What are you reading in 2025?

[prabe]

Right now Scalzi When the Moon Hits your Eye.

I need to see about reserving that at our local library of choice. Thanks!

 

[Eyes of Nine]

LitRPG has just not been my thing. I tried several highly recommended ones and none worked. Of course, I’m almost entirely ignorant of their pop culture references and don’t enjoy playing the kinds of games they’re riffing on, so, like, big surprise? Signed, Old Fart

(Co-signed, Another Old Fart)

 

[trappedslider]

Finished both Eruption and Sunrise on the Reaping, bot were enjoyable, but sunrise was a doozy of a read emotionally

 

[Clint_L]

I just read Tchaikovsky's latest, Shroud. It's good - a survival narrative partially written from the perspective of a bizarre alien intelligence. Which is his sci-fi specialty. Not his best - the human protagonists are a bit hard to get behind - but still very good.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

But then you're running into the whole chicken or the egg problem. Men don't read as much so we'll, publish less of interest to them, but now men aren't buying and reading books, so lets publish fewer books aimed at men since their not reading, anyway, now men are reading less...etc...etc...etc. You're just spiraling down an endless loop.

It's one thing to have romantasy listed under the sci-fi / fantasy section, which I wouldn't really say fits personally but hey whatever I guess. When romantasy books are the majority of books on the shelves or have covers that look like romance books you're probably losing a lot of the male audience not because they are not interested in reading but because the selection of books being published is not anything that appeals to them as an audience.

If you buy a book in digital format, no one can seen the cover, no need for you to feel embarrassed…

 

[Kiyal]

If you buy a book in digital format, no one can seen the cover, no need for you to feel embarrassed…

Did you actually have anything of value to say in reply, or did you just want to try and belittle and ignore what I actually said in my post?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Did you actually have anything of value to say in reply, or did you just want to try and belittle and ignore what I actually said in my post?

Both.

The problem isn't that there is too much romance. The problem is boys are taught they shouldn't enjoy romance. More generally, children are taught what kind of stories they should and should not like based on their gender.

But covers? Not really an issue these days.

 

[Belen]

Both.

The problem isn't that there is too much romance. The problem is boys are taught they shouldn't enjoy romance. More generally, children are taught what kind of stories they should and should not like based on their gender.

But covers? Not really an issue these days.

It has nothing to do with boys or girls or being embarrassed over covers. In fact, almost all the covers are talentless, no art, mess that shows nothing about what the book may contain.

I enjoy romantic fantasy like Valdemar. I detest poorly written romantasy like Fourth Wing. I read it. It was not good.

I have read every genre. I know what I enjoy and it has nothing to do with how I was raised.

I used to get mocked for fantasy and sci-fi covers so no cover is going to embarrass me.

This seems a poor argument designed to label people you want to disagree with.

 

[Umbran]

If you buy a book in digital format, no one can seen the cover, no need for you to feel embarrassed…

I don't think it is an embarrassment argument.
I think it is an argument that the cover art implies that the story it represents won't be appealing.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

In fact, almost all the covers are talentless, no art, mess that shows nothing about what the book may contain.

Since no one looks at them, there is not much point in employing the best artists.

I detest poorly written romantasy like Fourth Wing. I read it. It was not good.

It's written in teen-speak, which makes it a painful read for older readers. But it's actually brilliant to capture the vernacular of her target audience so accurately, considering she is 43. I couldn't do it! It's probably why it is so popular, but also means it has a rather limited shelf-life, since teen-speak changes so rapidly.