What Else Are You Reading in 2022? Showing 951-1,000 of 1,359

[Esther]

Karen wrote: "I just completed Piranesi and was pleasantly surprised. It took me forever to read it due to 1) it being a digital book, and 2) the beginning was not very gripping. But I'm glad I s..."

I love that one. I want to make time to reread it.

[Ellen]

Finished American Psycho. I don't know why I had that book on my TBR. the content is very disturbing. I ranted a lot while reading it. Don't understand why it's a popular book. Some describe it has dark humor. Nothing funny about it to me. Finished it because I wanted to see how it ended plus it ticked off about 4 different challenge options.
Also finished Playing with Myself by Randy Rainbow on audio. It was funny, moving and insightful.

[Tamara]

I was planning to get Oathbringer from the library this week, but Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection was at a different library I went to today to return some things, so I borrowed that instead. I'm not sure I'll be able to do both at the same time - but it depends how much I enjoy the short stories in the collection, and how deep they are. Can't do two deep things at once 😏.

In brief non-Fantasy/SF news, I'm also reading, among other things, The French Art of Not Trying Too Hard. 😎. I like it. It's thoughtful, funny, and kind.

[CBRetriever]

I just finished Anthony Ryan's Draconis Memoria Series:

The Waking Fire
The Legion of Flame
The Empire of Ashes

these were pretty good. A lot of Steampunk touches, dragons (called drakes), blood "magic" and good characters.

[Antonin]

Ellen wrote: "Finished American Psycho. I don't know why I had that book on my TBR. the content is very disturbing. I ranted a lot while reading it. Don't understand why it's a popular book. Some de..."
I read American Psycho back in 1991 and enjoyed it a lot. It's a difficult book to read in many places because of the horrific brutality, but in some respects it resonated with me because the way the main character lived--fashion-obsessed, status obsessed, job-obsessed--that's the way we lived in the 80s. I was an avid reader of magazines like GQ and M, smoked expensive cigars and made enough money to live a decent life as an early 30s young professional. One of my favorite books back in those days was American Psycho, and one of my favorite films was Wall Street.

[Rick]

I think that book does work best as a commentary on the 80s in the US and probably came across best when it was read soon after them so the context is almost just real life background.

[Anna]

I started Number One Fan by Meg Elison, but I'm not very far along, because I have to keep pausing. The pauses are getting longer and longer. The book is too timely and it's making me so uncomfortable in all the ways!

[M.L.]

I'm reading The Ink Black Heart, Robert Galbraith. It's like catching up with old friends you haven't seen in two years (about the time since the last book). :)

[Karen]

M.L. wrote: "I'm reading The Ink Black Heart, Robert Galbraith. It's like catching up with old friends you haven't seen in two years (about the time since the last book). :)
[bo..."

I need to reconnect with these old friends...Too many years between.

I just started listening to [book:A Slow Fire Burning|56213354]. Only about 15% in, all of the characters are being introduced and the ball has already begun rolling.

[Marc]

70 down, one to go (hugo award winners). Lois McMaster Bujold's Mirror Dance was quite the ride! While I have every intention of finishing off the vorkosigan series (mirror dance is 9 of 16), I am now shifting back to her other series, the 5 gods one, with all her novellas first, then the books up to Paladin of Souls (already read hallowed hunt), hugo #71 for me, which frees me up to read Andy Weir's new book and maybe finish off Gaiman's sandman series (still gotta find those missing books I know I bought)...

[LaTrica]

Marc wrote: "70 down, one to go (hugo award winners). Lois McMaster Bujold's Mirror Dance was quite the ride! While I have every intention of finishing off the vorkosigan series (mirror dance is 9 of 16), I am ..."

I restarted the Sandman series while trying to decide if I was going to watch the Netflix series. I don't have the full set so will be concentrating on getting it.

I started Jarka Ruus but the first few chapters seem to be about a strong for power over the Druid Council and I just couldn't care about it. I'll return to it later.

For now I'm reading The Silver Mage and enjoying it.

[Dj]

LaTrica wrote: "Marc wrote: "70 down, one to go (hugo award winners). Lois McMaster Bujold's Mirror Dance was quite the ride! While I have every intention of finishing off the vorkosigan series (mirror dance is 9 ..."

I would suggest at least taking a look at the Series. Watch the full first episode before deciding if you are going to go further. I did that with Game of Thornes and gave up after the first episode. I did that with the Expanse and decided to set it to the side until I have read the full series, but that one I will come back for. I like those informed decisions. LOL.

[Marc]

I tried reading the game of thrones books while watching it, and gave up, I was busy trying to cross-reference, basically ruining my enjoyment of both, so I stopped reading the series. I did watch season 1 of sandman, I did recognize a bit from what I read, made me want to resume the books! I got a little bit of time though before season 2 airs (assuming there will be one)

[DivaDiane]

I read The Sandman Volume 1 (Preludes and Nocturnes) earlier this year and found that things are quite jumbled in the TV series. It’s not just Vol. 1. and since I haven’t read further I often thought, I don’t remember this at all, or wait! That didn’t happen until much later. This is not a problem, really, but I was starting to wonder at my faulty memory. But then my husband said, yeah, this is from later. He’s read the whole thing and rereading Vol. 1 right now.

At any rate, I have the first and second installments of the dramatized audio version, which I am hoping to listen to before the next season on TV comes out.

[Rick]

The netflix adaptation of The Sandman is, as DivaDiane, mentioned, mostly Preludes & Nocturnes with some of the later stories mixed in. I would not call it jumbled, though. Everything works together and arguably better than in the comics. I've read the comics through twice and I'd say the Netflix series is outstanding. Yes, there are some differences, but all of them work except to folks who demand slavish fidelity to the source.

This and things like Good Omens make me think that having the creator involved really makes adaptations work better. When changes are made, they seem to be made in ways that work for the overall property; but perhaps this is just Gaiman.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

I love it when I see the original creator is associated with an adaptation. I think Gaiman in particular works best with visual media and collaboration, but almost all of my faves have actual sign off and some creative control vested in the original person or team.

[DivaDiane]

I’ll admit “jumbled” was a bad word choice because that makes it sound haphazard, which I’m sure it wasn’t. I think the TV series worked really well and it shows that Gaiman was involved and knows what he is doing.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

it isn't a 1:1 match for the graphic novel series, that's true too. but i did enjoy the pacing overall.

I'm reading Kea's Flight, which has been good but it's becoming preachy and bogged down imo. also listening to Thousand Names and it's going better than anticipated

[DivaDiane]

Thanks for the nudge back on topic, Allison.

I am trying to eye-read two books atm:

The Witch’s Heart and

A Song for a New Day.

Also ear-reading Owlflight by Mercedes Lacky. Almost done with it!

[Dj]

Marc wrote: "I tried reading the game of thrones books while watching it, and gave up, I was busy trying to cross-reference, basically ruining my enjoyment of both, so I stopped reading the series. I did watch ..."

The author doesn't think so, due to the cost of making it. I have been having a hard time watching it. Not because it isn't great but because Lupus makes such a creepy, cringy character that I just have to stop watching for a bit after seeing scenes with him in it. Great acting, but kind of disturbing.

[Colin]

I've been on a Silvia Moreno-Garcia kick, so when I saw her new one, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau, I had to pick it up. This is the story of Carlota, the doctor's daughter, a young woman trying to figure herself out, Montgomery, an alcoholic Englishman trying to hide from his life by managing the doctor's ranch, and the doctor himself, with his mysterious machinations and motivations. The book is deftly written; the prose pulls you quickly from chapter to chapter. The remote Yucatan setting is gorgeously portrayed. The POV alternates by chapter between Carlota and Montgomery, sometimes showing the same scene from the two sets of eyes. This gives substance to the individuals. It's a fun, fast read (1 day). Still, this is not her best work. The villains are two-dimensional and stereotyped. The mystery is a bit thin. Some decisions and actions seem designed to move the plot to a designated place rather than grow organically from the characters. (view spoiler)[ There is some obvious plot armor toward the end. The characters we sympathize with are wounded in ways that do not really hinder them. Meanwhile, Montgomery, despite being shot and knifed in the right arm, is able to kill bad guys with a single shot and, when someone is trying to stomp on him, catch the boot with both hands and wrench the ankle. (hide spoiler)] Even with its flaws, it is enjoyable, and I would recommend it to those who like coming-of-age, magical realism, and romantic suspense.

[Sam]

Earlier this year, I read The Forever War, and I didn't really like it at all. It was recommended very heavily the moment I joined Goodreads. I didn't want to read it, but then decided to, anyway. I felt that this was a complete rip-off of Starship Troopers without any originality. The moment I was reading this it made me sick. The Forever War has got to be one of the worst works in the science fiction genre I have ever read. I might even go so far as to call it the "Twilight of Science Fiction" or the "Fifty Shades of Science Fiction". It tries to be tries too hard to be lighthearted and funny at times, but instead just comes off as too cheesy and cringeworthy and very camp. What makes even less sense is that modern military science fiction is known for its serious and dark tone, and the setting's tone of The Forever War is no exception. While Starship Troopers was a bit lighthearted and campy, it had its dark moments as well, but The Forever War seems way too campy and silly and syrupy for military science fiction. At least five years ago I read Starship Troopers and I loved it. But The Forever War was a disgrace to the genre, having been published to coincide with the fifteenth anniversary of Starship Troopers. I strongly dislike The Forever War. I mean, I tried hard to like it. I really, really tried, but I failed in doing so. I might look into reading the sequel, because maybe it might be better; however, I could be wrong. It might be just as abysmal as The Forever War, probably even worse. I still read some amazing stuff this year, however, such as Rendezvous with Rama, which I really enjoyed.

[DivaDiane]

I dunno, Sam, I read The Forever War about 8 years ago and enjoyed it. I don't remember much about it though, except that I like Haldeman's writing style. I tend to dislike Heinlein, so maybe our tastes just don't match up. Sorry you had such a visceral dislike!

I would like to point out, that the book you linked to as "the sequel" is the 3rd book in the series (Forever Free. The 2nd is Forever Peace, neither of which I have read, so I can't comment on their quality.

[Marc]

while you are obviously entitled to your opinion, I personally did enjoy Joe Haldeman's two books. FYI, he also was a veteran of the Vietnam war, was wounded in that war, so I let that fact enter my opinion of those two books. I did read Starship Troopers, and did not think FW was a direct ripoff. After all, any sci-fi book that has a military theme likely was at least somewhat inspired by ST, including Vernor Vinge's Fire upon the deep and deepness in the sky (haven't yet read children of the sky), Ender's Game, pretty much any alien-v-human war sci-fi... I did like that his FW had the limitations of Einstein's special relativity theory (faster you go, slower time goes for you, but not for the rest of us, so coming back after battle likely meant everyone you knew died, and eventually you no longer fit into a society you don't recognize (which is pretty much true, think of a vietnam vet waking up to today's world, everyone zombied on cell phones, the pronouns that are starting to precede our names (am I him? her? they? other?), phones not really used to call, uber/lyft instead of taxi, rock music mostly dead), but that's just my opinion, that plus 5 dollars will get you a fancy coffee at starbucks... :-)

[Randy]

As I understood it at time of publication, Forever War was something of a response to Starship Troopers. Heinlein wrote from a pre-WWII and WWII frame of reference, and Haldeman from a post-Vietnam frame of reference. You see a similar difference in atmosphere and attitude in the Howard Hawks movie, The Thing (From Another World and the John Carpenter The Thing.

[Colin]

Haldeman has written (I need to remember exactly where and put my hands on it) that The Forever War was about Vietnam and that was part of the reason the book starts in 1997 (1996?) even though interstellar travel by that year was not a reasonable extrapolation. As has been noted previously, he has a Purple Heart for his wounds sustained in combat. Heinlein's military service was in the years between WWI and WWII and Starship Troopers was first published in 1959, well before American troops had a large combat role in Vietnam. While I have seen The Forever War characterized as the anti-Starship Troopers, I think it is more likely that the two books simply reflect the very different experiences and views of their authors. To me, they make a valuable contrast in reading, and I think both are extremely good. Taken along with David Drake's Redliners, I believe they form an important core of work for those interested in military science fiction.

[Anna]

The Forever War >> First impressions | Final thoughts & More

Since this is a group read, we have threads for it! :)

[Mathew]

Found this treasure at the thrift store for fifty cents.

I've started reading it, and it's no literary gem but it's okay. It'll be a good one to go into my bookshelf along with my other pulpy vintage books.

[Colin]

Read Vicious by V.E Schwab. This is a dark delight. ExtraOrdinary people is offered up as a senior thesis topic. The thesis becomes an experiment, and the experiment goes horribly wrong. The prose reads fast and is compelling. It pulls you from one section to the next. The characters have depth and nuance. The author pulls off the tough task of creating a nasty, rather bad guy character and making you root for them. Actually, there are no good guys here, with the exception of two secondary characters. Highly recommended for fans of mystery in science fiction and for those who like magical realism.

[Sam]

Just finished reading Star Wars: A New Hope and I loved it. It was a very easy read. It reminded me exactly of the film. I am a true Star Wars nerd for sure. My favorite scene is the final battle on the Death Star, where Luke Skywalker, my favorite character, defeats Vader and destroys the station in space. Reminds me of WWII battles. George Lucas is a real legend!

[Michelle]

Sam wrote: "Just finished reading Star Wars: A New Hope and I loved it. It was a very easy read. It reminded me exactly of the film. I am a true Star Wars nerd for sure. My favorite scene is the ..."

Sam, I still have my original paperbacks from the movies. Although they look pretty motheaten :)

[Winterfella]

Sam wrote: "Just finished reading Star Wars: A New Hope and I loved it. It was a very easy read. It reminded me exactly of the film. I am a true Star Wars nerd for sure. My favorite scene is the ..."

Spoiler alert!!! I've been meaning to get around to watching that movie. ;-)

[Dj]

Winterfella wrote: "Sam wrote: "Just finished reading Star Wars: A New Hope and I loved it. It was a very easy read. It reminded me exactly of the film. I am a true Star Wars nerd for sure. My favorite s..."

At this point, I would say that it isn't going anywhere. LOL.

[Phrynne]

Really enjoyed The Fish That Climbed a Tree by Kevin Ansbro. 5 stars for originality!

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Jason]

Just finished up Lois McMaster Bujold's quite enjoyable continuation of her Penric series, Masquerade in Lodi.

[Marc]

Jason wrote: "Just finished up Lois McMaster Bujold's quite enjoyable continuation of her Penric series, Masquerade in Lodi.
"

I sadly just finished her latest Penric/Desdemona novella, knot of shadows, such a great series!! sad because there isn't another one yet to read!

[Beth]

Mid-August to mid-September reads: I read these two before a multiple-week reading slump. I'm thankful that things have improved in the meantime (by my never-impressive standards).

Leave It to Psmith: this is a cross-over book between P.G. Wodehouse's Castle Blandings and Psmith series. I hadn't read a Psmith book before and didn't care for him as a character, and as a whole I didn't enjoy the book as much as I did the first Blandings book. Worth whiling away a few hours of listening time with, but I won't ever go back to it. (review)

Of Dragons and Fae: Is a Fairy Tale Ending Possible for the Princess’s Hairstylist?: this is a light novel with a fairly independent, career-minded heroine, minor peril, romance, and a small cast. This is "worth reading exactly once" in a positive way--it's fun and insubstantial. It's also forgettable, I guess, since I remember very little about it less than a month later. (review)

[Ozsaur]

Daughter of Redwinter - I think this is one of those long-haul books where you settle in and learn about the main character and their world. It's very interesting to me. I haven't finished but I'm already sure I'll be looking for the next book.

[Colin]

Got and finished Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir. This is a compelling story and had me reading when I should have been doing other things (like sleeping). It is a terrific space fantasy (or science fantasy) with excellent characterizations. Nona, in particular, is a wonderful character. I also really liked the relationship between Camilla and Palamedes. This is the third book in the Locked Tomb series and provides a lot of backstory for the series as a whole. The story and its telling are complex; I think it would be best to read the first two before this one. I highly recommend this book, and I make no bones about it (and now it's time to duck ...).

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

HA! I snorted, Colin. I also liked it! I have so many questions though!!!

[Colin]

Allison wrote: "HA! I snorted, Colin. I also liked it! I have so many questions though!!!"

I have a long list of questions as well and I can't wait to see how Muir pulls all the threads together. I'm seeing a release date of fall 2023 for Alecto the Ninth so I'm afraid we're in a holding pattern for a year.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Well already tumblr has freaked out with theories so I guess I'll have to get answers on the street while we wait. Please feel free to go to the series thread to chat if you want company while we wait!

[Gabi]

@Colin, you make me consider giving the series a second chance. I was so underwhelmed by the first book that I crossed it off my list. But I see more and more people like it who are not in the usual hype bubble.

[Dj]

Colin wrote: "Got and finished Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir. This is a compelling story and had me reading when I should have been doing other things (like sle..."

I just started Harrow, so it looks like I have something to look forward to.

[Jacqueline]

Finished An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon the other day and started How to Stop Time by Matt Haig this morning. Loved The Humans and Midnight Library by him and I’m really enjoying this one too. Bought it a few days ago along with A Desolation Called Peace and Nona the Ninth. Then I ordered the first two Locked Tomb books as well as Memory Called Empire, A Prayer for the Crown Shy and A Wizards Guide to Defensive Baking.

[Michelle]

I'm in the middle of #5 in Kel Kade's Kings Dark Tidings series, Dragons and Demons. I wish it hadn't been so long since book four, because I had forgotten a lot about the world and characters. As a result, I was fairly lost for a bit. At 70% through, I'm now enjoying it.

[Faith]

My review of Fairy Tale by Stephen King

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Rachel]

2022 has been by year to read lots of books and finally finish books! I finished Wheel of Time: The Eye of the World and Stormlight Archives: Oathbringer after putting both off for a while. I started and finished a handful of fantasy series/books. Red Rising Trilogy is probably the best one by far. An absolutely captivating series! The Witcher books have also been fantastic to read! I'm very glad I've given them a shot because know I fully appreciate the characters that I've been introduced to in the show. A few other odd and end books; Ascendance Series: Shattered Castle, Cassidy Blake Trilogy by Victoria Schwab, Dreadful Company by Vivian Shaw, and the graphic novel series Nailbiter (incredible!).
Still yet to read or at least start are Rhythm of War and the last few Witcher books. I'm hoping to get to some classics and some more epic fantasy series (most by Brandon Sanderson) squeezed in too.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

well done Rachel!! glad you're finding gems :)

[Beth]

Gabi wrote: "@Colin, you make me consider giving the series a second chance. I was so underwhelmed by the first book that I crossed it off my list. But I see more and more people like it who are not in the usua..."

If Gideon didn't appeal, I have serious doubts that Harrow would do much for you, either. It's science fantasy rather than SF, just like its predecessor, and at least 20% of it is too dang slow. (I read it twice and got bogged down in the same place both times.) Worth a try if you can get it as a library loan, maybe.