sturlington's Showcase Showdown for 2014 (Take 2)

Now that we are in August, I've had an opportunity to eye up the dwindling TBR pile and I've gotten quite excited. There is a real good chance that I can knock out the whole pile by the end of the year. The TBR in this case refers just to new books on my bedside table shelf and on my Kindle that I myself bought or received as gifts and I am intending to read. It doesn't include unread classics in the bookcases that I bought to reread or group-read sometime or read at an appropriate point in the not-too-distant future, nor does it refer to books belonging to my husband or son that I might also want to read.

So far this year, I am ahead of the curve and well on track to meet my goal of 50 books, and I have completed or nearly completed almost all of my categories. So I'm moving back the goalposts to a goal of 60+ books. If I do that, and if I only read books I already own, and I don't acquire any more books, I could conceivably start out at zero in the beginning of 2015. I can't remember the last time that happened.

(Of course, I did buy two books today LOL. Well, I was in a bookstore--I had no choice. Someone has to keep our local bookstores open! They're short books too. Promise. Also I do have to buy two books for book club. But I can do this. Really.)

So for the rest of the year, I'm reading off the TBR pile, and I'll try to fit them in the categories/challenges as best as I can.

Books left to read off the TBR:

1. Ancillary Justice
2. Babel-17
3. A Beautiful Place to Die
4. Beloved
5. Brave New Worlds: Dystopian Stories
6. The Circular Staircase
7. Cold Comfort Farm
8. Dancing Fish and Ammonites
9. Ella Minnow Pea
10. The End Is Nigh
11. The Ghosts of Belfast
12. The Gods of Gotham
13. A History of the World in 6 Glasses
14. Hyperbole and a Half
15. Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction
16. NOS4A2
17. Let the Right One In
18. The Other
19. Other Worlds Than These
20. Rivers
21. Singer from the Sea
22. The Sisters Brothers
23. The Thin Man
24. The Yellow Wallpaper

Books read in 2014

(See following two messages for Group Reads and Kid Reads)

Total books read so far: 74/60+ by December 31, 2014

1. Y: The Last Man (Volume 1) by Brian K. Vaughan (3.5★)
2. Swamplandia! by Karen Russell -- GeoCAT (3★)
3. The Burn Palace by Stephen Dobyns -- GeoCAT/Mystery (4★)
4. Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers -- MysteryCAT (5★)
5. Still Life by Louise Penny -- MysteryCAT (3★)
6. Beggars in Spain by Nancy Kress -- novella (4.5★)
7. The Dinner by Herman Koch (3.5★)
8. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill (3.5★)
9. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt -- RandomCAT (3.5-4★)
10. The Kids Will Be Fine by Daisy Waugh -- Early Reviewers win (4★)
11. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle -- MysteryCAT (4★)
12. Other Voices, Other Rooms by Truman Capote (3.5★)
13. The Keep by Jennifer Egan -- GeoCAT (3.5★)
14. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath -- RandomCAT (4.5★)
15. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot -- RandomCAT (3.5★)
16. The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud (3.5★)
17. We by Yevgeny Zamyatin -- GeoCAT (3.5-4★)
18. World of Trouble by Ben H. Winters -- Early Reviewers win (4.5★)
19. The Sundial by Shirley Jackson -- RandomCAT (4.5★)
20. The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood -- RandomCAT (4★)
21. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler -- MysteryCAT (4.5★)
22. Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King (3.5★)
23. The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry (3★)
24. Getaway by Lisa Brackmann (3★)
25. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen -- RandomCAT (4.5★)
26. Pick-Up by Charles Willeford -- MysteryCAT (3★)
27. The Sealed Letter by Emma Donoghue (3.5★)
28. The Other by Thomas Tryon (3.5★)
29. Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie -- Early Reviewers win (4.5★)
30. Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn -- RandomCAT (4★)
31. The House on the Strand by Daphne Du Maurier -- MysteryCAT (4★)
32. The Grand Complication by Allen Kurzweil -- MysteryCAT (3★)
33. The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran -- RandomCAT (4.5★)
34. Midnight in Peking by Paul French -- GeoCAT (3.5★)
35. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys (3.5★)
36. The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell -- Early Reviewers win (4.5★)
37. A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn -- MysteryCAT (4★)
38. In the Woods by Tana French -- RandomCAT (4.5★)
39. NOS4A2 by Joe Hill (4.5★)
40. The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson (3.5★)
41. The Gods of Gotham by Lindsay Faye -- MysteryCAT (3.5★)
42. Rivers by Michael Farris Smith -- RandomCAT (4.5★)
43. The Happiest People in the World by Brock Clarke -- Early Reviewers win (2.5★)
44. Fourth of July Creek by Smith Henderson (3★)
45. Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosch (4.5★)
46. Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon (3★)
47. The Martian by Andy Weir (3.5★)
48. Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons (4.5★)
49. Revival by Stephen King (4.5★)
50. The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett (2.5★)
51. State of Wonder by Ann Patchett (4.5★)

Books read in 2014: Book Club/Group Reads

1. My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse -- Feb. group read (3.5★)
2. The Life and Times of Persimmon Wilson by Nancy Peacock -- book club (4★)
3. Uncivil Seasons by Michael Malone -- book club (4★)
4. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline -- book club (3★)
5. The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker -- book club/Women's SFF month (3.5★)
6. The Office of Mercy by Ariel Djanikian -- Women's SFF month (4★)
7. The Female Man by Joanna Russ -- Women's SFF month (3.5★)
8. China Mountain Zhang by Maureen F. McHugh -- Women's SFF Month/RandomCAT (4-4.5★)
9. A Most Wanted Man by John Le Carre -- book club (3★)
10. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie -- book club (4★)
11. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Coast Trail by Cheryl Strayed -- book club (3.5★)

Books read in 2014: Books Read/Listened With My Son

1. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl -- RandomCAT (4.5★)
2. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis (4.5★)
3. Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman (3.5★)
4. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (2.5★ for audiobook version)
5. The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger (4★)
6. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White (4.5-5★)
7. The 13 Clocks by James Thurber (4★)
8. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (abridged) by Jules Verne (4★)

GEOCat: Books Read by Country

These are all my reads for the year tracked by the country where the book is largely set. Some of these I read in the correct month, and some I didn't, but I wanted to take an overall snapshot of my global reading for this year.


visited 15 states (6.66%)
Create your own visited map of The World or Brazil travel guide for Android

January/Canada (see the following message for US-centric reads)
**Still Life by Louise Penny -- Quebec
The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood -- Toronto

February/Middle East and North Africa
The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran -- set in a fictional country but written very much in an Arabic style

March/Central America, Mexico and Caribbean
**Getaway by Lisa Brackmann -- Mexico
Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys -- Jamaica

April/Eastern Europe
***The Keep by Jennifer Egan -- unnamed Eastern European country
*We by Yevgeny Zamyatin -- Russia

May/South Asia
none so far

June/Islands and Bodies of Water
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl -- Atlantic Ocean
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis -- fictional ocean
*China Mountain Zhang by Maureen F. McHugh -- Long Island/Baffin Island, Arctic Sea
Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn -- fictional island
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne -- all oceans

July/Polar Regions
Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman -- northern Scandinavia/Asgard

August/Western Europe
The Happiest People in the World by Brock Clarke -- Denmark
**Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers -- Oxford, England
The Woman in Black by Susan Hill -- Northern England
**The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle -- Dartmoor, England
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen -- Bath, England
The Sealed Letter by Emma Donoghue -- London, England
***The House on the Strand by Daphne Du Maurier -- Cornwall, England
Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons -- Sussex, England
**The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick -- Paris, France
***A Most Wanted Man by John Le Carre -- Hamburg, Germany
**In the Woods by Tana French -- Ireland
The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson -- Ireland
The Dinner by Herman Koch -- Amsterdam, Netherlands

September/East Asia
*Midnight in Peking by Paul French -- Beijing, China

October/South America
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett -- Brazil

November/Australia and Oceania
none so far

December/Sub-Saharan Africa
**A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn -- South Africa
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie -- Nigeria

* refers to a book I actually read during the correct month and credited to the GeoCAT.
** refers to a mystery.

GEOCat: Books Read by U.S. State

As usual, many of my reads took place in the United States, so here are the reads broken down by state.


visited 18 states (36%)
Create your own visited map of The United States or Amsterdam travel guide for Android

Other Voices, Other Rooms by Truman Capote -- Alabama
**The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler -- California (Los Angeles)
**Pick-Up by Charles Willeford -- California (San Francisco)
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed -- California/Oregon
Revival by Stephen King -- Colorado/Maine/New York state
The Other by Thomas Tryon -- Connecticut
Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon -- Connecticut
*Swamplandia! by Karen Russell -- Florida
*The Life and Times of Persimmon Wilson by Nancy Peacock -- Louisiana/Texas
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath -- Massachusetts
The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud -- Massachusetts
The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry -- Massachusetts
**Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King -- Midwest (unnamed city)
Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline -- Minnesota/Maine
Rivers by Michael Farris Smith -- Mississippi
Fourth of July Creek by Smith Henderson -- Montana
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt -- New York/Nevada
The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker -- New York
**The Grand Complication by Allen Kurzweil -- New York
**The Gods of Gotham by Lindsay Faye -- New York
The Happiest People in the World by Brock Clarke -- New York
**The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett -- New York
**Uncivil Seasons by Michael Malone -- North Carolina
**World of Trouble by Ben H. Winters -- Ohio
***The Burn Palace by Stephen Dobyns -- Rhode Island

* refers to a book I read in January and credited to the GeoCAT
** refers to a mystery

RandomCAT Reads

So far, I've been able to read at least one RandomCAT book per month. I'm going to try to keep that up through the end of the year. Here are my month-by-month reads:

January/Janus
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman -- Note: I actually read this in December 2013, so it doesn't count for this year's total, but I read it because of the RandomCAT.

February/Children's Literature
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

March/Birds of Spring
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

April/Poetry
Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

May/Motherhood
The Sundial by Shirley Jackson
The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood

June/Roses
China Mountain Zhang by Maureen F. McHugh (Weeping China Doll rose)

July/Books About Books
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

August/Back to School
Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn

September/Toronto Film Festival
The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran (a film based on this will be shown at the festival)

October/Book Bullets
In the Woods by Tana French

November/Disasters
Rivers by Michael Farris Smith

December/Wish Upon a Star
Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons

MysteryCAT Reads

I've been focusing on reading mysteries all year. Some have aligned with the monthly topic for the MysteryCAT and some haven't, but I am trying to read at least one book for each monthly topic, even if I don't read it in the correct month.

Here are my month-by-month reads:

January: The Detective Novel
*Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers (Lord Peter Wimsey)
Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King

February: Series
*Still Life by Louise Penny (Armand Gamache)
World of Trouble by Ben H. Winters (The Last Policeman trilogy)

March: Children's Mystery
*The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle (Puffin Classics ed.)
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (audio version)

April: Nordic Mystery
None so far.

May: Classic Mystery
*The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

June: Police Procedurals
The Burn Palace by Stephen Dobyns
Uncivil Seasons by Michael Malone
In the Woods by Tana French

July: Noir
*Pick-Up by Charles Willeford
The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett

August: British mystery
*The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier

September: Book-Themed Mysteries
*The Grand Complication by Allen Kurzweil

October: Global Mysteries
The Keep by Jennifer Egan -- Eastern Europe
Getaway by Lisa Brackmann -- Mexico
A Most Wanted Man by John Le Carre -- Germany
*A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn -- South Africa

November: Historical Mysteries
*The Gods of Gotham by Lindsay Faye -- 1850s New York City

December: Cozy Mysteries
The Circular Staircase -- abandoned before finishing

* refers to a book I read during the appropriate month and credited to the MysteryCAT.

Nice roundup and congratulations on being so close to your goal!

>10 MissWatson: Thank you!

41. The Other by Thomas Tryon (1971)
Genre: Horror | Source: Off the shelves | Rating: Good (4★)

Good and evil twins cause havoc for their family and the small Connecticut town where they live.

Wow. This one was a tough one to rate and review. On the one hand, I appreciate the pure, over-the-top schlock of this story. If I hadn't already known this was published in the early '70s, I certainly would have deduced it. It fits right in with the early wave of pulp horror that the 1970s came to epitomize, along with novels like Rosemary's Baby and The Exorcist. Tryon stuffs everything he can think of in here. There are twists upon twists, gothic elements, the absurd, and the outright shocking. There was one scene that was at once so insane and gruesome, and yet so unexpected, that it literally turned my stomach. For those of you who have read the book, I'm referring to the scene where they find the baby in the wine cask.

It's not a perfect book, by any means, or even a perfect horror book. Tryon's writing can be convoluted, excessively wordy, and frustratingly vague. There is a sense of having read this kind of story before, but done much more cleanly (perhaps I'm thinking of We Have Always Lived in the Castle or even The Turn of the Screw). There are some great moments, but taken all together, it's almost too much.

Fans of horror or anyone who's interested in the development of the genre will want to read this. But I'm afraid The Other dates itself. It's a fun book, if you don't take it too seriously, but is it a timeless book? I don't think so.

Next up on deck: Ancillary Justice

Great thread-topper pic!! I wish I could do a straight Mt. TBR-challenge, but that'll never happen. Having it as a "bonus" is a very good idea, though, I may have to do that too. Or at least try...

Congratulations on doing such a good job with your TBR. I have also been trying to whittle mine down but those new books have a way of catching my eye, to say nothing of library visits!

Thanks! It is hard to stay out of bookstores and hard not to buy when I am in there. The books are all so attractively arranged, like beautiful candies. Fortunately, the library is easier for me to resist because I actually have to go searching for books there hidden in the stacks or on the ebook borrowing site.

42. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White (1952)
Genre: Children's book | Source: My son's bookshelves | Rating: Very good (4.5-5★)

Wilbur the pig befriends Charlotte the spider, who decides to save his bacon by writing great things about him in her web.

This was a beloved book from childhood that I recently reread to my son. Even after all these years, the book holds up. It is just as sweet a portrayal of true friendship as I remember. It is also a meditation on life and what makes it worth living. (Spoiler alert: it's the simple things, good friends, the change in seasons, appreciating the things around you.) I was surprised on this reading that there was so much mention made of death, especially with reference to Wilbur's impending violent death in order to become food for the table. Well, these are the facts of life on a farm, and since my 6-year-old is already very curious about death, it seems like a good idea to expose him to literature that tackles the topic head on, in an accessible way for kids.

The only part in which he teared up was at the very end, when Charlotte's babies are ballooning away. The thought of Wilbur being left friendless and alone quite distressed him. Fortunately, three of her daughters stayed, and Wilbur never lacked for spider friends.

My favorite part of this story was as a child and remains the county fair. White really brings all the sensory experiences of the fair to life, and the excitement of being a child at the fair. I also carry a soft spot for Templeton the rat, unabashed glutton that he is.

Charlotte's Web remains a classic and a worthy addition to my son's bookshelf.

I am way behind in my reviews for August! I also went off-track from my plan to read off the TBR--mainly because I want to save a bunch of them for the likely CATs for next year. Oh well, now I'm back to reading mysteries/crime and trying to get in more global reads. Making plans is the best way to ensure that those things will not get done!

"Making plans is the best way to ensure that those things will not get done!"

Too true - too busy making lists of things to do that things don't get done. :)

43. Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie (2013)
Genre: Science fiction | Source: Early Reviewers win | Rating: Very Good (4.5★)

At one time, the artificial intelligence Justice of Toren was the brain of a massive starship as well as the crew members on-board and the security forces keeping peace on a conquered planet, inhabiting the bodies of human prisoners-of-war, called ancillaries, whose brains have been wiped clean and repurposed. But now the AI, called Breq, is confined to just one of her ancillary bodies, as she doggedly pursues revenge against the one who betrayed her while becoming embroiled in a complicated struggle for power over the galactic empire.

Ancillary Justice brings a new and unique flavor to the sub-genre of space opera. The story jumps great distances in time and space as it comes together, which may leave the reader feeling untethered at first--but stick with it. Leckie is building a complex empire, and she takes her time with it, allowing us to gradually become immersed. By the time Breq's ship is destroyed, a heart-stopping moment, I was enthralled and couldn't wait to keep turning the pages.

Beyond all the political machinations, the betrayals and conspiracies, I enjoyed this book for its interesting take on gender and for its completely unique point of view. Breq, the narrator, is at one point the mind for many bodies as well as a spaceship that can observe everything happening on-board. As such, the point of view is nearly first-person omniscient, which I don't think I've seen done before. After the spaceship is destroyed and the AI is confined to only one body, Leckie continues to thwart narrative norms. For instance, Breq was created in a gender-neutral society where everyone is referred to as "she," so she cannot distinguish between the genders and uses the same pronoun for everyone she meets, male or female. The effect on the reader is disconcerting, and leads us to question some of our assumptions about gender, especially in science fiction. This is just one of the many interesting questions Leckie raises in this multi-faceted novel.

I always enjoy it when a skilled writer takes overly familiar tropes and tries twisting them in new ways. Leckie is a fresh voice in science fiction, and I'll certainly be looking out for further installments in this trilogy.

44. Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn (2001)
Genre: General Fiction | Source: My father's books | Rating: Good (4★)
RandomCAT: August/Back to School

Ella Minnow Pea is an amusing fable about a fictional island country where one by one, use of each letter of the alphabet is outlawed. It's an epistolary novel, so it's a book of letters about letters, gradually degrading into almost nonsense as the letters are removed. There is not much in the way of plot or characterization; rather, this is a brainteaser couched in book form. Still, it's light and enjoyable, especially to lovers of words, letters, and language.

45. A Most Wanted Man by John le Carre (2008)
Genre: Spy fiction | Source: Book club pick | Rating: Average (3★)
GeoCAT: August/Western Europe

A Most Wanted Man is a present-day spy thriller set in Hamburg, Germany. The titular man is a Chechen, possibly a terrorist, certainly once a tortured prisoner, who has entered Germany illegally, revealed himself as the heir of a large amount of dirty money, and is thus wanted by the intelligence agents of three countries: Germany, Britain and the U.S.

This was my first le Carre, an author who I am certainly familiar with, and I don't think this was the best one to start out with, to be honest. Le Carre's writing is clear, precise, and very readable, but this story was lacking in excitement and genuine characters. The only character who I could truly empathize with was the banker, who was having some sort of midlife crisis and seemed to only muddle through the intrigue he found himself caught up in. I couldn't understand the fascination that Issa, the wanted man, held for all the people he met, and the female lawyer who inexplicably falls in love with him seems two-dimensional in her flatness. Most frustrating of all, the main character, the disillusioned German spy, was a cipher to me, and I felt like understanding him was the key to understanding the book. On top of that frustration, I thought that the overall tone of the book was anti-American and way too black-and-white. I would have appreciated more nuance when dealing with the modern-day war on terror.

I'm not sure if I'll try another of le Carre's books. This one seemed so promising, but ultimately disappoints. I will probably see the movie adaptation, anyway, since it is Philip Seymour Hoffman's last film.

46. The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier (1969)
Genre: Speculative fiction | Source: Amazon Kindle | Rating: Good (4★)
GeoCAT: August/Western Europe | MysteryCAT: August/British Mystery

The House on the Strand is a historical-time travel mystery by Daphne du Maurier. Dick, a disillusioned book publisher with a shaky marriage, goes to his friend's house in Cornwall for summer holidays. The friend is a research scientist who persuades Dick to take an experimental drug, with the effect of transporting him back to the 14th century, where, as an onlooker, he becomes passionately involved in the lives of the people he observes. The mystery is not so much whodunnit, but what's going on here? Although there is murder and plotting going on as well. An unusual book, The House on the Strand did not end the way I expected it to, and the ambiguous ending still has me puzzling.

As a side note, I think this would make a terrific movie.

Next up on deck: The Grand Complication

>21 sturlington: If you're open to trying more from Le Carre, I'd definitely recommend The Spy Who Came in from the Cold! I think it may be considered part of a series, but I read it as a standalone and didn't have any problems following along.

>23 christina_reads: Thanks for the recommendation, I should give him another chance. My dad loved his books and all the Alec Guinness adaptations.

>12 sturlington: When I was a kid, the local station out of L.A. played the movie of The Other so often that I knew the story by heart. I read the book years later and there were certain scenes that still gave me chills.

>25 mstrust: I would be very reluctant to watch that movie!

>20 sturlington: Would you say that Ella Minnow Pea would be a good fit for the Bingo square that says Read A Book About Language? I am trying to line up some ideas for next year.

>27 DeltaQueen50: Oh, most definitely! It's about what happens when our language is gradually taken away from us. It's a short, fun read. I think you'll like it.

>28 sturlington: Thanks, I am slowly getting my ducks in order for next year! :)

Finally added my review for Ancillary Justice in >19 sturlington: -- a difficult book to sum up.

47. The Grand Complication by Allen Kurzweil (2001)
Genre: Mystery fiction | Source: My father's books | Rating: Average (3★)
MysteryCAT: September/Book-themed mystery

A librarian gets mixed up with an elderly eccentric in his obsessive search for a stolen watch.

This is a mystery written for people who like to read about people doing research, or who enjoy books filled with literary allusions and jokes. I was mildly enjoying it, but it pretty much falls apart in the third act. If you like books about books, or if you worship libraries and librarians, you may like this book. But I imagine its appeal is fairly narrow.

Next up on deck: Midnight in Peking by Paul French

Great review of Ancillary Justice! I was happy to hear it won the Hugo and I too am looking forward to the next book in the series.

48. The Prophet by Khalil Gibran (1923)
Genre: Poetry | Source: Amazon Kindle | Rating: Very good (4.5★)
RandomCAT: September/Toronto International Film Festival

I just now got around to reading The Prophet. A lot of what's in here is common sense, easily recognized truths. One wishes that human beings would live by these sentiments, rather than just nodding their heads when they read them and then forgetting them in the context of real life. Some of the talk about God didn't appeal to me, although I recognize that Gibran seems to be talking about God more in the sense of a benign force in the universe rather than a being to be worshipped. Other bits flew right past me and would require rereading and further thought. And the ending bit about reincarnation--well, isn't it pretty to think so?

Even though this reads like an early version of the New Age self-help books that are now ubiquitous, Gibran certainly had a gift for poetic language and simple but evocative imagery, which elevates his writing above all that other claptrap. This is a book that I can see myself returning to often.

Some favorite quotes:

The soul unfolds itself, like a lotus of countless petals.

Yet the timeless in you is aware of life's timelessness, and knows that yesterday is but today's memory and tomorrow is today's dream.

Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing. And when you have read the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb. And when the earth shall claim your limbs, than shall you truly dance.

49. Midnight in Peking by Paul French (2011)
Genre: True crime | Source: my mother | Rating: Above average (3.5★)
GeoCAT: September/East Asia

On the eve of Japanese occupation of Beijing (Peking), a young English girl is found brutally murdered, a crime that officially remains unsolved.

Paul French presents the facts of this horrific murder against the backdrop of daily life in Peking, where mixed in with the Chinese live White Russians, Jews fleeing Europe, the diplomatic staff from various Western countries, and China hands, ex-pats who have lived in China for years. (The father of murdered Pamela Werner is one of these old hands.) French describes a city with where opium dens and brothels nestle up against the homes of the wealthy westerners, where the locals fear fox spirits and everyone anxiously anticipates the arrival of Japanese forces. If you are at all interested in China or Chinese history, this book is rich with details.

French presents the facts of the murder and its investigation in a clinical way, and offers a plausible solution. However, when he portrays the people involved in the case, the narration falls flat. They never became much more than two-dimensional to me. The details about Peking were what kept me reading, not the details of the crime. It's also a confusing case, with many suspects, lots of movement throughout the night of the murder, and several important clues. It would have been helpful if French had supplied some explanatory materials, such as a map of the area and a list of all the people involved and their relationships to one another.

Despite these flaws, this was still a highly readable book with much to interest those of us who are fascinated by China.

Next up on deck: Wide Sargasso Sea

50. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys (1966)
Genre: Historical fiction | Source: Library | Rating: Above average (3.5★)

Wide Sargasso Sea tells the story of the mad first wife in Jane Eyre, her childhood and the turbulent early days of her marriage to Mr. Rochester.

I had wanted to read this book for a long time because of its connection to Jane Eyre. It was a short, fast read, heavy on atmosphere, but I don't think it gave me any more insight into the characters of Mr. Rochester or his first wife. Rochester himself is not even named in the book, and if I hadn't already known of the connection, I might not have figured it out until the short final section, the only part to take place in England.

Most of the story is set in the British West Indies not long after slavery has been abolished there. This novel conveys a wonderful sense of place: the lush, wild, encroaching jungle; the heavy air; the foreign way of life; the almost alien natives. Growing up there as a white Creole, Antoinette feels both a part of the island and a foreigner on it, especially after her home is attacked by freed slaves, an event with long-reaching consequences for her entire family. She imagines England as a magical other world, much as Jamaica must seem to Mr. Rochester, a place where she can finally belong--which I guess explains her marriage.

This is the section of the story I found most confusing. It is mostly narrated by Mr. Rochester, who certainly does not endear himself to the reader. He comes across as naive, petulant, driven by lust and completely unsympathetic. I suppose he is young, but I would have liked to have some feeling for him, to see how his disastrous marriage changes him. As for Antoinette, madness runs in her family, which I guess is supposed to explain her "insanity." I never got the feeling that she was really insane, at least not until the very end, but rather that she was trapped by circumstances. Still, I didn't understand her love for Rochester at all.

I mostly enjoyed this short read, mainly for the sense of time and place it conveyed, but the inability to truly empathize with these characters frustrated me, leaving me with mixed feelings about the book.

Next up on deck: The Bone Clocks

Yes! I have reached 50 books, which was my reading goal for the year, still with 3 months left to go. My son thinks I can beat my previous all-time record and read 65 books this year. We'll see!

Well done on reaching goal - and have fun going for the next one!

Congratulations! And with three months to go.

Congratulations! And you just might reach 65.

I read Wide Sargasso Sea for the same reason you did, but I enjoyed it a little less than you did. She was so unsympathetic with Rochester.

>39 mstrust: It was a tough one to rate because I did like the writing.

>40 sturlington: Agreed there, I didn't care for the book, mostly due to her presentation of Rochester, but had it been something unrelated to Jane Eyre I'd likely have thought it fine. I do enjoy her writing.

Congratulations on reaching fifty! Go for more!

Congrats on reaching your target!

51. The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell (2014)
Genre: Slipstream | Source: Early Reviewers | Rating: Very good (4.5★)

Mitchell's latest novel is a genre-bending epic spanning 60 years about the people whose fates are altered by an ongoing war between immortals.

The story begins in 1984 England as 15-year-old Holly Sykes is running away from home. Holly sometimes sees visions, "daymares," or hears voices: "the Radio People, I called them, 'cause at first I thought there was a radio on in the next room. Only there never was a radio on in the next room." Holly's strange and frightening visions signify that this is not the mundane world it seems, but a fantastical version of it where reality can be distorted. She witnesses a decisive battle in a war, an event that neither she nor the reader can comprehend. By the end of the first section, Holly's memory has been erased and her younger brother has disappeared, which will haunt her for years.

Each following section jumps forward several years and introduces a new voice, with Holly as the linchpin connecting it all. This episodic structure is reminiscent of Mitchell's novel Cloud Atlas, but with immortals, psychic vampires and reincarnation, this story wanders further into the realm of fantasy. The characters' voices, ordinary people caught up in the Immortals' struggle, anchor the fantastic and give it meaning. Hugo Lamb is a reprobate college student who is offered a chance at immortality. Ed Brubeck, a war journalist and the father of Holly's daughter, describes the futility of the present-day war on terrorism. Crispin Hershey is a well-known author whose star is falling, and his cynical take on the literary community is darkly funny. In the penultimate section, one of the Immortals reveals to Holly what happened to her as a teenage runaway, and the final outcome of the war is decided. The denouement, set in a near-future world decimated by climate change, is the most difficult to read. Despite all of the incredible events that have shaped Holly's life, the all-too-real end is depressingly bleak, but not altogether hopeless.

An episodic mind-bender that will appeal to readers of fantasy and literary fiction alike.

Next up: A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn

I'm excited that you liked David Mitchell's newest. I'm planning to get a copy on my next trip the bookstore downtown that carries some English language books.

>45 RidgewayGirl: I'm becoming a big fan of Mitchell. Cloud Atlas is one of all-time favorites. I'm thinking I have go and read some of his older novels as well.

Black Swan Green is my favorite. It's a coming of age story.

>47 RidgewayGirl: I'll put that on my TBR. By the way, I believe a character from Black Swan Green is also a fairly major character in The Bone Clocks.

Congratulations on reaching your original goal and here to cheer you on to you new goal!

52. A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn (2009)
Genre: Historical mystery | Source: Amazon Kindle bargain book | Rating: Good (4★)
MysteryCAT: October/Global Mystery

In South Africa, just after the apartheid laws have been passed, Detective Emmanuel Cooper goes to a small border town to investigate the murder of the police chief.

This historical mystery has a marvelous sense of place. Not only does Nunn paint a vivid picture of the wild South African veldt, but she also brings to life a variety of characters representing the range of ethnic groups living uncomfortably together in this one small town. The incredibly complex relationships among the races are not just historical background; they fundamentally affect every action each character makes and are key to unraveling the mystery. In reading this book, I learned quite a bit about the history of this fascinating country, and I was very entertained while doing so. This novel can stand alone, but it left me wanting to continue the series.

Next up on deck: In the Woods by Tana French

53. In the Woods by Tana French (2007)
Genre: Police procedural | Source: Amazon Kindle | Rating: Very good (4.5★)
RandomCAT: October/Book bullet

Investigating a child murder, Detective Ryan returns for the first time to his childhood home, where his two best friends disappeared in a still-unsolved crime.

Here is yet another mystery with a terrific sense of place: a small suburb near Dublin that never was fully developed as promised. A housing estate encircles what used to be a small wood, now is an archaeological dig, and will soon be a highway. Ryan and his partner, Cassie Maddox, go there to investigate the murder of a young girl, whose body was found on an altar-like slab of rock in the middle of the dig. This brings up suppressed memories for Ryan, who grew up in the same estate; he still can't remember what happened to his two friends one summer afternoon, when they disappeared and he was discovered in shock, with his sneakers full of blood. He has kept his identity secret from almost anyone, but even though it may jeopardize his career, he feels compelled to work this murder in case there is a connection between the two crimes. French does a terrific job of juxtaposing the mundane with the mysterious, and although the story never ventures into the realm of the paranormal, there is certainly an almost horrific atmosphere surrounding those woods. Ryan as the unreliable narrator also reveals himself to be a rather unlikeable character, but still a compelling one. This story seems most concerned with exposing the brutish, petty evil that can dwell within all of us, but some mysteries, alas, are left unresolved. French manages to leave the reader feeling satisfied despite this, but I'm not sure I want to continue on with these characters. Still, I enjoyed the page-turning suspense of In the Woods enough to feel tempted.

Next up on deck: NOS4A2

The advantage of the Tana French books is that you don't continue with the same characters, although the next book comes closest to that with Cassie being the main character. The others each use a minor character from a previous book.

I found Rob less unlikeable than a likable guy who does some very unlikeable things (mostly that one thing).

New Category: Books for Review

I managed to pick up a freelance gig occasionally reviewing independently published books for a website/magazine. I want to include these in my total reads for the year, but not actually insert them into my other categories, as these are books that are assigned to me rather than books that I would ordinarily choose to read. I also can't reproduce my reviews here, but I can give a very brief summary.

My first assignment, and read #54 for the year, is: Caesar, Cicero and Cleopatra: What really happened, a fictional biography of the final years of Julius Caesar's life. My rating: meh (3★). Although I have to admit that reading this got me interested in that period of Roman history, and I think I will watch the PBS miniseries about it to learn more. Here's a pretty cool website about the miniseries: http://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/index.html

>52 RidgewayGirl: That's good to know--a different way of writing a series so it doesn't go stale. I think Rob seems likable at first but gradually becomes less so. That didn't bother me--I really liked the way his character revealed itself. But I don't necessarily want to read another book narrated by him. I read the summary for the second book and it intrigued me, so it's on the wishlist now.

I thought that the description of The Likeness made it sound utterly implausible, but it ended up being my favorite (along with Broken Harbour) in the series. French really pulls it off. She also ties off a few loose ends from In the Woods, but not the big one.

Sharing this quote from In the Woods, which sums up one of my annoyances with "modern life":

To my mind the defining characteristic of our era is spin, everything tailored to vanishing point by market research, brands and bands manufactured to precise specifications; we are so used to things transmuting into whatever we would like them to be that it comes as a profound outrage to encounter death, stubbornly unspinnable, only and immutably itself.

>53 sturlington: Congrats on your new job!

>56 sturlington: I can see why so many people like her books.

>57 mstrust: Thanks!

>56 sturlington: Great quotation! How well French expressed it. A couple of years ago I had a look at one of her books and the first couple of pages didn't grab me so it went back on the library shelf. You have convinced me I was wrong. French is back on my wishlist.

>51 sturlington: Glad to see you enjoyed the Tana French book.

55. NOS4A2 by Joe Hill (2013)
Genre: Horror-Suspense | Source: Kindle bargain book | Rating: Very good (4.5★)

Charlie Manx is a psychic vampire who feeds on the youth and innocence of the children he ferrets away to his imaginary world of Christmasland, but he has an unlikely foe in Vic McQueen, a former alcoholic, when he kidnaps her son.

All Stephen King fans who live in fear of the day he stops churning out books can now relax, because he has an heir--both literally and figuratively. I've enjoyed all of Joe Hill's novels that I've read, but NOS4A2 is the first one where I thought he was actually channeling his father. In fact, I jokingly thought that maybe it was written by King himself, using another pseudonym. Not only does it read like King, but it reads like King at his absolute best--one of those great big books that takes you by the throat and forces you to race through the pages just to find out what happens.

NOS4A2 has it all. There is an unlikely band of heroes, headed by Vic McQueen, who is tough, flawed and completely relatable. She has a rare ability to psychically travel to find lost things, but this ability has also messed her up, and it exposes her to Charlie Manx as a teenager, an encounter that puts him in jail and sets them up as bitter enemies. When Manx comes after her son, Vic must fight back, with only a lovable geek named Lou (her overweight ex and the boy's father) and a librarian turned drug addict who shares the same psychic power on her side. Oh yeah, she also has a kickass motorcycle.

Speaking of Manx, he is one hell of a villain, oily and repulsive, stupid-evil and seemingly invincible. The kids he takes turn into monsters, really disturbing ones. The showdown between Vic and Manx in Christmasland should not be read late at night. We have to worry not only about the safety of Vic's son Wayne, but also about his soul. Special children in jeopardy -- another Stephen King trademark.

And there are so many shoutouts to King's novels here. King fans already know that searching for connections between books is part of the fun of reading him. In NOS4A2, Hill references Mid-World of The Dark Tower series, Derry of It and the True Knot of Doctor Sleep, while slipping in little references to The Stand, Christine and Cujo.. In some ways, this book comes off as the ultimate fan fiction, a love letter from father to son. (By the way, did Hill also sneak in shoutouts to contemporary writers David Mitchell and Neil Gaiman? I think so, and that would make sense, as all of them share a lot in common.)

Whether you're a King fan or not, this is a great read, packed with terrific characters, real scares, and lots of suspense and action. Joe Hill has arrived, and I hope he turns out to be as prolific a writer as his father.

Next up on deck: Americanah

I really liked Heart-Shaped Box. I'm glad he getting even better. Good horror is a rare thing; more often it tilts over into Grand Guignol or simply fails to deliver the chills.

>63 RidgewayGirl: You're right. I love a good horror book, but a lot of the writing in that genre is just bad. I thought Heart-Shaped Box was terrifying, though, in a good way.

56. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2013)
Genre: Literary fiction | Source: Amazon Kindle | Rating: Good (4★)

A Nigerian woman emigrates to the United States and discovers race.

Reading this book, I realized I am in no position to understand what people go through just because of their race. The closest I can come is what I sometimes experience as a woman, but even that is not that close. For me, it's a frustrating feeling because I logically know that judging people on race is intrinsically stupid, because the very literal definition of race is simply skin color, which should have no meaning. But the question of race is so embedded in our culture--by that, I mean American culture--that it's literally impossible to not partake in it. As a white American, I have been enculturated from birth to think differently about people with darker skin, and that kind of indoctrination is hard to overcome.

I appreciated a lot of things about this book, aside from its frank take on a subject that we are practically forbidden to talk about in America. My favorite parts were the opening and ending, which took place in Nigeria, and the part where Ifemelu first comes to America. I think it bogs down in the middle, once she starts her race blog, and starts to feel somewhat didactic. This is not a blog book, in the sense that it is not a book made up of blog posts (which is a good thing), but it does have blog posts in it, and I found them somewhat disruptive to the text. The book picks up again when Ifemelu returns to Nigeria. She doesn't spare her fellow Nigerians her critical eye. It's smart, insightful writing, even if Ifemelu is a bit too hard on all her boyfriends (who all seem somewhat too in love with her, especially given the way she treats them).

This isn't just a book about race, but race is a large part of what it talks about, and that makes it a very good book for a wide audience to read.

57. The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson (1908)
Genre: Weird fiction | Source: Public domain (Kindle) | Rating: Above-average (3.5★)

Two fishermen on vacation in the Irish countryside discover an eerie pit, the remains of a house and a mysterious manuscript written by the man who once lived there, describing his voyages through space and time and his battles with bizarre swine-people perhaps from another dimension.

This short novel, published in 1908, is an interesting early example of weird fiction. It's quite surreal and doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but it's worth reading just for historical interest, as well as for the lurid descriptions. The character I most sympathized with was the narrator's sister, Mary. She obviously thought her brother was cuckoo, and I tend to agree with her.

Next up on deck: The Gods of Gotham

I abandoned Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction. I was not getting much of anything useful out of this book, and it just wasn't short enough.

58. The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye
Genre: Historical crime | Source: Library book sale | Rating: Above average (3.5★)
MysteryCAT: November/Historical mystery

After losing everything he has, including a portion of his face, to a fire, Timothy Wilde joins the nascent New York City Police Department as a Copper Star and is immediately confronted with a gruesome child-murder case.

For me, the richest part of this novel was the historical detail. Faye does a good job of bringing 1850s New York City to life, with its Irish immigrants, slums, newsies, street gangs and mabs. I liked the language of flash used liberally throughout the book (often unnecessarily translated by the author--we can easily pick up the meaning from the context). I do feel like I learned something about that time from reading this, which is something I want from historical fiction; for instance, it finally clicked why policemen are called "coppers!" However, I think the mystery is a bit weak here. None of the characters were deeply drawn enough for me to feel like I really knew them or understood why they did the things they did. Wilde himself seemed just a bit too good to be true, and I wished his brother--who reminded me somewhat of Daniel Day-Lewis's character in Gangs of New York--had gotten more page time. In short, this book had a lot of promise, it was very readable and entertaining, and the historical details were terrific, but it lacked the depth of character and story I look for.

Next up on deck: Rivers

Another positive review of The Gods of Gotham! I really need to move that one further up my future reading list.

>68 sturlington:

I really want to get to that one next year.

59. Rivers by Michael Farris Smith (2013)
Genre: Apocalyptic fiction | Source: Local independent bookstore | Rating: Very good (4.5★)
RandomCAT: November/Disasters

In the near future, climate change and perpetual storms have forced the US government to abandon the Gulf Coast, and those who remain live without laws or services.

This was a beautifully written book. Michael Farris Smith's style reminds me of Cormac McCarthy, yet even though this is definitely apocalyptic fiction, it doesn't seem as bleak or as cynical as McCarthy's work. Cohen stayed on the wrong side of the Line, as it's called, after losing his wife and unborn daughter. Now he lives in isolation except for a dog and a horse in the unrelenting rain on the Mississippi coast. But everything changes when he is carjacked by a couple of teenagers, who then rob his house. This plot does not go the way you might expect. It's really a story about reconnecting and discovering the importance of connections even when everything seems lost. There are also some twists and turns, a couple of surprises, an exciting climax and a quietly moving ending. I loved this book and was so glad I discovered it quite by chance.

Next up on deck: The Happiest People in the World

Oh, that does sound interesting. I'll keep an eye out for it. Good review!

>71 sturlington: Interesting. The premise just seems a bit too unrealistic to me, but I have family in various parts along the Gulf Coast so I might see if the library has a copy.

ETA: The library didn't have a copy. When I read a product description of it at Amazon, I decided that I didn't want to read it. I don't do snakes!

>73 thornton37814: Oh, right, the snake handler. There aren't actually any snakes to speak of in the book, though.

>74 sturlington: I'll think about it.

60. The Happiest People in the World by Brock Clarke (2014)
Genre: Satire | Source: Early Reviewers win | Rating: Below-average (2.5★)

This book wins the unfortunate award of the first read of the year to receive a rating below 3★.

After publishing a cartoon criticizing Islam, a Danish cartoonist finds himself a refugee from nonexistent fundamentalist extremists (actually just a couple of aimless kids) and is relocated to a small town in upstate New York, in disguise as a high school guidance counselor.

The first chapter of this novel is gimmicky-clever: clearly a massacre told from the point of view of a stuffed moose head, which has a secret video camera and nonfunctioning microphone installed for not-yet-disclosed reasons. I was a little put off by the beginning, but then I enjoyed the switch to Denmark and the hapless cartoonist who is basically ordered by his editor to get with the trend and insult Islam so that the editor can get shed of the family newspaper he inherited and never wanted. This to me was the funniest part of the book, and it's too bad that we never see the newspaper editor again.

After that, the novel quickly devolves into the absurd by introducing the residents of Broomeville, New York, which include an unrealistic number of secret agents who are there for who knows what purpose. The cartoonist is moved there by another secret agent simply because she is in love with the high school principal (for reasons that I cannot fathom), with whom she had an affair some years back, causing the slow dissolution of his marriage. None of these characters seemed very real to me, and even though this is satire, I need some sort of understandable motivation to accept that these people would do the ridiculous things they end up doing. In fact, I felt like a large middle section of this short book was missing, as all of the build-up to the climactic massacre--looping back to the first chapter--had seemed to be excised. For me, the plot did not make a lot of sense, the bulk of the novel wasn't funny, and the climactic shootout seemed over-the-top and pointless. I also didn't find the satire to be either thought-provoking or particularly incisive. All in all, this was a disappointing follow-up to An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England.

Next up on deck: Fourth of July Creek

Number 61 in my reading list for the year is another book reviewed on assignment: Death and Disappearances. I cannot reprint the review here but it is not kind.

Read with my son: an abridged version of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (#62). Well, you all know the story. He enjoyed it--loved the Nautilus and also all the maps of the sea voyage that were included in this illustrated version. This version, intended for children, added a lot to the text with photographs and facts about the undersea life that Nemo and his hostages encountered. I gave this version 4★.

We also read The 13 Clocks by James Thurber together earlier in the year. That puts the total up to 63 books read so far this year.

>78 sturlington:
I read an abridged version of that as a kid and loved it (I've yet to read an unabridged version, but it's on the list) - I think Jules Verne is perfect kid lit! And thanks for the heads-up about that kids' Eyewitness Classics series - I've never heard of it before, but I think I just took care of a few Xmas gifts... :)

I'm definitely going to check out more in that series. A fun way to read the classics.

64. Fourth of July Creek by Smith Henderson (2014)
Genre: Literary fiction | Source: Amazon Kindle (daily deal) | Rating: Average (3★)

In 1980s rural Montana, social worker Pete Snow tries to keep his own life together while helping the children in his care.

Smith Henderson has written a very readable book, a gripping story with several insights about the hardships of life on the fringes of society. However, I had a major problem with the novel that kept me from enjoying it completely. The main male characters in the book -- Pete, his brother Luke, and the survivalist Jeremiah Pearl, who Pete encounters in the woods with his son Benjamin -- are, despite their deep flaws, basically noble men trying to do their best by their kids and families. Pete himself has a failed marriage, is battling alcoholism, has a runaway teenage daughter, and seems prone to criminality, but it's clear that he cares about the kids he comes across and only wants to help them in any way he can. In contrast, the women in this novel are all ruins. They are addicted to either drugs, alcohol or sex; they are failures as girlfriends, wives and, most especially, mothers. They may love their children, but inevitably wind up damaging them, sometimes irreparably. The only female character who's allowed to show some strength is Pete's runaway daughter, Rachel, but she may well be on the road to ruin herself -- her fate is a question mark. I found this treatment of men and women in the story to be incredibly lopsided, without justification -- a feeling that continued to grow as I continued to read. While all in all, I liked the book and admired the writing, I had to deduct a star just because of this one-sidedness.

Next up on deck: Hyperbole and a Half

#65 for this year was an assigned review: Dance Hall: A Novel of Sing Sing, historical fiction about the New York prison set in the 1930s. It was ok and earned 3★.

66. Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh (2013)
Genre: Comics/Humor | Source: Purchased at local independent bookstore | Rating: Very good (4.5★)

I read this book in a day. I was laughing uncontrollably by page 2. Brosh tells the truth on every page. And there are dogs. They aren't cute dogs but you can't have everything.

My favorite story is the one about the cake.

Next up on deck: Harvest Home

I knew you'd like Hyperbole and a Half. As the owner of my own simple dogs (not quite a simple as simple dog), I gave them the dog intelligence test and they both knew their names. That was it. We speculate different reasons for them failing all further portions, but the fact that they did fail the remaining portions stands.

>84 RidgewayGirl: I was sure I'd like it too, since I'm familiar with her blog. I'd never seen the story about how she acquired the helper dog, though. I could so relate to that!

67. Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon (1973)
Genre: Horror | Source: Amazon Kindle (bargain book) | Rating: Poor (2★)

Wins the dubious award of being lowest rated book of the year!

An artist moves his family to a small Connecticut town, where he discovers horrific secrets behind the quaint harvest rituals.

Granted, Harvest Home is a schlocky horror novel published in the 1970s. However, the fear of women expressed in the novel, and the resulting hatred of them, is so palpable that reading it felt icky. I wanted to wash my hands each time I turned the page. The story presents women as unfathomable to men, and ultimately violent toward and oppressive of them. Women are linked to an ancient mother Earth force that imbues them with the power to do whatever they want, despite the objections of some of the male characters. One of the "horrors" of the story is when the male protagonist loses control over his wife and daughter, and they begin acting independently to fulfill their needs and desires. In this book, women are the “other,” portrayed as essentially different and opposed to men, wrong where men are right. This worldview just doesn't do it for me. Women are neither mysterious and unknowable goddesses, nor are they automatons only meant for sex, reproduction and raising children. Furthermore, the "twists" are completely predictable. This book was a disappointing follow-up to The Other.

Next up on deck: The Martian

68. The Martian by Andy Weir (2011)
Genre: Science fiction | Source: Early Reviewers' win | Rating: Above-average (3.5★)

A stranded astronaut must survive for over a year and a half on Mars while awaiting rescue.

While I found this to be an entertaining read, I cannot heap on it the accolades others are giving it. This book is quite flat, all plot with very little character, theme or even insight into this unique scenario that would cause it to rise about "vacation read" status. It is also quite geeky, chock-full of technical information that made my eyes glaze over (this is coming from someone who finished Cryptonomicon). I can understand why many readers enjoyed it. If what you are looking for is a puzzle-driven plot, reminiscent of MacGyver and Robinson Crusoe but in space, and you don't mind the goofy jokes or thin characterization, this is a good read for you. If you read books for depth of character or theme, then this book is not going to satisfy you.

Next up on deck: Cold Comfort Farm

Here's the first abandoned book of the year: The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart, which I was attempting to read for the Cozy Mystery category. This book was simply too dated for me to enjoy reading it. The casual racism and the "dialect" that the only black character used were particularly egregious. All abandoned books automatically receive a one ★ rating.

I keep running into The Martian on various "best books of the year" lists. What being stranded on a alien planet would do to a person is interesting, but it looks like that's one less book to look for.

>89 RidgewayGirl: But that's exactly the extremely interesting question that the book doesn't address, what being stranded on an alien planet would do to someone. Instead, it's much more concerned with the technical details of getting off the planet. I think you can safely skip it.

69. Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons (1932)
Genre: Satire | Source: My shelves (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) | Rating: Very good (4.5★)
RandomCAT: December/When You Wish Upon a Star

Flora Poste moves in with distant relatives on Cold Comfort Farm and decides to fix everybody.

I absolutely adored this book! I had a feeling I would, since I've seen the movie several times. The book is, in many ways, funnier, because it's written in that overblown, melodramatic fashion of pastoral novels popular at the time, but with just enough snark thrown in. I laughed out loud many times. Yet despite being a satire, the characters are very human. The task Flora sets for herself is to transform them from caricatures into people, and she succeeds. Flora is just my kind of British heroine: sensible, pragmatic, straightforward, intolerant of overblown emotions and a reader. I'm sure I will reread this one often.

Next up on deck: Revival

70. Revival by Stephen King (2014)
Genre: Horror | Source: Bought new | Rating: Very good (4.5★)

Throughout his life, Jamie Morton has repeatedly encountered the Reverend Charles Jacobs and been drawn into his mysterious experiments with electricity, but toward the end of Jacobs' life he coerces Jamie into participating into the ultimate--and most dangerous--of experiments.

Mr. King, you had me at hello. The opening three paragraphs of Revival are among the best openings to a novel that I have read in a long time, and I was immediately hooked. The book doesn't disappoint. I feel safe in saying that this is the best of King's novels in recent years. At 403 pages, it's also one of his shortest books, and I think the shorter length showcases a maturity of storytelling.

I see many reviews complaining that this book isn't scary enough or that not much happens, but these are the novel's strength. Revival is a slow burn, not a wild ride. King takes his time developing his characters, shadowing Jacobs and Jamie across both their lifetimes. Jamie is a compelling character, a musician who becomes addicted to heroin and then is able to start over again (with the help of Jacobs' healing electricity). Jacobs is more a cipher; we are shown just enough of him to like him, to understand his pain and grief when he experiences a horrific tragedy, and to feel profoundly disturbed by him and his obsessions as he pops up again and again in Jamie's life. Sure, there are no scares and very little gore for the bulk of the novel, but that lead-up only makes the ending even more powerful a mindfuck.

And if you think this book isn't scary, I can only assume that you haven't spent a lot of time contemplating your own mortality. This book didn't make me jump or want to keep the lights on at night, no. But it really shook me, on an existential level. If the ideas expressed in Revival are the ideas that run through Mr. King's mind when he can't sleep at three in the morning, I can only be glad I'm not him. He's not holding out much hope for a happy ending; the epilogue is positively fatalistic. What are we readers supposed to do with that? The way Revival has infected my brain is much more of an achievement than any cheap scare could ever be.

Finally, I have to congratulate Mr. King on this love letter to his influences in the horror genre. He has paid homage to and built on ideas introduced in Frankenstein, Moby-Dick, the stories of Shirley Jackson and H.P. Lovecraft, and The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen. All in all, this was a terrific, and profoundly disturbing, read.

Next up on deck: The Thin Man

I'm super excited to have reached 70 books for 2014! This beats all my records since I have been keeping track, starting in 2001. (My previous record was in 2011 with 67 books read). I am sure to get one or two more read before the end of the year, so while I may not hit 75, I'll get darned close!

It's also been a great reading year in terms of quality, with more than half of my books receiving a rating of 4 stars or higher.

Way to read!

Congratulations on reaching 70! And on the quality of your reads. You've had a good year!

>94 MissWatson: and >95 mstrust: Thank you! I'm so glad I found this group because it really inspired me.

Congratulations Shannon! I've been hit by some BBs from your reviews, the latest being Cold Comfort Farm and Revival that I've thumbed.

Fantastic news! Glad to hear you've had a good reading year. Adding Revival to the TBR based on your review.

71. The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett (1934)
Genre: Crime | Source: Amazon Kindle -- avoid this e-book edition! | Rating: below average (2.5★)

Retired private eye Nick Charles must take a break from boozing to solve the mystery of a murdered mistress.

Curiously flat. Charles is a functional alcoholic. His wife, Nora, depicted as the smartest woman in the book, is nothing more than a set piece who fetches Charles drinks and asks him questions so he can 'splain the unfolding mystery. The other women are all types, and not very flatteringly depicted. It didn't help that the ebook version is riddled with errors. Still, Raymond Chandler is light years ahead of Hammett when it comes to writing talent and thus more fun to read. The movie version of The Thin Man is certainly a lot more entertaining than the book. I credit a good screenplay and the chemistry between William Powell and Myrna Loy.

Next up on deck: Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

Congratulations on reaching 70! Great review of Revival. I've read a few of King's novels and I need to fit some more into next year's reading. I've also enjoyed his son Joe Hill's books.

>97 VivienneR: >98 rabbitprincess: >100 mathgirl40: I hope you like Revival. I liked it a lot more than some of the other reviewers thus far, but I think they were expecting a more typical Stephen King novel.

>100 mathgirl40: I have read all of Hill's work except his comics and have enjoyed much of it. I especially like NOS4A2, which I read this year around Halloween. It would also make a good Christmas book, though!

"more than half of my books receiving a rating of 4 stars or higher"
Now that's something to celebrate!!

>91 sturlington: I took a book bullet on Cold Comfort Farm and immediately picked it up from the library. Only to find out that I read it fairly recently, even though it wasn't in my catalogue. I'm not ready for a re-read yet, maybe sometime.

>102 -Eva-: It certainly is! I've been taking more care in selecting what to read, and it does pay off.

>103 VivienneR: My memory certainly isn't what it used to be. I think my obsession with cataloguing my books in LT ultimately pays off by helping me avoid those unintended rereads. :-)

"more than half of my books receiving a rating of 4 stars or higher"

Makes for one very positive reading year!

Happy New Year!

#72 for this year was an assigned review: Cold Moon (The Rose Diaries 1) by Natalia La Fey, a YA book that I gave 3★.

73. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed (2012)
Genre: Memoir | Source: Amazon Kindle (book club pick) | Rating: Above Average (3.5★)

After the death of her mother and the break-up of her first marriage, Cheryl Strayed hikes the Pacific Crest Trail alone in an attempt to process her grief and restart her life.

While I liked this memoir about hiking and healing, I didn't love it, I think for several reasons. For one, I already knew too much about Strayed's back story, which she also explores in her other writing (such as the Dear Sugar columns), which I think lessened the book's impact for me. But while I empathized with Strayed, I found it hard to connect with her. I just would have made very different choices were I in her shoes (and I have had some similar experiences). The episode with her mother's horse, for instance, bothered me a lot, and I had to wonder why she didn't just call the vet and try to work out a more humane solution--I'm sure most vets would have tried to help her. I'm also not seeing the movie because I don't want to see this particular episode on film. Instead of feeling inspired by her solo, ill-prepared hike, I took it as a cautionary tale. I think she was very lucky--that brand of luck particular to fools. She's a good writer, but this memoir does struggle to find its center; perhaps she should have spent some time on post-hike Strayed, so we readers could experience more of her change.

74. State of Wonder by Ann Patchett (2011)
Genre: Literary fiction | Source: used book from local independent bookstore | Rating: Very good (4.5★)

After learning that her colleague has died of a "fever" in the Amazon jungle, Dr. Marina Singh follows in his footsteps to learn more about the cause of his death and locate the reclusive Doctor Annick Swenson, who is developing a miracle fertility drug.

This book was beautifully written and totally immersive. For the too-brief time I was reading it, I felt transported to the Amazon jungle along with Marina. I don't want to say much about the plot, because part of the joy of reading this is the process of discovering the story and becoming more and more caught up in it. Patchett has wonderfully captured the unsettling sensation of becoming submersed into an entirely alien world. Her writing is so vivid that it is almost cinematic, and I think this would make a wonderful movie. I absolutely loved this book.

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And that is likely the last review for 2014! Stay tuned for some wrap-ups or check out my 2015 thread.

2014 Overall Wrap-Up

Total number of books read: 74 (a personal best!)

Best Books of the year (4.5★ or above):
* The Sundial by Shirley Jackson
* The Burn Palace by Stephen Dobyns
* Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers
* The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
* China Mountain Zhang by Maureen F. McHugh
* Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
* The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
* The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell
* In the Woods by Tana French
* Rivers by Michael Farris Smith
* Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh
* Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
* Revival by Stephen King
* State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

Top kids' books: James and the Giant Peach, The 13 Clocks and Charlotte's Web -- all rereads

Dishonorable mentions (2.5★ or below): Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon; The Happiest People in the World by Brock Clarke; The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett; The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart--abandoned.

My original categories were 6 showcase showdowns between opposing kinds of books. Let's see how I did. (These showcases exclude children's books and books read for assigned reviews.)

Showcase 1: Old Books vs. New Books
17 "old" books read (published prior to my birth year)
26 "new" books read (published since 2010)
19 were neither

Winner: NEW BOOKS -- I will be reading a lot of new books in 2015, but my goal is to read one classic per month.

Showcase 2: Crime vs. Fantastic Fiction
18 crime books read
20 fantastic (SF/fantasy/speculative) books read
24 were neither

Winner: NEITHER -- The MysteryCAT spurred me to read more crime fiction than I normally do, but I am surprised that so many of my reads were not genre fiction. In 2015, I will be focusing on speculative fiction.

Showcase 3: Women Writers vs. Non-Western Writers
30 women writers
4 non-Western writers (and I had to put 2 women writers in this column just to get up this high)
27 male writers

Winner: WOMEN -- But they just barely surpassed the men, and I was trying to read more women. Next year I plan to read mostly women, but I'm thinking that for 2016 I might have to incorporate more diversity into my challenges.

How did I do on the CATs?

For the GeoCAT, I didn't always read the book in the correct month, but I did manage to visit every region except South Asia and Australia/Oceania and visited 15 countries total. The most visited country other than the United States was England (7 selections). Clearly, I need to expand my horizons but I am happy to have read books set in such diverse locations as Denmark, the Netherlands, Russia, China, Brazil, Jamaica, Mexico, South Africa and Nigeria. See >6 sturlington: for all of the locations.

I also visited 18 states total. The most visited state was New York (6 selections), followed by California (3) and Massachusetts (3). See >7 sturlington: for all of the locations.

The RandomCAT was by far my best showing. I read one each month. See >8 sturlington: for the selections.

I read a book for each category of the MysteryCAT, except Nordic Mysteries and Cozies, although I didn't always read them in the correct month. My best category was Global Mysteries, for which I read 4 books that fit. See >9 sturlington: for the selections.

Happy new year of reading to everyone! Thanks for making this year such fun. I'm so glad to have discovered this group.

Looks like you had a great year of reading. Thanks for all the book bullets you sent my way. Looking forward to 2015.

Happy New Year!

Congratulations on finishing your challenge and for reading a personal best this year!

Great wrap-up! Happy new year!

Happy New Year! I've just started Cold Comfort Farm.

Congratulations on a successful reading year! I love seeing everyone's best books lists.... which are so dangerous for one's ever growing TBR pile! "Dishonorable mentions" - what a perfect way to title the duds!

Congrats on finishing!! Happy New Year!

To finish up the year, here is a meme I snatched from another thread, with answers being titles of books I read in 2014.

Describe yourself: State of Wonder

Describe how you feel: Revival

Describe where you currently live: In the Woods

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Wide Sargasso Sea

Your favorite form of transportation: Orphan Train

Your best friend is: A Most Wanted Man

You and your friends are: The Happiest People in the World

What’s the weather like: Uncivil Seasons

You fear: World of Trouble

What is the best advice you have to give: Getaway

Thought for the day: The Kids Will Be Fine

How I would like to die: The Big Sleep

My soul’s present condition: Still Life

Good answers!

Your best friend sounds intriguing, Shannon