Last Month We Read... The Best Sci-Fi of the Year & a Booktube Darling

[@BookishChas]

Finally got to watch this update. I’ll have to check out the Planetfall series. Trying to broaden my sci-fi reading lol.

[@BooksWithBenghisKahn]

Oh wow thanks for putting Planetfall on my radar! Beartown and My Dark Vanessa sound like they’re gonna hit a more depressing note than I can bear but glad you can appreciate them Yolanda!

[@storytoob]

Planetfall easily the most underrated modern sci fi series out there! Took me a few years to get back to the series, but the first book has been a favourite for a while. Hope you read it!

[@artandbooks5850]

You both are awesome, a fun listen. Thanks!

[@nazimelmardi]

New Toob! Let’s watch it! Well, I’m not surprised you watched at the end of the year end of year stuff. Strangely it’s fitting. After all… we are… at the end of the year? It can have something to do with it. So. Many comics. Interesting.

[@verosnotebook]

Totally agree on Foster and on Planetfall series. Before Mars caused me anxiety but was excellent. Newman doesn’t shy away from difficult topics while giving us thrilling reads and I applaud her for that.

[@storytoob]

I really love how Newman gets those visceral reactions from me. It was the same with Planetfall when I read it a few years ago. Cheers Vero!

[@francoisbouchart4050]

I just finished Annie Bot; definitely a thought provoking read. Cheers.

[@JosephReadsBooks]

Great wrap up! Planetfall has been added to my TBR already(thanks Carlos). Chomsky? I got tricked into watching a reciew about non-fiction! How dare you! 🤣 Well Yolanda, I hope you find a banger to end the year on in your month of unplanned reading.

[@storytoob]

Non fiction November!

[@esmayrosalyne]

Really eager to try some Claire Keegan, I don't know why I haven't picked up any of her works yet especially considering how short some of them are. And the Planetfall series sounds like exactly the type of story that should work for me, thanks for putting it on my radar!! Hope you two have a lovely December, cheers 🤩

[@storytoob]

Cheers Esmay! Hope you pick em up and enjoy them! And same to you, hope you have a great Christmas too!

[@eavanodonoghue]

😂😂😂 I really loved your impression of fiddly-eye Irishisms. I agree about Claire Keegan. The insistence on going on and on about the same events in our social history is a bit exhausting. I much preferred Foster as well.

[@storytoob]

Haha cheers! My excuse is that a good chunk of my fam is from Wexford 🤣 And yeah I get tired of the same subject matter in Irish literature just to appear important or worthy of recognition

[@thatsci-firogue]

Nothing like catching up on one of my favourite channels while recovering from a hangover 😂 I must get back to reading Criminal. I'd a stacked November from finishing Williams' Memory, Sorrow & Thorn and the 2nd Arc of Wurts' Wars of Light & Shadow as well as continuing Hobb's RotE. *Fantasy* Memory Sorrow & Thorn 3: To Green Angel Tower - Loved it! Williams is becoming one of my favourite authors. I don't typically enjoy Classic Traditional Epic Fantasy all that much, but this just worked for me on so many levels. Wars of Light & Shadow 3: Warhost of Vastmark - Really enjoying this series. Definitely prioritising this series above other Fantasy in the coming years. Book of The Month! As for what I'm currently reading: *Fantasy* Fitz & the Fool 2: Fool's Quest - 70% through

[@storytoob]

Howdy Rogue! Oh class, I'm looking forward to To Green Angel Tower! You had a great month too. Also, I'm absolutely chuffed to be someone's hangover companion. Cheers!

[@thatsci-firogue]

@storytoob and I'm sure yous are great drinking companions!

[@RJGibson7]

Foster and planetfall sounds very interesting, will have to try those soon!

[@storytoob]

I (Yolanda) also need to read both of those asap

[@briangal71]

BOOKS!

[@storytoob]

BOOKS!

[@dlasis]

And oh. I also have a Nobel read called Blindness by Jose Saramago. Yay

[@MacScarfield]

So far in November I have finished: «The Steel Tsar» (A Nomad of the Time Streams» Trilogy #3) by Michael Moorcock (Multiverse/Alternative History/Time Travel Steampunk(?)😅) «The Stranger» by Albert Camus/illustrated by Jacques Ferrandez (Graphic Novel adaptation of the Absurdist Philosophical Novel) «The Duel» by Joseph Conrad (Napoleonic Historical Military Fiction Novella) Currently reading and will finish this month: «Lord of Light» by Roger Zelazny (Science Fantasy inspired by the Legend of Siddhartha Gautama/the Buddha) «The Fury of the Gods» (Bloodsworn Saga #3) by John Gwynne (Epic Fantasy inspired by Norse Mythology) My Q4 long-read; «The Power Broker» by Robert Caro (Political Biography/Investigative Journalism Classic)

[@storytoob]

How is the John Gwynne so far! I thought Shadow was great, but haven't continued with the trilogy

[@MacScarfield]

@ I really love the Trilogy so far, it is a fun twist on Norse Mythology and Culture (such as fusing the Norse Gods with Creatures such as the Nidhogg Dragon, the Midgard Worm and the Fenris Wolf, with welcome Slavic and Middle Eastern Features to the Iskidan giving how important they were to the Viking Economy, can highly recommend Cat Jarman’s “River Kings”, one of the most easy-to yet very thorough books about the Vikings and their place in the 8-12th Century Old World!). I see most people gravitate to either Orka or Varg’s POV, but I have to admit that I have had the most fun with Elvar and (from book #2) Guthvarr (who is such a wonderfully very punchable dirtbag scoundrel and coward, very much a “Black Adder” character! 😄). I have to admit the naming of the main continent as Vigrid make me wince a bit every time I read it, but to be fair, it comes from Norse Myth, so I can’t fairly criticize Gwynne (or expect him to know) that the most prominent Pagan Neo-N@zi Group in Norway use that same name…😬😅 Also, Chomsky is a figure to be taken with some grains of salt: While his criticism of American Imperialism and the CIA, definitely can be fair and very valid, his conclusions to then defend many American opponents and Anti-American regimes, such as the Communist Vietnamese, the Eastern Bloc (he still considers the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Eastern Bloc as a “mistake” by Eastern Europeans, “not knowing better” and that they should have continued to “enjoy” Soviet rule…) and the Serbs during the Jugoslavian Wars (😬), should definitely be mentioned and criticized. Can recommend “Kraut”’s video on the topic of Chomsky, as a good example on valid non-right wing criticism of him!

[@storytoob]

Oh I didn't know that about the continent name that's unfortunate! And yes of course, that's the case with non-fiction and political writing in general anyway. You have to approach with an open mind and a critical brain. Given that this book was purely about a critical look at US Foreign Policy, the focus was just on that

[@SheWasOnlyEvie]

I am nobody. I was listening to your end of year videos last year! No Working Days? 🥺

[@storytoob]

Haha we meant before joining booktube.. we would just make all those lists and stuff without making videos 🤣

[@SheWasOnlyEvie]

@ In that case, I’ll allow it. 😜

[@dlasis]

The last comics I read was Archie -- I dont even know which volume that was. I should add some comics in my tbr.

[@storytoob]

Mate read some comics! Saga, Criminal, Mister Miracle, East of West, Paper Girls, Monstress and all sorts

[@timburbagereads]

Is the subtitle of Noam Chomsky's book "Why Kissinger was such a bastard" 😂?

[@storytoob]

Hahahaha might as well be! It's "How US Foreign Policy Endangers The World"

[@thefantasythinker]

Wait, no Malazan? :) Just finished a re-read of Blood and Bone by Esslemont, a fantastic book! Also finished Nexus by Yuval Noah Harari. Fantastic warning about the AI revolution coming to a computer near you. Cheers!

[@storytoob]

Cool! I definitely wanna check out the new Harari book.. have you read Sapiens?

[@thefantasythinker]

@@storytoob Absolutely, he's probably my favorite non-fiction writer.

[@Gl1tch2263]

Sup?

[@storytoob]

Waddup Mitch

[@Gl1tch2263]

@@storytoobnm. Might try Planetfall. Join your campaign against Ada Palmer. Sounds fun tbh