Around the Year in 52 Books discussion
2019 Plans
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Peter's 2019 Challenge List!
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Jackie wrote: "For the shakespeare prompt, you should read Interred with Their Bones. It's very much in the style of Dan Brown's books; a Shakespeare expert gets a clue from her dead advisor about ..."That looks like it would be right up my alley! I've added it to my TBR and I may try to track it down for the Shakespeare prompt. It definitely fits the prompt better than Sherlock Holmes.
Seluxes wrote: "@ Relic and Reliquary, they are closely related and I would read them in order, preferably back-to-back. The series tends to have several closely related books within the ..."Good to know. I may have to buy the first book because so far I've had no luck in tracking it down through the library, Hoopla, Overdrive, or interlibrary loans....
2018 leftovers:Human Acts
Ancillary Mercy
Mysterious Fragrance of the Yellow Mountains
Those are the books from my 2018 list that I'm disappointed in not getting to, I haven't figured out where I'll slot them on my 2019 list yet, but they will be given a little more priority because I really want to read them.
I'll be starting 2019 off with a paper copy of Ancillary Justice along with an audiobook of A Conjuring of Light. Both books are the final book in two really great series, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how things wrap up in both.
Fantastic list, with a great discussion in the comments. I have a list of books to look up now...
My first book for 2019 was a leftover from 2018. I read the The Ghost Brigades, which I had originally intended to finish in 2018 so I could read the third book this year but things just didn't work out that way. It was a good start to the year, and I enjoyed the book. I'm also about halfway through the audio version of A Conjuring of Light, the third and final book in the Shades of Magic series. So far it's shaping up to be the best of the series. I've also started Ancillary Mercy, the third book of the Imperial Radch series. It appears 2019 is starting off by finishing up a bunch of series, but I'm off to a good start so far.
The Marrow Thieves was one of the books I was most looking forward to reading this year and it didn't disappoint. I really enjoyed, and even though the writing itself could have been stronger, that was easily overlooked because of the power and emotion behind the story and its message. It's a book I thought was aimed at a younger audience, I originally thought YA, but it's definitely an adult book and tackles some mature themes and dark topics. The author used mood very effectively, beginning the novel in a dystopia with dark themes but YA undertones that mature with the character and darken as the story progresses. Despite the issues explored in the novel, the author ends on a powerfully hopeful note.
Your symbols are so
Haha, glad you like them. I just found the html codes online to use.
Peter wrote: "The Marrow Thieves was one of the books I was most looking forward to reading this year and it didn't disappoint. I really enjoyed..."I finished it too Peter! I really liked it. I thought there would be more about the actual marrow thieving, but actually I was really happy that it followed the characters. I loved them so much. And the ending! I almost cried. I wish there was a sequel.
Tracy wrote: "Peter wrote: "The Marrow Thieves was one of the books I was most looking forward to reading this year and it didn't disappoint. I really enjoyed..."I finished it too Peter! I real..."
Agreed. It was quite different from what I thought it was going to be as well. I thought it would focus more on the exploitation and "thieving", rather than the effects it had on the characters. I also REALLY loved how, even though the story was told from Frechie's perspective, it wasn't solely about him. The secondary characters were just as important and their stories shaped Frenchie's perspective and growth. I think the writing could have been stronger, or maybe have done with a little more editing, but minor issues I had didn't take away from the meaning behind the book.
One of my favourite parts was when Minerva (view spoiler). I also really liked that the author didn't give all the answers. She uses her novel as an allegory to present the consequences and effects of the residential school system, but doesn't provide the solutions to those consequences. Despite not providing the answers, she does give readers hope that healing can happen and there are ways to grow, bond and move beyond the pain of the past. "Anything. Everything." Simple words, yet one of the strongest closings to a book I've ever read!
I just finished The Boat People, and I've started reading a hard copy of There There as well as listening to But What If We're Wrong? Thinking About the Present As If It Were the Past on audio. So far I'm really enjoying There There, but I think after I'm finished I will be moving on to something a little lighter. All of the books I'm reading or have finished recently are pretty serious in tone and topic.
I finished What If We're Wrong. it was good, but a lot of it went over my head. It did have some interesting and thought provoking ideas though.I have also give up on Lincoln in the Bardo at about 40%. I cannot stand it anymore. I listened to it as an audio book and couldn't make sense of anything. There are citations every other sentence for the first 2 hours of the book. And then when the citations finally stop the voice of the narrator continues to jump from perspective to perspective often in the middle of a sentence and cutting over each other. It was an absolute mess to listen to and after nearly 3.5 hours of listening to a jumbled, rambling mash up of voices, the story has progressed to the point of Lincoln's son dying and bring brought to the crypt... I assumed that was going to happen as it is on the cover, but I incorrectly assumed it would happen at the beginning. Not enough time to fight through books I am not enjoying, so I'm done.
I was using Lincoln in the Bardo for the historical character prompt. Now instead I've just checked out a copy of Dracula vs. Hitler. I'm in need of a "purely entertainment value" kind of read after a few more serious reads. I think the title pretty much sets the tone this book will be, so I'm looking forward to just turning my brain off and reading.
I couldn’t agree more Lincoln in the Bardo was way too weird I could understand it!! Really not sure what they were going for with that one!! It had been touted as an amazing audio experience!! NOT FOR ME!!!
I thought the concept was really interesting. Having a a different voice for each character could have worked really well. It just wasn't executed very well; between the constant citations, disjointed, abrupt and overlapping dialogue it was nearly impossible to follow.
I battled through to the end of Lincoln (also on audio) and honestly, it didn’t get any better. It was not an enjoyable experience for me, it was far too confusing and disjointed. I wonder if I would have enjoyed it more as a text. I’ll never know, because I’m sure as hell not touching it again.
Jody wrote: "I battled through to the end of Lincoln (also on audio) and honestly, it didn’t get any better. It was not an enjoyable experience for me, it was far too confusing and disjointed. I wonder if I wou..."UGH. I was going to give this a second try but maybe not LOL.....
I might trust my reader friends on this one, especially since I couldn't get through it on the first try last year. Audio isn't my thing anyways :/
I really don’t think the book lends itself to audio. Like Peter said about the asides, quotes etc. - maybe it’s just because I’m more of a visual learner, without being able to see what they were and how they “fit”, I found it confusing. I kind of felt like I’d walked into the middle of a conversation in German - I could understand some of it, but lacked the context and couldn’t piece it together, and ended up walking away with a giant headache and feeling like an idiot for not getting it.
Jody wrote: "I really don’t think the book lends itself to audio. Like Peter said about the asides, quotes etc. - maybe it’s just because I’m more of a visual learner, without being able to see what they were a..."haha nothing lends itself to audio for me. It is extremely rare that I do an audio book and feel like I actually paid attention to even half of the story, so I avoid them. I remember trying to listen to this one last year when I was trying to get my numbers up and having to keep going back because I was so confused LOL.
Definitely am looking forward to There There though ( and why??? hasn't good reads fixed the search feature for this? I still can only link it using the authors name. How does everyone else find it?)
The search function on here sucks. I find memoirs best for audio, especially if they’re read by the author. I think it’s because they’re often more conversational so it’s something I’m used to listening to, and am able to focus more on them.
I gave up on Lincoln in the Bardo after 2 pages! Nope, not for me. I also have Indian Horse on my list. Did you know there is a movie? I saw it listed last weekend. I’m afraid to see it because then I won’t read the book. I’m sure it’s an Indie and will only be showing for 2-3 weeks.
Pam you should definitely read it first. I made the mistake of watching the movie first and am now putting the book off next year.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who didn't get it or enjoy it. I've seen so many people saying it's groundbreaking and so good that I felt like I missing something.As far as the citations went, they really made the story feel choppy on top of the fact that it took me about 30 minutes of audio before I figured out what they were... lol.
I agree that memoirs tend to be some of the best audio books. I used to avoid audio books but a couple of years ago I started listening them on my commutes to work and now I enjoy most of the ones I listen to although there are some books that just work better as a hard copy. As a bonus, if I'm having trouble sleeping I can put a timer on the audio book and I find I'm usually out in 15 minutes. I just make a note of the time I'm at and rewind it when I go back the next day. I've found it really helpful because I work shift work with irregular hours and have trouble sleeping sometimes.
I'm really enjoying There There (I also can only find it by searching the author), but it's taking me a long time to get through because of other things in my life. I want to finish it but I haven't had a lot of time to sit down and read lately.
I'm also really looking forward to Indian horse. I plan on watching the movie after I read it.
I (finally) finished There There. It took me a while to read, not because it wasn't good (it was incredible!), but because I just haven't had a lot of spare time for reading lately. Either way, it was a very powerful read, and definitely deserving of all the praise it has received since its publication.I had a couple books come in on library holds earlier than expected, so my reading plans have changed. I had planned on reading Dracula vs. Hitler, but my hold for The Shape of Water and The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World came in, so I'm trying to get through those before they are due. I'm really enjoying The Shape of Water, and plan on watching the movie once I finish. I'm trying to play a little catch up and get at least one more book finished before the end of the month.
I 100% agree with your comments on There, There (in the book thread)! I decided to watch the movie Indian Horse, before reading the book, since I didn’t know when I would have another chance. It’s really good! Another powerful story. Weeks later and I’m still thinking about it. Living in Albuquerque, I was pleased to see that an Albuquerque actor played the main character as a teen!
Well, I've started a couple books and then my hold ran out; I was using the overdrive Libby app linked to my library card and it automatically returns them, so I've had to put a couple back on hold and wait for them. The one I'm most upset about is The Shape of Water because I was really enjoying the book when my loan ran out. In the meantime, while I wait for it to come back (6 originally weeks, but only 2 left), I've read The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World, The Lost Symbol and came across The Enchanted when I was looking for a publication date for a book by the same author that I'm eagerly waiting for.I'm not finally working my way through Dracula vs. Hitler )and it's pretty good so far!!) while I wait the last two weeks for The Shape of Water to come back.
I hate when the holds automatically disappear on you! And then you can’t find where you were at in the book 😩Although the title is not the best, Dracula vs. Hitler does look interesting! I’ll wait for your review 😉
I agree, the title could definitely be better. I almost completely dismissed it for that reason until I saw that Felicia Day rated it 5 stars. I'm a fan of hers so I read her review and it piqued my interest. So far I'm about 25% of the way through and I'm actually really liking it. The characters are interesting and the novel is a lot more nuanced than the title would suggest. It's an epistolary novel so it's all in the form of letters and field reports but the author has done a good job at making each voice different from each other. I had absolutely no expectations going in, but I'm finding myself pleasantly surprised by it.
Peter wrote: "I (finally) finished There There. It took me a while to read, not because it wasn't good (it was incredible!), but because I just haven't had a lot of spare time for reading lately...."Same!! I just finished and it took me forever but it was an amazing debut!!I actually wished it was just a little bit longer.
I also am trying to get through my holds that all came in. I finished The Chalk Man ( loved it!). and need to start and finish The Mars Room quickly because it is overdue. Then I re ordered some that I had to return because I didn't get to but I ordered them on Overdrive... figures first one to come in was The Knife of Never Letting Go, which is 900+ pages.... also they sent me Will Grayson, Will Grayson, but its not a priority for me , even though I think it will be a quick read. I'm hoping the rest don't all start flooding in...
I just entered the giveaway for The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World but GRs never lets me win LOL.
Felicia Day’s review also picked my interest, but I’ll wait for a bit before deciding to add it to my tbr. It’s been growing too fast lately, I need to slow the flow haha
I understand that - I add books to my TBR all the time and it often swells to way too many books. I try to go through mine periodically and take things out that I'm no longer interested in.Dracula vs. Hitler, despite the awful title, turned out to be really good. The characters are great and writing and format is executed well. It's one of my favourites so far this year.
Yay!!! My hold on The Shape of Water came in!! I'm so excited because I was listening to it on audio when my hold ran out with about 1.5 hours left. I should be able to finish it either tonight or tomorrow morning :)
I finally finished The Shape of Water!!I really enjoyed it. I wasn't a fan of one character (view spoiler), but other than that, it was an interesting read. I'm looking forward to watching the movie now that I've finished the book.
I also started Oryx and Crake, but I don't think I'm going to finish it. Normally I have a hard time giving up on a book, but I decided this year that if I'm not enjoying it, I'll move on so I don't get stuck in a reading slump. I'm just not feeling it with Oryx and Crake. I've never read any Atwood, and despite how celebrated she is and being a Canadian author, I'm really not impressed. It's slow, and boring and I don't really care for the characters. It feels like it's being cryptic for the sake of being cryptic and that leaves me feeling annoyed because it's obvious that the author it holding back information from the reader. I know she's lauded as a great writer of our time, so I feel bad giving up on it, but it's just dull...
Oryx and Crake is one of the few books I’ve rated 2 stars. I didn’t like anything about it, especially the writing.
Peter wrote: "I finally finished The Shape of Water!!I really enjoyed it. I wasn't a fan of one character [spoilers removed], but other than that, it was an interesting read. I'm looking forwar..."
Sorry you didn't like Oryx and Crake but I wouldn't give up on Atwood based on that. It's part of a trilogy so perhaps that is why it felt cryptic? I actually really liked that series but I read The Year of the Flood first which I believe is the best of the three.
Anyway, before giving up on Atwood, perhaps try The Handmaid's Tale or The Blind Assassin?
I really didn't want to stop reading it, because Atwood is such a renowned author. I'll likely try one of her other books at some point, but I think I'm done with Oryx and Crake.
On a separate note, I started reading The Poppy War, and so far, it is incredible. I'm about 90 pages in and it's great. It's got a great lead character and some promising supporting characters being developed. There are a few things that have been a little predictable, but that is easily overlooked because the writing is very good, the characters are interesting and the world building and history is engrossing.I'd say it's started off kind of similarly to Harry Potter in the sense that the main character is an orphan who gets into a prestigious school, except that the the main character, Rin, didn't have the opportunity fall in her lap. She worked her butt off to prove she deserved it. The other big difference is the pacing is much faster and has a foreboding tension in the background with references to some pretty dark themes. I'm expecting things to end up far grittier and much darker very soon. Not that that is bad, because like I said, the writing is very strong so far. I'm hooked and am really looking forward to the rest of this book!
I also did not finish Oryx and Crake, and I’ve only abandoned 3 books in my entire life! Don’t let this put you off Atwood, she’s a great author, but that series seems to be hit or miss. I highly recommend The Handmaid’s Tale of course 😉
I haven’t tried Oryx and Crake yet, and now I’m not sure I want to! I loved The Handmaid’s Tale, but was totally unenthused by The Blind Assassin. I don’t know if I like her as an author, or if I just liked that one particular story.
I'm interested in reading Handmaid's Tale eventually. I just did not like the style of writing; I didn't like the made up words, I didn't like the weird style of narration from the main character, I didn't like the vague descriptions of undefined things. I think cryptic writing can add tension and mood and foreshadowing, but this just ended up annoying me.I'm really, REALLY enjoying The Poppy War thought, which i picked up when I stopped reading Oryx and Crake. It's over 500 pages and I've read more than half of it in the last two days, which is extremely fast for my regular pace of reading!
WOW! What a book! The Poppy War takes off and doesn't let up until the end, and then leaves you craving for more!I will for sure be anxiously awaiting the release of the sequel The Dragon Republic (coming out this year in August!!), and will likely try and fit in somewhere onto my list!
Read Stephen King's Elevation as a quick filler book. It was a really quick read, and despite being a novella, still has great characterization. It's not a typical King story, and although it's got a touch of the supernatural, it's really an uplifting story about just being a decent person. I enjoyed it.I started listening to King's Misery too. King is one of my favourite authors and I'm rarely disappointed with his books.
Of course, now two of my holds at the library have come in at the same time... ahhh!! I'm actually really excited about both of them: All Systems Red and Vicious.
I don't expect All Systems Red will take me long to read as it's only a novella, and I've heard really great things about Vicious. I enjoyed the The Shades of Magic Series, so I'm really looking forward to Vicious!
Raaa I hate those pesky library holds! Especially when you've been waiting for weeks for books that all come at the same time.I read Misery when I was a teenager and if I'm not mistaken it was my very first King. I remember really liking it and I wouldn't mind re-reading it actually!
Ahhh! I have less than 40 pages left in Vicious, and everything is amped up and getting really intense and I forgot my book at home when I left for work!!! (I work nights, but have a fair bit of downtime that I can read during my shift). It's killing me that I have to wait till tomorrow to find out the ending!!
I've been chipping away at my reading this summer, and although my pace right now is a little slower than it has been earlier in the year, I'm actually above average on the number of books I've usually read by now. So that's good news. I need to buckle down and get a couple that I've had on the backburner finished though - mainly Ancillary Mercy and The Traitor Baru Cormorant.I have a couple holds coming up at the library, and some new books coming out this summer that I am really excited to read and I want to get those other two finished before the others come in.
For the upcoming books I'm really looking forward to, the most exciting to me is Dark Age, book 5 in the Red Rising Saga. It comes out at the end of the month, and I'll probably have to wait a little longer for my library's copy to arrive, but I already have it on hold. A very close second is The Hod King, book three of the Books of Babel series, an indie gem I found last year. And then later in the summer The Dragon Republic arrives which is the sequel to The Poppy War, one of my best reads so far this year.
I'm also very excited by Dark Age! How's the rest of the Ancillary series? I've only read the first one.
The first one was incredible, but I didn't enjoy the second one as much. I think it's because I read the first one as a physical book and then listened to the second one as an audiobook. I didn't really like the narrator and I had a harder time following and understanding the story. I've only started and put down the third. I liked what I had read, but I ended up getting busy and needing to put my reading on pause after I started and just haven't picked it back up yet. I'm hoping to get to it next week though.
Well... I didn't accomplish getting my backlog cleared before some of my most anticipated reads came through. So a couple books I've been meaning to read will be put on the back burner for a little bit.My hold for The Dragon Republic just came in so I've jumped into that.
Dark Age has been published and I'm just waiting for my library to get a copy. In the meantime, I've started a run through the rest of the series (on audio) to get refreshed on the events. I've finished Red Rising and started Golden Son. This series is one of my favourite series ever, and I really enjoyed going back to the beginning again. I'm really looking forward to burning through the rest of the series before picking up the newest entry.
Around the Year in 52 Books
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LOL....
7 months already?? That went by so quick!!!
It just goes by so quick!