READING LIST 2017!!!

Time for a new thread since it is now a new year!



Still reading:  the Truth Of The Matter - Andrew Klavan

Still Reading the Sword of Shannara Trilogy.

I WILL finish the Wheel of Time series this year. I WILL, I WILL, I WILL!!! I only have two more to go, but they are HUUUUGE!

Xid wrote:

Still Reading the Sword of Shannara Trilogy.

Why stop at the trilogy? Go for broke and read all the Shannara/Elfstone books. And at some point you should go back to when it started (not Terry's writings, but the storyline  ), and read "Running With the Demon" and the ones that followed it.

I'd like to read that entire series again.

I'd also like to read the Weiss and Hickman Dragonlance novels again.

I read Sword & Elfstones a long time ago and I'd like to read them again so I asked for the Sword Trilogy for Christmas.  I've also read The First King and The Heritage Books 1 & 2.

Xid wrote:

I read Sword & Elfstones a long time ago and I'd like to read them again so I asked for the Sword Trilogy for Christmas.  I've also read The First King and The Heritage Books 1 & 2.

Have you read his Landover kingdom books? Very different story, but a good read none the less.

I don't think so.  I remember one book of his that took place in Seattle but I don't remember what it was called.

Xid wrote:

I don't think so.  I remember one book of his that took place in Seattle but I don't remember what it was called.

I think part of the Word & Void trilogy took place in Seattle, although it was for the most part in Illinois. That trilogy wasn't really connected to the Shannara line, although it does involve demons and is in modern times while Shannara is actually a post-apocalyptic story, but as I recall the novel Armageddon's Children, a separate stand-alone novel, tied the Word & Void series and the Shanarra series together.

I really want to read them again, but it's the age-old question: in what order!? LOL?

The Landover books is a completely separate and somewhat humorous story about a guy in the real word that is suckered into buying a "magic kingdom." Only it turns out the kingdom is real, and because he bought it he's the king. It's really good.

The Final Hour by Andrew Klaven

Star Wars:  Aftermath by Church Wendig

Star Wars: Aftermath Life Debt

After 20+ years and several restarts I have finally finished the Wheel of Time series.

I am not familiar with that, Beardad.

alldatndensum wrote:

I am not familiar with that, Beardad.

From www.dragonmount.com:

"The Wheel of Time is one of literature’s greatest achievments in epic fantasy. It was written by the late Robert Jordan, and completed posthumously by his successor, Brandon Sanderson.

There are fourteen books in the series, all of which continue the same story, weaving towards the ultimate climax. Books 12 through 14 were completed by fantasy author Brandon Sanderson, who was chosen by Robert Jordan's widow after he passed away. Robert Jordan left behind an abundance of notes and audio recordings, which allowed his family and Mr. Sanderson to tie up the series in a way that very closely matches his original vision. 

The first book, The Eye of the World was published in 1990 by Tor Books and has been in continuous print ever since. It is published in the United Kingdom by Orbit Books. Each book the series has appeared on the New York Times best-seller list, and each one since the eighth (The Path of Daggers) debuted as #1. 

Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time is a story that takes place both in our past and our future. In his fantasy world, the Dark One, the embodiment of pure evil, is breaking free from his prison. The overall plot is about a man who learns that he is the reincarnation of the world's messiah and is once again destined to save the world from the Dark One -- but possibly destroy it in the process. This saga is not only his story, but the story of an entire world's struggle to deal with war and change, destruction and hope."

The thing to note is the first line of the second paragraph: "There are fourteen books in the series, all of which continue the same story, weaving towards the ultimate climax." In other words, books 2 through 14 are not sequels but the rest of the story! It took me 20 years to read all of them, but it also took the authors over 20 years to complete as well. They really are good books, and even though the description above makes it sound like a mockery of the Gospel, with all the "dark one" and "messiah" talk, the story is deep enough into the fantasy world that it really isn't. Actually, I should say a fantasy world, because there aren't elves, dwarves, etc., by Trollocs, Myrdraals, Aes Sedai, Ogier, ans many other fantasy creatures not found anywhere else. If you like fantasy and you don't mind starting a series that you know will take many years to complete, I recommend it. The individual books don't end as cliff hangers, so reading something else in between them is very do-able. In fact, that's why it took me so long to finish them, because I kept getting into other books in between. The restarts were because sometimes I'd go too long between them that I could remember what was happening. My last restart, however, was about three or four years ago, and I determined at that time that I would complete this series if it killed me!


The link below actually gives a good description of the series:

http://geekandsundry.com/the-wheel-of-time-is-officially-coming-to-television/

Just started  Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace.

Veronika and I FINALLY just finished "His Brain, Her Brain" last night. We had been reading a chapter here and a chapter there for the past few months. I know it's a classic and all... but we were rather unimpressed with it. It may have been pretty innovative or groundbreaking when it first came out, but we found it to be repetitive and not very insightful. There were a few nuggets of goodness in there for sure though. It's possible too that I've just already been taught everything in that book because it is/was so influential.

The Silent Tide - Rachel Hore
The Grass Memorial - Sarah Harrison

My wife bought me this for Christmas. It's quite interesting, though I know several authors have written similar studies. Part 1 is a brief history of Middle Earth, while part 2 is an actual chapter by chapter look at the characters and there similarities to us, as well as what they go through in comparison with what the Bible teaches. The author recommends reading The Hobbit at the same time, which I am doing, making this my third journey with Biblo and company.

kerrick wrote:

Veronika and I FINALLY just finished "His Brain, Her Brain" last night.  We had been reading a chapter here and a chapter there for the past few months.  I know it's a classic and all... but we were rather unimpressed with it.  It may have been pretty innovative or groundbreaking when it first came out, but we found it to be repetitive and not very insightful.  There were a few nuggets of goodness in there for sure though.  It's possible too that I've just already been taught everything in that book because it is/was so influential.

Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti is better in my opinion.

Star Wars : Aftermath Empire's End by Chuck Wendig

The Love Of Her Life - Harriet Evens

At The Water's Edge - Sara Gruen.

Long Way Gone - Charles Martin

The Daughter's Of Deverill - Santa Montefiore
Viscount Breckenridge To Rescue - Stephanie Laurens
Not Without You - Harriet Evans