So far (some of these I read in 2021, I did not conquer them
all in 3 weeks!)

"The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea" - beautifully written book, I'm sure it's lovely in the original Japanese. Probably an insight into the Japanese male mindset after WW2, but I'm not sure.

"A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" - the classic coming of age novel. Sad but hopeful. Love the protagonist.

"Dune" - a sci-fi classic. The world building and political scheming are incredible. I get a bit annoyed with the philosophical internal monologues and meandering (was worse in "Dune Messiah") but that's alright. Look forward to finishing the original series of 6.

"Game of Thrones" - awesome awesome book. Well-written and engaging. I love the medieval high fantasy genre and Martin nails it. Great stuff!

"Out of the Silent Planet" - perhaps my favorite work of fiction by CS Lewis. Interesting commentary on original sin, greed, and the unforeseen consequences of scientific advancement. I think an interesting read whether or not you are a Christian.

ZofranAggie said:

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So far (some of these I read in 2021, I did not conquer them
all in 3 weeks!)

"The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea" - beautifully written book, I'm sure it's lovely in the original Japanese. Probably an insight into the Japanese male mindset after WW2, but I'm not sure.

"A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" - the classic coming of age novel. Sad but hopeful. Love the protagonist.

"Dune" - a sci-fi classic. The world building and political scheming are incredible. I get a bit annoyed with the philosophical internal monologues and meandering (was worse in "Dune Messiah") but that's alright. Look forward to finishing the original series of 6.

"Game of Thrones" - awesome awesome book. Well-written and engaging. I love the medieval high fantasy genre and Martin nails it. Great stuff!

"Out of the Silent Planet" - perhaps my favorite work of fiction by CS Lewis. Interesting commentary on original sin, greed, and the unforeseen consequences of scientific advancement. I think an interesting read whether or not you are a Christian.

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How is this written? Is it written like Mere Christianity? I'm fairly well read and Mere Christianity made me feel dumb. It was a ton of allegory from what I recall with reference to classic literature and the Bible. Haven't read a ton of classic literature because I generally don't like it, and I haven't read all of the Bible.

IOW, maybe I'm not as well read as I think, and I found it a tough read. Nice 180 here. Lol.

It's written like a science fiction novel. Some of his inner monologues can be hard to decipher. Hard for me to compare it to Mere Christianity because I read that more than a decade ago. I'd say the latter is more like a treatise on Christianity. It was originally a series of radio broadcasts so for me was easier to follow if that makes sense. That said OOTSP was relatively straightforward in terms of following the narrative of the story.

Does that answer your question?

ZofranAggie said:

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It's written like a science fiction novel. Some of his inner monologues can be hard to decipher. Hard for me to compare it to Mere Christianity because I read that more than a decade ago. I'd say the latter is more like a treatise on Christianity. It was originally a series of radio broadcasts so for me was easier to follow if that makes sense. That said OOTSP was relatively straightforward in terms of following the narrative of the story.

Does that answer your question?

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Yes, thanks.

I read it when I was 12... i'm sure you'll be fine.

What?

ZofranAggie said:

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What?

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I meant to reply to You Bet

"Stonehenge" Bernard Cornwell

"God Emperor of Dune" Frank Herbert

will probably pick up with The Witcher series next, then come back to finish 5 & 6 of Dune.

I agree with your assessment of Ruthless Elimination.

Have you read any of Dallas Willard's stuff that he cites quite often? I had someone else refer some of the Willard works to me this weekend, thinking about adding them to my list soon.

Is there anyone as good or better than Bernard Cornwell at Historical fiction ; pre-1850? I'd be really interested in a Knights Templar or Crusades era book that infused a bunch of history

SpreadsheetAg said:

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Is there anyone as good or better than Bernard Cornwell at Historical fiction ; pre-1850? I'd be really interested in a Knights Templar or Crusades era book that infused a bunch of history

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Interested in this response as well

I have not read Bernard Cornwell's stuff so I can't speak to that comparison. Also, I don't know that I would call this "Historical Fiction", I believe it's called "Flintlock Fantasy" but with those disclaimers, I am reading a really good trilogy (so far) called the Powder Mage Trilogy. It has a very French Revolution/Napolianic Wars/ American Revolution feel to it but it is set in its own world. Despite different names of countries and stuff, you can tell basically who they mirror in reality. The author is said to be a student of Brandon Sanderson. Doesn't meet all of your criteria but may be worth a look.

"Mage" in the title gives the impression that magic forces are used. I am looking for more real-world accuracy if this is the case. Cornwell is great, if there is "magic" involved it's attributable to happenstance and coincidence, or good fortune / knowledge. For example, in his "King Arthur" series, set in SW England / Wales - the Merlin figure practices "magic" but really it's Merlin's studies and accumulation of natural knowledge that leads him to be able to predict the future and call on "powers" through understanding or coincidence. He uses his intelligence to essentially influence others into thinking he's mystical.

13B said:

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I have not read Bernard Cornwell's stuff so I can't speak to that comparison. Also, I don't know that I would call this "Historical Fiction", I believe it's called "Flintlock Fantasy" but with those disclaimers, I am reading a really good trilogy (so far) called the Powder Mage Trilogy. It has a very French Revolution/Napolianic Wars/ American Revolution feel to it but it is set in its own world. Despite different names of countries and stuff, you can tell basically who they mirror in reality. The author is said to be a student of Brandon Sanderson. Doesn't meet all of your criteria but may be worth a look.

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Two different things. Flintlock Fantasy is a period of fiction/fantasy that crosses over with the industrial development. Cromwell writes about historically accurate periods (i.e. the Anglo-Saxon wars where both the Danes and Germans are settling the English Aisles after the fall of the roman empire. It's pseudo fiction from the standpoint that the detailed events where mostly made up, but the era, main players, and high level events are real and historically accurate. I enjoy it because it's a vehicle to try to immerse yourselves in actual history.

Have you tried Troy (trilogy) by David and Stella Gemmell? Different time period (obviously) but similar to what you are saying. It is a pretty clever reimagining of the Troy War through the eyes of warrior outside of the known players. Not 100% what you are looking for but very well done and maybe a little closer.

Yes and no about the mage. The ingestion of gunpowder enhances certain abilities in a group of people (longer shot range, increased stamina and strength). There is an element of supernatural throughout also. It is definitely Fantasy but also has strong threads of historical/periodic elements. The Troy books that I mentioned to Bonzer is more along the lines of what you are saying. It is about the Troy Wars. There is discussion and belief in mythology and Hektor and Achilles are still heroes but while the common man attribute their success to the Gods, there are more practical explanations for their "miracles". Both are great reads even if they are not exactly what you are looking for. No one else seemed to be answering up so I was just offering up some "kinda close" options.

And it's very much appreciated. Thanks!

Sorry I wasn't more helpful. But I did learn some new stuff!

13B said:

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Have you tried Troy (trilogy) by David and Stella Gemmell? Different time period (obviously) but similar to what you are saying. It is a pretty clever reimagining of the Troy War through the eyes of warrior outside of the known players. Not 100% what you are looking for but very well done and maybe a little closer.

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Will give it a look, thanks for the suggestion!

Same

Red Rising #1

Fun read, looking forward to picking up the others. Overall enjoyed the story. But felt like Brown glossed over some key moments in the story and jumped straight to the outcome, especially towards the end of the book. Still really enjoyed it and now my 15yo son is reading it.

The Fifth Gospel by Ian Caldwell

Really enjoyed this book. Here's the description from Amazon:

Quote:

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A mysterious exhibit is under construction at the Vatican Museums. The curator is murdered at a clandestine meeting on the outskirts of Rome a week before it opens. That same night, a violent break-in rocks the home of Greek Catholic priest Father Alex Andreou. When the papal police fail to identify a suspect in either crime, Father Alex decides that to find the killer he must reconstruct the secret of what a little-known, true-to-life fifth gospel known as the Diatessaron reveals about the church's most controversial holy relic. But just as he begins to understand the truth about his friend's death and its consequences for the future of the Christian church, Father Alex discovers a ruthless stalker is hunting himan enemy with a vested stake in the exhibit that he must outwit to survive.

Rich, authentic, erudite, and emotionally searing, The Fifth Gospel is a riveting novel of suspense and a feast of biblical history that satisfies on every level.

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Similar in genre to Dan Brown's Robert Langdon books. This is his second novel, the first was "The Rule of Four" that he co-wrote with Dustin Thomasson, and I really enjoyed that book as well.

Next up is to finish Ready Player Two, then start on Red Rising #2. After that, I will probably look for another historical fiction thriller similar to Brown's Langdon books and The Fifth Gospel. So suggestions are welcome. Then on to Red Rising #3.

In my opinion the Red Rising books just continue to get better and better with each one. If you enjoyed the first then I'd definitely recommend finish the first trilogy. The feel of the books starts to change with book 2, less Hunger games vibes and better character development.

That's good to know, thanks.

Bonzer103 said:

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SpreadsheetAg said:

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Is there anyone as good or better than Bernard Cornwell at Historical fiction ; pre-1850? I'd be really interested in a Knights Templar or Crusades era book that infused a bunch of history

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Interested in this response as well

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So I did some more digging and found this:
https://simonturney.com/series/knights-templar/

Quote:

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A new series of novels set in the 12th and 13th centuries during the Spanish reconquista and featuring the Order of the Knights Templar ... Perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell, Conn Iggulden and Matthew Harffy.

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Random question to other avid readers. Have you ever attempted anything to increase your reading speed?

I love to read but I know I'm not a very fast reader. When I read I pretty much verbally speak the line in my head at normal speed. I've thought about trying to do a program that speeds me up but I've always wondered if it's gimmicky and not worth trying to do.

Evelyn Woods works, but it takes practice to learn and will atrophy if not used. Of course it works better on some material than others, but its pretty effective on fiction.

Overdosed America: The Broken Promise of American Medicine - Abramson

It's 15-20 years old but is terrifying due to how on point it is with everything going on right now. It's one I'll have my kids read before they go off to college.

Do you think you would enjoy reading as much if you speed-read? Or do you want to read more books so want a faster speed. I read strictly for pleasure now that I'm retired and don't need to increase the speed.
Just curious, and something I've wondered about for years. Any input from trained speed-readers is appreciated.

The reason really is I just want to read more books. I see others burn through so many books and it takes me a while to get through the books I read.

Of course a lot of that is I try to read at night and fall asleep almost as soon as I start.

I know this is kind of obvious but have you tried Audible/audio books? I tend to physically read one book at night (maybe a chapter or so) before bed and while I'm in my vehicle going from place to place I listen to a different one (I use bone conduction headsets so that I still can hear traffic and such). Just a thought. I think if I were to try and speed read, I wouldn't enjoy it near as much and would tend to think I would miss some details.

Frok said:

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The reason really is I just want to read more books. I see others burn through so many books and it takes me a while to get through the books I read.

Of course a lot of that is I try to read at night and fall asleep almost as soon as I start.

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I'm in the same boat; I read fiction and historical fiction because I like to imagine and play things through my Mind as I read.

With non-fiction I daydream and get lost in thought and it takes me forever to finish ...

My wife can read a book that would take me 2 weeks in like 4 hours... then she tells me "you should read this" but my capacity is limited because of my reading speed so I am very selective in what I prioritize to read and she gets frustrated with me for not taking her recommendations , haha

I think my 8 year old has her reading-speed gift because she reads her kid books faster than me too!

The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi
The Consuming Fire by John Scalzi
The Last Emperox by John Scalzi
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss in-progress

Well……despite all my efforts to not care, this was one of my favorite books ever. I'm sure there's no way I'll be able to avoid the disappointment of not getting the third book any time soon. This is why I tried not to read these for so long, but at the same time I don't regret getting to read such a great story.

There's so much I could say about it, but I don't want to be too specific in this thread. Some of my favorite scenes were any time he "went before the horns."

Books Finished in January

• In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd - The stories in this novel are the basis of the film A Christmas Story. Most of the narration in the film can be found almost word for word in the novel and most all the antics in the movie are found in some form in the book except Chinese turkey. There are many other accounts not found in the film at all including a Fourth of July fireworks story that all kids can relate.
• The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown - I enjoyed this account immensely, if you are a fan of Laura Hillenbrand's Unbroken or Seabiscuit I think you'll find this book equally engrossing.
• Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir - I had a couple of false starts trying to get into this novel at first. It is not initially the page turner that The Martian is but it eventually reeled me in and it is a satisfying and realistic sci-fi story.

I'm currently rereading Dune for the first time since I was sophomore in high school which was a long long long time ago.

The Dog Lord said:

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The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi
The Consuming Fire by John Scalzi
The Last Emperox by John Scalzi
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss in-progress

Well……despite all my efforts to not care, this was one of my favorite books ever. I'm sure there's no way I'll be able to avoid the disappointment of not getting the third book any time soon. This is why I tried not to read these for so long, but at the same time I don't regret getting to read such a great story.

There's so much I could say about it, but I don't want to be too specific in this thread. Some of my favorite scenes were any time he "went before the horns."

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Join the Club here on TexAgs - thread for book 3 waitlist started 8+ years ago