r_books

What's that popular overhyped book that you don't give a fuck about? You've probably heard of that one book - or a number of books - that suddenly gained a huge popularity. Maybe it's because of booktok or booktube, maybe it's because of marketing or maybe it's because it's actually very good. However, the more you hear about it, the more you're like "nah, whatever". Not because you hate the hype, but because it isn't something that interests you. For me that book is Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. Heard about this book on booktube a lot, but I never cared for it. Sure there are more overhyped books, Fourth Wing is just the first one that came to my mind. What are the popular books you don't give a fuck about? https://redd.it/18xiw27 @r_books

The First Law series is stellar. Any fans of Joe Abercrombie's first law books in here? I read all ten over the course of the last year or so and I fell totally in love... His tone of writing isn't quite like anyone else that I've come across, and his balance of darkness, drama, and humor is just fantastic. I highly recommend them if you're into grimly-funny medeival stories or dark fantasy stuff that's a bit subversive. https://redd.it/18x4ycr @r_books

I didn't like The Magicians After browsing reddit looking for books that took place in magical schools, I came across this one. It starts quite well, Quentin is an interesting figure and, although I think Grossman did a pretty rushed job covering idk how many years of college in a few pages, this process was fun to follow. However, some questions started popping up in my mind, like: Why would a 18 year old boy that studied a lot of physics and was a genius would never question the existence of magic? Why was Quentin not even interested in Alice's experiment? These ones and a lot of others showed me how rushed things were and possibly how shallow it also was. Then, they left Brakebills and things started going down. Quentin suddenly turned into an alcoholic despicaple a-hole, Penny who is not supposed to be a likable guy is the likable guy, and we don't even know how to feel about the others. They are ALWAYS so depressed even though they do not suffer from any specific thing (and can fucking do magic) and they don't even think about the possibility of being clinically depressed. No one seem to care. This book just felt to me as a HP kind of story mixed up with some Narnia but ended up being bad at doing both. It had some cool scenes though. It kept me thinking that if Grossman wrote a more ordinary fantasy novel I would pretty much like it. That's it. Those who have read it, tell me your thoughts. Thank you for reading! https://redd.it/18x5w0z @r_books

Reading Resolutions: 2024 Happy New Year everyone! 2024 is nearly here and that means New Year's resolutions. Are you creating a reading-related resolutions for 2024? Do you want to read a certain number of books this year? Or are you counting pages instead? Perhaps you're finally going to tackle the works of James Joyce? Whatever your reading plans are for 2024 we want to hear about them here! Thank you and enjoy! https://redd.it/18ue597 @r_books

Are some books better as audiobooks? Maybe the wrong title to use but bear with me. For context, I have only started to enjoy reading in the last few years, up until my early twenties I hadn't read a single book for leisure but now I love it and always have a book on the go. My issue is I'm a slow reader, this is especially true if I'm struggling to get into a book. I have a long list of things I'd like to read and a few of them are history books which can be quite extensive, one of these in particular that I want to read is around 500K words. I like the challenge of reading a lengthy book but I'm wondering if you find that certain types of books are better in audio format? I know people have mixed opinions on audiobooks and because initially I had to really try to enjoy reading, they feel a bit like cheating. I don't know why it feels this way but I'd like to get over this. How do you use audiobooks? are there particular genres that you feel are better suited to listen to rather than read yourself? https://redd.it/18ws0m8 @r_books

Books written more than 100 years ago that feel very modern What are some books written at least 100 years ago that struck you as very modern feeling when you read them? The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton springs to mind for me. It was published in 1920, but something about it feels so current. I also think Mark Twain has this modern sensibility in the things he wrote. In a different way, I think the 1909 sci-fi short story The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster was extremely prescient and felt weirdly like it could have been written yesterday the way it describes how we have become reliant on technology. Which ones spring to mind for you and what is it about them that strikes you as more modern than you’d expect? (My first attempt to post this was removed for asking for recommendations, but I intended the post as a discussion starter. Hopefully this one passes the test!) https://redd.it/18wrym7 @r_books

My second try with Terry Pratchett and I love it! Hi guys. I just wanted to share with you how excited I am for giving a second chance to Terry Pratchett. I attempted to read Pratchett years ago, but in my native language, and the book was Mort. I don't know if it was bad timing or the translation, but just couldn't encage with the story and felt like Pratchett was just an overrated author. I remember reading the book only because it was short, but had absolutely no positive thing to say about it. Anyway, yesterday I felt like giving him a second chance and bought the Equal Rites from the local bookstore, but this time in English. My God, it is a completly different experience altogether! Terry Pratchett is very very witty author and I caught myself several times laughing out loud. I finished Equal Rites just few minutes ago and can't wait to continue with some of his other books. I'm so glad that I rediscovered Terry Pratchett, what a miss for me it would have been if I hadn't given him a second chance. https://redd.it/18wouvt @r_books

Do you read for the experience or the memory? I finally realized why I'm disappointed by so many books that are popular with others, long after realized "people read with different goals" (and the more obvious "people like different genres). The split, I think, is between people who read to experience, and the people who read to remember. I think I'm an extreme "remember" reader, which is why I'm so focused on the logic of the plot and emotional truths of the characters' actions and reactions. Experience readers are the ones who praise beautiful language, mood, setting, etc. (Obviously a spectrum, as many things are; don't treat this as a binary.) I notice those things, but if the plot isn't tied up neatly or if the characters act like idiots to advance the story, none of those things matter and the experience is ruined for me. Perhaps the best TV example is Lost: so many people loved it and continued to love it after it ended, whereas the unsatisfying ending to the major storylines absolutely ruined everything for me. It wouldn't occur to me to rewatch it, like some people do. One of my old professors once identified the difference between our "experiencing self," that is, the "me" that is doing the reading, and the "remembering self," the "me" that takes the memory of that book into the future. These two selves are virtual strangers to each other. I think it applies here. Which type of reader are you? https://redd.it/18wodgv @r_books

Do you enjoy big (+800 pages) books or do they feel like a chore? Felt like asking this because both Les Miserables and Stephen King's It are on my 2024/25 TBR list (lot of stuff before I get to them, so they might be split between years, lol). Do you like doorstop-size books? I've met a lot of readers who find them so difficult to follow because they feel like a chore after a while. I like them, but honestly, I kinda get it. I probably won't be able to read Les Mis without breaking it up a little bit and spacing it with other shorter reads. +1500 bigass pages is just a smidge too much to read in one go 😅 Thoughts? What's your preferred book length? https://redd.it/18wom5l @r_books

What book's back blurb made you interested in it enough to buy it? We all know that the covers of a book nowadays don't give us much clues about the book. All the good books are either a) made into movies and have the ugly movie poster as a cover or are b) don't have good enough covers. This has made me at least, and a dozen of my friends look at the back blurb to decide which book to read, which is a task because there are a hundred books to buy and not enough time to read ALL THE BACKBLURBS. But still, there are some back blurbs that have made me say, "I WANNA BUY THIS BOOK!" after I have read them. For you all, which back blurbs have sold you the book? Also anybody else who hates modern book covers? https://redd.it/18wn8rw @r_books