long time lurker joining

[withoid]

Hi all!

So I've lurked behind the scenes most of the time reading all sort of things and never really engaging (partially due to my physical health). I used to read a lot more non-fiction, but was hooked many years ago on Brandon many years ago, and once I had read through all of his books, I've looked for similar books, starting with sci-fi/fantasy and going from there, waiting constantly for Brandon to release something new so I can give myself an excuse to go back and re-read the lead up and new stuff.

I was a very successful professional, and a little over 10 years ago, I collapsed at work after pushing through months if not years of what I thought was just fatigue. It took a long time to figure out what was wrong with me, and it included going on and off all sorts of medications (including a very long/destructive run with pain killers). My wife pulled me through it, but our marriage didn't survive. Long story short, I'm in a new country and slowly on the mend with very real hopes of returning to a life working, I'm fairly well adjusted despite having no cure for my condition, but it isn't terminal and just very frustrating to deal with.

I don't know the bent of all the others here, but I'm a Christian, so I both actively and passively choose to see the good in everything. This affects my reading in that I always like considering the other sides motives, and try always to give the benefit of the doubt. I like how I often get to ponder that, reading multiple lines or multiple sides of a story, and why they made their choices, and that along with my appreciation for the magic mechanics, are I think a large part of what pulls me into the stories and holds me.

Anyways, I just wanted to say hi and a little bit about me. I've not yet had the privilege of meeting Brandon, but have watched his interviews and heard him on some podcasts, and I think he would be an interesting person to meet if time ever permits.

Cheers!

[Quantus he/him]

Welcome!

You say you are in a new country, out of curiosity where are you living now?  Im always curious to hear how far and wide the community is spread.

[Mailnaise she/her]

First of all, hello, @withoid, and welcome officially!

21 minutes ago, Quantus said:

Welcome!

You say you are in a new country, out of curiosity where are you living now?  Im always curious to hear how far and wide the community is spread.

Second, it is pretty amazing how far the Sanderfandom extends!! I love it

[withoid]

I wish it was something cool or exotic, but I think it is a great country none the less.

I just moved for New Brunswick, Canada from Ohio, USA. I was born in Texas and have been to all the continental states but have yet to make it off the continent further than a few miles. I am a citizen in both countries, so at some point I do plan to take advantage of that status to travel if and when I can afford to. I've tried making a hit list of places I want to go and see, but really I want to see everything from England to Israel and South Africa to China/Japan. In short, I find everyplace fascinating. I think I'd even love to visit Antarctica if it wasn't too long (I feel like i'm living there at times in Canada, though I know it really pales in comparison). 

 

Cheers

[Karger he/him]

Welcome wana tell us what you have read?

[Beavs007 he/him]

As a fellow Christian, do you like the theme of redemption in Cosmere books as much as I do?

[withoid]

I do indeed like the theme of redemption, as far what I have read, I think I have read every scrap I can find of Brandon's works.

I completed somewhere in that Mix, going back and reading all of the WoT series, 3 or 4 times now i think (i love it)

I've of course read LoTR, and I read C.S. Lewis's LW&W in my youth (i'm 40 now), and have re-read it. I've grown fond of the audio book formats, and discovered I loved how WoT was done with Michael Kramer and Kate Reading. I used good reads, audible to find anything that other readers like, and found and read lots of works from Bret Weeks (loved Lightbringer/Demon Cycle, David Webber, David VanDyke (loved Steller Conquest), Jim Butcher,  Peter F. Hamilton, Steven Erikson, GRRM (I loved Thrones before HBO got their hands on it, and have a lasting distaste for mid-series adaptations that slow/stop the books), I can tell now I'm totally not going to do what I've read Justice, but I do tend to find a new author, then devour everything they wrote until I find I have to find a new author.

As for non-fiction, I likewise couldn't do the list Justice. I love Dinesh D'Siousa, Glenn Beck, Mark Levin, C.S. Lewis, or for non-political/religious readings, i've found countless one off books I love, usually in the tech world or those on how to get things done/self improvement variety... Like I'm sure many other Christians, I've found it really hard to just "read" the Bible. But I'm not less fond of it, and find immense value in reading little bits parts of stories, often with extra help finding context from people who have explored it in context, taking little parts and adding all the context we miss not knowing all the fascinating details around what was going on, what different things like being a rabbi actually meant, or how named places were in different battles or whatnot at the time,  even what the places named actually meant when people traveled between them. It differs from most of my other readings, in that discovering those new things really means something beyond, wouldn't it be cool "if" or whatever.

I consider myself a lover of history, but I am by no means well educated on the subject. I love reading of how the past repeats itself, how truth outshines darkness, how often what we think we know isn't true, and to some extent how the rewriting of history, and in a twisted way that people know we know history is often rewritten and try to convince us that what we know is something other than what it is or in some cases Is different.

In short I have read a LOT, and as i've gone i've found my wish list is so huge I'll never, ever, get it all read. But I do pick away at it. Having gone through a divorce that I neither wanted, and after trying really hard to keep a marriage together, and failing. I found myself recently going into a lot of religious readings, trying to find out betters answers to the Why bad things happen to good people, questions, and how to keep going when you don't feel like it. Having been disconnected from reality, I did find it hard to stay engaged in wanting to read any sort of fantasy, as escaping from "reality" wasn't at all appealing. However, I saw it return (although my similar taste for MMoRPG games died, and hasn't come back).

Ok, so if I keep typing this is itself going to turn into a book no one reads, lol. I hope that answers some of what i've read and what I find appealing.