What Are You Reading, Part 2

[+Sorana she/her]

2 hours ago, TheOrlionThatComesBefore said:

I have not read the third one yet. The main thing that people find "weird", I guess is actual character development. One could argue it has little to no bearing on the story, but I would argue that if you only read for story/plot, you aren't really reading. 

With my little soapbox speech out of the way, the first two books do offer a pretty complete story. I had to go straight to the Dark Forest after Three Body Problem, but have been able to take a year break for Death's End, not because I didn't like it, but at least as far as I can tell, a lot of the major plot points get resolved pretty satisfactorily by the end of Dark Forest. Enough that I can get lost in other books!

What I like best atm are the characters and their changes and motivations. I find the actual plot a bit hard to understand, with the game they're playing and the research and so on. I have a good guess what is going on, but then there are those historical scenes and I can't fit them in the picture.

[StormingTexan he/him]

6 hours ago, Sorana said:

What I like best atm are the characters and their changes and motivations. I find the actual plot a bit hard to understand, with the game they're playing and the research and so on. I have a good guess what is going on, but then there are those historical scenes and I can't fit them in the picture.

Ok that’s what I was thinking was probably bothering you, the game. It will make a lot more sense by the end of the book!

[Draginon he/him]

Just finished Shadows of Self. Here are my thoughts:

It was a good story and had some parallels to both FE and WOA with the riots and Kandra twist at the end.

Reading the broadsheets here and in AOL I wonder what the point of Allomancer Jak is and how important he actually is to the Era 2 history. This is Sanderson we're talking about, everything has a point and a reason behind it.

It's kind of sad how Wayne treats Steris, especially when he point blank tells her that he hates her... while we're reading in her head.

Spoiler

That metal that Marasai and MeLaan discuss at all he end, which Shard could it possibly come from that allows it behave like any of the 16 metals in hemalurgy and why is this Shard making their presence known on Scadrial? I've seen the theories about it possibly being Autonomy but the effect of the metal doesn't seem to fit with what is currently known about her power on Taldain, unless each Shard gives a different effect on different planets.

Next up is Elantris 10th Anniversary Edition. Going to be nice getting a refresher on Sel before AU later

Edit: Probably would've finished a lot sooner but summer is the worst time of year for me to do anything. I can't function properly during summer, the season always makes reading a chore more than anything and when I'm in a vehicle during summer I become so sleepy (which is bad if I'm driving at the time when that hits). One of my coworkers said it sounds like how everyone else feels during winter, which is interesting since I'm more active then.

Edited August 9, 2018 by Draginon

[Orlion Blight he/him]

10 hours ago, Draginon said:

Reading the broadsheets here and in AOL I wonder what the point of Allomancer Jak is and how important he actually is to the Era 2 history. This is Sanderson we're talking about, everything has a point and a reason behind it.

Because it's fun.

[Draginon he/him]

7 hours ago, TheOrlionThatComesBefore said:

Because it's fun.

I kind of mean he's developed this character up that it feels reminiscent of the epigraphs from Era 1 so I'm wondering if Jak will pop up at some point or turn out to be a known character.

[Briar King]

Starting Toll the Hounds and will prob start Outlander 4 at some point soon as well.

[+Sorana she/her]

On 8.8.2018 at 1:17 PM, StormingTexan said:

Ok that’s what I was thinking was probably bothering you, the game. It will make a lot more sense by the end of the book!

Yes it did. I just started the Second one and now it makes more sense. Good book, really like it now. It was a while since I got so confused....

[StrikerEZ he/him]

On 8/4/2018 at 8:33 AM, TheOrlionThatComesBefore said:

Grace of Kings by Ken Liu

I'm a little behind, but yes! I loved that book and it's sequel. The series is weird at first, but pretty easy to get into once you get past the "unconventional" storytelling method.

[urrutiap]

I just started reading Star Wars Rogue One Catalyst earlier today. So far its pretty good

[Dunkum he/him]

just started on Dust of Dreams in my Malazan reread.  Pretty sure the last 3 books took me longer than the first 7 the 1st time I read through it, and it is looking like it will be the same this time.  I like the series, especially the earlier books, and these last few books have their moments, but overall I find them to be a slog.

[AngelEy3 he/him]

44 minutes ago, Dunkum said:

just started on Dust of Dreams in my Malazan reread.  Pretty sure the last 3 books took me longer than the first 7 the 1st time I read through it, and it is looking like it will be the same this time.  I like the series, especially the earlier books, and these last few books have their moments, but overall I find them to be a slog.

The Crippled God is my new favorite after finishing my reread a few weeks ago. Lots of action and stuff happening. 

[Dunkum he/him]

5 hours ago, AngelEy3 said:

The Crippled God is my new favorite after finishing my reread a few weeks ago. Lots of action and stuff happening. 

i'll reasses when i get to it, but I recall it being slow going.  though by that point it could just be that I was burned out on reading the ~10,000 pages of the series

[Niteshado he/him]

Im now on the second book, Stone of Tears, of the Sword of Truth Series. In love. Series sucked me completely in. 

[+Sorana she/her]

I started a reread of N.K. Jemisins "The fifth season". It really touched me the first time. The characters are well developped and the world building had something new and interessting. Sometimes it was a bit hard to read, because it depicts humanity and human actions in dire situations in very realistic and cruel way, but I liked it even because there was no overall untouchable hero, but all the characters were simply human.

Afterwards my brother is hopefully back from his holiday and can give me the third part of the Three body problem.

[urrutiap]

Currently im reading the paperback of Star Wars Rogue One Catalyst. Pretty good book that takes place before Rogue One.  

[Orlion Blight he/him]

8 hours ago, Sorana said:

I started a reread of N.K. Jemisins "The fifth season". It really touched me the first time. The characters are well developped and the world building had something new and interessting. Sometimes it was a bit hard to read, because it depicts humanity and human actions in dire situations in very realistic and cruel way, but I liked it even because there was no overall untouchable hero, but all the characters were simply human.

Afterwards my brother is hopefully back from his holiday and can give me the third part of the Three body problem.

Another series I need to finish! Fifth Season was fantastic! 

[+Sorana she/her]

2 hours ago, TheOrlionThatComesBefore said:

Another series I need to finish! Fifth Season was fantastic! 

Yes, and it only got better with the next two books. *stops herself from writing anything more because of spoilers*
 

[Who Sharded?]

On 8/19/2018 at 5:57 AM, Niteshado said:

Im now on the second book, Stone of Tears, of the Sword of Truth Series. In love. Series sucked me completely in. 

They get better with each book!

[AngelEy3 he/him]

https://www.tor.com/2018/08/20/37-upcoming-epic-fantasy-books/

[mattig89ch he/him]

A little depressing, but I think they're important rules to know and understand.

[Orlion Blight he/him]

Death's End by Cixin Liu. So far, it is sooo good! 

[goody153]

Read

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a storm by Mark Manson

Recently i traveled somewhere with someone and she had this book which she wasn't in the mood for reading so i ended up reading it. It is essentially a self-help book (which usually i dislike and find pretentious/uneffective) but this one is actually good. It doesn't make you pretend to be happy or positive but rather accept your circumstances which is good to me as advises goes.

Might be the only self-help book that i actually would recommend.

[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.