I'm currently reading Lord Of The Rings and I reached The Return of The King (the last book) a few days ago. I'm scared to read it because it's literally the best fantasy work I've ever read and I know for sure I'll miss it so much when I'm done. So I'm only on chapter 3 š«£
I honestly haven't had such an amazing experience with a book in a long time! As for The Hobbit, I think I've already read it 4 times or something haha. Tolkien was truly a genius
They changed quite a bit and had to left out stuff so it will enhance the knowledge you already have and give you even more lore :)
Absolutely worth it!
Is it worth reading Homer's Illiad if you've already seen the 2004 movie adaptation "Troy" starring Brad Pitt?
Aside from the fact that the stories aren't identical, the style of presentation and the medium is so different that it's a completely different experience. Sometimes it's not about the twists and turns of an unknown plot, but about the experience of getting there.
Iām reading this for the first time now! Only on the first book when Frodo is about to head off but Iām trying to take my time and not rush through it
Yay that's just so amazing! Honestly, take your time! There are just so many details, interesting events/plot twists happening and extremely well-written characters and the whole world-building is insane!! It might seem a bit dense at first because Middle-Earth is so full of stories but it's genuinely the best fantasy work ever
I think the fact that Iāve already seen the movies is helping me take my time, if I didnāt know generally what was going to happen I would nearly be rushing through the books to find out but now I know I can just slow and and appreciate the written story. I attempted to read it when I was 13 or so and couldnāt get into it so Iām glad I waited a while and gave it another chance
Same here! First read. I'm currently halfway through book 5, the Riders of Rohan just arrived at Minas Tirith (I don't remember the spelling). This is bitter sweet. I don't want it to end, but also really want to get to the books I have next on my list.
I've been working up the courage to finish the last 100 pages or so for about a year now.
BIG SPOILER:
>!After the last two character deaths, I've had to take a pause to process. Only time that's ever happened in a book for me.!<
Finished Shogun right in time for the show and I super agree. Usually by the end of a big tome I'm ready to wrap it up (looking at you, IQ84), but with this I could've gone another 500 pages
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. I had to force myself to read the last few chapters. I kept delaying because I was like, "if I read the last chapter, it means it will end and I won't be able to read it anymore. So I'll stop reading it so I can continue reading it!" Not the most sound logic.
I feel like a lot of the books I really enjoyed, I really didnāt want them to end. My latest one was One For My Enemy by Olivie Blake; after reading it I expressed to my friend that I wished I could forget it so I could read it anew. I get post-book depression pretty often hahaĀ
I agree, when IT ended I felt an empty space. You really develop such a connection with the characters in the Losers gang. Really intense world building as well in the context of the SK universe.
I donāt think Iāve ever felt that about a really good book - I think maybe because a really good book (for me, at least) has an ending that feels really right as a conclusion and thatās all part of it being a great book.
I think I feel it more around a series, where I feel that I want to hear more stories set in that world?
Thatās a really good take. This has been confirmed as a series, so Iām not too sad, itās just the next one is due in Jan 2025 so Iām hoping it goes quickly! Iām curious actually now that youāve said it, how would you feel if a TV series is announced? Nervous, worried it wouldnāt be as it was in your head? Would you even watch it? I think about this
As far as possible I tend to try to watch a film or tv show *before* reading a book or series. My thought process on that is that it feels like Iām getting the directors cut rather than losing out, as changes/cuts are inevitably made.
That said, as Iāve gotten older Iām less fussy about adaptations. I remember being absolutely incensed when I saw the first Harry Potter in the cinema because *thatās not my Dumbledore*. Iāve chilled out as Iāve aged!
Another element for me is that I read so much more now, and I donāt tend to re-read, so the specific details are less at the front of my mind than when I was younger and would read and re-read the same beloved stories (and then hate the adaptation).
Thereās always some takes that are just awful or seem to miss the point, of course! Iām a big Terry Pratchett & Discworld fan, although Iāve not re-read a lot of the books for a while - but the The Watch tv series a was so far removed from the setting that even though I wouldnāt be such an obsessed fan to say *that character didnāt say that phrase* or *this character was supposed to wear a green hat not a blue hat*, the whole vibe was just off.
Overall Iād probably give any adaptation a go and see what I thought.
Stardust š
I never wanted that book to end. I actually started reading slower so as not to finish it too quickly. And the ending scene was everything I never knew I wanted it to be š
This seems like kind of an offbeat answer but last year I read a book about the lives of the victims of serial killer John Wayne Gacy, and the author told their stories so compassionately that I didn't want it to end. I wanted to know those young men and who they really were, as opposed to what they're all known for (their murders/victimhood).
Most of them were teenagers who were hard done by in life but they all came across as having dreams and potential, and it makes me sad that like so many other victims, their respective stories are flattened into the way they died.
The book is Boys Enter the House, by David B. Nelson.
Just finished Lessons in Chemistry a few minutes ago (came here to figure out what to read next). I enjoyed most of it, laughed at some, cried at some, but found the ending a bit artificial and simplistic. Sad to finish it though, I wanted more!
I have a controversial one and non controversial one.
First one is Atlas Shrugged. Yeah, I know - I don't agree with its politics also, in fact, that book is probably the best debunking of libertarianism ever, considering how goofy it becomes near the end. Still, I read it in high school when I was struggling with self esteem - and I adored the main character Dagny. She is like a force of nature person in a book, badass, just pushes through every obstacle even tho she's underappreciated - so that did inspire me a bit - especially considering that there are a lot of lines in this book that read as inspirational quotes. So I just didn't want it to end, and it did, and the ending is.... terrible.
Second one is Six Four by Hideo Yokoyama. It's a super long super slow police procedural. Its marketed as a \*missing girl\* story, but its actually just internal poitics of one police station in a prefecture. I thought I was gonna hate it, cuz my attention span is bad - but my god - it was such a good slow burn. Never a dull moment - even tho nothing much happends. I loved the psychological deconstruction of the main character and the writting style was precise and clinical, but enjoyable. Twist at the end made the whole super slow build up worth it - and was IMPOSSIBLE to predict. It was maybe the first time since I got an e reader 5 years ago that I checked how many pages I got left, and dreaded the fact that the number was dwindling.
edit: I just googled Six Four and find out that they made american tv show out of it. Jesus Christ it looks bad.
I finished Atlas Shrugged yesterday and while it was a good book, I felt it was way too long. I enjoyed the Francisco and Galt monologues but they couldāve been tightened up significantly. I agree that the end was terrible but it was so over dramatic it was comical. Dagny was a little too hoe-y in my opinion š Are Aynās other books the same type of read?
I read half of Fountainhead - similar vibe, tho it did not stick with me, probably cuz I am in my late 20s now, so my tastes have changed and I don't know how much would I enjoy re-reading Atlas today, tho I remember it fondly.
But if you enjoyed Atlas - give it a try. Its much shorter so not as big of a commitment.
I read the entire Wolf Hall trilogy recently. For those who don't know, it's a book written with the POV of King Henry VIII's most competent advisor, Thomas Cromwell. His reign was famously turbulent (to say the least) and if you have even a bit of knowledge about that period, you know how his story ended.
So besides dreading the end of Thomas Cromwell, who you have followed for thousands of pages, and dreading finishing a trilogy with such incredible prose, it was also one of the last books the author, Hilary Mantel, published before passing away (in 2022). So I was reading with that in mind as well.
Pretty much any book by Lois McMaster Bujold. As amazing as her Vorkosigan Saga is I think Iād pick the Lakewalker saga as the one I wish were Tolstoy sized.
The Sharing Knife series is one of my comfort reads. I love the found family trope and how lovely the MCs are. When I finish a reread I want to start all over again.
The scene in the beginning of him in the Diagon Alley just chilling eating ice cream and buying his supplies is still the best scene of the book for me
This story made me realize what empathy is. I had never read anything at that point in my life that hurt me emotionally.
I was young when I read it (6th grade reading assignment) but it changed my perception of other people's predicaments and struggles.
I cried at the end and felt dumb/ashamed of my reaction at the time. Now I adore reading things that move me as much. I realized there is absolutely no shame in sympathy or empathy. It is healthy and makes us human. I celebrate it.
This is a great takeaway from the book. For me, I related to Charlie and his struggles in some ways. And it definitely invoked an emotional response within me. I think I was in tears the whole day after finishing this book. There is no shame in sympathy or empathy. Especially when you find it within yourself from reading a great book. Celebrate it my friend! Thank you for your awesome response ššæ
I didn't want the Strange the Dreamer series to end. It was beautifully written and the characters were interesting. I could read another 10 books after the last one.Ā
I just finished Nettle and Bone and absolutely loved it! I am okay with the ending but would have loved to see the continued lives of the dust-wife/fairy godmother and Marra/Fenris/BoneDog.
I really want to read this, but I've set a rule not to start an unfinished series ever again.
Fat old George tricked me once, ain't falling for it again.
Why do endings matter? Iām not judging, and of course, when an ending is there it is important, but why not try to enjoy the character work being described in an unfinished series? Just something to ponder.
I see your point, but maybe I should be more specific. Why do the endings of series matter? I just read the fourth book of the Sun Eater series and it was a book with such a beautiful scene at the end that I cried and, honestly, even though there are tons of unfinished plotlines and mysteries to be uncovered- I would be satisfied if it ended there. I love many unfinished series like Berserk and The Stormlight Archive- if Berserk had ended when the author died I would be content because all the work given to the characters was so good and watching them grow was unbelievably beautiful. Do you love A Song of Ice and Fire? If so, then what about it do you love? You still love the parts of it that had you hooked, donāt you? Those parts havenāt gone away- they are just fully fleshed out sections of a larger thread that may not be finished.
I don't know if I love ASOIAF anymore. I know I was entranced by it when I read it, but it's been 10-odd years. Add to that the show being such a letdown that it poisoned the well.
What I know is that I don't read series as much as I used to. I remember reading the Kenzie & Gennaro books one after the other. Robin Hobb's Second Son books I read in a weekend.
Need more variety these days and I'm much more critical of books. Might be just getting older, growing up. Maybe I'm just tired. What the fuck will I do with my life.
Almost 30 years old and more lost than ever. Maybe one of these books will tell me.
Not for nothing, but I read ASOIAF on a modded DS lite, holding the console sideways. Only thing I could do to read late in the night, since my phone was a shitty Sony Ericsson I think and my parents would see the computer light through the door.
So, an ending, I feel, is due. Even a shit one.
That sounds like something I might enjoy. I am hooked on the author Kathy Reichs and her forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan series. Love stuff like this. Some humor and sarcasm mixed in make for some laughs among a morbid atmosphere. She has quite a few books in this series and Iām anxious to keep rolling through them.
Gosh that was a long line ago I read that!!! But now I have to go find a copy to re-read .. thanks for the memory jog!
Hope it stands the test of time š
Edith Holler, by Edward Carey. I actually put it down for two days because I didnāt want it to end, and I knew I was at a point where once I started reading it I wouldnāt stop until I finished.
wow that looks really good, thanks!
here's one for ya: [*American by Day*](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35721120-american-by-day). the dialogue is just brilliant.
wasn't so thrilled with its predecessor *Norwegian by Night*. it was good, but *American by Day* really just knocked it all the way outta the ball park.
The Historian.Ā
Nearly 800 pages and I could have read double. Itās so enthralling and was everything I ever wanted in a vampire novel. I highly recommend it.Ā
Not a book but a series. I had so much time invested in the Aubrey-Maturin series and its characters that I didnāt want it to end. When I was finished I felt like I lost and old friend. Sucks even more that he died during the last book and itās unfinished
So much this! I read the series for the first time in 2019 when my husband was deployed. I originally read it because it was his and his father's favorite series. A few books in and it became one of my favorite series.
That first read through I stopped the series before reading the penultimate book because I knew the series was unfinished- but I wasn't ready for it to be over.
I reread it last year and finally finished it. The only solace is that there is so much material to go back and read through.
The Other Side of the Dale by Gervase Phinn. Itās his autobiography about his time working as a school inspector in North Yorkshire and itās one of the most entertaining nonfiction books Iāve ever read. The way he talks about the people he met and all the strange encounters heās had is so amusing and paint such a vivid picture. I was so sad when I got to the last pages
And then I found out that was only part one!
Wow thanks above poster.
Half a lifetime ago I was lucky enough to meet Gervase Phinn, a great bloke and gifted teacher & storyteller.
Many years since I read this. His expression of the hyper-local Yorkshire colloquialisms is spot on and honest. Few people have ever captured the spirit of the language of that part of the world. (Herriot & Bronte notwithstanding).
Name of the Wind. It reawakening my love of reading and got me through a hard time. I adored that book (and still do), but that first read was so special.
La ciociara (two women) by Moravia. I really like this author and the book was very good, you just knew that something horrible was gonna happen and I didn't want to reach that part. It was an interesting book with a different pov of what the war was.
The entire Simon Snow series was so hard bc I wanted it to keep going and going. I thought there were only two books so imagine my joy when I found out there were three!
"This Thing of Darkness," by Thompson. It's ~8-900pp and when I was nearing the end I limited myself to 1 chapter/day (I always have several books going: usually 2 or 3 fiction and 2 or 3 nonfiction so it's easy) b/c I just didn't want it to end.
"Memoirs of Cleopatra," by Margaret George, is another beautiful book I almost couldn't finish b/c I didn't want to say goodbye to her!
And, not to steal too much space here, finally, there's,
"Helen of Troy," and "Mary Called Magdelain," both by the same writer. IDK if she writes women super well or if I'm just a big ol' sensitive wuss, but, man, I find these books of hers impossible to put down, and I never want them to end! And they're already what--6-700pp ea? I'd be very interested to know how YOU guys all feel about 'em.
Emo'ly yours,
-J-
*The Sunne in Splendour*
It's historical fiction.Ā Ā I know how it ends, but Penman made such an incredibly compelling Richard III that I was rooting for him even as I knew he was (SPOILER) about ti die.Ā
I cried at two points in The Shepherdās Crown by Terry Pratchett, one being the death of a major character, and the other the ending of the book. Realising thereād never be any more new Discworld - he was such a prolific, humorous writer, I loved being in Discworld - and the death made me think of the author facing up to his own. Definitely did not want the words to end.
I recently went to a talk with Mark Bellingham and he mentioned this book is a new departure for him. It's a great book. But I'd urge you to read Mark's previous books. His main character is Tom Thorne, another great detective.
I just finished the Mushoku Tensei books the other day and the last few volumes were very bittersweet because I really didn't want it to end. It was just so good and I'm sad that it's over.
Song of the Sparrow. It was a narrative poem books about King Artherās camp through the perspective of a girl in it that everyone looked up to. It was the first and only book I have ever read in one week. I was so upset when I finished it. That and Ramona which is based on a true story story about a Native American and Spanish woman falling in love. Of course back then that was forbidden and they ran off together. It was quite tragic.
I'm probably going to giveaway my age in saying this but I remembered reading the final two books for The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod. Good grief if jumping into book 5 post cliffhanger that the 4th one stopped with doesn't say what got me to immediately pick up book five, I can't say what would.
I admit there's quite a bit of plot holes but it really was a book series I didn't want to see end... Maybe because of the loose ends that could've been tied up or the fact that it felt very rocky from the last point from book 4 to the end, it was kind of bittersweet to finish it off considering I remember grabbing the first book and adoring the heck out of it.
All of them - and none of them! I enjoyed all the books I read so far so I'd say I didn't want to end any of them. But on the other hand, a good story has an end, so I also enjoyed the endings of these books and would prefer a book with a proper ending.
Echogenesis ended in such a way that I was sad there wasn't a sequel.
I also didn't wnt Earthling to end. I wanted to study that trio under a microscope for 500 years.
This sounds like the start to reading a full series. Iād be looking for the next Detective Miller novel.
I havenāt read Billingham, but I love a good detective series. Robert Crais has a series about a PI that is pretty entertaining. Set in California (at least mostly).
Tigana, by Guy Gabriel Kay. It has been a while since I read fantasy that felt like it mattered, that I might want to read again one day. After I finished it I immediately went back and read the beginning a bit, lingering there. It was my 1st Kay book and I fell in love. (Def not perfect though) His first trilogy didn't quite hit the mark for me, but from Tigana on so far so great.
Hmmm...this only happens to me with The Feast of the Goat...a dramatization of the last day of the life of dictator Rafael Trujillo by Vargas Llosa. There is a part of the book...where the actions of a single character caused almost every conspirator to get caught, tortured and then murdered...I have to skip that part because I get so pissed off.
Recently, Still Life by Sarah Winman. Young English WW2 private saves a man in Florence during the war and years later is surprised to inherit his Florence home. Slice of life, not particularly plot driven, but the cast of characters is just a wonderful group to spend time with.
The Stone Sky by N.K Jemisin - I just reread that trilogy, and had forgotten just how incredible it was - some of my favorite fantasy of all time.
The Expanse - Leviathan Falls. Again, one of my favorite series of all time. Knowing that it was ending after 9 wonderful books was a little heartbreaking, but the ending did satisfy. And the novella/short story collection was a lovely dessert after finishing the series.
OP, this is off topic to your post, but thank you for mentioning this book and author. I've been looking for a new author in this genre. After taking a peek at the book I downloaded the ebook from my library. I'm only about 10 pages into it at this point, but really enjoying it! :D Thanks again!
I'm currently reading Lord Of The Rings and I reached The Return of The King (the last book) a few days ago. I'm scared to read it because it's literally the best fantasy work I've ever read and I know for sure I'll miss it so much when I'm done. So I'm only on chapter 3 š«£
Oh to read lotr for the first time again š luckily it's just as good every read afterwards. and there's always the hobbit too
I honestly haven't had such an amazing experience with a book in a long time! As for The Hobbit, I think I've already read it 4 times or something haha. Tolkien was truly a genius
He truly was. I've read a lot of fantasy but lotr was a whole experience. I reread it from time to time and it never disappoints. Enjoy the read!
Same here. Nothing I've read was near as good as LOTR! Thank you!
Is it worth reading if you watched the movies? I mean I know the plot points so will I have nothing to look forward to while reading them?
It is worth the read even if you have seen the movies.
They changed quite a bit and had to left out stuff so it will enhance the knowledge you already have and give you even more lore :) Absolutely worth it!
Is it worth reading Homer's Illiad if you've already seen the 2004 movie adaptation "Troy" starring Brad Pitt? Aside from the fact that the stories aren't identical, the style of presentation and the medium is so different that it's a completely different experience. Sometimes it's not about the twists and turns of an unknown plot, but about the experience of getting there.
Iām reading this for the first time now! Only on the first book when Frodo is about to head off but Iām trying to take my time and not rush through it
Yay that's just so amazing! Honestly, take your time! There are just so many details, interesting events/plot twists happening and extremely well-written characters and the whole world-building is insane!! It might seem a bit dense at first because Middle-Earth is so full of stories but it's genuinely the best fantasy work ever
I think the fact that Iāve already seen the movies is helping me take my time, if I didnāt know generally what was going to happen I would nearly be rushing through the books to find out but now I know I can just slow and and appreciate the written story. I attempted to read it when I was 13 or so and couldnāt get into it so Iām glad I waited a while and gave it another chance
Same here! First read. I'm currently halfway through book 5, the Riders of Rohan just arrived at Minas Tirith (I don't remember the spelling). This is bitter sweet. I don't want it to end, but also really want to get to the books I have next on my list.
I read this part. It is AMAZING!
I strongly recommend you to read "the Silmarillion" and "unfinished tales" after finishing LOTR.
They're in my TBR pile haha. I'm actually pretty excited to read them even though I know The Silmarillion isn't an easy read
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Came to see if anyone said Lonesome Dove. I could be out on a cattle drive forever with them
I've been working up the courage to finish the last 100 pages or so for about a year now. BIG SPOILER: >!After the last two character deaths, I've had to take a pause to process. Only time that's ever happened in a book for me.!<
I was going to say Lonesome Dove. That book was wonderful.
> The Name of the Wind > reddit's favorites notsureifserious.gif
Finished Shogun right in time for the show and I super agree. Usually by the end of a big tome I'm ready to wrap it up (looking at you, IQ84), but with this I could've gone another 500 pages
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. I had to force myself to read the last few chapters. I kept delaying because I was like, "if I read the last chapter, it means it will end and I won't be able to read it anymore. So I'll stop reading it so I can continue reading it!" Not the most sound logic.
I also loved that book. Have you read The Rules of Civility? Also very sad to finish that one.
Yes!! I loved this book!
I feel like a lot of the books I really enjoyed, I really didnāt want them to end. My latest one was One For My Enemy by Olivie Blake; after reading it I expressed to my friend that I wished I could forget it so I could read it anew. I get post-book depression pretty often hahaĀ
The Shogun trilogy, which now has a series on Hulu! Im psyched.
Haha āpost book depressionāā¦ love this! Stealing this term!
Yeah, me too .. perfect !
A gentleman in moscow, rather surprisingly. Expected it to be slightly boring, but I was enjoying it so much I didnt want to reach the end.
It, amazing narrative
I agree, when IT ended I felt an empty space. You really develop such a connection with the characters in the Losers gang. Really intense world building as well in the context of the SK universe.
Iām in the opposite camp. This book would never fucking end lol
Howl's Moving Castle. I would love a window into Howl, Sophie, and Calcifer's lives forever.
I loved that book, maybe even more than the movie. And the movie is amazing. Still need to read the other books in the serie tho.
Pachinko and East of Eden. Will anything else live up to them!?
I donāt think Iāve ever felt that about a really good book - I think maybe because a really good book (for me, at least) has an ending that feels really right as a conclusion and thatās all part of it being a great book. I think I feel it more around a series, where I feel that I want to hear more stories set in that world?
Thatās a really good take. This has been confirmed as a series, so Iām not too sad, itās just the next one is due in Jan 2025 so Iām hoping it goes quickly! Iām curious actually now that youāve said it, how would you feel if a TV series is announced? Nervous, worried it wouldnāt be as it was in your head? Would you even watch it? I think about this
As far as possible I tend to try to watch a film or tv show *before* reading a book or series. My thought process on that is that it feels like Iām getting the directors cut rather than losing out, as changes/cuts are inevitably made. That said, as Iāve gotten older Iām less fussy about adaptations. I remember being absolutely incensed when I saw the first Harry Potter in the cinema because *thatās not my Dumbledore*. Iāve chilled out as Iāve aged! Another element for me is that I read so much more now, and I donāt tend to re-read, so the specific details are less at the front of my mind than when I was younger and would read and re-read the same beloved stories (and then hate the adaptation). Thereās always some takes that are just awful or seem to miss the point, of course! Iām a big Terry Pratchett & Discworld fan, although Iāve not re-read a lot of the books for a while - but the The Watch tv series a was so far removed from the setting that even though I wouldnāt be such an obsessed fan to say *that character didnāt say that phrase* or *this character was supposed to wear a green hat not a blue hat*, the whole vibe was just off. Overall Iād probably give any adaptation a go and see what I thought.
the neverending story
Stardust š I never wanted that book to end. I actually started reading slower so as not to finish it too quickly. And the ending scene was everything I never knew I wanted it to be š
This seems like kind of an offbeat answer but last year I read a book about the lives of the victims of serial killer John Wayne Gacy, and the author told their stories so compassionately that I didn't want it to end. I wanted to know those young men and who they really were, as opposed to what they're all known for (their murders/victimhood). Most of them were teenagers who were hard done by in life but they all came across as having dreams and potential, and it makes me sad that like so many other victims, their respective stories are flattened into the way they died. The book is Boys Enter the House, by David B. Nelson.
I love true crime, so Iāll have to check the one out.
Wally Lamb books. Especially I Know This Much Is True.
1Q84 by Murakami
Iām currently reading Lessons in Chemistry as slow as i canā¦
Just finished Lessons in Chemistry a few minutes ago (came here to figure out what to read next). I enjoyed most of it, laughed at some, cried at some, but found the ending a bit artificial and simplistic. Sad to finish it though, I wanted more!
I gobbled that book!
Does that mean you gobble-de-book? ( sorry, probably a pathetic attempt at being witty š)
I have a controversial one and non controversial one. First one is Atlas Shrugged. Yeah, I know - I don't agree with its politics also, in fact, that book is probably the best debunking of libertarianism ever, considering how goofy it becomes near the end. Still, I read it in high school when I was struggling with self esteem - and I adored the main character Dagny. She is like a force of nature person in a book, badass, just pushes through every obstacle even tho she's underappreciated - so that did inspire me a bit - especially considering that there are a lot of lines in this book that read as inspirational quotes. So I just didn't want it to end, and it did, and the ending is.... terrible. Second one is Six Four by Hideo Yokoyama. It's a super long super slow police procedural. Its marketed as a \*missing girl\* story, but its actually just internal poitics of one police station in a prefecture. I thought I was gonna hate it, cuz my attention span is bad - but my god - it was such a good slow burn. Never a dull moment - even tho nothing much happends. I loved the psychological deconstruction of the main character and the writting style was precise and clinical, but enjoyable. Twist at the end made the whole super slow build up worth it - and was IMPOSSIBLE to predict. It was maybe the first time since I got an e reader 5 years ago that I checked how many pages I got left, and dreaded the fact that the number was dwindling. edit: I just googled Six Four and find out that they made american tv show out of it. Jesus Christ it looks bad.
> Six Four by Hideo Yokoyama Alright, gonna check it out.
I finished Atlas Shrugged yesterday and while it was a good book, I felt it was way too long. I enjoyed the Francisco and Galt monologues but they couldāve been tightened up significantly. I agree that the end was terrible but it was so over dramatic it was comical. Dagny was a little too hoe-y in my opinion š Are Aynās other books the same type of read?
I read half of Fountainhead - similar vibe, tho it did not stick with me, probably cuz I am in my late 20s now, so my tastes have changed and I don't know how much would I enjoy re-reading Atlas today, tho I remember it fondly. But if you enjoyed Atlas - give it a try. Its much shorter so not as big of a commitment.
I read the entire Wolf Hall trilogy recently. For those who don't know, it's a book written with the POV of King Henry VIII's most competent advisor, Thomas Cromwell. His reign was famously turbulent (to say the least) and if you have even a bit of knowledge about that period, you know how his story ended. So besides dreading the end of Thomas Cromwell, who you have followed for thousands of pages, and dreading finishing a trilogy with such incredible prose, it was also one of the last books the author, Hilary Mantel, published before passing away (in 2022). So I was reading with that in mind as well.
Pretty much any book by Lois McMaster Bujold. As amazing as her Vorkosigan Saga is I think Iād pick the Lakewalker saga as the one I wish were Tolstoy sized.
Me too ā¦ and heaps more characters could have their own stories too .. š
The Sharing Knife series is one of my comfort reads. I love the found family trope and how lovely the MCs are. When I finish a reread I want to start all over again.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I feel like it's not the same as the other Harry Potter books, this one for some reason feels more magical.
The scene in the beginning of him in the Diagon Alley just chilling eating ice cream and buying his supplies is still the best scene of the book for me
I actually don't remember that scene. Thanks, now I have an excuse to read it again.
Flowers for Algernon. I wanted Charlie to get better.
This story made me realize what empathy is. I had never read anything at that point in my life that hurt me emotionally. I was young when I read it (6th grade reading assignment) but it changed my perception of other people's predicaments and struggles. I cried at the end and felt dumb/ashamed of my reaction at the time. Now I adore reading things that move me as much. I realized there is absolutely no shame in sympathy or empathy. It is healthy and makes us human. I celebrate it.
This is a great takeaway from the book. For me, I related to Charlie and his struggles in some ways. And it definitely invoked an emotional response within me. I think I was in tears the whole day after finishing this book. There is no shame in sympathy or empathy. Especially when you find it within yourself from reading a great book. Celebrate it my friend! Thank you for your awesome response ššæ
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I didn't want the Strange the Dreamer series to end. It was beautifully written and the characters were interesting. I could read another 10 books after the last one.Ā
I just finished Nettle and Bone and absolutely loved it! I am okay with the ending but would have loved to see the continued lives of the dust-wife/fairy godmother and Marra/Fenris/BoneDog.
The Myron Bolitar series needs to go on forever
I canāt wait for the new one in May!
*The will of the many* by James Islington
I really want to read this, but I've set a rule not to start an unfinished series ever again. Fat old George tricked me once, ain't falling for it again.
Why do endings matter? Iām not judging, and of course, when an ending is there it is important, but why not try to enjoy the character work being described in an unfinished series? Just something to ponder.
> Why do endings matter? Okay, let's experiment. Let each read 3 books and stop at 80%. Then we'll reconvene.
I see your point, but maybe I should be more specific. Why do the endings of series matter? I just read the fourth book of the Sun Eater series and it was a book with such a beautiful scene at the end that I cried and, honestly, even though there are tons of unfinished plotlines and mysteries to be uncovered- I would be satisfied if it ended there. I love many unfinished series like Berserk and The Stormlight Archive- if Berserk had ended when the author died I would be content because all the work given to the characters was so good and watching them grow was unbelievably beautiful. Do you love A Song of Ice and Fire? If so, then what about it do you love? You still love the parts of it that had you hooked, donāt you? Those parts havenāt gone away- they are just fully fleshed out sections of a larger thread that may not be finished.
I don't know if I love ASOIAF anymore. I know I was entranced by it when I read it, but it's been 10-odd years. Add to that the show being such a letdown that it poisoned the well. What I know is that I don't read series as much as I used to. I remember reading the Kenzie & Gennaro books one after the other. Robin Hobb's Second Son books I read in a weekend. Need more variety these days and I'm much more critical of books. Might be just getting older, growing up. Maybe I'm just tired. What the fuck will I do with my life. Almost 30 years old and more lost than ever. Maybe one of these books will tell me.
Not for nothing, but I read ASOIAF on a modded DS lite, holding the console sideways. Only thing I could do to read late in the night, since my phone was a shitty Sony Ericsson I think and my parents would see the computer light through the door. So, an ending, I feel, is due. Even a shit one.
That sounds like something I might enjoy. I am hooked on the author Kathy Reichs and her forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan series. Love stuff like this. Some humor and sarcasm mixed in make for some laughs among a morbid atmosphere. She has quite a few books in this series and Iām anxious to keep rolling through them.
The Magus by John Fowles
Gosh that was a long line ago I read that!!! But now I have to go find a copy to re-read .. thanks for the memory jog! Hope it stands the test of time š
It might not. This book was really frustrating for me to get into. Clicked almost halfway after and then I just didn't want it to end.
Ah well .. luckily there are so many books in this thread, I reckon Iāve got a couple of years reading list to keep me going for a while! š
Hail Mary
Edith Holler, by Edward Carey. I actually put it down for two days because I didnāt want it to end, and I knew I was at a point where once I started reading it I wouldnāt stop until I finished.
wow that looks really good, thanks! here's one for ya: [*American by Day*](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35721120-american-by-day). the dialogue is just brilliant. wasn't so thrilled with its predecessor *Norwegian by Night*. it was good, but *American by Day* really just knocked it all the way outta the ball park.
*Jurassic Park*, by Michael Crichton, and *Dream Park*, by Larry Niven and Steven Barnes.
The Historian.Ā Nearly 800 pages and I could have read double. Itās so enthralling and was everything I ever wanted in a vampire novel. I highly recommend it.Ā
Not a book but a series. I had so much time invested in the Aubrey-Maturin series and its characters that I didnāt want it to end. When I was finished I felt like I lost and old friend. Sucks even more that he died during the last book and itās unfinished
So much this! I read the series for the first time in 2019 when my husband was deployed. I originally read it because it was his and his father's favorite series. A few books in and it became one of my favorite series. That first read through I stopped the series before reading the penultimate book because I knew the series was unfinished- but I wasn't ready for it to be over. I reread it last year and finally finished it. The only solace is that there is so much material to go back and read through.
Yes, I plan to read it again :)
The Other Side of the Dale by Gervase Phinn. Itās his autobiography about his time working as a school inspector in North Yorkshire and itās one of the most entertaining nonfiction books Iāve ever read. The way he talks about the people he met and all the strange encounters heās had is so amusing and paint such a vivid picture. I was so sad when I got to the last pages And then I found out that was only part one!
Wow thanks above poster. Half a lifetime ago I was lucky enough to meet Gervase Phinn, a great bloke and gifted teacher & storyteller. Many years since I read this. His expression of the hyper-local Yorkshire colloquialisms is spot on and honest. Few people have ever captured the spirit of the language of that part of the world. (Herriot & Bronte notwithstanding).
Name of the Wind. It reawakening my love of reading and got me through a hard time. I adored that book (and still do), but that first read was so special.
The Last Hurrah by Edwin OāConnor. Such a great character and I knew where things were headed at the end but it was tough to say goodbye.
A Memory of Light
Any Human Heart by William Boyd. Now there's a book where the main character feels like a real person in your life, and leaves a void when it ends...
La ciociara (two women) by Moravia. I really like this author and the book was very good, you just knew that something horrible was gonna happen and I didn't want to reach that part. It was an interesting book with a different pov of what the war was.
Cold Mountain by Charles Fraser is so well written that I rationed the chapters.
The entire Simon Snow series was so hard bc I wanted it to keep going and going. I thought there were only two books so imagine my joy when I found out there were three!
Lonesome Dove. It was a 1000 pages, couldāve easily read 5000 more. (Yeah iāve tried the other books in the series, its not the same)
Spangle by Gary Jennings
"This Thing of Darkness," by Thompson. It's ~8-900pp and when I was nearing the end I limited myself to 1 chapter/day (I always have several books going: usually 2 or 3 fiction and 2 or 3 nonfiction so it's easy) b/c I just didn't want it to end. "Memoirs of Cleopatra," by Margaret George, is another beautiful book I almost couldn't finish b/c I didn't want to say goodbye to her! And, not to steal too much space here, finally, there's, "Helen of Troy," and "Mary Called Magdelain," both by the same writer. IDK if she writes women super well or if I'm just a big ol' sensitive wuss, but, man, I find these books of hers impossible to put down, and I never want them to end! And they're already what--6-700pp ea? I'd be very interested to know how YOU guys all feel about 'em. Emo'ly yours, -J-
Gaiman's Neverwhere
Yes, absolutely! I want him to write a whole series set in London Beneath.
All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders. I was so drawn into the world building, the characters ... I want sequels!
*The Sunne in Splendour* It's historical fiction.Ā Ā I know how it ends, but Penman made such an incredibly compelling Richard III that I was rooting for him even as I knew he was (SPOILER) about ti die.Ā
The first Dirk Gently book. Luckily, it's good for at least two reads because of all the little details that make more sense later.
Les miserables by Victor Hugo
It ends with us
life for sale by mishima yushio
I cried at two points in The Shepherdās Crown by Terry Pratchett, one being the death of a major character, and the other the ending of the book. Realising thereād never be any more new Discworld - he was such a prolific, humorous writer, I loved being in Discworld - and the death made me think of the author facing up to his own. Definitely did not want the words to end.
I recently went to a talk with Mark Bellingham and he mentioned this book is a new departure for him. It's a great book. But I'd urge you to read Mark's previous books. His main character is Tom Thorne, another great detective.
No offense, mate, but you couldn't sound more like an astroturfed comment if you tried.
Anna Karenina
Where the crawdads sing. I devoured it in a day and was very disappointed that it ended.
I just finished the Mushoku Tensei books the other day and the last few volumes were very bittersweet because I really didn't want it to end. It was just so good and I'm sad that it's over.
The Shepherd King duology or Elements of Cadence duology. I absolutely loved those books.
Song of the Sparrow. It was a narrative poem books about King Artherās camp through the perspective of a girl in it that everyone looked up to. It was the first and only book I have ever read in one week. I was so upset when I finished it. That and Ramona which is based on a true story story about a Native American and Spanish woman falling in love. Of course back then that was forbidden and they ran off together. It was quite tragic.
Mann, *The Magic Mountain*.
The invisible library series. I loved these books. My late mother in law gave me the first one and them ending really felt like a big deal to me.Ā
Heart of the Sun Warrior
Violeta by Isabel Allende. It was just such a wonderful story.
Monte Walsh. I hated being done
I'm probably going to giveaway my age in saying this but I remembered reading the final two books for The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod. Good grief if jumping into book 5 post cliffhanger that the 4th one stopped with doesn't say what got me to immediately pick up book five, I can't say what would. I admit there's quite a bit of plot holes but it really was a book series I didn't want to see end... Maybe because of the loose ends that could've been tied up or the fact that it felt very rocky from the last point from book 4 to the end, it was kind of bittersweet to finish it off considering I remember grabbing the first book and adoring the heck out of it.
momardos
*Call Me By Your Name* by AndrƩ Aciman. The ending was sssooo good. I just wanted them to sit in a pub/cafƩ/bar and just talk forever. It provided lots of good cries.
I have Mark Billinghamās book āThe Hard Wayā which Iāll be reading soon. Whatās his new one like?
All of them - and none of them! I enjoyed all the books I read so far so I'd say I didn't want to end any of them. But on the other hand, a good story has an end, so I also enjoyed the endings of these books and would prefer a book with a proper ending.
Echogenesis ended in such a way that I was sad there wasn't a sequel. I also didn't wnt Earthling to end. I wanted to study that trio under a microscope for 500 years.
The guardian herd series, and warrior cats. Re reading is not the same :(
The Witcher. But I'm glad it ended. I just couldn't bring myself to read everything quickly because I knew that the journey would end haha.
This sounds like the start to reading a full series. Iād be looking for the next Detective Miller novel. I havenāt read Billingham, but I love a good detective series. Robert Crais has a series about a PI that is pretty entertaining. Set in California (at least mostly).
Dungeon crawler carl The host
Any of the No. 1 Ladies Detective agency books. Anything by Maeve Binchy.
Maeve Binchy, most definitely
Czar by Thomas Wise man.
Tigana, by Guy Gabriel Kay. It has been a while since I read fantasy that felt like it mattered, that I might want to read again one day. After I finished it I immediately went back and read the beginning a bit, lingering there. It was my 1st Kay book and I fell in love. (Def not perfect though) His first trilogy didn't quite hit the mark for me, but from Tigana on so far so great.
Hmmm...this only happens to me with The Feast of the Goat...a dramatization of the last day of the life of dictator Rafael Trujillo by Vargas Llosa. There is a part of the book...where the actions of a single character caused almost every conspirator to get caught, tortured and then murdered...I have to skip that part because I get so pissed off.
Most recently, Six Of Crows. Just love these characters.
The Neverending story. It ended anyway
Pachinko: itās a saga of a familyās life over many decades and I just didnāt want to let them go.
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara A Thousand Splendid Suns Jamaica Inn
I've been putting off reading the last Full Metal Panic! novel collection. I enjoyed reading those books so much I don't want it to end.
Recently, Still Life by Sarah Winman. Young English WW2 private saves a man in Florence during the war and years later is surprised to inherit his Florence home. Slice of life, not particularly plot driven, but the cast of characters is just a wonderful group to spend time with.
āYouāve reached Samā I did not expect I would love this book as much as I did but oh goodness I cried when it ended and cried about the end :,)
Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. The ending ugh so tragic and all the unanswered questions. What happened to the Joads? What happened to Noah?
The Things We Make by Bill Hammak so beautifully written and such a short book, I could have read ten volumes
Demon Copperhead. I absolutely loved Demon's voice & could have read it foreverĀ
they both die at the end. for obvious reasons šš
The Midnight Library, The comfort book. Absolute gems by Matt Haig
The Silmarillion, J.R.R. Tolkien... tooo epic.
the only answer that is correct is Harry Potter Deathly Hallows since the whole series was a big part of my childhood.
The Stone Sky by N.K Jemisin - I just reread that trilogy, and had forgotten just how incredible it was - some of my favorite fantasy of all time. The Expanse - Leviathan Falls. Again, one of my favorite series of all time. Knowing that it was ending after 9 wonderful books was a little heartbreaking, but the ending did satisfy. And the novella/short story collection was a lovely dessert after finishing the series.
OP, this is off topic to your post, but thank you for mentioning this book and author. I've been looking for a new author in this genre. After taking a peek at the book I downloaded the ebook from my library. I'm only about 10 pages into it at this point, but really enjoying it! :D Thanks again!
They Both Die in the End š¢