Allthesepieces's Amazing Alliterated Attempt At A-Hundred (Anno Demoni 2012)

Welcome!

All remains still... Until we all chime in to say: welcome! :)

Nice entrance, I have to say.

Oooh yes! Excellent opening :)

Welcome!

Happy New Year!

Hello! Waiting with baited breath to find out what happens next...

*********
One week had passed since the ugly old thing had appeared and roused the interest of the town's nosy pedestrians. At first, they were curious, and then somewhat annoyed. After several days, most of them had become bored and would have forgotten about the lonely little cart were it not such an eyesore and in the middle of town. When they eventually resolved to ignore it, it seemed to disappear into the daily hum and bustle about the street.
*********

Hi, everyone. And thanks for the warm welcome. :)

Joining this group was, admittedly, something I did on a whim. Some time awhile ago, I set for myself a ridiculous goal to read 10,000 books before I die. It's ridiculous because it has no real purpose. And because it has no real purpose, it has no well-defined rules.

I figured about 200 books a year would do the trick. I managed 10 last year. (How sad.) But I'm hoping having accountability might light a fire under me bum.

ac·count·a·bil·i·ty
noun
1. an icky feeling associated with being grown up and somewhat responsible.
2. a group of people who, in motivating a nonmotivated grownup, enable the grownup to shirk an icky feeling of being somewhat responsible.

I enjoy reading books that are well below my level. Also, satire. But I plan to read from other genres this year, too.

I think my biggest challenge this year will be reading Finnegans Wake. (Or at least I hope it doesn't get much worse than that.) I might jump into other challenges throughout the year. I might not. I'm sure my method (read: lack) of organization will evolve as I move along, here.

I had some other vague resolutions in mind this year: read more, write more, draw more, paint more, take more pictures, yadda, yadda. I'm sure whatever part of my brain spawned those ideas is the same part in which my unfortunate fruit cart was originally assembled.

Anyway, I hope we can have some fun, here.

Bring on the books!

(Edit: Debating over formatting.)

Finnegan's Wake is the biggest challenge ever

That definition for accountability is spot on!

Welcome and spot on with the ickiness !
Finnegan's Wake has certainly been my most challenging read, I survived it by reading 10 pages a day so that I would stop before getting too frustrated. Glad I finished and will be very interested to see what you make of it.

Accountability is one thing. (And thanks, by the way!) But maybe someone can help me figure out what the heck a "finnegan" is?

@ 9

Were you able to finish it?

Sort of. I turned all the pages and looked at all the words in a row. If that can be defined as reading and finishing, yes. But I have no idea what was going on there, so if you require reading comprehension, no.

Hahaha. Sure, we can call that reading and finishing.

I was thinking about grabbing the Skeleton Key before I started reading it, but then I wanted to see what I could put together by myself. We'll see what happens.

*********
Also attempting to blend in was a girl of average size and stature, who wore a ragged grey cloak and shuffled along with the flow of foot traffic. She might have been entirely dismissible, but the way she kept scanning the crowd betrayed something of her intentions.
*********

Alright, so I'm going to begin my count with the first book I read in my thirtieth (*sob*) year here on Earth. That's how I've been tallying things for my 10K Challenge. It's not cheating if I still read 100 books in 2012, right?

Some info:

NF - nonfiction
F - fiction
PC - physical copy
EB - ebook

Recommendations might seem odd, but...you know...fun.
Ratings run on a scale of 1-5.



1. The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat (NF, 256 pgs.) - This one took me a heck of a long time to read. I can't really explain why it took me such a long time to read, except to say that I felt like I was losing interest towards the end. There were some stories I could relate to, a few that taught me something new, and several that sort of bored me. My favorite, I think, was "The President's Speech." If you're familiar with aphasia, you might infer from its title why I got a chuckle out of it. If not, you'll just have to read it. :P (Hint: It's damn near impossible to lie to an aphasiac.)

PC
3.5/5

Recommended for: Neuronerds. Like me.

(My review.)



2. Chameleon: Book Two in the Ripple Series (F, 190 pgs.) - I snagged this in Member Giveaways. I'll admit I didn't think it would be as awesome as it was. It's a YA paranormal romance, so I was expecting some cheese. There wasn't much. There were plenty historical references that kept me tied to the story. Two things bothered me, though. One was the overuse of the words "guffaw" and "chortle." I don't think any of the characters ever actually laughed. The other was that it made me worry the series might turn into one of those science VS religion disasters. There were a few hints.

EB
4/5

Recommended for: WWII buffs seeking fluff.

(My review.)



3. The Kite Runner (F, 400 pgs.) - I originally picked up A Thousand Splendid Suns. I then dropped it...behind a dresser. Since I was too lazy to fish it out, I decided to read this, instead. And wow. I don't think I could have asked for much more in a work of fiction. I wasn't terribly happy with the ending, but the story more than made up for it.

PC
4.5/5

Recommended for: Foodies. Especially those who enjoy Middle Eastern and/or Indian fare. (Okay, that wasn't the point of the story, but... *drool*)

(Not yet reviewed.)

(Edit: Fixed a link and a few typos.)

I read your first book a long time ago, probably 15 years ago. I remember enjoying it overall, but it's too long ago to remember if I found any slow spots.

I have An Anthropologist on Mars to read, too. Admittedly, it's been pushed a little farther down my reading list. (Not too much, though.)

4. Taken (The Taken Trilogy) (F, 199 pgs.) - Another one from Member Giveaways. I'm really disappointed with the quality of the work that put this book together. I kept getting distracted by both typographical and grammatical errors. I got annoyed about having to stop and reread chapters whenever poor sentence structure and otherwise incoherent writing made it unclear to me what was going on. Sometimes there were too many details. Other times, there wasn't enough information. And often, the characters weren't believable.

I don't think it's fitting to call this "a dystopian novel." I might elaborate upon that more when I get around to writing my review, but first I'll need to figure out what genre the book does fit into. That's going to be difficult.

What bothers me the most, I think, is knowing that I would have loved this book were it not for its unpolished presentation. I could cry because the author was onto such an interesting idea. And because I'm not sure I want to continue reading the trilogy to find out if she can pull things together.

In short, this book exemplifies why authors need editors.

EB
2.5/5

Recommended for: ...proofreading. Please.

(Not yet reviewed.)

Got my review of Chameleon: Book Two in the Ripple Series posted. Still working on the rest.



5. Spooks - Vol. 1 (F, 29 pgs.) - I wanted to see how graphic novels read on my Nook. At 99 cents, buying this wasn't a major commitment. And, hey. It seemed like it would make for an interesting story.

This is the first installment of four that went into making a graphic novel by the same title. Now that I've been introduced to the plot, I'm definitely interested in reading more. The artwork is pretty spiffy, too. One minor problem, however, is that this one might be a little difficult to procure. With limited quantities, and with most (new) copies priced around fifty dollars, I'll probably have to turn to the marketplace and hope for the best.

You might've guessed why I'm looking for a physical copy. It looks like graphic novels are formatted specifically for the Nook Color and Nook Tablet. Drat.

EB
4/5

Recommended for: Fans of 1950s horror comics.

(Not yet reviewed)



6. Auschwitz: A Doctor's Eyewitness Account (NF, 194pgs.) - This was one of the first ebooks I ever purchased. Again, at 99 cents, no major commitment was involved. (The price has since risen significantly. (And don't ask me why that's important. (It's not.))) It took me a long time to read, I think because I kept pushing it aside in favor of other books. Why? The book was more like a diary than a story. Since its first part was dedicated mostly to establishing an expected setting, it didn't have me hooked. As the account progressed, though, it started to show how the doctor's mind was unravelling. And things got really grisly at the end.

EB
4.5/5

Recommended for: WWII buffs. (I've noticed a theme in my reading, lately. Not intentional at all.)

(Not yet reviewed.)



7. The Red Market (NF, 241 pgs.) - This wasn't at all what I was expecting. Reading the title made me ask "how and why are people trading body parts?" Reading the book taught me plenty about some of the current social issues in India, but seemed to lead me astray from my original pondering. Still bizarre enough to captivate, though I have to wonder about the integrity of the information presented. I don't regret reading it, but I don't think I'd recommend it, either.

PC
3/5

Recommended for: ...wait.

(Not yet reviewed.)

Ah, a reference to "neuronerds", use of one of my favourite words ("spiffy"), *nested* asides (why have I never used them?? (expect to see a lot more in my comments now!)), and an ongoing story.

I think I'm going to be hooked on this thread this year.

Definitely glad to have you along for the adventure! I can't promise the story will hold up, but I thought it might be fun to let my reading inspire some writing. I will warn you, I have no idea where it's going.

Just got back from the library. Since reading StormRaven's thread, I decided to go looking for Tintin. Instead, I came home with The Graveyard Book and Stranger Than Fiction, but I'll be getting Destination Moon and Explorers on the Moon through an ILL soon.

Also spotted Otherworld (?) and Fly By Night and thought they both looked interesting. The first looked like some 800+ pages, though, so it'll have to wait.

Challenge: to hack down my wishlist with the help of the library.

I just abandoned two books, and I'm currently working through a novel of about 800 pages. (It's not the novel I mentioned in my last post.) Sooo, that's where I've been. Be back soon!

response to ? on my thread:
I did finish The Tiger's Wife and it was a 4 star read for me. I really liked it tremendously.
~belva

P.S. loving your thread and kind of like the story too; "Clusterfark, Pennsyltucky", (too, too funny!~!); have you starred and will be checking back in

Still waiting on Tintin. *grumble*



ABANDONED (1): The New Death and Others (F, 44/102 pgs.) - I get so disappointed when I can't make it through books I receive through the Member Giveaways program. I get worried, too, when I still have several that I need to finish.

Challenge: to avoid the Member Giveaways until I'm able to read and review all of the books I already have.

Back to the subject. Here's a case in which I'm going to have to agree with the crowd. Any of the poems or stories from this book might have been fun to read alone. Strung together, they just made a mess. The author's brand of humor got old fast and I felt like I was reading too much of the same thing, over, and over, and over, and...

It might have helped to break the book into smaller sections to read over different sittings. So I guess it didn't help when the author sent a friendly "reminder" pestering readers to review the book. Oh, well.

EB
1/5

Recommended for: anyone with a slightly childish, slightly twisted sense of humor who wouldn't mind treating this like a book of fables and who isn't on an imaginary and somewhat annoying deadline to write a review.

(Not yet reviewed.)



8. The Graveyard Book (F, 320 pgs.) - I loved, loved, loved, loved, loved this book. Can I tell you how much I loved this book? No, I can't.

A friend of mine's been on my arse to try some of Neil Gaiman's other work since I spat on a copy of Mirrormask. Instead of bragging about my ability to spit after allowing a stream of expletives to fly steadily from my mouth for onehourfortyoneminutesandthensome, I'll just try to make it clear why I was hesitant to take his recommendation; I hated Mirrormask. But I saw this at the library. Thought, "Hey, graveyards. Cool." And brought it home to read. I couldn't put it down. When I had to, I cried.

It probably sounds strange. Maybe it's the goth kid in me. But I felt like I was among friends while I was reading this. Then again, it didn't even feel like I was reading, and that indicates a rare and wonderful book.

Done prattling. I'll try to be a little more helpful in my review.

PC
5/5

Recommended for: everyone! :D

(Not yet reviewed.)



9. Zora and Me (F, 170 pgs.) - Another one from the library. I was browsing the YA section when this one caught my eye. The blurb mentioned something or another about a were-crocodile and, that quickly, I was sold.

What the story's really about is a girl who can spin a yarn so effectively that, if she were to tell a lie, she might even believe it herself. There's something in there about a big-ass alligator and a murder. It's also, perhaps unexpectedly, about segregation and racism following the Emancipation Proclamation.

I enjoyed the language so much throughout reading this that I have to say I think it would make an excellent audiobook. I might look to see if that format is available.

Really neat idea:

The bad things that happen to you in life don't define misery--what you do with them does.

PC
3.5/5

Recommended for: ...alright, these are getting annoying.

(Not yet reviewed.)

So I'm done recommending my books and it looks like I have a few more challenges. Here goes February.

Rainpebble, happy to see you here. I'm going to eventually pick up The Tiger's Wife. It's just that my wishlist keeps growing and growing!

I've been having some trouble stringing words together this week, which is why I've been avoiding updating my thread. I think for now, I'm going to try updating one book at a time and focus most of my attention on reading.



10. A House Called Awful End (F, 144 pgs.) - Here's the first one in the Eddie Dickens trilogy. I found these books around the same time I started reading Lemony Snickett's A Series of Unfortunate Events. They're written in a similar fashion, though I think Eddie Dickens would appeal to an even younger audience.

Of course there's nothing particularly deep to analyze or pick apart from this book. There were some interesting illustrations to take a gander at, and I enjoyed laughing at all of the silly (but grim...oh, very, very grim...*serious nod*) situations in which Eddie found himself.

I'm pretty sure I read these before, but I don't have them recorded in my 10K log, so they looked safe to reread. Come to think of it, I might pick up A Series of Unfortunate Events again soon, too.

PC
3.5/5

(Not yet reviewed.)

I finally cracked the spine on Finnegans Wake. So far, I'm loving the godforsaken thing. Kudos to my librarian, though. She and I ended up chatting a bit about James Joyce when I told her I was hoping to finish the Wake by the end of the year. Imagine my surprise when she called me in earlier this week and handed me a copy of The Skeleton Key to Finnegans Wake she had checked out (ILL) in her name! Egads, I love my library (and librarians)!

Great to see you are trying and enjoying Finnegans Wake !
I managed reading 10 pages or so a day, can't say I enjoyed the experience, but then I didn't have 'The Skeleton Key' !

Good luck with Finnegan's Wake! That's a great challenge.

Thank you both! Bryanoz, I'm following suit. Taking it only a few pages per sitting is allowing me more time to enjoy the language. I'm only in the beginning of the book, but for some reason I'm reminded of A Clockwork Orange and just about any (or maybe all?) of David Lynch's films. The Skeleton Key to Finnegans Wake is great in that it's giving some form to the rather confusing plot. Or, as the authors put it, a skeleton. There's a bibliography I'll have to go digging through later, as well.



11. Call of the Wild (F, 79 pgs.) - I think I was having a crappy day, was bored with what else I was reading, or something just wasn't right. Whatever the reason, I needed to turn to an old favorite.

Most of you are probably familiar with the story of Buck, the pampered pooch who gets dognapped during the Klondike Gold Rush. The story ultimately raises questions regarding the challenges environment poses to morality. (Or at least that's the main idea I take away from it.) Jack London always seems to take an interesting approach to these themes. His stories are loaded with adventure. Just never the shallow variety.

Here's another one that I couldn't find in my 10K log, so I figured I'd add it to the list.

EB
4.5/5

(My review.) ...which is really, really old.

12. Spooks, Vol. 1 (F, 144 pgs.) - Amazon's. Very. Last. Copy. Why did parting with my money give me this odd feeling of accomplishment? I have no clue, but I was determined to enjoy it.

I'm not sure what I was expecting the writers would be able to pull off in just four installments of a comic of this nature, but the dialogue got pretty boring by the third. That's the only reason this isn't getting a higher rating from me. I was still impressed with the concept, I enjoyed the artwork, and was thrilled to even catch a glimpse of the elusive chupacabra. (Hey, sue me.)

Summary: top-secret military operation prevents the monster mash from taking over the United States. To be continued in South America.

PC
3.5/5

(Not yet reviewed.)

13. Jack Frost, Vol. 1 (F, 192 pgs.) - I had a friend recommend Deathnote, but even though I was looking for a new manga, I wasn't ready for it. I went looking for something else. I found this, instead. I read a plot summary about a cute little girl who (literally) keeps losing her head and had to see what this was about. And that's how I was introduced to manhwa...in seven chapters of violence.

In "Violence 1," Noh-A loses her head. In "Violence 2," Noh-A loses her head again. In "Violence 3..."

Noh-A gets beheaded during her first day at a new school, but instead of dying, she wakes up to realize that something's more than a little screwy with her class. She finds herself among the dead and mixed in with a slew of paranormal entities who keep hinting at some upcoming apocalyptic war. She realizes that she and her survival are somehow tied to the sociopathic Jack Frost and must decide whether or not to rely upon him.

Nice opening to a developing series with loads of potential. So far, there are only five volumes. But I'm looking forward to reading the rest.

PC
4/5

(Not yet reviewed.)

Playing catch-up this week... Have to say Jack Frost sounds fascinating. I'm looking forward to your further reviews of the series! I caught some of Death Note on TV, and have been toying with the idea of the novels as well.

'Noh-A gets beheaded during her first day at a new school'

Old style discipline finally coming back to schools !

Haha! I love it!



14. The Hunger Games (F, 384 pgs.) - Twilight (I refuse to honor that with a link) and the oodles of trash it spawned had instilled in me such great apprehension about YA series lit. It was a genre I once considered a favorite. Redwall, His Dark Materials, The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Artemis Fowl, and even Harry Potter were all series I knew and loved. It would have been hard to imagine they could all be lost in an illiterate fog of glitter, misogyny, and teenage angst.

I'll still catch myself avoiding any YA series that make the best-sellers lists. So it took several months of nagging from my best friend before I finally caved and decided to give this one a go.

Got Hyperspoilerphobia? I'd probably stop reading here and skip to the next post!

The Hunger Games is an annual event that serves to remind the citizens of Panem of the power the Capitol exerts over them. The citizens had been divided into thirteen districts, each with a special function meant to serve the greater good of Panem. Every year, the Capitol pulls children from each district to compete in The Hunger Games. Only one child is meant to survive.

Katniss, the story's main character, volunteers to take her younger sister's place in the games. Though she's often oblivious to the way her actions affect the people around her, her tactics in the games put the spark (or fire?) into a revolution as the people of Panem begin to realize that the Capitol needs them more than they need the Capitol.

The story was a little less exciting than I was originally imagining, but left me with plenty to think about. The society the author created did seem oversimplified, but it became apparent later in the series why it might have been detrimental to the allegory to focus on developing this aspect of the dystopia. And, alas, I'm afraid Twilight has left its ugly mark even upon this series as it seems to me that far too many people thought the main idea of the story was the love affair between Katniss and Peeta. Or Katniss and Gale. Meh, whatev.

The book did have me thinking a lot about the effects war and combat would have on people and their personal relationships. I'd like to think that was what the author was trying to examine. Young soldiers have been getting called away from their families and friends to go to war for people who are too jaded or nonchalant to give a rat's rear end. Plenty of them die. The cameras definitely don't show us everything. Whatever happens during the war changes these people and those they're close to in ways so profound, I doubt anyone could fully understand the dynamics unless they've experienced something similar themselves. Like I said, plenty to think about.

Has balance finally been restored to YA lit? Hell no. But this was way better than what I've been growing accustomed to.

EB
3.5/5

(Not yet reviewed.)

ABANDONED (2): Pele, Volcano Goddess of Hawa'i (NF, 15/102 pgs.) - It had been a while since I browsed through the Early Reviewers list, so I was pleasantly surprised when I was selected to receive a book. The other books I'd received through the program were great, so I was unpleasantly surprised to discover what a flop this one was.

I don't know. There are textbooks I enjoy reading, and textbooks can get pretty dry. I also sometimes entertain myself by flipping through different articles in academic journals. I read obsolete dictionaries. This book? Couldn't do it.

As I do with (almost) all nonfiction books, I decided to skim before reading. The layout was so cluttered, I'm not sure I would have made it to the end, anyway. Forewords, and prefaces, and introductions, and footnotes, and appendices, and bibliographies, and indexes, and afterwords, and acknowledgements...oh, my! Surely there was a main body of text in there somewhere? Strike one!

Then I started reading. The author spent the first part of the book explaining how he (?) was going to write the book. Strike two!

As I continued reading, it irritated me that the author was unable to decide upon a target audience. I think I recall he explained something to the effect of he'd like to reach as many readers as possible, which included both scholars and laymen. That left the tone of the book (or what little of it I was able to read) at "almost patronizing." Beyond that, it had no personality. Strike three! Yerrrrout!

Shame. I would've enjoyed the topic.

PC
1.5/5

(My review.)

15. Catching Fire (F, 391 pgs.) - The series continues with a nasty surprise in store for our main characters. For the 75th Annual Hunger Games, the tributes will be selected from the pool of previous victors. Katniss returns to the games and encounters a few familiar faces and some unlikely competition.

If I were to treat the first book in the trilogy as an introduction to the characters and setting, this installment is the one in which the plot is developed. We learn more about the characters, each of the Districts, the Capitol, and the politics in play.

It was in this book I was introduced to my favorite character in the series. An 80-year-old woman named Mags volunteers to take the place of a younger girl who was selected to compete in the games. She speaks incoherently and has a hard time getting around. It makes Katniss wonder if she recently had a stroke. I'm still mulling over the metaphor, but Mags in particular made me appreciate how the author would use her characters to expand her focus and continue to explore the relationships that develop (and disintegrate) during times of war.

While I still can't call this a favorite series for the first book being somewhat weaker than I hoped, I think I can call this book a favorite within the YA Series Lit genre. I had this back to the library a few minutes after I finished it so I could check out the third book. And I came home with that and started reading it a few minutes later.

PC
4/5

(Not yet reviewed.)

ABANDONED (3): Brandon Marlowe and the Alpha in the Omega (F, skimmed) - I don't really have much to say about this book. It was another one I snagged from Member Giveaways. It seemed well-written and as though the story would have been entertaining, but there were so many different fonts and sizes of fonts that I was put off. In the end, I decided this one would have to go on the "abandoned" pile.

EB
NR

(Not reviewed.)

Skipping your review of Catching Fire, (I am a sufferer of Hyperspoilerphobia). Shame about the two dud ER books!

16. Mockingjay (F, 503 pgs.) - The final installment in the trilogy sets everything we've learned in the previous books into motion as the citizens of Panem take on the Capitol in an all-out revolution. Katniss is once again put into the difficult position of having to choose allies. This time, however, it's possible she's in a situation even more tense than in the Games.

We learn even more about the characters as they reveal secrets about their past. We also learn to hate Katniss just a little bit (if we haven't already).

POSSIBLE SPOILER, but...I was sad to see so many of the characters go. This was a great conclusion to the series. It probably would've got a five-star rating out of me were it not for the little bit of cheese and if had it not gone into what seemed like a superfluous epilogue. My suspicion is that it was intended to appease the Twilight alumni who were so focused on Katniss in her love triangle. Blech.

PC
4.5/5

(Not yet reviewed.)

@ 38: No worries, I am a fellow sufferer. Still looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the series, though! And even though it might sound like otherwise, I'm not trying to rush you. Honest. :)

I am bummed about the ER books, especially Brandon Marlowe. Had me wondering if it was just some unintended screwiness, which I know happens frequently when saving or converting files to different formats. Not sure what went on there. Oh, well.

17. Daytripper (F, 256 pgs.) - Here's the unexpected favorite of this quarter. Maybe even of this year. Books this good are rare. I'm sure this'll be a difficult one to match.

Each chapter in this book follows Brás, an obituary writer, through different years of his life. Each chapter begins at a different year of his life, and each ends with his death. The reader never knows which year the following chapter will pick up, how Brás will die, or even which of the portrayed events are most important leading up to the inevitable. Only when it hits Brás does it finally hit the reader. The effect is something hauntingly mysterious, tragic, and profoundly beautiful.

There's a certain kind of synastry between the artwork and script that makes this worth rereading. Each compliments the other to bring mundane details into a new being, which seems to tap into the main idea behind the stories. I also picked up a charming hint of magic realism that added a layer to the story's atmosphere.

I can't recommend this book enough. I read it the day I bought it, could not put it down, and it has been sitting on my nightstand since I finished it. (I can't put it on the shelf, yet.) This was the best thing I've read in a while.

PC
5/5

(My review.)

Oh, I've been wanting Daytripper for far too long! I think you've pushed me over the edge though, and I shall order it in asap (it's never on the shelves when I pop in to the comic book shop).

I know you'll love it.

18. The Sea of Monsters (F, 279 pgs.) - Just continuing on with the Percy Jackson series. They aren't the greatest children's books ever written, but I do appreciate the humor Riordan injects into his mythology. He somehow manages to poke fun at everyone.

"Laistrygonians. The monsters in the gym. They’re a race of giant cannibals who live in the far north. Odysseus ran into them once, but I’ve never seen them as far south as New York before.”
“Laistry—I can’t even say that. What would you call them in English?” She thought about it for a moment. “Canadians,” she decided. “Now come on, we have to get out of here."

Can't say I'm too eager to continue with the series, but I'm sure I'll pick it back up eventually.

EB
3.5/5

(Not yet reviewed.)

19. Land of Black Gold (F, 62 pgs.) - I got curious after reading StormRaven's thread earlier this year and seeing that Tintin goes to the moon. My librarians had a rough time finding the books I wanted, but they were eventually able to call in a bound collection of Tintin comics which included those I requested. (They're awesome people!)

Unfortunately, I didn't like this one much. There was too much going on visually. Plenty of thought was put into the dialogue, but not as much into the design. It was hard on my eyes to the point that I didn't really get into the story.

PC
2/5

(Not yet reviewed.)

I think StormRaven's Tintin reviews are also inspiring me to re-read them too... I wonder if my childhood copies are still hanging around somewhere...?

Worth a look, I think.

I keep finding odd books when I go digging around in my attic. Like, "The Babysitter's Club?! I so did NOT read this stuff!!! Did I? Eep." It'd be cool if I pulled out something like Tintin, instead!

20. Destination Moon (F, 62 pgs.) - Next up in the Tintin series. I did enjoy this adventure more than Land of Black Gold. Cleaner drawings and a more interesting setting.

I understand it was supposed to be a joke, but I just didn't like how Snowy kept getting hurt! It's probably something that would have made me put the book down when I was younger.

Anyway, good to try something new.

PC
3/5

(Not yet reviewed.)

21. The Arrival (F, 128 pgs.) - Absolutely amazing book that tells...er...shows the story of an immigrant coming to a new land. The surreal drawings perfectly conveyed to me what it might be like to find myself forced to survive in such a strange place.

"Reading" a wordless book was a fresh experience for me. I found it best to treat it as though I was thumbing through slides or watching a silent film. The artwork was stunning. Interesting how the artist was able to string together studies to tell a story like this.

PC
5/5

(Not yet reviewed.)

QUARTERLY ROUNDUP:

Books Read: 21 of 100 (19 in 2012)
Nonfiction: 3 of 21
Fiction: 18 of 21
Physical Copies: 15 of 21
Ebooks: 6 of 21

Highest Rated (Favorite): The Graveyard Book and Daytripper
Lowest Rated (Most Unfavorite): The New Death and Others

Reviews: 4, plus 2 from abandoned books

Abandoned Books: 3

Total Pages Read: 4623, plus 59 from abandoned books

Running Challenges:

*Read Finnegans Wake.
*Use the library to whittle down the wishlist.
*Avoid Member Giveaways until I'm able to read and review all of the books I already have.

I'm a little farther into Finnegans Wake and I'm loving the crap out of it. I'm definitely appreciating the attention to details it must have taken to write this book.

I've been visiting the library regularly, though I'm not sure doing so has been helping me whittle down my wishlist as much as build it up! *sigh*

I have successfully avoided Member Giveaways. I'm still working my way through the books I have. I'm in the middle of The Devil's Mixtape, which has me intensely curious about where the plot is going.

New Challenges:

*Work on building up a decent collection of graphic novels.
*Work on reviewing books already read and completing their catalog entries.
*Get my reading blog back up and running.

Most of the books I've been buying recently are graphic novels. I've taken greater insterest in the genre this year, for some reason.

It might serve me better to take notes while I'm reading "physical copy" books, too. My Nook makes it really easy to do that while I'm reading ebooks. I find that having notes available makes it much easier to write reviews and discuss elements of the book once I've finished with it.

Total Books Read: 21/102

Onward.

I've been visiting the library regularly, though I'm not sure doing so has been helping me whittle down my wishlist as much as build it up! *sigh*

Oh, I know that feeling well. Went to the library child-free the other day (after a previous aborted attempt where we got there 5 minutes after they closed due to Miss Boo being Very Very Difficult), and I got out seven books. Just because I could. Even though I won't be able to read them all. (But I want to!)

Glad you loved The Arrival, that's a wonderful book. Have you read any of his others? I particularly liked The Lost Thing too. It's got a great cadence for reading aloud to kids as well, it's just written very naturally. And beautiful artwork, again.

I brought three home this time, only because The Invention of Hugo Cabret is rather large and heavy, and because I was walking home and didn't have my bag.

Which seven did you get? :)

I haven't yet read any of Shaun Tan's other work, but now that I've finished The Arrival, I'm eager to get into more. I was looking at Lost and Found, which has The Lost Thing and two others. Tales From Outer Suburbia has been tempting me, too.

Oh, enjoy The Invention of Hugo Cabret! It was a great read, I thought.

My library haul consisted of: Ragnarok by A.S. Byatt (it's but wafer thin); City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (I think someone here recommended this series? If not, no big); Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding (hopefully to scare me into throwing something out on occasion); Sarah Thornhill by Kate Grenville (the book I actually went there to get, it's for book group next month); The Tale of One Bad Rat by Bryan Talbot; When She Woke by Hillary Jordan; Essential Dykes to Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel.

Two are graphic novels, so will be fastish reads, as will the Byatt (short and LARGE printing) and hopefully the Clare. And Sarah Thornhill should be pretty fast too. But I can see some of these being returned unread, I've got a couple of large books up next to read and there's only so many hours in a day.

Honest to goodness, boxes of things leave my house whenever I catch those television shows about hoarding.

Afraid I had to give up on The Invention of Hugo Cabret this time around, but I'll be picking it up probably on my next trip to the library. (I hate when my books get stamped for days when they're closed.)



22. Of Mice and Men (F, 112 pgs.) - This was my first exposure to John Steinback's work. I've been avoiding The Grapes of Wrath for what must be by now a decade. I thought it might be best to acquaint myself with a shorter story, first.

I was expecting something a little different, maybe more wholesome, for some bizarre reason I have yet to figure out. This was actually rather depressing. And disturbing. It's been two weeks since I've finished it and I'm still mulling over the allegory. (Obsessive, a bit?)

Not too much to say, otherwise. Still pondering.

PC
4.5/5

(Not yet reviewed.)

Also...wonky internet connection lately. I may be shutting down for a while and just borrowing access when I'm out for a coffee. We'll see how this goes.

Been meaning to get over here.

QUARTERLY ROUNDUP:

Books Read: 4 of 100
Nonfiction: 0 of 4
Fiction: 4 of 4
Physical Copies: 2 of 4
Ebooks: 1 of 4
Audiobooks: 1 of 4

Highest Rated (Favorite): 1q84 and World War Z
Lowest Rated (Most Unfavorite): Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter wasn't really bad. I did enjoy reading it, but it's the kind of book you forget about soon after you put it down. Anyway, I only managed to get through four books this quarter. The bright side of that is they were all pretty good!

I'll try to get posts up for each book. ("Try" being the operative word. Life's been a little crazy.)

Reviews: 0

Abandoned Books: 1

Total Pages Read: 1560, plus 52 from abandoned books and 6 hours audio

Running Challenges:

*Read Finnegans Wake.
*Use the library to whittle down the wishlist.
*Avoid Member Giveaways until I'm able to read and review all the books I already have.
*Work on building up a decent collection of graphic novels.
*Work on reviewing books already read and completing their catalog entries.
*Get my reading blog back up and running.

-Still enjoying Finnegans Wake.
-I bought two books, but otherwise have been making use of the library.
-I have not visited Member Giveaways. Sadly, I haven't been able to write any reviews, though.
-I actually sent Daytripper to a friend, so...
-I have been working through my catalog. Slowly.
-And I've also been tinkering with some blog stuff.

So far: 25/102

Maybe I can pick up the pace a little?

Hope you're all having a great season!

I think reading Finnegans Wake is ample reason for not getting through a stack of other books!

Nice to see you again, I must go and dust off my own (sadly neglected) thread...

From Sea of Monsters to Finnegans Wake - Your lists NEVER cease to entertain, 'Pieces.

The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat and World War Z are two all-time favorites of mine. I've added The Red Market and Daytripper to my ridiculous TBR pile.

Have just managed to catch up on your thread again. You have such a wie and varied list of books here, which makes for some interesting browsing. As Sandydog, I have also added a few to my list of interesting books.

Hi, everyone!

Very glad to learn I could offer some recommendations. I've been collecting them from other threads here, myself.

I hope everyone's been having a good quarter. As I mentioned, my internet connection went wonky. After some debate, I decided to shut down. I enrolled in college last semester. Needless to say, studying has been swallowing up a lot of my leisure reading time, but I'm managing to get a few books in. I'm currently reading The Jungle and A Clash of Kings. The former is probably the most depressing book I have ever read, but it's oddly fascinating and frightening in how easy it is to relate to the characters (sans having to risk life and limb working in blood and guts every day, that is). The latter is a continuation of of A Song of Ice and Fire. I loved A Game of Thrones to pieces. I'm dreading A Feast for Crows for all the poor reviews it's been receiving, so thankfully there are at least two thousand pages to enjoy between now and then.

I'm going to see about haggling with one of computer science majors about fixing my laptop so I might be able to log in while I'm out for coffee like I promised I would. Meanwhile, I do have the OK to use the computers here at school to check in. I miss you all.

OK, I really do miss you, but I'm sitting next to a mouth-breather. *twitch* I need to get out of here.

Happy reading and see you soon!

Some quick catching up. In sentence fragments.



23. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War (F, audiobook) - So. Here was the first audiobook I was ever able to survive. Go me for making it through the zombie apocalypse? I'm even considering grabbing the unabridged version once it's released. Actually, I'm kind of bummed. It was supposed to be released on my birthday (which is also when the world is supposed to end), but it got bumped.

AB
4.5/5

(Not yet reviewed.)



24. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (F, 448 pgs.) - Here was a cute little lesson in fake history, but not nearly as much vampire hunting as I would have liked. Not bad, but not great.

PC
3.5/5

(Not yet reviewed.)



25. 1Q84 (F, 944 pgs.) - I'd swear this one consisted of over 1000 pages, but anyway. Wow. I'm really going to have to devote some more time to discussing this book. I borrowed this from the library, used up both renewals, and ended up buying a copy for myself. Fantastic storytelling and probably some of the most amazing use of simile I've ever read. Ho, ho.

PC/EB
4.5/5

(Not yet reviewed.)

More to come.

More updating.



26. The Seeing Stone (F, 128 pgs.)

PC
3/5

(Not yet reviewed.)



27. Lucinda's Secret (F, 128 pgs.)

PC
3/5

(Not yet reviewed.)



28. The Ironwood Tree (F, 128 pgs.)

PC
3/5

(Not yet reviewed.)



29. The Wrath of Mulgarath (F, 160 pgs.)

PC
3.5/5

(Not yet reviewed.)

I just wanted to finish up The Spiderwick Chronicles. When I started the series, I was happy to have found a story that presented faeries to children as mischeivous and even evil rather than all magical and good-natured. The theme held true through the end. I had fun with these. I was especially glad to see a phooka included in one of the stories. I almost wish it played a bigger role.



30. Encounter (Deathlands) (F, audiobook) - Another awesome audiobook. Here was a prequel to the apparently extensive Deathlands series. (Honest, I kept telling him "no.") Military dystopia, read more like a script than a book. Great voice acting. Enjoyable storyline.

AB
4.5/5

(Not yet reviewed.)



31. A Game of Thrones (F, 864 pgs.) - Unputdownable, even after the migraine. This book was so good, my dog ate it. I'm in the middle of the next book in the series and thinking the author has a somewhat unique approach to writing within the genre. Don't want to spoil anything, though.

PC
5/5

(Not yet reviewed.)



32. I Kill Giants (F, 184 pgs.) - Not as good as I was expecting it would be, but still a decent story. I was able to sympathize with the main character, but it seemed like her entire personality was blamed upon a tragedy. I understand traumatic events can have profound effects on people, but having the character's entire existence revolve around the event made things seem a little flat.

PC
4/5

(Not yet reviewed.)

I think that means I'm caught up with posting what I've finished. Now I need to catch up with stas and what I'm reading. I must be in the middle of some twenty books at present! So many shiny things...

I am amazed at the amount of reading you are getting done even while keeping up with college! Some hefty ones in there, too.

Thanks, ronincats! I'm giving it my best.



33. The Compass of Pleasure (NF, 240 pgs.) - I really hate when authors treat highschool-level biology and psychology (for example) as though the subject matter is incredibly difficult to understand. Or is boring. The only thing that makes a topic boring is the way in which it is taught.

And, dear gods, this book was boring. Definitely didn't stimulate the pleasure center in my brain. The author had an irritating habit of asking yes/no questions just to answer himself in his writing. He presented no particularly enlightening information. Most of the highlighted experiments have been discussed to death, and the facts presented were mostly common knowledge.

Two stars for an interesting introduction. I only wish he kept the entertaining tone throughout the rest of the book if his intention was truly to dumb down neuroscience to such an extent.

PC
2/5

(Not yet reviewed.)



34. EMT-Basic Interactive Flashcards (NF, 528 pgs.) - Figured I'd pick up some material to prep for the first part of my next semester. I was with this one. Until I noticed it used Wikipedia as a reference. (OK, OK, it was only for asides. But still, what a turnoff!)

Speaking for the book only. I haven't had the resources available to try out the CD.

PC
2/5

(Not yet reviewed.)

Hi 'pieces! Good to see you're still posting, even with further study happening. Congratulations on (and good luck with!) that study!

I did love Game of Thrones but am so far behind I doubt I'll ever catch up now.

>60 snarkhunting:

Hey 'pieces,. wasn't that the one with Alan Alda. I loved that audio. I sure wished it hadn't been abridged. Great stuff.

Glitterfy.com - Christmas Glitter Graphics

I want to wish you a glorious celebration of that time of year when we all try to unite around a desire for Peace on Earth and Good Will Toward All. Merry Christmas, Krys!

Thanks for the encouragement, Wookie! Looking forward to putting the study to good use.

Sandy, Alda was indeed part of the cast. On another note, I don't think either my friend (who recommended the book) or I realized that what we were listening to was abridged until the release of the unabridged version was announced. I thought I smelled a salesperson. Oh, well.

Ronin, thanks for the warm wishes. :) Hope you had a wonderful holiday season!

Since we all seem to be moving on to the 2013 board, I won't bother with anything fancy, here. I finished up the year having read 41 books. The remainder are as follows:

35: Textbook
36: Textbook
37: Textbook
38: Textbook

(I excluded several because I didn't feel it would be fair to include those I hadn't read at least almost completely.)

39: The Book for People Who Do Too Much - I got depressed towards the end of the year, most likely from feeling overwhelmed. Here was a cute, fluffy, little picture book that didn't really make things better, but gave me something upon which to waste some time. 4/5

40: The Elephant Vanishes - 1Q84 inspired a need to go searching for more of Haruki Murakami's work. From what seemed like a thousand titles, I chose this one for its (literally?) Hitchcockian title. Not to mention it was hard to resist curiosity over how and why a couple might hold up their local McDonald's. Perhaps related, shortly after finishing this collection, my writing took a bizarre twist. I ended up with a strange story about an ornamental giraffe. Woo, inspiration. 4.5/5

41: Death Note Black Edition - Recommended by a friend, received as a gift for my birthday. Loved it, even if the artwork wasn't terribly unique. 4/5

Thanks for a great year, everyone! Looking forward to the next. :)