I'm on book 7 of the Toradora light novel series. I liked the anime, but the level of verbal abuse between the characters in the novels really makes me wonder why they're friends. I'm not finding it enjoyable to read about people insulting each other.
I had gotten out of the habit of reading for pleasure after college because I felt incredibly burned out on it. That had started to bother me because I used to read as one of my main hobbies, so last year I set the goal of reading 1 book. I did that, and read a couple others.
This year I set a goal of 5 books and was able to do that by March, but then I ended up with about 9 in flight books and wasn’t making much progress with them. I felt like I had them hanging over my head and it was stressing me out, so I’m now working on the goal of finishing them by the end of the month.
Its been really nice to realize that I still do love reading and that I still can finish a book even with all the stuff going on in life, its just a matter of sitting down and reading. I credit a silly goal with helping me remember that.
I started the writing in English primarily, translating to Portuguese during edit phase, aiming to keep the reading flow around the same level. However, the best experience will be reading it in English, in my opinion, as it has a better vocabulary for this genre.
The Fifth Season, it’s an epic fantasy novel by N.K. Jemisin. I originally started it about a month ago but I’ve just been reading it in fits and starts, though it’s not particularly long. The story takes place in a world which gets wiped by a global catastrophe every couple of centuries. Certain people called orogenes have the ability to manipulate the earth in order to bring about or quell earthquakes. They’ve also got some other interesting abilities. Naturally, the regular people, who are the majority called Stills, are fearful of orogenes and they’ve formed society such that they can harness but most importantly control orogenes. Bit of a slow start, but since I’ve made it halfway through, it’s been very engaging.
I was most surprised by how I became emotionally hooked by this novel rather than intellectually (if that makes sense) - I wasn’t as into the world but more the people, which is rare for me in a sci fi/fantasy novel. What a heartbreaker.
Kicking corporate ass sounds like exactly what I need right now. Congrats on making your dreams come true! I’d love a paperback if I’m lucky enough to win.
Do you count audiobooks? I've been falling asleep to audiobooks for 15+ years. I'll also read print books while preparing for sleep, but not with the absolute consistency of audiobooks. Throughout the day, I'll read whenever I feel like it. If things are slow at work (from home) or I have meetings too close together to do something else in between, reading is a great pastime.
I’m listening (if that counts?) to Lord of the rings (i’m on Return of the King - book 5). Been really enjoying it so far, there are many more significant differences to the movies than I was expecting.
At the moment it’s easier to get time in for audio books (during late night toddler wakes and car journeys etc)
Love Larson! I’ve read everything he’s published and would jump on anything new he releases. Hes got a great talent for making you feel like you’re reading a story rather than a lecture. Devil in the White City was my first introduction to him. Lusitania was my second adventure and I remember staying up late for just “one more chapter” unable to put it down.
Mistborn: The Final Empire! If I’m not mistaken, “heist book in fantasy setting” is literally one of the main things that inspired Brandon Sanderson to write this.
I re-read books frequently. But then, I am a fast and voracious reader. I’ve recently been trimming down my library from around 7000 books due to an upcoming move, and there’s a hardcore of about 2000 I’m unwilling to get rid of because they’re either reference materials or old friends I expect to re-read before I die. There are some things (LOTR, much Heinlein, Oz books, Alice in Wonderland…) that I’ve read a dozen times or more.
I do re-read some non-fiction, mainly history. But most of my well-worn books are fiction.
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