Octane's Challenge 2010

I easily reached the 50 book mark last year and fell only one book short of 1000000 (in binary anyway, it sounds a lot better than 64), so I've decided to make that my new goal for the new year. I started rather slowly last year (almost two thirds of the books in the last 4 months of 2009), so it should be reachable, even though I'm working on my bachelor thesis.

Another goal I have is to read at least a few non-fiction books this year other than those I have to read for classes.

Additionally, I'll mark if the book was a Dead Tree Book(B), an audiobook(A) or if I've read it on my Kindle(K).

If anybody is interested in it, here is the link to my last thread:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/54772

Read: 0/64 (0B, 0A, 0K)
Currently reading: 4 (the Kindle makes it so easy to switch between books...)

1. Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner


While I found the book rather easy to read and some of the points the authors make are certainly interesting, it was a bit too repetitive in my opinion. Some of the insights they offer are probably meant to be surprising, for example the tie between the legalization of abortion and the decline in crime, but they already glance over it in the introduction before they devote an entire chapter to it, slowly building up to that "surprising" revelation (this specific point is also mentioned in almost every book description, for example on Amazon).

There are still enough other interesting things in the book to make it an enjoyable, short read. Very few parts get a little boring, for example the chapter on names, but the book is still a lot more interesting to read than a few other economics books I had to read for university.

Rating: 3 Stars
Read: 1/64 (0B, 0A, 1K)

2. The Black Company by Glen Cook


I didn't really like this book. For me, a detailed world with a rich backstory and so on is one of the most important things in a fantasy novel. Cooks world however seems very bland and generic. There are a few references to historical events and the geography of the world, but only when absolutely necessary. The characters are rather one-dimensional and not very likeable, so I found it pretty hard to care about what happened to them. I'll probably read the next two books in the series at some point, since I bought the omnibus edition of the first trilogy, but I don't have very high expectations.

Rating: 2 Stars
Read: 2/64 (1B, 0A, 1K)

3. Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde



Absolutely brilliant. Fforde manages to create a absurd, dystopic world, which is ruled by a colourtocracy, where everyone can only see a specific part of the colour spectrum and what one can see determines his whole life. It's a bit like 1984 or Brave New World written in crayon, as Fforde manages to derive a lot of humour from this setting, although this is probably his most "grown-up" book. Eccentric characters, a gripping plot, I can't wait to get my hands on the sequels!

Rating: 5 Stars
Read: 3/64 (2B, 0A, 1K)

I just got the Fforde book; it will be my next read. I'm looking forward to it.

Just heard Fforde do a reading and talk books at my favorite book store tonight. He's pretty darn funny for an author of that genre.

#6: That sounds great, Fforde is one of the authors I'd love to meet (or at least hear doing a reading). Sadly, most of my favorite authors never come to Germany.

4. You Suck by Christopher Moore


The sequel to Bloodsucking Fiends, not Moore's best novel, mostly due to Abby Normal (and her diary entries), which I found very annoying. It's still a good book with a lot of memorable characters(I especially like the Emperor of San Francisco) and loads of funny dialogue.)

Rating: 4 Stars
Read: 4/64 (3B, 0A, 1K)

5. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle



I'm really enjoying the Sherlock Holmes short stories, I started to read one or two of them between other books. They're perfect to "cleanse the palate", and it's great to see how many writers seem to have been inspired by these stories.

Rating: 5 Stars
Read: 5/64 (3B, 0A, 2K)

6. The Hell of it All by Charlie Brooker



A collection of his newspaper columns over the last two years. So far I've loved every tv show Brooker made (Nathan Barley, Screenwipe, Newswipe, You have been watching) and this book didn't disappoint either. A nice, quick read, ideal for short train rides and such.

Rating: 4.5 Stars
Read: 6/64 (3B, 0A, 3K)

I've discovered the joys of Charlie Brooker just this year. His bitterness is refreshing... And now I'll be adding Shades of Grey to my ever-growing wish list!

ljbwell: Yes,Charlie Brooker is great. I generally seem to enjoy misanthropic, cynical humour a lot... Brooker, Frankie Boyle, George Carlin etc.

7. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle



My favorite of the stories so far, the plot is more elaborate than in the first two novels and it's longer than the short stories (well, duh...). I actually read that in school a few years back, but it was well worth rereading.

Rating: 5 Stars
Read: 7/64 (3B, 0A, 4K)

8. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schaffer



Stumbled upon this in the Kindle Store and remembered that it was mentioned favorably on here several times, so I downloaded the sample. That was yesterday evening. I don't really know what it was, that kept me hooked, but i managed to finish the book last night and in a two hour break between lectures.
The characters were charming, although Isola began to get on my nerves by the end. The end was perhaps a bit cheesy for my taste, but I enjoyed learning about a part of history, I didn't know much about before.

Rating: 4 Stars
Read: 8/64 (3B, 0A, 5K)

9. Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton



Not one of his best novels, maybe there was a reason, why this wasn't published before his death. Some of the characters were interesting, but Crichton doesn't really explore them enough. It seemed a bit like he was trying to fit as many clichés from pirate movies/novels into the book, a bit like the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. There are some entirely superfluous scenes, while others could perhaps be a bit longer, because they resemble a first or second draft more than a finished scene. All in all it was still a good read, but it may have needed a bit more work from the author or a good editor.
Rating: 3 Stars
Read: 9/64 (3B, 0A, 6K)

10. Blood Rites by Jim Butcher



I originally wanted to wait for the audio version of this book, but since that won't be available until april, I got it on the Kindle. There is something positively sadistic about the way Butcher throws abuse at his lead character, I lost count of how many times Harry Dresden was in mortal peril in this book. However, Butcher seems to have a gift for writing great dialogue and gripping action scenes.

Rating: 4 Stars
Read: 10/64 (3B, 0A, 7K)

11. Dead Beat by Jim Butcher



In my opinion the best book in the series so far, it has everything I liked about the rest of the series, but it somehow felt a bit more grown-up, without losing its humor. Butcher continues building a impressive cast of characters and factions, to the point where it becomes hard to keep track of who is at war with who etc. Haven't decided yet if I'll go back to the audiobooks for the next installment. James Marsters is definitely a good choice and I enjoyed listening to the first books, but I haven't listened to audiobooks for some time (partly because I'm in the middle of one I dislike more and more).

Rating: 4.5 Stars
Read: 11/64 (3B, 0A, 8K)

12. Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher



Not as good as Dead Beat, but still good. The focus lies more on developing the series-spanning plot, which may be why the plot of the book itself wasn't that great. I'll take a little break from the series for now, because I'm coming dangerously close to catching up with the author, and I really hate having to wait until a book is released.

Rating: 4 Stars
Read: 12/64 (3B, 0A, 9K)

13. Old Man's War by John Scalzi



Overall a good book, though the second part isn't nearly as good as the first and last. While the latter two really managed to drive the story forward, while the former felt a bit like a collection of anecdotes. Some of the dialogue seemed a bit forced/stilted to me too, but only in a few places.

Rating: 3 Stars
Read: 13/64 (3B, 0A, 10K)

14. The Halfling's Gem by R. A. Salvatore



Certainly not one of the most highbrow fantasy novels, but there are a few things about Salvatore's books that keep drawing me back to them. The likeable, if not believable, characters or Salvatore's talent for writing great fight scenes. I love the Forgotten Realms as a setting too (ever since palying the first Baldur's Gate) and Salvatore makes the most of it. The Icewind Dale trilogy is not one of his best works, but still a nice, light read.

Rating: 3 Stars
Read: 14/64 (4B, 0A, 10K)

15. The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle



Not quite as good as the previous short stories,

Rating: 4 Stars
Read: 15/64 (4B, 0A, 11K)

16. A Confederacy Of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole



Don't even know where to start... how did this win a Pulitzer? The plot, the characters, the language, there wasn't a part of this book that I didn't resent. At least I got it for free from Audible, if it hadn't been an audiobook I probably wouldn't have finished it...

Rating: 1 Star
Read: 16/64 (4B, 1A, 11K)

17. White Night by Jim Butcher



I like this series more and more with each book I read. As far as the fight scenes go, Butcher seems to be trying to beat the zombie dinosaur from Dead Beat and he's not doing too badly :D

Rating: 4.5 Stars
Read: 17/64 (4B, 1A, 12K)

Ha! Whenever there is a discussion of "What 'classic' novel did you either hate or just not get through?", my nomination (and I'm never alone) is Confederacy of Dunces. Ugh, ugh, ugh.

Glad I'm not alone with that opinion!

18. Valley of Fear by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle



Similar to the first Sherlock Holmes novel, perhaps a bit better executed. Not as good as most of the other stories, mainly because it isn't really a detective story as such, the Sherlock Holmes part simply serves as a background for the story of Douglas/McMurdo/Edwards.

Rating: 3,5 Stars
Read: 18/64 (4B, 1A, 13K)

19. Small Favor by Jim Butcher



Butcher really hit his stride with this series a few books in and so far he isn't slowing down. In this book some old enemies and friends reappear and the plot follows a by now well-established pattern. I especially liked the Gruffs.

Rating: 4,5 Stars
Read: 19/64 (4B, 1A, 14K)

20. Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman



A nice collection of short stories and poems, a few great ones among them, but there is something about Gaiman's writing that seems somehow "off" to me and it's driving me crazy, because i can't figure out what it is.

Rating: 3.5 Stars
Read: 20/64 (5B, 1A, 14K)

21. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder



A rather light read, not bad but it's not going to be one of my favorites. Some twists in the plot become rather obvious, a long time before they are revealed (the whole mystery beans part for example), and the heroine didn't strike me as particularly believable.

Rating: 3 Stars
Read: 21/64 (5B, 1A, 15K)

22. His Last Bow by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle



I'm getting a bit tired of the Holmes stories, but there's only one more book left anyway. In this collection there were a few good stories, but it starts to get a bit repetitive.

Rating: 3,5 Stars
Read: 22/64 (5B, 1A, 16K)

23. Mean Streets by Jim Butcher



I bought this mostly for the Harry Dresden story, haven't read anything by the other authors yet.

"The Warrior" by Jim Butcher is a good story, but I think I prefer the novels. Still hoping for the collection of all his short stories, because some of the anthologies in which they were published are hard to find and I'd like to have a complete Dresden Files collection.

"The Difference A Day Makes" by Simon Green is probably the weakest story in this anthology, the setting and especially the main character reminded me too much of the Dresden Files and the plot wasn't particularly interesting.

"The Third Death Of The Little Clay Dog" by Kat Richardson is in my opinion the best story in this book. A little more background information would have been nice, since I wasn't familiar with the setting and the characters, but I really enjoyed the story. It doesn't have as much action as the other stories and the pacing is a bit slower. It does have a very satisfying end however and I learned a few new things about Mexican folklore.

"Noah's Orphans" by Thomas E. Sniegoski is also good, although I'm not really interested in stories about angels and such.

Rating: 3.5 Stars
Read: 23/64 (5B, 1A, 17K)

24. The Portable Door by Tom Holt



It got off to a bit of a slow start, but the last third more than made up for it. Not the most refined or elaborate book, but a fun read nonetheless.

Rating: 3.5 Stars
Read: 24/64 (5B, 1A, 18K)

25. The Irregulars: Roald Dahl and the British Spy Ring in wartime Washington by Jennet Conant



I loved Dahl's books when I was a child, so it was interesting to read about this part of his life. Also, I had no idea that the British were working this hard to get the USA to join the war. The book is well written, but i found it a bit tedious and hard to concentrate on at times, but that could be because I was under a lot of stress when I read it (exam week), so I probably should have picked something lighter to read.

Rating: 3 Stars
Read: 25/64 (5B, 1A, 19K)

26. The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle



The last of the short story collections. A few good stories, a few not so great ones. All in all I enjoyed the Sherlock Holmes stories, but I was beginning to get a bit sick of them.

Rating: 4 Stars
Read: 26/64 (5B, 1A, 20K)

27. In Your Dreams by Tom Holt



Not really great, the pacing is seriously messed up: The first three quarters are rather slow, but then it picks up the pace and comes to a rather rushed and very unsatisfying conclusion. The reader is pretty much left in the dark about a lot of things that are happening, and while some are explained in the end, some others aren't even mentioned again, which is something I can't stand. Also I found it really hard to empathize with the characters. The book does however have its funny moments, so it isn't all bad.

Rating: 2,5 Stars
Read: 27/64 (5B, 1A, 21K)

28. Turn Coat by Jim Butcher



This is similar to the first Dresden Files novels, since it has a bit more detective work and a bit less action and fight scenes(still enough ot those, though) than the last few books. Absolutely great, some really surprising new developments, although the end couldn't possibly described as "happy".
Sadly, I've now caught up with the author a month too early and will now have to wait, until the next book is released.

Rating: 4,5 Stars
Read: 28/64 (5B, 1A, 22K)

29. You Shall Know Our Velocity! by Dave Eggers



Two friends travel around the world and give away money to people who they think deserve it. I'm still not quite sure what to make of this book. It was a great read, but just when I thought I was about to figure out what it really is about, the narrative switches from one of the two main characters to the other and he basically made me question everything that came before. Apparently this part only appears in later editions of the book and I keep thinking, that I might have enjoyed it more, if I hadn't read that part.

Rating: 4 Stars
Read: 29/64 (5B, 1A, 23K)

30. Frost Moon by Anthony Francis



Great book, especially for a debut novel. I really liked the concept of the magical tattoos and found it very well executed. I also liked the way the werewolves/-bears/-cats were represented, although I think they (and vampires, too) are a bit over-used in urban fantasy.
There aren't any obvious plotholes and I had a very hard time putting this book down, but there are also a few weak points. For one thing, many of the supporting characters are rather one-dimensional. Also, the way Dakota apparently has to flirt with everyone she meets seems a bit exaggerated.
Apart from that, I had a good time reading this and will keep my eyes out for the sequels!

Rating: 3,5 Stars
Read: 30/64 (5B, 1A, 24K)

31. Fool by Christopher Moore



A retelling of King Lear in typical Christopher Moore fashion, also borrowing heavily from other works by Skakespeare. It ends on a happier note than the original but there are still lots of "heinous fuckery most foul". Very funny book!

Rating: 4,5 Stars
Read: 31/64 (6B, 1A, 24K)

32. The Painted Man by Peter V. Brett



It took 3 or 4 attempts of reading a few pages and then laying the book aside to do something different before this book managed to captivate me, but then I finished it in one day (not wanting to sit down and learn may have played a part there). A great setting, solid main characters (Rojer perhaps not as much as Arlen and Leesha) and especially a very interesting magic system. There is one part in the book, about halfway through (in Krasia), which I didn't enjoy as much as the rest, but it got better again pretty fast. All in all, another series I'll definitely continue to read, I just hope Brett is a bit faster than Patrick Rothfuss or Scott Lynch

Rating: 4,5 Stars
Read: 32/64 (7B, 1A, 24K)

33. Baldur's Gate by Philip Athans



The Baldur's Gate series are some of my all-time favorite video games, so I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that there was a trilogy of books based on them.

However, this book didn't live up to my expectations. The author rushes through the main plotline, leaving out loads of characters and events and all the side quests/plots. Of course it would be almost impossible to form some sort of cohesive narrative (as a novel at least, it works well as a game) from all of the game content, due too the sheer amount, but there were a few characters and events I sorely missed, which would probably have added a lot to this book (How could the author leave out Minsc and Boo?). Condensing 100-200 hours of playing time into 240 pages is an almost impossible task and it's not very well executed here. The book is not very well written and the characters are pretty one-dimensional. For anyone who hasn't played Baldur's Gate this is probably pretty much incomprehensible and for anyone who has, it's gonna be a disappointment.

I'll still read the sequels, mostly because I've borrowed them from my uncle anyway, but what I would really like to do is replay the games. If only I had the time...

Rating: 2 Stars
Read: 33/64 (8B, 1A, 24K)

Just noticed that I've already completed more than half of my original goal, yay me!

Funny, people usually complain that the visual version leaves out so much from the book. Interesting to see that a book adaptation of a game (which, granted, is more complex and lengthy than a movie) has the opposite problem.

Wow, my bachelor thesis is really slowing down my reading (sometimes I wonder if I've got my priorities right...)

34. Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn by Philip Athans



Well, more of the same really: Rushing through the main plot of the game, ignoring all the intricate little side plots and details. In comparison the book lacks everything that makes the game great: It doesn't make use of the vast amount of background information/lore that the Forgotten Realms setting provides and it obviously doesn't have the interactivity, the possibility to make your own choices and shape the plot to your own liking. Also, the relationships between the main character and the other party members are changed beyond recognition and not very well portrayed. The main advantage a book should have over a game, in my opinion, is the opportunity to explore the thoughts and emotions of the characters, but this isn't executed very well here, if at all.

On a bit more positive note, Minsc is introduced in this book, sadly more as a comic relief character than anything else. Come on, he is a slightly mad berserker, who has a miniature giant space hamster he frequently talks to, in pursuit of justice and in this book he is suddenly content with working as a busboy in a tavern.

The third book in the trilogy is written by another author, perhaps he manages to do the original some justice (I'm not expecting too much though).

Rating: 2 Stars
Read: 34/64 (9B, 1A, 24K)

35. Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal by Drew Karpyshyn



A pleasant surprise, apparently the change of author really worked. This is certainly not one of the best books I've ever read, but it is a lot better than the other two in the trilogy. It doesn't really live up to the game, but the plot seems more thought out and for the first time in this series I managed to actually care about what happened to the characters.

Rating: 3 Stars
Read: 35/64 (10b; 1A, 24K)

36. American Gods by Neil Gaiman



I liked the book, but it never really managed to grip me. The plot seemed to meander a bit at times, and some parts were more collections of short stories than anything else, but in the end it all came together rather nicely.

I'm still not entirely what I find ever so slightly off-putting in Gaiman's work. Somehow I just can't empathize with the characters, even though they are very well written and Gaiman undoubtedly is a very talented writer. But I never find myself thinking about his books after reading them, there is no real "connection" between the book and me, but I can't say if it's my fault or the book's.

Rating: 4 Stars
Read: 36/64 (11B, 1A, 24K)

37. Changes by Jim Butcher



Probably one of the most appropriate book titles I've ever seen. Butcher leaves almost no part of the main cast's lifes unchanged and pits them in one of the toughest battles they've had so far.

The book ends on a major cliffhanger which makes it even harder to wait for the next one. I'm glad that Butcher is one of the more prolific authors, so the wait will hopefully not all that long.

Rating: 5 Stars
Read: 37/64 (11B, 1A, 25K)

38. This Mitchell and Webb Book by David Mitchell (17) and Robert Webb



A very funny book, though not as good as Mitchell and Webb's tv shows (That Mitchell and Webb Look and Peep Show). The essays on "How to cope with coffee/pubs/break-ups/etc." are probably the best part of the book, some others (like the fake movie posters for example) didn't really make me laugh.

Rating: 4 Stars
Read: 38/64 (12B, 1A, 25K)

39. The Legacy by R. A. Salvatore



The whole "Legacy of the Drow" box set has been sitting on my shelves for years, but somehow I never got past the first book. I'm planning to finally change this.

Some great fighting scenes, a plot that promises to get very interesting in the further books.

Rating: 4 Stars
Read: 39/64 (13B, 1A, 25K)

40. Loosely Based by Storey Clayton



I got this after I got it as the answer in a "What book are you" quiz (I found the link somewhere on LT, I think). However, after a promising start I was rather disappointed with this book. The author experiments a bit too much with different techniques (third person narrator, interview, stream of consciousness, chatlogs etc.) and the end just plain sucks. I really enjoyed the first few chapters though and there are a few great things in this book, for example the interpretaion of the Beatles' "Magical Mystery Tour" as a guide to life.

Rating: 2,5 Stars
Read: 40/64 (14B, 1A, 25K)

41. The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption and Pee by Sarah Silverman



The book is rather on the short side, but Silverman very openly describes her life, not hiding anything (as the title suggests) and still manages to get in a few funny jokes. She manages to explain how she became the very funny comic that she is, also showing her side of a few of the controversies she was involved in. Perhaps the numerous anecdotes could be a bit better connected, but as it is it's perfect to read in smaller chunks.

Rating: 3.5 Stars
Read: 41/64 (14B, 1A, 26K)

42. Tickling the English by Dara Ó Briain



A reread, still as enjoyable as it was the first time I read it. Ò Briain's wit translates very well to paper, although the book doesn't quite reach his stand-up performance.

Rating: 4 Stars
Read: 42/64 (14B, 1A, 27K)

Hi there. I'm stuck indoors on a cold rainy afternoon here while between books and undecided as to what's next, so I'm randomly reading 50 BC's.
To me, Neil Gaiman has a snooty, I'm-a-great-writer-but-nobody-can-figure-why thing going in his books. I liked American Gods, but was far from crowning Gaiman Emperor of Bookland like a lot of his loyal readers do (as well as a few of my friends). He's still riding the tide of the Sandman stuff almost twenty years ago. Good but not great.

The Black Company is a different animal altogether. A friend of mine had the same complaints as you. However, it is a story of a rather grim mercenary company uncaring of the finer points of local history and is written as such. In fact, they quite despise towns like Beryl. The story really takes off when the Company leaves hated the Northlands where they are not welcome and do not fit in. They head South in search of their lost history (led by Croaker, the Annalist, who laments the loss of the early Chronicles throughout) and the series evolves from a grim Swords and Sorcery story of decent quality to a proper empire spanning fantasy epic, consisting of books four through ten. The Books of the South were written quite a bit after the original trilogy that you have and Cook took the series to another level after a long break. To me, it reaches a great conclusion, but it is quite lengthy. There is a steady influx of new characters and the loss of old ones, but several who are consistent through most, if not all, of the series. Goblin and One-Eye are consistently funny (and critically important) througout.

A final note, it is well documented that Conan Doyle grew to hate his creation, thus the tapering off of quality of the later stories. He wanted to write other things that were nowhere near as popular as Holmes, but the public clamor for, and the monetary rewards of more Holmes stories was too much to ignore. If you are interested, see if your local library has a copy of Sherlock Holmes was Wrong by Pierre Bayard. I read it last fall or so and it was more interesting and valid than I expected.

Another final note, the Drizzt stories by RA Salvatore are consistently among the best of all of the TSR books. The two Moonshae Trilogies by Douglas Niles are also great. I hated Azure Bonds like you hated the Baldur's Gate books. It and it's unread sequels had really good computer games based on them but the books were awful. The games were on Commodore 64 and Apple II as I recall.

Neil Gaiman: I haven't read the Sandman comics, so I can't say if they were better than his more recent books or not. So far I've read three (and a half if you count Good Omens) of his books and all of them were good, but not as good as I expected them to be (after having them recommended to me, reading reviews etc.). So perhaps my problem isn't with Gaiman himself, but more with his fans :P

The Black Company: It probably makes sense, if you write a novel as a chronicle from the perspective of one person, not to include all the details, like lengthy descriptions of battles, elaborate characterizations and background information about the world. However, exactly those things are, for me, very important in a fantasy story. I love the level of detail in books like The Name of the Wind or the Farseer series, and that is just missing here. Cook just doesn't provide enough information about the characters to make me really care about them. Most of them just get a name, that maybe gives a few clues about their personalities, and one or two character traits. I'll definitely give the books another chance, because I actually enjoyed the story, just the way it was written kind of ruined it for me.

Sherlock Holmes: I've read that about Conan Doyle before, the book you mentioned sounds interesting. I'll keep my head out for it, but I don't think my library has it.

TSR books: I guess making a game into a book is the same as making a book into a movie (or making a movie into a game, would be interesting to see what you'd get if you went full circle a few times): The result very rarely lives up to the original. Thanks for recommending the Moonshae books, I'll keep them in mind (for when I'm through with the Drizzt books).

Excellent. I forgot my little Rothfuss update. According to his website/blog he has sent a final manuscript in to his editor for book 2. Single sided double spaced, the paper stack was almost as tall as his young baby daughter. Hopefully it will be out this year sometime, the first book was so great.
A quick Black Company addendum-when members join the Company, they are asked no questions about their past. They join anonymously, no questions asked, and are quickly given a nickname. It is a great overall story, but I totally see your reasons for disappointment. For the record, you should be able to find pirated copies of the book online and you could check them out on your Kindle as opposed to buying or borrowing them.
(patrickrothfuss dot com, worth checking periodically. His blogs are pretty funny)

I've subscribed to his RSS feed ever since I read his book :D

Unfortunately he writes that The Wise Man's Fear won't be out before next march.

I'd rather it was late than lousy. Worth waiting for.

Definitely, and it's good to finally have some kind of publication date.

43. Silverlock by John Myers Myers



It's great fun to try and identify all the literary allusions in this book, but due to my rather limited knowledge of the classics, I probably didn't get much more than maybe 10% of them. I'd recommend this to everyone who loves literature, although the plot of the book itself seems to suffer a bit, because the allusions seem to have been more important to the author. Also, the end is rather boring and disappointing.

Rating: 3.5 Stars
Read: 43/64 (14B, 1A, 28K)

44. You're a Horrible Person, But I Like You by The Believer



Some funny bits, but nothing really memorable. Too short for the price, also the Kindle edition isn't very well formatted.

Rating: 2 Stars
Read: 44/64 (14B, 1A, 29K)

45. I Killed: True Stories of the Road from America's Top Comics by Ritch Shydner



Hilarious collection of anecdotes from some of the greatest comics of the last decades (and some not so well known ones). Very funny!

Rating: 4 Stars
Read: 45/64 (14B, 1A, 30K)

My brother was a bedwetter and was treated *horribly* by my mother, so I've always been interested in the subject. She's brave to talk about the subject. If the parents of my kids' friends were the norm, it was still a taboo subject 20 years ago. (So wish one of them would have given me a heads up so I wouldn't have let the boys sleep in the living room on the new carpet!) Hope much has changed since then, including new treatments. Plus, she's so funny, I'll have to check out her book. Thanks!

There isn't really much about treatment methods in the book, but a lot about her experiences with sleepovers and camping trips etc. The bedwetting does feature rather prominently, but only in the first third or so of the book. If you like her brand of comedy you should definitely go for the book (it's not as funny, but it definitely has its moments)!

46. First Lord's Fury by Jim Butcher



The last in the Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher, it brings the story to a satisfying end. It feels a bit too rushed at times, but it still has a lot of inventive battle scenes and great dialogue, for which Butcher seems to have a real gift. The series as a whole is a very solid epic fantasy saga, but it doesn't quite come close to the Dresden Files, Butcher's other series. It's full of fresh ideas and avoids many fantasy clichés, but while I enjoy the writing style very much it somehow seems to be better suited to more contemporary fantasy.

Rating: 3,5 Stars
Read: 46/64 (14B, 2A, 30K)

47. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde



I originally read this book two or three years ago, but after I got it for my mother as a birthday present and we talked about it once or twice I just couldn't resist picking it up again. The sheer amount of hilarious ideas Fforde manages to cram into his books, while still keeping up a fantastic plot, is absolutely stunning. I love the world he creates, the idea of bookjumping and the fact that he got me to read a few classics, I might otherwise have missed. The only reason this book gets only 4.5 Stars is that its sequels are even better.

Rating: 4.5 Stars
Read: 47/64 (15B, 2A, 30K)

48. Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde



Even better than the first in the series.

Rating: 5 Stars
Read: 48/64 (16B, 2A, 30K)

You're enthusiasm for The Eyre Affair (even though I didn't love it nearly as much as you did) makes me want to read Lost in a Good Book. Thanks!

49. Thanks for Nothing by Jack Dee



Pretty funny, and very well written. There is something about autobiographies of comics, that I just can't resist, and so far I haven't been overly disappointed, although this is probably the first one I read that didn't include a load of stories about drug abuse (Like the biographies of George Carlin, Frankie Boyle and Artie Lange for example).

Rating: 3.5 Stars
Read: 49/64 (16b, 2A, 31K)

50. Round Ireland with a Fridge by Tony Hawks



The story of a man who spends a month hitchhiking with a fridge across Ireland, because of a drunken bet. Lots of funny anecdotes, brilliantly written (well, except for the parts where he develops his fridge-based philosophy), might have to check out Hawks' other books.

Rating: 4 Stars
Read: 50/64 (16B, 2A, 32K)

51. A Piano in the Pyrenees by Tony Hawks



Well, scratch the "might" from my last post. I'm very close to finishing my bachelor thesis and pretty stressed out, so I needed something light to read to be able to relax a bit (I'm halfway through a few heavier books, but just couldn't bring myself to pick them up after a day in the exciting world of multi project management). This book is a quick, fun read, not laugh-out-loud funny, but it had me smiling to myself a few times. I didn't enjoy it as much as Round Ireland with a Fridge but I'd still very much recommend it.

Rating: 3.5 Stars
Read: 51/64 (16B, 2A, 33K)

52. Emperor: The Gods of War by Conn Iggulden



The (so far) last book in his series of historical fiction novels about the life of Julius Caesar. I can't say how historically accurate it is, but it does make a good read. Perhaps I'll pick up his series on Genghis Khan sometime in the future.

Rating: 4 Stars
Read: 52/64 (16B, 2A, 34K)

53. The Kalevala by Elias Lönnrot



I always liked old myths and folk tales (the Iliad, King Arthur etc.) and I've been meaning to read the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic, for a long time. The poetic writing took a bit getting used to, but after that it is an excellent read. It's a collection of stories, but some characters feature throughout the book and some of the stories are quite enthralling. There are a few interesting parallels to other myths, for example a child born from a virgin mother named Mariatta.

Rating: 4 Stars
Read: 53/64 (16B, 2A, 35K)

54. Bad Science by Ben Goldacre



A very interesting (and slightly depressing) book about alternative medicine, the pharmaceutical industry and the portrayal of science in the media. I'll certainly look a bit differently at some news stories and studies from now on.

Rating: 4 Stars
Read: 54/64 (16B, 2A, 36K)

55. Playing the Moldovans at Tennis by Tony Hawks



Another book about an absurd bet. This time Hawks tries to beat all members of the Moldovan football team at tennis. In process he gets to know the Moldovan people and their problems, and in the end decides that he has to somehow help. It's a fun story and it's nice to know that something good actually came of it.

Rating: 4 Stars
Read: 55/64 (16B, 2A, 37K)

If you like the Tony Hawks books, you might enjoy Tim Moore, too (French Revolutions & Nul Points come to mind) - travel writing with humor.

Thanks, his books sound really interesting. French Revolutions and Nul Points aren't available in the Kindle store, but I just downloaded the sample for Do Not Pass Go to see if I like his writing style.

56. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan



Normally, I would have considered this a bit "too YA" for my taste, but it worked great as an audiobook. The story was OK, I enjoyed the allusions to Greek mythology and I'll probably listen to the sequels as well.

Rating: 3 Stars
Read: 56/64 (16B, 3A, 37K)

57. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman



I saw that the Green Dragon was doing a group read of this book and just couldn't resist picking it up again. This book is absolutely brilliant, Pratchett and Gaiman work perfectly together, to the point that it's impossible to determine who wrote what.

Rating: 5 Stars
Read: 57/64 (17B, 3A, 37K)

58. The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan



Another audiobook, not bad but I thought the first one was better. There's a fine line between using the Greek myths as a source of inspiration and simply retelling them in a more modern way and trying to make them funny in some way, and this book crosses this line once or twice. Still, there's enough to keep me interested, so I'll probably check out the sequels sometime in the future.

Rating: 3 Stars
Read: 58/64 (17B, 4A, 37K)

59. Dragon Precinct by Keith R.A. DeCandido



This book has a pretty generic fantasy setting: Dwarves, Elves, Wizards and a group of heroes at the start of a great quest. However, the novel starts with the death of the leader of that group and focuses on the City Guard, who are trying to find the murderer. This book shares some similarities with the City Watch novels by Terry Pratchett, but isn't as humorous or lighthearted. While the book is a bit short, I liked the characters and could very well imagine this becoming a series.

Rating: 3.5 Stars
Read: 59/64 (17B, 4A, 38K)

60. QI: The Book of General Ignorance by John Lloyd



A collection of trivia, most of which has already been discussed on the tv show. The book isn't as entertaining as QI, but it's still an ok read.

Rating: 3.5 Stars
Read: 60/64 (18B, 4A, 38K)

61. Heart of Stone by C.E. Murphy



I got this book through Early Reviewers a few months ago, but only now got around to reading it. A pretty standard urban fantasy setting, although with enough original thought to keep it interesting.

Rating: 3.5 Stars
Read: 61/64 (18B, 4A, 39K)

62. Stephen Fry in America by Stephen Fry



A tie-in to his BBC series about his journey through all 50 US states. I was hoping for some deeper insights into his experiences, but that wasn't to be. It still is a good book, I even enjoyed his writing style a lot, which came as a bit of a surprise since I once tried reading one of his novels and wasn't particularly impressed. The one criticism I have about this book is that Fry tends to be a bit patronising at times, both towards the reader and the people he meets (He does that on QI as well, but there it fits a lot better), but I'd still recommend it(and the TV series).

Rating: 4 Stars
Read: 62/64 (19B, 4A, 39K)

63. The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan



The longer this series continues, the more it's weaknesses become apparent. I don't particularly like the characters, especially the main character seems so deliberately created to appeal to young readers, with some carefully added weak points (dyslexia and ADHD), which are mentioned at every possible occasion, and sometimes he comes across as just simply stupid. Also, there are some errors in the book, that a good editor should have spotted. For example, "I sat in the driver's seat of the Lamborghini, while Grover slept in the back" is simply impossible. Both of Lamborghini's current models (Gallardo and Murcielago) are two-seat mid-engined sports cars. There just isn't a back where anyone could sleep or do anything else. That may seem as a minor detail, but things like that just annoy me, because to me it seems that the author just didn't really care and put the name of any car manufacturer that came to his mind there, without even bothering to check if it made any sense. Of course the book also has some very good parts and I'll finish the series, because I want to know how it all plays out in the end.

Rating: 3 Stars
Read: 63/64 (19B, 5A, 39K)

64. The Salmon of Doubt by Douglas Adams



I've been meaning to read this for years and finally got around to do it. The star piece of this collection is imho his "Is there an artificial god?" speech, which can be found online. The draft of the third Dirk Gently novel is just long enough to really pull the reader in and get him to be interested in the plot, but then it just stops. However, in these few pages are more fantastic ideas than many authors have in their whole lifetime. This book made me remember what a great author Adams was and what the world has lost with him.

Rating: 4.5 Stars
Read: 64/64 (20B, 5A, 39K)

Well, it looks like I reached my goal of 1000000 books (again, binary) a few months early, so I'd better figure out a new one. I think 100 (decimal this time) isn't too ambitious, so that's going to be the next target.

Read: 64/100 (20B, 5A, 39K)

Some catching up to do, I spent a lot of time driving and listening to audio books over the last week...

65. The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan



Nothing major to note here, the fourth in the series, pretty much the same as the rest of the series.

Rating: 3 Stars
Read: 65/100 (20B, 6A, 39K)

66. The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan



The conclusion to the series, basically on par with the rest. As a whole, the series was ok, but it is a bit "too YA" for me. I usually don't have a problem with YA books, even though I'm a bit older than the target audience (I'm 22, so not it's not THAT much), I especially enjoy them as audio books. However, while for example the Harry Potter books can be (imho) be enjoyed by adults just as well as younger readers, here the books are just not as well written, as I expect from a book. Especially some of the jokes seem to be forcefully inserted, just to keep the story "light", and they just destroy the story from me. For example, after a big battle, in which several of his friends die, Percy contacts his father Poseidon to convince him to give up his own palace to help the other gods and basically save them all. And Poseidon complains, because he just had his palace remodelled. For me, that's the equivalent of Dumbledore going "Pull my finger" in the middle of one of his end-of-book talks to Harry. I've got nothing against jokes in general, but they have to somehow fit in, i.e. Dumbledore trying a jelly bean and getting an earwax-flavoured one.

On another note, I found that the books simply lack any real depth. The author tries to raise some issues about the environment and of course the old "friendship/love triumph over evil" stuff, but he just doesn't manage to make me care about any of this stuff.

Also I wasn't very impressed with the guy who reads the audio book versions. If you can't do accents, don't try it. Especially his attempts at British and Japanese(?) accents are absolutely shoddy. Some of the other voices he does are absolutely ridiculous too (Tyson, Demeter...)

Rating: 3 Stars
Read: 66/100 (20B, 7A, 39K)

67. The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud



This was recommended to me years ago, but I never managed to read it before. It's another YA series, but (so far) a lot better than the Percy Jackson novels. I love the setting (a slightly dystopian alternate reality, where the "Commoners" are governed by wizards), the gentle satire and Bartimaeus' sarcastic comments.

Rating: 4 Stars
Read: 67/100 (20B, 8A, 39K)

68. Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay



My first GGK novel and probably not the last. A refreshingly new scenario for a fantasy novel (based on China in the Tang dynasty), very well written with some great characters. I especially liked the detailed description of the culture and politics of Kitai, which shows just how much research has gone into this novel.

Rating: 4.5 Stars
Read: 68/100 (20B, 8A, 40K)

69. The Golem's Eye by Jonathan Stroud



Not quite as good as the first one. Nathaniel/Mandrake becomes more and more unlikeable, but Kitty is interesting as another main character and I still enjoy Bartimaeus' sense of humour.

Rating: 4 Stars
Read: 69/100 (20B, 9A, 40K)

70. Ptolemy's Gate by Jonathan Stroud



The best book in the trilogy and a worthy conclusion. I liked the way the main characters and the way they look at each other and the society they live in is portrayed.

Rating: 4 Stars
Read: 70/100 (20B, 10A, 40K)

71. Swords and Dark Magic by Jonathan Strahan



An anthology of Sword & Sorcery fantasy stories by some great authors. I got this mainly because of the new Scott Lynch story, but there are some other stories, by authors I've long wanted to check out.

"Check Your Dark Lord at the Door" by Lou Anders and Jonathan Strahan
Both an introduction to the anthology and a quick history of the Sword & Sorcery genre, well written and very interesting.

"Goats of Glory" by Steven Erikson
I've had my eyes on his Malazan series for a long time, but didn't want to commit to such a long series when there's already so much I want to read. With this story he definitely jumps a long way up on my TBR list. The story is off to a rather slow start, with five mercenaries riding into a little hovel of a town, looking for rest, but soon there's as much action as you can ask for. A great start for this collection.

"Tides Elba" by Glen Cook
I've only read the first book in his Black Company series so far and didn't enjoy it very much, but I liked this BC short story a lot. Very well crafted, not much action, but very entertaining.

"Bloodsport" by Gene Wolfe
Starts of with an interesting scenario, a kind of mix between chess and gladitorial combat, but then it descends into something that can at best be called mediocre.

"The Singing Spear" by James Enge
A bit short, but fun to read. Part of/Set in his Morlock the Maker series/universe, which I just might have to check out.

"A Wizard in Wiscezan" by C. J. Cherryh
A lot better than the previous two. The setting is nothing groundbreakingly new, a young wizard trying to overcome a tyrant, who has taken over the town, and his dark sorcerer, but very well written, with some fresh ideas.

"A Rich Full Week" by K. J. Parker
A story about a wizard, or rather natural philosopher (because there is no such thing as magic, just science we haven't worked out yet) just doing his usual job. May contain zombies.

"A Suitable Present for a Sorcerous Puppet" by Garth Nix
The first Nix I've read, and while the story itself isn't anything special, I loved the characters he created and the dialogue.

"Red Pearls: An Elric Story" by Michael Moorcock
My first Moorcock, I liked his writing style and the story was very good. Elric himself is, in my opinion, thoroughly unlikeable. Also, without having read the other Elric stories, it was a bit hard to understand everything that was said or alluded to.

"The Deification of Dal Bamore: A Tale from Echo City" by Tim Lebbon
A priestess escorts a rebel to his execution. The problems begin when she finds out that he is a sorcerer. Good story.

"Dark Times at the Midnight Market" by Robert Silberberg
Set in his Majipoor universe, Silberberg's story is probably the funniest/lightest in this anthology. A fun read with great characters.

"The Undefiled" by Greg Keyes
One of the weaker stories, some good ideas but no executed very well. Not enough information about the setting or the characters and in the end it wasn't really clear, at least to me, what had actually happened.

"Hew the Tintmaster" by Michael Shea
Nice story, with some great twists. No idea why it is described as a "fully authorized Cugel the Clever adventure", since he doesn't play a big role and the story would work just as well without him.

"In the Stacks" by Scott Lynch
Fantastic. Not set in the same world as his Gentlemen's Bastards novels but in a library, that reminded me a little of the one in Pratchett's Unseen University and Jasper Fforde's Well of Lost Plots, but a whole lot darker and more dangerous. The story has Lynch's usual twists and action, as well as some interesting characters. Made me remember why I read each of his two novels in less than a day.

"Two Lions, a Witch and the War-Robe" by Tanith Lee
Apart from the title, there are no similarities to the Narnia books. A good but not great story, I liked the first half more than the second.

"The Sea Troll's Daughter" by Caitlin R. Kiernan
I'm not sure what to make of this story. I enjoyed it, but the ending was a bit disappointing and left some questions unanswered. Definitely interesting.

"Thieves of Daring" by Bill Willingham
The weakest story in this book, it's just much too short. It starts at the end of a fight, and ends just before the next one starts. Unfortunately, not much happens between those fights.

"The Fool Jobs" by Joe Abercrombie
I've had his First law trilogy recommended to me before, but never got around to reading it. This story is set in the same world, with a group of mercenaries planning a raid on a remote village to recover a magical artifact. Needless to say, everything goes horribly wrong. A satisfying end to the anthology.

All in all, this is a great collection. It has it's weak points, but some of the other stories more than make up for them. I'd definitely recommend this book.

Rating: 4.5 Stars
Read: 71/100 (21B, 10A, 40K)

72. The Magician's Guild by Trudi Canavan



Good book, the setting seems a bit generic but is well thought out, definitely getting the rest of the trilogy.

Rating: 3.5 Stars
Read: 72/100 (21B, 11A, 40K)

73. I Believe in Yesterday by Tim Moore



I liked his writing style and the idea to relive history by taking part in various historic reenactments from the Iron Age over the Vikings until the American Civil War. The ending was a bit abrupt, but apart from that it's a very enjoyable book (although it didn't blow me away).

Rating: 3 Stars
Read: 73/100 (21B, 11A, 41K)

74. Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift



I came across this while browsing the Project Gutenberg website and remembered liking it as a child. What I didn't know was that I had only read a children's edition that only contained the first two voyages. The original edition is a completely different animal. The biting satire is absolutely hilarious, and surprisingly little of it seems outdated. I especially loved the academy of Balnibarbi.

Rating: 4.5 Stars
Read: 74/100 (21B, 11A, 42K)

75. Strata by Terry Pratchett



This book doesn't have the sheer brilliance and clever humour of many of Pratchett's later novels, but it is still a good read. At some points it felt a bit rushed, some ideas weren't developed far enough, but the ending was pretty great (which is unusual, since the end is normally the part I like least in his books). It's interesting to see where the idea for the Discworld novels came from, even though this book reminded me more of Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy than Pratchett's work.

Rating: 3 Stars
Read: 75/100 (22B, 11A, 42K)

76. The Novice by Trudi Canavan



The whole "underdog being bullied, but triumphing in the end" thing seemed a bit cliché and overshadowed what seems to be the main plotline of the trilogy, but it's still a good book and has a very interesting twist at the end.

Rating: 3.5 Stars
Read: 76/100 (22B, 12A, 42K)

77. The Lesser Blessed by Richard Van Camp



Found this in the back of a shelf, haven't read it for a few years. It's a good story, wonderfully written, but shorter than I remembered and I felt that a bit too much is left unsaid/to the imagination of the reader.

Rating: 3.5 Stars
Read: 77/100 (23B, 12A, 42K)

78. Der wunderbare Massenselbstmord (A Charming Mass Suicide) by Arto Paasilinna



It's the third or fourth time I've read this book and it still always manages to cheer me up. On the surface the story is rather dark, two men meet while trying to commit suicide in the same barn and decide to postpone their death and instead try to find fellow sufferers. That leads to a trip across Europe to find the ideal location for the planned mass suicide. However, it's told in such a charming way, with such skill and wit, that I couldn't help smiling almost all the way through. I read somewhere that the suicide rate in Finland dropped by half in the year when this was published. I don't know if that's true, but I could see why.

Rating: 5 Stars
Read: 78/100 (24B, 12A, 42K)

79. Legends: Stories by the Masters of Modern Fantasy by Robert Silverberg



Stephen King, Terry Pratchett, Terry Goodkind, Orson Scott Card, Ursula K. Le Guin, Tad Williams, George R. R. Martin, Anne McCaffrey, Raymond E. Feist, Robert Jordan. This anthology has a most impressing line-up of stories of some of the most popular fantasy authors. There are some weaker stories among them, but some others more than make up for that.

The Little Sisters of Eluria by Stephen King
Good story, set in the Dark Tower universe. I never got around to reading the final volume of that series, but perhaps a reread is in order... I liked the first six books, although I never enjoyed anything else I've read by King.

The Sea and Little Fishes by Terry Pratchett
Fantastic, a great showcase for the Discworld novels, Granny Weatherwax in top form.

Debt of Bones by Terry Goodkind
Meh. I've seen a few episodes of Legend of the Seeker, but the Sword of Truth novels never really appealed to me. If this story is anything to go by probably the right decision. I know enough from the tv series to understand most of what happens, but I'm sure that someone completely new to the series would be pretty much left in the dark about what actually happens in this story.

Grinning Man by Orson Scott Card
It took a few pages before I got used to the writing style, but after that I really enjoyed this story. Haven't read anything by Card except from Ender's Game, but the Alvin Maker series sure seems interesting.

The Seventh Shrine by Robert Silverberg
Solid story, he manages to balance well between a story that appeals to readers new to Majipoor (like me) by providing enough background information and still making what happens relevant to the overall story of the world.

Dragonfly by Ursula K. Le Guin
Not all too great, perhaps someone who has read the Earthsea series would get more out of this than me, but I was left unimpressed.

The Burning Man by Tad Williams
I loved the Memory, Sorrows and Thorn trilogy, but it's been a few years since I read it. This story however is pretty weak, it doesn't have much to do with the other books except for sharing the same universe. I'm not even sure if it's set before or after the main story, but that may be because I don't remember many details. Anyway, in my opinion this doesn't really show the qualities of the main novels to people who haven't read them.

The Hedge Knight by George R. R. Martin
I've read this before, but it's still great. Shows perfectly what distinguishes the Song of Ice and Fire series from other fantasy novels.

Runner of Pern by Anne McCaffrey
Good story, I stayed away from the Pern series until now, because I'm always cautious about SF/Fantasy crossovers (I really didn't enjoy Darkover) but perhaps I should give it a chance.

The Wood Boy by Raymond E. Feist
Not bad, but not too great either. It's not a very original story, but rather well executed.

New Spring by Robert Jordan
It took me almost half of the story to figure out why I thought that I had read it somewhere before: I read the "full" novel version of it a few years back. That I didn't continue with the series and indeed almost forgot that I've read the book probably speaks for itself.

Rating: 4 Stars
Read: 79/100 (25B, 12A, 42K)

80. Starless Night by R. A. Salvatore



This is the book where I stopped (still don't know why) when I read the Drizzt series for the first time. As the other Drizzt books, it's a fun, gripping read but not exactly an outstanding work of literature.

Rating: 3.5 Stars
Read: 80/100 (26B, 12A, 42K)

81. Orphans Preferred: The Twisted Truth and Lasting Legend of the Pony Express by Christopher Corbett



Part of my effort to read at least a few non-fiction books this year. By chance I came across an article in which the Pony Express was mentioned and since I've seen it featured in quite a few movies, I tried to find out more about it.

This book is quite interesting, as it does not only tell the story of the Pony Express itself, but also of how it's legend has grown, helped by people like Buffalo Bill, and defined the picture of the Old West that is prevalent today in many people's minds.

Rating: 3.5 Stars
Read: 81/100 (26B, 12A, 43K)

82. Claudius Bombarnac by Jules Verne



I recently downloaded the complete works of Jules Verne on my Kindle, and because the titles are arranged alphabetically in the file this was the first one (as "Adventures of a Special Correspondent"). For the rest of the books, I'll probably go by publication order, that seems to make a lot more sense to me than the alphabetical order.

I've read some of Verne's novels before, at least the most famous ones (20000 leagues under the sea, Around the world in eighty days...) and I remember liking them- This book was pretty good, but I wouldn't describe it as great.

Rating: 3.5 Stars
Read: 82/100 (26B, 12A, 44K)

83. I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett



While reading this I noticed that ever since I've learned that Pratchett has been diagnosed with Alzheimers, I somehow try to find faults, little hints that his mind isn't as sharp as it was before, in his new books. Shortly after that two more things occurred to me: a) All of his most recent novels (with the exception of Making Money were very good to excellent and b) I had read the book in one go and it was now around 5AM (after starting the book sometime around midnight).

The Tiffany Aching books were never among my favourite Discworld novels, but I Shall Wear Midnight is, in my opinion the best of the YA books, and in the Top Ten of the whole series. The end is a bit anti-climactic but apart from that it's a great, funny story, with a surprising reappearance of a character from one of the first Discworld novels. I'm already looking forward to Pratchett's next book, and seriously thinking about a reread of the whole series. That would be a huge commitment, but if I decided to only reread my favourites I'd probably end up with almost all of them anyway...

Rating: 5 Stars
Read: 83/100 (27B, 12A, 44K)

84. Clash of the Geeks by John Scalzi et al.



Patrick Rothfuss mentioned this on his blog. It's a small anthology, you can download it for free at www.unicornpegasuskitten.com, although you are encouraged to make a donation to the Lupus Alliance of America. Check it out, it's short but very entertaining, if the cover art doesn't win you over, it also contains an epic poem by patrick Rothfuss!

Rating: 4 Stars
Read: 84/100 (27B, 12A, 45K)

85. Born Standing Up by Steve Martin



A bit too short and pretty disappointing. There's a lot of stuff about Martin's childhood and how he became a stand-up comedian, but it is too much a collection of little anecdotes about how he developed his act. Almost nothing about the time when he had become famous and the time after he quit doing stand-up. It's not a bad book, Martin certainly knows how to write, but I expected a bit more from this book.

Rating: 3 Stars
Read: 85/100 (27B, 12A, 46K)

86. The Black Prism by Brent Weeks



I loved the Night Angel trilogy, so I was eagerly awaiting Weeks' new book. It is set in a completely different world, but there are similarities in the way Weeks toys with fantasy tropes, using them, appearing to use them and simply reverting them. I would have liked to learn a bit more about the background of the world, but the author only reveals those things, that are absolutely relvant to the story. Just like in his earlier books he plays trick after trick on the readers mind, seemingly revealing secrets the characters protect from each other, only to show that they are just another lie. Weeks is a fantastic storyteller and even though his characters might seem simple or cliché on the surface, he slowly strips away layer after layer to reveal their hidden complexity. The magic system, based on drafting different colors from the visible light took some getting used to, but it is well designed and plays an integral part in the story.

Sadly, while the three books of the Night Angel trilogy were published simultaneously, I'll now have to wait for the second book, which is annoying, especially considering how the first one ended.

Rating: 4.5 Stars
Read: 86/100 (28B, 12A, 46K)

87. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents Earth (The Book) by Jon Stewart



The kind-of-sequel to America (The Book), this time explaining our planet to aliens, visiting our planet after The Event (That Mitchell and Webb Look reference anyone?). The writers manage to maintain the high standard of humour they established over many years of the Daily Show. Especially the chapters about Commerce and Religion are excellent.

Rating: 4 Stars
Read: 87/100 (29B, 12A, 46K)

88. The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett



Well, I decided to reread the Discworld series, from start to finish (of course with some other books in between). The number 88 is probably not the best number to start this reread on, but I hope Bel-Shamharoth won't notice :P

As the first book in the series, The Colour of Magic lacks a lot of the subtlety and refinement of many of the later books. Also, it is more a collection of shorter episodic adventures, that Rincewind and Twoflowers go through during their travels. However, I still think it is the best starting point for new readers, because while it may not be as good as some later books, it does a great job in explaining the Discworld and introducing a lot of it's weirder aspects.

Rating: 3.5 Stars
Read: 88/100 (30B, 12A, 46K)

I'm also thinking of rereading the Discworld books, because they've been read in bits and pieces over a lot of years. I just ordered an audio version of The Colour of Magic from the library, thinking that I can listen and work on crafts at the same time. It will be my first audiobook, so we shall see how that works.

I tried listening to a Discworld audiobook once, but all I could find was an abridged version (don't remember which book it was). For me that's an absolute no-go, especially when the small, seemingly unimportant details are responsible for so much of the fun.

Anyway, have fun with your first audiobook!

89. The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett



Much like Colour of Magic the strength of this book is not so much the main plot but the many small episodes, puns and funny details. In these first Discworld novels they are like delicious little pieces of meat or vegetables in an overall tasty, but slightly underseasoned stew, while later in the series they become the icing on an already perfect cake (this may be the most strained metaphor I have ever written (imagine soup being strained through a sieve with infinitesimally small holes... alright, I have to stop this.).

Pratchett is still parodying the fantasy genre here, instead of using fantasy to parody other things. Nevertheless, it is still a great book and a lot of fun to read.

Rating: 3.5 Stars
Read: 89/100 (31B, 12A, 46K)

90. Weil Samstag ist. Fußballgeschichten by Frank Goosen



A collection of short stories and other texts about football("soccer"), I love Goosen's style of writing. This is the first book by him that I've read, but I have a few CDs of him reading his own texts. The book focuses a bit too much on the club he supports, but otherwise it is absolutely great.

Rating: 4 Stars
Read: 90/100 (32B, 12A, 46K)

91. Der Antitürke by Serdar Somuncu



I've long been a fan of Somuncu. In the 90s he, a son of Turkish immigrants, started touring Germany, doing humorous readings from Hitler's Mein Kampf, which in theory should have offended pretty much everyone, but actually managed to be both interesting and very entertaining. Just like those readings his own texts are designed to provoke and promote interest in "difficult" topics, like the continuous debate about the integration of (mainly Turkish) immigrants in German society, which is what this book is about. He does a very good of explaining some of the problems Germans, Turks and everyone in between (i.e. the children of immigrants) face and offers an interesting approach to solve them which, if I judge previous efforts in that direction correctly, will have no impact at all.

Rating: 4 Stars
Read: 91/100 (33B, 12A, 46K)

92. Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett



This book introduces "real-world" problems into the Discworld series, especially feminism. Also Granny Weatherwax makes her first appearance, although there are a few differences between this incarnation and her later appearances.

Rating: 3.5 Stars
Read: 92/100 (34B, 12A, 46K)

93. Sie da oben, er da unten by Cordula Stratmann



The first novel by Stratmann, an established comedienne Stratmann. A very good beginning, but then the book seems to be heading nowhere. Some funny bits, but an absolutely disappointing ending.

Rating: 2.5 Stars
Read: 93/100 (34B, 12A, 47K)

94. Mein Ich und sein Leben by Frank Goosen



Another collection of short texts, vaguely autobiographical. I suspect that Goosen manages to paint a more complete picture of himself by combining these unconnected pieces about his family, childhood and adult life with some of his other writing, than any traditional autobiography ever could. I absolutely need to get my hands on his other books.

Rating: 5 Stars
Read: 94/100 (35B, 12A, 47K)

95. Vom Zauber des seitlich dran Vorbeigehens by Max Goldt



I don't think I've ever read anything by anyone who has Goldt's ability for manipulating the german language, for toying with words and taking texts about the oddest topics into unexpected directions. Sheer brilliance.

Rating: 5 Stars
Read: 95/100 (36B, 12A, 47K)

96. QQ by Max Goldt



See last post.

Rating: 5 Stars
Read: 96/100 (37B, 12A, 47K)

97. Das Dosenmilch-Trauma by Jess Jochimsen



Pretty good collection of essays, some better than others, but the last one somehow makes up for all eventual weaknesses.

Rating: 3.5 Stars
Read: 97/100 (38B, 12A, 47K)

98. Radio Heimat: Geschichten von zuhause by Frank Goosen



Loved it.

Rating: 5 Stars
Read: 98/100 (38B, 12A, 48K)

99. Rosebrock by Axel Marquardt



A bit short, but definitely funny.

Rating: 3.5 Stars
Read: 99/100 (39B, 12A, 48K)

100. Alles schön by Jörg Thadeusz



The main plot was a bit cliché, but I enjoyed the humor and light political satire in the background.

Rating: 3 Stars
Read: 100/100 (40B, 12A, 48K)

New goal: I averaged about 10 books a month, so I'll try to reach 120 by the end of the year!

101. Taliesin by Stephen R. Lawhead



The Pendragon Cycle books were some of the first fantasy novels I read and I remember enjoying very much. However, after rereading the first book of the series after about 10 years I was pretty disappointed. Some parts were done quite well, but a lot of the dialogue felt very stilted and unrealistic. What really put me off though were the heavy, preachy Christian undertones, which I absolutely detested. I doubt that I'll continue with this reread anytime soon, there are so many other books I want to read and I'd rather not have any more good memories destroyed.

Rating: 2 Stars
Read: 101/120 (40B, 12A, 49K)

Some catching up to do:

102. Liegen lernen by Frank Goosen



His first novel, and just as good as his shorter pieces. The book has a certain melancholic, tragicomic quality to it, with a few laugh-out-loud moments. Good stuff.

Rating: 4 Stars
Read: 102/120 (41B, 12A, 49K)

103. The Atheist's Guide to Christmas by Ariane Sherine



Saw a thread about this on the Happy Heathens group and the Kindle version was only about 4$, plus I was impressed by the list of contributors. The essays vary between hilarious, interesting and boring, with a few standout pieces and some rubbish ones (Richard Dawkins should stick to non-fiction).

Rating: 3.5 Stars
Read: 103/120 (41B, 12A, 50K)

104. Side Jobs by Jim Butcher



The collected short stories from the Dresden Files series Butcher wrote for various anthologies plus a new novella set after the latest book. Overall a great collection that offers new insights into some of the minor characters. I'm really looking forward to the next installment of the series, especially because "Aftermath" does not only not resolve the cliffhanger from Changes, but actually serves to make the whole thing even more suspenseful.

Rating: 4 Stars
Read: 104/120 (41B, 12A, 51K)

105. Bin ich noch zu retten? by Bruno Jonas



Jonas is a brilliant political satirist, this however was very disappointing.

Rating: 2 Stars
Read: 105/120 (41B, 13A, 51K)

106. Shit My Dad Says by Justin Halpern



This book is a pretty good example of why it isn't always a good idea to make a book/movie/tv show out of something that went viral on the internet. There is a fine difference between watching a 30 second Youtube video of a cat playing the piano and going to the cinema to see two hours of it. So, while the Twitter feed may be funny (especially for those who consider an older man using words like "fuck" or "shit" a lot as the epitome of comedy), the book has too few funny moments for its length. If you take away the comedy aspect however, this is a fairly good story about the elationship between a father and his son with an almost touching end, which is why I'm still giving this 3 stars. It's not what I expected and in my opinion a bit overrated, but it has its redeeming qualities.
(I'm going to avoid the TV show, because I assume that having William Shatner as the star is a good indication of its quality.)

Rating: 3 Stars
Read: 106/120 (41B, 14A, 51K)

107. Lord Darcy by Randall Garrett



A collection of 10 short stories and one full novel, featuring a great mix of mystery, fantasy, alternative history and espionage. The setting did remind me of the Cold War, however the main factions are the Anglo-French Empire (including the Americas, Italy and Germany, ruled by the Plantagenet kings since the time of Richard the Lionheart) and the Polish empire. There are a few more differences, for there is magic, which, in these stories, is used both to commit and solve crimes. I enjoyed the book very much, there is something about the combination of a murder mystery and a fantasy setting that I find quite irresistible.

Rating: 4 Stars
Read: 107/120 (41B, 14A, 52K)

108. They Call Me Baba Booey by Gary Dell'Abate



I'm not quite sure why I picked this up, but it was pretty okay.

Rating: 3 Stars
Read: 108/120 (41B, 15A, 52K)

109. Faerie Wars by Herbie Brennan



The end was a bit foreseeable and some of the characters were a tad one-dimensional, but overall this is a great start to a series I definitely will continue reading.

Rating: 4 Stars
Read: 109/120 (41B, 15A, 53K)

I really enjoy all the Lord Darcy series--they are a lot of fun.

110. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer



Compared with some other YA books I read recently, this felt a bit lacking. A fairly predictable plot, a few too many puns and some of the characters were very one-dimensional. Other children's books also have something that makes them interesting for adults (Bartimaeus, Tiffany Aching...) and while it has its qualities (I liked Artemis and the banter between Root and Foaly), I still couldn't help thinking that I am somehow too old to really enjoy this book.

Rating: 3 Stars
Read: 110/120 (41B, 15A, 54K)

111. Machine of Death by Ryan North



A short story collection, based on this comic. Available as a PDF for free here.

39 stories, all with the same premise: They are set in a world where everybody knows how they are going to die. A simple blood test by the Machine gives them the result on a small slip of paper. However, the Machine often shows a sense of irony and ambiguity. There are many different takes on the premise, from rather funny stories to very dark, dystopian ones. The quality also varies, but there were only very few duds and the overall quality was surprisingly high. I'll definitely get a physical copy of this, as soon as it is available over here.

Rating: 4.5 Stars
Read: 111/120 (41B, 15A, 55K)

Oh golly I'm hooked! Just downloaded it and read straight through to page 50 before remembering, hey, I'm at work and they just might feel that was taking the piss a bit. What a good set of short stories.

I know what you mean, downloaded it just before I wanted to go to bed and then kept thinking "one more story and I'll still get enough sleep" :D

After that, I managed to stretch it out for a few days, but it's definitely a compelling read.

112. The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective by Kate Summerscale



I read a review of this book and thought it would perhaps be a good present for my mom, so I downloaded a sample chapter to check it out. Unfortunately I then remembered that I had actually talked to her about the exact same book before, but by that time I was kind of hooked and decided to read it myself.

The book is an account of a murder that took place in the 19th century in England and the following investigation. The author uses this case to describe various changes in society that were occuring at that time, the emergence of the modern detective and the people's fascination with them, as well as the following creation of the detective novel. As a (mostly) fiction reader I was a bit disappointed that the case was never fully solved, but I can't the author for that.

Rating: 3.5 Stars
Read: 112/120 (41B, 15A, 56K)

113. The Tractor by Vic Hansen



My first member giveaway book, and I'm shamefully late in reviewing it.

This book was a very positive surprise. It is set on the fictional island of Morakeewa, somewhere in the South Pacific, and told from the viewpoint of Tommu, one of the natives, who has set out to write down the history of the island. The story starts during WW2, when American troops landed on the island and when they departed left behind a lot of books, fuel and most importantly a tractor. The hunter-gatherer culture changes radically, because the tractor makes agriculture possible and more and more people congregate in the Village. Quickly, different social classes emerge: The Gardeners, who are the leaders of the village, interpreting the will of Our Granny (the woman who first made contact with the Americans and although she doesn't appear publicly anymore and is possibly dead is still revered by the villagers), the Guardians who drive the tractor and act as a police/military force and the Readers who read and interpret the books left behind by the Americans. The rest of the villagers enjoy the spoils of the tractor and trade what they don't need with those who still live in the jungle.
This supposedly utopian society quickly becomes a dystopian one however, when some people begin to resist the progress, which they feel benefits some unfairly while others suffer, and try to force a return to the ancient ways of life. Soon the whole of the island is caught up in a guerilla war between the Gardeners and Guardians on one side and the Shadows, led by the mysterious Hami Datu on the other. Tommu who is trying to compile a factual history of the island learns that it is impossible to stay neutral, as both sides want him to favor their cause.

The society of the island mirrors in many ways "our" civilization and history and deals with a wide range of issues, from religion, environmentalism and professional sports to corruption, police brutality and terrorism. Hansen writes in a very captivating style and although there were some minor errors (poisonous swamp lizards? spiders described as insects?), this remains a very good and thought-provoking book.

Rating: 4 Stars
Read: 113/120 (42B, 15A, 56)

114. Crimson Skies by Eric S. Nylund



I came across the computer game of the same name while cleaning out some drawers recently, and after I found out that it doesn't work under Windows 7, I googled for a possible sequel. The game was a lot of fun, especially because of the fantastic setting, so I was thrilled when I found this collection of three novellas set in the world of the game.

The setting is an alternative version of the 1930s, in which after WW1, due to influenza epidemics, conflicts about prohibition laws and the stock market crash of 1929 the United States have split up into several smaller nations (Canada following suit), like the State of Hollywood (California), the Empire State (NY, NJ, Pennsylvania), the Christian Communist People's Collective (Midwest) or the Confederation of Dixie (Southern states). Due to many smaller conflicts interstate railroads and roads are in a bad shape, so most travel and commerce is conducted by plane and airship. This leads to the rise of air pirates, so the different governments employ mercenaries and militias to control them, also issuing letters of marque to set pirate against pirate.

Essentially, it's the 17th century caribbean a few thousand feet up, or to sum it up: Awesome.

The three novellas in this book concentrate on very different characters, from determined pirate hunter Paladin Blake to charming rogue Nathan Zachary. They all are fastpaced, packed-with-action tales and although some of the plot twists are a bit foreseeable and the stories are far from realistic (One fighter pilot against three zeppelins and an armada of fighters?) this is still a good book. Yes, it's a computer game tie-in. Yes, it's essentially pulp fiction. But it's still a quick, fun read and delivered exactly what I expected it to do.

ETA: Perfect music to listen to while reading this book: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WrPWFn7e2c

Rating: 4 Stars
Read: 114/120 (42B, 15A, 57K)

115. Phantastische Reisen by Francois Place



Got this for 1€ at the local library, because they were getting rid of it. An old childhood favorite. It contains "folk tales" from various fictional countries, which are nice enough, but I always loved this book for the stunning artwork.

Rating: 4 Stars
Read: 115/120 (43B, 15A, 57K)

116. The Modern Con Man by Todd Robbins



I love movies and shows about con men (Ocean's Eleven, Hustle etc.) but this book was pretty disappointing. It claims that you'll never have to buy a beer again, because of all the great tricks it contains, which will allow you to win your drinks from now on. However, if anyone truly falls for the cheap bar tricks in this book I'd be very surprised. There are also various stories about famous grifters/con men, which are interesting, but I'm not sure how they relate to the whole "Modern Con Man" angle. If you are looking for ways to trick people into buying you drinks, the internet is a better and cheaper source, if you are looking for a history of grifting there are probably better and more comprehensive volumes available and if you are looking to be entertained, just wait until January 7, when the new series of Hustle starts.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (I might change this if I actually get a free drink or two by using one of the tricks in this book)
Read: 116/120 (43B, 15A, 58K)

117. Pokorny lacht by Frank Goosen



I love the way Goosen blends the tragic with genuinely funny bits. He clearly draws from his own life to make his characters seem eerily real, for example the main character's experiences as a stand-up comedy are definitely inspired by Goosen's own career in that field.

Rating: 4.5 Stars
Read: 117/120 (44B, 15A, 58K)

118. Version 5 Punkt 12 by Reinhold Ziegler



Another book the library was ready to throw out. It's dystopian fiction written in 1995 and some of the stuff in this book is probably more fact than fiction. Some parts are of course outdated and sound a bit funny in hindsight, but Ziegler clearly knows what he is talking about when it comes to computers and he can hardly be faulted for writing this book before the internet became as important as it is today.

Rating: 3 Stars
Read: 118/120 (45B, 15A, 58K)

119. Der kleine Mann by Erich Kästner



Found two boxes of books from my childhood in the attic and decided to revisit a few favorites. The first is one of the books I used to reread time and time again. Kästner is one of my favorite authors of children's books and while this is certainly not his most famous books, I absolutely love it.

Rating: 4.5 Stars
Read: 119/120 (46B, 15A, 58K)

120. Drei Männer im Schnee by Erich Kästner



Another great book by Kästner. Because it was first published in 1934 in Germany and Kästner wasn't exactly a friend of the nazis this book carefully avoids the light political satire his other works show, but it is still a fun story. A comedy so fraught with misunderstandings and mistaken identities that it reminds me a little of The Importance of Being Earnest.

Rating: 4 Stars
Read: 120/120! (47B, 15A, 58K)

Another goal reached, due to the short time until the end of the year I won't bother with another one.

121. Die Jungen von Burg Schreckenstein by Oliver Hassencamp
122. Auf Schreckenstein geht's lustig zu by Oliver Hassencamp
123. Auf Schreckenstein gibt's täglich Spaß by Oliver Hassencamp
124. Die Schreckensteiner auf der Flucht by Oliver Hassencamp
125. Das Rätsel von Burg Schreckenstein by Oliver Hassencamp
126. Zwei Neue auf Burg Schreckenstein by Oliver Hassencamp
127. Alarm auf Burg Schreckenstein by Oliver Hassencamp



The Schreckenstein series by Oliver Hassencamp are probably my absolute favorite childhood books. They're comparable to Enid Blyton's Dolly series, except that they're aimed at boys. I don't really know what exactly is so captivating about them, but I know that I once finished the entire series of 27 books in three days (they are fairly short though). Haven't read any of the books in at least six years but now I'm determined to go through the whole series again. I won't bother with writing in detail about each of them because I don't think anybody would really be interested and I already almost know them by heart :P

Rating: 5 Stars
Read: 127

128. Graf Dracula auf Schreckenstein by Oliver Hassencamp
129. Verschwörung auf Burg Schreckenstein by Oliver Hassencamp
130. Raub auf Burg Schreckenstein by Oliver Hassencamp
131. Das Burggespenst von Schreckenstein by Oliver Hassencamp
132. Spione auf Burg Schreckenstein by Oliver Hassencamp
133. Dreizehn schlägt's auf Schreckenstein by Oliver Hassencamp
134. Der Zauberer von Schreckenstein by Oliver Hassencamp
135. Das Ritterdrama von Schreckenstein by Oliver Hassencamp
136. Eins zu Null für Schreckenstein by Oliver Hassencamp
137. Schnüffler auf Burg Schreckenstein by Oliver Hassencamp

Rating: 5 Stars
Read: 137

So, 2010 was a pretty good year readingwise. I reached all my goals, read a lot of great books and relatively few clunkers. I'll start the thread for 2011 when I'm a little bit less hungover...