My struggle with prequels, especially with same POV, is that we are supposed to be reading things that shaped this character, yet the character never thinks about these events "later" when we're "back" in their heads. That aside Travis Baldree is a brilliant voice actor who elevates everything he narrates, and being able to bring that to characters he also created is really something special. Highly recommend the audio books on these.
@merphynapierreviews9 ай бұрын
Oh that's actually a really good observation. It would be so cool to see thoughts / lessons she reflected on in L&L being learned here. Admittedly, it's been a while since I read L&L so it could be there and I just missed it as well 😂
@Namorat9 ай бұрын
Great point! Not a bif fan myself, I have to say prequels do work better for me when the story itself has been a part of the previous book. Like, we know there was the heist or the battle or the experience with less drama. Then we get the actual story in a new book. That can work for me, but most often it has the problem you mentioned.
@thepoetesskhansaa9 ай бұрын
@@NamoratI agree with this. Like if the prequel is more about the world than the characters from the first book
@happycroissant29 ай бұрын
A Merphy vlog is like the hot tea and cozy blanket of the internet ☕️
@merphynapierreviews9 ай бұрын
oh thank you so much! That's exactly the vibe I want these to be ❤
@Force950429 ай бұрын
I've always noticed how so many characters in books love reading... It's like, how can i guarantee my audience will empathize with this character 😂
@mattkean11289 ай бұрын
I've always said even if you don't like the story, Bradbury's writing will win you over. I loved the Halloween Tree animated movie as a kid.
@palexanderrice9 ай бұрын
The Halloween tree has a cartoon from the 90’s. Love this story
@sorenkrane9 ай бұрын
I love The Halloween Tree! I read it every October. Every time I start I'm reminded how stunning Bradbury's writing is. Apparently there's a tv cartoon of it.
@banaa94639 ай бұрын
The TV Cartoon was so good! It's part of my childhood. Didn’t actually know it was based on a Bradbury book till much later
@CantankerousDave9 ай бұрын
Pyramids is fine, but Small Gods tackles similar themes, but much, much better. I still tear up at the very end of Small Gods when that guy says that thing to the tall, skinny guy with the farming implement.
@samueldionne96759 ай бұрын
It really has been a while since you have had a not-as-good reading week. Somehow, it was refreshing.
@Montie-Adkins9 ай бұрын
Bradbury: The Illustrated Man. The Veldt, The Long Rain, and especially The City.
@dylanpowell14349 ай бұрын
Very excited to pick up Bookshops & Bonesdust. My local bookstore is doing a book club for it next month so I still have to wait awhile before I can start reading though.
@teemupohjalainen73279 ай бұрын
Who doesn't like Pyramids? I think it's great. Especially the opening...and the ending...and there is some good stuff in the middle as well :D I've read all of the Discworld books multiple times. Most of them both in the Finnish translated version (when I was younger) and the original English version (when I was a bit older). Later in life when I had to enter the work force and couldn't hold a book in my hands all the time, I listened to all of the audiobook versions. So now that Penguin Audio made the new audiobook versions I really wanted to check them out and inspired by you I also decided to go through them in chronological order since strangely enough I've never done that before. I'm Currently in no.11 Reaper Man (incidentally my very first DW-Book I ever read) and the Penguin versions have mostly been great, BUT one of the biggest suprises this time around was how much I enjoyed Pyramids, a book I haven't re-read that many times. Where Wyrd Sisters is largely considered to be the first "true" DW-Book, Pyramids is definitely the second "true" DW-book in my opinion. I think it might even be more up your alley than Wyrd Sisters, since you said that you had some trouble with the Shakespeare references. Following your Discworld journey has become one of my monthly highlights. I really hope you would keep it going through the next year as well. Can't wait to hear your thoughts about Pyramids!
@merphynapierreviews9 ай бұрын
oh good! I'm glad it's well loved. Maybe my circle is just the odd ones out haha
@dens20029 ай бұрын
Pyramids was my favorite for a while until Small gods came out ... I was reading as they came out translated in French at the time and I was getting too used to the recurring parts of the Diiscworld so the new set up was like a new beginning. To this day some of my favorite jokes come from that one. After taking on Shakespeare Terry tackle classic philosophers ... I'm not worried at all you will love it ! And Dresden too ! And Fables too (VErtigo comics when you finally get to it ... the art is not great at the beginning maybe but it's well worth it !)
@thomassteenkamp45759 ай бұрын
Cant believe how aggressive that sun is damn
@josephcossey18119 ай бұрын
"Dandelion Wine" was one of my first Ray Bradbury reads and is still one of my favourites.
@hollykane62049 ай бұрын
Me too!! My fave 🥰
@tinustinus5719 ай бұрын
it's a great novel.
@Punkandcannonballer9 ай бұрын
I definitely feel the same aBout Books and Bonedust. I imagine it'll be lovely starting with the prequel and then reading Legends and Lattes to see the growth happen. I wish that Audible didn't list it as "book 2" which feels just wrong haha.
@Miss_All_Sundays9 ай бұрын
I adored "Legends and Lattes", it was so cute and short and adorable, I have read it twice despite not usually enjoying books without much plot. My problem with "Bookshops and Bonedust" (even though the small sea village and derelict bookshop were instant catnip for me, and even though I really liked the book) is that the characters were sweet but I could not stop thinking about the "Legends and Lattes" cast because they had this absolutely insane charm that worked so well individually and as a group that is very hard to top.
@ShaylaBot9 ай бұрын
I highly recommend Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury. I've read a lot of his works and it's my favorite. Sadly I haven't heard anyone else talk about it and it deserves more love!
@CantankerousDave9 ай бұрын
I actually read that in a literature class in high school.
@hollykane62049 ай бұрын
I feel the same way! I just love it so much! It's such a cozy read
@ShaylaBot9 ай бұрын
@@hollykane6204 It's like cozy and thought provoking. Which is a perfect mix for me 😌
@JohnSaxon-vw5vi9 ай бұрын
I have just got it and looking forward to reading it and seeing what it’s like prayers and blessings to you and your husband and your families love your Aussie family friend John ❤❤❤
@aaronduncil46799 ай бұрын
Something about the way you say "spooky" I just love 😂
@KierTheScrivener9 ай бұрын
A moment in your life is still important ❤
@JennFaeAge9 ай бұрын
I'm genuinely impressed you got through that opening section without telling the train to shut tf up already (or maybe something a little more PG lol)
@evanflynn46809 ай бұрын
Dresden Files book 6: Well, there's nothing terrible about it. It's just not everyone's cup of tea. It feels a bit lower stakes through a good bit of it, but it isn't one to skip. There's way too much happening that changes things for Dresden and stuff that sets things up for the rest of the series
@thatsci-firogue9 ай бұрын
I think I'll give Legends & Lattes and Bookshops & Bonedust a miss. The closest I'm willing to go for "cozy" Fantasy is maybe Discworld, speaking of which i hope to restart the City Watch series so.
@codyp94169 ай бұрын
I was very on the fence when it came to Legends and Lattes. I debated getting Bookshops and Bonedust, but I think I'll take your recommendation and chip away at my TBR. Perhaps I'll start Murderbot
@brutalusgaming88099 ай бұрын
Murderbot is SO good!
@wolervine9 ай бұрын
Pyramids isn't the best but there's still a ton to love in there. The interesting structure in the opening section and You Bastard being the first to come to mind.
@Nasser8510009 ай бұрын
0:00 Merphy with her lovely intros :)
@johnaucamp71069 ай бұрын
The Halloween Tree sounds very similar in concept to a book called Peace, by Gene Wolfe. Its a book with many interpretations, but its about a man in a house taking the reader to different rooms, each with their own timeline, as a sort of guided tour of his life. What it all means is up to debate under Wolfe fans, but I have heard the novel is very "Ray Bradbury", so now I can see why.
@arthurweise25739 ай бұрын
Don't worry about Dresden Files #6 you will like it , it dosen't bog down until Ghost, but even that was interesting.
@rq27579 ай бұрын
I totally agree with your thoughts on Bookshops & Bonedust. It's like you took the words right out of my mouth. I guess it's nice to get a view into Viv's past, but I don't think it provides any real additional insight into Legends & Lattes.
@josephcossey18119 ай бұрын
Never kerfuffle with a necromancer!
@Morfeusm9 ай бұрын
I love Pyramids! It was my first Discworld and I would still rank it in better half, maybe even top 10!
@lisagna72349 ай бұрын
I think you would love The Martian Chronicles by Bradbury!
@jynxdcoffee84989 ай бұрын
Don't worry about Pyramids (it's still very much Discworld) and I will be reading Bookshops and Bonedust
@tinustinus5719 ай бұрын
you have to read "Dandelion wine" by Ray Bradbury
@tnegras999 ай бұрын
Blood Rites (Dresden 6) is not the best, true, BUT it is important to the series as a whole. Our sidekick of the book is Thomas (the sexy vamp who linked with Harry at the party in book 3). He becomes almost as a frequent an ally as Murphy. Make it through this, though, cuz 7 is like #2 best in the whole series!
@spdepew9 ай бұрын
30, 31. Who is counting. You can be 29 forever if you want. My grandpa was.
@rashkavar9 ай бұрын
Well, I've yet to take the plunge on Discworld, but while I wouldn't say Blood Rites is my favourite entry in the Dresden files, it has some good moments, expands the cast a fair bit, and it was the first book I read in the series that made me realize there were lasting implications to things and I should start reading the series in order. It's not as good as Death Masks, and I can definitely see it being more uncomfortable than average for a couple of reasons, but I'd consider it at least on par with the series as a whole. (The stuff I'd picked up at the used book store was all labelled "A novel of the Dresden Files," which had me expecting it to be like Sherlock Holmes or Poirot books in that...yes there's an order of release, but it's not so much a significant overplot as an increasingly developed background lore.)
@harshgarg14489 ай бұрын
I personally suggest you read wandering inn, I personally didn't read this book as vol 1 seem derivate of the cozy parts of wandering inn book 4. Not saying it is copy of the book just that I feel wandering inn does it better
@jonasquinn79779 ай бұрын
Discworld & Dresden sounds like it could be its own series
@Simone-bc2fo9 ай бұрын
I'm relatively new to the channel. I was wondering if you've ever read and review Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb. I was considering starting it. It probably has something to do with me reading Tress of the Emerald Sea by Sanderson, which I loved to bits
@MLLatUtube9 ай бұрын
I agree that Pyramids is not the best of the Discworld series, but it is still a good book. I read Bookshops and Bonedust and also rated it below Legends and Lattes.
@kristienwhitney-johns58639 ай бұрын
Everytime I don't see malazan my soul dies... Great video tho 😁
@BrebearMckae9 ай бұрын
My preorder of bookshops and bone dust STILL hasn’t come in and I’m very offended. Lol
@merphynapierreviews9 ай бұрын
NO! Hopefully it'll come soon 🤞
@jalapenoofjustice46829 ай бұрын
I wonder if there's gonna be a seperate channel for manga now or something
@ChichiNaka9 ай бұрын
Pahleeeeze give DBZ it's own video at some point, the Trunks parents reveal is too fun to be lost in a chaotic livestream where every thought gets cut off with a donation about a separate topic
@merphynapierreviews9 ай бұрын
just wait, DBZ is getting a few 🔥
@arenkai9 ай бұрын
I'm deep into Dresden Files, so I don't have enough time to be disapointed haha
@ChaptersWeLove9 ай бұрын
I read Bookshops & Bonedust and I didn’t like it as much as I did the first book.
@moby5178399 ай бұрын
Travis Bruleè. Lol
@merphynapierreviews9 ай бұрын
lol idk what I was thinking 😂
@rachelspencer94569 ай бұрын
🧡📚🧡📚🧡📚🧡
@robodaviking22099 ай бұрын
Please continue Ascendance of a bookworm
@Lynn-CA9 ай бұрын
We are reading part 2 in December
@robodaviking22099 ай бұрын
@@Lynn-CA Fantastic
@JohnSaxon-vw5vi9 ай бұрын
I am 51 so what does that make me then lol 😂😂😂
@cmmosher80359 ай бұрын
A fine wine? (Mid 40s myself so I have to be hopeful).
@adamrivers32509 ай бұрын
Staring directly into the sun to bring us content. What a hero! 🫡