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    1. Tildes Book Club discussion - June 2025 - A House with Good Bones by T Kingfisher

      Warning: this post may contain spoilers

      This is the fifteenth of an ongoing series of book discussions here on Tildes. We are discussing A House with Good Bones by T Kingfisher. Our next book will be the Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride at the end of July.

      I don't have a particular format in mind for this discussion, but I will post some prompts and questions as comments to get things started. You're not obligated to respond to them or vote on them though. So feel free to make your own top-level comment for whatever you wish to discuss, questions you have of others, or even just to post a review of the book you have written yourself.

      For latecomers, don't worry if you didn't read the book in time for this Discussion topic. You can always join in once you finish it. Tildes Activity sort, and "Collapse old comments" feature should keep the topic going for as long as people are still replying.
      And for anyone uninterested in this topic please use the Ignore Topic feature on this so it doesn't keep popping up in your Activity sort, since it's likely to keep doing that while I set this discussion up, and once people start joining in.

      16 votes
    2. Tildes Book Club - January 2026 - Fire on the Mountain by Terry Bisson

      Warning: this post may contain spoilers

      This is the first Tildes Book Club Discussion for 2026 and the twentyfirst overall. We are discussing Fire on the Mountain by Bissen. At the end of February we will discuss The Truth by Terry Pratchett.

      This is the first time that I as your coordinator have not finished the book myself. It was not my cup of tea and I might or might not add my impressions to the discussion.

      I don't have a particular format in mind for this discussion, but I will post some prompts and questions as comments to get things started. You're not obligated to respond to them or vote on them though. So feel free to make your own top-level comment for whatever you wish to discuss, questions you have of others, or even just to post a review of the book you have written yourself.

      For latecomers, don't worry if you didn't read the book in time for this Discussion topic. You can always join in once you finish it. Tildes Activity sort, and "Collapse old comments" feature should keep the topic going for as long as people are still replying.

      And for anyone uninterested in this topic please use the Ignore Topic feature on this so it doesn't keep popping up in your Activity sort, since it's likely to keep doing that while I set this discussion up, and once people start joining in.

      12 votes
    3. The Dark Tower Wizard in Glass, is the second half better?

      I’m reading Stephen Kings The Dark Tower series and I’m on Wizard and Glass, and I absolutely hate it. I’m half way through now and I’m wondering if I should skip the book and read the Wikipedia...

      I’m reading Stephen Kings The Dark Tower series and I’m on Wizard and Glass, and I absolutely hate it. I’m half way through now and I’m wondering if I should skip the book and read the Wikipedia page because it’s just making me angry.

      I like the rest of the series and really want to see where it ends up but this book is awful, it started out good with the riddle contest but the flashback with Susan I hate every single part of and it’s making me shout at the book angry. I’m halfway through now and I can tell there is a lot being set up for a big battle and a crazy ending, but I can’t stand whatever you want to call what’s happening with Susan, her aunt, and the mayor. Should I power through or call it?

      EDIT: Just called it, got to Part 3: Chapter 3. Really needed a good editor, if they cut out the sexual stuff, it could’ve been a good book, but I’m getting to physically angry to keep reading this. It’s awful. I’m going to tell myself it has a Girl with the Dragon Tattoo ending where everyone gets tormented.

      17 votes
    4. Anyone want to share their thoughts on the latest Dresden Files novel, Twelve Months?

      Just curious if anyone other Tildes users out there are fans of the Dresden Files novels and might have read the latest, Twelve Months. It just released a few days ago and I just couldn't put it...

      Just curious if anyone other Tildes users out there are fans of the Dresden Files novels and might have read the latest, Twelve Months. It just released a few days ago and I just couldn't put it down.

      I do want to keep my review spoiler free, but I think this is the best book in the series in awhile.

      Wondering if anyone else had thoughts!

      14 votes
    5. Tildes Book Club - A New Year - Fire on the Mountain by Terry Bisson

      Happy New Year everyone! For January, Tildes Book Club will be reading Fire on the Mountain by Terry Bissen. It's short at 167 pages. I'm looking forward to discussing with everyone who...

      Happy New Year everyone! For January, Tildes Book Club will be reading Fire on the Mountain by Terry Bissen. It's short at 167 pages. I'm looking forward to discussing with everyone who participates. Lurkers, you are absolutely welcome to read along and follow the discussion at the end of the month.

      We have books lined up monthly through September. I haven't read most of the books and I'm excited to see how the discussion goes.

      7 votes
    6. Tildes Book Club 2025 retrospective

      Here we are at the end of another year. This was our first full year of the Tildes Book Club, so congratulations are in order for reaching this milestone. Currently we're taking a well-earned...

      Here we are at the end of another year. This was our first full year of the Tildes Book Club, so congratulations are in order for reaching this milestone. Currently we're taking a well-earned December break, until we return in January for more.

      This year saw us reading more variety across both fiction and non-fiction, covering scifi, history, autobiographies, and short stories.

      Here are some stats for 2025:

      • Books Read: 11 (18 if counting short stories)
      • Total Pages: 3,919
      • Participants: 50 unique users (134 total participations)
      • Total Comments: 456
      • Nominations Submitted: 55
      • Nomination Votes Cast: 233

      The superlative awards:

      • Most Discussed: Hyperion (68 comments)
      • Deepest Discussion: The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store (averaged 5 comments per person)
      • Longest Read: The Ministry for the Future (563 pages)
      • Shortest Read: Elder Race (199 pages)
      • Oldest Read: Cat's Cradle (published 1963)

      The full list of 2025's discussions can be found here:

      Much thanks as always to @boxer_dogs_dance for organizing this club for us. We have a great lineup for 2026, including renowned authors like Kafka, Nabokov, and Pratchett.

      Feel free to share your favourite Book Club reads from 2025, or what you're looking forward to in 2026.

      14 votes
    7. Tildes Book Club schedule 2025 - 2026

      Here is the schedule for the upcoming year Last week in August - Cats Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut, Last week in September - Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang Last week in October - The...

      Here is the schedule for the upcoming year

      Last week in August - Cats Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut,

      Last week in September - Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang

      Last week in October - The Poisoners Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine by Deborah Blum,

      Last week in November - We are Legion (We are Bob) by Dennis Taylor,

      December break for the holidays.

      Last week in January - Fire on the Mountain by Terry Bissen,

      Last week in February - The Truth by Terry Pratchett

      Last week in March - The Metamorphosis by Kafka,

      Last week in April - The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See,

      Last week in May - Pnin by Nabokov,

      Last week in June - How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Wexler,

      Last week in July - A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers,

      Last week in August - Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki

      Last week in September - Dr. No by Ian Fleming

      30 votes
    8. Tildes Book Club Discussion - November 2025 - We are Legion (We are Bob) by Dennis Taylor

      Warning: this post may contain spoilers

      This is the twentieth of an ongoing series of book discussions here on Tildes. We are discussing We are Legion (We are Bob) by Dennis Taylor. This is the final book discussion for the year. We will start again in January with Fire on the Mountain by Terry Bissen.

      I don't have a particular format in mind for this discussion, but I will post some prompts and questions as comments to get things started. You're not obligated to respond to them or vote on them though. So feel free to make your own top-level comment for whatever you wish to discuss, questions you have of others, or even just to post a review of the book you have written yourself.

      For latecomers, don't worry if you didn't read the book in time for this Discussion topic. You can always join in once you finish it. Tildes Activity sort, and "Collapse old comments" feature should keep the topic going for as long as people are still replying.

      And for anyone uninterested in this topic please use the Ignore Topic feature on this so it doesn't keep popping up in your Activity sort, since it's likely to keep doing that while I set this discussion up, and once people start joining in.

      11 votes
    9. Tildes Book Club Discussion - October 2025 - The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by Deborah Blum

      Warning: this post may contain spoilers

      This is the nineteenth of an ongoing series of book discussions here on Tildes. We are discussing The Poisoners Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine by Deborah Blum. We will be discussing We are Legion (We are Bob) by Dennis Taylor at the end of November.

      I don't have a particular format in mind for this discussion, but I will post some prompts and questions as comments to get things started. You're not obligated to respond to them or vote on them though. So feel free to make your own top-level comment for whatever you wish to discuss, questions you have of others, or even just to post a review of the book you have written yourself.

      For latecomers, don't worry if you didn't read the book in time for this Discussion topic. You can always join in once you finish it. Tildes Activity sort, and "Collapse old comments" feature should keep the topic going for as long as people are still replying.

      And for anyone uninterested in this topic please use the Ignore Topic feature on this so it doesn't keep popping up in your Activity sort, since it's likely to keep doing that while I set this discussion up, and once people start joining in.

      17 votes
    10. Tildes Book Club - We are Legion (We are Bob) - How is it going?

      We'll be discussing We are Legion at the end of November. This month, I've been busy and also trying to finish Orbital by Harvey before my loan period finishes. (It's an e-book loan on Libby and I...

      We'll be discussing We are Legion at the end of November.

      This month, I've been busy and also trying to finish Orbital by Harvey before my loan period finishes. (It's an e-book loan on Libby and I can't get an extension.) So I haven't started quite yet.

      17 votes
    11. Hate-reading?

      I've been working through my read list and for a while everything was either phenomenal or good enough to entertain. Then this one. My goodness. I don't like the author. I don't like the narrator....

      I've been working through my read list and for a while everything was either phenomenal or good enough to entertain.

      Then this one. My goodness. I don't like the author. I don't like the narrator. I don't like the other of two characters in the story (so far). I'm piqued by the central mystery, but I can just tell that this is one of those stories where the mystery is going to remain an abstract MacGuffin around which the characters and their flaws are explored. I can't imagine any of this will turn around, but I'm on chapter 3 and about a third of the way through.

      So now I'm faced with the choice to finish or abandon. I've been trying to finish it because a friend of mine mentioned having a personal policy of finishing every book she starts, and I am inspired by that. But so far it's just lead to reader's block.

      I'm going to get through it, because I'm stubborn, but I don't think I'll enjoy it. Has anyone else ever hate-read a story? What was it? I'm happy to share the one that spawned this thread but only if people want to hear about a book that I've judged in the first third.

      (this is all light-hearted, I wouldn't read it if I really hated it that much)

      25 votes
    12. Tildes Book Club - The Poisoners Handbook by Deborah Blum - How is it going?

      Our discussion at the end of October will cover The Poisoners Handbook. Are you making progress? I found this nonfiction discussion of the New York City coroners office and the early days of...

      Our discussion at the end of October will cover The Poisoners Handbook. Are you making progress?

      I found this nonfiction discussion of the New York City coroners office and the early days of effective forensic toxicology to be a real page turner. I started on the first and I finished it last week. I'm looking forward to our discussion, later this month.

      13 votes
    13. Tildes Book Club Discussion - September 2025 - Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang

      Warning: this post may contain spoilers

      This is the eighteenth of an ongoing series of book discussions here on Tildes. We are discussing Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang. We will be discussing The Poisoners Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine by Deborah Blum at the end of October.

      I don't have a particular format in mind for this discussion, but I will post some prompts and questions as comments to get things started. You're not obligated to respond to them or vote on them though. So feel free to make your own top-level comment for whatever you wish to discuss, questions you have of others, or even just to post a review of the book you have written yourself.

      For latecomers, don't worry if you didn't read the book in time for this Discussion topic. You can always join in once you finish it. Tildes Activity sort, and "Collapse old comments" feature should keep the topic going for as long as people are still replying.

      And for anyone uninterested in this topic please use the Ignore Topic feature on this so it doesn't keep popping up in your Activity sort, since it's likely to keep doing that while I set this discussion up, and once people start joining in.

      13 votes
    14. Tildes Book Club discussion - August 2025 - Cats Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut

      Warning: this post may contain spoilers

      This is the seventeenth of an ongoing series of book discussions here on Tildes. We are discussing Cats Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut. Our next book will be Stories of Your Life and Others at the end of September.

      I don't have a particular format in mind for this discussion, but I will post some prompts and questions as comments to get things started. You're not obligated to respond to them or vote on them though. So feel free to make your own top-level comment for whatever you wish to discuss, questions you have of others, or even just to post a review of the book you have written yourself.

      For latecomers, don't worry if you didn't read the book in time for this Discussion topic. You can always join in once you finish it. Tildes Activity sort, and "Collapse old comments" feature should keep the topic going for as long as people are still replying.

      And for anyone uninterested in this topic please use the Ignore Topic feature on this so it doesn't keep popping up in your Activity sort, since it's likely to keep doing that while I set this discussion up, and once people start joining in.

      21 votes
    15. Tildes Book Club - Fall 2025 nomination thread - Books from minority or diverse or disadvantaged perspectives

      In light of the stated desire of group members to also read books reflecting minority or disadvantaged perspectives, here is a second book nominations thread. I'm drawing the boundaries of the...

      In light of the stated desire of group members to also read books reflecting minority or disadvantaged perspectives, here is a second book nominations thread.

      I'm drawing the boundaries of the category as broadly as I can and feel free to include a book (within the length limit of 600 pages) that you think fits within these parameters. Also, diverse or minority or disadvantaged can apply to either or both of author or main character. Of the books of this type we have read so far, Born a Crime and Kindred were the most popular.

      Here are some examples of what we might choose. This is not meant to be a set of hard boundaries, just a descriptive exploration.

      Books that qualify include but are not limited to: being from a poor or formerly colonized country, being an immigrant or refugee, being a political/ethnic minority such as basque, tibetan, romani or catalan or kurdish, being indigenous, being poor or ethnic minority in a dominant country, being a sexual/gender minority, being disabled etc.

      8 votes
    16. Tildes Book Club discussion - July 2025 - The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

      Warning: this post may contain spoilers

      This is the sixteenth of an ongoing series of book discussions here on Tildes. We are discussing The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride. Our next book will be Cats Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut at the end of August.

      I don't have a particular format in mind for this discussion, but I will post some prompts and questions as comments to get things started. You're not obligated to respond to them or vote on them though. So feel free to make your own top-level comment for whatever you wish to discuss, questions you have of others, or even just to post a review of the book you have written yourself.

      For latecomers, don't worry if you didn't read the book in time for this Discussion topic. You can always join in once you finish it. Tildes Activity sort, and "Collapse old comments" feature should keep the topic going for as long as people are still replying.

      And for anyone uninterested in this topic please use the Ignore Topic feature on this so it doesn't keep popping up in your Activity sort, since it's likely to keep doing that while I set this discussion up, and once people start joining in.

      9 votes
    17. Tildes Book Club discussion - April 2024 - Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

      This is the second of an ongoing series of book discussions here on Tildes. We are discussing Piranesi. Our next book will be Ursula le Guin the Dispossessed, around the 16th or 17th of May. I...

      This is the second of an ongoing series of book discussions here on Tildes. We are discussing Piranesi.
      Our next book will be Ursula le Guin the Dispossessed, around the 16th or 17th of May.

      I don't have a particular format in mind for this discussion, but I will post some prompts and questions as comments to get things started. You're not obligated to respond to them or vote on them though. So feel free to make your own top-level comment for whatever you wish to discuss, questions you have of others, or even just to post a review of the book you have written yourself.

      For latecomers, don't worry if you didn't read the book in time for this Discussion topic. You can always join in once you finish it. Tildes Activity sort, and "Collapse old comments" feature should keep the topic going for as long as people are still replying.
      And for anyone uninterested in this topic please use the Ignore Topic feature on this so it doesn't keep popping up in your Activity sort, since it's likely to keep doing that while I set this discussion up, and once people start joining in.

      23 votes
    18. Tildes Book Club discussion - March 2025 - Hyperion by Dan Simmons

      Warning: this post may contain spoilers

      This is the twelfth of an ongoing series of book discussions here on Tildes. We are discussing Hyperion by Dan Simmons. Our next book will be Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky at the end of April.

      I don't have a particular format in mind for this discussion, but I will post some prompts and questions as comments to get things started. You're not obligated to respond to them or vote on them though. So feel free to make your own top-level comment for whatever you wish to discuss, questions you have of others, or even just to post a review of the book you have written yourself. Also, this month will be slightly different. I have been exceptionally busy and didn't finish the book this time. I am hoping that you all who did read it will come up with interesting questions in addition to your comments/ reviews.

      For latecomers, don't worry if you didn't read the book in time for this Discussion topic. You can always join in once you finish it. Tildes Activity sort, and "Collapse old comments" feature should keep the topic going for as long as people are still replying.
      And for anyone uninterested in this topic please use the Ignore Topic feature on this so it doesn't keep popping up in your Activity sort, since it's likely to keep doing that while I set this discussion up, and once people start joining in.

      22 votes
    19. Tildes Book Club discussion - May 2025 - A People's Future of the United States

      Warning: this post may contain spoilers

      This is the fourteenth of an ongoing series of book discussions here on Tildes. We are discussing A People's Future of the United States. Our next book will be A House with Good Bones by Kingfisher at the end of June

      This was our first collection of short stories. Please feel free to discuss any story you read regardless of whether you finished the collection.

      I don't have a particular format in mind for this discussion, but I will post some prompts and questions as comments to get things started. You're not obligated to respond to them or vote on them though. So feel free to make your own top-level comment for whatever you wish to discuss, questions you have of others, or even just to post a review of the book you have written yourself.

      For latecomers, don't worry if you didn't read the book in time for this Discussion topic. You can always join in once you finish it. Tildes Activity sort, and "Collapse old comments" feature should keep the topic going for as long as people are still replying.
      And for anyone uninterested in this topic please use the Ignore Topic feature on this so it doesn't keep popping up in your Activity sort, since it's likely to keep doing that while I set this discussion up, and once people start joining in.

      8 votes
    20. Tildes Book Club Spring and Summer schedule 2025

      Next week we will be discussing the City We Became. Our next book discussion after that will be at the end of January. I've organized this schedule so that longer books are followed by shorter...

      Next week we will be discussing the City We Became. Our next book discussion after that will be at the end of January.

      I've organized this schedule so that longer books are followed by shorter ones. I look forward to reading with you.

      Last week in January : Kim Stanley Robinson Ministry for the Future,

      Last week in February: Trevor Noah Born a Crime,

      Last week in March: Dan Simmons Hyperion,

      Last week in April: Adrian Tchaikovsky Elder Race,

      Last week in May: Victor LaValle a People's Future of the United States,

      Last week in June: T Kingfisher A House with Good Bones,

      Last week in July: James McBride the Heaven and Earth grocery Store,

      Last week in August: Cats Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut

      Last week in September: Ted Chiang Stories of Your Life and Others

      14 votes
    21. Tildes Book Club discussion - April 2025 - Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky

      Warning: this post may contain spoilers

      This is the thirteenth of an ongoing series of book discussions here on Tildes. We are discussing Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Our next book will be A People's Future of the United States by Victor LaValle, at the end of May..

      I don't have a particular format in mind for this discussion, but I will post some prompts and questions as comments to get things started. You're not obligated to respond to them or vote on them though. So feel free to make your own top-level comment for whatever you wish to discuss, questions you have of others, or even just to post a review of the book you have written yourself.

      For latecomers, don't worry if you didn't read the book in time for this Discussion topic. You can always join in once you finish it. Tildes Activity sort, and "Collapse old comments" feature should keep the topic going for as long as people are still replying.
      And for anyone uninterested in this topic please use the Ignore Topic feature on this so it doesn't keep popping up in your Activity sort, since it's likely to keep doing that while I set this discussion up, and once people start joining in.

      13 votes
    22. Poetry discussion: Everything by Srikanth Reddy

      Hi tildizens, the NYC subway often has posters with a poem and artwork on them which provide some relief from the ads that decorate the trains. On my commute today, I found this poem by Srikanth...

      Hi tildizens, the NYC subway often has posters with a poem and artwork on them which provide some relief from the ads that decorate the trains. On my commute today, I found this poem by Srikanth Reddy quite tantalizing.


      Everything

      by Srikanth Reddy

      She was watching the solar eclipse
      through a piece of broken bottle

      when he left home.
      He found a blue kite in the forest

      on the day she lay down
      with a sailor. When his name changed,

      she stitched a cloud to a quilt
      made of rags. They did not meet,

      so they never could be parted.
      So she finished her prayer,

      & he folded his map of the sea.


      Unfortunately, the single piece of related online discourse I can find is a two-line comment on a 2008 blog post of the poem. So tell me: do you like this poem? What do you make of it? Is it about a couple that splits up due to infidelity (as Google's gemini ai told me) or people that are connected despite having never met (as Mistral's le chat claims)? What of the kite? Why is it blue? Why might his name have changed? To me, it seems he must be a sailor (but different than the one she lays with?) and she relatively poor. We're reading a lament of a missed connection, perhaps.

      13 votes
    23. Tildes Book Club - Hyperion - An invitation to crowd source cultural references and allusions

      I'm about 5 percent into the book Hyperion and I am already noticing that the author is drawing on a rich context of cultural background knowledge from a wide variety of sources and disciplines....

      I'm about 5 percent into the book Hyperion and I am already noticing that the author is drawing on a rich context of cultural background knowledge from a wide variety of sources and disciplines.

      This thread is a place to collect observations about culturally laden content within the book that might enhance understanding. It is not a place to spoil the plot.

      No obligation, but feel free to contribute what you see.

      24 votes
    24. Tildes Book Club discussion - February 2025 - Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

      Warning: this post may contain spoilers

      This is the eleventh of an ongoing series of book discussions here on Tildes. We are discussing Born a Crime by Trever Noah. Our next book will be Hyperion by Dan Simmons at the end of March.

      I don't have a particular format in mind for this discussion, but I will post some prompts and questions as comments to get things started. You're not obligated to respond to them or vote on them though. So feel free to make your own top-level comment for whatever you wish to discuss, questions you have of others, or even just to post a review of the book you have written yourself.

      For latecomers, don't worry if you didn't read the book in time for this Discussion topic. You can always join in once you finish it. Tildes Activity sort, and "Collapse old comments" feature should keep the topic going for as long as people are still replying.
      And for anyone uninterested in this topic please use the Ignore Topic feature on this so it doesn't keep popping up in your Activity sort, since it's likely to keep doing that while I set this discussion up, and once people start joining in.

      22 votes
    25. What’s a book that we were never supposed to be able to read?

      I’m jumping off of the controversy about the release of Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman mentioned here. Regarding the question: it means that something stood in the way of that particular book...

      I’m jumping off of the controversy about the release of Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman mentioned here.

      Regarding the question: it means that something stood in the way of that particular book “getting out” but, for better or for worse, it did. This could be the author’s direct wishes, government or publisher censorship, it being found or leaked, etc.

      • What are some of those books?
      • Are they worth looking into?
      • Does the fact that we weren’t “supposed” to read them change how we understand or appreciate them?
      • If the author themself didn’t want their works published (such as Kafka), what do we have to take into account when deciding to go against those wishes?
      • What do we gain/lose by respecting/ignoring those wishes?

      Also, I’m open to answers that involve parts of books rather than the whole books themselves, since I know there are many books out there that were partially censored or edited and have since been restored.

      22 votes
    26. Tildes Book Club discussion - January 2025 - The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson

      This is the tenth of an ongoing series of book discussions here on Tildes. We are discussing Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson. Our next book will be Born a Crime by Trevor Noah at...

      This is the tenth of an ongoing series of book discussions here on Tildes. We are discussing Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson. Our next book will be Born a Crime by Trevor Noah at the end of February.

      I don't have a particular format in mind for this discussion, but I will post some prompts and questions as comments to get things started. You're not obligated to respond to them or vote on them though. So feel free to make your own top-level comment for whatever you wish to discuss, questions you have of others, or even just to post a review of the book you have written yourself.

      For latecomers, don't worry if you didn't read the book in time for this Discussion topic. You can always join in once you finish it. Tildes Activity sort, and "Collapse old comments" feature should keep the topic going for as long as people are still replying.
      And for anyone uninterested in this topic please use the Ignore Topic feature on this so it doesn't keep popping up in your Activity sort, since it's likely to keep doing that while I set this discussion up, and once people start joining in.

      23 votes
    27. Tildes Book Club - The Ministry for the Future - How is it going?

      Happy New Year friends and fellow readers. In approximately two weeks we will be discussing Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson. How's it going? I got started just after Christmas and...

      Happy New Year friends and fellow readers. In approximately two weeks we will be discussing Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson.

      How's it going? I got started just after Christmas and it was such a tense fast paced book that I finished within a week.

      16 votes
    28. Tildes Book Club discussion - December 2024 - The City We Became by N K Jemisin

      This is the ninth of an ongoing series of book discussions here on Tildes. We are discussing The City We Became by N K Jemisin. Our next book will be Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley...

      This is the ninth of an ongoing series of book discussions here on Tildes. We are discussing The City We Became by N K Jemisin. Our next book will be Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson at the end of January.

      I don't have a particular format in mind for this discussion, but I will post some prompts and questions as comments to get things started. You're not obligated to respond to them or vote on them though. So feel free to make your own top-level comment for whatever you wish to discuss, questions you have of others, or even just to post a review of the book you have written yourself.

      For latecomers, don't worry if you didn't read the book in time for this Discussion topic. You can always join in once you finish it. Tildes Activity sort, and "Collapse old comments" feature should keep the topic going for as long as people are still replying.
      And for anyone uninterested in this topic please use the Ignore Topic feature on this so it doesn't keep popping up in your Activity sort, since it's likely to keep doing that while I set this discussion up, and once people start joining in.

      20 votes
    29. Tildes Book Club 2024 retrospective

      Hey folks, Since we're not reading a book this month, I thought it might be nice to have a short retrospective of the last year instead. As some of you may know, the book club originally started...

      Hey folks,

      Since we're not reading a book this month, I thought it might be nice to have a short retrospective of the last year instead.

      As some of you may know, the book club originally started back in 2023 with a "pop-up event" hosted by @cfabbro. We read Roadside Picnic after a few users expressed interest in the title. The discussion had some great comments, and that helped lay the groundwork for making the book club a regular feature.

      A few months later, @boxer_dogs_dance kicked the book club off proper in January 2024 with the first nomination thread. Cloud Atlas was selected based on voter interest and ideal library wait times. Despite being a difficult first book, participation was still high and has remained so for each month thereafter.

      Boxer has since organized numerous nomination and voting threads, helped establish our format and rules, and has created many discussion prompts for each book. Huge thanks to you for the efforts, @boxer_dogs_dance!

      Onto some stats for 2024:

      • Books Read: 9
      • Total Pages: 3,277 (average of 364 per book)
      • Unique Contributors: 59 (or 140 total, when counting returning participants)
      • Total Comments: 476 (across 121 top-level threads)
      • Nominations Submitted: 102
      • Votes Cast: 508
      • Repeat Nominations: 11 titles were nominated twice, and 6 were eventually chosen. Perseverance pays off!

      The list of past discussions can be found here:

      A big thank you to all who have participated, helped organize, commented, or quietly read along! You folks are what make the Tildes community so great.

      So just to be clear, this isn't a nomination thread or an official post. I just thought it might be nice to look back, recap our progress, and maybe touch on some of the best picks from the last year.

      What were your favourite reads from this past year? What are you looking forward to most in 2025?

      See you all in January when we kick off 2025 with Kim Stanley Robinson's Ministry for the Future!

      18 votes
    30. Tildes Book Club discussion - June 2024 - Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

      This is the fourth of an ongoing series of book discussions here on Tildes. We are discussing Project Hail Mary. Our next book will be Ocean at the End of the Lane around the end of July. I don't...

      This is the fourth of an ongoing series of book discussions here on Tildes. We are discussing Project Hail Mary. Our next book will be Ocean at the End of the Lane around the end of July.

      I don't have a particular format in mind for this discussion, but I will post some prompts and questions as comments to get things started. You're not obligated to respond to them or vote on them though. So feel free to make your own top-level comment for whatever you wish to discuss, questions you have of others, or even just to post a review of the book you have written yourself.

      For latecomers, don't worry if you didn't read the book in time for this Discussion topic. You can always join in once you finish it. Tildes Activity sort, and "Collapse old comments" feature should keep the topic going for as long as people are still replying.
      And for anyone uninterested in this topic please use the Ignore Topic feature on this so it doesn't keep popping up in your Activity sort, since it's likely to keep doing that while I set this discussion up, and once people start joining in.

      43 votes
    31. How do you know where to start with prolific authors?

      Hello Tildes! I often find myself intimidated by authors of great sagas, trilogies upon trilogies, and dozens of standalone novels. How do I know which book (or series) to read first? I've been...

      Hello Tildes! I often find myself intimidated by authors of great sagas, trilogies upon trilogies, and dozens of standalone novels. How do I know which book (or series) to read first?

      I've been recommended Terry Pratchett and Brandon Sanderson recently. I've read zero novels by either author. I've also been warned that there is a definitive best place in the canon to start, "and it's this one!" But then someone else interjects and says, "no, it's this one!" followed by passionate reasoning. Okay. If it is really worth starting somewhere in particular, where should I begin?

      I'm unlikely to read an author's entire corpus. I just have too many books to read and not enough time. But I'm not opposed to reading longer series if they're really fun. I'd appreciate any input about these authors in particular and this problem in general. Thanks!

      16 votes
    32. Discussion for Malazan Book of the Fallen: The Bonehunters (Spoilers through book 6)

      I recently finished The Bonehunters, the 6th book in Malazan Book of the Fallen and taking the advice of @DynamoSunshirt I decided to post this to see the thoughts and opinions of everyone here on...

      I recently finished The Bonehunters, the 6th book in Malazan Book of the Fallen and taking the advice of @DynamoSunshirt I decided to post this to see the thoughts and opinions of everyone here on this book in the series, and by extension how it builds upon the previous books.

      I've felt like each book in the series has drawn me further in, and this was no exception. One thing that I've found in reading large scale series with multiple POVs is that there are often ones that I'm not interested in or find less appealing than others while reading it and look forward to getting back to my favorite characters. There wasn't a single character in this volume, and so far in Malazan, that I wasn't interested in following.

      I'm wrapping up my work day and don't have a lot of time to write out all my thoughts on the book but wanted to get this posted while it was on my mind and then add in more later.

      I loved seeing so many potlines from the previous books start coming together.

      The siege of Y'Ghatan was completely unexpected and was riveting to read, it being one of the longer chapters in the book kept me up late one night because I had to see how it wrapped up!

      The end of the book felt like we were witnessing a pivotal moment and what seemed like a rapid fall of the empire. So many injustices with the Wican Pogrom and how the Chain of Dogs was being treated. I was honestly rooting for Tavore to usurp Laseen.

      Heboric's potline feels like it is not completed and that the Jade Statue and all of those souls will have an impact on the storyline later on. I'm also left wondering what Hood wanted from Ganoes as part of the deal to let Heboric out of Hood's realm.

      Karsa Orlong continues to be awesome and has become of my favorite characters. His self-assurance and introspection along with the seeming threat to civilization he represents is fantastic. I also saw a reference towards the end of the book about certain Tobalki possessing warrens of their own. I'm curious if he has reached that point and how exactly that works with all the other mysteries of the magic in this world.

      I have a friend who has already read all 10 books, and I've been bouncing ideas/predictions off of him which has been great.

      I am currently starting book 7 and would appreciate if any spoilers for the following books, or other books in the Malazan setting, are avoided.

      15 votes
    33. eBooks cost too much

      $14 USD for new novels. $10 for novels from the 1970s, riddled with OCR errors. Yes, I know you aren't paying for the "paper", you are paying for the content. Yes, I know authors and people who...

      $14 USD for new novels. $10 for novels from the 1970s, riddled with OCR errors.

      Yes, I know you aren't paying for the "paper", you are paying for the content.

      Yes, I know authors and people who work for publishers need to pay rent. I know servers cost money. Those costs and reasonable profits are more than covered several times over in eBook prices.

      35 votes
    34. Tildes Book Club discussion - November 2024 - Kindred by Octavia Butler

      This is the eighth of an ongoing series of book discussions here on Tildes. We are discussing Kindred by Octavia Butler. Our next book will be The City We Became by Jemisen the first week of...

      This is the eighth of an ongoing series of book discussions here on Tildes. We are discussing Kindred by Octavia Butler. Our next book will be The City We Became by Jemisen the first week of December.

      I don't have a particular format in mind for this discussion, but I will post some prompts and questions as comments to get things started. You're not obligated to respond to them or vote on them though. So feel free to make your own top-level comment for whatever you wish to discuss, questions you have of others, or even just to post a review of the book you have written yourself.

      For latecomers, don't worry if you didn't read the book in time for this Discussion topic. You can always join in once you finish it. Tildes Activity sort, and "Collapse old comments" feature should keep the topic going for as long as people are still replying.
      And for anyone uninterested in this topic please use the Ignore Topic feature on this so it doesn't keep popping up in your Activity sort, since it's likely to keep doing that while I set this discussion up, and once people start joining in.

      17 votes
    35. Tildes Book Club - Fall schedule

      Following this month's discussion of Small Gods by Terry Pratchett, , we are set up to read This is How You Lose the Time War towards the end of September. After that we will discuss Kindred by...

      Following this month's discussion of Small Gods by Terry Pratchett, , we are set up to read This is How You Lose the Time War towards the end of September. After that we will discuss Kindred by Octavia Butler at the end of October and The City We Became by Jemisin at the end of November.

      I look forward to reading with you.

      18 votes
    36. Tildes Book Club discussion - September 2024 - This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone

      This is the seventh of an ongoing series of book discussions here on Tildes. We are discussing This is How You Lose the Time War by el-Mohtar and Gladstone. Our next book will be Kindred by...

      This is the seventh of an ongoing series of book discussions here on Tildes. We are discussing This is How You Lose the Time War by el-Mohtar and Gladstone. Our next book will be Kindred by Octavia Butler around the end of October.

      I don't have a particular format in mind for this discussion, but I will post some prompts and questions as comments to get things started. You're not obligated to respond to them or vote on them though. So feel free to make your own top-level comment for whatever you wish to discuss, questions you have of others, or even just to post a review of the book you have written yourself.

      For latecomers, don't worry if you didn't read the book in time for this Discussion topic. You can always join in once you finish it. Tildes Activity sort, and "Collapse old comments" feature should keep the topic going for as long as people are still replying.
      And for anyone uninterested in this topic please use the Ignore Topic feature on this so it doesn't keep popping up in your Activity sort, since it's likely to keep doing that while I set this discussion up, and once people start joining in.

      20 votes
    37. Tildes Book Club discussion - August 2024 - Small Gods by Terry Pratchett

      This is the sixth of an ongoing series of book discussions here on Tildes. We are discussing Small Gods by Terry Pratchett. Our next book will be This is How You Lose the Time War around the end...

      This is the sixth of an ongoing series of book discussions here on Tildes. We are discussing Small Gods by Terry Pratchett. Our next book will be This is How You Lose the Time War around the end of September.

      I don't have a particular format in mind for this discussion, but I will post some prompts and questions as comments to get things started. You're not obligated to respond to them or vote on them though. So feel free to make your own top-level comment for whatever you wish to discuss, questions you have of others, or even just to post a review of the book you have written yourself.

      For latecomers, don't worry if you didn't read the book in time for this Discussion topic. You can always join in once you finish it. Tildes Activity sort, and "Collapse old comments" feature should keep the topic going for as long as people are still replying.
      And for anyone uninterested in this topic please use the Ignore Topic feature on this so it doesn't keep popping up in your Activity sort, since it's likely to keep doing that while I set this discussion up, and once people start joining in.

      32 votes
    38. Tildes Book Club discussion - July 2024 - Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

      This is the fifth of an ongoing series of book discussions here on Tildes. We are discussing Ocean at the End of the Lane. Our next book will be Small Gods by Terry Pratchett around the end of...

      This is the fifth of an ongoing series of book discussions here on Tildes. We are discussing Ocean at the End of the Lane. Our next book will be Small Gods by Terry Pratchett around the end of August.

      I don't have a particular format in mind for this discussion, but I will post some prompts and questions as comments to get things started. You're not obligated to respond to them or vote on them though. So feel free to make your own top-level comment for whatever you wish to discuss, questions you have of others, or even just to post a review of the book you have written yourself.

      For latecomers, don't worry if you didn't read the book in time for this Discussion topic. You can always join in once you finish it. Tildes Activity sort, and "Collapse old comments" feature should keep the topic going for as long as people are still replying.
      And for anyone uninterested in this topic please use the Ignore Topic feature on this so it doesn't keep popping up in your Activity sort, since it's likely to keep doing that while I set this discussion up, and once people start joining in.

      22 votes