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.

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Brief Answers to the Big Questions: Pre-Reading Discussion (14 new)

Nov 25, 2023 07:04AM

I had no idea he was on the Big Bang Theory. Bazinga! I did read A Brief History of Time - twice! - and I watched the movie once but I still don't feel any smarter. I think I'll jump in for this one on audio. Then if I don't understand anything I'll just blame it on the narrator.

What are you currently reading? (3231 new)

Nov 24, 2023 10:53AM

I finished the classic gothic romance novel

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Rating: 2 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading

Ice Harvest by Scott Phillips

RJ's Ridiculously Realistic Goal of 52 in 2023 (99 new)

Nov 24, 2023 10:52AM

#70 in 2023:

I finished the classic gothic romance novel

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Rating: 2 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading

Ice Harvest by Scott Phillips

What are you currently reading? (3231 new)

Nov 23, 2023 02:29PM

I finished the sweet and amusing (and short) holiday story

The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog by Dave Barry
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

RJ's Ridiculously Realistic Goal of 52 in 2023 (99 new)

Nov 23, 2023 02:29PM

#69 in 2023:

I finished the sweet and amusing (and short) holiday story

The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog by Dave Barry
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

What are you currently reading? (3231 new)

Nov 21, 2023 08:22AM

I finished

A Simple Plan by Scott Smith
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading the second Lord Peter Wimsey book

Clouds of Witness (Lord Peter Wimsey, #2) by Dorothy L. Sayers

Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers

RJ's Ridiculously Realistic Goal of 52 in 2023 (99 new)

Nov 21, 2023 08:20AM

#68 in 2023:

I finished

A Simple Plan by Scott Smith
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading the second Lord Peter Wimsey book

Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers

2024 Masthead and Logo Contest (29 new)

Nov 15, 2023 06:40PM

Holy smokes! these are all awesome. We have so many creative people in this group!

What are you currently reading? (3231 new)

Nov 13, 2023 08:50AM

I finished the Gothic novel written in French but first published in English and set in Arabia:

Vathek by William Beckford
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I also finished the epic Latin poem (which has been snarkily referred to as "Homer Fan Fiction")

The Aeneid by Virgil (translated by Frederick Ahl
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading the Hugo Award-winning novel about overpopulation set in the future in 2010 and using narrative techniques lifted from Dos Passos' USA Trilogy

Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner

RJ's Ridiculously Realistic Goal of 52 in 2023 (99 new)

Nov 13, 2023 08:49AM

I finished two more yesterday:

#66 and #67 in 2023:

I finished the Gothic novel written in French but first published in English and set in Arabia:

Vathek by William Beckford
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I also finished the epic Latin poem (which has been snarkily referred to as "Homer Fan Fiction")

Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner

RJ's Ridiculously Realistic Goal of 52 in 2023 (99 new)

Nov 07, 2023 03:46PM

HORROR IN 2023:

I only finished four Horror books in 2023, although I read some Sci-Fi stories that could be called Horror, and some of my General Fiction reads had gothic elements in them. But sticking with strictly Horror books, the Winner of my 2023 Best Horror Read is:

The Damnation Game by Clive Barker

Barker's first full-length novel isn't as good as some of the heights he hit in his Books of Blood short story collection, but it was good enough for a 4-star rating from me.

Other Horror reads in 2023:

The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells (4 stars) - yes, this could have been considered Science-Fiction, but I think it is best classified as Horror which is why it appears here
The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle (3 stars)
Intensity by Dean Koontz (2 stars)

RJ's Ridiculously Realistic Goal of 52 in 2023 (99 new)

Nov 07, 2023 01:40PM

FANTASY IN 2023:

I read four fantasy books in 2023, and none were five-star reads. However, one of the books did stand out from the others with a four-star rating. So my 2023 Fantasy Read of 2023 Winner is:

Kull: Exile of Atlantis by Robert E. Howard

This collection brings together all of the Kull stories including various fragments and drafts and notes written by the character's original creator, Robert E Howard. Kull was eventually supplanted by Howard's most famous creator, Conan.

Other Fantasy reads in 2023 were (all of which I rated 3 stars)
Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett
The Road to Amber by Roger Zelazny
The Princess Bride by William Goldman

RJ's Ridiculously Realistic Goal of 52 in 2023 (99 new)

Nov 07, 2023 12:31PM

NON-FICTION IN 2023:

I finished four Non-Fiction books this year, and all of them were at least "good." It's hard to pick a favorite from the top three I read - all of which I rated five stars - so I'm going to name all three my co-winners of Top Non-Fiction Read in 2023:

Battle Cry of Freedom by James M. McPherson

Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand

The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown

Note: the only Non-Fiction book I read this year wasn't a co-winner of my Non-Fiction Best Read of 2023 was H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald which I enjoyed, but not as much as the other three. I rated it three stars.

RJ's Ridiculously Realistic Goal of 52 in 2023 (99 new)

Nov 07, 2023 12:23PM

2023 IN REVIEW:

It's hard to believe, but we're almost done with this year! It's been nowhere near as bad, in general, as the three prior years, but it's not exactly been great either.

As for reading, I think this year could best be summarized with these bullet points:
- many new-to-me authors read, including many Russian authors read, for the first time
- excellent general fiction, non-fiction, and short story year
- a return to some good Science-Fiction, both newer and classic

Over the next few weeks, I'll try to summarize areas of my reading this year, as well as look down the road towards what 2024 looks like.

What are you currently reading? (3231 new)

Nov 01, 2023 11:22AM

I finished the classic Science-Fiction novel - the first in the Lensman series, which inspired DC Comics "Green Lantern" among many others

Triplanetary by E.E. "Doc" Smith
Rating: 2 stars (but it might be the best two star book I've ever read - haha!)
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading the second in the "Robots" series

The Caves of Steel (Robot, #1) by Isaac Asimov

The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov

RJ's Ridiculously Realistic Goal of 52 in 2023 (99 new)

Nov 01, 2023 11:22AM

#65 in 2023:

I finished the classic Science-Fiction novel - the first in the Lensman series, which inspired DC Comics "Green Lantern" among many others

The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov

What are you currently reading? (3231 new)

Oct 31, 2023 02:29PM

I finished the short story collection