I read 93 books last year, so I think 100 sounds like a nice stretch. I haven't finished anything yet, but I started three books, so that slowed me down. I think I will finish one today, and then I have some lined up that I know I will get through quickly.

A secondary challenge is to actually reduce my TBR pile this year--which means I have to buy less than 100 books in the year. I am much more doubtful of my ability of reaching this goal. I just bought new bookshelves, and I have my eye on some more, so I have some shelf space crying out for new books! We'll see how long I keep this goal--it may be abandoned at some point in the year.

As for types of books, no specific goal, although I like to make sure I get in some non-fiction and I am working my way through some science fiction classics, but not in any systematic way.

Argh, I hate it when a post gets eaten. Here is the short version.

Finally, a book completed. Should go faster now that I am not feeling so slumpish.

1. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

Good but not great. Sad. A bit overwrought in the middle, but enjoyable. Not Atwood's best.

Have you read Cat's Eye and The Robber Bride? Do you favor one over the other? I read The Handmaid's Tale several months back, my first Atwood. I have both of the first two books at home, but I can't decide which one I want to go for next.

I have read The Robber Bride more recently than Cat's Eye, so I remember that one better, but interestingly enough, I was just talking about Cat's Eye yesterday with a friend here at work. Both are good. I'm no help, am I? I'd say read Cat's Eye first, because she wrote that one first.

Thanks! Cat's Eye has been languishing longer in my TBR pile anyway, so I'll pull it out sometime soon.

Argh, another eaten post! Why does this only happen on my own thread?

2. Death in Holy Orders by P.D. James

Great. Good development of recurring characters, without taking a lot of time away from the main focus of the book--the mystery. The story was compelling, although it was a bit odd how sympathetic everyone was to the pedophile priest. I thought it was odd that they equated the victim's dislike of the pedophilia (although it may have been more accurately pederasty, which involves post-pubescent children, which, while still being totally wrong, is not quite as repellent) with prejudice against gay people. Being gay and molesting children are two entirely different things, regardless of the gender of the children abused. But, the rest of the story was very interesting, and the conclusion was satisfying.

I am finally picking up the pace a bit. I am still way off pace for 100 books, but I am feeling better about the goal anyway, since I am getting faster.

It's been a while since I read Death in Holy Orders (though it is my TBR pile to be re-read), but if I remember rightly, wasn't the point that the paedophile priest wasn't a paedophile/paederast, that he'd chosen not to fight the allegations in order not to further traumatise his rather disturbed accuser? I seem to remember that false allegations of paederasty from a teenager popped up as a minor point in another of P. D. James's books as well.

Actually, the priest never says that, the priests that work with him think that is what happened. What I didn't get was the way the other priests thought there was something weirdly malevolent about one priest pursuing another priest to get him punished for molesting children. They absolutely scoffed at the idea that he did it because he thought it was the right thing to do. Their justification of Father John's motives in confessing was entirely their own idea, not supported by anything he said. And anyway, they seemed to think it was odd for the archbishop to go after him like that whether it was true or not. It was just odd, I thought. I would think that priests of all people would want to make sure that none of their members was going around molesting children. But, given the state of affairs in the Catholic Church today, that is obviously a naive belief.

3. The Murder Room by P.D. James

Another great book from James. Very suspenseful at the end--I kept having to go back and actually read a paragraph that I had only hurriedly skimmed.

Message edited by its author, Jan 27, 2008, 12:12pm.

4. In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan

A few years ago, I lost a bunch of weight. I didn't follow any particular pattern of eating, ie. Weight Watchers, Atkins, etc. I had some simple rules around the way I ate: I only ate food that I really enjoyed. I tried not to choose fattening foods very often, but when I did, I enjoyed them and didn't feel guilty about eating them. I ate slowly and really paid attention to how full I felt, and the the taste and enjoyment of my food. I cooked real foods at home as often as possible, and kept lots of whole fruits and veggies on hand for occasional snacks. I avoided processed food as much as possible. I ate at the dinner table with my family and friends.

I lost so much weight, that I really started to pay attention to the way that I was eating, the specific foods. I joined Weight Watchers, and I counted points. I lost five more pounds, but I was anxious about food a lot. I was also hungry. I spent a lot of time thinking about food, and I didn't enjoy what I was eating. I bought little chocolate cakes, put out by Weight Watchers at only one point that tasted a lot like chocolate sawdust, and told myself it was a treat. I then started gaining weight.

Now that I have read this book, I can see the clear differences between the two styles of eating. When I focused on eating real food and enjoying eating, I lost weight, without putting much effort into it. When I focused on losing weight, I thought about food all the time, I didn't enjoy my food, and I gained weight. This book was helpful in reminding me of my own experiences with food and weight, and showing why things happened that way. It was short book, but very interesting, and full of information. Highly recommended.

Have you read anything else by Michael Pollan? I've so far read The Botany of Desire, and am waiting for The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food to come in at the library, and have been wondering how worth it it is might be to buy them instead of waiting for several hundred other people to read them . . .

This is the first book that I read by Michael Pollan, but I have read several of his articles in the New York Times, and heard him interviewed a few times. I am planning on buying more of his books at some point, he really is good.

5. Everything Bad is Good For You by Steven Johnson

This book had a lot of interesting information about the increasing complexity of popular culture, and the positive affects on our intelligence. Johnson certainly does not say that sitting around playing video games and watching tv all day long is good for us, but he makes a convincing argument that doing these things sometimes can be good for us. He cited an impressive amount of research to support this theory, although much of the justifications for his view are more theoretical than proven at this point. It does open up quite a few interesting questions for further research, though.

6. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

I stayed up too late to finish this one. It was just as good as I remembered. I found the Historical Notes at the end particularly creepy, when the academics studying the supposed manuscript go out of their way to talk about how the oppression of women in the Gilead society is part of a different culture, so they cannot make value judgments about it. So many people say that now about cultures that viciously oppress women, as if that makes it all right to conduct activities like honor killings, or punishing women for adultery when they were raped. I have been listening to NPR lately about how Germany refuses to uphold their own laws when it comes to crimes against Muslim women because that is a different culture, so this is not a fictional device. Scary stuff. Excellent book, I am glad I read it again.

7. Everything Bad is Good for You by Steven Johnson

Very interesting and convincing argument about why popular culture is getting more complex, and actually providing more of a learning experience for consumers than pop culture in the past. He certainly doesn't think that Survivor is superior to reading books or that Grand Theft Auto is great art, but he does say they are not as bad as everyone makes them out to be. I suspected this was true anyway, and I did hear some of the arguments presented here before I read the book, but I still was impressed with how well-researched this book was.

8. Creation in Death by J.D. Robb

I needed something easy to read, because I was sick, and this fit the bill. The eye rolling quotient of these books is high (Eve Dallas is tougher than you, no matter who you are), and there is no interaction between characters that goes unexplained, but the mysteries are fun, the characters do grow and change, and I really enjoy these.

9. The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

This was just a lovely read about reading can change anyone, even the Queen of England.

10. The Giver by Lois Lowry

This was the most recent book that my 10 year old daughter and I read aloud to each other. We both cried quite a bit near the end of this. We are going to get the other books in this series. It was a great book for talking seriously with my daughter while still being very enjoyable.

Oops, I just realized I put Everything Bad twice! So I guess I am only at 9 so far. But, I really thought I was at 10, which makes me wonder if I am forgetting something.

Oh well, on to up the number for February. I am way ahead of my pace for last year at any rate--only 4 books for January.

Message edited by its author, Feb 4, 2008, 5:43pm.

10. Eifelheim by Michael Flynn

I loved this at the beginning and the end, but the middle dragged a bit. It didn't end the way I thought it would, which is always a good thing. I liked the way the book used people in the past and the near future/present to demonstrate that even at our most advanced, people have prejudices and biases that they are not aware of--bits of knowledge that we think are already decided, so we do not investigate any further. Very interesting book.

11. The Lighthouse by P.D. James

I have two problems with this book: the description on the back tries to make it sound more lurid than it is, for no real reason (what is with these descriptions that have little to do with the actual book?), and it is the last book out there by James. She is 88, I am very afraid there won't be more, but I hope that isn't the case.

The book itself, though, was really excellent, as usual. The characters were wonderfully drawn, as usual. The mystery was satisfying, and the personal quirks of all the detectives were interesting as well. In the hands of a skilled and disciplined writer, having a series with ongoing characters allows for gradual character development and growth without spending a lot of time away from the main story (as an aside, ihat's one of the reasons I keeping reading those J.D. Robb books--she does that well).

From the wikipedia article on P. D. James:

It was announced in late December in The Age and The Courier Mail, two Australian publications, that there will be a new P.D. James novel released in 2008. No details were given as to nature of the work.

Message edited by its author, Feb 11, 2008, 6:40pm.

Oh, I guess I skimmed the wikipedia article too quickly! Thanks for pointing that out!

12. Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat? by Peter Walsh

Nothing earth-shattering in here, but it is a good reminder. I like the way Walsh adresses the underlying issues for both clutter in our homes and on our bodies. It's a good reminder.

13. The James Tiptree Award Anthology 3

Great stories, wonderful essays about Octavia Butler and Ursula K. Le Guin that made me tear up, and a Tiptree story. Just wonderful.

14. The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

This book was about religion as much as it was about first contact with an alien species. It was also about how difficult first contact situations are, and how much information you need to absorb very quickly, and how easy it is to get everything tragically wrong. I really enjoyed this book, although it was very difficult. I will probably read the second book at some point, but not for a while. I found it hard to believe that this was Russell's first novel--the writing was very mature.

15. The Sculptress by Minette Walters

Very good book. The mystery was intriguing, but also, the commentary on the people's lives was fascinating. Did Olive commit the crime she confessed to (killing her mother and sister and chopping them into pieces)? If she did, how much culpability does she really bear? Rosalind Leigh, the author who undertakes to write a book about Olive against her will, is an intriguing character as well, who convincingly works through her demons at the same time that she investigates Olive's. I will definitely be reading more of Walters' books.

Hi! I replied to you in my own thread, but then I came and read yours. I'm a huge PD James fan. I'm looking forward to the new book myself! Some day we'll have to talk about losing lots of weight. Sounds like we did it in a similar way, followed by similar results from joining Weight Watchers. Not that there's anything wrong w/ WW, but no matter how often they said it, I knew I was on a "diet" whereas, I had no particular goal and no timeframe for the 100 lbs I lost on my own. It was me and my neurosis rather than thinking "I'm not allowed/am allowed to eat that..." Another book I liked regarding truly changing the way you think was You on a Diet which isn't really about dieting if you ignore the meal plans etc. The information is quite excellent, but then I read that after losing most of my weight. Regarding A Reader's Manifesto, it made me a bit neurotic too, but I got over it quickly, and I found myself laughing aloud with him. (Plus it's tiny, but dense with ideas.) Thanks for stopping by my thread!

Message edited by its author, Feb 21, 2008, 6:34pm.

Oh, I have You on a Diet! I may have to move that up in my list. I also need to lose a bunch of weight again, since gaining it all back. I think I am on the right track, though. Maybe the YoaD would help keep me there. Thanks for the comment!

16. Self-Made Man by Norah Vincent

Excellent book. I liked the way that Vincent confronted her pre-conceived notions with an open mind and was really willing to learn. It was a very difficult process for her, obviously, which was interesting to read.

17. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

Wonderful. I loved this book so much, I read it very quickly. I loved the characters, and the end was fantastic. I am so glad I got this book, based on many recommendations from this board.

18. Thornyhold by Mary Stewart

It seems like I saw this on someone's list around here recently, but I can't remember who. I had read this many years ago, and I remember it being charming, easy and fun. That's how I found it. I loved the story, without finding it deeply meaningful. Geillis is an charming character, and I found her way of dealing with life interesting and practical. This was a fast, fun read yesterday evening.

Message edited by its author, Feb 27, 2008, 11:13am.

how funny, I just read this book yesterday as well, still love it, still read it every few years.

Maybe it was your thread I was thinking of! I picked up the book at a book fair here at work, and when I saw it here, it reminded me that it was lurking back on my extra desk. I am so glad I picked it up!

Gosh you read fast! I'm glad there's two notes for Thornyhold here and also the Norah Vincent one. I've had both of them on a wishlist for a while, so now I feel vindicated in getting them! Yay!

Also, I've been meaning to mention to you that your secondary challenge to yourself has become my own as well. When I recently moved and started cataloging my books, I realized how very many I have "tbr'd." It seemed totally insane to me, so your idea really struck a note with me. I'm working on reading the unread books in my library and I must read one before buying another book (or even mooching one.) This challenge is going to really help me, since I've found several I just couldn't get into already, and they've moved into the charity pile. More books, yay! Be well -- Ella

Oh, I am not doing so well on the secondary challenge (notice how I am not updating it? lol). I have bought 28 books so far this year, and that is through a nearly superhuman effort in February of avoiding bookstores for nearly 3 weeks! And, then I bought a book at Target! I am still trying, but not with much success.

I have been reading a lot of short books lately. My pace is going to get much slower soon, as I tackle War and Peace and start studyng for a professional certification test I have coming up.

heheh. I just posted earlier today to someone that I wanted to reread War and Peace as well as Anna Karenina, but they will be "dessert" if I'm over my goal at the end of the year.

Not buying books is physically painful to me & I'm sure for you too, so I feel your pain. Luckily I don't like real life shopping, but unluckily, the internet is FULL of places to buy books. It's an addiction...in fact, there's a book on that I wanted to buy. (actually not kidding...wah) Take care!

I almost forgot to add this one:

19. You: On a Diet by Michael Roizen and Mehmet C. Oz

Are you seeing a trend here? This is my third book on food and diet this year. I think I have it down now. I have actually even lost a little bit of weight. I am doing this weird thing: eating less food. It sounds simple, but it sure has taken me a long time to figure it out. I'm also focusing on the healthy stuff and doing more cooking at home. This book helped to solidify my new habits from the previous two books this year (In Defense of Food and Does this Clutter Make my Butt Look Fat?).

Now, a long wait, as I have dived into War and Peace. As of this morning, I am on page 185, which would be a respectable chunk of most books, but is a mere sliver in this one. I need some concentrated reading time--maybe that's what I'll do this Sunday, just read all day. The rest of the weekend is booked up already...

On the plus side, I haven't bought any books in March yet! I really need to hold off until I read some more. 9 more books will put me ahead of what I have purchased (10 if you count War and Peace as still to be read), but can I make it that far? Seems doubtful, but I am going to try.

I shouldn't have posted that I haven't bought any books in March--just a few days after that, I went out and got 4 more books. I am working my way through two books now--War and Peace and Ultrametabolism. This weekend we are heading off for a 4 day camping trip, so I am thinking that I should be able to get both of these finished, and maybe another one (at least started).

I keep eyeing my TBR shelves and wanting to have a bit of a panic attack! Well, not really, but I do need to knock out some more books. This place is really not helping my anxiety level around this issue, since I keep finding more books I want to read. I mean, I am kidding about the panic attacks, but I do feel some internal pressure to get cracking and get to all the books I want to consume.

20. Ultrametabolism by Mark Hyman

Obviously I was wrong last time when I said I had this diet thing down. This was yet more good reinforcement, with good information on specific issues that might keep someone from losing weight, and how to address those issues. Also, a lot of good information on why people aren't just fat because of a deficiency of willpower, but that there are things you can do to re-train your body. This was an expensive book for me, though, because I ended up buying a bunch of supplements at Whole Foods this week!

I did make some good progress with War and Peace on my camping trip, but between making lists of possible issues and supplements, hiking, playing trivial pursuit and talking to my kids, I didn't get as far as I would have liked. I am beyond the sliver, though, nearly half way through! And, I was newly inspired to go ahead and bring it with me to read on the train this morning. I am still really enjoying the book.

Okay, I did make lots of progress in War and Peace, but then I got really mad at Prince Andrei and had to take a break. Sanctimonious, sexist, idiot jerk. But, I figure being too involved with the book is better for my prospects of actually finishing it, than not being involved enough.

In the meantime:

21. Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge

I LOVED this book! I love the idea of wearable computers. When I think about how much more advanced my BlackBerry with an internet connection is, compared to what my life is like just 10 years ago, I get even more psyched about the idea of what that kind of connectivity could do for society. I also thought the characerization was very well done. Robert Gu's transformation from a complete jerk to a pretty nice guy was actually pretty believable, which is quite an accomplishment, especially when you consider how really terrible he was at the beginning.

22. Beggars in Spain by Nancy Kress

Another fantastic book. Set in a near future when genetic modifications of fetuses are widespread and a profitable business, the book explores what would happen if we could modify children to not need sleep anymore. Of course, prejudice rears its ugly head fairly quickly when people realize how much more someone can do without the need to sleep. The main character has a twin sister who was unexpectedly conceived, and who does not receive any modifications. She loves her sister, but her father, who chose to make his daughter Sleepless, does not. He considers the unmodified child inferior. I can't even begin to narrow down my thoughts on this wonderful book, but it was hard to put down. The characters were well-drawn, and I found myself sympathetic to most of them, even when I completely disagreed with their points of view. The political and social environment of the book was well-thought out, and intriguing. The story was just fascinating. Also, I think it is very hard to convincingly write about characters that are smarter and wiser than most people, or that are advanced beyond the current state of the human race (I am thinking about the Supers that the Sleepless breed later in the book here), but Kress managed it. I did feel that the Supers really were superior, even while reading about their learning processes and insecurities.

A couple of thoughts about the last two books I read:

* I thought it was odd that I read two books in a row featuring a young, gifted girl named Miri, since that is not a common name. Not that this is meaningful, it was just a funny coincidence.
* I recognized elements of both of these stories as being from short stories I had read in the past. When I read big compilations of science fiction short stories, I wonder if I really retain these, but when I got to the parts of the books that drew heavily from those stories, I recognized them right away. That was kind of cool.

23. Children of God by Mary Doria Russell

This is the sequel to The Sparrow, which I read earlier in the year. I thought this book was more interesting, and more nuanced. It was a little bit less dark, although still pretty tragic. I liked learning more about the alien characters, and the way that they were shown to be more complex than originally supposed. Sequels can be a bit of a risk, but this one definitely didn't rest on the laurels of the praise received for The Sparrow, and it had many interesting things to say, still. Great book.

I am feeling slumpish again, now. I finished this on Saturday, and haven't been able to really settle on anything since. I tried How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read by Pierre Bayard, but it was a little bit more intellectual than I was wanting. Today, I picked up War and Peace again, maybe I will get that finished up.

. . . Wait, a book with instructions on how to talk about War and Peace was harder to read than War and Peace itself?

Also, Gathering Blue (the next book after The Giver) is just fabulous -- in general actually Lois Lowry is good for a quality quick read, but that's a whole nother thing. How old is your daughter, out of curiosity?

The Bayard book is much (much) shorter than War and Peace, but not nearly as easy to read! W&P really only has it's length against it--it's a very good book.

My daughter is 10. We are going to get Gathering Blue and The Messenger on of these days. Thanks for the endorsement!

24. Strangers in Death by J.D. Robb

The title of this one is rather clever, as this is actually a cosy, small-group-of-people-who-know-each-othe... murder, unlike some of the in Death books, where it might be anyone in New York City. I thought this one was stronger than the last one, with a slightly lower eye-rolling, Eve-Dallas-is-really-badass quotient. Fast and fun.

25. My Little Blue Dress by Bruno Maddox

Re-read. I loved this the first time, and I loved it again. The author is making up a memoir of a 100 year old woman in one night, so the pace was a bit frenetic, but in a good way. It was amazing how he was able to make the woman both obviously fake, and yet seem very real. Even as it becomes obvious that the woman does not exist, and he starts talking more and more about his (fictional) own life, she has a recognizable voice, and really does seem to be a separate person. The end was really great, too. I picked this up off of a bargain book table, and I am glad I did.

26. Wit's End by Karen Joy Fowler

I am going to a reading of this tonight, and getting my book signed! Very cool!

The book was awesome. It was about the line between fiction and reality, and it made me slightly dizzy. I loved the characters, I thought the story was handled very well, and I am really excited about meeting the author!

27. Spin State by Chris Moriarty

Great book. I love this kind of hard science book that also looks at relationships and the human implications of our increasingly advanced technology. By that I mean that this book explores artificial intelligence and genetic manipulation, what makes a sentient being human, fear of the unknown, and how people set up artificial lines between us and them. Fascinating stuff.

28. Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx

Okay, this was only 55 pages long, but it was in its own book, and I am way behind pace here! Great story, although very sad of course. I never saw the movie, and I don't think I will. I am sure it is good, too, but so depressing.

29. Three in Death by J.D. Robb

I could have done without the ghostly aspects of the last story, but I am glad that I am not totally up to date in this series.

sussabmax, glad you liked Wit's End, I have it in my TBR pile. I have read Fowler for years and have sent books to her to sign before (from the bookstore where I work) but didn't actually get to meet her until Readercon last year. She is a hoot!

I've read all the PD James also, but its doubtful I can remember much about them which is good because then I will be able to reread them (and her books are some of the few mysteries I've kept in hoping of one day doing so).

Read Beggars in Spain way back, quite good; but didn't go on to read the sequels. . .

Fowler was great--very witty and interesting. I am glad I went to the reading.

I am saving the PD James to re-read at some point in the future, too. Of course, at the rate that I buy books, I may or may not get to them, but they were good books. I am thinking about getting the sequels to Beggars in Spain, but it isn't super-high on my list. I will need to go looking for those, I think, and I haven't gotten to that level of motivation yet.

Thanks for the comments!

I think a lot of SF authors have a terrific book but then they are 'encouraged' to write sequels and trilogies. I rarely care for all three books in a trilogy. Even Octavia Butler, a favorite of mind, couldn't pull off three great books (Dawn was excellent, the 2nd good, the 3rd ok...). And the Rama books! I learned from that not to read sequels. I'm not finding much new of interest in the SF genre these days. . .

Yeah, those Rama books did deteriorate, didn't they? I have been reading a lot of SF lately, but I have to admit that I am going back and reading a lot of stuff that I missed. What's up with that? Why aren't there are lot of good SF books these days?

I have a book buying problem, too. I beleive I am up to 59 purchased this year already, with only 29 read. But some of the books I have bought this year don't count--cookbooks, book I bought in hardcover, some short story collections I may not read all the way through, etc. Still, that's not even 10 books, so I am still way behind.

30. Worlds of Exile and Illusion by Ursula K. Le Guin

This was three short novels together in one book. Since there were only 370 total pages, I am counting this as one book.

These stories are loosely connected by one world that figures in all three novels, with long periods of time in between the stories, on the order of hundreds of years. These books were not as complex as her later books, but they were definitely very good. I particularly liked the third book; the characters were very well-developed, and I liked the way that the people evolved their control of their mind power. I found this book because of the series feature here at LT, because I didn't know about it before I went to see what I had in this series, and I am glad that I did find it.

Worlds of Exile and Illusion has been sitting in my TBR pile for quite a while now. I think I got it after reading The Left Hand of Darkness, which is in the same series, and then finding on Le Guin's website that The Left Hand of Darkness was part of a series. Maybe time to move it up the pile a bit.

It really was a good book, Robert! I recommend it.

31. A Door Into Ocean by Joan Slonczewski

This is an author I found here on LT, and I am so glad I did! This was a fascinating investigation of what a fully female world would look like, and how they would interact with another world. Slonczewski was very effective at making her main villian less than totally villianous. I totally believed that the character of Berenice could fall in love with him, even though he was so condescending and sexist. And, you could see him clearly struggling to do what was right, even as he made the wrong decisions. I also like this kind of feminist book where there are men who are not sexist, and women who are not wonderful--I can't stand the kind of book that paints all men as evil, which is clearly not true.

Shora, the watery world where the women of the book live, is a wonderfully realized world, with an incredibly detailed ecology. It's amazing that Slonczewski could express so much about the world without breaking the pace of the story--I never felt lectured to by the book.

32. To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis

Eh. I persisted in reading this book because some people I like here on LT (although no specific names spring to mind) said it was good, and I was mildly interested in where the bishop's bird stump would turn up, but it was a bit of a struggle. The storyline was needlessly convoluted--all the sections where the hero sits down and attempts to puzzle out how all the time contimuum stuff would try to correct itself, I just skimmed. Who cares? Also, could these people have been any denser? The whole book I just wanted to smack them while they tried to figure out who Tossie should marry, since it was blindingly obvious from practically the first scene with her in it. All the craziness they perpetrated while trying to figure out the identity of her future spouse? Made me want to just smack them.

So, when they get to the end and Ned figures it all out (or mostly--and I hate that kind of ending, where they throw in a maybe-there-is-one-more-element-we'll-ne... ow wrench in the works), I find it hard to believe. I find it hard to believe that Ned can find the door to his room when he wakes up in the morning! Too complicated, too irritating, too glib. Oh, and when they figure out what happened--the thing that caused everything to go wrong--they decide it's great that they can do it again and again. Hello? Haven't they noticed 400 pages of craziness, with people trapped in the past and Europe being potentially lost to Hitler to tell them this was a bad idea?

And the foreshadowing was pretty intense. If I hadn't been skimming whole sections and just trying to get through the book quickly, I would have figured out the entire plot well before the end (rather than the 75% of it I figured out without trying).

There were some redeeming qualities to the book, though. Willis is a good writer, and things moved along quickly. I liked Verity (although she was pretty stupid, too). The stuff about butlers was very amusing. Some of the characters were caricatures, but some of them were very well realized and interesting. I found myself liking the characters, even as I wanted to inflict bodily harm on them. The scenes with the animals were well-done. There is enough writing skill that I might be willing to try another Willis book in the future, but I can't recommend this one.

>Susan, I loved A Door into Ocean and did like To Say Nothing of the Door as much for Willis's wit as for anything else. Have you read the books by Suzy Charnas - Walk to the End of the World and the books that followed. They were reissued by Tor in omnibuses (or is that omnibii?). I envy you a little reading all these SF novels that I once enjoyed, I have not found much interesting in SF in the last five or so years with some rare exceptions like Octavia Butler's Fledgling, Elizabeth Moon's The Speed of Dark and a couple of YA titles. This is why the discussion of so-called 'mundane sf" interests me; perhaps if they stick to near future they might examine some of the issues and questions that we live with now, instead of libertarian space opera and stories of the singularity.

It is fun going back and reading a lot of stuff that I missed, avaland. I would love to read more new stuff, too, but I haven't found much I am interested in. I did like Tricia Sullivan's Maul, but mostly I have been reading older stuff that I missed. I haven't read the 'mundane sf' thread yet, I may have to check that out. But, take William Gibson--Pattern Recognition was fantastic, but I just couldn't force myself to read Spook Country. So, I am not feeling so optimistic about near future stuff, either. I can't believe no one is doing interesting things in SF, though. Where is the stuff we are missing?

33. The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian

Fantastic. Deeply disorienting, as it deals with homeless people and mental illness. I wasn't particularly surprised by the "twist" at the end, but it was still just a fascinating book. It is hard to say much about this without giving away the twist, and I don't want to ruin this for someone else if they want to read it and be surprised, but this was really, really good. Bohjalian has some weird quirks, like referring to his main character as "the social worker" a lot, but that may have been a bit of a plot point, come to think of it. Also, there were a lot of references to eyeglass frames, and whether they fit the age of the person who was wearing them. Weird. But overall, it was beautifully written, and I had trouble putting the book down.

wow, I didn't see the ending coming at all. I was all caught up in the Gatsby aspect.

Well, that's why I wasn't surprised, honestly.

****SPOILER WARNING****

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Believing they were real people? That's just crazy! The very first time she mentions Gatsby being shot in his pool, I was almost physically shocked and I was very disoriented. I was very thrown by that whole plot thread in an otherwise normal, modern setting, and finally decided she must be imagining it, because there was no other way to reconcile the normal setting and talk about Gatsby and the Buchanans

Message edited by its author, May 9, 2008, 4:47pm.

LOL I actually looked it up to make sure they were fictional! but for her age, and the age of Scottie (the daughter) the timeline would be correct.

34. Nine Parts of Desire by Geraldine Brooks

Deeply disturbing. I feel that I understand Islam fundamentalism a bit more, and also how women can possibly be fundamentalists, even though I still think it is a terrible idea. Of the many things I am grateful for in this life, high on the list is the fact that I was not born as a woman into a fundamentalist Muslim family and society. Although, come to think of it, I am glad I am not a man in such a society, either. Scary, scary stuff.

35. Human Croquet by Kate Atkinson

I love Kate Atkinson. You can't expect her books to be firmly grounded in reality, although some of her more straightforward mysteries are more realistic. This was a bit of a combination--there was a fairly straightforward mystery in one sense, but it was a bit separated from reality, too. I love the way Atkinson tells the reader things that the characters do not know, and how she experiments with reality. Also, how things that are not real give us information that is really true. It is fascinating figuring out the interaction between the real world inside her story and the imaginary--because there are connections, the imaginary is a commentary on the real. I am very interested in the nature of reality, personally, so I love to read Atkinson's investigations of the subject.

Ah, another Atkinson! I haven't heard of this one... another TBR then, I suppose.

Thanks for the suggestion!

I hadn't heard of it, either, Katie. I really enjoyed it, though.

36. Love Marriage by V.V. Ganeshananthan

This was an Early Reviewer's book.

I somehow had the idea that this was about Indian immigrants, but it is actually about Sri Lanka. I learned a lot, but in a very interesting, incidental to the story sort of way. The structure was a bit odd, with no quotation marks to indicate for sure when people are talking, for instance, but it flowed very well.

That said, the end of this book was disappointing. The story just kind of ended, with no real conclusion to justify the tension that was built up as I read. Because there was a build up of tension, very subtle, that had me racing to an ending that was distinctly underwhelming.

Ganeshananthan is definitely an author to watch out for. I am sure that she will mature as a writer, and her future books will be even better than this one, which did have a lot to recommend it. The characters are very realistic, and their relationships were fascinating. As a Westerner, I don't have much experience with arranged marriages, and the various gradations between a completely arranged marriage and a love marriage chosen only by the couple involved. The information on the Tamil-Sinhalese conflict in Sri Lanka was illustrated through the impacts to the various characters in a way that imparted a lot of information without making the reader feel like the book is a textbook or a newspaper. Overall, I do recommend this book, but don't expect a fantastic ending.

Message edited by its author, Jun 4, 2008, 11:06am.

37. Careless in Red by Elizabeth George

This was certainly better than What Came Before He Shot Her, but it is far from a return to George's earlier brilliance. I figured out the end to the mystery on page 384 of a 603 page book, without really trying. The characterization was a bit unrealistic to me. Lynley finds a body while he is wandering off mourning his wife and child, and the detective in charge of the murder investigation puts him in charge of key parts of the investigation? At least Havers points out how irregular this is, but still, it's not believable.

That said, I did read it compulsively to the end, and there were mysteries about the characters that I did not completely figure out until they were explained (although that may have been partly a matter of will on my part). I hate to be critical of an author that has written many excellent books I have really enjoyed; I know this is a very difficult thing to do well, but I have to admit I am a bit disappointed. I really hope that she continues to get better as she puts the self-indulgent mess that was What Came Before He Shot Her further and further behind her.

I've been enjoying reading your reviews Susan. I've been catching up on these threads and I think you're the worst influence on my TBR pile! Beggars in Spain, A Door into Ocean and Nine Parts of Desire all sound really good.

I seem to be one of the few that enjoyed What Came Before He Shot Her, once I got over the fact that it wasn't going to be a mystery and was able to separate it in my mind from the Lynley/Havers books. I do find it frustrating how George doesn't go on with her stories to tell us what happens to the not-main (the ones who are in just that one book and don't show up in any of the others. I can't think of the term for them.) characters after we find out who did it and why. I think one reason why I keep reading her novels is in the hopes that she'll let something slip with regards to past characters. I've already got Careless in Red on hold at the library and am looking forward to reading it.

Thanks, sandragon! I love sharing books with others. And, you have to be the first person I have come across who liked WCBHSH! I wasn't expecting it to be the same type of book as the others, I just wanted something quite a bit less grim and bleak.

38. Don't Get Too Comfortable by David Rakoff

Funny, interesting, a quick read.

39. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

Although it has been over 20 years since I read this book, I remembered who did it right away. It was still an excellent book.

I am too tired tonight for more complete reviews, but I may come back and edit at some point...

40. Shadow's End by Sheri S. Tepper

I could have sworn I already had this book, but I picked up a used hardcover anyway, since I figure hardcovers are always better than paperbacks. But when I started to read it, it was completely unfamiliar. Not like I didn't remember how it ended, but like all new information. And I couldn't find the paperback on my shelves, so maybe I never did read it. Or maybe it's in a box somewhere.

Anyway, I liked this book. It is very similar to a lot of Tepper's other books, and relatively low on the preachiness scale. Tepper is a bit more into religion and gods than a lot of science fiction writers, which can be a bit jarring to someone who isn't expecting it, but she is really good at world-building and creating real characters. I really cared about these people.

Someday I'm going to reread a lot of Tepper and read what I haven't, beginning with The Margarets. Someday.

I love Sheri S. Tepper, but I have to say, she can be a bit preachy. The Visitor for instance, is hard to take if you do agree with her, because there is too much explaining, and not enough telling through action. Many other books are wonderful, though. I love her stuff, even the less well-written. The Gate to Women's Country is her best though.

41. Spin Control by Chris Moriarty

I really enjoyed this book. I wasn't expecting it to have so much spy thriller in it, but I love spy thrillers, so it was good. I like that Moriarty's books make me think about many things, genetics, politics, sociology, interpersonal relationships and more. Highly recommended.

Edited to try to fix touchstones.

Message edited by its author, Jun 18, 2008, 2:37pm.

42. The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

This was a re-read, and I remembered who did it, but it was still a fun read.

>69 I do agree to some extent; she has become more 'preachy' with age (some male readers I know have referred to her as 'shrill'). Still, I enjoyed The Visitor (if that is the one where the wasp-like aliens use conservative talk show hosts as surrogate mothers). That was the last one I have read, although The Margarets is here in the house somewhere.

I think I'll read another Gwyneth Jones' YA SF novel tonight. Thanks! Coming to your thread has helped me decide what to read next :-)

I haven't read any Gwyneth Jones, I will have to check her out sometime. Not that I need to buy any more books--I am still about 35 books ahead buying vs. reading. Must. read. faster!

43. Lost and Found by Carolyn Pankhurst

This book was very different than what I was expecting, and it was very good. Reality shows provide the potential for real drama, but you don't always get it, since people are always aware of the cameras. I liked the way this story tried to get into the brains of the contestants in a reality show, and show the real drama (although fictional, of course) that could be there. The characters are very believable, and three dimensional, except for the ones that were believably less developed because they were still immature people. I really enjoyed this one.

44. Julie & Julia by Julie Powell

I really enjoyed this, although I think I did like the blog better. This was more about the project itself, and less about the food. Which is fine, I guess, but different. I like Julie a lot, she reminds me of myself. I like that she is a bit rough, and that she found something to do rather than wallow in unhappiness when she didn't like the way her life was going. And I am impressed with the sheer size of the project. This was a fast, fun read.

ETA: I am behind pace still, but that is because I am looking to buy a house! Very exciting, although stressful. Soon I will have to spend all of my time packing and moving and throwing stuff away. I don't want to move anything I don't have to, so I need to make a few big trips to Good Will, and then I need to get everything I can boxed up, so that when I hire movers, they can move it all. Last time I moved, I hired movers for the furniture, but I had to move everything else (with the help of some wonderful friends), and it was exhausting. I want to have it all ready to go, so the movers can just come in and move it all for me. Well worth the money, in my opinion. But, that will cut into my reading time. No matter, once I move I will not be able to afford to go out to eat, or drive anywhere, or go to entertainments that cost money, so I will have plenty of time to read then!

Message edited by its author, Jun 25, 2008, 3:12pm.

congrats on the house! I feel your pain with packing, *and* throwing away.

Thanks, beeg! I went ahead an packed four boxes this morning, and last night I sent the girl into her room with a job--going through a hamper full of toys that she probably hasn't taken anything out of in a couple of years. I told her I was sure that she would find a few things she had forgotten that she wanted to keep, but I expected that most of the stuff could be gotten rid of. We are building a large pile of stuff by the front door to go to Good Will already. What I am really afraid of, though, is the storage unit--most of that needs to go, too, but I don't want to spend the time down there....

I'm going to be moving next month, so I feel your pain. But then again I'm finding that actually I do still need things I threw out last time ......

Don't say that! I need strength to throw things out! Seriously, though, most of the stuff in my storage unit has been untouched for 5 years, so I feel pretty safe getting rid of it. I will definitely keep my Christmas decorations, because those do come out every year, and I will need to do a quick look to make sure that there isn't anything that I have forgotten that is actually useful, but it should be a fairly quick matter of tossing most of it out.

45. Thud! by Terry Pratchett

Very good, as usual for Pratchett. I am so sad that he has been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's. I think that must be particularly hard for someone who works with words.

I totally agree with you about Terry Pratchett. His books are my 'treat' reads. I could sit down and plow through them all one after another--but I'm trying (heehee) to keep more balanced than in what I'm reading.

Alzheimer's is surely a cruel disease. His words and mind have given so much pleasure to his fans, I'm sure we all would give a lot if we could spare him what is to come.

46. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

When I picked this up at the beginning of the year and just couldn't get inot it, it was definitely because I was feeling slumpish, I know now. This was so suspenseful, I had to force myself to slow down and read it all toward the end, and this depsite having seen the movie. Very fun!

47. The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman

Still fun, very interesting. If they make more movies, I have no idea how they are going to be able to avoid pissing off the Catholic Church or any Christian Church, but I am sure they will figure out a way. That girl who played Lyra in the movie really was perfect for the part. She really captured the character.

They are wonderful books, aren't they? I agree that the girl who played Lyra was perfectly cast, and actually really good at the part. The Amber Spyglass may be my favorite of the trilogy. Pullman is so imaginative - I love the concept of a visible soul, and the way the children's daemons change, but the adult's are static. And you're right - I have no idea how they are going to avoid pissing off the church. Maybe more changing of names?

It will be interesting to see what they do--and if it makes the movie too bland.

48. The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman

I have to say that The Golden Compass remains my favorite of this series, but I liked reading through until the end. I liked the ending, although it seemed a bit anti-climactic in some ways. And, the writing was not as tight, and it was much more sentimental. But it was a good read.

Still packing and submitting paperwork and getting ready for the move. But once I move, I will have to stay at home and read all the time.

I'm with you: The Golden Compass was my favorite of the series as well. I really had to make myself finish Spyglass - of course, I did want to know the outcome, it was just hard for me to stay really involved as the novels went on... if that makes any sense at all.

good luck with your move! I've also begun packing, but luckily our move is a little over a month away... so we have plenty of time.

I close on my house on August 15, so I do have time to pack, but I need to register the kids for the new school, and finish the paperwork for the financing and all that stuff, too. I am working on de-cluttering, so we don't have to move stuff we don't need, and that is taking a lot of time, especially in the kids rooms.

I know what you mean about not staying involved. I read Spyglass when I had time to read, but I had no trouble putting it down to do something else. I am glad I read it, though. I did like thinking about the concepts that were part of the story, like the visible souls, and the multiple worlds.

You all are giving me a push to finish Pullman's trilogy. I read The Golden Compass a couple years ago, and my reaction was "Why didn't I know about these books before???" I bought the other two immediately, but haven't got around to reading them yet. Up the pile they go.

Okay, I am trying to pack my stuff and help a friend, so I have no time to post here. I have read a bit, though.

First, I started The End of Mr. Y, but I couldn't take it. I am sorry, but the narrator describes herself as a binge reader who used to spend entire days at the library as a kid, reading as much as she could cram in her brain. Then she finds a book that she has been searching for, and really looking forward to reading. She stays up late that night, gets up early the next morning, and reads all day until 4:00, stopping only to make a simple lunch, and then she gets to...page 133? That's when I completely lost all respect for the book. Especially since they had excerpts from the book, and it was not a difficult read. I just couldn't take it anymore. I need to mail it off soon, once I get it entered on Book Crossing and get the next address.

49. Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami

Wonderful book. What a great writer Murakami is. At first this book was a little confusing, but it quickly became more clear. I thought the concepts were fascinating.

50. Two Little Girls in Blue by Mary Higgins Clark

Fast read, suspenseful. Not great literature, but a nice escape read.

51. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt

Very interesting. Savannah has some pretty quirky residents, and Berendt is a very good writer. The mystery was interesting, and the character sketches were fascinating.

I spent much of the weekend either taking stuff to Good Will, throwing stuff away, packing, or helping a friend move (I want help with my move, too!). I will be so glad when this move is over, but I have to say, it feels good to get rid of a bunch of stuff. We still have too much stuff, but we have quite a bit less that we used to have. I figure we will get rid of even more as we unpack, but I am running out of time to be sorting through stuff--I need it all in boxes, ready to go.

I loved this book while I was reading it but I suppose it's flawed in that I didn't care that much about the mystery, I just wanted more anecdotes about the characters.

Well, it wasn't much of a mystery, was it? I think it was more to put a structure on the book, rather than being the point of the book. The characters were fascinating, though, I totally agree!

I forgot one little book that I got for my daughter and then re-read myself:

52. Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume

Very good book. I am reading a lot of books with my daughter and it's funny reading these books as an adult. Partly from growing up, and partly from having a lot more experience reading books, it is interesting to see what the authors are doing in these books, and how differently I view the characters than I did when I was a kid.

53. Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson

Now I need to re-read Neuromancer and Count Zero. Still, even though I think this would have been a bit more clear if I had recently read those books, it was good. I really like Gibson's ability to take seemingly disparate stories and weave them together without seeming totally disjointed. Just disjointed enough to keep you off-balance ;-).

ETA: I close on my house this coming Friday! I need to spend most of this weekend packing, so I don't think I will get a lot of reading done. Who knows if I will make my 100 book goal, but when I made that goal I wasn't intending to buy a house this year....

Oh, and I have gotten rid of SO MUCH stuff, which is fantastic, even if we do still have too much stuff.

Message edited by its author, Aug 9, 2008, 1:02am.

yay for house closing! yay for ditching stuff! I don't think the book gods will smack ya if you don't make your 100 book goal. have fun this weekend ;)

I did get a lot of packing done this weekend, but I couldn't go entirely without reading!

54. The $64 Tomato by William Alexander

Fun book about the trials of having a large kitchen garden and orchard. Since I am buying my own house, I can do a little bit of gardening, although I don't think I will ever be the kind of person who devotes all of my free time to the garden, no matter how good the food tastes. Still, some fresh herbs and tomatoes would be nice. And maybe a blackberry or raspberry bush...

I love my herb garden and this is the second year of growing veggies, love it as well. keep it small and it won't overwhelm you.

I can't believe I haven't finished anything since this book! Maybe I have forgotten something...I have been a bit distracted with the move. I have started a couple of books, but not finished anything recently. I am going back to work this week, with a slightly longer train ride, so maybe I will finish something up soon.

On the plus side, I love the house, and there is a small garden already in place, with tomato and basil plants, and what they think is probably volunteer acorn squash, so that is fun! I am not completely out of my apartment, yet, unfortunately, but I do have some time before I have to be out. I am so ready to be done with the move, so I can continue to work on the mountain of boxes waiting to be unpacked in my dining room! And I need to figure this yard work thing out now. Houses are a lot of work!

do the yard work if the weather is pretty - that's my rule, house stuff can wait till dark or otherwise.

55. The Bancroft Strategy by Robert Ludlum

I love Ludlum books. This one was very suspenseful, even though I figured a lot of it out early. I figured it out, but then I started to doubt myself, so it was interesting reading through to see if I was right. It was also very thought-provoking, especially the moral quandary of where to draw the line with the ends justifying the means. I loved the ambiguous end.

I am still wallowing in boxes, which is no fun. I love the house, though! Still haven't touched the yardwork, either. I am almost done with another book, though, thanks to the longer commute.

It seems pretty much a foregone conclusion I am NOT going to make 100 books this year. That's fine, though, I wasn't planning on buying a house when I set the goal. Maybe next year. In the meantime, I will see how far I do get.

Message edited by its author, Sep 5, 2008, 5:26pm.

I've never tried him, once my TBR pile gets more manageable I'll check this book out. I try not to wig about book goals, mostly it's just a way to see how many I read. After all you *did* just move :)

My TBR pile is so large, I am not even trying to lower it at this point. Although, I am going to get somewhat better, because I will not be able to afford to buy as many books as I have been. The house is expensive! But yes, I am not stressing about the goal. I'll read 100 books some year when I don't buy a house...

56. The Post Birthday World by Lionel Shriver

Once again, I love Lionel Shriver! What a fantastic book, and so very thought-provoking. Irina's relationship hits a crisis point, where she is tempted to kiss another man. The book proceeds in alternating chapters where she did kiss him, and where she didn't. The chapters are very similar, with the same words and scenarios repeated in drastically different ways. When Irina writes a children's book with a moral that directly comments on her life, I thought it was a bit obvious, until I read about the book she writes in the parallel world, with a different moral that also applies directly. Alone, the morals seem like spoon-feeding the reader; in counterpoint, they add to the complexity of the comparison.

I love how the situation is not as straight forward as it seems at first, and how neither situation is obviously much better than the other one. Life is complicated, with some good and some bad in every situation and relationship, and you have to determine your priorities as you go. Also, the idea of comparing the consequences to two sides of a choice is fascinating. In real life, obviously, you have no way of knowing what would have happened if you made the opposite choice, but people always wonder. Overall, highly recommended.

57. Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic by John De Graaf and others who I can't remember off the top of my head

This was a re-read. I came across this while unpacking, and felt the need for a refresh. I always struggle with the line between having enough and having too much. Do I really need all this stuff, or will it make me happy? After moving WAY TOO MUCH STUFF, this is on my mind even more than usual.

58. You're Wearing That? by Deborah Tannen

Interesting book about communication between mothers and adult daughters, where it goes wrong, and why it is so confusing for all parties. Being an adult daughter of a mother, I found it interesting, although I think I had figured out a lot of the issues I have with my mother. Of course, it is easy to forget cool reason in the heat of a difficult conversation, so it helps to be reminded. I am also hoping it will help me to have a good relationship with my daughter as she gets older; something to look forward to as we approach the rocky teen years!

Finally, another book!

59. The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon

I am so distracted by the house. I want all those boxes to be gone, dammit! So, it took me a bit to get into this. But, once I did, I loved it. I loved the alternate reality, and how well-thought out and believable it is. I loved the noir homage. I loved the gritty realism, and the scary worldview that doesn't seem quite so alternate after all. I loved the writing. And, most importantly, I loved the end of the book. Very impressive.

I loved that you loved it, adding it my list.

Thanks, Beeg!

60. The Phoenix Code by Catherine Asaro

Re-read.

I came across this while unpacking a box of books that has been sitting in my front closet waiting for new shelves for years now. I got new shelves several times, but never enough to get out the boxes from storage! Now, I got a LOT of new shelves, and I seem to be set for a while. Must do more cataloguing, though.

Anyway, I really liked this book. It had a bit more romance than I generally like in my SF, but it had some fascinating stuff about the nature of humanity, sentience and artificial intelligence.

61. American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld

I was intrigued by this book, but kind of surprised at how good it was. In some ways it seemed like not a lot happened, but of course, a lot did. The main character, based on Laura Bush, is so calm and even-tempered that there was never really anything that created a huge spike in her life, good or bad, even though there were many big good and bad things. Well, that's not true, the part at the beginning where she is at fault in a fatal car accident, killing one of her classmates, was a pretty big spike. But many times I was afraid that some big fraught scene was coming that never materialized. So I was impressed at the level of tension that was maintained despite the very calm tone of the book. There was also a lot about the main character's internal thoughts, which I sometimes find a bit boring, but was fascinated by in this book. Highly recommended.

62. Darwin Awards 4: Intelligent Design by Wendy Northcutt

These are always a lot of fun, and this was no exception. This was a nice, light read, and very amusing.

63. More Sex is Safer Sex by Steven E. Landsburg

Economics book. This was interesting, but a bit superficial, in a way that made it difficult to follow his arguments. I often found myself a bit lost because he seemed to be jumping around a bit, and demonstrating the opposite of what he said he was demonstrating. That said, Landsburg is clearly very smart and a rigorous economist, and some concentrated thought on the topics he raises would be rewarding I think, and clear up some things. I just wish he had been a bit more down in the details, and a bit less high-level.

hi sussabmax, interesting title there for an economics book :-)... what's his thesis and how does it relate to the title?

Well, it is actually only one of the topics in the book. He talks about several things that are surprisingly true when looking at a situation from an economic standpoint. The sex argument is that the people that are not having sex are less likely to be infected with an STD, so when they choose to stay home and not have sex, their potential partner is more likely to have sex with a more experienced, and thus more likely to be infected partner. Plus, the people that are not having sex are more likely to be careful when they do have sex, and that is safer behavior that should be encouraged. So, he talks about something that would incent cautious people to have sex without necessarily encouraging already promiscuous people to have more sex, like subsidized condoms. I am simplifying, obviously, but it was interesting.

64. Changing Planes by Ursula K. Le Guin

Interesting little book about changing planes (of existence) while waiting to change airplanes in noisy, boring difficult airports (I know, that was redundant). This was basically a bunch of short descriptions of alternate human societies, both warlike and peaceful, and was very good. Le Guin is good at world-building, so this was a treat.

Susan, that's one Le Guin I haven't gotten to yet. So many books, eh? Just stopping in to see what you've been reading.

Susan, I kept that LeGuin as a bathtub book. You know, one of those you dip into for a story while soaking in the bubble bath! It was fantastic for that purpose.

It is a fun book. Ronincats, it would be great for a bath book, or anytime you might be dipping into it. I found it a very easy read, but one that I can also think more deeply about, which I did at times. Lois, you should pick it up! It is a fairly recent book, which is good, because I don't find a lot of recent sf that I like. Some, but not enough! I peeked at your list btw, but couldn't quite get caught up. I will have to be better about getting over there, though, because I found several books to add to my list, and I always need new recs, right? I mean, if I am not careful, my list of TBRs might drop below 100 books!

65. Glasshouse by Charles Stross

Here is another exception to the statement above about recent sf. I REALLY enjoyed this book. I liked the way he explored gender politics from the standpoint of a future where gender doesn't matter in society, but people still tend to self-identify as one sex primarily. And then, he put these people against their will into the opposite sex, and in a historical simulation where they are in a present-day society, albeit an exagerrated one, where people are controlled by societal norms including sexism. It was fascinating. And, on top of that, the science of the future society is intriguing, and he explains just enough to get the idea across, and mostly through the actual story, rather than exposition. I found it slightly disorienting, in a pleasant way, the way I found my assumptions being challenged by this book. Definitely recommended.

66. The Bride of Pendorric by Victoria Holt

I do love me some Victoria Holt books. They are all gothic and creepy, but with sensical protagonists. I can't get too creeped out, because I know they always end well, but I do like reading the twists and turns of the plots. This is what I call comfort reading.

I do too! I thought I was going to be one of those brides when I grew up. LOL

gonna run to the library and pick one up!

I need to catch up on my Ursula Le Guin outside of the Earthsea books. Will look out for Glasshouse thanks for the review.

Thanks, Beeg and Rhinoa. I love sharing books with others, so thank you for commenting!

67. The Year's Best Science Fiction: Twelfth Edition, Edited by Gardner Dozois

Always a great collection, this one was particularly good. There was one story I didn't quite get, but many I really loved.

68. Eden Close by Anita Shreve

Short, a bit predictable, but gripping. I mean, I guessed what really happened the fateful night when the titular character was blinded in a tragic scene, but not every detail. I had trouble putting this one down.

69. The Terrorists of Irustan by Louise Marley

I really enjoyed this, in an appalled sort of way. The book was frightening in it's parallels to our world, and in seeing a genuinely good person driven to commit terrible crimes because she really had no other way to affect the course of her own life or the lives of those she loves. I liked the way the end was both tragic and hopeful, although it was probably more hopeful than such a situation would be in real life, sadly. I thought the whole situation was handled very well, with things not being as black and white as they could be. This was definitely a book about male oppression of females, but the men weren't all bad, either. Some were good, some did terrible things without really thinking it through, but were capable of learning. Highly recommended. Thanks, Lois, for sending it to me!

70. The Marlow Chronicles by Lawrence Sanders

This was an interesting little book about a dying man and the effect of his death on his friends and family. I was expecting something different from this one, because Sanders generally writes about big conspiracy type things, like corporations or governments, but this was an intimate group. It was a fascinating look at how people get along with each other, how someone knows who he is, really, and what people who are close to each other really mean to each other. I really enjoyed this.

71. The Curse of Kings by Victoria Holt

Another one of the comfort reads. This one was pretty sad, with several deaths, but still a wonderful book.

72. Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions by Gloria Steinem

I did a full review of this on my blog, but I will say this was a great book, although difficult to read at times. I am glad I read this, and wish I had read it years ago.

>116 You're welcome. Glad you enjoyed it. You make the Stross sound very interesting; however, I haven't been much interested generally in SF these days. But one never knows. Your review will stick in the back of my mind and sometime, when i least expect it...

73. Outliers by Malcom Gladwell

I really enjoyed this book that points out how talent and skill have to meet up with luck and demographics for someone like Bill Gates or the Beatles to acheive the success they have. Some very interesting concepts here.

74. Beauty by Sheri S. Tepper

This was the first Tepper book I read many years ago, so when I saw a nice hardcover copy at my local used bookstore, I pounced on it. It was just as good as I remembered it, and I was glad to re-read the story. I had forgotten that she looks at many fairy tales, not just Sleeping Beauty, so that was fun.

75. Twin Study by Stacey Richter

When I first picked this up, I didn't realize it was short stories, so I found the second story deeply disorienting. When I started the third story, and it was again very different from what went before, I figured it out. Once I knew what I was reading, I very much enjoyed these stories. Richter has a very odd imagination, and the stories were really fascinating.

Edited to fix numbers.

Message edited by its author, Dec 11, 2008, 3:17pm.

i hate it when the kill lots of people off

I read a couple of short books here to up my number. Actually, they were books that I wanted to read that happened to be short, but it does make for a higher number. I may make it up to 80 before the end of the year! Or maybe not--I am currently reading a longer one.

76. A Room With a View by E.M. Forster

I really loved this book. It is nice to see that people were writing about women as real people before modern times, and so well, too. I found Forster's thoughts on family life and getting along in society very interesting, too.

77. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

Le Guin is one of my favorite authors, so I am not surprised I really liked this, even though I am not generally a big fantasy fan. I borrowed this from a friend, and I have at least the next two books in a pile at home.

I moved on to In The Woods by Tana French now. I actually looked at this a long time ago, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to read it or not. I was actually reading a list of book recommendations on Salon.com which mentioned her current book, The Likeness. That sounded so good, I decided to get the first book, since they are somewhat related, sharing a character. I am really enjoying this book so far.

Edited to fix a counting error.

Message edited by its author, Jan 2, 2009, 4:22pm.

78. In the Woods by Tana French

Loved this book. The characters are well-realized, the story is fascinating and tragic and tight. This was the kind of book where I actively resented doing other things that meant I couldn't read, like work and sleep and talk to my kids. Well, not the kids as much, but everything else.

One quibble, though--they kept talking about psychopaths when they meant sociopaths. That drove me crazy, especially since the character that introduced the term was a psychology major and should have known the difference. And, they are very different. It was a bit jarring, actually. Still, I wouldn't let that hold you back from reading the book, which was excellent. I am going out to buy French's next book today.

Edited to continue fixing my counting error.

Message edited by its author, Jan 2, 2009, 4:22pm.

79. The Private Patient by P.D. James

Excellent, tight story. I am going to miss these books.

Ditto editing note above.

Message edited by its author, Jan 2, 2009, 4:23pm.

Wrapping up the year:

81. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

This was an LT recommendation, and I am glad I read it. I am not a big graphic novel person, but I thought this was a good way to tell this story. I am going to look for part 2 soon.

82. Halting State by Charles Stross

I really enjoyed this book, too. Not a big surprise, since I liked Glasshouse so much. I like the way Stross creates believable characters that are well-rounded, whether the character in question is male or female. I was a bit thrown by the second person PPOV, especially since the story shifted between POVs of the three main characters, but it quickly became less jarring. I liked the combination of gaming, high-tech coding, business and old-fashioned human relations. I also liked the near-future extrapolation of many current trends, and how that made the world in the book seem both familiar and very foreign. I definitely recommend this one.

And again with the counting error--I guess it was wishful thinking to up my number...

Message edited by its author, Jan 2, 2009, 4:24pm.

In the Woods is on my TBR list... I'm glad to hear that you liked it!

ETA to ask: do you have a 2009 Challenge? I can't find it!!

Message edited by its author, Jan 6, 2009, 1:41pm.

Not yet, my daughter broke my monitor on my laptop, so I have not been online as much. I have read two books, though, so I need to start it before I forget! Thanks for asking.