2021 50 Book Challenge

[Geoffrey Firmin]

Recommend this to the local library just as lockdown hit. Sadly they never acquired a copy…however this morning picked a brand new unread copy free off the book exchange table..if you haven’t read any of his work I highly recommend them.

 

[Geoffrey Firmin]

58.Psychosis by Wilhelmina Baird

Now I remember why I stopped reading her work. What started off as an interesting cyberpunk series disintegrated into a space opera.

 

[PhilKenSebben]

Well, I am alive, and I owe you guys so much. Going to break this up into chunks

10. Chasing Space - Leland Melvin : Autobiography. This is probably the 5th autobiograpy I have EVER read. Really enjoyed this guy's story. Love Space and Astronauts as well, so double bonus. Great read, quick and fun!

11. High Justice - Jerry Pournelle : 70's Sci-fi collection of short stories in a future where corporation go around running the world. if only he knew. Enjoyable, great stories

12.Doomsday World - Carmen Carter, Peter David, Michael Jan Friedman and Robert Greenberger: ST:TNG Novel, #12 really good story here! gripping, believable, written by some Star Trek powerhouses. Very fun

13. Bone Silence - Alastair Reynolds: In the Revenger series of books. This was good, bit jumpy all in all, not his best work, but a nice "conclusion" to the trilogy. All in all, the gap between when I read book 2 and book 3 came out was so long I almost had no clue what was going on. Took a bit to get back into it all in all. I wish the Author would be a bit more dedicated at times. You will see what I mean later. this book is unreadable without having read at least the first of the Revenger trilogy. not a good stand-along book

14. Madhouse at the End of the Earth: Julian Sancton: Fascinating book about a failed polar trip in 1897. Amazing detail, the richness of history, you honestly felt like you were there!

15. Spartacus - T.L. Mancour: ST:TNG Novel #20. So ******* predictable it was painful. Robots who are turing compliant apply for federation status in order to avoid slavery in a society that uses them in violent ways. Don't bother

16. Vengance - Daffyd Ab Hugh: DS9 novel #22. I have mentioned before in another review that DaH wrote one of my favorite star trek books of all time (St:Voy The Final Fury), and I always assumed it was because Dah was a fantastic Star Trek writer. Having now read more of his other novels, I believe that that was more of a case of "Blind Squirrel finding a nut" or "infinite monkeys at infinite typewriters". This book was not great. Oh, but if you want a scene where someone is tossed out an airlock in a page long, word for word recreation of "The Cask of Amontillado", then this is the book for you

17. The Long Night - Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch : DS9 Novel #20. Warlord from generations ago froze himself onboard a mythical spaceship. lost in time and space, he is found and is a changed man. not bad for a bathroom book

18. Ghost of the bamboo Road - Susan Spann: This book is actually #7 of a series. It is a 16th century samauri detective series. Pretty interesting! Can easily be read as a standalone with little need to know much else. It is fun and it is a series I might go into again. I also have no clue why I bought this book, but it was worth the bargain price at my local B&N

19. Pimp - Iceberg Slim: Okay. All of you. Go buy this book. Go read this book. it will blow your ******* minds. This is an autobiography more or less of a guy who was a pimp in the 30s and 40s. truly an eye opening book, and if you like gonzo writing even a little bit, this has lots to offer you. if you don't like gonzo writing, this has lots to offer you. If you don't like sex, skip it, but honestly, suck it up because this book is fascinating. The biggest issue is the writing is a bit course and the glossary in the back doesn't cover all of the words I wish it did, but it is phenomenal. also, one of the most famous books in black literature of the 20th century.

*20. Aristocrats and Archaeologists - Toby Wilkinson and Julian Platt: Essentially the letters a Victorian Dr. wrote back to his wife (Her responses are lost to time sadly) as he traveled in the employ of a rich guy through Egypt for 4 months. A fascinating view of Egyptology in the time as he was a learned and interested writer, but also into a private Victorian lifestyle away from London. Very interesting. will read again

More to come

 

[Fueco]

50. Better Off: Flipping The Switch On Technology, by Eric Brende

A newlywed MIT grad student goes off with his wife to live in what he refers to as a Minimite (not specifically Amish or Mennonite, but a conglomeration of folks from different backgrounds who hold similar views) community for 18 months.

 

[Geoffrey Firmin]

59.The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly

New Bosh & Ballard LA Noir at its best.Tight narrative moves at pace from the Capitol riot and Covid features prominently and its pro VAX & Masking up. Highly Recomended.

 

[Fueco]

51. Two In The North, by Margaret E. Murie

Stories about trips in northern Alaska as well as coming of age in early 20th century Alaska from one of the people largely responsible for the preservation of Alaskan wilderness.

 

[Fueco]

52. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir

 

[PhilKenSebben]

52. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir

I really enjoyed this book. I read it a few months back on a plane. Quick and fun

 

[SixOhNine]

Yeah, I liked that one, too.

 

[Fueco]

Here’s one for you book nerds… There’s more in the link below.

Lunarbaboon

 

[jack webb]

I like to have three books going at any given time: something spiritual with the morning coffee, something interesting but educational for later in the day, and something just plain interesting for the evening. Fifty or more titles per years would be easy for the latter category, possible for the middle category, but entirely out of the question for the first category. Some books just take longer than others regardless of length.

 

[Fueco]

I like to have three books going at any given time: something spiritual with the morning coffee, something interesting but educational for later in the day, and something just plain interesting for the evening. Fifty or more titles per years would be easy for the latter category, possible for the middle category, but entirely out of the question for the first category. Some books just take longer than others regardless of length.

Tell me about it… I started off 2020 with Ulysses. In retrospect, I should have saved it for later in the year.

 

[Geoffrey Firmin]

60. A Master of Djinn by P.Djeli.Clark

I have read a number of short stories by the author previously. However it took a while to get into this..but then.

Totally and utterly enjoyable was considering what specific genre this belonged to but the author calls it Steampunk. OK but its unlike any Steampunk I’ve read, its blended with Orientalism, djinn, a bit of theosophy, ancient Egyptian religion add some Arabian nights and contemporary politics and you have one hell of a magic carpet ride….actually that is the one thing that is missing.

I have one tome to finish the year off with. I wont have time for this next year but as John Wayne said “I’ll be back.” Happy reading and vaya con Dios.

 

[Geoffrey Firmin]

61.The Free World: Art and Thought in the Cold War by Louis Menand

This is remarkable piece of historical work its erudite, insightful and entertaining. Its taken me a while to read it due to both the length but with a lot of the chapters its provided some interesting food for further rumination and reflection on how the subject matter has impacted on my own intellectual development in particular the chapters on the Existentialism, Deconstruction and the Arts both literary, visual and musical.

Its populated by a remarkable cast of historical personages and the analysis of their cultural impact. Highly Recommended.

 

[PhilKenSebben]

This 50 Book Challenge seems awesome. If anyone wants help with college assignment, they should check out Instant Assignment Help to make student life easy.

Awesome! Have you met @sarahosmond yet?