Epic Fantasy, Sci-fi, Historical Fantasy and a murder mystery! August 2024 In a Nuttshell

[@bradycoe6404]

A chatting with nuts stream and a in a nuttshell video in the same day, jimmy is spoiling us.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Happy to provide hahaha

[@Maeve_Ever_Books]

I always get great recs from you! So glad you’re on KZbin!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Thank you, that means a lot!

[@Vinteractive]

Starting Memory Sorrow and Thorn on January! Can’t wait!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Let’s goooooo

[@dr.nerdcraft8526]

Use of Weapons was my first Culture novel. That ending really shocked me! (And, of course, I then had to seek out all of the other Culture novels. :)) I'm so glad that you're enjoying the series! I wish it got more love on BookTube.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I’ll give it as much love as I can

[@gayanegasparyan4137]

I am in love with Osten Ard and the culture as you said, probably my favourite fantasy world ever cause it feels so genuine and so well developed, esp the multiple complicated relationships between different races and cultures! Empire of Grass was so epic!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

It’s possibly the best thought out world in fantasy

[@guiltyspark580]

My ultimate goal this year was to read all The realm of the Elderlings books and I did it 🎉 For now I'm reading The wall of Storms and it's amazing All was considered after watching your videos 🔥

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Love that!

[@GrapplingBook]

Best booktuber hands down

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Atyyy thank you!

[@BooksWithBenghisKahn]

Whoa love hearing you gush about Banks so much, and the liveliness and cleverness of these books sounds right up my alley - I can’t wait to try the Culture books soon!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I think you’d really enjoy them

[@OnlyTheBestFantasyNovels]

Heroes Die takes the award with no competition for best fantasy novel with worst cover, looking forward to your take on it!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

What an award 😂

[@Rogue_VI]

I loved Player of Games and definitely want to read Use of Weapons. I will be interested to hear your thoughts on Excession.

[@Montie-Adkins]

Welcome to The Culture. I had one issue with Player of Games in that the Game, the big Game, was not detailed at all. It was done in some vague way. Excession was my first, I bought it on a whim and had no idea what I was getting in to. I think the last 3 books are my favs, Matter, Hydrogen Sonata, and Surface Detail. I barely recall Use Of Weapons. It may have just been over my head at the time I read it.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@Montie-Adkins very excited for Excession

[@RedFuryBooks]

I finally have Tad Williams on my TBR - doing a read along of Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn starting in January!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@RedFuryBooks I hope you love it!

[@iSamwise]

Thanks for the videos as always Sir Jimmy!!! So glad you’re getting to Heroes Die! This is one of my favorite fantasy books in many ways. It is such a good combination of tough guy fiction, post modern/Orwellian ideas and portal sword and sorcery!! I think you’ll have a good time with it!!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I am very excited for it!

[@17thknight]

Use of Weapons gutpunched me. Going to go hug my favorite chair. I've never read Kazuo Ishiguro before but I'm definitely giving him a chance after this. Now you need to read The Player of Games.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I’ve read PoG and loved it!

[@bartsbookspace]

I started reading Consider Phlebas, very good so far, can’t wait to get to Use of Weapons. Glad to hear your high praise. 👍

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Hell yeah! Player of Games is also fantastic, you’ll enjoy it I reckon

[@bartsbookspace]

@@thefantasynuttwork Yup, that's the one most people talk about. I considered starting the series with Player of Games but decided to go chronologically.

[@thatsci-firogue]

Hell yeah m'dude, keep going with The Culture!!! Excession is awesome though I personally prefer Inversions and Look to Windward. I'd love for someone to read Inversions with 0 context of what the culture series is and see what they'd make of it. I mostly stuck to comics in August (mostly Marvel stuff) but i did read the 2nd book of Wurts Wars of Light & Shadow and started Rain Wild Chronicles. More importantly, I've achieved my weight loss goal for the year.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@thatsci-firogue great work on the weight loss!!!

[@Jacobengineeread]

The 7 1/2 deaths of Evelyn hardcastle is an awesome book by Turton. It’s like a time travel/groundhog day murder mystery in a clue like setting. It’s great!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@Jacobengineeread I’m definitely gonna read it

[@phen0menos]

So glad you loved Use of Weapons! I knew in my heart that it was a Jimmy book and now I feel validated

[@thefantasynuttwork]

You nailed it! Happy birthday 🎉

[@phen0menos]

@@thefantasynuttwork thanks! I can't wait to read Klara and the Sun

[@HenrikBrosveet]

Thanks for the update Jimmy, always a blast. I re-read The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance in august, so the whole month was those two. If I have the time, I might join you with Heroes Die in september, I mean the book has to be better than that book cover haha. When it comes to goals for the rest of the year, I would like to be caught up with stormlight for the new release in december. Other than that, I have read many book ones or series I should get back to e.g. Revelation Space series by Alistair Reynolds or Remembrance of Earths past by Liu Cixin

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@HenrikBrosveet the cover sets a pretty low bar 😂

[@HenrikBrosveet]

@@thefantasynuttwork no doubt 😆

[@JulienVall]

Iain Banks is probably my favorite author. I was actually anxiious to hear your opinion about Use of Weapons. Maybe one day you could try one of his non-SF novels.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I own Wasp Factory

[@JulienVall]

​@@thefantasynuttworkOh.That one is definitely not for the weak of heart haha. The Business is excellent, Complicity is a great -and bloody- thriller.

[@phen0menos]

The Bridge is also excellent!

[@jakebishop7822]

Use of Weapons sounds cool. That is the next Banks book to read right? If I have only read Player of Games

[@thatsci-firogue]

Yeah, 3rd in publication order.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Yup!

[@TheBeeesKnees]

Hope you have a good September ✨my goal for the rest of the year is just to get back into a reading habit while still doing everything else I need to 💀 😭 Hoping to start memory, sorrow, and thorn at some point between next month and the beginning of next year as well!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

If you end up loving MST I’ll cry from sheer joy tbh

[@TheBeeesKnees]

@@thefantasynuttwork lmaoo i'm going in with every intention of doing just that

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@TheBeeesKnees 💅

[@hr6280]

Id say before Excessiom, read his essay A Few Notes on the Culture, which you can find online. He wrote this just before that biok came out. It lays out his ideas and it provides a lot of nice worldbuilding.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@hr6280 thanks for letting me know I’ll do that

[@Paul_van_Doleweerd]

There is also an illustrated book of the Culture I'd love to get my hands on..

[@SuperPuddingcat]

@@Paul_van_Doleweerd Ooooh I would love to see that book too. I watched a KZbin video about Masaq Orbital. The illustrations were amazing and really helped me to visualise the Orbital. I wonder if they came from that book 🤔

[@darren2880]

Oh man I can’t wait for you to get to the Failures. I’m currently reading it and it’s so unique and awesome imo. I think you will love it

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@darren2880 two chapters in and I love the vibe

[@darren2880]

I thought you would.

[@crzabjj]

Love the channel Jimmy N! 🤙🤙

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Thanks brotha!

[@alexgdsu7785]

when you finish The Last King of Osten Ard books will you do a video on them like you did Memory Sorrow and Thorn?

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I haven’t had plans to but there’s a chance I may do a series retrospect. I also may have Tad back on the channel when book four comes out

[@alexgdsu7785]

@@thefantasynuttwork WOOHOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! can’t believe this story is gonna end soon…

[@SheWasOnlyEvie]

I’m glad that you had a banger reading month, and I hope it’s the same goes for you in September! Finishing up the Black Company and Gormenghast series and, then, continuing the City Watch subseries kept my August reading at a high enjoyment level throughout. I *still* need to read Toad after Ben’s recommendation. 😭

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Read Toad this month!

[@DustinHarrisWHBC]

The Failures is a BANGER

[@kirihara120]

I also read The Last Murder at the End of the World. Took only two sittings during Labor Day weekend. It reminded me a lot of Severance meets Westworld. I’ve read Turton’s other books and bro is all about the crazy premise. I think the other two books are actually more creative, but had a fun time with this one regardless.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@kirihara120 great comparison

[@dmcevoy]

As a *Cult* member I am duty bound to pass on the received wisdom, which is read Banks in order - so suggest go back and read Phlebas(it's good) then the book after Weapons, State of the Art.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Okay maybe that’s the move

[@adamk42]

That's a really good reading month Jimmy! Been in a scifi mood lately so I'm thinking Banks is gonna move up my tbr. Best books I read in August were Crypt of the Moon Spider by Nathan Ballingrud( fun, pulpy gothic horror novella set in 1920's about a woman who is interred into an insane asylum on the moon by her husband), and The Inverted World by Christopher Priest. Plan on reading more by both

[@thefantasynuttwork]

You got some good stuff there!

[@KristinKravesBooks]

I also read The Last Murder in August and agree it felt a little long but loved some of the reveals. Definitely read Evelyn Hardcastle. It's brilliant!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I’ll read anything he writes!

[@DustinHarrisWHBC]

Both of Turton’s previous books are must reads!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@DustinHarrisWHBC I bought them!

[@esmayrosalyne]

Very happy for you that you had such an excellent month! Between you, Johanna and Merphy all gushing about Klara, I am now desperate to start it!! My standouts for August were Asunder by Kerstin Hall (fave of the year ?), Between Dragons and Their Wrath by Devin Madson (hope you like it!), Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle and Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors 🤩

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Hoping I really love the new Madson

[@esmayrosalyne]

@@thefantasynuttwork I think it helps if you are expecting some strong (steamy) romantic subplots in each of the 3 POVs. Like, it's not a romantasy at all, but it takes some tropes from there. Also, the worldbuilding is so cool!!

[@TysonPJ]

The Failures, I loved it.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@TysonPJ I’m enjoying it a lot

[@ReadingIDEAS.-uz9xk]

Food for thought. Best wishes with what you read next.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Thank you! You as well

[@playermartin286]

I think you would really enjoy "The world of yesterday" by the Austrian author Stefan Zweig. He poignantly describes the world of stability, artistic flourishing and intellectual freedom of Vienna and Paris during the beginning of the 20th century and eventually the lost era of peace and humanism, deeply affected by the rise of fascism and national socialism, including the Nazi persecution that forced Zweig into exile.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Sounds very interesting 🤔

[@guiltyspark580]

Thank you great video. Great timing ❤ Can you make a recommendation video about your favourite post apocalyptic books?

[@thefantasynuttwork]

The Road is definitely up there!

[@Paul_van_Doleweerd]

That should be a full video!

[@bobbob-cd9yl]

Hi jimmy after hearing your love for r Scott bakkers writing I gave his series a shot. Almost done with the warrior prophet and it is RIDICULOUSLY good. Can’t write a whole essay here on what I appreciate about everything he does in that book but thanks for directing me to this author ❤

[@thefantasynuttwork]

It’s top notch imo

[@blacknbluecollarreader]

If finished Never Let Me Go last week and immediately picked up Klara and the Sun. The writing is seamless and this dude is a master of subtlety. Within 25 pages of KatS I ordered another of his books. (The Buried Giant) Gonna be an all Ishiguro Sept. lol.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@blacknbluecollarreader Yessss Dan!!!!!

[@someokiedude9549]

Sounds like you had a productive reading month Jimmy, I myself have had a slow reading month, and year for that matter. I did complete some books though such as Return of The Griffin, which is the second of the Hybrid Helix books, Bluebird Bluebird, which is a solid noir novel, and the first compilation of the 100 Bullets comic book series. I am hoping to have the first compilation of Astro City, which is a superhero comic, done before the end of the month as well. So better than I thought. Keep up the good work Jimmy.

[@thatsci-firogue]

I still need to continue but I've adored what I've read so far of Astro City.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Happy reading

[@someokiedude9549]

@@thatsci-firogue I know right? It's really good. One of the great 'reconstruction' superhero comics in the vein of The New Frontier, All Star Superman, and Invincible.

[@ericF-17]

Last Murder At the End of the World sounds pretty interesting. For some reason I always really like mist or fog in worldbuilding; I'm not totally sure why.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@ericF-17 me too!

[@Paul_van_Doleweerd]

Banks is fantastic but I have only read his science fiction although I have The Wasp Factory on the shelf. I don't recall if Feersum Endjinn is a culture novel, but I'd love to see the expression on your face when you try it 😅

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I’ll read mostly everything he has written

[@fantasyfanatic6038]

I'm about to finish Green Bone Saga, but I'll probably read the novellas in September. Other than that, I will be doing a reread of Hunger of the Gods by John Gwynne and starting GGK's Sarantine Mosaic.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@fantasyfanatic6038 sarantine ❤️

[@TedReadInstead]

Hey Jimmy! New Booktuber here and now a new subscriber. Thanks for the recommendations. Consider me your newest AstroNutt. ;) Take care!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Welcome to booktube! Glad you are here!

[@curtjarrell9710]

Hi Jimmy. I finished GoT and am halfway through A Month in the Country by J L Carr. In September I want to read Memorials by Richard Chizmar.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Got!!!!! Yes!

[@sw3dge]

I was confused during Use of Weapons too but it still was awesome.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@sw3dge the end really brings it together

[@ericneff9908]

Yes, ending of Use of Weapons blew me away too. I think the odd structure really enhanced the ending too.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I agree!

[@ZampanosCat]

Hey Jimmy, just wondering...have you read any of the Esslemont Malazan books?

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Night of knives and I dnfed ROTCG

[@francb1634]

as you dive further into Banks' works, I implore you to also consider his non-genre fiction(which is often much weirder than his scifi).. The Bridge is a personal favourite among favourites

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Definitely will

[@SuperPuddingcat]

I agree, it’s definitely worth exploring Banks’ other works, some of them are pretty weird. Apparently Banks couldn’t get his science fiction published so he turned to literary fiction. His first novel The Wasp Factory is very dark and was quite controversial at the time. It put Banks on the map and launched his career. His novel the Bridge is also a favourite of mine. Apparently once some of culture novels had finally been published, The Bridge was called by some, his secret culture novel.

[@angelaholmes8888]

I read 11 books in August Includes Everyone on this train is a suspect by Benjamin Stevenson The mystery guest by nita prose you should check them out

[@mike_reads_stuff]

Jimmy, I really think you will like Banks's Consider Phlebas. It's a slammer too and introduces us to the Culture universe. I didn't agree with those people who say to skip it. I liked it better than Player of Games, but it has some wild stuff. The main character is a changeling.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@mike_reads_stuff I will definitely read that!

[@mike_reads_stuff]

@@thefantasynuttwork YES!

[@SamNot-so-wise]

I’m so glad you enjoyed Use of Weapons, it is a top 10 book for me. And Banks is a top 10 author. I’d encourage you to check out his non sci if works as well, I’m working my way through them and have enjoyed almost everything I’ve read so far. Excession is quite different to the previous books and quite dense, but also amazing.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I have Wasp Factory

[@SamNot-so-wise]

@@thefantasynuttwork Nice. That’s the first book he wrote, and my was he an ambitious wee lad! That also has a fantastic ending.

[@auburnfire]

Use of Weapons and Player of Games are the best of the Culture series by a significant amount. (To be fair, lots of people love all of them.) If I was going to recommend another Banks book, it would be Complicity (listed as by Iain Banks not Iain M. Banks as the sci fi novels are.)

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@auburnfire good to know! I’m very interested in wasp factory by him

[@Rule-sq7ss]

Hi Jimmy, it’s taken me far too long get here after coming from DudesTalkingManga. I really loved your one piece takes and enjoyment, you might get asked this all the time so I’m sorry, do you still read it? I hope so. Glad to have found your other channel! I hope you’re well!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@Rule-sq7ss I read One Piece still yup!

[@Rule-sq7ss]

@@thefantasynuttwork That’s amazing, I’m so glad you carried on. I am happy to be here and part of this channel too now!

[@TomOrange]

Well I just bought The last Murder at the End of the World sounds like a good fun read.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Yassssss Tom

[@rashed434]

Jimmy living one month ahead of us

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Hahaha trying to

[@rashed434]

I’m referring to the video’s title being September instead of August🤣

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@rashed434 oh lol, fixed lol thanks!

[@andrewlavigne44]

Oh man, you already got most of it but those final 20 pages that end Empire of Grass just seal how good it is. The epilogue is very heart breaking and emotional but the very last scene of the last chapter SPOILERS SPOILERS I had no clue Morgan and Nezeru would cross stories and meet up and it seemed like a huge game changer. I knew they were in the same pretty large location but I expected them to just sort of quickly pass from a distance and continue their separate stories.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

It was a great ending!

[@Thecatladybooknook_PennyD]

I love The 7 half Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Turton. It's set in more Victorian times which may not appeal but you get to see the same day a few times while being sort of a murder mystery. You might like The Devil and the Dark Water better tho. I finished Dagger & Coin in August (FINALLY!)🎉🎉 Sept will be reread of Crime &Punishment, Death of Ivan Illych The Kreutzer Sonata by Tolstoy, The Invisible Man by HG Wells and maybe A Song for Arbonne. It's time for you to finish Anna Karenina...just saying.😅

[@thefantasynuttwork]

AK has been staring me down from my shelf 👀

[@jakebishop7822]

I only read like 3 books this month and one was an audio reread, but both were reasonably long and dense. Perhaps The Stars which was fucking genius, and about 330k words, and The Darkness That Comes Before which was not as long, and was also very good. Someone should have told me I'd like Prince of Nothing earlier, to bad nobody ever personally recommended it to me via DM's oops

[@thatsci-firogue]

In my defence I've always hesitantly recommended it to you 😅

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I really need to read Ada Palmer

[@MacScarfield]

After a very ambitious (but very rewarding) Summer TBR (both the «Memory, Sorrow & Thorn» & the «Prince of Nothing» trilogies ++), this Autumn I am gonna be a bit more mood reading with no «big chonkers». I know I am definitely gonna read «Leviathan Wakes» (The Expanse #9, Space Opera, only book I didn’t get to from my Summer TBR) & «Lustrum» (US: «Conspirata», Cicero Trilogy #2, Historical Fiction about the eponymous Roman Statesman) by Robert Harris (book #1 «Imperium» is contending for my book of the year so far, together with GGK’s «A Brightness Long Ago»). I am most likely also gonna get to Michael Moorcock’s «(The Tale of)The Eternal Champion» Trilogy (Epic Fantasy/S&S). Might also get to some Rosemary Sutcliff (YA Historical Fiction) & David Gemmell (Epic Fantasy). Cheers!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I’m hoping for a relief from big chonkers myself in 2025

[@robertjohnson9694]

You should read 7 1/2 deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton, you see the same events from seven different points of views to figure out what's really going on

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@robertjohnson9694 bought it recently! He’s a must read author for me now

[@XxJuIcEkIlLaxX]

i demand a return to the greatest adventure of them all, the one piece.

[@FairyTalePhilipp]

Have you read No Longer Human? It might be the most Jimmy book ever

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I have it but haven’t read it yet

[@zeallygreen]

💚

[@kendawooda]

All month I’ve been reading against the day by Pynchon. My brain is melting. Also the title says September 2024 not August

[@thefantasynuttwork]

He’s such a weird but fascinating author

[@demidrek-heyward]

Yasss! I’m ready for my monthly disappointment (losing patreon pick)

[@thefantasynuttwork]

😭

[@Gl1tch2263]

We skipping State of the Art in Culture?

[@thefantasynuttwork]

We may tbh

[@GarrickReads]

This Garrick fellow sounds mediocre at golf

[@thefantasynuttwork]

A real hacker tbh