antqueen's 12 in 12

The plan, such as it is, is to read at least 6 books in each category. And, like last year, I'd still like to get my TBRs down to the one bookcase. Borders wasn't good for my TBR list, but I couldn't just leave those poor books without a good home...

1. Non-fiction (my non-fiction thread)
2. Prize winners
3. 1001 books
4. New authors
5. Female authors
6. Shakespeare
7. Fantasy
8. Science fiction
9. TIOLI challenges (my thread)
10. Historical settings
11. TBR 2010 or before
12. Short stories

1. Non-fiction

1. "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" : Adventures of a Curious Character by Richard P. Feynman
   
2. A Year in the Maine Woods by Bernd Heinrich
   
3. Big Bang by Simon Singh
   
4. The Genie in the Bottle by Joe Schwarcz
   
5. Collapse by Jared Diamond
   
6. Poincaré's Prize by George G. Szpiro
   
7. A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
   
8. The Republic by Plato
   
9. Breaking the Maya Code by Michael D. Coe
   
10. Fermat's Enigma by Simon Singh
    

2. Prize Winners

1. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway (Pulitzer)
   
2. The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester (Hugo)
   
3. The Mount by Carol Emshwiller (Philip K. Dick Award)
   
4. Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson (Ignotus)
   
5. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole (Pulitzer)
   
6. Blue Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson (Hugo)
   
7. The Giver by Lois Lowry (Newbery)
   

3. 1001 Books

1. Casino Royale by Ian Fleming
   
2. Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis
   
3. Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang
   
4. Solaris by Stanislaw Lem
   
5. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
   
6. Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs
   

4. New Authors

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
   
2. Moxyland by Lauren Beukes
   
3. Adventures Among Ants by Mark W. Moffett
   
4. Our Man in Tehran by Robert Wright
   
5. Heidi by Johanna Spyri
   
6. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
   
7. Peer Gynt by Henrik Ibsen
   
8. The Toaster Project by Thomas Thwaites
   

5. Female Authors

1. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
   
2. Persuasion by Jane Austen (audio)
   
3. Reaper by Rachel Vincent (audio)
   
4. The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie (audio)
   
5. Lord of the Shadows by Jennifer Fallon
   
6. The Other Wind by Ursula K. Le Guin (audio)
   
7. Beguilement by Lois McMaster Bujold
   
8. Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie (audio)
   
9. Legacy by Lois McMaster Bujold
   

6. William Shakespeare

1. Hamlet
   
2. The Two Gentlemen of Verona
   
3. Macbeth
   
4. The First Part of King Henry IV
   
5. The Life of King Henry V
   
6. The Third Part of King Henry VI
   
7. Titus Andronicus
   
8. Coriolanus
   
9. The Merry Wives of Windsor
   

7. Fantasy

1. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente
   
2. Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde
   
3. Cast in Moonlight by Michelle Sagara (audio)
   
4. The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin (audio)
   
5. Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie
   
6. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman (audio)
   
7. Luka and the Fire of Life by Salman Rushdie
   
8. Mystic Empire by Tracy Hickman and Laura Hickman
   
9. Snuff by Terry Pratchett
   

8. Science Fiction

1. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
   
2. A Talent for War by Jack McDevitt
   
3. The White Mountains by John Christopher (audio)
   
4. Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold
   
5. Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold
   
6. Labyrinth by Lois McMaster Bujold
   
7. Futures Past, ed. by Jack Dann
   
8. The City of Gold and Lead by John Christopher (audio)
   
9. The Devil's Eye by Jack McDevitt
   

9. TIOLI Challenges

1. Winged Obsession by Jessica Speart
   
2. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo (audio)
   
3. Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare
   
4. The Second Part of King Henry IV by William Shakespeare
   
5. Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
   
6. Dragonsinger by Anne McCaffrey (audio)
   
7. Diggers by Terry Pratchett (audio)
   
8. Spook by Mary Roach
   
9. The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova
   
10. A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen
    
11. Wagner: His Life & Music by Stephen Johnson
    
12. A Feast for Crows by George R. R. Martin
    

10. Historical Settings

1. The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas (audio)
   
2. A Free Man of Color by Barbara Hambly
   
3. Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
   
4. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (audio)
   
5. Dracula by Bram Stoker (audio)
   
6. Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters
   
7. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
   
8. The Wild Duck by Henrik Ibsen
   
9. The Tragedy of King Richard III by William Shakespeare
   

11. TBR 2010 or before

1. Three Days to Never by Tim Powers
   
2. Shadowmarch by Tad Williams
   
3. Seeker by Jack McDevitt
   
4. Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian
   
5. The Whiskey Rebels by David Liss
   
6. Jerusalem by Cecelia Holland
   

12. Short Stories: Collections, Anthologies, and Magazines

1. Machine of Death, ed. by Ryan North
   
2. The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Jan/Feb 2012, ed. by Gordon Van Gelder
   
3. The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Mar/Apr 2012, ed. by Gordon Van Gelder
   
4. Selections from The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke 1937-1997 by Arthur C. Clarke (audio)
   
5. The Alchemist and the Executioness by Paolo Bacigalupi and Tobias Buckell (audio)
   
6. Favorite Science Fiction Stories, Vol. 1 (audio)
   
7. The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, May/June 2012, ed. by Gordon Van Gelder
   
8. The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, July/August 2012, ed. by Gordon Van Gelder
   
9. The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, September/October 2012, ed. by Gordon Van Gelder
   
10. The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, November/December 2012, ed. by Gordon Van Gelder
    
11. The Call of Cthulhu and Other Dark Tales by H. P. Lovecraft
    
12. What I Didn't See and Other Stories by Karen Joy Fowler
    

Individual short stories

1. The Gentle Brush of Wings by David Niall Wilson (audio)
   
2. A&P by John Updike (audio)
   
3. The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami (audio)
   
4. The Empty Family by Colm Toibin (audio)
   
5. The Ghosts of Ragged-Ass Gulch by Bill Pronzini (audio)
   
6. In the Forests of the Night by Jay Lake (audio)
   
7. Good Living by Aleksandar Hemon
   

>8 antqueen: Your category 7. Fantasy
I loved the Asprin Myth books! Sadly, I don't think I ever found the last couple. Hope you enjoy!

You have some interesting looking titles in your categories. I only hope they don't add to my TBR list!

I read a few of the Myth books years ago but I'd forgotten about them until I saw this one at our library book sale. Always fun to find something like that!

I've given up hoping for that, mamzel... ;)



Book 1: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Genre: young adult, dystopian science fiction
Why I have it: Christmas present from my brother
Month challenge: 1st in a series

When 16 year old Katniss's sister is chosen for the Hunger Games, a reality-tv-on-steroids, fight-to-the-death competition forced on the provinces by the ruling city, she volunteers instead. It's hard to know what to say about a book that so much has been said about. I mean, there are 1510 reviews on LT. Anyway, I can see why it's so popular. It's a fast-paced read, intense but not too much so for a younger audience. Even my brother liked it, and he's not much of a fiction reader.



Book 2: "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" : Adventures of a Curious Character by Richard P. Feynman

Genre: Non-fiction, autobiography
Why I have it: Christmas present from my brother-in-law

A series of autobiographical anecdotes by physicist Richard Feynman, from his childhood through to after he won the Nobel Prize. Very funny, and often insightful. He comes across as both cocky and uncertain, which is probably more realistic than a lot of biographies I've read, where they try to make everything too consistent. Several of the sections deal with the way people perceive science, and the way we try to teach it (the one where he talks about reviewing math text books is hilarious). Definitely worth reading.

Currently reading: A Year in the Maine Woods by Bernd Heinrich and The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas.

Oops, I just gave away my copy of Surely You're Joking unread. It had been recommended to me, but I had forgotten why so I gave it away. Now I remember why I wanted to read it. :)

I've had Tuva or bust! Richard Feynman's Last Journey on my reading list ever since I saw Genghis Blues. Perhaps I can fit it in my non-fiction section this year!

Lots of titles I read and loved and lots of others on my TBR pile. I'm looking forward to following your thread again this year.

BTW, although The Shadow of the Wind is very good, I don't think it's a 1001 book.

17> Well, if you happen to see one around, I'd say pick it up again :)

18> Tuva or bust sounds interesting too. I may have to check that out.

19> Hmm. Odd. The Shadow of the Wind is on LT's 1001 books page (which is where I got my list), though it doesn't have a date or anything. But 1001 books is not in the CK for the book, at least not anywhere I can see. Isn't that nice...

Adding surely you're joking to my wish list, great review

Adding surely you're joking to my wish list, great review

Thanks! I hope you enjoy it too!



3. Moxyland by Lauren Beukes

Genre: science fiction, cyberpunk
Why I have it: for the TIOLI challenge, and it looked interesting
Month challenge: Author's first book

We follow several characters here -- all in first person, which is a little unusual -- in a near future, cyberpunk dystopia version of Cape Town. Not bad, though it won't be one of my favorite books. None of the characters really grabbed me. Maybe because it seemed like they were either meandering or being led about. Either of which can work, but it didn't do much for me here, and I think she could have done more with the 'led about' part. Still, an entertaining and quick read with a good ending. I'll probably pick up Zoo City sometime.



4. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente

Genre: YA fantasy, fairy tales
Why I have it: Christmas present from my brother-in-law

A charming fairy tale in which September from Omaha is spirited away to Fairy Land, where she meets all sorts of fantastical critters, including a wyvern whose father might be a library, and of course a wicked ruler, in this case a Marquess. Playful and quirky, quite fun. I liked the ending, too.



5. A Year in the Maine Woods by Bernd Heinrich

Genre: Non-fiction, nature/biology
Why I have it: I'd read several of his before and liked them

In this, Heinrich writes quasi-journal-style about a year spent in his Maine cabin. I've read a couple of his other books too, and I still enjoy his descriptions of the land, plants, and animals, and the sketches that accompany them.

Currently reading: The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas
Next up: Winged Obsession by Jessica Speart and probably Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Nice set of reviews and I hope you enjoy The Three Musketeers!

good reviews - I'll definitely be reading moxyland after enjoying zoo city so much last year

I had a lot of fun with Porthos, Athos, Aramis and D'Artagnan last year; hope you do to. It looks like you've got some good things coming up.

I hope to read Moxyland and The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making this year. I really enjoyed Zoo City last year and will be interested to see how her 1st book compares to it.

Shame Moxyland didn't grab you too much but glad it hasn't put you off trying Zoo City. I found the latter excellent but like @psutto & @Claire haven't got to the former yet. More love for Catherynne M. Valente cements a place on my wishlist. Lots of people seem to be saying good things about her work.

Glad you all stopped by :) I'm looking forward to Zoo City myself :)



6. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Genre: young adult, dystopian science fiction
Why I have it: Christmas present from my brother

The second book in The Hunger Games trilogy. Threatened by President Snow, Katniss tries to dampen any potential rebels during her and Peeta's victory tour. Both the hints of rebellion and the personal and romantic situations between Katniss, Peeta, and Gale get more complicated in this one. I liked the first one a little more. I got a deeper sense of the characters here, and I liked several of the new ones. But the actual events got to be somewhat repetitive. Still, a good book. Despite the horrible cliff-hanger of an ending. Good thing I already had the next one.

Speaking of which...



7. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Genre: young adult, dystopian science fiction
Why I have it: Christmas present from my brother

The stunning conclusion! That's what you're supposed to say, right? Seriously, it really was a good ending. Nothing terribly surprising, though I got the impression I was supposed to feel like a couple of things were. Katniss must decide whether to become the visible face of the rebellion, Peeta is a prisoner of President Snow, and Gale waxes vengeful. The more I think about it, the more I like the ending. It felt right with the characters and the rest of the series. The first book's still my favorite of the three, though.



8. Winged Obsession by Jessica Speart

Genre: Narrative nonfiction
Why I have it: Borders closing sale. Mainly, I confess, because it was cheap and the cover is pretty :)

A US Fish and Wildlife undercover agent tries to catch a butterfly smuggler and ventures into the world of hawk-killing pigeon owners. The agent had recorded quite a few conversations for evidence, so Speart had a lot of material to reconstruct scenes, and the glimpses into both his life and the smuggler's were very interesting, though by the end I was tired of the smuggler's sexual innuendo, which started to feel like a book-marketing ploy even if it did have an impact on the case. I think the book worked pretty well, though.



9. The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas (audio)

Genre: Swashbuckling adventure. Really, The Three Musketeers is practically a genre of its own now...
Why I have it: I'd read it before, and it seemed like something that would be fun to listen to in the car
Month challenge: 1st in a series

It's been a long time since I read this. I was a little surprised at the things I remembered (a few odd details especially) compared to what I'd forgotten (a few major plot points). It was, indeed, fun to listen to in the car :)

Currently reading: Adventures Among Ants by Mark Moffett
Next up: Persuasion by Jane Austen (audio) and probably A Free Man of Color by Barbara Hambly

You've been busy!

It sounds as though we felt the same about Catching Fire - but Mockingjay worked better for you than it did for me.

I've got Winged Obsession on the shelf and am hoping to get to it for a shared TIOLI read with you, but I'm not certain if I'll fit it in. It is a great cover, isn't it?

As for your upcoming reading, I'm a big fan of Persuasion - I hope you enjoy it as much as I always do. So many people are reading A Free Man of Color this month that I'd like to get to it too - we'll see. BTW, I saw that you've added A Talent for War to one of the Challenges. I really, really like the Alex Benedict series, so I hope you get a chance to read it. I'm rereading the series and had thought about getting to Seeker this month - just in case I have nothing else to read!

Thanks for the reviews.

Nice string of reviews! I have never thought about listening to The Three Musketeers.... I can see it being entertaining as a audio book!

Yeah, I've been reading more than usual this month. Not a bad thing! I read Persuasion a couple of years ago and enjoyed it. I'm really liking the narrator of the audio version I have this time around. I'm reading A Talent for War now, actually... good so far :) I've already read Polaris and have Seeker waiting on my shelves already.

I think The Three Musketeers would have driven me crazy on audio if I hadn't read it before, but that's probably just me... I hate stopping so often the first time through :)



10. A Free Man of Color by Barbara Hambly

Genre: Historical mystery
Why I have it: I've seen it recommended by several on LT. Reading it now because of the TIOLI challenges.
Month challenge: character's name is January

Benjamin January is, well, a free man of color in 1830's New Orleans. Recently returned from Europe, he not only has to cope with deteriorating conditions for blacks but also with a murder that, for various reasons, he feels he must investigate. I've read a number of Hambly's books, though it's been a long time. This one was a little too heavy on the back story at the start, but once that was out of the way it moved quickly. January is a good choice of protagonist. Not only is he likeable, but he's both been away long enough to give us an outsider's view and also connected enough to New Orleans society that Hambly doesn't have to manufacture reasons for him to go places or speak to people. Overall, an enjoyable book. I put the next one, Fever Season, on my wishlist.

Currently reading: Persuasion by Jane Austen on audio, Adventures Among Ants by Mark Moffett and A Talent for War by Jack McDevitt

11. A Talent for War by Jack McDevitt

Genre: Science fiction
Why I have it: I've already read the 2nd in the series, Polaris
Month challenge: 1st in the Alex Benedict series

Alex Benedict, a far-future antiques dealer, inherits not only a house and fortune but a mystery whose investigation could change recorded history. I don't usually read series out of order even when it doesn't matter, but I'd picked up the second one, Polaris, without realizing it was a series. It stood alone, so it didn't really matter, but then, of course, I had to get the first one. Anyway, it was fun to see the characters in their first adventure together. Good, fun book.



12. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

Genre: American classic, which isn't really a genre. Tragedy, I guess?
Why I have it: it's my husband's

In which an old man contends with himself, the sea, and a huge marlin. I had only read one of Hemingway's works before this, For Whom the Bell Tolls, which I read for a high school class. I didn't really care for his writing style, which had too much of the newspaper journalist in it for me. But I figured it's been a while and this one was downstairs, so I picked it up. The writing still strikes me as too spare, and I'm not going to rush to read the other Hemingways down there, but it was a good book.



13. Persuasion by Jane Austen (audio)

Genre: Romance
Why I have it: I read it a while ago and decided to listen to it too

Years ago, Anne Elliott refused a proposal from Captain Wentworth despite her love for him, and now he has returned in search of a bride. I like Austen's books. This is probably my second favorite of hers, after Pride and Prejudice, but my ordering changes depending mainly on how recently I've read each :)

Currently reading: Adventures Among Ants by Mark Moffett, Casino Royale by Ian Fleming, Machine of Death by Ryan North, and listening to The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo.

January Summary

13 books total, 11 print and 2 audio
3 non-fiction, 10 fiction
8 books by female authors, 5 by male
1 pre-2011 book, which is pretty lousy, but January is always heavy on Christmas gifts
Total pages: 3553
Total audio time: 35h 3m

Categories
Non-fiction: 2
Prize winners: 1
1001 books: none
New authors: 2
Female authors: 2
Shakespeare: none
Fantasy: 1
Science fiction: 2
TIOLI challenges: 1
Historical settings: 2
TBR 2010 or before: none
Short stories: none

Favorites
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente

14. Casino Royale by Ian Fleming

Genre: Spy thriller
Why I have it: Um... I don't know. I think my husband borrowed them from my parents. Or his parents. Or somebody. Anyway, it was in the basement.

In which Bond takes on the communist bad guy at the gambling tables. I've seen a bunch of the Bond movies, but I'd never read one of the books. It was about what I expected, I guess. Quick and mostly fun, in a '50s sort of way.



15. Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde

Genre: Fantasy, mystery, humor
Why I have it: next one in the Thursday Next series

Thursday, who was living in the book world in the last book, is back in Swindon again, trying to regain her eradicated husband (and avert the end of the world, of course) amidst all of the political (and religious) contrivances of the mega-corporation Goliath and the corrupt (and fictional) politician Yorrick Kaine. As wacky as I have come to expect. I think I liked it better than the last one. Even with Hamlet instead of Miss Haversham. Much fun and silliness.



16. Adventures Among Ants by Mark Moffett

Genre: Nonfiction, biology, entomology, myrmecology
Why I have it: Gift from my husband

Lots of fascinating information about ants, with the focus mainly on ants with large colonies, such as marauder ants, army ants, weaver ants, driver ants, Argentine ants. Moffett makes a lot of comparisons with human cultures and practices as well; sometimes it was interesting and sometimes it felt like it was distracting from the ants. I think my only quibble would be those distracting times, and there weren't too many of them. And his photographs are gorgeous. If that seems like an odd thing to say about pictures of ants, then go find a copy of the book and see for yourself :)

Currently reading: Big Bang by Simon Singh, Machine of Death by Ryan North, and listening to The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
Up next: Hamlet by William Shakespeare, I think, a reread for me. Something Rotten made me do it :)

I have big bang on the list for this year looking forward to seeing what you think

Good reviews

I'm enjoying it so far. I'm already somewhat familiar with a lot of the history so the first section was a refresher of sorts. I'm just getting into the modern era now.



17. Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Genre: Tragedy
Why I have it: It's in my Big Book O' Shakespeare. I think I have another copy somewhere too, that I read in college.

I shan't bother with a summary. Don't know what to say, come to that. I like Hamlet. Always have. Reading it just after Something Rotten was interesting...



18. The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester

Genre: Science fiction
Why I have it: I like science fiction, and "classic" sf is often interesting

Ben Reich is a corporate giant faced with a problem -- how do you commit a murder in a world full of telepaths? It shows its age (written in the 50s) in a lot of ways, and it got a little... well, some of the reviews use the term 'psycho-babble', which captures it pretty well. I thought a few of the "twists" were odd and unnecessary. A good story though, overall, if you don't try to judge it by modern standards, and I found the telepaths interesting.



The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo (audio)

Genre: Tragedy
Why I have it: It's been a long time since I've read it, so I grabbed it in audio.

You wouldn't think that this book would be so hard to find a touchstone for. Par Dieu! Anyhow, gosh. While I remembered the un-Disney-ness of the real book, I had forgotten just how depressing it is. Poor Quasimodo, poor Esmerelda, poor priest, poor brother, poor everybody. An excellent depressing book, though.

Currently reading: Big Bang by Simon Singh, Machine of Death, edited by Ryan North
Next up: Probably Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson

20. Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson

Genre: Science fiction, cyberpunk
Why I have it: gift from my husband

A software hacker and a teen skater set off to save the (highly corporate (and Mafia) owned) world from a combination computer/biological virus. This book almost worked for me. So close. I liked the first part, before they knew what was going on. The last part... well, I won't say much, to avoid spoilers, but... Sumer? Really? I liked the book overall, just got stuck on a few details.



21. Machine of Death ed. by Ryan North

Genre: Science fiction
Why I have it: I saw it mentioned by a few people on LT a while ago

A machine is invented that can predict how you will die -- always correct, but often cryptic. There were a bunch of good stories in this, from humorous to heart-wrenching.



22. Reaper by Rachel Vincent (audio)

Genre: urban teen fantasy
Why I have it: it was free :)

This is not something I would have picked up if it hadn't been free. It's a prequel to a teen urban fantasy series (Soul Screamers), and tells the story of how Tod, a Banshee, becomes a Reaper (as in Grim Reaper). I enjoyed this more than I expected to. The narrator was good, as were the characters. I doubt I'll pick up the rest, just because it's a very teen target audience and urban/paranormal fantasy isn't my favorite genre. But if she ever strays away from paranormal I'll probably try her again.



23. The Two Gentlemen of Verona by William Shakespeare

Genre: comedy
Why I have it: It's Shakespeare!
Month challenge: 'two' in the title

Two young friends leave home, fall for the same woman, and generally make fools of themselves. Pretty simplistic and with a astoundingly abrupt and implausibly happy ending. But it was fun, and I liked it anyway.

Currently reading: The Genie in the Bottle by Joe Schwarcz and listening to The White Mountains by John Christopher
Up next: Three Days to Never by Tim Powers, I think.

Love your concise, to the the point summary of Two Gentlemen of Verona!

I agree with Lori -- your summary of Two Gentlemen of Verona is too funny!

I may try to join you with your Shakespeare reading this month. My 12 in 12 plays category has been sorely neglected....

I had the exact same reaction to Snow Crash. Implausible, but not a horrible read. Nice review. :)

Haha, I had a similar reaction to Two Gentlemen of Verona. Didn't that one have Robin Hood-esque bandits in it?

I've found that Shakespeare has a way of making me pick apart individual things while enjoying the play as a whole. Funny how that works, isn't it?

Dejah_Thoris, I've got 3 plays listed on the 75ers TIOLI... hop on board :)

pammab, have you read others of Stephenson's? This is my first of his, but I've heard so much about so many of them... I'll probably pick another one up sometime.

Robin Hood... The Two Gentlemen of Verona had a few inept bandits, but there was another one... As You Like It, maybe? I think that was the one.

24. Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis

Genre: Satire
TIOLI 13: set on an island

A satire on post-WWII British college life. Jim Dixon is trying to keep his job as a lecturer even though he hates pretty much everything about it, and winds up getting himself into lots of odd predicaments. I enjoyed parts of it, but I don't really have much to say about it as a whole.



25. The Mount by Carol Emshwiller

Genre: Science fiction

Earth has been conquered by aliens who keep humans primarily as mounts. Charley is a boy brought up to be a prize mount to the future ruler. When he and his rider both wind up with free human rebels, they both have to adjust not only to their changed circumstances but also to their changing relationship. The plot is pretty predictable, but the characters are well written and while it's obviously a book with a message, it isn't as heavy-handed as you might expect. Overall, an enjoyable read.



26. Big Bang by Simon Singh

Genre: Nonfiction, science history

A history of the scientific discoveries, from ancient Greece onward, that led to the Big Bang theory and its acceptance. More history than science, though the science was explained in a general way when needed. Singh does a good job of that, I think, though his explanations were low-level enough and in areas that I'm already familiar with that it's hard to say for sure what someone totally new to it would think. Anyway, I read it for the history, and there were certainly a lot of interesting characters in the story. I'd like to read more about some of them.



27. Cast in Moonlight by Michelle Sagara (audio)

Genre: Fantasy

This was another free audio novella, and I'm guessing at spelling for names. But we have Kaylin, an orphaned girl who tries to kill a lord and is given into the care of the lord's law enforcement agency, who promptly put her on the case to track down a mage who is killing children in some rite. I'm over-simplifying a bit, but it's safe to say the premise struck me as unlikely. None of the characters really grabbed me either. Not actively bad, but a definite meh. Possibly if I was already familiar with the series? I doubt it.

Currently reading: The Genie in the Bottle by Joe Schwarcz

February Summary

14 books total, 11 print and 3 audio, plus 2 audio short stories
2 non-fiction, 12 fiction
3 books by female authors, 11 by male
6 pre-2011 books
Total pages: 3032
Total audio time: 24:59 audio

Categories
Non-fiction: 1 of 3 total
Prize winners: 1/2
1001 books: 2/2
New authors: 1/3
Female authors: 1/3
Shakespeare: 2/2
Fantasy: 2/3
Science fiction: 0/2
TIOLI challenges: 1/2
Historical settings: 0/2
TBR 2010 or before: 2/2
Short stories: 1/2

Favorite: Adventures Among Ants by Mark W. Moffett

I have read more Stephenson. He always is a bit implausible to me -- he likes his flights of fancy and takes some joy in geeking out. A lot of thr time it can be a far fetched -- Snow Crash as a very good example -- but it is still enjoyable. I think Cryptonomicon is my favorite Stephenson, because the geeking out isn't him making up theory based on tenuous understandings of a lot of fields, but is more based in history and reality. He is one of those authors I like but don't feel a pressing desire to devour, if that is meaningful.... Always a fun ride though.

I know what you mean. I've had Cryptonomicon on my wishlist for a while. I think I'll leave it there, but I'm not going to move it up.



28. The White Mountains by John Christopher (audio)

Genre: YA Science Fiction

Aliens have ruled the Earth for generations, applying a mind-control device to all humans in their teens. As Will's time approaches, he begins to question this, and when he hears about a group of free humans in the mountains, he sets off to join them. I loved this series as a child, and it's still fun to read and holds up surprisingly well for a SF book written in the '60s.



29. Three Days to Never by Tim Powers

Genre: Fantasy, thriller
Month challenge: 'Three' in title

A girl and her father are caught between two groups searching for a mysterious and powerful device created, and hidden, by Albert Einstein. It has the feel of a spy thriller, plus time travel, ghosts, telepathy, and disembodied heads. Odd and mostly entertaining, but it fell a little flat. I had a hard time caring much about the characters. Except Lepidopt. I liked Lepidopt.



30. Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Genre: Tragedy

Macbeth is... well, Macbeth. What else can I say? Fate, ambition, power, fate. I like Hamlet better, but this one is up there too. And, on a somewhat-related note, I had forgotten that the 'Stars hide your fires' line was from Macbeth. I wound up with the Mumford & Sons song stuck in my head for the rest of the day. And darn it, now it's back...

Currently reading: The Genie in the Bottle by Joe Schwarcz and listening to The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin.
Next up: Shadowmarch by Tad Williams

Love Mumford and Sons! That is only tangentially relevant, but it had to be said. :)

Always worth saying! In fact, I listened to them today. I had to stop myself from singing along at work :)



31. The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Jan/Feb 2012, ed. Gordon Van Gelder

A good issue. I especially liked Naomi Kritzer's Scrap Dragon, which managed to be both funny and touching.



32. Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang

Genre: Nonfiction, memoir, history
Month challenge: Three in title

Jung Chang tells the story of her grandmother in the early days of the 20th century, her mother, who helped the Mao's Communists come to power, and herself, who grew up fully indoctrinated and only gradually came to be able to doubt her rulers. In the introduction, the author mentions reading Orwell's 1984 and thinking how many similarities there were between it and the China she grew up in. It's scary, the control leaders can have over people. Definitely worth reading.



33. Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare

Genre: Tragedy

Doomed love again, between Marc Antony and Cleopatra. Tragic love stories aren't really my favorites, and this one wasn't an exception. I'm not sure how much of it was that I was sick when I was reading it, but certainly not my favorite Shakespeare play.



34. Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

Genre: Historical mystery

I read the second in the series, Birds of a Feather, a while ago, and it was interesting to see how Maisie got her start. In this first book, she takes on what appears to be a straightforward case of investigating a spouse's infidelity, but before long the trail has led her to a home for wounded veterans of WWI, tapping into her own background as a nurse in the war. Much of the novel is a flashback (if you can call the whole middle half of the book a flashback) of her experiences before and during the war. Pretty good, though less mystery than I expected. I liked the second one better. I'll probably pick up the third one day.