Kurt D

I'm starting with

William Fuld

wishbone

Reading:



A friend had this book for a college course in the early '90s. Just a few years after its publication the notion of cold-blooded, slow-moving dinosaurs went the way of the -- well, you know.

tonyc3742

Working my way through




Just downloaded



Anyone use Goodreads or do their reading challenge? Basically all I use the site for is logging books read and the reading challenge.

Kurt D

I'm pretty hardcore at goodreads as far as logging and the challenge

rbrown498

Ditto for me. I joined at the beginning of last year when a friend told me about it. I'm a slow reader when I'm reading for pleasure, so my yearly challenge this year, like last year, is only 25 books.

Oh, yeah...I'm currently reading:

thematahara

Finished:

Rodney2187

Just finished The Fallen Star and I loved it. I liked it more than The Rising Storm, but Light of the Jedi is still tops.

Star Wars:


Light of the Jedi
Lost Stars
Master & Apprentice
Into the Dark
Tag and Bink
Doctor Aphra


The Fallen Star
Heir to the Empire
William Shakespeare's Star Wars
Dooku: Jedi Lost
Bloodline
Aftermath


A Test of Courage
The Rising Storm
Alphabet Squadron
Catalyst
Cobalt Squadron
Shadows of the Empire

thematahara

Im pretty religious about keeping track of everything on Goodreads. I finished with 78 books last year, by far the most Ive ever done, probably going to shoot for 75 again, as Im not sure if I can do much more than that. The OCD part want to try 100, but Im afraid I would end up avoiding some bigger books I want to read in order to up my count.

Speaking of bigger books, just finished this:

tonyc3742

78, well done!

My goal for year's I've been doing the challenge has been 50 (which I've at least met each year) but I may need to up that goal!
My record since I've been tracking (I track in a spreadsheet as well) was 86. I had 75 last year which is my second highest.
That year with 86 I read a bunch from a couple authors, so I was 'in a groove':
David Weber's Honor Harrington series; Robert Sawyer's scifi; F Paul Wilson's Repairman Jack series; Patricia Briggs's Mercy Thompson series.

I haven't read Dan Simmons in a long time but he was an author I focused on for a while a few years back.
Worst year, 12 tracked. But I was going through a divorce and had a lot on my mind

Now reading:



Admittedly it's not War and Peace

End of an era: My county library is officially no longer doing their big book sale Obviously they haven't done it during the pandemic, but during that time they realized "hey, this book sale is really kind of a hassle and doesn't actually make us any money". So now they ship the books to an online reseller who handles them for them. Much better for them, of course, but an annual ritual gone for many in the community. I would get to the sale on Sunday at 0830, for a 10 opening, and not be anywhere near the front of the line (it was held at abandoned grocery store, or a building at the fairgrounds); and stay there till maybe 1 or 2 PM, filling boxes with books. It costs 5$ to fill a box with books on Sunday (the last day). I think my biggest year was 6 boxes, but I usually did 3 or 4. There were people who would just shovel stuff into their boxes then go through them away from the tables (which you weren't supposed to do), looking mainly for stuff that resellable, so that was annoying, but relatively few people did that.

brainee

I've been keeping track of my reading with Goodreads since 2013. I don't do the challenge since I figure I'll read what I have time for reading.

Just finished:

Another very strong book from King. Unlike other authors who I loved at one time but fell out of following, King seems to be challenging himself to write different kinds of stories and try new things (while keeping the same quality of writing that I was attracted to in the first place).

thematahara

Finished:


Not sure I really liked this one. I appreciate the unique approach and multiple POVs, but I think that the constant cycle between character POVs and the writing style that changes with each character overstayed its welcome for me. I didnt totally see all the 'twists' coming, but it all landed a bit flat for me.

jpcamb

I finally got around to reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry, started it in late December, and finished it last week. Great book, very well written, loved how he combined multiple storylines and interwove them into a cohesive narrative. It's amazing to think about a journey of a thousand miles without dealing with any kind of fences or boundaries outside of rivers and woodland. Something that I simply can not imagine in today's world outside of maybe northern Canada.

Now reading the Gunslinger / Dark Tower series for the umpteenth time. Finished the Gunslinger this week and working on Drawing of the Three now. I tend to re-read the series on an almost annual basis.

Nick Danger

Finished Unconditional Surrender by Evelyn Waugh, book three of the Sword of Honor trilogy. World War II is winding down. There are fewer idiots in command positions in the military. The story has an interesting thread about communist agents in the UK government and military working to arrange things in the post-war world to the benefit of the USSR. (The book was written several years after MacLean defected to the USSR.) Our protagonist Guy is barely able to accomplish anything to make the world a better place. When he tries to rescue a four hundred Jews, he's asked, "Why are you so interested in them?" In modern war, there is no place for honor. There is only political interests.

It's a satisfying trilogy.

thematahara

I read Lonesome Dove for the first time last year, and it made its way into my list of all-time favorite books. I also read Streets of Laredo, while not as good, its is still top tier and fun to be with those characters again.

I tried to tackle the Dark Tower a couple of years ago, I made it almost to the end of Book 3 before I gave up. I love Stephen King, and pretty much never put away a book before I am finished, but I just couldnt. In the end, I just dont think that Fantasy clicks for me, at least in the written format. I have tried a few other well regarded series and they never click. Disappointing for sure, but maybe Ill give it another shot down the road.

asianxcore

Started/Finished

Geofferson

We recently formed a men's bookclub with friends and neighbors -- the first of its kind in the country I believe.

For the first book, we each selected a book that was then voted on - this won and is what I am reading now:

Nick Danger

What does a "men's bookclub" read? Iron John, Conan the Destroyer, and Blood Meridian?

PAG

Just finished:

brainee

Something called "Bull Mountain" sounds like it fits the bill perfectly! I hope their meetings look like this:

But seriously, that sounds like a cool idea There's the stereotype that book clubs have to be housewives and little old ladies. And that the books have to be things that appeal to those demographics. But lots of men like reading too (as this thread shows), and not necessarily things Oprah would approve of.

rbrown498

Just finished:




Up next:

brainee

Finished:

Since reading him for the first time last year, now the only Hendrix book I haven't read is We Sold Our Souls. They've all been solid and consistent, this one included. I don't know if you have to be a fan of 80s slashers to enjoy this, but it certainly helps. Despite the very similar title and premise to Riley Sager's Final Girls, this goes in a very different direction.

Nick Danger

Re-read Cut Thin to Win written by Erle Stanley Gardner as A.A. Fair. The Cool and Lam mysteries are such fun books -- I don't know why they haven't been rediscovered.

thematahara

Finished:


I started this one on a whim, since I felt like I needed a break from the horror/mystery genre and was in the mood for a coming of age story. No idea that this entire book was about teenage sex, so that through me off a bit. However, once I realized what I was in for and settled in, I really enjoyed it. McMurtry is just such an amazing writer, and he really does capture a lot of what it is like to be in your late teens. Ended up really enjoying this one.

thematahara

Finished: