Reading Challenges 2021

[MezzotheLefty]

I'm so far behind... I set a GoodReads goal of 15 and I only have 4?

Physical books aren't a thing for me right now (no free hands with baby girl) but I've listened to some audio books via Libby. I actually just finished The Blood of Elves in the Witcher series in preparation for Season 2 of the Netflix series.

 

I'm super behind because Critical Role has been taking up all my listening time. 😅

[Scaly Freak]

My beloved library branch is unexpectedly closed today, due to "several" employees testing positive. They are refusing to give out names, obviously, but shared the days and hours when the people in question were on shift, with a warning that if you were in the library during those hours you may have been exposed. (I was not, so there's my silver lining.) The library district has reinstated a firm mask requirement for everyone regardless of vaccine status, and wants us to use their curbside pickup service again.

 

A reminder to us all to not become complacent and think we're safe yet, and to wear a mask.  

[juliebarkley]

I wanted to read more classics this year and I have not read any since Dracula. I would still like to read one before the end of the year, but I don't have anything in particular in mind.

 

For best chance of getting it finished, I need something that is:

1. light, maybe even a bit humorous;
2. "classic" in general or in a specific genre (I'm using the term loosely);
3. not too long;
4. worth reading.

 

Any suggestions? I have a set of the complete Sherlock Holmes stories, which fits all except 3 (I think. I've only read two Holmes stories before). But failing 3 means it probably wouldn't be finished by the end of the year, so it's my plan B.

 

I hope everyone else is doing well with their reading!

[Artemis Prime]

6 hours ago, juliebarkley said:

I wanted to read more classics this year and I have not read any since Dracula. I would still like to read one before the end of the year, but I don't have anything in particular in mind.

 

For best chance of getting it finished, I need something that is:

1. light, maybe even a bit humorous;
2. "classic" in general or in a specific genre (I'm using the term loosely);
3. not too long;
4. worth reading.

 

Any suggestions? I have a set of the complete Sherlock Holmes stories, which fits all except 3 (I think. I've only read two Holmes stories before). But failing 3 means it probably wouldn't be finished by the end of the year, so it's my plan B.

 

I hope everyone else is doing well with their reading!

 

If you're counting the complete collection as one "classic," Sherlock Holmes is a lot, but the short stories themselves are, well, short, so they might be a good pick.

I like to read seasonally, so A Christmas Carol would be my pick for the end of the year. It's been a while since I read it, but it's not super long and from what I remember it's not nearly as much of a slog as most of Dickens is. Which sounds a lot like damning with faint praise, but I honestly just don't remember it well enough and I don't want to oversell it. I do remember enjoying it, but if I'm in the right mood, I enjoy slogging through dry classics.

I personally like Hercule Poroit a lot more than Sherlock Holmes and find him a much more entertaining character. If you haven't read any of them, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and Murder on the Orient Express are two of the most popular. I really liked Death on the Nile too. You don't need to start at the beginning, but The Mysterious Affair at Styles is the first Poroit book and also really good. If you want to stick with seasonal reading, there's Hercule Poroit's Christmas, but I haven't read that one.  Poroit also has a short story collection if you want to check that out.

I never could get into Miss Marple and haven't read any Tommy & Tuppence, but some of the stand alones I really enjoyed were Death Comes at the End  and And Then There Were None. 

If you really like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, I also recommend The Lost World. I didn't really care for the other Professor Challenger story I tried (can't even remember the name of it) but Lost World made me laugh.

[Scaly Freak]

7 hours ago, juliebarkley said:

I have a set of the complete Sherlock Holmes stories, which fits all except 3 (I think. I've only read two Holmes stories before).

 

The majority of the Sherlock Holmes stories written by Conan Doyle were short stories, written for publication in Strand Magazine. Yes, there are some novels in the mix, but if you ignore them and see the short stories as individual units, even though they are in the same volume, you can make them fit all your criteria.

[juliebarkley]

4 hours ago, Artemis Prime said:

I personally like Hercule Poroit a lot more than Sherlock Holmes and find him a much more entertaining character. If you haven't read any of them, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and Murder on the Orient Express are two of the most popular. I really liked Death on the Nile too. You don't need to start at the beginning, but The Mysterious Affair at Styles is the first Poroit book and also really good. If you want to stick with seasonal reading, there's Hercule Poroit's Christmas, but I haven't read that one.  Poroit also has a short story collection if you want to check that out.

I never could get into Miss Marple and haven't read any Tommy & Tuppence, but some of the stand alones I really enjoyed were Death Comes at the End  and And Then There Were None. 

Hmm. The only Christie I've ever read was The Moving Finger, and it wasn't all that memorable. I am pretty sure I saw Ten Little Indians (which IIRC was an alternate title for And Then There Were None) in my book pile, and it was pretty short. Gruesome too though, isn't it?

 

4 hours ago, Artemis Prime said:

If you really like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, I also recommend The Lost World. I didn't really care for the other Professor Challenger story I tried (can't even remember the name of it) but Lost World made me laugh.

I just happen to have the Holmes set sitting my room right now, and I vaguely intend to read them "eventually".  Feel free to suggest non-mysteries too. I read pretty widely.

 

4 hours ago, Scaly Freak said:

The majority of the Sherlock Holmes stories written by Conan Doyle were short stories, written for publication in Strand Magazine. Yes, there are some novels in the mix, but if you ignore them and see the short stories as individual units, even though they are in the same volume, you can make them fit all your criteria.

True. I was sort of hoping to read them in chronological order, but this may be the perfect being the enemy of the good. But thinking of them as individual stories, given that is how they were first published and intended to be read, is a good way to look at it. I'll try a couple and if I'm in the mood for more, great. If not, at least I've accomplished something. Thanks for the reframing!

[Scaly Freak]

5 hours ago, juliebarkley said:

I am pretty sure I saw Ten Little Indians (which IIRC was an alternate title for And Then There Were None) in my book pile, and it was pretty short. Gruesome too though, isn't it?

 

Ten Little Indians is the alternative the publisher settled on when the original title became too controversial.  

 

And it's gruesome but not very graphic, if that makes sense. Yes, lots of people die (as the title implies), but it's not a gore fest. Agatha Christie was always more interested in the psychology of murder anyway. 

[juliebarkley]

2 hours ago, Scaly Freak said:

Ten Little Indians is the alternative the publisher settled on when the original title became too controversial.  

 

And it's gruesome but not very graphic, if that makes sense. Yes, lots of people die (as the title implies), but it's not a gore fest. Agatha Christie was always more interested in the psychology of murder anyway. 

I thought it was the original title until I googled it. But no, the original was worse.

 

It does make sense. I would place her firmly in the detective camp, which is not usually all that graphic. I don't think it's what I'm in the mood for right now though. Not light enough in the happy sense of the word.

[Scaly Freak]

54 minutes ago, juliebarkley said:

I thought it was the original title until I googled it. But no, the original was worse.

 

The original title has been... hushed up...  in the English speaking world, especially in North America. The main reason I know it is because the Swedish word just doesn't have nearly the same non-literal meaning and baggage attached to it, so it took a lot longer to change the Swedish editions, and I imagine a lot of other translations as well. My school library in 7th grade had a copy with the original title translated into Swedish.

[juliebarkley]

I'm going to stick with my not-yet-begun read-some-Sherlock-Holmes-then-decide-what-to-do-next plan, but in case someone else is looking to up their classics total before the end of the year, or is just looking for a short, fun read, I did some brainstorming with a colleague today and came up with a list to share.

 

• The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. Or almost anything else by Oscar Wilde, really. Just avoid his children's stories. They are achingly beautiful, but also utterly heartbreaking. (Do read them, please do, just not when you are looking for a happy read.)
• Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town by Stephen Leacock, to be followed by Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich. I'm leaning into switching from Holmes to this, to be honest.
• Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. Looks like good fun all around. Bit longer, though.
• Something by Mark Twain. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (or Huck Finn), or A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, perhaps. I've never read any Twain.
• Anything by Wodehouse. For me personally, I think this will be a love-or- hate author, and my gut is telling me the latter is more likely.
• Lysistrata by Aristophanes. Because sometimes we all need an ancient sex comedy.
• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, as offered up by @Artemis Prime. Not big on the comedy, but a happy ending full of hope for the human race.

[Scaly Freak]

2 hours ago, juliebarkley said:

• Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. Looks like good fun all around. Bit longer, though.

 

This combined the best qualities of both authors and is a masterpiece. Highly recommend.

 

2 hours ago, juliebarkley said:

• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, as offered up by @Artemis Prime. Not big on the comedy, but a happy ending full of hope for the human race.

 

This is a comedy...?

 

Okay, actually, the Muppet Christmas Carol movie is. Also happens to be a fantastic movie adaptation of the book. With awesome music.  

 

And Michael Caine.

[juliebarkley]

12 hours ago, Scaly Freak said:

This is a comedy...?

Ha, no, I meant that it had little to no comedy, unlike the others on the list. A phrasing that works with speech intonation to back it up, but maybe not so well written down.

 

I would second your Muppet endorsement, but this is a reading challenge, so.

[Artemis Prime]

Rant incoming:

 

Just started a new book and the protagonist introduces herself as 5'7" and 115 pounds. I'm so annoyed by this and I see it so often. First off, who introduces themselves with their height and weight? Secondly, why are female characters always 5'6"+ and 115 or less? My ideal weight is 125 and I'm 5'1".  At 130 I know I need to dial my nutrition back in a little tighter. At 120 I'm still doing pretty well. At 115 I don't have the muscle mass to do everything I want and need to hit the workouts harder and up the calories. So this woman has 6 inches on me and she's at the low end of my acceptable weight.  All different body types and all, but there's an excellent chance she is severely underweight. It seriously annoys me enough I don't even want to keep reading this book now. It's bad enough as a romance trope, but this is a freaking ghost story! I don't care how much a ghost weighs! And you're a spectral spirit - you shouldn't weigh anything! Ok, the book opens before she's a ghost yet but still. Grinds my gears.

 

Ahem. And that concludes today's literary rage. /end rant.

[Scaly Freak]

4 hours ago, Artemis Prime said:

Rant incoming:

 

Just started a new book and the protagonist introduces herself as 5'7" and 115 pounds. I'm so annoyed by this and I see it so often. First off, who introduces themselves with their height and weight? Secondly, why are female characters always 5'6"+ and 115 or less? My ideal weight is 125 and I'm 5'1".  At 130 I know I need to dial my nutrition back in a little tighter. At 120 I'm still doing pretty well. At 115 I don't have the muscle mass to do everything I want and need to hit the workouts harder and up the calories. So this woman has 6 inches on me and she's at the low end of my acceptable weight.  All different body types and all, but there's an excellent chance she is severely underweight. It seriously annoys me enough I don't even want to keep reading this book now. It's bad enough as a romance trope, but this is a freaking ghost story! I don't care how much a ghost weighs! And you're a spectral spirit - you shouldn't weigh anything! Ok, the book opens before she's a ghost yet but still. Grinds my gears.

 

Ahem. And that concludes today's literary rage. /end rant.

 

 

 

 

I am 5'7". I think I may be able to get down to 115 lbs if I amputate a couple of limbs. But I'd probably have to go on a diet afterward, just to make sure.

[Artemis Prime]

17 minutes ago, Scaly Freak said:

 

 

 

 

I am 5'7". I think I may be able to get down to 115 lbs if I amputate a couple of limbs. But I'd probably have to go on a diet afterward, just to make sure.

My favorite is when this shows up in urban fantasy and they're supposed to be some sort of mercenary badass. Lady, at that weight you don't have enough muscle to do your own grocery shopping, let alone fight off hordes of the undead.

[Scaly Freak]

1 minute ago, Artemis Prime said:

My favorite is when this shows up in urban fantasy and they're supposed to be some sort of mercenary badass. Lady, at that weight you don't have enough muscle to do your own grocery shopping, let alone fight off hordes of the undead.

 

In any genre where the female in question is supposed to be athletic, really. 

 

I recently finished a book where the female protagonist was 5"2" and 125 lbs, and a martial arts specialist. Still on the lighter side, but not quite as unrealistic.

[Artemis Prime]

5 minutes ago, Scaly Freak said:

 

In any genre where the female in question is supposed to be athletic, really. 

 

I recently finished a book where the female protagonist was 5"2" and 125 lbs, and a martial arts specialist. Still on the lighter side, but not quite as unrealistic.

I can buy that as a good weight for her and if she's facing an untrained opponent her training is going to do a lot to compensate for any size difference. But if she's fighting a big guy who knows what he's doing she's going to have a hell of a time making up for the fact that he has twice her reach, not to mention the weight difference.

[Scaly Freak]

1 minute ago, Artemis Prime said:

I can buy that as a good weight for her and if she's facing an untrained opponent her training is going to do a lot to compensate for any size difference. But if she's fighting a big guy who knows what he's doing she's going to have a hell of a time making up for the fact that he has twice her reach, not to mention the weight difference.

 

Agreed, and I appreciated the fact the book tries to account for that. They describe her as using a lot of aikido and quickness, and of course it helps her that the kind of big brawny man who is dumb enough to start a fight in public, also is dumb enough to look at a 5'2" blonde young woman and immediately dismiss her as irrelevant in a fight.

[Artemis Prime]

Has anyone read TJ Klune's Under the Whispering Door? If not, MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW!!!!!

Spoiler

I enjoyed the book up until the end, which bothered me for two reasons, one more major than the other.

First, the Manager argues with/rebels against some unknown entity in order to bring Wallace back to life, which is a pretty major worldbuilding detail to drop in near the end and never address. I've only read one other Klune book, so I don't know what the likelihood is that he writes another book in the same world exploring this, but the Manager was kind of a big question throughout the book and the fact that there was someone higher up the ladder telling him what to do felt like a huge reveal, except not because it was never acknowledged.

 

That's my minor complaint, though. My major complaint is that they brought Wallace back at all. Sure, it makes for a nice happy ending, but that's not the point of the book. The whole idea was making peace with death and moving on to acceptance. As someone who's been struggling with grief lately, I found it a very helpful thing to explore it through reading this book. And then he went and undid all of it by giving Wallace a magical do-over. The whole point is that there is no magical do-over and that's why you have to learn to live with it the way it is. I felt like it undid a lot of Wallace's character arc, completely undermined the theme of the book, and was kind of a slap in the face for readers who don't have the magic do-over option.

 

[elisanns]

On 11/24/2021 at 11:18 PM, juliebarkley said:

 

• Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. Looks like good fun all around. Bit longer, though.

 

This is an amazing book. Can't wait to see what you think of it!

 

I've been so bad this year in terms of reading--I used to read all the time, and this past year I just could not get into it. I want to get back into the habit next year for sure...I certainly have enough unread books on my shelf.

 

[Heidi]

On 12/7/2021 at 12:19 PM, Artemis Prime said:

Has anyone read TJ Klune's Under the Whispering Door? If not, MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW!!!!!

  Reveal hidden contents

I enjoyed the book up until the end, which bothered me for two reasons, one more major than the other.

First, the Manager argues with/rebels against some unknown entity in order to bring Wallace back to life, which is a pretty major worldbuilding detail to drop in near the end and never address. I've only read one other Klune book, so I don't know what the likelihood is that he writes another book in the same world exploring this, but the Manager was kind of a big question throughout the book and the fact that there was someone higher up the ladder telling him what to do felt like a huge reveal, except not because it was never acknowledged.

 

That's my minor complaint, though. My major complaint is that they brought Wallace back at all. Sure, it makes for a nice happy ending, but that's not the point of the book. The whole idea was making peace with death and moving on to acceptance. As someone who's been struggling with grief lately, I found it a very helpful thing to explore it through reading this book. And then he went and undid all of it by giving Wallace a magical do-over. The whole point is that there is no magical do-over and that's why you have to learn to live with it the way it is. I felt like it undid a lot of Wallace's character arc, completely undermined the theme of the book, and was kind of a slap in the face for readers who don't have the magic do-over option.

 

I'm looking forward to reading this, so I skipped the spoilers, but just seeing it in this thread bumped it up a notch. 🙂

[Heidi]

NPR recently dropped their Best Books of 2021 (so far), which made me wonder what we read that we loved this year. 

 

It doesn't have to be something grand, or something published this year. What did you read that changed you? Held your hand? Made your day?

[Heidi]

Just now, Heidi said:

what we read that we loved this year. 

I didn't read as much as usual this year, and I haven't read much since February 2019, but there have been some real gems along the way:

Firebreak, by Corner-Stace was published this year and I really liked it.

 

The Bone People (recommended by @Tanktimus the Encourager) got read in 2021, I think? Anyway, brilliant book with characters I really cared about, and absolutely gorgeous writingwriting.

 

I'm hoping to finish We Need to Talk About Kevin this month before classes resume in January. The writing is gorgeous; the format (epistolary) is my favorite; the plot is taut and heartbreaking. 

[Asha Phoenix]

1 hour ago, Heidi said:

what we read that we loved this year.

I think my favorite that I've read so far this year has been A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers.

[Scaly Freak]

2 hours ago, Heidi said:

what we read that we loved this year. 

 

The Saint of Steel books by T. Kingfisher.