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 What are you reading right now? (2022) 
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Don't Dream It, Be It
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Post Re: What are you reading right now? (2022)
O wrote:
I want to have more book sales threads here. I'm really enjoying all of your insights here given your expertise!


Nielson Bookscan's Best Selling Books (PRINT ONLY) in the U.S. (2010-Present)

2010: (Rise of the Political Books)
Spoiler: show
1. 2,653,565 - Decision Points (George W. Bush)
2. 1,900,000 - The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Stieg Larsson)
3. 1,360,000 - The Confession (John Grisham)
4. 1,317,397 - The Help (Kathryn Stockett)
5. 929,397 - Safe Haven (Nicholas Sparks)
6. 921,358 - Dead or Alive (Tom Clancy)
7. 903,000 - Sizzling Sixteen (Janet Evanovich)
8. 902,906 - Cross Fire (James Patterson)
9. 860,000 - Broke: The Plan to Restore Our Trust, Truth, and Treasure (Glenn Beck)
10. 850,000 - Women Food and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything (Geneen Roth)
11. 811,596 - Life (Richards/Fox)
12. 797,955 - America by Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith, and Flag (Sarah Palin)
13. 782,871 - The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents Earth (The Book): A Visitor's Guide to the Human Race (Jon Stewart)
14. 761,701 - Freedom (Jonathan Franzen)
15. 761,000 - Sh*t My Dad Says (Justin Halpern)
16. 722,608 - Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That? (Ina Garten)
17. 700,000 - Port Mortuary (Patricia Cornwell)
18. 675,000 - Full Dark, No Stars (Stephen King)
19. 662,950 - Pinheads and Patriots: Where You Stand in the Age of Obama (Bill O'Reilly)
20. 653,321 - Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang (Chelsea Handler)


2011: (Apple, a Popular Book Choice)
Spoiler: show
1. 2,246,569 - Steve Jobs (Walter Isaacson)
2. 1,100,000 - Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption (Laura Hillenbrand)
2. 1,100,000 - The Litigators (John Grisham)
3. 997,731 - Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever (O'Reilly/Dugard)
4. 919,524 - 11/23/1963 (Stephen King)
5. 883,847 - The 17 Day Diet: A Doctor’s Plan Designed for Rapid Results (Dr. Mike Moreno)
6. 850,653 - The Best of Me (Nicholas Sparks)
7. 782,452 - Stolen Life: A Memoir (Jaycee Dugard)
8. 751,899 - Smokin' Seventeen (Janet Evanovich)
9. 750,000 - A Dance with Dragons (George R.R. Martin)
10. 744,029 - Explosive Eighteen (Janet Evanovich)
11. 671,106 - Bossypants (Tina Fey)
12. 619,406 - Kill Alex Cross (James Patterson)
13. 550,000 - Go the F**k to Sleep (Mansbach/Cortes)
14. 537,835 - Micro (Michael Crichton)
15. 513,681 - Every Day a Friday: How to Be Happier 7 Days a Week (Joel Osteen)
16. 500,000 - Dead Reckoning (Charlaine Harris)
17. 479,618 - Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope (Gifford/Kelly/Zaslow)
18. 476,121 - In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin (Erik Larson)
19. 450,000 - Locked On (Clancy/Greaney)
20. 448,190 - Through My Eyes (Tebow/Whitaker)


2012: (Mommy Was Horny; Kids Were Dying)
Spoiler: show
1. 6,345,387 - Fifty Shades of Grey (E.L. James)
2. 4,051,347 - The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)
3. 3,833,550 - Fifty Shades Darker (E.L. James)
4. 3,441,362 - Fifty Shades Freed (E.L. James)
5. 2,611,680 - Catching Fire (Suzanne Collins)
6. 2,302,461 - Mockingjay (Suzanne Collins)
7. 1,401,799 - The Third Wheel (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #7) (Jeff Kinney)
8. 908,097 - No Easy Day (Mark Owen)
9. 861,239 - Killing Kennedy (O'Reilly/Holt)
10. 787,271 - Fifty Shades of Grey Box Set (E.L. James)
11. 780,617 - Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever (O'Reilly/Dugard)
12. 598,952 - The Hunger Games Box Set (Suzanne Collins)
13. 584,234 - Cabin Fever (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #6) (Jeff Kinney)
14. 529,413 - Strength Finder 2.0 (Tom Rath)
15. 506,379 - Bared to You (Sylvia Day)
16. 440,353 - The Serpent's Shadow (Rick Riordan)
17. 428,105 - Barefoot Contessa Foolproof (Garten/Potter)
18. 408,467 - Proof of Heaven (Eben Alexander)
19. 377,044 - Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption (Laura Hillenbrand)
20. 332,250 - American Sniper (Chris Kyle)


2013: (Very few figures released by PW in their annual report that year.)
Spoiler: show
1. 1,800,000+ - Hard Luck (Wimpy Kid #8) by Jeff Kinney
2. Inferno by Dan Brown
3. 1,100,000+ - Killing Jesus by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard
4. 935,000+ - Proof of Heaven by Eben Alexander
5. The House of Hades by Rick Riordan
6. Divergent by Veronica Roth
7. Jesus Calling by Sarah Young
8. Sycamore Row by John Grisham
9. The Third Wheel (Wimpy Kid #7) by Jeff Kinney
10. Happy, Happy, Happy by Phil Robertson
11. Allegiant by Veronica Roth
12. Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg
13. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
14. Things That Matter by Charles Krauthammer
15. Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
16. 560,000+ - The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
17. And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
18. Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James
19. Si-Cology 1 by Si Robertson
20. Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath


2014: (No Fault in These Sales)
Spoiler: show
1. 3,505,821 - The Fault in Our Stars (John Green)
2. 1,560,410 - The Long Haul (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #9) (Jeff Kinney)
3. 1,426,292 - Divergent (Veronica Roth)
4. 1,310,210 - Insurgent (Veronica Roth)
5. 1,190,152 - Killing Patton (O'Reilly/Dugard)
6. 1,146,369 - Allegiant (Veronica Roth)
7. 962,797 - Gone Girl (Gillian Flynn)
8. 784,691 - Frozen (Victoria Saxon)
9. 747,935 - If I Stay (Gayle Foreman)
10. 738,518 - Looking for Alaska (John Green)
11. 706,837 - Jesus Calling (Sara Young)
12. 696,021 - The Maze Runner (James Dashner)
13. 682,146 - Frozen: Journey to the Ice Palace (Frank Berrios)
14. 678,978 - Minecraft: Redstone Handbook (Scholastic)
15. 671,500 - Minecraft: Essential Handbook (Scholastic)
16. 665,585 - Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption (Laura Hillenbrand)
17. 651,383 - Four (Veronica Roth)
18. 619,578 - Gray Mountain (John Grisham)
19. 603,803 - Frozen: Big Snowman (Tish Rabe)
20. 598,654 - Hard Luck (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #8) (Jeff Kinney)


2015: (Hollywood: "Quick! Buy the Film Rights to These!")
Spoiler: show
1. 1,599,189 - Go Set a Watchman (Harper Lee)
2. 1,483,855 - Old School (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #10) (Jeff Kinney)
3. 1,406,868 - Grey (E.L. James)
4. 1,345,721 - The Girl on the Train (Paula Hawkins)
5. 1,143,422 - The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (Marie Kondo)
6. 1,013,636 - All the Light We Cannot See (Anthony Doerr)
7. 919,478 - Paper Towns (John Green)
8. 851,980 - Killing Reagan (O'Reilly/Dugard)
9. 851,457 - American Sniper (Chris Kyle)
10. 764,808 - Secret Garden (Johanna Basford)
11. 685,182 - First 100 Words (Roger Priddy)
12. 674,705 - Enchanted Forest (Johanna Basford)
13. 673,041 - The Martian (Andy Weir)
14. 576,362 - Rouge Lawyer (Josh Grisham)
15. 569,925 - The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime (Ree Drummond)
16. 563,293 - To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
17. 554,250 - The Long Haul (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #9) (Jeff Kinney)
18. 545,217 - Jesus Calling (Sarah Young)
19. 532,082 - The Boy in the Boat (Daniel James Brown)
20. 528,506 - Strength Finder 2.0 (Tom Rath)


2016: (Cursed Child Casts Accio on Readers)
Spoiler: show
1. 4,453,382 - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts 1 & 2 (J.K. Rowling et al)
2. 1,135,249 - Double Down (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #11) (Jeff Kinney)
3. 1,104,389 - Killing the Rising Sun (O’Reilly/Dugard)
4. 954,735 - The Girl on the Train (Paula Hawkins)
5. 712,283 - A Man Called Ove (Fredrik Backman)
6. 663,040 - Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (Ransom Riggs)
7. 662,919 - The Whistler (John Grisham)
8. 659,172 - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Newt Scamander, aka. J.K. Rowling)
9. 638,148 - The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (Marie Kondo)
10. 630,558 - The Magnolia Story (Gaines/Gaines)
11. 591,817 - First 100 Words (Roger Priddy)
12. 585,284 - Oh, the Places You'll Go (Dr. Seuss)
13. 549,301 - Me Before You (Jojo Moyers)
14. 533,523 - Strength Finder 2.0 (Tom Rath)
15. 515,048 - Jesus Calling (Sara Young)
16. 503,686 - When Breath Becomes Air (Paul Kalanithi)
17. 493,705 - Born to Run (Bruce Springsteen)
18. 483,380 - Milk and Honey (Rupi Kaur)
19. 479,077 - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay (J.K. Rowling)
20. 457,794 - You Are a Badass (Jen Sincero)


2017: (Just the Top 10 for the Troubling Year)
Spoiler: show
1. 1,118,925 - Wonder (R.J. Palacio)
2. 1,032,494 - Milk and Honey (Rupi Kaur)
3. 992,416 - The Getaway (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #12) (Jeff Kinney)
4. 746,813 - Origin (Dan Brown)
5. 648,015 - You Are a Badass (Jen Sincero)
6. 634,137 - A Man Called Ove (Fredrik Backman)
7. 608,985 - Oh, The Places You'll Go! (Dr. Seuss)
8. 597,445 - The Woman in Cabin 10 (Ruth Ware)
9. 594,557 - The Rooster Bar (John Grisham)
10. 573,458 - Camino Island (John Grisham)


2018: (First Ladies Can Sell Books Too)
Spoiler: show
1. 3,428,409 - Becoming (Michelle Obama)
2. 1,308,227 - Magnolia Table (Johanna Gaines)
3. 1,280,464 - Girl, Wash Your Face (Rachel Hollis)
4. 1,144,649 - The Meltdown (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #13) (Jeff Kinney)
5. 1,016,014 - Fire and Fury (Michael Wolff)
6. 973,851 - The Wonky Donkey (Craig Smith)
7. 972,750 - Fear (Bob Woodward)
8. 716,329 - Dog Man and Cat Kid (Dav Pilkey)
9. 712,990 - You Are a Badass (Jen Sincero)
10. 703,230 - The President Is Missing (Patterson/Clinton)
11. 692,238 - 12 Rules for Life (Jordan B. Patterson)
12. 690,692 - Dog Man (Dav Pilkey)
13. 630,795 - A Wrinkle in Time (Madeleine L’Engle)
14. 626,818 - The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck (Mark Manson)
15. 611,737 - A Higher Loyalty (James Comey)
16. 595,457 - Crazy Rich Asians (Kevin Kwan)
17. 566,728 - The Reckoning (John Grisham)
18. 544,475 - A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo (Marlon Bundo)
19. 540,665 - Oh, the Places You’ll Go! (Dr. Seuss)
20. 523,321 - Homebody (Joanna Gaines)


2019: (Kids Still Like Comics)
Spoiler: show
Image


2020: (President Tops Edward Cullen)
Spoiler: show
Image


2021: (Birth of #BookTok)
Spoiler: show
Image


2022: (Hoover Love and Madness!)
Spoiler: show
Image


NOTE: Nielson Bookscan includes POS retail sales (this includes from online retailers like Amazon), but isn't the full picture. From when it began through2014, it covered ~75% of retail sales. But from 2015-present, it now covers ~85% of retail sales.

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“Gods are great ... but the heart is greater. For it is from our hearts they come, and to our hearts they shall return.”
“We were like gods at the dawning of the world, & our joy was so bright we could see nothing else but the other.”
“There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.”
“You have to pretend you get an endgame. You have to carry on like you will; otherwise, you can't carry on at all.”
"Paper is dead without words / Ink idle without a poem / All the world dead without stories."


Fri Jan 27, 2023 10:43 am
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The Kramer
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Post Re: What are you reading right now? (2022)
Finished my Dark Materials re-read and I think I have basically the same opinion as I did when I read them for the first time twenty years ago.

The Golden Compass - kind of a typical coming-of-age fantasy adventure, but the very best version of that type of story and still one of my favorite books ever. 10/10

The Subtle Knife - good, but very short, and nothing really happens. I don't like how Lyra becomes a supporting character. Lee Scorby's arc is great though and the end of the arc still makes me sad after all these years. 8/10

The Amber Spyglass - kind of the reverse of Knife where there's almost too much going on that it becomes hard to follow. Still, I really like that after the opening, Lyra becomes the central character again. And all the new worlds and type of people they meet are prime fantasy. 8.8/10




Overall, $20 and two months well spent. However, now I'm way behind on my usual reading goal of 12 new books per year. Need some short novels to catch up!


Tue Feb 14, 2023 3:46 pm
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Post Re: What are you reading right now? (2022)
books read 2022

1. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke
2. The Rise and Fall of Dodo, Stephenson and Galland
3. A Tale for the Time Being, Ruth Ozeki
4. Devolution, Max Brooks
5. Prodigal Summer, Barbara Kingsolver
6. D: A Tale of Two Worlds, Michel Faber
7. The Arrest, Jonathan Lethem
8. The Every, Dave Eggers
9. Nothing to See Here, Kevin Wilson
10. The Midnight Library, Matt Haig
11. Utopia Avenue, David Mitchell
12. House in the Cerulean Sea, TJ Klune
13. New York 2140, Kim Stanley Robinson
14. Migrations, Charlotte McConaghy
15. Circe, Madeline Miller
16. My Abandonment, Peter Rock
17. Dreams & Shadows, C. Robert Cargill
18. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, Benjamin Alire Sáenz
19. A Memory Called Empire, Arkady Martine
20. The Doors of Eden, Adrian Tchaikovsky
21. Imaginary Friend, Stephen Chbosky
22. The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood
23. The Years of Rice and Salt, Kim Stanley Robinson
24. The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, Natasha Pulley
25. The Atlas Six, Olivie Blake
26. Piranesi, Susanna Clarke
27. Cloud Cuckoo Land, Anthony Doerr
28. Good Morning, Midnight, Lily Brooks-Dalton
29. The Humans, Matt Haig
30. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin
31. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, by Becky Chambers
32. The Snow Child, Eowyn Ivey

I had a phenomenal reading year in 2022… so many incredible books. I’d probably recommend 90% of these.

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Wed Feb 15, 2023 2:38 am
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Post Re: What are you reading right now? (2022)
First new book of the year

1. Say Nothing: A True Story of Memory and Mayhem in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe - 8.4

-Pretty solid non-fiction / true crime novel here. The book starts, ends, and often goes back to one murder of a woman named Jean McKonville (I'm probably going to mispell everyones name), but goes through the whole history of the IRA, especially the period known as The Troubles which was basically an unofficial civil war in the second half of the 1900s. I was a little turned off at first with how much the book was sympathizing with the terrorists, but it came together, showing how these people who did horrible things when they were young grew up with trauma and guilt, always looking over their backs for assassins, plus the unanswerable questions of 'was it worth it?' and 'did we accomplish anything?' I'd highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in both history and murders.



I'll be starting Children of Dune soon, though maybe not next. Not sure yet.


Wed Mar 08, 2023 3:18 pm
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Star Trek XI

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Post Re: What are you reading right now? (2022)
I realllly hope they get it done right and do justice for the film adaptation of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. One of my favorite books and I kinda wish it would be a limited series (most books I think would benefit from this format imo) but if TJR is involved I have faith


Mon Mar 13, 2023 4:06 pm
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Star Trek XI

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Post Re: What are you reading right now? (2022)
I realllly hope they get it done right and do justice for the film adaptation of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. One of my favorite books and I kinda wish it would be a limited series (most books I think would benefit from this format imo) but if TJR is involved I have faith


Mon Mar 13, 2023 4:06 pm
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Post Re: What are you reading right now? (2022)
2. Chronicles of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez - 6

-This popped up on all the lists I found when searching for "short books." And while it did achieve the goal of giving me something I could finish in a week, I'd still say I regret reading it. It's very well written, there's no doubt about it, thus why it still gets a positive grade despite all the things I'm going to complain about. It just also ticks off so many boxes of things that frustrate me. Religious nonsense like honor killings is not really even questioned. Instead, GGM focuses more on how the entire island was guilty via inaction. I'd agree with that, but he never really digs into the real problem of why all these people acted the way they do. If there was any supernatural justice in this world then the island would have been destroyed by a volcano at the end. I know the point is that Santiago Nasir was the only person who did not deserve to die on that day, yet that doesn't make me feel any better about reliving his final hours.





Next will finally be Children of Dune.


Wed Mar 22, 2023 2:43 pm
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Post Re: What are you reading right now? (2022)
The Courage to Be Free
Spare
Avatar the Way of Water Visual Dictionary
The Rational Bible: Deuteronomy
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

All at once lol


Wed Mar 22, 2023 3:05 pm
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Post Re: What are you reading right now? (2022)
The Bible (God)
Seven Days that Divide the World (a look at the book of Genesis, by John Lennox)
Relentless Strike (Sean Naylor)
Critical Mass (Daniel Suarez, heir apparent to Michael Crichton)

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Mon Apr 03, 2023 11:14 am
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Post Re: What are you reading right now? (2022)
3. Children Of Dune by Frank Herbert - 7.5

For most of these pages, I was ready to declare Children of Dune better than Messiah. The story is more interesting, the characters are unpredictable, there are big time action scenes, etc... The one issue - I found Leto II to be a bit insufferable. And thus the ending didn't really work for me. Still, it should make a really good movie if they get this far.


Sat May 20, 2023 3:43 pm
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Post Re: What are you reading right now? (2022)
4. Night Film by Marisha Pessl - 2.5

Woof. This was not a good pick for someone trying to hit a yearly goal. I was just searching for murder mysterys that were not written by Agatha Christie and came upon it. While those are quick and easy reads, this one went for a long long time. 831 pages on Kindle :grrr: . They do incorporate fake news articles interspersed between the chapters, which was a clever gimmick, but didn't really add all that much. And while its not the worst book I've ever read, it might have been the biggest waste of my time. The mystery was compelling enough to continue on with it (though I correctly predicted it would lead to nothing,) but the main character was such a turd that I could never read more than a handful of pages at a time. I had to renew it from the Libby app three times (loans last 21 days...) Also, though I realize the irony of writing it this way, I think I'm done with first person narratives.


So since my goal of 12/year is probably out of reach now, I'll just roll on with God Emporer of Dune as my next read.


Fri Jul 28, 2023 2:58 pm
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Post Re: What are you reading right now? (2022)
5. God Emperor Of Dune by Frank Herbert - 7

-Another long one. This time in the Dune saga we jump thousands of years in the future. Yet still, in tradition with other books, the "hero" of the previous book is now the "villain" of this one. Don't worry too much about how said character achieved that immortality or which giant species of animal that lives under the sand they had to merge with to make it happen. Don't worry about it. The movies will never make it this far :-p. Anyway, the smartest thing in this book was using a resurrected character that died in a previous book as a plot device to show how much (and how little) things had changed in the thousands of years since we were last on Arrakis ... Again don't worry too much about how that is possible. I know this review sounds like I wasn't too fond of it, but it is a fascinating read and I burned through it pretty quickly for a 500+ pager. And I'm actually more interested to see where the series goes from here than I was at the end of the last book (though I did give that one a higher grade overall.) With the movie moving to next year, I should plenty of time to finish Heretics and Chapterhouse.


Not sure what to read next. Will need a buffer in between Dune books. Maybe another non-fiction?


Wed Sep 13, 2023 3:11 pm
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Post Re: What are you reading right now? (2022)
Also, I got a month of Audible Plus to support a friend's project (the WWE vs Ashley podcast / true crime thingy.) I don't mind listening to pods cause it's basically feels like being part of a conversation with someone, and this Ashley thing is pretty interesting so far.

I tried to listen a normal book though, a simple one like a random Poirot mystery, and I just can't do it. The words go in and out without creating any images in my mind and hearing every character with the same voice is just offputting. Not sure how or why some people became convinced that this was the superior way to "read." No offense to anyone that does, but it's not for me at all.


Wed Sep 13, 2023 3:17 pm
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The Kramer
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Post Re: What are you reading right now? (2022)
6. It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis - 7

-I'm torn on this literary classic. On one hand, despite being written in 1935, it is eerily relevant to our modern world as the 2000s own Buzz Windrip has been pretty successful at convincing people he is the answer to all their problems and that making sure he is their leader is more important than things like democracy. Step by step even. If someone told me this book was written in 2022 I'd just have assumed it was entirely about Trump. Who knew Lewis would be such a futurist?

On the other hand, Doremus Jessup is a bore to follow. I guess that's why people like Windrip will always have more power than people like him. So while I'm glad I read it, I don't think I'll be putting it in my top 50 or anywhere close.


Mon Nov 06, 2023 6:14 pm
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Post Re: What are you reading right now? (2022)
Did a B2G1 from Target for Fourth Wing, Have A Nice Day by Mick Foley (which isn't available digitally for some reason) and Dune 6 (haven't read 5 yet but figured I'd need to buy it eventually.) Alright Rebecca Yarros, let's see what you got!


Wed Nov 22, 2023 4:33 pm
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Don't Dream It, Be It
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Post Re: What are you reading right now? (2022)
Target always has the best B2G1 deals because they include so much in them. When Amazon, B&N, etc. do it, the selection is limited where there's usually just not 3 things I really want to do it.

Now I'm going to feel bad if you (or anyone else) doesn't like Fourth Wing after reporting how well its been doing this year. Haha. It took me a few chapters to get into it, and I found it got better and better throughout and finishes on a strong "I want more" note to get me hooked on the series. Ended up giving it 4/5 on first read due to what I found to be a slow-ish beginning.

_________________
Japan Box Office

“Gods are great ... but the heart is greater. For it is from our hearts they come, and to our hearts they shall return.”
“We were like gods at the dawning of the world, & our joy was so bright we could see nothing else but the other.”
“There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.”
“You have to pretend you get an endgame. You have to carry on like you will; otherwise, you can't carry on at all.”
"Paper is dead without words / Ink idle without a poem / All the world dead without stories."


Wed Nov 22, 2023 4:52 pm
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The Kramer
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Post Re: What are you reading right now? (2022)
Haha no pressure. I'm excited that there is a popular series and even if its not for me, its still worth a read. Says its arriving Saturday, which should be enough time to finish what I'm reading now.

Though I probably should have sampled it before reading at least. I wanted to like the Broken Earth series but could just never get past the second person point of view writing style. You are doing this, you are doing that. Why am I doing everything? :P

Also, yeah Amazon had Iron Wing in their b2g1 but not Fourth Wing. Neither of the other two I got were included either. Dropping the ball!


Thu Nov 23, 2023 2:59 am
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Post Re: What are you reading right now? (2022)
7. Wish You Were Here by Rita Mae Brown (human) and Sneaky Pie Brown (cat) - 7

-A murder mystery starring a cat? Seems like it'd be written for me. Well .. not so much, this is definitely more geared towards divorced suburban wives (the ex-husband of the main human character is named Fair Hairisteen ... cmon :P ) Yet I enjoyed it a lot anyway and the killer reveal was unexpected while making total sense (the best kind of killer reveal!) The cats and dogs trying to solve the mystery and, in an even more difficult task, trying to convey the clues they find to the humans was very amusing and made this one feel unique which is exactly what I was looking for. Will definitely try out more books in the Mrs. Murphy series whenever I get the itch for a good ole murder mystery.


Fourth Wing up next! Will probably be my final book of the year. 8 is kinda pathetic, but I did reread the Dark Materials series and then later got stuck on a really lame 800+ pager along the way lol.


Fri Dec 01, 2023 6:13 pm
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Post Re: What are you reading right now? (2022)
I think I’m going to ask for Fourth Wing for Christmas too though I have a lot of books over the years I bought but never got around to starting.

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Fri Dec 01, 2023 6:24 pm
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Post Re: What are you reading right now? (2022)
Only read the first chapter but I already get it. I really liked how she just drops you into the story and builds the world from there. The first few steps of the hero's journey are boring anyway. :P

I'm already picturing Thomasin McKenzie as the lead too. Is it really too late to convince Amazon to shift from series to movie? :disgust:


Mon Dec 04, 2023 3:03 pm
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Post Re: What are you reading right now? (2022)
It does drop you right into the story. I think that's what took me a couple/few chapters to get into it on my first read because many books I read (or first books if in a series) don't do that very often. Here are your characters, here is the setting, here's what's going on, enjoy! I don't know how many times I referenced the map in the early chapters lol.

If you're interested in reading it Shack, try asking for the special edition if they can find it. Online stock (in the US anyway) was largely gone around the release last month, but I've seen it come and go at Amazon and Target lately. That way even if you don't actually read it, you have a collector's item that, as far as I now, won't be reprinted.

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“Gods are great ... but the heart is greater. For it is from our hearts they come, and to our hearts they shall return.”
“We were like gods at the dawning of the world, & our joy was so bright we could see nothing else but the other.”
“There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.”
“You have to pretend you get an endgame. You have to carry on like you will; otherwise, you can't carry on at all.”
"Paper is dead without words / Ink idle without a poem / All the world dead without stories."


Mon Dec 04, 2023 5:26 pm
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Post Re: What are you reading right now? (2022)
The 3 (or 4?) chapters of the Threshing were a thrill from beginning to end. Needs to be a movie!!

I have Alan Rickman's voice in my head for Tairn. But not Snape Rickman, more like the Metatron from Dogma or Marvin from Hitchhiker Guide to the Galaxy. :hahaha:

Target also sent me a 20% off books deal alongside a $10 coupon. So they basically forced me to buy Iron Flame. Hands tied, nothing I could do about it. Will probably wait a little before jumping in though. Still have like 400 pages left to go in this one and also wanted to finish the Dune series before part 2 releases in March and also don't like reading the same/similiar genre back to back anymore.

So I'm thinking after Fourth Wing:

Mick Foley's Have A Nice Day
Heretics of Dune
Mrs. Murphy #2
Chapterhouse Dune
?? Maybe another classic or history?
Iron Flame


Mon Dec 18, 2023 1:44 am
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Post Re: What are you reading right now? (2022)
Not sure you'll want to put off Iron Flame that long after you finish Fourth Wing.

And spoiler tags in case Shack or others want to read in the future:

Spoiler: show
The Threshing is good. I forgrt why I forgot about Tairn (or just known as the big black one, heh, beforehand, but it surprised me when he appeared. But not as much as Violet getting... (I'll wait to say in case it wasn't mentioned yet lol). I don't know how to describe how I hear his voice... For some reason Liam Neeson comes to mind right now, but I wasn't hearing him when reading. I don't think I was hearing anyone's voice really.

Also, how did you visualize the Gauntlet? I had a tough time and ended up visualizing the cliff as stairs, basically, very wide and high stairs carved into the cliff.

And this might be a little early to say, but I like how Violet isn't physically a capable person due to her chronic illness. It's the same (EDS) that the author herself and her kids have, just doesn't have a name in the story. And while she's smart, she's also not so much that she either knows or figures out everything. It's not like it's a rare thing for the main character to not have great skill, power, or talent, but many tend to in fantasy stories where it's uncommon enough, especially as it's something that can't be entirely overcome here with Violet's condition.

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“Gods are great ... but the heart is greater. For it is from our hearts they come, and to our hearts they shall return.”
“We were like gods at the dawning of the world, & our joy was so bright we could see nothing else but the other.”
“There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.”
“You have to pretend you get an endgame. You have to carry on like you will; otherwise, you can't carry on at all.”
"Paper is dead without words / Ink idle without a poem / All the world dead without stories."


Mon Dec 18, 2023 9:35 am
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Post Re: What are you reading right now? (2022)


It was this scene in particular that came to mind. Just an all powerful entity being extremely annoyed by a mortal they were trying to help. :hahaha:

For the gauntlet ... I guess I didn't really get a good view of it in my mind either. Its kinda like a 3D platforming level that Violet has to turn into a puzzle. If it ever did become a 150 minute movie, that part could be probably be combined with the threshing or even the opening paraphet challenge.


Mon Dec 18, 2023 2:56 pm
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Post Re: What are you reading right now? (2022)
Well god damn at Chapter 30.

Spoiler: show
That was a hell of a sex scene. :sweat: :sweat: :sweat:


Mon Jan 08, 2024 7:04 pm
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