What Are You Reading, Part 2

[Just a Lifetime he/him]

15 hours ago, goody153 said:

make you pretend to be happy or positive

I don't think I've encountered a book of that sort, but this is not really my genre.  By coincidence, however, I'm currently reading How to Be Miserable: 40 Strategies You Already Use.  It's not bad, though there doesn't seem to be all that much to it.  I heard about it through this Youtube video.

[Hood he/him]

I was re-reading the Wise Man's Fear. I just cannot understand the meaning of this quote:

// It's one of those times when Kvothe visits Auri.

She grinned. “I have an apple that thinks its a pear. And a bun that thinks it’s a cat. And a lettuce that thinks its a lettuce.”
“It’s a clever lettuce then.”
“Hardly,” she said with a delicate snort. “Why would anything clever think it’s a lettuce?”
“Even if it is a lettuce?” I asked.
“Especially then,” she said. “Bad enough to be a lettuce. How awful to think you are a lettuce too.”

What does this whole lettuce thing mean? Am I missing something?

[AngelEy3 he/him]

9 minutes ago, Hood said:

I was re-reading the Wise Man's Fear. I just cannot understand the meaning of this quote:

// It's one of those times when Kvothe visits Auri.

She grinned. “I have an apple that thinks its a pear. And a bun that thinks it’s a cat. And a lettuce that thinks its a lettuce.”
“It’s a clever lettuce then.”
“Hardly,” she said with a delicate snort. “Why would anything clever think it’s a lettuce?”
“Even if it is a lettuce?” I asked.
“Especially then,” she said. “Bad enough to be a lettuce. How awful to think you are a lettuce too.”

What does this whole lettuce thing mean? Am I missing something?

It's about knowing the nature of oneself coupled with them having a little fun. 

[Hood he/him]

2 hours ago, AngelEy3 said:

It's about knowing the nature of oneself coupled with them having a little fun. 

Oh she means, that the lettuce shouldn't limit itself to being a lettuce when it can be so much more, and then she sort of uses it as an analogy for our young Kvothe. Right? Anyway, I think I am overthinking about it

[StormingTexan he/him]

11 minutes ago, Hood said:

Oh she means, that the lettuce shouldn't limit itself to being a lettuce when it can be so much more, and then she sort of uses it as an analogy for our young Kvothe. Right? Anyway, I think I am overthinking about it

That sounds about right and yes you may be overthinking it a little 

I think it’s basicaly a message about not limiting yourself to what you are perceived to be. 

[Dunkum he/him]

8 hours ago, StormingTexan said:

I think it’s basicaly a message about not limiting yourself to what you are perceived to be. 

with maybe an added message abotu how boring lettuce is

[StormingTexan he/him]

2 hours ago, Dunkum said:

with maybe an added message abotu how boring lettuce is

Could be worst. Could be kale.

[Dunkum he/him]

54 minutes ago, StormingTexan said:

Could be worst. Could be kale.

Kale isn't boring...it's too disgusting to be boring

[Draginon he/him]

I finished my reread of Elantris, though this was the 10th anniversary edition so a nice refresher for reading the new Ars Arcanum and the Hoid scene.

My thoughts:

Still love Raoden and Sarene. Those two are great together and I love their intuitions.

Still don't care as much for Hrathen but I understand him more on this read.

Dilaf is still a horrid person to read.

I don't know which is worse for the Cosmere: Hemalurgy or Dahkor's magic

Reading the AA it's interesting how Khriss knows less about the mechanics of Dor than other Investitures. Hopefully she finds out more once The Sequel of Elantris and The Finale of Elantris come.

I think it would be funny if Brandon managed to put Eton into the sequel since it would be great to have a random character appear to mess with the main characters.

I do have one thing I wondered about in regards to AonDor

Spoiler

If Elantris being shaped like Aon Rao made AonDor more powerful, would turning the whole of Arelon into Rao make AonDor OP?

Next up is The Bands of Mourning

[Wander89 he/him]

Has anyone read Godblind/Nevernight/Kings of the Wyld? What's the verdict?

[DreamerWeaver13 she/her]

I have read Nevernight.  There was one part that I did not like at the end otherwise I enjoyed the story. I have not read the sequel yet.  So many other adventures to read.

[AngelEy3 he/him]

@Wander89 I've read and loved Kings of the Wyld and I'm currently about halfway through Bloody Rose, which is the sequel and released on Tuesday. 

[Wander89 he/him]

1 hour ago, AngelEy3 said:

@Wander89 I've read and loved Kings of the Wyld and I'm currently about halfway through Bloody Rose, which is the sequel and released on Tuesday. 

Any good? I've heard it's an easy read.

[AngelEy3 he/him]

Yea it's fun and easy. I'm just flying through it. 

[Borio Singaldi he/him]

Just started this new series not too long ago called the Licanius Trilogy. It's actually pretty new. Book one, "The Shadow of What Was Lost", came out in 2016, book two, "An Echo of Things to Come", came out last year, and "The Light of All That Falls" is the third and final book coming out later this year. I'm at the beginning of the second book, and I've gotta say that I LOVE this series. One of its hallmark qualities is the worldbuilding. Definitely the worldbuilding. The character development and description of settings and conversations aren't as good, especially compared to Sanderson books, but still pretty good. But the PLOT TWISTS. OH, YES. It's like every single chapter, the story twists and turns in ways you wouldn't expect, yanking you deeper and deeper into the intricate folds of the story until you realize that you really started the first few chapters not knowing diddly-squat. The story and the world keeps getting bigger and never lets up. I like to put it this way: imagine the classic "Brandon Avalanche" that we always get at the end of a Sanderson book, where the story picks up and twists and bends everywhere and blows our minds, then have an ENTIRE BOOK do that. The entire story is an avalanche that sweeps you up before you know it and I love it. The author, James Islington, even stated that Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson's books inspired him to start writing fantasy himself, and that reading Mistborn was the catalyst that prompted him to actually write the series. I would HIGHLY recommend reading the Licanius Trilogy.

[StormingTexan he/him]

@Firerust I absolutely love that series. I am very rarely compelled to write a letter to an author but in this case I did after reading the first book. He took the time to respond and we had a couple back and forth emails about Brandon. Great guy. I can’t wait for the last book!

[Orlion Blight he/him]

So,  when I said that you could stop reading Cixin Liu's Remembrance of Earth's Past after the second book The Dark Forest? And that it had a satisfying ending? 

Yeah, pay no attention to such foolishness. 

[+Sorana she/her]

@Firerust This series is great. I'm waiting for the next book to arrive. Some friends were like "I've seen this before", but I liked the characters, and although the worldbuilding wasn't something completely unique, it is still good and feels completely and well thought. I found the world with the different cultures and their approach to magic really interessting and I'm really excited to see what will become of them and how/ if they can solve their problems.

@TheOrlionThatComesBefore I'm nearly finished with the second book and I have the third one lying here, waiting for me. I guess that means it's also good?

Edited September 2, 2018 by Sorana

[Orlion Blight he/him]

@Sorana Quite correct! So far, it has everything I could want in a concluding volume to this trilogy. 

[HeyLookItz he/him]

I agree. I just finished rereading the series, and I highly recommend it. It was Brandon Sanderson level good.

[Ammanas]

After taking a quick break to read Bloody Rose by Eames I am back to reading Mountain of Black Glass by Williams. I tried to read the new LDS history that the church produced called Saints: The Standard of Truth (the first of a planned four volumes). I found it to be highly disappointing on many levels and will be unable to finish it...what a missed opportunity.

On next Tuesday everything will be dropped when a new Black Company book is released (Port of Shadows) by Glen Cook. Very excited!

[+Slowswift he/him]

3 hours ago, Ammanas said:

I tried to read the new LDS history that the church produced called Saints: The Standard of Truth (the first of a planned four volumes). I found it to be highly disappointing on many levels and will be unable to finish it...what a missed opportunity.

How so? 

[goody153]

Just read Bloodsucking Fiends by Christopher Moore . It's officially my 2nd favorite vampire novel of all time (Kizumonogatari is my first cause that rust had the best vampire ever)

It was funny(like the entire thing was lighthearted funny .. similar to terry prachtets discworld), the vamps are actually dangerous(not those sparkling harmless vegetarians from a well know franchise from the genre), there's a goofy romance, it actually has life stuff(but doesn't make you sob) and well the entire stuff was just odd to read. 

Would recommend (fairly lighthearted btw)

Edited September 5, 2018 by goody153

[Ammanas]

@Slowswift I would of fine if they went two separate routes. 1. A history of the saints told in their own words such as journal entries etc. that were all primary sources that were compiled together. 2. A real history of the church, not the pale imitation they went for. I will list my personal problems for you. First of all the reading level. I get they want to make it accessible, but it has such simple grammer it is distracting; its basically at the point of, "See spot run. Spot runs fast". Also they went more for paraphrasing primary sources rather than including them which is frustrating. It says also that the purpose of the history was to "increase testimony" so while it briefly touches on some of the contriversal issues it doesn't really go into depth about it. I really like Bushman's Rough Stone Rolling and Turner's Pioneer Prophet. These were biographies that take a "warts and all approach" but I find ultimately helpful and helps me as a believer. These were complicated men that had many positive attributes, but had many flaws. One person approached Bushman after a lecture and told him, "thank you for giving me a Joseph Smith I can believe in". These fluff pieces that come out paint them in a unrealistic light that I find unbelievable and unsatisfying. I was also hoping for more explanations and commentary on events that really digs deep on certain issues, but that seems sparse as well. I am sure that a lot of people will be happy with this book, and it will find its audience, but it wasn't for me. I suppose, since that the volume at least acknowledges,  some of the main tougher issues instead of covering it up it is a tiny, tiny step in the right direction. I have seen more encouraging signs with the publication of The Joseph Smith Papers and everything the Church had on The Mountain Meadows Massacre.

Edited September 5, 2018 by Ammanas

[Orlion Blight he/him]

@Ammanas As I've said before, imagine that

But that will eternally be the problems with official church publications. It will never be an in depth, complicated or mature view because it is meant to be "official." Anything resembling an interesting interpretation is anathema to that controlling policy. 

For example, look at the official book "True to the Faith" and compare it to Bruce R McKonkie's "Mormon Doctrine". The unofficial book is waaay more interesting, the official one is slightly more appealing than a fart for anyone that has a passing familiarity with Mormonism 101.