4d ago

What book(s) are you currently reading or listening? May 20

Life is still pretty busy, not getting much time for Lemmy, but at least got some time to read now.

Still reading Streams of Silver by R. A. Salvatore. Book 2 of the series. Am more than halfway through now, if nothing comes up, should be able to finish it this week.

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

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I came across the TV Series Dark Matter and was reading the Reddit Q&A thread about some plot points in the story, and found out about Blake Crouch's other story Recursion that doesn't have a film/TV adaptation, so... even as someone who doesn't usually read books, I kinda just had to read (with the Audiobook going along with it) it to get the story out of it. Played the audiobook at 1.2 speed (I don't have patience lol), and fismnished it within the past few days.
It was a great Time Travel story with unique time travel rules/concepts I've never heard of in anything I've read/watched before. Although reading through this... I kinda remembered why I usually don't read books, I have a hard time visualizing the scenes.
Lot of time travel, mystery, conspiracy, government involvement, war, doomsday, time loops (probably where the title came from), and most importantly, the ideas of identity and memory.
I'm not sure if I like the characters, I mostly just liked the story, like I'm obsessed with time travel.
Now I realize there are a lot of stories that simply just doesn't have adaptations, and even as someone who loves video media (again, I have hard time visualizing stuff), I'm kinda forced to start reading, in order to enjoy all those stories out there without any adaptations.
TLDR: Recursion - Great story, I hope to see a TV Series out of it.

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune. About 60% through it and I'm really enjoying it. It really makes you think about life, just being more thoughtful and not sweating the little things.

Currently reading: Diary of a Wimpy Kid The Meltdown by Jeff Kinney Artificial Condition by Martha Wells Cibola Burn by James SA Corey (audiobook reread)
Recently finished: The Stars Too Fondly by Emily Hamilton Stars are Legion by Kameron Hurley (really good book, but some of it was disturbing)
I still need to read the third book of the Kushiel series by Jacqueline Carey, but I’ve been in the mood for more science fiction lately.

I'm currently reading With Speech as My Weapon by Emma Goldman. I'm halfway through, and I can say it's an excellent book. The ideas it presents are the perfect synthesis between Max Stirner and Kropotkin.

Just finished Rome And China: Comparative Perspectives On Ancient World Empires. Very fascinating.
- This sounds interesting. Will take a look.

Not as much reading last week as the week before; finished "Record of a spaceborn few" by Becky Chambers. The book is good enough, but I like books to be more plot oriented, this series is more about people finding out how they fit in their worlds. So next book, "Dead space" by Kali Wallace. Nice and simple book, very plot driven and no need to over think it as a reader. It fit right in with my mood over the weekend, and I went through it in a breeze. I tought it was part of a series, so I started looking for the rest only to find out it is a stand alone book. I also had John Scalzi's "The consuming fire" on my e-reader and I'm almost half way through at the moment. My experience with John Scalzi is rather typical, I read "the collapsing empire" awhile ago and found it hard to get through, but this next installment in the series is hard to lay down. I had the same with the old man's war series, where I would alternate between meh (books 3 and 5) and great (1, 2, 6 and especially 4).
- I wonder if Dead Space was inspired by the game of the same name. The setting seems very similar, but doesn't mention any character from the game and ship name is different.
  
  Reading the Wikipedia page of the game, it seems to be quite different.

Making my way through The Dark Tower series, after reading and abandoning it halfway through as a teenager. Just started Song of Susannah, say thank ya.

Halfway through Starship Troopers.
- I would enjoy a review at the end. It is on my wanna read list.
  
  I probably wont remember. It's classic sci-fi. Nice to read some that's written so long ago (1959) before so many ideas about technology were established. The first half at least is mostly a boot camp experience, somewhat reminds me of Full Metal Jacket, or really any boot camp story.

Finished 1066 and All That (library books get priority in case someone else is waiting), started Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand but wandered off when the story switched to the 2nd main character being introduced about 75 pages in (but I'm gonna come back to it, I just made base camp), and I picked up As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes with Joe Layden from the library today.

Haven't responded to one of these for a while.
I finished the infinite series of books. There was Kaos and The Order which were pretty decent. In these two multiple books from the series are drawn together to bring all the characters in one place. Each of the books uniting different characters setting up for the final book.
Singularity, the culmination of all the books so far. It was OK, it was bearable but honestly it is probably the worst book in the series and a very Luke warm end to what has been a decent set of books. I think the thing I disliked most is Jeremy Robinson did a Stephen King in Dark Tower and wrote himself as the author into the last book. As soon as I realise he was gonna start appear my opinion went downhill fast. The book constantly tries to break the fourth wall and it was just a disappoint end tbh.
Meanwhile I'm up to 71 of the deathlands books and they are still great xD
- Wow, Deathlands still going strong!
  That's sad to hear about the last book of Infinite series, but even with that, will you recommend the series?
  
  Yeh, I'm closing in on the half way point of the Deathlands books at this point xD
  I think I would definitely still recommend the Infinite Timeline, the end wasn't bad by any stretch of the imagination but I did find it disappointing compared to the rest of the series if I'm being honest. I would still recommend people look into it though if it interests you!

The left hand of darkness (Ursula K. Leguin) is my current personal read.
Pawn of prophecy (David Eddings) I am reading for a book club (last read approx. 30 years ago)
- I recently finished Left Hand myself. Had me thinking about it for sometime afterwards. May or may not have subjected innocent listeners to a few unsolicited tirades about a society who never had a concept of gender.
  I'm currently on The Dispossessed, continuing along the Hainish road. Le Guin is really something else.

Just finished: Epistemology of the Closet by Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick.
Just started: Feel It All by Casey Tanner.

Going back to finish how to read lacan by zizek. Short book, should complete it in one or two seatings.
- Is it good? I am hearing very conflicting information about Zizek as a whole.
  
  Absolutely. Zizek is a great writer who revolutionised philosophical writing by making it very approachable. You can go in with little to no knowledge of Lacan or psychoanalysis and understand a lot.
  He writes using jokes and movies etc as reference points. A brilliant way to write something engaging instead of theory heavy as much of philosophy is.
  Infact I think its the most readable philosophy outside of pure fiction like a lot of what Camus wrote.
  He's also done some proper philosophical work connecting lacan to zizek (not part of this book) which even lacan himself could not see (and its not unreasonable in the slightest).
  He also credits other for ideas that are really his in a very generous way.
  His reputation is muddled in the mainstream bc people think he's somehow comparable to JP but Peterson is a genuine idiot who I can't believe is a tenured professor.
  I would recommend reading this book. Or zizek in general. He has a substack too.

Starting Red Seas Under Red Skies today. Really enjoyed the first book and I'm looking for more Blades in the Dark inspiration.

Listening to Path of Ascension book 7!
Feed me more Litrpg, I hunger.
- Have you read/listened to Forever Fantasy Online?
  
  Nope, but it sounds interesting!

Recently Finished: Cascade Failure by L. M. Sagas (my review - I gave it 4/5)
Now Reading: "A Drop of Corruption" by Robert Jackson Bennett (Shadow of the Leviathan, #2)
Currently Listening To: "Daughter of the Moon Goddess" by Sue Lynn Tan.
I only listen to audiobooks while doing chores and such, so it takes me a long time to get through them, but I still like doing it that way. This one's shaping up to be a mid-but-not-bad for me. It's pretty strongly of a YA romance, but I like the setting/world building so far.
Edit: Formatting

Robert Holdstock's Mythago Wood and Jack Kerouac's Dharma Bums. I also have a couple other ones started that I'm not sure I'll finish.

Started "Bright Green Lies" it is good so far, but the play button(I am listening to it) doubles as an anti-antidepressant.

Currently in the middle of The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen. I've watched a lot of Scandinoir, but this my first time reading it! Too many flashbacks for my taste, but otherwise it's engaging, and I'm looking forward to finding out if my theories are correct.
Also still reading No One Will Come Back for Us by Premee Mohamed. All the stories so far feel like the equivalent of art sketches, but I'm ok with that.
__
Read River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey. Fun little novella that's essentially a western, but with hippos instead of horses, set in the South. I saw some reviews that felt it wasn't long enough or developed enough, but I thought it was fine. I enjoy plot-focused stuff, though, so YMMV.
Bingo squares: saddle up HM, lgbtqia+ HM, creature HM, minority author, x of y

32 comments