What are you reading? Options

[Decrepit]

At 0922 this morning, 28 Jun 2020, I concluded my third read of Fred Saberhagen's The Second Book of Swords. I suppose I'll continue on with the third and final book. As of now I do not plan to read the Lost Swords series, wanting to make a dent in my ever-growing new-purchase TBR pile.

[Decrepit]

At 2227 yesterday evening I concluded my third read of Fred Saberhagen's The Third Book of Swords. I find it a better book than its predecessors. Enough so that I now debate continuing on with the various/numerous Lost Swords books, something I had no intention of doing at the end of book two.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Jul 2 2020, 10:43 AM

[haute ecole rider]

Not a fiction book, but I found White Fragility, by Robin DiAngelo, on Books. Bought it, downloaded it, and so far I am finding it very interesting. I identify as white, and am aware that my life, though it’s been a challenge at time because of my congenital deafness, has been relatively easy compared to those of my Black friends and coworkers. It is quite the eye opener, and I recommend it to anyone who’s truly interested in improving race relations (and it starts with oneself, I firmly believe).

Would you believe that it was recommended to me (and to others) by the Bishop of the Northwestern Illinois Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America? I am proud to be a member of this organization, because it shows that not all “Christians” are homophobic racists. In fact, I went to the Synod Assembly as a delegate quite a few years ago at a time when the churchwide organization was debating letting gays and lesbians serve openly as fully ordained pastors. I am proud to say that legislation passed later that summer at the churchwide assembly. I bring this up to challenge the popular media concept that all Christians are racist, homophobic and misogynistic. I have Muslim friends, atheist friends, and even a pagan friend or two. I love and respect them all, because I know they are people like me.

[Decrepit]

At 2125 yesterday evening, 4 Jul 2020, I concluded a third read of Fred Saberhagen's Empire of the East, book 1: The Broken Lands. This is an earlier book (first published 1968) than his Swords series, set in the same world during an earlier era. Like Swords volumes, it is short by modern standards, clocking in at under 200 pages, but of fairly typical length for a fantasy of its time. It shares another trait fairly common with fantasy of that era (and still today, just not as frequently) in that it contains sci-fi elements, in this case being set in a once technologically advanced world long after some catastrophe has reduced what remains of civilization to a relatively primitive state, one in which 'magic' now substitutes for lost technology to some limited extent. Vague, confused remembrances of a more advanced age remain, as do certain its physical objects. One of Broken Lands main plot-lines concerns one such object.

I had no memory of owning Broken Lands, discovering it by accident while returning the Swords series to its storage box. I did not intend to read more Saberhagen (at this time) until spotting it. Short as it is, I decided "what the heck? Might as well give it a try." As with the Swords books, I find it an okay read. Enjoyable, but not something I'd recommend to someone interesting in expanding their fantasy library. Unless that person has a special interest in early post-Tolkien fantasy literature.

Having finished Broken Lands, and not wanting to read the Lost Swords books at this time, I started in on book two of The Witcher series for what little remained of the day, then a bit more upon waking this morning. I then crawled out of bed, turned on the computer, and updated my 2020 reading log. On a whim, I decided to check and see if Broken Lands two prior readings had been logged during their respective years. The first reading (1989) had not. I fixed that. The second reading (1995) had. That year's log held several surprises, one being an entry for completing Book 2: The Black Mountains. This book too I have no recollection of. What's more, it's not in my Saberhagen stack. Considering the 1995 completion date, there's no way I could have given it away or 'lent' it to an acquaintance. Ergo, it had to be somewhere in the house. But where? Was it worth the bother of a full search? I decided on a token search. Turns out the book was housed in the same storage box as my Saberhagen stack, about halfway down a stack on the opposite end of the box. Once found I again decided, "What the heck, it's short, I'll read it." The Witcher is again on hold.

[Decrepit]

At 1704 this afternoon I finished a third read of Fred Saberhagen's Empire of the East, Book 2: The Black Mountains. So far as I know, I do not own Book 3. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the first two books just well enough to mildly consider ordering the concluding volume. Be that as it may, I'll like resume reading the Witcher series tonight, or something else in my too-high recent purchase initial-read stack.

[ghastley]

I had all three books, lost one, bought a combined volume edition, lost that, and now I only have book 1.

I have several of his Berserker series, but none of the Swords.

[Decrepit]

I had all three books, lost one, bought a combined volume edition, lost that, and now I only have book 1.

I have several of his Berserker series, but none of the Swords.

Searching Amazon the other day, it seems that the 'combined volume edition' is currently the only practical way for me to acquire book 3 (of Empire of the East) at the moment.

Stop the presses! I just discovered that book 3 (Changling Earth, published 1973) is no longer the series conclusion! Saberhagen returned to the series at the very end of his life and published a fourth volume, Ardneh's Sword, in 2006! It might be his final published work. This ups the chance of me acquiring book 3, and of course book 4. It would be super interesting to see how Saberhagen's writing 'improved/matured' or didn't improve/mature following a decades-long break.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Jul 10 2020, 03:40 PM

[ghastley]

Stop the presses! I just discovered that book 3 (Changling Earth, published 1973) is no longer of the series conclusion! Saberhagen returned to the series at the very end of his life and published a fourth volume, Ardneh's Sword, in 2006! It might be his final published work. This ups the chance of me acquiring book 3, and of course book 4. It would be super interesting to see how Saberhagen's writing 'improved/matured' or didn't improve/mature following a decades-long break.

Did the source if this information indicate where it fits? The Swords books supposedly continue the story already, so was there a gap that needed to be filled? It looks like I'll have to find a copy, too. And just when my Nook has given up on me.

[Decrepit]

Stop the presses! I just discovered that book 3 (Changling Earth, published 1973) is no longer the series conclusion! Saberhagen returned to the series at the very end of his life and published a fourth volume, Ardneh's Sword, in 2006! It might be his final published work. This ups the chance of me acquiring book 3, and of course book 4. It would be super interesting to see how Saberhagen's writing 'improved/matured' or didn't improve/mature following a decades-long break.

Did the source if this information indicate where it fits? The Swords books supposedly continue the story already, so was there a gap that needed to be filled? It looks like I'll have to find a copy, too. And just when my Nook has given up on me.

I took this description off Goodreads:
"Ardnehs Sword is a bridge story linking Fred Saberhagens Empire of the East series with his later Swords series. And while avid fans have always recognized the world of Swords as being a future iteration of the Empire lands, this novel cements that fact as an absolute truth, providing a rather seamless transition from one series to the next."
More detailed descriptions can be found. I chose to ignore them for now, as I don't want to spoil things for myself should I decide to buy the book.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Jul 10 2020, 03:48 PM

[Decrepit]

At 2053 yesterday evening, 14 Jul 2020, I concluded an initial read of Andrzej Sapkowski's Sword of Destiny, second of two short-story compilations that serve as introduction to The Witcher series. It and its predecessor are interesting reads. My enjoyment increased with each successive short-story. I ended up liking the books significantly more than the first story or two led me to suspect. I'm now 72 pages into Blood of Elves, the series' first full-fledged novel.

I've completed 18 books thus far this year. Three were history. One was a pictorial of historic interest. The rest are fantasy (in a few cases science-fantasy). The bulk were read within three months; January, June, July. I suffered a reading slump beginning late January so that in Feb, Mar and May I read only one book per month, and only two during April. Three books were initial reads, the rest re-reads. I would be hard-pressed to pick a "best read of the half year". It is a tie between Guy Gavriel Kay's Lions of Al-Rassan and Bruce Catton's three book Army of the Potomac, both re-reads.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Jul 16 2020, 02:33 AM

[Decrepit]

At 1641 this afternoon, 21 Jul 2020, I concluded an initial read of Andrzej Sapkowski's Blood of Elves, first novel in his Witcher series. General consensus seems to be that the two short-story compilation books are weak compared to the bonafide novels. Some even recommend skipping the short-stories. Turns out I enjoy the short-story books more than the first novel. Go figure.

I'm now a few pages into novel two, The Time of Contempt. Books three and four or on order and should arrive NTL this coming Saturday.

[Decrepit]

At 0842 this morning, 28 Jul 2020, I concluded an initial read of Andrzej Sapkowski's The Time of Contempt, the second Witcher novel (but fourth book in the series). This volume has some very well executed moments, which I'll not discuss due to spoilers. I planned to mention noticed literary influences, but my mind being what it is I've forgotten them. Except Henryk Sienkiewicz' "Trilogy", which is only fitting, Sienkiewicz being one of the major Polish novelists. Also, a few, short isolated bits remind me somewhat of Moorecock. There are several others, but again, they've faded from memory.

I'll begin the next book, Baptism of Fire, later today.

[Decrepit]

I have an initial-read TBR list!

It is most odd that I have such a list. First, the overwhelming majority of my reading has for years been re-reads. Second, I don’t normally plan my reading in advance, other than to continue an ongoing series. The below isn’t to be taken as gospel. I hope to get to them by year’s end, but am just as likely to do a fair amount of re-reading, pushing some to 2021 or beyond.

Dostoyevsky: The Brothers Karamazov.
The one book (on the list) I’ve owned forever without haven’t yet read. (The remaining books are all fairly recent acquisitions.)

Lee Server: Ava Gardiner “Love is Nothing”.
I’m not normally a celebrity-bio guy. I’d not bother with this except that my brother read it a while back and offered it to me afterward. Low priority.

Brandon Sanderson: Oathbringer.
I’m not the Sanderson fanboy much of booktube seems to be. Still, I Like books 1 & 2 (of Stormlight Archive) quite a lot. Better than Mistborn, certainly. Not sure why I waited to long to buy it.

Colleen McCullough: Caesar.
I searched for this title at my local Barnes & Noble for years. It never materialized there. When the store was destroyed by tornado earlier this year it bit the bullet and ordered off Amazon. (I’ve read and enjoyed all earlier series entries.)

Ariosto: Orlanda Furioso / Orlando Furioso 2 (Penguin Classics).
These are a BIG gamble for me, as I’ve never cared for books written in verse.

Various Icelandic writers: The Sagas of Icelanders (Penguin Classics).
I began reading these sagas during my ‘slump’ and enjoyed what I read very much. I didn’t stop due to the ‘slump’ but because the book is rather heavy. It proved hard to hold any length of time while lying down.

Claudio Saunt: Unworthy Republic, the Dispossession of Native Americans and the Road to Indian Territory.
I began this too, only to stop due solely due to my ‘slump’. I know the gist of much it contains, but in the short amount already read found things new to me.

Andrzej Sapkowski: The Witcher, remaining volumes.
This is of course what I’m reading now. (I order the one book I lack yesterday). An enjoyable series but not, I think, destined to enter my non-existent fantasy Top-20 list.

Speaking of which, my reading has slowed of late, due to a return of strong neck / shoulder / upper back pain that makes lying down unpleasant at the best of times. To the plus, lower-back pain, once my primary source of lying discomfort, has at long last diminished to the point it is rarely more than a minor nuisance. Or so I hope.

[Decrepit]

At 0251 this morning, 6 Aug 2020, I concluded an initial read of Andrzej Sapkowski's Baptism of Fire, book three (or five, counting the two short-story collections) of his The Witcher series. I'm now several pages into book 4(6), The Tower of Swallows. I wanted to read more, but my neck hurt too much allow me to remain lying down.

Can you believe it? I ordered two more books off Amazon, adding to an already too large TBR list! The first is a Penguin Classic edition of The Monk: A Romance, a Gothic novel by Matthew Gregory Lewis, first published in 1796. It was totally unknown to me until a few days ago. Like other recently purchased canonical classics, I was introduced to it via a Steve Donoghue YouTube video. Wikipedia describes it thus:

"It is a prime example of the male Gothic that specializes in the aspect of horror. Its convoluted and scandalous plot has made it one of the most important Gothic novels of its time, often imitated and adapted for the stage and the screen."

The second ordered book is a collection of orchestra scores for Beethoven's first four symphonies. I've owned all nine scores in book form since my late teens or very early twenties. I've never been completely satisfied with that edition, as it prints four or more pages of score on a single book page. This can make it a bit of a challenge to follow. I didn't mind so much in my younger days, with better than 20/20 vision. The book on order presents the works one score page per each book page, except when it makes sense to combine score pages. (Mainly when Beethoven writes extensive passages only for the wind or string sections, while the rest of the orchestra remains silent.) Too, my old edition follows the questionable practice of highlighting with arrows what it considers the music's 'important' voice(s). Unneeded clutter, imo. (That said, back when I did a bit of light ensemble conducting, I'd often highlight individual instrument parts to better remember important cues.)

My hearing being what it now is, buying music scores is somewhat ludicrous, the more so considering I've lost much of my ability to decipher music notation due to decades of total neglect. I doubt I'll buy more score books, except 'maybe' the remaining Beethoven symphonies.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Aug 6 2020, 11:01 AM

[Decrepit]

At 0311 this morning, 13 Aug 2020, I concluded an initial read of Andrzej Sapkowski's The Tower of Swallows, book 4(6) his Witcher series. I'm now a few pages into The Lady of the Lake.

[Decrepit]

At 1517 this afternoon, 19 Aug 2020, I concluded an initial read of Andrzej Sapkowski's The Lady of the Lake, bringing to an end The Witcher novel series. Having read the books in publication order, I've one final volume to go, the later written Season of Storms. Knowing what I know now, I wish I had read the books in one of the other recommended orders, which place Season of Storms (or parts of it) with the two short-story books that serve as a series intro. I somehow suspect Storms will be in more of a lighter style to match the short-stories, rather than the novels darker style. Then again, I could be wrong. Time will tell.

I find the series uneven, but definitely worth reading. Unlike some, I find the two short-story compilations a worthy introduction, though admit I had doubts early on. The novels-proper gave me a few doubts too, during book two I think, then became more consistently interesting.

I've been thinking on what my Top-Five Fantasy Series list would be, were I foolish enough to concoct one. A problem, one series that would surely make the list, A Song of Ice and Fire, must be excluded since it will never be finished. Another sure-fire entry, The Wheel of Time, was not finished by the author. Much as I think Sanderson does a good job completing it, I believe we'd have gotten better from Jordan, especially the final book. (I'm in the minority in being disappointed with A Memory of Light). At one time the first two Stephen Donaldson Thomas Covenant Chronicles (trilogies) would have headed the list, and still might place highly. But much has been written since those, and in any case the much later published Final Chronicles is for me a tragic disappointment. And so it goes.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Aug 19 2020, 10:04 PM

[Decrepit]

At 1903 this evening, 23 Aug 2020, I concluded an initial read of Andrzej Sapkowski's Season of Storms, final book in The Witcher series. While I consider the series uneven, I'm sad to see it end.

If and when I re-read the series, I'll likely follow an alternative order, which places Season of Storms early on, with the short-story compilations, except for its short concluding epilogue, which belongs dead last. That said, reading the entire book as a closer works well enough.

I've not yet settled on what to take up next. I'm tentatively thinking of a change of pace, something I rarely do; read a 'classic', in this case Matthew Lewis' late eighteenth century novel The Monk - A Romance, in the Penguin Classics edition. We shall see.

[Decrepit]

At 1611 this afternoon, 1 Sep 2020, I concluded and initial read of Matthew Lewis' 1796 The Monk - A Romance, in its Penguin Classics edition. It's the first 'classic' I've read in a very long time, excepting Henryk Sienkiewicz' "Trilogy", read half a decade ago. Oddly, I've not yet decided what I think of it. I certainly don't dislike it. Nor is it a favorite. A decent read, I suppose. I don't rule out reading it again.

As to what I'll take up next, I've no earthly idea.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Sep 1 2020, 11:07 PM

[Decrepit]

I've decided to tackle another book in my initial-read TBR pile, Colleen McCollough's Caesar. It's fiction, part of a series which chronicles Rome from the late Republic of Marius/Sulla through Julius Caesar and on for some short period of time. I know, for instance, that there is a volume devoted to Antony and Cleopatra. Beyond that, I've no idea. I rather enjoyed earlier series entries, some more than others. It's a long book, some 840 pages. I'll be at it a good couple of weeks minimum.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Sep 4 2020, 03:19 PM

[Decrepit]

At 0317 this morning, 19 Sep 2020, I concluded an initial read of Colleen McCullough's Caesar, a component of her series of historically-informed novels chronicling Rome from the late Republic of Gaius Marius and early Sulla through the onset of Empire. I like the series quite a lot, this entry being no exception. It covers Caesars stay in Gaul during the Gallic Rebellion, the crossing of the Rubicon, and the consequent Civil War between Caesar's adherents and the of Pompey and the Senate, ending with Pompey's demise. [EDIT: Almost forgot to mention that a young Cleopatra puts in a brief appearance.] An easy recommend if you're at all into well told historically plausible novels set within this period. I of course recommend the entire series.

I don't yet own the next series entry, The October Horse. I'm not yet sure what I'll read next.

ADDENDUM: I just ordered October Horse off Amazon. A used Hardback copy, advertised as like-new. $7.04US, shipping and tax included. Not bad at all. It won't arrive any time soon, so I still need to decide on at least one interim read. (I might not read October Horse upon arrival in any case.)

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Sep 19 2020, 09:22 PM