Weekly Update: November 10th, 2024 | The One Where I Declare Joe Abercrombie the Master of Dialogue

[@samofWinterfell]

Walking around Barnes and Noble watching the Weekly Update

[@EmilyWado]

Dont do that, you'll hurt yourself 😆

[@samofWinterfell]

Also this week I’ve learned that Spike Lee is a great filmmaker

[@carson9464]

Hell yeah

[@brentandrews6960]

Narnes and boble

[@mikesbookreviews]

I approve.

[@kylerieman221]

Been a bitter sweet week. Thursday marked the last day at my job after 12 years. There wasn't really much choice as they were closing the plant, but such is life sometimes. I'm planning on just taking the rest of November off so I can finish all my current reads before Wind and Truth comes out and spend some time with my wife while she's going through chemo.

[@GenuinelyCurious120]

Good luck to you and your wife 🙏

[@Speed202]

I'm pulling for you and your wife to weather and grow through this storm. 🙏🏾

[@itscatoclock]

Hang in there. Spend some time with your wife. Take it easy.

[@mikesbookreviews]

In my thoughts, amigo.

[@BookMonster82]

Good luck to you and your family.

[@PetrikLeo]

I look forward to our discussions on Fury of the Gods! I'm behind though. I need to finish it first! 😂 Glad to hear you're enjoying The Devils man. I knew you'll love it. Joe's dialogues is second to none!

[@EmilyWado]

Mike with the Boner Joke 😳

[@mikesbookreviews]

Joe is the best ha ha

[@P.EnglishLiterature]

Thank you, Mike❤

[@gabelarsen4375]

I'm so jealous you have that book in your hands! My most anticipated by far, I cannot wait

[@mikesbookreviews]

#blessed

[@GenuinelyCurious120]

Why does it feel so good to Finish a book? That's my favorite feeling in the world, besides the feeling of smelling a new book lol

[@mikesbookreviews]

Always feels like an achievement.

[@fatjohnnydepp]

Love ya Mike !!! Just finished the Lonesome Dove series. Amazing reads. Thank you for recommending the Author.

[@mikesbookreviews]

McMurtry is amazing

[@veronicaprice]

I’m looking forward to your thoughts on the Kindle Color. Thank you for taking your time to throughly review it!

[@mikesbookreviews]

Sure thing!

[@totallysick88able]

I’m so glad and relieved to hear you are enjoying Abercrombies new book! So far I absolutely love everything he has written but of course I get nervous when one of my favorite authors releases something new and different but now I am so excited read it even more than before now!

[@mikesbookreviews]

You're gonna love this.

[@debyik]

I completely agree about Cobra Kai! That is probably my favorite series ever.

[@mikesbookreviews]

No mercy.

[@skywalker80316]

I think your weekly updates are my favorite videos to watch on KZbin! I’m currently reading Fury of the Gods and hope to finish it this week. I haven’t read any Joe Abercrombie yet. Love hearing your reaction to his latest.

[@mikesbookreviews]

DEWIT.

[@henryorhank]

Recently read both Swan Song and Boys life cause of this channel. Both amazing, but boys life really blew me away, such an emotional book

[@mikesbookreviews]

Glad you liked it!

[@flemingstephen16]

Watching, at the airport, as I wait on my layover. Thou art the man, sir.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Hope it made the wait easier!

[@suwalalgurjar9964]

perfect timing

[@SpiderwebHollow]

Mike, I am constantly pleasantly surprised that every review you give I totally agree with!!! 😊 fury - spot on and I totally agree! Long legs - completely agree! Lonesome dove- agree 💯you are my go to guy for reviews I trust!!

[@mikesbookreviews]

Ugh. Longlegs was so trash.

[@Fianna1775]

It sounds like it’s been a good week for you! Nice to hear! I haven't read Ambercrombie but I have A Blade Itself on the TBR for next month I think. My week has been pretty positive too. I just finished "All the King’s Men" on audiobook-Pulitzer Prize winner, I believe. This was a book my mom read to me when I was in middle school, and I’ve started a new reading project where I’m revisiting some of those books to see if they hold up to my memories. *All the King’s Men* was certainly worth revisiting. It’s a very southern novel, and the narrator’s voice reminded me a lot of Kevin Spacey’s iconic accent in "House of Cards". I really appreciated the themes of political corruption and the way the book explores southern politics during such a tumultuous time. However, I do wish the main politician, who is based on a real person (but I won’t name names since doing so would spoil the story), had been a more complex or relatable character. The novel is supposed to explore how power corrupts, but the politician at the center of the story often comes across as a pure jerk, especially when it comes to his family. It felt like there was a missed opportunity for more moral ambiguity. If he had been more conflicted or shown some internal struggle about his decisions, it could have added depth to the narrative. Perhaps I am wrong though! On a different note, I also read "Children of Time" this week. I know Mike had a more mixed opinion on it, but I was absolutely blown away. I tend to gravitate toward harder science fiction, especially those that explore the real-world implications of science, and I thought this book did a brilliant job of delving into evolution and other natural sciences. The alien species on the planet felt so unique, and I don’t think I’ve read anything quite like it before. One small detail I particularly appreciated was the chapter title “Touch the Face of God,” the famous line from "High Flight", which I first encountered through Reagan’s address after the Challenger disaster. It was a nice touch that resonated with me. This week, I’m diving into *Lust for Life*, Irving Stone’s biographical novel about Vincent van Gogh, and *Legend of the Galactic Heroes* book seven. Happy reading to you!

[@mikesbookreviews]

Glad you liked CoT. It wasn't bad, just not my type of Sci-Fi.

[@mnbgfdsa]

We love you too Mike. I always tell my wife about stuff you said you watched or did with your family. We watched a bunch of movies because if you... not to mention that my tbr is mostly your recommendations. :D

[@mikesbookreviews]

Happy to help!

[@altitude96]

Your rambling is what makes this channel great Mike!

[@mikesbookreviews]

Ha ha thank you

[@Crocketts45]

Can't wait for the devils. Joe abercrombie is my favorite grimdark author. First law is awesome

[@mikesbookreviews]

You're going to love it

[@RhinoViper]

Glad to hear The Devils is living up to the expectations so far. Can't wait.

[@josiahpeterson17]

I know you typically don't gravitate towards animated shows, but I would implore you to give Arcane on Netflix a try sometime. It is truly incredible, and the second and final season just began releasing. Probably the best animation out there and the story is so powerful and emotional. I think you'd enjoy it. Like myself, you don't need to be a league of legends fan to appreciate the utterly amazing quality of storytelling they've put together.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Gotten lots of recs for that

[@jakobwetzel7065]

I still haven’t read any Ambercrombie. I’d love to know if The Devis would be a good place to start as I’m not ready to dive into First Law yet.

[@BookMonster82]

The Nolin Batman Trilogy is good. The Dark Knight is best of the three! Thank you for your time and effort that you put into the channel.

[@mikesbookreviews]

My pleasure!

[@joystixtv]

I CANNOT WAIT FOR THIS!

[@cameronscott7304]

I bought the First Law trilogy and plan on reading it early next year. I'm kind of a noob when it comes to Fantasy so I'm hoping to correct that next year.

[@benja6902]

Cobra! Check out the Cobra Commander graphic novel, 'Determined to Rule the World.' It's a lot of fun!

[@borzica]

Support local independent bookshops people. Have a great rest of 2024 - love you all!

[@Jaffacake786]

Waiting with bated breath for your review of the Kindle Colorsoft. My purchase literally hinges on your recommendation because I haven’t been able to make up my mind yet 😆

[@mikesbookreviews]

Ha ha I'll try not to disappoint.

[@EverlastGamers]

I finished the greenbone saga this week. Absolutely phenomenal writing. First time feeling so bittersweet about finishing a trilogy.

[@kingzzz6509]

I’m super excited for how much you enjoyed The Fury of the Gods, it gets me excited to finish The Bloodsworn Saga. I finished The Road by Cormac McCarthy which was really good, I gave it four stars. I also finished Red Shadows which was a Solomon Kane short story. It was alright, but not as good as some of the others. I gave it three stars.

[@mikesbookreviews]

The Road is so good.

[@CooperScroggin]

I'm currently rereading Hyperion, and I'm loving it more than when I first read it.

[@mikesbookreviews]

It's amazing.

[@brandoncordeau7277]

I am currently reading fury of the gods and absolutely loving it. The part you said you didn't like it much because it was more battles than character development , which excites me the most even though I love all the character development to but I'm just really excited for the final battle and violence

[@mikesbookreviews]

He writes action amazingly well.

[@brandoncordeau7277]

He writes fantasy in general very well lol I can't wait for his next project and for 2025 for richard swans new book and joe abercrombie's the devils

[@esmayrosalyne]

So happy to hear that you are burning throught The Devils, can't wait to hear your final thoughts! And I have heard a lot of people talk about the heavy action in Fury, which slightly concerns me as a very character-driven reader aaaah. Fingers crossed!

[@mikesbookreviews]

Definitely not a bad thing, I just wanted more of those character moments.

[@awizardintraining]

I finished Yellowface. It was very solid. I'm currently have 120 pages left in the third Dungeon Crawler Carl, then I'm going to see if I enjoy The Three Body Problem. Whole trilogy is available in KU, so if I enjoy book 1, I'll binge the trilogy this month

[@GenuinelyCurious120]

KU?

[@mikesbookreviews]

DCC is one of the most recommended books I get

[@MackTheDogg]

DCC is very good!!

[@NCSDFL]

I thought it was rushed as well. However, after what he went through I thought it was a gut check and he did really well. I liked it alot.

[@TheLongestTake]

I was hearing mixed things about The Devils. Im looking forward to it

[@mikesbookreviews]

First 30% is aces.

[@benconlin3557]

Glad the likes of you and Petrik are enjoying The Devils, looking forward to it. Dived into Dandelion Dynasty last week and finished book 1 this week. Really good, I would recommend it

[@mikesbookreviews]

Hoping to start it next year

[@iSamwise]

Cannot wait for The Devils!!! So hyped!

[@mikesbookreviews]

It's legit

[@heidi6281]

The Devils sounds like the same premise of Between Two Fires which is set up in our world, circa Medieval France with monsters!!

[@k2vaja00]

Oh man, Abercrombie has a new book out!? Cannot wait to read it. I bought a bunch of grim dark books based on your Recommended Grim Dark Books video. The Prince of Nothing book 1 was my most anticipated and it did not disappoint! On the other hand Priest of Bones was not for my liking. It was ok, bot bad, just that the characters are not that interesting and I don't really like the first person perspective, it takes out a lot of tension. The rest five or so series I haven't had the time to read yet.

[@ptannous27]

I have the boox go color 7 and I tell you what it’s pretty sweet reading ASOIF illustrated edition with color on it.

[@MaleeshaT]

I agree, it was a great series. the ending was fast but it felt more to me like he left room for him to return to Vigrid in another series ( i hope)

[@mikesbookreviews]

Wouldn't be against it!

[@EmilyWado]

No way Mike finished Fury that fast 😅

[@mikesbookreviews]

It was like a week and a half. Not that fast ha ha

[@michaelkibble740]

That was the best looking Two Face I have seen

[@mikesbookreviews]

He was great

[@BooksWithBenghisKahn]

Ohhhhh man you already have me so excited for the Devils!

[@mikesbookreviews]

It's a really good start.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

I am very much looking forward to chatting with you, Petrik, Sam, the Brothers Gwynne, and John Gwynne about The Fury of the Gods on Saturday! It won't be a livestream, and I'll put out the video probably the following Tuesday. I don't have an ARC of The Devils, so I'll be reading it as soon as it's out next year. Happy reading, Mike!

[@mikesbookreviews]

You should email Tor. I bet they'd send you one.

[@opticalman1692]

We need more people like this telling us truth! Just finished reading 'Magnetic Aura' on Talesio. Its fascinating what they hide from society.

[@mikesbookreviews]

LOL my lord the bots are out in force

[@pugshorty9852]

A Damm fine coffee mug!! :-)

[@briteskin]

The civics of elections/government made it hard to finish reading anything. I did restart Shogun. Tried to pick up where I left off but after so many months decided to just restart it. I want to try finish it before end of year so I at least meet more than one 2024 reading goal which was finally read the whole Lord of the Rings. Reading: 'Shogun' by James Clavell, 'The Drawing of the Three' by Stephen King, and The Complete Cyber Force vol 1 (Image Comics) Read: bunch of monthly comics started to dive into the new X-men and DC Absolute stuff Watched: The 4:30 Movie, Heretic (2024) Listened: Decartes A Kant, saw them live this week, and revisiting Henry Rollins spoken word stuff Played: Still enjoying my Fallout 4 replay but I need to pay better attention didn't know new Dragon Age was releasing

[@mikesbookreviews]

Loved Shogun

[@jadapandy]

3/4ths of the way through Gwynne's Fury of the Gods - and it's very good. Never boring. Insofar as Abercrombie new book, glad to hear he's leaning more towards high fantasy, than the low fantasy he's only written. And written well. Mike, sorry but gotta keep pushing the ongoing best sci-fi series out there: W. Michael Gear's Donovan series. Starting with the beginning - Outpost - you will discover a savage planet with a variety of aliens that would put Predators and Xenomorphs to shame.

[@mikesbookreviews]

I'll look it up!

[@arabellawillow]

WORLD WITHOUT END I haven't got there yet so I look forward to hearing what you think. Bro definitely lifts 😅

[@archon8519]

Just finished Fury, unsure what secret POV you mentioned, I dont recall a surprising new one. Unless you meant just a surprising character moment

[@logan-ex2dc]

Please try and get to dandelion dynasty in 2025!! Can’t wait for you to dive into that one

[@prasun420]

for all book enjoyers like myself, reading the ebook 'Magnetic Aura' is a must

[@mikesbookreviews]

Dude, stop.

[@Already-Overbooked]

Mike, between us old men. Who do I need to bribe to get an ARC copy of the Devils

[@mikesbookreviews]

LOL

[@danynumero6]

The only other show that comes to mind as far as respecting the source material and passing the torch is concerned is Ash vs Evil Dead, which carries on from the Evil Dead trilogy. Excellent show that sadly got cancelled way too soon.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Man, AvED was so fun!

[@Lim_Jahey]

Penguin was awsome!

[@arthurweise2573]

Hey Mike, just a quick question if you don't mind: does Of War And Ruin end in a cliffhanger? Just a yes or no will suffice, thanks.

[@dawncox4019]

World without end is a pretty swift read- hard to put down. I have read lots of his now and I know the length means nothing now. Have fun. I didn’t like column of fire but the morning and evening is my fave next to pillars.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Sounds similar to Pillars

[@dawncox4019]

@ yes really gripping and hours go by in a flash. Similar with the first two century trilogy books.

[@cwesley2005]

Shadow of the gods is the best fantasy novel ive ever read

[@astellus]

I hope Replay by Ken Grimwood finally makes it into your standalone list next year. I read it before I tried Blake Crouch, and I could see the similarities. I think you'll really enjoy it.

[@mikesbookreviews]

First I've heard of it. I'll look it up.

[@Atrulion]

I've been too slow on reading the (imo spectacular) God Emperor of Dune. I've taken a break from reading, where I read maybe 1 chapter every 4 days. But I found time today, so I decided to dedicate today to as much reading as possible, and I managed to get 120 pages so far, and now I literally have about 120 left! I still have hours 8pm to 12am, and I'll see if I can take another big bite in the rest of the book, or finish it today. I honestly don't know where exactly the book is going still, but I love the kind of "story" it is either way. Whenever I finish it, I'll go on to A Clash of Kings after I think half a year between A Game of Thrones. I think A Game of Thrones honestly is my favorite book so far (I'm a new reader, began last summer, so I don't have many competitors.)

[@noname3609]

Both are great but im fully convinced u will definetly enjoy A storm of swords the most.😊

[@Atrulion]

@ I've heard that! I'm super excited to get there!

[@Fianna1775]

God Emperor is wild man. It felt like nothing else I had ever read. Loved it but really need to reread it as I know I did not catch everything the first time.

[@mikesbookreviews]

One does not rush God Emperor. They absorb it.

[@hikethemike7349]

wondering if youve watched Arcane? New season started as well yesterday!

[@unholyhairdo64]

I love John Gwynne, but to be honest this is not the first time I experienced a little battle fatigue reading his books. I thought we were getting a fourth book for a while there. Anything negative I felt about the book was erased after reading the “acknowledgment.”

[@mikesbookreviews]

Totally agree.

[@boyzinthehood124]

Mike, I dont know if you watched 1st season of Arcane, but second just came out yesterday (first three episodes) and its easily peak TV.

[@mikesbookreviews]

I haven't but have heard a ton about it

[@EmilyWado]

How much does Mike love his audience on a scale of 1 to 10?

[@mikesbookreviews]

11.

[@focusrelax8838]

3:49 dont you think it felt rushed because the pacing is faster here? And the ending was fast, isn’t it good just to make an end instead of dragging it out pages upon pages?

[@mikesbookreviews]

Sure, I can see that.

[@KalonFraser]

Where are these guys getting such early copies??

[@mikesbookreviews]

The publisher.

[@KalonFraser]

@ 😢

[@arthurweise2573]

Apple TV has a few programs that sound really nice but I'm afraid I am at my limit with streaming channels.

[@mikesbookreviews]

I totally get that.

[@Bucky749]

If you’re gonna wear the cobra shirt we need to get you some G.I joe style dog tags to go with it and figure with a mini book to hold to be a mascot. Now which cobra is a reader Dr mind binder or Crystal Geyser the one who was in a Steven king book . Or maybe just generic soldier you can give name to an give them a Mini brands book

[@BrownTown89]

I got red country next after i finish dark age 🎉

[@mikesbookreviews]

Enjoy!

[@Emroczart]

Bro devils is release til 5/25/25 that’s like 7 months away lol

[@sleepingninjaquiettime]

Cobra!

[@sengil5656]

Doesn't The Devils drop in may? Are 6 months reviews normal in the book trade?

[@mikesbookreviews]

Not usually.

[@sengil5656]

@mikesbookreviews maan the wait is hard! 😅 Abercrombie is my favorite author

[@kevinwalsh9704]

Looking forward to reading The Devils in…….7 months 😭😭😭

[@dpeady78]

The Dark Knight is just Nolan doing Heat and I mean that as a compliment. Watch them back to back and you’ll see. Do TDK first

[@mikesbookreviews]

Oh I'm aware. Great flick.

[@s.p.8508]

Yeah finished The Fury of the Gods yesterday, similar feelings. I was floored after finishing but then some criticisms started to pop up. The ending felt a bit rushed and the last page felt like he was trying to shove in the same ending of TF&TF tbh. Some of the character events felt a bit repetitive in the final battle, and honestly the big thing I was waiting for in the final battle was a bit rushed. Also, the ending overall was kind of just a “vengeance fest.” This makes sense because the whole series is pretty much centered around vengeance, but he could have done something more with it in the end. Overall it’s a John Gwynne book so incredible nonetheless, but I wouldn’t rate it a 5/5 anymore after thinking about it. Maybe a 4/5.

[@Speed202]

Yeah, if you watch his interview with Petrik, John was still grieving the loss of his daughter. She died after he finished the 2nd book. He didn't even think he would be able to finish the 3rd. So, I'm reading the 3rd installment with that lens.

[@s.p.8508]

@@Speed202 oh yes I’m aware. I’ve read every John Gwynne book and rated almost every one a 5/5. John’s situation is awful and the fact that he was able to write the book at all is l inspiring. The book overall was satisfying and pretty much on par with the rest of his books. However, there were some issues that are not usually present in his books that kinda threw me off. There could be a multitude of reasons for that but I can’t rate the book a 5/5 unfortunately. But 4/5 is still an incredible book imo.

[@podrissimo9814]

Hereditary is awesome and Longlegs is awful, so yeah, you're right 😂 (don't tell her I said this tho)

[@allysonmcgrory2180]

COBRA KAI NEVER DIES👊🏻

[@はとのしごこうちょく]

Von ihrer brennende Liebe, kann dich kein Dämon erlösen.

[@steelepartridge6954]

COBRA!!

[@CodyvWorld]

Hey Mike thanks for spoiling The Devils. Boner-hiding is essential plot substance that should be kept hush, man.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Whoops.

[@DustinHarrisWHBC]

So annoyed by the people who are mad at booktubers for reading The Devils early.

[@mikesbookreviews]

It's a weird thing to be mad about, but I may be biased.

[@DustinHarrisWHBC]

@ nah man, it’s a weird thing to be mad about full stop 😅

[@johnjones1510]

Again no Bentley Little. Come on man.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Who?

[@johnjones1510]

@ For a Stephen King fan I’m not sure how you have no idea who Bentley Little is. “King has called Bentley Little the best horror novelist and said that Little is "practically his own genre.”

[@abbywonder3825]

Longlegs was terrible

[@DubLectroLife]

Kinda rubbing in that you’ve got The Devils a full 7 MONTHS before we can get our hands on it 🙄 I’m happy for you, but a lil rude to show us.

[@mikesbookreviews]

So I should just keep it a secret?

[@DubLectroLife]

@@mikesbookreviews No... I'm just jealous as all hell lol. Idk I guess 7 months is just, too much time

[@arthurweise2573]

I'm sorry Mike but I will skip all things Joe Abercrombie, constant cursing is not appealing to me at all. Cursing is not necessary to get your point across. It takes more time and intelligence to do it though.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Do what works for you!