9: The 10th Victim by Robert Sheckley

There's some really funny stuff in here but I was disappointed with the last ~1/3rd. A lot of the comedy comes from the absurdity of the worldbuilding, once everything's established the good jokes became fewer.

12. Forms Stretched to Their Limits: Jack Cole and Plastic Man - Art Spiegelman and Chip Kidd

More like an essay by Spiegelman spread to book length by a few reprints of classic Cole comics. It’s all beautifully presented in Kidd’s classic book design style. Real great look into one of America’s greatest cartoonists.

14: Seekers in the Void by Glynn Stewart

A new book by Stewart in a new universe. The plot sounds like the first few stories of Murderbot - A university is exploring an uncharted world but are forced to rent security and a ship from an evil company that has a monopoly on FTL travel. Then one of their security bots becomes sentient. But Stewart does a good job of not just ripping off a popular franchise. This bot is more child like, the academics aren't that likeable at first and the crew of the evil corporation spaceship are good guys. I hope he continues writing this series, I really liked the main characters.

15: The Forest of Ire by Torsten Weitze

Pretty deep into the 13th Paladin series. The big evil is gaining more power and they keep getting sidetracked trying to save whole regions from a bunch of lesser evils that have been slowly growing here and there and then they find yet another missing Paladin. I hope the dozen or so book lead up to a big bad battle isn't as disappointing as the last season of Game of Thrones...

For the remainder of the year 15 seems doable but ill shoot for 20 cuz Ive got so many great books on my shelve.

Last year I got to 37 but I burnt out completely so I wont aim that high.

10: Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

A man's (Siddhartha's) lifelong journey to self-discovery. Very simplistic yet beautiful prose, a lot of things in here you've probably thought about but never seen expressed in the written word

Done reading these books:

53. Die Butterbrotbriefe, Carsten Henn, 256 pages

54. Windstärke 17, Caroline Wahl, 256 pages

55. Die rätselhaften Honjin-Morde (The Honjin Murders), Seishi Yokomizo, 206 pages

56. Five Broken Blades, Mai Corland, 496 pages

57. Agony, Melanie Mur, 34 pages

58. Achtsam morden durch bewusste Ernährung, Karsten Dusse, 384 pages

Die Butterbrotbriefe:

Kati Waldstein is 40 years old and wants to say some last words to some people - 37 of them, all written on greaseproof paper. Some are for people that treated her well others are for people that didn't. Then she meets a man called Severin and she learns that she doesn't need to let go of her past and he learns to accept his.

Okay book. Initial premise sounded cool but the main character has like zero development till like the last five pages and comes of pretty know it all before that.

Windstärke 17:

Sequel to 22 Bahnen, told from the perspective of Tildas younger sister Ida, several years after the last book ended. Goes in detail on how Ida has coped with living alone with her mother and the events that follow.

Very good book. All the qualities of great realistic characters are present in this one too.

The Honjin Murders:

Okamura, 1973: the oldest son of the famous Ichiyanagi clan and his wife are found killed in their room - in the night of their wedding. Strangely though, the room was locked up completely so it seems impossible for the killer to have entered and fled the scene. Suspicion quickly falls on a strange man with only three fingers who was seen roaming around the area and even asking for the son of the Ichiyanagi clan some days ago - and there is a blood trail of a three-fingered hand found in the room where the shortly married couple was murdered.

Young detective Kosuke Kindaichi is aquainted with the uncle of the killed wive and is called to investigate and makes his first deductions quickly ...

Great book. Will read more of authors books in the future.

Five Broken Blades:

The invincable God King of Yuan, Joon has to die - by the hands of five people working together - a thief, an assassin specialised in poison, a body guard, the son of a prince and the Kings personal spy, who is behind planning the whole ordeal. The book introduces each character and their background told from their perspective, giving a prelude until they meet up to plan their steps.

Very good book. First of a series. I found all main characters intriguing in their own way. Looking forward to reading the sequels.

Agony:

Short story playing in the Regency period, England. A young woman is supposed to get married to a rich gentleman - and everything seems nice and dandy until she stumbles upon his secret chamber ...

Cool short story. 

Achtsam morden durch bewusste Ernährung:

Fifth book of the Achtsam morden series. This time, Björn Diemel has neglected his body and has become frankly, too overweight by mostly eating junk food. That becomes evident when he barely manages to save his daughter from getting kidnapped in a zoo - by throwing his mobile phone at the kidnapper. Nice safe - but the phone has a picture that shows Björn and his mafia buddies in their secret weed factory located under the Tiger area.

Björn needs to do two things - retrieve the phone, silence the kidnappers - and start eating better.

Sad to say but the book is pretty bad. Humour feels forced and overall it seems like the series has now run its course.

17. Star Wars: From A Certain Point of View – 40 canonical short stories all interconnected to the events of A New Hope, with many of them from the point of view of the various background characters like the Stormtrooper who stunned Leia and the mouse droid that Chewbacca scared off. Many of these stories conveniently fixes any possible plot holes or discrepancies caused by the sequels, prequels, and so on. Most of the stories were good and at least offered something new, but a few were disappointments. I wasn’t a fan of the Boba Fett story as it was just his stream of consciousness as he stands around with Jabba the Hutt. The Greedo and Briggs stories are just retellings of their respective scenes and deaths. Surprisingly, the Jawa story was my favorite for being low stakes but still tied to the greater saga.

18. Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng – Set during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, it is about a Chinese American crime scene cleaner getting caught up in a serial killer plot after her sister was killed in a hate crime. Because of the subject matter, this is a grim book throughout, and that is before the hungry ghosts show up. The author highlights of the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes during the pandemic, the apathy from the NYPD, and the paranoia from getting sick by the virus. It’s worth reading, but it can be a bummer.

The end (of May) is nigh. If you've got any updates for this month get 'em out.

@Aalasteir @AbstractOutliers @AngelLOL123 @Asandir @Atlas @AypS @CalamityGanon @detergent1 @door88 @Dr-Freebase @Featherwaite @Ganon-Dorf @Gimmick @Haggard @Jackho @JerseyWildcard @Malachy @MetalSlayer69 @ninjamuffin99 @ObscuraArcanum @OneThousandMeeps @Pingu @Prinzy2 @PudgieDaFrog @SlutasaurusRex @SourCherryJack @StrangInk @SteveMaddenFootball @TecNoir @TopazAzul @TurtleWaffle @WumbleWare95 @Yomuchan @ZJ @bubblemunkee @sereneFalconer

Practical Survival Skills by J.P. Logan.

I got the pocket edition for outdoor reading. So yeah, this basic guide is a primer on understanding and providing first aid in a way that enables professional healthcare staff to pick up where you left off instead of having to redo everything. Starting off with a simple scenario, this book guides the reader in a way that even an absolute beginner can follow through. It also provides assessment insights and treatment methods of injuries of various types - and as a bonus, even has a segment on natural remedies which can be useful in a complete disaster scenario.

Folk og røvere i Kardemomme By (When the Robbers Came to Cardamom Town)

One of the most important books in Norwegien children's literature. It tells the story of the small village of Cardamom Town and it's inhabitants. For example about the three robbers Kasper, Jesper and Jonatan, who won't be arrested by Constabler Bastian because they have a lion living in their house. And if he would come to arrest them, he "would not be a police man for much longer".

Of course, in the end everything turns out well and the three become valuable memers of Cardamom society. It's a children's book, after all.

9 - John Birmingham - Zero Day Code - a fictional look into what could happen if a state sponsored cyber attack took out critical infrastructure.

I've only read about the first half of Waiting for Godot so far. Writing and work have been taking up a bunch of time, but the goal still stands!

Looks like I've neglected to update this for a while... I've still been reading though!

Before May:

1. The Twyford Code - Janice Hallet
2. Rosencrantz and Guildernstern are Dead (play) - Tom Stoppard
3. Not Dead Enough - Rex Stout
4. You're the Problem, It's You - Emma Alban
5. Death of a Doxy - R Stout
6. Triple Jeopardy (collection) - R Stout
7. Murder by the Book - R Stout
8. The Last Detective - Peter Lovesey
9. The Summons - P Lovesey
10. The Plot - Jean Korelitz

During May

1. House of Stairs - Ruth Rendel
2. Bread Givers - Anzia Yezierska
3. Cover Her Face - P. D. James
4. The Sequel - J Korelitz
5. The Final Deduction - R Stout
6. The Indian Rope Trick - Tom Mead

It seems that I'm on track to reach my target :D

I thought I'd start the Wheel of Time series but I dunno if i'll finish the first book anytime soon. The new book by Glynn Stewart was really good. 3 for May

May (3)

13: The Father of the Mountain by Torsten Weitze

14: Seekers in the Void by Glynn Stewart

15: The Forest of Ire by Torsten Weitze

Few weeks ago I finished reading The Setting Sun by Osamu Dazai! I might need to go back to it and re-read I was getting bad sleep and couldnt keep my own concentration while reading it sometimes I gotta give it the proper time of day.

But now I'm reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance! It's been very good and wise so far, I'm enjoying!

The Two Cultures of Mathematics by W. T. Gowers for May

READING CHALLENGE UPDATE: MAY → JUNE

Changes

• Added @sereneFalconer with a goal of 5 and @bubblemunkee with a goal of 20. Welcome aboard!
• Awarded a phantom book to @Gimmick who also joined the 100% gang last month. Congrats! 🎉
• Re-added OneThousandMeeps who was already here in spirit but mysteriously not in board-space.

@Aalasteir @AbstractOutliers @AngelLOL123 @Asandir @Atlas @AypS @bubblemunkee @CalamityGanon @detergent1 @door88 @Dr-Freebase @Featherwaite @Ganon-Dorf @Gimmick @Haggard @Jackho @JerseyWildcard @Malachy @MetalSlayer69 @ninjamuffin99 @ObscuraArcanum @OneThousandMeeps @Pingu @Prinzy2 @PudgieDaFrog @sereneFalconer @SlutasaurusRex @SourCherryJack @StrangInk @SteveMaddenFootball @TecNoir @TopazAzul @TurtleWaffle @WumbleWare95 @Yomuchan @ZJ

today morning I went to the library and I've read the entirety of the seven-page-long ABNT NBR 10520 2002, which is a brazillian norm specifying how to write citations.

the presentation is beautiful and precious. the contents are succinct. it should have more complex examples tho.

Can I talk about books I've read this year without joining the challenge? Or would I be better off using the old Book Club Thread?

You can post without joining. This tends to be the defacto all-purpose book thread with the old book club only having intermittent activity.

That's great to know thank you, I've been getting back into reading lately and thought about doing the challenge...but honestly things like this make me read less. As soon as I say "I'm going to read 10 books" my desire to read 10 books wanes, but if I hadn't made such a claim, I'd have already read 12 books!

Does anyone else get that?

To stay on topic, if you are looking for an easy read I've been really enjoying the Moomin novels lately!

There's 9 books in the series, and I just bought the 4th one from my local bookshop yesterday (ask them to order books for you! They'll love you forever).

If you're only going to read 1 Moomin novel, so far I suggest Comet in Moominland.

It's a surprisingly thoughtful story about childhood adventure, overcoming adversity and facing the inevitable head-on.

Done reading these books:

59. Seeleneis, Volker Dützer, 444 pages

60. Four Ruined Realms, Mai Corland, 400 pages

61. Unnützes Wissen: 1374 skurrile Fakten, die man nie mehr vergisst, 192 pages

62. Unnützes Wissen 2: Weitere 1374 skurrile Fakten, die man nie mehr vergisst, 192 pages

63. Die Toten von West Ham (The Blitz Detective: The intricate wartime murder mystery), Mike Hollow, 306 pages

64. Von Beruf Schriftsteller (Murakami, H: Novelist as a Vocation), Haruki Murakami, 240 pages

Seeleneis:

Surgery doctor Lisa Wenger is completely overworked and when she leaves the hospital at night and tries to drive home, she overruns a young man. Despite quick medical help, he succumbs to his wounds. Shortly after Vincent van Dyck, a man who owns a company specialising in cryoconservation arrives at the scene. He bascially takes care of the situation (like hiring a great lawyer and gettting a mild judgment for Lisa) and Lisa becomes more and more dependent on and even marries him, shortly after this the first cracks in his perfect facade show.

van Dych is obsessed with his own health - and wants to use cryoconservation on living humans - including himself. How can Lisa get out of his reach?

Pretty good book.

Four Ruined Realms:

Direct sequel to Five Broken Blades. I would rate this lower than the first one but I enjoyed reading this one too and will read the last one in the future.

Unnützes Wissen: 1374 skurrile Fakten, die man nie mehr vergisst + Unnützes Wissen 2: Weitere 1374 skurrile Fakten, die man nie mehr vergisst:

These are books each containg 1374 obscure facts. I like watching quiz shows so I read those to expand my knowledge beyond general knwoledge stuff. There are more installments in this, I'll probably read more of those soon.

The Blitz Detective: The intricate wartime murder mystery:

September 1940: Detective Inspector John Jago and DC Peter Cradock discover the dead body of Charles Villiers, sitting in his own car with his wrists cut open and with a knife in his chest. They want to investigate further, but an air raid starts and unluckily, the car and with it Charles Villiers were hit by a bomb and reduced to shreds.

With no physical evidence left, John Jago needs to look into Charles Villiers potential enemies.

Pretty good book. The case is cool, the writing feels kinda disjointed.

Murakami, H: Novelist as a Vocation:

In this book, Murakami describes how he became a writer, his opinion about literature prizes, the importance of staying healthy and being consistent, his intented audience and his writing process in general.

Very good insight into Murakamis writing process. I was especially surprised at the negativity that Murakami experienced from Japanese book critics.

Book #3 Done - Weird Scenes Inside the Canyon: Laurel Canyon By David McGowan

Hopefully, I read a bunch this summer.. or at least 2 more books

10 . John Birmingham - Fail State. Second in the "End of Days" series, the survivors of Zero Day adapt to the new way of life in a post-digital and post-government USA.

Color me dark by Patricia McKissack

Diary of Nellie Lee Love, 1919

while reading this, I loved it. I was so excited to read a diary that was over 100 years old. It took place during a very important part of history as well, one that many schools gloss over. For all these reasons, I was glued to it, and finished in two days. There was even an epilogue, explaining what happened to everyone in the following years.

what disappointed me, was the lack of clear indication that this was fiction. The second to last page, an author note explains “ although these characters aren’t real, their story is” . The cover didn’t even have an author listed, plus the epilogue ,lead me to prior believe- the diary writer or her family published it. Otherwise, it was a great book.

Was on vacation at the end of the last month, I finished book 8 of the Wheel of Time, The Path of Daggers. Currently on a book about the Troubles in Ireland.

Finished reading No. 6 #8 (ナンバーシックス第８話）

This book follows the second half of Nezumi and Shion's travails in the Correctional Facility. They finally get to meet Safu, who helps them break out of the facility, but with just one request: destroy the facility and leave her behind. Understandably, Shion doesn't agree with this plan, given that the entire reason they broke in in the first place was to get her out of there. Unfortunately, she doesn't budge from her decision, and it's unclear why -- except to Nezumi. With a high-powered miniature bomb, he sets off the chain reaction that would eventually culminate in the destruction of the correctional facility - and who knows, maybe, just maybe No. 6 itself.

Meanwhile, the people of No. 6 aren't faring too well either. With conspiracies spreading about an intentional disease being released upon the people, but with a vaccine only accessible to the higher-ups (where have I heard this before?), the city falls into chaos, and the army -- once thought to be dissolved entirely -- being brought in to kill any dissenters, with the city in complete lockdown. On the outside in West Block, Rikiga and Inukashi are meanwhile holding down the fort near the spot where they were told to wait for the two, but time's running out as the building collapses around them, and it's unclear whether Shion and Nezumi will manage to escape from the building in time or not.

A pretty good read, I'd rate it 7.5/10. There's only one main book left in the canonical series, before its successor series No. 6 and Beyond. I've already read the manga, but it's interesting to see that they don't exactly depict (not yet, at least) Safu's fate, whereas in the manga it was shown in all its gruesome detail. Perhaps they'll explain what went on in the last book, or maybe they already kinda-sorta-hinted at it in the 8th book but I didn't pick up on it well enough. Let's see what happens.

ーーー

That being said, I'm going to have to slow down my pace of reading Japanese books (...well, even more than they were already...) because I have to focus on improving my French really quickly (like, in the next 3-6 months or so). I'm thinking of starting by reading L'âge Fragile, which was recommended as being a real page-turner of a biography when I was watching some talk show on ICI Radio-Canada (free if you live in Canada).

1.Year of magical thinking by Joan Didion

A very thoughtful non fiction work about of how sudden death of a loved one can be processed.

2.Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck

An American classic from the 1960's about impressions made on a road trip by John Steinbeck and his french poodle Charley. Liked the writing style and found John Steinbeck to be quite sympathetic in this book. Read it in January so I some parts that should be mentioned escape me.

3.The anthroposcene reviewed by John Green

A non fiction collection. Finished it but nothing really much stuck or impressed me.

4.The three escapes of Hannah Arendt, A tyranny of truth by Ken Krimstein

A graphic novel, I went through in a day and was pleasantly surprised by the storytelling. The life and times of Hannah Arendt were of course very interesting and eventful (wow could I understate anymore, I just lack the words for it right now).

It makes me want to get deeper in to some philosophical themes touched upon within and the actual works I haven't read of Arendt and her contemporaries because I think the contents are once again extremely important and timely.

Currently reading or started to read with a high chance of completion:

The germinal by Emile Zola :

Just started but I am pretty interested in the conditions of life in industrial France of the 19th century and the perspective of a at that time contemporary witness Zola and how he portays the working class struggle of the time with vividness.

The perfume by Patrick Süskind:

I am reading it in German and this is probably some of the most beautiful use of the language I have witnessed yet. A beautiful modern classic written in an unusual romantic anachronistic style for the 1980's.

Infinite jest by David Foster Wallace:

Oh god.

I finished the following two texts:

Harel's Statecharts: A Visual Formalism for Complex Systems (1987)

RFC 1436