Topic: Nintendo Life Book Club

@XandertheWise I'll be curious to hear your thoughts on Needful Things. I recently finished it (I've read a lot of Steven King books), I'll share my thoughts until after you are finished

I've read it before years ago and I've seen the movie a few times. I already know what goes on in the book and I remember the extended version a little bit when it aired on TNT a very long time ago which was pretty cool.

@XandertheWise - nice! I appreciated the book, it just didn't draw me in as much as King's books usually do. I did really enjoy the concept and overall storyline of turning the town against each other. I didn't find myself connecting to the characters as much as I usually do. Good book, but I had just finished Fairy Tale, and I find that I prefer his writing style today vs 30+ years ago.

The Stephen King love is ironic considering I just started reading The Shining for the first time this week. I've seen some scenes from the movie - never the full film yet - but have been told some aspects of the book are very different. Not my first King book, though I've not touched a lot of his works yet either. Hoping to fix that over time. I've read a small handful of his short stories and novellas, and I read The Green Mile early last year. I'm also interested in picking up Misery soon due to the unique concept.

Reading is my other usual hobby alongside gaming, though I'll admit I tend to favor the latter these days. I'm supposed to wind down with a book before bed, but half the time my body has other plans and crashes early.

How is this series? An online friend has recommended The Stormlight Archive to me more than once.

@Tyranexx - I love Steven King and have read many of his books. The Dark Tower series is one of my all time favorites. Mr Mercedes Trilogy + the Holly books are all fantastic too. I could go on and on, also need to throw in The Stand... fantastic!

As for Stormlight - it's a commitment. I always recommend that people start with the Mistborn series, it's super fun and a great introduction into the Cosmere. If you enjoy Mistborn, or just want to jump straight into a MASSIVE fantasy epic, Stormlight is WONDERFUL. I have never re-read a book, but I'm Re (listening) Reading the 4 main books + the 2 short stories. It's the only book that I have ever read where I have cried tears of sadness and joy. You all don't know me, so take this with a grain of salt, but I give the series my highest possible recommendation and it is 100% worth the time investment.

One note, I only do audible, and the narrators are fantastic. Kate Reading (one of two narrators) annoyed me at first, but now that I'm used to her style, I absolutely love every second of it. And Michael Kramer, the best narrator in the industry, IMO. I've listened to hundreds of audio books and he is by far my favorite. Not only does he do voices well, he conveys emotion excellently.

I could go on and on, maybe at a later time if people are interested about spoiler free takeaways/commentary - but would love to hear if anyone has given it a go, and if you share the same sentiment that I do!

+Sanderson has many books in the Cosmere - shared universe - and they all have overarching themes. I believe the grand plan is to have all of the storylines converge... it's nerd heaven.

@Lazz I'd definitely like to look into The Stand at some point too. The Dark Tower series is another group of books I'd like to try reading. I've heard they cross into a mix of genres, many of which I like. The closest I've read to these is Low Men In Yellow Coats, which I believe is part of that same universe.

Gotcha - I'll look into the Mistborn series first when the time comes. Trying to get through my current "booklog" pile if you will; at least this shrinks easier than my gaming backlog. XD That's a lot of high praise for Sanderson! I too think I'd like for different storylines to converge in series I'm fond of.

I prefer physical books most of the time. I spend enough time on screens between my job (I code for a living) and other pastimes, and I don't have much of a commute. Work listening is out since it's too easy for me to key into what's going on audibly instead of what I'm doing. I suppose I could listen while doing stuff around the house when doing something long-term though. Hmm....

@Tyranexx The Dark Tower covers everything

I understand the book backlog - at one point I was doing 3 body problem, Sanderson, The Expanse, and a few random others. I've found as I've gotten older, nothing compares to a great book. I'm loving my rediscovered passion. I tend to stick to physical books for non fiction, if I am trying to learn I absorb better by taking notes, highlighting, etc. I fall asleep too easily with reading, and once I tried audio I was hooked.
I tend to do chores, take walks, drive, work out, grocery shopping - all while listening to my books. It has helped me to plow through them. I no longer have a commute as well, so finding 20-30 mins a day on 1.5 speed hits the spot.
I'm on the computer as well, though I can't code (wish I picked it up) - so I hear you - I can't work-listen either, too distracting. Between work, school, and my kiddos and wife - it's hard to find time, but I'm happier when I do. And yes, the bookpile is much easier to navigate than the gaming backlog, it's all seasonal for me.
I'm honestly surprised I love Sanderson as much as I do - some fellow work nerds recommended it. I resisted for a while, but once I dove in I was hooked. When I read the first Mistborn trilogy, all I could think about was this - replace the Star Wars Ep 7-9 with the storyline, and it would have been the absolute perfect Starwars story (minus space battles). The magic system in Mistborn has similarities to force powers, though they are very different.
Thanks for engaging on this topic - I've gotten my 10yo son into Sanderson and he loves it. He has finished all of Mistborn and is now on the Stormlight series, and it is so fun experiencing it with him.

@Lazz I've intentionally not looked TOO much into The Dark Tower in fear of spoiling myself, but I have seen rumblings that the series touches a lot of the King-verse lol.

I have tried a couple ebooks - demo samples and drafts from a friend who's working on a nonfiction history of Nintendo and the game industry as a whole - and reading on screens isn't quite the same as holding a physical book in my hands. Falling asleep while reading didn't used to be a problem, but I find it harder not to these days. Too tired/getting older I guess.

The alternative listening suggestions are appreciated! I work out and speed walk outside when the weather permits. The problem with some areas where I walk is it's good to not have my ears occupied so that I can listen for traffic. I could definitely segue it in during the at-home workouts though. Seems like you have quite the balancing act going too! I try to fit the hobbies in while I can while also trying to take good care of myself, my relationships with others, and property upkeep.

On engaging with this topic: No problem! I'm also glad you can share your passion with your 10yo son. I don't have kids, but I do have a nephew that I'd love to introduce to some of my own interests and hobbies when he's old enough (He's just under a year right now). I can patiently wait.

@Tyranexx - the wait will be worth it!
If you do pick up a Sanderson book, or start the Dark Tower, send an update! I'd love to know your thoughts. The Gunslinger can be rough, it's a very early King novel and I think he was 17 when he wrote it but don't quote me on that, but it gets much better from book 2 onwards. That's as much as I'll say about the series, do not want to contribute to any possible spoilers

@Lazz I've seen a lot of praise for Brandon Sanderson but never read anything of his. Does he have any good standalone books so I can see if I like his writing without committing to a series?

@Lazz Will do! I do occasionally read this thread and even post in it sometimes. I'll be sure to update when I do try those series out. Duly noted on The Gunslinger. I appreciate no spoilers lol. If the story is at least somewhat decent, I'll likely stick with it.

I also read a variety of genres (thriller, some horror depending on the material, historical fiction, fantasy, sci-fi, drama, etc.) and types of books (novels, novellas, short stories, and I just finished a manga binge).

I don't read anywhere near as much as I'd like to. Between other hobbies and stuff I just don't have the time, but I tend to gravitate towards non-fiction and the odd biography when I do pick up a book. Figured I'd finally take Amazon up on one of the many special offers they keep sending me for Audible and give audiobooks a go - I can hopefully fill the boring 40min drive to and from work every day with something interesting...

I recently finished How They Broke Britain by James O'Brien. It's an interesting look at the people responsible for the current state of the UK, and those that created the environment that allowed it to happen. Each chapter focuses on an individual, with the likes of Rupert Murdoch, David Cameron, Nigel Farage and, of course, Boris Johnson having the 'honour' of being featured. It seemed to be very well researched and gave a decent overview without going into real depth. I guess most of the content won't come as a huge surprise to those that have followed UK politics and media in the last couple of decades, but I still found myself just shaking my head in disbelief at some parts.

Currently listening to The Cuckoo's Egg by Cliff Stoll which is an account of the authors' investigation into a hacker while he was a Systems Admin at a research lab. While the systems described are a little dated - it happened in the late 1980s - it's a fascinating look at the issues he faced dealing with the various 3-letter agencies in the US and how nobody was really interested due to the lack of understanding of computer crime at the time.

@Dogorilla - You could start with the 1st Mistborn book, as it could be read as a standalone novel. That's where Sanderson recommends people start. I've only read Sanderson novels set in the Cosmere (his shared universe), but there are quite a few standalones - but most I wouldn't start with. My recommendation would be to check out either Tress of the Emerald Sea or Yumi and the Nightmare Painter. Tress is written more as a fairy tale, and it is a very fun book. There is definitely Cosmere world building in the book, but as a new reader, you don't really need to know how everything connects. Yumi is a wonderful book that has Japanese/Korean influences, and it is a very cool book. I loved them both, can't really recommend one over another, so go off what sounds more interesting.
There's also Elantris, which is a massive stand-alone story, but it's one of his first and he admits that it's not one of his strongest books. I enjoyed it, probably more due to having read many other stories first. You could also pick up the Arcanum Unbound, which has many stand-alone short stories, but I would caution that there are few that I would avoid. Some give massive spoilers to Mistborn and Stormlight books, though it is easy to skip those sections.
Here's a helpful link to read Sanderson's recommendations around where to begin: https://www.brandonsanderson.com/where-do-i-start/
@Tyranexx - The Dark Tower really covers every genre, it's pretty fascinating. Not for everyone, but if you are a King fan, I think you'll love it. I recommended that my daughter skip the first book (she tried starting it and couldn't finish), read the cliff-notes, and jump into book 2.

@Lazz Thanks for the detailed answer! Tress and Yumi both sound good, I'll keep an eye out for those.

Any TMNT fans here? I started reading The Last Ronin after taking a multi-year long hiatus from the franchise and I’ve been hooked. It’s a much more mature tale that’s more similar to the original comics in tone rather than any of the animated series. I’ve only read 2 of the 5 volumes from the original run but I’ve enjoyed it a lot so far.

Note: Please excuse any typos in my posts. I'm normally an excellent speller, but I post a lot on my phone. It likes trolling me sometimes via autocorrect or failing to correct something I thought it did lol.

@Lazz I too appreciate your detailed response to @Dogorilla regarding Sanderson. As for The Dark Tower, I used to overlook the books since I thought they were mostly Westerns with other genres on the side (Not a fan of the Western genre, though I think most of my ire is regarding films). Some further digging confirmed that isn't really the case and the series is truly a mix, which I'm fine with. I might try to see if I can find The Gunslinger for cheap in some form.

I picked up The Last Ronin.
...then I got Lost Years...
...then I bought the first 2 original Mirage omnis...with the 3rd pre-ordered...
...and now I'm eyeing the IDW hardcovers...but there are I think 15 volumes of those...
...and now all-time great comic book writer Jason Aaron will be writing a new IDW Turtles series...
...please...send help...

I've been researching Nixon and Kissinger for a short story. White House Years is 1500 pages of small print.

Started reading The Private Life of Chairman Mao and it’s strengthened my already-deep interest in communist states, especially the atrocities committed in China by Mao. Part of my intrigue of Mao in particular is how he’s been completely ignored by mainstream Western education despite him killing up to 80 million people in his own country, worse than Hitler and Stalin put together.

The book was written by Li Zhisui, who spent 22 years as Mao’s personal doctor, and was there by his side when he died. It’s a very insightful story and gave me a new appreciation of just how horrible a person Mao was, from his daily habits, to his womanising, poor hygiene, indifference to millions of his own people starving, and more.

I’m about 20% through the book, and I haven’t read many lately that’ve enslaved me this mercilessly.

@jedgamesguy

I've got a Mao's China trilogy of history books on my wishlist by Frank Dikotter. GoodReads users enjoyed them.

Mao is still revered as a god by many in China. Every morning, thousands of Chinese line up in Tiananmen Square, having taken a pilgrimage from all around the country, to lay down flowers at his tomb and wait for their turn to see the body inside of the man himself. Think of the line to Disney World, and then multiply that by 10. It literally winds around and around the block.

In Hunan province, similarly, a pilgrimage to his hometown is much the same. He climbed this mountain. He swam in this river. He ate this food. Many restaurants and shops have a framed picture of him on the wall. There are big illuminated wall clocks of his face for sale, with those rays of holiness emanating from his visage.

I was invited to one graduate student's home. On the walls were giant posters. One of Mao. One of Marx. One of Darwin. And one of Stalin.

China is wild.