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Old 11-12-2015, 07:57 AM   #1
pdurrant
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The 2016 Annual Reading Challenge List Thread

2016 Reading Challenge List Thread

Welcome to our 7th Annual Reading Challenge!

The Annual Reading Challenge is neither a race, contest, nor an "exclusive club", anyone can join! This is just a fun activity that some of us have enjoyed doing in the past. Many of us have found reading challenges to be an entertaining way to set goals for ourselves, get ideas for books, and see what others are reading.

This thread is for you to keep a running tally for your chosen challenge. I would request that you please state your goals at the top of your post (in the title line if you can), and then start your list in the body of your post. As you read books, edit your post to update your list of books read.

[Please Remember: No discussion posts in this thread. Please use the other thread for that. Non-List posts will be deleted or moved to the other thread]

Discussions & Ideas can be found here: 2016 Annual Reading Challenge Discussion Thread

Post #2 of this thread is dedicated to a Table of Contents for all participants in this thread. Names will be added, to this TOC, in alphabetical order with a link to that individual’s post number from this thread.

Previous threads were for 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010

Last edited by pdurrant; 01-07-2016 at 03:15 AM.
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Old 11-12-2015, 08:02 AM   #2
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[Please Remember: No discussion posts in this thread. Please use the 2016 Annual Reading Challenge Discussion Thread for that. Non-List posts will be deleted or moved to the Discussion Thread]


Table of Participants

(Participants will be listed by user name in alphabetical order)
52 Participants .

Last edited by pdurrant; 01-13-2017 at 04:46 PM. Reason: added sydmalicious and Quake1028
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Old 11-12-2015, 08:07 AM   #3
Nyssa
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Book Club Catch Up

This year I'm trying to catch up with the bookclub selections of Flights of Fantasy and After Earth on GoodReads.

I've listed all of the books selected, and indicated the ones I've already read, here.


Unfortunately, I did not get much leisure reading done in 2016; the majority of my reading was for either work or school.

My, possibly, last two books of this year are:

The Handmaid's Tale which I'm currently reading,

and

We Are Ants which I intend to read next.

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Old 11-12-2015, 09:00 AM   #4
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To finish 2016 with my TBR below 700

2016 Challenges:
  1. To finish 2016 with my TBR below 700
  2. To read my 75 unread ebooks bought before 1st July 2008
  3. To spend no more than £20 per month on average
1 is going to be hard, but will be helped by 2 and 3.
3. is going to be modified, since I'll be spending my entire unallocated budget in Jan/Feb using up ebook credits. So once I'm out of budget I'm going to still allow myself ONE discretionary ebook purchase per month.



Books read in 2016
  1. December 30th, 2015: Lucifer's Crown by Lillian Stewart Carl - £4.53 - 3/5 - 358pp
    OK, but not wonderful for me. I couldn't suspend my disbelief
  2. January 2nd: Lock In by John Scalzi - £1.99 - 4/5 - 212pp
    A fun mystery, but I found the villain's motivation hard to believe.
  3. January 3rd: David Mitchell: Back Story by David Mitchell - £1.99 - 4/5 - 360pp
    An entertaining memoir.
  4. January 4th: A Slip of the Keyboard by Terry Pratchett - Gift - 4/5 - 381pp
    A wonderful collection of non-fiction short works
  5. January 7th: Grantville Gazette #63 edited by Bjorn Hasseler - £3.00 - 4/5 - 159pp
    A nice collection of stories, and one splendid one.
  6. January 7th: 1635: A Parcel of Rogues by Eric Flint and Andrew Dennis - £6.61 - 4/5 - 385pp
    A good book in the series.
  7. January 10th: Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor - Free - 4/5 - 255pp
    An interesting start to the series. I'm glad I've got some more.
  8. January 12th: Evermore by Modean Moon - £2.67 - 2/5 - 269pp
    Well written, but not a genre I want to read
  9. January 13th: F&SF, January/February 2016 edited by C. C. Finlay - £1.98 - 4/5 - 243pp
    A good issue.
  10. January 13th: Information is Beautiful by David McCandless - Gift - 3/5 - 250pp
    Interesting and pretty, but I'll take xkcd's infographics any day
  11. January 14th: Skin Deep by Brandon Sanderson - £0.99 - 5/5 - 128pp
    Great fun. I hope he'll write another Legion book.
  12. January 15th: A Cruise to Die For by Charlotte & Aaron Elkins - £3.98 - 5/5 - 241pp
    A most enjoyable mystery and characters
  13. January 16th: Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch - £1.99 - 5/5 - 279pp
    An excellent third book in the series.
  14. January 18th: Sharpe's Eagle by Bernard Cornwall - £0.99 - 5/5 - 249pp
    Excellent. The first published.
  15. January 19th: The Road to the Rim by A. Bertram Chandler - £1.91 - 3/5 - 117pp
  16. January 19th: To Prime the Pump by A. Bertram Chandler - £1.91 - 3/5 - 148pp
    Enjoyable first two books in the John Grimes series.
  17. January 20th: Ventus by Karl Schroeder - Free - 5/5 - 560pp
    Excellent SF. Highly recommended.
  18. January 21st: Analog SF, March 2016 edited by Trevor Quachri - £1.99 - 4/5 - 191pp
    A good issue
  19. January 23rd: The End of all Things by John Scalzi - £1.75 - 4/5 - 266pp
    Good, but not great.
  20. January 24th: Asimov's SF, February 2016 by Sheila Williams - £1.99 - 4/5 - 190pp
    A good issue. Two excellent stories and I didn't hate any of them.
  21. January 25th: What If? by Randall Munroe - Gift - 5/5 - 304pp
    Excellent. A really fun read.
  22. January 26th: Valour's Choice by Tanya Huff - £0.99 - 3/5 - 419pp
    Fairly good MilSF
  23. January 27th: A Symphony of Echoes by Jodi Taylor - £1.99 - 3/5 - 478pp
    Close to brilliant, but a miss is as good as a mile
  24. January 29th: Laugh Lines by Ben Bova - £2.50 - 2/5 - 468pp
    Two novel-length satires (TV and Publishing) and a few shorts. Disapppointing. Mostly abandoned.
  25. January 29th: The Art Whisperer by Charlotte and Aaron Elkins - £1.00 - 4/5 - 228pp
    Excellent art mystery. Most enjoyable.
  26. January 31st: Moon Flower by James P Hogan - £2.50 - 1/5 - 316pp
    [ABANDONED The incessant info dumps about the characters was too much]
  27. January 31st: The Hard Way Up by A Bertram Chandler - £1.91 - 4/5 - 137pp
    Fun collection of short stories about Lieutenant Grimes
  28. February 1st: Earthweb by Marc Stiegler - £2.50 - 5/5 - 242pp
    An excellent near-future alien 'invasion' story.
  29. February 2nd: The Black Throne by Fred Saberhagen and Roger Zelazny - £2.50 - 1/5 - 185pp
    A case of two great writers not enhancing but detracting. I'm surprised I finished it.
  30. February 4th: Lightspeed, December 2015 - £0.31 - 2/5 - 258pp
    Most of the stories were not to my taste
  31. February 5th: The Evolution Man by Roy Lewis - Paper - 3/5 - 214pp
    Fun, but not great. Everything except farming in one generation!
  32. February 6th: Sidhe-Devil by Aaron Allston - £2.67 - 4/5 - 354pp
    A enjoyable above-average other-world fantasy.
  33. February 8th: Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen by Lois McMaster Bujold - £5.99 - 5/5 - 303pp
    As usual, an excellent book in all ways.
  34. February 9th: The Wizardry Quested by Rick Cook- £4.28 - 4/5 - 255pp
    An enjoyable continuation of the programming wizards tale
  35. February 10th: Oath of Fealty by Niven & Pornelle - £2.50 - 4/5 - 256pp
    Exciting look at an arcology and its inhabitants and enemies
  36. February 12: Leviathan by Jack Campbell - £0.99 - 2/5 - 252pp
    My enjoyment spoilt by a scientific error
  37. February 14th: Broken Home by Ben Aaronovitch - £1.99 - 5/5 - 250pp
    Excellent, as always
  38. February 15th: Wonderful by Jill Barnet - Free - 1/5 - 258pp
    [ABANDONED. Also discarded the other two in the trilogy]
  39. February 16th: A Question of Time by Fred Saberhagen - £1.55 - 3/5 - ???pp
    Interesting time stuff, but an unsatisfying ending.
  40. February 17th: St Mungo's Robin by Pat McIntosh - £0.84 - 5/5 - 238pp
    This series gets better. Excellent Mediaeval Glasgow mysteries
  41. February 17th: The Puppet Master by John Dalmas - £2.67 - 4/5 - 389pp
    Excellent SF, or Fantasy if you don't count ESP in SF
  42. February 19th: Deryni Tales by Katherine Kurtz - Paper - 4/5 - 288pp
    A good collection of author-approved fan fiction.
  43. February 19th: Dragonheart by Todd McCaffrey - £1.69 - 3/5 - 438pp
    Competent, but not special.
  44. February 22nd: Spellbound by Larry Correia - £1.33 - 4/5 - 403pp
    Excellent fun in a magical alternate Earth
  45. February 24th: Deeds of the Disturber by Elizabeth Peters - £0.99 - 4/5 - 309pp
    Another excellent adventure - in London this time.
  46. February 26th: On Tuesday the Rabbi Saw Red by Harry Kemelman - £1.45 - 5/5 - 257pp
    Rabbi Small is wonderful.
  47. February 27th: Spark Joy by Marie Kondo - Paper - 3/5 - 304pp
    A bit mystical, but interesting. How to tidy.
  48. February 28th: Dead Man's Folly by Agatha Christie - £0.63 - 4/5 - 205pp
    Hercule Poirot works it out in the end.
  49. February 29th: Séance for a Vampire by Fred Saberhagen - £1.21 - 4/5 - 229pp
    Nicely done, but the ebook cuts off before the end of the epilogue!
  50. March 1st: King Kelson's Bride by Katherine Kurtz - £4.04 - 5/5 - 453pp
    Most enjoyable.
  51. March 4th: Grantville Gazette #64 edited by Bjorn Hasseler - £3.00 - 4/5 - 154pp
    The usual enjoyable mix of stories in the 1632 universe.
  52. March 6th: Analog SF. APril 2016 edited by Trevor Quachri - £1.99 - 4/5 - 191pp
    A very good collection of short fiction
  53. March 7th: Sharpe's Gold by Bernard Cornwall - £0.99 - 5/5 - 228pp
    Excellent, as expected.
  54. March 9th: A Wizard Alone by Diane Duane - £1.83 - 5/5 - 205pp
    Another very good tale
  55. March 10th: Asimov's SF, March 2016 by Sheila Williams - £1.99 - 4/5 - 169pp
    A good edition.
  56. Sometime this year: An Excellent Mystery by Ellis Peters - £0.99 - 5/5 - 239pp
    I missed recording this at the time, but certainly read sometime this year. Excellent
  57. March 13th: Royal Escape by Georgette Heyer - £1.20 - 3/5 - 355pp
    An OK historical novel, but a bit dull for me.
  58. March 17th: Broken Cycle by A. Bertram Chandler - £1.91 - 3/5 - 131pp
    Showing its age a little in its treatment of women
  59. Sometime this year: An Honest Answer by Neil Gaiman - £0.58 - 2/5 - 13pp
    Three short graphical stories. Not really my kind of thing.
  60. March 18th: Lightspeed Magazine #68 edited by John Joseph Adams - £0.31 - 4/5 - 268pp
    Some good short stories and an excellent novella.
  61. March 19th: Star Flight by Andre Norton - £2.50 - 3/5 - 346pp
    Pretty good omnibus of two related novels.
  62. March 22nd: F&SF, March/April 2016 edited by C. C. Finlay - £1.98 - 4/5 - 249pp
    A good collection of stories - I liked them all.
  63. March 24th: Warbound by Larry Correia - £1.50 - 5/5 - 385pp
    Excellent conclusion to the trilogy.
  64. March 28th: Spartan Planet by A. Bertram Chandler - £1.91 - 3/5 - 138pp
    Very much showing its age. Not a patch on Ethan of Athos.
  65. March 30th: Analog SF. May 2016 edited by Trevor Quachri - £1.99 - 4/5 - 192pp
    Another good collection of stories
  66. April 2nd: Asimov's SF, April/May 2016 edited by Sheila Williams - £3.98 - 4/5 - 278pp
    Another good issue.
  67. April 4th: Lightspeed Magazine #69 edited by John Joseph Adams - £0.31 - 3/5 - 258pp
    An average issue.
  68. April 6th: A Just Determination by Jack Campbell - £0.99 - 2/5 - 230pp
    [ABANDONED: He should have set it on a US Navy (water) ship.[/INDENT][Also discarded 8 other Jack Campbell space operas]
  69. April 6th: Raising Caine by Charles E. Gannon - £2.04 - 3/5 - 563pp
    Somehow I never really got hooked by this one. I don't know why.
  70. April 10th: Riddle of the Seven Realms by Lyndon Hardy - Paper - 4/5 - 403pp
    An interesting continuation of Master of the Five Magics and Secret of the Sixth Magic
  71. April 13th: The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks - £0.99 - 3/5 - 521pp
    OK, but only OK. Rather derivative and predicatable.
  72. April 18th: The Drowning World by Alan Dean Foster - £2.75 - 4/5 - 259pp
    Nice to see the Humanx Commonwealth from a different viewpoint.
  73. April 21st: Lightspeed Magazine #70 edited by John Joseph Adams - £0.31 - 4/5 - 249pp
    A good issue.
  74. April 23rd: Quantico by Greg Bear - £4.33 - 2/5 - 776pp
    Near-future techno-thriller that I din't enjoy
  75. April 27th: The 4.50 from Paddington by Agatha Christie - £0.63 - 5/5 - 205pp
    An excellent Miss Marple mystery.
  76. April 28th: No Wind of Blame by Georgette Heyer - £1.20 - 5/5 - 245pp
    Wonderful 20th Century murder mystery
  77. April 30th: Foxglove Summer by Ben Aaronovitch - £0.99 - 5/5 - 255pp
    Excellent police procedural/urban fantasy
  78. May 1st: The Big Black Mark by A. Bertram Chandler - £1.91 - 2/5 - 240pp
    [ABANDONED, and 17 others.]
  79. May 2nd: Carnifex by Tom Kratman - £2.50 - 1/5 - 628pp
    [ABANDONED. Approval of torture]
  80. May 3rd: The Secret of Sinharat by Leigh Brackett - £1.67 - 2/5 - 81pp
    [ABANDONED, too Edgar Rice Burroughs for me.]
  81. May 3rd: Grantville Gazette 65 edited by Bjorn Hasseler - £3.18 - 4/5 - 160pp
    Very good, as usual
  82. May 4th: Analog SF, June 2016 edited by Trevor Quachri - £1.99 - 4/5 - 188pp
    Also a good issue.
  83. May 6th: Asimov's SF, June 2016 edited by Sheila Williams - £1.99 - 4/5 - 170pp
    Another good collection of stories.
  84. May 7th: Thraxas and the Oracle by Martin Scott - £2.99 - 5/5 - 167pp
    Thraxas continues to drink, eat and solve puzzles. While at war.
  85. May 9th: F&SF, May/June 2016 edited by C. C. Finlay - £1.98 - 4/5 - 244pp
    I think I like Finlay's story choices more than the previous editor.
  86. May 10th: A Feral Darkness by Doranna Durgin - Free - 3/5 - 279pp
    OK, but a bit more to the romance end of things than I prefer.
  87. May 11th: Berseker by Steven Jordan - £0.55 - 2/5 - 169pp
    It was OK. A bit laboured. I didn't believe the background.
  88. May 12th: Ring of Fire IV edited by Eric Flint - £2.12 - 4/5 - 478pp
    Would have been 5/5 without the Virginia DeMarce story.
  89. May 14th: The Right to Arm Bears by Gordon R Dickson - £2.67 - 4/5 - 347pp
    Most enjoyable. Although the title is odd.
  90. May 18th: Sharpe's Escape by Bernard Cornwall - £0.99 - 5/5 - 311pp
    Another splendid adventure in the Peninsular War
  91. May 20th: The Steerswoman by Rosemary Kirstein - £reread - 4/5 - 228pp
    Remains very good indeed on a re-read.
  92. May 22nd: Anno Dracula by Kim Newman - £0.99 - 3/5 - 479pp
    Fun enough to read the next one.
  93. May 24th: Skylock by Paul Kozerski - £2.67 - 2/5 - 262pp
    [ABANDONED Too many impossible/implausible events]
  94. May 25th: A Girl Corrupted by the Internet is the Summoned Hero?! by Eliezer Yudkowsky - £0.99 - 4/5 - 74pp
    A fun rational examination of a fantasy trope.
  95. May 25th: The Spanish Bride by Georgette Heyer - £2.92 - 4/5 - 360pp
    The end of the Peninsuar war to Waterloo. Good stuff.
  96. May 27th: Last First Snow by Max Gladstone - £1.52 - 5/5 - 344pp
    Fascinating magic, good characters. Great stuff.
  97. May 31st: Serenity by Joss Whedon & Keith R. A. DeCandido - £2.31 - 3/5 - 179pp
    An enjoyable novelisation of the movie
  98. June 2nd: The Raven in the Foregate by Ellis Peters - £0.99 - 4/5 - 232pp
    Very good as usual.
  99. June 3rd: Flavia Albia #1 by Lindsey Davis - £0.99 - 4/5 - 329pp
    A good start, with occasional infodumps
  100. June 4th: Hardwired by Walter Jon Williams - £0.99 - 2/5 - 300pp
    [ABANDONED. Didn't grab me at all.]
  101. June 7th: Analog SF, July/August 2016 edited by Trevor Quachri - £3.98 - 5/5 - 329pp
    A most enjoyable issue. I really like Quachri's taste (except in poetry).
  102. June 10th: Death's Bright Day by David Drake - £2.57 - 5/5 - 300pp
    Excellent MilSF
  103. June 13th: Asimov's SF, July 2016 edited by Sheila Williams - £1.99 - 4/5 - 169pp
    A good month.
  104. June 15th: Hell's Foundations Quiver by David Weber - £1.52 - 3/5 - 1053pp
    It was OK. But the names, the names!!!!
  105. June 20th: Deja Dead by Kethy Reichs - £0.99 - 3/5 - 404pp
    Good if a bit explicitly gory in parts.
  106. June 25th: Crazy, VA by Shannon Hill - Free - 3/5 - 163pp
    Cozy, but not too much mystery, and cat bites aren't treated seriously enough!
  107. June 27th: Black Tide Rising by John Ringo et al. - £2.57 - 4/5 - 257pp
    Excellent spin-off stories for Ringo's Zombie Apocalypse
  108. June 28th: Through Fire by Sarah Hoyt - £2.12 - 4/5 - 303pp
    A good continuation of the story.
  109. June 29th: The Sword of the South by David Weber - £2.12 - 4/5 - 516pp
    Very good. I'm looking forward to the next.
  110. July 4th: Grantville Gazette #66 edited by Bjorn Hasseler - £3.18 - 4/5 - 163pp
    Would be 5* but for Viginiga deMarce's opaque story.
  111. July 5th: F&SF, July/August 2016 edited by C. C. Finlay - £1.98 - 4/5 - 239pp
    C C Finlay continues to pick stories I like
  112. July 5th: The Mouse on the Moon by Leonard Wibberley - £0.99 - 4/5 - 147pp
    Great fun, let down a little by the science wittering, but then, that's not really the point.
  113. July 6th: Three Faces of Asprin by Robert Asprin - £2.57 - 4/5 - 519pp
    Three completely different settings, three good stories.
  114. July 8th: Mercury's Light by Leigh Brackett - £1.91 - 2/5 - 108pp
    [ABANDONED. Early to mid-20th century SF doesn't work for me]
  115. July 12th: Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian - £2.99 - 4/5 - 354pp
    And an excellent start to the series it is. I'm looking forward to more.
  116. July 15th: Search for the Star Stones by Andre Norton - £2.50 - 3/5 - 375pp
    OK. The ending was a bit naff.
  117. July 19th: Wishing on a Star by Jody Lynn Nye - Free - 4/5 - 238pp
    Very good modern fantasy with a good sequel
  118. July 21st: Analog SF, September 2016 edited by Trevor Quachri - £1.99 - 5/5 - 193pp
    An Excellent Issue
  119. July 22nd: The Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagergrantz - Free - 3/5 - 151pp
    Not up to the earlier books.
  120. July 25th: The Chronothon by Nathan Van Coops - £0.99 - 4/5 - 501pp
    Not perfect, but a very readable time travel story.
  121. July 27th: In Times Like These by Nathan Van Coops - Free - 4/5 - 351pp
    An interesting take on time travel
  122. July 29th: Asimov's SF, August 2016 edited by Sheila Williams - £1.99 - 3/5 - 170pp
    An average issue
  123. July 30th: Undercity by Catherine Asaro - £2.12 - 5/5 - 273pp
    An excellent story set in her Ruby Universe
  124. August 2nd: Redliners, 2nd Edition by David Drake - £0.02 - 4/5 - 6pp
    Just the afterword, as I've read the book before.
  125. August 2nd: 1636: The Chronicles of Dr Gribbleflotz - £2.80 - 5/5 - 421pp
    Excellent.
  126. August 4th: Time Gate by Robert Silverberg - £2.80 - 4/5 - 170pp
    Impausible but fun. More authors than just Silverberg.
  127. August 5th: Soldiers Out Of Time by Steve White - £2.80 - 4/5 - 247pp
    A decent continuation.
  128. August 7th: Monster Hunter Memoirs: Grunge by Larry Correia - £2.80 - 4/5 - 300pp
    A most enjoyable romp.
  129. August 8th: Godspeed by Charles Sheffield - Free - 4/5 - 310pp
    A good villain, but more of a YA book than I was expecting.
  130. August 10th: The Last Camel Died at Noon by Elizabeth Peters - £0.84 - 5/5 - 348pp
    Great fun.
  131. August 12th: Death du Jour by Kathy Reichs - £0.99 - 3/5 - 346pp
    OK.
  132. August 14th: The Rough Collier by Pat McIntosh - £0.84 - 4/5 - 241pp
    A good mystery, and I like the main characters
  133. August 15th: Tale of the Fox by Harry Turtledove - £2.67 - 4/5 - 608pp
    Most enjoyable, and doesn't require the earlier books to have been read.
  134. August 19th: Penric and the Shaman by Lois McMaster Bujold - £2.49 - 5/5 - 122pp
    An excellent little tale
  135. August 20th: Beyond the Doors of Death by Robert Silverberg and Damien Broderick - Free - 2/5 - 199pp
    Not to my taste.
  136. August 21st: Empress of Light by James C Glass - £2.67 - 2/5 - 248pp
    Disappointing, with no sense of peril at all.
  137. August 22nd: Analog SF, October 2016 edited by Trevor Quachri - £1.99 - 4/5 - 187pp
    A good issue.
  138. August 24th: The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu - £0.99 - 3/5 - 373pp
    More than one impossible thing, and a bit info-dumpy. OK.
  139. August 25th: Asimov's SF, September 2016 edited by Sheila Williams - £1.99 - 4/5 - 164pp
    An average issue. Nothing too memorable.
  140. August 26th: A Second Chance by Jodi Taylor - £1.94 - 2/5 - 245pp
    Just not good enough, really.
  141. August 28th: Limbo System by Rick Cook - £2.12 - 3/5 - 259pp
    A bit of a slow start, and patchy in places, but quite fun overall.
  142. August 31st: Revelation by C J Sansom - £2.51 - 5/5 - 496pp
    Excellent Tudor London Mystery
  143. September 3rd: Grantville Gazette #67 - £3.18 - 4/5 - 157pp
    A quick, fun read as usual.
  144. September 4th: Silence by Mercedes Lackey - £3.72 - 3/5 - 317pp
    Not a fun as I'd expected
  145. September 6th: The Road to Hell by David Weber - £3.72 - 3/5 - 684pp
    A bit confusing
  146. September 9th: The Year's Best Military & Adventure SF 2015 edited by David Afsharirad - £2.57 - 3/5 - 254pp
    OK, but a mixed bag.
  147. September 11th: Alliance of Equals by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller - £1.86 - 5/5 - 325pp
    Excellent, as always
  148. September 12th: Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny - £1.40 - 4/5 - 143pp
    Still very enjoyable
  149. September 13th: The Guns of Avalon by Roger Zelazny - £1.40 - 4/5 - 171pp
    I'm now impatient for the others to be published in ebook
  150. September 14th: Seveneves by Neal Stephenson - £0.99 - 3/5 - 693pp
    OK, and fun, but I couldn't swallow the second part.
  151. September 21st: Enemies at Home by Lindsey Davis - £0.99 - 4/5 - 327pp
    Most enjoyable.
  152. September 22nd: The Dawn of Amber by John Gregory Betancourt - £0.58 - 4/5 - 193pp
    Naturally derivative, but fun.
  153. September 23rd: Chaos and Amber by John Gregory Betancourt - £0.58 - 4/5 - 232pp
    Still fun, on to the next!
  154. September 24th: Rule Amber by John Gregory Betancourt - £0.58 - 4/5 - 232pp
    Yes, still fun, but now that's enough for a bit.
  155. September 26th: Monday the Rabbi Took Off - £4.76 - 5/5 - 316pp
    An excellent mystery set mainly in Israel.
  156. September 26th: A Wizard's Holiday by Diane Duane - £1.83 - 4/5 - 278pp
    A odd resolution to one of the plots. But fun.
  157. September 29th: Analog SF, November 2016 edited by Trevor Quachri - £1.99 - 4/5 - 183pp
    A good issue.
  158. September 30th: Asimov SF, October-November 2016 edited by Sheila Williams - £3.98 - 2/5 - 286pp
    A Halloween Fantasy Issue. Not to my taste. I liked only one of the stories.
  159. October 3rd: Artifact by Gregory Benford - £4.07 - 3/5 - 391pp
    It was OK. Oddly, the ending was more the ending of a romance novel than an SF novel.
  160. October 5th: The Bloody Red Baron by Kim Newman - £0.99 - 2/5 - 621pp
    [ABANDONED No, I just can't suspend my disbelief enough.]
  161. October 7th: Venus Prime by Paul Preuss - £0.58 - 3/5 - 242pp
    OK. I think I'm interested enough to read the next one sometime.
  162. October 9th: F&SF, September 2016 edited by C. C. Finlay - £1.98 - 3/5 - 258pp
    OK, but I only like some of David Gerrold's stuff.
  163. October 12th: Roman Blood by Steven Saylor - £1.49 - 4/5 - 374pp
    An interesting mystery based on an actual ancient Roman case.
  164. October 15th: Beyond Infinity by Gregory Benford - £3.57 - 1/5 - 325pp
    [ABANDONED - I was just bored.]
  165. October 18th: Victoriaby Daisy Goodwin. - £0.99 - 4/5 - 341pp
    A most enjoyable book, companion to the TV series, but concentrating on Victoria.
  166. October 20th: Eater by Gregory Benford - £4.07 - 3/5 - 338pp
    It was OK, Great concepts, but I wasn't interested in the characters.
  167. October 23rd: Galactic Games edited by Bryan Schmidt - £2.57 - 3/5 - 281pp
    A mixed bunch
  168. October 25th: Wizards at War by Diane Duane - £1.83 - 3/5 - 337pp
    It was a mistake to have the menace be a form of astronomical Dark Matter
  169. October 27th: Four Roads Cross by Max Gladstone - £1.56 - 5/5 - 488pp
    Another excellent novel. Gods and Magic and Lawyers!
  170. October 30th: Ordeal by Innocence by Agatha Christie - £0.41 - 5/5 - 207pp
    An excellent murder mystery.
  171. November 1st: Shadow of Victory by David Weber - £4.69 - 3/5 - 883pp
    Lots of recapping from another viewpoint.
  172. November 4th: Penric's Mission by Lois McMaster Bujold - £3.27 - 5/5 - 144pp
    Penric and Desdemona. Wonderful.
  173. November 5th: Grantville Gazette #68 - £3.18 - 4/5 - 161pp
    Most enjoyable, as usual.
  174. November 6th: F&SF, November 2016 edited by C. C. Finlay - £1.98 - 3/5 - 252pp
    Some stories I loved, some I didn't like. A more mixed bag than lately.
  175. November 8th: Castaway Odyssey by Eric Flint and Ryk E Spoor - £4.69 - 4/5 - 316pp
    A most enjoyable adventure
  176. November 9th: At the Sign of Triumph by David Weber - £6.26 - 4/5 - 1035pp
    VERY long, but ultimately satisfying.
  177. November 14th: The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie - £0.99 - 3/5 - 285pp
    An OK thriller/comedy. Less comedy than expected.
  178. November 16th: Analog SF, December 2016 edited by Trevor Quachri - £1.99 - 4/5 - 177pp
    An average issue
  179. November 17th: Asimov's SF, December 2016 edited by Sheila Williams - £1.99 - 4/5 - 194pp
    An average issue
  180. November 19th: Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz - £0.99 - 5/5 - 350pp
    An excellent supernatural thriller
  181. November 21st: Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman - £0.99 - 4/5 - 322pp
    Good, but I prefer his longer works
  182. November 24th: Rogue by Michael Z Williamson - £2.88 - 3/5 - 316pp
    And only just 3/5.
  183. November 26th: Mythology 101 by Jody Lynn Nye - Free - 3/5 290pp
    A solid 3/5, but I'm not interested in the rest of the series.
  184. November 28th: Old Venus edited by George R. R. Martin - £1.09 - 4/5 - 488pp
    A mixed bag, bug overall most enjoyable.
  185. December 1st: The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwall - Free - 5/5 - 284pp
    Which was excellent. A coming of age story set in late 9th Century England. As with Cornwall's Sharpe, we have a fictional hero who is involved in mostly historical events.
  186. December 5th: The Long Utopia by Terry Pratchett & Stephen Baxter - £0.99 - 4/5 - 336pp
    A quick read, following the further adventures of our heroes, including some back story.
  187. December 7th: Dreams from my Father by Barak Obama - £0.99 - 4/5 - 462pp
    An interesting and enjoyable memoir, covering his life , family and career up until his marriage to Michelle. Occasionally there are bits of purple prose, but nothing too awful. He very sensibly resisted the urge to edit his words when they were reissued in 2004.
  188. December 13th: Necrochip by Liz Williams - Free - 1/5 - ???pp
    Disappointing short story
  189. December 13th: Twelve from Tomorrow by E.C. Tubb - £0.99 - 4/5 - ???pp
    A fun mixture of SF from the 1960s. The prevalence of smoking is amusing. But the stories stand up rather well.
  190. December 15th: Kindred by Octavia Butler - £0.99 - 3/5 - ???pp
    With no explanation for the Time-travel, a rather unsatisfying SF story, although it seemed very good on the reality of USA slavery
  191. December 17th: Envious Casca by Georgette Heyer - £1.20 - 4/5 - 253pp
    An excellent 'modern' mystery. If only I'd studied late 19th century European history more!
  192. December 22nd: Asimov's SF, Jan/Feb 2017 edited by Sheila Willliams - £3.98 - 4/5 - 310pp
    An average issue
  193. December 29th: Analog SFF, Jan/Feb 2017 edited by Trevor Quachri - £3.98 - - 334pp

Books added to TBR in 2016

Freebies (21)
Few Are Chosen by M. T. McGuire
Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor Read
When a Child is Born by Jodi Taylor Discarded
In Times Like These by Nathan Van Coops Read
Between Two Thorns by Emma Newman
The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwall Read
A Feral Darkness by Doranna Durgin Read
Wishing on a Star by Jody Lynn Nye Read
Mouse on the Moon by Leonard Wibberley Read
Crazy, VA by Shannon Hil Read
The Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagergrantz (Steig Larsson) Read
The Devil in the Marshalsea by Antonia Hodgson
Beyond the Doors of Death by Robert Silverberg & Damien Broderick Read
Godspeed by Charles Sheffield Read
Pursuit of a Parcel by Patricia Wentworth
Servant of the Crown mysteries by Denise Domning
The Hope That Kills by Ed James
The Shape of Silence by Stephen Leigh
Mythology 101 by Jody Lynn Nye Read
Over the Wine-Dark Sea by Harry Turtledove
Necrochip by Liz Williams

Paper Books!
The Evolution Man by Roy Lewis - £7.47 (not counted in budget)
Deryni Tales by Katherine Kurtz - £3.39 (not counted in budget)
Spark Joy by Marie Kondo - £9.09 (not counted in budget)
Riddle of the Seven Realms by Lyndon Hardy (bought ages ago)

Bought
  • January (196/£153.48): Lightspeed January 2016, Grantville Gazette #63, David Mitchell: Back Story, Stranger in a Strange Land (uncut), The Eagle of the Ninth, The Silver Branch, What If? (already on TBR in paper), The Drawing of the Dark, A Cruise to Die For, 6xConfederation novels, Declare, On Stranger Tides, 5xMurdoch Mysteries, 4xValdamar Collegium, 2xElemental Masters, 1635: A Parcel of Rogues, Neuromancer, The Fuller Memorandum, The Client, Rule of Evidence, The Scandalous Duchess, H is for Hawk, 4xChronicles of St Mary's, Analog SFF March 2016, Asimov's SF February 2016, The Sorcerer's House, Ratking, Vendetta, Cabal, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, 150 buffy comics
  • February (18/£47.92): Lightspeed February 2016, Mortality, Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen, The Wizardry Quested, Anniversary Day, A Short History of England,The Chronothon, 8xAurelio Zen, The Summer Book, Jamaica Inn, Mr Penumbra's 24-hour Bookstore
  • March (44/£43.60): Lightspeed March 2016, Grantville Gazette #64, F&SF March 2016, 20 from Humble Bundle SF Classics, Analog SFF April 2016, Asimov's SF March 2016, 10xFalco books, A Darker Shade of Magic, Thrones Dominations, first two Harry Dresden books, The Three Body Problem, The Elfstones of Shanarra, Analog SF May 2016, Asimov's SFF April/May 2016, A Girl Corrupted by the Internet is the Summoned Hero?!
  • April (30/£15.17): Lightspeed April 2016, 25xBuffy Comics, Anno Dracula, The Bloody Red Baron, Gai Jin, Dark Eden
  • May (17/£33.16): Grantville Gazette #65, F&SF May 2016, Lightspeed May 2016, Analog SFF June 2016, Asimov's SF June 2016, May Baen Bundle (RoF IV, Shadow's Blade, The Sword of the South, Through Fire, Undercity, Limbo System), Crossing The Line, Thraxas and the Oracle, Our Kind of Traitor, The Ides of April, Hardwired, Last First Snow, Hell's Foundations Quiver
  • June (18/£30.24): Lightspeed June 2016, Analog SFF July/August 2016, Asimov's July 2016, Enemies at Home, Baen June Bundle (Galactic Games, Three Faces of Asprin, Year's Best MilSF, Black Tide Rising, Death's Bright Day), Polychrome Futures, 8xTemperance Brennan Mysteries
  • July (25/£30.80): Grantville Gazette #66, F&SF July 2016, Lightspeed July 2016, Asimov's SFF August 2016, Analog SFF September 2016, Master and Commander, 11 from StoryBundle (The Emperor's Agent, The Armor of Light, Steel Blues, Between Worlds, The Death of the Necromancer, Pillar of Fire, Lord of the Two Lands, Daughter of Mystery, The Virtuous Feats of the Indomitable Miss Trafalgar and the Erudite Lady Boone, Stag and Hound, The Orffyreus Wheel), 8 Buffy Comics
  • August (14/£27.39): Analog SFF October 2016, Asimov's SF September 2016, Baen's Monthly bundle (Monster Hunter Memoirs: Grunge, On to the Asteroid, 1636: the Chronicles of Dr Gribbleflotz, Redliners 2nd ed, Soldiers out of Time, Time Gate), The Day the Rabbi Resigned, Alliance of Equals, Four Roads Cross, Seveneves, Penric and the Shaman, Dreams From My Father
  • September (10/£27.12): F&SF September 2016, Grantville Gazette #67, Nine Princes in Amber, Guns of Avalon, The Road to Hell, Silence, Glorious Angels, Monday the Rabbi Took Off, Analog SFF November 2016, Asimov's SF October/November 2016
  • October (14/£18.16) Old Venus, Roman Blood, A Perfect Spy, Girl on a Train, 8xOdd Thomas Series, Victoria, Castaway Odyssey
  • November (15/£33.16) Shadow of Victory, Grantville Gazette #68, F&SF November 2016, Penric's Mission, Fragile Things, Trigger Warnings, At the Sign of Triumph, The Gun Seller, Kindred, Rogue, The Late Scholar, Calamity, Long Utopia, Analog SFF December 2016, Asimov's SF December 2016
  • December (25/£43.07):People of Colo(u)r Destroy Fantasy, Living in Threes, The House of Silk, Twelve From Tomorrow. H Bean Piper Megapack, The Coming Of Wisdom, Perilous Seas, The Destiny Of The Sword, Magic Casement, Faery Lands Forlorn, Emperor And Clown, Ring Around the Sun, Way Station, Time and Again, Rats and Gargoyles, Golden Witchbreed, Grunts, Lyra Ombinus, Analog SFF January/February 2017, Asimov's SF January/February 2017, The Long Cosmos, The Bands of Mourning, Shadows of Self, Firefight, Words of Radience


Wishlist books (when on offer)
Spoiler:
  • The Just City (& sequels)
  • The Hanging Tree
  • Ancillary Sword
  • Ancillary Mercy
  • The Shepherd's Crown
  • The Woman Who Walked in Sunshine (Alexander McCall Smith)
  • Dumarest Novels
  • Harper Hall trilogy
  • Chronicles of Amber, vol. 3 onwards
  • Earthsea books



Analysis
TBR: 820
Books read: 192 (10 freebies, 3 gifts, 4 paper, 11 abandoned, 1 re-read)
Comics Read: 158
Books otherwise removed from TBR pile: 62 (3xJodi Taylor, 2xModean Moon, 4xJill Barnet, 8xJack Campbell, 17xA. Bertram Chandler, 11xLeigh Brackett, 2xEdmond Hamilton, 1xDarrell Bain, 11xSteven Lyle Jordan discarded, three previously read)

Books removed from TBR pile: 411 (1 re-read not counted)
Books added to TBR pile: 451 (including 20 freebies, 4 paper books)
Removed/Added: 0.91
Net reduction for 2016: -40

Non-free books read: 174 (including 8 abandoned)
Total cost of books read: £358.83
Average cost of books read: £2.06

Non-free comics read: 158 (including 8 abandoned)
Total cost of comics read: £77.86
Average cost of comics read: £0.49

Non-free books bought: 244
Total cost of books bought: £414.51
Average cost of books bought: £1.70

Non-free comics bought: 183
Total cost of comics bought: £88.76
Average cost of comics bought: £0.49

Non-free books and comics bought: 427
Total cost of books bought: £503.27 (over budget: £220) (including £88.76 on comics)
Average cost of books bought: £1.18


Rating System:
1: Bad.
2: Poor. (Or just not to my taste.)
3: Satisfactory.
4: Good.
5: Excellent.

Pages are as given by the ADE algorithm in Calibre.

Last edited by pdurrant; 01-24-2017 at 12:40 PM. Reason: corrected totals, confirmed in calibre
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Old 11-12-2015, 09:40 AM   #5
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Ancient/Ireland/Napoleonic plus TBR reduction and TBD

120 books total; 60 challenge books and 60 free choice


30 books among:

Ancient World
Ireland
Napoleonic Era


12 books each:

Paper books TBR
Goodreads TBR (plus 2)


6 books:

TBD

I've linked to my GR lists rather than list the books here.

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Books Read in 2016

Books Read in 2016:


"Judgment on Janus", by Andre Norton. Completed 1/1/16.

The first half of the "Janus" omnibus, which I bought from Baen in 2002. I didn't particularly enjoy this; the same tired plot device Norton uses over and over again of someone being taken over by a figure from the past on an alien planet. Not recommended.


"Bronze Summer", by Stephen Baxter. Completed 6/1/16.

The second of his "Northland" alternate history series. The time has moved forward to 1100 BC, and the events of "Stone Spring" are the subject of mythology. Northland is threatened by an invading army from Troy.


"Victory on Janus", by Andre Norton. Completed 9/1/16.

The second half of the Baen "Janus" omnibus. I hoped it might improve over the first half, but my hopes were not realised. Really, really not recommended!


"Iron Winter", by Stephen Baxter.

The final part of the "Northland" trilogy. Very good alternate history.


"Conrad's Time Machine", by Leo Frankowski. Completed 16/1/16.

Good time travel SF bought from Baen in 2002.


"Traitor's Purse", by Margery Allingham. Completed 21/1/16.

This is the 11th book in the "Campion" series, and was originally published in 1941.

Campion wakes up in hospital with amnesia, not even knowing his own name, but knowing that he has to complete a task vital to the war effort with a very tight deadline. Can he discover what he needs to do, and complete his mission?

Excellent book. As with all the "Campion" books, more of a thriller than a traditional detective story. Highly recommended.


"Eternal Frontier", by James H. Schmitz. Completed 31/1/16.

Bought from Baen in 2002. This is the final volume of Schmitz's collected stories released by Baen, and gathers together the non-series stories he wrote. Contains some very good stories, and I recommend it.


"The Mammoth Book of Time Travel SF", edited by Mike Ashley. Completed 3/2/16.

An excellent collection of 25 short stories featuring various aspects of time travel and its consequences. I have quite a few books in the "Mammoth Books" series, and they're always good. I bought this one as part of an Amazon UK 99p sale quite a while ago. Very enjoyable and highly recommended.


"Seas of Venus", by David Drake. Completed 19/2/16.

Bought from Baen in 2002. Very enjoyable military SF set on a future terraformed and colonised Venus in which evolution has become rampant, producing a world filled with unbelievably hostile creatures. Wars are fought by mercenary companies, hired by the underwater domed cities in which everybody lives, due to the hostile surface environment.

The book contains two main stories, "Surface Action", which is probably a novella, and "The Jungle", a full-length novel. There's also a travelogue at the end of the book in which Mr Drake describes a family holiday to Belize, which I found very interesting.

Recommended!


"Coroner's Pidgin", by Margery Allingham. Completed 21/2/16.

The 12th book in the "Campion" series. It's 1944, and Campion returns home from three years engaged in secret activities on the Continent to discover his manservant, Lugg, depositing a corpse in his flat. This unusual circumstance embroils Campion in a slightly far-fetched plot involving a Nazi plot to steal British art treasures. Great fun, and highly recommended provided you don't take it too seriously.


"Fallen Angels", by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, and Michael Flynn. Completed 23/2/16.

Bought from Baen in 2002. It's some time in the near future, and the US is ruled by an anti-technology" government, who try to suppress any "inappropriate" scientific knowledge. A new ice age has also started, which isn't helping things! When two astronauts from an independent orbital colony crash-land in the US, the government is out to arrest them as "illegal aliens", but they are rescued by a group of underground SF fans (SF having been outlawed as "pro-technology") who devise a plan to get them back home.

Excellent book, and will appeal particularly to anyone familiar with the culture of SF fandom. Highly recommended.


"Gardens of the Moon" by Steven Erikson. Completed 6/3/16.

The first book in the 10-volume "Malazan Book of the Fallen" series. An epic fantasy in every sense of the word, featuring "a cast of thousands" and a wide scope. Extremely enjoyable, although by no means an easy read. I'm very much looking forward to continuing with the series. Very highly recommended, but not a book (or a series) to be taken on lightly: you'll need plenty of time on your hands.


"Summertide", by Charles Sheffield. Completed 8/3/16.

Bought from Baen a very long time ago. This is the first half of the "Convergent Series" omnibus, and the first book in the "Heritage" series.

Humanity has colonised the galaxy, and found it littered with gigantic and mysterious artefacts built - and abandoned - millions of years ago by a mysterious race dubbed "The Builders". Dr Darya Lang, an expert on Builder Artefacts, travels to a star system where her calculations suggest that an event related to the Builders may be about to happen, but she's not the only one to go there, and not everyone's motives are academic.

Good book in a good series.


"Death Du Jour", by Kathy Reichs. Completed 10/3/16.

The second book in the "Temperance Brennan" of detective stories featuring a forensic anthropologist working in Quebec. This book is about an investigation into a series of murders linked to an apocalyptic cult. Very enjoyable. An excellent series.


"Divergence", by Charles Sheffield. Completed 12/3/16.

Bought from Baen a long time ago. This is the second half of the "Convergent Series" omnibus, and the second book in the "Heritage Universe" series. The book is a direct sequel to the first book, "Summertide", and continues the story which started in that. Excellent hard SF about exploration of ancient alien artefacts, much along the lines of Clarke's "Rendezvous with Rama". No longer available for purchase, unfortunately, although still available for download by previous buyers. Very highly recommended.


"More Work for the Undertaker", by Margery Allingham, Completed 13/3/16.

The 13th book in the "Campion" series. Campion is called in to assist in the investigation of the mysterious death of a member of a once-prosperous family who have now fallen on hard times. As always with Campion books, it's not the plot (which is wildly improbable) that's the reason to read it, but the interesting characters and entertaining dialogue. Recommended.


"Trancendence", by Charles Sheffield. Completed 15/3/16.

(Which my spelling checker insists should be spelt "Transcendence", which I agree with). This is the first half of the Baen omnibus called "Transvergence", and the third book in the "Heritage Universe" series. A direct continuation of the story starting in the first two books in the series. Excellent hard SF, very much along the lines of Clarke's "Rendezvous with Rama", with the theme of the exploration of ancient alien artefacts. Superb series which gets better and better with each book.


"Devices and Desires", by K. J. Parker (pen name of the British author Tom Holt). Completed 17/3/16.

This is the first book in the "Engineer" trilogy.

Amazon description:

Quote:
When an engineer is sentenced to death for a petty transgression of guild law, he flees the city, leaving behind his wife and daughter. Forced into exile, he seeks a terrible vengeance - one that will leave a trail of death and destruction in its wake.

But he will not be able to achieve this by himself. He must draw up his plans using the blood of others ...

In a compelling tale of intrigue and injustice, K. J. Parker's embittered hero takes up arms against his enemies, using the only weapons he has left to him: his ingenuity and his passion - his devices and desires.
I've read a fair number of Parker's books and, although they're enjoyable, they always leave me with a vague feeling of dissatisfaction. The protagonists always self-destruct, leaving me to ask "why did you do that?". I'm not sure I want to read the rest of the series (which I have already bought).


"Convergence", by Charles Sheffield. Completed 21/3/16.

The fourth book in the "Heritage Universe" series, and the second half of the Baen "Transvergence" omnibus which is, unfortunately, no longer on sale to new purchasers, although still available for download for previous buyers such as me. An excellent continuation to this hard SF series about the exploration of ancient alien artefacts. Very much along similar lines to Clarke's "Rendezvous with Rama". Highly recommended (if you can buy it!).


"Tiger in the Smoke", by Margery Allingham. Completed 25/3/16.

The 14th book in the "Campion" series. Campion goes up against a ruthless killer who is determined to get his hands on a treasure hidden in WWII. I think this is probably the best book in the series so far. Absolutely excellent and highly recommended.


"Resurgence", by Charles Sheffield. Completed 27/3/16.

Bought from Baen in 2002. The 5th and final book in the "Heritage Universe" series. A direct continuation of the story from the first four books, and very good hard SF. Unfortunately the story is left incomplete, and this is the final book in the series, due to the author's death from a brain tumour in the year that this book was published. An extremely enjoyable series, even incomplete.


"The Shape of Water", by Andrea Camilleri. Completed 27/3/16.

The first book in the "Inspector Montalbano" series, set in Sicily. I've long enjoyed the TV adaptation of this author's books, which are shown on BBC TV subtitled from the original Italian, but this is the first book in the series that I've read. I enjoyed it very much; the book is well-written and very witty, too. This book is about the apparently natural death of a local politician, which Montalbano thinks is not as straightforward as it first appears. Again, highly recommended.


"Skylock", by Paul Koverski". Completed 28/3/16.

Again bought from Baen in 2002. Military SF, set in a mid-21st America in which civilisation has collapsed due to a change in the Sun's output. I really didn't particularly enjoy this one, although it wasn't bad enough for me to abandon it. The political stereotyping is crude, with a Soviet army officer consistently referred to as "The Red", which I found distasteful. Not recommended.


"The Beckoning Lady", by Margery Allingham. Completed 31/3/16.

The 15th book in the "Campion" series. A classic "English country-house" murder mystery. A local tax inspector is found dead in a ditch close to the home of two of Campion's friends, who are holding a large party. The book reintroduces many characters who have appeared in earlier books in the series, so this would not be a good book in read in isolation. Extremely enjoyable.


"Between the Strokes of Night", by Charles Sheffield. Completed 31/3/16.

Originally bought from Baen in 2002. Superb hard SF - one of the best SF novels I've read in a very long time. The book explores the consequences of the speed of light being an absolute speed limit, and ways that the human race could still colonise the galaxy even with this limit. It explores some fascinating ideas in doing so, and stretches from 2016 into the very, very distant future (some 8 billion years). Unfortunately the book is no longer available to buy from Baen, although previous purchasers can still download it. I don't know if it's available elsewhere. This is a masterpiece: truly memorable SF that will keep me thinking about the issues raised for quite some time.


"The Terracotta Dog", by Andrea Camilleri. Completed 2/4/16.

The second book in the "Montelbano" series of crime novels set in Sicily. When a local Mafia boss surrenders to Montelbano he reveals to him the location of a cave containing a weapons cache, but the cave also contains something much stranger: the walled-up remains of a young couple apparently killed during WWII. Can Montelbano solve the mystery? Excellent detective story: I highly recommend this series to any lover of crime fiction.


"Hour of the Gremlins", by Gordon R. Dickson and Ben Bova. Completed 6/4/16.

Bought from Baen in 2002. This contains what would probably today be considered a long-ish short story (the title story, about Gremlins - leprechauns - who want to hitch a ride back to their own planet on a Mars rocket), a novella, "Hour of the Horde" (about a galactic civilisation visiting Earth to get the help of us "barbarians" in combatting an extra-galactic invasion fleet), and a short novel, "Wolfling (about an Earth ambassador to a 100,000-year-old human empire which has just rediscovered Earth as a long-lost colony world slipped back into barbarism). All good, although I enjoyed "Wolfling" most. Highly recommended.


"The Snack Thief", by Andrea Camilleri. Completed 10/4/16.

The third book in the "Inspector Montalbano" series of detective stories set in Sicily. When an elderly man is stabbed to death in an elevator and a crewman on an Italian fishing trawler is machine-gunned by a Tunisian patrol boat off Sicily's coast, only Inspector Montalbano suspects a link between the two incidents. Excellent.


"Killer", by David Drake & Karl Edward Wagner. Completed 13/4/16.

Bought from Baen in 2002. An almost indestructible alien predator is let loose in ancient Rome, and a Roman animal collector tries to trap it. Excellent SF. Highly recommended.


"Those in Peril", by Wilbur Smith. Completed 16/4/16.

The first book in the "Hector Cross" series. Very good adventure story. Hector Cross, the owner of a security company providing protection for an oil company, has to track down Somali pirates who kidnap the teenage daughter of the oil company's owner. Very good, but with graphic scenes of extreme violence. Not for those who don't like such things.


"Give Me Liberty", edited by Martin H. Greenberg & Mark Tier. Completed 19/4/16.

Bought from Baen in 2003. Excellent collection of SF stories by various authors about societies with no central government, including such classics as Van Vogt's "The Weapon Shops". Highly recommended.


"Hide My Eyes", by Margery Allingham. Completed 20/4/16.

The 16th book in the "Campion" series. Campion barely appears in this one, which is a an excellent story about the tracking down of a serial killer in 1950s London. Campion is now "a man in his 50s", compared to the young man in his 20s he was at the start of the series. Recommended.


"Grimmer than Hell", by David Drake. Completed 21/4/16.

An excellent military SF short story collection which I bought from Baen in 2003. The book starts with six related stories about a special operation unit fighting a war again aliens, then there are a number of standalone stories, and finally a group of three stories about a policeman in a society in which everyone is under constant and total surveillance. An excellent collection. Very highly recommended.


"Deadly Decisions", by Kathy Reichs. Completed 22/4/16.

This is the third book in the "Temperance Brennon" series of detective stories about a forensic anthropologist working in Montreal, Canada. Very good story about a gang war between rival biker gangs. Recommended.


"The Sleeping Dragon", by Joel Rosenberg. Completed 24/4/16.

The first volume of the "Guardians of the Flame" series, and the first third of the Baen omnibus also called "The Guardians of the Flame", which I bought from Baen in 2003. Fairly standard "D&D players find themselves for real in the world of their game" fantasy, but well done. Not terribly taxing, but nonetheless enjoyable.


"Eater", by Gregory Benford. Completed 25/4/16.

Excellent hard SF by one of the best living exponents of the genre. Astronomers detect a small black hole passing through the outer reaches of the solar system, but then receive intelligent communications from it. Very well written and intelligent SF. Highly recommended!


"The Sword and the Chain", by Joel Rosenberg. Completed 26/4/16.

This is the middle third of the Baen omnibus "The Guardians of the Flame", which I bought in 2003. Our intrepid party of heroes, having been magically transferred into the world of what they thought was a D&D game, now set about in earnest the task they've been given of fighting slave caravans. A great improvement over the first book and now becoming a excellent story. Highly recommended.


"Borrower of the Night", by Elizabeth Peters. Completed 27/4/16.

This is the first book in her "Vicky Bliss" series, about a historian who investigates mysteries. The "Amelia Peabody" series by the same author are among my favourites, so I was looking forward to reading this series, and I wasn't disappointed. Excellent writing with an enjoyable touch of humour. Looking forward to reading the remaining books in the series. Highly recommended!

The plot: Vicki and her arrogant male colleague, Tony, get drawn into a search to locate a lost masterpiece by a 16th century sculptor which they believe may be hidden in a (fictitious) castle in the (real) German town of Rothenburg. Numerous adventures ensue!


"The Silver Crown", by Joel Rosenberg. Completed 30/4/16.

This is the third book in the "Guardians of the Flame" fantasy series, and forms the final third (actually the final 40%) of the Baen omnibus also called "The Guardians of the Flame", which I bought in 2003. Excellent fantasy; the series started out fairly average, but it got better in book 2 and even better in book 3. Highly recommended.


"Street of the Five Moons", by Elizabeth Peters. Completed 2/5/16.

This is the second book in the "Vicky Bliss" series about a mystery-solving historian. In this book, Vicky travels to Rome on the trail of a gang who are creating faithful reproductions of well-known pieces of jewellery. A monstrously implausible story, but, as always with Elizabeth Peters, a hugely enjoyable romp. It even has a "master criminal", a trademark of Peters's writing. If you've read and enjoyed (and who hasn't enjoyed them?) her "Amelia Peabody" series, do give this series a go! Highly recommended.


"A Plague of Demons", by Keith Laumer. Completed 4/5/16.

I bought this from Baen in 2003. This is the fourth volume of Baen's collected works of Laumer, and all the stories in this volume have the theme of human contact with hostile aliens. A superb collection - I enjoyed all the stories. Very highly recommended.


"The China Governess", by Margery Allingham. Completed 6/5/16.

This is the 17th book in the "Campion" series. Timothy Kinnit is trying to elope with Julia, but the question of his origins as a wartime refugee baby stand between them and their future. What does the "Turk Street Mile", once the wickedest street in London but now redeveloped after wartime bombing, have to do with the mystery? Can Albert Campion and the recently widowed Superintendent Charles Luke find the answer and discover who wants it kept a secret? Very enjoyable.


"The Unlikely Ones", by Mary Brown. Completed 7/5/16.

This is the first portion of a Baen Omnibus called "Here there be Dragonnes", which I bought in 2003. It's a very well-done classic fantasy "quest" novel. A young girl and a group of disparate animal companions (a cat, a crow, a fish and a toad), having been kidnapped by a wicked witch and had the memory of their past lives erased, go on a quest to try to discover who they are and what their destiny is. It may sound a bit corny, but it's extremely well-written, and I highly recommend it. You get three long fantasy novels for your money, and I'm looking forward to reading the next one.


"Hamlet, Revenge!", by Michael Innes. Completed 12/5/16.

The second book in his "Inspector Appleby" series of detective novels. Appleby is called in to investigate when the Lord Chancellor of England is murdered while taking part in an amateur production of "Hamlet" at an English country house. This is a very long and complex, but extremely satisfying, detective story in the best tradition of the "golden age" of English detective fiction. The best crime novel I've read in a very long time, and I thoroughly recommend it. It was voted #68 in the Crime Writers' Association Top 100 Crime Novels of All Time (which would, in itself, be a worthwhile reading challenge for someone).


"Pigs Don't Fly", by Mary Brown. Completed 15/5/16.

This is the middle third of the 2003 Baen omnibus "Here There Be Dragonnes". Another excellent "quest"-type fantasy, telling the story of a young girl who is thrown out of her home in what is probably medieval Europe when her mother, the village whore, dies. Well written and enjoyable, although it contains an irritating number of errors, which many of these early Baen books did. Recommended.


"The Mind Readers", by Margery Allingham. Completed 17/5/16.

The 18th book in the "Campion" series. A rather improbable story involving various groups of spies trying to get hold of a device that enables telepathic communication. Not one of the better books in the series, though not bad by any means.


"Master of Many Treasures", by Mary Brown. Completed 19/5/16.

This is the third book in the "Unicorn Ring" series, and the final third of the Baen omnibus edition called "Here There Be Dragonnes", which I bought in 2003. It follows on directly from the events of the previous book in the series. Very enjoyable "quest" type fantasy, and the omnibus of three long books represents excellent value for money. Highly recommended.


"Fatal Voyage", by Kathy Reichs. Completed 21/5/16.

This is the 4th book in the "Temperance Brennan" series of novels about a forensic anthropologist, and the best so far in what's already been an excellent series. In this book, Dr Brennan is called in to assist in helping identify bodies in the aftermath of an air crash in North Carolina, and is soon embroiled in a deeper mystery. Very highly recommended!


"Star Man's Son", by Andre Norton. Completed 23/5/16.

This is the first half of the "Darkness and Dawn" Baen omnibus which I bought in 2003, and is a post-apocalypic novel set 300 years after a devastating nuclear war, telling the story of a young man's travels from his mountain tribe into the outside world, and the adventures that befall him. I'm not particularly a fan of Norton - her books are rather formulaic - but I quite enjoyed this one.


"Silhouette in Scarlet", by Elizabeth Peters. Completed 23/5/16.

The third book in the "Vicky Bliss" series. In this one, Vicky travels to Sweden and gets embroiled in a search for buried treasure. Hugely enjoyable nonsense, and highly recommended.


"No Night Without Stars", by Andre Norton. Completed 24/5/16.

The second half of the "Darkness and Dawn" Baen omnibus (I've no idea why Baen give their omnibuses names that bear no relation to the books that are in them!). Another post-apocalyptic novel in which a young man seeks adventure in a world full of danger. Really, I find Norton's books very tedious; I honestly don't know why I bother to read them.


"Grave Secrets", by Kathy Reichs. Completed 26/5/16.

This is the 5th book in the Temperance Brennan series about a forensic anthropologist; in this book she travels to Guatamala to join a team excavating the mass graves of people killed in the civil war in the 1980s, but many people there would rather that past events were not uncovered. Excellent book, as always for this series. Highly recommended.


"Mutineers' Moon", by David Weber. Completed 30/5/16.

The first third of the "Empire from the Ashes" omnibus, bought from Baen in 2003. NASA astronaut Colin MacIntyre discovers that the Moon is really an ancient spacecraft called "Dahak" whose purpose is to guard against periodic invasions from a ferocious alien race, the Achuultani. Now the Achuultani are returning, but Dahak is powerless to take action because his crew mutinied 50,000 years ago, and the mutineers still secretly control Earth's governments and military forces. The Earth will be destroyed unless the mutineers can be defeated! Excellent military SF. This is the third time I've read this book, and I've enjoyed it enormously every time. Highly recommended.


"Cargo of Eagles", by Margery Allingham. Completed 4/6/16.

The 19th book in the "Campion" series, and the final one to be written by Allingham herself. Campion is brought in to help uncover the secret behind mysterious goings-on in a remote English seaside community. Very good mystery.


"The Armageddon Inheritance", by David Weber. Completed 6/6/16.

This is the middle third of the Baen "Empire from the Ashes" omnibus that I bought in 2003, and continues the story of "Mutineer's Moon" directly. The rebels from Dahak's crew have been defeated, but there's now the small matter of defeating 3 million Achuultani starships who are due to arrived in the Solar System in two years' time, intent on destroying the Earth. Even better than the already excellent first book in the series. Highly recommended military SF.


"Bare Bones", by Kathy Reichs. Completed 7/6/16.

The 6th book in the Temperance Brennan series of mysteries about a forensic anthropologist. In this one, Dr Brennan becomes involves in an investigation involving the smuggling of endangered animals in South Carolina. Very good, as always.


"Heirs of Empire", by David Weber. Completed 8/6/16.

This is the final third of the Baen "Empire from the Ashes" omnibus, and is set a number of years after the events in "The Armageddon Inheritance". Colin MacIntyre is now ruling the Fifth Imperium as Emperor, when his two teenage children become stranded, after a failed assassination attempt, on a planet of the Fourth Imperium which has reverted to water-powered technology and is ruled by a powerful theocracy intent on suppressing all technological advances in case "the demons from the stars" should return. The book alternates between events taking place on Earth and the Imperial capital world, and the story of the lost children. Truly excellent military SF and highly recommended. It's evident, BTW, that Weber recycled the idea of a planetary theocracy deliberately suppressing technology for his later "Safehold" series, which bears many similarities to the "lost children" portions of this book.


"Trojan Gold", by Elizabeth Peters. Completed 9/6/16.

The fourth book of the "Vickie Bliss" series, about a mystery-solving museum curator. In this one, Vickie gets involved in a search for the golden treasure Heinrich Schliemann discovered at Troy, which vanish from Berlin in the last days of WWII. Pretty good, but there are better books in the series.


"Night Train to Memphis", by Elizabeth Peters. Completed 10/6/16.

The 5th book in the series. In this one, Vickie is employed as a lecturer on a Nile cruiseship in an attempt to track down antiquities thieves. Very good indeed. Highly recommended.


"The Genesis Machine", by James P. Hogan. Completed 11/6/16.

Bought from Baen in 2003. Very enjoyable hard SF. Baen description:

Quote:
In an America becoming repressive in the face of world tensions, Bradley Clifford, a young mathematical physicist, has been virtually drafted from academia to contribute to defense priorities. But his dedication is to bring about the unification of all fields and forces and reconcile the quantum and cosmological worlds.

Defying the political authorities Clifford walks out to work independently with a small team of gifted people who achieve experimental demonstrations of the synthesis and control of gravity. But these discoveries also have enormous potential for defense and intelligence gathering application, and it is only a matter of time before the work that Clifford and his colleagues have devoted themselves to is placed under government control.

The only way he will be able to continue now is on their terms, and he and his reluctant team are recruited to the task of creating a super-weapon capability that would give undoubted world-domination to its possessors. But the result that Clifford actually delivers is totally unanticipated.
Highly recommended, although I should note that, although as a previous buyer, I can download this, many of Hogan's books are no longer available for purchase. I don't know whether or not this book can still be bought.


"The Laughter of Dead Kings", by Elizabeth Peters. Completed 13/6/16.

The sixth (and last) book in the Vicky Bliss series of books about a mystery-solving museum curator. In this book, Vicky and her long-term nemesis, John Tregarth, try to solve the mystery of the theft of the mummy of King Tutankhamun from its tomb in the Valley of the Kings. This was one of Peters' final books, and she adds a wonderful tie-in to the "Amelia Peabody" series to it, but I won't say more because it would be a spoiler. A fabulous book, and a must read if you're a fan of the Amelia Peabody series. Highly recommended.


"The Isle Beyond Time", by L. Warren Douglas. Completed 16/6/16.

Bought from Baen in 2003. An excellent conclusion to a fantasy trilogy (the other two books being "The Sacred Pool" and "The Veil of Years"). The books are set in Brittany in the centuries following the collapse of the Roman Empire, and are based on ancient legends of the area. A "thinking person's" fantasy series that's not an easy read, but which more than repays the effort put into it. Very highly recommended.


"Way of the Pilgrim", by Gordon R. Dickson. Completed 16/6/16.

Shane Evert is a translator working for the alien Aalaag, who have conquered Earth and regard humans as no more than "cattle" to be exploited. When a single Aalaag warrior could destroy all life on Earth, how can they possibly be defeated?

I first read this book about 30 years ago (in fact I remember exactly when I read it - it was on a plane journey from Manchester, England, to Chicago - my first ever time on a plane!) and I remember being extremely impressed by it. For many years, though, I couldn't remember who the author was, so I was delighted to recently "rediscover" it in Gollancz's "SF Gateway" imprint. I'm happy to say that it stood the test of time, and I enjoyed it as much re-reading it as I did all those years ago. Very, very highly recommended.


"Interstellar Patrol", by Christopher Anvil. Completed 20/6/16.

Bought from Baen in 2003. An excellent collection of Anvil's "Federation of Humanity" short (and not so short) stories, compiled and edited by Eric Flint. The Interstellar Patrol are the "problem solvers" of Anvil's universe, and often find themselves up against rival organisations, such as "Space Force" (the military force of the Federation) and the ultra-bureaucratic "Planetary Development Administration", who make the rules which control colonisation of Earth-like planets. A delightful collection. Highly recommended!


"Monday Mourning", by Kathy Reichs. Completed 21/6/16.

This is the 7th book in the "Temperance Brennan" series of books about a forensic anthropologist working in Montreal, Canada. In this book, she tried to uncover the mystery behind the skeletons of three teenage girls discovered in the basement of a pizza parlour. Excellent, as have all the books in the series been so far. Very highly recommended.


"The Cold Equations and Other Stories", by Tom Godwin. Completed 24/6/16.

Bought from Baen in 2003. "The Cold Equations" is of course one of the most famous (and controversial) SF short stories ever written, and it concludes this excellent volume of Godwin's work. My personal favourite is the short novel, "The Survivors", which opens the collection. Highly recommended.


"Cross Bones", by Kathy Reichs. Completed 27/6/16.

The 8th book in the "Temperance Brennan" series about a forensic anthropologist working in Canada. A bit of a departure from the earlier books in the series; this one is more of an "archaeological thriller" about the possible discovery of the bones of Jesus (hence the book's title). Very enjoyable.


"Exiles at the Well of Souls", by Jack L. Chalker. Completed 1/7/16.

Bought from Baen in 2003. Excellent SF, and a worthy sequel to the classic "Midnight at the Well of Souls". Recommended.


"Break No Bones", by Kathy Reichs. Completed 3/7/16

The 9th book in the Temperance Brennan Series about a forensic anthropologist. In this one, Temperance undercovers a series of murders in South Carolina while filling in for a sick colleague. Very good.


"Hell's Faire", by John Ringo. Completed 6/7/16

The 4th book in the "Posleen War" series, completing the main story arc. Good military SF. Recommended.


"City of the Horizon", by Anton Gill. Completed 6/7/16

The first book in a detective series set in Ancient Egypt. The scribe Huy is banned from practising his profession following the turmoil that results from the death of the "heretic" king Akhenaten, whose administration Huy had worked for, so, as a favour for an old friend, he investigates some mysterious happening that have befallen the friend. Very enjoyable and (I'm happy to say) the author has done his research well about the time period. Both accurate and enjoyable. Again recommended, and I look forward to reading additional books in the series.


"E.Godz", by Robert Asprin and Esther Friesner. Completed 9/07/16

Fun fantasy from Baen, bought in 2003. Edwina Godz, owner of a successful magic business, sets her two recalcitrant children a challenge to decide which one of them should inherit the family business. Not very taxing, but an enjoyable light-hearted read.


"Bones to Ashes", by Kathy Reichs. Completed 15/07/16.

The 10th book in the Temperance Brennan series. In this one, the discovery of a girl's skeleton in Canada reawakens the memory of a childhood friend who disappeared. Could the two events possibly be connected? A good read, but to my mind slightly below the standard of the rest of this excellent series that I've read thus far.


"Future Imperfect", by Keith Laumer. Completed 17/07/16

The next instalment of the complete works of Keith Laumer, edited as always be Eric Flint. This volume contains his dystopian stories and novels. Excellent - I always enjoy Keith Laumer's books and this one is no exception.


"River God", by Wilbur Smith. Completed 23/7/16.

I first read this many years ago when it was first published, but enjoyed it even more on a re-read, perhaps because I am now much better able to appreciate novels set in Ancient Egypt. The book is a somewhat "revisionist" retelling of Egyptian history during what's known as the "Second Intermediate Period" (approximate 1650BC), when Egypt was ruled by a series of weak and ineffectual kings, and control of the north of the country was lost to Asiatic invaders known as the "Hyksos".

The protagonist of the novel is a slave called Taita, who is a highly educated man and advisor to a powerful and corrupt official, Lord Intef, the vizier (rather like Prime Minister) of Upper Egypt. I won't say any more about the plot, because it would be a spoiler, but this is an excellent novel which I thoroughly recommend.


"The Creatures of Man", by Howard L. Myers. Completed 26/7/16.

Myers is a virtually unknown SF author today, but had a short but successful writing career from 1967 to 1971, before dying of a heart attack at the age of 41. This Baen book, edited by Eric Flint, presents a selection of Myers's work. Extremely enjoyable and highly recommended.


"The Seventh Scroll", by Wilbur Smith. Completed 29/7/16.

In this book, a sequel to "River God", we have the story of a modern-day hunt for the hidden burial of the (fictitious) Egyptian King Mamose, whose story was told in "River God". An extremely good thriller. Recommended, but do read "River God" first!

"Warlock", by Wilbur Smith.

"The Quest", by Wilbur Smith.

"Desert God", by Wilbur Smith.


"Devil Bones", by Kathy Reichs. Completed 19/8/16.

The 11th book in the "Temperance Brennan" series by Kathy Reichs. This one's about murders that seem to be linked to satanic rituals and was very enjoyable.


"One Foot in the Grave", by William Mark Simmons. Completed 23/8/16.

The first book in the "Halflife" series about a man who discovers he's turning into a vampire. A rather jaded genre, but this one is well done. Recommended.


"Friday the Rabbi Slept Late", by Harry Kemelman. Completed 25/8/16.

This is the first book in the "Rabbi Small" series of detective stories. Rabbi David Small is a scholarly young man who is finding it difficult to fit into the Jewish community of the small town of Barnard's Crossing. He would prefer to spend his days in study and theological debate, but his congregation expect a social secretary for their community. An opportunity to use his skills for logical deduction and solve a mystery arises when a young woman is found dead in the Rabbi's own car. Excellent, and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.


"Dead on My Feet", by William Mark Simmons. Completed 29/8/16

Bought from Baen in 2003. A sequel to "One Foot in the Grave". Baen description:

Quote:
A year ago, Chris Csejthe (pronounced "Chay-tay") was completely human - then a blood transfusion from the Lord of the Undead changed everything. Now he is a hunted man, sought by human and vampire alike for the secrets he knows and the powers that his mutated blood may bestow. So far he's dodged undead assassins, werewolves, a 6,000-year-old Egyptian necromancer, and Vlad Dracula himself. But now he's really got problems.

The dead are turning up on his doorstep after dark to ask for justice and the police want to know where all those corpses are coming from. Undead terrorists are testing a doomsday virus on his new hometown and he's caught in the crossfire between a white supremacist militia and the resurrected Civil War dead. His werewolf lover, jealous of his dead wife's ghost, has left him. And the centuries-old and still very beautiful (and very deadly) Countess Bathory is determined to have his uniquely transformed blood for her own dark purposes.

Now, more than ever, life sucks!
Very enjoyable. Recommended.


"206 Bones", by Kath Reichs. Completed 31/8/16.

The 12th book in the Temperance Brennan series about a forensic anthropologist. In this one, Tempe wakes up seemingly having been buried alive in an underground vault (and which of us hasn't had that happen? - it's so annoying!) and the story is told in flashback as she pieces together her memory of the events leading up to it. Very good, as always in this series.


"Forge of the Titans", by Steve White. Completed 1/9/16.

Bought from Baen in 2003. Baen description:

Quote:
When Derek Secrest was suddenly pulled out of Naval flight officer school to take part in a top secret government project involving telepathy—because tests showed that he had a strong latent talent for psi powers— he thought things couldn't get weirder. He was wrong.

Soon he was contacted by a mysterious woman who could open portals at will through spacetime. Her powers seemed godlike—and they were. Millennia ago, extra-dimensional beings with great powers had come to earth and taken on human form, remembered in legends as gods and goddesses—and titans, the ancient enemies of the gods. The godlike beings had driven off the titans, but now the old enemy is returning, with a new plan to use humans with psionic abilities to rule the Earth, and not be driven from it this time. And the titans always did have a fondness for human sacrifice.

Unless Derek and a handful of other telepaths can join forces with the ancient gods to defeat the titans, the world will be plunged into a new dark age of terror and death. Even so, judging from mythology, how much can you really trust a god. . .
Very enjoyable. Recommended.


"Saturday the Rabbi Went Hungry", by Harry Kemelman. Completed 5/9/16.

The second book in the "Rabbi Small" series. When a local Jewish man is found dead in his garage, having apparently committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning, several members of Rabbi Small's congregation express concern that they will lose a large donation that a wealthy man has promised the Temple if a suicide is buried in their cemetery. A number of things about the circumstances of the man's death trouble Rabbi Small, and he decides to investigate the matter. Very enjoyable, although not (to my mind) quite as good as the first book.


"The Adventures of Myrh", by P.N. Elrod. Completed 11/9/16.

Bought from Baen in 2003. Very good and unusual fantasy. Baen description:

Quote:
His name is Myhr—rhymes with purr!—he's half-man, half-cat, and all-adventure, traveling the multi-verse with Terrin, a twisted wizard who's into techno-raves and obscene T-shirt art. Displaced from Earth by a travel spell gone bad, they're heading home, bouncing from one bizarre planet after another.

Their latest hasty escape has landed them on a world with a lethal magic problem. While Myhr sings Beatle tunes for their supper, Terrin tries to get them an Astral Plane road map—only there's a catch. All the magic has vanished from Rumpock City, along with nearly all the magicians, the catastrophe linked to an uncanny black fog that rolls through town each night.

Trying to pick up clues, Myhr is picked up himself by the gorgeous lady Filima, a devious and not-so-very-bereaved widow in need of a fall-cat. It's up to Myhr to find where the magic went before Terrin's own powers are drained dry, leaving him worse than dead and the rest of the planet going to Hell in an express-mail handbasket.
Excellent and highly recommended.


"Flood", by Stephen Baxter. Completed 13/9/16.

Baxter is one of my favourite "hard SF" authors, and this book didn't disappoint. It tells the story of the end of the world, as seen through the eyes of a disparate group of people over a time period of 40 years or so, when global sea levels start (and continue) rising as water trapped in the Earth crust start welling up though sub-oceanic faults. Highly recommended, and I look forward to reading the sequel, "Ark".


"Quest for the Well of Souls", by Jack Chalker. Completed 15/9/16.

Bought from Baen in 2003. This is really, as the author acknowledges, the second half of a single large novel, the first half of which was "Exiles at the Well of Souls". Excellent SF, and highly recommended, as is this entire series.


"Ark", by Stephen Baxter, Completed 17/9/16.

The sequel to "Flood", which I read a few days ago. This book runs in parallel with the events depicted in "Flood" (a world-wide flood - no spoilers there!) and tells the story of a desperate attempt to save some remnants of Earth's civilisation by sending a group of young people to another planet. A little similar to "When Worlds Collide" - the attempt to build a spaceship while civilisation collapses around the project - but very well done. Highly recommended. Looking forward to reading the final book in the trilogy, "Landfall".


"The Far Side of the Stars", by David Drake. Completed 20/9/16.

This is the third book in the "Lieutenant Leary" series. The Republic of Cinnabar is at peace and Leary at a loose end, and so together with his friend Adele Mundy, he agrees to captain an expedition into a little-known region of the galaxy for a wealthy aristocrat, in search of a long-lost treasure. All, however, does not go according to plan...

I wasn't too impressed with the first book in this series, but the second book was good, and this one (which I bought from Baen in 2003) is absolutely excellent. If the series continues going in this direction I look forward to reading the rest of it. Highly recommended SF.


"Landfall" by Stephen Baxter. Completed 22/9/16.

A book containing three novellas set in the universe of his "Flood" and "Ark" novels. Very good, but (obviously!) only if you've read the original books first. The novellas are set respectively 400, 1000 and 10,000 years after the end of "Ark" and show the development of human society into the far future. Very good.


"Sheepfarmer's Daughter", by Elizabeth Moon. Completed 23/9/16.

The first book in the Baen omnibus "The Deed of Paksenarrion", one of my all-time favourite fantasy books. This must be the 4th or 5th time I've read this book, and I love it every time. Superb fantasy. Can't recommend it highly enough.


"Sunday the Rabbi Stayed Home", by Harry Kemelman. Completed 25/9/16.

This is the third book in the "Rabbi Small" series of detective stories. The usual mix of detection set against a background of the internal politics of the Rabbi's congregation. Very enjoyable.


"Divided Allegiance", by Elizabeth Moon. Completed 27/9/16.

The middle third of the Baen Omnibus "The Deed of Paksannarion". Paks has left Duke Phelan's mercenary company to pursue her dream of training to be a paladin, but things don't go according to plan. One of my very favourite fantasy series. Excellent.


"Spider Bones", by Kathy Reichs. Completed 29/9/16.

In this 13th book in the "Temperance Brennan" series about a forensic anthropolist, Dr Brennan gets involved in a mystery when a man is found dead in a lake in Canada, but the records show that he died 40 years earlier in Vietnam. Very good.


"Oath of Gold", by Elizabeth Moon. Completed 30/9/16.

The final book in the Baen "The Deed of Paksannarion" omnibus. Wonderful fantasy trilogy. Highly recommended.


"Monday the Rabbi Took Off", by Harry Kemelman. Completed 5/10/16.

The fourth book in the "Rabbi Small" series, and very enjoyable, as have all the books been thus far. This book sees Rabbi Small go for an extended trick to Israel, where he gets involved in terrorist plots. Highly recommended!


"Planet of Adventure", by Murray Leinster. Completed 8/10/16.

A Baen omnibus of Murray Leinster's stories, which I bought in 2003. Contains the novel "The Forgotten Planet", a series of related stories about a Colonial Survey Officer, Bordman, a "trouble shooter" for newly-colonised planets, and finally a group of miscellaneous stories. Excellent, and very highly recommended.


"Pharaoh", by Wilbur Smith. Completed 11/10/16.

The most recent instalment in his ancient Egypt series. Enjoyable, although extremely implausible historically . Recommended if you can enjoy a "flexible" view of history.


"There Will be Dragons", by John Ringo. Completed 16/10/16.

The first book in the "Council Wars" series, and bought from Baen in 2003. In the 41st century the human race lives a life of idle enjoyment, with a worldwide AI and instantaneous teleportation satisfying virtually any whim. Some members of Earth's ruling council, though, decide that the human race is doomed to extinction on this road (a reasonable view), and propose drastic measures (basically the imposition of a fascist dictatorship) to change this. The council is split, war breaks out, and the net goes down, leaving people who've never had to work for anything to fend for themselves. The core of the book is basically about how a group of refugees from this crises, led by some people who enjoyed historical reenactment, learn how to survive. Rather to my surprise (Ringo is not my favourite author!) I really enjoyed this, and look forward to reading the next book in the series (it's a series of four books). Highly recommended!


"Mindstar Rising", by Peter F. Hamilton. Completed 17/10/16.

My first read of this British "Hard SF" author, although I had quite a number of his books. I like to read books in the right order, and this is the first one he wrote. Basically a detective story in an SF environment. The date isn't given, but I'd guess early to mid 21st century. Central government in Britain is in a mess after years of rule by an extreme left-wing government which has now collapsed. Greg Mandel is a former soldier turned private investigator, who was fitted in the army with a "gland" that grants him limited psi abilities - most notably the ability to read emotions and know when someone is lying. He is employed by the owner of a large multinational company to find the source of industrial espionage. Very enjoyable indeed, and again I look forward to reading more from him.


"Tinker", by Wen Spencer. Completed 18/10/16.

The first book in the "Elfhome" series, again bought from Baen in 2003. Alexander Graham "Tinker" Bell is a teenage girl (her father had a thing about inventors ) who runs a scrapyard in Pittsburgh, which has been transported by a parallel Earth populated by elves as a side-effect of the activation of what was intended to be a hyperspace gateway on our Earth. Extremely enjoyable fantasy, and again highly recommended.


"Flash and Bones", by Kathy Reichs. Completed 20/10/16.

The 14th book in the "Temperance Brennan" series about a forensic anthropologist. In this outing she gets involved in the investigation of a series of murders associated with NASCAR racing. Enjoyable.


"The Lizard War", by John Dalmas. Completed 22/10/16.

Bought from Baen a long time ago (probably around 2000 or so). Baen description:

Quote:
It's a thousand years after World War III and Earth lies supine beneath the heel of a gang of alien sociopaths (they look like snakes with legs) who like to torture whole populations for sport. The Lizards could not have conquered us in our heyday, but our heyday was long gone when they stumbled upon us; the 16th century level of technology they found here was relatively easy to squelch.

What was not so easy to squelch was the mystic warrior sects that had evolved in the meantime. What should have been a simple mopping up operation to pacify the wilderness becomes—
Very enjoyable. Recommended.


"A Nice Class of Corpse", by Simon Brett. Completed 22/10/16.

The first book in the "Mrs Pargeter" series. Mrs Pargeter moves into the Devereux Hotel in Littlehampton, on the South Coast of England - a small private hotel offering permanent rooms to the better sort of retired people. She's expecting to lead a quiet life in her retirement, but a string of murders and a jewel robbery soon involve her in unexpected events.

A very enjoyable quick read. I've enjoyed all Simon Brett's books, and this one was no exception. Highly recommended.


"The Helverti Invasion", by John Dalmas. Completed 25/10/16.

Bought from Baen in November 2003. A sequel to "The Lizard War", but much, much better. A thousand years after WWIII the Earth has reverted to medieval level technology, watched over (unknown to the inhabitants) by an extra-terrestrial monitor corps who pose as a religious order with supernatural powers to explain such things as radio communication. Agents of the order have to take action to try to prevent a war fomented by alien visitors from a chaos cult (the "Helverti" of the title). Very highly recommended!


"A Quantum Murder", by Peter F. Hamilton. Completed 27/10/16.

The second book in the "Greg Mandel" trilogy of near-future SF detective stories. Following his successful investigation of industrial espionage in the Event Horizon corporation ("Mindstar Rising"), Greg Mandel is asked by the billionaire owner of Event Horizon, Julia Evans, to assist the police in their investigation of the seemingly impossible murder of a reclusive scientist in a country house in which he and his six students lived. An SF twist on the classic "English Country House" detective story. As with the previous book, I thoroughly enjoyed this and would whole-heartedly recommend it. Truly excellent.


"A State of Disobedience", by Tom Kratman. Completed 29/10/16.

Bought from Baen in December 2003. The theme is a revolution in Texas following the election of a Democrat US President who tries to introduce extreme Marxist policies, enforced through a police state.

Baen are one of my favourite publishers, and I enjoy almost everything they publish. There is, however, a very small number of their authors who write what feel to me to be ultra right-wing political diatribes thinly disguised as fiction. John Ringo's written a number of books I'd place in this category and now, to my regret, I must add Tom Kratman to that very short list. It's not that it's a badly-written book - it's a competent piece of military fiction - but I find the message it tries to put across extremely distasteful. I didn't enjoy this book at all.


"Seventy Years in Archaeology", the autobiography of Sir W.M. Flinders Petrie. Completed 5/11/16.

Petrie can justly be called the man who changed archaeology from treasure hunting into a science, and he laid the foundations of modern Egyptology. The methods he invented for excavating and recording sites are still used by archaeologists today. A fascinating read (if you're interested in archaeology and Egyptology, at least).


"The Nano Flower", by Peter F. Hamilton. Completed 6/11/16.

The third (and, so far, final) book in the Greg Mandel series of SF detective stories. The book is set 17 years after the second book. The husband of Julia Evans, the billionairess owner of Event Horizon has vanished, but 7 months later she receives a flower from him which proves to be of alien origin. Julia asks her old friend Greg Mandel, long retired from the detective business, to help her both track down her husband and find the origin of the flower. Absolutely excellent. If anyone hasn't read this series, I highly recommend it!


"Blood and Judgment", by Lars Walker. Completed 7/11/16.

Bought from Baen in December 2003. A high-school English teacher and amateur actor rehearsing for the role of "Hamlet" is thrown, along with the rest of his acting company, into a world in which the play is real. Can they change the storyline to avoid the bloodbath that the play ends in, and find their way home? I didn't particularly enjoy this. Average at best. Not recommended.


"Tuesday the Rabbi Saw Red", by Harry Kemelman. Completed 10/11/16.

The fifth book in the "Rabbi Small" series. In this one, the Rabbi teaches a "Jewish Thought" class at a local college and gets involved when the English professor he shares an office with is murdered. Enjoyable, although perhaps not quite as good as the earlier books in the series. An interesting mirror on how things have changed since the early 1970s when this book was written: it's considered merely a minor matter that a college professor carries on a sexual relationship with one of his students!


"At the Sign of Triumph", by David Weber. Completed 16/11/16.

The latest instalment in the "Safehold" series. Finally the story moves on! Very enjoyable and recommended if you've read the rest of the series.


"Ring of Fire", edited by Eric Flint. Completed 20/11/16.

The third book in the "Ring of Fire" series, and a collection of short (and not so short) stories by various authors set in the "Ring of Fire" universe that was started with the novels "1632" and "1633". Very enjoyable; there wasn't one of the stories that I didn't like. Bought from Baen in January 2004 - I've finally reached a new year in my "Read all my Baen back-catalogue" project .


"Bones are Forever", by Kathy Reichs. Completed 23/11/16.

The 15th book in the "Temperance Brennan" series about a forensic anthropologist. In this book Temperance gets involved in a case of a woman who has left a series of dead babies behind her, and the investigation takes her to the far north of Canada. Enjoyable.


"Demon's Gate", by Steve White. Completed 26/11/16.

A standalone fantasy novel bought from Baen in 2004. The well-used plot of a fight against a plan to bring demons from another plane of existence who will destroy the world, but this one's very well done. Highly recommended! The ending, although a very satisfactory conclusion, leaves the opportunity for a sequel, but as far as I'm aware he's not written one.


Total number of books read: 118

Last edited by HarryT; 11-27-2016 at 08:59 AM.
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Old 12-01-2015, 12:15 PM   #7
Dazrin
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Thumbs up Read 24,000 pages in 2016

I kept the same page goal as 2015 and continued my ongoing sub-goals for genre diversity, indie authors, and re-reads, but did not track them here (see overall summary stats 1).


Page Goal: Read 24,000 pages in 2016.
Status as of December 31: 30,320 pages read, 91 books/short stories completed.
Page goal completed 10/12/16


Progress charts:



Overall Summary Stats: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
  • Read 48 Books from 48 new authors
  • Read 53 library books (58%)
  • Read 24 books that either won or were shortlisted for a literary award
  • Read books published in 43 different years (highest from 2014 with 8)
  • Most read author: Terry Pratchett with 10
  • Read 8 independently published books (9%)
  • Re-read 9 books this year (10%)
  • Read 29 different genres

Books in queue:
  • The Right Stuff - Tom Wolfe - Library book and March 2014 book club nomination that is finally available for me to check out
  • Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind - Yuval Noah Harari - November 2016 Book Club - Library book just arrived

Completed books, sorted by finish date:
  1. The Last Question - Isaac Asimov - Short story to get my year started right.
  2. Turntables of the Night - Terry Pratchett - Short story
  3. Judas Unchained - Peter F. Hamilton - Library book
  4. Sphere - Michael Crichton - Library book
  5. Beacon 23 - Hugh Howey
  6. Bands of Mourning (Mistborn 6, Wax & Wayne 2) - Brandon Sanderson - Library book
  7. Eric (Discworld 9) - Terry Pratchett - Library book
  8. Ancillary Justice - Ann Leckie
  9. The Loo Sanction (Jonathan Hemlock 2) - Trevanian - Library audio book
  10. Mistborn: Secret History (Mistborn 6.5) - Brandon Sanderson
  11. Brat Farrar - Josephine Tey - February 2016 MR Book Club selection, alternative title Come and Kill Me
  12. The Case of the Velvet Claws (Perry Mason 1) - Erle Stanley Gardner - February 2016 MR Book Club runner-up
  13. House of Suns - Alastair Reynolds - Library book
  14. Legion: Skin Deep (Legion 2) - Brandon Sanderson
  15. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (HHGTTG 1) - Douglass Adams
  16. Joyland - Stephen King
  17. The Interrogation (Justin Hall 0) - Ethan Jones
  18. Calamity (Reckoners 3) - Brandon Sanderson
  19. A Brewing Storm (Derrick Storm 1) - "Richard Castle" - Library book
  20. Hour Game (King and Maxwell 2) - David Baldacci - Library book
  21. Crocodile on the Sandbank (Amelia Peabody 1) - Elizabeth Peters - Library book
  22. Moving Pictures (Discworld 10) - Terry Pratchett - Library book
  23. Reaper Man (Discworld 11) - Terry Pratchett - Library book
  24. Orphan X - Gregg Hurwitz - Library book
  25. The Night Life of the Gods - Thorne Smith - MR Library, March Book Club Selection
  26. The Helmsman (Helmsman Saga 1) - Bill Baldwin
  27. Odd Apocalypse (Odd Thomas 5) - Dean Koontz
  28. Lacero - Andy Weir - Ready Player One fanfic accepted as canon by Ernest Cline
  29. The Sleeper and the Spindle - Neil Gaiman and Chris Riddell (illustrator) - Library book
  30. American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot - Craig Ferguson - Library book
  31. DragonQuest - Anne McCaffrey (Pern 2) - Library book
  32. Deeply Odd (Odd Thomas 6) - Dean Koontz - Library book
  33. Saint Odd (Odd Thomas 7) - Dean Koontz - Library book
  34. You Are Destined to Be Together Forever (Odd Thomas 0.5) - Dean Koontz - Library book
  35. Red Mars (Mars Trilogy 1) - Kim Stanley Robinson - Library book, April 2016 MR Book Club selection
    • Abandoned: Bats of the Republic - Zachary Thomas Dodson - Library book, weird formatting and coloring makes it very distracting/difficult to read on an e-ink Kindle, abandoned without starting.
  36. The Stones - Richard Shelton
  37. Restaurant at the End of the Universe (Hitchhiker's Trilogy 2) - Douglass Adams
  38. Green Mars (Mars Trilogy 2) - Kim Stanley Robinson - Library book
  39. The Three-Body Problem - Cixin Liu (translated by Ken Liu) - Library book
  40. The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon - David Grann - Library book
  41. The Columbus Affair - Steve Berry - Library book
  42. The Steerswoman - Rosemary Kirstein - MR Book Club Selection May 2016
  43. Witches Abroad (Discworld 12) - Terry Pratchett - Library book
  44. You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) - Felicia Day - Library book
  45. The Postman - David Brin - Library book
  46. The Road - Cormac McCarthy - Library book
  47. Fool's Errand - Robin Hobb
  48. The Water Room (Bryant and May 2) - Christopher Fowler - Library book
  49. Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch - Library book, also called Midnight Riot
  50. The Martian Chronicles - Ray Bradbury - Library audio book
  51. Sub-Human (Post-Human 1) - David Simpson
  52. The Secret Garden - Francis Hodgson Burnett - Audio book/Kindle book
  53. The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien - Favorite
  54. Mission of Honor (Honor Harrington 12) - David Weber
  55. A Rising Thunder (HH13) - David Weber
  56. The Cardinal of the Kremlin (Jack Ryan 3) - Tom Clancy
  57. Something Fresh - P.G. Wodehouse - July 2016 MR Book Club Selection
    • Abandoned: Interview with the Vampire (Vampire Chronicles 1) - Ann Rice - Library book
  58. The Strange Library - Haruki Murakami - Library book
  59. Wicked Bugs: The Louse that Conquered Napoleon's Army & Other Diabolical Insects - Amy Stewart - Library book
  60. I am Legend - Richard Matheson
  61. The Cypher (Guardians Inc. 1) - Julian Rosado-Machain
  62. Small Gods - Terry Pratchett - Library book
  63. Blue Mars - Kim Stanley Robinson - Library book
  64. Lords and Ladies (Discworld 14) - Terry Pratchett - Library book
  65. No-Nonsense Technician-Class License Study Guide - Dan Romanchik
  66. The Nine Worst Provisions in Your Publishing Contract - David P. Vandagriff
  67. Moon over Soho (Rivers of London 2) - Ben Aaronovitch - Library book
  68. Whispers Under Ground (Rivers of London 3) - Ben Aaronovitch - Library book
  69. Fablehaven - Brandon Mull - Library book
  70. Steampunk! An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories - Edited by Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant - Library book
  71. Men at Arms (Discworld 15, City Watch 2) - Terry Pratchett - Library book
  72. The Lions of Lucerne (Scot Harvath 1) - Brad Thor - Completed 2016 page goal
  73. Another book.
  74. The Paper Magician - Charlie N. Holmberg
    • Abandoned: The Man in the High Castle - Philip K. Dick - Just couldn't get into it.
  75. A Death in Sweden - Kevin Wignall
  76. The God's Eye View - Barry Eisler
  77. As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of the Princess Bride - Cary Elwes - Library book
  78. The Martian - Andy Weir
  79. Neuromancer - William Gibson - Library book
  80. The Dark Forest (Earth's Past 2) - Cixin Liu - Library book
  81. Casino Royale (James Bond 1) - Ian Fleming
  82. Soul Music (Discworld 16, Death 3) - Terry Pratchett - Library book
    • Abandoned: Ocean of Storms - Christopher Mari and Jeremy K. Brown
  83. Harry James Potter-Evans-Verres and the Methods of Rationality - Eliezer Yudkowsky
  84. Foundation (Foundation 1) - Isaac Asimov - Library book
  85. Lock In - John Scalzi - Library book
  86. Interesting Times (Discworld 17, Rincewind 5) - Terry Pratchett - Library book
  87. Death's End (Earth's Past 3) - Cixin Liu - Library book
  88. The Paper Menagerie - Ken Liu
    • Abandoned: The Grace of Kings - Ken Liu - Library book - Just couldn't keep my interest. May try again later.
  89. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Robert Lewis Stevenson
  90. Beyond the Body Farm: A Legendary Bone Detective Explores Murders, Mysteries, and the Revolution in Forensic Science - Dr. Bill Blass - Library book
  91. One Second After - William R. Forstchen - Library book


Added 2/26: The Something For Everyone Challenge:
Spoiler:
  • A book based on a fairy tale - The Sleeper and the Spindle - Neil Gaiman
  • A major book award National Book Award winner - Ancillary Justice - Ann Leckie - (Pre-Puppy) Hugo, Nebula and Locus award winner
  • A YA bestseller - Calamity - Brandon Sanderson
  • A book you haven't read since high school - DragonQuest - Anne McCaffrey
  • A book set in your home state - The Postman - David Brin
  • A book translated to English - The Three-Body Problem - Cixin Liu
    A romance set in the future
  • A book set in Europe - The Water Room - Christopher Fowler
  • A book that's under 150 pages - Mistborn: Secret History - Brandon Sanderson (149 pgs)
  • A New York Times bestseller - Mission of Honor - David Weber (debuted at #13 on NYT list)
  • A book that is becoming a movie this year - The Lost City of Z - David Grann
    A book recommended by someone you just met
  • A self-improvement book - No-Nonsense Technician-Class License Study Guide - Dan Romanchik
  • A book you can finish in a day - Joyland - Stephen King
  • A book written by a celebrity - You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) - Felicia Day
  • A political memoir - As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of the Princess Bride - Cary Elwes
  • A book at least 100 years older than you - The Secret Garden - Francis Hodgson Burnett
  • A book that's more than 600 pages - Judas Unchained - Peter F. Hamilton (1,235 pgs)
  • A book from the MobileRead book club Oprah's Book Club - The Steerswoman - Rosemary Kirstein - May 2016
  • A science-fiction novel - Sphere - Michael Crichton
    A book recommended by a family member
  • An illustrated graphic novel - The Strange Library - Haruki Murakami
  • A book that is published in 2016 - Orphan X - Gregg Hurwitz
  • A book with a protagonist who has your occupation - Red Mars - Kim Stanley Robinson
  • A book that takes place during Summer - The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien
  • A book and its prequel - Saint Odd & You Are Destined to Be Together Forever by Dean Koontz
  • A murder mystery - The Case of the Velvet Claws - Erle Stanley Gardner
  • A book written by a comedian - American on Purpose - Craig Ferguson
  • A dystopian novel - The Road - Cormac McCarthy
  • A book with a blue cover - Reaper Man - Terry Pratchett
  • A book of with poetry - The Helmsman - Bill Baldwin (It has more in it than anything else I am likely to read.)
  • The first book you see in a librarybookstore - The Columbus Affair - Steve Berry
  • A classic from the 20th century - The Martian Chronicles - Ray Bradbury
  • A book from the library - Crocodile on the Sandbank - Elizabeth Peters (and many others)
    An autobiography
  • A book about a road trip - Odd Apocalypse - Dean Koontz
  • A book about a culture you're unfamiliar with - Blue Mars - Kim Stanley Robinson
  • A satirical book - Night Life of the Gods - Thorne Smith
  • A book that takes place on an island - Brat Farrar - Josephine Tey
  • A book that's guaranteed to bring you joy - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglass Adams

• = Already read
Upcoming read, either on hold at the library or already purchased
Read something that fits but used it in another category
Not started or identified yet

Other list posts: 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011

Last edited by Dazrin; 12-28-2016 at 04:42 PM. Reason: Updated for year end summary
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Old 12-01-2015, 12:21 PM   #8
Cinisajoy
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January reading
1. Ann Rule, Everything she wanted (paperback)
2. Gennita Low, The Hunter (paperback)
3. James Herriot, Dog Stories (hardback)
4. Russell Blake, Black in the Box. (E-Book)

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Old 12-01-2015, 12:35 PM   #9
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I haven't participated before so I'm going to keep it simple.

My goal for 2016 is just to keep track of what I have read.

Jan
1. Five Twelfths of Heaven - The Roads of Heaven Trilogy Book 1 - Melissa Scott
2. Silence in Solitude - The Roads of Heaven Trilogy Book 2 - Melissa Scott
3. The Empress of Earth - The Roads of Heaven Trilogy Book 3 - Melissa Scott
4. Better World - Autumn Kalquist
5. Legacy Code - Autumn Kalquist
6. Paragon - Autumn Kalquist
7. Mythology 101 - Jody Lynn Nye
8. Mythology Abroad - Jody Lynn Nye
9. Higher Mythology - Jody Lynn Nye
10. Ready Player One - Ernest Cline (personal favourite reread)

Feb
11. Saint Odd - Dean Koontz
12. The Nightingale - Kristin Hannah
13. The Boston Girl - Anita Diamant
14. Winter Garden - Kristin Hannah
15. The Rosie Project - Graeme Simsion
16. The Winds of Khalakovo - Bradley P. Beaulieu

Mar
17. The Straights of Galahesh - Bradley P. Beaulieu
18. 1001 Ways To Reward Employees - Bob Nelson
19. The Valley of Amazement - Amy Tan
20. Room - Emma Donoghue
21. Somewhere in France - Jennifer Robson
22. The Hole in the Middle - Kate Hilton
23. The Memory Painter - Gwendolyn Womack
24. Beautiful Ruins - Jess Walter
25. The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window And Disappeared - Jonas Jonasson

Apr
26. The Friends We Keep - Holly Chamberlin
27. The Family Beach House - Holly Chamberlin
28. Summer With My Sisters - Holly Chamberlin
29. The Edge of Lost - Kristina McMorris
30. Second Sister - Marie Bostwick
31. Million Dollar Road - Amy Conner
32. The Gifts of Imperfection - Brene Brown
33. The Flames of Shadam Khoreh - Bradley P. Beaulieu
34. Hellhound on My Trail - D.J. Butler
35. Snake Handling Man - D.J. Butler
36. Crow Jane - D.J. Butler

May
37. Immortal - Steven Savile
38. King Wolf - Steven Savile
39. Machineries of Silence - Steven Savile
40. Girl Before A Mirror - Liza Palmer
41. To The Moon and Back - Jill Mansell
42. The Steerswoman - Rosemary Kirstein. (x2)
43. Lies, Damned Lies and History - Jodi Taylor
44. Better Than Before - Grechen Rubin

June
45. Northworld - David Drake
46. Vengeance - David Drake
47. Justice - David Drake
48. Before I Met You - Lisa Jewell
49. Maybe In Another Life - Taylor Jenkins Reid
50. Me Before You - Jojo Moyes
51. The Other Boleyn Girl - Phillipa Gregory
52. Forever, Interrupted - Taylor Jenkins Reid
53. Third Daughter - Susan Kaye Quinn

July
54. Reign of Shadows - Deborah Chester
55. Burnt Ice (Fury of ACES) - Steve Wheeler
56. Nantucket - Nan Rossiter
57. After You - Jojo Moyes
58. Chaos Quarter - David Welsh
59. Be FrankWith Me - Julia Clairborne Johnson
60. Moonlight Over Paris - Jennifer Robson
61. Carpe Demon - Julie Kenner
62. California Demon - Julie Kenner
63. The Rosie Effect - Graeme Simsion

August
64. The Pearl That Broke Its Shell - Nadia Hashimi
65. The Girl Who Saved The King of Sweden - Jonas Jonasson
66. Crystal Venom - Steve Wheeler
67. Demons Are Forever - Julie Kenner
68. Deja Demon - Julie Kenner
69. Demon Ex Machina - Julie Kenner
70. Pax Demonica - Julie Kenner
71. Otherness - David Brin

September
72. Terns of Enlistment - Marko Kloos

Last edited by 5thWiggleWife; 09-04-2016 at 08:36 PM. Reason: Adding info
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Old 12-01-2015, 12:52 PM   #10
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Keeping the tradition alive. Reading BINGO this year.

The Cards
Spoiler:


Note: for the country card I put the number of books I've read from the countries in brackets behind them, when blank it means it is a new country

The List of Books
Spoiler:
1 The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist e** Sweden/Dystopia
2 Children of the Jacaranda Tree by Sahar Delijhani p**** Iran/Historical Fiction
3 The Variant Effect by G Wells Tyler e*** United States/Zombies
4 A Tale of Love and Darkness by Amos Oz p*** Israel/Literary Fiction
5 The Untouchable by Jon Banville p*** Ireland/Historical Fiction
6 The Corpse Exhibition by Hassan Blasim p**** Iraq/Short Stories
7 Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood e** Australia/Mystery
8 A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor (e****) United States/Southern Gothic
9 The Cry of the Dove by Fadia Faqir (p****) Jordan/Fiction
10 The Virginian by Owen Wister (e***) United States/Western
11 Chaff on the Wind by Ebou Dibba (p***) The Gambia/Fiction
12 Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (e***) United States/Thriller

in progress...
13 Eucalyptus by Murray Bail (p) Australia/Romance
14 Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell (e) United States/Romance

Something for Everyone Challenge
Spoiler:

A book based on a fairy tale
A National Book Award winner
A YA bestseller
A book you haven't read since high school
A book set in your home state
A book translated to English The Corpse Exhibition: And Other Stories of Iraq by Hassan Blasim
A romance set in the future
A book set in Europe The Untouchable by John Banville
A book that's under 150 pages
A New York Times bestseller Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
A book that's becoming a movie this year
A book recommended by someone you just met
A self-improvement book
A book you can finish in a day
A book written by a celebrity
A political memoir
A book at least 100 years older than you
A book that's more than 600 pages
A book from Oprah's Book Club
A science-fiction novel
A book recommended by a family member
A graphic novel
A book that is published in 2016
A book with a protagonist who has your occupation
A book that takes place during Summer
A book and its prequel
A murder mystery - Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood
A book written by a comedian
A dystopian novel - The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist
A book with a blue cover - The Cry of the Dove by Fadia Faqir
A book of poetry
The first book you see in a bookstore
A classic from the 20th century - A Good Man Is Hard To Find by Flannery O'Connor
A book from the library - Children of the Jacaranda Tree by Sahar Delijani
An autobiography - A Tale of Love and Darkness by Amos Oz
A book about a road trip
A book about a culture you're unfamiliar with - Chaff On The Wind: A Novel by Ebou Dibba
A satirical book
A book that takes place on an island
A book that's guaranteed to bring you joy

The Statistics
Spoiler:
12 books
3,691 pages
12 authors
12 new authors
9 countries
4 new countries
5 paper book
7 eBooks
11 library book


It's probably going to take me a while to update the bingo cards, but I'll endeavor to do that once a month.

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Old 12-01-2015, 01:04 PM   #11
Rumpelteazer
Grand Sorcerer
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In 2016 my main challenge is going to be to choose a theme each month and read at least 4 books related to that theme.

Rules:
  • Choose a theme and read at least four books relating to that theme in a month (unless otherwise stated in the list).
  • It is allowed to choose more than one theme and have overlap (e.g. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is both Scandinavian and a thriller), but the theme has to be read within one month.
  • Books of 800 pages or more count as two books for the challenge, book of 1200 pages or more count as three books.
  • If I think of a new theme I can add it to the list.

Theme list:
  1. Series (full month)
  2. Stand alone (full month)
  3. Horror
  4. Thriller
  5. Crime
  6. Cozy
  7. Long on TBR list
  8. New best sellers
  9. New to me authors
  10. Old time favourites
  11. TV/film
  12. Classic
  13. Historical
  14. Non-fiction
  15. Mystery
  16. Young adult
  17. British
  18. Scandinavian (incl. Iceland)
  19. Far East
  20. Australia

I will keep my blog up to date with lists and statistics

Last edited by Rumpelteazer; 12-01-2015 at 03:00 PM.
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Old 12-01-2015, 02:08 PM   #12
sakura-panda
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Karma: 9558874
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Southeast Michigan, USA
Device: 2017 10.5" iPad Pro (Kobo, NOOK, Kindle, Google Play Books & Scribd)
No Goal; Benchmark is 94 Books

January 2016
1. Silken Threads by Patricia Ryan
2. Thoroughly Kissed by Kristine Grayson
3. The Sun and the Moon by Patricia Ryan
4. An Unfinished Death by Laurel Dewey
5. His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik
6. Phantom Quartz by Barbra Annino
7. Secret Thunder by Patricia Ryan
8. Hell on Wheels by Julie Ann Walker
9. Wild Wind by Patricia Ryan
10. In Rides Trouble by Julie Ann Walker
11. Seven Exes Are Eight Too Many by Heather Wardell

February 2016
12. Rev It Up by Julie Ann Walker
13. Bad Will Hunting by Heather Wardell
14. Thrill Ride by Julie Ann Walker
15. Fifteen Minutes of Summer by Heather Wardell
16. Born Wild by Julie Ann Walker
17. Completely Smitten by Kristine Grayson
18. Life, Love and a Polar Bear Tattoo by Heather Wardell
19. Dead Madonna by Victoria Houston
20. Simply Irresistible by Kristine Grayson
21. Go Small or Go Home by Heather Wardell
22. Absolutely Captivating by Kristine Grayson
23. Planning to Live by Heather Wardell
24. Totally Spellbound by Kristine Grayson
25. Stirring Until Totally Confused by Heather Wardell
26. Face the Winter Naked by Bonnie Turner
27. Wickedly Charming by Kristine Grayson

March 2016
28. A Life That Fits by Heather Wardell
29. Charming Blue by Kristine Grayson
30. Live Out Loud by Heather Wardell
31. Chicks Ahoy! by Esther Friesner
32. Hell for Leather by Julie Ann Walker
33. Fortune's Favorites by Colleen McCullough
34. Blank Slate Kate by Heather Wardell
35. Full Throttle by Julie Ann Walker
36. Knowing by Laurel Dewey
37. Finding My Happy Pace by Heather Wardell
38. Too Hard to Handle by Julie Ann Walker
39. All At Sea by Heather Wardell
40. Sultry with a Twist by Macy Beckett
41. Good to Myself by Heather Wardell
42. The Kinshield Legacy by K.C. May
43. Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik
44. A Shot of Sultry by Macy Beckett
45. Pink is a Four Letter Word by Heather Wardell

April 2016
46. Surrender to Sultry by Macy Beckett
47. Everybody's Got a Story by Heather Wardell
48. Dead Hot Shot by Victoria Houston
49. New Orleans Mourning by Julie Smith
50. Napoleon's Pyramids by William Dietrich
51. Fifty Million Reasons by Heather Wardell
52. A Certain Wolfish Charm by Lydia Dare
53. Plan Overboard by Heather Wardell

May 2016
54. Tall, Dark and Wolfish by Lydia Dare
55. Never Buried by Edie Claire
56. The Frontiersman's Daughter by Laura Frantz
57. The Wolf Next Door by Lydia Dare
58. Never Sorry by Leigh Koslow
59. The Taming of the Wolf by Lydia Dare
60. Never Preach Past Noon by Edie Claire
61. Axeman's Jazz by Julie Smith
62. It Happened One Bite by Lydia Dare
63. Dead Renegade by Victoria Houston
64. Never Neck at Niagara by Edie Claire (novella)
65. Never Kissed Goodnight by Edie Claire
66. When You Give a Duke a Diamond by Shana Galen
67. An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon (audiobook)
68. Never Tease a Siamese by Edie Claire

June 2016
69. In the Heat of the Bite by Lydia Dare
70. Countdown: The Liberators by Tom Kratman
71. Never Con a Corgi by Edie Claire
72. Never Been Bit by Lydia Dare
73. Jazz Funeral by Julie Smith
74. Portrait of the Past by Kate Halleron
75. Never Haunt A Historian by Edie Claire
76. Dead Deceiver by Victoria Houston
77. The Wolf Who Loved Me by Lydia Dare
78. Never Thwart a Thespian by Edie Claire
79. Wolfishly Yours by Lydia Dare
80. Never Steal a Cockatiel by Edie Claire

July 2016
81. The Space Between by Diana Gabaldon
82. Death Before Facebook by Julie Smith
83. If You Give a Rake a Ruby by Shana Galen
84. Strange Neighbors by Ashlyn Chase
85. Cobra Alliance: Cobra War Book I by Timothy Zahn
86. Sapphires Are an Earl's Best Friend by Shana Galen
87. The Werewolf Upstairs by Ashlyn Chase
88. Romeo, Romeo by Robin Kaye
89. The Vampire Next Door by Ashlyn Chase
90. Too Hot to Handle by Robin Kaye
91. Breakfast in Bed by Robin Kaye

August 2016
92. Dead Tease by Victoria Houston
93. Flirting Under a Full Moon by Ashlyn Chase
94. They Say Love is Blind by Kate Halleron
95. How to Date a Dragon by Ashlyn Chase
96. Yours for the Taking by Robin Kaye
97. Kissing With Fangs by Ashlyn Chase
98. Witch Way To Amethyst by Barbra Annino
99. Wild Thing by Robin Kaye
100. House of Blues by Julie Smith
101. Deadly Gamble by Connie Shelton
102. Call Me Wild by Robin Kaye
103. Sweet Tea and Secrets by Nancy Naigle
104. Out of Focus by Nancy Naigle

September 2016
105. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling (audiobook)
106. Black Powder War by Naomi Novik
107. Dead Insider by Victoria Houston
108. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling (audiobook)
109. Wedding Cake and Big Mistakes by Nancy Naigle
110. Three Plums in One by Janet Evanovich
111. A Little on the Wild Side by Robin Kaye
112. Death of a Trophy Wife by Laura Levine
113. Four to Score by Janet Evanovich
114. At Risk by Kit Ehrmen
115. Pecan Pie and Deadly Lies by Nancy Naigle
116. Kindness of Strangers by Julie Smith
117. Earls Just Want To Have Fun by Shana Galen
118. Mint Juleps and Justice by Nancy Naigle

October 2016
119. High Five by Janet Evanovich
120. Viscount of Vice by Shana Galen
121. Hot Six by Janet Evanovich
122. Barbecue and Bad News by Nancy Naigle
123. The Rogue You Know by Shana Galen
124. Seven Up by Janet Evanovich
125. I Kissed a Rogue by Shana Galen
126. Hard Eight by Janet Evanovich
127. Believe It Or Not by Tawna Fenske
128. Visions of Sugar Plums by Janet Evanovich
129. Miranda's Big Mistake by Jill Mansell

November 2016
130. To the Nines by Janet Evanovich
131. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts I & II by J.K. Rowling
132. The India Fan by Victoria Holt
133. Dead L'il Hustler by Victoria Houston
134. Ten Big Ones by Janet Evanovich
135. Dead Man's Touch by Kit Ehrman
136. Enchanting the Lady by Kathryne Kennedy
137. Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon (audiobook)

December 2016
138. Crescent City Connection by Julie Smith
139. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling (audiobook)
140. Eleven on Top by Janet Evanovich
141. Double Enchantment by Kathryne Kennedy
142. Twelve Sharp by Janet Evanovich
143. The Cobra Trilogy by Timothy Zahn
144. Dead Rapunzel by Victoria Houston
145. Never Mess with Mistletoe by Edie Claire
146. Plum Lovin' by Janet Evanovich
147. 82 Desire by Julie Smith
148. Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik
149. Cold Burn by Kit Ehrman

Last edited by sakura-panda; 01-03-2017 at 02:07 PM. Reason: Updated List
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Old 12-01-2015, 02:37 PM   #13
GA Russell
Montreal wins Grey Cup!
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Posts: 7,578
Karma: 31484197
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Raleigh, NC
Device: Paperwhite, Kindles 10 & 4 and jetBook Lite
I'm in!

Because the publishing industry considers someone who buys 12 books a year to be an "avid reader," my goal will be to finish 12 books.

*****

Throughout last year, I purchased many Kindle books because they were free or very inexpensive. Many of them should not be considered books, but rather very lengthy magazine articles.

The short items I will list with an alphabet letter, and the genuine books with a number.

*****

1...1/03...Prince Valiant, vol. 10 - Hal Foster
2...1/18...400 Amazing Baseball Facts You Never Knew - Jack Chesterfield
3...1/21...The Grand Minor League - Dick Dobbins
4...1/26...Appetite for Self-Destruction - Steve Knopper
5...2/10...Prince Valiant, vol. 11 - Hal Foster
6...2/13...The Days are Just Packed - Bill Watterson
7...2/16...The Bluffer's Guide to Jazz - Barnes and Gammond
a...2/21...Guns for Preppers - Sobert Gummer
9...2/21...The Little Sister (graphic novel) - Raymond Chandler
b...2/24...Principles of Jeff Cooper Defensive Handguns - David Fessenden
10...3/06...How the Hot Dog Found Its Bun - Josh Chetwynd
11...3/10...Here and Now! - Pat Martino
c...3/13...Everyday Carry Gear - Jon Woodward
d...3/19...Bill Veeck's Crosstown Classic - Bill Veeck
e...3/21...The Every Day Carry Guide - Christopher Ruiz
f...3/21...The Fall of France - Charles River Editors
g...3/31...CS Lewis: 66 Best Life Lessons - Chris Johnston
12...4/01...Still Pitching - Jim Kaat
h...4/03...Tiny House Living - James Hennison
i...4/06...Kindle User's Guide - Amazon
j...4/10...Secrets of Small-House Living - Claire Middleton
13...4/11...Definitive Flash Gordon, vol. 1 - Alex Raymond
k...4/14...So You Want to Own a Gun - Robert Owens
l...4/15...History of the Studebaker Corporation - AR Erskine
14...4/29...Who Really Killed Kennedy? - Jerome Corsi
15...5/02...The Strangest Secret - Earl Nightingale
16...5/08...Living on a Shoestring Budget - Barbara S. Schneider
17...5/09...It's Not Easy Bein' Me - Rodney Dangerfield
m...5/11...The 100 Greatest Novels of All Time - Centaur Editions
n...5/23...The Beginner's Guide to Your First Handgun - Keith R. Baker
18...6/03...Rip Kirby, vol. 1 - Alex Raymond
19...6/12...The Ipcress File - Len Deighton
o...6/25...Yogi Berra - Adam Green
20...7/02...The History of Surfing - Matt Warshaw
21...7/08...Crisis of Character - Gary J. Byrne
22...7/18...Trouble is My Business - Raymond Chandler
23...8/02...The Bluffer's Guide to Cars - Martin Gurdon
24...8/11...Always on Sunday - Michael David Harris
25...8/13...Pitching in a Pinch - Christy Mathewson
26...8/21...The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis - Max Shulman

Last edited by GA Russell; 08-23-2016 at 01:29 AM.
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Old 12-01-2015, 04:09 PM   #14
Dngrsone
Almost legible
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Posts: 1,457
Karma: 4611110
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: In a high desert, CA
Device: Galaxy Note 9, Galaxy Tab A (2017), Likebook P78
In 2015, I've read in excess of 100 books.

My goal is to hit 125 books in 2016. I may start tracking expenses this year, as well, and make sure I don't spend too much for my reading habit.

1. Bitter Medicine by Sara Paretsky. 1/3
2. Red: A History of the Redhead by Jacky Collins Harvey. 1/6
3. The Palace Job by Patrick Weekes. 1/8
4. Prescription: Murder! volume 1: Authentic Cases from the Files of Alan Hynd by Alan and Noel Hynd. 1/8
5. Patton's Shaceship by John Barnes. 1/10
6. Prescription: Murder! Volume 2: Authentic Cases from the Files of Alan Hynd. 1/10
7. Washington's Dirigible by John Barnes. 1/13
8. Origins of the Specious: Myths and Misconceptions of the English Language by Patricia T. O'Conner. 1/16
9. The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris. 1/16
10. The Oddfits by Tiffany Tsao. 1/18
11. Daughter of Earth and Water: A Biography of Mary Wallstonecraft Shelley by Noel Gerson. 1/22
12. The Prophecy Con by Patrick Weekes. 1/24
13. Prescription: Murder! volume 3: Authentic Cases from the Files of Alan Hynd by Alan and Noel Hynd. 1/26
14. Armageddon Girl by C.J. Carella, 1/28
15. The Hittites: The Lost Empire of the Ancient World by Duncan Ryan. 1/29
16. Doomsday Duet by C.J. Carella. 1/31
17. Alice + Freda Forever: A Murder in Memphis by Alexis Coe. 1/31
18. Apocalypse Dance by C. J. Carella. 2/3
19. Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time by Dava Sobel. 2/3
20. Ragnarok Alternative by C. J. Carella. 2/5
21. DADDY'S GIRL: The Campbell Murder Case: A Saga of Texas Justice by Clifford Irving, 2/7
22. The Paladin Caper by Patricia Weekes. 2/12
23. Wreck of the Whale Ship Essex Illustrated: Narrative of the most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-Ship Essex that Inspired Herman Melville's Moby Dick by Owen Chase. 2/14
24. Brilliance (Book one of a trilogy) by Marcus Sakey. 2/17
25. A Better World by Marcus Sakey. 2/21
26. Reckless by Chrissie Hynde. 2/26
27. Written in Fire by Marcus Sakey. 2/28
28. I Must Say by Martin Short. 3/1
29. The Light of the Fireflies by Paul Pen (Author), Simon Bruni (Translator). 3/3
30. Girl in a Band by Kim Gordon. 3/5
31. Please Don't Tell My Parents I'm a Supervillian by Richard Roberts. 3/9
32. The Man Who Broke Napoleon's Code by Mark Urban. 3/12
33. Please Don't Tell My Parents I Blew Up the Moon Richard Roberts. 3/13
34. Science Ink by Carl Zimmer. 3/14
35. The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore. 3/18
36. Kicking and Dreaming: A Story of Heart, Soul and Rock & Roll by Ann & Nancy Wilson with Charles R. Cross. 3/18
37. Bloodsworth: The True Story of the First Death Row Inmate Exonerated by DNA Evidence by Tim Junkin. 3/20
38. The Rules of Supervillainy by C.T. Phipps. 3/21
39. The Gemini effect by Chuck Grossart. 3/24
40. The Games of Supervillainy by C. T. Phipps. 3/25
41. Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming. 3/27
42. The Autobiography of James T. Kirk by David A. Goodman. 3/28
43. The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen. 4/1
44. Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz. 4/3
45. Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen. 4/8
46. Bones Burnt Black by Stephen Euin Cobb. 4/9
47. Deliver Her by Patricia Perry Donovan. 4/11
48. The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston. 4/13
49. Exigency by Michael Siemsen. 4/16
50. Forever Odd by Dean Koontz. 4/22
51. Freelancer by Jake Lingwall. 4/23
52. A Curious Man: The Strange and Brilliant Life of Robert "Believe It or Not!" Ripley by Neal Thompson. 4/24
53. The Unseen by Jake Lingwall. 4/25
54. Enter the Janitor by Josh Vogt. 4/28
55. Brother Odd by Dean Koontz. 5/2
56. The Maids of Wrath by Josh Vogt. 5/4
57. Unintended Consequences by Marti Green. 5/9
58. Enemy by K. Eason. 5/13
59. You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day. 5/14
60. Lethal Code by Thomas Waite. 5/16
61. Odd Hours by Dean Koontz. 5/19
62. One Girl, One Dream by Laura Dekker. 5/25
63. Playing for Keeps by Mur Lafferty. 6/2
64. El Goonish Shive (entire archive of the webcomic) by Dan Shive. 6/3
65. The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell. 6/5
66. A Girl Corrupted by the Internet is the Summoned Hero?! by Eliezer Yudkowsky. 6/6
67. Odd Apocalypse by Dean Koontz. 6/9
68. Boys in Trees by Carly Simon. 6/15
69. The Assembler of Parts by Raoul Wientzen. 6/20
70. Rabid by Bill Wasik. 6/24
71. Deeply Odd by Dean Koontz. 6/26
72. Sidekicked by John David Anderson. 6/30
73. Please Don't Tell My Parents I'm a Supervillian by Richard Roberts. 7/8
74. Infinitesimal: How a Dangerous Mathematical Theory Shaped the Modern World by Amir Alexander. 7/10
75. Three Men in a Boat (to Say Nothing of the Dog) by Jerome K. Jerome. 7/13
76. ATLAS by Isaac Hooke. 7/16
77. Saint Odd by Dean Koontz. 7/21
78. A History of Pi by Petr Beckmann. 7/21
79. After the Cure by Dierdre Gould. 7/24
80. Foreigner by C. J. Cherryh. 7/28
81. Jim Henson: The Biography by Brian Jay Jones. 7/31
82. Invader by C. J. Cherryh. 8/5
83. Wildflower by Drew Barrymore. 8/8
84. The Girl with a Clock for a Heart by Peter Swanson. 8/9
85. Quite Contrary by Richard Roberts. 8/11
86. Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling by Ross King. 8/14
87. Inheritor by C. J. Cherryh. 8/23
88. Catch Me if You Can by Frank W. Abangnale. 8/25
89. Fix by F. Paul Wilson, J. A. Konrath and Ann Voss Peterson. 8/26
90. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury. 8/29
91. Seduced by Madness by Carol Pogash. 9/1
92. Precursor by C. J. Cherryh. 9/5
93. Del Ryder and the Crystal Seed by Matthew David Brough. 9/12
94. Marvel Comics: The Untold Story by Sean Howe. 9/19
95. F in Exams: The Very Best Totally Wrong Test Answers by Richard Benson. 9/24
96. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald. 9/24
97. Wicked Women: Notorious, Mischievous, and Wayward Ladies from the Old West by Chris Enss. 9/27
98. The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum. 10/2
99. The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector’s Story by Hyeonseo Lee. 10/5
100. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. 10/6
101. Explorer by C. J. Cherryh. 10/9
102. Superheroes Anonymous by Lexie Dunn. 10/11
103. Supervillians Anonymous by Lexie Dunn. 10/13
104. How to Save the World by Lexie Dunne. 10/15
105. Doc: The Rape of the Town of Lovell by Jack Olsen. 10/17
106. Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley. 10/20
107. The Bourne Supremacy by Robert Ludlum. 10/23
108. Vaccinated: Triumph, Controversy, and an Uncertain Future by Paul A. Offit M. D. 10/25
109. Aerie by Maria Dahvana Headley. 10/29
110. Q-Ships and Their Story by E. Keble Chatterton. 11/4
111. The Three-Body Problem by Xixin Liu. 11/6
112. The Real Story: The Gap into Conflict by Stephen R. Donaldson. 11/10
113. Till Death Do Us Part: True Stories of Newlywed Murder Cases by J. J. Slate. 11/12
114. Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein. 11/13
115. Forbidden Knowledge: The Gap into Vision by Stephen R. Donaldson. 11/18
116. As You Wish by Cary Elwes. 11/20
117. The Misbegotten Son: A Serial Killer and His Victims - The True Story of Arthur J. Shawcross by Jack Olsen. 11/30
118. A Dark and Hungry God Arises: The Gap into Power by Stephen R. Donaldson. 12/8
119. The End of the Sentence by Maria Dahvana Headley. 12/09
120. Destroyer by C. J. Cherryh. 12/17
121. Brute Force by K. B. Spengler. 12/20
122. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers. 12/23
123. Unnatural Causes by Gregg Olson. 12/23
124. The Fortuitous Meeting by Christopher Kastensmidt. 12/23
125. Chaos and Order: The Gap Into Madness by Stephen R. Donaldson. 12/30

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Old 12-01-2015, 04:37 PM   #15
DrNefario
Wizard
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Posts: 2,094
Karma: 11315768
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: UK
Device: Kindle, Kobo Touch, Nook SimpleTouch
Reduce TBR. Reduce paper TBR by at least 7.

TBR:
Removed: 115
Added: 111 (73 paid)
Net reduction: 4
Pages read: 35507

Paper TBR:
Removed: 34
Added: 21 (20 paid)
Net Reduction: 13

Books read:
1. King of Thorns - Mark Lawrence (k) - 597
2. Luna: New Moon - Ian McDonald (k) - 392
3. Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman (k) - 370
4. Dumb Witness - Agatha Christie (p) - 255
5. Aztec Century - Christopher Evans (p) - 352
6. The Martian Chronicles - Ray Bradbury (k) - 236
7. Priest - Matthew Colville (k) - 436
8. Dinosaur Beach - Keith Laumer (e) - 161
9. Without a Summer - Mary Robinette Kowal (e) - 231
10. Horus Rising - Dan Abnett (i) - 412
11. Rogues - George R R Martin & Gardner Dozois (eds) (k) - 832
12. Death on the Nile - Agatha Christie (p) - 416
13. Daggerspell - Katharine Kerr (p) - 528
14. Beyond Apollo - Barry Malzberg (h) - 138
15. Ack-Ack Macaque - Gareth L Powell (e) - 259
16. Legends II: Stories in Honour of David Gemmell - Ian Whates (ed) (k) - 230
17. The Slow Regard of Silent Things (novella) - Patrick Rothfuss (e) - 86
18. The Cardinal's Blades - Pierre Pevel (h) - 370
19. The Man Who Folded Himself - David Gerrold (e) - 116
20. The Last Witness (novella) - KJ Parker (e) - 68
21. The Magician's Land - Lev Grossman (k) - 401
22. The Quiet War - Paul McAuley (k) - 439
23. Fearsome Journeys - Jonathan Strahan (ed) (e) - 334
24. Mitosis (novella) - Brandon Sanderson (e) - 32
25. Hawkwood's Voyage - Paul Kearney (e) - 337
26. The First Family of Racing - Earl Hayden & Danny May (k) - 208
27. The Heretic Kings - Paul Kearney (e) - 280
28. Killing the Top Ten Sacred Cows of Publishing - Dean Wesley Smith (e) - 84
29. Appointment with Death - Agatha Christie (h) - 252
30. The Mote in God's Eye - Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle (p) - 560
31. Wastelands - John Joseph Adams (ed) (e) - 376
32. Promise of Blood - Brian McClellan (k) - 545
33. Hercule Poirot's Christmas - Agatha Christie (p) - 335
34. Million Dollar Productivity - Kevin J Anderson (e) - 39
35. The Wind's Twelve Quarters - Ursula K Le Guin (e) - 248
36. Chains of Command - Marko Kloos (k) - 369
37. Murder at the Kinnen Hotel (novella) - Brian McClellan (k) - 75
38. Deep Wizardry - Diane Duane (e) - 226
39. Future Visions - Jennifer Henshaw & Allison Lynn (eds) (e) - 199
40. Europe in Autumn - Dave Hutchinson (e) - 317
41. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms - George R R Martin (e) - 355
42. The Crystal Shard - R A Salvatore (k) - 326
43. Man Plus - Frederik Pohl (p) - 215
44. Luminous - Greg Egan (p) - 295
45. Teckla - Steven Brust (p) - 153
46. The Valley of Fear - Arthur Conan Doyle (e) - 147
47. Rave and Let Die - Adam Roberts (k) - 272
48. Stories from the Quiet War - Paul McAuley (k) - 186
49. Heir to the Empire - Timothy Zahn (e) - 361
50. The Forgotten Beasts of Eld - Patricia A McKillip (p) - 217
51. In the Ocean of Night - Gregory Benford (k) - 333
52. Apocalypses & Apostrophes - John Barnes (p) - 349
53. The Stone Road - G R Matthews (k) - 316
54. Murder is Easy - Agatha Christie (p) - 180
55. In the Hall of the Martian Kings - John Varley (p) - 316
56. Retribution Falls - Chris Wooding (k) - 482
57. Air - Geoff Ryman (p) - 390
58. The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle (e) - 196
59. Kushiel's Chosen - Jacqueline Carey (k) - 678
60. Kindred - Octavia E Butler (k) - 295
61. And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie (p) - 179
62. Barnacle Bill the Spacer and Other Stories - Lucius Shepard (p) - 292
63. The Garden of Stones - Mark T Barnes (k) - 484
64. Manhattan in Reverse - Peter F Hamilton (k) - 260
65. Thatcher Stole My Trousers - Alexei Sayle (e) - 273
66. Uglies - Scott Westerfeld (k) - 405
67. Grazing the Long Acre - Gwyneth Jones (k) - 293
68. Elantris - Brandon Sanderson (k) - 615
69. The White Mountains - John Christopher (p) - 144
70. Sad Cypress - Agatha Christie (p) - 189
71. Uprooted - Naomi Novik (e) - 377
72. Sword of Destiny - Andrzej Sapkowski (k) - 374
73. Riddley Walker - Russell Hoban (k) - 220
74. The Innocence of Father Brown - G K Chesterton (e) - 365
75. Path of Flames - Phil Tucker (k) - 614
76. The Mad Scientist's Guide to World Domination - John Joseph Adams (ed) (e) - 380
77. Crystal Rain - Tobias S Buckell (e) - 364
78. One, Two, Buckle My Shoe - Agatha Christie (h) - 252
79. The House of Shattered Wings - Aliette de Bodard (k) - 398
80. Hercule Poirot: The Complete Short Stories - Agatha Christie (k) - 870
81. The City of Gold and Lead - John Christopher (p) - 152
82. The Straight Razor Cure - Daniel Polansky (k) - 369
83. Windhaven - George R R Martin & Lisa Tuttle (p) - 381
84. The Pursuit of Perfection and How it Harms Writers - Kristine Kathryn Rusch (e) - 41
85. Sharp Ends - Joe Abercrombie (k) - 287
86. Headtaker - David Guymer (p) - 411
87. The Unlimited Dream Company - J G Ballard (k) - 223
88. Senlin Ascends - Josiah Bancroft (k) - 359
89. Beasts and Super-Beasts - Saki (k) - 312
90. Escape from Bythos (novella) - Phil Tucker (k) - 46
91. Trustee from the Toolroom - Nevil Shute (h) - 312
92. Million Dollar Professionalism - Kevin J Anderson & Rebecca Moesta (e) - 74
93. The Children of the Sky - Vernor Vinge (h) - 444
94. Drawing on the Power of Resonance in Writing - David Farland (e) - 54
95. On the Map - Simon Garfield (p) - 443
96. Transformation - Carol Berg (p) - 506
97. After the End: Recent Apocalypses - Paula Guran (ed) (e) - 364
98. Evil Under the Sun - Agatha Christie (p) - 189
99. Just a Geek - Wil Wheaton (e) - 222
100. Helliconia Spring - Brian W Aldiss (k) - 451
101. Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch (k) - 390
102. Limits - Larry Niven (e) - 217
103. The Jonah Kit - Ian Watson (k) - 217
104. The 100 Most Pointless Arguments in the World... Solved - Alexander Armstrong & Richard Osman (h) - 324
105. The Black Company - Glen Cook (k) - 217
106. The Sea - John Banville (k) - 195
107. Firefight - Brandon Sanderson (h) - 416
108. Machine of Death - Ryan North, Matthew Bennardo & David Malki (eds) (e) - 440
109. The Drowning City - Amanda Downum (e) - 377
110. Janissaries - Jerry Pournelle (p) - 255
111. How to Do Things with Videogames - Ian Bogost (e) - 165
112. Arm of the Sphinx - Josiah Bancroft (k) - 367
113. N or M? - Agatha Christie (p) - 304
114. The Best of Hal Clement - Hal Clement (e) - 322
115. The Brick Moon: Orbit and Re-entry - Edward Everett Hale & Adam Roberts (k) - 109

Monthly Breakdown:
Spoiler:
January
Bought: 6 (£7.85)
Borrowed: 2
Read: 9 (£10.86)
Pages: 3030

February
Bought: 5 (£7.97)
Borrowed: 3
Free: 2
Read: 11 (£9.66)
Pages: 3455

March
Bought: 5 (£8.46)
Borrowed: 3
Free: 2
Read: 9 (£10.33)
Pages: 2367

April
Bought: 3 (£12.09)
Borrowed: 1
Free: 3
Read: 8 (£8.31)
Pages: 2547

May
Bought: 3 (£5.97)
Borrowed: 2
Free: 1
Read: 9 (£17.35)
Pages: 2233

June
Bought: 2 (£1.99)
Borrowed: 1
Read: 10 (£13.18)
Pages: 3011

July
Bought: 11 (£17.33)
Borrowed: 2
Free: 1
Read: 8 (£18.12)
Pages: 2770

August
Bought: 11 (£10.48)
Borrowed: 1
Free: 1
Read: 9 (£12.64)
Pages: 2890

September
Bought: 10 (£17.91)
Borrowed: 1
Free: 2
Read: 8 (£16.52)
Pages: 3495

October
Bought: 5 (£8.23)
Borrowed: 1
Free: 2
Read: 9 (£8.01)
Pages: 2429

November
Bought: 7 (£11.77)
Borrowed: 1
Free: 3
Read: 12 (£16.32)
Pages: 3666

December
Bought: 5 (£10.81)
Borrowed: 2
Free: 1
Read: 13 (£7.98)
Pages: 3368


Additional Goals:

1. BSFA award winners. Ongoing challenge. Progress has been slow because of other challenges, which I'm intending to cut down on this year. 18 left at the start of the year. I'd like to read at least 6.

Spoiler:
1970 - The Jagged Orbit - John Brunner (k)
1976 - Brontomek! - Michael G. Coney (k)
1977 - The Jonah Kit - Ian Watson (k)
1979 - The Unlimited Dream Company - J. G. Ballard (k)
1982 - Helliconia Spring - Brian W. Aldiss (k)
1983 - Tik-Tok - John Sladek (k)
1985 - Helliconia Winter - Brian W. Aldiss (k)
1987 - Grainne - Keith Roberts (k)
1993 - Aztec Century - Christopher Evans (p)
2000 - Ash: A Secret History - Mary Gentle (k)
2003 - Felaheen - Jon Courtenay Grimwood (k)
2004 - River of Gods - Ian McDonald (k)
2005 - Air - Geoff Ryman (p)
2006 - End of the World Blues - Jon Courtenay Grimwood (k)
2007 - Brasyl - Ian McDonald (k)
2008 - The Night Sessions - Ken MacLeod (k)
2011 - The Islanders - Christopher Priest (k)
2013 - Ack Ack Macaque - Gareth L Powell (e)
2015 - The House of Shattered Wings - Aliette de Bodard (k)


2. A short story a day. To make it easier to record this year I'm just going to count days missed, of which I'd like there to be fewer than 36.

3. Fifty Years of SF. 1950-1999. An ongoing challenge to read a book published in every year from 1950 to 1999, in order.

Spoiler:

1950 - Galactic Patrol - E E "Doc" Smith
1951 - The Green Hills of Earth - Robert A Heinlein
1952 - City - Clifford D Simak
1953 - Childhood's End - Arthur C Clarke
1954 - The Forgotten Planet - Murray Leinster
1955 - The Long Tomorrow - Leigh Brackett
1956 - The Death of Grass - John Christopher
1957 - The Midwich Cuckoos - John Wyndham
1958 - The Time Traders - Andre Norton
1959 - The Enemy Stars - Poul Anderson
1960 - The Tomorrow People - Judith Merrill
1961 - The Joy Makers - James Gunn
1962 - A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle
1963 - Star Surgeon - James White
1964 - The Planet Buyer - Cordwainer Smith
1965 - The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch - Philip K Dick
1966 - Flowers for Algernon - Daniel Keyes
1967 - I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream - Harlan Ellison
1968 - Pavane - Keith Roberts
1969 - Slaughterhouse-Five - Kurt Vonnegut
1970 - The Year of the Quiet Sun - Wilson Tucker

1971 - Dinosaur Beach - Keith Laumer
1972 - Beyond Apollo - Barry Malzberg
1973 - The Man Who Folded Himself - David Gerrold
1974 - The Mote in God's Eye - Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
1975 - The Wind's Twelve Quarters - Ursula K Le Guin
1976 - Man Plus - Frederik Pohl
1977 - In the Ocean of Night - Gregory Benford
1978 - In the Hall of the Martian Kings - John Varley
1979 - Kindred - Octavia E Butler
1980 - Riddley Walker - Russell Hoban
1981 - Windhaven - George R R Martin & Lisa Tuttle
1982 - Helliconia Spring - Brian W Aldiss



Legend:
Book title: read 2015,read,own,don't own
(p) paperback, (h) hardback, (k) kindle, (e) epub, (i) ibook/pdf, (a) audio
+ especially liked, - didn't much like

Last edited by DrNefario; 12-31-2016 at 07:49 AM.
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