Matthew’s Comments (group member since Dec 26, 2020)

Matthew’s comments from the 2021 Reading Challenge group.

I tend not to consider rereads for "my books read" as these normally consist of ones that I return to annually such as the Harry Potter series, the Dune saga, and a host of King's works. However, this month (and continuing into August) I returned to The Expanse to prepare for the series' conclusion at the end of this year. Having only gone through these tomes once before (and many events were muddied in my recollection) I decided to include them in my tally.

The world building of Franck and Abraham (writing together under the nome de plume James S.A. Corey) is on par with Tolkien and Sanderson, but on this second read through I've found myself less enthused with the overall writing style and certain character arcs. The plot is still engaging, and a second read has proffered numerous early nods to the eventual direction of the series. In spite of these weaknesses, I do recommend The Expanse to any sci-fi or political thriller fans.

Last month I journeyed back to the terrors of the end of the '60s with Diana Lake's memoir of her time with the Manson Family. I followed this read up this month with "Helter Skelter"--prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi's account of the investigation and trial of the Tate-LaBianca murders that saw Manson and many of his followers behind bars for life. I was riveted by the course of the investigation, the hundreds of little tidbits that came together to form a solid case. Not for the feint of heart, but a great read for any true crime fans.

I have fallen quite behind my monthly goals at this point, and I doubt the shortage will improve as the school year ticks around, but I am hoping to hit 60 read by the end of the year at this point.

I dropped off on reading for much of the spring sadly. Tolkien beat me again and I let the defeat drag me around for a few months. I'm back with only 6 books for June, but they were all great reads.

Sanderson's Alloy of Law and Legion were great ways to jump back in to a regular reading mode. I also began Rhythm of War, but I'm reading it aloud to my wife at roughly two chapters/week so it will take awhile to finish.

David Mitchel's Utopia Avenue was a strange trip back to the '60s and I recommend reading Cloud Atlas before hand as there are references between the works I did not get at first. Slowly working through Atlas now.

My absolute favourite for this month was Backman's Brit Marie Was Here. I adored the first entry into this "series", My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry, but Brit Marie was even better and had me staying up into the early hours of the morning to finish it.

I've been trying to work at least one non fiction book in a month and June's was Broken Faith a detailed look at the "church", Word of Faith Fellowship. Reading the accounts from survivors of that cult is a rough experience, but it is also a wonderful reminder of light and hope in the midst of a fallen world.

The first half of this month has been slow. I've been crawling slowly through 3 books: Fellowship of the Ring, The Five, and The Sum of All Fears.

To take a break from those I've jumped into some easier reading with the Ember series. The City of Ember was a fun little jaunt that hooked me quickly.

Still (slightly) ahead of my reading goal for the year; hoping I can build my buffer back up by the end of the month.

I've powered through quite a few so far...just hoping I don't lose steam like I did last year. I've had two standout reads I highly recommend and one miserable read I suggest staying away from:

Call the Nurse (aka The Island Nurse) was a fantastic memoir of rural life in the Hebrides in 1970. Enormously funny and heartbreakingly sad at the drop of a hat.

When All Is Said is Anne Griffin's debut novel, and it is, without a doubt, the best first person narrative I have ever read. Though the final chapter is tough to come to terms with, it's worth going on the journey with Maurice.

Case Histories is the first of a P.I. series by Kate Atkinson (and the last as far as I'm concerned). It's miserable. I enjoyed a few witty lines in the beginning, and that was about it. The characters were a dull, random assortment of characteristics, and the plot is a mediocre, rambling thing. Literary refuse...though still better than Surrender, New York.

A couple more books that I am looking forward to this month or next:

--Morning Star - The final book of the 1st Red Rising trilogy.
--Neverwhere - Enjoyed Good Omens and I've heard many good things about Gaiman's first foray.
--The Lord of the Rings - I know it's a tragedy, but I have never completed the trilogy. It took me half a dozen attempts to get passed Tom Bombadil, and when I finally finished Fellowship I got bogged down in Two Towers.