Vagabond Treehouse (2023) [Beware of Chicken 3 - December 4th] Showing 3,551-3,600 of 5,829

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

There's pretty much no way to play all the games I listed at once... i worked through them, 1 or 2 at a time, over the past 5 years, basically... and they keep getting updated with more content (for the most part)

[Choko]

St. Mary's #12 - Another Time, Another Place

OMG!!!!!!!!! This is such an emotional, sad, angry, freaking rollercoaster, I don't have the words to express it!!!!!!!! I am 60% in and I am ready to kill folks and cry and shout and... and ... and I am so angry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Choko wrote: "St. Mary's #12 - Another Time, Another Place

OMG!!!!!!!!! This is such an emotional, sad, angry, freaking rollercoaster, I don't have the words to express it!!!!!!!! I am 60% in and I am ready to ..."

Sounds like a typical St. Mary's book to me...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Choko wrote: "The two page short about the Girl with the Pearl in her Nose w..."

Plenty of time to fit in a good firkling, tho...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Toilet Roll Crisis: this would have made a great Christmas Story... some real Toilet Roll Santas here :D

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Muse of History was interesting as well, if lacking in detail on motivations I was hoping for...

Jodi Taylor read Muse of History & the Toilet Roll Crisis herself on SoundCloud... the quality is kinda all over the place, and there's no way to speed up (maybe if you download the app and download the files you can?), but it's something for people that like to listen to everything...

https://soundcloud.com/user-65135004

[Choko]

I laughed my ass off on the Muse of History:))) Really enjoyed it!

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

It was nice to finally get a little insight into the Muse for sure...

Gonna read St. Mary's #12 next... but I've totally committed to Dimension 20 D&D show... signed up for Dropout.tv, to see all 17 seasons, with an annual discount code... only 2-3 full seasons are on youtube, and a few episodes of other seasons to hook you...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Barely started #12... interesting to see it picking up with the dangers lingering at the end of the last book (Markham & his baby & the threat to the British royalty)...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Binged Fantasy High all day, and made it to the finale... PROMPOCALYPSE... 2 parter... not sure I have time to finish then sleep for work tomorrow :(

The show is so much longer than a traditional 43 minute show, which is further padded with opening credits and closing credits...

Luckily, the seasons of the show with guest cast members are much shorter... otherwise I doubt I'd ever manage to watch them all... it sounds like they do multiple seasons a year...

[Nirkatze]

Choko wrote: "St. Mary's #12 - Another Time, Another Place

OMG!!!!!!!!! This is such an emotional, sad, angry, freaking rollercoaster, I don't have the words to express it!!!!!!!! I am 60% in and ..."

Timelord Iain wrote: "Sounds like a typical St. Mary's book to me.."

HA LOL

I'm running late again on St. Mary's, but hopefully not cripplingly so... trying to finish the current audio (Assassin's Quest) then need to read another book by Fri...

[Choko]

I finished St. Mary's #12 and #12.5... I barely stopped myself from going to the last book that is out, #13... I absolutely loved the book and the short story!!! As I said, emotions through most of it, some laughter as usual, and some really satisfying kicking of the ass of some bad guys!

Also, JT can sure express pain very vividly whenever she decides to do so. There was a moment when Max got reacquainted with an Old "friend", and I could actually experience the agony... We think of JT as kind of scatterbrained and silly, but she actually has chops as an author and a writer. It sneaks up on me at times. I have to say, this has become a very dear to me series! I would even put it towards my favorites. How cool it is to establish at least two new favorite series this year - this one and The Wandering Inn:)))

[Choko]

Nirkatze, take your time, but it is totally worth it, once you get to it:)

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

St. Mary's books are always so melodramatic... everything was fine until it wasn't... and then nothing was ever the same again... it leaves you on tenterhooks, waiting for shit to hit the fan...

It's probably why I love the short stories so much... all the fun, none of the sadness...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Sometimes I miss when these books were all Dinosaurs and Peterson peeing on Maxwell :D

I'm about halfway, and things... aren't going well...

[Tonari no Emily]

Still haven't been able to make too much progress! But I finished the "haunted room" short.. More St. Mary's shenanigans lol

Also Iain, thanks for sharing all the games! I know I opened a can of worms but I will definitely be trying some of those!
My husband is a big gamer, but a lot of the games he plays are story-based and I find the progression too slow because I want the plot faster! lol
I tried WoW but just couldn't get into it.. I really just need some more mindless games to try. I played a few phone games, but I just lost interest after a while. But I do appreciate a good "numbers go up" genre! haha

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Things are going smoother this time, than the time Max quit and almost committed suicide... I told you, that short story would be important...

It's crazy how we're 12 books into the series, and it's like a whole new series/chapter is starting, (view spoiler)[with Max and Markham becoming temporal bounty hunters, at odds with St. Mary's...as if chasing Clive Ronan for decades in any way qualifies them... (hide spoiler)]

And what about that bracelet that was just nonchalantly lobbed into the story?... giving me 12 Monkey vibes, again...

[Tonari no Emily]

St. Mary's 12 through ch 8 (view spoiler)[ okay Dr. Bairstowe can't be gone right? We haven't seen a body so I'm pretty sure not...
But who are these shady people sending Halcomb and this new guy?? Don't even warn them about the Time Police? the heck??

I feel like the first arc with the murder mystery will come back into play this book. Something was left unsatisfying there.. (hide spoiler)]

The shorts between 11 and 12 were fun/funny as always :)

[Choko]

I think my favorite short so far was the Cleo one:) I have no idea why it tickled me so much, for it being 6 pages, but I absolutely loved it!

[Nirkatze]

Goodreads choice awards hit--I'm going to try to squeeze in St. Mary's again if I can, but I might be ditching all other BRs this month.

Just picked up How High We Go in the Dark (SF) and Daughter of the Moon Goddess (Fantasy, Debut novel) and enjoying both so far. Content warnings for How High though--some very sad child deaths.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I forgot to read The Ordeal of the Haunted Room, I think... so I need to read that and The Toast of Time before A Catalogue of Catastrophe

[Choko]

Great! Everyone, except Nirkatze, is almost at #13... I will wait until everyone is ready!

Nirkatze, about the Goodreads choice awards, I never even try to read all of them, because they have so many genres I usually try to avoid. I am game for trying Sci-fi, fantasy and YA though...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I'm only really in it for SF/Fantasy, as well... maybe a Mystery or Debut?... mostly just eyed the things I'd forgotten to look for from favorite authors that tend towards standalones...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Zooming through Blake Crouch's Upgrade book in the Awards thread... such a good book, filled with twists and turns... giving me so many vibes...

[Tonari no Emily]

Oh yeah I've been wanting to read Upgrade!

Also I finished St. Mary's 12.. (view spoiler)[ YEP I knew he couldn't be dead... Taylor didn't make it feel like a real death with time to grieve and all that.
I was a little surprised the new director was in on it though...
And Max just really cannot control her temper, my god she absolutely ROASTED Hyssop.. Which don't blame her because what happened to Clark and Prentis was just AWFUL.

Also I love Rosie Lee! I always pictured her as rather older though?

And I rather want Max and Markham to keep being bounty hunters! (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

You totally should!... I didn't even know it existed, until this morning, and I'm loving it...

[Narilka]

@Choko, I'm starting Song of the Space Siren Space Team 4 later today and will start slowly posting updates here if you still wanted to join :)

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I still need to read Reunion... I'm hoping an audiobook pops up, if I don't get to it soon...

[Narilka]

@Iain, awww Ilona Andrews posted that the audio for Sweep of the Heart is being delayed a couple weeks from the ebook release :(

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Not terribly surprised... shame, tho...

[Choko]

Narilka wrote: "@Choko, I'm starting Song of the Space Siren Space Team 4 later today and will start slowly posting updates here if you still wanted to join :)"

Sure:)

[Choko]

Tonari no Emily wrote: "Oh yeah I've been wanting to read Upgrade!

Also I finished St. Mary's 12.. ..."

Yes!!!! Me too!!! I gave this book 5 stars! I loved everything about it. It just got me so emotional! I honestly have loved the last several books more than the first half of the series. SHe just knows how to get me all riled up and then finds ways to make me be OK! I just love it!!!

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I think Nirkatze is getting her revenge on me :D :stern_face:

After months of plaguing you all with new books to add to your TBR, now she's opened a can of worms on me, and I want to read so many of the SF/Fantasy nominees from the Goodreads Choice Awards...

Started the day with Upgrade, now I'm doing Nettle & Bone, and I have at least 6-7 more I want to try... what started as 2-3 keeps growing...

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!?

[Choko]

Hahaha! And the two of you are doing it to me! I just downloaded Upgrade and plan on starting it tomorrow...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Choko wrote: "Hahaha! And the two of you are doing it to me! I just downloaded Upgrade and plan on starting it tomorrow..."

At least I'm still doing my part... I doubt you'll regret Upgrade...

[Tonari no Emily]

Hoping my hold comes through for that one soon! And for nettle and bone!

[Nirkatze]

Timelord Iain wrote: "I think Nirkatze is getting her revenge on me :D :stern_face:

After months of plaguing you all with new books to add to your TBR, now she's opened a can of worms on me, and I want to read so many ..."

HAH! REVENGE IS SWEET!

LOL I'll probably join the Upgrade train too though, so you got back atme. :)

Almost done with How High We Go in the Dark--not going to get my vote, but interesting. Reminds me more and more of Ken Liu's The Hidden Girl and Other Stories with a near-future collection of connected short stories that steadily moves forward and examines the effect of a major event on the world and individuals through time... will probably do Nettle & Bone for my audio next.

2/3 into Daughter of the Moon Goddess and still really enjoying it--this may be my Debut Novel vote. I'm loving all of the Chinese references and it's just a fun easy to consume story so far. I like that the MC is proud to the point of fault, and the world is very interesting. Still trying to choose my next physical read after it (hopefully for tomorrow), but coming down to Upgrade, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, or So This Is Ever After probably...

Iain--you read Scalzi's Kaiju Preservation Society. Do you rank Upgrade above or below that so far?

re: Categories--I'm also pretty much just focusing on SF/F, maybe YA SF/F, and just peeking at Debut novels for what is also crosslisted in SF/F--2 birds 1 stone right? Might even just focus on Fantasy this round, since I've read more, then SF for next round when the choices shrink. We'll see. :)

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I think Kaiju & Upgrade are 2 very different books... Kaiju is fun and silly and exactly what I expected going in, basically, having read pretty much everything by Scalzi...

Upgrade was more serious science and speculative fiction, with twists and surprises and heartfelt characters, again exactly what I was expecting from Blake Crouch, having read Dark Matter and Recursion...

Upgrade is probably getting a bit of a boost from just reading it yesterday, but I also love me a twisty story that has me coming up with theories... so I'm rating it above Kaiju...

[Narilka]

Space Team 4, through CH 5 (view spoiler)[I could've sworn that Book 3 left the crew in a bad spot. Am I misremembering? It's been several months. Not that they didn't immediately get in trouble hehe

Cal needs to name the new ship already. Kevin is a terrible AI at anticipating their actual needs lol (hide spoiler)]

[Choko]

Kevin is the worst AI ever!!!! Hahaha! And I don't really remember what happened with them at the end of book 3 either...

[Choko]

Space Team #4... The pink wrinkled one is hilarious in a pathetic sort of way:) I needed something light. Thanks, Narilka!:)))

[Narilka]

I've been thinking lately I could use some lighter reads :) I'm glad this is going to take me through the holiday.

[Choko]

It is hilarious to me! I think what makes it funny is that the characters are likable and the author endears them to us:)))

The Team's attempts at disguises were such a funny and complete failure!

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

The series is super fun until around the Mustard Mines, I think?... that one just felt full of despair, iirc...

[Choko]

That one was absolutely depressing! I still remember it!

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Hutchison tried, but there's really no way to make torture funny...

[Nirkatze]

Jumped shortly on the St. Mary's bus again for the Ordeal of the Haunted Room and loved it! (view spoiler)[Markham getting to play Poirot, Petersen getting in shenanigans again, Max making buddies with a Victorian lady and getting to assault a priest (hide spoiler)]--I laughed almost nonstop. Def going in my top 3, along with the Cleopatra one and... I think Christmas Past? Present? The one where they meet Matthew's chimney sweep family.

Still have to track down the other little shorts before I want to move on to the next full book, but it made me realize how much I look forward to them...

@Iain--thank you for the Upgrade/Kaiju thoughts! Started Upgrade and loving it so far.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Always doing my part to add to TBRs...

Made the Heartstriker thread, for the BR starting January 15th... next up, is requesting the Sun Eater threads starting January 22nd... then making sure we're not overbooked and tentatively planning when to read The Atrocity Archives (Laundry Files #1)... we can either do that here, or I can make another thread...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I think I'd like to use series threads, next year, for series of more than 3-4 books... longer stuff, so we can keep the comments clumped together and make it easier for others to join us... sounds like some more people would have joined for St. Mary's this year, if they knew about the BR in here...

Not looking to end BRs in here entirely... I love this thread :D

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Speaking of... we need to read The Hungry Dreaming... it's the next/newest book in the Ghosts of Gotham universe, after Time for Witches...