ChrisG reads on and on in 2024

Happy New Year to all!

I've been working on a reading plan for 2024 over the last few weeks. Last year was about 75% sci-fi/fantasy, and I expect to cut it back to closer to 50%, with some room for more classics. It also looks like the average book length will be greater, so I may end up closer to 75 than the 100+ of last year. We'll see.

Currently reading Dead Man's Walk by Larry McMurtry. It's chronologically first of the Lonesome Dove tetralogy - & I'll read all 4 in that sequence this year.

Happy reading to all for 2024!

Happy reading in 2024, Chris!

>1 ChrisG1: Merry 2024, Chris, and enjoy the McMurtry. Reading the new Life-of book was a good experience in 2023. Can't say I *like* him better, but I really appreciate his accomplishments more.

Welcome back, Chris!

>3 richardderus: Thanks, Richard - I should add that to my list - I'm trying to read his entire bibliography eventually, including his non-fiction.

>5 ChrisG1: Larry McMurtry: A Life by Tracy Daugherty was the title I was thinking of. It's honest, and not hagiographical, so a really good way to deepen your experience of his writing.

ETA touchstone

Happy New Year!! Happy Reading!! Glad you saw the Oregon thread. Love to meet you in person. : )

I recently read Dead Man’s Walk. I’ve only read Lonesome Dove before but decided I want to read all 4 in chronological order including a reread of that.

Happy New Year! Thanks for dropping by my thread.

Happy New Year, Chris! Keep up with the SFF so you can hit me with some book bullets.

Great to see you back Chris.

Happy new year.

You have the dubious pleasure of my company for another year!

1. Dead Man's Walk by Larry McMurtry - first book finished of 2024, it was first chronologically of the Lonesome Dove series. While Lonesome Dove is obviously the classic, I thought this one was not far behind. I'm biased, as McMurtry is one of my favorite authors.

>12 ChrisG1: Haven't read LD in YEARS! But I really liked the series. Might have to find me a copy of Dead Man's Walk. Congrats on first book of 24!

2. Joe Pepper by Elmer Kelton. I'll call this one a decent light entertainment. Kelton wrote this in the style of a condemned man telling his life story to the preacher sent to him for counsel while awaiting execution. The narration contained all manner of colloquialisms, poor grammar & slang you might expect from a western gunslinger.

3. Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie. I tried this one, as Abercrombie is a popular author of "grimdark" fantasy & this one is a standalone, rather than a series. It's a mixed review from me. There's much to like about the author's writing style - he certainly knows how to have fun with it & make it fun for the reader - but my biggest complaint is that it's overlong for what it is. As the title suggests, it's a revenge tale - mainly revenge on the part of the main character, although other characters are also following their own revenge paths (including against the main character). There are 7 men whom the main character seeks revenge against & each section of the book is dedicated to each separate victim. I felt the middle sections were a bit predictible and dragged on. But I will say the last few sections saved the book for me - some clever and entertaining twists. Expect to read some very graphic violence & sex scenes, by the nature of the genre. If that's an issue for you, then grimdark fantasy is not for you.

In the end, I give it 3 & 1/2 stars (out of 5).

4. Tales From Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin. I made short work of this, at least partly due to being homebound from our local freeze event. The book contains 5 shorter works about Earthsea, ranging from a few hundred years before the life of Ged, to shortly after. As always with Le Guin, wonderful prose & storytelling. 4 & 1/2 stars.

I am always a Le Guin fan but I haven't heard about Abercrombie yet...The title, however, perfectly describes Portland weather right now! LOL

>17 Berly: LOL - yeah, I've had enough of it. Looking forward to the milder temps ahead.

5. The Last of the Wine by Mary Renault. I read this as my January book for The War Room. It's my second Renault novel, the first being The King Must Die. She's an excellent novelist & I'm sure I'll read more of her work to come.

It's more of a coming of age story than a war story, but the Peloponnesian wars are a significant backdrop to the story. When historical fiction is done well, I feel as if I've learned something of the time & place of the novel & that's the case for this one - the Athens of Socrates' time truly came alive for me. Highly recommended.

6. Just Show Up by Drew Dyck. As the title implies, this book is about the power of "just showing up." I remember complimenting an attorney who did an outstanding job helping my family through a difficult situation & he replied with "80% of success is just showing up." He was being modest, as his skill and experience were vitally important, but was also telling an important truth - just consistently plugging away is also vital to success.

>20 ChrisG1: A very true message!! So I'll see you Saturday, right? LOL

>21 Berly: LOL - well played - yes, I am certainly planning on being there.

7. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. I've been meaning to read this extremely popular fantasy novel for quite awhile & finally got to it. Not hard to see why it's popular - it's a darn good story well told. Not sure I'll continue with it soon, since volume 2 is over 1100 pages & volume 3 has been overdue for years. We'll see.

Great meeting you today -- looking forward to following your reading this year.

>24 RebaRelishesReading: Likewise - I'm adding your thread to my list - we Portland area folk need to stick together...

Nice to meet you today, Chris! Hope you had good luck at Powell's.

Nice to meet you today!

>26 banjo123: Glad to meet you as well - I found a nice hardback copy of The Once and Future King. Nice to get that 30% discount!

>27 SuziQoregon: Likewise!

Jumping in with the post-meetup hello. Great to meet you.

>12 ChrisG1: Congrats on the first book of the year! I too read Lonesome Dove back in the day and really enjoyed. Never got around to hunting any other McMurtry books. I hope you enjoy the entire set in sequence.

>23 ChrisG1: I haven't read The Name of the Wind yet. I'll probably get around to it. People raved so much about Rothfuss and his debut novel that it made me a little leery. I don't think I ever recovered from the hoopla around The Bridges of Madison County versus my own opinion that it was an awful lot of purple prose and definitely overhyped and a bit of a disappointing read after all of the gushing from so many people.

Moreover, one of his most vocal proponents was a friend that I frequently butted heads with, especially when discussing books. But Rothfuss is a local Madison author, or at least southern Wisconsin author, and he's contributed to the community both publicly and behind the scenes, so definitely someone worth supporting. So I'll get to it one of these days and probably enjoy it.

>28 ChrisG1: The Once and Future King is a permanent resident of my re-read list. I wore out the paperback version years ago and the hardback is beginning to be a little shabby. Enjoy your new acquisition!

Chris--so nice to meet you yesterday!! I restrained myself and only got The Wizard of Earthsea. Thanks for saving me from getting the wrong first book in the series. Happy reading!

Another Once And Future fan here. That's a good book to have in hardcover.

8. I, Robot by Isaac Asimov. This was a reread for me - I've decided to read Asimov's entire Robot/Foundation books in his suggested sequence. I've read about half of them, spread out over decades, so I'm looking forward to the project.

January reading summary:

Books read: 8

Pages read: 3031

Longest book: The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss - 662 pgs
Shortest book: Joe Pepper by Elmer Kelton - 182 pgs

Average book length: 379 pgs

Book of the Month: Tales from Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

Dud of the month: None - it's always nice to be able to say that...

>35 ChrisG1: Nice stats, Chris and, indeed, always nice to be able to say that :)

9. The Sword in the Stone by T.H. White - A fun read, of course, and I found myself rather reliving the Disney movie in the process, and noticing how the movie deviated from the book in various ways. I lost count of how many times my kids played that VHS.

10. Stonehenge by Bernard Cornwell. Cornwell can always be relied upon for an engaging story & this is no exception. With so little actually known about it's actual history, Cornwell creates one out of whole cloth, weaving a tale of sibling rivalry, madness, primitive religion, culminating in a herculean project. Recommended.

>38 ChrisG1: Oh my, that tempts me greatly. After a solid January, these two start you off right.

>38 ChrisG1: That does sound good. I've never read anything by Cornwell. Would this be a good place to start?

>40 RebaRelishesReading: I'd say so - especially as it's a stand-alone, while most of his books are in series. If you like this one, you might try his take on the Arthur legend, "only" a 3 book series, starting with The Winter King.

>39 richardderus: I agree, Richard! It's got me ready to swing my sword a time or two...lol

>41 ChrisG1: Thanks, Chris. I've put it on my "wish list".

11. The Cause by Joseph J. Ellis. Ellis has written extensively on the American Founding era, including Founding Brothers, and biographies of Washington & Jefferson. This volume, while covering the broad outline of the war, also focuses on the ideas and motivations of the warring parties & how things came to that pass & ultimately reached the point of no return. Recommended.

Keeping current here...Okay, love Asimov; have Earthsea in my most pressing TBR pile; fond memories of Sword in the Stone, book and game; and Stonehenge sounds very interesting!! Happy Friday and keep on reading!

12. Dry Bones by Craig Johnson. I fairly flew through this one in a day & a half. Johnson's Longmire books are a pleasure to read - a fine mixture of suspense, humor & heart. Recommended.

13. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. Well, I can't remember the last time I flew through a 350 page novel in less than a day, but this was it. Quite the page turner. I won't call it "great literature," whatever that might mean to you, but it was a great piece of thriller writing & I enjoyed the ride.

Hi Chris! how is your day going?

>47 ChrisG1: Will you be sampling the Apple TV series based on it that comes out in May?
https://www.apple.com/tv-pr/originals/dark-matter/

>48 Owltherian: Excellent. Now watching the Super Bowl.

>49 richardderus: oh man! Another streaming subscription, lol...

>50 ChrisG1: I skipped watching it, whos winning? The chiefs or the 49ers

>52 Owltherian: By now, I expect you know the Chiefs won, which pleased me, I was pulling for them, since the 49er's beat my Detroit Lions the previous round...

>53 ChrisG1: Yeah, i heard Taylor Swift's bf yelled and pushed his coach tho- its kinda annoying that he thinks he's some 'celebrity' because Taylor is his gf.

>54 Owltherian: Kelce was well on his way to being a celebrity in the football world before ever he started dating Taylor (wonderful SNL appearance after winning the Super Bowl last year!) and yelling at Andy had to do with his passion for football, not for Taylor or celebrity.

>55 ronincats: Well it was annoying and everytime his team made a freaking touchdown it showed Taylor. Like nobody cares that Taylor is there to watch her freaking bf

>56 Owltherian: When it comes to Taylor Swift, everything gets blown out of proportion. In my entire (65 year) lifetime, I've only seen this level of hyper-celebrity a few times. The Beatles, Elvis, Michael Jackson, at their peaks...

>46 ChrisG1: >47 ChrisG1: Two awesome books!!! And it was an exciting Super Bowl to watch. Happy Tuesday!

>57 ChrisG1: Yeah, those three are pretty good still, even if two of them are dead, their music still lives on

14. Boy's Life by Robert R. McCammon. This was recommended by a couple of book-tubers I follow & am glad I tried it. It's a coming-of-age story that follows a year in the life of a 12 year old boy in a small Alabama town in 1964. I suspect it's semi-autobiographical. It weaves a murder mystery in with other adventures he and his friends have, some of which are outrageous exaggerations of his imagination. Highly recommended.

>57 ChrisG1: Beyonce...

>60 ChrisG1: Sounds interesting.

>57 ChrisG1: Maybe in the UK, you could add Oasis and Robbie Williams to that list.

Have a great weekend, Chris.

>56 Owltherian: Since the Chiefs only made 2 touchdowns I was able to bear it.

>60 ChrisG1: Sounds interesting, Chris.

>63 ronincats: Yeah, i honestly think the chiefs could have gone without it.

15. The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay. Is it fantasy or historical fiction? I guess it's something of a blend. There is no magic or fantastical beasts in this story. The setting is a thinly disguised version of Spain in the era of the reconquest. The main characters are representatives of Muslim, Jewish & Christian factions (shown as worshipers of the sun, moon & stars), but religion plays a secondary role. The characters are excellent, the world-building richly realized, the plot has sufficient action to drive the story. Recommended.

16. Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn. I've never been one to read books that are the "further adventures" of popular movies or TV shows, but I saw a favorable review of this decided to give it a try. I found it fairly enjoyable - it is kind of fun to revisit those familiar characters & tropes of Star Wars. This is the first of a trilogy & I expect I'll continue on.

17. Buckskin Line by Elmer Kelton. The first of his Texas Rangers series, it's something of a coming of age story, centered on Rusty Shannon, who was orphaned during a Comanche raid as a toddler & adopted by his rescuer. His adoptive father is killed during the turmoil over Texas seceding from the Union & is encouraged to join the Rangers to get him away from his desire for vengeance. Not only his own struggle for vengeance, but also on behalf of a family he encounters in his ranging, as they are similarly victimized by confederate zealots. The story also follows Buffalo Caller, who led the raid at the beginning of the book, and kidnapped, then lost young Rusty. Their fates seem intertwined & are used as a symbol for the diminishing of the Native American, as the white civilization overtakes him.

18. Film Flam by Larry McMurtry. A collection of essays, mainly relating his experiences as a screen writer, but also waxing eloquent about the movies in general. It's a mixed bag, but I can always enjoy whatever emerges from McMurtry's typewriter.

February reading summary:

Books read: 10

Pages read: 4292

Longest book: Boy's Life by Robert R. McCammon - 625 pgs
Shortest book: Film Flam by Larry McMurtry - 225 pgs
Average book length: 429 pgs

Book of the Month: Boy's Life

Dud of the month: Again managed to avoid a dud.

March reading plan:

The Caves of Steel - Isaac Asimov (Robot/Foundation sequence)
Scepters - L.E. Modesitt (Corean Chronicles)
Comanche Moon - Larry McMurtry (Lonesome Dove series)
Mystic River - Dennis Lehane
Our Man in Havana - Graham Greene
Stormbird - Conn Iggulden (Wars of the Roses #1) (War Room Challenge)
Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy

There are some chunkers in there, so I only planned for 7. I may be a little crazy putting Anna Karenina in there during tax season...

>68 ChrisG1: Film Flam by Larry McMurtry.

Okay, dead center hit with that book bullet! Just added it to my wishlist.

I think I missed Boy's Life, though I really enjoyed McCammon's Gone South and Swan Song. You can probably skip his Usher's Passing, however; it never managed to get off the ground for me. YMMV.

Your March plan is ... ambitious!

>71 LyndaInOregon: I had not previously heard of McCammon, but I do believe I'll try some of his other books.

19. The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov. This is a reread for me - I had read it decades ago & hadn't really remembered much of it. I'm going through Asimov's Robot/Foundation sequence in his suggested reading order. As a novel, it's....okay. It has the form of a murder mystery, and also speculates on a future Earth with the "unthinkable" population of 8 billion people - a level we reached in 2023 (as opposed to thousands of years in the future - the book was written in 1953). He postulated that the only way to feed that population was mass-produced yeast vats. Ah well, things often don't go as foreseen. Still, the story provides a bridge to the future universe he's building & I'm looking forward to the next installment.

20. Comanche Moon by Larry McMurtry. I'm rereading the Lonesome Dove series - this time in chronological order, rather than publication order. This is the second book, chronologically. I had only rated it 3 of 5 stars in the first reading, but enjoyed it much more the second time. It's not for the faint of heart, as he does not back off from the brutal aspects of the frontier conflicts with the plains Indians. As usual, McMurtry features quirky supporting characters who provide some comic relief. Much of the characters' backstories referred to in Lonesome Dove are fleshed out here.

>74 ChrisG1: I'm not a big fan of "western novels" so I was surprised by how much I liked Lonesome Dove when I read it a few years ago. I didn't realize, however, that it's part of a series. Interesting to know but I'll have to give some thought to whether or not I want to tackle it.

>75 RebaRelishesReading: I don't believe McMurtry had a series in mind when he wrote Lonesome Dove, but he had a tendency to want to revisit his characters & continue their stories - he did that with The Last Picture Show and Terms of Endearment as well. With none of those books is it necessary to read the sequels, but I'm a McMurtry fan-boy & will ready anything & everything he writes.

Heya Chris!

21. Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene. My first GG novel & I can see why he's so popular. No doubt, I'll pick up more in the future - very enjoyable read!

>77 Owltherian: Heya Lily!

>79 ChrisG1: How are ya?

>80 Owltherian: I'm in bachelor mode - my wife is away for the weekend. Just me and the dog (Clark). Of course, I'm working because I'm a tax accountant & it's tax season, but I still get a good amount of reading in...

>81 ChrisG1: Thats good, although working on a weekend sounds terrible.

>82 Owltherian: Not the greatest, but it's the nature of my business. I do about 80% of my work in 10 weeks, so the rest of the year, I mostly don't work. Not a bad life, really.

>83 ChrisG1: Wow, i kind of wish school was like that but in a week is Spring Break

>84 Owltherian: When my kids were growing up (they've all got kids of their own now), my wife would take the kids on a trip & I stayed behind & worked. The price of being in this business. Other times of the year worked out better.

>85 ChrisG1: Seems like the time you aren't working is happy, in which with school you don't really have much time to do anything, but i think that's the same for work.

22. Mystic River by Dennis Lehane. This was recommended to me & I vaguely recalled there was a movie based on it directed by Clint Eastwood. It's a crime/mystery novel & a heckuva good one. In fact, easily one of the best I've read. 5 star recommended.

>87 ChrisG1: That one's definitely a good one! Have you read his Joe Coughlin trilogy, starting with The Given Day? Some really good stuff.

>88 drneutron: It was my first Lehane - I expect I'll go to that series next.

23. Stormbird by Conn Iggulden. My entry into the War Room Challenge for March & the first of Iggulden's War of the Roses four part series. I've previously read Iggulden's "Emperor" series about ancient Rome & enjoyed it. Completing this volume has me eager to continue, so I'll run to the library tomorrow & get the next volume. I'm a fairly typical American in my limited knowledge of British history, so I'm glad to have this kind of entertaining outlet for it.

24. The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis. I finally got around to this - one of the few works of Lewis' fiction I hadn't read yet (I still need to read Till We Have Faces). It's basically a dream-fantasy about heaven, hell & purgatory. Lewis' insights are always provocative - I can't help but admire the way his mind works. Highly recommended.

>73 ChrisG1: We're working on the mass-produced yeast vats.

Plenty of stuff in my grocery store is labelled as some kind of meat, with "vegetable sources" in very small print. Or the name of the meat is mis-spelled, to indicate there's no actual meat in it. (e.g. "chick'n".) Or the word "Impossible" is used, which also indicates a non-meat-sourced "meat".

I guess it'll be a few more years before grains, vegetables and fruit are also replaced by "sustainably-sourced" products, and we'll be treated to similar naming conventions.

I don't know whether the (ahem) sustainable source will be yeast, or (more likely?) a genetically altered line of cells descended from some multi-cellular creature. Or when my grocery store will feature new names and loud hype for products like rat meat, as a stage on this progression.

And yes, I'd be more cheerful if I were reading this and posting later in my day.

92> There's no question in my mind that as humanity continues its unfettered and enthusiastic adherence to the "be fruitful and multiply" philosophy, there will come a time when the wasteful intermediary of domesticated meat animals will have to be discarded.

The consumption of animal flesh provides the complete protein/amino acid sequence necessary for human nutrition. Vegetarian / vegan options have to include multiple sources to get the same result. But anyone who has ever raised meat animals understands that it's a tremendously wasteful process in terms of calories in / calories out. Yes, they can convert vegetation which the human digestive system can't readily handle into the muscle mass that eventually ends up on your barbecue. But a heck of a lot of that calorie load also goes to build bone and hide and reproductive systems and internal organs that humans don't normally eat.

We're eventually going to run out of land (and water) that can be dedicated to either grazing or to the growing of feedstock for these inefficient producers of Big Macs and Chicken McNuggets. And once we have converted all non-arable land into dwelling spaces for our multitudinous species, we'll still have trouble growing vegetation of enough nutritional variety and volume to feed everyone. So it's a toss-up whether we end up with "chik'n" or with cloned muscle tissue, but I suspect that the "brave new world" will indeed have such creatures in't.

As a dedicated and enthusiastic omnivore, I am stricken with anticipatory grief.

>92 ArlieS: My goodness, that post is coming back to haunt me, lol. I'm a great deal more optimistic, perhaps influenced by recent experience, having lost 150 lbs on a meat based diet, eliminating the factory foods that have been destroying human health in recent decades. Animals aren't at all wasteful - it's the destructive mono-crop agriculture of gigantic soy/wheat/corn fields requiring ever more fertilizers to stay viable, even as they destroy topsoil. Ruminant animals restore soil & sequester carbon. The amount of land that can support ruminant animals is far, far greater than what supports row-cropping. Whatever we don't eat from animals can return to the soil - the circle of life!

25. Margaret of Anjou by Conn Iggulden. The 2nd installment of Iggulden's Wars of the Roses series. Being largely unfamiliar with this period of British history, I'm enjoying & learning quite a bit from this. Iggulden is a master of the historic fiction genre - I had previously read & appreciated his ancient Rome series.

>94 ChrisG1:
Oops, that was me who responded to your yeast-vat comment. I think I hit the "post" button instead of "reply".

Anyway, congrats on the weight loss, and particularly on kicking fake foods to the curb. (Cool Whip, anyone?)

I understand what you're saying about monoculture agriculture ... but ...
There's a huge difference between the backyard garden and the 20,000-acre cornfield, just as there's a huge difference between the backyard chicken flock and the confined feedlot for beef cattle. And I still believe that one of our potential futures as a species is one in which backyards are an unimaginable luxury and we are all living cheek-to-jowl in high rise apartment blocks and dining on Purina People Chow.

The other possibility is that we manage to stop destroying our ecosystem and get our rampant population growth under control.

I know which one I'm rooting for. But I'm also pessimistic enough to fear that things will go the other way.

Interesting discussion. Always enjoyable to swap outlooks.

>96 LyndaInOregon: I have good news for you - all of the advanced economies are already below replacement level birth rates, many are far below. And even many of the less advanced economies are, as well (but then there's Africa). Now I'll agree that 8 billion is still a lot of folks, but we are producing more than enough food now - the only cause of food insecurity at this point is political.

I do think that most of our worst agricultural practices are used because they're "cheaper," rather than "necessary to feed everyone." Most of the plans to put people on various forms of Purina People Chow (love that name) have more to do with big business profits than anything to do with human health or having enough calories for everyone.

26. Wars of the Roses: Bloodline by Conn Iggulden - 3rd book in Iggulden's series & now starting on the 4th & last one. I've enjoyed the series. Iggulden is a fine storyteller & makes learning history fun.

Have a happy Easter, folks! Our family is thankful that our (expected) premie grandson was born on Thursday at 31 weeks gestation. He stayed in there longer than the doctors expected & his lungs & kidneys are strong (the big concerns). He even managed to grow to 5 lbs 1 oz, so it's all looking hopeful!

>98 ChrisG1: Hooray for healthy lungs and kidneys! New grandbabies are exciting.

>98 ChrisG1: Wonderful news about the grandson. May he continue to thrive.

March reading summary:

Books read: 8

Pages read: 3089

Longest book: Comanche Moon by Larry McMurtry - 803 pgs
Shortest book: Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov - 204 pgs
Average book length: 386 pgs

Book of the Month: Mystic River by Dennis Lehane

Dud of the month: Again managed to avoid a dud.

April Reading Plan:

The Naked Sun - Isaac Asimov
Badger Boy - Elmer Kelton
Thieves World - Robert Asperin
A Psalm for the Wild-Built - Becky Chambers
Way Station - Clifford Simak
For Whom the Bell Tolls - Ernest Hemingway
The Forgetting Moon - Brian Lee Durfey
More than Human - Theodore Sturgeon
The French Wars of Religion - R.J. Knecht
Ravenspur by Conn Iggulden

27. Ravenspur by Conn Iggulden. Once I read the first book of Iggulden's Wars of the Roses series, I knew I had to read them through.

>102 ChrisG1: You make reading plans? So unlike me. I just kinda stumble around. Your list includes some real blasts from the past. I used to love Thieves' World and collected a bunch of the books. I read Way Station much later in life as part of my Hugo best novel reading goal and enjoyed. Hadn't known a science fiction story had ever been set in Wisconsin, and in the Driftless Area at that!

Heh. I just looked a little further up and saw your discussion of agricultural practices and the future. My local bookstore hosted an urban farming discussion last month with A Small Farm Future by Chris Smaje intended as a starting point for discussion. Food insecurity and hunger are absolutely the result of policies and politics rather than an insufficiency of food--from the emerging famine in Gaza to the food apartheid in American cities. Large-scale resource-intensive monocultures are hugely problematic, and farm animals are definitely part of a closed-loop agricultural system, but large-scale meat production is at least as resource-intensive and hella lot more cruel than plant crops.

Science fiction dystopias love to visualize humans living in some sort of artificial environment living on some sort of artificial food because overpopulation! That just shows the profound cultural disconnect with our environment, which is actually what continues to sustain us and all the other life on the planet. I mean, I love The Terminator movies, but where were all the plants and animals and other organisms that sustain ecological systems? The oxygen in our atmosphere is a direct result of microbial processes and all that.

>105 justchris: Well, I don't always stick to the plan...

I totally agree with your observations on agricultural practices, with a slight exception that I'm more optimistic about the potential for regenerative animal farming to produce meat on a large scale, although not at as low a cost, which is driving the shift toward feedlot models & other harmful mega-concentrated methods.

Congrats on the new grandbaby!

Nothing to add on the agriculture discussion, but if anyone is interested in urban farming (with meat!) I recommend Farm City by Novella Carpenter

28. Badger Boy by Elmer Kelton. 2nd installment in the Texas Rangers series. The title character was a kidnapped white boy raised by the Comanches. The kidnapping episode occurred in book 1, and the storyline involving him really only gets going in the back third of the novel. Kelton serves up solid western fare & I find it to be a good change of pace when I want a lighter read.

Congrats on the new grandbaby! And on the significant weight loss. Sending you good wishes for tax season. : )

>109 Berly: One week to go! Heeeeeeelllllppppp!!!! (lol)

Helped my daughter with her taxes yesterday. Have to finish my own. Ugh!!

Sending help...



or maybe this?

>111 Berly: Ha! Save the wine until after the deadline - but the lifejacket, for sure!

Fair enough!! LOL

Congratulations, Chris.

>114 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul - my quiver is full. We're up to half a dozen grandchildren. I hold out hope for one more.

29. The Naked Sun by Isaac Asimov. Finished this last week - not sure why I didn't post it. The second of Asimov's Robot novels following on his short story collection I, Robot. The human/robot detective duo solve a case in the outer worlds after their success on earth. Asimov enjoyed testing the implications of the Three Laws of Robotics and how they might play out. Not all of it ages well, but I still enjoy it.

30. Thieves' World Ed. by Robert Asprin. This was a fun blast from the past. Published in 1978, I was in college when this came out & I read it then. I don't believe I got around to reading any of the follow ups, but they're all available on Kindle Unlimited, so I'll be picking these up every month or two for as long as I enjoy them.

31. The French Wars of Religion by R.J. Knecht. This book is a handy little summary of the basic events and background of the period. Essentially, the spread of Calvinism in France caused alarm among the powerful in France, being seen as a threat to the Catholic Church and the divine right of kings. Civil wars are nasty things, regardless of what motivates them.

32. Way Station by Clifford D. Simak. A Hugo Award winning sci-fi classic. Unlike most of the science fiction of that era, the prose is graceful & even at times poetic. It expresses the anxieties of the early nuclear age & brings forth a hopeful conclusion. Recommended.

33. A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers. I've seen a fair amount of positive attention given to this book & thought I'd give it a try. It was...okay. I'll confess I'm one of those who finds the use of the "they/them" pro-nouns to be cringey. My issue, I know. The novella length usually lends itself to doing more with the smaller amount of words, but she didn't. It felt like there just wasn't much there.

34. For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway. This was a mixed bag for me. Hemingway's work hasn't aged well. War, bullfighting & other manly pursuits of his era are no longer in favor, largely for good reason. Still, the man could spin a yarn. I got a kick out of his wording choices with regard to swearing - he used substitute words, which just seems quaint today. No doubt he was catering to the ethos of his time.

>120 ChrisG1: You're not alone in your discomfort with they/them pronouns. For me, I suspect it's less a problem with acknowledging gender fluidity than it is overcoming 79 years of listening to, being encouraged to use, and passing to my offspring the necessity of using "correct" grammar.

Yes, English is a fluid language yadyadyada. And in my head, I understand that they/them is a form of respectful address or reference. But my back teeth respond to "They is looking very happy today" with precisely the same ache that is brought forth by "I seen that car here yesterday" or "If your reading this, your to close." I suppose in 50 years or so, the usage of they/them will be as unremarkable as the usage of current gender-specific pronouns, and it will certainly outlive me.

But if they/them is passing through a graveyard 50 years from now and hears a rumbling from below, it's probably us rolling in our grave.

>122 LyndaInOregon: It will be interesting to see where that all heads - at 65 y/o, I may not see it. But I'm a bit skeptical. It seems to me there is an attempt to force this language change by ideological decree by a small minority of interested parties, rather than being anything organic with society. I consider the attempt to normalize the term "Latinx" - it went nowhere & now theyre trying "Latine", which may have a better chance.

Just got home from total knee replacement surgery. This is my second - had the other knee replaced last November. The first one was wonderfully successful & I'm optimistic about this one, too - the surgeon said it went perfectly.

Healing Mojo coming at ya'!

35. More Than Human by Theodore Sturgeon. A fine example of the kind of thoughtful, dense, idea-driven science fiction of the classic era. Although short, it's not an easy read - he makes you work for it. Whenever I thought I had a handle on the story, he shifted gears & I had to reorient. I don't do spoilers & it would be hard to say much about this book without them. Recommended.

>125 LyndaInOregon: Thanks, Linda!

>124 ChrisG1: YAY for the end of the surgeries, whammys for quick and complete healing.

>128 richardderus: Thanks, Richard - so far, so good!

>126 ChrisG1: Sadly, Sturgeon doesn't have the name recognition of Asimov, Clarke, and Heinlein, though IMHO his stuff is every bit as good, and often better, particularly when dealing with characterization.

And if he did nothing else, he left us with Sturgeon's Law. :-)

Hope your healing is going well!

36. Kabumpo in Oz by Ruth Plumly Thompson. The first book in the Oz canon written entirely by Thompson. It's a nice little tale that follows Baum's conventions of including the standard cast, but adding new characters & locations. Definitely a niche book, but I grew up on these.

>122 LyndaInOregon: I can't say I've heard anyone use "they is" rather than "they are" construction when using they/them pronouns for individuals. But I have seen "they is" construction when representing some English dialects and patois in written dialogue, right up there with "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby." It may sound wrong to people unfamiliar with those vernaculars, but it is valid.

>123 ChrisG1: I can see how it can come across as some sort of "ideological decree" by a small minority, given that queer folks represent about 5.5% of the adult US population, and nonbinary (or genderfluid) only 11% of that smaller population (or 0.6% of overall population). As a comparison,

April reading summary:

Books read: 10

Pages read: 2882

Longest book: For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway - 471 pgs
Shortest book: A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers -151 pgs
Average book length: 288 pgs

Book of the Month: Way Station by Clifford D. Simak

Dud of the month: A Psalm for the Wild-Built - not a terrible book, but it just didn't work for me.

May 2024 Reading Plan

The Way of the Coyote - Elmer Kelton
Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurtry
The Robots of Dawn - Isaac Asimov
Tales from the Vulgar Unicorn - Ed. by Robert Asprin
Small Things Like These - Claire Keegan
Axis - Robert Charles Wilson
The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian - Robert E. Howard
His Majesty’s Dragon - Naomi Novik (War Room)
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain

>135 ChrisG1: I'm so impressed that you have a "reading plan". My reading plan is ... whatever LTER I happen to win plus the next half-dozen books at the top of my TBR stack plus anything else that happens to grab my attention LOOK! Squirrel!

(Easily distracted? Who -- me?)

>136 LyndaInOregon: I definitely don't tie myself too tightly to the plan, but it does give me an opportunity to line things up - especially making my library holds.

37. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan. I chose this little gem of a novella having found it on Paul Cranswick's top 15 list. It's remarkable how much could be told in a relatively small tale taking place in an Irish village in the winter of 1986. Thanks for the recommendation, Paul!

38. The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian by Robert E. Howard. In my youth, I had read the Conan books that included stories by L. Sprague de Camp & Lin Carter, in addition to Howards. This book collects only Howard stories. It's a quality edition put out by Del Rey illustrated by Mark Schultz. Recommended for those who enjoy this kind of thing.

>136 LyndaInOregon: I'm right there with you. As soon as I develop a reading plan, I go right off the rails, so I've largely given up on planning. I'm always impressed with people who are able to develop and follow a plan.

39. The Way of the Coyote by Elmer Kelton. Third in Kelton's Texas Rangers series, he always provides a solid western tale. A recurring theme of boys who are kidnapped by Comanches, some rescued, another who stays with them for years & thinks of himself as Comanche, but ends up leaving to live in Texas society again.

I think making a reading plan sounds like a great idea. I do it "light" by keeping three levels of "TBR" -- one is in plastic bins in the garage (someday), the next is a stack next to my desk (sometime soon) and the third is on a table by "my" chair (next up) -- of course things do get moved from one place to another sometimes :)

40. The Robots of Dawn by Isaac Asimov. Continuing through Asimov's Robot/Foundation sequence. It's the last of the Elijah Baley detective stories. He enjoyed exploring the implications of robots on human societies.

41. His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik. The Napoleonic Wars....with dragons. Yep, this could have been done campy, but the author handled it more straightforwardly & wove an enjoyable, entertaining story.

>144 ChrisG1: A favorite of mine! The series gets into the weeds somewhat in later books, but I still enjoyed the whole thing.

42. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. I believe this is my 4th reading & loved it as much or more than ever. I've been reading this series in chronological order for the first time, previously in publication order. If you had to press me to choose the "Great American Novel," this would be it.

I was surprised to like Lonesome Dove when I read it years ago (I don't generally like "westerns") but I didn't realize it was part of a series. hmmmm

>147 RebaRelishesReading: McMurtry had a tendency to revisit his characters in certain novels. For example, over the years, he wrote several follow-ups to "The Last Picture Show". He first wrote a sequel to Lonesome Dove called Streets of Laredo and later followed up with 2 prequels - Dead Man's Walk and Comanche Moon which chronicled Gus and Call's younger days as Texas Rangers. I consider Lonesome Dove his masterpiece, but the other 3 are excellent, as well.

>148 ChrisG1: My TBR stack is already much to high but you are tempting me to return to Mr. McMurtry. I'll keep it in mind.

43. Sharpe's Command by Bernard Cornwell. The latest installment in Cornwell's longest series. He takes us to 1812 and the beginnings of Wellington's move from Portugal to Spain, with Sharpe (as always) doing the dirty work.

44. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. This is actually the first time I'd gotten around to reading this. I enjoyed the Norman Rockwell illustrations of this 1942 Heritage Press edition. As I always do, I find the use of heavy dialect to be a distraction, but understand it's use.

45. The War Hound and the World's Pain by Michael Moorcock. Moorcock is known for his various SFF series' which feature various manifestations of "The Eternal Champion. Decades ago, I had read his popular "Elric of Melnibone" series and also the Corum books, which I enjoyed. This one takes the reader to our Earth during the 30 Years War, applying his "battle between Law & Chaos" thru God & Lucifer.

46. The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly. Very well executed legal/crime thriller - an entertaining read.

Lonesome Dove was so good, but I haven't read anything else by McMurtry I should try.

47. Tales From the Vulgar Unicorn Edited by Robert Asperin & Lynn Abbey. This is volume 2 of their "shared world anthology" series of Thieves' World. I'm not sure how far I'm going to go with this, but will definitely go to the 3rd one, perhaps in July.

>155 ChrisG1: I used to have the series up through The Dead of Winter. Any favorites among the recurring characters?

May reading summary:

Books read: 11

Pages read: 4268

Longest book: Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurtry - 960 pgs
Shortest book: Small Things Like These - Claire Keegan - 70 pgs
Average book length: 388 pgs

Book of the Month: Small Things Like These (Lonesome Dove doesn't count as it's a reread)

Dud of the month: None

June 2024 Reading Plan

Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett
Robots and Empire - Isaac Asimov
Ranger’s Trail - Elmer Kelton
The City in the Autumn Stars - Michael Moorcock
The Bleeding Land - Giles Kristian
The Brass Verdict - Michael Connelly
Howards End - E.M. Forster
The Amateur Marriage - Anne Tyler
The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order - Gary Gerstle

48. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. You wouldn't think that a historical novel set in 12th century England about the building of a cathedral of 973 pages would be a great read, but Follett manages it, as only he could. Engaging characters, political & religious conflict, love & hate - he brings it all & I'm glad I finally got around to reading it.

>159 ChrisG1: Ooh! I really enjoyed that one when I read it back in the day. Glad you liked it too.

49. The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order by Gary Gerstle. A mixed bag review for me. The author presents an interesting thesis, wherein he first describes how the New Deal rose as a political order, how it declined & ultimately gave way to what he calls "the Neoliberal Order." A great deal of the content consists of breezy accounts of the last 100 years of (mostly) American history. After awhile, I began to skim these, as it was clear he had nothing original to say in these accounts. He used it to buttress his thesis, however, mostly successfully. He drew an interesting parallel between the Eisenhower & Clinton presidencies, in which he asserted that they each accepted & furthered the political orders that had been established by the opposing parties before them. He then chronicled the decline of the New Deal order through Vietnam, Watergate & the troubled economy of the 70's, which enabled Ronald Reagan to push for a "neoliberal" order. I should also credit him with noticing that the deregulation that Reagan was famous for was actually preceded by significant deregulation by the Carter Administration - in transportation & Oil pricing controls. Lastly, he chronicled the stresses that appear to presage the end of the Neoliberal Order - notably the Financial Crisis/Great Recession of 2008-9, the election of the first Black president, the increase in income & wealth inequality & the election of Donald Trump. There is indeed an increase of illiberalism on both the populist Right & Left. To me, it remains to be seen whether these trends will ultimately overturn the Neoliberal Order, or whether we will simply see more modest reforms. If it is overturned, Gerstle gave no insight as to what new political order would replace it.

50. Howards End by E.M. Forster. This is my first Forster book & I found it quite worthwhile. Interesting to see a portrayal of strong independent young women in pre-WWI England. His prose style could get a bit flowery at times, but I was impressed with his ability to bring the full cast of characters to life. Recommended.

51. Ranger's Trail by Elmer Kelton. Another solid episode in the Texas Rangers series. Poor Rusty, the epitome of "unlucky in love."

I was just listening to a podcast where they praised Pillars of the Earth, and so was thinking of reading it.

Hope you are having a great weekend.

52. Robots and Empire by Isaac Asimov. Continuing on Asimov's Robot/Foundation sequence & the last of the stories featuring Elijah Bailey, the Lady Gladia, and R. Daneel Olivaw. Next will come a few books that feature the nascent Trantorian Empire which lead, eventually, to the famed Foundation Trilogy. I'm enjoying the ride through some classic sci-fi.

53. The Bleeding Land by Giles Kristian. Set during the British Civil War, it centers on a family caught up in the war. A solid bit of historical fiction with vivid battle sequences. It's the first book of an unfinished trilogy.

Hopelessly behind but I skimmed. I also respect the idea behind they/them and have a hard time with the grammar shift. Also, it is easier for me to use when I meet someone who prefers this rather than someone I have known who shifts. Doing my best. Hope the knee is recovering well. I have that in my future, but I am trying to stall until at least a year from now and after my TKD Master's test next year. Fingers crossed. Congrats on #53 already!!

54. The City in the Autumn Stars by Michael Moorcock. The second of his Von Bek novels, which I'm using as the starting point for reading through his "Eternal Champion" works. I liked the first one better - this one, although not really very long, "felt" long, as it dragged us through a seemingly endless series of events to get to the rather gruesome climax.

55. Titanium Noir by Nick Harkaway. I enjoyed this one quite a bit. A combination of noir detective story and near-future sci-fi. It was well plotted, with plenty of twists & turns & interesting characters. Recommended.

56. The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly. The 2nd installment in Connelly's "Lincoln Lawyer" series. This book delivers exactly what you're looking for in a legal/crime thriller. Very well executed & recommended to those who like such books.

57. The Whale Road by Robert Low. Was recommended by a book-tuber I follow & I did enjoy it. A bloody Viking adventure tale, the first of a series, although it works well as a stand-alone.

58. The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay. The first book in his Fionavar Tapestry trilogy. Kay was obviously inspired by Tolkien's LOTR and attempted a story of similar epic scope. I'd call it a partial success. This was Kay's first novel, written when he was 30 & it shows. It is, in many ways, a bit of a mess. But because of his talent, it's a rather glorious mess. I'll stick to generalities to avoid spoilers, but matters develop quickly & characters are thrown into unlikely (even for a fantasy) situations & adapt ridiculously fast. The prose can seem a bit overwrought. But, as a first novel, you can certainly see the seeds of the better writer he becomes. And there is plenty to like, even so. I'll certainly continue with the trilogy & expect to read more of Kay's works.

June reading summary:

Books read: 10

Pages read: 4217

Longest book: Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett - 976 pgs
Shortest book: Titanium Noir - Nick Harkaway - 236 pgs
Average book length: 422 pgs

Book of the Month: Pillars of the Earth

Dud of the month: Always nice to have a month with zero duds.

July 2024 Reading Plan

Lancelot - Giles Kristian
The Currents of Space - Isaac Asimov
The Streets of Laredo - Larry McMurtry
Other Men’s Horses - Elmer Kelton
The Eternal Champion - Michael Moorcock
The Orenda - Joseph Boyden
All the Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr
The Bloody Crown of Conan Robert E. Howard
Malice - John Gwynne

59. The Streets of Laredo by Larry McMurtry - This finishes my chronological reread of his Lonesome Dove books. I had originally read them as they came out. This is the lone "sequel," as the other follow-ups were prequels. All 4 are excellent, but Lonesome Dove is still the masterpiece.

>175 ChrisG1: I read Lonesome Dove because I was challenging myself to read all of the Pulitzer winners. I didn't expect to like it because "it was a western" but turned out I liked it a lot. You're making me think I should return to McMurtry and read the entire series.

>176 RebaRelishesReading: I've read probably 80% of McMurtry's fiction now - he's one of my favorite authors. He's particularly good with vivid, if quirky, characters. You might want to try Terms of Endearment for a more contemporary story, as well.

>177 ChrisG1:
Interesting suggestion for Reba. I might have gone with Leaving Cheyenne, which is set in a Western milieu, but in the mid-20th century, or even Boone's Lick, which is more traditionally "western", being set in the post-Civil War era, but which is reminiscent of some of Mark Twain's work, with its understated humor and wry look at human nature.

Oddly enough, Terms of Endearment was a DNF for me. (We all have different tastes!) The character of Aurora was even more obnoxious in the book then in the film, and I just didn't want to spend enough time in her company to see if she ever came around to that "GIVE MY DAUGHTER THE SHOT" moment.

No quibble over the Lonesome Dove series, though! I read through it about 5 years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it.

>178 LyndaInOregon: Boone's Lick is one I haven't gotten to yet, but I will (since I intend to read his entire catalogue...).

Thanks for the suggestions Christ and Lynda. I think I would prefer to try the rest of the Lonesome Dove series first. Perhaps sometime this summer :)

60. The Currents of Space by Isaac Asimov. Continuing through Asimov's Robot/Foundation sequence, this story moves beyond the Robot stories & brings us into the time of the expansion of the Trantorian imperial expansion.

61. Texas Vendetta by Elmer Kelton. The 5th installment in his Texas Rangers series, the primary character has moved on to Andy Pickard, whose assignment puts him in the middle of a vicious interfamily feud. I've enjoyed this series & Kelton's storytelling.

62. The Eternal Champion by Michael Moorcock. One of numerous stories of Moorcock's heroic adventures. In this, he conceptualizes his hero as one of many manifestations of "The Eternal Champion" who lives unlimited lives, always fighting, rarely resting. All his other heroes are simply the champion in another body, location and time. Definitely has the feel of myth. Don't expect deep characterization, but Moorcock does use it to express his view of humankind, which is not optimistic.

63. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. Easily one of the best books of the year so far, just a terrific novel.

>184 ChrisG1: Okay, you convinced me. I just ordered All the Light We Cannot See from my swap group.

>185 LyndaInOregon: Lol - don't take my word for it - take the Pulitzer Prize people's word... ;)

So yesterday I went to Powell's Books with a small box of books to trade in. They gave me $43 in store trade, which I promptly spent, of course. I'm not a book addict - honest!

>187 ChrisG1: We're not addicts. We can quit any time.

(Sure.)

64. Lancelot by Giles Kristian. This rendition of the Arthurian legends is unique in that it uses Lancelot as the sole POV character, starting with his childhood. It's more of an historical fiction style novel, with the "magical" elements rooted in the druidism and other folk magic of it's time. Kristian's prose is often poetic & while there are certainly battles to be fought, the primary focus is on the characters. Highly recommended.

>189 ChrisG1: That's now on my Wish List!

>190 LyndaInOregon: I hope you like it - my own TBR list grows by seeing folks' reviews/reactions to their reading, too. It grows faster than I can read, lol...

>191 ChrisG1: "grows faster than I can read" -- boy is that a familiar story 🙀

65. The People of the Black Circle by Robert E. Howard. A novella-length story of Conan involving kidnapping a queen, battling mysterious sorcerers and other daring-do. A pleasant romp, if you like that sort of thing.

66. True Grit by Charles Portis. Of course, I was aware of both of the movies based on this short novel & recently had the book highly recommended to me. What a pleasant surprise. This can truly be called a modern classic. It's a short novel - I finished it in 24 hours - written in the style of a memoir by an old woman recounting an adventure when she was 14. Humorous, exciting, engaging, everything I like. While this is considered his best, I will definitely seek out other books by Portis.

67. The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown. A debut novel, and a delightful surprise. The protagonist comes into possession of a magical book - "the Book of Doors" - for which every door can become any door (and even at any time). Of course, such a book is desired by people who want it for evil & here we go! Recommended.

>187 ChrisG1: Of course not.

68. The Wolf Sea by Robert Low. The second of the author's tales of The Oathsworn - a group of Vikings led by Orm, the Bear slayer. Having made their way south through Slav lands in the first book, in pursuit of the legendary treasure of Atila, they continue into Constantinople & ultimately into the Holy Land. Vikings in the Middle East? What could be better? Yes, there's even a battle on Masada, because why not? Recommended for those that like this sort of thing...

69. Waylander by David Gemmell. This is my first Gemmell novel & chronologically, the first of his Drenai stories. Solid fantasy adventure fare & recommended for those who enjoy that.

70. The Wandering Fire by Guy Gavriel Kay. The second volume of his Frionavar Tapestry trilogy, also Kay's first published work & it shows. I passed the halfway mark on this volume & just decided I didn't care about it. His later work is much better & I'll focus on that.

July reading summary:

Books read: 12

Pages read: 4196

Longest book: Lancelot - Giles Kristian - 635 pgs
Shortest book: People of the Black Circle - 149 pgs
Average book length: 350 pgs

Book of the Month: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - good month, I had 4 books starred as possible BOTM choices

Dud of the month: The Wandering Fire by GGK

August Reading Plan:

Jericho’s Road - Elmer Kelton
Dark Frontier - Matthew Harffy
The Other Wind - Ursula K LeGuin
The Colonel & Little Missy - Larry McMurtry
Dark Force Rising - Timothy Zahn
The Dragon in the Sword - Michael Moorcock
The Stars, Like Dust - Isaac Asimov
Band of Brothers - Stephen Ambrose

71. The Stars, Like Dust by Isaac Asimov. Continuing his Robot/Foundation sequence. I don't see any connection to the series here, but perhaps it will come together in the next volume.

72. Dark Frontier by Matthew Harffy. This is the first western by Harffy, whose previous novels have been set in dark ages Britain. The story is about an Englishman who travels to eastern Oregon to help his old army buddy. He arrives to find him dead, apparently the victim of a land war between sheep ranchers & cattle ranchers. Very well written, compelling story - highly recommended.

73. The Other Wind by Ursula K. Le Guin. The final installment in the Earthsea Cycle. Le Guin brought her fantasy world full circle, and in the process shined new light on all that came before. Until this last year, I had only read the original trilogy, but I can heartily recommend the later installments.

74. Jericho's Road by Elmer Kelton. 6th installment of his Texas Rangers series. This one moves in the Rio Grande border wars. A compelling conflict is set up & resolved & the hero leaves the rangers to marry his gal. Seems like the end of the series, but apparently not. I'll find out next month in #7.

75. Dark Force Rising by Timothy Zahn. The second in Zahn's Star Wars "Thrawn" trilogy. A decent light read providing fans the opportunity to share adventures with their beloved OG Star Wars characters.

Congrats on hitting the goal!

76. Hadji Murad by Leo Tolstoy. An interesting little novella set in Chechnya. Unfortunately, the library copy was of poor quality - one of those "print-on-demand" affairs - poorly edited & loaded with typos. Still, it's Tolstoy, a slice of life & death in the Russian conquest of the Caucasus.

Well done Chris on passing 75 books already. I hope I won't be too far behind you!

77. The Reversal by Michael Connelly. The third installment of his Lincoln Lawyer series, although it really switched back & forth in viewpoint between Haller and Bosch. As always, a well executed crime story - there are few who do it better than Connelly.

78. Band of Brothers by Stephen E. Ambrose. This is my War Room Challenge book of the month. I generally read one chapter per day - 19 in all - each representing an episode or battle, following Easy Company of the 506th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division during WWII. Starting with their assembly, training, first in the US, then in England. They participated in D-Day as advance, behind the lines disruptors. They engaged in the defense of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. They had a high casualty rate & the roster changed as new substitute troops were added in. It's remarkable to read what they went through. The final chapter briefly goes through their lives & careers after the war. I'm told the Steven Spielberg documentary series is even better, which is high praise. I've seen snippets of it, but now I'm determined to watch the whole thing.

>211 ChrisG1: I read that several years ago and enjoyed it. Don't really remember many of the details at this point though -- probably should at least skim through it again.

79. The Colonel and Little Missie by Larry McMurtry. Yes, McMurtry also wrote non-fiction, this book about the superstardom of Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley, although trying to sort out the fact from the fiction comprised the greatest task of the book.

80. The Book That Wouldn't Burn by Mark Lawrence. I read a lot of fantasy in the 70's-90's & decided I need to catch up on more recent works in this genre. I'm glad I stumbled upon this one. It's highly original, while hitting upon classic themes. The first book of a trilogy (only the 2nd book is out, so not yet completed). But it works as a standalone. Recommended!

81. Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger. Krueger is known primarily as a crime fiction writer, especially for his Cork O'Connor mystery series. This book is a departure, a coming of age story of a 13 year old boy during the summer of 1961 in rural Minnesota. That said, there is a crime story as well, along with family drama, small town dynamics, and racial tensions with local Sioux. The boy's father is a Methodist minister who carries emotional scars from his service in WWII. This is truly exceptional story telling, and at times very emotional. Highly recommended.

82. Orbitsville by Bob Shaw. A vintage bit of sci-fi from 1975, it tells of the discovery of a Dyson sphere in another solar system, seemingly empty except for endless rolling plains, 320 million kilometers in diameter. The protagonist discovered it while escaping from Earth's wealthiest & most powerful capitalist. But the discovery simply draws all the more attention. Some interesting ideas explored, although the human story was fairly ordinary.

August reading summary:

Books read: 12

Pages read: 3998

Longest book: The Book That Wouldn't Burn - Mark Lawrence - 559 pgs
Shortest book: Hadji Murad - Leo Tolstoy - 100 pgs
Average book length: 333 pgs

Book of the Month: Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger

Dud of the month: None

September 2024 Reading Plan

An Obvious Fact - Craig Johnson
Up on the Woof Top - Spencer Quinn
Camelot - Giles Kristian
Pebble in the Sky - Isaac Asimov
Hard Trail to Follow - Elmer Kelton
Telegraph Days - Larry McMurtry
Rebel - Bernard Cornwell
The October Country - Ray Bradbury
Malice - John Gwynne

83. An Obvious Fact by Craig Johnson - #12 in Johnson's popular Longmire mystery series. The title derives from a Sherlock Holmes quote - "There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact." Sheriff Longmire's friend Henry Standing Bear brings along Walt's copy of The Annotated Sherlock Holmes and, somehow in the midst of a few extremely event-filled days with crimes & dead bodies, etc..., Henry has read enough of it to have a Holmes quote appropriate to several situations in the story. Unlikely, but amusing. I've enjoyed this series & will continue with it. Recommended.

84. Hard Trail to Follow by Elmer Kelton - #7 in his Texas Rangers series. Another solid Western story - I've enjoyed following this group of characters. Just a couple more to go.

Hope you'll be able to make it to the meetup when Roni is here. 9/21. I'll post on the Oregon Meetups thread.

>221 RebaRelishesReading: I wish I could - my choral group is having an all-weekend retreat with a coach.

>222 ChrisG1: I'm sorry you won't be there too but an all-weekend choral retreat sounds great! Have fun!!

85. Up on the Woof Top by Spencer Quinn. #14 in the "Chet & Bernie" mystery series. As always, very entertaining.

86. The Killing of a President by Robert J. Groden. This book was recommended to me by a friend who is admittedly a "JFK assassination conspiracy" buff. It's loaded with hundreds of photos, diagrams & drawings and appears impressive, if you take the author's assertions at face value.

I've always been suspicious of the Warren Report version of the story, but if there truly was a conspiracy, I'd say it was successful & we'll never really know what happened.

87. Pebbles in the Sky by Isaac Asimov. This was Asimov's first published novel (1950) and it shows. Some of it is eye-rollingly bad. It is set squarely in the middle, chronologically, of his Robot/Empire/Foundation sequence. Worth reading only if you're working through this sequence, as I am.

>226 ChrisG1: I was talking about Science Fiction of that era with one of the lawyers who represents us in some of our dispute matters only yesterday and we discussed in particular John Wyndham's The Day of the Triffids. He said that is his absolute favourite Sci-Fi book and I was close to agreeing with him.

Have a great weekend by the way, Chris.

>227 PaulCranswick: Surprisingly, I've not yet read any of John Wyndham's work, but am interested in getting to it...my ever growing TBR list...

88. Rebel by Bernard Cornwell. I've read all of Cornwell's other series, so it was time to get to this one. His story telling and battle scenes are top-notch as usual.

>229 ChrisG1: I may try to read / re-read something of his next month.

89. Malice by John Gwynne (my goodness, there are a LOT of books with that title). The first of a 4 volume epic fantasy with roots in Norse & Anglo-Saxon mythology. It's definitely scratched my itch for escapist adventure. Rather than following the remaining September reading plan, I'm continuing with the series.

>229 ChrisG1: Let me know, Chris, if you fancy any shared read of anything by John Wyndham.

>233 PaulCranswick: That sounds like a great idea, Paul - is there one you'd particularly want to read? Any will be my first, so...

90. Valour by John Gwynne. Volume 2 of The Faithful and the Fallen, an epic scale heroic fantasy. Gwynne pushes all the right buttons for this genre & I'm enjoying it quite a bit.

September reading summary:

Books read: 8

Pages read: 3299

Longest book: Valour - John Gwynne - 646 pgs
Shortest book: The Killing of a President - 240 pgs
Average book length: 412 pgs

Book of the Month: Malice - John Gwynne

Dud of the month: None

October 2024 Reading Plan

A Canticle for Liebowitz - Walter M. Miller
Ruin - John Gwynne
Wrath - John Gwynne
Prelude to Foundation - Isaac Asimov
Other Men’s Horses - Elmer Kelton
The October Country - Ray Bradbury
Sailing to Sarantium - Guy Gavriel Kay
Copperhead - Bernard Cornwell

91. Ruin by John Gwynne, volume 3 of his epic fantasy series: The Faithful and the Fallen, ends with a cliff-hanger & yes, I'm going straight to the 4th & volume next.

92. Wrath by John Gwynne. The 4th & final volume of Gwynne's "The Faithful & the Fallen" saga. When a book series is essentially one giant novel in multiple volumes, I tend to read them consecutively, as it's too easy (for me) to lose the thread of the story & forget the names & places if there's too much of a gap between volumes.

Overall, I enjoyed this series. From what I gather, Gwynne adapted bedtime stories he had told to his children. They had convinced him to write it up & it worked out well. The saga ends up being about 2700 pages & took me almost 4 weeks. If you're a fan of epic fantasy, I can recommend this as a solid entry in the genre.

93. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. Is it a novel or a short story collection? Answer: Yes. The stories are intertwined, sharing a cast of characters, revolving around a unit that served together in Viet Nam. O'Brien is a terrific prose stylist & storyteller. It's written in the form of a memoir & draws on his experiences as a soldier - it feels real. Quite a contrast to Band of Brothers in tone, as in WWII, there was a sense of fighting for a worthy cause, making the sacrifices worthwhile. But with Viet Nam, the worthiness of the cause was far less clear & the sacrifices went largely unappreciated.

>240 ChrisG1: I just recently read this. It had been sitting on my shelves for quite a while. I think I would have appreciated it more if I had had more personal experience with the Vietnam war. I was a kid, so remember the news coverage and protests really well, but didn't know anyone who served.

>241 banjo123: I know what you mean. I was 16 when the war ended, so getting drafted was never an issue.

94. Other Men's Horses by Elmer Kelton. The 8th installment in his Texas Rangers series, just one more to go. I've enjoyed the series for what it is, light adventure in the old west.

95. Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov. This prequel to the Foundation Trilogy provides a bridge from the Robot/Empire novels, cleverly done & an enjoyable read.

Popping in to say Hi! : )

96. Sailing to Sarantium by Guy Gavriel Kay. This is a prime example of the sub-genre "Historical Fantasy" - a fantasy novel written in the manner of historical fiction. In many of Kay's novels, including this one, he bases his fantasy setting on actual history, in this case his "Sarantium" is based on ancient Byzantium, in the 6th Century. Beautifully written, engaging & compelling characters, this is Kay at his absolute best. I liked it so much, I changed my planned reading schedule to dive straight into the sequel.

97. Lord of Emperors by Guy Gavriel Kay. The closing book of his Sarantium Mosaic duology. The duology is essentially a long novel in two volumes & is easily one of my favorite reads of the year. Kay's writing is superb, the characters, plot, world-building - quite frankly all of it was top notch. I don't do spoilers, so my advice is simply: if this sort of book is anywhere near your wheelhouse, read it!

98. The October Country by Ray Bradbury. I've been participating in the group read of this short story collection over the last 2 months - it's been a fun experience. It's a collection of the spooky, weird, odd, & uncanny. I always find Bradbury's prose to be a pleasure to read, even if the story doesn't quite hit.

99. Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane. It's 1974 in Boston. A federal judge has mandated busing to integrate Boston's schools. This serves as a backdrop to a story of a mother searching for her missing daughter. The writing is sharp & intense, and effectively captures the culture of a poor Irish neighborhood during a period of tumultuous change. Highly recommended.

October reading summary:

Books read: 9

Pages read: 4026

Longest book: Ruin - John Gwynne - 746 pgs
Shortest book: The Things They Carried - Tim O'Brien - 246 pgs
Average book length: 447 pgs

Book of the Month: Small Mercies Dennis Lehane
Dud of the month: None

November 2024 Reading Plan

Texas Standoff - Elmer Kelton
Forward the Foundation - Isaac Asimov
All Quiet on the Western Front - Erich Maria Remarque
The Daughter’s War - Christopher Buehlman
Copperhead - Bernard Cornwell
The Cowardly Lion of Oz - Ruth Plumy Thompson
Jade City - Fonda Lee
The Way of Edan - Philip Chase

100. The Daughters' War by Christopher Buehlman. This is very much in the "grimdark fantasy" genre. There is much to like about Buehlman's writing chops, but I can't say I loved the story. There was just too little to lift up the overall darkness of the world he created for me.

101. Copperhead by Bernard Cornwell. Second in his Nathan Starbuck series of Civil War stories. I don't believe I'll continue to the last 2 volumes. It's OK, but nothing special.

102. Forward the Foundation by Isaac Asimov. This novel fills in the gaps leading up to the story of the original Foundation Trilogy, telling how Hari Seldon developed psychohistory, the political intrigues around it, and the creation of the dual foundations.

103. When Christmas Comes by Andrew Klavan. Not really a Christmas story, but a mystery set in the weeks leading up to a Christmas.

104. The Way of Edan by Philip Chase. First of a trilogy, also a self-published fantasy by an English professor who I follow on youtube. While it follows a number of common tropes of the genre, I found it an enjoyable read & will continue the series, probably one per month.

>234 ChrisG1: Sorry for being so slow to respond, Chris. I was thinking The Trouble with Lichen but The Chrysalids would also be fine.

>257 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul - I happen to own a copy of The Chrysalids (I bought a 3 book set of Wyndham from The Folio Society), so if you're game, let's do that in December.

On, Chris!

105. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque. I can see why this is considered essential reading on WWI - and also why the book was banned in Germany. It's quite a devastating critique of war, most effective as it simply relates fictional (but all too believable) experiences of ordinary soldiers.

106. Jade City by Fonda Lee. First of a trilogy. I could describe it as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon meets The Godfather - it's set in an Asian-inspired fantasy island in which jade provides exceptional powers to those sensitive to it's properties. Two rival organized crime clans vie for power. The POV characters are all from one side. Compelling both in plot and characterization - very well done & highly recommended.

>261 ChrisG1: Got me with that one! On to the wishlist it goes...

107. Texas Standoff by Elmer Kelton. The 9th and final installment in his Texas Rangers series. If you're looking for a "good old-fashioned" western series of stories, you could hardly do better. I've got a box-full of Kelton westerns I acquired as a lot on ebay & I expect I'll continue with him again soon. For now my western quota will be with some Larry McMurtry books.

108. In the Realm of the Wolf by David Gemmell - The second volume of his Waylander cycle within his Drenai series. Good, solid, heroic adventure in the Robert E. Howard tradition.

Have a wonderful holiday, Chris, and thank you for your friendship in this special group.

Let me know when you want to start The Chrysalids.

>265 PaulCranswick: Same to you, Paul. Needless to say, this group wouldn't be nearly the same without you.

I'll drop a note in your thread - it's on my December list.

109. The Sword and Scimitar by Raymond Ibrahim. While ostensibly a history of major battles between Islam and Christendom, it's also inescapably a polemic against jihad. The author is from a Coptic background - the Copts have certainly suffered greatly under the domination of Islam. He does accurately point out that much of what we now think of as Muslim countries - Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Morocco, Turkey - had, for centuries been Christian. And it's true that the "conversion" of those lands was at the point of a sword. The dreadful details are recounted ad nauseum. Certainly, Christianity had their share of such behavior, much of it in response to Islam. I definitely learned some new information about this history from this book, but have greater hope of more peaceful engagement in the future (albeit with challenges) than the author.

110. Living in Wonder by Rod Dreher. Eastern Orthodox mysticism, UFO's, the occult...this book is a bit "out there." But not boring, and oddly touching.

September reading summary:

Books read: 11

Pages read: 4138

Longest book: Jade City - Fonda Lee - 540 pgs
Shortest book: When Christmas Comes - Andrew Klavan - 250 pgs
Average book length: 376 pgs

Book of the Month: All Quiet on the Western Front - Erich Maria Remarque

Dud of the month: None

December Reading Plan:

Telegraph Days - Larry McMurtry
The Prophet of Edan - Philip Chase
Birth of an Empire - Conn Iggulden
Shutter Island - Dennis Lehane
Jade War - Fonda Lee
Camelot - Giles Kristian
The Western Star - Craig Johnson
The Book That Broke the World - Mark Lawrence
The Midwich Cuckoos - John Wyndham

Chris, I had a look this afternoon on my shelves and the Wyndham books I have to hand are The Midwich Cuckoos, The Trouble With Lichen, The Outward Urge and The Secret People.

Since it is one I read a long time ago, I need to go and look through my boxes to make sure that I still have The Chrysalids with me in the condo.

Will confirm again soon.

>271 PaulCranswick: Actually, The Midwich Cuckoos is part of the Folio Society set that I own, so why don't we just read that one?

>272 ChrisG1: On, Chris. I have it ready.

111. The Book That Broke the World by Mark Lawrence. This was a surprise disappointment, as I liked the first book in the series quite a bit. The two primary characters of the first installment rarely appear, new protagonists are added who I didn't find interesting. At this point, I don't expect to go on with the final volume.

112. Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane. This is my 3rd Lehane novel & each one has been an absolute banger! Set on an island off the Massachusetts coast which hosts a facility for the criminally insane, Lehane takes the reader for quite a ride - highly recommended.

>275 ChrisG1: And another direct BB hit. I remember seeing reviews when Shutter Island first came out, but it fell off my radar. It's now back on my TBR list!

>276 LyndaInOregon: Let me know how you like it!

113. Jack of Shadows by Roger Zelazny. Zelazny's Amber series is a long time favorite of mine, so I've decided to try out other works. This little gem, features a common character type of his - the trickster. I'd call it a revenge tale gone wrong - what happens when you get what you want.

114. The Western Star by Craig Johnson. #13 in the Longmire series of modern western mysteries & a very good installment.

I love it when I can pick up a deal at an estate sale. Found 4 trade paperbacks in nice condition: Pines, Wayward and The Last Town, all by Blake Crouch, The Likeness by Tana French, and a nice hardcover copy of October 1964 by David Halberstam. All that for $3. Yeehaw!

Ok Chris, I have started The Midwich Cuckoos and will probably finish it tonight.

>281 PaulCranswick: I'm just starting it - probably finish tomorrow, we'll see.

115. Telegraph Days by Larry McMurtry. This western tale approaches parody at times. McMurtry's characteristic humor abounds amid improbable events - a young sheriff's deputy who as never fired a gun in his life kills 6 outlaws at once in a gunfight, for example. Still, I had fun with it - recommended for McMurtry fans.

I read Midwich Cuckoos years and years ago. It, and Chocky, were the two books that initially hooked me on Wyndham. I don't have a copy unfortunately and it is (I think) his only major work that I have not re-read in recent years. Adding it to my list to look for as it would be nice to revisit it. Hope you and Paul enjoy it.

116. The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham. Part science fiction, part mystery, part horror. For me, it had the feel of an episode of The Twilight Zone.

>285 ChrisG1: That is a good observation, Chris. I would have preferred a bit more pace but it was a decent enough read.

117. Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger. This is my second Krueger novel & it's every bit as much a hit as the first. I can tell I'll make my way through all his books. This is the first in his Cork O'Connor series, set in a small northern Minnesota community.

118. Jade War by Fonda Lee. Second volume of the trilogy. This is shaping up to be one of the better new fantasy series that I've read. Set in an Asian-inspired island society that is dominated by two clans - are they mobsters, or elites? The island is the world's sole source of "bio-energetic" jade & the natives to that island have a genetic mutation that allows them to use it's bio-energetic properties without killing them. Their entire culture revolves around this fact & it makes for a compelling story. Highly recommended.

>288 ChrisG1: That is a heck of a name for an author, Chris!

>289 PaulCranswick: Haha - I see what you're saying there. Good writer, though, I gotta say.

119. Jade Legacy by Fonda Lee. Finishing an epic fantasy series well can be a challenge, but she really stuck the landing. Lots of surprises, dramatic developments, and a conclusion that pulls it all together. Highly recommended.

Thinking of you at this time, Chris.

120. Boundary Waters by William Kent Krueger. Second in his Cork O'Connor series. Krueger is proving to be a consistently excellent crime writer.

121. October 1964 by David Halberstam. The 1964 baseball World Series featured the end of a dynasty - the New York Yankees, and a rising young team - the St. Louis Cardinals. Most of the book provided history & backstory of the various players & managers, interwoven with the progression of the regular season, culminating with the World Series, which he covered with a short chapter for each game. The epilogue followed the highlighted players & managers through their remaining careers in a "where are they now" manner. Recommended for baseball fans only.