What Are You Reading - 2018 Edition

sabotai · 05-12-2018, 10:21 PM

On GoodReads, I signed up for the 52 book challenge. Well, it's May so of course I'm way behind. Just finished my 8th book this year. So I've got 44 to read in a little over half a year. I think I can actually get there, because 1) I'm partially through several books as I like to hop around, 2) I got into playing EU4 and HOI4 a lot, as well as bing watching some TV series, and 3) On my afternoon walks, I've been almost exclusively listening to podcasts, but I'm going to now start on some audiobooks that have been figuratively collecting dust for years.

So anyway, book #8: Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb (Book #1 of the Farseer Trilogy)

The book starts off with a strike against it. It's in first person. What I hate about first person is that you can usually just replace the "I"s with the character's name or pronoun, and change the verb conjugation from first to third person, and you wouldn't know the difference. If you're going to give me 1st person, take advantage of it. This book does that, so that strike gets taken away.

I really enjoyed the book. It was one of the better fantasy novels I've read so far. Hard to talk about it without giving anything away, though I'm sure many here have already read it. I really liked all of the characters. Thought the pacing was good. Had a few troupe-y things in it (a little bit of monologuing going on), but otherwise, I really liked it.

My Rating: 4/5

Next up for Fantasy: Words of Radiance (Stormlight Archive #2)

Already Reading
Historical Fiction: The Wallace by Nigel Tranter (just started)
Audiobook: The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman (5% through - just started as well)

JonInMiddleGA · 05-12-2018, 10:28 PM

Quote:

2) I got really distracted by some epic EU4 and HOI4 play throughs

Whose?

(I ask since I've been rationing various playthroughs/LPs lately and I've only got a few more to go before I get sadly caught up with my current batch of regulars)

sabotai · 05-12-2018, 10:41 PM

I just meant I played those two games a lot, though I see how I worded that oddly.

JonInMiddleGA · 05-12-2018, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sabotai

I just meant I played those two games a lot, though I see how I worded that oddly.

Oops, my bad. Shows you were my head is regarding watching vs playing lately I guess.

hoopsguy · 07-28-2018, 09:29 PM

Just finished Rise of Superman by Steven Kotler, and was blown away. Wondering if any of the folks here have read it, had reactions to the themes of flow and human potential?

tarcone · 07-28-2018, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hoopsguy

Just finished Rise of Superman by Steven Kotler, and was blown away. Wondering if any of the folks here have read it, had reactions to the themes of flow and human potential?

Just read a synopsis and am intrigued. Could you go in-depth about what blew you away? I was thinking of getting this for my 16 year old basketball player. Could she take away from it what it is trying to spell out?

hoopsguy · 07-29-2018, 01:47 PM

Basically, the author details accomplishments that took place in sports like surfing, mountain climbing, skiing, skate boarding etc that more or less redefined the art of possible. He identifies this flow state as a common denominator across each of those disciplines, and shares some science behind flow ... what regions of brain are active/dormant, what chemical reactions take place, etc. Finally, he proposes that this is something that is attainable by anyone with practice, and that it has application in everyday life and an opportunity to enrich society. That is the quick-and-dirty summary.

QuikSand · 07-30-2018, 07:20 AM

I recently finished Jonah Goldberg's Suicide of the West, as a general break in tradition for me, as I do not often read about politics for leisure. I think he makes an interesting, though not bulletproof, case that our current political trends are corrosive in nature. It's honestly hard not to feel that way, but he assembles a case for it pretty well. Alas, short on prescription for a remedy.

If you like this sort of political philosophy a.k.a. navel-gazing, I would recommend it as worth the time.

corbes · 07-30-2018, 09:26 AM

2018 to date:

Madeline Miller, Circe (5*)
Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles (5*)

Samanta Schweblin, Fever Dream (4*)
Gabe Habash, Stephen Florida (4*)
Leonardo Sciascia, The Day of the Owl (4*)
Jesmyn Ward, Sing Unburied Sing (4*)

Tayari Jones, An American Marriage (3*)
Colm Toibin, House of Names (3*)
Min Jin Lee, Pachinko (3*)
Annie Proulx, Barkskins (3*)
Domenico Starnone, Trick (3*)
John Green, Turtles All The Way Down (3*)
Gabriel Tallent, My Absolute Darling (3*)

Dan Brown, Origin (2*)
Nathan Hill, The Nix (2*)

Currently reading: Tommy Orange, There There

On deck:
Leonardo Sciascia, To Each His Own
Andrew Martin, Early Work
Ingrid Rojas Contreras, Fruit of the Drunken Tree
Alex Perry, The Good Mothers
Jesse Ball, Census
Julian Herbert, Tomb Song
Rachel Kushner, Mars Room
Roberto Bolano, Savage Detectives
Anthony Quinn, Freya
Mohsin Hamid, Exit West
Gabriel Garcia Marquez, The General In His Labyrinth

Kodos · 07-30-2018, 09:36 AM

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Yes, I'm a bit behind the times...

Groundhog · 07-30-2018, 06:24 PM

I've done very little reading this year. Trying my first audio book on Audible - Susan Wise Bauer's History of the Ancient world. I struggled with the book, and I'm struggling a bit with the audio book too, but now that the Persians have entered the picture and it's a little bit more familiar territory the names are starting to stick, rather than just a seemingly endless tide of difficult Assyrian/Babylonian names (...not to mention Chinese and Indian...) that began to bleed together in my mind.

Looking forward to picking up the Lovecraft County audiobook once I'm done. It is geo-blocked on my kindle, but is available through the Audible store.

RainMaker · 07-30-2018, 06:37 PM

The Arm - If you love baseball, this is a great read. It's essentially about Tommy John Surgery. Gives a history, tells the story of a couple guys recovering, talks about different approaches to pitching, and so on. Sounds kind of boring but it's similar to Michael Lewis books where a story is woven in to keep you engaged. I think it'll make you a smarter baseball fan.

American Lion - Andrew Jackson is one of the most fascinating Presidents the country has ever had and this book is terrific. Focuses more on his Presidency than pre-Presidency. I did the audiobook on this one and while I find the voices to be hit or miss on most books, this was definitely a hit. Was like listening to a great storyteller.

1491 and 1493 - Two books on the history of the Americas. 1491 covers what was going on before Columbus got here and was just a solid book.

07-28-2018, 09:29 PM	#5
hoopsguy General Manager Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Chicago	Just finished Rise of Superman by Steven Kotler, and was blown away. Wondering if any of the folks here have read it, had reactions to the themes of flow and human potential? Last edited by hoopsguy : 07-28-2018 at 09:30 PM.

07-30-2018, 09:36 AM	#10
Kodos Resident Alien Join Date: Jun 2001	Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Yes, I'm a bit behind the times... __________________ Author of The Bill Gates Challenge, as well as other groundbreaking dynasties.

07-30-2018, 06:24 PM	#11
Groundhog Coordinator Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Sydney, Australia	I've done very little reading this year. Trying my first audio book on Audible - Susan Wise Bauer's History of the Ancient world. I struggled with the book, and I'm struggling a bit with the audio book too, but now that the Persians have entered the picture and it's a little bit more familiar territory the names are starting to stick, rather than just a seemingly endless tide of difficult Assyrian/Babylonian names (...not to mention Chinese and Indian...) that began to bleed together in my mind. Looking forward to picking up the Lovecraft County audiobook once I'm done. It is geo-blocked on my kindle, but is available through the Audible store. __________________ Politics, n. Strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles. --Ambrose Bierce

05-12-2018, 10:41 PM	#3
sabotai General Manager Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: The Satellite of Love	I just meant I played those two games a lot, though I see how I worded that oddly.

07-29-2018, 01:47 PM	#7
hoopsguy General Manager Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Chicago	Basically, the author details accomplishments that took place in sports like surfing, mountain climbing, skiing, skate boarding etc that more or less redefined the art of possible. He identifies this flow state as a common denominator across each of those disciplines, and shares some science behind flow ... what regions of brain are active/dormant, what chemical reactions take place, etc. Finally, he proposes that this is something that is attainable by anyone with practice, and that it has application in everyday life and an opportunity to enrich society. That is the quick-and-dirty summary.

07-30-2018, 07:20 AM	#8
QuikSand lolzcat Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Annapolis, Md	I recently finished Jonah Goldberg's Suicide of the West, as a general break in tradition for me, as I do not often read about politics for leisure. I think he makes an interesting, though not bulletproof, case that our current political trends are corrosive in nature. It's honestly hard not to feel that way, but he assembles a case for it pretty well. Alas, short on prescription for a remedy. If you like this sort of political philosophy a.k.a. navel-gazing, I would recommend it as worth the time.

07-30-2018, 09:26 AM	#9
corbes College Benchwarmer Join Date: Nov 2003	2018 to date: Madeline Miller, Circe (5) Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles (5) Samanta Schweblin, Fever Dream (4) Gabe Habash, Stephen Florida (4) Leonardo Sciascia, The Day of the Owl (4) Jesmyn Ward, Sing Unburied Sing (4) Tayari Jones, An American Marriage (3) Colm Toibin, House of Names (3) Min Jin Lee, Pachinko (3) Annie Proulx, Barkskins (3) Domenico Starnone, Trick (3) John Green, Turtles All The Way Down (3) Gabriel Tallent, My Absolute Darling (3) Dan Brown, Origin (2) Nathan Hill, The Nix (2*) Currently reading: Tommy Orange, There There On deck: Leonardo Sciascia, To Each His Own Andrew Martin, Early Work Ingrid Rojas Contreras, Fruit of the Drunken Tree Alex Perry, The Good Mothers Jesse Ball, Census Julian Herbert, Tomb Song Rachel Kushner, Mars Room Roberto Bolano, Savage Detectives Anthony Quinn, Freya Mohsin Hamid, Exit West Gabriel Garcia Marquez, The General In His Labyrinth

07-30-2018, 06:37 PM	#12
RainMaker General Manager Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Chicago, IL	The Arm - If you love baseball, this is a great read. It's essentially about Tommy John Surgery. Gives a history, tells the story of a couple guys recovering, talks about different approaches to pitching, and so on. Sounds kind of boring but it's similar to Michael Lewis books where a story is woven in to keep you engaged. I think it'll make you a smarter baseball fan. American Lion - Andrew Jackson is one of the most fascinating Presidents the country has ever had and this book is terrific. Focuses more on his Presidency than pre-Presidency. I did the audiobook on this one and while I find the voices to be hit or miss on most books, this was definitely a hit. Was like listening to a great storyteller. 1491 and 1493 - Two books on the history of the Americas. 1491 covers what was going on before Columbus got here and was just a solid book.

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