75 Books...More or Less! discussion

I'm still shooting for 75 :)

EDIT: After looking at my results from last year and the year before I've decided, tentatively, to up my goal to 80.

1. You Don't Even Know Me: Stories and Poems About Boys First read of the year! I rang in the new year by cuddling up with a book and a tiny dog (I knew as soon as midnight hit he'd wake me up anyway because he does not like fireworks, poor baby). Not a bad way to do things.

This was... interesting? I'm not sure that's really the best word to use. It's a collection of poems and stories from the perspective of young (mid to upper teens) urban black males. It's one of those things I picked up because it was so different from my own experiences, but I'm not really sure how I'd rate it. It's... alien. But my mind is still turning over the bits and pieces, shaking them, chewing on the corners, trying to grab hold of it. So I guess, yes, I'd recommend it as it's doing exactly what it is supposed to ;)

Stacie wrote: "1. You Don't Even Know Me: Stories and Poems About Boys First read of the year! I rang in the new year by cudd..."

It sounds like a good thinker read!

2. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

Stacie wrote: "2. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood"

This is in my TBR, How was it?

Elyse wrote: "Stacie wrote: "2. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood"

This is in my TBR, How was it?"

It was very good, another "thinker read". It's one of those things that becomes more significant, more real, after you've finished and it kicks around in your head. The art style is very simplistic, which gives you a kind of distance while you are reading, but once you've finished, it just sits there, unfolding in the back of your mind.

It's quick to read- you can go from cover to cover in an hour or so- but it's one of those things that gives you a "book hangover".

Stacie wrote: "It was very good, another "thinker read". It's one of those things that becomes more significant, more real, after you've finished and it kicks around in your head. The art style is very simplistic, which gives you a kind of distance while you are reading, but once you've finished, it just sits there, unfolding in the back of your mind..."

Sounds good!

3. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind An interesting survey-type book. I listened to the audiobook and there are a few glitches in the recording, played where words get clipped. Nothing is lost, nothing gets looped, but still slightly distracting and it keeps this one from being a 4 star, more like 3.5

FYI my star system goes about like this:
1- I wish the author had never been born.
2- I wish the book had never been written and that I could get back the time I spent reading it.
3- Adequate. Shows promise but not particularly compelling.
4- Engaging. Enthusiasm, but not obsession. Will probably read again at some point.
5- I refused to eat, drink or speak to people until I was done, and will definitely reread it at least once (and will likely own it in multiple formats). I feel the need to thrust copies into the hands of complete strangers while making inarticulate Wookie noises.


*not originally on my Read What You Own Challenge list, but still a title that I've owned for more than a year. So I'm counting it!

My good intentions of hitting my TBR pile hard this year lasted exactly as long as it took me to watch Rogue One. I seem to have fallen back down a rabbit hole and now have a "stack" of Star Wars books lined up ready to go. At least most of them are library ebooks... it's not really like I've added them to my stash of unread books! And what about the audiobooks, you say? Hush, you! ;p

4. Star Wars: The Force Awakens Adaptation A serviceable adaptation. Nothing really stands out, either story- or artwise. Some adaptations feel like revisiting the original, some feel like rehashing the original. This was the latter. This would have worked better "way back when", when access to the movie was difficult or impossible once it was no longer showing in theaters. Now, with the source material so readily available, the adaptation doesn't offer anything additional to the movie experience. I'd say that if you had nothing much else to do, and happened to have a copy sitting next to you, then, sure, pick it up and read through it but it's not worth going out of your way for.

(fyi- the book adaptation is much better than the comic and definitely worth picking up if you even "kinda" liked the movie. It actually makes most of the characters more dimensional and relatable. I'm not quite done with it, though, so I'm not listing it yet...)

I haven't even started on my RWYO yet. lol

Elyse wrote: "I haven't even started on my RWYO yet. lol"

I had good intentions. So many good intentions :D They usually last at least two full weeks. Not this year- my childhood is calling and I must answer, LOL!

It's all good. :)

5. Star Wars: The Perfect Weapon I found this in audiobook form. It's a short, fast paced adventure about a very peripheral character in Force Awakens (she has one line of dialog in the movie). This was written as part of the Journey to The Force Awakens tie-ins; it's is actually included in some print versions of SWTFA, which I didn't find out until after I listened to this. Still, the narration was good, and sometimes it's just nice to hear what all those names are supposed to sound like :D

6. The Force Awakens Alan Dean Foster almost always does good movie novelizations. This one is up to his usual standards. It includes scenes that were cut from the movie and offers some insights that clear up plot holes (there are also some things- minor explanations, etc.- in the book that are different from the movie (Sadly, though the movie's explanations are stupid, they're canon- the book description on what Starkiller Base is doing is much better than "draining the energy of a star"). I will say that there were some things that just didn't work well in written form (Rey's "vision" springs to mind) but overall this was a good read.

My husband is going through the canon books in audio format. He's a big fan.

Elyse wrote: "My husband is going through the canon books in audio format. He's a big fan."

I'm going through them in a mix of formats. The audio for TFA made me want to shove a hot poker in my ear, so I went with print for that one, lol, but so far the audio for Phanton Menace is good. Much better than the actual movie, to be honest... although having to listen to Jar Jar Binks again is making me consider print versions for the next two of the prequels.

haha Jar Jar Binks!

7. Faith, Volume 1: Hollywood & Vine I picked this up as part of Book Riot's Read Harder challenge (it fit 2 categories, a book set within 100 miles of where you live and a superhero comic with a female lead). I really, really wanted to like it... and it was just... The art is serviceable, the coloring is nice and the story... feels like one of those DIY website templates used by people who have no access to a professional designer. Meh.

I want to do the Read Harder Challenge. But I haven't even looked at it yet. lol. I probably should do that soon.

It's so funny I saw that and was wondering if we could do a similar challenge for our group. Obviously, I would not want to copy what the Book Riot group does, they do a great job at it too.

I was thinking maybe something on a smaller scale like a 12 book challenge.

Science fiction
Action and Adventure
Romance
Mystery
Horror
Self help
Health
Travel
Children's
History
Poetry
Journals
Prayer books
Series
Biographies
Autobiographies
Fantasy

I just don't like to keep adding things to the group and having people feeling overwhelmed.

I think people have their own things going and I think we have enough separate challenges and things to do. lol. We have good participation in what we have going on now.

Andrea wrote: "It's so funny I saw that and was wondering if we could do a similar challenge for our group. Obviously, I would not want to copy what the Book Riot group does, they do a great job at it too.

I wa..."

Next year, LOL!

Seriously, I've got something like five or six challenges going this year. I think I'm probably tapped out ;)

Elyse wrote: "I want to do the Read Harder Challenge. But I haven't even looked at it yet. lol. I probably should do that soon."

I would do it...

8. Purple Hibiscus I can't believe it has taken so long to pick up something by Adichie. I've been hearing so many good things about her books, but it was always something for "some day". I'm a little dismayed to admit that it was only because I needed a book with a color in the title that I picked it up at all, and a whole lot grateful that- whatever the reason- I did! I don't even know what to say about it, except that books like this are why I read and I immediately ordered a copy for my sister to put in her class library. And now I have to go find more things by her...

I agree, next year we should talk about it. Maybe each member that completes their challenge this year gets to pick a category for next year...hahaha

9. The Sixth Gun, Vol. Cold Dead Fingers I loved it! It made me think of the old House of Mystery comics my sister handed down to me when I was a kid and the many, many hours I spent sitting in the floor pouring over their delightfully creepy tales of the supernatural. I'm really not much of a fan of Westerns... until you add in monsters, curses and demons- then it's completely my ball of wax, LOL

10. Star Wars, Episode I - The Phantom Menace

11. Velociraptor Up Close: Swift Dinosaur For the very young dinosaur enthusiast. The illustrations are wonderfully colorful and and it is very short, so it would make a nice addition to a little one's "just one more bedtime story" shelf.

12. Catalyst - A Rogue One Novel This was surprisingly good. It took characters who were necessarily one dimensional in Rogue One and fleshed them out in satisfying ways (it is space opera so they are still archetypes, but it works here). I listened to the audio and really enjoyed the sound effects (engines, blasters, etc.); they were done well and didn't distract from the story. The narrator did a good job with all the voices (and there were a lot of characters with speaking parts!)

Stacie wrote: "12. Catalyst - A Rogue One Novel This was surprisingly good. It took characters who were necessarily one dimensional in Rogue One an..."

My husband enjoyed this one a lot!

13. Ancient Greek Athletics The information was new to me, which was great... but I kept falling asleep whenever I read it, so it took me a long time to finish (probably more of a "me" things, since it was well written and I generally really like learning ancient history.)

14. Disney Kingdoms: Figment #1

15. Figment 2: Legacy of Imagination

What can I say about these? Well... the colorist was great... I read them for free through work... they count as "Z" for my ABC Author challenge. Other than that... Oh, God, I want the time I spent reading these back.

16. Haunted Mansion This one, though, was much better! The story is cute and mostly coherent, the art is clean, the colors crisp.

Stacie wrote: "14. Disney Kingdoms: Figment #1

15.[book:Figment 2: Legacy of Imagination|26030..."

Oh no!! What a bummer! At least they were short? lol

Elyse wrote: "Oh no!! What a bummer! At least they were short? lol ..."

True, they were short and the art was nice... and, I read them during my shift, so technically I was paid to read them ;) The first one is aimed strictly at die-hard fans of the WDW attraction, but the second would probably appeal to early grade-school readers as an adventure story. (Neither category do I fall into.)

17. Underground Ranger: Adventures in Carlsbad Caverns National Park and Other Remarkable Places A solid three stars. Interesting topic, when not completely obscured by self-congratulatory purple prose. (That makes the book sound worse than it was; it really only got ridiculous in the last fifty pages or so)

18. Norse Mythology I adored this. I went with the audiobook- because, if you can have Neil read to you, why wouldn't you? It was fantastic. I'd known almost all of these stories but for each one I eagerly awaited the resolution... and for some of them I actually giggled helplessly (Freya's Strange Wedding).

Stacie wrote: "17. Norse Mythology I adored this. I went with the audiobook- because, if you can have Neil read to you, why wouldn't you? It was fantastic. I'd ..."

He is a charming narrator but very soft-spoken, I find myself cranking the volume on his audiobooks. lol. This one's in my TBR!

Elyse wrote: "He is a charming narrator but very soft-spoken, I find myself cranking the volume on his audiobooks. lol. This one's in my TBR! ..."

This is true, but it brings to mind evenings being read to... when you have to sit calmly and focus on the tale your Dad (or Mom or sister) is reading, sitting close and leaning slightly closer. His narration seriously reminds me of some of the best times of my childhood, which is probably why I love it so much, LOL. (noise canceling/ isolating earbuds help. Since I'm always a passenger during my commutes I've always got my headphones in)

I will say that I wished I'd had the physical copy to read along with- some of those names were impossible to wrap my head around by just hearing them.

Stacie wrote: "This is true, but it brings to mind evenings being read to... when you have to sit calmly and focus on the tale your Dad (or Mom or sister) is reading, sitting close and leaning slightly closer. His narration seriously reminds me of some of the best times of my childhood..."

I mostly listen on my commute, through Bluetooth, I should try earbuds!

19. Han Solo Enjoyable, but nothing spectacular.

20. Ultimate Comics Hawkeye #1 This was recommended to me. The art style and story do nothing for me; solidly "meh".

21. Universal Harvester I honestly have no idea how to rate this one. I picked up the audio version because anything written by Darnielle really needs to be listened to with his particular phrasing and cadence or it just doesn't make sense (not usually a problem since he's a singer/songwriter). Ok, to be fair, sometimes it still doesn't make sense, but it's beautiful!

This book is surreal... dreamlike. I was perfectly content to be carried by the ebb and flow, with no expectations of what the story was or where it was going. Each time I had to stop, I was eager to get back to it. But, once I'd finished and tried to think about the story logically the only thing I could think was "WTF?"

I'm not sorry I bought the audiobook and I enjoyed the time I spent listening, but I don't know that I could listen to it again even though I thought a lot of the writing was beautiful.

Stacie wrote: "20. Universal Harvester I honestly have no idea how to rate this one. I picked up the audio version because anything written by Darnielle rea..."

Sounds interesting but IDK if I want to commit myself to it. lol.

Elyse wrote: "Sounds interesting but IDK if I want to commit myself to it. lol. ..."

That is probably an accurate takeaway from my review, lol!

22. The Lais of Marie de France I think I want to enjoy reading medieval literature more than I actually do. I like studying them and teasing out the historical contexts and ties, but when just 'surface reading' them I don't really enjoy them that much. But, good God! I've had this one for seventeen years and it feels great to finally move it from the "to do someday" column to the "done" one :D

23. The Art of Reading This could also have been titled "Pompous Sounding, Though Knowledgeable, Professor Extensively Quotes and Praises Himself and Other, Mostly Italian, Writers and Occasionally Mentions Reading." (the worst part is that I'd listened to this before. My impressions were so far removed from everyone else's that I thought that maybe it was just me and I wasn't in a good headspace, or something, the first time. Nope. Hated it even more the second time around.)

24. The Sixth Gun, Vol. 2: Crossroads I'm loving this series. I should probably just give in and buy the rest now.

Stacie wrote: "22. The Art of Reading This could also have been titled "Pompous Sounding, Though Knowledgeable, Professor Extensively Quotes and Praises Hims..."

HAHA! I love your title!

25. Gnaw: The Hour Of Insomnia Overall, this was pretty bad. I mean cringe-worthy bad. Except for this one line in the third poem that just hit me in a way that justified the download: Nothing is darker than the shade that colors the road to home grey.

26. Persian Fire: The First World Empire and the Battle for the West Fascinating topic, but the writing meandered all over the place making this much harder to follow than it should have been.

27. Alexander the Great: The Hunt for a New Past This one was clear and linear, for the most part, though there is some "Oh, yeah! Let's back-track a bit" in the last couple of chapters.

Both of these are titles I've owned for years (one was even on my shelf of things to get read this year. Go me! LOL). The neat thing about reading them concurrently was that they dealt with some of the same events (Alexander's Persian conquest) from completely different viewpoints and contexts.

28. Wolf in White Van I read several reviews that talked about how bleak and grim (one described it as "a steady spiral into crushing defeat") but that was never really the feeling I got from it. To me it was more of a "There is cause and effect, but no guiding purpose, no overarching reason to everything... and that's ok. There is an end point, a concrete goal, a 'victory'. It's real, it exists and it's possible to achieve... but you'll never really get there, and that's ok too. And knowing this could have made the protagonist bitter, angry and cruel but has instead made him kind. And it can make you kind, too." It was sad, but it was comforting too. And now I have such a book hangover...

29. Salt to the Sea