walterqchocobo's 75 books in 2010

I am new to the LibraryThing groups although did a 50 book challenge last year on Goodreads. I barely finished 75 books in 2009 and am going to try it again this year. It will be a bit of a challenge with a baby due in March but I'll give it a try.

I finished my first book of 2010 last night:

1. The Cradle: A Novel - Patrick Somerville

Eh, nothing special with this one.

welcome Ryan

Looking at your profile I noticed you have all 5 books of the Chronicles of Prydain, you might be interested to join the group read: http://www.librarything.com/topic/78957
Anita

Welcome to the group!

Welcome!

Thanks for the welcome messages!

I finished my second book of 2010:

2. The War of the Worlds - H.G. Wells (audiobook)

Over lunch, I finished my third book.

3. Lowboy - John Wray

This was a tough book to get through. The portrayal of the teenager with schizophrenia was pretty good although very disturbing. I thought that the author was pretty good so I might try another one of Mr. Wray's books. The ending was a bit confusing but I guess that is to be expected in a book like this.

I finished #4 over lunch today.

4. Lottery - Patricia Wood

I enjoyed the characters in this book, especially the narrator Perry. This is the story of Perry, who isn't retarded (as he has an IQ of 76, above the 75 that defines retardation) and he is lucky. So lucky that he wins the Washington State Lottery. Predictably, everyone tries to take advantage of Perry and his newfound wealth. It was a nice, quick read with some fun characters.

#7: I have seen good reviews of that one. I hope I can get my hands on a copy soon.

5. Idiot America: How Stupidity Became a Virtue in the Land of the Free - Charles Pierce

I like to listen to Mr. Pierce on Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me on NPR so I picked up this book. It is funny and interesting in many parts but bogged down in several places. His three Great Premises are funny and, sadly, dead-on. He criticizes mostly events that occurred during the Bush administration but didn't completely leave the Democrats unscathed.

6. The Wish List - Eoin Colfer

I am moving into a YA kick as the next several books that I have on my pile are in that genre. I really the Artemis Fowl books so I thought that I would give this a try. The book follows the adventures of Meg Finn, a fourteen year old girl who dies in the course of a break-in with another boy, Belch. On her way to the afterlife, it is determined that she is even--exact number of good and bad. So, she is sent back to do some good deeds or go to hell.

Meg was an enjoyable character as was Lowrie, the old man that she helps. It wasn't as good as the Artemis Fowl books nor did this book have as much depth as Fowl but a decent read anyway.

I've read a short story by Eoin Colfer this month - a rather strange story in an anthology called Dublin Noir.

Welcome to the group from another newbie.

Continuing the YA string:

7. An Abundance of Katherines - John Green

This book wasn't quite as good as Paper Towns but I still enjoyed it. The book follows Colin and his friend Hassan over the summer as they take a road trip to help Colin get over being dumped for the 19th time by a girl named Katherine. They end up in a southern town called Gutshot where a billboard advertises that Archduke Ferdinand is buried there so Colin decides to stop. Gutshot is full of crazy and interesting characters so they decide to stick around for awhile.

Overall, I enjoyed the characters, especially Colin and Hassan's banter back and forth. Their use of the word "fug" got really old but at least the author explains why he uses the word. I wouldn't have appreciated the f-bomb dropped several times a page either but "fug" got annoying. Otherwise, a very fun book.

I have enjoyed a couple of Green's books but have not made it to Paper Towns yet. I will see if I can find copy. So far I have read Looking for Alaska and An Abundance of Katherines.

How was Looking for Alaska? A lot of people really seem to like that one.

#14: I enjoyed it a great deal. I think Green has a real talent for the 'voice' of young adult characters.

I liked Looking for Alaska even better as An Abundance of Katherines, sadly Paper towns is not yet translated in Dutch.

I picked up Looking for Alaska so I will get to that soon. But first:

8. The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson #3) - Rick Riordan

This series is great! How can you go wrong with books with Greek mythology and full of humor, action, good pacing, interesting characters, and a fascinating story. J.K. Rowling could have learned a few lessons from Mr. Riordan on pacing, especially with her last few books.

#17: I loved the Percy Jackson series as well. I think the books improve from one to another. I hope you continue to enjoy them.

9. Coraline - Neil Gaiman

This book wasn't as good as The Graveyard Book but a good read. I haven't seen the movie yet but am interested to do so now.

I think this was my last YA book for a little while. I have an Early Reviewer book up next and the new Chris Bohjalian book on reserve from the library.

10. The Many Deaths of the Firefly Brothers - Thomas Mullen

I received this book from the Early Reviewers program through LibraryThing. This was a fantastic book! The book follows the Fireson brothers, nicknamed the Firefly Brothers by newspapers, who are bank robbers during the Depression and a two week period in which the police and federal government are after them. The story is told from multiple points of view. This book has great characters, plenty of action, some mystery and great pacing. I am going to find Mr. Mullen's other book, The Last Town on Earth, as soon as I can.

#20: That one looks very good! Thanks for the recommendation, Ryan. I will see if I can locate a copy.

11. Looking for Alaska - John Green

This book was excellent--up there with Paper Towns. Thanks for giving me the push to seek this one out.

Now, back to some adult fare. I have Secrets of Eden next up along with some non-fiction parenting/birth books to prepare me for the rapidly approaching birth of my child. Somewhere in my pile of books to read is Percy Jackson #4. I guess I'm never going to grow up. :)

I am glad you enjoyed it!

I guess I'm never going to grow up

It seemed to work for Peter Pan :)

12. Secrets of Eden - Chris Bohjalian

Another fantastic book from Mr. Bohjalian. An abusive husband and his victimized wife are found dead in their home in an apparent murder-suicide in small town Vermont. The book is told from the point of view of the wife's pastor, the state attorney investigating the deaths, an author with a disturbing past, and the orphaned daughter. Great book!

#24: I will have to give that one a try. Thanks for the recommendation, Ryan!

13. The New Father: A Dad's Guide to the First Year - Armin Brott

It has been awhile since I have had a newborn in the house so this was a good refresher for me. The book is geared toward fathers which was also nice. We have about a month left to go so I better get some more reading in before the baby gets here.

14. Your Pregnancy for the Father to be - Glade B. Curtis

This will be my last pregnancy/baby book prior to the birth. This one was okay but pretty general and I didn't think it was really geared toward the dad as much as the other one I read.

I have only three days to finish Percy Jackson #4 before it is due back to the library so I better hurry up!

I can relate to fighting library due dates. Good luck with finishing the book!

15. The Battle of The Labyrinth (Percy Jackson #4) - Rick Riordan

This series keeps getting better and there were no worries about finishing this book before the library due date--I finished it in two sittings. I have #5 on reserve so should be getting that soon.

16. Preludes and Nocturnes - Neil Gaiman (Sandman Vol 1)

My wife suggested that I try the Sandman series. The first volume was interesting but it wasn't until the last issue/chapter in this book that I really got into it. I'll add the next one to my library requests. Has anyone else read these?

I have not read them yet, Ryan. I wish I could say that I have!

I've read them and while I really loved it, it was always a case of being more or less interested in the various story lines, as opposed to having a consistent level of interest for the entire series. Some I was crazy about, some I was only marginally into. If you liked it at all, I'd stick with it.

17. Norton's Ghost - R. Canepa

I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway and really liked it. It starts slow but around halfway, it really picks up and is very enjoyable. Kyle's father passes away and during the reading of the will, he learns some things about his family that he never knew. He decides to go searching for the answers by hitchhiking through California. The book follows his travels and everyone that he runs into, good and bad. Different from my usual fare and worth a look.

#33: I will have to look for that one when it comes out. Thanks for the recommendation, Ryan.

18. House Rules - Jodi Picoult

I would rank this as one of her better books. It tells the story of Jacob, an 18 year old diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, who is accused of murdering his tutor. The accusations come, in part, from his fascination with forensics and his difficulty communicating with others. The story is told from four points of view as Picoult commonly does: Jacob, his brother Theo, their mother Emma and Jacob's lawyer Oliver. I didn't find this one terribly suspenseful but still a good read.

19. Freefall (Tunnels) - Roderick Gordon/Brian Williams

With no baby yet, I am trying to get through my to-read list as quick as possible. This is the third book in the YA Tunnels series. It has been called "the next Harry Potter". I'm not sure about that but the plot moved pretty fast, we learned more about some of the secondary characters from the last book and they left us with another cliffhanger.

Next, I'm going to finish up the Percy Jackson series before moving on to some adult books again.

#36: Well, I checked and my local library does not have any of the Tunnels books. Oh well, I will just search further afield. Thanks for the recommendation, Ryan.

You don't think that hailing the Tunnel series as the next Harry Potter is an advertising play, do you? Surely the publishers wouldn't be so desperate!
;-)

20. The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson #5) - Rick Riordan

A very fine ending to the series. Remember the exciting battle sequences that took up maybe 100 pages in the last Harry Potter? Nearly this entire book is full of action. The author left it open for another book but I don't think that is a bad thing -- Go Percy Jackson!

On a personal note, my reading will probably slow down a little bit with the birth of my son on Thursday. I was almost finished with this book when my wife went into labor.

Congratulations on the new baby boy! I hope mom, dad and baby are all doing well.

Congratulations

Thank you for the congratulations--it has been great getting to know him over the last two weeks. I have been able to finish one book.

21. The Midnight House - Alex Berenson

This was another great book in the John Wells series although not as action-packed as previous ones. It focuses on a secret detention facility for high value detainees and what happens after the squad disbands. Very interesting to read about the various political and ethical discussions surrounding the motives of the characters.

#43: That's a series I need to try. Thanks for the reminder, Ryan.

I hope you and your wife are managing to get some sleep in with the new baby around!

A little sleep but not much time for reading. I did finally finish one of my Early Reviewer books.

22. Mathilda Savitch - Victor Lodato

This was a strange book. The plot was all over the place but the voice of the main character, Mathilda, made the book worth it.

#45: I have that on in the BlackHole already. I am glad to see you thought the book was worth it in the end.

23. That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week - Ana Homayoun

This was a fabulous book about helping disorganized boys succeed in school and everyday life. There were some great common sense suggestions that should be relatively easy to implement. I would strongly recommend this book for anyone with children that struggle in school with organization problems.

My newborn is slowing my reading progress down a bit. I'm too tired to do much reading at night. 75 books this year might be a challenge.

#47: 75 books this year might be a challenge.

Even if you do not make the 75, I hope you will stick with the group, Ryan. We are less about the numbers than we are about the books.

Thanks for the encouragement. It is very interesting to see the different books that people read. My list this year is all over the place.

24. Critical Care: A New Nurse Faces Death, Life, and Everything in Between - Theresa Brown

I won this book from LibraryThing Early Reviewers and I really enjoyed it. It is a memoir written by a former English professor turned oncology nurse and her experiences on the floor. It was very interesting to read about the stresses of being a nurse in such a difficult situation for most of her patients. I can say that the nurses made our stay at the hospital for the birth of our son very enjoyable, not the doctors. Ms. Brown reminds us that nurses keep the hospitals running and do the majority of the work with the patients.

I immediately checked out That Crumpled Paper...--I work with this all the time!

#49: My youngest daughter wants to go into nursing. I may have to pick up a copy of that book for her. Thanks for the recommendation, Ryan.

25. The Way of Boys - Anthony Rao

This book is written by a doctor who doesn't believe that diagnosing young boys with ADD or other conditions when they have trouble with social interactions, behavior or delayed milestones. Instead, some simple interventions can help the boy learn how to cope or behave better in certain situations. It was very interesting and I would highly recommend it for anyone with a young boy. I wish that this book was around when my older son was younger. The book is focused on young boys, up to maybe age seven or eight, so if you have an older one, it might not be as valuable. Another good Early Reviewer book--thanks LibraryThing!

26. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood

This one has been sitting on my wife's bookshelf for a long time and I have never gotten around to reading it. I wasn't a huge fan of the writing style and it took me over half the book to become very interested. The setup for the Gilead society was interesting (after she finally got around to disclosing it). My wife suggested a couple other books by Ms. Atwood to try out before giving up (Alias Grace and Surfacing). I'll throw those onto the to-read list.

#53: Ryan, if you are a fan of dystopian literature, I would recommend Atwood's Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood too.

27. The Unnamed - Joshua Ferris

Interesting premise but I thought it was poorly executed. This one is definitely not as clever as his first book. It was on several book publications to read lists but I'm not sure why.

#55: I did not like Ferris' first book, so I am not reading his second. I do hope you enjoy your next read more, Ryan.

28. The Book Thief - Markus Zusak

I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't clear to me why Death was the narrator but I think it worked well. I highly recommend this WWII story about a young girl in Germany.

Glad you liked that one, Ryan! It really is very good, isn't it?

I hope all is well with the new baby.

Thanks! So far, so good on baby stuff. He is two months old today! Woohoo! Time flies...starting to read the Chronicles of Narnia right now. I read three or four of them when I was younger but thought that I would try to get through the whole series this summer. This one has been on the shelf for awhile.

At first I read that your two-month-old baby was reading CofN!

My son is very advanced. :) Or maybe, his father was a little loose with his sentences.

It is probably that your son is very advanced - you are certainly not loose with your sentences, lol.

29-35. The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis

I finally got around to reading all seven books. I didn't see the Christian references in all of the books (I was looking pretty hard but some of the stories just seemed like...stories) but I still enjoyed them. I feel like I'm cheating a little bit by calling them seven books as they came all together in one but...my wife said it was okay.

If your wife says it's okay, then it is certainly okay.

How did the baby like the books? ;-)

They certainly are 7 books, so why not call them that? lol

Besides, Nancy is right - you should listen to your wife.

The baby regularly feel asleep when reading the books so it took much longer than it should have. :)

36. The Citizen Solution - Harry C. Boyte

I like to keep informed of current events and am fed up with many things like lots of other people. I thought this book would provide some tips on how to do something about it...but it didn't.

#66: I think I will skip that one. Why include solution in the title if you are not going to give any?

37. The Drawing of the Three - Stephen King

I finally got through the audio book of this. It took a little bit to get started but it was a pretty good story, much better than book 1 of The Dark Tower series. I tried reading them but couldn't get into it but the audio book worked quite well.

Congratulations on reaching the halfway point of the challenge, Ryan!

Thanks!

Just to add a little bit of padding, I finished:

38. The Book of Vice - Peter Sagal

Peter Sagal's humor translates much better to radio than to the written word, sadly. Unless you want to read about gambling, strippers, pornography and swinging, I would give this one a pass. It might be worth a read if you are HUGE fans of Mr. Sagal's radio show.

#70: I am passing on that one. I have never even heard of Sagal let alone his radio show and could care less about gambling, etc.

I hope you enjoy your next book more!

I was on a business trip with a three hour flight each way so I was able to finish two books.

39. Sandman Slim - Richard Kadrey

This was a crazy book--sort of a supernatural western with a character that didn't really grow up until about halfway through the book. It looks to be the first in a series--funny and violent with some very interesting world building. I'm looking forward to book #2

40. An Eagle Named Freedom - Jeff Guidry

I got this book from the Early Reviewers giveaway and thought it was pretty good for someone who didn't set out to be an author but was nudged into writing his story anyway. It is an autobiographical tale about the author and his volunteer time at a wildlife center. He takes care of an eagle who fell from her nest when she was very small and the eagle also ends up taking care of him. Pretty readable but it seems like it would be better if he was telling me the story face to face.

#72: I already have both of those in the BlackHole due to other reviews here in the group. Nice to know that you thought they were worthwhile reads as well.

Glad you are back safe!

The BlackHole is a very interesting name for a to-read pile. :)

It is so handy because now I never have to rename it. When I started on LT, my TBR pile was Mount TBR. Then it went to Continent TBR, Planet TBR, and I was figuring next it would be Universe TBR, but the BlackHole is what it finally ended up.

This place makes for very healthy-sized TBR piles :)

41. The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper and Fairer Health Care - T.R. Reid

Very repetitive but interesting overview of health care systems around the world that cover all of a nation's citizens and encouraging the U.S. to take some of their ideas and improve our system.

42. Everything here is the best thing ever - Justin Taylor

I am not a big fan of short stories (other than Stephen King's) but I was sucked in by the interesting title. I thought the stories were mostly the same set of characters with different names--a little boring for my taste.

43. I Am The Messenger - Markus Zusak

I listened to this on audiobook and thought it was great except for the ending. Thought it was a cop-out, personally. Otherwise, fantastic!

44. Halting State - Charles Stross

Set in the near future in Scotland, the book starts with a daring bank heist in an online game world. The book is told from the point of view of three people, a police officer, insurance investigator and computer consultant. The book is written in the second person which was weird at first. Interesting book and it went in a different direction than I thought, which was both good and bad. Worth a look if you are a gamer.

#77: I enjoyed I Am the Messenger more than I did Zusak's The Book Thief, although I am in the minority on that. Glad you liked it too, Ryan.

Sort of cheating but they are graphic "novels" after all:

45. The Last Child - John Hart

I enjoyed this book quite a bit--it was sort of a mystery/thriller. Johnny was thirteen years old when his twin sister was kidnapped. It is a year later and his family has been shattered by his father walking about and his mother turning to alcohol and drugs. Johnny and his best friend are still out looking for his sister in some pretty seedy areas. I'm not big on mysteries normally but this one was good. I'll try his other books.

46. The Sandman: The Doll's House - Neil Gaiman (Sandman #2)
47. The Sandman: Dream Country - Neil Gaiman (Sandman #3)
48. The Sandman: Season of Mists - Neil Gaiman (Sandman #4)

I read the first Sandman a little while ago and thought it was good. When the revamped library opened near my house, volumes 2-4 were on the shelf so I picked them up. Pretty good graphic novels--I like Gaiman's style.

49. The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde

This book was okay. It was on my to-read list for a long time and I finally got around to it. A little quirky but not a bad read. I might try the second book in the Thursday Next series as most people rate that one higher.

Whew!

Almost to 50! Congratulations, Ryan.

I already have The Last Child in the BlackHole and am a big fan of the Thursday Next series. I do hope you go on to book 2.

Thanks! I did finish book number 50 last night.

50. Dark Places - Gillian Flynn

Excellent thriller mystery in the same style of her first one Sharp Objects. She has a dark mind but can write a great story. The story is told alternatively between Libby now, survivor of the murder of her two sisters and mother by her brother (allegedly) and Ben (the brother) and Patty (Libby's mom) in flashback on the day of the murders. Basically, you find out what is happening about the same time that Libby does. I am definitely picking up her next book when it comes out.

51. Thirteen Reasons Why - Jay Asher (audiobook)

A YA story about audio tape messages from Hannah, a high school girl who committed suicide, to individuals in her life who contributed to her decision. The audiobook alternates between Hannah's voice and the current owner of the tapes, a guy who had a crush on Hannah but never really acted on it or got to know her well. It was well done but it felt a little forced in part. Kids can be brutal but I was left wondering why the events that happened to Hannah were enough to push her to suicide while others handle it and move on. I think that was a missed opportunity--still well done.

#81: I still have not managed to read Sharp Objects. Thanks for the reminder, Ryan.

Oh, and congrats on reaching 50+!

Thanks!!

52. Swords and Dark Magic

This is an anthology of fantasy stories. I really like Joe Abercrombie so that is the main reason that I got this book. There were some good stories by Glen Cook, Scott Lynch and some others so I might have a few more authors to read. I am normally not a fan of short stories but most of these were pretty good.

I'm slacking a little bit with my updates:

53. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins

The final book in the Hunger Games trilogy was good but not great. Perhaps my expectations were too high. Katniss seemed like she was really being pushed around in this book. If you have great the other two, you must read this one.

54. Blockade Billy - Stephen King

The main short story Blockade Billy was good but I didn't really care for the second story. Skip the second story but read the first if you like baseball.

55. City of Bones (Mortal Instruments 1) - Cassandra Clare

I listened to the audiobook version and thought it was ridiculous. Perhaps the writing is a little cheesy but it was really bad when read aloud. I might read the second one but not going to listen to the audiobook.

56. The Neurology of Angels - Krista Tibbs

This was pretty good--a book about drug research and health reform--very interesting.

Glad to see you back, Ryan. It has been a while!

More books!!

57. It's a Baby Boy! - Gurian Institute

A short book about how my baby boy's brain is working and growing. Pretty cool.

58. The Illustrated Man - Ray Bradbury (audiobook)

A fantastic book of short stories from Ray Bradbury, written back in the 50s. I had only read Fahrenheit 451 from him but I will definitely pick up more--these remind me of good Stephen King short fiction.

*jumping on bandwagon*

59. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson

I had very high expectations based on so many comments from friends, online and in-person. The book was pretty good but didn't blow me away. I liked the character of Lisbeth and will give the second book a try.

I have not yet read Bradbury's The Illustrated Man. I will have to give it a try. Thanks for the recommendation, Ryan.

60. After - Amy Efaw (audiobook)

Interesting YA book about a 15 year old girl who denied her pregnancy and threw her baby into a dumpster after giving birth in her apartment. She is arrested and the book focuses on her first couple of weeks in the detention center and the hearing to determine if she will be tried in the juvenile court or adult court. The audiobook version was well done.

61. The Death and Life of the Great American School System - Diane Ravitch

A well written and easy to read summary of education reforms from someone who formerly advocated for them. She has since "seen the light" and thinks that the American education system needs different types of reforms from the ones that are currently being pushed. Very timely as my son is now six months old.

#88: Six months old already? Wow, it just does not seem possible.

I am adding After to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation, Ryan.

No kidding! Time flies when you are having fun and not sleeping. :)

62. The Sandman 6: Fables and Reflections

This is probably the weakest of the Sandman books that I have read. After I finished, I noticed that I missed Sandman 5. Oops. Fables and Reflections is made up of several unconnected stories about historical figures and Sandman's interactions with them.

63. A Man Without a County - Kurt Vonnegut (audiobook)

Short essays about Mr. Vonnegut's observations on modern day events such as war, politics, and the arts. Sometimes funny, sometimes very sharp and sometimes a little boring. Much like most of his other works that I have read.

#90: One of these days I will get to Vonnegut.

I'm not quite sure why I continue reading/listening to Vonnegut. Half of the book is pretty good but the rest is drivel. Maybe someday I'll learn.

I have completed the Sandman graphic novel series. I feel a little like cheating in my quest for 75 books by using these but...oh well. Again, my wife said it was okay.

64. The Sandman: A Game of You - Neil Gaiman (Sandman #5)

One of my favorite in the series.

65. The Sandman: Brief Lives - Neil Gaiman (Sandman #7)

This volume was pretty good.

66. The Sandman: World's End - Neil Gaiman (Sandman #8)

Short stories that are loosely tied to the series.

67. The Sandman: The Kindly Ones - Neil Gaiman (Sandman #9)

Another one of my favorites--very long but well written.

68. The Sandman: The Wake - Neil Gaiman (Sandman #10)

Sadly, the story doesn't end with anything too exciting. I was a little disappointed. This has been my experience with Gaiman--some things are really good (Neverwhere, Stardust, Graveyard Book) and others are disappointing (American Gods).

I have an Early Reviewer copy of Salvation City coming up next. Woo!

A lot of us read graphic novels, so I see no reason not to count them. Your wife is right again (as usual, I am sure.)

69. Salvation City - Sigrid Nunez

I received this book from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. It was a little disappointing. The story follows Cole, a fourteen year old boy who was orphaned after a flu pandemic that swept through the world. Cole got the flu but survived. He ends up living with a pastor and his wife in rural Indiana. For me, the Cole character wasn't very believable as a teenager--he often sounded like a nine year old. The flashbacks were spliced throughout the book in odd places and sometimes for no apparent reason. Thanks for the book, LibraryThing but I wasn't thrilled with it.

#94: Sorry you did not enjoy that one more! Oh well, at least it was free, right?

Who doesn't like free books, right?

70. The Atlantis Complex (Artemis Fowl #7) - Eoin Colfer

Another funny addition to the Artemis Fowl series. I read it in one three hour block on the airplane--highly recommended.

71. Orion You Came and You Took All My Marbles - Kira Henehan

It is hard to describe this book--very little plot, crazy characters and lots of confusing thoughts from the narrator Finley. It is a very scatterbrained book that requires quite a bit of patience to get through. It is published by a small local publisher so I gave it a try.

#96: I read the first 3 in the Artemis Fowl series and then got off track. I will have to get back to them!

I will see if I can find the Henehan book. It sounds interesting.

72. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

Eh, nothing special for me. I have always found the "classics" as really hit or miss. This one was mostly a miss for me. I'll take my Nineteen Eighty-four anytime.

Almost up to 75!! I think I'll probably make it.

Very close to 75, Ryan. I have no doubt you will make it!

I have been very pokey with my updates--over a month has gone by!

73. The City and The City - China Mieville

My first book from this author--strange mystery/parallel world story but I really liked it once I figured out what was going on.

74. The Exile - Andrew Britton

CIA/spy type novel featuring the recurring character Ryan Kealty. Quick read.

75. Labor Day - Joyce Maynard (audiobook)

The guy who read this book was great. The ending was predictable but still an interesting story. An escaped convict comes home with a teenager and his divorced mother over Labor Day weekend.

But wait! There's more!

76. City of Ember - Jeanne DuPrau (audiobook)

My son read this awhile ago and I never got around to it until I noticed it on my library's download site.

77. The Girl Who Played With Fire - Stieg Larsson

I liked this one much more than the Dragon Tattoo book although it took a long time to get going. Maybe my expectations were too high after EVERYONE loved this book. It was good and featured more of the most interesting character, Lisbeth, from the first book. Unfortunately, it also featured nearly 150 pages of set-up/fluff.

78. The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest - Stieg Larsson

The third book in the series picks up right where book 2 ended and actually starts off rather quickly. The slowest part of this book is in the middle where there are several investigations of the same crimes happening at the same time by separate parties. Many facts are repeated multiple times as different people learn about them in different ways. It was definitely the best book of the three.

Congratulations on hitting 75, Ryan!

Congrats!

Congratulations on passing the 75 book mark!!!

Thanks!!!!

Congratulations!

I really liked The City and the City. I'd already read Perdido Street Station so I was ready for the weirdness. I actually think that reading PSS after The City and the City would work even better.

Thanks for the suggestion--I will have to pick that one up.

79. Esperanza Rising - Pam Munoz Ryan

I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed it. My main reason for picking this book up other than all of the awards: I really like the name Esperanza.

#107: I have heard good things about that one. I will have to check it out one of these centuries.

Ryan, the new 2011 group is up and running! I hope to see you there: http://www.librarything.com/groups/75booksin20111