2015 Reading Challenge

[Mister Ed Horse of a Different Color Find all posts View Profile Close Mister Ed]

Now reading: Ready Player One.

Good book. He's got another coming out in July called Armada. Sounds an awful lot like a cross between Ender's Game and The Last Starfighter...

Zack Lightman is daydreaming through another dull math class when the high-tech dropship lands in his school's courtyard-and when the men in the dark suits and sunglasses leap out of the ship and start calling his name, he's sure he's still dreaming.

But the dream is all too real; the people of Earth need him. As Zack soon discovers, the videogame he's been playing obsessively for years isn't just a game; it's part of a massive, top-secret government training program, designed to teach gamers the skills they'll need to defend Earth from a possible alien invasion. And now…that invasion is coming.

As he and his companions prepare to enter their ships and do battle, Zack learns that the father he thought was dead is actually a key player in this secret war. And together with his father, he'll uncover the truth about the alien threat, race to prevent a genocide, and discover a mysterious third player in the interplanetary chess game he's been thrown into.

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

That last one is going to be a challenge. So far as I know there is only one book I've ever started and not finished in my entire life. Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush by Virginia Hamilton. I checked, and my library system has exactly one copy. It has been so many years, I have NO idea why I didn't finish it, I just remember it as the only book I've ever given up on. I even read through TWO huge L. Ron Hubbard books that SUCKED, because I cannot stand to give up on a story before the end.

Yeah, I don't do it much either. I know I have done it, but I can't think of many titles. Two I can think of I still have but they're kind of technical, theology books. One of those I read a good chunk of but the other I just didn't like. IIRC, though, I did once start reading about 5 pages of a Conan anthology I have and put it down in order to read something quicker. I've been wanting to read that, so I guess it would count (and count as a short story collection too). I also feel like I only read a large portion of Paradise Lost required in college but didn't actually have to read it all. I'm not sure though. I might have read it all. I know I liked it (mostly).

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

Just finished Starship Troopers, which for now I will count for a book that became a movie, a recommended book, a book set in the future, and by an author I've never read (Heinlein). The only problem is I technically started this a couple days before the new year. If I get near the end of the year and finished the list I can always make it up, but I doubt I'll even finish it.

I should also be finishing The Beast of Revelation for my nonfiction book (same problem, I started a bit of it before the new year).

[W.West Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close W.West]

Took me almost a month but I finished my first book. Lets see what it covered on the list:



Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (Color on Checklist: BLACK)
A book with nonhuman characters
A book a friend recommended
A book set in the future
A book with magic
A book with an author you've never read before.


Now Reading:
Seconds by Bryan Lee O'Malley
The Martian by Andy Weir
Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter

I was going to read The Martian next but I kinda want to knock some of these easy ones out the way first like A Graphic Novel or collection of short stories and a play. I don't think I'll read a book this year that will make me cry but lets hope so. lol

EDIT: Just decided that this post will be updated with my progress. So I'll start tweaking it so its pleasing to the eyes.

[Mister Ed Horse of a Different Color Find all posts View Profile Close Mister Ed]

Wait, what? Where are the non-human characters and magic in Ready Player One?

Or are you counting virtual avatars as nonhuman, and various feats that are possible in the virtual world as magic?

[W.West Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close W.West]

Definitely counting the avatars as they are the main figures throughout and that they use magic. I used Paint to check off these things and wanted to take back the magic check but said f it and I'd just justify it that way. lol


Sidenote: I edited out a few curse words because of you Ed. You're making me into a better person.

[Mister Ed Horse of a Different Color Find all posts View Profile Close Mister Ed]

Yay! I'm making West a better person!

As far as the magic thing goes, I occurs to me that the chances of you not reading any OTHER books this year that contain magic are pretty slim, so what difference does it make if this instance is a bit iffy? You'll be checking that one off sooner or later anyway.

[W.West Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close W.West]

Took me almost a month but I finished my first book. Lets see what it covered on the list:



Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (Color on Checklist: BLACK)
A book with nonhuman characters
A book a friend recommended
A book set in the future
A book with magic
A book with an author you've never read before.

Seconds by Bryan Lee O'Malley (Color on Checklist: YELLOW)
A book with a one word title
A graphic novel
A book you own but never read

Now Reading:
The Martian by Andy Weir
Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter

I was going to read The Martian next but I kinda want to knock some of these easy ones out the way first like A Graphic Novel or collection of short stories and a play. I don't think I'll read a book this year that will make me cry but lets hope so. lol

EDIT: Just decided that this post will be updated with my progress. So I'll start tweaking it so its pleasing to the eyes.

UPDATED! I finished Seconds which was great. Loved it.

[Mister Ed Horse of a Different Color Find all posts View Profile Close Mister Ed]

Wait, I can't possibly finish this list. I don't think I HAVE any books that I own but have never read.

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

Wait, I can't possibly finish this list. I don't think I HAVE any books that I own but have never read.

I have so, so many. I truly I have more books than I could possibly read in my lifetime unless I suddenly became a much faster reader and gave up movies and video games. Mind you, a lot of them are not necessarily meant to be read cover-to-cover, like Bible commentaries and two-thousand-page systematic theologies. But even novels, I must have well over 100 I haven't read. The harder one is going to be a book I was supposed to read (presumably school) but didn't. The only time I didn't read every single word I was assigned was when I went to seminary and couldn't quite keep up, but at this point I don't remember which ones I did finish and which I didn't. The other hard one is a story in my town. I'm from a pretty small and not-famous town.

[Mister Ed Horse of a Different Color Find all posts View Profile Close Mister Ed]

I don't generally BUY a book unless I am going to read it in short order. For things I think I MIGHT want to read someday, I figure there's an good chance the library will have them when I'm ready to do so.

And yeah, I have absolutely nothing that I was supposed to read and didn't. Guess I didn't look this list over too thoroughly.

As for a story in my town, well, if it was my hometown, that might be a problem, but Portland, OR is where I live now, and that's not too big of an issue, I think. Not as easy as someplace like New York, but all I'd have to do is read something by Beverly Cleary.

[Mister Ed Horse of a Different Color Find all posts View Profile Close Mister Ed]

The other hard one is a story in my town. I'm from a pretty small and not-famous town.

What town, if you don't mind me asking? I promise I won't start stalking you.

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

I don't generally BUY a book unless I am going to read it in short order. For things I think I MIGHT want to read someday, I figure there's an good chance the library will have them when I'm ready to do so.

And yeah, I have absolutely nothing that I was supposed to read and didn't. Guess I didn't look this list over too thoroughly.

As for a story in my town, well, if it was my hometown, that might be a problem, but Portland, OR is where I live now, and that's not too big of an issue, I think. Not as easy as someplace like New York, but all I'd have to do is read something by Beverly Cleary.

Yeah, I have a few options: there's one of those short history books like you can find in the regional section of every Barnes and Noble or there's a collection of children's stories about a semi-famous prep school here. The other choice is to go with Trenton, NJ (where I was technically born---in the hospital), which is the next over, where much of Janet Evanovich's mysteries are set.

[W.West Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close W.West]

I have accomplished nothing in the last two months. lol But I did just start reading The Girl on the Train which I hear is as good as Gone Girl.

[Agent Purple The Illustrated Man Find all posts View Profile Close Agent Purple]

I should update my list, myself, but I'm halfway through me "one-word title" book, Betrayer by Aaron Dembski-Bowden. Gory and sad as hell, violent as shit, but very well done.