Staci426's Jersey Girl Category Challenge

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Staci426's Jersey Girl Category Challenge

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1staci426
Dez. 16, 2015, 11:37 am

I’m finally getting around to starting this year’s thread. This will be my fourth year participaing. This year, I’ve decided to honor my Jersey roots. I was born, raised and have lived here in NJ my entire life. I've matched up some interesting NJ people, places & things with each of my categories. My initial goal will be at least 5 in each of 16 categories, but I know I will read more than that. Some specific reading goals for this year: making more progress in the millions of series I’ve been working on, making more of a dent in my on going effort to read the bibliographies of Stephen King, Agatha Christie and Terry Pratchett, checking off more from the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list and reading more actual paper books. In 2015, I only finished one. I will be participating in all the CATS, but won’t be upset if I can’t find a book to fit in one month, and I will be doing the BingoDOG and I’m also going to give the Women’s BingoPUP a try. Here’s to a fun reading year!

1. Game of Thrones (fantasy)
2. Buzz Aldrin (science fiction)
3. The Jersey Devil (horror)
4. Janet Evanovich & Harlan Coben (mystery)
5. Washington’s Crossing (historical fiction)
6. Paul Auster (1001 books)
7. Jersey Diners (oldies but goodies)
8. Bruce Willis (set in other countries)
9. The Statue of Liberty (written in other languages)
10. House (series)
11. The Garden State (non-fiction)
12. Jersey Boys (biographies/memoirs)
13. Lucy the Elephant (animals)
14. Kevin Smith (graphic novels/comics/manga)
15. Princeton University (actual books)
16. Monopoly (everything else)

2staci426
Bearbeitet: Nov. 18, 2016, 11:55 am

1. Game of Thrones (fantasy)



I’ve called my fantasy category Game of Thrones because author George R. R. Martin was born and raised in Bayonne, NJ. And, actor Peter Dinklage, who portrays Tyrion on the TV show was also born and raised in NJ.

1. Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson ****
2. The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss ****
3. Jackaby by William Ritter ****
4. Small Gods by Terry Pratchett ****
5. The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson ****
6. Hounded by Kevin Hearne ****
7. Hard Magic by Larry Correia ***1/2
8. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch ****
9. Crucible of Gold by Naomi Novik ****
10. Hollow City by Ransom Riggs ***1/2

3staci426
Bearbeitet: Dez. 29, 2016, 8:30 am

2. Buzz Aldrin (science fiction)


It was a bit difficult finding something Sci-fi related to fit with NJ, so I decided to go with an astronaut since a lot of science fiction involves space travel and Buzz Aldrin was born and raised in NJ.

1. Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits by David Wong ***1/2
2. Expedition to the Mountains of the Moon by Mark Hodder ***
3. Falling Free by Lois McMaster Bujold ***1/2
4. Lock In by John Scalzi ****
5. Unlocked: An Oral History of Haden's Syndrome by John Scalzi ****
6. Four: A Divergent Collection by Veronica Roth ***1/2 d
7. Gold Fame Citrus by Claire Vaye Watkins ***
8. Engaging the Enemy by Elizabeth Moon ***1/2
9. Starters by Lissa Price ****
10. Authority by Jeff VanderMeer ***1/2
11. Great Classic Science Fiction by various authors ***
12. Foreigner by C. J. Cherryh ***1/2

4staci426
Bearbeitet: Dez. 5, 2016, 9:09 am

3. The Jersey Devil (horror)



The obvious choice for me for horror was the Jersey Devil said to haunt the Pine Barrens of South Jersey. A popular origin of the myth was that Mrs. Leeds was upset upon discovering she was pregnant for the 13th time and said this one was the devil, so when it was born, it was a devil and flew off to terrorize folks for years to come.

1. Invasion of the Body Snatchers by Jack Finney ****
2. V-Wars by Jonathan Maberry ***1/2
3. Necroscope by Brian Lumley ***1/2
4. I Am Legend and Other Stories by Richard Matheson ***1/2
5. Classic Ghost Stories (A CSA Word Recording) by multiple authors ***1/2
6. Nightmare House by Douglas Clegg ****
7. The Walking Dead: Invasion by Jay Bonansinga ***
8. Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill ****
9. The Dead Zone by Stephen King ****1/2
10. The Devil in Silver by Victor LaValle ***1/2
11. Abomination by Gary Whitta ***1/2
12. Countdown by Mira Grant ****
13. The Pain Chaser: Antecedent by Patrick E. Molloy ***

5staci426
Bearbeitet: Dez. 20, 2016, 11:34 am

4. Janet Evanovich & Harlan Coben (mystery)



Two famous mystery writers from NJ are Janet Evanovich and Harlan Coben. I have to admit I’ve never read either of these authors, but I have had One for the Money on my shelf for quite some time. I plan to read it this year.

1. The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley ***1/2
2. The Hindenburg Murders by Max Allan Collins ***1/2
3. Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart ****
4. J is for Judgment by Sue Grafton ***1/2
5. Run You Down by Julia Dahl ****
6. The Amazing Mrs. Polifax by Dorothy Gilman ****
7. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith ****
8. All Cry Chaos by Leonard Rosen ***

6staci426
Bearbeitet: Dez. 28, 2016, 12:53 pm

5. Washington's Crossing (historical fiction)



Being one of the original 13 colonies, NJ has a lot of history, especially related to the Revolutionary War. Washington’s Crossing of the Delaware on Christmas night which led to the Battle of Trenton, although a small victory, became a turning point for the Continental Army with the capture of almost the entire Hessian army and a boost in morale for the cause. The area is a National Historic Landmark.

1. The Moor's Account by Laila Lalami ****
2. I Always Loved You by Robin Oliveira ****
3. Birth of an Empire by Conn Iggulden ***1/2
4. Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters ****
5. Mother Earth, Father Sky by Sue Harrison ****1/2
6. A.D. 30 by Ted Dekker ***1/2
7. The Queen's Vow by C. W. Gortner ****

7staci426
Bearbeitet: Dez. 5, 2016, 9:10 am

6. Paul Auster (1001 books)



I have been slowly making my way through the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Dielist for several years now. If my current calculations are correct, I’ve completed 189 books so far. I’m hoping to make a larger dent in that number this year. One of the authors with quite a few books on the list, 8, is Paul Auster who was born and raised in New Jersey. So far, I’ve only read two of his from the list, Invisible & The New York Trilogy, both of which I really enjoyed. Hopefully, I will read more of his this year.

1. The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolaño ****
2. Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis ***
3. The Graduate by Charles Webb ***1/2
4. A Dance to the Music of Time: Third Movement by Anthony Powell ***
5. Lives of Girls and Women by Alice Munro ****
6. The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides ***1/2
7. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro ***1/2
8. A Dance to the Music of Time: Fourth Movement by Anthony Powell ****
9. The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham


8staci426
Bearbeitet: Sept. 21, 2016, 11:38 am

7. The Jersey Diner (oldies but goodies)



Part of classic American culture is the diner and I thought it would be the perfect fit for my classics category. NJ is known for it’s diners. We boast the largest concentration of diners in the country with over 600. I've enjoyed many a late night breakfast or golden grilled cheese sandwiches at various diners throughout the state over the years. I've decided to use the arbitrary cut off date of anything published more than 60 years ago (1956) for books in this category.

1. Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke ****
2. We by Yevgeny Zamyatin ***1/2
3. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy ***
4. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain ***1/2
5. Phineas Finn by Anthony Trollope ****
6. The Home and the World by Rabindranath Tagore ****

9staci426
Bearbeitet: Okt. 28, 2016, 8:01 am

8. Bruce Willis (set in other countries)



My next category is books set in countries other than the United States. I chose actor Bruce Willis to represent this category. He was actually born in Germany while his father was in the service, but then came to NJ as a young child and was raised here.

1. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden *** 1/4
2. The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman ***1/2
3. The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty ****1/2
4. A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute ****1/2
5. Acqua Alta by Donna Leon ****
6. The Red Pencil by Andrea Davis Pinkney ****
7. Deadly Décisions by Kathy Reichs ***1/2
8. The Merry Misogynist by Colin Cotterill ****
9. Bangkok Tattoo by John Burdett ***1/2

10staci426
Bearbeitet: Dez. 28, 2016, 8:22 am

9. The Statue of Liberty (written in other languages)



For this category, books originally written in a language other than English, I am putting an emphasis on reading some books in French. I chose the Statue of Liberty for this category, since it was built in France. Although, it is technically, located in New York, it is listed on our state landmarks page and a lot of people associate it with New Jersey as well as New York.

1. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez **** (Spanish)
2. The Secret in Their Eyes by Eduardo Sacheri **** (Spanish)
3. Roseanna by Maj Sjöwall ***1/2 (Swedish)
4. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn ***1/2 (Russian)
5. Invisible Murder by Lene Kaaberbol ***1/2 (Danish)
6. As Red as Blood by Salla Simukka ***1/2 (Finnish)
7. The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu *** (Chinese)
8. The Man Who Went Up in Smoke by Maj Sjowall & Per Wahloo ***1/2 (Swedish)
9. Morgue Drawer For Rent by Jutta Profijt **** (German)
10. Six Heirs by Pierre Grimbert *** (French)
11. The Paper Moon by Andrea Camileri **** (Italian)
12. The Neverending Story by Michael Ende (German) ****
13. The Dinner by Herman Koch **** (Dutch)
14. In the Darkness by Karin Fossum **** (Norwegian)
15. Morgue Drawer: Do Not Enter! by Jutta Profijt **** (German)
16. The Mind's Eye by Hakan Nesser ***1/2 (Swedish)
17. After the Crash by Michel Bussi **** (French)
18. August Heat by Andrea Camileri **** (Italian)

11staci426
Bearbeitet: Dez. 1, 2016, 9:41 am

10. House (series)



Like I mentioned in my opening post, I’m hoping to make more of a dent in the myriad of series I’ve been working on this year. One of my favorite TV series that I used to watch was House, which took place in a fictional NJ hospital. Also, two of the actors from the show are from NJ, Robert Sean Leonard who played Wilson and Kal Penn who played Dr. Kutner.

1. The Patience of the Spider by Andrea Camileri ****
2. In the Belly of the Bloodhound by L. A. Meyer ****
3. A Pocket Full of Rye by Agatha Christie ***1/2
4. The Bone Seeker by M. J. McGrath ****
5. The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny ***1/2
6. Lord Edgware Dies by Agatha Christie ****
7. Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold ***1/2
8. Live and Let Die by Ian Fleming ***1/2
9. The Last Colony by John Scalzi ****
10. First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde ***1/2
11. Caliban's War by James S. A. Corey ***1/2
12. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie ***1/2
13. Late Eclipses by Seanan McGuire ****
14. The Apprentice by Tess Gerritsen ***1/2
15. One of Our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde ****
16. Acceptance by Jeff VanderMeer ***1/2

12staci426
Bearbeitet: Sept. 1, 2016, 8:22 am

11. The Garden State (non-fiction)



The Garden State is New Jersey’s nickname. We do have a lot of more urban type areas in Northern Jersey, but we also have a lot of farms in the south and are known for Jersey tomatoes, Jersey corn, blueberries & cranberries. There’s always lots of fresh local produce available. I enjoy reading a lot of food related non-fiction books, so decided to make this my non-fiction category.

1. When Janey Comes Marching Home by Laura Browder ***1/2
2. Bright-Sided by Barbara Ehrenreich ***
3. The Hoarder in You by Dr. Robin Zasio ***1/2
4. Heretic by Ayaan Hirsi Ali ****
5. Outliers: the Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell ****
6. The Nerdist Way by Chris Hardwick ***1/2
7. Why Translation Matters by Edith Grossman ***
8. 438 Days by Jonathan Franklin ****
9. In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan ****
10. How Not to Die by Michael Greger ****

13staci426
Bearbeitet: Dez. 5, 2016, 9:12 am

12. Jersey Boys (biographies/memoirs)



Jersey Boys is a musical biography of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons who are from NJ, so thought it would be the perfect choice for my biography and memoir category. Although, I haven’t gotten a chance to see the musical yet, I do love the music of the Four Seasons and hope to get around to seeing it soon.

1. You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day ***1/2
2. Amarcord by Marcella Hazan ***1/2
3. Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini ****
4. The Dark Side of Genius by Donald Spoto ***1/2
5. High Society: The Life of Grace Kelly by Donald Spoto ***1/2
6. Lucrezia Borgia: Life, Love and Death in Renaissance Italy by Sarah Bradford ***1/2

14staci426
Bearbeitet: Nov. 10, 2016, 8:50 am

13. Lucy the Elephant (Animals)



I’ve decided to have a category dedicated to animals this year, being that I am a huge animal lover. Either books about animals, with animals as characters or with an animal in the title. A famous animal from NJ is Lucy the Elephant. She is a six story wooden structure in Margate (near Atlantic City) which was originally built in 1881 to sell real estate and attract tourists. She is still a tourist attraction today and there are efforts to help preserve her.

1. Burning Man by Alan Russell ***1/2
2. Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood ***1/2
3. Bad Wolf by Nele Neuhaus ***1/2
4. Tell My Horse by Zora Neale Hurston ***1/2
5. The Bat by Jo Nesbo ***1/2
6. All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot ****
7. The Cranes Dance by Meg Howrey ****
8. Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt ****1/2
9. The Wall by Marlen Haushofer *****

15staci426
Bearbeitet: Nov. 14, 2016, 9:11 am

14. Kevin Smith (comics/graphic novels/manga)



Another well known Jersey boy is Kevin Smithhttp://www.librarything.com/talk. Among the things he is known for is comic books, as a writer, store owner (Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash) and the show Comic Book Men. So this is my graphic nove/comic book/manga category. I didn’t read any comics last year, so hope to remedy that this year with this category.

1. The Walking Dead vol. 22: A New Beginning by Robert Kirkman ***1/2
2. Daredevil by Frank Miller & Klaus Janson Vol 1 by Frank Miller ****
3. Outcast: Vol 1 by Robert Kirkman ***1/2
4. 30 Days of Night by Steve Niles ***
5. The Walking Dead vol. 23: Whispers Into Screams by Robert Kirkman ***1/2
6. Fiction Squad #1 by Paul Jenkins ***1/2

16staci426
Bearbeitet: Nov. 14, 2016, 9:12 am

15. Princeton University (actual books)



I need to read more actual books off my shelves this year. I’m sure I’ve mentioned this in the past, but reading actual books is difficult for me with my vision problems, but I still have so many unread, I really need to force myself to take the time to read them. One place you’ll find many books is on a college campus such as Princeton University. Growing up, my family would drive through Princeton on our way to visit relatives in North Jersey and it was always my dream to go to Princeton. Then I discovered they didn’t have my major, so never applied, but it still holds a special place in my memories.

1. The Bridge on the Drina by Ivo Andric
2. Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett
3. La traduction est une histoire d'amour by Jacques Poulin
4. Heartbreak Soup by Gilbert Hernandez
5.

17staci426
Bearbeitet: Dez. 28, 2016, 8:30 am

16. Monopoly (everything else)



Monopoly is a classic board game which was modeled after the streets in Atlantic City. I thought this would be a fun choice for my last category for everything that doesn’t fit somewhere else.

1. The Long Walk by Richard Bachman ****
2. Deliverance by James Dickey ***1/2
3. Snowbound by Blake Crouch ***1/2
4. Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi **1/2
5. Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar ***1/2
6. Port Mungo by Patrick McGrath ***1/2
7. Get in Trouble: Stories by Kelly Link ***1/2
8. The Folklore of Discworld by Terry Pratchett ***1/2
9. Delicious! by Ruth Reichl ****

18staci426
Bearbeitet: Dez. 28, 2016, 12:54 pm

DeweyCAT

JANUARY: 000: Computer science, information & general works: computers, libraries, encyclopedias, journalism, museums and rare books
You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day, 092

FEBRUARY: 100: Philosophy and psychology: the occult, dreams, logic, ethics
Bright-Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America by Barbara Ehrenreich

MARCH: 200: Religion: Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, etc...
Heretic: Why Islam Needs a Reformation Now by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, 297.272

APRIL: 300-354: sociology, anthropology, statistics, political science, economics, law, and public administration
Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell, 302

MAY: 355-399: military science, social services, criminology, education, commerce, transportation, customs, etiquette, and folklore
Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart, historical fiction about the first female sheriff in the US

JUNE: 400: Language: linguistics, sign language, languages
Why Translation Matters by Edith Grossman, 418.02

JULY: 500: Science: math, astronomy, physics, chemistry, geology, fossils, prehistoric life, biology

AUGUST: 600: medicine, health, engineering, agriculture, home, public relations, manufacturing, and construction
In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan (613.2)
All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot (636.089)
How Not to Die by Michael Greger (613.2)

SEPTEMBER: 700: Arts & recreation: Arts, landscape, architecture, sculpture, decorative arts, painting, photography, cinema, music, sports, and entertainment
The Cranes Dance by Meg Howrey, fiction about ballet
The Dark Side of Genius: The Life of Alfred Hitchcock by Donald Spoto (791.430)
High Society: The Life of Grace Kelly by Donald Spoto (791.230)

OCTOBER: 800: Literature: poetry, essays, speeches, drama, humor, satire
The Folklore of Discworld by Terry Pratchett (823.914)

NOVEMBER: 900-939: world history, geography, travel, biography, genealogy, and ancient history
A.D. 30 by Ted Dekker, fictional ancient history

DECEMBER: 940-999: history of Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas, Oceania and extraterrestrial worlds
Lucrezia Borgia: Life, Love and Death in Renaissance Italy by Sarah Bradford, 945.606
The Queen's Vow by C. W. Gortner historical fiction about Isabella of Castile.

19staci426
Bearbeitet: Dez. 28, 2016, 12:55 pm

GeoCAT

JANUARY: South America
Love in the Time of Cholera by Garbriel Garcia Marquez, Colombia
The Secret in Their Eyes by Eduardo Sacheri, Argentina
The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolaño, Chilean author

FEBRUARY: Central Asia (Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan)
Birth of an Empire by Conn Iggulden (Mongols)
The Plight of a Postmodern Hunter by Chingiz Aitmatov & Mukhtar Shakhanov, Kazakhstan & Kyrgyzstan

MARCH: Eastern Europe & Russia
We by Yevgeny Zamyatin, Russian
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Russian
Invisible Murder by Lene Kaaberbol, takes place partly in Hungary
Necroscope by Brian Lumley, small part takes place in Romania
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, Russia
The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman, Albania
The Bridge on the Drina by Ivo Andric, Yugoslavia

APRIL: Polar Regions, Islands & Bodies of Water
As Red as Blood by Salla Simukka, Arctic Finland
Mother Earth, Father Sky by Sue Harrison, takes place in the Aleutian Islands area of Alaska

MAY: North America including Mexico
Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart, historical fiction taking place in NJ, USA
Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood, Canada
Lives of Girls and Women by Alice Munro, Canada
The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny, Québec, Canada

JUNE: Australia & New Zealand
The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty, Australia
A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute, Australia

JULY: Central America & Caribbean
438 Days by Jonathan Franklin, El Salvador
Tell My Horse: Voodoo and Life in Haiti and Jamaica by Zora Neale Hurston

AUGUST: Southern Africa
The Red Pencil by Andrea Davis Pinkney, Sudan

SEPTEMBER: Southern Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka)
The Home and the World by Rabindrath Tagore, India

OCTOBER: Eastern Asia (Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam)
The Merry Misogynist by Colin Cotterill, Laos
Bangkok Tattoo by John Burdett, Thailand

NOVEMBER: Northern Africa & the Middle East
A.D. 30 by Ted Dekker, in the areas of Palestine, Jordan, Arabian Desert

DECEMBER: Western Europe
In the Darkness by Karin Fossum, Norway
Lucrezia Borgia: Life, Love and Death in Renaissance Italy by Sarah Bradford, Italy
Morgue Drawer: Do Not Enter! by Jutta Profijt, Germany
The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith, England
The Mind's Eye by Hakan Nesser, Sweden
After the Crash by Michel Bussi, France
The Queen's Vow by C. W. Gortner, Spain

20staci426
Bearbeitet: Nov. 1, 2016, 8:46 am

RandomCAT

JANUARY: Embrace Your Uniqueness. Read a book that not a lot of other LT members have.
Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits by David Wong, 68 members
When Janey Comes Marching Home by Laura Browder, 1 member has audio (me) & 11 have the print edition
The Pain Chaser 3: Antecedent by Patrick E. Molloy nobody has it listed.

FEBRUARY: It Takes Two. Read a book featuring a pair.
Possibilities:
Oryx & Crake by Margaret Atwood
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
Split Second by David Baldacci
Books Read:
I Always Loved You by Robin Oliveira, about Mary Cassatt & Edgar Degas

MARCH: Celebration!: read a book with "celebrate" in the title or about a party

APRIL: Earth Day, a healthy environment & peace between all peole, but also dystopians showing the opposite of this.
Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar, about a possible environmental catastrophe

MAY: Color Your World: read a book with a color in the title
Gold Fame Citrus by Claire Vaye Watkins

JUNE: I do, I do!: something wedding, marriage related in the title or story
The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides
The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

JULY: Time: books featuring time travel, or measurements of time in the title
438 Days by Jonathan Franklin

AUGUST: Camping

SEPTEMBER: Translation: books in translation, or about translation/translators
Morgue Drawer for Rent by Jutta Profijt, translated from German by Erik J. Macki
Six Heirs by Pierre Grimbert, translated from French by Matthew Ross & Eric Lamb
The Paper Moon by Andrea Camileri translated from Italian by Stephen Sartarelli
The Home and the World by Rabindranath Tagore, translated from Bengali by Surendranath Tagore
The Neverending Story by Michael Ende, translated from German by Ralph Manheim
The Dinner by Herman Koch, translated from Dutch by Sam Garrett

OCTOBER: What Scares You:
Nightmare House by Douglas Clegg
The Walking Dead: Invasion by Jay Bonansinga
Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
The Dead Zone by Stephen King
The Devil in Silver by Victor LaValle
Abomination by Gary Whitta

NOVEMBER: NaNoWriMo (Debut Books)
Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt

DECEMBER:

21staci426
Bearbeitet: Dez. 7, 2016, 8:25 am

BingoDOG



1. Debut Book: Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
2. Comics, GN, manga, BD: The Walking Dead vol. 22 by Robert Kirkman
3. Less than 200 pages: The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss, 177 pages
4. About a writer: The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolaño, about a group of Mexican poets
5. Musical reference in title: A Dance to the Music of Time: Third Movement by Anthony Powell
6. Wordplay in title
7. You want the protagonist's job/hobby: Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood, artist
8. Body of water in the title
9. Food is important: Amarcord: Marcella Remembers by Marcella Hazan
10. Self published: The Pain Chaser: Antecedent by Patrick E. Molloy
11. About/by an indigenous person: Mother Earth, Father Sky by Sue Harrison, about the Aleut people of Alaska
12. In translation: The Patience of the Spider by Andrea Camilleri, from Italian
13. Read a CAT: Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, January GeoCAT
14. Author born in 1916: All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
15. Features a theater: The Cranes Dance by Meg Howrey, many ballet performances which take place in a theater
16. One word title: Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson
17. About an airplane flight: The Hindenburg Murders by Max Allan Collins
18. Focus on art: I Always Loved You by Robin Oliveira, about Mary Cassatt & Edgar Degas
19. About the environment: Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar
20. Senior citizen is protagonist: The Amazing Mrs. Polifax by Dorothy Gilman
21. Autobiography or memoir: Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini
22. Adventure: In the Belly of the Bloodhound by L. A. Meyer
23. Coming of age story: Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters
24. Published before you were born: Invasion of the Body Snatchers by Jack Finney, published in 1955
25. Survival story: Deliverance by James Dickey

22staci426
Bearbeitet: Dez. 7, 2016, 8:26 am

Women's BingoPUP



1. New to you author: As Red as Blood by Salla Simukka
2. Author over 60 years old: Bright-Sided by Barbara Ehrenreich, 69 at time of publication
3. African author: The Moor's Account by Laila Lalami, author born in Morocco
4. Male pseudonym: The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith/J. K. Rowling
5. Author from the Middle East
6. Set in Latin America or Asia: Crucible of Gold by Naomi Novik, Brazil & Peru
7. Made into a movie: The Wall by Marlen Haushofer
8. About a female critter: Late Eclipses by Seanan McGuire
9. Published before 2000: A Pocket Full of Rye by Agatha Christie, published in 1953
10. Set in Europe, Australia or NZ: Invisible Murder by Lene Kaaberbol & Agnete Friis, Denmark & Hungary
11. Different genre by the same author: Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart, historical mystery, author usually writes nature based non-fiction
12. Award winner
13. By or about a woman: Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi
14. Golden age detectives: Lord Edgware Dies by Agatha Christie
15. Poems or plays: The Red Pencil by Andrea Davis Pinkney, novel told in poems
16. Women in non-traditional roles
17. Less than 10 years old: Heretic: Why Islam Needs a Reformation Now by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, published in 2015
18. From your TBR pile
19. Autobiography, memoir or correspondence: You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day
20. About a spy: The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman
21. Short story collection: Get in Trouble by Kelly Link
22. Women in science
23. Women in combat: When Janey Comes Marching Home by Laura Browder
24. About a female ruler
25. African-American author: Tell My Horse by Zora Neale Hurston

23staci426
Bearbeitet: Jan. 3, 2017, 12:59 pm

I like to keep a running list of all of my reading for the year. Makes it easier for my personal tracking purposes.

JANUARY
1. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez **** (historical fiction/1001 books)
2. You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day ***1/2 (memoir)
3. The Patience of the Spider by Andrea Camilleri **** (mystery)
4. Invasion of the Body Snatchers by Jack Finney **** (horror)
5. Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits by David Wong ***1/2 (sci fi)
6. The Secret in Their Eyes by Eduardo Sacheri **** (mystery)
7. The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley ***1/2 (mystery)
8. When Janey Comes Marching Home by Laura Browder ***1/2 (non-fiction)
9. Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson **** (fantasy)
10. Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke **** (science fiction)
11. The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolaño ****(fiction/1001 books)
12. The Moor's Account by Laila Lalami **** (historical fiction)
13. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden *** 1/4 (historical fiction/1001 books)
14. The Long Walk by Richard Bachman **** (dystopian)
15. Burning Man by Alan Russell ***1/2 (mystery)
16. Deliverance by James Dickey ***1/2 (thriller)
17. In the Belly of the Bloodhound by L. A. Meyer **** (YA historical adventure)
FEBRUARY
18. Bright-Sided by Barbara Ehrenreich *** (non-fiction)
19. Expedition to the Mountains of the Moon by Mark Hodder *** (steampunk)
20. V-Wars by Jonathan Maberry ***1/2 (horror collection)
21. Roseanna by Maj Sjöwall ***1/2 (mystery)
22. The Hoarder in You by Dr. Robin Zasio ***1/2 (non-fiction)
23. The Walking Dead vol. 22: A New Beginning by Robert Kirkman ***1/2 (horror)
24. Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi **1/2 (YA/dystopian/romance)
25. I Always Loved You by Robin Oliveira **** (historical fiction)
26. Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis *** (fiction/1001 books)
27. Falling Free by Lois McMaster Bujold ***1/2 (sci fi)
28. The Hindenburg Murders by Max Allan Collins ***1/2 (historical mystery)
29. The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss **** (fantasy)
30. Jackaby by William Ritter **** (fantasy/mystery)
31. Birth of an Empire by Conn Iggulden ***1/2 (historical fiction)
32. The Graduate by Charles Webb ***1/2 (fiction/1001 books)
33. Snowbound by Blake Crouch ***1/2 (suspense/thriller)
MARCH
34. We by Yevgeny Zamyatin ***1/2 (classic sci-fi/1001 books)
35. Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters **** (historical fiction/1001 books)
36. A Pocket Full of Rye by Agatha Christie ***1/2 (mystery)
37. Lock In by John Scalzi **** (sci fi)
38. Unlocked: An Oral History of Haden's Syndrome by John Scalzi **** (sci fi)
39. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn ***1/2 (fiction/1001 books)
40. Necroscope by Brian Lumley ***1/2 (horror)
41. Invisible Murder by Lene Kaaberbol & Agnete Friis ***1/2 (mystery)
42. Heretic: Why Islam Needs a Reformation Now by Ayaan Hirsi Ali **** (non-fiction)
APRIL
43. Amarcord: Marcella Remembers by Marcella Hazan ***1/2 (memoir)
44. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy *** (classics/1001 books)
45. As Red as Blood by Salla Simukka ***1/2 (YA/thriller)
46. The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman ***1/2 (mystery)
47. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell **** (nonfiction)
48. Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar ***1/2 (children's fiction)
49. Mother Earth, Father Sky by Sue Harrison **** (prehistoric fiction)
50. Four: A Divergent Collection by Veronica Roth ***1/2 (sci fi/dystoia)
51. The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu *** (sci fi)
52. The Bone Seeker by M. J. McGrath **** (mystery)
53. Small Gods by Terry Pratchett **** (fantasy)
54. A Dance to the Music of Time: Third Movement by Anthony Powell *** (fiction/1001 books)
MAY
55. Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart **** (historical mystery)
56. The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson **** (fantasy)
57. Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood ***1/2 (fiction/1001 books)
58. The Nerdist Way by Chris Hardwick ***1/2 (non-fiction)
59. Gold Fame Citrus by Claire Vaye Watkins *** (dystopia)
60. Lives of Girls and Women by Alice Munro **** (fiction/1001 books)
61. The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny ***1/2 (mystery)
62. Engaging the Enemy by Elizabeth Moon ***1/2 (sci fi)
JUNE
63. Hounded by Kevin Hearne **** (urban fantasy)
64. Why Translation Matters by Edith Grossman *** (non-fiction)
65. The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides ***1/2 (fiction/1001 books)
66. Lord Edgware Dies by Agatha Christie **** (mystery)
67. The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty ****1/2 (fiction)
68. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain ***1/2 (classics/1001 books)
69. A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute ***1/2 (fiction/1001 books)
70. I Am Legend and Other Stories by Richard Matheson ***1/2 (horror/short stories)
71. Outcast: Vol. 1 by Robert Kirkman ***1/2 (horror)
72. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro ***1/2 (fiction/1001 books)
73. Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold ***1/2 (sci fi)
74. Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini **** (memoir)
75. Live and Let Die by Ian Fleming ***1/2 (spy)
76. Hard Magic by Larry Correia ***1/2 (fantasy)
77. Acqua Alta by Donna Leon **** (mystery)
JULY
78. Bad Wolf by Nele Neuhaus ***1/2 (mystery)
79. Port Mungo by Patrick McGrath ***1/2 (fiction)
80. Starters by Lissa Price **** (YA/dystopia)
81. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch **** (fantasy)
82. The Last Colony by John Scalzi **** (sci fi)
83. 438 Days by Jonathan Franklin **** (non-fiction)
84. Authority by Jeff VanderMeer ***1/2 (sci fi)
85. 30 Days of Night by Steve Niles *** (horror/graphic novel)
AUGUST
86. First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde ***1/2 (fantasy)
87. Caliban's War by James S. A. Corey ***1/2 (sci fi)
88. Classic Ghost Stories (A CSA Word Recording) by multiple authors ***1/2 (horror/ghost stories)
89. J is for Judgment by Sue Grafton ***1/2 (mystery)
90. The Red Pencil by Andrea Davis Pinkney **** (children's fiction)
91. Crucible of Gold by Naomi Novik **** (fantasy)
92. In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan **** (non-fiction)
93. Tell My Horse: Voodoo and Life in Haiti and Jamaica by Zora Neale Hurston ***1/2 (non-fiction)
94. The Bat by Jo Nesbo ***1/2 (mystery)
95. Deadly Décisions by Kathy Reichs ***1/2 (mystery)
96. Run You Down by Julia Dahl **** (mystery)
97. Great Classic Science Fiction by various authors *** (sci fi short stories)
98. All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot **** (memoirish)
99. The Man Who Went Up in Smoke by Maj Sjowall & Per Wahloo ***1/2 (mystery)
100. Get in Trouble by Kelly Link ***1/2 (spec fic/short stories)
101. How Not to Die by Michael Greger **** (non fiction)
SEPTEMBER
102. The Cranes Dance by Meg Howrey **** (fiction)
103. A Dance to the Music of Time: Fourth Movement by Anthony Powell **** (fiction/1001 books)
104. Morgue Drawer for Rent by Jutta Profijt **** (mystery)
105. Six Heirs by Pierre Grimbert *** (fantasy)
106. The Dark Side of Genius by Donald Spoto ***1/2 (biography)
107. The Paper Moon by Andrea Camileri **** (mystery)
108. The Home and the World by Rabindranath Tagore **** (fiction/1001 books)
109. Phineas Finn by Anthony Trollope **** (fiction/1001 books)
110. The Neverending Story by Michael Ende **** (fantasy)
111. The Dinner by Herman Koch **** (thriller)
112. Daredevil by Frank Miller & Klaus Janson: Vol 1 by Frank Miller **** (superhero/comics)
113. High Society: The Life of Grace Kelly by Donald Spoto ***1/2 (biography)
114. The Amazing Mrs. Polifax by Dorothy Gilman **** (spy)
OCTOBER
115. Nightmare House by Douglas Clegg **** (horror)
116. The Merry Misogynist by Colin Cotterill **** (mystery)
117. The Walking Dead: Invasion by Jay Bonansinga *** (horror)
118. Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill **** (horror)
119. Hollow City by Ransom Riggs ***1/2 (YA/fantasy)
120. The Dead Zone by Stephen King ****1/2 (horror/thriller)
121. 10. The Devil in Silver by Victor LaValle ***1/2 (fiction)
122. Bangkok Tattoo by John Burdett ***1/2 (mystery)
123. The Folklore of Discworld by Terry Pratchett & Jacqueline Simpson **** (fantasy)
124. Abomination by Gary Whitta ***1/2 (horror)
NOVEMBER
125. Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt ****1/2 (fiction)
126. A.D. 30 by Ted Dekker ***1/2 (historical fiction)
127. One of Our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde **** (fantasy)
128. The Walking Dead vol. 23: Whispers Into Screams by Robert Kirkman ***1/2 (horror/graphic novel)
129. The Wall by Marlen Haushofer ***** (fiction)
130. Fiction Squad #1 by Paul Jenkins ***1/2 (comics/nursery rhymes)
131. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie ***1/2 (mystery)
132. Late Eclipses by Seanan McGuire **** (urban fantasy)
133. The Apprentice by Tess Gerritsen ***1/2 (mystery)
134. Acceptance by Jeff VanderMeer ***1/2 (science fiction)
DECEMBER
135. In the Darkness by Karin Fossum **** (mystery)
136. Lucrezia Borgia: Life, Love and Death in Renaissance Italy by Sarah Bradford ***1/2 (biography)
137. The Pain Chaser: Antecedent by Patrick E. Molloy *** (horror)
138. Morgue Drawer: Do Not Enter by Jutta Profijt **** (mystery)
139. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith **** (mystery)
140. The Mind's Eye by Hakan Nesser ***1/2 (mystery)
141. After the Crash by Michel Bussi **** (thriller)
142. All Cry Chaos by Leonard Rosen *** (thriller)
143. August Heat by Andrea Camilleri **** (mystery)
144. Delicious! by Ruth Reichl **** (fiction)
145. The Queen's Vow by C. W. Gortner **** (historical fiction)
146. Foreigner by C. J. Cherryh ***1/2 (sci fi)
147. Enders by Lissa Price *** (dystopian)

24staci426
Bearbeitet: Nov. 18, 2016, 11:56 am

This will be for abandoned books. Hopefully, there won't be too many.

DID NOT FINISH

Vathek by William Beckford, not in the right mood to read this one right now, will come back to it at some point.
Blood Debt by Tanya Huff, not happy with what they did with the main character, Vicky. They took away the main reason I started reading this series in the first place.
The Bloodletter's Daughter by Linda Lafferty, just couldn't get inot it
Bing Crosby: A Pocketful of Dreams by Gary Giddins, found the writing boring and the narrator slightly annoying.
American Gods by Neil Gaiman, it wasn't catching my interest
In the Land of the Long White Cloud by Sarah Lark, just could not get into it
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry, wasn't in the right frame of mind for it
Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink, wasn't working for me, just couldn't get into it.
Uprooted by Naomi Novik, it just wasn't catching my attention. I think it may have had to do with the audio narrator. She was starting to get on my nerves.

25dianeham
Dez. 17, 2015, 1:21 am

I like this. I live in Cape May County. And I love Paul Auster.

26staci426
Dez. 17, 2015, 8:20 am

>25 dianeham: Thanks! I'm in Ocean County. We used to go down to Wildwood & Cape May every summer when we were kids for vacation. I love it down there. I've enjoyed both of Auster's books that I've read so far, so I'm sure I'll like the rest of them too.

27mamzel
Dez. 17, 2015, 10:44 am

How nice! Another state-themed challenge! And this one is for my dad's home state. Caldwell. Ever hear of it?

28staci426
Dez. 17, 2015, 2:08 pm

>27 mamzel: Thanks! That's cool that your dad is from NJ. I've heard of Caldwell. It's not anywhere near me, but I have a general idea of where it is (I'm horrible with directions).

29rabbitprincess
Dez. 17, 2015, 7:04 pm

Eeee! I'll be particularly interested to see what appears in your House category. I miss House and Wilson's snarking at each other :)

Enjoy your 2016 challenge!

30MissWatson
Dez. 18, 2015, 7:15 am

Nice setup! Have a great year reading!

31dianeham
Dez. 18, 2015, 5:00 pm

We used to go to Wildwood every summer too. I'm from Philly originally. Our standard poodle, Cisco, is from Ocean County.

32DeltaQueen50
Dez. 18, 2015, 11:23 pm

Great theme and set-up, looking forward to following along. :)

33Chrischi_HH
Dez. 20, 2015, 6:28 pm

Great theme! Enjoy your reading! :)

34lkernagh
Dez. 22, 2015, 9:17 pm

I have never been to or know much about New Jersey so I love your thread theme!

35-Eva-
Dez. 27, 2015, 8:32 pm

Great theme!!

36hailelib
Dez. 30, 2015, 4:06 pm

Nice theme and pictures!

37christina_reads
Dez. 31, 2015, 7:44 pm

Love your Jersey-centric theme! My mom is a proud Jersey girl -- she grew up in Mt. Holly in Burlington County -- and a lot of my extended family still lives in the state.

38lkernagh
Jan. 1, 2016, 2:09 pm

Popping over to wish you a Happy New Year and best wishes for 2016!



39staci426
Jan. 3, 2016, 5:10 pm

Thanks for stopping by everyone!

Excited to start another great year of reading. I am currently working on:

Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (historical fiction/audio) for the GeoCAT
Vathek: conte arabe by William Beckford(gothic/ebook)
Blood Debt by Tanya Huff (mystery/paperback)

40staci426
Jan. 5, 2016, 9:12 am

Finished my first three books of the year so far. I'm just breezing through these audio books lately.

1. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez ****
Category/Genre: Statue of Liberty/Historical Fiction
Format: Audio download from library, read by Armando Duran, 15 hours 40 minutes

Great book to start off the year. This was the story of Fermina Daza and Florentino Ariza. They fall in love as teenagers, but Fermina chooses to marry another man. Florentino waits patiently for her husband to die so he can finally be with her. Reading my own description, this would not be the type of book I normally read. But I am so glad that I did. I did feel the story dragged a bit in some parts, but overall, I was caught up in the story. The writing was beautiful. I chose to read this one for the GeoCAT for this month, South America, the book takes place in an unnamed Colombian town near the Caribbean. I also put it in Bingo square, read a CAT. This is also off the 1001 boosk to read list.

2. You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day ***1/2
Category/Genre: Jersey Boys/Memoir
Format: Audio download from library, read by the author, 6 hours 17 minutes

This was a quick memoir by actress, gamer, writer, Internet star. I had heard her speak on a podcast where she mentioned this book, and she sounded really interesting, so thought I'd give it a listen. Then I realized that she was actually in one of my favorite shows, Supernatural. I'm not sure how I didn't figure that out from the podcast. She did a good job of reading the book, it had a very laid back, casual feel to it. It's a fun listen if you're into geek stuff. This book works for the DeweyCAT, even though most libraries had it under Biographies, I did find it listed under 092 at one. It also works for Women Bingo square, autobiography/memoir.

3. The Patience of the Spider by Anrea Camilleri ****
Category/Genre: House/Mystery
Format: Audio download from library, read by Grover Gardner, 5 hours 39 minutes

This is book 8 in the Inspector Montalbano series which takes place in Sicily. Montalbano is called in during his recovery from a gunshot wound to help with the investigation into a kidnapping. I really enjoy this series. Such great characters and setting. This was another solid installment. I used this one for Bingo square, translation.

I am currently working on:
Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits by David Wong (speculative fiction/audio)
Blood Debt by Tanya Huff (paranormal mystery/paperback)
Vathek: conte arabe by William Beckford (gothic fiction/ebook)
As well as random short stories from several different anthologies in ebook format.

41AHS-Wolfy
Jan. 5, 2016, 10:34 am

Even though he's written a whole bunch of them, I still don't associate Kevin Smith with GN's other than through Comic Book Men which I'm an avid watcher of. It always surprises me when I see his name on a title. Good luck with your challenge!

42staci426
Jan. 5, 2016, 11:52 am

>41 AHS-Wolfy: Thanks for stopping by. I actually never realized he wrote comics as well. I was just planning on using him for that category because of the Comic Book Men show and his store, but then found out he wrote some as well when I was doing my research for the thread.

43lkernagh
Jan. 5, 2016, 9:05 pm

I love audioreads! I can plow through those a lot faster than sitting down and reading a book... kind of helps that I can walk, cook, clean and putter around while listening to an audiobook. ;-)

Glad to see Love in the Time of Cholera was a good read for you. I really enjoyed it until the last 30 pages or so.... that was when I started to think that he had carried the book past what I thought was a logical ending. Oh well, his book, not mine. He gets to choose when to end a story. ;-)

44mamzel
Jan. 12, 2016, 1:41 pm

I gave LitToC my best shot but even after a couple of hundred pages it felt like I was still at the beginning. Something about the style...

45LisaMorr
Bearbeitet: Jan. 15, 2016, 9:30 pm

I'm from Jersey (exit 7A...) and really enjoyed how you've set up your categories - great job!

I started Vathek last year and didn't get very far, but I do plan to go back to it. What do you think of it so far?

46staci426
Jan. 27, 2016, 8:22 am

>43 lkernagh: & >44 mamzel: I'm surprised to see so many negative reviews recently around here for Love in the Time of Cholera. It really worked for me, maybe it was the audio format. I guess we can't all like the same things, though, that would make life boring :)

>45 LisaMorr: Hi! It's nice to see someone else from NJ! I also decided to put Vathek aside. I just wasn't in the right mood for it now. I do plan to finish it though, maybe sometime later this year.

47staci426
Jan. 27, 2016, 3:44 pm

So, it's almost the end of January, and I've already gotten behind on my thread. Things have gotten a little more busy at work, used to have a lot of down time which was when I would do all of my LT browsing and posting. I've still been getting my reading in though. I've decided to try to read at least one book in each category before having multiple books in a category (except for my print books, since it takes me awhile to read those). We'll see how long I decide to stick with this plan lol. Here are the rest of my January reads:

4. Invasion of the Body Snatchers by Jack Finney ****
Category/Genre: The Jersey Devil/Horror
Format: Audio download from library, read by Kristoffer Tabori, 6 hours 40 minutes

People start to believe that their loved ones are not themselves. Dr. Bennell starts referring his patients to a psychiatrist. But then he starts to realize there really may be something going on here. I really enjoyed this, but am still confused by the ending. I had to go back and listen a few times. The narrator did an excellent job of evoking that ominous feeling. The narrator, Kristoffer Tabori, is actually the son of the Don Siegel, who directed the original version of the film. And there was a short interview at the end of the book with him about his dad and the film.

5. Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits by David Wong ***1/2
Genre/Format: Buzz Aldrin/Science Fiction
Format: Audible download, read by Christy Roman, 15 hours 39 minutes

Partial Amazon description: Nightmarish villains with superhuman enhancements. An all-seeing social network that tracks your every move. Mysterious, smooth-talking power players who lurk behind the scenes. A young woman from the trailer park. And her very smelly cat. Together, they will decide the future of mankind.
This was a fun quick listen. I didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as Wong’s John Dies series, but it was still pretty good.

6. The Secret in Their Eyes by Eduardo Sacheri ****
Category/Genre: The Statue of Liberty/mystery
Format: Audio download from library, read by Mark Bramhall, 9 hours 20 minutes

Benjamin Chaparro has just retired as an investigator with the Argentine courts and decides to write a book about one of his cases, the brutal rape and murder of a young woman in her home. The story flashes back to the 1970s during the time of Argentina’s Dirty War. I really enjoyed this. I chose it for this month’s GeoCAT. I don’t really know anything about Argentina or its history. I think this book, gives you a real feel for the place and time. It also has a good cast of characters and a great story. Overall, a great read.

7. The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley ***1/2
Category/Genre: Evanovich & Coben/Mystery
Format: Audio download from library, read by Jayne Entwistle, 8 hours 7 minutes

Book 6 in the Flavia de Luce mystery series. In this installment, Flavia uncovers the mystery of her missing mother. I really enjoy this series. Flavia is such a great character and she is really brought to life with Jayne Entwistle’s superb narration. Looking forward to more adventures with Flavia in the future.

8. When Janey Comes Marching Home by Laura Browder
Category/Format: The Garden State/Non-fiction
Format: Audio download from library, narrated by a full cast, 4 hours 33 minutes

I stumbled upon this book when I was browsing through my library’s audio collection. This was an interesting compilation of firsthand accounts of women combat veterans views on different subjects ranging from home life, religion, romance, women in service. It also included a PDF with photos of each of the women. The audio featured several different narrators, which I think added to the recording, but I think this would probably work much better in print format, so you can actually see the pictures as you are reading each woman’s story. This book fit for the RandomCAT with only 11 other members having it in their library. It also filled Women’s Bingo square, Women in Combat.

9. Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson ****\
Category/Genre: Game of Thrones/Fantasy
Format: Audible download, read by Alyssa Bresnahan, 24 hours 56 minutes

Partial Amazon description: Warbreaker is the story of two sisters, who happen to be princesses, the God King one of them has to marry, the lesser god who doesn't like his job, and the immortal who's still trying to undo the mistakes he made hundreds of years ago.
This is another excellent fantasy from Brandon Sanderson. This one took me a bit to get into, but once the story hit it’s flow, it moved at a fast pace and I didn’t want to stop listening.

10. Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke ****\
Category/Genre: The Jersey Diner/Classic Sci Fi
Format: Audio download from Kindle Unlimited, read by Michael Summerer, 7 hours 42 minutes
An alien race known as the Overlords have come to Earth and usher in a time of peace and prosperity. Earth has become an almost Utopian society, but are things really as perfect as they seem. I decided to reread this in preparation of the TV show. I had started to watch it, and didn’t remember anything about the books. I’ve since learned the show does not really follow the book very well, and am not sure I want to watch it. I did enjoy my reread though. I actually raised my rating from 3.5 to 4 stars on the second read.

11. The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolaño ***1/2
Category/Format: Paul Aster/Fiction
Format: Audio download from library, read by Armando Duran & Eddie Lopez, 27 hours 2 minutes

A lot of the descriptions of this book say it’s about two poets search for the Mexican poet Cesarea Tinajero. But there is so much more going on here. The main chunk of the book are first hand narratives of people telling stories in which they were involved with one of the two poets, Arturo Belano & Ulises Lima. I chose to read this one for the GeoCAT since the author is Chilean, plus it’s on the 1001 book list. I had no clue what to expect going on, and I did end up enjoying it. The narrators did a great job with the audio. This also fit for bingo square about a writer, since the main characters were poets.

12. The Moor’s Account by Laila Lalami ****
Category/Genre: Washington’s Crossing/Historical Fiction
Format: Audible download, read by Neil Shah, 13 hours 17 minutes

This is the story of Mustafa al-Zamori, later called Estabanio, a Moroccan slave, who is taken by his Spanish master on an expedition to the New World. The story flashes back to his past and how he ended up a slave and his present time in Florida trying to survive the expedition. I really enjoyed this. I don’t think I’ve read anything about the early exploration of the Americas and this was such an interesting perspective to approach it from. Lalami’s writing was excellent. I used this book for women’s bingo square, African author, she is from Morocco.

13. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden ***1/4
Category/Genre: Bruce Willis/historical fiction
Format: Audio download from library, read by Bernadette Dunne, 18 hours 9 minutes

This is the story of Chiyo, a young Japanese girl who eventually becomes the geisha Sayuri. This book has been on my to read list for quite some time. I’m glad I’ve finally gotten around to it, but I’m slightly disappointed. I never really felt connected to the characters and I was not that crazy about the narrator. The story worked enough to keep me listening, but overall, it was just OK.

14. The Long Walk by Richard Bachman
Category/Genre: Monopoly/dystopia
Format: audio download from library, read by Kirby Heyborne, 10 hours 46 minutes

The Long Walk is about just that, a long walk. Each year, 100 boys are selected to participate in the walk. You must keep a steady pace of 4 miles an hour or you will get a warning, three warnings and you’re out of the walk. The story is told from Ray Garraty’s point of view, a local 16 year old who has chosen to participate. I’ve read a lot of Stephen King, but this is the first of his Bachman books that I’ve read. I really enjoyed it. It has a different feel to his horror, but I could still tell that I was reading King. I’ve been making my way through King’s bibliography in chronological order, I should have read another of the Bachman books before this, Rage, but hadn’t been able to find an audio copy, so had skipped it. I do have it in print, so will eventually go back and read it.

48mamzel
Jan. 27, 2016, 5:35 pm

I think you win the prize for most audiobooks! I only listen in my car so if I finish one a month that's a lot. I'm so glad to hear they have a good narrator for the Flavia stories!

49staci426
Jan. 28, 2016, 8:42 am

>48 mamzel: Yes, I do most of my reading through audiobooks because I have an eye problem which makes reading print a little difficult. I usually listen at x1.5 or x2 speed, so I can get through a book quicker and I tend to have a book going at all time when I'm at home and not watching TV. I can also listen at work sometimes depending on what I'm working on, so I can get through a lot of books. I do think Jane Entwistle is a perfect fit for the Flavia books. I hope you enjoy if you decide to listen!

50lkernagh
Jan. 28, 2016, 8:03 pm

Great job on your January reading!

51-Eva-
Jan. 29, 2016, 11:49 pm

>49 staci426:
Oh, that's a good idea, but doesn't the speed change make the narrator's voice odd? Or not enough to be noticeable?

52staci426
Jan. 31, 2016, 8:13 pm

>51 -Eva-: For me, the narrators sound odd when I listen on normal speed. I've gotten so used to listening at the faster speeds. It definitely does change the sound of their voice. And, if you're not used to it, I think it probably would take some getting used to. If my roommate happens to hear one of my books while I'm listening at the faster speeds, he thinks it sounds crazy and can't believe I can understand what they are saying. But to me, it just sounds normal, lol.

53staci426
Feb. 1, 2016, 9:00 am

Three more books read to finish off January:

15. Burning Man by Alan Russell ***1/2
Category/Genre: Lucy the elephant/Mystery
Format: Audible download from Kindle Unlimited, read by Jeff Cummings, 10 hours 6 minutes

This is book 1 in the Gideon and Sirius mystery series. Michael Gideon is a cop in Los Angeles and his partner is a German Shepherd named Sirius. They were both seriously burned in a fire in which they captured a notorious serial killer. Upon their recovery, they are given the opportunity to work in a new special cases unit. Their first cases involve an abandoned baby and a crucified teenager. This was pretty good. I wasn't that crazy about the narrator of the audio, but it wasn't so bad that I couldn't listen. I've never read anything involving a K9 partnership like this, so wasn't really sure what to expect, but was hoping for a bit more on their relationship. But, overall, it was a decent read and I will read the next one in the series.

16. Deliverance by James Dickey ***1/2
Category/Genre: Monopoly/thriller
Format: Audible download, read by Will Patton, 7 hours 35 minutes

Four men from the city decide to take a weekend canoe trip in the Georgia wilderness. Things go terribly wrong and they end up in a fight for their lives. I didn't really know anything about this one going in, and wow, that was one intense ride. Dickey's writing was gorgeous and the narration by Patton was excellent. He really helped capture that feeling of the place and the tension of the situation. I used this one for Bingo square survival story.

17. In the Belly of the Bloodhound by L. A. Meyer ****
Category/Genre: House/YA Historical Adventure
Format: Audio download from library, read by Katherine Kellgren, 15 hours 21 minutes

Book 4 in the Bloody Jack adventures. Jacky has made her way back to school in Boston. While on a class outing, the girls are kidnapped and heading to the slave markets in North Africa. Jacky comes up with a plan to try to rescue them. This was another excellent installment in the series. Looking forward to seeing what happens next. This one fit for Bingo square, adventure story.

54-Eva-
Feb. 1, 2016, 6:17 pm

>52 staci426:
That's funny, but makes sense. I'll have to try it some time.

55pamelad
Mrz. 7, 2016, 4:42 pm

I see on the GEOCAT thread that you're reading The Bridge on the Drina. Interested to find out what you think of it. It's well worth the effort to persevere through the violent bits. I'm planning to read Bosnian Chronicle this year.

We is another interesting choice.

56staci426
Mrz. 9, 2016, 8:24 am

>55 pamelad: I'm not that far in yet, but so far I'm enjoying it. Violence in books doesn't bother me, so I'm not concerned about that. We was an interesting read. I've seen it referred to as one of the grandfathers of the dystopian novel and it was inspiration for many of the classics in that genre. I chose both books because they are on the 1001 list and I've been trying to use the GeoCAT to increase my numbers there.

57staci426
Mrz. 9, 2016, 11:41 am

I didn't post any of my February reads. I had a decent month, with 15 total read. Here they are:

18. Bright Sided by Barbara Ehrenreich ***
Category/Genre: The Garden State/Non-fiction
Format: Audio download from library, read by Kate Reading, 7 hours 27 minutes
I chose this one for the DeweyCAT, and have to say that I did not really care for it. I am someone who believes in thinking positively. I don’t take it to the extremes of some that were mentioned in this book, Ehrenreich didn’t seem to have anything good to say about it. I also used this one for Women’s Bingo Pup square, author over 60, she was 69 at time of publication.

19. Expedition to the Mountains of the Moon by Mark Hodder ***
Category/Genre: Buzz Aldrin/Steampunk
Format: Audible download, read by Gerard Doyle, 15 hours 56 minutes
Book 3 in the Burton & Swinburne series. I was a bit disappointed in this one. Normally I find this a fun series, but this one felt like it was all over the place and didn’t really work for me. I will read the next to see if maybe this one was just a fluke. This one fit for the SFF Kit.

20. V-Wars by Jonathan Maberry ***1/2
Category/Genre: The Jersey Devil/Horro
Format: Audio download from library, read by multiple narrators, 18 hours 27 minutes
This was an interesting collection of short stories all taking place within the same world, where a virus has been unleashed that causes some people to turn into vampires.

21. Roseanna by Maj Sjowall & Per Wahloo ***1/2
Category/Genre: The Stature of Liberty/Mystery
Format: Audio download from library, read by Tom Weiner
This is book 1 in the Martin Beck, Swedish police procedural series. I enjoyed this and look forward to continuing with the series.

22. The Hoarder in You by Robin Zasio ***1/2
Category/Genre: The Garden State/Non-fiction
Format: Audio download from the library, read by Cassandra Cambpell, 7 hours 35 minutes
The author of this book is one of the psychologists they bring in to work with the hoarders on the show. This book scared me a bit. I definitely have hoarding tendencies, but not to the point where I need to call the show in lol.

23. The Walking Dead Vol 22: A New Beginning by Robert Kirkman ***1/2
Category/Genre: Kevin Smith/Horror
Format: e-book, 136 pages
It’s been a while since I’ve read one of these. It was nice to get back into this world.

24. Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi **1/2
Category/Genre: Monopoly/YA dystopian romance
Format: Audio download from library, read by Kate Simses, 11 hours 53 minutes
Book 2 in the Shatter Me series. I was surprised after reading the first in this series by the fact that I actually liked it. I normally do not enjoy romances, but I was really drawn in by Mafi’s writing. The writing was just as good in this installment, but the teen romance aspect of the story, was just way too overwhelming for me. I just could not enjoy this one. I did use this one for the Women’s Bingo Pup square, by a woman.

25. I Always Loved You by Robin Oliveira ****
Category/Genre: Washington’s Crossing/Historical Fiction
Format: Audio download from library, read by Mozhan Marno, 11 hours 8 minutes
I really enjoyed this story about the relationship between Mary Cassatt and Edgar Degas. It was interesting to learn that they had both lost their vision at the end of their lives. I used this one for Bingo square, focus on art.

26. Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis ***
Category/Genre: Paul Auster/Fiction
Format: Audible download, read by George Guidall, 12 hours 36 minutes
I chose this because it’s on the 1001 book list. It was ok. Felt like it dragged a bit in places, but am glad to have finally read it.

27. The Hindenburg Murders by Max Allen Collins ***1/2
Category/Genre: Evanovitch & Coben/Historical Mystery
Format: Audio download from Kindle Unlimited, read by Simon Vance, 6 hours 36 minutes
This is part of the Disaster mystery series. I was drawn in by the fact that it took place on the Hindenburg. I grew up near Lakehurst, NJ where the crash occurred. I used this one for Bingo square about an airplane flight, even though it’s not specifically an airplane, it is an air flight.

28. The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss ****
Category/Genre: Game of Thrones/Fantasy
Format: Audio download from library, read by the author, 3 hours 39 minutes
This is a novella in the Kingkiller Chronicles world. It is told from Auri’s point of view. I thought it was very well done. The one thing I did not particularly care for, was Rothfuss’s forward to the story in which he’s almost apologizing for having written it and tells the reader you’re probably not going to like it. True, it is different in style from his other works, but I still found it enjoyable. Even though I listened to the audio on this, I used it for Bingo square less than 200 pages, the Kindle edition says it is 177 pages.

29. Jackaby by William Ritter ****
Category/Genre: Game of Thrones/Fantasy Mystery
Format: Audible download, read by Nicola Barber, 7 hours 21 minutes
Someone in the group mentioned this book, thought it sounded interesting, so decided to give it a try, and I’m glad I did. I look forward to reading more in the series. I used this one for the SFF Kit.

30. Birth of an Empire by Conn Iggulden ***1/2
Category/Genre: Washington’s Crossing/Historical Fiction
Format: Audio download from library, read by Stefan Rudnicki, 14 hours 46 minutes
This was a solid historical fiction about the early life of Genghis Khan. I chose this one for the GeoCAT.

31. The Graduate by Charles Webb ***1/2
Category/Genre: Paul Auster/Fiction
Format: Audible download, read by Scott Brick, 6 hours 9 minutes
I picked this up during an Audible sale. Another book checked off the 1001 list. I had already seen the movie, so it was interesting to finally read the book.

32. Snowbound by Blake Crouch ***
Category/Genre: Monolopy/Thriller
Format: Audio download from Kindle Unlimited, read by Jeffrey Kafer, 7 hours 6 minutes
I enjoyed Crouch’s Wayward Pines series, so thought I’d give this one a try. Didn’t like this one quite as much, but it was still a decent thriller.

I’ve also got one more to add to the abandoned books list. Blood Debt by Tanya Huff, the last novel of the Victoria Nelson series. I had been enjoying this series, but I don’t like what she decided to do with Vicky, it takes away the main reason why I started reading in the first place. I just couldn’t get into this one.

58lkernagh
Mrz. 10, 2016, 9:31 am

Congratulations on 15 books read in February! Thanks for the reminder that I have book 1 in the Burton & Swinburne series.

59staci426
Mrz. 10, 2016, 11:49 am

>58 lkernagh: Thank you! I hope you enjoy it if you decide to give it a go.

60AHS-Wolfy
Mrz. 10, 2016, 7:15 pm

>57 staci426: Glad to see you enjoyed the first in the Emperor series by Conn Iggulden and also the first in the Martin Beck one too. I am partway through both of these (series, not books) and should try and get back to them sometime.

61-Eva-
Mrz. 13, 2016, 6:36 pm

Great progress! The other Martin Beck novels I've read were all solidly high quality. I really need to get back to that series - they were very interesting reads.

62staci426
Mrz. 14, 2016, 9:13 am

>60 AHS-Wolfy: & >61 -Eva-: I will definitely be continuing with both series. They have both been on my radar for a while now, and am glad that I've finally gotten around to them.

63staci426
Bearbeitet: Mrz. 14, 2016, 11:46 am

Here are my March reads so far:

33. We by Yevgeny Zamyatin ***1/2
Category/Genre: The Jersey Diner/Classic Dystopian
Format: Audible download, read by Grover Gardner, 6 hours 56 minutes

I’ve been wanting to read this one for a while now, it’s on the 1001 books list. I picked it up recently during an Audible sale and figured this would be the perfect time since it fits for this month’s GeoCAT. This was an interesting very early dystopian book. One State is ruled by the Benefactor. Everyone works for the good of the people with no real individual choice. This was the inspiration for many of the classic dystopias such as Nineteen Eighty Four and Brave New World.

34. Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters ****
Category/Genre: Washington’s Crossing/Historical Fiction
Format: Audible download, read by Juanita McMahon, 19 hours 5 minutes

This is another one off the 1001 books list that I’ve been wanting to get to for a while and was available in an Audible sale. Nancy falls in love with a male impersonator who was performing at the local theatre and ends up going to the city with her to help with the act where she discovers a whole new life in Victorian London. I really enjoyed Waters writing and she has created such an interesting character in Nancy. I used this one for Bingo square, coming of age story.

35. A Pocket Full of Rye by Agatha Christie ***1/2
Category/Genre: House/Mystery
Format: Audio download from library, read by Richard E. Green, 6 hours 51 minutes

Another solid installment in the Miss Marple series. I used this one to fill Bingo Pup square, published before 2000.

36. & 37. Lock In & Unlocked: An Oral History of Haden’s Syndrome by John Scalzi ****
Category/Genre: Buzz Aldrin/Sci Fi/Mystery
Format: Audible download read by Wil Wheaton & full cast for Unlocked, 10 hours

In the near future a new virus, Haden’s Syndrome, has spread which, in its worst form, although the person is fully awake and aware, his body cannot move or respond to anything. Technologies have developed to allow these people to live a normal life. Chris Shane was the poster child of the disease as a kid, and has now started his career with the FBI and starts out on an apparent suicide case. Unlocked is a novella that was included with the Audible edition which chronicles the developments of Haden’s Syndrome. This is another solid work from Scalzi. I’ve enjoyed everything from him that I’ve read so far.

64staci426
Apr. 7, 2016, 9:24 am

I'm just going to list my next group of reads. My reading had slowed down a bit towards the end of March with the loss of both of my grandfathers. Plus I had decided to listen to Anna Karenina which was a long slow listen for me.

38. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn ***1/2 (fiction/1001 books) fits GeoCAT as a Russian novel
39. Necroscope by Brian Lumley ***1/2 (horror) fits GeoCAT with part of the book taking place in Romania
40. Invisible Murder by Lene Kaaberbol & Agnete Friis ***1/2 (mystery) fits GeoCAT, part of the story takes place in Hungary
41. Heretic: Why Islam Needs a Reformation Now by Ayaan Hirsi Ali **** (non-fiction), read for DeweyCAT
APRIL
42. Amarcord: Marcella Remembers by Marcella Hazan ***1/2 (memoir) Bingo dog square "food is important"
43. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy *** (classics/1001 books) had started for March GeoCAT for Russia
44. As Red as Blood by Salla Simukka ***1/2 (YA/thriller) fits GeoCAT takes place in Arctic Finland
45. The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman ***1/2 (mystery), had started for March GeoCAT with part of the story in Albania, also fits Woman's Bingo Pup for about a spy
46. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell **** (nonfiction), fits for DeweyCAT

I am currently working on:
Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar (audio/YA fiction), which I will probably finish today
Mother Earth, Father Sky by Sue Harrison (audio/prehistoric fiction)
Small Gods by Terry Pratchett (ebook/fantasy)
Antecedent by Patrick E. Molloy (ebook/horror)
The Bridge on the Drina by Ivo Andric (book/fiction)
Daredevil by Frank Miller Vol. 1 (ebook/graphic novel/superheroes)

65VictoriaPL
Apr. 7, 2016, 10:12 am

>64 staci426: I'm so sorry! My condolences to you and your family.

66MissWatson
Apr. 7, 2016, 10:40 am

My condolences on your loss.

67-Eva-
Apr. 7, 2016, 12:55 pm

So sorry to hear - how hard to lose two family members at the same time. *hugs*

68AHS-Wolfy
Apr. 7, 2016, 2:35 pm

>64 staci426: Sad to hear of your losses. My condolences to you and your family.

69rabbitprincess
Apr. 7, 2016, 10:58 pm

I am so sorry for your loss.

70lkernagh
Apr. 10, 2016, 1:19 pm

Joining the others in offering my condolences on your family's loss.

71staci426
Apr. 11, 2016, 11:38 am

Thank you for your kind thoughts, everyone. They are much appreciated.
I am finally getting back into a reading rhythm again. I will come back later to post my latest reads.

72LisaMorr
Apr. 27, 2016, 8:05 am

Very behind on threads - so sorry to hear about your grandfathers and wanted to offer my condolences as well.

73paruline
Apr. 30, 2016, 6:12 pm

Catching up on threads and adding my condolences.

74staci426
Mai 10, 2016, 10:36 am

>72 LisaMorr: & >73 paruline: Thank you.

Last batch of April reads:

47. Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar ***1/2 (children's fiction)
Unabridged audio download, 3 hours 57 minutes read by full cast. This was a quick children's story dealing with bullying & possible environmental disaster. Category: Monopoly

48. Mother Earth, Father Sky by Sue Harrison ****1/2 (historical)
Unabridged audio download from Kindle Unlimited, read by Holly Fielding, 11 hours 10 minutes. This was an excellent prehistorical fiction account of the Aleut people of Alaska. Category: Washington's Crossing, GeoCAT: islands, BingoDOG square: About an Indigenous people.

49. Four: A Divergent Collection by Veronica Roth ***1/2 (ya/dystopian)
Unabridged audio from library, read by Aaron Stanford
This was a collection of four short stories focusing on Four's background. Category: Buzz Aldrin

50. The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu ***(sci fi)
Unabridged Audible download, read by Luke Daniels, 13 hours 26 minutes
This was a difficult one for me to get through for some reason. Not sure what it was about this, but I did manage to finish. Category: The Statue of Liberty

51. The Bone Seeker by M. J. McGrath **** (mystery)
Unabridged audio from library, read by Kate Reading, 12 hours 35 minutes.
Book 3 in the Edie Kiglatuk mystery series which takes place in Arctic Canada. I really enjoy this series. Category: House. GeoCAT: Arctic.

52. Small Gods by Terry Pratchett **** (fantasy)
E-book from library, 384 pages.
This is the 13th book in the Discworld series, which I have been re-reading in publication order. This one was great, a satire on religion and philosophy. I need get reading on these Discworld books. Category: Game of Thrones, SFFFKit, NPR's list

53. A Dance to the Music of Time: Third Movement by Anthony Powell *** (fiction/1001 books)
Unabridged Audible download, read by Simon Vance, 19 hours 47 minutes
This is a compilation of books 7 (The Valley of Bones), 8 (The Soldier's Art) & 9 (The Military Philosphers) in the series. These books focus on Nick Jenkins's time during World War II. So far, these were my least favorite of this series. Category: Paul Auster. BingoDOG square: Musical reference in title.

May has been off to a slow, but excellent start. I had decided to listen to an over 45 hour audio book which I've just finished.

54. Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart **** (historical mystery)
E-book from library, 421 pages
This was an excellent historical mystery taking place in 1914 NJ and focuses on Constance Kopp and her sisters. This is the background which leads her to become the first female sheriff in the US. Looking forward to the next in the series. Category: Evanovich & Coben, GeoCAT: USA, DeweyCAT: fits under criminology

55. The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson **** (fantasy)
Unabridged audio from library, read by Michael Kramer & Kate Reading, 45 hours 30 minutes
This was a solid epic fantasy. There was a lot going on here with a huge cast of characters. Sanderson is a great writer. I really enjoy his work. I've been trying to make my way through is books that are part of his Cosmere world in publication order. Category: Game of Thrones, SFFKit, started for April NPR's list

I am currently working on:
The Bridge on the Drina by Ivo Andric paperback/fiction
Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood audio/fiction
Antecedent by Patrick E. Molloy, ebook/horror
Will be starting American Gods by Neil Gaman shortly in audio. And will be probably read a few short stories in ebook before starting another ebook novel.

75christina_reads
Mai 28, 2016, 9:16 pm

>74 staci426: I really liked Girl Waits with Gun as well.

76mathgirl40
Mai 29, 2016, 8:58 pm

>74 staci426: I really liked The Way of Kings and have Words of Radiance waiting for me on my e-reader. I've not read any of Sanderson's other works except for a novella, The Emperor's Soul. He seems to be an amazingly prolific writer.

77staci426
Bearbeitet: Jun. 1, 2016, 11:18 am

>75 christina_reads: Glad to see you enjoyed it as well. I'm excited to see book 2 in the series should be coming out in September.

>76 mathgirl40: Sanderson is quite prolific. I've read quite a few of his works so far and have enjoyed all of them. Several of his books are loosely connected part of his Cosmere universe. I've been trying to make my way through the books of the Cosmere in publication order. Next up for me will be The Alloy of Law.

78christina_reads
Jun. 2, 2016, 10:52 pm

>77 staci426: Oh, cool, I didn't realize there was going to be a sequel! I'll have to look out for it.

79LittleTaiko
Bearbeitet: Jun. 5, 2016, 11:31 am

>74 staci426: - Really enjoyed Girl Waits With Gun as well. The gun, the pigeons, the history...I'm ready for the next one!

80staci426
Jun. 29, 2016, 1:17 pm

My list of books since my last post:

56. Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood ***1/2 (fiction/1001 books), category: Lucy the Elephant. Not very memorable
57. The Nerdist Way by Chris Hardwick ***1/2 (non-fiction), category: The Garden State. This was fun, except for the long section on workouts.
58. Gold Fame Citrus by Claire Vaye Watkins *** (dystopia), category: Buzz Aldrin. Read for May RandomCAT, colors. Didn’t quite get this one.
59. Lives of Girls and Women by Alice Munro **** (fiction/1001 books), category: Paul Auster. Read for May GeoCAT, Canada. Excellent writing here.
60. The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny ***1/2 (mystery), category: House, another May GeoCAT for Canada. Solid installment for the Inspector Gamache series.
61. Engaging the Enemy by Elizabeth Moon ***1/2 (sci fi), category: Buzz Aldrin. Read for May SFFFKit, a fun space opera series.
JUNE
62. Hounded by Kevin Hearne **** (urban fantasy), category: Game of Thrones. Pleasantly surprised by this urban fantasy.
63. Why Translation Matters by Edith Grossman *** (non-fiction), category: The Garden State. Read for June DeweyCAT. Bit of a disappointment.
64. The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides ***1/2 (fiction/1001 books), category: Paul Auster. Read for June RandomCAT. It was ok.
65. Lord Edgware Dies by Agatha Christie **** (mystery), category: House. Women’s Bingo square, Golden Age Detective. Enjoyable installment in the Hercule Poirot series.
66. The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty ****1/2 (fiction), category: Bruce Willis. Read for GeoCAT, Australia. A big surprise for me. Not my usual type of read, but really enjoyed this one.
67. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain ***1/2 (classics/1001 books), category: The Jersey Diner.
68. A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute ****1/2 (fiction/1001 books), category: Bruce Willis. Fit for GeoCAT, Australia. This book sucked me in right from the start and I finished the ebook in one day.
69. Outcast: Vol. 1 by Robert Kirkman ***1/2 (horror), category: Kevin Smith. Wanted to read this one to compare with the new TV show. It’s interesting.
70. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro ***1/2 (fiction/1001 books), category: Paul Auster. This was good, but I enjoyed his Never Let Me Go much more.
71. Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold ***1/2 (sci fi), category: House. Read for SFFKIT, cover art. Part of the Vorkosigan series I missed when read a few years ago. Good, but not as good as the Miles books.
72. Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini **** (memoir), category: Jersey Boys. This was fun.

I did have a few abandoned books:
Bing Crosby: A Pocketful of Dreams by Gary Giddins, I love Bing Crosby, but found this biography boring.
American Gods by Neil Gaiman, I just could not get into this.
In the Land of the Long White Cloud by Sarah Lark, I was excited about this one because it would have been a cat trick for June. It takes place in New Zealand, is about 2 women who go there to get married and was translated from German. The audio narrator was horrible, I couldn’t listen to her. I tried the e-book, but it was just not working for me.

Currently working on:
Live and Let Die by Ian Fleming, audio spy novel
Acqua Alta by Donna Leon, ebook mystery
The Bridge on the Drina by Ivo Andric, paperback fiction
Daredevil by Frank Miller Vol. 1 by Frank Miller, ebook superhero comics
Hard Magic by Larry Correia, audio fantasy

81VictoriaPL
Jun. 29, 2016, 4:28 pm

>80 staci426: Wow! You've been busy!

82rabbitprincess
Jun. 29, 2016, 4:58 pm

>80 staci426: Good to know about The Nerdist Way! That one followed me home from the library.

83LisaMorr
Bearbeitet: Jul. 4, 2016, 4:22 pm

>80 staci426: I agree with you on Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go!

84LittleTaiko
Jul. 5, 2016, 9:35 pm

>80 staci426: - Wow - very productive!

85staci426
Aug. 15, 2016, 3:04 pm

Time for another list of books:

73. Live and Let Die by Ian Fleming ***1/2 House/spy thriller
This was a quick read, book 2 in James Bond.
74. Hard Magic by Larry Correia ***1/2 Game of Thrones/fantasy
Book 1 in the Grimnoire Chronicles. This was interesting, a blend of alternate history and magic. Also, a great reading on the audio by Bronson Pinchot.
75. Acqua Alta by Donna Leon **** Bruce Willis/mystery
Book 5 in the Commissario Brunetti series. Another great installment.
76. Bad Wolf by Nele Neuhaus ***1/2 Lucy the Elephant/mystery
Part of the Bodenstein and Kirchhoff German mystery series. LibryThing lists this as book 6. It’s the second I’ve read. I don’t think they’ve all been translated into English.
77. Port Mungo by Patrick McGrath ***1/2 Monopoly/Gothic
This wasn’t really what I was expecting. It was Ok. I had picked it for the GeoCAT, Port Mungo is in Honduras.
78. Starters by Lissa Price **** Buzz Aldrin/YA/dystopia
This was a quick enjoyable read which had been on my too read list for quite a while. Glad to finally have gotten to it.
79. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch **** Game of Thrones/fantasy
This is another one that’s been on my shelves forever which I’m glad to finally have gotten around to. Looking forward to continuing with this series.
80. The Last Colony by John Scalzi **** House/Sci Fi
This is another great series, the Old Man’s War. Quick listen.
81. 438 Days by Jonathan Franklin **** The Garden State/non-fiction
This was a fascinating survival at sea story which I read for the RandomCAT, time, and GeoCAT, he was from El Salvador.
82. Authority by Jeff VanderMeer ***1/2 Buzz Aldrin/sci fi
Book 2 in the Southern Reach series. Didn’t enjoy this one as much as the first, but it was still good.
83. First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde ***1/2 House/Fantasy
Another great series. Started in July and would have fit the RandomCAT for time travel, finished in August fitting SFFFKIT for series.
84. Caliban's War by James S. A. Corey ***1/2 House/sci fi
This was a re-read, book 2 of the Expanse. Did not enjoy it quite as much as the first read. Still pretty good, but felt it dragged a bit in parts this time around. Fist SFFFKIT for series.
85. Classic Ghost Stories (A CSA Word Recording) by multiple authors ***1/2 The Jersey Devil/horror/ghost stories)
This was a collection of 11 stories with a gothic feel to them from authors such as Bram Stoker, Charles Dickens, Guy de Maupassant, Saki. Two stand out stories were The Upper Berth by F. Marion Crawford & Who Knows? By Guy de Maupassant.
86. J is for Judgment by Sue Grafton ***1/2 Evanovich/Coben/Mystery
Needed something quick and easy. Fit the bill perfectly for what I was looking for at the moment.
87. The Red Pencil by Andrea Davis Pinkney **** Bruce Willis/children's fiction
This was an excellent children’s book told in poems & illustrations about the conflict in the Sudan. Read for GeoCAT.
88. Crucible of Gold by Naomi Novik **** Game of Thrones/fantasy
It’s been a while since I’ve visited with Temeraire. This is book 7. They travel to South America in this one. Fits SFFFKit for series. Also used it for Women’s BingoPUP for the set in Latin America/Asia square.
89. In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan **** The Garden State/non-fiction
Read for DeweyCAT. This is also a timely read for me because I am in the process of changing my diet to a whole foods, plant based diet, cutting back on meat & dairy. This is what Pollan is recommending with this book. Very interesting reading.
90. Tell My Horse: Voodoo and Life in Haiti and Jamaica by Zora Neale Hurston ***1/2 Lucy the Elephant/non-fiction
Started this in July for the Caribbean GeoCAT. This was Hurston’s account of her time in Jamaica & Haiti, focusing a great deal on the local folklore and customs.
91. The Bat by Jo Nesbo ***1/2 Lucy the Elephant/Mystery
Book 1 in the Harry Hole series. I enjoyed this one and look forward to continuing the series.

86DeltaQueen50
Aug. 15, 2016, 5:18 pm

I've got the Nele Neuhaus books on my wishlist but I keep holding off in case they decide to translate the earlier ones but I probably should just get started and see if I like them.

87AHS-Wolfy
Aug. 16, 2016, 8:10 am

>85 staci426: Lot's on this catch-up list of interest for me. So glad you enjoyed the Locke Lamora book and that you continue to enjoy the Scalzi series as well (next one in that sequence tells the same story, only filling in some blanks, but from a different perspective so you might want to give it some time before picking it up). Also happy to see some series continuations that I've not got around to yet being given good ratings, Caliban's War and Crucible of Gold, as well as starters for ones I intend to get to at some point, Hard Magic and The Bat. Now that I've finished the Ambergris books I'll definitely be on the lookout for more of VanderMeer's work and his Souther Reach trilogy will probably be obtained at some point.

88staci426
Aug. 24, 2016, 11:41 am

>86 DeltaQueen50: I decided to just start with what was available, who know when or if they'll ever translate the other ones. I didn't feel like I was missing anything with starting on the later books.

>87 AHS-Wolfy: I've enjoyed everything by Scalzi that I've read so far and am looking forward to the rest of this series. I do usually wait a bit (sometimes too long, I think) before reading the next book in a series. The Temeraire books is one of my favorite series, I hope you enjoy them if you decide to continue. VanderMeer's Ambergris books have been on my radar for a while now, but I was able to get a hold of the Southern Reach books first, I will definitely be looking for more of his work.

89staci426
Aug. 24, 2016, 3:46 pm

Finished a few more books since my last post. My count was wrong on number of books read. The Bat should have been number 94, not 91.

95. Deadly Décisions by Kathy Reichs ***1/2 Bruce Willis/mystery
Book 3 in the Tempe Brennan series. In this one, she is called up to Montreal to help with motorcycle gang related murders. I enjoyed the Montreal setting. I was not crazy about the audio narrator though, so I think that may have detracted slightly from my enjoyment of this one. I will still continue with the series.
96. Run You Down by Julia Dahl **** Evanovich & Coben/mystery
This is book 2 in the Rebekah Roberts series. Rebekah is a reporter with a reputation for helping the Hasidic community because of her mother's background. In this installment, she is contacted by a man who's wife allegedly committed suicide in the same community as her mother, Aviva's, family. Aviva left her Hasidic family to be with Rebekah's father, a Christian, but then leaves him after she is born. The story is told in alternating chapters from Aviva, explaining her story to her daughter, and Rebekah, working the case and learning more about her family. I'm really enjoying this series and wish there were more books to read.
97. Great Classic Science Fiction by various writers *** Buzz Aldrin/Science Fiction
This was a collection of 8 short stories by authors such as Frank Herbert, Philip K. Dick and Andre Norton. It was a bit of a disappointment. Two out of the eight were ok, A Martian Odyssey by Stanley G. Weinbaum and The Door in the Wall by H. G. Wells
98. All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot ****Lucy the Elephant/memoirish
This is a semi-autobiographical account of the author's early years as a vet in the English country working mostly with farm animals. I chose this or the DeweyCAT, it's 636.089. It also fits for the BingoPUP square, author born in 1916. It was an entertaining read and I will probably continue with the next one.

I am currently working on:
The Man Who Went Up in Smoke by Maj Sjowall & Per Wahloo
A Dance to the Music of Time: Fourth Movement by Anthony Powell
How Not to Die by Michael Greger, M.D.

90LisaMorr
Bearbeitet: Sept. 9, 2016, 8:11 pm

>85 staci426: Wow! You are motoring through your reading!

I have a few that you've recently read on my TBR, so nice to see you liked Starters. I still need to make a start on Old Man's War and Sue Grafton. One of these days!

Glad you liked The Bat. I read The Snowman first and decided to go back and get all the rest of the Harry Hole series and read The Bat last year, much more to come!

91staci426
Sept. 13, 2016, 8:38 am

>90 LisaMorr: Thanks! I feel like I've been going slow, but looking at my numbers, I'm really getting a lot read this year. And I have another batch of books to list, hopefully some time today.

I hope you enjoy if you decide to give Starters, Old Man's War or the Grafton series a try. I'm glad I finally decided to give Jo Nesbo a try. Looking forward to more of Harry Hole.

92staci426
Sept. 13, 2016, 10:08 am

Here is my next batch of reads from the end of August and beginning of September:

99. The Man Who Went Up in Smoke by Maj Sjowall & Per Wahloo ***1/2 The Statue of Liberty/Mystery
This is book 2 in the Martin Beck Swedish mystery series. This one brings Martin to Budapest to find out what happened to a missing Swedish journalist. I’m enjoying this series and will read more.

100. Get in Trouble by Kelly Link ***1/2 Monopoly/Speculative Fiction short story collection
I read this one for the women’s BingoPUP square short story collection. I’ve never read any of her novels, but heard her speak about this book on a podcast, so thought I would give it a try. Overall, it was a pretty good collection. There was one story, I didn’t finish. Two that I really enjoyed were The Summer People and Secret Identity.

101. How Not to Die by Michael Greger **** The Garden State/Non-fiction
My doctor recommended this book to me. I’ve been having some health issues, and he suggested I try a whole foods, plant based diet. Dr. Greger presents a compelling argument for following this type of diet in his book. He goes through each of the 15 leading diseases from which Americans die and explains how eating this type of diet can help reduce your risks. Then he goes into how to incorporate this into your life. I really enjoyed this and am trying to incorporate his advice into my diet. Giving up the meat is not so bad for me, it’s the dairy that’s the hard part. It also happened to work out that this one fit for the August DeweyCAT, 613.2

102. The Cranes Dance by Meg Howrey **** Lucy the Elephant/Fiction
This one has been on my to-read list for quite some time and I am finally glad to have read it. It is about a ballet dancer with a major NYC ballet company. She is struggling with injury, possible mental illness and guilt about her sister, also a dancer in the same company. I love dance and really enjoyed this insiders look into that world. This one fits as a fiction option for this month’s arts themed DeweyCAT. I also used it for the BingoDOG square, theater is important.

103. A Dance to the Music of Time: Fourth Movement by Anthony Powell **** Paul Auster/Fiction
This is an omnibus containing the final three books in Powell’s epic series, Books Do Furnish a Room, Temporary Kings & Hearing Secret Harmonies. I enjoyed these last three books much more than the last movement which focused on our narrator’s, Nick Jenkins, time in the war. We’ve moved forward in time several years into the 50s & 60s with these books. The only reason I started this was because of the fact that it’s on the 1001 books list. I’m glad I did. I don’t think the books work well on their own, but as one continuous story, I think it was good.

104. Morgue Drawer for Rent by Jutta Profijt **** Statue of Liberty/Mystery
This is book three in the German mystery series featuring Pasha, a ghost who can only be heard by straight laced coroner Martin. The building which houses the morgue is under construction, there’s a new director and security has become lax. Bodies in the morgue are turning up with missing parts or missing all together. This is a fun series. The relationship between Pasha and Martin is really great. I chose this one for the September RandomCAT, translated from German by Erik J. Macki.

105. Six Heirs by Pierre Grimbert *** Statue of Liberty/Fantasy
This is book one in the French fantasy series, The Secret of Ji. It was a perfect for the the SFFFKit and RandomCAT this month, translated from French by Eric Lamb & Matthew Ross. Unfortunately, it was disappointing. I didn’t feel a connection to the characters or the writing, not sure if it was a problem with the original French or the translation. It was a standard quest type story. I kept reading because I wanted to find out what the big secret about the island was that was causing everyone to get killed, but that was a bit anticlimactic. I don’t think the full secret has been revealed yet because it’s only book 1, but I probably won’t be continuing with the rest of the series.

106. The Dark Side of Genius: the Life of Alfred Hitchcock by Donald Spoto ***1/2 Jersey Boys/Biography
This was an extensive biography of Alfred Hitchcock. Although he did not have cooperation from the family with the book, Spoto has gotten a wealth of information from others around Hitchcock for this book. He was a very interesting, if somewhat disturbed man. I hate to admit, I’ve only seen one of his movies, Psycho. I will definitely be watching more after reading this. This one fir for the DeweyCAT this month, 791.430.

107. The Paper Moon by Andrea Camileri **** Statue of Liberty/Mystery
This is book 9 in the Inspector Montalbano series. This was a really good, super quick read. I really enjoy this series, the characters, the setting, the food, the writing and translation is excellent. I can’t believe I’m already at book 9 in this series. Highly recommended. This one fits for the translation RandomCAT, translated from Italian by Stephen Sarterelli.

I have several books going right now:

Phineas Finn by Anthony Troloppe, Fiction/Audio
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry, Fiction/Audio for GeoCAT
The Home and the World by Rabindranath Tagore, Fiction/ebook for Geo & RandomCATs
The Plight of the Post-Modern Hunter by Chingiz Aitmatov & Mukhtar Shakhanov, dialogue/e-book (been slowly working on this one since the February GeoCAT).
Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett, Fantasy/paperback
La traduction est une histoire d’amour by Jacques Poulin, Fiction/paperback

93VictoriaPL
Sept. 19, 2016, 9:59 am

>92 staci426: I really enjoyed How Not to Die.
I like to watch Dr. Greger's videos on YouTube. He has a keen sense of humor.

94staci426
Sept. 30, 2016, 10:43 am

The rest of my September reads:

108. The Home and the World by Rabindranath Tagore **** Jersey Diner/Fiction
I enjoyed this one. I picked it for the GeoCAT, India, as well as RandomCAT, translated from Bengali. I really enjoyed Tagore’s writing. This also checks off another from the 1001 books list.

109. Phineas Finn by Anthony Trollope **** Jersey Diner/Fiction
Another one checked off the 1001 books list. This is book 2 of the Palliser series. I really enjoy Trollope’s writing. This was another enjoyable read.

110. The Neverending Story by Michael Ende **** Statue of Liberty/Fantasy
I loved this movie as a kid and never realized it was based on a book until recently. I decided to read it now for the SFFFKIT and the RandomCAT, translated from German. I enjoyed the book. Much more happens in the book than I remember from the movie. I want to rewatch it again soon now.

111. The Dinner by Herman Koch **** Statue of Liberty/Fiction
I had heard good things about this one and, in my opinion, this book has lived up to expectations. It was an interesting idea. I found most of the characters unlikable, but that works here. The story was gripping and I wanted to keep reading to find out how it would all work out. Fits for the RandomCAT, translated from Dutch.

112. Daredevil by Frank Miller & Klaus Janson Vol. 1 by Frank Miller **** Kevin Smith/Superhero Comics
This one took quite a while to finish, it’s an omnibus covering the years 1964-1998, so it was quite long for a graphic novel. It was really good. This was my first superhero comic. I chose Daredevil because he is blind, I am drawn to blind characters because of my visual impairment, and because I’ve enjoyed the Netflix show. I will definitely be reading more Daredevil and will probably venture into other superheroes as well.

I am currently working on:
High Society: The Life of Grace Kelly by Donald Spoto, biography/audio
The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers, short stories/ebook
The Amazing Mrs. Polifax by Dorothy Gilman, mystery/audio

95staci426
Okt. 5, 2016, 1:56 pm

Finished two more to end September:

113. High Society: The Life of Grace Kelly by Donald Spoto ***1/2 Jersey Boys/biography

This was another enjoyable biography by Spoto. I did notice he told some of the same stories from the Hitchcock biography, but I guess that's to be expected. Kelly worked with Hitchcock on several occasions. The majority of the book focused on her acting career, but he did give a condensed accounting of her time as Princess. This one fit for the DeweyCAT.

114. The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman **** Evanovich & Coben/mystery

Book 2 in the series. This time, Mrs. Pollifax is sent on a courier mission to Turkey. This series is a lot of fun. Mrs. Pollifax is such a great character. This was a quick enjoyable read. I used this one for BingoDOG square, senior citizen protagonist.

For October I am planning on a Halloween feel to my reading. I'll be focusing mainly on horror, mystery, suspense type books. I've finished one so far:

115. Nightmare House by Douglas Clegg **** The Jersey Devil/Horror

This was a super quick haunted house story. I really enjoyed it. This was book one in the series. The story seemed complete after this one. I'll be interested to see what happens in the next book. This one fits for the October RandomCAT.

96rabbitprincess
Okt. 5, 2016, 6:22 pm

>95 staci426: Agreed that Mrs. P is a great character! :)

97staci426
Nov. 3, 2016, 1:00 pm

It's been a while since I've updated my reading. I'm just going to list my recent reads:

113. High Society: The Life of Grace Kelly by Donald Spoto ***1/2 Jersey Boys/Biography, read for DeweyCAT, September
114. The Amazing Mrs. Polifax by Dorothy Gilman **** Evanovich & Cobin/Spy
OCTOBER
115. Nightmare House by Douglas Clegg **** The Jersey Devil/Horror, read for RandomCAT, October
116. The Merry Misogynist by Colin Cotterill **** Bruce Willis/Mystery, read for GeoCAT, Laos
117. The Walking Dead: Invasion by Jay Bonansinga *** The Jersey Devil/Horror, RandomCAT, October
118. Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill **** (horror)
119. Hollow City by Ransom Riggs ***1/2 Game of Thrones/YA/fantasy
120. The Dead Zone by Stephen King ****1/2 The Jersey Devil/horror/thriller, RandomCAT, October
121. 10. The Devil in Silver by Victor LaValle ***1/2 The Jersey Devil/Fiction, RandomCAT, October
122. Bangkok Tattoo by John Burdett ***1/2 Bruce Willis/mystery, GeoCAT, Thailand
123. The Folklore of Discworld by Terry Pratchett & Jacqueline Simpson **** Monopoly/Fantasy, DeweyCAT
124. Abomination by Gary Whitta ***1/2 The Jersey Devil/horror, RandomCAT, October
NOVEMBER
125. Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt ****1/2 Lucy the Elephant/Fiction, RandomCAT, debut

I am currently working on:
The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers (ebook/short stories)
La traduction est une histoire d'amour by Jacques Poulin (paperback/fiction)
Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett (paperback/fantasy)
A.D. 30 by Ted Dekker (audio/historical fiction)
One of Our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde (audio/fantasy)

98staci426
Dez. 1, 2016, 9:57 am

My November reads. Most of the books that I ended up reading this month were part of series I’ve been working on. That’s always good to make progress there:

126. A.D. 30 by Ted Dekker ***1/2 (Washington’s Crossing/historical fiction), read for the GeoCAT, takes place in areas around Jordan, Palestine & the Arabian desert. Also fits for DeweyCAT, ancient history.

127. One of Our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde **** (House/fantasy), this was another fun installment in this series. I thought this might work for the SFFFKit, but there was no time travel in this one.

128. The Walking Dead vol. 23: Whispers Into Screams by Robert Kirkman ***1/2 (Kevin Smith/horror/graphic novel)

129. The Wall by Marlen Haushofer ***** (Lucy the Elephant/fiction), wow. This was an excellent story. It’s referred to a classic dystopian. When I first started reading, I thought it was going to be boring, but it was the complete opposite. This is my favorite read of the year. I put it in my animals category because the main character’s relationship with the animalas is an intergral part of the story. Highly recommended. I used this one in the BingoPUP square, made into a movie.

130. Fiction Squad #1 by Paul Jenkins ***1/2 (Kevin Smith/comics/nursery rhymes), this was a fun quick read. It was only one volume. It’s a hard boiled detective story set in the world of nursery rhymes.

131. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie ***1/2 (House/mystery) This was a reread for me in my quest to read Christie’s bibliography. I rated it slightly lower this time around, maybe because I already knew the outcome.

132. Late Eclipses by Seanan McGuire **** (House/urban fantasy), it’s been a while since I visited this series. I’m still enjoying it. I used this one for BingoPUP square, about a female critter.

133. The Apprentice by Tess Gerritsen ***1/2 (House/mystery) This is book 2 in the Rizzoli & Isles series. I think I’ll give this series one more try. I was a big fan of the TV show. The books have a different feel than the show. I think that may be clouding my appreciation of the books.

134. Acceptance by Jeff VanderMeer ***1/2 (House/science fiction) This is the third book in the Southern Reach trilogy. It was good, but I fell as though this entire series is something that you really need to put all of your focus on while reading. I probably should not have listened to the audio while I was working. One day I may go back and re-read the series in print form. I think that would give me a better appreciation for it.

I am currently working on:
The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham (ebook/fiction)
In the Darkness by Karin Fossum (audio/mystery), fits the GeoCAT, Norway
Lucrezia Borgia by Sarah Bradford (audio/biography), fits GeoCAT, Italy, & DeweyCAT (945.606)

99christina_reads
Dez. 1, 2016, 3:03 pm

>98 staci426: I love the Toby Daye series -- in my opinion, it gets better with each book! I haven't read the last couple books yet, but I definitely hope to get to them soon.

100staci426
Dez. 1, 2016, 3:49 pm

>99 christina_reads: I'm really enjoying this series. I agree that I think each book gets a little better. I'm going to try not to wait so long to get to the next book.

101rabbitprincess
Dez. 1, 2016, 7:51 pm

It's very satisfying to make more progress on series! Looks like you had a good reading month!

102lkernagh
Dez. 18, 2016, 2:52 pm

Taking the morning to play catch-up on all the threads in the group and making note of the amazing amount of reading you have managed over the past months!

103staci426
Dez. 28, 2016, 8:48 am

December has been a little bit of a slower month for me. I like to listen to Christmas music, so my book listening time decreases this time of year. I read quite a lot of European mysteries for this month’s GeoCAT. Here is my list:

135. In the Darkness by Karin Fossum **** The Statue of Liberty/Mystery
This is book 1 in the Inspector Sejer Norwegian mystery series. I really enjoyed this. I had already read book 2 and was glad to find book 1 on audio. I will definitely continue with this one.

136. Lucrezia Borgia: Life, Love and Death in Renaissance Italy by Sarah Bradford ***1/2 Jersey Boys/Biography
This was a good biography of an interesting woman and family. It kept your interest and moved at a fast pace. This one fit for GeoCAT, Italy, as well as DeweyCAT, 945.606.

137. The Pain Chaser: Antecedent by Patrick E. Molloy *** The Jersey Devil/Horror
This is book 3 in my boyfriend’s horror series. I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the first two. In this one, the time period alternates between the 1960s in the US, and 1660s in England. He hasn’t written book 4 yet, so not sure where things will go from here. This one fit Bingo square, self-published.

138. Morgue Drawer: Do Not Enter! by Jutta Profijt **** The Statue of Liberty/Mystery
This series is a lot of fun. This is book 4 in the series which features coroner Martin and his ghostly assistant, Pasha. I think there is only one more book available in the series. This one was for the GeoCAT, Germany.

139. The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith **** Evanovich & Coben/Mystery
This is book 1 in the Cormoran Strike series. I was hesitant to read this for some reason, but I’m glad I finally got around to it. I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more. This one fits for GeoCAT, England and Women’s Bingo square, male pseudonym.

140. The Mind’s Eye by Hakan Nesser ***1/2 The Statue of Liberty/Mystery
This is another Scandinavian mystery, this time, Swedish, book 1 in the Detective VanVeeteren series. This was another enjoyable mystery that I will continue with the series.

141. After the Crash by Michel Bussi **** The Statue of Liberty/Thriller
I really enjoyed this one. There was a plane crash in the Alps 18 years ago with one survivor, a 3 month old baby girl. Two families claim that she is their granddaughter. This was a fast moving story that sucked me in right from the beginning. Another one for the GeoCAT, France.

142. All Cry Chaos by Leonard Rosen *** Evanovich & Coben/Mystery
This book features Interpol agent Henri Poincaré as he investigates the assassination of a mathematician in Amsterdam. This book didn’t’ particularly work for me. Not sure why. Maybe I just wasn’t in the right frame of mind at the time. I think there is another book in the series which is a prequel to this. I may still give it a try.

143. August Heat by Andrea Camilleri **** The Statue of Liberty/Mystery
Book 10 in the Inspector Montalbano series. This is such a great series. Another one for GeoCAT, Italy.

144. Delicious! by Ruth Reichl **** Monopoly/Fiction
Billie takes a job as an assistant at a food magazine in NYC. After the magazine closes, she stays on to answer the phones & mail and discovers a hidden correspondence between James Beard and a young girl during WWII. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I had read and enjoyed one of Reichl’s memoirs so figured I’d give her novel a try and am glad that I did.

Looking at my list, I guess I got a lot more read this month than I thought. I am working on two more audio books that I hope to finish before the end of the month: The Queen’s Vow by C. W. Gortner another one for the GeoCAT, Spain, and a reread of Foreigner by C. J. Cherryh. I am also working on an e-book, The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham, which I don’t think I’ll finish by the end of the month.

104paruline
Dez. 30, 2016, 9:24 pm

A reread of Foreigner is a great idea to look for all the little clues left by the author.

105auntmarge64
Jan. 4, 2017, 10:48 am

Loved your categories! (Another Jersey girl, born and bred).