Reading Challenges 2021

[WolfDreamer]

I need help deciding something. I have three possible books in mind for the challenge category: Read a book that intimidates you.

• The Stand by Stephen King (it's super long and about a pandemic)
• Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (again, super long and I'm worried it might suck me in to wanting to read the entire series, which are also super long)
• The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky

Help me decide. Post your choice and reasons below!

[Scaly Freak]

Why does The Brothers Karamazov intimidate you? You  gave reasons for the other two, but not this one.

[Artemis Prime]

13 hours ago, pureleeawesome said:

 

I tried starting this but don't think I had the brain energy at the time to give it attention. Might have to loan it back out from the library again and give it a second shot.

I still say it was a really good book, but some of it may have just been good timing for me. I was hungry for a world-spanning epic fantasy, and this was it. It did take some getting into since there are always going to be some storylines you like better than others and I was impatient go get through some characters' chapters to get back to my favorites, but they all ended up having satisfying arcs and I'm glad I stuck with it.

[Artemis Prime]

13 hours ago, WolfDreamer said:

I need help deciding something. I have three possible books in mind for the challenge category: Read a book that intimidates you.

• The Stand by Stephen King (it's super long and about a pandemic)
• Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (again, super long and I'm worried it might suck me in to wanting to read the entire series, which are also super long)
• The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky

Help me decide. Post your choice and reasons below!

Haven't read The Stand, but I've heard good things about it. Of the three you've listed, this would be my pick.

 

I did not like Outlander. Obviously lots of other people did, but some of the violence in it struck me as unnecessarily gratuitous. But I can be a sensitive soul sometimes. It's been a few years, so I'm a bit fuzzy on some of the other details about the story, but I remember (such a minor spoiler it probably isn't even a spoiler)

Spoiler

feeling bad for her husband who gets stuck in the present while his wife falls in love with some Scottish dude.

Overall I just wasn't a fan and I never read any of the other books in the series.

 

If you go with Brothers Karamazov (which I've also never read) I'm assuming that you'll be reading a translation, in which case the most important thing is going to be finding a good one. Do a little digging first and find someone who has a reputation for making the translation very readable while still keeping the feel of the original. 

From a little bit of Googling I came up with :

Catherine Garnett:  fallen out of favor lately, possibly just from bias that newer must be better, very true to the original Russian

Pevear and Volokhonsky: currently seems to be the most popular, critics also claim they stick the closest to the Russian

David McDuff: Gets a lot of credit for being a very readable translation, may have taken a little more liberty with the original

[WolfDreamer]

2 hours ago, Artemis Prime said:

I remember

 

Yeah, even though I haven't read the novel, I knew of this detail, and it bothers me, as well. I know there is more to it than that, but...

 

2 hours ago, Artemis Prime said:

the most important thing is going to be finding a good one

 

Absolutely!

 

2 hours ago, Artemis Prime said:

Catherine Garnett:  fallen out of favor lately, possibly just from bias that newer must be better, very true to the original Russian

Pevear and Volokhonsky: currently seems to be the most popular, critics also claim they stick the closest to the Russian

David McDuff: Gets a lot of credit for being a very readable translation, may have taken a little more liberty with the original

 

I have a copy of the book somewhere, but I don't recall if it's any of these three translations. Thank you for doing some digging for me.

[Scaly Freak]

2 hours ago, Artemis Prime said:

I did not like Outlander. Obviously lots of other people did, but some of the violence in it struck me as unnecessarily gratuitous. But I can be a sensitive soul sometimes. It's been a few years, so I'm a bit fuzzy on some of the other details about the story, but I remember (such a minor spoiler it probably isn't even a spoiler)

 

 

But it adds tension and drama and All The Feels!  🙄

 

I have contempt for love triangles as well, which occasionally is inconvenient since I read a lot of romance novels. Actually, that genre is packed with unpleasant and uncomfortable  tropes that makes it a bit of a mine field more often than not. Sigh.

[Artemis Prime]

1 hour ago, WolfDreamer said:

Thank you for doing some digging for me.

Any excuse to geek out and do some book research!

 

1 hour ago, Scaly Freak said:

 

But it adds tension and drama and All The Feels!  🙄

 

I have contempt for love triangles as well, which occasionally is inconvenient since I read a lot of romance novels. Actually, that genre is packed with unpleasant and uncomfortable  tropes that makes it a bit of a mine field more often than not. Sigh.

Yeah, I really like other genres that have a strong romance subplot, but I tend to stay away from romance novels these days. I think a relationship has trouble carrying a whole plot without getting convoluted, which often veers into unpleasant and uncomfortable territory. When you can find a good one, it's really enjoyable but those bad ones...

[Scaly Freak]

1 hour ago, Artemis Prime said:

I think a relationship has trouble carrying a whole plot without getting convoluted, which often veers into unpleasant and uncomfortable territory. When you can find a good one, it's really enjoyable but those bad ones...

 

Those bad ones can get really bad. And that's before we even get into the ones written  to promote specific gender values or relationship ideals... 🤮

 

And yes, the relationship cannot also be the main plot. The main plot needs to be something else, and the romance develops between the characters as the plot happens.  It's a result of the plot, not the driving force behind it. If the focus of the original Star Wars trilogy was on either Han's or Leia's character arc, it would be a great example of what I'm thinking of.   

[Artemis Prime]

5 hours ago, Scaly Freak said:

If the focus of the original Star Wars trilogy was on either Han's or Leia's character arc, it would be a great example of what I'm thinking of.   

I would love a Star Wars from Leia's pov.  Title: Somebody Has to Save Our Skins. I'm also partial to I was getting along just fine until you two moon jockeys showed up, but that's a bit long for titular purposes.

[Paisley]

It's amazing really just how few stories there are out there that don't have some bit of romance on them.  My Daughter is 13 and wants nothing to so with anything even slightly smacking of romance and every time I recommend something It's always got some element of romance to it and she checks out.  

 

Sorry I can't really help with the decision I've never read any of the three books.  No not entirely true I did start outlanders once but never got past about the second or third chapter - I just couldn't get into it.  I'd probably choose Then Stand just cause I liek the whole pandemic plot line.

[WolfDreamer]

On 2/11/2021 at 7:03 PM, Scaly Freak said:

Why does The Brothers Karamazov intimidate you? You  gave reasons for the other two, but not this one.

 

It's super long Russian classic literature, epic in its scope, and very allegorical and philosophical. 

[Scaly Freak]

4 hours ago, WolfDreamer said:

 

It's super long Russian classic literature, epic in its scope, and very allegorical and philosophical. 

 

You will definitely want to avoid Crime and Punishment then.

[WolfDreamer]

3 hours ago, Scaly Freak said:

 

You will definitely want to avoid Crime and Punishment then.

 

I've actually read C&P, but it's been a few years. I won't say I enjoyed it, although I deeply respected it as rather brilliant.

[Renate]

Huh, of all the things in the series, that in the spoiler bit bothered me the least?

 

Spoiler

I haven't read the book but in the series she only lets herself fall in love with the Scottish dude once it seems unlikely that she will ever get back? And then she finds the stones and then the falling in love has happened already. And she has the mission to try and change the future? So imo by that time it's not a love triangle... Her husband simply has no idea about the unpredictable druidian magic, otherwise he would have probably seeked ways to get over it, too, after searching for ways to rescue her?

 

[Artemis Prime]

10 minutes ago, Athena said:

Huh, of all the things in the series, that in the spoiler bit bothered me the least?

 

  Hide contents

I haven't read the book but in the series she only lets herself fall in love with the Scottish dude once it seems unlikely that she will ever get back? And then she finds the stones and then the falling in love has happened already. And she has the mission to try and change the future? So imo by that time it's not a love triangle... Her husband simply has no idea about the unpredictable druidian magic, otherwise he would have probably seeked ways to get over it, too, after searching for ways to rescue her?

 

There were definitely other things that bothered me more but that was what kept me from getting really invested in the romance between claire and Jamie.

 

Spoiler

I didn't think badly of Claire for falling in love with Jamie bc as you said, she didnt think she was ever going to get back to her time and she does wrestle with the whole issue of whether or not you can commit adultery when your husband hasn't been born yet. But I still felt bad for the husband (even though I can't remember his name - Robert maybe?) 

Not sure about the future changing mission, I think that's from later in the series than I made it. But the other thing that made me feel bad for him is how Claire starts to think less of him because his ancestor is a completely awful sadist, which is in no way his fault. 

 

[Paisley]

Finished another two books.

 

Documenting Light by EE Ottoman  which was actually listed under 8.Read a romance by a trans or nonbinary author in the Read Harder Challenge. and 

The Warrior, The Witch and the Wombat by Khloe Wren which I found just searching for a comedy humor book at the online library but I reckon would fit into the fan fic category.  Not entirely sure what it's a fan fic for but it's definitely got that vibe.

 

Have now started on The enlightenment of the Greengage Tree by Shokoofeh Azar for 3. Read a non-European novel in translation.

 

Spoiler

List of Books Read 2021

1. Tomorrow when the war began by James Marsden

2. The Dead of Night by James Marsden

3. A Killing Frost  by James Marsden

4. The Only Girl in the World by  Maude Julien

5 - 12.The Bridgertons Series   books 1-8 by Julia Quinn  

13. Rumble Fish by  S.E. Hinton

14. That was Then, This is now by  S.E. Hinton

15. Tex by S.E. Hinton 

16. City of Saints and Thieves by Natalie C Anderson

17.Documenting Light by EE Ottoman

18. The Warrior, The Witch and the Wombat by Khloe Wren

 

[Scaly Freak]

On 2/9/2021 at 8:52 PM, Scaly Freak said:

 

I had completely forgotten that I have Redshirts on my Kindle wishlist! Fanfic found!

 

On 2/10/2021 at 10:46 PM, Scaly Freak said:

 

Amazon wants $11 for the ebook. Screw that.

 

Library request submitted.

 

I expected Redshirts to be hilarious, but it's actually kind of disturbing instead. Definitely satire, but on the darker side of things. I'm about 40% or so into the book... I hope to finish it before going to bed tonight.  

[Scaly Freak]

So I decided to track my Book Riot challenge reading in the post where I first posted the Challenge list and a link to the challenge itself. I'll track the Extreme Book Nerd challenge in the same place. 

 

We're starting out at a decent pace, I think.  

[Artemis Prime]

On 2/17/2021 at 12:20 AM, Scaly Freak said:

 

 

I expected Redshirts to be hilarious, but it's actually kind of disturbing instead. Definitely satire, but on the darker side of things. I'm about 40% or so into the book... I hope to finish it before going to bed tonight.  

Hmmmm...disturbing in a dark humor type of way, or just disturbing? 

 

Don't know if we have any Leigh Bardugo Grishaverse fans here, but I just heard the news that Netflix is doing a Shadow and Bone series that is coming out in April.

[Renate]

Spoiler

On 2/14/2021 at 1:13 PM, Artemis Prime said:

how Claire starts to think less of him because his ancestor is a completely awful sadist, which is in no way his fault. 

 

Does she? My impression was that she has a hard time looking at him because it trauma-triggers her because they look identical. In the book that may have not been shown that way

 

And again, I get where you are coming from.

 

On 2/14/2021 at 1:13 PM, Artemis Prime said:

from getting really invested in the romance between claire and Jamie.

 

I understand better now, thanks  

[Scaly Freak]

1 hour ago, Artemis Prime said:

Hmmmm...disturbing in a dark humor type of way, or just disturbing? 

 

Definitely dark humor (though not my sense of humor), but also simply unnerving in an existentialist horror show sort of way.

 

One of the things that surprised me about his book was that the vast majority of reviews I read insisted that it's hilarious in a laugh-out-loud funny sort of way, and I completely disagree. Clearly my sense of humor is different from the majority or Redshirts review writers.

[Artemis Prime]

On 2/18/2021 at 10:46 AM, Scaly Freak said:

Definitely dark humor (though not my sense of humor), but also simply unnerving in an existentialist horror show sort of way.

I don't mind a touch of dark humor, but not sure about unnerving existentialist horror. Might have to ask my sister to vet this one for me, since she likes that type of stuff and also has a good handle on whether I'd like it or not.

[Artemis Prime]

Inspired by @Scaly Freak's challenge thread to think about what I love so much about libraries. The free books, obviously, but also how it offers so much more to the community in terms of programs and resources. I have a master's certificate in community development and really wanted to open a community center in my tiny little town, but then somehow ended up with a full time job I enjoy which makes giving up my steady paycheck for a risky non-profit venture less appealing. But now it's occurring to me that the library is largely serving the same purpose that a community center would, so maybe instead of reinventing the wheel here, I'll mosey on over once the building opens back up and offer my voluntary services. I could start small with one Saturday a month and see what happens.

[WolfDreamer]

I finished Spoiler Alert. You can read my full review at the Goodreads here.

 

I also finished Blankets. Again, my review is on Goodreads here.

 

I am currently reading The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey, as well as The Stand by Stephen King, and I'm listening to Living With a SEAL by Jesse Itzler.

[Scaly Freak]

4 hours ago, Artemis Prime said:

I don't mind a touch of dark humor, but not sure about unnerving existentialist horror. Might have to ask my sister to vet this one for me, since she likes that type of stuff and also has a good handle on whether I'd like it or not.

 

If Redshirts was a videogame, I would say it flirts with using the 4th wall as a game mechanic, and invites the player to carry that as far as they wish to. And as tempted as I am to use examples, that would be giving away far too much. But that might help?