The Book Thread Book • Page 53

An update to my reading of Barbarian Days: I bailed. Haha. I just wasn’t enjoying it enough to make it the only book I’m reading. I’ll read bits in between other things.

I’ve read only non-fiction this year, so i wanted to change things up and read some fiction. My wife has been asking me for years to read “You Shall Know Our Velocity” by Dave Eggers, so that’s what I’m starting now.

 

I have very fond memories of YSKOV

 

I loved AHBWOSG and I keep hearing good thing about that one. I feel like I oughta pick it up sometime

 

Heroes of the Frontier, Your Fathers and Hologram for the King are my personal favs but can't go wrong really

 

@Garrett L. I saw on GR you read One Of Us Is Lying last year. What did you think?

 

It was a fun audiobook. I liked the different voices. But I called the mystery very early on. Didn’t really detract from the ride though.

 

I should listen to that then. I read the book and I kinda guessed the ending too but it was definitely enjoyable.


I've noticed since I've been reading the past few years that I can typically figure out the twist/ending. I don't know if that's the author or me just being able to guess well or what but I've definitely noticed it.

 

Yeah, the more you read the harder it gets to be surprised. Which is why it’s so great when it comes along. It’ll translate to movies, too.

It’s also great when you find someone who can master voice and turn of phrase enough that you don’t care when you’ve figured it out.

 

I finished the Lumberjanes and the next thing I'm going to read is The Wangs vs the World, by Jade Chang, but I haven't started it yet. It's supposed to be a sort of dramedy about a wealthy family who loses everything and goes on a cross-country road trip to their stable oldest daughter's house. I'm still doing the thing where I'm trying to read works by/about different cultures from me, and this one is centered on a Chinese-American family and written by a Chinese-American author, with bits of romanized but untranslated Mandarin scattered throughout. I'm excited, I think it's going to be really good. It feels like a book with a great heart, you know?

 

I just read a YA novel called American Panda about a first-generation child of Taiwanese expats trying to meet expectations at MIT as I’m trying to read more in that vein as well.

 

Oh, that sounds cool! I'll add it to my list.

 

Most of the time I definitely enjoy the ride. The only book I can think of from the past few years that I was really disappointed with the big reveal and execution is Final Girls. Maybe my expectations were too high to begin with or something but I just really didn't like the twists and whatnot eventhough I looked the story overall.

On the flip side I loved everything about The Fourth Monkey and eventhough I probably should've picked up on the big reveal, I didn't but it was fantastic throughout.

 

I'm currently reading The Chalk Man.

 

Anybody heard of this book?

The Last Equation of Isaac Severy: A Novel in Clues by Nova Jacobs

My wife sent it to me saying it's being described as an adult The Westing Game and I didn't even have to read the synopsis to be sold.

 

I'm new to this thread, but have you read Crazy Rich Asians? Kinda sounds similar to this, and it was written by a Singaporean author.

 

Whaaaat? That sounds so cool! Adding it to my list. We read The Westing Game in I think 7th grade and it was one of those books that the whole class really enjoyed, not just those of us who liked reading. (Also, I bet my husband would really like it, because he loves mystery books.)

I haven't! I'm getting so many great recommendations today! :) Thanks!

 

I could definitely see that. It's one if those books that I feel like has a little bit for everyone. Definitely in my Top 3 books.

This one definitely seems cool as I do enjoy Math and logic puzzles and such so seems like it'll be interesting

 

This could def be a silly question, but how is James Patterson?

I honestly don’t know much about his writing, but every time I’m in a book store it’s certainly overwhelming the amount of material he has for me to hardly know of him.

 

I really think he used to be good once, but I think it was so easy for him to recycle ideas and plots and gain success that now he's kind of a hack. imo

 

I'm not a JP stan by any means but what I've read I've enjoyed. His books tend to be nice quick, no nonsense, filler, palate cleansing reads.

Which ones have you been interested in?

 

It’s a pretty badly kept secret most JP books in the last decade are his name slapped on someone else’s works

 

yeah, that's part of why I called him a hack. he claims to handwrite all his novels and I'm like ???? at the pace you publish there's just no way that's possible

 

Just shout to finish Three-Body Problem (fucking fantastic) and will finish the series in the next few weeks. Will be reading Malazan as part of the reading club here but is anyone able to recommend a good sci-fi series? Can be standalone or an epic series but this stuff fascinates me! Even a link or a quick description, too.

I know I can trust you all and researching myself just gives an overwhelming amount of books. I've recently read Vonnegut, Iain Banks, bought Dune but haven't read that.

 

I read Lucifer’s Hammer last year and enjoyed it a bit. But it’s not space sci-fi, really.

 

I was going to suggest Dune lol. I'm not a sci-fi guy but that book blew my mind. Read it nearly 10 years ago and I still think it's one of the best books I've ever read.