What now? Recent reading, unfinished series & what comes next...

Back on booktube, and... what now?
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[@Johanna_reads]

I'm excited to hear your thoughts on LPQ when you continue, but there is absolutely no rush and no pressure! Take all the time, read what you want to read, and to hell with the rest. Just happy to have you back!!!

[@MattonBooks]

Yeah Johanna, I’m really looking forward to digging deeper into LPQ! 😀

[@laurac56]

Sounds great Matt. I like to hear what someone is reading/read and what they think about it. TBRs are fine from someone who follows it pretty strictly, but not my favorite. I like one read along because it helps me to read something I would struggle to read or keep up with (Hobb!) As a non-BookTuber, I like to pick up what I want to read, when I want to read it. Perfectly understandable that you would want to too.

[@MattonBooks]

Yeah Laura, I’ll keep the “what I’ve read” content, but I want to get into some deeper dives in my favourite works, and need time and space for those. Also, I massively overloaded on commitments earlier this year, and learned from it. 😬

[@safinan8008]

Hi 👋 hope ur well?? And take ur time in reading enjoy ur journey with each book!! 📖

[@MattonBooks]

Exactly my plan Safina! 🙂📚♥️

[@thefantasythinker]

Ignore the pressure bro! I am taking my time on my Malazan everything re-read as well, currently on Toll the Hounds and loving it. Return to Edan was spectacular. I have Book of the New Sun Part 1 on my shelf, will get there eventually. Take care!

[@MattonBooks]

Yeah Jared, I’m missing the Malazan world and characters, so I’ll definitely get back to it, and probably soon. Enjoy BotNS when you get there! 🙂

[@TuftyMcTavish]

I too went TBR-free entirely coincidentally around the same time as ToriTalks started talking about it. I’d decided earlier in the year that I wanted to do a SciFi month. “SciFi September” was suggested, but I thought it too far away at the time. And then suddenly it was August, and “SciFi September” morphed into “SciFi Sequels September.” That made me realise I liked continuing and finishing series, so I quickly decided to continue reading in my whim, and the TBR thus went 💥 I do have a couple of obligation reads for November, but the rest is as I feel like it. I did kinda like making the book stack TBR images for the socials< so I’ll just have to make them at the end of the month, wrap-up style. I was just telling the Bookends&Biscuits channel recently that you had rated “Terra Ignota” on Discord. I too have picked up “The Long Price Quartet”, based on the praise heaped upon it via JohannaReads and ToriTalks channels. Ha! I loved “Jade War”!!! And the third one as it happens.

[@MattonBooks]

Yeah Tufty, I really feel like I’m missing something with Green Bone - most everyone seems to love all of it. But Jade War felt more like Jade Snooze to me, sooooo…

[@sasapejcin3568]

Hey Matt so glad that you are back in the game! I love watching your videos no matter what or how much you read!

[@MattonBooks]

Thanks Sasa. 🙂 I’ve got plans for sure, but nothing too strict. Thanks for being here. ♥️

[@RedFuryBooks]

Read whatever you want! Amen! I personally like having a TBR as that's how I'm wired, but I have an "MBR" portion of each month too for whatever strikes my fancy. Glad you're back making videos!

[@MattonBooks]

Me too Josh. Feels good to be back. 🙂

[@almaaguado347]

Hi Matt, great video!. TBR are great to watch but terrible to follow, good that you have decided to go as you feel it. In my case I would not be able to follow a TBR even if my life depends on it... 😂

[@MattonBooks]

Yeah Alma, turns out I’m pretty bad at following mine too. 😆 Hence the change. I figure anyone who enjoys my channel enjoys the “how” maybe more than the exact “what” anyway, adonai hope the lack of TBR videos for won’t bother anyone too much.

[@thatsci-firogue]

Great video, Matt. I stopped planning out my reads a few years ago and felt liberated. That's why i don't do readalongs and especially readathons, I just know I'd end up in a reading slump. You should definitely continue LPQ. Especially if you enjoyed Book 1 as much as you did. I haven't read Greenbone yet and ngl, I'm not convinced I'll like it. I'm just not into crime family type stories and I've heard contradictory things about to what extent that plays a role. I promise I won't skip Liveship.

[@MattonBooks]

Yeah Rogue, LPQ is *definitely* on the TBR, just not sure when. We’ll see when the mood takes me. As for Green Bone, it’s *totally* about a crime family, and gang warfare, and so on. So maybe not for you. I was really hoping I’d love it, especially after the first book, which I enjoyed. But the second… 🥱

[@BrianBell7]

Glad you are back as I mentioned during sprints! I'm so glad I read Book of the New Sun after hearing your thoughts. It's an all-timer for me now.

[@MattonBooks]

Excellent Brian! 😀 There’s nothing I like more than introducing someone to books they love. 😍

[@Paromita_M]

Sounds good, I also don't have TBRs. Enjoyment is so important. Too Like The Lightning didn't really work for me, so great you enjoyed the series. Hope the finale is as good as the rest. Happy reading!

[@MattonBooks]

Totally understandable, Paromita. It’s a weird book and series, that falls definitely in the “not for everyone” category. But I love me some weird, so right up my alley. Enjoy your reading! 😀

[@Paromita_M]

@@MattonBooks Indeed. I have been reading some pretty weird stuff back to back, some of it is clicking, some of it is completely going over my head but I am having fun. Thanks so much for your good wishes and same to you. 😊

[@MattonBooks]

@@Paromita_M What weird have you been reading?

[@Paromita_M]

@@MattonBooks Nothing much in SFF. I reread the five published volumes of ASOIAF which I thoroughly enjoyed, The Hobbit and The Silmarillion (still confused by the names in early chapters, doing on audio was a mistake for me). The weird non SFF books I have been reading: The Overstory by Richard Powers - nice writing, some poignant scenes but didn't come together for me as a novel. 3/5 stars. Against The Day by Thomas Pynchon - some really interesting parts on the history of physics post Maxwell and pre Einstein era, discussions of some mathematical concepts, some very well-written scenes but there are large swathes that went completely over my head and again, I read it as a collection of scenes/ideas than what my expectation of a novel is. Am keen enough to reread later preferably with an online guide. Milkman by Anna Burns - Unconventional narrative structure took some getting used to but very powerful theming around living in fear, feeling stifled and how this individual or collective claustrophobia can have deep-reaching consequences. Really liked that the messaging was never heavy-handed for me, rather it crept in slowly much like fear does? Now reading: Jerusalem by Alan Moore - Wild ride is all I can say, don't understand much so far. Hoping it comes together, I just started few hours back. I also started manga. My first one was Goodnight Punpun, a coming of age story with tragic/darker tones of a teenage boy called Punpun depicted as a bird. I liked Volume 1 and intend to continue (there are 7 in total and the series is complete).

[@epicgamer2727]

Welcome back! I’m coming back to book of the new Sun and am on Claw of the Conciliator and am excited to get back to your videos on it. I’m also kind of dropping a TBR and being more of a mood reader lately and it has helped me finish more books. One other thing I’d recommend is if your re-reading Malazan is trying to dip your toe in by reading “The God is not willing” it’s a bit of less commitment than the main series but it has still the same great writing and world and some fantastic characters.

[@MattonBooks]

Yeah mate, I’m aware of The God etc. , but I’m definitely going to read the BotF through first, and get to all the other stuff after that. Glad you’re enjoying Wolfe! 😀

[@liviajelliot]

I agree - read whatever you want! I generally do the same; before I had this need of finishing series even if I hated them and it was *not* productive at all. Regarding Shadow & Claw, I actually read Shadow because of your videos! Loved in as audiobook, but am waiting for the paperbacks so I can do immersive - it really deserves it. Love a good, thoughtful book, tbh! I also DNF'ed Jade War half way - really not my cup of tea. Looking forward to what you come up, TBRs are overrated!

[@MattonBooks]

Yeah Livia, screw TBRs. 😆 And very glad to hear you’re enjoying Wolfe!

[@liviajelliot]

@@MattonBooks Hear hear! Loved Wolfe's "Shadow..."! Also, I was hoping to pick up that Zelasny (probably mispelled it) book you reviewed - Tower of Light? Enjoy your reading!

[@MattonBooks]

@@liviajelliot Zelazny’s “Lord of Light” is excellent. Enjoy! 🙂

[@tylerblack301]

Hey Matt! Good to see you back on here. I will say I did miss your videos as I enjoy them A LOT! But I totally understand your reasoning for being away. Hope you’re feeling better in every way. As far as a TBR goes I figured out I’m not a set in stone reader. I read what my mind zooms in on. So I tend to start a lot of books and read a few pages and then not go back to them for a while. I too have too many series to finish. Malazan is my priority series to finish next year. Just 2 books left but I’m waiting for the right time so I don’t hate read them. Lol

[@MattonBooks]

Thanks Tyler. 🙂 Yeah, Malazan’s awesome, but it can be a lot, so it’s good to pace yourself. I can’t wait to get back to it! 😀 Enjoy!

[@sw3dge]

TBRs are the one thing about Booktube that have always seemed so odd to me. I have general goals like a series but I usually don't think much beyond the book after what I'm currently reading. And even that can change when it comes time to pick up a new one. Theoretically I could plan a TBR for the next 10 years but it would just feel like a prison. You should absolutely enjoy what you're doing!

[@MattonBooks]

Yeah Trevor, I think I went with TBRs as it seemed that’s just one of the things you do with a booktube channel. Took a while to realise I can actually do whatever TF I want. 😆

[@Stewart000]

Yay! I'm a mood reader- trying to stick to a strict TBR didn't work for me. I love the discussions & am always looking for "what books should I be reading?" because you can never have enough unread books. 😂 I've been wanting to read Le Morte d Arthur but I have never made it a priority.

[@MattonBooks]

Hi Stewart. 🙂 Le Morte is a bit like a long string of loosely connected short stories, with a plot running in the background, so it’s very easy to read a bit, leave it for a while, and come back to it. Which, considering the 15th century language, is not a bad way to read it any way. But well worth it to get the source of most Arthur stories.

[@RafBlutaxt]

Glad to see you back with an actual book video too! Whenever I see a booktuber announcing to go tbr-free I feel vindicated for never having started with that concept. I too reread Morte D'Arthur earlier this year and should you ever feel like talking about it I'd be delighted (and well armed)! I've wanted to read Terra Ignota for years now, even have the first audio book already on my phone but something else always comes up. Anyways, have fun reading whatever takes your fancy!

[@MattonBooks]

Thanks Raf! I think you of all people would get A LOT out of Terra Ignota, though I can’t decide if you’d love it or not. There’s quite a lot of philosophical musing in it, and I reckon Palmer’s ideas of a utopian(ish) future with rot at its core would appeal to you. And a chat about Le Morte sounds great!

[@RafBlutaxt]

@@MattonBooksI am sure I'll enjoy wrestling with it and from what I've seen of Palmer's stuff on social media I'm sure there will be more to like in it. It is just a matter of time but for now I'm enjoying Hild and now Menewood by Nicola Griffith, the best historical fiction about post-roman Britain out there.

[@verosnotebook]

Makes perfect sense! I’ve been wanting to read so many series too but there is only so many hours and Life keeps throwing things at you. I usually plan a few titles per month and leave space for the rest, while trying to keep zen if I don't follow any of it LOL I was smiling when you mentioned Ada Palmer. I bought that first book back in 2017 and do you think I read it? Nope, not yet. I have kept it though and through quite a few moves (the last 20months have been murder). For Nov, I have Assassin’s Quest, Dune (re-read), Fuzzy Nation (audio re-read), 11/22/63, Northanger Abbey (re-re-re-re-read), etc. We’ll see. Take care☺

[@MattonBooks]

I can’t whole-heartedly recommend Terra Ignota - it’s one of those weird books that are totally my thing, but I can easily imagine totally *not* some people’s thing - but I’d say it’s well worth a try, especially since you’ve already got it. 😉

[@heatherauton655]

My fav Arthur series is by Lawhead, and starts with Taliesin, second book is all Merlin. Fair bit of nostalgia because my first read was back when they released. I love shorter, sometimes YA, often standalone when I want a break. Patrick Ness and Garth Nix have some great ones. In particular I loved Burn, A Monster Calls and the Abhorsen series. Spinning Silver by Novik is also a gem of a book. For a fun re read I love the Hobbit audiobook. Can happily listen to that each year. So important to only read what you truely want to read, and only finish what inspires more reading

[@heatherauton655]

Fully agree on Liveships, it always surprises me when people say it’s too slow with nothing happening, those books have so much going on, so many characters living through incredible arcs.

[@MattonBooks]

People say nothing happens in Liveships?!? Have they read it? 😳

[@francoisbouchart4050]

I do not understand how people can do monthly TBRs long term; not casting any shade, I just can’t do it. I set a year-long TBR of roughly 12 books. Any more and it start stressing me out.

[@MattonBooks]

Yeah Francois, it worked for me for a while, but it also started feeling like work eventually. I guess not having TBR videos any more also introduces an element of surprise to the channel. 😆

[@jeroenadmiraal8714]

I spy with my little eye two old-fashioned fantasy masterworks there. Would those be the Fritz Leiber books?

[@MattonBooks]

Indeed! 🙂 I read all of the Lankhmar stories decades ago, and loved them. Bought these to get to a re-read eventually.

[@jeroenadmiraal8714]

@@MattonBooks Ah cool, I've been planning to reread these for a long time now. I only ever read the first collection and not the second. I wonder how easy they are to get a hold of, whether they are still in print. But as part of my grand sword and sorcery reading journey I wanted to read all the Howard stuff first, and Moorcock. It's a multi year project.

[@MattonBooks]

Both of the Fantasy Masterworks editions I have are readily available. I found them on amazon.de, in English, no problem. And I’m also slowly grabbing all the new Elric hardcovers, for an epic re-read One Day (TM).