this post was submitted on 12 Jun 2024
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A day late, but better late than never!

Finished Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher. Book 8 of Dresden Files. Loving how the series is progressing. How the characters are growing, and how the stakes keep getting higher and higher.

Currently Reading Cytonic by Brandon Sanderson. Book 3 of Cytoverse / Skyward series. It continues from after Book 2, and we haven't come across the events of the novellas yet. I am interested to see how they will cover those.

What about all of you? What have you been reading or listening lately?


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[–] VaultBoyNewVegas@lemmy.world 5 points 5 months ago (1 children)

The magicians and it's not really clicking for me so I'm struggling to get through it. Current chapter that I'm on, my kindle estimates that it'll take me 44 minutes and that feels like a slog to get through. Also reading heroes by Stephen fry and it's a much more enjoyable read for me.

[–] dresden@discuss.online 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

The magicians

Lev Grossman's? I read it a long time ago, and while it wasn't a quick read, I remember enjoying it. Haven't read any of the sequels though. Have been thinking about rereading the book and then getting the sequels.

[–] VaultBoyNewVegas@lemmy.world 4 points 5 months ago (1 children)

That one. I finally got to act 2 earlier today and it's definitely not for me. The writing and the structure doesn't work for me and it feels like I haven't even seen any plot so far. I know act 2 is after the school but I'm not reading 10 chapters to maybe see what the plot is. I couldn't get into malazan or song of ice and fire either and I got to book 2 of malazan and actually liked book 1 before the 2nd took a different direction.

[–] pancake@sopuli.xyz 4 points 5 months ago (2 children)

I'm currently on Winter's Heart by Robert Jordan (Wheel of Time book 9). My brain is having trouble with how long this series is. I've felt that I must be near the end since book 4. This book has been going extra slowly for me.

I also recently finished Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah. It was amazingly well-done. Not a "fun" read for sure but gripping and thought provoking and I couldn't put it down.

[–] dresden@discuss.online 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, some of the books in the middle are pretty slow. Things get better from Book 10 though, or was it Book 11?

[–] pancake@sopuli.xyz 2 points 5 months ago

I've been told book 11 is where the story picks up again. So one more slow book to go after this

[–] Snowyday@startrek.website 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I get it; I’ve read the whole series thrice and always feel that way in the middle

Let me know if you want to discuss or need encouragement. If it helps, the end is worth it in my opinion

[–] pancake@sopuli.xyz 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Hey thanks, I appreciate that. I'm definitely far enough in that I'm not going to drop it now. I've just been taking a lot of breaks with other books.

I'm getting a little nervous that I just won't be able to remember certain things that happened multiple books ago that will then become important. For example I just read a chapter that revisited a character we hadn't seen since book 4 (I think), and I had no idea who she was until halfway through the chapter. And I feel like googling will result in spoilers.

[–] JackGreenEarth@lemm.ee 4 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Most recently Blood of Elves by Andrej Sapkowski, finding it quite a slog to get through, and I have to often pause to do something else.

I'm also working my way through the Discworld series, currently at Men At Arms, which is one of my less favourite of the novels.

I also occasionally read a fun book like What If by Randall Munroe, or The Planiverse by AK Dewdney, which I enjoy more.

[–] dresden@discuss.online 2 points 5 months ago

What If is on my wishlist, but haven't gotten around to getting it yet. Never heard of The Planiverse before, but the concept sounds pretty interesting, will check it out.

[–] LordGennai@lemm.ee 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I finally finished Death’s End (book 3 of the Three Body Problem series). I have to admit, I was pretty tired of this series by the end. I don’t think I’ll read the 4th? Overall, I like the ideas presented, but found the story to be underwhelming and sometimes boring.

I just started Severance by Ling Ma. I’ll try to remember to post an update in a future thread when I finish!

[–] dresden@discuss.online 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

There's a fourth? Isn't it a trilogy?

[–] LordGennai@lemm.ee 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Ha kind of? There’s another book in the series written by a different author as a fanfic I believe that was “blessed” by the actual author and published as a 4th book.

[–] dresden@discuss.online 2 points 5 months ago

Ah, like that 'Cursed Child' Harry Potter book, whose existence I refuse to acknowledge.

[–] uroybd@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)
  1. Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media by Edward S. Herman, Noam Chomsky
  2. Sodom and Gomorrah by Marcel Proust
  3. The Riddler: Year One by Paul Dano, Stevan Subić (Artist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer)
[–] dresden@discuss.online 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

From Manufacturing Consents to Sodom and Gomorrah to The Riddler. That's a nice combination 😀

Which one are you liking the most?

[–] uroybd@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago

I think I like Sodom and Gomorrah the least. Proust's view on homosexuality seems partial.

Manufacturing Consent is worth reading for its relevance. Two serious wars are going on and the media is still using the same formulas.

The Riddler is fun to read.

[–] LoganNineFingers@lemmy.ca 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Just finished Spinning Silver by Noami Novik. It was not bad, Uprooted was a much better read.

About to jump into Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell

Glad you're like the Dresden series. It gets better with each book (granted, I never read any of the novellas)

[–] dresden@discuss.online 1 points 5 months ago

Let me know what you think about Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel. It has been on my backlog for a long long time.

I haven't read any side stories either, but I have got the first collection of short stories lined up, but I think only 2-3 are during first 8 books (where I am), rest are in the future, so going to read them along side main novels.

[–] misericordiae@literature.cafe 2 points 5 months ago

Finished Relic by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child last night. One of the authors worked in the real-life counterpart of the book's museum setting for a few years, and it shows: there was lots of interesting detail about the parts the public doesn't get to see. In general, I thought this was a fun enough popcorn read, although the first 60% seemed a little slow for something billed as a mystery horror thriller. Not sure I want to read any of the sequels, but I'll probably check out the movie to see how good an adaptation it is.

Bingo squares: It Takes Two; Disability Representation; Eazy, Breazy, Read-zie; Now a Major Motion Picture; Mashup (debatable); Institutional HM; (alt) A Change in Perspective

--

I'm planning to start To Catch a Thief by David Dodge next.

[–] spacehedgehog@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I've just read "Starter Villain" by John Scalzi.

Good Reads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61885029-starter-villain

If you would like to read an easy an humorous book --> go for it! I can recommend it to 100%! It is also a good choice if English is not your native language.

[–] dresden@discuss.online 1 points 5 months ago

Thanks for the recommendation!

[–] MaxSebastian@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago

I'm currently reading Hiking with Nietzsche by John Kaag and The Perfect Wife by JP Delaney. I'm also very slowly making my way through The Writings of William James by John J. McDermott, I have a feeling it's going to take multiple readings to fully digest that one though.

[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 0 points 5 months ago

Just picked up "Eruption" - the final Michael Crichton novel. His wife found the unfinished manuscript in his papers, sent it to James Patterson who really enjoyed it and agreed to finish it.

It's... well... it's not very good. Stock characters, disaster premise (monster Hawaiian volcano!), etc. etc. But it moves VERY fast. 419 pages and 109 chapters. On average under 4 pages a chapter.