Friday Reads: 24 to 30 June 2017

Currently Reading

- Wings of Arian by Devri Walls (08%)

- Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (01%)

- Time Spiral by Scott McGough (02%)

- Copyright by Lori Lesko (100%)

- The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon (24%)

- Dear Mr. M by Herman Koch (100%)

- The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan (55%)

- The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (14%)

- Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe (13%)

- To the Letter by Simon Garfield (36%)

- Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke (14%)

- The Original Illustrated Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (24%)

- The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (100%)

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Quarterly Review of Bookish Resolutions

Let's go over each bookish goal individually, shall we? To gauge how far we are and where we ought to be. 

1. Meet and/or exceed my reading goal on Goodreads. Yeah, we are currently 12 books behind our goal. I've finished 16 books for the year so far out of the 60 that I want. I'm nearly done with The Count of Monte Cristo, so I should be able to just get through more quickly afterward because this book has been driving me nuts. 

2. Review every book I read. So far so good. I've reviewed 100% of the books that I've read, so I can count this one as completed for the quarter. 

3. Stick to my book buying limit. Well, I had no money, so yeah. I think so far I've actually bought only two or three books? Everything else went to my camera and my bills. Yay! Another goal so far accomplished. 

4. Finish The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. I'm at 92% as of 6/24. I think I got this! I'm definitely going to be reading a lot during the rest of this week (meaning the rest of the day, it's Saturday so the week begins again tomorrow). 

Top Reads for the First Half of 2017

I've decided so far on my list of books (ranked from lowest to highest) of the books I loved so far this year. I will not really go in depth about them, find them in their various wrap-up posts to see what I thought. With no further adieu, the list

5. Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco - 4/5

4. The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon - 5/5

3. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah - 5/5

2. The Barrowfields by Phillip Lewis - 5/5

1. A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro - 5/5

The book I liked the least this year was This Too Shall Pass by Milena Busquets. I only gave it a 2/5 and you can find out why in my wrap up.

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I did it! I finally did it! I finished The Count of Monte Cristo! It took me three years to finish that silly thing and I finally did it. Now that means goal number 4 is complete from my bookish goals for the year.

I'm still 10 books behind on my goal, but I'm catching up. I finished 3 books this week, possibly a 4th depending on how fast I can read it. I'm liking it. I'm nearly 1/3 of my way through the Goodreads goal. Yay!

I suppose that's all for now. See you next Friday!

June 2017 Wrap-Up

Hello again, my friends. This month I've read 5 books. Not too good, but still better than last month. I'm not holding my hopes high for July since it's the second of the two Camp NaNoWriMo months and I do plan to participate. 

Let's get on with the reads!

Book #1: A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

The last thing Jamie Watson wants is a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, a Connecticut prep school just an hour away from his estranged father. But that’s not the only complication: Sherringford is also home to Charlotte Holmes, the famous detective’s great-great-great-granddaughter, who has inherited not only Sherlock's genius but also his volatile temperament. From everything Jamie has heard about Charlotte, it seems safer to admire her from afar. From the moment they meet, there’s a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than anything else. But when a Sherringford student dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Jamie and Charlotte are being framed for murder, and only Charlotte can clear their names. But danger is mounting and nowhere is safe—and the only people they can trust are each other.

I loved it. Absolutely. I am a big fan of Holmes & Watson (its something my dad and I can bond over) and I couldn't resist when this was on sale on Amazon I have to say, I was impressed by how the author captured the spirit of Sherlock in Charlotte. People miss that she was not supposed to be just his descendant, but a near carbon copy of the great detective. I really liked how Jamie and Charlotte learned to get around their personal problems and work together. I did have a minor issue with the inclusion of the Moriarty family as Prof. Moriarty was only actually in two of the stories (there are a total of about 60). I put The Last of August on my list to pick up if there is a price drop (I'm poor!). Well done, Ms. Cavallaro. I am a a fan.

Book #2: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantès is confined to the grim fortress of If. There he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and he becomes determined not only to escape, but also to unearth the treasure and use it to plot the destruction of the three men responsible for his incarceration.

I finally finished the stupid thing! I'd been reading it for three years! One of the most complicated revenge stories...ever. He gets millions in gold and jewels and instead of just going off to make his life elsewhere, away from a country that spurned him, he uses the new fortune to embark on a journey to ruin everyone who had a hand in his incarceration. What is that? Why? Talk about petty. We find out what happened and his goals in the first 300 pages. Then there are about 800 pages of absolute nonsense that only sometimes relate to the original plot of the story or have nothing at all to do with it whatsoever. Then we get 100 pages of conclusion at the very end in this edition. Why? All I can ask is, why? I definitely won't be re-reading this ever again. It took me 38 months the first time, and I'm not really into self-torture to read it again. I'm glad I did, I wanted to read it for a long time...but now I kind of regret that. Oh well. Here's hoping Dumas's other books are better to me.

Book #3: Copyright by Lori Lesko 

Amber Tyler is living every author’s dream: her books are all best sellers and she writes full time. She has worked hard and is well-accomplished in her career, and she has the support and love of her beautiful children and girlfriend. But the dream soon turns into a terrible nightmare when her latest manuscript is stolen. She decides to fight for what is rightfully hers, only to find that the harder she tries, the easier it all slips through her fingers, putting her career, her family, and her life in jeopardy.

It was okay. Not really what I was expecting, though I have no idea what that was. I thought it would be more about novel writing, and less drunken spiral? Either way it was a quick read and a bit of a life lesson when it comes to who to trust. (That would be no one). Eh, I don't really know what else to say about it. 

Book #4: Dear Mr. M by Herman Koch

Once a celebrated writer, M had his greatest success with a suspense novel based on a real-life disappearance. It told the story of a history teacher who went missing one winter after having a brief affair with a beautiful student of his. The teacher was never found. Upon publication, M's novel was a runaway bestseller, one that marked his international breakthrough. That was years ago, and now M's career is fading. But not when it comes to his bizarre, seemingly timid neighbor who keeps a close eye on him and his wife. Why? From alternating points of view, where no one is to be trusted, Herman Koch weaves together an intricate tale of a writer in decline, a teenage couple in love, a missing teacher, and a single book that entwines all of their fates. Thanks to M's novel, supposedly a work of fiction, everyone seems to be linked forever, until something unexpected spins the "story" off its rails. 

This was something. I didn't like it at all. Some parts of it were entirely irrelevant to the plot. We don't even really learn the meaning of the title until the last twenty pages. Not really something I would read again. Even now I'm not sure I will keep it. See my review for the rest.


Book #5: The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

"Brilliant....Each story is a fascinating vignette, and together they they weave the reader through a world where the Moon Lady can grant any wish, where a child, promised in marriage at two and delivered at 12, can, with cunning, free herself; where a rich man's concubine secures her daughter's future by killing herself, and where a woman can live on, knowing she has lost her entire life." WASHINGTON POST BOOK WORLD. A stunning literary achievement, THE JOY LUCK CLUB explores the tender and tenacious bond between four daughters and their mothers. The daughters know one side of their mothers, but they don't know about their earlier never-spoken of lives in China. The mothers want love and obedience from their daughters, but they don't know the gifts that the daughters keep to themselves. Heartwarming and bittersweet, this is a novel for mother, daughters, and those that love them.

I'm giving this four stars because it's interesting to learn at least a little about Chinese culture from the 80s. I read this book as one of the challenges I found earlier in the year. Not bad. I'll have to look for more by Amy Tan in the future.

Review: Dear Mr. M by Herman Koch

Once a celebrated writer, M had his greatest success with a suspense novel based on a real-life disappearance. It told the story of a history teacher who went missing one winter after having a brief affair with a beautiful student of his. The teacher was never found. Upon publication, M's novel was a runaway bestseller, one that marked his international breakthrough. That was years ago, and now M's career is fading. But not when it comes to his bizarre, seemingly timid neighbor who keeps a close eye on him and his wife. Why? From alternating points of view, where no one is to be trusted, Herman Koch weaves together an intricate tale of a writer in decline, a teenage couple in love, a missing teacher, and a single book that entwines all of their fates. Thanks to M's novel, supposedly a work of fiction, everyone seems to be linked forever, until something unexpected spins the "story" off its rails. - Goodreads.com

This was something. I didn't like it at all. Some parts of it were entirely irrelevant to the plot. We don't even really learn the meaning of the title until the last twenty pages. Not really something I would read again. Even now I'm not sure I will keep it.

This is my first Koch book and I am rather disappointed. I had been lead to believe this was some kind of really good mystery/thriller. Feels more like crap telly to me. A bad mystery movie you can guess the ending to way early in the story. 

I don't really know what to say about it now. M's actions were worse than Herman's. I will keep mum, to not spoil it, but really I didn't see it coming. I rated this book 2/5 stars and I am unlikely to read it again or suggest it to anybody. I received my copy from Blogging for Books in return for an honest review. 

Friday Reads: 03 to 23 June 2017

Currently Reading

- Time Spiral by Scott McGough (02%)
- Copyright by Lori Lesko (03%)
- The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon (24%)
- Dear Mr. M by Herman Koch (34%)
- The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan (19%)
- The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (14%)
- Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe (13%)
- To the Letter by Simon Garfield (24%)
- Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke (14%)
- The Original Illustrated Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (17%)
- The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (92%)

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I've definitely decided to bring my Currently Reading down. I'll work on it until it drops from fifteen books to three digital and three print. No more than that! In fact, for the time being I may not be on my computer very much at all to do the journal and updates. I'll keep my notes and things in my red notebook so that way I can adjust what I need to. I think I'll drop any books that are 5% or under of the way through. So.....that means, The Idiot, Caraval, The Song Rising, Moby Dick, The Fellowship of the Ring, and The Witching Hour will be going for now. I will add them back as I finish the books that are already on the list. It drops my list from fifteen to nine. Not as good as I wanted, but definitely better. Two books that I can finish this month (A Study in Charlotte and The Count of Monte Cristo) will bring my list to seven. Then I'm reading through Dear Mr. M quickly, so that could bring me all the way to six. 

Best Thing About Me is being re-written, to what, I don't know. Let's try again for something else that I actually like. We will continue it in first person. Bookish related. I need a plot though. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do with this. Maybe a book/bookstore/library thing. I like those. I still like the name Avery Warren though. I think Avery will be a boy. He's a bibliophile, part of a wide number of bookish groups and pages on Facebook. Just starting up his own “bookstore” via eBay and stuff. 


Ooops! Sorry I failed to put this up!

Friday Reads: 27 May to 2 June 2017

Currently Reading

- Dear Mr. M by Herman Koch (08%)
- The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan (19%)
- The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky (01%)
- Caraval by Stephanie Garber (01%)
- Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco (52%)
- The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (14%)
- The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon (02%)
- Moby-Dick by Herman Melville (05%)
- Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe (13%)
- The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien (02%)
- The Witching Hour by Anne Rice (03%)
- To the Letter by Simon Garfield (24%)
- A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro (72%)
- Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke (14%)
- The Original Illustrated Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (17%)
- The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (71%)

* * *

KS grumbled at me on Thursday. I forgot about it. She has/had (I don't know the proper tense at the exact moment but it was “has” when I saw) a relatively large cardboard box in her trunk full of books. When she was getting some tote bags for Price Chopper out of the trunk, I was rummaging through the box. I grabbed a copy of The Sea Wolf by Jack London out of it. Because I happen to like Jack London.

Am I good or am I good? I figured out how to easily and accurately remove stickers from the back of glossy books. I haven't figured out how to do it for paper/matte finished ones yet. I know it works on glossy though. You take some hand sanitizer and spread it over the sticker and let it sit for a few minutes (2-3). Then you can just peel the sticker right off. I never thought to use it that way before. Now I can get a lot of stickers off of books with glossy covers. I'll have to experiment with paper and matte.

Finished DragonHeart by Charles Edward Pogue yesterday (maybe the day before, I don't remember). It was okay. 3/5 for that alone. I liked it pretty well. I've already put it into the box marked “Books” in red. (Get it? Re(a)d Books, I crack me up). Dad said to put the books I've read into the box. So I did. It must be lonely in there all by itself. I should really add more to it. Too bad I haven't read any of the books on the shelf yet. 

Yay! I got my review copy of Dear Mr. M by Herman Koch (Hogarth edition estimated publication date of 6/6/17) in on the 1st. It's my....sixth, I want to say sixth, review book from Blogging for Books. Yes, it's the sixth. I've already submitted five reviews for them this year. I want to do at least....twenty-five for the entire year. Sounds like a reasonable goal that I can meet by oh....August. 

Anyway, I'll sign off for now, see you next Friday!!