One Book A Week Club 2018

Everything except LibriVox (yes, this is where knitting gets discussed. Now includes non-LV Volunteers Wanted projects)
pjcsaville
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Post by pjcsaville »

I joined too! haha
Feel free to friend me on there!
MBraymiller
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Post by MBraymiller »

Keep forgetting to update this post . . .

I am aiming at 50 books this year.

Completed so far:

01. R is for Ricochet by Sue Grafton. - I was saddened to hear she passed away in December.
02. Ka: Dar Oakley in the Ruin of Ymr by John Crowley - Chunky and deep. This is an allegory / cautionary tale / really rood fantasy. Recommended if you like crows.
03. Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters - New series for me, and a very fun book. Archaeological adventure / Mystery in the 1880's set in Egypt.
04. NIV Live Audio Bible - Overall, this is a very good production and an immersive listen. Several minor annoyances where the narrator and context have a bit of a disconnect. Still a good listen.
05. S is for Silence By Sue Grafton - A very different sort of writing style for Grafton with alternating points of view and time frames. Very good story.
06. The Curse of the Pharaohs by Elizabeth Peters - Second in the Amelia Peabody mysteries. Indiana Jones "lite" and very enjoyable.
07. The Mummy Case by Elizabeth Peters - Book 3 of the Amelia Peabody mysteries. Lots of fun as these books spoof the writing of H. Rider Haggard.
08. T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton - Every male who reads this book is going to cringe at one particular scene. I enjoyed this one more than most of the Kinsey Millhone mysteries.
09. Wizards edited by Gardner Dozois - A good collection of short fiction about wizards (no surprise there). I really enjoyed the stoires by Neil Gaiman, Garth Nix, Mary Rosenblum, Eoin Colfer, Tad Williams, Patricia McKillip, and Tanith Lee.
10. Starlings by Jo Walton - Jo Walton stopped by our local F&SF bookstore and read several entries from this. I really enjoyed this collection which is very unusual as anthologies go.
11. Lion in the Valley by Elizabeth Peters - #5 in Amelia Peabody series.
12. U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton - #21 in the Kinsey Millhone mysteries
13. Among Others by Jo Walton - Wonderul book. A very ordinary story of loss with subtle currents of magic deftly woven throughout. Won the Hugo and Nebula awards for best novel and is a very enjoyable read.
14. Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire - Interesting concept. It felt more like an experiment with an idea than it did a fully fleshed out story.
15. Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire - Book 2 of the above. I liked it better than number one as it followed a tighter plot.
16. Sharp Ends by Joe Abercrombie - A collection of short fiction from the world of the First Law trilogies. Fun stuff.
17. V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton - Finally getting round to finishing this series. Sadly the author died before writing Z. Good solid mystery with a sympathetic "villain."
18. My Real Children by Jo Walton - One of the best of 2018 for me so far. Not at all my usual wheelhouse for reading material. The plot is something of a mash-up of Sliding Doors and It's a Wonderful Life. Alternate history points of view from one woman with two diverging lives. Highly recommended.
Last edited by MBraymiller on June 13th, 2018, 6:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
“Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.”
Isaiah 45:22


Goodreads name: Matt Braymiller
J_N
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Post by J_N »

So far, January is off to a good start... well, quantity-wise... if we were to talk about the quality of books, those have been rather questionable :mrgreen:

Although, I was really surprised by "A little life" - so far I have never had any luck with books that had won prizes... this was just wow... an emotional roller-coaster... it had it's lengths but what a ride... <3
Julia - Introverts, unite! Seperately... in your own homes.

Spend your free time the way you like, not the way you think you're supposed to. ― Susan Cain

Author death +70 yrs? Legamus!
MaryinArkansas
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Post by MaryinArkansas »

I'm setting my goal for this year at 60 books. I didn't quite get there last year, but got fairly close.

I also plan to post on Goodreads. Not sure if I'll put everything I've read on there or not.

I don't have any particular goals in mind, so far as authors, types of books, etc. are concerned. Anyway, it's time to start reading and work on finishing up my goals for January.
“Reading one book is like eating one potato chip.”
―Diane Duane, So You Want to Be a Wizard.

Mary :)📚
MaryinArkansas
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Post by MaryinArkansas »

I've begun posting my 2018 reading goal on Goodreads, which already tells me I'm one book behind in my goal...nasty little twit. :)

The Sea Wolf by Jack London. LibriVox download Good book. The character of Wolf Larsen is fascinating, but the romance seemed unnecessary. Very well read by Nick Bulka.
The Romantic Comedians by Ellen Glasgow. Paperback from library sale. Excellent book. A novel that takes places in the early 1920s about a 65 year old widower who falls in love with and marries a 20 something. Very funny in parts, a little sad, too.
The Girl Before by J. P. Delaney. Library Overdrive audio book. Very good book. Excellent voice actors and lots of excitement. It seemed to take a little too long in wrapping up the story. All in all, an exciting psychological mystery. The movie should be very good.
Barometer Rising by Hugh MacLennan. Hard copy book. Excellent novel based on the 1917 incident of the Halifax explosion. Definitely worth reading.
“Reading one book is like eating one potato chip.”
―Diane Duane, So You Want to Be a Wizard.

Mary :)📚
LilyRill
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Joined: February 6th, 2018, 3:52 am

Post by LilyRill »

I've read 'Wishful Drinking' and 'Station Eleven' so far this year. I'm currently listening to 'The Count of Monte Cristo' and 'The Jakarta Pandemic', and reading 'Before We Were Yours'.

'Wishful Drinking' was great fun, but it made me tear up. 'Station Eleven' was absolutely amazing. It's about a flu pandemic that wipes out 99% of the human population, but, rather than focusing on the panic and collapse of society, it focuses on just before the pandemic strikes, and twenty years after. It's more about how humanity adapts, and is actually rather hopeful and poignant, than sad and depressing.

'The Jakarta Pandemic', I'm halfway through, is cliche and dull. It's your standard 'main character was a military guy and fully prepared and knows everything while being surrounded by people who panic and don't' trope. If you're read one you've read them all. I'm just listening to it while playing NeoPets because, honestly, I won't miss anything important and it was a gift from a friend for Christmas. 'The Count of Monte Cristo' is an amazing classic I listen to while walking to and from the train station everyday (20 minutes each way), and 'Before We Were Yours' is a heartbreaking book about the child trade in America in the early 20th century, focusing on the story of the eldest of five children who were stolen away from their family to be sold by an orphanage. It's a great book.
watekinslet
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Joined: January 23rd, 2018, 8:15 am

Post by watekinslet »

Funny, I never really have a list. I just focus on one book at a time, then when I'm done, will scour the web for something new. That way, I don't feel pressure to finish the book, but simply get it done in my own time without something waiting in line!
Cori
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Post by Cori »

J_N wrote: January 28th, 2018, 10:01 amAlthough, I was really surprised by "A little life" - so far I have never had any luck with books that had won prizes... this was just wow... an emotional roller-coaster... it had it's lengths but what a ride... <3
I read most of that on my phone! (Because I was travelling at the time, and didn't have a tablet or the room to carry a vast book.) That's how engaged I was with it. :D

LilyRill wrote: February 8th, 2018, 6:22 am'Station Eleven' was absolutely amazing.
I think I read this last year, or the year before, really enjoyed it too. There are some lovely details that really bring the setting to life. (Though, I found the lack of use of solar power infuriating, just because most electronics stores would have the basics for that. It's a small nitpick though.)


My first post is all up to date, yay. It's fun doing micro-reviews, too ... I'd feel a bit self-conscious doing that on GoodReads, since others seem to write such thoughtful, well-reasoned stuff, and I'm rather 'yeah, this was great'.
There's honestly no such thing as a stupid question -- but I'm afraid I can't rule out giving a stupid answer : : To Posterity and Beyond!
J_N
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Post by J_N »

watekinslet wrote: February 13th, 2018, 6:14 am Funny, I never really have a list. I just focus on one book at a time, then when I'm done, will scour the web for something new. That way, I don't feel pressure to finish the book, but simply get it done in my own time without something waiting in line!
Most of us don't have a list beforehand - we simply record the books once we finish with them.
Julia - Introverts, unite! Seperately... in your own homes.

Spend your free time the way you like, not the way you think you're supposed to. ― Susan Cain

Author death +70 yrs? Legamus!
Cori
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Post by Cori »

Ditto! I don't have a list as such ... I do have Mount ToBeRead though -- a small (ish) bookcase of unreads, plus invisible heaps of ebooks. :D No point listing, I too just have a rummage about when I'm done with a book.

The only pressure in finishing a book is my excitement about getting to the end :D And, if I don't feel that, I'll put it down as a Will Probably Never Finish. I used to finish everything I started, but then I realised what a waste of valuable reading time that was. Sometimes I come back to books and end up having enjoyed them, but mostly I don't, and have no regrets.

How do other people handle 'Did Not Finish'? (The Goodreads term, DNF.)
There's honestly no such thing as a stupid question -- but I'm afraid I can't rule out giving a stupid answer : : To Posterity and Beyond!
J_N
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Post by J_N »

Cori wrote: February 17th, 2018, 4:18 am How do other people handle 'Did Not Finish'? (The Goodreads term, DNF.)
I tend to skip to the last chapter, read that. Usually I did not miss much in between. I think it has only happened once that I actually went back and skimmed through parts of the book, because there was a reference to something that I found interesting. I can't remember the book, though.

I log them as did-not-finish in goodreads... There are currently 11 books accumulated since 2014
Julia - Introverts, unite! Seperately... in your own homes.

Spend your free time the way you like, not the way you think you're supposed to. ― Susan Cain

Author death +70 yrs? Legamus!
Piotrek81
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Post by Piotrek81 »

Yesterday I went to the local children's library and checked out a book I remembered enjoying as a kid. It's a popular science book (one of a whole series) devoted to answering the "stupid questions" children tend to ask, such as "Why is the sky blue?", "Why do zebras have stripes?", etc. In fact the title of ths one is "Why zebras have stripes or answers to stupid questions".
Really entertaining and not noticeably dumbed-down- it has Latin names, lots of dates and other such details. I have a feeling that it was the visual part of the book that played a part in someone's decision to put it in the children's branch stock, namely, all the pictures (including on the cover) were made to appeal to young readers. Still, barring that, you probably wouldn't see it as unworthy of being called an "adult" education-through-entertainment type of book.
Oh yeah, and most importantly, I still enjoy reading it after all these years. :) The only problems is that it was writted in the 80s so some of the info is outdated.
Want to hear some PREPARATION TIPS before you press "record"? Listen to THIS and THIS
J_N
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Post by J_N »

Aaaaand it's March already. I've slowed down considerably compared to January, but that's the same each year, I think.
I am right on track for reaching my goal, though. :D

I had 2 books this month, worth recommending:
We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - This is so short, anyone can and should read it.
Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah - I've liked Trevor Noah before reading it, but I am now seriously impressed. He did not have an easy life. Where he is now, he had to really fight to get there.
Julia - Introverts, unite! Seperately... in your own homes.

Spend your free time the way you like, not the way you think you're supposed to. ― Susan Cain

Author death +70 yrs? Legamus!
MaryinArkansas
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Post by MaryinArkansas »

My list for February. I especially liked the first two books on this list.

March” by Geraldine Brooks. Library book. Excellent fictional book featuring the mostly absent character of the father in Louisa May Alcott's “Little Women” (which is fictional, although somewhat autobiographical) as he serves as a minister in the American Civil War. The character of March is based on Louisa May Alcott’s father, Bronson Alcott.

Moving Pictures: Memories of a Hollywood Prince” by Budd Schulberg. Library download. Excellent childhood autobiography. Ever since I read Shulberg’s “What Makes Sammy Run?” years ago, I’ve liked his writing style. Reading about the early days of the movie industry and the beginnings of Hollywood is very interesting. I also like the way Schulberg wrote about his day-to-day life and his relationship with people around him, especially his family.

A Captivity of Nearly Three Years Among the Savages of Nootka” by John R. Jewett. LibriVox. Good, interesting account of the author's captivity, in 1803, by Native Canadians living in Vancouver Island, who killed his shipmates and kept him in captivity for almost three years before he was rescued by another ship.

The Innocence of Father Brown” by J. K. Chesterton. LibriVox. These were OK mystery stories, but they didn’t especially appeal to me. Now I can say that I've read some Father Brown stories.

Castle Barebane” by Joan Akins. book from library sale. Nice, entertaining Victorian era mystery. A fairly easy plot to figure out, but there were some surprises.
“Reading one book is like eating one potato chip.”
―Diane Duane, So You Want to Be a Wizard.

Mary :)📚
MaryinArkansas
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Joined: October 4th, 2008, 8:06 pm
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Post by MaryinArkansas »

Books Read in March:

"The Human Beast" (AKA The Beast Within) by Emile Zola. Library download (Hoopla) Excellent, very dark book in which several characters commit murders for various reasons…jealousy, impulse, greed, etc. A powerful book, very descriptive - especially the description of the blizzard. In the 1950s the movie “Human Desire” set in contemporary times was made from the main plot of the book.

"The Virginian" by Owen Wister. LibriVox download. Nice book. Old fashioned, entertaining western and love story. A western classic, it's been made into a movie several times.

"Midnight Assassination: Murder in America’s Heartland" by Patricia L. Bryan and Thomas Wolf. Library download (Hoopla)Well written, interesting true story of a woman on an Iowa farm accused of killing her husband with an axe. The case was widely covered by the media. One reporter was Susan Howatch, who later became famous as a novelist, short story writer and playwright. This case was the basis for her play “Trifles” and short story “A Jury of Her Peers”

Oh no!! once again I'm posting to what must be LibriVox's loneliest forum. No doubt because everyone else is busy reading :)
“Reading one book is like eating one potato chip.”
―Diane Duane, So You Want to Be a Wizard.

Mary :)📚
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