Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

Amazing progress Niki. It is hard to abandon series.

It's hard. I get that not every author is for me, but when I really wanted to like something... it's the worst

Margret wrote: "It's hard. I get that not every author is for me, but when I really wanted to like something... it's the worst"

I so know what you mean. Especially when it feels like you're the only one that the book doesn't work for.

Great month Niki. I am hopeless when it comes to abandoning series. The few I have is because it has been so long since I started them.

Scott wrote: "I think we are all too reticent to quit feeling it's a failure on our part when it's the authors."

This is true. It's like it's my lack of attention or commitment that's the issue, but I don't seem to have any of those problems with amazing titles.

Tammie wrote: "Sounds like a good plan. You've probably seen my huge DNF list."

I am inspired by that DNF list lol. You're ability to just focus on the stuff you're enjoying sort of helped me come up with my game-plan. It's how fast you DNF something that amazes me - it usually takes me a few months/years to realize I'll never go back.

Angela wrote: "Amazing progress Niki. It is hard to abandon series."

So hard! Ima have a difficult time with this.

Margret wrote: "It's hard. I get that not every author is for me, but when I really wanted to like something... it's the worst"

I agree - those books I've held off on reading, saving them for a rainy day, only to discover I hate them when I finally do pick them up. Such a bummer haha.

Bill wrote: "Great month Niki. I am hopeless when it comes to abandoning series. The few I have is because it has been so long since I started them."

Me too, but I'm hoping to change that. Especially since at least a third of the books on my list are ones I'd have to reread anyway to continue on with. I feel the need for a clean slate.

I've completed the restructuring - I feel so liberated!! It now accurately reflects my series intentions lol.

Unfinished Series: 75
Unfinished Series Not UTD: 48
Unfinished Series I'd have to restart: 37 (not counted towards total)
Finished: 109
Abandoned: 64

I love your restructuring Niki. Looks like it makes the list a lot easier to keep a handle on.

Thank you, Angela! It definitely feels easier to handle now. :)

You have an insane amount of series in progress, but it definitely looks a lot easier to try to tackle. Nice organization!

Jenna wrote: "You have an insane amount of series in progress, but it definitely looks a lot easier to try to tackle. Nice organization!"

Thank you. :) It's still a little overwhelming, but as you say so much easier to tackle. I'm hopeful I'll be where I want to by this time next year.

Your finished series total is amazing. Like your restructuring.

Bill wrote: "Your finished series total is amazing. Like your restructuring."

Thanks - that 109 is definitely my silver lining lol.

I just realized you haven't read Malazan.............I think you need to take the plunge and really throw your series challenge for a loop. :)

Scott wrote: "I just realized you haven't read Malazan.............I think you need to take the plunge and really throw your series challenge for a loop. :)"

I created this ->

In my book journal months ago when you guys showed me the ultimate reading list. I'm eager to start, but need a little more time to square away these other series (I will not be tempted, scott!!).

I started it when GotM first came out in hardcover like 10+ years ago (the first book I ever checked out as a bookseller) but found myself glazing over while reading to the point where I remembered nothing. I thought it was a lack of attention issue on my part. I think now it was more the book demanding a little more attention than normal. I'm gearing up for another attempt - you all have me antsy.

I'll do a re-read of at least the first book when you're ready to get you on your way. Hopefully some others will join. But..........your missing out on the epic of epic's.

Scott wrote: "I'll do a re-read of at least the first book when you're ready to get you on your way. Hopefully some others will join. But..........your missing out on the epic of epic's."

That would be great! I'm feeling the lack for sure. I love epic!

I might put out feelers for a Wheel of Time level buddy read sometime at the beginning of next year.

Yeah I'll definitely be joining since I hear so much about Malazen this and Malazen that and how it is an amazing series and how when you first read it you get punched in a gut kidnapped and then dumped in the middle of nowhere with nothing but your wit (that part was a little exaggerated but you know what I mean)

In any case I'll be in for reading Gardens of the moon with you guys since everyone here has apparently read it

Ahdam wrote: "Yeah I'll definitely be joining since I hear so much about Malazen this and Malazen that and how it is an amazing series and how when you first read it you get punched in a gut kidnapped and then d..."

That's awesome! I'm ready for all of those things haha. I'll put together a proposal sometime next week. Malazan for 2018, baby!

Niki Hawkes wrote: "That's awesome! I'm ready for all of those things haha. I'll put together a proposal sometime next week. Malazan for 2018, baby! "

The way we did it was one book per month with three exceptions.

The Bauchelain and Korbal Broach books were short enough to do in the same month as other books.

Night of Knives is only a little over 300 pages. So we did The Bonehunters the same month. The Bonehunters is absolutely massive so your call on doing that.

Books 5 and 6 of Empire Blood and Bone along with Assail really only add up to one book of BotF word count wise so we did one the start of the month and one near the end. This was also to be able to read Deadhouse Landing on it's release date which of course after hurrying to make that date it got pushed back three month. Still it's doable but your call.

I really don't recommend reading back to back in the main series. I did it once reading GOTM and DHG. I was bleeding tears for a week and just felt so emotionally exhausted. I did it so I could catch Jenna and Eric for book three and thus this group was spawned. These books are just so heart breaking and intense. You have to pay attention or you miss stuff.

Scott wrote: "Niki Hawkes wrote: "That's awesome! I'm ready for all of those things haha. I'll put together a proposal sometime next week. Malazan for 2018, baby! "

The way we did it was one book per month with..."

Haha "bleeding tears..."

thank you!! I will take all your advice. :)

Niki Hawkes wrote: "Haha "bleeding tears...."

Laugh now while you can. When the chain of dogs breaks your heart........you were forewarned. BRB need another tissue......

Gentleman....and lady when you proposed this idea you had my curiosity NOW you have my attention

This is really interesting and I wonder what esselmonts work will be like since I heard it's a prequel to Eriksons and I can't wait to check it all out so that I finally understand the excitement behind this shit 😂😂😂

Ahdam wrote: "This is really interesting and I wonder what esselmonts work will be like since I heard it's a prequel to Eriksons and I can't wait to check it all out so that I finally understand the excitement behind this shit."

Empire is NOT a prequel to BotF. Only Path to Ascendency by ICE and Kharkanas are prequel to BotF and Empire which has similar timelines. The recommended reading order below is the WTG.

https://www.goodreads.com/series/173946

Oh cheers for that and wow this is big hahaha and I may try to read it chronologically if that's what we're doing and it should be interesting for me since I've never read a book series in chronological order since I always think published order is much better but I might make an exception for this one to see how the story goes

Definitely read Malazan Niki. 😂😂You'll catch up to Samir and I in no time. We're doing the ultimate reading order and so far I think it's working well.

Angela wrote: "Definitely read Malazan Niki. 😂😂You'll catch up to Samir and I in no time. We're doing the ultimate reading order and so far I think it's working well."

And it seems like you guys will catch up to me at some point! I have really slowed down on the series.

I love your beautiful bullet journal entry Nikki

Margret wrote: "I love your beautiful bullet journal entry Nikki"

Thank you!!! 😍 It's really fun to put together and it keeps me from having to refer to multiple online things for stuff I need to check.

I am definitely going to be picking up Malazan before the end of 2018 lol

Niki Hawkes wrote: "I am definitely going to be picking up Malazan before the end of 2018 lol"

YAY!

Niki's 5 for 1 Challenge Log [1]:
1. Obsidian and Stars [UTD]
2. The Operator [UTD]
3.
4.
5.
Started: Old Man's War [Pending...]

Niki Hawkes wrote: "Niki's 5 for 1 Challenge Log [1]:
1. Obsidian and Stars [UTD]
2. The Operator [UTD]
3.
4.
5.
Started: Old Man's War [Pending...]"

Can I count the 4 books I've read since I last opened a series. :)

NO

Just kidding

I'm having an epiphany of how important it is to finish series I start within a reasonable timeframe. If I have to go back and reread, it usually sucks all of my enthusiasm out of continuing. I will be Abandoning a bunch of series like this over the next couple of weeks.

This challenge has been so helpful in prioritizing and recognizing where I should be spending my precious reading time.

I couldn't begin to keypunch in all my series, to date I am somewhere close to 200, in all the years of reading. I use Fict Fact as a source on line for most of the series.
While I have completed or are up to date on many, I tend to pick new ones up and then never finish as I move from series to series, as so many sound interesting, or the first book I do not like and then stop.
In this group I feel that I am making some progress, that i have others to discuss the books with.
I see everyone was discussing Malazan, do you think we can attempt it in 2018? I read book one, but it was tough, then pushed to book two and still had a tough time. Hopefully in a BR I can have more success.

Frank wrote: "I couldn't begin to keypunch in all my series, to date I am somewhere close to 200, in all the years of reading. I use Fict Fact as a source on line for most of the series.
While I have completed ..."

I think that I need this too Frank haha. I would definitely do a BR from Gardens of the Moon onward if you wanted to. I know what I'm getting myself into now. I just couldn't get a grip on it by book two, and I made the mistake of trying to do it on audio. This time I would stick exclusively to print copies.

Frank wrote: "I couldn't begin to keypunch in all my series, to date I am somewhere close to 200, in all the years of reading. I use Fict Fact as a source on line for most of the series.
While I have completed ..."

I'm definitely going to check out Fict Fact..

I will say, this list took me FOREVER to put together (months of work on it here and there), and I think I am close to your 200 between my unfinished, abandoned, and finished lists. I had no idea until I wrote them down just how many I had outstanding. It was a bit overwhelming to be honest lol. This group has definitely helped me maintain some focus as well.

I think with the interest I've seen for Malazan (yay Liam!) and how much the other MODs rave about it, it would be a lot of fun to dive in as a group in 2018. Sometime next week I'll put together a schedule proposal based on the Ultimate Reading Order and we'll see if we can get that going. I think I'm going to need a lot of help keeping things straight on it too – I read half of the first one when it first came out and got really lost. I'm excited though – we'll see what we can do as a group haha.

@Liam - So you had a similar problem, with Book 1 and 2. Glad to hear as I was so frustrated.

@ Niki - So, LOL we'll have WOT and Malazan going simultaneously. I like the plan.
How do you plan on spacing the books?

Frank wrote: "@Liam - So you had a similar problem, with Book 1 and 2. Glad to hear as I was so frustrated.

@ Niki - So, LOL we'll have WOT and Malazan going simultaneously. I like the plan.
How do you plan on..."

Yeah, I think it would be a much better experience trying to do it as a BR, rather than just trudging through it by myself. I'd need some time before doing it though, because right now I'm re-reading Stormlight, LOTR, Riyria, and WoT simultaneously haha.

Niki Hawkes wrote: "I think I'm going to need a lot of help keeping things straight on it too – I read half of the first one when it first came out and got really lost. "

I'm going to do it as a re-read with the group. I have a great memory and reading Dancer's Lament (which brings me up to date on every Malazan book there is minus one Bauchelain and Korbal Broach book that I simply refuse to pay $30 for 90 pages where 30 are pictures) I had to cross reference a lot of the BotF and Empire books and found so many things I had forgotten. I want to really map it all out the second time so I completely understand everything and I probably without being a braggart understand more than most simply because I've put the effort into it.

I ended up reading the entire GOTM prologue and had to drag myself away from continuing. My god, maybe Hood I can't decide but I digress, with the context of having read everything it is that much better. I had to stop myself from going straight into chapter one.

Frank wrote: "@Liam - So you had a similar problem, with Book 1 and 2. Glad to hear as I was so frustrated.

@ Niki - So, LOL we'll have WOT and Malazan going simultaneously. I like the plan.
How do you plan on..."

I think I'm going to take Scott's suggestion and do one per month... Maybe even one every 5 or 6 weeks. I'll put together a loose schedule and we can tweak it from there. :-)

Liam wrote: "Frank wrote: "@Liam - So you had a similar problem, with Book 1 and 2. Glad to hear as I was so frustrated.

@ Niki - So, LOL we'll have WOT and Malazan going simultaneously. I like the plan.
How ..."

Liam, I think the only thing missing from your epic reading schedule is Malazan lol. ;P 2018 give you enough time?

Scott wrote: "Niki Hawkes wrote: "I think I'm going to need a lot of help keeping things straight on it too – I read half of the first one when it first came out and got really lost. "

I'm going to do it as a r..."

Awesome!!!! That is, if you can restrain the urge to say..."just one more chapter" until then lol. You're amping my excitement with your excitement to reread.

Incredible schedules for everyone, I forgot I am doing Stormlight as well as, Gywnne, and I'm sure the group will throw several good ones that I can't refuse, LOL.