Ape's 2015 Challenge (1)

Hello everyone! I am back for my 6th year in the challenge. I can't believe it has been so long, but my thread history doesn't lie. For those who don't know me, I'm a 26-year-old male book addict, one who is a terribly awkward social phobe who spends most of his life cowering with his head in the sand. I only come out of hiding for food and books.

In addition to books I am also a gamer and will track my video game completion statuses throughout the year as well.

Speaking of which, to any of my friends who may be finding this, I may be quiet at the beginning of the year because I recently bought a subscription to a game that will probably eat away at all my time for weeks/months/years. I'll try to remember to read a little. ;)



Currently Reading: Red Equinox
Currently Playing (Vita): Unit 13
Currently Playing (PS4): The Walking Dead: Season 2


Books:

Book read: 5
Pages read: 1,631

January:
1. Blood of the Tiger by Judy A. Miller
2. The Foreshadowing by Marcus Sedgwick
3. Frog by Mo Yan

February:
4. Embedded by Dan Abnett
5. Red Equinox by Douglas Wynne

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Video Games:

January:
1. Crysis 3
2. Little Deviants

February:
3. The Walking Dead: Season 1

And now, for last year's stats!

~~2014 Reading Stats~~
Books read: 54
Pages read: 16,073

Average book size: 297 pages

I averaged:
44 pages per day
308 pages per week
1,339 pages per month

On average, I finished a book every: 6.75 days

~~Fiction/Nonfiction~~
Fiction books read: 43
Nonfiction books read: 11

Fiction - average rating: 3.49
Nonfiction - average rating: 3.54

~~Gender~~
Books by male authors: 40
Books by female authors: 13

Male authors - average rating: 3.40
Female authors - average rating: 3.77

~~Owned vs. Public library~~
Owned books read: 22
Library books read: 31

~~Genres~~

Number read:
Science Fiction: 11
Historical Fiction: 7
Horror: 7
Graphic Novel: 6
Humor: 6
Fantasy: 5

Average ratings:
Fantasy: 4.17
Graphic Novel: 4.00
Science Fiction: 3.45
Historical Fiction: 3.43
Humor: 3.33
Horror: 2.86

~~Early Reviewers~~
Books read/won: 6
Average rating: 3.50

~~Summary~~

Last year was a pretty dismal year on the reading front. It was the least amount of books I had ever read in a year since joining the challenge, with just 53 books! I told myself that, without dispute, I would read more books this year! Well...I did...by a single book. *Head smack* Oh well, technically I did read more books...although I read EVEN FEWER pages overall, by well over 1,000. *Sigh*

I did discover one of my favorite books of all time this year, however, Read Player One, so it wasn't a complete loss. :)

Oh, and once again I read a lot fewer books by women than I did by men, but the books by women had a MUCH higher average rating. When am I ever going to learn?

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

Books read:
2009: 81
2010: 87
2011: 81
2012: 75
2013: 53
2014: 54

Pages read:
2009: 24,492
2010: 25,958
2011: 19,935
2012: 19,168
2013: 17,643
2014: 16,073

Average book size:
2009: 302 pages
2010: 298 pages
2011: 246 pages
2012: 255 pages
2013: 333 pages
2014: 297 pages

Average pages read per day:
2009: 67 pages
2010: 71 pages
2011: 54 pages
2012: 52 pages
2013: 48 pages
2014: 44 pages

The book quiz! If you haven't seen this, post it on your thread, filling in the answers with book titles you read in 2014.

And finally, the book quiz! Just fill in the answers with books you've read this year! :)

Describe yourself: Strong in the Rain

Describe how you feel: State of Wonder

Describe where you currently live: The Changeling Sea

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: The Island of Dr. Moreau...or...maybe that's not such a good idea.

Your favorite form of transportation: Saucer

Your best friend is: Death's Dominion (...what? Too morbid?)

You and your friends are: Crazy

What’s the weather like: The Deluge (not true, but it's the only thing that fits.)

You fear: Quesadillas. I don't trust them, with all their onions and evil intent. Keep your eyes open! o.o

What is the best advice you have to give: How to Survive a Robot Uprising. ...or a Quesadilla uprising, for that matter.

Thought for the day: As always, I have nothing that fits here.

How I would like to die: On Parole. Errr, no, wait, how about The Garlic Ballads? They could be in cahoots with the Quesadillas!!

My soul’s present condition: Sand and Fire

*Waves* star drop yay!

Welcome back!

Hi Stephen! Thanks for removing the traps. Now to figure out the safest place since the Canadian corner hasn't been set up yet..... Micky is so good at that sort of thing. ;-)

But I like booby traps. :P

I think I've found a solution for you, Stephen, re: reading and gaming at the same time--audiobooks! We may have talked about it before, but I don't remember. Old age, I tell ya! ;)

>8 saraslibrary: I tried that before.... I missed half the book and got killed by a dragon.... how do you prevent that? :)

>9 lovelyluck: Ha ha ha! No, not laughing at you, just the image that got stuck in my head. *ahem* Hmm, good point. Maybe prop the book up by the television so you can subconsciously read it without knowing it? Or play the audio book while you're asleep? Or have someone read to you while you're playing? Or better yet, not get killed by a dragon? :P *runs & hides*

Hey Ape. What game is it that has you so entranced?

*waves Hello. Starts setting up The Britsh corner* tea and cake anyone?

>10 saraslibrary: why didn't I think of that? Not getting killed by the dragon... those are words of wisdom right there :P - you don't have to hide though - Do not be fooled by my dragon fighting skills - i'm a little cuddly cat

>12 BBGirl55: If by tea you mean an energy drink, then sure! ;)

>13 lovelyluck: LOL! You're so welcome. I'm just so full of geniusiosity, aren't I? ;) Oh, I don't fear your dragon fighting skills, obviously, since you got killed by one. :P *runs & hides, because she knows how evil cats really are*

Hello and welcome Jen, Jim, Lori, Sara, Xymon, and Bryony!! :)

Xymon: Magic the Gathering Online. I played the game in middle/high school (2002-2006) and I played for a little while with a group of friends a year after I graduated, but being the awkward social phobe that I am, I have no friends anymore, hurray! ...right, so, on to the digital version. Oh, how much lower can I get? :P

Sara: Nooooo! Audio- and e-books are evil! Only lovely wonderful paper books for me. *Sniffs books* Ahh, heaven.

Oh, good, the quiz! I'll answer on my thread (link later).

Drop by sometime when my son, the quesadilla chef, is in town. Your fear will be over!

>15 Ape: I play magic the gathering on XBOX 360 :) it is very addicting... I never played before that but always wanted to... and yet I don't see myself going into the game shop with the young ones trying to learn to play... so when I saw I could download it on XBOX I did... so much fun!

Happy New Thread!

Margaret: HE'S ONE OF THEM!!!

Jen: It's a pretty fun game. Are you talking about Duels of the Planeswalkers or whatever? I haven't played it or looked into it, but do you know how large the card database is? I was under the assumption that you were forced to play with pre-made decks, which takes most of the fun out of it, but I'd consider playing that too if it let you build from scratch. :)

Then again, Magic the Gathering Online forces you to buy digital cards, at $4 for a pack of 14 cards. That's INSANE. I definitely will NOT be paying that. I think I've invested as much as I want to and I'll hope I can win cards through tournaments. I've participated in 1 already and got the 2nd tier prize, so that's not so bad!

Thanks, Misti! :)

You can buy packs, if you have unlocked cards you can choose to use those... I'm pretty sure you don't have to play with a pre-made deck...

I feel a little out of place going to the card shop and trying to play the game... 32 year old lady with no skills at all... teenagers and creepy old men playing... I walked out of there fast when I saw that... if I could find some ladies to teach me I might be a little more comfortable going in and kicking creepy old man butt

Plus my husband releases the Jelly Monster if I talk to any other dudes... anywhere... so that puts a tamper on tournament playing for me...

Oh I used to love Magic. I used to have a gigantic box of decks but then stopped and fell really behind. I used to play alot of differant card games sigh the good old days.

New Year, New Threads! Whoop! I can't wait to fail to read books with you this year Stephen. ;) Just kidding! We both got over 50 last year so this one should be okay. Even though you are going to sink into Magic: The Gathering and I am currently obsessed with... Epic Mickey, which I got for Christmas. Well manage somehow, right?

I'm here, I'm here. Canadian corner is festooned with streamers and plenty of glitter for the new year. Just mind Mo, he gets a bit crabby around midnight. :)

>15 Ape: But what if Mary Roach does the reading on one of her own audiobooks? Actually, I'm the same way with audiobooks. I liked them when I was younger and learning how to read, but now...no, the voice just doesn't sound the same as the ones in my head. Hmm, that didn't sound right. ;)

>23 MickyFine: Poor Mo. :( We could always put some earmuffs on him. Too much moose overkill?

These I found for Stephen. XD

I totally listen to audiobooks while I play games.

>24 saraslibrary: I think my husband should have earmuffs like those you found for Stephen! He might be in heaven while I get to poke fun at him :)

>26 lovelyluck: It's never too late for a belated Christmas present. :P I think he'll probably be the one poking the earmuffs instead of you poking fun at him. ;) Unfortunately, I didn't find any penis earmuffs for us ladies and gents. :( But I did find penis earplugs. Whatever turns you on, I guess. o.o I'll be nice to Stephen and not post all the penis gummies, lipstick, etc on here.

I love audiobooks for cleaning/exercise/driving. But some narrators are better than others.

Happy New Year Stephen! I've missed you!

Happy New Year.

Now at 31 I'm not ashamed to say that I have few 1000 Magic the Gathering cards under the bed. Though I have not played for awhile. I might have to call my Brother for a game!

Stephen,



Happy New Year from your friend in Kuala Lumpur

Jen: Huh, interesting, I really don't know that much about Duels of the Planeswalker, but either way, I'm committed to Magic the Gathering Online now, I think! :)

I would be very awkward in a card shop as well. I always hear that it's best to go to a Prerelease event whenever you want to introduce yourself to a new shop. Pre-release events are low stress because most people who go just want to see and play with the new cards that aren't out yet.

Unfortunately, the nearest place to play for me is Newark/Columbus, and though I'm okay with driving there every once in awhile for meetups it would be impractical to do it every week.

Xymon: Do you remember what sets you played during? I learned to play during 7th edition, so at the time Apocalypse/Odyssey/7th Ed were in rotation. I played through the Onslaught, Mirrodin, and Kamigawa blocks, but quit before Saviors of Kamigawa was released because everyone quit playing during my senior year in high school. I missed Ravinca and Time Spiral and played again through Lorwyn and Shadowmoor, but I haven't played since.

Leah: Ha! I saw my sister playing a little bit of Epic Micky and it was super cute. I've never played it myself, though. Hopefully I can reach 50 books again! Yep, my goals have sunk that low, I'm just happy to reach that high now.

*Waves* and *Hugs* to Micky! Welcome!

Sara: Yeah, I don't think I'll be wearing those headphone anytime soon. I have a feeling I'd constantly be looking out of the corners of my eye, as if trying to look at my own...ummm, ears. ;)

Nora: Magical! I can listen to music while playing video games, but I don't think I could focus on 2 stories at once.

Hi Rachel! Missed you too. *Hugs*

Bryony: Well, I should probably be ashamed to admit I have over 4,000 physical cards. Haha. I spent every dime I had on them for several years. I was seriously addicted. and still would be, if I had anyone to play with!

Thanks Paul! :)

Hey Jen! A new set is being released in a few weeks. Now is your chance! :P

Hi Stephen, just stopping by to wish you a wonderful 2015 with more great reading and gaming.
Apropos gaming, my son saved enough money to get himself the playstation four and now he wants "ME" to play with him. Ahem, so maybe ........... at one point .......... I will be able to join in, into your, presently ............gibberish sounding .................... gaming discussions. *Sigh*

Have a wonderful weekend Stephen!

It sounds like it would be a blast to play games with your family! My sister and I play together from time to time and it's a lot of fun. :) I also think it's super sweet that he wants to play with you. Most parents would rather contract cholera and be disemboweled than spend time in the same room with their parents. Way to go! :D

So, what will you be playing together? :)

happy new year! ... a new set ... maybe I can get the guy at work to teach to play with the cards ... he's the one who told me to try it on the xbox so i could get the hang of things ... new year new goals ... might try it out!

>34 drachenbraut23: My child has taken over my XBOX now to play minecraft ... but she still wants me to play with her ... in fact she just asked me this second "When can we play disney infinite again?" joy :) you will have loads of fun playing games with your son I'm sure and join in to gaming discussions :)

>35 Ape: I think it is called Farcry? 4 or something like that. I had to sit yesterday morning a full 15 min with him and his friend and watch the intro of the game and listen to the strategic explanation. We are going to get a second ?remote control so that we can play together *cough*.

LOL - I agree with you and the most children! However, oddly enough there must be something interesting and appealing about myself and my mother as even his "cool" friends hugg and kiss us, and actually enjoy spending time with us.

Well, we do read and watch movies together, but *stutter* gaming??? I used to be "THE" pinball queen in the town I lived when I was a teen and young adult, but gaming??

>36 lovelyluck: Yep, I do know that my son plays minecraft as well. I have to admit that I never was to keen on gaming, but my son (he is 15) is really keen for me to join in with him and "his" friends. I think this is what it probably means in this time and age to demonstrate that you are a loving mom? LOL

Jennifer: Minecraft is video game crack! Oh, the countless hours I've spent playing it. I don't even want to think about it. :P

Bianca: Ah, yeah, Farcry 4 is a relatively new game. I haven't played it. First-Person Shooter tend to plummet in price really fast, so I wait a year or 2 and pick them up used for a few bucks. Consider Diablo III for multiplayer as well. My sister and I might play that together soon, because it is SO FUN to play with other people. :)

Oh, and Minecraft. Yes. Minecraft is obvious. :D

Happy New Year, Stephen!!

>31 Ape: I want to say it was either 4th or 5th edition. I might still have a deck or two somewhere in a box.

Happy New Year Stefano!! Hey, you will be proud of me. My daughter gave me a zombie book for Christmas...and I read it...and I liked it!! Alice in Zombieland. In fact, I can't wait to get the second in the series. : )

>41 Berly: For a sec, I thought you meant this Alice in Zombieland, but the one you read definitely looks better. :)

Lol! No, no. The one by Gena Showalter. ; )

The cover's much prettier! I'm not sure if Stephen would ever read it, though.... You know, it has a (very beautiful) person on it. ;)

Kim: I am proud of you. Hurray!

Sara: Haha, yeah, the touchstone does link to the wrong book, doesn't it? And you are right, that cover is definitely too creepy for me. Needs more blood and decapitation, I think.

>41 Berly: Definitely not a Stephen book! but good series... I checked out the 3rd in the series from the library when it came out and lost the darn book... now I have to pay for without having even read it... :( I will eventually get to it though!

>44 saraslibrary: I forgot how intimidating that cover might be. Maybe we can find a copy missing the cover...

>45 Ape: Blushes with pride. But Stephen, you should know that the blood and decapitation happens inside the book!

>46 lovelyluck: That is ... unfortunate. (I could have said unlucky but I like your name too much to do that.) ; )

>45 Ape: Stephen, are you still on that? Le sigh. Don't make me pick more books by their covers just for you. *stern face*

Hi There. Happy New Year! May it be filled with love, laughter, good health and lots of great books to read.

>47 Berly: Ack! Ripping a cover off a book? Never! ;) Maybe we could just give Stephen some markers and let him draw some blood and sores on the girl. :)

>50 saraslibrary: In my defense I didn't say to rip off the cover, just that it was missing. But I read your idea and like it much better!! Stephen you could take before and after pictures and post them. LOL

Jennifer: I'm sure the book itself is just fine, I just can't be seen with it in public. :P

Kim: Haha, well, that's comforting. So long as theirs blood and decapitation inside I might be interested in entering. :P

Micky: Hey, your recommendations have been fantastic, so I'm totally okay with that! Unfortunately, my "must read" freebies are really starting to pile up, so I need to get through those over the next month...or 2. And I was just notified I won another ER book. Argh! I mean, yay!

Thanks, Linda! *Hugs*

Sara: Yeah, makers! And scissors. :P

Morning, Stephen!

Hi Amber!

I'm going to see The Hobbit today with my sister. It's rainy and the NFL playoffs are on, so the theater will probably be blissfully empty. :D

>1 Ape: In addition to books I am also a gamer and will track my video game completion statuses throughout the year as well.

I have decided to do the same thing with my board gaming this year since I play more games than I read books these days :) Right now, games are helping save my sanity.

Happy New Year, Stephen!

Sanity should be spent with reckless abandon! :D

>55 alcottacre: That's a really good idea with the board games, Stasia. I'll have to stop by your thread so I can hear about good games to play. My boyfriend and I have been overplaying Carcassonne and Pandemic lately. We need some other two-player game ideas. Plus games that would be appropriate for his kids. I tried Munchkin Adventure Time, but none of us understand the rules. And it's too old for Eva, anyway.

>54 Ape: Hi Stephen! You go to Hobbit! I want to see! Can I come?

Rachel! You can totally come, if you can make it to Ohio by noon. :)

Oh. Probably not. :(

What a terrible attitude. Quick! Hurry! You can make it! :)

Haha. I'm fast, but not freaky fast. I could never work for Jimmy Johns.

A nonstop flight from Minnesota to Ohio is 2 hours. The movie is at 12:30. You can totally make it.

According to Expedia, the earliest I can get there is 6:20 pm. :(

Hmmmmm. How are your flying skills?

I could try flapping my arms, but I need a cliff that I can dive off of to get airborne. And there aren't many of those in MN. I'd probably have to drive up to the North Shore for that.

Hmmmmmm, that might not end well. I guess I'll just have to watch it without you. :(

Awwww. :( But Stephen!

You're still invited! No jumping from cliffs, though. :)

I swear, I'm going to start an air taxi service just to facilitate spur of the moment LT drop-bys. Although, by the time I got to MN from TN and then back to OH, you might as well have flown commercial.

The only reason he's inviting me is because he knows I can't make it. :p

*huffs off into a corner and sulks under the blanket of cognitive distortions*

Leah: I'm all for it!

Rachel: Nonsense. I would totally sit in a dark room with you and not talk for 2+ hours. :)

>57 The_Hibernator: Rachel, if you have not head of BoardGameGeek, I highly recommend the website. I have about 300 games in my collection - there are over 74,000 in the database at BGG. I can certainly make some recommendations, but I would start with BGG. You can find family games as well as children's games listed.

>71 Ape: Hmmm, you have a point there.

>72 alcottacre: Thanks for the suggestion Stasia.

>73 The_Hibernator: You are welcome! Have fun drooling over new games :)

>52 Ape: You know, if you stop requesting ERs for a while you'll stop winning. :O

I hope you have fun at The Hobbit. I'm hoping to get to that one at some point but we'll see. I'm just annoyed because nowhere in this town is showing The Imitation Game, which I really want to see.

>57 The_Hibernator: Depending on how old the kids are Ticket to Ride is pretty great. My brother got it for Christmas and I had a lot of fun playing it with him and his wife.

I'm back from The Hobbit. I enjoyed it, even if Rachel did stand me up. ;)

Micky: "Stop requesting ER books." I'm sorry, I don't think we're speaking the same language. :P

I hope you get to see The Hobbit. It's pretty good, and unlike the others I didn't feel like I was sitting for too long and waiting for the end.

>51 Berly: Ah, you're right. You didn't say rip. Much better! :)

>52 Ape: We'll even give you glue as a treat. ;)

>76 Ape: How was the movie? Bad Rachel. :P

*Glues random things to Sara* Yay! :D

The movie was good, although I think it might be the only move that I can say had a very anticlimactic beginning. :P

>76 Ape: Well then I can't help your ever growing TBR pile at all. Crazy boy.

Well, yeah, librarians are supposed to help you find more books, not less. :D

Hi Stephen! Hope you're having a nice Sunday!

>78 Ape: Yay! You can be my fashion designer and I'll outdo Lady Gaga with whatever you make! ;)

You just wanted to say climax in there somewhere, didn't you? :P

>82 saraslibrary: A bit more glitter is needed then.

*Hands Stephen some glitter* Have fun!

>80 Ape: I do do that every once in a while.

Hi Laura! Same to you! :)

Sara: I can totally be a fashion designer. Now, I need scissors. And a chainsaw.
That's me, injecting climaxes wherever I go! ;)

Bryony: Yay! This endeavor just got 75 percent more toxic for the environment. :D

Micky: You...do? You...you're one of those evil librarians, aren't you? Oh god, someone save me! She's going to get me!

Mwahahaha!

Morning, Stephen!

All librarians are evil. They don't let you graduate library school if you're not.

Micky/Misti: *Gulp* I...see... I guess that's okay, I kind of like evil things. :D

Amber: Hi! I just starred your thread a few minutes ago. I'm afraid I didn't read any of it. Your popularity is overwhelming!

>83 BBGirl55: Yes, glitter! Perfect! Make sure you get it in my eyes!

>85 Ape: You could totally be a fashion designer. Have you seen some of those outfits. I think scissors and chainsaws are all you need. ;) As for injecting climaxes wherever you go, there actually is something called an O-shot. I think it's only for women, but you could always volunteer to administer them. :P

>89 Ape: Stephen should be a librarian. He's a pro at the evil part. ;p

Me? Evil? Nonsense! I'm innocent and pure.

What's in that monkey's hands? And what is he looking at? o_0

The monkey is looking at the house he just built for an impoverished homeless family and he's holding a large donation to the local animal shelter. *Innocent smile*

Oh, you're right, that makes total sense! *wipes happy tear away for the little orphan animals*

*Doesn't tell Sara he's smuggling drugs across the border in the monkey's butt*

If you mean by monkey, you mean you or a toy, then I'm totally ok with that. But if you mean by a real monkey, then I'm totally injecting that monkey with that 28 Days Later zombie virus and sic'ing him on you. :P

Ummmmmmmmmmm...lets go with a toy monkey.

*Doesn't tell Sara that he performed a Satanic ritual to trap a real monkey's soul in said toy*

*reads Stephen's mind* Totally kosher. Souls don't feel anything. But I'd rather you perform your anal drug play with people, not animals. :P

Either way, I'm glad we have established that I'm totally not evil at all. :)

Ummm, I disagree. :P

I totally blame Katie for making me google this, but look up Cards Against Humanity. They're hilariously nasty! XD

Cards Against Humanity is the best game.

I bought Cards Against Humanity for my brother for his graduation gift and we are planning our inaugural sibling game sometime this week.

>102 norabelle414: I haven't played it yet, but I am so in love with it already. :) You're lucky to have played it already!

>103 leahbird: Best of luck not laughing so hard you pee your pants! ;) Or getting the nasty incest card. That'll be a nice awkward break in your laughter. o.0

I've seen videos of SeaNanners playing the digital version on Youtube and it does indeed seem hilarious. :)

I had a great time playing it with my daughter...oh the things that were revealed!!! LOL.

Haha, yeah, it seems like it would be incredibly awkward to play with family members. :P

>103 leahbird: I hope you have a very friendly relationship with your brother. I've considered playing with my brother but don't think I can say some of those words to his face.

Hi, Stephen! Happy New Year! (yeah, I know I'm a little behind here, but I'm catching up rapidly). I really look forward to reading your thread--it gets a little crazy at times, doesn't it?!

Karen O.

I love playing cards against humanity... once we mixed it up with the disney apples to apples are... some of those answer were awkward!

Fun Game

>110 lovelyluck: LOL! I love that one. Isn't that called docking, making penises kiss?

>111 saraslibrary: I just looked it up in the urban dictionary.... WOW you learn something new everyday for sure!

>112 lovelyluck: Oh, yeah. On the urban dictionary, you learn way more than you want to know. :D

>108 norabelle414: I don't know if I'd go so far to say "friendly" as we are pretty much diametrically opposed on every subject, but I was teaching him about the biological mechanics of sex when he was about 5 and have pretty much always been very blunt with him (and everyone else) so I doubt there's much I could say in this game that would shock him.

Like a Motherf***ing wizard - my favourite card!

Hi Karen! Yep, I think things have already gotten weird. :P

Playing Cards Against Humanity with your family. Yep, definitely weird, especially if it turns into a strip card game. o.o

Yeah, if you turn Cards Against Humanity into a drinking/strip game, I think you've hit the lowest of the low. (For now.)

8 days and I still haven't finished the book I started 3-4 days before the New Year. This is not good! I'm actually really enjoying the book I'm reading now, but I only seem to be getting through 10-15 pages each day. I might finish it tomorrow though, if I can swing 30+ pages in a single day. Doesn't seem likely at my current pace...

>119 Ape: I feel you there Ape. I was coasting good for awhile and this last book is killing me and it is not even long. I may have dome too much too fast. The sad part is my wife started Outlander the day before I started my current book and she will probubly finish today. I still have more than halfway to go and it is a 200 page book.

Haha, yeah, mine is about 240 pages and it has taken me this long to read it. My sister, who isn't as big of a reader as me, juts finished some huge 480-pager. o.o

Ive been distracted, Like yesterday I watched A interesting anime called Noir. It was almost 11 when i realized i should stop and go to bed for work. I usually read until I fall asleep but I didnt do that either.

Yeah, that's kind of how I've been with Magic the Gathering Online. I'm a bit of an early bird but I haven't been getting to bed until 11:00-11:30 over the past week or so. :P

Speaking of Magic, I just picked up a free book from library called Arena. It is by the same author who wrote One Second After.

I haven't read an M:tG book in a long time, but I do miss them! My library has stopped purchasing them, so I don't have access to the newer books. I do miss the trilogies though, 1 book per block just isn't acceptable. :P

Well this book number 1 apparently. Im sure if I found a used book store id find i handful.

>118 Ape: LOL! Most definitely. I can at least say I'll never get that low. I hope. o.o

>119 Ape: No rush. At least you're enjoying what you're reading, no matter the pace.

>120 xymon81:-121 No worries, you two; I'm on it! I'll let my dog lick both of your guy's wife's/sister's* eyes and give them pink eye, so it'll slow down their reading. My dog's got super awesome powers like that. ;) Seriously, my little Angel has given other dogs pink eye from licking them.

*(ha, that's a fun combination)

>127 saraslibrary: I think I'll pass, considering how quickly colds spread in my house. Pink eye would be a bad thing.

I haven't finished a book yet either. And mine is only 200 pages. High five?

Speaking from very recent experience, yes, pink eye is a *very* bad thing. Gah.

Oh, hi, Stephen!

>128 xymon81: *sad dog face* But she'll be fine. I'm sure Stephen will enjoy a double dose of pink eye. ;)

>129 norabelle414: Gold star, Nora! :)


>130 scaifea: Very contagious too. *itches eye, then fingers Stephen's thread*

Xymon: True, and I bet they would be dirt cheap too. :)

Sara: Don't doubt yourself! Who knows just how low you can get. :P I'll pass on the pink eye as well. Even though my sister and I are pretty close we don't really come into contact much, so I'm not likely to get it, but that just seems a bit harsh. You can totally steal her books and hide them from her though. :P

Nora: Ummmmm, I finished a book earlier today... *returns high five awkwardly*

Hi Amber!

Sara: Awww, that star was definitely made for me. :P

My first book review should be up soon!

1. Blood of the Tiger by Judy A. Miller



Pages: 246
Rating: 4/5

Nonfiction: Wildlife Conservation/Politics
Owned

It's no secret that wild tigers are rapidly disapearing, and have been on the endangered for some time now. It's terrible to think that such a beautiful predator could disappear forever in its natural form, leaving behind nothing but its caged, too-stupid-to-live captive form. Judy Miller has been working for decades to make sure this doesn't happen, and this is her first-person account of what it is like to fight for one of the world's most endearing animals.

She really does a great job expressing the frustration involved with her work. It feels almost insurmountable to stop trade in tiger products when certain (rich) individuals are intent on having things like furs, and wines made from tiger bone. Studies show that most citizens in the United States and China are opposed to killing endangered animals for product, but many of them unthinkingly covet ivory or desire Traditional Chine Medicines that use things like ground tiger bones in their formula. The sad part is how many people would say "no" if they were more knowledgeable about the topic, but continue to use the products due to ignorance alone. Fortunately, Blood of the Tiger could help a lot in that regard, and I hope more people read it and become more active in pushing for a ban on products made with anything that comes from an animal on the brink of extinction.

>131 saraslibrary: Yep, and that contagious part was the worst of it; I didn't mind the itchy/irritated eye so much as the stress of trying to keep Tomm and Charlie from getting it. (I was successful, though - neither of them contracted it and I'm pretty proud of myself. Ha!)

Morning, Stephen!

>132 Ape: Yeah, I'm sure my life could always get worse than this. Note: you don't see my flesh-eating sores or the rodents chewing off my ears. But damn, my legs have never looked better or tanner. :P

I'll make a note to fly out Ohio and steal some random chick's books. Check! :P

You and Nora can split the half-ass star. So what is that? 1/4 of a star? Awesome! You're my hero! ;) Actually, on IQ levels of books, your 1 book far surpasses my dozen of kiddy books, so you're way ahead. Good job! :)

*imaginary naked chick picture here* Instead, I'll post this.

>133 Ape: Things to do over the weekend: feed more carnivore humans to tigers. That should even up the score a little bit. :P

>134 scaifea: Good for you! How'd you do it, though?? Live in a bubble? *is impressed*

>135 saraslibrary: Tons of hand sanitizer (hanitizer, as Charlie calls it) and making Tomm do all the little things like opening Charlie's little fruit snack bags and such and pretty much just trying not to touch anything. Ha!

>136 scaifea: Lucky you! I see your evil cunningness in all that. ;)

That's not the first time I've seen that "Dirty word" test before. Unfortunately, even though I've already seen it, I failed it again anyway.

Also, I thought you said cunnilingus in post 137. :P

Hi Amber! You should talk to the CDC, they could probably learn a lot from you.

>138 Ape: Ha! Failed it again? Bravo! I'd probably fail it over and over again. It's fixed, I think.

Actually, I did say cunnilingus out loud as I was typing it, but I typed the "other word" instead. :P Anything to get an extra point for the pervs in this world. Hmm, can cunnilingus be evil? Yeah, probably. Receiving from a zombie? Most definitely evil!

Just checked this in today: How To Think More About Sex by Alain De Botton. Hmm, I think Stephen was interviewed for material for this book. :P

I asked google if Cunnilingus is evil and it gave me this as an answer:



I don't know, I was probably thinking too much about sex to contribute to that book...

Yep, it's official. If Dr. Evil thinks cunnilingus is evil, then is is. :P Oh, wait, better get that tongue back in my mouth. :|

Obviously. :P How To Think More About Sex lacked quite a bit of sex talk. I flipped through it and realized it was more of a relationship book. Oh. Fun.

The book titled How to Think More About Sex actually doesn't talk about sex very much? How ironic.

Exactly! And no pictures. You know how I feel about no pictures in sex books. :/ *crosses arms* It's like printing a cookbook with no pictures. It's sacrilegious!

It's true! Although there is something to be said for just having good recipes too...errr, if you know what I mean.

I don't know. I have to see what I'm making to make sure it's right.



Well, crap! See? I knew I made too much chocolate and not enough strawberries. That looks nothing like a strawberry-covered chocolate cake. :( *hoses down her cake and starts over*

Ummmmm, so where can I place a pre-order on your first cookbook? :D

I can't see my pic anymore. :( Was that the one with the chic covered in chocolate holding a strawberry? My work computer's filtering everything today.

>147 Ape: On Amazon, of course. It'll basically consist of heating up wax, chocolate, and other assortments lickables that you can pour on people. It'll be some kind of erotic nyotaimori cookbook with less cooking, more nudity, of course. :P What should I charge? $100 for the paperback? $500 for the hardcover? ;)

Haha, well, there is a nipple, so that's probably why. It's not nudity unless there is a nipple, as you know!

Um, that depends. Do I get a free ARC copy? If I do, then sure, charge whatever you like! :D

>149 Ape: *makes note to self to make snowmen with nipples to see if the police make her put pasties on them*

Of course you get a free copy! I'd offer free copies to all my LT friends, but I think I'd get a lot of cringes and, "Um, thanks, but no thanks." ;) Should I include small chocolate/edible samples? This is actually sounding like something I'd want to do. :D

I'm not sure about the free samples. Will they be made with real nipples? o.o

Um....they'll be organic! Did I hedge that question well enough? :P

But are they kosher!?

2. The Foreshadowing by Marcus Sedgwick



Pages: 293
Rating: 4/5

Fiction - Young Adult
Owned

-----------------------------------------------------------

During World War I, Alexandra is working in a hospital healing injured soldiers discovers she has a dark gift. She can see the deaths of the people around her. It was something she experienced a time or two in the past, but now she is surrounded by death, and she can no longer ignore the truth.

This was a surprising one for me. I admit I really only read it because I was looking for something quick and easy to read, and this YA book with big text and short chapters fit the bill. It captured my attention quick and didn't let go until the last page. The funny thing is, I'm having a difficult time explaining why. It gives a bit of historical detail but that isn't the focus, and there is a paranormal edge with Alexandra's gift/curse but it doesn't even really delve into magical realism or paranormal-anything. There is some family drama but it's understated, to say the least. The whole book seems fuzzy in retrospect, you could say it is as ephemeral as Alexandra's visions. Nevertheless, the plot had me hooked throughout, and it was a very satisfying read.

#154 The funny thing is, I'm having a difficult time explaining why. It gives a bit of historical detail but that isn't the focus, and there is a paranormal edge with Alexandra's gift/curse but it doesn't even really delve into magical realism or paranormal-anything. There is some family drama but it's understated, to say the least. The whole book seems fuzzy in retrospect, you could say it is as ephemeral as Alexandra's visions. Nevertheless, the plot had me hooked throughout, and it was a very satisfying read.

I find this with a lot of Marcus Sedgwick shorter books, I have come to discover that it is his flow of writing that keeps you hooked.

>154 Ape: Stephen read a YA book and liked it. *throws dance party*

Bryony: Yeah. The short chapters probably helps with that. It's so much easier to read "just one more chapter" for a dozen chapters or more when they are each just a couple pages in length. :D

Micky: I read several YA books last year. :) In fact, A Monster Calls and The Invention of Hugo Cabret were both in my top 5.

>153 Ape: Of course they'll be kosher! (Whatever that means, she secretly thinks. Only Jewish nipples?? That's kind of anti-Semitic, isn't it?) :P

>154 Ape: Ooh. That one looks really good. I'd certainly read it. Thumbed ya with a Seahawks foam finger. Er, I guess I fingered you instead, since the thumb's kind of hidden. Anyway, good review! :)

>156 MickyFine: Score 1 for Micky! :) *throws glitter all over Stephen's thread*

I think Kosher nipples means they have to be treated with tenderness and care.

Oh, didn't know you were remotely interested in football. My Falcons were almost in, had they not messed it up during the last game. :( Ohio State won the national championship though, so I'm not complaining!!! :D

>159 Ape: Ah, gotcha. So I give the victim a little morphine or something beforehand rather than just ice?

Actually, I hate sports. But foam fingers are everywhere, so it's kind of imprinted in my mind now. But that's awesome Ohio State won the nation championship! :)

No no, no morphine in Kosher. I think you have to feed them grass and make sure they feel as little stress as possible as you are removing their nipples. Also, you can only use one stroke to remove it, otherwise it's totally sinful and you'll go to hell! But if you remove people's nipples cleanly and quickly, you'll totally live forever in the sky.

Um, I'm not even Jewish, so I think the fact I'm trying to do something kosher makes it all un-kosher anyway. No morphine for anyone! Yay! :P

Right! We need to find someone Jewish to do the actual cutting, you just market your book and your kosher chocolate nipple recipe.

I'm on it! I wonder if Sacha Baron Cohen's doing anything? :P I'm sure he'd be into cutting some nipples.

I really should visit your thread more often than once a week. I always feel like I'm jumping into the middle of very, very, very weird conversations. uggggg, makes me shudder.

Errr. Hi Stephen! Happy weekend!

>165 The_Hibernator: Rachel: Honestly, it doesn't get any less weird if you visit more frequently; I pop in here once a day and it's still very strange... *ahem*

Oh, uh, morning, Steve!

Haha. Stephen's getting all the weirdness blame. :P

*looks @ current game being played* Somehow I thought Little Deviants would be something else.... but they're still cute critters. :)

Weird? Here? Okay then everything is normal. Hi Stephen!!

We miss you, Stephen, even though we know you're, um, busy with "other things." ;)



ETA: Ha! I got away with posting a guy on his thread without him burying me in his backyard. Yet anyway. o.o

Rachel: That's okay, I seem to only be visiting my own thread once per week myself, so we're on the same page there.

Amber: You haven't become desensitized to it yet? :P

Sara: Yeah, way to get me blamed for all the weirdness, thanks! Yeah, Little Deviants isn't as naughty as you probably imagined. ;)

Hi Kim! Things have been normal enough over the past few days, right? Oh, I suppose because I haven't been here, hmmm...

>170 Ape: You are so welcome. Anything for a friend. ;) Little Deviants still looks cute, though. Since I don't play video games, I'd probably start with anyway, just to snicker over the title.

To get back on the topic we were discussing previously, you should totally nickname your nipples Little Deviants! :D

Aw man, just when I was thinking I could safely emerge from the Canadian corner it got all weird in here again...

>172 Ape: LOL! Well, I usually call them Thing 1 and Thing 2, but yeah, I could call them Little Deviants. Evil little pink deviants. >:)

>173 MickyFine: You secretly love it. :P

Micky: It is my understanding that nipples are way more prominent in the frozen north. :P

Sara: When you google The Thing you get some pretty horrific images. I'll try not to associate them with your nipples...

>175 Ape: Ha ha! Yeah, you do have a point--literally--about nipples and the frozen north. :P

The movie "The Thing" or the things I bought? Yes, please don't associate the movie "The Thing" with my nipples. That's just nasty-scary. Though it would be kind of cool if my nipples had teeth.... as well as my vagina. :P

>175 Ape: Le sigh.

Sara: I read that wrong and though you said you wish your nipples had vaginas. o.O

Micky: Is that a swoony sigh or....ah, right, I suppose I don't have to ask. :P

>177 MickyFine: I thought it was only "le sigh" in French-speaking Canada and "eh sigh" in the rest. ;) *HUGS*


>178 Ape: Let me ask the girls. *opens her shirt* "How's about it? You guys want vaginas?" *Thing 1 & Thing 2 whisper back and forth* "Gotcha. Thanks! They say they'd rather have mouths and tongues attached to them. Silly girls." *wonders if she could turn one of her nipples into a mouth so at least one of the Things will be happy*

Nope, no weirdness here whatsoever! :P

>178 Ape: Swoony sighs happen on my thread.

>179 saraslibrary: Ah, but I can pull out the French whenever I like. Upside to having two official languages.

>180 MickyFine: *snort* Pull out the French. I'm sure they love that. ;) I think the U.S. has two languages, too, though I don't think Spanish is official yet.

>181 saraslibrary: No words are safe around you.

>182 MickyFine: None. I'd even keep numbers away from me. *twitches* Ooh, numbers.... :P

Words are a tool! And in Sara's hands, they are tools of destruction. :)

Or tools of pleasure. Or both--bwahahaha!

ETA: While browsing erotic books on Amazon, I found the perfect Halloween book for you: Kenny G Must Die!!: A Satire About Music... And Zombies by William Hrdina. My main question is, "How is that erotic?" *shrugs* Enjoy! :)

You can't find anything erotic about a title with a capital G? I'm disappointed in you. :P

*hangs head in shame* No, actually I found plenty with G in them (like G-Spot 2 Revenge by Noire, which almost sounds like the revenge of the g-spot *Jaws theme plays*). I just thought it was funny that zombies should pop up in my erotica search. And believe me, there are plenty of horror erotica involving zombies. It's hilariously bad stuff (ie, Fifty Shades of Decay).

That will have to be your first movie when you become a film director. Attack of the Killer G-Spot! It lurks deep beneath the surface, driving men insane, waiting for the right time to rise from the depths and consume mankind. It is the attack of...the Killer G-Spot!

3. Kikkers by Mo Yan
(Actually titled "Frog" but there is no touchstone for that yet.)



Pages: 389
Rating: 4/5

Literary Fiction
Owned

-------------------------------------------------

I admittedly went into this with a fair amount of trepidation. I read The Garlic Ballads last year and it was a miserable experience. I'm happy to say that was not the case with Frog. Just like The Garlic Ballads, it has a lot of important things to say, but this time around Mo Yan writes a book that's actually readable, instead of the garbled mess of a book I read a year ago.

Frog focuses on China's Family Planning Policy (or One-Child Policy as it is known in the west), and it is told from perspective of a playwright who grew up in a small town in Gaomi. However, It is his aunt Gugu who takes center stage, as she is an obstetrics nurse. It's interesting to see her evolution. Initially she is a savior of a sort, when many women die during childbirth due to arcane practices performed by superstitious, she is a modern science-minded and medically-trained woman who never loses a child or a mother during delivery. Then the One-Child Policy is put into place, and suddenly she is a butcher, forcing late-term abortions without a thought to the safety of the mother. It's a sad story, and it demonstrates the horrific nature of China's attempts at population control.

LMAO @ 188. Brilliant! But critics will just say I'm ripping off Teeth. I've gotta think of a twist to a killer g-spot. Hmm.... *puts on thinking cap*

>189 Ape: I'll probably skip on that one, but I've always been interested in China's one-child policy. When I was elementary school, I swore I would adopt a dozen girls--at least! :P Then I realized how expensive and exhausting children are and I went, "F*ck it! I'm becoming child-free..."

ETA: ...and adopt a bazillion pets that nobody wants, like my creepy undead werewolf. Don't stare. He takes it as an invitation to fight. :P

I think I'd rather adopt and undead werewolf than a child. :P

Same here. But I expect they are kind of high maintenance when it comes to covering for all the missing pets and children in the neighborhood.

I don't know, judging by how little meat it has on its bones I think it might be a vegetarian. :P

Hardy har har! :P I'll have you know, vegetarianism doesn't equal weak and feeble. Look at Henry Rollins! But all that aside, that'd be super cool if my undead werewolf were a veggie. We could bond over the same pet dish of soy. :P

He looks like he was just served a nice dish of soy, and that's his reaction. ;)

Sorry I have been so absent, everyone! I honestly haven't been reading any threads all year, and I feel terrible about it. :( I hope everyone is doing okay, and maybe I can get back on track soon.

In the meantime, I have a meager summary to post.

January Summary

Books: 3
Pages: 928

Fiction: 2
Nonfiction: 1

Owned: 3
Library checkout: 0

Video games summary:

Games: 2

Playstation Vita: 1
Playstation 3: 1
Playstatino 4: 0

>195 Ape: *throws a blob of soy @ Stephen* He loves it. Can't you tell? His tail was wagging...well, until it fell off. *looks for stapler*

>196 Ape: Negligent parent. :P You didn't even leave us food, so we had to eat the Canadians (sorry, but they're tastier) and drink our own pee. *feebly crawls across the floor and starts gnawing on Stephen's foot*

That's not too bad of a book list. At least you're still reading! :) And I still love that tiger cover. They're so beautiful. From afar. ;)

>197 Ape: Little Deviants...false advertising! But anyway, which of the two games did you like better?

Wait, when were the Canadians eaten? Was I here?

Well, you're here now. *pounces on Micky*

*swats Sara on nose with newspaper* Bad! Don't chew on the Canadians. That's what Stephen is for. :P

*pouts* Only Stephen gets to chew on the Canadians? That's racist.

Sara: I'm not a negligent parent! I left you a pile of steak and pork chops to eat. :P

I would say that Crysis was the better game, even thought it annoyed me a couple times. Little Deviants was basically a tech demo. Which is to say, it's just a collection of minigames that demonstrates all the features of the Playstation, the touchscreen, motion sensors, microphone, etc. :)

Micky: Wait, I've been given permission to chew on people!? Hurray! :D

In other news, I've re-addicted myself to Minecraft, so there goes my life down the drain. :)

>202 saraslibrary: >203 Ape: Dangling modifiers. Shame on me. What I meant is that Stephen is for chewing on. Enjoy.

>203 Ape: *evil eyes Stephen* You know I don't eat animals. *gives the steaks and pork chops a proper crematorium burial by burning them on the bbq*

What was the gist of Crysis--rape, pillage, and kill (not necessarily in that order)? Protect mankind from zombies? Oh, that's kind of a bummer about Little Deviants. I thought it would be a kind of goofy game.

>204 Ape: Well, that sucks. I found this awesome YouTube tutorial on how to cure your minecraft addiction--turn it OFF! :P

>205 MickyFine: *snickers* Dangling. Yes, dangling anything-ers are always dangerous on Stephen's thread. You should keep those puppies locked up in a bra or jock strap (depending on what you have).

Thanks for the permission, Micky! :) *rips off Stephen's arms and goes into the zombie corner to enjoy it* (from Zombie Strippers, such a bad, bad movie)

{image removed per request}

Micky: Ooooh! Haha, that wasn't a joke, I really did think that was what you meant. I didn't quite understand why you would say something like that, but that's actually how I interpreted that sentence.

Sara: The cows and pigs were vegetarians, so it's practically vegetarian to eat them. That's how vegetarianism works, right?

Crysis was about a dude in a super futuristic cybernetic suit thing protecting the earth from an alien invasion. Yo were close! :P This pretty much gives demonstrates the concept. Little Deviants was kind of a goofy game, just not a very exciting one. :P

I don't think that tutorial is helpful. I turn Minecraft off every time I stop playing it, the problem is I can't prevent myself from turning it back on an hour later. :P

I don't know, things that modify danglers don't sound fun at all! *Girds loins*

Also, hurray for not having topless women on my thread anymore. ;)

>207 Ape: Riiiight. We only eat other vegetarians. o.0

Yay! Do I get a prize for almost guessing the theme of Crysis? :P I guess gazing on its gorgeousness is prize enough. Very pretty! Bummer about Little Deviants. :( Are you going to get rid of it/sell it or use it as a tea coaster?

Well, I could tape an electrical shocker to the button, so that might keep you from playing it. It might also make you loose control of your bowels, but hey. At least it cures your Minecraft addiction, and that's all that matters, right? ;)

For most people, getting their danglers modified sounds painful. But I'm sure if you numb it up, it wouldn't be a problem. *digs around in purse for numbing solutions*

She wasn't topless. The severed arm and blood covered up her mammary glands quite well, thank you. :P

When you combine the books with the videogames, 5 isn't all that bad. I think I got 6, including some story-arcs for Doctor Who, so....It's all about the story, right?

Sara: It's funny, I had been playing a Playstation 4 game before playing Crysis, so it was quite hideous to my eyes. Here is your prize! :P Even though I beat Little Deviants, I still have a ton to do it in where trophies are concerned. I only have 44 percent of them, and the ones remaining are EXTREMELY rare/difficult, so I'll always have something to do in it if I want to.

Hmmmm, I think I like the idea of being addicted to something over the prospect of losing control of my bowels. :P

Rachel: No, it's about the blood and entrails! :P

>210 Ape: Ummm, do I dare ask what I'm supposed to do with those? Or where they've been? o.0

*looking @ your trophies/profile* Holy crap, you've been busy with your video games! Good work!

But some addicts get so bad, they eventually lose control of their bowels. Seriously, I know of one guy who never understood what the pause button was for and, well, used whatever was nearby as a toilet.

The same thing you do with all those toys yo get from those kinds of machines. Look at them for 10 seconds and then throw them in the trash. :D

Yeah, those trophies were earned over the span of a few years, but still. Kind of a lot. o.o

No! I'm different! I can handle my addiction! *Twitch seizure*

Oh, right right! That's exactly what I was thinking of doing with them! 0:) *ahem*

Still, you should be proud. That's some hard work!


*hands Stephen a box of Depends and a ball gag to prevent himself from biting off his tongue* Suuure, that's the reason for the ball gag. *whistles innocently*

Saw a book today and thought of you, Germ Boy. ;) The Secret Life of Germs by Philip M. Tierno. Who know their lives were so secret.

Yep, that definitely looks like something I would enjoy! I really need to get back to reading nonfiction books on the topic. I don't remember the last one I read, but it's been awhile.

No worries! :) There're there when you need them. Though they do sometimes grow legs, so I've been told. And heads. And arms. o.0 (Holy crap! Google "books with legs." Fun stuff!)

Ummmmmm...that's not what I was picturing when I was typing it in! o.o

Me either! See how naughty google is!

Naughty or nice...depending on how you look at it!

>219 Berly: So true. :)

I think I can safely file it under the category as 'frightening.' :P

4. Embedded by Dan Abnett



Pages: 430
Rating: 3/5

Military Science Fiction
Library checkout

Lex Falk is a reporter on a settlement planet known as Eighty-Six just looking for a story. There are murmurings of an armed conflict, but the local government insists that it is just a minor dispute with a small band of dissident citzens. After hitting a dead end as a journalist, Falk finds a way into the restricted areas - through a new process that has never been tested, he is embedded into the mind of a soldier, literally giving him a first-person perspective on what is really going on through the eyes of someone living it. Needless to say, he discovers that there is a lot more happening than what the media is being told.

I guess this was a decent read. It's certainly fast-paced and action-packed, the majority of the 430 pages take place over a few hours of near-constant combat, which I'm not generally enthusiastic about but does give it that addictive "just one more chapter...or 2" quality. I was just disappointed that the initial mystery was abandoned in favor of action and thrills, but it does pick up again towards the end of the novel. Enough so that I would probably read the sequel in the future if there ever is one.

Overall, I'm not exactly singing praise for this one, but it wasn't by any means terrible. Yeah, faint praise abound, I suppose...

>222 Ape: Hey, at least it wasn't a total waste of time! :) Btw, are you going to be doing Sexy Sundays on your thread? Micky does one on her thread every Sunday, and I do my creepy version, so you should totally do one for you. Post nerdy library chicks or something. :)

>223 saraslibrary: LOL

Just do as she says

>224 lovelyluck: Thank you! :)

See, Stephen? Two against one. Now you have to join us in Sexy Sundays. You have several days to do your googling "homework." Enjoy! :)

Hmmmm...this should be interesting!

And we never saw Stephen again.

>226 Berly: Indeed! And maybe a little scary....? o.o

LOL @ 227. Yeah, I probably should've clarified that he has to come back to his thread to share.

You want me to post pictures of people on my thread? What did I do to deserve this? :(

Karma baby. Karma.

Who is Karma, and when did I do her?

ROFL!

>231 Ape: I rolled my eyes and laughed at the same time over that one. So half win?

>231 Ape: - Good one.... and with such deadpan frankness. Love it. ;-)

>231 Ape: Karma might be a bitch, but I'm not sure. And to answer your second question: probably when you were really, REALLY out of it. o.o

And yes, you must join us in Sexy Sundays as punishment for not visiting our threads more regularly. So there. :P And nobody said anything about "people", per se. It just has to be your interpretation of sexy.

>231 Ape: "Karma is not my lover
She's just a metaphysical idea who claims that I am the one
But the kid is not my son
She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son"

LOL @ 236. Zombie Jackson. ;)

>133 Ape: >154 Ape: >189 Ape: All added to the BlackHole. Thanks (I think!)

Kim/Micky/Lori/Sara/Leah: *Bows*

Stasia: You are most welcome! :P

Happy Saturday, Stephen! :)

Thanks, Sara!

Soooo, apparently I have to post a picture of a sexy somebody today. So, here you go.



;)

YAY..... that is definitely a sexy someone :)

I really can't think of anyone hotter. ;)

Except maybe someone with, say, a Mary Roach book or something. :P

>241 Ape: You're welcome :)

Yay! And omg! I totally know who she is. :P

Oh, crap! Why do I always forget it's Sexy Sunday?? *quickly scrambles to google*

>242 lovelyluck: Most definitely! *drools over the idea the model doesn't have thumbs*

>243 Ape: Photoshop might remedy that. ;)

Nooooo, I like my sexy ladies unphotoshopped, please. :)

I just meant put a Mary Roach book in her hand, but if you like reality, then so be it. She's not reading anything. It's just an empty piece of board. No pages. :P

I dont like fake boo....ummmm...books!

Hi Stephen! No pictures of hotties from me. :( Hope you've had a glorious couple of weeks, and sorry I don't stop by your thread more often. Good job on your fourth book. That's about as far as I am on my reading, as well!

>247 Ape: Liar. :P

Fake books would be ebooks then?

(sneaks a Mary Roach pic onto Stephen's thread while he's not looking) It's still Sunday in Sara Land!

Rachel: Hi! The past couple weeks? Well, I've suffered through them with grace and dignity, thanks for asking! I actually finished my 5th book today. Now if only I could motivate myself to review it.

Sara: I like your style. :P

Very sexy! And the blank cover means you can imagine her reading the exact same book that is next up on your list! Which would be....?

Kim: I'm imagining she is reading my mind. Wait, no, why did I say that? Get out of my head, faceless woman! Ack!

I haven't decided what I'm going to read next, but I did get around to writing that book review. :) Coming up next, and I'll post a new thread sometime over the next few days.

5. Red Equinox by Douglas Wynne



Pages: 273
Rating: 4/5

Horror - Lovecraftian
Owned

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Becca Philips is an urban photographer, prowling around abandoned buildings and finding beauty in crumbling, decrepit architecture. She doesn't think much of it when she comes across an ragged old man chanting over the waters of a birdbath in a dark ritualistic manner, but it isn't long after that encounter that the world itself starts crumbling around her, and she is faced with the reality of something darker and more malevolent than she ever could have imagined.

What a pleasant surprise! I didn't go into Red Equinox with any expectations, I won a free copy and didn't know a lot about it or the author, so I was pleasantly surprised by what an engaging book it turned out to be. What I liked most was Wynne's ability to give depth to his character without relying on lengthy tangents, which gave the book a nice flow while still offering complex, multidimensional characters.

It is also another reminder that I really need to work on reading some Lovecraft. Gah, I'll do that soon, I swear!

>253 Ape: Love the cover, and I'm glad it was a decent read! :) If it makes you feel any better, I don't think I've read anything by H. P. Lovecraft (that I remember).

Btw, I used to looooove lurking on photo sites of abandoned buildings, etc. There's a word for that type of artwork--no, not just trespassing ;)--but I love it. I'll have to google some of those sites again. Thanks for rekindling that bit of my past! :)

In the book it was called "Urbex Photography," urbex meaning Urban Exploration. :)

Edit: I just Googled Urbex. Yep, that looks like what I was picturing while reading the book!

>255 Ape: & >256 Ape: I think you're right, thanks! :) My sister and I (and occasionally a friend or two) would go with us when we scouted out abandoned buildings in high school. Not having a car really made it hard to go very far, but I was surprised at how many dilapidated buildings there were in our city. Some were really quite nice and peaceful, and my sis and I used to joke that "this is where we'll live." ;) Thanks for the eye candy, btw, in 256. Are those giant snow mobiles or something?

I have no idea what they are, but it's a beautiful picture, and there are plenty like it on Google. Also, that sounds like a lot of fun! I had similar/opposite experiences as a kid living out in the "country" of Ohio, by wandering out into the woods. :)

Alright, time for a new thread. Took my awhile to get to it this year, but thread #2 is up! :)