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I'm thinking of reading The Godfather next. Well, actually audio book like I always do.

I'm a third Gen Italian American so it's almost required reading. But for some reason I'm concerned I won't enjoy it.

Reassure me: Is it a good book or was the movie better?
Should I pick the audio book that's a full cast recording (none of them famous or have names that end in vowels lol), or should I get the one read by Joe Mantegna?
 
I'm thinking of reading The Godfather next. Well, actually audio book like I always do.

I'm a third Gen Italian American so it's almost required reading. But for some reason I'm concerned I won't enjoy it.

Reassure me: Is it a good book or was the movie better?
Should I pick the audio book that's a full cast recording (none of them famous or have names that end in vowels lol), or should I get the one read by Joe Mantegna?

It is a terrific novel. What impressed me most was what a fantastic job Coppola did in bringing it to the screen. The novel and the film go beautifully together with the novel fleshing out the characters a little more. I'm not sure how to approach an audio version. You may have to try both out. With so many characters, I don't know that a single reader would be adequate.
 
One of the books that I reserved at the library came in earlier than expected, so it was up: "Dead Things" by Stephen Blackmoore. A bit of fantasy about a freelance necromancer returning to LA to solve the murder of his sister. It very much reminded me of the Felix Castor series by Mike Carey with a dash of Constantine.

Next up is "The Dirty Streets of Heaven" by Tad Williams
 
One of the books that I reserved at the library came in earlier than expected, so it was up: "Dead Things" by Stephen Blackmoore. A bit of fantasy about a freelance necromancer returning to LA to solve the murder of his sister. It very much reminded me of the Felix Castor series by Mike Carey with a dash of Constantine.

Next up is "The Dirty Streets of Heaven" by Tad Williams

Dirty Streets of Heaven is a fun read. I have to get around to reading books 2 & 3.
 
So... I went back and forth and decided I'm not ready to do The Godfather yet.

I picked up a new Star Wars book set between ANH and ESB, about Luke and his discovering who he is kinda story.But that's quick, light reading just for fun.

For all my buddies here who've talked about Brandon Sanderson and others into the epic fantasy, I was taking a hard look at Sandersons Mistborn series and the Stormlight Archive series. Both are rated with very high marks, and sound interesting. Epic reads/listens no doubt though, which scares me lol. The first Stormlight book, Way of Kings, is 45hrs long! Any of you guys read either of these and have any insights or mini reviews for me? :)
 
Keeping it really brief, just know that Mistborn is a completed trilogy while the Stormlight Archive might not be finished for a decade or two.

Every time Sanderson laces them up, I feel like he creates a new system of magic that has never existed.

The Mistborn trilogy is about a group of people who can ingest metal and burn that metal to give rise to unique powers (think pushing/pulling metal, the power of persuasion, increased strength, etc.). It gave me a little bit of a V for Vendetta vibe, and each of the books is under 600 pages.

The Stormlight Archive is Sanderson's baby, a huge, sprawling, epic series. The books are of the 1000 page variety, and it is hard to characterize the premise in a few words...but if you made me do it I would tell you to check the summary at the Sanderson website: http://brandonsanderson.com/books/the-stormlight-archive/the-way-of-kings/

Spoiler alert, he tells you that he also cannot describe this series in a few simple words.

If it was me, I would have you read Mistborn first. It is super solid and it has a conclusion. He is also releasing a couple books in a spin-off series later this year, so it is a good time to jump in.
 
Keeping it really brief, just know that Mistborn is a completed trilogy while the Stormlight Archive might not be finished for a decade or two.

Every time Sanderson laces them up, I feel like he creates a new system of magic that has never existed.

The Mistborn trilogy is about a group of people who can ingest metal and burn that metal to give rise to unique powers (think pushing/pulling metal, the power of persuasion, increased strength, etc.). It gave me a little bit of a V for Vendetta vibe, and each of the books is under 600 pages.

The Stormlight Archive is Sanderson's baby, a huge, sprawling, epic series. The books are of the 1000 page variety, and it is hard to characterize the premise in a few words...but if you made me do it I would tell you to check the summary at the Sanderson website: http://brandonsanderson.com/books/the-stormlight-archive/the-way-of-kings/

Spoiler alert, he tells you that he also cannot describe this series in a few simple words.

If it was me, I would have you read Mistborn first. It is super solid and it has a conclusion. He is also releasing a couple books in a spin-off series later this year, so it is a good time to jump in.

Thanks as always, RJ! That does help paint a bit of a better picture of it, at least in the area of reinforcing its epicness lol. My first inclination was to go Mistborn first, so I'll take your advice on my next book pick. I haven't really dove into epic fantasy like this before. As a kid, I read a few of the Pern novels, obviously not quite the same but on the same track, and a year or so ago got through 1.5 books of the Game of Thrones series. That one too isn't as "epic" as these appear, and I found I liked the show better haha! So, this will be a big jump but I am definitely fascinated to take it.

BTW, I've installed Unity but haven't played more than an hour lately. I'm finding myself with other things to do instead of game. But I'm not going to flake out on your offer, man! May just take a while to get to it lol
 
I'm thinking of reading The Godfather next. Well, actually audio book like I always do.

I'm a third Gen Italian American so it's almost required reading. But for some reason I'm concerned I won't enjoy it.

Reassure me: Is it a good book or was the movie better?
Should I pick the audio book that's a full cast recording (none of them famous or have names that end in vowels lol), or should I get the one read by Joe Mantegna?

It has been a long time since I read the book, but I thought it was pretty good. In many ways the book is always better, but here we are talking about a top five movie of all time. Based on my recollection, the movie is a much better movie than the book is a book.

I listen to Audible books a lot. I would usually go with the single reader. I find the group efforts a little distracting, but I rarely listen to a group effort, so that may be the thing. I also have no idea how good a reader Mantegna is. If this is through audible.com, I would see how folks rate the "readers."
 
I agree with RJ's summation on Sanderson's two series. Read Mistborn first, if you like the series, The Stormlight Archives is even better. Again, only books 1 & 2 in a projected 10 book series have been released.

Some other epic fantasy series to consider are:

The Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson (10 books - completed)
The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan (14 books - completed with the last 3 written by Sanderson after Jordan passed away).
 
I had look at the respective reviews of the audio versions of The Godfather--full cast versus Joe Mantegna as "narrators." Reviews seem highly favorable for each, with some folks being distracted by the "announcer" in the full cast version. I also noticed that the full cast version is hours shorter than the Mantegna version.

It must be a better book than I had recalled, too. Reviews are truly highly favorable, with some feeling the book is dated.
 
I had look at the respective reviews of the audio versions of The Godfather--full cast versus Joe Mantegna as "narrators." Reviews seem highly favorable for each, with some folks being distracted by the "announcer" in the full cast version. I also noticed that the full cast version is hours shorter than the Mantegna version.

It must be a better book than I had recalled, too. Reviews are truly highly favorable, with some feeling the book is dated.

Thanks Rob! Nice to have a fellow Audible guy here :) I read a lot of those reviews too, and I was a little surprised at how well it's liked. Not having read it, of course, I can't say if I agree or disagree. But its rare a book leans so far to one side, especially on Audible. I listened to the samples too, which I only really do if I'm torn on choosing a book. The sample is of pretty much the same part of the book. My take was the cast narration was a little jarring to go between narrator (who is pretty bad IMO) and the separate actors. Joe reads it pretty well and fluid, which I think is more enjoyable. So I'd probably take his version. But that is weird, I agree, that his is almost 4 hrs longer!
 
I agree with RJ's summation on Sanderson's two series. Read Mistborn first, if you like the series, The Stormlight Archives is even better. Again, only books 1 & 2 in a projected 10 book series have been released.

Some other epic fantasy series to consider are:

The Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson (10 books - completed)
The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan (14 books - completed with the last 3 written by Sanderson after Jordan passed away).

Thanks Frank! Based on how many of you guys hear have and are reading Wheel of Time, it must be worth a try. I remember seeing those books on the shelves back when I was about 14 and thinking they must be interesting, but too intimidated to give it a try :)

But Sanderson is going for 10 books in Stormlight? Wow, that is truly epic!
 
It must be a better book than I had recalled, too. Reviews are truly highly favorable, with some feeling the book is dated.

I don't think so. I believe your first impression was correct... "the movie is a much better movie than the book is a book". I agree. I liked the book when I first read it and found it shocking, I suppose many of us did in the 70s. We weren't as jaded then. I read it again a couple of years ago and thought it didn't age that well. I suppose that impression agrees with the "dated" comments. Anyway, I prefer the movie in this instance (one of the few, maybe the only one). Don't get me wrong, the book isn't terrible but it isn't the classic the movie is.
 
I am very into Audible.

Thanks for the feedback. Glad to know my memory is not that off. I have seen Godfather I and II a fair number of times. To me they are fabulous movies. Utterly convincing. Universe creating.
 
Something interesting I learned about The Godfather and Mario Puzo.

I watched a PBS special recently called The Italian Americans. Very neat show. They had a small section on Puzo, and is impact an Italian American writer. Story goes, that he wrote 2 novels prior to The Godfather that were considered very well written, artistic literary works, that pretty much flopped. Feeling somewhat discouraged, and a little indignant, he decided he was going to throw his artistic writing abilities out the window and write a fluff piece, something to appease and shock the masses less interested in true literature. What he came up with, was The Godfather. He knew it had potential to be just what he thought it was, but no idea it'd be as big as it was. But that didn't stop him rolling in the success of it all. Pretty interesting!
 
I started Jim Cline's The Libriomancer.

Isaac Vainio is a Libriomancer, a member of the secret organization founded five centuries ago by Johannes Gutenberg. Libriomancers are gifted with the ability to magically reach into books and draw forth objects. When Isaac is attacked by vampires that leaked from the pages of books into our world, he barely manages to escape. To his horror he discovers that vampires have been attacking other magic-users as well, and Gutenberg has been kidnapped.

With the help of a motorcycle-riding dryad who packs a pair of oak cudgels, Isaac finds himself hunting the unknown dark power that has been manipulating humans and vampires alike. And his search will uncover dangerous secrets about Libriomancy, Gutenberg, and the history of magic. . . .

Looks like a light-hearted, fun read.
 
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