What are you reading in 2025?

[Paul Farquhar]

Just finished Discworld 05, Sourcery, by Terry Pratchett. This took a lot longer to finish than the others so far. Not quite tedious, but definitely slower for me. Not a fan of high magic, so a book all about how awesome and limitless magic…sorry, sourcery…is was always going to be difficult. Might need to read someone else for a bit as a palette cleanser then come back to the series after a break.

Sourcery is definitely one of my least favourite in the series, and I would recommend skipping it (too late now).

Ouch. Does he get significantly worse as the novels go on? So far he's just a coward who blunders his way into trouble, can't cast spells, can't spell, and generally survives by GM...erm, author fiat.

No, in fact he is least annoying in Last Continent. But all the Rincewind stories tend towards "whacky comedy". The other discworld stories are rather more subtle (and usually have something to say about the real world).

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Rincewind is not great, but man I love the Luggage. I forget what that trope is called, where the apparent main character is a doofus, and is consistently saved by their ruthlessly efficient sidekick - but it's one I like. Jeeves and Wooster, Wallace and Gromit. Surprisingly, not mentioned on tvtropes.com hyper-competent sidekick site though...

I think Gomit is only competent in comparison to Wallace...

 

[prabe]

Ouch. Does he get significantly worse as the novels go on? So far he's just a coward who blunders his way into trouble, can't cast spells, can't spell, and generally survives by GM...erm, author fiat.

Dunno if someone's already answered this, but even by Guards! GuardsI Rincewind is at most a very occasional presence.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I finished reading Barnes' Gorgon Child. This book delivers action, character growth, expanded worldbuilding from Streetlethal. It also delivers a much better cover than the first one. And the choice of villain...well, written in 1989, it's an eerily prophetic choice.

Now I'm reading Jack Vance's The Languages of Pao.

It's not one of his better books, although it's Unseen University assembling in its final form (Ridcully is introduced in this one, right?). Things pick up with Wyrd Sister (#6) and especially Guards, Guards (#8).

Yeah, those are when Discworld really starts to take off. The Nightwatch sub-series is easily my favorite.

 

[Autumnal]

Inauguration Day left me even more down than I expected (and getting a cold hasn’t helped), so I’ve set aside new reading for some recovery time. Today I finished re-reading Black Easter by James Blish, which has if anything improved with time. For those who do t know: an American arms manufacturer hires a black magician to unleash all the demons in Hell for one night. Complications ensue. It brilliantly captures the atmosphere of actual Renaissance demonology, which is very weird. Next up, its sequel, The Day After Judgment.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Ouch. Does he get significantly worse as the novels go on? So far he's just a coward who blunders his way into trouble, can't cast spells, can't spell, and generally survives by GM...erm, author fiat.

He's a pretty one-note viewpoint character. He goes on some interesting journeys across Discworld (fantasy Asia, fantasy Australia), but he's like Shaggy from Scooby-Doo without the dog or the drugs -- he's just "I'm scared."

The rest of the Discworld cast gets better and better as time goes on, so he's surrounded by better stories, but Rincewind never gets much more interesting.

 

[Autumnal]

I went to look up details on Black Easter for my reading log and got this:

 

[Eyes of Nine]

He's a pretty one-note viewpoint character. He goes on some interesting journeys across Discworld (fantasy Asia, fantasy Australia), but he's like Shaggy from Scooby-Doo without the dog or the drugs -- he's just "I'm scared."

The rest of the Discworld cast gets better and better as time goes on, so he's surrounded by better stories, but Rincewind never gets much more interesting.

(apropos of nothing Whizbang, are you going to the local con over Prez day weekend? I'll be playing RPGs in Games on Demand all day Friday there. Feel free to respond via DM)

 

[jian]

In the last week or week and a half, I have torn through Half a King and Half a World and am now working on Half a War, all by Joe Abercrombie- a trilogy not (AFAIK) related to his Blade Itself books. They're pretty great- light reading but really fun. Abercrombie is generally very enjoyable, although not super deep.

I prefer these to the First Law books, though the last one does have a plot twist I’m not fond of.

 

[Smackpixi]

In 2025 I will only read books I already own but haven’t read yet. I’m going isolationist cheapskate for 2025. I will not read news, I will avoid making any purchases. Gonna pretend I’m alone in a winter cabin with just what I have, and no way out until 2026. Let’s assume plenty of food, so I don’t have to eat my kids, but may need to read their books.