Zozette's 75 books + for 2014
Discussie75 Books Challenge for 2014
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1Zozette
I did a 75 Books Challenge in 2012 but in 2013 I attempted the 100 Books Challenge and failed (only managed 82 books). So it looks like I am far more suited to the 75 Books Challenge.
I read a wide range of genres
FICTION
Mysteries: authors I like include Arnaldur Indridason, Yrsa Sigurdsdottir, Karen Fossum, Colin Cotteril, Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child, Viktor Arnar Ingolfsson and Paul Cleave. I have read all the Sherlock Holmes canon and will probably read some Sherlock pastiches this year.
Books set in Iceland or written by an Icelandic author
Books set in Tasmania (my home)
Short story collections (especially those written by Zoran Zivkovic)
Classic sci-fi
Fantasy incuding YA fantasy
I am attempting to read some of the great classics this year. I am starting with Bleak House and I might try Tess of the D'Urbervilles.
NON-FICTION
Books about books/libraries/museums
Native American history (especially about the Cheyenne)
Books about language
Popular science books
Certain biographies (I usually exclude those about celebrities, politicians and sportspeople)
General history
Survival stories
Any suggestions welcomed especially as I plan to buy a whole heap of books before the Australian government puts a Goods and Sales Tax on overseas sales very soon.
2Zozette
1) Orphans by Lyle Kessler.
One of my favourite movies is Orphans (starring Albert Finney, Matthew Modine and Kevin Anderson). Yesterday I read the play that the movie is based on.
It tells the story of two brothers, Treat and Philip, whose mother died when they were small boys. Treat, a petty thief, has 'raised' Philip and has convinced Philip that Philip is allergic to the outside world which leaves Philip confined to the rundown and very messy house.
Into their lives comes Harold, a gangster on the run. Raised in an orphanage Harold takes a fatherly interest in the two young men.
The movie stayed very true to the play. 4.5/5 for both the movie and the play.
One of my favourite movies is Orphans (starring Albert Finney, Matthew Modine and Kevin Anderson). Yesterday I read the play that the movie is based on.
It tells the story of two brothers, Treat and Philip, whose mother died when they were small boys. Treat, a petty thief, has 'raised' Philip and has convinced Philip that Philip is allergic to the outside world which leaves Philip confined to the rundown and very messy house.
Into their lives comes Harold, a gangster on the run. Raised in an orphanage Harold takes a fatherly interest in the two young men.
The movie stayed very true to the play. 4.5/5 for both the movie and the play.
4thornton37814
Zozette, several of us read way more than 75 and some read less, but we all love this group. Welcome back!
6Zozette
2) Bleak House by Charles Dickens.
I am glad I did this as a group read as I think I would have given up on after the first couple of hundred pages if I was reading it on my own. I ended up enjoying it. 4/5.
I am glad I did this as a group read as I think I would have given up on after the first couple of hundred pages if I was reading it on my own. I ended up enjoying it. 4/5.
7Zozette
3) Thunderhead by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.
This is the fourth book by these authors I have read. It should have been the third because, though it isn't part of the Pendergast series of books, it does contain two of the characters who later appear in the The Cabinet of Curiosities and events that occur in this book are briefly mentioned in COC.
I didn't know if I would enjoy this novel as it was a non-Pendergast book but I liked it as much as the previous Preston/Child books I read. 4/5.
This is the fourth book by these authors I have read. It should have been the third because, though it isn't part of the Pendergast series of books, it does contain two of the characters who later appear in the The Cabinet of Curiosities and events that occur in this book are briefly mentioned in COC.
I didn't know if I would enjoy this novel as it was a non-Pendergast book but I liked it as much as the previous Preston/Child books I read. 4/5.
8Zozette
4) Sherlock Holmes and the King's Evil by Donald Thomas
Of the five stories in this book I would only rate one, The King's Evil as good (3/5). Two of the stories I would only rate as 1.5/5 each and the other two at 2.5/5.
While reading the first story (The Case of the Tell-tale Hands) I begin to think "I have read this before" because the story was so familar. After a while I realised why - the author had taken an Oscar Wilde's short story (Arthur Savile's Crime) and rewrite it by plopping Holmes and Watson down into it, The orginal Wilde story was much better.
Of the five stories in this book I would only rate one, The King's Evil as good (3/5). Two of the stories I would only rate as 1.5/5 each and the other two at 2.5/5.
While reading the first story (The Case of the Tell-tale Hands) I begin to think "I have read this before" because the story was so familar. After a while I realised why - the author had taken an Oscar Wilde's short story (Arthur Savile's Crime) and rewrite it by plopping Holmes and Watson down into it, The orginal Wilde story was much better.
9thornton37814
I listened to Thunderhead last year. It was a bit different.
10Zozette
5) The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt: A Novel in Pictures by Caroline Preston.
The author scanned a whole heap of ephemera and then created a story around it. The story is rather ordinary but I really enjoyed the pictures. However I think it would have been more interresting to have the real ephemera to look at. 3.5/5.
6) Still Life with Crows by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. 4th book in the Pendergast series and, though I liked "Thunderhead" it is good to get back to a story with Pendergast in it again. 4/5.
The author scanned a whole heap of ephemera and then created a story around it. The story is rather ordinary but I really enjoyed the pictures. However I think it would have been more interresting to have the real ephemera to look at. 3.5/5.
6) Still Life with Crows by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. 4th book in the Pendergast series and, though I liked "Thunderhead" it is good to get back to a story with Pendergast in it again. 4/5.
11Zozette
7) Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood. This is the fiirst book by Atwood that I have read. I plan to read the second book in the trilogy next month and the third book in April. I might read more of Atwood's books later in the year. 3.5/5
8) Brimstone by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. 6th book in the Pendergast series and the 1st book in the Diogenes trilogy. 4/5.
9) Dance of Death by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Brimstone ended on a cliffhanger so I started the 2nd book in the Diogenes trilogy as soon as I finished Brimstone. 4/5.
8) Brimstone by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. 6th book in the Pendergast series and the 1st book in the Diogenes trilogy. 4/5.
9) Dance of Death by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Brimstone ended on a cliffhanger so I started the 2nd book in the Diogenes trilogy as soon as I finished Brimstone. 4/5.
12Zozette
Been having some trouble with my internet so I haven't posted for a while so I have 5 books to add
10) Book of the Dead by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child Last book in the Diogenes trilogy. 4/5. I have told myself not to read any more Pendergast books until April as I am going through the series too quickly
11) The Colony by F. G. Cottam. 2.5/5. This horror story was good in places especially events that actually occurred on the remote Scottish island but the main research team didn't arrive on the island until almost 2/3 through the book. Too many main characters with boring back stories.
12) Spiders by Richard Lewis. Fun 'nature run amok' horror story from the late 1970s. As I rather like spiders I didn't find the story frightening even if the spiders were very large at the end. 3.5/5.
13) Miracle in the Andes by Nando Parrado. A survivor of the 1972 plane crash in the Andes gives his own account of his ordeal. I read the paperback edition that came out in 2006, and I downloaded this abridged audio version because it was partly narrated by Nando - he narrates a small part of the first chapter and all of the last chapter. 4/5. I would give the unabridged version 4.5 and the best known book about the Andes survivors, Alive by Piers Paul Read. 5/5.
14) A Street Cat Named Bob by James Bowen. A true account of how having to care for a stray cat helped a drug addict put his life back together. 4/5.
10) Book of the Dead by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child Last book in the Diogenes trilogy. 4/5. I have told myself not to read any more Pendergast books until April as I am going through the series too quickly
11) The Colony by F. G. Cottam. 2.5/5. This horror story was good in places especially events that actually occurred on the remote Scottish island but the main research team didn't arrive on the island until almost 2/3 through the book. Too many main characters with boring back stories.
12) Spiders by Richard Lewis. Fun 'nature run amok' horror story from the late 1970s. As I rather like spiders I didn't find the story frightening even if the spiders were very large at the end. 3.5/5.
13) Miracle in the Andes by Nando Parrado. A survivor of the 1972 plane crash in the Andes gives his own account of his ordeal. I read the paperback edition that came out in 2006, and I downloaded this abridged audio version because it was partly narrated by Nando - he narrates a small part of the first chapter and all of the last chapter. 4/5. I would give the unabridged version 4.5 and the best known book about the Andes survivors, Alive by Piers Paul Read. 5/5.
14) A Street Cat Named Bob by James Bowen. A true account of how having to care for a stray cat helped a drug addict put his life back together. 4/5.
13lkernagh
Sorry to see you have been having internet troubles but it looks like you have read a interesting mix of books!
14Zozette
15) American Gods by Neil Gaiman which I really enjoyed. 4.5/5. I know that a TV miniseries of the book is planned, that is one miniseries I won't miss.
16Zozette
16) Killer Tunes (A Bailey MacIntyre Celtic Fiddle Mystery) by Karen Cunningham. This book is only available as a Kindle book and doesn't have a touchstone.
Bailey MacIntyre is a school busdriver who meets a ghost, she can see him because he used to own her fiddle. Together they get involved in a murder investigation. A nice, little cozy mystery 3/5.
Bailey MacIntyre is a school busdriver who meets a ghost, she can see him because he used to own her fiddle. Together they get involved in a murder investigation. A nice, little cozy mystery 3/5.
17Zozette
17) The Tiny Wife by Andrew Kaufman. A bank robber holds up a bank but instead of demanding money he makes each person give him the most precious thing that they have on their person. When they get home strange things start to happen to the people he held up. Delightful novella. 4/5
18) Silence of the Sea by Yrsa Sigurdardottir. Lawyer Thóra Gudmundsdóttir investigates what could have possibly happen to the family and crew aboard a luxury yacht that arrives in Reykjavik with no-one aboard. 4.5/5
18) Silence of the Sea by Yrsa Sigurdardottir. Lawyer Thóra Gudmundsdóttir investigates what could have possibly happen to the family and crew aboard a luxury yacht that arrives in Reykjavik with no-one aboard. 4.5/5
18Zozette
19) 100 Cupboards by N. D. Wilson. Interesting children's story which was a little similar to the Narnia books. 3.5/5. I will probably read the next book in the series later in the year.
20) The Wheel of Darkness by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. I think this is the 6th book by these authors I have read this year. I just can't get enough of FBI Agent Pendergast. 4.5/5.
21) Blight by Mark Sonders. Mutant carnivorous moths terrorise a small town. 3/5.
22) The World According to Bob by James Bowen. Very similar to the first book with the added story of how James actually came to write the first book.
20) The Wheel of Darkness by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. I think this is the 6th book by these authors I have read this year. I just can't get enough of FBI Agent Pendergast. 4.5/5.
21) Blight by Mark Sonders. Mutant carnivorous moths terrorise a small town. 3/5.
22) The World According to Bob by James Bowen. Very similar to the first book with the added story of how James actually came to write the first book.
19lawz
Hi Zozette, I noticed you mentioned that you like books set in Iceland, have you read Burial Rites by Hannah Kent? It's incredible - highly recommend it!
20Zozette
I read Burial Rites late last year and I agree - it is an incredible book (but so sad). I gave it a 5/5.
I have also watched the Icelandic movie based on the life and death of Agnes Magnusdottir.
I have also watched the Icelandic movie based on the life and death of Agnes Magnusdottir.
21Zozette
23) Cemetary Dance by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child 3.5/5. I didn't like the descriptions of animal cruelty in this novel though they were an essential part of the plot.
24) The Ice Limit by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child A non-Pendergast story. 4/5
I am totally addicted to these two authors.
25) The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley. 4/5.
Quite enjoyable. Another book I would have loved even more if I was still a child.
26) Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi. I loved the dystopia world created for this novel. Hopefully I will find time to read more of Bacigalupi's books this year. 4.5/5
24) The Ice Limit by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child A non-Pendergast story. 4/5
I am totally addicted to these two authors.
25) The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley. 4/5.
Quite enjoyable. Another book I would have loved even more if I was still a child.
26) Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi. I loved the dystopia world created for this novel. Hopefully I will find time to read more of Bacigalupi's books this year. 4.5/5
22Zozette
27) Hidden Moon by James Church - An Inspector O murder mystery set in North Korea. I was a little disappointed with this novel. This is the second Inspector 0 mystery I have read, I really like the inspector but the plots leave a bit to be desired. I will try the third book in the series.
28) The Martian by Andy Weir - an excellent story about a scientist who is accidently left behind on Mars because his companions think he has been killed.
29) Fever Dream by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child - another book in the Pendergast series.
30) Zoo Quest for a Dragon by David Attenborough. An old Attenborough narrates the book he wrote back in the 1950s about his search for the Komodo Dragon.
31) The Potato Factory by Bryce Courtenay. Tells the story of Ikey Solomon, his wife Hannah and his mistress Mary. Covers their lives in London and their transportion as convicts to Tasmania.
I listen to all 5 of these books as audiobooks. I usually have a serious flare-up of arthritis each autumn which often makes holding a book (or Kindle) difficult. Last March/April I fell behind with my reading as a result of this but thanks to audiobooks this has not been a problem this year. However because of a slight hearing problem I have needed to restrict my audiobooks to mainly male narrators as I have less problems listening to male voices than to female voices.
28) The Martian by Andy Weir - an excellent story about a scientist who is accidently left behind on Mars because his companions think he has been killed.
29) Fever Dream by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child - another book in the Pendergast series.
30) Zoo Quest for a Dragon by David Attenborough. An old Attenborough narrates the book he wrote back in the 1950s about his search for the Komodo Dragon.
31) The Potato Factory by Bryce Courtenay. Tells the story of Ikey Solomon, his wife Hannah and his mistress Mary. Covers their lives in London and their transportion as convicts to Tasmania.
I listen to all 5 of these books as audiobooks. I usually have a serious flare-up of arthritis each autumn which often makes holding a book (or Kindle) difficult. Last March/April I fell behind with my reading as a result of this but thanks to audiobooks this has not been a problem this year. However because of a slight hearing problem I have needed to restrict my audiobooks to mainly male narrators as I have less problems listening to male voices than to female voices.
23Zozette
I am still having trouble holding a book but it seems that they pain is not from the arthritis in my shoulders and fingers but from a frozen shoulder. as a result 7 ofthe 10 folowing were audio books.
Typing is painful so I will only give brief comments
32) Tommo and Hawk by Bryce Courtenay - second in The Potato Factory trilogy. I didn't enjoy as much as the first but still a solid 4/5.
33) Virus by Graham Watkins - A 'computer virus' that causes people to become so addicted to their computers that they neglect themselves to the point of starvation. Written in 1996, the computer technology is antiquated but the story is interesting 4/5
34) Steps Through the Mist by Zoran Zivkovic - several short stories sharing the theme of mist 4/5
35) Cold Vengence by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child - another Pendergast book 3/5
36) Two Graves by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child - another Pendergast book, my least favourite so far 3.5/5
37) My Man Jeeves by PG Wodehouse. Quite a few laughs. 4/5.
38) Dust and Shadow (An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson) by Lyndsay Faye. Quite a good Holmes pastiche 4/5.
39) Titanic Murders by Max Allan Collins - Mystery murder novel set on the Titanic. The best thing about this book is it protatagonist, Jacques Futrelle, he was an American journalist and mystery writer who is sometimes referred to as the American Conan Doyle. I plan to read some of his stories in the future. 3.5/5
40) The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. Loved this semi-biographical novel 4.5/5.
41) White Fire by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. On of the best Pendergast stories. 5/5.
Typing is painful so I will only give brief comments
32) Tommo and Hawk by Bryce Courtenay - second in The Potato Factory trilogy. I didn't enjoy as much as the first but still a solid 4/5.
33) Virus by Graham Watkins - A 'computer virus' that causes people to become so addicted to their computers that they neglect themselves to the point of starvation. Written in 1996, the computer technology is antiquated but the story is interesting 4/5
34) Steps Through the Mist by Zoran Zivkovic - several short stories sharing the theme of mist 4/5
35) Cold Vengence by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child - another Pendergast book 3/5
36) Two Graves by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child - another Pendergast book, my least favourite so far 3.5/5
37) My Man Jeeves by PG Wodehouse. Quite a few laughs. 4/5.
38) Dust and Shadow (An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson) by Lyndsay Faye. Quite a good Holmes pastiche 4/5.
39) Titanic Murders by Max Allan Collins - Mystery murder novel set on the Titanic. The best thing about this book is it protatagonist, Jacques Futrelle, he was an American journalist and mystery writer who is sometimes referred to as the American Conan Doyle. I plan to read some of his stories in the future. 3.5/5
40) The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. Loved this semi-biographical novel 4.5/5.
41) White Fire by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. On of the best Pendergast stories. 5/5.
24Zozette
My shoulder has improved enough for me to type for a few minutes at a time. I am still mainly listening to audio books or else smallish paperbacks. I am still continuing to 'read' the Preston/Child books (both books written together plus their solo works) because not only do I like the stories but the narration of the audio books has been excellent (narrators: Scott Brick, Scott Sowers and Rene Auberjonois). I am also reading (listening to) more sci-fi than I have read in years.
42) Dodger by Terry Pratchett. OK but not as enjoyable as many other Pratchett books. 3/5
43) Amarcord by Zoran Zivkovic - paperback. Short stories with the theme of memory. So far I have enjoyed every Zivlovic book I have read 4/5
44) Hamlet, Prince of Denmark: A Novel by AJ Hartley and David Hewson. Excellent, I would recommend it to all. 5/5.
45) Scales of Justice by Ngaio Marsh. I haven't read any books by Ngaio Marsh since I was a teenager. As a 14-16 year old (more than 40 years ago) I read all of my Mum's Agatha Christie and Ngaio Marsh books and enjoyed the Christie books the most. After reading Scales of Justice I can see why I had the preference though maybe Sclae of Justice isn't one of Marsh's better books. I will have to read a couple more to see if this is so. 3/5.
46) The Codex by Douglas Preston. I enjoyed this book about three brothers who have to search for their inheritance which their father has hidden. Especially like the Tom Broadbent character. 4/5.
47) The Black Cloud by Fred Hoyle. I first read this book many many years ago. Very enoyable revisit. 4.5/5.
48) The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle. 3.5/5.
49) Daybreak by Viktor Arnar Ingolfsson. Another re-read as an audiobook). I read the Kindle book only last year and really liked the character of Inspector Birkir, an Icelandic policeman who is a Vietnamese born orphan raised by an old Icelandic couple. I knew that Viktor's new book was to feature Birkir again, so I decided to reread this book. 4.5/5.
50) Solaris by Stanislaw Lem. I have been meaing to read this sci-fi classic for years. One of the great sci-fi novels. 5/5.
51) The Martian War: A Thrilling Eyewitness Account of the Recent Alien Invasion as Reported by Mr. H. G. Wells by Kevin J Anderson. A story based on HG Wells book features some real life characters (Huxley, Wells) as well as characters from other books by Wells (The Invisible Man, Prefessor Challenger). 3.5/5. (originally published under the name of Gabriel Mesta).
52) Tyrannosaur Canyon by Douglas Preston. Another enjoyable book in which Tom Broadbent reappears. 4/5.
53) Midnight Zoo by Sonya Hartnett. Three gypsy on the run from the Nazi take refuge in the zoo and find out the animals can speak and they recount their own stories. 3.5/5.
54) The Poison Belt by Arthur Conan Doyle. Features all the main characters from The Lost World as they gather to face the possible end of all animal life, including human life, as Earth passes though a poisonous cloud. I found the racist overtones quite unconfortable but I realise that it was written over 100 years ago, 3.5/5.
55) Bats Sing, Mice Giggle: The Surprising Science of Animals’ Inner Lives by Karen Shanor and Jagmeet Janwal. a good popular science book. 4/5.
56) 14 by Peter Clines. I really enjoyed this well-narrated book (narrator Ray Porter). when i started reading it I wasn't sure of it was going to be a mystery, or horror or sci-fi story but it ended up beinga mixture of all three. 4/5.
57) Deep Storm by Lincoln Child. Narrated by Scott Brick. 4.5/5.
58) Sun on Fire by Viktor Arnar Ingolfsson. I really enjoyed the return of Inspectors Birkir and Gunnar who have to investigate a murder that occurs within the Icelandic Embassy in Germay. 4.5/5.
42) Dodger by Terry Pratchett. OK but not as enjoyable as many other Pratchett books. 3/5
43) Amarcord by Zoran Zivkovic - paperback. Short stories with the theme of memory. So far I have enjoyed every Zivlovic book I have read 4/5
44) Hamlet, Prince of Denmark: A Novel by AJ Hartley and David Hewson. Excellent, I would recommend it to all. 5/5.
45) Scales of Justice by Ngaio Marsh. I haven't read any books by Ngaio Marsh since I was a teenager. As a 14-16 year old (more than 40 years ago) I read all of my Mum's Agatha Christie and Ngaio Marsh books and enjoyed the Christie books the most. After reading Scales of Justice I can see why I had the preference though maybe Sclae of Justice isn't one of Marsh's better books. I will have to read a couple more to see if this is so. 3/5.
46) The Codex by Douglas Preston. I enjoyed this book about three brothers who have to search for their inheritance which their father has hidden. Especially like the Tom Broadbent character. 4/5.
47) The Black Cloud by Fred Hoyle. I first read this book many many years ago. Very enoyable revisit. 4.5/5.
48) The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle. 3.5/5.
49) Daybreak by Viktor Arnar Ingolfsson. Another re-read as an audiobook). I read the Kindle book only last year and really liked the character of Inspector Birkir, an Icelandic policeman who is a Vietnamese born orphan raised by an old Icelandic couple. I knew that Viktor's new book was to feature Birkir again, so I decided to reread this book. 4.5/5.
50) Solaris by Stanislaw Lem. I have been meaing to read this sci-fi classic for years. One of the great sci-fi novels. 5/5.
51) The Martian War: A Thrilling Eyewitness Account of the Recent Alien Invasion as Reported by Mr. H. G. Wells by Kevin J Anderson. A story based on HG Wells book features some real life characters (Huxley, Wells) as well as characters from other books by Wells (The Invisible Man, Prefessor Challenger). 3.5/5. (originally published under the name of Gabriel Mesta).
52) Tyrannosaur Canyon by Douglas Preston. Another enjoyable book in which Tom Broadbent reappears. 4/5.
53) Midnight Zoo by Sonya Hartnett. Three gypsy on the run from the Nazi take refuge in the zoo and find out the animals can speak and they recount their own stories. 3.5/5.
54) The Poison Belt by Arthur Conan Doyle. Features all the main characters from The Lost World as they gather to face the possible end of all animal life, including human life, as Earth passes though a poisonous cloud. I found the racist overtones quite unconfortable but I realise that it was written over 100 years ago, 3.5/5.
55) Bats Sing, Mice Giggle: The Surprising Science of Animals’ Inner Lives by Karen Shanor and Jagmeet Janwal. a good popular science book. 4/5.
56) 14 by Peter Clines. I really enjoyed this well-narrated book (narrator Ray Porter). when i started reading it I wasn't sure of it was going to be a mystery, or horror or sci-fi story but it ended up beinga mixture of all three. 4/5.
57) Deep Storm by Lincoln Child. Narrated by Scott Brick. 4.5/5.
58) Sun on Fire by Viktor Arnar Ingolfsson. I really enjoyed the return of Inspectors Birkir and Gunnar who have to investigate a murder that occurs within the Icelandic Embassy in Germay. 4.5/5.
