I'm glad that you are healed and recovered! Mongrels was the first Stephen Graham Jones book I read so it holds a very special place in my heart. I'm so glad that you connected with and loved it! I am going to be reading The Buffalo Hunter Hunter (next actually, after I finish my current read!).
Thanks, I am doing a lot better! I am so glad I read _Mongrels,_ it really was an incredible book. _The Buffalo Hunter Hunter_ isn't quite as innocent, but it is just as emotionally charged. I hope you enjoy it!
I've really been enjoying hearing about your life in the monastery, it's been a very interesting look into a world I've often wondered about, and I'm glad that your injury wasn't too serious and that you're all healed up now. House of Leaves is one of my favorites. I reread it every few years, and I get something different out of the story each time. I think you're right about the problems with the seven-year time leap in Swan Song, though I'd never really thought about it until you mentioned it. I'll admit that I don't remember much of the middle section of that book at all, although I thought that McCammon really did a great job with the opening scenes of the novel. It has perhaps the scariest depiction of the outbreak of nuclear war that I've ever read. I liked The Exorcist the first time I read it, but when I read it again a few years later I noticed a lot of its flaws that I had missed the first time through. Still, the scene where Regan is bent over backwards creeping silently along on her fingers and toes as the - was it the nurse? - is walking through the house is one of my favorite scenes in a horror novel. I hope I'm remembering that right, but it's been about a decade since I last read it.
Thanks! I do anticipate that a re-read of _House of Leaves_ will only add to the appreciation of it... we will see how I feel about that next year, though! I do agree that the opening section of _Swan Song_ was quite good, and in general I think the depiction of nuclear war/nuclear winter was chilling and served as its own character in that drama, to some extent. There is a lot of good stuff about that book, but it just didn't come together in a way that particularly worked for me, and I think that is because I didn't have a feeling of robust characters going on a meaningful (inner) journey, that would have tied held everything else together, I think, and for me it just wasn't there. Still though, some good scenes, for sure. The same with _The Exorcist,_ actually. Well the same in so far as it had some really good scenes and some engaging ideas but those didn't hold together for me because the overall writing, especially dialogue but a lot of the prose in general, just didn't feel as competent as the ideas, again, at least to me. I have friends who love that book and have re-read it multiple times, so maybe I will have to give it another chance in the future (_The Exorcist_ is short enough that I would consider re-reading it again for a re-evaluation... _Swan Song_ is a little too chunky for that consideration, at least without some serious mitigating factors!).
I agree with your statement about The Book That Wouldn't Burn that it is more speculative fiction than fantasy. Looking forward to hearing more of your thoughts on this book. I greatly enjoyed it.
@@paperpagespossibilities I wasnt not too surprised that this was playing in the spaces between genres, tbh. I haven't read any of Mark Lawrence's other books, but if youbglance through his bibliography it is clear that he likes to move across genres. So it makes sense that some of his work lives in the gaps between strict genre conventions. I loved both of the books in this series so far. I hope to record a video about them soon, comparing to the other fantasy novels I mentioned, and then after the final book i will make a video about the entire trilogy. At least, that's the plan for now... there are four short stories that take place in this world, not affecting our main plot, and I will hopefully read those before the final book comes out...
I was very lucky, that is true! I will say that my mother was a nurse and I have worked in hospitals so I have some level of comfort around injuries, and once I figured it was a head wound and not blood coming from my ear, and then once I was able to run through a quick concussion checklist and not check off any of the boxes, the stress of the moment disappeared quickly. I had intended to read _The Reformatory_ as soon as it was released and then it just kept getting buried by other things, and I incredibly grateful that I prioritized it, because I agree, intense and amazing.
I enjoy hearing about your studies. I'm glad your head wound wasn't too bad. They do bleed a lot! I read House of Leaves a few months ago, and think I will read it again before too long. It's definitely one that could benefit from another pass. After reading it, I read and watched several people talking about it and was surprised by many takes. A lot of folks say they don't like Truant's passages, and even skipped over them. But it seems to me that the whole thing is Johnny's story, and the others are embedded in it. Seems most folks think it's Navidson's story. Lots of thoughts on it, and I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts.
Thanks! Yes, head wounds do bleed a lot, but luckily my mother was a nurse, and I am pretty comfortable around wounds and injuries. Once I determined that I wasn't bleeding from my ears and once I ran down a concussion checklist and was fairly confident I didn't have a concussion then everything calmed down for me. There were still a number of possibilities, including skull fracture, but nothing else was cause for imminent concern and I knew that the bleeding would just make things appear worse than the were. Still, I was lucky, it could have been worse. And it did buy me a solid week of reading time, and a scar is a small price to pay for that! I definitely want to read _House of Leaves_ again, though I will probably wait until next year at the earliest. I agree, I don't understand how people skipped Truant's sections. Of anything, some of the footnotes that are just long lists of names or architectural styles etc., some of those you can skip because those are important for the fact they exist not for their specific content, but I don't see how you can skip any of Truant's footnotes and feel like you have read the story. I do think it is Johnny's story, but it is really the way the three stories defy space and time to interfere with each other, that seems to be the heart of what it is getting at. That said, if someone reads it a different way and gets something out of their reading then more power to them. I am contemplating a video about this book and experimental fiction in general, so we will see if I can wrangle enough thoughts together to make that happen...
What a month, Lekden. I really enjoyed hearing more about your month of studies. I am very tempted to read The Reformatory based on our discussions of it, but I’m nervous about it…Talk soon.
It was certainly a month, that's for sure! I definitely recommend _The Reformatory,_ it is incredible. There is a supernatural element but that isn't all that horrific or scary. The treatment of Black folks in the post-antebellum south, that is the scary part. There is a wonderful podcast interview with her about the book here: www.everand.com/podcast/682915363/168-Tananarive-Due-Locked-in-With-the-Monsters . That might help allay any concerns
@@BookChatWithPat8668 I hope you like it! I have read a number of her short stories, but always scattered about in other anthologies, never an actual collection just of her work. I do have a copy of _The Wishing Pool and Other Stories,_ but I haven't gotten to it yet. I don't have a copy of _Ghost Summer,_ you will have to let me know how it is!
That was a good opinion on Oliver Sacks. When I read it I didn't think that way; now I do. Same opinion on The Exorcist. I hope everything will go well with you.
Thanks! It seemed that all of the books that I didn't particularly enjoy in January are books other people love, and that threw me for a loop, a little bit. It's nice to know I'm not the only one who didn't vibe with those books...
@@arockinsamsara RE: The Exorcist...I hate to say I told you so.... I completely agree that it's full of potential but nearly all of it is squandered on amateurish, stilted prose.
To be honest, I just literally spent all me free time reading, and all of my time was free time, more or less. I didn't really have any functional internet access, so there were no rabbit holes for me to get lost down, and while there was study and other things to do they just didn't take up too much of my time. I will say, now a week into February and back home, back in my regular environment with my regular habits and distractions, that reading rate has slowed way back down again! I have only finished 1 book, and I am 75% down with a second and 33% done with a third, so, functionally, only finished 2 books.I am just making sure that, regardless of reading rate, I am enjoying my experience, and I am getting something from it other than just a page count or tally mark in a reading journal. As long as that continues to be the case, that the reading experience is meaningful and pleasurable, then I try not to think about the reading rate too much. It is only when preparing for wrap-ups at the middle or ends of the month that I think about those things...
@@momo_genX No worries. Comment sections don't always dont convey tone well; that was an understandable reading of that small phrase, but not the one I intended. 😃
I'm glad that you are healed and recovered! Mongrels was the first Stephen Graham Jones book I read so it holds a very special place in my heart. I'm so glad that you connected with and loved it! I am going to be reading The Buffalo Hunter Hunter (next actually, after I finish my current read!).
Thanks, I am doing a lot better! I am so glad I read _Mongrels,_ it really was an incredible book. _The Buffalo Hunter Hunter_ isn't quite as innocent, but it is just as emotionally charged. I hope you enjoy it!
I've really been enjoying hearing about your life in the monastery, it's been a very interesting look into a world I've often wondered about, and I'm glad that your injury wasn't too serious and that you're all healed up now.
House of Leaves is one of my favorites. I reread it every few years, and I get something different out of the story each time.
I think you're right about the problems with the seven-year time leap in Swan Song, though I'd never really thought about it until you mentioned it. I'll admit that I don't remember much of the middle section of that book at all, although I thought that McCammon really did a great job with the opening scenes of the novel. It has perhaps the scariest depiction of the outbreak of nuclear war that I've ever read.
I liked The Exorcist the first time I read it, but when I read it again a few years later I noticed a lot of its flaws that I had missed the first time through. Still, the scene where Regan is bent over backwards creeping silently along on her fingers and toes as the - was it the nurse? - is walking through the house is one of my favorite scenes in a horror novel. I hope I'm remembering that right, but it's been about a decade since I last read it.
Thanks! I do anticipate that a re-read of _House of Leaves_ will only add to the appreciation of it... we will see how I feel about that next year, though!
I do agree that the opening section of _Swan Song_ was quite good, and in general I think the depiction of nuclear war/nuclear winter was chilling and served as its own character in that drama, to some extent. There is a lot of good stuff about that book, but it just didn't come together in a way that particularly worked for me, and I think that is because I didn't have a feeling of robust characters going on a meaningful (inner) journey, that would have tied held everything else together, I think, and for me it just wasn't there. Still though, some good scenes, for sure.
The same with _The Exorcist,_ actually. Well the same in so far as it had some really good scenes and some engaging ideas but those didn't hold together for me because the overall writing, especially dialogue but a lot of the prose in general, just didn't feel as competent as the ideas, again, at least to me. I have friends who love that book and have re-read it multiple times, so maybe I will have to give it another chance in the future (_The Exorcist_ is short enough that I would consider re-reading it again for a re-evaluation... _Swan Song_ is a little too chunky for that consideration, at least without some serious mitigating factors!).
I agree with your statement about The Book That Wouldn't Burn that it is more speculative fiction than fantasy. Looking forward to hearing more of your thoughts on this book. I greatly enjoyed it.
@@paperpagespossibilities I wasnt not too surprised that this was playing in the spaces between genres, tbh. I haven't read any of Mark Lawrence's other books, but if youbglance through his bibliography it is clear that he likes to move across genres. So it makes sense that some of his work lives in the gaps between strict genre conventions.
I loved both of the books in this series so far. I hope to record a video about them soon, comparing to the other fantasy novels I mentioned, and then after the final book i will make a video about the entire trilogy. At least, that's the plan for now... there are four short stories that take place in this world, not affecting our main plot, and I will hopefully read those before the final book comes out...
Man that's a crazy accident, thankfully it wasn't worse! Glad to hear you liked The Reformatory, it truly was an intense, amazing book.
I was very lucky, that is true! I will say that my mother was a nurse and I have worked in hospitals so I have some level of comfort around injuries, and once I figured it was a head wound and not blood coming from my ear, and then once I was able to run through a quick concussion checklist and not check off any of the boxes, the stress of the moment disappeared quickly.
I had intended to read _The Reformatory_ as soon as it was released and then it just kept getting buried by other things, and I incredibly grateful that I prioritized it, because I agree, intense and amazing.
I keep hearing good things about The Reformatory, I think I need to pick it up.
It is an absolutely phenomenal book, definitely worth picking up!
I enjoy hearing about your studies.
I'm glad your head wound wasn't too bad. They do bleed a lot!
I read House of Leaves a few months ago, and think I will read it again before too long. It's definitely one that could benefit from another pass. After reading it, I read and watched several people talking about it and was surprised by many takes. A lot of folks say they don't like Truant's passages, and even skipped over them. But it seems to me that the whole thing is Johnny's story, and the others are embedded in it. Seems most folks think it's Navidson's story.
Lots of thoughts on it, and I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts.
Thanks! Yes, head wounds do bleed a lot, but luckily my mother was a nurse, and I am pretty comfortable around wounds and injuries. Once I determined that I wasn't bleeding from my ears and once I ran down a concussion checklist and was fairly confident I didn't have a concussion then everything calmed down for me. There were still a number of possibilities, including skull fracture, but nothing else was cause for imminent concern and I knew that the bleeding would just make things appear worse than the were. Still, I was lucky, it could have been worse. And it did buy me a solid week of reading time, and a scar is a small price to pay for that!
I definitely want to read _House of Leaves_ again, though I will probably wait until next year at the earliest. I agree, I don't understand how people skipped Truant's sections. Of anything, some of the footnotes that are just long lists of names or architectural styles etc., some of those you can skip because those are important for the fact they exist not for their specific content, but I don't see how you can skip any of Truant's footnotes and feel like you have read the story. I do think it is Johnny's story, but it is really the way the three stories defy space and time to interfere with each other, that seems to be the heart of what it is getting at. That said, if someone reads it a different way and gets something out of their reading then more power to them. I am contemplating a video about this book and experimental fiction in general, so we will see if I can wrangle enough thoughts together to make that happen...
What a month, Lekden. I really enjoyed hearing more about your month of studies. I am very tempted to read The Reformatory based on our discussions of it, but I’m nervous about it…Talk soon.
It was certainly a month, that's for sure! I definitely recommend _The Reformatory,_ it is incredible. There is a supernatural element but that isn't all that horrific or scary. The treatment of Black folks in the post-antebellum south, that is the scary part. There is a wonderful podcast interview with her about the book here: www.everand.com/podcast/682915363/168-Tananarive-Due-Locked-in-With-the-Monsters . That might help allay any concerns
@ thanks, Lekden. I’m just home from the library and I picked up The Reformatory and also Due’s story collection, Ghost Summer.
@@BookChatWithPat8668 I hope you like it! I have read a number of her short stories, but always scattered about in other anthologies, never an actual collection just of her work.
I do have a copy of _The Wishing Pool and Other Stories,_ but I haven't gotten to it yet. I don't have a copy of _Ghost Summer,_ you will have to let me know how it is!
@ will do!
That was a good opinion on Oliver Sacks. When I read it I didn't think that way; now I do. Same opinion on The Exorcist. I hope everything will go well with you.
Thanks! It seemed that all of the books that I didn't particularly enjoy in January are books other people love, and that threw me for a loop, a little bit. It's nice to know I'm not the only one who didn't vibe with those books...
@@arockinsamsara RE: The Exorcist...I hate to say I told you so.... I completely agree that it's full of potential but nearly all of it is squandered on amateurish, stilted prose.
@@pleasereadyourbook No, you definitely said it!
Even with All The Time I just can't imagine how I would ever be able to read that much in a month. Would be interested to hear how you do it.
To be honest, I just literally spent all me free time reading, and all of my time was free time, more or less. I didn't really have any functional internet access, so there were no rabbit holes for me to get lost down, and while there was study and other things to do they just didn't take up too much of my time.
I will say, now a week into February and back home, back in my regular environment with my regular habits and distractions, that reading rate has slowed way back down again! I have only finished 1 book, and I am 75% down with a second and 33% done with a third, so, functionally, only finished 2 books.I am just making sure that, regardless of reading rate, I am enjoying my experience, and I am getting something from it other than just a page count or tally mark in a reading journal. As long as that continues to be the case, that the reading experience is meaningful and pleasurable, then I try not to think about the reading rate too much. It is only when preparing for wrap-ups at the middle or ends of the month that I think about those things...
this video told me more about who you are than a lot of the others
I mean, OK? I put something of myself in all my videos. Sometimes you just see what you need/want...
@@arockinsamsara I erased my comment. I got thrown off by the "I mean, Ok?" Maybe I was having a bad morning among other things. Sorry
@@momo_genX No worries. Comment sections don't always dont convey tone well; that was an understandable reading of that small phrase, but not the one I intended. 😃
You're a beast! 😮
I think I just need to have more (mild) head injuries... That was my key to having time to do nothing but read for a week straight!
@ maybe your 'mild' head injury unlocked something... 😂
@@pleasereadyourbook I mean, if it did then I will take it! Not exactly willing to repeat the experiment to find out, though 😅