Michael’s Comments (group member since Jul 09, 2008)

Michael’s comments from the Challenge: 50 Books group.

Just started reading the book, though it's been on the TBR pile for a long time now!

Only two chapters in and I'm struck by the dichotomy of the feelings that Plum has for her mother.

Reading about the end of her mother's life reminded me of my grandfather. I watched as the years and his various ailments slowly robbed him of much of the vitality, wit and intelligence that I remember most about him. Here was a man who learned multiple languages and was a bright, literate, well-read guy who toward the end of his life got confused by the TV remotes. I recall one day he called the house because he had changed the channel of his TV set and not the box on top of the set and he couldn't get the Tennessee football game back. I left the house, went over and helped him get reset and then watched the rest of the game with him.

At that moment, I missed the man who'd taught me how to play golf, who encouraged a love of reading and who taught sunday School for years and was a scholar in every sense of the word.

Donna wrote: "Faye wrote: "A Game of Thrones seems to be the buzz on everyone's list in my world right now. I'd like to read them, I think, but I already started in on the tv show and I have a hard time reading ..."

Well, there is a reason they coined the term sexposition for GoT. Lots of equal opportunity nekkidness.

I highly recommend the books. If you need to catch up between books, there are a number of useful wikis that you can adjust how much or little of the series you've read to control the amount of SPOILERS

I've been meaning to re-read Catcher for a couple of years now. Sounds like this is a good incentive.

Tim wrote: "Haha...deal. I will let you know when I have finished."

Glad to see Tim is reading it. I will admit the sheer hype surrounding it makes me curious to give it a try so I can form my own opinion of the book. Thank heavens for e-readers that allow us to read such things without giving it away by the cover!

fivesunflowers wrote: "You know, I thought The Hunger Gameswas a wonderful book. The writer's imagination is something that cannot be discounted. However, it did not blow my mind as it has for some people. Maybe the o..."

Could it be that the hype surrounding the book was so great that few, if any, books could live up to it? I read the first one a couple of years ago before it was too hyped and really enjoyed it.

I feel sort of jealous of those reading the series now since they don't have to wait a year between installments. It also gives enough distance so when I saw the movie, I wasn't going "Oh, that's different, that's different" etc. :)

188. Spider-Man: The Complete Clone Saga Epic Book 1 TPB
189. Spider-Man: Red-Headed Stranger
190. Spider-Man: Crime And Punisher
191. Discord's Apple by Carrie Vaughn
192. I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
193. Star Island by Carl Hiassen
194. Justin Case: School, Drool, and Other Daily Disasters by Rachel Vail
195. The Sculptress by Minette Walters
196. Hyperion by Dan Simmons
197. Saving Maddie by Varian Johnson
198. The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons
199. Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen
200. The Traveler by John Twelve Hawkes
201. The Cardturner: A Novel about a King, a Queen, and a Joker by Louis Sacar
202. Night of the Living Trekkies by Kevin David Anderson
203. The Ice Princess (Patrik Hedstrom, #1) by Camilla Lackberg
204. Still Missing by Chevy Stevens

187. I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman

86. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
87. Ultimate Spider-Man: Ultimatium
88. Riding the Rap by Elmore Leonard
89. A Shadow in Summer by Daniel Abraham
90. The King of Lies by John Hart
91. Doctor Who: The Runaway Train (audio)
92. A Betrayal in Winter by Daniel Abraham
93. Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life by Brian O'Malley
94. Road Rage: Two Novellas by Stephen King and Richard Matheson
95. Bite Me by Christopher Moore
96. The Bone Thief by Jefferson Bass
97. The Devil and Sherlock Holmes: Tales of Murder, Madness and Obsession by David Grann
98. An Autumn War by Daniel Abraham
99. Batman: The Killing Joke by Alan Moore
100. Star Trek: The Children of Kings by David Stern
101. Deadline by Chris Crutcher
102. Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott
103. Doctor Who: The Three Doctors by Terrance Dicks (audio)
104. Doctor Who: Fugitive
105. Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green, David Levithan
106. Doctor Who: Through Time and Space
107. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin
108. In the Shadow of Gotham by Stephanie Pintoff
109. Acacia: The War with the Mein by David Anthony Durham
110. Spider-Man: Election Day
111. The Girl Who Played With Fire by Steig Larrson
112. The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard
113. I am Not a Serial Killer by Dan Wells
114. Innocent by Scott Turrow
115. Doctor Who: The Forgotten
116. So Cold the River by Michael Koryta
117. Blockade Billy by Stephen King
118. The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott
119. Trading in Danger (Vatta's War, #1) by Elizabeth Moon
120. Something Maybe by Elizabeth Scott (audio)
121. The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin
122. I'll Mature When I'm Dead: Dave Barry's Amazing Tales of Adulthood by Dave Barry
123. Spider-Man/Mary Jane:...You Just Hit The Jackpot
124. Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer by John Grisham
125. Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson
126. The Liar's Lullaby by Meg Gardner
127. The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
128. The Virgin of Small Plains by Nancy Pickard
129. Countdown by Deborah Wiles
130. Ultimate Spider-Man: World According to Peter Parker
131. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
132. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
133. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
134. Doctor Who and the Terror of the Autons by Terrance Dicks (audio)
135. Intent to Kill by James Grippando
136. Five Days Apart: A Novel by Chris Binchy
137. The Arrival by Shaun Tan
138. Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
139. Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsey (audio)
140. Spider-Man: Jackpot
141. Spider-Man: Return of the Black Cat
142. Star Trek: Unspoken Truth by Margaret Wander Boanano
143. Packing for Mars by Mary Roach
144. Doctor Who: Ring of Steel (audio)
145. Doctor Who and the Brain of Morbius by Terrance Dicks (audio)
146. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
147. Dreadnaught by Cherie Priest
148. The Reversal by John Grisham
149. The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, & June by Robin Benaway
150. I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett
151. The Fuller Memorandum by Charles Stross
152. This Body of Death by Elizabeth George
153. Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze by Alan Silberberg
154. The Walking Dead Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye
155. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter: A Novel by Tom Franklin
156. The Walking Dead Vol. 2: Miles Behind Us
157. Firestorm: The Nuclear Man -- Reborn
158. God and Football: Faith and Fanaticism in the SEC by Chad Gibbs
159. Archangel by Sharon Shinn
160. The Confession by John Grisham
161. Moonraker by Ian Fleming (audio)
162. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth by Jeff Kinney
163. Moonlight Mile by Dennis LeHane
164. Zombies vs. Unicorns by Holly Black
165. Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality by Donald Miller
166. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
167. America the Edible: Why We Eat, What We Eat, Where We Eat by Adam Richman
168. Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King
169. The Walking Dead Vol. 3: Safety Behind Bars
170. Scott Pilgrim vs the World
171. Winterfair Gifts by Lois McMaster Bujold (audio)
172. Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern
173. The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook: A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal by Ben Mezrich
174. Everything Matters! by Ron Currie, Jr.
175. The Walking Dead Vol. 4: The Heart's Desire
176. Sleep No More by Greg Iles
177. The Warded Man by Peter Brett
178. The Boy with the Cuckoo-Clock Heart by Mathias Malzieu
179. The Sherlockian by Graham Moore
180. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
181. Batman R.I.P
182. Child of Fire by Harry Connolly
183. Star Wars: Red Harvest
184. Star Trek: Typhon Pact: Zero Sum Game by David Mack
185. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Twilight (Season Eight Volume 7)
186. The Girl in the Green Raincoat by Laura Lippman

I've lapped 50 books and currently have read 112 so far this year.

The title is good and the book is an interesting one. I love Douglas Adams.

I've heard good things about the movie of "Girl with Dragon" and am eager to see it.

Of course, I'm sure the book will be better....it usually is. :)

I watched the first few adaptations and couldn't get past the fact that the actor chosen looked nothing like the book descriptions. LOL

I know these things happen, but it kept taking me out of the story.

43. Jaws by Peter Benchley (audio)
44. Secret of Eden by Chris Bohjalian
45. Gone by Lisa McCann
46. Angel: Smile Time (graphic novel)
47. Horns by Joe Hill
48. Doctor Who: Logopolis by Christopher H. Bidmead (audio)
49. Shutter Island by Dennis Lahane
50. Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers
51. The Gunslinger by Stephen King
52. Spider-Man: Death and Dating
53. Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
54. Doctor Who: The Nightmare Fair (audio)
55. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
56. Diving Into the Wreck by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
57. Welcome to the Jungle by Jim Butcher
58. Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher
59. The Devil's Alphabet by Daryl Gregory
60. Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford
61. Fahrenheit 451: Graphic Novel by Ray Bradbury
62. Inside the Mind of Gideon Rayburn by Sarah Miller
63. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
64. Greater Love by Robert Whitlow
65. Muse and Reverie by Charles de Lint
66. In the Country of the Blind by Michael Flynn
67. 14 by J.T. Ellison
68. Changes by Jim Butcher
69. The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
70. Y: The Last Man Vol. 2: Cycles
71. Doctor Who: Castrovalva by Christopher H. Bidmead (audio)
72. Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles
73. Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi
74. WWW: Watch by Robert J. Sawyer
75. Captain America: The Death Of Captain America Volume 2
76. The Dream of Perpetual Motion by Dexter Palmer
77. The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
78. Heat Wave by Richard Castle (audio)
79. Iron Man 2 by Matt Irvine
80. Doctor Who: Dead Air (audio)
81. You Are Here by Jennifer A. Smith
82. Eyes Like Leaves by Charles de Lint
83. Lest Darkness Fall by L. Sprague De Camp
83. The Swimming Pool by Holly LeCraw
83. UR by Stephen King (audio)
84. Iron Man: Demon in a Bottle
85. The Dark Room by Minette Walters

I see a lot of Elizabeth George books here.....it does my heart good. She's one of my favorites.

I hope you're enjoying them.

16. Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd edited by Holly Black & Cecil Castellucci
17. Genesis by Bernard Beckett
18. Star Trek: Inception by S.D. Perry and Britta Dennison
19. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
20. How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier (audio)
21. Soulless by Gail Carriger
22. I Know It's Over by C.K. Kelly Martin
23. Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen (audio)
24. Never Look Away by Linwood Barclay
25. The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity by Mac Barnett
26. Front and Center by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
27. Freedom (TM) by Daniel Suarez
28. Doctor Who and the Ice Warriors by Brian Hayles (audio)
29. Star Trek: Revisitations by Howard Weinstein
30. Swim the Fly by Don Calame
31. The Magicians by Lew Grossman
32. Doctor Who: Prisoner of the Daleks by Trevor Baxendale (audio)
33. Unmanned (Y: The Last Man, #1) by Brian K. Vaughan
34. Bloodroot by Amy Greene
35. Broken Soup by Jenny Valentine
36. Essential Spider-Man, Vol. 8
37. Youth in Revolt: Book One: The Journals of Nick Twisp by C.D. Payne (audio)
38. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
39. Captain America: The Death of Captain America, Vol. 1
40. Fathom by Cherie Priest
41. All Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder by Frank Miller
42. Jack Tumor by Anthony McGowan

Not sure if anyone has mentioned these here yet or not, but Elizabeth George's mysteries with her New Scotland Yard team of Lynley and Havers are great. Some of my favorites.

Here's what I've read for this year...

Here's what I've read so far...

1. U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton
2. The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon
3. The Devil's Punchbowl by Greg Iles
4. The Naked Sun by Issac Asimov
5. Steal Across the Sky by Nancy Kress
6. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett (audio)
7. The Off Season by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
8. Serenity: Better Days by Joss Whedon and Brett Matthews
9. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
10. Nanny Returns by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
11. From Peanuts to the Pressbox by Eli Gold
12. Makers by Cory Doctorow
13. Up in the Air by Walter Kirn
14. Indigo Springs by A.M. Dellamonica
15. Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen (audio)

Janice,

If you're looking into the series, I recommend it. That said, the series is different in a lot of ways from the book. And I would highly recommend watching your TV listings or digging around on-line for the extended cut of "Storm Front." It's not in the box set for season one and it's not out on DVD that I'm aware of. It's two hours (well, with commercials) and it's a lot more faithful to the book than the one-hour version we eventually got. And it's really good....

I already have the book on pre-order from Amazon.

Now if I can find a way to get an ARC....:)

Welcome aboard! Enjoy the year of reading! :)