Books!

[Tr]

Though events make more sense if you know who everybody is. Starting at the beginning is a good idea.

Hmm... this is probably very true. I started somewhere in the middle, in retrospect taking the time to find the beginning first would have been quite helpful.

[ChazHoosier]

Title: Pagans: The End of Traditional Religion and the Rise of Christianity

Author: James J. O'Donnell

Genre: Non-fiction.



I finished this book a few weeks ago, and since paganism is one of the major themes of SSSS, I thought it would be interesting to people here.  O'Donnell takes a very close look at what pre-Christian paganism was like and then moves on to a warts-and-all exploration of the rise of Christianity.  His thesis is that "Paganism" as a coherent identity and world-encompassing perspective simply didn't exist until "traditional religion" was challenged by Christianity, which did claim to provide a coherent identity and world-encompassing persective.  Our understanding of paganism today, even for non-Christians, is essentially a tidy, self-serving Christian reflection on paganism after the fact.  He's easy to read, and he develops his ideas with first-rate prose.

[SugaAndSpice]

I just started The Hobbit! I love it. (I just watched the movies before I started. I know that isn't the best way to go, but we had to watch something for movie night

[Auxivele]

Another recommendation: Nimona by Noelle Stevenson--born a webcomic and now a graphic novel! It is a serious delight from start to finish, and I have read it many times (once twice in a row, immediately going back after the first read to start over). Incredibly charming style, beautiful characters, suspense, action, dumb jokes, and a fairly quick read!

Nimona is amazing, and I second this recommendation.

[Athena]

So, lately I've been reading Stormdancer, by Jay Kristoff. General description to get you hyped: Japanese steampunk with mythological creatures and airships, with a female protagonist with psychic abilities in a slowly collapsing dystopian society. Awesome book, seriously. And there are 2 other books in the series, Kinslayer, and Endsinger. I'm about halfway through right now, and I cannot say enough how awesome it is.

[urbicande]

Just finished: 

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin.  Very good, up for a Hugo this year.  The story is a bit convoluted at first, but it becomes clear what's happening (at least to me) partway through.  Warning that Jemisin isn't shy about writing about her characters sex lives.

The Nightmare Stacks by Charles Stross.  Latest book in the Laundry series, and the first that doesn't focus on Bob or Mo.  This is a plus, because they're somewhat removed from the streets by this point in their story arcs (although I'm sure that will change).  The Laundryverse has been diverging from our world by quite a bit over the past few books, and this continues.  You don't have to have read the other books in the series, but I recommend it.

Mouse and Dragon by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller.  Liaden Universe book 7, and the continuing story of Aelliana Caylon & Daav yos'Phelium.  Good, although I didn't find it as emotionally engaging as Scout's Progress, the book preceding it in internal chronology.  You should really read Scout's Progress before you read this one.

[Juniper]

Sooo anyone else on here read The Dresden Files ? If not, they're pretty great (most of the time, there's some apsects to them that's also kind of "eh" to me) it's about a wizard who's a detective in Chicago who solves paranormal cases

[urbicande]

Sooo anyone else on here read The Dresden Files ? If not, they're pretty great (most of the time, there's some apsects to them that's also kind of "eh" to me) it's about a wizard who's a detective in Chicago who solves paranormal cases

I've read some of them.  Not that much of a fan, although they're certainly OK.

[Tr]

Sooo anyone else on here read The Dresden Files ? If not, they're pretty great (most of the time, there's some apsects to them that's also kind of "eh" to me) it's about a wizard who's a detective in Chicago who solves paranormal cases

Ahahah I'm pretty sure I read the comic version of one, which is weird, because I usually read the Original Book Version of things. But I remember thinking it was pretty cool.

[Juniper]

I've read some of them.  Not that much of a fan, although they're certainly OK.

I didn't like the first two and didn't think the writing or world building was as good. I think I only kept at it because I have a friend who's a HUGE fan and kept giving me the books and insisting I read them. I did start to like them more when I got to the one that was about fairies and the different fairy courts, which I believe was the fourth one.

Although not gonna lie I've still almost quit reading multiple times, mostly over the fact that literally every single female character is sexualized, including female characters who are incredibly underage or even the dead bodies of female characters found at crime scenes frequently get described in a sexual way. The only female characters who don't get described sexually are the ones who are very elderly, but even then one of the important older women in the series by chance got her body switched with an attractive younger woman.

But I still keep at the series because mysteries about fairies and wizards and vampires in downtown Chicago just appeals to me too much . .

Ahahah I'm pretty sure I read the comic version of one, which is weird, because I usually read the Original Book Version of things. But I remember thinking it was pretty cool.

I have yet to read the comics, I've seen some of the art from them and it seemed interesting. Maybe I should give them a go !

[Róisín]

Haven't seen the comics. A friend who is a huge fan gave me the books, so I've read most of them. I like the puzzle aspect of the stories, being a sucker for complex plots where I figure out what is going on just a few pages before the characters do. And the wry humour in the parts that aren't grim appeals to me - like the subplot of how Harry acquires his dog Mouse.

[Mélusine]

Sooo anyone else on here read The Dresden Files ? If not, they're pretty great (most of the time, there's some apsects to them that's also kind of "eh" to me) it's about a wizard who's a detective in Chicago who solves paranormal cases

I've read two or three of them lent by a friend, a few years ago. Not bad, for what I remember

I'm nearly at the end of The Nation by Terry Pratchett and no, I'm not crying sometimes, what are you meaning ?

[Tr]

I'm nearly at the end of The Nation by Terry Pratchett and no, I'm not crying sometimes, what are you meaning ?

Oh, I remember how that one ended. *hugs Mélusine* I probably cried too.
It was a great book, though.

[Mélusine]

Oh, I remember how that one ended. *hugs Mélusine* I probably cried too.
It was a great book, though.

Every three or four pages, I stop, thinking "It's so well written ! That's exactly how to describe (...)" and I feel as small in writing and amazed as the first time I read it... *Sighs and smiles* I'm not meaning the story is sad. It's just... wow Again.

[Tr]

Every three or four pages, I stop, thinking "It's so well written ! That's exactly how to describe (...)" and I feel as small in writing and amazed as the first time I read it... *Sighs and smiles* I'm not meaning the story is sad. It's just... wow Again.

Now I need to read it again...