75 Books...More or Less! discussion
Archive (2022 GR Completed)
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Charleen's 2022 Challenge [85]
41. A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe3 stars
This was really fun once it got going, but it took a while to get there for me. I agree with some of the more critical reviews that it could have used more worldbuilding, both in terms of the interplanetary politics and the magic system. That said, I do like the blend of magic and sci-fi, I overall had a good time reading it, and I plan to continue the series.
42. Signal to Noise4 stars
I really loved the teenage story in this. The heightened emotions, the misunderstandings, the way magic and music are tied together, it all felt so real. I didn't get that same feeling about the current day story, that version of Meche felt very hollow (though maybe that's part of the point).
43. The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story(audio)
This was another tough but important book. I should really have broken these up a little more.
44. The Lost for Words Bookshop3 stars
This was a very different book than I expected, and maybe that's why I didn't love it like so many other readers seem to. It was good, but fairly dark, and not at all the cozy bookshop vibes I was hoping for.
45. Hearts in AtlantisThis is an odd collection, two novellas and three short stories, all connected in one way or another. The first was the strongest in the bunch, imo, though the others had their moments.
Mod
This is an odd collection, two novellas and three short stories, all connected in one way or another. The first was the strongest in the bunch, imo, though the ..."
I didn't end up caring for the stories in this one. Which is disappointing because I did enjoy the movie.
Elyse wrote: "I didn't end up caring for the stories in this one. Which is disappointing because I did enjoy the movie."I haven't seen it but as I understand it's mainly based on the first story. Which has nothing to do with Hearts or Atlantis, so... interesting that they used that title.
Mod
I haven't seen it but as I understand it's mainly based on the first story...."
Haha right. Yeah, it's the Low Men in Yellow Coats one but that's not a catchy title for a movie. lol. Which I did not know was a Dark Tower tie-in story...hmm...
46. 19844 stars (audio re-read)
If something exists only in your mind, is it real or not? If you could control the perception of everyone in the world, could you control reality itself? These philosophical arguments are far more interesting (to me) than the political ones.
47. Resistance2 stars
Parts of this were fun, and it's interesting to think about what the world might look like after supers have been with us for a decade. But ultimately it's a series of action scenes held together by a messy and generic plot, and without the spark that made the first book so unique, I wasn't invested in any of it.
48. Sea of Tranquility4 stars
This is speculative fiction that definitely leaves you speculating. There are a lot of threads here that all come together in the end, but if you need answers to everything you'll be disappointed. If, on the other hand, you're ready to be carried along and explore some interesting ideas along the way, it's quite enjoyable.
Mod
4 stars
This is speculative fiction that definitely leaves you speculating. There are a lot of threads here that all come together in the end, but if you nee..."
Hmm. I did buy this. But I have not loved a St. John Mandel novel yet...eep. But at least it's short? lol
49. Your Perfect Year3 stars
This is mainly a cute and predictable romcom, but definitely suffers from some tonal whiplash and potential (death- and illness-related) triggers.
50. Queens of the Conquest(audio)
I know nothing about early English history other than the name William the Conqueror and the year 1066, no other details or context. So I enjoyed getting this overview of the early kings and queens, with extra focus on the queens. A second book is released covering the next century or so, but my library doesn’t have it on audio so I don’t know when/if I’ll get to it.
51. An Unkindness of Ghosts4 stars
This took me a while to get into, but once I did I was totally in this world. The mystery of what was going on was secondary to this expansive ship and its characters.
52. The Man Who Played with Fire: Stieg Larsson's Lost Files and the Hunt for an AssassinThis was, unfortunately, not nearly as interesting as I’d hoped. I’m guessing it would hit differently if I were Swedish, and if I’d had access to the audio (my preferred nonfiction format) that may have helped. Parts were really compelling, but there was a lot that was very dry and just way more detail than I was interested in.
Mod
This was, unfortunately, not nearly as interesting as I’d hoped. I’m guessing it would hit..."
Oh boo that's disappointing. I've heard so much about the mysteries surrounding Larsson and thought this would be really interesting! I also prefer to listen to my nonfiction instead of reading.
Elyse wrote: "Oh boo that's disappointing. I've heard so much about the mysteries surrounding Larsson and thought this would be really interesting! I also prefer to listen to my nonfiction instead of reading."Yeah, there is a lot of interesting stuff, but those bits seemed to get fewer and further between as I went. I probably should have just DNF'd.
53. Growing Up Dead in Texas3 stars
This is such a rambling novel, which drove me crazy the first couple chapters, but once I accepted that I was going to be a little bit lost the whole time, I liked it. I can't say the overall story worked for me, but as a series of beautifully crafted scenes, it's great.
54. Attachments4 stars (re-read)
I related to different aspects of these characters so well, and I was really rooting for all of them to get what they needed. I read this years ago, but I got a copy for Christmas and only now got around to reading it.
55. The Three-Body Problem3 stars (audio re-read)
Five years ago, I said: I really liked certain parts of it and a lot of the ideas, but I think overall it's just too overwhelming to say that I really enjoyed it. Well I was able to enjoy the story more and follow things more easily this time around, and I'm finally continuing the series.
56. The Chimes2 stars
I wanted to like this so badly, but I didn't. The premise is interesting, but so many things are only vaguely explained and it's almost halfway through the book before it starts to feel like the plot is going anywhere. I think the idea is one that sounds good when it's nebulous and mysterious, but as soon as you try to nail any of the details down, it just doesn't work. Or at least it didn't for me.
57. The Dark Forest3 stars
Like the first book, this one has a lot going on, to the point of being overwhelming. But unlike the first book, I don't come away needing to take a break from this world. It brings the story to an interesting place, and I'm curious to see where Liu's humanity goes from here.
58. Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss Without Losing Your HumanityThis was an impulse hold request after hearing about it on a podcast. I started just reading a few specific sections but finally ended up reading the entire book. I'm not anyone's boss, and a lot of this isn't relevant to me at all, but I still came away with some new ideas about communication in general.
59. Persist(audio)
This wasn't the inspiration I wanted right now, more of a depressing reminder about just how broken everything is.
60. Death's End3 stars
This trilogy, and especially this conclusion, is just. so. much. I started out feeling like this would be my favorite of the three books, but as it went on it just crammed so much in. The pacing was bizarre, sometimes it dragged, other times it was rushed. I don't know how much of this is different cultural expectations. Each book is very different, despite continuing the overall narrative, and it's amazing in terms of its scope and ambition and just how many ideas he plays with. But for personal enjoyment, firmly in the broad category of "good, not great."
61. The House in the Cerulean Sea4 stars
I felt like this was halfway between an adult and a children's book. It's extremely Dahl-esque in parts, and the message is so heavy handed it feels juvenile. But it's also full of the quirky loveliness I've come to expect from T.J. Klune.
62. The Calculating Stars3 stars
Most of the book was a solid 4-star read for me. It was fun and fascinating, but it didn't stick the landing. Suddenly all the little details of the world and the large cast of characters were discarded, as if Elma's drive to become an astronaut was the only part of the story that had ever mattered. It was still good, but I wanted more.
63. How to Be Ace: A Memoir of Growing Up AsexualThis graphic memoir focuses not just on asexuality but also OCD and anxiety. I felt like that part of the author’s experience wasn’t given the weight it deserved, but it’s obviously her story to tell and she wanted to focus on understanding and embracing her asexual identity.
64. A Dead Djinn in Cairo3 stars
Honestly if I'd read this when it was released, I don't know what I would have thought of it. Interesting, but not very satisfying. Knowing that there's a full-length novel set in this world, I can appreciate this, knowing that I'll be getting more of the details that aren't found in this short story.
65. Middlegame5 stars (audio re-read)
Listened to this in preparation for the sequel that recently came out. Still love the story.
Mod
Another queer graphic memoir. These are so good and so important."
I loved this one.
67. At the End of the Matinee4 stars
I was pleasantly surprised by this. I don't always connect with works in translation, whether that's an effect of the translation itself or cultural expectations or random luck. This was quiet and lovely. As the characters weave into and out of each other's lives, their romance or lack thereof is almost secondary to the exploration of past and future, coincidence and fate, and all the big and small things that come together to make a life.
68. Seasonal Fears4 stars
This isn't on the same level as Middlegame. It's not as sprawling in time and scope, I feel like I barely know these characters, and the plot is more a series of scenes than a fully realized story. But it's a great expansion of this alchemical fantasy, and I'm on board for whatever comes next.
69. Amora: Stories2 stars
This collection isn't for me. A couple stories stood out as more enjoyable, but for the most part it was a lot of meh, one after another. I started picking it up more sporadically, thinking that might help the monotony; it didn't. (But it's also quite literally not for me as I'm not anywhere under the sapphic umbrella so take my perspective with a grain of salt.)
70. The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics3 stars
This may be my first regency romance; if not, it's definitely one of my first. I liked it, some parts more than others, but nothing that feels especially worth noting.
71. The Reckoning: Our Nation's Trauma and Finding a Way to Heal(audio)
This really didn’t have any new information for me, so in that way it was disappointing. But it was somewhat gratifying to hear the former president referred to as just “Donald” throughout.
72. Serena Singh Flips the Script3 stars
This does a lot of things that I appreciated with the single and childfree main character; all of that was very refreshing. I can't get into specifics about what I didn't like as much, because it's all about how the story wraps up, with certain things getting dropped and others coming out of nowhere.
Halfway through the year, it's time for another goals check-in. Here are my relevant stats:📚 71 books finished
📚 13 owned books
📚 58 borrowed books
📚 23% impulse reads
📚 18,250 pages
📚 171 audiobook hours
📚 27% nonfiction books
📚 52% books by authors of color
📚 8% books by non-cis authors
👍
Mod
📚 71 books finished
📚 13 owned books
📚 58 borrowed books
📚 23% impulse reads
📚 18,250 pages
📚 171 audio..."
Looking good!!
73. Firebreak4 stars
This took me a little while to get acclimated to the world, but it was worth the effort. It feels terrifyingly plausible, and the entire last half of the book is so intense. It has somewhat of an open ending but still satisfying.
74. Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell4 stars
I really appreciated this story. There were some things that bugged me, but overall Savvy's journey feels very true. Even though she starts working on herself for the wrong reasons, she finds what she needs in the end.
75. Midnight in Washington: How We Almost Lost Our Democracy and Still Could(audio)
Not much to say about this one. It delivers what it says on the tin.
76. The Wolf of Oren-Yaro4 stars
This was a fun story, and while it definitely had some pacing issues, there's enough about this world that we only got hints of in this book that I'm very interested in continuing the series.
77. Financial Intelligence: A Manager's Guide to Knowing What the Numbers Really MeanThe first half of the book is a lot more universally applicable than the second half. I’d love to find a similar book focused on nonprofits.
78. Remember Me?3 stars (audio re-read)
It’s been a long time since I revisited the early books that got me hooked on Sophie Kinsella. Equal parts cute and ridiculous, with a touch of heart.
79. Billy Summers4 stars
This was almost like two different books (I guess three, if you count the one the main character writes) but it was all good. I always love when King writes about writing.
80. The Ten Thousand Doors of January4 stars
The last half of this was a five-star read. I loved it. It does take quite a while to really get going, but I'm so glad I pushed through.
75 Books...More or Less!
Books mentioned in this topic
Ark (other topics)The Outside (other topics)
Secret History (other topics)
The Bands of Mourning (other topics)
Bad Sex: Truth, Pleasure, and an Unfinished Revolution (other topics)
More...
📚 40 books finishe..."
You're doing great, Charleen!