Liveship or Tawny Man? Either way, they're both great and completely worth it.

I bit the bullet and started Dungeon Crawler Carl. Only about 15 chapters in so far and it's good but I'm not in love with it. I just feel like it's missing something. I really enjoyed some of the DnD novels I've read in the past and I think it's because it has built in lore and backstory. DCC just requires a lot more world building by default.

Liveship and I'm looking forward to it bc I have heard it's the best one.

And I will read Tawny Man as well.

For some reason it seems like her series gets mentioned as an after thought, but it's brilliant, and has a satisfying conclusion to boot.

My guess some do not like the depth she does and want constant action.

I was starting to get frustrated with things the main character did in the first series but I understood why the author did it at times.

That's pretty cool!

Might need to revisit those. Been a long time. Kind of in a funk where nothing new is really grabbing my interest.

Finally burned through the Cradle series. Really enjoyed it. DCC gets the glory in the genre, and rightly so IMO, but Cradle slides into an easy second place for me. Also helped the author did a release of all the books for free for a short time some time back so I was able to snatch them all.

Guns, Germs, and Steel up next on the docket.

Eliminatus said:

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Finally burned through the Cradle series. Really enjoyed it. DCC gets the glory in the genre, and rightly so IMO, but Cradle slides into an easy second place for me. Also helped the author did a release of all the books for free for a short time some time back so I was able to snatch them all.

Guns, Germs, and Steel up next on the docket.

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If you are able to finish it, I'll be impressed.

I thought the author made his point 10% in, and then......there was still 90% of the book to read?

Eliminatus said:

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Finally burned through the Cradle series. Really enjoyed it. DCC gets the glory in the genre, and rightly so IMO, but Cradle slides into an easy second place for me. Also helped the author did a release of all the books for free for a short time some time back so I was able to snatch them all.

Guns, Germs, and Steel up next on the docket.

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I loved Guns- very interesting look at human civilization. I got bogged down at the end with the evolution of language which is not as interesting to me as Guns, germs, or steel.

Backyard Gator said:

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Eliminatus said:

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Finally burned through the Cradle series. Really enjoyed it. DCC gets the glory in the genre, and rightly so IMO, but Cradle slides into an easy second place for me. Also helped the author did a release of all the books for free for a short time some time back so I was able to snatch them all.

Guns, Germs, and Steel up next on the docket.

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If you are able to finish it, I'll be impressed.

I thought the author made his point 10% in, and then......there was still 90% of the book to read?

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I had to finish it for a class

I'm happy to report that I finished "Beach Read" by Emily Henry.

Spoiler Alert: The girl and guy who couldn't stand each other in chapter one get engaged to be married in the last chapter. They had (fairly graphic) sex about 3 times along the way.

Next up for me is Nothing. When I find my self reading romance novels, its time for a break.

See y'all next year.

Philo B 93 said:

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They had (fairly graphic) sex about 3 times along the way.

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Found my next read

nai06 said:

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Backyard Gator said:

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Eliminatus said:

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Finally burned through the Cradle series. Really enjoyed it. DCC gets the glory in the genre, and rightly so IMO, but Cradle slides into an easy second place for me. Also helped the author did a release of all the books for free for a short time some time back so I was able to snatch them all.

Guns, Germs, and Steel up next on the docket.

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If you are able to finish it, I'll be impressed.

I thought the author made his point 10% in, and then......there was still 90% of the book to read?

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I had to finish it for a class

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I read it for a class. When multiple students told the prof they couldn't finish it, it was too dry, she let us leave it incomplete. Since everyone understood his geographoc determinism thesis, finishing wasn't necessary.

Wife and I read fellowship together earlier this year and now she chose Project Hail Mary before we watch the movie. That was fun, and a nice break from the heavy stuff I've been reading lately.

I like my Sci fi to be more fantastic though, to be honest. The science seemed well researched to me, and interesting. It's just not really my thing.

3/5 but excited to watch the movie.

His stuff is science drama semi realistic. Not really science fiction to me. Enjoyable, but not true sci-fi.

Have you read old man's war or Scalzis other sci-fi series? They are good. OMW is one of my favorites.

I just finished Culpability by Bruce Holsinger. My mom got it for me and talked about how amazing and thought provoking it was. I thought it was terrible. It was really a slog for me to finish. I hated every character and was hoping for a rogue AI to come in and kill them all.

AustinAg2K said:

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Absolute said:

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His stuff is science drama semi realistic. Not really science fiction to me. Enjoyable, but not true sci-fi.

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I feel the opposite. Weir is true Sci-Fi, as in a blend of Science and Fiction. As opposed to something like Star Wars or Dune, which is really more space fantasy.

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I could live with that philosophy too. It may actually be more accurate. Maybe we need a sciFant category

Absolute said:

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AustinAg2K said:

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Absolute said:

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His stuff is science drama semi realistic. Not really science fiction to me. Enjoyable, but not true sci-fi.

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I feel the opposite. Weir is true Sci-Fi, as in a blend of Science and Fiction. As opposed to something like Star Wars or Dune, which is really more space fantasy.

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I could live with that philosophy too. It may actually be more accurate. Maybe we need a sciFant category

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Disagree on Weir being true sci-fi. There are multiple sub-genres of sci-fi and have been for a long time. His is one version of it and would likely fall into Hard Sci-Fi. I haven't read it but I read his first novel and it's essentially the same genre from everything I've read.

When most people think sci-fi, they are likely thinking Space Opera.

AustinAg2K said:

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I just finished Culpability by Bruce Holsinger. My mom got it for me and talked about how amazing and thought provoking it was. I thought it was terrible. It was really a slog for me to finish. I hated every character and was hoping for a rogue AI to come in and kill them all.

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Please tell me you told your mom that

Finished the Farseer trilogy. Pretty, pretty, pretty good. Will have to continue before too long.

Next will be "U.S. Marines at the Battle of Sangin," followed by Noble House by James Clavell.

The Incredulity of Father Brown by G. K. Chesterton (B) - A collection of eight Father Brown mysteries where the running theme is that the "superstitious" priest rejects the supernatural explanation that the supposedly rational men of each story quickly jump to whether it is a curse, haunting, etc. The most amusing story of the bunch is the one in which the curious cleric rises from the dead and solves his own murder.

I'm a little over 700 pages into Lonesome Dove. Have not made much headway into my non-fiction read Texian Iliad

Audiobooks;
The Healer's War by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough (C) - The 1989 Nebula Award winner for best novel. It is a rather mundane Vietnam War story which uses many the typical Nam tropes found in the films/TV shows concerning the war during the '80s. The story is about the experiences of a young Army nurse, Lt. Kitty McCulley, who arrives in country shortly after the Tet Offensive. The fantasy aspect of the story is an amulet in which an ancient Vietnamese holy man entrusts to her as he dies. Not a bad book, just nothing special.

Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman (A) - A sprawling novel about life in Eastern Europe from the winter of 1941 through the Soviet's breaking the siege of Stalingrad early in 1943. There are numerous story lines all across Russia which makes it a difficult read/listen at times. It mostly narrates the story of the extended family of Viktor Shtrum, a Jewish Soviet physicist. Other story lines deal with the Battle of Stalingrad and life in both Soviet and Nazi camps (prisoner of war, ghettos, concentration camps). The vast story at times works against the novel which may be due to Grossman not being able to refine the novel since the manuscript was seized and not published until the 1980's (20 years after the authors death) first in the west and eventually shortly before the collapse of the USSR. The most prevalent theme of the novel is how the people have to fight both the Nazi invader as well as their own totalitarian state. There are several fascinating discussions about science, history, journalism, politics and philosophy. I probably revisit it again sometime in the future.

Next audiobook, Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey

September
34) The Great Fire: One American's Mission to Rescue Victims of the 20th Century's First Genocide by Lou Ureneck (B+)
35) The Incredulity of Father Brown by G. K. Chesterton (B)

Audiobooks;
16) The Healer's War by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough (C)
17) Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman (A)

nai06 said:

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Backyard Gator said:

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Eliminatus said:

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Finally burned through the Cradle series. Really enjoyed it. DCC gets the glory in the genre, and rightly so IMO, but Cradle slides into an easy second place for me. Also helped the author did a release of all the books for free for a short time some time back so I was able to snatch them all.

Guns, Germs, and Steel up next on the docket.

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If you are able to finish it, I'll be impressed.

I thought the author made his point 10% in, and then......there was still 90% of the book to read?

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I had to finish it for a class

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I not only finished it, I actually enjoyed it. The Jared Diamond book I was unable to finish was Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed

Alone at Dawn.

rhutton125 said:

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Finished the Farseer trilogy. Pretty, pretty, pretty good. Will have to continue before too long.

Next will be "U.S. Marines at the Battle of Sangin," followed by Noble House by James Clavell.

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Still need to read Battle of Sangin myself. Pretty niche topic though. Do you have any connection there?

Same with Farseer. I think I've owned them for at least a decade now. I'll read them…..one day….

Just a little, my dad is friends with the author's dad so I told him I'd check it out.

I have embarked on my Sun-eater journey.

Currently:

Empire of silence - iPad but physical read

Decline and fall of the Roman Empire unabridged, audiobook (Charlton griffin narrator, same guy who did the 100 hour 4 volume Robert e Lee books). By Edward gibbon.

Anyone read "Don't Die Dave". A clear rip off of DCC, but seemingly is getting good reviews.

Over the last week I've gone back to the Sharpe's books. Thinking I was getting book 6, I ordered Sharpe's Enemy, which turned out to be book 16. I should have cleaned my glasses before I hit "buy". It sure seemed like a lot happened between book 5 and book 6 that I had no memory of, so I double checked and found the mistake. So, book 6 and 7 have been ordered, with 6 being completed.
Completed Sharpe's Enemy and Sharpe's Rifles by Bernard Cornwell
In progress Sharpe's Havoc by Cornwell

I've enjoyed the first 3 books of the Sharpe series, currently taking a break and in the interim read
'The Buffalo Hunter Hunter" which was OK. Currently reading and greatly enjoying 'Hyperion'

Thunder18 said:

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I've enjoyed the first 3 books of the Sharpe series, currently taking a break and in the interim read
'The Buffalo Hunter Hunter" which was OK. Currently reading and greatly enjoying 'Hyperion'

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They become a little addictive. Easy reads with a historical background and no real thought required.

I finished The X Files Agent of Chaos by Kami Garcia.