Mid Year Freak Out with  

I see Allen I click

Finally a mid year freak out that involves a freak out.

Such fun questions! I posed these questions to the family this morning and we had a great discussion. Speaking for myself, I read a lot of new authors this year: Alfred Bester, Ted Chiang, Samuel R. Delaney, Shirley Jackson, Cixun Lui, Benjamin Stevens, Arkady & Boris Strutgatsky, Dennis Taylor, Jo Walton. This produced so many new favorites: Babel-17, Fahrenheit 451, Ocean at the End of the Lane, The Shining, Three-Body Problem, We Have Always Lived in the Castle. It also resulted in some of the most fun reads I've ever had: Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, Kaiju Preservation Society, Network Effect, We are Legion.

Gaming channel, The Library of Allenxandria confirms Winds of Winter release date 😱

Loved this and off to see the rest. My favourite re-read was The Enchanted April, best romance Part of Your World, new release Tainted Cup, best sequel Demon Daughter (Bujold), fantasy Tigana, Ship of Magic, and Forgotten Beasts of Eld. So far. Hard time but trying to get back to reading 🤓

Aaaah what a lovely surprise!! And even better that we are getting two parts of this fun! I am taking notes with all your guys' answers haha, my TBR is expanding lol. Thanks for sharing the joy 🥰

Can I be on the Allen council? I think I’d be a good Hand. I am definitely a fast reader but I have a strong degree of self control so bring on a buddy read! Cheers!

I’m only a little bit in to the video, but that clarification comment about the new James SA Corey book was so helpful. Please thank Allen for sharing! I’m 1/3 through the 4th Expanse book and absolutely loving the series. It’s pushed other reads out of the way, unfortunately, but the series hits all my favorite tones.

This was a blast to see in replay-I CANT WAIT to read some Le Guin sci-fi (sorry Allen) and Mercy of the Gods (not sorry Allen). Hopefully I’ll catch part 2 live!

Nice! I’m trying to read all of Ishiguro’s books in order this year. I’m part way into The Unconsoled right now and it’s certainly a departure from the formula he used in his first 3.

When is the Dandelion Dynasty read along? And can we join along?

I really want to read the prince of nothing trilogy but I have no idea when I’m going to get to it. 😭 I’m reading Deadhouse Gates right now, then about a billion, eight hundred million, nine hundred sixty two thousand, four hundred thirty one other books, then maybe I can get to it😭 lol

Ubik is such a wild time 😆

Glad to hear good things about Mercy of Gods! Really looking forward to it.

Unfortunately I missed this live but I really want to hear the Allen-rant about R. Scott Bakker so thanks for talking up The Judging Eye Johanna. And yes I agree w you The Old Man and the Sea was kinda a yawn (I DNFd) but I did love For Whom the Bell Tolls - the only Hemingway I finished.

The Secret World of Arrietty was actually based on the first of a 5 book series (the Borrowers) from the 1950s by Mary Norton, also the author of the book Bed-knob and Broomstick (speaking of Angela Lansbury). I've got all the books, just have to read them soon because I grew up with Disney's Bedknobs, and quite enjoyed the Ghibli film. Anyway thanks for bringing us the Alan content! :) He's less grumpy with you I think.

the borrowers is a good book series I loved as a kid

i think I'm looking forward to wind and truth this year

Babel-17 is one my favorite reads of the year. The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis hasn't been debunked, but there are hard and soft interpretations. It is true that people experience the world based on the structure of their language, and that linguistic categories shape our cognitive processes. Stories from Babel-17 to Story of Your Life (or Arrival) took it a step further with a sci fi spin, but the basic concept has been supported.

Johanna, if you liked Bone Clocks, pls check out Cloud Atlas . it's Mitchell's best work. I'm a die hard fan and while I enjoyed Bone Clocks, it was nowhere near as epic as Cloud Atlas. Mitchell is always writing mini novellas that are connected and Cloud Atlas is where he perfected the form.

Such a fun chat! My answers are: 1. Superbly well. Spectacular in fact. 2. A Brightness Long Ago / Guy Gavriel Kay Fool's Errand / Robin Hobb 3. Fool's Fate / Robin Hobb 4. The Warrior-Prophet / R Scott Bakker 5. Historical-Fantasy and Crime. 6. Play of Shadows / Sebastien De Castell 7. I don't even know if we're getting the new Kithamar or Witness book this year. 8. Do DNFs count? Cuz mine would be Ryan Cahill's Of Darkness & Light, i don't understand the hype for this series. I couldn't have cared less. 9. Shutter Island / Dennis Lehane 10. Dennis Lehane 11. Paragon from Liveship Traders and Augustus McCrae from Lonesome Dove. 12. Fool's Fate 13. Fool's Errand 14. The Spear Cuts Through Water has a beautiful cover. 15. Whatever the f*** I want 🤣 I lowkey dislike the idea that we *need* to read a specific book by a specific time.

My answers that I posted on another tag video.... But first to answer your question most don't answer, my reading is going well. I'm not reading as much this year as in previous ones because of distractions but I'm still picking up some very enjoyable reads 1. BEST BOOK YOU'VE READ IN 2024 The Hidden Queen - Peter V Brett. He's a favourite author and it's a world I'm very invested in. The characters were fleshed out even further in this outing and the plot had me hooked all the way through 2. BEST SEQUEL OF 2024 SO FAR? Same as Q1. I've not read a lot of sequels yet this year 3. NEW RELEASE YOU HAVEN’T READ YET BUT WANT TO? I have two and they're both autobiographies. Down with the System by Serj Tankian and The Man: Not your average girl by Becky Lynch I'm a huge System of a Down and WWE fan so these two are high on my to read list 4. MOST ANTICIPATED RELEASE OF THE SECOND HALF OF 2024 Fury of the Gods by John Gwynne. As good as Faithful and the Fallen was the Bloodsworn Saga is even better and I'm so excited to see how he wraps up the trilogy. 5. BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT? Sunbringer by Hannah Kaner. I loved Godkiller so to be so down about book 2 hurt. It meandered along with no purpose and just felt like it was moving characters into position for the third book without having a plot of its own. 6. BIGGEST SURPRISE. My Lovely Wife - Samantha Downing. I picked it up on a whim and flew through it in a matter of days. So clever and a well crafted thriller 7. FAVORITE NEW AUTHOR (DEBUT OR NEW TO YOU)? James Logan - I'm very much looking forward to his second novel to see where he takes the story. 9. NEWEST FAVORITE CHARACTER(S)? Princess Donut - Dungeon Crawler Carl. If you know then you know 10. BOOK THAT MADE YOU CRY None yet but given his track record I won't be surprised if John Gwynne destroys me emotionally 11. BOOK THAT MADE YOU HAPPY A Hat full of Sky - Terry Pratchett. It's a re-read but the Tiffany Aching novels from Discworld fill me with so much joy. Insightful, funny and pure happiness wrapped up in a book 12. MOST BEAUTIFUL BOOK YOU BOUGHT/RECEIVED THIS YEAR The Silverblood Promise by James Logan. Simply stunning. 13. WHAT BOOK DO YOU NEED TO READ BY THE END OF THE YEAR The Wheel of Osheim - Mark Lawrence. I'm really not a fan of Jalen so I need to finally finish the trilogy this year and decide whether I'm going to keep the books or just donate them.

:D

Personally, I really enjoy booktags if they’re creative. I believe Brian from Belltube is trying to bring them back. Maybe you guys could team up. I’ll take a crack at these questions. This whole year has been……ok for me so far. Mind you, I have read some great books but I am surprised at how few books I have read where I remember vividly thinking “this is a book of the year contender.” I am planning on changing my strategy a bit and just recklessly going for those books that have been staring at me forever which I think might do the trick. Best book I have read so far has probably been The Heike Story by Yoshikawa. Best sequel or short story you've read so far in 2024…….The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan probably. This was quite surprising to me. I find these books very relaxing on my way to work. Favorite re-read……Under Heaven. My book of the year for 2023. Genre you've been loving/reading the most……I read a lot of nonfiction and historical fiction. New release or authors you haven't read yet but want to……Adrian Tchaikovsky and Miklos Banffy. I also plan on finishing the Xanth series (I really treasure those books as my birth dad gave me his collection of them the first Christmas I spent with his family. It was his favorite series). Most anticipated release for the second half of the year…..I haven’t honestly been paying attention. I’ll look into that. Biggest disappointment…….honestly, the first house of cards book. It just didn’t capture my imagination. I did have the flu when I was reading it though. Biggest surprise…….I like Cormac McCarthy. Favorite new author. (Debut or new to you)….Yoshikawa again here. People who like Shogun might really like his books. Newest favorite character….Lord Tengen from demon slayer. On my god. Book that made you cry…..the demon slayer volume with the spider kid. If you know, you know. Book that made you happy….Letters from Father Christmas by Tolkien. Most beautiful book you've bought so far this year (or received)……..the colored illustration edition of Myths and Legends of Japan by Davis. They usually cost a fortune, but I found one being sold by a German man cheap. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?………What a question! Well, Judgement at Tokyo, Lord of Emperors, Children of Time, the rest of Yoshikawa’s books, the original Tale of the Heike, the rest of Kawabata’s books, and the rest of Legend of the Galactic Heroes. What a can of worms you just opened. Happy Reading everyone!