The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

The Judge is the most intense character in the English language since Shakespeare, IMO.

Was this your first McCarthy novel?

Yeah, first read through any McCarthy story.

[hefdaddy42]

You really jumped into the deep end lol

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

I am looking forward to checking out some more of his books in the new year. Probably The Road to start; and definitely want to re-read Blood Meridian

Do all of them throw punctuation to the side for the most part? lol

[hefdaddy42]

Do all of them throw punctuation to the side for the most part? lol

Yes.

Don't read The Road next.  I mean, it's an amazing novel; it won the Pulitzer Prize, after all.  But it's the most depressing thing I've ever read.

I would recommend All The Pretty Horses.  Or even his final publications, The Passenger and Stella Maris (a set, to be read one after the other).

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

Do all of them throw punctuation to the side for the most part? lol

Yes.

Don't read The Road next.  I mean, it's an amazing novel; it won the Pulitzer Prize, after all.  But it's the most depressing thing I've ever read.

I would recommend All The Pretty Horses.  Or even his final publications, The Passenger and Stella Maris (a set, to be read one after the other).

ah all of those have been recommended or I've read about them. Will note that and adjust course. I think I'll probably end up reading everything of his anyway so good to have some recommendations on ordering

[hefdaddy42]

He's amazing.

Be advised that Pretty Horses is the first of a trilogy, so if you go with that, you will then have to proceed to the next two novels lol

[hefdaddy42]

The Glass Key by Dashiell Hammett

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

He's amazing.

Be advised that Pretty Horses is the first of a trilogy, so if you go with that, you will then have to proceed to the next two novels lol

Oooo, I didn't know that. But that's OK, I recently read LOTR and I do love a good trilogy

[SchecterShredder]

Finished up with The Gunslinger Born. It was my first experience with a graphic novel, and it was pretty good. I wasn't, however, expecting it to be so abridged. Clearly it was going to be shorter than Wizard and Glass since it was only 200 or so pages (maybe less...there's no page numbers), but I was still a touch surprised. There's back to back frames where I thought to myself: "Self, there's about 50 pages of story between those two lines of dialogue in the book". Surprisingly, I got to the end missing King's story telling. Nevertheless, I'll probably pick up the other four entries in the series, as they tell stories only referenced in passing throughout the DT books.

Returning to the Wizard and Glass book to carry on the story after Roland and his ka-tet have finished their palaver.

[Kwyjibo]

The Magician by Raymond E. Feist

Well that was a really fun read, could have probably been shortened a bit but still quite enjoyable. Will read the follow up sometime soon.

Meanwhile The Insitute by Stephen King.

[masterthes]

Didn't much care for Mine, so instead did a reread of Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, which is one of my favorite sci-fi novels of all time. Ended up reading The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson, which was fine, nothing special. Didn't understand how it tied to Elantris though. Now, switching it up a bit, and reading Everybody in my Family has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson

[masterthes]

Moving on to Saga, Volume 11 by Brian K. Vaughan and Age of Cage by Keith Phipps

[masterthes]

Finally started on Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie. My tentative plan is to binge the Age of Madness trilogy next month

[Kwyjibo]

That trilogy is my favorite work by Abercrombie.

[Evermind]

The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith

Good thing this wasn't the first book in the series because I would've DNF-ed it around page 250. Stuck with it and it was alright but honestly, probably one of my least favourite entries in the series.

[Evermind]

Quickly checking out Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

[SchecterShredder]

Just wrapping up The Wind Through the Keyhole by King. I forgot how charming this nested story is. Quite lovely.

[Sacul]

I still haven't finished that one I'm afraid, it's not long but I didn't enjoy it that much.

[SchecterShredder]

Wolves of the Calla

[Kwyjibo]

Continuing the Riftwar saga with Silverthorn by Raymond E. Feist

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

started a re-read of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

[masterthes]

Finally started on Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie. My tentative plan is to binge the Age of Madness trilogy next month

Really enjoyed this one, probably not a surprising opinion. Going to try to read Red Country before the year is up. Have no interest in The Heroes though. Currently reading "What Do You Mean, Murder?" Clue and the Making of a Cult Classic by John Hatch. For my monthly reread, it's The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice, and much like I gave myself a project in November with that Madonna bio, December I'm reading A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth

[Evermind]

Quickly checking out Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

Ehh... I get the vibe what the author was going for, and I bought the book exactly because of that (the book is advertised as "high fantasy, low stakes, good company"), but overall I felt it was a trifle simplistic. A comfort read for sure, but didn't feel like there was any meat on the bones. Maybe I just don't like these kind of books nowadays.

Not starting anything until I finish The Dark Forest.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

decided to try a new author and picked up Concrete Island by JG Ballard

[masterthes]

Finished the book on Clue, and for my new nonfiction, I'm reading Patrick Stewart's Making It So

[hefdaddy42]

Look Out For The Little Guy by Scott Lang

[Zydar]

I'm reading Geddy Lee's Effin book.

[Podaar]

I'm reading Geddy Lee's Effin book.

I'm listening to the audio book. Man, Geddy is a great narrator of his own story! I'm loving it so far, and I'm shocked at how similar my path navigating the 70's and 80's drug culture was to his. I won't spoil it, but his description of the atmosphere at the party where he swore off "snoz" I could have wrote myself.

[hefdaddy42]

The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece by Tom Hanks

[Kwyjibo]

Gwendy's Magic Feather by Richard Chizmar

[Kwyjibo]

Gwendy's Magic Feather by Richard Chizmar

Wasn't bad but very short.

So now on to some german sci-fi. Das Schiff by Andreas Brandhorst

[Evermind]

Not starting anything until I finish The Dark Forest.

Done! This was such a weird book. I did like some parts while some others were boring or weird.

Probably won't start anything until next year, got Children of Memory by Adrian Tchaikovsky tentatively lined up next.

[chknptpie]

It doesn't appear that I will finish my current reads this year... so here is my 2023 list... it was the year of Brandon Sanderson it seems. I read 22 of his works.

Title   Author
The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #1)   Patrick Rothfuss
The Wise Man's Fear (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #2)   Patrick Rothfuss
Rhythm of War (The Stormlight Archive, #4)   Brandon Sanderson
Dawnshard (The Stormlight Archive, #3.5)   Brandon Sanderson
The Slow Regard of Silent Things (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #2.5)   Patrick Rothfuss
Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass, #4)   Sarah J. Maas
Speaker for the Dead (Ender's Saga, #2)   Orson Scott Card
The Westing Game   Ellen Raskin
The Lost Metal (The Mistborn Saga #7)   Brandon Sanderson
Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection   Brandon Sanderson
City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments, #5)   Cassandra Clare
A Crown of Swords (The Wheel of Time, #7)   Robert Jordan
Flowers for Algernon   Daniel Keyes
City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments, #6)   Cassandra Clare
Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass, #5)   Sarah J. Maas
Jade City (The Green Bone Saga, #1)   Fonda Lee
The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress   Robert A. Heinlein
Legacy (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #8)   Shannon Messenger
Jade War (The Green Bone Saga, #2)   Fonda Lee
Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, #1)   Cassandra Clare
Unlocked (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #8.5)   Shannon Messenger
Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices, #2)   Cassandra Clare
Stellarlune (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #9)   Shannon Messenger
Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices, #3)   Cassandra Clare
Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices, #1)   Cassandra Clare
Red Rising: Sons of Ares Vol. 3: Forbidden Song   Pierce Brown
Jade Legacy (The Green Bone Saga, #3)   Fonda Lee
Tress of the Emerald Sea (The Cosmere)   Brandon Sanderson
Lord of Shadows (The Dark Artifices, #2)   Cassandra Clare
Queen of Air and Darkness (The Dark Artifices, #3)   Cassandra Clare
Rogues   George R.R. Martin
Warbreaker (Warbreaker, #1)   Brandon Sanderson
Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass, #6)   Sarah J. Maas
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War   Max Brooks
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue   V.E. Schwab
Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass, #7)   Sarah J. Maas
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow   Gabrielle Zevin
The Rithmatist (The Rithmatist, #1)   Brandon Sanderson
Legion (Legion, #1)   Brandon Sanderson
Skin Deep (Legion, #2)   Brandon Sanderson
Light Bringer (Red Rising #6)   Pierce Brown
Lies of the Beholder (Legion, #3)   Brandon Sanderson
The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England   Brandon Sanderson
The Path of Daggers (The Wheel of Time, #8)   Robert Jordan
Light Bringer (Red Rising #6)   Pierce Brown
Steelheart (The Reckoners, #1)   Brandon Sanderson
Mitosis (The Reckoners, #1.5)   Brandon Sanderson
Firefight (The Reckoners, #2)   Brandon Sanderson
Calamity (The Reckoners, #3)   Brandon Sanderson
A Darker Shade of Magic (Shades of Magic, #1)   V.E. Schwab
Winter's Heart (The Wheel of Time, #9)   Robert Jordan
A Gathering of Shadows (Shades of Magic, #2)   V.E. Schwab
The Girl on the Train   Paula Hawkins
Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse, #1)   James S.A. Corey
Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, #1)   Rebecca Yarros
Skyward (Skyward, #1)   Brandon Sanderson
The Butcher of Anderson Station (The Expanse, #1.5)   James S.A. Corey
Caliban's War (The Expanse, #2)   James S.A. Corey
Gods of Risk (The Expanse, #2.5)   James S.A. Corey
Drive (The Expanse, #2.7)   James S.A. Corey
To Sleep in a Sea of Stars (Fractalverse, #1)   Christopher Paolini
Crossroads of Twilight (The Wheel of Time, #10)   Robert Jordan
Empire of Silence (Sun Eater, #1)   Christopher Ruocchio
Snow Crash   Neal Stephenson
Babel   R.F. Kuang
Starsight (Skyward, #2)   Brandon Sanderson
Yumi and the Nightmare Painter   Brandon Sanderson
The Sunlit Man   Brandon Sanderson
Looking for Alaska   John Green
Sunreach (Skyward, #2.1)   Brandon Sanderson
Knife of Dreams (The Wheel of Time, #11)   Robert Jordan
ReDawn (Skyward, #2.2)   Brandon Sanderson
Evershore (Skyward, #2.3)   Brandon Sanderson
   
   

[hefdaddy42]

The Hobbit: Illustrated By The Author by J.R.R. Tolkien

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

recently finished Gun, With Occasional Music