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Gardens Of The Moon
Steven Erikson
Bled dry by interminable warfare, infighting and bloody confrontations with Lord Anomander Rake and his Tiste Andii, the vast, sprawling Malazan empire simmers with discontent. Even its imperial...

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Comment from [Reddit user] with 18 upvotes on /r/books/

I recently finished Fear, by Bob Woodward. I immediately posted about it on r/books -- and it became a political argument that had to be deleted. I'll try again as a comment, we'll see what happens.

What I found interesting about the book is that Woodward's sources were all Republicans, with the exception of Gary Cohn who claimed to be a centrist Democrat but still worked in the Trump administration and championed Trump's tax bill. Also, I'm not actually sure Trump's lawyer John Dowd is a Republican, but he is still Trump's lawyer. Therefore none of Woodward's sources challenged standard Republican policies that many Democrats find horrifying. None of them think Trump is guilty of collaborating with the Russians or obstructing justice. In many ways, this book is their defense of Trump.

The problem for Trump, and for the country, is that they defend him by portraying him as unfit for office, not because he is corrupt, but because he is willfully ignorant and dangerous, particularly on foreign policy where he does not need permission from Congress. These are his fellow Republicans talking, and his fellow Republicans worry about the country. They worry about trade war, nuclear war, cyberwar, conventional war, and terrorism run amuck.

They don't really worry about pee-pee tapes or meetings with Russians in Trump Tower, except to the extent Mueller’s investigation distracts Trump from what they consider more important matters. They don't worry much at all about Trump's domestic policies, and they are proud of the tax bill. They seem confident Trump will not be removed from office -- and less confident that he will make it to 2020 without a foreign policy disaster of epic proportions.

Edit: I also started reading Gardens of the Moon, by Steven Erikson. This is an old favorite I have read several times, the first of ten massive volumes in the fantasy series The Malazan Book of the Fallen. Yes, it’s fantasy, but I’m not sure it’s escapist fantasy. Here’s one of my favorite quotes, touching on the major theme of futility:

Tell me, Tool, what dominates your thoughts?'

The Imass shrugged before replying.

’I think of futility, Adjunct.'

’Do all Imass think about futility?'

’No. Few think at all.'

’Why is that?'

The Imass leaned his head to one side and regarded her.

’Because Adjunct, it is futile.’

Comment from [Reddit user] with 14 upvotes on /r/books/

I finished The Witches:Salem 1692 by Stacy Schiff I enjoyed but felt it became tedious and a little redundant halfway through as most of the trials played out the same way. I feel like the book could’ve moved things along and gotten to its point a little sooner.

I’ve started reading Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson I’m a little more than halfway through in the first book of the Malazan series and I’m really enjoying it, the term epic is overused but the magic and combat of the book really feels epic. I love that Erikson just drops you into this world and doesn’t just spoon feed you everything in a massive exposition dump, can’t wait to see where this one goes.

I’ve also started listening to Circe by Madeline Miller this one came from a user on the sub after I asked for recommendations like Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology and this is really scratching that same mythology itch I’ve had.

Comment from [Reddit user] with 9 upvotes on /r/books/

Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson

Comment from [Reddit user] with 9 upvotes on /r/books/

I finished Kushiel's Justice by Jacqueline Carey this week. I started Kushiel's Dart earlier this summer and was blown away. All the adventure, mythology, and characterization in this series has been great.

Currently reading Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson. I'm only at the 4th chapter, but so far I've found the plot intriguing, fast-paced, and action packed. Despite the warnings of the complexity and in media res style I'm able to follow along fine and piece things together. I do wish storylines didn't jump around so much.

Also reading Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu

Comment from [Reddit user] with 9 upvotes on /r/books/

The Sisters Brothers, by Patrick deWitt

Finished this modern Western, about assassin brothers ambling through the old west towards their mission. Absolutely loved it. It has a wonderful voice and a wry sense of humour, with interesting side characters.

Gardens of the Moon, by Steven Erikson

I’m about a third of the way through the audiobook of the first book of the Malazan series. It seems well written, but very complex. Lots going on and you’re not sure which characters are worth remembering, which events are important, etc.

Comment from [Reddit user] with 7 upvotes on /r/books/

Gardens of the Moon, by Steven Erikson

I decided to jump back in the Malazan series. I started years ago and stopped at book 5. I pretty much don't remember anything so I decided to restart. Currently reading Gardens of the Moon and enjoying much more than I remember.

Comment from [Reddit user] with 6 upvotes on /r/books/

Gardens of the Moon, by Steven Erikson

About to finish this one tonight. I started reading this series years ago and got to book 5 and then stopped because I just felt overwhelmed and couldn't grasp it. I feel like my reading proficiency has much improved since then and decided to start the series again. And I'll say that I'm absolutely loving the book right now. I know it seems to be the most divisive one in the series but I don't know, it's awesome so far. I have like 50 pages left.

Comment from [Reddit user] with 6 upvotes on /r/books/

Finished since last week:

I'm Keith Hernandez: A Memoir, by Keith Hernandez - this is the first biography I've read in a decade I think. I generally don't go for nonfiction, but I enjoy his color commentary on Mets games, and I grew up watching him win the 86 world series, so when this came out I threw it on the hold list. It was a different book than I expected, and I think he wrote it that way on purpose. The whole thing basically went through his early MLB years of about 72-79, instead of the 80s when he was as much of an established name. It was honest all the way through and he owned up to a lot of faults. Ended up being a pretty good read.

Gardens Of The Moon, by Steven Erikson - The first of the Malazan series, and definitely won't be my last of them. Certainly has a bit of a learning curve to it as the book unapologetically drops you in the middle of a bunch of stuff. But it was quite good and fast paced and weaves together rather well. spoiler. Looking forward to the next book at some point.

Binti, by Nnedi Okorafor - Very quick read and quite enjoyable. I had put this and the second book on hold through Overdrive, and the second book came through about 20 days ago. This came through yesterday so I made sure I read it so that I'd get to read the second one before it expires. For a novella there was a really nice amount of world building in such a short time.

Currently reading: Home, by Nnedi Okorafor - The second Binti book. Started this before bed last night and will probably finish it in a little while with breakfast.

Kabuki: Circle Of Blood, by David Mack - still slowly working on this one. It keeps losing reading time to just about everything else, as everything else that I'm reading are ebook loans which I have to get through before they get returned.

On deck are some of the earlier books in the series that my final two Hugo nominees are from: Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee, and The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin.

Comment from [Reddit user] with 6 upvotes on /r/books/

Amerika, by Franz Kafka. Loved this. Kafka's "comedy" novel delivers in spades with surreal imagery and strange situations.

Gardens Of The Moon, by Steven Erikson. This was a re-read. I recall the first time I read it, I was so confused for the whole book. Now that I have the context of the sequels and prequels, it felt like a whole new book.

Comment from [Reddit user] with 5 upvotes on /r/books/

Finished Gardens of the Moon, by Steven Erikson. I don't know, man. I appreciate the complexity, and there was a lot of interesting stuff in it, but it was all a bit much. I was kind of exhausted with the whole thing by the end, without much to show for it. It reminded me of the line from Macbeth : "full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." I'm really not much of a fantasy guy, so maybe that was the problem. Idk maybe I will read the next one but it will probably be a while.

Now I'm reading Pirate Hunters, by Robert Kurson and it is a welcome change -- straightforward, exciting, short and to the point adventure story.

Comment from [Reddit user] with 4 upvotes on /r/books/

Started and almost finished Gardens of the Moon, by Steven Erikson first book in the Malazan Book of the Fallen

Comment from [Reddit user] with 4 upvotes on /r/books/

I'm midway through Gardens of the Moon, by Steven Erikson. I've seen the Malazan Book of the Fallen on several 'best-of' lists from people who like the same stuff I do, so I'm giving it a shot. I like it. It's kind of confusing and dense, but also pretty action-packed and funny. Idk if I will read all 10 books in the series -- have to see how I feel at the end of this first one.

Comment from [Reddit user] with 4 upvotes on /r/books/

I just finished Oathbringer, by Brandon Sanderson and thought it was great. I enjoyed it about as much as Words of Radiance.

I just started Gardens of the Moon, by Steven Erikson which is the 1st book in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series. I'm intrigued so far, but I'm not far enough in to make any concrete judgements yet.

Comment from [Reddit user] with 3 upvotes on /r/books/

I’m currently trying to start three books and not having a great deal of luck. Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson, Metro 2033 by Dmitry Glukhovsky & The Gormenghast Trilogy by Mervyn Peake.

I’ve read about 50% of Metro before but life got in the way, I never picked it back up and now i’m going to restart and finish it. Steven Erikson was a suggestion by someone, said it was a hard book to start but is greatly rewarding. Mervyn Peake was leant to me from someone I know, they really talked it up but I can’t find the motivation to start it yet & I know they’ll want it back soon.

Comment from [Reddit user] with 3 upvotes on /r/books/

Just started Gardens of the Moon, by Steven Erikson So many fantasy fans here and elsewhere on reddit give it much praise and it was on many of the top fantasy lists, alas I had never even heard of it. So naturally I had to see what the fuss was about.

Comment from [Reddit user] with 3 upvotes on /r/books/

Gardens of the Moon, by Steven Erikson -- blew my mind. Some of the writing was a little awkward, but I'm all-in on the overall story and what I understand of the series as a whole. Excited to jump in to the rest of the books but I'll probably have to space them out between other (shorter) endeavors.

Currently indulging some nostalgia and re-reading The Amulet of Samarkand, by Jonathan Stroud. It's a little simpler than Malazan.

Comment from [Reddit user] with 2 upvotes on /r/books/

I started reading Gardens of the Moon, by Steven Erikson for the second time. The first time, two years ago, I could not get into at all but this time it is impossible to put down. This may be due to having read far more books now than last time.

Comment from [Reddit user] with 2 upvotes on /r/books/

finally read The Forever War by Joe Haldeman and wasn't really impressed. i enjoyed the concepts but the sexism and homophobia really put me off. and yes, it was disguised as socially acceptable, but it was fairly obvious that it was okay via the main character. i will likely try another book of his i'm interested in, published in 2008, and hopefully it'll be more modern in that regard.

started Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson which is the first of the Malazan series. i've barely made a dent, but so far it's complex and interesting and compelling. i hope the author doesn't piss me off.

also picked up A Higher Loyalty by James Comey because he's a good speaker and hopefully writer as well.

Comment from [Reddit user] with 2 upvotes on /r/books/

Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson

Was really looking forward to another fantasy epic. Gave up on it 90 pages in.

The lack of exposition is what killed it for me. Erikson talks in his introduction about how he doesn't want to spoon-feed his audience. Understandable, and something I can agree with. But he just went too far in the opposite direction for me. I mean, it was just so obtuse. A little exposition is no bad thing. Sheesh.

Also, the descriptions were poor, and I didn't really care about any of the characters (Tattersail was a little interesting, but eh), so I didn't feel like continuing. Hood's Breath!

Comment from [Reddit user] with 2 upvotes on /r/books/

Gardens of the Moon, by Steven Erikson

Comment from [Reddit user] with 2 upvotes on /r/books/

Finished:

The Broken Sword, by Poul Anderson

This was a tougher read, mostly because the heightened language takes some work to read, but it's rewarding. It's got a sort of grimness to it that fits more of the Ring of the Nibelung than, say, Game of Thrones. It blends Norse mythology with traditional Christianity, keeping both separate while still treating them both with a sort of reverence I haven't seen in much modern literature, but it also blends Irish and Greek mythology in too.

The story is a fantasy tragedy about a viking who settles down in England, Orm the Strong, but during his pillaging he burns down the house of an old witch, who desires revenge. Later on, after Orm leaves to go viking after kicking out his house priest over an argument, his wife gives birth to a son. The witch, seizing her chance, lets know a passing elf (unlike D&D-descendant fantasy, elves here are decadent and soulless monsters that, while immortal and fair, are not good) of the child, who has not been baptised nor consecrated to the Norse gods. The elf-lord abducts the child and replaces him with a changeling, and as they grow up, fate tangles for them to meet and slay each other in battle.

Sword of the Lictor, by Gene Wolfe

Book of the New Sun vol 3, this follows our protagonist Severian as he has arrived in the city of Thrax, where he serves as a Lictor (a sort of warden-executioner hybrid). He leaves after sparing someone death and travels out to seek the order of the Pelerines, to whom he must return a sacred relic, the Claw of the Conciliator.

Gene Wolfe is a pleasure and a challenge to read. Arguably the densest and meatiest of authors I've read, I put him up there with Dostoevsky for sheer density.

Starting;

Gardens of the Moon, by Steven Erikson

Citadel of the Autarch, by Gene Wolfe

Comment from [Reddit user] with 1 upvotes on /r/books/

Gardens of the Moon, by Steven Erikson

Comment from [Reddit user] with 0 upvotes on /r/books/

Finished: Stormglass, by Jeff Wheeler

I couldn't finish it, gave up about a third of the way through. It was well done, but a bit too "YA" for my tastes.

Started: Gardens of the Moon, by Steven Erikson

The prose needs a better editor and I hate random time jumps [B then flashback to A then jump to C]. But it is still drawing me in, we'll have to see if I can power through .