I've just started A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers. I saw it on the shelf at the library yesterday and said, "Hmmm, I remember when this came out and I forgot to read it." So, 24 years later I'm finally reading it. So far, it's really good. I enjoy books that are playful with the reader, self-aware narrators, etc. and this one starts that way right off the bat. You're even invited to send your copy of the book back to the publisher in exchange for something else! It's truly a heartbreaking story but with a huge sense of humor. *edit: Well, I finished AHWOSG faster than expected because I couldn't put it down all weekend. I've started two more: Salem's Lot by Stephen King and About Grace by Anthony Doerr.
this post was submitted on 04 Jun 2024
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The Shock by Marc Raabe, a mystery thriller. His books just tick all the right boxes for me. Although I like his latest books better, the older ones are fun too.
The Pelican Brief by John Grisham
One of the few cases where I liked the movie better.
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese. Its a thick boy and will take me some time. Hoping to mark of the "Water, Water, Everywhere" square for it.
Tom Lake by Ann Pratchett has been a very leisurely listen. Unsure if there's any squares to use for it but I like it either way so far. Simple, so far, pleasant telling of a former actresses life to her three kids.
About to finish: "How to Make an Apple Pie from Scratch"
Step 1: invent the universe
Just looked it up, apparently it's not a cook book...
How are you liking it so far?
It's excellent. Basically a history of particle physics.
The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks. It gets a lot of flack for being so similar to LotR, but... who doesn't want more LotR? I'm enjoying it!
I started it a loooong time ago, soon afte LotR, and gave up after 50 pages or so, and never visited it again. I have heard it becomes it own things in later novels.
I like Terry Brooks' other work, so glad that you are enjoying it!
In my opinion, it's worth the read. I definitely see the parallels to LotR, but imo if you work hard enough, you can similarly compare any fantasy book (one that came after Lord of the Rings) and say "this is just Lord of the Rings but _______".. at least that's my rationalization. Lol.
About to start the first book of the Divine Cities series: City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett.
Quite a while ago (I think it was when I was still on reddit), someone made a post or comment about the series and I've been wanting to read it, but I have so many books I still want to read (or reread), so I guess I kind of forgot about it. But tonight when I go to bed, I'll start. Really can't wait and hope it's as good as it was made out to be.
I really liked City of Stairs. Just last week I saw it in my book case and remembered I wanted to read the other books from that series. But I have the same problem. So many books and other hobbies and not nearly enough time to make a serious dent in the TBR pile.
I made a deal with myself to go to bed at least an hour earlier than I usually would, just to read. I've read every night for the past ... I don't know how long, years anyway. I figured I would otherwise just waste this time on lemmy (or reddit in the past), and reading is a better use of my time than doomscrolling. ;) So I've been consistently going through books, even on days where I have little other free time.
But even so, I just have so many books I want to read. Wonder if I get to read everything I want to read before I go to my grave, and that's not even including all the books that haven't been written yet that I'll also want to read. :p
Yeah, so many books, so little time. I have books in my wishlist for more than a decade, and even some in backlog for a very long time.
Very relatable!
It is also the reason I pretty much only read finished series (some exceptions for me were Feist's Magician or Erikson's Malazan series). Tbh, I really hate having to wait for the next book, sometimes even for years (and then having to reread previous books, because you've forgotten half the story), plus you can never really know if the author will actually finish it. It's why I never bought any ASOIAF-books, I was waiting for it to be finished, but now that'll probably never happen.
Just don't have the time, patience and discipline to stay up to date with and juggle reading a bunch of different ongoing book series 'at the same time' - so I have an extra list with unfinished series that I check up on once every two years or so, to see if they're complete and I can start reading them yet. It keeps the backlog a bit more manageable.
I'm halfway through The Fellowship of the Ring or a sixth of the way through The Lord of the Rings, however you want to look at it. It's my first time reading the book. I've watched the movies and played the LEGO game a lot.
Ah, cool. How are you liking the book vs the movie?
It's a slow read and I'm loving the pace.
Currently about 60 pages into Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. It's alright so far, but I'm not super invested.
I also read Strange Dogs by James SA Corey, which I'd been putting off. Unlike some of the other Expanse novellas, the show followed this one pretty closely (from my memory of it, anyway). Luckily, it was short, and I can move on to Auberon without feeling guilty I'd skipped something.
The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde. It's... Okay. Not that great to me, but I'm not a fan of villains chewing up the scenery.
It's pithy and innocuous though, and not without its charms so I'll definitely finish it.
Oh, I saw the book at shop recently and got it because of Jasper Fforde. His Shades of Grey books is pretty interesting, have been waiting for a sequel for a while now though.
Do share how you like it when you have finished the book.
Coincidentally, I just saw a new releases list from February that had the sequel on it: it's called Red Side Story.
Oooh, that's great!
Though, it did take him 15 years to write the sequel, so I am going to wait and see if the story is finished, if not, going to wait for it to finish before I jump back in.
I fished up Swordheart by T. Kingfisher and really enjoyed it. There are potential sequels out there to be written but the whole collection is fun.
This week my optimistic goal is Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed and if I get that far Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirrlees. It’s a busy week though so we’ll see how far I get. Both are for bingo squares.
Proven Guilty is one of my favorites and sets up a bunch of stuff that is important “later”.
Yeah, really liking it so far. Started much darker than other books though.
Good luck with reaching your reading goal!
Just finished Shore fall (second book in the Foundry trilogy) that I spoke about recently on here.
I'm going to start the fifth book in the Buy Mort series "Bull Market Mayhem" and maybe try out the first Gideon Sable book by Simon R Green before going into the third book in the foundry trilogy.
Never heard of Simon R Green for some reason, but he looks pretty prolific writer, will look up some details...
What kind of books are Buy Mort? They are labelled as Shopocalypse Saga, and that has intrigued me.
I was introduced to Green with the Deathstalker series of books which were really good so I can highly recommend them! I'm not sure if Gideon Sable will be for me but due to liking Deathstalker and it sounding a bit like The Stainless Steel Rat (which I love) I'm going to give it a go. I love a good space opera!
Buy Mort is a satire based around an all encompassing shop front that basically takes over the universe. Earth wakes up one day to find that everyone (people and animals alike) have had this shop front implanted into their head that gives them the ability to both buy anything you could imagine and sell anything around them, as well as having incredibly intrusive adverts beamed directly into their minds/vision.
It is described as a "lit/RPG" and has very heavy tones of being written as if it were a sort of sci fi role playing game, using the kinds of terminology you'd find in role playing games. From there I guess it is a kind of social commentary / satire on the way this world is going with corporations like amazon taken to the extreme where buy Mort takes over in the universe and destroys civilisations as well as planets as it spreads throughout the universe.
I went in blind knowing only the title pretty much but have absolutely loved it so far and would highly recommend it if what I said sounds appealing at all to you.
Sounds interesting, will check it out.
The Night Land by William Hodgson. It's a dreamy, dark scifi story set in a future dying earth, told through the lens of a 17th century man describing it. I am reading directly because Tim Cain recommended it in one of his videos.
The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward
So far I am halfway through and it’s an exceptionally good example of unreliable narrators leaving the reader in a state of terror. I really really hope that it can stick it’s landing…
Also. Some of the chapters are written by a cat.
Also. Some of the chapters are written by a cat.
Okay, let me put everything aside and order the book right now.
Just downloaded on BorrowBox from my library!