2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion

So Why 42?

Last year I shot for 40 books and at the time I write this I'm at 46, not including 3 books I kicked and did not finish. I have a good shot at hitting 50 for 2017. You can see more about that topic here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

So why on 42 this year? Isn't that a step backwards? Well, yes it is. But I believe I will have less time, not more, for reading this year. For the first few months of 2017 I was unemployed and when I did accept a job offer in April I spent about 3 months working from home completing some training and licensing classes, which allowed me to be flexible with my schedule.

But I've learned to be creative. I take a book with me wherever I go and try to read when I have some dead time, instead of playing on my phone which I used to do.

I think I can get to 42. Heck, I might even surprise myself and get to 50! But really I'd like to focus on the quality of the books I read. I know I know, I said that last year too. The quality of my reads didn't really go up. In fact, they may have gone down a little. So what happened?

Well, I started participating more in group reads. I enjoy being able to discuss a book I've just read, although not many of my friends read and those who do often have different tastes than I do. But sometimes my group reads lead me to read different books than I would have otherwise. And here I have several hundred books sitting on my shelves that are begging to be read, including series that I'd like to continue. So, how can I reconcile all this?

I've decided I'm going to continue my group reads, but I'm only going to read books that I already own or was nearly about to buy anyway. I'd like to keep it to 1-2 per month, but I think I'm going to have 5-6 in January depending on how the voting turns out in some of my groups. Hopefully that will allow me some time to focus on books I want to read that fall outside the group reads.

And as far as quality goes, I've tried to organize my bookshelves - both my physical shelves and my GR shelves - to help me focus on some good books that I would like to read. I'm also going to be less tolerant of reading bad books - I kicked three books in 2017 and it felt great each time I did it. I also suffered through another book that I wish I would have kicked - I got no sense of accomplishment from finishing it by the way, just relief that it was over. Some books are just terrible. Life is too short to waste time on them.

So that's how I got to 42, which is coincidentally the number Jackie Robinson wore when he played for my beloved Dodgers, although that had nothing to do with why I picked it. That equates to 3.5 books per month. Now let's see if I can do it.

Feel free to comment, and of course friend requests are always appreciated if you think we have similar tastes or if you're just looking to chat about books or heck even if you just want more friends!

More updates coming soon, both on this thread and my 2017 thread.

I think 42 is a great number Randy! And as I said I'm glad you decided to participate in at least some of the group reads. I too trie to only participate when the chosen book is already on my TBR list, although sometimes it's a book I haven't heard of before but which sounds interesting.

Deciding not to finish a book is something I should learn too. But I'm always afraid that it turns out to be very interesting towards the end and that I would miss that lol. I do have some DNF; books where not only every chapter or even every page is hell, but every sentence....books that could just as easy been written in chinese....wondering what in the world I'm reading.

Looking forward to see what books you will be picking! Good luck on your goal(s) Randy and happy reading!

Susy wrote: "I think 42 is a great number Randy! And as I said I'm glad you decided to participate in at least some of the group reads. I too trie to only participate when the chosen book is already on my TBR l..."

Thanks Suzy! Good luck on your 2018 goal also! Hopefully we'll have plenty of good books to discuss in the coming year.

Randy - Love your post detailing on how you arrived at your goal!

And 42 is definitely not a step back, just think that you're adapting to changed circumstances! And if it made you think of Jackie Robinson all the better! hahahaha (I'm a huge baseball fan.)

I've learned to DNF books a few years ago but I still have some work to do on that front. Some books I can DNF with no problem, while others I give chance after chance...I need to let go of those too.

D.G. wrote: "Randy - Love your post detailing on how you arrived at your goal!

And 42 is definitely not a step back, just think that you're adapting to changed circumstances! And if it made you think of Jackie..."

Thanks D. G.! Good luck on your goal as well!

Best of luck with your challenge!

Blagica wrote: "Best of luck with your challenge!"

Thank you Blagica!

Happy New Year everyone! May 2018 be successful and prosperous for you and your families! And hopefully we'll all get to read a lot of great books! :-)

As you may recall from my posts in 2017, I read a lot of books at the same time. This helps me not get bored and fall into the dreaded reading slump.

Last year I read a lot of books as group reads for my various GoodReads book clubs. This year I'm going to try to participate in group reads if I already own the book and want to read it, with some rare exceptions. In general I'd like to participate in a couple group reads each month however this month I'm reading along in six group reads!

To start the year off I'm reading:
- Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said by Philip K. Dick for the Evolution of Science Fiction book club
- Uprooted by Naomi Novik for the SciFi and Heroic Fantasy book club
- Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan for the SciFi and Heroic Fantasy book club
- Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey for the SciFi and Heroic Fantasy book club
- The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith for the Pulp Fiction book club
- The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde for this book club!
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin - I haven't been in a rush to finish this since there's no sign that the next volume in the series is approaching publication
- Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System from Crisis — and Themselves by Andrew Ross Sorkin - I've put this aside to focus on some book club group reads but would like to get back to it
- Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders by Neil Gaiman - I'm just picking at this one whenever I get a chance and am so inclined

I'm hoping to finish the first 6 on the list by the end of the month.

Kristin wrote: "A great goal, Randy. Like you, I have started to quit books that aren't working for me. Some aren't even terrible -- they just might not be the right book for me at the time. I have returned to and..."

Thank you Kristin! I hope you have a great 2018!

I think 42 is a great number. We all need to set realistic goals for ourselves. Me, I don't even know what my 2018 goal should BE yet. I made some adjustments I think will help me be able to read more but it's only just been a day. You really seem to know what you're doing here, Randy :)

Michelle wrote: "You really seem to know what you're doing here, Randy :)"

Thanks Michelle, but I'm just making it all up as I go along. ;-)

Good luck on your goal! I'm sure you'll figure out a number that works for you.

JANUARY UPDATE:

The month is almost over but I have a couple minutes right now to summarize where I'm at.

FINISHED READS THIS MONTH:
#1 - Uprooted by Naomi Novik
Goodreads book club: SciFi and Heroic Fantasy
- 4 stars
- REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#2 - The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
Goodreads book club: Pulp Fiction
- 4 stars
- REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#3 - The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Goodreads book club: this book club!
- 4 stars
- REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#4 - Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said by Philip K. Dick
Goodreads book club: Evolution of Science Fiction book club
- 4 stars
- REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

In the next couple days I will finish these two books, and when I do I will post my rating and review:
Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan
Goodreads book club: SciFi and Heroic Fantasy book club
Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey
Goodreads book club: SciFi and Heroic Fantasy book club

FEBRUARY GROUP READS:
I have 5 lined up for this month, but they are overall much shorter books (and easier to read, I'm guessing) than most of last month's books.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Goodreads book club: Science Fiction and Heroic Fantasy AND Sword and Laser (and who knows, maybe also for this club in March)
The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
Goodreads book club: Science Fiction Aficionados
All Systems Red by Martha Wells
Goodreads book club: Dragons and Jetpacks
Queenpin by Megan Abbott
Goodreads book club: Pulp Fiction
Money Shot by Christa Faust
Goodreads book club: Pulp Fiction

NON-GROUP READ BOOKS I AM WORKING ON:
The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2016 edited by Rich Horton
A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System from Crisis — and Themselves by Andrew Ross Sorkin
Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders by Neil Gaiman

JANUARY SUPPLEMENT:

#5 - Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey
Goodreads book club: SciFi and Heroic Fantasy book club
- 3 stars
- REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#6 - Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan
Goodreads book club: SciFi and Heroic Fantasy book club
- 4 stars
- REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

NOTE: At the time of this writing I have not completed my reviews on these books. The reviews should be up no later than this weekend, maybe as early as tomorrow.

Randy you are making great progress in your first month!

Blagica wrote: "Randy you are making great progress in your first month!"

Thank you Blagica!

And the reviews I mentioned in the post above are now up.

Mid-February Short Story Update

I'm currently reading a short story collection and a "best of" anthology. Also, the GR bookclub Evolution of Science Fiction reads a couple of short stories each month. I thought I'd post some of what I've read lately, or at least the better ones which I could recommend to others, most of which is available on the internet for FREE!

Most of these are Science-Fiction or Fantasy. Obviously my ratings are based on my tastes so your mileage my vary. And to the best of my knowledge all these links are authorized/legal. If you discover one that isn't please let me know and I will delete it.

I think short stories are a great way to get introduced to an author I've never tried before. They're also a great way for an author to try some new idea or style without devoting an entire novel to it.

5 stars:
"The Long Goodnight of Violet Wild" by Catherynne M. Valente - What a fantastic, amazing fantasy story based on colors! It's just so beautifully written I feel compelled to share it.
If you want to read it free, it's available here:
Part 1 - http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/valen...
Part 2 - http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/valen...

Understand by Ted Chiang - the same author who wrote "Story of Your Life" which was the basis for the movie "Arrival," this story is a lot like the underappreciated film "Limitless."
Available for free here: https://web.archive.org/web/201405271...

A Study in Emerald by Neil Gaiman - great mashup of Sherlock Holmes and H.P. Lovecraft
Available for free here: http://www.neilgaiman.com/mediafiles/...

4 stars:
A Sound of Thunder by Ray Bradbury - a really imaginative time travel story that has probably inspired a lot of copycats (also it was parodied by The Simpsons in one of their annual Halloween specials).
Available free here:
http://www.rosaryhs.com/s/1514/images...

Eight O'Clock in the Morning by Ray Faraday Nelson - this is the basis for the John Carpenter film "They Live" (which I have not seen).
Available free here: http://www.whale.to/b/eight_o.html

"And You Shall Know Her by the Trail of Dead" by Brooke Bolander - this one is violent cyberpunk, a lot of fun I thought but be warned regarding the content.
Available for free here: http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fic...

"The Things" by Peter Watts - a great story for fans of the 1982 film "The Thing"
Available for free here: http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/watts...

A Logic Named Joe by Murray Leinster - it's very dated but I found it hilarious. It's especially funny if you substitute "iPhone" for "logic" in the story.
Available for free here: http://www.baen.com/chapters/W200506/...

3 stars:
"Cat Pictures, Please" by Naomi Kritzer - maybe now we can all understand the internet a little bit better?
Available for free here: http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/kritz...

Maneki Neko by Bruce Sterling - this story was the inspiration for the story above ("Cat Pictures, Please")
Available for free here: http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fic...

"Things With Beards" by Sam J. Miller - a totally different take on "The Thing" (1982 movie) - warning: there are some adult situations and content
Available for free here: http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/mille...

Anyway, let me know if you read and like any of these. I may post some more in a few weeks if people like them.

And of course please share these with other readers!

FEBRUARY UPDATE:

Still a couple days left, but I finished 6 books (which is 12 for the year) and am already onto next month's reads:

FINISHED READS THIS MONTH:
#1 - All Systems Red by Martha Wells
Goodreads book club: Dragons and Jetpacks
- 3 stars
- REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#2 - Queenpin by Megan Abbott
Goodreads book club: Pulp Fiction
- 4 stars
- REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#3 - A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Goodreads book club: Science Fiction and Heroic Fantasy AND The Sword and the Laser (AND for this club in March)
- 3 stars
- REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#4 - Money Shot by Christa Faust
Goodreads book club: Pulp Fiction
- 3 stars
- REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#5 - The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
Goodreads book club: Science Fiction Aficionados
- 3 stars
- REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#6 - Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders by Neil Gaiman
Goodreads book club: NONE
- 4 stars
- REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

MARCH GROUP READS:
I have 6 lined up for this month and have already started on 3 of them.
Thieves Like Us by Edward Anderson
Goodreads book club: Pulp Fiction
I started this depression-era (published in 1937) noir and I love it so far
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
Goodreads book club: Dragons & Jetpacks
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
Goodreads book club: SciFi and Heroic Fantasy
The Asphalt Jungle by W.R. Burnett
Goodreads book club: Pulp Fiction
Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
Goodreads book club: The Evolution of Science Fiction
I'm about 1/3 of the way into this one but it's not grabbing me as much as I'd hoped, at least not so far
Nexus by Ramez Naam
Goodreads book club: The Evolution of Science Fiction
This one is terrific so far

NON-GROUP READ BOOKS I AM WORKING ON:
The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2016 edited by Rich Horton
A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System from Crisis — and Themselves by Andrew Ross Sorkin
Moby-Dick or, The Whale by Herman Melville
The Collected Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe by Edgar Allan Poe - just started this beast and won't be finishing it for a while - I'll just be picking at it wherever I have time.

I wish I had your talent to make everything look so good like you do here. you are doing fantastic keep it up.

Blagica wrote: "I wish I had your talent to make everything look so good like you do here. you are doing fantastic keep it up."

Thanks Blagica! I'm glad you like it.

Mid-month update:

I'm at 14 for the year now after finishing:


Thieves Like Us by Edward Anderson
Rating: 5 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Read for Pulp Fiction group


A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
Rating: 5 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Read for Dragons & Jetpacks group

Any month with two 5-star reads is a good one. I only had two 5-star reads in all of 2017! There might be one more 5-star read this month too...stay tuned!

Randy wrote: "Any month with two 5-star reads is a good one. I only had two 5-star reads in all of 2017! There might be one more 5-star read this month too...stay tuned! "

Nice!

Have added the Earthsea cycle to my TBR :)

Susy wrote: "Have added the Earthsea cycle to my TBR :) "

Good call! :)

I finished three more and I am now up to 17 for the year!


Nexus by Ramez Naam
Rating: 5 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Read for The Evolution of Science Fiction group


Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Read for The Evolution of Science Fiction group


The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Read for SciFi and Heroic Fantasy group

So that makes it THREE 5-star reads in one month, which is one more than I had all of last year!

There's still a few days left in the month so stay tuned to see if I get any more finished...

A book is a dream that you hold in your hand. Looks like you have had some awesome dreams this year. I hope that April brings you many more five star reads. Do you have a stand out book so far this year?

Blagica wrote: "A book is a dream that you hold in your hand. Looks like you have had some awesome dreams this year. I hope that April brings you many more five star reads. Do you have a stand out book so far this..."

Great question Blagica! I liked three books last month enough to give them my elusive 5-star rating but I think my favorite for the year (so far) was Nexus by Ramez Naam. I base that on the fact that I enjoyed it so much that I started telling everyone around me about the book, whether or not they read books at all (and whether or not they even cared what I was talking about). That's how I know I really loved a book.

March end of the month update:

I finished three more at the end of March to give me 20 for the year so far!


The Asphalt Jungle by W.R. Burnett
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goodreads book club: Pulp Fiction


Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
Rating: 1 star
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goodreads book club: The Evolution of Science Fiction


A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goodreads book club: Read A Song of Ice and Fire in 2016 (obviously I'm a little tardy)

APRIL BOOKS I AM READING:

APRIL GROUP READS:

I have seven I am going to try to finish this month! (I am going on a trip to Virginia with my daughter's basketball team so hopefully the lengthy plane flight will allow me some undisturbed reading time.)

I, the Jury by Mickey Spillane
Goodreads book club: Pulp Fiction

Where Eagles Dare by Alistair MacLean
Goodreads book club: Action/Adventure Aficionados

The Eyes of the Overworld by Jack Vance
Goodreads book club: Beyond Reality (as part of the Tales of the Dying Earth collection)

Armor by John Steakley
Goodreads book club: SciFi and Heroic Fantasy

We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor
Goodreads book club: The Sword and Laser

Black Wings Has My Angel by Elliott Chaze
Goodreads book club: Pulp Fiction

Night Passage by Robert B. Parker
Goodreads book club: The Mystery, Crime and Thriller Group

NON-GROUP READ BOOKS I AM WORKING ON:
Three Men in a Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog by Jerome K. Jerome
The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2016 edited by Rich Horton
The Wind's Twelve Quarters by Ursula K. Le Guin
Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System from Crisis — and Themselves by Andrew Ross Sorkin
Moby-Dick or, The Whale by Herman Melville

I decided to put aside The Collected Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe by Edgar Allan Poe because I just don't have time for it right now, but I hope to pick it up again in the next few months.

Randy wrote: "Blagica wrote: "A book is a dream that you hold in your hand. Looks like you have had some awesome dreams this year. I hope that April brings you many more five star reads. Do you have a stand out ..."

Awesome!

#21 completed:


I, the Jury by Mickey Spillane
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goodreads book club: Pulp Fiction

#22 completed:


Where Eagles Dare by Alistair MacLean
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goodreads book club: Action/Adventure Aficionados

#23 completed:


The Eyes of the Overworld by Jack Vance
Rating: 4 stars (really more like 3.5)
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goodreads book club: Beyond Reality (as part of the Tales of the Dying Earth read)

Now moving on to the 3rd book in the Dying Earth series (which I probably won't finish until next month):


Cugel's Saga by Jack Vance

#24 completed:


Three Men in a Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog by Jerome K. Jerome
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goodreads book club: none, although I read this short, classic book in preparation to read the book shown below (which was inspired somewhat by this book).

Now starting:


To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis
Goodreads book club: Science Fiction Aficionados

I finished a few books while I was traveling with my daughter's basketball team:


Black Wings Has My Angel by Elliott Chaze
Rating: 5 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goodreads book club: Pulp Fiction


Night Passage by Robert B. Parker
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goodreads book club: The Mystery, Crime and Thriller Group


Armor by John Steakley
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goodreads book club: SciFi and Heroic Fantasy


We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goodreads book club: The Sword and Laser

That brings me up to 28 for the year so far! I'm not sure if I will finish any more this month, but I have a lot in the works for next month.

So 28 for the year so far...I appear to be well ahead of the pace I need in order to meet my goal. I "blame" all my terrific Goodreads groups for inspiring me to read all these terrific books this year!

With no more to be finished in April, I turn to May in which I hope to finish the following books that I am currently reading:


We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
Goodreads book club: Literary Horror


Old Man's War by John Scalzi
Goodreads book club: none, but I am preparing to read the sequel to this book (The Ghost Brigades) with the Dragons and Jetpacks group


Cugel's Saga by Jack Vance
Goodreads book club: Beyond Reality (as part of the collection Tales of the Dying Earth)


The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall
Goodreads book club: Literary Darkness


March Violets by Philip Kerr
Goodreads book club: Crime, Mysteries & Thrillers


To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis
Goodreads book club: Science Fiction Aficionados


Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Goodreads book club: THIS group! :-)

I hope to finish all of these this month. Also, if I have a chance to add any to this list I will update this thread as needed.

Randy wrote: "So 28 for the year so far...I appear to be well ahead of the pace I need in order to meet my goal. I "blame" all my terrific Goodreads groups for inspiring me to read all these terrific books ..."

I know what you mean lol

“Reading brings us unknown friends” While the warm weather is coming I hope you make some new friends in May!

Blagica wrote: "“Reading brings us unknown friends” While the warm weather is coming I hope you make some new friends in May!"

Thank you Blagica and Suzy!

I finished two more books which gives me 30 for the year!


Old Man's War by John Scalzi
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goodreads Book Club: none but I intend to read the sequel The Ghost Brigades with the Dragons & Jetpacks group


We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goodreads Book Club: Literary Horror

Now adding to my Currently Reading pile:


The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury
Goodreads Book Club: SciFi and Heroic Fantasy


Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Goodreads Book Club: SciFi and Heroic Fantasy


All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Goodreads Book Club: EVERYONE Has Read This But Me

Reading All the Light We Cannot See as well (buddy read) :)

Susy wrote: "Reading All the Light We Cannot See as well (buddy read) :)"

Buddy read for this group, right? I think I'm jumping in on that.

Randy wrote: "Susy wrote: "Reading All the Light We Cannot See as well (buddy read) :)"

Buddy read for this group, right? I think I'm jumping in on that."

Yes (and another group). Cool!

I finished two more which gives me 32 for the year:


Cugel's Saga by Jack Vance
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goodreads Book Club: Beyond Reality (as part of Tales of the Dying Earth)


The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall
Rating: 2 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goodreads Book Club: Literary Darkness

And I started reading some other books:


The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi
Goodreads Book Club: Dragons & Jetpacks


Night's Master by Tanith Lee
Goodreads Book Club: Sword and Laser


The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson
Goodreads Book Club: SciFi and Heroic Fantasy


Rhialto the Marvellous by Jack Vance
Goodreads Book Club: Beyond Reality (as part of Tales of the Dying Earth)

I finished #33 for the year:

Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goodreads Book Club: SciFi and Heroic Fantasy

Now adding to my Currently Reading pile:


A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle
Goodreads Book Club: This one!

And today I finished #34 for the year:


March Violets by Philip Kerr
Rating: 5 Stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goodreads Book Club: Crime, Mysteries & Thrillers

Now starting:


Ancient Sorceries and Other Weird Stories by Algernon Blackwood
Goodreads Book Club: Literary Horror


The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Goodreads Book Club: The Mystery, Crime & Thriller Group

I finished #35 for the year:


The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goodreads Book Club: Dragons & Jetpacks

Now starting:


The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi
Goodreads Book Club: Dragons & Jetpacks

I finished 3 more yesterday which gives me 38 total for the year:


Night's Master by Tanith Lee
Rating: 2 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goodreads book club: The Sword and the Laser


The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goodreads book club: SciFi and Heroic Fantasy


Rhialto the Marvellous by Jack Vance
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goodreads book club: Beyond Reality (as part of Tales of the Dying Earth)

And I am starting these books:


Suspect by Michael Robotham
Goodreads book club: The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group


Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
Goodreads book club: Crime, Mysteries & Thrillers

“I have always imagined paradise will be a kind of library.” I hope you find a corner in Paradise with some great books!!

Blagica wrote: "“I have always imagined paradise will be a kind of library.” I hope you find a corner in Paradise with some great books!!"

Thanks Blagica!

I finished #39:


To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goodreads Book Club: Science Fiction Aficionados

Now starting:


The Winter of Frankie Machine by Don Winslow
Goodreads Book Club: Pulp Fiction

I just kicked


The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi
Rating: 1 star
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

This one won't count in my annual total since I didn't finish it. I'm moving on to some better books, starting with:


The Blue Room by Georges Simenon
Goodreads book club: Literary Darkness