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Put me down for 65 this year. I think I can do it as long as I don't take weeks off at a time like last year. GR profile.
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Jan 2, 2014 09:37
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AreYouStillThere posted:Good question. I think I'm going to count it as 4, which would be about 1,100 pages per book. That's on par with Wheel of Time books anyway. Or Infinite Jest. My god what have I begun. (I'm like, 10 updates in. I got a waaaaays to go) It's roughly as long as GRRM through Dance with Dragons.
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Jan 6, 2014 10:32
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showbiz_liz posted:I wonder- for the people who did this last year, could you say what your favorite book of 2013 was? It would help me (and maybe others) to choose books for the 2014 lineup. Mine was probably Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing. The most gripping nonfiction book I've ever read, I think. I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through. Mine was probably How to Paint a Dead man by Sarah Hall.
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Jan 13, 2014 22:14
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January! 6/65. 1) The Sky, the Stars, the Wilderness, by Rick Bass. Really great trio of novellas. 2) Haweswater, by Sarah Hall. One of my favorite authors, she's got an ability to bring regions and environments to life that I've not often seen. 3) The Quantum Thief, by Hannu Rajaniemi. This was pretty great. Very confusing at first, but how the world works slowly opens up and it gets real good towards the middle and end. 4) Hardwired, by Walter Jon Williams. Not bad, lots of action. 5) Childhoods End, by Arthur C Clarke. Started out great, but then got real boring. 6) Daylighters, by Rachel Caine. For being a YA vampires series it wasn't bad at all. Some great characters, decent storylines.
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Jan 31, 2014 21:08
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Tiggum posted:I'd still like to know what you were referring to when you said "Do not do this". Put the two things together. Do not slowly kill him. I guess by misunderstanding what the book was about? Fellwenner fucked around with this message at 10:39 on Feb 11, 2014 |
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Feb 11, 2014 10:37
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Fellwenner posted:January! February! On track... 12/65 7) True Grit, by Charles Portis. Well, Rooster, I am shot to pieces! Classic western tale told in a narrative voice which could go poorly (that of a young adult), but is done well and works out perfectly. I watched both the old and new versions of the movie as well and I like the latter more; Hailee Steinfeld really nailed Mattie's tone. 8) The Emperor's Soul, by Brandon Sanderson. Brilliant, great atmosphere, great pacing. I wish Sanderson would stop contriving ways for his magic systems to be explained, though. 9) The Black Dahlia, by James Ellroy. This was great. Wonderful depiction of descent into obsession. 10) The Way of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson. Re-read. I think second time around I liked it better. The first time through I got kind of tired of all the flashbacks. 11) The Hunter, by Richard Stark. A basic revenge premise amongst criminals, elements of noir but with prose as blunt as the main character. If you enjoyed the movie Payback starring Mel Gibson then you'll enjoy this as they're basically the same story with some changes here and there. The book predates the movie by 37 years, though, and is the first of quite a few. 12) Possession, by Kat Richardson. Interesting and fun, better than the last book which was kind of slow.
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Mar 1, 2014 00:20
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Fellwenner posted:February! On track... 13) The Recognitions, by William Gaddis. There was a lot going on here, and I really liked it. It also had one of the most complete and perfect beginnings I've encountered in a novel. It explores identity and meaning through the themes of art, literature, religion, culture. Ultimately, I missed a lot and this deserves a re-read with some annotations, because at the time I wanted to go through it once without any other voice or interpretation in my head. Not sure whether that was the best decision or not. 14) Words of Radiance, by Brandon Sanderson. This was pretty great. Solid plot, great characters and the flashbacks were kept to a minimum in this one (which was my biggest annoyance of the first book). Shallan is probably my favorite character as well now that she's stopped trying to be clever. 15) Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes. Sad, a little sweet, and very heartbreaking. It's one of those books where I know its value, but I almost wish that I hadn't read it. 16) Thief's Covenant, by Ari Marmell. This was a really fun book to read. Linear story and some blatant tropes, but the main character is presented in such a playful fashion that it's easy to overlook. It's quite dark in some places, but those details are glossed over. 17) Trouble and Her Friends, by Melissa Scott. For a cyberpunk book written in 1986 it was pretty good. The ending 20% was rather boring, though, and felt a tad rushed, with little payoff for all the buildup. Maybe I disservice too many cyberpunk books by comparing them to Neuromancer. Not many books can live up to it. 18) False Covenant, by Ari Marmell. Really fantastic, much better than the first book. Excellent pacing, the character development improved quite a bit (although our main character is still a bit of a Mary Sue) and there was a lot of good, tense action. 19) Lost Covenant, by Ari Marmell. Good book, not as good as the first two. They had purpose, structure and an evolution in character development for Widdershins. That was continued in this book to a certain degree, but it's not handled very well. How do you express grief and purposelessness in a character that is defined by cheerful inanity? It's tough and the result is a lack of maturity and almost filler pointlessness to the story. That said ... it is still fun and interesting to read, just kind of a step back. 20) The Gnostic Gospels, by Elaine Pagels. Great overview of the various factions and philosophies of the early Christian church. screenwritersblues posted:Also, is everyone just doing a random pick for what they're reading or do some of you plan it out. I just planned my reading for the rest of the year because I had so much to read and feel like this method might be the best for me. Am I the only one or are there others like me? I just sort of wing it, usually from what is still to read on my kindle. If nothing there grabs my interest I'll see what's in my book pile or on Goodreads. Fellwenner fucked around with this message at 09:34 on Mar 30, 2014 |
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Mar 30, 2014 09:32
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Roydrowsy posted:46. Laurell K. Hamilton - Bloody Bones. Couple of recommends from me on this score ... https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/706016.Clan_Novel_Saga_Volume_1 Novelization of White Wolf vampire RPGs, it's actually quite good. It used to be 13 individual clan novels edited into 4 and chronicles a major event through several different points of view. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21277.Already_Dead Vampire noir stuff, sort of detective-y. Fun series. Roydrowsy posted:I am curious, If I don't finish it but intend to I won't count it until I do read it, abandoned books aren't counted at all. Fellwenner fucked around with this message at 10:01 on Apr 17, 2014 |
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Apr 17, 2014 09:58
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Fellwenner posted:13) The Recognitions, by William Gaddis. April! Only read one book this month, but I'm re-reading Worm and playing video games for a bit (ESO is pretty fun!). 21) JR, by William Gaddis. A satire on capitalism and corporate greed, this was a wonderful book with lots of really hilarious and absurd moments. Jonathan Franzen wrote an essay on how this was difficult to read, and to a certain point I suppose I can agree - dialogue is unattributed, punctuation is scarce, and time skips aren't telegraphed - but the characterization is good enough that this really isn't an issue. Fellwenner fucked around with this message at 09:11 on May 1, 2014 |
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May 1, 2014 09:06
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Mr. Squishy posted:I'm dead impressed you managed to clear it in just a month. It took me much longer, and I actually posted it in the "books you didn't finish" thread at once point. Are you going to keep on? Next chronologically is Carpenter's Gothic, his "attempt to reach the man in the airport." Yep! I have some sci-fi and a western I'm going to read first, though.
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May 1, 2014 10:02
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Siminu posted:19. The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett. I broke my excellent-book-streak with this one, unfortunately. I liked the first three quarters of this one quite a lot. It gave me strong, early-wheel-of-time vibes, and sucked me in with an intruiging setting. The coming of age/origin stories of the three protagonists were interesting, even if the prose was fairly simple and a little bit bland. I'm gonna spoil stuff now. Yeah, this was my issue with it as well. Great book up to that point, but the rape scene just sours everything with how unnecessary it is and how poorly it is handled.
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May 3, 2014 13:18
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Fellwenner posted:21) JR, by William Gaddis. May was much busier for me than April, am sitting at 30/65... 22) Cyberpunk, edited by Victoria Blake. Overall I liked it. Mostly just an ok collection of stories, but it had a few really amazing ones. One thing going for it is the subject matter of the stories are rather broad, not just what you picture William Gibson writing. 23) Dance of Cloaks, by David Dalglish. This is pretty much just pulpy action. Characters aren't really relatable and the idea of a collection of thieves guilds hoping to overcome an opposition of well trained and armed mercenaries and troops is a stretch to say the least. 24) Hondo, by Louis L'amour. I started off liking this, as the description of the land and environment was nice, and the tone was sparse. By the end I hated it. It's juvenile and sexist and I wished that Hondo was scalped by the Indian at the end. 25) The Silence of Medair, by Andrea Host. This was fantastic! Our heroine on a quest to save her homeland succeeds 500 years too late. It is a story about Medair's emotional journey as she deals with everything that has happened and how she is to deal with a new threat which has arisen. The introspection is handled well and there's not much in the way of action. If you're at all a fan of genre books you should pick this one up. Here, it's only $3.99. 26) Master and Commander, by Patrick O'Brien. Well this was an interesting book. It took a bit to get into the swing of the language, the pacing, the nautical terms, but it became a very rewarding experience once I got into it. The main characters were what made this, their complexities and relationships quite compelling. 27) The Big Sleep, by Raymond Chandler. Convoluted plot, but rich dialogue and brusque prose. I haven't read much in the way of noir, but Chandler has to be the pinnacle of the style. 28) The Big Nowhere, James Ellroy. Much better than Black Dahlia, the plot seemed more focused. The characters were as flawed and intense as ever and continue to be my favorite aspect of James Ellroy's writing. Dudley Smith is the perfect bogeyman. 29) Skin Game, by Jim Butcher. What's to say, Harry's back! Good book, it seemed a little unfocused after the last few; Turn Coat through Cold Days were better. I'm getting tired of the nerd references and Harry's misogyny, hopefully he grows the hell up some day. 30) In the Loyal Mountains: Stories, by Rick Bass. I've read two of Bass' short story collections and they're both remarkable to say the least. He writes mainly of the west and south, wilderness and small towns. Gorgeous prose. Any fans of Wallace Stegner or Cormac McCarthy's Border trilogy would enjoy him.
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May 30, 2014 13:30
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CestMoi posted:5) The Man who was Thursday, a Nightmare by GK Chesterton - Interesting little piece but definitely tries too hard to make references/allusions that later need explaining to the novella's detriment. Show don't tell, GK. Fine, I'm adding this to my to-read list.
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Jun 18, 2014 10:42
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Fellwenner posted:
34/65 so far. Not so productive and July isn't shaping up to be either, given what's on deck. 31) Voice of the Lost, by Andrea Host. Short enough book that it almost doesn't make sense that it and the first volume were separated. It continues right were we formerly left off and sets about resolving the conflict. That's a backdrop to what is in essence a really sweet love story. 32) The Rook, by Daniel O'Malley. Really interesting, fun book. A member of a clandestine, supernatural government agency in Britain is attacked and has lost her memory and must make her way, with only letters from her predecessor self to help guide her. Feels like a mild X-Men / James Bond crossover. 33) The Black Echo, by Michael Connelly. Very solid and entertaining procedural. A bit heavy on the clichés, but it's executed well enough that I didn't much care. Not everyone can write as well as Ellroy, after all. Harry Bosch is pretty one-dimensional in this novel, but I hear that each additional installment adds history and nuance, and the character is aged and developed appropriately. Should be fun to read about both it and the LA landscape of the 90's. 34) Carpenter's Gothic, by William Gaddis. ...a patchwork of conceits, borrowings, deceptions, the inside's a hodgepodge of good intentions like one last ridiculous effort at something worth doing even on this small scale... So describes McCandless the house which serves as the setting for the novel. Gaddis uses the imitation Victorian style used on the house to frame both the novel itself and the characters within it. They are deceptive and self-serving in a world which is corrupt and cynical. Despite being dialogue heavy, there are quite a number of wonderful environmental descriptions which enhance the various themes found in gothic literature. This is probably Gaddis' most accessible I'd say.
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Jul 2, 2014 12:19
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Fellwenner posted:
35) East of Eden, by John Steinbeck. Fantastic, easy flowing generational novel. Heavy biblical themes and great characters. 36) Let Me In, by John Lindqvist. I liked this. Two lonely kids, to a certain degree, finding friendship amidst the threat of a serial killer stalking the community. 37) One Bloody Thing After Another, by Joey Comeau. Weird book, but really good. I'm not even certain what the plot was, really. We had ghosts, zombies, and a girl who is really attached to her trees who has a concussion (which probably explains a few things). 38) Fated, by Benedict Jacka. This one was just ok. Urban fantasy set in London. I didn't like that the protagonist is a diviner, it seemed to make things too easy and boring. Also more tell rather than show dampened some tension and nuance that could have been developed. 39) Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson. Sad. Fellwenner fucked around with this message at 15:17 on Aug 2, 2014 |
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Aug 2, 2014 15:06
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thespaceinvader posted:... before I get married in a week! Congratulations!
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Aug 10, 2014 10:27
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Fellwenner posted:35) East of Eden, by John Steinbeck. August! 40) Tower Lord, by Anthony Ryan. The POV is shared between four people now which is a disappointing change at first, and I kind of felt like a couple of the characters resolved their personal journey's too quickly. Still an excellent book, though. 41) Journal of a Novel, by John Steinbeck. I tried to keep the reading of this and East of Eden going in tandem until Steinbeck went and spoiled me on something that happens in the future of the book and I had to put it down. Still though, interesting and rewarding glimpse into Steinbeck's daily life and thoughts. 42) The Sixteenth of June, by Maya Lang. Character driven (sort of) love triangle experienced over the course of a Bloomsday in which a funeral for a family member is held as well. The POV is shared between the three and their personal issues intertwine nicely. I liked it. 43) Half a King, by Joe Abercrombie. More of the same, and it works as it always has. I liked it more than his Red Country. Maybe it's just the North in his setting which I like the most. 44) Fools Assassin, by Robin Hobb. It built up much slower than the other Fitz books. Emotional, melancholy, happy (yes, he's not all gloom). I really enjoyed it. The plot points are super obvious though, and you'll feel like you were bludgeoned over the head with them.
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Sep 1, 2014 09:30
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Fellwenner posted:August! September and October update! You're on track! 45) Justine, by Lawrence Durrell. So far this is the best book I've read all year, hands down, with some of the best prose I've ever read. Love and romance set in Alexandria between WWI and WWII. The narrative makes use of memory and recollection in the telling. Highly recommended. 46) Sleeping Late on Judgment Day, by Tad Williams. Decent end to the series. 47) Go Down, Moses, by William Faulkner. Excellent stories, the characters and events of which are all interrelated which made it really interesting. It skips back and forth in time. Faulkner does wilderness well. 48) Frolic of His Own, by William Gaddis. In this Gaddis takes on the law and legal profession. The recounting of the play, necessary though it is, which lies at the heart of the novel was an absolute chore for me and I fear cast a pall over the book . That said, it's still quite good. The legal opinions were magnificent. 49) A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith. I loved this one. Coming of age at the turn of the 20th century. 50) We, by Yevgeny Zamyatin. Anyone who likes dystopian books owes it to themselves to read this. It was one of the very first of its kind and a direct influence on Orwell in his writing of 1984. It can be kind of a janky read in that it's recounted in the manner of a journal by a cracked mathematician who often seems to perceive in geometric or mathematical constructs, so fair warning I suppose. 51) A Night in the Lonesome October, by Roger Zelazny. Snuff is a good dog. 52) Fay, by Larry Brown. Southern tone done just right. 53) The Lies of Locke Lamora, by Scott Lynch. Fun with heists. It went from family friendly to dark all of a sudden, though.
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Oct 29, 2014 11:26
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I finished my challenge, but I can't be bothered to go through and write up the ending list. Here is the list of everything I read, on GR. I had a lucky year, most of what I read was good or great.
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Jan 2, 2015 04:41
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