Hey there, I am curious what everyone is reading and how you are feeling with it. I started demon copperhead yesterday, made it about 70 pages in and decided to read the first book in the chthulu CaseBooks. It’s a kinda retelling of Sherlock Holmes but with a Lovecraft quist.
I am digging it so far, about 50% through and it’s a fun ride.
So what are you all reading?
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, a fun Sci-Fi story from the author of The Martian. A little heavier on the Fi than its predecessor but still quite scientific. Next on the list is the Bobiverse.
Just started this as well.
Jazz hands 😁. The Bobiverse books are excellent. They go downhill a little as they go on but the first couple especially are genuinely great fun.
I just finished blazing through Life of Pi in a single day today. I thought it would be obnoxious and tryhard, but it turned out to be a surprisingly interesting read and a hell of a page-turner. Gets a bit… weird… toward the end, but definitely a book I’d recommend, and one which I’ll probably be thinking about for the next few weeks.
Onward to rereading Children of Dune!
I LOVE Life of Pi! It’s one of my favorite books.
Currently reading Heretics of Dune. It’s…very different from the first three but only as different as God Emperor of Dune was.
Oh man, I’m so jealous at you getting to read the Dune books for the first time. I’m about to start Children on my third reread, and every time I read the series I’m just as enthralled as the first time. Dune + Children is probably my second favorite novel ever written, though God Emperor is close behind them.
I’m reading Children of Dune for the first time now. I’m still near the start, but I’m enjoying it so far.
Am I the only one who loved Dune Messiah?
Messiah to me feels like a stepping stone but I don’t have anything bad to say about it. It was essential for Paul’s character because he
spoiler
gives up instead of following what we later learn is the Golden Path
It feels like he’s at the height of his prescient powers in Messiah which is important for the above spoiler.
I’m reading Thinner by Stephen King. It’s my first King novel and I’m really enjoying it.
I’ll be finishing the last 3 Expanse books once I get my new library card after I moved over a year ago. I made the decision to read the forward and first chapter of my copy of LOTR *eta today. Damn, does it feel like it reads differently than when I read through any of them 8+ years ago. Had a touch-and-go with reading for enjoyment for a while from having to learn different organization/local SOPs for a couple years (during which I read the middle 1/3 of the Expanse). Great to get back into it, though! For Sci-Fi folks, LeVar Burton posted an article on LinkedIn this past week of top modern SciFi. He does say it’s also celebrating him being included on that list. https://theportalist-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/theportalist.com/adult-sci-fi-books?amp=1 Some mild webpage ad alert
Hell yeah! The expanse is such a long series, congratulations
Thanks! Fortunately, I find them to be a pretty easy read. The Sci-Fi explanations and concepts aren’t overly technical, and just enough to really get a good feel for the setting and tech IMO. The first 2/3 were great. I’m really interested in what’ll be going on in the time jump.
Would you recommend reading the expanse books even if someone’s seen the show??
100% even for people who would consider themselves more of a casual or infrequent reader. Anecdotally, I’ve found it harder to sell the show to some people after they watched the first two or three episodes compared to the books for any acquaintance I know who’s into Sci-Fi/reading. The descriptions of the social/society explanations are just as well written as the series’ tech, and the co-authors do a great job. At least one of them was one of GRRM’s editors, so the style structure is somewhat similar, but the writing is an easier read. It is written in character chapters, so as long as that isn’t a total turnoff I’d recommend them.
There are some slight differences that are typical between the show/book. I believe the first 2 seasons are mostly from book 1 and then it picks up from there. I believe it’s the second book, where there is a bit more of the geopolitical storyline compared to the others. Like with most reading, you get better insight to characters’ thought processes and motivations. Books 7-9 aren’t touched on at all in the show, and take place after the show’s end. That’s all I really know about the final 1/3 of the series.
wow thanks for the in depth reply!!! I may just need to go pick up the first one at my local library and start reading haha. Thanks!!!
I’m currently reading Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan. It’s a pretty rough experience so far; I’ve basically been reading it extremely slowly since it’s boring af about 50% of the way so far. This is definitely the peak of the “slog” so far that other people who have read Wheel of Time mention.
Keep going the end is worth it.
Sanderson ties the ending up masterfully.
Crossroads is the last book in the slog. If you can power through that book, the rest of the series is one great ride to the conclusion.
The next book, Knife of Dreams, is my favorite in the series! It’s the last one fully penned by Jordan and he went out with a banger.
I’m reading Essex Dogs by Dan Jones. It’s a historical fiction novel about a group of mercenaries who join England’s invasion of France in the 1300s. It’s violent, vulgar and does an excellent job highlighting the mundane parts of war: endless marching, heat, shitty food, illness, dirt/grime/stink, insects biting you endlessly. I’ve stayed up until 2 AM on work nights 3 times this week because I can’t put it down. I was expecting to like it, and only intended for it to be a palate cleanser between Stormlight Archives books 3-4, but I absolutely love it.
I really liked The Plantagenets by him, and he was a good guest on The Tides of History podcast. He really knows his stuff about the Hundred Years War so I expect it’s very realistic and accurate.
I ended up staying up late again last night and finished the book. The sequel comes out in October and I don’t want to wait that long.
Currently I am reading two books. The first is; This is your brain on music by Daniel Levitins and the second is; The subtle art of not giving a fuck by MArk Manson.
The first is really nice, but requires a lot of attention of me as termnology I am unfamiliar with is used. Yet it is able to convey tons of information on every page and the subject fascinates me.
The second is really good, very easily digest able and I like the nuance it provides on how to (amongst other things) prioritize your life.I read years ago the Organized Mind also by Daniel Levitin. It was too broad and became kind of meh after a while. It has many interesting ideas but you need to dig for them.
The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi. Bloody amazing.
That was the last book I finished, and it was solid. The “getting the gang back together” part was fun, and the latter half just picked up from there. Without getting too spoilery I think the last character from her past showing up, and the more fantastical shift from there on, really added a lot to the enjoyment factor.
Finally reading Dune for the first time. Enjoying it so far, about a third of the way through. I’ve been dying to watch the movie, but I’m the book-before-movie type.
I did the same right before the movie came out. Im in the minority in my friend group but i thought the movie was great. It gave me everything i was expecting to see while reading. I can’t wait for part 2 to come out!
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I read Cell a long time ago and remember it being really good, but it almost felt like a Dean Cain book or something. Perfect airplane kind of book.
Robin Hobb’s “Realm of the Elderlings”, a high fantasy series consisting of 5 trilogies. (Currently reading the second trilogy “The Liveship Traders”.) I love it.
Edit: I elaborate. I like the way she addresses problems of past and present societies novel after novel, that are still an unmatched pleasure to read.
Totally in a league of her own as an epic fantasy writer IMO!
Such a great series, heartbreaking throughout but so damn good.
Code 2nd Edition - it’s a huge slog even compared to Nand2Tetris, with so many chapters focussed on Electronic Engineering.
I want to get to the end though as he added new chapters for machine learning and AI, etc. (although just before the release of ChatGPT lol)
Is it “Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software”? I’ve heard only good things about that book. Do you do any coding or related engineering? Do you think it’s more or less fun the more related knowledge you have?
I work in software and was wondering if it’s worth it.
Yeah, I work as a software engineer and have completed the Nand2Tetris course which is similar.
But a solid third of the book is pure electronic engineering - flip-flops, tri-state buffers, etc. with lots and lots of circuit diagrams. it almost feels like a reference guide, but as a paperback isn’t useful like that. It’s even less approachable than Designing Data-Intensive Applications for example.
Nand2Tetris is awesome though, that is 1000% recommended.
Finishing up Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson. I’m on book 10, The Crippled God. It’s taken almost 2 years because I had a kid in the middle of it.
I can’t even begin to describe how dense and fantastic it is. I feel like it’s spoiled fantasy for me. I can’t imagine anyone else ever coming close. Going to take a break for a while and read something else before trying another series in that world.
I just started Reapers Gale. Can’t begin to describe how crazy the world building is.
i keep meaning to pick up Demon Copperhead. It’s set in my home county. I wonder how much the author embellished and how real she kept it.
I’m currently picking my way through No Plan B. For a Reacher installment, it seems like it was slow to get rolling, and struggling to keep my attention.
