75 Books...More or Less! discussion

Here we go again! ... Happy 2014 everyone! .. Hopefully we will all have fun shooting for our goals.

Welcome back and good luck!

Good luck, Tom! Happy New Year to you!

Good luck Tom! May we all reach our goals this year!! :-)

1. Hyperion by Dan Simmons

2. Commitment Hour by James Alan Gardner

3. The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson

Love the Millennium trilogy. Wish he'd been able to achieve his 10-book dream. :/ He died under very strange circumstances, I must say. Almost reads like one of his novels!

Elyse wrote: "Love the Millennium trilogy. Wish he'd been able to achieve his 10-book dream. :/ He died under very strange circumstances, I must say. Almost reads like one of his novels!"

So far - I've enjoyed this series very much. And yes, very strange circumstances indeed.. I was half way through the first book when I read about how Larrson died - it freaked me out a little!

4. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

Very good ... 4 Stars.

Tom wrote: "4. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

Very good ... 4 Stars."

This seems like a book that sparks strong reaction, be it positive or negative.

I just re-read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and hope to get to the other books again soon. I enjoyed them a lot the first time around. More books featuring Lisbeth would have been very interesting indeed!

Charleen wrote: "I just re-read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and hope to get to the other books again soon. I enjoyed them a lot the first time around. More books featuring Lisbeth would have been very interesti..."

After two books, Lisbeth is one of the best characters that I've met recently in books. I plan on starting the last book sometime this month.

5. Darkness, Take My Hand by Dennis Lehane

4 Stars

6. Zoo Story: Life in the Garden of Captives by Thomas French

4 Stars

7. Learning to Swim by Sara J. Henry

3.5 Stars

8. The Elusive Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman

4 Stars ... Mrs. Pollifax the character gets 5 stars - love her !

9. Birdman by Mo Hayder

3.5 Stars

I think I have that Birdman book from a loooong time ago. Never read it. I remember that cover though.

10. The Godfather of Kathmandu by John Burdett

3.5 Stars

11. Among Others by Jo Walton

3 Stars.

12. The 25th Hour by David Benioff - 4 Stars.

13. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson - 4 Stars.

I need to re-read the rest of the Millennium series. I re-read first one earlier this year and then got sidetracked with other things.

Charleen wrote: "I need to re-read the rest of the Millennium series. I re-read first one earlier this year and then got sidetracked with other things."

I really enjoyed the series - wish there was more. Love the Lisbeth character. I'm going to watch the movie next - just to see how they treat the characters.

14. Golfing with God: A Novel of Heaven and Earth by Roland Merullo - 4 Stars

15.Unclean Spirits by M.L.N. Hanover - 3 Stars

Tom wrote: "Charleen wrote: "I need to re-read the rest of the Millennium series. I re-read first one earlier this year and then got sidetracked with other things."

I really enjoyed the series - wish there wa..."

I enjoyed the Swedish ones a LOT more than the American one. Plus, they actually changed the story in the American one.

Elyse wrote: "Tom wrote: "Charleen wrote: "I need to re-read the rest of the Millennium series. I re-read first one earlier this year and then got sidetracked with other things."

I really enjoyed the series - w..."

Elyse - it's cool that you can read in Swedish! .. Sorry to hear that they changed the story in the American version - I hate when they do that.

16. A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea by Richard Phillips

4 Stars

Tom wrote: "Elyse - it's cool that you can read in Swedish! .. Sorry to hear that they changed the story in the..."

Oh, I'm only referring to the movies. :) The original Swedish movies are excellent.

Elyse wrote: "Tom wrote: "Elyse - it's cool that you can read in Swedish! .. Sorry to hear that they changed the story in the..."

Oh, I'm only referring to the movies. :) The original Swedish movies are excell..."

Do they have sub-titles? If so - I will watch those instead.

Tom wrote: "Do they have sub-titles? If so - I will watch those instead..."

Yes, they are subtitled. I believe they're still available on streaming Netflix.

17. Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach

3 Stars

18. The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen by Jacques Pépin

4 Stars

19. Doomsday Book by Connie Willis


2 Stars.

Arrrrgh !! It's amazing that I finished this. The first 3 quarters of the book drove me almost insane with slow moving, repetitiveness. The useless, bumbling characters chase each other around like chickens without heads for hundreds of pages.. saying and doing the same things over and over and over and over ...... then the story finally clicks into gear - and it's a good story, with lots of heartfelt emotion, which is the reason that I gave it two stars - otherwise it would have gotten 1/2 a star.

I remember Doomsday Book taking a long time to get me interested as well. I ended up liking it more than you did, but I'm not in a hurry to read more from Connie Willis.

20. David Busch's Canon EOS 70D Guide to Digital SLR Photography by David D. Busch

4 Stars

21. The Barbie Murders by John Varley

4 Stars

Good old fashioned SF stories !

I love Chef Pepin, Tom! Was it an interesting read?

Andrea wrote: "I love Chef Pepin, Tom! Was it an interesting read?"

Yes, Andrea .. a very enjoyable book. His life has been quite interesting - and it was well told, with recipes too!

22. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

4 Stars

23. Reservation Blues by Sherman Alexie

4 Stars

24. Baltimore Blues by Laura Lippman

3.5 Stars

25. Embassytown by China Miéville

1 Star

I know that Mieville is a very intelligent writer - but this didn't do anything for me.

26. The Chosen by Chaim Potok

4.5 Stars

Quite a read! Hard to believe I missed this one all these years..

Tom wrote: "26. The Chosen by Chaim Potok

4.5 Stars

Quite a read! Hard to believe I missed this one all these years.."

Well, yeah . . . For many years, I thought I should read this one, but then I forgot about it. You've reminded me it's one of those books I don't want to miss out on!

27. The Lifecycle of Software Objects by Ted Chiang

3 Stars

28. Swan Song by Robert McCammon

4 Stars.

Post apocalypse - after a nuclear war. Possibly a bit of a rip off of "The Stand".. but still, quite good.

29. We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler

4.5 Stars

Awesome book - powerful - this one will stay with me for a while.

Tom wrote: "29. We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler

4.5 Stars

Awesome book - powerful - this one will stay with me for a while."

Just added to my "To Read" list . . . seeing lots of great reviews for it.

30. Sister by Rosamund Lupton

3.5 Stars

Kind of a strange novel with twisty turns everywhere, and a very interesting ending. I liked it!

31. Deal Breaker by Harlan Coben

3.5 Stars