RJ - Slayer of Trolls’s
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RJ - Slayer of Trolls’s
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from the 2025 Reading Challenge group.
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NON-FICTION IN 2020It was a pretty good year for non-fiction. No duds, and I learned a few things. What else can you ask for?
NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR
Moneyball by Michael Lewis
Other Non-Fiction reads in 2020:
4 stars
Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest by Stephen E. Ambrose
Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing
3 stars
The Innocents Abroad: Or the New Pilgrim's Progress by Mark Twain
Hawaiian Nation : Man, Gods, and Nature (2 stars) and A Call for Hawaiian Sovereignty (3 stars) by Michael Kioni Dudley and Keoni K. Agard
Lisa wrote: "lol I love the caveat against friend-requests :D As per usual of the last two years, I'll definitely be following what's going on here throughout the year. Looking forward to seeing what you'll b..."
Thank you Lisa! Here's to a great 2021!
GENERAL FICTION/CLASSICS IN 2021:This category has been very good for me in the last few years and I hope to continue that tradition this year.
Here are some of the books I hope to finish or at least start reading in 2021:
The Time Regulation Institute by Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar
I am currently reading this classic of Turkish literature but it is too early for me to have developed a strong opinion yet.
By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept by Paulo Coelho
Coelho isn't an author that I love, but this book is the third in a omnibus collection I own so I will finish it and decide if I want to read any more of his books. Two of his books, both follow-ups of a sort to this book, are listed on the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die list.
Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey
Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest might be my all-time favorite book and I've been wanting to read more Kesey for a long time.
A Column of Fire by Ken Follett
Third in the Kingsbridge series, usually fun and immersive.
This Thing of Darkness by Harry Thompson
I'm not sure I'll be able to get to this one in 2021 but I've heard so many good things that I'm excited to finally get around to it.
GENERAL FICTION/CLASSICS IN 2020It was a pretty good year for General Fiction and Classics. My top read of the year will surprise no one who has read it, but there are some other very good selections that I was able to finish as well.
GENERAL FICTION/CLASSICS BOOK OF THE YEAR
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Other General Fiction/Classics reads in 2020:
4 stars
The Way West by A.B. Guthrie Jr.
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
World Without End by Ken Follett
3 stars
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
2 stars
The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho
NOTE: I also read the classic The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain but I am including it in the Non-Fiction category. The Bad Seed by William March is included under Mystery-Suspense-Thrillers. A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories by Flannery O'Connor is included in Short Stories.
NEW AUTHORS (TO ME) IN 2020I'm always glad to expand my reading interests by reading authors who are new to me, and in 2020 I was able to discover several new authors, many of whom I am looking forward to reading again.
Dan Simmons
Gil Brewer
William Sloane
Yaa Gyasi
Stephen E. Ambrose
Ruth Rendell
Alfred Lansing
James Ellroy (I had read some of his short pieces in Rolling Stone, but none of his full-length books)
William March
Vonda N. McIntyre
Sara Gruen (I actually started reading this book in 2008 but shelved it at the time due to some personal turmoil)
John Helyar
Flannery O'Connor
Larry Brown
Michael Kioni Dudley
Keoni K. Agard
I also renewed my acquaintance with, and enjoyment of, some authors that I had not read in a long time:
Mark Twain
Charles Beaumont
Richard Condon
Clive Barker
Carl Hiaasen
Fortunately there were no new authors who I thought were so horrible that I would not read them again.
2020 HALL OF SHAMEEvery year there are always books I don't like, and even some that I hate. I've gotten better about avoiding these books in the first place but it seems pretty difficult to avoid them altogether.
Fortunately, there was only one 1-star book in 2020, and not many 2-star books either.
1-STAR BOOKS IN 2020 - WORST READ OF THE YEAR:
Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold
2-STAR BOOKS IN 2020:
Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames
The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho
The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden
A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Hawaiian Nation : Man, Gods, and Nature by Michael Kioni Dudley and Keoni K. Agard
Every Dead Thing by John Connolly
Ugh. Good riddance!
FAVORITE READS IN 20202020 had a few 5-star reads, which is a rating I reserve for all-time favorites and truly mind-blowing reading experiences. There were also several very good 4-star reads that I would recommend unreservedly.
As a reminder, my star ratings are based purely on my own personal enjoyment, and they have nothing to do with the enduring literary merit of a particular book. In general, my ratings are as follows:
5-star - all time favorite, will probably keep and even re-read
4-star - very good book, would recommend to most readers, might keep it for future re-read possibilities
3-star - good book, others might like it better than me, not opposed to re-reading but not planning on it either
2-star - my mind wandered and I frequently checked to see how many pages were left
1-star - I really disliked or even hated it and was happy to see it end, I'll probably tell others to avoid it
So with that in mind, here are my 5 star reads in 2020:
The Terror by Dan Simmons
Moneyball by Michael Lewis
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
The Friends of Eddie Coyle by George V. Higgins
Books of Blood: Volumes One to Three by Clive Barker
Runner-ups (best of the 4-star reads):
A Little Yellow Dog by Walter Mosley
The Lady in the Lake by Raymond Chandler
World Without End by Ken Follett
Pop. 1280 by Jim Thompson
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
A Murder of Quality by John le Carré
Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest by Stephen E. Ambrose
A Judgement in Stone by Ruth Rendell
The Howling Man, Perchance to Dream, and Night Ride and Other Journeys all by Charles Beaumont
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing
The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy
The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Bad Seed by William March
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Swag: A Novel by Elmore Leonard
Prizzi's Honor by Richard Condon
Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar
A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories by Flannery O'Connor
Joe by Larry Brown
The Way West by A.B. Guthrie Jr.
Blackout by Connie Willis
Once again, like the last two years, my goal for 2021 will be 52 books read, which equals 1 per week. In 2019 I met the goal exactly, whereas in 2020 - with all that extra pandemic reading time - I reached 69 books read. To be clear, I don't count:
- short stories
- comic books/graphic novels
- audio books
Other people count those, and there's no problem with that, but I don't count them for my goal.
Watch this space over the next few days for some thoughts on which books I'll be reading in the coming year.
Best to all on your 2021 challenges! If you're looking for more Goodreads friends, I always accept friend requests (as long as you correctly answer my challenge question).
I finished 
Blackout by Connie Willis
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
and I started reading
The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul by Douglas Adams
#69 in 2020 - probably the last book I will finish this year:I finished
Blackout by Connie Willis
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
and I started reading
The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul by Douglas Adams
Coming soon, I will be posting my 2020 summaries and moving on to my 2021 Challenge.
My 5-star reads in 2020:
The Terror by Dan Simmons
Moneyball by Michael Lewis
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
The Friends of Eddie Coyle by George V. Higgins
Books of Blood: Volumes One to Three by Clive Barker
Runner-ups (best of the 4-star reads):
A Little Yellow Dog by Walter Mosley
The Lady in the Lake by Raymond Chandler
World Without End by Ken Follett
Pop. 1280 by Jim Thompson
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
A Murder of Quality by John le Carré
Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest by Stephen E. Ambrose
A Judgement in Stone by Ruth Rendell
The Howling Man, Perchance to Dream, and Night Ride and Other Journeys all by Charles Beaumont
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing
The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy
The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Bad Seed by William March
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Swag: A Novel by Elmore Leonard
Prizzi's Honor by Richard Condon
Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar
A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories by Flannery O'Connor
Joe by Larry Brown
The Way West by A.B. Guthrie Jr.
Blackout by Connie Willis*
*not finished yet
Christine wrote: "HAPPY WINTER!"Thanks Christine. I'm always happy to get the shortest day of the year out of the way.
I finished:
Books of Blood: Volume Three by Clive Barker
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
which is part of the larger collection:
Books of Blood: Volumes One to Three by Clive Barker
Rating: 5 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
and I started reading:
Books of Blood: Volume IV AKA The Inhuman Condition by Clive Barker
which is part of the larger collection:
Books of Blood, Volumes 4-6 by Clive Barker
Highly recommended for fans of horror or dark fiction. NOTE: graphically violent in just about every way you can imagine, and many ways that you probably can't.
#68 in 2020:I finished:
Books of Blood: Volume Three by Clive Barker
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
which is part of the larger collection:
Books of Blood: Volumes One to Three by Clive Barker
Rating: 5 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
and I started reading:
Books of Blood: Volume IV AKA The Inhuman Condition by Clive Barker
which is part of the larger collection:
Books of Blood, Volumes 4-6 by Clive Barker
Highly recommended for fans of horror or dark fiction. NOTE: graphically violent in just about every way you can imagine, and many ways that you probably can't.
I finished reading a book that lots of people love, but I didn't:
Every Dead Thing by John Connolly
Rating: 2 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
and I started reading:
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
#67 in 2020:I finished reading a book that lots of people love, but I didn't:
Every Dead Thing by John Connolly
Rating: 2 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
and I started reading:
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
Bailey ✰ wrote: "...I’m excited to rewatch my favorite movie adaptations of the story. If anyone wants to recommend their favorites please let me know!!"My all time favorite is the 1951 version with Alastair Sim as Scrooge. I've heard good things about the 1999 made for TV version with Patrick Stewart but haven't seen it. The animated version with Jim Carrey is good for kids. And for a laugh, I like the Bill Murray riff on the tale: Scrooged.
Sunshine wrote: "Shareen wrote: "Making sure that we are just reading the first story? The thread says #1, but still gotta ask! Thanks, so happy to be BACK!"Yes, just the first story. I didn't even know there was..."
There's no sequel, but Dickens did write several Christmas stories, of which A Christmas Carol was the first and, in the opinion of most readers, the best.
I finished the excellent Pulitzer-Prize winner: 
The Way West by A.B. Guthrie Jr.
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
and I started reading:
The Time Regulation Institute by Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar
#66 in 2020: I finished the excellent Pulitzer-Prize winner:
The Way West by A.B. Guthrie Jr.
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
and I started reading:
The Time Regulation Institute by Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar
