2025 Reading Challenge discussion

For 2017 I am going to try to read 40 books. Last year I read 39 books, so 40 seems like a good round number to shoot for.

But I am more concerned with the quality of the books I read than the quantity. In 2016 for example, my reading broke down like this:
- 5 star books (books I loved and will probably keep on my shelf and consider all time-favorites) - 4 books (10.3% of total read in 2016)
- 4 star books (books I liked a lot and would recommend to others) - 11 books (28.2%)
- 3 star books (books I liked but was not enthusiastic about and would probably not recommend to others unless they had a particular interest in the subject or author) - 17 books (43.6%)
- 2 star books (books that were just OK, probably were hard to read because my mind was wandering, big flaws or problems) - 5 books (12.8%)
- 1 star books (hated it or disliked it a lot, might not have finished it) - 2 books (5.1%) (this does not include Papillon which I did not finish and did not count in my 2016 reading total but gave it a one star rating)

So last year 82.1% of the books I read received a "passing grade" (3 stars) or better. I'd like the ratio to remain that high or even get higher. After all, why waste time on books we don't like? Of course, sometimes we read series and some installments are less wonderful than others, but in general I'd like to focus my time where I'm getting the most enjoyment.

Like I mentioned in last year's post, I read several books at a time, usually from various genres (non-fiction, general fiction, classics, science-fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery/thriller, parenting, short story collections/anthologies) in order to keep myself from getting bored and falling into the dreaded "reading slump." I try to throw in monthly reads from my various bookclubs (2017 Reading Challenge, Sci-Fi and Heroic Fantasy, SciFi and Fantasy Bookclub, Pulp Fiction and Read A Song of Ice and Fire) when the selection is interesting and/or on my TBR shelf as long as my schedule allows.

Right now I am currently reading (in order of expected finish):
- Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs
- A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
- The Circle by Dave Eggers
- The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2015 Edition edited by Rich Horton
- 13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened In Benghazi by Mitchell Zuckoff
- The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins

And in a couple days (when the public library opens again) I'm going to add Dark Passage by David Goodis to the list - it's the February discussion selection for the Pulp Fiction bookclub.

In general I have a good idea of what books are upcoming in my reading schedule, although I sometimes make adjustments. In the various genres, I'm hoping to get to some of these books in 2017:

General Fiction/Classics:
- American Pastoral by Philip Roth
- Moby-Dick; or, The Whale by Herman Melville
- The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Non-Fiction:
- The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue by Michael Tougias
- On The Wealth of Nations by P.J. O'Rourke
- Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden
- The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring by Richard Preston

Science-Fiction:
- Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke
- High-Rise by J.G. Ballard
- Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card
- Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson

Fantasy/Horror:
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett
- It by Stephen King
- The Winds of Winter by George R.R. Martin (if he can ever get his act together and get it published, that is)

Mystery/Thriller:
- Killing Floor by Lee Child
- The Odessa File by Frederick Forsyth (re-read)
- Personal Injuries by Scott Turow
- Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett

Short Story Collections/Anthologies:
- The Best American Mystery Stories 2015 ed. by James Patterson
- The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2016 ed. by Rich Horton

Anyway, I'm looking forward to making 2017 a great year in reading and in everything else too! Good luck on your reading!

One down, 39 to go!

#1 - Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs. We all know the myth, probably from watching the movie versions, but this was my first experience with the book. I liked it in spite of some notable issues and gave it 3 stars but I won't be continuing on with its 24 sequels. You can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Replacing it in my Currently Reading pile is The Long Home by William Gay, the first of his three novels published during his lifetime.

I also added The Dying Earth by Jack Vance which is the February discussion book for the Sci-fi and Heroic Fantasy book club. It's a brief collection of related stories that starts a four book series.

And I'm still working on (in order of projected completion):
- Dark Passage by David Goodis
- A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
- The Circle by Dave Eggers
- The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2015 Edition edited by Rich Horton
- 13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened In Benghazi by Mitchell Zuckoff
- The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins

Yesterday I finished #2 for 2017 - Dark Passage by David Goodis. This noir classic inspired not only the Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall movie of the same name but also the TV show The Fugitive, which led to an important court case over the validity of the author's copyright. I liked it and gave it 3 stars. You can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Replacing it in my Currently Reading pile is The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, an award-winning dystopic fiction which I hope will be our group discussion book for March (it may also be the discussion book for the SciFi and Heroic Fantasy book club) and is the basis for an upcoming TV miniseries.

And I'm still working on (in order of projected completion):
- A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
- The Dying Earth by Jack Vance
- 13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened In Benghazi by Mitchell Zuckoff
- The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2015 Edition edited by Rich Horton
- The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
- The Circle by Dave Eggers
- The Long Home by William Gay
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins

I just finished #3 for the year - A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. I liked it and gave it 3 stars - it was well done but was written for children and is about the son of a terminally ill woman. You can read my review here if you're interested: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Now I'm starting A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin, the fifth (and most recently published) book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series. Hopefully I will finish it by the time the 6th book The Winds of Winter comes out! HAHAHAHAHA...er, just a little GRRM humor there...

And I'm still working on (in order of projected completion):
- 13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened In Benghazi by Mitchell Zuckoff
- The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2015 Edition edited by Rich Horton
- The Dying Earth by Jack Vance
- The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
- The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
- The Circle by Dave Eggers
- The Long Home by William Gay
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins

Finished #4 - The Dying Earth by Jack Vance. It's a collection of 6 short stories that started the "Dying Earth" subgenre of Science-Fantasy and introduced the world to "Vancian magic." I gave it 3 stars. My review is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I started reading Lock In by John Scalzi. which is a SF thriller about a near future in which Hayden's Syndrome has affected a large part of the population, some of whom are "locked in" and unable to function physically yet remain mentally alert.

And I'm still working on (in order of projected completion):
- 13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened In Benghazi by Mitchell Zuckoff
- The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2015 Edition edited by Rich Horton
- The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
- The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
- The Circle by Dave Eggers
- The Long Home by William Gay
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins

Yesterday I finished #5 for the year 13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened In Benghazi by Mitchell Zuckoff. I thought it told an important story but could have been better written and I gave it 3 stars. You can read my full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

To replace it in my Currently Reading pile I started The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue by Michael Tougias. Tougias was recommended to me a long time ago by a friend in a different bookclub, but I hadn't gotten around to reading his stuff until now.

And I'm still working on (in order of projected completion):
- The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2015 Edition edited by Rich Horton
- Lock In by John Scalzi
- The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
- The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
- The Circle by Dave Eggers
- The Long Home by William Gay
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins

I finished two more books in the last two days, bringing my total for the year to 7!

#6 - Lock In by John Scalzi - I gave it 3 stars - it's a SciFi thriller that's got a complicated setup but is a fun read - my review is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#7 - The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2015 Edition edited by Rich Horton - I gave it 2 stars - "Best" is certainly debatable, but there's a lot of stories here and everyone will probably find something to like, and maybe even get introduced to a new author or two. The question is, how many stories will you have to slog through to find a good one? The answer: unfortunately, a lot - my review is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I added only one book to my Currently Reading pile, since I've already got plenty going on: The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick 4: The Minority Report by Philip K. Dick - I'm reading this collection for the SciFi and Heroic Fantasy GR bookclub. We'll begin discussing it in March. Feel free to join in!

And I'm still working on (in order of projected completion):
- The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
- The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
- The Circle by Dave Eggers
- The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue by Michael Tougias
- The Long Home by William Gay
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins

While accompanying my daughter and her basketball team to a tournament in Columbus, OH (weather while we were there was around 60F so I didn't even need to bring winter gear!) I was able to finish two books on the airplane:

#8 - The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins - I gave it three stars, then decided on two, but it's really halfway between. I admit I don't think I'm the target audience. You can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#9 - The Circle by Dave Eggers - my favorite book of the year so far! (but that's not saying much, unfortunately.) I gave it 4 stars - my review is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I added these books to my Currently Reading pile:

- Killing Floor by Lee Child - the first book in the Jack Reacher series - seems to have mixed reviews from my friends but I had it on my shelf and thought I'd give it a try

- Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke - I read the first one a long time ago and thought it was OK - this one kicks off a sequel trilogy

And I'm still working on (in order of projected completion):
- The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
- The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick 4: The Minority Report by Philip K. Dick
- The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue by Michael Tougias
- The Long Home by William Gay
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins

I finished #10 for the year - The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, just in time for the group read! I'm also discussing it in my SciFi and Heroic Fantasy Book Club for GR. I liked it and gave it 4 stars although it was slow-going at times and, like most dystopian fiction, depressing. You can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I didn't add any books to the pile right now. I am struggling to get into the books I am already reading so I'm going to focus on those.

Right now, I'm working on:
- The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick 4: The Minority Report by Philip K. Dick
- The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue by Michael Tougias
- The Long Home by William Gay
- Killing Floor by Lee Child
- Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins

Yesterday I finished #11 - The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick 4: The Minority Report by Philip K. Dick. PKD is one of my favorite authors and I enjoyed reading more of his short fiction. I gave it 4 stars - you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Replacing it in my Currently Reading pile is The Best American Mystery Stories 2015 edited by James Patterson. I haven't read this series before but thought it might be a good way to learn about some new authors.

Of course, I'm still working on (in order of projected completion):
- The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue by Michael Tougias
- Killing Floor by Lee Child
- The Long Home by William Gay
- Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins

I'll probably finish the first couple on the list near the end of the month when I take my daughter out of town to Dallas, TX for a middle school basketball event.

I finished #12 today - The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue by Michael Tougias. I liked it and gave it 3 stars (no I have not seen the movie version yet) - you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Replacing it in my Currently Reading pile is Five Patients by Michael Crichton, one of his non-fictions works which is said to have been at least partially the basis for the TV show ER.

Of course, I'm still working on (in order of projected completion):
- Killing Floor by Lee Child
- The Long Home by William Gay
- The Best American Mystery Stories 2015 edited by James Patterson
- Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins

My daughter's middle school basketball event is coming up this weekend so I'll probably finish Killing Floor on the plane flight, and I'm sure I'll take another book or two along also.

On the flight home yesterday I finished #13 for the year: Killing Floor by Lee Child, the first in his "Jack Reacher" series. I liked it and gave it 3 stars - you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Replacing it in my Currently Reading pile is The Odessa File by Frederick Forsyth, which I previously read in high school.

Of course, I'm still working on (in order of projected completion):
- The Long Home by William Gay
- Five Patients by Michael Crichton
- The Best American Mystery Stories 2015 edited by James Patterson
- Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins

Last night I finished #14 - The Long Home by William Gay. Although it got off to a slow start I enjoyed it and gave it 4 stars - you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

To replace it in my reading pile, I started a whole bunch of new books, all for upcoming discussions in various GR book clubs, including:
- Foreigner by C.J. Cherryh
- American Gods by Neil Gaiman
- Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson
- Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances by Neil Gaiman
- The Stars Are Legion by Kameron Hurley (technically I won't start this one for a few days until my copy arrives in the mail from Barnes & Noble)

It's a lot I know! I like to jump in on book discussions when I get a chance, so I use it as an "excuse" to read books I've already got lying around unread. In the case of The Stars Are Legion, I've heard so many good things about this book I decided to try it.

Of course, I'm still working on (in order of projected completion):
- Five Patients by Michael Crichton
- The Odessa File by Frederick Forsyth
- The Best American Mystery Stories 2015 edited by James Patterson (note: I set this aside for the moment since I have so many other books to focus on)
- Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins (note: I also set this one aside temporarily)

Well, I started my new job, and with all the work I have been putting in studying for some licensing exams my reading has really slowed down.

I did just finished #15 for the year - Foreigner by C.J. Cherryh. I thought it was an interesting idea, but unfortunately the execution was lacking. I gave it 2 stars. You can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I have more than enough to read right now so I didn't add anything to my Currently Reading pile.

I'm currently reading (in order of projected finish):
- The Stars Are Legion by Kameron Hurley
- Five Patients by Michael Crichton
- Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances by Neil Gaiman
- American Gods by Neil Gaiman
- The Odessa File by Frederick Forsyth
- Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson
- The Best American Mystery Stories 2015 edited by James Patterson (note: I set this aside for the moment since I have so many other books to focus on)
- Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins (note: I also set this one aside temporarily)

I've gotten into a groove with studying so life is starting to come back to normal.

Last week I finished #16 for the year - Five Patients by Michael Crichton. It's one of Crichton's early works, a non-fiction look at a "modern" hospital (written in 1970, so not quite so modern anymore). Although dated there are still some interesting parts if you're a fan of Crichton or medical history, and some of Crichton's experiences including the stuff in here was used when he co-created the TV show ER. I gave it 2 stars - you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I have more than enough to read right now so I didn't add anything to my Currently Reading pile.

I'm currently reading (in order of projected finish):
- The Stars Are Legion by Kameron Hurley
- American Gods by Neil Gaiman
- Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances by Neil Gaiman
- The Odessa File by Frederick Forsyth
- Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson
- The Best American Mystery Stories 2015 edited by James Patterson
- Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins (note: I also set this one aside temporarily)

I'm hoping to finish the top 3 on the list right around the end of the month, then maybe I'll add some new books.

Great setup you've got here, Randy. I'm really a fan :)
I've read everything and added a few more books to my TBR list that weren't already there.
Good luck with your goal.

Lisa wrote: "Great setup you've got here, Randy. I'm really a fan :)
I've read everything and added a few more books to my TBR list that weren't already there.
Good luck with your goal."

Thanks Lisa, much appreciated. Good luck with your goal too!

I finished two books this weekend:

#17 - American Gods by Neil Gaiman - this was a terrific book, probably my favorite of the year so far (replacing The Circle by Dave Eggers which was my previous favorite of 2017) - I gave it 4 stars - you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#18 - The Stars Are Legion by Kameron Hurley - I didn't like this book at all, and in fact would say it was the worst book I have read in years - I gave it 1 star - you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I replaced them in my Currently Reading pile with:
- A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge for an upcoming monthly discussion in the SciFi and Heroic Fantasy bookclub, and
- The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes

And of course I'm still working on (in order of projected finish):
- Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances by Neil Gaiman
- The Odessa File by Frederick Forsyth
- Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson
- The Best American Mystery Stories 2015 edited by James Patterson
- Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins

I finished two more books:

#19 - Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances by Neil Gaiman which is a short story/poetry collection by the author of American Gods - I actually finished this one a couple weeks ago but forgot to post about it - I liked the collection but it was pretty uneven; some stories were terrific and others I didn't like at all. Gaiman says in his terrific Introduction that he uses his short pieces to experiment and play around, so I guess it's not surprising that the results are all over the place. I liked it and gave it 3 stars - you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#20 - The Odessa File by Frederick Forsyth which is a re-read of a Cold War-era thriller I first read way back in high school over 30 years ago. I liked it almost as much as I did then - I gave it 4 stars - you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I added a few books to my Currently Reading pile, including:
- The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian by Robert E. Howard - this collection of pulp-era stories by Conan's original creator is a lot of fun so far, and helped start the Sword and Sorcery Fantasy subgenre - I'm reading it as a group read for the SciFi and Heroic Fantasy GR book club

- Savages by Don Winslow - some of my friends have enjoyed this so I thought I'd give it a try

- Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System from Crisis — and Themselves by Andrew Ross Sorkin - seems interesting to me, especially after reading Michael Lewis' The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine last year which was a five-star book for me. This one's a bit slower at the start, however...

- Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders by Neil Gaiman - I read the Shadow Moon story The Monarch of the Glen in this collection after finishing American Gods, so I decided just to throw the collection in my pile. I won't be actively reading it now with all my book club reads going on, but I'll just pick at it from time to time as the mood strikes me.

And of course, I'm still working on:
- The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
- Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson
- A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge
- The Best American Mystery Stories 2015 edited by James Patterson
- Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins

Today while waiting at the doctor's office for a routine checkup I finished #21 - The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes - I liked it a lot and gave it 4 stars - you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

To replace it in my Currently Reading pile I added two books:

- A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman - which I hope will be our group read in this group for the month of August, and...

- Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman which is related - but not a true sequel - to American Gods which I read a few weeks ago - this will be my 4th Gaiman book so far this year (including the short story collection I'm picking at slowly) - I'm reading it as a group read for my SciFi and Heroic Fantasy GR bookclub

And of course, I'm still working on:
- Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson
- A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge
- The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian by Robert E. Howard
- The Best American Mystery Stories 2015 edited by James Patterson
- Savages by Don Winslow
- Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System from Crisis — and Themselves by Andrew Ross Sorkin
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins
- Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders by Neil Gaiman

Finished #22 on Sunday - Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson - the ending let me down, more than a little bit - there were some good parts and some things I really liked but overall I gave it a 3 star rating - you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Replacing it in my Currently Reading pile (which has become large enough to be a Currently Reading tower) is:
- Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. for our group read in this group! I'm looking forward to it - this will be my first Vonnegut.

And of course, I'm still working on:
- A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge
- The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian by Robert E. Howard
- Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
- The Best American Mystery Stories 2015 edited by James Patterson
- Savages by Don Winslow
- A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
- Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System from Crisis — and Themselves by Andrew Ross Sorkin
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins
- Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders by Neil Gaiman

Just got back in town after two back-to-back trips to the desert - first a 4 day trip to Las Vegas for my daughter's basketball tournament and to see my folks who live out there, then a week-long trip to Arizona for work. Lowest temperature during my days away? 108 degrees F. Let's just say it's good to be home where the temperature is currently 77 degrees.

While I was away I chipped away at a lot of books and finished #23 for the year - A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge. It's a fun space opera with a lot of cool ideas but slow pacing and awkward prose that slow it down at times. I gave it 4 stars - you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Taking its place in my Currently Reading pile is Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer which is a group read in the GR Dragons and Jetpacks group. Feel free to join and jump in! Also there is a movie version coming next year.

And of course, I'm still working on:
- The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian by Robert E. Howard
- Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
- Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
- A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
- Savages by Don Winslow
- The Best American Mystery Stories 2015 edited by James Patterson
- Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System from Crisis — and Themselves by Andrew Ross Sorkin
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins
- Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders by Neil Gaiman

I finished two more in the last week or so:

#24 - Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. - this was my first Vonnegut and it didn't disappoint - it's terrifically unique and memorable in its presentation and also is a great conversation piece - I gave it 4 stars - you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#25 - The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian by Robert E. Howard - this is a collection of the early Conan stories written in the early 1930s and published in pulp magazines - like many stories from that era they contain some content and stereotypes that may be offensive to a modern reader, but they are also stories that were crucial in the creation of the Sword and Sorcery genre - I gave the collection 4 stars - you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Replacing those in my currently reading pile (which is still swollen due to a large number of group reads I am participating in) are:

- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick - I read this 25 years ago when the Director's Cut of the movie Blade Runner (based on this book) was first released - now with Blade Runner 2049 to be released this fall it's time for a re-read

- Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames - for a group read in the Dragons and Jetpacks GR group - the author has been kind enough to join us and answer some questions - I'm probably not going to finish it this month though...

And of course I'm still picking away at these (in order of likely completion):
- Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
- Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
- A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
- Savages by Don Winslow
- The Best American Mystery Stories 2015 edited by James Patterson
- Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System from Crisis — and Themselves by Andrew Ross Sorkin
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins
- Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders by Neil Gaiman

Finished two more:

#26 - Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman - I liked it a lot and gave it 4 stars - you can read my short yet witty review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#27 - Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer - I also really enjoyed this one and gave it 4 stars - you can read my short but creepy review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Replacing those in my Currently Reading pile are:
- The Gunslinger by Stephen King for a group read for the Sword and Laser GR group - note: I am reading the original version, not the 2003 revised version. Why? Because that's the one I had sitting on my bookshelf. And it's worth noting that this book is the first volume in King's Dark Tower series which is often called his masterpiece by fans, and the book forms part of the basis for the Dark Tower movie that is in theaters now.

- The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon - It's my first book by Moon, also the first SF novel I have ever read featuring a autistic protagonist. Group read for the SciFi and Heroic Fantasy GR group

And I'm still chipping away at:
- Blade Runner by Philip K. Dick
- A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
- Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames
- Savages by Don Winslow
- The Best American Mystery Stories 2015 edited by James Patterson
- Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System from Crisis — and Themselves by Andrew Ross Sorkin
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins
- Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders by Neil Gaiman

I finished two more in the last couple days:

#28 - Blade Runner by Philip K. Dick - The real title of the book is "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" but my copy of the book says "Blade Runner" after the title of the movie it inspired - if you've seen the movie you have a good idea about the basic premise but the book has a lot to offer too - I really liked it and gave it 4 stars (this is my second read of the book and I gave it 4 stars the last time also) - you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#29 - The Gunslinger by Stephen King - this is the first book in his "Dark Tower" series which ties together many of King's other books - I thought it was just OK and gave it 2 stars although I'll probably continue on with the sequel since many readers believe this book is one of the weaker entries in the series - you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Replacing those in my Currently Reading pile are a couple other group reads:

- The Rook by Daniel O'Malley - so far I'm not loving this urban fantasy - it's a bit over-written with a lot of chatty asides that are amusing yet unnecessary

- The Stars My Destination by the late great Alfred Bester - this is one of my all-time favorites so I'm happy to have a chance to re-read it

And of course I'm still chipping away at:
- A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
- The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon
- Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames
- Savages by Don Winslow
- The Best American Mystery Stories 2015 edited by James Patterson
- Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System from Crisis — and Themselves by Andrew Ross Sorkin
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins
- Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders by Neil Gaiman

I'll probably finish the first couple of those around the end of August, and I might finish 5 or 6 in September!

I finished two more:

#30 - A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman - for the group read in this group - I liked it and gave it 3 stars - you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#31 - Savages by Don Winslow - not for a group read, just for fun - I liked it a lot and gave it 4 stars - you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Replacing those in my currently reading pile are:

- Ringworld by Larry Niven - for a group read for the Dragons and Jetpacks GR group, although the read is almost over and I'm way behind

- Brave New World by Aldous Huxley - for the group read for this group - I read this originally in high school and thought it was just OK at the time but parts of the book have really stuck with me over the years so I'm happy to have an excuse to re-visit it

And of course I'm still chipping away at:
- The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon
- The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester
- Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames
- The Rook by Daniel O'Malley
- The Best American Mystery Stories 2015 edited by James Patterson
- Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System from Crisis — and Themselves by Andrew Ross Sorkin
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins
- Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders by Neil Gaiman

I'll probably finish a couple of those in the next week or so.

I'm 80% of the way to my goal!

Finished #32 - The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon - the Nebula-Award winning novel of an autistic man who is presented with a possible opportunity for a cure - I liked it a lot even though there were some boring repetitive parts and I gave it 4 stars - you can read my full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Replacing it in my Currently Reading pile is Redshirts by John Scalzi - essentially a Star Trek parody from the POV of one of those disposable security guards who accompany the main characters on away missions

And of course I'm still working on:
- The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester
- Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames
- Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
- The Rook by Daniel O'Malley
- Ringworld by Larry Niven
- The Best American Mystery Stories 2015 edited by James Patterson
- Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System from Crisis — and Themselves by Andrew Ross Sorkin
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins
- Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders by Neil Gaiman

I finished three more books since my last entry:

#33 - The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester - this was a re-read of one of my all-time favorites for a GR group read for the SciFi and Fantasy book club - I still enjoyed it a lot and gave it 5 stars although it wasn't as fresh and new to me on this re-read - you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#34 - Redshirts by John Scalzi - I read this Star Trek parody for a group read for the Dragons and Jetpacks book club - I thought it was OK and gave it 2 stars - you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#35 - Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames - I read this rock-n-roll inspired fantasy for a group read for the Dragons and Jetpacks book club - I thought it was good and gave it 3 stars - you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Also, I kicked (stopped reading) The Rook by Daniel O'Malley because it was unbearably boring - also because of the italics - you can read my thoughts here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Replacing them in my Currently Reading pile are:

- The City & the City by China Miéville - this is my first by Mieville, an author I've wanted to read for a while - I'm reading this for a group read for the Evolution of Science Fiction book club

- Lord Of Light by Roger Zelazny - I enjoyed Zelazny's Amber series (the first one anyway - I never got around to the second one) so I'm hoping to enjoy this as well - also a group read for the SciFi and Heroic Fantasy book club

- The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins - hopefully a good one for October - I'm reading it for a group read for the SciFi and Heroic Fantasy book club

- Helliconia Spring by Brian W. Aldiss - author Aldiss passed away which makes this a perfect time to read his most noted work - also a group read for the Sword and Laser book club

And of course I'm still working on:
- Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
- Ringworld by Larry Niven
- The Best American Mystery Stories 2015 edited by James Patterson
- Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System from Crisis — and Themselves by Andrew Ross Sorkin
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins
- Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders by Neil Gaiman

I finished #36 - Brave New World by Aldous Huxley - this was a re-read for me although I had forgotten a lot after 31 years - I liked it a lot and gave it 4 stars - you can read my full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Replacing it in my Currently Reading pile is Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman as part of a group read for this group, for which I will be the moderator! I hope you join in. This will be the sixth Gaiman book I have read, and the fourth Gaiman book I have read in 2017.

I'm also going to be picking away at Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang - I read the short story "Story of Your Life" which was the basis for the movie "Arrival" and decided to read the rest - I had not realized it but author Chiang has only written a total of 15 short stories over 25 years, and no novels

And of course I'm still working on:
- Lord Of Light by Roger Zelazny
- The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins
- The City & the City by China Miéville
- Ringworld by Larry Niven
- The Best American Mystery Stories 2015 edited by James Patterson
- Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke
- Helliconia Spring by Brian W. Aldiss
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System from Crisis — and Themselves by Andrew Ross Sorkin
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins
- Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders by Neil Gaiman

I finished three more this week, leaving me only one away from my goal!

#37 - Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman - Gaiman's re-telling of the Norse myths is readable, but not quite as entertaining as most of his books - still, I liked it and gave it 3 stars - you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#38 - Lord Of Light by Roger Zelazny - Zelazny's classic novel features deities from Buddhism and Hinduism but is a bit dry at times - I respected it more than I enjoyed it and gave it 3 stars - you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#39 - The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins - I didn't know what to expect going into this one but found my favorite read of the year - I gave it 5 stars and you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

To replace those, I added these to my Currently Reading pile:

- Shards of Honour by Lois McMaster Bujold - also known as the first half of Cordelia's Honor - for a group read in two of my GR book clubs

- Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman - for a group read and also in anticipation of upcoming TV series

- Personal Injuries by Scott Turow - because I've read the first four of his Kindle County books and this is the fifth one

And of course I'm still working on:
- The City & the City by China Miéville
- Ringworld by Larry Niven
- Helliconia Spring by Brian W. Aldiss
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins
- Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang
- Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke
- The Best American Mystery Stories 2015 edited by James Patterson
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System from Crisis — and Themselves by Andrew Ross Sorkin
- Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders by Neil Gaiman

I FINISHED MY CHALLENGE!

#40 - The City & the City by China Miéville - I liked it and ended up giving it 4 stars because it was well-written and it stuck with me after I finished it although my initial impression was to give it 3 stars due to how slow the first half was - you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Replacing it in my Currently Reading pile is Doomsday Book by Connie Willis as a group read for the Sword and Laser GR bookclub.

And of course I'm still plugging away at:
- Shards of Honour by Lois McMaster Bujold
- Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
- Ringworld by Larry Niven
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins
- Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke
- Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang
- The Best American Mystery Stories 2015 edited by James Patterson
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System from Crisis — and Themselves by Andrew Ross Sorkin
- Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders by Neil Gaiman

Also, I never actually started reading Helliconia Spring by Brian W. Aldiss or Personal Injuries by Scott Turow so I have removed them from the Currently Reading pile for now. Probably I will pick them up again when I finish some of these book club group reads.

Although I've met my goal I will of course continue reading throughout the rest of the year. I think I will end up near 50 books.

I finished another one:

#41 - Shards of Honour by Lois McMaster Bujold - the first (publication order) in Bujold's long-running, award-winning, fan favorite Vorkosigan series is a tepid space opera romance that introduces the parents of the series' main character - I thought it was OK and gave it 2 stars - you can read my full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Replacing it in my Currently Reading pile is the classic short SF/horror novel At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft which is part of H.P. Lovecraft: The Complete Fiction . I'll be picking away at the Lovecraft collection over the next several months but I wanted to read this story due to the many comparisons I've read to Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer which I read a few months ago.

And of course I'm still plugging away at:
- Ringworld by Larry Niven
- Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
- Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins
- Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke
- Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang
- The Best American Mystery Stories 2015 edited by James Patterson
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System from Crisis — and Themselves by Andrew Ross Sorkin
- Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders by Neil Gaiman

Congratulations on finishing your challenge, Randy! Have you also managed your goal of reading more high-quality books?

Ilona wrote: "Congratulations on finishing your challenge, Randy! Have you also managed your goal of reading more high-quality books?"

Thanks Ilona! Unfortunately, I didn't notice any increase in the quality of the books I read. I'm not sure why - I tried jumping into more group reads this year but those books, despite being popular, didn't end up being some of my favorites of the year. I only had two 5-star reads this year (compared to four last year) and one of those was a re-read! I'll give this some more thought...

I finished three more books:

42 - Ringworld by Larry Niven - I enjoyed the characters and some of the ideas but thought it was lacking in many areas - I gave it 3 stars - you can read my full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

43 - At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft - I liked it a lot in spite of how slow and wordy it gets at times - I gave it 4 stars - you can read my full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

44 - Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman - I thought it was dull and over-written - I gave it 2 stars - you can read my full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Replacing those in my Currently Reading pile are:
- The Wanderer by Fritz Leiber - for a group read for the SciFi and Heroic Fantasy GR book club - it won the Hugo award in 1965 - I liked Leiber's Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser sword-and-sorcery stories written several years prior to this book so I was very much looking forward to it however this book is having a hard time keeping my attention

- Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein - the military SF classic is a group read for the Evolution of Science Fiction GR book club - I barely started it but am enjoying it so far

- Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie as a group read for this very book club! - I started it just a few days ago but am already about 40% through it

And of course I'm still plugging away at:
- Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
- Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins
- Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke
- Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang
- The Best American Mystery Stories 2015 edited by James Patterson
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System from Crisis — and Themselves by Andrew Ross Sorkin
- Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders by Neil Gaiman

I did decide not to read further in H.P. Lovecraft: The Complete Fiction at this time, but I hope to pick it up again in a few months.

I think I'm on track to finish 6 more books this year which would give me 50! Stay tuned...

Randy wrote: "I think I'm on track to finish 6 more books this year which would give me 50! Stay tuned....."

Good luck Randy!

Susy wrote: "Randy wrote: "I think I'm on track to finish 6 more books this year which would give me 50! Stay tuned....."

Good luck Randy!"

Thank you Suzy!

I had to kick two books that were just draining my energy with their terribleness:

I kicked The Wanderer by Fritz Leiber which was just awful despite winning the Hugo Award for best Novel in 1965 - you can read more about it in my 1-star review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Also I had to kick Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke and Gentry Lee which was not only terrible but had been lingering in my currently reading pile for about 10 months, yet I found I was only a bit past halfway done with it - life is too short for awful books and you can read more about it in my 1-star review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

In my 2017 Challenge and my Year of Books these both show up as completed however I didn't really finish them so I'd like to figure out a way to get them off my "Read" shelf without deleting my reviews and ratings. Feel free to offer any suggestions you might have.

But I did finish two books that I liked:

#45 - Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie - I blew through this one quickly as part of the group read for this very book club - I gave it 4 stars and you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#46 - Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Girls Through Sports by Hannah Storm and Mark Jenkins - it took me a while but I pecked away at this one for a few months until finally finishing it yet yesterday - I gave it 3 stars although I wouldn't recommend it to anyone except those with young children who are looking to get them into sports - you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

And of course I'm still working on these books - hopefully the top four will be done by the end of the year:
- The Best American Mystery Stories 2015 edited by James Patterson
- Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang
- Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein
- Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
- Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders by Neil Gaiman
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System from Crisis — and Themselves by Andrew Ross Sorkin

I still think I can pull off 50 books this year if everything goes OK...stay tuned for 1-2 more updates through the end of the year.

I wish you the best of luck with your 40 books Randy. I will however *cross my fingers* and hope that you make it to 50 this year.

Blagica wrote: "I wish you the best of luck with your 40 books Randy. I will however *cross my fingers* and hope that you make it to 50 this year."

Thank you Blagica!

I did it! 50 books for 2017!

#47 - The Best American Mystery Stories 2015 edited by James Patterson - my first read in this series was enjoyable enough - I got introduced to some new authors and also got to read some short stories by some familiar writers - I gave it a solid 3 stars - you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#48 - Doomsday Book by Connie Willis - My first Willis read, for the Sword and Laser GR bookclub, was this Hugo and Nebula award-winner that is the first novel in Willis' Oxford Time Travel series - I thought it was a bit overwritten but picked up a lot in the last 100-150 pages or so - I gave it 3 stars - you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#49 - Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein - Heinlein's military Sci-Fi classic is probably my favorite of his books that I've read but a bit slow and preachy at times - I gave it 3 stars - you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#50 - Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang - this is a very interesting short story collection which contains "Story of Your Life" which was the basis for the movie "Arrival" - I liked it pretty well and each of the stories seemed to have some interesting ideas even if some of the stories worked better than others - I gave it 4 stars - you can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

So I started a whole bunch of new books, including:

- Uprooted by Naomi Novik - this has gotten a lot of really good reviews so I finally picked it up in time for the SciFi and Heroic Fantasy GR bookclub group read - I'm enjoying it so far with some minor reservations that hopefully don't turn out to be a big deal

- Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey - I'm reading this one also for the SciFi and Heroic Fantasy GR bookclub group read

- Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan - also for the SciFi and Heroic Fantasy GR bookclub group read

- The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde - group read for this GR bookclub!

- Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said by Philip K. Dick for the Evolution of Science Fiction GR bookclub group read

And of course I'm still working on these books:
- Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders by Neil Gaiman
- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
- Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System from Crisis — and Themselves by Andrew Ross Sorkin

Now I'll probably transition over to my 2018 challenge, although if time permits I might post one more time, something like "2017 in review"

Thanks everyone and I hope you all have a safe and happy new year!

Randy wrote: "I did it! 50 books for 2017!...
Thanks everyone and I hope you all have a safe and happy new year! "

Congratulations Randy!!

A safe and happy new year to you too!!

Susy wrote: "Randy wrote: "I did it! 50 books for 2017!...
Thanks everyone and I hope you all have a safe and happy new year! "

Congratulations Randy!!

A safe and happy new year to you too!!"

Thanks Suzy!