Finished The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson, 3rd book in the 2nd era of Mistborn!
Read last 150 or so pages in a single sitting. Very interesting where the story is going.
After finishing it, I wanted to focus on the other books I was reading but the ending made me start the Mistborn: Secret Histories novella right away.
The novella takes place in Era 1 (at least as far as I have read) but the recommended order is after The Bands of Mourning, as mentioned at the end of the book. Pretty interesting so far.
Still Readings Ultra-processed Food by Chris van Tulleken and The Bullet Journal Method by Ryder Caroll, but at very slow pace. Going to focus on them one at a time to speed them up.
What about all of you? What have you been reading or listening to lately?
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Almost finished with The lies of Locke Lamora. Havent found the rest of the gentlemen bastards in Dutch unfortunately.
Honestly, it’s the best of the bunch.
I’m still settling on a new book rn, but I went on kind of a reading binge last week.
Finished:
A Case of Life and Limb by Sally Smith (mostly cozy historical mystery with legal elements) | bingo: different continent, x of y HM, new, alliterative, cozy
The reclusive barrister from the first book is drawn into another mystery while preparing for a court case rife with scandal.
This was a little less cozy than the first book, but I liked it just as much. I do hope the next one will break the pattern of ‘seemingly separate court case turns out to be related to the mystery’, though.
Obscura by Joe Hart (scifi thriller with mystery and horror elements) | bingo: none!
A scientist working on a cure for an Alzheimer’s-like disease is convinced to travel to space to diagnose a team of astronauts with similar symptoms.
For as many issues as I had with this, it was still enjoyable. The horror/thriller/mystery parts were fun, but the physics were applied spottily, and I did a lot of eye rolling at the repeated railroading of the MC by others to avoid explaining the situation, only for them to later explain the situation.
Teacup Magic: The First Collection by Tansy Rayner Roberts (cozy fantasy of manners with romance and mystery elements) | bingo: different continent, indie, short HM, steppin’ up HM, cozy
A trio of novellas about an upper-class young woman falling into magical mysteries and adventures with her friends and love interest.
These were charming, fluffy fun that I will happily read more of. Skip if you prefer detailed world building, or acknowledgement of privilege.
Just finished Slaughterhouse-Five. Currently reading On the Road, by Jack Kerouac. It’s good so far. I had no idea Beatniks were just bums that did lots of drugs and listened to Jazz. Fun stuff! Every generation is basically the same. Sex, drugs, sticking it to the man, etc… :)
How’d you like Slaughterhouse Five? Been meaning to get to it.
I really wanted to like On the Road. The whole movement and characters are so cool and sympathetic to me, but somehow it had too little direction for me to really enjoy it. I know that’s sort of the point though…
It was good. Not what I was expecting. I knew very little about it going in. I haven’t ready anything by Kurt Vonnegut until now but I will be checking out some more. The story jumps around in time quite a bit but it wasn’t too confusing. I did have to re-read a few pages but over all worth the read.
On the Road popped up randomly on a podcast I was listening to so I bought a copy because it sounded interesting. Parts of it do feel a bit directionless but overall it’s a fun story. Reminds me of one carefree hippy summer I spent doing nothing but being a bum back in the 90s.
I remember struggling with On the Road, but someone reminded me that beatniks (including Kerouac) were frequently poets. I miss out on the lyricism sometimes, so this has inspired me to check if my library has an audio book version (it does, I’m 56th in line)
Still working on How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell, and right now I’m reading If You Dare by A.R. Torre to finish up that trilogy.
Ha, when that Sanderlanch hits you can’t just put it down 😅
I’m catching up on Firefly books that have been on my Backlog (mostly thanks to Brandon Sanderson as it turns out). Currently reading Life Signs.
Heh, you are right about that Sanderlanch 😀
How are the Firefly books? Didn’t even know they existed before you mentioned them (or I completely forgot if I ever knew), and I loved the show.
If you love the show then you’ll love the books! Joss Whedon is a consulting editor and it reads exactly like the show.
Sounds perfect, will check them out. Also gives me the reason to re-watch the show!
Finished: Foundation by Asimov. Pretty great, I liked the repeated theme that violence is just a bad solution, not a “wrong” one. You can sit around arguing philosophy all day, but if one path involves death and destruction and the other avoids it then it’s hard to argue with results
In progress: Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama. I got a color e-reader for Christmas so I’ve been seeing what Manga is like on it. It’s funny and plays pretty fast and loose with its own rules. It’s also much faster than watching the show
Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.
Did you read the trilogy? And/or the broader universe?
I read Foundations as a start, then went and read the rest of his universe, and a bunch of his other works too!
Love the entire DB universe, I own the omnis for DB but sold the DBZ ones ages ago. Wish I didn’t.
It’s raunchy and I love it. I had to warn my niece about gokus balls when I lent it to her, you know what I’m referring too…
Foundation was for my bookclub so I just read that. I have read I, Robot and Nightfall and do like Asimov in general, I may come back to the series time permitting
There have been multiple times reading DB that I had to remind myself it was written by a dude in Japan in the 80s who had no idea it would be popular, let alone become a global phenomenon. Roshi and Bulma early on is a little gross, and Goku is way too fascinated with people’s groins. It’s still pretty fun
Missed this post last week but since then I have done a few things.
I finished the last current Trader book.
I listened to the first Outlanders book which turns out to be set 100 years after the Deathlands books and references a lot of things established in those books but also even just in this first answers a lot of questions that hadn’t been made apparent about the history of the Deathlands so along with Trader being set 40 or so years before they are all giving a good amount of information on the setting and lore and filling in lots of blanks.
I also got the newest Deathlands, number 157, which was OK.
I listened to the newest “Beware of Chicken” by casual farmer. This is number 5 and I really enjoyed going back and visiting that setting again. It fleshed out a lot more of the main characters back story as well as a couple of epilogues that filled in some side characters back stories some more, it was a good time.
And currently I am just over half way through Shopocalypse Saga book 7 “BuyMort Singularity”. This is set 100 years in the future from where the last book left off which left you thinking the main character was dead, this follows his return and him catching up with how the universe has changed in his absence as well as how his legend has been incorrectly told leading him to be some what demonised. It then goes on to tell about how he begins to reaffirm his presence in the universe and try to take back some of the power he once held. Again I am really enjoying returning to another setting I know and enjoyed in the past!
It has been a busy couple of weeks!
That’s lots of stuff, but I guess this can be expected with Deathlands out of the picture 😀
How will you rate Trader books?
I’d probably rate it similarly to Deathlands as I was enjoying it, just not enough of it yet for me to fully get into it but I enjoyed the fact it was a continuing story. The trader as a character was in the very early Deathlands books and I didn’t particular like him but in these newer books with him as a younger man I didn’t mind him anywhere near as much.
How do you feel about the Mistborn second era as a whole now that you finished it? I didn’t realise there was a novella, I might need to look that up!
Oh, there’s still a book left. 4 books in total in Era 2. Will let you know after I finish that, but it seems to be getting even better!
Oh shit, I thought it was 3, I need to get back onto this!
Hehe, have fun!
Body Count by Paddy Manning
https://www.booktopia.com.au/body-count-paddy-manning/book/9781925456752.html
My wife wanted me to read the mist born novels, that were intriguing but the lead character killed me
I didn’t have any issue with it, but I have heard this from many people.
Just finished “The Rose Field” by Philip Pullman, book 3 in “The Book of Dust”. Was it good? I’m somewhat up in the air about that. I enjoyed the series but books 2 & 3 was just one book in 2 volumes; and that’s fine but it was somehow a bit… Unfulfilling. Ending felt a bit rushed as well; an additional 50 pages might have better fleshed out both the climax and a suitable epilogue.
Started “The Gone World” by Tom Sweterlitsch last night. Holy poop the 7-page prologue had me hooked immediately.
I really enjoy all of Pullman’s books, but I haven’t read any of the new dust books. I’m curious to jump in.
Agreed, that prologue is fantastic. I wish the rest of the book matched that tone and intensity better, but I still enjoyed it.
2nd Murderbot book, and Pride and Prejudice with Zombies.
How are you liking Pride and Prejudice with Zombies? Added it to my wishlist when it was released, but never got around to getting it.
It’s funny, and very clever. But there’s no way I’d get through Pride and Prejudice with no Zombies. Hooooly shit, is it insufferable. Unless that’s intentional, and that changes at some point.
Haha, it has been quite a while since I read it, but I recall liking the original so might be worth a try with Zombies too.
I finished Ghost Story by Jim Butcher. This was my least favourite book the first two times and I wasn’t looking forward to it, but it was really good this time through. I think it’s because I read a physical book instead of listening to the audiobook this time, and this one is much slower and more contemplative. Memories are such an important part of this story, so being able to read entire pages of scene-setting, that go in detail into everything that Dresden was seeing & feeling, and everything they mean to him, were much more effective in a medium that lets you sit with things for a moment and really take it all in. Loved it.
I’m in Fellowship of the Ring now, gonna alternate these with Dresden files. I only just watched the films for the first time in the last year or so and I read The Hobbit last month (didn’t watch those ones). No thoughts on it yet except I’m glad we didn’t stick around in Hobbiton for very long, I really don’t like the people there for the most part.
Ghost Story is contentious, it’s just such a huge change of pace from the typical book in the series, and much more introspective. I enjoy it more and more each time I read it though.
Reincarnation blues by Michael Poore. It’s not groundbreaking but it’s entertaining.
Three quarters through “Works of Vermin” by Hiron Ennis.
Pretty good, but if you want something much better, try The Scar by China Meiville.
I haven’t read Mieville yet, but while I was reading The Works of Vermin, I did wonder if there were similarities. Good to know!
His top two are Perdido Street Station and The Scar. Wasn’t crazy about The Iron Council, and UnLunDun felt like an overgrown YA.
Have fun.
He did a comic book called ‘Dial H for Hero’ which had its moments
I have a personal fondness for The City and The City.
The Scar has one element in it that is weirdly applicable to my favorite hobby, so I have spent way too much time thinking about just that thing.
Please expand on that.
Since a lot of the book was about radical body modification and a vampire ruled neighborhood I find the lack of context disrubing.
If I were to toss a coin, most certainly it would land on one side or the other; its just possible it might land on its edge. But if I were to make it part of a possibility circuit, I’d turn it into a coin of possible falls. A possible coin. And if I toss that, things are different. One of either heads or tails or just maybe edge will come up as before and lies there as strong as ever. That the fact-coin. And surrounding it, in different degrees of solidity and permanency, depending on how likely they were are a scattering of its nighs – its close possibilities, made real. Like ghosts. Some almost as strong as the factual , fading to those that are just barely there. When the clockwork is running, my arm and the sword mine possibilities. For every factual attack there are a thousand possibilities, nigh-sword ghosts, and all of them strike down together. When I switch on the sword, precision is the one thing I cannot afford. The more precise the strike the more constrained potentiality, the more wasted the Possible Sword. I must be an opportunist, not a planner. I must fight from the heart, not the mind.
My favorite hobby is social dancing in an improvised context. I prefer (slightly) following over leading (though I am skilled at both). At any moment, my partner could choose to move us in any direction, though much like the quote states, some ways are more likely than others. It is my job as a follow to be prepared for any of them and be able to perform them. The more that I think that I know what will happen, the less open I am to what may actually happen (and this can have negative consequences ranging from an unsatisfying dance to physical injury).
Somehow, I find none of this soothing…
Love that for me.
+1 for The City & the City
I tried to watch the TV adaptation and just couldn’t deal…
I didn’t know there was a TV adaptation, but my day is immediately ruined ☹️
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7205264/
If I had to suffer, then so should you!!!
Closed out Children of Men by P.D. James today.
I have a copy of the Left Hand of Darkness, but I can’t read a physical copy in the car while driving. Guess I’ll have to wait for the library to deliver the audiobook.
I think I’ll start Utopia by Thomas More tomorrow.
