RJ - Slayer of Trolls’s
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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.
Showing 1,321-1,340 of 1,460
Susy wrote: "Hahaha, you’re off to a good start Randy :DBut seriously, why cut down on group reads?? They’re fun!"
I know! That's why I keep joining them! But I do have other books I want to read also. :(
But it's all good. Hopefully February will be less busy with group reads... LOL (of course that never happens)
I think I'm in. I was trying to cut down on group reads in 2018 but I think I have 5-6 lined up for this month. So much for that New Years Resolution...
I liked it a lot and gave it 4 stars. I've read some of Christie's short stories but this was the first novel of hers I have read. Obviously she had a lot more pages to work with but I thought she filled them nicely without over-writing or letting the story drag. Her prose was so clean and easy to read that I just flew through the book. l'll definitely read more by her in the future. By the way, I heard that the latest movie version hints at a possible sequel with Death on the Nile so who knows, maybe we'll have another AG group read here in a couple years.
Congratulations to you both, Rachael and Blagica!
Ilona wrote: "No ugly cry here, but I find a beautiful and very sad story."I agree. I had a tough time with this one because the book feels so personal but at the same time something that I can't really relate to completely. The lavish illustrations are beautiful. I thought the story and the characters' behavior was kind of predictable but I know it's a children's book so I was willing to overlook that. I just felt like this was too sad to read to my own daughter (she doesn't like sad stories at all) but maybe too child-oriented for me. I just think I'm not the right audience for this book, although it seems to have strongly affected other people.
I've got 4 chapters to go but still don't feel like I know who done it.
Susy wrote: "And indeed, we’re working from the presumption that the victim is Cassetti..."Good point. I thought about that early on in the story. Everyone seems in agreement that he is, but you never know...
Daph wrote: "Is it just me or was the long evidence section rather tedious to read? Maybe I am the only one who felt that way, but for like 9 chapters nothing happened but talk talk talk!"I actually thought it was kind of interesting. And everyone feels like a potential suspect but on the other hand seems to have a solid alibi.
Early in the story I figured out that there was probably an (view spoiler). But it still hasn't helped me figure out who did it.
I just finished chapter 16 today. I've got no theories but there seems to be something odd about Colonel Arbuthnott and Mary Debenham. I recall that Poirot takes note of their conversation very early in the book.
You ladies are a terrific team of moderators and you keep this group in great shape. Thanks for everything you do! (That's not really a question but I thought it needed to be said.)
Simon wrote: "I nominate Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. I don't think it's been group read yet but I buddy read it earlier this year. It's very good. It'..."
I read that one a couple years ago. It was excellent.
Susy wrote: "Randy wrote: "I think I'm on track to finish 6 more books this year which would give me 50! Stay tuned....."Good luck Randy!"
Thank you Suzy!
I finished three more books: 42 - Ringworld
by Larry Niven - I enjoyed the characters and some of the ideas but thought it was lacking in many areas - I gave it 3 stars - you can read my full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...43 - At the Mountains of Madness
by H.P. Lovecraft - I liked it a lot in spite of how slow and wordy it gets at times - I gave it 4 stars - you can read my full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...44 - Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman - I thought it was dull and over-written - I gave it 2 stars - you can read my full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...Replacing those in my Currently Reading pile are:
- The Wanderer
by Fritz Leiber - for a group read for the SciFi and Heroic Fantasy GR book club - it won the Hugo award in 1965 - I liked Leiber's Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser sword-and-sorcery stories written several years prior to this book so I was very much looking forward to it however this book is having a hard time keeping my attention - Starship Troopers
by Robert A. Heinlein - the military SF classic is a group read for the Evolution of Science Fiction GR book club - I barely started it but am enjoying it so far- Murder on the Orient Express
by Agatha Christie as a group read for this very book club! - I started it just a few days ago but am already about 40% through it And of course I'm still plugging away at:
- Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins
- Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke
- Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang
- The Best American Mystery Stories 2015 edited by James Patterson
- 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 did decide not to read further in H.P. Lovecraft: The Complete Fiction at this time, but I hope to pick it up again in a few months.
I think I'm on track to finish 6 more books this year which would give me 50! Stay tuned...
I read the first 4 chapters while sitting at the mall waiting for my daughter and her friend to finish some Christmas shopping. Christie does a great job getting the characters introduced, establishing the setting and getting the story moving quickly. I'm starting chapter 5 now. I think I could tear through this book quickly if I set my mind to it but I'm going to pace myself. If I ever get out of the mall that is...Also, I hadn't realized it until I did a Google search but Agatha Christie is the best selling novelist of all time, according to Wikipedia. Only the Bible and the works of Shakespeare have been more widely published. That is astounding.
I read this a long time ago. My non-spoilery remembrances are that I enjoyed Foer's "look-at-me-ma" prose but never really enjoyed the story that much. I gave it a solid 3 stars. I'm looking forward to the discussion.
Ilona wrote: "Congratulations on finishing your challenge, Randy! Have you also managed your goal of reading more high-quality books?"Thanks Ilona! Unfortunately, I didn't notice any increase in the quality of the books I read. I'm not sure why - I tried jumping into more group reads this year but those books, despite being popular, didn't end up being some of my favorites of the year. I only had two 5-star reads this year (compared to four last year) and one of those was a re-read! I'll give this some more thought...
I'm in - I have my copy all ready to go and will probably start in the next week or so. I've read a few Agatha Christie short story collections and I enjoyed them a lot, but this will be my first Christie full-length novel.
I finished another one:#41 - Shards of Honour
by Lois McMaster Bujold - the first (publication order) in Bujold's long-running, award-winning, fan favorite Vorkosigan series is a tepid space opera romance that introduces the parents of the series' main character - I thought it was OK and gave it 2 stars - you can read my full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...Replacing it in my Currently Reading pile is the classic short SF/horror novel At the Mountains of Madness
by H.P. Lovecraft which is part of H.P. Lovecraft: The Complete Fiction
. I'll be picking away at the Lovecraft collection over the next several months but I wanted to read this story due to the many comparisons I've read to Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer which I read a few months ago. And of course I'm still plugging away at:
- Ringworld by Larry Niven
- Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
- Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins
- Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke
- Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang
- The Best American Mystery Stories 2015 edited by James Patterson
- 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 MY CHALLENGE!#40 - The City & the City
by China Miéville - I liked it and ended up giving it 4 stars because it was well-written and it stuck with me after I finished it although my initial impression was to give it 3 stars due to how slow the first half was - you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...Replacing it in my Currently Reading pile is Doomsday Book
by Connie Willis as a group read for the Sword and Laser GR bookclub.And of course I'm still plugging away at:
- Shards of Honour by Lois McMaster Bujold
- Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
- Ringworld by Larry Niven
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins
- Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke
- Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang
- The Best American Mystery Stories 2015 edited by James Patterson
- 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
Also, I never actually started reading Helliconia Spring by Brian W. Aldiss or Personal Injuries by Scott Turow so I have removed them from the Currently Reading pile for now. Probably I will pick them up again when I finish some of these book club group reads.
Although I've met my goal I will of course continue reading throughout the rest of the year. I think I will end up near 50 books.
I'm reminded that in American Gods Gaiman makes reference to not only the Norse mythological gods but also gods and myths from other cultures. Is anyone familiar with myths and gods from other cultures? How do they compare to the Norse myths?
