RJ - Slayer of Trolls’s Comments

RJ - Slayer of Trolls’s comments from the 2025 Reading Challenge group.

Note: RJ - Slayer of Trolls is not currently a member of this group.

Kat wrote: "Ilona wrote: "I'd like to nominate A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson."

I second the nomination of A Short History of Nearly Everything. I highly re..."

I will second this one also

I guess I was referring to Sherlock Holmes' drug use in the first chapter. Holmes injects himself with a solution that contains 7% cocaine and alludes to using cocaine and, if I recall correctly, opium or heroin in the past. A book and movie from the 1970s, The Seven Per-Cent Solution, imagines Holmes as drug addict. I found the reference jarring and I wasn't expecting it at all.

I finished this one already, mostly because I was going out of town for about a week and didn't want to drag the whole Sherlock Holmes omnibus with me. I'll save spoiler comments for later but I did want to mention how strange I thought the first few pages were. I won't say anything more until a few other readers have checked in...

Randy wrote: "Also, if you enjoyed this book and you'd like to continue reading the Sherlock Holmes books, join us for a buddy read for future books in the series starting in July with [book:The Sign of Four|608..."

Don't forget, buddy read of the series starting in July. Please feel free to join in!

I finished two more which gives me 44 for the year:


The Blue Room by Georges Simenon
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I started reading (for a buddy read in this book group):


The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle

which I hope to finish in the next few days (it's not very long).

Blagica wrote: "Awesome job so far Randy you are doing great keep it going!"

Thank you Blagica!

Katie wrote: "...I might read one or two more..."

Feel free to jump in our buddy read of the series starting next month with The Sign of Four. You don't have to read them all of course but you can read along with as many as you like. :-)

Hey! I finished #42!


All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Rating: 5 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goodreads Book Club: EVERYONE Has Read This But Me

That was a great one to finish my goal! The Pulitzer Prize was well earned.

Now onto something lighter:


Lost Stars by Claudia Gray
Goodreads Book Club: SciFi and Heroic Fantasy

I really enjoyed this, although the middle part where the story completely changes is a little disorienting. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

I thought part 2 was jarring; we are taken away to a completely different story with no explanation although later it all ties together in the final chapters. It was sort of an odd way to present that part of the plot. And I'm not sure the portrayal of the Mormons was very realistic. It certainly wasn't flattering. Made a good story though.

I also liked the way the author wrapped up all of the story threads, which was no easy feat since there were so many threads to bring together (like silk, I suppose). And this story belonged to Desdemona just as much as it did to Callie so it was nice to see them together again in the final pages.

I finished two books today which gives me 41 for the year:


Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goodreads Book Club: This one!


A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goodreads Book Club: Also this one!

I added these two books to my Currently Reading pile:


The Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Goodreads Book Club: Horror Aficionados


Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Goodreads Book Club: The Evolution of Science Fiction

Also, I had to DNF this one (which will also not count towards my annual goal):


Suspect by Michael Robotham
Rating: 1 star
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goodreads Book Club: The Mystery, Crime & Thriller Group

Not that it was terrible. It wasn't. It was just boring and predictable and relentlessly mediocre. Oh well; that's one less series I need to follow.

I'm moving on to:


IQ by Joe Ide
Goodreads Book Club: Crime, Mysteries & Thrillers

I just kicked


The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi
Rating: 1 star
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

This one won't count in my annual total since I didn't finish it. I'm moving on to some better books, starting with:


The Blue Room by Georges Simenon
Goodreads book club: Literary Darkness

SarahKat wrote: "Randy wrote: "What just happened? It's like a whole new story just started."

Yeah I didn't like this part at all."

I don't mind it. It just came out of nowhere.

What just happened? It's like a whole new story just started.

I finished #39:


To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goodreads Book Club: Science Fiction Aficionados

Now starting:


The Winter of Frankie Machine by Don Winslow
Goodreads Book Club: Pulp Fiction

I finished this section. The arrest surprised me, and I find that I still am only 60% of the way through the book so I assume there will be a reversal of fortune or some other surprise coming.

I have this edition:

I finished this section yesterday. It is a quick read so far, and it was fun to be introduced to the classic characters of Holmes and Watson and see how they met. I always assumed the characters were older, like in their 40s, but in the book they are both young men in their 20s.