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Whoa that’s a lot of long fantasy books 😂

Happy New Year to you too 🎉 Sometimes things just got to give!

All made sense to me. Much more structured and planned out than I do, but it make sense when you have lots of series (especially zillion page ones haha) that you want to finish

This is why I like shorter books lol. 😃 Not cutting anything out as far as I know but I am sort of a month by month planner so I'm don't have my books planned for all year to know if something won't make the cut.

I’ve been wanting to read more Discworld and Blackwater as well, but as Logen Ninefingers would say, you have to be realistic about these things 😂

Nothing as far as taking books off my TBR. I'm currently trying to do the 'Read What You Own' challenge. It's my hope to read all my unread books before purchasing any more.

I personally would love to get my hands on the Blackwater books, love Michael McDowell. Hope you have a spectacular 2025 mate! 📚

I might try to read Earthsea, I have the first four or five books in one collection. As I'm reading Song of Ice and Fire, I don't really want to read another fantasy series, in case I get confused but I think it will be alright. Or I might continue with the Sandman Slim series.

Sometimes I feel that with these older published books, that someone should go through them and maybe update them "to the times" a bit.. re-publish as a sort of new translation kind of thing. Some "old" books are quite hard to get through. Really enjoyed that you compared it to the movie as well!

Nice!! A little piano jazz for your opening! 👍🏻I think my husband just finished this one, he has been reading all the Bond books this last year.

Cliff will be disappointed if you don’t love Swan Song 😂 I hope your Malazan journey ends on a 5 star!

Man, I just finished this. The premise was amazing and the first 20-30 pages were priming up to be really really good…but it kind of fell flat. I still enjoyed it but man, the potential that was possible here was going to be very high for me, but it didn’t quite execute.

Happy New Year, AL! 🎊 Anna Karenina is amazing! I still need to read Swan Song.

Malazan better be 5 stars after that many pages haha

Glad you're reading The Man in the High Castle, that's also on my reading list. PKD hasn't let me down yet - Ubik and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep were both 5 star reads for me

I only try to read 5 star books! 🤪 My biggest 5 star surprise of 2024 was Electric Forest by Tanith Lee! Vintage science fiction circa 1979, a precursor to Gibson’s Neuromancer. It is very short too.

That Malazan book is just a ridiculous length!😉

Nice yo see Poe popping his head around the corner. Great list Al, Roadside Picnic had such an affect on me I'm hoping to fit in a reread this year.

I was tagged for this and wanted to have a look at the original. Nicely done tag; lots of fun. I was hooked into reading that Malazan series several years back. You could well nigh use those suckers as cinder blocks! Thanks for creating the tag, and all the best with your 2025 reading!

Even I didn't like Night of Knives much, but the lore in it is extremely helpful for enhancing the reading experience of The Bonehunters. Which is why I always suggest people to read this before Bonehunters. Esslemont gets little better in Return of the Crimson Guard, but even that has its issues. From Stonewielder, Esslemont finds his style and rhythm, and the next books are fantastic.

I am begging you Big Al to change your intro music, it does not reflect you and your brilliant accent! It sounds more like it would belong in the Clockwork Orange soundtrack or a funeral parlor!

Time Machine woo! Great story, hope you enjoy it:)

Wow, so many people tackle giant books in 2025. Good luck and hope you get to them all!

Lots of big books here - best of luck and Happy New Year!

Solid Plans Mate. Those are some thick, chunky books. I am sure you will love Swan Song. I definitely have plans to read Joe Abercrombie. Bring on spooky season, the most wonderful time of the year. 😁 Hope you have a great 2025!

Some really interesting plans there. Let me know when you're hitting Neuromancer and High Castle as I'd love an excuse to read them again and then maybe we could talk nonsense about them as well 😅

Very good goals with setting deadlines for giant series for sure and also adding in some classics and stuff too! Good luck!

I haven’t started my Malazan journey yet, but I wish you well. The Heroes is so good! Godspeed, my friend.

So many chunky books!! Hope you have a great year. 🎉

That…is a lot! Hit Malazan hard! Good luck, my friend.

I'm looking forward to Gai Jin. It is one of two Clavell books I haven't read yet, the other being Whirlwind. Roger Ackyrord is my favorite Christie novel partly because it is the only one I figured out before the reveal. Lonesome Dove is one of my favorite books of all time. It blew me away. Excellent list. Well done.

Impressive line up. You will love Swan Song. My plan is to read 15 chunkers (min. 600 pages each), plus 35 other books for a total of 50. (I'm a slow reader).😊

I’ve got 3 books of Malazan left, and I’ve agreed to do a Dandelion Dynasty read along in 2025. Those combined will realistically eat up nearly a third of reading for the year 😐

Yes the Crown of Swords! Yes the Tower of the Swallow! Yes the Golden Fool, Yes the Heroes! Yes the Time Machine!

Love how you fearlessly go for Classic after Classic, Al! 🙌Also, best of luck with «Malazan»! My January TBR/MBR List: «After Rome» by Morgan Llywelyn (Historical Fiction set after the Roman Withdrawal from Britain) «Cort Adeler» by Ole Henrik Gjeruldsen (Historical Biography about the 17th Century Norwegian Mercenary and Highly Decorated Admiral for the Venetian Navy) «Anitra» by Hilde Susan Jægtnes (History Fiction, about an imagined granddaughter of the Composer Edvard Grieg living in Fascist Rome, torn between her creative dreams of creating a Mythological Grand Opera with the support of the totalitarian regime and her lesbian love for a Jewish musician…) «Alamut» by Vladimir Bartol (Philosophical Historical Fiction, set among the Order of Assassins Sect during the Crusades, with parallels to the growth of Fascism in Bartol’s own 1930s) «Hengist» by Sean Poage (Historical Fiction Novella, set during the Anglo-Saxon Invasion of Britain) «All the Horses on Iceland» by Sarah Tolmie (Historical Fiction/Fantasy Novella about an Medieval Icelander’s Fantastical Journey to Central Asia) My February TBR/MBR: «Carthage Ascendant» by Mary Gentle (Book of Ash #2, Alt-Historical Military Fiction inspired by the Mercenary Wars of the Renaissance) «Mannen som bar solen» («The Man Who Carried The Sun») by Kristian Bang Foss (Historical Fiction set in the Nordic Bronze Age) «The Lion & the Sword» (90s Fantasy inspired by Alexander the Great’s Conquest of Greece) by Roberta Cray Collection of the writings of Seneca, the Roman Stoic Philosopher (and assassinated tutor of Emperor Nero) «Informocracy» by Malka Older (Cyberpunk) «Brothers of the Wind» by Tad Williams (Prequel to «Memory, Sorrow & Thorn», Epic Fantasy) «Leviathan Falls» by James SA Corey («The Expanse» #9, Space Opera) «Bloodstone» & «Dark Crusade» by Karl Edward Wagner (Both in the «Kane» series, S&S/Proto-Grimdark) «Lancelot» by Giles Kristian (Arthurian Fantasy/Historical Fiction) My Spring TBR: «The Children of Gods and Fighting Men» by Shauna Lawless (Historical Fantasy set in Viking Age Ireland) «Sun Eater» 3-6: «Demon in White», «Kingdoms of Death», «Ashes of Men» & «Disquiet Gods» (+ the short stories) by Christopher Ruocchio (Space Opera) «Pompeii» by Robert Harris (Historical Fiction Thriller based on the days leading to the Eruption of Vesuvius, with inspiration from «Chinatown») «Menewood» by Nicola Griffith (Historical Fiction about an Anglo Saxon Nun and future Saint, sequel of «Hild») «The Blood Dimmed Tide» by Stephen Aryan (Historical Fantasy inspired by the Mongol Conquest of Persia) «Firelord» by Parke Godwin (Arthurian Historical Fiction) «Navola» by Paolo Bacigalupi (Political Fantasy inspired by Renaissance Italy & «The Godfather») «Women of Troy» by Pat Barker (Historical Fiction take on the Iliad, from the perspective of Achilles’ and Agamemnon’s «War Bride» Briseis) «The Crystal Cave» by Mary Stewart (Arthurian Fantasy from the perspective of Merlin) «The Folding Knife» by KJ Parker (Political Fantasy) «The Wolf Den» by Elodie Harper (Historical Fiction set in the, eh, «Red Light District» of Ancient Pompeii😅) «The Bright Sword» by Lev Grossman (Arthurian Fantasy) «Augustus» by John Williams (Epistolary Historical Fiction about the Eponymous Roman Emperor’s Life) And I plan to start on the «Aspect Emperor» series by R. Scott Bakker (Epic Dark/Grimdark Fantasy, sequel series to «The Prince of Nothing») and «The Last King of Osten Ard» by Tad Williams (Sequel to «Memory, Sorrow & Thorn», Epic Fantasy) this Summer and finish them in the Autumn! Cheers Al! 😎🙌

Happy Reading and Happy New Year!!! ✌️🙂

I didn't put much on my TBR to allow for mood reading. I am continuing my reread of The Dresden Files as I am reading them with a friend who hasn't read the series. We are on Proven Guilty so excited to continue that, they are my fluff reads lol.

I have that Conan edition, nice selection!

«Conan»! 🙌😎 My January TBR/MBR List: «After Rome» by Morgan Llywelyn (Historical Fiction set after the Roman Withdrawal from Britain) «Cort Adeler» by Ole Henrik Gjeruldsen (Historical Biography about the 17th Century Norwegian Mercenary and Highly Decorated Admiral for the Venetian Navy) «Anitra» by Hilde Susan Jægtnes (Historical Fiction, about an imagined granddaughter of the Composer Edvard Grieg living in Fascist Rome, torn between her creative dreams of creating a Mythological Grand Opera with the support of the totalitarian regime and her lesbian love for a Jewish musician…) «Leviathan Falls» by James SA Corey («The Expanse» #9, Space Opera) «The Lion & the Sword» (90s Fantasy inspired by Alexander the Great’s Conquest of Greece) by Roberta Cray «The Children of Gods and Fighting Men» by Shauna Lawless (Historical Fantasy set in Viking Age Ireland) «Alamut» by Vladimir Bartol (Philosophical Historical Fiction, set among the Order of Assassins Sect during the Crusades, with parallels to the growth of Fascism in Bartol’s own 1930s) «Mannen som bar solen» («The Man Who Carried The Sun») by Kristian Bang Foss (Historical Fiction set in the Nordic Bronze Age) «Hengist» by Sean Poage (Historical Fiction Novella, set during the Anglo-Saxon Invasion of Britain) «All the Horses on Iceland» by Sarah Tolmie (Historical Fiction/Fantasy Novella about an Medieval Icelander’s Fantastical Journey to Central Asia) Collection of the writings of Seneca, the Roman Stoic Philosopher (and assassinated tutor of Emperor Nero) Cheers Big Al & a Happy New Year!😊

I’m going to try out the first Malazan book in January. Also The Curse of the Mistwraith by Janny Wurts. 2025 is going to be an epic reading year 🔥

Hope you have a kick ass 2025 mate! 📚 James Clavell is awesome. My super-friendly advise... stop worrying about page count and stuff in videos. Talk books! Hope you have a wonderful 2025! 📚

My Jan tbr Twilight(dumb i know..😅) Wind and truth The hobbit and lotr The terror by Dan Simmons East of eden

I love all your Witcher love!! Baptism of Fire is on my 5 star read list, Tower of the Swallow is close to 5 star read as well! Did I tell you about the podcast The Witcher ETL Book Club already? These episodes are better than re-reading the book!

Big Al, I think your opening music is very depressing and horror like. For the new year I think you should replace it with something more upbeat!

The Roger Ackroyd is a good one! I would have been more blown away but it got spoiled for me in a movie. ☹️ Love watching top tens when people read just new books, I don't get the same books over and over lol.

I read this years ago and i enjoyed it to some extent, never fancied continuing the series. Glad you had fun with it:)

Nice to see a Christie in that list 🎉🎉

An excellent list mate! The Pit and The Pendulum is my favorite Poe story. I definitely want to read Best Served Cold as well as Lonesome Dove next year. Hope you have an even better 2025 my friend!

Enjoyed seeing your top faves! Roadside Picnic and Electric Sheep are so good. I’ve wanted to read Monte Cristo but -well it’s so long 😫

This is some list!