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What book(s) are you currently reading or listening? September 17 (discuss.online)

submitted 3 months ago by [email protected] to c/books

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Reading The Twelve by Justin Cronin. Book 2 of The Passage trilogy. Around 180 or so pages in, and we are still in the past, the story is interesting, so reading about these characters, but I am still not sure if it will have any effect in the future / present, or it's just for world building. I am now invested enough now to see where it goes though.

What about all of you? What have you been reading or listening to lately?

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[–] wjrii 5 points 3 months ago (1 children)

So this fairly counts as light reading, but my kiddo just finished the Amari YA series by B.B. Alston. It's basically Harry Potter meets Men in Black, but with an actually diverse cast. The main character and her family are from urban Atlanta. Super derivative of course, with it's chosen-one narrative and coming of age, but it's a page turner with fun universe-building, and I like being able to talk to my daughter about what she's been reading.

I'm also working through 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric H. Cline. I understand some of the conclusions are a bit dated, but he's a well-known scholar in the field and it's very readable. Even if he's a bit dramatic about who did what to whom, it's real archaeology and not your Gavin Menzies conspiratorial nonsense.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Ah cool. Amari series looks interesting. Going to order the first book to see if my kid likes it.

The author mentions it as Artemis Fowl meets Men in Black. Have you read Artemis Fowl series? I am wondering which should I get for him first. Which of these is better for younger audience?

How's the 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed to read? Easy to read or somewhat dense?

[–] wjrii 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

So super late here, but while I haven't read Artemis Fowl, some skimming of summaries makes me think they're pretty similar. Amari has a setting of a fish out of water in an educational setting that brings in some Hogwart's and Percy Jackson vibes, but that all share that same low-fantasy (in the sense of "weird shit coexisting with the normal world") vibe. It's all very derivative, but it takes its representation seriously and is willing to have sympathetic characters make poor choices.

1177 is dense but good, like listening to a charming professor who's been given free rein to indulge himself. I was familiar with some of the players and geography from previous reading and podcasts, but even then I find myself glossing over some of the verbiage and long-dead citites in the ancient Near-East. The overall thesis remains pretty easy to follow even if you don't remember exactly where Ugarit was.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

Cool. Thanks for the info!