Georgia's 2013 Books

Here we go, again!

I pre-ordered two Stephen King books and one by Joe Hill today. My children gave me an Amazon Gift Card! Whoo hoo!

So nice of them! In our family adults don't get any gifts for Yule. Mainly I am happy about that, but sometimes....

GD, I found you! Thank goodness. I am glad adults still get presents from Santa Claus and other loved ones at Christmas time. The little girl in my heart is so pleased when someone thinks of me and sends me something nice. My friends gave me a pretty nice referral to a new dog! That is my best Christmas present this year. What was yours?

Happy New Year!

I had a nice and busy Christmas. My oldest son was here for a week, and then we traveled to his house for a couple of days. From there, I went to my other son's home and had Christmas with him and his wife.

We don't give big or very expensive gifts. We try to give each other a little something they will enjoy or they need. I gave my daughter-in-law a Kindle. She was very excited!

I hope everyone has the best year ever!

Sounds like you had a wonderful holiday. So glad. And back atcha for the good wishes :)

I will be stalking you, GD. (As always.)

Starred, this year too :)

Looking forward to reading about your reading this year!

Starred!

I'll be lurking along as well!

Lots of us are lurking and stalking and thus indulging in a variety of questionable behaviors, but *mostly* we're all hoping expectantly for your thoughts on your reading in 2013.

All this translates to the fact that I've starred your thread.

1. Captain Vorpatril's Alliance by Lois McMaster Bujold

Ivan Vorpatril, a bachelor always with a beautiful girl on his arm, is on the planet Komarr as part of his duty with the government of Barrayar. While on Komarr, Ivan is asked by an Imperial Security agent to watch a particular young lady who may be in danger. True to Ivan's nature, he sets out to make the lady's aquaintence and shield her without knowing her name or what sort of danger was involved. Ivan gets more than he bargained for when he learns the true identity of the young lady and finds himself under investigation by the Komarrans.

This book takes place on the same worlds as Bujold's other books, but Ivan Vorpatril is the main character as opposed to Miles Vorkosigan. There was a great deal of background information that was important for readers unfamiliar with the series. Once I got past that portion, I enjoyed the book very much.

Oops *averts eyes*
Not looking because I plan to read Captain Vorpatril's Alliance soon. I want to be nicely surprised by it all so I haven't even read the blurb on the book. I had hoped to read this in December but A Tale of Two Cities took too dang long to finish.

Sandragon - My comments only include what happens in the first few pages. No spoilers. :)

It is a fun book! You see another side of Ivan. Enjoy!

*wandering past, waving "hi"*

Hey, Maggs!

Oh, I didn't think you'd post spoilers. I know you'd have warnings. But I'm so familiar with the Vorkosigan storyline that I'm going to start it blind, other than knowing it's about Ivan. Normally, before starting a book, I'd read the jacket blurb and the description on LT, and maybe skim a review or two.

I'm very excited about returning to Barrayar and reading about Ivan.

#17 Just know it is a total hoot. I laughed out loud through most of it. Ivan is marvelous.

Yup, LOVED the Ivan book :)

I am not very far in this series. I just got The Warrior's Apprentice for Christmas and I have no idea where it goes in the series. I just read the first two and wanted this one.

Somewhere on a shelf lies the first book in that series... Everyone seems to have such fun with those books but somehow it never pops up when it's time for me to decide what to read next.
Perhaps I should make more serious intent!

Which Stephen King books did you order?

20> Warrior's Apprentice is a good place to start the Vorkosigan books. Chronologically, it's after Shards of Honour and Barrayar (Collected as Cordelia's Honor, but it's the first of the Miles books. I think that's probably where I started, when it was serialized in Analog, but that's so far in the distant past that I'm not sure LOL.

Tane, I ordered Doctor Sleep:A Novel which will be published in September. He also has a paperback, Joyland, that will be out in June. I also ordered Joe Hill's book, NOS4A2, that is coming out in April. Doctor Sleep is the sequel to The Shining.

Busier, I think you would enjoy the Lois McMaster Bujold books. They are fun books to read.

I've been thinking about organizing my reading a bit more over the next few weeks. When I finish The Sirens of Titan, my next book is Garden Spells. After that, I have the following lined up (in no particular order): The Thirteenth Tale, On Basilisk Station, The Cassandra Project, and Deadlocked. I have others, but those are the top of the pile. I also have a couple of Anne Perry books I'd like to read. Oh, I also ordered the first Alan Furst book.

If I think about this too long, I'll reorder the books and add more!

>24 GeorgiaDawn: a Shining sequel? Interesting... I need to read some more Stephen King I might just add this to the list.

Garden Spells is excellent! Hope you get to it soon.

Tane - I think it picks up when the child is an adult. Sounds interesting!

You know I'll be interested in what you think of the Alan Furst book. It is a little different than what you usually read, I think.

With you as well.

25 - this post reminds me of several authors I keep meaning to try. My husband likes the Honor Harrington books but warns me that they are less humourous than the Vorkosigan books and more techy. Anne Perry and Alan Furst are two others I want to try as well.

In the meantime, I put aside my current read and started Captain Vorpatril's Alliance. All the Ivan love up above was too much for me. It's so much fun.

20 - Cmbohn, I've been using LT's chronological listing for this series as I read the books and it's worked well for me. I don't do so well with a lot of jumping back and forth in time, trying to remember what happened when. Now that I've caught up in the series I'm just happy to read any new books as they come!

2. To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis

This is the second book in Connie Willis's time travel series, but I read it last. Out of the four in this series, this was my least favorite. The other three (Doomsday Book, Blackout and All Clear) were serious books with a bit of comic relief here and there. I found To Say Nothing of the Dog silly when compared to the other three. In this book, time travel seemed to be an almost trivial thing with the main characters willing to break the rules to make things more convenient. Based on conversations here in LT and my RL friends, my opinion is in the minority. This book is the favorite in the series for many.

Ha, I started reading the paragraph above and read "Willis's travel series", completely skipping the word "time". And then carried on waiting to hear what kind of a travel book(s) you were reading.... And then the travel was considered to be trivial, and I thought "huh?" I went back and read more carefully.

Tired, I must be.

Georgia, have you read Three Men in a Boat? A major theme of that book is a spoof of this English book about three friends who go on holiday on the river with a dog. I read it about 6 months before I read the Willis books and I found it hilarious. If you haven't read it, I can see that this one would be much less enjoyable.

A sequel to The Shining! That sounds so tempting. :o)

Looks like an interesting list you've got coming up! I loved The Thirteenth Tale. I'll be lurking in the crowd, trying to peer between some of the others.

I'm another who liked To Say Nothing of the Dog. Have you ever read the story that started this series? It called Fire Watch and is the title story of a pretty varied collection. The other stories are not related. I'm generally less a fan of short stories than novels, but I enjoyed a couple of these. I tend to prefer Willis when she's being funny over when she's being serious. Bellwether was a lot of fun too.

#32- I heartily disliked it. I don't like time travel at the best of times (sorry) but this was as you say a particularly silly form of it. Best I've met maybe is Merrimack series. Which is vastly difference Mil-SF, but at least manages to get the time travel to work as part of the plot. Well written too - especially for mil-SF.

I also enjoy the Miles series, but thought the opening two with Cordila to be the best. If you've enjoyed them then also try the Liaden series. There's a thread in the SFfans group with the best reading order.

3. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

I really enjoyed this book! It was a innocent and sweet, a nice change of pace for me. Thank you, Morphy, for sending this via SantaThing!

4. Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut

My son wanted me to read this book and loaned me his copy. Like most (if not all) this is a complicated and somewhat depressing book.

5. The Shining by Stephen King

I haven't read The Shining in many years. With the sequel coming out this year, I thought a reread was in order.

(I'll get back with reviews later.)

Welcome back!

38: A sequel? I hadn't heard that. I read The Shining a long time ago, and I know I've forgotten stuff (though not the fact that parts of that book scared me so bad I could hardly breathe), but I sure didn't think it left much unfinished.

Yeah, apparently Danny's all grown up. I can't wait! :)

I'd second the Merrimack series by R. M. Meluch as a fine example of a very different take on time travel.

42: The "Merrimack" link goes to Walden.

The first book is called The Myriad

I'm trying to read, but we have scary winds here! We currently have severe thunderstorm warnings, tornado watches, and strong wind warnings. We can't have just one. We have all three!

Hunker down, GD!

We've had warnings here too, GD, and the trees are dancing around a bit, but they're all still standing up. Hope yours are too!

@Jim53, you're only about a 90 minute drive west from me.

45 - Wow! Time to batten down the hatches. Hope all three pass by you quickly.

Wind just started to pick up here...

It's finally passed. Bad weather usually does not bother me, but that wind was something else! Tornados are very scary!

6. Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

This is the second book in the All Souls Trilogy. Shadow of Night takes Diana Bishop and her husband, Matthew Claremont, back in time. They hope to discover a way for Diana to control her magic and find the book Diana discovered in her time. Diana and Matthew are convinced the book holds answers to their questions concerning the existence of special creatures.

I enjoyed this book more than the first. I did find it strange that Diana could so easily fit into the past and not raise more eyebrows. Still, I found their journey very interesting. I hated to see it end!

Oh dear. I guess I need to reread The Shining, too. At least this time I won't be all alone for the weekend in a huge old Victorian house like I was in Summer of 1980. I refused to use any of the bathrooms that had tubs in them. I still get the willies just thinking about it.

Glad to see you're getting so much reading done, GD! :o)

Thanks, Clammy!

Clam, how far are you in the Outlander books? I stopped at The Fiery Cross. I want to get back to them, but it's such an undertaking!

I'm reading an ARC of Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger and Oh, Myyy! by George Takei. Both are light hearted and fun!

I'm also listening to Ender's Game. I've read it 5 or 6 times, and decided to listen this time.

Hi! Sorry I've been a tad neglectful of some of my friends recently. I've been a little down in the dumps and a little overwhelmed with all the reading I committed myself to do, especially reading so many threads of people in the 75 books group. Whew. Those guys can wear a girl out.

But I am happy to see you posting some good reading, and I'll look forward to the review of the Takei book.

Hope you are having a great weekend!

#54 - We're in the same spot, then. I put all of A Breath of Snow and Ashes on my iPod, but I haven't started listening to it yet. Maybe after I finish LotR, and then load and listen to To Kill a Mockingbird, and the first three Discworld audio books, which I just ordered through inter-library loan. I really need to be a little more realistic about my time, don't I. LOL

To Kill a Mockingbird is my favorite book. I have read it many times, but never listened to the audio version.

The Silly Spacek version sounds very appealing, doesn't it?

#58 - Hee hee. Is that a Freudian typo, maggie? :o)

#57 - Same here. It the closest thing to a perfect book I have ever encountered. Looking forward to listening to it!

Yes, that was totally a slip. I don't think Sissy Spacek is at all silly. Quite an accomplished actor, I'd say.

so, whoops! My bad. And a funny one, too.

7. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

I love this book! I've read it several times, but this was my first time listening to the book. So much about Ender is heartbreaking and heroic at the same time. I've read most of the sequels. The only other book in the Enderverse that I really like is Ender's Shadow. I'll will follow up with it soon.

Ender's Game was a fantastic book. I've read it once, and also have read a couple of the sequels.

there's a party here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/147909#3894039 tonight

trying to hit a milestone!

I'm back in a slump and not reading much. I blame it on several things: grading too many papers, Downton Abbey, trying to sort through my mother's things, Downton Abbey, going to bed earlier, Downton Abbey. You get the picture.

8. Oh, Myyy! There Goes the Internet by George Takei

I found this book very entertaining. There is a great deal of humor mixed in with serious topics. Takei talks about the good, the bad, and the ugly of social networks.

I started watching Downton Abbey a couple of days ago. I don't know if I'll get hooked, as currently I'm rather peeved at the silly upper crustiness of all the above stairs folks, and the petty back biting behavior of below. I watch it while I eat as I find eating and being on line, or reading not so easy to do.

I have been in a slump but seem to be mostly over it. I blamed it on feeling overwhelmed. I could visit that place again, but I think I'll just continue to read. Tomorrow I'm taking the dogs and the two youngest kids to a dog meet-up in Seattle. Hope it will be fun!

I miss Chat. For some reason my computer is stuck on the alternative that JPB started and now I think has abandoned but I keep getting sent there, to no avail as there is nothing happening. I need to send him a PM and see if I can sort out what is going on. I would be so sad if we lost chat all together.

I hope your slump is short lived, perhaps it will be all gone when DA is over and done. Hugs to you.

#64 - Sorry about your slump, GD. Once you get through Downton I hope you'll be back in form, though. (Plus, Downton is only three season, and three short seasons, at that!)

I've watched Seasons One and Two, and just finished the fourth episode in Season Three.

Weather Update:

It was in the high 70's earlier this week. We now have rain and ice! Lovely, just lovely.

Similar here in NC. Lots of great big snowflakes today. Not much sticking, though.

My son and his wife live in Boiling Springs, SC. They are at my house so they missed the snow. It snowed a couple of inches at their home.

I used to live in Boiling Springs, SC. Small world...

Fuzzi - It's a beautiful place!

But I like NC better! :)

fuzzi - NC is nice. I haven't been in a while, but used to visit from time to time.

9. Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card

This is the only other book in the Enderverse that I care for. It is a parallel novel to Ender's Game from another child's point of view. The movie that is supposed to come out late this year takes parts from Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow.

Georgia, did you see that the Chat room seems to be up and working again, just like in the "olden days". I was there for a very few minutes last night, chatted with Jarandel who then disappeared.... I wonder if it was something that I ate? Maybe next Friday?

I thought the last two Fridays that I would be there, but went out to eat with friends. I hate I missed you guys!

I have not been successful for several weeks, so you've not been missing me there, but on the other hand.... I have been missing talking with you....

next Week!

10. Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

This is the first book in Carriger's new Finishing School series. It takes place approximately 20 years before the Parasol Protectorate books. The Finishing School series shares some of the same characters as the Parasol Protectorate, but these are written for young adults.

Sophronia Temminnick is a 14 year old who embarrasses her mother by her outlandish behavior. She likes to see how things work and can never keep her dresses neat and clean; how dare she do such things! When Mrs. Temminnick has the opportunity to send her daughter off to Finishing School, she jumps at the chance. Sophronia dreads the idea, but soon discovers that this is a very different kind of finishing school. Social skills are important, but only if you can also hide a body.

Etiquette & Espionage is a fun, lighthearted book that I enjoyed very much. I'm looking forward to more in this series.

I have offered Gail Carriger a copy of my family tree to search for names. Woolsey, from the Parasol Protectorate series, was my maternal grandmother's maiden name. Sophronia, from the Finishing School series, was my paternal grandmother's first name. Interesting!

????

That sounds like fun. I'd love to help an author with some old fashioned names, too. My family tree is full of odd names.

My offer was made in jest, but it was fun exchanging emails. :)

Okay, now it makes sense. :oD

Etiquette & Espionage sounds tempting which is encouraging, given that I couldn't get through the first volume of the Parasol series.

Etiquette & Espionage is much tamer, but there are some of the same elements between the two series. Give it a try!

jill, were we separated at birth? I so wanted to like that book, and just didn't. I think it might have been her style, though, so maybe Etiquette & Espionage wouldn't work either.

74> I've just completed Ender's Game for the first time, whilst I enjoyed it, it certainly reminded me of a lot of other scifi (not specifically books, but videogames, movies, etc...) - I may give Ender's Shadow a try? Is there a preferred reading order of the books?

Tane, the books do need to be read in order whether you are reading the original books that follow Ender or the spin off series that follows Bean. Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow are really the only two I have enjoyed with the former being my favorite (by far). The sequels go from okay to not enjoyable at all, in my opinion. I have not read the prequels that explain the Formic Wars. I have those on my TBR list.

Ender's Shadow is a very different book even though it is a parallel novel to Ender's Game. It is more thoughtful and discusses religion from time to time because of one of the characters involved.

87: I think Ender's Game was the one that led the way, though, and influenced what came later. The novel came out in 1985, and it was an expansion of a short story published in 1977.

> 88 Thank you for the explanation, I must admit in my initial (very brief) look into the other "Ender" books I got a bit confused.

> 89. I completely agree, I kinda wish I'd read Ender's Game years ago, so that I could see the influences in the right direction, if that makes sense?

11. Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia

This is the second book out of four in the Beautiful Creatures series. In this installment, Lena is on the verge of having to choose between being a Light Caster or Dark Caster as her Seventeenth Moon approaches. No matter which choice she makes, people will die. Ethan, Lena's mortal boyfriend, begins to have a better understanding about his place in the supernatural world and what part his mother played prior to her death. Lena and Ethan both face physical and emotional journeys as they find their way through the Caster Tunnels that run under portions of South Carolina and Georgia.

This book started out very slow for me, but quickly picked up. Ethan has a very strong role in this book and is able to take a stand for himself rather than always being in Lena's shadow.

Small Rant - On a side note, the name of a town in Georgia is mispronounced in the audio version. I understand that only people who live in the area would catch the mistake, but it irritated me especially since the story is set in South Carolina and Georgia. The town is Cairo, Georgia. Yes, it it spelled like Cairo, Egypt. In Georgia it is pronounced Kay-Row. - End of Small Rant

For Tane: I have a lot of problems with the Ender books (it seems the good guys are excused for doing anything, simply because they're the good guys), but I would recommend reading Speaker for the Dead after Ender's Game. There are some interesting aliens, and Jane is fun.

>92 Jim53: Thank you :-)

12. Die Trying by Lee Child

13. The Runner by W.J. Davies

I'm packing for a weekend get away so I'll write a little about these later. I did enjoy both!

14. Third Shift - Pact by Hugh Howey

This is the final book in the Wool series to be followed by Dust. I love this series! The Runner above is a short story about this world that Hugh Howey built.

The environment outside of the silo is toxic, or so they are told. No one knows of any world other than living in their lone silo and existing on the recyclable materials they have on had. Each one has a job. Some are mechanics, others are cooks, farmers, or teachers. Some even work in IT and seem to have control of everything and everyone Nothing escapes the eye and ears of IT. When a person is convicted of a crime, they must clean. They leave the safe confines of the silo, the only world they know, and go outside to clean the sensors that send images back of the ruined landscape. These people never return.

After decades of living in the silo, some are bound to question the living conditions. Who build the silo? Why are they there? Are their others like them? Those questions are the biggest crime anyone can commit. Silence is the only way to survive.

I see it's number eight. The original blurb sounds interesting, but I can't imagine how anyone can spin that out over eight books?

I think they're pretty short. The omnibus edition is a total of 548 pages for the first five books. I tried requesting it through inter-library loan but it never showed up. But I see it's pretty cheap on amazon, so I might snag it.

zjakkelien - Clam is correct. The books are not long. There is also much more to the story than I have mentioned here.

I see. It does sound interesting, but I was worried about the Wheel-Of-Time syndrome...

Oh, no. None of that. :)

15. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn Just when I had it all figured out, Gillian Flynn threw in another twist! I enjoyed this much more than I expected.

Oh, I read that last Fall. I had some bones to pick with Flynn, but I actually appreciated being jerked around so much. LOL

Yes, I agree, Clam! There were several times when I considered throwing the book against the wall.

In a maybe perverse way I love books which make me want to throw them across the room, up against a wall!

Hope all is good with you, GD.

BTW, there is a thread where people can provide some extra support for Morphy while her husband is fighting this cancer thingie, and being unemployed at the same time. Go here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/152543

Thank you for the link!

I'm falling so far behind in my reading!

16. The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King

I loved this book! I'm excited about the next one.

17. Treason by Orson Scott Card

Meh.

What have you been doing? Missed chatting with you.

The Laurie King is addicting...I gobbled them all up last summer. :) Glad you enjoyed it!

Maggs, I'm going to drag out my old laptop tonight and see if I can get into chat. I can't connect with my new laptop.

Marissa, I've just started the second one. Holmes is not in the part I'm reading now, and I'm ready for him to get back in the picture! I love the play between Sherlock and Mary.

I love the Russell/Holmes series. There are also a couple of short stories if you can find them:Beekeeping for Beginners, which tells of Mary and Sherlock's first meeting, from his POV; and Mrs Hudson's Case.

You should ask JPB what add-on you might be missing since you can't get into chat. Could you possible just tell us what msg/screen pops up when you do try?

18. Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia

19. A Monstrous Regiment of Women by Laurie R. King

I'm enjoying this series very much!

Clam - I do need to get in touch with JPB. I'll get a screen shot of the messages I'm getting when I try to go into chat. Thanks!

I can't believe you haven't read Laurie R. King before, but what a treat you have in store for you! :)

If you're reading the Russell-Holmes stories, I really enjoyed O, Jerusalem which is two titles later from the one you're in. Otherwise, I think her stand-alones -- Touchstone and A Darker Place -- are really quite thought-provoking.

jillmwo, I'm now on the third in the series, A Letter of Mary. I'll take a look at the others. Thank you!

20. Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia

21. A Letter of Mary by Laurie R. King

I've only read three books in this series, but it's quickly becoming one of my favorites. In this one, Mary and Sherlock are thrown into the middle of yet another murder. Both of their lives are put in jeopardy when unidentified persons search for a valuable artifact at the Holmes residence. The murder and the search are, of course, linked.

22. Red Lory by Dave Newell

I'm still not quite sure how I feel about this book. The main characters consist of a struggling doctor, his office manager, and the wife of a dying patient. The paths of these three individual converge in a small town where every one sees everything. Each of the three have considerable baggage that they are trying to overcome and leave behind. I enjoyed reading the book, but I wanted more resolution. I did like the way the author showed subtle changes in the characters as the book progressed. I felt completely different about all three at the end of the book. You want to follow this book with something happy and fun.

23. The Marching Morons by C. M. Lornbluth

The Marching Morons was an Amazon Deal of the Day a few weeks ago. It was originally published in 1951. The book was okay, but not great.

The story takes place in the future and shows a world where intelligence is quickly becoming extinct. The premise is that intelligent people have had fewer children over the years while the less intelligent, or the "morons," have continued to populate the world. The more intelligent ones are trying to maintain control over society. A man from the past is woken up after many years of suspended animation. Using his past experience as a less than reputable real estate broker, he proceeds to try to fix the problem with the population. His help does come at a steep price.

#119 - That's too bad about book 23 because the name is awesome.

It's Kornbluth and I was never very enamoured of his work myself. He was good at pinpointing issues that might emerge (the push for zero population growth, the concern for keeping educational standards high) but he was very much a product of his time in some of his attitudes. And what little I know of his personal life suggests he was an eccentric on the order of Dr. Sheldon Cooper. Just never grabbed me as a writer.

Yes, jillmwo, that's what I gather from what I've read about him. It was interesting, but not something I was crazy about. I will not be searching out other books by him.

That philosophy still has its advocates, unfortunately.

24. How to Negotiate Everything by Lisa Lutz

This is a short book for children that was inspired by a character in The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz. It was a fun, quick read that explains how to go about negotiating with parents.

25. This Perfect Day by Ira Levin

This book is about a society that is perfect in every way, as long as you don't mind a computer program making every decision for you from the day you are born until the day it decides you should die. Chip dares to think how his life might be different. Even thinking this way could cause society to see him as sick or incurable. He must decide if he is willing to risk everything, even life itself, to be different and change society.

26. To The Stars by George Takei

In his autobiography, George Takei discusses his personal life, his journey to becoming an actor, and finally his role as Mr. Sulu on Star Trek. Takei was a young child when he and his family were forced into the internment camps during WWII. Rather than remaining bitter and beaten, he followed the example his parents set for him and became a politically active member of society. While pursuing his dream to be an actor, Takei met Gene Roddenberry. He never dreamed what that initial meeting would mean to his future. From the experiences of his early life to the set of Star Trek, I found Takei's story fascinating!

You know how much I love biographies; and I think that one by Takei is a must read. I'll see if I can pick it up soon, or shall I go to the library?

Hope your summer is going well. Will you be going to DragonCon this year?

Hello, Maggs! I am going to Dragon*Con again this year. HobbitPrincess will be joining me again. George Takei will be there! I hope to be able to get into one of his sessions. I don't mind sitting in a line and reading for a couple of hours.

I borrowed the Takei book from a friend. There is so much more than I mentioned. It's definitely worth reading.

He is a very interesting character.

I am glad you'll be able to attend. So much fun.

I am at Booktopia in Bellingham right now, and if I was not so dead tired I'd explain to you what it is about, but maybe I'll do that tomorrow, or after I get back.

For now: HI!

27. Half Way Home by Hugh Howey

A group of five hundred individuals were sent light years away to colonize a new planet. While in a deep sleep, they have experiences, memories, and information necessary for their individual jobs uploaded into their brains. Malfunctions caused the ship to crash land and the individuals to be awakened fifteen years too early. A very small number, less than 50, survived. Those who did survive were only partially prepared for the task of colonizing the planet. This is the story of how the colonists relate to each other and how they prepare for life on an unknown planet.

I have enjoyed the Silo series by Hugh Howey, but I struggled with this book. I love the idea of the book and was looking forward to reading it. I probably would have enjoyed it more if I had found even one character I liked. The characters were shallow and naive. I guess being awakened fifteen years too early had something to do with that. The book has good reviews; I must have missed something along the way.

28. The Fort by Aric Davis

The Fort is about three twelve-year old boys who plan to spend their summer in a fort they built near their respective homes. Scott, Luke, and Tim are ready for the long summer that is ahead of them. The boys are thrown into the middle of a missing persons case when a friend of Tim's sister goes missing. By being in the right place at the wrong time, the boys go to the police with information critical to the case. Their information doesn't agree with what others have reported, and they are turned away by the detectives and punished by their parents. The boys refuse to give up and set out to prove they are right.

I enjoyed this book very much. The reader is allowed to know what is going on and see the mistakes made along the way. The book primarily is about the relationship between the three boys and how they handle a seemingly impossible situation. It is somewhat simplistic, but still a good book. Even though it is about twelve year old boys, I would not recommend The Fort to twelve year old readers. It deals with adult situations and extreme cruelty.

I'm now reading through Cloud Atlas and Breakfast of Champions, but it's slow going. My son suggested I read both. I may have to take on something lighter for now.

You would think I would be getting some reading done, but I'm finding it difficult to concentrate. It seems I've spent two years not being able to concentrate! I'm turning into my students!

I think school teaching rewards attention deficit disorder tendencies. I have a hard time sitting still for more than about 45 minutes (average time for a class). And I sometimes find that 20 of reading must be punctuated by a get up and walk around and then sit back down intervals. Weird.

I used to be able to curl up in a big chair and read all day, all weekend or well into the night! I'd get stiff from sitting still. But that just does not happen any more.

Or maybe it's just getting older. I'm the same way. I used to be able to sit and read for hours. Now I get fidgety and need to take breaks.

Me three

I will admit it here (but not my son, yet). I am not enjoying Cloud Atlas or Breakfast of Champions. I will continue to trudge through them and see if they get better.

I did start Feed by Mira Grant. So far, so good!

Me, four.
:o(
My attention span can be measured in nanoseconds.
:o(

I can't even watch an entire TV show of 30 minutes without having to get up and do something, or go get something, or pick up something to read, or.... best yet, get lost reading LT threads.

I feel bad for you restless folks. Aside from my nightly 60 to 90 minutes' reading at bedtime, I can still tuck my legs up on the sofa and read for hours at a stretch, taking only nature breaks and stopping for mealtimes.

But that's if it's something absorbing. If I'm working at it (as I am with one of my educational selections), I do have to take it in much smaller bites.

Catching up -

28. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

Finally made it through. I read this because my son highly recommended the book. It was fair, but I struggled to stay interested.

29. Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut

I'm just not a Vonnegut fan. This is another that my son recommended.

30. NOS4A2 by Joe Hill

I listened to this book. I thought Heart-Shaped Box was fantastic and was hoping the same for this book. In my opinion, it fell short of Hill's previous works.

31. The Last Word: A Spellman Novel by Lisa Lutz

Loved this one! This is the last in The Spellman novels. Lutz tied up most of the loose ends, but left a few threads out there to be considered. In this final installment, Izzy is faced with life changing decisions. Just when you think she is finally a responsible adult, Izzy returns to her old ways. I laugh my way through all of Lisa Lutz's books.

32. Isabel Spellman's Guide to Etiquette: What is Wrong with You People by Isabel Spellman and Lisa Lutz

I have many passages in this book highlighted. I especially like her take on etiquette where revolving doors are concerned. "Don't."

Good to see you back here, GD!

And uhoh, those Lutz books look good.

I think Lutz is awesome!

32 - I hate revolving doors. I look desperately around for an alternative entrance and only use them if there is no other option.
Fortunately with new disabled access laws, there increasingly IS another option :)

I have finished a few more books. I loved Doctor Sleep by Stephen King. It was very cool when he mentioned a small South Georgia town just 20 miles from me!

It seems like I stay on the road or grade papers, constantly.

Oh, sweetie, I know that must feel exhausting sometimes. I remember that "no end to it" when it came to grading papers. Being on the road? That gets you to see your darling grand baby? right? Well, then, I guess we are glad you know how to drive.

It will be no time until you are looking back and wondering how did he grow so fast?

Good to see you back hoctor Sleep is the one?