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Dungeon Crawler Carl
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Dungeon Crawler Carl (#1)[June 9, 2025]
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Nirkatze
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rated it 5 stars
Jun 11, 2025 07:21PM
Requests made through Sept! Let me know if y'all want me to request further.
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Nirkatze wrote: "Requests made through Sept! Let me know if y'all want me to request further."Thanks! I think it's good through Sept. which feels really far off, even if it isn't.
I'm purely eye-reading as well. I can't do audiobooks. :DI can imagine the fun of this one in audiobooks.
Unfortunately i have had to read this in chunks (in business meetings all week, 8 am to 11 pm with work + after work dinners :( ). So i will finish the final 30% chunk on the weekend.
I'm happy to join on the remaining buddy reads whenever we put them in. Meanwhile, I'll focus on reducing my total unfinished series, lol (from 28 -> 14)
Jeff Hays gives a master class performance in the audios for this series, he manages a huge cast of characters by the end of book 7, giving each unique voices that fir the characters so well <3
Mod
Never worry about starting too many series... I have a spreadsheet to manage mine... it's tracking ~750 series... 250 abandoned, 200 finished, and 100 each at incomplete, up to date, and "in limbo" (either audio is delayed or I haven't decided if I want to continue or not)... and I only update it like once a year, so that's just 2012-2024 stats... I've probably started dozens more this year, since I've been focusing on new reads with people instead of re-reading or catching up on old stuff... I like getting new people to join me for a re-read, then reading the new stuff I'm behind on in the final months of the Buddy Read...
I'd definitely recommend this series as a good place to try out audiobooks... I really enjoyed the "read and listen" method...
Iain!! That makes me feel so much better. Thank you. I should stop feeling so guilty about starting new stuff when i have ongoing ones... I have a tiny spreadsheet as well though our scale is very different. :D While i read as a kid, i only picked it back up during covid. Steadily chipping away at all the amazing series.
Ann-Marie wrote: "Jeff Hays gives a master class performance in the audios for this series, he manages a huge cast of characters by the end of book 7, giving each unique voices that fir the characters so well <3"Ann-Marie, i googled Jeff Hays to check out his audio.. the first video that came up was him getting a tattoo of princess donut on his ass, lol. :D
I agree with all of you suggesting this as good one to try out audiobooks.. the way the story is, I can imagine it's a fun narration.
If they can make an animated series and Mr. Hays does all the voices.. ooh I can get behind that.
Mod
Oh man, I would totally back an animated series of this with Jeff Hayes--or at least his production company, Soundbooth Theatre, doing the voices...I'm the only one in my friend group who didn't drop off in reading after high school or college... and as far as I know, none of my friends have picked back up again... probably why we're not that close anymore...
I don't keep track of my series, I let Iain do it for me.
Haha! That's a great way to track as well. Finished!! Liked it, looking forward to further bizarre books and fun. (view spoiler)
Will try the next one as audio..
I just finished reading this (after waiting FOREVER from my local library). I just so happen to have the next two books from a Christmas present from last year. And OMG I LOVE THIS! And the cherry on top is reading along with an Audiobook (mild dyslexia here!). And I love both Princess Donut and Carl as a team!
Sarah wrote: "I just finished reading this (after waiting FOREVER from my local library). I just so happen to have the next two books from a Christmas present from last year. And OMG I LOVE THIS! And the cherry ..."Reading with the audio for this is the best! Glad you're enjoying!
Mitali wrote: "Haha! That's a great way to track as well. Finished!! Liked it, looking forward to further bizarre books and fun. [spoilers removed]
Will try the next one as audio.."
All of those points are developed in the future books... ^_^ You (hopefully) will not be disappointed...
So, had my book club today, and it was an interesting spectrum of reactions.One person (older lady, retired lawyer, bit of a literature snob) read some reviews and decided not to read it.
Two people (one older lady, also a bit of a literature snob, and my friend) got about 13 chapters in and DNF'd.
One person read it and was like "that was ok. I don't want to read anymore."
Two people read it--one the youngest, one the oldest (almost 90!) read it and were like "I was engaged, some parts were repetitive and boring, but I really wanted to know what happened" and are probably going to read more.
One person loved it and is on book three. About my age, and her husband started reading it with her--and has already read through all 7 books. Twice. Since she told him about it. He games, she doesn't.
I can see what folks were saying about the repetitiveness--the first book especially takes a lot of time establishing the dungeon and the system, and Carl and Donut spend a lot of pages grinding XP. I kind of find those parts cozy, so they don't bother me.
It was also interesting--only me and the other person who loved it did the audio. I played some audio clips and the two people who were interested in continuing listened and got more interested, and that factored into their interest in continuing.
Most of what we ended up talking about was also past the part where the folks DNF'd too--they pretty much stopped before the good stuff, but I can't blame them if they weren't finding anything they could latch on to at that point. Though I was a bit miffed when one of the folks said "I like books with big casts and deep characters, where there are plot twists and the story touches on internal issues and growth that I can relate to and this book doesn't have that." And I was totally thinking: "Oh hell yes it does, you just didn't read far enough to get to it" and was rather miffed by that assumption. That's exactly the type of attitude that makes me feel like a literary hipster. I reject your rejection!
Oh, and my friend who was dissing on Donut and Carl partially took it back when I informed her that later in the book we learn (view spoiler)
Mod
Regarding Carl's opinion of Bea (view spoiler)Honestly when my book club, 1 person out of 24 was not a fan but finished it and gave it 2 stars, the rest were either 4 or 5 stars and most of those people have continued the series. A bunch of us went to dinner last night (not a book club dinner, (just to a local Himalayan restaurant that is delish) and I wore my Donut Holes short and everyone loved it, it is a very casual restaurant and I was like Well yes I think I WILL wear a shirt with a cat's butthole on it lol
Mod
See, this is why I'm jealous of Ann-Marie's book club. All of mine are less than 10 people, and often not the same taste readers. But well, small groups is also why I get at least one book of mine a year, if not more.
Timelord Iain wrote: "That's alot of people, or am I misunderstanding the size of normal book clubs?... seems like the right kind of people, tho, if 95% loved DCC..."I didn't explain that very well, is not 24 people at the same time, we plan 2 each month for the same book, dinner on a Friday and brunch on Sunday. The woman that started the book club attends both but that is the only overlap because we kept adding people and we had to expand so now we get to pick which one to attend each month. I decide once the restaurants are picked which one I want to go to more. I am super excited for the Friday dinner place this month: https://www.allorafood.com/ I am either getting the salmon allora or the veal piccata (if I can get the mashed potatoes instead of spaghetti it will most likely be the veal) because I am a psycho and I always look at menus before I go places and 95% of the time I decide what to get before I step in the door lol
Also I finished this and while I enjoyed the full cast narration I am not certain I would spend the $20 to get future books if they released them. I might but it would not be something I HAD to do. It was weird when the main voice from Dead Tired appeared, I was like wait a minute.....They did add commercials which was funny, especially when there was one with (view spoiler) I love this series so much, it is hilarious and terrible and violent and awful and stupid and wonderful, all in the best way possible.
Your restaurant method sounds like good planning, IMO. I definitely prefer that way...LOL The full cast sounds fun... more like a way to support the author & narrators (instead of giving Bezos more dough)...
I almost wish they'd start from the most recent release, instead of going in order... I'd get #8 from Soundbooth instead of Audible but I won't wait years for it.
Nirkatze wrote: "Your restaurant method sounds like good planning, IMO. I definitely prefer that way...LOL The full cast sounds fun... more like a way to support the author & narrators (instead of giving Bezos mo..."
There are occasionally some stinkers or meh places we go but a very small percentage, most places are pretty terrific or dare I say excellent :)
I thought this BR was abandoned considering I got no email notifications, or even a site notifications which I regularly check. Glad I manually came to see if it's active. Even though late, I can now at least join it. Have started it and am on Ch 4. The format reminds me of all the gamer fanfictions I read. Those were fun.(view spoiler)
I'm currently on chapter 2 and the writing is similar like 'Buy Mort' and 'He Who Fight Monsters'.(view spoiler)
Donut class: sprinkles, custard filled, chocolate glazed... j/k...RAFO... though I think it's book 2? I love how Carl (view spoiler)
@Aakash--Iain has some recommendations on what to do if your notifications are being wonky... something about logging out and logging in again, I think? Checking your profile to see when it says you were last active? There were folks whose GR wasn't tracking them properly, and their profile said they'd been active last Oct... but relogging worked, I think...
Also checking your notifications--making sure Groups is checked... check other settings...
Email notifications have been dead for almost a year now, though...
Mod
Last option is going to profile/account->site preferences -> notification settings, and trying disabling everything and saving, and then re-enabling and saving...
And you can do similar with the checkboxes on group/thread notifications on thread pages, to try and force things, but with your last active date, the logout and in option should help...
I did the steps. Logged out and then logged in. My latest activity is shown to be this month. So at least that's fixed. I redid the checkboxes in notifications too, we'll see if that worked or not. If it doesn't, I'll just have to regularly check in on the thread. I thought everyone was exaggerating when they said Goodreads is ancient and crumbling. Apparently not.
Mod
Those of us that stumbled into solutions have gotten things functional enough to return to normal, but others that check in less often are still not seeing comments/responses in seldom used threads, sadly...
Mod
I'm pretty sure I'd even mentioned them to him in the past, sometime in the past 2 years...
I also had/have been telling him about ways to get ebooks/audiobooks cheap through subscriptions, whispersync, hoopla, etc...
And I convinced him to try the DCC audiobooks, and in the past week or 3, he's barrelled through the entire series on audio while mowing lawns (he's in landscaping)... and is already re-reading...
I've given him some ideas for other series to read / pickup, but in the meantime, he's loving the novelty of Soundbooth Theatre... as a result, I've leaned into other Jeff Hayes options / etc...
Soundbooth is the absolute BEST <3
On chapter 8. Chapter 7 was hilarious. (view spoiler) Though I do think this is too much info dump in the beginning. The last chapters were nothing other than explaining the system. I guess it is mportant to the readers who are reading litrpg for the first time, but essential to the plot doesn't mean it's enjoyable. I hope now that the explanations are done, the plot will begin moving.
Timelord Iain wrote: "They basically broke notifications in so many ways, back in September, when they got rid of Emails and email settings... it's been such a headache, as things break for people, or they realize they'..."It's a shame. Goodreads is the biggest site for reader interaction. Dunno why they can't put more effort into making everything at least functional if not smooth and intuitive.
Ann-Marie wrote: "Timelord Iain wrote: "we own shirts"I picked up the Donut Holes shirt in the Memorial Day sale, I was like screw it, I wore my Goddammit Donut! shirt to a 4 year old's soccer game without thinkin..."
I Googled that...Shouldn't have done that...I want the shirt on Etsy with Princess Donut and Mongo.
Oh no, I read the Wiki about Mongo! I mean, there's (view spoiler)
That might... be the next one. Not sure.... book 3 at the latest....
Saar The Book owl wrote: "Ann-Marie wrote: "Timelord Iain wrote: "we own shirts"I picked up the Donut Holes shirt in the Memorial Day sale, I was like screw it, I wore my Goddammit Donut! shirt to a 4 year old's soccer ga..."
I wore that shirt out in public to dinner with friends who thankfully have all read and loved the books so yeah, the shirt was appreciated lol I still want a Samantha head shirt that says I will kill your mother! written on it but she doesn't appear for a few books so you have her to look forward to <3
Haha, I totally see myself doing the same, even at work. I've got loads of 'weird' t-shirts.
Ann-Marie wrote: "Saar The Book owl wrote: "Ann-Marie wrote: "Timelord Iain wrote: "we own shirts"I picked up the Donut Holes shirt in the Memorial Day sale, I was like screw it, I wore my Goddammit Donut! shirt t..."
Pssst, the Samantha t-shirt is on Etsy ;)
I finished it and it was as good as the first time. Though this time I listened to it and as a new audiobooker I lost quite a lot of details, but it was a great audio. So I think the next books I'll try the audio-read combo that someone suggested and see how it goes
Gotta train up those audio skills! Rereads & dual-reading are good methods!
I am trying it with another book (it's more romancy so it's lighter) and I can go up to 2,4x in speed, that's very high for me!
The JD Robb In Death books did a great job of training me up!
I loved this book so much. It’s been forever since a book actually made me laugh out loud!
Mod
Does anyone else have the Ace hardcover copies? With the Pineapple Cabaret short stories?
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