May Reads & June TBR - The Balcony Edition!

May was an excellent month of reading, and June looks like an exciting TBR with some Robin Hobb, Fonda Lee, Daniel Abraham and Ada Palmer!
Channels mentioned:
‪@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy‬
‪@ToriTalks2‬
‪@TallGuyReads‬
‪@TheLibraryofAllenxandria‬
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0:00 Intro
1:04 May: The Mad Ship
2:20 May: Sword of the Lictor
3:57 May: Piranesi
6:41 May: Jade City
9:21 June TBR: Ship of Destiny
10:55 June TBR: Jade War
11:16 June TBR: A Shadow in Summer
12:33 June TBR: Too Like the Lightning
14:07 Wrap-up
+++ Theme song "Dust on the Road" by lemonmusicstudio
+++ pixabay.com/music/rock-dust-o...
#booktube #fantasybooks #scifi #tbr

[@UnPlayableGames]

I agree on Piranesi being a FASCINATING read 🥰

[@MattonBooks]

The star of the show! Thanks again, mate. 😀👌🏻

[@UnPlayableGames]

@@MattonBooks happy to help 🤣

[@vaughnroycroft999]

Books, refreshing beverages, summery outdoor setting--what's not to love? Looks like you've got your long days of June planned beautifully. Cheers!

[@MattonBooks]

Cheers Vaughn! Yeah, everything seems so much better once the weather turns nice. 😀

[@thefantasythinker]

Your slow month would be quite the heavy month for me. Looks like some great reads coming up and I love the balcony!

[@MattonBooks]

It’s nightmare finding ANY flat in Berlin. I feel super lucky to have scored one with a big balcony and so many trees outside. 😀 And maybe I just have too much free time, Jarrod. 😜

[@safinan8008]

Happy reading to you!! I’m glad u liking Robin Hobb books!! 🎥📚

[@MattonBooks]

Thanks Safina. I'm LOVING Hobb's books!

[@sw3dge]

Haha that Piranesi bit was fun. Great balcony weather.

[@MattonBooks]

Yeah, Alessandro’s a character. 🙂 And the weather right now is SO GOOD. 😎

[@RekindledReader]

Ooh love the change of setting! Great video - and Too Like the Lightning sounds very interesting 👌🏻 Have a fantastic June, my friend! I’ve been busy and in a bit of a slump but I’m catching up! Wishing you the best!

[@MattonBooks]

Yeah, maybe I’ll do all of my videos until autumn out there. 😀 It’s just so nice being out there after the long, cold, wet winter. I’ve been a bit slumpy too, mate, so here’s to a more energetic summer for us both! 👌🏻

[@almaaguado347]

Love your balcony and balcony view, great space to read in summer !!. Still on Ship of Magic here... I love it when I am reading it but I am in a kind of reading slump and every time I see the length of the book, I start a shorter or less intense one... 😅

[@MattonBooks]

It’s so damned nice reading out there, Alma. ♥️ And just read whatever feels right, of course. Just enjoy. 🙂

[@MichaelTamburrino]

The world in Piranesi just has this incredible TEXTURE. I can close my eyes and physically see and smell the place vividly. In a similar way to Gormenghast, I felt like a visitor and not just a reader. Clarke is a genius. So thrilled to discover your channel, we seem to have such similar taste ✌️

[@MattonBooks]

Hey, welcome Michael. 🙂 I wasn’t super enthralled by her first book, but damn, Piranesi is really something special. 😍

[@MichaelTamburrino]

Indeed! And yes, I can fully see that JS&MN is not going to work for everyone. As a big Gene Wolfe fan, it’s a caveat I use often! Going to check out some of your introductory stuff on Malazan. You may finally be the one to convince me to take the plunge….

[@liviajelliot]

Fine balcony! I'm still going through Shadow... and it's amazing! Will definitely go back and watch the spoilery videos once done. Ada Palmer's book sounds definitely interesting; I hadn't heard of it before. Excited to hear your thoughts about it! Happy reading!

[@MattonBooks]

Thanks Livia. 🙂 Yeah, SotT is really something unique. Enjoy! 😀

[@thebigshep]

I want more Alessandro cameos in the future and will be very sad if I don't get them. Also it'll be a while before I read it but I bought The Spear Cuts Through Water last week

[@MattonBooks]

Thanks Shep. 🙂 I’ll let Al know. 😉

[@andreabknight]

I also read PIranesi this month! Originally a DNF I decided to get back to it for a Readathon... and so glad I did!

[@MattonBooks]

It’s just. So. Good Andrea. Glad you agree. 🙂

[@Kamakazi152.]

Your home looks, and sounds really, really nice. I really should read more outside. I've always enjoyed it, but never do enough of it when the opportunities arise.

[@MattonBooks]

Thanks Kamakazi, I like it. 🙂 It’s exactly what I’ve been waiting for through the cold, wet months. As long as the temperature allows, I’ll be out there every day! 😀

[@Kamakazi152.]

​@@MattonBooks I'll try use this as a motivational reminder to do the same. I do other things outside, but I never think about enjoying a nice cold beverage of some kind and a book outside for some reason... It sounds lovely. I hope you have many many days of enjoyable weather!

[@Johanna_reads]

Gorgeous outdoor setting! Piranesi is such a beautiful and layered story, which I don't recommend to everyone 😅. I'm excited to share thoughts on LPQ!

[@MattonBooks]

I’m out there every day, now that the weather’s good. 🙂A bit more urban than your backyard, but I like it. Can’t wait for LPQ!

[@zan8152]

Oh boy I'm excited for your thoughts on Too Like the Lightning, think that could end up being a favorite of yours - takes so much of a number of books I know you like and does some.... particularly interesting and bizarre things with it. I might try to jump in on LPQ, but I've already hosed my tbr for June so I might have to play catch up in July? we'll see. I want to get to it for sure

[@MattonBooks]

Yeah Zan, that’s my feeling ever since I saw the book. Really feels like it’s for me. 🙂 I’ll definitely get to it soon, if maybe not this month, and can’t wait. 👌🏻

[@RedFuryBooks]

Piranesi is one of those reads that just kind of gets stuck in your head. At least that's what it's been for me. I read it in December of last year, and still continue to think about it.

[@MattonBooks]

Exactly! It’s so different in so many ways from most books I’ve read, and loses so many intriguing questions. What a book! ♥️

[@wassr1956]

Tanith Lee is one of the finest writers to ever grace the field of speculative fiction. The author of around 100 novels and several hundred short stories, she wrote two episodes of the iconic TV series Blake’s 7, was the first woman to win the British Fantasy Award - which she followed with two World Fantasy Awards, shortlistings for all manner of accolades including Nebula and BSFA Awards - and in 2013 she received a ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ from the organisers of World Fantasycon.

[@MattonBooks]

Worth checking out. Thanks. 🙂👌🏻

[@verosnotebook]

Tempted by LPQ too… The power of persuasion of Allen 😂 I’ve got Ada Palmer’s too, yet unread 🙄 Got tons this month. Oh well…😊

[@MattonBooks]

Allen! Allen! Allen! 😆 Yeah, he can be quite convincing.

[@BooksWithBenghisKahn]

Wow we’ve overlapped on a bunch of great books recently! I’m right with you on Piranesi and Ship of Magic and Jade City being great reads (also I just don’t think the Jade City audio is particularly good). Can’t wait to join you on Ship of Destiny very soon!

[@MattonBooks]

We’re aligned Ben: I didn’t like the Jade City audio much either. But we’ve also been reading awesome books! 👌🏻😀

[@epicgamer2727]

I gotta catch up with your guys read of the BOTNS I just finished shadow of the torturer. Also Piranesi is such a gem it does a lot in its short page count. Just ordered the Liveship traders trilogy as well cause everything I’ve heard is that they are amazing. Glad your enjoying the summer weather!

[@MattonBooks]

Just one recommendation: don’t start with Liveships. If you haven’t read the Farseer trilogy, start there. It’s very different, but also great.

[@laurac56]

I just finished reading The Shadow Casket (The Darkwater Legacy #2) by Chris Wooding, which I very much enjoyed. I have a non-fantasy ebook from the library to finish (why DO I borrow so many when I have enough that I own to get to?!?) and then it’s Ship of Destiny. Mad Ship was good, but I miss Fitz!

[@MattonBooks]

Yeah Laura, I’m already dreading Liveships ending, but I’m certainly looking forward to hanging with Fitz again! 😀

[@jeroenadmiraal8714]

Ada Palmer's Terra Ignota series is perhaps the best science fantasy series of the century so far. But finish BotNS first.

[@MattonBooks]

Well, BotNS is a re-read, and like I said, our schedule’s drifted a bit. So I might ignore you this once, Jeroen. Will I regret it? We’ll see… 😜

[@jeroenadmiraal8714]

@@MattonBooks I see you like to live dangerously.

[@MattonBooks]

I cannot lie: I’m a man of adventure.

[@thatsci-firogue]

Did you end up liking Long Price Quartet, Matt?

[@MattonBooks]

I really enjoyed the first book, but because timing haven’t continued, yet.

[@jorgedecastro9040]

I thought Piranesi was an italian architect of the 17th or so century. Anything to do with him in the book? I have Jade War in my TBR list and I've been told it's better than the first one. Thanks for the video!!!

[@MattonBooks]

Thanks Jorge. 👌🏻 Piranesi was that, and there is a strange and mysterious connection, yes. 🙂

[@jorgedecastro9040]

@@MattonBooks Into my TBR list it goes. Sigh... so many good books to read,...

[@gori_maheswari8994]

Giveaway kb lavoge

[@MattonBooks]

Uh… wat?

[@gurkenschnitzel3905]

Man! My brain hurts from 700 pages of german version of ADA PALMERs "TOO LIKE THE LIGHNTNING"... only you recommended that to me, with the small hint "... closes to level of hyperion"... MY BRAIN HURTS!!! The author writes down a ton of ideas, but completely overwhelms me by introducing names and characters almost every minute... The plot, the images, the ideas that arise in my head are fragmented, blurry and fleeting... And it's only because of you, dear Matt, that I'm struggling through the first 300 pages. Just because of you and our shared love for Simmons' "HYPERION." The gender-neutral language of the German translation is another level that makes my head hurt - but that is not due to the author or the certainly brilliant and painstaking implementation/translation into German. Your brain will even get used to it at some point. Unfortunately, the author doesn't get the plot and heroes going... She may want too much. Maybe she's too intelligent for me? Unfortunately, every book needs a thread to hang on to... and I still can't see that thread after 500 pages. She also chooses an "uncertain narrator" - a literary construct that actually sounds very exciting and that is certainly challenging when translated into film... but MY BRAIN HURTS... even after 600 pages, I'm still just reading this book because of you, Matt :-) And it doesn't have a bit of Simmons in it. Simmons, who can make entire worlds and societies appear in one paragraph. Simmons, who takes us to other worlds and captivates us. ADA PALMER doesn't manage to do that for me even after 600 pages. We stayed on Earth with flying cars...? for which she certainly sketches out an interesting scenario in passing with her hives and gender neutrality, but never really draws me into it... Her writing is too pale, too eloquent, not illustrative enough. Sorry :-)))))) - i hope you´re doing well.

[@MattonBooks]

Yeah, I’d never say this series is LIKE Hyperion, but I did like it similarly to Hyperion. She does dump a hell of a lot in the first book, but it calms down a bit in the following books since the basics have already been introduced. But ai can totally understand if it’s not for you in the end.

[@alibaba0428]

You’re glass towards the end of the video , gives me anxiety.

[@MattonBooks]

Uh, wut? Why? 🤔

[@alibaba0428]

@@MattonBooks 🤷🏾‍♂ i m a server, thats like asking for it to fall lol. ptsd

[@MattonBooks]

Ah, too close to the edge? 😆 I didn’t even notice. 😜