Life is still pretty busy, not getting much time for Lemmy, but at least got some time to read now.

Still reading Streams of Silver by R. A. Salvatore. Book 2 of the series. Am more than halfway through now, if nothing comes up, should be able to finish it this week.

What about all of you? What have you been reading or listening to lately?


For details on the c/Books bingo challenge that just restarted for the year, you can checkout the initial Book Bingo, and its Recommendation Post. Links are also present in our community sidebar.

  • throwawayacc0430@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    15 hours ago

    I came across the TV Series Dark Matter and was reading the Reddit Q&A thread about some plot points in the story, and found out about Blake Crouch’s other story Recursion that doesn’t have a film/TV adaptation, so… even as someone who doesn’t usually read books, I kinda just had to read (with the Audiobook going along with it) it to get the story out of it. Played the audiobook at 1.2 speed (I don’t have patience lol), and fismnished it within the past few days.

    It was a great Time Travel story with unique time travel rules/concepts I’ve never heard of in anything I’ve read/watched before. Although reading through this… I kinda remembered why I usually don’t read books, I have a hard time visualizing the scenes.

    Lot of time travel, mystery, conspiracy, government involvement, war, doomsday, time loops (probably where the title came from), and most importantly, the ideas of identity and memory.

    I’m not sure if I like the characters, I mostly just liked the story, like I’m obsessed with time travel.


    Now I realize there are a lot of stories that simply just doesn’t have adaptations, and even as someone who loves video media (again, I have hard time visualizing stuff), I’m kinda forced to start reading, in order to enjoy all those stories out there without any adaptations.


    TLDR: Recursion - Great story, I hope to see a TV Series out of it.

  • skull887@lemmings.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    2 days ago

    Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune. About 60% through it and I’m really enjoying it. It really makes you think about life, just being more thoughtful and not sweating the little things.

  • dkppunk@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    2 days ago

    Currently reading: Diary of a Wimpy Kid The Meltdown by Jeff Kinney Artificial Condition by Martha Wells Cibola Burn by James SA Corey (audiobook reread)

    Recently finished: The Stars Too Fondly by Emily Hamilton Stars are Legion by Kameron Hurley (really good book, but some of it was disturbing)

    I still need to read the third book of the Kushiel series by Jacqueline Carey, but I’ve been in the mood for more science fiction lately.

  • b34n5@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    2 days ago

    I’m currently reading With Speech as My Weapon by Emma Goldman. I’m halfway through, and I can say it’s an excellent book. The ideas it presents are the perfect synthesis between Max Stirner and Kropotkin.

  • PugJesus@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    3 days ago

    Just finished Rome And China: Comparative Perspectives On Ancient World Empires. Very fascinating.

  • zout@fedia.io
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    3 days ago

    Not as much reading last week as the week before; finished “Record of a spaceborn few” by Becky Chambers. The book is good enough, but I like books to be more plot oriented, this series is more about people finding out how they fit in their worlds. So next book, “Dead space” by Kali Wallace. Nice and simple book, very plot driven and no need to over think it as a reader. It fit right in with my mood over the weekend, and I went through it in a breeze. I tought it was part of a series, so I started looking for the rest only to find out it is a stand alone book. I also had John Scalzi’s “The consuming fire” on my e-reader and I’m almost half way through at the moment. My experience with John Scalzi is rather typical, I read “the collapsing empire” awhile ago and found it hard to get through, but this next installment in the series is hard to lay down. I had the same with the old man’s war series, where I would alternate between meh (books 3 and 5) and great (1, 2, 6 and especially 4).

    • dresden@discuss.onlineOPM
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      2 days ago

      I wonder if Dead Space was inspired by the game of the same name. The setting seems very similar, but doesn’t mention any character from the game and ship name is different.

      • zout@fedia.io
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        2 days ago

        Reading the Wikipedia page of the game, it seems to be quite different.

  • tavostator@feddit.org
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    3 days ago

    Making my way through The Dark Tower series, after reading and abandoning it halfway through as a teenager. Just started Song of Susannah, say thank ya.

      • dumblederp@aussie.zone
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        edit-2
        3 days ago

        I probably wont remember. It’s classic sci-fi. Nice to read some that’s written so long ago (1959) before so many ideas about technology were established. The first half at least is mostly a boot camp experience, somewhat reminds me of Full Metal Jacket, or really any boot camp story.

  • Contrariwise@lemmy.blahaj.zone
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    3 days ago

    Finished 1066 and All That (library books get priority in case someone else is waiting), started Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand but wandered off when the story switched to the 2nd main character being introduced about 75 pages in (but I’m gonna come back to it, I just made base camp), and I picked up As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes with Joe Layden from the library today.

  • theskyisfalling@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    3 days ago

    Haven’t responded to one of these for a while.

    I finished the infinite series of books. There was Kaos and The Order which were pretty decent. In these two multiple books from the series are drawn together to bring all the characters in one place. Each of the books uniting different characters setting up for the final book.

    Singularity, the culmination of all the books so far. It was OK, it was bearable but honestly it is probably the worst book in the series and a very Luke warm end to what has been a decent set of books. I think the thing I disliked most is Jeremy Robinson did a Stephen King in Dark Tower and wrote himself as the author into the last book. As soon as I realise he was gonna start appear my opinion went downhill fast. The book constantly tries to break the fourth wall and it was just a disappoint end tbh.

    Meanwhile I’m up to 71 of the deathlands books and they are still great xD

    • dresden@discuss.onlineOPM
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      3 days ago

      Wow, Deathlands still going strong!

      That’s sad to hear about the last book of Infinite series, but even with that, will you recommend the series?

      • theskyisfalling@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        3 days ago

        Yeh, I’m closing in on the half way point of the Deathlands books at this point xD

        I think I would definitely still recommend the Infinite Timeline, the end wasn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination but I did find it disappointing compared to the rest of the series if I’m being honest. I would still recommend people look into it though if it interests you!

  • Hawke@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    7
    ·
    4 days ago

    The left hand of darkness (Ursula K. Leguin) is my current personal read.

    Pawn of prophecy (David Eddings) I am reading for a book club (last read approx. 30 years ago)

    • herrvogel@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      3 days ago

      I recently finished Left Hand myself. Had me thinking about it for sometime afterwards. May or may not have subjected innocent listeners to a few unsolicited tirades about a society who never had a concept of gender.

      I’m currently on The Dispossessed, continuing along the Hainish road. Le Guin is really something else.

  • HakunaHafada@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    3 days ago

    Just finished: Epistemology of the Closet by Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick.

    Just started: Feel It All by Casey Tanner.

    • Jack@slrpnk.net
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      4 days ago

      Is it good? I am hearing very conflicting information about Zizek as a whole.

      • SnokenKeekaGuard@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        edit-2
        4 days ago

        Absolutely. Zizek is a great writer who revolutionised philosophical writing by making it very approachable. You can go in with little to no knowledge of Lacan or psychoanalysis and understand a lot.

        He writes using jokes and movies etc as reference points. A brilliant way to write something engaging instead of theory heavy as much of philosophy is.

        Infact I think its the most readable philosophy outside of pure fiction like a lot of what Camus wrote.

        He’s also done some proper philosophical work connecting lacan to zizek (not part of this book) which even lacan himself could not see (and its not unreasonable in the slightest).

        He also credits other for ideas that are really his in a very generous way.

        His reputation is muddled in the mainstream bc people think he’s somehow comparable to JP but Peterson is a genuine idiot who I can’t believe is a tenured professor.

        I would recommend reading this book. Or zizek in general. He has a substack too.

  • iAmTheTot@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    6
    ·
    4 days ago

    Starting Red Seas Under Red Skies today. Really enjoyed the first book and I’m looking for more Blades in the Dark inspiration.