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Zenbane
Zenbane
Honored Contributor
September 13, 2018
Question

The Official "Books Worth Reading" Thread

I used to be an avid reader, but over time I've found it difficult to commit to the literature being released. I figure I just must be missing out on the good stuff. Use this thread to recommend the "best of the best" that you've encountered.

I've read all but the last "Game of Thrones" (Ice and Fire) books. However, my favorite series of all time is Sword of Truth by Terry Goodkind. Before that, I read a ton of fantasy and horror books, but none worth really recommending. Probably my favorite Stephen King book is Needful Things.

Any other readers out there?

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      Luciferous
      Inspiring
      May 11, 2020
      Well finished book 1 of Dark Tower. Decided to stick it out but it didn't get any better. I am pretty amazed this came from Stephen King, short and dire is my summary.  Hope book two makes it worth it and the narrator is not a 90 year old man again.
      Luciferous
      Inspiring
      May 28, 2020
      @JeremyC85

      @Digikid1

      Book 4 bobiverse, Heaven’s River (formerly The Search for Bender) is now with Audible for production.

      The release date has been set at Sept 24, 2020 for the [audible] audiobook. 

       :)  :) :)

      Digikid1
      Honored Contributor
      May 28, 2020

      Luciferous said:

      @JeremyC85

      @Digikid1

      Book 4 bobiverse, Heaven’s River (formerly The Search for Bender) is now with Audible for production.

      The release date has been set at Sept 24, 2020 for the [audible] audiobook. 

       :)  :) :)




      Thanks for the heads up.  Much appreciated and REALLY looking forward to it.

      Right now I am going though the "Expeditionary Force" series by Craig Alanson.  On book 3.  Love it!!!!
      Luciferous
      Inspiring
      May 28, 2020
      Yes I saw that a few times recommended by Audible. I'll have to check it out.
      Zenbane
      ZenbaneAuthor
      Honored Contributor
      May 29, 2020
      hmm, this Bobiverse sounds enticing! I have built up credits in Audible. Going to start on Book 1 this weekend!
      Digikid1
      Honored Contributor
      May 29, 2020
      You'll be hooked I promise you.

      Zenbane said:

      hmm, this Bobiverse sounds enticing! I have built up credits in Audible. Going to start on Book 1 this weekend!




      BrunoAra
      Participant
      May 31, 2020
      The dark tower of Stephen King is just awesome!
      Luciferous
      Inspiring
      May 31, 2020
      Well I will be reading book 2 of the Dark Tower on the 5th of June when my credit arrives. I will say though book one was very, very far from awesome.
      Zenbane
      ZenbaneAuthor
      Honored Contributor
      May 31, 2020


      Well I will be reading book 2 of the Dark Tower on the 5th of June when my credit arrives. I will say though book one was very, very far from awesome.



      Yep, glad I'm not the only one who struggled with Book 1. I probably already talked about this somewhere in this thread. But yes, I tried reading Book 1 on paper back years ago and my eyes were watery as hell as I tried to keep them focused on the pages. Such a hard read. But most people say that the rest is fantastic. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts when you get through the entire series.
      Zenbane
      ZenbaneAuthor
      Honored Contributor
      May 31, 2020
      I'm going to drop a random braindump of thoughts here,

      I was just proof-reading my previous post, and thought about my comment:
      Yep, glad I'm not the only one who struggled with Book 1.

      What's interesting is that this can probably be taken the wrong way. It almost sounds like I'm either insulting the book or others who enjoyed the book. But I'm certainly not!

      I have taken random breaks from reading throughout my life. Often times it happens the moment I run in to a book like Book 1 of the Dark Tower series, where I struggle to get through a single chapter, or even a single page. It becomes a chore, and an overall unfun experience. Eventually I abandon the book and next thing I know, I haven't read anything in a year or two. Sometimes longer.

      This psychosis takes place (for me) because I assume that I simply must be "tired of reading." Or maybe I'm just not quite the "reading hobbyist" that I thought I was. Perhaps extensive reading just isn't for me? Failing to enjoy a popular book puts those thoughts in my head.

      Using Book 1 of the Dark Tower series as an example: Due to it being written by King (who is a master) and the fact that it received so much acclaim, surely the problem can't be the book! The problem must be me.

      And since I was reading this book back before the Internet was even a thing (this was released in the early 1980's and I tried reading it around the early 1990's), there was no medium for me to connect to other readers to confirm that the problem might just be the book, or how it was written. And other readers that I knew irl around that same time had interests in other authors and other subject matter. So my social circles at that time were no help. In fact, they just aided in supporting my abandonment of either the book or reading as a hobby altogether.

      So now, all these years later, when I encounter others who are struggling to get through the same book, I feel more a sense of relief that it wasn't a problem unique to me.

      One of the benefits I'm finding in this thread/discussion, is that it's helping enable me to continue on to other books even if I encounter material that I don't enjoy. All the recommendations and discussion is pushing me on to other great titles, and preventing my old habit of avoiding books for years at a time.

      /rantoff
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