Bill’s Comments (group member since Nov 30, 2021)

Bill’s comments from the On The Same Page group.

Ioana wrote: "Best books of the year, by month:

January Gai-Jin
February The Winners
March [book:American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Centur..."

The Black Echo and On the Beach both excellent books. I totally agree.. Enjoy 2024.

I've carried my last book, Doomsday Book by Connie Willis, all 214 pages to go, over to 2024. Happy New Year!

Linette wrote: "Bill wrote: "My review of The Skull Mantra by Eliot Pattison I've been working on this 1st book in the Inspector Shan mysteries for awhile and was sort of surprised a..."

😃👍👌

Starting with Rocannon's World , the first book in the Hainish Cycle.

I hope to read The Testaments as well this year. I have been enjoying Cornwell's Sharpe adventures. Maybe I'll try another series when I finally finish with him. Enjoy your 2024 reading.

Stephanie Plum, Longmire, Maisie Dobbs, Precious Ramotswe. You can't go wrong with those series. Enjoy all of your selections!

The Dead Zone is one of my favorite King stories. And it was turned into an excellent movie too. Enjoy your selections. Happy New Year.

I have been enjoying the Martha Grimes books as well but luckily I still have quite a few to enjoy. I think I have only read The Bridge at Toko-ri and The Bridge at Andau by Michener. I did have Covenant once but I think I got scared away by its size. Must check him out again. Enjoy your selections. Happy New Year.

Boy's Life was an excellent story, loved it. I hope to get to Magpie Murders this year. Loved the mini series. I have to get back to Deaver too, I have a few of his books on my shelf. And Gamache is a wonderful police detective. Enjoy your selections. Happy New Year!

Interesting mix. I hope to try a TJ Klune this year and Ann Cleeves is always interesting. I haven't tried Two Rivers yet. Enjoy!

An interesting mix. I have Liz Cheney on order and look forward to reading it. I just bought Fourth Wing, it seems a popular choice. I'm also focusing on Agatha Christie in January. I love her mysteries. Enjoy your selections. Happy New Year.

I like your list. I want to read more Octavia Butler. I'll also be interested to see what you think of This is How You Lose the Time War. I read it just recently and thought it was quite different. Enjoy all of your selections. Happy New Year.

These are my starting 5 based on my challenges -

12 + 4 - Rocannon's World by Ursula K. Le Guin
Series challenge - Doomsday Book by Connie Willis (Oxford Time Travel #1) carried over from 2023
Non - Series challenge - The Fall Of The Sparrow by Nigel Balchin
tome Challenge (Over 500 pages) - Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution by Cat Bohannon
Monthly Focus (Jan - Agatha Christie) - The Big Four

My review of The Skull Mantra by Eliot Pattison I've been working on this 1st book in the Inspector Shan mysteries for awhile and was sort of surprised as I got to the end. Great, rich story with a satisfying ending and mystery solution. Jumps into my Top Tens of 2023, (5.0 stars)

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

2671. The Skull Mantra

End of Year Summary - Fantasy
For some reason the majority of my fantasy reading (at least those that I'll highlight below) tend also to fall under Young Adult / Children categories. My favorite bookstore in the Valley, which is in the same mall my wife works in, does have adult books but it specializes in Young Adult and Children's books. I've enjoyed quite a few of those this past year.

I've already highlighted a couple; Tamsin by Peter S. Beagle & Lightfall: The Girl & the Galdurian by Tim Probert

Here are a few others I rated highly.
1. Summer Knight by Jim Butcher (Dresden Files #4 / 2002). Harry Dresden, magician and detective, is always good value for money and Summer Knight was an entertaining story. Harry must work to stop a war between the Wizard's Council and the Vampires and he's also hired by the Faerie World's Winter Queen. He has a new group of friends, a bunch of werewolves to assist him and Police Lt Murphy also helps out (my favorite character in the series.)
2. A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie (Age of Madness #1 / 2019). Not sure if this qualifies as Fantasy but it's in a similar vein to the Game of Thrones books; set in a gritty world of wars and yes, there are wizards. It's a violent story and even darker than the Game of Thrones books, I think. But filled with action and interesting characters.
3. Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum (Oz #3 / 1907). The continuing adventures in the land of Oz, finds Dorothy stranded on an island and meeting the new ruler of Oz, Ozma, who along with her old friends, Scarecrow, the Cowardly lion, etc and new friends, Tik Tok and Bellina the yellow hen, go on adventures to save a royal family.
4. Goth Girl and the Sinister Symphony by Chris Riddell (Goth Girl #4 / 2017). I also read #3 but this was my favorite. Ada Goth's dad Lord Goth organizes a concert and interesting musicians show up. Adventure is had and fun by all. Great artwork and fun stories and characters.
5. Ottoline at Sea by Chris Riddell (Ottoline #3 / 2010). I also read Ottoline Goes to School, but this was my favorite. Ottoline goes to Norway to find her best friend, Mr. Munroe, a troll from Norway, who has gone home due to loneliness. With help from her other friend, the Canadian bear, she tries to find and help Mr. Munroe.
6. The Curse of the Gloamglozer by Paul Stewart A new series, the Edge Chronicles, that I want to explore. This first book, also the first in the Quint trilogy, was a fantastic adventure in a neat world.

There you go. Some other ideas for you to check out.. or buy for your children. 😃

Michelle wrote: "Bill wrote: "End of Year Summary - Science Fiction
It's rainy again to start today but the winds are at least calm. Continuing to look back at 2023, I'm focusing on Sci Fi this time. Two Sci fi nov..."

Thanks, Michelle. I'm looking forward to starting Becky's other series.

Alondra wrote: "Bill wrote: "End of Year Summary - Science Fiction
It's rainy again to start today but the winds are at least calm. Continuing to look back at 2023, I'm focusing on Sci Fi this time. Two Sci fi nov..."

I'll have to be careful when I order the others then. Thanks for that, Alondra

My review of The Good Neighbors by Holly Black 3.5 stars

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

2661. The Good Neighbors

End of Year Summary - Science Fiction
It's rainy again to start today but the winds are at least calm. Continuing to look back at 2023, I'm focusing on Sci Fi this time. Two Sci fi novels made it into my top ten; Idoru by William Gibson & Dust by Hugh Howey. Here are another 7ish that you might like to check out.

1. Look to Windward by Iain M. Banks (Culture #7 / 2000). The Culture series is one of the great SciFi series in my humble opinion. A universe peopled with living space ships, talking drones, the Culture itself and those who threaten it. It's rich, somewhat technical (not painfully so) and just great meandering stories. #7 features a plot to gain revenge on the Culture for its previous involvement in another planet's war. (4.0 stars)
2. Artificial Condition by Martha Wells (Murderbots #2 / 2018). I'm just getting into this series but I love it. Similar ideas to those presented in the Culture books, in that you've got sentient robots, Security bots, Sexbots, murderbots.. and a fascinating universe. Murderbot from the 1st book is searching for clues to who killed those humans he was protecting in Book 1. He gets the assistance of a sentient ship, neat character. (4.0 stars)
3. The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi (2009) Dystopic Sci Fi set in Thailand where the focus is on Climate change and gene manipulation. Interesting concept and interesting story. (4.0 stars)
4. Heart of Red Iron by Phyllis Gotlieb (Dhalgren's World #2 / 1989). I do like Gotlieb's unique take on Sci Fi. She is a great story teller to start with and creates interesting characters and beings. This is the sequel to O Master Caliban and mutant Sven returns to the planet on which he was created by his father. The company is trying to settle the planet and have brought beings from other races to see if it's safe for them.. Also a rescue mission is undertaken to save crystal beings. Neat (4.0 stars)
5. A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers (Monk & Robot #2 / 2022). I also enjoyed Chambers' To Be Taught, If Fortunate. Prayer brings back Sibling Dex, a monk who travels his planet serving coffee and helping people and Mosscap, a robot who came out of the wilderness to see if he can help humanity. I love the gentleness of the story and the setting and the story. The Wayfarers series awaits. (4.5 stars)
6. Adulthood Rites by Octavia E. Butler (Xexogenesis #2 / 1988). Lots to wrap your head around in this series where an alien race is trying rebuild Earth after it basically destroyed itself. Some humans don't agree and want to fight, the others are willing to accept that humanity must evolve if it wants to survive. I hope to read the final book, Imago in 2024. (4.0 stars), and
7. An Anthology Of Speculative Fiction by Virginia Kidd and Ursula K. Le Guin A collection of speculative fiction put together by LeGuin and her publisher Virginia Kidd. Interesting selection, some work, some not so much. But worth reading. (4.0 stars)

There you go.. Check them out.