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[BigBooper]

Working on Brave New World and about halfway through. I knew it was well loved, but I didn't have any idea of what to expect when I started other than it was supposed to be utopic. It's very surprising to me how much doesn’t happen in it so far, but I'm excited for the rest.

I finally finished The Illustrated Man too. It was enjoyable overall, but some of the short stories were not great.

 

[Guileless]

I'm currently working my way through Stephen King's IT

I only ever watched the films of it. It's nice to be able to experience the real deal. Very much enjoying it so far.

I read and loved it when I was 16. I tried to reread last year and couldn't make it through. I don't think it's aged well at all.

 

[AJUMP23]

Finished Starship Troopers. Great book that is about what it is like serving in the corps and not what the movie turned it into.

 

[Nameless King]

I read and loved it when I was 16. I tried to reread last year and couldn't make it through. I don't think it's aged well at all.

Well I might have the benefit of reading it for the first time. Not feeling the age so far, but we'll see how I feel further in to the book.

 

[AngelaLifman]

We have games and movies threads, but I haven't seen many for the humble novel, so I thought I'd start one.

I'll start with my most recent few reads.

Fahrenheit 451 - This was a bizarre one for me. The story is simple, but it throws so much poetry at you at the same time as the central plot that the tone is constantly shifting. It's a story about a society's authoritarian overreach and discarding of history, but to me it never reaches near the highs of a similar book, 1984. I liked it, but didn't love it.

Agent to the Stars - Corny humor and loose sci-fi trappings made this fairly enjoyable. Being a shareware book, the price is right as well. It was good enough to make me look up what else the author had written, but unfortunately none of it interested me. It was okay.

Acceptable Risk - I have the same criticism most people seem to have, the ending is slapped together. This medical suspense thriller held my interest firmly until about halfway through, getting genuinely creepy at times, but the overarching mystery is solved with a thud and the movie monster ending makes me wish I'd stopped halfway. Skip

The Colour of Magic - I loved this book all the way through. I have read a few of Pratchett's other books, so I knew kind of what to expect, and it was a pleasant journey.

Yes, of course I read! The last great book I have read is the Vermeer's Hat. I found short summary at https://freebooksummary.com/category/vermeers-hat and even listened to a few snippets from the audiobook. Here is the history of both trade and globalization in the context of the 17th century. I really liked the book. If you have read more books written by Timothy Brook, I will be glad to recommendations!
Currently reading - West of the Tularosa by Louis L'Amour and The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury

Yes, of course I read! The last great book I have read is the Vermeer's Hat. Here is the history of both trade and globalization in the context of the 17th century. I really liked the book. If you have read more books written by Timothy Brook, I will be glad to recommendations!

 

[nightmare-slain]

Working on Brave New World and about halfway through. I knew it was well loved, but I didn't have any idea of what to expect when I started other than it was supposed to be utopic. It's very surprising to me how much doesn’t happen in it so far, but I'm excited for the rest.

I finally finished The Illustrated Man too. It was enjoyable overall, but some of the short stories were not great.

brave new world disappointed me. lol i'm actually trying to think what happened in it right now but i can't remember anything about. that's how memorable it is. a lot of people said it's the ultimate dystopian book and better than 1984 but i disagree. 1984 was much better.

 

[BigBooper]

brave new world disappointed me. lol i'm actually trying to think what happened in it right now but i can't remember anything about. that's how memorable it is. a lot of people said it's the ultimate dystopian book and better than 1984 but i disagree. 1984 was much better.

I finished it up Saturday and I agree it was disappointing. I guess it gets credit for being early, but it's not nearly on the level of the dystopian or sci-fi greats imo. Half of the book was spent talking about how horny everyone was and it beats you over the head with every detail. It doesn't give you one or two examples, but instead gives you five or six or more.

Logically, parts of it doesn't make sense. The world is set up with class tiers based on manual labor, leadership, technical ability, etc, but gives no reason why they have to mass produce babies. One of the ideas in the book is that they have to use a certain percentage of less efficient farming because the manual laborers are most happy when they have a full day of manual labor to do, but why wouldn't they just grow fewer manual laborers and then the more efficient farming would take longer?

The grand finale with John Savage and where he goes didn't make sense either. If he missed the tribe life so much, why didn't he go back there instead of the abandoned building? Once he had been found out, why didn't he leave? Why did the society planners allow him to live there?

I guess I was just expecting much better. If you told me this was an author's first novel and they had a great career ahead of them, I could believe it. The book standing on it's own though, simply isn't very good.

 

[BadBurger]

The Girl in Red

A postapocalyptic take on the perennial classic "Little Red Riding Hood", about a woman who isn't as defenseless as she seems. It's not ...

www.goodreads.com

Just finished this. Even though it's pretty short it took me a while as I was working through a few games and the 31 days of horror going on here. It was good, perhaps a tad predictable but they kind of give it away with the summary. I liked it, seems like it would make a good adaptation to film.

 

[Toots]

I read and loved it when I was 16. I tried to reread last year and couldn't make it through. I don't think it's aged well at all.

That sewer gangbang scene is timeless tho...

Last stuff i read was

and it was really good.
A real 90's time machine in aesthetics and design, but always stylish.
You feel the huge influence of western (european mostly) comic books, with the over the top manga flair and sense of movement. It's also quite poetic at times.

 

[OmegaSupreme]

Am I the only one here that only reads hardcovers? Is that snobbish? They look so much better on a shelf than paperbacks and I can't bring myself to read books on a screen.

I'm also looking for some recommendations for the new year. I'm determined to read more. I'm looking for some under-the-radar scfi/fantasy/horror and fiction in general. I've read a lot of the popular ones. LOTR, GOT, Dune. Lots of King and Koontz for horror. I haven't read Hyperion. I've heard that's really good. Any other ideas?

 

[IDKFA]

I honestly forgot this thread existed. I've said it before, but I promise I'll post here every week from now on.

I'm really, really enjoying this series. Fantastic, ass clenching action mixed with thrilling drama and likeable characters. I know Genghis Khan was a bloodthirsty warlord, but it's hard not to like him in this series.

Started this one, which I hope to finish by the weekend. Then I'll most probably start book 4 in the series.

 

[BigBooper]

Am I the only one here that only reads hardcovers? Is that snobbish? They look so much better on a shelf than paperbacks and I can't bring myself to read books on a screen.

I'm also looking for some recommendations for the new year. I'm determined to read more. I'm looking for some under-the-radar scfi/fantasy/horror and fiction in general. I've read a lot of the popular ones. LOTR, GOT, Dune. Lots of King and Koontz for horror. I haven't read Hyperion. I've heard that's really good. Any other ideas?

I don't but physical books much anymore. Just don't want to deal with the clutter, plus I like benefits of a good ereader, namely holding it above my face without breaking my nose if I get too sleepy.

You might be interested in some of the older stuff like Jules Verne for science fiction... 20000 Leagues Under the Sea, Around the World in 80 Days, and Journey To The Center Of The Earth.

If you want something more modern, I finished The Illustrated Man not long ago and it's a good collection of sci-fi short stories told through a travellers tattoos.

Or The Once and Future King for light fantasy and adventure. Or if you're feeling particularly adventurous, Le Morte d'Arthur. I hardly ever see people recommend these books, but they are still good.

 

[Tenaciousmo]

That sewer gangbang scene is timeless tho...

Last stuff i read was

and it was really good.
A real 90's time machine in aesthetics and design, but always stylish.
You feel the huge influence of western (european mostly) comic books, with the over the top manga flair and sense of movement. It's also quite poetic at times.

oh shit, I loved the movie from that, never tought it was from a comic, or has a comic attached to it, I'll have to check it out

 

[Toots]

oh shit, I loved the movie from that, never tought it was from a comic, or has a comic attached to it, I'll have to check it out

You really have to check it out !
I don’t know which one came out first, but both are great in their own way

 

[BadBurger]

Solid Star Wars novel. Great new setting and era for the Star Wars mythos. Part disaster movie, part thriller, with a dash of Jedi political drama. The author has an illustrative way of describing the Jedi and their powers with words. Recommended, perhaps as a quickstart in preparation for the release of that upcoming Star Wars game that will be set during this era.

 

[pauljeremiah]

Ordered some books for my birthday last week and they all arrived today.

 

[OmegaSupreme]

If this catches any of yall today (December 27th) Barnes and Noble are running a 50 percent off sale on all hardcovers in store.

Edit: Sale extended through Tuesday

 

[BadBurger]

Books that entered the public domain in 2022:

Public Domain Day 2022 | Duke University School of Law

Tweet       By Jennifer Jenkins, Director of Duke’s Center for the Study of the Public Domain January 1, 2022, is Public Domain Day: Works from 1926 are open to all, as is a cornucopia of recorded music: an estimated 400,000 sound recordings from before 1923! On January 1, 2022, copyrighted...

web.law.duke.edu

• A. A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh, decorations by E. H. Shepard 6 
• Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises
• Dorothy Parker, Enough Rope (her first collection of poems)
• Langston Hughes, The Weary Blues
• T. E. Lawrence, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom (later adapted into the film Lawrence of Arabia)
• Felix Salten, Bambi, A Life in the Woods
• Kahlil Gibran, Sand and Foam
• Agatha Christie, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
• Edna Ferber, Show Boat
• William Faulkner, Soldiers’ Pay (his first novel)
• Willa Cather, My Mortal Enemy
• D. H. Lawrence, The Plumed Serpent
• H. L. Mencken, Notes on Democracy

 

[95mellow]

Making a more concerted effort to read this year, with a particular focus on my blind spots: sci-fi, French literature and the Greeks. Kicked the year off with this absolute classic:

Just an excellent story. Interesting world-building, a strong plot and, best of all, memorable, believable characters. It really is how you write science-fiction.

Moving on to some Gustave Flaubert now, starting with Three Tales, a little short story collection, then Madame Bovary. Afterwards, I'm revisiting the Greeks with Edith Hamilton's Mythology.

 

[BadBurger]

Super late to the party, but six chapters into

I've been a fan of Hill's for a while but never got into his old stuff. If you don't know Joe Hill is Stephen King's son. He started writing under a pen name and stuck with it. I am slowly starting to think that Joe is actually a much better writer than his father technically. His prose is more sound. He seems to give more thought to where any of his narratives might be heading. He can properly give each character their own unique voice, where in contrast his father's characters often all kind of sound the same. And he can write children, which I feel is King's greatest weakness: all Stephen King child characters sound like adults pretending to be children.


At the same time I am about seven chapters into his father's....

Probably the most grounded King novel I have read in a while. The protagonist is a fascinating chameleon, an onion who's layers are slowly peeled away as the story progresses.


I should stop reading multiple books at once but I am having a great time jumping back and forth and seeing how father and son approach story telling in much the same way, but also, so differently.

 

[IDKFA]

Been ages since I posted here. I'm still reading a book a week, and today I'm starting this book. A history book that tells the story of the Anglo-Saxons from their emergence to the British Isles when the Romans left Britain, right up to when they had to fight for their lives against the Viking onslaught.

Marc Morris writes fantastic history and I was a huge fan of his biography of Edward I, so I'm really looking forward to starting this tonight!

 

[Maiden Voyage]

With all the news about Maus getting banned in schools, I decided to dust off my copy that's been on my shelf for 15 years or so. I originally read it back when I ordered it and remember enjoying it. I honestly can't seem to recall anything in it that would prompt it to be banned so I am planning to read through both comics later this afternoon while I put on some records and enjoy a cup of tea.

Book banning is such a dumb, weird thing to me as it just winds up being a Streisand effect, especially for teens. Hell, I probably wouldn't be picking my copy back up at all if not for this news.

Don't ban books.

 

[IDKFA]

Been ages since I posted here. I'm still reading a book a week, and today I'm starting this book. A history book that tells the story of the Anglo-Saxons from their emergence to the British Isles when the Romans left Britain, right up to when they had to fight for their lives against the Viking onslaught.

Marc Morris writes fantastic history and I was a huge fan of his biography of Edward I, so I'm really looking forward to starting this tonight!

I've read three books since the above, but again totally forgot this thread existed.

The above book was pretty decent. Interesting way to write the book, with each important era focusing on a figure from that time (King Alfred, Dunstan, Æthelstan etc) and the narrative history was engaging. Would recommend if you're into early medieval history.

I'm now onto fiction and part four of Conn Iggulden's epic Conqueror series, which tells the story of Genghis khan and his descendants. Book three was an action packed epic, so expecting this to be much of the same.

 

[EviLore]

With all the news about Maus getting banned in schools, I decided to dust off my copy that's been on my shelf for 15 years or so. I originally read it back when I ordered it and remember enjoying it. I honestly can't seem to recall anything in it that would prompt it to be banned so I am planning to read through both comics later this afternoon while I put on some records and enjoy a cup of tea.

Book banning is such a dumb, weird thing to me as it just winds up being a Streisand effect, especially for teens. Hell, I probably wouldn't be picking my copy back up at all if not for this news.

Don't ban books.

Hadn’t heard about the banning. They cited the inclusion of “damn” as justification for banning it? Really have to wonder at ulterior motives re: teaching the Holocaust with reasoning that thin. Tennessee gonna Tennessee though.

In that vein, I recently read Elie Wiesel’s Night. That’ll stay with you for a long, long time. Frankel’s Man’s Search for Meaning too, though it’s considerably less grim, focusing on how to apply what he learned from his Auschwitz experience to help people via psychotherapy.

 

[OmegaSupreme]

I've been reading The Neverending Story. It's pretty cool so far. As someone who grew up on the movie, it's hard to not visualize it while reading it which makes it kind of strange since the book can be quite different. From what I understand the movie only covers half of the book so I'm interested to see where it goes after that. I'll give more impressions after I've read more.

 

[NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt]

I'm reading the first book in The Wheel of Time series called The Eye of The World.

Almost done and really enjoying it.

Way different from the show.

I prefer the book to the show.

 

[Queso de Grande]

I've been reading The Neverending Story. It's pretty cool so far. As someone who grew up on the movie, it's hard to not visualize it while reading it which makes it kind of strange since the book can be quite different. From what I understand the movie only covers half of the book so I'm interested to see where it goes after that. I'll give more impressions after I've read more.

I just read The Neverending Story about 6 months ago. I thought was a great book. If I had read it when I was a kid, it would have blown my mind.

 

[Guileless]

Finished Starship Troopers. Great book that is about what it is like serving in the corps and not what the movie turned it into.

I need to reread this, been a long time.

 

[darkangel-212559]

Hadn’t heard about the banning. They cited the inclusion of “damn” as justification for banning it? Really have to wonder at ulterior motives re: teaching the Holocaust with reasoning that thin. Tennessee gonna Tennessee though.

In that vein, I recently read Elie Wiesel’s Night. That’ll stay with you for a long, long time. Frankel’s Man’s Search for Meaning too, though it’s considerably less grim, focusing on how to apply what he learned from his Auschwitz experience to help people via psychotherapy.

Maus is incredibly close to me as a third generation Holocaust survivor. If you click on that link it'll take you to an image of what I'm referring to. (The bottom left pane especially).

Google Image Result for https://janelucas.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/maus-83.jpg

images.app.goo.gl

In the first book which is before they were sent to the camps, it goes into what happened to them and the other Jews in Sosonowiec Ghetto. My family on my father's side were quite literally in that ghetto. It was really rough to think that what Maus details my family were there, experiencing it first hand. It haunts me.

That school banning the book is fucking disgusting. I have no words for how bad I think it is on so, so many levels.

 

[darkangel-212559]

With all the news about Maus getting banned in schools, I decided to dust off my copy that's been on my shelf for 15 years or so. I originally read it back when I ordered it and remember enjoying it. I honestly can't seem to recall anything in it that would prompt it to be banned so I am planning to read through both comics later this afternoon while I put on some records and enjoy a cup of tea.

Book banning is such a dumb, weird thing to me as it just winds up being a Streisand effect, especially for teens. Hell, I probably wouldn't be picking my copy back up at all if not for this news.

Don't ban books.

Maybe it's because I'm a third generation Holocaust survivor and my family were there... But I just don't understand what you mean by enjoying it or reading it with a cup of tea and music?

This isn't a criticism, but if you could explain to me what you wrote I would appreciate that. I just can't understand how engaging in something so horrific as The Holocaust can be done in that way?

 

[Maiden Voyage]

Maybe it's because I'm a third generation Holocaust survivor and my family were there... But I just don't understand what you mean by enjoying it or reading it with a cup of tea and music?

This isn't a criticism, but if you could explain to me what you wrote I would appreciate that. I just can't understand how engaging in something so horrific as The Holocaust can be done in that way?

I enjoy the act of reading. It’s enhanced by music and tea. The subject matter doesn’t change this.

 

[8bitpill]

Lost in the Dark

Just started reading this.

 

[NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt]

Finished The Eye of The World

Next up The Great Hunt

 

[95mellow]

I picked this up on a whim at the airport:

I'm not sure why this is my first time reading any Didion. Shock: the girl could write, oh she could write.

 

[Shai-Tan]

I'm reading the first book in The Wheel of Time series called The Eye of The World.

Almost done and really enjoying it.

Way different from the show.

I prefer the book to the show.

Was going to say you could listen to the book as it’s performed pretty well by Rosamund Pike but I see you finished it. Sadly she only did the first one and I personally dislike the performer on the others.

Because the end of The Expanse was so unsatisfying and it’s unclear that they will be able to make more I’m currently listening to those books.

 

[Northeastmonk]

I drive quite a bit, so I listen to audiobooks. Project Hail Mary is one that is very easy on the ears and is easy to get attached to the story. It is full of these scientific equations from the academic field, so after a while you have this feeling like you’re in a science class. It’s easy to follow science fiction and for the most part it is very well written. I’m getting towards the end and I’ve enjoyed it. The same author wrote The Martian and I enjoyed the film they made for it.

I am really enjoying this book. There’s no audiobook. It’s a collection of essays from Hideo Kojima. He covers books in his essays and how impactful each book has had on his life and his career. From all the talk over the years you would imagine he would talk about cinema, but it’s fascinating how much he enjoys reading. I listened to the audiobook of “Inherit the Stars” after one of his short essays described how great of a plot it had.

The man on the moon was dead. They called him Charlie. He had big eyes, abundant body hair and fairly long nostrils. His skeletal body was found clad in a bright red spacesuit, hidden in a rocky grave. They didn't know who he was, how he got there, or what had killed him. All they knew was that his corpse was 50,000 years old - and that meant that this man had somehow lived long before he ever could have existed!

Inherit the Stars (Giants, book 1) by James P Hogan

Inherit the Stars (Giants, book 1) by James P Hogan - book cover, description.

www.fantasticfiction.com

This is another audiobook I finished. Audiobooks are awesome when you’re on the road and want something other than talk radio, podcasts or music. I really like Sid Meier after listening to his book. He is a very intelligent person and explains the world of gaming in a very enlightening and positive way.

 

[NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt]

Was going to say you could listen to the book as it’s performed pretty well by Rosamund Pike but I see you finished it. Sadly she only did the first one and I personally dislike the performer on the others.

Because the end of The Expanse was so unsatisfying and it’s unclear that they will be able to make more I’m currently listening to those books.

Season 5 turned me off the show and ever reading the books

 

[Shai-Tan]

Was given as a gift Being You: A New Science of Conscious by Anil Seth
not bad. He’s even handed, not pushing too much on his own interpretation

 

[IDKFA]

Currently back into nonfiction and reading this dark book. It's a look at the Katyn massacre, which was the mass execution of almost 22,000 Polish military personnel by the Soviet Union. A dark read, but recommended for anyone who wants to know about this tragedy that gets little attention in the west.

 

[BadBurger]

I read the novella years ago. I heard good things about this production so I gave it a try. I ended up listening to it in its entirety in one sitting as I did chores and exercised. Amazing.

Rose Leslie plays the protag Laura, David Tenet Dr Hesselius (the inspiration for Van Helsing in Stoker's Dracula), and Phoebe Fox is wicked as Carmilla. Everyone else is great too, and the production value and dramatization are top notch for an audio book. I can't recommend it enough. It's only two and a half hours. If you enjoy the elaborate, almost self indulgent way they wrote gothic horror in the Victorian era you should enjoy this.

 

[jason10mm]

I drive quite a bit, so I listen to audiobooks. Project Hail Mary is one that is very easy on the ears and is easy to get attached to the story. It is full of these scientific equations from the academic field, so after a while you have this feeling like you’re in a science class. It’s easy to follow science fiction and for the most part it is very well written. I’m getting towards the end and I’ve enjoyed it. The same author wrote The Martian and I enjoyed the film they made for it.

I liked the Martian quite a bit but thought the moon book was just OK. Is this better?

 

[Northeastmonk]

I liked the Martian quite a bit but thought the moon book was just OK. Is this better?

Yeah. Especially if you get the Audible book. It’s dramatized, so you feel like you’re there with the person. It’s all through the

Spoiler

perspective of a middle school teacher. There’s a major event happening and it transitions from past to present to tell its story. I personally enjoyed it more than the Martian

 

[PuppetMaster]

I liked the Martian quite a bit but thought the moon book was just OK. Is this better?

I enjoyed Project Hail Mary. It's not as good as the Martian. But it's better than his second book for sure.

You need to go in completely blind and don't read a synopsis or review. Because a large part of the enjoyment is from the suprises.

 

[Nameless King]

I'm reading through the Goosebumps collection. You can never be too old.

Seriously though, I love reading these stories as it brings back good memories of growing up. The Haunted Mask is my favourite.

 

[jshackles]

I just finished reading Blake Crouch's Recursion.

The book was a very interesting take on the time travel genre, although a bit more dark and gritty than I usually enjoy. A really solid narrative though, that asks the questions "what does it mean to be alive?" and "what is the nature of memory?". Themes of love and loss throughout, and being grateful just being in the moment. Strongly recommended, though a bit difficult to get through at times if you're prone to bouts of depression like I am.

 

[Shubh_C63]

Sometimes I read 8 books in 6 months and then go blank for 3 straight years.
This is one of those time and only GRRM can bring me back.


Though started reading Dune which I had left midway. Had watched the movie again and book got interesting again.

 

[kraspkibble]

i've gave up on the wheel of time. shit's fucking boring. i got to about ~40% of the way through the second book. i was kinda into the first book despite it being tedious at times. the ending i "read" but if you asked me what happened now i couldn't tell you except they found a horn? lol. i started book 2 because apparently it's better and "finds itself" but it's mind numbing. i just can't keep up with what the fuck is happening in it. to be fair i did listen to the audiobook a lot of the time so might have got distracted but i was also reading it on my kindle. i kept having to go back to reread paragraphs to get an idea what had happened.

i wasn't enjoying it so thought fuck it why should i put up with something if i'm not enjoying it? plus it's not like this is a trilogy or anything. there are another fucking 12 books so if i'm not into it there's no chance i'm putting up with another 12 books. if it was a trilogy i might persevere and finish it but nah. i got better shit to do with my time than this. since i decided i'm done with the books (i will probably keep watching the tv show as long as it is aired) i thought i'll read a summary of the series. that only made me feel better about my choice to give up. shit's a fucking mess by the sounds of it. seems like it was a good choice to give up on it.

i am probably going to read Dune next. i got the audiobook for free a long time ago but never got around to it. watched the movie and enjoyed it so decided to read it. the kindle version was on sale for 99p recently so picked it up.

 

[IDKFA]

Always forget about this thread. Anyway, I'm just about to finish off this gem.

I went into this book with zero expectations. Had no idea what I would get, but oh boy is this a delight!

If you're going to read this book, then I'm not going to spoil any plot details here. This is a book that is best enjoyed if you go in blind.

Rex is a good dog.

 

[IDKFA]

Always forget about this thread. Anyway, I'm just about to finish off this gem.

I went into this book with zero expectations. Had no idea what I would get, but oh boy is this a delight!

If you're going to read this book, then I'm not going to spoil any plot details here. This is a book that is best enjoyed if you go in blind.

Rex is a good dog.

I was going to move onto nonfiction next, but Dogs of War was so damn good that I had to go straight into the sequel.

Just started it, but I really hope it's as good as Dogs of War.

 

[95mellow]

Haven't posted here in a while. This is facilitating a pretty bad existential crisis at the moment, particularly in our times:

Other than that, I finished up a wild book called The Magus a few weeks ago by John Fowles. It sort of falls apart towards the end, but the first half was great - definitely recommend it if you're into 1960s-era psychoanalysis and the occult.

I also have The Story of Philosophy and Notes From Underground in rotation. I tried getting onto Middlemarch but dropped it - just not in the mood for a Victorian epic right now, and I'm probably not ready yet.