ŷ������

Ioana wrote: "I admit, I love books that break my heart. I had a lot of meh books this year that did not touch me. I'm ready to feel again."

It is a children's book, so be prepared for that.

After you finish reading the book, if it doesn't have an author interview in the book, we can help you find the story this based off of. It helped me understand why it was written the way it was.

Enjoy!!

Lea wrote: "It is a children's book, so be prepared for that."

Yes, I know that, so I won't be surprised.

Lea wrote: "After you finish reading the book, if it doesn't have an author interview in the book, we can help you find the story this based off of. It helped me understand why it was written the way it was."

Great, I have the audiobook, so I'll let you know.

I was interested in your comments about The Stranger Beside me. I also got a weird vibe when the author talked about her relationship with Bundy. My take on it was that either she really didn't know him as well as she indicated in the book, or she felt guilty that she didn't really believe it was him at the time. Either way the book pretty much made her career. To be fair to her the more disturbing relationship was the longtime girlfriend who had to have seen enough to be suspicious but claimed she wasn't. He must have been some sweet talker. You would think even if he was smooth, he would have given off an uncomfortable vibe for most women but apparently not. Even if you don't like true crime this book was worth the read. Women should pay attention and pay attention to their instincts.

Ioana wrote: "Great, I have the audiobook, so I'll let you know."

I hope you enjoy it. I felt like the book was very raw and very real. I also listened to the audiobook, and I liked the narration. And my version had the short interview at the end, so fingers crossed. At least the book isn't very long, so if you hate it, you won't have invested weeks into it.

Michelle wrote: "I was interested in your comments about The Stranger Beside me. I also got a weird vibe when the author talked about her relationship with Bundy. My take on it was that either she really didn't know him as well as she indicated in the book,

I though that at first too, until she started going into the phone calls and the letters they wrote. I wonder if you can ever know a person like that, but it does sound like they are more than just passing acquaintances.

or she felt guilty that she didn't really believe it was him at the time.

I think she definitely wanted to portray herself as clever, and it was hard to do that, while at the same time explain why it took her so long to come to the conclusion that he was guilty.

Either way the book pretty much made her career. Linda and I talked a lot about that in the buddy reads.

To be fair to her the more disturbing relationship was the longtime girlfriend who had to have seen enough to be suspicious but claimed she wasn't. He must have been some sweet talker. You would think even if he was smooth, he would have given off an uncomfortable vibe for most women but apparently not. Even if you don't like true crime this book was worth the read. Women should pay attention and pay attention to their instincts."

Yes! I'm reading her book next month. The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy. Have you read that one yet? I just don't understand how on earth she could have accepted all of the lies, the cheating, and the bad behavior...let alone coming to realize that he must be guilty. I want to understand her rationale, but on the other hand, am incredibly grateful that I do not understand it.

August Month End Report

Books Read: 16 books this month and 121 year to date. 41,634 pages.

Books from Filling in the Gaps: 61/100; 2022 Books 1/4, 2023 Books 5/12, 2024 Books 55/84

Books from 12+4 Challenge: 16/16

Previously discussed:

Behemoth
The Passengers
Saga, Volume 10
2010: Odyssey Two
Little Wizard Stories of Oz
The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy: The Shocking Inside Story
Bridge to Terabithia
Return to the Hundred Acre Wood

Recently finished:

The Best Bear in All the World - I think this might be the last book in the Winnie-the-Pooh series, but the book is not written by Milne or the author who wrote Return to the Hundred Acre Wood. I liked it, but not as much as the other books. It is four tales, each by a different author, about the friends, each from a different season. Reading these books is a comfort read. 3 stars

A Grief Observed - I was given this book eight years ago when somebody very special to me passed away. I just couldn't read it then. Everything was just too painful. Even now, the book is raw and painful. It hurts to read, but in the end, after 76 short pages, I felt comfort. I am not the only one that has had to deal with such pain. It's written by a man who lost his wife, and his struggle with God. 5 stars

Feverborn - This is book #8 in the Fever series, a fantasy series about the fae. I have three books left to go. I'm here to finish the series out, but I have to say there are portions of this book that were a bit tedious to get through. 2 stars

Fog Magic - This is a book set in Nova Scotia, Canada, and it is about a girl and her love of the enveloping fog. It's a children's book and there is some magical realism involved, but nonetheless, I did enjoy it. 3 stars

Reluctant Genius: The Passionate Life and Inventive Mind of Alexander Graham Bell - I loved this biography about Alexander Graham Bell and his family. I didn't know too much about Bell, and it was very interesting to learn about his other inventions and the other things that he did with his life. 5 stars

Bleak House - This book is over 1,017 pages, it is by Charles Dickens. I really enjoyed reading this book, it is a hilarious treatise on what is wrong with the legal system in England. It is also about an orphan who grows up in Victorian England, and it has the distinction of being the only Dickens novel to have a female narrator. Unfortunately, I don't think this is Dickens best narration job, but I did love and was invested in the story. 4 stars.

Tik-Tok of Oz - This is either the 8th or 10th book in the Oz series, depending on if you count the in betweener books or not. That said, I wanted to like this book more than I did. With Tik-Tok in it's name, I was thinking it would be more about him as a character. There were too many rampant continuity errors and too much rehash and not enough else. It was just OK for me. 2 stars

The Eternal Ones - The final book in the Deathless series, a fantasy series about a girl who challenges the status quo in her world. I really loved the first book in the series, The Gilded Ones, but I don't think the following two books held up to the first one. This one, in particular, seemed to have some clunky retcon happening, and there were parts where the plot wasn't paced as well as the first one. I did like it, but I thought each book was a little less than the one previous. 3 stars

Currently reading:

The Will of the Many - I'm almost done with this book, but it is such a long book, it is taking me forever. I like it a lot. It is also a fantasy book.

2061: Odyssey Three - I'm bored with this one right now. I hope I can push through.

Progress on the Whack-a-Mole Series Situation ��

Series Completed this year (for the moment...):
1. Firekeeper's Daughter (1)
2. Fractalverse (1)
3. Killing Series (2)
4. Will Robie (1)
5. The Empyrean (2)
6. The Firm (1)
7. Moloka'i (1)
8. If I Stay (2)
9. Ripley (5)
10. The Unhoneymooners (2)
11. Earthseed (2)
12. Crescent City (1)
13. Holly Gibney (1)
14. Thursday Murder Club(1)
15. Edenbrooke (1)
16. Heartstopper (1)
17. Camp Half-Blood Chronicles (1)
18. Percy Jackson and the Olympians (1)
19. A Love Story (3)
20. Newsflesh (5)
21. The Giver (4)
22. Before the Coffee Gets Cold (4)
23. Winnie-the-Pooh (5)
24. Deathless (1)

Series Started This Year with Books Remaining:
1. Fever (3)
2. Oz (6)
3. A Space Odyssey (2)
4. Leviathan (1)
5. Assistant to the Villain (1)
6. Hierarchy (1)

Series That Added Books This Year with number of books I still need to read in that series:
1. Coyote Sunrise (1)
2. The Space Between Worlds (1)
3. Camino Island (1)
4. Nantucket (1)
5. The Housemaid (1)
6. Legacy of Orisha (1)
7. The Inheritance Games (1)
8. Supernatural Investigations (1)

Series That Added Books Last Year with number of books I still need to read in that series:
1. Xanth (41)
2. You (2)
3. Mike Daley/Rosie Fernandez (10)
4. Comoran Strike (4)
5. Stephanie Plum (9)

GRC Award Books Remaining
2010
1. Fantasy - Towers of Midnight. Book 13 of a 15 book series. Maybe I will be able to read it in 2025.
2. ŷ������ Author - Spirit Bound. Book 5 in a 6 book series. Maybe I will read it in 2025.
3. Cover Art - Torment. Book 2 in a 5 book series. Maybe I will read it in 2025.
2011
4. Fantasy - A Dance with Dragons. Book 5 in a 7 book series, where 2 books have not yet been written, I've read the first book in the series, but a long time ago. This will be the last old GRC Award book that I'll read.
2023
5. Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction - Divine Rivals. This is the first book in a 2 book series at the moment. I'm hoping to get this read sometime in 2024.

Book of the month: A Grief Observed
Worst book: Feverborn
Biggest surprise: Bleak House
Greatest accomplishment: Finishing my 12 + 4

Congrats for the 12+4 list. Is this the earliest ever you've finished one?
Let me know if The Will of the Many ends in a cliffhanger (so I need to wait for #2 and #3 and read them back to back), or it's relatively stand alone and I can read it now.

Ioana wrote: "Congrats for the 12+4 list. Is this the earliest ever you've finished one?
Let me know if The Will of the Many ends in a cliffhanger (so I need to wait for #2 and #3 and read them back to back), or it's relatively stand alone and I can read it now."

I think it might be the earliest I've ever finished my 12 + 4, which is surprising, since I put some challenging books on it.

Hold off on reading The Will of the Many. I'm not sure that it ends on a cliffhanger, technically...but something happens at the ending, and you know that the next book will explain it.

Lea wrote: "Hold off on reading The Will of the Many. I'm not sure that it ends on a cliffhanger, technically...but something happens at the ending, and you know that the next book will explain it."

Good to know, thanks. I think it's supposed to be a trilogy?

Biggest surprise?? Bleak House?? I told you it was good! 🙄🤔🤔😂😂😂😂

Long as hell, but good nonetheless!!

..still going to read The Will of the Many. It is right up my alley. I read that stuff all the time. They always end with a serious cliffhanger.

Ioana wrote: "Good to know, thanks. I think it's supposed to be a trilogy?"

He does say on his website that he is working on #3, so there will be at least 3 books in the series. And you know that all good trilogies end up with at least four books, right? :-) :-) :-)

Alondra wrote: "Biggest surprise?? Bleak House?? I told you it was good! 🙄🤔🤔😂😂😂😂

Long as hell, but good nonetheless!!

..still going to read The Will of the Many. It is right up my alley. I read that stuff all the time. They always end with a serious cliffhanger."

I know you did, but I was still scarred from Great Expectations and everyone was saying that those books are the most similar! Now, I'm almost sure I read Great Expectations wrong, since I've really liked all of the other Dickens books that I've read.

I think you will like The Will of the Many, Alondra. I'm looking forward to seeing what you think. :-)

September Mid Month Report

Books Read: 8 books so far this month and 129 year to date. 44,762 pages.

Books from Filling in the Gaps: 63/100; 2022 Books 2/4, 2023 Books 5/12, 2024 Books 56/84

Books from 12+4 Challenge: 16/16

Recently finished:

The Will of the Many - I really enjoyed this book. It is a the first book in a fantasy series about a guy who is recruited to an elite school in exchange for spying on some of the other students. There are a lot of interesting secrets and I will be reading the next book in the series. For sure. Even though the books are super long. 4 stars.

Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold - It amazes me how popular Greek myths are today. I heard so many things about this book that I decided to read it. Of course, yes, I did start a new series. Why not? :-) I will continue the series. 3 stars.

The Plot - Another series I started. This one is about a novelist that uses a plot idea from one of his deceased students, and the book is a novel about the ethics and resultant fall out from that decision. There's a mystery there, but it isn't very mysterious. I liked it and will continue the series. 3 stars.

He Started It - This was a thriller about three siblings who must recreate a family road trip in order to inherit their grandfather's estate. I liked it, although I had some quibbles. I want to read another book by Samantha Downing. 3 stars.

Goliath - I really enjoyed the last book in the Leviathan series. It's an alternative history regarding WW1 in the Steampunk genre, and it is such a fun series. Well worth the read. 4 stars.

2061: Odyssey Three - It took me a while to read this third book in the Space Odyssey series. It's a science fiction book about one of the characters from the previous book returning to Halley's Comet and one of Jupiter's moons. It took a while to get going and then never got there for me. Only one book left in the series, though, so of course, I'm going to finish it out. 2 stars.

Saga, Volume 11 - Graphic novel science fiction series that I said I was going to abandon, and then didn't. It reads quickly and I kind of wanted to know what was going on. Never say never, not sure if I'll continue or not. 2 stars.

None of This Is True - I'm not sure what I just read there. The title is apt. I really enjoyed this thriller about the intersection of two ladies born on the same day in the same hospital, and the resultant podcast that gets made. 3.5 stars.

Currently reading:

The Scarecrow of Oz - Death by series books...but this one is cute so far...

Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years - Second memoir by Julie Andrews Edwards, about her Hollywood years. I am enjoying it.

Progress on the Whack-a-Mole Series Situation ��

Series Completed this year (for the moment...):
1. Firekeeper's Daughter (1)
2. Fractalverse (1)
3. Killing Series (2)
4. Will Robie (1)
5. The Empyrean (2)
6. The Firm (1)
7. Moloka'i (1)
8. If I Stay (2)
9. Ripley (5)
10. The Unhoneymooners (2)
11. Earthseed (2)
12. Crescent City (1)
13. Holly Gibney (1)
14. Thursday Murder Club(1)
15. Edenbrooke (1)
16. Heartstopper (1)
17. Camp Half-Blood Chronicles (1)
18. Percy Jackson and the Olympians (1)
19. A Love Story (3)
20. Newsflesh (5)
21. The Giver (4)
22. Before the Coffee Gets Cold (4)
23. Winnie-the-Pooh (5)
24. Deathless (1)
25. Hierarchy (1)
26. Leviathan (3)
27. Saga (2)

Series Started This Year with Books Remaining:
1. Fever (3)
2. Oz (6)
3. A Space Odyssey (1)
4. Assistant to the Villain (1)
5. Stephen Fry's Great Mythology (2)
6. The Book Series (1)

Series That Added Books This Year with number of books I still need to read in that series:
1. Coyote Sunrise (1)
2. The Space Between Worlds (1)
3. Camino Island (1)
4. Nantucket (1)
5. The Housemaid (1)
6. Legacy of Orisha (1)
7. The Inheritance Games (1)
8. Supernatural Investigations (1)
9. The House in the Cerulean Sea (1)

Series That Added Books Last Year with number of books I still need to read in that series:
1. Xanth (41)
2. You (2)
3. Mike Daley/Rosie Fernandez (10)
4. Comoran Strike (4)
5. Stephanie Plum (9)

GRC Award Books Remaining
2010
1. Fantasy - Towers of Midnight. Book 13 of a 15 book series. Maybe I will be able to read it in 2025.
2. ŷ������ Author - Spirit Bound. Book 5 in a 6 book series. Maybe I will read it in 2025.
3. Cover Art - Torment. Book 2 in a 5 book series. Maybe I will read it in 2025.
2011
4. Fantasy - A Dance with Dragons. Book 5 in a 7 book series, where 2 books have not yet been written, I've read the first book in the series, but a long time ago. This will be the last old GRC Award book that I'll read.
2023
5. Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction - Divine Rivals. This is the first book in a 2 book series at the moment. I'm hoping to get this read sometime in 2024.

Lea wrote: "The Will of the Many - I really enjoyed this book. It is a the first book in a fantasy series about a guy who is recruited to an elite school in exchange for spying on some of the other students. There are a lot of interesting secrets and I will be reading the next book in the series. For sure. Even though the books are super long. 4 stars"

I love that people are enjoying The Will of the Many. I had no idea what I was in for when I read it earlier this year and was pleasantly surprised. Looking forward to the next one.

The Plot - Another series I started. This one is about a novelist that uses a plot idea from one of his deceased students, and the book is a novel about the ethics and resultant fall out from that decision. There's a mystery there, but it isn't very mysterious. I liked it and will continue the series. 3 stars."

Good to hear about this one. I've been thinking of putting it on my challenge for next year.

Glad you enjoyed The Will of the Many. You and Lillie are making me think I should read The Plot. It's already on my TBR.

Lea wrote: "I know you did, but I was still scarred from Great Expectations and everyone was saying that those books are the most similar! Now, I'm almost sure I read Great Expectations wrong, since I've really liked all of the other Dickens books that I've read.

I think you will like The Will of the Many, Alondra. I'm looking forward to seeing what you think. ..."

Oh, No!!!! Not being scarred from a book!?? LOL .... I have many scars too. :D

I think I will grab a copy of tWotM soon. It'll be worth it for me.

Lillie wrote: "I love that people are enjoying The Will of the Many. I had no idea what I was in for when I read it earlier this year and was pleasantly surprised. Looking forward to the next one."

I had a bad feeling about The Will of the Many, which was totally unfounded. It was fantastic and I should have listened to you. One of my friends thought it was Red Rising all over again (which I also loved, but I do dislike books that are too obviously derivative.) I think this is different enough, and I had so much fun with it all the way through. I cannot wait for the next book to come out.

Lillie wrote: "Good to hear about this one. I've been thinking of putting it on my challenge for next year."

I hope you enjoy The Plot. We decided to read it after buddy reading another book, and I'm glad we did. I am really looking forward to reading The Sequel, but I am 48th in line on one copy, so it seems it will be some months before I can read it.

Michelle wrote: "Glad you enjoyed The Will of the Many. You and Lillie are making me think I should read The Plot. It's already on my TBR."

See, I'm not adding to your TBR, just making you think more carefully about it! :-)

I cannot wait for the sequels of both The Will of the Many and The Plot. I get so invested in the characters.

Alondra wrote: "Oh, No!!!! Not being scarred from a book!?? LOL .... I have many scars too. :D

I think I will grab a copy of tWotM soon. It'll be worth it for me."

There are so many ways to be scarred from a book, aren't there? I have had my heart broken so many times; I get so invested in the characters. However, in the case of Great Expectations, I was forced to read the book for school and I didn't enjoy the book. It may have been something as simple as me not being in the right mood, or more likely, me not being mature enough to understand and appreciate Dickens...but I remember having to force myself to continue reading and bribe myself with various rewards. I hated every moment of it. I wonder if things would be different now, and think they probably would, but I still remember how I felt the first time and it still might take me awhile to pick up the book again. :-)

I can't wait to hear what you think about Will of the Many!!!

Lea wrote: "There are so many ways to be scarred from a book, aren't there?..."

There are, and I have PTBD - Post-Traumatic Book Disorder. Some are so bad, that I can never try that author again. Some are so sad and heart wrenching, that I steer clear of traditional fiction. Some are so "triggering" that I avoid those, as well.

Til this day, I don't read romance. LOL

Alondra wrote: "There are and I some have caused PTBD - Post-Traumatic Book Disorder. Some are so bad, that I can never try that author again. Some are so sad and heart wrenching, that I steer clear of traditional fiction. Some are so "triggering" that I avoid those, as well.

Til this day, I don't read romance. LOL"

Yes! PTBD is real! I thought Dickens was like that for me, but fortunately, it does not appear to be the case.

It's amazing how much I've changed as a reader. I found something from 1987 where I listed my Favorite Genre as Romance; and my Least Favorite Genre - Science Fiction/Fantasy. If I had to call it now, I would probably say that in 2024 my Favorite Genre is Nonfiction (but I can't read too many...things make me so upset...and sometimes I need to read things that are entertaining and enjoyable to me) and my least Favorite Genre that I still read might be Poetry.

That said, while it is fun to rediscover things I didn't think I was going to like, you're not wrong to avoid a genre you know you aren't going to like. No sense in trying to find a potential hidden gem when there are so many other books to read that are more likely to be entertaining and enjoyable. There are some books I won't read, no matter which list they end up on! :-)

Alondra wrote: "PTBD - Post-Traumatic Book Disorder"

Favorite new acronym!! 😁

Lea wrote: "It's amazing how much I've changed as a reader."

This is so true! For years I stuck with one genre or another and I’d never really venture off track. Since finding this group (iteration one and now two), I’ve expanded my reading range. I can’t say I’m a big non fiction person but I’ll try to read several throughout the year. That’s true of other genres as well. I try to have variety in my challenges. To sum it up, this place has been good for me 🙃

September Month End Report

Books Read: 13 books this month and 134 year to date. 46,643 pages.

Books from Filling in the Gaps: 66/100; 2022 Books 2/4, 2023 Books 5/12, 2024 Books 59/84

Books from 12+4 Challenge: 16/16

Previously Discussed:

The Will of the Many
Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold
The Plot
He Started It
Goliath
2061: Odyssey Three
Saga, Volume 11
None of This Is True

Recently finished:

Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years - This was a second memoir by Julie Andrews Edwards, about her Hollywood years. I enjoyed reading her perspective on her Hollywood years. 3 stars

The Scarecrow of Oz - This is one of the Oz series books about a young girl from California and her sailor friend who end up in a whirlwind that leads them on an adventure. They meet up with Button Bright and end up in trouble, but the Scarecrow of Oz rescues them and they all go to Oz. I liked it. 3 stars

Martin Luther: The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the World - It's been awhile since I've read something by Eric Metaxas or about Martin Luther. I did enjoy the book, but I think someone else said it best when they said that the book was a bit too scholarly to appeal to the casual reader and not scholarly enough to appeal to the academic. 4 stars.

Camino Ghosts - This is the third book in the Camino Islands series, and it was my favorite. A big developer has an interest in Dark Isle, and the last remaining resident of the island, Lovely Jackson, takes them on, with the help of Bruce Cable, Mercer Mann, and Steven Mahon. It was fun and had a decent ending. 4 stars.

Feversong - My gripe with Karen Marie Moning is that her books are not complete in and of themselves. You have to read through 5 books in order to finish out the story. I tend to like her books that end stories. I don't like to have a ton of questions at the end of a book, it feels incomplete to me. This was one of her better books, because it answered a lot of questions. 3 stars

Currently reading:

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales - I'm a little less than halfway, and still not gripped by this one.

Heroes: Mortals and Monsters, Quests and Adventures - The second book in the Stephen Fry's Great Mythology Series. It's good, without being amazing, much like the first book.

Progress on the Whack-a-Mole Series Situation ��

Series Completed this year (for the moment...):
1. Firekeeper's Daughter (1)
2. Fractalverse (1)
3. Killing Series (2)
4. Will Robie (1)
5. The Empyrean (2)
6. The Firm (1)
7. Moloka'i (1)
8. If I Stay (2)
9. Ripley (5)
10. The Unhoneymooners (2)
11. Earthseed (2)
12. Crescent City (1)
13. Holly Gibney (1)
14. Thursday Murder Club(1)
15. Edenbrooke (1)
16. Heartstopper (1)
17. Camp Half-Blood Chronicles (1)
18. A Love Story (3)
19. Newsflesh (5)
20. The Giver (4)
21. Before the Coffee Gets Cold (4)
22. Winnie-the-Pooh (5)
23. Deathless (1)
24. Hierarchy (1)
25. Leviathan (3)
26. Saga (2)
27. Julie Andrews Memoirs (1)
28. Camino Island (1)

Series Started This Year with Books Remaining:
1. Fever (2)
2. Oz (5)
3. A Space Odyssey (1)
4. Assistant to the Villain (1)
5. Stephen Fry's Great Mythology (2)
6. The Book Series (1)

Series That Added Books This Year with number of books I still need to read in that series:
1. Coyote Sunrise (1)
2. The Space Between Worlds (1)
3. Nantucket (1)
4. The Housemaid (1)
5. Legacy of Orisha (1)
6. The Inheritance Games (1)
7. Supernatural Investigations (1)
8. The House in the Cerulean Sea (1)
9. Percy Jackson and the Olympians (1)

Series That Added Books Last Year with number of books I still need to read in that series:
1. Xanth (41)
2. You (2)
3. Mike Daley/Rosie Fernandez (10)
4. Comoran Strike (4)
5. Stephanie Plum (9)

GRC Award Books Remaining
2010
1. Fantasy - Towers of Midnight. Book 13 of a 15 book series. Maybe I will be able to read it in 2025.
2. ŷ������ Author - Spirit Bound. Book 5 in a 6 book series. Maybe I will read it in 2025.
3. Cover Art - Torment. Book 2 in a 5 book series. Maybe I will read it in 2025.
2011
4. Fantasy - A Dance with Dragons. Book 5 in a 7 book series, where 2 books have not yet been written, I've read the first book in the series, but a long time ago. This will be the last old GRC Award book that I'll read.
2023
5. Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction - Divine Rivals. This is the first book in a 2 book series at the moment. Pat and I are going to read it in October! :-)

Book of the Month - The Will of the Many
Worst Book: 2061: Odyssey Three
Biggest Surprise - The Will of the Many
Biggest Accomplishment - Three over 500 page books read this month :-)

Lea wrote: "Biggest Accomplishment - Three over 500 page books read this month :-)"

Fantastic accomplishment! I look at a 500 page book and I run the other way, lol

I read The Will of the Many earlier in the year and I’m still thinking about it. Can’t wait till the next one comes out.

You had an excellent month and your year is really progressing. I'm focusing on horror this month but I hope in December to try reading lighter fare. Might be able to get another Oz book in then... Have a great October.

Lillie wrote: "Lea wrote: "Biggest Accomplishment - Three over 500 page books read this month :-)"

Fantastic accomplishment! I look at a 500 page book and I run the other way, lol

I read The Will of the Many earlier in the year and I’m still thinking about it. Can’t wait till the next one comes out."

I have been the same with the 500 page books. This year, I decided to try to read at least one book per month that is 500 pages or more. I've read 20 this year, including War and Peace and Bleak House. Unfortunately, I am not sure I can squeeze one into October, so that's unfortunate. We'll see.

I heard that the sequel to The Will of the Many comes out in January, but there isn't enough detail yet to make me assured that I will have more to read! :-)

Bill wrote: "You had an excellent month and your year is really progressing. I'm focusing on horror this month but I hope in December to try reading lighter fare. Might be able to get another Oz book in then......Have a great October."

Bill, that sounds like a great plan. I have a few horror books to read, but most of my October books will continue some of my many open series. I'm hoping to start next year with less open series than I started this year, but I did start 17 more series this year. so that will be a challenge.

Lea wrote: "Bill wrote: "You had an excellent month and your year is really progressing. I'm focusing on horror this month but I hope in December to try reading lighter fare. Might be able to get another Oz bo..."

I know the feeling.

Lea wrote: "Biggest Accomplishment - Three over 500 page books read this month :-)

"

That is AMAZING, well done!

Lillie wrote: "Alondra wrote: "PTBD - Post-Traumatic Book Disorder"

Favorite new acronym!! 😁.."

Yyeesss

Lea wrote: "Alondra wrote: "There are and I some have caused PTBD - Post-Traumatic Book Disorder. Some are so bad, that I can never try that author again. Some are so sad and heart wrenching, that I steer clea..."

I had to edit my comment, because what the heck did I even say!!??? Bwahahhaha.....😩😩🤦🏾🤦🏾

Alondra wrote: "I had to edit my comment, because what the heck did I even say!!??? Bwahahhaha.....😩😩🤦🏾🤦🏾"

Every time I look at something I've written, it's like something I've never seen before and requires much editing. :-) :-)

Lea wrote: "Alondra wrote: "I had to edit my comment, because what the heck did I even say!!??? Bwahahhaha.....😩😩🤦🏾🤦🏾"

Every time I look at something I've written, it's like something I've never seen before a..."

LOL; like, seriously! I look back and wonder; .." what in the world was I thinking!???" 😂😂

Alondra wrote: "LOL; like, seriously! I look back and wonder; .." what in the world was I thinking!???" 😂😂"

If you give me anything to edit, I will always make changes. But it is so funny when coworkers give me back my own work to edit. I'm like "this person may need some training" and then I see that I'm the culprit. Why yes, I probably do need training, but I'm not sure I'm the right person to be offering it. Clearly. :-) :-) :-)

October Mid Month Report

Books Read: 8 books so far this month and 142 year to date.
More than last year and I have more than 2 months to go!!
49,247 pages, almost the same as last year, but I've got 2 months to go!

Books from Filling in the Gaps: 69/100; 2022 Books 2/4, 2023 Books 6/12, 2024 Books 61/84

Books from 12+4 Challenge: 16/16

Recently finished:

Heroes: Mortals and Monsters, Quests and Adventures - This is the second book in Stephen Fry's series about Greek mythology. I enjoyed this one as much as Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold and would recommend to anyone who enjoys reading Greek myths, but can't always remember how the characters are related to each other. 3 stars

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - This was a reread for me. I suffer from insomnia, so someone suggested listening to book recordings of books I've already read. It took me a couple of weeks, because it actually worked and I fell asleep several times. 4 stars

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales - Unpopular opinion alert. Like Stay Sexy & Don't Get Murdered: The Definitive How-To Guide, the title may have been the thing I liked best about this book. I did not enjoy this book as much as I expected to. This book might be like the movie E.T. for me. I'll explain. I wasn't allowed to watch movies that were rated anything besides G when I was younger. All of my friends got to see E.T., but since it had a PG rating, I wasn't allowed to see it. By the time I got to see at as an adult, my expectations were sky high and I was so disappointed. The technology was dated. In the same way, this book felt very dated. This book includes some studies of people with neurological disorders from the 1960s - 1980s. He offers no explanation or resolution to these studies in this book. Since this time, I think the field of neurology has expanded and some of these patients would receive different care than they did in this book. I am now going to be leery of books that have amazing titles, I'm twice bitten and now shy. 2 stars.

The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy - Elizabeth Kendall - One of the oddest things about Ted Bundy was how he manipulated women. Kendall was engaged to him at one point and continued to see him after she had identified enough suspicion to contact the police department more than once. I wanted to understand that attraction, what caused her to stay with someone that she increasingly suspected of torturing and murdering other people. Kendall explains this by her alcoholism and immaturity, and an inferiority complex that kept her returning to a man who had so many red flags. I'm grateful that she and her daughter escaped and lived to tell their stories, but I'm no closer to understanding the mind of a psychopath and how he chooses victims to target and abuse. 3 stars

3001: The Final Odyssey - I'm ready to read something else by Arthur C. Clarke. This book revealed the long awaited answer to the question of the monoliths posed in 2001: A Space Odyssey. I have to say the series ended with a whimper instead of a bang. The characters are forgettable and meander around instead of propelling the action forward. I am sympathetic to Clarke's problem - as soon as he wrote one book, the technology within it became completely obsolete - but I think the characters needed to be more tightly written and do more interesting things. When the computer is my favorite character, you know the series has gone wrong. 2 stars

Rinkitink in Oz - Book 10 in the Oz series. It wasn't intended to be in the Oz series, but L. Frank Baum threw in a chapter or two at the end to tie it together. That part was sloppy. The rest of the book was a lot of fun. It tells the story of Prince Inga, who rescues his people and parents from a war with another island nation. King Rinkitink, the title character, is a funny character with a great laugh, who is hiding from his kingdom and joins Prince Inga for the quest. 3 stars

Divine Rivals - This was the final book from the 2023 ŷ������ Choice Awards that I had to read, and I guess I saved one of my favorites for the end. It won Young Adult Sciece Fiction & Fantasy, and gave me 1940s vibes, set in a land where the gods are at war, and Iris's brother is on the front lines. Iris is trying to win a promotion against a formidable rival, Roman Kitt. I enjoyed this one very much and am looking forward to reading the sequel very soon. 4 stars

High Voltage - This is book #10 in the Fever series, and I'm not sure I'm the demographic for this series. One left, so I will finish it out. It's a urban fantasy series, and I can't even discuss what happens without spoiling other books in the series, but suffice to say, it was just OK. 2 stars

Currently reading:

You Love Me - This is the third book in the You series, and I love reading Joe's thoughts. He's such an unreliable narrator, yet I cannot set this book down. There are some inconsistencies, but setting those aside, it's fun to be along for this ride.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles - This is the first book in the Poirot series, and so far, I'm finding it to be a convoluted mess. I do want read all of Christie, though, so I'm continuing through it.

Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy - I just started this biography and I'm enjoying.

Progress on the Whack-a-Mole Series Situation ��

Series Completed this year (for the moment...):
1. Firekeeper's Daughter (1)
2. Fractalverse (1)
3. Killing Series (2)
4. Will Robie (1)
5. The Empyrean (2)
6. The Firm (1)
7. Moloka'i (1)
8. If I Stay (2)
9. Ripley (5)
10. The Unhoneymooners (2)
11. Earthseed (2)
12. Crescent City (1)
13. Holly Gibney (1)
14. Thursday Murder Club(1)
15. Edenbrooke (1)
16. Heartstopper (1)
17. Camp Half-Blood Chronicles (1)
18. A Love Story (3)
19. Newsflesh (5)
20. The Giver (4)
21. Before the Coffee Gets Cold (4)
22. Winnie-the-Pooh (5)
23. Deathless (1)
24. Hierarchy (1)
25. Leviathan (3)
26. Saga (2)
27. Julie Andrews Memoirs (1)
28. Camino Island (1)
29. A Space Odyssey (4)

Series Started This Year with Books Remaining:
1. Fever (1)
2. Oz (4)
3. Assistant to the Villain (1)
4. Stephen Fry's Great Mythology (1) (There's another one that came out, but not at libraries here yet.)
5. The Book Series (1)
6. Letters of Enchantment (1)
7. Hercule Poirot (44)

Series That Added Books This Year with number of books I still need to read in that series:
1. Coyote Sunrise (1)
2. The Space Between Worlds (1)
3. Nantucket (1)
4. The Housemaid (1)
5. Legacy of Orisha (1)
6. The Inheritance Games (1)
7. Supernatural Investigations (1)
8. The House in the Cerulean Sea (1)
9. Percy Jackson and the Olympians (1)

Series That Added Books Last Year with number of books I still need to read in that series:
1. Xanth (41)
2. You (2)
3. Mike Daley/Rosie Fernandez (10)
4. Comoran Strike (4)
5. Stephanie Plum (9)

GRC Award Books Remaining
2010
1. Fantasy - Towers of Midnight. Book 13 of a 15 book series. Maybe I will be able to read it in 2025.
2. ŷ������ Author - Spirit Bound. Book 5 in a 6 book series. Maybe I will read it in 2025.
3. Cover Art - Torment. Book 2 in a 5 book series. Maybe I will read it in 2025.
2011
4. Fantasy - A Dance with Dragons. Book 5 in a 7 book series, where 2 books have not yet been written, I've read the first book in the series, but a long time ago. This will be the last old GRC Award book that I'll read.

You've had a great month. I haven't read very much Arthur C. Clarke but he's not my favorite Sci Fi author. Since I started recording my books here, the only one I've read was Dolphin Island.. I hear Rendezvous with Rama is very good,

Christie is always convoluted. It's why I stopped reading her books when I was much younger. But I've grown to really enjoy her stories. I ended up enjoying Murder at the Vicarage very much. But she's not for everybody.

Good luck with the rest of your October reading.

Bill wrote: "You've had a great month. I haven't read very much Arthur C. Clarke but he's not my favorite Sci Fi author. Since I started recording my books here, the only one I've read was Dolphin Island.. I hear Rendezvous with Rama is very good,

Christie is always convoluted. It's why I stopped reading her books when I was much younger. But I've grown to really enjoy her stories. I ended up enjoying Murder at the Vicarage very much. But she's not for everybody.

Good luck with the rest of your October reading."

I'd like to try Childhood’s End - everyone seems to rave about that book by Clarke. If it doesn't work out for me, I will move on from Clarke...unless I decide to read Rendevous With Rama.

I have read many Christie books, but they were all before I started recording books here and I can't remember what I read and what I haven't, so I'm going to try and read them all and see what I think. I do remember enjoying some of her work before. We'll see. :-)

Lea wrote: "Bill wrote: "You've had a great month. I haven't read very much Arthur C. Clarke but he's not my favorite Sci Fi author. Since I started recording my books here, the only one I've read was Dolphin ..."

I never thought of Childhood's End. I may have taken it in my university Sci Fi course and didn't read it.. LOL. We read two books a week, so some got left behind.

What a great month!! Kicking butt!

You had an amazing month Lea! Way to go.

Bill wrote: "I never thought of Childhood's End. I may have taken it in my university Sci Fi course and didn't read it.. LOL. We read two books a week, so some got left behind."

Yes, there are so many books that I was meant to read for school that either had to be "left behind" as you so nicely put it, or skimmed for answers without being absorbed. I'm trying to go back and read some of them, but I cannot catch them all. :-)

Alissa wrote: "What a great month!! Kicking butt!"

Thanks, Alissa! Same to you!

Michelle wrote: "You had an amazing month Lea! Way to go."

Thanks Michelle! You inspire me too!

Catching up with your progress, wow! Nice job, congrats!

I'd love to hear your comments about Childhood’s End. I liked it but did not love it, it left a lot of questions unanswered, and I don't like that in a book. But the ending was good, and not what I expected.

Ioana wrote: "Catching up with your progress, wow! Nice job, congrats!

I'd love to hear your comments about Childhood’s End. I liked it but did not love it, it left a lot of questions unanswered, and I don't like that in a book. But the ending was good, and not what I expected."

I usually do not like questions unanswered either. I feel like all books should have a beginning, middle and an end, and it bums me out when there are a lot of unanswered questions, because it sometimes makes me feel there wasn't a satisfactory ending. Yet, you thought the ending was good, so now I'm intrigued. Hopefully I'll get to the book sooner or later. :-)

October Month End Report

Books Read: 15 books this month and 149 year to date.
51,646 Pages. Both are more than last year and 11/17 years that I've been on ŷ������...and I've got 2 months to go. Children's books for the win! :-)

Books from Filling in the Gaps: 72/100; 2022 Books 3/4, 2023 Books 6/12, 2024 Books 63/84

Books from 12+4 Challenge: 16/16

Previously discussed:

Heroes: Mortals and Monsters, Quests and Adventures
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales
The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy - Elizabeth Kendall
3001: The Final Odyssey
Rinkitink in Oz
Divine Rivals
High Voltage

Recently finished:

You Love Me - Buddy read with Alissa. I was really in the mood to read more from our quite unreliable narrator, Joe, and this book delivered for me. Joe's choices and the people he meets leave me flabbergasted. He's certifiably insane, but I find myself rooting for him anyways. Being in his head is 100% worth it. We're going to read the next one in November, we've missed him so much. 3 stars

A Light in the Dark: Surviving More than Ted Bundy - So, I've read The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy: The Shocking Inside Story, written by Ted Bundy's former friend. And I've read The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy, the book written by Ted Bundy's former girlfriend. I felt like it was important to read this book, written by one of his victims. This book answered a lot of questions that I had about the sorority house murders. Her story and her voice were important and I was so glad to read her version of the events. She is a strong resilient woman and has survived so much. This was the best of the Bundy books, in my opinion. 4 stars

The Mysterious Affair at Styles - An elderly woman is poisoned. The authorities are baffled. There are a lot of suspects - the much younger husband, her stepsons who thought they would inherit, the stepsons wife, her longtime companion, a young woman working for a chemist, and a doctor specializing in poisons who just happens to be in the area. It's Christie's first novel. I enjoyed it. 3 stars

The Sequel - In The Plot, an author is accused of plagiarism, and the real story unravels. This is after that novel, and the threats continue, yet are different somehow. I thought the pacing was off and the book was repetitive. There's a twist, but I didn't find it too exciting. I was disappointed. 2 stars

Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt - Another book I probably should have read closer to when it came out. It's about high frequency trading and how the stock market was rigged to front run orders placed by investors. The results of his investigations are disputed. 3 stars

In the Likely Event - This is a romance that my book club chose. It is a dual timeline story about a couple that meet on a plane just before the plane crashes. They meet again off and on over the years, and then reunite in Afghanistan in the current day, where he is working in the Special Forces and she is a congressional aide. Ummm...there were a lot of contrivances in this one. 2.5 stars

Paradise - This book is on a bunch of difficult book lists because it is so complex. It's about an all-black town in Oklahoma, and it is by Toni Morrison, so you know it will be well written and racially charged. Why didn't I rate it higher? I appreciated the book, but I did not enjoy it. I could not get close to any of the characters. 2 stars

Currently reading:

Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy - I had to set this aside to finish a library book, but I'm still enjoying it and now back at it.

Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder - Written by the author of The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable, and I'm really enjoying it. I know some people take issue with Nassim Nicholas Taleb's tone, but I always enjoy him. He likes to provoke people. :-)

Progress on the Whack-a-Mole Series Situation ��

Series Completed this year (for the moment...):
1. Firekeeper's Daughter (1)
2. Fractalverse (1)
3. Killing Series (2)
4. Will Robie (1)
5. The Empyrean (2)
6. The Firm (1)
7. Moloka'i (1)
8. If I Stay (2)
9. Ripley (5)
10. The Unhoneymooners (2)
11. Earthseed (2)
12. Crescent City (1)
13. Holly Gibney (1)
14. Thursday Murder Club(1)
15. Edenbrooke (1)
16. Heartstopper (1)
17. Camp Half-Blood Chronicles (1)
18. A Love Story (3)
19. Newsflesh (5)
20. The Giver (4)
21. Before the Coffee Gets Cold (4)
22. Winnie-the-Pooh (5)
23. Deathless (1)
24. Hierarchy (1)
25. Leviathan (3)
26. Saga (2)
27. Julie Andrews Memoirs (1)
28. Camino Island (1)
29. A Space Odyssey (4)
30. The Book Series (2)
31. Beloved Trilogy (1)

Series Started This Year with Books Remaining:
1. Fever (1)
2. Oz (4)
3. Assistant to the Villain (1)
4. Stephen Fry's Great Mythology (1)
5. Letters of Enchantment (1)
6. Hercule Poirot (44)

Series That Added Books This Year with number of books I still need to read in that series:
1. Coyote Sunrise (1)
2. The Space Between Worlds (1)
3. Nantucket (1)
4. The Housemaid (1)
5. Legacy of Orisha (1)
6. The Inheritance Games (1)
7. Supernatural Investigations (1)
8. The House in the Cerulean Sea (1)
9. Percy Jackson and the Olympians (1)
10. Diary of a Wimpy Kid (1)
11. Caraval (3)

Series That Added Books Last Year with number of books I still need to read in that series:
1. Xanth (41)
2. You (1)
3. Mike Daley/Rosie Fernandez (10)
4. Comoran Strike (4)
5. Stephanie Plum (9)

GRC Award Books Remaining
2010
1. Fantasy - Towers of Midnight. Book 13 of a 15 book series. I'm planning to start this series in November so I have a chance of finishing this book in 2025.
2. ŷ������ Author - Spirit Bound. Book 5 in a 6 book series. I'm keeping this on my 2025 list.
3. Cover Art - Torment. Book 2 in a 5 book series. Hopefully, I can read in 2025.
2011
4. Fantasy - A Dance with Dragons. Book 5 in a 7 book series, where 2 books have not yet been written, I've read the first book in the series, but a long time ago. I have no idea if/when I'll get to this book, but it will be later than 2025.

Book of the Month: A Light in the Dark: Surviving More than Ted Bundy
Worst book: 3001: The Final Odyssey
Biggest surprise: The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales - it wasn't a good surprise. :-(
Greatest accomplishment: I have officially finished my 2024 list, as I've read 75% of the books on it. I'm still interested in the remaining books on my list, so I'm going to keep reading, but everything after this is just bonus!!

Great month Lea! Congratulations on officially finishing your 2024 list. Now you have 2 months to relax and read.

Another great month, congrats!
I did not love The Plot, and after reading your review I will definitely skip The Sequel.
But I want to read the Ted Bundy book.

You've had a great year. You can take off the rest of the year now.. ;0)

Congrats on finishing your list & having a great month and year! I've heard one person on a podcast & read 2 reviews from people who loved The Sequel, so I'm still cautiously optimistic.
Happy Reading in November!

Michelle wrote: "Great month Lea! Congratulations on officially finishing your 2024 list. Now you have 2 months to relax and read."

Yes! There's still a lot of great books on all of my lists, so I will keep going. Whatever I finish this year will open the way for different books next year! :-)

Ioana wrote: "Another great month, congrats!
I did not love The Plot, and after reading your review I will definitely skip The Sequel.
But I want to read the Ted Bundy book."

I think The Sequel is very similar to The Plot, so since you didn't love it, you are safe in skipping The Sequel.

A Light in the Dark: Surviving More than Ted Bundy was really interesting to me. I hope you also find it so.