bangobango said:

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bluefire579 said:

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Heart of Darkness was an interesting one to return to. Still enjoyed it as a narrative. Still a bit of a difficult read (Conrad seemed to be waging a personal war on line breaks). Definitely had a much better understanding and appreciation for the themes than I did back in high school.

Started Hunter's Run by GRRM, Daniel Abraham, and Gardner Dozois as my next one.

Currently Reading:
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
Hunter's Run by GRRM, et al

Finished:
The Library by Casey White (3/5)
Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden (4/5)
City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty (3.5/5)
The King of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany (3/5)
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (4.5/5)
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson (3.5/5)
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (4/5)

---

Curious on your take on Poppy War, especially one particularly brutal portion that is apparently based on true events.

---

The entire premise of the series is essentially based around the Sino-Japanese side of WW2. Not exactly a spoiler though as the other says it was her inspiration. It parallels many of the events which happened in late 30s. The whole series is basically WW2 China with swords and magic.

So if you are familiar with that stuff which happened in history, you will easily see it play out in Kuangs writing.

For fans of Friday Night Lights, Buzz Bissinger has a new book, The Mosquito Bowl. It's about a football game played on Christmas Eve of 1944 on Guadalcanal prior to the invasion to the invasion of Okinawa. There was a huge talent pool of football talent assembled between the 4th and 29th Marine Regiments so the two decided to play each other. The book details the lives of many of the men involved in the game as well as details about American football during that time prior to the war. I found it very compelling.

RED AG 98 said:

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13B said:

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Rocagnante said:

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I've heard good things about Project Hail Mary. Gonna be hard to top the opening lines of The Martian though: "I'm pretty much ****ed. That's my considered opinion. ****ed.".

Best book opening line in any sci-fi history IMO.

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The Martian is better than Project Hail Mary but PHM is still a very good book!

---

My little circle of sci-fi nerds was pretty much split 50:50 on these. The Martian is one my favorite books but I think PHM is better. Similar style but the unique story line hooked me. Both are fantastic and near the top of my favorites.

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Read PHM on vacation recently. I'm with you. I really liked both books but think I enjoyed PHM more. Great story line.

Also on the trip I finished Rendezvous with Rama. Another great SciFi book.

Read most of Red Mars. Now I'm on to Green Mars.

bangobango said:

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bluefire579 said:

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Heart of Darkness was an interesting one to return to. Still enjoyed it as a narrative. Still a bit of a difficult read (Conrad seemed to be waging a personal war on line breaks). Definitely had a much better understanding and appreciation for the themes than I did back in high school.

Started Hunter's Run by GRRM, Daniel Abraham, and Gardner Dozois as my next one.

Currently Reading:
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
Hunter's Run by GRRM, et al

Finished:
The Library by Casey White (3/5)
Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden (4/5)
City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty (3.5/5)
The King of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany (3/5)
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (4.5/5)
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson (3.5/5)
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (4/5)

---

Curious on your take on Poppy War, especially one particularly brutal portion that is apparently based on true events.

---

Not quite finished, but within spitting distance. The book as a whole is very good (I have some minor nitpicks, but otherwise enjoying it). The part you're referencing is definitely jarring since up until that point, there hadn't been too much in graphic descriptions and then it gets turned up to 11. I'm assuming given the inspiration, that it's an intentional motif, which I felt it definitely did the job in getting the horrors across.

A couple of things I'm interest to see if they end up playing out in the series (going into this one fairly blind other than knowing the overall inspiration). First is whether she includes any part of the conflict between the communists and the nationalists that was playing out historically. Second is whether we get to see the Federation beyond these mindless killers who consider her people as little more than animals. I could see neither, given that Rin has definitely lived a sheltered life and is only seeing things from a very narrow viewpoint, but overall Kuang is drawing from such an interesting piece of history that's a confluence of several major events, so there's a lot that can be done with the story.

Definitely thinking I'm going to need a palate cleanser before I start the next one, though.

Hypothetical none hypothetical….

How can a book published in 2012 by a major publisher, be an award winner, and in 2023 the ebook still has a continuity error????

Jesus ****ing Christ.

February 2023
Unless otherwise stated with **, assume it's romance with at least one explicit sex scene.

Crossfire series below is the closest thing to 50 Shades that I've read. Lots of explicit sex happening there and in the Wicked Villains series; almost too much.

Really Good

• Reflected in You (Crossfire #2) by Sylvia Day
• Entwined with You (Crossfire #3) by Sylvia Day
• Captivated by You (Crossfire #4) by Sylvia Day
• One with You (Crossfire #5) by Sylvia Day
• **Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey
• Desperate Measures (Wicked Villains #1) by Katee Robert
• Learn My Lesson (Wicked Villains #2) by Katee Robert
• A Worthy Opponent (Wicked Villains #3) by Katee Robert
• Take a Hint, Dani Brown (The Brown Sisters #2) by Talia Hibbert

Good

• Maybe Now (Maybe #2) by Colleen Hoover
• The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas
• Confess by Colleen Hoover
• Risking It All by Tessa Bailey
• **The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

Okay

• Maybe Not (Maybe #1.5) by Colleen Hoover
• **The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer

Do you ever read Sophie Jordan? She's a friend of mine from A&M.

Nope, but I will now! Thanks for the nod. I've been trying to work more books in that aren't full of heavy petting but that's Future nervy's problem.

713nervy said:

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Nope, but I will now! Thanks for the nod. I've been trying to work more books in that aren't full of heavy petting but that's Future nervy's problem.

---

I'm definitely not her target audience but she seems really popular.

Gates of Fire - Steven Pressfield. Fantastic read!

Dr. Mephisto said:

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Yesterday I started The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons.

Hyperion I finished last year. It's a straight A piece of science fiction. Highly recommend.

What are you reading this year?


(Please star posts if their review made you interested in reading the book!)

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I put Hyperion on a waitlist at one of my libraries after reading this. I read the prologue and parts of the first chapter and I just had no interest. It seems like a plot driven story rather than a character driven. I decided to return it as lots of people are waiting for it and I didn't want to slug thru it.

Does it get better?

Religion of the Apostles: Orthodox Christianity in the First Century by Stephen De Young

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky: listened to this on audible, and will read more of his.

I almost always finish books that I start, but I didn't finish Hyperion. It never grabbed my attention and I got at least halfway through it.

StinkyPinky said:

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Gates of Fire - Steven Pressfield. Fantastic read!

---

Just discovered this actually came out in hardcover at some point (out of print now) and had a copy delivered this past Thursday. It was one of those those things you find out exists and immediately go and find one to buy, no matter the cost.

Agreed. Fantastic book. I have enjoyed all of Pressfields works but that one is just a classic.

kaleb_allison said:

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I almost always finish books that I start, but I didn't finish Hyperion. It never grabbed my attention and I got at least halfway through it.

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Exact same. I have actually tried more than once to get into it but so far, nothing. It is treated as a Great but man, I just don't see it yet. I'll give another go eventually I am sure. I actually feel better I am not alone.

Chuck Cunningham said:

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Dr. Mephisto said:

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Yesterday I started The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons.

Hyperion I finished last year. It's a straight A piece of science fiction. Highly recommend.

What are you reading this year?


(Please star posts if their review made you interested in reading the book!)

---

I put Hyperion on a waitlist at one of my libraries after reading this. I read the prologue and parts of the first chapter and I just had no interest. It seems like a plot driven story rather than a character driven. I decided to return it as lots of people are waiting for it and I didn't want to slug thru it.

Does it get better?

---

Yes. I found it to be a very well planned out novel…everything comes together nicely and there really isn't anything wasted. All the stories and details are there for reason. Its both plot driven and character driven.

Thanks. I've found that life is too short to read books that you don't enjoy from the beginning.

I know I'm missing a lot of great books, but I think it's the authors job to hook you in the first chapters.

I hear you. I've tried several times to read Lord of the Rings but I just can't get into it. I think it's having to read all the songs they sing. I love the movies and recognize the books are classics but I just can't get into them.

Chuck Cunningham said:

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Thanks. I've found that life is to short to read books that you don't enjoy from the beginning.

I know I'm missing a lot of great books, but I think it's the authors job to hook you in the first chapters.

---

I concur. My OCD usually forced me to finish a book if I started it and end up not enjoying it. Not in any more. Become a long sludge. I often and have no issue abandoning ship if I'm not champing at the bit to jump back in after I've started.

bluefire579 said:

---

bangobango said:

---

bluefire579 said:

---

Heart of Darkness was an interesting one to return to. Still enjoyed it as a narrative. Still a bit of a difficult read (Conrad seemed to be waging a personal war on line breaks). Definitely had a much better understanding and appreciation for the themes than I did back in high school.

Started Hunter's Run by GRRM, Daniel Abraham, and Gardner Dozois as my next one.

Currently Reading:
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
Hunter's Run by GRRM, et al

Finished:
The Library by Casey White (3/5)
Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden (4/5)
City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty (3.5/5)
The King of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany (3/5)
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (4.5/5)
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson (3.5/5)
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (4/5)

---

Curious on your take on Poppy War, especially one particularly brutal portion that is apparently based on true events.

---

Not quite finished, but within spitting distance. The book as a whole is very good (I have some minor nitpicks, but otherwise enjoying it). The part you're referencing is definitely jarring since up until that point, there hadn't been too much in graphic descriptions and then it gets turned up to 11. I'm assuming given the inspiration, that it's an intentional motif, which I felt it definitely did the job in getting the horrors across.

A couple of things I'm interest to see if they end up playing out in the series (going into this one fairly blind other than knowing the overall inspiration). First is whether she includes any part of the conflict between the communists and the nationalists that was playing out historically. Second is whether we get to see the Federation beyond these mindless killers who consider her people as little more than animals. I could see neither, given that Rin has definitely lived a sheltered life and is only seeing things from a very narrow viewpoint, but overall Kuang is drawing from such an interesting piece of history that's a confluence of several major events, so there's a lot that can be done with the story.

Definitely thinking I'm going to need a palate cleanser before I start the next one, though.

---

Yeah, I enjoyed the book, but I've not continued the series yet. Not sure if I'll finish it or not.

Eliminatus said:

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StinkyPinky said:

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Gates of Fire - Steven Pressfield. Fantastic read!

---

Just discovered this actually came out in hardcover at some point (out of print now) and had a copy delivered this past Thursday. It was one of those those things you find out exists and immediately go and find one to buy, no matter the cost.

Agreed. Fantastic book. I have enjoyed all of Pressfields works but that one is just a classic.

---

First if his books I've read of his. Will check out some of the others. About to jump into The Martian.

Chuck Cunningham said:

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Anything I read gets 4 stars minimum. 3 starts or below I quit reading.

January:

• The Street Lawyer: John Grisham. Somehow I missed this one. I've always enjoyed JG.

Gary Paulson Hatchet series. I love a good YA novel, don't know why. Love the survival aspect.

• The River
• Brian's Winter 5*
• Brian's Return
• Brian's Hunt
• Waxing On: Ralph Macchio. Listened to it, but it counts. Some good behind the scenes of the Karate Kid.

February:

• Sparring Partners: John Grisham. I really liked 2 of the 3 short stories.
• Never: Ken Follett: Brilliant. Loved it. These are events where WW3 starts and is global nuclear and no one wants it. 5*
• The Apollo Murders; Biggest piece of crap I've read out of a major publisher. Quit 10 chapters in. Negative infinity stars.
• Stories I only Tell My Friends: Rob Lowe. He's actually a really good writer, better than Macchio. He tells some great stories. I'd recommend if you're a fan of his or 80s movies. 5*
• Hatchet: Gary Paulsen. Book 1 wasn't available in January. 5*
• Deacon King Kong: James BcBride: I was pressed for time and returned after 2 pages. Going to try again.
• The Family Fong: Kevin Wilson Very good. Very funny. 5*s
• The Best of Adam Sharp: Graeme Simision: One of the best books I've read in a long time. Probably since his Rosie Series. 5*

March:

• Long Shadows: David Baldacci: Book 7 in the Memory Man. It was ok.
• Biloxi Boys: John Grisham. Meh?? 4*s. The whole book just tells what happens rather than describes it.

Currently reading:

• Now is Not the Time to Panic: Kevin Wilson: So far so good, will update.

Up Next: Order depends when they're available from my 4 e-libraries.

• Apollo 8: Jeffrey Kluger
• Hyperion: Dan Simmons
• All Together Now: Matthew Norman
• Domestic Violets: Matthew Norman
• Holdout: Jeffery Kluger
• The Darkest Winter: Lindsey Pogue
• True Believer: Jack Carr
• Red Shirts: John Scalzi
• One Second After: William Forstchen
• A Man Called Ove: Fredrik Backman
• Beartown: Fredrik Backman

Honestly, ordinary people in books like Matthew Norman, Kevin Wilson, Grame Simision are my favorites.

---

March:

• Long Shadows: David Baldacci: Book 7 in the Memory Man. It was ok.
• Biloxi Boys: John Grisham. Meh?? 4*s. The whole book just tells what happens rather than describes it.
• Now is not the Time to Panic: Kevin Wilson: Very good and then it just fizzled out. It's not for everyone but was enjoyable.
• True Believer: Jack Carr. Book 2 of the Terminal List Story. Very fast paced. Very believable. It's more like I would've read in my younger years but I am liking this series.
• Apollo 8: Jeffery Kluger: Very good historical account of the first trip to the moon. I knew most of the stories.
• Redshirts: John Scalzi: It was...meh?? I liked it to some extend. Would make a great movie. Not sure why it hasn't been made. Things tell me I should like everything by Scalzi, but there's something missing. Not sure what it is.
• Hyperion: Dan Simmons: Made it thru the prologue and Chapter 1. Not a fan.
• Holdout: Jeffery Kluger: it's his first attempt fiction. Nothing interested me at all. Gave up 53%. Life's too short to read books that aren't doing it for you.

Currently Reading:

• A Man Called Ove: Fredrik Backman

Up Next: Order depends when they're available from my 4 e-libraries.

• Savage Son: Jack Carr
• Vanished: Joseph Finder
• All Together Now: Matthew Norman
• Domestic Violets: Matthew Norman
• Holdout: Jeffery Kluger
• The Darkest Winter: Lindsey Pogue
• True Believer: Jack Carr
• One Second After: William Forstchen
• Beartown: Fredrik Backman
• How to Mars: David Ebenbach
• This Bird Has Flown; Susanna Hoffs (yes, from the go-gos)
• A Visit form the Good Squad: Jennifer Egan
• John Irving: A Prayer for Owen Meany (One of my top 5 ever)
• The Time Travelers Wife: Audrey Niffenegger
• The storied Life of A. J . Firkey: Gabrielle Zevin
• The Color of Magic: Terry Pratchett
• The Switch: Joseph Finder
• The moviegoer: Walker Percy
• A Confederacy of Dunces: John Kennedy Toole
• Last Couple Standing: Matthew Norman
• Avenue of Mysteries: John Irving
• The Last Chairlift: John Irving
• Imaginary Friend: Stephen Chbosky
• Perfet LIttle World: Kevin Wilson

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
Mistborn #1: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
Mistborn #2: The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
Mistborn #3: The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson
Mistborn Era 2 #1: The Alloy of Law
Mistborn Era 2 #2: Shadows of Self
Mistborn Era 2 #3: The Bands of Mourning in-progress

Overall, I enjoyed book 2 of era 2 as well. It definitely took a turn there at the end with Paalm being Lessie all along. Was definitely a darker tone than expected. The mists weren't mentioned much this book, but there definitely was a mention of them potentially pulling away from Wax a bit in that scene. I don't know if Brando ever has his good characters go bad, but I hope we don't see that with Wax. I also have love/hate with never knowing who is good, who has other intentions, etc. With the general political intrigue and rogue kandra being involved, I just question everything.

Speaking of kandra, definitely glad we got more of them. I didn't expect TenSoon or MeLaan to be included though.

I'm still dying to know more about the Cosmere overall. I know there are connections I'm missing in these books since I'm trying to read each series together as much as possible rather than reading them in publication order, but I'm resisting looking up most things for fear of spoilers (very similar to my read through of Wheel of Time). For instance, when Harmony mentions society around Elendel has not progressed like he thought they would because he gave them too much and made things simple, he thinks about how others who were nearly destroyed may be doing better. The thought trails off though. I immediately want to know more in terms of whether he is referring to those on the same planet or elsewhere in the Cosmere. I'm assuming he is referring to others on the same planet since that would be the most direct comparison, but the mention at the very end of another "god" potentially being involved and giving Paalm a metal Harmony doesn't recognize definitely makes me wonder if these are larger Cosmere forces at play/

Another random thing that made me think of the rest of the Cosmere was a mention in one of the Broadsheets of someone getting lost in mountains and coming across a perfect blue pool where a hunched figure later appeared. It may not be connected, but my first thought was of the pool in the mountain above Elantris.

Last thing that was mentioned without much explanation was Harmony's Bands and the Bands of Mourning. Seems like that may be specific to this world, but I'm guessing I'm about to learn about those anyway based on the title of book 3.

Continuing my list:

2023 - Completed
January:
King of Faerie (Stariel: Book 4) - A.J. Lancaster
A Rake of His Own (A Stariel Novel) - A.J. Lancaster
All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1) - Martha Wells
Artificial Condition (The Murderbot Diaries #2)
Rogue Protocol (The Murderbot Diaries #3)
Exit Strategy (The Murderbot Diaries #4)
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F--- - Mark Manson
Network Effect (The Murderbot Diaries #5)

February:
Elantris - Brandon Sanderson
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow - Gabriel Zevin

March:
The Magic of Discovery: Emerald Lakes Book One - Britt Andrews.
The House Witch: A humorous Romantic Fantasy - Delemhach

April:
Harry Potter & The Philosophers Stone - Rowling (Audio)
Title Redacted: Author Redacted

DNF:
Children of Time: Adrian Tchaikovsky

Most of my reads this year have been fun, cozy or extra spicy. The ones that are out if place are usually recommended by friends. Some are hits with me and some miss. I am also counting audiobooks I listen to with the kiddos.



Children of Time. I may go back to it as the idea was intriguing but I am still rather new to sci-fi works so getting through it was taking some time. Future humans fleeing Earth seek and discover a world supposedly waiting for them to inhabit. However, the original project didn't go as planned and the virus intended to uplift the species they sent down to the planet's surface ended up uplifting another species instead...

The House Witch (I believe the first in a series) is a fun, cozy little story. A male witch has powers focused on hearth and home, and the story covers his time as the royal cook as he gets increasingly intertwined with the nobility and goings on in the castle as it comes under threat from other political powers and nations.

Most recent completed book, and my first of April, was a genre I didn't even know existed up until a few months ago (Monster Romance). Like a train wreck, I couldn't stop reading the 250ish page short story and I'm still not sure if I'm amused, intrigued, or disgusted more.

StinkyPinky said:

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Eliminatus said:

---

StinkyPinky said:

---

Gates of Fire - Steven Pressfield. Fantastic read!

---

Just discovered this actually came out in hardcover at some point (out of print now) and had a copy delivered this past Thursday. It was one of those those things you find out exists and immediately go and find one to buy, no matter the cost.

Agreed. Fantastic book. I have enjoyed all of Pressfields works but that one is just a classic.

---

First if his books I've read of his. Will check out some of the others. About to jump into The Martian.

---

Check out A Man at Arms. It's good.

1st Quarter Books:
1) "Babel: An Arcane History" by R. F. Kuang
Same author that wrote "The Poppy Wars". Overall disappointed. Basically an anti-west story especially the colonial years. The fantasy portion was limited and what else can you say beyond colonialism was unfair, which pretty much everyone agrees with. (C+)

2) "Never" by Ken Follet.
A very plausible WWIII scenario that blends the small and big stories well. (B+)

3) "The Passion of Cleopatra" by Anne Rice
Her books are a guilty pleasure usually, but this one like many of later books was flat. (C-)

4) "Exodus" by Leon Uris
A classic on the founding of modern Israel from the Jewish viewpoint. Planning Mideast trip, including Israel, so wanted to read. (B+)

5) "Lost Boy Lost Girl" by Peter Straub"
Average at best horror story. (C)

6) "The Cabinet of Dr. Leng" by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
The Pendergast detective books are another guilty pleasure. Think Sherlock Holmes with supernatural sprinkled in. This one was not one of the better ones. (C)

Just finished Mistborn #1. Very good book. Highly enjoyed it.

I have a problem. I like to listen to audiobooks and my library does not have #2 or #3.

Finished Hunter's Run this morning. Fun book, interesting premise. Lots of action, and GRRM is pretty good at coming up with weird and unique concepts for aliens, which definitely featured prominently here.

Started on The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell as my next one.

Currently Reading:
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell

Finished:
The Library by Casey White (3/5)
Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden (4/5)
City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty (3.5/5)
The King of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany (3/5)
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (4.5/5)
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson (3.5/5)
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (4/5)
Hunter's Run by GRRM, et al (4/5)

MARCH 2023

GREAT!
The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston

Really Good
Unprotected by Billy Porter
Gallant by VE Schwab
When in Rome by Sarah Adams

Good
Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Okay
Act Your Age, Eve Brown (The Brown Sisters #3) by Talia Hibbert
Big Swiss by Jen Beagin

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
Mistborn #1: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
Mistborn #2: The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
Mistborn #3: The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson
Mistborn Era 2 #1: The Alloy of Law
Mistborn Era 2 #2: Shadows of Self
Mistborn Era 2 #3: The Bands of Mourning
Arcanum Unbounded short stories in-progress

I liked book 3 of Era 2 a lot. The prologue with a flashback of Wax and the bad Terris kid and then being on a raid the morning of his wedding was an awesome way to start the book.

I continue to be intrigued by the larger things at play in these stories. One example of that is the woman that grabs Wax and asks him questions about his abilities while dancing. She says he is only 1 of 3 Crashers she knows of ever and then goes on to discuss infant mortality being higher on Scadrial than in other regions. I'm assuming by regions she means other planets or areas of the Cosmere since Scadrial is the planet itself.

The other major piece was of course the other "god" and the beings with red eyes. I hate that I'm having to take a break from Era 2 before reading The Lost Metal, but I'm hoping/assuming that I will at least get some glimpses of connections by reading the rest of the Cosmere first. Not sure if it's just recency bias or not, but I'm now debating on whether I prefer Mistborn era 1 or 2. At first, I was firmly in the era 1 camp, but era 2 certainly has grown on me. Next up are some of the short stories from Arcanum Unbounded. Will likely do those set in the Scadrian system, then those in the Selish system. Will hold off on Edgedancer and Dawnshard until after I've read some of the other books.

More random thoughts/comments below. I love how much Steris became a part of the group and that she and Wax developed a genuine connection. It does make me wonder if she will make it in the end though. Her simple comment of "unexpected." when Marasi tapped the power of the bands made me laugh.

I feel like there were a few "moments" between Wayne and Marasi, but they may have been me misinterpreting with how much attention is given to Wayne and MeLaan and now Marasi and Allik. I like MeLaan for Wayne more anyway.

Wayne continues to be one of the best characters. I loved him and Wax discussing code names for which tactic they should use to infiltrate the camp. After they name a few, Wayne mentions the "Blackwatch Doublestomp" which causes Wax to say "The **** is that?" after a pause. Wayne then confirms he made it up and laughs. I also love his obsession with hats and constant internal dialogue when he is getting into character. "Time to think like a guard. It was hard as he didn't have a guard's hat."

I knew something was up with Telsin, but I thought she was just unstable, not a ****ing high-ranking member of the Set.

I really want to know who the "Lord Ruler" was that visited the people in the south. The memory from the coin coppermind there at the end seemed to imply it was Kelsier, but that of course is confusing...I know Sanderson cranks out a lot of books, but I didn't realize that there are sometimes years in between books of a particular series. I'm glad I'm not having to wait 6 years to read The Lost Metal after that ending.

Finished The Poppy War the other night. That book definitely puts the grim in grimdark fantasy. Well written, though there were jumps that I wish were a bit more fleshed out. Like I said earlier in this thread, definitely going to need a palate cleanser before the next one in the series.

Up next is The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson

Currently Reading:
The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell
The Splendid and the VIle by Erik Larson

Finished:
The Library by Casey White (3/5)
Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden (4/5)
City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty (3.5/5)
The King of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany (3/5)
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (4.5/5)
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson (3.5/5)
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (4/5)
Hunter's Run by GRRM, et al (4/5)
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang (4.5/5)

Re-read (listened this time actually) to the 4 books of The Circle trilogy by Ted Dekker. I loved them when I initially read them 10+ years ago. Solid this time through but not quite as good as remembered. I think book 0 (or 4 as it were..) was my least favorite and just a B. Seemed to have a bit different style than the others and while still good I just didn't enjoy it quite as much as the others.

Choosing to Run by Des Linden and Bonnie Ford (B)
I'm not a huge, sports book person, but I enjoyed hearing Des's story.

Everyone in my family has killed someone by Benjamin Stevenson (B)
An interesting take on the detective/mystery novel. It did get a bit ridiculous.


Currently reading:
Bliss Montage by Ling Ma and am not enjoying it. It's for my bookclub, but it's weird and a trying to be elevated in a way that I am not digging.

I finally finished Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain after starting and stopping over the last few years. Just starting to read Lost World by Crichton, so we'll see if I manage to finish it over the couple of years.

bluefire579 said:

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Finished The Poppy War the other night. That book definitely puts the grim in grimdark fantasy. Well written, though there were jumps that I wish were a bit more fleshed out. Like I said earlier in this thread, definitely going to need a palate cleanser before the next one in the series.

Up next is The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson

Currently Reading:
The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell
The Splendid and the VIle by Erik Larson

Finished:
The Library by Casey White (3/5)
Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden (4/5)
City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty (3.5/5)
The King of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany (3/5)
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (4.5/5)
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson (3.5/5)
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (4/5)
Hunter's Run by GRRM, et al (4/5)
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang (4.5/5)

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How is Last Kingdom?