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About half way done, good so far! I didn't realize there was a vampire story prior to Dracula so I'm excited to finish up
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Oct 7, 2022 14:46
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Well I'll have to check those out as well, thanks. That's crazy about the Wachsmann story being almost identical to the opening of Dracula Just finished Carmilla, was enjoyable. No huge surprises or unexpected things but it was a good quick read. Looking forward to next month. McSpankWich fucked around with this message at 18:06 on Oct 7, 2022 |
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Oct 7, 2022 18:03
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I actually used Libby and borrowed it from my local library, it didn't have any of the usual free ebook formatting issues and was very nicely put together.
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Oct 10, 2022 12:33
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I'm new to this SA book club so I don't know what you've done in the past, or what the goal is for the future, but are more classic novels like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Invisible Man (HG Wells), War of the Worlds, The Time Machine, The Red Badge of Courage, The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1984, Gulliver's Travels what we aim for or just more modern good reads that people have enjoyed? Or does it not matter All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr was good, do we do like cheesy adventure novels like Ted Bell or Clive Cussler? Michael Crichton has some good stuff that isn't Jurassic Park, etc
McSpankWich fucked around with this message at 13:45 on Oct 17, 2022 |
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Oct 17, 2022 13:43
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State of Fear was actually exactly the book I was thinking of! That's funny. Yeah I get what you're saying about the classics. 20,000 Leagues in particular I remember saying to myself "Alright I get it there's a lot of fish" a few times. Alright yeah I see what the goal is. Thanks
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Oct 17, 2022 16:58
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I picked it but had not even heard of it before, I am interested in reading it more than the others. (Which I also have not read)
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Oct 17, 2022 17:32
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I also had to do an overly complicated cascade of inter library loans to secure a copy. None were available digitally either.
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Nov 1, 2022 20:52
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The copy I got has an intro that apparently spoils the entire novel so that was fun.
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Nov 12, 2022 14:47
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Turns out there are a ton of social and societal nuances to 1900s Japanese culture that I have no understanding of.
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Nov 14, 2022 13:50
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So is the main character sleeping with and/or having sex with, Komako? I initially just assumed that but some of the conversations they have make me question it entirely.
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Nov 20, 2022 20:33
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Just placed a hold for a digital rental of the December book. 16 weeks wait, 1 copy available 7 people in line before me. What the hell is this. edit: There are physical copies available at all of the libraries close to my house. I'll just do that. The digital rental system is dumb as heck McSpankWich fucked around with this message at 16:04 on Nov 29, 2022 |
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Nov 29, 2022 16:00
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I've always meant to read Agatha Christie but never actually got around to it. So I'd do that. None of the books on that list I wouldn't read though so I'm down for whatever. I'm in chapter 5 of the December book after the digital loan finally coming through a few days ago. I liked the first chapter a lot and it's still keeping my interest so far, though certainly less amusing as it was initially
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Dec 24, 2022 01:14
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I finally finished December's book yesterday, and I have to say that I liked the concept but it was just too much. Are there more books like this that are perhaps more subtle or less intense with it? Like I was into this one for the first few chapters but by like 7 or 8 it was just like ok I get it let's see what happens, and then there were 5 more chapters.
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Dec 29, 2022 16:40
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My library only had the audio book of this so I grabbed it. I'm having difficulty with it, as I've never tried audiobooks before. I do listen to a lot of podcasts while doing things like mowing, snow shoveling, or driving distances but I don't really do those things on the regular in the winter. I'm finding time nonetheless but I definitely much prefer actual reading. The book itself is fine so far, seems like not much is happening, but I can see the conflict beginning to build and I think I know where it's going, we'll see if I'm correct later.
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Jan 7, 2023 17:28
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Turns out I had no idea where it was going. Edit: Just finished it. It was good, different than I was expecting I think. Obviously very influenced by the politics of the time, some parts aged better than others. Worth a read but I don't know if I would recommend it to others necessarily. McSpankWich fucked around with this message at 14:08 on Jan 11, 2023 |
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Jan 9, 2023 19:29
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Not interested in the visual novel format so I'll sit this one out.
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Jan 30, 2023 17:56
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I think I'm going to have to tap out on Steppenwolf. I am having so much trouble getting through it, I'm about half way through and every page seems like it's the same thing over and over.
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Apr 4, 2023 18:38
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Yeah Captain Splashback had said that it gets better at the end, so I kept going to eventually find that turn. I'll give it a bit more and see if it picks up.
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Apr 4, 2023 18:54
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Kindle version is currently 39 cents https://www.amazon.com/Importance-Being-Earnest-Oscar-Wilde-ebook/dp/B07VGGCXS8/
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Apr 5, 2023 18:44
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Oh I just finished this. It didn't realize it would only take me like 2 hours to read. It was a fun jaunt. Stupid final line but whatever.
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Apr 7, 2023 19:57
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Actually went back and finished Steppenwolf, I was only like 5 pages from Hermine and you guys were right it went much faster after that. I have no idea what was going on in the ending, I assume just some kind of drug fueled hallucinating? It would have been nice to have a few paragraphs about what happened afterwards without the LSD filter, but it is what it is.
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Apr 13, 2023 13:54
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Finished The King Must Die. It was solidly ok. An interesting read as I've never read the Theseus myth directly and just in other things. Not sure I'd recommend it to anyone, but I can't put my finger on why. Perhaps it was weirdly paced or the writing was... Something? I don't know. Also, I'm going to skip Don Quixote because I tried to read it a few years ago and found it boring but also it's like 12 trillion pages long.
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Jun 4, 2023 21:25
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The only copy my library has was an anthology with a bunch of other stories so I guess I have to read them all
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Nov 3, 2023 01:39
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Finished Rocannon's World. It was good! Lots to think about in a prime directive sense, especially for such a short novel. I was really only wanting for more detail on one or two occasions where it felt like it was being purposefully sped along, which again is impressive for being so short. I still have four more stories in the collection from the library so I'm going to go ahead and read the rest. Planet of Exile, City of Illusions, The Left Hand of Darkness, and The Word For World Is Forest in that order.
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Nov 12, 2023 15:55
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I've been reading these hainish novels and I have to say that these older sci-fi books hit differently than newer ones. I think it's because they still go for all the important philosophical issues but allow you to draw your own conclusions based on the story told. Newer books seem to just hit you over the head with it and don't allow you to draw your own conclusions. I finished Rocannon's, Planet of Exile, and City of Illusion. Starting Left Hand of Darkness next (which I hear is one of her best).
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Nov 16, 2023 01:24
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Murder on the Orient Express
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Nov 17, 2023 23:41
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I kept reading the collection I got. Finished Rocannon's World, Planet of Exile, City of Illusion, and I'm probably going to finish Left Hand of Darkness tonight. The last one in the collection is The Word For World is Forest. I've been enjoying them quite a bit. I'll probably look for a collection with the rest of the Hanish Cycle in a few months.
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Nov 28, 2023 01:10
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Opopanax posted:Sorry if this isn't cool to ask, but does anyone happen to have an epub of this one? I should have time to read it before the end of the month but I can't actually find a copy anywhere, other than on the kobo store where it's $12 for a 2-3 hour novella which I'm not going to do I also can't find this book. Apparently, the entire central NJ library consortium has zero copies...
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Dec 19, 2023 18:07
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This month I read This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. I found it fascinating and gripping. At its core, it's a love story between two special ops soldiers on opposite sides of a war through time and space. The real attraction though, is how it's organized, the chapters are extremely short and focused on a small snippet of whatever mission Red or Blue is doing, then finding the letter from the other, and then the letter itself. The chapters alternate from one to the other. Since they are so small, I found myself falling into the Stardew Valley "one more day" syndrome where I ended up reading it longer than I intended almost every time I sat down with it. There is zero dedicated worldbuilding, zero background on the war itself, and almost no details on any other characters at all, it's amazing how little of the world is revealed in this book and yet how much of it I came out knowing. I loved how this book was organized and put together, the progression of the two main characters' story told through letters that take place linearly, while the characters themselves are bouncing around throughout all of time and space. This description sounds a lot more complicated than it is while you're actually reading it, I didn't feel any sense of "wait what was that?" "when is this happening?" because it really doesn't matter that much, the time and space travel is just a backdrop for the love story. I would definitely recommend this book, it was an easy read for either short snippets or long sessions, and super enjoyable. Putting it on my list for a re-read at some point in the future for sure.
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Jan 25, 2024 14:48
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Just finished it, and I have to say it's probably the most beautifully written book I've ever read, Woolfs imagery and prose are truly remarkable. I've gotta be honest though I have no idea what it was about, or what the larger point (if any) she's trying to pull out is. Maybe I'm just not smart enough for high literature.
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Feb 28, 2024 14:01
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I kind of felt like since they were presumably raised in a loveless combat based environment from infancy, that any kind of connection other than "go kill that guy" would cause strong feelings, even if not warranted in our reality. It's also possible that their names are lazy for the same reason, why name a weapon with any thought other than something utilitarian (see 007, etc)
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Mar 25, 2024 16:23
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Wow I just finished this a few months ago! I will share some thoughts later in the month.
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Apr 3, 2024 17:34
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I agree with most of what you said. I was expecting carrot to somehow be crowned king or at least recognized and such and then bungled in some way but they did practically nothing with that, and then just lazily brought back the Patrician. I think part of the problem with pop culture references in media in general is that they always age poorly, and now you're sitting there looking back on what could have been a hot take in 1989 and it's just silly. A lot of people who told me to read Discworld said to start with Guards! Guards! because it's the best set of the books, I've now read the first one or two books in each of the story sets and I have to say that this one is my least favorite, by a lot. I think my favorite are the witches, starting with Equal Rites, then Mort starting the Death novels, and then The Colour of Magic starting the Rincewind novels. I think the thing I like the most about Discworld is that all the novels are standalone and only make slight reference to each other (with the exception of the direct sequel books), so you really can just jump in and read whatever. I am definitely finding all the novels underwhelming, but probably solely based on the hype other people give them. Even the freaking librarian always comments about how much she loves them every time I take one out "Oh I try to reread the whole series every few years! Enjoy!" I can't imagine going back and rereading any of the ones I've read so far. McSpankWich fucked around with this message at 15:43 on Apr 12, 2024 |
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Apr 12, 2024 15:40
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79 people ahead of me for the physical book! Only 63 for audio, maybe it will be less time.
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May 3, 2024 12:46
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