Mahsdad's (Jeff) 2017 Thread - Part 4

Welcome to thread #4 for 2017.

If you're new, my name is Jeff. I live in Southern California. I'm an avid reader. My wife might say I'm bordering on the obsessive. But then, I think that could apply to a lot of us in this group. I also enjoy photography, movies, hiking and playing games and hanging out with my family. Book-wise, I have a pretty eclectic taste in what I read and I hope to give you not so much reviews but my impressions about what I read.

What you will find here is mostly my rambling, way too many (according to some :) ) Wishlist and TBR pile temptations and a smattering of my photography. I don't really make a plan for what I'm going to read thru out the year. Its mostly what strikes my fancy from the TBR piles. This year, I received many wonderful books from our Christmas Swap and SantaThing, so I think that will provide me with a good list to start with.

This is my 5th year in the group, but my 4th after stepping out of the shadows and started being an active participant.

2013 Reading Thread
2014 Reading Thread
2015 Reading Thread
2016 Reading Thread

Come on in and sit a spell...

Welcome!

As much as I hate to admit it, it will SOON, be looking a lot like a year end holiday that I don't want to admit is coming WAY too fast

2017 Statistics

December
78. Turtles All the Way Down - John Green
77. One Shot - Lee Child (A)
76. Civilwarland in Bad Decline - George Saunders
Favorite:


November
75. Die Trying - Lee Child (A)
74. The View from the Cheap Seats - Neil Gaiman
73. The Berlin Project - Gregory Benford (A)
72. My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry - Fredrik Backman
Favorite:


October
71. Kill or be Killed Vol 2 - Ed Brubaker
SS. Navigators - Mike Meginnis - (A)
70. Strange Weather - Joe Hill (ER)
69. Paper Girls Vol 3 - Brian Vaughan (GN)
68. Boomsday - Christopher Buckley
67. Dragon Teeth - Michael Crichton (A)
Favorite:

2017 Q3

September
66. God Country - Donny Cates (GN)
65. Gwendy's Button Box - Stephen King (A)
64. The River of Time - David Brin
SS. No Man's Gun - Elmore Leonard (A)
63. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson (A)
SS. The Second Bakery Attack - Haruki Murakami : Short story
62. Pilot X - Tom Merrit
61. Kenobi - John Jackson Miller (A)
60. Descender Vol 4 - Jeff Lemire (GN)
Favorite:


August
59. Ready Player One - Ernest Cline
58. Number of the Beast - Robert Heinlein
57. Time Enough for Love - Robert Heinlein (A)
56. Descender Vol 3 - Jeff Lemire (GN)
55. The Sellout - Paul Beatty
Favorite:


July
54. The Cat Who Walked Through Walls - Robert Heinlein (A)
53. Last Night at the Lobster - Stewart O'Nan
52. The Circle - Dave Eggers
51. Forever War - Joe Haldeman (A)
50. Paper Girls, vol 2 - Brian Vaughan (GN)
49. Roadside Picnic - Arkady Strugatsky
48. Descender Vol 2 - Jeff Lemire (GN)
47. Human Acts - Han Kang (ER)
46. The Girls - Emma Cline (A)
45. Their Eyes were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston
Favorite:

2017 Q2

June
44. Descender, Vol 1 - Jeff Lemire (GN)
43. The Asylum of Dr Caligari - James Morrow
42. Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven - Sherman Alexie (AAC)
41. Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurtry
40. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - John Boyne


May
39. Kitchen Confidential - Anthony Bourdain (A)
38. Kill or be Killed, Vol 1. - Ed Brubaker (GN)
37. New Boy - Tracy Chevalier (ER)
36. American Gods - Neil Gaiman
35. Gulp - Mary Roach (A)
Favorite:


April
34. The Regional Office is Under Attack - Manuel Gonzales (A)
33. In the Walled City - Stewart O'Nan
32. Superman: Red Son - Mark Millar (GN)
31. Different Seasons - Stephen King (A)
30. Batman - Brian K. Vaughan (GN)
29. Saga Volume 7 - Brian K. Vaughan (GN)
Favorite:

2017 Q1

March
28. The Impossible Fortress - Jason Rekualak
27. Crescent Dawn - Clive Cussler (A)
26. Hellboy vol 8: Darkness Calls - Mike Mignola (GN)
25. The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins
24. Hellboy vol 7 : The Troll Witch and Other Stories - Mike Mignola (GN)
23. Interpreter of Maladies - Jhumpa Lahiri
22. End of Watch - Stephen King (A)
21. Hellboy Vol 6, Strange Places - Mike Mignola (GN)
20. Hellboy Vol 5, Conqueror Worm - Mike Mignola (GN)
Favorite:


February
19. The Things We Lost in the Fire - Mariana Enriquez (ER)
18. Hellboy Vol 4, Right Hand of Doom - Mike Mignola (GN)
17. Hellboy Vol 3, The Chained Coffin and Others - Mike Mignola (GN)
16. This Book is Full of Spiders - David Wong
15. Hellboy Vol 2, Wake the Devil - Mike Mignola (GN)
14. Finders Keepers - Stephen King (A)
13. Hellboy Vol 1, Seed of Destruction - Mike Mignola (GN)
12. Among Others - Jo Walton
11. An Abundance of Katherines - John Green
Favorite:


January
10. Paper Girls Vol. 1 - Brian Vaughan (GN)
9. Sunlight Pilgrims - Jenni Fagan (ER)
8. Road Rage - Stephen King (GN)
7. Trees Vol 2 - Warren Ellis (GN)
6. Trees Vol 1 - Warren Ellis (GN)
5. Red Badge of Courage - Stephen Crane
4. Identity Crisis - Brad Meltzer (GN)
3. Preacher Book Six - Gartth Ennis (GN)
2. Preacher Book Five - Garth Ennis (GN)
1. The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher - Hilary Mantel
Favorite:

Pulitzer's Read

Ongoing bucket list to read all the Pulitzer winning novels.

Total Read - 27

2017 -
2016 -
2015 - All the Light We Cannot See
2014 - The Goldfinch
2013 - The Orphan Master's Son
2012 - NO AWARD
- Swamplandia - Nominee
2011 - A Visit from the Goon Squad
2010 - Tinkers
2009 -
2008 - The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
2007 - The Road
2006 - March
2005 - Gilead
2004 -
2003 - Middlesex
2002 -
2001 - The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
2000 - The Interpreter of Maladies
1999 -
1998 -
1997 -
1996 -
1995 -
1994 -
1993 - A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain
1992 - A Thousand Acres
- My Father Bleeds History (Maus) (Special Awards & Citations - Letters)
1991 -
1990 -
1989 -
1988 -
1987 -
1986 - Lonesome Dove
1985 -
1984 - Ironweed
1983 - The Color Purple
1982 -
1981 - A Confederacy of Dunces
1980 -
1979 - The Stories of John Cheever
1978 -
1977 - NO AWARD
1976 -
1975 - The Killer Angels
1974 - NO AWARD
1973 -
1972 - Angle of Repose
1971 - NO AWARD
1970 -
1969 -
1968 - The Confessions of Nat Turner
1967 -
1966 -
1965 -
1964 - NO AWARD
1963 -
1962 -
1961 - To Kill a Mockingbird
1960 -
1959 -
1958 -
1957 - NO AWARD
1956 -
1955 -
1954 - NO AWARD
1953 -
1952 - The Caine Mutiny
1951 -
1950 -
1949 -
1948 -
1947 -
1946 - NO AWARD
1945 -
1944 -
1943 -
1942 -
1941 - NO AWARD
1940 - The Grapes of Wrath

Hugos Read

Ongoing bucket list to read all the Hugo winning novels

Total Read - 29

2017 -
2016 -
2015 -
2014 - Ancillary Justice (DNF)
2013 - Redshirts
2012 - Among Others
2011 -
2010 -
2009 - The Graveyard Book
2008 - The Yiddish Policemen's Union
2007 -
2006 - Spin
2005 -
2004 -
2003 -
2002 - American Gods
2001 - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
2000 -
1999 - To Say Nothing of the Dog
1998 -
1997 -
1996 - The Diamond Age
1995 -
1994 -
1993 -
1992 -
1991 -
1990 -
1989 -
1988 - The Uplift War
1988 - Watchmen - category : Other forms
1987 - Speaker for the Dead
1986 - Ender's Game
1985 - Neuromancer
1985 - The Crystal Spheres - David Brin - Short Story
1984 - Startide Rising
1983 -
1982 -
1981 -
1980 -
1979 -
1978 -
1977 -
1976 - The Forever War
1975 -
1974 - Rendezvous with Rama
1973 -
1972 -
1971 - Ringworld
1970 - Left Hand of Darkness
1969 - Stand on Zanzibar
1968 -
1967 - The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
1966 - Dune
1965 -
1964 - Way Station
1963 -
1962 - Stranger in a Strange Land
1961 - A Canticle for Leibowitz
1960 - Starship Troopers
1959 -
1958 -
1956 -
1955 -
1953 - The Demolished Man

Retro Hugos - this are given for years when no award was given (more than 50 years ago). Of those...

1939 - The Sword in the Stone
1951 - Farmer in the Sky
1954 - Fahrenheit 451

National Book Award Winners

2015 - Fortune Smiles
2014 - Redeployment
2001 - The Corrections
1988 - Paris Trout
1983 - The Color Purple - hardback award
1981 - The Stories of John Cheever - paperback award
1980 - The World According to Garp - paperback award
1953 - Invisible Man

Forgot to save a slot for the Man Booker winners, so I'll put them here as well.

Man Booker Books
2002 - Life of Pi
2009 - Wolf Hall - sadly I never finished this, never hooked me.
2016 - The Sellout

2016 Recap Statistics

Total Read - 102

Owned - 10
Bought 2016 - 11
Free/Found - 5
Library - 4
Gift - 5
Audio - 18
eBook -
Early Review - 6
Graphic Novel - 39

The full list is still in my 2016 Thread (see above), but in no particular order, here are my 5 favs from last year.



Dark Matter - Blake Crouch
Grief is the Thing with Feathers - Max Porter
The Orphan Master's Son - Adam Johnson
All the Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr
Dodgers - Bill Beverly

Only the topper is up yet, so I'll be back to check out the rest. Happy new end-of-the-year thread!

Happy #4, Jeff!

>10 Berly: I got distracted by RL, and haven't updated my placeholders yet. Soon. :)

I also have to go around and Christmas Swap spam (lovingly), all the heavy hitters to spread the word. I want to get more people involved this year.

Happy new thread!

>12 mahsdad: You are welcome to spam me! It is my first time in the top ten, so I want to take full advantage. It may never happen again! ; )

I like many of your lists up above and may try a few of those myself next year. Also, I like the images each month of your favorite book.

It all goes in roundabouts Kim.

I forget where I got the idea of putting in the image for my favorite book of the month. I'm sure someone more clever than me around here. It certainly makes it easier at Year End Review time. :)

Happy New Thread, Jeff!

I enjoyed 4 out of 5 of your faves from last year. The only one I didn't read was The Orphan Master's Son, and my wife loved that one.

People doing good things with books. From CBS Sunday Morning today. The story of the BookThing (a name too close to our collective hearts that it needed to be shared). Russell Wattenberg, in Baltimore, runs a completely free book sharing/giving organization.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUoF-sXBX8Q

Taking tiny libraries to the extreme.

Amazon Prime is starting up Pilot Season again.

I just watched a really odd show called Sea Oak (starring Glenn Close), based on a short story by George Saunders , who wrote Lincoln in the Bardo.

"A lonesome woman comes back from the dead to live the life she was too afraid to live."

I think its only viewable by Prime members, but if you have it, its worth the 25 minutes.

>16 jnwelch: I missed your post Joe. Thanks for stopping by. Great minds think alike. Last year was a pretty good year for my top five. We'll have to see how this year breaks out.

Still reading Gaiman's NF The View from the Cheap Seats and loving it.

From his introduction to Alfred Bester's The Stars My Destination, comes..

"You can tell when a Hollywood historical film was mad by looking at the eye makeup of the leading ladies, and you can tell the date of an old science fiction novel by every word on the page. Nothing dates harder and faster and more strangely than the future."

>17 mahsdad: I saw that episode and it made me cry with joy. Love that guy!!

>18 mahsdad: I will look for that one. Thanks.

72. My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry - Fredrik Backman - My goodness what an excellent book. From its opening line "Every seven year old deserves a superhero" to its closing line (paraphrased) "Every seven year old deserves a superhero".

It's the sory of Elsa, a y hear old girl, and her Grandmother, and the quirky cast of characters that live in their complex (that include a quasi-giant with OCD and a creature that might be a dog, but is too darn big to be a dog) and the equally quirky cast of characters that inhabit the mysterious Land of Almost Awake. The place where Grandmother takes Else in the time before she is almost asleep.

After the Grandmother dies, Elsa finds herself on a quest to find and deliver apologies written by the Grandmother to their friend and aquaintences. At first I thought it was a magical urban fantasy story of a far away land, but it gradually became a much more moving story of family and love. I'm not doing it justice, other than to say its one of the est books I've read this year. It was one I had to stop reading when I was at a bar, to prevent myself from crying like a baby in public. Highly recommend.

"It wasn't me that started it! He said girls can't be Spiderman" "Yes, but why do you fight?" "Just because!" "You're not a kid, Elsa. You always say I should tread you like a grown-up. So stop answering me like a little kid. Why do you fight?" Elsa polks at the rubber seal in the door. "Because I'm tired of running."

(After a fight with her husband, Britt-Marie is asked Why?) "Because I like it when he shouts my name."

9/10

S: 10/22/17 - 11/2/17 (12 Days)

Still reading the Gaiman non-fiction. Middle section was essays/speachs and introduction the the comic world that I glossed over a bit, not really my milieu. But the next section got back to talking more about books and authors and book bullets galore.

Wanted to share a little bit about his thoughts on Edgar Poe (for some reason the touchstones won't work if I put in the Allen)

The best of Poe doesn't date. "The Cask of Amontillado" is as perfect a tale of vengeance as ever was crafted. "The Tell-Tale Heart" is a clear-eyed look through the eyes of madness. "The Masque of the Red Death" seems more relevant with every year that passes. The stories still delight. I suspect they always will. Poe isn't for everyone. He's too heady a draught for that. He may not be for you. But there are secrets to appreciating Poe, and I shall let you in on one of the most important ones: read him aloud.

Read the poems aloud. Read the stories aloud. Feel the way the words work in your mouth, the way the syllables bounce and roll and drive and repeat, or almost repeat. Poe's poems would be beautiful if you spoke no English...

...Neil Gaiman is my spirit animal...

>23 mahsdad:

Try "Allan."

I must have a mental block. Both are spelled wrong. Everyone knows it's spelled Alan.

And by everyone, I mean everyone named Jeff on this thread whose middle name is Alan, ie, me. ;)

You got me with a book bullet, Jeff. My Grandmother Asked Me sounds awfully good.

:)

Its funny, there's been quite a buzz about A Man Called Ove around here, and I had it on my WL, but my wife had picked Grandmother... up and I didn't make the connection until she was almost done.

I have Ove on the shelf, and I'm pretty sure I'll read his other books as well.

Happy New Thread, Jeff. Good review of My Grandmother Asked Me. Thumb! I really enjoyed Ove and Beartown, so I want to read more of his work.

I am waiting on my audio copy of Strange Weather to come in. Hope to get to it next month. Just about done with Sleeping Beauties. It's another Big Boy, but I am sure you would like it.

You are doing a fine job with the Christmas Swap. Very attentive and thorough.

>28 msf59: Thanks Mark. Since I have the spreadsheets of who participated the last 2 years, all I want to do it PM everybody who hasn't signed up and poke 'em. "Come on, you know you wanna". But I'm holding myself back. We had 32 in 2015, and 26 last year.

I want to see more participating, but I can't pester people too much. :)

BTW, I got a George Saunders. No I didn't get Lincoln in the Bardo (its not out in paperback yet), so I got Civilwarland in Bad Decline, his first collection of short stories. Looking forward to it.

>27 mahsdad: A Man Called Ove is great, Jeff.

>25 mahsdad:

Edgar Allan Poe

>31 m.belljackson: See, I told you spelled wrong. It should be Alan.

JK. Thanks for correcting it. Its interesting that both Edgar Poe and Edger Allan Poe both get to the right place. Though, Edger Poe just looks and sounds weird.

Civilwarland in Bad Decline is on my WL. I am a big fan of him now.

BTW- I just snagged an audio copy of My Grandmother Asked Me. Yah!

Given that I'm not commuting anymore, I don't have long uninterrupted stretches of time for audio, so something dense and literary just isn't cutting it right now for my listening pleasure.

So I'm turning to literary candy. My default would be something Stephen King that I haven't read in a while, but I couldn't find anything so I'm turning to a different direction. Thrillers, specifically Lee Child's Jack Reacher books. I'm currently listening to #2 : Die Trying, and its perfect for what it is, yard work and house cleaning reading. If you miss a page or two, no big deal.

Tho my brain does stutter a little bit, however, every time he describes Jack Reacher as 6'5'' and 250lbs and all I see is Tom Cruise. :)

>33 msf59: If you haven't snagged a copy of Civilwarland when I'm done, I'll send it to you.

Let me know how the narrator does on Grandmother... Elsa is the main character is supposed to be 7 (but she reads much older, IMO).

Tho my brain does stutter a little bit, however, every time he describes Jack Reacher as 6'5'' and 250lbs and all I see is Tom Cruise. :)

There's a special place in hell for whoever thought that was a good idea

I wonder if it was Cruise's production company that was part of getting the first one made?

I wish John Green was a member of our group. Oh the book bullets he would dish out.

From FB:

I've been on a run of great reading while recovering from vertigo. Today I read Jason Reynolds' new book LONG WAY DOWN. One of those stories where you find yourself holding your breath. Incredibly powerful. No wonder it got six starred reviews.

Boom head shot

>22 mahsdad: Yes! Loved My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry! And Poe, (Edgar Alan, that is), and Gaiman. You are on a roll. Tom Cruise should NEVER have been cast as Reacher. IMHO.

Wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving.

This is a time of year when I as a non-American ponder over what I am thankful for.

I am thankful for this group and its ability to keep me sane during topsy-turvy times.

I am thankful that you are part of this group.

I am thankful for this opportunity to say thank you.

Happy Thanksgiving, Jeff!

Happy new thread and belated Happy Thanksgiving wishes, Jeff.

>22 mahsdad: - Taking a BB for the Backman book. Sounds like a perfect read for me.

>39 Berly: >40 PaulCranswick: >41 kgodey: >42 lkernagh:. Thanks all for stopping by. I'm thankful for knowing you and all in the 75 Group.

Well, I'm behind on reviews and such, and I'm not normally one to toot my own horn.

But, sometimes you just have to.....

75 books have been read!

#75 was the audio version of the 2nd Jack Reacher book : Die Trying by Lee Child. Not exactly prize winning, but it was a fun read.

Congrats on 75!

Yay for 75!


You've been over here for TWO WEEKS and I just now found you. *blush* I also realize that I don't know why you aren't commuting anymore. Elucidate, please?

>46 richardderus:. We'll eventually, I do get enough visitors to push me to a new thread. LOL.

As far as commuting goes, last October (2016), I was asked to stop coming to work, my services were no longer required. Then in December, I got a new job that let me work from home, unless I have to go visit customers (like I am now, in Phoenix for the week)

I both miss it and don't miss it

>47 mahsdad: Yikes! And phew! And yay, I think. I'd like working from home unless I worked in the porn industry.

>46 richardderus: You forgot to put the number in the middle!!!!

>44 mahsdad: Congrats Jeff!!

Way to go on reaching the magic number, Jeff!

>44 mahsdad: Congratulations!

The magic 75! Way to go, Jeff!

Congratulations on reaching 75, Jeff!

Yay for 75!

Congrats!

Thanks everyone for 75 wishes. I appreciate it.

ER books for December came out today. I almost didn't think there was going to be anything of interest, but near the bottom was a new Christopher Moore called Noir. I've read a few of his stuff, and I find him interesting and funny. Going to give it a go.

Also, last month (tho it hasn't arrived yet), I got The Parking Lot Attendant by Nafkote Tamirat

Well I just realized that I do have something else I can post.... Fotos. Its been another slim year, but I can at least share my last image from my 2017 Calendar. So here's an image of King's Canyon (I think) up towards Yosemite.

Hey, while we're at it. Here's another. Over Thanksgiving we went to the Living Desert (a zoo/botanical gardens near Palm Springs), where they had a Christmas Light exhibit.

It was dark, almost too dark for images, but I had some fun with longish exposures and the zoom....

>57 mahsdad: wooooooow

>58 mahsdad: Cool!

I like Christopher Moore's stuff but a little goes a long way for me. Noir looks like it could be fun.

>58 mahsdad: Love that one!! And Christopher Moore. I am headed over to request it! ; )

74. The View from the Cheap Seats - Neil Gaiman - This is a collection of Gaiman's non-fiction work, to quote him from the introduction; This book is not "the complete nonfiction of Neil Gaiman." It is, instead, a motley bunch of speeches and articles, introductions and essays. Some of them are serious and some of them are frivolous and some of them are earnest and some of them I wrote to try and make people listen. You are under no obligation to read them all, or to read them in any particular order."

To be honest, I didn't read all of them. There was a section where he is writing introduction to graphic novels and comic artistic collections. These aren't really in my wheelhouse and I didn't know who a lot of these folks were, so I moved on. However, the majority I did read are wonderful examples of the mind and voice of Gaiman. In includes introductions to authors I either need to read, or forgot that I read them and need to read again. Reviews of some classic movies, interviews with musicians, several stories about his wife Amanda Palmer, a lovely eulogy of Terry Pratchett and his essay Make Good Art. Well worth your time.

From an introduction a Harlen Ellison collection : "It's true of the rest of the tales herein. They remain relevant; the only thing in the anthology that feels dated is the introduction, as Harlan grooves to Jimi Hendrix and points to Piers Anthony as an underground writer. But hell, no one reads introductions anyway. (Admit it. You're not reading this, are you?)"

"Make good art. I'm serious. Husband runs off with a politician? Make good art. Leg crushed and then eaten by mutated boa constrictor? Make good art. IRS on your trail? Make good art. Cat exploded? Make good art. Somebody on the Internet thinks what you do is stupid or evil or it's all been done before? Make good art. Probably things will work out somehow, and eventually time will take the sting away, but that doesn't matter. Do what only you do best. Make good art."

8/10

S: 11/2/17 - 11/24/17 (23 Days)

Slightly late Jeff with my salutations for reaching 75 and a belated thank you for your continued administration of the Christmas swap which brings so much anticipation and joy to us all.

>35 mahsdad: I would love your copy of Civilwarland in Bad Decline, Jeff. Thanks, sir.

The narrator of My Grandmother Asked Me is Joan Walker. Not familiar with her. I hope to get to this audio, in the coming weeks.

^A belated Congrats on hitting our magic number, Jeff. Excellent job. Hooray for The View from the Cheap Seats. I am fan of that collection too.

>61 mahsdad: Almost...almost...makes me willing to read Gaiman again. He's let me down every-single-time with his "endings" and I'm just not gonna forgive again. This, however, could be different.

Be daring, Jeff. You just might find gift-wrapping inside ze mailing box.

You certainly are weird, and that is a very good thing.

Thank you kind sir!

>64 msf59: >65 richardderus: Evidenced by both your posts, different strokes for different folks. Gaiman is a favorite of the Helm household. I think it would be worthy of consideration RD, especially in the sections where he's talking about his love of books (growing up, almost literally in a library) and the introductions to other authors. Lots of potential book bullets for me

>68 mahsdad: *sour face*

>69 richardderus: All I can do is recommend them, you choose whether or not to be hit by them. I can totally respect your not connecting and having no desire to read Gaiman. No harm, no foul.

First World Book Problems (or Book Pet Peeve). So I have the new John Green, Turtles All the Way Down and its signed. B&N, in its infinite wisdom, put a "signed copy" sticker on the front, and because the dust jacket is one of those new trendy "smooth" "tactile" covers, the damn sticker won't come off cleanly. If the jacket had been a slick/shiny one, no problem. Ah the price you pay for being artsy.

Its pretty good so far. 50 pages in and I've noted 2 interesting quotes for later. A good benchmark for me.

>70 mahsdad: Oh, now...false modesty and all that. I do so loathe the trend towards stickering absolutely everything when there are perfectly good bar codes on the jacket/covers. This sticker I can comprehend the purpose of, but surely in a world where we have terabytes of computing power in packages we can hold on our laps someone can invent a clean-release adhesive!

>71 richardderus: I'm sure the book jacket designers are getting ahead of the clean-release sticker designers. I've see more and more tactile/non-shiny books coming out (both in dust jackets and trade paper), that I'm sure are making the B&N stickers harder to get off. #firstworldproblems.

In other news, I finished book #77. Another Jack Reacher book One Shot : Russian Mobsters, mistaken identity, pretty young lawyers. You know, the usual stuff. Literary fast food. Perfect for audio around the house. :)

Just catching up here. Congrats on 77! I have ordered a Jack Reacher from the library...

: )

>72 mahsdad: The urge to make everything fancy-shmancy is going to be the death of us all. *shakes cane* Get off my lawn!

>72 mahsdad:

Lee Child has No Middle Name, a book of Jack Reacher short stories
coming out on January 2, 2018.

One, "Everyone Talks," was featured in last month's free online Season of Stories - pretty intriguing.

Hi my name is Jeff, and I'm addicted to books.

Even though I already have a box sitting under the tree from my secret Santa in this group, and am anxiously awaiting my SantaThing stash, I just can't help myself.

Last week, I had to get a copy of The Adventure's of Huckleberry Finn for my son's winter break assignment, I had to get something for myself. So I picked something off the wishlist, that hopefully no one will pick out for me. Plus, today I got November's ER books.

So...

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe - recommended in a John Green book review video
The Parking Lot Attendant - by Nafkote Tamirat

Both authors from a part of the world that is not generally in my wheelhouse, but I'm looking forward to it. Achebe (Nigeria) and Tamirat (though from Boston, she is Ethiopian)

Your tsundoku is showing, Jeff.

>75 m.belljackson: Actually, No Middle Name came out earlier in 2017. And his new full-length book is The Midnight Line, which was published last month. I'd be surprised if he had another book coming out in January.

>76 mahsdad: Honesty is the best policy although I am not sure I would try to fix this addiction.

>78 rosalita:

Well, that's odd - Barnes and Noble online still has No Middle Name listed as a pre-order for paperback and showed no hardcover listing.

>80 m.belljackson: That is very odd, I just checked and I reviewed it in June so would have read it then as well. Perhaps B&N just doesn't have any hardcover copies in stock?

"Hi my name is Jeff, and I'm addicted to books."

^Nice to meet you, sir! You should get along just fine around these parts. Grins...

I just started Vacationland: True Stories from Painful Beaches. You would love this one on audio. Hodgman narrates it and it is a hoot!

Yeah we are quite the group of enablers. :p

Thanks for the reminder about the Hodgman. I needed to add it to the WL.

Happy Yule Book Flood!

It is that time of year again, between Solstice and Christmas, just after Hanukkah, when our thoughts turn to wishing each other well in whatever language or image is meaningful to the recipient. So, whether I wish you Happy Solstice or Merry Christmas, know that what I really wish you, and for you, is this:

Hi Jeff, stopping by to wish you and your loved ones peace, joy and happiness this holiday season and for 2018!

Merry Christmas, Jeff!

Wishing you all good things this holiday season and beyond.

Merry Christmas everyone.

My Santa Bill (weird_o) out did himself, by sending me 7 choice selections that look like a mix of new and and used.

Tenth of December - George Saunders : Short story collection
The Path Between the Seas - David McCullough : History of the Panama Canal. I forgot that I had this one on my list (sin of riches)
The Hours - Michael Cunningham : one for the Pulitzer list
Beloved - Toni Morrison : another for the Pulitzer list
A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess
Some Luck - Jane Smiley
All the King's Men - Robert Penn Warren : Such a lovely old school 1963 edition from Time-Life books. Love it.

Also got 3 from Santathing (snigl3t) - None of which I had ever heard of, the books anyway
Stone Spring - Stephen Baxter
Revelation Space - Alastair Reynolds
Consider Phlebas - Iain M Banks

My MIL also got me a copy of Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point

All in all a wonderful booky Christmas

>90 mahsdad: That's a great booky Christmas, Jeff! Well done to your Santas, and enjoy!

A grand haul indeed. All the King's Men is in my top 5 for Great America Novel. Hope you can get to that one soon.

Happy Boxing Day!!

>90 mahsdad: Thanks be to library book sales, Jeff. And flat-rate priority mail boxes.

I got your name and perused your wish list before the last Bethlehem Library book sale of the year. Good books cheap. I also got a mailing box from USPS. Kept adding books until it was full. I hate that the mailing cost more than the books.

Glad you like the copy of All the King's Men. It's the copy I read decades ago. I inherited a newer copy (same story, though) from my daughter a few years ago. Decided to deaccession it and keep the newer volume.

It was a fun assignment for me. Glad you like them.

>90 mahsdad: That's a good haul! Iain M. Bank's Culture series is a classic. I've heard that Consider Phlebas is considered the weakest of the series but I enjoyed it when I read it a couple of years ago. I need to get back to reading the rest of them. Revelation Space is on my TBR list as well so I'll be interested to see what you think of it.

Thanks for everyone who stopped by over the holiday. I really appreciate it.

>94 weird_O: Bill, your buying techniques are decidedly not weird, and something to be admired. Well done.

One last (maybe) book to report for the year.

78. Turtles All The Way Down - John Green's latest YT novel. This one revolves around Aza and her struggles with love, friendship and OCD. Really well written and engaging (in my opinion). Not quite as powerful as TFIOS, but a great read. Rumor has it, it might not write another book, I hope not, he seems to be getting better with age.

Happy Holidays, Jeff!

I loved Turtles All the Way Down, too. I sure hope he keeps writing books.