Books I Picked Up (and Received) in March 2024!

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[@NellyVilla09]

Yall’s bickering is officially your channel intro 😂😂

[@Talking_Story]

Gotta be us 😂

[@Rayreadsfantasy]

That’s what I was thinking too 😂😂😂

[@demiurgicgeek]

Hahaha indeed! Loving the father-son duo!!!

[@Talking_Story]

You guys are all the best

[@Dennis_M_Myers]

I really love your enthusiasm, and enjoy your relationship with your son.

[@Talking_Story]

This means so much! He is pretty cool I think I’ll keep him😂

[@christopherprice6480]

Pleased to have came across your channel. Great stuff guys. Up there with 2 to ramble and Mikes book reviews as my favourites. Chris from north east England 😀

[@Talking_Story]

That is amazing company to be named amongst! Thanks so much and welcome to the channel!

[@MegaUSAF]

Just stumbled upon this channel. Love that shirt ! Just finished light bringer and loved that whole red rising series !

[@Talking_Story]

Lightbringer was 1 of my top reads of 23. I caught up on the whole series last year. Had such a blast I had to buy a shirt😀. Welcome to the channel by the way!

[@this_alec]

It is indeed entertaining listening to you two 😂 As a new father of a little boy, your banter has me excited for the years ahead!

[@Talking_Story]

Oh man enjoy every second. I know you have heard but it is so true it goes so fast. But now after it all I can truly say i have the best friend I could have ever dreamed of and so much more.

[@esmayrosalyne]

Nothing brings me more joy than seeing you get so excited about new bookish purchases and gifts!! Brilliant decision to lock Bloodsworn in for later this year, I will join you for that (re)read!! And please, get Jakob that pony, he deserves it 🤣

[@Talking_Story]

Hooray for the read along but that is a big no on the pony. He does deserve it though.

[@esmayrosalyne]

@@Talking_Story Maybe a stuffed pony then? 🤣

[@Talking_Story]

@@esmayrosalyne that I can do😂

[@esmayrosalyne]

@@Talking_Story Brilliant, that's your wedding gift sorted. You're welcome 🤣

[@Talking_Story]

@@esmayrosalyne you are brilliant!

[@groofay]

I'm definitely down to read Bloodsworn starting in August. Papa Gwynne deserves all the love, and like you I've been wanting to read him for a hot minute.

[@Talking_Story]

Awesome. Brian at BellTube is joining us as well!

[@heidi6281]

If Jakob wants to do a buddy read with you eventually, Gwynne’s Bloodsworn Saga may be the perfect choice. There are tolkein & cornwall influences and an easy breezy prose, except for some norse words sprinkled into the world building. You can always sell the hardcover and then go buy the paperpack when it comes out 6 months later.

[@Talking_Story]

Andrew just let me know that in the US it will be paperback so I am all good. I will relay this to Jakob he will be happy to put another must read author on his list!

[@VenturesBeyond]

Love the channel and everything that you do here! Your passion for reading and just the way you break down the story is very unique, keep up the good work!

[@Talking_Story]

Thanks you this means so much to us. Having to much fun to stop now😃

[@BrianBell7]

I haven't started The Bloodsworn Saga either, so I'll do it when you do it, as you do it, in exact time, literally, like a reading Riverdance. Ordering my irish clogs now. Tigana rocks (there's magic)! btw, 40% into To Ride Hell's Chasm. It's as good as advertised.

[@Talking_Story]

Oh man you know I love a buddy read! We will have to get together and compare notes! Awesome to hear about Tigana and Janny’s. My expectations are off the chart for those.

[@silex3348]

Anything by GGK is amazing! My brother turned me on to his books and he tells a story like no other.

[@Talking_Story]

@@silex3348 he is special. Can’t wait to get to more after Song for Arbonne.

[@rsfrogga234]

Has anyone mentioned to you dungeon crawler carl yet? I didn't have much hope going in, but it was honestly a breath of fresh air considering the dry/dark stuff I had been reading for months. The humour reminds me of a mix of tradie blue collar jokes with over the top japanese game show 🤣

[@Talking_Story]

I have received the new achievement from reading book 1 and book 2 is on the stack. Really want to make time to get back soon because I had a lot of fun with Grand Champion Princess Donut.

[@rsfrogga234]

@@Talking_Story do you have a video review for book one? I would be keen to see what you thought of it!

[@Talking_Story]

@@rsfrogga234 I did not do a full review but I know I covered it on a weekly reader and a month wrap up.

[@OnlyTheBestFantasyNovels]

GGK's the best of the best. At some point you should check out The Lions of al-Rassan also, its definitely one of his best.

[@Talking_Story]

I found a 1st printing hardcover of that at a used bookstore so it sits on the stack.

[@kflott]

The banter between John and Jakob (especially the beginning) immediately puts a smile on my face every time

[@Talking_Story]

So awesome of you. This put a smile on my face.

[@alynam82]

I haven't read Gwynne's Banished Lands books, but I did read his Shadow of Gods and Hunger of Gods, and was pleasantly surprised by how great they were. I was very engaged with his characters, especially the POV ones. I could easily compare him to Bernard Cornwell with his ways of describing battle, especially putting me in mind of Cornwell's Last Kingdom

[@Talking_Story]

That is a great review that makes me want to pick them up even more!

[@TomOrange]

The bloodsworn saga is so good. Wars of Light and Shadow is super good probably the best prose of anything I have ever read.

[@Talking_Story]

Wow. High praise indeed!

[@acidunicorn1225]

Bloodsworn saga is amazing. Im currently 500 pages into book 2 and absolutely loving it. I believe book 3 is releasing straight to paperback though.

[@Talking_Story]

Yes it is! I have heard so ready to dive in.

[@iBe-RuNnErZ]

I actually found the conversation between you and Jakob entertaining 😂.

[@Talking_Story]

You are a very kind individual 😂

[@AndrewsWizardlyReads]

I am planning on picking up Dennis Myers books they are in my Amazon wishlist

[@Talking_Story]

So much on my wish list! Out of control😂

[@emzstern]

I understand the struggle and need for a series of books that match. Personally, it's a bit of obsessio of mine and whenever books in a series dosen't match lookwise it drives me nuts. Like the first 8 expanse books match just for book 9 to bigger. UGH it's the worst 😆 And don't get me started on the travesty that is my Dresden Files collection.🙃

[@Talking_Story]

I have been told that Gwynne always gets a paperback IS release so I should be all good. But I agree they have to match if possible!

[@BookishChas]

Fantastic haul John! I got an email from the author of Subscription Children. You’ll have to let me know how it is. Durfee’s first two books got hardcovers, but they didn’t want to do hardcover for the final book. I remember he was miffed about that.

[@Talking_Story]

Yeah I have heard will have a paperback release in US. I will let you know all when I get to it. Have you read Gwynne?

[@BookishChas]

@@Talking_Story I have not yet. I really need to lol.

[@Talking_Story]

@@BookishChas Same!

[@AndrewsWizardlyReads]

Read CYCLE OF FIRE by Janny Wurts

[@Talking_Story]

I will add it on my wishlist

[@MagusMarquillin]

Janny's so cool, I love her interviews even though I have not read her. Weird thing, I literally just found a paperback of TRHC in a thrift store yesterday! I was so excited, even though it was a striped down cover that only reprints the focal point (a fire breathing griffin) of her amazing art (which is so gorgeous!) on a white background. I hope it's not too hard to get the original now - yours isn't so bad, though it does some of the same thing. Regardless, it's tempting to crack it open soon, a sweat standalone sampler like that! And I love the 3 maps inside, which I think is her work too. I hate stickers! If you feel the edge of it, I think you can risk slowly peeling it back, they typically remove from new dust jackets real easily - if it leaves behind paper or glue, a damp soft washcloth and a dab of hand/dishsoap will usually remove it and wont harm it - or even off old paperbacks so long as the surface isn't already punctured. I always do what I can to recover the art, but the worst is when it's printed to look like a sticker with some inane pronouncement!

[@Talking_Story]

Yes that is even worse than a sticker! Let me know if you dive in Janny’s work. Really want to hear.

[@RLDesrochers]

Love your shirt!

[@Talking_Story]

Thanks!

[@readerinthedesert_SaraBeth]

John you can totally take those stickers off. (Well most of them, sometimes it's not actually a sticker 😢) just peel them off carefully. I do it every time. Almost nothing annoys me more!

[@Talking_Story]

I tried. These seem pretty stuck on there.

[@readerinthedesert_SaraBeth]

@@Talking_Story I use Goo Gone when I can't get them off. No guarantees but I haven't harmed any dust jackets yet! Helps to have long fingernails though! Lol

[@Talking_Story]

@@readerinthedesert_SaraBeth goo gone and grow out my nails. May be worth it😂

[@zeallygreen]

Since you asked and I was in marketing for years, the stickers on covers absolutely sells more books than those without. Despite all the complaining and how much we all hate it, it is a tried and true marketing strategy and usually produces significant results. Thx for sharing!💚

[@jawnsushi]

Is it possible that they sell more because they're the ones put on display?

[@Talking_Story]

Ahhhhh great! If it works they will keep doing it 😂. I will just have to preserve.

[@zeallygreen]

@@jawnsushi Nope, there are plenty of books on display without stickers, it’s the ones with the stickers that sell much better.

[@connorxoneill]

In regards to vampire stories, have you read Fevre Dream by George RR Martin? It’s about a steamboat captain in the antebellum south caught between rival vampire factions. It’s such a treat.

[@Talking_Story]

I have indeed. Many years ago. I remember liking it quite a bit. May need a re read.

[@gryftkin]

Jakob has a great time after you get past the "are we ready?" part of the recording :D Also, NOBODY likes the sticker :P The only thing worse than the stickers are the "movie cover"s :P Props to Dennis for spelling his last name correctly (I'm sure he'll agree... no matter how you spell Myers, whomever you're talking to will spell it differently :D ). John, this may not come as a shock to you, but Jakob is right. Looked up Durfee's books and book 1 in hardcover is going for almost $300 on Amazon :P Well crap, Jakob also looked it up... but in honor of Durfee, I'm not editing this :D

[@Talking_Story]

In honor of Durfee we should never edit again😂

[@unlimitedreads]

You pretty much sold me on Janny Wurts, you sales guru - I just don't know when I'll possibly get to it! 😀

[@Talking_Story]

Oh Chris you are in for a treat but I totally get that backlog issue😀

[@AndrewsWizardlyReads]

Love the indie love

[@Talking_Story]

You showed me the way my friend!

[@MichaelWayne13]

I was gonna pick up Empire Of The Damned but they only had the hardcover and it won't match my trade paperback of Vampire. And the paperback online is more expensive than the hardcover so I'm gonna wait.

[@Talking_Story]

Ahhhhh. That makes no sense! I about 300 pages in and if you love the first guaranteed you will love book 2 I think.

[@Aaron-3825]

You will love John Gwynne his books are so good! I picked up Empire of the Vampire excited to jump into it! I haven't read anything from Janny Wurts where would you start?

[@Talking_Story]

I am gonna do To Ride Hell's Chasm the beginning of next month so you could start your Janny journey with me. Just wrapped up Empire of the Damned more of everything book 1 had!

[@Aaron-3825]

@@Talking_Story sounds good, I'll pick it up and be ready to read it next month! Thanks for the great content!

[@Talking_Story]

@@Aaron-3825 Thank you for checking us out!

[@MacScarfield]

Just received my library copy of “Empire of Silence”! So excited for "Fury of the Gods"! As for my own «Tigana» «videoes» (read Glorified Power Point Presentations 😅): The first video should be fine for spoilers , it mostly explains the setting and the mythological/historical background GGK used, not major story beats. The second explains the mythological/historical background of the middle part that some might find a bit weird and a bit left field, so that one you might want to check out when corn swords appear (consider it an emergency valve if needed)! 😄 The Third Video examines the neighboring nations similar to the first video, but might be of better aid after the corn swords! 😉

[@Talking_Story]

I will for sure check those out!

[@Talking_Story]

Let me know how EoS hits.

[@TysonWesley]

Are they releasing Fury of the Gods in Hardcover? I have pre ordered my copy and it only shows a paperback version. Also I love yall's intro. So funny.

[@Talking_Story]

I have learned the US release is only paperback. So matching set for all with paperback so far. Thanks so much for the kind words. 😀

[@TysonWesley]

@@Talking_Story thank you so much for the great content.

[@Talking_Story]

@@TysonWesley wow thank so much. Means a ton to us. We are having a great time

[@zkinak2107]

Owning a hardcover set of all of Janny Wurt’s War of Light and Shadow series is a book collecting dream of mine, and I’ve only read Sorcerers Legacy 😂. So far I’ve only found a hardcover of Traitor’s Knot in the wild. This last Monday I picked up a Panther edition of Thomas M Disch’s “Camp Concentration,” a UK Sphere edition of Samuel R Delany’s “Nova,” and my first Ace double contains Delany’s “The Ballad of Beta 2.” I also found a nicer replacement Ace copy of Harlan Ellison’s “The Beast who Shouted Love At the Heart of the World.”

[@Talking_Story]

Wow those are amazing finds! A shelf tour would be awesome!

[@zkinak2107]

Lol, if you were interested in seeing the haul, I posted it on Bookpilled’s discord in his book haul section.

[@Talking_Story]

@@zkinak2107 gonna try and find that

[@jrpgnation6375]

I can only buy the first of John gwynne books. I check the location on Amazon for my account and main device location. Can someone tell me why can't I buy this author book? I check with other people phones and they can buy his books but I cannot. Can someone tell me why?

[@Talking_Story]

I hope you get some enlightenment.

[@user-wi3us6ks5h]

You should try faitfull and the fallen by jon gwynne

[@Talking_Story]

I have plan for this year so I can be on board when book 3 hits.

[@AndrewsWizardlyReads]

So Gwynne gets hardcover releases in UK but the US only gets paperback

[@tyghe_bright]

Totally with y'all about the non-removable "stickers". They ruin so many beautifully designed covers.

[@Talking_Story]

Yes!