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seema commented on jacklie's review of The Hero of Ages (Mistborn, #3)
I am so blown away by Sanderon's worldbuilding. I have never read a series that's so well-drafted, so air-tight, so intricately layered. I said this in my review of "The Well of Ascension" but I can't get over it. This series truly reads as though Sanderson had every plotline fully developed beginning, middle, and end before he even sat down to write the first book. Finishing "The Hero of Ages", I, and I'm sure many other readers, are looking back at the first and second books thinking "How did I not see this coming in the slightest?!" Truly, what an incredible book with one of the best endings I've ever read. Fan of Sanderson's writing or not, the first two books are worth reading if only to have the proper context to then read this epic finale!
I loved how Sazed and TenSoon's story arcs developed throughout this book and its predecessor. I find their stories incredibly compelling. Sazed being absolutely shaken by the events of the previous novel, losing his faith and ideals, and struggling to find a path forward - it was so moving. TenSoon has a similar journey, abandoning his society and ideals when he realizes they're not right. I found these characters to be so inspiring and value-driven. I feel strangely emotionally attached to them and am sad to say goodbye with the conclusion of this novel!
Stoked to re-read this series in a few years and see all the things I missed along the way. I'm not 100% if I want to read the sequel series to this book, but I'll think about it!
seema commented on jacklie's review of Mistborn: The Final Empire (Mistborn, #1)
After finishing LOTR for the first time last year, I decided I wanted to dig deeper into the fantasy genre and try one of Brandon Sanderson's longer series. Many of my friends are obsessed with his books and told me the Mistborn series was a good entry point for the uninitiated.
Mistborn follows the classic YA-fantasy formula. Young, unsuspecting girl unlocks new exciting powers (and turns out to be something of a prodigy with them!), joins forces with a lovable crew of characters, takes on the bad guy that is oppressing her realm, and develops a crush on a cute guy along the way. Despite having such a well-used formula, Sanderson's "Mistborn" is so fun to read and honestly refreshing. Reading this book felt like having the best version of a dessert you've loved for years - I didn't know it could get this good and I was already such a fan!
Where Mistborn really excels over its peers for me is in its "hard" magic system. "Hard" magic is a term that Sanderson himself coined to describe magic systems that follow specific rules that are detailed to the reader in the narrative. "Soft" magic lacks these clearly defined rules - Tolkien's Gandalf is an example of this. His powers are never really explained to the reader and that's part of his wonder! This was my first experience with a hard magic system and I really enjoyed it and 100% agree with "Sanderson's Laws of Magic" particularly Law #2 "Weaknesses, limits, and costs are more interesting than powers." The limits of Allomancy are very clearly described early on and it makes it that much more exciting when characters come up with an exciting work-around or overcome an obstacle because the reader understands exactly what constraints they're working with.
Beyond the incredible magic system, Mistborn also has a truly lovable cast of characters that are well-developed over the course of the story. Vin and Sazed are definitely favorites of mine. I'm so excited to read the rest of the story and see what happens next. Typically the classic YA-fantasy formula ends with the toppling of the oppressive ruler, but the series has two entire book left! I'm very excited to explore what happens next and how the characters re-build their world after their oppressor is gone. I have an inkling that getting rid of the tyrant is the easy part and creating more just society in his stead will be much more challenging than expected. Can't wait to read Sanderson's take on this!
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rachellandryberdan is interested in reading...

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism
Amanda Montell
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So I just finished this book and LOVEDDDD it! I'm nervous about starting a new book and not liking it as much. ESPECIALLY since I just started getting into reading and this was the first book of my reading journey. I love a good spicy romance! I love how "current" and "real" this book felt. I'm not so into romance books set in the 1600s or ones that take place in a mystical fairy world. Any recommendations would be appreciated! 😊🌸💗
seema commented on a feature request
many times i have been looking at a book's page and wanted to see who would consider the book a favorite above just a 5 star rating. while you can see everyone who has finished it and their rating, a My Taste book feels like a step above a 5 star rating and makes the book stand out
i think it would be a fun addition to the book's page to see which users you follow have a book on their My Taste, similar to the way you can see those who have it on their TBR, finished, and DNF shelves. for example, it could influence you to prioritize a book if one of your friends has it on their My Taste, or you can get in a (friendly) argument with a friend who has a book you hated on their My Taste, and other fun community moments
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Hi memoir-enjoying friends!
Thinking about memoirs and what a large variety there are, I wonder what makes one person think "hey, I should write one" and another "yes, I would sell that" and a third "wow, I'd love to read this." I'm sure on the publishing side there is surely a consideration of marketability based on the author's celebrity or how unique the story is or how relevant it is to the time, but I wonder on the reader side, do you think every story is worth telling? Do you expect the author of a memoir to have some qualifications besides their lived experience? If you're more familiar with the memoir space than I am, do you get irked seeing some types of memoirs pop up that you think are more vanity pieces than actually worthwhile? Is there anything that makes you think "that person should absolutely/not write a memoir?"
Excited to hear what you think!
Post from the Critically Acclaimed Memoirs forum


Hi memoir-enjoying friends!
Thinking about memoirs and what a large variety there are, I wonder what makes one person think "hey, I should write one" and another "yes, I would sell that" and a third "wow, I'd love to read this." I'm sure on the publishing side there is surely a consideration of marketability based on the author's celebrity or how unique the story is or how relevant it is to the time, but I wonder on the reader side, do you think every story is worth telling? Do you expect the author of a memoir to have some qualifications besides their lived experience? If you're more familiar with the memoir space than I am, do you get irked seeing some types of memoirs pop up that you think are more vanity pieces than actually worthwhile? Is there anything that makes you think "that person should absolutely/not write a memoir?"
Excited to hear what you think!
seema commented on jordynreads's update
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Family Drama
Rebecca Fallon
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The Cybernetic Tea Shop
Meredith Katz