enchanted0 Posted August 9, 2022 Posted August 9, 2022 This thread needs to be more active I started to read english books (english is not my first language obviously) and need to catch up with what's trendy / good etc I just finished We Were Liars (which I bought like two years ago because of Tiktok) and it was trash
BOOMBAYAH Posted September 1, 2022 Posted September 1, 2022 I’m getting into reading! I’ve never been much of a bookworm, but I’ve been wanting to read for years now. I read Song of Achilles last month and it was amazing I found myself thinking about it for days after I finished it. I’m currently reading (and about to finish) Lie With Me by Philippe Besson. The book itself is okay, and has some really great moments, but it’s definitely not touching the experience I had with Achilles. I’m nearly finished and it seems to be getting a climax so I can’t wait to see how it ends. I’m planning on reading the Fire & Blood book after.
Kid A Posted September 1, 2022 Posted September 1, 2022 Been reading The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson for the past like 2 weeks but I’m struggling. I know it’s like the new age fantasy bible or whatever but it’s such a SLOG. I hear it does gets better and I’ve already read like a quarter of the book so I’m gonna give it to the halfway point before I decide to finish it or not. shame because I love his Mistborn trilogy!
MonsterJohn Posted September 1, 2022 Posted September 1, 2022 I'm reading Midnight Library because it supposes to be super popular and acclaimed, well 30% in and it still fell flat
R.E.M. Posted September 4, 2022 Posted September 4, 2022 On 9/1/2022 at 5:39 PM, MonsterJohn said: I'm reading Midnight Library because it supposes to be super popular and acclaimed, well 30% in and it still fell flat Exactly how I felt reading it I'm staying away from TikTok recommendations
Danger Posted September 4, 2022 Posted September 4, 2022 i bought a few books on Amazon to get into reading I started reading Murder in Chianti but haven’t gotten into it. i found it boring but it’s still early in the story so I’ll try again some other time. I started Where They Wait and so far I like it but it isn’t a page turner like how I hoped but maybe it’s just because I get distracted too easily.
RunBoyRun Posted September 5, 2022 Posted September 5, 2022 I've recently read Wolf's Bane Butterfly which is a psychological horror and wow! It's about a man and his husband who are being chased by an unknown force and end up in a house that's even more dangerous, forcing the main character to face his fears and past trauma. It really accurately depicts depression and PTSD. NOT for the faint of heart though.
fridayteenage Posted September 5, 2022 Posted September 5, 2022 Art of Prophecy probably best book of the summer for me, even if I prefer the earlier part which is much more unexpected compared to the typical fantasy. Right now finishing up Wheel of Time and 2 books into The Belgariad.
fountain Posted September 5, 2022 Posted September 5, 2022 28 minutes ago, RunBoyRun said: I've recently read Wolf's Bane Butterfly which is a psychological horror and wow! It's about a man and his husband who are being chased by an unknown force and end up in a house that's even more dangerous, forcing the main character to face his fears and past trauma. It really accurately depicts depression and PTSD. NOT for the faint of heart though. This sounds good! Tried looking it up though and I can't seem to find it, who's the author? On 9/1/2022 at 9:05 PM, BOOMBAYAH said: I’m getting into reading! I’ve never been much of a bookworm, but I’ve been wanting to read for years now. I read Song of Achilles last month and it was amazing I found myself thinking about it for days after I finished it. I’m currently reading (and about to finish) Lie With Me by Philippe Besson. The book itself is okay, and has some really great moments, but it’s definitely not touching the experience I had with Achilles. I’m nearly finished and it seems to be getting a climax so I can’t wait to see how it ends. I’m planning on reading the Fire & Blood book after. I own Lie With Me but haven't read it yet, hopefully it comes together by the end! Song of Achilles is definitely a unique experience, not that there aren't other great gay books, but it's in a special place for most people who read it. A comparable book I'd recommend if you're looking for something as mature and moving as Song of Achilles is The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr., it's similarly full of heart yet also tragic (and horrifying, too). I really enjoyed On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong, as well!
RunBoyRun Posted September 5, 2022 Posted September 5, 2022 1 minute ago, fountain said: This sounds good! Tried looking it up though and I can't seem to find it, who's the author? L.W. Roseic. It's self published on Amazon. The cover doesn't convey the books themes nor the quality ?
fountain Posted September 5, 2022 Posted September 5, 2022 2 minutes ago, RunBoyRun said: L.W. Roseic. It's self published on Amazon. The cover doesn't convey the books themes nor the quality ? Ah thank you!
BOOMBAYAH Posted September 5, 2022 Posted September 5, 2022 6 hours ago, fountain said: This sounds good! Tried looking it up though and I can't seem to find it, who's the author? I own Lie With Me but haven't read it yet, hopefully it comes together by the end! Song of Achilles is definitely a unique experience, not that there aren't other great gay books, but it's in a special place for most people who read it. A comparable book I'd recommend if you're looking for something as mature and moving as Song of Achilles is The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr., it's similarly full of heart yet also tragic (and horrifying, too). I really enjoyed On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong, as well! I finished Lie With Me and It completely came together in the end almost brought me to tears. I've just added The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr. to my reading list, I'll let you know when I've read it!
levi_valvi Posted September 6, 2022 Posted September 6, 2022 On 9/1/2022 at 10:44 PM, Kid A said: Been reading The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson for the past like 2 weeks but I’m struggling. I know it’s like the new age fantasy bible or whatever but it’s such a SLOG. I hear it does gets better and I’ve already read like a quarter of the book so I’m gonna give it to the halfway point before I decide to finish it or not. shame because I love his Mistborn trilogy! Hang in there. It was the same for me. Especially the Dalinar parts drained me. I went and found an audiobook on YouTube and played it while I read just to pace me, I don’t think I would have made it through the 2nd quarter without it. But it was all worth it in the end!
levi_valvi Posted September 13, 2022 Posted September 13, 2022 Stanning Robin Hobb severely. Women are really better than men at everything, huh
BOOMBAYAH Posted October 21, 2022 Posted October 21, 2022 Gave up on These Violent Delights by Micah (really gave it a go, but it's so boring and slow - has it's moments though), currently reading The Picture of Dorian Gray.
fridayteenage Posted October 21, 2022 Posted October 21, 2022 On 9/13/2022 at 10:15 AM, levi_valvi said: Stanning Robin Hobb severely. Women are really better than men at everything, huh just finished the liveship traders trilogy. loved malta's character development despite finding her an insufferable brat initially. her fiance is pretty annoying tho. etta i liked from the beginning despite her grey morality.
The Next Day Posted October 21, 2022 Posted October 21, 2022 (edited) The last few months have been an underperformance in reading. - Hyperion by Dan Simmons: I gave up after around 200 pages. I can't read sci-fi, I can't imagine things that don't exist and you only name them. How am I supposed to visualize this? Probably a good read tho if you get past that. - Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez: A summary of how the patriarchy is influencing science and how we know everything about the male body and men in general, but nothing about women and female body in comparison, which leads to unnecessary problems and even death. Great to remind you why feminisim is the only way to make the world better. It's easy to understanf but hard to read because the author is treating this as a scientific essay, so it's informative in the most boring way possible (unfortunately). Couldn't get through it. - The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins: It was good. Written with the movie production in mind and the ending is a bit over the top, but it's good entertainment. - Disintegrate Yourselves by Max Czollek: German-only essay about how German society is in denial of the influence of their Nazi past, how the Nazi history has been rewritten into a story of Germans being oppressed (when Germans were the ones oppressing others) in German politics and mainstream culture and how Germans use Jews to absolve themselves of any accountability for past and present. A must read for any German citizen. - Weltunordnung (World Disorder) by Carlo Masala: Also German-only essay by a professor of international relations that analyses the security policies of the West in the 21st century (and how they failed and continue to fail). Good summary for any reader who's interested in politics. Currently reading The Last Report On the Wonders at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich. I'm a bit more than one third in and it seems like an epic fictional biography about a woman disguising herself as male priest in a small monastery that resides on Indigenous land for 70 years. Edited October 21, 2022 by The Next Day
fountain Posted October 22, 2022 Posted October 22, 2022 (edited) My reads since last updating in here... The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel: loved this, her writing is stellar and her characters are always so well developed. Her talent for storytelling is exquisite. The Test by Sylvain Neuvel: intriguing sci fi novella inspired by immigration and citizenship tests. Great concept but the writing and story was a bit sloppy and distracted from the poignancy of the message. When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro: not my favourite Ishiguro. Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter: interesting and poetic novella on the aftermath of the death of an important loved one. Very stylistic, but I felt that it meant the emotion didn't fully resonate at times because it lacked clarity. Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel: loved literally everything about this. Such a genius mix of ideas, part memoir on the experience of writing Station Eleven, part sequel to The Glass House, and also an entire stand alone story at the same time. I thought this was just amazing and is my favourite book of the year, I can't wait to see what she does next. The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe: I know this is a respected classic, but it was just so boring. I fell asleep reading it the first time so had to read it a second time and still found it completely pointless. (I'm looking forward to the adaption though) Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro: unfortunately I had the ~twist~ ruined beforehand and didn't know that it was supposed to be a twist, so that ended up taking a lot of the reading experience away which sucks. I still liked it but don't feel like I truly got to enjoy it because of this, which is a shame because it seems to be one of Ishiguro's most beloved and I didn't get to experience it as intended. The Book of M by Peng Shepherd: fun post apocalyptic book with fantastical elements, enjoyed it a lot. The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak: I thought I was going to adore this but I didn't. Love the concept and the writing was fine I guess but the story was so boring that I ended up just wanting it to be over. Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson: really enjoyed this! Magical witch story with commentary on modern queer struggles. Some parts are a little on the nose but the message is pure and something that we need, so I didn't mind. Lovely and diverse characters, will definitely read the sequel. Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin: thought this was going to be more of a creepy/horror story like her book Fever Dream but it's actually a super intriguing sci fi "what if...". In this case it's "what if controllable animatronic pets were a thing" and you get a look at different characters, both from the point of those who have chosen to own one of these pets, and those who have chosen to control one. Really liked this, hope more of her work gets translated. Exit West by Mohsin Hamid: was into the concept but felt it wasn't developed enough and didn't connect with the characters at all either so ended up finding this quite boring. Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro: have nothing bad to say about this but it's nowhere near his most memorable work (which is fine since this is just a collection of short stories). Nice read if you have a connection to music. The Hunger by Alma Katsu: really entertaining horror/thriller reimagining of The Donner Party. Enjoyed this and want to read more from her. Near the Bone by Christina Henry: didn't really enjoy the writing and found elements of the story really trite, but it was entertaining enough for an October/Halloween read. Comfort Me With Apples by Catherynne M Valente: really liked the ominous utopia setting, the writing was good but once it became clear what the inspiration behind the story was I found it somewhat clichéd. Probably would have enjoyed more if it was longer and had more time to build a unique identity. currently reading Lakewood by Megan Giddings Edited October 22, 2022 by fountain
fridayteenage Posted October 22, 2022 Posted October 22, 2022 #1 on the publishers weekly bestseller list is...hp 5, with yet another edition, 117k copies in the US runner up is 50k. ppl will never stop throwing their money at that person...
fountain Posted October 22, 2022 Posted October 22, 2022 3 minutes ago, fridayteenage said: #1 on the publishers weekly bestseller list is...hp 5, with yet another edition, 117k copies in the US runner up is 50k. ppl will never stop throwing their money at that person... I read HMRC after you posted about it in here and loved it. Dunno why people are still spending money on that old terf crap when they could be picking up a new inclusive story like this instead.
PeterPan Posted November 4, 2022 Posted November 4, 2022 I cannot believe Z-lib is gone because of a f*cking Tiktoker!!!
Xantalli Posted November 4, 2022 Posted November 4, 2022 11 minutes ago, PeterPan said: I cannot believe Z-lib is gone because of a f*cking Tiktoker!!! I’ve been in mourning since yesterday when I tried accessing the site, these girls are so f*ckin dumb like why would you make a tick-tock about zlib? everybody knows the key for sites like zlib to flourish is to gatekeep!!!
Xantalli Posted November 4, 2022 Posted November 4, 2022 Anywho, Battle Royale , what an absolute fantastic read! Totally kept me engaged through-out & Suzanne Collins should absolutely be questioned for what she did! Verity - only read it because the girls at goodreads were raving about it & what a hot mess!! Poorly written, could not stand the main protagonist , terrible ending! But I will say, it did keep me entertained! Had me giggling at parts that I believe weren’t supposed to be funny?! Eileen- ottessa moshfegh is becoming one of my fave writers tbh, i tend to skew away from slow reads with not much of a plot but she has a way with words that keeps me hooked. I fancy her writing style a lot! These Violent Delights - the goodreads girls were raving & compared it to the masterpiece called The Secret History.. girl, absolutely NOT! What a bore of a book, was counting down the days to be done with it! The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle- it could’ve been a masterpiece if only it didn’t have that lackluster of an ending!! American Psycho was utter trash. bret easton ellis shoule be in jail. Literally took me forever to finish it, mind you I watched the film before & it gave comedy so I was hoping the book was gonna serve humor but nope! In the midst of reading A Certain Hunger, it’s written similarly as American Psycho & it’s just not clicking for me yet so we’ll see if I decide to finish it or not!
I'm JAVIng Fun Posted November 5, 2022 Posted November 5, 2022 I am still currently reading "The Waves" by Virginia Woolf and it is quite a tiring book but interesting to read through.
fridayteenage Posted November 5, 2022 Posted November 5, 2022 (edited) i don't really like her books much, but wow. colleen hoover's latest, a sequel to her biggest hit, has already sold over a million physical US copies in 2 weeks. it's cool that book blockbusters still exist. year-end 2021, only 2 books got to a million: Dog Man #10 (kids book), American Marxism (trumper propaganda) Edited November 5, 2022 by fridayteenage
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