this post was submitted on 07 Jan 2025
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Welcome back after the holidays! Hope you had a good time, and your new year is starting well!

I didn't get much time to read, so still reading The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson. Third and final book the of Mistborn series (first era).

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


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[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

Currently reading fiction:"The vanished man" by Jeffery Deaver.

Currently reading non fiction: "Homecoming" by John Bradshaw.

I am going to try and read 52 books this year. Let's see how it goes.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 hours ago

I'm re-reading my way through the early Essalieyan novels by Michelle West, to refresh before I read the latest book. It's definitely scratching my epic fantasy itch. I'm so glad she moved to Patreon and self-publishing instead of giving up on finishing the story!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

If you count graphic novels, I'm currently making my way through Sandman.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

We definitely do.

It has been on my wishlist for a long time. How are you enjoying it?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 hours ago

Only about halfway through, but it's been fantastic so far.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

Reading a Finnish historian's book based on his studies about slave trade in Eastern Europe, Finland and Karelia during the middle ages. No english title or translation, that I know of, but I'll try to translate it:

Korpela, Jukka. 2014. Idän orjakauppa keskiajalla - Ihmisryöstöt Suomesta ja Karjalasta. SKS, Helsinki.

Korpela, Jukka. 2014. Eastern slave trade in the middle ages - Abduction of people from Finland and Karelia. SKS, Helsinki.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 hours ago

I have always heard about African slave trades, not much about slave trades in Eastern Europe. Should look up something on the topic.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

The Exiled Fleet by JS Dewes. Really fun scifi and I dove into The Exiled Fleet immediately after finishing the first book, The Last Watch.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 hours ago

Just looked it up, it looks interesting.

[–] TheMinions 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Reading a couple things at the moment.

Wrapped up Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson a few weeks back. Before that I had been rereading Stormlight in it’s entirety now that I have nearly caught up with the Cosmere (outside of White Sand and the secret projects besides Sunlit).

I didn’t finish that reread and am smack in the middle of Oathbringer, which might be my favorite of the Stormlight novels.

Additionally just 10 minutes ago I finished Demon Copperhead, which was really quite fantastic in my eyes. I have family from Appalachia - my parents left the area in the late 90’s after moving to a city in the late 80’s. So it brought back a lot of memories of grandparent visits and trailer parks and gorgeous nature. And also all the burned out wrecked homes you can see if you ever drive around.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Other than Stormlight Archives, I am at same place in Cosmere with you, well also The Rithamist, but I am going to ignore that for now, will read when the sequel is coming out.

[–] TheMinions 1 points 8 hours ago

I know some folks swear that Rithamist is Sanderson’s best work and I am hesitant to try it.

I’ve tried Yumi a couple times, but haven’t been able to get into. I am excited to read Tress, however.

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

Finished earthsea except tales. Finished Livesuit by James sa Corey. Almost done with red rising by pierce brown now. Like them both a lot. Quite a welcome change of pace from leguin. I loved her stories but I listened to all of hainish and earthsea one after the other thing , so I’m ready for things with a bit more pace for a bit 😜

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Heh, that's a lot of reading. Any plans on what to read next?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 hours ago

Oh I’m just going to go through the rest of the red rising series. After that I’ll probably move on to malazan

The leguin books were over the last few months, I’m not that prolific ha. Livesuit and red rising were over the last two weeks, I just missed the last book thread

[–] Plum 6 points 1 day ago

I'm reading Mistborn finally, and I'm enjoying it. I made a new years promise to read the nook books I paid for and never touched, or got one chapter in and quit. They've just been sitting there for a decade. Next up is Hell: A Novel.

[–] SwordInStone 3 points 1 day ago

My fiancée told me to read Dracula, so that's what I'm reading now - between the 1st time she told me and now I've read the Green Mile and the Running Man, so I couldn't postpone it any longer.

I'm listening to At the Mountains of Madness after having finished the Fall of Hyperion, as a break from Hyperion Cantos.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago

For the last few years I have doing a 'big read' of something over the course of each year - War and Peace, In Search of Lost Time, Finnegans Wake and, in 2024, Romance of the Three Kingdoms. There is some enduringly memorable material in each of those, and reading them has been quite an experience but I have decided to take a break from that format of reading and just have a year of SF in 2025 - catching up on some that I have long meant to read, starting with Dan Simmons' Hyperion. Just finished the Scholar's Tale so far and am thoroughly hooked.

Otherwise, I am most of the way through Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner - which I believe was recommended in this community a while back - which is notable if for no other reason than it includes the first use of the term infangthief that I have encountered since reading 1066 And All That in my teens. And also a recent Doctor Who audionovel The Lord of Misrule by Paul Morris, which is an enjoyably nostalgic tale featuring some beloved characters (as read by Jon Culshaw), but overall nothing exceptional so far.

[–] nieminen 3 points 1 day ago

Currently in the middle of Tress of the Emerald Sea. Just finished Task Force Hammer.

Stormlight book 5 just came out and I finished it about 2 weeks ago.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago

Just bookmarking for recommendations. I should read more.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago

I recently finished Wind and Truth (Stormlight Archive #5) and was extremely pleased with the end of this era.

I am currently (re)reading A Darkness at Sethanon by Raymond E. Feist (Riftwar Saga #3). This series isn’t as good as I remembered from when I was in high school, but it’s reasonably entertaining on the whole.

Not sure what I’ll read after that. If anyone has a good fantasy / sci-fi recommendation let me know! Keep in mind, I’ve read all Sanderson has to offer :)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

What to Believe?: Twelve Brief Lessons in Radical Theology by John D. Caputo. After I had finished Caputo's excellent primer "How to read Kierkegaard" I was interested in reading more of his works. He is an affable and clear writer. Great fun.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I finished The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson (Stormlight book 1). Massively enjoyed this one. Spent more time than I should have during the holidays reading it.

Now I'm reading The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. It's a historical fiction novel set in occupied France during World War 2. I'm finding it ok so far. It's easy to read and the plot is fine, but I'm not very emotionally invested and don't love the writing style.

Edit: I want to clarify that the topics and themes visited in this book are very emotionally heavy. However, the writing feels like an emotional stiff arm to me. It's just so distant and impersonal, that it reduces the impact of the difficult topics.

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

Just finished reading the Witcher Blood of the Elves & plan on reading The Stormlight Archive: Wind & Truth next

[–] SwordInStone 1 points 1 day ago

Without you I wouldn't know Stormlight 5 was released. Hope you enjoy Witcher.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago

During the holidays with my family, my brother convinced me to give "He who fights with Monsters" by Shirtaloon a try. I'm currently about 30% deep into book one. It's my first time reading LitRPG and even though I'm not quite sure about the genre I'm enjoying this one quite a lot.

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

Been reading Bernoulli’s Fallacy, both fascinating and disturbing… Glad I got into it.

[–] AbouBenAdhem 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

If you like that, I’d recommend E.T. Jaynes’ Probability Theory: The Logic of Science (which Clayton repeatedly praises) next. Bernoulli’s Fallacy is good as at exposing the theoretical and historical flaws of conventional statistics, but Jaynes’ book is a more thorough overview of Bayesian statistics.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

Thanks I’ll check out a summary see if it floats my boat.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

Finished Chalice by Robin McKinley; the world-building's a little funky, and it's not my favorite book by her, but I still found it cozy and enjoyable. Now I'm sloooowly making my way through Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman. It's enjoyable so far, I just haven't been reading much lately.

[–] AbouBenAdhem 1 points 1 day ago

I’m just finishing up The Book of Elsewhere by China Miéville and Keanu Reeves.