Urqahart's 2010 75 Book Challenge

I've never done this before, but it sounds like fun, and I think I'm off to a good start, figuring my start date to be May 1st, give or take.

In no particular Order:

1. Night Watch by Terry Pratchett

A reread, but well worth it. One of my favourite Discworld novels.

2. Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett

Interesting, often funny, but it felt too long. Pratchett hasn't lost his wit, but his brevity is gone.

3. The Yiddish Policemen's Union

A fantastic and often funny, if sombre, examination of modern Jewry. Also a murder mystery and book about chess.

4. Gunpowder Empire by Harry Turtledove

Don't read this book. I picked it up at the library because it was by Turtledove, and while he may not be the best writer, he's normally interesting. This was awful. I only even bothered finishing it because I thought one of the annoying characters (i.e. all of them) my die, and it was quite short.

5. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick.

A Classic and deservedly so.

Currently Reading: Neuromancer, The Brothers Karazamov.

Welcome to the group!

I am currently reading some Dostoevsky myself, The Idiot. I look forward to your thoughts on The Brothers Karamazov since I have never read that one.

Dostoevsky....should I or shouldn't I? I cant decide if I need to go there.

Have added The Yiddish Policemen's Union to my wishlist based on your description. I loved My Name is Asher Lev and other Potok books. Sounds like a similar theme (apart from the murder!).

Welcome!

Welcome!

The only Dostoevsky I've read is Crime and Punishment, which I enjoyed. I am also interested on your thoughts about him. And I've had Androids on my TBR for quite some time (in spirit, as I haven't bought it yet), what did you think about it?

6. Neuromancer by William Gibson

Hard to read, Gibson's style is stark and chaotic and the slang is hard to get a hold of, but well worth the effort. It hasn't aged well (Casettes are used to store data still) but still good.

7. Storm Front by Jim Butcher

A light read. Butcher's prose could use polish, but it was fun nevertheless. It didn't do all it could with the great premise it presented, so I suspect the sequels will be better.

Androids was excellent, fast paced and carefully interweaving two plots. The beginning suggests it's going to be a bit of a mind screw, and it doesn't dissapoint.A bit melancholy though.

8. Going Postal by Terry Pratchett

Like a lot of Pratchett;s newest book, it feels a bit long, but not short on the laughs. Also Moist is one of the flattest main characters Pratchett's written. On the other hand, the supporting cast is excellent, and the plot is fun. And Vetenari is so awesome in this one. It almost makes up for the rest. Very Good Pratchett, but not great.

Hi Francis, welcome to the group!

I have Neuromancer on my pile of books to read so it's good to hear it's worth the effort. I've heard lots about the Jim Butcher series but not read any yet. Glad you enjoyed Going Postal too, have you read Making Money? It's a sort of sequel to Going Postal starring Moist again.

Yeah, I've gotten Making Money out of the library, but I'll probably finish Cryptonomicon and maybe The Lies of Locke Lamora before I start it

10. The World of Karl Pilkington by Karl Pilkington

It was alright, with a few moments of pure hilarity.

11. Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson

Absolutely amazing, if a bit long. But almost every page was excellent, even the erotic story about furniture and stockings.

#11: I am going to try to get to Cryptonomicon over the summer. I hope I enjoy it as much as you did!

Interesting, I thought Going Postal was hilarious, but didn't really like Making Money at all. A matter of taste, I suppose!

#12 The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

Not at all what it was billed to be, but excellent in its own way. An excellent addition to the new wave of dark (Or gritty, rather) fantasy. I say new wave, newer Fantasy novels seem to be actively distancing themselves from their idealistic (Tolkienesque) roots... Anyone have any ideas when it started. I can see some of the elements in the Wheel of Time, but it's more Tolkienesque than Tolkien ever was. George R. R. Martin seems another likely candidate. Maybe it's just me though.

#13 Making Money by Terry Pratchett

Sorry Phoenix, but I have to say this one was much better than Going Postal. It didnt feel drawn out like Going Postal did, and Vetenari is as good in this as he ever has been.

#14 Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie

Better then the first, but once more the ending was a bit of a letdown. Nevertheless, I eagerly await the final book.

#15 Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch

This was fantastic, much better than the first, which was by no means bad. All the dry wit that was missing from the first was here. Also, this was much closer to being "Ocean's 11 only Fantasy" than the first.

#16: You remind me I still need to read the first one, which is patiently waiting for me on my nightstand!

#17 Me too!

You really should, it was excellent.

#16 Thief of time by Terry Pratchett

I'd heard this was one of Pratchett's best. It was pretty good, Lu-Tse is pretty awesome. Qu too.

#17 Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie

What a depressing ending to a progressively darker series. Very good in spite of this I must say. Nevertheless, the weakest of the 3. He had setup so many minor plotlines that needed to be wrapped up, the book felt a bit rushed. Also, I read the first one months ago, and I forgot some of the minor characters who, it turned out, were damn important. I can't recommend this approach.

#18 Job A Comedy of Justice by Robert Heinlein

Surprisingly funny, if on occasion polemical book. Touching.

#19 Fool Moon by Jim Butcher

It was alright, a bit better than the first on I think. Still a lot of wasted potential.

#20: I had Job checked out of the library last year, but never had a chance to read it before I took it back. You remind me that I need to check it out again!

#20 Monstrous Regiment

Absolutely hilarious, one of the best discworld books I've read in ages.

#21 Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

One of the most fascinating non-fiction books I've read in some time. Also, one of the few truly interesting non-fiction books I've read that wasn't also depressing (I'm looking at you Jared Diamond).

#22 Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Very powerful, and moreover probably the most beautifully written novel on this list (Although Neuromancer and The Yiddish Policemen's Union could give it a run for it's money). A bit anvilicious though.

I still have not read Blink. Thanks for the reminder that I need to get to it soon!

#23 The Black Swan by Nasim Taleb

#24 Guards! Guards! by terry Pratchett

#25 Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett

#26 The Road by Cormac McCarthy

#27 Hunter's Game by George R. R. Martin and others

#28 Prelude to Foundation

#29 Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson

#30 Soul Music by Terry Pratchett

#31 Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett

Looks like you've been on a Pratchett jag! I want to take the time to reread his books--they've been so scattered across so many years. How did you like Snow Crash? It's in my TBR pile here.

What did you think of The Road? I loved it and unusually for me loved the movie adaption too- I still think about that book a lot.

Yeah, ive been reading Pratchett for a while, I'm trying to finish the series, but keep going back and re-reading. Snow Crash was Fantastic, best Cyberpunk novel Ive ever read, not that thats saying much (I can think of 3 others, but if you look above then you can see one was Neuromancer).

The Road was.... powerful is a good word. Trope-shattering in its deconstructions.

#32 Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell

One of the weirdest books on this list, a Historical Fantasy novel, very good; a passable pastiche of Jane Austen. Ending was a bit underwhelming. It reminded me of Cryptonomicon in that it was much too long and the right length (Had it been two or three books not one).

#33 Hyperion by Dan Simmons

Fantastic. The new best book on this list.

#34 Grave Peril by Jim Butcher.

Meh. It's better than the first two.

#35 Fable

The only graphic novel so far on this list. It was alright. Anticlimactic and too short, but still OK. Reminded me a lot of the Dresden Files, which isn't necessarily bad.

Dan Simmons is definitely one of my favorites. Drood is a great riff on Dickens' The Mystery of Edwin Drood that also features Wilkie Collins. And The Terror is one of the best stories of Arctic explanation I've read.

#29: I have not yet read Simmons' Hyperion. Thanks for the recommendation.

#36 A Canticle for Liebowitz by Walter M. Miller

I enjoyed it but was a bit underwhelmed. Ended on a... strong note I suppose.

#37 A Graphic Guide To Marxism

#38 The Ascent of Money Niall Ferguson

#39 Perdido Street Station by China Mieville

Holy crap is this a fantastic novel. Indescribable really, but I would say steampunk, dreampunk, fantasy, Marxist, Genius go a long way towards summing it.

Congratulations on passing the halfway point of the challenge!

Thanks,

#40 Santaroga Barrier by Frank Herbert

#41 Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality by Eliezer Yudkowsky

I know it's a fanfic, and incomplete, but it's also amazing.

#42 Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett

What did you think to The Santaroga Barrier? I think it's one of Frank Herbert's better novels.

I thought it was very good, better than the only other non-Dune book I've read by him, God Makers.

# 43 Hogfather

#44 Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons

#45 Best SF of the Year 15 by various

#46 Caves of Steel by Asimov

The Godmakers is a fix-up and it shows. It has a few interesting things to say about religion, but the message gets confused a bit because each of the stories it was formed from say different things.

#47 Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson

#48 Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolf

#49 The Windup Girl by Paolo Tecigalupi

#50 Fooled by Randomness Nasim Alwan Taleb

#51 The Black Company by Glen Cook

#39: What did you think of The Windup Girl? I recently read Bacigalupi's Ship Breaker and enjoyed it.

The Windup Girl was excellent, a fantastic story and chillingly plausible.

#52 The Long Tail

#53 The Best of Gene Wolfe

#54 Kraken China Mieville

#55 Blindsight Peter Watts

#56 Labyrinths Borges