Ape's 2013 Challenge (15)

Currently reading: The Year of the Flood
Currently playing: LEGO Harry Potter (Years 5-7)







Thread #1 (Book 1)
Thread #2 (Book 2)
Thread #3 (Books 3-4)
Thread #4 (Books 5-7)
Thread #5 (Books 8-9)
Thread #6 (Books 10-12)
Thread #7 (Books 13-13)
Thread #8 (Books 13-16)
Thread #9 (Books 17-17)
Thead #10 (Books 18-21)
Thread #11 (Books 22-27)
Thread #12 (Books 28-33)
Thread #13 (Books 34-42)
Thread #14 (Books 43-49)

Books read: 53
Pages read: 17,643

January:
1. Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond
2. The Second Opinion by Michael Palmer
3. Plague by H.W. Bernard
4. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

February:
5. Smoking Ears and Screaming Teeth by Trevor Norton
6. Psychlone by Greg Bear
7. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
8. Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
9. Being Written by William Conescu

March:
10. The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart
11. Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
12. Seventh Son by Orson Scott Card
13. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

April:
14. The Four Fingers of Death by Rick Moody
15. The Best of the Rejection Collection by Matthew Diffee
16. Ancient Greece by Paul Cartledge

May:
17. The Lost World by Michael Crichton
18. The Black Country by Alex Grecian
19. Notes for a War Story by Gianni Pacinotti
20. Sciencia by Burkard Polster

June:
21. Congo by Michael Crichton
22. On the Beach by Nevil Shute
23. The Winter Road by Terry Hokenson
24. Things I Learned About My Dad (in Therapy) edited by Heather B. Armstrong
25. The Isle of Stone by Nicholas Nicastro

July:
26. On Desire by William B. Irvine
27. The Ascending by T. M. Wright
28. Tithe by Holly Black
29. Next by Michael Crichton

August:
30. Among Others by Jo Walton
31. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
32. Odds Against Tomorrow by Nathaniel Rich
33. The Tent by Margaret Atwood
34. The Lizard King by Bryan Christy
35. Harm by Brian W. Aldiss
36. The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

September:
37. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
38. Escape from Communist Heaven by Dennis W. Dunivan
39. America the Edible by Adam Richman
40. I'm Not Scared by Nicollo Ammanitti

October:
41. 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King
42. Those Across the River by Christopher Buehlman
43. The White Devil by Justin Evans
44. Blood Crazy by Simon Clark
45. Infected by Scott Sigler
46. Halloweenland by Al Sarrantonio

November:
47. Ingenious by Jason Fagone
48. Gulp by Mary Roach
49. Contagious by Scott Sigler

December:
50. Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
51. Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton
52. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
53. The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood

Wow, I never get to sneak in on ANYONE's thread first!

Hi Stephen!

Hi Terri! *Hugs*

(pokes Stephen)

Claiming my seat.

Hi there, ladies! Welcome! :)

Howdy, Stephen! Aren't you up a bit late, young man?!? ;)

Looks like its ladies night here, any cheap drinks? (I'll have a wine thanks, red)
:)

Laura: No worries, I went to bed directly after that post. ;)

Megan: All drinks are free! Unfortunately, everything I have is nonalcoholic. Sorry! I have a wide variety of teas, though! :)

>8 LovingLit: Don't worry Megan. I brought the booze.

Oh dear. I can't touch that stuff. It might loosen me up and cause me to start socializing with people or something.

>11 Ape: Good! More for me.

Here to festive up the Canadian corner. *starts hanging evergreen boughs and holly*

#9: Yay for non-alkis! :) I'll pass on the tea, though. I brought my own fizzy death juice. :P

#13: (adds a little something for Micky)

>14 saraslibrary: HA! That's the best!

>14 saraslibrary: who is that?

>11 Ape: O.0 I'd like to see a liquored Stephen!

Sara dear, that picture is ENORMOUS. Try to load it on your home computer. :o

I'd rather see me lickered. :P

Naughty Stephen! ( I feel like I say that a lot around these parts.)

I can't imagine why! *Adjusts halo*

#15: Thank you! :)

#16: Does he need a name? He's tied up and standing under mistletoe. Need I say more? :P Actually, he's some English/Welsh/Scottish/Irish bloke Micky's been stalking. I forget his name.

#17: Really? I'm sorry. How do I make it smaller? Delete it? :P

Ha! You beat me to the lickered bit.

#18: Yeah, and unfortunately you can't really punish him either.

#19: (steals Stephen's halo and makes a piercing out of it)

>14 saraslibrary: Very, very happy. :D *pats Stephen distractedly on the head* I'll be in my corner for a while, dear.

>16 leperdbunny: That is Colin O'Donoghue. Irish actor who plays Captain Hook on Once Upon a Time.

Sara: Oh man, a halo-piercing would be so fantastic for a demon in a fantasy novel. Genius! Where'd you steal it from?

Micky would rather spend 'alone time' with pictures of hot men than talk to me. I'm hurt. :_(

Wishing you tasty turkey and yummy pie today, Stephen!

Thanks Amber! Although, due to work schedules, I had that yesterday. :)

Wow, and a thank you to Sarah for the pic in 14 too! I'd take that under my mistletoe any day. ;)

Hi Stephen! I think you should totally get sloshed at your next Meet-Up. Afterwards, one of us can drive you home and make sure you're safe. ;)

Happy Turkey Day!

Happy Thanksgiving, Stephen!

>22 Ape: I'm done staring now. Mostly. What would you like me talk to you about? :P

Happy Thanksgiving (even if it is the wrong one).

Happy Thanksgiving, my young friend!

Happy Thanksgiving, Stephen!

Thanks everyone!

Laura: Hmmmm, I don't know, it might be worth it if someone agrees to tuck me in. :P

Micky: Pancakes!!

Happy Thanksgiving Stephen!

Thanks, I hope you had a happy one as well! :)

>30 Ape: Quite apropos, actually. I'm going out for lunch tomorrow and we're going to this restaurant that does AMAZING Dutch pancakes. I went there for my birthday and it was sooooo delicious. Giant pancake covered with chocolate sprinkles (it's a Dutch thing) and strawberries and whipped cream to garnish. *drool*

Yum! French toast is better though.

A) What are you still doing up? B) Waffles are best.

1) Not a clue. 2) I'm not a big waffle fan, actually! I know, I'm a horrible person. I actually don't like how all the butter/syrup clumps up in the indentations, I like to go light on those things anyway so huge clumps of the stuff is kind of icky, for me.

Hopefully no one tries to kill me in my sleep now for saying that. :P

>33 MickyFine: Mmm, I love those Dutch chocolate sprinkles. I stole a bunch of them from the breakfast buffet at my hotel in Antwerp a couple of years ago and ate them on EVERYTHING.

Haha, I have no idea what they taste like but I think it sounds delicious anyway! :)

>36 Ape: My favourite waffle toppings (apart from strawberries and whipped cream) are actually peanut butter and applesauce. No sogginess. :)

>37 norabelle414: They are great. There used to be a Dutch store in Edmonton that had them. I can also sometimes get them in the European foods aisle at one of the grocery store chains up here. :P

See I love waffles, soaks up all the butter and syrup. But, it is quite a treat/rich. I was hoping for a waffle maker for Christmas, so maybe I'll get it this year. :P

Micky: Ooooooh, okay, peanut butter does sound really good.

Tam: I here the best way to persuade Santa is to sit in his lap. I'm also pretty sure this works outside of the month of December, as well. :P

>41 Ape: *Pinky to lip* :P

Tomm claims that he knew he wanted to marry me when I ordered a side of peanut butter to put on my chocolate chip pancakes. And that was even before he asked me out for the first time...

Tam: =P

Amber: Haha, I'd say that's an excellent reason!

How is Knack? We were voting on PS4 games, and no one was convinced if it was going to be good or bad.

#22: Oh, hardy har har. :P I stole the idea from no one. I'm just a klepto.

lol @ 25. You're certainly welcome! :)

And I've got nothing on the pancake/waffle debate... though I've tried some frozen flax waffles and they were pretty delish.

Katie: Well, I had really low expectations. I've researched launch games, and I think it's actually very predictable. I have a whole theory as to why this is, but basically, games that belong to ongoing series are consistently the best games released, and first installments by lesser-known studios have a tendency to be absolutely atrocious. MOST of the time.

Anyway, so with that, I assume Knack was going to be total crap. Then I read the reviews online and yes, it must be total crap. Now I'm playing it, and you know what? It's not bad at all! The visuals are stunning! I played Assassin's Creed IV first, and it didn't feel very "next-gen." It looks really good, but not mind-blowing. The amount of detail and clarity in this is mindblowing, and launch games always have terrible visuals so I'm sure this will look like crap in a few years.

And, of course, the gameplay - it's fun! Okay, it's actually kind of tough, and the checkpoint system needs some work. You can go through a tedious box-smashing or laser-avoiding section, get killed, then have to do the previous section again, which can get tedious. However, it's pretty cute, the enemies are very diverse and interesting - so far every chapter has had a new set of enemies, and I'm on chapter 5 of...13, at least. Maybe it's not the most smoothest game, but I think it deserves a better rating than what the major game critics are giving it.

Personally, I'd rate it a 7 out of 10, of if I was being super specific, maybe a 6.8.

Sara: Frozen flax waffles? ... o.O

Frozen waffles are awesome for the toaster oven and they made a yummy egg sammich!

Egg sandwich!? Hmmmmm, not sure. I had this weird craving for banana bread earlier...maybe with a teensy bit of nutella. It sounds like a yummy combo.

November Summary:

Books: 3
Pages: 1,132

Fiction: 1
Nonfiction: 2

Owned: 1
Library checkout: 2

This is the first thing I think of every time I see a gas mask:

Me too! Creeps me out!

Good to know! I like platformers. Most of my gamer friends, not so much. They aren't against them, but they don't really seek them out. So I was fighting an uphill battle. It was kind of a difficult vote in general -- no one was really enthused about any of the launch titles. Really the only forthcoming title that I've heard about that I'm actually excited for is Kingdom Hearts 3. But how was AC4? I'm still on the second one, so way outta the times.

Mickey: Me too! I love that episode! I presume you watched the 50th special?

#47: Yes, frozen flax(seed) waffles, for those of us lazy-butts who don't bother with a toaster. They're quite yummy. :)

#51: Gas masks make me think of weird s/m types. :P To each our own, I guess.

Micky/Laura: Yeah, the reference is above my head. Gas masks are so cool, though! :P

Katie: I think a couple years from now we'll look back and think Knack is a pretty lame title, but it's a lunch game and there are slim pickings right now, so yeah, I'd consider it playable. Personally, I'm a total game whore, so I think ALL of the launch titles look great, haha. Except the sports games, that is, but I definitely want to play Killzone: Shadow Fall, LEGO Marvel, and Need for Speed: Rivals.

AC4 is actually my favorite of the AC games. I am not really a huge fan of the series...the first one was absolutely terrible! The 2nd and Brotherhood were pretty good, but the series went downhill from there for me. I hated Revelations and III, and wouldn't have played them if my sister's boyfriend didn't buy them all and let me play them for free. Black Flag is a bit of a rejuvenation of the series for me, personally. It's way less irritating and obnoxious, and I actually had a lot of fun playing it. Black Flag and Brotherhood are my favorites of the series.

Sara: I think anyone who eats flax seed waffles has to be a weird s/m type. :P

Morning, Stephen! You finished with that Gaiman book yet?

Not yet. I'm afraid reading about a beta male having a sexy hunk come into his life and start sleeping his fiancee doesn't result in much enthusiastic reading on my part. I have to start hurrying though because the book is due back in a couple days.

*snork!* It gets better...

Good morning!

Happy Monday to you!

Amber: I hope so. I actually nearly quit reading it, but I'll just hold out hope for Daisy. Also, I won't be terribly sad if you-know-who dies.

Tam: Mornin'! :)

Linda: Hi there! A happy Monday, isn't that usually an oxymoron?

>52 LauraBrook: Glad I'm not alone, Laura.

>53 katelisim: Sure did, Katie, and loved it. You?

>55 Ape: Doctor Who, dear Stephen.

Ah, I assumed as much.

#55: Yes, flaxseeds seem to do that to people--turn them on to s/m. (pokes Stephen in the head)

Yikes, I love flax. Maybe I should look out for signs or something? *wonders what those signs would be*

Signs: the desire to throw and/or poke Stephen with inanimate objects. (offers Laura a letter opener)

Oh, this sounds like fun! *Removes shirt*

50. Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman



Pages: 336
Rating: 3/5

Fiction: Urban Fantasy/Mythology
Library checkout

Fat Charlie is living a pretty ordinary life. He has a job he's unenthusiastic about, with a boss he hates, and he's about to get married to a lovely woman whose mother loathes him like a leech in her salad. Then everything goes horribly awry when his father passes away. It should be an unremarkable event, considering he hasn't had a relationship with the man since his parents got divorced when he was a child. What Charlie doesn't know is that his father is a god, of a sort, and attending his funeral is going to open up a wormhole of very unfortunate events.

I'm a little torn on this one. Technically, it was a very well-written novel. It's equally charming and absurd, and Gaiman has a knack for making odd characters seem totally believable. Unfortunately, the events of the novel were so heartbreaking for me that I had a difficult time reading it. It was hard to appreciate what the author was doing when I just wanted to hurl the book across the room and cry in my pillow.

So I really don't know how to go about rating Anansi Boys. Ultimately everything resolved okay and I am satisfied at its conclusion, but that didn't make the experience of reading it any less painful. If I could, I would give the writing a 4-star rating, and a 2-star rating for my experience while reading. As is, I suppose an average rating is going to have to suffice, even if it isn't entirely accurate.

Aw, I'm so sorry that you had such a hard time with it. To me, though, that's just more testament to what an amazing writer Gaiman can be. This is how he tackles the bungling-yet-absolutely-lovable-underdog-good-guy character that Christopher Moore does so differently but also so well (and in a much happier way, no?).

Yeah, sure, it's somewhat similar to, say, the very beginning of A Dirty Job, but I got over that a lot faster, whereas in Gaiman's book I was pretty depressed all the way up until the last 2-3 pages...

I've heard plenty of mixed reactions to Anansi Boys, so I don't think you're alone in your reaction to it. I haven't picked it up yet because I have a hard time going into a novel if I know in advance that it's going to be very down & depressing, even if the writing is impeccable. Maybe someday...

If unfaithful relationships get you down, I'd honestly recommend just giving it a miss. It's a real downer, if that kind of thing gets to you. American Gods is wonderful, though! :)

>68 Ape: Stephen, why haven't you read Neverwhere? Why?

>73 MickyFine: Because he's contrary.

>73 MickyFine:, 74 And has a sense of self-preservation.

Micky: Because my library doesn't have a copy. They have the movie, though...but you know how I feel about those.

Nora: Am not!!!

Richard: And here I thought I had a morbid fixation on my own demise.

>76 Ape: No, no, no. DO NOT - I repeat - DO NOT watch that film. It's a product of the poor age of BBC and did not have the budget it deserves.

Yeah, ummm, I kinda was already planning not to regardless. :P

#67: Was that an offer for a free nipple and bellybutton piercing?

#68: Sorry to hear about Anansi Boys. I might still give it a go, but maybe not super soon. Thanks for the review! :) (I still love the cover for it.)

#73: What she said!

#77: I agree. I've seen it. I didn't hate it, but well, it definitely needed some extra financing.

I must have been caffeine-buzzed earlier. Eeek! *Puts shirt back on. Then puts 2 more on* What was I think, being shirtless in public. *Shudders*

I understand how you feel about Anansi Boys, I thought it was strange the main character didn't get more angry at the brother for stealing his girlfriend. Definitely an underdog tale.

Yes, and the whole 'waking up with a naked lady in bed,' though it sounds nice to me personally, was equally upsetting, considering I though he and Rosie were so cute in the opening chapter. =/

#80: Aw. :( ::puts away her dull needles:: No more caffeine for you, I guess.

Awww, I'm offended! You were supposed to have a strong urge to slip caffeine into my drink like a date rape drug to get me naked. I see how it is. :P

But then it wouldn't have been a surprise. You're supposed to be all shocked and feeling dirty afterwards. It doesn't work if you tell me how to take advantage of you. :P

Totally. Stephen, it's like you have no idea how to be unexpectedly drugged into doing things...

BOO!

Sara: Alright, so I won't tell you that I can totally be bought with baked goods and candy.

Laura: Yes, well, I'm a virgin for that very reason, I suppose. :P

Jaydit: Ahhhhh! Please don't hurt me.

Nora and Micky (and others) should be proud of me. I checked out the Oryx and Crake novel with all the naked lady-breasts all over it. Yep! Unfortunately the pretty close-to-my-age girl was at the checkout desk, but I managed to only be a little bit humiliated. Also, because of aforementioned pretty close-to-my-age librarian, it slipped my mind to ask for a job application.

Well, I got the book at least. :P

Huh. I'll be *very* interested to see what you think of that one, in light of some of the things that trouble you in books... Not that I want to put you off of it or anything - I loved it - but, well, yeah, there's some, uh, stuff in there that may, well, yeah.

*Sits back with popcorn and waits*

Oh no! :(

It's pretty much expected with her though. *Sigh*

>89 Ape: I am very proud of you, Stephen.

*Blushes*

>90 scaifea:, I think I know what you are talking about! I'm interested to know what he thinks, too.

>94 leperdbunny:: Want some popcorn while we wait?

I'm reconsidering whether I wan to read it or not, so don't wait too hard.

Oh, I'm sorry - no, really - read it! It's very good and you can work through the difficult bits.

Ummmmmmmmmmm...I'll think about it.

I just need to get laid and none of this will be an issue. :P

It's not a bad issue to have. I think it's wonderful that you're sensitive to these things - it means you're a caring person. I'm in fact quite ashamed of myself for even suggesting that you not read something - on this site of all places!. It's against all my better judgements and beliefs about such things. So please do forgive me and my moment of idiocy.

Ah, but you didn't suggest that I didn't read it. You merely pointed out that it has a lot of things in it that tend to upset me. I hardly see that as a bad thing, so there is nothing to forgive. :)

*Hugs*

#89 Someone like me would have inquired about the job application even if I didn't want a job there, with a pretty close-to-my-age librarian...over a cuppa coffee perhaps...

Yes, most people would have...

Thanks, Stephen. I'm still mad at myself for being even remotely discouraging when it comes to a book and someone reading it. Shame on me. SHAME ON ME.

As I said, you did nothing to discourage me. However, if you INSIST on being guilty, then I have no choice but to punish you. Since your crime is (allegedly) discouraging someone to read a book, a heinous crime indeed, I have come to the conclusion that this is the most suitable punishment for you.

I like flavored popcorn. . chocolate and cheddar. . .mmmm :P

I'm assuming you mean chocolate popcorn and cheddar popcorn, and not chocolate+cheddar popcorn...

What does it mean that I can't see the photo...?

Well, image search engines no longer work on dial-up, so I have a hard time looking at and linking to pictures on the internet now (yes, it's getting that bad.) So it's probably my fault. It should be working now (or a minute or 2 after I post this, I'll upload here on LT)

>106 Ape:, Actually my movie theater has both. A Chocolate/Cheddar combo they call "Chicago" popcorn as well as chocolate as well as cheddar. Mind blown? You're welcome. :P

#88: (checks kitchen) Um...even vegan baked goods and candy?? How about a nice apple? :P

#89: I'll assume I'm "and others." ;) The cover is a bit freaky. Too bad you didn't get the one with the naked man-breasts on it, too. Or, better yet, the cover with half a dozen or so naked peeps on it. Btw, did you make sure to fondle it when the "close-to-my-age librarian" checked it out for you? ;) Kidding. Have fun reading it! :)

...wait...did I miss something? Why isn't Stephen reading the book? (taps foot)

Oho! I'll just not mention that Snape putting his hands on me is not punishment of any kind...

Tam: Hmmmm...chocolate and cheddar together...doesn't sound appealing at all! Have you tried it?

Sara: Actually, I rather enjoy crispy baked veggies with salt, so vegan baked goods are acceptable. As for the book, Amber is trying to forcibly make me read a book with tons of smutty sex in it. She knows I'm morbidly depressed by smutty sex! Shame on her, for making me read books I don't want to!
(Okay! Actually, she's upset that she mentioned sex and it may have turned me off from the book. Same thing, kind of.)

Amber: Haha! Oh dear...

>111 scaifea:: Oh, good grief... you're not one of those people, are you? Let me guess... you also are somewhat in love with Loki? *sigh* ...so many of my friends have fallen in this way... I just don't understand!!! (LOL)

Edited to add: Okay, okay... so maybe I understand the Loki thing, a little bit. The character is brilliantly portrayed, and Hiddleston is oddly attractive. But Snape?! I will never understaaaaand!!!

Hey hey hey, dark and brooding types need love too, y'know.

Faith: I don't know who Hiddleston is and while I'm fond of the Norse god, I'm a smart enough girl not to want entanglement with him. As for Snape, I really mean Alan Rickman here, although I don't really understand what's wrong with Snape himself, either. He's very misunderstood, and I even quite understand his hatred of Harry.

As the largest number of librarians congregate here, seemed the logical place to put it.

Amber: I agree completely! Snape made a great antagonist throughout the books, but, well, yeah, I'm very sympathetic towards him.

Richard: Wait, more librarians here? Are you sure? I'm either very exciting or incredibly terrified. Hmmmm...

#113 Loki isn't so great, it is just that he shines in contrast to Thor. The movie portrayal of Thor sucks, he comes across a big dufus, exactly what Loki claims he is. Anyone who saw Avengers would agree, Thor was more useless than even Captain America!

>113 dk_phoenix: Ok, Hiddleston is not near the tip-top of my celeb crush list but have you seen that man with his natural (curly - gotta give props to my peeps) hair? Very cute. Plus, he is charm personified. He brought a reporter a thermos of soup at a premier because they tweeted him and asked for it.

As for Snape, I don't love him. But Colonel Brandon on the other hand... ;)

Also, hi Stephen! *waves*

Boo!

Ah, Snape . . . *sigh*

Piyush: But...isn't that normal? I mean, what is a super hero but a big dufus with super powers and horrible fashion sense.

Micky: A celebrity who would do that for a reporter is either incredibly sincere or nuts. I, personally, would be trying to run them down with an unmarked van. ;)

Jaydit: *Pokes*

Foggi: You, too?? I must admit I am slightly encouraged by your (and Amber's) reaction to him. Perhaps I should start painting my nails black and snorting derisively at everyone.

Ooooh, i felt that poke! Nice....

o.O

Y'know, considering how bad my eyes are getting, I've been kind of expecting something like this to happen sooner or later. I do apologize, maddam! :P

>112 Ape: Yes, if you like sweet and salty together, then you would like it. :)

Mmmmmm, I'm not sold on the chocolate and cheese combination. I'll take chocolate-covered pretzels instead! :)

>126 Ape: Mmmmm, commence Homer Simpson drool.

No drooling on my books! It's bad enough already, Shyanne likes to lick them...

>115 scaifea:: Oh, I don't disagree that he is misunderstood! I love the character and sympathize with him. There are just... people I know who are, shall we say, very enamoured with Snape... *cough*slash fiction*cough*. To each their own...? o_O LOL

>119 MickyFine:: You're right, of course. Everything I've heard or seen about Hiddleston suggests he's a wonderful human being, which is extremely heartwarming in this day and age...! (and yeah, he's pretty darn cute too) :)

I haven't actually read 50 Shades of Grey...but is an attraction to Snape really such a stretch of the imagination?

>129 dk_phoenix:: Oh, well then, that's so much better. Thanks so much for lumping me in with those Martians...

#129 -- Nooo! No slash! *covers eyes*

#130 -- You're not making any friends here.

Haha, I didn't mean to draw a direct comparison, I was merely trying to say that everyone has their own flavor. Not that I won't be all pessimistic and think no one could ever like a guy like me anyway, of course. It's what I do!

>131 scaifea:: ;)

I don't know how many times I've had to discourage book licking :P

Tam: I swear I won't do it again!

... *Licks Tam's books*

51. Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton



Pages: 312
Rating: 3/5

Historical Fiction: 17th Century Pirates
Owned

Oh, how I hate pirates! I hate them nearly as much as I hate ninjas! Why, you ask? Well, because everyone else likes them, that's why. HOWEVER, real pirates are fascinating. Not the silly kind with peg legs, dumb clothes, parrots and ridiculous intonations like "Arrrrrgh, matey." The kind that were hired as privateers, went rogue, raided trade ships and lived like kings for a short while...then died of scurvy.

In this particular fiction (Quiet, you! They're real pirates, I swear!) Captain Hunter is commissioned by the governor of Port Royal to attack a small fort that is rumored to be holding a fortune. The fort is though to be impenetrable, however, and it is guarded by a soldier known for his ruthlessness. It is up to Hunter to use his instincts and cunning to sack the fort, claim the treasure, and sail his way safely home with it. As you might imagine, however, things don't go as smoothly as he would like.

It's a pretty standard pirate adventure story, but done in a way that doesn't annoy me like most pirate stories. At first it seemed quite a bit different than the average Crichton novel, but I don't really think it's as far-fetched as it might seem at first. Crichton wrote a number of novels that fit into the adventure genre, such as Jurassic Park and Congo, and though this lacks the science fiction aspect that typically quantifies his novels, it's not such a stretch of the imagination that he may have written something like this.

The book does, as one might expect, feel a bit incomplete. Pirate Latitudes was published posthumously from a manuscript, and though the story is complete many parts of them feel rushed and lacking in detail. I can see why the book hadn't been published, it definitely needed a bit more fleshing out and refining. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed reading it, and was happily NOT annoyed by it, so hurray for that.

I swear Stephen and Java, leaving lick and nose prints all over the place. LOL Does Shyanne lick your library books too?

Yes. In fact, she primarily licks only library books. She doesn't outright lick them though. She sticks her tongue to the covers once, leaves a single little wet dot, and then stops. She cannot resist, and does it EVERY time.

Does anyone know what's happened to/with Stephen??

>139 Ape: That's what Java does. lol

>140 Jaydit666: Not sure what you mean? Anything I can help with, message me or post on here?

He's around on other threads. He just hasn't visited his own, apparently. :)

*shakes bag of Stephen treats*

I've sent him emails...maybe he's just hiding..

Haha, sorry, I've been around, just not on this particular thread.

I'm reading a book with breasts all over it and I'm playing the LEGO Harry Potter games. Both pretty great things, if you ask me. :P

Ooh, Charlie and Tomm play the Harry Potter Lego games together - Charlie loves them.

Yeah, I bet they would be great to play with a young one. :)

Charlie's really good at them, too. It's both funny and a little scary.

Yeah, that is not the cover I had on my edition of Oryx and Crake! LOL. Hi. : )

>144 Ape: Ooh, yay for Lego Harry Potter! Lego games are the only ones I'm capable of playing. I have almost all of them for my Xbox 360 except the new Marvel superheroes one that I am seriously coveting.

Tomm and Charlie really like the Lord of the Rings Lego game, too, which Charlie calls "Mordor the Ring" - Ha!

Glad to see you passed 50 on the book front.

I love the lego games I have the Harry Potters on tbe Wii and on my DS. And all the star wars ones and batman on my DS. Lego is cool and always will be cool! Though it took a very long time to construct that darn lego Death Star.

Kim: Yeah...it would have been nice if my library would have had a copy with a different cover image. *Blushes*

Micky: Yeah, they are great, aren't they? I've only played this and the Lord of the Rings one, but they are super cute and funny, and a breeze to play. My sister mentioned wanting to buy the Marvel one on the PS4, so I'll probably get to borrow and play that one eventually. :)

Amber: Adorable!

Byrony: Haha! I actually have 100 percent (and the platinum trophy) on the Lord of the Rings version, and will probably do the same with the Harry Potter games if they don't glitch on me.

Just a random hello from me :)

Hi there, Megan! *Waves*

Hi Stephen! Those lego video games look so fun!

They are pretty cute, Tam. It's a nice departure from the bloody decapitation-fests I usually play. :P

Okay, so I'm really enjoying LEGO Harry Potter, but does anyone else think that Hagrid's wand/umbrella is very...ummmm...suggestive?

I know I'm prone to making pervy jokes, but this can't just be me! I mean, when I first saw it...well, *ahem* Let's just say I thought it was something else entirely...

Haha... I haven't loaded them up yet, but I bought all the LEGO HP games on Steam during last year's Steam sale... so now I suspect I'll have a hard time seeing anything but, uh...er... well, you know, now that you've mentioned it. o_O

Haha, sorry. :P

*snork!*

>157 Ape: Sorry dude. It's always looked like an umbrella to me.

Well, I took a picture with my camera. Taking a picture of an image on a TV screen, but you can see it clearly enough. Yeah...ummmm...this is not an umbrella...

It looks like a Lego.

Agreed! A terribly suggestive one...

An article on Mary Roach for her biggest boyfan.

>164 Ape: ::eyeroll:: lol

>162 Ape:: "And if you ever saw it...you would even say it glows..."

Richard: *Squee* Ummm, but I can't load it of course. I can still squee anyway though, right?

Oh! Okay, it loaded. Hurray~

Tam: You can't deny the shape is...well... *Ahem*

Amber: HAHAHA! Yeah, that's mostly due to my camera, although it does have the power of levitation. :P

Yeah, Roach is squeee-worthy. Funny funny funny plus as smart as a whole room of Apple users.

To be fair, most people are smarter than a whole room of Apple users. ;)

52. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood



Pages: 376
Rating: 5/5

Science Fiction: Dystopian Literature
Library checkout



I love this book!

As much as I would love to leave my review at that, I should probably elaborate. I really love this book!! Margaret Atwood has built an absolutely amazing and thought-provoking post-apocalyptic dystopia that is both intriguing and incredibly unique. I won't even go into why or how, for fear of spoiling even the remotest detail, but I will strongly encourage anyone who hasn't read this yet to do so immediately! Assuming you like dystopian literature, that is.

To think that I put off reading this novel for so long, because the only copy my local library carried had a cover that I was too embarrassed and insecure to take to the checkout counter. I'm glad I finally got my hands on it, because it is one of the best books I've read this year. The other, interestingly enough, would probably be The Handmaid's Tale. I obviously have a high opinion of this woman's work, and will undoubtedly continue to investigate your bibliography in the future.

Yay!! I'm so happy that you liked it! Now, The Year of the Flood?

YESSSSSS!! :)

Not only am I starting The Year of the Flood next, but I just looked up MaddAddam and my library actually has a copy! And it's in! I'm seriously considering jumping in my car in a few hours and going right in there to pick it up! However, it might be one of their 7-day checkout books, so I may talk myself out of this...maybe...

Oooh, that's awesome! I'm glad they have MaddAddam! I haven't read that one yet - I listened to the other two, so I'm sort of waiting to see if my library gets the audiobook...

>171 Ape: Happy you enjoyed yet another book by my homegirl. ;)

*blink*

...Stephen the Atwoodian...

*blink*

Amber: Yeah, I'm totally shocked that they actually have a complete series for once!

Micky: She's an amazing author! Maybe I didn't like The Tent and The Penelopiad, but the other 2 books by her that I've read were astounding. The start of The Year of the Flood is pertty amazing too, although I haven't read that much doing to being in a bit of a mood funk over the past few days.

Richard: Oh c'mon, she writes apocalypse novels with lots of sleazy sex references, did you really think I wouldn't like her?

I definitely need to read Atwood's dystopias sooner rather than later.

Hvae you read any of her books? I actually tried her for the first time earlier this year, because last year my SantaThing Santa gave me The Handmaid's Tale. :)

Nope, I haven't read any of them somehow. But I've seen her speak on a couple of occasions, and got my copy of The Handmaid's Tale autographed, so I'm all set to become a fan.... heh.

You won't have to try very hard, I suspect!

YAY! I will be reading Year of the Flood soon, too. Glad you liked Oryx and Crake.

I hope you're right! I'm planning to start with The Handmaid's Tale for Atwood in April.

Tam: Yeah, I saw you mentioned it on your thread. Unfortunately it has a new set of characters, but I'm still liking it quite a bit.

Zoe: Awesome, I'm looking forward to hearing your thought.

I'll be reading Cat's Eye sometime next year as part of a new monthly challenge I'll be setting for myself, and as much as I'm liking her books I'm guessing it'll probably be sometime in January. :)

Stopping by for a long overdue visit and discover the 'thumbs up' for Oryx and Crake. Darn it all, does this mean I should stop ignoring my fellow Canadian's writing and actually read it? *wanders away pondering this interesting dilemma*

Yes, yes you should. :)

I avoided Atwood for years, Lori, based purely on her reputation as a scary intellectual snob. And then I had to read Alias Grace for a required Canadian Literature course during my English degree and fell in love with it.

Today was a pretty terrible day, and I'm totally stressed out. I haven't read a whole lot in 2 days, and I have to deal with people coming to my house tomorrow to look at a busted faucet that I failed to fix myself. I'm panicking and physically ill over it, which in turn is crushing my self conscious, because who the hell gets THIS stressed out over something so minor? *Sigh*

On the bright side, after all this I got a nice stack of books in the mail, and I got 100 percent completion and the platinum trophy for LEGO Harry Potter 1-4 without it glitching on me, so that was nice.

*big hugs* It'll be ok, Stephen.

You'll be okay, Stephen....just let the people in, and go off somewhere else while they do the work...go read a book.....:-)

Busted faucet obviously needs fixing so the long term gain exceeds any short term stress/aggravation... take the advice ^ and settle in a cosy corner with a book while they work whatever magic they do with plumbing, because quite frankly, it's all a mystery to me!

Micky: Thanks! *Hugs back*

Death: Yeah, I know, letting people into my house is a pretty huge anxiety for me. Remember, I won't even let 75ers from different contries know my address. I'm sure I'll be fine though, I'll just be anxious and panicky all day is all.

Lori: Yeah, my water is turned off right now and I tried to replace it myself. It's really not complicated at all. Water lines go up into the faucet and come out of the neck, very simple, however for whatever reason the thing WOULD NOT seal. It might actually just be an ill-fitting faucet line or something, I don't know, but regardless I need to call someone else to take care of it.

*waving* at Stephen

I don't like having repair people in my house, either. I never know what to do with myself. I like the idea of just letting them in and them going off to read somewhere... Good luck! *hugs*

Just wanted to say *hugs*, I am the same way. Just have to mentally tell yourself "hey, they are here to do a job and if they judge me based on the state of my house, they don't deserve my money or respect". That makes me feel better and calms me a lot.

Well, I survied. There was no way I could have read while experiencing that level of anxiety, but it's over now, everything is fixed, and I finally read more than 20 pages in a single day.

Oh, and I started LEGO Harry Potter 5-7, which I'm liking quite a bit.

Happy Solstice, Aperino. The worst is behind you! Make 2014 a Level 30 experience.

Good to hear that it's over - and fixed!

Richard: Thank you, sir!

Amber: Yep, now I want to curl up in a ball and not move for a couple days. Am I allowed? *Nods*

Awww *hugs*

Glad the worst is over, my adorable ball of neuroses. ;)

Tam: You sure know how to make a guy feel better! :)

Micky: Me too! Now I can go back to playing LEGO Harry Potter and obsessivley hitting every single thing on screen...twice. The 2nd game is way worse than the first because so many things can be hit multiple times, or destroyed, rebuilt, and destroyed again... *Twitch*

Y'know, the rational part of my brain says it's really not necessary, because eventually I'll pick up a few multipliers and have bazillions of studs anyway...but...but...but I HAVE to hit everything! :P

>202 Ape: Ah the destructive joy of Lego video games.

Eeeeeeeverythinggg!!!

Speaking of destructive joy, playing as Voldemort was way less fun than playing as Sauron. That probably speaks to my emotional investment in the Harry Potter series. It could never be fun playing as Voldemort!! Although I did have fun replaying the game with Lucius Malfoy, going about doing nice things for people and being a good samaritan. I also felt less bad when I accidentally fell off cliffs and whatnot. :P

Now I want that game just so I can play as good Samaritan Malfoy!

You could do it with Voldemort too, but you have to play the game twice and find every collectable item in the game to unlock him. :)

From a frequent visitor but infrequent poster, have a great Christmas Stephen.

Thanks, Paul!

From an infrequent visitor and an even more infrequent poster, wish you a Merry Christmas, Stephen.

Thought I'd drop by and wish you the best for the festive season and for 2014, Stephen!

Happy (almost) Christmas.

Thanks everyone, Merry Christmas! :)

Happy Christmas, Steven - I hope you have lots of delicious pie!

Merry Christmas! I hope you are doing well. :)

Thanks! I have tons and tons and tons of junk food right now. I'm going to get SO MUCH fatter.

(And yes, that includes pie.)

Hope you have a wonderful Christmas!!

Pie isn't junk food! It can't be - there's fruit in them!

My mom is making a raisin pie for me for when we get there in a couple of days - I'm so excited!

Thanks Chelle!

Amber: What if it's chocolate pie? Or...Oreo cookies and cream pie? :P

Uh, well, hmm. Yeah, I've got nothin'. Oh wait - I usually add a layer of sliced bananas to my chocolate pie, so there!

Plus the dairy--the dairy has to be good for your bones & teeth, right?

Merry Christmas!

That's right, Terri! Seriously, a slice of pie - any kind - is a healthy meal all by itself (if it's a big enough slice, that is).

*Head smack*

Merry Christmas Ape-man, and happy holidays :)

Thanks, Piyush! Hope your holiday is a happy one as well.

I'm so excited about pie today!

I'm assuming that's a oh-of-course-why-didn't-it-think-of-that head smack...

Tam: You can have some of mine! I have way too much.

Amber: Riiiiight. No. :P

Merry Christmas Stephen!

Thanks Leah!

Sooooo much junk food. Soooo much. *Blurgh* Ooooh, TOO much junk food, perhaps... nah, not likely. *Stuffs mouth with more Spice Drops* Yum! :)

In my family we do a variation on the German boot full of chocolate and do a Christmas plate. Big plate full of different chocolates and cookies (and an orange). So I should be able to coast on a sugar high from now until New Year's Eve. ;) Nevermind all the Christmas cookies I have from doing a cookie swap.

I'm with you there! My mom always gives my sister and I those Christmas gift bags brimming with candy, and then there are all the baked goods. *drools*

You're actually making me reconsider giving another go to Oryx and Crake.....

Happy Belated Christmas, Stephen, and best wishes to you in 2014!

Stephen, I would be completely remiss if I didn't stop by your thread during this holiday season to say that I hope your Christmas was an enjoyable one and to wish you all the best in 2014! Your thread is never boring and when it doesn't shock me, it amuses me and brings a smile to my work-weary mind. I thank you and all the wonderful visitors to your thread for the entertainment I have had this past year stopping by your thread. ;-)

*waves* Hope you had a Merry Christmas, Stephen! Hope you were able to eat lots and read even more. :D

Hope you don't have a bellyache from all the Goodies.....and, yes, i'm looking forward to 2014...

Ellen: Thanks! You didn't like Oryx and Crake? But how?! It has an apocalypse AND lots of sex. It's like the best of both worlds. ;)

Lori: Aww, thanks. *Blush* I hope I continue to shock and amuse, haha.

Faith: Hi! Unfortunately Minecraft has been released for the PS3...so...ummmm...reading...what's that again? :P

Jude: Nothing cures a bellyache like more junk food. Hey, it works for hangovers, right?

Actually.....Spicy Food works best, for hangovers..:P

Terrific! I have Spice Drops candy. :P

*SNORK!*

I finally had a slice of pie!

It makes me happy to know you are making such healthy choices! ;)

I had frozen waffles and approximately 10 pounds of M&Ms today.

I had raisin pie for last night's dessert and lemon cheesecake for breakfast this morning. Yum!

I've never had raisin pie, but I'll try any pie once.

In case anyone is wondering, I have not created a 2014 thread yet. I'm really trying to finish The Year of the Flood first, and I have my year-end stats to post as well. I should have everything set up sometime on Monday or Tuesday...maybe.

Yeah, I'm really cutting it close.

You can do it Stephen!

Thanks! It's hard to motivate myself because 1 extra book this year doesn't really change anything, and I'm currently super-addicted to a video game that has been sucking 4-5+ hours out of my day for the past few days, and that probably isn't going to change any time soon. :P

I don't have an video game distracting me - although I do have other distractions right now - and I am still trying to finish one book and read one more for my 2013 ROOT challenge before midnight Tuesday, so I understand the pressure to try and close out a challenge. ;-)

>242 scaifea: Is raisin pie like butter tarts, Amber?

>243 Ape: I'm stubborn and not creating a new thread in the 2014 group until Wednesday. :P

Mickey: No idea, as I've never heard of butter tarts. Raisin pie is essentially like a fruit pie, but with, uh, raisins. It's very tart in taste, and it's second only to blueberry pie in my book.

Oooohhhhh..... Butter Tarts! YUM!!!!! I prefer mine without the raisins.

^ Agreed!!! Raisins are eeeevil... butter tarts without raisins are heavenly.

>248 scaifea: I think butter tarts might be a Canadian thing? But glad you enjoyed your raisin pie.

>249 lkernagh:/250 I only like raisins baked in things (raisin bread, butter tarts) or covered in chocolate. Otherwise, I'll skip them. I made butter tarts for myself earlier in December (with raisins) and they were SO delicious. Of course, anything that's mostly sugar and butter can't help being delicous. :P

Hi Stephen-
Missed Xmas and getting in in time for New Years!

Raisins I can do without generally. Maybe in an oaty cookie...just maybe. Have a great New Years!!

Micky: Funny, I'm the opposite. I can eat raisins by the handful but tend to be disappointed when I find them in baked goods. It's the same way with nuts. They're awesome, just leave them out of the brownies please. :P

Hi Megan!

I finished The Year of the Flood, I have my stats 90 percent finished, and I have the book title meme filled out. All of this will be posted...soon! And then I'll be moving on to the 2014 group. :)

53. The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood



Pages: 434
Rating: 4/5

Fiction: Apocalypse Lit
Library check-out

The 2nd book in Margaret Atwood is told from the perspective of two Gardeners, a fringe group of extreme environmentalists that made a minor appearance in the first novel. Both aren't exactly there voluntarily, Ren is just a girl following her mother, who in turn is blindly following the man she is with; and Toby is just looking to escape an abusive brute of a man who has put her through absolute, unthinkable hell for the duration of their "relationship." They live fairly different lives, and though neither can possibly imagine what is to come, their experience with the Gardeners will be a huge aid once the horrible events of the first book begin to take shape.

I admittedly was a little upset upon starting The Year of the Flood. After the cliffhanger ending of Oryx and Crake, how could you possibly switch characters? Ugh! Fortunately I quickly grew to like Toby and Ren and their stories interested me enough to forget Snowman and his unresolved peril, and I was comforted by the fact that Snowman is in the 3rd book, so I could let that thread lie awhile and just enjoy the tale at hand. Which I did with much enthusiasm!

The Year of the Flood is another remarkable book by Atwood, being both readable and astoundingly intelligent. She has a way of discussing weighty topics casually, and I she does a great job of making you feel like you simply must read just 1 more chapter without using a flat, superficially-exciting plot to do it. I'm intirgued by it all, and I can't wait to read the conclusion to the trilogy.

December Summary:

Books: 4
Pages: 1458

Fiction: 4
Nonfiction: 0

Owned: 1
Library checkout: 3

I'm so glad you liked Year of the Flood! And I suspect that you'd like raisin pie, as it's pretty much just raisins in a pie crust. Yum.

>253 Ape: I'm with you on the nuts and brownies issue: never the twain shall meet. ;)

>254 Ape: Glad you're enjoying Margaret Atwood so much.

Amber: Maaaybe. Hmm. As much as I like raisins, there more of a 'poppable' kind of food. I want to take 1-3 of them at a time a pop them into my mouth. Not sure about eating them by the fork full...but like I said, I'll try any pie once! :D

Micky: So far, she has a 4-star average rating in my library, so that's pretty impressive. Also, I read 5 of her books this year, and I rarely read so much by a single author. In fact, I'm probably going to add her to my favorite authors list now. :)

Okay, I signed online just to post these, so here you go. My year-end stats. I haven't proof-read them, or double-checked them, but I wanted to get them posted before moving on. I'll probably go over it again later tonight and make sure there aren't any dumb math mistakes...which I'm sure there are.

~~2013 Reading Stats~~
Books read: 53
Pages read: 17,643

Average book size: 333 pages

I averaged:
48 pages per day
338 pages per week
1,470 pages per month

On average, I finished a book every: 6.8 days

~~Fiction/Nonfiction~~
Fiction books read: 40
Nonfiction books read: 13

Fiction - average rating: 3.45
Nonfiction - average rating: 3.50

~~Gender~~
Books by male authors: 41
Books by female authors: 12

Male authors - average rating: 3.4
Female authors - average rating: 4.1

~~Owned vs. Public library~~
Owned books read: 30
Library checkouts: 23

(May add average ratings later tonight)

~~Genres~~

Total books read:
Science Fiction: 12
Horror: 9
Dystopia: 8
Fantasy: 5
Thriller: 4
Mystery: 4

Average ratings:
Dystopia: 4.00
Fantasy: 3.80
Science Fiction: 3.50
Horror: 3.22
Thriller: 3.00
Mystery: 2.75

~~Early Reviewers~~
Books read/won: 6
Average rating: 3.17

~~Summary~~
Though I read less books and less pages overall than I have in several years, I read consistently larger books, and am happy I didn't concede to the temptation of reading a bunch of small books to fill out the challenge. In fact, despite the terrible numbers, I think I was more satisfied with what I read this year than the past couple, so I'm pretty happy.

There are some interesting things going on here. Shockingly, I read more of my own books for the first time ever! Also, the ladies realy rocked it this year. Even though I only read a dozen books by female authors, they have a ridiculously high average rating, and 5 out of the 6 books I gave 5-star ratings too were written by women. It should also be noted that not a single 2-star book was written by a woman, so not only did they write the best books of the year for me but they also didn't write any of the worst.

Books by rating:

5 stars:
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Among Others by Jo Walton
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

4 stars:
Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond
Smoking Ears and Screaming Teeth by Trevor Norton
Never Let Me God by Kazuo Ishiguro
Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
Being Written by William Conescu
The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stuart
Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
Notes for a War Story by Gipi
On the Beach by Nevile Shute
On Desire by William Braxton Irvine
Odds Against Tomorrow by Nathaniel Rich
The Lizard King by Bryan Christy
America the Edible by Adam Richman
'Salem's Lot by Stephen King
Those Across the River by Chistopher Buehlman
Infected by Scott Sigler
Gulp by Mary Roach

3 stars:
The Second Opinion by Michael Palmer
Plague by Harold Bernard
Psychlone by Greg Bear
Seventh Son by Orson Scott Card
The Best of the Rejection Collection by Matt Diffee
The Lost World by Michael Crichton
The Black Country by Alex Grecian
Sciencia by Burkard Polster
Congo by Michael Crichton
The Winter Road by Terry Hockenson
Things I Learned About My Dad by Heather Armstrong
Tithe by Holly Black
Next by Michael Crichton
The Tent by Margaret Atwood
Harm by Bryan Wilson Aldiss
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
Escape from Communist Heaven by Dennis Dunivan
I'm Not Scared by Niccolo Ammaniti
The White Devil by Justin Evans
Blood Crazy by Simon Clark
Ingenious by Jason Fagone
Contagious by Scott Sigler
Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton

2 Stars:
The Four Fingers of Death by Rick Moody
Ancient Greece by Paul Cartledge
The Isle of Stone by Nicholas Nicastro
The Ascending by T. M. Wright
Halloweenland by Al Sarrantonio

My increasingly dismal year-by-year comparison. *Sigh*

Books read:
2009: 81
2010: 87
2011: 81
2012: 75
2013: 53

Pages read:
2009: 24,492
2010: 25,958
2011: 19,935
2012: 19,168
2013: 17,643

Average book size:
2009: 302 pages
2010: 298 pages
2011: 246 pages
2012: 255 pages
2013: 333 pages

Average pages read per day:
2009: 67
2010: 71
2011: 54
2012: 52
2013: 48

TOP 5 BOOKS OF 2013!!

1. Among Others by Jo Walton


2. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood


3. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood


4. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller


5. American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Stephen likes books by laaaaaaadieeeeeees Stephen likes books by laaaaaaaadieeeeeeeees

Haha, actually, I think books by women generally tend to have an average rating much higher than male authors, so you are absolutely right. :)

Since I wholeheartedly agree with you on the three of your top five that I've read, I clearly need to read Among Others and Song of Achilles.

Pretty, pretty stats. And yay for the ladies coming out so well this year. :)

Wonderful stats, Stephen. Even if your reading has been slowing down, that is a nice bunch of reading!

Woohoo, Stephen! Good bit of reading you have there.

Amber: Yesssss!!

Micky: Aren't they? Half the fun of reading all year is figuing up all the statistics at the end. :P

Lori: Thanks! And yeah, I agree, there are plenty of great books in there, so I shouldn't complain (too much). :P

And now, for the book title meme! As soon as I fix all the touchstones.

How the meme works: Simple! Just fill in the answers with books you read this year! Sometimes you have to stretch the meaning of the question a bit to if you don't have a perfect fit, but hey, it's still fun! :)

Describe yourself: The Lost World

Describe how you feel: I'm not Scared (I'm not...I swear...well, okay, maybe a little... *gulp*)

Describe where you currently live: The Isle of Stone (with stone age technology)

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Halloweenland

Your favorite form of transportation: The Winter Road...so long as I'm not the one driving.

Your best friend is: Among Others

You and your friends are: The Best of the Rejection Collection

What’s the weather like: Psychlone

You fear: Guns, Germs, and Steel

What is the best advice you have to give: Never Let Me Go

Thought for the day: Notes for a War Story

How I would like to die: Smoking Ears and Screaming Teeth

My soul’s present condition: The White Devil :P

Great answers! I will have to fill in that meme soon. If I finish my Calvin & Hobbes series reread, there are some really interesting titles I could use as answers . . .

Haha! Well, I'll definitely be looking forward to that. :)

Great meme - and answers! - as always and stealing it once again!

Thanks, Lori!

Kickin stats and meme. I'm excited to do the latter sometime tomorrow but also completely freaked out that it's actually that time of year already.

Thanks, Leah! Yeah, it's rather alarming, but I'm looking forward to the clean slate of a new year.

Excellent answers for the meme this year, Stephen! I finished my last book of the year last night so stats and the meme will be going up on my thread today. :)

If only you knew how excited I am, Micky! :)

My 2014 thread is up! You can find it HERE!!