Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion
Archive [Retired Book Clubs]
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RETIRED THREAD: Vagabond Treehouse Book Club
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It’s an intentionally rough/obtuse book, setting up an action-packed ending…
It opens at the end of the story with the MC dying, which may or may not be a feint, considering how the first book ended… then it jumped back 14 months to the end of the 1st book, and from there it’s jumped all over the place from 6-14 months before the end of the book…
And the MC did something to herself between books that’s being kept secret and doled out bit-by-bit as notes from her forgotten self to her current self…
And apparently the MC is a bit crazy, and is hallucinating a body following her around… at first I thought it was the MC of the first book… now I think it’s the MC of the 3rd book… one of the boogeymen of the series…
And also the MC needs her retainer to doublecheck text in documents because she doesn’t always see the real words, instead replaced with ominous or hateful words that make her angry or do rash things… so much weirdness…
Throw in a looming threat… another round of mysterious murders, this time seemingly committed bu a corpse… and a story in 2nd person POV… and you’ve got Harrow the Ninth…
Harrowhark Nonagesimis, newly raised Lector of the Emperor Undying…
In my quest to clear out some of my paperbacks I’ve started The Silent Corner by Dean Koontz. I’ve had this paperback for a long time and I wished I would have started it sooner. Koontz is a master storyteller. I haven’t enjoyed all his books but most of them are great stories. This is no exception so far. Jane is a great character and the story is starting to get interesting. I might break down and buy a few more of this series if it stays good.
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I'm finally doing it. I've started The Queen's Weapons. Here's hoping it's better than the last one.
Mod
Good luck... the 2 spoilery reviews I found imply it's WORSE somehow... (view spoiler)
Kinda glad I haven't read it... not sure I want to even try... you tell me?
I feel like Bishop has a formula... and it works... but the longer a series runs, the more flawed the formula becomes...
We'll see how much of a retread it is. Worst case scenario, can just stick to rereads of the original trilogy in the future.
Mod
I am still enjoying Silent Corner but damn. Koontz is being even more detailed then I’m used too. Seems like the first ten chapters could have been condensed to 4 or 5.
Jane Hawk is AMAZING! Dark series though. I love that series. You'll love it too, Brian. =)Narilka, let me know how the Queen's Weapons goes. I'll read it at some point, but I wasn't thrilled to buy it immediately after the last book.
My music listening spree has been great! Found some great stuff. It's harder to dig into "unknown" music because I'm not sure what keywords to use in the Spotify search. Feeling lazy about doing a net search on laptop and looking on Spotify. lol
On my Chinese Light Novel front:
I THOUGHT THE BOOK WAS FINISHED!!!
(falls over)
I read the last chapter today. Ch636 (over 3k pages hahahah)
It ended on a cliffhanger. I think the author got sick and hasn't been writing. I hope she gets better.
Today, as I was reading the last few chapters, I was thinking about how I've been spending a lot of time reading Indie Asian writers for the past few months. I could be reading other stuff, but I'm jumping around & exploring Indie works instead.
The stories by Road of Flowers have a distinct template. She uses popular Asian tropes and throws a crazy spin that I've enjoyed reading. Complicated characters, background and current event arcs have been fun to read. It's not a romance as much as a super drama with zippy action, humor, a bleak code of honor and fated love that's cool because it's continually chosen to be loved.
On WebToon, I'm reading a vampire-creepy comic that's on their daily release thing. The art goes from interesting to amazing to rough. Teasing plot. Gotta keep the reader hooked. =)
OO *cross my fingers* Wheel of Time #1 was released with a new narrator. If the whole series is re-recorded, I may be able to finish the series via audio! That's exciting. Cause Kate Reading (I normally enjoy her narration a lot.) and Michael Kramer killed any joy I had in listening to the series. I made it all the way to #8 before I got fed up and quit. LoL I didn't even make it to #10. That's the book I stalled on for the series.
I only made it to book 4. Plot moves at a glacial pace for me. I was hooked on book 1 and slowly died inside with each book after. Interesting but way too slow
There's only one more book left and then it's over. You can do it! =D
Mod
Finished Harrow the Ninth... it was pretty amazing... if complicated... and short on answers, in the end... I have no idea how this is all gonna play out... but the trilogy also got expanded to a tetralogy, because Tor wanted more about this new-ish character introduced in the epilogue to book 2, that's gonna play a big part in the conclusion...
Nona
I stalled on Wheel of Time #10. I own all the books in hardback. Even the new ones that I've never read. My re-read by audiobook stalled on #8. I was rationalizing the narration by Reading & Kramer for each book to be "okay", but it wasn't ok. I didn't enjoy it. Both of them seem to dislike the story they were narrating and that made the story sound more negative/childish/etc. I convinced myself that I could do the re-read with R&K narration around #5. Silly me! I made it to #5. That's thousands of pages and hours of audio. I should have given up sooner. The way they emphasize the story in a negative manner got worse in #8.
Reading the hardbacks: I stopped in the middle of #10.
Listening to the Audiobooks by R&K: Gave up after #8.
There's a new version of #1 with a female narrator. She's ok. If all of the books are re-done by her, I can hope to finish the series via audio again. Otherwise, it's back to the hardbacks.
I'm 20% in to The Queen's Weapons and it's been mostly "slice of life" so far. There are plenty of reminders to Daemon's issue from the last book though he's reasonably normal in this book. I'm not really liking where Jeanelle Saetien seems to be heading. It's currently sitting in 3 star territory for me.
Mod
Black Jewles: Awww, that sucks. Sounds like the trend I saw in the last book has gotten worse. Lame. During my last library spree, I got a bunch of books within a few weeks. Several of them are expiring in two days.
- 7th Victim by Alan Jacobson - Thumbs Down
I may try listening a bit more. I stopped at a badly written, dramatic abuse scene. Currently around 30%. Characters are 2D drama fest. The serial killer is a good example of how you don't want your killer to sound/read. *eyeroll* Female MC but she doesn't sound like a real person. heh
- The Blessing Way by Tony Hillerman was written in the 70's. Not the best audiobook. George Guidall is a good narrator and the audiobook release date was 2015. I'm going to guess it's the green writing of the author that makes the story sound a bit thin.
One strike and one meh.
I finished the light novel and tried getting into a few other Chinese translations. I read 100's of pages. lol Ok stories, but not as engaging as the stuff Road of Flowers wrote.
I dashed back to comics. Nobunaga no Chef is great! Wonderful mix of feudal warring Japan & food + related histories. I'm putting the comic on my buy list.
Enjoying the portrayal of Nobunaga & the twist on historical events. Nobunaga's vision of unifying feudal Japan & forcing the country to meet the future head on is very interesting. Most of his followers/countrymen do not understand his vision. It's a complicated mix of tradition and alienation of traditions. There are aspects of how Christian missionaries entered the country, the way trading port has a dedicated & large gun smithy, factoids about when different food was created or introduced to Japan, etc.
I like that I can take the story as a fun, historical adventure focused around food or dive into all the other details provided.
Ha! Anyone else notice that most of Fantasy for the GR Awards were YA? *eyeroll*
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The selections for the GR Awards this year are the worst I've seen in a while. Kinda sad.
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I am almost done with The Silent Corner and I am loving it. I will def keep on with the Jane Hawk series. Koontz is a master storyteller
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Think I’ve been doing alot of re-reads lately… not much is drawing my interest outside of new releases by favorite authors/series…
Just finished Komarr (Vorkosigan #11) and it was great! A bit too tidy in the way certain things were pulled together, but very satisfying as an overall story per plot, action, intrigue, sciences and budding romance. Yay, Brian! I really enjoyed that series. I don't think there are a lot of series out there with good female lead action characters. I loved the way Koontz portrayed Jane as being a normal person with above average skills. Something that can be said for a lot of people.
Iain, Koontz is really good about evoking feelings and creating interesting plot elements. He has dabbled in all genres. Though, I think he gets stuck with Horror/Thriller the most. I consider most of his stories to be UF with a touch of other stuff like horror/crime/etc. Some of his books do stand firmly in horror/thriller/mystery, but I think most of them are mixed genres.
Diving back into Stephen King made me realize (remember) how good he is at recreating elements that are the areas he incorporates into the story. He has a way of making the various Americana vibe come to life in his stories and the human condition (state of mind/etc) that can be heartwarming or creepy nightmare.
I'm back into comics right now. Plan to get back into Wandering Inn for December and catch up to the rest of Volume 8. Though, I'm a bit tempted to wait until I get the notice for last chapter for Vol8 and read it all then. Heh. Pirateabe usually takes a 2-3 week break after the end of the volume. That could be a good time to read it and not wait for the follow up.
Happy holidays, awesome reading buddies! =) Just in case I forget when it's actually Thanksgiving. lol
One of the nice things about an author being popular is that the book is most likely at the library. =DTurns out that Later by Stephen King is a new release. I thought it was an older one due to the cover art style, but nope. Came out this year & I got it via library.
The pacing is slower for this story than others. It's not as chock full of stuff like the Dark Tower books or the Talisman. Maybe it's because it's short? Nah
I'm not a huge fan of the narrator Seth Numrich, but his style fits the story okay. At this point, it seems like he is the main character, Jamie Conklin.
There's a line about a fart sounding like an oboe. Thad had me laughing and trying to remember if my oboe ever sounded like a fart. To be honest, my oboe sounded like a goose in all ways of cool and terrible sounds. lol
On the latest Audible Sale, The Blacktongue Thief is $5. Which is the right price for me. Heh, glad I waited to check it out. =) Well, I guess free via library would have been nice too, but mine doesn't have it. =)
Ok for 2022 I wanted to post some of the paperbacks/audio I have to see if we can try to knock out in 2022 if y'all want to.The Cuckoo's Calling
The Maleficent Seven
Gideon the Ninth
The Poppy War
The Grand Dark
The Diamond Throne
The Ruby Knight
We Ride the Storm
No Mercy
Magician: Apprentice
The Sixth Day
God of Broken Things
Sovereign
The Thousand Names
The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn
One Rough Man
Whiteout
Savage Son
The Legacy of Deeds
The Traitor God
King of Ashes
Out Of Range
Seventh Decimate
The Blacktongue Thief
I know some of these are scheduled for next year already but going down the list. I am sure we will find something not listed in the Mystery club as well.
I'd be up for Gideon the Ninth and a reread of the Elenium. You read much faster than me though so I might hold you back ;)
Narilka wrote: "I'd be up for Gideon the Ninth and a reread of the Elenium. You read much faster than me though so I might hold you back ;)"ha. I am not fast like Soo! We can go at our own pace and chat along the way. I know Gideon the Ninth was being planned for this year so let me check when its scheduled. Will be fun!!!
Good list! I'm down for some re-reads and fresh reads. I'll come back to post which ones I'd like to join, Brian. Elenium is classic fantasy with humor. It's been a long time since I've read the books. At least 15 years. Whew!
Mod
Right now, my reading has been sporadic, not really looking at new stuff seriously (despite picking up a trilogy off Hoopla that was probably recommended as a Sci-fi Mystery BR)...
I will say Gideon/Harrow the Ninth is an experience, if my recent ramblings didn't already... Gideon is a bit foul-mouthed... I actually forgot that both before my re-read and after, until it snuck into the end of Harrow...
I'll be joining the BR for Cytonic and likely starting the book later today because I have no self control :D Then I have a BR with Zaara early Dec. I can do our BR any time after that. @Brian just say when timing is good for you.I'm around 40% in to The Queen's Weapons. It's been really easy to set aside for other things. It's not bad, just not gripping. Still in 3 star range. The kids are about to head off to some special school so this might be where the "plot" picks up.
And a mini rant. I haven't won a giveaway in going on 2 years. Used to win 2-3 a year previously. Did they change their algorithm on how winners are chosen?
Not sure, I’ve never won a giveaway 😂
Narilka wrote: "And a mini rant. I haven't won a giveaway in going on 2 years. Used to win 2-3 a year previously. Did they change their algorithm on how winners are chosen?"I think all of their algorithms have changed. I used to enter a bunch and only won a giveaway for a book that I didn't read. lol
It's much easier to get ARC's for books, but I feel obligated to read & critique when I get ARC's. So, I haven't done that in the recent years.
ARCs sound nice. I just don't feel like going through the hassle of maintaining a blog :)
Unless the rules have changed, you don't need a blog to get an ARC. You do need to have current reviews on GR. I believe Amazon reviews also count, but I don't review on Amazon. As far as I can tell, reading and buying books on Amazon count more than reviewing. I do rate on Audible, but that's mostly for my own records to see what I thought of an audiobook vs Audible/Amazon algorithms. I haven't updated my review blog, Silk Screen Views, in years. lol It still has traffic coming to it and people reading it. Which is cool. I did a good job when I was doing it.
On GR, I have a Review shelf and keep it towards that top. That's more for me than for other reasons, but it helps for getting approved for ARC's.
There's a BR planned on 12/19 for Blacktongue Thief. We should join it. =D
On Current Audible Sale: I may update this list as I browse the sale, but here are books I recommend that are on it now. =)
Only downside is that I can't see what the book prices are because I already have them. Derp!
The Sparrow - Can be read as a standalone. Great SF. I have the author tagged because I want to read more of her writing. I haven't dived in yet because the other books seem to be very different than Sparrow. That shouldn't stop me though. This was really good. It makes you think and feel a range of emotional/mental responses.
Woo! I didn't get that many books. This is good. That means I won't be buying as much later. Excluding new release books that I keep an eye out for. =) I got:
- Blacktongue Thief #1 by Christopher Buehlman (Supposed to be good + FBR BR)
- A Master of Djinn #1 by P. Djeli Clark (Supposed to be good.)
- Krondor the Betrayal #1 by Raymond E. Feist (Collecting Audio format slowly via sales.)
- Genghis #1 by Conn Iggulden
- A Murder of Shadows #1 by John Conroe
Brian, I'm down to read these with ya:- Cuckoo's Calling (Think the plan is to read this after we wrap up Alex Benedict in Mystery Club.)
- Magician: Apprentice (1st re-read by audio. Woo!)
- King of Ashes
- Blacktongue Thief (Let's join the FBR BR that's happening soonish.)
May jump in for:
- Maleficent Seven
- Out of Range #5 (My library has the Joe Pickett books. I read the 1st one. Can catch up and read #5 with ya depending on when you want to read this.)
Soo wrote: "Unless the rules have changed, you don't need a blog to get an ARC. You do need to have current reviews on GR. I believe Amazon reviews also count, but I don't review on Amazon. As far as I can tel..."I had no idea you didn't need a blog. Once I'm out of this slump and can get some reviews out again, I may look into ARCs. Thanks for the tip.
I'm enjoying the first book, Genghis: Birth of an Empire. The Audible sale is has #1 and #4 on sale. Decided to go ahead and buy #4. I'll get the other books to read from the library & hopefully get the rest to fill out the series via sales. Also picked up Byzantium. =)
I didn't get the audiobook for We Ride the Storm because there were a lot of reviews talking about the narration being bad/weird.
Happy Thanksgiving to my favorite reading peeps!
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)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Rysa Walker (other topics)Rysa Walker (other topics)
Charlie N. Holmberg (other topics)
I listened to the newest one last time, but didn't appreciate it as much after reading all the others... I'm hoping to appreciate it more this time...
On the TV front, I stopped watching X-Files... they were too much work :D ... looking more for something I can follow with less effort...
Once Upon a Time is doing the job, on Disney+... I watched the first 1-2 seasons before, so maybe it'll get harder when I get to episodes I haven't seen before...
Before that, I took advantage of the Disney+ Anniversary event, and watched Shang-Chi (surprised it released so early) and Jungle Cruise (fun little movie, with pretty bad CGI jaguar)