The first one seems to have the annoying OCR error I mentioned elsewhere where blank lines between significant paragraph breaks are omitted, but that problem seems to disappear by about book 2.
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Yes, you can convert epub to mobi using Calibre. You can also email the epub to your Kindle email address and it will convert it for you.
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Thanks to you I read the Old Man’s War series 3 years ago. I liked the earlier books (1-3) a lot. Afterwards it kinda got weaker.
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I agree. The first three were fun and entertaining reads. The fourth is understandable as something he did for his daughter, but it’s just a repeat of book three from a different perspective, and to my mind this was a failure. YMMV.
I thought Ghost Brigades was even better than Old Mans War, but that’s because it tickled my psychology and what it means to be a person itch, so again YMMV.
I read the other books and they just didn’t work for me. Again YMMV.
I liked Scalzi’s earlier work a lot, and generally enjoy his books, though Redshirts made me want to throw the book against the wall, but I really enjoyed his H. Beam Piper Fuzzy homage. Another YMMV as some don’t.
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The first foundation ebook is on sale today (December 20) at Amazon USA for $2. (It’s likely on sale in whatever other digital formats it comes in, too. Maybe us only, maybe not. )
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Everything I read in December:
A lot more this month thanks to the holiday magic of being off work, away from home, and getting books as gifts.
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Finished two more Ann Leckie novels: Translation Slate and Provenance. They’re both set in the universe of the sublime Ancillary books (Justice, Sword, and Mercy), and they’re both quite good. Translation Slate I would go so far as to say is great… not quite as good as Ancillary Justice or Mercy, but significantly better than Sword.
It’s just such lovely sci-fi. So thoughtful. A general pleasure to read. Next up is Becky Chamber’s A Prayer for the Crown Shy, which I am super excited for.
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Finished burning god the finale did get better and doing a bit of the reading into Mao and the reason for writing the book made my distaste for the protagonist more understandable and (I think) overall increased my liking of the book.
Started listening to will of the many and my word this is enjoyable. Nothing particularly new so far (although I do like the magic system they’ve introduced) although it does well with the material it borrows liberally from.
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Quite a lot to report here. I have been busy reading the Sharpe novels, in order of publication. I just finished Sharpe’s Company, after having read first Sharpe’s Gold, Sharpe’s Eagle and also Sharpe’s Rifles (as the collection I picked up from the library had it as the first in order, even though it came out later).
I have alternated them with novels from Christian Cameron, (which his pen name for Fantasy is Miles Cameron, author of a fair few novels I have read of his, including the Traitor’s Son Cycle, and Masters & Mages, which I loved). Based on the stories of a group of ex-Alexander the Great Greek Army’s cavalry mercenaries and their adventures around the Black Sea and Scythia, on Tyrant, Tyrant: Storm of Arrows, and Tyrant: Funeral Games. Now I am starting Tyrant: King of the Bosporus.
In between that maelstrom of historical novels, I squeezed a classic from Agatha Christie: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, which I did enjoy until the final twist, which I admit if left me feeling cheated. Still, I must say that her writing is so good, I did not mind being cheated like that at the end. I probably need to read the Affair at Styles to see if I get more convinced about continuing with the Poirot series.
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US meeple:
Terry Pratchet’s Discworld series is available as a humble bundle. Don’t know for how long. Not sure if it’s the complete series (it’s 35 books, which is certainly close) or not.
https://www.humblebundle.com/books/terry-pratchetts-discworld-harpercollins-books
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I’m reading American Prometheus: The Triumph & Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer at the moment. Up to Oppenheimer studying in Germany, so still fairly early.
Loving it, and realising I haven’t read enough Pulitzer prize winning books.
…So after this I’m gonna read Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Aftermath of WWII. I guess it is a sequel, of sorts.
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According to Reading Order - Discworld Emporium it’s 41 books but there may be novellas and short stories that are included there …
I read a lot of them when I started university, a friend back them had every single one that came out. And I’ve been meaning to go back and re-read them.
Wikipedia lists 41 and they’re all full novels other than The Last Hero.
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The bundle is 38 books.
Raising Steam
The Last Hero
Shepherd’s Crown
are the three missing books. Oh well. Still bought the bundle. I’ve read most from my local library. This is definitely the cheapest way to have my own copies always available rather than waiting if someone else has it checked out. I’ll eventually buy the remaining three. The ebook store associated with the bundle has 2 of the 3 so I’m not sure why they aren’t in the bundle. The Last Hero says it is not available as an ebook in the US on that site.
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For those who have read the Discworld books (any or all of them), how are they? I’m interested in the bundle, but I’ve heard the series is a bit insubstantial, and I can get plenty of fluffy fiction from my local library.
I can only suggest reading one and seeing what you think. I read one and “it was ok”, and later I was gifted another and it too was “ok”. There was nothing to get me enthused about reading dozens more of the same though, so that was enough for me, but I have numerous friends who adore the series.
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The first couple are sort of spoofs on typical fantasy. Not exactly spoofs, but poking fun at the tropes. After that, the true voice of the series comes out and they become about using a fantasy world and fantasy tropes to shine light on our world. They unapologetically have something to say and use fun stories to say it. I love them. If you aren’t into the messages or silly fantasy (preferably both), you might not.
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I suppose it depends on what you mean by insubstantial. They’re certainly an easier read than most things you’d find on the Booker Prize shortlist, but I’d categorise them as social commentary/satire against a fantasy backdrop, rather than a standard fantasy series. I expect I missed quite a lot of the jokes when I first started reading them in my early teens, but there are enough layers to the humour that I found them funny as a 13 year old and still find them funny 25 years later after more education than is probably good for me… If you really don’t like a fantasy setting, quite liberal social commentary, or slightly absurd humour, the Discworld series is probably not for you. Otherwise I highly recommend trying them.
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I’ve always enjoyed Pratchett, probably my favourite author. I also wouldn’t call them insubstantial, but you can certainly enjoy them without reading much into them. Layers, and all that.
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Depends on the book. The first 3 aren’t so substantial. Some of the later ones are saying very strong things on society and politics and freedom, but wrapped up in comedy fantasy. And they’re all really funny. After a couple, once you realise what a humane, wise, angry genius he is, you’ll want to read them all.
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