Challenge: 50 Books discussion
Finish Line 2011
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Piece of pie for Donna, cause I like it better than cake
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So, while I achieved my goal, it turns out that the real obstacle was BookTV on Cspan2 running various interviews and panel discussions from the BEA. Now I have a sheet of paper with authors & titles scribbled all over it - like my tbr list isn't already 7 pages long!!! So....#28. Street Magic, Caitlyn Kittredge. So many places to go in additional books. Not going to replace Harry Dresden in my affections, but definitely a series to follow. Damn... another series to follow.
#29. Quicksilver, Amanda Quick aka Jayne Ann Krentz. Same old, same old. Still entertaining & still better than a lot of what's out there.
#30. Blood Vines, Erica Spindler. Yeah, so not all that & a bag of chips. Nora Roberts does this soooooo much better.
#31. Under the Tuscan Sun, Frances Mayes. Out of the carry on & off the currently reading pile. Memoir is not usually my bag, but I found this pretty entertaining, especially once she got past the international real estate purchase stuff & onto the gardening, sight seeing & food portion. I bought this used & had started reading it on a plane trip when I found the original receipt from an airport bookseller. The plan was to finish it on a plane & leave it behind for someone else. Symmetry, you know? Guess I'll have to remember to put it back in my carry on.
#32 The Story Sisters, Alice Hoffman. Out of my waiting room tote & off the currently reading list. I love Alice Hoffman, but she needs to leave off the people dying of cancer (especially moms) and mental illness. Hits a little too close to home & the sob fest out on the patio was not a pretty sight.
Which completed the challange. So onto:
#33. Chasing Fire, Nora Roberts. It must be said, she is a goddess. There is no better companion for whiling away a sunny Saturday afternoon in a lawn chair.
#35. Breaking Point (I-Team #5), Pamela Clare. Ex-Navy SEAL + intrepid reporter in distress + evil drug dealers = good times. 'Nuff said.
Good gravy, I gotta start updating more often!!!
You can accomplish a lot in two weeks with a long weekend in the middle. Or, more to the point, you can get a lot of reading done if you're willing to accomplish nothing else.
#36. Dragon Bound (Elder Races #1), Thea Harrison. God save me, another series on the must follow list. Amazingly good. Picked it up because of the Nalini Singh blurb on the cover. Moved it to the top of the read pile because she gave some more raves on it at her book signing last week. She can pick a book. I must admit I'm ashamed I didn't pick up on Pia's true nature until she actually shifted. It should've been a no brainer for me.
I didn't get it either, but yeah the clues were all there. If I was a shifter then I'd so go for that
Me too!! As someone who still has a rather extensive collection, which includes a lot of poetry & literature on the subject, I can't believe how obtuse I was.
#37. Mr. Peanut, Adam Ross. Not an expose of the Planters company - although the titular character does make an appearance. Picked it up after hearing an author interview on NPR. You know you've hit middle age when you find yourself listening to people talk on the car radio as much as you listen to music. Anyway, slow to get into, but then it got good. A man fantasizes about killing his wife, he starts writing a book about killing his wife and then.... As much an exploration of marriage as a mystery.#38. Selected Shorts and Other Methods of Time Travel, David Goodberg. A GoodReads free read. Which is a good thing, unless you like stories wherein no good deed or intention goes unpunished.
"You know you've hit middle age when . . ." sounds like a good topic for discussion. :-)
Like "You know you're a redneck.." only more horrifying.
Exactly!Right now mine is . . . You know you've hit middle age when it takes you two days to recover after using a weedeater!
#39. "Bloodshot", Cherie Priest. Just when I think I've got about all the vampires I need in my life, along comes Raylene Pendle vampire cat burglar extraordinaire. Damn it.This was a GoodReads freebie, and I'm now five for six in the plus column with the prereleases. Of course, I managed to not get it read pre release....
#40. "Atlantis and Other Places", Harry Turtledove.I keep dipping my toe in the alternate history pool & keep coming up uninspired. Unless it involves dragons.
#41. "The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements", Sam Kean.#42. "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie", Alan Bradley.
I love the strange confluences that sometimes crop up wherein something you read has unexpected relevence within days of finishing or seems to mirror things going on in your own life or, as in this case, seem to be a planned expansion on a topic. The first an engaging book about the creation of the Periodic Table followed coincidently by a book with an budding chemist as protagonist. Really, love when that happens.
#42. "Smarty Pants", Tina Fey. Second audiobook ever. Insightful, funny, often snarky - just the way I like things. Favorite section was her ode to her father, Don Fey - who is always referred to by his full name. #43. "Heartless", Gail Carriger. Took longer to get rolling than the previous books, but let's chalk that up to Alexia's pregnancy hormones. In the end, a rollicking good time along with a foreshadowing that Lord Akeldama may not be what they think he is.
#44. "Shameless", Anne Stuart. Wherein Benedict Rohan, a prude compared to his predecessors, comes to town for a little post-mourning period debauch and instead gets caught up with a widow of the prostitue reforming ilk. He also finds out that no matter how much you despise your reprobate brother-in-law, it's never a good idea to go after him while you're shwasted. Love, love, love Anne Stuart.
#45. "Undead & Undermined", MaryJanice Davidson. Wherein Betsy is even more obtuse, if that's possible. Luckily it's a short read so the need to slap her is gone pretty quickly.#46. "Very Bad Men", Harry Dolan. I got Dolan's first book, "Bad Things Happen", as a free read from Goodreads, & it was one of the happiest reading experiences of that year. Finding out that there was another David Loogan story made me do a happy dance.
It's an apt visual. Dolan's writing is a waltz, it's beautiful & easy to read, & the whole thing would fall apart with one misstep. There is just not enough to say about someone who has such a wonderful command of language & uses it to write an intricate, engrossing mystery. You get to the place you think you were meant to end up, and there's just a little more... and then a little more.
And back to that strange confluence thing. Nova Science Now had a piece on synesthesia Tuesday night. Guess what one of the characters in "Very Bad Men" has. And prior to this I had never heard of synesthesia.
#47. "Storm's Heart", Thea Harrison. Finished at one a.m. and went to sleep happy. Meljean Brook happy. Nalini Singh happy. Happy happy happy.
#49. "Never Knowing", Chevy Stevens. Interesting concept. Adopted woman finds out her mother is the only survivor of a serial rapist/murderer making her father... Would you want to pursue that connection?
50. "Archangel's Blade", Nalini Singh. Was expecting another Raphael/Elena installment, but no. Still an entertaining read about Dmitri, the character constantly riding Elena's last nerve.Wow, I am off the pace! I had 50 by July last year.
I have this one in my tbr pile. I was set to read it and then I realized that it wasn't about Raphael/Elena and put it to the side.Donna wrote: "50. "Archangel's Blade", Nalini Singh. Was expecting another Raphael/Elena installment, but no. Still an entertaining read about Dmitri, the character constantly riding Elena's last nerve.
Wow, ..."
Oh, don't let that put you off! It's a good read. Gorier than the others, but then he is a vampire. It's some how going to fold into the larger story cause there are threads. Threads I tell you! And Aeodhan is leaving Haven!! And there are now four more books after this one. Yeah!!
51."Naked in Death", J.D.Robb. I know, I know. "Demon Marked" should be #51, but I had to read something while B&N spun my wheels and this was due back to the library.
52. "Magic Bites", Ilona Andrews. Yes, another series...sigh... Second book started while waiting on B&N, and happily a good one. At least I'm coming into the series after there have been a number of them published so when I'm ready for more I just have to reserve it instead of wait for it. Like I was waiting for "Demon Forged". Which I started this morning, finally.
Read most of Kate Daniels not long ago, it just gets better and better
I'm looking forward to it. What's better than a tiger shifter? A liger shifter. I'm just guessing here, but really how hard can that be to figure out?
53. "Demon Marked", Meljean Brook. FINALLY!!! Oh, how I miss Borders....So, it started out with a sort of way to get to the last book feel, but then, oh then, and then... OMG!!! OMG!!! OH MY GOD!!! Epic, just epic. There isn't much else I can say that wouldn't involve major spoilers, and I'm still hoping more of you will pick these up.
#54. "Never Enough"' Lauren Dane. Must say I didn't like Adrian as much as I thought I would. He spends a goodly portion of the book being an asshat, and then has to do minimal grovelling at the end. Still... these books are more about the sexxoring any way.
Donna wrote: "53. "Demon Marked", Meljean Brook. FINALLY!!! Oh, how I miss Borders....So, it started out with a sort of way to get to the last book feel, but then, oh then, and then... OMG!!! OMG!!! OH MY GOD!..."
Ha I know, OMG!! Michael's book cannot come fast enough
55. "Prey", Linda Howard. Sigh... this was an author I would actually pop just released hard cover money for a few years back. Where has that author gone? This was like reading the inner life of an OCD sufferer. Every little action, mental or physical, described, every decision dissected in minutest detail. At one point the only part of getting to the bathroom left out was the actual going part. Arghh... And really isn't it a better story when you don't know who the bad guy is until you need to know who the bad guy is?
56. "Goliath", Scott Westerfeld. Very enjoyable conclusion to the Leviathan trilogy. Lots of name dropping in this one. And poor Nikola Tesla. What did he ever do to Scott Westerfeld? I get it. He's the perfect historical figure to go to, but still.
#57. "Serpent's Kiss", Thea Harrison. Book three in the Elder Races series did not disappoint. Rune is great good fun. I really enjoy the sense of humor that Harrison brings to these books. Not that the adventure, suspense, romance stuff isn't great too. Now I have to wait six months for another installment.... Good thing I have a two foot tall stack of other books to keep me occupied... but still... six months.... sigh....
58. "Big Bad Beast", Shelly Laurentson. Just bawdy good fun. Hey, they can't all be Shakespeare... Nor should they be.
And in that vein:59. "Blood and Fire", Shannon McKenna. Oh, the over the top, out on a limb wonder that is Shannon McKenna's McCloud Brothers series. Good times....
And continuing in the nothing you have to think too hard about vein:60. "The Unbearable Lightness of Dragons", Katie McAlister. Pretty enjoyable what with the dragon brawling & the snappy dialogue, but since none of them figured out the all to obvious nemesis, I must cede the dragon crown to Thea Harrison for now.
61. "Halfway to the Grave", Jeaniene Frost. Ohio is a much more dangerous place than my old roommate would have me believe... Another series to follow, but not with the same urgency that others engender.
62. "The Next Always", Nora Roberts. So, what can I say. Standard Roberts' Lite, but since she probably writes better grocery lists than most people write period, that says a lot. Enjoyable characters going exactly where you expect them to go while dealing with kids, puppies and pizza. It's easy to forgive her for recycling the ghost from the Flowers series. It is a very old building, after all. Lovely read, and the fact that it's cold & pouring rain here made staying snuggled in bed to finish it this morning & being late to work totally worth it.
63. "Unveiled", Courtney Milan. So lovely to find a new author to love.
64. "The Beekeeper's Apprentice", Laurie R. King. Able successors to Doyle and Holmes. All the flavor & charm of the classic stories.
65. "After the Golden Age", Carrie Vaughn. Engrossing and delightful homage to classic comics. A little dark, a little romantic, a little funny, a little heartbreaking and a lot wonderful for anyone who's ever wondered what it would be like to be the non-super child of a superhero.
Wow, have I really not updated since November 28? YIKES!66. "Hostage to Pleasure", Nalini Singh. See any previous review of the Psy/Changling series.
67. "The Dovekeepers", Alice Hoffman. Well, I did say I wanted her to change things up a little. It may be too soon to review this book, having finished it just over an hour or so ago. There's a lot to ruminate on. Going in it's like seeing "Titanic": you know how the story ends, but still there's the story getting you to the tragic end. Four very different women whose destinies lead them to the fortress of Masada where they are assigned to work in the dovecotes. Hoffman's style is no less lyrical than her contemporary fiction. The desert is both beautiful and terrifying. The world is touched with both magic and brutality. I'm pretty sure I'll have more to say once this has settled a little more.
I got it right here, last book of the year:68. "Ready Player One", Ernest Cline. I was wondering, as I read this, how different this book might be for someone in their 20's as opposed to someone like me who actually owned that original Atari gaming system, blew all her tips playing PacMan with one of the bouncers (and don't get me started on my Tempest addiction), saw those movies in the theatres and therefore knows what the plaid robe and bunny slippers refer to and used enough Aquanet to be a major player in ozone depletion. A really enjoyable trip through memory lane for the geek girl that I still am. David beats Goliath, the bonds of friendship hold true and a little romance on the side. Finished 12/31/11. Great to wind up the year with a great book.
I was wondering about this book. Will add it to my list now :)Happy New Year!
Donna wrote: "I got it right here, last book of the year:
68. "Ready Player One", Ernest Cline. I was wondering, as I read this, how different this book might be for someone in their 20's as opposed to someon..."
Mod
68. "Ready Player One", Ernest Cline. I was wondering, as I read this, how different this book might be for someone in their 20's as opposed to someon..."
I'm so glad you liked it! Happy New Year.
The year in review: Total 68
Non fiction: 6 A record breaker!
Fiction: 4
SciFi/Fantasy: 10
Steampunk: 4
Romance: Contempory: 10
Historical: 10
Paranormal/Urban Fantasy: 19
Mysteries: 9
Of these there were:
Audio books: 1
Short story/anthologies: 2
Installments of a series: 26 - GOOD GRAVY!!
NPR recs: 2
Worst book of the year: "Prey" by Linda Howard
Favorite Reads not necessarily in this order:
"Ready Player One" Ernest cline
"Very Bad Men" Harry Dolan
"Dragon Bound" Thea Harrison
"Demon Marked" Meljean Brook
I love how you do the year roundup! Definitely copying you. Donna wrote: "The year in review:
Total 68
Non fiction: 6 A record breaker!
Fiction: 4
SciFi/Fantasy: 10
Steampunk: 4
Romance: Contempory: 10
Historical: 10
Paranormal/Urban Fanta..."
Yes I will also do the round up this world. Thanks for inspiration :)
It's good to see where you might need a little variety. I mean, 39 romances of some form vs. 4 general fiction? YIKES! I'm all for reading what makes you happy, but really.
Challenge: 50 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Ready Player One (other topics)Caressed by Ice (other topics)
Extra credit if I cook something from one of the cookbooks on the currently reading list so it can move to the read list.