Books, Books?, Books!, Books...What are YOU reading? aka the WoT, GoT, Orson Scott Card thread

[Tyrath]

Also dang yo, you already finished book 6? Are you planning to read the spinoffs interwoven with the main series or nah?

[Andalusian girls]

ya def, i instinctively thought American critique too then i was like wait this isn't really how we treated natives. we warred with them and scooted them off their own lands but incorporation wasn't really the goal until much later we just wanted them the fuck away (or dead). but the indebted business is very reminiscent of the indentured servitude that the British loved, and their actions against the tribal powers very closely mimics how the British creepingly assumed control of the Indian subcontinent. he talks about it in a couple interviews on Youtube but i'd avoid them till you're done for it is spoiler country.

that said it is clearly a critique of the principles that motivate any form hyper capitalism. the analogue isn't 1:1, i'm sure the man sees plenty wrong in the motivating principles of America.

and for now just finish the main 10 then take a break. if/when i do come back prolly stick with Erikson's stuff and avoid Esslemont.

[Tyrath]

I'll have to get further into the book to see more then.

You're gonna finish the series so much faster than me then. I was planning to read all of it so I was gonna read off the published order

[Bweigelt]

I'd suggest at least reading Return of the Crimson Guard, it has a fairly massive plot important event that effects the whole series, that is only mentioned off hand in book 7 of the main series and never really expanded upon. It's also the best Esslemont book that I've read by a mile. The other Esslemont books feel more like a side attraction that isn't really essential but RoTCG is something I would suggest everyone read.

[Andalusian girls]

i hear ya bud but

by the end of the month i'm aiming to finish Malazan 7, Expanse 7 & 8, Dune Messiah, Children of Dune, Never Let Me Go, Inferno: The World at War, and the first volume of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.

next month will be, tentatively scheduled, Expanse 9, Malazan 8 and maybe 9, re-read War & Peace, The Divine Comedy, God Emperor of Dune, and Thomas's Conquest. maybe try a few others. might be leftovers from this month. Divine Comedy is going to fuck me up i suspect that bitch is lasting into January if not February.

ain't enough life to spend on second rate authors and by every account that's what Esslemont is. even though Malazan is a banger Erikson is a good and not a great author so i ain't committing to any more of his beyond this. there just ain't enough time. if i ever do hanker to try the lad out i'll aim for Return of the Crimson Guard tho.

[Tyrath]

Do you use a time turner or...?

I'm aiming to finish Malazan 5 before the end of the month and then do Expanse 9 + Dune in Dec.

[Andalusian girls]

ayyy well my schedules are optimistic a book usually slips through the cracks

otherwise bachelor life homie. don't spend all that much time socializing, no kids or wifey. lot of time to read and aim to knock out two books a week long as i have it.

[Souj]

Im super glad I started getting into him. Got the first three Nightswatch books, Mort, and Small Gods read. I own Death #3 and 5 (found at used books stores) so I’ll probably try and get through the Death series before finishing up Nightswatch and moving on new a new arc.

[Cantih]

Keep in mind that while continuity doesn't matter much in the early books, it firms up the further in you get.

For example, the last City Watch book, Snuff, kinda needs you to read the last Wizards book, Unseen Academicals, to get the most out of it.

[Souj]

Good to know. I have already caught a few things in the other books, like the Librarian showing up in Small Gods. Perhaps I’ll change my approach.

[Mayareira]

Come Fly the World: Pan Am era of aviation from the perspective of stewardesses. Touches the politics of the era, rise of feminism, Vietnam war and the involvement of airlines

Its a good read, cover may give the impression of a chick flick but it is far from it. I think its researched well and you'll like it if you are into the aviation.

[Cantih]

Probably inspired/in response to
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_Am_(TV_series)

[Mayareira]

Yup. I liked the TV show too. It had potential, was well researched but got cancelled way too early, wasn't able to build a strong foundation as a result.

And yes, it had Margot Robbie in her early 20s..

[Tyrath]

i hear ya bud but

by the end of the month i'm aiming to finish Malazan 7, Expanse 7 & 8, Dune Messiah, Children of Dune, Never Let Me Go, Inferno: The World at War, and the first volume of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.

next month will be, tentatively scheduled, Expanse 9, Malazan 8 and maybe 9, re-read War & Peace, The Divine Comedy, God Emperor of Dune, and Thomas's Conquest. maybe try a few others. might be leftovers from this month. Divine Comedy is going to fuck me up i suspect that bitch is lasting into January if not February.

ain't enough life to spend on second rate authors and by every account that's what Esslemont is. even though Malazan is a banger Erikson is a good and not a great author so i ain't committing to any more of his beyond this. there just ain't enough time. if i ever do hanker to try the lad out i'll aim for Return of the Crimson Guard tho.

Finally nearly done with Midnight Tide. Reading about the Avowed alone makes me want to keep reading the Esselmont series, his writing be damned. Want more Crimson Guard

[Andalusian girls]

nice bud. i was worried as hell going into it as yet another initially unlinked convergent setting but it would up being one of my favorites. (mega ending spoilers do not open till finished)

Spoiler: show

the conquest of Letheras was one of the dopest moments in the series. Moroch and Brys 1v1ing the Anakin emperor. Iron Bars warring with six Gods in the same day. Mayen's and Hull's tragic endings to tragic lives. Ceda finally joining the war and blasting the fuckin shit out of the Warlock King. Erikson specializes in the giant end-of-book climaxes but man Letheras's fall was a banger of one.

[Tyrath]

nice bud. i was worried as hell going into it as yet another initially unlinked convergent setting but it would up being one of my favorites. (mega ending spoilers do not open till finished)

Spoiler: show

the conquest of Letheras was one of the dopest moments in the series. Moroch and Brys 1v1ing the Anakin emperor. Iron Bars warring with six Gods in the same day. Mayen's and Hull's tragic endings to tragic lives. Ceda finally joining the war and blasting the fuckin shit out of the Warlock King. Erikson specializes in the giant end-of-book climaxes but man Letheras's fall was a banger of one.

Finished

Spoiler: show

Yo Brys fucking up the emperor was dope as fuck. Only to have him get poisoned and then that guardian mercy "killing" the emperor -_- Figures, his work was undone by someone Brys himself showed kindness to and saved.

Iron Bars is amazing. Lol @ him and Ublala barely holding off the Toblakai gods only for Silchas Ruin to finally show up and instagib them. Also funny that Fear is off to look for Scandabari and Silchas Ruin is like "ohh? Let me join you"

I love Bugg and Tehol. I knew something was up with Bugg but it took me way too long to figure out he was Mael.

Agreed though, this ending was really well done. I was worried at the start of the book but it really pulled me in.

Cant wait to see this tie into the rest of the storylines. Probably gonna do Expanse finale next though

[Tyrath]

Finished the Expanse. Heavy spoilers obviously

Spoiler: show

So Holden did a Mass Effect destroy ending? lol

Was very hyped for the Miller return at the end

I don't know how I feel about Holden going the same way that Miller did. Part of me loves the symmetry, part of me is like again?!

Amos LAST MAN STANDING

Wish we had gotten to see Alex's reunion with his kid and meeting his grandkid for the first time. I feel like the whole purpose of the Kit chapters was to force a separation between Alex and the crew at the end. They should've just stayed in Sol

Surprised Filip was never brought back again and Naomi didn't learn about him surviving

I wish we hard learned a bit more about the dark gods instead of just "creatures from another universe that don't like Builder's artifacts leeching energy from them"

Someone in one of the 1300 colonies figured out galactic teleportation a 1000 years from the ending? Felt like kind of a cheap "oh they'll all find their way back together again" ending that I feel like the book didn't really earn.

Overall I liked it, didn't love it. But it was a decent ending.

[Souj]

It slipped passed me that this came out. Gonna have to pick it up.

[Tyrath]

Hit me when you finish

[Souj]

10% in and I’m liking the perspective choices so far. Less Rocinante crew, more people with a better grasp of what’s going on (as little as that is.) Kinda hope it continues the trend.