MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - The 2016 Annual Reading Challenge List Thread

drjd · 12-16-2015, 06:07 AM

I will reserve a place here. I'm participating for the first time in this reading challenge. I mainly read mystery, crime fiction, science fiction alongwith some serious reads in biographies, history, archaeology and physics.

This year I'm reaching nearly 140 books, but I'll keep my target around 120 books for 2016. As I have already spent a sizable amount on books this year, and still have a lot many on shelf to read yet, I will try to minimize my budget in 2016 on ebooks and pbooks.

Will try to adopt a rating system for my read books, as proposed by some members here.

Edit: adopted a rating system.
***** - Excellent.
**** - Very good.
*** - Average, pretty good.
** - Not too good.
* - Bad. Not to my taste.
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Book List -
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January :

1. The Last Secret of the Temple - Paul Sussman - ****
2. Physics of the Future - Michio Kaku - *****
3. The Labyrinth of Osiris - Paul Sussman - ****
4. Deep Into The Game - Saul Tanpepper - * (Abandoned)
5. No Good Deed - Mary McDonald - ***
6. The Hidden Oasis - Paul Sussman - ****
7. Korma, Kheer and Kismet - Five Seasons in Old Delhi - Pamela Timms - ***
8. The Gods Were Astronauts - Erich von Daniken - ***
9. Beyond Area 51 - Mack Maloney - ****
10. The Last Templar - Raymond Khoury - ****
11. The Second Lady - Irving Wallace - ****
12. The V! Monologues - Eve Ensler - **
13. The Good, The Bad and the Ridiculous - Khushwant Singh - ****
14. The Templar Salvation - Raymond Khoury - ****

February:

15. The future of Quantum Cosmology - Stephen Hawking - *****
16. One Life Is Not Enough - K. Natwar Singh - ****
17. The Unearthing - Steve Karmazenuk - ****
18. The Nine Unknown - Talbot Mundy - *** - From Patricia Clark Memorial Library.
19. Notes on the Great Indian Circus - Khushwant Singh - ***
20. The Satanic Verses - Salman Rushdie - ****
21. No Higher Honor - Condoleezza Rice - ***
22. The Decline and Fall of the British Empire, 1781-1997 - Piers Brendon - ***
23. Operation Chaos - Himanshu Rasam - ****
24. The Bigger They Come - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ****

March

25. Gold Comes in Bricks - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ****
26. South of the Border, West of the Sun - Haruki Murakami - * (Abandoned)
27. Turn on the Heat - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ***
28. Double or Quits - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ****
29. Spill the Jackpot - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ****
30. Bats Fly at Dusk - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ***
31. Owls Don't Blink - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ***
32. The Sicilian - Mario Puzo - ***
33. Cats Prowl at Night - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ****
34. Give 'Em the Ax (An Ax to Grind) - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ****
35. Crows Can't Count - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ***
36. Fools Die on Friday - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ****
37. Bedrooms Have Windows - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ****
38. Some Women Won't Wait - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ***

April

39. Beware the Curves - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ****
40. Some Slips Don't Show - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ***
41. Truth, Love & A Little Malice - Khushwant Singh - *****
42. Rendezvous with Rama - Arthur C. Clarke - ****
43. You Can Die Laughing - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ****
44. The Time Machine - H.G. Wells - ***
45. The Count of Nine - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ****
46. Pass the Gravy - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ***
47. Kept Women Can't Quit - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ***
48. Bachelors get Lonely - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ***

May

49. Shills Can't Cash Chips - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ***
50. Fish or Cut Bait - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ***
51. Up for Grabs - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ****
52. Cut Thin to Win - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ***
53. Widows Wear Weeds - Erle Stanley Gardner - ***
54. Indus Valley Civilization: Enigmatic, Exemplary, and Undeciphered - Charise Joy Javonillo - ****
55. Traps Need Fresh Bait - Erle Stanley Gardner - ***
56. Big Bang - The Origin of the Universe - Simon Singh - ****
57. Sex, Scotch and Scholorship - Khushwant Singh - ****
58. Labrador - The Story of the World's Favourite Dog - Ben Fogle - ***
59. The D.A. Calls it a Murder - Erle Stanley Gardner - **
60. The D.A. Holds a Candle - Erle Stanley Gardner - **
61. The D.A. Draws a Circle - Erle Stanley Gardner - ***

June

62. The D.A. Goes to a Trial - Erle Stanley Gardner - ****
63. The D.A. Cooks a Goose - Erle Stanley Gardner - ****
64. The D.A. Calls a Turn - Erle Stanley Gardner - ****
65. The D.A. Breaks a Seal - Erle Stanley Gardner - ****
66. The D.A. Takes a Chance - Erle Stanley Gardner - ****
67. The D.A. Breaks an Egg - Erle Stanley Gardner - ****
68. The Search for God and Guinness - Stephen Mansfield - ***
69. The Black Echo - Michael Connelly - ***
70. The Black Ice - Michael Connelly - ***

July

71. The Last Coyote - Michael Connelly - ***
72. The Tenth Unknown - Jvalant Nalin Sampat - ****
73. Ashoka: The Search for India's Lost Emperor - Charles R. Allen - *****
74. The Mini Sequel to the Alexander Secret: A Secret Revealed - Christopher C. Doyle - ***
75. The Secret Of The Druids - Christopher C. Doyle - ****
76. The Devil's Elixir - Raymond Khoury - ****
77. The Lost Parchment: A Detective Story - Fergus Hume - ***

August

78. In the Valley of the Kings: Howard Carter and the Mystery of King Tutankhamun's Tomb by Daniel Meyerson - ***
79. Drop Dead - Swati Kaushal - ***
80. The Chestermarke Instinct - Joseph Smith Fletcher - ****
81. The Assistant Murderer - Dashiell Hammett - ***
82. Slant - Greg Bear - ***
83. The First Apostle - James Becker - ****
84. The Venging - Greg Bear - ***
85. The Lost Temple - Vishesh Sharma ***
86. Departure - A.G. Riddle - ***
87. The Atlantis Gene - A.G. Riddle - ***
88. The Man in High Castle - Philip K. Dick - ****
89. The Broken Bubble - Philip K. Dick - ***
90. The Girl from Baghdad - Michelle Nouri - ***

September

91. The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ - Nicolas Notovitch - ****
92. The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken - Tarquin Hall - ****
93. The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing - Tarquin Hall - ***
94. The Case of the Missing Servant - Tarquin Hall - ***
95. Case of the Love Commandos - Tarquin Hall - ****
96. Letters to Friends, Family and Editors - Franz Kafka - ****
97. The Sign - Raymond Khoury - ****
98. The Dirty Little Secret - Jon Stock - ***
99. Wars of the Anunnaki: Nuclear Self-Destruction in Ancient Sumer - Chris H. Hardy - ****

October

100. The Gods Were Astronauts - Erich von Daniken - ***
101. Rendezvous in Black - Cornell Woolrich - ****
102. In Search of the Big Bang - John Gribbin - ****
103. Marihuana - Cornel Woolrich - ****
104. The Jungle Book - Rudyard Kipling - ****
105. The Death In Vienna - [I]Daniel Silva - ****
106. Mohenjo-daro: The History and Legacy of the Ancient Settlement of the Indus Valley Civilization - Charles River Editors - *****
107. Doosra - The Other One - Vish Dhamija - ****
108. Swimming Pool - Mary Roberts Rinehart - ****
109. Night Has a Thousand Eyes - Cornell Woolrich - ***

November

110. Making Pure Corn Whiskey: A Professional Guide for Amateur and Micro Distillers - Ian Smiley - ****
111. The Sanctuary - Raymond Khoury - ***
112. Maharaja: The lives, loves and intrigues of the Maharajas of India - Diwan Jarmani Dass - ****
113. Maharani - Diwan Jarmani Dass - ***
114. The Future of the Mind - Michio Kaku - *****
115. The Yellow Room - Mary Roberts Rinehart - ****
116. The Album - Mary Roberts Rinehart - ***

December

117. Nobody's Son - Sean Stewart - *
118. Rasputin's Shadow - Raymond Khoury - ****
119. Eleven Days - Donald Harstad - **
120. The Crossing Places - Elly Griffiths - ***
121. 03:02 - Mainak Dhar - ****
122. Dark Visions - Jonas Saul - ****

TBR - 969 Ebooks, 21 Pbooks, 38 in Wish list.
Books bought this year - Ebooks 17, Pbooks 0, Freebies 24.

12-16-2015, 06:07 AM	#36
drjd The Couch Potato Posts: 34,509 Karma: 230999999 Join Date: Aug 2015 Device: Kobo Glo, Kobo Touch, Archos 9, Onyx Boox C67ML Carta	I will reserve a place here. I'm participating for the first time in this reading challenge. I mainly read mystery, crime fiction, science fiction alongwith some serious reads in biographies, history, archaeology and physics. This year I'm reaching nearly 140 books, but I'll keep my target around 120 books for 2016. As I have already spent a sizable amount on books this year, and still have a lot many on shelf to read yet, I will try to minimize my budget in 2016 on ebooks and pbooks. Will try to adopt a rating system for my read books, as proposed by some members here. Edit: adopted a rating system. *** - Excellent. **** - Very good. *** - Average, pretty good. - Not too good. * - Bad. Not to my taste. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Book List - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ January : 1. The Last Secret of the Temple - Paul Sussman - ******** 2. Physics of the Future - Michio Kaku - ***** 3. The Labyrinth of Osiris - Paul Sussman - ******** 4. Deep Into The Game - Saul Tanpepper - * (Abandoned) 5. No Good Deed - Mary McDonald - ******* 6. The Hidden Oasis - Paul Sussman - ******** 7. Korma, Kheer and Kismet - Five Seasons in Old Delhi - Pamela Timms - ******* 8. The Gods Were Astronauts - Erich von Daniken - ******* 9. Beyond Area 51 - Mack Maloney - ******** 10. The Last Templar - Raymond Khoury - ******** 11. The Second Lady - Irving Wallace - ******** 12. The V! Monologues - Eve Ensler - ** 13. The Good, The Bad and the Ridiculous - Khushwant Singh - ******** 14. The Templar Salvation - Raymond Khoury - ****** February:** 15. The future of Quantum Cosmology - Stephen Hawking - ***** 16. One Life Is Not Enough - K. Natwar Singh - ******** 17. The Unearthing - Steve Karmazenuk - ******** 18. The Nine Unknown - Talbot Mundy - ******* - From Patricia Clark Memorial Library. 19. Notes on the Great Indian Circus - Khushwant Singh - ******* 20. The Satanic Verses - Salman Rushdie - ******** 21. No Higher Honor - Condoleezza Rice - ******* 22. The Decline and Fall of the British Empire, 1781-1997 - Piers Brendon - ******* 23. Operation Chaos - Himanshu Rasam - ******** 24. The Bigger They Come - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ****** March** 25. Gold Comes in Bricks - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ******** 26. South of the Border, West of the Sun - Haruki Murakami - * (Abandoned) 27. Turn on the Heat - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ******* 28. Double or Quits - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ******** 29. Spill the Jackpot - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ******** 30. Bats Fly at Dusk - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ******* 31. Owls Don't Blink - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ******* 32. The Sicilian - Mario Puzo - ******* 33. Cats Prowl at Night - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ******** 34. Give 'Em the Ax (An Ax to Grind) - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ******** 35. Crows Can't Count - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ******* 36. Fools Die on Friday - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ******** 37. Bedrooms Have Windows - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ******** 38. Some Women Won't Wait - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ***** April** 39. Beware the Curves - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ******** 40. Some Slips Don't Show - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ******* 41. Truth, Love & A Little Malice - Khushwant Singh - ***** 42. Rendezvous with Rama - Arthur C. Clarke - ******** 43. You Can Die Laughing - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ******** 44. The Time Machine - H.G. Wells - ******* 45. The Count of Nine - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ******** 46. Pass the Gravy - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ******* 47. Kept Women Can't Quit - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ******* 48. Bachelors get Lonely - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ***** May** 49. Shills Can't Cash Chips - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ******* 50. Fish or Cut Bait - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ******* 51. Up for Grabs - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ******** 52. Cut Thin to Win - A.A fair aka Erle Stanley Gardner - ******* 53. Widows Wear Weeds - Erle Stanley Gardner - ******* 54. Indus Valley Civilization: Enigmatic, Exemplary, and Undeciphered - Charise Joy Javonillo - ******** 55. Traps Need Fresh Bait - Erle Stanley Gardner - ******* 56. Big Bang - The Origin of the Universe - Simon Singh - ******** 57. Sex, Scotch and Scholorship - Khushwant Singh - ******** 58. Labrador - The Story of the World's Favourite Dog - Ben Fogle - ******* 59. The D.A. Calls it a Murder - Erle Stanley Gardner - ** 60. The D.A. Holds a Candle - Erle Stanley Gardner - ** 61. The D.A. Draws a Circle - Erle Stanley Gardner - ***** June** 62. The D.A. Goes to a Trial - Erle Stanley Gardner - ******** 63. The D.A. Cooks a Goose - Erle Stanley Gardner - ******** 64. The D.A. Calls a Turn - Erle Stanley Gardner - ******** 65. The D.A. Breaks a Seal - Erle Stanley Gardner - ******** 66. The D.A. Takes a Chance - Erle Stanley Gardner - ******** 67. The D.A. Breaks an Egg - Erle Stanley Gardner - ******** 68. The Search for God and Guinness - Stephen Mansfield - ******* 69. The Black Echo - Michael Connelly - ******* 70. The Black Ice - Michael Connelly - ***** July** 71. The Last Coyote - Michael Connelly - ******* 72. The Tenth Unknown - Jvalant Nalin Sampat - ******** 73. Ashoka: The Search for India's Lost Emperor - Charles R. Allen - ***** 74. The Mini Sequel to the Alexander Secret: A Secret Revealed - Christopher C. Doyle - ******* 75. The Secret Of The Druids - Christopher C. Doyle - ******** 76. The Devil's Elixir - Raymond Khoury - ******** 77. The Lost Parchment: A Detective Story - Fergus Hume - ***** August** 78. In the Valley of the Kings: Howard Carter and the Mystery of King Tutankhamun's Tomb by Daniel Meyerson - ******* 79. Drop Dead - Swati Kaushal - ******* 80. The Chestermarke Instinct - Joseph Smith Fletcher - ******** 81. The Assistant Murderer - Dashiell Hammett - ******* 82. Slant - Greg Bear - ******* 83. The First Apostle - James Becker - ******** 84. The Venging - Greg Bear - ******* 85. The Lost Temple - Vishesh Sharma ******* 86. Departure - A.G. Riddle - ******* 87. The Atlantis Gene - A.G. Riddle - ******* 88. The Man in High Castle - Philip K. Dick - ******** 89. The Broken Bubble - Philip K. Dick - ******* 90. The Girl from Baghdad - Michelle Nouri - ***** September** 91. The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ - Nicolas Notovitch - ******** 92. The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken - Tarquin Hall - ******** 93. The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing - Tarquin Hall - ******* 94. The Case of the Missing Servant - Tarquin Hall - ******* 95. Case of the Love Commandos - Tarquin Hall - ******** 96. Letters to Friends, Family and Editors - Franz Kafka - ******** 97. The Sign - Raymond Khoury - ******** 98. The Dirty Little Secret - Jon Stock - ******* 99. Wars of the Anunnaki: Nuclear Self-Destruction in Ancient Sumer - Chris H. Hardy - ****** October** 100. The Gods Were Astronauts - Erich von Daniken - ******* 101. Rendezvous in Black - Cornell Woolrich - ******** 102. In Search of the Big Bang - John Gribbin - ******** 103. Marihuana - Cornel Woolrich - ******** 104. The Jungle Book - Rudyard Kipling - ****** 105. The Death In Vienna - [I]Daniel Silva - ****** 106. Mohenjo-daro: The History and Legacy of the Ancient Settlement of the Indus Valley Civilization - Charles River Editors - ***** 107. Doosra - The Other One - Vish Dhamija - ******** 108. Swimming Pool - Mary Roberts Rinehart - ******** 109. Night Has a Thousand Eyes - Cornell Woolrich - ***** November** 110. Making Pure Corn Whiskey: A Professional Guide for Amateur and Micro Distillers - Ian Smiley - ******** 111. The Sanctuary - Raymond Khoury - ******* 112. Maharaja: The lives, loves and intrigues of the Maharajas of India - Diwan Jarmani Dass - ******** 113. Maharani - Diwan Jarmani Dass - ******* 114. The Future of the Mind - Michio Kaku - ***** 115. The Yellow Room - Mary Roberts Rinehart - ******** 116. The Album - Mary Roberts Rinehart - ***** December** 117. Nobody's Son - Sean Stewart - * 118. Rasputin's Shadow - Raymond Khoury - ******** 119. Eleven Days - Donald Harstad - ** 120. The Crossing Places - Elly Griffiths - ******* 121. 03:02 - Mainak Dhar - ******** 122. Dark Visions - Jonas Saul - ****** TBR - 969 Ebooks, 21 Pbooks, 38 in Wish list. Books bought this year - Ebooks 17, Pbooks 0, Freebies 24.** Last edited by drjd; 12-30-2016 at 05:18 AM. Reason: Added recently read.