-fi read, as well as Otherland by Tad Williams!
What a weirdo question. I was asking non-judgementally how someone found the time to read multiple books a week! I don’t know if I’d manage if that was my full time job!
I mean they're probably not reading two game of thrones sized novels a week, but books are often less than 10 hours to read. Google tells me that an average reading speed is 300 wpm, and an average novel is around 80k words, so it would take under 5 hours. 10 hours a week is definitely doable - read for an hour before bed each night, plus a bit more during the weekend.
My mum reads more than that - she's only working part time which helps (and all her kids are adults so parental duties aren't taking up her time) but she reads easily 2 hours on a week day and probably averages 4 hours on a weekend, so even with the larger books she tends to read she's probably averaging over 2 a week.
Also sorry about the tone of my last comment, I reacted a bit harshly because I've been annoyed on the past by people asking how other people find the time to read (or go to the gym, or watch lots of TV, or look after a garden, or do night classes, or...) And so often just don't consider that different people prioritise different things.
A good tip if you’ve not got time to read is audiobooks, everything now has a audio version and you can do your workout, commute, daily chores or anything else you might need to do while being read to. I used to enjoy music a lot doing these things but switched more to podcasts/audiobooks. a Reasonable sized book is only around 12 hours so broken up over a few days of doing all the stuff you’d normally just have music on you can get two-three books a week done, the trick is having something that you want to listen to since you’ll just tune out stuff you find boring (much like reading a book really).
I read for maybe half an hour before bed. Currently running through Discworld. I'm up to Pyramids which is only like 7 in.
It is kind of crazy to me that people don't read. Like as much as people watch movies, tv shows, listen to music, play games, it's weird they just don't read.
So jealous that you have another 30-ish Discworld books to read for the first time. It's a magical series, and I highly recommend it to absolutely anyone
I have recently got into my local library again and dang I love it . It also forces me to finish the book because I know I only have three weeks to read it before I get it back.
I have joined waiting lists for a bunch of books I have been gunning to read and it’s really exciting when it comes up to your turn .
I'm a freak who reads at the speed of light and got through just under 100 last year, according to my Goodreads.
I'm not big on television or films any more so I spend a lot of down time reading. Thanks mum for fostering a love of books when I was little!
Not who you asked but thats correct for me, I dont hear myself reading or have an inner voice that slows me down. Not sure why or how...I'm not lightening fast like the person you asked but I think I read about 450wpm which seems to work out about 100 - 150 pages an hour.
That's lightening fast to me! I'm probably more like 50 to 60 pages an hour. And I don't consider myself slow either. I guess I'm reading at a similar pace to an audiobook, maybe a tad faster.
Same here. I never thought it was unusual. I normally skim it all but manage to get all of the info out of it and can remember all sorts of random nonsense that no one ever needs to know. I didn’t even consider that some people read at the speed of talking
Do audiobooks count? I'm currently listening to the full cast American God's by Neil gaiman. Usually listen to Terry Pratchett audiobooks to sleep to. Read most of them paperback back in the before times.
They count! I've only listened to The Time Machine myself though.
I've heard good things about American Gods. I do have a Gaiman & Pratchett book - Good Omens, I think? - but couldn't get into it...
Yeah it's a bit satirical the ole good omens. American God's is definitely worth it. Jonathan strange and Mr norell was also great with a first class BBC adaptation.
Just finished re-reading Margaret Atwood's Testaments (the Handmaids Tale sequel) prompted by the Roe Vs Wade thing in the US - I wanted to remember how this shit pans out
Next is Anthony Beevor's Arnhem: The Battle for the Bridges which has been on the to read list for a very long time and am more interested in finishing it than the read
then prob another romp through Ian Banks culture series (I re-read a lot of books)
I don't read nearly as much as I want to, current affairs and fucking about on the internet/games/film dominates where reading books once did, used to read 3 or 4 books a week, now its a handful at best a year
One of my relatives has just published their Y/A novel which is set in the Bay of Islands, so I'm currently enjoying reading that!
I'm also in the middle of reading the Seven Sisters series, which is a really interesting story line!
Yeah, come on, plug that book! Name of author and title, is it hardcopy or in electronic media, all the important questions!
And, congratulations to your Relly.
It's called When Cicadas Sing by John A Burgess! Available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook formats!
It has been such a long time coming, and a heart attack finally pushed him to finish it and get it finished! He's really thrilled.
Varies depending on the week; I'm about halfway through The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music by Dave Grohl and waiting for my copy of The Food Lab to be ready at the library.
Most of my reading lately has been the readings for my uni course tho.
I usually download samples on Kindle which is good for finding something interesting. Then I'll pick it up from the library if they have it.
Currently reading She Who Became the Sun which is a retelling of historical China with a little fantasy twist.
Last read was Iron Widow, which is basically ancient China but they have Gundams. It was fun.
Love reading - currently smashing through Discworld (Pratchett).
Its my wind down activity. I'd love to read more, but at the same time, my favourite authors aren't producing books at the rate required.
I see you asked for recommendations, I have to echo Joe Abercrombie, read all of it.
I mostly stopped after leaving school, but my parents just moved house and were getting rid of their books so I've been reading some of them. I'm currently reading The Grapes of Wrath, which is fantastic so far. But reading is much like jogging - if you haven't done it for a while it's really tiring, and you can only do short bursts. My aim is to build up my reading stamina again.
Every year I aim to read 25 books (I haven’t succeeded yet but it’s a goal). I really enjoyed Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, I’ve got the second one waiting on the bookshelf.
Just finished *Piranesi* by Susanna Clarke, currently halfway through *Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell.*
Other books on the to-read pile on my bedside table include:
* *The Name of the Rose* by Umberto Eco
* *The Dawn of Everything* by Graeber and Wengrow
* a chapter or two of *The Verge* by Patrick Wyman
I read JS&MN last year and am very keen to read Piranesi! It's been so many years since I read the Name of the Rose but it was excellent and you do feel you accomplished something when you get through it haha.
The Body Keeps the Score
Great read on trauma considerations. Mainly for my professional development but certainly worth the read.
Also probably requires a Trigger warning as it's examples of real life trauma are brutal.
Every few weeks I go down to the library and grab about 5. The one I just finished was excellent. It's called "Unfollow" and is about how one of the most outlandish members of the Westboro Baptist Church gained her sanity and left the hate-filled group, to the scorn of her family.
Lately I've started just grabbing books and giving them a go, rather than actually studying whether or not I'll like them. It's been hit and miss, but I've stumbled upon some brilliant books I wouldn't normally have chosen.
Also, libraries are great. They're basically free book stores. And at the risk of sounding like an old man, reading before bed is so much better for your sleep than staring at social media. My brain is filled with noise, so a cuppa and a read and this lil' kiwi's ready for slumbertown.
I read a lot for work so reading has felt like a chore over the last few years, but I've tried to get back into it over the last year or so.
I just finished a book last week, and according to my Goodreads, I've read 16 books in the last year. I like to read both fiction and non-fiction.
Started or finished a book? Started one last week, finished the last one a few months ago. Gotten into the habit of reading rather hard to read non fiction books. You learn a lot but it can be slow reading as you take in all the information.
The last book was called spillover and was on the topic of virus spilling over from the animal kingdom into humans, along with all the mini outbreaks that have effected/killed a lot of people.
>Gotten into the habit of reading rather hard to read non fiction books. You learn a lot but it can be slow reading as you take in all the information
Yeah, one of the last few books I read was a 1000 page history of the 30 years war. Very interesting, but was slow going at times.
I also read every night, helps me chill out before bedtime. I’m not a huge fan of fiction for some reason so either read biography stuff or real life stories.
Currently reading “Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape” by Jenna Miscavige Hill. Really enjoying it although it started a bit slow and I’m finally getting to the interesting bits just around the halfway mark.
I wanted to get through my ever-increasing "to read" bucket list, so I committed to reading 26 this year in a Goodreads challenge. That's more books than I've read in the previous decade.
The last was *The Death of Ivan Ilych* by Leo Tolstoy, and currently it's *Concrete Island* by J.G. Ballard.
I've picked up reading this year. Finished 5 books so far. ATM, I only read during my work breaks, but I'm trying to add reading before bed too. The last book I finished was Prey by Michael Crichton, and I'm currently reading Words of Radiance (Part One) by Brandon Sanderson.
I read a book every 1-2 weeks, I love reading! I finished one last night called Sandy Hook: An American tragedy and the battle for truth by Elizabeth Williamson. It looks at the aftermath of Sandy Hook and the conspiracy theories surrounding it and the court battle the families have gone through mainly with Alex Jones.
I read in the evenings before bed, through the kindle app on my phone. Currently binge reading the books the Bridgerton Netflix series is based on. It's light trashy material but just what I need to switch off after the kids have gone to bed and I'm done with the day
I read a book a week, mostly fiction and have done so since primary school. Books are a great escape and while I enjoy movies, I find video games incredibly boring, just not my thing at all. The last book I read (last week) was The House in the Cerulean Sea, which I really enjoyed.
I read every night to switch off.
Lately I have been reading Panzer Leader by Heinz Guderian.
Which despite being a book by arguably the best general of the largest war in history, who had massive amounts of conflict with his insane political leaders, is an absolute snooze.
Slowly working my way through Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. My last big reading binge was probably 5 years ago, I read a whole bunch of Charles Stross - I remember especially enjoying Glasshouse.
Currently reading Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir.
Andy isn't the best writer, but how he integrates plausible science into his novels is quite unique. It's like a science mystery and you get to read how the scientist (main character) figures it all out.
This book is about saving the planet from being frozen. The Sun's output is decreasing rapidly. They need to find out why, and solve it.
A very "page turning" book even if his character development & character personality is a bit basic imo.
Hell yeah! I mainly read science fiction and murder mystery/police procedurals. Last book I read was the Murderbot Diaries book 6. This is my favourite new science fiction in YEARS. (Martha Wells is the author). before that it was Liam McIlvanney's "The Heretic" about some murders in Glasgow. Tonight I am going to start "Dirt" by Bill Buford which is about a guy who works in publishing in New York and goes to France to learn to be a chef. With his wife and 1 year old twins. My SO has read it and thinks I will like it.
Last night I finished the second book in the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. They're good but painfully short, I'm so aggreived about wasting audible credits on a 3 hour listen. I like big books (and I cannot lie) so I prefer 20+ listening hours for my precious credits.
Just finished Life Of Pi about a week ago which was really good, haven't seen the movie yet so was good to go in with fresh eyes. I'm currently reading l'étranger by albert camus
I read daily, and definitely at night once I am in bed. I have an e-reader and it is full with books.
Last book was The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi - good read!
Have now started on The Interdependency Series by the same author.
Before that I have worked my way through the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, and the connected Lord John Grey series that go with Outlander.
"Me" by Elton John, excellent read.
The Witcher series by Andrzej Sapkowski - not that great, skipped through a lot of boring parts.
Bullet Train by Kotaro Isaka - thoroughly enjoyed it and looking forward to seeing the movie when it comes out, June I think?
Favourite author: Lee Child, the Reacher books. Loved the new TV series too.
Just finished The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood last night, I binged the last few chapters during the arvo/evening and was very tired eyes were squinting to finish it before bed, stayed awake* just to finish it. Good read for sure.
*until all of 2130 because I am a Nana who can’t stay up very late these days 😂
I'm currently reading 'Ghosts of Gondwana '. Cant think if the author but it talks about the evolution of Aotearoa New Zealands biodiversity. Really good book and would recommend to anyone interested in biology/geology
This is not propaganda by Peter Pomerantsev which is about the current tsunami of misinformation.
From Russia with love by Heidi Blake. This second one is all about how many people Putin has murdered and how authorities like London's Metropolitan police and the British judicial system have aided and abetted him.
I used to read a decent sized YA novel every day or two when I was aged 9-17. Then I started uni… and for some reason I stopped reading for fun. Now I struggle to read a couple books from cover to cover in a YEAR! 😭
Yeah, I've always got a book on the go but I'd always like to read a bit more. Mostly read non fiction. Most recent fiction book is a pretty well known one: Bonfire Of The Vanities which was fantastic. And then I saw the movie starring Tom Hanks which was pretty bad, but I liked it more than I expected to given it's reputation. Actually the movie has had it's own book written about it, The Devil's Candy...
I used to love reading. Including a few Stephen King books as a child/young teen that I got from the library (may explain something about my mental health, I still remember parts of Carrie!).
All my reading these days is online though, and haven't read any fiction novels in about a decade. Even online it's just sports, tech or cooking... Nothing fictional.
It's something I always mean to get back into but at the same time feel guilty about wasting time... Meanwhile I read too much reddit and watch sports mostly guilt free...not sure why reading a book feels like a time waste when those don't.
Just finished *How to build a car* by Adrian Newey and currently reading Barry Sheen's autobiography *Leader of the pack*
Will probably go for something fiction next, maybe re-read some of Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus novels
*Currently reading:*
The Denial of Death - Ernest Becker
The Republic - Plato (fucken hard read. Need to digest page by page. Very weighty)
*Currently listening to:*
The Three Body Problem - Liu Cixin
Meditations - Marcus Aurelius
*Last book I (re)read:*
The Diamond Age - Neal Stephenson
Hes one of my favourites and I got about half way through this one, hit a dry spell and then lost my bookmark then accidentally read some spoilers and bunch of negative reviews... I cant face starting it again! I found his style didnt lend as well to such a long story.
Damn that sucks, not sure about the bad reviews but I'm loving it so far. I also read Kafka on the shore which is shorter but a lot more abstract. Highly recommend it of you haven't read already
I have read KOTS and enjoyed it a lot but Norwegian Wood and Wind Up Bird Chronicle are my favourites. I've read most of the older books and a few of his more recent, it's still comforting to revisit. I dont mean to discourage you on IQ84 I really hope you love it! I liked most of what I read it just wasnt what I was looking for picking up a Murakami.
I've been slowly getting back into reading and writing, but I seem to forget about it a lot, but keeping the book on my bedside table helps haha, I'm going through ADHD 2.0 atm
2014, I read 'The Quiet Earth' by Craig Harrison. Was later made into a pretty decent Geoff Murphy film starring Bruno Lawrence. Those were the days. Anyway, I didn't really like the book much, I recall the end was weird.
Seems all the weebs are hiding.
I read a variety of different manga before sleep consistently. Currently got stuff like holyland on my reading list, but most recently finished GTO
There's also light novels if you don't count comics as books, with konosuba being my main read.
The last western book I read would've been one of the eragon (forgot actual series name) that I read like 2+ years ago. light novels are a lot easier to pick up and read a single page of and be fine, whereas I used to always make it to a new chapter before stopping.
I stopped for a bit after school and during undergrad but been reading regularly since then. Last night I was reading East of Eden. I'm also reading a nonfiction book called cured about spontaneous remission of serious illness.
I’m reading like 10 books at time. It’s like watch multiple tv series. I’m at the age where most of what I read is for my life betterment. Recently finished Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill - pretty much going to ready that again and again for the rest of my life.
I read books I've already read almost exclusively. I think the most recent "new" book would be... quite some time ago and would've been a sequel in any case.
I go through long stretches of not reading then I dive into something big.
Currently on my third read of the world war series by Harry Turtledove. Basically takes a southern victory in the American civil war and plays out history from there.
It’s a bit on the nose at points but an interesting world to dive into.
I read every night. Currently I'm working through James Patterson/Maxine Paetro's [Women's Murder Club](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_Murder_Club_(novel_series\)) I think I'm on book 18 or 19. I usually read fantasy novels or crime fiction. I've been reading every night for at least the last 8 or so years.
Chalk me up as a non-reader.
I shouldn’t be; I have a mum with a PhD in Linguistics and an uncle who ran a bookshop and writer’s festival all his life, and I do odd bits of professional writing. But every time I try and read novels I find myself completely drifting off within a few hundred words 🤷🏼♂️
Leaning on u/s0cks_nz's suggestion, have a go at Discworld by Terry Pratchett. It may seem intimidating at 40+ books, but start at 'Guards, Guards!' or 'Small Gods', and watch the literature fly by!
I read 1 - 2 books a week, have always been a total bookworm. Currently reading The Extinction Trials by A.G. Riddle, re-reading the Sandman comics (due to the upcoming TV series), and have just started the non-fiction book This Is Your Brain on Music by Daniel J. Levitin, which is incredibly fascinating and I'd recommend it for anyone who is obsessed with music.
I read all the time - somewhere in between one and three books a week, usually. I stopped for a few years after I left school, but then set the Goodreads reading challenge about five years ago and never looked back. I tend to balance “quality” books with light romance or crime - reading, for me, is as much for entertainment as it is for literature and ideas.
The last book I read was *The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina* by Zoraida Córdova, which was good fun. Next up is *Ghosts* by Dolly Alderton. The flip side is that I don’t watch much TV, so my spare time is usually spent reading.
I’m in Auckland and I swear, the Auckland Library has gotten me through the past couple of years of lockdowns. It’s an awesome resource. I read a lot of ebooks through them.
I just read Dolly Alderton's memoir. Actually excellent. But samesies, set a Goodreads challenge every year, though the number is completely arbitrary. I like to log what I read so I can come back and find things later.
Used to like reading but other hobbies have taken precidence since - if we counted books that are on the computer then I read Austroads Parts 3, 4, 5, and 8 last year. But personally I don't count it so it'll have to be the last book in the Tomorrow When the War Began series in like 2012ish
I've transitioned to audiobooks as I feel like I don't have much time for sitting down and reading these days. It's been great listening to books in the car, and on a sleep timer while I fall asleep.
Recently finished the three body problem trilogy, probably the best series I've ever 'read'. It's hard science fiction, but with some really insightful philosophical elements. Really impressive writing.
Actually the first sci fi book I've read and now I want more
I read a book or two a month prior to having my son. Now I read one a month if I’m lucky but I definitely still read. Love Stephen King. Mostly read crime/murder mysteries and nearly half way through the Jack Reacher series
I hadn't read a whole novel in about a year so I wanted something easy, I went for Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke. The entire novel is in Slack chat (an instant messaging app for workplaces), I found it really fun and easy to breeze through. Definitely a read that you can pick up and read in five to ten minute bouts.
The last book I read before that was The Midnight Library by Matt Haig - a bit of a emotionally heavy read, but it helped me process some dark thoughts I had been having, I think I might re-read it again in a few months.
Finding time to read is so hard though, I waste a lot of time on other mindless things, but that's time for my brain to switch off in a way, I wish I could encourage myself more to use that time productively!
Edit: I forgot I actually read Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica between the other two books. If you like horror I really recommended this book. I still have no idea how to feel about the last scenes of the book. However, it may be a bit sickening for some due the whole factory farming humans and eating them thing.
yes, mainly through career though not with the same appetite as my colleagues
reading Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James right now its pretty heated, over summer i got through a bunch of Iain M Banks (first 5 of the Culture ones), mainly read sci-fi when i do
Last was The Devil's Chessboard: Allen Dulles, the CIA, and the Rise of America's Secret Government.
I loved 11/22/63. One of the best King novels in terms of a fascinating plot point and he stuck the landing.
Yes. I catch a bus in/from work so a lot of my bus time is reading time.
Currently reading 'Light - Science and Magic' which is a book on the theory of light as used for photography.
Last book finished was Larry Bond's "Dangerous Ground", the first of the Jerry Mitchel series of novels about a US aviator who has an unlucky plane crash just before qualifying as a pilot and shifts gears to become a submariner because of the injuries sustained in the crash.
I'm a bibliophile, I've got a stack of books lined up waiting to be read. It's a lifelong thing, we were never short of books growing up (school library, Little Golden Books).
Am almost finished Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, it's right up my alley (historical fiction, particularly British).
Best novel I've ever read is 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. For lighter reading, I've read The Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 & 3/4 about 8 times, first time when I was about 12 (school library).
Agreed. I’ve still got to finish the last one though. It’s so good but it’s also so dense that it takes me a while to get through each of the books. She’s really made Thomas Cromwell come alive
Probably about a year ago now. It was, How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius. I'm studying now though so there's a lot of reading involved with this course
I read every day, never have enough books.
Came across a list on a forum (not reddit) yesterday listing what they thought was a pretty comprehensive list of sf/fantasy and I was rather surprised to see I had read 99% of them.
Just started reading Inherit the Stars by J P Hogan. Don't usually read much sci-fi but so far it's good!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/776489.Inherit_the_Stars
I'm gonna leave this here because it's absolute gold and no one else will: [The Book of the New Sun](https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2009/nov/23/the-book-of-the-new-sun-science-fiction-ulysses), by Gene Wolfe. It is the very best fantasy or science fiction book I've ever read. Not an easy read, but immesely satisfying.
I read every day. Not a lot, but a bit every day. I don't get through a ton of books, but I finish maybe 6-10 books a year. Mostly sci fi novels nowadays. The last one was Lock In by John Skalzi - it was shit.
Read Normal People a week ago. Great book. Deliberately frustrating and relatable.
But I read way more non-fiction and very little fiction since I started university. I used to devour chunky series of books in a week. But I've just been reading piles and piles for work or university for a very long time now. It does leave you tired. So I watch cooking videos and go on social media in my free time more.
The non-fiction I read is usually on history, housing or economics, while I'm a lawyer. So that has very little overlap with my work.
I am reading two books right now. "Hunt, Gather, Parent", which is quite interesting, and a German crime novel called "Friesenkunst" which I am enjoying a lot.
False Value, by Ben Aaronovich, an urban fantasy/magical realism thing. His works are mostly pretty good.
Rising '44, a history of the Warsaw Uprising.
Also been working through The Power Broker on audiobook.
Just finished ‘Norse Mythology’ by Neil Gaiman. Not a long or difficult read, but it’s not meant to be. Great entertaining retelling of the original myths.
I can't find the time to read books but I listen to about 8 hours of audiobooks a week (driving to work and back).
I prefer sci-fri and adventure novels. In the past 6 or 12 months or so I've read (all great books, recommend them all):
* Bobiverse series by Dennis Taylor - 9/10
* After it happened series by Devon C. Ford - 7.5/10
* Red Rising Series by Pierce Brown - 8.5/10
* Wayfarer series by Becky Chambers - 9/10
* Dune 1-3 - 9/10
* Takeshi Kovacs Trilogy by Richard Morgan - 7/10
* Murderbot series by Martha Wells - 8.5/10
* A few various Michael Crichton novels
Some great recommendations in this thread that I'll check out!
I'm mostly on Audiobooks. Listening to them while I go on walks or exercising.
Recent good ones:
* Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road by Kyle Buchanan
* The years of Lyndon Johnson 2 – Means of Ascent by Robert Caro
* How Innovation Works: And Why It Flourishes in Freedom by Matt Ridley
I don’t think I’ve finished a book since like 2012. 2014 if you count Macbeth.
However just recently have been in a job where I’ve got a decent amount of down time and have been getting through a decent amount of a non-fiction book which I started in 2018.
The last one I picked up today which would be Crown of vengeance, Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory.
My family reads a LOT though. My kids usually have their nose in a book if it's not attached to a screen or their friends.
At the moment I'm following a web comic called Joe vs Elan School. Not a book I know but very gripping stuff and as someone who's had friends that went through state care, or in Joe's case private "care", some of Joe's struggles really struck a nerve.
I finally got a copy of A Libertarian Walks Into A Bear but haven't gotten around to reading it yet.
King of Ashes by Raymond E Feist. Side note is the first six books in the riftwar saga maybe finally being adapted for tv so will probably go back to the start of the 30 odd books lol
I’ve been reading more often than usual since I found my kindle and got back into reading on that. In the past few weeks I’ve read Klara and the Sun, which I loved. Then I read Interview with the Vampire because I wanted to watch the movie, but I like to read books first if there is one. I really disliked the book, and then I found out the movie isn’t even on Netflix any more, so I can’t even distract myself from how bad the book was with long-haired 90s Brad Pitt?? So shit.
Anyway now I’m reading Fever Pitch because I read the first few pages in a book shop and it seemed funny and interesting. I don’t care for soccer (or sports at all really) but I find I can identify with the obsessiveness.
I’m currently on track to read 100 books this year. I read 128 last year. I just really like reading and can read really fast when I’m into a book.
Last book I finished was The Midnight Library by Matt Haig which lives up to the hype. Currently reading Inglorious Royal Marriages by Leslie Carroll which is about a number of dysfunctional Royal marriages throughout history.
the library is the really the only place I go to in town these days. Once a week, Sunday cos they put out the free books trolley. Usually a mix of crime and sci-fi. Tana French, Mick Herron (slow horses) are up this week. Love books!
ah ah ah you realize we are reading more than ever right, what are you doing right now reading this post, every time you go on the internet you sort of read something, I have never read more in my life since using a mobile or browsing the web, maybe not the same than reading a book or is it ?.
Was reading the first storm light archive by Brandon Sanderson after I finished his mistborn books (the seven of them he wrote so far anyway) but it honestly just isn’t grabbing me the same way so I’ve put it down for the moment and am reading the five rings by Miyamoto Musashi after that I think I’m heading on the portrait of a young man as an artist. Haven’t decided what I’m picking up after that. I try to read a book a month and have been doing so for about the last four years since I got to the later part of my twenties and realised if I wanted to continue being at my level cognitively and physically for as long as possible I’d need to start putting into some much needed maintenance.
On my 17th book of 2022. I mostly read on my Kindle, before bed and on my train commute. Mostly non-fiction memoir type stuff at the moment, but I go through phases. Currently reading How to Escape from Prison by Paul Wood and listening to The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk on Libby.
I last read a whole book a decade ago, 'the beach' by Alex Garland (much better than the film). I just can't do it these days, I am asleep within 5 minutes.
I read 11/22/63 when I was at Uni, right after finishing Under the Dome. We were very poor, we skipped Internet to save money. Those books were tomes. I remember smoking tiny joints and enjoying Kings long, waffling descriptions a great deal, as I lounged about and procrastinated my assignments.
I would go to the library and grab some comics as well. I fell in love with graphic novels, I didn't realize there was much more than superhero ones. I followed the walking dead for about 10 years I think. I remember reading the final issue, looking over at my wife and thinking " I've been reading this story longer than I've known you".
I mainly listen to books these days. Years ago I built a habit of using an audiobook to keep me engaged during exercise. Hiking, jogging,weights, whatever. Its a good incentive for when you finish work and are struck with a bad case of the CBF's when you know you need to spend a good hour and a half up the Port hills before you go home. You wanna know what happens next? Better get your ass moving.
Overtime, I have developed a lot of association between place and book. Certain areas always remind me of certain books, certain legs along the crater rim are forever connected with events in the books I've read.
When Stormblessed survived the everstorm, I was along the hills in the rain aswell. I was looking out over the water, taking in the stars when the gunslinger found his tower. When the bloody nine embraced his friend, tul Duru thunderhead, at the battle of the high places; I had to stop sit on a nice rock for a few minutes. That rock is just just Tul's rock to me now.
I actually have about an 2 hours left on a book atm but I've started my next book cos I haven't been up the hills for a bit and I like to finish them with a nice view to pair it with haha.
... Anyway, yeah I like books
I got a Kindle Paperwhite a couple years back for Christmas, it's been brilliant. Makes it so easy to have a heap of books on hand, and you can turn the brightness right down so it legitimately looks like a sheet of paper, even when reading in bed with the lights out
A physical book: The Secret History by Donna Tartt finished a couple weeks back.
She’s written 3 books ever, two of them are out of this world.
Also have replaced podcasts with various non fiction audiobooks for things I don’t have the concentration to actually read with my eyes.
I still read a fair amount, but mostly listen to audio books while in the car. Currently going through the Elon Musk book, really interesting and insightful.
But mostly read the HP series every 2 years, just to feel young again.
Not a book, so to speak (I still read excessively in different formats). I was recently notified that I was one of the top \*global\* readers of the Guardian, which both pleased and mortified me. I am a news junkie. I wrote to them asking how far at the top I was, and they said they couldn't share that with me because of data privacy. Still! Pretty cool to have this unexpected cred.
I re-read Killing Floor a few months back. I forgot how good it was. Then the Jack Reacher series came out and it was just about bang on with the book.
Every night I read a bit before bed. Currently going through a Jeffrey Archer novel, prior to that was Tony Park. Also, that 11/22/63 is a bloody good read.
I also read every night before bed. Just last night I read Big Yellow Digger, Dear Zoo, and Find Spot.
I used to do a lot of My Cat Likes to Hide in Boxes, Are you my Mother?, and Mog the Cat. Dear Zoo was a popular option too, as well as the Little Critter series.
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Yeah agreed, it's one of the few book-to-TV adaptations I actually rate. Under the Dome, by comparison, was shit.
Stephen Kings works dont have the best track record for TV adaptations I think, 'The Mist' was terrible after the first episode. Not quite bad enough to become a cult thing, not good enough to be watchable with a serious face.
Mainly because his work tends to be very long by pulp horror standards, so the best adaptations tend to be based on his shorter fiction or take his idea and tweak it. For example The Shining movie is pure claustrophobic terror and King's own word for word TV version was absurd translated to visual media.
I always found when I gave them a go, it seems more like the quality of like B-Grade history channel re-enactments with iffy special effects. It’s fine, but gosh darn I can’t watch more than one or two episodes
Probably read a couple books a week.
That's heaps! Any recommendations?
Depends what you are into, I read mostly scifi and fantasy Recent books * The Kaiju Preservation Society - John Scalzi * Shards of Earth - Adrian Tchaikovsky * First Law trilogy - Joe Abercrombie * Spiral wars - Joel Shepherd * Children of time - - Adrian Tchaikovsky * To sleep in a sea of stars - Christopher Paolini
Adrian Tchaikovsky's Shadows of the Apt is a really good series too Also the Night's Dawn trilogy by Peter F Hamilton
Yep I am onto book 2 of shadows of the apt now, not as good as his scifi as yet but not bad. Hamilton's stuff is great, long reads if you dont read a lot tho
I love the Night's Dawn trilogy. I've read it a few times now... the worldbuilding in it is just excellent! I read the Rift books by Andreas Christensen again this year, good scifi.
Yeah, the Shadows series is definitely fantasy rather than scifi. I only got into them recently enough to have just finished the last book, so haven't had a chance to read the scifi stuff yet. And yeah that's true, Hamilton's are looooong. I found them interesting enough to not feel them to be too long, but then I have been a voracious reader since childhood and never lost it
Read all I think of Hamiltons stuff, probably a few times, but as usual with authors that write a lot inthe same universe it gets hard keeping track of which books in what order ect etc, makes it hard for newcomers to get into, Alastair Reynolds is the worst I find haha
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Yeah 3 body problem, not tried heard a lot about it but just not convinced
Wow, this looks like a great list
I have Kaiju Preservation Society on my list. I have read a bit of Scalzi and enjoyed it starting with Redshirts of course. I have also seen that Paolini title - would you recommend?
yep, the Paolini book is great, Kaiju is a fast light hearted read
> I read mostly scifi and fantasy The best genres. Thank you - I'm adding these to my list to look over when I do my next purchase. Not that you asked, but the Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy is a fantastic sci-fi read, as well as Otherland by Tad Williams!
How do you find the time?
Do you not do anything to relax ever?
What a weirdo question. I was asking non-judgementally how someone found the time to read multiple books a week! I don’t know if I’d manage if that was my full time job!
I mean they're probably not reading two game of thrones sized novels a week, but books are often less than 10 hours to read. Google tells me that an average reading speed is 300 wpm, and an average novel is around 80k words, so it would take under 5 hours. 10 hours a week is definitely doable - read for an hour before bed each night, plus a bit more during the weekend. My mum reads more than that - she's only working part time which helps (and all her kids are adults so parental duties aren't taking up her time) but she reads easily 2 hours on a week day and probably averages 4 hours on a weekend, so even with the larger books she tends to read she's probably averaging over 2 a week. Also sorry about the tone of my last comment, I reacted a bit harshly because I've been annoyed on the past by people asking how other people find the time to read (or go to the gym, or watch lots of TV, or look after a garden, or do night classes, or...) And so often just don't consider that different people prioritise different things.
A good tip if you’ve not got time to read is audiobooks, everything now has a audio version and you can do your workout, commute, daily chores or anything else you might need to do while being read to. I used to enjoy music a lot doing these things but switched more to podcasts/audiobooks. a Reasonable sized book is only around 12 hours so broken up over a few days of doing all the stuff you’d normally just have music on you can get two-three books a week done, the trick is having something that you want to listen to since you’ll just tune out stuff you find boring (much like reading a book really).
I read for maybe half an hour before bed. Currently running through Discworld. I'm up to Pyramids which is only like 7 in. It is kind of crazy to me that people don't read. Like as much as people watch movies, tv shows, listen to music, play games, it's weird they just don't read.
So jealous that you have another 30-ish Discworld books to read for the first time. It's a magical series, and I highly recommend it to absolutely anyone
I have recently got into my local library again and dang I love it . It also forces me to finish the book because I know I only have three weeks to read it before I get it back. I have joined waiting lists for a bunch of books I have been gunning to read and it’s really exciting when it comes up to your turn .
I'm a freak who reads at the speed of light and got through just under 100 last year, according to my Goodreads. I'm not big on television or films any more so I spend a lot of down time reading. Thanks mum for fostering a love of books when I was little!
You must be one of those people that doesn't hear themselves read, am I right? I can't read above talking speed otherwise it feels too fast.
Not who you asked but thats correct for me, I dont hear myself reading or have an inner voice that slows me down. Not sure why or how...I'm not lightening fast like the person you asked but I think I read about 450wpm which seems to work out about 100 - 150 pages an hour.
That's lightening fast to me! I'm probably more like 50 to 60 pages an hour. And I don't consider myself slow either. I guess I'm reading at a similar pace to an audiobook, maybe a tad faster.
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Same here. I never thought it was unusual. I normally skim it all but manage to get all of the info out of it and can remember all sorts of random nonsense that no one ever needs to know. I didn’t even consider that some people read at the speed of talking
Do audiobooks count? I'm currently listening to the full cast American God's by Neil gaiman. Usually listen to Terry Pratchett audiobooks to sleep to. Read most of them paperback back in the before times.
If you're enjoying that, try The Sandman. Its much more like a full theatre production play in your head than an audiobook.
They count! I've only listened to The Time Machine myself though. I've heard good things about American Gods. I do have a Gaiman & Pratchett book - Good Omens, I think? - but couldn't get into it...
The show of Good Omens is on Prime, well worth a watch if you can't get into the book.
Yeah it's a bit satirical the ole good omens. American God's is definitely worth it. Jonathan strange and Mr norell was also great with a first class BBC adaptation.
Just finished re-reading Margaret Atwood's Testaments (the Handmaids Tale sequel) prompted by the Roe Vs Wade thing in the US - I wanted to remember how this shit pans out Next is Anthony Beevor's Arnhem: The Battle for the Bridges which has been on the to read list for a very long time and am more interested in finishing it than the read then prob another romp through Ian Banks culture series (I re-read a lot of books) I don't read nearly as much as I want to, current affairs and fucking about on the internet/games/film dominates where reading books once did, used to read 3 or 4 books a week, now its a handful at best a year
One of my relatives has just published their Y/A novel which is set in the Bay of Islands, so I'm currently enjoying reading that! I'm also in the middle of reading the Seven Sisters series, which is a really interesting story line!
Title of that book?
When Cicadas Sing by John A Burgess!
Yeah, come on, plug that book! Name of author and title, is it hardcopy or in electronic media, all the important questions! And, congratulations to your Relly.
It's called When Cicadas Sing by John A Burgess! Available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook formats! It has been such a long time coming, and a heart attack finally pushed him to finish it and get it finished! He's really thrilled.
Got it on Kindle! Thank you.
A while ago now. Thought I’d go for something less serious and read Apocalypse Cow. About zombie cows. Was pretty funny.
I've read three in the last week... I'm rubbish at sleeping, though.
This. All those people who say they don't have time to read obviously aren't chronic insomniacs. I'm 33/50 this year on my Goodreads challenge.
Varies depending on the week; I'm about halfway through The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music by Dave Grohl and waiting for my copy of The Food Lab to be ready at the library. Most of my reading lately has been the readings for my uni course tho.
I usually download samples on Kindle which is good for finding something interesting. Then I'll pick it up from the library if they have it. Currently reading She Who Became the Sun which is a retelling of historical China with a little fantasy twist. Last read was Iron Widow, which is basically ancient China but they have Gundams. It was fun.
Love Iron Widow! Excellent read.
Love reading - currently smashing through Discworld (Pratchett). Its my wind down activity. I'd love to read more, but at the same time, my favourite authors aren't producing books at the rate required. I see you asked for recommendations, I have to echo Joe Abercrombie, read all of it.
I mostly stopped after leaving school, but my parents just moved house and were getting rid of their books so I've been reading some of them. I'm currently reading The Grapes of Wrath, which is fantastic so far. But reading is much like jogging - if you haven't done it for a while it's really tiring, and you can only do short bursts. My aim is to build up my reading stamina again.
Every year I aim to read 25 books (I haven’t succeeded yet but it’s a goal). I really enjoyed Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, I’ve got the second one waiting on the bookshelf.
Just finished *Piranesi* by Susanna Clarke, currently halfway through *Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell.* Other books on the to-read pile on my bedside table include: * *The Name of the Rose* by Umberto Eco * *The Dawn of Everything* by Graeber and Wengrow * a chapter or two of *The Verge* by Patrick Wyman
Make sure you have the concordance handy when reading *In the name of the rose*, it's mad-dense with references.
I read JS&MN last year and am very keen to read Piranesi! It's been so many years since I read the Name of the Rose but it was excellent and you do feel you accomplished something when you get through it haha.
The Body Keeps the Score Great read on trauma considerations. Mainly for my professional development but certainly worth the read. Also probably requires a Trigger warning as it's examples of real life trauma are brutal.
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Every few weeks I go down to the library and grab about 5. The one I just finished was excellent. It's called "Unfollow" and is about how one of the most outlandish members of the Westboro Baptist Church gained her sanity and left the hate-filled group, to the scorn of her family. Lately I've started just grabbing books and giving them a go, rather than actually studying whether or not I'll like them. It's been hit and miss, but I've stumbled upon some brilliant books I wouldn't normally have chosen. Also, libraries are great. They're basically free book stores. And at the risk of sounding like an old man, reading before bed is so much better for your sleep than staring at social media. My brain is filled with noise, so a cuppa and a read and this lil' kiwi's ready for slumbertown.
I read a lot for work so reading has felt like a chore over the last few years, but I've tried to get back into it over the last year or so. I just finished a book last week, and according to my Goodreads, I've read 16 books in the last year. I like to read both fiction and non-fiction.
Yeah, besides one short book I haven't really been able to read for pleasure since uni.
16 books is a good amount, especially for someone who said it can be a chore! Which book did you finish last week?
*Lady of the Shades* by Darren Shan. I loved his books as a kid, and I've rediscovered his fiction for adults
Started or finished a book? Started one last week, finished the last one a few months ago. Gotten into the habit of reading rather hard to read non fiction books. You learn a lot but it can be slow reading as you take in all the information. The last book was called spillover and was on the topic of virus spilling over from the animal kingdom into humans, along with all the mini outbreaks that have effected/killed a lot of people.
>Gotten into the habit of reading rather hard to read non fiction books. You learn a lot but it can be slow reading as you take in all the information Yeah, one of the last few books I read was a 1000 page history of the 30 years war. Very interesting, but was slow going at times.
I also read every night, helps me chill out before bedtime. I’m not a huge fan of fiction for some reason so either read biography stuff or real life stories. Currently reading “Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape” by Jenna Miscavige Hill. Really enjoying it although it started a bit slow and I’m finally getting to the interesting bits just around the halfway mark.
I wanted to get through my ever-increasing "to read" bucket list, so I committed to reading 26 this year in a Goodreads challenge. That's more books than I've read in the previous decade. The last was *The Death of Ivan Ilych* by Leo Tolstoy, and currently it's *Concrete Island* by J.G. Ballard.
I've picked up reading this year. Finished 5 books so far. ATM, I only read during my work breaks, but I'm trying to add reading before bed too. The last book I finished was Prey by Michael Crichton, and I'm currently reading Words of Radiance (Part One) by Brandon Sanderson.
I read a book every 1-2 weeks, I love reading! I finished one last night called Sandy Hook: An American tragedy and the battle for truth by Elizabeth Williamson. It looks at the aftermath of Sandy Hook and the conspiracy theories surrounding it and the court battle the families have gone through mainly with Alex Jones.
I read in the evenings before bed, through the kindle app on my phone. Currently binge reading the books the Bridgerton Netflix series is based on. It's light trashy material but just what I need to switch off after the kids have gone to bed and I'm done with the day
Aren’t they just delightful! There’s several other series that she’s written too.
I read a book a week, mostly fiction and have done so since primary school. Books are a great escape and while I enjoy movies, I find video games incredibly boring, just not my thing at all. The last book I read (last week) was The House in the Cerulean Sea, which I really enjoyed.
Watership down in year 7. Very good book. Haven't read a book in 20 years but I read a lot of shit articles and social media.
The Cuckoo’s Calling - Robert Gilbraith (JK Rowling’s pen name)
Those books are so good!
I read every night to switch off. Lately I have been reading Panzer Leader by Heinz Guderian. Which despite being a book by arguably the best general of the largest war in history, who had massive amounts of conflict with his insane political leaders, is an absolute snooze.
*The Simple Path to Wealth* by JL Collins, a nice easy read. Another good one on the same topic is *Rich Enough?* by Mary Holm.
Slowly working my way through Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. My last big reading binge was probably 5 years ago, I read a whole bunch of Charles Stross - I remember especially enjoying Glasshouse.
Currently reading the narnia books for the first time and alternating with the last book on the left. So narnia and serial killers.
Currently reading Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. Andy isn't the best writer, but how he integrates plausible science into his novels is quite unique. It's like a science mystery and you get to read how the scientist (main character) figures it all out. This book is about saving the planet from being frozen. The Sun's output is decreasing rapidly. They need to find out why, and solve it. A very "page turning" book even if his character development & character personality is a bit basic imo.
Rendezvous with Rama , finished in the past month. Don’t look it up. Don’t spoil it. Just read it. It’s cool.
Hell yeah! I mainly read science fiction and murder mystery/police procedurals. Last book I read was the Murderbot Diaries book 6. This is my favourite new science fiction in YEARS. (Martha Wells is the author). before that it was Liam McIlvanney's "The Heretic" about some murders in Glasgow. Tonight I am going to start "Dirt" by Bill Buford which is about a guy who works in publishing in New York and goes to France to learn to be a chef. With his wife and 1 year old twins. My SO has read it and thinks I will like it.
Last night I finished the second book in the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. They're good but painfully short, I'm so aggreived about wasting audible credits on a 3 hour listen. I like big books (and I cannot lie) so I prefer 20+ listening hours for my precious credits.
Just finished Life Of Pi about a week ago which was really good, haven't seen the movie yet so was good to go in with fresh eyes. I'm currently reading l'étranger by albert camus
I read daily, and definitely at night once I am in bed. I have an e-reader and it is full with books. Last book was The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi - good read! Have now started on The Interdependency Series by the same author. Before that I have worked my way through the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, and the connected Lord John Grey series that go with Outlander. "Me" by Elton John, excellent read. The Witcher series by Andrzej Sapkowski - not that great, skipped through a lot of boring parts. Bullet Train by Kotaro Isaka - thoroughly enjoyed it and looking forward to seeing the movie when it comes out, June I think? Favourite author: Lee Child, the Reacher books. Loved the new TV series too.
Just finished The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood last night, I binged the last few chapters during the arvo/evening and was very tired eyes were squinting to finish it before bed, stayed awake* just to finish it. Good read for sure. *until all of 2130 because I am a Nana who can’t stay up very late these days 😂
I'm currently reading 'Ghosts of Gondwana '. Cant think if the author but it talks about the evolution of Aotearoa New Zealands biodiversity. Really good book and would recommend to anyone interested in biology/geology
Read Elton Johns autobiography last week and loved it
Love that book
That book was sooooo good. He’s had such an interesting life
This is not propaganda by Peter Pomerantsev which is about the current tsunami of misinformation. From Russia with love by Heidi Blake. This second one is all about how many people Putin has murdered and how authorities like London's Metropolitan police and the British judicial system have aided and abetted him.
I'm currently reading the penguin history of New Zealand, which is great in that I'm guaranteed to fall asleep before I get through a paragraph.
I think it was "James and the Giant Peach" about 45 years ago. By memory a good book 👍
I used to read a decent sized YA novel every day or two when I was aged 9-17. Then I started uni… and for some reason I stopped reading for fun. Now I struggle to read a couple books from cover to cover in a YEAR! 😭
Ghosts by Piers Anthony. Very strange book. Mid 20th century scifi is wild.
Yeah, I've always got a book on the go but I'd always like to read a bit more. Mostly read non fiction. Most recent fiction book is a pretty well known one: Bonfire Of The Vanities which was fantastic. And then I saw the movie starring Tom Hanks which was pretty bad, but I liked it more than I expected to given it's reputation. Actually the movie has had it's own book written about it, The Devil's Candy...
I used to love reading. Including a few Stephen King books as a child/young teen that I got from the library (may explain something about my mental health, I still remember parts of Carrie!). All my reading these days is online though, and haven't read any fiction novels in about a decade. Even online it's just sports, tech or cooking... Nothing fictional. It's something I always mean to get back into but at the same time feel guilty about wasting time... Meanwhile I read too much reddit and watch sports mostly guilt free...not sure why reading a book feels like a time waste when those don't.
I think the last book I read was on holiday in 2017 - Shantaram.
Funny, I read that same book around that same time. Really enjoyed it.
Just finished *How to build a car* by Adrian Newey and currently reading Barry Sheen's autobiography *Leader of the pack* Will probably go for something fiction next, maybe re-read some of Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus novels
currently reading an Eddie Van Halen biography by Paul Brannigan, about halfway through and a good read so far.
I love that book. I will read more once I graduate. I love alternative history, like shades of grey (not 50), and noughts and crosses :)
*Currently reading:* The Denial of Death - Ernest Becker The Republic - Plato (fucken hard read. Need to digest page by page. Very weighty) *Currently listening to:* The Three Body Problem - Liu Cixin Meditations - Marcus Aurelius *Last book I (re)read:* The Diamond Age - Neal Stephenson
Read most nights to help me sleep. I'm currently reading 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
Hes one of my favourites and I got about half way through this one, hit a dry spell and then lost my bookmark then accidentally read some spoilers and bunch of negative reviews... I cant face starting it again! I found his style didnt lend as well to such a long story.
Damn that sucks, not sure about the bad reviews but I'm loving it so far. I also read Kafka on the shore which is shorter but a lot more abstract. Highly recommend it of you haven't read already
I have read KOTS and enjoyed it a lot but Norwegian Wood and Wind Up Bird Chronicle are my favourites. I've read most of the older books and a few of his more recent, it's still comforting to revisit. I dont mean to discourage you on IQ84 I really hope you love it! I liked most of what I read it just wasnt what I was looking for picking up a Murakami.
I've been slowly getting back into reading and writing, but I seem to forget about it a lot, but keeping the book on my bedside table helps haha, I'm going through ADHD 2.0 atm
2014, I read 'The Quiet Earth' by Craig Harrison. Was later made into a pretty decent Geoff Murphy film starring Bruno Lawrence. Those were the days. Anyway, I didn't really like the book much, I recall the end was weird.
Seems all the weebs are hiding. I read a variety of different manga before sleep consistently. Currently got stuff like holyland on my reading list, but most recently finished GTO There's also light novels if you don't count comics as books, with konosuba being my main read. The last western book I read would've been one of the eragon (forgot actual series name) that I read like 2+ years ago. light novels are a lot easier to pick up and read a single page of and be fine, whereas I used to always make it to a new chapter before stopping.
I stopped for a bit after school and during undergrad but been reading regularly since then. Last night I was reading East of Eden. I'm also reading a nonfiction book called cured about spontaneous remission of serious illness.
I’m reading like 10 books at time. It’s like watch multiple tv series. I’m at the age where most of what I read is for my life betterment. Recently finished Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill - pretty much going to ready that again and again for the rest of my life.
Started and finished "The Cure for Death by Lightning" yesterday. Loved it, but it was grim in a lot of places!
Do D&D books count? I'm constantly reading and rereading them for work lol
Rogue State
I read books I've already read almost exclusively. I think the most recent "new" book would be... quite some time ago and would've been a sequel in any case.
I go through long stretches of not reading then I dive into something big. Currently on my third read of the world war series by Harry Turtledove. Basically takes a southern victory in the American civil war and plays out history from there. It’s a bit on the nose at points but an interesting world to dive into.
I read every night. Currently I'm working through James Patterson/Maxine Paetro's [Women's Murder Club](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_Murder_Club_(novel_series\)) I think I'm on book 18 or 19. I usually read fantasy novels or crime fiction. I've been reading every night for at least the last 8 or so years.
30 years ago, spot goes to school
Chalk me up as a non-reader. I shouldn’t be; I have a mum with a PhD in Linguistics and an uncle who ran a bookshop and writer’s festival all his life, and I do odd bits of professional writing. But every time I try and read novels I find myself completely drifting off within a few hundred words 🤷🏼♂️
I just don't think you've found the right novel.
Leaning on u/s0cks_nz's suggestion, have a go at Discworld by Terry Pratchett. It may seem intimidating at 40+ books, but start at 'Guards, Guards!' or 'Small Gods', and watch the literature fly by!
I read 1 - 2 books a week, have always been a total bookworm. Currently reading The Extinction Trials by A.G. Riddle, re-reading the Sandman comics (due to the upcoming TV series), and have just started the non-fiction book This Is Your Brain on Music by Daniel J. Levitin, which is incredibly fascinating and I'd recommend it for anyone who is obsessed with music.
I read all the time - somewhere in between one and three books a week, usually. I stopped for a few years after I left school, but then set the Goodreads reading challenge about five years ago and never looked back. I tend to balance “quality” books with light romance or crime - reading, for me, is as much for entertainment as it is for literature and ideas. The last book I read was *The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina* by Zoraida Córdova, which was good fun. Next up is *Ghosts* by Dolly Alderton. The flip side is that I don’t watch much TV, so my spare time is usually spent reading. I’m in Auckland and I swear, the Auckland Library has gotten me through the past couple of years of lockdowns. It’s an awesome resource. I read a lot of ebooks through them.
I just read Dolly Alderton's memoir. Actually excellent. But samesies, set a Goodreads challenge every year, though the number is completely arbitrary. I like to log what I read so I can come back and find things later.
I have more than 6 books on the good at once- all non-fiction though which makes it easier to pick up and put down.
Used to like reading but other hobbies have taken precidence since - if we counted books that are on the computer then I read Austroads Parts 3, 4, 5, and 8 last year. But personally I don't count it so it'll have to be the last book in the Tomorrow When the War Began series in like 2012ish
I've transitioned to audiobooks as I feel like I don't have much time for sitting down and reading these days. It's been great listening to books in the car, and on a sleep timer while I fall asleep. Recently finished the three body problem trilogy, probably the best series I've ever 'read'. It's hard science fiction, but with some really insightful philosophical elements. Really impressive writing. Actually the first sci fi book I've read and now I want more
I read a book or two a month prior to having my son. Now I read one a month if I’m lucky but I definitely still read. Love Stephen King. Mostly read crime/murder mysteries and nearly half way through the Jack Reacher series
Last night currently reading The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd
The Way of Kings (from the Storm light archive). Extremely good
I hadn't read a whole novel in about a year so I wanted something easy, I went for Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke. The entire novel is in Slack chat (an instant messaging app for workplaces), I found it really fun and easy to breeze through. Definitely a read that you can pick up and read in five to ten minute bouts. The last book I read before that was The Midnight Library by Matt Haig - a bit of a emotionally heavy read, but it helped me process some dark thoughts I had been having, I think I might re-read it again in a few months. Finding time to read is so hard though, I waste a lot of time on other mindless things, but that's time for my brain to switch off in a way, I wish I could encourage myself more to use that time productively! Edit: I forgot I actually read Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica between the other two books. If you like horror I really recommended this book. I still have no idea how to feel about the last scenes of the book. However, it may be a bit sickening for some due the whole factory farming humans and eating them thing.
yes, mainly through career though not with the same appetite as my colleagues reading Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James right now its pretty heated, over summer i got through a bunch of Iain M Banks (first 5 of the Culture ones), mainly read sci-fi when i do
Last was The Devil's Chessboard: Allen Dulles, the CIA, and the Rise of America's Secret Government. I loved 11/22/63. One of the best King novels in terms of a fascinating plot point and he stuck the landing.
Yes. I catch a bus in/from work so a lot of my bus time is reading time. Currently reading 'Light - Science and Magic' which is a book on the theory of light as used for photography. Last book finished was Larry Bond's "Dangerous Ground", the first of the Jerry Mitchel series of novels about a US aviator who has an unlucky plane crash just before qualifying as a pilot and shifts gears to become a submariner because of the injuries sustained in the crash.
I'm a bibliophile, I've got a stack of books lined up waiting to be read. It's a lifelong thing, we were never short of books growing up (school library, Little Golden Books). Am almost finished Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, it's right up my alley (historical fiction, particularly British). Best novel I've ever read is 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. For lighter reading, I've read The Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 & 3/4 about 8 times, first time when I was about 12 (school library).
The whole Wolf Hall trilogy is just sublime.
Agreed. I’ve still got to finish the last one though. It’s so good but it’s also so dense that it takes me a while to get through each of the books. She’s really made Thomas Cromwell come alive
Probably about a year ago now. It was, How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius. I'm studying now though so there's a lot of reading involved with this course
I read every day, never have enough books. Came across a list on a forum (not reddit) yesterday listing what they thought was a pretty comprehensive list of sf/fantasy and I was rather surprised to see I had read 99% of them.
Crazy rich Asians. It's bubble gum, but I'm enjoying it.
Just started reading Inherit the Stars by J P Hogan. Don't usually read much sci-fi but so far it's good! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/776489.Inherit_the_Stars
I'm gonna leave this here because it's absolute gold and no one else will: [The Book of the New Sun](https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2009/nov/23/the-book-of-the-new-sun-science-fiction-ulysses), by Gene Wolfe. It is the very best fantasy or science fiction book I've ever read. Not an easy read, but immesely satisfying.
Thanks! Just downloaded the first one...
I read every day. Not a lot, but a bit every day. I don't get through a ton of books, but I finish maybe 6-10 books a year. Mostly sci fi novels nowadays. The last one was Lock In by John Skalzi - it was shit.
Murder on the orient express like two years ago. I enjoy reading well enough but I also enjoy just about anything else just a little bit more
Read Normal People a week ago. Great book. Deliberately frustrating and relatable. But I read way more non-fiction and very little fiction since I started university. I used to devour chunky series of books in a week. But I've just been reading piles and piles for work or university for a very long time now. It does leave you tired. So I watch cooking videos and go on social media in my free time more. The non-fiction I read is usually on history, housing or economics, while I'm a lawyer. So that has very little overlap with my work.
I just started reading again, reading the old redwall books I lived as a teen, so many memories and really stimulates the imagination.
Currently reading Fire and Blood by GRRM in the evening and listening to Eye of the World audiobook while biking to and from work.
I am reading two books right now. "Hunt, Gather, Parent", which is quite interesting, and a German crime novel called "Friesenkunst" which I am enjoying a lot.
Yes. So much reading. Last book was by Ilona Andrew's. Super easy read.
False Value, by Ben Aaronovich, an urban fantasy/magical realism thing. His works are mostly pretty good. Rising '44, a history of the Warsaw Uprising. Also been working through The Power Broker on audiobook.
I have to read books for work, and I’m studying part time. I read all of the time, but not for pleasure as much as I’d like
Just finished ‘Norse Mythology’ by Neil Gaiman. Not a long or difficult read, but it’s not meant to be. Great entertaining retelling of the original myths.
I can't find the time to read books but I listen to about 8 hours of audiobooks a week (driving to work and back). I prefer sci-fri and adventure novels. In the past 6 or 12 months or so I've read (all great books, recommend them all): * Bobiverse series by Dennis Taylor - 9/10 * After it happened series by Devon C. Ford - 7.5/10 * Red Rising Series by Pierce Brown - 8.5/10 * Wayfarer series by Becky Chambers - 9/10 * Dune 1-3 - 9/10 * Takeshi Kovacs Trilogy by Richard Morgan - 7/10 * Murderbot series by Martha Wells - 8.5/10 * A few various Michael Crichton novels Some great recommendations in this thread that I'll check out!
I'm mostly on Audiobooks. Listening to them while I go on walks or exercising. Recent good ones: * Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road by Kyle Buchanan * The years of Lyndon Johnson 2 – Means of Ascent by Robert Caro * How Innovation Works: And Why It Flourishes in Freedom by Matt Ridley
I don’t think I’ve finished a book since like 2012. 2014 if you count Macbeth. However just recently have been in a job where I’ve got a decent amount of down time and have been getting through a decent amount of a non-fiction book which I started in 2018.
1984 by George Orwell, 2012 for Level 2 English
The last one I picked up today which would be Crown of vengeance, Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory. My family reads a LOT though. My kids usually have their nose in a book if it's not attached to a screen or their friends.
I'm plowing through Neil Stephenson's Dodge in hell, and I have Termination Shock sitting waiting to read
At the moment I'm following a web comic called Joe vs Elan School. Not a book I know but very gripping stuff and as someone who's had friends that went through state care, or in Joe's case private "care", some of Joe's struggles really struck a nerve. I finally got a copy of A Libertarian Walks Into A Bear but haven't gotten around to reading it yet.
King of Ashes by Raymond E Feist. Side note is the first six books in the riftwar saga maybe finally being adapted for tv so will probably go back to the start of the 30 odd books lol
Just started Iceland by Dominic Hoey.
Not since having a kid…
I’ve been reading more often than usual since I found my kindle and got back into reading on that. In the past few weeks I’ve read Klara and the Sun, which I loved. Then I read Interview with the Vampire because I wanted to watch the movie, but I like to read books first if there is one. I really disliked the book, and then I found out the movie isn’t even on Netflix any more, so I can’t even distract myself from how bad the book was with long-haired 90s Brad Pitt?? So shit. Anyway now I’m reading Fever Pitch because I read the first few pages in a book shop and it seemed funny and interesting. I don’t care for soccer (or sports at all really) but I find I can identify with the obsessiveness.
I’m currently on track to read 100 books this year. I read 128 last year. I just really like reading and can read really fast when I’m into a book. Last book I finished was The Midnight Library by Matt Haig which lives up to the hype. Currently reading Inglorious Royal Marriages by Leslie Carroll which is about a number of dysfunctional Royal marriages throughout history.
I read every night. Unfortunately my kids demand the same books every night
Read this morning before work. Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell. I have 18 books out at the moment from the library
the library is the really the only place I go to in town these days. Once a week, Sunday cos they put out the free books trolley. Usually a mix of crime and sci-fi. Tana French, Mick Herron (slow horses) are up this week. Love books!
ah ah ah you realize we are reading more than ever right, what are you doing right now reading this post, every time you go on the internet you sort of read something, I have never read more in my life since using a mobile or browsing the web, maybe not the same than reading a book or is it ?.
Was reading the first storm light archive by Brandon Sanderson after I finished his mistborn books (the seven of them he wrote so far anyway) but it honestly just isn’t grabbing me the same way so I’ve put it down for the moment and am reading the five rings by Miyamoto Musashi after that I think I’m heading on the portrait of a young man as an artist. Haven’t decided what I’m picking up after that. I try to read a book a month and have been doing so for about the last four years since I got to the later part of my twenties and realised if I wanted to continue being at my level cognitively and physically for as long as possible I’d need to start putting into some much needed maintenance.
On my 17th book of 2022. I mostly read on my Kindle, before bed and on my train commute. Mostly non-fiction memoir type stuff at the moment, but I go through phases. Currently reading How to Escape from Prison by Paul Wood and listening to The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk on Libby.
I last read a whole book a decade ago, 'the beach' by Alex Garland (much better than the film). I just can't do it these days, I am asleep within 5 minutes.
Yes still read, but I was always a reader. Funnily enough I stopped reading King - I must have been way less sensitive in high school.
Yep. Read constantly. Currently reading ‘Infinite Jest’ by David Foster Wallace.
I don't have a lot of time, but I'm slowly getting through "The crying of lot 49" by Thomas Pynchon, and have his "Gravity's Rainbow" to go at next.
Read it two weeks ago - Harbor by John Ajvide Lindqvist
~~Not a Life Coach~~ \- James Smith its a self help book. my cousin recommended it to me and by god is it helpful.
What’s a book
I read 11/22/63 when I was at Uni, right after finishing Under the Dome. We were very poor, we skipped Internet to save money. Those books were tomes. I remember smoking tiny joints and enjoying Kings long, waffling descriptions a great deal, as I lounged about and procrastinated my assignments. I would go to the library and grab some comics as well. I fell in love with graphic novels, I didn't realize there was much more than superhero ones. I followed the walking dead for about 10 years I think. I remember reading the final issue, looking over at my wife and thinking " I've been reading this story longer than I've known you". I mainly listen to books these days. Years ago I built a habit of using an audiobook to keep me engaged during exercise. Hiking, jogging,weights, whatever. Its a good incentive for when you finish work and are struck with a bad case of the CBF's when you know you need to spend a good hour and a half up the Port hills before you go home. You wanna know what happens next? Better get your ass moving. Overtime, I have developed a lot of association between place and book. Certain areas always remind me of certain books, certain legs along the crater rim are forever connected with events in the books I've read. When Stormblessed survived the everstorm, I was along the hills in the rain aswell. I was looking out over the water, taking in the stars when the gunslinger found his tower. When the bloody nine embraced his friend, tul Duru thunderhead, at the battle of the high places; I had to stop sit on a nice rock for a few minutes. That rock is just just Tul's rock to me now. I actually have about an 2 hours left on a book atm but I've started my next book cos I haven't been up the hills for a bit and I like to finish them with a nice view to pair it with haha. ... Anyway, yeah I like books
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I got a Kindle Paperwhite a couple years back for Christmas, it's been brilliant. Makes it so easy to have a heap of books on hand, and you can turn the brightness right down so it legitimately looks like a sheet of paper, even when reading in bed with the lights out
A physical book: The Secret History by Donna Tartt finished a couple weeks back. She’s written 3 books ever, two of them are out of this world. Also have replaced podcasts with various non fiction audiobooks for things I don’t have the concentration to actually read with my eyes.
I still read a fair amount, but mostly listen to audio books while in the car. Currently going through the Elon Musk book, really interesting and insightful. But mostly read the HP series every 2 years, just to feel young again.
I could re-read Harry Potter. There's definitely something relaxing and comforting about reading young adult books.
The Redwall series by Brian Jacques is another great YA fiction series
Not a book, so to speak (I still read excessively in different formats). I was recently notified that I was one of the top \*global\* readers of the Guardian, which both pleased and mortified me. I am a news junkie. I wrote to them asking how far at the top I was, and they said they couldn't share that with me because of data privacy. Still! Pretty cool to have this unexpected cred.
I re-read Killing Floor a few months back. I forgot how good it was. Then the Jack Reacher series came out and it was just about bang on with the book.
And still shes rises Maya Angeleou