2023 Reading Challenge/List Thread

[Jake]

Your 2023 Reading List

Here's a place to catalog what you've read this year. For those who made resolutions to read more (like I did) or just want to see how much you read in a year, this will be a lot of fun for you.

Be sure to post a list of what you read last year in your first post so that we can see what we accomplished in 2023.

 

[Jake]

2023 Goal: 50 books

Currently Reading

• The Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov
• The Eye of the World (The Wheel of Time, Book One) by Robert Jordan

Completed

1. Burn Bright by Patricia Briggs
2. First Blood by David Morrell

 

[Tramuson]

Haven't read one yet, haha. Good luck though!

 

[Nick]

For anyone curious, I will use this thread as an influence for some of the Book Club logs that are created.

I intend to add my own post (as soon as it looks halfway decent, haha).

I am reading Brandon Sanderson's first book and some Manga, maybe I'll have an update this weekend.

 

[Jake]

For anyone curious, I will use this thread as an influence for some of the Book Club logs that are created.

I intend to add my own post (as soon as it looks halfway decent, haha).

I am reading Brandon Sanderson's first book and some Manga, maybe I'll have an update this weekend.

Which manga? Finally made it to the last book of The Foundation Trilogy, Second Foundation.

 

[Nick]

Which manga? Finally made it to the last book of The Foundation Trilogy, Second Foundation.

I bought the first couple volumes of Tokyo Ghoul and an a compilation by Junji Ito.

 

[Jake]

How's the Tokyo Ghoul manga?

 

[Nick]

How's the Tokyo Ghoul manga?

I finished the first volume today. It is about what I expected, which isn't a bad thing at all. Thing is, I definitely prefer the anime over what I have read so far.

Now, wait.

A lot of criticisms have been levied about the Tokyo Ghoul anime series, the liberties it takes and the faithfulness it doesn't always have. However, everything I have read so far, has been shown verbatim in the first season (the first volume is, maybe, the first couple episodes of the anime). The only difference is that it's beautifully-colored and animated, and has one of the best scores I have ever heard in an anime (although that is more the end of the first season than anything).

The real test will be after the first season (which everyone mostly likes and I love). That is when everything starts to fly off the rails for it, and that's the reason I was interested in reading the anime.

 

[Nick]

I read the second volume as well. The same general sentiment applies to it as what I said about the first.

 

[Jake]

So is it something you would recommend then?

 

[Nick]

So is it something you would recommend then?

I would. If you've seen the anime, like I have, I will admit, there's a been there, done that quality. Everything in Vol. 1 and 2 is there verbatim in Season One, but if you haven't read it, it's certainly a good read. Plus, from what I hear, the anime stops being faithful at a certain point.

 

[Jake]

I would. If you've seen the anime, like I have, I will admit, there's a been there, done that quality. Everything in Vol. 1 and 2 is there verbatim in Season One, but if you haven't read it, it's certainly a good read. Plus, from what I hear, the anime stops being faithful at a certain point.

Might have to pick up a volume and give it a try then.

 

[Nick]

Might have to pick up a volume and give it a try then.

I have now read the first five volumes of Tokyo Ghoul. I have been having fun with it, but, if I had to recommend somebody the first season of the anime or this, it'd be the anime. They're almost exactly the same, but I love the music from the anime, and, of course, the added perk of it being the drawings but animated / in-color.

 

[Rhett]

I'll bite.

2023 Goal: I don't have a goal in place, if I can consistently add to it, that'd be groovy.

Currently Reading

• The Dark Tower: The Wastelands

Completed

1. The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger by Stephen King
2. The Dark Tower: The Drawing of Three by Stephen King

 

[Nick]

I'll bite.

2023 Goal: I don't have a goal in place, if I can consistently add to it, that'd be groovy.

Currently Reading

• The Dark Tower: The Wastelands

Completed

1. The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger by Stephen King
2. The Dark Tower: The Drawing of Three by Stephen King

I will be certain to add The Dark Tower series to our Reviews section as soon as I can. I am interested in hearing what you think of them!

 

[Nick]

Currently Reading

• Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

Completed

1. Tokyo Ghoul by Sui Ishida (Volumes 1 through 14)
2. Tokyo Ghoul: re by Sui Ishida (Volumes 1 through 6)
3. Readers Digested, Vol. 2 by Mishmashers Publishing (I know it is a cop-out to list one of our own books - but, man, I have read this a million times over with my edits)

 

[Jake]

Time for a much needed update,

2023 Goal: 50 books

Currently Reading

• The Dragon Factory by Jonathan Maberry
• The Eye of the World (The Wheel of Time, Book One) by Robert Jordan
• Haven Ascendant by Robert M. Kerns

Completed

1. Burn Bright by Patricia Briggs
2. First Blood by David Morrell
3. The Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov
4. Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay
5. The Andromeda Evolution by Daniel H. Wilson
6. It Ain't Over... by Robert M. Kerns
7. ...Till It's Over! by Robert M. Kerns

 

[Hattrick]

First Blood by David Morrell

How actually similar are First Blood and the Stallone movie?

 

[Jake]

Well, First Blood is the actual book that inspired the movie. There are some core changes, do you want me to spoil things?

2023 Goal: 50 books

Currently Reading

• The Eye of the World (The Wheel of Time, Book One) by Robert Jordan
• The Dragon Factory by Jonathan Maberry
• The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey

Completed

1. Burn Bright by Patricia Briggs
2. First Blood by David Morrell
3. The Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov
4. Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay
5. The Andromeda Evolution by Daniel H. Wilson
6. It Ain't Over... by Robert M. Kerns
7. ...Till It's Over! by Robert M. Kerns
8. Haven Ascendant by Robert M. Kerns
9. The Fires of Aurelius by Robert M. Kerns
10. Smilodon by Robert M. Kerns
11. Roc by Robert M. Kerns

 

[Nick]

I nope'd out on the Tokyo Ghoul manga at around Vol. 20 (counting the sequel series), I couldn't take it anymore. I wanted to power through it because I had come so far, but it went so far off the reservation of what I signed up for that it was becoming pretty taxing to stay with. I will do a Nightmare Shift Podcast detailing all my thoughts about the series soon.

I have started the manga Deadman Wonderland. I had seen the first season of the anime, but the show was canceled after the first season, which covered roughly one-third of the whole story.

At the moment, I am about at the end of Volume 10 of 14 for the manga, and I should have it finished sometime in the next five days.

After that, I think I will be taking a step back from reading manga, since I need to start reallocating my time to writing again. I needed to recharge my batteries both creatively and mentally, but now, I will be working on my own projects (currently, I am working on my fourth Canes book and the second installment of The Red Flux series).