I’ve known for quite a while that the main reason my book backlog is growing (other than “I keep buying books”) is the same device I draw my cartoons on.
The iPad’s always ready to offer me a quick distracting endorphin hit: check my feeds! watch a BSG video! play one more of the billion Wordle clones out there!
It’s especially bad when I’m reading an e-book on it, what with notifications popping up — few of them worthy of my attention, but all of them stealing it.
Still, I have a few in my queue that I’m really excited about. I just finished Mick Napier’s Improvise. Scene from the inside out, and started Tom Blank’s The Principles of Comedy Improv. Next up in fiction is Lake of Souls, a collection of Ann Leckie’s short stories, and then Samantha Harvey’s Orbital (which I think will be my first time reading a Booker Prize-winner — don’t judge me).
I do like reading a book after watching the adaptation though. Like reading Cloud Atlas after loving the movie was a treat.
if you enjoyed a movie/show, and it was based on a book, there’s a 90% chance that the book is even better
The 10% is Philip K. Dick
TAKE HIS NAME OUT OF YOUR MOUTH
hehe it’s “dick”
but seriously, disagree. they are pretty different tbf
And you get the characters’ mental commentary that a show usually has trouble getting across
Slow Horses has entered the chat…
I tried one book in the series and noped out in the first chapter because the narrator was annoyingly snarky.
The TV series is just so much better.
Another example is “The Godfather” which features a long subplot about one of Sonny’s girlfriends and her enormous lady parts.
I can’t throw stones when I have a stack of 27 sitting next to me.
But I’d also add “Heard this is really good, too bad the author went crazy.”
My TBR is never ending. Like a ratio of 10:1 (added:read), but I’m pretty happy that my “pile” is down to a very sensible: 4 in the bedroom, 3 in the bathroom, 2 in the living room.
But I’d also add “Heard this is really good, too bad the author went crazy.”
I’d add “the author is a real dick” because that actually matters to me.
Three addictive writers who will further ruin your life.
Tanith Lee. “Kill The Dead” and “Night’s Master.” She basically created the whole weird fantasy genre. Neil Gaiman stole most of his best ideas from her.
Alan Furst. “Dark Voyage” and “Night Soldiers.” Spy stories set in the late 1930’s to mid 1940s. One great thing about him is his characters. The young Bulgarian fisherman is nothing like the Dutch sea captain.
Donald Westlake/Richard Stark. “The Hot Rock” and “The Hunter.” Harlan Ellison called Westlake the best American writer.
Saving this comment.
Don’t get me started…I love to suggest books to people.
Got anything of the hopepunk or adjacent variety? Not too cheery or cozy, though.
EDIT sorry, I guess I just got you started, which is specifically what you requested I not do.
hopepunk
TIL.
I guess that a good book in that genre would be “Lord Of Light” by Roger Zelazny. Centuries after the colony ship arrived on the distant planet, humanity is still in the Bronze Age. This is because the ship’s crew used their advanced technology to make themselves into literal gods. They are nearly immortal and wield a variety of powers, from controlling fire to creating illusions and beyond. One of the crew decides it’s time for a change, so he starts a religious war.
I’ve heard of this author, but never read anything of theirs. Thanks for the recco - I’ll check it out!
EDIT oh hell ya it’s from the late 60s, I’m so in
You forgot the one where your favorite author turned out to be a crazy rape demon.
Hardback is always worth the price
Honest question: what is the appeal?
I usually only get them incidentally, but don’t notice a difference other than the book feeling harder.
- They are sturdier and require less delicate handling, lest you damage a paperback’s cover, or accidentally bend some of the pages
- i always remove the paper graphic covers from HB so i just have the bare cardstock cover
- this is handy if you need to travel with it, say on vacation, or to / from school or work
- the spine is a lot sturdier and looser
- with PB, the spine is just the same paper material as the cover, and it forms creases as you read
- with PB, the spine is usually really tight, which makes it really hard to lay out the book flat
- with hardback, the spine is separate from the cover, which lets it flex more easily, and the material that binds the pages is generally more durable to flexing over time
I should probably note, i mostly read from e-ink tablets these days
But i still prefer HB over PB if i need / have a physical copy
That’s some good points. I hadn’t associated a tight spine with paperback, but now that you mention it, I can see it. I hate when you have to tilt a book left and right to read into the dark inner margin (looking at you, Sarum, at over 1000 cramped pages…). Anyway, I think you’ve sold me.
i always remove the paper graphic covers from HB so i just have the bare cardstock cover
Yeahhh, I like that too. The paper covers annoy me, actually. So loose, and always sliding around.
Thank you for taking the time to write that out! :)
- They are sturdier and require less delicate handling, lest you damage a paperback’s cover, or accidentally bend some of the pages
