June/July

Been reading VERY slowly lately, I hate it. 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Perks was great as always, I'd recommend it for nearly anyone.  I hadn't read the first Harry Potter in ages and honestly didn't really enjoy it this time.  I remember how it used to make me feel, but that magic is totally gone... Her writing is transparent and awful now.  If its possible to over-read a book, I've definitely done it with HP1.  I'm moving on to the second one though and possibly will go through all 7, depending on how I feel.  I guess I've really moved into being a sci-fi/fiction person, and cut out fantasy from my list? 

May

Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov

Red Shift by Alan Garner

I honestly don't know when I finished each of these books, I sort of lost track of the blog for a while.  Both of these books, especially Red Shift, took me a very long time as well.  Sometimes its nice to slow down and savor a book.  Thats not what happened with these books though.  

Red Shift sucked.  A lot.  I had no idea what was going on the whole time I was reading it.  I just read it because I didn't want to give up, and because the rest of my life was taking over my brain so I didn't have the space to focus on changing books.  When I finished I had to read the Wikipedia page to understand what I'd just read.

There's nothing in particular to say about Second Foundation other than to mention that its the 3rd in a trilogy, so if you liked the other two, try this one.  I thought it was OK but nothing special 

Definitely don't try Red Shift.  It was awful and I don't know why anyone likes it or would recommend it.  Again with Second Foundation, by the time you get along to reading it, you should be able to decide for yourself if you want to continue with the trilogy or not.

April

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov

No words.  Just no words.  I just finished A Prayer for Owen Meany a second ago.  It definitely took its time in being read.  Not in a bad way, but not in a luxurious way either.  Kind of how Catch-22 made me feel.  But it was worth it.  This book made me 'feel', which seems like something good for a book to be doing...  But don't pick it up if you aren't a reader!  Wow, I'm just in shock from this book...

There isn't much to say about Foundation and Empire.  Its the second in a trilogy, 'nuff said.  Read it if you like Asimov's stuff, otherwise why bother?

Classification System

To make the blog easier to use for its intended purpose (helping people find books they might like to read) I've decided to classify all the books I've read based on what type of book it is, and who I think would like to read it.  Clearly this is an ongoing and evolving project!  For now, here is a summery of the classification system I am currently using:

1-Beach read

2-New to scifi

3-Luxurious read

4-Hardcore scifi/fantasy

5-Occasional reader

6-I didn't like it

And now for a more in depth explanation:

 

1-Beach read

These books are quick and often mindless.  They are good for a day at the beach or a long plane ride.  People who don't often enjoy reading may also like these books.

2-New to scifi

I know that scifi can seem a forbidding and crazy world from the outside.  These books are definitely scifi, but more friendly for those who have a hard time with really crazy scifi concepts. 

3-Luxurious read

I would compare reading these books to eating your favorite food, lying on a picturesque field filled with flowers, snuggling in bed, floating peacefully on a pool float, chilling in a hot tub,  and every other decadent experience I can imagine, all at the same time.  These books sometimes progress slowly, so aren't always new-reader friendly.

4-Hardcore scifi/fantasy

Pretty self-explanatory.  If you like scifi or fantasy,  you will probably like this book.  If you generally don't enjoy scifi/fantasy, try a different book!  

5-Occasional reader

If you enjoy reading but don't really get to do it so often, these are books you might enjoy.  They may not be catching enough for non-readers, but they are definitely interesting without falling into any sort of extremes (extremely scifi, extremely trashy, etc)

6-I didn't like it

Just because I didn't like it doesn't mean you won't like it!  These are books that, for whatever reason, I didn't find interesting.  

Every labelled book in the list on the right-hand side now has a category, according to this system!

March

The Forever War by Joe Haldeman

Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Through a Scanner Darkly (graphic novel version) by Philip K Dick 

Every now and then I try and become more well-versed in scifi.  'My' genre is definitely scifi, but I am constantly aware of how pitifully few of the classics I have read, and how poorly versed I am in the genre.  (Sure I can help a newbie get started, but I haven't read anything by many of the 'big great' authors: Dick, Asimov, Clark, etc) So from time to time I 'work' on broadening the breadth of my scifi literacy.  This is definitely in part a rebound from the Card kick!

Oh and if you were wondering, The Forever War was great!  I read it in about 24 hours.  At first I thought I wouldn't like it, but I really got sucked in.  I'd suggest it for people who like: scifi, military fiction, futuristic dystopia.  Those new to scifi might have a hard time though.  

Really enjoyed the Foundation books.  Just ordered some more from the library.  Only for real scifi lovers though.  (But scifi fans will love it!) 

Through a Scanner Darkly was weird and trippy and reminded me of A Clockwork Orange a little.  Has scifi undertones but could probably be mainstream enough for a general fiction reader.  I didn't realize that I'd ordered the graphic novel version.  I wonder if the non-graphic novel version is different/better/worse?  Not sure I'd have the patience for it though.

February

Continuing the Card kick...

Again, all by Orson Scott Card:

Xenocide

Children of the Mind

Shadows in Flight

I'm pretty meh about these books.  Shadows in Flight is simply the most recent Ender's Game book which I obviously had to read.  Honestly it wasn't all that good and didn't really add all that much to the series aside from highlighting one tiny detail.

I love Xenocide and Children of the Mind, but in a very passive way mostly to do with how I felt about them in the past than to do with my current reading experience.

This is the end of the Card kick, so get ready for some variety coming up!

January

I'm on a Card kick like I said I'd be.

So, all by Orson Scott Card:

Ender's Game

Ender's Shadow

Shadow of the Giant

Speaker for the Dead

I'd recommend Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow to pretty much everyone.  Let me know which you read first, I wonder if the order you read them has an effect on which you like better.  Shadow of the Giant is only for true Bean fans, and Speaker for the dead is good for adult sci-fi lovers.  Back to reading!