As someone who loves Tolkien. It ain’t for everybody. Without an understanding of the lore that you get in the Silmarillion some of references in the songs won’t make much sense. For me that was part of the majesty of my first read of the book. Like I said tho. It’s not for everybody

In your opinion can a straight white man know what it’s like to be a woman? Or a person of color? Or trans? If the answer is no. Why wouldn’t they see themselves as default? It’s all they possess the capacity for. If I can’t understand what it’s like to be these petiole of course I reject art that depicts those groups of people. What could art that I can’t understand possibly do for me?

The idea that white men only possess the capacity to understand what it’s like to be a white man and nothing else. Whilst every other person on the planet seems capable of understanding others plight has always been puzzling to me.

A Song of Ice and Fire, Kingkiller and Stormlight are all unfinished. I’m glad I read each one.

Reading a lot of fantasy has almost ruined one off novels for me. When the entire story is less that 500 pages there are only 6-8 characters and half of them are more plot devices than characters. I find it hard to become engaged in such a book.

For physical books I personally read paperbacks only. They are easier to read as the binding is less rigid and all me get get more comfortable when reading. What i do is simply read other things until a newer book I wanna read comes out in paperback. There is so much stuff already in paperback I want to read it’s not a big deal for me that I can’t read a brand new book right when it comes out. Or if I really want it I just get it in my kindle.

Gardens of the Moon. Steven Erickson.

I’d ask what the alternative is? Only thing to learn from non fiction is that everyone is a liar.

Huckleberry Finn (trying time read in the different dialects made it nearly impossible for teenage me to comprehend)

To Kill a Mockingbird (it was great)

All Quiet on the Western Front (It was great)

Sanderson is just a little overhyped. That’s all. His books are good not great. Which is fine. Let people like things.

Book tube is just a bunch of infomercials for books. As for subjective/objective good writing. It’s ok to let people like things. I’m big into fantasy and there are authors that write nothing but generic, derivative dribble that people think makes them the second coming of Tolkien. That’s ok tho. Let people like things.

We are the same age and outside of a science book I have zero interest in non fiction.

Cloud CuckooLand and All the Light we cannot see by Anthony Doerr I read in like 3 days a piece.

I read a lot of fantasy so it would be hard for me to consider a one off book epic but maybe Gone with the Wind.

Right now I’ve got a reading order for my kindle and one for physical books. The Kindle reading list is mostly larger fantasy novels while the physical books are mostly $10 paperbacks. As for the order I’m reading 3 series currently. I alternate between series. Paperback is just one off novels.

Highly recommend. Best book I read last year

If you read The Fellowship of the Ring by Tolkien then The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan then The Way of Kings by by Brandon Sanderson you get 3 generations of influence. It’s kinda neat really.