What are you reading?

[Frelga]

Audiobooks turned out to be the gateway to reading fiction that I needed.

I finished Gardens of the Moon, first book of Malazan something. It's a respectable sword and sorcery story, but there's more politics than I typically like in my fantasy, lots of world building that never quite gets explained, with made up words, often including apostrophes. It also doesn't have a reader standin character, and it wasn't quite successful at making me care about the central characters.

On the upside, it doesn't have a Dark Lord or a Chosen One, the world is not fake medieval, the plot is engaging and the lack of emotional investment is a plus where I am currently concerned.

[Impenitent]

I'm back on the kindle for the most part, reserving audiobooks for activities in which my eyes need to be elsewhere (like cycling or driving or cooking).

On the whole, I prefer my own narrative voice, as many reader interpretations of character and nuance clash with what happens in my head and take me out of the story. Examples: a Librivox reader who pronounces perseverence as perSEVerence, along with other infelicities which felt totally wrong to me, such as randomly assigning Cockney accents or breathy girly voices to characters.

How do you handle such annoyances?

[Voronwë the Faithful]

By avoiding listening to audiobooks.

[Inanna]

What V said.

Frelga, am glad that series is providing the mix you need right now. How’s Pride & Joy?

[RoseMorninStar]

I take the words perseveration and PerSEVeration as words with different meanings.
Perseverance/perseveration: to persist often in spite of difficulties. Steadfastness.
PerSEVerance/perSEVeration: is a clinical word used for those with repetitive behaviors often associated with autism.

Or am I spelling something wrong?

[Frelga]

Librivox is a volunteer organization, IIRC. I've listened to a few of their recordings but it's really hit or miss.

I had few complaints about professional audiobooks. Some of them, like those read by Christopher Lee or Neil Gaiman, are an added joy.

I do tend to edit narration in my head if I disagree with it.

Frelga, am glad that series is providing the mix you need right now. How’s Pride & Joy?

Thank you for asking. He sounded better on the phone, but he also didn't have much time to talk.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

When I first read that question, given what thread this was, I was wondering if there was some sequel to "Pride and Prejudice" that I was not aware of. Then my brain clicked into gear.

I'm glad he sounded better.

[Alatar]

Just read the third book in the Black Iron legacy by Gareth Hanrahan. Really inventive and very different.

https://www.goodreads.com/series/249022 ... ron-legacy

[Inanna]

Ah. I’ve read 1 and 2. Should check out 3…

Reading Book 2 of Neal Stephenson and Nicole Galland’s D.O.D.O. Series. Interesting and well written.

[Frelga]

Finished Whispers Underground, 3rd book of Rivers of London, on Kindle. Engaging, and Pratchett references are a bonus.

Also finished Barrayar on audio book. Again, more political than I usually like, but engaging.

[Alatar]

Ah. I’ve read 1 and 2. Should check out 3…

Out of curiosity, what did you think of them?

[RoseMorninStar]

I enjoy historical fiction and I'm half-way through 'Hololulu' by Alan Brennert. When I read the tagline it had me hooked.

"In Korea in those days, newborn girls were not deemed important enough to be graced with formal names, but were instead given nicknames, which often reflected the parents' feelings on the birth of a daughter: I knew a girl named Anger, and another called Pity. As for me, my parents named me Regret."

[Inanna]

Ah. I’ve read 1 and 2. Should check out 3…

Out of curiosity, what did you think of them?

I don't remember.... I'll have to dive in a bit to recall. But, clearly, no extreme emotions were involved.

[RoseMorninStar]

Impy, how's your vertigo? Did you ever find out what was causing the issue? I hope you are right as rain.

[Impenitent]

The vertigo is completely gone - lasted a week. Improving daily from about the third day so doc concluded it was viral as per first diagnosis.

Of course, I had already had a CT scan by then, to cover all bases, which found a totally unrelated blob in my left front parietal lobe. Couldn't tell what it was so a follow up MRI was called for...identified the blob as a cavernoma.

Neurologist next.

Not worried. It's benign, it's not in a critical spot and it's been silent - no symptoms. I'll know more in a week.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

That is potentially very fortunate that you ended up having the CT scan, which led to early discovery of the cavernoma, so that it can be monitored, to make sure that it does not cause any future problems.

[RoseMorninStar]

I'm glad you are feeling better and hope the cavernoma (I had to look that up) stays silent.

[Inanna]

will just sit here with my fingers crossed.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I'm glad you are feeling better and hope the cavernoma (I had to look that up) stays silent.

I had to look it up too.

[Frelga]

Looks like the library will take away The Final Empire before I finish it. That's the downside of digital book lending - I can't just keep it a few days, they don't let you renew it if other people are waiting. Ah well.

I heard Sanderson mentioned in the same breath as Tolkien and Pratchett, and just no. He's got a good concept, the set of characters, the system of magic.

But his writing is barebones. He nodded. She shrugged. They walked. And, twice per page, Kelsier smiled. Like, I get it, it's an important bit of a characterization, but twice. Per. Page! And the young heroine is getting on my nerves. More, there's not much depth to the story - it doesn't connect to anything real.