That Rick character… I think he’s been breathing in that whipped cream. One of these days I’ll read Empire of Silence. Thanks for the thoughts on Dark Town. I know what you mean about classes. Dark Town is pretty soft in that regard. Dwell vs reflect. Good advice. Thanks!! ❤ -Palmer
I mostly stuck to reading comics in July, just needed a change of pace and I just missed reading comics, especially Image Comics. I read: *Comics* Invincible Volume 1 Written by Robert Kirkman | Art by Cory Walker - I used to be a HUGE Walking Dead fan but as a kid and teenager I always preferred what I had read of Invincible. Jupiter's Legacy Volumes 1 & 2 Written by Mark Millar | Art by Wilfredo Torres - A lot of modern Millar reads like a film pitch but not this. It's mature but not as edgy as a lot of his creator-owned superhero stuff tends to be. Kick-Ass Volume 1 (re-read) Written by Mark Millar | Art by John Romita JR - A bit of a miss for me on re-read. JRJR's art is already an acquired taste but just doesn't do it for me anymore. Nailbiter Volume 1 (re-read) Written by Joshua Williamson | Art by Mike Henderson - I dunno what I was doing when I originally read this because I will definitely be trying to get to the next volume sooner than later. Saga Volume 1 (re-read) Written by Brian K Vaughan | Art by Fiona Staples - My favourite ongoing comic and I am YEARS behind 😅 Scott Pilgrim Volumes 1 - 2 (re-read) Written & Drawn By Bryan Lee O'Malley Sin City 1: The Hard Goodbye (re-read) Written & Drawn By Frank Miller - Visually speaking, Sin City is a treat. The use of negative space, shadows and caricature is breathtaking, I'm surprised how well this translated to film. The depictions of women is questionable tho. The Boys Volume 1 (re-read) Written by Garth Ennis | Art by Darick Robertson *Historical-Fantasy* The Last Light of the Sun / Guy Gavriel Kay - Underrated. Carried over from June. *Thriller* Winter of Frankie Machine / Don Winslow - Looking forward to reading more Winslow! Carried over from June I'm currently in the middle of too many books 😅: *Grimdark Fantasy* Aspect-Emperor 2: White-luck Warrior (re-read) - As mind blowing as Bakker was on first read, the re-reads (so far) have been twice as impactful. The Blood Meridian inspiration is very prominent, and I like what Bakker does with it infinity better NGL. My priority read atm. *Historical-Fantasy* A Song for Arbonne / Guy Gavriel Kay *Sci-Fi* Cloud Atlas / David Mitchell - I'm not wild about the short story approach in SFF so I've been taking my time with it but so far it's gotten much better. Just finished the 4th story so I'm gonna put a temporary pause and read something else, preferably also Sci-Fi. *Western* Streets of Laredo / Larry McMurtry - It's great to be back with some of the Lonesome Dove crew.
I ought to get back to comics. You'll have to let me know what you think of Cloud Atlas when you finish. I'm looking forward to A Song for Arbonne this fall. I totally understand about keeping things lighter for the month, just as I did myself!
Hooray for then return of the intro! This wasn't too long at all Brian. You're one of those guys who keep viewers entertained from beginning to end. Great OFTR! Reflect and not dwell is a philosophy we all can adopt some times.
Heeeck yes for the return of the intro!! Glad you had such a wonderful month :) I have yet to read Never Die, but I have loved all of Rob J Hayes' books so I have no doubts I will enjoy that one as well! And Dark Town sounds right up my alley, hope to check it out soon. My book of the month is a toss-up between The Undertaking of Hart & Mercy by Megan Bannen and The Knife of Sorrows by EJ Doble (complete opposite ends of the fantasy spectrum). Hope August treats you well, happy reading 🥰
Will definitely get to «All the Horses» within this or next month! Also: Rick is always welcome, and that is a fact! 🎹🎶⚡️😄 In July I read: «The Stone of Farewell» (Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, #2) by Tad Williams (Epic Fantasy, a key influence for George R. R. Martin's « A Song of Ice and Fire») «Tiamat's Wrath» (The Expanse, #8) by James S.A. Corey (Space opera) «The Warrior Prophet» (The Prince of Nothing #2) by R. Scott Bakker (Grimdark/Dark Epic Fantasy inspired by the Crusades, Silmarillion & Dune) I really have a hard time picking my July book of the month between «The Stone of Farewell» & «The Warrior Prophet»!😅
You always have the best special guests, I don't know how you do it! And no lions? I mean, come on! I think I'll squeeze in book 4 (Kingdoms of Death) of Sueater at the end of this month or shortly thereafter. Can't wait to get fully caught up on that series!
Wow, Rick Thunder coming in hot and asking the real questions. Where are the lions, Guy? Where are they?! I read some good books this month, none particularly great (except for rereads of Piranesi and Annihilation, which still hold up and remain favorites). But out of new reads, I suppose N.P. by Banana Yoshimoto is the highlight. And if I'd finished Curse of the Mistwraith in July, that would have easily taken book of the month; as it is, I'm almost finished with it.
Wow!! GGK does not have much magic in Lions but he writes like a Harry Houdini or David Copperfield. His writing technique felt like a magic show. Are his other novels like that? So glad you enjoyed Outlaw, Robin in this book had the RIZZ!
@@heidi6281 for the most part yes. Tigana is the most fantastical of his standalones I've read and the others vary but usually not by much, they're much more akin to Lions a lot of the time.
I've recommended your LitRPG commentary to a talented friend who is interested in writing in the genre. Also, you ask what's up with the Reddi-Whip cans? They are an aesthetic and mise en scene consideration for the camera. The cans' colors match Rick's shirt and jacket, and he is positioned in line with them....yet "pops" to the foreground via his placement, kinesis, and physical presence. Something like when Robert Downey, Jr. walked out from all those other Doctor Dooms at Comi-Con last week. Dra-mah!
Excellent! Finally someone understands Rick's team when they come do setup. And Thank You for the compliment to recommend the things I mention about LitRPG to an interested author. Super cool!
July was a really good reading month for me. I did have 3 one-star reads and 1 two-star read, but I had 8 (!) five-star reads. I think my favorite was The Wizard's Butler, by Nathan Lowell. It won't be for everyone, because Lowell's style is very different from most SF&F authors. But it might be _my_ favorite book of the year so far. 36 novels, mean Goodreads score: 3.71 The other five-star books: Dream Town (Eve Ronin 5), Lee Goldberg South Coast (Shaman’s Tales 1), Nathan Lowell First Frost (Walt Longmire 20), Craig Johnson Iron Prince (Warformed: Stormweaver 1), Bryce O’Connor Fire and Song (Warformed: Stormweaver 2), Bryce O’Connor (those two ate an entire weekend, and it was great) The Secret Servant (Gabriel Allon 7), Daniel Silva The Zero Equation (Zero Enigma 3), Christopher G. Nuttall
I guess dropping the intro didn't matter much? Not surprised, lol. Sounds like you had just a fun month in general. I really need to check out Sun Eater at some point. Before the next book comes out.
I did see a substantial retention spike after dropping the intro. What I don't know though is whether or not it's just that I'm improving as a booktuber or if it was the intro itself. So I'm bringing it back for a minute to test that part out.
July fiction reading - The Hunters of Vermin - mediocre novela prequel to a fun space opera series (H. Paul Honsinger's Man of War) The Circus of Dr Lao - too plotless for me (which makes the obviously grafted-on center plot of the movie an improvement), but must have been positively psychedelic in 1935 FR10 The Bloodstone Lands - one of the stronger early Forgotten Realms sourcebooks.
@@BrianBell7 Note that this is a *sourcebook*, not a novel; it's what DMs read as part of campaign prep/ideas. The Circus of Dr. Lao was turned into the 1964 movie The Seven Faces of Dr Lao staring Tony Randall and Barbara Eden.
I need to give it another try. I made it halfway through book one and was bored. But I hear that’s common. Tons of people have it as their favorite LitRPG series.
@@BrianBell7 The new character did seem just thrown in and then left behind...so yeah, that was part of it...not sure how I like how all of sudden he now has these "people" who now follow him as a leader...also, just overall everything seems samey, like i'm ready for things to move along I guess...not really sure...samey, but what new things there were, just didn't hit for me....not that any of it was bad, but meh.
COMMENTS! I love them! Let me know below what you read in July and what was YOUR Book of the Month?!
Best intro on booktube!
Wow, thanks!
Suneater is definitely on my TBR... but so are so many things! Lol. I will be excited to get to it eventually.
Right?! It's total FOMO all-around.. Pick this series, miss another. You'll get to it sooner or later!!
Let’s just take a moment to thank Rick Thunder for donating his time beyond the first 5 seconds. What a philanthropist
It's always a gamble. Time moves differently in his perceptions. But I will pass along your appreciation if he remembers doing this video.
That Rick character… I think he’s been breathing in that whipped cream. One of these days I’ll read Empire of Silence. Thanks for the thoughts on Dark Town. I know what you mean about classes. Dark Town is pretty soft in that regard. Dwell vs reflect. Good advice. Thanks!! ❤ -Palmer
Thank you for the awesome book!
Yay the intro is back. Feels right.
I'm still experimenting a little with when it will be there, but so far people seem to still like it!
I mostly stuck to reading comics in July, just needed a change of pace and I just missed reading comics, especially Image Comics. I read:
*Comics*
Invincible Volume 1
Written by Robert Kirkman | Art by Cory Walker
- I used to be a HUGE Walking Dead fan but as a kid and teenager I always preferred what I had read of Invincible.
Jupiter's Legacy Volumes 1 & 2
Written by Mark Millar | Art by Wilfredo Torres
- A lot of modern Millar reads like a film pitch but not this. It's mature but not as edgy as a lot of his creator-owned superhero stuff tends to be.
Kick-Ass Volume 1 (re-read)
Written by Mark Millar | Art by John Romita JR
- A bit of a miss for me on re-read. JRJR's art is already an acquired taste but just doesn't do it for me anymore.
Nailbiter Volume 1 (re-read)
Written by Joshua Williamson | Art by Mike Henderson
- I dunno what I was doing when I originally read this because I will definitely be trying to get to the next volume sooner than later.
Saga Volume 1 (re-read)
Written by Brian K Vaughan | Art by Fiona Staples
- My favourite ongoing comic and I am YEARS behind 😅
Scott Pilgrim Volumes 1 - 2 (re-read)
Written & Drawn By Bryan Lee O'Malley
Sin City 1: The Hard Goodbye (re-read)
Written & Drawn By Frank Miller
- Visually speaking, Sin City is a treat. The use of negative space, shadows and caricature is breathtaking, I'm surprised how well this translated to film. The depictions of women is questionable tho.
The Boys Volume 1 (re-read)
Written by Garth Ennis | Art by Darick Robertson
*Historical-Fantasy*
The Last Light of the Sun / Guy Gavriel Kay
- Underrated. Carried over from June.
*Thriller*
Winter of Frankie Machine / Don Winslow
- Looking forward to reading more Winslow! Carried over from June
I'm currently in the middle of too many books 😅:
*Grimdark Fantasy*
Aspect-Emperor 2: White-luck Warrior (re-read)
- As mind blowing as Bakker was on first read, the re-reads (so far) have been twice as impactful. The Blood Meridian inspiration is very prominent, and I like what Bakker does with it infinity better NGL. My priority read atm.
*Historical-Fantasy*
A Song for Arbonne / Guy Gavriel Kay
*Sci-Fi*
Cloud Atlas / David Mitchell
- I'm not wild about the short story approach in SFF so I've been taking my time with it but so far it's gotten much better. Just finished the 4th story so I'm gonna put a temporary pause and read something else, preferably also Sci-Fi.
*Western*
Streets of Laredo / Larry McMurtry
- It's great to be back with some of the Lonesome Dove crew.
I ought to get back to comics. You'll have to let me know what you think of Cloud Atlas when you finish. I'm looking forward to A Song for Arbonne this fall. I totally understand about keeping things lighter for the month, just as I did myself!
Wooo glad you were rockin again with Sun Eater in Disquiet Gods, so much awesome stuff in there. This finale is gonna be absolutely nuts.
Totally. I’m hoping that in the final book we get a little “real time” going on instead of just memoir.
But that’s just a hope. It can’t just end where he seems to be writing the story
@@BrianBell7 yeah I’m so curious about getting more present day stuff
Intro looked great
Thanks!!
Hooray for then return of the intro! This wasn't too long at all Brian. You're one of those guys who keep viewers entertained from beginning to end. Great OFTR! Reflect and not dwell is a philosophy we all can adopt some times.
Thanks, Dark-O! It seems like lots of people like the Return of the Intro! :) I appreciate the compliments greatly.
Yay!! The intro is back!!! nice to see Rick Thunder :) and a great one for the road - reflection over dwelling helps to live in the present moment.
I'm glad you liked it all! Thanks, Elaine!
The classic intro is back
YES! (at least for this video). Still experimenting if I want to do it every video or just monthly updates.
Heeeck yes for the return of the intro!! Glad you had such a wonderful month :)
I have yet to read Never Die, but I have loved all of Rob J Hayes' books so I have no doubts I will enjoy that one as well! And Dark Town sounds right up my alley, hope to check it out soon.
My book of the month is a toss-up between The Undertaking of Hart & Mercy by Megan Bannen and The Knife of Sorrows by EJ Doble (complete opposite ends of the fantasy spectrum). Hope August treats you well, happy reading 🥰
I’m glad you like that I brought it back :) I’ve not read either of your two contenders for your book of the month, but I will look them up!
@@BrianBell7 Happy to hear that! I think especially E.J. Doble's series could be something you love!
Jumping onto the Suneater train next year, already have some of the books ready to go. Loving Rich Thunder, and that's a fact
He's entirely something unique here on BookTube!
I hope your August is as fine a reading month as July!
Thank you!
Will definitely get to «All the Horses» within this or next month!
Also: Rick is always welcome, and that is a fact! 🎹🎶⚡️😄
In July I read:
«The Stone of Farewell» (Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, #2) by Tad Williams (Epic Fantasy, a key influence for George R. R. Martin's « A Song of Ice and Fire»)
«Tiamat's Wrath» (The Expanse, #8) by James S.A. Corey (Space opera)
«The Warrior Prophet» (The Prince of Nothing #2) by R. Scott Bakker (Grimdark/Dark Epic Fantasy inspired by the Crusades, Silmarillion & Dune)
I really have a hard time picking my July book of the month between «The Stone of Farewell» & «The Warrior Prophet»!😅
Williams and Bakker remain serious gaps in my reading... Hard to fit in though with Erikson and Wurts on the horizon.
You always have the best special guests, I don't know how you do it!
And no lions? I mean, come on!
I think I'll squeeze in book 4 (Kingdoms of Death) of Sueater at the end of this month or shortly thereafter. Can't wait to get fully caught up on that series!
BellTube is a highly-demanded show for past-their-prime Special Guests to resurrect their careers.
I'm so sad Rick didn't like The Lions of Al-Rassan, but I'm glad you enjoyed everything you read! Nice discussion about reflection ☺️
Same here. But he's a very literal person and if you promise him lions, he's going to want lions. Glad you liked the One For The Road :)
The Black Coast by Mike Brooks was my favorite read of July!
Loved hearing your thoughts on the books you read!
Thanks so much, Maeve! Your channel rocks and I'm telling friends about it!
@@BrianBell7 Thank you!! I appreciate that so much!
Beauty month, Brian! Thanks for the reminder to get back to Rob J. Hayes…AND RUOCCHIO.
Brian, I have too many books to read 😅😅
Same here.. same here… but we shall persevere and leave no great book unread!! And find the One Ring. And kill Voldemort. We’ll get it all done.
Love that intro !!!!
thanks! kind of missed it! who knows moving forward...
Great video Brian! Glad to see Rick Thunder back. 😂 I definitely need to get on the Suneater train.
We have room for you on the train!!
Wow, Rick Thunder coming in hot and asking the real questions. Where are the lions, Guy? Where are they?!
I read some good books this month, none particularly great (except for rereads of Piranesi and Annihilation, which still hold up and remain favorites). But out of new reads, I suppose N.P. by Banana Yoshimoto is the highlight. And if I'd finished Curse of the Mistwraith in July, that would have easily taken book of the month; as it is, I'm almost finished with it.
Very cool! I can’t wait to start Wars of Light and Shadow! Right?! No lions!!
Reminds me I have to start Suneater! This fall for sure.
100% yes!
It’s excellent!! I highly recommend it. Has a lot of action, a lot to think about and is a fantastic series.
Wow!! GGK does not have much magic in Lions but he writes like a Harry Houdini or David Copperfield. His writing technique felt like a magic show. Are his other novels like that?
So glad you enjoyed Outlaw, Robin in this book had the RIZZ!
GGK is amazing. Tigana has more magic than Lions for sure. I'm reading A Song for Arbonne next in my GGK journey. Yes for Robin Hood! and Alan Dale!
@@heidi6281 for the most part yes. Tigana is the most fantastical of his standalones I've read and the others vary but usually not by much, they're much more akin to Lions a lot of the time.
I've recommended your LitRPG commentary to a talented friend who is interested in writing in the genre. Also, you ask what's up with the Reddi-Whip cans? They are an aesthetic and mise en scene consideration for the camera. The cans' colors match Rick's shirt and jacket, and he is positioned in line with them....yet "pops" to the foreground via his placement, kinesis, and physical presence. Something like when Robert Downey, Jr. walked out from all those other Doctor Dooms at Comi-Con last week. Dra-mah!
Excellent! Finally someone understands Rick's team when they come do setup. And Thank You for the compliment to recommend the things I mention about LitRPG to an interested author. Super cool!
Jade Legacy,Winter's Heart,Empire of the Vampire.
Favourite book: Empire of the Vampire :)
That's a stacked month! I haven't read Kristoff yet but he's on TBR Mountain.
@@BrianBell7 Kristoff is The perfect combination of Rothfuss,Gwynne and Abercrombie 😊
Rick Thunder returns!
that's a fact!
Intro is back. Yeeah 🎉👍😀
I thought you'd might like that!
I really love you intro 🤗
Riicckkkk Thunddeerr!! Lets gooo!! 🤘🏼🤘🏼
FWIW, long form stuff like For Whom the Bell tolls is my favourite booktube content 😊
He’s unpredictable but adds his own brand of lunacy! And yeah, I’m really surprised how well the start up long form interview has gone so far!
July was a really good reading month for me. I did have 3 one-star reads and 1 two-star read, but I had 8 (!) five-star reads.
I think my favorite was The Wizard's Butler, by Nathan Lowell. It won't be for everyone, because Lowell's style is very different from most SF&F authors. But it might be _my_ favorite book of the year so far.
36 novels, mean Goodreads score: 3.71
The other five-star books:
Dream Town (Eve Ronin 5), Lee Goldberg
South Coast (Shaman’s Tales 1), Nathan Lowell
First Frost (Walt Longmire 20), Craig Johnson
Iron Prince (Warformed: Stormweaver 1), Bryce O’Connor
Fire and Song (Warformed: Stormweaver 2), Bryce O’Connor (those two ate an entire weekend, and it was great)
The Secret Servant (Gabriel Allon 7), Daniel Silva
The Zero Equation (Zero Enigma 3), Christopher G. Nuttall
EIGHT 5-star books?! Doug! You need a channel! I'm so glad to have you here. I always get all the latest and greatest from your input.
I guess dropping the intro didn't matter much? Not surprised, lol. Sounds like you had just a fun month in general. I really need to check out Sun Eater at some point. Before the next book comes out.
I did see a substantial retention spike after dropping the intro. What I don't know though is whether or not it's just that I'm improving as a booktuber or if it was the intro itself. So I'm bringing it back for a minute to test that part out.
@@BrianBell7 interesting, will be curious to find out if you see retention drop again with the intro back. Hopefully not.
i laughed so hard at all the whipped cream cans
His contract rider is insane. And he brings most of it himself.
What if… bear with me here… what if Rick Thunder (Lord of Chaos) had his own intro?? Maybe with added smoke and whipped cream 😮
Once again, Ron comes with the proper plan.
Brian come on you know what that whip cream is for 🤣🤣
I can only venture a guess, but with him, truly, it's impossible to know 100%
@@BrianBell7 1001 uses for Rick Thunder and that’s a fact!
@Talking_Story truth!
yeah, it's for the chocolate cake obviously, while enjoying the hot tubs of iceland. 😏
@@Zivilin uhhhhh could be sure
July fiction reading -
The Hunters of Vermin - mediocre novela prequel to a fun space opera series (H. Paul Honsinger's Man of War)
The Circus of Dr Lao - too plotless for me (which makes the obviously grafted-on center plot of the movie an improvement), but must have been positively psychedelic in 1935
FR10 The Bloodstone Lands - one of the stronger early Forgotten Realms sourcebooks.
I really need to get into the Forgotten Realms books. I haven't heard of The Circus of Dr Lao but I love the title :)
@@BrianBell7 Note that this is a *sourcebook*, not a novel; it's what DMs read as part of campaign prep/ideas.
The Circus of Dr. Lao was turned into the 1964 movie The Seven Faces of Dr Lao staring Tony Randall and Barbara Eden.
My community polls have yet to steer me wrong :)
Have you read Defiance of the fall? If you have what are your thoughts? I have not read it but went in on the Kickstarter.
I need to give it another try. I made it halfway through book one and was bored. But I hear that’s common. Tons of people have it as their favorite LitRPG series.
Wait, Rick Thunder, stop, that's flour you're snortin'!
Can't control him. Best hope is it try to contain him.
Recommend :: Infinite Realm by Ivan Kal
Cool, thanks! I'll look up what it's about.
Lol, Michael Jordan and LoC. HAHA!
That’s a fact!
Disquiet Gods was actually probably my least favorite so far. Still a fantastic series though, of course.
Was it the introduction of the new character or just overall not your favorite?
@@BrianBell7 The new character did seem just thrown in and then left behind...so yeah, that was part of it...not sure how I like how all of sudden he now has these "people" who now follow him as a leader...also, just overall everything seems samey, like i'm ready for things to move along I guess...not really sure...samey, but what new things there were, just didn't hit for me....not that any of it was bad, but meh.
@@RhinoViper The second half of the book was the winner for me. The first third or so, I was not feeling it. But it made a comeback for me.