What book(s) are you currently reading or listening to? November 11
Started the next book in Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series, Cold Days
Since it's the 14th book in the series, I can't say much about it without spoiling what happened in the previous books, but things have become very interesting. Though, the more the things change, the more they stay the same, Harry is still out of his depth, and stakes are still sky high.
What about all of you? What have you been reading or listening to lately?
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90 replies
I've never read The Grapes of Wrath before, but now I'm about a quarter through it.
You can tell that Steinbeck really lived that hard depression life and had an abiding love for the other people who did too, warts and all.
Its a classic that is worth reading
This Inevitable Ruin
Dungeon Crawler Carl #7
HI ZEV!
Goddamnit Donut!
Came to post Carl. Happy I was beat to it. also listening to heretical fishing. both super good.
Glurp glurp!
About to start audio book 4. It's been fun so far!
Been going thru the Discworld series in published order, and now on A Hat Full of Sky. I think it's #30ish out of 40ish in the series? It's taken a number of years, but I'm also getting a bit sad that I'm nearing the end and there won't be any more. Pratchett was a treasure.
I really should go read these again, it's been so long that I hardly remember the stories in these books. I just read a synopsis of this book, and it hardly rings a bell. It must also have been at least 15 years ago, Terry Pratchett was still very much alive when I started reading them.
Bill Bryson - The Lost Continent
It’s funny and a great read as Bryson always is, but I noticed for the first time that my values have changed since I first read it.
He pretty regularly comments on how overweight people are, and doesn’t mind describing exactly what he finds unattractive in older or overweight women.
I guess I just got fat friends and find that distasteful now.
I literally just finished The Shining. Somehow I missed this one in the past, but it was a really good read.
I’m also about 1/2 through The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A Fuck by Mark Manson. Ironically, I’m reading it in the midst of a long trip and it’s giving me a lot of things to contemplate.
I have yet to read The Shining too! For a long time I thought I have read it, but then recently found out that I was confusing it with The Stand, so should pick it up some day now.
I have heard mixed things about Mark Manson's book, would love to hear what you think about it.
Hello! Finished the book and found it pretty interesting. I like the idea of changing your perspective and thinking about what you really care about.
I’m in a bit of a midlife crisis and this ended up hitting pretty close to home. In fact, I took a large chunk of time off to do some traveling and contemplate what I want.
It really got me thinking about how much I don’t want to continue working in tech, being super burnt out, and actually do something I want to gives fucks about.
I was also disappointed to find out “With great power, comes great responsibility” was from Spider-Man haha
What did you think?
Hey, I am going through a bit of midlife crisis too! It's pretty mild as far as there crisis go though.
I haven't read the book yet, have been thinking about it, that is why asked your opinion. Going to check it out.
As for “With great power, comes great responsibility”, it's a super famous line for anyone who know about Spider-Man, didn't know he had that in the book 😀
Robin Hobb's Assassin's Quest (Farseer trilogy 3/3). Devouring those on a holiday like I used to blaze through books as a kid!
Few people know how to torture a protagonist like Robin Hobb does.
I read them earlier this year and absolutely loved the first one, especially its prose and somewhat meandering style.
Loved the other two a little less but still definitely enjoyed having read them, and now l wonder what else of hers to dive into!
There's plenty more books/trilogies staged in the same world she built!
Ill Met in Lankhmar (1995) by Fritz Leiber in it's first unabridged german translation from 2004.
It is absurd, how underrated Leiber is up to this day. He was so much better than many of his contemporaries.
Look for "The Big Time."
He did a lot of short stories set in The Change War, a conflict that ranges across all of the Universe, from the Big Band to the Heat Death. Two sides, the Spiders and the Snakes, recruit beings of all races to rewrite history.
Thanks for the tip, that sounds pretty interesting. I look forward to read that and his other SciFi and horror stuff when I am through with Fafhrd and the Grey Mousling.
https://www.darkhorse.com/Books/10-686/Fafhrd-and-the-Gray-Mouser
Because you'd only waste your money on food and rent.
I'm most of the way through Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. This book has gone in directions I was not expecting, and I've loved every minute of it. Should finish it in the next couple of days and it's definitely getting my recommendation.
Dark Matter was the first book I read by Blake Crouch. I loved that book and I love pretty much every book of his I’ve read. He is one author that I will buy a new release, or older one I haven’t read, without even looking at the back cover. I love his high intensity and quick paced writing.
I’m so happy you are enjoying it! I wish I could read it over for the first time again!
The pacing is excellent! You think you've finally reached a calm point and then you get gut-punched with a completely unexpected event. It's been a while since I've found a book so hard to put down too. I keep saying I'll read 1 more page and before I know it I've read 10.
Definitely going to check out his other stuff. I've actually got a copy of Recursion downloaded to my ereader already.
I got this recently and will be his first book I'll read, it seems like it will be a good choice.
The Stormlight Archive. This will be my 4th time. They're my comfort books.
Just started listening to Words of Radiance. I’m not the biggest Sanderson fan but I think he’s okay and I understand why people like his stuff. It does feel a little bloated though. I’m interested to find out if I’ll fall in love with Dalinar like everyone else seems to have.
Yeah, Dalinar is easily my favorite.
My rereads on that series looks like a stairway down as I do a full read through before each new book comes out haha
It's better when it's fresh! I started when 3 books were out and reread leading up to each new book as well.
Haha I paused my Rhythm of War re-read to start Wheel of Time. Love Stormlight. What’s your favorite book of the series so far?
I read Wheel of Time as well! Loved those too.
Oathbringer is my favorite, though I also really like Rhythm of War.
Oathbringer is also my favorite haha.
RoW is great too, but I love the deep dive into fabrials.
Someone listed r Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds in a comment about decent hard Sci-fi and my copy just came in the mail today
I am reading (maybe re-reading) The House of the Spirits. A friend said we read it in high school and I do remember reading One Hundred Years of Solitude in highschool as part of a magical realism unit but I can't really remember if I did the House of the Spirits. Its great and I can't put it down.
Ooh, I read The House of the Spirits years ago, such a good book! I read Paula by her before that, but I preferred this one.
It's been great so far I am going to read some more from her
The Book of Dust, Volume 3: The Rose Field
If you liked His Dark Materials this continuation of the story is pretty epic and the last book was just released!
How are these? I grew up reading His Dark Materials and they are my favorite books from my childhood. I have all 3 of The Book of Dust books, I just haven’t started them yet.
They expand on the universe and continue the story in an awesome way! You won't be disappointed!
Oh I'm just almost finished a reread of the first 3, then the 2nd two to set me up for the new one
Pariah by Dan Fesperman.
Fesperman is probably the best espionage writer of the 21st Century.
This book is a crazy comedy. A Hollywood comic was about a year into his first Congressional term when an onset meltdown tape comes out and destroys both careers. He's isolating on an island when the CIA comes to him and asks him to meet his No. 1 fan; the brutal dictator of a small European country.
Manges to be WTF and realistic at the same time.
Heh, this sounds fun.
For something more serious, try "The Warlord's Son."
In the run up the the 2003 Afghanistan Invasion a washed-up American reporter finds a local to smuggle him in to the war zone.
Not a big fan of real-world recent war stuff, but will look it up. Thanks for the recommendation!
Enjoy!
I’m on the last stretch of Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan (Wheel of Time book 4).
I’m excited to continue into book 5 here soon.
Just finished the Dresden Files (1-18). Latest installment comes out in January. Was kinda addicted there for a minute.
Just finished The Broken Ones by Stephen M. Irwin. Detective/Horror which I didn't think would work so well.
Now trying to start a horror anthology called Howls from the Dark Ages. Also, the new Thursday Murder Club book just came out.
Yeah, I am reading the books slowly, I want the final book to release before I go through them all, but it doesn't seem likely now.
Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor. It's the first book in a series about time traveling historians. So far it seems fun! The protagonist is witty and sarcastic, which I look for in a protagonist. I'm also in the middle of reading Galaxy Outlaws: The Complete Black Oceans Mobius Missions by J. S. Morin. I spent 1 audible credit figuring if I liked it, it would be an incredible value. It was presented as similar as Firefly and Guardians of the Galaxy, so I was down! The books are actually rather surprising as the plots progress further than I would have thought. I figured it would be more episodic, with characters slowly developing over the series, but the crew's circumstances being fairly stable, but it is not like that at all! The character development is a little slower than I expected, and the plot progression much faster! I'm up to book 9, but so I don't become burnt out by it I alternate between reading 1 black ocean book, and 1 other book.
Project Hail Mary because of the upcoming movie.
I loved that book and I’m really excited for the movie. I’m planning on rereading it before the movie comes out.
I even got my father in law to read it and he’s not as into scifi as I am, but he really enjoyed it too
There's a movie coming? I'm curious how it will translate to the screen. Loved the book though.
The trailer is already out. Movie comes out march 2026
Finished "Service Model" by Adrian Tchaikovsky. I liked this one, but it took me three weeks to read it since I was busy. Picked up "Singularity sky" by Charles Stross after that, and I'm about 40% through. I noticed I'm still as busy as the previous weeks, but I'm making more time available to read. I guess I like the writing style of Charles Stross a little better.
Huge Tchaikovsky fan. Just read "Shroud." Take a few months [years?] and commit to his longer series.
Sorry, but I'm not a fan. I started reading "children of time" earlier this year, but I never finished it. His writing style isn't for me, and I only read "service model" because I read some reviews that it wasn't a typical Tchaikovsky book. I liked it enough, but I don't think I'll be picking up any of his other books.
::: spoiler spoiler about childeren of time In my opinion too much world building with too little story. I get that you need more world building for the sentient spiders (though I wonder if it had to be that detailed), but the other story line also wasn't really grabbing my attention. :::
"City Of Last Chances"
Insane amount of worldbuilding and an insane amount of story.
There's one priest who carries his god around town with him, and he's just the start.
But you do as you will.
Thanks, I'll always appreciate a reading tip!
I'm that annoying guy at the book store...
Different strokes. I loved "Children of Time" (and its sequels), partly because of the intense world-building.
Definitely. Lucky for us we live in an age where books of all kinds are available, and dirt cheap too.
Oh, also thinking of Cold Days gives me an excuse to post a cat pic. This was Sarissa, named such after the character you meet in Cold Days.
That's a cute cat! And Sarissa is a good name.
The third Jake’s Magical Market book; just finished the second one last night. They’re… fine and if it was a normal LitRPG series that goes on forever I would have bailed after the first one, but finding out it was a completed trilogy was appealing enough that I’m seeing them through.
I keep going back to read more of The Dreden Files and forgetting where I was before. I am guessing if you have read 14 books its worth to keep going back. I think I went up to Blood Rites
I started it a long time ago but couldn't find the next book so stopped somewhere around book 6 or 7. Recently (last year? or was that year before that?) started the re-read to finally finish the series. Reading them slowly though, don't want to read them all and then wait ages for next book, so read one book every 2-3 months.
Highly recommended to go back and read the whole series.
They are good simple enjoyable "beach reads". I might through them again as my wintertime read
Just finished CABIN: Off the Grid Adventures with a Clueless Craftsman by Patrick Hutchison and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a hilarious read. Revisiting Stiff by Mary Roach now, just because it's been a long time.
Finished up Star Wars Shadows of the Empire. It’s based on the game and is the only book between movies 5 and 6. So now that I’m done this I’m moving onto the novelization of Episode 6. Shadows provided some good back story and setup the rescue of Han. Explains Boushh Leia!
Citizen of the Galaxy by Robert Heinlein. It’s my first story from him that isn’t from a ShortStory compilation. I’m enjoying it, it’s heavy on the slavery and beating, it seems though.
After those two, I think I’m gonna do some more ShortStory compilations, I like that pacing of being able to finish a story in my reading windows sometimes. But there’s a big batch of Star Wars books until the next novelization though.
This puts me at about 80-90 of the 150 books read if I’m counting my brothers list correctly.
How long did you take to read those 80-90 books?
June of 22 I started. I would read a legends book, then read another book or something between each. Since then I’ve read the original 6 Dunes, The Expanse series, all of Asimovs Foundations universe, Hitchhikers (read as a kid). As well as healthy smattering of short story compilations, probably a dozen of those?
The short stories I would read probably 5-7 depending length and go back to a SW book. Also depends how I feel. Sometimes it takes me weeks to finish a book. Or like this Heinlein book, I’ll be done today and onto the episode 6 novelization.
Wow, nice.
My brother is the one that’s collected all of them. 95% have been bought second hand at book stores. He’s also collecting all the new canon books as well. Debating if I want to do that after haha.
He had to buy a few he couldn’t find so I could read them in chronological order though. So technically second hand when he gets to it?
Nice, that must have taken real effort. The second hand book stores near here have no proper ordering, so takes ages to find any books. Not sure if the stores your brother go to are any better or not, but I can understand the pain to collect such big series. This is actually why I stopped reading Dresden Files when I originally started, I couldn't find the next book locally, and didn't want to skip any books.
I'll recommend go for new canon books as well. You can always take a break and then continue them later though.
He travels A LOT for work, been to Dubai and all over the USA and Canada, so lots of stores, he could probably complain and swoon about some I bet.
For most of my old scifi I get the bulk from the book fair that comes to town and fill in the rest from the big box stores. It’s neat, the first few days are ticket entry only and most books are $4 each. On the last day though, it’s take a box for a donation, just trying to get rid of everything.
My one shelf, can you spot the New one haha.
The Conquest of New Spain by Bernal Díaz. It's really good if you are interested in first hand accounts of colonial history but it can also be a tad anger inducing. The main characters lowkey suck
Started up Honorverse again, with On Basilisk Station.
It's a comfort series for me. Oddly enough.
I love Honorverse, great space opera
Tom's Crossing
Currently about halfway through Shutter by Ramona Emerson.
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Finished Cathedral of the Drowned by Nathan Ballingrud (weird sci-fantasy horror) | bingo: new, x of y, short
Follows the fates of side characters from the first book, Crypt of the Moon Spider. Half a brain in a satellite travels the solar system, while on Earth, a gang leader faces encroachment from the Mafia.
Ehhhh. There were parts of this I liked, but I generally found it a let-down after Moon Spider. It's a much less focused story, and it loses the particular flavor of creepiness that made the first book so fun. Definitely check content warnings, as they're quite different from the previous entry.
I am just wrapping up a reread of the back half of The Expanse. I reread 1-2 a year ago and skipped 3-4 because they’re very slow. I really love the setting and how grounded the scifi feels. I think the last few books kinda lose that grounding but the earlier ones are good enough to carry me through.
Next I’ll be reading Rebecca by Daphne De Maurier for a book club. It’s really outside my normal wheelhouse being historical fiction, but Wuthering Heights was one of my surprise favorites from high school and it feels similar enough in its writing. I do really enjoy the flowery prose from what little I’ve read thus far. It’s rare I’m afforded the opportunity to indulge so much in the English language.
Finally hit book 14 of wheel of time today, A Memory of Light. I think the entire series is something like 4.4m words all in? Taken me since later January to get here, I just glad I going to finish it this year.
Really enjoyed the series as its scope allows you to wallow in the characters and settings. However your could probably cut a couple of the books and not miss them that much as the pace slows down after a while.
Congratulations on nearing the finish line! Would love to hear what you thought about the ending.
I agree about cutting couple of books, this would have been a better series if they had told the same stories in about 8-10 books.
Thanks! Its going to be a little while before I get to finish it, slowly chipping away at it each evening now I am back at work
I’m up to the 7th of the 9 books in my Reread of the Fred the Vampire accountant series by Drew Hayes. I started November 1st after the final book was released. It’s as fun as I remember.
I started Aurora Blazing by Jessie Mihalik last night. I barely started it and I’m glad I did. I love Mihalik’s work, she writes some really great space opera romance.
I started a book called The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Tutton because it became available at my library. I got about 40 pages in and I stopped because I’m just not feeling it at the moment. I’ll return it and try again another time because the premise of the book sounds really interesting. It kind of reminds me of The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa, which I absolutely loved.
I finished The Illustrated Woman by Melissa Bobe. I loved the short stories in this, I also really enjoyed how it was set up; a woman is wandering through a carnival and finds a woman with magic tattoos that show her the stories of different women who have come to her and their struggles. There were 2 stories that I would love seeing turned into full novels because I found the world very interesting. Leave Your Fear, You’ll Be Just Fine was probably my favorite.
Transformations, by Marcella Althaus-Reid and Lisa Isherwood.