Weekly Update: June 29th, 2024 | The One Where I Listen to Patrons & Write-In Votes 

Mike, I'm in need of a serious 5 stars read. That's why I started Pillars of the Earth. Fingers crossed this will be IT!! Also, you're quite far ahead in One Piece now! 😄

12 Monkeys was awesome. One of the best finales ever. For a show involving time travel they closed up every loop and thread perfectly.

thanks Mike for saving me from my second try at Wool. I will spend my time elsewhere. I am loving Lonesome Dove - thank u for that! You can't miss with McCammon...

I loved Wool. The formatting and POV's only added to the suspense for me. I will be jumping into book two later this month.

The biggest shock of the year would be if The Vanished Birds ends up your book of the month, Mike! 😁 Nevertheless, I enjoyed chatting with you and our fellow distinguished Quilluminati about it.

Corbett series is an all timer for me, and Queen of Bedlam introduces some great companion characters to Matthew, looking forward to your thoughts.

If you like westerns ( and since you don't mind needed subtitles) I highly recommend The English. It's a 6 episode miniseries on Prime. It's one of the greatest stories ever told in a tv show. It's absolutely brilliant and criminally underrated.

12 Monkeys is a great series. The time travel stuff, of course, always gets wonky. But as long as you focus on the characters and the timey-wimey stuff the show presents, things are really interesting. Thinking about it, it bridges the gap quite well between older cable TV shows with many episodes with procedural elements and episodic storytelling, and the new stream/TV shows that are more continuous. The Terry Gilliam movie is amazing as well, definitely worth a rewatch!

Another GRAND MASTER. THE REAL BEGINNING OF MODERN SCI FI

Book 2 flashes back, but you will get back to the characters in Wool. I do hope you read the series. The series kinda reminded me of memento Mayne? Or a physiological thriller where you piece together information and it all connects in the final book.

Idk why but lately I've been wanting to re-read Needful Things. That is my absolute favorite King book and my book of the year for 2022. Currently 80 percent thru 11/22/63 anf about 150 pages into Oathbringer

Been reading The Ferryman by Justin Cronin, so freaking good. Reminds me of Blake Crouch. Halfway through and can barely put it down.

From what I heard, 12 Monkeys is probably like Dark

PEAKY!!!!! Awesome!!!

I absolutely loved the silo show and was so excited to find out it had a book. Ended up DNFing it I just couldn’t get into the book.

Just bought John dies at the end so will be joining you for that. Finished watching Dead boy detectives. Very fun show in sandman universe.

Finishing up We Are The Dead right now. Its really got me hooked.

My Lady Lane is a great show you might like. Fantasy comedy in a royal court setting

Reading shogun and fellowship of the ring about 2-3 pages most night and the lotus sutra

I went to Barnes and Noble yesterday and got two books, one of which make you happy. Maybe both.

I'm blazing through James Rollins' Sandstorm. It has a thriller pace and some wild science ideas ("ball lightning") like you would find in Michael Crichton. Good characters too. It's actually shorter than the rectangular paperback makes it appear. The original hardcover was around 400 pages. The sum of all man is the Sigma Force!

I could use a 5 star read as well, although I did get one in April.. Only light reading for me this month! Doctor's orders. (Dr Fantasy that is).

Just finished a thriller called Relic, fun read. Wool doesn't sound like it would be for me. Happy reading!

SAME on the subtitles!

Hey Mike, thanks for the weekly update, always like to hear what’s going on with everyone. I just finished my first John Gwynne book, Malice. Loved it so much! Definitely a 5-star for me.

I got to the part in wool where the lady knits for three pages and i quit. That was years ago.

I read wool & shift this month. If you have problems with Wool, you’ll hate shift

Hope you love Peaky Blinders! Us Gwynnes love it. I really need to dive into some McCammon

12 Monkeys tv show is the best time travel show of all time. I’m saying that as someone who love time travel movie and shows and I watched almost all of them. You can’t find any holes or not logical issue in the story. Also, it has recognized as one of the best season finale in tv shows.

60 degrees and cloudy, PNW, I'm finishing up the Dresden files summer knight today and tomorrow. I've been reading some Buffy comics on my color ereader now that I can fully enjoy them. I'm also reading a couple of other books when I can't decide what to fully read. A paranormal romance and a paranormal ya fantasy quick easy reads and my go to genre for reading slumps. I recently read alien bug hunt which is like if the Marines in the aliens movie got their own book of short stories which was really fun. I might start a Western with my husband soon just to mix it up a bit.

I just finished book 1 of Mistborn. My first Sanderson book!! Pretty awesome 🤓

Subtitles is definitely a must for peaky but man it is so damn good

I'm excited for you to watch Peaky Blinders, but I'm even more excited for 12 Monkeys. I was introduced to it because the Season 3 premiere was showing on the TV at a bar I was at, and it was so intriguing that I ignored my friends for the next hour and just watched it. I was hooked from there! Season 1 is good, but they keep getting progressively better. I agree that the finale was one of the most satisfying in TV history. I can't wait to hear what you think!

I had mixed reaction to Wool as well. But I also made the mistake of reading it when we were all locked down for Covid so it might been bad timing. Might get back to the series eventually.

Sometimes the show is indeed better than the book, hahah. Curious to hear your thoughts on Peaky Blinders, happy watching!

First when is disquiet gods?. Second if you want more sci Fi I know you weren't the biggest fan of children of time but his other sci Fi series the final architect is pretty good. There's a group of characters you follow and it felt kinda like mass effect imo.

I played a game called Still Wakes the Deep. Imagine The Thing meets Lovecraft on an oil rig. I had a lot of fun with that game. And it’s on Gamepass. Highly recommended!

I love the silo trilogy! You have to keep going. I thought books 2 an 3 were much better 👍

I finished ‘Salem’s Lot which has to be a top contender for book of the year for me. I’m now reading Dragonbone Chair and loving it. 12 Monkeys sounds very interesting. Thanks C.

The Hugh Howey books are a little odd, but I got invested and finished the whole trilogy and it's definitely worth it in my opinion.

So sad that you”re at the mercy of youtube and a hack. Hoping for much success! ❤❤❤

12 Monkeys is a very well done sci-fi show, even if the budget was limited at times. Very satisfying. Barry is on another level though. It’s both a very dark comedy and also an extremely tense drama dealing with PTSD. When it’s funny it’s astoundingly hilarious, and when it’s serious it’s gut-wrenching. On the book front, you’re responsible for me discovering two of my all-time favorite series: The First Law, and Red Rising. So, I feel like I should give you fair warning to **NOT** read the Dungeon Crawler Carl series because once you start it you will put aside the rest of your TBR pile until you’re caught up. It’s at six books now, but they go fast because it’s so engaging and funny and heartfelt with a lot of clever moments and payoffs that make you say “fuck yeah!” It really is just that good. I know one day you’ll get around to it, and like me, regret that you didn’t read it sooner. I hope you do before the series is finished (which, considering he’s written six books in four years and plans to end it around 8 or 9 books, should be in the next couple of years) because I’d love to hear your speculation on certain mysteries and where you think it’s headed. Just read the first couple chapters and see that it doesn’t grab you.

Yea! I only heard about it from Ben, now you! I will be taking it on vacation. 🤞

It doesn't happen many times but these are some of my examples where the Movie/TV show was better than the book: 1) The Shining - now relax. I love the book but tbh, the movie was even better. 2) Apocalypse Now (Heart of Darkness) - I know this is loosely based on the book but the book is one of the absolute worst books I have ever read. On the other hand, the film is an all time classic. 3) Rosemary's Baby - the book is good but the movie (the original film) is incredible.

Barry is amazing. Peak comedy, peak horror and peak thriller all at the same time.

My money is all on Bedlam being book of the month. Love Barry but is very inside baseball of the theatre world. Yessss write in 12 Monkeys.

Wool was just ok for me as well…certainly not bad but just fine. And that genre is right up my alley. I’ve never continued to the other books.

I read all three books that make up Silo. When i read it had no clue that there was going to be a show coming out months later. I lasted the first episode. It was just to clean looking. Since the book portrays it as dark and grimy. I will say the third book does explain everything. Started Wizards and Glass the other day. The Dark Tower is my summer reading. Including Insomnia and Hearts of Atlantis.

Finished my 11th book of the year and got a good start on the newest Stephen King short story collection. Since summer schedule is so wonky haven't made plans for July yet. I just know I don't want to use the fact a book is short when choosing my reads. Read: 'Money Shot' by Christa Faust, comic books: Transformers (Image) and Conan (Titan) Reading: 'You Like it Darker' by Stephen King, comics: Saturday Morning Adventures: Dungeons & Dragons (IDW) Watched: Talk to me (2022/23), House of the Dragon (s2), The Bear (s3) Listened: been putting on some festival performances in the background that I find on RU-vid since festival season is in full swing Playing: Dishonored Definitive Edition, finding the game reminding me of Assassins Creed but if played in first person (I have only played the first two or three games for all I know AC has a first person mode now)

By the order of the peaky fucking blinders

I loved Peaky blinders, and Barry ! I watched 12 monkeys with my partner and honestly I don’t remember much of it 😅 but I had stuff going on at the time, so….

I'm would suggest the cabinet of curiosities by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child as a different read

Peaky blinders, the bear, and Barry are all amazing choices!!

wool for me is a good standalone, might continue just for the sake of finishing the story

I'm absolutely loving House of The Dragon, and even after reading the book, I still find it surprising how engaged I feel watching it. I still feel the impact of every twist as if I didn't already know it. Very excited for some spesific scenes (won't mention because of spoilers, but if you know I think you know). Currently doing my first read through Lord of The Rings! Just started Fellowship of The Ring. (I have read the Hobbit and really liked it) I did watch the first movie a while ago, but I remember nothing except for the ending. So far, it has been a Really cozy ride, but I do feel like the pattern of visiting someone, leaving, visiting someone new, leaving etc. is quite overused. But nonetheless, it is absolutely interesting. I am excited to finish!

12 Monkeys is one of my favourite movies. I've been avoiding the TV show for that reason.

Wool was the best in the series

We started the bear last night. Watched the first 3 episodes. If you have ever worked in kitchens. This is a pretty accurate depiction of that

My vote is for The Bear.

Throw Picard season 3, Back to the Future and a little Battlestar kinda writing into a blender and you get 12 Monkeys. I know Mike will enjoy the hell out of it. Hope others join him for the ride too!

One Piece is so damn good holy moly.

I’ve just finished the Silo series and it’s good but not great. I liked the prequel.

Peaky is SOOOOOOOO GOOOOD! Just remember the ending isn't the ending. They are working on the film right now that will conclude the story. If you like Cillian Murphy, this is his best role yet.

Is Brian Lee Durfee still alive ?

The pacing is weird for Silo and starts out slow. Great series for me though, one of the better things I've read in recent years.

Wohoo I´m hopefully first.

Have a feeling Queen of Bedlam and Destroyer of Worlds are going to be leagues better than anything you read in June.

I'm reading From a Buick 8

I can understand liking an adaptation better than a book. It doesn’t happen terribly often but it isn’t unheard of. For me, some examples of that would be The Durrell in Corfu (based on Gerald Durrell’s memoirs), the early seasons of the Expanse (sorry!), certain parts of the Demon Slayer anime, and……….Lord of the Rings. There. I’m sure the pitchforks are being sharpened but those movies absolutely take my breath away. Tolkien’s work is undoubtedly fantastic and he was a remarkable man. But there are something about the films that captured my heart more. I’ll see myself out now. This week I completed the Jack London novel The Sea Wolf 🐺 this man can bloody write. I would strongly recommend any of his works for anyone who feels they would like to start reading more classics, or just anyone in particular. I also finished the Martian Chronicles by Bradbury which I read with my mom. I think she enjoyed it a bit more than I did, maybe because she grew up during the Cold War era and this reminds her of the books and shows she grew up with. I liked it though. Good stuff. Next week I am reading through Guy Gavriel Kay’s The Last Light of the Sun which is Viking and Anglo Saxon inspired. I just read a nonfiction book on the Vikings which covered the works of Ibn Fadlan (of Michael Chrichton’s Eaters of the Dead fame) and there is a character in the very beginning of this GGK novel that seems to be a head nod to Fadlan. I’m additionally listening to a nonfiction book on the IRÁ during the Troubles (Say Nothing) Well, happy reading!

In the last 2 months, thrillers and a woke fantasy put me in a slump. Having a sci-fi and a romance kept me afloat. The mixture of literary genres is good for the mind.