Karen O's Eclectic Reading in 2018 - Second 75

Welcome to the SECOND page of my 2018 reading thread!

I've been with the 75-bookers for several years now, and I enjoy so much the camaraderie and book talk that happens here. I'm very glad to join with you all again!

The year 2017 was another terrific year for reading. I find myself reading pretty much as the spirit leads, although I participate in the Take It or Leave It project and have a great time doing that. I participated in the American Author Challenge, and plan to continue with them (as the spirit leads). A long-term project of mine is to accomplish reads from the "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die" book, so that may guide my reading a little. What directs my reading more are my friends here on LT, so keep those recommendations coming!

This is my tenth year participating in the 75 Books Challenge. In 2009, I read 94 books; in 2010, I made it to 148!; 153 in 2011; 160 in 2012; 114 in 2013; 92 in 2014; 109 in 2015; 145 in 2016, and 210(!) in 2017. I hope to be reading even more in the new year.

Here's a ticker to keep track of my 2018 reads :




Here's a ticker to keep track of my progress with "1001 Books":




Here's where I'll list the books I read, starting with (the number at the end of each line represents the post number where I placed my "review" for the book):

My first 75 books for the years are listed at the top of this thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/280009

And here I'll start with book #76:

76. The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell - 7
77. The Beat Poets (Everyman's Pocket Poetry Series) ed. Carmela Ciuraru - 8
78. Locke & Key: Small World by Joe Hill - 10
79. Saga, Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan - 11
80. Saga, Volume 2 by Brian K. Vaughan - 14
81. Saga, Volume 3 by Brian K. Vaughan - 15
82. The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman - 16
83. Fables, Vol. 14: Witches by Bill Willingham - 17
84. The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made by Greg Sesteros - 18
85. Dear Ijeawele, or, a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions by Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie - 19
86. The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths - 22
87. Fables, Vol. 15: Red Rose - 23
88. Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet Book 2 by Ta-Nehisi Coates - 24
89. Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet Book 3 by Ta-Nehisi Coates - 25
90. The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen A. Flynn - 26
91. Ancestral Journeys: The Peopling of Europe From the First Venturers to the Vikings by Jean Manco - 29
92. Moral Disorder and Other Stories by Margaret Atwood - 30
93. Dog Songs: Poems by Mary Oliver - 31
94. Dietland by Sarai Walker - 34
95. Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley - 36
96. Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time by Dave Sobel - 37
97. Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet Book 4 by Ta-Nehisi Coates - 38
98. Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet Book 5 by Ta-Nehisi Coates - 39
99. The Power by Naomi Alderman - 43
100. Saga, Vol. 4 by Brian K. Vaughan - 44
101. Saga, Vol. 5 by Brian K. Vaughan - 45
102. Fables, Vol. 16: Super Team by Bill Willingham - 46
103. Fables, Vol. 17: Inherit the Wind by Bill Willingham - 47
104. Llama Llama Misses Mama by Anna Dewdney - 48
105. Babe: The Gallant Pig by Dick King-Smith - 49
106. American Gods: Shadow #1 by Neil Gaiman - 50
107. Good Food, Good Life: 130 Simple Recipes You'll Love to Make and Eat by Curtis Stone - 51
108. The Electric Woman: A Memoir in Death-Defying Acts by Tessa Fontaine - 52
109. Bunnicula by Deborah Howe - 53
110. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan - 56
111. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie - 57
112. Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather - 58
113. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum - 59
114. Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children's Literature as an Adult by Bruce Handy - 60
115. Cat and Mouse by Gunter Grass (Book 213 of 1001) - 61
116. The Temple of My Familiar by Alice Walker (Book 214 of 1001) - 65
117. Tabloid City by Pete Hamill - 66
118. Secrets of the Congdon Mansion by Joe Kimball - 67
119. Black Panther: World of Wakanda #1 by Roxane Gay - 68
120. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer - 69
121. The Quiet Side of Passion by Alexander McCall Smith - 70
122. Ice Bear: In the Steps of the Polar Bear by Nicola Davies - 71
123. Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner - 74
124. The Donald J. Trump Presidential Twitter Library by Trevor Noah - 75
125. A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley - 77
126. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare - 78
127. Hickory, Dickory, Death by Agatha Christie - 79
128. Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou - 80
129. Sackett's Land by Louis L'Amour - 81
130. The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum by Temple Grandin - 82
131. For One More Day by Mitch Albom - 83
132. A Poem in Your Pocket (Mr. Tiffin's Classroom Series) by Margaret McNamara - 84
133. The Dinosaur Expert (Mr. Tiffin's Classroom Series) by Margaret McNamara - 85
134. Mary B.: An Untold Story of Pride and Prejudice by Jennifer B. Chen - 86
135. The Apple Orchard Riddle (Mr. Tiffin's Classroom Series) by Margaret McNamara - 87
136. Hellboy Library Edition Volume 1 by Mike Mignola - 88
137. How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? (Mr. Tiffin's Classroom Series) by Margaret McNamara - 90
138. Fables, Vol. 18: Cubs in Toyland by Bill Willingham - 91
139. Live Bait (Monkeewrench #2) by P. J. Tracy - 92
140. Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover - 93
141. Portraits of Courage: A Commander-in-Chief's Tribute to America's Warriors by George W. Bush - 96
142. Women & Power: A Manifesto by Mary Beard - 97
143. We Don't Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins - 102
144. The Restless Wave: Good Times, Just Causes, Great Fights, and Other Appreciations by John McCain - 103
145. Mirror, Shoulder, Signal by Dorthe Nors - 105
146. Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich by Adam Rex - 107
147. Fables, Vol. 19: Snow White by Bill Willingham - 108
148. Saga Vol. 6 by Brian K. Vaughan - 109
149. A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership - 111
150. Chapter Two: A Comedy in Two Acts by Neil Simon - 112
151. BE QUIET! by Ryan T. Higgins - 113
152. Mother Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins - 114
153. Unhinged: An Insider's Account of the Trump White House by Omarosa Manigault Newman - 121
154. Calypso by David Sedaris - 122
155. The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of the Lost World - 123
156. A Grumpy Book: Disgruntled Tips and Activities Designed to Put a Frown on Your Face by Grumpy Cat - 124
157. Texts From Jane Eyre: And Other Conversations with Your Favorite Literary Characters by Mallory Ortberg - 125
158. The Da Vinci Code (illustrated version) by Dan Brown - 129
159. Fear: Trump in the White House by Bob Woodward - 137
160. Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik - 138
161. Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwame - 139
162. The Outsider by Stephen King - 141
163. The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter by Theodora Goss - 142
164. Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jessmyn Ward - 143
165. The Houdini Box by Brian Selznick - 145
166. The Golden Compass The Graphic Novel, Volume 1 by Philip Pullman - 146
167. Mammoths and Mastodons of the Ice Age by Adrian Lister - 149

Here is where I'll list the authors selected for the 2017 American Authors Challenge, the books I will read, and if I complete them (here's hoping!)

2018 AAC

January- Joan Didion - White Album - COMPLETED
February- Colson Whitehead - Zone One - COMPLETED
March- Tobias Wolff - This Boy's Life - COMPLETED
April- Alice Walker - The Temple of My Familiar - COMPLETED
May- Peter Hamill - Tabloid City - COMPLETED
June- Walter Mosley - Devil With a Blue Dress - COMPLETED
July- Amy Tan - Joy Luck Club - COMPLETED
August- Louis L'Amour - Sackett's Land - COMPLETED
September- Pat Conroy - The Pat Conroy Cookbook: Recipes of My Life - November??
October- Stephen King - The Outsider - COMPLETED
November- Narrative Nonfiction - We Fed an Island: The True Story of Rebuilding Puerto Rico, One Meal at a Time by Jose Andres
December- F. Scott Fitzgerald -

My 2003 "Books Read" list (casually kept, and probably incomplete): http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2003-reading-list.html
My 2004 "Books Read" list (see above caveats: things get better!):
http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2004-reading-list.html
My 2005 "Books Read" list (most pathetic list yet): http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2005-reading-list.html
My 2006 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2006-reading-list.htm
My 2007 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2007-reading-list.html
My 2008 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2008-reading-list.html
My 2009 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2009-reading-list.html
My 2010 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2010-reading-list.html

Here is a link to my last thread from 2011: http://www.librarything.com/topic/122919

Here is a link to my last thread from 2012: http://www.librarything.com/topic/138897

Here is a link to my last thread from 2013:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/156012

Here is a link to my thread from 2014: http://www.librarything.com/topic/163564

Here is a link to my thread from 2015: https://www.librarything.com/topic/186139

Here is a link to my thread from 2016: http://www.librarything.com/topic/211096

Here is a link to my last thread from 2017: http://www.librarything.com/topic/268142#

Good reading to you!

Got a few books underway right now, shortly to be finished:

Beat Poets by Carmela Ciuraru
The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell
Ancestral Journeys (still!) by Jean Manco
Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children's Literature as an Adult (still!) by Bruce Handy
Circe by Madeline Miller (reading this slow because I got my own copy!)

So, a nice mixture of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Life is good!

Happy new thread, Karen, and congratulations on finishing 75 book reports! :-D

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Karen.

Well done for already zipping past the 75 book mark!

>3 FAMeulstee: Haha! Thanks for the kind words! >6 klobrien2: You, too, Paul!

We had a nice Memorial Day, including a "barbecue" which we did in the oven because it was just so blasted hot outside (we made it to 100 degrees F.!) Made hamburgers and turkey burgers with all the fixings (including mushrooms and Swiss), my Mom's recipe potato salad, cole slaw, etc. Really simple stuff, but it all turned out so well.

Have gotten a little reading in, but had a little slowdown when my Nook of many years finally kicked the bucket. I can't get it to switch on. I have a replacement, a Galaxy Tab 4 Nook, so once I got the little app installed, I was good to go. I need to get a case for the Galaxy, because it's a slippery little thing, and I would like to protect it a little better than I did my old Nook.

I'm trying to catch up on newspapers, magazines, and DVD watching, as well. We just started season 2 of Farscape, and we have "Three Billboards" home from the library. I'm watching season 7 of "Call the Midwife" (love it!) I'm using Netflix to watch the last season of "New Girl" and "Portlandia," and I see that "The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" has a new season. No shortage of TV shows to watch!

On the Doctor Who front, we have one season (4 stories) left to watch of the seventh Doctor, Sylvester McCoy. He's my favorite of the Doctors, I think, and his companion, Ace, is wonderful. We're nearing the end of the original Doctor Whos, then there's a big chronological gap until the reboot. It's been a very fun journey.

76. The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell

This one is the first in an upcoming series by the author of the How to Train Your Dragon books. This series has a young girl from the Warrior tribe who teams up with a young boy from the Wizards set to fight off a threat from the supposedly extinct Witches (in the book, the Witches represented the black magic side of things, and were not necessarily female). Great wordplay and lots of excitement in this book; can't wait for the next volume.

Here's a sample:

"If Queen Sychorax catches Xar, she'll put him in her dungeon forever not to mention take away the Magic of all his other sprites..."

"My mother's not as bad as all that!" objected Wish. "She's lovely!"

"Well, I wouldn't say lovely exactly," said Bodkin gloomily. "SCARY. That's what she is. SCARY. She is one scary mother."

"She's a queen and a mother and it's a mother's job to be scary," said Wish.

"Well, she's very successful at her job." Bodkin shivered.

Fun book, and I forgot to mention all of the great drawings that cover the pages! They are wonderful, and often hilarious (like the words). Get this book! It's a real treat.

77. Beat Poets (Everyman's Library Pocket Poets Series) ed. by Carmela Ciuraru

A sweet little collection of poetry, surprisingly eclectic to me (although I am the farthest thing from an expert). I loved seeing several women poets represented, as well as the female editor. There is also this interesting "Letters, Encounters, and Statements on Poetics" section at the end of the book. It reads almost as poetry itself! This was a great book to pick up at odd moments and read a few "morsels."

Here's one of my favorites: POEM IN PRAISE OF MY HUSBAND (TAOS) by Diana di Prima

I suppose it hasn't been easy living with me either,
with my piques, and ups and downs, my need
for privacy
leo pride and weeping in bed when you're trying
to sleep
and you, interrupting me in the middle of a
thousand poems
did I call the insurance people? the time you stopped
a poem
in the middle of our drive over the nebraska hills and
into colorado, odetta singing, the whole world
singing in me
the triumph of our revolution in the air
me about to get that down, and you
you saying something about the carburetor
so that it all went away.

but we cling to each other
as if each thought the other was the raft
and he adrift alone, as in this mud house
not big enough, the walls dusting down around us,
a fine dust rain
counteracting the good, high air, and stuffing
our nostrils
we hang our pictures of the several worlds:
new york collage, and san francisco posters,
set out our japanese dishes, chinese knives
hammer small indian marriage cloths into the adobe
we stumble thru silence into each other's gut
blundering thru from one wrong place to the next
like kids who snuck out to play on a boat at night
and the boat slipped from its moorings, and they look
at the stars
about which they know nothing, to find out
where they are going

(Rings so true!)

I just crack myself up when I type "libarrything" to come here! I promise you, I do pronounce the first (and second) "r"s in the correct places!

78. Locke & Key: Small World by Joe Hill

The Locke & Key series is done (I guess); now there will be assorted stories that involve the Keyhouse, all of the assorted keys, and the family who caretakes the house. This one involved a supernatural dollhouse, a real representation of the main house, in which the family in miniature live, and everything happens twice, once very small, and once human-size. Fun plot, and great drawing. Lots of behind-the scenes in this book, showing how the novel was developed.

79. Saga: Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan

Wonderful new-to-me series dealing with interspecies relationships, anti-war/pro-peace movements, lots of action. The writing and illustration are so well-done. This is going to be a real joy to read; I can tell with the first volume.

Happy new thread and congrats on reaching 75 books :)

Thanks! I've had a lot of good reading this year. I will be by to visit your thread!

Karen O.

p.s. well, I tried to find your thread but couldn't. Wah!

80. Saga, Vol. 2 by Brian K. Vaughan

Highly recommended. Really enjoying this.

81. Saga, Vol. 3 by Brian K. Vaughan

The main couple are new parents and are on the run from the establishment forces that would seek to do them harm. There is a bit of violence in the books, but the world presented is a violent world. Still really liking the series.

82. The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman

Just loved this first book in "The Invisible Library" series, and am glad to see there are many more books in the series. I saw the books mentioned somewhere on LT (sorry, can't remember where)--if it was on your thread, thank you VERY much! The book was kind of like steam punk, kind of like fantasy/SF, there are threads of romance and mystery, even crime thriller. And the love of books! Really liked this one.

83. Fables, Vol 14: Witches by Bill Willingham

Pretty dark episode in the series--"The Dark Man" has taken charge of the Fables refuge in NYC, and the Fables are trying to survive at the Farm and winter is coming. The witch Fables are stepping forward to deal with the threat.

There's a bonus story dealing with the alternate world Haven, where the Frog King/used to be the janitor reigns and dispenses justice. Fun baseball game between the goblins and the other Fables.

84. The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made by Greg Sesteros

Nicely-written book detailing the making of the cult movie, "The Room," and showing the relationship of the author with Tommy Wiseau, the actual "Disaster Artist."

I watched the original movie, "The Room," first; then watched "The Disaster Artist" (James Franco as director and actor); and now I've read the book that the second movie was based on. It's like peeling the layers!

I recently requested "The Room" again, to rewatch with a bit more knowledge about what I will be seeing.

85. Dear Ijeawele, or, a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions by Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie

I can't believe that I haven't read any Adichie, with all of the critically-acclaimed and reader-favorite books she has written! I will be remedying that lack in the future!

This little gem of a book is written as a letter to a friend who has asked for advice on how to raise her little daughter as a feminist. The fifteen "suggestions" are glorious in their simplicity and clarity, and I really feel like this book would be an excellent read for any parent of girls or boys. It has so much good advice for raising a thinking child. It never gets preachy or boring; there is a sense of humor throughout.

Can't say enough good about this book!

So, let's see. I'd like to post an update to what we are watching on the tube/DVDs, so here goes:

We just finished Farscape Season 2 (loving it); Season 3 is in at the library.
I am re-watching Babylon 5, and I just finished Season 1 (also loving it). There are a few Babylon 5 movies, and there was one that actually preceded the first season, so I'll play a little catch up with that before I start Season 2.
We watched the first episode of the Childhood's End min-series, and thought it was pretty good. There are three episodes in total, so I think the other two are next up for us.
I rewatched Nights of Cabiria today, and it still such a treat to me. Giulietta Masini was amazing, and the movie is masterful.

For current TV, we are following the current season of Elementary, and I am watching the last season of Portlandia, and the fifth season of New Girl.

Yes, we watch a lot of television! It sometimes interferes with reading (BOO!)

I am reading a number of books currently. I kind of dip into them as the spirit leads. It's great having so many on my Nook, so I don't have to lug physical books around. Here's what I have in process:

Ancestral Journeys I'm determined to finish this by this weekend
Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children's Literature as an Adult
Longitude
Moral Disorder short stories by Margaret Atwood
The Jane Austen Project
The Death and Life of the Great Lakes
two Black Panther graphic novels
one Fables graphic novel

This multiplicity is probably why I feel the needs to finish some things up! The "finishing" might be postponed because I have The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths and Macbeth by Jo Nesbo in at the library--first things first, you know!

86. The Dark Angel: Ruth Galloway Mysteries by Elly Griffiths

I've been waiting for this latest in the Ruth Galloway series forever, or so it seems. Very easy to read, enjoyable plot and location (Italy). The plot unfolds in two locations, actually--Italy, where Ruth has gone for a sort of working holiday, and back in England, where Nelson's family is threatened by a ex-prisoner with vengeance on his mind. No resolution on the romantic front (quite realistic, I guess).

I have one quibble with the book--some pretty shoddy editing. Things like missing punctuation or missing/wrong words. Here's an example: "Lots of ideas," says Angelo, "each more ridiculous THAT the last." (capital letters, mine). Truthfully, I found only a few of these, but each time they brought my reading to a screeching halt. Aaarrgh!

Except for these little goofs, I enjoyed the reading very much and finished the book in a day. And I'm impatient for the next volume!

87. Fables Vol 15: Red Rose by Bill Willingham

One of my favorites so far. BIG book has the "Red Rose" issues, which relate Snow White's and Red Rose's history and troubled past (though in a more adult fashion than any fairy tale I've ever read). This is the "Fables" way, to update and expand on the traditional tales.

The volume, which includes the 94-99th issues plus special over-size 100th issue of the original "Fables" publication, is full of a lot of bits and pieces, like story-like answers to celebrity questions about the series, and stories by guest artists. Lots of fun!

88. Black Panther: A Nation under Our Feet Book 2 by Ta-Nehisi Coates

This book is more coherent to me than the first one; I think that Coates is improving as he proceeds, or maybe I'm just more knowledgeable about the characters and the story. I'll definitely stick with the series.

89. Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet Book 3 by Ta-Nehisi Coates

See previous "report." Starting to really enjoy the series.

90. The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen A. Flynn

Wow! Great depiction of Jane Austen, in her world, in her time. The book is mostly about the world of Austen, showing what is known about the author and imagining the rest. This is science fiction, because there is time travel, and it is romance in places. And it seemed to me that there was a lot of homage to Austen's books, in plot points and character relationships. The book is a nice amalgam, and very fun to read.

>22 klobrien2: So glad you like the new Ruth book, Karen. I read the ebook version, and I can't remember specific instances of typos or bad typesetting but it is infuriatingly common with ebooks. With older books, it's often obvious they scanned a printed copy and didn't bother to read closely for OCR errors. I've even returned ebooks and asked for a refund if there are too many mistakes like that.

>27 rosalita: Definitely, asking for a refund is the thing to do. I had the new hardcover version. Oh, well! I still enjoyed the book anyway!

Thanks for stopping by to chat!

91. Ancestral Journeys: The Peopling of Europe from the First Venturers to the Vikings by Jean Manco

I've been working on this book for a while, but struggled with the sometimes deep (to me!) science that I was determined to understand fully. Once I decided to glean what I could from the genetic information, but concentrate more on the author's interpretations (aided by great illustrations, maps, and charts), the reading went much better.

This is a fascinating topic to me--prehistorical movements of people and how the interaction unfolded. The author of this book has a gift with words (as well as genetics). Here are a few of my favorites:

With new peoples came new languages. The steppe was a linguistic spread zone, which repeatedly experienced complete language replacement. It was also a trade route The famed Silk Road was in fact several routes, the northernmost of which crossed the steppe...the romantic name "Silk Road" was coined by a European explorer in 1877 and was taken up with enthusiasm.

This book has telescoped movements over millennia into such a rapidly moving parade that the reader could be forgiven for thinking that Europeans are afflicted with a collective form of St. Vitus's dance, always restless, never still for a moment. That is far from the case. The past is a weave of continuity and change.

92. Moral Disorder and Other Stories by Margaret Atwood

Collection of stories about one woman, which reads almost like a novel at times. Funny at times, sad at times, but beautifully written always. I read this book for the "read a book of short stories from a Canadian author" and this pick was spot on--there is a real feeling of Canada country settings here.

Atwood is one of my favorite authors; there really doesn't seem to be any format that she can't do well with. This book has been on my TBR for a while, and I'm so very glad to have read it.

93. Dog Songs: Poems by Mary Oliver

Lovely little book of poems about...dogs. Heart-warming, touching, sad, and happy. Oliver is turning out to be one of my favorite poets.

Here are a few of my favs from this book:

PERCY

Our new dog, named for the beloved poet,
ate a book which unfortunately we had
left unguarded.
Fortunately it was the Bhagavad GIta,
of which many copies are available.
Every day now, as Percy grows
into the beauty of his life, we touch
his wild, curly head and say,

"Oh, wisest of little dogs."

THE WICKED SMILE

"Please, please, I think I haven't eaten
for days."

What? Ricky, you had a huge supper.

"I did? My stomach doesn't remember.
Oh, I think I'm fading away. Please
make me some breakfast and I'll tell you
something you don't know."

He ate rapidly.

Okay, I said. What were you going to
tell me?

He smiled the wicked smile. "Before we
came over, Anne already gave me my breakfast,"
he said.

Be prepared. A dog is adorable and noble.
A dog is a true and loving friend. A dog
is also a hedonist.

Happy new thread Karen and congratulations on reading 75 books!

>16 klobrien2: Thank you for giving me a nudge to read The Invisible Library by listing it in the TIOLI challenge. I loved it too and hope to read the rest of the series over the summer.

>20 klobrien2: Oh, Babylon 5 is on my list of programmes to rewatch. I don't think I ever watched all the series the first time round (I can't remember why but I think I missed a key episode and nothing made sense after that).

>32 souloftherose: Oh, good! You're planning on reading the rest of The Invisible Library? I'll certainly join you in TIOLI if we can find a place for the books!

And I'm finding that some of the Babylon 5 shows seem familiar, but some I might not have seen before. I'm a real fan of rereading and rewatching anyway!

Thanks for stopping by to chat!

94. Dietland by Sarai Walker

I had started watching the "Dietland" series on OnDemand and was dismayed when the second episode wasn't available anymore without subscribing to AMC Premiere. Didn't want to do that, so I decided to read the book that the show was based on. Good choice! The book was fun to read, showing similarity to the TV show, but as I keep watching, they diverge more and more.

Good book about our culture of beauty and misogyny--fits right in with events in our world. I'd recommend this highly to anyone, basically.

The month is coming to a close and here's my reading plan for the rest of the month:

Devil in a Blue Dress 30% done
Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children's Literature as an Adult 30% done

As time and inclination allows:

New Moon 50% done
The Temple of My Familiar
Tabloid City
The Power
Macbeth Jo Nesbo
Circe
The Death and Life of the Great Lakes
Electric Woman
American Gods graphic novel! This is like my dessert after the above. I've read the book, seen the TV series, and just came across this graphic, which looks really good!

So many books, so little time.

95. Devil In a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley

This was a reread for me, but enough time had passed so that it seemed fresh. I love the Easy Rawlins characters, and I'm pretty sure that I'll be continuing in the series. Mosley conveys a sense of place and character so well.

96. Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time by Dava Sobel

Interesting story of the development of the first reliable chronometer, essential to accurate navigation at sea. But no illustrations, no maps, nada! I can only think that there was some legal restriction against use of photographs or drawings of the machines. That's my only gripe, and it's a minor one.

97. Black Panther Book 4: Avengers of the New World Book 1 by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Really liking this series! The plots and writing seem to be getting better and more smoothly written, or maybe I'm just getting used to the author and schooled in the characters and locations. The illustrations are as gorgeous as always.

98. Black Panther Book 5: Avengers of the New World Book 2 by Ta-Nehisi Coates

See above for my take on this book and the series. Lots of fighting and violence, and I guess I'm getting a little tired of that.

How are you enjoying the Black Panther books?

Hi! I'm really liking the later books more, I guess, as far as the writing goes. The illustration has been great throughout, but the earlier books were a little hard to follow (I wasn't familiar with any of the Black Panther mythology). Have you read any of them?

Thanks for stopping to visit!

I have not read any of them, though I've been tempted to.

99. The Power by Naomi Alderman

Exciting, horrifying look at a world where females gain a shocking (hehe) power at puberty, and the world is turned upside down. I was kept anxiously reading until the end, and it wasn't until I finished and went back to start again that I caught the deeper implications of the book. I LOVE that kind of twistiness.

100. Saga, Vol. 4 by Brian K. Vaughan

A few of us are reading these books for TIOLI (I hope we continue! I will, anyway). They are very well written and drawn and really imaginative. Very sad at points, too.

101. Saga, Vol. 5 by Brian K. Vaughan

Series is lots of fun to read, and a treat for the eyes. There are a lot of volumes in the set, so I'll be reading this well into next year. Fun!

102. Fables, Vol. 16: Super Team by Bill Willingham

Coming near the end of the series, but I think there are offshoots and prequels and all that to look forward to.

This one was really fun, with characters in "superhero" form, all working to reestablish "normal" Fable world.

103. Fables, Vol. 17: Inherit the Wind by Bill Willingham

One of Snow and Bigby's cubs is invisible, a wind creature (grandpa is the North Wind). The child's existence is threatened as he is considered an illegal and dangerous creature. The series continues to delight me.

104. Llama Llama Misses Mama by Anna Dewdney

I read this for the "repeating word in a title" TIOLI challenge, but it was a delight to read. I think I need to locate the whole batch of Llama Llama books.

105. Babe: The Gallant Pig by Dick King-Smith

I loved the movie that was based on this book, and I love the book. Written with humor and wit, it tells the story of Babe, the pig who wants to herd sheep, and becomes excellent at it by being polite and gentle to the sheep. Well, he's also very smart, too.

106. American Gods: Shadows #1 by Neil Gaiman

A reread can be especially great when it is in a different format and is as well done as this one was. Amazing graphics, great plot (sticking to the original book as much as feasible) and a promise of more installments to come.

107. Good Food, Good Life: 130 Simple Recipes You'll Love to Make and Eat by Curtis Stone

Excellent cookbook with a lot of wonderful stories and photos. Stone hails from Australia, but is a restaurateur in the US now. Loved his emphasis on living a good life as well as eating good food.

108. The Electric Woman: A Memoir in Death-Defying Acts by Tessa Fontaine

I rated this one a strong 4 stars. An interesting and involving account of the author's summer-long stint in a sideshow troupe which makes the rounds of the summer fairs, large and small. Terrific character snapshots, intriguing view of a almost-disappeared life.

109. Bunnicula by Deborah Hower

A reread for me. Very funny, and maybe just a tiny bit scary. And there are more books in the series!

Happy weekend! Loved Bunnicula.

I know, right?! This was my second read and I liked it as much as the first time. I think I need to find more of the Bunnicula books.

Thanks for stopping by!

110. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

A reread for me; I loved this book then, and it really holds up for me. I love the stories of the mothers and the daughters, the old world and the new. And I really love Tan's writing, its poetry and clarity.

Here is one of my favorite excerpts from the book:

"O! Hwai dunsyi"--You bad little thing--said the woman, teasing her baby granddaughter. "Is Buddha teaching you to laugh for no reason?" As the baby continued to gurgle, the woman felt a deep wish stirring in her heart.

"Even if I could live forever," she said to the baby, "I still don't know which way I would teach you. I was once so free and innocent. I too laughed for no reason.

"But later I threw away my foolish innocence to protect myself. And then I taught my daughter, your mother, to shed her innocence so she would not be hurt as well.

"Hwai dungsyi, was this kind of thinking wrong? If I now recognize evil in other people, is it not because I have become evil too? If I see someone has a suspicious nose, have I not smelled the same bad things?"

The baby laughed, listening to her grandmother's laments.

"O! O! You say you are laughing because you have already lived forever, over and over again? You say you are Syi Wang Mu, Queen Mother of the Western Skies, now come back to give me the answer! Good, good, I am listening. . . .

"Thank you, Little Queen. Then you must teach my daughter this same lesson. How to lose your innocence but not your hope. How to laugh forever."

111. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Nothing more comfort-readable than an Agatha Christie mystery! I really enjoy her books, although I'm always a little shocked when she lets loose with some definitely NOT PC statements about women, people of color, what have you. But then I remember that she was of her time, and we can forgive some of that, I guess. Fun, atmospheric read, and I didn't know "whodunit" until the end.

112. Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather

Really enjoyed this read--both for the atmosphere and sense of place, and for the depiction of the friendships and sense of history.

113. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

A reread for me (a few years ago I read all of the L. Frank Baum Oz books). A good old friend of a book.

114. Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children's Literature as an Adult by Bruce Handy

It has taken me months to get this book read, and I'm not sure exactly why. I found it interesting, and agreed with the author about the joys of reading kid books as a grown-up. I'd recommend this book if you have any interest in kid's books--besides the essays, there are some nice resources for reading and studying.

115. Cat and Mouse: A Novel by Gunter Grass

>61 klobrien2: I only saw today on the TIOLI thread you had read Cat and Mouse, I completely overlooked that one. I have it on my shelves and started today for a shared read :-)

>62 FAMeulstee: Yay! I was glad to have read the book, feel it was important. There are three books in the "series" and I plan to catch up with the first and the third (Cat and Mouse: A Novel is the middle book).

I'm so glad that you will share the read with me!

>63 klobrien2: I did read The Tin Drum last year and have Dog Years and Crabwalk (the 4th book) at the shelves. Thanks for reminding me to read Cat and Mouse, I enjoyed it!

116. The Temple of My Familiar by Alice Walker

117. Tabloid City by Pete Hamill

118. Secrets of the Congdon Mansion: The Unofficial Guide to Glensheen and the Congdon Murders by Joe Kimball

119. Black Panther: World of Wakanda #1 by Roxane Gay

120. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

121. The Quiet Side of Passion by Alexander McCall Smith

122. Ice Bear: In the Steps of the Polar Bear by Nicola Davies

>69 klobrien2: I was thinking of buying that book for D to read/listen to on the car ride this weekend, but settled for How to Train Your Dragon. This was her first time listening to an audiobook while reading, and I thought I'd ease her in with something closer to her actual reading level.

Hi, Rachel! I think you made the right choice. I haven't read How to Train Your Dragon, but I saw the movie, and it was charming! I liked Artemis Fowl and I plan to read the other books in the series, but Fowl IS a bad guy (though not a really bad guy) and I bet he improves.

Thanks for stopping by!

123. Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner

Another Easy book, read for the TIOLI "Over or under" challenge (and this book has both!) Lovely, informative book! I learned a bunch about which animals hibernate (queen bees!), which just sleep a lot (beaver). There's a listing of all the animals with even more information, and suggestions for further reading. The illustrations are wonderful, too.

124. The Donald J. Trump Presidential Twitter Library by Trevor Noah

Oh, woe is me! I am so far behind in my mini-reports, but am having a lot of fun reading instead of writing. I'm hoping to get caught up this coming week.

I'm currently reading:

A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley
Portraits of Courage by George W. Bush
Live Bait by P. J. Tracy
A Higher Loyalty by James Comey

125. A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley

126. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

127. Hickory, Dickory, Dock by Agatha Christie by Agatha Christie

128. Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou

You will not want to put this riveting, masterfully reported book down. No matter how bad you think the Theranos story was, you'll learn that the reality was actually far worse. (--Bethany McLean, best-selling coauthor of The Smartest Guys in the Room and All the Devils Are Here)

129. Sackett's Land by Louis L'Amour

130. The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum by Temple Grandin

131. For One More Day by Mitch Albom

132. A Poem in Your Pocket (Mr. Tiffin's Classroom Series} by Margaret McNamara

133. The Dinosaur Expert (Mr. Tiffin's Classroom Series) by Margaret McNamara

134. Mary B.: An Untold Story of Pride and Prejudice by Katherine J. Chen

135. The Apple Orchard Riddle by Margaret McNamara

136. Hellboy Library Edition Volume 1 by Mike Mignola

First day of the month is a good time to list the books that I have on my shelf or on my Nook, and which I dream of finishing someday soon...

From the library:

A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership (James Comey) -- good start made
Women & Power: A Manifesto (Mary Beard) -- haven't started, but it's a little teeny book
Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief's Tribute to America's Warriors (George W. Bush) -- good start made, awe-inspiring!
How to Build a Girl (Caitlin Moran) -- not started
Educated: A Memoir (Tara Westover) -- not started
A Red Death: An Easy Rawlins Mystery #2) (Walter Mosley) -- not started
Fables #18. Cubs in Toyland (Bill Willingham) -- not started
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Becky Chambers) -- not started

My books:

Circe (Madeline Miller) -- good start made, but I will probably have to reread since it's been a while
The World of All Souls: A Complete Guide to A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, and The Book of Life (Deborah Harkness) -- good start, easy to pick up and read in segments, so much fun!

Ebooks on my Nook (also from my library):

Live Bait (P. J. Tracy) - started
The Death and Life of the Great Lakes (Dan Egan) - started
The Mere Wife (Maria Dahvana Headley)
Ill Will (Dan Chaon)
The Restless Wave (John McCain) - started
The War on Peace (Ronan Farrow) - started
The Great Santini (Pat Conroy)
Mirror, Shoulder, Signal (Dorthe Nors)

OMG, I have a lot of reading to do!

137. How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? (Mr. Tiffin's Classroom Series) by Margaret McNamara

138. Fables, Vol. 18: Cubs in Toyland by Bill Willingham

139. Live Bait: A Monkeewrench Novel by P. J. Tracy

140. Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover

I'm making progress on the reading front, and will have a handful more of books to list here, soon. Problem is (and I know the problem is not unique to me) the books that pop up that MUST be read right away! (e.g., I just got Calypso by David Sedaris from the library, and that one has kind of bumped up to the top, as well as a few graphic novels that came in. I have taken to kind of shuffling the books like a hand of cards. Library books that I won't be able to renew get first priority; shared reads for TIOLI get next dibs; then, it's just what I feel like reading next, I guess.

Still really enjoying my reading this year! I'm almost done with my second "75"!

Art (husband) and I have just finished watching the "Mr. Mercedes" television show, Season 1. Excellent production! I think they did make some changes, but very well-done and they didn't change the feel of the book in the translation. Brendan Gleeson played Bill Hodges, and he is terrific, a perfect fit for the character. Season 2 is currently airing, but I haven't been able to see where we can catch it, and will probably end up waiting for the DVD of season 2. Gives us time to reread/read the Bill Hodge Trilogy.

141. Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief's Tribute to America's Warriors by George W. Bush

142. Women & Power: A Manifesto by Mary Beard

>95 klobrien2: I'm glad to hear the Mr. Mercedes adaptation is good, Karen. What channel is it on? I think it's one I don't get but I can't remember.

Mr. Mercedes airs on Audience Network (I've not heard of it before). We couldn't find the show on On Demand, Netflix, Amazon. We watched a library DVD copy of the first season, but I'd really like to be watching season 2. If I find it anywhere, I'll let you know!

I swear, I got the same chills and starts watching the show as I did when I read the books. Well, maybe not as many, because a person's imagination provides more of those when they read rather than watch a show, don't you think?

Thanks for stopping by!

Note to self: how to produce five colored stars:



Now, try for four-and-a-half:



Well, I always wanted to know how to do that, because I think I'll start putting my star rating on each book read. So, if I never get around to any kind of review, I'll at least be able to convey my general opinion of the book.

New reading list! In bold are the books that I most want to be reading right now!

From the library:

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Becky Chambers) -- not started -- shared read for TIOLI!
Calypso (David Sedaris) - not started
The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs (Stephen Brusatte)
The Pat Conroy Cookbook: Recipes of My Life (Pat Conroy)
The Da Vinci Code (Illustrated) (Dan Brown)
The Outsider (Steven King)
Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World (Hans Rosling)
The Collected Plays of Neil Simon -- want to read one play for TIOLI
Saga #6
Fables #19

My books:

Circe (Madeline Miller) -- good start made, but I will probably have to reread since it's been a while
The World of All Souls: A Complete Guide to A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, and The Book of Life (Deborah Harkness) -- good start, easy to pick up and read in segments, so much fun!

Ebooks on my Nook (also from my library):

A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership (James Comey) -- good start made
Dune (Frank Herbert) shared read for TIOLI!
How to Build a Girl (Caitlin Moran) -- not started
Live Bait (P. J. Tracy) - started
The Death and Life of the Great Lakes (Dan Egan) - started
The Mere Wife (Maria Dahvana Headley)
Ill Will (Dan Chaon)
The Restless Wave (John McCain) - almost done (which is good, because it will "go away" tomorrow!)
The War on Peace (Ronan Farrow) - started
The Great Santini (Pat Conroy) - don't think I'm going to read this one...
Mirror, Shoulder, Signal (Dorthe Nors) - halfway through, and it's got me hooked

143. We Don't Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins

144. The Restless Wave: Good Times, Just Causes, Great Fights, and Other Appreciations by John McCain

>99 klobrien2: a person's imagination provides more of those when they read rather than watch a show, don't you think?

I completely agree! No matter how good a show or movie is, it can't beat the combination of an active imagination and a talented writer setting the scene. I've never heard of that network, either. I hope it shows up on Netflix or somewhere eventually.

145. Mirror, Shoulder, Signal by Dorthe Nors

I've finished some books, and gotten some requested books in, so time for a new reading list! In bold are the books that I most want to be reading right now!

From the library:

Unhinged: An Insider's Account of the Trump White House (Omarosa Manigault Newman)
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Becky Chambers) -- not started -- shared read for TIOLI!
Calypso (David Sedaris) - not started
The Pat Conroy Cookbook: Recipes of My Life (Pat Conroy)
The Da Vinci Code (Illustrated) (Dan Brown)
The Collected Plays of Neil Simon -- want to read one play for TIOLI
Saga #6
Fables #19

My books:

Circe (Madeline Miller) -- good start made, but I will probably have to reread since it's been a while
The World of All Souls: A Complete Guide to A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, and The Book of Life (Deborah Harkness) -- good start, easy to pick up and read in segments, so much fun!

Ebooks on my Nook (also from my library):

A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership (James Comey) -- a third of the way through
The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs (Stephen Brusatte)
Dune (Frank Herbert) shared read for TIOLI! - started
How to Build a Girl (Caitlin Moran) -- not started
Live Bait (P. J. Tracy) - started
The Mere Wife (Maria Dahvana Headley)
Ill Will (Dan Chaon)
The War on Peace (Ronan Farrow) - started
The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels (Don Meachem) - started

I've been reading a lot of political books (much more than usual). I'll be adding Fear: Trump in the White House to the list soon (and a non-political (I hope!) Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich!)

146. Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich by Adam Rex

147. Fables, Vol. 19: Snow White by Bill Willingham

148. Saga, Vol. 6 by Brian K. Vaughan

My reading list changes daily--reading a lot, have a lot to read! Reader's bliss.

From the library:

Unhinged: An Insider's Account of the Trump White House (Omarosa Manigault Newman) - 1/3 done
Calypso (David Sedaris) - not started, but found a place for it in TIOLI (I think)
The Pat Conroy Cookbook: Recipes of My Life (Pat Conroy)(for AAC)
The Da Vinci Code (Illustrated) (Dan Brown)
*The Collected Plays of Neil Simon -- want to read one play for TIOLI - "Chapter Two"

My books:

Circe (Madeline Miller) -- good start made, but I will probably have to reread since it's been a while
The World of All Souls: A Complete Guide to A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, and The Book of Life (Deborah Harkness) -- good start, easy to pick up and read in segments, so much fun!

Ebooks on my Nook (also from my library):

A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership (James Comey) -- almost done
*The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs (Stephen Brusatte) - started - shared read for TIOLI
*Dune (Frank Herbert) shared read for TIOLI! - started
How to Build a Girl (Caitlin Moran) -- not started
Dead Run (P. J. Tracy) - started
The Mere Wife (Maria Dahvana Headley)
Ill Will (Dan Chaon)
The War on Peace (Ronan Farrow) - started
The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels (Don Meachem) - started

I've been reading a lot of political books (much more than usual). I'll be adding Fear: Trump in the White House to the list soon.

149. A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership by James Comey

150. Chapter Two by Neil Simon

151. BE QUIET! by Ryan T. Higgins

152. Mother Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins

My current Book Mix (very tasty, too!)

DH and I are going on a road trip this weekend; in addition to some music CDs for the road, I have an audio copy of Aunts Aren't Gentlemen by P. G. Wodehouse. Should be fun!

From the library:

Unhinged: An Insider's Account of the Trump White House (Omarosa Manigault Newman) - 1/2 done
Calypso (David Sedaris) - not started, but found a place for it in TIOLI; should read fast
The Pat Conroy Cookbook: Recipes of My Life (Pat Conroy)(for AAC)
The Da Vinci Code (Illustrated) (Dan Brown)
A Lucky Life Interrupted (Tom Brokaw)
Texts from Jane Eyre: And Other Conversations with Your Favorite Literary Characters (Mallory Ortberg)

My books:

Circe (Madeline Miller) -- good start made, but I will probably have to reread since it's been a while
The World of All Souls: A Complete Guide to A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, and The Book of Life (Deborah Harkness) -- good start, easy to pick up and read in segments, so much fun!

Ebooks on my Nook (also from my library):

*The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs (Stephen Brusatte) - started - shared read for TIOLI
*Dune (Frank Herbert) shared read for TIOLI! - started
How to Build a Girl (Caitlin Moran) -- not started
Dead Run (P. J. Tracy) - started
The Mere Wife (Maria Dahvana Headley)
Ill Will (Dan Chaon)
The War on Peace (Ronan Farrow) - started
The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels (Don Meachem) - started

I'll be adding Fear: Trump in the White House and The Outsider by Stephen King to the list soon.

I've been wanting to read Circe. It looks fantastic.

Congratulations on reaching 2 x 75, Karen!

>116 The_Hibernator: I've been wanting to read it, too! Stupid library books have to come first (I'm sorry for calling library books "stupid," because they aren't, for sure!) There is an audio version of Circe too, which is pretty awesome.

>117 FAMeulstee: Thanks! It kind of snuck up on me. I'm hoping to get enough posts soon so that I can get one of those handy "continue in another thread" things. I believe you get one at 150 posts, so I'm not too far away.

Thanks to you both for visiting!

>118 klobrien2: Indeed, Karen, at 150 posts you get the "continue" thing.
Do I need to post more often on your thread? ;-)

Thanks, Anita, but I don't have much further to go. On the other hand, I'm always thrilled to see you here! So feel free to visit often!

153. Unhinged: An Insider's Account of the Trump White House by Omarosa Manigault Newman

154. Calypso by David Sedaris

155. The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World by Steve Brusatte

156. Grumpy Cat: A Grumpy Book by Grumpy Cat

I think I will take a break from the politically-themed books that I've been reading (except for Fear: Trump in the White House, which I'm itching to get at). Just need a little breather. It looks like I'm going for fantasy and science fiction--great for spooky October!

From the library (paper books):

Time's Convert (Deborah Harkness) - I feel as if I've been waiting forever for this, and it's in for me!
Texts from Jane Eyre: And Other Conversations with Your Favorite Literary Characters (Mallory Ortberg) - nearly done, it reads fast, and it's a total hoot!
The Pat Conroy Cookbook: Recipes of My Life (Pat Conroy)(for AAC)
The Da Vinci Code (Illustrated) (Dan Brown)
Golden Compass Vol 1 (Graphic novel version) - should be fun and fast
The Fall of Gondolin (J.R.R. Tolkien)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Illustrated) (J.K.Rowling, ill. Jim Kay)
The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter (Theodora Goss)
The World Turned Upside Down (SF short stories--I plan to read at least "The Last Question" by Isaac Asmiov) (ed. David Drake, et al)

My books:

Fear: Inside the Trump White House (Bob Woodward)
Circe (Madeline Miller) -- good start made, but I will probably have to reread since it's been a while
The World of All Souls: A Complete Guide to A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, and The Book of Life (Deborah Harkness) -- good start, easy to pick up and read in segments, so much fun!

Ebooks on my Nook (also from my library):

How to Build a Girl (Caitlin Moran) -- not started
From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death (Caitlin Doughty)
Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture (ed. Roxane Gay)
Sing, Unburied, Sing (Jesmyn Ward)
Factfulness (Hans Rosling)
Sleeping Beauties (Stephen King and Owen King)

Soon on ebook:

Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Becky Chambers)
Spinning Silver (Naomi Novik)
Small Fry (Lisa Brennan-Jobs)
The Outsider (Stephen King)
Dead Run (P.J. Tracy)

157. Texts From Jane Eyre: And Other Conversations with Your Favorite Literary Characters by Mallory Ortberg

>125 klobrien2: A break from politics may be a good idea! As interesting as the topic can be, it can also be infuriating and frustrating. At least for me. I get too emotional, maybe? :)

I agree, Rachel. I'm just sick about this week's current crisis. It just seems so surreal, like a horror movie. So, reading is a great escape! I got into the illustrated version of Da Vinci Code today, and it's like balm for the soul!

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen O.

158. The Da Vinci Code (illustrated edition) by Dan Brown

Someone in a recent NY Times mentioned a short story by Isaac Asimov as very important to them--it was "The Last Question." I found it in a great book of SF short stories (old style)--The World Turned Upside Down, subtitled "Masterworks by the Masters of Science Fiction." (the touchstone is wrong).

I don't have time to read the whole collection right now, but the Asimov short story was great! I used to love reading SF short story collections--it might be something to which I should return in the new year. I'll add the book to my list of read-sooner-than-later.

Current reading (progress is a little slow, but I should finish a few books soon)

From the library (paper books):

Time's Convert (Deborah Harkness) - loving this book; about 1/2 way done
The Pat Conroy Cookbook: Recipes of My Life (Pat Conroy)(for AAC)
Golden Compass Vol 1 (Graphic novel version) - should be fun and fast
The Fall of Gondolin (J.R.R. Tolkien)
The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter (Theodora Goss)

My books:

Fear: Inside the Trump White House (Bob Woodward) - kind of a big book, and I'm stalled about 1/3 way through
Circe (Madeline Miller) -- good start made, but I will probably have to reread since it's been a while
The World of All Souls: A Complete Guide to A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, and The Book of Life (Deborah Harkness) -- good start, easy to pick up and read in segments, so much fun!

Ebooks on my Nook (also from my library):

How to Build a Girl (Caitlin Moran) -- not started
From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death (Caitlin Doughty)
Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture (ed. Roxane Gay)
Sing, Unburied, Sing (Jesmyn Ward) - shared read for TIOLI
Factfulness (Hans Rosling)
Sleeping Beauties (Stephen King and Owen King)
Spinning Silver (Naomi Novik) - started; liking it! - shared read for TIOLI
Small Fry (Lisa Brennan-Jobs)
The Outsider (Stephen King) - shared read for TIOLI
Dead Run (P.J. Tracy)

Hello Karen! For all the roaming I've been doing this week in regular and new (to me) 75er threads, both Spinning Silver and The Outsider are getting a lot of love. I'll be adding one of both to my audio list to try and get in by the end of the year.

>132 brodiew2: Hi! I haven't gotten more than a few pages into The Outsider but I'm farther along in Spinning Silver and am loving it! I'm a fan of Novik since Uprooted. I'll be interested to know if and when you read one or both, how you like them!

It's a little sad to think of the year winding down, and so many books left unread by me! Oh, well, a brand-new year in which to read!

Thanks for stopping by!

Current reading (progress is a little slow, but I should finish a few books soon)("Seems to me I've heard that song before...")

From the library (paper books):

Time's Convert (Deborah Harkness) - loving this book; about 2/3 way done - TIOLI #10
Golden Compass Vol 1 (Graphic novel version) - should be fun and fast
The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter (Theodora Goss) - just started, but it's got a clever and intriguing feel to it--almost a comfort read, if it wasn't so spooky!) - TIOLI #13
At Home in the World: A Memoir (Joyce Maynard) - TIOLI #5
Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good (Kathleen Flinn) - shared read for TIOLI #2

My books:

Fear: Inside the Trump White House (Bob Woodward) - almost done! Does nothing to decrease worry about America's current political mess, but it's good to review the events and maybe get a little more insight into the players - TIOLI #1 ("Rump in the White House" haha)
Circe (Madeline Miller) -- looking forward to getting back to this one!
The World of All Souls: A Complete Guide to A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, and The Book of Life (Deborah Harkness) -- good start, easy to pick up and read in segments, so much fun!

Ebooks on my Nook (also from my library):

Crazy Rich Asians - Kevin Kwan - shared read for TIOLI #12 - really like this; halfway through
Sing, Unburied, Sing (Jesmyn Ward) - shared read for TIOLI #6
Factfulness (Hans Rosling)
Sleeping Beauties (Stephen King and Owen King)
Spinning Silver (Naomi Novik) - started; liking it! - shared read for TIOLI #1
Small Fry (Lisa Brennan-Jobs)
The Outsider (Stephen King) - shared read for TIOLI #7
Dead Run (P.J. Tracy)

I've heard so many good things about Sing, Unburied, Sing.

Hi, Rachel! I'm a ways into it now, and it is starting to grab me. I'll keep you informed!

Thanks for stopping by!

159. Fear: Trump in the White House by Bob Woodward

160. Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

161. Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

Current reading. Finished up a few chunkier books, making progress.

From the library (paper books):

Small Fry (Lisa Brennan Jobs) - 1/3+ through; "enjoying" although it's kind of sad
Golden Compass Vol 1 (Graphic novel version) - should be fun and fast
The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter (Theodora Goss) - just started, but it's got a clever and intriguing feel to it--almost a comfort read, if it wasn't so spooky!) - TIOLI #13 - shared read!
Obscura (Joe Hart) - just picked up today
We Fed an Island: The True Story of Rebuilding Puerto Rice, One Meal at a Time ( Jose Andres)
Good Omens (Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman)
The House With a Clock In Its Walls (John Bellairs)
Frozen Earth: The Once and Future Story of Ice Ages (Doug McDougall)

My books:
Time's Convert (Deborah Harkness) - loving this book; about 2/3 way done - TIOLI #10
Circe (Madeline Miller) -- looking forward to getting back to this one!
The World of All Souls: A Complete Guide to A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, and The Book of Life (Deborah Harkness) -- good start, easy to pick up and read in segments, so much fun!

Ebooks on my Nook (also from my library):

Sing, Unburied, Sing (Jesmyn Ward) - shared read for TIOLI #6
Sleeping Beauties (Stephen King and Owen King)
The Outsider (Stephen King) - shared read for TIOLI #7
How To Be Safe (Tom McAllister)

162. The Outsider by Steven King

163. The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter by Theodora Goss

164. Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jessmyn Ward

Current reading. I'm finishing books just in time to go get more from the library!

I've decided to list books in the order that I will lose access to them (ebooks first, because I have no control over when those go back to the library; then paper books from the library, because I can go late and pay small late fees; then my own books (which are blissfully mine!) Of course, if I have a book that I am just dying to read right now! that one gets priority.

Ebooks on my Nook (library):

Small Fry (Lisa Brennan Jobs) - 1/3+ through; "enjoying" although it's kind of sad
Sleeping Beauties (Stephen King and Owen King)
How To Be Safe (Tom McAllister)
The Overstory (Richard Powers)

From the library (paper books):

Golden Compass Vol 1 (Graphic novel version) - should be fun and fast
Obscura (Joe Hart)
We Fed an Island: The True Story of Rebuilding Puerto Rico, One Meal at a Time (Jose Andres)
Good Omens (Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman)
The House With a Clock In Its Walls (John Bellairs)
Frozen Earth: The Once and Future Story of Ice Ages (Doug McDougall)
The Fall of Gondolin (Tolkien)

My books:

Time's Convert (Deborah Harkness) - loving this book; about 2/3 way done - TIOLI #10
Circe (Madeline Miller) -- looking forward to getting back to this one!
The World of All Souls: A Complete Guide to A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, and The Book of Life (Deborah Harkness) -- good start, easy to pick up and read in segments, so much fun!

165. The Houdini Box by Brian Selznick

166. The Golden Compass The Graphic Novel, Volume 1 by Philip Pullman

>143 klobrien2: only 3.5? Sounds like it was a bit of a disappointment.

>147 The_Hibernator: It was a hard book to read. The young parents were just so horrible at parenting, and the entire book was a sad picture of a poor, addicted America. I assign stars on how much I enjoyed a read, nothing else. Well, I might give extra credit for originality or creativity, but I tend to give more stars if a book compelled me to read because it was so enjoyable. The only thing that kept me reading Sing, Unburied, Sing at times was a sense of dread, a need to find out that the kids would be okay in the end.

That said, I really want to read more Jessmyn Ward, because I think she is a good writer.

Thanks for stopping by to chat!

167. Mammoths and Mastodons of the Ice Age by Adrian Lister

In other news, my husband and I checked out a "Binge Box" from our library, and this one is Tolkien! We had seen all of Lord of the Rings movies, but had seen only the first of the Hobbit films, so we are having a Hobbit festival (spread over several days!) It's wonderful to see them in quick succession, and we'll hope to revisit LOTR in the same fashion (it's like 12 hours worth of viewing, I think!)

Okay, what's up? I thought I was going to get the option at 150 posts, to start a new thread...maybe at 151?

Grrr!

Please join me at my new thread! -- https://www.librarything.com/topic/298557