Ok, let's do this, with the caveat that I'm also going to include ebooks. - ThreadSky | a Reddit-style client for Bluesky

goldwagnathan.bsky.social • 26 days ago

Ok, let's do this, with the caveat that I'm also going to include ebooks.

Reposted from Dr. Samantha Hancox-Li

okay let's do this. 1 like = 1 book on my bookshelf and what it means to me

Comments

goldwagnathan.bsky.social•26 days ago

1. OK, so this is the ninth book in this very pulpy space opera, right? But it actually mostly takes place in an office building, and is about the protagonist having a midlife crisis and nervous breakdown. I am in absolute fucking awe of how good it is, and can't describe it without sounding insane.

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timberwind.bsky.social•26 days ago

I've heard really good things about Bujold for ages now... any good starting points in her body of work you recommend?

mechaherz.bsky.social•26 days ago

Would second Curse of Chalion as it can be read as a stand alone. She wrote the Vorkosigan books such that you can sort of pick one up and figure out what's going on but imo it's worth starting from the beginning. It really is a saga, and you grow more attached to the chars as the series goes on.

goldwagnathan.bsky.social•26 days ago

CURSE OF CHALION is one of the best fantasy novels I've ever read, and even though it does have sequels, it stands completely on its own. Vorkosigan Saga is amazing, but hard to figure out where to dive into.

timberwind.bsky.social•26 days ago

Ooh, I'll check out Curse of Chalion for sure - thank you! And yeah, the Vorkosigan Saga is the one I hear so much about but it's mildly... daunting.

pseud0nym.bsky.social•23 days ago

Vorkosigan saga is amazing. In general, the three books I would personally recommend would be either Falling Free, Shards of Honor, or The Warrior’s Apprentice.

Falling Free is standalone (because it occurs 200 years before the other books) so it’s probably the best of the three.

goldwagnathan.bsky.social•26 days ago

2. Why did Harry Turtledove co-write an alternate history novel with Richard Dreyfuss? I don't know. Is it any good? I don't know. Is it worth reading? Absolutely. I will always have a soft spot for this, just because it's so unabashedly silly and in love with the genre.

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goldwagnathan.bsky.social•26 days ago

3. I think you can tell a lot about me that my favorite book growing up was a GULLIVER'S TRAVELS fanfic by T.H. White that features long digressions into explaining how the Lilliputian-in-Exile society and economy works.

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goldwagnathan.bsky.social•26 days ago

4. It's a story about a super-soldier, a sentient warship, and a literal Fury from Ancient Greek mythology fighting space pirates, in space. It's so dumb. I love it so much. Also packs a stunning amount of worldbuilding and plot in? Man, David Weber was really firing on all cylinders in the '90s.

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goldwagnathan.bsky.social•26 days ago

5. A granular deep-dive into the minutiae of how the Nazis actually ruled Europe, as well as the practical and ideological implications. Genuinely transformed how I look at WWII and mid-20th century history, cannot recommend in strong enough terms.

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goldwagnathan.bsky.social•26 days ago

6. A great one-volume history of the Napoleonic Wars, albeit a dated one, but the author's unabashed contempt for Bonaparte and his mythos was very transformative in shaping how I looked at history, and wrote about it.

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neotiamat99.bsky.social•26 days ago

It is Bujold's masterpiece, and considering the rest of her output that's saying something.

goldwagnathan.bsky.social•26 days ago

The only reason I think CHALION might be better is that you can read that by itself, and MEMORY really requires immersion in the Saga to appreciate.

pseud0nym.bsky.social•23 days ago

I mean, Memory is concerned with themes of growth and moving on from the past, and that just hits harder when you’ve invested more time in the books.

neotiamat99.bsky.social•26 days ago

That is fair, and I did consider adding "except for Paladin of Souls" to the above.

...Bujold is a ridiculously good author, basically. I'm kind of baffled we haven't had like five Netflix adaptations yet.

(I mean, not *that* baffled, but still.)

darkandwondrous.bsky.social•22 days ago

Somebody was pointing out a while back that Elliot Page is still young enough to pull off a series of Miles performances, but that window won't stay open forever.

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goldwagnathan.bsky.social•26 days ago

PALADIN OF SOULS is great, but you don't need to read it to get the most out of CHALION imho. It stands by itself.

adjectivalnoun.bsky.social•14 days ago

📌

spanishspy.bsky.social•26 days ago

📌

rebl10.bsky.social•8 days ago

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otterdisdain.bsky.social•26 days ago

📌