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Morning Star
Morning Star by Pierce Brown Published: 2016 Narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds Series: Red Rising #3 Length: 21:50 (524 pages) This is the third novel in the Red Rising trilogy, and I thought it came to a very satisfying conclusion. Brown is apparently planning a follow-up trilogy, one that will follow new characters living with the result of this story, and I will probably read through those as well. The first one is due out later this year. In this world, the people are divided by colour class. The golds rule at the top, treated as gods by some of the lower colours, and at the bottom of the class…
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Sex Criminals, Vol. 3: Three the Hard Way
Sex Criminals, Volume Three: Three the Hard Way by Matt Fraction Illustrated by: Chip Zdarsky Series: Sex Criminals #3 Published: 2016 Publisher: Image Comics Length: 160 pages Collects: issues #11-15 When I was skimming reviews before purchasing this, I saw that they were generally less enthusiastic than the last two volumes, but I seem to be having the opposite experience as everyone else. I was lukewarm on the first volume, really enjoyed the second volume, and I thought this latest one was just as strong. At this rate, the comic will be cancelled as soon as it becomes my favourite series of all time. Sex Criminals is a filthy, juvenile,…
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Born a Crime
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah Published: 2016 Narrated by: Trevor Noah Length: 08:50 (224 pages) I never sit down and watch The Daily Show, but over the years I have seen quite a lot from people just sharing the videos. Since Trevor Noah took over, very few clips have made their way to me, so I wonder how well the switch from Jon Stewart is going. I imagine it’ll take some time for him to find his stride on there, and I do hope he’s given the chance, because, from watching his stand-up and reading this book, it’s clear he’s the type of person that needs to be on…
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The Thirty-Nine Steps
The 39 Steps by John Buchan Published: 1915 Narrated by: David Thorn Series: Richard Hannay #1 Length: 04:10 (100 pages) I think I first heard of this while browsing lists of classic Scottish literature. It’s referred to as one of the earliest spy novels, a man-on-the-run thriller really, in which an ordinary man finds himself wrapped up in an international conspiracy with his country’s safety on the line. This is the first in half a dozen novels featuring Richard Hannay, and it’s been adapted to film multiple times (none of which I’ve seen), the earliest being a Hitchcock film from 1935. It looks like a new adaptation is in the…
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Ballistics: Poems
Ballistics: Poems by Billy Collins Published: 2010 Length: 113 pages After reading Poems That Make Grown Men Cry, Billy Collins stuck in my head as someone to further explore. I enjoyed his poem The Lanyard, which was J.J. Abrams’ choice for the collection, but I also really liked Collins’ choice, Bedecked by Victoria Redel. He was the Poet Laureate of the United States from 2001 to 2003, and while I don’t actually know what that is, it does sound very impressive. So while we were in Portland last year, I picked up this small collection of his. There were poems in this that I did really enjoy, but I felt…
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Foodies Read 2017
I’m also joining the Foodies Read challenge again this year. The goal is to read any book that is somehow related to food, be that a cookbook, a foodie memoir, or a murder mystery in which the killer slays his victims using only spotted dick. The challenge levels are as follows: Short-Order Cook: 1 to 3 books Pastry Chef: 4 to 8 books Sous-Chef: 9 to 13 books Chef de Cuisine: 14 to 18 Cordon-Bleu Chef: More than 19 I’ll be aiming for the Pastry Chef level again, although I would like to read more than the bare minimum this year. My initial choices, which may change, will be: How…
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Back to the Classics 2017
I will be taking part in the Back to the Classics 2017 challenge to read classic books that fall into twelve categories. The more you read, the more entries you receive for a draw at the end of the year. Complete six categories, and you get one entry in the drawing Complete nine categories, and you get two entries in the drawing Complete all twelve categories, and you get three entries in the drawing Here are the categories and my tentative choices: A 19th Century Classic: The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope A 20th Century Classic: Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank A classic by a woman author: The Prime…
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2016 in Review
Well, that year turned out a bit differently than we all thought, didn’t it? Oh well, I guess now that we’ve rolled over to a new arbitrary calendar year EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE. Donald Trump will definitely not start a war over Twitter and all of our favourite celebrities will stop dying. I can’t wait! The Weblog Nearly six years I’ve been keeping this weblog now, and I’m still enjoying it. I love being able to look back on what I’ve read, and I feel like taking an hour or two to write about a book really helps me get more out of my reading. If you had told fifteen-year-old…
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December in Review
Books Acquired: Appetites: A Cookbook by Anthony Bourdain Six Poets: Hardy to Larkin: An Anthology by Alan Bennett Zoe’s Tale by John Scalzi My Dad Wrote a Porno by Jamie Morton, Alice Levine, James Cooper, Rocky Flintstone Books Read: The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan Born a Crime by Trevor Noah The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle Sex Criminals, Volume Three: Three the Hard Way by Matt Fraction Hope everyone had a great holiday to end 2016! Lee-Ann and I took a last minute trip to Maui over Christmas this year. This was my first warm Christmas, and I could definitely get used to it. We came…
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Foodies Read 2016 Wrap-Up
The second challenge I took part in this year was the Foodies Read challenge. My goal was the 4 – 8 book level, and I ended up just barely coasting in having read four books. French Milk by Lucy Knisley Heat by Bill Buford Double Cup Love by Eddie Huang Fresh Off the Boat by Eddie Huang I enjoyed all four, but French Milk was probably my least favourite. I wanted it to be more about food and found it to be mainly about moping about in Paris. Both of Eddie Huang’s memoirs were entertaining and interesting, and I’m excited to to see what he comes out with next. He’s…