EPBOT Readers discussion
2021 Reading Check Ins
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week 4 check in
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Oh no, Sheri! That sounds horrible. I hope you're feeling better now!I had a few finishes this past week:
Earwig and the Witch - there's an animated film coming out for this book in a week or two, so I wanted to read the book first. It was cute, but felt a little unfinished. This was published posthumously, which might be why. I'm looking forward to the film, which sounds like it'll flesh out the story significantly.
The Good for Nothings - this was my Popsugar book that has fewer than 1,000 reviews. The plot was little predictable but I liked the characters. This was a lot of fun.
Some manga finishes: The Ancient Magus' Bride, Vol. 13, Again!! 11, Queen's Quality, Vol. 9, Queen’s Quality, Vol. 10
I'm currently reading Harrow the Ninth. So far it's really weird and not what I expected, but I also struggled a little with the first book in the beginning, so I'm going to keep with it.
QOTW: I don't really have a favorite reading spot anymore. I do most of my reading now at my computer desk just because it's easiest to read on my PC using the Kindle browser app. When I was still working in the office, my favorite reading spot at lunch was the comfy couches in the office common room/lounge.
Glad you're back, Sheri!Continuing with the physical library books, I got The Selected Works of Audre Lorde. I hadn't heard of her until pretty recently, and this collection just came out, so that seemed like a good place to start. This was half prose essays and half poetry. The prose was very powerfully written; there was some academic language, but I felt like I mostly understood it. I was surprised at how modern some of it sounded, which I guess doesn't say much for progress. I actually struggled more with the poetry. She uses a lot of structural ambiguity, and I didn't really feel like I "got" most of it. Some of the ones from her later collections were clearer to me.
Next was The Affair of the Mysterious Letter, which I wouldn't normally have read so soon after Boyfriend Material, but it was on the physical hold list. I was really excited about this at first, but by the time I got to the end my enthusiasm had lessened slightly. It's a reimagining of Sherlock Holmes in a sort of old gods/dimensional portals fantasy world, with queer rep. It was basically a series of adventures in investigation of the titular mystery, and I felt it got a little repetitive. Also the shtick of the Watson character refusing to report other characters' obscenities but always describing them sufficiently was funny at first but should've been dropped waaay before the end. However, the Watson can really only be described as A Sweetie, and a solid knowledge of the canon was evident but not obtrusive. I will absolutely read a sequel if the author ever decides to write one.
QOTW: I mostly read during work breaks, so that used to mean the office lunchroom. Currently it means the kitchen table at lunch, and in the guest room where my workstation is set up for shorter breaks. I have started reading a little more outside work time now that I don't have to schlep books back and forth, but I haven't settled on a favorite location.
Glad you're feeling better, Sheri - there's nothing worse than that near-death food poisoning feeling! I'm still reading Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America - still really enjoying it, although now that we're into the 20th century it seems like the author has more personal views reflected, which is great and adds another level of interest but slightly hampers the flow as he's describing events leading into one another. It's odd to say that a 600 page book feels rushed, but I wish there were another section between WEB DuBois and Angela Davis to spread out the density of the 20th century more!
QOTW: Like most of you, I'll read just about anywhere - but we got a new Cariloha bed for Christmas, so my new life goal is to spend as much time as possible in the zero g setting there. :) Seriously - I want them to come out with an upgrade that makes the bed float around like a Wall-E chair so I never have to leave. Not that I don't still love our many lovely and comfortable couches and chairs, but this is one of those rare occasions that I built up a product in my mind over several years and it actually exceeded expectations when I got it. So you'd think I'd have finished more books since Christmas....
Glad you're feeling better Sheri!Two finishes since the last check-in:
The Night Eternal to cap off the Strain trilogy I started at the top of 2020. Other than a few rough spots where suspending your disbelief is more difficult, I enjoyed it overall. Used for the Book Nerds "by more than one author" prompt.
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, which was on my TBR for a while. Simple and quirky. I thought it was great. Used for the Book Nerds "number in the title" prompt.
Thought I'd make it to 10/100 by the end of January, but it took me two extra evenings to get there.
For Black History month, I'm going to try to pick out Black authors when possible, but library holds are likely to creep up. I'm down to 5 weeks' estimated wait on Dune! I'm thinking I have to finish the Broken Earth trilogy by NK Jemisin, I've yet to read any Octavia Butler, and I've had Dread Nation on my TBR list for a while.
QOTW: Bed, mostly, although anywhere with a blanket and warm beverage will do, or my hammock in the summertime.
Good morning-I was just going to jump in to note that I was hesitating getting going on November 9, but I am liking it well enough. If you enjoy wallowing in a rom-com movie or can suspend your disbelief to enjoy a musical, you should be fine. Cliches get a little thick sometimes, but to quote a newly favorite fictional snarky female astrophysicist "I'm invested."
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Last week I read Trevor Noah's memoir Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood. I couldn't put it down - he's an excellent writer and I learned so much that I didn't know about South Africa. Fascinating guy.
I'm re-reading right now - Carter Beats the Devil by Glen David Gold. Between the Houdini biography I read last week and a viewing of Derek DelGaudio's new Hulu special (which OMG you need to watch, it's amazing), it put me in a mood for more stage magic and I remembered this one that's been sitting on my shelf for at least a decade. I like re-reading after such a long time, because I remember very little detail except that I know I loved it, so it's like reading something new with a guarantee that it's going to be good! It's a VERY highly fictionalized story about magician Charles Carter - historical fiction, emphasis on FICTION even though the characters were mostly real people.
Also still working on The Lost Hero with my son.
QOTW: On my couch, under my fuzzy blanket, with a mug of tea close by. Or in the summer - outside on my deck in my lounge chair with a cold drink. My parents have the BEST chaise lounge for reading in and I've been wanting to get something similar for myself when I feel like we're in a financial position to spend on furniture.
DanieleI would like to make some suggestions for your February reading:
Kindred by Octavia Butler (Science Fiction)
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyami (YA Fantasy)
The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas (YA Fiction)
Transcendant Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi (Fiction)
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead (Historical Fiction)
These are all VASTLY different books from across the genres, but I enjoyed every single one of them. Full disclosure, there may be triggers for some of them, so I would do a little research before reading. For example, Nickel Boys wasn't nearly as graphic as I feared, but was still difficult (in a sad way) to read at key moments.
Glad you're ok now Sheri, sounds rough! I finished The Faithless Hawk, I think I liked the first one better but I still really enjoyed this one, sad that it's only a duology! These are the only books she's written so far, another out in October.
I read The Thief, I'm pretty sure I got the recommendation here or maybe Epbot, I loved it! Witty characters and a very satisfactory ending. I went and bought The Queen of Attolia because I didn't want to wait for it from the library, read it in one day, and then did NOT buy The King of Attolia because I need to actually go to bed on time during the week! Next weekend read sorted though. (Side note: the book blurb that is published EVERYWHERE says OK to read the books in any order, but wow, major spoilers if so! I'm glad I saw one review that said read in order, one of the later books was available at the library but I held off and am glad I did.) Anyhow, thanks to all who recommended this series!
Question for all, what's the best way to follow authors you like to find out when their new books are released? Right now I just find out about new books when someone else mentions them, but there are a number of authors I've found in the last few years that I'd definitely go looking for their next book.
QOTW: I read mostly in/on the bed, but when I go through a phase of having trouble sleeping I often think I should move reading to one of the very comfy armchairs, default of only reading in bed is really just habit.
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Sarah, I'm glad you liked The Thief! That's one of my favorite series, but yes, people definitely need to read them in order. The later books all have different POV characters, but they still build on one another.I follow a lot of authors I like on Twitter. Aside from that, Goodreads, Book Smugglers, Tor, and Bookbub are primarily where I get my new book info.
finished reading Hidden Bodies, and now i'm starting The Once and Future Witches.QotW - nope, i can read wherever :)
Sarah.... ive somehow set up goodreads so that it tells me when a new book is out by an author on my shelves. but I also follow authors here and Facebook as well too.
Kassia wrote: "DanieleI would like to make some suggestions for your February reading:
Kindred by Octavia Butler (Science Fiction)
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyami (YA Fantasy)
The Hate You Give by An..."
Kindred and Children of Blood and Bone have been on my radar for a bit, and I've been hearing great things about The Nickel Boys. I think The Hate You Give has reached that level of hype where I want nothing to do with it for a year or two... although it might be perfect for Book Nerds prompt "Feels like everyone else has read this"! :)
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EPBOT Readers
Books mentioned in this topic
Hidden Bodies (other topics)The Once and Future Witches (other topics)
The Thief (other topics)
The King of Attolia (other topics)
The Queen of Attolia (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Glen David Gold (other topics)N.K. Jemisin (other topics)
Octavia E. Butler (other topics)
Book Club
I made two more attempts to finish November 9, I just can't get through it. So I just went ahead and made a general Final Thoughts thread. Feel free to put any thoughts about it. Sorry there's no specific questions, this apparently isn't a regular book club pick so I couldn't find any existing reading guides.
I'll try to do better for future selections, but I have a ton of library holds and just don't have the energy to push through a book that I am not liking,
(I want to reiterate that no one has to feel bad that I didn't like this, or others didn't like it. That's hardly a rule for book selections. It was a fair vote, there was good reasoning behind picking it.)
This week I finished:
Black Futures - collection of Black art in America across all kinds of media, including social media. Learned a lot! part of Roxanne Gay's book club. Counted for popsugar book about art or an artist, book nerds for a mostly text cover, around the year for a book related to past, present, future, reading women for an anthology (some of the entries were by men, but the two editor/compilers were female and there were plenty of female entires so I figure it counts).
Black Sun - really enjoyed this, start of an epic fantasy series. Looking forward to continuing! I enjoyed having one that wasn't heavily European falling back on elves and dwarves and the like. Counted for popsugar oxymoron in the title, around the year as a book related to the end, book nerds for a female character that'd be committed to a mental institution.
I'll call that good so I have something to post for later this week, my last finish was just this morning.
Currently reading: 1Q84 - this will be here a while, it's long and hard to read. Doing a few pages in between books. popsugar longest book on my tbr
The Burning God - Library is open for browsing so grabbed it. Don't know if it fits anywhere yet, probably SOMETHING on booknerds haha. Just started it this morning, no opinions yet. but i've been enjoying the series.
QOTW:
Do you have a favorite reading spot?
I tend to read wherever I am at the moment, but if I'm settling down to read a while, it tends to be in my big squishy recliner, or sprawled up on the library sofa, with the trundle pulled out. The back pushed down can make it into a queen bed, but with just the trundle up it's basically a very wide chaise. I do have a set of hammock hooks so I can have my hammock indoor, but there's nor reading light over there. Even though my kindle provides it's own light, just feels dark unless it's daytime, but in the winter when Id like to use it most, it'd be evening and dark. I need to figure something out haha.