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

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

It kind of depends on whether I finish my remaining books in 2023 but I think I'll start with Rocannon's World by Ursula K. Le Guin for my 12 + 4 challenge.

I enjoyed The Hunger Games, the first of VE Schwabs, a few of the Gunslingers and others. It's a great challenge you've got.

End November Reading Update
Since my mid-November update, I completed 5 more books in November for a total of 10 and roughly 2300 pages. According to Goodreads, I've reached my yearly estimate of 120 books. I'll have to do a complete look when I get to the end of December.

So, these are the 5 books I completed in the last half of November.

Completed
(Just as an aside, I've completed two books so far in December but I won't mention those here. 😃)
1. Philip K. Dick: The Last Interview and Other Conversations by Philip K. Dick & edited by David Streitfeld (3.5 stars). A series of interviews with Philip K. Dick by a variety of interviewers over the course of his life. Interesting.
2. Lore Olympus: Volume Four by Rachel Smythe The 4th volume in the Lore Olympus graphic novel series. Continues the story of the romance between Persephone and Hades. My favorite soap opera (4.0 stars)
3. Look to Windward by Iain M. Banks (Culture #7). One of my favorite Sci Fi series. Banks has created such a unique, fascinating universe in this series. They can be read as standalones. (4.0 stars)
4. Mother Finds A body by Gypsy Rose Lee The 2nd mystery by burlesque star Gypsy Rose Lee and featuring her in the mystery itself. This one finds them in Texas trying to solve a variety of murders. Fluff (2.0 stars)
5. Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton A collection of cartoons by Canadian author Beaton, featuring classic literature, historical characters, etc. Chuckles and laugh out loud moments abound. (4.0 stars)

Top 3 Reads of November
(No 5* selections. Maybe I'm getting too picky in my increasing old age)
1. A Murder Is Announced by Agatha Christie (Miss Marple #5). Loved it. 4.5 stars
2. Look to Windward by Iain M. Banks (Culture #7) 4.0 stars
3. The Pericles Commission by Gary Corby (Athenian Mysteries #1) Excellent start to an interesting series. I have #2 on my shelf now.

Currently Reading
(I'm working hard to get my list completed. I'm down to 7!)
1. Doomsday Book by Connie Willis (Oxford Time Travel #1) 279 of 578 pages (48% complete)
2. The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi 77 of 361 pages, 21% complete
3. Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon 104 of 416 pages (25% complete)
4. Chasing The Flame: Sergio Vieira de Mello and the Fight to Save the World by Samantha Power 204 of 656 pages (31% complete)
5. The Skull Mantra by Eliot Pattison (Inspector Shan #1) 100 of 416 pages (24% complete)
6. Silent Spring by Rachel Carson 185 of 368 pages (50% complete)
7. Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum (Oz #3) 0 of 165 pages. Just starting

Next in Line, after Ozma
(short is the word for any new books)

1. Agents of Dreamland by Caitlín R. Kiernan (2017) 123 pages.

Enjoy your last month of 2023!

Plugging away at books I've been working on for awhile, my review of When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson (Jackson Brodie #3) (4.5 stars)

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

19. A new book by your favorite author. (One of my favorite authors and new for me) When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson 4.5 stars

2440. When Will There Be Good News?

My review of This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone 3.5 stars

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

Next in line is the 3rd Oz book, Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum

2436. This is How You Lose the Time War

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone is basically an epistolary style book. Every second chapter is a letter from one protagonist to the other. Interesting. 3.5 stars

On The Same Page Monthly Reading Challenge DECEMBER 2023
Start Date: 12/01/2023
End Date: 12/31/2023

Total Pages Read: 3313 pages
Bonus Points: 160 pts

Books Read:
1. This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone 198 pages, finished 1 Dec, 3.5 stars
2. When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson 388 pages, finished 2 Dec, 4.5 stars
3. Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum 165 pages, finished 6 Dec, 4.0 stars
4. Chasing The Flame: Sergio Vieira de Mello and the Fight to Save the World by Samantha Power 208 pages, DNF, NR
5. Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon 104 pages, DNF, NR
6. Agents of Dreamland by Caitlín R. Kiernan 123 pages, finished 8 Dec, 3.5 stars
7. The People That Time Forgot by Edgar Rice Burroughs 124 pages, finished 12 Dec, 2.5 stars
8. Gideon's Staff by J.J. Marric 221 pages, finished 16 Dec, 4.0 stars
9. The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi 359 pages, finished 18 Dec, 4.5 stars
10. Saga, Volume 5 by Brian K. Vaughan 144 pages, finished 18 Dec, 4.0 stars
11. Silent Spring by Rachel Carson 368 pages, finished 22 Dec, 3.5 stars
12. To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers 153 pages, finished 24 Dec, 4.0 stars
13. The Good Neighbors by Holly Black 355 pages, finished 28 Dec, 3.5 stars
14. The Skull Mantra by Eliot Pattison 403 pages, finished 29 Dec, 5.0 stars

10 Points:
- December 4th is National Cookie Day. Read a book where the main character is a baker or the story takes place in a bakery.
- December 12th is Poinsettia Day. Read a book with a red cover.
- December 21st is Winter Solstice. Read a book that takes place during Winter.
-- When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson (parts take place during winter) (10 pts)
- There are two December birth flowers: holly and narcissus. Read a book that has a festive dual color on the cover, like silver/gold, red/green, blue/silver, etc.
- Read a book that the title starts with D, for the last month of the year.
- Read a book where the main character receives a gift.

25 Points:
- December 7th is Pearl Harbor Day. Read a book about World War II.
- December 25th is Christmas. Read a book with items on the cover that you would love to receive as a gift.
- December is the last month of the year. Read a book published in 2023 on your TBR list but haven't read yet.
- Read/Finish the book you resolved to read before the end of the year.
-- The Skull Mantra by Eliot Pattison (25 points)
- Read a book while drinking a fun festival beverage. Double points if any characters in the book drink the same beverage.
- The winter solstice is on December 21st and it is the day with the fewest hours of sunlight throughout the year, making it the “shortest day” of the year. Read a short novella.
-- To Be Taught if Fortunate by Becky Chambers (153 pages) (25 pts)

50 Points:
- December 13th is National Violin Day. Read a book where the main character is a musician.
- December 24th is Mary Higgins Clark's birthday. Mary Higgins Clark was an American author of suspense novels. Read a suspense novel, double points if it was written by Mary Higgins Clark.
-- When Will There Be Good News by Kate Atkinson (50 pts)
-- The Skull Mantra by Eliot Pattison (50 pts)
- Lebron James and Tiger Woods were both born on December 30th. Read a book where the main character plays basketball or golf. Double points if the book is about either Lebron James or Tiger Woods.
- Read a book that is set in a cold country during winter.
- On December 13th, it is National Device Appreciation Day, read a book with your devices, like an eBook or listen an Audiobook.
- Read a book where there is a gathering of family or friends, or read a book with characters that you would like to invite to your holiday celebration.

- Bonus 50 points to anyone who reads a Christmas themed book

Lea wrote: "Bill wrote: "I hope to read Alias Grace as well.. You've been very successful."

Thanks, Bill. Alissa and I are going to do it as a buddy read sometime. We haven't picked a date yet, maybe towards ..."

Thanks. I'll keep it in mind.

Tawallah wrote: "Recently, I saw a post on BookTube, talking about book reading and book buying are two different hobbies but we all have accumulated books that we have not read. To combat, the book buying habit, t..."

That's very interesting. I love buying books (reading too) but the journey through a book store always thrills me.

I hope to read Alias Grace as well.. You've been very successful.

1. A humorous book

2. An autobiography/ biography - How to Stand Up to a Dictator: The Fight for Our Future by Maria Ressa

3. A locked room mystery

4. A children’s classic - Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz by L. Frank Baum
5. A fairytale/retelling - Tales of Gooseflesh and Laughter by John Wyndham

6. A Nordic noir

7. Banned or challenged book - American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

8. A survival or nature story The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

9. About a historical figure - Murder and the First Lady by Elliott Roosevelt

10. A book with indigenous people - Sugar Falls: A Residential School Story by David Alexander Robertson

11. A holiday or celebration story

12. A novella under 100 pages - The Finder a novella in the Tales from Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

13. Snow/Winter in the title - Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice

14. Any color in the title - The White Road by John Connolly

15. A title with more than 4 words - They Do It With Mirrors by Agatha Christie

16. An animal on the cover - Monstress, Vol. 2: The Blood by Marjorie M. Liu

17. A house on the cover - Wycliffe and the Schoolgirls by W.J. Burley

18. An author's debut - Shout Kill Revel by Jarret Hartnell

19. A book you meant to read in 2023 - Doomsday Book by Connie Willis

20. A place you always wanted to visit - Sidney Chambers and the Perils of the Night by James Runcie

21. Has four or more stars on GR - Tehanu by Ursula K. Le Guin

22. Winner of the GR awards of 2023 In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune

23. Bought from second hand store or borrowed from library - The Big Four by Agatha Christie

24. First book in a series - Rocannon's World by Ursula K. Le Guin

25. A book translated from another language - DeKok and the Geese of Death by A.C. Baantjer

Ruth wrote: "I'm not at all familiar with this writer, but if you enjoy her, it's a great twist on this challenge... and a brilliant idea!

Happy reading, Bill 😊"

Thanks Ruth. She's more than Sci Fi and Fantasy... well, that is her niche but she wrote poetry and fiction too.

Alissa wrote: "The author by month is GENIUS"

I tell my wife I am but she just blows it off.. lol

Alondra wrote: "Bill wrote: "Just too far behind on the books I'm reading so focusing on them. I'm sure I'll eventually get to those series. :)..."

I hear you on that one, Bill.

You'll finish out those series w..."

I wouldn't bet you.

Bonnie wrote: "I try and pick books that will work with other challenges (or live bookclub schedules. ) That helps."

Good idea.

Jami wrote: "Enjoy! These titles are all new to me!"

Thank you, Jami. I hope you enjoy your 2024 as well.

What interesting challenges. Enjoy!

Great ideas. I look forward to seeing the books you read to fill out those challenges.