2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion

I just started this last night. More adventures of wax and Wayne it looks like

I just started this Tuesday evening.
Shadows of Self was my favorite book in the Mistborn series, so I have high hopes for The Bands of Mourning, too!

I'm about to start Chapter 10, which means I'm about 1/3 of the way through the book.

How is everyone enjoying the book so far?
(view spoiler)[Wayne: He still annoys me. How does he think he's helping Wax heal by encouraging Marasi to throw herself at her half-sister's fiance? Grrrr. And I laughed that Wayne & MeeLan completely missed the entire train fight because they were...snogging.
Steris: I'm amused at how Steris can be such a nerd about accounting ledgers yet so thrilled to be part of Wax's action.
Telsin: Wax and his younger sister didn't seem particularly close as teens. Have I missed or forgotten something? (hide spoiler)]

I have no idea where this book will take us, but the ride so far has been entertaining.

oshizu wrote: "I'm about to start Chapter 10, which means I'm about 1/3 of the way through the book.

How is everyone enjoying the book so far?
Wayne: He still annoys me. How does he think he's helping Wax heal b..."

I just finished it! I think this story is the one I sort of have been waiting for. The interactions between the characters are great as always, and the overall story arch finally really develops.

Wow, Ilona! I can't believe how quickly you finished this book! :)

oshizu wrote: "Wow, Ilona! I can't believe how quickly you finished this book! :)"

I find these very easy reads, in contrast to Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell ;)

Bad things seem always happen everywhere Wax is at.

I enjoyed The Bands of Mourning a lot!
(view spoiler)[Wax: Wow, near-death experience and chatting with Harmony/Sazed!
Wax and Steris: I appreciate how their relationship turned out and how Wax proposed a second time "for real." They share a mutual fondness and respect. I'm happy for them, lol.
Marasi: She finally finds herself. I smiled at the thought of Alliki as a possible future love interest. What a woman won't do for a little chocolate, eh? (hide spoiler)]

This book tied up a few strings while leaving a lot of plot possibilities for the final volume.

What shall we do while we wait? Start reading Stormlight Archive? (Scott, you've already read Book 1, correct?)

I’ve read the first two stormlight archive books. I have the third. I think the 4th is going to be released July or aug 2020 but not sure if that’s confirmed or not. I would be interested in reading the series starting in January.

Scott
That's a great idea of starting the series in January--it will give us something to do while BS is writing Stormlight #4.
I just checked the length of the books and wow!
#1 Way of the Kings, 1200+ pages
#2 Words of Radiance, 1000-1300 pages
#2.5 Edgedancer, 272 pages (whew!)
#3 Oathbringer, 1200+ pages

Ilona, are you interested in a Stormlight Archive buddy read next year?
Also, would we want to Books 1, 2, and 3 to be two-month BRs?

That sounds like a great plan! Both one or two months per book is fine with me. If we do two months we end around the publishing date of #4, but I think I can also read each in one month. Will #4 be the last book in the series?

I just looked it up,,, 10 books!!?? This guy is quite ambitious...

Did you both already read Elantris? I think I should read that one in December, before starting Stormlight Archive.

I checked his blog and it seems he'll finish Mistborn #7 after Stormlight #4, so we will stay busy while we wait for his publications..
Yes, I read Elantris in December and enjoyed it a lot. It was my first Brandon Sanderson book and, if I remember right, his first book set in his Cosmere universe.

Elantris in December and 2 months for each archive starting in Jan would be great.

Great, I'll post Elantris in the general buddy read thread now and we can add the 2020 ones later.

Sorry, folks! I know it's way too early, but I love planning ahead. LOL!
What do you think of this schedule?
I would personally prefer to read the long books over two months because I also join nearly all of the monthly and quarterly challenges.

Jan-Feb: SA #1/The Way of Kings (1200+ pages)
Mar-Apr: SA#2/Words of Radiance (1000-1300 pages)
May: SA# 2.5/Edgedancer (272 pages)
Jun-Jul: SA #3/Oathbringer (1200 pgs)

Sounds good

When the year 2020 starts, we'll all have read Elantris.
There's a less-than-200-page novella set in the Elantris world called The Emperor's Soul.
It was published after The Way of Kings and The Alloy of Law, but before Words of Radiance. It won the 2013 Hugo award for Best Novella.
Since Edgedancer is short-ish, would you be interested in unofficially reading The Emperor's Soul in the same month or in creating a separate BR for a different month?

Haha, it's way early to decide everything now, I realize. I'm just trying to look at our options. :D

Aren’t there some other novellas we can stick in as well? I just checked Sanderson’s website he is 67% percent finish with stormlight 4 rough draft And he is hoping for release holidays 2020. So we probably can throw in some novellas between the huge novels

There is also Legion and The Emperor's Soul, another 200ish page novel.

I am okay with everything, oshizu, I trust you to plan the books in the best order :)

I believe The Emperor's Soul novella is set in the Elantris world, but Legion is not.

Here is my last question about our 2020 Brandson Sanderson BRs.
Would you two like to read Sanderson's Warbreaker in January then begin Stormlight Archive in February, 2020?

Warbreaker is also set in the Cosmere universe like Mistborn & Stormlight and it was published in 2009, one year after Mistborn #3 and one year before Stormlight Archive #1.

I read it earlier this year, and I'm happy to start Stormlight Archive in February if you two want to read Warbreaker first. Totally up to both of you!
Warbreaker is available free to read online at the author's website: https://brandonsanderson.com/warbreak...

Sorry if I sound like I'm pushing Warbreaker down your throats.
It's fine with me to start Stormlight Archive in January. :)

Option 1 (No Warbreaker)
Jan-Feb: SA #1 (2010): The Way of Kings (1200+ pages)
Mar: Elantris #2 (2012): The Emperor's Soul (175 pages)
Apr-May: SA#2 (2014): Words of Radiance (1000-1300 pages)
June: SA# 2.5 (2016): Edgedancer (272 pages)
July-Aug: SA #3 (2017): Oathbringer (1200 pgs)

Option #2 (with Warbreaker)
Jan: WB #1 (2009): Warbreaker (~680 pages)
Feb-Mar: SA #1 (2010): The Way of Kings (1200+ pages)
Apr: Elantris #2 (2012): The Emperor's Soul (175 pages)
May-Jun: SA#2 (2014): Words of Radiance (1000-1300 pages)
July: SA# 2.5 (2016): Edgedancer (272 pages)
Aug-Sep: SA #3 (2017): Oathbringer (1200 pgs)

Scott, you've read more of Brandon Sanderson's book than Ilona and I. What else would you suggest we add?
Arcanum Unbounded also includes Hope of Elantris (Elantris #1.5, which I've read) and The Eleventh Metal (Mistborn 0.5, 31 pages).
Since The Eleventh Metal is so short, I'm thinking of reading it next month before Secret History.

I would prefer option #2 including Warbreaker, but I can also read it in December if you prefer to start The Way of Kings in Januay.

I like option 2

Yay, Scott! Option 2 it is!

Okay I finished. I hope he writes the next soon.

For January, either one of you can post in the BR sign-up thread for Warbreaker.
Kristin is accepting Buddy Read nominations that start in February or later in November, so I'll wait until next month to post for Stormlight Archive.
But perhaps whoever posts the Warbreaker nomination can post the whole deal through Oathbringer in Aug-Sep, omitting my name from the Warbreaker BR?

However you two would like is fine with me. :)

I can take care of it this weekend when I have access to my laptop, I am currently using my phone and that's not very convenient when writing long comments.

I finally started Hero of Ages...

Thanks Kristin!