Holidays are over! Happy New Year!

I didn’t get much to read over the holidays, but I finished The Black Company by Glen Cook. The story was interesting but the way it is written made it hard for me to read. Still, going to continue with the trilogy and see if second book is any better in that regard.

Currently reading Dead Beat by Jim Butcher. Loving the book. The series just keeps getting better and better.

What about you? What have you been reading or listening?

  • Mycatiskai@lemmy.ca
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    6 months ago

    Last weekend I read the first four Murderbot diaries novellas. I read another one during the week, and now I’m reading the full length novel.

    All Systems Red by Martha Wells is the first one and you won’t want to stop there.

  • Naja Kaouthia@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    Just finished up American Gods by Neil Gaiman and started the Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child. I’m most of the way through Killing Floor.

    • dresden@discuss.onlineOPM
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      6 months ago

      How are you liking the Killing Floor? I have been meaning to start the series but couldn’t find the starting book at my local bookstore.

      • Naja Kaouthia@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        So far so good. I have the bad habit of picking up a book or series to compare/contrast with the show or movie and IMO if you enjoy Reacher, you’ll enjoy the books and vice versa.

  • Matriks404@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    I am slowly reading through Metro 2033 in Russian, and after more than a year I am only halfway done. 😑

    I think I spend too much time in a dictionary, where I am clicking through entries when I don’t understand a single word (or I am just not 100% sure about it’s meaning). Also I think on few occassions I have seen few words that are completely made up (mostly non-existing word forms) by Dmitriy, because even Google Search didn’t show anything up :P

    • dresden@discuss.onlineOPM
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      6 months ago

      Yeah, made up words can be a issue when reading in another language. I tried reading Harry Potter in Spanish and all the made-up words in that made it a bit difficult.

  • Bryony87@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    I’m reading “Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone”, a delightfully smart and funny locked room mystery

  • GreyShuck@feddit.uk
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    6 months ago

    I have started my year-long read for this year: The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Two chapters a week will get me through it by December.

    Otherwise, I am two thirds through The Rings of Saturn which is a melancholic reflection on death, remnants and legacy over the course of a walking tour of the Suffolk coast, where I live and work. I have been aware of it for ages, and it has finally hit the top of my pile. A thoughtful and easy read, though it does seem a little over-romanticised.

    And I am continuing with Peter Frankopan’s The Earth Transformed. This is a history of the world taking account of changes in climate and environment: both their effects on history, and human effects on them. Informative, although the detail obscures the main points at times.

    Finally, I am continuing with the Doctor Who novel The Death of Art. Some well researched worldbuilding and atmosphere and an enjoyable writing style, but an overcrowded plot that gets bogged down as a result.

    • dresden@discuss.onlineOPM
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      6 months ago

      That’s an interesting idea to have an year-long series. Specially for a book that you may find difficult to read or get into. I should do that.

      I think you mentioned The Earth Transformed before too. How is it going, still enjoying it?

      • GreyShuck@feddit.uk
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        6 months ago

        The Earth Transformed - this is a much longer read than I was expecting. It is certainly still interesting, but also continues to include a LOT of detail and examples that make it difficult to keep in mind the overall points that the author is making. I have read a good few ‘popular histories’ - which is what this ultimate is - that are clearer. I’m going to continue though.

  • DeGandalf@kbin.social
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    6 months ago

    Mother of Learning

    It’s a pretty cool Fantasy/Time-Loop webnovel, but it’s a bit long…
    I am at page 1500 of 2500 and I’m not a particularly fast reader.

    • dresden@discuss.onlineOPM
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      6 months ago

      Web novels are like that. One of the reason I have strayed away from them. It’s a cultivation novel? Or something else?

      • DeGandalf@kbin.social
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        6 months ago

        No, it’s more of a classical magic thing (but luckily not Isekai either, although I love that genre if made well). I got it recommended by a friend, who reads lots of web novels.
        And even though there is definitly a big focus on him learning and getting stronger, it’s actually both pretty well paced and has unique characters and a bit of politics (but not much).

        And it’s actually the only WN, besides Chrysalis, which I’ve read a decent amount.

          • DeGandalf@kbin.social
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            6 months ago

            It was quite good, but it lost somewhere around the 2/3rd mark. I’m not normally a person who can read that much, so I’m not finishing any of those long WNs. And I’m not even sure, whether the story is actually even finished, yet. But I’m pretty sure it wasn’t when I read it.

  • DaMonsterKnees@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    The Robots of Dawn. I’m almost done with all things Asimov, and it’s been a wonderful journey. Having done the entire Foundation arc first, it’s really enjoyable going back and reading what really works out to be like ultra prequel material for the whole universe. Yes, Asimov is a little boomer in his execution, themes, motifs, and namely characters. White male dominant is frustrating, but the sci-fi is good, and eventually, some million words later, he modernizes somewhat.

    • dresden@discuss.onlineOPM
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      6 months ago

      I have read his Robot series and half of his Foundation series, should probably go back and finish that.

      • DaMonsterKnees@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        My shrink, a fellow sci-fi enthusiast, pointed out something interesting. The last book he wrote, which helped to tie his whole universe together, was basically autobiographical. Really changed my perspective on Hari.

    • Clay_pidgin@sh.itjust.works
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      6 months ago

      I’ve been collecting Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein etc for twenty years, but I have several on my bookcases that I haven’t read. I should aim to crunch through them! Have you seen a suggested reading order?

  • viking@infosec.pub
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    6 months ago

    Just finished “Dead Silence” by S.A. Barnes, and loved it. Very different take on a deep-space opera.

    Now finally venturing into The Expanse, loved the series and want to see what happens after it stopped, but apparently the storylines between books and series don’t fully align, so I start at rock bottom, including some of the short story prequels setting the stage. Currently reading “Drive”, nicknamed as The Expanse 0.1 (only got 28 pages or so).

    • dresden@discuss.onlineOPM
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      6 months ago

      As a fan of the game Dead Space, Dead Silence sounds great. Going to check it out.

      The Expanse stopped? I was hoping to watch it after reading all the books (which I haven’t even started yet). Well, I guess one less thing in my to-watch list.

      • viking@infosec.pub
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        6 months ago

        They brought the series to an end (and a good one!), so you can just go ahead and watch it - I enjoyed it a lot. The books simply extend beyond that, plus they have three prequels and some fillers building the backstories of some characters. Bit of an “extended universe” vibe.

        And now I’ll check out Dead Space, haven’t come across it yet. Thanks!

  • TwinTusks@bitforged.space
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    6 months ago

    Currently Reading:

    • Rogue - Anthology, ed George R.R. Martin/Gardner Dozois
    • Best from Tor: 15th Anniversary - various
    • The Dark Half - Stephen King
    • The Final Girl Support Group - Grady Hendrix

    Going to DNF on The Final Girl Support Group, I’m not verse in horror movies and can not connect with all those reference in the book.

  • No_Ones_Slick_Like_Gaston@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    Chaos Monkeys revised edition.
    It’s a lot of the Silicone Valley series with a personal touch and the experiences of the author. I’m halfway trough it and I’m already thinking that will be a bit lost once I finish.

    If Anyone knows of a similar topic about the same timeline story please comment and help a reader.

    • dresden@discuss.onlineOPM
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      6 months ago

      Since you didn’t get any recommendation here, maybe just start a thread. Hopefully that will get you some recommendations.

  • JaymesRS@literature.cafeM
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    6 months ago

    I’m working through The Last Unicorn.

    Dead Beat is sooo good (“Polka will never die”). It’s often a suggested book for someone to try out the series because it was written and published right before the SciFi TV series was coming out. So Butcher did a some work to smooth out stuff that relied on knowledge from earlier books and he made it pretty seamless.

    • dresden@discuss.onlineOPM
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      6 months ago

      The Last Unicorn looks interesting. Going to check it out.

      Yeah, the book is pretty good. Hope rest of the series stay like that too.

      • JaymesRS@literature.cafeM
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        6 months ago

        Hope rest of the series stay like that too.

        It doesn’t, it gets even better. Even the community-perceived weak spots in the future have only grown on me.

        • dresden@discuss.onlineOPM
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          6 months ago

          That’s great to hear. I am almost at the end of the book. I am liking the character developments in Blood Rites and this. Would love to see where it goes in the future.

      • slazer2au@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        I read the synapse of the film and it was like, there is no way they can do the book justice and oh boy.

        Cardinal of the Kremlin is my favourite and I hope they never make a film of it because they will butcher it so badly.

        • kuraitengai@programming.dev
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          6 months ago

          I don’t think it was the case in this one, but I think it was The Bourne Identity that they told the screenwriter to NOT read the book. I think they let him see the cover synopsis and that was it.

          My thoughts are a 2-300 page book can be a movie. A 500+ page needs to be a mini series or series.

  • Michal@programming.dev
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    6 months ago

    Last night I finished Fair Warning. Today I will start reading The Dark Hours - both by Michael Connelly.

      • Michal@programming.dev
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        6 months ago

        Yes, I’ve been reading them all, but Not all in order. i started with Lincoln lawyer books, and Two Kinds of Truth, and then decided to read the rest of his books in order. Currently reading Desert star.

        I love Connelly books. They’re not perfect but they’re captivating and i just enjoy reading them.

    • dresden@discuss.onlineOPM
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      6 months ago

      When I worked in a startup, there was a guy who wanted “The Left Hand of Darkness” as his designation. The company didn’t do it, but I do recall watching someone online with the same designation, don’t remember who or which company.

      Both great books btw! How are you liking The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue? I have seen V. E. Schwab mentioned many times in these threads but haven’t had a chance to read her work yet.