clif.hiker goes for 100+ in 2012

Hello everyone! This will be my third year participating in the 100-book challenge, and I'm more excited than ever for the challenge. My focus this year is pretty narrow... mainly science fiction, fantasy, and military fiction/non-fiction. I also intend to read a number of short-story collections (many of which will be science fiction & fantasy).

Looking forward to a terrific year of reading and sharing.

Here's the link to my 12 in 12 category challenge where you can find out more about my reading and the challenge I've set myself for 2012.

And here's the link to my 100 in 2011 challenge where I will be posting until the end of December...

Welcome back!

Welcome back from me too!

And from me!

Welcome! I'm also a science fiction/fantasy reader, although not so much short stories.

1) 2010: Odyssey 2 Arthur C. Clarke; What a brilliant story to start 2012 off with! It would only be better if it were actually 2010. I have to confess that I was thrown off a bit by the changed details from the first book until I read the forward and realized that Clarke had changed things to match the movie.

I remembered quite a few of the details of this story (unlike the first book, from which I remembered almost nothing except HAL); but I don't remember liking it nearly as much as I did this time. That bodes well for reading 2061 and 3001...

Hi there, was lurking and saw you started with sic-fi so thought I'd say hi. I've never read Arthur C. Clarke and haven't even seen the movie so I've got some catching up to do.

I am one of those in the miniscule minority who really liked 2010 the movie. It was the rarest of things, an intelligent, well-written, well-characterised, thoughful science fiction movie with a compelling story with some spectacular, realistic special effects. But I'm virtually the only one I know who thinks so...

I did like the movie when I first saw it, but it was so long ago now that my tastes/judgement may have changed since then. :)

2) The Graveyard Book Neil Gaiman; easily one of the best books I've read in several years... I wondered when I saw that a book categorized as juvenile somehow managed to win the 2009 Hugo Best Novel award, but after reading it I completely understand. Brilliant characters (I love how Neil Gaiman manages to insert himself as a character into his stories... or at least into the ones I've read so far) and plot, and a fantastically appropriate yet tear-inducing ending. When is the movie coming out!?

hi Kiwinyx.... Arthur C. Clarke is considered one of the "big three"; a grandmaster of science fiction, and 2001: A Space Odyssey is a modern classic; so you can't lose by giving him a try!

thanks for reading and popping in!

Although The Graveyard Book is deservedly magnificent, Gaiman is updating Kipling's Mowgli stories from The Jungle Books--you might be interested in those if you haven't read them--and the Disney movie is not even close.

sure and you can see some of the parallels (I read and loved The Jungle Books as a child), and I think Gaiman brings some very unique and clever ideas into the stories... ***POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD***The whole 'man Jack' plot, the ghoul-gate, Silas as an undead (vampire?), etc.***END SPOILERS***

terrific books, both of them!

Glad you liked The Graveyard Book! I'm also a fan of The Jungle Book, it'd be fun to read them both close together...

Oooh yes. The Graveyard Book was great. I love Gaiman's work.

3) The Best Nature and Science Writing 2011 ed. Mary Roach; 27 essays ranging from illegal organ marketing to asking why killer whales attack and kill their trainers (because they're psychotic from being held in captivity... duh). I couldn't finish two of the stories; the one about the demise of songbirds in Europe.. people are capturing and eating them (it makes me angry just thinking about the few pages that I actually read), and the one about the callous way that our hospitals and pharmaceutical companies treat the dying, and their families (I had tears streaming down my face before I gave up and skipped it). Some pretty powerful stuff all in all, the obligatory half-dozen essays describing the ruination of our environment and how its going to get a whole lot worse, and a couple of mind-blowing ones about space and time. My favorites were probably The Love That Dares Not Squawk its Name about the lesbian albatrosses lauded by Barbara Bush for their long-lived fidelity... and the The New King of the Sea which was about the proliferation of jellyfish in the oceans.

Good stuff for the most part...

I agree with The Graveyard Book, simply brilliant ! Neil Gaiman is such a natural writer, among his other novels I enjoyed his Stardust, a simply written but enjoyable fantasy.
Thanks for the review of Nature/Science Writing, I'll track that one down.

Oh, the Nature & Science writing one went onto the TBR pile!

Not sure which thread to post on, this one or the 1212. I am Neil Gaiman fan and I loved The Graveyard book, my niece loved it too so if any has any recommendations on something similar that would be great :)

4) Hammered Kevin Hearne; third in the series chronicling the modern-day tales of Atticus the Iron Druid and his wolfhound Oberon. Loads of fun and humor... but far too many pop-culture references; in ten years this story will seem trite and outdated. And Mr. Hearne leaves us with quite the cliff-hanger as well, which, since his next story hasn't been released yet, leaves me a bit... anxious.

A good continuation for those who've read the first two stories.. still a recommended series for those who enjoy the genre.

5) Oryx and Crake Margaret Atwood; gritty realistic end of the world story told only as Atwood can tell it. We get to listen and watch as Snowman, one of the last 'real' humans, slowly goes crazy (-ier) reliving his life and the last days of humanity... saw the end coming, but that didn't ruin the story at all. Atwood, as usual, weaves social issues along with a healthy dose of science into the story. I thought there was far more humor in this story than A Handmaids Tale... but I read the latter many years ago and may not recall (or I simply may not have recognized).

6) The Green Man: Tales From the Mythic Forest ed. Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling; a diverse set of stories, many are absolutely amazing, and all of them get you into the forest in one way or another. I loved these stories... as I love the forest. The second book of this series by these two editors that I've read... this is one that I know that I will be coming back to.

7) Shoulder the Sky Anne Perry; second in her series featuring the Reavley family during World War I; the story has moved from England (mostly) to the trenches of France (and even a short visit to Gallipoli), and I can't imagine that anyone can write the horrors of trench warfare any better than she has. Lots of intrigue and possibilities of betrayal and treason... After reading these stories (and several others) it is not hard to understand the horror and sheer exhaustion that Britain and France had when faced with Hitler and a resurgent Germany 20 years later.. and why they dragged their feet so much in confronting him.

I thought Anne Perry's attention to detail amazing in these books--she does such a good job of creating atmosphere. Loved this series.

re: Anne Perry; I found the timeline a little troubling in Shoulder the Sky... events occurring over a short period of time interspersed with trips to Gallipoli and back (which surely involved more than just a week or two, especially during the war). But otherwise, yes I agree about the attention to detail. The idea that not everyone in England felt that the war was worth fighting. and in many cases actively worked against it, stands in contrast to the literature we get out of WW II.. but I suppose Hitler was much easier to hate than was Kaiser Wilhelm, who was after all, cousin to Britain's King George and grandson of Queen Victoria.

I'm reading The Penguin Book of First World War Poetry, and the introduction brings out roughly that same point--while the viewpoint that has become most popular is the one in which the trench soldier is disillusioned and disheartened, that is largely because changing perspectives have made that viewpoint most popular. A look at the literature of the era (in this case, the huge amounts of poetry being written by an educated army) reveals many viewpoints on the war--some disillusioned, but some fervently patriotic.

I agree, the timeline is a little quick, but I was enjoying the plot so much that I suspended disbelief.

8) Old Man's War John Scalzi; an updated version of Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers with better technology (or at least updated), better characters, a better storyline, a better love story, and of course the potential for sequels... this was a reread for me, but I haven't read any of the sequels so I thought I would start over at the beginning (plus I recall really liking the story, so I didn't mind rereading on that account as well).

#19> clfisha, I gave my niece a copy of The Invention of Hugo Cabret for her birthday the other week, and she gobbled it up in one day, and loved it. I've been thinking of giving her some Neil Gaiman too.

I might try it, thanks!

9) 2061: Odyssey Three Arthur C. Clarke; third space odyssey novel, and the weakest one so far. Still a pretty good story if you can suspend your disbelief long enough to accept that South Africa became one of the world's leading economies (based on diamonds) after kicking out the Dutch exploiters... shrug... I guess the whole apartheid thing was big when Clarke wrote this story.

Anyhow, the whole story arc is moved forward, and, like all ACC stories, has a fairly trippy ending. One wonders how much he hung out with guys like Carl Sagan and Richard Feynman during the sixties.

The Screaming Skull F. Marion Crawford; a short story that was reviewed by LT member psutto over on the 12 in 12 challenge as part of the book The Weird: A Compendium of Strange and Dark Stories ... I went looking and found a kindle edition of the short story for $.99.

A very quick read... tense, brooding, atmospheric. An absolutely brilliant horror story and I won't ruin it by asking the question that I was screaming to myself by the story's end.

10) The January Dancer Michael Flynn; a very 'chewy' science fiction story. Lots to ponder and wonder on... I liked the characterizations, and I especially enjoyed the narrative style (a story told by an old scarred man in a tavern to a harper ... who both happen to have parts in the story). Michael Flynn is not a new science fiction author.. but his work is definitely new to me.

11) The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch Joseph Delaney; this entire series was offered free for the kindle last summer... I grabbed all 9 (10?) of them and promptly forgot about them until they arrived in my inbox sometime in December. I've just read the first book and must say that I'm pleasantly surprised. A fresh, original take on the traditional 'apprentice' type story, and rather dark and creepy to boot. Nice that I have all (or most) of the rest of the series and I hope that the quality bears up as the series progresses.

12) Black Out John Lawton; this WW II mystery novel manages to capture London during the last months of the war, the machinations of the OSS/CIA AND the NKVD/KGB as they jockey for position in post-war Europe, Berlin after the war, lots of great sex ... needless to say that I cannot wait to read more about Inspector Frederick Troy. What a mishmash of nationalities, perversions, and motivations! Illustrates perfectly the horror AND the exhilaration of living through those times.

YOu've definitely been busy reading. Looks like a good mix.

thanks Ronin... I've been doing pretty well at sticking to my categories. It helps that the categories I've chosen are quite broad, and that I really like a lot of what I'm reading...

@32 Another good review of January Dancer, just keeps climbing higher on my tbr.

13) The Last Apprentice: Curse of the Bane Joseph Delaney; second in his YA fantasy/horror series; Delaney has created a brutal, horrifying, and unhappy world. The reviews for the next book say he ramps up the horror even more ... not sure how much more I can take. I do want to find out more about Tom Ward's mother, and John Gregory's past, so I'll keep reading the books ... but am wondering if anyone in these stories are ever going to get a moment of happiness. And there are ~10 of these books...

for your reading enjoyment

The Cartographer Wasps and the Anarchist Bees by E. Lily Yu

14) 3001: The Final Odyssey Arthur C. Clarke; Four problems with the finale to this marvelous series...

- Clarke spends most of this last book airing his opinions and views on society (religion in particular gets harsh treatment), but the prison system, crime in general, genital mutilation, torture etc all are mentioned.
- Frank Poole is indistinguishable from Heywood Floyd. Little effort was expended on characterization...
- In 2061: Odyssey Three, Halley's Comet was visited. During that visit an exploration team discovered something... interesting and then had to leave for the main storyline's rescue mission. That's it. Never revisited, explained, anything. Clarke spent some time and effort setting that scene... and then forgot about it?
- I can't remember the 4th thing... Remembered!... Clarke basically repeats several parts, more or less verbatim, of earlier books. We get a third rendition of the Chinese landing and disaster on Europa, a second or third telling of Bowman's descent into Jupiter, etc.

anyway, he would probably have been better off just leaving the series at three books... although, the lingering questions would have chafed. I didn't hate it, but the ultimate resolution was distinctly unsatisfying.

It a real shame when a series ends badly, I try not to let it 'taint' the other books during a reread but it always does

yes I'm afraid it did... because until I read the complete series, I had been under the impression that Clarke was a bit of a crank and a religion hater. I think that is probably mostly a manifestation of age since he was nearly 80 when he wrote the last book...

however, I can certainly sympathize with his frustration with the worlds social problems and religion's ineffectual attempts to deal with them being the primary reason that we don't have a base on the moon or on Mars, and that we've basically shut down the space program.

I think I only read 2001 out of the whole series. Not enough of a fan to return to it, at any rate, and particularly not after the comments here! :)

#31> Oooh, goody, a friend (who works for a publisher) dropped off The Weird: A Compendium of Strange and Dark Stories. It looks good, but it's simply ENORMOUS! I feel a bit better about it after your comments. I will have to tackle it in small bites, I think...

I recall enjoying 2001 and 2010 many years ago, but did not bother going beyond 2061, which I found very mediocre. Like many of the ageing SF greats, I generally found that when they returned to their great creations of earlier years and added unnecessary codas to what were essentially complete works, the law of diminishing returns kicked in with a vengeance. Thus I wasn't too enthused about the sequels to Rendezvous With Rama or Asimov's late additions to the Foundation or Robot books.

If I remember correctly, didn't Clarke say that he had been inspired to write 2010 after the wealth of information and images of Jupiter and its moons had been gleaned by the Voyager missions? And he decided to write 2061 after the International Cometary Explorer flew through the tail of Halley's comet? One suspects it became increasingly difficult to shoehorn plots in to troves of astronomical data.

>43 wookiebender: I actually got the reference for the short story from psutto (who I think is clfisha's significant other) over on the 12 in 12 category challenge. He is reading the big volume "in small bites" as you say... I'm jealous that you have access to a copy!

>44 iftyzaidi: like you, I rarely read sequels that are tacked on much later in the authors career/life (a practice that I think I will continue with Foundation series... after the first three I think I'll quit). I'm not sorry I finished the Space Odyssey sequence.. but am in total agreement with you about the diminishing returns.

15) Where There's a Will Rex Stout; another sort of "closed room" story. Stout isn't so much for imaginative plots as he is for characterization. The interplay and dialogue between Wolfe, Goodwin, the police, and the various clients is what I'm enjoying the most about these stories (along with Archie's subvocal commentary of course).

16) The Hunger Games Suzanne Collins; ok ok I finally read it! And I'm really really sorry to say that I don't see what all the fuss is about. It is after all basically a story about a repressive state torturing children for amusement and entertainment ... and my suspicions on that score were quite likely why I waited so long to read it.

It isn't hard to see where we're going next in the story, and the only tension that I'm feeling is wondering how in the world Katniss & Peeta, from the poorest district in the Panem, are going to find a way to topple, to overthrow, this horrible horrible regime.... ok, yes I see the makings of a fine story there, and by all accounts the rest of the series doesn't fail to deliver. Perhaps I'm a little too sensitive ...

17) A Fistful of Sky Nina Kiriki Hoffman; I'm not really sure how to describe this interesting fantasy. It's a coming of age story with some very unpleasant family undertones (especially with the mother)... most of which get worked out in the end. It combines a couple of different fantasy ideas, witches, special powers, scary creatures, all in a modern family setting. All in all I think I really liked it, and will read more by this author (although the sequel to this story apparently isn't very good at all and wildly diverges from the fantasy genre).

Oh no! That's so sad. You aren't the only one I've heard from, though, who thought that the "torturing children for amusement" theme ruined the book for them.

Are you going to keep going?

I haven't decided yet... I've got bad feelings about where I think the story is going. I probably will though, just like I did with the Twilight series (won't honor those books with a linkie).

#47 clif_hiker I agree with you and The Hunger Games, ok but predictable and wondering why all the acclaim.
Won't be reading the others.

I really enjoy Nina Kiriki Hoffman's books, with the exception of Catalyst--as you note, she is very creative. I haven't read the other Lazelle book yet, although I have it, but I've read all her others. The Thread that Binds the Bones is still my favorite.

#47 & #51> Well, I'm hoping to pick up The Hunger Games next, so here's hoping we disagree on this one! :) But, yes, I'm a bit worried about the whole kids-killing-kids angle myself, which I think is why it's also gathered dust on my shelves for so long.

Keith, you continued with Twilight?? You're a braver reader than me! I got my sister to give me the plot summary (and we both ended up laughing so much that we were in tears by the end). She's a fan, but she also admits they are dreadful.

Just the other day at the bookstore, I overheard a sale that was taking place. A woman approached an associate to ask for a recommendation. She said she knew what was popular, that she would read anything but sci-fi, and that she hated vampires. The (teenage) associate sold her a copy of The Host explaining that she "might have to read it a few times to get it," but only because it's "really, really deep." The woman was delighted. I felt embarrassed for her.

I'm sort of kind of not reading The Hunger Games right now. I guess I just haven't found the hook, yet. Maybe in the next few pages or so?

The other reason I haven't gotten around to reading The Hunger Games? It has appalling blurb from Stephanie Meyer: "Hunger Games is really good."

Honestly, *I* could write better blurb. Must find that black pen and scribble it off my copy before I start reading it...

#54> Chatting last night with a friend who works in publishing and gets to hang out at the independent bookshops in Sydney. She was chatting with the owner of one particularly nice bookshop chain, and apparently all the staff are actors and artists (and working in a bookshop is their income while they wait for their acting/art career to take off), and they DON'T read. He can't find readers with which to staff his shop!! So at least your Meyer-loving teenager has read something.

I'm not sure reading Stephanie Meyer qualifies as better than reading nothing... and on the subject of better than nothing, my chunkster-loving student-reader (who finally finished Les Mis last month) was spotted carrying the first Left Behind book. I think I gasped in dismay when I saw it before I managed to bite my tongue before saying anything else. Seriously, if there ever were a more misogynistic piece of trash written than Twilight... she found it with Left Behind.

I'm considering offering her my copy of Oryx and Crake today, making some comment about good end-of-the-world stories...

18) The Truelove Patrick O'Brian; Fifteenth book in the series, continues the journey across the Pacific (with stops in the Hawaiian Islands) with an added distraction of a young woman on board... exposes a side of Aubrey/O'Brian that I don't particularly like, and minutely advances the story. Not one of the best in the series sadly.

19) Word of Honor Nelson Demille; not sure I can recreate the train of thought that led me to this book by a very popular author of the 80's & 90's. DeMille tells a fictional 'what-if' story about the uncovering some 15 years later of a Vietnam atrocity set in the city of Huế during the Tet Offensive. Infuriating in it's accurate portrayal of media coverage, popular and political reactions, and the military's desire to always cover it's own ass at whatever expense... one wonders how long until we start seeing stories like this coming out of the current set of conflicts.

I do know that I was reminded of my earlier remark about sometimes wishing that I had been born into the generation that fought and lived through World War II.... I have NEVER had that same desire about the Vietnam War.

When there's that much hype around a book it's almost never going to live up to it. It's like people who read the Harry Potter books 8 years after the first one came out. They've had eight years of watching crazed adult fans and listening to hype and it's NEVER going to live up to that. I'm avoid The Hunger Games on that account.

>54 snarkhunting: - I managed an independent bookstore with my sister and we were the only ones who read anything. The other employees would just stare blankly when asked for a recommendation and then point to the shelves with the NYT best sellers. My dad's been a librarian for 30 years and he's worked with TONS of librarians who don't read, or who think that there are just no children's books for boys or have other ridiculous notions.

re: Libraries and librarians... I have a current love/hate relationship with the library in my town. It's a beautiful little library, with a decent collection. However, so far as I can tell... none of the librarians actually read anything. To be fair I suppose, the only employee that I've ever seen or talked to that is under the age of 70 is the actual librarian (who is fifty-ish).

I've tried to strike up conversations about books and authors, reading trends, YA books, etc etc. I've asked after reading groups, the possibility of starting a reading group, working as a volunteer, etc.

All met with a blank stonewall of non-comprehension. I've come to the conclusion that it must be me. Or a male-female territoriality thing... or something.

Very frustrating for a lonely guy who would love to talk about books and reading in a setting where that would seem to be appropriate.

*oops, that comes out sounding vaguely whiny and self-serving.. I hope that it's not taken in that manner....

It's like any industry, you've got great employees who build patron-confidence and respect and then you've got horrible employees... In the middle you have people who read a lot, and became librarians for that reason, but still aren't good librarians due to not wanting to deal with patrons, not understanding how to push books, unwillingness to set up activities and clubs, etc... There are people who love reading but view them with the attitude that you just go find some and read them and then find some more, feeling they shouldn't have to do anything else but run the circulation desk.

My dad will rant to you for hours about various changes in libraries and the way they're run and hiring practices, and it is one of the few career choices he actively tries to discourage. He feels so strongly about it these days that he's getting out of the library business altogether (even fleeing to the world of university libraries didn't work). Most of the really good librarians I've known, especially those who have had to run large libraries or have been county-wide library directors, have gotten out of the game.

I think everyone on here can understand wanting people to talk to about books (and I love this site, but I'd always rather talk to people in person, especially when it's something I really care about), so it doesn't sound even vaguely whiny or self-serving to me.

Keith, shame your library is not a great source of book natter! I must admit, I've not nattered much with my librarians (because they're always busy and I'm aware of the queue piling up behind me). But they seem knowledgeable enough when I do special requests, and one librarian was very excited that I borrowed a Georgette Heyer that she'd rescued from the stack (the "stack" for our library is off in the city, and is several floors worth of books underground and one is not allowed to browse there; it's kind of a limbo for books). They encourage bookgroups, although I don't have time to participate. (Wah! I want to participate!)

I get most of my book natter from bookshops (I obviously frequent the ones which have managed to hire book lovers!); friends; and through LibraryThing.

My workmates are used to my nattering about books. Most of us have friended each other on FaceBook, and it comes up at most team meetings: Tania only ever posts on FB about books. They were a bit puzzled, but they're used to it now. (Or have given up attempting to tease me about it.)

I have no idea about the "Left Behind" series (I don't think it's big in Australia), but from memory of my teenage reading: the gems are mixed in with the dross. I read some great stuff; I read some appalling stuff. And from it all I developed my current book tastes. (Including a slight aversion to high fantasy, since I read so much dross in that genre... It has to be a pretty special fantasy book for me to think of reading it now.)

Interesting discussion on non-readers in bookshops/libraries. I don't go to the library much but I gravitate towards bookshops who I know their books and can stock/recommend good ones. Seems it would be something they would have over the big chains/supermarkets.

I also admit I ready and enjoyed a lot of dross when I was a kid (Sweet Valley High anyone?) As long as you can read a large variety I reckon it's ok, although I am with you Tania on the fantasy front. Was there a slew of awful fantasy books around when I was young?! :)

20) Second Foundation Isaac Asimov; the third book in the original trilogy... continues the saga of the hunt for the Second Foundation. 70% exposition, lots of different guys sitting around explaining everything from the science of brain scans to how their own particular theory must be the right one...

sigh... as I've mentioned before, Asimov sets this entire story some 12,000 years into the future, where apparently students still get out of school for summer vacation, women are supposed to be seen and not heard, and cigar smoking is what every middle-aged man does when he relaxes. I can't imagine, fifty years into the future, my own son/grandson reading Peter Hamilton or Alistair Reynolds with anything close to the same disbelief ...

21) A Talent for War Jack McDevitt; Alex Benedict is essentially a space-faring librarian/researcher with an archaeology-loving uncle who mysteriously disappears... and leaves a mystery behind that Alex of course sets out to solve. This was an audio book that I listened to over a period of several months, so unfortunately I kind of kept losing the thread of just exactly where the protagonist was, and who he was talking to... I liked the story, and should probably pick up a copy and read it.

#62> OMG, Sweet Valley High is bringing back some memories...

Keith, Don calls that sort of old-fashioned sci-fi "sci-fi with hats". The writer has thought up some clever tecchie idea, but has failed to take into account any sort of social change, so the scientist of the book still picks up his hat on his way out the door on his way to work.

I read a lot of "sci-fi with hats" as a teenager (and, yes, they were better than Sweet Valley High ;), but I can't go near them now.

It is true to say that the Hunger Games isn't a pleasant read but as it was running off our middle school shelves and as I had put it off for so long I felt compelled to read it just to be up to speed with the kids.
I really enjoyed it, true its not fabulously well written but not unlike the awful Twilight series (which i refuse to read) it appeals to a teen audience.
I also read aloud the Lian Tanner book Museum of Thieves to my 12yr old daughter last winter which she loved.
Does Harry Potter count?

Well, I'm 300 pages into The Hunger Games now, having picked it up yesterday afternoon. It's definitely an easy and compelling read! I agree with booktechie that it's not "fabulously well written" (I've had to stop and rescan some sentences to glean meaning out of them), and it's got the (my) usual problem with YA dystopias: the simplification of society meaning that the world our characters live in makes very little sense to me.

But, yeah, 300 pages in less than 24 hours. It's a page-turner, and I'm enjoying it at that level.

(Mr Bear is horrified I'm reading such a book.)

My workmate (who finally pushed me into reading the book because she read the trilogy over Xmas and had a great time and who pointed out that the movie comes out in March) agrees with most of my quibbles. She reckons that Battle Royale was the better book (glossed over the violence and consequences less and was more challenging) - I knew of the movie adaptation, but didn't realise it had been based on a book. Will have to search that one out, as I am also/still finding the whole "reading about children-killing-children for entertainment" a bit hard to digest when I'm not caught up in reading the book.

ETA: Does Harry Potter count as what? I'm losing track of the conversation here! :) Love Mr Potter et al, btw. Great fun.

my words spill out of my head before I have time to edit them sometimes.

Yep the brutality was the main reason I put off reading The Hunger Games and had such big misgivings about the 12yr old reading it. Fortunately when we did a debrief together she had barely noticed the violence ( says a lot about whats out there for this age group) and instead revelled in the courage of the heroine and Katniss's belief in herself.

(Sorry, Keith, we seem to be taking over your thread here!)

*MINOR NON-PLOT SPOILERS FOLLOW*

The violence is very much glossed over in THG. (It's rather one of my problems with the book, although I can also see why it's needed: to make it more of an adventure story and more acceptable/palatable to readers.) Most of the killing has been off-screen (so to say), and even when it happens on-screen it's written about very briefly and not in enough depth to disturb. No one seems to really be in agony when they die, although they really must be.

Which does make me feel a bit like the people watching the Hunger Games, in that I'm being entertained by something that shouldn't be entertaining...

@65 I like the term sci-fi with hats :) I have a soft spot for it when its done well, all that retro future stuff kinda still works in a cutesy way. Of course when its not done well or takes itself to seriously ugh!

I think that there was definitely one disturbing death, where the killing happened right up front and the person, who was a sympathetic character and very lovable, died in agony right in front of Katniss. I am really not looking forward to that part of the movie; I cried enough when it happened in the book.

re: The Hunger Games

MINOR SPOILERS FOLLOW!!!!

I've been trying to understand why I had such a negative reaction and opinion of the story... I think my feelings fall under two main ideas

1) I can't believe in a world where such a system of government would exist ... perhaps that's a result of my good fortune in living under a mostly benevolent government ... but still... taking children to fight and die for entertainment?

2) the entertainment factor is what makes this so horrible. Kids who read this story see it as a video game... i.e. "cool, we get to enter an arena and figure out how to survive and kill off all the other players". Then we just re-spawn and do it all over again. There's no connection to any kind of reality, and if there's no connection, basically what we're reading about (and being entertained by) is the same thing that's depicted in the story ... torturing children.

not sure I've explained myself very well, and I'm probably just being a little too sensitive...

22) Urban Shaman C.E. Murphy; pretty standard stuff, girl finds out that she's got super-paranormal powers and must learn how to use them very quickly so as to prevent disaster in the form of various bad guys/gods. I liked the supporting cast, the setting and the plot of this story... the ending not so much (it was kind of drawn out... then bang, it's over with little explanation as to what exactly happened), but I'm hoping that the series will improve as it goes along.

Well, I found my hook.

***POSSIBLY EVEN MORE SPOILERS***

The particular brand of poverty described in the beginning of The Hunger Games and the way families treated their children reminded me so much of where I live that I had to keep reading. Then I realized the story was actually taking place where I live, albeit sometime in the future. So I live in the area on which District 12 was based. Awesome.

@55: Eep. Somehow I missed that blurb, but my copy is an e-book. I won't go looking for it. ;) The reader does have a "highlight" feature, but I'm not sure about a "scribble" feature. Maybe there's something I could harass the techies about, though! (Oh, so many possible uses...)

I dunno. To me it's just so weird that anyone would take up employment in a place where people are obviously going to be pestering them about what to read when, you know, they don't like to read. Or to talk to people about reading, for that matter. Just makes me grateful for the better places I find for "natter." ("Natter." I like that word!)

@62: Goosebumps and Babysitter's Club for me. More the former than the latter, though. *cough*

@71: That one bothered me, too. But I think the last death bothered me more just for its method.

I never really thought of it from the video game angle, but that's a really interesting take on it. I'd like to give that some more thought as I continue with the series.

YES, POSSIBLE SPOILERS, ALTHOUGH I DID TRY TO BE VAGUE. UNTIL THE LAST POINT.

#71> Jennifer, I cried too. It was a very sad moment, but I didn't get much sense of violence. It happens off screen (argh, there has to be a bookish term for that!), it happens quick, and the death comes across as positively calm.

When I read The Secret River, a character dies in the same way. It was HORRID in that book, I had to go and debrief to Don about the whole incident to get it out of my mind. Now, while I don't expect the same level of detail and pain in a YA book, I did still think it was glossed over.

#72> Yes, I know what you mean in both points, I just didn't react as much as you did. I dismissed the first as merely poor world building (common in YA dystopias). There's no connection to any kind of reality, and if there's no connection, basically what we're reading about (and being entertained by) is the same thing that's depicted in the story ... torturing children. Yep, have to agree. But to a lesser extent, I obviously could encapsulate it all in some sort of "YA" world in my mind.

I am very curious to read Battle Royale now, I might have to break down and order a copy. That author hasn't worried about world building (there's no explanation - or not much - for the games) and is apparently more full-on and disturbing with the violence (er, maybe I don't actually want to read this...).

#74> The last death bothered me because it was so dragged out, and that was one that didn't need to be. SPOILER: someone could have taken action sooner. And that it was done by the gamemasters, ick.

23) Cryptonomicon Neal Stephenson; absolutely terrific! Filled with laugh-out-loud moments...(apologies in advance for the language...)

“Ronald Reagan has a stack of three-by-five cards in his lap. He skids up a new one: "What advice do you, as the youngest American fighting man ever to win both the Navy Cross and the Silver Star, have for any young marines on their way to Guadalcanal?"

Shaftoe doesn't have to think very long. The memories are still as fresh as last night's eleventh nightmare: ten plucky Nips in Suicide Charge!

"Just kill the one with the sword first."

"Ah," Reagan says, raising his waxed and penciled eyebrows, and cocking his pompadour in Shaftoe's direction. "Smarrrt--you target them because they're the officers, right?"

"No, fuckhead!" Shaftoe yells. "You kill 'em because they've got fucking swords! You ever had anyone running at you waving a fucking sword?”

and the story of Randall Waterhouse's wisdom teeth... "the only way to extract them is with a guillotine" ...

I can't wait to continue reading Stephenson's books. He has moved very close to the top of my list of favorite authors based on this book alone. But it IS long... and it is filled with a lot of exposition on arcane minutiae (much like Moby Dick and Melville's fascination with whaling*); those things didn't bother me too much.

Read it if you like math and/or physics, cryptoanalysis, WWII history, or a good story.

*it's not nearly so bad as Moby Dick, I promise ;-)

Oh, I loved Cryptonomicon, Bobby Shaftoe is brilliant.

Don's been bugging me to read his System of the World series, and I *will*, it's just that there's three books, and they're all about the same size as Cryptonomicon. When will I find the time??

I have Cryptonomicon on my shelf, and haven't really had any idea what it is like. I didn't realize it was funny - I'll have to move it up the pile.

Cryptonomicon was absolutely hilarious. Its a great book and after reading your review I'm tempted to re-read it.

I agree that Cryptonomicon is a great read, also have his System of the World series sitting on the shelf, must get to that sometime this year.

24) Soulless Gail Carriger; a nice introduction to a Victorian steampunk world inhabited by vampires, werewolves and assorted other nasties. A bit romancy for me, but the erotica wasn't overdone **cough cough Diana Gabaldon cough cough** so it didn't detract from the story. This series seems to be pretty well regarded here on LT, so I'll probably pick up the next book or two and continue reading.

Neal Stephenson is another author that I really, really want to read. But so far, I have just kept on putting him off and off and off . . . One day?

Harking back to the library discussion above, I am a librarian and would love to spend my days talking to patrons about reading and books and stuff, but with the changes which have come into libraries where books are now second place to internet availability, and self service means you now have no reason to speak to a patron it is just not happening. But if anyone wants to come into my library to chat - I'll be more than willing!

25) The Year of the Flood Margaret Atwood; this is a terrifying sequel (sidequel?) to Oryx and Crake... for some reason, this story made the whole end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it scenario seem way more real and possible... thus much more scary. I love her creativity with the God's Gardener's sermons and hymns, and even found myself wishing that, I too, could be a God's Gardener... the ending is satisfying and wraps up both books rather neatly, althoughhhhhhh.... there is still a potential for further books.

Very good stuff and highly recommended.

sidequel chuckle, chuckle

26) Operation Mincemeat Ben Macintyre; audible book that tells a true story about the deception of the Nazi government/German army as to the destination of the invasion of Sicily and Italy. Reads like fiction... particularly interesting was the post-war coverup efforts carried on by the British government. Since the deception involved a dead man posing as a British officer, a body was needed ... and the way the body was obtained was ... well I won't spoil the story for any one who is interested. Recommended for those who like spy stories and/or WWII history.

27) The Pot Thief Who Studied Pythagoras J. Michael Orenduff; um well... this story owes a lot to Lawrence Block's Bernie Rhodenbarr stories. More or less the same idea in a different setting. And it's the setting that made this attractive to me, and allowed me to enjoy the story. Set in Albuquerque, Hubert Schuze is a middle-aged anthropologist/archeologist who owns and runs a pottery store in the downtown district who also steals pots (half the book is filled with justifications of why it's NOT stealing exactly, but rather a blow against our corrupt and inept gov't... yeah I know...). Comes complete with attractive single female friend who Hubie drinks with every day, a corrupt but good-hearted policeman, etc. etc. The mystery itself wasn't deep, but I enjoyed the information on artifacts, pottery, the making of pottery.

28) Solaris Rising ed. Ian Whates; nice collection of short SF, headlined by a terrific hard science story by Alistair Reynolds, a very short Peter Hamilton self-parody, and a very unusual story by Ian McDonald. Mostly good stuff... my favorites were The Incredible Exploding Man by David Hutchinson, followed by For the Ages by Alistair Reynolds. Honorable mention goes to How We Came Back From Mars by Ian Watson.

29) The Last Unicorn Peter Beagle; a quest story with interesting characters. I couldn't help but envision Antonio Banderas as the talking cat, Liv Tyler as Lady Amalthea, and Peter Beagle as a modern-day Lewis Carroll ...

30) Black Orchids Rex Stout; Stout has truly hit his mystery-writing stride in this book ... two stories featuring black orchids; the relationship between Wolfe and Archie Goodwin deepens and matures, the dialogue, motivations, etc. This is an extraordinary pair of mystery stories written by one of the best of all time.

Ah, Black Orchids is one of my favorites. I've read all but two of the Wolfe books and Stout is just amazing.

31) The Windup Girl Paolo Bacigalupi; count me amongst those who love this futuristic, semi-apocalyptic, terrifyingly possible story. While the science may not always be realistic or accurate (I went looking for physics information on 'kink-springs' with no success), the genetic engineering ideas are tantalizingly real and, as I mentioned already, terrifying.

Very grim, very brutal, but an ending with some hope...

I must read the Rex Stout I have in the house! And Windup Girl is steadily climbing up the wishlist...

Likewise regarding The Windup Girl. I may go looking for an ILL later this week.

I've been of two minds about reading The Windup Girl. I think I will now. Genetic engineering... that is right up my alley. Thanks!

32) The Best American Sports Writing 2011 ed. Jane Leavy; I almost set this book aside at about halfway through, as it seemed that is was mistitled... The Best American Sports Writing about the Worst in American Sports seemed more appropriate. Stories about hockey schools teaching kids how to fight, multiple stories about entitled male athletes, coaches, and schools mistreating women, athletes in trouble with the law, etc. interspersed with stores about extreme(ly crazy, IMO) sports... and several stories that I wouldn't necessarily even consider being about sports.

Links in the following paragraph take you to the original publications of the stories...

But then I read another story that I liked a lot (even though, again, I'm not sure it's actually about 'sports'); Gentling Cheatgrass by Sterry Butcher. That story convinced me to keep reading, and I'm so glad I did! Several inspiring, tear-inducing stories fill the second half of this collection. Old College Try tells the story of Darryl Dawkins and where he is now; Life Goes On is an inspiring story about the death of boxer Paco Rodriguez, and the good that came out of his death; and finally, perhaps the most inspiring of all The Courage of Jill Costello describes Jill Costello's refusal to succumb to the ravages of lung cancer.

Read this collection if you love sports and sports-writing, and if you don't mind alternating between being extremely pissed off at one story and unabashedly crying about the next...

33) The Ghost Brigades John Scalzi; John Scalzi is a terrific writer, which is not news to many who have read and enjoyed the Old Man's War series. This is the second in the series, and just as satisfying and compelling as the first book.

34) Bitter Gold Hearts Glen Cook; second book in the Garrett P.I. fantasy private investigator series. These are fun reads, although there's nothing too original about the actual plots... the setting in a fantasy world is interesting, magic and strange creatures abound. Garrett, predictably, is irresistible to all attractive females (in this world at least, they seem to be in plentiful supply). In my review of the first book I suggested a combination of the Nero Wolfe stories and Robert Parker's Spenser stories. Garrett makes a good Archie Goodwin/Spenser.

Recommended for anyone looking for a new setting for old tropes.

revisiting my review of The Best American Sports Writing 2011, I find that I may have left out the most interesting article of all, at least from my (an educator and coach) perspective...

The Tight Collar explores the idea of choking under pressure and the "stereotype threat". Fascinating stuff, and raises many important questions about how we raise and educate our children.

35) The Wine-Dark Sea Patrick O'Brian; this series is like conversing with an old friend... you might not see them for days or weeks or even years, but when you do, you can pick up the conversation as if you had never parted. Aubrey & Maturin make it to the west coast of South America (finally, it's taken them three books to get across the Pacific), and are finally headed home. Stephen Maturin has some mountain adventures involving Incas and Llamas.... Jack Aubrey continues to snap up prizes and cargo ... all in all another completely satisfying episode.

36) Poison Study Maria V. Snyder; the premise that opens this book grabbed me and before I knew it I was half way through. A girl, slated for execution after killing a general's son, is spared in order to become the food-taster for the ruler of the kingdom. The second half of the story was pretty obvious in where it was going, almost too much so, in that you wondered why the characters were so blind. Still, another good start to a fantasy series that I will be looking to continue.

37) Gone For Soldiers Jeff Shaara; The good: terrific fictional account of the campaign to take Mexico City and end the Mexican-American war. Very good portrayal of Winfield Scott and many of the men who would later become the important generals in the Civil War. The bad: way too much introspection. Each of the chapters is written from the perspective of whomever Shaara is portraying at that moment. So we get to hear their (fictional) thoughts, fears, remorse, anger, etc... over and over. Robert E. Lee comes off as insufferably pious. Santa Anna as nothing more than an arrogant fool...etc again.

Still, it's an important story written about a neglected chapter in the military history of the United States, and clearly outlines some of the causes of the Civil War fifteen years later.

38) Foundation's Edge Isaac Asimov; I finished this book only out of respect for the influence that Dr. Asimov had on my reading as a youngster. The story itself was atrocious and laughable. Written in 1981, Asimov seems to have tried to incorporate a bit of Arthur Clarke's technological imaginings and also to have attempted some of Robert Heinlein's lechery and endless dialogue. Both done very poorly. I'm glad I read/reread this series, but I won't be revisiting nor will I suggest it to my own children/grandchildren.

39) Pardonable Lies Jacqueline Winspear; Maisie Dobbs takes on several different clients in this third installment. Perhaps too many ... as the coincidences pile up, the story starts lacking a bit of credibility. Still, a very good continuation of the series and Maisie faces and conquers a few of her own demons. I particularly liked the looming sense of the second war building, while survivors are still grappling with the aftermath of the first.

40) His Majesty's Dragon Naomi Novik; I liked this story well enough (enough to intend to continue reading the series) ... but found the comparisons to C.F. Forester and Patrick O'Brian a bit of a stretch. Perhaps it's all in which you read first ...

41) The Last Colony John Scalzi; third and final (well not really, but Scalzi SAYS it is in the afterword) installment in the adventures of Jane Sagan and John Perry. This time, through a somewhat Machiavellian set of events set into motion by humanity's own government ... the pair must save the human race from the rest of the universe. Good story even if a bit contrived. Zoe's Tale is up next.

time to get caught up ...

42) Pacific Crucible Ian Toll; this was an audio book, so I often had to go online to find maps of the battles. Fortunately, I was already pretty familiar with the basic outlines of the battles of the Coral Sea and Midway... so I didn't lose much. Toll does a lot of biographical background on the leaders of both sides which I enjoyed very much. Also, particularly interesting was the economic and cultural information on the two countries in the years leading up to the war.

Key fact: in the years of the Russo-Japanese conflict (1905-ish), Japan was well known for their humane treatment of prisoners of war ... Russians WANTED to be captured, more food and better medical care. Toll talks about the changes in the Japanese society and government that led to a very different culture later on.

43) The Commodore Patrick O'Brian; after an extended around the world tour, our characters finally make it back to merry old England and ... Jack Aubrey finally appears to be back on track insofar as the British Navy goes... family-wise and business-wise etc, maybe not so much. Stephen Maturin, like Jack, has problems to deal with at home, but always manages to come out with a positive result.

Stephen Maturin may go down as one of the greatest characters written in this genre (or in any genre IMO)... his wit, enthusiasm, self-analysis and self-doubt, and mainly his determination to achieve whatever goals he has set for himself... well... read the books. See if you don't agree.

44) Snow Crash Neal Stephenson; haha what a fun, inventive, story this was! Dated by it's pizza-delivery beginnings, the Metaverse as an inspiration for the future Second Life, and religious-cult inspired rich bastards seeking to control the world ... very much a product of the times. Enjoyed it a lot... does nothing to detract from Neal Stephenson being my new FAVORITE AUTHOR.

45) Gentlemen of the Road Michael Chabon; inspired by all the "unlikely duo" "weary-traveler" stories ... I liked this easy-to-read story well enough ... but it left me wanting a bit more. I couldn't help but be amazed at Chabon's ability with words; his descriptions, settings, and dialogue were quite inventive, and he never used two or three words where 20 or 30 would work.

And now I'm caught up. My current reading includes The Yellow Admiral by O'Brian, The Mongoliad by Stephenson et.al., Not Quite Dead Enough by Rex Stout, and various anthologies which I'm slowly working my way through.

Makes note to try Stephenson.. On a side note his LT picture has him wearing a superb beard :)

haha yes I like the beard too, and as of May 10th, I'm going for the shaved head look... call it a mid-to-late life crisis if you want, but I'm tired of getting haircuts. Not sure I can pull off the beard ...

Great list of reading. I tried Quicksilver by Stephenson once, but could not get into it. I agree about Maturin. But reading O'Brien has the unfortunate side effect of calling everything 'creature' for days afterwards. And I must read me some more Chabon, I loved the Yiddish Policeman's Union.

46) Not Quite Dead Enough Rex Stout; Archie's in the army, doing secret stuff and solving problems... and has been ordered to secure Nero Wolfe's assistance in a particularly sticky problem. This is a pair of shorter stories revolving around the above storyline... pretty good stuff although perhaps not as good as the orchid stories in Black Orchids.

47) The Best American Mystery Stories 2011 ed. Harlan Coben; one of the better collections in the series that I've read so far... although only a few of the stories are truly 'mysteries' in the sense of Agatha Christie or Rex Stout... they tend more along the lines of Lawrence Block, Mickey Spillane, or Raymond Chandler (which isn't a bad thing is it?).

Favorites include Audacious by Brock Adams; Clean Slate by Lawrence Block (a riff off of his John Keller stories); and of course a terrific story by Max Allan Collins writing Mickey Spillane's terrific Mike Hammer (I suppose only mystery buffs will be able to make sense of THAT sentence)...

all in all, a superb collection... I had some difficulty picking favorites, and, unlike some of the others in this series, no difficulty in finishing the book.

48) The Greenhouse Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir; what a remarkable and lovely book! One hardly knows how to describe it... I picked it up because of the greenhouse/plant growing motif, but it is so much more than that! A coming of age story, subtle and dry humor, life lessons; there's a lot here in a short easy to read story that I will put on my must read again list.

49) The Atrocity Archives Charles Stross; first in a series about a super secret British organization (aptly named "The Laundry") set up to investigate and fight paranormal crime... a sort of tongue-in-cheek conglomeration of The Ghostbusters and Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next stories... without the humor and puns... the best part was the afterword where Stross discusses the mixture of Cold War spy novels and H.P. Lovecraft-type horror stories.

And what is up with the British fixation on officious evil bureaucrats?? I noticed it way back when I was reading Dick Francis horse racing stories... Is it just British writing or do I not notice it in American authors because they describe something a bit more familiar?

My halfway point is hit by rereading an old favorite... been kinda off my best the last few days... some kind of virus, am hoping that it clears up by the weekend. When that happens I'm always up for for some comfort books and so...

50) The Day of the Triffids John Wyndham; have read this book probably five times and am always amazed at how much I enjoy it... I guess that's one of the definitions of a "classic". A quick easy read and one that any fan of the apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic genre is very familiar with.

51) The Yellow Admiral Patrick O'Brian; Aubrey & Maturin are on dry land again... and again, the political maneuverings of their enemies have set against them. And once again through diligent effort they overcome these adversities. This story, while still good, seemed to be a bit of a rehash of events that have transpired several times already... I suppose in a series of stories covering some 20 books, that's bound to happen occasionally. Terrific cliffhanger however, set against the events of the day...

52) Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes Chris Crutcher; another easy comfort reread even though I'm feeling better... still able to move me to tears however. I've probably given away half-a-dozen copies of this book... so I bought it for the kindle. Maybe a bit dated... but I still recognize some of the kids in the story as students in my classroom.

53) Blood Alone James R. Benn; this series set in and around World War II localities started as an interesting but shallow mystery series focusing on a Boston policeman with family ties to General Eisenhower ... however the writing has matured, as have the characters, and this installment (third in the series) is set in Sicily during the allied invasion... and is terrific! Billy Boyle meets the Mafia while dodging German Messerschmitts and less-than-fervent Italian and Sicilian fascists. Great historical setting sheds light on facts about a less well known campaign.

54) Swords and Deviltry Fritz Leiber; the original classic unlikely duo fantasy story. I read this story a long time ago ... loved it then, and loved it now. Leiber has a way with words ...

“The Mouser sighed. The moment had come, he knew, as it always did, when outward circumstances and inner urges commanded an act, when curiosity and fascination tipped the scale of caution, when the lure of a vision and an adventure became so great and deep-hooking that he must respond to it or have his inmost self-respect eaten away.”
― Fritz Leiber, Swords in the Mist

55) The Midwich Cuckoos John Wyndham; another very good story by Wyndham, and one I had never read. Creepy ... this one could have gone under horror as easily as science fiction, and had a very satisfying ending.

56) The Pot Thief Who Studied Ptolemy J. Michael Orenduff; Dr. Orenduff is having some issues with his publishers, when I contacted him about the availability of his books on the kindle (first they were, then they weren't... at present they still aren't) he graciously offered me a paperback copy of this story (signed and mailed at his own expense) ... the second in the series. And I loved it! I had a few reservations after reading the first in the series (The Pot Thief Who Studied Pythagoras, see review above), but those little niggles were absent in this second book...

57) The Hundred Days Patrick O'Brian; and the saga marches on. I will admit that I will probably shed a tear when I finish this series. Aubrey and Maturin have become part of my reading culture ... but I DO look forward to starting over next year ... so there's that. I had hoped that there would be a bit more information and incorporation of the great events of this short, but very important, period of history (Napoleon's escape from Elba and the Battle of Waterloo) ... but still a satisfying continuation of the series.

58) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Adams; I read this years and years ago. I didn't get it then ... and I have to confess ... I still don't. I remember being extremely disappointed when I first read it ... I guess I was expecting a science fiction epic in the vein of Asimov or Heinlein. This is almost certainly why I don't quite get Terry Pratchett or Jasper Fforde, and probably why I waited so long to try Neil Gaiman.

Considering that over 20,000 library-thingers marked the story as part of their collections, and have given it a cumulative rating of over 4.2, and that it currently ranks as the 42nd most popular book on the site... it HAS to be me!

I also don't care for sugar in my tea.

59) Dissolution C.J. Sansom; ahhh the casual brutality of the middle-ages. A word out of line as to religion or the king ... off with your head after a session or two on the rack! I very much liked Matthew Shardlake, our flawed hero, and have the next two books in the series ...

60) 11/22/63 Stephen King; just finished listening to this... am too absolutely stunned by the ending... see comments below.

That ending made me cry.

It certainly was good!

ok comments added above... got behind on my reviews, but at least I kept up with my reading.

60) 11/22/63 Stephen King; I was four years old in 1963, so I don't really remember any kind of national trauma ... but I do remember my mother sitting with me as I looked at the pictures collected in a commemorative book that they had. It was a big thin maroon-colored book, and I remember being just a little frightened by the pictures and the book.

Stephen King taps into that bit of history perfectly in this novel. It may be his finest work to date. He could stop now and go down as one of the finest authors of this (or any) generation. But of course, he won't ... or he can't ...

I didn't 'read' this novel; I purchased it as part of an audible subscription, but I'm quite certain I will have to find a paper copy at some point. The book was narrated by Craig Wasson, who was terrific (and who sounded a bit choked up himself at the ending ... an ending he must have read over several times before narrating it for the recording).

I haven't read every one of King's stories, and didn't like some of those that I did read. This story, however, must enter near the top of the list of my favorites. The 'easter eggs' (references to previous stories which he almost always includes) were terrific and provide reasons to reread.

Ok I'm done. I was moved, I was entertained, I was thrilled ... read it!

61) The Face of a Stranger & 62) A Dangerous Mourning both by Anne Perry; introducing William Monk & Hester Latterly, one a police inspector without a memory, and the other a nurse recently returned from the Crimean War (set right in the middle of the Victorian era, circa 1856). Both are intelligent, personable (although prickly at times), and fed up with the Victorian class system in England. Very good mysteries, although the second suffered a bit from repetition ... Monk (or Hester Latterly) would meet someone (his supervisor, the 'gentleman' of the house, etc) , they would insult him or berate him, Monk would bite his tongue to refrain from making sarcastic biting responses, etc... repeat in the next scene ... Regardless, I liked the stories very much and will look for the rest of the series. Anne Perry writes terrific behind-the-scenes-of-war novels, these are no exceptions.

Count me in as someone who doesn't quite get the Hitchhiker's Guide phenomenon either. I mean I thought the first book was decently funny even if unsatisfying as a story. But things got progressively worse from there I felt. So I guess we are in a minority of 2!

Make that three. I've always felt HHGTTG was over-rated.

I dunno if you are that alone ;) I think the books get steadily worse but I adore the radio play (and for some reason the old TV series). I also like his other books, the Dirk Gently books are much tighter and accomplished novels.

I do, however, enjoy sugar in my tea! :)

Oh no! I love Hitchhikers! Don even gave me towels embroidered with "Don't Panic" for my 42nd. (Not that I've read them since the 80s, although I ran into a friend on the bus on the way home the other night and we kept on talking about Hitchhikers, so it's on my Must Re-Read Soon list right now...)

I dislike sugar in my tea, however. Hm. (Unless it's chai, in which case I'll have honey.)

hey I'm still around!! Just got back from two weeks of Boy scout summer camp... 13 nights on a cot in a tent... might have to pitch my cot on the back deck to get a nights sleep... uh no. Unfortunately didn't get a lot of reading done but since I have quite of free time in the next few weeks, fully expect to get back on track.

63) The Terror Dan Simmons; a depressing, endlessly repetitive, historical fictional tale with some mythological fantasy elements. Fictional account of the doomed Franklin expedition searching for the fabled Northwest Passage. The first 2/3 of the book leaves you shaking your head at the sheer stupidity of many of the characters and being extremely thankful that scurvy is something that most of us never have to worry about... the story is underlain by a Lovecraftian horror type story as the expedition comes apart from both within and without.

However, the last third of the book made up for some of the tedium of the first part, which is why I give it four stars and can recommend it. I know that there are several LT-ers who enjoy arctic/antarctic explorations stories and this would be a perfect addition to their reading lists.

64) Tricked Kevin Hearne; continuing the saga of Atticus O'Sullivan the Iron Druid. This time he takes on the Navajo mythology (along with some residual leftover issues with his Norse encounter) with the aid of his druid-in-training Grenuaille , Oberon, Coyote (whose help is dubious at best) and assorted other characters. A very satisfying continuation of the series.

sheesh getting behind again...

65) The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack Mark Hodder; an odd little story about Victorian England, Sir Richard Burton, and a time-traveling steampunk plot ... not sure if I agree with the PKD award ... but who am I to judge?? I did enjoy the story, once I got the threads and the plot together, and it did inspire an interest into the life and writings of Sir Richard Burton (I've put a biography on my list for next year). I'm not sure how quickly I'll look up the sequels though...

66) An Army at Dawn Rick Atkinson; THE definitive history of the American side of the Allied campaign in North Africa ... often when reading this, I wondered who the REAL enemy was. Certainly the Germans were the boogeymen that prompted the whole thing, but officers and politicians spent far more time and energy promoting themselves and cutting down their rivals than they did in figuring out how to defeat the Germans. All of which was paid for in the blood of the common soldier. A terrific historical account of the campaign from beginning to end ... followed up by the sequel The Day of Battle, in which I'm sure we'll see more of the same ... in Sicily and Italy.

67) Ready Player One Ernest Cline; I should have LOVED this book ... unfortunately I purchased the audible version which was read by ... wait for it ... Wil Wheaton!! Now I don't hate Wil Wheaton, I read his blog, and I find him very funny in his appearances in the The Big Bang Theory... but I DID get very tired of his voice in this book. Great story with loads and loads of terrific gaming and media references. I guess I'll try a reread sometime, but I'm afraid I'll still hear HIS voice ...

68) The Mezzo Wore Mink Mark Schweizer; continuing the small town antics of the residents of St. Germaine and the Episcopal church ... this episode includes christian nudists, a long-overdue marriage, and a Thanksgiving pageant called The Living Gobbler. Cute and fun as always.

69) Sharpe's Eagle Bernard Cornwell; another of his earlier Sharpe's stories ... less polished but more gritty writing. Following the British campaign under Lord Wellington in Spain. Good stuff!

70) The Martian Chronicles Ray Bradbury; Absolutely brilliant! I attempted to read Bradbury as a youth ... was disappointed to find this story wasn't anything like Robert Heinlein's Red Planet and set him aside. My loss! Cynical and astute, Bradbury writes with a lot of anger in his subtexts ... I'll be reading the rest of his work.

71) Swords Against Death Fritz Leiber; continuing the saga of Faffyrd and the Grey Mouser, this book is more a series of short stories with little continuity between them. Wandering and exploring the land of Lankhmar ... Leiber sets a high standard for swords and sorcery fantasy stories.

72) The Very Best of Charles de Lint Charles de Lint; this collection will go down as one of my all time favorites. Table of Contents. Favorite stories include Stone Drum, In the House of My Enemy (weeping by the end), Old Man Crow, and The Field Beyond the Fields. Read this collection if you like urban/mythic fantasy and see if you don't love it as much as I did.

73) The Crook Factory Dan Simmons; an astounding fictional account (although the author claims that 95% of the story is based on fact) of Ernest Hemingway's time in Cuba during World War II. In the first 100 pages we meet J. Edgar Hoover, Ernest Hemingway, Ian Fleming, Ingrid Bergman, Gary Cooper, Marlene Dietrich ... Dan Simmons is extraordinarily talented and this is an extraordinary tale. Highly recommended for fans of Hemingway, fans of spy stories, or anyone who just likes an action-filled story set in an exotic location.

74) Sharpe's Gold Bernard Cornwell; Sharpe and his men are sent on a desperate mission to save the army and the war ... another pretty girl, another villain, and another successful mission completed. I didn't get into this one quite as much ... the whole 'save the army and the war' idea wasn't really very believable and when we find out the use that the money will be put to in the end ... well ... meh.

Still, it IS Sharpe and it's still a good story told with a modicum of historical accuracy.

75) The Diva Wore Diamonds Mark Schweizer; haha oh this is more like it ... reverting to the style of his more hilarious first few stories, this story tells the tale of the youthful Tribe of Issachar and the Vacation Bible school Bible Bazaar ... the performance of Elisha and the Two Bears, a recently discovered mini-opera (written by our Chandler-loving protagonist) which includes the grand finale The Munching Dance ... very funny stuff

76) Bluffing Mr. Churchill John Lawton; touchstones and LT insist on calling this book Riptide. I can understand that title (popular title of a song during the war), but didn't really get where the bluff came in ... oh well.

Sgt. Frederick Troy actually only plays a bit part in this book ... the real focus is on a young American spy (well more of a spy-handler) trying to keep up with a defecting German who is spying for the United States ... jumps around quite a lot in the beginning, had a hard time keeping up with who was who, but midway through it settled down and became a pretty good wartime, spy/crime story. Lawton has an interesting style, which I like, and I will continue with this series ...

77) Ironman Chris Crutcher; another in the series of stories with swimming as an important aspect ... I like Crutcher's books, however occasionally they edge into the unbelievable ... I know that he is/was a family psychologist and I know that he has seen and heard amazing and horrifying things, and that these stories are the basis for his books. But I hope that if I ever encounter a father like the one portrayed in this story ... I won't meekly back down like many of Crutcher's characters. Good stuff if you don't mind just a small bit of unbelievability.

78) The Fire Rose Mercedes Lackey; I've long been a fan of Mercedes Lackey ... but I confess that I haven't read anything by her recently. The Fire Rose is not a new story (written in 1994) but I came across it while browsing the science fiction shelves at my library, picked it up, read a few pages and ... well I liked it very much. It's the first in a series of course, one that she's apparently continuing to write, so I'll look for the next ...

79) Sharpe's Escape Bernard Cornwell; I confess that all the Sharpe stories are beginning to run together ... Sharpe and his men on some battlefield/city, a bad leader or two, a beautiful woman, several gripping battlefield accounts ... in this case Sharpe is trapped behind enemy lines during the Portuguese campaign with a British nanny (rescued from evil Portuguese soldiers) ... etc etc.

I'd like to complete this series so that I can start some of Cornwell's other terrific historical books. I know I know, I could just read those others anyway ... but I'm a bit of an OCD completist so ... maybe ...

80) The Organist Wore Pumps Mark Schweizer; another in a series of stories that begin to run together (running together doesn't mean I dislike the stories ... it just means I can't keep straight what event occurred in which book). This one is the 8th tale featuring Hayden Konig, small town sheriff and episcopal organist ... funny as always and a must for cozy mystery lovers.

81) Blue at the Mizzen Patrick O'Brian; the LAST in the series (I know, there's an unfinished story still out there lurking around) and I won't lie ... there were tears streaming down my face at the end. What an adventure! The ending wasn't unexpected (the title of the book gives it away), but the way O'Brian presents it is very moving. The humor is, as always, dry and hilarious:

“Go and see whether the Doctor is about,’ said Jack, ‘and if he is, ask him to look in, when he has a moment.’
Which he is in the fish-market, turning over some old-fashioned lobsters. No. I tell a lie. That is him, falling down the companion-way and cursing in foreign.”

82) The Silent Speaker Rex Stout; forgot about this one ... should go between ... well who cares really? I forgot it perhaps because I found it a forgettable story. Easily my least favorite of the Nero Wolfe stories so far (it may have had to do with the fact that the only copy I could get was in a large unwieldy volume along with six other Stout stories I didn't want to read .. the book's paper was cheap and yellow and the volume had an unpleasant odor). The story itself?? Well something to do with a dispute between big business and regulatory organization ... timeless yes? Just didn't get into this one .. but will continue the series.

**on reflection ... this story did have one scene that is definitely memorable. Nero Wolfe is being arrested, and he gets physical with a police inspector (actually punches the inspector!). Ha! Wolfe is not nearly as helpless as he might like you to believe ...

time to catch up a bit ... been reading a lot of graphic novels

Preacher Vol. 1: Gone to Texas Garth Ennis; gritty & rough, love the premise, will definitely have to follow up

Fables: Legends in Exile Bill Willingham; not sure why the main tough guy has to constantly smoke in these comics ... like this series better than Preacher, more sex and love the expressions and the vocab used by the Three Little Pigs ...

Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft Joe Hill; amazing stuff! Note to self ... READ MORE JOE HILL! The most interesting thing about this graphic is the tie-in to Stephen King's Duma Key ... who had the idea first I wonder (and who stole it it from the other??)?

Containment Christian Cantrell; won't say to much about the premise of this book lest I spoil it; being born and growing up on an alien world ... discovering secrets about your parents, and your leaders ... terrific suspense with a shocking twist in the end.

Leviathan Scott Westerfeld; had this book on my kindle for ages, knew it would be good (it's Westerfeld after all), finally got around to reading it ... and now I have Behemoth & Goliath on my kindle as well ... steampunk during WWI ... terrific stuff

Just catching up on some old threads... Glad you loved Locke and Key, I thought they were fabulous too! I've read the first three, must chase up the library about the next two volumes, they're just so expensive to buy.

yes they are expensive, especially in the hardback format, which is what I prefer ...

well I made my 100 books with a few to spare .. missed my 12 in 12 by a bit though. Difficult year for me, divorce and a move and concurrent health and depression issues. 2013 is a new year with high reading hopes and a new outlook.

Have a happy holiday!!

Let's hope that 2013 is a better year for you!

May 2013 be a great year for life and reading for all of us !

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, Clif!

Merry Christmas! Sorry to hear this year was pretty awful, here's to a MUCH better 2013!