Exodus Strength

Idlehands wrote: ↑Wed Jan 22, 2020 5:28 amNo way. I bailed on sword of truth series after the 3rd maybe forth book. I was one further than a friend that gave up but 3 less than another friend that go along with it.
I did have one that I lost respect for when I heard he read them
All

I've read them all. I think it's blatantly heavy handed on some areas (communism = bad), but otherwise alright.

SeanHerbison wrote: ↑Wed Jan 22, 2020 7:04 am

Idlehands wrote: ↑Wed Jan 22, 2020 5:28 amNo way. I bailed on sword of truth series after the 3rd maybe forth book. I was one further than a friend that gave up but 3 less than another friend that go along with it.
I did have one that I lost respect for when I heard he read them
All

I've read them all. I think it's blatantly heavy handed on some areas (communism = bad), but otherwise alright.

bad guy is pock marked and a pedophile. ok got it. good guy is pretty

what drove me nuts was end of book, main character is OP AF. Next book. He's a complete useless noob. and they did that every book? Like don't make him OP if you have to neuter him every book.

brkriete wrote: ↑Wed Jan 22, 2020 5:56 am
I read Pompeii by Robert Harris a few months ago and thought it was great.

If you liked Adrian Goldsworthy, he wrote a series of historically based novels in Roman Britain starting with Vindolanda that I loved and cruised through.

I'm working my way (rapidly) through the David Wolf novels by Jeff Carson. Basically a slightly less intellectual Longmire. They are quick reads, perfect for the train.

I think I'll order that Goldsworthy book. At current reading rate that should keep me going till August!

Idlehands wrote: ↑Wed Jan 22, 2020 9:51 amwhat drove me nuts was end of book, main character is OP AF. Next book. He's a complete useless noob. and they did that every book? Like don't make him OP if you have to neuter him every book.

Just view them as RPG sequels.

SeanHerbison wrote: ↑Wed Jan 22, 2020 8:29 pm

Idlehands wrote: ↑Wed Jan 22, 2020 9:51 amwhat drove me nuts was end of book, main character is OP AF. Next book. He's a complete useless noob. and they did that every book? Like don't make him OP if you have to neuter him every book.

Just view them as RPG sequels.

Maybe i'll just read the wiki/synopsis!
Need to find some new books though.

SeanHerbison wrote: ↑Wed Jan 22, 2020 8:29 pm

Idlehands wrote: ↑Wed Jan 22, 2020 9:51 amwhat drove me nuts was end of book, main character is OP AF. Next book. He's a complete useless noob. and they did that every book? Like don't make him OP if you have to neuter him every book.

Just view them as RPG sequels.

Ha! That's about the perfect analogy.

I remember starting to read them way back in the day. Got as far as the statue? book and kinda got bored with them. I remember thinking of it originally as a "Belgariad" rip off, but it eventually branched out from that.

My son recently got into them and read them all through, and I think eventually he got a bit bored with them as well.

Sometimes it's easier to enjoy a book series when you have to wait years between, waiting for the next book to be published.

SquatsALot wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2020 10:10 am Currently working on the Otherland series by Tad Williams. Not a page turner, but I always finish things. Neal Stephenson's Fall seems to be a total ripoff of Otherland.

Still working my way through Fall. I loaned my e-reader to my son to read The Witcher books, so I'll pick it up again when I get it back.

The first part does seem very similar to Otherland, but getting into the latter parts, the creation mythology aspect of it all is very through provoking.

Idlehands wrote: ↑Thu Jan 23, 2020 10:44 am
Maybe i'll just read the wiki/synopsis!
Need to find some new books though.

Read Brandon Sanderson? I end up liking everything he writes even when the synopsis makes me think I won't be interested.

I also liked the greatcoats series by Sebastien De Castell.

This is an interesting and entertaining which explains a lot about the world, not just governments.

"This clever and accessible book shows that the difference between tyrants and democrats is just a convenient fiction. Governments do not differ in kind but only in the number of essential supporters, or backs that need scratching. The size of this group determines almost everything about politics: what leaders can get away with, and the quality of life or misery under them."

https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Dict ... 1610391849

And this one explains how to change things.

"For more than a century, from 1900 to 2006, campaigns of nonviolent resistance were more than twice as effective as their violent counterparts in achieving their stated goals."

https://www.bookdepository.com/Why-Civi ... 0231156837

5hout wrote: ↑Fri Jan 03, 2020 10:07 am Future: The Expanse series...

Start it yet? Thoughts?

omaniphil wrote: ↑Fri Jan 24, 2020 11:20 am

5hout wrote: ↑Fri Jan 03, 2020 10:07 am Future: The Expanse series...

Start it yet? Thoughts?

Downloaded books. Baby has decided sleeping at night is for losers. Have not read more than 5 pages of any non-work books since acquiring. However, I have decided to abandon the trash book I was forcing myself to try to finish and just start up with this. Hoping something new will help spark me along while I pace back and forth with the kiddo.

JonA wrote: ↑Thu Jan 23, 2020 11:31 am

SquatsALot wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2020 10:10 am Currently working on the Otherland series by Tad Williams. Not a page turner, but I always finish things. Neal Stephenson's Fall seems to be a total ripoff of Otherland.

Still working my way through Fall. I loaned my e-reader to my son to read The Witcher books, so I'll pick it up again when I get it back.

The first part does seem very similar to Otherland, but getting into the latter parts, the creation mythology aspect of it all is very through provoking.

Yeah, it seems to be a combination of Dan Simmon's Ilium/Olympos and Otherland. I enjoyed it, but it's no Anathem or Baroque Cycle. I still keep reading all of his stuff even though I only really appreciate about 40% of his books. There is something about Fall that disappoints me, but I won't rag on it since you're still reading it.

I'm finally almost done with the Otherland series. It's not great, but book 4 has picked up a bit. I think after I'm done I'll read another Culture book before I start either Kings of the Wyld or the Shadows of the Apt series.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/401 ... ay-nothing


excellent book on "the troubles" and IRA. If you have audible, get that version - Irish accent of narrator makes you feel like you are there.

brkriete wrote: ↑Thu Jan 23, 2020 11:38 am

Idlehands wrote: ↑Thu Jan 23, 2020 10:44 am
Maybe i'll just read the wiki/synopsis!
Need to find some new books though.

Read Brandon Sanderson? I end up liking everything he writes even when the synopsis makes me think I won't be interested.

I also liked the greatcoats series by Sebastien De Castell.

Sanderson is a machine. I've read a lot of his stuff but i want more stormlight so kinda paused on reading his other stuff for now. LIke dood, this is what I want! dont' do other stuff!

Idlehands wrote: ↑Wed Jan 29, 2020 8:36 am Sanderson is a machine. I've read a lot of his stuff but i want more stormlight so kinda paused on reading his other stuff for now. LIke dood, this is what I want! dont' do other stuff!

+1 . Although I'm a bit concerned after his last one. It seemed to drift a little bit. I'm worried he'll fall prey to the middle book(s) malaise.

Had to run in to work yesterday to grab my laptop, made sure to get Dune as well because if the kid let me have any free time while working from home I wanted to read it. Doesn't happen that often. 12 year old me would have LOVED this book. Adult me really likes it so far, 530 pages in

JonA wrote: ↑Wed Jan 29, 2020 9:19 am

Idlehands wrote: ↑Wed Jan 29, 2020 8:36 am Sanderson is a machine. I've read a lot of his stuff but i want more stormlight so kinda paused on reading his other stuff for now. LIke dood, this is what I want! dont' do other stuff!

+1 . Although I'm a bit concerned after his last one. It seemed to drift a little bit. I'm worried he'll fall prey to the middle book(s) malaise.

oathbringer? feel like that was great but it came out as i was tearing through first parts of the series so i may have just been living and breathing it for too long to see a dip

omaniphil wrote: ↑Fri Jan 24, 2020 11:20 am

5hout wrote: ↑Fri Jan 03, 2020 10:07 am Future: The Expanse series...

Start it yet? Thoughts?

Finally broke my static friction and got into it. Pretty good so far, 100 pages. Turns out one of the authors (Corey is pen name) is an author I sort of like, Daniel Abraham. When I read some of his other stuff it felt like scifi in the guise of fantasy, this feels much more natural.

Also, I am really enjoying that they don't have (yet at least) warp drive, and things like semi-proper orbital dynamics are referenced and respected. Going to try very hard to carve out some space tomorrow and get a good chunk down. Fricking having to actually work at work recently, very unreasonable!

Reading Handmaid's Tale. 1/2 way through. Outstanding.

Atwood is a phenomenal writer.

5hout wrote: ↑Sun Feb 23, 2020 3:44 pm Fricking having to actually work at work recently, very unreasonable!

This. Last week, 4/5 days I had people schedule meeting(s) between 11 and 1. For two of them, the entire days of everyone involved was free. I tried to reschedule the first time and they declined the new time. WTF.