Eddis, Attolia, Sounis

I spent the first few weeks rereading some favorites (Brat Farrar by Tey, Dandelion Wine by Bradbury) and some books in the Armand Gamache series by Penny and the Harry Bosch series by Connelly.

I read a couple of books in the Mindtouch series by Hogarth and wasn't thrilled with them. I thought they needed to be edited down and didn't have much happening in them. But I liked the universe of different creatures and the world-building.

I read Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Chambers and feel a bit like George Castanza's dad in the Festivus episode; "I have some issues with you people!" Too many issues to really go into, but I just felt like it was pretty poorly written. Pacing was off, opportunities for suspense were never used, and I agree with a reviewer's opinion that it had a "throwaway" main character.

Then I read How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse and loved that. Highly recommend it, it's a blast.

Next up is Me And White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad, after an urgent recommendation by a dear friend.

Oh, and I read The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin, but I'll talk about that in a separate comment.

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readsintrees.livejournal.com

I also read Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, and it was OK. Entertaining enough for an audiobook, but it felt too much like a collection of characters put together to explore cultures and sexuality and gender expression....without a whole lot of other plot.

ALSO read How Rory Thorn Destroyed the Multiverse and also really enjoyed it as well!

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laserpe.livejournal.com

I just finished Half a King by Joe Abercrombie yesterday - It was one of those books you know are technically good, but ...
I just hated the ending. I know its all clever and trope-subverting, but it felt so unsatisfying. I am however, very proud that I figured almost every plot twist out in advance, because I am paranoid and have read to many books.
Other things I have read, however, include Warbreaker by Sanderson (Which was SO GOOD and I won't shut up about it even to people who have never read a fantasy novel in their lives) and Finnikin of the Rock.
I have been ordering a lot of books online lately, which I normally don't really do. As soon as shops were allowed to open up again in my country, I made sure to buy several at our local bookseller to support them a bit after the crisis.
I also tried to read several books I have had lying around for years, with varying levels of sucess - you're definitely right about the towering stack : )

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readsintrees.livejournal.com

Adding "Warbreaker" to my TBR. I've been wary of Brandon Sanderson, mostly because it seems like he's written SO MUCH and they're all long series, which I tend to avoid. I listened to "The Rithmatist on audio, and quite liked it, and then saw that the anticipated sequel is no where close to being published. The Mistborn series is also on my "someday" TBR, because I know it's like a fantasy must-read, but....

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Writers can sometimes subvert themselves out of telling a good and satisfying story, alas! :) Makes me all the more admiring when they get it just right.

I read Finnikin of the Rock years ago and remember thinking it didn't live up to the hype. The following books in the series hadn't been released yet...have you read any of them?

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laserpe.livejournal.com

I was kind of disapointed too. I found the beginning really gripping, and I absolutely loved the fact that its perhaps the only novel that I have read that really put emphasis how the masses of people that aren't our main characters are all individuals deserving of human rights and not just cannon fodder. But I didn't really emotionally "get" the love story or relate to Finnikin. As for the other novels, well, one of the aspects I also initially liked about the book was how it felt mystical and legend-like (what with the cursed kingdom and all), yet had a heavy focus on politics at the same time. But after I finished it, I kind of felt like the first aspect would be lost now and didn't feel like picking up the other books.

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I loved Finnikin of the Rock and read the rest of the series. It's been ages, but I think the second book focused on the female main character and the third book was pretty grim. Anyway, I remember liking the first book best.

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readsintrees.livejournal.com

I've been all over the place. The dozen or so library books that I had checked out at the time of the shut down were mostly DNFs, decided-against-reading, or just "meh". I just couldn't focus on "new" books. So....instead I've mostly been rereading.

Revamped my Lord of the Rings obsession by reading the entire trilogy and rewatching the movies....it's been over a decade since I've done either, as if I burned myself out by obsessing too vigorously in my teen/college days. So, revisiting Middle Earth was lovely.

Reread "The Eagle of the Ninth" and "The Silver Branch" in anticipation for finally getting around to reading "The Lantern Bearers". Have to confess that I had a hard time focusing on all of these, perhaps because my copies have small crowded font, and I haven't already reread them a zillion times already, unlike....

"Calico Captive", the Tripods trilogy, the Darkangel trilogy, "Mr. Was", and "Winter of Fire" were all successful because these are all books I've read over and over and over before, so they were easy to sink into immediately no matter how scattered my brain felt.

The only "new to me" book that really stands out from the quarantine has been "The Twisted Ones" by T. Kingfisher. It gets high marks from me for being a horror book that I actually liked. Usually scary books stop being scary for me once they "show" they scary thing, and then just feel silly. This one was told in a funny, relatable tone, so even after is stopped being scary (and there were some legitimate creepy bits for me) I still enjoyed it.

BEFORE the quarantine, I read "Bryony and Roses", also by T. Kingfisher, and really liked that one. "Cuckoo Song" by Frances Hardinge was also a good one. "Scorpio Races" by Maggie Stiefvater was a pleasant surprise, because I've always been mixed about her other works. "The Starless Sea" by Erin Morgenstern was super hyped, but I loved it anyway.

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I also did a "decade re-read" of Lord of the Rings (in and around other books) and had a lovely time revisiting Middle Earth. I'm going to re-read Sil next.

The Lantern Bearers stands out in my memory as a book that broke my heart — to the point of having to thoroughly mourn and recover before I could move on to other reads. Serious post-book syndrome! (So, obviously, I loved it.)

And The Scorpio Races is by far my favorite Stiefvater book, as well! So underrated/overshadowed by her other works. It has my heart (on a toothpick, as we might say).

:)

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charlotte taylor (from livejournal.com)

I was awfully pleased to start reading all of T. Kingfisher's books last year, and most recently enjoyed her newest, Paladin's Grace. The Temple of the White Rat in that world (many of its priests are pro bono lawyers) is wonderful!

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rouan1.livejournal.com

I listened to/read all of the Queen’s Thief books and then, based on suggestions that I think came from people on MWT’s SLJ virtual podcast, I downloaded Emily Maetins’s Woodworker which I have just started

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filkferengi

I too did lots of rereads, especially Shelly Laurenston's Pride series and the Honeybadger series. It was even better on the reread, knowing exactly whose asses were being kicked by the sisters.

For new reads, I've been reading lots of short [& mostly free!] witchy cozies. I've also enjoyed T E Kinsey's Lady Hardcastle mysteries. Set in 1910, fairly light, good period detail, somewhat Wodehouse-ish.

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eachase.livejournal.com

The best reading choices I made during the quarantine were:

Every Living Thing by James Herriot (I didn't know the All Creatures series had a 5th title) and

Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson. I'm reading the 2nd one now. I've been warned to stop after the 4th because apparently the 5th is a real cliff-hanger and the 6th isn't written yet.

For those who want to try some Sanderson, but don't want to commit to a really long series, these are funnier and shorter, so good option.
I've found them lol funny (which is rare for me) and puts them in company with The Tough Guide to Fantasyland: the essential guide to fantasy travel by Diana Wynne Jones.

Based on my love of Herriot, My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell has been recommended to me, but I haven't gotten to it yet.

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My Family and Other Animals is great fun, and Megan is the person who recommended it to me. Gerald Durrell, the author, was a fascinating man who was into wildlife rescue and preservation long before it was a "thing." I loved the Masterpiece series based on it, although it doesn't follow the books too closely. The plot is taken from the books but the characters are sort of updated and just adorable. The TV series is called The Durrells of Corfu.

From:

eachase.livejournal.com

Well, that put the title on my holds list post-haste! Now I just have to get through the 3 books already on my nightstand to get to it.

I think I saw one episode of the TV show while visiting my parents.

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I just finished On Reading Well and Network Effect (Murderbot Diaries #5), two very different books that I enjoyed for very different reasons, and now I'm feeling the reading slump!

Before that, I re-read some comfort reads and enjoyed discussing them anew with friends: The Sherwood Ring, Emma, and Gaudy Night. I don't want to fall back too much on re-reads this year, though, so I'm looking forward to the day I can go back to the library! Until then, I have about a million holds on Overdrive.

Oh, and *polishes icon* I've been building bookshelves! It only took seven years and a pandemic for us to get around to this particular project, but I'm loving it. :)

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I tried The Sherwood Ring again after many years and was amazed how much more I loved the book as an adult than as a teen. A perfect and enjoyable light read.

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I know, right? :)

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What did you think of Network Effect? I liked it, but not as much as some of the other books. It was nice that it was novel-length, though, and not a novella like the others.

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It felt pretty much like the others to me, just longer. Which maybe makes the "too many characters" issue a little bigger, too. (I just re-read All Systems Red and can almost keep the human characters distinct in my head now. Almost.) But overall I liked it. Have you ever watched The Expanse? Near the end, the plot and certain details were really starting to remind me of it. And then I remembered Martha Wells saying Murderbot would be a fan of The Expanse in one of her interviews, so I guess that makes sense. I just had a couple of those "this is feeling familiar" moments.

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"Too many characters"...yes, exactly. I had a hard time keeping them all straight, even when they reappeared in later books.

So, I just reread All Systems Red, too, and have a question that's puzzled me for some time. I don't really think there's spoilers in what I'm going to say, so it shouldn't ruin anything for anyone. At the very end, Murderbot adds a line that is directed to Dr. Mensah. And, in the later books, they mention more than once that letter. Is the whole book the letter? Sort of like TT being written down for Helen? Or is the line about favorite humans the letter?? It confused me the first time I read it and still does.

In Network Effect I was so excited when a beloved character from book 2 was back! But then they fought and sulked for so long it was a little disappointing for a time, until they straightened things out.

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Wait, which character was that? (I haven't re-read book 2.)

Good question about the letter. To be honest, I think the writing is a little sloppy sometimes. It was the overall concept and personality of Murderbot that hooked me. :) But my best guess would be that Murderbot created some kind of document out of its experiences in the first book and sent them to Dr. Mensah. That alone tells you there's an usual amount of trust there. Gah, I love them.

Speaking of Dr. Mensah (and earlier, The Expanse) ... Lyndie Greenwood is my fan cast! https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dy5Vi_MWkAQcykr.jpg From what I've seen of her acting in The Expanse, I think she could really nail the combination of warmth, brilliance, and politely bemused puzzlement at Murderbot's antics. :D

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I guess I was trying to be a little too cryptic there, I was talking about ART. I loved that character and was sad, thinking we'd never see it again.

I put The Expanse on my watchlist. I'll keep an eye on that actress--she certainly looks the part of Mensah! I love how Murderbot sees her as an example of an intrepid galaxy adventurer, like in its serials.

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Oh yes, ART!

The Expanse is pretty heavy, content-wise, so I should probably add a word of warning (Murderbot is clean and lighthearted by comparison, which I appreciate). I don't think I would have gotten into it myself, but for having friends (science nerds all) who encouraged me to watch it with them. My favorite characters keep dying, though! :/ So my investment is waning.

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Forgot to say: I highlighted the part in All Systems Red where Murderbot sees Mensah as an adventure-hero. :)

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Super late to this discussion, but I'm bored and am going to participate anyway.

I have missed the library in a big way. We have bookshelves of family and personal favorites, but I generally rely on the library for trying new books and only purchasing when I find something I know I'll reread. Right before everything shut down here I'd done a big search through LJ archives and compiled a huge list of 'while she knits' recommendations and put a number on hold. The library shut down the next day :'0 and by the time it opened up for curbside pickup I didn't remember the books I'd put on hold or got books from the middle of a series.

I would have thought this would have been a book-loving dream time for me, but I cannot concentrate on anything for the life of me. Complex narratives or study-intensive books are right out, but I'm having a hard time focusing long enough to lose myself in the flow of even old favorites. I finally purchased a copy of The Goblin Emperor but can't get past the intro because the pronunciation guide is too much for the time being, which shames me. I've still read a bit, but way less than my typical 1-2/week. In general I've spent my time finding a number of book discussion groups for multiple favorites where I can still be around books and experience them in bite-size portions because I also can't get my brain to stop thinking about things all the time and it's a welcome reprieve sometimes.

That being said, I did give Dark Lord of Derkholm another go and reread The Dalemark Quartet after a two-year break and it was one of those exactly what I wanted to read, intensely satisfying experiences. It's so different in many ways from Diana Wynne Jones's typical style, but it's such a well-crafted narrative that I just admire her all the more as an author now and am really sad there isn't more discussion about the series anywhere I can find.

I can't remember what else but a reread of Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marilier that's a favorite. I really enjoy a well done fairytale retelling, and that's one of the only long interpretations of the Wild Swans/Six Swans story I've ever found.

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Don't beat yourself up about Goblin Emperor. It's soooo difficult to deal with all the names--first names, last names, titles, arrgh!--and you really have to be in the mood for it. I don't think it's unusual to not be able to focus on anything too taxing just now. A lot of people are feeling that way. I did a lot of rereading old favorites, and I'm definitely not watching any shows that are grim or take too much brain power. I think it just keeps us from being overwhelmed by everything happening right now.

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Thank you for your kind words. I really appreciated them. There are some books I love but infrequently revisit because they require such a high level of mental buy-in, but it has been surprising the degree to which that has been true lately.

I have to confess to rewatching Stargate SG-1 because it was available for free, there are 10 seasons which I hoped would last through a lot of quarantine, and it's just good fun. But I was surprised just how many episodes there are about lockdown, quarantine, or a mysterious plague and I had to just mosey right on by those ones.

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You're not alone - I've had Goblin Emperor on Kindle for a long time and haven't made it past the first chapter. But I have many books on "standby" until the right mood comes along and something clicks. :)

I miss the library, too. Ebooks have been filling the void to some extent, but it's still hard to find certain authors and titles, and I still prefer to differentiate between screen time and reading time when I can (meaning I like physical books, especially since they can't ring and ding and otherwise update me on the world at large while I'm trying to relax or focus for a bit). And I don't buy books before I've read them and found them worthy of my limited shelf space and funds. ;)

I know many people who are struggling with focus and motivation and "productivity" right now, even while bored. The world has been a loud and scary and frustrating place, and that weighs on your energy. But the under-stimulation of being mostly stuck at home can take a toll, too.

Hang in there! <3

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I feel better, because if the lotr queen needs to wait for the mood to strike, I feel a little more justified waiting on Goblin Emperor until my curiosity gets to the point I can't stand not knowing what everyone loves so much.

I definitely agree with preferring physical books. I own a lot more ebooks than I ever expected to because there are many situations as an adult where carrying around a hefty tome is not as plausible as a phone I can sneak a glance at when I get bored, but I will always prefer a good physical book.

Hopefully the long-awaited bookshelves give you some more space for 'the library is closed' purchases. :)

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