MobileRead Book Challenges discussion

Well, here is my 2012 challenge:

1. Read the Baen Releases in the month of release (48 books)
--- 2 Complete, 1 In Progress, 1 Remaining for January
--- 0 Complete, 0 In Progress, 4 Remaining for February
2. Read the complete "1632" Series (18 books and counting)
3. Listen to audiobooks that I have purchased and have not listened to yet (35 books minimum)
-- 6 Complete, 29 Remaining
4. Book series:
a) Cobra series by Timothy Zahn
---- 1 Finished, 1 In Progress, 4 Remaining
b) Worldwar series by Harry Turtledove
c) Civil War Trilogy by Shelby Foote
---- 1 Finished, 0 In Progress, 2 Remaining
d) Foundation Series by Isaac Asimov
e) Robot Series by Isaac Asimov
f) Dune Series by Frank Herbert
---- 1 Finished, 0 In Progress, 5 Remaining
g) Jack Reacher series by Lee Child
---- 1 Finished, 1 In Progress, 10+ Remaining

Total Number of Books: 150 / 30,000 pages

January 2012:

1. The World's First Superpower: From Empire to Commonwealth 1901-Present (Audio Lecture)
---- Finished 2012.01.06 - **** - 6:59:03
2. March Upcountry (Audio Unabridged)
---- Finished 2012.01.07 - **** - 17:17:13 (Reread)
3. The Civil War: A Narrative, Vol 1: Fort Sumter to Perryville (Audio Unabridged)
---- Finished 2012.01.10 - ***** - 37:26:50
4. Voyage Across the Stars (eBook)
---- Finished 2012.01.10 - *** 1/2 - 801 pages
5. March to the Sea (Audio Unabridged)
---- Finished 2012.01.16 - **** - 19:15:08 (Reread)
6. Sixth Column (eBook)
---- Finished 2012.01.16 - *** 1/2 - 232 pages
7. Dune (Audio Unabridged)
---- Finished 2012.01.20 - ***** - 21:05:24
8. March to the Stars (Audio Unabridged)
---- Finished 2012.01.22 - **** - 17:34:23 (Reread)
9. Killing Floor (eBook)
---- Finished 2012.01.22 - ***** - 497 pages
10. We Few (Audio Unabridged)
---- Finished 2012.01.26 - ***** - 16:01:28 (Reread)
11. The World of Byzantium (Audio Lecture)
---- Finished 2012.01.29 - **** - 12:11:05
12. Cobra (eBook)
---- Finished 2012.01.31 - ***** - 346 pages

February 2012:
13. Rendezvous With Rama (Audio Unabridged)
---- Finished 2012.02.05 - ***** - 9:05:17
14. The Janson Directive (Audio Unabridged)
---- Finished 2012.02.07 - ***** - 20:53:36
15. A Beautiful Friendship (Audio Unabridged)
---- Finished 2012.02.11 - ***** - 10:56:21

You have several series I plan to read!

I want to read:

Foundation Series by Isaac Asimov
Dune Series by Frank Herbert
Jack Reacher series by Lee Child

Help? You know I'm much worse at library searches than you... ;-)

I have the first 5 of the Reacher series in a combination of audio and ebooks. I will pick up the ones I need as I get to them.

There are still more series that I read and I will add as I complete a series. I have to many books on my TBR pile and a great second-hand book store is too close to where I live (I can't enter and leave without picking up a book or books that with make that pile larger).

Most of the Asimov that I plan to "read" are audio and I will listen to them.

Ken

Loosheesh wrote: "MrsJoseph wrote: "You have several series I plan to read!

I want to read:

Foundation Series by Isaac Asimov
Dune Series by Frank Herbert
Jack Reacher series by Lee Child"

A friend is reading ..."

A friend of mine recommended both the "Reacher" series and also the "Dave Robicheaux" series by James Lee Burke. I liked the first book of each and will read both eventually.

Ken

You've got some challenges there. With the Dune series I read the first three and loved them and then never finished the fourth. It was like pulling teeth.

Apparently the rest are great but I never got past God Emperor..

Good luck.

Caleb wrote: "You've got some challenges there. With the Dune series I read the first three and loved them and then never finished the fourth. It was like pulling teeth.

Apparently the rest are great but I ne..."

Thanks. I have the books in a combination of pbooks and audiobooks. I will listen to the audiobook if I have both of the same book.

Ken

Finished an audio lecture of today. It was a good overview of the conversion of the British empire to the Commonwealth of today.

Story - 4.5 out of 5
Presentation - 4 out of 5

Overall - 4 out of 5

Ken

I just finished the first volume of The Civil War: A Narrative. As someone that is interested in history and historical battles this book does a very good job in laying out the various aspects of the early part of the war that might have been missed or downplayed.

The only thing that I did not like was the occasional changes in the volume or pitch of the narration. This is probably something that happened in the post-production.

Story - 5 out of 5
Presentation - 4.5 out of 5

Overall - 5 out of 5

I finished Voyage Across the Stars by David Drake. It contains two stories from his Slammers series. I enjoyed the first story "Cross the Stars", but I had a hard time finishing the second "Voyage." I might do better if I do a re-read of this story.

Rating - *** 1/2

Ken

That sounds interesting, actually.

I finished the second of the four books from the Baen January bundle. Sixth Column was an OK book. I found that most of the "science" in the book was way out there and probably never become real. Understanding the time in which it was written, I found that I could ignore the racism that was in the book and concentrate on reading the story.

Rating - *** 1/2

Ken

I have finished the audiobook of Dune. It is a full cast production with the cast doing only the major conversions, but not all of the speaking lines. The book has always been a favorite of mine and the audiobook's production was first class.

Story - 5 out of 5
Presentation - 5 out of 5

Overall 5 out of 5

Ken

I finished last night. It was an enjoyable book and I read the last half in one sitting. It is hard for me to sit and only read for more than an hour at a time. The story took a couple of turns that I did not expect, but also a couple that I did. Overall I thought it was a good book and I will be starting the second book "Die Trying" tonight.

Rating - *****

Ken

I finished tonight. It has been a number of years since I have read the first 3 books. I liked the story as much as I did the first time I read it.

Rating - *****

Ken

Ken wrote: "I finished last night. It was an enjoyable book and I read the last half in one sitting. It is hard for me to sit and only read for more than an hour at a time. The ..."

I have a Lee Child book on my shelf that I keep forgetting about. Just as I was getting ready to start the series I heard a rumor that they were making a movie and Reacher was rumored to be played by Tom Cruise...

MrsJoseph wrote: "I have a Lee Child book on my shelf that I keep forgetting about. Just as I was getting ready to start the series I heard a rumor that they were making a movie and Reacher was rumored to be played by Tom Cruise... "

The movie is from one of the later ones (One Shot). It is currently scheduled for release in Feb. 2013.

Ken

I have finished today. It was a nice story that was read well by Paul Michael.

There were a couple of glitches in the production.

Story - 5 out of 5
Presentation - 4.5 out of 5

Overall - 5 out of 5

Ken

I finished by David Weber today. It is a YA book in his Honorverse. It has two stories in it, the first is an expansion of his story from "More Than Honor" collection of the same name. The second is a story that takes place several months after the story "The Stray" from "Worlds of Honor." It is very well done and well performed.

Story - 5 out of 5
Presentation - 5 out of 5

Overall - 5 out of 5

Ken