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Archive [Retired Book Clubs]
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RETIRED THREAD: Vagabond Treehouse Book Club
So I went ahead and downloaded the ebook version (vol 1 -4) onto my kindle! I'm now ready for this massive undertaking lol
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I was a big fan of the short storyline with [Formerly Florist]... just the idea of penalty classes and redemption in a LitRPG world in general... alot of that seems to come down to (view spoiler)
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As a kid, I know I've read..."
1000 books together, or 1000 books separately?
Last year was the only year I felt like I could hit 1000 books alone, and it fell apart after about 4 months of reaching 75-90 books a month at 3x speed... in the end I tanked, and only read 500 books total for the year...
This year I did 250-300, and I expect to do similar next year, unless my reading habits change...
I feel like I could do 1000 books, after recharging my reading batteries, but it would have to be way too heavily planned, with shorter books, alot of mysteries and dialogue-heavy books, and re-reads, so I could do alot of 3x reading and maintain retention...
1000 audiobooks is basically more than 24hrs of audio a day... the average book is at least 250 pages and 8hrs of audio... 1000 books is just under 3 books a day... at 3x speed I can do 24hrs of audio in 8hrs... if I take some break days, it can be made up by doing 12-16x3 audio listening...
That was kinda how I managed it for January to May 2020 (without the planning part)...
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Tomorrow, I can do the last 25% updating series counts, then sort function a bit, then parse out series with 2020/2021/2022 releases I have read, and update my trackers and the January challenge...
I think I might have found some books by popular authors other might not be aware of, as well...
Like... Brian McClellan is starting a new series with glass magic, where the magic is drying up... In the Shadow of Lightning
Anne Bishop has like a murder mystery coming out, in The Others universe, called Crowbones...
Other times, book blurbs caught my eye for series I thought I'd abandoned... like the 2 newest entries in the Guild Hunter series, which seem to imply Nalini Singh is finally putting one of the bad guys to rest, instead of resurrecting them: Archangel's Sun & Archangel's Light
Do you listen to all audiobooks at 3x speed? I've worked my way up to 1.5x speed and can probably go a bit faster but once I reach 1.7x my retention fails.
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I did 3x speed for about 6-8 months starting in late 2019...
I think I dropped down to 2x by summer 2020, or 2.5x
I don't think I've done much past 2x since getting Covid in late 2020...
These days, I do everything at 2x and it's easy, as long as I hear the words (sometimes that's hard with whispers and breathy narrators, and all the noise at work)...
If i wanted to adjust speeds often, I could ramp up to 2.5x mid-book, or do slower narrators like Michael Kramer at 2.5-3x...
Depending on the book, 3x can be a chore... it can be like you're constantly a half-second behind the story, processing what you just heard while subconsciously listening to what is currently being said... and it honestly only works for me in 1-2 earbuds... on speaker, it just sounds like gibberish...
But it's very much something you gradually work up to... and it's easier once you have a grasp on the story/world/characters, versus a new series... also easier with dialogue vs descriptions...
I listened at 1x speed for a few years before experiementing my way up to 1-2x... been listening to audiobooks almost exclusively, for the past 6 years now... I started transitioning from my ebook reading in late 2014, and by 2016 I barely looked back...
To me, it depends on the narrator Most I can read at 1.5 or so but some slow readers like on the Cork series I can read at 2.1 or so. Anything around 3 and it's like listening to the Chipmunks album for me and I can't keep up.
Iain, 1000 each. I think it's doable with some re-reads and minor planning. Last year, I almost hit 1000 and could have done it if I had worked on it more in November/December. Trying to do a bunch of BR and other challenge related stuff is fine as long as it's fun. Once it starts to feel like work, I jump into solo read sprees. I think I burned out on trying to plan stuff and side jumped into just doing Vagabond/Mystery club reads and random BR's that are planned by other people. =DMy default listening speed is 2.55x. I'll take it down to 2.3x if I'm not familiar with the narrator. Give myself time to get used to the narration and it's back to 2.55x. Slow narration goes to 2.75-3x for me, or I find it too slow.
2.55x works well because I don't have to adjust consciously when I switch between audiobooks at 2x+ speed and normal singing/music speed.
I also crank up the speed when the story being told is simple (to me) and takes zero effort to keep up with what's going on. XD
I can't wait to finish Monsters & Legends. Super happy to listen to Phil Thron narrate, but the story is a bit of a roller coaster + awkward plateaus. Basically, young author blues are all over the place. Solid sightings of gold in character and plot development. Waiting to finish the story and decide if I want to continue. This book being the latest of my experimental reads. It's a mix of LitRPG & cultivation. I was curious.
Hey, is the Wandering Inn BR just us in Vagabond or one that someone is setting up for a main thread?
I didn't know we were doing Wandering Inn??? Are we doing The Cukoo’s Calling in Jan too???
We're definitely doing Cuckoo's Calling in January in Mystery Club. Brian, didn't you get the audiobook for Wandering Inn? We can start that whenever you are ready.
Well, see who else wants to BR it and make a time. lol
Ok. I'm ready on Cuckoo in early Jan. I didn't know about Wandering Inn but certainly give them a go. They are Super LONG! So I hope I will enjoy them.
@Soo teach me how to get 1000 books in a year lol. I usually waste a couple days in between books just trying to figure out what to read next usually lol.I think I could eventually work my way up to 2x speed but 1.5x feels just right (for me). I jump between audiobooks, ebooks, and physical books though.
And I haven't seen any BR for the wandering inn at the main BR channel.
Multitasking is my friend! That's how I can read one story and listen to a different one at the same time. So... really doing two books at once. That's only when I have time to do that. Most of the time, I'm doing other things and have an audiobook playing. Audiobook Speeds: I started at normal speed. Ran into a few narrators that speak slow and turned it up to 1.5x. Then there were a few stories that I wanted to finish sooner, because I didn't like it but felt obligated to listen to the end. That's how I got into 2 to 2.5x.
Overdrive max speed is 2x. So my library reads are at 2x speed. Audible app & my audiobook app top at 3x speed.
Wandering Inn - We can BR WI here. Let's see if there's anyone else interested. Hm, maybe I'll make a post in the BR Invite thread. See what Iain says. =D
Julian, you can always start on WI on your own and chat about it here. Just make sure to put spoilers in a spoiler tag. Iain and I will chat with you about it.
What to read next inspiration can be different for each person. I get mine between random stuff that comes up in GR feed, books that friends/others talk about, buddy read invites, notices about author releases, recommendations from friends/library/etc and Audible sales. I'll look up lists for genres or topics I want to read about. I get most of my random inspiration for LitRPG on a FB group and sometimes news updates from a few of the LitRPG authors I follow.
I'm a moody & picky reader. Genre jumping keeps me interested in reading regularly. My spree into Asian comics & webnovels have been a wonderful diversion this year. Added a different nuance of writing and art into the rotation. =)
I've got my copy for Cuckoo's. So, I can start whenever fits for everyone.A 1000 books, Soo?! How do you do that? Have you got clones? No, seriously, I want to reach 100 books in 2022, but I'm only doing physical books. Do you've got any tips?
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I could have sworn you agreed to Wandering Inn like a month ago...
I think it's mostly us, altho I tried to get Choko to join... she's been pretty quiet since that spree of thread update in November...
I say we do a general invite in the BR thread, and probably make a new series thread in the Book Club folder for general discussion, and control the pacing ourselves... the books are long, and I dunno that we want to force people to a once a month deal or anything... the audiobook material to date, and any new releases, feel like they could last all of 2022 for slower readers, if we get new people that enjoy it like Soo and I do...
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I think I could eventually work my way up..."
the main way to avoid lost time, if to have a dozen or so books you're interested in at all times, on audio/digitial/physical TBR pile... and when you finish one, hopefully you're in the mood for one of the others already ready and waiting... at least for me... hasn't been working, lately...
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That's another reason I went back to 2x speed... when I gave up my faulty phone, I stopped using one of my book apps...
I don't like listening on my new phone (probably replace it sooner than later)... so I got an ipod for books... and I don't think the battery is as good... and that 3x speed app I was using was a real battery drainer on my old phone... so I live with 2x speed on some books, and have the option of 2-4x speed on Hoopla and Audible, I think...
Already responded to WI stuff above :D
Saar, scroll up to post #2865. For a while, I prioritized audiobooks over music/etc. I can listen to an audiobook or music for 95% of the things I do, including work. Few years ago, I started to work on listening to one story and reading a different book at the same time. Fun & rewarding experiments that have made my reading & listening better at faster rates of audio and reading. =D
Iain, what's your current phone? Didn't you get that a few months ago? Or at least within a year? I feel like it's only been a year.
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Few years ago, I started to ..."
Yea... I got the phone without much research, because my old iPhone was having charger capable connection issues, and I couldn't keep fiddling to make it charge anymore...
I've never seemed to quite like it... almost from the beginning... I buy older phones, since I'm on a low cost pre-paid network and it's much cheaper to buy phone outright than have a monthly fee... I might go with something samsung next time... or just go back to apple, and live with the lack of earphone socket or the less useful 3.5mm to lightning converter thing...
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I'm not one to do the whole read and listen to 2 different books thing... I kinda do that, while gaming or on discord with a book running sometimes, but I rewind alot, sometimes, so it's not perfect... I think it would be worse with 2 books...
@lain Out of curiosity what phone do you have? I tend to listen to audiobooks while walking my dog, driving, or cooking. For a while I tried listening to them while at the gym but it's hard to focus since they blast some EDM music at all times to where you can barely hear the books themselves. If I could find a way to listen while working or playing a video game effectively that would be a game changer lol.
I'll probably start WI after new years, there's already like 4 books that I'm currently reading and need to finish first.
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Some definite Buddy Read fodder on there tho...
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
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I tend to listen to audiobooks while walking my dog, driving, or cooking. For a while I tried listening to them while at the gym but it's hard to fo..."
Motorola Power G I think?
Iain, get a Samsung Galaxy! =D For all around great phone that should last for a while, get the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra. That way you have access to extra mini-SD card storage. Store programs on phone and put all book/audiobook files on SD. Gotta make sure that Kindle/Audible/etc apps are set to store on SD.
A good pair of noise-canceling headphones will work for listening while at the gym/work. I used to get a lot of reading/browsing done during cardio machine workouts. Not going back to gym until pandemic is a fading memory.
Bluetooth Headphones:
AfterShokz has become my headphones for hiking, etc. Downside is that when you're in a noisy area and bump up the volume, other people may be able to hear what you're listening to but they'd have to be rather close for that to happen.
My fav used to be Samsung Level U, but the cost for those went up by a lot during Pandemic. I'd still use those if I could get it as a reasonable price. SLU are the right size & fit in my ears. + 11-12 hours play time.
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What I should have gotten last time...
Not sure S20 Ultra works with Cricket Wireless (my provider)... they have the S20 FE tho...
I'll look more later... sounds like the ability to use phones from other carriers is pretty limited...
I know I've had tons of issues buying a phone online, because the website doesn't believe my address is real...
Peter Clines put up his year end blog post. Good news: he's writing again! Bad news: it's not in the Threshold universe. I was hoping he'd do a one off book and come back to Threshold but guess not. I'll still be giving them a try - he's one of my auto buy authors.https://thoth-amon.blogspot.com/2021/...
Iain, you should get Tmobile. It's not that much for unlimited and you can get a discount on phone/etc as first sign up. Tmobile is also going into providing internet. Though, I'm a bit skeptical about that part due to it being cellular network vs wired hubs. Narilka, I have The Broken Room marked on my calendar! =D
We all should read that when it comes out. I don't think Brian has read any Peter Clines yet?
Good to hear that Clines has been productive on the writing front and that there are more stories and series to come from him in future. =)
I think Ex-Heroes is the only work of his that I haven't read yet. I've collected most of the audiobooks from Audible sales.
Currently listening to He Who Fights with Monsters 4: A LitRPG Adventure. The audiobook came out and I was like, why not? I enjoyed the first book more than I thought I would. #2 was a lot of fun and #3 was a see-saw but ok. Thus far, #4 has been great! Story went into a different direction than I had expected, and it's great for character development. Also, funny for various reasons that I'd chat about if someone else reads these books. =D
Fair warning, Shirtaloon is the web-fiction handle of an indie writer that has gotten a fan base via Royal Road, etc. That's how a lot of indie writers gained a following. So, there are some rough patches and all that jazz.
Overall, a well done action oriented, slice of life LitRPG.
@Lain I have cricket prepaid also and you'll be fine with the Samsung flagships. Based on budget and time I'd wait until March since usually Samsung releases their newest flagship phone around February. Once they release a new phone the last year's model plummets in price and if you get one 2 year's old it's even more.
Actually in case you didn't already know, with cricket they are a child company of AT&T. They use the exact same towers as AT&T albeit with slower speeds. Pretty much any GSM phone that works on AT&T will work on cricket.
I've been looking at graphics for adding to the new thread. Here are my current choices:Lowkey, fun:
Soaring High:
A Traveling Treehouse (Truly Vagabond lol):
Which should I use?
Something about that second picture just looks so epic to me. My vote goes to the second pic.
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The second picture kind of reminds me of the home of the Highmountain Tauren in the Legion expansion of WoW...
The third, Discworld...
This is the best image I could find from WoW, with the bridges and stuff...
I like the first one. Low key fun is our group :)
=DIt's cartoony fun, right? I like that there's a huge telescope, pirate flag, people sleeping in the hammocks and stuff.
I like all three for different reasons. =D
I finally started reading the wandering inn! So far I'm only 2 chapters in and not much has happened except that Erin has realized she's been isekai'd
I will try to get to Wandering Inn in January when the points for competition count. Soo and Iain?? What is our BR schedule for Jan on here and mystery thread? I am going to start the Cradle series on Jan 1 and was planning on The Cuckoo's Calling in early Jan for mystery read? Does that work?
Julian Viso wrote: "I finally started reading the wandering inn! So far I'm only 2 chapters in and not much has happened except that Erin has realized she's been isekai'd"lol - But you did note:
- Dragon
- WTF am I?
- Goblins
I think you should have met Relc & Klblch.
Brian, what's on the top of your TBR that you want to read for January of 2022? I know I told you I'm down to read some of the stuff you bought.
(Don't ask me which ones. I just know I have some of them.) hehe
As for us as a group, I don't think we had a book planned per say?
I'll join the chats for Cradle. I'm not following that time table though. 1 book a month is too slow for me, but chating is totally doable! Heh
I will dig up some books I didn't get to this year and plan to definitely do next year.
So far Erin hasn't met anyone at the inn. She's just cleaned the inn, leveled up from it, and was reminiscing on running into a dragon. Oh and she got attacked by a curtain lol
I'm maybe 20 minutes into the book in total so pretty much nothing of significance has happened. Later tonight I'll probably read more, but don't want to get too far into the book since the BR for this hasn't officially started yet.
Julian, you're planning to join the team competition once you have 100 comments, right?Only books read between January to October of 2022 will count for the comp.
You can re-read what you read or subract the pages you read from the total for the competition.
Oh you mean for the wandering inn? If that's the case then I'll stop and wait until Jan 1 so that it can count for the contest. I made it to Erin being chased by goblins, she hates this world lol
How would you feel if you got up to pee one night and ended up:- 1st chased by fire breathing dragon.
- Dropped into the wild.
- No electricity, people, etc.
- Have zero survival skills and pampered modern person.
- Managed to find shelter, think you're stuck in a wacko game & levels.
- Chased and fighting goblins.
Hehehe
The broad strokes are more fun for many of the initial chapters, but it all builds up to stuff.
You forgot attacked by a giant crab lol
Oops, I didn't record my re-listen of Vol1. Bah, I can't remember when I did it. Sometime in the spring? Listened 3x and read the website at least once for Volume1. Anyways, I'm on Volume 8 now. A lot has happened since Vol1. =D
Hehehehe
Music - On Spotify:
I don't have a good way to mark music that I like. Between trying to find stuff in foreign languages/countries. This turned into a deep dive of liked/saved songs/playlists. XD
- Song of Women feat Lzzy Hale by the HU
- The End of Silence by Gackt
- Sympathy (Ochrestra Vers) by Jung Joon Young
- Good Bye My Love by Ailee
- Kiss Goodbye by Leehom Wang
- Don't Break the Heart (Strings) by Tom Grennan
- I Can't (Orchestral) by Aranda
- Bad Dreams (Stripped) by Fauozia
- Cannonball (feat. Fantastic Negrito) by ZZ Ward
- Would Anyone Care by Citizen Soldier
- Lost in the Moment by NF & Andreas Moss
- Second's Glance (feat. Karla Riley) by Brothers Bright
- Feeling Good by Muse
- Witness (Stripped) by Daughtry
- A Reason to Fight by Disturbed
- I'll Follow You by Shinedown
- I am a Stone by Demon Hunter
- For You by Eric Bibb
- Eine Minute by Uriah Heep
- Longest Night by Howie Day
- Monsters (Feat. blackbear) by All Time Low & blackbear
- I'll Take Care of You by Joe Bonamassa & Beth Hart
- Close My Eyes Forever (Feat. Izzy Hale) by Device & Lzzy Hale
- Love is Madness (Feat. Emma) by Thirty Seconds to Mars & Emma
- Written in the Stars (Feat. Eric Turner) by Tinie Tempah & Eric Turner
- Paint Me Black (Feat. Mali Koa Hood) by Ben Hazlewood
- Bottom of the River by Delta Rae
- Suiren (A Water Lily) by Jia Peng Fang
- All the King's Men by the Rigs
- We Are Young (feat. Janelle Monae) by fun & Janelle Monae
- C'est La Vie by Eppic
- Never Enough by Loren Allred
- Invincible by Matthew Schuler
- Everybody Knows by Sigrid
- Midnight Waltz by David Garrett, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Franck van der Heijden
- Remember Me (Feat. Roger Berruezo) by Ivan Torrent
- Man or a Monster (Feat. Zayde Wolf) by Sam Tinnesz
- Djon'Maya by Victor Deme
- Rakas by Haloo Helsinki!
- Man in the Mirror (Feat. Cameron the Public) by J2
- Little Do You Know by Alex & Sierra
- A Note to Me by Corroded
- Death of Me by David Cook
- Never Stop by SafetySuit
- Ghost Myself by DIAMANTE
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And I warned you Volume 1 starts kinda slow... but it gains momentum... but you kinda need to survive 300 pages or so (first 1/3 of first book)... and Andrea Parsneau saves you having to figure out how to pronounce Antinium names/sentences with mandible clicking noises and/or glottal stops :D
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)
As a kid, I know I've read more than a thousand books before. I got serious about the reading contest in my 5th grade class. I didn't start until late fall that year and read over 600 books by the end of the school year. A mix of shorter books and longer ones. That's when I fell in love with reading. During that class contest.
I think I would like to gain 1k books for at least one year. This is off the wall pondering at this point. Not sure if I will commit. It depends on how crazy the pandemic variants get.
To be honest, I'd be happier with life getting closer to normal and being outdoors more. Sunrise, sunsets, stars, Milky Way and comets! Woo~