Currently reading a book called Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the 60s by Tom O ‘Neil. The book that I just finished was Flowers in the Attic.
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I finally got around to starting Wheel of Time so I just finished Eye of the World and I am currently reading The Great Hunt.
How are you liking it? I may have mentioned it once or twice lol. Too bad Amazon prime wasn’t interested in actually adapting it
So far I am enjoying it. It's not my favorite fantasy series but I like the main characters. The women are annoying at times, though.
Oh boy, you ain't seen annoying women yet. Hang in there, it's worth the read
It does not get better.
As in the women don't get any less annoying or the series as a whole does not get better?
Yes. The women get worse every single book, and the series falls the fuck off as they introduce too many characters.
That's disappointing. I already feel like there are too many characters to keep track of.
A trap that I call "character glut". DBZ is another good example, GoT is as well.
I think the series peaks around book 6 or 7
There are some fair criticisms but I enjoyed the series of books. Sone are definitely better than others
Currently listening to Frontlines, after numerous suggestions from here and elsewhere.
What’s that about again?
A bit like Starship Troopers; military sci-fi. More action-oriented than Starship Troopers, and less philosophical, but a fun time.
Quite a bit. Lacks some of the depth of Starship Troopers as I mentioned, but is still an interesting settings, and it's nice that it keeps you guessing. Each book so far has evolved a bit over the last, and the scenarios keep changing subtly, which means anything could happen, and you don't know where it's headed. You can can fill in plenty of the points, since it's in some respects standard sci-fi action, but it's not afraid to throw in a unique twist either so, yeah, could go anywhere, and you don't know exactly what the next book will be about.
I saw the movie of Flowers in the Attic as a kid. That shit is messed up
Never saw the movie but saw that it’s on YouTube so I put it on my watchlist. Went out and bought the rest of the series. Got the book a while back at a yard sale
The book is worse.
And the sequels to the book even worse than that. I won't say anything spoiler-y for Smith's sake, but it eventually becomes comedic the level it twists itself in to.
The book has me wanting to see what happens next. I even got the rest of the series because I have to see what all happens lol
The Bible and a book on the history of the Mi-24 helicopter.
Imagine combining those in your dreams. Angels become Apaches just mowing demons down
Nice visual
It can live up to its name even more.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_nut
Which part of the Bible? Helicopter tech is always interesting
Luke, and I agree the development history of a bunch of aircraft is far more interesting than ground vehicles. Probably due to the cost per unit.
Currently listening to Mark Steyn's reading of the 1907 novel Lord of the World, recommended (of all people) by Pope Francis. It's a sci-fi novel, set in the far-off 21st century, where international air travel is commonplace, news is transferred instantly via wireless telegraph and displayed in people's homes, and growing secularism (after a big Communist revolution in 1917) is threatening the faith of even the most dedicated priests, as one begins to suspect that Judgment Day may in fact be coming...
It's genuinely and utterly baffling that Pope Francis recommended this book. There is a scene portraying (and implicitly condemning) a scene almost identical to the Pachenmama incident. There are hints and mentions throughout about commonplace euthanasia, about the perversion of sex roles, and the evils of secular globalization, all of which 100% ring true today.
I'd have never heard of this book if it weren't for a man who seems at the very least complicit for doing the things the book warns against, and the book features a priest actually named "Francis" who loses his faith and collaborates with the globalists. I don't know what to make of that.
Great book, overall. Looking forward to finishing it.
EDIT: Also, Pope Francis was right when he described the prologue as 'a bit heavy'. If you're not interested in a half hour of pure exposition about one possible trajectory of Communism and globalism throughout the 20th century, you can skip to the next chapter and lose almost no plot.
Very interesting! Thanks!
I don't know if you're Christian or not: the book was written by a Catholic priest and is as heavily religious as that would suggest, and would probably give Ayn Rand an aneurysm. But you'll definitely enjoy the prologue.
I feel bad coming with a light novel but apothecary diaries, I love the Anime to death so I had to try the light novel which I think is even better since you actually do see stuff from a more inner perspective. Oh and I started Meditations by Marcus Aurelius cuz I feel I needed to at some point as it was recommended to me.
No need to feel bad. I think it’s good to read all types. This lady had a huge stack of goosebumps books at a yard sale for 3 bucks. You better believe I bought them. Nice escape every now and then
Just thought since so many others mentioned more high brow stuff I feel a bit out of place (for half of it at least). I do love me some escapism in my books, it's the main reason why I read. The occasional other comes around (like Meditations) but usually it's some fantasy, Sci fi, light novel.
No shame. My two favorite genres are sci-fi and fantasy
Currently: Mein Kampf by Hitler (highly recommend. Almost everything he talks about is relevant to today's political landscape and Hitler was contemplating all the right questions. I also don't just mean jews either but immigration, democracy, tyrannical governments, unions, capitalism, atheists, etc... The book surprised me. I didn't realize how much Hitler touches on that's relevant to today outside of the jewish question.)
Last book: Iliad by Homer
I'm reading it now and whilst there are many interesting parts (i haven't even gotten that far yet) i'm always getting put off by addie jerking himself off for being the noticer.
I got like fifty pages in a year ago. It's actually scary because you'd think it was written this decade. And it has a bad rep but so far he's barely mentioned Jews and it's really a cultural critique in general. But he's not dumb. He makes some incredible points and it's clear he didn't just wake up one day and just go loose cannon. He had a very particular idea in mind of how society ought to function, the purpose of a nation state, how it can beat serve it's own people, and what to do to get it functioning again. It's a masterpiece in how to repair your own broken nation.
Giving Dresden files a shot since it gets mentioned here a lot. It’s meh, narrator is good, decent before bed listen. Last one was UFO by Garrett Graff which was a decent read.
I’m on 3 now and it’s definitely more interesting, good to know it picks up more
Was it about real UFO cases? I’ve heard the Dresden books are good
If you ignore the girl bossing and the multiple time the MC talks about male chauvinism, it has some decent detective noir meets wizardry plot to it. The UFO book is more about the Cold War and the space race creating a zeitgeist around aliens and UFOs.
I recently re-read Flower For Algernon.
And I'm finally getting around to reading For Whom The Bell Tolls.
We read that in school. Great but sad story. For Whom the Bell Tolls is Hemingway right?
That is right.
I’m trying to get through The Book of Enoch and Will to Power.
Read Book of Enoch a few years ago but should reread it
I'm busy reading through the Gor series. It's funny, because I'm 8 books in (they're comparatively small to other fantasy novels) and I still can't tell whether or not I actually like them.
Before that I read Hard Magic by Larry Correia. I don't think the book was bad, per se. I don't regret the time I spent reading it (that dishonor falls only on the drivel that was House of Leaves), but I think it falls short of his Monster Hunter International series. The 1940's-ish setting felt tacked on, I don't think enough was done with it. And since I stopped reading MHI after only a few books, I don't think I'll be continuing to the sequels of Hard Magic any time soon.
Been meaning to get some Correia books. Also, is Gor like Conan style fantasy?
Kind of vaguely Conan-ish setting, yeah, though I have to admit all of my knowledge of that setting comes just from the Schwarzenegger movie. There are two very important differences, though.
First, while the world of Gor is largely barbaric (in the sense that fighting is done by warriors using medieval weaponry, it's heavily caste-based with institutionalized slavery, etc.) it's not a magical setting like Conan but instead is established pretty early in the series to be a "sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" setting. There are no wizards or warlocks, etc., there's instead just a group of beings who have sufficiently advanced technology and choose to keep the rest of Gor in a barbaric state.
Second, the main character is from Earth, not Gor, so there's a few "fish out of water" moments that I don't think would exist in Conan. Not too many, though, as there's a decent timeskip in the first book and the main character spends the rest of the book narrating as if he was basically born on Gor. They happen every now and again in later books as he interacts with different cultures in the setting.
If I were to make one principal complaint, it's that while it is definitely refreshing to finally read a "fantasy" series that doesn't insist on trying to force any sort of girlbossing (part of the tagline of the series is literally "where men are masters and women live to serve their every desire")...I actually get tired of how much narration is spent on the anti-girlbossing side. It's like the author 60 years ago foresaw the current state of popular culture and decided to spend large sections of every book going on about how women actually like being subservient, all they really want is to be abducted by a strong man and tied up until they submit, they need a good smack every now and again to learn right, etc.
It was refreshing in the first book, overplayed in the third book, and yet each and every single sequel afterward I have to read several paragraphs of the protagonist's inner monologue about the sexual dynamics of fantasy third-world cultures. I haven't stopped reading yet, but it's definitely worn thin.
Gotcha. I’ll look for it next time I’m at the bookstore. Also if you ever get the chance check out Howard’s Conan books
I've met Correia, he's a bit of an opinionated ass. Brad Torgeson is way nicer.
Hard Magic is a favorite of mine, but it has difficulties with history and some of the characters are weird. I couldn't get through the first Monster Hunter Incorporated book. It kept reading like "and this happened because Larry Correia is right about everything."
Correia is a political sperg. His rants about Trump have convinced me never to meet him
Currently reading "The Man from the Broken Hills" by Louis L'amour, just finished "The Man Called Noon" by... Louis L'amour.
Might give another author a chance next time around. Maybe.
I read my first Louis L ‘Amour book last year. Loved it. Over the years I’ve found a lot of his books at yard sales and estate sales. Can’t wait to read them
Oh yeah, they're entertaining. A bit formulaic at times, but fun nonetheless. I usually find a bunch of them at secondhand stores.
I recently finished Gods of Eden by William Bramley and I'm not reading anything at the moment.
I’ve head of it. What’s it about?
It's written by a historian who, after years of research, came to the conclusion that human history is so violent, evil, distorted and mysterious that there must be a hidden external force playing divide and conquer with us, trying to achieve full control. It then speculates on who or what that external force might be based on historical evidence. Excellent reading if you're into esoteric subjects.
I'm currently rereading The Lion and The Fox, about the Union and Confederate operatives in the UK during the Civil War.
I just finished reading Flight of the Intruder, Stephen Coonts' first book.
About how they tried to get help from the UK?
Not so much tried as did. UK citizens donated about $5 million in 1862 dollars in one year to one Confederate charity, and at one point, the Union had so offended the Crown that the British Army was being loaded on transports for Burn Washington II: Electric Boogaloo.
Delicious in Dungeon. I read the first book a while back when I saw a poster for it. The show came on, and it felt like Anime Dungeons and Dragons meets British Bake Off. I've read the last book, but had a few gaps in books in the series, so I am reading the last 5 books together.
A book about politics and AI by a former Nixon adviser. It's a dry but interesting read.
Dracula. I got distracted in October and need to get back into it.
Eaters of the Dead. The movie is called 13th Warrior and is awesome.
I'm also reading and contemplating the concept of many are called but few are chosen by Christ and how it works with innovation.
Most recent book finished is the Hobbit. I have relatives all over Northern England and Scotland, so it's fun to imagine them as hobbits. My Dad's family is much more likely to be dwarves. I tend to read all of Tolkien every few years.
Scooby Doo and Batman comics are unserious fun.
I also read a book about how Entertainment shapes Innovation, not the other way around, but I can't remember its name while typing.
The Architect of Sleep by Steven Boyer. Basically Planet of the Apes … but raccoons. There’s even a point where the character says so.
Cool!! Love that idea. Have you read the Planet of the Apes? I found the book at a book sale but haven’t read it yet
[Spoiler warning!] The movie is better. The book taking place on an alien world, which just so happened to pretty much be identical to Earth in terms of technology and biological evolution, was kind of lazy. And then there’s a part where the apes are able to read genetic memory like it’s a record. (?!) And the twist at the end is even sillier (he returns to earth and apes just so happened to take over there, too! OMG!!!)
Thanks. I’ll read it when I get to it. Doesn’t sound like it’s worth reading immediately. Rod Serling wrote the screenplay
Are you really asking Simian if he's read Planet of the Apes?
Never know. Always good to check
He could be a self hating Simian
That said, I used to have the account radraccoon here. So this book kind of fits no matter what.
Emperor of Thorns by Mark Lawrence. That and Red Queens War Saga, same author. Decent books, but they felt a bit grimy based on the nature of the characters.
Right before that I read all of the released "The Beginning after the End" volumes. I'd have skipped them if I went by the cover, and while some of the dialogue is a little cringe, I enjoyed it. Absolutely zero homosexuality, doesn't rely on shock etc. A nice simple story that goes pretty fast and keeps you engaged. It's cheap on kindle.
Moving onto Unhumans by Jack Posobiec.
Is Inhumans fiction? I've read maybe one good fiction book by political types, so I'm I wouldn't expect much from that if it is.
This is about communism and brings you up to speed on modern day involvement. Given everything going on I thought it would be a good read.
Never heard of that series. Will have to check it out
There's a manwha as well which can help you figure out if it's for you. I enjoyed it enough to go to the novel and it was even better.
I couldn't get into Emperor of Thorns but I did enjoy the Powder Mage books by Brian McClellan (Goodreads and similar will tend to recommend these series when on the pages of one another).
You might also check out Joe Abercrombie's First Law world books.
Will check them out, thanks!
Oh man the dollgangers is a trip, the sequel just goes off the rails if I remember.
I've been bouncing around going through the Horus Hersey books, rereading the redwall series novels and I've just started rereading tad William's otherland
Based Otherland appreciator
What is the Horus Hersey series about? Yea, o ordered the other books in the series following Flowers in the Attic
It's the 40k prequel series and it's been a bit spotty, some of the books have been really good while others utter drek with a lot of schlocky scifi action pieces in between but its been enjoyable if in need of pauses for sheer size alone. I'm about 15 novels in and haven't made a dent.
I’ve been wanting to get into 40k but I’ve been told that it’s not like picking up a book series. I will eventually start reading the lore
If you want to read some 40k stuff without needing to know a lot of backstory and would like something considerably lighter than the "grimdarker than black" that the setting is known for, I recommend Ciaphas Cain. It's a comparatively lighthearted series about a cowardly commissar who by incredible luck and/or subconscious skill, against his own efforts, happens into situations where he becomes more and more of a hero of the Imperium.
Thanks!
Reading Shadow Divers. It's a non-fiction book about these deep sea scuba guys who discover and explore a nazi submarine off the coast of New Jersey. It's really good.
Sounds interring. I’m definitely interested in the supernatural or metaphysics
I believe in the “woo woo” but you have to have some grounded science to be able to discuss certain concepts. Thanks!
Will do!
Working with the Law by Raymond Holliwell
It's interesting. Basically, control over your own thoughts will lead to the desired outcome you want in life.
And the Bible, Matthew
Can’t go wrong with the Gospels. Working with the Law sounds interesting. Is it like a book on the power of thinking positively?
I just got Tanith Lee's Tales from the Flat Earth from the library; her Lords of Darkness series is what Gaiman cribbed for Sandman.
Prior read was The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis.
I read the screwtap letters at the beginning of the year. Very good
Last book I finished was my reread of the death gate cycle, which was 7 books.
Also seriously what's with old authors and being able to finish series in a timely manner. Meanwhile you have new authors with series going on for 20 books and nothing
What’s death gate cycle about?
fantasy series by Margaret weis and tracy hickman. One of their better ones imo. The premise is long ago, 2 magical clans fought and 1(patryns) lost while the other (sartans) literally broke the world into 5 pieces.
The lost clan was banished to one of the new pieces, a world called the labyrinth where the goal was supposedly to educated them until they could leave the labyrinth. But the winning clans magic fucked up all the worlds subconsciously or maybe through a higher power, and the labyrinth started killing all the patryns it could, forcing them to band together.
After 700 years of bloodshed and hundreds of lifes lost, a patryn finally escapes the labyrinth and starts planning a conquest of the other 4 worlds. But while the patryns travel the worlds, they start to realise the sartans didn't have it much easier than them and there are other forces at work
I'm trying to read "Christ Recrucified" by Nikos Kazantzakis--it's quite good but my attention is often pulled away from other things and I have small kids which makes reading anythign that requires focus and time almost impossible.
Always With Honor is such a good book, it's incredibly readable for what could have been really dull and tedious material.
I know the feeling
Since everyone is commenting good books, I'll add the last few books i've read and their ratings:
A rabble of dead money – Charles Morris – 4/10 - A decent historical look at the great depression but lacking an overall narrative, it just kind of meandered through events as they happened.
In defence of Women - H L Mencken – 3/10 - I'm a writer in the 1930's and I want to be Sam Hyde but I don't know who he is.
Door to Door – Edward Humes – 3/10 - Decent start about transport and logistics but the author is british so it degenerates to shit libbery by the last 70% of it. Cars are bad, green energy good etc etc.
Thanks. Appreciate the ratings
I've been re-reading the Hatchet series with my young daughter to try and get her more interested in books (not going well). Its funny how a book series I read as a youth is still so fresh in my memory.
I'm hoping to finally get around to re-reading The Magus soon, but its such an intimidating book despite having already read it.
I've reached the point where I don't try new things, I just watch/read the same things over and over.
Angels don't play this HAARP. Not some mind blowing revelation, but definitely a good book with factual information. It will leave you to make your own conclusions
That’s the one about weather manipulation right? I remember hearing about that book on Coast to Coast
Yes and no. It discusses what some claim to be weather manipulation, but does a pretty good job of presenting facts and allowing the reader to draw conclusions based upon multiple sources. I would be led to believe it could be used for that as well as disrupt radio signals. The recent event in Spain made me think of the book and ask myself if that was a test of the system.
Last book I finished that wasnt work related was Cats Cradle. Currently The Way of Kings by sanderson on audiobook. As well as Fulgrim as an ebook and The Power Broker by Robert Carol. Which i said last time this was asked and yes, it is in fact that long.
My most recent is I went back and reread Tom Clancy's Red Storm Rising.
I was reminded of how much I love that book, how much I would love to see it made into a TV show (each chapter is dense enough you could easily make an hour episode out of each one)...and how much I hope Hollywood never actually touches it. Because dear god, they would butcher the shit out of it, especially Nakamura and especially Vigdis.
I think I have that one. If not I’ll keep an eye out
It is one of the classics of military fiction, and as much as I like Clancy's stuff normally, RSR is him at his absolute peak. But you can very much tell it was written in the 1980's just based on the sensibilities of many of the characters and the things he has them do or say. Even if other elements are arguably ahead of their time (Amelia Nakamura being one of the main side characters, who ends the book as the first female ace fighter pilot).
Another one for the uncanny ability Clancy seems to have for knowing his military stuff, he almost perfectly called how the US would conduct the opening of Operation Desert Storm, with the opening air strikes by NATO almost mirroring the same strategy that would end up being used IRL, but almost 5 years early.
EDIT: I also completely forgot about the fact that the book starts with a Muslim terrorist attack. Which would absolutely not fly in this day and age.
Currently reading Confessions by St. Augustine. It's pretty impressive for a book written in 397 A.D., but it's not as great as I was hoping it would be (it's a bit more pontificating when I was hoping for more personal insights into his life and journey).
Before that I read the first three Joe Pickett novels, which I liked, in between I rotated in two Thomas Sowell non-fiction books, 1. Discrimination and Disparities, and 2. Barbarians Inside the Gates (both were excellent).
Haven’t read Barbarians inside the Gate yet. I should read St Augustine