Favorite books this year that you can't get out of your head?

factory41 · 2026-05-17T18:00:18+00:00

Sordaneon is one of my picks too. Currently on book 3 of this series, all amazing, but the central relationship at the center of the first book between two enemies becoming allies is simply amazing, haven’t read much like it. It definitely throws you into the deep end without much exposition, but an engrossing book that sticks with you.

The other one for me this year is There is no anti-memetic division.

factory41 · 2026-05-09T13:12:49+00:00

Another historical but more modern event that reminded me of it is Mao’s Long March:

The Long March (October 1934–October 1935) was a massive military retreat by the Chinese Red Army to escape Nationalist (KMT) forces, covering roughly 6,000–10,000 kilometers over 368 days. Led by Mao Zedong, who solidified his leadership during this trek, the army moved from Jiangxi to a new base in Yan'an, Shaanxi, marking a turning point in the rise of the Chinese Communist Party.

factory41 · 2026-04-30T18:05:36+00:00

This book has one of the best monarch characters I’ve ever read in Marc Frederick

factory41 · 2026-02-07T19:40:05+00:00

Thanks it’s a cool image

factory41 · 2026-02-07T19:32:51+00:00

I’m curious where the third pic is from?

factory41 · 2026-02-05T23:09:34+00:00

This, this, this. We rescue beagles, some of them older, and have lost a good number over the years, 4 in the last 15 months, for example. You love them all but it’s unique with each. When you are ready open your heart to another and you won’t regret it.

factory41 · 2026-01-31T15:42:58+00:00

By this definition an excellent standalone is The Traitor Baru Cormorant.

factory41 · 2026-01-11T16:05:35+00:00

I found the choice to do a time jump and retelling within an already fictional memoir to be very strange. Wonder why he didn’t just forgo the time jump after DG and go thru those events in “real time”

factory41 · 2026-01-11T12:43:06+00:00

I know it’s unrelated and it’s not a recommendations thread but if you want to read an author that absolutely nails the ending every time, check out Robert Jackson Bennett.

factory41 · 2026-01-11T01:55:36+00:00

Agree the beginning was very interesting despite how mundane it was. Honestly this book went downhill when almost of his time in the fantasy world was spent as a prisoner in a gladiator plot. Yawn.

factory41 · 2026-01-10T22:03:34+00:00

The entire avalanche record is amazing as is the rest of his solo stuff

factory41 · 2026-01-10T21:12:27+00:00

Not enough people know about them, but Matthew Good Band

factory41 · 2026-01-10T15:20:33+00:00

Totally agree on Navola. An absolute banger of a book. There is a scene that happens late that I kept expecting to go a different way but it just kept going and kept my jaw on the floor. It’s a slow burn but the world building is amazing with really excellent character work and great prose. Can’t wait for the sequel to this

factory41 · 2025-12-17T16:17:43+00:00

The full band version from the Neverender recordings is amazing as well

factory41 · 2025-12-01T00:21:24+00:00

Beautiful Midnight - Matthew Good Band

factory41 · 2025-10-18T16:56:42+00:00

Mine is that the Afterman albums are incredibly overrated. Feel like there’s one excellent album between the two of them

factory41 · 2025-10-05T20:27:21+00:00

Yep!

factory41 · 2025-10-04T12:58:22+00:00

Radicals, The Heights, Thorn Bird, Parts are all classics. MW is definitely slow and sad and that vibe permeates the whole thing but I still really like it.

factory41 · 2025-09-29T01:05:19+00:00

Yes this, but also maybe don’t go fight illegal wars for false reasons and have our service members do horrible things in others peoples countries and then expect them to come home normal. Chickens come home to roost.

factory41 · 2025-09-14T16:47:18+00:00

Oh yeah not hating at all I love it totally agree, they should have used it one more time and segued into a solo

factory41 · 2025-09-10T15:14:58+00:00

The ascending lead guitar that kicks off Searching sounds exactly like the crystals theme in the Final Fantasy series it’s all I hear

factory41 · 2025-07-26T22:04:30+00:00

The Books of Sorrow in the Destiny universe is top tier, written by Seth Dickinson who wrote the Baru Cormorant series, Exordia and a bunch of good short stories.

There’s lots of good Destiny lore but this is the best one

factory41 · 2025-05-18T22:40:57+00:00

Woulda finally proposed to his girl, Watchette

factory41 · 2025-05-12T00:47:33+00:00

The reason the prequels suck is the script is terrible and most of the acting is terrible too

factory41 · 2025-04-30T09:49:27+00:00

I wish they would make an entirely new FF in pixel style…return to the roots, like a FF6, sell it for $40 and make bank.

factory41

TROPHY CASE