[ZaidH]

Yeah, I'm interested in this as well. I've tried reading books on meditation, downloaded apps like Insight Timer (mainly for anxiety), and watched YouTube videos on the topic, but sadly none of it really worked out 😅

Gasp the Kindle version of Book 1 of The Horizon Cycle is free on Amazon right now. I'm redeeming that ASAP! Even The Guardian and the Queen is priced like peanuts.

[Telomina]

I have now finished the book I was reading, but...it seems like it wouldn't be the last one.

- - - Updated - - -
@ZaidH did you start reading it? What do you think?

[ZaidH]

@Telomina I redeemed it but haven’t started reading it yet. Got a lot of books in my backlog 😅 That said, I’ll definitely try to get to it soon.

[Telomina]

I have now finished the series I was reading, then I read a book on sleep written by a sleep researcher. And now I'm reading a book on "Ikigai", your driving force (if I understood it correctly). I think mine is streaming 😇

[DoctorEldritch]

@ZaidH I too (same as @Telomina) finished the series I was reading, read the last Thursday Next book, though one more is supposed to come out this year. Now I am thinking if I want to start The Laundry Files or The Stranger Times...

Or something else, those two are my backups. Do you have any new recommendations?

[ZaidH]

Nice! Look at all of us completing book after book 😁 @Telomina It feels like half the global stock of Ikigai is in my city because this book is EVERYWHERE (well, this and The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F). Any passages from the book that really resonated with you?

I also went on a reading frenzy recently. Finished 11/22/63 by Stephen King (my first 5-star read this year, insanely good!) and I’m halfway through his other book, The Stand.

@DoctorEldritch

The Laundry Files is a series of novels by British writer Charles Stross. They mix the genres of Lovecraftian horror, spy thriller, science fiction, and workplace humour

Now these are genres I absolutely love. I’m genuinely looking forward to your review of this series! I was going to recommend 11/22/63, but it’s a very chunky read (though the pacing is lightning fast). So instead of a palate cleanser before jumping into The Laundry Files, you’re getting a full buffet 😅

[DoctorEldritch]

@ZaidH To be honest, I could never quite get King. I tried reading various stories, but it does not seem to work for me. Black Tower was monotonous and slow-paced, IT was not scary and Firestarter and Carrie too unbelievable to be relatable. But that's me. I just meant to say, I tried but did not get it with King, but that's how books are, there are probably none at all that are universally and equally liked by everyone.

The Laundry Files seems promising, my only concern is that it is rather long, so it will be quite a commitment when I start it. Not a bad thing in itself, though, just an observation that I will likely not be available for new books for a while once I start (if I like it, that is). The Stranger Times is a shorter (but also still ongoing) series, so I am in a bit of a decision mode about these two right now. But I am happy to tip the scales towards The Laundry Files if only to be able to give my review of the first book faster 😉

[ZaidH]

@DoctorEldritch So what you’re describing has been my exact experience with King. I read The Shining and Doctor Sleep, and both of them had a snail's pacing. And yeah, the scares felt cheap, like the equivalent of jump scares in movies and games. I dropped both IT and The Gunslinger. It felt like Stephen King was the Dan Brown of the horror genre.

All that said, 11/22/63 was a totally different experience. Hell, the main plot about the protag going back in time to save JFK isn’t even the best part. The side quests he goes on are so insanely fun and thrilling. It genuinely felt like King was having a ton of fun writing this book. Amazing writing and breakneck pacing.

In my last update, I mentioned that I’m reading The Stand, and I’m sad to report that I’m still just going through it for the sake of completion. It’s nowhere near the greatness of 11/22/63.

Man, it’s such a blessing to find a long running series that you actually enjoy. Are you done with the first Laundry Files book?

[DoctorEldritch]

@ZaidH To each his own. Many people like King, so there must be something to him, but I think it is one of those things how some people like certain fast food chains, like McDonald's or KFC, and others don't. King is the Dan Brown and/or the Subway of the horror genre 😅

I will put 11/22/63 on my list, but I am in the middle of the first Laundry Files book, so it will take a while. I am liking the Laundry Files so far. It starts a bit confusing and drops a lot of specific jargon on you, but once you get past the first 50 pages, you start to get how that world works, and it gets quite interesting. One could say it may be just a bit cliché with things like femme fatale, damsel in distress, secrets of inhumane occultists of the therd reich, but the author plays with those in an entertaining manner, so it does not feel second-handed or cheap. This is just the first impression, though. I will share more after I am done with the first book.

[ZaidH]

@DoctorEldritch Perfect analogy lols. I actually started my proper reading journey with Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. He’s also one of the only authors, alongside Brandon Sanderson, who has responded to my questions 😄 So yeah, turns out the McDonald’s and the Subways are great starting points.

Yeah, it’s best you tackle 11/22/63 later since it’s quite a commitment (a very fun one though).

secrets of inhumane occultists of the third reich

I’ve played Alan Wake 2 recently, so I’m definitely in the mood for stuff like this. The first Laundry Files book has around 250 pages, so it’s worth venturing into I think. Does the book lean heavily into British humor, at least in the parts where it’s present?