The Wheel of Time series. I bought the first 4 books in the series and got like a quarter or a third through the first book and stopped. It was a bit slow and I kind of fell out of reading in general for years. Recently I started reading a bunch of different books but have been put off of restarting the series because of how many books are in it.

Funny backstory, I wanted to read a specific series that I knew was highly rated but I couldn't remember the name of it except that it had something "round" in its name. After some searching I came to the conclusion it was The Wheel of Time series with the "round" thing being the "wheel" in the name. As I got a few pages in I thought to myself that this was not what I was expecting and started to suspect I made a mistake in what series I originally wanted to read. I did some more searching and then remembered that it was Disc World that I wanted to get into.

I often read aloud because it helps me focus better

could someone explain? I have no idea who the fonz is, other than he was played by Winkler

edit: answered, thanks

There would be a record of her getting pregnant that way. People would find out

I can listen to and enjoy nonfiction…pretty much a long form podcast. But I can’t do fiction audiobooks. Same issue…just can’t retain it or keep my focus without the page in front of me.

Harry was the best character in my opinion. I liked the fact that Evelyn, Celia and Harry were all written with flaws. You can't say someone was simply bad or good. I also liked Evelyn's friendship with Harry much more than her great love with Celia. I feel like they had greater connection and like they were true platonic soul mates.
Even tho it seemed unrealistic at times I loved how tragically written some parts were. I love how people aren't written as black and white and how some situations, as bad as they objectively seem, can be looked at differently once emotions come into play.

I don't think writing style was that bad, but I'm a sucker for deep love quotes, so I missed that, but all in all, I'd give it 8/10.

Huh. I was not aware there were 4. I mean, I knew there were some other short stories (Slayer of the Storm God was a great audiobook to listen) but I thought they took place before the last one in the third omnibus...

zoop zoop

Just finished Children of Memory!

Thanks! I'll add those also.

I listen to audiobooks. It’s often my preferred method of reading because I have poor eyesight. Here’s a few things I’ve learned over the years:

• The narrator’s voice matters. If the voice is annoying, it will detract from or ruin the book.
• It takes practice to read this way but you can improve listening comprehension and retention.
• Your mind will wander sometimes. That’s why rewind (there’s some version on every app) is crucial.
• Start with books that are extremely engaging. If you’re bored or “floating away” too much, try a different book.
• If the narrator is speaking too fast, use the speed button, which is also available on every app.
• If you’re reading (listening) in bed, use the timer.

Audiobooks aren’t for everyone. However, they are fantastic for people like me who have visual impairments or anyone who wants to read while doing other things. My local library has a great application that enables me to listen (read) to as many books as I want.

Daisy was much more compelling. Evelyn Hugo just kept wandering around with little point to it

I loved it too! Excellent debut, I’m so excited for what Julia Armfield does next.

I absolutely adored the woven timelines of Miri attempting to connect with Leah post-return, Miri grieving the declining health of her mother, and Leah slowly revealing what happened under the sea. I love a good slow burn where speculative elements (a bit of soft sci-fi, fabulism, etc) are used as rhetorical vehicles to expose the literary themes of the story. Idk why but I just love books that utilize that structure/genre.

I thought it was incredibly well-written and engaging, also extremely dark and horrifying. That said, I much preferred it to All the Ugly and Wonderful Things, with its endorsement/celebration of a sexual and "romantic" relationship between a child and an adult.

I read it and loved it.

He's just not a great writer.

IT, The Shining, Different Seasons, Misery, are all good books, I don't think he's ever written anything great. And he's written plenty of novels that I don't even understand how they got published

I loved it. Made me sob as well.

I'm curious as to what you mean by "YA writing style." It didn't feel that way at all to me, so my interpretation of "YA" must be different.

I really like the writing myself! To me, it doesn't have a "YA" feel at all because it's so slow paced. I'm not sure why it sounds "YA" to some people... because it's so descriptive, maybe?

I would’ve loved to hear more details too! Or different perspectives from diff characters

The Rats in the Walls was the first story I ever read to genuinely scare me. Peak cosmic horror right there. Highly recommended as long as you don't mind a nightmare or two.

I completely agree, first time I went through the book was audio. I kept wanting to hear more and I agree, I think people who didn’t like reading it or the writing style should try Audio. Felt like I was listening to the interview, so intriguing.

Two On an Island by Bianca Bradbury (two siblings and their dog stranded on an island and have to survive/get back to shore); Knock Three Times by Marion St. John Webb, which is kind of light horror/fairy tale/fantasy involving children being chased by a dwarf encased in a giant pumpkin. Very creepy and eery.

To each their own!

I hope you enjoy it! I think you’ll enjoy the crossover between the two novels as well :)