EPBOT Readers discussion

Hi everyone!

Hope everyone's holding up ok. Trying to hang in there myself.

This week I finished:

The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep - I couldn't remember if I posted this last week or not, I finished on a Thursday so thats always a toss up. used it for a book with a book on the cover. I liked it, although I feel like I'd have gotten more out of it if I'd read more Dickens.

Maangchi's Real Korean Cooking: Authentic Dishes for the Home Cook - this was my Read Harder book about a cuisine i havent' tried. I stretched this a little bit, i've had some bits and pieces of Korean food, but it was mostly fusion/americanized versions, not legit from a Korean restaurant type food. And tons of the food i'd never heard of, so think it counts. I was going based on what my library had digitally, and their selection was very euro-american or white dude writing about food adventures. I did enjoy it, and might eventually check out again to actually make some of the recipes. She wrote from a Korean living in North America standpoint, so she gave both English and Korean names for everything, plus ideas for where to find the ingredients and what substitutions would work.

Caliban's War - my library must have gotten extra book funding recently, this year they've already bought something like 5 books I requested YEARS ago. It's not a bad thing per se except that I hadn't worked them into my plan, and since they weren't actually in my visible holds queue it means i've got a lot more checked out than i normally like haha. I liked this, I really like the Expanse show. It seems like the show's doing a pretty good job at following the plot, even if the character descriptions don't always match up. (Bobbi on the show is clearly not a giant woman, Alex is not a middle aged portly balding man), Doesn't work for a prompt that i havne't filled already, sadly.

currently reading:

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian - this will be my banned book, not read during banned books week. I'd tried to aim for Canada's freedom to read week (end of February), but clearly my library hold didn't cooperate. I plan to be long done with the challenge well before the end of September, and I don't want to just have one prompt hanging open. And there's no real guarantee I could time my holds any better in September, short of just reading whatever the library had immediately available. I'm really enjoying it so far. There story is written humorously, punctuated with a lot of fun cartoons the narrator is drawing. It's still pretty heartbreaking of a look into the life on a reservation, but presented in a way that still makes you want to read.

The Count of Monte Cristo - still plugging away, read a little more. No ham sandwiches anywhere, disappointing.

QOTW:

Borrowing from popsugar again:

What are you go to comfort reads?

My top one is Mercedes Lackey'sThe Black Swan, or really any of her magic/fairy tale books. Some of her Valdemar ones get pretty dark so those aren't my first go to for being bummed. Also vampire smut, it's light and fluffy and requires zero brainpower.

We must be on the same schedule, Sheri, because I think this is about the third week in a row that I've already been on here and seen the notification pop up that you posted the weekly check-in! I have a feeling that we're all going to have plenty of reading time in the next few weeks (at least where I live, pretty much everything is closed or cancelled), so it's a good time to work through those TBR backlogs!

Anyway, at last check-in I was listening to Mobituaries: Great Lives Worth Reliving, which I have since finished - it was wonderful to have Mo in the car with me all that time, and I hope there is a sequel (or at least another season of the podcast!) soon. I'm sure the written version is great, too, so I highly recommend it in any format.

I had also started reading Half of a Yellow Sun, which I tore through in a couple days. It is one of the most beautifully written things I've ever read - I already loved Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, but this really is her masterpiece - every character is so completely drawn, and the story pulls you into their thoughts so fully that you really can see the events from all of their (quite varied) perspectives. You don't have to know anything about the Biafran War to appreciate the story on some level - and I suppose if you truly know nothing about it, you may be more surprised by many of the larger events that shape the story - and while many of the things that happen are horrifying, it never comes across as sensationalist or gratuitous in describing gore or violence - so I pretty much recommend it for everyone.

I completely switched gears after that, since I knew it would be a tough act to follow, and read Legend, which had been on my TBR list forever. It is quite reminiscent of Divergent, Hunger Games, etc., but well-written and fast-paced. I'll definitely seek out the rest of the series, but it had enough of a conclusion to the events that I don't need to do that right away.

The next one I pulled out of the TBR really surprised me - I somehow always forget what a good writer Gayle Forman is when I haven't read anything by her for a while, so I was unprepared for how much I was drawn in by Just One Day. I was prepared for a light knock off of the Before Sunrise genre - but it really went in a different direction, focusing on the aftermath and telling a story that, while definitely requiring some suspension of disbelief in terms of logistics and money, was realistic in its depiction of family relationships, mental health, and the growing up process in a way that you don't see too often, even in YA. I know there'a a sequel/companion book in the same way that If I Stay and Where She Went worked, but I loved this one so much that I almost don't want to know what "really" happened.

Needing another palate cleanser, I moved on to Enter a Murderer, which I'd been looking forward to since I read Ngaio Marsh's first one last year. I can't believe these haven't been remade as a TV show or movie since the early 90's, because I know it could be as much fun as Miss Fisher - the dialogue is so good, especially the way she writes the slang and the accents. The actual mysteries are not terribly difficult to figure out most of the time, but there are good twists that make them fun.

I'm currently listening to Nobody Walks, which is very hard to take seriously as an audiobook because the narrator's attempt to do different voices is very reminiscent of Monty Python - but it's a thriller/action type story that is not supposed to be funny. I'm hoping my ebook loan of the written version comes back soon so I can switch back - I want to know what happens, but I'm not really feeling the audio.

I'm also reading The Diviners, which is so much fun - I don't know how this whole series missed my radar until recently, since it's pretty much everything I enjoy...mystery, fantasy, the 1920's, diverse characters, etc. I'm about 1/3 of the way in, and I'm still not 100% sure where it's going, which is always a good thing for me.

QOTW: Humor is always comforting to me, so my comfort reads are usually old Mad Magazine books or things like that - the Cake Wrecks books, the Found Footage Festival book, etc. Getting lost in something I haven't read is often comforting, too - it's hard for me to take my mind off whatever I need to be comforted from if I already know where the story is going, so I don't tend to re-read novels in those circumstances.

Haha possibly! I'm kinda random when i post, but I try to get it up Thursday or Friday. Usually it's when i have a few free minutes at work.

I'm actually planning on using this time to attack all the home improvement i've been ignoring all winter because it was dark and cold and I was tired! Finally will repaint my office and get all my collectables and art back out, get rid of boxes. Hopefully get my closet cleaned out and re-organized so I can actually find my craft stuff. And also work on my various craft projects, get started on QUACK etc. I'm sure i'll still find time to read though!

Also I'm still doing a murder mystery party tomorrow, because it's under 10 people, no one's been exposed, will exercise caution with no hugs, sitting further apart etc.

I have a few books to report since my last check in. The first is The Stepsister Scheme. This is new take on the fairy tale retelling genre. In this case, it presents the story from the perspective of three very self-rescuing princesses. I love the concept, and the book was generally good, but it never quite grabbed me.

After that, I pulled a very old Bookcrossing book off my shelf - Brett Butler's bio, Knee Deep in Paradise. Again, generally good, but I would have liked it a lot more if I didn't know how her life has turned out in the years since this was written. She's a talented writer and had a very interesting life, but the book ended on such a positive note and her life hasn't gone that way since. It was a little heartbreaking in context.

Up next, another old Bookcrossing book - a fun, fluffy media tie-in. Queen of the Slayers. This picks up immediately after the events of the last Buffy: The Vampire Slayer TV episode. Nancy Holder has a great grasp of the Buffyverse and the characters read very true to form. It was fun to spend a little more time with the Sunnydale gang.

Currently reading Resistance Reborn. This Star Wars tie-in takes place between the last two movies. I'm about a third of the way in and loving it so far! I love Roanhorse's style, and (to me) she's staying very true to the characters, but allowing more of a glimpse into the emotional complexity of Empire vs. Resistance. I've had her Trail of Lightning on my library wishlist forever, so was happy this came up in the meantime.

QOTW: I have such a glut of books clamoring for my attention that I rarely take time to re-read anything....so comfort reads are limited to genres and favorite authors vs. revisiting old favorites. My current comfort read authors are Jim Butcher, William Gibson, John Scalzi, and Christopher Moore. I now realize that's a terribly white, male list, and need to do some digging thru the stacks to rectify this! For truly dire times, I break out my original Starblaze editions of Elf Quest and lose myself in there for hours. (Luckily, all the original Elf Quest comics are available for FREE on their website, so if you're stuck at home right now, it's a great time to visit the World of Two Moons :) )

Been a few weeks since I last checked in. Now that I’m officially unemployed and have my annual spring retreat (and time suck) over with, it’s time to get some serious reading done! Since life got crazy:

Finished The Eagle. I’d totally forgotten how the end of this version of the Camelot saga played out in the end, and I really like the twist that Whyte put on the climax of the story with regards to Lancelot and Guinevere’s relationship. It was a completely satisfying end to one of my favorite series! I also completely forgot how much knight sass there was to be had! Say “your royal arse” to Arthur, one more time, Lancelot... I love it!!!!

The Vexed Generation- speaking of delightful sass and snark! The Magic 2.0 series, book 6, and it was everything I’ve loved about this series: snark, random immature hijinx, and nerdy references galore. It was 100% predictable, and exactly what I was hoping for.

QualityLand. A near-future alt-reality version of 1984, starring a thinly veiled Amazon (along with associates Tinder, Google, and Apple) in the role of Big Brother: controlling to world and the government via personal data algorithm. This was a political farce that really left a lot to chew on, as so much of what the author commentated in is only half a step in the future for a people allowing tech giants to control their lives and their data. Frightening, but also super entertaining, even if the ending was a bit flat.

Red Rising - just getting this one started, but I’ve heard so many good things that I’m really looking forward to it!

The Fellowship of the Ring - still in progress, as I’m slowly savoring it.

QOTW - Lord of the Rings is 100% my favorite comfort read. When I need comfort, I typically reach for a re-read, and typically within the sci-fi or epic fantasy genres: something purely escapist, that I already know that I love, with no nasty surprises. Stormlight Archive is another good one for me. Last time I was rattled and needed long-haul comfort reading, it was the Wheel of Time series, in the weeks and months following the big earthquake in south-central Alaska a year ago.

I skipped last week for lack of much to report, as I was swamped with work. I've turned that around this week.

A Study in Emerald, as recommended in this group a couple of weeks ago. Thank you! Delightful, but I feel I need to brush up on my Sherlock Holmes to appreciate the details. The ads of the newspaper layout were just brilliant! Used it for Slytherin/Slughorn/award-winning book prompt.

Insurgent. It took me a couple of pages to fall back into the Divergent universe, but when all was said and done, I enjoyed it more than the first. I definitely should finish up the trilogy sooner than later. Used it for the Slytherin/Potions/book with alchemy, potions, or chemistry prompt.

Dawn. Well-written but nowhere near as captivating as the autobiographical Night. I don't understand why these books are presented as a trilogy, to be honest. Used for the Gryffindor/Dumbledore/book about a resistance movement prompt.

Children of the New World A collection of short stories of various dystopian futures. As always, some are more successful than others. An enjoyable quick read. Used for the Slytherin/Umbridge/pink cover prompt.

QOTW: The crazier the fantasy or sci-fi world, the better the escapism. Otherwise, as many have said, rereads are a return to the world of old friends and always enjoyable. I reach for David Eddings' Belgariad, mostly.

This week I have been working on Domesticated: Evolution in a Man-Made World (it's big). I wish they had put "mammals" somewhere in the title, because I was a bit disappointed to realize that's all it covers. It's been interesting but a little uneven, with some weird editing misses (a cladogram with "sheep and goats" in two different places, consistently using "auroch" as the singular of the already singular "aurochs"). I'm hoping the final couple of sections, which are thematically different, will be more my speed.

QOTW: Sherlock Holmes, I guess. I have a fancy-looking (although not well edited) edition of the complete canon that I keep next to the bed to read little bits before going to sleep.

This was my first full week of working from home. So far, so good.

This week I finished A Conjuring of Assassins, which I loved. It was a lot more plot-heavy, as opposed to the first book which was a slower start with more character and world-building work up front. This was my Popsugar book published the month of your birthday (February).

I'm currently reading The Right Swipe, which is my Popsugar book about or involving social media. I'm liking it pretty well so far.

My go-to comfort reads, I think, are the ones where I can revisit old friends. The fantasy I read as a kid and teenager: stuff like Susan Cooper, Mercedes Lackey, Tamora Pierce, Robin McKinley. Some more recent favorites, too. Even better if it's a fluffy, light romance or romantic comedy with a guaranteed happy ending.

I read All's Well That Ends Well by Shakespeare pretty quickly. Not Shakespeare at his best imo, although still good. I enjoyed imagining the ridiculous ways the costumes might be used for some of the characters in disguise.

I'm now reading Madame Bovary, but only about 20 pages into the actual book. There's an introduction in my edition, and I usually at least read the start of those. Unfortunately a short way into the intro the ending of the book was completely spoiled. I hate spoilers for books with a passion, and I'm trying to actively keep it from my mind.

QOTW: I'm not so much of a re-reader these days but I do like something light and probably fantasy-ish for a comfort read. Discworld (although I'm down to last new one of those for me), Gail Carriger, Jasper Fforde or whoever else I've got hanging around. That or some fanfiction since I can relatively reliably screen those for precise content and I don't mind a re-read so much since they don't require digging off a shelf!

Hi all! I have been keeping busy keeping my kids entertained (social distancing is rough on young kids....and their parents....), but have managed to find a little time to read. I LOVED The Calculating Stars, which was my finish last week, and have got to get to the sequel. I had a library loan come in so I'm now reading Infinite Powers: How Calculus Reveals the Secrets of the Universe, and being a big nerd I'm finding it utterly fascinating. I haven't taken calculus since high school but it's all coming back as I read! Fun fact, Isaac Newton came up with calculus after he got sent home when Cambridge closed because of the Black Plague. Hmm...

QOTW: We seem to have similar comfort reads! My two go-tos are Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar books and the Belgariad/Malloreon books. Or, depending on my mood, sometimes I want something emotional and I turn to Guy Gavriel Kay, whose books always make me cry - The Fionavar Tapestry trilogy, or Tigana, or A Song for Arbonne are my favorites of his.