Hello Everyone!

What are you all reading?

I am currently going through a re-read of Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. Currently on 2nd book, Fool Moon.

  • RudeGryphon@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    12
    ·
    11 months ago

    I just finished Project Hail Mary. A wonderful and fun read. Highly recommend if you like science fiction.

    • TheMinions@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      11 months ago

      What do you think of it? It’s on my list to try and read before the end of the year.

      I watched the first 5 or so episodes of the Prime show a while ago and was interested but it didn’t keep me hooked.

      • Daisyifyoudo@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        11 months ago

        I watched s1 and thought it was ok. A little too teen angsty for me, but the introduction to the universe was enough to get me to start the 1st book. A year and a half later, and 14 books in ( I’m halfway through the very last one) and I’m absolutely floored.

        The whole series is nothing short of epic; the world building, magic system, character arcs, the story. One of my favorite reads so far, and certainly my most favorite in the fantasy genre.

      • dresden@discuss.onlineOPM
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        11 months ago

        It’s a great series, but like many such stories, some of the books in the middle are a bit of a slog, but still a great series overall.

    • dresden@discuss.onlineOPM
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      11 months ago

      It’s one of my favourite series, and probably one of my most re-read one. Maybe because it was one of the first epic fantasy of such huge proportions that I ever read.

      It has been a long time since I read it last. Just not sure I have the time to start 14-book series these days. Maybe some day…

  • VeryFinePrint@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    6
    ·
    11 months ago

    Just read an erotic romance, Heart of the Mountain by Snek Guy. It is about a mercenary going up a mountain to slay a dragon and take her hoard of gold. Things don’t go quite as he planned. It was well written, but a bit too much smut for my taste. I wrote a bit more here.

    Just started the My Best Friend is an Eldritch Horror series.

  • Okokimup@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    11 months ago

    I just started City of Refuge by Tom Piazza. It’s a fictional account of two families in New Orleans during hurricane Katrina. I’m only 12% in but so far I’m impressed by how real I feel like the pov characters are.

    Also reading Lichtenbergianism by Dale Lyles. It’s about using procrastination as a creative strategy. 30% in, and juries out on whether I’ll find anything helpful in it.

    • dresden@discuss.onlineOPM
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      11 months ago

      procrastination as a creative strategy

      I want this. I like procrastinating! Share your opinions about finishing it.

      City of Refuge looks like an interesting book. Going to check it out.

      • Okokimup@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        11 months ago

        I got more inspiration from the Lichtenbergian book than new information. Among other things, it made me start a kanban for my personal projects and now I have less anxiety over how much I need to do and in what order. If you’d like, I’m happy to mail you my copy, since I’m unlikely to read it again.

  • TheMinions@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    11 months ago

    Bit late to the party, but I just started reading the Final Empire, Mistborn series #1. Only a few chapters in, but I’m enjoying it so far!

  • Sarbustal@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    11 months ago

    I’ve read maybe 3 books all the way through in my entire life. My girlfriend has been trying to get me to read before bed and on the recommendation of some discord friends I purchased Infinite Jest and am a quarter of the way through it. It’s been a jarring book with the tonal shifts and the way it rapid fires between characters and settings, but I’ve absolutely loved some of the perspectives and dialog that DFW creates. If anyone else is a fan, I’d love more recommendations in the same vein, specifically the type of warped humor and how it stems from the human condition.

    • dresden@discuss.onlineOPM
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      11 months ago

      I haven’t read Infinite Jest, so can’t recommend anything like that, but keep visiting these posts, I am sure you’ll be able to find something you like.

      Or you can create a separate post, asking for recommendations, it should get you more visibility.

  • Orexis_Vexatii@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    11 months ago

    I recently finished the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. Wonderful books. I read it in order of subseries which is a good way to get into the books, but it does make it a bitt jarring when going back to the first books, before Pterry really found his stride. Once I get around to a reread I think I’ll do it chronologically.

    As a change of pace i continued with Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Something of a whiplash change from Discworld and a it got me a bit too amped when reading right before bed. Still a very fun and interesting read.

    Now onto SAS: Rogue Heroes, which i started earlier but have yet to finish.

    • dresden@discuss.onlineOPM
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      11 months ago

      I have read about a quarter of Discworld novels, wanted to read them all in released order, but couldn’t find many books. I plan to start the re-read again once I have found some of the remaining books.

      • Orexis_Vexatii@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        11 months ago

        The books are very much worth rereading. The layers of jokes and references are so deep that you likely won’t catch all on the first or second reads.

        I can recommend The Annotated Pratchett File, https://www.lspace.org/books/apf/, for an in depth review of a lot of jokes and references. It explains a lot of things that are hard to catch if you haven’t grown up in England. Many things i thought Pterry had made up for the Disc is just references to real world things and events.

        • dresden@discuss.onlineOPM
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          11 months ago

          Wow, just took a quick peek at the that, and it’s really detailed. Bookmarked the page and downloaded a copy. Will check it after reading each book.

          • Orexis_Vexatii@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            11 months ago

            Sadly i’ve just discovered that from Going Postal and onwards there are no annotations. Seems the project never finished with all the books :/

  • sbv@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    11 months ago

    The Sword Defiant by Gareth Hanrahan. It’s enjoyable.

    I really wish he’d describe scenes visually, but it’s character driven and he does a good job with their internal lives.

    • dresden@discuss.onlineOPM
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      11 months ago

      I used to skip all the visual descriptions, didn’t care much about them (also, didn’t understood half of the words used to explain the appearance of things or people). I have started to pay attention to them now, but I would probably still like a book that doesn’t worry about these too much.

      Is it a series? Or a single book?

      • sbv@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        11 months ago

        There’s definitely a balance to be struck with descriptions. Too little beats too much, IMO, but I appreciate a little food for my imagination.

        It’s the first book in a series (I think). It’s epic fantasy, but it’s set in the Happily Ever After. The protagonist is part of the motley crew that defeated the big bad twenty years earlier.

        His previous series (Black Iron Legacy) was a lot of fun. Of recommend them both.

      • be_gt@lemmy.world
        cake
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        edit-2
        11 months ago

        I’m currently in the end of book 7 so still got a lot to read.I’ve been reading it several hours per day since March! So it is a lot of text but I like those kind of big books/series

        • dresden@discuss.onlineOPM
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          11 months ago

          Nice. I am taking a break from web novels, it effects my other books, but adding it to my list, for when I get back to them.

  • sharkfucker420@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    edit-2
    11 months ago

    Ward by wildbow. Not technically a book but it’s wonderful if you are into that genre and honestly probably still good if you aren’t. Finished worm and while back and would definitely recommend that as well

    To give a brief idea it’s “what if super powers came from incredible trauma and were designed to be the worst possible power for them specifically” there’s a lot more to it like A LOT but that is a general idea. It follows Taylor and her journey after gaining power. It’s essentially her struggle to be in control of everything that goes on around her

    • dresden@discuss.onlineOPM
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      11 months ago

      I read quite a bit of Worm, I think I was near the end, but then took a break, and after that couldn’t find where I stopped. I plan to reread it someday.

      How’s Ward compared to Worm?

      • sharkfucker420@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        edit-2
        11 months ago

        Ward is less fighty fighty action and more dealing with trauma and mental illness. If you remember what happened to glory girl you’ll know what I mean when I say shits fucked.

        I personally prefer worm so far but I think ward is better writing objectively

  • Wolfie 🐺🌙@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    11 months ago

    Currently: Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo.

    Probably will jump into another Discworld novel next because I have so many things on my tbr list that I always have trouble to choose something and I go the easy way: discworld.

    • dresden@discuss.onlineOPM
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      11 months ago

      Discworld is always the right answer!

      Looked up Crooked Kingdom, and learned the word “dilogy”, I always thought for two books it was duology, first time I ever seen the word dilogy.

      • Wolfie 🐺🌙@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        edit-2
        11 months ago

        Wow, never heard of dilogy either. I had to Google it to see it for myself. I guess you’re never too old to learn something new.

    • harsh3466@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      11 months ago

      I had a really hard time with Iron Gold. So much so that I couldn’t finish it. I keep meaning to go back to it and try again, but I haven’t yet.

      • dresden@discuss.onlineOPM
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        11 months ago

        Have you read the previous Red Rising series? And what didn’t you like about Iron Gold?

        • harsh3466@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          11 months ago

          I have, and I really enjoyed them. I have to talk about a major event in the story, so for those who haven’t read and want to collapse this comment, this is your spoiler warning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SPOILERS BELOW

          This is a little vague since it’s been awhile.

          I got really upset when Darrow was going totalitarian and fighting with his wife (can’t remember her name) and wanted to eradicate the last of the gold resistance to the new order they had established. When they had the fight amongst themselves and Darrow killed one of his friends (also can’t remember his name) and then fled, that was just really hard for me to take in.

          Objectively it makes sense that it happened. It just really hit me hard. Maybe because of this political climate we’re living in. At the time, I just couldn’t finish it. I want to, but I don’t know if I’m in the right headspace to be able to.

    • dresden@discuss.onlineOPM
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      11 months ago

      Ah, a sequel series to Red Rising. I have heard of that, but never got around to read it. How is the series?

  • scaredofplanes@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    11 months ago

    I’m about two thirds of the way through Since We Fell by Dennis Lehane. And I finished The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore today.

    I don’t think Lehane ever really misses. His plots aren’t usually all that dense but the characters are deep and compelling. And the writing is way better than it seems like it should be. Every once in a while you I read a line and think, “Where did that come from, and how did it get here?” He’s a really talented writer.

    Moore is not that. But he’s fun and entertaining. This book was not his best effort. But it was fine. If you like Moore, you’ll like this one we’ll enough.

    • dresden@discuss.onlineOPM
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      11 months ago

      Moore is on my to-read list, will get some of his work one of these days.

      Didn’t know about Lehane, just looked him up, he has written some good books. Well, at least the movies based on his books were pretty good 😀 Will check out his work.

      BTW this is probably one of the only two (or maybe three) non fantasy/sci-fi book mentioned in this post. It’s interesting to see that majority of people here are speculative fiction fan.

  • Professorozone@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    11 months ago

    I consider those books light reading. Very good for listening to in the car. You should try his other book The Aeronaut’s Windlass. He said he was going to switch between the two series and honestly I haven’t checked if he’s added to them. I really should, it was a ton of fun.

    • dresden@discuss.onlineOPM
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      11 months ago

      Yeah, they are pretty light and quick. Like that about them, not every book need to be dense.

      As for The Aeronaut’s Windlass, I try not to start unfinished series now (with some exceptions). He started Cinder Spire series about 8 years ago, and the second book is releasing in November of this year. I have read his Codex Alera series, and will read this when he finishes it.

      He used to be a very consistent writer, releasing a book pretty much every year, let’s hope he gets back into the groove.

  • brenticus@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    11 months ago

    I have a couple of overdue library books I should probably finish and return, but instead I’m reading a couple volumes of Combatants will be Dispatched because laughing is better than being a decent human being.

    • dresden@discuss.onlineOPM
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      11 months ago

      laughing is better than being a decent human being.

      Heh, that made me chuckle.

      How is “Combatants will be Dispatched”? I have read Chinese and Korean light/web novels, but am not acquainted with Japanese ones. Any recommendations?

      • brenticus@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        11 months ago

        Combatants will be Dispatched is hilarious. It might be the dumbest, most useless cast of characters I’ve ever read about. After a couple of volumes most of the main conflicts are problems they caused for themselves which is very satisfying.

        I find I read a lot of web novels (or more commonly the graphic adaptations) to tweak certain tropes I crave now and then. It’s not often I find one that is actually just a satisfying read chapter to chapter. Light novels are often similar, but they’ve gone through some more editing and development so it’s more common for a volume to actually be some sort of satisfying chunk of story to read.

        If you’re looking for genuinely good reads, I recommend Apothecary Diaries, Death’s Daughter and the Ebony Blade, or the Monogatari series. If you want some dumb fun there are so many options, but The World’s Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat, Konosuba, and I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level are a few different but good ones.