Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion
Archive [Retired Book Clubs]
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RETIRED THREAD: Vagabond Treehouse Book Club
Prince world was cool! I thought Cline did a decent job of presenting Prince in his wild variety. Though, not sure how much of that is real?
Cline did his research https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_...I'm in CH 0025 on Arda (view spoiler)
Ahhh! I can't believe I didn't see this movie when it came out! Loved it! What a great, feel good movie. =D
Looks like there's going to be a Real Steel 2. Maybe in 2022 or something. Pandemic has made all movie making stuff wonky, so we'll see how that goes, yeah?
If you were in Tolkien's world, where would you spend most of your time? Elves? Hobbits? Regular humans?
I don't know how I feel about Spielberg being one of the beta readers and big influence on how RPT was written/plotted. lol That's cool? I guess?
Soo wrote: "I don't know how I feel about Spielberg being one of the beta readers and big influence on how RPT was written/plotted. lol That's cool? I guess?"
I guess? I wonder if that added to the heavy handed social commentary at all. It could also potentially prep it to translate to a movie easier. Maybe that's why it's focused only on 7 areas of pop culture and not as wide a variety as RPO?
Though I'm in no rush if there's a movie. The one for RPO wasn't that great.
Soo wrote: "If you were in Tolkien's world, where would you spend most of your time? Elves? Hobbits? Regular humans?"I'd split my time between Rivendell, Lorien and the Shire for sure. Along with general travels just to see what's over the next hill :)
I vaguely remember previews for Real Steel. Glad you enjoyed it.
I skimmed an interview with Cline. Apparently, there's talk about a prequel with Halliday & Og and more books in RPO world. Eh, I'm not as excited about it. According to the interview, Spielberg's interest in RPT was a big reason why it was written & finished. *shrug*
I like all the virtual worlds that the books talk about. I think they would all be a ton of fun to explore.
Re: Ch0025 Arda - Totally had to go back & check! lol (view spoiler)
Soo wrote: "I skimmed an interview with Cline. Apparently, there's talk about a prequel with Halliday & Og and more books in RPO world. Eh, I'm not as excited about it. According to the interview, Spielberg'..."
Yeah. Right now this is a 3 star book for me. I'm not sure I'd be as excited for more books in the series.
OASIS would be the best game ever due to all the worlds you can visit. Which is basically anything and everything :D
I have 4 minutes left of Ch 0025. I'll come open that spoiler later tonight.
Final RPT crazy theory (view spoiler)Ok, let's see how close I can come to finishing the book while I make dinner :)
RPT Theory - Heh, that's the positive spin of a cool effect of the new neural reader.
2021 Potential TBR ListProbably doesn't have everything I'd like to read and it doesn't have any of the series I'm currently reading. It's a mix of standalone and series that I have on my audiobook TBR.
I'm sure I'll be adding and subtracting from it as I go. lol
Heck, I may end up reading some of them before 2020 is done.
Let me know if any of those catch your eye. We can do the official BR request route or plan to read them in one of the book clubs.
I have the Broken Earth trilogy in my TBR. I read Powder Mage last year and not ready for a reread yet - I quite enjoyed it. However if you finish it, I'd definitely join for the follow up series Gods of Blood and Powder. I"ll keep an eye on your list as you go :)Also, Riyria Chronicles. Think we already talked about that one. It's a reread for you right?
Yeah, I'm in for Riyria Chronicles. That's a re-read for me. Which is why it's not on the list but will be added to the tracker once we figure out a schedule. =)Ready Player - Both books are fun but do not hold up well under scrutiny. lol
Audible: Finally trying out the library tags in the app. Usually, I have it set on All. Once in a while, I've used Downloaded & Finished.
Update Errors:
- Found several books marked as "Not Read/Unfinished" and I've read them.
- Downloaded books have been removed.
- Books that have been downloaded are immediately removed with a playback error and have to be downloaded again. May or may not have bookmarks/last played section.
This is all very annoying. Part of the reason why I like Audible is because the app is not as invasive as other services, but I figured that would change with the Audible Plus updates. It used be one of the lighter battery drain apps but I'm not sure about that now. With the Audible Plus change, I think there's more random & active checks between the app & service to see what's on the device being used.
Back to Library tags - It was interesting to see what books the app thought I had "Not Started" & "Started". Part of the reason why I found books I've finished and the status was changed.
Guess I'll have to rely more on the Tracker to have a better idea about what books I've read.
Finished RPT. Huh. Not the best nor the worst sequel I've read. It had its fun spots. (view spoiler)
Mod
I kinda spoiled a big part of the ending a bit ago, and am both mad at myself for accidentally doing it, and left with so many questions for what it means for book 5 and the second arc... definitely cliffhangery... I also heard that book 4 is mired a bit in setup for the conclusion of the first arc, anyway... Sanderson even outlined the 5th book before starting, to make sure he'd be able to reach the points needed to finish this arc smoothly in 5 books...
Mod
I guess Petrik agrees, and Soo & Scott don't...
I think I avoided it for awhile because I vaguely associated it with Poppy War, which had it's highs and lows...
I've heard a lot of good things about Jade City though it's not in my TBR yet.
Timelord Iain wrote: "I think I can safely say wait on Stormlight Archive for now, if nobody responded before...I kinda spoiled a big part of the ending a bit ago, and am both mad at myself for accidentally doing it, ..."
Thanks for the input. I will attempt to resist for now. I think I'm jonesing for epic fantasy and Sanderson was my first though. Maybe I can shift it to a different series :) I have plenty in my TBR it's just hard to resist when a craving hits.
Iain, there's going to be another Black Jewels novel in March. I'm game if you are.
Mod
I kinda spoiled a big part of the ending a bit ago, and am both mad at myself for a..."
I'll be game... what's this one about?
Re:Sanderson: to a certain extent, I think with Sanderson you just have to accept the questions... even when a series is contained enough within itself, it usually raises questions about the Cosmere you're aching to get answers to...
Each Stormlight book has ended on SOMETHING you can't wait to see play out... it's kind of built into the structure of the books... the books are split into 5 parts, with interludes between each part (short stories in any other series, that provide world-building and a side-arc spread across each single book)... the main book's story tends to reach climax around the end of Part 4, and Part 5 is much shorter with aftermath and then a Hoid chapter that really tantalizes something... cya in 3 years for the next book, lol...
Mistborn Era 2 is kinda the same way, at least regarding 1 specific character and the Secret Histories... Mistborn Era 2 is great fun, otherwise tho... similar to Riyria with the bromance...
The Queen's Weapons - March 9th release date currently. Seems it is a book for Daemonar.I haven't read Mistborn Era 2 yet. Been trying to wait for him to start writing book 4 and then I know it's OK to read LOL Similar idea - I don't want to finish book 3 and have to wait.
His progress bar for Skyward 3 is moving slowly. Hope he can write it and Mistborn next year. I know we're getting close to a State of the Sanderson newsletter.
It might be time for a Mistborn Era 1 reread. Though right now I could do with some HEA's so leaning towards an Ilona Andrews soon. And of course the next Finishing School for pure fun. I'm also debating a Hogfather reread for Christmas. And finishing up a non-fiction book I paused for a BR.
I'm glad I have time off for Christmas and New Years. It will let me maybe get through some of my TBR LOL
Mod
Trying to wind down on re-reads... I started a bunch over the summer...
RPT: I liked the new world aspects and the shard collection more than the setup or wrap up. I thought the story was rather predictable and came across as "want to be liked by the masses" vibe. Ready Player One came across as a fun collection of all the things Cline loved as a kid/etc.
Ready Player Two seemed to have more of an agenda to talk about political/etc stuff and geek out a little bit on what Cline loved. I guess the politics and preaching could be part of his love too. Ha
High + Low Five: (view spoiler)
It was pretty skimpy on the fallout of the insane hijack.
Green Bone Saga - I think the series & writing is much better than Poppy War. The last few years, I went with the masses on reading the hyped books and felt mostly let down by doing that. So, trying to curtail that by going with things that actually keep my interest and doesn't bring out my rant rager. lol Jade City was better than Jade War. I know you'll probably listen to the books vs reading them. I think it's easier to read summations than to listen to a bunch of inactive sequences on audio. Jade War had a few good parts but the overall vibe was bland because you can tell it's all more foundation building for the next book. Author has a good handle on making characters distinct. She didn't focus on the characters as much and tried to juggle key events more in Jade War. Both books have "new writer" blues but not enough to turn me off of the stories.
Black Jewels - Glad she's writing more in the world. I hope it's more in character with the series. I wasn't excited about the write up in the last book. I'll probably join? lol
Netflix: I watched Marauders last night and it was pretty good! Well written script with interesting heist/federal investigation. Characters were well portrayed, acting was good and etc.
Bruce Willis is in or making a ton of bad action/thriller movies. It's nice to see him in a good one. Also, he makes a great bad guy. lol
Mod
I watched Marauders last night and it was pretty good! Well written script with interesting heist/federal investigation. Characters were well portrayed, acting was good and etc.
Bruce ..."
Sometimes I wonder if Bruce Willis is in "rich person debt"... where they squandered their millions or didn't pay taxes or have too many employees...
At least that explains why Nicholas Cage does so many straight-to-DVD movies (IRS debt)... no idea what's going on with Willis, except for his bad reputation for working with...
Eh, that sucks about Cage. I've heard the same rumors about Willis being an ass. I caught up on the Ocean's 11+ movies. There's one where Julia Roberts has to pretend to be herself and Bruce had a cameo role as himself. That was funny but weird.
Soo wrote: "RPT: I liked the new world aspects and the shard collection more than the setup or wrap up. I thought the story was rather predictable and came across as "want to be liked by the masses" vibe. Re..."
I agree with basically everything. It appears to have annoyed me more than you though :) And yes, (view spoiler)
RPT: (view spoiler)Both endings in Ready Player were less than the adventure of the hunt. I think I lowered my expectations for the story during the depressing setup in RP2. Also, I didn't expect RP2 to be all that different from RP1. Maybe my re-read established my expectations?
Either way, my rating is for Wil Wheaton's narration & the adventuring part of the story. The rest of it was a -1 for me. lol
Still, lots of cool ideas, a couple of great perspectives & use of VR. I hope we're in the generational phase where we can experience semi-immersive VR. There are some games & rides that do that. It'll be cool to see how far that goes in our lifetimes.
Spider-Man: The Darkest Hours is currently on Audible Plus. It was good! I felt like I was listening to an offshoot story from the movie/show version of the Marvel Universe. Plus, Dr Strange is in it a tiny bit.
Netflix: I really want to watch the K-drama, My Holo Love, and get my romance-comedy fix. Hm. I may toss a day & stream the show. One big marathon with videogames. lol
Meanwhile, I'm trying to get back into Dark Matter. I loved S1 and I'm still not sure what the heck the scriptwriters were thinking on the junk that is happening in S2. Some of it is cool and the rest seems like "let's just make stuff up and go with it!". I'm frowning at you, scriptwriters. I'm frowning. =P
My TV has shifted from Weather Gone Viral to competition cooking shows like Guys Grocery Games and Beat Bobby Flay LOL I am impressed with how these people can take oddball ingredients and make a gourmet meal. I totally lack that skill. I'll probably shift to baking championships as we get closer to Christmas.I've been intrigued by K-dramas but haven't tried any yet.
Is the Dark Matter show related to the book at all?
Dark Matter is a SF show about six people who don't have memories of who they are and an android. They call each other by number vs a name. Which is kind of like call sign nicknames. S1 was a lot of fun. They're kind of like a rogue group doing wacko deals and trying to figure out who they are. A mix of action, comedy & oddball scenarios.
Oh yeah, not related to the book but both the book and show are about dark matter. =)
I'm not into watching cooking shows but I love watching Asian drama/anime that are based on cooking. There's different ones that range from cooking competitions, a family that has generations of traditional fair & trying to keep that in the modern fast food era, show based on a bakery/coffee shop, or learning how to become a good sous chef/etc in a high tension environment. There's a small, authentic cooking anime that I watched 2 episodes & quit. It was hilarious and weird hentai/extreme reactions like orgasms. Like they would eat the food and go into moaning spastic monologues about how amazing the food is. Ahh, Japanese humor. =P
>.< It's good for laugh. Light on plot. I think out of the 19-20 min episode, about half of it was spent on food reactions. lol
Mod
It's on Netflix. lol I think I mentioned it before when I watched it.
If you want a short popcorn read that's a little bit like Clines' Threshold series, try Bewilderness Pt1 by Jonathan Maberry. Some people didn't like the narrator. I thought she was fine. Course, I'm listening at 2.65x. lol It looks like Maberry is doing a serial style SF for Audible. I thought it was a good start.
Oh yeah, it's on Audible Plus because it's an Audible Original.
I need to check that out. Thanks for the tip.
Well, that was unpleasant. lol American Gods by Neil Gaiman is one of my fav books. I've read it a few times. At some point, I'm going to read the version with Gaiman's preferred text.
I just tried to listen to the full cast audiobook for American Gods (10th Anniversary) and I didn't like it. It's well done and has different narrators for each character, story narrator, etc. BUT the way it's told was making a different kind of story then the one I imagine when I read the book. A couple of cool things is that I noted a few details that I didn't catch & connect the same way when I read the story but those parts did not make up for the fact that I felt like I was visiting a warped version of the story that I love.
Me: Laughing as I look up the book recommendations for Deathstalker War:Deathstalker War #3 is part of an epic Space Opera with Star Wars like fighting and stuff. Action, drama, politics and aliens all the way!
You know how GR has a list of books based on the book you are reading/looking at? Library does the same thing. Here are some of the hilarious recs based on DW3:
- Me Times Three (Modern Chick-lit)
- Firefly Beach (Chick-lit)
- Crooked Little Heart (YA Coming of Age)
- The Quilter's Apprentice (Historical Fiction/Craft)
- How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia (Modern ?? Can't tell if it's fiction or NF.)
- The Chocolate Thief (Rom-Com)
LOL! I mean, Deathstalker series is a bit of a coming of age but it's really more in line with light sabers and rebellion against the ____.
The other recs are better choices but these were hilarious.
Deathstalker War:I'm in a weird portion of the book where there's a world full of "living" toys and they're at war. Lots of "what does it mean to be alive?", human owners bad vs still want to follow my programing, politics of the toys having their own toy evil overlords and etc.
Totally didn't expect this part! It's cool and odd at the same time.
Listening to Graphic Audio of the book. My biggest problem with them is the lack of sound volume balance between narration, sound effects & background music. The balance seems better on this one.
Mod
Deathstalker War #3 is part of an epic Space Opera with Star Wars like fighting and stuff. Action, drama, pol..."
bourgeoisie?
Empire! Duh! Deathstalker is like Star Wars. =)
Fight against the Empire! lol
Fantasy Buddy Reads
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Poor Shoto. Extra pressure on Z, H and Arte now, not that they needed it.
Off to face down Morgoth :D This should be interesting. (hide spoiler)]