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.

On the flight home yesterday I finished #13 for the year: Killing Floor by Lee Child, the first in his "Jack Reacher" series. I liked it and gave it 3 stars - you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Replacing it in my Currently Reading pile is The Odessa File by Frederick Forsyth, which I previously read in high school.

Of course, I'm still working on (in order of projected completion):
- The Long Home by William Gay
- Five Patients by Michael Crichton
- The Best American Mystery Stories 2015 edited by James Patterson
- Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins

You did a great job, Taylor. Thanks for all your hard work!

I finished #12 today - The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue by Michael Tougias. I liked it and gave it 3 stars (no I have not seen the movie version yet) - you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Replacing it in my Currently Reading pile is Five Patients by Michael Crichton, one of his non-fictions works which is said to have been at least partially the basis for the TV show ER.

Of course, I'm still working on (in order of projected completion):
- Killing Floor by Lee Child
- The Long Home by William Gay
- The Best American Mystery Stories 2015 edited by James Patterson
- Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins

My daughter's middle school basketball event is coming up this weekend so I'll probably finish Killing Floor on the plane flight, and I'm sure I'll take another book or two along also.

Yesterday I finished #11 - The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick 4: The Minority Report by Philip K. Dick. PKD is one of my favorite authors and I enjoyed reading more of his short fiction. I gave it 4 stars - you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Replacing it in my Currently Reading pile is The Best American Mystery Stories 2015 edited by James Patterson. I haven't read this series before but thought it might be a good way to learn about some new authors.

Of course, I'm still working on (in order of projected completion):
- The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue by Michael Tougias
- Killing Floor by Lee Child
- The Long Home by William Gay
- Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins

I'll probably finish the first couple on the list near the end of the month when I take my daughter out of town to Dallas, TX for a middle school basketball event.

Taylor R wrote: "Lizet-- the first 100 pages were slow for me. Not pressuring you! but it gets a little more intriguing after that. :)"

True, but it's not like there was any one moment in the book where it got fascinating, at least not for me. It just slowly absorbs you, and once you are immersed in the world the reading goes much more quickly. I would suppose this is a book that could be re-read several times and you would notice new things and appreciate it on different levels.

Sheryl_at_Ubookquitous wrote: "LOL I'd adapt (although at my age, I'd be a Martha or a Cora. LOL) for a time, but I'm too outspoken, too active to have lasted long. I love Offred / June for a reason (which I won't say right now), but I always wonder if I'd be more her or Moira."

Although we would all like to think that we would be part of a resistance, I think Atwood is saying in this book that for the most part we would all end up reluctantly accepting the changes and adapting. Really, that seems to be the message of most dystopian fiction like 1984 - teen dystopias like Hunger Games play a little more heavily to the idealism of youth.

Sheryl_at_Ubookquitous wrote: "The 80's were also the heyday of the TV Evangelists and the religious backlash against women who had chosen to work and not have children or to challenge men in the workplace."

Hard to believe now, but in the early 1970s it was not only common but LEGAL for banks to discriminate against women's income on loan applications. The thought was that if the woman got pregnant she would of course give up her job to stay home with the child, so her income shouldn't be counted. The ECOA passed in 1974 and changed all that. This book was published 11 years after that date.

If you find that fact interesting you might enjoy this article: https://www.theguardian.com/money/us-...

Pamela wrote: "The book jacket says it's a reimagining of The Scarlet Letter, but what stuck out for me was a woman's right to choose was criminalized."

How interesting! My dust jacket didn't say that. I'm now trying to re-think my way through the book to see if I notice similarities to The Scarlett Letter. I guess I'll save those thoughts for one of the other forums.

I finished #10 for the year - The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, just in time for the group read! I'm also discussing it in my SciFi and Heroic Fantasy Book Club for GR. I liked it and gave it 4 stars although it was slow-going at times and, like most dystopian fiction, depressing. You can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I didn't add any books to the pile right now. I am struggling to get into the books I am already reading so I'm going to focus on those.

Right now, I'm working on:
- The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick 4: The Minority Report by Philip K. Dick
- The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue by Michael Tougias
- The Long Home by William Gay
- Killing Floor by Lee Child
- Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins

While accompanying my daughter and her basketball team to a tournament in Columbus, OH (weather while we were there was around 60F so I didn't even need to bring winter gear!) I was able to finish two books on the airplane:

#8 - The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins - I gave it three stars, then decided on two, but it's really halfway between. I admit I don't think I'm the target audience. You can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#9 - The Circle by Dave Eggers - my favorite book of the year so far! (but that's not saying much, unfortunately.) I gave it 4 stars - my review is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I added these books to my Currently Reading pile:

- Killing Floor by Lee Child - the first book in the Jack Reacher series - seems to have mixed reviews from my friends but I had it on my shelf and thought I'd give it a try

- Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke - I read the first one a long time ago and thought it was OK - this one kicks off a sequel trilogy

And I'm still working on (in order of projected completion):
- The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
- The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick 4: The Minority Report by Philip K. Dick
- The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue by Michael Tougias
- The Long Home by William Gay
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins

Taylor R wrote: "Loved reading your information on the topic, Randy. I have been watching CNNs Sixties, Seventies, and Eighties documentary sets lately. I was truly moved when it came to the concerns, achievements, and new phases from the 70's into the 80's Women's Movement."

Mindy wrote: "Randy -- I was an independent fundamental Baptist the first few times I read this and didn't give a hoot about women's rights, reproductive or otherwise, and I loved the Moral Majority. (I've been an atheist since the late 90s.) But a good book is a good book, I guess, and I didn't let this cautionary tale about religious extremism bother me. Also (TEENY SPOILER), I think I remember something about the Baptists fighting against the regime in power? So that must have made me feel better since I was a Baptist. :-)"

I think for this book in particular the political climate during the time in which it was written is very important to consider. It's really shocking, when you step back and think about it, how different the 1980s were from the 1960s and 1970s in just about every way. It was a very reactionary time. Without stirring up any hornet's nests, some folks might say we are in a similar era now. (Uh oh...I've said too much already!) :)

I started reading this already. It starts slow but once I got used to it I really like Atwood's writing. Really solid, clear prose, maybe a little heavy on the descriptions but she knows how to tell a story.

It's interesting to think about the political climate in the US when this was written. It was published in 1985 which was near the beginning of Reagan's 2nd term. I was in high school at the time and I remember that a lot of women were concerned that the strides made in women's rights over the prior two decades might be pushed back by a very conservative President. The "Moral Majority" was in full stride at the time. TV evangelists were making a spectacle of themselves, Tipper Gore would soon found the PMRC to label music she didn't like. There's no question that some of that climate pervaded this story while Atwood wrote it, athough I know she is Canadian.

Lisa wrote: "*EDIT: Actually, I've changed my mind regarding my feelings on the filmization.... I could've done without it and wish I had spent the 2 hr 13 min on something else.

Would still love to hear anyo..."

I'm going to watch it someday, but I'm not in any hurry, especially after your review :)

Seriously, it's a ways down my Netflix queue and I'm probably not going to move it up anytime soon.

Joe wrote: "I've had Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse on my list for awhile. I know nothing about the book, so I'll go with the Goodreads blurb...

"leaves his family for a contempl..."

I'll second Siddhartha

I finished two more books in the last two days, bringing my total for the year to 7!

#6 - Lock In by John Scalzi - I gave it 3 stars - it's a SciFi thriller that's got a complicated setup but is a fun read - my review is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#7 - The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2015 Edition edited by Rich Horton - I gave it 2 stars - "Best" is certainly debatable, but there's a lot of stories here and everyone will probably find something to like, and maybe even get introduced to a new author or two. The question is, how many stories will you have to slog through to find a good one? The answer: unfortunately, a lot - my review is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I added only one book to my Currently Reading pile, since I've already got plenty going on: The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick 4: The Minority Report by Philip K. Dick - I'm reading this collection for the SciFi and Heroic Fantasy GR bookclub. We'll begin discussing it in March. Feel free to join in!

And I'm still working on (in order of projected completion):
- The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
- The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
- The Circle by Dave Eggers
- The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue by Michael Tougias
- The Long Home by William Gay
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins

I read this book just a few months ago. I think most of you are having the same experience I did. While the book is well-written, it's kind of dull at times during the first half and maybe a bit beyond that point. I found that the last 100 pages were so emotionally gripping that I had to set everything aside and read them in one sitting which bumped the book from a 3-star to a 4-star rating for me. (Review here if you're interested: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) I'm really happy I read it, although it's not my usual kind of book.

Yesterday I finished #5 for the year 13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened In Benghazi by Mitchell Zuckoff. I thought it told an important story but could have been better written and I gave it 3 stars. You can read my full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

To replace it in my Currently Reading pile I started The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue by Michael Tougias. Tougias was recommended to me a long time ago by a friend in a different bookclub, but I hadn't gotten around to reading his stuff until now.

And I'm still working on (in order of projected completion):
- The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2015 Edition edited by Rich Horton
- Lock In by John Scalzi
- The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
- The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
- The Circle by Dave Eggers
- The Long Home by William Gay
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins

Finished #4 - The Dying Earth by Jack Vance. It's a collection of 6 short stories that started the "Dying Earth" subgenre of Science-Fantasy and introduced the world to "Vancian magic." I gave it 3 stars. My review is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I started reading Lock In by John Scalzi. which is a SF thriller about a near future in which Hayden's Syndrome has affected a large part of the population, some of whom are "locked in" and unable to function physically yet remain mentally alert.

And I'm still working on (in order of projected completion):
- 13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened In Benghazi by Mitchell Zuckoff
- The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2015 Edition edited by Rich Horton
- The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
- The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
- The Circle by Dave Eggers
- The Long Home by William Gay
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins

I just finished #3 for the year - A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. I liked it and gave it 3 stars - it was well done but was written for children and is about the son of a terminally ill woman. You can read my review here if you're interested: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Now I'm starting A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin, the fifth (and most recently published) book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series. Hopefully I will finish it by the time the 6th book The Winds of Winter comes out! HAHAHAHAHA...er, just a little GRRM humor there...

And I'm still working on (in order of projected completion):
- 13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened In Benghazi by Mitchell Zuckoff
- The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2015 Edition edited by Rich Horton
- The Dying Earth by Jack Vance
- The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
- The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
- The Circle by Dave Eggers
- The Long Home by William Gay
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins

Yesterday I finished #2 for 2017 - Dark Passage by David Goodis. This noir classic inspired not only the Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall movie of the same name but also the TV show The Fugitive, which led to an important court case over the validity of the author's copyright. I liked it and gave it 3 stars. You can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Replacing it in my Currently Reading pile is The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, an award-winning dystopic fiction which I hope will be our group discussion book for March (it may also be the discussion book for the SciFi and Heroic Fantasy book club) and is the basis for an upcoming TV miniseries.

And I'm still working on (in order of projected completion):
- A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
- The Dying Earth by Jack Vance
- 13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened In Benghazi by Mitchell Zuckoff
- The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2015 Edition edited by Rich Horton
- The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
- The Circle by Dave Eggers
- The Long Home by William Gay
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins