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.

Blagica wrote: "I wish I had your talent to make everything look so good like you do here. you are doing fantastic keep it up."

Thanks Blagica! I'm glad you like it.

Izzie wrote: "I think I'll join you guys. Its been a while since I've been active on goodreads groups. How will it all work. And this would be my first time reading it "

Hi Izzie, glad to have you with us (also SarahKat, Kate, Ashley, April, Heather, Anne, Rachelnyc, LetterFromEgypt, and Keturah). Some folks might wait until March to get started on the read but feel free to start whenever you want and comment in the appropriate thread. Enjoy!

Good luck Michelle!

Good job Blagica! You're doing great!

You're doing great Suzy!

FEBRUARY UPDATE:

Still a couple days left, but I finished 6 books (which is 12 for the year) and am already onto next month's reads:

FINISHED READS THIS MONTH:
#1 - All Systems Red by Martha Wells
Goodreads book club: Dragons and Jetpacks
- 3 stars
- REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#2 - Queenpin by Megan Abbott
Goodreads book club: Pulp Fiction
- 4 stars
- REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#3 - A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Goodreads book club: Science Fiction and Heroic Fantasy AND The Sword and the Laser (AND for this club in March)
- 3 stars
- REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#4 - Money Shot by Christa Faust
Goodreads book club: Pulp Fiction
- 3 stars
- REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#5 - The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
Goodreads book club: Science Fiction Aficionados
- 3 stars
- REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#6 - Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders by Neil Gaiman
Goodreads book club: NONE
- 4 stars
- REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

MARCH GROUP READS:
I have 6 lined up for this month and have already started on 3 of them.
Thieves Like Us by Edward Anderson
Goodreads book club: Pulp Fiction
I started this depression-era (published in 1937) noir and I love it so far
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
Goodreads book club: Dragons & Jetpacks
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
Goodreads book club: SciFi and Heroic Fantasy
The Asphalt Jungle by W.R. Burnett
Goodreads book club: Pulp Fiction
Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
Goodreads book club: The Evolution of Science Fiction
I'm about 1/3 of the way into this one but it's not grabbing me as much as I'd hoped, at least not so far
Nexus by Ramez Naam
Goodreads book club: The Evolution of Science Fiction
This one is terrific so far

NON-GROUP READ BOOKS I AM WORKING ON:
The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2016 edited by Rich Horton
A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System from Crisis — and Themselves by Andrew Ross Sorkin
Moby-Dick or, The Whale by Herman Melville
The Collected Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe by Edgar Allan Poe - just started this beast and won't be finishing it for a while - I'll just be picking at it wherever I have time.

You're welcome Winter.

Let's have a quick roll call!

Who will be reading A Wrinkle in Time along with us in March?

Also, is this a re-read for you or are you reading it for the first time? And if you read it before, did you read it as a child?

P.S. Since this is a NO SPOILERS thread make sure you tag any specific memories of the book that others might consider to be a spoiler. Alternatively, feel free to share those memories in the appropriate chapter discussion or in the review discussion.

Let us know when you've started the book, and what your initial thoughts are.

Also: anyone notice anything familiar about the opening sentence?

Winter wrote: "I'm wondering if any have the book and could tell me how many chapters it has? Also still looking for a leader :)"

Hi Winter, I've got the book. It's got 12 chapters.

I can be a discussion leader.

Congratulations Kim!

Mid-February Short Story Update

I'm currently reading a short story collection and a "best of" anthology. Also, the GR bookclub Evolution of Science Fiction reads a couple of short stories each month. I thought I'd post some of what I've read lately, or at least the better ones which I could recommend to others, most of which is available on the internet for FREE!

Most of these are Science-Fiction or Fantasy. Obviously my ratings are based on my tastes so your mileage my vary. And to the best of my knowledge all these links are authorized/legal. If you discover one that isn't please let me know and I will delete it.

I think short stories are a great way to get introduced to an author I've never tried before. They're also a great way for an author to try some new idea or style without devoting an entire novel to it.

5 stars:
"The Long Goodnight of Violet Wild" by Catherynne M. Valente - What a fantastic, amazing fantasy story based on colors! It's just so beautifully written I feel compelled to share it.
If you want to read it free, it's available here:
Part 1 - http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/valen...
Part 2 - http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/valen...

Understand by Ted Chiang - the same author who wrote "Story of Your Life" which was the basis for the movie "Arrival," this story is a lot like the underappreciated film "Limitless."
Available for free here: https://web.archive.org/web/201405271...

A Study in Emerald by Neil Gaiman - great mashup of Sherlock Holmes and H.P. Lovecraft
Available for free here: http://www.neilgaiman.com/mediafiles/...

4 stars:
A Sound of Thunder by Ray Bradbury - a really imaginative time travel story that has probably inspired a lot of copycats (also it was parodied by The Simpsons in one of their annual Halloween specials).
Available free here:
http://www.rosaryhs.com/s/1514/images...

Eight O'Clock in the Morning by Ray Faraday Nelson - this is the basis for the John Carpenter film "They Live" (which I have not seen).
Available free here: http://www.whale.to/b/eight_o.html

"And You Shall Know Her by the Trail of Dead" by Brooke Bolander - this one is violent cyberpunk, a lot of fun I thought but be warned regarding the content.
Available for free here: http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fic...

"The Things" by Peter Watts - a great story for fans of the 1982 film "The Thing"
Available for free here: http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/watts...

A Logic Named Joe by Murray Leinster - it's very dated but I found it hilarious. It's especially funny if you substitute "iPhone" for "logic" in the story.
Available for free here: http://www.baen.com/chapters/W200506/...

3 stars:
"Cat Pictures, Please" by Naomi Kritzer - maybe now we can all understand the internet a little bit better?
Available for free here: http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/kritz...

Maneki Neko by Bruce Sterling - this story was the inspiration for the story above ("Cat Pictures, Please")
Available for free here: http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fic...

"Things With Beards" by Sam J. Miller - a totally different take on "The Thing" (1982 movie) - warning: there are some adult situations and content
Available for free here: http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/mille...

Anyway, let me know if you read and like any of these. I may post some more in a few weeks if people like them.

And of course please share these with other readers!

Blagica wrote: "Randy you are making great progress in your first month!"

Thank you Blagica!

And the reviews I mentioned in the post above are now up.

JANUARY SUPPLEMENT:

#5 - Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey
Goodreads book club: SciFi and Heroic Fantasy book club
- 3 stars
- REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#6 - Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan
Goodreads book club: SciFi and Heroic Fantasy book club
- 4 stars
- REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

NOTE: At the time of this writing I have not completed my reviews on these books. The reviews should be up no later than this weekend, maybe as early as tomorrow.

JANUARY UPDATE:

The month is almost over but I have a couple minutes right now to summarize where I'm at.

FINISHED READS THIS MONTH:
#1 - Uprooted by Naomi Novik
Goodreads book club: SciFi and Heroic Fantasy
- 4 stars
- REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#2 - The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
Goodreads book club: Pulp Fiction
- 4 stars
- REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#3 - The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Goodreads book club: this book club!
- 4 stars
- REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#4 - Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said by Philip K. Dick
Goodreads book club: Evolution of Science Fiction book club
- 4 stars
- REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

In the next couple days I will finish these two books, and when I do I will post my rating and review:
Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan
Goodreads book club: SciFi and Heroic Fantasy book club
Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey
Goodreads book club: SciFi and Heroic Fantasy book club

FEBRUARY GROUP READS:
I have 5 lined up for this month, but they are overall much shorter books (and easier to read, I'm guessing) than most of last month's books.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Goodreads book club: Science Fiction and Heroic Fantasy AND Sword and Laser (and who knows, maybe also for this club in March)
The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
Goodreads book club: Science Fiction Aficionados
All Systems Red by Martha Wells
Goodreads book club: Dragons and Jetpacks
Queenpin by Megan Abbott
Goodreads book club: Pulp Fiction
Money Shot by Christa Faust
Goodreads book club: Pulp Fiction

NON-GROUP READ BOOKS I AM WORKING ON:
The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2016 edited by Rich Horton
A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System from Crisis — and Themselves by Andrew Ross Sorkin
Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders by Neil Gaiman

I finished and gave it 4 stars. I thought the first half of the book was tedious at times, amusing at others. Wilde seemed to get carried away with his witty banter and epigrams. Chapter 11 was my "little train that could" chapter (I think I can...I think I can...) and once I got past it I really enjoyed the rest of the book.

Reading Wikipedia, I learned that the book was originally trimmed by about 500 words for content because it was scandalous at the time it was written. But what surprised me was that Wilde choose to LENGTHEN the book by several chapters, adding in some more lighthearted material to balance out some of the darkness. I wonder if I would enjoy the "original" edit of the book more?

Susy wrote: "Yes, it was abrupt but a beautiful ending."

The ending was perfectly suitable. Fit like a glove. Abrupt, but on the other hard really it was inevitable. Dorian was in a downward spiral and his last grasp at redemption was too little too late.

But Chapter 12 got it going right quick though. I flew through the book after that. Only a couple chatty parts slowed it down. And it got real dark real fast.

I finished this section and I'm down to the last three chapters. Chapter 11 just about killed me, but the story got a lot better after that.

I haven't finished the book yet but I found this online and wanted to share it with the class:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8iAu...

Almost done with this section and looking forward to getting to chapter 11.