StinkyPinky said:

---

Edit: Started Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (while still reading Parade of Horribles and Light Bringer). Taking my time with those two

---

Piranesi is so damn good

I have about an hour left in the audiobook Hearts in Atlantis by Stephen King. This was a very pleasant surprise for me. Just the title alone, I wasn't sure that it was something I would want to read, but I'm so glad I did. I didn't realize the title was talking about the card game (I guess like spades?). This book had me feeling so much nostalgia of growing up and my college years. It was to the point that i was actually feeling depressed missing my childhood and dealing with my daughter going into her senior year of high school. I love the way he wrote this book. The short story that deals with Vietnam was a tough section, I feel for all those that were involved. But definitely recommend the book (audiobook was awesome!).

boy09 said:

---

StinkyPinky said:

---

Edit: Started Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (while still reading Parade of Horribles and Light Bringer). Taking my time with those two

---

Piranesi is so damn good

---

I'm 40 pages into it and loved how it has started, but little happening at the moment, so hoping it gets good soon. Have heard great things about it so definitely subscribed

Henry IV, Part 2 by William Shakespeare

Completed: The Randolph Carter Tales by HP Lovecraft - a collection of his stories that involve, you guessed it, Randolph Carter. I enjoyed it and I appreciated that I had to look up a few words, though the prose gets a little cumbersome at times and some of the twists seem a little trite to a modern reader. Worth the read, though I probably won't revisit these stories.

StinkyPinky said:

---

boy09 said:

---

StinkyPinky said:

---

Edit: Started Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (while still reading Parade of Horribles and Light Bringer). Taking my time with those two

---

Piranesi is so damn good

---

I'm 40 pages into it and loved how it has started, but little happening at the moment, so hoping it gets good soon. Have heard great things about it so definitely subscribed

---

Edit: Holy hell, what a trip. This was a great read!

StinkyPinky said:

---

StinkyPinky said:

---

boy09 said:

---

StinkyPinky said:

---

Edit: Started Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (while still reading Parade of Horribles and Light Bringer). Taking my time with those two

---

Piranesi is so damn good

---

I'm 40 pages into it and loved how it has started, but little happening at the moment, so hoping it gets good soon. Have heard great things about it so definitely subscribed

---

Edit: Holy hell, what a trip. This was a great read!

---

My wife had read this and loved it. Reading the description and it sounds like Clive Barker's Imajica or Weaveworld. Two incredible books. Still so disappointing that he just flat out quit writing so many years ago.

YouBet said:

---

StinkyPinky said:

---

StinkyPinky said:

---

boy09 said:

---

StinkyPinky said:

---

Edit: Started Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (while still reading Parade of Horribles and Light Bringer). Taking my time with those two

---

Piranesi is so damn good

---

I'm 40 pages into it and loved how it has started, but little happening at the moment, so hoping it gets good soon. Have heard great things about it so definitely subscribed

---

Edit: Holy hell, what a trip. This was a great read!

---

My wife had read this and loved it. Reading the description and it sounds like Clive Barker's Imajica or Weaveworld. Two incredible books. Still so disappointing that he just flat out quit writing so many years ago.

---

I loved Weaveworld and The Great and Secret Show when I was a kid. I read Imajica as well just don't remember it as much for whatever reason. Agree, wish he would have written more.

Just finished Theo of Golden! What an amazing book!!! Highly recommend!

StinkyPinky said:

---

YouBet said:

---

StinkyPinky said:

---

StinkyPinky said:

---

boy09 said:

---

StinkyPinky said:

---

Edit: Started Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (while still reading Parade of Horribles and Light Bringer). Taking my time with those two

---

Piranesi is so damn good

---

I'm 40 pages into it and loved how it has started, but little happening at the moment, so hoping it gets good soon. Have heard great things about it so definitely subscribed

---

Edit: Holy hell, what a trip. This was a great read!

---

My wife had read this and loved it. Reading the description and it sounds like Clive Barker's Imajica or Weaveworld. Two incredible books. Still so disappointing that he just flat out quit writing so many years ago.

---

I loved Weaveworld and The Great and Secret Show when I was a kid. I read Imajica as well just don't remember it as much for whatever reason. Agree, wish he would have written more.

---

He just up and decided he would be a painter instead. He wrote a book about a decade(?) ago about this demon traveling through the circles of hell and it was terrible. Haven't seen anything since granted I haven't gone out of my way to look.

Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary by RC Sproul. Very quick read.

Pinquickle's Folly (book 1, The Buccaneers) by R. A. Salvatore -- The beginning reminded me of the Malazan Book of the Fallen, it was kind of all over the place and unclear and as soon as you started to kind of get used to a character they were killed off. But, once you persevere the initial chaos, it becomes more cohesive and enjoyable. Good enough to read/listen to book 2, The Witch of Whispervale.

TheGifGuy said:

---

Just finished listening to Project Hail Mary, what a fun book. And the guy who narrated it was great.

Listened:
- Project Hail Mary

Read
- the Hobbit

Note:
- I suck at reading and would love to finish out with 12 books read this year.

---

For something different, I recommend The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon. Unabridged.

Henry V by William Shakespeare. Completed the Henriad. Richard II and Henry V were my favorite of the tetralogy.

Dungeon Crawler Carl
Carl's Doomsday Scenario

Listening to The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook now.

Finished my reread of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire last night. While it has been awhile since I watched the movie, seemingly the novel was seen as more of the suggestion to the producers of the film, at least for the last half.

January
1) A Team For America: The Army-Navy Game That Rallied a Nation at War by Randy Roberts (B)
2) Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert (B+)
3) What Christians Believe: Understanding the Nicene Creed by Bishop Robert Barron (A)

February
4) A Gentleman in Moscow by by Amor Towles (A)
5) The Wingmen: The Unlikely, Unusual, Unbreakable Friendship Between John Glenn and Ted Williams by Adam Lazarus (C)

Audiobooks
1) The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien - A mixture of listening and reading the text in an attempt to actually finish the book after many failed attempts in the past. I think listening to the stories comes across as the telling of lore instead of a dry history.
2) Frankenstein (or, The Modern Prometheus) by Mary Shelley (B)

March (Not a good reading month of reading for me)
6) The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins (B-)

Audiobooks
3a) Don Quixote Part 1 by Miguel de Cervantes (A-)

April (All three of these book are rather short, so another not particularly good reading month for me)
7) Daybreaks: Daily Reflections for Lent and Easter by Amy Welborn (B)
8) The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel (C-)
9) Night by Elie Wiese (A)

Audiobooks
4) The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov (A)
5) The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway (C+)
6) All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque (A)

May
10) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
11) Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis (C+)
12) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by by J.K. Rowling

Audiobooks
3b) Don Quixote Part 2 by Miguel de Cervantes (B)
7) Hitler's Last Soldier in America by Georg Gaertner, Arnold Krammer (B+)

June
13) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
14) Perelandra by C.S. Lewis (B)
15) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

Audiobooks
8) Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc by Mark Twain (B)
9) The Colour Out of Space and Others by H.P. Lovecraft (B)

Has anyone read Hurricane Season by Fernando Melchor? I'm 25% of
The way through and trying to decide if the wait is worth the pay-off which everything supposedly media and review wise points to……but any news could be persuasive

The Witch of Whispervale (book 2, The Buccaneers) by R. A. Salvatore -- I'm sort of torn, the story is good enough to keep me mostly interested but it smacks of low key wokeness (I hate that word but I can't think of a better descriptive word). Both books, so far, have a whole lot of "girl power", the witch is bi, one of the gals is handicapped (lost a hand), there's an asexual species of dwarves, those type of things. I realize the Drizzt books tackles things like race, diversity and inclusion but I don't notice it as much as I feel it focuses on in this series. Maybe because it is not your traditional group of Forgotten Realms type folks? IDK. I'll stick it out for at least another book because the story is decent enough but it definitely feels like there's an agenda.

13B said:

---

The Witch of Whispervale (book 2, The Buccaneers) by R. A. Salvatore -- I'm sort of torn, the story is good enough to keep me mostly interested but it smacks of low key wokeness (I hate that word but I can't think of a better descriptive word). Both books, so far, have a whole lot of "girl power", the witch is bi, one of the gals is handicapped (lost a hand), there's an asexual species of dwarves, those type of things. I realize the Drizzt books tackles things like race, diversity and inclusion but I don't notice it as much as I feel it focuses on in this series. Maybe because it is not your traditional group of Forgotten Realms type folks? IDK. I'll stick it out for at least another book because the story is decent enough but it definitely feels like there's an agenda.

---

No advice. I don't mind those thing until they become more prominent than the story. Then I really struggle. Have tried several books that fall into that category. I'm not offended or righteous about it, I just don't care. If suddenly those preferences start standing out more than the plot, I'm probably out. Same with the romance fantasy stuff, I don't care if there is a romance line, heck good relationship building builds depth and interest. But when suddenly it crosses some arbitrary line that it is now about the sec scenes more than the plot, I'm probably out.

Absolute said:

---

13B said:

---

The Witch of Whispervale (book 2, The Buccaneers) by R. A. Salvatore -- I'm sort of torn, the story is good enough to keep me mostly interested but it smacks of low key wokeness (I hate that word but I can't think of a better descriptive word). Both books, so far, have a whole lot of "girl power", the witch is bi, one of the gals is handicapped (lost a hand), there's an asexual species of dwarves, those type of things. I realize the Drizzt books tackles things like race, diversity and inclusion but I don't notice it as much as I feel it focuses on in this series. Maybe because it is not your traditional group of Forgotten Realms type folks? IDK. I'll stick it out for at least another book because the story is decent enough but it definitely feels like there's an agenda.

---

No advice. I don't mind those thing until they become more prominent than the story. Then I really struggle. Have tried several books that fall into that category. I'm not offended or righteous about it, I just don't care. If suddenly those preferences start standing out more than the plot, I'm probably out. Same with the romance fantasy stuff, I don't care if there is a romance line, heck good relationship building builds depth and interest. But when suddenly it crosses some arbitrary line that it is now about the sec scenes more than the plot, I'm probably out.

---

This reminded me of a series....I almost refuse to read any of the new age Romantasy books that have taken over Fantasy simply out of spite and bitterness that they have taken over the shelves. However, a fantastic series that would have been labeled in that genre if it existed as such back then is Kushiel's Dart which is book 1 of the Phedre's Trilogy by Jacquline Carey.

I highly recommend it. It's an older series now but it's damn good for what was probably one of the first series that could have been called Romantasy.

Yeah, there's some that I just stop with because it becomes more than the story. But with ones like Fourth Wing where the story is good, I just go past the chapter or two of dedicated pron. Like you, I'm not offended, it just adds zero to the story and for me, distracts from it.

Just finished William Tecumseh Sherman: In Service of my Country: A Life by James Lee McDonough (audio book).

Really good, I read Grants memoirs as assigned reading for my History Degree from A&M, this really added a lot of color to how to imagine Grant, Lee, and other leaders.

Recommend if interested in Civil War History.

I would start with the Grant Memoirs, Grants wife Julia came from a salve holding family which make for some interesting reading about family dynamics… if you think you have/had a challenging relationship with your Father in Law- just wait.

I need to find a good memoir of the Fighting Bishop, the Sherman bio was pretty hard on him. I currently have Rebel Yell to read next.

After reading the Grant, Sherman, and Lee Bios it seems like the politicians on both sides hamstring the armies and prolonged the war.

BenFiasco14 said:

---

G-Houston said:

---

Just finished William Tecumseh Sherman: In Service of my Country: A Life by James Lee McDonough (audio book).

Really good, I read Grants memoirs as assigned reading for my History Degree from A&M, this really added a lot of color to how to imagine Grant, Lee, and other leaders.

Recommend if interested in Civil War History.

---

I've got a lot to say about Sherman, but my mama said if you don't have anything nice to say….. something something.

I've flirted with the idea of reading the book you just listened to, along with Grant's memoirs. It would be extremely challenging for me because I can't get over my hatred for both of them - Sherman moreso. I think Grant was an honorable man but Sherman was a savage war criminal.

All that said I need to read or listen to these if for nothing else to challenge myself

---

Grant, the guy who drove out the Jews in captured southern cities (sometimes with only 24 hours notice) and gave the local textile industry to friends, was an honorable man?

Sherman was definitely a war criminal.

I suggest reading The Destructive War: William Tecumseh Sherman, Stonewall Jackson, and the Americans by Charles Royster

And to stir the pot a bit I'll add these two quotes:
"You cannot qualify war in harsher terms than I will. War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it; and those who brought war into our country deserve all the curses and maledictions a people can pour out. I know I had no hand in making this war, and I know I will make more sacrifices to-day than any of you to secure peace."
William Tecumseh Sherman

"War is the remedy that our enemies have chosen, and I say let us give them all they want."
William Tecumseh Sherman

AGC said:

---

BenFiasco14 said:

---

G-Houston said:

---

Just finished William Tecumseh Sherman: In Service of my Country: A Life by James Lee McDonough (audio book).

Really good, I read Grants memoirs as assigned reading for my History Degree from A&M, this really added a lot of color to how to imagine Grant, Lee, and other leaders.

Recommend if interested in Civil War History.

---

I've got a lot to say about Sherman, but my mama said if you don't have anything nice to say….. something something.

I've flirted with the idea of reading the book you just listened to, along with Grant's memoirs. It would be extremely challenging for me because I can't get over my hatred for both of them - Sherman moreso. I think Grant was an honorable man but Sherman was a savage war criminal.

All that said I need to read or listen to these if for nothing else to challenge myself

---

Grant, the guy who drove out the Jews in captured southern cities (sometimes with only 24 hours notice) and gave the local textile industry to friends, was an honorable man?

Sherman was definitely a war criminal.

---

Eh, I don't know enough to make a call I suppose. I should've said I can stomach Grant, but revile Sherman.

I read the 4 volume Lee bio earlier this year and it was Grant who personally intervened with Andrew Johnson to prevent that moron from slapping leg irons and frog marching Lee through DC.

Now after the Lee book I listened to a short one on Reconstruction and Grant sounded like an extremely incompetent president.

jkag89 said:

---

I suggest reading The Destructive War: William Tecumseh Sherman, Stonewall Jackson, and the Americans by Charles Royster

And to stir the pot a bit I'll add these two quotes:
"You cannot qualify war in harsher terms than I will. War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it; and those who brought war into our country deserve all the curses and maledictions a people can pour out. I know I had no hand in making this war, and I know I will make more sacrifices to-day than any of you to secure peace."
William Tecumseh Sherman

"War is the remedy that our enemies have chosen, and I say let us give them all they want."
William Tecumseh Sherman

---

Well, I'd ask William who invaded who

The CSA started the war.

True Grit by Charles Portis (A-) - A quick, engaging and riveting read, took me only two sittings to finish the novel. The story is told through the eyes of a much older Mattie Ross (late 60s, early 70s - the1928 Democratic Presidential nominee Al Smith is mentioned in one of the novel's many but short tangents) in a matter of fact dry monologue which adds to the charm to the tale. I was thoroughly amused by the use old fashion Southern idioms (Coen Brother's film does well in this) as well as the asides where Mattie expresses her views on religion, politics and history. If you enjoyed the films you should enjoy this book.

Audiobooks
The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare by G. K. Chesterton (B) - Chesterton is probably best known for his Father Brown crime/mystery short stories and his Christian/Catholic apologetics tracts and in this volume you surprisingly get both. On the face of it the novel is a straightforward Sherlock Holmes type suspense story primarily set in Victorian/Edwardian England in which a Scotland Yard detective infiltrates an anarchist terrorist organization. After many twists, turns and thrills the final chapter takes a left hand turn into what is essentially theodicy discussion. IMO the story can be enjoyed even if one thinks the strange banquet that ends the novel is rather nonsensical. I enjoyed this work enough to make my next listen another Chesterton novel, The Napoleon of Notting Hill.

January
1) A Team For America: The Army-Navy Game That Rallied a Nation at War by Randy Roberts (B)
2) Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert (B+)
3) What Christians Believe: Understanding the Nicene Creed by Bishop Robert Barron (A)

February
4) A Gentleman in Moscow by by Amor Towles (A)
5) The Wingmen: The Unlikely, Unusual, Unbreakable Friendship Between John Glenn and Ted Williams by Adam Lazarus (C)

Audiobooks
1) The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien - A mixture of listening and reading the text in an attempt to actually finish the book after many failed attempts in the past. I think listening to the stories comes across as the telling of lore instead of a dry history.
2) Frankenstein (or, The Modern Prometheus) by Mary Shelley (B)

March (Not a good reading month of reading for me)
6) The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins (B-)

Audiobooks
3a) Don Quixote Part 1 by Miguel de Cervantes (A-)

April (All three of these book are rather short, so another not particularly good reading month for me)
7) Daybreaks: Daily Reflections for Lent and Easter by Amy Welborn (B)
8) The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel (C-)
9) Night by Elie Wiese (A)

Audiobooks
4) The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov (A)
5) The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway (C+)
6) All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque (A)

May
10) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
11) Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis (C+)
12) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by by J.K. Rowling

Audiobooks
3b) Don Quixote Part 2 by Miguel de Cervantes (B)
7) Hitler's Last Soldier in America by Georg Gaertner, Arnold Krammer (B+)

June
13) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
14) Perelandra by C.S. Lewis (B)
15) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

Audiobooks
8) Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc by Mark Twain (B)
9) The Colour Out of Space and Others by H.P. Lovecraft (B)

July
16) True Grit by Charles Portis (A-)

Audiobooks
10) The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare by G. K. Chesterton (B)