Rereading Le Guin’s Earthsea saga.
Personally, I think she might be on par with Tolkien and actually surpasses him in a few ways. The 4th book (about a tired mom just trying to get by and care for people in a fantasy world) is the best one, but you need to work your way there.
These are on my to do list. Currently been reading through Wheel of Time, which has been on my fantasy to do list for a while.
I liked the first book a lot, and recall liking the series less as it went on.
My experience was that the first book was fine, say 6,5/10. Just enough to move on to the the second, which I absolutely loved 9,5/10. Started reading the third with high expectations but it just didn’t engage me at all. Didn’t get through more than perhaps 25% of it.
I read the first one as a teen and loved it but couldn’t get into the second one. I loved it as an adult and I’m currently 80% of the way through the complete series. It’s got ebbs and flows but overall it’s definitely a masterpiece. For me it’s her mysticism that gives it real depth.
I read them as an adult. What I loved about the second book was the very original setting and perspective that was still completely captivating and felt believable. I don’t think I have ever read anything that is quite comparable. Anyway, maybe I should give the third one another go, I’m on vacation now so maybe a little bit more relaxed and patient!
Reading American Midnight, about how civil liberties were absolutely fucked after the US entered World War I.
How to read a book, by Mortimer Adler
“How to read a book.” Pg. 1
“Turn back to page 1” Pg. 2
Just finished them instead of reading them right now, but “The Left Hand of Darkness” and “The Dispossessed” by Ursula K. Le Guin. I liked the world building of the first far better, but it didn’t hit at the politics I wanted to read about as much as I wanted, the second being the opposite.
I don’t know why, but I just need content wrapped in sci-fi for me to find it enjoyable, and “The Dispossessed” in particular was what I was looking for, an exploration of anarchism grounded in examples and thought experiment.
Both of them are fantastic books, and definitely worth a read for anybody interested in science fiction, sexuality & gender, and anarchism.
I started the Left Hand of Darkness just a few days ago. It’s been interesting so far
Not reading it right now, but I’ll take this opportunity to recommend people read Project Hail Mary before watching the trailer for the upcoming movie adaptation which spoils major plot twists.
Having read it multiple times, the trailer pissed me off because of the spoiler. I’d honestly say for anyone, whether you’ve read it or not, don’t watch the trailer.
My partner hasn’t read it, and I said they shouldn’t watch the trailer. We’re gonna see the movie and I don’t want them to get spoiled
Nearing the end of When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi, which came out a few months ago. It’s a bit silly but I’d recommend it. The premise can be summed up as, “What would happen if the moon turned into cheese?”
I guess…uh…that it’d be less dense, so that’d dick up tides on Earth.
https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/moonfact.html
Mean density (kg/m³): 3344
https://eurekamag.com/research/001/061/001061121.php
At 8 deg C, mean densities of blockformed and conventionally-hooped cheeses were, resp., 1.094 and 1.091 g/ml.
So that’s 1094 kg/m³.
Basically, Earth’s tides would be about a third as strong, which I imagine would affect a bunch of things, especially coastal ecology. Dunno how much tides affect weather.
Also, probably alters the reflectivity of the Moon, so would affect the brightness of the Moon. Might affect a lot of nocturnal critters and such. Hard to estimate, since that depends a lot on what cheese is involved.
In the book, it kept the same mass and got a lot bigger. And of course much brighter.
Ah, gotcha. What type of cheese did it turn into, out of curiosity?
I think that might be too much of a spoiler 😄
Gilgamesh the King, by Robert Silverberg
Re-reading Shirley Jackson’s “The Haunting of Hill House” because its the best haunted house novel ever written.
I just put this one into my reader, after several quotes from Stephen king reminded me i have it pending…
Got this one on my list.
The Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman. Great story, easy reading, relatable characters, and soon to be made into a series. There are 7 books so far, but rumors say there might be up to 10 eventually.
Second this. The audio book is the way to go on this one.
No Flinching by Stephen King. It’s a good book, but you really have to go back and start with the Mr. Mercedes series.
Just finished The Cutting Room by Louise Welsh. It was 3/5 for me. Pretty dark, explicit. The pitch was interesting to me but I didn’t feel it delivered too well.
I’m currently reading The Thursday Murder Club and it’s a delight at far, 37% in. No final judgement yet based on that.
Im reading The Bridge on the Drina, and the first Ahriman omnibus from the warhammer universe right now. Id recommend the first to anyone, its an absolute classic. The second I would recommend to anyone who likes warhammer or weird sorcerer bull shit.
Master of the Five Magics by Lyndon Hardy.
Because i wanted to know what Megadeth and Rothfuss based their stuff on.
Everything All at Once by Bill Nye. It’s a great guide on how to make a positive change in the world from a scientific perspective.
Though it was written in 2017, I’d say it is more relevant now than ever.
If you like fantasy and haven’t read any Brandon Sanderson then do yourself a favour and get on it!
My personally favourites are the Mistborn books but it isn’t exactly an easy choice because literally everything he writes is great in my experience.
I just finished Tress of the Emerald Sea which is a shorter standalone book but still great!
Almost done stormlight archives. Have you done that? I have the first mistborn book but haven’t started it yet. Looking forward to it though.
I have indeed, although not the newest book that was released more recently. I want to go back and read everything again but that is quite a time commitment before doing the new book and I’m not ready for that just yet :D
It is very much on par with Mistborn in terms of the story and writing, I just prefer Mistborn that little bit more because I love the concept of the magic system in that but honestly there isn’t a lot in it.
I’m also all in on the Cosmere books, I’m halfway through the Stormlight Archive and it’s amazing!
I’ve got “Alcatraz vs the Evil Librarians” to read next but I’m not sure if that is a cosmere based novel or not. Either way I’m sure it’ll be good though!
I completed the Wheel of Time last year and liked the Sanderson style of the latter books and am now on book 3 of Stormlight Archive and love it so far. It took me a good half the first book to “get it” or “get into it” rather, but now I see the vision and am enjoying it all. Planning on the other Cosmere series and books after.
Sanderson is definitely one of the better sci-fi/fantasy writers I’ve read.
Wheel of Time is on my to do list, I’ve heard a lot about it both being great and hard to get into to begin with and so I keep putting it off. I will get around to it at some point.
Enjoy your journey into Sanderson, I’m a little jealous I can’t go on those journeys again for the first time!
If it helps, read the first one and if you don’t like it, you don’t have to finish it or the series. It stands alone decently well. I know that’s obvious, but I often don’t do things because I feel like starting something mean I have to finish it. Books, games, movies, etc
Haha I appreciate the advice and I used to be the same feeling I had to finish things I started but as I have got older I do drop games and books etc if I am really not enjoying them and it has made things a lot more enjoyable.
It is more because I am currently into the Deathlands series of books. It is currently 155 books long and I’m at 89, whilst I do have a break from it here and there to listen to other books I don’t want to start another series of books just now :D
