Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion
Archive [Retired Book Clubs]
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RETIRED THREAD: Vagabond Treehouse Book Club
Good to know I probably wont need PT. I lightly rubbed my toes a bit last night. Don't want to flex and have muscles pull on the break but man this inactivity is killing me :)The new Givewaways page looks like it was designed for mobile and I primarily use my desktop/laptop to view GRs. They increased the size of the book image and gave each a lot more space, moved the sorting menus to the top that have a fly out animation now. It's not bad, just an adjustment. I miss having the genre filters on the side because they were one click instead of multiple.
I've had to sign back in randomly ever since I joined GRs. Not sure if that's new or you've been lucky?
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And I have to login to GR about once a month or so... I thought it was a 30 day remember... and I have to login any time I try to access the email system, if it's been 24+ hrs since last accessed...
I haven't paid attention to the length between logins. I wonder if logging in for messages resets the timer.
Maybe? On logging in for messages. I do have to login to check GR messages but I rarely have to login to the site. It was very infrequent for me before. Might be part of the new changes. As for mobile. I don't use the app. lol I do check GR on my cell but do it on the browser in desktop mode. So it's just a smaller version of being on a computer. Guided movement/stretching for your foot is good for healing. It's forgetting that you're injured and trying to walk/do stuff like normal that will get you in trouble and maybe do harm by accident.
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Book 1 was a great intro to the character...
Book 2 seemed good at the start... reminded me of Jack Reacher #2, with the kidnapping, and encapsulated plotting... but I was really ready for X/Evan to escape by the halfway point...
Book 3 gets back to "normal", more of the Barry normal life he's trying to establish... the angsty teenage assassin was great to bounce off of Evan... and the lingering bad guy of the first 3 books was finally dealt with... with great setup for the bigger bad guy... and I even felt good about Candy/Orphan V's plot arc (possible resolution?)...
Probably won't be long before I read book 4...
I like the way he tries to learn to be "normal". It's different to go from having singular focus of martial acts/decisions to what's it like to just live?
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Did he rescue the girl yet? The teen gal version of him?
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Timelord Iain wrote: "the angsty teenage assassin was great to bounce off of Evan"
:D
=DShe's great. Also, the trials of being a parent for him is hilarious!
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She's a core part of his very tiny circle. =)
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I loved the first 10-15 Jack Reacher books, but I think the author has dragged it on too long at this point, around book 20... Jack's just getting too old, and the plots are getting weaker, and sometimes focusing less on Jack and more on side characters, so there don't have to be as many harder-and-harder-to-believe action sequences...
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Part of it, was being unclear who were the main focus of the story, I think... in many ways, the royalty of the story are side characters to the real main characters... the advisers... and so many of the characters revelled in messing with other characters for the hell of it, or for petty reasons...
If the author ever gets around to writing a sequel, I'll probably read it tho, because the possibilities are pretty interesting...
I have been powering through Joe Ledger 5 today. (view spoiler)If I had one more day in the weekend I'd probably finish hah
Iain, I think Master of Formalities is suppose to be a clever satire. From the desc, I always thought it's like a stage style comedy of errors/ridiculous. Glad you liked it! I enjoy the Reacher books. Though, the author handed it off to his kid to continue the series and I'm not sure if I'm as interested in that. The Sentinel #25 is where the son comes in as co-author. Though, I'm pretty sure he wrote most of it. That's my next to read in Reacher series. I may try to borrow from library.
Narilka,
lol Which alien conspiracy theroies perked your interest? =D
I gave up on the Reacher books for awhile. The later novels (17 on) got repetitive and boring to me. I loved the earlier books but I’m losing interest in them.
The Fires of Vengeance #2 is today's Audible's Daily Deal. If you like the series, it's a good sale. #1 had a YA vibe adventure story & not deep in characters, etc. It was entertaining popcorn and I'm down to pay paperback prices for an audiobook.
Soo wrote: "Narilka,lol Which alien conspiracy theroies perked your interest? =D"
The Majestic program and the black book has some basis in reality, though they seem to be firmly in the realm of conspiracy theories.
Microwave guns are real:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_...
https://www.popularmechanics.com/mili...
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidham...
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Joe Ledger-y: the week after I read DCI Logan #3, I probably mentioned Simulation theory a half dozen times in conversation... I’d heard of it before...
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Wandering Inn Vol3 was split in 2 parts I believe. So, Flowers of Esthelm should be the first half of the volume. I pre-ordered it and will listen to it once I get it. =DI caught up to the current Vol8 releases and casually re-reading Vol3. That's where I stopped in my re-read of the series last year. There's a crapton of great things happening the series and I want ALL of them to be resolved soon! lol
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According to a Facebook memory from the other day, I'm slacking this year! I'm below 300 books for around this time. LOL I'm okay with that. =D
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Have a bit of Empire in Black and Gold and Bones of the Past left... but both are in the home stretch...
Abandoned the Wake Me After the Apocalypse sequel, after suffering through the first book... and abandoned Once and Future Witches after a couple chapters (altho I still vaguely planned to try a couple more chapters)... sad that one didn't work out, since I loved The Ten Thousand Doors of January
The only BR I'm participating in at the moment I think I'm the only one reading the books. Oh well. I'm counting it for the contest :)I'm having a slower reading year too. I don't hit near the volume of you guys but usually average 7-8 books a month and I think 6 will be it for April.
I also noticed that notifications are lagging. Iain's post before mine says it's from 1.5 hours ago. My last notification is over 3 hours old. Good thing the discussions menu stays current.
I finished Joe Ledger 5. A very exciting ending though I'm getting tired of Joe ending up in the hospital at the end every time. The guy could use a break! I feel bad for the DMS too. They've been decimated. I like the addition of Junie and hope she gets a recurring role, though (view spoiler)
Finally had my follow doctors appointments. It's bad news/good news. The CT scan showed I have multiple fractures. BUT I don't need surgery. I'll be in the boot for another 6 weeks minimum. I go back in two weeks for more xrays to make sure all is healing as expected. I'm to keep my weight off my foot until then.The news of no surgery was such a relief.
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I'm having a slower reading year too. I don't hit near the vo..."
GR has broken notifications like twice this week, and three times this month... it frustrates me to no end, because it generally takes me 12-24hrs to notice and start checking the discussion screen... mostly because quiet days don't seem uncommon, the past year or so...
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Poor Joe. Well, he can stop beating up Ghost at least. Ghost is good boy and deserves a break!
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2 books in, I think I preferred Pilot X... I like some of the ideas, but this whole chain of events largely feels like the MC's fault, even tho the series still hasn't explained the dark fog experienced in the first book BEFORE the timeline was altered...
My main problem, tho, is how often big Plot Points are dangled in the reader's face, that the MC knows exist, but can't dredge up from his memory... Plot Points that I tend to suspect, given I've read the blurbs, and am familiar with many of the common time travel storylines... the 2nd book DID end on a big cliffhanger, tho, that has me wanting to see how the MC has any chance of fixing everything in the conclusion...
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Past the halfway point in The Wandering Inn: Book 3 - Flowers of Esthelm, and loving it... so much is happening, so many new characters... and so much still needs to happen...
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:D
Anyway, finally read all the Laundry Files book... great to be deep into the Eldritch Horror Endgame, finally... it’s half the reason I started the series... shame it means there’s only 2-3 books left... just need to read the first book in the spinoff series, now...
And finally loaded up the rest of the Orphan X books on my phone... probably going to marathon them... great series... started book 4 yesterday, book 5 today... just have a short story and book 6 left, then I need to wait until 2022 for the next book... book 4 was crazy/great... taking down (view spoiler) and all...
Laundry Files is on my watch list. It's good to hear positive reviews.Stuff and Nonsense is likely going to be my next audio book. I'll be sure to come back here and chat when I get started.
The group has been really quiet lately. Hope everyone is doing well! My foot is healing and I'm walking again :) Still in crutches but at least the boot is off. I can do about half of the exercises they gave me too. That's progress even if I am impatient :D
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Otherwise I'm still loving these books, even as Evan's abilities become harder to believe (he just survived a 2nd concussion in book 5, against all odds)...
The second book of 5-Minute Sherlock is today's Audible daily deal - The Case of the Haunted Haunted House for $2.95. There's also a $5 sale going on where the catalog changes daily. Going to keep an eye on it.
Hi! I missed you! I'll try to chat more on here because this is my GO TO hangout spot for GR. lol Narilka: YAY! I'm glad you're healing well! =D
Iain: What are Buddy Reads? *cackles*
Brain: Whatcha been up to?
I'm not writing a lot. I thought I would channel 1/4 of my time into writing this year and that hasn't really panned out. I am making a point of journaling. Otherwise, I'm currently rehabilitating my body for a lot of reasons. I got into a great "normal" health state a few years ago by dedicating a lot of time into making my body stronger. Then, like a goofball, I slid into inactivity for most of the pandemic. My brain knows that "state of mind" is decided by what I choose to think/feel/perceive, but I took the middle route that avoided stuff that would make me want to do things I put into the "stay away from for now in pandemic" shelf.
Upside: I took the plunge & got both of the Pfizer shots. My body reacted to both shots. I had a stronger response to the 2nd one. I'm sure these shots will become a bi-annual-ish deal. The current trajectory for vaccine efficacy is between 6-9 months. I think it'll become a part of my norm to get a booster shot a month before I travel outside the main US until there's a greater herd immunity across the globe.
I've made slow progress into regaining my muscles & stamina. Then I had to take a break from hiking because I injured my right foot a few times as I tried to find hiking shoes that work for me. I have lots of light hiking shoe options that work well for 6-8m hikes on mostly groomed trails. I did not have a shoe that's great for rocky/technical trails. During my hiking shoe experiments (still ongoing), I hurt the muscles in the ball of my right foot. That happened 6 times within 3 months. The last two OW moments happened within a week apart. To forestall further injuries, I took most of May off. The tricky part for muscular/tendon injuries is that you have to do physical therapy to help heal them and rest it more to let it heal. Not using it completely is not the best option. I'm trying to be patient with myself and heal the correct way. BUT I am SUPER cranky not being able to do my current normal routine. I need to stop grumbling and start up doing more resistance based exercises at home. That way I don't lose more ground with body strength & stamina. Derp
In a lot of ways, I had to kick my thrifty side to the curb because it's expensive to buy anything right now. Hiking gear is expensive. It's a good thing that annual park passes for national and state are under $100. I'm definitely spending a ton of money to find the right gear mix. Better to spend a few thousand on the right gear than to spend over 75k+ on medical expenses.
I think I've got a set of shoes I can use for longer technical trails & seasons. It's a mix of Merrell, Brooks, Salomon, Oboz, Danner, Arc'Teryx, North Face & Columbia. I need to do multiple hiking outings with various weather conditions to know for sure, but I'm optimistic about the end results being more positive than negative. My year long search will finally have solid results! Hahahaha =P
I have tons of photos that I wish I could easily share with ya'll! Hm. That requires me to setup a Google Drive access. Eh, everything takes up time. I do have an Instagram account. It's sort of updated. If you want me to add you, send me a PM.
Here are some shots on my FB.
- Sunset at Great Falls on 4/3
- Sunrise over Potomac River on 4/16
- Full moon on 5/26 - My failed attempt to get lunar eclipse shots. lol Cloud cover did not cooperate by going away or having open spots. lol These are from the Stony Man trailhead and Summit at Shenandoah National Park. Easy night hike! Didn't use a headlamp because the trail was mostly visible. Though, I should have used it on the way down because the light went poof behind the clouds.
Woohoo! Not sure what happened but I can link photos from FB to here. That works better for showing since we have to use the html links to show it. Amazon Kindle: Cradle series by Will Wight are free today! I found out that I didn't have some of the ebooks and got the ones I don't already own.
Oh yeah, I'm in a huge re-read spree between Joe Ledger, Pendergast, a little Charlie Parker, and re-reading the Saga of Recluse + books I didn't read to wrap up the series. My library has all of the Recluse audios. Currently listening to a boring LitRPG. I should just finish it.
I got a variety of Audible stuff during their sales in the past month. They're having a sale almost every week! It's kinda weird. lol
Beautiful photos. Thanks for sharing. Good to hear you're doing well Soo :)I too downloaded the two Cradle books I was missing. I'm all ready for a series read at some point.
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But recently I've been dealing with some medical stuff of my own... time came to refill my BP meds, and doctors wanted a physical scheduled to approve the refill, since it had been about 18 months... in the week I was waiting for the checkup, this benign sebaceous cyst on my back started getting bigger, and I managed to infect a gland in my eyelid scratching... so they put me on some Bactrim, which has been making me nauseous, and I have an appointment with another doctor/surgeon to remove the cyst on my back on the June 9th...
Had the cyst for 5-7+ years, but it use to be like pinky/dime-sized and ignoreable (I showed it to doctor back then)... now it's more like a ping-pong ball and annoying, and not draining (never draining)... and it's in that perfect evil spot of your back that you can barely reach, no matter how you twist your arms...
Hopefully I get everything resolved soon... because putting back against hard surfaces has grown irritating... I missed a followup call with doctor/assistant on Friday, and can't contact until Tuesday because it's Memorial Day weekend...
Fun times...
Brian wrote: "Nice. Thanks!"SOO!!! Good to hear from you and those pictures are amazing. I've been busy at work and I am currently watching my 3 year old daughter at swim lessons. I've been getting some good reading/listening in lately thanks to some long flights. I miss our BRs and chats so maybe Iain, Narika, you, and I get can get one going this summer.
My wife took most of the month of June off from work so I think were gonna go on some good hikes and trips. Glad you are doing well and start writing that best seller. On another note John Gwynne is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.
Cradle series: Totally down to reread the whole thing. Just say when. Hahaha Iain: Hope it all works out okay! Good to get it dealt with before it can become a bigger problem. Yay for adding color to your wardrobe!
Timelord Iain wrote: "I've definitely spent a bit more money than usual this year, getting things I need, including some new shoes/clothes... even have a colorful blue shirt I like (Soo ;) )But recently I've been deal..."
Damn TLI. Hopefully you get to feeling better soon. I had one of those cysts on my face thanks to a well aimed BB gun shot from a family member. Years later I had to have it removed.
@Iain - Hope it's an easy removal. That doesn't sound fun.@Soo - You'll reread Cradle but will you be up to chatting about it ;)
@Brian - I'm in for a buddy read this summer if everyone else is.
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Narilka, it's easier to heal the bone fracture than torn up tendons. With a fracture, you can stabilize it to heal. Tendons & muscles are a bit of a tossup. A fine line..."
Nah. Cast & crutches were the most aggravating & adjusting I had to do. After, it was all about taking it easy, stretching, self massages and steadily getting back into normal. When I was younger, I was much more sturdy than I am now. I think the body chemical changes that make it so my body reacts differently to things is the most annoying part of getting older. lol
Is the Giveaways setup different in a good way or bad? Did ya'll notice that there's a change so GR will make you sign in back after a certain period?