Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion
Archive [Retired Book Clubs]
>
RETIRED THREAD: Vagabond Treehouse Book Club
message 951:
by
Timelord Iain, Tech Support
(new)
Dec 20, 2020 06:42AM
Mod
reply
|
flag
Mod
The only minor problem, may be that Kramer is prolific, and only has so many different voices... it works pretty great with the Cosmere, but hearing those voices in other series can be weird... that’s a generic narration problem, tho, not specific to only Kramer...
Mod
So, it turned out that I read the 1st book somehow and not the prequel? I have no idea how that happened. I think it's a library/download error. I thought Please Don't Tell My Parents I'm a Supervillain #1 was good. Maybe you're not in the mood for young superheroes.
Did you read all of Eddie LaCrosse? Alex Bledsoe has another series that's UF on Audible Plus. It's in my audio TBR. That one has fairies I think.
I also enjoyed Implied Spaces. On Audible Plus. It was like a mystery/weird but cool future/adventure story. I tried another book by the author and it was more like a Takeshi Kovacs cyberpunk story but not as well fleshed out as Implied Spaces.
Mod
I think alot of the silliness comes from Emily Woo Zeller's narration and voice pitch?... anyway, I think I'm about halfway through the story now... and it has an interesting cast of heroes/villains/dynamics... not very black/white, kinda more like old comic/shows that didn't make everything dark/gritty...
I didn't continue/finish Eddie Lacrosse... Implied Spaces sounds cool...
Eddie LaCrosse ended on a good note that can be continued if Bledsoe feels like it. Implied Spaces was fun. Easy to follow story with complex ideas & situations that make you pause to think about it. I liked it a lot. Author has a few other books on Audible Plus. Already read one that was so-so. Plan to read the others.
You know when you're reading space stories or stuff with aliens and it doesn't seem like the alien are very alien? Well, the weird/bizarre/cool factor in Implied Spaces is out there and totally makes it feel like you're reading in a future time. =)
Mod
I read Titanborn after running out of Planetside books the other day, and thought it had interesting human variants...
Apocalypse meteor in 2034 leads some humans to escape to the moon of Jupiter/Saturn... evolve and become more resistant to cold... some humans survive meteor and eventually go to space a couple hundred years later, find Titanborn, take over the way they usually do (disease/germs)... story picks up with terroristy stuff...
Did you try Finder? I think that's on Audible Plus right now and it's good space hijinx. I thought Titanborn was ok but not fun enough to pursue. That writer is a solid B Flick movie style for me. Cool ideas but not good enough writing/plotting to follow thorough.
=DI'm going to totally (cheat) and read all the shorts/novella audiobooks that I had piling up in my audio TBR. I made a list of the ones I'm more likely to be interested in and there's a bunch more on Audible Plus.
I want to at least reach 963 as a read count.
I feel like Wandering Inn Vol7 should count for a bunch of books. That sucker is over 2k pages just for Ch7.46k to Solstice Part1. =)
Yeah. I know. I'm a cheat! Woo!
Damn! I wish I could read 900 books a year. Great job Soo!
Mod
I thought Titanborn was ok but not fun enough to pursue. That writer is a solid B Flick mo..."
I think Finder was a Buddy Read early this year...
Any of ya'll interested in deep diving into the Wandering Inn webserial with me? Volume 7 is nearing the end and then there will be a break before Pirateaba starts Volume 8 in 2021. I totally think Volume 1 is a bit slow to move along and the audiobook was a great way for me to get into the webserial. A lot of stuff are getting super exciting in the series and I'd LOVE to have a few pals join me on the story.
I've joined Kickstarters for a few authors but I've kept away from Patreon. Pirateaba is the first amateur writer that I've signed up to pay on Patreon. I did the $5 a month thing. Plus, I'm buying the audiobooks. She has a lot of promise as a writer and it's interesting to see how the writing evolves with each volume.
I recently joined Discord. Another thing I've been uninterested in doing. Haha! It's like IRC or fancy, customizable chat room/channels. I joined Discord because of a mobile game I play. It's hard to chat in game, so I joined Discord for easier messaging. Plus, they made me an officer of our guild. Go figure. =P
Because I'm very excited to see how Vol7 is going to end, I signed up for TWI Discord channel. That place is BUSY and lots of stuff on there. Most of it, I don't care about. I just wanted a faster update on when the latest release. lol
Anyways, a lot of things are coming to a head and other stuff is rising up like a tsunami. I would be down to re-read and chat loads with friends on the webserial. I kinda want to take notes and compare notes with friends to see if we pick up on the same stuff. Like story continuity, stuff that doesn't quite make sense, etc.
Iain, dude, there's an in depth wiki for TWI. Don't read it! You'll spoil the story for yourself. lol
Even if you read the volumes by audiobook, I recommend that you check out the posts on the website and read the author notes. Sometimes there's art & other stuff there. Plus, you get an idea of what Pirateaba is thinking during the process.
There's some great fanart for the series. Someone also made a video game of TWI too. It's pay what you can to download. I haven't gotten it but I think it's cool that someone made a game.
Anyways, let me know if anyone is interested! Another option for listening is to get one of those programs that read the webpage for you. It seems like a lot of people like that.
Meanwhile, I am a picky stinker and I need good narration. lol
Timelord Iain wrote: "Soo wrote: "Did you try Finder? I think that's on Audible Plus right now and it's good space hijinx. I thought Titanborn was ok but not fun enough to pursue. That writer is a soli..."
Did you like it? Wait, you can't remember? lol
Mod
Mod
Arachne is cool! The spider supervillain was a pain in #1. lol You'll find out. Finder - That's a gist of the story but it doesn't sound like you enjoyed it. I thought it was a great debut novel and fairly engaging.
Because of reading Penric & Desdemona, I found out Michelle Sagara is writing a new, prelude series about Severn (from Chronicles of Elantra)!!! Totally had to get the book. Debating on the audiobook. Now I need to read The Emperor's Wolves and can't wait to see what else comes up. Severn is basically a warrior investigator. Elantra is a world with magic, classic races of elves, dragons, etc and Elantra is one of the few cities where many of the races live in one place. Usually separated.
I went to Michelle Sagara West's website. Turns out she was writing a series of short stories. Except two of the shorts turned into novella-novel length. Wee~ I believe Severn was one of those. Both of those were accepted and turned into a series deal. Yay! AND the next book in Chronicles of Elantra will come out in 2021. I love that series.
Ahh, Netflix!!! Last night, I realized there are a bunch of cool movies/series that just got into Netflix or coming this week or soon. I did that thing where you can see what's coming & clicked to get notified. Lots of Based on book movies/series. I'm gonna try to hit 963 and then go on a show spree. lol
Hey, gang. Hope you're having great holidays! =)Hunter series by Richard Stark
Series on Audible Plus - Each book is around 200 pages. Which was the standard page count for when these books came out.
So, I thought the first book, The Hunter, was good but a bit dark. Not something I would be in the mood to read back to back.
That's the book the movies Point Blank & Payback are based on. Cool, right?
I took a break before going into The Man With The Getaway Face #2 and I was surprised by how much I liked it. It's not as grim as #1 and interesting.
I'm currently on the Handle #8. These books are great! Each story is different and I really like the way the author writes. While he is sparse with words, he still paints a vivid picture. Also, the narrator is great. Great fit for the series.
Basically, if you are in the mood for crime fiction that's about 4 hours audio, Parker series will work great. =)
There's a note attached to the Handle #8. Richard Stark is also Donald Westlake. I went to look that author profile up and found this GR Interview with Dean Koontz. I like the things that Koontz has said about Westlake and excited to check out the other books by DW.
Hey Soo....What's going to be the first BR for Jan? I'm wide open for anything
Lots of choices! I have my 2021 TBR link.A couple of people have spoken up to read a few of the books in Buddy Read Invite but no one has said exactly when they want to do it. I think the only ones with a clear date are the new releases. lol
What are you in the mood for?
Hmmmm....I’ve narrowed it down to Multiverse series, Queen’s Thief series , or Blackhawks. But I’m good with anything really.
Mod
Queen's Thief is great, but I already read it a year or 2 ago, and am kinda trying to take a break from re-reads...
I'm wary of Multiverse... I've read 5-6 Honor Harrington books, and got tired of David Weber's writing style... guess I saved myself alot of time, since he seems to have become a bit of an old-school Michael Anderle, with a ton of side series and co-authors to churn them out... the reviews I saw of book 2-3 didn't have my hopes up for Multiverse there...
Iain, does that mean you're not doing re-reads in 2021? Brian, I posted in the Buddy Read Invite thread. I'm pretty sure the Multiverse is on Audible as a package deal and I bought it either for one credit or KU Borrow & Buy on Audible. We can try it and if isn't great, we can make fun of it. lol
WritingI already knew that I needed to shift some of my focus to something else in 2021 or I'd be bored with myself. Haha
With that in mind, I fully committed to getting back into writing. Getting a new keyboard, trying out Scrivener, plotting to listen to more NonFiction books, need to dive back into research about making websites, working out if I have an artist friend that I can hire to make art for me and blah blah blah.
Already started writing at least an hour a day. I AM SO RUSTY!!! WOO!
At least I can pop out more than 1k words in a hour. Hahaha! It may be trash but it's worded trash.
Also, my vocabulary is old and dated. I need to juggle the side of me that demands LOTS of research and the side that just wants to wing it. =D
Anyway, all that means is that I'm going to focus more on writing. That will probably cut down my reading to normal levels. So, like 300 a year instead of a bazillion. LOL
Great news Soo. Write some bestsellers and I’ll buy em!
Mod
I already knew that I needed to shift some of my focus to something else in 2021 or I'd be bored with myself. Haha
With that in mind, I fully committed to getting back into writing. Getti..."
Have you heard of Squarespace?... it advertises on every podcast and youtube video, and there with all your website-making needs!!!
I think they say 8-10k words a day is great?... and that's for full-timers...
And you already have the good life experiences for writing (or maybe that's comedy... I lose track)... you're definitely not as hermit-y as me...
And bonus... I can try and outread you, even at my own weaker speeds...
LOL you'll outpace me without a problem in 2021. I'm not sure how long it will take for me to setup a website, etc. There's a lot involved because I want to do it right. I guess I could pay someone to do it but I'm gonna go mostly solo on this one because I learn more that way. I'm currently looking at Squarespace, Wix & Wordpress for website builders. I'll probably go with Wordpress because I know that one best but it depends on the look & functionality of the other two. People make crappy websites and think it will last. I want a functional one that looks ok and can be cooler in future. Like when I hand it off to someone else to maintain, etc. hahah
I really need to figure out what I want to write. That's the biggest problem. I guess I can rehash some old ideas to practice.
I figured out a pen name. LOL Well, I have one in mind. Will see if that's what I end up using.
Working on getting my typing speed back up. It's around 85 wpm right now with like 98% accuracy. Going by the last few days of writing, I can write about 1500-2000 words per hour.
I also want to see if I can work out using a dictation program. That would be great for when I go back to hiking. Although, I guess I can just use a recorder and transcribe but it would be more efficient to have an app/software to write what I think and then rearrange it.
Mod
Don't overdo it... or maybe treat typing like finger exercise?... I dunno... all I know, is that Ilona Gordon went through some writing deadlines a few years ago, and screwed up her fingers so bad she wasn't allowed to type for months while fingers healed and stopped trying to bleed under the nails... had to start dictating to husband/writing partner Andrew Gordon...
You know Ilona Andrews...
Aw, thanks for looking out for me! I'm working to build a sensible & ergonomic work area. I already have a standing desk and sit on a yoga ball when I don't want to stand. Besides, I don't see myself writing regularly for a while. I have time to work up to writing for hours vs working on various projects that need typing for limited sessions. Testing out keyboards:
- Logitech ERGO K860: This one is nice. I like the design and the wrist rest is great. The fact that they made the option to raise the keyboard at the wrist rest area instead of the keyboard was smart.
I also learned that I can consolidate Logitech devices (up to 6) on one USB dongle. Which is awesome because laptops/tablets/etc do not have a ton of USB slots.
Adjustment phase to this keyboard was short. It's not that different and the separation of the keys in two parts are great. Also, I like the 10 Keypad and it'll be easy to sync this keyboard to several devices and switch between them.
CONS: The keys are a bit stiff at first and I needed to type for a while to get them to be more responsive. Not as hard as older keyboards but it kinda feels like that at first until I tapped my way around. It's a full keyboard and takes up more space. So, if I want to work from "anywhere", it'll be more bulky to carry & use.
- Kinesis Freestyle Edge keyboard cost a bit more and I'm more interested in the split keyboard function. Being able to type type at shoulder width will be a nice improvement to having your arms drawn inwards to type. This keyboard is known to have a longer learning curve to adjust but I don't think that will be a problem for me.
In this keyboard, I'm more interested in the type of keys (Mechanical Cherry MX Red - Quiet Keys), the split ability, fast keystroke function due to being designed for gaming & portability.
CONS: I read that the overall build may not be as sturdy as it needs to be but I'm not a heavy typist and don't see that being a deterrent. The process to update are a bit convoluted and will require me to pay attention/search online to do it right. I could be super excited by the programmability but I doubt I'll do that unless there's something I need and don't have on there.
Kinesis has this other keyboard called the Advantage2. I think the design of that one is very smart but it is a split keys on a fixed board. Instead of making a flat surface or going for a wave form, the keys are in a raised bowl shape. When you curl your fingers, your hand curves down. Design wise, this is a better structure for typing. It's very interesting. That keyboard would be better if they made a split design too. That way, people can have the keyboard halves placed at shoulder width.
To get back into writing:
- Daily Journal
- Making another try at the 30 Day Writing Book Camp (It's a bit boring but it's writing prompts & ideas.)
- Typing.com to work on speed & accuracy. My scores are totally going to plummet when I get the Freestyle Edge.
- Doing short brainstorms on what kind of stories I want to write.
I knocked out a short last night for the Boot Camp. I was groaning the whole time I wrote it, but I liked how I ended it. I thought I did a good job of making a theme and ending on it. Whether it's good or not? It's not good. Hahah~ but I wrote it and that's the thing to work on for now. lol
Oh yeah, writing is a side job until it can pay for itself. Pish! That's like 5-10 years from now. lol
Great job Soo!!! I have faith you'll do a great job. You've read everything under the sun so I am sure you'll write something wonderful.
Neat! So it's more than just a hobby. You know you have built in beta readers whenever you're ready :D
I asked a friend for story ideas. As I was writing the email, I got a few ideas that I threw at her. Sonja was great & made a few suggestions. That lead to a nice brainstorm and now I'm looking at this:(view spoiler)
Not sure if I'll go that route but I think I need to start an ideas folder. Bwahahahahhaha
Mod
Weird. It worked when I did the preview. *goes to hunt down image*(view spoiler)
That one should work. Oh hey, that was in WOW. I wonder if it was in WOW when I played? LoL
Mod
It's one of the less known mythical chimeras. That one is German I think. The drawing is great! Cute and Fierce! lol
If you want to try out LitRPG, I got this email today:
Huge sale from Mountaindale Press and me!
Merry post-Christmas reading time! I wanted to quickly shoot you a note that my company, Mountaindale Press, and I participated in a huge Holiday MegaSale on Reddit Fantasy (r/Fantasy) where all books are either FREE or $/£0.99! You can grab 250+ books today only, including all first in series books in the Mountaindale Press catalog. I'll list them below for convenience, but be sure to use the Reddit link as well to snag a ton of discounted books.
Merry Christmas and happy reading!!
-Dakota
Dungeon Born by Dakota Krout - FREE
Ritualist by Dakota Krout - FREE
Something by Dakota Krout - FREE
Axiom by Dennis Vanderkerken and Dakota Krout - FREE
Bibliomancer by James Hunter and Dakota Krout - FREE
Mythian by John L. Monk - FREE
Bloodgames by Christian J. Gilliland - FREE
Equalize by Ryan DeBruyn - FREE
Winter Harvest by Dawn Chapman - FREE
Siphon by Jay Boyce - $0.99
Lair by Carl Stubblefield - FREE
King's League by Jason Anspach and J.N. Chaney - FREE
Into the Light by Christopher Johns - FREE
Mageblood by Christopher Johns - $0.99
Party Hard by David Petrie - FREE
Histaff by Andries Louws - FREE
Advent by Xander Boyce - FREE
Tallrock by Xander Boyce - FREE
That's only some of them. Collecting my freebies now. =)
Back to the freebies. I had better luck doing a search for LitRPG GameLit and then sorting by low to high price. Lots there!
2 for 1 credit sale on Audible. Some decent choices on there this time. FYI.
Thanks! I had no idea there's a sale. Duh
Soo wrote: "Thanks! I had no idea there's a sale. Duh"I picked up Still Life and Dead Six
Heard good things about Inspector Ganache series so thought I'd give it a shot.
Let me know how Still Life is. =) I was more interested in the Non-fiction selections but decided against it. For non-fiction, I need to flip through and see if it's something I want to read. Harder to do that with just online samples.
Mod
Still need to finish Hunt for Reduk Topa... then I can start catching up on Dan Deadman...
Woohoo! =) Good books. Deadman has a different vibe than Space Team. Less humor, lots of weird. Good characters.
I need to finish SpaceTeam too. Have two left I think. Wasn't a huge fan of Deadman book 1. Maybe it was my mood, or was prepared for more like Space Team. I'm going to start 11/22/63 by Steven King on 01/01. Got the audio from library so hopefully its good. King is usually hit or miss for me.
11/22/63 - Let me know how the intro goes! Pretty sure my library has a copy and I may join ya for it.
Woohoo! I thought I was kinda crazy to dive into another re-read of the Wandering Inn. I mean, I just read them around the beginning of the year. BUT a ton of stuff happened in Vol6 & 7. The way 7 ended? UGH. SO MANY FEELINGS & THOUGHTS! Actually, most of that happened before the ending but the actual ending was interesting too. Anyways, that made me curious about reading Vol1. Which I didn't complete because I needed to multitask & not just read a story. I still need to do that at some point.
What I learned during my latest re-read of Vol1 & 2 by audiobook:
- Vol1 is better in audio than print. All the stuff that annoyed me (plus others) are less annoying in the audio format. It's the ability to keep the story going and not glare at the pages part. That's why I think that's better. LoL
- The re-reads are GOOD. I mean, part of my fun is noting plot holes and which details hold up well. There are LOTS of things that are placed in the beginning and make impacts in the whole series.
- Because I'm so far into the series, it was weird to see the characters in the light they are portrayed in the beginning. You'll have many feelings and changes of thought about the characters as the story progresses. In that way, it was like forgetting how it started & yet knowing it did because of where it goes. Like, making sure the outline is clear by giving it an extra layer to stand out. Now, I have a whole picture vs parts that stand out in Vol7.
I'm debating if I want to continue my re-read (at a much slower pace) because the rest is on the website. Hahah. Probably?
960 Books Read~
I have 3 shorter books to read today and I'll be at my sub-target goal of 963. Woohoo~
I'm excited to see what we will read in 2021. Thanks for being a great batch of friends to chat & hangout with in GR. =D
One of my fav series is Chronicles of Elantra by Michelle Sagara. I found out a few weeks ago that she has started a spinoff series on one of the characters from CoE. Severn is awesome! He's like a detective + ninja. I bought the book as soon as I found out about it but decided to read it as one of my first books in 2021. I'm sure I'll like the The Emperor's Wolves and it would be great to start the year off on a sure hit.
Mod
The end of Uncrowned led me to chain right into Wintersteel... almost done...
I went on Will Wight's blog and saw he's taking a physical health break until March, but still plans to release 2 Cradle books next year... titles are pretty spoilery... (view spoiler)... stumbled on to another post recommending Iron Prince as a cross between Will Wight's 2 series in a sci-fi setting... 1100 pages according to Amazon... on KU... audio should be out next spring, with Luke Daniels narrating... I'm gonna check it out... start of a series, not sure I want to get in so early, since it means waiting, but the reviews are all pretty positive about it...
Fantasy Buddy Reads
Books mentioned in this topic
Boundary Crossed (other topics)Into the Black (other topics)
Terms of Enlistment (other topics)
The Palace Job (other topics)
The Cuckoo's Calling (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Rysa Walker (other topics)Rysa Walker (other topics)
Charlie N. Holmberg (other topics)
