Goon Book Challenge 2017 - Can we keep talking for more than a week?

[Ed]

Vilis wrote: "read Švejk"

Do this

[Billy]

Weekly bump, as we were approaching 2 months of no posts.

Been enjoying horror of late, and have a nice new stack to read thanks to my Santa!

[Kaitlyn]

I've been trying to get into new new weird/horror but I'm feeling 'meh' over the anthology I picked up - any recommendations?

[Kyle]

How did everyone's yearly reading goals go? I think I'm going to go smaller next year so I can focus on longer works.

[John]

Kyle wrote: "How did everyone's yearly reading goals go? I think I'm going to go smaller next year so I can focus on longer works."

I managed to totally obliterate my goal -and- complete the booklord, so I'm feeling pretty spiffy. I'm setting my goal just slightly higher this year (from 30 to 42) and don't really anticipate to many problems hitting that number. However, I'm going to force myself to read more non-fiction in an effort to move me farther from my comfort zone and I want to try to get more into poetry.

Re: horror, I've actually been enjoying Clive Barker's Book of Blood. It's a big collection of various short stories, some of which are really good and some of which are kind of meh. However, none of them are long enough that I really get sick of even the mehest of the stories.

[Franchescanado]

Kaitlynn wrote: "I've been trying to get into new new weird/horror but I'm feeling 'meh' over the anthology I picked up - any recommendations?"

Clive Barker's Book of Blood, plus some of his shorter novels like Mister B. Gone, The Hellbound Heart, The Thief of Always

Ray Bradbury has some good horror stories, and if you haven't read Something Wicked This Way Comes, that's a great book to read in October.

Read anything by Shirley Jackson.

I liked North American Lake Monsters, since there is quite a variety in the types of stories (and monsters) each story is about.

The New Dead: A Zombie Anthology is good if you just want zombie stories, though many authors try something new with the concept.

Any Stephen King short story collection is good. The older, the better (though Skeleton Crew is regularly considered the best). His son, Joe Hill, is similar in a lot of ways, and his collection 20th Century Ghosts is still his best (in my opinion).

Joe R. Lansdale is a good, if lesser-known, horror author, with stories usually about the south (mainly Texas). I'd recommend one of his collections (Writer of the Purple Rage features Bubba Hotep, which inspired the Bruce Campbell film).

Jeff Strand writes short, affordable, horror comedy novels which will give you some laughs and cringes while also being a quick read. Pretty much any of his novels are fun.

If someone tells you to read H.P. Lovecraft, they're wrong. But if they're insistent, or you really feel like you should read him, check out Waking Up Screaming, or The Best of H.P. Lovecraft: Bloodcurdling Tales of Horror and the Macabre, or just make a list of those stories and read them for free, as he's been in the public domain since forever.

If you want someone new, Nick Cutter's been releasing some fun books. Same with Paul Tremblay.

Michael McDowell has been getting his due lately, too, so check out one of his horror novels.

I can keep going, if anyone wants more recommendations, or something more specific, in the horror genre.

[Kaitlyn]

Franchescanado wrote: "Kaitlynn wrote: "I've been trying to get into new new weird/horror but I'm feeling 'meh' over the anthology I picked up - any recommendations?"

Clive Barker's Book of Blood, plus some of his short..."

Thanks! I've read a lot of both Kings, and Lovecraft. Everything sounds up my alley.

[John]

Franchescanado wrote:
Clive Barker's ... Mister B. Gone

Thanks, this looks kind of fun.

[Billy]

Kaitlynn wrote: "I've been trying to get into new new weird/horror but I'm feeling 'meh' over the anthology I picked up - any recommendations?"
Gemma Files' We Will All Go Down Together is really excellent

[Billy]

Regarding book reading goals: I reset mine to 20 from 30 near the end of the year :) I alternate between gaming a lot, reading a lot, and playing my mandolin so reading doesn't get my fullest attention at nights (since its what I do for my job in large part).

[William]

I technically made my reading goals, but the year was full of a lot of re-reads, so I don't feel great about it. I'm upping my challenge to something I've never done before, 100 books, so don't have a choice but to stay on top of things and spend less time on games / television. Off to a good start, so far.

[Mike]

I probably undergoaled this year, I did 80, which I've met the last 2 years. Really, I always read. I'm not worried about meeting that goal. For me, I'm more interested in using the challenge criteria to expand my reading some.

[John]

Mike wrote: "I probably undergoaled this year, I did 80, which I've met the last 2 years. Really, I always read. I'm not worried about meeting that goal. For me, I'm more interested in using the challenge crite..."

Same here, I'm not as voracious a reader as some out there, but I never really have a problem hitting my goals. I'm mostly using the booklord challenge as a means to force myself out of my comfort zone and get in some good new books. Last year brought me a couple of real big winners, so I'm looking forward to this year's challenge.

[Billy]

I don't like how scoldy the book challenge counter is :smith:

[Bradley]

I doubled the set percentages since I have read woefully little POC books.
but can anyone recommend some good non-fiction from POC. Preferably leaning political?

[Vilis]

Ridonkulous wrote: "I doubled the set percentages since I have read woefully little POC books.
but can anyone recommend some good non-fiction from POC. Preferably leaning political?"

Ngugi wa Thiong'o is so political he stopped writing in English and switched to his native Gikuyu. He's very good, although don't begin with his first book, A Grain of Wheat is a good start.

Ahmadou Kourouma's Waiting for the Wild Beasts to Vote was great fun, as much as you can say it about a book centered on bloody politics.

And I haven't yet started Maryse Conde's Segu, but it's one of the books on my shelf that I'm looking forward to most.

[Billy]

Pinging the thread within the week to say that I loved Annihilation and think you all should read it too

[John]

Good to hear, I bought it and plan on reading it if/when The Expanse loses some of its appeal. The premise seemed pretty interesting.

[Mike]

I read it and really probably ought to pick up the sequels. Thanks for the reminder.

[William]

The sequels are not even remotely as good.

[Billy]

into Acceptance now. Authority was good; not as good as Annihilation but still enjoyable. Acceptance too so far.

[Kaila]

William wrote: "The sequels are not even remotely as good."

I wrote some pretty scathing reviews of the sequels. I did not enjoy them.

[Mike]

You guys oughta arm wrestle then

[Billy]

Acceptance was great. The second was the weakest IMO but all were very good , if different.

[Billy]

So, debating between reading Old Mans War or Kraken next for some entertaining reading. Which should I choose?

[Franchescanado]

I haven't read either, but Kraken is on my reading list and I wouldn't read Old Man's War.

[Billy]

seeing how its already on my nightstand Kraken it is

[Billy]

So, 5 months later...

[Mike]

And?

[Kyle]

I like books

[Billy]

oh I finished Kraken forever ago, discussed it on the forums, and have moved on. Fun enough book

[Roger]

Can it be? Am I already one book away from this year's goal?

[Mike]

I'm not that close, but I'm close enough that it's no longer any doubt. I might set this thing higher next year, but probably not.

[William]

I'm close also, but that's because I'm reading a lot of trashy books lately.

[Billy]

I'm pretty far behind because I don't read enough for fun

[Steve]

Been super busy so lots of trashy sci-fi and post apocalyptic books, but now I'm 6 books ahead of schedule so should be no problem to hit my goal.

[Roger]

Man. I was going to read The Book of Phoenix immediately after Who Fears Death but... I think I may need a fluff book or two in-between.

[Billy]

Roger wrote: "Man. I was going to read The Book of Phoenix immediately after Who Fears Death but... I think I may need a fluff book or two in-between."
Yeah that one is pretty dark. I needed a fluff break after A Farewell to Arms too

[Billy]

OK where did the update option go for each book?

[Roger]

That's exactly what I was just asking. Are they really driving us to the book page for that so they can serve another ad?

I don't think that actually needs to be answered.

[William]

Part of some maintenance that is taking a bit longer than expected apparently.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...