I was reading the recent novel "Trust" on my Kindle. In the second act of the book, I started reading these strange sentence fragments. Finally figured out they were author's notes for where he wanted to expand on certain things.

I then found reviews that said the same thing. Amazon refunded me.

I had the Murderbot diaries recommended to me and I'm getting through them faster than I'd thought (didnt realize how short they were). Taking a break from them with another quick read but not sure what I'll be up to next.

Been considering learning a bit about Arthurian Legend, anyone have a good "starter" for that rabbit hole?

Glad I stumbled upon this as I have wanted to expand my reading amount + list starting in 2023.

Started with the The Book of Joe (Verducci and Maddon). I am big (baseball), specifically Cubs fan so naturally The Cubs Way will be next for me. I also enjoy reading Tom Verducci's work on a normal basis too so it works out.

Because of this forum I have added the two running books by Fitzgerald and McDougall, and I will start on The Martian and PHM (in that order I guess).

Looking forward to seeing other recs come in

Been trying to get back into regular reading, kind of fell off for a few years. Don't think I'll get back to my book a week average just yet, but starting off strong.

Currently Reading:
City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty
Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden

Finished:
The Library by Casey White (3/5)

Jinx said:

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I had the Murderbot diaries recommended to me and I'm getting through them faster than I'd thought (didnt realize how short they were). Taking a break from them with another quick read but not sure what I'll be up to next.

Been considering learning a bit about Arthurian Legend, anyone have a good "starter" for that rabbit hole?

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Malory's Morte D'Arthur is probably the best classical one, considering it basically took all the tales that developed in the middle ages and put them into a single collection. A bit lighter is the Arthurian section from Bulfinch's mythology.

I'd also recommend Bernard Cornwell's Warlord Chronicles as a version more rooted in British history that turns around a lot of the legends and puts it more in a Saxon/Briton conflict that's super well written.

Side note: does anyone have a membership to a book store, such as B&N, etc.?

If so, which one and do you feel like it is worth it?

TIA!

TexAg1822 said:

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Glad I stumbled upon this as I have wanted to expand my reading amount + list starting in 2023.

Started with the The Book of Joe (Verducci and Maddon). I am big (baseball), specifically Cubs fan so naturally The Cubs Way will be next for me. I also enjoy reading Tom Verducci's work on a normal basis too so it works out.

Because of this forum I have added the two running books by Fitzgerald and McDougall, and I will start on The Martian and PHM (in that order I guess).

Looking forward to seeing other recs come in

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I'll be reading Martian and PHM here shortly as well. Enjoy!

Wife got one this year. Paid for itself in savings in that one trip so why the hell not?

Mad at myself for putting off the First Law trilogy as long as I have. Fantastic reads so far. Starting the third book tomorrow.

Elantris: Brandon Sanderson: A- For one of his "lesser" works, still a fantastic read IMO and definitely a cut above normal. As expected from Sanderson. A lot more politicking than his later works, but something I have grown to accept and even like as I get older myself.

The Blade Itself: Joe Abercrombie: A-
Before They Are Hanged: Joe Abercrombie: A+

Elantris: Brandon Sanderson: A- For one of his "lesser" works, still a fantastic read IMO and definitely a cut above normal. As expected from Sanderson. A lot more politicking than his later works, but something I have grown to accept and even like as I get older myself.

The Blade Itself | Joe Abercrombie | A-
Before They Are Hanged | Joe Abercrombie | A+
The Last Argument of Kings | Joe Abercrombie | B+ The full series is pretty good to great. Started off strong, got stronger, and then went to 11 but not 100% satisfied on how it left off. I also discovered very recently there is yet another trilogy after this one which would assuage some of my meh if I view book 3 as a bridge instead of a finale. Got the new ones on the way and we shall see.

I loved the First Law trilogy. Been years since I read it but remember literally laughing out loud many times at the dark, dark humor.

Just wrapped up the Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson, 3rd book in the first Mistborn trilogy. Holy cow, what a perfect ending to that story!

I'm debating what to start on the Kindle next - leaning toward the new Preston & Child book, The Cabinet of Dr. Leng.

Sanderson
Brandon
The Hero of Ages
Jan-23
A++

Clancy/Cameron
Tom/Marc
Red Winter
Jan-23
In progress

Eliminatus said:

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Elantris: Brandon Sanderson: A- For one of his "lesser" works, still a fantastic read IMO and definitely a cut above normal. As expected from Sanderson. A lot more politicking than his later works, but something I have grown to accept and even like as I get older myself.

The Blade Itself | Joe Abercrombie | A-
Before They Are Hanged | Joe Abercrombie | A+
The Last Argument of Kings | Joe Abercrombie | B+ The full series is pretty good to great. Started off strong, got stronger, and then went to 11 but not 100% satisfied on how it left off. I also discovered very recently there is yet another trilogy after this one which would assuage some of my meh if I view book 3 as a bridge instead of a finale. Got the new ones on the way and we shall see.

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There's actually 3 standalone books that bridge to the new trilogy, recommend reading at least Best Served Cold and The Heroes before jumping into the latest ones because there's a lot of context there.

bluefire579 said:

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Eliminatus said:

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Elantris: Brandon Sanderson: A- For one of his "lesser" works, still a fantastic read IMO and definitely a cut above normal. As expected from Sanderson. A lot more politicking than his later works, but something I have grown to accept and even like as I get older myself.

The Blade Itself | Joe Abercrombie | A-
Before They Are Hanged | Joe Abercrombie | A+
The Last Argument of Kings | Joe Abercrombie | B+ The full series is pretty good to great. Started off strong, got stronger, and then went to 11 but not 100% satisfied on how it left off. I also discovered very recently there is yet another trilogy after this one which would assuage some of my meh if I view book 3 as a bridge instead of a finale. Got the new ones on the way and we shall see.

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There's actually 3 standalone books that bridge to the new trilogy, recommend reading at least Best Served Cold and The Heroes before jumping into the latest ones because there's a lot of context there.

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I second that. They're very good.

Just finished The Passenger. It's good, though not anywhere close to his best work. I get the feeling I'm going to like Stella Maris a lot more, but first I'm going to crack open The Shards, Bret Easton Ellis' newest novel. He seems annoying and histrionically abrasive, but I've never read a bad piece of writing of his and it's getting great reviews.

Saw that the first book in the Bosch series The Black Echo was free on audible until the end of January so I decided to give it a listen. I really enjoyed the tv series on Amazon. I give the first book a solid A- Free for another 2 weeks or so if you have audible...

Titus Welliver narrates the more recent books

He did this one as well, evidently a newer recording of the first book. He was really good =.

mrsbeer05 said:

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Titus Welliver narrates the more recent books

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Cool, that's almost enough to make me try out audiobooks. I have read all but the last few Connelly books but have not tried out any audio versions.

So far I've gone through The Weapon, Rogue, and Better to Beg Forgiveness, all by Michael Z. Williamson, and in the middle of Do Unto Others by the same author.

I've got multiple history books that I'm in various stages of reading, including Battles That Changed the World by Fletcher Pratt and A War to Be Won by Williamson Murray and Allen Millett.

Waiting for my turn with the latest Bosch novel, Desert Star, from the local library, and the arrival next week of In Defense of the Second Amendment by Larry Correia.

For those of you that are reading ~1 book/week, how are you consuming them? Genuinely curious as I'd like to read more but struggle to find the time (9mo old and 3 year old will do that to you)

Are you listening to audiobooks? Read an hour a night? How do you do it?

gcracker13 said:

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For those of you that are reading ~1 book/week, how are you consuming them? Genuinely curious as I'd like to read more but struggle to find the time (9mo old and 3 year old will do that to you)

Are you listening to audiobooks? Read an hour a night? How do you do it?

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I'm far from a book a week, but the big change for me last year was switching to audiobooks.

I was hesitant forever to do it, and I'm mad at myself for not doing it sooner. Get some airpods, put one in before bed, and listen as long as you can before falling asleep. Don't worry the apps have sleep timers so you won't lose your spot.

I've consumed 10x the amount of 'reading' after making the switch.

Malachi Constant said:

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gcracker13 said:

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For those of you that are reading ~1 book/week, how are you consuming them? Genuinely curious as I'd like to read more but struggle to find the time (9mo old and 3 year old will do that to you)

Are you listening to audiobooks? Read an hour a night? How do you do it?

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I'm far from a book a week, but the big change for me last year was switching to audiobooks.

I was hesitant forever to do it, and I'm mad at myself for not doing it sooner. Get some airpods, put one in before bed, and listen as long as you can before falling asleep. Don't worry the apps have sleep timers so you won't lose your spot.

I've consumed 10x the amount of 'reading' after making the switch.

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Same here. I didn't get it at first but I am now sold. I still like to read, but would rather listen-only than read-only. My favorite is to read along with the audio honestly. Not sure why listening holds my attention so much more but the 10x statement is similarly true for me as well.

Audiobooks are the way to go.

Currently doing Dark Tower Vol 1 for the first time. Isn't this the series King started writing when he was just starting out, and then quit for a while?

I read around 60-70 books per year and exclusively by reading, not audio. I carry my Kindle with me everywhere I go and usually have lunch by myself so I get in an hour there each day plus another hour or so at night before bed.

gcracker13 said:

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For those of you that are reading ~1 book/week, how are you consuming them? Genuinely curious as I'd like to read more but struggle to find the time (9mo old and 3 year old will do that to you)

Are you listening to audiobooks? Read an hour a night? How do you do it?

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Lol. You answered yourself. It's just lifestyle. I am single with no kids and reading is my favorite pastime. I average probably at least 3-4 hours a day. On days off sometimes I'll do an 8 hour stretch at a time. Not uncommon at all for that. I also don't have much of a social life these days either, so there is that too.

My only real blocker I have is that I am in a point in my career that I need to do a lot of self learning and that is really eating into my "read for pleasure" time.

Personally, I cannot do audio at all. Not even a little bit. I retain absolutely nothing from hearing something as opposed to seeing it. Just how my brain works now (or doesn't work really) and a MAJOR hurdle I had to adapt to in school. It 100% applies to books too. I also simply read much faster than the spoken word and get mad at the pacing of audio.

Oh I agree with you there on the pacing. Typically any audiobook I'm ramping up to at least 1.3x speed.

Just finished Tolkien's Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle Earth. Starting Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Habits, which is a hell of a mouthful.

I've taken to reading while on the exercise bike in the morning. I can hop on for a half hour and get a sweat going while still being able to get through a few pages.

Eliminatus said:

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gcracker13 said:

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For those of you that are reading ~1 book/week, how are you consuming them? Genuinely curious as I'd like to read more but struggle to find the time (9mo old and 3 year old will do that to you)

Are you listening to audiobooks? Read an hour a night? How do you do it?

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Lol. You answered yourself. It's just lifestyle. I am single with no kids and reading is my favorite pastime. I average probably at least 3-4 hours a day. On days off sometimes I'll do an 8 hour stretch at a time. Not uncommon at all for that. I also don't have much of a social life these days either, so there is that too.

My only real blocker I have is that I am in a point in my career that I need to do a lot of self learning and that is really eating into my "read for pleasure" time.

Personally, I cannot do audio at all. Not even a little bit. I retain absolutely nothing from hearing something as opposed to seeing it. Just how my brain works now (or doesn't work really) and a MAJOR hurdle I had to adapt to in school. It 100% applies to books too. I also simply read much faster than the spoken word and get mad at the pacing of audio.

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Agreed, can't do audio books. I'm very visual and get distracted too easily with audio.

Jinx said:

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I had the Murderbot diaries recommended to me and I'm getting through them faster than I'd thought (didnt realize how short they were). Taking a break from them with another quick read but not sure what I'll be up to next.

Been considering learning a bit about Arthurian Legend, anyone have a good "starter" for that rabbit hole?

---

I stumbled upon the Murderbot Fiaries and loved the 1st 2. Couldn't find the other anywhere, bookstores, etc.

Turned a coworker on to them, and he went medieval and found all of them.

Read them all inside a few weeks after that.

He LOVED Murderbot! And I recommend them to anyone who loves sarcasm, sci-fi, and self depreciating humor.

2001 by Arthur C Clarke. Again, have seen the movie a few times over the years but this was my first read of the book. To date this is one of the most spectacularly shot films. It's just beautiful. However it was a little choppy and the ending felt like it was out of left field. Not sure if it's really that much different or that I'm an old now but I definitely feel like I understand the book and consequently the movie so much better now.

A+. Simply outstanding. I cannot believe that was written and filmed in the late 60s.

gcracker13 said:

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For those of you that are reading ~1 book/week, how are you consuming them? Genuinely curious as I'd like to read more but struggle to find the time (9mo old and 3 year old will do that to you)

Are you listening to audiobooks? Read an hour a night? How do you do it?

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Kindle and sometimes Audiobooks.

I read when I have downtime at work (sometimes there is quite a bit), in the pick up line at school, at the kids practices, on the weekends I try to sneak at least a chapter in each day, usually in bed or on the couch while the kids do their thing. I read best when by myself of course. All the other times I am usually frequently interrupted.

Books I enjoy on Kindle I will usually go out and buy a hard copy to keep. Kindle is convenient but sometimes I want a book in hand.

Dr. Mephisto said:

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Jinx said:

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I had the Murderbot diaries recommended to me and I'm getting through them faster than I'd thought (didnt realize how short they were). Taking a break from them with another quick read but not sure what I'll be up to next.

Been considering learning a bit about Arthurian Legend, anyone have a good "starter" for that rabbit hole?

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I stumbled upon the Murderbot Fiaries and loved the 1st 2. Couldn't find the other anywhere, bookstores, etc.

Turned a coworker on to them, and he went medieval and found all of them.

Read them all inside a few weeks after that.

He LOVED Murderbot! And I recommend them to anyone who loves sarcasm, sci-fi, and self depreciating humor.

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Also, the first 5 books are free on Kindle Unlimited. 6 is out, and 7 will be out this year I think (for anyone interested)

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
Mistborn 1: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson in-progress

Absolutely loved Elantris. The only bad thing is that I want more. Was considering reading the short stories/novellas for the Cosmere later but immediately ordered Arcanum Unbounded so I can get more Elantris. I really really hope he does a true sequel someday. He did say "as of yet" to it not having a true sequel in the postscript, so I guess there is hope.

Now, on to Mistborn.

Restarting "Time Enough for Love" by Heinlein.