Mount TBR Challenge 2025 discussion

1. The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War by Erik Larson

Led by a group of slave-owners, who then in the height of self-delusion called themselves “the chivalry,” the South would dive headlong into a destructive path that ended with secession. That so few men could cause the worst calamity the nation has known only goes to show how easily people can be maneuvered into going against their own best interests.

I found the words of William Russell, a London Times correspondent, especially telling after he visited the South once Sumter had been taken.

”The utter contempt and loathing for the venerated Stars and Stripes, the abhorrence of the very words United Stares, the intense hatred of the Yankee on the part of these people, cannot be conceived by anyone who has not seen them. I am more satisfied than ever that the Union can never be restored as it was and that it has gone to pieces, never to be put together again in the old shape, at all events, by any power of earth.”

Of course, it would come together, but so many of the old grievances would remain, to be taken up by their descendants and those who still believe that they are entitled. It would remain, and infect those in other parts of the country.

The book reads almost like fiction, so compelling written that the reader can’t help but be drawn into the tragic events as they unfold. Mistakes are made which will continue to affect the country as the years pass.

Going by recent events, the demon is still with us.

2. The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

I like that many of the ancient Greek myths are now being told from the females’ side. They are the main characters, instead of a mere footnote. And Barker has done an exceedingly good job in bringing one of them to life.

Briseis is given short shrift when it comes to her story in The Iliad. A pawn between Achilles and Agamemnon, one has to wonder what her thoughts were, going from queen to slave. Well, wonder no more. Here, she is the central focus of the last days of the war. As her fortune swings back and forth, she, and the reader, are left to ponder her ultimate fate.

And while we are always aware of what fate holds in store for Achilles, his story as he moves toward it is almost as intriguing. I say almost because knowing that end removes some of the drama.

This is the first book in a trilogy; I eagerly look forward to the next story.

3. Withered + Sere by T.J. Klune

This is not at all what I’ve come to expect from Klune. To say it’s dark is putting it mildly. There’s been a nuclear war and the people who remain are barely keeping it together. Some have resorted to cannibalism. The world is a dreary place.

Just about everyone is broken in some way; Cavalo and his prisoner both hear “bees” a lot. Maybe too much. I get it; they’re not playing with a full deck. Get on with it. I did feel that there was too much emphasis on the fact that Cavalo is going insane. And in a sort of convenient way. Just as things are going along well, BAM, he loses it and does something really stupid.

What makes the book for me are Cavalo’s two companions. SIRS, the robot, is slowly degrading, his processors dying. But he’s still a likable sort. The best, of course, is Bad Dog. Found by Cavalo as a puppy, he is devoted to “MasterBossLord.” I love that Cavalo can hear Bad Dog’s thoughts. Or at least that’s what we’re led to believe and I’m going to believe it.

I’d like to read the sequel, but only if Bad Dog survives; I’m funny that way.

4. The Traitor's Son by Wendy Johnson

A meticulously written book, the reader is swept along as the future of England, and that of the House of York, is decided. With young Richard Plantagenet, the future Richard III, as the main focus, the story begins with the loss of his father and takes you to the Battle of Barnet, where, at least for awhile, the throne is secured. But it’s not a straight path, and the changes in fortune of those close to Richard, and to himself, are thoroughly charted.

That given, I did feel that Richard is portrayed as rather too broken, too undecided and unwilling to stand up against what he perceives as bad decisions. He vacillates too much between his affection for his cousin and his loyalty, not to his brother, oddly enough, but to his dead father and what he perceives the man stood for. I understand that he’s still basically a boy, yet I felt that the author focused too much on that part of his personality.

Still, in the long run it’s a fine book. The wiring is excellent, and I liked that, now that the information is out there, we see Richard’s reaction to the scoliosis which is beginning to affect him.

This is supposed to be the first book in a trilogy. Given that it took the author ten years to write this one, readers could be in for a long wait.

5. All That Heaven Allows: A Biography of Rock Hudson by Mark Griffin

Despite what the blurb say, I found the book to be badly written, with too much of the information not much more than gossip. The author includes everything, whether he can prove it or not, which makes a lot of the information suspect.

And much of what others do say about Hudson, or what the author says they say, sounds very much like what people say after someone dies. The praise is so overwhelming that it makes Hudson sound almost like a saint, though that flies in the face of some of the events noted. Hudson actually comes across as a very weak man, who would allow events to take their own course, unwilling, or unable, to chart his own.

I did enjoy the author’s covering of the movies Hudson made, though there was more of that than personal information. But since the personal information was suspect, I found the parts about the movies more enjoyable.

6. You Like It Darker by Stephen King

King rarely disappoints and he certainly doesn’t with this collection of short stories. While some really are short, there are several semi-novellas in the mix. I found them to be my favorites, especially Two Talented Bastids, Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream, and Rattlesnakes, which is probably the darkest of the stories. Set years after Cujo, its connection to that story still resonates. And I loved the Duma Key connection.

The shorter stories have their great side, too. Laurie is a prime example. Though there’s a darkness to it, there’s also a sweetness to it, too. The other side of the coin is Willie the Weirdo. It truly surprised me.

I’m not usually a fan of short stories, but this collection was a true winner.

7. The Fireman by Joe Hill

Each time I read a Joe Hill book, it just gets better and better. This one was no exception. I loved Harper, John Rookwood, Allie and her brother, Nick, Renee, and so many others who shared their journey. And what a journey it is. There are so many ups and downs; I was hooked from the very beginning. Which is saying a lot, considering it’s almost 800 pages long. Just when I thought the story was going to settle down, off it would go again.

I thought the pandemic infection was quite original and thought out. And there is more to the story than just a good sci-fi plot. There’s substance to it, as we read how different people react to their situation, whether as the infected or as one of those still clear of the disease.There are good people and bad people on both sides; it’s very much a tale of two worlds.

If you read the book, be sure to read the credits. The story isn’t complete without them.

8. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

I wanted to read the book after seeing, and really enjoying, the movie. But while the book is entertaining, I felt that the movie was better. Some readers have bemoaned some of the plot points in the book, and in many ways I agree; they’re not in the movie, which shows how much better the story is without them.

But while the book held my interest, I didn’t find the characters, other than Enzo, to be fully formed. I suppose most of that is due to the fact that the book is in Enzo’s perspective. I think switching POVs might have helped. Having Enzo sort of figure out what the other characters were thinking just didn’t do the trick.

It was a quick read and a nice book, just not a great one.

9. Lark Ascending by Silas House

It’s strange that such a terrible time would be so beautifully told. While it’s never said, the time seems to be in the not-too-distant future. Things are falling apart; much of the country is on fire or already a burned out landscape. Religious fanatics have taken over the government. As the fires near, Lark and his family and friends decide to try for the one place they believe to still be safe; Glendalough, in Ireland.

But when Lark finds himself the sole survivor of the voyage, he must continue on alone. It is this tale, of the companions he finds along the way, that is the core of this story. There is Seamus, a beagle, probably the last dog left. And Helen, a woman on her own quest. Each has lost their family.

Lark is now in his nineties, and as his end nears he looks back on that time when, as a young man, he found a family to replace the one he’d lost. It’s an amazing and uplifting story, though also bittersweet. There is much grief, but also joy. I only wish we were given more of their story.

10. Memorials by Richard Chizmar

I really do have to remember to stay away from horror books whose protagonists are teenagers. Because, no matter if the book is noted as a YA or not, chances are the plot is going to be moved forward by those characters doing some really dumb things. And, boy, do they ever.

Would an adult have heeded the warnings given? I’m inclined to think so. I know I would have. And that’s what often made this book hard to read. It’s not that I didn’t like the characters, because I did. But too often I found myself wanting to shake them and yell, “What the hell is wrong with you?!!” But I knew what was wrong with them. Or at least I assume that’s what the author wanted us to think. That they were doing what they were doing because they didn’t know any better.

All that is a shame because I thought the basic plot of the book had potential. I have read horror books where the teenage protagonists aren’t all, well, dumb, so I know it can be done. I just wish it had been done here.

Another problem with the book is that I don’t like endings that aren’t endings. Either bring things to a conclusion, or note that there’s a sequel. Using a “there’s more to this story but I’m not going to write about it,” just seems lazy.

11. The Russo-Ukrainian War: The Return of History by Serhii Plokhy

Such an auspicious beginning. The 1994 Budapest Memorandum was supposed to give Ukraine a security guarantee from the West for handing over the nuclear weapons on their soil. If Russia was ever to attack them, the West would be there. Didn’t quite work out that way.

I think I know why Putin and Trump get along so well. They both think that, just because they say something, it’s true. Putin seems to be under the assumption that Ukraine is part of Russia just because it was at one point. So I guess France should hand over Normandy to England.

Why, exactly, did Putin invade Ukraine? While many believe it was his desire to rebuild the USSR, Plokhy gives another reason. Most Russians, including Putin apparently, believe that their nation originated in Kyiv, the center of what was known as Kyivan Rus, and encompassed parts of what are now Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia. The fact that that particular entity was destroyed by the Mongols in the thirteenth century doesn’t seem to mean a great deal in Putin’s delusional mind.

It was awful, reliving Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, remembering Russia’s atrocities and seeing them played out again on the pages of the book. I often had to stop, I was so infuriated, that Putin could, and still is, getting away with murder. Literally.

It’s amazing how much Russia has tried to dominate Ukraine over the last century and more. The bizarre thinking of that country’s leaders is hard to fathom.

12. Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati

On parr with Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles, Clytemnestra tells the story of the Spartan princess who would become the queen of Mycenae. But this time the story is told through Clytemnestra’s eyes.

I never understood why Clytemnestra would be portrayed as a monster for killing her husband; not only does he have one of their daughters sacrificed to the gods for fair winds, but he had her first husband and their infant son killed. If that isn’t reason enough for murder, I don’t know what is.

Which is why I so loved the retelling of Clytemnestra’s story. So often she’s in the shadows of her more famous relatives: her sister, Helen, the beauty of Troy. Her brothers Castor and Polydeuces, who lived on in the sky. Her mother, Leda, seduced (or raped, depending on who’s telling the story,) by Zeus in the form of a swan. Even her cousin, Penelope, who would marry Odysseus. Here, at last, her story is brought to the fore.

She is a strong woman who had her faults. But she didn’t deserve the story created about her. She was a bitter woman who looked for justice the only way she knew how.

13. The Border by Robert McCammon

I love McCammon’s work. Whether historical fiction, science fiction, or horror, he always brings his worlds to life. This one, a blend of horror and sci-fi, is no exception. The plot, though not his first foray into a post-apocalyptic saga, is still imaginative and leads the reader into surprising twists and turns. But even more compelling are the characters; in that regard, McCammon is up their with King.

There is Dave McKane, a rough and taciturn man who hides a tender persona; John Douglas, or JayDee as he’s affectionately known, doing the best he can to doctor those injured, both physically and emotionally; Olivia Quintero, a strong woman who holds their fortress together. But best of all is Ethan, a young boy who doesn’t remember who he is, and wonders what he is. There are others, both good and bad (though even the bad ones had some good,) who move our small band of heroes forward to their ultimate destination.

There were clues as the ending drew nearer, yet it was (almost) a perfect surprise. I read the book almost ten years ago, so much of it was like reading it for the first time.

14. The 2084 Report: An Oral History of the Great Warming by James Lawrence Powell

I wasn’t as taken with the book as I thought I would be. It’s a great idea, but not well done. A big problem is the way the book is set up. The chapters are interviews with different people, yet they all sound pretty much the same. So, though the subjects are different, it could well be the same person speaking. I think it would have worked better if each chapter had been written as a story of what a certain person was going through, rather than them describing a certain situation.

And for me, the last chapter sounded too much like preaching, as nuclear power seemed to be the author’s choice in saving the planet. Could very well have been (like all other solutions, it’s a little late,) but not every “con” was covered. And the idea of maybe doing something about the size of the population was never addressed.

Still, there were some interesting scenarios as to what we can very likely look forward to. Sort of unnerving was the author having the United States taking over Canada. What was done to Mexico in regards to Texas (“settling” someone else’s land and then stealing it,) could be the playbook used with Canada.

15. Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes

I seem to be on a roller coaster ride with these reimagined Greek myths. Some are excellent. Others not so much. This one is in the second column.

Probably the biggest problem is that the character of Perseus is twisted totally out of shape, so that he bears no resemblance to that of the Perseus of the myths. The same is done to Medusa, but in a way that the original story still fits. Well, somewhat.

That said, I really came to care for this Medusa, making her ultimate fate that much sadder. She is a victim of fate in the harsh hands of the gods. Which makes the author’s use of humor rather glaring.

I’ve read and enjoyed other books by this author, so this one may be something of an outlier. I hope that’s the case.

16. All Over The Town by R. F. Delderfield

The book starts show, as we are introduced to Nat and his fellow workers at the local newspaper. Time seems to go along, not much happening, to the point that Nat seriously thinks of leaving town. But then there’s a dramatic turn of events, and everything changes.

It’s at this point where the story shines. Circumstances force Nat, as well as his fellow town members, to take a good hard look at what exactly is going on in their town and to pick sides.

Written in 1947, it’s amazing how little has changed over the last eighty year. Those who crave money and power are still trying to hide what they’re doing; those whose lives will be altered by it still often remain ignorant as to what’s going on. But one person can make a difference. It’s often sheer luck that that person is there to do so.

A good solid book that I found well worth reading.

17. The Last Days of Richard III and the fate of his DNA: the Book that Inspired the Dig by John Ashdown-Hill

The book is a deep dive into how Richard saw his place, and the rebellions against him. He’s seen here, not so much as a tragic figure, but of someone who believed in what he was doing, but who, unfortunately, suffered the fate of all disposed English kings. We get a second look at what happened right after the battle and in the days leading up to his burial and beyond.

There’s also the search for his family’s descendants and the find that would be the linchpin in proving that the bones found under the carpark were, indeed, those of Richard III. That a direct mtDNA existed was a truly lucky break.

It’s an interesting read, even for someone who has read extensively about the man. My only problem was with the small print, which made reading the book a bit of a chore.

18. Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T. J. Klune

I wish I could say I loved this book as much as I did the previous one, but I can’t. Maybe because, oddly enough, I found the characters less real this time around. Arthur and Linus are constantly going on about how much they love each other, which is fine every once in a while but not all the time. And I found the children’s passages a bit too saccharine, as if Klune doesn’t know any children to base them on (though he hit it more on the mark in the first book.) Not to belabor the point, but he might try reading some King to see how it’s done.

I did enjoy a lot of the book, mostly when Arthur was interacting with the people of the village. They added some realism. I wish they had had larger roles since learning to live in the rest of the world seemed to be a major issue.

And I was somewhat disappointed with the ending. I kept waiting for a real crisis but things came to a head very quickly and the ending was rather flat. As much as Klune belabored how the people from DICOMY were terrible people who didn’t accept those who were different, their role is actually quite small.

Still, I enjoyed returning to Marsyas Island, warts and all.

19. Blood of the Children by Alan Rodgers

Maybe not the worst horror story I’ve read, but it comes pretty close. I really could have done without the explicit torture. He especially seemed to have a thing about torturing animals, though the main character goes through so much I don’t really see how he could have survived. I had to skim a lot of that.

All that is too bad, because the premise showed promise. But much of it went unexplained, so the reader is left with some basic questions unanswered. Plus, the characters, the children especially, were pretty two dimensional.

I’ve read other books by this author and enjoyed them. So maybe this being his first novel has something to do with it not being up to par. Fortunately, it’s a fast read.

20. For Fear of the Night by Charles L. Grant

The book starts out pretty slow, to the point that I almost gave up on it. I’m glad I didn’t. There’s a creeping horror connected to the old horror house that now sits, burned and abandoned, on the pier. Dread slowly builds, as the four friends confront the evil that has entered their lives.

There are many questioned to be answered, though unfortunately not all are, which is probably the greatest flaw in the book. I want to know why things are happening and why Julie is appearing to her friends. I want to know why the house burned down, and why it has suddenly turned evil.

I did like how the characters’ backgrounds and hopes for the future are intertwined with what is going on. Somehow, who they are is very much a part of that future, just in a way they have no way of knowing.

21. We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer

Such an eerie, terrifying book. It’s been a long time since a horror story was able to creep me out so much that I was hesitant to turn off the lights. What was real and what wasn’t was so intertwined with things that do happen to people that you could easily start to wonder about your own reality.

The story becomes unsettling almost from the start, but slowly turns to horror for Eve. Because of her past, she does things that most people wouldn’t, and soon she’s caught in a maelstrom of terrifying proportions. I guess the main takeaway is never let strangers into your house.

Unfortunately, there is a downside to the book. A lot of what’s going on is never explained. Maybe the author wanted the reader to decide, but without that missing explanations it’s impossible to do so. And just when you decide that, yes, this is what’s going on, the author throws in another red herring.

I’m not counting on it, but a sequel would really help.

22. America First: Roosevelt vs. Lindbergh in the Shadow of War by H.W. Brands

What I knew about Lindbergh before reading this book was his flight, the kidnapping and death of his baby son, and that he was a Nazi and an anti-semite. What I learned from this book was, while the first two are true, the last two are somewhat questionable. Lindbergh never praised the Nazi, but apparently he never condemned them, either. As for the Jews, he gave them partial blame for pushing the United States into the war. But he also made it clear that, given what was happening to their people in Europe he really couldn’t blame them.

He comes across as someone who truly believes that the United States should stay out of the war because, hey, we’ll be okay. Forget that all of Europe would be in the hands of a mad man. That’s their problem. Oh, well, we still can trade with South America. It’s hard to imagine someone who had been all over the world could be so naive.

If only the author had been willing to look deeper into FDR’s thoughts (someone who I do know something about.) The impression is that FDR was pushing the United States into war out of some weird power play. Time and again his motives seem somewhat underhanded and suspect. He’s lying about the United States having to fear Germany. That he realized what would happen if Europe was lost to the Nazis is never mentioned. Nor is the fact that when it came to the war, Lindbergh was wrong, wrong, wrong.

Lindbergh pushed his agenda until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Yet he continued to believe that are entering the war was a bad idea. We didn’t need Europe and its problems. It encapsulates a way of thinking that is still strong with Americans. That we don’t need the rest of the world. That we are the best, most wonderful country in the entire history of the world. We’ve come to believe the myth we created at the country’s beginning.

It’s a well written book that, while long, was informative and a surprisingly easy read. I only wish it had been more even-handed.

23. American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House by Jon Meacham

I’ve never been a Jackson fan. His policies would bring about the Trail of Tears, and while he is credited for holding back the southern states’ attempt at codifying their right to secede, he agreed with their right to have slaves. So while dealing with the symptom, he was unwilling to confront the “national sin.” I thought to read this book in order to get a better understanding of the man. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the book for that.

The book basically covers Jackson’s years as president, so what molded his character is left a mystery. The first sixty years of his life are covered in the first fifty pages of the book; even his service during the war of 1812 is glossed over. I wished I’d noticed the small lettering at the bottom of the cover, Andrew Jackson in the White House before I started it.

What I did learn about Jackson didn’t really warm me to him. He comes across as rather selfish, expecting his family (a nephew and the nephew’s wife,) to see to his concerns before their own. For me, his bad qualities far outweighed his good ones.

The book itself is well written. While I don’t agree with Meacham’s assessment of Jackson, I do appreciate his writing.

24. The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

The book is slow to start, as we’re introduced to the main characters. There’s Vera, who has lucked into a prime role. Nancy, who probably isn’t as talented as she thinks she is. And then there’s Salome, whose story is intertwined with that of the actress who’s portraying her. There’s also the men in their lives, who don’t come across as strongly as the women do. Their roles are very much second string.

This is definitely a step away from Moreno-Garcia’s usual work; there’s not a touch of the mystical, and the only horror is the way some of the characters are willing to do anything in order to get ahead. I have to say, I missed the unworldliness that usually permeates her books.

It wasn’t until near the end that the pace picks up; enough to make up for the rest of the book. The tragedy of their lives comes full circle with Salome’s. No one walks away unscathed.

25. A Beginning at the End by Mike Chen

This is a truly different take on what goes on after a global pandemic; probably not since Alas, Babylon, has a book focused so much on, not how people got there, but where do they go from here. Yes, the pandemic is important, since it set the stage for what was to come. But people lives must go on.

All four characters are well drawn, though Sunny probably not as much as the grownups, since there is less history to draw from. Yet, at the same time, she is very much in the center of what is going on with the three people within her orbit. So while Sunny’s character changes very little, Krista’s, Moira’s, and Rob’s certainly do. All three must face the mistakes of their pasts, and deal with them within the difficult surroundings of a world vastly changed. How they do so shows their growth as individuals. Even more importantly, it shows that, just maybe, there will still be a future for them.

26. Lost and Found by Marilyn Harris

The book has a lot going for it. An intriguing plot, some interesting characters, and the background of a changing America.

Martha and R. C. are especially appealing. Their lives are often hard, but they manage to overcome adversity and carry on. They enjoy what they have, yet always in the background is Belle, the lost child.

Unfortunately, that’s where things go off the rails. Belle is too perfect. She’s beautiful, and has a voice like an angel. She’s brilliant, but her naivety, which I suppose is supposed to show the pureness of her heart, can be a bit much sometimes. She overlooks, and I guess the reader is supposed to, too, the manipulative and insensitive nature of her boyfriend’s father. What would happen next was pretty obvious. And kind of creepy.

I think the book could have done without the last ten years. At that point the story started to get redundant, as they almost find each other, their paths almost crossing.

The ending left me wondering if there was going to be more to Belle and R.C.’s relationship. Not sure how I would have felt about that.

27. Strange Weather: Four Short Novels by Joe Hill

I’m loving Joe Hill’s work almost as much as his father’s (which he probably hates hearing.) I’ll read anything he writes. Haven’t been disappointed yet. Certainly not with this collection. I especially like that they’re more novellas than short stories. And while they tend to veer more toward science fiction, they all have touches of horror.

As I see them:

Snapshot: Creepy and horrifying, yet bittersweet, too, as the protagonist finds love in the most unexpected place. I was hoping for a different ending, but things don’t always work out the way we want. No matter my feelings about it, it made sense.


Loaded: Watching as, step by step, the inevitable happens. Terrifying how likely something like this could happen. Actually, may have already happened. I hated the ending, though.


Aloft: A unique story, more sci-fi than horror. I loved how the young man works out as to what’s going on, and how to deal with it.


Rain: Another more sci-fi than horror, though horrifying enough. I loved the main protagonist; she could definitely take care of herself, though a little help is always welcome. Didn’t see the ending to this one coming. I think it was my favorite story of the four.

28. Three Wild Dogs (and the truth) by Markus Zusak

If you’ve ever owned a dog that wasn’t quite perfect, that had issues that you struggled to overcome, a dog you loved, anyway, then this is the book for you. The author brings his dogs to life with every challenge met, but not always won, with every illness that you’re sure will be the end, but magically isn’t. Until it is.

Even though I was reading about someone else’s dogs, I couldn’t help but think of my own, some gone decades, others only a few years. They all were right there with me, as I’m sure Zusak’s still are with him. We love them so much, yet know that we will lose them much too soon.

I laughed at some of the situations that Zusak found himself in with Reuben and Archer. Cried when the inevitable happened. He now has Frosty, but admits that the kind of love that comes with years isn’t there yet. But he knows it will be someday. I know that feeling; that’s what a dog, or a cat, bring to their people. As is so evident in this book, no matter the pain at the end, they’re more than worth it.

29. Full Throttle by Joe Hill

I’m not normally one for short stories, but I do so enjoy Hill’s writing. And there were some in this collection that I enjoyed immensely. Throttle, which is the only story that doesn’t have a supernatural or sci-fi slant, is really quite good, but I enjoyed the stories that did wander off into strange avenues. Dark Carousel, Faun, and especially Late Return are favorites when it came to the supernatural, but it was the sci-fi story,You Are Released, that was my favorite.

Of course there were those that I didn’t care for, some not at all, mostly those whose endings were a bit too dark for me; YMMV on that.

Still, I felt the book leaned enough into the worth reading column. Maybe because many of the stories are quite long, sort of pushing out into novella territory, that I was able to overlook the stories that I wasn’t all that crazy about.

30. Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde

As with the first book in the series, I felt there were perhaps a few too many plot lines to keep straight. Actually, there seemed to be even more with this book, which is probably why I didn’t enjoy it as much. I think the 400 pages would have done better at 350. Maybe even 300, because I found myself jumping ahead, skipping paragraphs, not at all concerned at what I might be missing. Turns out, usually I didn’t miss a thing.

Thursday jumps from book to book, trying to retrieve Hades from Poe’s The Raven, trying to outwit the Goliath Corporation, as well as staying one step ahead of her own people, all the while hoping to keep the Earth from ending in a covering of pink sludge. Oh, and trying to get her husband back, keep her flat, and watch out for her dodo and the bird’s egg. All while being pregnant, herself. That’s an awfully lot to keep straight. Or, unfortunately, to stay interested in. And I’m sure I’ve left out some things.

I’m pretty sure I won’t be reading the third book. Just the thought of reading another book like this one is exhausting!

31. Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Tchaikovsky has a habit of writing books in series; unfortunately, that isn’t the case with this one. Add to that its short length, and it’s a bit of a disappointment, because I would love to continue reading about Lynette and Nyr. Both are interesting characters who must learn to cooperate if they stand of chance of overcoming what threatens their land.

You get to know Lynesse from the start; it’s her quest and she has her mind set on what she must do. She goes to ask for help from who she thinks is a sorcerer, unaware that what she sees as magic is the technology of an advanced people. Nyr is not a sorcerer, but because of his situation, it takes a while to get to know him. And just as you are, the story ends.

The story jumps back and forth between their perspectives; for Lynesse it’s magic; for Nyr it’s science. It’s an interesting juxtaposition of world views that makes for an intriguing story.

32. Hearts in Atlantis by Stephen King

Like many other readers Low Men in Yellow Coats was my favorite story. I loved the relationship between Bobby and Ted, the older man who moves into the building where Bobby and his mother live, and the slightly supernatural element that plays a huge part in both their lives.

Bobby’s relationship with Carol, his friend, or “girlfriend,” also adds much to the story. It’s their first love, both lovely and heartbreaking.

I enjoyed the book, but I know I would have enjoyed it more if the focus had remained on Bobby Garfield, Carol Gerber, and Ted Brautigan. Instead, three of the stories focus on other people; Hearts in Atlantis, in fact, focuses on people they mostly didn’t know (Carol has a small part in it, but doesn’t really do much.) I never did get what was going on. It was hard to imagine so many boys throwing away their college scholarships over a card game.

Both Blind Willie and Why We’re in Vietnam brings things closer to home, but still don’t have the magic of the first story. Even Heavenly Shades… isn’t all I would have hoped for.

So, basically, the four stars are because of the first story, which would have earned five if it had been a stand-alone. I would have loved more about Bobby, Ted, and Carol; what their lives were, and what they would become.

33. Pearly Everlasting by Tammy Armstrong

I loved the relationship between Pearly and Bruno, but sometimes the story seemed to meander. But the writing was poetic in its description of their love; it’s the heart of the story.

I think I enjoyed the first part of the book the best, though always in the back of my mine was dreading the kidnapping of Bruno. How will it be done? How will Pearly get him back? Pearly will do anything to get Bruno back, and pretty much does.

Because the only world she’s ever known is the logging camp where she and her family live, her journey away from it is probably more dangerous than for someone who knows the way. It’s just another example of what she will do to get her “brother” back.

Based on a photograph taken in 1903 of a woman nursing her newborn daughter alongside an orphan bear cub.

34. The Women of Troy by Pat Barker

While perhaps not as exciting as the first book there is still much going on. And though much of this wasn’t in The Iliad, Barker allows us to get to know the characters by giving them this lull in the action. Troy has been defeated, but the Greeks are unable to sail for home due to a wind that constantly blows toward shore.

But, as in the first book, the protagonist is Briseis, given to Achilles as a war prize and now carrying his child. Wed to one of his lieutenants, she is no longer a slave, giving her more latitude in where she goes and what she does. Still, she is not exactly free. Caught between the Greeks and the Trojan women who are now slaves, she creates her own world that is part of both.

I know some readers didn’t care for the lack of action, but I found it a wonderful way to actually get to know the characters. Usually it’s battles I have to skim through, glassy-eyed from one too many deaths (it’s a rare writer who can make them interesting for me.) Here, the days pass slowly, their lives in stasis.

For the women, their homes are gone. They wait to see what will become of them.

35. The Conjurers by Marilyn Harris

Harris is a good writer; I truly enjoyed The Portent. But she has the unfortunate habit of often leaving too much unexplained. The characters don’t ask the questions that most people would ask, do things that you can’t help but wonder what the hell they’re thinking.

This is especially true of the main character, Easter Mulraven. Her husband mysteriously disappeared years before. Her parents are dead. Lonely, she starts taking in the young people who wander into the village. She asks nothing about them; seems to be under the spell of one particularly striking young man. But the people of the village want them gone. They won’t really tell her why, other than a rather odd warning “they’re evil.”

There are some truly gruesome and terrifying events that take place, but since everyone talks, and thinks, in riddles, it’s hard to figure what exactly is going on. I’m still not totally sure.

36. The Regulators by Richard Bachman (aka Stephen King)

It’s certainly true that, under the Bachman pseudonym, King’s writing becomes darker. This book is a prime example of that. There are no small number of victims, either by a harrowing death, or through a as just as harrowing life.

The story takes place all within one day, though the reader is given a background of sorts through Audrey Wyler’s journal and by a letter written to her by someone from who she tries to get information. But because it is all happening within the span of one day, the horror is unrelenting. The characters are given almost no breathing room as they try to fight back.

But neither is the reader. It’s one thing after the other, so the story can get a bit mind-numbing at times. Plus, it gives you little time to get to know the characters. There were a few that I felt I was beginning to like, but it never got much further than that.

So, while an entertaining read, it’s not one of my favorite King books. It’s been years since I read it, so it’ll be interesting rereading its linked book, Desperation.

37. Islands of Abandonment: Nature Rebounding in the Post-Human Landscape by Cal Flyn

I have to admit to being taken aback by the number of these “islands.” I knew about Chernobyl, Detroit, and a few others. But there are a vast number throughout the world that little has been written about. In that, I found the book well worth reading.

But I felt that the “lyrical” was a bit overdone. Sometimes it tended to get in the way of understanding how the area had been degraded, and how it was coming back to life. Overly flowery and sometimes using words that didn’t actually exist, I thought the writing could have been more concise.

What surprised me is, after describing what was happening all over the planet, Flyn appears overly positive in her assessment of how well things will work out. Yes, some of these places are doing well, but some have life only in the most strict sense. Or, as in the case of the Salten Sea, has come and gone over the eons.

38. The Nun's Story by Kathryn Hulme

It was soon after the war, while director of the Polish Displaced Persons camp, that Hulme met a Belgian nurse and former nun who would become her lifelong companion. Marie Louise Habet was a volunteer at the project. This story is a slightly fictionalized account of Habets’ life as a nun. Written more in the form of a biography, it follows Sister Luke’s life from entering the convent to her eventual leaving seventeen years later.

It was the movie based on it that first made me aware of the story. I loved the movie, so made a search for the book. I was surprised at how true to the book the movie was.

I’ve read the book several times over the years, and every time I’m drawn into the life of Gabrielle Van Del Mal, who would be known as Sister Luke. Her struggles over the years to be a “perfect” nun, yet a good nurse, too, are compellingly drawn. The story is straight forward and concise, yet the reader is given a full picture of those years. Sister Luke’s story is one of sacrifice, but also one of true grace.

39. The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune

I was beginning to lose hope with Klune; most of the recent books I’ve read of his have been something of a disappointment. Luckily, this one wasn’t. While maybe not at the level of The House in the Cerulean Sea, it was still an enjoyable read, an adventure that leans more toward science fiction than Klune’s usual fantasy.

Was it a romance? There seems to be a real argument about that. I think it was. Maybe there were no hearts and flowers, but there is a budding relationship that slowly develops. Make that two relationships, because the relationship between Nate and Artemis is just as deep, just as important, and that between him and Alex.

Actually, I have a bigger complaint with Artemis, “who isn’t exactly as she appears.” Mostly, she doesn’t seem to be exactly anything. Is she a little girl? She sometimes acts like one, but sometimes she acts like something else. Her inability to be one thing or the other reminded me of the aliens in Third Rock from the Sun. Sometimes they knew how to act; sometimes they didn’t, not seeming to remember the ways of humans. So I wasn’t ever sure if Artemis was playing a con when she acted like a little girl, or just wasn’t able to retain the knowledge she had gleaned about how humans act. She’s been around long enough that she should have.

So, a good book? Yes, and one I’d probably recommend. A great book? Unfortunately, no.

40. They Thirst by Robert McCammon

I’m pretty sure that this was the first McCammon book I ever read. It made me a fan. And it didn’t lose a thing in its rereading.

The entire story covers a week, a week in which the city will either be saved or fall. And in that week the reader gets to know the different characters. McCammon is up there with King when it comes to creating interesting and intriguing characters, so I wasn’t surprised when I came to be very involved in their lives.

It’s a slow build up as each character is introduced, the six who will fight against Vulkan’s plot. Their dread is palpable as they confront his evil. Yet still they go on, trying to save the city. And while some are aggressively working toward Vulkan’s destruction, others are reluctantly pulled in to the fight.

The ending is not the total ending, which was okay. The book would have had to be twice as long. But I wouldn’t have minded finding out more about the Headmaster. But McCammon has stepped away from horror, so the chance of a sequel is slim to none.

41. Blue World: And Other Stories by Robert R. McCammon

I was rather disappointed with this collection. While there are some stories worth reading (He’ll Come Knocking at Your Door comes to mind,) they’re not the majority.

There were those like Pin, that I thought was just weird, or I Scream Man, which wasn’t much better. Even Make Up, which is a side story to They Thirst didn’t do it for me. The rest were sort of in between. Not terrible, but note worthy, either.

I have to admit to not being a huge fan of short stories, but I’d come to expect more from McCammon. Because I have read some short stories that I actually really enjoyed. Unfortunately, none were in this book.

42. Unruly: The Ridiculous History of England's Kings and Queens by David Mitchell

Obviously, this isn’t a comprehensive look at a thousand years of English history; more a collection of anecdotes regarding some truly terrible behavior. As Mitchell notes at the beginning of the book, unless you already know something about these (mostly) men, the book might not make a lot of sense. As far as he’s concerned, you pass the test if you know that, in 1066, William the Conqueror became king of England.

The book is mildly humorous, as Mitchell points out the rulers’ foibles, though their accomplishments are mostly overlooked. Which sort of placed basically good rulers (Henry II, Edward III and IV,) which some really bad ones (John I, Edward II, Henry VI.) I thought the book would have been better with a more balanced view.

What the book does best is show how the idea of kingship came about, and how, and why, it’s evolved over the years. The years covered are those when the power was nearly absolute and stops when that’s coming to an end.

Of course, much of this is his opinion, which seems to be not very good when it comes to professional historians, so there’s that. Some of what he wrote I thought spot on. Some, not so much. The book comes in long at slightly over 400 pages, but it’s an easy read and, while not as funny as I thought it would be, still entertaining.

43. Run by Blake Crouch

The book is basically one long chase scene (thus the title,) but it works well-which I found rather surprising. I thought I would get tired of the constant danger and tension but I didn’t. Instead, I was thoroughly engrossed.

Because the characters are in constant danger, I think a connection is made much faster than one would normally have been. I wanted Jack and his family to survive. And even though the situation between Jack and his wife is not optimal at the beginning of the book, they act like adults and put any difficulties aside in order to save their children. That was probably what I liked best about them. They’re not perfect, but they’ll do whatever they must to ensure that they and their children survive.

The reason behind the violence is never totally explained. It being a celestial event, there’s no way that they can. But even that works its way into the story, which seems to be how Crouch sets up most of his stories. And like most (if not all,) of his stories, it leans toward science fiction, but is more of a dystopian novel.

44. Babylonia by Costanza Casati

Of all the ancient civilizations, the Assyrian is probably the one I know the least about, mostly from mentions in reference to other civilizations. It isn’t what drew me to this book. It was Casati’s amazing Clytemnestra that brought me to it. And well perhaps not quite at the same level of excellence (and that could be because of my unfamiliarity with the source material,) it was truly worth reading.

I thought I would have problems with keeping the characters straight; the names are not ones I’m familiar with, and some are very similar to each other, but it turned out to not be a problem at all. They were all very distinct.

The story is told from the perspective of several of the characters, so that the reader gets a clearer picture as to what is going on. Yet, at the same time, we see how each of them sees things quite differently from the others. There are misunderstanding and errors in judgment. Not the best situation to be in while trying to hold an empire together.

That most of the characters were real people only adds to the story line. It’s a book I can well recommend.

45. What a Bee Knows: Exploring the Thoughts, Memories, and Personalities of Bees by Stephen Buchmann

Filled with insightful and intriguing information, the book is nevertheless easy to read. Chapters lead the reader from the bee’s short but remarkable life to its awareness, so different from ours.

I thought I knew something about bees, but it turned out that there was so much I didn’t know. I didn’t know that the majority of bees are solitary, ground nesters who do not live in hives. They are the rule, not the exception. I didn’t know that their color vision, being shifted to the ultra violet of the spectrum, bees don’t see reds. I didn’t know that bees (and flies,) easily avoid being swatted because motion doesn’t become motion for them until the rate of 200-250 frames per seconds. For humans it’s 20 fps, which is why motion pictures are run at 24 fps. I didn’t know that there are cuckoo bees that, just like the cuckoo bird, lays its eggs in another bee’s nest, where it will hatch first and cannibalize the host’s young.

I could go on, but best to allow interested readers to find out for themselves.

46. A Path Where No Man Thought: Nuclear Winter and Its Implications by Carl Sagan

I’m slowly rereading all of Sagan’s books. Most I’ve found a real joy to reread, so many years after the initial reading. But my own pessimism seems to stand in the way with this one. Time has not been kind to the human race.

It’s unfortunate that so many of Sagan’s hope for the future, that “path where no man thought,” never came to fruition. Given Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and now its drone incursions into NATO countries, we may be even further from that path than we were then.

I found especially interesting those parts that deal with the nuclear winter studies themselves. Studies that the International Council of Scientific Unions found sufficiently convincing to endorse. And though there are parts of the book that may seem dated, it’s more relevant than we may think.

47. 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill

As with many anthologies, the stories were a mixed bag. There were good stories, and not so good stories, but 20th Century Ghosts, Pop Art and Voluntary Committal makes the book well worth reading. There are several other stories that come close to great: dark, satisfying stories. They certainly run the gamut, so there’s probably something for everyone.

Do you like a kid turned into a locust? There’s something for you? A zombie movie that brings people together? Again, something for you. Even some actual ghost stories.

Joe Hill is fast becoming one of my favorite writers. I’ve read several of his books and have rarely been disappointed. This book just solidifies his place on my list. He’s fast gaining on his dad.

48. Curfew by Phil Rickman

Rickman has a way of slowly building up the tension, the pieces of the puzzle dropping into place as the horror ratchets up. So it goes in the town of Crybbe, where people have learned to keep their head down and not make waves.

Unfortunately, the millionaire, Max Goff, has set his sights on the town. He wishes to remove anything he thinks is interfering with the power he believes Crybbe holds. And unluckily for many, he may get his wish. Just not in the way he thinks.

On the other side is the writer, Joe Powys, someone who has felt the effects of unleashed power and lived to regret it. He doesn’t know for sure what may happen, but he’s willing to bet that it won’t be good. And the reporter, Fay Morrison, whose father may or may not be succumbing to dementia. Or is it the town that is affecting him?

A book of horror, in its truest sense. One of Rickman’s best.

49. The King's Justice by Stephen R. Donaldson

Donaldson seems to be trying to write in the style of a previous time. Way previous. But, at least for me, it doesn’t really work. Especially in The King’s Justice. It makes the characters rather stilted, which is a major problem because the story is told imostly from Black’s point of view. It’s only near the end that I started to feel a connection to him. Even then his personality is rather stark. He does what he does because…well, pretty much just because.

Fortunately, it works better with Augur’s Gambit, maybe because the story is longer. What also helps is that there are more characters, each with their own distinct personalities. The story is told from the point of view of Mathew Gordian, the augur, who risks all to save all. It still took a while for me to get into the story. So much of it is the setting up of the kingdom’s history and that of its main citizens.

So, not a bad book, but not a great one. A disappointment, though, considering how much I’ve loved Donaldson’s other works.