Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

Zaara wrote: "@Dani , 2018 November? Ima slate you right in...
;-)"

Haha, you are terrible! I meant this November of course.

I used to plan a year in advance too but at some point it just stressed me out. Now I make just a small list from my TBR pile but leave room for unexpected stuff and/or what I'm in the mood for at that moment, which makes it so much more fun. (Some of you will probably say DUH to this right now, but the life of a compulsive organizer ain't all that easy sometimes okay?)

Zaara wrote: "Unless by broken earth you mean broken EMPIRE in which case I will haunt your read *spitpalm* and I say that on OATH."

Haven't read that series (yet) so excuse me while your remarks go right over my head.. :-P

@ Silvana

When you feel so inclined let Zaara & me know if you are up for a buddy read of Blackthorn & Grim okay?

*flared nostrils*
This is the 2018 thread, O Jorg Virgin. Seriously now...go and buy the Broken Empire books, Dani Chil'. Don't even think twice. And together we shall then make ze sweet sweet music...
...of rustling pages...
Ok ok sorry I'm just being completely *insert expletive here*...I shall stop now...I promise.
Gnite Dani. Have a good one.
And @Silvana, you do that.

Aye..I am terrible...I can never resist a comeback..it's one of my worst faults...I swear, Dan, I've gotten into soooo much trouble because of it...it's not even funny. It's actually kinda pathetic.
Ok my Malice partners are gonna club me over the head if I don't report for duty so ima head over there now.

A bunch of us read the Broken Earth trilogy August/September... really liked it... first partially 2nd person book I think I've ever read...

Iain wrote: "I'm probably being over-zealous... if I get needy for more Malazan and read ahead all them Buddy Reads I'm tracking are pointless...

This also kind of assumes I'm not going to fall into another Go..."

Ok I just read this comment, properly that is. So basically this means that you will start every damn series with us and then zoom off into the distance (taking all the equally fast readers with you, if possible) and leaving us mere mortals to grub in the dust?

And then you may not even be on Goodreads and we shall all languish & gnaw our nails & stare at each other in dumbfoundment.
All will be dust and ashes...
Piteous cries of "Where's I-yay-n?" shall rend the air...
Ok I'm getting serious Black Sun vibes here.
@Margret, you better watch this one.

Do as thy please, Nathair, but remember this: you got me and then I got @Dani into Stormlight. You set off a chain reaction. Now the draigs are loosed upon the world.
So you gotta hang arnd and babysit us for WoK at least.
Kidding man. Kidding! By all means, fly, good Icarus. I'm very flighty too. Committing to anything gives me the creeps and all this 2018 planning ahead...it's giving me kittens.
#Crafwillgetyouforthis

Zaara wrote: "*flared nostrils*
This is the 2018 thread, O Jorg Virgin. Seriously now...go and buy the Broken Empire books, Dani Chil'. Don't even think twice. And together we shall then make ze sweet sweet musi..."

Girl, honestly, what have you been smoking.. o_O

Anyhoo, all I meant to say is that I can start mid-Nov this year with B&G myself to play catch up with you guys if necessary so we can start nice 'n early in 2018 if you'd like to. But this Jorg-virgin (not to confuse with Jorg'ssss virgin because that would not sit well with ze boyfriend) is gonna shut up about this subject now because, well, I think I've said enough already and my name is Dani Chil'.

Iain wrote: "A bunch of us read the Broken Earth trilogy August/September... really liked it... first partially 2nd person book I think I've ever read..."

Oh thanks for telling me. When I get to it I'll be sure to take a peek at your discussion thread then.
And a partially 2nd person pov is sure making me all the more curious.

Zaara wrote: "Aye..I am terrible...I can never resist a comeback..it's one of my worst faults...I swear, Dan, I've gotten into soooo much trouble because of it...it's not even funny. It's actually kinda pathetic..."

You are not pathetic. You are making me feel old because half of the things you say I gotta read twice before I understand them but I like the clever comebacks and the bouncy energy that's coming off your posts. You remind of those elastic balls I used to have as a kid haha. I mean that as a compliment actually :-)

@Dani and Zaara: I can start B&G in March 1st, 2018, at the earliest but I already read the first book so you guys can start earlier.

I think it's mostly a symptom of how much reading time I have... I seem to be planning more Buddy Reads than some people read in a month total... and I still have time to read just as many unplanned books... I've binged 2 Honor Harrington books and started a 3rd since wrapping up Malice buddy read the other day

@Dani how abt this - we both read Dreamer's Pool in Feb?
Then we can do Books 2 and 3 with Silvana in March and April + we would not have forgotten everything from having read it in November + we will also get that cool sequential momentum going. Is this cool with you? You can pick the exact date in Feb. I'll join whenever you comfy. Or do you want to read it alone in Nov? Cuz I can't join in Nov, hon, sorry.
And also:
Compliment accepted with unseemly grace...thanks hon...dem elastic baaaaaawlls...that's where I store the jet fuel! Doesn't everyone? Hehehehe....

@Silvana...noted. Sounds like a plan! Dani and I will have read Dreamer's Pool alone or together before March 1 ok? See you there pardner...

@Iain, 3 books since Malice?
:-O

I've currently made a selection of following series for 2018:

Broken Empire (Mark Lawrence)
Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne (Brian Staveley)
Reckoners (Brandon Sanderson)
Raven's Shadow (Anthony Ryan)
Red Rising (Pierce Brown)
Shades of Magic (VE Schwab)
The Song of the Shattered Sands (Bradley P Beaulieu)
The Grim Company (Luke Scull)
The Empty Throne (Daniel Polansky)
The Divine Cities (Robert Jackson Bennett)
The Traitor Son Cycle (Miles Cameron)

These are series I already have (partially) on my Kindle.

I'm currently still busy with Malazan Book of The Fallen and Malazan Empire, but I expect to finish all (most) of the books this year. After Malazan, I've decided to concentrate next year on some shorter series; mostly series with only 3 books (there are some exceptions in the list). Not sure if I'll start all these series, but my first picks will come from it in each case

@Jakyro: I read and enjoyed Reckoners and Darker Shade of Magic... signed up for the Unhewn Throne buddy read... dunno the others... joining the others in Malazan in January...

@Zaara: Yea... this is faster than normal for me... but I've been managing 6-7hrs of listening at work... mindless fun I barely need to pay attention to to enjoy... Malice went slower... because I needed to pay more attention...

@Jaykro...I love that Broken Empire heads your list. Which is a very kool list if I may say so. And that's kool with a K.Only used on special occasions. I'm interested in most, if not all, of these series. So I think you and I are gonna have this whole familiarity breeds contempt thing going soon with the sheer number of buddy reads we gonna be doin'...

Or *struck by sudden flash of pseudo-wit* mebbe we can just go all street and rap about our reads under the combined epithet of Jay-Z...which is what I would call our BR thread...if we ever get one, that is.

Welcome to the group. Why I ain't seen you before man? I hope you aren't one of those silent types. You almost finished Malazan...you can be all mean mentor from hell-y kicking my cowardly he!nie bk into the trenches if I ever get too...well, overwhelmed and attempt a bolt xcuz I'm a lily-livered commitment-phobic mother. Ima send you a friend invite and I hope you won't be all mean + if & but abt accepting it ok?

Anyway. As you can see from previous comments on this page I only finished boring people witless with my great love for the Broken Empire series a few short hours ago. Poor Dani's head is prolly still ringing.

I hope you find an excellent group & uber-interesting thread to read these books with in 2018 xcuz in my (shameless, repeated, and not very humble at all) opinion, Mark Lawrence is why they call the more potent kind of mustard English....

I mean I love GRRM and all (have you seen this thing he does in interviews where he tips his head to one side, raises one eyebrow, and looks at you outta the corner of his eye? It's bloody adorable) but reading Lawrence I was like: All Hail, Odin the All Father...

Alright, thanks. As soon as Dani confirmed the schedule (Feb 1 for book 1 and so on) we can mention them in the request thread.

@Zaara and Silvana - DP in Feb and books 2 and 3 in March and April sounds like a cool plan to me. Nov. was just an indication of what I could manage earliest.

Date for DP in Feb: since there's another BR starting on the 10th for me, ideally I would like to start DP like a week later, say the 17th. Is this doable for you?

@Dani: Yes. That's fine. Confirmed. I'm adding it to my tracker.
@Silvana: Like you say, let's beam the Bat Signal for the Mods.

Bat signal sent. https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Thanks Silvana

My pleasure. This thread has been really helpful in clearing up my incomplete series challenge ♡

Silvana wrote: "My pleasure. This thread has been really helpful in clearing up my incomplete series challenge ♡"

I can imagine....
Me I'm saving all the challenges for 2018.
Also I have this IDEA for a challenge that's gonna be honkin' perfect for the group...well ima sit on it and cook it inside my skull for a bit and see if it warrants any merit, this idea. Most of my ideas are just plain kooky. On the other hand some are Lallapaloosas. What's the formal protocol on here if anyone has an idea? Do we just beam the Bat Signal again or is there like a different smoke signal to summon a pow-wow?

Thanks Silvana for the bat signal :-)
Looking forward to reading with you.

You can either

- post in group info and suggestions
- pm a mod with your idea
- set up a separate brainstorming thread in the hodge podge folder

....I saw some people mentioned Bas Lag too....

If this continues my 2018 FBR will be full before this year even ends!

Alright.

I'd be up for reading a China Mieville book or 3... he's been on my radar since I got into Steampunk last year...

I put the call to arms about Mieville in the invitation thread

Margret wrote: "You can either

- post in group info and suggestions
- pm a mod with your idea
- set up a separate brainstorming thread in the hodge podge folder"

Thanks Margret. I'll do one of those things when I'm a bit readier.

Next year is again a jam packed year planned, with some massive reads.

Reread

4 of the A Song of Ice and Fire books - starting the buddy read from A Clash of Kings

Continuation of Series

Malazan Books. Looking at - The Bonehunters / Reaper's Gale / Crack'd Pot Trail / Return of the Crimson Guard / Unsure yet if I'll get to Toll the Hounds

Wrath (Faithful and the Fallen #4)

More Dresden Files books - currently languishing on 9/15
Cork O'Connor series - currently 10/16

New Series Planned

Menagerie by Rachel Vincent - UF
The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson - mystery
Lord of the Silver Bow by David Gemmell - historical
Crimes Against Magic by Steve McHugh - UF
Unclean Spirits by MLN Hanover - UF

Angela wrote: "Next year is again a jam packed year planned, with some massive reads.

Reread

4 of the A Song of Ice and Fire books - starting the buddy read from A Clash of Kings

Continuation of S..."

If you're going to read some David Gemmell next year, then it should DEFINITELY be the Drenai Saga. All the cool kids are doing it. One book a month, starting on the 20th of each new page of the calendar. Be there or be square.

Next year. BIG SIGH. TOO MANY BOOKS.

I want to keep going with Memories of Ice, I think. I'm about to start book 3. Will probably do so in January. I'm not sure I like like like them. So far I I'm in the 'intriguing but not loving' camp.

I also want to keep going with The Eye of the World AKA Wheel of Time. Still reading the Great Hunt. Will hopefully be ready for #3 in November and keep going with the group.

I have Tad Williams' Otherland River of Blue Fire to finish. Book #2 is waiting.

I am currently reading Valor by Gwynne and need to read #3 and #4.

Traitor's Blade and City of Stairs sound tempting as new series. Plus I'm eyeing the Apt books Empire in Black and Gold by Adrian Tchaikovsky.

Memory Sorrow and Thorn The Dragonbone Chair also looks tempting.

I'm currently reading the first in the Prince of Nothing The Darkness That Comes Before series, if I like it I'll keep going.

I'm also about to read the first in Wurts' Shadow and Light The Curse of the Mistwraith series, if I like it I've got a load there.

I need to finish Riyria. Book 5 and 6 of Revelations are missing Heir of Novron. I also would maybe like to pick up the second Codex Alera Academ's Fury.

I've been told the Shadow Campaigns The Thousand Names by Wexler needs to go on top of my tbr. I still haven't read The First Law The Blade Itself.

I keep my tbr list at less than 200 but remain open to simply jump into new stuff someone is gushing about in my timeline. But, I feel like the number of books I just listed is a few too many.

Olivia,

Holy libraries of the Gods! That is quite a list of currently-reading, TBR! I suppose if I really went through my library, mine would come up something similar. But, I think you've bitten off way too much!

But if it works for you, you keep it up! I'm so ready to finish The Great Hunt, that I'm purposely not starting anything else to distract me. But I really dont want to rush back into Dragon Reborn once I'm finished. I may re-read The Golden Compass beteen, or another shorter story.

Good luck!

I'm hoping to start the Farseer Trilogy with Assassin's Apprentice, I haven't read any Robin Hobb yet but I've heard great things. I also want to read The Name of the Wind and The Final Empire

Kiya,

I read Assassin's Apprentice many years ago but wasn't blown away. Recently bought the other two books in the trilogy used, so I may jump in on that!

Hobb's saga is a slow burn. I remember enjoying the first few but not being blow away either. It develops into something so profound that the saga as a whole is in my top 3. Good stuff. :)

Ooh it's interesting that the whole saga built it up for you Niki, I guess that takes some commitment to get going though. Sounds good, Jessica :)

A little bit of a commitment, but it definitely wasn't a struggle to get through like some others can be. I'm excited to see what you think! With that and Mistborn and Name of the Wind, you totally have some great reading ahead. :)

Should we do a BR for Hobb next year?

Zaara wrote: "@Jaykro...I love that Broken Empire heads your list. Which is a very kool list if I may say so. And that's kool with a K.Only used on special occasions. I'm interested in most, if not all, of these..."

Hi Zaara, thanks for the nice words and apologies for the late really. I've been very busy this past week.

I haven't been very active here because I wanted to concentrate this year mainly on Malazan. I know Scott and Jenna have been reading it as well, but they were a couple of books ahead of me. I did have some interest in participating in some buddy reads, but due to Malazan I never came to them. I prefered to finish it before heading into something new. I hope to participate more next year once Malazan is finished ... And i'll probably monitor the Malazan buddy reads a bit as well. Those that are about to start MBotF are in for some great books

And I'll definitely give Broken Empire a chance. I have the complete series on my kindle ... It has been waiting on there for way too long

@Jaykro...no need for the apo, I totally understand. I hope you love Broken Empire as much as I do, but don't go straight into it after Malazan, ok? In fact I wish you'd read them before...I hear Malazan kinda leaves you feeling weak + drained + numb + spoiled for anything with a smaller canvas. I wouldn't know, but I really want you to like Lawrence so I suggest reading something non-fantasy or maybe even Shattered Sands (cool pick, not many ppl talk abt BPB) beforehand.
I don't know why i love Lawrence so. Something in those books had me from the first page. I'm still trying to figure out why...
Regarding this:

Jakyro wrote: "And i'll probably monitor the Malazan buddy reads a bit as well. "

Please do. And don't just monitor...I hope you will stop by and talk to us all. We'll need people to talk to with that one, I'm thinking.
Also, when in 2018 are you planning to read the VE Schwab and Pierce Brown? I could join if it's after April. Or I could always just re-read Broken Empire with you :-D I'm very good at NOT spoiling ppl and very fastidious abt marking spoilers so don't worry abt that.
You choose what and when. If you will like to read with me, that is. I notice you're more a lone wolf. Btw I looked for your schedule. Couldn't find it.
So my read tracker is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Btw I don't read super fast. I like to savour so I need to space out my reads.

Olivia wrote: "Next year. BIG SIGH. TOO MANY BOOKS.

I want to keep going with Memories of Ice, I think. I'm about to start book 3. Will probably do so in January. I'm not sure I like like like them..."

@Olivia, we are starting The Blade Itself on the 27th of this month, if you wanna come. I hope you do, it's been really great having you on Guns. Btw, I'd like to join you for Heir of Novron. Bit of luck, that! I was looking for someone who was mid-series...I still have 3 & 4 to do but I'll get thru it myself in December and we can do Novron in 2018, if that's ok with you?

Zaara, I've got it on my Kindle and ready to go, so I might join in... simply because reading with others is more fun.

Jessica, I have a hard time sticking with one series and jump around like a hyper active child!

Olivia wrote: "Zaara, I've got it on my Kindle and ready to go, so I might join in... simply because reading with others is more fun.

Jessica, I have a hard time sticking with one series and jump around like a ..."

You mean TBI, right?
Do come.
Riyria????

Jessica wrote: "Should we do a BR for Hobb next year?"

I'm up for that, but which serie of Hobb?

The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb. Who is in for a Buddy Read next year??? Maybe one every other month starting in April???

Who is in!?!?!?

@Jessica: I'm in... I read the Assassin's Apprentice last year... want to finish at least the first trilogy... maybe the 2nd and 3rd as well...

April is fine with me

I love Robin Hobb so I'm always down for a reread

When you finish Farseer, if you do the Mad Ships trilogy, I want to get to that at some point.

I'm in for 'The Farseer Trilogy'. April is fine for me.