Reading The Twelve by Justin Cronin. Book 2 of The Passage trilogy. Around 180 or so pages in, and we are still in the past, the story is interesting, so reading about these characters, but I am still not sure if it will have any effect in the future / present, or it’s just for world building. I am now invested enough now to see where it goes though.
What about all of you? What have you been reading or listening to lately?
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I’ve been going through the Powder Mage trilogy. It’s not going to be going on my top ten of all time or anything, but I’ve been enjoying it. Gunpowder based magic and a fantasy French revolution are pretty good foundations for a story.
The Postman by David Brin.
He was a survivor—a wanderer who traded tales for food and shelter in the dark and savage aftermath of a devastating war. Fate touches him one chill winter’s day when he borrows the jacket of a long-dead postal worker to protect himself from the cold. The old, worn uniform still has power as a symbol of hope, and with it he begins to weave his greatest tale, of a nation on the road to recovery.
I’ve never seen the movie, so I plan to watch it after.
Started reading the Revenger series after it was mentioned in a post a few days ago. Just finished the first book and started the second (Shadow Captain) last night.
Broke down and bought an actual e-reader (rather than reading them on my phone), so I’m holding off reading further until that arrives this afternoon. Edit: That was a lie, lol. I’m totally going to read another chapter on my lunch break since the e-reader won’t be here till later this afternoon / after work.
How are you liking the Revenger series? Alastair Reynolds have been mentioned many times but I have yet to read any of his works.
I’ve read it once a few years ago, but don’t remember a lot of the key points, so I’m doing a second read through. That’s usually a good sign since I don’t often go back and re-read a series.
Like most of his books, the hard sci-fi is there in excellent detail. There are two protagonists, sisters, and the reader’s viewpoint switches between them in each book. The action is a lot like a sea pirate story but in space (their ships use solar sails for propulsion, so the analogy actually works quite well).
The first book (Revenger) is excellent and concludes like a self-contained story, so you could just read that and be satisfied. There are some unanswered questions, but even Reynold’s standalone books leave some conclusions ambiguous. It is through the viewpoint of the younger sister.
The second, (Shadow Captain) is good, in and of itself, but definitely feels like it’s just treading water to set up and get you to the third book. I’m on the last chapter of it. It is from the viewpoint of the older sister. Definitely the weakest of the series, though it sets up a lot of elements that pay off in the last book.
The third (Bone Silence) is back on track and explores the mysteries that were set up in the first two books. I still have a lot of gaps from the first read through, but I definitely remember it being pretty good. Will be starting on that one probably this evening.
I find that I can read okay on phones, especially with a night-mode, but an e-Reader hits that sweet spot for an even nicer paper-ish screen and the intentionality of a book, while still having digital convenience. The intentionality may actually be the most important part for me: the Kindle means it’s reading time. I also keep mine on airplane mode 99% of the time, so the battery lasts forever and I can almost treat it like a paper book.
Yeah, I’ve read on my phone for years. It’s nice because it’s always with me, so if I’m ever stuck waiting, I can pick up where I left off. Holding a phone to read, though, does get uncomfortable on both the eyes and hands after a while (I often binge read lol), so figured it was time to get a proper e-reader.
an e-Reader hits that sweet spot for an even nicer paper-ish screen and the intentionality of a book, while still having digital convenience.
Yep, that’s what I’m after :) I’ll probably do similar and leave the wifi off unless I’m syncing new books.
The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis. I’m liking it a lot so far. It’s undeniably Ellis, but he also feels more open and honest this time around. Maybe he’s getting old and more comfortable in his own skin.
So this fairly counts as light reading, but my kiddo just finished the Amari YA series by B.B. Alston. It’s basically Harry Potter meets Men in Black, but with an actually diverse cast. The main character and her family are from urban Atlanta. Super derivative of course, with it’s chosen-one narrative and coming of age, but it’s a page turner with fun universe-building, and I like being able to talk to my daughter about what she’s been reading.
I’m also working through 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric H. Cline. I understand some of the conclusions are a bit dated, but he’s a well-known scholar in the field and it’s very readable. Even if he’s a bit dramatic about who did what to whom, it’s real archaeology and not your Gavin Menzies conspiratorial nonsense.
Ah cool. Amari series looks interesting. Going to order the first book to see if my kid likes it.
The author mentions it as Artemis Fowl meets Men in Black. Have you read Artemis Fowl series? I am wondering which should I get for him first. Which of these is better for younger audience?
How’s the 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed to read? Easy to read or somewhat dense?
