75 Books...More or Less! discussion
Archive (2011 Completed)
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Stacie H's 2011 Challenge
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Another group I belong to and help run was reading Lord of the Rings. They started reading the Hobbit prior to starting the series so I figured I would give it a try. The only reason I'm sticking with it is the writing is so fantastic! However, sci-fi fan I am not!...lol
Andrea wrote: "Oh wise one, let me tell you....Another group I belong to and help run was reading Lord of the Rings. They started reading the Hobbit prior to starting the series so I figured I would give it a..."
Erm... if you aren't enjoying The Hobbit, the LotR is probably not going to be terribly fun for you. It is less light-hearted and far more layered and character driven than The Hobbit, and there is some really beautiful writing... but there are also chapters and chapters of landscape... and it's long.
not to mention, it's (LOTR) filled with annoying hobbit songs that can go on for 4-5 pages...
Gawd! That book was long, I mean seriously took me ages... And getting all 3 in one book wasn't the smartest idea.(I got it as a present to my hubby when it was so popular, he loves all sorts of fantasy) I had to carry a huge thing around.(Once again thanks to the tech! I have my e-reader now) Even the movies were long for one sitting. :) I can't say I loved LOTR but I believe it's worth reading. I am always fascinated by the imagination but not thinking to give The Hobbit a chance, not yet at least.
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Amy wrote: "not to mention, it's (LOTR) filled with annoying hobbit songs that can go on for 4-5 pages..."I actually enjoyed the songs and poems, LOL, and this discussion makes me want to pick up the trilogy again!
...and @Tugce I've got LotR on my Nook but I've also got the hardbound Anniversary edition, so I know your pain ;) Not only is it huge, it's heavy!
31.
King Solomon's Mines I realize that this book is a product of a time with very different sensibilities than our own... but I was horrified through most of this story. The rampant and explicit racism, sexism and gratuitous slaughter of, well, everything in sight really put a damper on my ability to enjoy this one. I can't believe I'm going to say this... but I think I'll stick with the movies!
32.
The Gates: A Novel This was pretty cute :) Not as good as The Book of Lost Things, the only other thing of Connolly's I've read, but solid and cute... plus there were times I snickered out loud :D It is very similar in tone and style to Good Omens (which, actually, was better and should be tried by everyone who enjoys Monty Pythonesque humor).
33.
Ash Ok, but nothing spectacular. Some of the writing was beautiful, especially the first chapter, but the characters were flat and the resolution was unbelievable.
34.
Lily Marin - three short steampunk stories The best thing about this is that it was short :/ The idea sounded promising- a steampunk superhero- right up my proverbial alley. Sadly, the author couldn't carry it off. Poor writing, poor (and inconsistent) characterization, and 'plotting' that doesn't make it past the 'vague idea' stage.
35.
The Drawing of the Three This is another re-read for me; it came up in one of my other reading groups so I picked it up again. I liked it even more the second time. I'm so glad I didn't let the first book in the series (The Gunslinger) turn me off!
36.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Revisited an old friend. I woke up with a fever and a sore throat and reached for this book. It's my grown-up version of a teddy bear; I've read it so many times that it requires absolutely no concentration and if I fall asleep I can practically dream the pages :)
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37.
Stealing Shadows (Shadows, #1) Fast paced and entertaining, but I'm not in any great rush to finish the series.
Stacie wrote: "30. 
The Book Thief Fantastic! The writing is so rich and layered that this story is best read slowly and savored :) Technically this is YA, but I thi..."I am hoping to read this sometime soon, nice to hear you enjoyed it :) I have been seeing mixed reviews about this one and that kept me stayed away. But now that I have a new resolution, no more new books until I read half of what I own-to-read :)I think I will read this one soon enough. (well to be realistic I think I will be extremely happy if I read one third of what I own before buying a new book :) )
Tugce Nida wrote: "Stacie wrote: "30. The Book Thief I am hoping to read this sometime soon, nice to hear you enjoyed it :) I have been seeing mixed reviews about this one ..."I definitely recommend it!
Good luck with your resolution :)
38.
A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder I find it mindboggling that, as much of a fan of Science Fiction as I am, I had never heard of this! It's on par with Wells and Verne even though the ending was abrupt, seeming incomplete. Since this book was published well after the author died I wonder if it is, in fact, unfinished.
I am a HUGE fan of LOTR. I am always disappointed when I get into a book and I find that there are no different races and such as in LOTR. If you have similar likes and are a fan of LOTR...you will love The Knights of the Dawn King.
39.
The Fellowship of the Ring This is one of the stories that I love more with each reading (or, as in this case, listening). Except for the Tom Bombadil section. I still hate that part. It isn't quite as bad in print but when the audio narrator tries to sing all of Tom's (and Goldberry's) parts... it's just painful. All of the non-singing parts of the narration, though, are fantastic!
40.
Before the Dawn: Recovering the Lost History of Our Ancestors Interesting and accessible to those of us without advanced degrees in Biology ;)
41.
Batman and Robin Vol. 1: Batman Reborn Ok, but not spectacular. Some of the sequences were visually just too 'busy' and the storyline was not terribly strong.
42.
When The Stars Walk Backwards Started out promising but never really gelled. Still, it's in my preferred genre so I was able to overlook a lot and just enjoy.
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Andrea wrote: "Stacie, you are just cruising right along this year!"I've been trying really hard not to let Facebook eat up too much of my time this year, LOL!. I'll probably hit a slowdown once summer hits (that's the busy season at work for me) so it's good to have a strong start ;)
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Andrea wrote: "Facebook and Goodreads eats up so much of time, I've really been working hard to find a better balance and try to let go of the feeling that I have to read every post of both sites."The harder you try the harder it is to acheive,as I am coming to realize....I think I am going to have my hubby take the modem to work with him...no modem=no internet=more time to do more worthwhile things! (Like read!) LOL!
43.
Traditional Quilting - Its Story And Its Practice This is an old book (first published in the 1950's and referring to research done in the '30s and '40s) but it is well worth the read if you are interested in quilting. It focuses on the quilting itself, not patchwork, and the plates alone are worth the price of the book- the work shown is absolutely amazing!
Joy wrote: "no modem=no internet=more time to do more worthwhile things! (Like read!) LOL! "Or it equals trying to do all the internet stuff on your smartphone, LOL! I'm pretty sure that takes longer if you have any typing to do ;p
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Andrea wrote: "After having a Blackberry for a year or so it was stolen from my car. When I went back to a plain old phone I was relieved to not have the attachment to a device as well as feeling like I was almos..."I would be so sad without my iPhone! I use it all the time... though I spend a surprisingly small amount of time talking on it :)
44.
The Two Towers I remember how much this book frustrated me the first time I read it- it's all about the 'supporting cast'. The 'main character' and 'main quest' don't even make an appearance entire first half of the book, lol! Now, upon rereading, it's easier to treat this as just a segment in a really long work :)
Man, doesn't the internet just rule our lives? It's EVERYWHERE!! You practically have to leave all electronics behind and run into the forest to get away from it!! LOL...Ahhh, a nice thought/picture...a quiet secluded cabin in the woods, with a babbeling brook nearby, a hammock on the porch, a table next to the hammock, and a pile of books, and your favorite drink and snacks on the table!!! ....ok, done daydreaming now! LOL oh yeah and no place int hat daydream was there ANY electronics!!! LOL...
Actually come to think of it, I AM going to be internetless for a bit, as I am moving and it will take the company 10-14 days to get internet hook up...yikes!!!
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Stacie wrote: "44. The Two Towers I remember how much this book frustrated me the first time I read it- it's all about the 'supporting cast'. The 'main character' a..."I don't really remember my thoughts on this the first time I read it (which was shortly after seeing the movies). I just remember thinking, of the trilogy as a whole, that it was so wordy and the movies so well done that it almost wasn't worth it to slog through the books (as it felt like to me).
I re-read all three recently and I agree, it's much easier to appreciate the second time around. Though I will say Fellowship of the Ring is actually my least favorite -- despite the fact that it's the only one that focuses on Frodo and the ring the whole time -- because it just feels so slow compared to the other two. Or, maybe it just takes me that long to get into the language of the books.
Andrea wrote: "We'll miss you Joy but in reality you will get a lot more unpacking done when you don't have internet...lol"This is soooo true. Come to think of it, I may have trouble getting on this site even after we get internet....when they were switching providers for the military a while back, and we were on the local provider for a bit, I was blocked from this site....if so that will be so sad! =( But I won't know for sure until I get my internet hooked up and going. Lets hope not!! I would miss this site soooo much!!
45.
Prince Caspian The funny thing is that I hadn't intended to read this, LOL! I was just cleaning and rearranging my book shelves and I picked it up. There was that feeling... nothing intrusive or demanding... just a memory of affection. The next thing I know, I'm closing the book again and starting to notice that the light was fading and that I was really stiff from sitting in the floor for a couple of hours! The closest thing I can compare it to is an ambush hugging from an old friend :D
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46.
The Waste Lands I'm finally getting around to reading these books (I've read just about everything else by King). If you can get past the first book in the series the rest get better but I'm still not overwhelmed by the 'genius' of his 'masterwork'. Meh... maybe I'll feel differently when I get to the end of the series and everything wraps up.47.
The Modern Scholar Archaeology and the Iliad: The Trojan War in Homer and History This was interesting and, at times, laugh out loud funny.
48.
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms I don't exactly know how to rate this. It's all convoluted politics, family infighting, creepy 'romance' with a hefty dose of social commentary and moral/ethical ambiguity (all things that I tend to hate) but I couldn't put it down and read it in a single sitting. I'm not sure I liked it, but it was compelling.
49.
Ancient Greece Short and very basic. Something I'd recommend for advanced Junior High students or High School Freshmen.
50.
Dies the Fire This was fun, but I'm not in any rush to read more of the series. The world building and character development were good, but the plot was not well defined and the internal timeline was a bit of a jumbled mess.
51.
Unclean Didn't particularly like this one. It's not that it was written badly, or anything like that, it's more like... being surrounded by unlikable people in an ugly place, if that makes sense.
52.
The Chrysalids I really enjoyed this one. It works well on the level of an entertaining story but it also made me think about the nature of human beings (which good sci-fi tends to do). The biggest surprise for me was that I'd never heard of John Wyndham... and I'm a huge sci-fi fan (hangs head in shame... lol).
53.
Virals 'Virals' reads like the novelization of a pilot T.V. episode (from the early 90's... one that would have aired along with 'The Flash' and 'Nightman'). The main thing that jumped out at me during the entire thing was how often Reichs references her Temperance Brennan series. Very annoying and clumsily done- if you are going to branch out into a new genre, please have the balls to branch out and stop trying to use another (completely different) series to give your self a safety net!
54.
Lost to the West: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western Civilization I really enjoyed this one. There is a definite bias (clearly, considering the title of the book, LOL!) but it is handled well and is straightforward. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to follow- especially since 'byzantine' has come to be synonymous with 'devious' and 'convoluted'!
55.
The Modern Scholar: The Medieval World I: Kingdoms, Empires, and War56.
The Medieval World II; Society, Economy, and CultureThese were both interesting, though of the two I enjoyed the first volume the most; it was a lot easier for me to follow because the subject allowed for a more linear presentation and dealt with concrete recorded events. The second volume dealt with more abstract and inferred ideas and was harder for me... probably because I was listening to it mostly very early in the morning on my way to work!
57.
Across the Universe I heard about this through another one of my book clubs. It looks like it's the first in a proposed series, but it stands on its own well. The twists and turns were obvious to me pretty early on (perhaps because I read a lot of science-fiction, lol) but that didn't take away from the enjoyment of the story... and I did like the way the end was handled. I'll keep an eye out for other things Ms. Revis.
75 Books...More or Less!
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I'm sorry you aren't enjoying the story. I always hate when reading something I don't like makes my favorite hobby a chore! If I may ask, why did you decide to try "The Hobbit"? That's not a derogatory question... I'm just curious because (glancing through your shelves) it just doesn't strike me as something you would gravitate towards. There's not much on your list with fantasy elements ;)