Staci426's Five Star Category Challange

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Staci426's Five Star Category Challange

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1staci426
gen. 3, 2015, 5:39 pm

I had a lot of fun with last year’s challenge and am excited that I was able to complete it. It’s taken me awhile to figure out what I want to do for this year. When I was looking through my reads from 2014, I realized I only had one book which I rated 5 stars and it got me to thinking, that I must be pretty stingy with giving out those 5 star ratings. In going through all of my reading, I’ve discovered that out of the approximately 660 books I’ve rated over the years, only 35 have been 5 star reads. So this year, I decided to base my categories off my favorite books. I will be doing 15 categories and aiming for 9 in each.

1. His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik – Fantasy
2. Spin by Robert Charles Wilson – Science Fiction
3. The Giver by Lois Lowry – Other Speculative Fiction
4. Misery by Stephen King – Horror
5. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie – Mystery
6. Beneath a Marble Sky by John Shors – Historical Fiction
7. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas – 1001 Books to Read Before Your Die
8. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott – Classics
9. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – From Page to Screen
10. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See – Around the World
11. Cet été qui chantait by Gabrielle Roy – Short Story Collections
12. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver – Religion/Myths & Legends
13. Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl – Non-fiction
14. Cinder by Marissa Meyer – Don’t Judge a Book By It’s Cover/Title
15. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes – Miscellaneous

2staci426
Editat: des. 6, 2015, 12:54 am



1. His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik - Fantasy I was blown away by this book when I first discovered this series back in 2006. Temeraire is one of my favorite fictional characters of all time.

1. Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn *****
2. Witch World by Andre Norton ***
3. Elvenbane by Andre Norton & Mercedes Lackey ***
4. The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson ****
5. A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire ***1/2
6. Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder ***1/2
7. Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde ****
8. Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett ****
9. The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin ****

3staci426
Editat: set. 2, 2015, 1:03 pm



2. Spin by Robert Charles Wilson - Science Fiction I'm fairly new to reading science fiction, started in 2008. This was one of the first ones that really stood out for me.

1. Marque and Reprisal by Elizabeth Moon ***1/2
2. Duplicate Effort by Kristine Kathryn Rusch ***1/2
3. Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delaney ****1/2
4. Beggars in Spain by Nancy Kress ****
5. Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie ***
6. The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon ****1/2
7. Way Station by Clifford D. Simak ***1/2
8. Pastwatch by Orson Scott Card ***
9. Letters from Atlantis by Robert Silverberg ***1/2
10. Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson ***1/2
11. Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer ***1/2

4staci426
Editat: des. 30, 2015, 9:44 am



3. The Giver by Lois Lowry - Other Speculative Fiction I can't believe that I never discovered this book as a kid, but was glad to finally read in a few years ago. I decided to add this category for books that don't fit easily into either science fiction or fantasy, especially with having the SFFFCAT this year.

1. The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man by Mark Hodder ***1/2
2. Insurgent by Veronica Roth ***
3. In the After by Demitria Lunetta ****
4. The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters ***1/2
5. Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi ***
6. Wool: Omnibus by Hugh Howey ****
7. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer ****
8. Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami *****
9. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Blacl ***
10. Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi ***1/2 (novella)
11. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs ***1/2

5staci426
Editat: nov. 16, 2015, 8:32 am



4. Misery by Stephen King - Horror I didn't have any five star rated horror books in my collection, so I picked one of my favorite Stephen King's for this category. This year, I'm hoping to make more of a dent in my project of reading through King's bibliography and may participate in the Horror Group.

1. The Monk: A Romance by Matthew Gregory Lewis ****
2. Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman ****
3. The Walking Dead: Fall of the Governor, Part 2 by Robert Kirkman ***1/2
4. Wayward by Blake Crouch ***1/2
5. The Last Town by Blake Crouch ***1/2
6. House of Bathory by Linda Lafferty ***
7. The Pain Chaser One: Ambuscade by Patrick E. Molloy ***1/2
8. The Walking Dead: Descent by Robert Kirkman & Jay Bonansinga***
9. The Necromancer's House by Christopher Buehlman ***
10. The Pain Chaser Two: Gestation by Patrick E. Molloy ****
11. Fragments of Horror by Junji Ito ***1/2

6staci426
Editat: des. 31, 2015, 3:35 pm



5. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie - Mystery This is the first Agatha Christie that I ever read and it's still my favorite. This year I hope to make some more progress with her bibliography.

1. The Long Way Home by Louise Penny ***1/2
2. Rolling Thunder by Chris Grabenstein ****
3. The Boy in the Snow by M. J. McGrath ****
4. Peril at End House by Agatha Christie ***1/2
5. The Beggar King by Oliver Potzsch ****
6. H is for Homicide by Sue Grafton ***1/2
7. The Case of the Love Commandos by Tarquin Hall ****
8. An Artificial Night by Seanan McGuire ***1/2
9. They Do it With Mirrors by Agatha Christie ***
10. I is for Innocent by Sue Grafton ***1/2

7staci426
Editat: des. 11, 2015, 9:27 am



6. Beneath a Marble Sky by John Shors - Historical Fiction This was a beautifully written story about the building of the Taj Mahal.

1. Hild by Nicola Griffith ***1/2
2. Claudius the God by Robert Graves ***1/2
3. Sword Song by Bernard Cornwell ***1/2
4. The Siege Winter by Ariana Franklin & Samantha Norman ****
5. The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak ***1/2
6. Under the Jolly Roger by L. A. Meyer ***1/2
7. The Dead Shall Not Rest by Tessa Harris ***1/2
8. The Gods of Gotham by Lindsay Faye ****
9. Shadows in Bronze by Lindsey Davis ***1/2

8staci426
Editat: nov. 16, 2015, 8:34 am



7. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas - 1001 Books to Read Before You Die I think this book has everything you can ask for in a story and I never would have discovered it if not for trying to read my way through this list. Hopefully I'll make some decent progress this year on the list.

1. A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan ****
2. The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach ****
3. The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes ***1/2
4. Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton ****
5. Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake ***1/2
6. At Lady Molly's by Anthony Powell ***1/2
7. Casanova's Chinese Restaurant by Anthony Powell ***1/2
8. The Kindly Ones by Anthony Powell ****
9. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson ****

9staci426
Editat: des. 22, 2015, 9:35 am



8. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - Classics I was surprised by how much I ended up enjoying this one when I finally got around to reading it. I think I'll count anything published before 1960 as a classic.

1. The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton ****
2. Can You Forgive Her? by Anthony Trollope ****
3. 1984 by George Orwell ***1/2
4. Villette by Charlotte Bronte ****1/2
5. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston ***1/2
6. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess ****
7. The Vicar of Wakefield by Oliver Goldsmith ****
8. Mr. Norris Changes Trains by Christopher Isherwood ***1/2
9. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley ***1/2

10staci426
Editat: des. 31, 2015, 8:26 am



9. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - From Page to Screen I wanted to pick a book for this category where I had actually seen the movie. I think this movie was just as good as the book in this case. My plan here is to watch the movie after I read the book and compare the two.

1. The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkein ****
2. A Passage to India by E. M. Forster ***1/2
3. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell ***1/2
4. The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta ****
5. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday ***1/2
6. The Maze Runner by James Dashner ***
7. The Stand by Stephen King ****
8. The Martian by Andy Weir ****
9. The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick ***1/2
10. Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey ***1/2

11staci426
Editat: oct. 26, 2015, 8:47 am



10. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See - Around the World This category will be books that take place in countries other than the U.S. or were originally written in a language other than English.

1. Decoded: a Novel by Mai Jia ***
2. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga ****
3. Snow White Must Die by Nele Neuhaus ****
4. Curse of the Pogo Stick by Colin Cotterill ****
5. Morgue Drawer Next Door by Jutta Profijt ***1/2
6. Eye of Jade by Diane Wei Liang ***
7. Rounding the Mark by Andrea Camilleri ***1/2
8. The Summer of Dead Toys by Antonio Hill ***1/2
9. The Song of Kali by Dan Simmons **1/2

12staci426
Editat: des. 23, 2015, 8:57 am



11. Cet été qui chantait by Gabrielle Roy - Short Story Collections This is not an actual short story collect, but it was the closest thing, a series of short essays about a summer she spent at her home in the Québecois countryside. The English title is Enchanted Summer. I wanted to do a short story category because I have so may collections which I never get around to reading. Hopefully this will be a motivation now.

1. Steampunk II by Ann VanderMeer & Jeff VanderMeer
2. Rip-Off! edited by Gardner Dozois ****
3. Cloaked in Red by Vivian Vande Velde ***1/2
4. The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang ***1/2
5. The Minority Report and Other Stories by Philip K. Dick ***1/2
6. Revenge by Yoko Ogawa ****
7. The Blumhouse Book of Nightmares ed. by Jason Blum ***1/2
8. Ghost Stories of an Antiquary by M. R. James ***1/2
9. Graveyard Shift and Other Stories from Night Shift & Lawnmower Man and Other Stories from Night Shift by Stephen King ****
10. The Fierce Reads Anthology edited by Tor.com ***1/2

13staci426
Editat: des. 20, 2015, 7:55 pm



12. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver - Religion/Myths and Legends I really enjoyed this story about a missionary family in the Congo. I think listening to it in audio added to the story as well.

1. Myths and Legends of All Nations by Logan Marshall ***
2. The Last Nephilim by William Guy ***
3. Silence by Shusaku Endo ***1/2
4. God's Crucible by David Levering Lewis ***
5. Invisible City by Julia Dahl ****
6. Armageddon: the Musical by Robert Rankin ***1/2
7. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant *****
8. Adam and Eve: a Novel by Sena Jeter Naslund ****
9. Unholy Night by Seth Grahame-Smith ***1/2

14staci426
Editat: nov. 16, 2015, 8:35 am



13. Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl - Non-fiction This was a fun memoir about the author's time as a food critic for the New York Times.

1. Cleopatra: a Life by Stacy Schiff ***1/2
2. Now I See You by Nicole C. Kear ****1/2
3. Boardwalk Empire by Nelson Johnson ***
4. Julie Andrews by Richard Stirling ***1/2
5. Heretics and Heroes by Thomas Cahill ***1/2
6. The Big Fat Surprise by Nina Teicholz ****
7. Me by Ricky Martin ***1/2
8. Self-Inflicted Wounds by Aisha Tyler ****
9. Making Rounds With Oscar by David Dosa ****
10. The Killer of Little Shepherds by Douglas Starr ****

15staci426
Editat: nov. 25, 2015, 11:13 am



14. Cinder by Marissa Meyer - Don't Judge a Book by It's Cover or Title This was another one that wasn't actually a five star read for me, but I did enjoy it. I was really drawn to this one by that cover, something about it just kept saying "read me, read me." I've got quite a few books in my to read list that I put there based solely on the cover or an interesting title, so, here's an excuse to read them now.

1. Schizo by Nic Sheff ***1/2
2. Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Already Taken by Mike Robbins ***1/2
3. 2 A.M. at the Cat's Pajamas by Marie-Helene Bertino ****1/2
4. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi ***1/2
5. This Book is Full of Spiders: Seriously, Dude, Don't Touch It by David Wong ****
6. Jennifer Government by Max Barry ***
7. The No-Kids Club by Talli Roland **1/2
8. Regarding Ducks and Universes by Neve Maslakovic ***1/2
9. Seekers: The Quest Begins by Erin Hunter ****

16staci426
Editat: set. 28, 2015, 8:38 am



15. Floweres For Algernon by Daniel Keyes - Miscellaneous I was totally blown away by this book when I read it. I had no clue what to expect when I started it. This is a story that I think doesn't really fit into a specific genre or category. This will be my catch-all category.

1. The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff ****
2. Midnight in Death by J. D. Robb ***
3. Bloodshot by Cherie Priest ***1/2
4. Relic by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
5. The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes ****
6. The Sugar Frosted Nutsack by Mark Leyner ***
7. Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz ***1/2
8. Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman ***1/2
9. CyberStorm by Matthew Mather ***1/2

17staci426
Editat: des. 20, 2015, 7:57 pm

BingoDOG



I'm excited to try the Bingo. I want to try for the full card bingo. I don't think I'm going to specifically pick books to fill in squares, I think I'll just see if something fits once I've read it.

Read a book...
1. With a protagonist of the opposite gender: The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkein
2. chosen by someone else: The Pain Chaser One: Ambuscade by Patrick E. Molloy
3. you've owned for more than 1 year: Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn
4. with scientists: Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday
5. on a subject you're unfamiliar with: God's Crucible by David Levering Lewis
6. translated from a language you don't speak: Silence by Shusaku Endo
7. with a natural disaster: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
8. about autism: The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon
9. with an LGBTQ main character: Me by Ricky Martin
10. set in a country other than your own: Claudius the God by Robert Graves
11. about language: Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delaney
12. published in 1915: Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
13. read a CAT: The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man by Mark Hodder SFFFCAT Jan, Steampunk
14. that reminds you of your childhood: Rolling Thunder by Chris Grabenstein
15. where prophecies or portents are part of the plot: Elvenbane by Andre Norton & Mercedes Lackey
16. based on a fairy tale or myth: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
17. inspired by another piece of fiction: Rip-Off! edited by Gardner Dozois
18. with correspondence or letters: The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff
19. by an LT author: Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
20. where an animal is of importance: Making Rounds With Oscar by David Dosa
21. with mythical creatures: A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire
22. centered around a major historical event: Unholy Night by Seth Grahame-Smith
23. whose author shares an ancestor's first name: The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak
24. that is a genre bender: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
25. that is completely outside of your comfort zone: Bloodshot by Cherie Priest

18staci426
Editat: des. 30, 2015, 9:46 am

RandomCAT

January - Olympus Has Fallen A book with a character who shares a name with a character from the movie.
The Long Way Home by Louise Penny Ruth Zardo (book)/Ruth McMillan (movie)

February - Let's Go to the Movies A book that was made into a movie or television program.
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkein
Silence by Shusaku Endo
A Passage to India by E. M. Forster

March - All the Kids are Doing It a popular book, or one you've always wanted to read.
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

April - Aperire: Characters change for the good or bad
The Siege Winter by Ariana Franklin & Samantha Norman, Penda goes from a happy young girl to a brutal rape victim with no memories travelling the country with the archer who rescued her.

May - Pick a Title with a Place Name
Beggars in Spain by Nancy Kress

June - On the Water
Under the Jolly Roger by L. A. Meyer, most of the book takes place aboard ships

July - Let There Be Light, books with the word light or something else to do with light in the title
possible:
A Million Suns by Beth Revis

August - The Dog Days of Summer, books with dog, day or summer in the title
The Summer of Dead Toys by Antonio Hill

September- How's the Weather, books about weather or with weather related words in the title
Possibilities: Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford
CyberStorm by Matthew Mather, has storm in the title, also features a huge blizzard

October - In the Steps of a Friend read a book inspired by a friend.
The Pain Chaser Two: Gestation by Patrick E. Molloy: written by a friend

November - Books and the Big City Books with city names in the title
possibilities:
My Paris Dream by Kate Betts
The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant, might also fit for history
The Stockholm Octavo by Karen Engelmann
read: The Vicar of Wakefield by Oliver Goldsmith
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
The Berlin Stories by Christopher Isherwood

December - Home For the Holiday, read a book with house or home in the title
possibilitites: Nightmare House by Douglas Clegg
Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
Home by Marilynne Robinson
Read:
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

19staci426
Editat: nov. 16, 2015, 8:48 am

HistoryCAT

January: BCE to 1CE/Myths and Legends
Cleopatra: a Life by Stacy Schiff ***1/2
Myths and Legends of All Nations edited by Logan Marshall

February: 1CE to 500CE/Religion
Claudius the God by Robert Graves time & theme
Silence by Shusaku Endo, religion theme: persecuted Catholics in 17th century Japan

March: 500 to 1000/Exploration & Conquest
Sword Song by Bernard Cornwell fits time & theme
God's Crucible by David Levering Lewis about Islam in Europe from 570-1215 (the majority of the book takes place before 1000)

April: 100-1300/Crime & Mysteries
The Siege Winter by Ariana Franklin & Samantha Norman fits time, 1140s England and theme with the mystery of the monk.

May: 1300-1500/Plagues & Disasters
possible: The Archer's Tale by Bernard Cornwell

June: 1500-1600/Culture & the Arts
Heretics and Heroes by Thomas Cahill fit both the time & theme for the most part

July: 1600-1700/Immigration & Migration
The Beggar King by Oliver Potzsch, takes place in Germany during the 1660s.
House of Bathory by Linda Lafferty, switches in time between 1610 & 2010.

August: 1700-1800/Medicine & Disease
The Dead Shall Not Rest by Tessa Harris fits time & theme, takes place in the 1780s London & features doctors

September: 1800-1850/Lifestyles of Ordinary People
The Gods of Gotham by Lindsay Faye NYC 1845, also fits theme of ordinary people

October: 1850-1900/Science & Technology
The Killer of Little Shepherds by Douglas Starr, fits time & theme about a serial killer in France and the birth of forensic science to help solve crime

November: 1900-1945/War & Peace
possibilities:
The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan, takes place in 1915-started this one, but gave up on it.
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, written in 1931
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden, takes place around the time of WWII
Bing Crosby: a Pocketful of Dreams by Gary Giddins covers 1903-1940
read: Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers
The Berlin Stories by Christopher Isherwood

December: 1945-1990/Civil ?Rights & Equality

20staci426
Editat: des. 28, 2015, 8:19 am

SFFFCAT

January - Other Pasts Steampunk, Gas Lamp & Other Historical Works
The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man by Mark Hodder
Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded by Ann VanderMeer & Jeff VanderMeer

February - The Classics Written before 1980
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkein 1937

March - It's the End of the World As We Know It Dystopian, Apocalyptic & Post-apocalyptic
In the After by Demitria Lunetta post-apocalyptic, YA
1984 by George Orwell classic dystopia
The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters apocalyptic mystery
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
Wool: Omnibus by Hugh Howey

April - Fairy Tales and Mighty Myths Fairy Tales & Myths
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer: Cinderella & Little Red Riding Hood
Cloaked in Red by Vivian Vande Velde short stories based on Little Red Riding Hood
started but did not finish in April, The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang

May - Girl Power Written by women or with strong female characters
Elvenbane by Andre Norton & Mercedes Lackey
Beggars in Spain by Nancy Kress
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes
other possibilities:
The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon

June - Does Anybody Know What Time It Is? Time travel & alternate history
Pastwatch by Orson Scott Card, time travel & alternate history
Letters from Atlantis by Robert Silverberg, time travel novella

July - Critters and Creatures Non-humans from aliens to dragons

August - Other Worlds Space opera, first contact, dropping into Oz
Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delaney, space opera dealing with language

September -- Slightly Out of Wack Slipstream and Interstitial, including Magic Realism and Genre Benders
Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami, magical realism

October - What was That? Supernatural, paranormal, inexplicable, urban fantasy
An Artificial Night by Seanan McGuire, urban fantasy with fae creatures

November - Off on a Quest Heroes, Superheroes, Puzzles & Epic Journeys
Possibilities:
The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro, the description says a couple go on a journey to find their son
Read: Seekers: The Quest Begins by Erin Hunter ****

December - Under the Influence Award winners & nominees
The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick, 1963 Hugo Award
Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey, 2012 Hugo & Locus Award Nominee

21lkernagh
gen. 3, 2015, 9:44 pm

Welcome back and I like your 'based on favorite reads' theme! Like you, I really enjoyed His Majesty's Dragon and while I have stalled on reading any of the later installments in the series, it still remains very much on my radar screen! of, course, I have to give a happy "Yay!" for The Three Musketeers. ;-)

Looking forward to following your 2015 reading!

22rabbitprincess
gen. 3, 2015, 10:23 pm

Great setup! Have fun with your challenge :)

23mysterymax
gen. 4, 2015, 5:51 am

Nice categories! Just dropping off a star.

24staci426
gen. 4, 2015, 4:54 pm

Thanks for stopping by everyone!

Finished my first two books for the year:

1. A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan ****
Category/Genre: The Three Musketeers (1001 books)/Fiction
Format: Audio download from library, read by Roxana Ortega, 10 hours 6 minutes


This was interesting. The book focuses mostly on Bennie Salazar, a music executive, and his ssistant, Sasha. The stories go back and forth in time and we learn about the two main characters and their group of friends and acquaintances. I really enjoyed this. I wasn't sure what to expect going in, just that it had something to do with the music industry. There wasn't really a plot, it was more a series of events in the characters lives, but it all worked. Another book I never would have discovered if not for the 1001 list.

2. The Long Way Home by Louise Penny ***1/2
Category/Genre: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (mystery)/Mystery
Format: Audio download from library, read by Ralph Cosham, 12 hours 4 minutes


This is book 10 in the Three Pines, Chief Inspector Gamache series. Gamache has retired now and is living in Three Pines. Clara comes to him for help in finding her husband. It was fun being back in Three Pines, love the setting and characters. However, most of the story does not take place in Three Pines. I was slightly disappointed in this one compared to the earlier books in the series, but it was still enjoyable. This one worked out for the January RandomCAT, with a character name from the movie Olympus Has Fallen; Ruth Zardo (book)/Ruth McMillan (movie).

I've started working on two e-books, Steampunk II edited by Ann & Jeff VanderMeer for the SFFFCAT this month and Myths and Legends of All Nations edited by Logan Marshall for the HistoryCAT. Both are short story collections. I'm also working on Rolling Thunder by Chris Grabenstein in book format and will be starting The Monk by Matthew Gregory Lewis in audio for the Horror Group's January Gothic theme. I want to start another audio, but not sure what that will be yet.

25Poquette
gen. 4, 2015, 6:54 pm

What a good idea for a challenge! I may steal it sometime! Not too soon! ;-)

26christina_reads
gen. 5, 2015, 3:40 pm

Yay for Temeraire! I loved His Majesty's Dragon as well. Subsequent books have been a bit hit-or-miss for me, but I still haven't read the most recent one (Blood of Tyrants) yet.

27DeltaQueen50
gen. 6, 2015, 3:28 pm

I love how you named your categories after your favorite books. And I loved many of your favorite books as well, especially Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and Beneath a Marble Sky. John Shors is one of my favorite writers.

28mamzel
gen. 6, 2015, 4:38 pm

Another thumbs up from me for Temeraire. (Next one is coming soon, isn't it?) And I must get around to reading The Three Musketeers! Maybe this year.

29AHS-Wolfy
gen. 6, 2015, 6:44 pm

Flowers for Algernon was definitely an affecting read for me. A fairly short novel but such a fantastic read.

30-Eva-
gen. 9, 2015, 2:19 am

That's a great idea! And here's to make 5-stars this year! :)

31Dejah_Thoris
gen. 13, 2015, 1:38 pm

Excellent set-up! And I particularly like that you get to pick so many favorite books - I hate it when people ask me to pick just one.

32skrouhan
gen. 13, 2015, 2:47 pm

What a fantastic idea! And your categories look great. Dropping a star, look forward to seeing what you read next!

33staci426
gen. 30, 2015, 11:19 am

It's only January and I've already fallen behind here. The past couple of weeks have been a bit difficult, one of my cats became sick and, unfortunately, he didn't make it. He was my first cat that my ex and I adopted when we got our first apartment together and I miss him a lot. I'm just getting back into reading and wanting to post here again.

I'm just going to list the rest of my reads from this month:

3. The Monk: a Romance by Matthew Gregory Lewis ****
Category/Genre: Misery/Gothic horror
Format: Librivox recording read by James K. White, 16 hours 17 minutes
4. The Last Nephilim by William Guy ***
Category/Genre: The Poisonwood Bible/Historical Fiction
Format: Audible download, read by Sam Williamson, 11 hours 45 minutes
5. The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton ****
Genre/Category: Little Women/Classics
Format: Audio Download, read by Eleanor Bron, 12 hours 37 minutes
6. The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man by Mark Hodder ***1/2
Category/Genre: The Giver/Steampunk Mystery, read for SFFFCAT January theme & fits Bingo square, read a CAT
Format: Audible download, read by Gerard Doyle, 14 hours 37 minutes
7. Hild by Nicola Griffith ***1/2
Category/Genre: Beneath a Marble Sky/Historical Fiction
Format: Audible download, read by Pearl Hewitt, 23 hours 37 minutes
8. Rolling Thunder by Chris Grabenstein ****
Category/Genre: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd/Mystery, fits Bingo square, owned more than 1 year.
Format: Hardcover from my shelf, 293 pages

I am currently reading:
Can You Forgive Her? by Anthony Trollope classics/audio
Cleopatra: a Life by Stacy Schiff non-fiction/audio
Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded edited by Ann & Jeff VanderMeer short story collection/ebook, started for SFFFCAT January, but probably won't finish
Myths and Legends of All Nations edited by Logan Marshall short story collection/ebook (started for HistoryCAT January)
Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn fantasy/hardcover

34Dejah_Thoris
gen. 30, 2015, 1:03 pm

>33 staci426: I'm so sorry about the loss of your cat. I can truly empathize - I have one who has been ill and won't make it through the weekend. It's never easy.

I hope your reading provides you with some distraction - it helps me.

35DeltaQueen50
gen. 30, 2015, 7:07 pm

I am very sorry for your loss, Staci.

36mysterymax
gen. 31, 2015, 7:34 am

Losing a pet is just awful, thinking of you.

37rabbitprincess
gen. 31, 2015, 8:55 am

I am so sorry for your loss.

38lkernagh
gen. 31, 2015, 8:06 pm

I am so sorry to learn about the lost of your cat. I have never dealt well with the death of any of our feline companions, they were so much a part of the family. I do still entertain the idea of a new cat joining the family but where we live right now, it's not do-able. Wishing you wonderful memories!

39-Eva-
Editat: feb. 1, 2015, 12:50 am

Aw, poor kitteh. It's so hard to lose a friend like that - sending a virtual *hug*.

40LittleTaiko
feb. 1, 2015, 8:44 pm

I'm so sorry about the loss of your cat. It really is hard to lose a beloved pet.

41staci426
feb. 2, 2015, 3:40 pm

Thank you everyone. Your thoughts are a comfort. This has been a difficult time for my ex and I, the first time we've had to go through this, but we do have our other cats to help get us through and reading has definitely been a help for me.

Dejah_Thoris, I'm so sorry that you are going through the same thing. My thoughts are with you and your cat.

I have finished a few more books. I will post them later.

42thornton37814
feb. 2, 2015, 7:58 pm

Sympathies on the loss of your furry friend. I still miss mine several months later.

43staci426
feb. 4, 2015, 9:33 am

Finished two more books:

9. Cleopatra: a Life by Stacy Schiff ***1/2
Category/Format: Garlic and Sapphires/Non-fiction
Format: Unabridged Audio download from library, read by Robin Miles, 14 hours 16 minutes


I picked this one to read for the January HistoryCAT and enjoyed it. I didn't really know anything about Cleopatra before starting this and found her to be an interesting woman. The author does state that there is much out there about her, but I think she did a good job of putting it all together. I also really enjoyed the reader of the audio, thought she did a really good job of things as well.

10. Can You Forgive Her? by Anthony Trollope ****
Category/Genre: Little Women/Classic Fiction
Format: Unabridged Audible download, read by Simon Vance, 27 hours 37 minutes


This is book one in the Palliser series. I really enjoyed reading Trollope's Barsetshire series, so decided to start on this one. I think I will enjoy it just as much. I love Trollope's writing and his characters. And you can't go wrong with an audio book ready by Simon Vance.

Currently working on:
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkein (fantasy/audio)
Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff (fiction/audio)
Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hern (fantasy/book)
Myths and Legends of All Nations edited by Logan Marshall (collection/ebook)
Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded edited by Ann & Jeff VanderMeer (steampunk/ebook)

44staci426
Editat: des. 31, 2015, 3:36 pm

I like to keep a running list of my reads for the year. Forgot to leave a space up top for that, so I'll just start it here:

JANUARY
1. A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan (fiction/1001 books) ****
2. The Long Way Home by Louise Penny (mystery) ***1/2
3. The Monk: a Romance by Matthew Gregory Lewis (gothic horror/1001 books) ****
4. The Last Nephilim by William Guy (historical fiction) ***
5. The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton (classics/1001 books) ****
6. The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man by Mark Hodder (steampunk/mystery) ***1/2
7. Hild by Nicola Griffith (historical fiction) ***1/2
8. Rolling Thunder by Chris Grabenstein (mystery) ****
9. Cleopatra: a Life by Stacy Schiff (non-fiction) ***1/2
FEBRUARY
10. Can You Forgive Her? by Anthony Trollope (classics) ****
11. The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkein (fantasy/1001 books) ****
12. The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff (fiction) ****
13. Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman (horror) ****
14. Claudius the God by Robert Graves (historical fiction) ***1/2
15. Insurgent by Veronica Roth (YA/dystopia) ***
16. Rip-Off! edited by Gardner Dozois (Spec fic short stories) ****
17. Silence by Shusaku Endo (historical fiction/1001 books) ****
18. Marque and Reprisal by Elizabeth Moon (sci fi) ***1/2
19. A Passage to India by E. M. Forster (fiction/1001 books) ***1/2
20. Schizo: a Novel by Nic Scheff (YA fiction) ***1/2
21. The Walking Dead: Fall of the Governor, part 2 by Robert Kirkman (horror) ***1/2
MARCH
22. Decoded: a Novel by Mai Jia (fiction) ***
23. In the After by Demitria Lunetta (YA/post-apocalyptic) ****
24. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (classics/1001 books) ***1/2
25. 1984 by George Orwell ***1/2 (classics/1001 books)
26. The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta **** (fiction)
27. Sword Song by Bernard Cornwell ***1/2 (historical fiction)
28. The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters ***1/2 (apocalyptic mystery)
29. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga **** (fiction/1001 books)
30. Now I See You by Nicole C. Kear ****1/2 (memoir)
31. God's Crucible by David Levering Lewis *** (non fiction/history)
32. Myths & Legends of All Nations edited by Logan Marshall ***
33. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday ***1/2 (fiction)
34. Wool: Omnibus by Hugh Howey **** (sci fi)
35. The Boy in the Snow by M. J. McGrath **** (mystery)
36. Duplicate Effort by Kristine Kathryn Rusch ***1/2 (sci fi/mystery)
37. Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi *** (sci fi)
APRIL
38. Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Already Taken by Mike Robbins ***1/2 (non-fiction/self help)
39. The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach **** (fiction/1001 books)
40. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer **** (sci fi/fairy tale)
41. Cloaked in Red by Vivian Vande Velde ***1/2 (fairy tales)
42. Witch World by Andre Norton *** (fantasy)
43. Wayward by Blake Crouch **** (horror)
44. Peril at End House by Agatha Christie ***1/2 (mystery)
45. The Siege Winter by Ariana Franklin & Samantha Norman **** (historical mystery)
46. Boardwalk Empire by Nelson Johnson *** (nonfiction)
47. The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes ***1/2 (fiction/1001 books)
48. Midnight in Death by J. D. Robb *** (mystery/romance)
49. Snow White Must Die by Nele Neuhaus **** (mystery)
50. Bloodshot by Cherie Priest ***1/2 (urban fantasy/mystery)
MAY
51. Relic by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child *** (suspense)
52. The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang ***1/2 (fairy tales)
53. Beggars in Spain by Nancy Kress **** (sci fi)
54. Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie *** (sci fi)
55. Elvenbane by Andre Norton & Mercedes Lackey *** (fantasy)
56. Curse of the Pogo Stick by Colin Cotterill **** (mystery)
57. 2 A.M. at the Cat's Pajamas by Marie-Helene Bertino ****1/2 (fiction)
58. The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes **** (fiction)
59. Julie Andrews by Richard Stirling ***1/2 (biography)
60. Invisible City by Julia Dahl **** (mystery)
61. Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton **** (fiction/1001 books)
62. Villette by Charlotte Bronte ****1/2 (classics/1001 books)
JUNE
63. The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon ****1/2
64. Heretics and Heroes by Thomas Cahill ***1/2 (history)
65. The Sugar Frosted Nutsack by Mark Leyner *** (fiction)
66. Way Station by Clifford D. Simak **** (sci fi)
67. Pastwatch by Orson Scott Card *** (sci fi)
68. The Last Town by Blake Crouch ***1/2 (horror)
69. The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak ***1/2 (historical fiction)
70. The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson **** (fantasy)
71. Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake ***1/2 (gothic fiction/1001 books)
72. Letters from Atlantis by Robert Silverberg ***1/2 (sci fi)
73. Morgue Drawer Next Door by Jutta Profijt ***1/2 (mystery)
74. Under the Jolly Roger by L. A. Meyer ***1/2 (YA historical adventure)
JULY
75. Eye of Jade by Diane Wei Liang *** (mystery)
76. Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson ***1/2 (sci fi)
77. A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire ***1/2 (urban fantasy)
78. Me by Ricky Martin ***1/2 (memoir)
79. The Big Fat Surprise by Nina Teicholz **** (non-fiction)
80. The Minority Report and Other Stories by Philip K. Dick ***1/2 (sci fi/short stories)
81. The Beggar King by Oliver Potzsch **** (Historical Mystery)
82. Self-Inflicted Wounds by Aisha Tyler **** (non-fiction)
83. H is for Homicide by Sue Grafton ***1/2 (mystery)
84. Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz ***1/2 (fiction)
85. House of Bathory by Linda Lafferty *** (historical/horror)
86. Rounding the Mark by Andrea Camilleri ***1/2 (mysterry)
87. The Pain Chaser One: Ambuscade by Patrick E. Molloy ***1/2 (horror)
88. Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder ***1/2 (fantasy)
89. Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer ***1/2 (sci fi)
AUGST
90. The Case of the Love Commandos by Tarquin Hall **** (mystery)
91. At Lady Molly's by Anthony Powell ***1/2 (fiction/1001 books)
92. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi ***1/2 (YA/sci fi)
93. Casanova's Chinese Restaurant by Anthony Powell ***1/2 (fiction/1001 books)
94. The Kindly Ones by Anthony Powell **** (fiction/1001 books)
95. The Summer of Dead Toys by Antonio Hill ***1/2 (mystery)
96. This Book is Full of Spiders by David Wong **** (horror)
97. Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman ***1/2 (utopian/feminist)
98. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston ***1/2 (classics/1001 books)
99. Making Rounds with Oscar by David Dosa **** (non-fiction)
100. Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde **** (fantasy)
101. The Maze Runner by James Dashner *** (YA/dystopia)
102. Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delaney ****1/2 (sci fi)
103. The Dead Shall Not Rest by Tessa Harris ***1/2 (historical mystery)
SEPTEMBER
104. The Gods of Gotham by Lindsay Faye **** (historical mystery)
105. Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett **** (fantasy)
106. Revenge by Yoko Ogawa **** (horror)
107. The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin **** (fantasy)
108. Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami ***** (magical realism/1001 books)
109. The Blumhouse Book of Nightmares edited by Jason Blum ***1/2 (horror short stories)
110. The Stand by Stephen King **** (fiction)
111. CyberStorm by Matthew Mather ***1/2 (thriller)
112. Jennifer Government by Max Barry ***
OCTOBER
113. The Martian by Andy Weir ****
114. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess **** (fiction/1001 books)
115. An Artificial Night by Seanan McGuire ***1/2 (urban fantasy/mystery)
116. The Walking Dead: Descent by Robert Kirkman & Jay Bonansinga *** (horror)
117. The Necromancer's House by Christopher Buehlman *** (horror)
118. Ghost Stories of an Antiquary by M. R. James ***1/2 (ghost story anthology)
119. The Song of Kali by Dan Simmons **1/2 (horror)
120. The Killer of Little Shepherds by Douglas Starr **** (non fiction)
121. Graveyard Shift and Other Stories from Night Shift & Lawnmower Man and Other Stories from Night Shift by Stephen King **** (horror short story collections)
122. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black *** (YA/Urban Fantasy)
NOVEMBER
123. Armageddon: the Musical by Robert Rankin ***1/2 (sci fi/humor)
124. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant ***** (historical fiction)
125. The Vicar of Wakefield by Oliver Goldsmith **** (classic fiction/1001 books)
126. The Pain Chaser Two: Gestation by Patrick E. Molloy **** (horror)
127. Fragments of Horror by Junji Ito ***1/2 (horror manga)
128. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson **** (fiction/1001 books)
129. The No-Kids Club by Talli Roland **1/2 (chicklit)
130. Seekers: The Quest Begins by Erin Hunter **** (children's fantasy)
131. Regarding Ducks and Universes by Neve Maslakovic ***1/2 (parallel universe)
132. Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi ***1/2 (YA/dystopian romance/novella)
DECEMBER
133. They Do it With Mirrors by Agatha Christie *** (mystery)
134. Adam & Eve: a Novel by Sena Jeter Naslund **** (fiction)
135. Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn ***** (fantasy) In
136. Mr. Norris Changes Trains by Christopher Isherwood ***1/2 (1001 books/fiction)
137. Shadows in Bronze by Lindsey Davis ***1/2 (historical mystery)
138. Unholy Night by Seth Grahame-Smith ***1/2 (historical)
139. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley ***1/2 (classic/sci fi/1001 books)
140. The Fierce Reads Anthology edited by Tor.com ***1/2 (YA/spec fiction short story collection)
141. The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick ***1/2 (sci fi)
142. Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey ***1/2 (sci fi)
143. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs ***1/2 (YA/spec fic)
144. I is for Innocent by Sue Grafton ***1/2 (mystery)

45Dejah_Thoris
feb. 4, 2015, 10:41 am

>41 staci426: Thank you. Our friends will always be missed.

Nice reading for January!

46staci426
feb. 17, 2015, 3:15 pm

Finished a few more since my last post:

11. The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien ****
Category/Genre: The Hunger Games/Fantasy
Format: Audio download from Audible/Kindle Unlimites, read by Rob Inglis, 11:08 hours


This was my first time reading this and I really enjoyed it. I think I liked it even more than The Lord of the Rings. The audio narration was pretty good too. I put this one into my books to movies category. I've seen the first movie and half of the second so far. I want to watch all three back to back eventually. I also used this for Bingo square: protagonist of the opposite gender, since there wasn't a single female character in the book.

12. The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff ****
Category/Genre: Flowers for Algernon (misc)/Fiction
Format: Audio download from library, read by Nicole Roberts, 13:18 hours


This is the story of Willie Upton. She comes home to Templeton, NY after a big mess with her professor. She starts doing some family history and discovers hidden family secrets. The author based Templeton off her hometown of Cooperstown, NY. The story flashes back to the founding members of the town who are Willie's ancestors. I really enjoyed this one. It had been sitting in my library wishlist forever and I'm glad I finally got around to it. It also ended up fitting a Bingo square, letters & correspondence, with a section of letters that Willie discovered and read.

13. Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman ***
Category/Genre: Misery/Horror/Historical Fiction
Format: Audio download from library, read by Steve West, 14:26 hours


This book takes place in France during the 14th century amidst the backdrop of war and the plague. Thomas is a fallen knight who comes across a young girl whom he is drawn to protect and follow. She tells him demons are waging war on Heaven. I Buehlman's Those Across the River which I read last year, so decided to give this one a try. I enjoyed this one even more. Buehlman's writing is excellent and I really enjoyed this setting.

14. Claudius the God and His Wife Messalina by Robert Graves ***1/2
Category/Genre: Beneath a Marble Sky/Historical Fiction
Format: audio download from library, read by Frederick Davidson, 19:37 hours


This is the sequel to I, Claudius. It tells of Claudius's reign as Emperor of Rome. I picked this one for the HistoryCAT, it fit both time & theme. It was Ok, but I think I enjoyed the first one more. Part of the detraction for me was the audio narrator. I do not like this narrator, but I wanted to push through, because I did enjoy the story. I also used this one for Bingo square, takes place in a country other than your own.

I am currently working on:
Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn (fantasy/hardcover book)
Insurgent by Veronica Roth (sci fi/audio)
Rip-Off! edited by Gardner Dozois (spec fiction short story collection/audio)
Myths and Legends of All Nations edited by Logan Marshall (collection/ebook)
Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded edited by Ann & Jeff VanderMeer (short story collection/ebook)

47staci426
feb. 20, 2015, 9:27 am

Finished a couple more books:

15. Insurgent by Veronica Roth ***
Category/Genre: The Giver (other spec fic)/YA dystopia
Format: Audio Download from library, read by Emma Galvin, 11 hours 23 minutes


This is book 2 of the Divertgent series and picks up right where Divergent ended. I didn't like this one as much as the first. It felt too YA romancy for my tastes. I did like the end though, and will continue with the series just to see where things go.

16. Rip-Off! edited by Gardner Dozois ****
Category/Genre: Cet été qui chantait (short story collections)/Speculative fiction
Format: Audible download read by multiple narrators, 12 hours 2 minutes


This was a fun collection of short stories by authors such as John Scalzi, Tad Willaims, Nancy Kress, Elizabeth Bear & Mike Resnick. In this collection, each author took the first line from a famous piece of literature and wrote a new story around it. I thought they were all pretty good. Two of my favorites in the collection were The Big Whale by Allen M. Steele and Muse of Fire by John Scalzi. I think this is actually only available in audio format. Each author gives an intro of their story and then is read by a different narrator. I am going to use this for Bingo square: inspired by another piece of fiction.

So, I am still working on:
Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn (fantasy/book)
Myths and Legends of All Nations edited by Logan Marshall (collection/ebook)
Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded edited by Ann & Jeff VanderMeer (short story collection/ebook)
And have started:
Silence byShusaku Endo (historical fiction/audio)
A Passage to India by E. M. Forster (classics/audio)

48staci426
feb. 26, 2015, 3:10 pm

I've been making my way through books pretty quickly this month. I finished listening to four more books:

17. Silence by Shusaku Endo ***1/2
Category/Genre: The Poisonwood Bible (religion)/Historical Fiction
Format: Unabridged Audible download, read by David Holt, 7 hours 44 minutes


This is the story of Father Rodrigues, a Portuguese missionary who travels to Japan in the 17th century, where Christians and priests are being imprisoned and tortured until they renounce their faith. I picked this up because it's on the 1001 books to read list. It's an interesting story. It was told mainly through the Father's letters back home. This one worked for both the HistoryCAT theme of religion this month and the RandomCAT movie theme. There was a Japanese film made in the 1970s and Martin Scorsese is working on an American film version. I also used it for Bingo square: translated from a language you don't speak, Japanese.

18. Marque and Reprisal by Elizabeth Moon ***1/2
Category/Genre: Spin/Science Fiction
Format: Audio download from library, read by Cynthia Holloway, 14 hours 21 minutes


This is book 2 in Moon's Vatta's War series. Kylara Vatta, after her failed attempt at the military academy is captaining one of her family's merchant ships when communications from home are cut off. She tries to find out who is out to destroy her family and why, while trying to keep herself and crew alive. This was a fun, fast-paced space opera with a strong female protagonist. My one issue is the ending seemed very abrubt, even for a book which I know is part of a series.

19. A Passage to India by E. M. Forster ***1/2
Category/Format: The Hunger Games (movies)/Classic Fiction
Format: Paper book from my shelf, 322 pages, plus audio download from library, read by Sam Dastor, 11 hours 3 minutes


I had started reading this book last year, I think it was actually for the January RandomCAT. I was reading it in book format which I owned, but never got around to finishing it. I was enjoyinig the book, but just found it very slow reading. I discovered my library had it in audio and finally finished it. I enjoyed the narration by Sam Dastor, I think he did a good job. It worked out that it also fits in for this month's RandomCAT at the movies. My book was actually the movie tie in edition that was published in 1984 when the film was released. I will have to see if I can find the movie now. This is also another book checked off the 1001 list for me.

20. Schizo: a Novel by Nic Scheff ***1/2
Category/Genre: Cinder (covers)/YA Fiction
Format: Audio download from library, read by Michael Crouch, 5 hours 12 minutes


This is the story of Miles, a teenager recently diagnosed as schizophranic, who is struggling to deal with this while remaining a "normal" kid and also trying to find his younger brother who disappeared at the same time of his first breakdown. This was an interesting book. it's not something I normally read, but the cover caught my eye and then the description sounded pretty interesting. I don't really know much about modern YA fiction, but I do have to say, if I had read this as a teenager, I would have found it shocking, there is quite a bit of profanity and some sex, drugs and alcohol. Overall, I did enjoy it.

New audio books that I've started:
The Walking Dead: Fall of the Governor, part 2 by Robert Kirkman
Decoded: a Novel by Mai Jia

49lkernagh
feb. 28, 2015, 10:41 am

I see you are on a great reading roll, with 20 books already finished so far this year!

50staci426
Editat: març 3, 2015, 9:30 am

>49 lkernagh: Thanks! I feel like I'm off to a good start. A little behind last year's pace, I had 27 finished by the end of Februrary, but still doing pretty good.

I finihsed one last book in February:
21. The Walking Dead: Fall of the Governor, Part 2 by Robert Kirkman ***1/2
Category/Genre: Misery/Horror
Format: Audio download from library, read by Fred Berman, 9 hours 35 minutes


This is book four in the novels featuring the Governor and people of Woodbury. As the title says, this one focuses on the fall of the governor. These books are fun quick reads. I have to say, this one seemed much more gory to me than the previous books in the series.

I am still working on my print books:
Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn (fantasy/book)
Myths and Legends of All Nations edited by Logan Marshall (collection/ebook)
Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded edited by Ann & Jeff VanderMeer (short story collection/ebook)
and the audio book, Decoded: a Novel by Mai Jia, which I should hopefully finish today. I also just started listening to Gone With the Wind which is over 49 hours, so will probably take a bit of time to finish.

51rabbitprincess
març 3, 2015, 7:01 pm

Have you been watching the TV series of The Walking Dead and/or reading the comics? If so, do you think the Governor in the novels is closer to TV Governor or Comics Governor? I know David Morrissey read the first book in the series to prepare for his portrayal of TV Governor but I didn't know whether the later books in the series were influenced in any way by his portrayal.

52staci426
març 4, 2015, 4:44 pm

>51 rabbitprincess: I do watch the show and read the comics. It's been a while since I've seen the Governor in either. The books definitley delve deeper into the Governor's character and background, but I think he's more like the comic book Governor, than TV Governor. I think the TV Governor is very different to both. I have to say, though that with the novels, I have been picturing the Governor as David Morrissey, who doesn't look anything like the comic book Governror.

53staci426
març 10, 2015, 9:57 am

Finished my first two books for March:

22. Decoded: a Novel by Mai Jia ***
Category/Genre: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (world)/fiction
Format: Audio download from library, read by Ryan Gessell, 15 hours 19 minutes


This was about Rong Jinzhen, a possibly autistic math genius who is recruited to work for the Chinese government in a secret unit dealing with code breaking during the Cold War era. I enjoyed the beginning part of the book which told of his family history and his childhood, but once he got to the secret unit, I started to lose interest for some reason. The book was described as a spy thirller, but I didn't really get that feeling from it. It was interesting, but overall, I was slighly disappointed in this one.

23. In the After by Demitria Lunetta ****
Category/Genre: The Giver (other sfff)/YA post-apocalyptic
Format: Audio download from library, read by Julia Whelan, 9 hours 37 minutes


This is the story of Amy. She is a teenager and one of the few survivors of an alien invasion of Earth. She eventualy finds Baby, a young girl, and they live and survive together until they are found and brought to a community of survivors. I really enjoyed this one. It pulled me in right from the beginning and kept me entertained to the end. I'm looking forward to see where the story goes. I picked this one for this month's SFFFCat.

Still working on the same print books that I have been for a bit (I tend to be slow at reading paper books & ebooks):
Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn (fantasy/book)
Myths and Legends of All Nations edited by Logan Marshall (collection/ebook)
Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded edited by Ann & Jeff VanderMeer (short story collection/ebook)
And I'm in the home stretch on the audio of Gone With the Wind, less than ten hours to go. I usually have two audios going, but this one was so long and I want to get it finished, so I haven't started another one.

54staci426
març 12, 2015, 10:08 am

24. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell ***1/2
Category/Genre: The Hunger Games (movies)/Classics/Historical Fiction
Format: Audible Download, read by Linda Stephens, 49 hours 7 minutes


I finally decided to give this a read for the March RandomCAT. I've always wanted to read it, but have just never gotten around to it. I'm glad to finally finish it. Of course everyone Knows Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler, but I didn't really know anything about their story. Overall, I enjoyed the book. I didn't really like Scarlett, but did enjoy Rhett and Melanie too. This was quite a long audio book, probably the longest I've ever listened to. The Count of Monte Cristo might be close. That one flew by. This one seemed to drag a bit in places. I'm glad that I've finally read this. Now I have to watch the movie. I put this one into my page to screen category.

55staci426
març 27, 2015, 4:31 pm

I have finished a bunch of books since my last post. Here is the first batch, I will post the rest later today or over the weekend:

25. 1984 by George Orwell ***1/2
Category/Genre: Little Women (classics)/Classic Sci Fi
Format: Audio Download from Kindle Unlimited, read by Simon Prebble, 11 hours 26 minutes


Orwell’s classic dystopian work. It’s a totalitarian society where you have to watch what you say, do & think because Big Brother is watching you. Winston works for the government’s Ministry of Truth and starts to have doubts about how things work now and wonders if things were better before. I enjoyed this. It was a frightening vision of the future. I decided to put his one into my classics category and it fits this month’s SFFFCat.

26. The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta ****
Category/Genre: The Hunger Games (TV/movies)/Fiction
Format: Audio download from the library, read by Dennis Boutsikaris, 10 hours 16 minutes


This is the story of what happens in one small town after a portion of the population just disappears one day. The story centers around the Garvey family, none of whom disappear, but each one affected in a different way. I had seen the first episode of the TV show and enjoyed it, so wanted to read the book before I watched the rest of the show. I enjoyed the book. I thought it was an interesting idea and thought Perotta created a great cast of characters. I now look forward to watching the rest of the show.

27. Sword Song by Bernard Cornwell ***1/2
Category/Genre: Beneath a Marble Sky/Historical Fiction
Format: Audible download, read by Jonathan Keeble, 11 hours 35 minutes


This is book four of the Saxon Chronicles which takes place in ninth century England featuring Uhtred, born a Saxon but raised by the Vikings. In this installment, he is happily married with a growing family and Alfred wants him to secure London from the Danes. This was another solid installment in the series. It was a quick listen. This one worked out for this month’s HistoryCAT, fitting both time period and theme.

28. The Last Policeman by Ben Winters ***1/2
Category/Genre: The Giver (other spec fic)/Apocalyptic Mystery
Format: Audible download, read by Peter Berkrot, 8 hours 20 minutes


Hank Palace, newly promoted to detective, is investigating an apparent suicide. He believes it’s murder, but nobody else agrees. Suicide has become a common occurrence now that the world is scheduled to end in 6 months with an asteroid strike. Many have pretty much given up, but Hank is determined to solve the case. I enjoyed this. It was an interesting concept and I think Winters did a pretty good job with it. Looking forward to seeing how things play out in the next installment. This one fit for the SFFCAT.

56christina_reads
març 28, 2015, 11:16 am

>55 staci426: Some good books here! I agree with you about The Last Policeman, and 1984 is so good and chilling. That last sentence!

57staci426
abr. 2, 2015, 4:01 pm

Took me longer than anticipated to get around to finishing up listing the rest of my reading for March. This was a great month for me, finished 16 books.

29. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga ****
Category/Genre: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (around the world)/Fiction
Format: Audio download from library, read by John Lee, 8 hours 6 minutes


This was another great find from the 1001 Books to Read list. This is the story of Balram Halwai. He tells of his rise from a servant in India to a successful business owner. I really enjoyed this. Balram is a complex character, likable even though he doesn’t always do the right thing. John Lee is one of my favorite audio readers, so he was a nice addition to the enjoyment of this one.

30. Now I See You by Nicole C. Kear ****1/2
Category/Genre: Garlic & Sapphires/Non-fiction/memoir
Format: Audio download from library, read by the author, 7 hours 51 minutes


This book really hit home for me. At the age of 19, Nicole is diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a degenerative eye disease which causes loss of peripheral vision, night blindness, early cataracts, and other vision issues. This is her story of how she dealt with the diagnosis and how she lived while slowly going blind. I have RP, so could relate to almost every single thing she wrote (I don’t have children though, so don’t have the concerns of raising kids with low vision). The one thing that bothered me about this was her lack of willingness to admit to people that she couldn’t see. I’ve always been very up front with people about my situation so they would realize, no I’m not ignoring you when you wave Hi across a crowded room, I just can’t see you. I do know that everyone handles things in their own way, but her stubbornness in this got to me. She did a great job reading the audio, sometimes author read books don’t work for me. But she did a great job in reading. She does have an acting background, so I guess that is a help. I wish I could get everyone in my life who doesn’t have RP to read this to get a good feel of what my life is like.

31. God’s Crucible by David Levering Lewis ***
Category/Genre: The Poisonwood Bible (religion)/non-fiction/history
Format: Audio download from library, read by Richard Allen, 18 hours 9 minutes


The sub-title of the book is Islam and the Making of Europe from 570-1215. I picked this for the March HistoryCAT, even though it does spill into the next time period, the majority of the book focused on the period prior to 1000. It also was a subject that I know next to nothing about, so thought it would be interesting to learn a bit. I did enjoy it. It did cover a long period of time, so there was a lot that happened. I haven’t read a lot of straight historical works, so wasn’t sure what to expect. It was very readable and I also really enjoyed the narrator, although he did tend to over emphasize the pronunciation of names. I used this one for Bingo square, a subject you’re not familiar with.

32. Myths and Legends of All Nations edited by Logan Marshall ***
Category/Genre: The Poisonwood Bible (religion/myths)/collection of myths & legends
Format: Kindle e-book, 232 pages


This was a free Kindle book that I downloaded back in 2012. Finally decided to read it for January’s HistoryCAT. Took a lot longer to finish than expected. I read print books slowly. Like the title says, it was a collection of myths and legends from all nations, and by all nations, he means European nations, originally published in 1914. Most of the stories were translated from the German. I would say at least half of the book focused on the Greeks, Hercules, Prometheus, Medusa, Oedipus, etc. Then moved on to other stores, many of which I was not familiar with, such as Frithiof the Bold or Wayland the Smith. Overall, it was an Ok read.

33. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday ***1/2
Category/genre: The Hunger Games (movies)/Fiction
Format: Audible download, read by a full cast, 8 hours 40 minutes


A Yemeni sheikh who enjoys salmon fishing on his trips to Scotland, hires a British company to bring salmon to his home country. Dr. Alfred Jones is the lead scientist of the project. The idea seems absurd, but as the project progresses, its success seems more likely. This was an interesting book. It was told through a series of letters, diary entries, emails, memos, interviews from the people involved in the project, directly and indirectly. I didn’t know much about this one going in, I remember seeing a lot of commercials for the movie when that came out, and thought it sounded crazy. I’m surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I definitely want to see the movie now. I used this one for Bingo square about a book with scientists since the main character is the fishery scientist in charge of the project. It would also work for the correspondence square.

This still isn’t all of them, have four more to go, but can’t get to them right now. Hopefully over the long weekend.

58lkernagh
abr. 3, 2015, 6:43 am

16 books is an awesome reading month!

59staci426
abr. 17, 2015, 3:22 pm

Well, I never got around to finishing up my March posts and now April’s half over. I’m just going to do a brief run down of everything since my last post.

34. Wool: Omnibus by Hugh Howey **** The Giver/Sci Fi/Dystopia, Audible download
I really enjoyed this one. Looking forward to the rest of the series. This one fit the March SFFFCAT.
35. The Boy in The Snow by M. J. McGrath **** /The Murder of Roger Ackroyd/Mystery, Audio download from library
Book 2 in the Edie Kiglatuk mystery series. In this one she has travelled to the South, Alaska. I really like this series. I think Edie’s a great character.
36. Duplicate Effort by Kristine Kathryn Rusch ***1/2 Spin/Sci Fi/Mystery, Audible download
Book 7 in the Retrieval Artist series. Another solid installment.
37. Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi *** The Giver/YA Dystopia, Audio download from library
Read this for the SFFFCAT, but found it unmemorable.
38. Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Already Taken by Mike Robbins ***1/2 Cinder/Non-fiction/Self Help, Audio download from library.
The title of this one caught my eye. Plus I’m at the point in my life where I do try to be myself. This had some interesting info.
39. The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach **** The Three Musketeers/Fiction, Audio download from library
Thought a good way to start off April would be with a book about baseball. Baseball is a big part of this, but there is so much more here. Great book.
40. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer **** The Giver/YA Dystopian Fairy Tale, audio download from library
Read this one for the SFFFCAT, plus I’ve been wanting to continue with the series. I liked this one better than the first. This one brings Little Red Riding Hood into the story. I also read the short story, Glitches which is a prequel about when Cinder first comes to live with the Linh family. This one also fit the Bingo square based on a fairy tale.
41. Cloaked in Red by Vivian Vande Velde ***1/2 C’est été qui chantait/Fairy tale short stories, audio download from Kindle Unlimited.
This is a collection of stories based on Little Red Riding Hood. Some better than others.
42. Witch World by Andre Norton *** His Majesty’s Dragon/Fantasy, Audio download from library
Been wanting to try Andre Norton for a while. This was not very memorable for me. Wasn’t paying close enough attention I think when listening.
43. Wayward by Blake Crouch **** Misery/Horror, Audio download from Kindle unlimited
This is the second book in the Wayward Pines series. Seeing the commercial for the upcoming TV prompted me to read it now.
44. Peril at End House by Agatha Christie ***1/2 The Murder of Roger Ackroyd/mystery, Audio download from library
I needed something easy and comfy to listen to. This hit the spot.
45. The Siege Winter by Ariana Franklin & Samantha Norman **** Beneath a Marble Sky/Historical Mystery, Audio download from Audible
I was excited to hear there was another Ariana Franklin book. I was expecting it to be part of the Mistress of the Art of Death series. It wasn’t, but was still great. Fit the HistoryCAT for time and theme. It also ended up fitting for the RandomCAT.
46. Boardwalk Empire by Nelson Johnson *** Garlic and Sapphires/Non-fiction, audio download from library
I’m planning a weekend in Atlantic City for my birthday coming up later this month, so thought this would be a good time to read this one. I wish they could figure out something to revive the city.

I am still making my way through Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn. Slow going for me just because it’s an actual paper book. Started the e-book edition of Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delaney. Not far in yet, but liking it so far. I’ve started the audio of Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Also enjoying this one. And I am almost finished listening to The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes.

60rabbitprincess
abr. 18, 2015, 9:18 am

Looks like an interesting assortment of reading! Glad to hear you liked the Ariana Franklin book; it's on my mum's to-read list. :)

61staci426
abr. 22, 2015, 10:48 am

>60 rabbitprincess:. Thanks! I hope your mum enjoys it too.

Finished two short ones:

47. The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes ***1/2
Category/Genre: The Three Musketeers (1001 books)/Fiction
Format: Audio download from library, read by Richard Morant, 4 hours 37 minutes


This was an interesting little story. A man looks back on his past, his friends from school, an old love, makes new discoveries in the present. I would never have picked it up if not for the 1001 books list. I really enjoyed Barnes's writing. I didn't really feel a connection with the characters, though. But overall, glad to have read it.

48. Midnight in Death by J. D. Robb ***
Categoy/Genre: Flowers for Algernon (everything else)/Mystery/Romance
Format: Audio download from library, read by Susan Ericksen, 3 hours 2 minutes


This is a novella which falls between books 7 & 8 in the Eve Dallas series. It's been quite a while since I've read anything in this series. I was starting to feel like it was the same story in each novel. This was ok. Eve & Roark work a case together at Christmas time. I'm not a huge fan of the audio narrator. I had finished up to book 8 in the series. I might try a few more.

I had been working on Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It's good, but it's not really what I'm in the mood for righ now, so decided to put it aside. I'll come back to it at some point. I've started Snow White Must Die by Nele Neuhaus, a German mystery, which is more of what I'm in the mood for now.

62staci426
maig 6, 2015, 1:53 pm

I feel like I've been in a bit of a slump. Not much is catching my attention. I've been a bit upset, I lost another one of my cats unexpectedly and it's hit me pretty hard. I've been picking books that look interesting and not worrying about fitting them into categories. I have managed to finish a few since my last post:

49. Snow White Must Die by Nele Neuhaus ****
Category/Genre: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (around the world)/mystery
Format: audio download from library, read by Robert Fass, 15 hours 47 minutes

This was a fast paced German mystery. It's listed as book 4 in the series, von Bodenstein & Kirchoff. I'm not sure if one and two are available in English, but my library does have number 3, so I will go back and read that one. I really enjoyed this.

50. Bloodshot by Cherie Priest ***1/2
Category/Genre: Flowers for Algernon (everything else)/urban fantasy/mystery
Format: audio download from library, read by Natalie Ross, 11 hours 12 minutes

This is book 1 in the Cheshire Red Reports series. The main character, Raylene, is a vampire and a thief who is hired by another vampire to steal some secret government information. I'm not a huge urban fantasy or vampire fan. I had really enjoyed Cherie Priest's Boneshaker book and nothing else was really catching my interest, so I decided to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised. I thought it was pretty good and I will continue wtih the series. I also really enjoyed the narrator on the audio. I am using this one in my Bingo square for something outside of my comfort zone.

51. Relic by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child ***
Category/Genre: Flowers for Algernon/suspense/horror
Format: audio download from the library, read by David Colacci, 12 hours 25 minutes

This is book 1 in the Pendegrast series. I had heard good things about the series, so thought I'd give it a try. But I was a bit disappointed. I didn't really connect with the characters. I also didn't really feel like it was very suspenseful, or have any real sense of horror. It's a long series, so I might give one more book a try.

52. The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang ***1/2
Category/Genre: Cet été qui chantait/fairy tales
Format: audio download from Kindle Unlimited, read by Angele Masters, 14 hours 21 minutes

This is the first in Andrew Lan's collection of coloed fairy tale books originally published in 1889. He collected classic tales from the brothers Grimm, the Arabian Nights, Madame D'Aulnoy and many other sources. There were 37 stories in this collection. I didn't realize there were a whole series of these fairy tale books. I will have to find the rest. The one negative, was the quality of the audio. The reader was Ok, but towards the end, I kept noticing every time she swallowed and it became somewhat distracting.

Now I am working on:
Elvenbane by Andre Norton & Mercedes Lackey, fantasy/audio for SFFFCAT
Beggars in Spain by Nancy Kress, sci fi/audio for SFFFCAT
Babel-17 by Samual R. Delaney, sci fi/ebook
Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn, fantasy/hardcover book

63rabbitprincess
maig 6, 2015, 6:40 pm

Oh no! I'm very sorry for your loss.

64lkernagh
maig 6, 2015, 11:09 pm

Oh, that is sad news!

65LittleTaiko
maig 7, 2015, 6:21 pm

How sad to lose two cats so close together. That has got to be rough, no wonder you are in a bit of a reading slump, who wouldn't be?

66DeltaQueen50
maig 10, 2015, 11:37 pm

So sorry to hear of your loss.

67staci426
maig 22, 2015, 11:48 am

Thank you, everyone. Things finally feel like they're getting back to normal again. I've managed to finish a few books:

53. Beggars in Spain by Nancy Kress ****
Category/Genre: Spin/Sci fi
Format: Audible download read by Cassandra Campbell, 16 hours 15 minutes

This was an interesting sci fi. A small group of the population have been genetically engineered so that they do not need to sleep. I really enjoyed this. It fits both the SFFFCAT and RandomCAT for May.

54. Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie ***
Category/Genre: Spin/Sci fi
Format: Audible download read by Celeste Ciulla, 13 hours 47 minutes

This was another sci fi I picked for the CAT, plus I've heard nothing but good things about it. I have to say, I was dissappointed. Not sure what it was, but it just didn't work for me. This one did fill a bingo square, LT author.

55. Elvenbane by Andre Norton & Mercedes Lackey ***
Category/Genre: His Majesty's Dragon/Fantasy
Format: Unabridged download from the library read by Aasne Vigesaa, 18 hours 48 minutes

Another SFFCAT for the month. I hadn't ready much by either of these authors, but they are both always recommended. This was Ok. It started out a bit confusing for me, but then did get better as the story moved on. I don't really feel compelled to continue with the series. This one fit the bingo square for prophecy or portents.

56. Curse of the Pogo Stick by Collin Cotterill ****
Category/Genre: Beneath the Marble Sky/Mystery
Format: Unabridged download from library, read by Clive Chafer, 5 hours 39 minutes

After several dissapointments in a row, I needed something I knew I was going to enjoy and figured can't go wrong with Dr. Siri. And I was right. Just what I needed to bring me out of the slump.

57. 2 A.M. at the Cat's Pajamas by Marie-Helene Bertino ****1/2
Category/Genre: Cinder/Fiction
Format: Unabridged download from library read by Angela Goethals, 7 hours 14 minutes

I came across this when I was looking for something else and thought the title was great and the description sounded interesting. I am so glad to have discovered this book. I was drawn in right from the start and did not want to stop reading. Thoroughly enjoyed this. Probably my best read of the year so far.

58. The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes ****
Category/Genre: Flowers for Algernon/Fiction
Format: Unabridged download from library, read by full cast, 10 hours 33 minutes

This was a pleasant surprise. I had heard the author on a podcast and wanted to give something of hers a try. I am glad I did. Really enjoyed it. Looking forward to discovering more of her work. This one fit for SFFCAT this month and will also fit for next month.

59. Julie Andrews by Richard Stirling ***1/2
Category/genre: Garlic and Sapphires/Biography
Format: Unabridged audio download from library read by Rowena Cooper, 15 hours 4 minutes

I enjoy reading these types of biographies. This was a good one. These boks always put me in the mood to watch some old movies. Maybe I'll try to find Mary Poppins this weekend. I especially liked the narrator of the audio. She was great.

68-Eva-
juny 2, 2015, 5:41 pm

Very sorry to hear about your loss - it's so hard when our friends leave us. :(

69staci426
juny 16, 2015, 11:52 am

Thank you Eva. This has not been a good year for my poor cats. This past weekend another one of mine snuck out and was attacked by a neighbor’s dog. Luckily he was not seriously hurt, but he was banged up pretty good. He seems to be in good spirits and on the mend, thankfully.

I’ve got several more boosk to list for the end of May and the beginning of June:

60. Invisible City by Julia Dahl ****
Category/Genre: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd/Mystery
Format: Audio download from library, read by Andi Arndt, 7:49 hours

I enjoyed this one. The main character, Rebekah, is a young reporter covering the death of an Hasidic Jewish woman. The story hits close to home because her mother is also an Hasidic woman from the same community who had abandoned her and her father after her birth to go back to her family. I was interested in reading this because I live near a large Hasidic community and wanted to learn more about them.

61. Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton ****
Category/Genre: The Three Musketeers (1001 books)/fiction
Format: Audio download from library, read by Michael York, 9:48 hours

Another book off the 1001 books list which I really enjoyed. The story of a rural South African priest who travels to the city to find his sister and son.

62. Villette by Charlotte Bronte ****1/2
Category/Genre: Little Women (classics)/Classic Fiction
Format: Audio download from library, read by Wanda McCaddon, 20:07 hours

Another great find from the 1001 list which I never would have read otherwise. I really enjoyed this story of Lucy Snow. She needs to make a living for herself, so travels to Belgium to find work at a girl’s school. Loved the writing and characters.

63. The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon ****1/2
Category/Genre: Spin/Sci fi
Format: Audible download, read by Jay Snyder, 14:37 hours

This was an amazing book. The story of an autistic man who need to decide whether he wants to participate in an experiment to cure his autism. This reminded me a bit of Flowers for Algernon. I highly recommend this one. Fits Bingo square, about autism.

64. Heretics and Heroes by Thomas Cahill ***1/2
Category/Genre: Garlic and Sapphires/Non-fiction
Format: Audio download from library, read by the author, 12:48 hours

I picked this of the June HistoryCAT. It fits both the time and theme. The sub-title of the book is How Renaissance Artists and Reformation Priests Created Our World. This is part of Cahill’s Hinges of History series. He writes history in an accessible, entertaining way. He also did a great job with the audio narration. I’ve read the last two in this series, should probably go back and read the earlier ones.

65. The Sugar Frosted Nutsack by Mark Leyner ***
Category/Genre: Flowers for Algernon/Fiction
Format: Audio download from library, read by the author, 7:46 minutes

I have no idea how this book ended up on my library wish list. It must have had something to do with when I was looking for New Jersey related books. I’m really not sure how to explain this book or if I even liked it or not. It was strange.

66. Way Station by Clifford D. Simak ****
Categoy/Genre: Spin/Sci fi
Format: Audible download, read by Michael Summerer, 7:05 hours

A science fiction classic! Enoch Wallace lives on an isolated farm where he is runs a way station for galactic travelers. He has tried to stay under the radar, but someone has taken a notice to him, which could lead to a threat to the entire Earth. Great story.

67. Pastwatch by Orson Scott Card ***
Category/Genre: Spin/sci fi
Format: Audible download, read by a full cast, 13:53 hours

I picked this up during an Audible sale a little while ago and didn’t remember anything about it when I started listening. I was happy to realize it would fit for this month’s SFFFCAT being that it deals with time travel and an alternate history relating to Christopher Columbus and his discovery of the New World. It was Ok, but nothing spectacular.

68. The Last Town by Blake Crouch ***1/2
Category/Genre: Misery/Horror
Format: Audible download from Kindle Unlimited, read by Paul Michael Garcia, 6:56 hours

This is book 3 in the Wayward Pines series. I wanted to read this before watching the rest of the TV show. I thought it was an interesting conclusion to the series. Went into a lot of the back story.

My current reads:
The Winter Palace: A Novel of Catherine the Great by Eva Stachniak (historical fiction/audio)
Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett (fantasy/audio)
Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delaney (sci fi/ebook)
Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn (fantasy/book)

70mamzel
juny 16, 2015, 3:20 pm

You've had some great success with you books. Not a dud in the bunch!

71AHS-Wolfy
juny 17, 2015, 8:08 am

Way Station was a surprisingly good read for me earlier this year. Glad to see that you enjoyed it also.

72rabbitprincess
juny 17, 2015, 8:00 pm

Seconding Wolfy's sentiment in >71 AHS-Wolfy: that I am glad to see you liked Way Station! I haven't read it yet but a copy is sitting patiently on my shelves.

73staci426
Editat: juny 19, 2015, 9:59 am

re: Way Station, I had heard a lot of good things about this book and was glad that it lived up to my expectations. Hope you enjoy it rabbitprincess.

69. The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak ***1/2
Category/Genre: Beneath a Marble Sky/Historical Fiction
Format: Audio download from library, read by Beata Pozniak, 18 hours 48 minutes

This was a solid historical fiction book about the early life of Catherine the Great. Her time when she first arrives in Russia at the court of Empress Elizabeth, until the coup that overthrows her husband to become the sole ruler. The one draw back for me was the narrator of the audio edition. This one also fit the Bingo square, author shares a first name with an ancestor, my paternal grandmother.

New audio books that I am working on:
Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake
The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson

74staci426
jul. 2, 2015, 3:12 pm

Have a few more books to report on to finish out June:

70. The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson ****
Category/Genre: His Majesty's Dragon/Fantasy
Format: Audo download from library, read by Michael Kramer, 27 hours 30 minutes

I was craving a good epic fantasy and this fit the bill perfectly. This was a satisfying conclusion to the Mistborn trilogy. I will be moving on to the rest of the Mistborn series.

71. Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake ***1/2
Category/Genre: The Three Musketeers (1001 books)/gothic fantasy
Format: Audio download from library, read by Simon Vance, 18 hours 19 minutes

This is the second book in the classic, gothic fantasy series. I enjoyed this one a bit more than the first, I think. I especially enjoyed Simon Vance's narration. He's a favorite reader of mine. This is also another book checked off the 1001 list for me. I think I must be close to 200 by now. I need to do a count.

72. Letters from Atlantis by Robert Silverberg ***1/2
Category/Genre: Spin/Sci fi
Format: Audio download from library, read by Grover Gardner, 2 hours 59 minutes

This was a quick listen. It was a novella featuring a time traveller to the lost city of Atlantis right before it became lost. It was an interesting take on time travel. Read it for the SFFFCAT.

73. Morgue Drawer Next Door by Jutta Profijt ***1/2
Category/Genre: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (around the world)/Mystery
Format: Audio download from Kindle Unlimited, read by MacLeod Andrews, 8 hours 22 minutes

This is book 2 in a German mystery series featuring a coroner who is drawn into solving murder cases by the ghost of a former murder victim. This is a fun series. it's not the best writing, but the characters are great, and I like the modern German setting.

74. Under the Jolly Roger by L. A. Meyer ***1/2
Category/Genre:Beneath the Marble Sky/YA hisorical
Format: Audio download from library, read by Katherine Kellgren, 14 hours 44 minutes

This is book 3 in the Bloody Jack series which takes place during the Napoleanic Wars. Jacky is back in England and ends up caught up in a press gang where she ends up back at sea to start another advenure. This series is a lot of fun. I also really enjoy the narrator on the audio, she does a great job. This one worked for June's RandomCAT of on the water.

First book of July:
75. Eye of Jade by Diane Wei Liang ***
Category/Genre: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan/mystery
Format: Audio download from library, read by Cindy Cheung, 6 hours 49 minutes

This is book 1 in the Mei Wang series. Mei is a private detective in modern Beijing, where PI's are illegal. This was interesting. I haven't read much that takes place in modern China. I will most likely look for the next in the series.

75staci426
Editat: jul. 13, 2015, 10:41 am

76. Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson ***1/2
Category/Genre: Spin/Sci fi
Format: Audible download, read by Richard Ferrone, 23 hours 52 minutes

This is the first book in the Mars trilogy. This focuses on the original scientific exploratory party and then colonization of Mars. It was good, but did seem to drag at parts. It also didn't help that the audio narration was not the best quality. I will most likley continue with the series, but not any time soon.

77. A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire ***1/2
Category/Genre: His Majesty's Dragon/Fantasy
Format: Audible download, read by Mary Robinette Kowal, 11 hours 52 minutes

Book 2 in the October Daye urban fantasy, mystery series. I think I enjoyed the first one better, but I will read ata least one more in the series to see if I want to continue. I'm not a huge urban fantasy fan, so this series is a bit out of my comfort zone. This one works for Bingo squre featuring mythical creatures with all of the fae creatures that are a part of the series.

76christina_reads
jul. 10, 2015, 6:34 pm

>75 staci426: I really like the Toby Daye series, so I'd definitely encourage you to continue! Book #3, An Artificial Night, is a really good one, as I recall. :)

77staci426
jul. 13, 2015, 10:56 am

>76 christina_reads: Thanks for the encouragement on Toby Daye. good to hear about book 3. I will definitely give it at least one more try.

Finished two non-fiction books:

78: Me by Ricky Martin ***1/2
Category/Genre: Garlic & Sapphires/Memoir
Format: Audio download from library, read by Jonathan Davis, 7 hours 46 minutes

Ricky Martin's memoir. This was a quick entertaining listen. He talked about how he got into show business, some of his relationships with bothe men and women, his decision to have children through surrogacy, his decision to come out and his humanitarian work with human trafficking. I used this book for Bingo square with an LBGTQ main character.

79. The Big Fat Surprise by Nina Teicholz ****
Category/Format: Garlic & Sapphires/Non fiction
Format: Audio download from library, read by Erin Bennett, 13 hours 26 minutes

This book has been on my two read list for a while and I am glad to have finally gotten around to listening. The author has done extension research into all of the studies that have been done regarding fat in the diet and shows that there is no real proof that fat in the diet leads to a person becoming fat and that the real culprit is sugar and carbohydrates. I had recently started a new way of eating that cuts out sugar, wheat & flour, processed foods and is based on a balance of protein/carbs (from fruits & veggies) and fats which fits into what this book is saying.

78staci426
ag. 13, 2015, 10:11 am

It's been a while since I've posted, been going through an extremely stressful situation at work recently. Still been reading, but haven't felt much like posting. On a more positive note, I did get a new kitten, Cinnamon. She has been a well needed burst of happiness right now. She is currently sleeping right in front of my monitor, after having spend a good ten minutes chasing the mouse pointer around the screen :)



I will hopefully get around to updated my books today.

79MissWatson
ag. 13, 2015, 10:41 am

>78 staci426: She's a cutie! Hopefully work will get back to less stressful levels soon.

80staci426
ag. 13, 2015, 11:38 am

Now to the books:

80. The Minority Report and Other Stories by Philip K. Dick
Category/Genre: Cet été qui chantait/Sci Fi
Format: Audio download from library, read by Keir Dulea, 5 hours 33 minutes

This was a collection of 5 short stories, none of which I had read before. The stories are The Minority Report, We Can Remember It For You Wholesale, Paycheck, Second Variety & The Eyes Have It. I enjoyed all of them.

81. The Beggar King by Oliver Pötzsch ****
Category/Genre: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd/Historical Mystery
Format: Audio download from Kindle Unlimited, read by Grover Gardner, 15 hours 33 minutes

This is book 3 in the Hangman's Daughter mystery series which takes place in 17th century Germany. I'm really enjoying this series. It fit in for the July HistoryCAT time frame.

82. Self-Inflicted Wounds by Aisha Tyler ****
Category/Genre: Garlic & Sapphires/Memoir
Format: Audio download from library, read by the author, 6 hours 46 minutes

I recently discovered Aisha Tyler's podcast, Girl on Guy, which is great. So when I came across her book, had to check it out. It was a lot of fun, and she did an excellent job with the reading.

83. H is for Homicide by Sue Grafton *** 1/2
Category/Genre: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd/Mystery
Format: Audio download from library, read by Mary Peiffer, 8 hours 24 minutes

It's been a while since I visited with Kinsey. Still enjoying this series.

84. Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz *** 1/2
Category/Genre: Misery/Horror
Format: Audio download from library, ready by Aaron Baker, 10 hours 36 minutes

This one has been on my too read list for a while now. Glad I finally got around to it. Will definitely continue with the series.

85. House of Bathory by Linda Lafferty ***
Category/Format: Misery/Horror
Format: Audio download from Kindle Unlimited, read by Kathleen Gati, 13 hours 2 minutes

This was an interesting take on the vampire legend. It switched back & forth between 1610 & 2010, so it fit the HistoryCAT time period for July. I didn't realize it was the Countess of Bathory was an actual historical person who is said to be the most prolific female serial killer. I liked the idea of the story, but it could have been done better.

86. Rounding the Mark by Andrea Camileri ****
Category/Genre: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan/Mystery
Format: Audio download from library, read by Grover Gardner, 5 hours 55 minutes

Book 8 in the Commissario Montalbano series. Been a while since I visited Sicily with Montalbano. Always enjoy my trips there.

87. The Pain Chaser One: Ambuscade by Patrick E. Molloy ***1/2
Category/Genre: Misery/Horror
Format: Audio download from Podiobooks, read by the author

This is book one of a projected five part series. I met the author online and he recommended I read it, so I used if for Bingo square chosen by someone else. It was semi-self published and I am the only person here who has added the book. Not sure how to create the touchstone though. It was pretty good. He warned me that it was very graphic, but I must be desensitized because I was expecting worse.

88. Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder ***1/2
Category/Genre: His Majesty's Dragon/Fantasy
Format: Audible download, read by Gabbra Zackman, 11 hours 35 minutes

This is book 2 in the series. I think I waited too long since reading the first one to get to this one. I couldn't really remember what was going on and it took a while for me to get into the story. But overall, it turned out good and hopefully it won't be as long before I get to the next one.

89. Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer ***1/2
Category/Genre: Spin/Sci Fi
Format: Audio download from library, read by Carolyn McCormick, 6 hours

I really enjoyed this one. My first by this author. Will definitely be checking out more. Also really enjoyed the reading by Carolyn McCormick.

90. The Case of the Love Commandos by Tarquin Hall ****
Category/Genre: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd/Myster
Format: Audio download from library, read by Sam Dastor, 8 hours 29 minutes

This is book 4 in the Vish Puri, Indian mystery series. I love this series. Vish Puri is a great character. And Sam Dastor does an excellent job with the reading.

91, 93 & 94. A Dance to the Music of Time Second Movement by Anthony Powell ***1/2
Category/Genre: The Three Musketeers/Fiction
Format: Audible download, read by Simon Vance, 20 hours 31 minutes

Books 4, 5 & 6 in the series: At Lady Molly's, Casanova's Chinese Restaurant & The Kindly Ones. All were good. I think I enjoyed the Kindly Ones slightly more than the other two. But overall, still enjoying this work which is also part of the 1001 books to read list.

92. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi ***1/2
Category/Genre: Cinder/YA/Sci Fi/Romance

I came across this book because it's one where the cover really caught my attention. I read the description and it sounded like it could be interesting. It was a bit romancy for my liking, but not too much to the point that I do plan to continue the series. I think this fits the Bingo genre bender square, it has romance, sci fi, dystopian, plus one more which they surprised me with at the end, but I think is supposed to be a surprise, so won't mention it in case it's a spoiler.

95. The Summer of Dead Toys by Antonio Hill ***1/2
Category/Genre: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan/Mystery
Format: Audio download from library, read by Mark Bramhall, 11 hours

This is the first book in the mystery series featuring Inspector Hector Salgado which takes place in Barcelona, Spain. I picked this one for the August RandomCAT. It was good. I haven't read much that takes place in Spain, so it was something different for me. Salgado looks like he will be an interesting character.

96. This Book is Full of Spiders: Seriously, Dude, Don't Touch It by David Wong ****
Category/Genre: Cinder/Humor/Horror
Format: Audible download, read by Nick Podehl, 14 hours 54 minutes

This is the sequel to John Dies at the End. it was hilarious. Just what I was looking for, something light and funny. Although it did bring a tear to my eye in the end.

97. Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman ***1/2
Category/Genre: Flowers for Algernon/Feminist Utopian
Format: LibroVox recording read by multiple narrators

I just realized that I had never added this one to my library or list here. I don't remember when I actually listened to it, so will just add it to the bottom of the list. I chose it for the Bingo square published in 1915. It was really interesting and I am glad I decided to read it.

So that's everything up to date.

I am still working on a couple of print books, Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn in paper & Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delaney in electronic form. Not sure what my next audio will be.

81staci426
ag. 13, 2015, 11:39 am

>79 MissWatson: Thanks! I hope so too.

82lkernagh
ag. 13, 2015, 3:41 pm

Sorry to learn that work has been stressful. Cinnamon is a cutie!

83-Eva-
ag. 13, 2015, 11:39 pm

>78 staci426:
Aw, lovely cat!

84AHS-Wolfy
ag. 14, 2015, 8:28 am

>80 staci426: Glad you enjoyed the 2nd David Wong book. I quite liked the 1st so am looking forward to getting around to this one eventually.

85Chrischi_HH
ag. 14, 2015, 9:50 am

What a cutie! :) And a BB for me, The Summer of Dead Toys sounds interesting, and just like you I don't visit Spain very often.

86thornton37814
ag. 19, 2015, 3:48 pm

>78 staci426: Cinnamon is a sweet kitty! Jeff and I had planned to wait until I moved to let a cat adopt us, but he's decided that I need to go ahead and get one. I will wait until after Labor Day to start looking.

87rabbitprincess
ag. 19, 2015, 7:07 pm

>78 staci426: Awwwww!!! What a sweet face!!

88staci426
ag. 24, 2015, 10:28 am

Thanks everyone! Cinnamon is such a great kitten. She has made herself right at home here with the other cats. Things at work are starting to head in the right direction, so things are looking good.

>84 AHS-Wolfy: Yeah, if you liked the first one, you should definitely enjoy the second. I'm eagerly awaiting the next one once it's finished.

>85 Chrischi_HH: Hope you enjoy if you decide to give it a try.

>86 thornton37814: Good luck with your kitty search!

I have finished three more books, bringing my total for the year to 100 already! I will get around to posting about them soon.

89staci426
ag. 24, 2015, 3:50 pm

98. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston ***1/2
Category/Genre: The Three Musketeers/Classic Fiction
Forma: Audible download, read by Ruby Dee, 6 hours 44 minutes

This one was a little slow in getting started for me, but once it got going, I was really enjoying it. I'm glad to have finally gotten around to reading this. Ruby Dee did a great job with the narration on the audio. I used this one for the Bingo square with a natural disaster. There is a hurricane in the story, it's not a huge part of the book, but I don't think I'm going to find anything else to fit this one, so I'm counting it.

99. Making Rounds With Oscar by David Dosa ****
Category/Format: Garlic & Sapphires/Non-fiction
Format: Audio download from library, read by Ray Porter, 6 hours 34 minutes

This book has been on my too read list for a while. I'm glad I finally decided to give it a listen. Oscar is a cat who lives in a nursing home and seems to have the ability to sense when one of the residents is about to pass, and goes to sit with them during their last moments. This was a great story. I used it for my Bingo square, animal is of importance.

100. Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde ****
Category/Genre: His Majesty's Dragon/Fantasy
Format: Audible download, read by Emily Gray, 12 hours 27 minutes

Book 4 in the Thursday Next series. This series is so much fun and this was another great installment.

90staci426
set. 4, 2015, 9:14 am

Last few books from August:

101. The Maze Runner by James Dashner ***
Category/Genre: The Hunger Games/YA Dystopian
Format: Audio download from library, read by Mark Deakins, 10 hours 50 minutes

I have to say, I was a bit disappointed in this. Not sure what it was, but it just did not work for me for some reason. I put this one into my books to movie category. I think I'll still watch the movie. My sister's entire family loved the movie, which is unusual, my sister is not normally into this type of story.

102. Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delaney ****1/2
Category/Genre: Spin/sci fi
Format: Kindle ebook read on iPad, 311 pages

Galaxies have been at war and the Alliance military has called on Rydra Wong, a famous poet, to decipher Babel-17, which seems to be a new code being used by the invaders. This was a fabulous book. The writing was spectacular. I am so glad that I actually read this book in print format, rather than listened to an audio, like I normally do. I savored every word on the page. Even though it did take a while for me to finish, it was well worth the time. I ended up finishing it in August, and it ended up fitting for the SFFFCAT. It also worked for Bingo square about language.

103. The Dead Shall Not Rest by Tessa Harris ***1/2
Category/Genre: Beneath a Marble Sky/Historical Mystery
Format: Audio download from library, read by Simon Vance, 10 hours 53 minutes

This is book 2 in the Dr. Thomas Silkstone historical mystery series which takes place in 1780s London. Silkstone is an anatomist who does autopsies for the courts. This installment featured some actual historical figures, including the Irish Giant, Charles Byrne. I'm enjoying this series, and look forward to reading more. This one fit the August HistoryCAT for both time & theme.

I'm currently working on:
New ebook: The Pain Chaser Two: Gestation by Patrick E. Molloy (horror)
In Audio: Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett (fantasy)
The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye (historical mystery)
Paper book I've been working on forever, but really enjoying: Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn (fantasy)

91staci426
set. 25, 2015, 11:06 am

September's almost over and I haven't posted any of my reading yet. I have still been reading. This month has been a little slow, but there's been some great reading. Here they are:

104. The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye ****
Category/Genre: Beneath a Marble Sky/Historical Mystery
Format: Unabridged audio download from library, read by Steven Boyer, 12 hours 9 minutes

This is book one in an excellent historical mystery series which takes place in 1840s NYC featuring Timothy Wilde, part of the new police force in the city. Great writing and characters and you really get a feel for the time and place. Looking forward to more in this series. This one fit the HistoryCAT for time and theme.

105. Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett ****
Category/Format: His Majesty's Dragon/Fantasy
Format: Unabridged audio download, read by Nigel Planer, 8 hours 29 minutes

It's been way too long since I've read a Discworld book. I'm slowly making my way through in publication order. This was one I have not read before and thought it was great. I love the witches.

106. Revenge by Yoko Ogawa ****
Category/Genre: Cet été qui chantait/Horror short stories
Format: Unabridged audio download from library, read by Kaleo Griffith & Johanna Parker, 4 hours 24 minutes

This was a collection of 11 interconnected short stories. There was definitely a dark, eerie feel to the stories. The audio narrators did a great job of evoking that feeling as well. I will be looking for more of Ogawa's work.

107. The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin ***
Category/Genre: His Majesty's Dragon/Fantasy
Format: Unabridged Audible download, read by Robin Miles, 15 hours 31 minutes

I heard the author talk about this new book on a podcast and thought it sounded interesting, so decided to give it a try. I really enjoyed this, much more than others by the author I've tried to read. She's created a really liked the world she's built here and has used quite an interesting narration style. Looking forward to seeing how the rest of the series comes out.

108. Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami *****
Category/Genre: The Giver/Magical Realism
Format: Unabridged audio download from library, read by Sean Barrett & Oliver Le Sueur, 19 hours 8 minutes

Favorite book of the year so far! I had no idea what to expect going in with this one, but there was just something about this that just really worked for me. Loved the characters, the writing, the strangeness of it all. Everything just worked for me. (except for one very disturbing scene involving cats). I also thought the alternating narrators did an excellent job as well and added to my enjoyment of the book. This one fit this month's SFFFCAT and is another one checked off the 1001 books list.

109. The Blumhouse Book of Nightmares: the Haunted City edited by Jason Blum
Category/Genre: Cet été qui chantait/Horror short stories
Format: Unabridged Audible download, read by multiple narrators, 13 hours 51 minutes

This was another book I discovered through a podcast featuring Jason Blum, horror movie producer and editor of this collection, mentioned it. He said the only criteria he wanted for each story was that it takes place in the city. Overall, I fell this was a solid collection. Some stories were better thatn others, but they were all pretty good. Two stand outs to me were Novel Fifteen by Steve Faber and Hellhole by Christopher Denham. I think for the audio, each author read their own story, but I couldn't find it mentioned anywhere who the narrators were.

So, that's it for September so far. I started and abandoned The Heretic Queen by Susan Ronald which was about Queen Elizabeth I and the wars of religion for my religion category, but found it boring and couldn't finish.

I've been working on the audio of The Stand by Stephen King, which I'm hoping to finish this weekend and in ebook The Pain Chaser Two: Gestation by Patrick E. Molloy which I probably will not be finishing any time soon. I'm starting to get into a more fall/Halloweeny spirit, so will probably be reading more gothic and horror and other things that fit into that type of vibe coming up.

92staci426
nov. 6, 2015, 10:57 am

I have fallen behind yet again on my posting. It's been a busy time with real life stuff; new boyfriend, good changes at work & my sister's getting married later this month. Have still been reading, just not posting. I also just realized it was my 10 year Thingaversary on 11/4. Can't believe it's been 10 years here on LT already! It's been so much fun.

Heres' the list of what I've read since my last post:

110. The Stand by Stephen King ****
Category/Genre: Misery/Horror
Format: Audio download from library, read by Grover Gardner, 47 hours 47 minuets

Enjoyed it just as much this time as the first time I read it back in high school.

111. CyberStorm by Matthew Mather ***1/2
Category/Genre: Flowers for Algernon/Thriller/Apocalyptic
Format: Audio download from Kindle Unlimited read by Tom Tayloyson, 11 hours 14 minutes

I'm not really sure how to categorize this one. It was about a cyber attack during a blizzard in NYC. It was really interesting. Picked it for the September RandomCAT.

112. Jennifer Government by Max Barry ***
Category/Genre: Cinder/Science Fiction
Format: Audio download from library, read by Michael Kramer, 9 hours 4 minutes

This book has been in my wishlist for years. While browsing through my library's audio collection, I was drawn by the cover, so decided to finally give it a try (I tend to be drawn to covers that have images of eyes on them for some reason). It was an interesting idea, but I was ultimately disappointed.

113. The Martian by Andy Weir ****
Category/Genre: The Hunger Games/Science Fiction
Format: Audible Download, read by R. C. Bray, 10 hours 53 minutes

I really enjoyed this one and look forward to seeing how they did with the movie.

114. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess ****
Category/Genre: Little Women/Sci Fi Classic
Format: Audible Download, read by Tom Hollander, 7 hours 45 minutes

I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I really enjoyed it. Even though this is such a classic, I didn't really know much about it going in. Glad to have finally gotten around to it.

115. An Artificial Night by Seanan McGuire ***1/2
Category/Format: The Murder of Roger Ackrooyd/Urban Fantasy/Mystery
Format: Audible download, read by Mary Robinette Kowal, 12 hours 32 minutes

This is book 3 in the October Daye, urban fantasy series. I'm glad I decided to keep going with this series. I'm enjoying it.

116. The Walking Dead: Descent by Robert Kirkman & Jay Bonansinga ***
Category/Genre: Misery/Horror
Format: Audio download from library, read by Fred Berman, 9 hours 46 minutes

Book five in the series of novels featuring the members of Woodbury.

117. The Necromancer's House by Christopher Buehlman ***
Category/Genre: Misery/Horror
Format: Audio download from library, read by Todd Haberkorn, 11 hours 4 minutes

I've really enjoyed the other two books by Buehlman that I've read, but this one just didn't work for me for some reason. I never really felt like I knew what was going on here. I do know that it had to do with the Baba Yaga legend.

118. Ghost Stories of an Antiquary by M. R. James ***1/2
Category/Genre: Cet été qui chantait/Ghost Stories
Format: Audio download from Kindle unlimited, read by Walter Covell, 4 hours 42 minutes

This was a nice collection of classic ghost stories published in the early 1900s.

119. The Song of Kali by Dan Simmons **1/2
Category/Genre: Misery/Horror
Format: Audio download from Kindle unlimited, read by Mark Boyett, 9 hours 38 minutes

I found this one browsing through the Kindle Unlimited books with narration available. It sounded like it was going to be interesting, but it was not very good. Almost gave up on it at one point.

120. The Killer of Little Shepherds by Douglas Starr ****
Category/Genre: Garlic & Sapphires/Non-fiction
Format: Audio download from library, read by Erik Davies, 12 hours 27 minutes

This was a really good non fiction listen. It tells the story of a serial killer in France in the late 1800s as well as the birth of the use of forensics to help solve crimes.

121. Graveyard Shift and Other Stories from Night Shift & Lawnmower Man and Other Stories from Night Shift by Stephen King ****
Category/Genre: Cet été qui chantait/Horror
Format: Audio download from library, read by John Glover, 3 hours 24 minutes & 3 hours 54 minutes

I put these two short collections as one book. They contain about half of the short stories that were included in King's Night Shift. Couldn't find the rest of the stories in audio, so will be reading them in the ebook edition. All of the stories were great.

122. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black ***
Category/Genre: The Giver/YA Urban fantasy
Format: Audio download from library, read by Christine Lakin, 12 hours 6 minutes

This one was an ok vampire story. Nothing really stood out about it for me.

November has been off to a bit of a slow start. I've finally found a couple of audios that I've started, and have been working on the same print books:

The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson (fiction/audio)
Armageddon: The Musical by Robert Rankin (sci fi/audio)
The Pain Chaser Two: Gestation by Patrick E. Molloy (horror/ebook)
Fragments of Horror by Junji Ito (horror/ebook), my first foray into the world of manga.

93DeltaQueen50
nov. 6, 2015, 2:11 pm

Belated Thingaversay wishes!

94rabbitprincess
nov. 6, 2015, 5:59 pm

Wow, ten years! Happy Thingaversary!

My BF and I saw The Martian yesterday and enjoyed it. If you can, maybe look for a 2D screening -- one of my colleagues saw it in 3D and didn't think the 3D really added anything.

95-Eva-
nov. 7, 2015, 7:23 pm

Happy belated Thingaversary!!

96staci426
nov. 10, 2015, 9:07 am

Thanks everyone!

>94 rabbitprincess: Have you read the book as well? How did it compare? I tend to avoid 3D movies, it never really works out with my eye issues.

Finished two more books over the weekend:

123. Armageddon: the Musical by Robert Rankin ***1/2
Category/Genre: The Poisonwood Bible/Sci Fi/Humor
Format: Audio download from Kindle Unlimited read by the author, 10 hours 15 minutes

This was a fun quick listen.
This is the Amazon description:
"It is the year 2050 and the soap opera "The Earthers" is making big video bucks in the intergalactic ratings race. Alien TV executives know exactly what the old earth drama needs to make the off-world audience sit up and stare—a spectacular Armageddon-type finale."
I was originally drawn to the title and was going to put it in to my Cinder category, drawn by cover or title, but religion ended up being an important part of the plot, so put it there.

124. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant *****
Category/Genre: The Poisonwood Bible/Historical Fiction
Format: Audio download from library, read by Carol Bilger, 11 hours 56 minutes

Wow. This was a beautifully written account of the life of Dinah, the only daughter of Jacob and his four wives.
I don't really know much about the Bible, and from what I've read about Dinah, she has a very minor mention. But Diamant has created a vivid history of this woman. This has definitely been my best read of the year.


97-Eva-
Editat: nov. 10, 2015, 5:54 pm

I read The Red Tent ages ago and remember that it was very engaging - it'll have to go on my to-reread list!

98rabbitprincess
nov. 10, 2015, 5:26 pm

>96 staci426: I did read the book, and the movie was very faithful to it. The movie actually worked a little bit better, because it was able to deal with what my BF called the "show your work" science passages in visuals instead of pages of writing.

99staci426
nov. 24, 2015, 9:44 am

Finished another round of books:

125. The Vicar of Wakefield by Oliver Goldsmith ****
Category/Genre: Little Women/Classic Fiction
Format: Audio download from library, read by David Thorn, 7 hours 14 minutes

This was a delightful little surprise. I knew absolutely noting about this book going in, other than it's on the 1001 books list. This was a humorous satire of 18th century English life, following the misfortunes of the Primrose family. I thought the narrator also did an excellent job. This one works for the RandomCAT this month.

126. The Pain Chaser Two: Gestation by Patrick E. Molloy ****
Category/Genre: Misery/Horror
Format: E-book, 382 pages

This is book two in the series. It's a self-published horror series. I may be a bit biased with this one, since I'm dating the author, but I really enjoyed it. We got a lot more of the back story, it moved at a quick pace and the ending took me by surprise. I think this one was a little more graphic than the first. Only one negative, is that there were quite a few typo type of mistakes in the e-book. I'm going to have to have him hire me as his editor, lol.

127. Fragments of Horror by Junji Ito ***1/2
Category/Genre: Misery/Horror Manga
Format: e-book, 224 pages

This was my first foray into the worlf of manga. My boyfriend recommended I read a different book by the author, but I couldn't find that one, so tries this. It was a collection of short stories. Some were quite bizarre. Overall, I enjoyed the collection. I look forward to reading more by Ito and more manga in general.

128. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
Category/Genre: The Three Musketeers/?
Format: Audible download, read by Ron McLarty, 6 hours

This was another one I didn't really know anything about, other than it involved a lot of drug use, which it did. I was actually surprised by how much I ended up enjoying it. I'm still not really sure how to classify it. It seems to be a fictionalized account of events in Thompson's life. This one fit for the RandomCAT this month.

129. The No-Kids Club by Talli Roland **1/2
Category/Genre: Cinder/Chick-lit
Format: Audio download from Kindle Unlimited, read by Sue Pitkin, 7 hours 54 minutes

The title of this one caught my eye being that I'm a 40 year old women with no kids, thought it might be an interesting idea. However, this book just did not work for me. I figured out exactly what was going to end up happening after listening to the first chapter, and the journey to the end was not that great. The only reason I kept reading was to see if my predictions were correct, which for the most part, they were. Maybe if you generally enjoy chick lit type of books, you would enjoy it more, but that is just not my thing.

130. Seekers: The Quest Begins by Erin Hunter ****
Category/Genre: Cinder/Children's fantasy
Format: Audio download from library, read by Julia Fletcher, 8 hours 19 minutes

This was a delightful children's fantasy told from the point of view of three bear cubs. I had originally come across a book by the author in the middle of a different series (the adorable dog on the cover caught my eye). This was the only series by the author that I could find the first book. I am looking forward to seeing what happens next and reading the series as well, there is one with cats & one with dogs. I discovered that Erin Hunter is actually a pseudonym for a group of about 5 different authors and an editor who put together these books. This book works for this month's SFFFCAT, as the title implies, there is a journey.

Current reads:
The Berlin Stories by Christopher Isherwood (ebook/fiction), chosed for both the History & Random CAT this month, but don't think I'll get around to finishing by the end of the month.
Regarding Ducks and Universes by Neve Maslakovic (audio/alternate universes)
Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi (e-book/novella/YA)

100staci426
Editat: des. 7, 2015, 9:01 am

Here's another round of books:

131. Regarding Ducks and Universes by Neve Maslakovic ***1/2
Category/Genre: Cinder/Parallel Universes
Format: Audio download from Kindle Unlimited, read by Alexander Cendese, 9 hours 14 minutes

The title of this one caught my eye while browsing through the Kindle Unlimited with Narration section. It was an entertaining listen. In 1986, the universe split in two. 35 years later, Felix decides to visit universe B to find his alter to make sure he hasn't already written they mystery novel he's planning to write. This was a fun quick listen. I haven't read anything else like it.

132. Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi ***1/2
Category/Genre: The Giver/YA dystopian romance
Format: Ebook from the library, 121 pages

This is listed as book 1.5 in the Shatter Me series. I guess it would be considered a novella. This takes place immediately following book 1 and is told in the first person from Warner's point of view. Mafi's writing is beautiful. I'm not usually into this type of story, but I'm looking forward to continuing with the series just to experience more of her writing.

133. They Do it With Mirrors by Agatha Christie ***1/2
Category/Genre: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd/Mystery
Format: Audio download from library, read by Emilia Fox, 6 hours 35 minutes

This was a quick comfort listen for me. This is number 5 in the Miss Marple series. This one wasn't one of my favorites, but it was still enjoyable.

134. Adam & Eve: a Novel by Sena Jeter Naslund ****
Category/Genre: The Poisonwood Bible/Fiction
Format: Audio download from the library, read by Karen White, 13 hours 44 minutes

Summary from the book's page: Entrusted with her late husband's discovery of extraterrestrial life and enlisted by her dead husband's friend, anthropologist Pierre Saad, to help him smuggle a newly discovered artifact out of Egypt -- an ancient codex concerning the human authorship of the Book of Genesis -- Lucy Bergmann crash lands her plane on a slip of land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the Middle East. Burned in the crash landing, she is rescued by Adam, a delusional American soldier whose search for both spiritual and carnal knowledge has led to madness.
This book didn't have the greatest reviews, but this description piqued my interest. Something about this book, just drew me in and I didn't want to stop listening. The plot was a bit weak, but the writing was excellent and I felt a real connection with the characters. I enjoyed this one quite a bit.

135. Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn *****
Category/Genre: His Majesty's Dragon/Fantasy
Format: Hard cover from my shelf, 287 pages

I am so glad that I finally read this book. I've had it sitting on my shelf for years. This is a beautifully written fantasy series which takes place in a feudal Japanese type of world. I fell in love with the characters right from the start and cannot wait to see where the next book takes them. One of my best reads of the year. This one also worked for bingo square: owned more than a year.

I am currently working on:
Shadows in Bronze by Lindsey Davis (audio)which will fill my last slot in Beneath a Marble Sky/historical fiction.
and The Berlin Stories by Christopher Isherwood (ebook), this contains two short novels, I'll probably only finish the first, Mr. Norris Changes Trains, which will fill a spot in my Little Women/classics category. I'll need one more classic to finish that category.

Then I will need three more to finish out all of my other categories: one more in The Poisonwood Bible/religion, which I think I have picked out. One more in The Hunger Games/from page to screen, not sure what that will be and I never finished Steampunk II which is a collection of short stories, so I'll need something else in my Cet été qui chantait/short story collections category. I think I should be able to do it. I also need to start getting next year's thread ready, haven't gotten around to that yet.

101staci426
des. 8, 2015, 8:24 am

136. Mr. Norris Changes Trains by Christopher Isherwood ***1/2
Category/Genre: Little Women/Fiction
Format: Kindle e-book, part of The Berlin Stories collection,

This was the first book in the collection I was reading, The Berlin Stories. William Bradshaw, an Englishman living in Germany, meets the mysterious Arthur Norris, on the train back to Berlin and they develop a friendship. This is during the early 1930s and the book ends with Hitler and the Nazis having come into power in Germany. I didn't really know anything abot this, only that the other book in the collection, Goodbye to Berlin was part of the inspiration to Cabaret and that both stories are part of the 1001 books collection. I was surprised by how much I ended up enjoying this. I will take a bit of a break from Berlin, though and come back to the second story, maybe some time next year.

102lkernagh
des. 20, 2015, 4:32 pm

Getting caught up and see you have been doing some interesting reading!

103staci426
des. 28, 2015, 9:18 am

I have completed my challenge! I've finished at least nine books in each of my categories. I've also completed the Bingo card. I've had some great reads this year. Here are my last few books:

137. Shadows in Bronze by Lindsey Davis ***1/2
Category/Genre: Beneath a Marble Sky/Historical Fiction
Format: Audible Download, read by Simon Prebble, 13 hours 47 minutes

This is book 2 in the Marcus Didius Falco series which takes place in Ancient Rome. In this installment, Falco is called upon by the Emperor to investigate an act of treason. It's been quite a while since I read book 1 in this series. I don't think I enjoyed this one as much as I did the first, but it was still very good. I will definitely be continuing on with the series.

138. Unholy Night by Seth Grahame-Smith ***1/2
Category/Genre: The Poisonwood Bible/Historical fantasy
Format: Audio download from library, read by Peter Berkrot, 9 hours 47 minutes

I stumbled across this book while checking to see if my library had the author's more well known book, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Couldn't find that one, but the description on this one sounded interesting and fit nicely into my Religion category. Not much is known about the Three Wise Men who came to Jesus' birth. What if they were actually escaped convicts who were set to be executed and just happened upon the stable with Mary and Joseph? I enjoyed this quite a bit. Wasn't really sure what to expect, it read pretty much like an historical fiction story, with a bit of a fantasy element thrown in. I'm glad I found this one.

139. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley ***1/2
Category/Genre: Little Women/Classic Sci Fi
Format: Audio download from library, read by Michael York, 8 hours

I'm glad to have finally gotten around to reading this. In this vision of the future, people are genetically bred and drugged to fit into their specific place in society. I did enjoy this, but did not like the reader of the audio, so found myself zoning out on occasion and not really paying close enough attention. I may give it another read in print form at some point. This also checks off another from the 1001 books list.

140. The Fierce Reads Anthology edited by Tor.com ***1/2
Category/Genre: Cet été qui chantait/Speculative fiction
Format: Ebook, 182 pages

I needed one more book to complete my short story collection category, so decided to finish this anthology. I had originally started it to read the Marissa Meyer story, Glitches, which is part of the Lunar Chronicles. The collection also featured short stories and first chapters from several other YA speculative fiction writers. I couldn't make it through the first story by Anna Banks, way too teen-romancy for my taste. My two favorites were the Meyer story and The Witch of Duva by Leigh Bardugo.

141. The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick ***1/2
Category/Genre: The Hunger Games/Sci fi
Format: Audible download, read by Jeff Cummings, 9 hours 58 minutes

This was an interesting alternate history about what would have happened if Germany and Japan had won the war (WWII). I wanted to read this one so I can watch the Amazon TV show based on it. I look forward to seeing what they do with the show. I really enjoyed the book, but found the ending a bit abrupt. This one also fits for this month's SFFFCAT, it won the Hugo in 1963.

I am currently working on a reread of Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey. I don't normally reread books, but had watched the first four episodes of The Expanse, and it's been a while since I read the books, I wanted to refresh my memory.

104rabbitprincess
des. 28, 2015, 10:14 am

Congrats on finishing your challenge!

105-Eva-
des. 28, 2015, 11:19 pm

Congratulations!!

106AHS-Wolfy
des. 29, 2015, 6:47 am

Congrats on completing your challenge!

107staci426
des. 29, 2015, 8:24 am

Thanks everyone!

108christina_reads
des. 29, 2015, 11:42 am

>103 staci426: "The Man in the High Castle" TV series does look intriguing! I liked Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and really need to read some more Philip K. Dick. Also, I would highly recommend giving Brave New World another try in print form -- a bad audio reader can really taint the experience of a book!

109lkernagh
des. 29, 2015, 9:56 pm

Congratulations on completing your challenge!

110staci426
des. 30, 2015, 11:00 am

>108 christina_reads: I just listened to a podcast where they compared the show to the book. Apparently they made quite a few changes with the show which at first made me a bit hesitant to want to watch it. But I guess they can't always be 100% faithful to the book when they make an adaption, so I think I'll still give the show a chance. I also enjoyed Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and one of his collection of short stories that I read earlier this year. Yes, audio readers can be very important in how I feel about a book. Sometimes, I have to give up on listening because I can't abide the reader. I do hope to be able to give Brave New World another try.

>109 lkernagh: Thank you!

111paruline
des. 30, 2015, 6:31 pm

Congrats!