Lois & Clark Forums Forums General Discussion Off Topic 50 Book Challenge 2015/What I've Read in 2015

92. Coyote Blue, by Christopher Moore

Samuel Hunter (formerly Samson Hunts Alone), a Crow Indian turned insurance salesman, has his life upended by Coyote, the Trickster, who first appeared to him in a vision in the form of a vacuum cleaner salesman.

It -Stephen King

My favourite ever King novel. Possibly my favourite horror novel, bar none. Certainly in my top three. My poor paperback edition got pretty ratty with rereads before I switched to Kindle. As ever with King, so much more than a horror novel. A study of childhood and friendship, a dollop of dark humour and some genuinely creepy scares and ironic twists. And, as ever, sad I've finished it. Ah, well...till next time.

LabRat

If you've ever read the book 11/22/63, it's partly set in Derry and has some "Easter eggs" related to It. Dreamcatcher also has parts that are related to It.

Thanks, Annie. I haven't gotten to 11/22/63 yet - but it's top of my list. Heard good things about it.

LabRat

It's excellent. King did a lot of research on both the era (which he also lived through) and the Kennedy assassination.

I highly recommend 11/22/63 as well. It was exceptional. One of King's best works.

Joan

Well, I so enjoyed revisiting It, that I've just dumped a pile of other King old favourites onto my Kindle. Starting with Christine. I had put 11/22/63 on my wishlist with the intent of including it in my annual Xmas Book Treat, when I usually buy myself around a dozen or so books from my top favourite authors. But...may have to buy it sooner than that, since it comes so highly recommended.

LabRat

93. Dave Barry Turns 50, by Dave Barry

This is a satirical take on aging and the Baby Boomer generation, complete with a history of the Boomer generation through the 70's. There are a lot of Buffalo Bob jokes, which I would probably have found funnier if I'd ever seen the Howdy Doody Show, but it wasn't available in reruns when I was growing up in the 80s.

#34 Earth Abides by George Stewart

A disease of unparalleled destructive force has sprung up almost simultaneously in every corner of the globe, all but destroying the human race. One survivor, strangely immune to the effects of the epidemic, ventures forward to experience a world without man. What he ultimately discovers will prove far more astonishing than anything he'd either dreaded or hoped for.

A different perspective for a post-apocalyptic saga. At first I wondered if that was due to the fact it was written in 1949. Then I realized that most post-apocalytic books I"ve read deal with many survivors while these one deals with a very small group.

Joan

I normally don't post to this thread, but I couldn't resist commenting on Joan's most recent post. I first read "Earth Abides" when I was in junior high school and was extremely impressed by it. I am not past the half-century mark and decided to re-read it recently. I did so with a little trepidation, not knowing whether I would enjoy it as much as an adult. I did.

Another book I read recently which strikes me as similar is EMP. Rather than having a supervirus destroying most of mankind, EMP just has modern electronics wiped out. In both novels, however, we see how the precipitating events destroy modern life and how, over time, civilization develops a new norm.

Joy,
Lynn

I really liked 11/22/63, and I generally don't read Steven King novels. But I am a huge conspiracy theorist. I'd actually be interested in your opinion on the book, from the perspective of a non-American and someone who hasn't grown up with the mythos of the Kennedy assassination.

#35 Mars Inc. The Billionaire's Club by Ben Bova

How do you get to the Red Planet? Not via a benighted government program trapped in red tape and bound by budget constrictions, that’s for sure. No, what it will take is a helping of adventure, science, corporate powerplays, a generous dollop of seduction—both in and out of the boardroom—and money, money, money!

Bova always does a decent job creating a plausible scenario with a cast of interesting characters. Not his best book but not his worst either.

Joan

#36 All in by Josh Levs

How our work-first culture fails Dads, families, and businesses - and how we can fix it together.

Interesting discussion about modern day fatherhood

Joan

#37 All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner

Allison Weiss got her happy ending—a handsome husband, an adorable daughter, a job she loves, and the big house in the suburbs. But while waiting in the pediatrician’s office, she opens a magazine to a quiz about addiction and starts to wonder…Is a Percocet at the end of the day really different from a glass of wine? Is it such a bad thing to pop a Vicodin after a brutal Jump&Pump class…or if your husband ignores you? She tells herself that the pills help her make it through her days…but what if her increasing drug use, a habit that’s becoming expensive and hard to hide, is turning into her biggest problem of all?

I had issues with this story. Having seen my sister go through addiction and rehab, this portrayal seemed almost flipant. This writer tends to have a lighter style but that doesn't excuse the fact that Allison never seemed to completely own up to all the damage she'd done.

Joan

#38 Girl on a Train by Paula Hawkins

Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck.

And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

This was an excellent psychological thriller. The author does a great job of planting seeds of ideas and letting them grow. This book was very engaging and kept me guessing as to who the murder was.

#39 Weed the People: The Future of Marijuana in American by Bruce Barcott

I've been curious as to the ramifications of legalized marijuana in Colorado and Washington State. While this book provided some interesting historical information and some aspects of legalization, I would've liked to have seen more data.

Joan

#40 Heat Wave by Nancy Thayer

Making the startling discovery that her family finances are in dire straits is only the latest shock endured by Carley Winsted after her husband’s sudden death from a heart attack. Resisting her in-laws’ well-meaning overtures to take in Carley and her two daughters, the young widow instead devises a plan to keep her family in their beloved home, a grand historic house on the island of Nantucket.

This was decent light fare - if you don't look at it too critically. Some aspects of the story were comically unrealistic.

Joan

#41 Range of Motion by Elizabeth Berg

A young man named Jay lies in a coma after suffering a freak accident, and his wife, Lainey, is the only one who believes he will recover. She sits at his bedside, bringing him reminders of the ordinary life they shared: fragrant flowers, his children’s drawings, his own softly textured shirt. When Lainey’s faith in his recovery falters, she is sustained by two women, Alice and Evie, who teach her about the endurance of friendship—and the genuine power of hope.

I liked the characters in this book but it felt like there were many concepts that could've been explored in more depth.

Joan

#42 Left Behind by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins

An airborne Boeing 747 is headed to London when, without any warning, passengers mysteriously disappear from their seats. Terror and chaos slowly spread not only through the plane but also worldwide as unusual events continue to unfold. For those who have been left behind, the apocalypse has just begun.

I read the entire Left Behind series when the books first were published. After seeing some of the movie tie-ins, I was curious to re-read the books. I enjoyed this first book but I'm not sure if I'm up to completing all 16 books in the series.

Joan

#43 Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

As teenagers in a Lagos secondary school, Ifemelu and Obinze fall in love. Their Nigeria is under military dictatorship, and people are leaving the country if they can. Ifemelu—beautiful, self-assured—departs for America to study. She suffers defeats and triumphs, finds and loses relationships and friendships, all the while feeling the weight of something she never thought of back home: race. Obinze—the quiet, thoughtful son of a professor—had hoped to join her, but post-9/11 America will not let him in, and he plunges into a dangerous, undocumented life in London.

Years later, Obinze is a wealthy man in a newly democratic Nigeria, while Ifemelu has achieved success as a writer of an eye-opening blog about race in America. But when Ifemelu returns to Nigeria, and she and Obinze reignite their shared passion—for their homeland and for each other—they will face the toughest decisions of their lives.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I had hoped it wasn't America bashing. And it wasn't. The characters were well developed and it was interesting to experience a different perspective.

Joan

Um...

1. Warm Bodies: by Isaac Marion. Did I mention ? I don't like zombies, usually, in any way, shape, or form. This story though is different and that's what caught my attention. Firstly, it tells the story of a zombie's life through the eyes of the zombie (cool POV, by the way). Secondly, it's the cure to all those dystopic novels plaguing our bookshelves. No, literally, it contains a cure to dystopia... or zombie-ism, whichever you prefer. Anyway, .

I tried to read "Life of Pi" earlier this fall but it was so overwhelmingly BORING I could hardly make it through Chapter 4. It's now in my "to be donated" pile. I'll just rent the movie.

I tried to read "Pride & Prejudice & Zombies" last year. I'm a huge fan of the Jane Austin novel, and everything I read had said that this was a funny spin-off. It wasn't funny. It was gory and horrible and I didn't make it through Chapter 1. I'm going to skip the movie.

Sometimes, I wonder how these books make it onto the NYC best seller list. I'm going to stick with writing and reading for the LnC Message Boards and the Archives. (To explain why I'm only on book 1.)

Oh, and I'm currently reading Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix (again), this time to my kids. I finished Book 4 back in the spring (I think).

The movie adaption of Warm Bodies is good too. Not scary or terribly gory. Certainly going to bore die-hard Walking Dead fans, but that's not its audience. I am. I liked it so much I went out and read the book it was based on.

Okay, now I'm rambling... Back to reading...