2025 Reading Challenge discussion
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Paul's Spinning Carousel - 180+ books in 2016
Book #198
The Return of the King (Lord of the Rings, #3) by J.R.R. Tolkien
Finished 1st September 2016
406p
Why I read it: The Road goes ever on and on, and though there may come a day where I turn towards the lighted inn, it is not this day. This day I read, at the end of all things.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Fantasy, male, white, UK/South Africa, 1950s, September, familiar, adults, series, novel, medium, physical, reread.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages
Book #152
Station Island by Seamus Heaney
Finished 10th July 2016
123p
Why I read it: It was in my library, and I wanted to read more Irish poetry this year.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: General, male, white, UK/Ireland/USA, 1980s, August, new, adults, standalone, poetry, short, borrowed.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Léamh go Brách
Paul wrote: "[This day I read, at the end of all things."I adore this. What inspired you to re-read the series?
Nothing much really, I just had a bunch of books lying around the house that I felt like reading before I move out, and those were three of them. There were others I wanted to read again but had to leave aside because of lack of time, but these ones stayed around. Hadn't read them in years, you see, and my memories of them were hazy and occasionally not my own. (I wanted to reread them last year, but I got sidetracked so I only got to read The Hobbit again then.) It was more or less worth it. I feel like the films *might* be better though. Or at least better at more things. Or simply some things. Hard to say really. Haven't seen those in years either.
Book #199
Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1) by Sarah J. Maas
Finished 3rd September 2016
416p
Why I read it: One of my Goodreads friends liked it, it sounded interesting, and then it showed up super cheap in a Kindle sale.
Rating: 3/5
Categories: Fantasy/romance, female, white, USA, 2010s, September, new, young adults, series, novel, medium, ebook.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Popsugar (YA bestseller), Recommended by Reading Challengers
Book #200
Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain
Finished 6th September 2016
323p
Why I read it: I'd always seen it being flogged for cheap in one of my local bookshops and it sounded really interesting, so when it showed up in a Kindle sale I was all for it.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: General, male, white, USA, 2010s, September, new, adults, standalone, novel, medium, ebook.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Popsugar (Becoming a movie)
Book #202
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Finished 11th September 2016
544p
Why I read it: It won the Pulitzer Prize, and it was in a Kindle sale.
Rating: 5/5
Categories: General/historical, male, white, USA, 2000s, September, new, adults, standalone, novel, long, ebook.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Popsugar (Oprah's Book Club), Every Year (2002), Recommended by Reading Challengers
Book #203
Skellig by David Almond
Finished 12th September 2016
176p
Why I read it: It won the Carnegie Medal, and I'd been meaning to read it for years.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: General/fantasy, male, white, UK, 1990s, September, familiar, children's, standalone/series, novel, short, borrowed.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Popsugar (Book and its prequel)
Book #204
My Name Is Mina by David Almond
Finished 15th September 2016
304p
Why I read it: It was the prequel to Skellig.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: General/coming of age, male, white, UK, 2010s, September, familiar, children's, series, novel, medium, borrowed.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Popsugar (Book and its prequel)
Book #205
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Poirot, #4) by Agatha Christie
Finished 17th September 2016
260p
Why I read it: It was a classic Poirot murder mystery and it was in a Kindle sale.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Mystery, female, white, UK, 1920s, September, new, adults, series, novel, medium, ebook.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Popsugar (Murder mystery)
Book #206
Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari with Eric Klinenberg
Finished 20th September 2016
253p
Why I read it: It won the Goodreads Choice Award for Nonfiction last year, and it was in a Kindle sale.
Rating: 3/5
Categories: Humour/science/nonfiction, male, POC/white, USA, 2010s, September, new, adults, standalone, nonfiction, medium, ebook.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Popsugar (Book by a comedian), Nonfiction
Book #207
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg
Finished 23rd September 2016
416p
Why I read it: It showed up in the I Spy Challenge as some sort of Original American Classic, and it sounded familiar from The Simpsons, and then it was in a Kindle sale.
Rating: 3/5
Categories: General/historical/humour/coming of age, female, white, USA, 1980s, September, new, adults, standalone, novel, medium, ebook.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, I Spy Book Edition
Book #208
A Wizard Abroad (Young Wizards, #4) by Diane Duane
Finished 25th September 2016
221p
Why I read it: Mark Oshiro was reading it.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Fantasy, female, white, USA/Ireland, 1990s, September, familiar, children, series, novel, short, audiobook, reread.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Léamh go Brách
Book #209
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Finished 29th September 2016
341p
Why I read it: It's A Tale of Two Cities!
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Classic/historical, male, white, UK/USA, earlier, September, familiar, adults, standalone, novel, medium, ebook.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, I Spy Book Edition
Book #210
High Wizardry (Young Wizards, #3) by Diane Duane
Finished 30th September 2016
166p
Why I read it: I had a pretty bad time with this earlier in the year, so I thought I'd give it another other shake.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Sci-fi/fantasy, female, white, USA/Ireland, 1990s, September, familiar, children, series, novel, short, ebook, reread.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Léamh go Brách
Book #211
Hogfather (Discworld, #20) by Terry Pratchett
Finished 1st October 2016
430p
Why I read it: Mark Oshiro was reading it.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Fantasy, male, white, UK, 1990s, October, familiar, adults, series, novel, medium, borrowed.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages
Book #212
The BFG by Roald Dahl
Finished 2nd October 2016
244p
Why I read it: I felt like reading it again.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Fantasy, male, white, UK/USA, 1980s, October, familiar, children, standalone, novel, short, borrowed, reread.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, It Was a Nominee, Race to the Finish
Book #213
The Final Empire (Mistborn, #1) by Brandon Sanderson
Finished 6th October 2016
672p
Why I read it: It's Mistborn! It's basically peak Sanderson, and people have been talking up this book for years.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Fantasy, male, white, USA, 2000s, October, familiar, adult, series, novel, long, ebook.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Race to the Finish, Every Year, Recommended by Reading Challengers
Book #214
Goldenhand (Old Kingdom, #5) by Garth Nix
Finished 10th October 2016
432p
Why I read it: It's Goldenhand! The Lirael and Nick book we've all been waiting for.
Rating: 3/5
Categories: Fantasy, male, white, Australia, 2010s, October, familiar, young adult, series, novel, medium, ebook.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages
Book #215
The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector’s Story by Hyeonseo Lee with David John
Finished 14th October 2016
320p
Why I read it: It was nominated for the 2015 Goodreads Choice Award for Memoir & Autobiography, and it sounded interesting.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Biography/memoir, female, POC, North Korea/China/South Korea, 2010s, October, new, adults, standalone, nonfiction, medium, ebook.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Non-fiction, It Was a Nominee, Around the World in Books, Race to the Finish
Book #216
Infidel: The Story of My Enlightenment by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Finished 19th October 2016
320p
Why I read it: It came up in a 2016 Reading Challenge Group Reads discussion, it sounded interesting, and it was in a Kindle sale. This was before I remembered Hirsi Ali was named Reader's Digest European of the Year in 2006.
Rating: 3/5
Categories: Biography/memoir, female, POC, Somalia/Saudi Arabia/Ethiopia/Kenya/Netherlands/USA, 2000s, October, new, adults, standalone, nonfiction, medium, ebook.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Non-fiction, It Was a Nominee, Around the World in Books, Race to the Finish
Book #217
Up and Coming: Stories by the 2016 Campbell-Eligible Authors by lots of people; edited by S.L. Huang and Kurt Hunt
Finished 19th October 2016
3040p
Why I read it: It sounded like a really neat thing, and it was free!
Rating: 3/5
Categories: Sci-fi/fantasy/spec-fic/horror, male/female, white/POC, the world, 2010s, October, new, adults/young adults, standalone/series, short story anthology, very large, ebook.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages
Book #201
Z-Minus I by Perrin Briar
Finished 8th September 2016
136p
Why I read it: A Perrin Briar surrogate hit me up one day and told me I should read this because it was good. It was free so I thought why not.
Rating: 2/5
Categories: Horror/humour, male, white, UK/South Korea, 2010s, September, new, adults, series, novella, short, ebook.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Popsugar (recommended by someone you just met)
Book #218
Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
Finished 28th October 2016
860p
Why I read it: I'm unrepentant Hamiltrash, even if he was never going be president
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Biography, male, white, USA, 2000s, October, new, adults, standalone, nonfiction, very long, ebook.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, It Was a Nominee, Race to the Finish, Nonfiction
Book #219
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
Finished 30th October 2016
304p
Why I read it: It sounded pretty interesting, like a big deal, and it was in a Kindle sale.
Rating: 3/5
Categories: General, male, white, Sweden, 2010s, October, new, adults, standalone, novel, medium, ebook.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, It Was a Nominee, Race to the Finish, Recommended by Reading Challengers
Book #220
Persuasion by Jane Austen
Finished 31st October 2016
170p
Why I read it: It's Jane Austen!
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Classics/romance, female, white, UK, earlier, October, familiar, adults, standalone, novel, short, ebook.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, It Was a Nominee, Race to the Finish
Book #221
Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama
Finished 5th November 2016
464p
Why I read it: I'm a semi-unrepentant dirty leftie who nevertheless waffled about reading this for ages, until a Kindle Daily Deal made the decision easy for me.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Biography/memoir, male, POC, USA/Indonesia, 1990s, November, new, adults, standalone, nonfiction, medium, ebook.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Nonfiction, Around the World, Race to the Finish
Book #222
Round Ireland with a Fridge by Tony Hawks
Finished 6th November 2016
272p
Why I read it: I'd heard a fair bit about this book years back, so when it showed up as a Kindle Daily Deal it flashed back into my mind again, and I decided I'd see what it was about.
Rating: 3/5
Categories: Humour/travel/memoir, male, white, UK, 1990s, November, new, adults, standalone, nonfiction, medium, ebook.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Nonfiction, Léamh go Brách, Race to the Finish
Book #223
Seven Deadly Sins: My Pursuit of Lance Armstrong by David Walsh
Finished 10th November 2016
464p
Why I read it: It showed up in a Kindle sale years back, and it looked interesting.
Rating: 3/5
Categories: Sport, male, white, Ireland/UK/France, 2010s, November, new, adults, standalone, nonfiction, medium, ebook.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Nonfiction, Léamh go Brách, Race to the Finish
Book #224
Philomena: The Poignant True Story of a Mother and the Son She Had to Give Away by Martin Sixsmith
Finished 12th November 2016
484p
Why I read it: It showed up in a Kindle sale years back, and it looked interesting.
Rating: 3/5
Categories: "Biography"/general/historical, male, white, UK, 2000s, November, new, adults, standalone, "nonfiction"/fiction/"faction", medium, ebook.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Nonfiction, Léamh go Brách, Race to the Finish
Book #225
The Three-Body Problem (Remembrance of Earth's Past, #1) by Cixin Liu (translated by Ken Liu)
Finished 16th November 2016
400p
Why I read it: It showed up in a Kindle sale a while back, and I couldn't resist (prominent) Chinese science fiction.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Sci-fi, male, POC, China, 2000s, November, new, adults, series, novel, medium, ebook.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Around the World, Every Year, Race to the Finish
Book #226
The Moor's Account by Laila Lalami
Finished 20th November 2016
336p
Why I read it: One of my Goodreads friends really liked it, and it sounded interesting enough that when it showed up in a Kindle sale I was all over it. I had known by then that it was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and got longlisted for the Booker Prize as well.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Historical, female, POC, Morocco/USA, 2010s, November, new, adults, standalone, novel, medium, ebook.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Around the World, Race to the Finish
Book #227
The Vegetarian by Han Kang
Finished 22nd November 2016
160p
Why I read it: It was longlisted (then shortlisted, then it won) for the Man Booker International Prize, and it looked interesting.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: General, female, POC, South Korea, 2000s, November, new, adults, standalone, novel, short, ebook.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Around the World, Race to the Finish
Book #228
This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Díaz
Finished 24th November 2016
224p
Why I read it: I liked The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao that much that when this showed up in a Kindle sale I decided to get it.
Rating: 3/5
Categories: General, male, POC, Dominican Republic/USA, 2010s, November, familiar, adults, standalone, short stories, short, ebook.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Around the World, Race to the Finish
Book #229
The Chimes by Anna Smaill
Finished 27th November 2016
305p
Why I read it: It was longlisted for the Booker Prize, it showed up in a Kindle sale, and it sounded really interesting.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Dystopian/general/fantasy, female, white, New Zealand/UK/Japan, 2010s, November, new, adults(?), standalone, novel, medium, ebook.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Around the World, Race to the Finish
Book #230
Interim Errantry: Three Tales of the Young Wizards by Diane Duane
Finished 29th November 2016
546p
Why I read it: I wanted to read the How Lovely Are Thy Branches Advent Calendar this December, because I missed it last year. I realised that this meant I'd probably have to reread HLATB, so I decided not to stop there and reread the entire transitory trilogy.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Fantasy/sci-fi, female, white, Ireland/USA, 2010s, November, familiar, young adults, series, novel/novella, large, ebook, reread.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Léamh go Brách
Book #231
Jingo (Discworld, #21) by Terry Pratchett
Finished 29th November 2016
387p
Why I read it: Mark Oshiro was reading it.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Fantasy, male, white, UK, 1990s, November, familiar, adults, series, novel, medium, borrowed.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages
Book #232
The Wizard's Dilemma (Young Wizards, #5) by Diane Duane
Finished 30th November 2016
263p
Why I read it: Mark Oshiro was reading it.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Fantasy/sci-fi, female, white, USA/Ireland, 2000s, November, familiar, children, series, novel, medium, audiobook, reread.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Léamh go Brách
Book #233
Uptown Local and Other Interventions by Diane Duane
Finished 2nd November 2016
255p
Why I read it: I wanted to (finally) read "Uptown Local" and "Theobroma", and this was the best way of doing it.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Fantasy, female, white, USA/Ireland, 2010s, November, familiar, adults, standalone, short story, medium, ebook.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Léamh go Brách, Race to the Finish
Book #234
On Ordeal: Roshaun ke Nelaid by Diane Duane
Finished 4th November 2016
139p
Why I read it: It's more Young Wizards! Even if we're getting into seriously for the fans territory here...
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Fantasy, female, white, USA/Ireland, 2010s, December, familiar, adults, series, novella, short, ebook.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Léamh go Brách, Race to the Finish
Book #235
On Ordeal: Mamvish fsh Wimsih by Diane Duane
Finished 4th December 2016
75p
Why I read it: It's more Young Wizards! Even if we're getting into seriously for the fans territory here...
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Fantasy, female, white, USA/Ireland, 2010s, December, familiar, adults, series, novella, short, ebook.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Léamh go Brách, Race to the Finish
Book #236
The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events, #1) by Lemony Snicket
Finished 5th December 2016
188p
Why I read it: The Netflix series is coming soon, so I figured I'd pull these out again, especially as Mark Oshiro is planning on reading them someday (maybe) and I never actually finished the twelfth one.
Rating: 3/5
Categories: General, male, white, USA, 1990s, December, familiar, children, series, novel, short, borrowed, reread.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages
Book #237
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia #1) by C.S. Lewis
Finished 10th December 2016
206p
Why I read it: The 2016 Reading Challenge Group Read got me to pull it out again.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Fantasy, male, white, UK, 1950s, December, familiar, children, series, novel, short, physical, reread.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages
Book #238
The Grace of Kings (The Dandelion Dynasty #1) by Ken Liu
Finished 10th December 2016
641p
Why I read it: I had seen it in my old local library at one point, though I'm fairly sure before that I'd been hearing great word about it all over the place. It helped that (I think?) I had already heard great things about Ken Liu's short stories and his translation of The Three-Body Problem. So when it showed up as a Kindle Daily Deal one day I threw caution to the wind and got it.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Fantasy, male, POC, USA, 2010s, December, new/familiar, adults, series, novel, long, ebook.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, It Was a Nominee, Race to the Finish
Book #239
Switchers (Switchers #1) by Kate Thompson
Finished 11th December 2016
220p
Why I read it: Going back to an old favourite for the year that was in it, especially as I'd never actually read the third one (and now I'm not sure I had ever finished reading the second one though I clearly must have, how little I remember it. Then again it's a spectacularly unmemorable book for the most part).
Rating: 3/5
Categories: Fantasy/sci-fi, female, white, Ireland/UK, 1990s, December, familiar, children/young adult, series, novel, short, borrowed, reread.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Léamh go Brách, Race to the Finish
Book #240
Midnight's Choice (Switchers #2) by Kate Thompson
Finished 12nd December 2016
167p
Why I read it: Continuing the trilogy.
Rating: 2/5
Categories: Fantasy, female, white, Ireland/UK, 1990s, December, familiar, children/young adult, series, novel, short, borrowed, reread.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Léamh go Brách, Race to the Finish
Book #241
Wild Blood (Switchers #3) by Kate Thompson
Finished 13th December 2016
176p
Why I read it: Finally finishing the trilogy. It might have taken 13 years or so, but I did it.
Rating: 2/5
Categories: Fantasy, female, white, Ireland/UK, 1990s, December, familiar, children/young adult, series, novel, short, borrowed.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Léamh go Brách, Race to the Finish
Book #242
Unravelling Oliver by Liz Nugent
Finished 16th December 2016
235p
Why I read it: It came up in a Kindle sale, it sounded familiar (turned out it won the Irish Crime Fiction Book of the Year a bit back), and it looked pretty interesting.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Mystery/thriller/history/general, female, white, Ireland, 2010s, December, new, adults, standalone, novel, short, ebook.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Léamh go Brách, Race to the Finish
Book #243
Under the Hawthorn Tree (Children of the Famine #1) by Marita Conlon-McKenna
Finished 16th December 2016
160p
Why I read it: For the year that was in it I decided I'd reread this old children's classic, especially seeing as I own it now.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Historical, female, white, Ireland, 1990s, December, familiar, children, series, novel, short, ebook, reread.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Léamh go Brách, Race to the Finish
2025 Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Cirque Du Freak (other topics)Men Explain Things to Me: And Other Essays (other topics)
The Picture of Dorian Gray (other topics)
Nothing to Envy: Real Lives in North Korea (other topics)
The Undertaking (other topics)
More...
Book #197
Cré na Cille/The Dirty Dust by Máirtín Ó Cadhain (translated by Alan Titley)
Finished 1st September 2016
328p
Why I read it: Hard to say. Probably because I saw it in my library in a place of honour once and took it to heart. I realised later on that I'd actually heard about the film sometime after it came out, but that wasn't really what brought it to mind, I don't think.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: General/humour, male, white, Ireland, 1940s, September, new, adults, standalone, novel, medium, borrowed.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Léamh go Brách