The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings

[masterthes]

Wow, I really dropped the ball on updating for a while there, my apologies

1. Finished A Christmas Story by Caseen Gaines, a really awesome BTS look about the movie and the franchise as a whole.

2. The Spirit Thief by Rachel Aaron. First book in the Eli Monpress series. Interesting take about how magic is tied on with spirits. Will continue series

3. Boys in the Valley by Philip Fracassi. This was an alright stand alone horror about demons possessing children in an orphanage at the turn of the 20th Century

4. Freaks, Gleeks, and Dawson's Creek by Thea Glassman. Looks at how seven teen driven TV shows, from Fresh Prince of Bel Air to Glee changed television

[masterthes]

and here's my completed list for the year:


The Monster’s Bones by David K. Randall 1/1 - 1/3 ****
Wolverine: Origin by Paul Jenkins and Kieron Gillen 1/6 - 1/7 ****
The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu 1/4 - 1/10 *****
Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson 1/11 - 1/15 *****
The Rich Are Different by Susan Howatch 1/15 - 1/21 ****
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie 1/21 - 1/25 ****
Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie 1/25 - 1/30 ****
Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak 1/30 - 1/31 ***
The Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie 2/1 - 2/6 ****
James Patterson by James Patterson: The Stories of my Life by James Patterson 2/4 - 2/8 *****
The Original by Brandon Sanderson and Mary Robinette Kowal 2/9 - 2/11 ***
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman 2/7 - 2/11 ****
I Hate Fairyland, Book One by Skottie Young 2/17 ****
I Hate Fairyland, Book Two by Skottie Young 2/18 ****
The Wall of Storms by Ken Liu 2/12 - 2/20 *****
Hamlet, Prince of Robots by. M. Darusha Wehm 2/20 *****
The Songbook of Benny Lament by Amy Harmon 2/20 - 2/22 *****
Singular Sensation: The Triumph of Broadway by Michael Riedel 2/23 - 2/25 *****
The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan 2/22 - 2/27 ****
Oscar Wars by Marc Schulman 2/25 - 3/5 *****
Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid 3/8 - 3/9 *****
Debunked by Ditto Abbott 3/9 - 3/14 ****
The Wandering Inn: Book One by Pirateaba 8/25/22 - 3/21 *****
Elantris by Brandon Sanderson 3/16 - 3/25 *****
Vinland Saga Omnibus Volume 1 by Makoto Yukimura 3/26 *****
The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family by Ron and Clint Howard 3/20 - 4/2 *****
Linghun by Ai Jiang 4/7 ****
A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon 3/31 - 4/10 ****
The Frugal Wizard's Handbook for Surviving Medieval England by Brandon Sanderson 4/11 - 4/12 *****
The Making of Star Wars by. J.W. Rinzler 4/10 - 4/17 *****
How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix 4/15 - 4/19 ****
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King 4/19 - 4/20 **
Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes 4/20 - 4/23 *****
Batman ‘89 by Sam Hamm 4/23 *****
Mother of Learning Arc 1 by Domagoj Kurmaić 3/30 - 4/27 ****
Batman: The Definitive History of the Dark Knight in Comics, Film, and Beyond by Andrew Farago and Gina McIntyre 4/2 - 5/1 *****
Annihilation by Drew Karpyshyn 4/27 - 5/2 *****
The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson 5/2 - 5/4 *****
All Star Batman, Vol. 1: My Own Worst Enemy by Scott Snyder 5/6 ****
Cinema Speculation by Quentin Tarantino 5/4 - 5/7 ****
Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger 5/7 - 5/9 ****
Boy’s Life by Robert McCammon 5/9 - 5/14 *****
Chlorine by Jade Song 5/25 - 5/26 ****
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi 5/27 - 5/29 ****
Tempest-Tost by Robertson Davies 5/29 - 5/31 ****
Shadows of Self by Brandon Sanderson 5/31 - 6/4 *****
The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson 6/5 - 6/8 ****
The Fall by Ryan Cahill 6/8 - 6/9 *****
The Lost Metal by Brandon Sanderson 6/9 - 6/13 *****
The 1998 Yankees by Jack Curry 6/14 - 6/15 *****
Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening by Marjorie M. Liu 6/18 *****
Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky 6/15 - 6/22 ***
And Put Away Childish Things by Adrian Tchaikovsky 6/22 - 6/23 ****
Cibola Burn by James S.A. Corey 6/23 - 6/28 ****
Ghostland by Duncan Ralston 6/28 - 6/29 *****
Maeve Fly by C.J. Leede 7/1 - 7/2 ****
Afterlife by Duncan Ralston 7/2 - 7/5 ****
The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer 7/6 - 7/7 *****
Infinite by Duncan Ralston 7/7 - 7/11 ****
The Making of The Empire Strikes Back by J.W. Rinzler 5/9 - 7/12 *****
Saga, Vol. 10 by Brian K. Vaughan 7/12 *****
Nemesis Games by James S.A. Corey 7/12 - 7/17 *****
Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett 7/19 - 7/21 ****
Skyward by Brandon Sanderson 7/21 - 7/23 ****
Zeroville by Steve Erickson 7/24 - 7/25 ****
The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher by E.M. Anderson 7/26 - 7/28 ***
Summer of ‘49 by David Halberstam 7/28 - 7/30 ****
Under the Red Hood by Judd Winick 7/31 *****
Swan Song by Robert McCammon 7/31 - 8/10 *****
Starsight by Brandon Sanderson 8/10 - 8/14 ****
Hide by Kiersten White 8/14 - 8/16 ****
Trust by Hernan Diaz 8/16 - 8/17 *****
Marvel 1602 by Neil Gaiman 8/18 *****
Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie 6/17 - 6/19 *****
Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka 6/20 - 6/21 ***
Babylon’s Ashes by James S.A. Corey 8/21 - 8/26 ****
The Making of Return of the Jedi by J.W. Rinzler 8/3 - 8/28 *****
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams 9/1 *****
Magician by Raymond E. Feist 8/26 - 9/3 *****
The Fires of Spring by James A. Michener 9/3 - 9/8 ***
White Sand, Volume 1 by Brandon Sanderson and Rik Hoskin 9/8 ****
White Sand, Volume 2 by Brandon Sanderson and Rik Hoskin 9/8 - 9/9 ****
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams 9/9 *****
Life, The Universe and Everything by Douglas Adams 9/9 - 9/10 *****
Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia 98 - 9/11 ****
You Sexy Thing by Cat Rambo 9/12 - 9/14 *****
The Exorcist Legacy by Nat Segaloff 9/18 - 9/21 *****
The Once and Future King by T.H. White 9/14 - 9/22 ****
Mister Magic by Kiersten White 9/24 - 9/25 ****
Stephen King by Bev Vincent 9/26 - 9/27 *****
White Sand, Volume 3 by Brandon Sanderson and Rik Hoskin 9/27 ****
If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor by Bruce Campbell 9/27 - 9/30 *****
Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman 9/5 - 10/1 ****
Silverthorn by Raymond E. Feist 10/1 - 10/4 *****
They Thirst by Robert McCammon 10/6 - 10/11 *****
Surely You Can’t Be Serious by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker 10/11 - 10/12 *****
Horror Films FAQ by John Kenneth Muir 10/1 - 10/13 ****
The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty 10/21 - 10/22 *****
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson 10/12 - 10/26 *****
A Basketful of Heads by Joe Hill 10/28 *****
Crystal Lake Memories by Peter M. Bracke 10/13 - 10/30 *****
How to Survive a Horror Movie by Seth Grahame-Smith 10/30 *****
A Darkness at Sethanon by Raymond E. Feist 10/30 - 11/3 *****
Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt 11/3 - 11/5 *****
Sign Here by Claudia Lux 11/6 - 11/8 ***
Claudia’s Story by Anne Rice and Ashley Marie Whitter 11/11 - 11/12 *****
Never Die by Rob J. Hayes 11/13 - 11/15 ****
Madonna: A Rebel Life by Mary Gabriel 11/2 - 11/21 *****
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card 11/21 - 11/26 *****
The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson 11/26 - 11/27 ****
Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson 11/27 - 11/29 *****
Saga, Volume 11 by Brian K. Vaughan 11/29 *****
Age of Cage by Keith Phipps 11/29 - 11/30 *****
Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie 12/1 - 12/6 *****
“What Do You Mean, Murder?” by John Hatch 12/3 - 12/9 ****
40: A Doonesbury Retrospective 1970 - 1979 12/1 - 12/16 ****
The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice 12/6 - 12/20 *****
A Christmas Story: Behind the Scenes of a Holiday Classic by Caseen Gaines 12/20 - 12/23 *****
The Spirit Thief by Rachel Aaron 12/21 - 12/25 ****
Boys in the Valley by Philip Fracassi 12/28 - 12/30 ****
Freaks, Gleeks, and Dawson’s Creek by Thea Glassman 12/30 - 12/31 *****

Total: 121

[chknptpie]

What would you put as your top 5 from this year?

[masterthes]

Non-fiction:
1. Batman The Definitive History
2.  Stephen King: A Complete Look at his Work, Life and Influences
3. Oscar Wars
4. The Boys
5. Surely You Can't Be Serious

Fiction:
1. Hex
2. The Grace of Kings
3. Episode Thirteen
4. Nemesis Games
5. The Alloy of Law

[masterthes]

Did you know it's been fifty years since my favorite author published his first novel?  I'm about to start a four year project of going through (most of them rereads) Stephen King's work.  Also, starting Barbra Streisand's book as my monthly project

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

the brave little toaster

[SchecterShredder]

DT6: Song of Susannah

[masterthes]

Carrie reread was a huge success. Actually improved for me the second time around. Now, finally reading The Lost World by Michael Crichton

[hefdaddy42]

Something is Killing the Children Volume Three by James Tynion IV, Werther Dell'Edera, and Miguel Muerto

[hefdaddy42]

Something is Killing the Children Volume Four by James Tynion IV, Werther Dell'Edera, and Miguel Muerto

[Kwyjibo]

Finishing the Riftwar Saga with A Darkness At Sethanon by Raymond E. Feist

[hefdaddy42]

Shakespeare in a Divided America: What His Plays Tell Us About Our Past and Future by James Shapiro

[masterthes]

Now, finally reading The Lost World by Michael Crichton

Was not that impressed. Very meh. Now, reading A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie and Still the Greatest; The Essential Songs of The Beatles' Solo Careers by Andrew Grant Jackson

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

Poor Things

[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.

Postponed that one to finish the trilogy, Death's End by Liu Cixin

[hefdaddy42]

The Immortal Hulk: The Green Door by Al Ewing, Joe Bennett, Lee Garbett, and Martin Simmons

[masterthes]

Now, finally reading The Lost World by Michael Crichton

Now, reading A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie and Still the Greatest; The Essential Songs of The Beatles' Solo Careers by Andrew Grant Jackson

Both of these were absolute winners. Before moving on The Trouble With Peace, I decided to give The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins a try

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

finished Poor Things, following it up with a quick read of the Metamorphosis and then I gotta figure out my next read. might be one of the Cormac's hefdaddy rec'd at the end of last year

[ReaperKK]

reading blood meridian now. first time

Probably my favorite novel.

I just started reading this after reading your posts.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

it's an amazing novel. i've gotta re-read it this year sometime

[hefdaddy42]

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu

reading blood meridian now. first time

Probably my favorite novel.

I just started reading this after reading your posts.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

Philip K Dick - Confessions of a Crap Artist

the only non sci-fi book of his published in his lifetime. one of the more tense books i've read. has a really sad ending

[SchecterShredder]

The Dark Tower by King.

As I finish up my 6th reading of the Dark Tower cycle, I'm curious: which book or series have you read the most? DT is top of the list for me, with Christopher Moore's Stupidest Angel coming in distant second with 3 reads.

[Kwyjibo]

There is a german author by the name of Mark Brandis who wrote young adult science fiction. I read those books first when I was in my teens and have read them probably 5 or 6 times since then. And I'm about to read them again this year.

King's Dark Tower series four times and the first three books of George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire also four times. And probably some Terry Pratchett books.

[hefdaddy42]

All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely, and Jamie Grant

The Dark Tower by King.

As I finish up my 6th reading of the Dark Tower cycle, I'm curious: which book or series have you read the most? DT is top of the list for me, with Christopher Moore's Stupidest Angel coming in distant second with 3 reads.

For me, it's easily the Hitchhiker's Guide series.

[SchecterShredder]

For me, it's easily the Hitchhiker's Guide series.

Really? That series started trending down after the first entry. I couldn't imagine reading them more than once.

[hefdaddy42]

For me, it's easily the Hitchhiker's Guide series.

Really? That series started trending down after the first entry. I couldn't imagine reading them more than once.

Opinions vary.

[Kwyjibo]

While the first book is clearly the best, the rest is still enjoyable. Should do a re-read of the Hitchiker series someday soon.

[masterthes]

Finished with both The Trouble With Peace (really enjoyed, but first book was slightly better) and Barbra Streisand's autobio (it was good, but could have cut off about 200 pages). Now, reading Devil's Gun by Cat Rambo. Really enjoyed You Sexy Thing last year. Hoping I like the sequel just as much

[Cool Chris]

As I finish up my 6th reading of the Dark Tower cycle, I'm curious: which book or series have you read the most?

If you asked me my favorite 20 novels, 5 of them could be from King. That being said, I just don't really enjoy this series. I read it maybe 11-12 years ago, and enjoyed bits and pieces, but the overall narrative totally fell flat with me. I gave them another go about a year ago, and felt the same. I got to Book 7 and just haven't had the motivation to dive in to it. It's been on my nightstand for months.

To answer the question, there isn't a series I've read multiple times. There are books I've read several times, including many King novels. Though I am hard pressed to identify those I have read the most.

[masterthes]

The Wisdom of Crowds by Joe Abercrombie

[hefdaddy42]

Resurrection Walk by Michael Connelly

[hefdaddy42]

OpposableThumbs: How Siskel & Ebert Changed Movies Forever by Matt Singer

[Kwyjibo]

Finishing the Riftwar Saga with A Darkness At Sethanon by Raymond E. Feist

Was still enjoyable but I liked the first one Magician of the trilogy the best.

Now reading The Last Wish by Andrzeij Sapkowski.

[Podaar]

Finishing the Riftwar Saga with A Darkness At Sethanon by Raymond E. Feist

Was still enjoyable but I liked the first one Magician of the trilogy the best.

Now reading The Last Wish by Andrzeij Sapkowski.

If you want to read an interesting and excellent Feist book, try Faerie Tale