I loved Destiny, very glad I read it. But really, you could figure out the facts from the recapping that goes on though you would miss out on the impact.
I'm still reading TET. I'm a slow reader though the book is very quick and nicely written, no "wade through" element at all.
I must add, I loved the Hernandez story in Destiny and the Borg story. There was a whole lot I bleeped over out of intense boredom but the Hernandez story was absolutely riveting.