mathgirl40's 2019 Category Challenge, Part 1

Here are my categories for 2019:

1. Tournament of Books
2. Evergreen Award
3. 1001 Books to Read Before You Die
4. Hugo and Aurora Awards
5. Long SFF Series
6. Other Science Fiction and Fantasy
7. Doorstoppers
8. Short Stories
9. Graphic Novels
10. Arthurian Legends
11. BookCrossing Roundabout
12. Cross-Canada Journey
13. Scottish Mysteries
14. Mysteries Around the World
15. Golden Age Mysteries
16. Other Mysteries
17. Scary books
18. Nonfiction
19. Dust Collectors

I will try to read a minimum of 5 books in each category.

Category 1: The Tournament of Books



This category will include books from the 2019 Tournament of Books, held in March.

1. There There by Tommy Orange (Jan. 7)
2. Washington Black by Esi Edugyan (Jan. 14)
3. The Italian Teacher by Tom Rachman (Jan. 20)
4. The Dictionary of Animal Languages by Heidi Sopinka (Feb. 8)
5. Call Me Zebra by Azareen van der Vliet Oloomi (Feb. 9)
6. The Parking Lot Attendant by Nafkote Tamirat (Feb. 14)
7. Speak No Evil by Uzodinma Iweala (Feb. 22)
8. The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea (Mar. 7)
9. Milkman by Anna Burns (Mar. 8)
10. My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite (Mar. 13)

Category 2: The Evergreen Award



This category will include nominees for the 2019 Evergreen Award, given by the Ontario Library Association. The nominees are announced in February.

1. Moon Of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
2. The Saturday Night Ghost Club by Craig Davidson (Apr. 6)
3.
4.
5.

Category 3: 1001 Books

These are books listed in Peter Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die.



1. Contact by Carl Sagan (Jan. 12)
2. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote (Apr. 3)
3. The Glass Bead Game by Hermann Hesse (June 29)
4.
5.

Category 4: The Hugo and Aurora Science Fiction and Fantasy Awards



This category will include nominees for and winners of the Hugo and Aurora SFF Awards, as well as related awards like the Lodestar and Campbell awards. This year, I plan to rejoin as a voting member and read from the Voter Packet for each of these awards.

1. Dread Nation by Justina Ireland (Apr. 16)
2. The Black God's Drums by P. Djèlí Clark (Apr. 19)
3. The Atrocity Archives by Charlie Stross (Apr. 27)
4. Gods, Monsters and the Lucky Peach by Kelly Robson (Apr. 28)
5. Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire (May 5)
6. Artificial Condition by Martha Wells (May 8)
7. Infomocracy by Malka Older (May 10)
8. Binti: The Night Masquerade by Nnedi Okorafor (May 14)
9. Revenant Gun by Yoon Ha Lee (May 18)
10. Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse (May 26)
11. The Tea Master and the Detective by Aliette de Bodard (June 3)
12. Calculating Stars by Mary Kowal Robinette (June 13)
13. Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman (June 21)
14. Null States by Malka Older (June 25)

Category 5: Long Science Fiction and Fantasy Series



I seem to be attracted to never-ending series, or those that have ended but just seem to be never-ending. This category will encompass my reading from the Liaden, 1632, October Daye, Wheel of time and other long SFF series.

1. Nemesis Games by James S. A. Corey (Jan. 27)
2. Summer Knight by Jim Butcher (Feb. 23)
3. Death Masks by Jim Butcher (Mar. 14)
4. Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett (Mar. 21)
5. Dragon Ship by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (Mar.30)
6. The Churn by James S. A. Corey (Apr. 7)
7. Blood Rites by Jim Butcher (Apr. 11)
8. Babylon's Ashes by James S. A. Corey (June 14)

Category 6: Other Science Fiction and Fantasy



1. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman (Jan. 29)
2. Lockstep by Karl Schroeder (Feb. 13)
3. The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu (Feb. 25)
4. Beguilement by Lois McMaster Bujold (Mar. 13)
5. Under the Pendulum Sun by Jeannette Ng (Mar.23)
6. Binti: Home by Nnedi Okorafor (May 12)
7. Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang by Kate Wilhelm (June 6)
8, Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel (June 26)

Category 7: Doorstoppers



1. Deadhouse Gates by Steven Erikson (May 31)
2.
3.
4.
5.

Category 8: Short Stories


Artwork by Tom Gauld for The Guardian

1. Icelandic Folk and Fairy Tales by Jón Árnason

2.
3.
4.
5.

Category 9: Graphic Novels


Artwork by Gabriel Rodriguez, from Locke & Key series.

1. The Dresden Files: Fool Moon, Volumes 1 and 2 (Jan. 31)
2. Abbott by Saladin Ahmed (June 29)
3. Monstress, Volume 2 by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda
4. Monstress, Volume 3 by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda
5.

Category 10: Arthurian Legends



These are books about or inspired by the King Arthur story.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Category 11: BookCrossing Roundabout



I signed up for a "Favourite Books of 2018" roundabout on BookCrossing, with 11 other BookCrossers. We'll be mailing the books along to one another throughout the year.

1. Why Did You Lie? by Yrsa Sigurdardottir (Jan. 9)
2. Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris (Jan. 18)
3. Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky (Mar. 11)
4. We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler (Apr. 8)
5. The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham (Apr. 22)
6. Submission by Michel Houellebecq (May 30)
7. Lachlan's War by Michael Cannon (June 10)

Category 12: Cross-Canada Journey



Inspired by lkernagh, I started a virtual walk across Canada in late 2016, starting in Vancouver and working my way East, using the World Walking app. On January 1, 2019, I am in Northern Ontario, a bit past Thunder Bay. I expect I'll be spending much of this year working through Ontario and Quebec, and I'll be reading books related to the places I pass on my journey.

1. Seven Fallen Feathers by Tanya Talaga (Jan. 26)
2.
3.
4.
5.

Category 13: Scottish Mysteries



1. One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson (Apr. 29)
2.
3.
4.
5.

Category 14: Mysteries From Around the World



1. The Mine by Antti Tuomainen -- Finland (Jan. 23)
2. Murder on Safari by Elspeth Huxley -- Kenya (Feb. 6)
3. Police by Jo Nesbo -- Norway (May 21)
4.
5.

Category 15: Golden Age Mysteries



1. The Case is Closed by Patricia Wentworth (Apr. 12)
2. Poirot Loses a Client by Agatha Christie (May 27)
3.
4.
5.

Category 16: Other Mysteries



1. Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny (Feb. 3)
2. Well-Schooled in Murder by Elizabeth George (Feb. 28)
3. Ordeal by Innocence by Agatha Christie (Mar. 17)
4.
5.

Category 17: Scary Books

Books for the ScaredyKIT and other horror.



1. Feedback by Mira Grant (Feb. 11)
2. The Gunslinger by Stephen King (Mar. 20)
3. Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens (June 27)
4.
5.

Category 18: Non-fiction



1. The Woo-Woo by Lindsay Wong (Mar. 25)
2. The Rituals of Dinner by Margaret Visser (May 2)
3. Overrun by Andrew Reeves (May 10)
4. Robertson Davies: A Portrait in Mosaic by Val Ross (June 27)
5.

Category 19: Dust Collectors



1. The Adventures of Tintin: Flight 714 to Sydney by Hergé (Jan. 5)
2. Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett (Jan. 30)
3. Anne of Windy Poplars by L. M. Montgomery (Feb. 27)
4. The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien (Apr. 20)
5. The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien (May 15)
6. Stardance by Spider and Jeanne Robinson (June 2)
7. The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien (June 18)

Books that don't fit into any of the previous categories:

1. Precious Bane by Mary Webb (Apr. 2)
2. The Cunning Man by Robertson Davies (Apr. 4)
3. The Circle Game by Margaret Atwood (Apr. 14)
4. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (May 6)
5. The Favourite Game by Leonard Cohen (May 24)
6. The Wreckage by Michael Crummey (July 3)

I'm a bit late to the party, but I've finally got my challenge set up for the year. Last year's categories worked well for me, so I'm reusing them again. I added one more category, Dust Collectors, and hopefully, the TBRCAT will help me fill that one up!

I'll be tracking "books off my shelves" again, and these include books acquired before January 1, 2019. I failed miserably at meeting this goal last year and hope to do much better this year.

Welcome back!! Good luck with the goal of reading more from your own shelves. Hope the TBRCAT will help! :)

It's great to see you're back! Happy reading and good luck with the TBR!

Arthurian legends - count me in! Happy reading!

Great categories! Happy reading in 2019!

Love your categories! It looks like you will have a wide range of topics again this year. I wish I'd thought of Scottish mysteries - considering I've read two already and we are less that two weeks into the new year. I'll be watching your thread!

Looking forward to seeing your mysteries especially!

Good to see you here.

Great set up, Paulina. I expect you will be having an outstanding reading year, and I will be right here to take note of all the good reads. :)

Happy to see you back!!

Lovely to see you back!

Thank you all for your warm welcome back! I too hope to be visiting your threads more regularly this year.

1. Flight 714 to Sydney by Hergé (3.5 stars)
Category: Dust Collectors
Challenges: SeriesCAT

I was a big fan of Tintin when I was young and I still enjoy rereading the stories. My kids liked the books too. This one, about a hijacked flight that has Tintin and friends trapped on a tropical island, isn't among my favourites but the last pages hold some interesting surprises.

Wonderful categories - I'll be following along and picking up recommendations I'm sure. I love your picture with all the Wheel of Time books - I'm bound and determined to finish it this year!

>22 LisaMorr: Thanks for stopping by. Good luck with the WoT series! I don't have much hope of finishing it this year, or even the next, but I will keep going with it.

2. There There by Tommy Orange (5 stars)
Category: Tournament of Books

This novel follows the intertwining stories of a large cast of Native American characters, all converging at a pow wow in Oakland, California. I thought the author was very skillful at setting up the complex set of relationships while giving each character a distinct personality. This book is on the 2019 Tournament of Books shortlist and though I've read only a few from the list so far, I expect it to be a strong contender.

3. Why Did You Lie by Yrsa Sigurdardottir (4.5 stars)
Category: BookCrossing Roundabout

This atmospheric thriller features three exciting storylines that eventually converge: a photographer is trapped in a remote lighthouse with three others, a detective seeks answers about the apparent suicide of her husband, and a family makes worrisome discoveries after a house-swap vacation.The slightly out-of-sync time-frames of the three stories were disconcerting at first, but it all started making sense as the story proceeded. I thought the characters were great and the conclusion unexpected.

I'd received this book from a fellow BookCrossser and she shared an article about a lighthouse similar to the one described in the book: http://icelandmag.visir.is/article/watch-incredible-video-stunning-thridrangar-l.... The setting really is as cramped and frightening as the author suggests, as you can see in the photo below.

4. Contact by Carl Sagan (3.5 stars)
Category: 1001 Books
Challenges: SFFKIT, ScaredyKIT

I finally got around to reading this "classic" in science-fiction, more than 30 years after its publication date. It was chosen for a local SF book club and it also fit this month's ScaredyKIT theme, as it's on NPR's list of top 100 thrillers.

The novel's inclusion on the NPR list surprised me, as I don't see it as much of a thriller. It's too plodding to be suspenseful. Instead, it's an excellent exploration of ideas, similar to Sagan's popular non-fiction books. Indeed, I much prefer his non-fiction works, as the characters seemed stereotypical and the plot predictable. At least the parts of the plot not related to the scientific endeavors were predictable; the science fiction elements were more interesting.

I'm glad I'd read this soon after finishing Jim Bell's The Interstellar Age about the Voyager mission, which referred to Sagan's contributions to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. It was good to see the fuller picture from Sagan's point-of-view.

>25 mathgirl40: What an amazing place! There is nothing that could make me go there, even for a ten minute visit.

>25 mathgirl40: - Oooohhh, I could be tempted to go there! Except I would need to invest in satellite internet access as I am pretty sure there is no internet connection. Bummer. Looks like the only way on-off "the rock" is by helicopter (I spy a helipad). :-)

>27 VivienneR: I agree. This is a nice photo to look at from afar.

>28 lkernagh: In the novel, the only safe way to get to the lighthouse was via helicopter. To make things scarier, there was a wicked storm while the characters were trapped there!

>29 mathgirl40: - Okay...that would be a scary situation!

5. Washington Black by Esi Edugyan (5 stars)
Category: Tournament of Books

This is my favourite of the 5 I've read so far from the Tournament of Books shortlist. A historical novel about a slave on a Barbados plantation, it is not as innovative or thought-provoking as the typical ToB book. However, it shines because of its wonderfully complex and interesting characters, its page-turning plot and Edugyan's beautiful writing. Though the author deals with serious themes such as slavery and racism, the novel has the feel of a steampunk adventure story. Highly recommended!

6. Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris (4.5 stars)
Category: BookCrossing Roundabout

This is my first book from the BookCrossing Favourite Book of 2018 Roundabout that I'm participating in. Twelve of us from around the world are sending our favourites from the past year to one another.

This book, a historical novel set in France that switches between WWII and recent times, is one that I might not have ever read, if it were not for the roundabout, and I'm glad I did. There were many things I liked about it: the characters with interesting and surprising stories to reveal, the charming humour and the intricate plot. Best of all were the mouth-watering food descriptions which make me want to spend my next vacation in France!

7. The Italian Teacher by Tom Rachman (4.5 stars)
Category: Tournament of Books

This is another strong entry in the 2019 Tournament of Books. It follows the life of Pinch Bavinsky, a would-be artist who lives in the shadow of his larger-than-life father. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, which contained more than a few surprises. Some elements of the book made me think of Donna Tartt's writing. We journey with Pinch from Italy to North America and back again to Europe as he tries to sort out his relationships and figure out the worth of his own work and art.

>32 mathgirl40: - I really need to read this one day. I've enjoyed other books by her and have heard nothing but good things about this one.

Also - way to go on getting through the ToB selections! I've only read four so far but hope to get to more soon.

>31 mathgirl40: - Taking a BB for the Edugyan book... but I hope to read her debut novel Half Blood Blues first. Great review!

>33 mathgirl40: - And another BB (darn you and darn Tournament of Books!) ;-) I loved Rachman's novel The Imperfectionists and your review for The Italian Teacher appeals to me.

>32 mathgirl40: That is on my TBR....will move it up!

>34 LittleTaiko: I enjoyed seeing your ToB reviews too. It's great to compare notes as we go!

>35 lkernagh: I liked Half Blood Blues too but I loved Washington Black so much more. Glad to hear you liked The Imperfectionists. I definitely want to read more of Rachman's works.

>36 Tess_W: I hope you like it. Warning: read it on a full stomach so you don't start obsessing about the food like I did when I was reading it. :)

8. The Mine by Antti Tuomainen (4 stars)
Category: Mysteries Around the World (Finland)

This novel set in Finland was a good, atmospheric thriller, with several interesting and intricate subplots, one involving a mining company as the title suggests. I'd heard the author speak at a mystery convention panel a few years ago and was impressed enough to buy this book. I'd certainly be willing to read more from this author.

I was able to use this book for January's RandomCAT, as one of the characters has my name, Paulina, although it's spelt with an extra i in the book.

9. Seven Fallen Feathers by Tanya Talaga
Category: Cross Country Journey

This nonfiction book is one of the grimmest and most heartbreaking books I've read in a long time. Talaga is an investigative journalist who describes the circumstances surrounding the deaths of 7 First Nations youths in Thunder Bay, Ontario. She also talks about the historical context, specifically the residential schools for First Nations students, and the long lasting effects of that sad and unfortunate chapter in Canada's history. She also describes the racism in the community and the tendency of police forces to dismiss deaths of marginalized people as accidents.

The title comes from a painting depicting the fallen youths by Christian Morrisseau, an Ojibwa artist whose own son is among them. His father is renowned artist Norval Morriseau.

>39 mathgirl40: That sounds very like the continuing story of the treatment of the Aboriginal people here in Australia, with the stolen generation and Aboriginal deaths in custody. A sad chapter in our history and our present. Hopefully we can make the future a better place.

>40 JayneCM: I think things are getting better, with more awareness. Our government at least acknowledges the problems now, to some extent, but addressing them in the right way is still a challenge.

10. Nemesis Games by James S. A. Corey (5 stars)
Category: Long SFF Series

Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan series is my very favourite SF series ever, but the Expanse series probably has a lock on second place at this point, and this 5th book is the best so far. It's definitely not a book I'd recommend to readers new to the series. However, for those who have been following the exploits of the diverse cast of characters since the first book, this volume is very rewarding. We get a lot more of Amos's and Naomi's backstories, as well as the reappearance of Bobbie Draper and Clarissa Mao in major roles. All the character development happens, of course, with a backdrop of apocalyptic events, space battles and engineering wizardry.

11. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
Category: Other SFF

I've read a lot of Gaiman's works and some of Pratchett's but I hadn't gotten around to this 1990 collaboration until it was chosen for a book club. Though Gaiman's influence is there, this felt very much like a Pratchett book. It's tremendously funny and has great characters, especially Crowley and Aziraphale. I'll probably want to reread this book one day, as I'm sure I'd missed half the jokes the first time around.

12. Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett (3.5 stars)
Category: Dust Collectors

This book has a special place in my Dust Collectors category, as it has been sitting on my shelves for 34 years. January's TBRCAT challenge finally motivated me to read it. I find it difficult to give any kind of opinion about this play. I spent the first half trying to figure out what the play was about, and then I decided to not worry about it and just enjoy the rather pointless but amusing dialogue.

 

13. The Dresden Files: Fool Moon, Volume 1 and The Dresden Files: Fool Moon, Volume 2 by Jim Butcher, Mark Powers and Chase Conley

I decided to reread Fool Moon, this time as a graphic novel, in preparation for the Dresden group read. It was interesting seeing the artist's depiction of the characters, as I'd already formed my own ideas of how each character looked, and the two did not always match up. Overall, I enjoyed this graphic novel, which features lots and lots of werewolves, but I think I prefer the full novel versions of the books.

Here is a quick summary for January:

Books read: 13
Books off my shelves: 6
Favourite books: Washington Black by Edi Edugyan, Seven Fallen Feathers by Tanya Talga, and Nemesis Games by James S. A. Corey

January was a really fantastic reading month, with a good number of 4.5 or 5 star reads. I'd expected my favourite books for the month to come from the Tournament of Books list, and several did, but there were others too.

February will be taken up with more Tournament of Books nominees. However, the Ontario Library Association's Evergreen list and the Canada Reads list were just announced, so I'll be looking at those too. This unfortunately plays havoc with my good intentions to read books from my shelves!

>43 mathgirl40: - I loved that book so much! Definitely something I'll reread again someday, because as you said I'm sure I missed a few jokes along the way.

>43 mathgirl40: & >47 LittleTaiko: I have a re-reads category this year and something like that would probably be ideal. Only problem is that my copy is in a box in somebody else's loft.

>43 mathgirl40: >48 AHS-Wolfy: I suspect I missed a lot of the jokes also because I'm not from England. I'll have to get an English person to explain them to me. :)

14. Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny (4 stars)
Category: Other Mysteries

I've read all of Louise Penny's books. There is not a bad one in the lot, and this one is no exception. However, unlike most of Penny's recent books, this one just merits a "very good" rather than "excellent". I liked the main plotline about the mystery surrounding the Baroness and her will, but I couldn't help getting a feeling of déjà vu with most of the other subplots. Also, the repetition of certain phrases for effect drove me crazy after a while, especially in the otherwise excellent audiobook version I listened to. Despite these complaints, I would never discourage anyone from reading one of Louise Penny's books!

15. Murder on Safari by Elspeth Huxley (3.5 stars)
Category: Mysteries Around the World (Kenya)

Reading this mystery set in 1930's East Africa, I feel glad that the practice of "white hunting" is no longer a common thing. Certainly, the author does not glorify it, and in this story, some of the white hunters don't come out any better than the hunted animals. I did enjoy the mystery, which kept me guessing until the end.

In the book, one of the characters talks about the environmental effects of white-hunting practices. I saw that Huxley's Wikipedia entry claims that she was a journalist and environmentalist. I wonder if her concerns about the environmental impact of African safaris were common in the 1930's.

Since I agree with you about There There and The Italian Teacher, I have high hopes that I'll also agree with you about Washington Black, which I plan to read this month.

>50 mathgirl40: - I noticed the same thing about repeating phrases. I was wondering if the repetition is something she's done in all of her books but now I'm starting to catch on to her writing tricks, because I've read so many of them? Either way, still a series I love to read.

>44 mathgirl40: Funny to read your review; I felt the same way about it. And just imagine how fun (not exactly) it was to be in a high school drama class production of it...

>52 RidgewayGirl: I had a hard time ranking these three. I'd be happy to see any of them win the ToB, thought I expect There There would have the best chance. I still have more to read, though, so my opinion might change.

>53 LittleTaiko: Yes, I do notice a lot of repetition of favourite phrases over the entire series. I love Louise Penny and hate to say anything negative about her books, but I am getting a little tired of the same few lines from Ruth Zardo's poetry. I'm pretty sure I notice the repetition more when listening to the audiobook version, because I can't quickly skim over the passages.

>54 LisaMorr: Now I'm really curious about which part you played (that is, if you were an actor). :)

16. The Dictionary of Animal Languages by Heidi Sopinka (4 stars)
Category: Tournament of Books

This contender in the 2019 Tournament of Books had a very slow start, but I did enjoy it once I got to know the characters better. I found it a challenging book to read, as there are frequent time shifts and it is sometimes hard to tell the characters' voices apart. However, I found it ultimately rewarding, and I really loved Heidi Sopinka's beautiful writing which evoked gorgeous images of the natural world.

17. Call Me Zebra by Azareen Van der Vliet Oloomi (3 stars)
Category: Tournament of Books

It took me a long time to get through Call Me Zebra. If it hadn't been a Tournament of Books pick, I would have abandoned it after the first 20 pages. The main character is annoying and pretentious and drops lots of literary references that I don't recognize. I blame my own lack of breadth in reading non-English works and not the author, but it still felt frustrating having all these references go over my head. Still, there are some really hilarious scenes and the author is very skillful at creating this truly annoying and pretentious character.

I can't help thinking that, had a met such a person in real life, I'd get the h*** away from her as soon as possible, so why did I willingly spend hours in her company while reading the book?

It just occurred to me that the last three books reviewed here are Murder on Safari, The Dictionary of Animal Languages and Call Me Zebra. I feel like I'm in a zoo! :)

18. Feedback by Mira Grant (3.5 stars)
Category: Scary Books

I loved Mira Grant's post-apocalyptic zombie Feedback trilogy and am a fan of her other series as well, so I was excited to read this fourth book in the series, about a separate group of journalists working for the Democrats, rather than those working for the Republicans in the first books. I was a little disappointed, as some scenes seemed like a rehash of similar ones from the earlier books. However, the last quarter of the book was very tense and exciting. My opinion might have been influenced by the the audiobook narration. The narrator's voice did not match at all the image I had of the main character. Nevertheless, I'm a big enough fan of this series that I'll keep reading whatever Grant (a.k.a Seanan McGuire) puts out.

>56 mathgirl40: & >57 mathgirl40: - Great progress with the ToB picks! I admire you for trying and sticking with Zebra since I chose to ignore it due to lack of time and it's poor reviews.

I'm reading The Dictionary of Animal Languages now and I'm still not sure what I think about it. I do like the idea of her work and the parts set in Paris at the start of WWII are very interesting (Lev is quite the bad boyfriend and at twenty I probably would have dated him, too), but sometimes the writing becomes too vague for me and while a lack of quotation marks usually doesn't bother me, I'm finding it hard to figure out when she's talking and when she's thinking.

And you were much kinder to Call Me Zebra than I was.

>59 LittleTaiko: Thanks for saying that, but I'm not sure that sticking with an unpleasant book is necessarily admirable. :)

>60 RidgewayGirl: I'll be interested in hearing what you think of the book once you've finished it. The book grew on me as I read it and gradually got used to the writing style.

19. Lockstep by Karl Schroeder (4 stars)
Category: Other SFF

This science fiction book came to my attention a few years ago when it won the Aurora (Canadian SFF) Award for Best Young Adult Novel. (The award was shared with Charles de Lint.) It is about a teenager who ends up waking after 14000 years of hibernation to discover the unexpected legacy his family has left behind.

The story has an interesting premise. There is no FTL (faster than light) space travel in this universe. Colonies on different planets agree to a common wake/sleep cycle so that people can travel between planets (for trade purposes, mostly) hibernating during the long trips without being out-of-sync with their loved ones when they return. Apparently, this idea is very controversial, as can be seen by the comments in this article written by the author:
https://io9.gizmodo.com/can-galactic-empires-exist-without-faster-than-light-tr-...

I was happy to find a book that's both YA and hard science fiction, since most of the recent YA sci-fi books I've read tend to be of the dystopian variety rather than ones that explore interesting futuristic ideas.

20. The Parking Lot Attendant by Nafkote Tamirat (3.5 stars)
Category: Tournament of Books

This Tournament of Books entry is about a teenage girl, an immigrant from Ethiopia who settles in Boston and develops an unusual relationship with a mysterious political figure. I liked the writing, especially the dialogue, but there were too many questions left unanswered to make this a satisfactory read.

21. Moon Of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice (3.5 stars)
Category: Cross-Canada Journey

This is the first book I've read from the newly announced 2019 Ontario Library Association's Evergreen list, from which I read every year. It's a thriller set in a remote First Nations community in Northern Ontario, and the cold snowy setting matched well the weather we've been experiencing here in Southern Ontario.

I had high hopes for this book but found it a little disappointing. Moments of high tension alternated with slow passages that seemed to drag on. I do wonder if my opinion had been influenced by the audiobook narration, which I found weak.

22. Speak No Evil by Uzodinma Iweala (4 stars)
Category: Tournament of Books

Speak No Evil is a coming-of-age and coming-out story about the son of Nigerian immigrants, and it is one of the Tournament of Books contenders this year. I found this novel to be moving and powerful. There is a shift in narration midway that I found awkward. However, on thinking about it further, I'm not sure how the author might have told the story otherwise, and I'm looking forward to hearing the ToB discussion on this point.

I especially love the ToB because it allows me to discover new authors like Iweala that likely wouldn't have come to my attention otherwise.

>64 mathgirl40: I have that one on my list and will probably stick to the print version.

>66 rabbitprincess: Yes, I'd advise that. It's too bad about the audiobook, because Billy Merasty is an experienced actor and did well in some aspects of the narration. However, the narration seemed very uniform and plodding to me, and there were even a couple of stumbles (which I don't think were intentional).

23. Summer Knight by Jim Butcher (4 stars)
Category: Long SFF Series

This was a solid entry in the Dresden Files series. I liked the interplay between the Summer and Winter courts and the continuing plotlines started in the earlier books. This one is the fourth in the series and each keeps getting better.

>68 mathgirl40: Glad to see you adhering to the general consensu that Dresden improves as you get through the first few books. This was probably the book that really cemented the series as regular go-to for me. The interplay between the recurring characters really kicks in on this one and helps round the story out a lot better imo.

Only a few more days until the ToB kicks off on Wednesday!

>69 AHS-Wolfy: I agree. I'm finally starting to appreciate the richness of the Dresden world and characters

>70 RidgewayGirl: I'm looking forward to it!

24. The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu (3.5 stars)
Category: Other SFF

I had high expectations for this book. I had enjoyed several of Ken Liu's short stories in the past, and the mix of epic fantasy, alternate history and the Ancient China setting seemed a great combination. While I did like the world that Liu had created and found the story well-paced and interesting, the characters seemed to lack depth. The novel is similar in many ways to Guy Gavriel Kay's River of Stars, but in my opinion, Kay does alternate-history fantasy much better.

25. Anne of Windy Poplars by L. M. Montgomery (3.5 stars)
Category: Dust Collectors

An Anne of Green Gables book is always fun to read. However, I didn't like this one as much as the other Anne novels I've read. I wasn't fond of the constant shifting between third-person and epistolary narrative, and almost all the subplots seemed to involve difficult elderly people making life miserable for their younger relations. There were still some brilliant moments, including this thought from Anne when dealing with a drama queen:

"You can't have many exclamation points left," thought Anne, "but no doubt the supply of italics is inexhaustible."

26. Well-Schooled in Murder by Elizabeth George (4 stars)
Category: Other Mysteries

I was introduced to the Lynley/Havers mystery series through the excellent television series, and I'm enjoying the novels just as much. I especially like the interplay and contrast between Havers and Lynley.

In this third novel of the series, our detectives investigate a boy's disappearance at an exclusive private boys' school. The mystery itself is not bad, but the moe interesting aspect of the novel is the exploration of culture at such a school. Sadly, long-standing acceptance of bullying and abuse in institutions is not so uncommon. Just a few months ago, there were shocking revelations about an elite boys' school in nearby Toronto.

Here's a quick summary of my February reading.

Number of books read: 13 (26 for the year)
Number of books off my shelves: 6 (12 for the year)

I'm having a hard time coming up with a favourite book for the month. While I liked most of the 13 books I'd read, none were standouts. (In contrast, my January reading included several 5-star books.)

If I had to choose, I'd pick Speak No Evil by Uzodinma Iweala, one of the Tournament of Books contenders. I felt it had some flaws, but it really moved me, and I'm eager to read more from this author.

My least favourite was Call Me Zebra by Azareen van der Vliet Oloomi, another ToB book. In a way, it's the opposite of Speak No Evil. It is well crafted but I found it an absolute chore to read.

I have a few more ToB books, as well as some fun science fiction and mystery novels, lined up for March.

>74 mathgirl40: - Glad to see the novels hold up just as well as the TV series! I was sold on TV series but have yet to read any of the books... yet. ;-)

>74 mathgirl40: - That's the next one up for me in that series. Not sure why I was so late in getting to it but I've enjoyed what I've read so far.

>76 lkernagh: So far, I've only read two books, but the characters in the novels and those of the TV series seem to be fairly consistent.

>77 LittleTaiko: Me too. I'll definitely be continuing with this series.

27. The Vegetable Museum by Michelle Mulder (4 stars)
Category: Miscellaneous

This book, which seems best suited for the preteen age group, is a charming story about a girl who gets to know her grandfather after moving to Vancouver from Montreal. While dealing with the distress of leaving her best friend and dealing with her parents' separation, she starts helping with her grandfather's garden full of heirloom vegetables. She finds that her grandfather is like a museum curator, keeping the memories associated with each plant alive and preserving the seeds for future generations.

I felt a personal connection to this book, as my own parents, now in their 80's, living in Montreal, are finally considering selling the family home. They've been there for 40 years and the one thing that makes them reluctant to leave is their garden, in which they plant a large variety of Chinese vegetables. I've been trying for years to convince them to move to a place that's easier for them to manage but it will be a bittersweet moment when they finally do so.

>79 mathgirl40: Sounds like one I'd enjoy.

I'll echo others here - great job with the ToB!

>55 mathgirl40: I think I was Estragon; just kind of remember wandering around the stage with some nonsensical dialogue...

>80 thornton37814: I hope you'll get a chance to read it. It's a lovely story and especially appealing to those who like to garden.

>81 LisaMorr: Thanks, I've really enjoyed reading from the ToB list this year. Your description, "wandering around the stage with some nonsensical dialogue," seems very apt!

28. The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea (5 stars)
Category: Tournament of Books

Of the 12 Tournament of Books novels I've read, this one is my favourite. It's the story of a large sprawling family of Mexican immigrants gathering in San Diego to hold a final birthday party for the family patriarch who is dying from cancer. The subplots are messy and complicated, just the way real families are, especially large ones with members from a variety of backgrounds. There were moments that made me laugh out loud and others that brought me to tears. So far, this book is still a contender in the ToB, and I hope it makes it to the final.

29. Milkman by Anna Burns (4.5 stars)
Category: Tournament of Books

This book book from the ToB list is, unlike The House of Broken Angels, one that I greatly admired rather than enjoyed. That's not to say I disliked reading it. Rather, the reading experience was challenging, but one that I found to be ultimately rewarding. I'd worked through both the audiobook and the print book. I thought the narrator of the audiobook did a superb job, but I frequently had to reread passages in the print version, as the main character's stream-of-consciousness style tended to put me in a trance-like state sometimes.

I doubt this book would appeal to everyone, but I expect most LT members would relate to Middle Sister's penchant for "reading while walking," considered dubious by her family and acquaintances. My children have often tried to stop me from doing that, presumably out of concern for my safety, and hopefully not because of what the neighbours might think. :)

30. Roadside Picnic by Arcady and Boris Strugatsky (4.5 stars)
Category: Bookcrossing Roundabout

This classic Russian sci-fi novel has a great premise, that aliens stopped by for a visit and left a bunch of artifacts. This leads to all sorts of interesting questions. Are these items treasures or alien garbage? How do humans deal with the aftermath of this first-contact event?

This story reminded me a little of Kurt Vonnegut's works, with its moments of absurdity and social commentary. I also enjoyed the foreword by Ursula Leguin and the afterword by one of the authors, describing the challenges they went through in getting the book published (which is a different take on "absurdity").

31. Beguilement by Lois McMaster Bujold (3.5 stars)
Category: Other SFF

It's really unusual for me to give any book by Lois McMaster Bujold, one of my favourite authors, fewer than 4 stars. However, this one had a little too much romance for my tastes and not as much depth as her World of the Five Gods or Vorkosigan series. The constant reminders of the older-man/younger-woman relationship got tiresome and a little disturbing after a while. It was still enjoyable, with interesting and strong characters, as is typical of Bujold books.

>84 mathgirl40: That one is sitting nearby. I postponed reading it while reading David Copperfield. I'll wait a few books before diving in just so I get a little light reading before beginning it.

32. My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithewaite (4 stars)
Category: Tournament of Books

This Tournament of Books novel is a fast-paced story about a woman who is both exasperated by and protective of her narcissistic serial-killer sister. I found it unusual and engrossing. It's a solid ToB entry, and though it's not at the top of my personal ToB list, it's still in the running for the Rooster and I won't be too disappointed if it ends up winning.

33. Death Masks by Jim Butcher (3.5 Stars)
Category: Long SFF Series

This fifth book in the Dresden Files series has Harry looking for a religious artifact and dealing with the Red Court. I'm not sure why, but it just didn't appeal to me as much as the last one, Summer Knight. The return of Susan livens up the plot but otherwise, this installment didn't stand out. Despite that, I still think the series is terrific and I'll certainly be reading more.

34. Ordeal by Innocence by Agatha Christie (3.5 stars)
Category: Other Mysteries

This is one of the few Agatha Christie mysteries that doesn't feature any of her famous detectives. Instead, an ordinary citizen tries to set right a wrongful conviction for which he had been responsible. It was a decent mystery with some surprises, but it felt very dated. Nowadays, I have a hard time hearing a man refer to his female love interest as a "child". Also, in the novel, police and medical professionals seem to be quite free in passing private information around.

>83 mathgirl40: - I'm crossing my fingers that it makes it to the final too! I love a good multi-generational family story.

>91 LittleTaiko: Well, it didn't get to the finals, but I'm pretty happy with My Sister the Serial Killer winning!

35. The Gunslinger by Stephen King (3.5 stars)
Category: Scary Books

I'd been meaning to read King's famous Dark Tower series for a long time, and I finally got around to finishing the first book. It was good, but I don't seem to have a real connection to the characters or an understanding of his world. I'm tentatively giving this book 3.5 stars but it's quite possible I'll have to revise my opinion as I read more in the series.

36. The Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett (5 stars)
Category: Long SFF Series

I adored this installment of the Discworld series, but I suspect my feelings are influenced by my love for all things related to Macbeth. The three witches are wonderful characters, each with a distinct personality, and Pratchett's playing around with elements from Shakespeare's works is great fun. This volume is definitely my favourite of the Discworld books I've read so far.

37. Under the Pendulum Sun by Jeannette Ng (3 stars)
Category: Other SFF

This book was chosen for one of my SFF book clubs, and most people in our group hated it. I didn't hate it but I didn't especially like it either. The initial premise, Christian missionaries proselytizing in a faerie realm, seemed interesting enough. However, there were many slow, tedious passages and some very uncomfortable themes. The author did some things well, including building an interesting world and creating a creepy Gothic-like atmosphere.

>93 mathgirl40: That's a series I need to get back to at some point soon. I was a little underwhelmed by the opening book too but found the next few much better. Hope you do to when you get to them.

>95 mathgirl40: That is a fascinating premise for a book. Too bad it didn't deliver.

>94 mathgirl40: I do like seeing other people discover and enjoy Pratchett. >:-D

>96 AHS-Wolfy: I expect I will enjoy the next books more. I've heard a lot of praise for the series as a whole.

>97 RidgewayGirl: Yes, it was too bad. However, Ng does seem promising as a writer. She's been nominated for the Campbell Award for Best New Writer by Worldcon (the association that runs the Hugo SFF awards). I may be persuaded to give her future work a try.

>98 Helenliz: I'd waited a long time before trying Pratchett, despite the repeated urging of a close friend. Now I wish I'd started earlier, as there are so many books to enjoy!

38. The Woo-Woo by Lindsay Wong (3 stars)
Category: Non-fiction

A few posts upthread, I'd mentioned that my SFF book club hated Under a Pendulum Sun. Earlier that day, the book club at my workplace discussed The Woo-Woo. We'd chosen it because it was on the Canada Reads shortlist and sounded promising. Well, everyone at work hated this book too. I belong to a number of book clubs and, as the books are usually chosen carefully, it's really rare to have two books so universally disliked! This made for really interesting discussion that day, though.

The Woo-Woo is Lindsay Wong's memoir about growing up in a Chinese Canadian family in which a number of members suffered from various mental illnesses. However, the family refused to acknowledge the medical issues and instead attributed the behaviours to ghosts, which are part of common Chinese superstitions.

The book is relentlessly bleak. Wong describes very disturbing behaviours in a way that seems to make fun of them. After what she's been through, I think this is understandable, but it isn't pleasant for the reader. Clearly, some very positive things must have happened for Wong to become a successful college graduate and writer, despite her awful childhood, but unfortunately, she skips over these parts of her life.

I didn't hate this book as much as the others and even found that I could relate to parts of it. The entire story felt surreal to my fellow book-club members, but having grown up in a somewhat traditional Chinese family, many parts did ring true. My friends asked with some trepidation whether my own childhood was anything like Lindsay's, and I was happy to report that, no, my parents did not throw verbal abuse at me or fret about hauntings. :)

39. Icelandic Folk and Fairy Tales by Jón Árnason (4 stars)
Category: Short Stories

This book contains the English translation of folk tales that had been first collected and published in the middle of the 19th century. The stories varied in quality, length and appeal. However, together they give readers a good look into Icelandic culture and history. I found the footnotes especially helpful. To me, the most interesting aspect of this collection is how so many of the stories mix Christianity with the supernatural world, such as ones about priests beset by demons or churches haunted by faeries.

40. Dragon Ship by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (4 stars)
Category: Long SFF Series

This is another enjoyable entry in the Liaden series. It continues the Theo Waitley sequence, and in this one, Theo and friends go off on adventures of their own on the sentient ship Bechimo. Anyone interested in trying out the Liaden Universe should not start with this book. (Fledgling, the first Theo Waitley book, is a good place to start.) The story is a bit slow and the plot isn't especially complex or substantial, so the book probably doesn't deserve the 4 stars I'm giving it. However, I like the characters in Theo's part of the Liaden Universe so much more than the others that it's always a pleasure to spend time with them, and the sentient spaceship has so much personality!

41 Precious Bane by Mary Webb (4.5 stars)
Category: Miscellaneous

This novel, first published in 1924 and then republished as a Virago Modern Classic, is set in the Shropshire region of England in the 1800's. It tells the story of Prue Sarn, a young woman afflicted with a harelip. Despite her condition and the tragedies that befall her family, Prue manages to survive her hardships and find love, through her own strength and the beauty of her character.

It took me a little while to get used to the dialect used in this book but otherwise, I enjoyed it immensely. Prue is a wonderful character, and there are many dramatic moments in this unexpectedly page-turning story.

42. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote (4.5 stars)
Category: 1001 Books

True Crime is not a genre I especially care for, but this pioneer in the genre is definitely a gripping read. The story of the Clutter family murders in the small Kansas town of Holcomb reads just like a thriller, as it explores the thoughts and actions of the killers, the victims and others affected by the ghastly crime. However, the dramatization of the events makes the book sit on the border of fiction and non-fiction. Indeed, I thought it was interesting that it got chosen for the "1001 Books to Read Before You Die" list, which is supposedly restricted to fictional works. In any case, my rating is based on its value as a thrilling story rather than how well it holds up as an objective and accurate recounting of the events.

I've finally finished reviewing all my March books. Here's a quick summary.

Books read: 16 (out of 42 in all)
Books off my shelves: 6 (out of 18 in all)
Favourite books: The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea, Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett and Precious Bane by Mary Webb

March was dominated by Tournament of Books reading. Now that the ToB is over, I'll be turning my attention to the recently announced Hugo shortlist. I'm still working on getting older books off my shelves, but of course the new and shiny ones beckon.

43. The Cunning Man by Robertson Davies (4 stars)
Category: Miscellaneous

The Cunning Man follows the life of a Toronto doctor, Jonathan Hullah. This final novel by Robertson Davies has some slow passages and is certainly not among his best. However, as a devoted Davies fan, I found it very satisfying, as it brings back many of the themes, locations and characters from his earlier novels. It also helped put events of The Cunning Man in better context. I do wish, though, that Davies had lived long enough to write the third book of the unfinished "Toronto Trilogy". Davies's love of the city definitely comes through in the descriptions.

44. The Saturday Night Ghost Club by Craig Davidson (5 stars)
Category: Evergreen Awards

Craig Davidson's Precious Cargo, a nonfiction book about his year as a bus driver for special-needs teenagers, was one of my favourite books from 2018. This new book is among the top books of the ones I've read so far in 2019.

This is a coming-of-age story about Jake Baker, a neurosurgeon who looks back to his early teenage years, when he was a lonely outsider until he finally makes two new friends. Jake's unconventional Uncle Cal gets all of them involved in a "ghost club" in which they learn about paranormal events that have occurred in their city. Through these excursions, Jake discovers disturbing truths about the past.

This novel features great storytelling, with a strong feeling of nostalgia and a setting reminiscent of the Stranger Things TV series.

45. The Churn by James S. A. Corey (3.5 stars)
Category: Long SFF Series

This is a novella set in the Expanse universe, and it tells the backstory of Amos Burton, one of the primary characters in the series. It is set in a future dystopian Baltimore. Most of the story seemed slow and plodding to me, until the last quarter which had more than a few surprises. If you're a huge fan of the Expanse series like I am, then it's definitely worthwhile to read this book, if only to get a fuller picture of Amos.

46. We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler (4.5 stars)
Category: BookCrossing Roundabout

This was one of the books that I received in the BookCrossing roundabout that I participate in. It was a reread for me, and I enjoyed the book as much as I did the first time around, perhaps even more so. In it, the narrator tells us about her life growing up with a chimp as a sibling, as part of her parents' scientific study. I liked very much the main character's voice and the quirky personalities of the other characters. I found the novel very thought-provoking, and when I'd read the book the first time, I was motivated to watch the documentary Project Nim, which I recommend.

47. Blood Rites by Jim Butcher (4.5 stars)
Category: Long SFF Series

After the slightly disappointing 5th Dresden Files book, I'm happy to say that this 6th book is my favourite so far. In this installment, Harry's investigations take him into the porn-film industry. The sleeziness of this setting is offset by the arrival of an adorable puppy, and revelations about his family bring further complications to Harry's life.

48. The Case is Closed by Patricia Wentworth (3.5 stars)
Category: Golden Age Mysteries

In this second book of the Miss Silver mystery series, a young woman Hilary Carew attempts to prove the innocence of her friend's husband in the murder of his uncle. This novel really reflects some of the stereotypes commonly accepted by people of its time. Nevertheless, it was still a well-paced and entertaining mystery. Unfortunately, Miss Silver appears late in this story and has a relatively minor role.

>109 mathgirl40: I have this on my TBR, I've heard mixed reviews so I'm glad to read your positive review!

>112 Jackie_K: I can see that the narrator's style might not appeal to everyone, but I liked it and the story very much. I hope you like it too!

>111 mathgirl40: It's been awhile since I've read any Patricia Wentworth books. I don't remember which I read and which I didn't.

>114 thornton37814: I discovered Wentworth very recently but definitely hope to read more.

49. The Circle Game by Margaret Atwood (4 stars)
Category: Miscellaneous

Although I'm a big fan of Margaret Atwood's books, I've read very little of her poetry. Indeed, I read much less poetry than I think I should! Consequently, I'm a poor judge of what is good or bad in poetry and find it difficult to give a review of this collection. I can say that I liked the poems and enjoyed seeing themes in them that recur in many of her books, such as Canadian history and our relationship to the environment.

50. Dread Nation by Justina Ireland (4 stars)
Category: Hugo/Aurora Awards

This book was recently nominated for the 2019 Lodestar Award, which is the new YA version of the Hugo Award given out by the Worldcon organization. It's an alternate-history steampunk adventure set in the Southern US during the Civil War era. In this world, Negroes are not slaves but are still second-class citizens, with many young women, such as the main character Jane, trained as bodyguards for the wealthy white citizens. What do they guard against? Why, zombies, of course!

This book was fun to read, with an interesting premise and strong characters. It seems to be the first of a series.

51. The Black God's Drums by P. Djèlí Clark (3.5 stars)
Category: Hugo/Aurora Awards

This book was nominated for the 2019 Hugo Best Novella Award. It's an alternate-history steampunk adventure set in New Orleans during the Civil War era, featuring a young feisty and resourceful female main character. If you'd just read my last review, this should sound awfully familiar. Unlike Dread Nation, however, this book features mystical elements from Haitian folklore rather than zombies. I liked the complex and interesting world the author created, as well as the characters. I might easily have given this book a higher rating if it weren't for the fact that the plot was rather mundane and forgettable. The author shows a lot of promise, though, and I'll be sure to look for more of his work.

52. The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien (4.5 stars)
Category: Dust Collector

Continuing my roughly once-per-decade reread of The Lord of the Rings (which happily coincides with the LOTR group read in this forum), I finished The Two Towers. Every time I reread these books, I appreciate Tolkien's writing more and more. I did not enjoy the second half of the volume, which concerned Frodo and Sam, accompanied by Gollum, as much as the first half, as I found their journey slow, long and mostly bleak. In contrast, the first half is full of interesting characters and events. I have a particular fondness for the Ents.

53. The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham (4 stars)
Category: Bookcrossing Roundabout

This 1951 sci-fi novel describes how one man attempts to survive the post-apocalyptic chaos caused by a cosmic event that left most of the population blind. In the meantime, an invasive and strangely sentient plant species threatens the remaining survivors.

I loved the first and last thirds of the book but found the middle somewhat slow. Still, it was a good story and I'm glad I finally got around to reading this classic. In some ways, the book feels dated but in others, it seems very prescient. Coincidentally, I'm reading the recently published nonfiction book Overrun by Andrew Reeves, about the invasive Asian carp species, whose history is not unlike that of the triffids. That book makes me think that Wyndham's premise is not as implausible as it might first appear!

>120 mathgirl40: I read The Midwich Cuckoos by the same author and the plot sounds very familiar!

>121 Tess_W: I'll have to read that one too, especially since it'll let me cross another off the 1001 Books list!

54. The Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross (4 stars)
Category: Hugo Awards

The Laundry Files was recently nominated for the Hugo Best Series award, so I thought I would go to the beginning and read this first book. I'd read Equoid last year and found it an entertaining enough story but it didn't explain much about the Laundry. This first book does, and I liked very much the premise, as well as the math and computer related humour. In this story, Bob Howard, an IT worker, becomes an operative for the Laundry, a government organization that deals with occult issues. My edition also included The Concrete Jungle, a novella in which Bob investigates a malevolent surveillance network.

55. Gods, Monsters and the Lucky Peach by Kelly Robson (4 stars)
Category: Hugo Awards

This book was nominated for the 2019 Hugo Best Novella. It's a fun and fast-paced time-travel story that initially starts off in a futuristic, post-apocalyptic Calgary. There are a lot of interesting ideas in this short book, maybe a few too many, as some parts felt rushed, and the characters are intriguing. I'd be happy to see Robson bring back the characters and explore the ideas further in a longer work.

56. One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson (4.5 stars)
Category: Scottish Mysteries

This second book in the Jackson Brodie series is a page-turning mystery that begins with a mild-mannered cozy-mystery writer performing a heroic deed at a road-rage incident. It features several subplots that eventually converge together, with some unexpected crazy twists along the way. I loved the characters and was sad to say goodbye to them at the end, though it's possible some may come back in future books in the series.

57. The Rituals of Dinner by Margaret Visser (4.5 stars)
Category: Non-fiction

In this book, Margaret Visser examines customs and etiquette related to the consumption of food throughout the ages and in various parts of the world. I'd first read this book soon after it had been published in 1991. Even though it's somewhat dated (for example, I expect that the discussion of watching television during mealtime would concern mobile devices these days), it's still a fascinating and informative read. It made me understand the reasons for many of the seemingly arbitrary rules I'd learned as a child, both the Chinese customs of my parents and the Western customs I encountered outside the home. Parts of this book can seem overly detailed but there are loads of interesting facts. The book will likely make you look carefully at everything that you do at the dinner table.

Finally, I am caught up with reviews for my April books. Here's a brief summary:

Books read: 15 (out of 57)
Books from my shelves: 6 (out of 24)
Favourite books: The Saturday Night Ghost Club by Craig Davidson and The Rituals of Dinner by Margaret Visser

As mentioned earlier in this thread, I renewed my membership to Worldcon, so again, I will be participating in Hugo voting. This means that the next couple of months' reading will be dominated by works from the shortlist. Unfortunately, this means that older books from my own shelves will take a back seat for a little while, but I hope they won't be forgotten completely.

58. Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire (3 stars)
Category: Hugo Awards

This is the third book in Seanan McGuire's Wayward Children series and it was recently nominated for the Hugo Best Novella award. The story tells the adventure of several children from Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children who end up in a strange world made up of baked goods. I consider myself a fan of Seanan McGuire (though I much prefer the works she writes as Mira Grant) but I've not been able to get excited about the Wayward Children series, though they are well crafted.

59. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (5 stars)
Category: Miscellaneous

Set in Barcelona, The Shadow of the Wind is a coming-of-age story about a boy who finds himself obsessed by a forgotten author. There is so very much that I loved about this novel: the intricate plot, the appealing and complex characters, the mysterious and atmospheric setting, and most of all, the superb storytelling. I'd listened to the audiobook version and Jonathan Davis really brought the characters to life. I have a particular fondness for the bildungsroman and also for books about books (actually, I suspect many of us on LT love this genre!), so it's great when they come together in a terrific story.

60. Artificial Condition by Martha Wells (4 stars)
Category: Hugo Awards

This book has been nominated for the 2019 Hugo Best Novella Award. It is as enjoyable as the first book in the Murderbot series, All Systems Red, which had won the 2018 award. The story relates another adventure involving the sentient robot Murderbot and introduces another AI character with just as much personality. I'd definitely recommend this series to any science fiction fan, but I'd suggest starting with the first book, as there are a number of references to that story.

>129 mathgirl40: It really is a good book. I should try and get around to the sequels some time.

>130 mathgirl40: Still haven't got around to reading any of Martha Wells' books either but hope to rectify that sometime soon. Never see a bad review of her work.

>129 mathgirl40: I enjoyed that one when I read it a few years ago.

>129 mathgirl40: - Echoing Dave's comment about the Zafon book... Soooo good!

>131 AHS-Wolfy: I hadn't even realized there were sequels to The Shadow of the Wind! Thanks for mentioning that. They will definitely go on the wishlist.

>132 thornton37814: >133 lkernagh: Glad to hear that you both liked Zafon's book too!

61. Infomocracy by Malka Older (4 stars)
Category: Hugo Awards

Malka Older's Centenal Cycle series, of which this is the first book, was nominated for the 2019 Hugo Best Series Award. This is a sci-fi thriller that follows 4 political operatives in a near-future world that has adopted the idea of "microdemocracy", in which centenals, blocs of 100,000 people, vote for their own government. There is a lot of discussion of the political ideas, but this is offset by a fair amount of action. An earthquake causes unexpected disruptions as citizens start casting their once-in-a-decade vote.

This is Malka Older's debut novel but two sequels are now available and I looking forward to reading them soon, hopefully before the Hugo voting deadline.

62. Overrun by Andrew Reeves (4.5 stars)
Category: Non-fiction

In this book, the author does a fine job of describing everything one might want to know about Asian carp and the environmental crisis that is arising from its presence in North American waters. I learned many interesting things reading this book, not just about Asian carp, but about fish in general, the ecology of our waterways, and the effect of government policy on a range of environmental issues. The author structures the book around the journey Asian carp has taken from the Southern US toward Canada and gives a sense of the local effects and efforts to counter them at each stage while also describing the global cooperation needed to tackle the problem.

Earlier in this thread, I mentioned this book in my review of The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham. It's rather disturbing how the themes overlap. Hopefully, the Asian carp aren't as clever and malevolent as the triffids appear to be!

 

63. Binti: Home by Nnedi Okorafor (3.5 stars)
Category: Other SFF

64. Binti: The Night Masquerade by Nnedi Okorafor (3.5 stars)
Category: Hugo Awards

I'm reviewing the second and third books in Nnedi Okorafor's series, as they seem to be two halves of a single story, unlike the first book Binti, which worked fairly well as a standalone. The third book was nominated for the 2019 Hugo Best Novella Award.

I really wanted and expected to like these books more than I did, as they had received so much acclaim and I'm usually enthusiastic about more diversity in science-fiction authors and themes. However, Binti's voice does not especially appeal to me. I hate to say it, but I got tired of all the angst after a while. Still, there are loads of interesting ideas in these books, my favourite being the awesome fish spaceships.

I've had Precious Bane and We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves sitting around here TBR for ages; glad to see you liked them and I'll try to inch them closer to the top!

>138 LisaMorr: I would certainly love to hear what you think of them when you get to them!

65. The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien (5 stars)
Category: Dust Collectors

I reread The Lord of the Rings once every decade or so, and this time my reread fortuitously coincided with the LT group read. I'd given it only 4.5 star last time around, but I have to bump it up to 5 stars, as I keep coming back to it and enjoying it more and more with each reread. Admittedly, some parts of our heroes' long journeys have their tedious or unpleasant moments, but I don't think I'll ever tire of rereading my favourite parts of the LOTR series. In this final volume, one of those favourite moments is Eowyn's and Merry's battle with the Nazgul King.

So now that my reread of the trilogy is done, I'm going to reread The Hobbit. Unlike the other LOTR books, I've not reread this one since I'd first read it a few decades ago, and I've not watched the film version, so this will feel like a new experience.

66. Revenant Gun by Yoon Ha Lee (5 stars)
Category: Hugo Awards

After working through some of the Best Novella and Best Series nominees, I'm now focussing on the 2019 Hugo Best Novel nominees. Revenant Gun is the third book of Yoon Ha Lee's Machineries of Empire series, which happens to also be a Hugo Best Series nominee.

I thought the first two books in the series were very good, but I found this one exceptional. Perhaps it's because the first two spent a great deal of time laying out the complexities of the world and the complicated relationships among the characters. Now, in this third book, all of it comes together. I'm very eager now to read more of Yoon Ha's work set in this universe.

67. Police by Jo Nesbo (4 stars)
Category: Mysteries Around the World-(Norway)

This 10th book in the Harry Hole series is another great installment, fast-paced and exciting with more than a few surprises. In this story, Harry reluctant leaves his quiet life away from murder investigations to help his colleagues solve the serial killings of police officers. There are a lot of twists and turns in this story, but if I'm allowed a criticism, I found the frequent cliffhangers and misleading of the reader mildly annoying.

68. The Favourite Game by Leonard Cohen (4 stars)
Category: Miscellaneous

The Favourite Game is Leonard Cohen's first novel and it seems relatively unknown compared to Beautiful Losers. It's a coming-of-age novel about a Montreal writer/musician. As a lifelong fan of Cohen's music, I found this novel interesting mainly for its seemingly autobiographical aspects. I'd read that Cohen's original version of this novel was twice as long. His publishers, with little enthusiasm for the book, reluctantly agreed to publish it in its greatly reduced form. He wrote, "anyone with an ear will know I've torn apart orchestras to arrive at my straight, melodic line." I wonder if we'll ever hear the entire orchestral work!

69. Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse (4.5 stars)
Category: Hugo Awards

I finished another book from the 2019 Hugo Best Novel shortlist. Trail of Lightning is a post-apocalyptic urban-fantasy story, the first in a series, and it features a gutsy and smart Native American protagonist. The characters are terrific and author's use of Native American themes makes the world incredibly interesting. To be honest, I don't think this is an especially strong contender for the Hugo award but it was a thoroughly enjoyable read.

70. Poirot Loses a Client by Agatha Christie (4 stars)
Category: Golden Age Mysteries

This novel, alternatively titled Dumb Witness, is a classic Agatha Christie work of the Golden Era. Poirot receives a letter that somehow has arrived two months late and discovers that the author had died soon after sending it. He feels an obligation to fulfill her request and investigates the mysterious circumstances surrounding her death. This isn't Christie's best work but it is typical of the sort of story that first made me a big fan of hers.

71. Submission by Michel Houellebecq (4 stars)
Category: Bookcrossing Roundabout

This somewhat controversial book describes a near-future France in which the Muslim Brotherhood forms a coalition government in France. Parts of this book made for uncomfortable and unpleasant reading, and the narrator is rather loathsome. However, I found this novel thought provoking, especially in light of the recent EU elections and other current political events. Unfortunately, I don't know as much about European politics as I ought to; otherwise, I probably would have appreciated the book more.

This novel reminded me of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, in that it shows how certain ideas, ostensibly moderate and innocuous, can eventually lead to a horrific situation. It also shows how a charismatic leader who initially courts opposing factions could facilitate this process.

>146 mathgirl40: Great review and thought provoking subject matter. I did not like at all The Handmaid's Tale, but I might risk this book!

>147 Tess_W: The styles of both books are very different, so there's a good chance you might like Submission.

72. Deadhouse Gates by Steven Erikson (4 stars)
Category: Doorstoppers

This is the second book in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series. I won't bother with a plot summary as it's too hard to sum up in a few sentences. I thought I'd find it easier reading than the first, now that I'm better acquainted with some of the characters and settings. However, I spent the first half of this 870-page book being mostly confused and the second half finally figuring out some of the context and relationships.

Now you might think that these challenges would discourage me from continuing the series but the opposite is true. The characters are deep and complex, the world is rich and fascinating, and the Gods and magical elements are intriguing. In fact, I look forward to doing a reread of this series when, hopefully, I'll have a better grasp of what's going on. However, I do need to finish the next 8 books first!

73. Stardance by Spider and Jeanne Robinson
Category: Dust Collectors

This book definitely fits my Dust Collectors category, as it had been sitting on my shelves for over 30 years. In fact, by the time I finished reading it, the entire book had fallen apart and I regretfully had to put the pile of yellowed pages into the recycling bin.

The first third of this novel is actually the 1977 story of the same name that won the Hugo Best Novella award. The novel is about a group of dancers who pioneer the art of zero-gravity dance. There is a lot of interesting information about dance, as well as starships and aliens. The late Jeanne Robinson was a professional dancer and choreographer, and I found this video of a zero-G dance that she had choreographed. (She's not the dancer but she does appear in the video.)

Here is a brief summary of my May reading:

Books read: 16 (out of 73)
Books from my shelves: 6 (out of 30)
Favourite books: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón and Revenant Gun by Yoon Ha Lee

May was dominated by novels and novellas from this year's Hugo Voter Packet, and it'll probably continue to be that way for June and July. I've also been spending more time in the garden, giving me good opportunities to listen to audiobooks. This almost makes weeding bearable!

>73 mathgirl40: So, how did you like Stardance overall? I've had that one sitting on my shelves for a very long time as well, although it's a hardcover, so I don't think it's falling apart (yet).

>152 LisaMorr: I did like it, though some aspects felt very dated. I thought the story itself was just OK but I'm glad I read it, as it spurred me to find out more about Spider and Jeanne Robinson and the investigations into zero-g dance that they inspired.

74. The Tea Master and the Detective by Aliette de Bodard (3.5 stars)
Category: Hugo Awards

This story, nominated for this year's Hugo Best Novella award, is an interesting mix of science-fiction, fantasy and mystery. It's part of de Bodard's Xuya Universe, which is inspired by Chinese and Vietnamese cultures. Like a good number of Hugo shortlist works this year, this story features a sentient spaceship. I enjoyed the story but would probably have appreciated it more if I were more familiar with the Xuya Universe.

75. Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang by Kate Wilhelm (5 stars)
Category: Other SFF

I consider myself a pretty avid science-fiction fan, so I feel a bit ashamed that I'd never read anything by Kate Wilhelm until now, and I had no idea that this novel had won the Hugo Best Novel award in 1977. I picked up this book only because it had been chosen for a science-fiction book club that I participate in.

The novel follows various members of a community that struggles to survive after disease and famine has wiped out most of the human population. Humankind is saved by the community's development of cloning technology, but a new kind of human emerges. I found the plot captivating and Wilhelm's writing beautiful and haunting.

76. Lachlan's War by Michael Cannon (3.5 stars)
Category: Bookcrossing Roundabout

This work of historical fiction is set in a village on the coast of Scotland during WWII. The story shows how some citizen's lives are dramatically affected as various outsiders settle in the village as a result of the war. Some scenes were overly explicit and others melodramatic, but I thought the novel featured good storytelling and interesting characters. I especially liked the setting and felt the author did a great job at recreating it.

I celebrated my 10th Thingaversary a few days ago! I've not yet gotten around to a book-shopping spree to mark the occasion, but I'm mostly celebrating the fact that I've made such good friends here at LT. You've all inspired me to expand the scope of my reading over the years!

Happy Thingaversary!

Happy Thingaversary! I'm glad you're here too :D Enjoy your book shopping!

Speaking of friends, I will be at Fan Expo in August... ;)

Happy thingaversary! Have fun choosing your books!

Happy Thingaversary!

Happy Thingaversary

Happy Thingaversary, Paulina!

Happy Thingaversary - I can't imagine a better place than LT for meeting people who love books. My reading has definitely been shaped by fellow LTers.

>158 AHS-Wolfy: >159 rabbitprincess: >160 MissWatson: >161 Jackie_K: >162 Tess_W: >163 RidgewayGirl: >164 DeltaQueen50: Thank you all for the good Thingaversary wishes!

>159 rabbitprincess: I would have loved to meet up with you again at Fan Expo this year. However, there is a good chance we'll be out of town (possibly out of the country) at the end of August. If plans change, I'll let you know!

77. Calculating Stars by Mary Kowal Robinette (4.5 stars)
Category: Hugo Awards

This alternate-history science-fiction novel, about Elma York, a female "computer" (mathematician who performs complex real-time computations) for the US space program, was nominated for this year's Hugo Best Novel Award and, in my opinion, stands a good chance of winning it. The novel is set in a 1950's post-apocalyptic US that is attempting to deal with the life-threatening climatic effects of a meteorite falling in the Washington area. The government must hurry its attempts to colonize the moon and Elma believes that women can be a part of the pioneering missions.

This novel isn't perfect. I found the pacing uneven and some of the dialogue awkward. However, it was such a fun, inspiring and frequently exciting story to read. As an alternate-history novel, the story is quite plausible I am really looking forward to reading more in this author's Lady Astronaut series.

78. Babylon's Ashes by James S. A. Corey (4.5 stars)
Category: Long SFF Series

This is the 6th book of the excellent Expanse series. There are various subplots but the main one continues the story started in the 5th book involving those from Naomi's past. I would definitely not recommend reading this book without having first read Nemesis Games. I was also happy to see Prax, one of my favourite characters, return in this installment of the series.

>155 mathgirl40: - I admit that I am not much of a science-fiction fan but your review of Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang has caught my interest. Sadly, my local library doesn't have a copy of that book but they have stacks of other books by Kate Wilhelm in the mystery/suspense genre that look intriguing, so I guess I get to thank you for adding a new author to my library reading list!

Happy Thingaversary and wishing you a wonderful Canada Day long weekend!

Happy Thingaversary!

Where Late the Sweet Bird Sang sounds great and I will see if I can get my hands on it!

>168 lkernagh: I hadn't realized that Kate Wilhelm wrote books in the mystery/suspense genre. I'll have to look for those myself!

>169 LisaMorr: Thank you for the Thingaversary wishes!

Uh oh, I've fallen behind with reviews again. It's been a busy couple of months with lots of travelling and family visiting. I'm going to work on catching up!

79. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (5 stars)
Category: Dust Collector

I reread The Lord of the Rings every decade or so, but I hadn't reread The Hobbit since I'd first read it many, many years ago. I'm glad to say that, after rereading, I'm even more fond of it now. It's a heartwarming and humorous story that remains a classic.

My husband gave me a garden gnome for my birthday (it was on my wishlist, really!) and I named it Dori, after one of Bilbo's companions. Apparently, garden gnomes are actually modelled after dwarfs, not gnomes. This one has a solar-powered lantern, which lights up my garden at night.

80. Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman (4.5 stars)
Category: Hugo (and related) awards

Tess of the Road was nominated for the Lodestar, a new YA award that will be presented along with the Hugo awards this year. This book follows Hartman's Seraphina duology. It is set in the same universe but is a standalone story, featuring Tess, the half-sister of Seraphina. Tess goes on the road to escape an oppressive disapproving society. I love Hartman's writing and would definitely recommend this book. You don't have to read the Seraphina books first, but you would probably get even more enjoyment out of the story if you did.

>171 mathgirl40: He looks very welcoming! We call them Gartenzwerge in German, that's garden dwarves. They always look like the 19th century illustrations for Snow White.

>173 MissWatson: I'm glad to know that the Germans have less trouble distinguishing between dwarves and gnomes! I have no idea why they're called gnomes here in North America. :)

81. Null States by Malka Older (4 stars)
Category: Hugo Awards

This is the second book in Malka Older's Centenal Cycle series, where she continues to explore the idea of "microdemocracy", in which a near-future world is divided into voting blocs of 100,000 citizens and a worldwide organization called "Information" monitors and informs citizens of all activities under their surveillance. This book follows Roz, one of the characters from the first book, as she investigates an assassination in the Middle East. I am enjoying this series and look forward to reading the third book, State Tectonics.

82. Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel (3.5 stars)
Category: Other SFF

I really liked the premise of this near-future science-fiction thriller, in which a gigantic human-like artifact with mysterious powers is discovered. I also liked how the story was presented, in the form of interviews, similar to how World War Z by Max Brooks was done. I found the writing somewhat weak, but the story was interesting enough that I will look for the sequels.

I'd bought this book after hearing the author speak at a local SFF convention. I found him entertaining and likable, so despite the weaknesses in the novel, I do want to read more of his books. I learned that Sony has picked up the film rights for this book.

83. Robertson Davies: A Portrait in Mosaic by Val Ross (4.5 stars)
Category: Non-fiction

I've been a lifelong fan of Robertson Davies's work, and I found this biography fascinating. The format of the book is not typical of most biographies. It consists of numerous quotations from family, friends, students and colleagues, with short introductions by the author.

It was interesting to learn more about the man who outwardly seemed brilliant, witty and erudite. He was also seen by some to be snobbish, old-fashioned, insecure and occasionally a little bit cruel. What I liked most was seeing how various aspects of his life made their way into his novels. I hadn't realized, for example, that Murther and Walking Spirits was based so much on his own family history.

I have fallen terribly behind in my reviews, but a lot has been happening in my life lately, all of it good. :)

I recently came back from a 2-week family vacation in Europe, and the highlight was attending my older daughter's Masters thesis defense. She is now back in Canada now. Book-related highlights of the trip included:
- visiting the studio in Ystad where Henning Mankell's Wallander series were filmed
- reading The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen, set in Copenhagen, while in that city, and
- reading Tumbleweed by Janwillem van de Wetering, set in Amsterdam, while in that city.

Reviews to come soon!

Paulina, what a wonderful-sounding vacation! Congrats to your daughter! I'll admit that I only once managed to sync my reading to my location (reading Gail Jones's A Guide to Berlin while on the train traveling to that city. It does enhance both the book and the place, doesn't it?

>178 mathgirl40: Sounds like an awesome vacation!

>178 mathgirl40: That sounds great. I like to pair my reading with my holiday where I can. I read The Odessey while on a cruise on the Med. It didn't take us 10 years to get home >;-)

>179 RidgewayGirl: Thanks! I usually try to match books to my vacations, but the timing doesn't always work out. When I saw your recent review of Herman Koch's book, I thought, "Darn, I wish I'd had this one when I was in Amsterdam!"

>180 rabbitprincess: It was really nice to have the whole family together. Now that my daughters have their own busy lives, we don't often get the chance to do a big trip together.

>181 Helenliz: That sounds like a terrific vacation/book pairing!

84. Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens (3.5 stars)
Category: Scary Books

This novel is a page-turning psychological thriller with a pretty scary and disturbing premise. A woman discovers that her biological father is a serial killer. He then tries to insert himself into her and her young daughter's lives. I didn't like this book as much as I did Chevy Stevens' first book Always Watching, but it was a good read all the same.

85. The Glass Bead Game by Hermann Hesse (4 stars)
Category: 1001 Books

This classic is a coming-of-age novel about Joseph Knecht and his lifelong involvement with the Glass Bead Game, an abstract mathematical game minimally described in the story. It is certainly a thought-provoking work, but I'm not sure I had the capacity to appreciate it fully. It also seems dated; I wonder if it would speak to youth the same way it supposedly had in earlier generations.

86. Abbott by Saladin Ahmed (4 stars)
Category: Graphic Novels

The first volume of a new comic book series, this 2019 Hugo Best Graphic Work nominee is a story about a Black investigative journalist in 1970s Detroit. I really enjoyed this work, which I found to be a good mix of noirish mystery, horror and the supernatural.

 

87. Monstress, Volume 2 by Marjorie Liu and Taka Sakeda (5 stars)
88. Monstress, Volume 3 by Marjorie Liu and Taka Sakeda (5 stars)
Cateogry: Graphic Novels

These two volumes continue the story of Maika Halfwolf, a teenager with a demon contained inside her. This epic fantasy comic is set in a world with Asian elements and it features really gorgeous artwork. It's no surprise that the three volumes have won the Hugo Best Graphic Story Award for each of the past three years.

89. The Wreckage by Michael Crummey (3.5 stars)
Category: Miscellaneous

This story starts off with the romance between a Catholic girl and a Protestant boy in a small Newfoundland village, a scenario that is fraught with difficulties. I like the quality of Crummey's writing and this novel is an interesting and informative look at Newfoundland during the WWII years. However, the story is relentlessly bleak, with very little to relieve the gloom. I'd be happy to read more by Crummey, but hopefully on less depressing subjects.