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Scott is Currently Reading

Scott is currently reading

The Girl with Ice in Her Veins

by Karin Smirnoff

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— 17 hours, 38 min ago

Oct 07, 2025 09:16PM

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Words of Radiance (The Stormlight Archive, #2)

by Brandon Sanderson (Goodreads Author)

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— Sep 21, 2025 09:15PM

Sep 11, 2025 09:18PM

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Dungeon Crawler Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #1)

by Matt Dinniman (Goodreads Author)

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Reading for the 3rd time

read in July 2025

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Scott said: " ... And now for something different. Really different. A completely different kind of reading experience than you have ever had before. The closest thing that I can even come closest to with this one is a combination of Douglas Adam’s “The Hitchhiker ... And now for something different. Really different. A completely different kind of reading experience than you have ever had before. The closest thing that I can even come closest to with this one is a combination of Douglas Adam’s “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” and Monty Python’s comedy troupe. Only this time in an Americanized version…

Trust me. You have never read anything like “Dungeon Crawler Carl” and that is a good thing. Carl will never be mistaken for literature or serious reading, but if you want to enjoy some seriously sarcastic, imaginative, and downright laugh-out-loud funny, you’ve come to the right place. Carl may be listed as a science fiction and fantasy adventure in the rather new LitRPG (literature role-playing game) genre. But don’t worry. You need not be a gamer to enjoy the heck out of this unique blend of creative storytelling – an open mind and a willing imagination is all you need.

Let me provide a small flavor of what “Dungeon Crawler Carl” - the first in a projected 10 book series that Matt Dinniman originally self-published, then were bought by Ace books in 2024, and now are being enjoyed on a largescale level of popularity and strong word of mouth – is about.

Carl is a former member of the Coast Guard and a generally nice guy. He’s living in an apartment in Seattle, Washington that he shares with his girlfriend and her Persian show cat. When the book begins, Carl has discovered pictures on his social media of his girlfriend taking cozy pictures with her ex-boyfriend so he breaks up with her and babysitting the cat until she returns to get her stuff.

One night the cat jumps out the open window at 2:30 am in the morning, and Carl, in his boxer shorts, leather jacket, and his ex-girlfriend’s pink galoshes goes out to get her. After getting her and heading back, it is at that very moment that aliens arrive and attack earth, and all of the humans in any enclosed space is instantly killed when the aliens collapse all of the buildings and shelters (even tents) on the planet.

The remaining survivors, including Carl and the cat (who’s name is Princess Donut) are given the choice to try on and survive on the planet’s surface or to become contestants in a gladiatorial game show - Dungeon Crawler World – that is livestreamed to billions of planets throughout the galaxies. It is like participating in a real-life first-person shooter video where danger and death is absolutely real.

I want to be careful and not say too much more, because not knowing anything else is the best way to immerse yourself in this incredibly farfetched and sarcastic take on society, norms, beliefs, and the lengths that we are willing to go to survive. Even though the book is a bit over 400 pages in length, it is a really a fast, easy, and very enjoyable read as long as you don’t take it too seriously. I should also mention that this is an adult-oriented novel, including violence and swearing, so some may want to be aware if that is an issue.

Note – the moment I finished this book, I immediately grabbed and read the second book because I had to know what happened next. Because of that, I am going to hold some of my comments for inclusion in that review and focus mainly on my initial impressions of this first book in the series.

In my opinion, this book works on many levels – creative and highly imaginative worldbuilding (that is also complex as you get farther in), incredible satire and sarcastic reflections on human life, and most surprisingly, characters that endearingly grow on you in ways that you just don’t see coming. The worldbuilding is incredible and you only see the first glimpses of how complex the political, governmental, and different aspects of the alien races are going to be in all of the various, interconnected storylines that Dinniman masterfully weaves together with crazy twists and turns along the way. In addition, he pulls off an incredible feat with laugh-out-loud humor and wit throughout. It so near impossible to deliver laughs in a book format, but my hat’s off to Dinniman who makes it look much easier than it should be.

I also appreciated his straight-forward writing style, which flowed naturally, helping the reader to easily be immersed into such a crazy world of mayhem. Carl and Princess Donut’s adventure is fast paced, fluid, and easy to follow. As Dinniman tells their story, you get into their heads, and share their intimate thoughts and motivations. This felt so fresh and full of many twists along the way. It can be hard as a writer to have both strong characters and strong plotting in the same story. It is harder do than most people think. In this case, Dinniman has magically captured both and mixed them together in an unforgettable recipe of conflict and drama, through every twist, turn and challenge they face.

Overall, “Dungeon Crawler Carl” is a guilty pleasure, a well-spent afternoon escape from reality, and wonderful new type of reading experience that lifts your spirit. It’s like witnessing the ultimate train wreck. You want to pull away, but you are just pulled in and the story demands your attention. My advice, get yourself something to drink and snack on, curl up on the couch, and simply enjoy the ride of reading what is an unexpected and delightful treat that will capture your heart…

For me, this was a surprisingly ridiculous fun read, and a shocking 5-star worthy review. Trust me. As I non-video game player, I am as caught-off guard about that result as you probably are… Come drink the Kool-Aid with us…

One last note - it was announced in August 2024 that Universal International Studios, in collaboration with Seth MacFarlane's Fuzzy Door Productions, had acquired the rights to adapt Dinniman’s “Dungeon Crawler Carl” books into a television series. As of the time of writing this review, the show is in development and hopefully they will be working on the scripts soon. ...more "

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(85%)
— Oct 11, 2025 02:43PM

Sep 10, 2025 10:19PM · see review

Scott’s Quotes

“A person less fortunate than yourself deserves the best you can give. Because of duty, and honor, and service. You understand those words? You should do your job right, and you should do it well, simply because you can, without looking for notice or reward.”
― Lee Child, Nothing to Lose

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“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all"
”
― Aristotle

118 likes

“Hope for the best, plan for the worst.”
― Lee Child

tags: reacher

164 likes

“there is no sound in nature that makes men move along faster than the pumping of a shotgun. Except maybe a chainsaw”
― C.J. Box, Below Zero

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“The act of choosing a value for yourself requires rejecting alternative values. If I choose to make my marriage the most important part of my life, that means I’m (probably) choosing not to make cocaine-fueled hooker orgies an important part of my life. If I’m choosing to judge myself based on my ability to have open and accepting friendships, that means I’m rejecting trashing my friends behind their backs. These are all healthy decisions, yet they require rejection at every turn. The point is this: we all must give a fuck about something, in order to value something. And to value something, we must reject what is not that something. To value X, we must reject non-X. That”
― Mark Manson, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life

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More of Scott’s quotes…