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.

Alexw wrote: "Hi- I am Alex from the Black Hills of South Dakota by Mt Rushmore and a lifetime reader of the magic that is in books. I can remember my Mother actually having to shake me when I was 7 years old to..."

Hi Alexw, and welcome to the group! I have family in Rapid City, Mitchell and Pierre. My daughter and I live in Long Beach, CA but try to get back to the family farm every once in a while. She's 15 now but has fond memories of going to Bear Country USA when she was only five or six and watching the bears walk next to our car.

I finished #91:


The Chimes by Charles Dickens
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

And I started:


The Cricket on the Hearth by Charles Dickens

Professor Moriarty does not appear in this book but he is mentioned early in the story from my understanding. With that in mind, I read an article about the real life basis for Moriarty and thought I would share it with the class: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/scien...

Red!... I mean blue! AAAAAAHHHH!

Ilona wrote: "I'd like to nominate The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman, because the cover is blue!"

Second that

Gary wrote: "I am in the midst of Memoirs currently. I did read Hound of the Baskervilles years ago. I hope to get the Return early next year."

Nice! I assume our threads for the earlier books in the series are still around and accessible somewhere if you're interested in reading our insightful commentary. ;-)

I finished two more to bring my yearly total to 90:


The Best American Mystery Stories 2016 edited by Elizabeth George
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


The Ministry of Fear by Graham Greene
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

And I started reading:


The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester


The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Blagica wrote: "I wish you luck in the coming year RJ just like last year The Mods and I will be around cheering if you need us."

Thank you Blagica for your support and hard work! I hope you and the other mods always know how appreciated you are!

oshizu wrote: "So you, in fact, read twice as many books as your "ridiculously realistic goal of 40"?
I'm impressed at how quickly you've been reading your way through the year. I'm unable to read more than 2 boo..."

Thank you Oshizu. I'm on pace to finish with 102, but it was an unusual year. Next year I think I'll probably read fewer books due to some changes at work and home. As long as I can keep reading books of good quality I will be happy, and it has been a very good year in that respect.

I finished two more which brings me to 88 for the year:


Ghost Story by Peter Straub
Rating: 1 star
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


The Black Ice by Michael Connelly
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Good luck Oshizu!

Good luck, Kadijah!

Good luck Ashley!

oshizu wrote: "The alliteration makes me giggle!
Happy reading in December and 2019!"

Thanks Oshizu!

Kristin wrote: "That's a great goal, Randy! What were your favorite books of 2018 so far?"

Hi Kristin, I'm going to list those in a couple weeks on my 2018 thread. I'm waiting until the end of the year so I can include all my 5-star books for the year. I don't give many 5-star ratings but I found some really good books this year so I gave more than I usually do.

I did just finish The Secret History by Donna Tartt which was amazing! It will be on that list for sure. :-)

I finished two more which brings me to 86 for the year:


The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

And I started reading:


Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt


The Courts of Chaos by Roger Zelazny

Kristin wrote: "Yay! Congratulations on increasing your goal, Randy :-D Do you have any other reading goals for the year ahead?"

Thank you Kristin! I just want to keep increasing the quality of the books I am reading. I think I managed to improve in this area in 2018 and I want to keep that trend going.

Susy wrote: "Good luck & happy new reading year!!"

Thank you Suzy!

I'll be starting this one around the 10th, and finishing right before Christmas. This is the final Holmes novel in the series, although there are two more short story collections which we will be reading in January and February.

What a great book! I'm excited for those of you who get to read it for the first time. WARNING: It's addicting, and unfortunately the author has no firm timeline on finishing the series.