I had no idea it was a book. The movie is one of my favorite Leo films.

The Marksman said:

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Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane. Have never seen the movie(will try and get around to it soon now that I've read the book), but heard good things about the film and so decided to check out the novel. I was completely blown away by this book. It was gripping and entertaining and had me thoroughly confused in a good way. Excellent psychological thriller/mystery, would highly recommend it.

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Dennis Lehane is one of my favorite authors of all time. Shutter Island is a masterpiece. His Kenzie and Gennaro series is what got me into his works and also recommend if you like mysteries. Movie is also fantastic and a Leo masterclass

Eliminatus said:

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The Marksman said:

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Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane. Have never seen the movie(will try and get around to it soon now that I've read the book), but heard good things about the film and so decided to check out the novel. I was completely blown away by this book. It was gripping and entertaining and had me thoroughly confused in a good way. Excellent psychological thriller/mystery, would highly recommend it.

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Dennis Lehane is one of my favorite authors of all time. Shutter Island is a masterpiece. His Kenzie and Gennaro series is what got me into his works and also recommend if you like mysteries. Movie is also fantastic and a Leo masterclass

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Awesome. I haven't seen the movie so will check out the book first.

The Last Emir by SJA Turner
Reread all of ASOIAF by GRRM
Reread all of the Tales of Dunk and Egg by GRRM
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Reread all of the Red Rising Series
ACOTAR by Sarah J Maas
Currently reading: ACOMAF by Sarah J Maas

(FYI, Feyre is a tough first person character to read if you're a 40+ year old man, she is damnably frustrating in ACOTAR, and the first 2/3 of that book are pretty unremarkable,,, the last 3rd improves when she finally does something besides pout and be obstinate and ungrateful.)

I am hoping for a better read in ACOMAF because this series was highly recommended by a 40+ year old bro of mine as a great series... waiting for it to go from "meh" to good to great.

Wrapped up both Perdido Street Station (loved, super creative worldbuilding, but recognize a lot of folks would not) and Project Hail Mary (didn't like as much as the Martian) this week. Started the Scar by China Meiville, which is proving to be a much easier read than Perdido Street Station, and will need to figure out my next before bed book, probably the last of the Three Body Problem trilogy

Finished:
Wintersteel by Will Wight (4/5)
Bloodline by Will Wight (4.5/5)
Reaper by Will Wight (4.5/5)
The Dark Forest by Cixin Liu (3/5) (I loved the ending, but the rest was a bit of a slog)
Dreadgod by Will Wight (4/5)
Waybound by Will Wight (5/5)
Shogun pt. 1 by James Clavell (5/5)
Shogun pt. 2 by James Clavell (5/5) (They sold it in 2 parts, so I'm counting it as 2 books dammit)
The Invincible by Stanislaw Lem (4/5)
Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon (3/5)
The Last Command by Timothy Zahn (4/5)
Hyperion by Dan Simmons (5/5)
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (4/5)
Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons (4/5)
Endymion by Dan Simmons (5/5)
Rise of Endymion by Dan Simmons (4.5/5)
Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann (3.5/5)
Complete Conan the Barbarian Collection by Robert E. Howard (4/5)
Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman (5/5)
Butcher's Crossing by John Williams (4.5/5)
Stardust by Neil Gaiman (4/5)
A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon (4/5)
Perdido Street Station by China Meiville (5/5)
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (4/5)

37 yo male here. Read ACOTAR this year. First 2/3 of book 1 was definitely the weakest part to me.

Well anyone (mostly dudes) who want a fantastic series (6 books so far with #7 coming next year) should read Red Rising.

I wish they would/could make that into a show but I don't even know if it's possible with the number of characters and the differences between the caste "colors"… maybe in the future, if the technology keeps
Improving, an AI CGI series could be made that could do it justice.

I'm reading Dungeon Crawler Carl #1. Its taking longer, because reading it makes me want to stop and go play video games. How long until we have a movie or TV series based on this book? A movie based on a book based on a fictional video game about players participating in a reality TV show.

Philo B 93 said:

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I'm reading Dungeon Crawler Carl #1. Its taking longer, because reading it makes me want to stop and go play video games. How long until we have a movie or TV series based on this book? A movie based on a book based on a fictional video game about players participating in a reality TV show.

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I have to think the popularity the book is experiencing based on the new hardback re-issues has some studios on monitor mode. Seems like a ripe transfer to screen premise. Especially with the Fallout success/acceptance.

Philo B 93 said:

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I'm reading Dungeon Crawler Carl #1. It's taking longer, because reading it makes me want to stop and go play video games. How long until we have a movie or TV series based on this book? A movie based on a book based on a fictional video game about players participating in a reality TV show.

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Seth McFarlane's production company just purchased the rights for a on-screen adaptation.

StinkyPinky said:

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Philo B 93 said:

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I'm reading Dungeon Crawler Carl #1. Its taking longer, because reading it makes me want to stop and go play video games. How long until we have a movie or TV series based on this book? A movie based on a book based on a fictional video game about players participating in a reality TV show.

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I have to think the popularity the book is experiencing based on the new hardback re-issues has some studios on monitor mode. Seems like a ripe transfer to screen premise. Especially with the Fallout success/acceptance.

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https://texags.com/forums/13/topics/3483915


https://deadline.com/2024/08/dungeon-crawler-carl-seth-macfarlane-universal-chris-yost-series-1236045866/

AgHawkeye said:

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StinkyPinky said:

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Philo B 93 said:

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I'm reading Dungeon Crawler Carl #1. Its taking longer, because reading it makes me want to stop and go play video games. How long until we have a movie or TV series based on this book? A movie based on a book based on a fictional video game about players participating in a reality TV show.

---

I have to think the popularity the book is experiencing based on the new hardback re-issues has some studios on monitor mode. Seems like a ripe transfer to screen premise. Especially with the Fallout success/acceptance.

---

https://texags.com/forums/13/topics/3483915


https://deadline.com/2024/08/dungeon-crawler-carl-seth-macfarlane-universal-chris-yost-series-1236045866/

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Nice!

Reread of We Are The Dead by Mike Shackle. 8/10.

Went back to my dark and grim stuff. Read this a few years back when it came out and kinda forgot about it while waiting for others in trilogy to finish. They are all out now and working to finish it now.

This is First Law territory of grimdark so if that is your fancy, I can recommend it, so far at least. I'll start B2 tonight.

I know The Dresden Files come up often here and on the Dungeon Crawler Carl thread. Don't really see a need for it to have a dedicated thread so just leaving this here and there. Just finished watching the series. It is on Amazon Prime if anyone is interested. Thought it was decent enough as a stand alone show but does no justice to the books (much like I am Legend book versus Will Smith's version), can't figure out why they need to change everything so much. Oh well, just in case anyone hasn't seen it, I don't know how long it is on there but it is there now.

The Dresden Files show? I had to fight to get through the first episode. I can't stand it. So unbelievably bad.

There is an actual Dresden Files thread. You have to look past a year or so to find it, though.

Lathspell said:

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The Dresden Files show? I had to fight to get through the first episode. I can't stand it. So unbelievably bad.

There is an actual Dresden Files thread. You have to look past a year or so to find it, though.

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Yeah, if you like the books then the show is a hard pill to swallow. I just had to divorce myself from thinking about the books while watching the show. Several things irked me but I was able to get through the series by trying to enjoy it on its own merits (slim as they were).

I thought there was a thread but I don't know how to search past a year.

https://texags.com/forums/13/topics/3102591/3

The Marksman said:

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Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane. Have never seen the movie(will try and get around to it soon now that I've read the book), but heard good things about the film and so decided to check out the novel. I was completely blown away by this book. It was gripping and entertaining and had me thoroughly confused in a good way. Excellent psychological thriller/mystery, would highly recommend it.

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Update: The film is really good, but not nearly as good as the book in my personal opinion. There were some aspects of characters' mental states and thoughts that were better communicated via the written word. Leo is amazing though.

Mystic River by Dennis Lehane. Wow was this book great! I was very much surprised by how good this novel was and the depth of the themes it explored, it definitely had me hooked.

Lathspell said:

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https://texags.com/forums/13/topics/3102591/3

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Thanks. Is it the stars (or lack thereof in my case)?

Recently I reread The Way of Kings, Warbreaker, and just finished Words of Radiance. I may be going a little too quickly, but if I finish I guess I can start on the prerelease chapters of Wind and Truth.

I ordered Batman Resurrection by John Jackson Miller, assuming it was a graphic novel, but it is a regular degular novel, takes place between Batman and Batman Returns.

Have asked before but does anyone have any news on Chris Philbrook finishing Adrian's Undead Diary? I'm still waiting on book 15 which is presumably the final novel. Have seen zero news on it.

I finished Dungeon Crawler Carl #1. Dinniman did a great job with character development. Carl and Donut are fun. The major plot points that are alluded to sound like they'll be tasty once the series gets into them, i.e. the powers running the dungeon and the rivals within the dungeon. However, most of the book feels like grinding through the early levels of a video game. Lots of fights with mini-dinosaurs, giant evil energy blobs, learning new potions and spells, crafting machines, and whatnot. I'll take a break from this series before I come back. Sometimes reading can feel like a grind, but a lot of this book is literally reading through the characters grinding.

Fun book, but I'm putting the controller down for a break.

same for me when i read the first book. i know he was going to win all of these battles, so i kind of skimmed through that. i paid more attention to other aspects of it.

The Marksman said:

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The Martian by Andy Weir. Love the movie but never got around to reading the book until now. Excellent read, but I actually prefer Project Hail Mary actually. Curious if others share the same sentiment or disagree.

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Project Hail Mary was excellent. Interested to see how the movie will change from the book.

I believe Ryan Gosling is playing Ryland Grace in the movie.

Stormlight #3: Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson
Dawnshard by Brandon Sanderson
Stormlight #4: Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson
The Lost Metal by Brandon Sanderson
Invitation to the Game by Monica Hughes
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas
House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik
The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik
Babel by R.F. Kuang
Miscellaneous Cosmere stories in Arcanum Unbounded in-progress

Babel was a bit of a struggle. I think the main issue is that I have seen it mentioned as "fantasy" and "dark academia." I would barely consider fantasy. It's mostly "alternative history." It technically fits "dark academia" but still wasn't what I expected based on descriptions and references to magic (which I don't really consider anything in it "magic"). Based on that, rave reviews (by some), and comparing it to the other fantasy I've been reading for years, it was tough for it to meet my expectations.

That said, I was at least interested in what was going on most of the time. I just kept wishing for something more or for a stronger connection to the story. It had a Sanderlanche-esque ending in that the final 150-200 pages were definitely more entertaining and faster paced than the first two-thirds of the book.

Since we are close to the release of Stormlight #5, I'm going to finish off some of the miscellaneous Cosmere stories I didn't get to previously. I don't even remember which I haven't read yet, but if I get through them quickly, I might just start reading the chapters of Stormlight 5 that have been released on Sanderson's website.

I wasn't sure if I'd read his secret project stories (Tress, Yumi, etc.) initially, but I'll probably end up tackling those in 2025 since I consistently see positive reviews for them.

Finished The Collected Works of Richard Matheson and Dungeon Crawler Carl (Book I)

I heartily recommend both!

The Richard Matheson work is a collection of his shorts stories. The guy was very influential, even though most folks don't know who he is. Spielberg and Stephen King point to him as an early master. He wrote for the Twilight Zone and TV, and has contributed to a ton of other more well-known stuff--Like I am Legend/Omega Man. The stories are very entertaining and ahead of their time. I was in the mood for some Halloweenish horror and terror, and the Matheson work does nicely in that department. Appropriately, I completed it on October 30, just in time for the Halloween The Witching Hour!

Dungeon Crawler Carl . . . its amazing and hilarious. It's everything it was made out to be by all of you who recommended it. I Audibled it, and the voice acting by Carl and Princess Donut is absolutely perfect! Hayes has a great sense of comedic timing, and I am laughing out loud alone in my truck as I'm listening. I'm sure I look crazy to people sitting at stoplights with me, but who cares? It embraces the absurd premise and plays it to the maximum to a delicious effect. Dinniman has struck a wonderful nerve with this series, and I'm on to Book Two!

Go read these works!

I'll check out the Matheson works. Wasn't aware of that. I read I Am Legend some years ago which is a great book and nothing like the movie which stole the title.

YouBet said:

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I'll check out the Matheson works. Wasn't aware of that. I read I Am Legend some years ago which is a great book and nothing like the movie which stole the title.

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3 ****ing movie adaptations and not one has captured the feeling of the story. Absolute travesty

bluefire579 said:

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YouBet said:

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I'll check out the Matheson works. Wasn't aware of that. I read I Am Legend some years ago which is a great book and nothing like the movie which stole the title.

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3 ****ing movie adaptations and not one has captured the feeling of the story. Absolute travesty

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I refuse to acknowledge they even exist. I've even gone off at least once on this board about the last one.

His short stories are great too. "Witch War" in particular still resonates with me. Matheson was one of my favorite authors growing up. Still is tbh.

In a way, I am glad they were all horrible adaptations. I would rather have something easy to hate on then something I begrudgingly accept as getting close but still not quite hitting the mark.

Now you all know how we feel about Fifty Shades of Gray.

Dr. Mephisto said:

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Finished The Collected Works of Richard Matheson and Dungeon Crawler Carl (Book I)

I heartily recommend both!

The Richard Matheson work is a collection of his shorts stories. The guy was very influential, even though most folks don't know who he is. Spielberg and Stephen King point to him as an early master. He wrote for the Twilight Zone and TV, and has contributed to a ton of other more well-known stuff--Like I am Legend/Omega Man. The stories are very entertaining and ahead of their time. I was in the mood for some Halloweenish horror and terror, and the Matheson work does nicely in that department. Appropriately, I completed it on October 30, just in time for the Halloween The Witching Hour!

Dungeon Crawler Carl . . . its amazing and hilarious. It's everything it was made out to be by all of you who recommended it. I Audibled it, and the voice acting by Carl and Princess Donut is absolutely perfect! Hayes has a great sense of comedic timing, and I am laughing out loud alone in my truck as I'm listening. I'm sure I look crazy to people sitting at stoplights with me, but who cares? It embraces the absurd premise and plays it to the maximum to a delicious effect. Dinniman has struck a wonderful nerve with this series, and I'm on to Book Two!

Go read these works!

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Looks like the Matheson stories are called "The Best of Richard Matheson": The Best of Richard Matheson by Richard Matheson | Goodreads. Going to get this.

htxag09 said:

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Just finished The Shining. I generally enjoy reading/listening to a horror book in October.

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I've read the Shining several times (usually during Fall as well) and it doesn't get old. Great book. The slow descension into insanity is masterful and I love the use of different perspectives. Have you read "It"?

Just finished 11/22/63 and I really enjoyed it. Several tearjerker moments and it has a satisfying ending. I'm going to watch the show with James Franco soon.

Next up is The ADHD Effect on Marriage. Yes, I am the one with ADHD.

On Deck:

Dune
HP2 (another Fall read)
The Stand

About to dive into the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood "novelization", which as my understanding is more of a companion piece that tells its own story.