Pick-a-Shelf discussion

Staring the thread early in case I won't have time later or forgot to come back :)

wow... it's mid month and no reviews... has everybody been too busy?

Tien wrote: "wow... it's mid month and no reviews... has everybody been too busy?"

Yep. Way too busy. I just started a book for "Geek", though, so I should have a review in a couple of days.

I just got The Crystal Cave out of the library Friday. Trip to Fl to take care of mother, writing a task for another group, and life in general delayed my start.

I just got notice from library that one of the two books for December's pick has arrived for pick up. I ordered it as soon as the theme was announced. Now hope to get it tomorrow as library is closed today! The 2nd book has shown in-transit for a couple of weeks.

Finished The Martian by Andy Weir. The first 30 or 40 pages were discouraging reading (poor writing), but then the story line kicked in more and I found that I was enjoying it somewhat more. I gave it 3 stars. I can see, however, where sci-fi fans might give it higher ratings.

I've finally made it through the classic geek novel Neuromancer by William Gibson. Apparently this book launched the cyberpunk genre and it was William Gibson who invented the term cyberspace. It came highly recommended by my husband but although I enjoyed it I don't think I got as much out of it as he did (but then he is a computer scientist so probably more up his alley).
I read it in bits and pieces which slowed the pace too much, it would probably read better in one or two sittings so the tension isn't lost.

I read Geeking Out on 11C, which was a cute, short read (rated 3 stars.) I liked that even though it was short, the author took the time for the characters to know each other before hopping in bed.

ETA: It's funny how many m/m books are in this shelf!

Finished my first Geek book. Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris. I guess Mr. Sedaris himself is what qualifies this book as Geek. Generally up/down with how I felt about the book. Often found I didn't care for Sedaris' whiny personality but then he was either funny or found a way to engage me in a heartfelt moment. So as it was an uneven read for me I gave it 3 stars.

Finished Hate List by Jennifer Brown. Good book. **** a different perspective from the victim. Or maybe not a victim.

I read Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan. I was somewhat disappointed in it compared to others of his works, but it wasn't bad. I have no clue why it should be placed on this shelf, though.

Solaris took me a long time for such a short read. I know it's classic sci fi, and has twice been made into a movie. But I just couldn't get into it the way I expected I would. And yes, of course, having my family around for the holidays definitely slowed me down.

The Salmon of Doubt was an interesting read, not a novel but a collection of writings taken from Douglas Adams's computer after his untimely death. It includes the unfinished draft of the next Dirk Gently book which finishes rather abruptly and sadly we'll never find out how it ends.
Recommended for big fans of Adams's work as it covers all sorts of stuff, life, the universe and everything.

I read the The Fellowship of the Ring, and really enjoyed it, though i think it has been over-hyped. I loved all of the time I spent with the elves (they're personalities and homes are so cool), but I must admit sometimes I did get a bit lost in all of the names and places that the text mentions without explaining very well.

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore was a decent read. All the hype around it had me expecting a juicer meatier story. It was more like a cliff notes to a bigger novel. The idea of the story is really intriguing. I would have liked more details on the secret society as well. Overall the millennial generation should enjoy it. Most of the technology and pop culture references would be lost on the older generations.

The only one of the planned three books that I actually read was The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes. I gave it 4*. I was initially unsure about this graphic novel; but, as the story developed and I got involved with the characters, I found myself really liking it. I will definitely pursue the further volumes.

Lyndi wrote: "Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore ...Most of the technology and pop culture references would be lost on the older generations. "

Ah, Lyndi, no, not at all. Some of us old fogeys have actually kept up with things. I enjoyed the book, gave it 4 stars, and had no problems with the tech or pop culture references. And even my kids are a decade too old to be considered millennials.

I managed to fit one more in before the end of the year. Snow Crash is another of the main founders of the cyberpunk genre so there's lots of virtual reality geekiness although I found the discussions on linguistics and philosophy perhaps more engaging. It took me a little bit to get into it, I clashed with the idea of literally naming your main character Hiro Protagonist, a name even the other characters found silly, but I ended up enjoying the adventure. I gave it 4 stars.

Finished Little Brother today...few days late, but still a good book. Excellent views on security vs. privacy and how it affects your rights as citizens of a country. Definitely out of my comfort zone but a good book none-the-less.

Finished my last Geek book, The Witness by Nora Roberts. Gave this one **. Thought book was too long at nearly 500 pages for the story line. The female protagonist was the "geek" as she was seriously intellectual, computer-oriented and more importantly, socially awkward. I would have liked to have read The Rosie Effect but that wasn't out in time to meet the December commitment.