Vagabond Treehouse (2023) [Beware of Chicken 3 - December 4th] Showing 4,851-4,900 of 5,829

[Narilka]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Sorry I don't want to wait longer... I've already read everything else published by this author, so I'm always on the lookout for new releases, from this author and several others..."

No problem at all! Don't wait for me. My reading schedule has been interrupted this week by family weirdness.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

My reading plans are tentative and constantly shifting, if they're not officially scheduled BRs...

Marla Mason, Theirs Not to Reason Why, the vague Middlegame and Craif Schaefer Plans (Hungry Dreaming and coming sequel)... etc...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Speaking of Craig Schaefer, it's finally time to start thinking about that vaguely planned Buddy Read:

The Wise Men of Gotham case out in ebook this week... author is meeting with narrator this week, so hopefully estimates on that soon, but I might just read the ebook... to commemorate, The Hungry Dreaming is 99 cents this week, if anyone didn't pick it up before... altho it's also on KU, same as the new ebook... audio accompaniment is 7.49 at whispersync pricing...

[Nirkatze]

Dittoing Narilka... can't keep up with you Iain, but always looking to add to the TBR... and I do enjoy Alexander C. Kane.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I just updated my BR schedule for June (spreadsheet), and it's alot fuller than I thought... tons of new releases crept into the schedule:

Witch King, Kate Daniels, a historical mystery, Translation State, Waybound...

Then there's other things like the delayed Siege #2 BR, the Dresden Files double feature, Cycle of Arawn & Galand... so much for things slowing down when some series ended in May like Sun Eater...

And late additions like Dragonback & Codex Alera & Before the Coffee Gets Cold...

And the never-ending weekly BRs with In Death & Dark Hunter :D

I guess I'll try again for the umpteenth time, to get Hungry Dreaming & Men of Gotham going in July, if things are quieter then...

[Tonari no Emily]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Tonari no Emily wrote: "Oh heck yes I'll just squeeze that right in. I was thinking about Orlando People the other day.. I want another book in that series!"

If you read Dade County Death Cruise, ..."

oh, for sure! I check periodically for the next one...

Started Dragon Heist throuch ch 4 and yep this is riight up my alley

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Tonari no Emily wrote: "Timelord Iain wrote: "Tonari no Emily wrote: "Oh heck yes I'll just squeeze that right in. I was thinking about Orlando People the other day.. I want another book in that series!"

If you read Dade..."

I started it last night, but mostly today, as well... restarted and slowed down to 2.5x this morning, because Hvam is reading pretty fast...

This book has been a hoot... loving the characters, reminding me of A. Lee Martinez stories and pretty much any heist book/movie ever...

Also, I'm a sucker for sassy octogenarians...

Early on, I was wondering/hoping we'd get another song out of Kane, and I wasn't surprised when my dreams were realized, at the skating ring...

I still remember that Gretchen song from Orlando People :D (I think that was also narrated by Hvam)...

I'm in the home stretch now, and will finish later today...

[Nirkatze]

Timelord Iain wrote: "I just updated my BR schedule for June (spreadsheet), and it's alot fuller than I thought... tons of new releases crept into the schedule:

Witch King, Kate Daniels, a historical mystery, Translati..."

Still interested in Hungry Dreaming etc... but I definitely have been ignoring random BRs in Vagabond in favor or trying to finish formal thread BRs...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Nirkatze wrote: "Timelord Iain wrote: "I just updated my BR schedule for June (spreadsheet), and it's alot fuller than I thought... tons of new releases crept into the schedule:

Witch King, Kate Daniels, a histori..."

I think most Vagabond BRs lately have just been me and Choko adding in extra stuff... the people reading the most books have the best chance of squeezing in extras... I know you guys have joined alot more of the high fantasy BRs than me... I've mostly joined UF, Sci-fi and re-reads... and all the mysteries I do with Tammie, and the weekly stuff with Choko and others (In Death & Dark Hunter)...

Remember when we talked about the Hugo Awards, lol... we'll be lucky to have free time by the GR Awards in November :D

[Nirkatze]

Yeah... though, I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of the books we've already lined up are on the Hugo list... I should go check that out...

Iain, I see you started adding (real) before your name in BR requests. It has been noted. ^_^

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Nirkatze wrote: "Yeah... though, I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of the books we've already lined up are on the Hugo list... I should go check that out...

Iain, I see you started adding (real) before your name in..."

:D

[Nirkatze]

Just checked the Hugo website... nominations are closed, and the shortlist "will be out in early June"--but I guess it's too early yet!

I still think we should have an FBR trip to Glasgow for the 2024 Hugos, August 8-12.

[Tonari no Emily]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Tonari no Emily wrote: "Timelord Iain wrote: "Tonari no Emily wrote: "Oh heck yes I'll just squeeze that right in. I was thinking about Orlando People the other day.. I want another book in that se..."

Yeah this one was just great! I love this humor. The getting the band together bit was fun with the mini contests, the shenanigans, and it wrapped up so nicely! Birdie was giving big Eleanor from The Good Place vibes :D

[Nirkatze]

Hm... my book challenge spreadsheet says 173 books... Goodreads says 145. That's a lot bigger discrepancy than I'd've thought... gah! I really don't want to have to search through everything and see what I'm missing... >.<

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Tonari no Emily wrote: "Timelord Iain wrote: "Tonari no Emily wrote: "Timelord Iain wrote: "Tonari no Emily wrote: "Oh heck yes I'll just squeeze that right in. I was thinking about Orlando People the other day.. I want a..."

scarred that militia kid for life, talking about nipple hairs :D

[Nirkatze]

So, the Middle Falls Time Travel series has a few more books out since we finished, and at least one of them is $4 on the sale right now...

[Choko]

Cool! Thanks, Nirkatze!

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

That sale... I spent $125 on 22 books...

[Brian]

I’m right there with ya

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Brian wrote: "I’m right there with ya"

If you hadn't already stockpiled on Malazan books, the audio is only 4.35 on the sale...

[Brian]

Bought them all on this sale. Good find

[Choko]

Yeah, I spent over 300 again... Mostly just got half of my wishlist... They are really good at taking my money...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

If I don't limit myself to things I know I'll be reading this year, I could just keep spending, and I figure there'll be another of these sales before too long... we spent a bunch during a similar sale last fall...

[Nirkatze]

I've been really trying to limit myself to buying things on audible that are audible only... but then they go and have these sales... and I worry I'm stealing money from authors by saving money myself...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Right... after the Sanderson stuff, I know I'm part of the problem... but I also know I'm not made of money, and reading as much as we do can be an expensive habit...

I try to support my favorite authors on Patreon... I've been paying Seanan McGuire $3/month for the past 3-4 years, I think...

I have such a backlog of short fiction to read there...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

So I take it school's out, Nirkatze? ;)

You be talking alot, and it's not 3am in the continental US :D

[Choko]

Yeah... It's impossible to support the type of habit we have, if we are paying full price... We understand where Sanderson stands, but he isn't giving us anything for free either... We try to support the authors to the best of our abilities...

[Narilka]

I bought 1 book for $3. Did I do it wrong? lol

I admire you all for being able to get through books much more quickly than I :)

[Choko]

Narilka, hahaha! You are the one who is doing it right! Hahaha:)))

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Some people are way better at living with their library/ebook options than me... when I switched to audio, I went ALL IN on it, a long time ago...

Sometimes I buy my favorites on Audible now, just because I know it'll drain my device battery less if I re-read it alot, even if I have an old copy I need to use with a 3rd party app... or because I trashed my old copy... or read it pre-audio...

[Nirkatze]

Timelord Iain wrote: "So I take it school's out, Nirkatze? ;)

You be talking alot, and it's not 3am in the continental US :D"

LOL yes, school's out, and I'm trying to find equilibrium again...

I've been having good luck with the App BookPlayer (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bookpla...) for sideloaded audiobooks--at first I thought it could only import via internet, but it will also import via files/apps on itunes, yay! I haven't noticed it draining battery any more than the other players...

I've also been trying to use Kobo more, since they have a good reputation for treating authors right... they don't have big sale notifications like audible, but they do have a $9.99/mo 1 credit a month subscription option... so I often check if I can get the book there first. It's a little more expensive than audible, but not much. The only annoyance is that the app doesn't like my bluetooth headphones' play/pause button, so I have to manually pause from the app.

And I'm agreeing with Choko, Narilka--your way is much healthier!! I definitely dropped most of my self-allowance this month on that sale...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I find my sideloader app drains batter alot, and it's been my best app of the bunch... Hoopla & Audible use alot less battery for some reason... so does the basic iBooks, but iBooks only goes to 2x...

I might try BookPlayer, if it's as good as you say... see if I notice any difference in battery drain...

[Nirkatze]

Yeah, let me know... I haven't had major battery issues that I notice... but I also don't think I listen as much as you do, Iain....

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I wreak havoc on my ipod battery, listening all day every day, basically, with pauses... that's why I have 2 devices now, so I can listen while the other is charging...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

My best "trick" for saving battery when it matters, is to listen to as many of my Audible/Hoopla books at work as possible...

Sometimes, if I'm listening to a sideloaded book and getting alot of reading time at work, my battery is close to dead by then end of a work shift... last Sunday I was under 20% before my shift ended, then I finished my book and moved to Audible, and kept my battery above 5% all the way home, despite some shopping...

[Choko]

So, I finally got to Dragon Heist and I am laughing my head off!!! Hahaha! I am an Alabama Crimson Tide Football fan and have been for years, and the argument why the Dragons should consider it a great thing to rule over Tuscaloosa, AL had me absolutely in stitches!!! That whole first chapter was a gem!!! Dragon Jim and his Vox, Birdie are perfect for each other, but even more perfect - the narrator for this book! I really needed this:)))

Just finished reading Ch. 5, we met Crocodile Ray, obviously the first recruit for the gang. Punch and Poem, hahaha!

Iain, you sure know how to pick them!!!

[Choko]

Dragon Heist Ch. 7... 6'8" and Dragon Jim's cook-off - the ending was hilarious!!! And Birdie has not been a very good person most of her life:)))

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Choko wrote: "So, I finally got to Dragon Heist and I am laughing my head off!!! Hahaha! I am an Alabama Crimson Tide Football fan and have been for years, and the argument why the Dragons should consider it a ..."

Khristine Hvam is the go-to narrator for Alexander C. Kane books... she did Orlando People, and I think she might have done Andrea Vernon, too...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Choko wrote: "Dragon Heist Ch. 7... 6'8" and Dragon Jim's cook-off - the ending was hilarious!!! And Birdie has not been a very good person most of her life:)))"

You haven't even reached my favorite parts, yet :D

[Tonari no Emily]

I think Bahnie Turpin did Andrea Vernon, but Hvam is great for both OP and Dragon Heist. I almost want to relisten already 😄

[Narilka]

Dragon Heist is officially going on my wish list :)

[Choko]

The narrator herself is worth the credit!!! She is absolutely perfect for this book! Now I have to read Orlando People!

I am also loving the book itself. Up to Ch. 19... Yes, the slight mention of the nipple hairs was very memorable:))

(view spoiler)[ The gathering of the team was fun, but the singing in the skating rink had me in tears of hilarity!!! Particularly since at this point we know that Dragon Jim is an anomaly and most dragons don't believe in anything lovey-dovey...

The meeting, when he showed Birdie his meeting and conversations with the lady dragon, and then finding out she is expecting hatchlings with that horrible dragon, makes me wonder if the hatchlings are not Jim's... Because a lot of the horrible dragon's behavior seems like insecurity to me... It almost makes me wonder, with Jim being so vague about what they will be stealing, is he going after the eggs???

Birdie's parameters for what is a perfect relationship for her, are also very funny. And every member of the team is just too adorable! (hide spoiler)]

I forgot to mention it in my first comment, but this book had me at :

"Dad, I saw a Dragon!"
"Fascist with wings!"

Hahaha!!! "I need a cave of my own!!!"

[Choko]

Finished Dragon Heist and it was adorable and funny and just perfect! I love that the author writes these characters with a ton of characteristics that we should and often dislike, hate or are just annoyed by, but we still find ourselves liking and identifying with them. Birdie is so not a person I would want to be friends with, but getting to know her through the story, I now want her to be a part of my tribe! Together with everyone else in the group, except maybe the kleptomaniac thief with no moral compass.... I think she would drive me insane with paranoia if she were around me.... The story itself was somewhat predictable, but I didn't mind one bit! Loved it!

[Nirkatze]

I'm just cleaning up my BR tracker, and remembered that we'd discussed in another thread about setting up an Eli Montpress BR after DFZ was done... just making sure folks are still up for that? Was thinking of putting in requests on the 15th again...

[Choko]

Sounds good to me!

[Nirkatze]

Sweet! Should we put Iain down in the thread requests, just for fun? ^_~

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Nirkatze wrote: "Sweet! Should we put Iain down in the thread requests, just for fun? ^_~"

[Nirkatze]

Oh hey! Time to get out the bathing suits and run across the Iain's lawn!

[Nirkatze]

@Iain--where should I put the prequel novella in the Eli Monpress lineup? I'm getting ready to put in those request threads...

And are there any other side books/series/shorts I should be aware of?

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I actually have only read the mainline Eli Monpress books, so I don't really know...