Tag: News/Misc Page 17 of 26

It’s only been seven weeks since I finished Phase 1 of this project, Phase 2 was a lot briefer. But now we’re at an end to this series (I do want to check back toward the end of the year to see if I maintained my focus on this), and I thought I’d take a quick look back.

Last February, I decided to tackle the monster that is my Goodreads “Want to Read” Shelf, it doesn’t/didn’t represent every book I’m meaning to get to—but it’s a daunting grouping, what I’ve taken to calling my “aspirational” to-read list. As opposed to those that I’ve purchased in one form or another that I’ve yet to get to (I track that on my monthly retrospective posts, and that line isn’t moving in the right direction). But that’s a slightly different kettle of fish.

But thanks to this meme, I’ve done some good with the aspirational TBR. In February 2020, I had 240 books on the list and cut 129 off of it, and then between the time I posted about it on a Down the TBR post and when I got to the end of Phase 1, I was able to cross off another 8. Then I pulled a list of all of those I’d added to the Goodreads list in the meantime, adding 50. I cut 15 off of that Phase 2 list. And I’ve read some from that list during Phase 2:
A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe by Alex White from DtTH #25
Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo DtTH #26
Evolving Vegan: Deliciously Diverse Recipes from North America’s Best Plant-Based Eateries—for Anyone Who Loves Food by Mena Massoud DtTH #27
I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf by Grant Snider DtTH #28 (well, I’ve started it)

And then there are two I have possession of and will have tackled within a week, which is close enough for me for these purposes.
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir DtTH #29
The Jigsaw Man by Nadine Matheson DtTH #29

So that’s another 6 crossed off, 21 of the 50 Phase 2 books and a total of 158 books cut from my 290 book Goodreads “Want to List.” From 290 to 132, ain’t shabby at all. It’s 45% of the original size. If I was 45% of the size I am now…well, that wouldn’t be healthy. But it’d be closer to it than I am now. That example got away from me, didn’t it?

All in all, I’m calling this project a success. Let’s see if I can maintain the loss, or like most dieters, if I put it all back on in three-six months.

Yeah, it’s moot at this point, but I might as well keep the meme boilerplate info:
This meme was created by Lia @ Lost in a Story—but Jenna at Bookmark Your Thoughts is the one that exposed me to this, and as my Goodreads “Want To Read” shelf is (still) scarily long, I had to do this.

The Rules are simple:

1. Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf
2. Order on ascending date added.
3. Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books.
4. Read the synopses of the books.
5. Decide: keep it or should it go?
6. Keep track of where you left off so you can pick up there next week! (or whenever)

What distinguishes this series from the Mt. TBR section of my Month-end Retrospectives? Those are books I actually own while Goodreads contains my aspirational TBR (many of which will be Library reads). The Naming of the two is a bit confusing, but…what’re you going to do?

(Image by moritz320 from Pixabay)

For the second week in a row, I’ve demonstrated that trying to cut things that are the most recent additions to the “Want to Read” List isn’t likely to be very successful. But, once again, it prompted me to make room on my schedule to squeeze some of these in.

This meme was created by Lia @ Lost in a Story—but Jenna at Bookmark Your Thoughts is the one that exposed me to this, and as my Goodreads “Want To Read” shelf is scarily long, I had to do this.

The Rules are simple:

1. Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf
2. Order on ascending date added.
3. Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books.
4. Read the synopses of the books.
5. Decide: keep it or should it go?
6. Keep track of where you left off so you can pick up there next week! (or whenever)

What distinguishes this series from the Mt. TBR section of my Month-end Retrospectives? Those are books I actually own while Goodreads contains my aspirational TBR (many of which will be Library reads). The Naming of the two is a bit confusing, but…what’re you going to do?

(Click on the cover for an official site or something with more info about the book)

	Life Signs by James Lovegrove Blurb: “Some months after Inara leaves Serenity, Mal and the crew learn the reason for her sudden departure: she is dying of a terminal illness. It is Kiehl’s Myeloma, a rare form of blood cancer that’s supposedly incurable. Through their shock and despair, they learn that there are rumors of a scientist believed to have developed a cure for her condition, but he has been disgraced: incarcerated for life on notorious Alliance prison planet Atata. Here, terraforming did not take properly, so the world is a frozen wasteland. Inmates are abandoned there with no guards and left to survive as best they can. To save Inara, the Serenity crew must infiltrate the prison…” Verdict:
	Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir Blurb: “Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission–and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.” My Thoughts: I’m a little worried that this will be too reminiscent of The Martian. But then again, there are worse things to being too reminiscent of. Really doesn’t matter, Weir is an autobuy. I’d be 100+ pages into it already, but my wife had first dibs. Verdict:
	The Particulars of Peter: Dance Lessons, DNA Tests, and Other Excuses to Hang Out with My Perfect Dog by Kelly Conaboy Blurb: “a funny exploration of the joy found in loving a dog so much it makes you feel like you’re going to combust, and the author’s potentially codependent relationship with her own sweet dog, Peter.” My Thoughts: I read this last month, so I get to count this as a cut. Verdict:
	Yearbook by Seth Rogen Blurb: Rogen says, “a collection of true stories that I desperately hope are just funny at worst, and life-changingly amazing at best…I talk about my grandparents, doing stand-up comedy as a teenager, bar mitzvahs, and Jewish summer camp, and tell way more stories about doing drugs than my mother would like. I also talk about some of my adventures in Los Angeles, and surely say things about other famous people that will create a wildly awkward conversation for me at a party one day.” My Thoughts: I’m not Rogen’s greatest fan, but he can be counted on for a few good laughs, I figure. Probably worth the time. Verdict:
	Here Be Dragons by David P. Macpherson Blurb: “When Orus graduated from the Cromalot School for Heroes he was ready for a life of glory and adventure. But after being seduced by his first damsel in distress, he quickly learns the heroing life doesn’t bring in the steady income required to raise a family. Twenty years later, with his son all grown up and his waistband all grown out, a favour for a friend gives Orus one last shot at the life he always wanted. But any old hero can slay a dragon, this old hero has to save one.” My Thoughts: Looks like it could be fun, I like the twists on the old stand-bys. Verdict:
	Loners by DB Bray & Wahida Clark Blurb: “Jari Rockjaw just wants a quiet life and a homestead to call his own. He has been a bounty hunter in Labrys for over one hundred years. And it’s getting old. Battle after battle, allies lost and gained, he now wants to smoke his pipe in the solitude far from the human cities he despises. An option to do so comes his way when the king of Ekepia asks for a favor…The only question, Jari must ask himself is . . . Is retirement really worth dying for?” My Thoughts: Dwarven bounty hunters out for one last job? Sounds good. Witty and Sarcastic Book Club had some nice things to say about it, too. Verdict:
	The Fine Art of Invisible Detection by Robert Goddard Blurb: Wada’s a recent widow and secretary to a Private Investigator. Her boss is killed while on a case, driving her to pick up the reins and leave Japan for the first time in her life. “Following the only lead she has, Wada quickly realises that being a detective isn’t as easy as the television makes out. And that there’s a reason why secrets stay buried for a long time. Because people want them to stay secret. And they’re prepared to do very bad things to keep them that way…” My Thoughts: I like the concept. But…I can’t put my finger on it. Just not sure that I’ll end up digging this. Verdict:
	Good Eggs by Rebecca Hardiman Blurb: “A hilarious and heartfelt debut novel following three generations of a boisterous family whose simmering tensions boil over when a home aide enters the picture, becoming the calamitous force that will either undo or remake this family…” My Thoughts: I need to read more things like this–nice, life affirming, fun reads with no one trying to kill or maim anyone. Verdict:
	Space Taxis by Adam Frosh Blurb:In 1977 misfit New York Cab driver Mike Redolfo is having a bad day, first getting fired from his job and then being abducted by aliens… Redolfo tries to keep a low profile on his new world whilst earning his fare home, but unwittingly gets involved with a shady gang of organized alien criminals, inadvertently bringing the planet to the brink of catastrophe.” Verdict:
	The Jigsaw Man by Nadine Matheson Blurb: DI Anjelica Henley is investigating a grizzly murder, “the modus operandi bears a striking resemblance to Peter Olivier, the notorious Jigsaw Killer, who has spent the past two years behind bars. When he learns that someone is co-opting his grisly signature—the arrangement of victims’ limbs in puzzle-piece shapes—he decides to take matters into his own hands… Henley is faced with an unspeakable new threat. Can she apprehend the copycat killer before Olivier finds a way to get to him first? Or will she herself become the next victim?” My Thoughts: I heard Matheson talk about this on The Blood Brothers Podcast, she sold me on the book rightaway. Verdict:

Books Removed in this Post: 2 / 10
Total Books Removed: 152 / 290

Anyone out there read any of these books? Did I make the right call with any of them?

(Image by moritz320 from Pixabay)

Clearly, the key to making severe cuts to the “Want to Read” list, focusing on the older things on the list. If you’re wanting a reminder of all the stuff you’ve recently been excited about, well, look at the recent additions. All these last few entries in this series have done is remind me about all the cool stuff I wanted to read lately.

Yeah, I trimmed a little this time out, but not much. But I did work a little harder on arranging things so I could move some books from the “Want to Read” List to the “Have Read” List. All in all, a pretty good thing, right?

This meme was created by Lia @ Lost in a Story—but Jenna at Bookmark Your Thoughts is the one that exposed me to this, and as my Goodreads “Want To Read” shelf is scarily long, I had to do this.

The Rules are simple:

1. Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf
2. Order on ascending date added.
3. Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books.
4. Read the synopses of the books.
5. Decide: keep it or should it go?
6. Keep track of where you left off so you can pick up there next week! (or whenever)

What distinguishes this series from the Mt. TBR section of my Month-end Retrospectives? Those are books I actually own while Goodreads contains my aspirational TBR (many of which will be Library reads). The Naming of the two is a bit confusing, but…what’re you going to do?

(Click on the cover for an official site or something with more info about the book)

	I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf by Grant Snider Blurb: “this lighthearted collection of one- and two-page comics, writer-artist Grant Snider explores bookishness in all its forms, and the love of writing and reading, building on the beloved literary comics featured on his website, Incidental Comics” My Thoughts: I like Snider’s comics, Lashaan mentioned it favorably, and, I’ve got a copy waiting at my local bookstore for me. It’s a keeper. Verdict:
	How to Write a Sentence: And How to Read One by Stanley Fish Blurb: “In this entertaining and erudite New York Times bestseller, beloved professor Stanley Fish offers both sentence craft and sentence pleasure. Drawing on a wide range of great writers, from Philip Roth to Antonin Scalia to Jane Austen, How to Write a Sentence is much more than a writing manual—it is a spirited love letter to the written word, and a key to understanding how great writing works.” My Thoughts: “a spirited love letter to the written word” keeps this on the list. Verdict:
	Black Canary: Breaking Silence by Alexandra Monir Blurb: The Court of Owls has (somehow) taken over Gotham City and imposed a dicatorship, stripping women of most/all rights–inluding the right to sing. Teenater Dinah Lance helps women of the city rise up (which pursuing a romance with Oliver Queen). My Thoughts: The premise is stupid, the DC Icons series is very hit and miss for me. But I’m curious and have seen some mostly positive reviews. Verdict: I’m gonna cut this, but if my library ends up getting the audiobook, I’ll probably give it a try.
	Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas Blurb: The story of Starr Carter’s father, Maverick, leaving the King Lords when he learns he’s a father. My Thoughts: I honestly don’t care about Maverick’s past beyond what we learned in The Hate U Give. That was enough. Some of Starr’s classmates, I could see learning a bit more about. Seeing what happens to Maverick after The Hate U Give might interest me. OR–now this is a crazy idea, just hear me out–something that has nothing at all to do with her previous work. But this? I can’t muster the enthusiasm. Verdict:
	A Question of Navigation by Kevin Hearne Blurb: 50,000 humans are abducted and are being taken to an alien planet. Five of them (scientists all) are set aside for one purpose, the others are destined to be eaten. It’s up to the scientists to save the day. Verdict:
	The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino Blurb: “Yasuko Hanaoka is a divorced, single mother who thought she had finally escaped her abusive ex-husband Togashi. When he shows up one day to extort money from her, threatening both her and her teenaged daughter Misato, the situation quickly escalates into violence and Togashi ends up dead on her apartment floor. Overhearing the commotion, Yasuko’s next door neighbor, middle-aged high school mathematics teacher Ishigami, offers his help, disposing not only of the body but plotting the cover-up step-by-step…When the body turns up and is identified, Detective Kusanagi draws the case and Yasuko comes under suspicion. Kusanagi is unable to find any obvious holes in Yasuko’s manufactured alibi and yet is still sure that there’s something wrong. Kusanagi brings in Dr. Manabu Yukawa, a physicist and college friend who frequently consults with the police. Yukawa, known to the police by the nickname Professor Galileo, went to college with Ishigami. After meeting up with him again, Yukawa is convinced that Ishigami had something to do with the murder. What ensues is a high level battle of wits, as Ishigami tries to protect Yasuko by outmaneuvering and outthinking Yukawa, who faces his most clever and determined opponent yet.” My Thoughts: 1. This sounds interesting. 2. A Japanese mystery would be an interesting change of pace. 3. Jeff made it sound pretty good on a Like the Wolfe episode. Verdict:
	First Cut by Judy Melinek & T.J. Mitchell Blurb: “For San Francisco’s newest medical examiner, Dr. Jessie Teska, it was supposed to be a fresh start. A new job in a new city. A way to escape her own dark past. Instead she faces a chilling discovery when a suspected overdose case contains hints of something more sinister. Jessie’s superiors urge her to close the case, but as more bodies land on her autopsy table, she uncovers a constellation of deaths that point to an elaborate plot involving nefarious opioid traffickers and flashy tech titans who got rich off Bitcoin.” My Thoughts: While, I’m a little hesitant about the premise, however, I really liked Melinek’s memoir Working Stiff (also co-written by Mitchell). I think the real-world expertise she brings could make up for that reticence. Verdict:
	August Snow by Stephen Mack Jones Blurb: “August grew up in the city’s Mexicantown and joined the police force only to be drummed out by a conspiracy of corrupt cops and politicians. But August fought back; he took on the city and got himself a $12 million wrongful dismissal settlement that left him low on friends.” Now he’s looking into a staged suicide of someone who he turned down for a job. Verdict:
	Teen Titans: Beast Boy Loves Raven by Kami Garcia Blurb: Raven Roth and Garfield Logan arrive in Nashville looking for answers about the incredibly weird things that have happend to/around them recently from Slade Wilson (clearly, a bad idea, unless Garcia’s really messing with things). They meet and “feel a connection, despite the secrets they both try to hide. It will take a great amount of trust and courage to overcome the wounds of their pasts. But can they find acceptance for the darkest part of themselves? Or maybe even love?” My Thoughts: I’ve enjoyed the first two books in the series, and am just waiting for this one to be released. Verdict:
	Shadow of a Dead God by Patrick Samphire Blurb: “It was only supposed to be one little job – a simple curse-breaking for Mennik Thorn to pay back a favour to his oldest friend. But then it all blew up in his face. Now he’s been framed for a murder he didn’t commit.So how is a second-rate mage, broke, traumatized, and with a habit of annoying the wrong people, supposed to prove his innocence when everyone believes he’s guilty?” My Thoughts: Fantasy + detective fiction is generally a win for me, but I know I don’t have a great track record of following through on lager Fantasy novels lately. So I’m on the fence with this one. But that “second-rate mage” line…that stands out and keeps this on the list for a little while longer (at least). Verdict:

Books Removed in this Post: 2 / 10
Total Books Removed: 150 / 290

Anyone out there read any of these books? Did I make the right call with any of them?

(Image by moritz320 from Pixabay)

I only managed to cut one book last week–I managed to do a little better this week. I also managed to confuse myself a bit by some of these selections making it to my “To Read” list in the first place. It’s like I don’t know me. Let’s get into it shall we?

This meme was created by Lia @ Lost in a Story—but Jenna at Bookmark Your Thoughts is the one that exposed me to this, and as my Goodreads “Want To Read” shelf is scarily long, I had to do this.

The Rules are simple:

1. Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf
2. Order on ascending date added.
3. Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books.
4. Read the synopses of the books.
5. Decide: keep it or should it go?
6. Keep track of where you left off so you can pick up there next week! (or whenever)

What distinguishes this series from the Mt. TBR section of my Month-end Retrospectives? Those are books I actually own while Goodreads contains my aspirational TBR (many of which will be Library reads). The Naming of the two is a bit confusing, but…what’re you going to do?

(Click on the cover for an official site or something with more info about the book)

	Ex Libris: 100+ Books to Read and Reread by Michiko Kakutani, Dana Tanamachi (Illustrator) Blurb: “Pulitzer Prize–winning literary critic Michiko Kakutani shares 100 personal, thought-provoking essays about books that have mattered to her and that help illuminate the world we live in today—with beautiful illustrations throughout.” My Thoughts: This is the second or third book called Ex Libris that I’ve talked about in this series, the subtitle is the key, I guess. Sounds like it could be something I could get into, but the publisher’s site goes on to say that readers “will discover novels and memoirs by some of the most gifted writers working today; favorite classics worth reading or rereading; and nonfiction works, both old and new, that illuminate our social and political landscape and some of today’s most pressing issues.” It loses me there. I just don’t see me wanting to do more than argue with half of it. Verdict:
	Men on Strike: Why Men Are Boycotting Marriage, Fatherhood, and the American Dream – and Why It Matters by Helen Smith, PhD. Blurb: “American society has become anti-male. Men are sensing the backlash and are consciously and unconsciously going “on strike.” They are dropping out of college, leaving the workforce and avoiding marriage and fatherhood at alarming rates…men aren’t dropping out because they are stuck in arrested development. They are instead acting rationally in response to the lack of incentives society offers them to be responsible fathers, husbands and providers. In addition, men are going on strike, either consciously or unconsciously, because they do not want to be injured by the myriad of laws, attitudes and hostility against them for the crime of happening to be male in the twenty-first century.” My Thoughts: A reviewer I typically trust spoke favorably about this last year, so I put it on the list. Reading the description now, I don’t see the appeal. However true that premise might partially be, I can’t imagine this book is all that helpful. Verdict:
	Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Why the Greeks Matter by Thomas Cahill Blurb: “The Greeks invented everything from Western warfare to mystical prayer, from logic to statecraft. Their achievements in art and philosophy are widely celebrated while others are unknown or underappreciated. In Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea, Thomas Cahill explores their legacy, good and bad.” My Thoughts: I loved Cahill’s How the Irisih Saved Civilization (longer ago than I care to admit). I bet his take on Greek civilization from The Bronze Age through AD 310 is fascinating. Verdict:
	Geek Ink: The World’s Smartest Tattoos for Rebels, Nerds, Scientists, and Intellectuals by Emanuele Pagani Blurb: “This tattoo inspiration sourcebook and ultimate coffee table book presents mind-blowing tattoos on themes from science fiction and fantasy, as well as a wide range of topics across science, mathematics, literature, fine art, cult cinema, and philosophy.” My Thoughts: Sounds like fun to flip through, but I just don’t see me shelling out the bucks for it. Also, it doesn’t appear to be available in the States. So, you know… Verdict:
	The Shootist by Glendon Swarthout Blurb: “The Shootist is John Bernard Books, a gunfighter at the turn of the twentieth century who must confront the greatest Shootist of all: Death. Most men would end their days in bed or take their own lives, but a gunfighter has a third option, one that Books decides to exercise…As word spreads that the famous assassin has incurable cancer, an assortment of human vultures gathers to feast on the corpse—among them a gambler, a rustler, a clergyman, an undertaker, an old love, a reporter, even an admiring teenager. What follows is the last courageous act in Books’s own legend.” My Thoughts: My father made me watch the movie a few times as a kid, I saw the book mentioned somewhere and had to give it a shot. Verdict:
	Shane by Jack Schaefer Blurb: “The Starrett family’s life forever changes when a man named Shane rides out of the great glowing West and up to their farm in 1889. Young Bob Starrett is entranced by this stoic stranger who brings a new energy to his family. Shane stays on as a farmhand, but his past remains a mystery. Many folks in their small Wyoming valley are suspicious of Shane, and make it known that he is not welcome. But dangerous as Shane may seem, he is a staunch friend to the Starretts—and when a powerful neighboring rancher tries to drive them out of their homestead, Shane becomes entangled in the deadly feud.” My Thoughts: I’m not a big Western reader. But there are some things that seem essential. It’s also pretty short, which helps. Between this and The Shootist, I wonder what I was doing that put classic Westerns on my radar (maybe something involving True Grit, I remember doing some reading about that last year). Verdict:
	A Good Day for Chardonnay by Darynda Jones Blurb: “AllvSunshine really wants is one easy-going day. You know, the kind thatstarts with coffee and a donut (or three) and ends with take-out pizza and a glass of chardonnay (or seven)…Before she can say iced mocha latte, Sunny’s got a bar fight gone bad, a teenage daughter hunting a serial killer and, oh yes, the still unresolved mystery of her own abduction years prior.” My Thoughts: I had more fun with the series debut last year than I expected, the only reason I haven’t read this yet is that it’s not out. Verdict:
	The Neil Gaiman Reader: Selected Fiction by Neil Gaiman (obviously) Blurb: “An outstanding array—52 pieces in all—of selected fiction from the multiple-award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman, introduced with a foreword by Booker Prize-winning author Marlon James Spanning Gaiman’s career to date, The Neil Gaiman Reader: Selected Fiction is a captivating collection from one of the world’s most beloved writers.” My Thoughts: Just not feeling it. My guess is that this collection would be very frustrating–every time I’d start to get into whatever world he’d be playing in, the story would be over. Verdict:
	Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones Blurb: “Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl’s castle. To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the way, she discovers that there’s far more to Howl—and herself—than first meets the eye.” My Thoughts: Based on the publication date, my kids (and, by extension, I) should have been all over this. Somehow, we missed it. Looks like it could be a fun ride…Another one Bookstooge made look appealing Verdict:
	Evolving Vegan: Deliciously Diverse Recipes from North America’s Best Plant-Based Eateries—for Anyone Who Loves Food by Mena Massoud Blurb: This “cookbook celebrates both flavors and stories from a wide array of plant-based eateries all across North America, proving that a plant-friendly diet is truly accessible to all!…Containing recipes from many different countries and cultures, and including helpful tips for lifelong vegans or flexitarians looking to expand their repertoire of vegan dishes, Evolving Vegan takes you on a food-based road trip to explore the vibrancy of veganism across North America.” My Thoughts: I’m trying to get closer to a Plant-Based Whole Food diet, looks like I should be able to get a few things out of this. Verdict:

Books Removed in this Post: 4 / 10
Total Books Removed: 148 / 290

Anyone out there read any of these books? Did I make the right call with any of them?

(Image by moritz320 from Pixabay)