amanda4242's thread

Welcome back!

I think you can safely assume that I will stop by once in a while, Amanda. xx

>2 drneutron: Thanks! And thank you for all the work you put into my favorite group.

>3 PaulCranswick: I'd be heart-broken if you didn't.

Happy New Year, Amanda!

>5 DianaNL: And to you!

I am part of the group.
I love being part of the group.
I love the friendships bestowed upon my by dint of my membership of this wonderful fellowship.
I love that race and creed and gender and age and sexuality and nationality make absolutely no difference to our being a valued member of the group.

Thank you for also being part of the group.

Happy reading in 2017, Amanda!

>7 The_Hibernator:, >8 PaulCranswick:, >9 FAMeulstee: Thank you!

Checking in here for 2017.

>11 thornton37814: Hi!

Hi, Amanda!

>13 scaifea: Hi!

1. The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl and C. M. Kornbluth

A sf dystopian version of Mad Men. The ending isn't great, but the rest of it is very good and depressingly still relevant some sixty years after it was first published.

2. The House in Paris by Elizabeth Bowen

One of those modernist novels that just seems hopelessly old-fashioned these days.

Hi, Amanda. Just stopping by to drop a star. The Space Merchants is going on my list - love a good dystopian book!

3. Black Robe by Brian Moore

Very impressive tale of the tragic clash of two radically different cultures.

>17 rretzler: Hi!

>18 amanda4242: I am pleased that you liked Brian Moore.
I am worried that you hated The House in Paris.

>20 PaulCranswick: "Hated" is a bit strong in this case; there were some parts that were actually pretty good, but the dialogue inspired a lot of eye-rolling.

4. Voices from Chernobyl by Svetlana Alexievich translated by Keith Gessen

>20 PaulCranswick: Amanda I am a bit prone to hyperbole and exaggeration as you may have noticed!

How did you like Voices from Chernobyl, Amanda? I started reading it last year but didn't get very far into it, and I want to revisit it later this year or next year.

>23 PaulCranswick: :)

>24 kidzdoc: It was, unsurprisingly, a painful read, but definitely worthwhile.

5. The Einstein Intersection by Samuel R. Delany

Didn't like this as much as the others of his I've read.

6. The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle

A fantastic novella and one of the best Lovecraft-inspired stories I've read in a very long time.

I'm glad that you liked The Ballad of Black Tom, Amanda. I bought it last year, and will move it higher on my TBR list.

>28 kidzdoc: It's definitely worth bumping up the list.

7. Wild Seed by Octavia E. Butler

Amazing, as have been all my experiences of Butler's works.

>27 amanda4242: Book bulleted on a Sunday evening!

8. The Dragon's Boy by Jane Yolen

Pretty good little book about the education of young Arthur. Perfect for 8-10 year-olds.

9. Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

The title character was very well written, but some of the sci-fi elements weren't fleshed out enough to make much sense. Still, not a bad read.

10. The Vegetarian by Han Kang

Bartleby the Scrivener as a Korean woman.

11. The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps by Kai Ashante Wilson

This is one of those books that is disappointing because it should have been so much better than it is. The world Wilson created is interesting but the first 2/3 of the book just drag on, there are pointless and distracting footnotes, and lines like "every night the brazen sphere dissolves in a molten line, compelling the gaze westward when the sky's dark otherwise" that induce severe eye rolling.

Hmm, yeah, eye-rolling indeed.

12. Survivor by Octavia E. Butler

I was surprised to find that my local library had a copy of this long out of print entry in Butler's Patternist series. I was even more surprised to find that, despite the author's dislike of it, it's a really good book. It sits uncomfartably with the rest of the series as it takes place on another planet and barely mentions the psionics that dominate the other books, but it's still a great story.

13. The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne

My parents clearly failed me as I was never read Pooh as a kid.

A baker's dozen read already, Amanda. Going at a book a day so far.

Have a great weekend and don't get eye strain!

>39 PaulCranswick: We've had a lot of rain recently so I've had little to do but read...of course, now that the rain has stopped I'll be ignoring all the things I should be doing and reading instead!

Enjoy your weekend.

>40 amanda4242: I will go and pray for rain then so I can catch up my own reading a bit!

>38 amanda4242: So now that you've experienced the non-Disney Pooh, you might like The Tao of Pooh. It's fun!

>41 PaulCranswick: It's certainly helped reduced the tbr stack.

>42 drneutron: I'm pretty sure I have that one on the shelves somewhere; I'll have to give it read soon.

14. The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton

I didn't like it when I had to read it in eighth grade and I still don't like it.

15. Who? by Algis Budrys

Aged very well for a Cold War-era sf novel, although in 2017 the central problem of the book would have been solved in no time with a DNA test.

16. The Jewels of Aptor by Samuel R. Delany

17. Human Acts by Han Kang

It's not poorly written, but I can't help but think all the people who are praising it are mistaking suffering for profundity.

18. Doctormania by Cavan Scott

Pretty good Ninth Doctor graphic novel. Nothing to write home about, but it reminded me of how much I liked the first series of the show.

>47 amanda4242: mistaking suffering for profundity.

I like that, Amanda.

Have a great weekend.

19. Feast Of The King's Shadow by Chaz Brenchley

20. The Blue Hour by Isabelle Simler

Beautiful picture book done predominately in shades of blue.

Amanda, the BAC thread is up:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/247719

Thanks for offering to deputise. xx

>53 PaulCranswick: No problem. You have a lot going on this year so do let me know if you need a hand.

21. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

A truly kick-ass novel based on Russian folktales.

22. A Prayer for the Dying by Stewart O'Nan

When a book has the word dying in the title I don't expect it to be a laugh riot, but damn that was way more depressing than I expected.

>54 amanda4242: Thank you Amanda. xx

23. The Witch's Vacuum Cleaner and Other Stories by Terry Pratchett

A collection of some of his earliest works, written in his late teens and early twenties for a newspaper's children section. The stories aren't particularly sophisticated, but they're charming and silly and made me smile. I especially liked the stories of Llandanffwnfafegettupagogo, the wildest town in the wildest west of all wests: Wales.

24. Binti: Home by Nnedi Okorafor

A year after her dramatic arrival at university, Binti is struggling to find a place among her peers, is living with PTSD from witnessing the massacre aboard her transport ship, and feels guilty over leaving her home and family. She decides to return home to attempt to heal and reconnect with her family, taking her friend Okwu with her as the first Meduse to visit Earth in peace. While initially glad to see Binti home, it's not long before the recriminations start and dangerous tensions rise over her bringing a Meduse with her.

I found myself enjoying Binti: Home far more than I did its predecessor, which I thought was a little weak in the world-building; in this volume Okorafor does a better job in showing what it is Binti does and what it means to be a "harmonizer." That being said, it is still Binti and her journey of self-discovery that makes me want to read more.

I would give this novella four stars but I have to ding it a bit out of spite for the cliffhanger ending.

25. Strata by Terry Pratchett

I feel as if I've been given a peak down the other leg of the Trousers of Time into a world where Sir Terry decided Discworld should be science fiction rather than fantasy. Strata is a hodgepodge of various science fiction tropes mixed together with a generous helping of irreverence. Set mainly on a disc world*, the story is basically about a planet builder traveling around this impossible planet trying to figure out how the hell it works. Truth be told, it's not a terribly good book**, but it has so much in it that obviously was recycled into the Discworld series that I can't help but feel a deep affection for it.

*But not theDiscworld

**Although I've read far worse

26. There Once Lived a Girl Who Seduced Her Sister's Husband, and He Hanged Himself: Love Stories by Ludmilla Petrushevskaya

An excellent reminder that love stories don't have to be about romance or have happy endings.

Hi, Amanda. I saw your post over on the BAC thread and was led to your reviews. I enjoyed them and distributed a few thumbs. I love a succinct, witty review.

>62 Matke: Thank you!

27. Design for Living by Noel Coward

28. Covenant with Hell by Priscilla Royal

29. Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Volume 5 - The Twist by George Mann

Two rollicking good Twelfth Doctor adventures made all the better, imho, for not having Clara in them.

The first story finds the Doctor attending a rock concert on a space station where he meets Hattie, the band's bass player and his companion for the book. Soon the two of them are trying to solve a murder and uncover the hidden secrets of the station. Story two has the Doctor and Hattie trying to help a family with a house that has suddenly become bigger on the inside...

I enjoyed this one much more than I have the previous Twelfth Doctor graphic novels--and not just because it is Clara-free. The first story has the Doctor fighting to protect non-humans from humans, something that isn't seen often enough; the second story, while hardly mind-blowing, is a well told tale with characters who actually do more than sit around and let the Doctor save them. Hattie is an intelligent and thoughtful companion whom I wouldn't mind seeing again. And on top of all that, the art is fantastic.

>60 amanda4242: Next week will see my first attempt at reading Terry Pratchett.

The Discworld books of Terry Pratchett
Are a habit but I've yet to catch it;
Next week is my first try
And I'll know by and by
Where, verily I need to bury the hatchet.

Have a lovely weekend.

>67 PaulCranswick: :)

30. A Walk in Wolf Wood by Mary Stewart

Younger readers will probably enjoy this more, but it's still a decent read for an adult.

Well I am almost finished with my first Discworld book, Amanda and it won't be the last.

I am almost through my first Discworld book, Amanda and it won't be the last one.

I'm glad to hear it, especially since the series gets way better.

>72 amanda4242: That's good!

31. Satan's Lullaby by Priscilla Royal

32. James Bond Volume 2: Eidolon by Warren Ellis

33. Around the World in Eighty Days by Michael Palin

>74 amanda4242: Don't know about you, Amanda, but I was a little disappointed with Palin's book. It seemed to lack either the insight or humour I would have expected of him.

Have a great weekend.

>75 PaulCranswick: I liked it as a companion to the series, but consider on its own it's not the best.

34. A Kind of Loving by Stan Barstow

Too soap opera-ish for my taste.

35. Georgy Girl by Margaret Forster

The cover of my copy declares Georgy Girl "sharp, affectionate and very funny"; clearly these words had different definitions in the 60s than they do now.

>77 amanda4242: & >78 amanda4242: That's a quick start to March BAC, Amanda and 0 for 2! Both of them are possibles for me next month and I shall try not to be put off by your splendid put-downs!

>79 PaulCranswick: A Kind of Loving was well-written, but wasn't to my taste; Georgy Girl was dreadful all around.

36. Up the Junction by Nell Dunn

37. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John Le Carré

I'll stick with Bond, thank you very much.

>81 amanda4242: & >82 amanda4242: 0 for 4 - wow my picks are going down a bomb!

>83 PaulCranswick: I liked Wide Sargasso Sea when I read it several years ago so there's at least one March book I like.

38. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

>85 amanda4242: I enjoyed that one a few years back.

39. The Drowned World by J.G. Ballard

Another March pick I like! Even though the characters and plot seem like an afterthought, the world Ballard created and the richness with which he describes it are enough to make me forgive almost all of the books shortcomings.

40. How to Talk to Girls at Parties by Neil Gaiman

Graphic novel adaptation of one of Gaiman's stories with pretty good art.

41. Troll Bridge by Neil Gaiman

42. Doctor Who: Sins of the father by Nick Abadzis

43. The Familiar, Volume 1: One Rainy Day in May by Mark Z. Danielewski

Did not improve on rereading.

44. The Hanging Tree by Ben Aaronovitch

45. The Magic Toyshop by Angela Carter

A strange book that's part Gothic novel and part fairy tale. I found the main character annoying at first, but she grew on me and I wound up really enjoying this one.

46. Land of Shadows by Priscilla Royal

47. Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the House of the Night of Dread Desire by Neil Gaiman

A graphic novel adaptation of one of my favorite Gaiman stories. The art is fantastic, with a kind of Cabinet of Dr. Caligari vibe to it.

48. Final Girls by Mira Grant

49. The Familiar, Volume 2: Into the Forest by Mark Z. Danielewski

>93 amanda4242: So I make that 4 duds and 3 goods this month so far, Amanda on the BAC which is much better after a dodgy start.

>98 PaulCranswick: Not too bad, and I'll probably find a couple more I'll enjoy.

>99 amanda4242: I really ought to go back and check what is the most BAC books you have read in a month is!

>100 PaulCranswick: That would be when I read eleven books by Penelope Lively and Kazuo Ishiguro in January 2015.

50. The Familiar, Volume 3: Honeysuckle and Pain by Mark Z. Danielewski

51. The Familiar, Volume 4: Hades by Mark Z. Danielewski

52. The L-Shaped Room by Lynne Reid Banks

When I started this book I thought, "Oh god, another one with an unmarried woman getting pregnant", but I soon found myself warming-up to Miss Jane Graham when she informed her doctor that he should confirm a pregnancy before offering an abortion. I was so pleased that Banks didn't have Jane wallow in misery or spend all her time trying to secure a husband; she created a character who has many flaws, but is generally sensible and who learns and grows.

Despite my affection for the main character, I was sadden by the casual racism and homophobia in the book. I found an interview Banks gave in 2000 saying she was embarrassed by that aspect of the book.

In summary, painfully dated in some ways, but still worth reading.

>101 amanda4242: Your ability to dredge up such information is impressive, Amanda!

>105 PaulCranswick: In this case all I did was look at the links at the bottom of the book's Wikipedia page.

53. The Pumpkin Eater by Penelope Mortimer

Another one for the dislike column.

>107 amanda4242: I hope your next read is better for you, Amanda!

Happy weekend :)

>108 alcottacre: Thanks! And welcome back!

>109 amanda4242: It is good to be back, believe me!

54. The Garrick Year by Margaret Drabble

At least no one was pregnant in this one.

55. A Compass Error by Sybille Bedford

An unpleasant book which consists of characters speaking to each other in an affected way, a fifty page info dump about the main character's grandmother and mother, and tedious monologues from a narcissist.

56. The Proud Sinner by Priscilla Royal

57. Jacaranda by Cherie Priest

16 of your 57 books to date have been B.A.C. books which is mightily impressive. 11 this month so far ties your best ever - a number 12 this month?

>115 PaulCranswick: I'm actually at 19 for the year since I skipped ahead and read a few by Neil Gaiman, a December author. As for this month, while I've read 11 of this month's titles, I finished a few of them in February so my total BAC reads in March is actually 9. I have a few more March titles on hand so I may yet beat my own record!

58. The Long March & The Clap Shack by William Styron

For the AAC. Not recommended.

59. Doctor Who: Supremacy of the Cybermen by George Mann and Cavan Scott

Too much packed into too small a space with not very good art.

>116 amanda4242: However I muddle up counting them - it is by any stretch of the imagination impressive reading, Amanda.

Have a lovely weekend.

60. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte

I think it is an excellent book, but the middle dragged some and Helen could be a bit preachy. I really enjoyed how Bronte flipped around the Gothic trope of "innocent girl becoming fascinated by mysterious man living in imposing house."

61. The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England by Dan Jones

Fascinating and an enjoyable read. The dynasty wasn't overly burdened with likable people, but they did achieve many great things and leave an indelible mark on the country.

>120 amanda4242: I'm hoping to read The Plantagenets later this year. It's been on the list for a long time, and I identified it as one I'd like to finish this year.

>121 thornton37814: It's long, but it's divided into ~100 page sections with short chapters so it moves along pretty quickly.

62. Ragnarok: The End of the Gods by A.S. Byatt

Kind of boring. There's a barely there framing story about a "thin child" during WWII reading a book about the Norse gods but the book's little more than thumbnail tellings of some myths.

63. Constantine, Volume 1: The Spark and the Flame by Ray Fawkes and Jeff Lemire

A so-so story starring a sanitized Constantine. Not great, but it could have been much worse.

64. A Darker Shade of MAgic by V.E. Schwab

Great fun to read!

65. The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart

A little slow in places, but still a good read.

>126 amanda4242: I think that is a pretty fair assessment, Amanda. xx

66. In Patagonia by Bruce Chatwin

Kept putting me to sleep.

67. Penric's Demon by Lois McMaster Bujold

What a charming novella! I am now anxiously awaiting the sequel to arrive at the library.

68. How to Read and Why by Harold Bloom

As erudite and unapologetically snobby as I expected. I probably would have been better off reading the books Bloom discusses, but that may have been his point.

>120 amanda4242: I need to get to The Plantagenets soon. Thanks for the recommendation, Amanda!

>129 amanda4242: I will have to give that one a try too.

Happy Easter, Amanda!

>131 alcottacre: Happy (belated) Easter to you, too!

69. Angels and Insects by A. S. Byatt

A collection of two essentially unrelated novellas. The first novella, "Morpho Eugenia," was a well-crafted tale of the similarities between human and insect behavior; "The Conjugal Angel" was a nearly incomprehensible mess about Spiritualists and Tennyson.

70. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

Loved it now as much as I did when I was a kid.

>133 amanda4242: To be honest I am not really looking forward to my Byatt read. I have changed it to The Biographer's Tale as The Children's Book is so bloody long and I am not in the mood for it. I brought 10 books to Florida with my and have read three of them already!

>135 PaulCranswick: I haven't been impressed by Byatt, but she isn't completely awful.

If you run out of reading material, there are a few books stores in this country.

71. A Bouquet of Barbed Wire by Andrea Newman

Revolting.

72. Constantine, Volume 2: Blight by Ray Fawkes

Who the hell thought it was a good idea to turn Constantine into an action hero?!

Some of the many problems in this collection: a story arc that has huge chunks of the story missing; characters appearing and disappearing with no explanation; a Constantine that is slinging around spells like bullets instead of conning his way out of trouble; and, worst of all, Constantine sounds like an American.

Honestly, I'd rather re-watch the awful Keanu Reeves movie than read this crap.

>138 amanda4242: Ouch. :)

>139 drneutron: Yep, that one hurt.

73. Yvain: The Knight of the Lion by M. T. Anderson, illustrated by Andrea Offermann

Lovely book.

74. The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath by H.P. Lovecraft

Well, that was weird.

75. What Makes This Book So Great by Jo Walton

Fantastic! It's a collection of blog posts Walton did for tor.com, mostly concerning her re-readings, but it also has entries on what not to say when you meet an author, different types of series, and a lament that George Eliot never tried writing science fiction. Highly recommended.

Congratulations on hitting 75, Amanda!
And with an appropriate title ;-)

>144 FAMeulstee: Thank you!

76. Castle Rackrent by Maria Edgeworth

I enjoyed it, although I'm sure I missed quite a bit by not knowing much about late 18th century Irish history. The glossary is not to be skipped!

Congrats on blowing past 75!

>147 drneutron: Thanks!

77. Lady Susan by Jane Austen

It's a bit rough, but it raises catty gossip to an art form.

Well done for zipping past 75 so efficiently and giving me plenty of smiles with your succinct and very decided reviews.

Have a great Sunday.

>150 PaulCranswick: Thanks.

78. Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

Phenomenal.

>143 amanda4242: I am slowly (as I am taking tons of notes!) but surely making my way through that one.

>153 alcottacre: Wonderful, isn't it? Of course, it *did* increase my tbr list...

79. Marble Skin by Slavenka Drakulić

Not to my taste.

Just realized you are past 75 already. Congrats!

>156 thornton37814: Thanks!

>154 amanda4242: Yes, it is wonderful!

80. Constantine, Volume 3: the Voice in the Fire by Ray Fawkes

Much better than the last collection but still nowhere near the old Hellblazer.

81. Lady Mechanika, Volume 1: Mystery of the Mechanical Corpse by Joe Benitez

Fun steampunk adventure graphic novel. I do wish that someone had told the writer the difference between the pupil and iris and the definition of decimated.

82. Lady Mechanika, Volume 2: The Tablet of Destinies by M.M. Chen

Great adventure story with sumptuous art.

83. Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany

Why did I wait so long to read this?! An excellent book that's aged pretty damn well.

>160 amanda4242: Delany is fabulous, isn't he?

>160 amanda4242: Not read any Delany, so I am going to have to track some of his stuff down!

>161 scaifea: Yes, although he be a bit...esoteric at times.

>162 alcottacre: Babel-17 would be a good place to start. I also liked The Ballad of Beta-2, although it's not one of his best.

84. Corridors of Power by C. P. Snow

Snorefest.

85. Infernal Parade by Clive Barker

A collection of interconnected stories which were originally written to go with a collection of figurines. The stories are inventive, but they never build to anything.

86. Constantine, Volume 4: The Apocalypse Road by Ray Fawkes

Much better than the previous three volumes. Here we see something of Constantine as he is in Hellblazer: a guy with a bit of magical knowledge saving the world with a con and leaving a trail of dead friends in his wake. Not perfect, but didn't make me want to hurl the book across the room.

87. Frida's Bed by Slavenka Drakulic

Not bad. It helps to know a bit about Frida Kahlo's life and her paintings before reading it.

Still reading at a fair old clip, I see, Amanda. xx

88. The Hellblazer, Volume 1: The poison truth by Simon Oliver

Fuck DC. Just...fuck 'em.

>168 PaulCranswick: Have to fill my time somehow as we can't all be jet-setters. ;)

>169 amanda4242: Yeah, I'm done with DC. I'm so over this whole rebirth thing.

>171 drneutron: Awful stuff, isn't it?

I wonder if Trump will read the US Constitution before he replaces it and notice that outlawing slavery would have prevented The Civil War...?

>173 m.belljackson: ???

>174 amanda4242:

Just prompted by thinking about being done with Washington DC.

>175 m.belljackson: Um, okay. Not sure how you got politics out of a Hellblazer discussion, but I would prefer that my thread remain free of political discussions.

>176 amanda4242:

Thank you. I'm new here and so just learning which Threads to avoid.

We were actually talking about DC the comics, not DC the city. :)

>177 m.belljackson: You don't have to avoid my thread unless you want to. I like to stay away from politics because they can turn a thread toxic in a heartbeat.

>178 drneutron:

Thank You!

I was going quickly through many of these longer Threads that had never been visited
and so did not read the entire discussion.

From recently reading so many other LT Threads,
I just assumed DC was a new way of saying 'things.'

89. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

It's amazing that the creation of the monster is usually one of the most memorable scenes in the movies, but in the book it's only bare glimpse and dealt with in just a couple of pages. And the eloquence of Frankenstein's creation! His descriptions of gaining awareness and his wonder at beholding nature are incredibly moving passages.

Just catching up after a long tax season!

>66 amanda4242: I think I'd have to agree with you about Clara. I haven't kept up on my Doctor Who reading for some years, but definitely keeping up on the show - I assume you watch? I have to say that I don't care much for many of the New Who companions. The love interest with the Doctor just really turns me off. That's probably why my favorite New Who companion is Donna with the second being Amy - well, technically, I actually think I liked Rory better. And Nardole is shaping up to be quite likeable - I'd rather see him than Bill.

>89 amanda4242: As always, I think most movies really make a hash out of the books. Frankenstein is one that the movies really turned into something else entirely. It's been many years since I've read the book, but I always found the monster to be a very sympathetic character, goaded by others into the horrible things he did. The movies make him something to be afraid of, while I think he was really someone to be pitied or even sympathized with.

>169 amanda4242: >171 drneutron: I'm a Marvel girl, myself!

>160 amanda4242: Been meaning to read Babel-17

>182 rretzler: I've only seen the first episode of the new season but I do like Bill more than Clara...of course, I like Daleks more than I like Clara.

I don't read Marvel myself, but do remember seeing the news that they made Captain America Hydra...sounds like things are as fucked-up there as they are at DC.

90. Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor

Slow-moving and scattered. It's not bad, but I won't ever read it again.

>184 amanda4242: Too funny - I would also say that I like Daleks more than Clara...or Rose...or Martha...and I'm not really big on River either, just don't see why so many people like her.

I guess I must have missed Captain America being made Hydra...sigh!

>186 rretzler: I liked River's introduction and The Husbands of River Song, but I think most of her story line was really poorly written, which is a shame as she was one of the few companions who was actually an intellectual equal to the Doctor.

Wishing you a great weekend, Amanda. xx

91. Believe Me: a memoir of love, death, and jazz chickens by Eddie Izzard and Laura Zigman

I was excited when I saw this one offered on First to Read because I've long been a fan of Izzard's stand-up. His memoir is written in the same stream of consciousness style as his comedy, but it doesn't work nearly as well on the page as it does on stage; in print, it's rambling and repetitive, with no clear sense of a time-line. I do wonder if it would be better listening to him read it.

Despite the style, it was a fairly interesting book and Izzard isn't given to bragging or name dropping; mostly, he wrote about his family and childhood, and how his success is the result of self-confidence and a lot of hard work.

92. A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle

In A Wrinkle in Time we learned that the evils of communism could be defeated by the power of love. In A Wind in the Door we learn that sickness is caused by evil attacking creatures which live on mitochondria and that the evil can be stopped by the power of love. Honestly, I don't understand why people love this series.

>188 PaulCranswick: Thanks!

93. Empire Star by Samuel R. Delany

94. Lucy by Jamaica Kincaid

Not bad, but not good enough to justify the shelf space.

95. Rocannon's World by Ursula K. Le Guin

Enjoyable.

>192 amanda4242: I suppose it need not take up space anymore now that you've done and read it! Closing on 100 already!

>194 PaulCranswick: Books just keep following me home and I'm rapidly running out of free space so I've decided to try to get to some of the unread books on my shelves so I can decided if they're worth keeping.

96. In the Wake of the Plague: The Black Death and the World It Made by Norman F. Cantor

Complete crap. I made a list of some of the major annoyances:

1. Jumps around time and topics so it's hard to establish what the world was like pre- and post-plague.

2. Cantor never passes up a chance to demonize the Plantagenets, except for Richard II, who he describes as a "sensitive, intelligent monarch." I know the dynasty had more than its share of utter bastards, but was it really necessary to ridicule their sense of fashion?

3. He makes claims without providing any evidence. (King John was manic-depressive, Richard II was gay)

4. He treats legends and rumors as facts. (Robin Hood, the story of Edward II and the hot poker)

5. Focuses almost exclusively on England

6. Paints medieval people as stupid and superstitious.

Avoid this one like the, well, you know.

>189 amanda4242: A Wrinkle in Time was one of my favorite books growing up. I think I first read it when I was 8-9 and I was fascinated by the idea of a tesseract and travel through different dimensions and the fact that Meg and Charles Wallace were very smart and misfits at school (I could relate to this somewhat.) This was maybe the first science fiction book that I had ever read, and I loved it. Unfortunately, at that age, I totally missed the religious connotations, which turned me off upon later rereads. The basic plot, like that of many other books and movies, is good versus evil - the good here taking the part of love and family. I like the fact that it sends the message that its okay to be smart - most books are written about the average kid, and the smart kid is the one who gets picked on. I still enjoy the book, except for the religious parts, because of the good sci-fi and the characters. However, I didn't really enjoy the rest of the series, it just fell flat for me - but that's possibly because I read those books as an adult. Just my opinion.

>197 rretzler: I had to read A Wrinkle in Time when I was in sixth grade and I hated it then; I remember feeling like I was being talked down to and that the kids did not speak like any kids I had ever met. My opinion of it went even lower when I reread it last year. Despite the alleged intelligence of Meg and Charles Wallace they don't really solve anything by using their brains, relying instead on Meg's love for her creepy little brother to save the day...and isn't it just typical that it's the girl who's the emotional one? And the sci-fi I found to be really fantasy with some misused scientific terms thrown in.

Well, now that I've had my rant I feel better. Thank you for sharing your experience of the book, even though we will never agree on its merits.

97. Planet of Exile by Ursula K. Le Guin

Another one I enjoyed. It's not a great novel, but I do like the detail Le Guin puts in to her worlds.

98. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft

Made some good points but was mostly long-winded and classist. Also, given her dislike of novels, I wonder what Wollstonecraft would have said about her daughter writing one of the world's most well-known novels.

>200 amanda4242: I have that one on the shelves too, Amanda. She would have probably criticised her daughter publicly and been extremely proud of her privately.

Have a great weekend.

>201 PaulCranswick: She came across as really judgmental, so she may have been even worse in private.

Hope you enjoy your weekend.

99. Penric and the Shaman by Lois McMaster Bujold

Very good.

I think it's time for a new thread.