Topic: Books You're Currently Reading?

@GirlVersusGame Yep, that was the one Steven Kent, volume 1 was from 2001, volume 2 was from 2021. Firewatch and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter were another couple of walking simulators I like (VoEC is also a really pretty game), in case you hadn't come across them.

@FuriousMachine I finished The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain. I found it to be the best of his books that I've read by him so far, so I definitely think it deserves a place on your list along with the other two. I found it to be an irreverent romp across all the major wonders of the world, as they stood at the time of writing. How is your current reading coming along?

Also, my next book should be either ella minnow pea by Mark Dunn, or The Lily in the Valley, a novella by Honore de Balzac.

Spiderman Noir, I stopped playing the game to see where that DLC came from and now I want to finish reading it before I continue the game itself. It's an alternative version of Spiderman based during the Great Depression in New York and obviously heavily inspired by film noir.

'After Osborn's defeat, Spider-Man Noir continues his vigilante life for years and opposes the forces of Nazi Germany even before the United States enters World War II. In contrast to the Peter Parker of mainstream Marvel continuity, Spider-Man Noir initially uses brutal and lethal force against his enemies and later struggles with the moral implications of this'. They need to make this a game too.

I also just picked up Spider-Man and Philosophy: The Web of Inquiry, in the grand tradition of learning about a character I know nothing about (yet)

@BlAcK_Sw0rDsMaN Happy to hear it was worthwhile; it has been added to my list My own reading is going well, not much to report since my previous update from the other day, though.

@GirlVersusGame I'm familiar with the character, though only just; never read any of the comics. The upcoming TV series with Nicolas Cage looks quite excellent, though. Really looking forward to that!

@FuriousMachine Nicolas Cage as Spiderman? I know he was almost going to be Superman, I've seen the footage/dailies etc but isn't Spiderman basically a child?

@GirlVersusGame Not Spider-man, Spider-Noir (different character)

EDIT: I'll post the trailer in the TV thread

@FuriousMachine I just saw it, it threw me because they call him Spiderman in Spider-Noir. You meant Ben Reilly, I was picturing Nicholas Cage as Peter Parker and that was rough.

I’m juggling a mix of fiction and nonfiction. I’m slowly working through Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, which always gives me something to think about.

I finished ella minnow pea by Mark Dunn, I thought it was fantastic and I want to read everything else by him now. A fantastic celebration of literacy and the English language. Would recommend it to the chosen few who feel like they can appreciate slightly oddball, off-kilter experimental literature of the right vintage.

Next up: The Lily in the Valley by Honore de Balzac...

Edit: I've abandoned The Lily in the Valley in favour of The Unknown Masterpiece ,also by de Balzac, as I don't think it behoves de Balzac to write in the first-person, as in the case of the former novella, so I've abandoned it, as I say, in favour of the latter, where he writes in the third-person, instead, which I feel is a style that he is "naturally" suited to write in.

Edit II: I finished The Unknown Masterpiece which is comprised of two stories, one short and one substantially longer, the second piece rather lets down the first, which is quite good on it's own, but not quite enough to merit the asking price. The second piece disappointed me but the first is definitely quite worth reading.

Now onto IBID: A Novel by Mark Dunn, which seems much more promising.

Edit III: I've read much more of it now, I'm about 100 pages in, of approx. 253 pages altogether. The book is very strong, very humorous, I really like it so far. His first book, ella minnow pea, is very amusing in places as well.

Finished the final (at least for now) novel in Freida McFadden's "Housemaid" series The Housemaid is Watching and even if it turns out that McFadden isn't done with the series, I sure am. I gave it two and a half stars in my Goodreads review.

Next up is Nemesis, the fourth book in Jo Nesbø's "Harry Hole" series and the only novel currently standing in front of Geralt's oft postponed next big adventure. That Witcher has the patience of a saint

I finished IBID: A Novel by Mark Dunn. I found it to be an excellent read, a profound mixture of humour and pathos, and excellently-written to boot, there's not much more to say except that the main character is born with three legs and it's a book I would recommend to everyone!

I have finished 'War & Peace' this book was excellent. Superb writing, brilliantly realised characters and just the whole package took me by surprise with the scope of it all and Tolstoy's philosophising on the events itself. I enjoyed it so much I may read more Tolstoy later in the year.

Next up is 'The Housemaid' one of my colleague's lent it to me so I'll start it later today.

Also just as I approached the end of 'War & Peace' The library had 'Empire of the Dawn' ready for me to pick up. I'm excited to get stuck into that one.

@MightyDemon82 I have not read "War & Peace", but I am fairly certain that "The Housemaid" is an equal or maybe even superior, work of literature

@BlAcK_Sw0rDsMaN I really enjoyed 'Ella Minnow Pea'. So I will definitely check out 'IBID: A Novel' after reading your thoughts on it.

@FuriousMachine. We seem to like a lot of the same things, so I may just read the first one after reading your thoughts on the third book. I will see how it goes.

@MightyDemon82 That sounds like a good plan. The third one was a solid waste of time. The second was decent, but hewed a bit too close to the first one so it almost felt like a retread (or maybe "remix" would be more apt).

@MightyDemon82 Good! Feel free to post your thoughts here when you've read it, and if you do, I'd appreciate a tag! B$.

I'm currently reading Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip Hop Generation by Jeff Chang. It seems very thoroughly researched, academic and well-written so far.

just finished the last few pages of Stephen King's Insomnia a half hour ago.

Ralph's final day is a bit sad but at least he dies a hero.

at least his death wasnt totally bizarre and messed up like Arnie and his mother and father in the Christine novel

might start re-reading Rose Madder to keep me busy til March

I finished "The Housemaid" a nice breezy read after tackling "War & Peace" for the past month or so. I think I might just leave it there and not worry about the sequels, as I thought it wrapped up quite nicely.

Next up the final book in the "Empire of the Vampire" trilogy. "Empire of the Dawn" I enjoyed the previous books a lot, so fingers crossed Kristoff sticks the landing with this final book.