JANUARY WRAP UP | 2023

PATREON...

GET THE BOOKS

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LLIBRARY15

| S O C I A L M E D I A |

[alexnieves]

I'm excited to talk some more Sun Eater! Queen Amid Ashes was solid but the other stories were super duper short so I didn't take much from most of them. I like cilantro.

[arafisms]

arthur was what saved the winter king for me tbh I lived for his theatrics with gwynfgv what's her name 🤣 he was the perfect combination of catty and heroic, imo. also, 100% agree on cornwell's pov choice 🤝

[eruditearchive]

The new camera looks great! I just finished Amor Towles' Rules of Civility and loved it, and Northern Lights was great. Lyra is a hoot!

[ravensandblots]

I actually just ordered the entire Under the Northern Sky trilogy because of how much you raved about it in your last video- I’m hoping I can get to them next month!

[thJune-zedn]

I think you're so right about authors info-dumping things about their worlds - especially if it's things that characters will already know. I don't tell my friends how cars and money work in everyday terms, so it always takes me out of the story when characters start to do it.

It contradicts that old maxim "show, don't tell". It's obviously easier for the author (as well as the reader) to tell instead of show, but I think authors/readers should push themselves when they write/read in the same way that gym goers should push themselves when they go to the gym; you don't otherwise get the benefit. Showing inevitably leads to more *interesting* writing because you're forced to think of different ways in which you can tell your story, and it will certainly make me more willing to return to the book in the future.

[kerisbookishcorner]

The cilantro comparison was so on point, I love that!
Great wrap up—I’m always interested to hear your opinions

[millymollymrst]

I love it when you don't like a book, your rants are excellent. 😊

[johnsaxongitnolife]

Congrats and well done to you on your amazing reading for your amazing January tbr please stay safe and enjoy your reading love your family friend John ❤❤❤sorry that I have been absent from your last few amazing videos

[annettes]

I’m reading age of myth right now, I don’t hate it but I don’t love it either, there is a joke about a beech tree that nearly made me roll my eyes out of my head though

[JashanaC]

IT WAS NICE KNOWING YOU, LIENE! Best wishes to all of your future endeavors.

🤣 Jk. This is the core foundational element to our friendship, I think. We just basically straight up hate each other's faves (*cough* The Wolf *cough*) and it is what it is haha

[mattf.]

I'm about to finish Ashes of Man. I think I will have to watch your chat with Alex if only to learn what the cilantro is! I admit that my "cilantro detection meter" is malfunctioning!

[esmayrosalyne]

That review for Forgetting Moon is one of the most enticing and intriguing 3-star reviews I have ever heard tbh. It sounds so mid, yet I also can't help but be incredibly intrigued. Going in with tempered expectations, hope it works out well for me.
Also, I feel you on The Luminaries. I believe it actually started out as a choose your own adventure story on twitter and then Dennard created this book out of it... fun idea, but lots of missed potential lmao.
Great wrap-up, loved hearing your thoughts as always 🤩

[Catcupid]

I kept my Wildcats subscription til I got the bowls. No regrets. They're so pretty. I actually like the Luminairies because it felt so classic, early 2000s YA. Sometimes that works for me. It was also short and took me like a day and a half to read. Looking forward to Neverwhere. Not my favorite Gaiman, but I only read it once. I remember really liking the world though.

[thatsci-firogue]

I've heard mixed things on Michael J Sullivan's books in general, but I don't tend to gravitate towards or like prequels all that much. I'd much rather see the timeline of a world go forward than go back.

[FreeLatveria]

Looking forward to the Neverwhere review. I've read it twice and the last time was probably over 10 years ago. I really want to reread it sometime this year. Is the Illustrated Edition worth it? I've had my eye on it at B&N but haven't pulled the trigger.

Children of Time is also something I want to read, but I'm probably not going to get around to it until the next book comes out.

Of the things you read last month the one I want to read the most is Gene Wolfe. But there just isn't enough hours in the day and I've got it in my mind to finish Black Company before I jump into New Sun.

But mostly I am glad that someone else didn't like Winter King. I DNFed it last year and all the love I kept seeing people heep on it made me wonder, "Was it me?"

[Mmm-xifx]

Cilantro taking it on the chin in this one. 😂😂

[andrewhanson]

I have know idea how you are able to get through campy CW shows when you are pumping out 15 books a month. I just finished Durfee's trilogy. I thought the second book was a big step up from Forgetting Moon, but the finale was giving some Sanderson vibes and I don't mean that in a good way. I'll be curious to hear your thoughts on that one.

I was going to start the Sun Eater series soon, but you are not the first person I heard worried that Rocchio might take the finale into an undesirable direction so I think I'm going to wait until the series is completed before I start.

[troffle]

Dear @LienesLibrary,
beg pardon, I know this is completely off-topic... I just had this site show me a month-old AppleTV+ trailer/sneak peek for season 2 of "Foundation". For the love of sanity and mercy, please, is there any way to get you to have a look at reviewing season 1 and 2 please?

[kelleyeasterling]

As a practicing pagan and someone pretty opposed to r a p e, I'll avoid the winter king 👍

[LorriSanga]

Have you not read "A Gentleman in Moscow"? That's in my 5/5 shelf.