Timstar Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 (edited) My last blog kind of fizzled out towards the end of last year, life got in the way then I lacked the motivation to get back to it. So I thought I would change it completely this year and insted of focussing on SF/F/Horror I will post about the numerous tomes I am hoping to read at some point. This will be an ongoing, rather than a yearly blog, as I won't get through that many in a year. I will also update on my other reads and purchases. I will not be including any tomes that are part of a series, unless they can be read as stand-alone. Otherwise half my fantasy shelf will be on here. Edited January 16, 2015 by Timstar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted January 16, 2015 Author Share Posted January 16, 2015 (edited) My tomes: Fiction: Non-Fiction: Apologies for the poor quality of the photos, I was in a rush. I pulled all my biggest books, whilst there isn't a strict criteria, they are all generally over 800 pages. Some have already been read but most haven't. Edited January 16, 2015 by Timstar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted January 16, 2015 Author Share Posted January 16, 2015 (edited) As with last year I have a couple of ongoing, passive challenges. 50 books to read before you die challenge. There are many lists which state 1000 books you must read or something along those lines, which is a ridicolous amount. I think 50 is quite achievable. So I am slowly working through this list. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by JR Tolkien 1984 by George Orwell Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte A Passage to India by EM Forster The Lord of the Flies by William Golding Hamlet by William Shakespeare A Bend in the River by VS Naipaul The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath Brave New World by Aldous Huxley The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes The Bible The Cantebury Tales by Geofrrey Chaucer Ulysses by James Joyce The Quiet American by Graham Greene Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks Money by Martin Amis Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling Moby Dick by Herman Melville The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pulman Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon On the Road by Jack Kerouac Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope The Outsider by lbert Camus The Colour Purple by Alice Walker Life of Pi by Yann Martel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley The War of the Worlds by HG Wells Men Without Women by Ernest Hemingway Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey Catch 22 by Joseph Heller The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden The Divine Comedy by Alighieri Dante The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde 20/50 Crossed out in red means I have read them this year. Edited February 2, 2015 by Timstar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted January 16, 2015 Author Share Posted January 16, 2015 Hugo Award Winners 1953 - The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester 1954 -Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 1955 - They'd Rather Be Right by Mark Clifton 1956 - Double Star by Robert A. Heinlein 1958 - The Big Time by Fritz Leiber 1959 - A Case of Conscience by James Blish 1960 - Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein 1961 - A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr 1962 - Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein 1963 - The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick 1964 - Way Station by Clifford Simak 1965 - The Wanderer by Fritz Leiber 1966 (tie)- And Call Me Conrad by Roger Zelazny 1966 (tie) - Dune by Frank Herbert 1967 - The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein 1968 – Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny 1969 - Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner 1970 - The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin 1971 - Ringworld by Larry Niven 1972 - To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip José Farmer 1973 - The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov 1974 - Rendezvous With Rama by Arthur C. Clarke 1975 - The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin 1976 - The Forever War by Joe Haldeman 1977 - Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang by Kate Wilhelm 1978 - Gateway by Frederik Pohl 1979 - Dreamsnake by Vonda N. McIntyre 1980 - The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke 1981 - The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge 1982 - Downbelow Station by C. J. Cherryh 1983 - Foundation’s Edge by Isaac Asimov 1984 - Startide Rising by David Brin 1985 - Neuromancer by William Gibson 1986 - Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card 1987 - Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card 1988 - The Uplift War by David Brin 1989 - Cyteen by C. J. Cherryh 1990 - Hyperion by Dan Simmons 1991 - The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold 1992 - Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold 1993 (tie) - A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge 1993 (tie) -Doomsday Book by Connie Willis 1994 - Green Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson 1995 - Mirror Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold 1996 - The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson 1997 - Blue Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson 1998 - Forever Peace by Joe Haldeman 1999 - To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis 2000 - A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge 2001 - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling 2002 - American Gods by Neil Gaiman 2003 - Hominids by Robert J. Sawyer 2004 - Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold 2005 - Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke 2006 - Spin by Robert Charles Wilson 2007 - Rainbow's End by Vernor Vinge 2008 - The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon 2009 - The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman 2010 (tie) - The City & The City, China Miéville 2010 (tie) - The Windup Girl, Paolo Bacigalupi 2011 - Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis 2012 -Among Others by Jo Walton 2013 - Redshirts by John Scalzi 2014 - Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie 12/63 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted January 16, 2015 Author Share Posted January 16, 2015 (edited) That's it for now, I'm currently reading Ulysses and will post my thoughts when it's done. Also reading Cannery Row by Steinbeck and Renegade's Magic by Robin Hobb. Edited January 16, 2015 by Timstar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 Happy reading, Tim. Some great books in those photos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 Happy Reading Tim Is Ulysses as frightening as they say? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 Have a great reading year in 2015. Loved the look of the massive books Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 It's great to see your new reading log up and running. Happy reading in 2015 and good luck with all your challenges (you're very brave!). That's it for now, I'm currently reading Ulysses and will post my thoughts when it's done. Also reading Cannery Row by Steinbeck and Renegade's Magic by Robin Hobb. I hated Ulysses so much! Good luck with it. I've been thinking of going back and re-reading Hobb's Farseer trilogy, to see if I can get into her work a bit more: she seems to have done quite a lot these past couple of years and I feel like I might be missing out. I look forward to your thoughts on Renegade's Magic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marie H Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 Happy reading tremendous tomes in 2015, Tim !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 Hope 2015 is a good reading year for you, Tim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devi Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 (edited) Robin Hobb is one of my favourite fantasy authors, though I imagine I might be in the minority on that one here. Other than Andrea and Laura, I don't think anyone else has enjoyed her books. Edited January 17, 2015 by Devi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Good luck with your reading this year, Tim. Some of those look very heavy … take care not to pick up an injury! It'll be like weight training, carrying those around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Robin Hobb is one of my favourite fantasy authors, though I imagine I might be in the minority on that one here. Other than Andrea and Laura, I don't think anyone else has enjoyed her books. I enjoyed her Farseer trilogy, though was disappointed with the third book. Which books of hers would you recommend reading after that? There are so many I have no idea where I should start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 I wish you a great reading year in 2015, Tim ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Have a great reading year, Tim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Have a happy reading year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devi Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Happy reading in 2015 Tim! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Happy reading Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 Thanks all! It's been good so far. Is Ulysses as frightening as they say? I hated Ulysses so much! Good luck with it. I wouldn't call it frightening, it's certainly not a nice easy narrative and I can see why some... less educated people might not like it I have certainly enjoyed bits of it and the prose is wonderful, for the most part. I'm just over half way now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 Here's the full list of the books pictured above: Fiction: Tigana – Guy Gavriel Kay Magician - Raymond E. Feist Shogun – James Clavell The Once and Future King – T.H. White Lonesome Dove – Larry McMurtry Gravity’s Rainbow – Thomas Pynchon (Currently Reading) Imajica – Clive Barker The Talisman – King/Straub Black House - King/Straub Atlas Shrugged – Ayn Rand Ulysses – James Joyce (Currently Reading) Don Quixote – Cervantes (Read) The Count of Monte Cristo – Dumas (Read but a different translation) Les Misérables – Hugo (Read) War and Peace – Tolstoy Under the Dome – King (Read) 11/22/63 – King (Read) The Stand – King (Read but want to re-read soon) Non-Fiction Rise and Fall of the British Empire – Lawrence James A History of Christianity – Diarmaid MacCulloch The Crusades – Thomas Asbridge The First World War – Martin Gilbert The Second World War – Martin Gilbert As you can see I haven't read many. I finished Cannery Row by Steinbeck at the weekend, it was a nice short read. A quirky book with some interesting characters, I'm hoping to read the sequel, Sweet Thursday soon. Overall 8/10 I also started Gravity's Rainbow which I thought would take me ages but I ended reading 100 pages in one sitting, the prose is dense but delightful, it just sucked me right in. At 950 pages it will still take a while :S I also began Myke Cole's Fortress Frontier, the second in his Shadow Ops series. I did not want to put it down! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 I like the look of that '50 books' list, Tim. Did you make that up or find it somewhere? It reminds me of a beautiful metallic bookmark I saw once, which had a list of 50 books on it to read. I think perhaps someone else on here has mentioned the bookmark before. It wasn't you, was it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 I like the look of that '50 books' list, Tim. Did you make that up or find it somewhere? It reminds me of a beautiful metallic bookmark I saw once, which had a list of 50 books on it to read. I think perhaps someone else on here has mentioned the bookmark before. It wasn't you, was it? Hehe, I think it was. That is where I got the list from. Possibly not the best list ever made but it does have a broad spectrum of genres which will hopefully getting me reading a few I might not have otherwise done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Aha! Glad I'm not imagining things, then. I really want that bookmark, but whenever I've seen it, it's been a bit too expensive to justify buying it. Maybe one day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Did you give up on Deadhouse Gates then? I can see why some... less educated people might not like it You're only insulting yourself there, Young, because I'm (fairly) certain we're almost equal qualification-wise. Glad you're enjoying the Shadow Ops series! I quite enjoyed the first book but still haven't got around to reading the second. I might have to push it forward a bit since you say it's so good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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