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Reading at t'moment?

#28541 User is offline   QuickTidal 

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Posted 11 November 2022 - 12:13 PM

View PostMacros, on 11 November 2022 - 09:05 AM, said:

View PostQuickTidal, on 10 November 2022 - 07:34 PM, said:

View PostMacros, on 10 November 2022 - 07:22 PM, said:

Eh, not worried about Spoilers (interesting study done a few years ago, Spoilers don't spoil us for the main, need to dig it up but anticipation isn't decreased by knowing an outcome)

She wants to pick a book for her book club and mentioned that.

I was more thinking is the trilo essential to read six of crows dualology?


Oh, not really. The events happen sidelong in the timeline just in a different place, and one character crosses over between the two IIRC...I got more basic info about the world by reading the trilogy first, but you would not be lost if you only read SIX OF CROWS duology either.

The trilogy is just weaker stuff overall.



Cheers, I think my copy of six went to the charity shop but I'll source one for her


Dunno if this helps, but the kindle version is 5 pounds on amazon.co.uk
"When the last tree has fallen, and the rivers are poisoned, you cannot eat money, oh no." ~Aurora

“Someone will always try to sell you despair, just so they don't feel alone.” ~Ursula Vernon
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#28542 User is offline   Macros 

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Posted 12 November 2022 - 08:53 AM

Good thinking, checked kobo, both 4.99 on there too
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#28543 User is offline   TheRetiredBridgeburner 

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Posted 15 November 2022 - 08:12 PM

View PostQuickTidal, on 08 November 2022 - 03:54 PM, said:

View PostTheRetiredBridgeburner, on 08 November 2022 - 09:38 AM, said:

The Once and Future King by T H White (actually five books in one). It's the version of the King Arthur story that Disney's Sword in the Stone is based on.

It's bonkers, but predominantly in a very charming way. Shows its age occasionally (first book, The Sword in the Stone, was first published in 1938) but mostly it's rather sweet and often very funny. The frequent "I'm not describing this, Mallory already did" nods to Le Morte d'Arthur keep tickling me.


I have the eBook version of this and have never gotten round to it yet, but I'm excited to. Let me know how it is when you are done!


Finished this over the weekend - it remained very charming and actually wrung a fair bit of emotion out of me at the end, which is surprising when you unequivocally know the ending.

My version has a warning that there is some repetition in it - a piece of book 5 was later edited by White back into book 1 in later releases, and my version left it in both books. Worth knowing ahead of time to avoid some confusion!


On to one of my excellent birthday haul next - Robin Ince's The Importance of Being Interested: Adventures in Scientific Curiosity. We've been enjoying The Infinite Monkey Cage podcast on long trips and saw him on Brian Cox's tour recently, so thought I'd give it a go.
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#28544 User is offline   QuickTidal 

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Posted 15 November 2022 - 08:21 PM

View PostTheRetiredBridgeburner, on 15 November 2022 - 08:12 PM, said:

View PostQuickTidal, on 08 November 2022 - 03:54 PM, said:

View PostTheRetiredBridgeburner, on 08 November 2022 - 09:38 AM, said:

The Once and Future King by T H White (actually five books in one). It's the version of the King Arthur story that Disney's Sword in the Stone is based on.

It's bonkers, but predominantly in a very charming way. Shows its age occasionally (first book, The Sword in the Stone, was first published in 1938) but mostly it's rather sweet and often very funny. The frequent "I'm not describing this, Mallory already did" nods to Le Morte d'Arthur keep tickling me.


I have the eBook version of this and have never gotten round to it yet, but I'm excited to. Let me know how it is when you are done!


Finished this over the weekend - it remained very charming and actually wrung a fair bit of emotion out of me at the end, which is surprising when you unequivocally know the ending.

My version has a warning that there is some repetition in it - a piece of book 5 was later edited by White back into book 1 in later releases, and my version left it in both books. Worth knowing ahead of time to avoid some confusion!




Thanks! I'll move it up on my list.
"When the last tree has fallen, and the rivers are poisoned, you cannot eat money, oh no." ~Aurora

“Someone will always try to sell you despair, just so they don't feel alone.” ~Ursula Vernon
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#28545 User is offline   Abyss 

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Posted 16 November 2022 - 03:11 PM

View PostTiste Simeon, on 10 November 2022 - 08:03 AM, said:

View PostAbyss, on 09 November 2022 - 02:29 PM, said:

View PostTheRetiredBridgeburner, on 09 November 2022 - 08:00 AM, said:

View PostQuickTidal, on 08 November 2022 - 03:54 PM, said:

View PostTheRetiredBridgeburner, on 08 November 2022 - 09:38 AM, said:

The Once and Future King by T H White (actually five books in one). It's the version of the King Arthur story that Disney's Sword in the Stone is based on.

It's bonkers, but predominantly in a very charming way. Shows its age occasionally (first book, The Sword in the Stone, was first published in 1938) but mostly it's rather sweet and often very funny. The frequent "I'm not describing this, Mallory already did" nods to Le Morte d'Arthur keep tickling me.


I have the eBook version of this and have never gotten round to it yet, but I'm excited to. Let me know how it is when you are done!


Will do! They've just finished the quest for the Holy Grail and Mordred is very much on the scene, so I suspect I don't have too much left!


Have they met the rabbit yet?
What about the Frenchmen catapulting cows?

If these books don't have the phrase "your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries" I don't want to know about them.



View PostTheRetiredBridgeburner, on 10 November 2022 - 09:04 AM, said:

Sadly none of the above, but it's every bit as bonkers as Python in its own way

Example: knight spends entire life following Questing Beast. He and his friend then make a Questing Beast costume to try and impress a lady, whereupon the actual Questing Beast who's been feeling a bit neglected turns up, promptly falls in love with its costumed twin, and besieges the castle until its "mate" comes out. Posted Image


Does anyone, at any point, in any way, mention sparrows?
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#28546 User is offline   Abyss 

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Posted 16 November 2022 - 04:32 PM

View PostAbyss, on 07 November 2022 - 02:42 PM, said:

Halfway thru Jen Lyon's Chorus of Dragons bk 5 THE DISCORD OF GODS, am enjoying it. ...


Just Finished.


She sticks the landing very nicely, thank you. Some massive battles, some nice twists, solid resolutions to the major plotlines, satisfying ends to character arcs big and small, enough left open that 'the story continues' even tho it doesn't.

This series is not very dark. It treads on the edges at times, but never goes full Erikson or Abercrombie. Action scenes are well written and visual enough. Pacing is good, if it drags here or there to infodump it corrects quickly.

To her absolute credit, the author consistently winds all the many plot threads and character groups together. It's a big cast and events are spread out, but somehow come together not just at the finale of each book, but at various, logical points. By the middle'ish everyone has met, groups have been mixed up, and - unlike many fantasy epics where distinct plotlines are parallel but never meet - the story falls into a coherent whole. Supporting characters in one book become pov characters later, rolls shift, we get different perspectives on events that change the reader's impression of wtf just happened.

The characters are a nice mix of archetypes and 'real'ish, very engaging, fun to read. The world(s) are well thought out but not overdeveloped - some authors explain the major export of a city and its geography to justify its existence, but Lyons doesn't leave any plots lying around that require that, so the reader doesn't need to care. The magic system is fun, not original but very very flexible without feeling deus ex. 'Death' in particular is both important and potentially transitory... i have to give Lyons credit for setting up situations where knowing they might die isn't just a motivator to stay alive but potentially part of a bigger plan. Resurrections and past lives are active plot points that often do not work out. The gods, god-kings, wizards, witches, immortals interact w 'normal' people and are far from all powerful. People change sides and their motivations make sense. Perfectly good plans go horribly horribly wrong.


One villain in particular has an excellent Xanatos thing going. I don't think i've enjoyed a master baddie type this much in a long time.


I loved her dragons... genuinely magic, original, 'fun' and a real threat, even creepy at times. Her not-quite-human races are mostly more or less elves but for reasons the story explains they aren't very non-human, except for some that are nicely alien. There's a shapechanger who is an absolute scenestealer. There are demons who are not just there to be evil. The 'magic items' are pretty great.


No issues w the five doorstopper book size, each book's story has a logical space to fill.


The narrative structure, each book told as stories by the survivors to someone else who plays a role in it, is very engaging and enjoyable. The earbook narrators make good use of this most of the time.


Cons... not much... the main characters start out a bit young and give the early two novels a YA vibe that fades reasonably quickly. There's a tendency to use colloquial slang... 'let's kick his ass'... works fine for me but might throw some out of the story. Some twists are less clever or more obviously foreshadowed to the point that the reader might be surprised something was as obvious as it was but that's a rare foible.


Earbook narration is done by teams of 2-3 people. It is generally good, sometimes great, sometimes it takes close to half a book for a narrator to hit their grove and keep voices distinct, which can be annoying when a narrator, who is also a character in the story being told, interjects into the story and it's unclear whether they are commenting as a participant or narrator. The flipside to this is books 4 and 5, where the narrators and well in the zone and the interjections are great, sometimes extremely funny.


It's a fun, enjoyable fantasy series, and if you're feeling like an epic, i think it's worth the eyes, brainz, and money. You'll know by mid the first book if you want to keep going. I'm glad i did.




Up next, semi reluctantly bumping Jemisin for Sanderson's THE LOST METAL.
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#28547 User is offline   Abyss 

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Posted 21 November 2022 - 07:18 PM

Re THE LOST METAL...

Code Names Are Stupid is my new favorite character in all of the Cosmere.
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#28548 User is offline   JPK 

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Posted 23 November 2022 - 08:32 PM

I'm finally tackling Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes and I'm pleasantly surprised that it's a classic that not only meets expectations set by it's reputation but then very much exceeds then.
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#28549 User is offline   Whisperzzzzzzz 

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Posted 24 November 2022 - 04:21 AM

View PostWhisperzzzzzzz, on 03 November 2022 - 02:47 AM, said:

Listening to Schwab's A Conjuring Of Light, reading Lyons' The Ruin Of Kings.

Recently finished Nayler's The Mountain In The Sea.


On to Lyons' The Name of All Things.
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#28550 User is offline   Abyss 

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Posted 27 November 2022 - 07:17 PM

Just finished THE LOST METAL. All good, solid book, comments in the ded thread.

Now about 3hrs into Jemisin's THE WORLD WE MAKE and oh my gods I am LOVING this book SO MUCH.
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#28551 User is offline   Aptorian 

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Posted 28 November 2022 - 04:09 PM

Finished the latest John Dies... Book by Jason Pargins "If this book exists, you're in the wrong universe".

I want to say this is the most creative of his books so far but the books are all uniquely creative and weird in their own way.

This fourth book is about multiverses and time travel and Malicious mobile gaming, social media and demonic Microtransactions.

I get frustrated reading these books some times because David and John are so incredibly stupid and bad at their monster hunting job but that's also what's great about the books. I think I'd prefer a collection of short stories about their ridiculous experiences rather than yet another the world is going to end story but it's a heck of a ride every time.

Also Joy is the real MVP now.
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#28552 User is offline   Abyss 

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Posted 28 November 2022 - 05:55 PM

View PostAptorian, on 28 November 2022 - 04:09 PM, said:

Finished the latest John Dies... Book by Jason Pargins "If this book exists, you're in the wrong universe".
... Joy is the real MVP now.


Do you mean Amy? Or Molly
Is Joy even a character?
Does Joy exist at all or did you just imagine them???
WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO THE REAL APTORIAN YOU MULTIVERSAL SLUGBAG CONFESS CONFESS GODDAMMIT
*beats you senseless with a rubber butt*
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#28553 User is offline   polishgenius 

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Posted 29 November 2022 - 11:26 PM

I'm not around on this forum as much as I used to be. Sadface.

I also don't read as much as I should, ironically on account of having more free time- I got so used to reading on my commute I've gotten out of the habit of reading anywhere else, and now I don't have one, I don't read much... must fix that.


Aaaaaaaaaanyway. I did recently finish The Fall of Babel. The fact that it took me most of a year might be a clue that I... didn't love it? It's weird because I'm perfectly fine with how it ended up (though it is a tease), especially the main relationship, and most of the explanations and that are cool, I just didn't think it needed to stop for an action scene every three chapters. I dunno. It was fine, I might like it more on a re-read.
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#28554 User is offline   Aptorian 

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Posted 30 November 2022 - 06:42 AM

View PostAbyss, on 28 November 2022 - 05:55 PM, said:

View PostAptorian, on 28 November 2022 - 04:09 PM, said:

Finished the latest John Dies... Book by Jason Pargins "If this book exists, you're in the wrong universe".
... Joy is the real MVP now.


Do you mean Amy? Or Molly
Is Joy even a character?
Does Joy exist at all or did you just imagine them???
WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO THE REAL APTORIAN YOU MULTIVERSAL SLUGBAG CONFESS CONFESS GODDAMMIT
*beats you senseless with a rubber butt*


Tell me I'm not crazy. Joy wasn't in the first three books, right? Love that sentient cloud of insects in a trenchcoat.

Also David is definitely a werebat-by-night. What's up with that?
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#28555 User is offline   Aptorian 

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Posted 30 November 2022 - 06:46 AM

Started a reread of Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan. I feel like reading some good sci-fi and I never got around to reading the sequels originally.

This book is really well paced. It helps that Kovacs is likable in an efficient sort of way.
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#28556 User is offline   Aptorian 

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Posted 30 November 2022 - 06:49 AM

View Postpolishgenius, on 29 November 2022 - 11:26 PM, said:

I'm not around on this forum as much as I used to be. Sadface.

I also don't read as much as I should, ironically on account of having more free time- I got so used to reading on my commute I've gotten out of the habit of reading anywhere else, and now I don't have one, I don't read much... must fix that.


Aaaaaaaaaanyway. I did recently finish The Fall of Babel. The fact that it took me most of a year might be a clue that I... didn't love it? It's weird because I'm perfectly fine with how it ended up (though it is a tease), especially the main relationship, and most of the explanations and that are cool, I just didn't think it needed to stop for an action scene every three chapters. I dunno. It was fine, I might like it more on a re-read.


Life is too short for books that take a year to finish.
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#28557 User is offline   polishgenius 

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Posted 30 November 2022 - 07:06 AM

I mean, I wasn't reading it all the time.
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#28558 User is offline   Chance 

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Posted 30 November 2022 - 07:42 AM

Trying to start reading after a slump but it ain't going very well. Been trying to finish Blood of the Chosen for a while maybe today it aint a spectacular book but it is decent. Intended to be starting Servant of the Underworld to get through the entire trilogy of Aliette Bodards aztec urban fantasy which I've only read the first and second book before but only gotten a few pages in. :D

View PostAptorian, on 30 November 2022 - 06:46 AM, said:

Started a reread of Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan. I feel like reading some good sci-fi and I never got around to reading the sequels originally.

This book is really well paced. It helps that Kovacs is likable in an efficient sort of way.


They are all pretty damn good, book 2 is probably the weakest of the lot but is facinating in its own way.
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#28559 User is offline   Abyss 

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Posted 30 November 2022 - 02:22 PM

View PostAptorian, on 30 November 2022 - 06:42 AM, said:

View PostAbyss, on 28 November 2022 - 05:55 PM, said:

View PostAptorian, on 28 November 2022 - 04:09 PM, said:

Finished the latest John Dies... Book by Jason Pargins "If this book exists, you're in the wrong universe".
... Joy is the real MVP now.


Do you mean Amy? Or Molly
Is Joy even a character?
Does Joy exist at all or did you just imagine them???
WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO THE REAL APTORIAN YOU MULTIVERSAL SLUGBAG CONFESS CONFESS GODDAMMIT
*beats you senseless with a rubber butt*


Tell me I'm not crazy. Joy wasn't in the first three books, right? Love that sentient cloud of insects in a trenchcoat.

Also David is definitely a werebat-by-night. What's up with that?



You're not crazy, Joy is a character in book 7, he's a flying squirrel not a bat, I may be lying.
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#28560 User is offline   JPK 

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Posted 30 November 2022 - 02:34 PM

View PostAptorian, on 30 November 2022 - 06:42 AM, said:

View PostAbyss, on 28 November 2022 - 05:55 PM, said:

View PostAptorian, on 28 November 2022 - 04:09 PM, said:

Finished the latest John Dies... Book by Jason Pargins "If this book exists, you're in the wrong universe".
... Joy is the real MVP now.


Do you mean Amy? Or Molly
Is Joy even a character?
Does Joy exist at all or did you just imagine them???
WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO THE REAL APTORIAN YOU MULTIVERSAL SLUGBAG CONFESS CONFESS GODDAMMIT
*beats you senseless with a rubber butt*


Tell me I'm not crazy. Joy wasn't in the first three books, right? Love that sentient cloud of insects in a trenchcoat.

Also David is definitely a werebat-by-night. What's up with that?


Sounds like you need to reread book 3.
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