A New Favorite Book & A Legendary Sci-fi! I had a Great Reading Month

Glad you came back to Servant. It's actually my favorite book of the trilogy 🙃

Neverwhere was just Ok for me as well...I finished it and it was fine, but yeah, it was like a 6/10 for me.

The Empire Of The Damned am pretty sure you'll DNF for the scene sex. For me it was too much compare to the first one.

Thanks for reviewing once more!

And yes, the Martian is amazing. One of my favorite books and movies. So well done.

I actually disagree on Neverwhere, loved it and just how atmospheric it is. I prefer when Gaiman strips down his writing, keeps it tight, rather than longer works like American Gods myself.

At least it sounds like the books you like are really working for you. The Martian's just top tier entertainment, hard not to like that one. I think I spent this entire month reading two things, lol, Shogun and Memory, Sorrow and Thorn, and I squeezed in Rakesfall in between. Not much reading done for me.

Empire of the vampire is amazing I think you’ll like it a lot

I see that Doctor Who there on the shelf ,have you read any D Who books ?

That's interesting about Mushroom Blues, I've heard good things! In general I am not a fan of mushrooms, but I'm willing to set aside my loathing of them as a "food" item to check the book out at some point. Could the world building have just been too info dumpy and it felt overwhelming?

Thanks for the comments on Small Town Problems! I love Alan Tudyk in pretty much anything, so I love the contrasting comparison. I appreciate how you liked Potter remembering his wife. There was one scene in particular that was tough to write, but it was one of my favorites. I had started a dialogue with the copyright holder of the song referenced (they ended up ghosting me) as I wanted to include more lyrics, but ultimately I think it turned out better having to work around the copyright issues.

Andrew Rowe does such a great job. The characters are great and everything feels earned. I can't wait for book 5 to come out. That's going to be an immediate read for me.

I added a few more to the TBR, but I think most were on there. The most anticipated is Janny Wurts, but I want to wrap up a couple series and try to get my TBR down before I binge her books.

The 1st finished book last month was Vermilion Flames and it was awesome (one of the best audiobook narrators ever IMHO).
I also got to Frankenstein, which was interesting. More than anything it made me wonder where the adaptations came from cause they're nothing like the book.
Top book though was Demon in White, loved everything about it.

a great month it looks like!

Great set of books!!! 😊

I'm glad your June was so solid! I took it easy leading into a July readathon so I can go nuts.

I read 11 books
Favorite reads
Good luck with that by kristan Higgins
Worthy by jada pinkett Smith memoir
The maid by nita prose
The wall of Winnipeg and me by Mariana Zapata

THE MARTIAN YEEEESSSS

anyone tried that 'coffee and legends' book [is that right]? about a girl who opens a coffee shop in an dnd setting

I enjoyed The Martian read by RC Bray!!!!

I’m starting out July with 2 great books.

Daniel Green was wrong! I loved Starter. Villain read by Wil Wheaton. It was hilarious. Scalzi writes some completely implausible quirky stories. This was one of them!

I’m listening to Convergence read by RC Bray. If you enjoy animal companions, there’s a talking dog. Also LOL fun!

Im sorry, mycelium beards???? Lol my hubby n I actually grow mushrooms and forage for them, I love mushroom horror, and I may have to pick that book up to see if I like mushroom fantasy 😂

Great wrap-up! You read some good stuff, as usual😊. Hang in there with Empire of the Vampire, it is so worth it!!! And the spice is few and far between. I need to check out Michael Roberti, sounds awesome!

For some reason I wanted to come here and ask you to read Runelords and I’m so so so stoked to see that you have read this already..

Thank you so much for the review! As always, you are awesome, and I feel compelled to start Lord of a Shattered Land! Cheers!

Runelords is literally the reason I found booktube. I read Runelords in college (around 2007) when I took a Science Fiction and Fantasy class, and I remember really liking it, though I don’t remember many details. I was trying to find what people were saying about it, clicked a couple things, and now I listen to booktube all the time and I’m a subscriber. Keep up the good work!

Awesome update, Andrew!

June was all about Shogun for me. Such an awesome listen. 😊

In June I read:
Historical-Fantasy
Children of Earth & Sky / Guy Gavriel Kay
- Carried over from May. Loved it.

A Brightness Long Ago / Guy Gavriel Kay
- My new favourite Kay I've read so far, and a new favourite book of all-time! Book of the Month!!!

All the Seas of the World / Guy Gavriel Kay
- Pretty good. Glad I read this loose trilogy in publication order. I understand the lukewarm reviews and I seem to have liked it more than most, though my favourite parts were the tie-ins to ABLA, CoE&S and Lions of Al-Rassan.

Sci-Fi
Vorkosigan Saga 1: Shards of Honor
- Definitely be continuing this series.

Southern Gothic
Child of God / Cormac McCarthy
- It was fine, but really creepy at times.

For now I NFNed Jonathan Maberry's Patient Zero and Christopher Ruocchio's Howling Dark. They're good, just not what I'm looking for right now.

As for what I'm currently reading:
Historical-Fantasy
The Last Light of the Sun / Guy Gavriel Kay
- Kay's re-imagining of the Viking invasions of King Alfred's England, its really good so far.

Sci-Fi
Cloud Atlas / David Mitchell
- Still early days yet but I haven't a clue wtf is going on.

Thriller
Winter of Frankie Machine / Don Winslow
- Really good so far.

❤❤❤

Dude Empire of the Vampire is do great. I get you on the sex scenes. I think there are only 2 fairly graphic sex scenes though, other than that I can't remember any.

You really sold me on that underrated Sins of Kings, especially with some Lister narration!

Empire of the Vampire has people in a headlock, holding them hostage. Hopefully you get through it and enjoy it!

Love that you have such reliable favourite authors in Anthony Ryan, Andrew Rowe, and Will Wight! And you sold me on Sins of Kings!
Hope July treats you well 🤩

Glad you had such a solid month.