What are You Reading Right now?

Seemed like a cool idea, a prequel to Fright Night co-written by the writer/director and first in a planned trilogy. The only problem is that I'm about 2/3 through and it's not a prequel but more like a slightly expanded novelization of the movie... which already has a novelization that I've read. There have been a few hints at Jerry's past but not enough to call it a prequel.

 

Two books going down at the moment that I thought would be good for the leadup to Halloween



A bunch of short stories based on "Who Goes There?", the story that was the basis for the movies "The Thing From Another World" and later John Carpenter's "The Thing". Two stories in and I'm not real impressed. I was really surprised the first one wasn't very good because it was by Alan Dean Foster who wrote the great novelization for the Carpenter movie as well as novelizations for A New Hope (and the follow up Splinter Of The Mind's Eye) and the first three Alien movies. It picked up right where the short story left off and had the three survivors suddenly going nuts and accusing each other of being a thing, one killing another then the third turning out to be a thing and killing the last then taking off for civilization. The only problem with that is that in the original story all three had just passed the blood test and were decidedly human.



This one is also John Carpenter related, it's the novel that was the basis for his movie Vampires. Not one of his better movies, it started off epic and then after about 20 minutes was just mediocre but I'm somewhat nostalgic about it because I saw it in the theater as a teenager. So far I'm not really enjoying it too much but not much has happened yet either. If the reviews I read are any indication it will get entertaining at some point but so far there's been more beer drinking than vampire slaying.

Unfortunately the opening scene wasn't nearly as cool as the one from the movie, rather than going with and killing a bunch of vampires face to face or with the crossbow/wench combo they just knock the building down and use a crane to pull away the rubble and expose the vampires to sunlight. Probably a lot smarter but not nearly as entertaining.

 

I took a month off from the series during October and read mostly horror stuff but now I'm back with book #15.

 

I was enjoying the last one so much I went ahead into the next one.

 

Mystery Science Theater 3000 is one of my favorite shows ever and I also watch tons of Rifftrax movies so I picked this up. Pretty entertaining, it's an interesting story about how it went from a little public access TV show in Minnesota put together by a group of friends to sneaking its way onto cable TV and going national. Although still on a shoestring budget. That's one thing wrong with the Revival of the show, besides not being nearly as funny it lost all the charm of the low-budget TV show it once was. A new MST3K episode has like 10 minutes worth of credits where on the original show it was like 30 seconds as the cast took part in building the sets, sweeping the floors and everything. More people work just on the credits of a new MST3K episode than it used to take to put an entire episode together.

 

These old making-of/journal tie-ins usually aren't too great. Just another piece of merchandise usually cranked out by somebody on set when they're not busy doing their actual job. In this case the author was the unit publicist, a guy who in the intro admits to enjoying the first film but not understanding all the hype. So unlike the majority of books about Star Wars movies written by fans this one is written by a guy who usually can't even be bothered with names like Dagobah... it's just "the bog planet".

 

Let's see how Shatner and his daughter try to spin this disaster. Actually I somewhat enjoy Star Trek V... partially because it is such a disaster but there are quite a few moments that are actually funny on purpose.

 

I actually think Shatner did a creditable job for what it was. The problem is that it was a TOS 3rd season level concept with a budget spread thinly in order to realise it, exposing it badly. Unlike The Motion Picture, which was a 1st/2nd season level concept spread too thin to justify its gargantuan budget.

Some bits of it make me cringe as much as the most cringe parts of TOS did. But , mainly, ST V makes me smile the way a good TOS episode does.

 

Yeah it reminds me of one of those TOS episodes like when they found Apollo or something like that, it's probably the film that reminds me the most of TOS. Even more than TMP which was basically a remake of a TOS episode. But Star Trek V doesn't remind me of a good episode, however even those bad TOS episodes are fun in their own way and so is Star Trek V. I love the whole opening at Yosemite and the new Enterprise where nothing works. I know a little bit about the production so I'm interested to read more, for instance I know that the end product wasn't really what they set out to make and that budget cuts kept messing with the story. I heard the climax was supposed to have Kirk fighting these rock monsters like the one that eventually wound up in Galaxy Quest but after countless cuts and compromises eventually they wound up with the floating old man ghost head.

 

Yeah. When I say "good", I mean "acceptable". Not one of the better or exceptional episodes.

 

I still have that Star Trek book going but I'm also reading this. I only have two more books left and I'm going to try and knock them out as I've been reading this series over a year.

 

The 20th and last complete novel of the series though I still have one more book to read afterward as the author was working on another book in the series at the time of his death and they later published the finished chapters and notes as "21: The Final Unfinished Voyage Of Jack Aubrey"



Also reading this, I've had it on my Kindle for a long time and only remembered when I was watching the trilogy again the other day and was speculating about how some of the effects shots were done at the time. The book isn't too informative though, it's not real in-depth at all but an enjoyable broad strokes history of the trilogy.

 

Defintiely let us know your thoughts! The ending of Shadows of Self is one of my favorite endings to any Sanderson book, and Bands of Mourning is top-tier as far as Sanderson books go IMO.

Shadows of Self has two songs I really like to listen to when I reread it. The first is the "theme" song of the book for me, as well as the "trailer" song when I imagine the book as a movie or show.

The second song is just a song I was listening to when the book came out, and I HAVE to listen to it when I get to the climactic reveal. The beat just feels the emotion of the scene for me.

I think I'll cover what I've been reading as well as my year-end review for books and comics under that, since I haven't posted that here yet.

Unbound 9 by Nicolli Gonnella came out on Wednesday, so I read that. And on Tuesday, All the Skills Book 3 came out, so I read that. Right now I'm reading A Summoner Awakens 2, which came out in...December? January? I've had it for a bit, and I'm just now getting to it. I have a few more books I've read this week, but nothing that's really worth mentioning or recommending. Next week Book 4 of another series comes out, but I haven't even started Book 3 yet...and the week after that yet another book comes out! And that's not even mentioning Dragonsteel Prime from Sanderson's latest Kickstarter! (Who knows when that will be released though.)

Ascendant (Song of Chaos series) by Michael R Miller is good, but I still prefer All the Skills a tad more. Each has their own advantages and strengths, but since both are about "a boy and his dragon," I can't recommend both at the same time unless you're really in the mood for series like that. (Ascendant is more YA and appropriate for kids and teens while All the Skills is more geared for older teens/college kids/adults who don't mind swearing in their books.)

For comics, Batman Beyond: Neo-Year was a fun read! I don't necessarily consider it canon to the DCAU, but I do like this version of Batman. (To be fair, I don't really consider Epilogue as my canon ending for Batman either, even if I consider the episode's facts canon.) I do love Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing's work though.



Below is my Year-In-Review for Books of 2023:

BOOKS -

Top Author of the Year - Will Wight, hands down. His Cradle series took me from reading maybe 8-10 books this year with Sanderson’s works being a majority, to reading 66 books with Sanderson coming in third. I read 15 of Wight’s 23 books, so he comes in first place for most read, and I read 11 of those in 6 days over Spring Break. It was amazing.


Top 3 Series of the Year -

1. Cradle by Will Wight. (Progression Fantasy.) Again, 66 books, mostly due to this series. Cradle introduced me to Progression Fantasy and LitRPG. (It’s Prog Fantany, but Prog Fantasy and LitRPG overlap as genres a lot, so it’s no surprise.) Fun characters and characterization, amazing fight scenes, and such great progression and power-scaling. If you’re a fan of Stormlight Archive and/or Dragon Ball Z, then this series NEEDS to be on your list. Complete at 12 books. (Theme Songs are “Fool’s Gold” by Aries and “Elevate” by DJ Khalil)

1. Unbound by Nicoli Gonnella. (LitRPG) Earlier if you asked me if I liked the Isekai genre, I would have said not really, with the anime adaptation of Log Horizon being the only exception. Now I’m FAR more open to it, and that’s partially due to Unbound. (This was also my first LitRPG series IIRC.) This series is pretty crunchy with the numbers, which creates a little burst of endorphins when characters level up. The main character, after barely surviving in the beginning, starts out strong, but it’s a long road to become the strongest, and he’s still not there 8 books in. (This was my second-most read author of the year at 8 books.) Currently 8 books long, with Book 9 scheduled for next year. The author is pretty speedy so I’d expect Book 10 next year also. If you like Cradle, then you should give this a shot. (Theme Song is “Mafia Water” by Desiigner)
   

1. Rage of Lions by Matt Barron. (Christian Military Fantasy) This series was a weird one, but I really enjoy it! The military action is well-done and doesn’t feel too out of place from our world. The main characters don’t progress in society too quickly (a fault I have with another series that almost made this list), and the villains are deliciously evil. I do find the quotes of scripture in a fantastical world as well as mentions to Israel on a planet that’s clearly not Earth to be immersion-breaking, but I love them all the same. Currently 5 Books released, with Book 6 scheduled for next year.
   

1. Street Cultivation trilogy by Sarah Lin. (Progression Fantasy) A modern-day, “on-our-earth” take on Progression Fantasy. Our main character doesn’t want to be the best or most powerful, he just wants to be out of debt, his sister given the care she needs, and to be in a slightly better socioeconomic setting. Unfortunately the way to do that is through competing in a dubiously legal underground tournament. It’s a fun take on the genre. Complete at 3 books, as trilogies usually are.
   

1. Manifestation Series by Samuel Hinton. (Progression Fantasy) A girl who has a weak spiritual core goes on a journey with her brother to find a way to fix it, and gets more out of it than she ever dreamed of. (Including friends!) Fun action, cool powers, and an overall good time. If you like Cradle, check this one out. Currently only three books, but a fourth should be out by next year. Currently 3 books out, with Book 4 scheduled for next year.
   

HONORABLE MENTIONS/RUNNER-UPS

1. Second Son series by Ron Nieto. (Military Fantasy) Good combat and military intrigue, but the switch in plots from Book 1 to Book 2 happens WAY too fast IMO. I think it needed at least one more book on the grounded level of Book 1 before jumping into the plot of Book 2, but that’s me. Either way, I have Book 4 on my Kindle and had planned on finishing it before today…but videogames got in the way.
   

1. Amelia: The Zero Level Hero by V.A. Lewis. (LitRPG) A girl named Amelia enters a new world with powers and levels, and World System tries to offer her a position of power…which she immediately refuses. It also turns out that this isn’t her first time being transported to another world. Overall, if you’re a fan of One Punch Man, then this is the PERFECT series for you. The attack names are pretty cheesy, but it’s not bad. Currently 3 books.
   

Top Not-Quite-Series-Yet and Standalones. Mostly Standalones

1. The Sunlit Man by Brandon Sanderson. (Science Fantasy) Sanderson’s four secret projects were mostly pretty quirky, as they were him trying new things and styles while also writing books that would appeal to his wife. But Sunlit Man is different, as he wrote it for us the fans and even brought back his old editor Moshe Feder to edit! (Moshe has had a great invisible hand on Sanderson’s works, and I find that I don’t like the books Sanderson’s written after Moshe retired as much.) This book has been described as a sort of Western/Samurai “Man With No Name Who Wanders Into Town” story set on a Science-Fantasy world and written in Sanderson’s style. And that’s pretty right! Of the Secret Projects, this one ties for my favorite. Theme Song is “Meant to Live” (Jon Bellion Version) by Switchfoot.
   

1. Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson. (Fantasy with a focus on romance but not as steamy as most well-known Romantasy books.) The other Sanderson book that ties for my favorite this year, mostly because of when I was reading it, the playlist I had for the book, and what it was based on. (Modern Japan and ancient Korea.) If you’ve ever watched Your Name, played Final Fantasy 10, or in general just love anime and all things Japan (or South Korean with K-Dramas), then READ THIS BOOK. Playlist includes: “Self Love” by Coi Leray, “Calling” by Metro Boomin’ and Swae Lee, and “Touzisya,” “All Alone with You” (Serph Remix), and “NAMAENO NAI KAIBUTSU” (Giga Remix) all by EGOIST. More on them later.
   

1. All the Skills by Honour Rae. (LitRPG) I had hoped Book 3 would be out this year, but it’s looking to come out Jan/Feb. (EDIT - It was March)
   

1. The Last Horizon by Will Wight. (Science Fantasy) It’s a new series that Wight started, with two books already out and the third coming out probably next May/June. It’s VASTLY different from Cradle, but it’s pulpy fun.
   

1. Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldtree. (Cozy Fantasy) My first real Cozy Fantasy work, and a solid one at that! I haven’t heard as good of things about the prequels, but I like this one as a standalone for now.
   

1. Star Wars: Brotherhood by Mike Chen. (Sci-Fi/Space Opera/Science Fantasy/Star Wars) I haven’t read a good Star Wars book in a bit, and this one definitely scratched that itch! It takes place after Episode 2: Attack of the Clones but before The Clone Wars show. It covers the switch Anakin and Obi-Wan go from the Master and Padawan relationship to peers.
   

Most Anticipated Books for 2024:

1. Daughters of Kobani - THIS BOOK WILL BE AT THE TOP OF MY LIST UNTIL I READ IT.
   
   
2. Wind and Truth (Stormlight Archive 5) by Brandon Sanderson
   
   
3. All the Skills Book 3 by Honour Rae (EDIT - I READ THAT THIS WEEK 3/12/24. BOOK 4 COMES OUT IN AUGUST)
   
   
4. Crown (Unbound Book 9) by Niccoli Gonnela (EDIT - I READ THAT THIS WEEK. BOOK 10 COMES OUT IN SEPTEMBER)
   
   
5. The Knight (The Last Horizon Book 3) by Will Wight
   
   
6. Dragonsteel Prime by Brandon Sanderson
   

That’s, what, 36 books recommended? A tad over half my list! I know not all of the books will be for everyone, but I hope some of y’all find something to enjoy from the list!


WORST BOOK OF THE YEAR - Second-Chance Swordsman. This book was anime in all of the worst ways. Shallow, overexaggerated characterization, villains who are so obviously evil and cartoonishly evil that they sacrifice orphans for power (and I wouldn’t be surprised if they kicked puppies just because), and mediocre action. I only finished this book because I was so bored in Japan waiting for souffle pancake shops to open and I refused to give up. But I cannot recommend it.


Let’s move onto a far shorter section, Comics and Manga!

1. Martial Master Asumi - My Manga of the Year. Focusing on MMA (which I look at fondly due to my time practicing Brazilian Jiujitsu as a kid and Tae Kwon Do in college), this is a fun take on the sport in a shonen way. (EDIT - THE MANGA ENDED IN FEBRUARY 2024 WITH A TERRIBLE ENDING. I STILL RECOMMEND READING THE CHAPTERS THAT ARE OUT, BUT KNOW THAT THE ENDING IS SUDDEN AND SUCKS.)
   

1. Tom Taylor’s Nightwing run - Phenomenal, funny, and hopefully an iconic run of the character in the future. I highly recommend this for any fans of the character.
   

1. Vixen NYC - Cute and fun. If you’re a fan of Miles Morales you may like this webcomic.
   

1. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King. It’s a critically loved run for a reason…although if you’ve ever watched or read True Grit, then you know the story already.
   

Jujutsu Kaisen probably should be on this list, but I’m leaving it off for now. It hasn’t clicked for me, and I want to give it another go before adding it to any list.

And that's my 2023 Book review list!

For 2024, my approach has changed somewhat. It took me a bit to realize, but this week I realized that when it comes to reading, people probably should look to like the book first, and then the series, and then the author. I know it feels intuitive, but earlier this year I kept look for series to like first, and it led to me reading several books that were good but not necessarily compatible enough for me to want to read more of. Or even just finding samples from longer series and then being disappointed when I didn't like the sample because it meant I didn't have a giant series to read.

So, for 2024, I've decided to stop looking for new authors and series as much. I've got a lot of recommendations and several books from previous years and authors I need to catch up on, and that's what I plan on doing for the most part. This will not only limit my spending, but also allow me to catch up on authors who I've been procrastinating on. Of course, this is all far easier said than done, but I do believe it can be done.

 

Well I just finished the final book of the Aubrey/Maturin series. Unfortunately the author only got a few chapters into the book before he died, in fact the third chapter ends mid-sentence and I'm not sure if he died writing or just got distracted and never got back to it.



Even though the series didn't get finished it doesn't really leave you hanging. It might be better that O'Brian didn't get to write a final book in the series because it would have been kind of sad but this way you can still imagine them sailing on to further adventures.



I'm happy to be finished with such a big reading project, 21 books plus 3 reference books that took almost a year and a half to read. I spread it out so I wouldn't get burned out on it like I was after reading all those Dune books. I didn't get burned out but now I'm more sad that there aren't anymore to read. I'm going to miss the characters but I guess I could always re-read them sometime in the future or just pop in the movie. Though the movie is great but it doesn't really capture the flavor of the books.

 

Hail to the King.