staci426's 2017 Category Challenge

Finally getting this set up. I decided on less categories this year, only ten. I felt like I had too much overlap last year, and had a hard time trying to decide which category to put a book in once I was finished. I couldn’t come up with a theme this year, so there won’t be one. Makes things easier to set up :). I won’t be setting a specific number for each category, but hope to get at least ten. Based on last year’s numbers, that should be easily doable. Some goals for this year are to focus on getting through more series reads and more books off the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die List. I also want to try to finish the four actual paper books I started last year, but never finished; not because I wasn’t enjoying them, but because of vision issues which makes reading actual books a bit difficult. (Well, actually, one of them, I may decide not to finish, not far enough in yet to decide if I like it or not). I also hope to participate in most of the CATs & KITs this year; definitely Awards, Women, Random & SFFF, possibly Culture if a specific topic interests me and I think I’m going to try Alpha for the first time this year. And even though, I haven’t completed one yet, I will try the BingoDOG again.

ETA: Running list of books read for the year. Thought I could do without, but it just makes it easier for me to have this.

JANUARY
1. Firestarter by Stephen King ****
2. Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World's Stolen Treasures by Robert K. Wittman
3. The Vegetarian by Han Kang ***
4. Ross Poldarkby Winston Graham ****
5. Gentleman Jole & the Red Queen by Lois McMaster Bujold ***
6. The Accidental by Ali Smith ***1/2
7. Galileo's Middle Finger: Heretics, Activists and the Search for Justice in Science by Alice Dreger ***1/2
8. The Poisoned Pilgrim by Oliver Potzsch ****
9. Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett ****
10. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen ***1/2
11. Love Songs from a Shallow Grave by Colin Cotterill ****
12. Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen ****
13. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline ****
14. My Man Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse ***1/2
15. The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare ***
16. Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami ****
FEBRUARY
17. Blackout by Mira Grant ***1/2
18. K is for Killer by Sue Grafton ***1/2
19. Dawn by Octavia E. Butler ****
20. The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino ***1/2
21. Morgue Drawer: Clink or Cooler? by Jutta Profijt ***1/2
22. 4:50 From Paddington by Agatha Christie ****
23. The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham ****1/2
24. Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett ****
25. The Churn by James S. A. Corey ***
26. Invader by C. J. Cherryh ***1/2
MARCH
27. Blood of Tyrants by Naomi Novik ***1/2
28. Doll Bones by Holly Black ***1/2
29. The Underground Girls of Kabul by Jenny Nordberg ****
30. The Elusive Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman ***1/2
31. Geek Love by Katherine Dunn ****
32. Alive by Scott Sigler ***
33. Some Experiences of an Irish R. M. by E. Somerville & Martin Ross ***1/2
34. Fun House by Chris Grabenstein ****
35. Guys Read: Terrifying Tales by various ***
APRIL
36. Henry VI, part 1 by William Shakespeare ***1/2
37. Demelza by Winston Graham ***1/2
38. Slash and Burn by Colin Cotterill ***1/2
39. I Hate Everyone, Except You by Clinton Kelly ***
40. Inheritor by C. J. Cherryh ***1/2
41. Jar City by Arnaldur Indridason ***1/2
42. Love, Loss and What We Ate by Padma Lakshmi ***1/2
43. Go Tell it on the Mountain by James Baldwin ****
44. If Democrats Had Any Brains, They'd Be Republicans by Ann Coulter ***1/2
45. Demonic by Ann Coulter ***1/2
46. Out: A Novel by Natsuo Kirino ***
47. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides ****
48. The Woman Who Died a Lot by Jasper Fforde ***1/2
MAY
49. Being Mortal by Atul Gawande ****
50. Free Fall by Chris Grabenstein ***1/2
51. L is for Lawless by Sue Grafton ***1/2
52. And a Bottle of Rum by Wayne Curtis ***
53. The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking ***
54. The Running Man by Richard Bachman ***
55. The Wings of the Sphinx by Andrea Camilleri ***1/2
56. Crippled America by Donald Trump ***1/2
57. Men in Black: How the Supreme Court is Destroying America by Mark R. Levin ***
58. Command Decision by Elizabeth Moon ***
59. Pardonable Lies by Jacqueline Winspear ***1/2
60. Bringing Up Bébé by Pamela Druckerman ***1/2
61. Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny ***1/2
62. The Arrivals by Melissa Marr ***
63. The End is Nigh: The Apocalypse Triptych Book 1 edited by John Joseph Adams ****
64. The Dreams of a Dying God by Aaron Pogue ***1/2
65. Binti by Nnedi Okorafor ****
JUNE
66. Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford ***1/2
67. The Walking Dead Vol. 24: Life and Death by Robert Kirkman ****
68. Last Year by Robert Charles Wilson ***1/2
69. Parasite by Mira Grant ***
JULY
70. The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks ***
71. Homeland by R. A. Salvatore ****
72. The Lost Years of Merlin by T. A. Barron ****
73. The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson ****
AUGUST
74. Infected by Scott Sigler ***
75. The Coming of the Dragon by Rebecca Barnhouse ***1/2
76. The Devil Crept In by Ania Ahlborn ***1/2
SEPTEMBER
77. The Track of Sand by Andrea Camilleri ***1/2
78. Soul Music by Terry Pratchett ***1/2
79. The Gunslinger by Stephen King ***1/2
OCTOBER
80. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel ***
81. History of the Ancient World: A Global Perspective by Gregory S. Aldrete ****
82. The Woman Who Wouldn't Die by Colin Cotterill ***1/2
83. Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix ***1/2
NOVEMBER
84. Different Seasons by Stephen King ****
85. Becoming Nicole by Amy Ellis Nutt ****
DECEMBER
86. The Tempest by William Shakespeare ***1/2
87. Miranda and Caliban by Jacqueline Carey ***1/2
88. Christine by Stephen King ****
89. The Potter's Field by Andrea Camilleri ****

Speculative Fiction
This is my comfort genre. I usually have a separate sci fi & fantasy category, but sometimes it's hard to decide which genre it actually fits. I decided to lump them all together.

1. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline ****
2. Dawn by Octavia E. Butler ****
3. Alive by Scott Sigler ***
4. The Running Man by Richard Bachman ***
5. Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny ***1/2
6. The Arrivals by Melissa Marr ***
7. The Dreams of a Dying God by Aaron Pogue ***1/2
8. Binti by Nnedi Okorafor ****
9. Last Year by Robert Charles Wilson ***
10. The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks ***
11. The Lost Years of Merlin by T. A. Barron ****
12. Homeland by R. A. Salvatore ****
13. The Gunslinger by Stephen King ***1/2
14. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
15. The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien

Did Not Finish:
The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber
Planetfall by Emma Newman
The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams put aside for now, want to come back to it at some point.
Dragon Bones by Patricia Briggs
A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson

Mystery
Another genre I really enjoy. I'm actually thinking most of my mystery reads will fit into my series category, but I'm sure I'll find some new series to start that will fit here.

1. Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen ****
2. The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino ***1/2
3. Jar City by Arnaldur Indridason ***1/2
4. Out by Natsuo Kirino ***

Did Not Finish:
Swiss Vendetta by Tracee de Hahn

Horror
I was always a fan of Stephen King. Most of this category will probably be his books, since I'm trying to work through his bibliography in publication order. But, since I've been dating a horror writer, I've gotten much more interested in this genre, so hope to find some new authors as well.

1. Firestarter by Stephen King ****
2. Doll Bones by Holly Black ***1/2
3. Parasite by Mira Grant ***
4. Infected by Scott Sigler ***
5. The Devil Crept In by Ania Ahlborn ***1/2
6. Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix ***1/2
7. Christine by Stephen King ****

Did Not Finish
Cujo by Stephen King

1001 Books
I've been working on this list for several years now. Every year, I say I want to make more progress. I think the AwardsCAT will help with that this year. Any book off the list will go in this category, even if it fits in one of the other ones. So far I have finished 217 of the books.

218. The Accidental by Ali Smith ***1/2
219. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen ***1/2
220. Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami ****
221. The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham ****1/2
222. Some Experiences of an Irish R. M. by E. Somerville & Martin Ross ***1/2
223. Go Tell it on the Mountain by James Baldwin ****
224. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides ****
225. Journey to the End of the Night by Louis-Ferdinand Céline

Did Not Finish
Molloy by Samuel Beckett

Series
I've got a ton of series going. I made some pretty good progress with them last year, and hope to make even more progress this year. Any book that is number 2 or later in a series I have already started will go here, no matter what other category it may fit.

1. Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen by Lois McMaster Bujold *** book 17 in the Vorkosigan Saga
2. The Poisoned Pilgrim by Oliver Potzsch**** book 4 in the Hangman's Daugher series
3. Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett **** Book 14 in Discworld
4. Love Songs From a Shallow Grave by Colin Cotterill **** book 7 in Dr. Siri Paiboun
5. Blackout by Mira Grant ***1/2 book 3 in the Newsflesh Series
6. K is for Killer by Sue Grafton ***1/2 book 11 in the Kinsey Milhone series
7.Morgue Drawer: Clink or Cooler? by Jutta Profijt ***1/2 book 5 in the Morgue Drawer Series
8. 4.50 From Paddington by Agatha Christie **** book 7 in Miss Marple
9. Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett **** book 15 in the Discworld
10. The Churn by James S. A. Corey *** prequel novella in the Expanse series
11. Invader by C. J. Cherryh ***1/2 book 2 in the Foreigner Series
12. Blood of Tyrants by Naomi Novik ***1/2 book 8 in Temeraire
13. The Elusive Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman ***1/2 book 3 in the Mrs. Pollifax series
14. Fun House by Chris Grabenstein **** book 7 in John Ceepak
15. Slash and Burn by Colin Cotterill ***1/2 book 8 in Dr. Siri Paiboun
16. Inheritor by C. J. Cherryh ***1/2 book 3 in Foreigner
17. The Woman Who Died a Lot by Jasper Fforde ***1/2 book 7 in Thursday Next
18. Free Fall by Chris Grabenstein ***1/2, book 8 in John Ceepak
19. L is for Lawless by Sue Grafton ***1/2, book 12 in Kinsey Milhone
20. The Wings of the Sphinx by Andrea Camileri ***1/2, book 11 in Commissario Montalbano
21. Command Decision by Elizabeth Moon ***, book 4 in Vatta's War
22. Pardonable Lies by Jacqueline Winspear ***1/2, book 3 in Maisie Dobbs
23. The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson, book 4 in the Mistborn series
24. Soul Music by Terry Pratchett ***1/2
25. The Track of Sand by Andrea Camileri ***1/2, book 12 in Commissario Montalbano
26. The Woman Who Wouldn't Die by Colin Cotterill Dr. Siri book 9
27. The Potter's Field by Andrea Camilleri

Did Not Finish:

27. Abaddon's Gate by James S. A. Corey The Expanse bk 3, will finish this one next year

Graphic Novels
I hope to get more of these read this year. There are a lot of series I need to get back to. I will put any full graphic novels or individual comics here, even if it works in other categories.

1. Abiding Perdition #1 by Nick Schley ***
2. The Walking Dead Vol. 24: Life and Death by Robert Kirkman ****
3.

Shakespeare
I don't know why, but I decided I need to read more Shakespeare. I've only ever read four of the plays, each year in high school English we did one. I found this book on Kindle: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. The plays are separated into Comedies, Histories, Tragedies & Romances. I figured I would go in order, one from each category. The book also includes the sonnets, but not sure if I will tackle those.

1. The Comedy of Errors ***
2. Henry VI, part 1 ***1/2
3. The Tempest ***1/2
4. Miranda and Caliban by Jacqueline Carey ***1/2

Short Stories
I really enjoy short stories. I listen to a lot through podcasts. I will list individual short stories here, as well as complete collections. For the individual stories, I will list where I found the story.

Individual Stories
1. The Boatman by Billy O'Callaghan Costa Short Story Award finalist, ***
2. The Persistence of Memory by Rob Ewing Costa Short Story Award finalist, ****
3. Dirty Little Fishes by Jess Kidd Costa Short Story Award finalist, ***
4. Sleeper by Jo Walton ***1/2 from the anthology The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2015
5. Rogey by Danny Murphy **** Costa short story winner 2015
6. Fallen by Erin Soros *** Costa short story 2nd place 2015
7. Gerardo Dreams of Chililes by Niall Bourke ** Costa short story shortlist 2015
8. The Night Office by Peggy Riley **** Costa short story shortlist 2015
9. Watching the Storms Roll in by Annalisa Crawford ***1/2 Costa short story 3rd place 2015
10. To William Burroughs, from His Wife by Rupert Thomson ***1/2 Costa short story shortlist 2015
11. Prosthetic Daughter by Nin Harris ***1/2 from the podcast, Clarkesworld Magazine
12. How to Get Back to the Forest by Sofia Samatar **** from the anthology The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2015
13. Help Me Follow My Sister into the Land of the Dead by Carmen Maria Machado ***3/4 from the anthology The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2015
14. Tortoiseshell Cats are Not Refundable by Cat Rambo **** from the anthology The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2015
15. Ogres of East Africa by Sofia Samatar **** from the anthology The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2015
16. The Lake by Tananarive Due ***1/2 stand-alone Kindle story
17. The Fifth Day of Deer Camp by Scott Sigler from the anthology The End is Nigh ***1/2
18. The Gods Will Not Be Chained by Ken Liu from the anthology The End is Nigh ***
19. Removal Order by Tananarive Due from the anthology The End is Nigh ****
20. Pretty Soon the Four Horsemen Are Going to Come Riding Through by Nancy Kress from the anthology The End is Nigh ****
21. Spores by Seanan McGuire from the anthology The End is Nigh ****
22. The Curious Case of the Copper Corpse by Alan Bradley stand alone story in the Flavia DeLuce mystery series ****
23. Cimmeria: From the Journal of Imaginary Anthropology by Theodora Goss from the anthology, The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2015 ****
24. Gods of Risk by James S. A. Corey ***1/2

Anthologies
1. My Man Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse ***1/2
2. Guys Read: Terrifying Tales by various ***
3. The End is Nigh by various ****
4. The End is Now: The Apocalypse Triptych Book 2 by various
5. The End Has Come: The Apocalypse Triptych Book 3 by various
6. Different Seasons by Stephen King **** (did not finish Apt Pupil, but really enjoyed the other 3 novellas)

Non-fiction
I've gotten more interested in reading non-fiction over the past few years and hope to discover some interesting works this year.

1. Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World's Stolen Treasures by Robert K. Wittman ****
2. Galileo's Middle Finger by Alice Dreger ***1/2
3. The Underground Girls of Kabul by Jenny Nordberg ****
4. I Hate Everyone, Except You by Clinton Kelly ***
5. Love, Loss and What We Ate by Padma Lakshmi ***1/2
6. If Democrats Had Any Brains, They'd Be Republicans by Ann Coulter ***1/2
7. Demonic by Ann Coulter ***1/2
8. Being Mortal by Atul Gawande ****
9. And a Bottle of Rum by Wayne Curtis ***
10. Crippled America by Donald Trump ***1/2
11. Men in Black: How the Supreme Court is Destroying America by Mark R. Levin
12. Bringing Up Bébé by Pamela Druckerman ***1/2
13. History of the Ancient World: A Global Perspective by Gregory S. Aldrete ****
14. Becoming Nicole by Amy Ellis Nutt ****

Did Not Finish:
The Psychopath Test by John Ronson - did not finish
Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In by Bernie Sanders

Everything Else

1. The Vegetarian by Han Kang ***
2. Ross Poldark by Winston Graham ****
3. Geek Love by Katherine Dunn ****
4. Demelza by Winston Graham ***1/2
5. Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford ***1/2
6. The Coming of the Dragon by Rebecca Barnhouse ***1/2

Did Not Finish
The Prestige by Christopher Priest

AwardsCAT

January: Year's Best lists and Costa Book Award
The Boatman, Costa Short Story Finalist, 2016
The Persistance of Memory, Costa Short Story Finalist, 2016
The Vegetarian by Han Kang, NYT Best of 2016 list
The Accidental by Ali Smith, 2005 Costa Book Award
Rogey by Danny Murphy, 2015 Costa short story winner
Fallen by Erin Soros, 2015 Costa short story 2nd place

February: Canada Reads competition and The Morning News Tournament of Books

March: The Newbery and Caldecott medals and other Genre Awards (any genre prize not already featured)
Doll Bones by Holly Black, 2014 Newberry Honor Book

April: International Dublin Literary Award and the Pulitzer Prize

May: Man Booker International Prize and the Edgar Awards

June: The PEN Literary Awards and the National Book Award (USA)

July: Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction and any Science Fiction/Fantasy award

August: Miles Franklin Award and the Stonewall Book Award

September: Man Booker Prize and O. Henry Award

October: Nobel Prize for Literature and the Giller Prize

November: Local Awards (a regional prize of your choice)

December: International awards (a prize from a country you aren't living in)

RandomCAT

January: Search & Rescue: Books related to search or rescue or with the words search, rescue or their synonyms in the title
Priceless: How I went Undercover to Rescue the World's Stolen Treasures by Robert K. Wittman
Galileo's Middle Finger: Heretics, Activists and the Search for Justice in Science by Alice Dreger
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, search for video game Easter Egg

February: Yours, Mine and Ours: Books with possessives in the title

March: Luck O' the Irish: Books about or set in Ireland, by Irish authors, or "green" in the title
Some Experience of an Irish R. M. by E. Somerville & Martin Ross

April: Love in the Stacks: Read a library book
I Hate Everyone, Except You by Clinton Kelly

May:

June:

July:

August:

September:

October:

November: Traffic Jam

December:

CATWoman

January: Classics by women
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

February: Debut books

March: Genres
Blood of Tyrants by Naomi Novik, historical fantasy
The Lake by Tananarive Due, horror/short story
Doll Bones by Holly Black, YA horror
The Elusive Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman, mystery

April: Biography/autobiography/memoir
Love, Loss and What We Ate by Padma Lakshmi

May: Women in the arts

June: Professional women

July: Women of color

August: Nonfiction or historical fiction

September: Children's/YA/Graphic novels

October: Regional reading

November: LGBT/Feminist writing
Becoming Nicole by Amy Ellis Nutt ****

December: Modern (post-1960) novels by women

CultureCAT

January: Ethics in Science & Technology
Sleeper by Jo Walton, AI issues
Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen by Lois McMaster Bujold, genetic engineering & alternative reproductive issues
Galileo's Middle Finger: Heretics, Activists and the Search for Justice in Science by Alice Dreger

February: Medicine & Public Health
The Psychopath Test by John Ronson

March: Cultural Awareness & Diversity
The Underground Girls of Kabul by Jenny Nordberg

April: for Religious Diversity & Freedom

May: Gender Equality

June: Environmentalism/Conservation (including global warming concerns)

July: Violence, Crime & Justice

August: Impact of Natural disasters

September: Journalism & the Arts

October: Poverty

November: Conflict & War (including terrorism)

December: Cultural Flow & Immigration

SFFFKIT

January: Read an SFF you meant to read in 2016, but never started/completed
Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen by Lois McMaster Bujold
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

February: Space Travel!

March: Religious Themed SciFi/Fantasy
The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber

April: Dystopian/Apocalyptic theme
Working on short stories from The End is Nigh: The Apocalypse Triptych Volume 1 by multiple authors

May: Alien contact

June: Series Month

July: Award Winners/Nominees

August: Humorous sci fi/fantasy

September: Steampunk

October: Near Future SciFi

November: Historical SFF

December: Magic Systems

AlphaKIT

January:
M
Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen by Lois McMaster Bujold
Galileo's Middle Finger by Alice Dreger
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Blackout by Mira Grant
My Man Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse
Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami
S
Firestarter by Stephen King
The Accidental by Ali Smith
Love Songs From a Shallow Grave by Colin Cotterill
Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen
The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare
Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami

February: W & H
W
The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham
H
The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino

March: E & K
E
The Elusive Mrs. Polifax by Dorothy Gilman
Some Experiences of an Irish R. M. by E. Somerville & Martin Ross
K
The Underground Girls of Kabul by Jenny Nordberg
Geek Love by Katherine Dunn

April: I & D
I
Inheritor by C. J. Cherryh
I Hate Everyone, Except You by Clinton Kelly
Jar City by Arnaldur Indridason

D

May: C & T

June: Y & N

July: B & G

August: O & F

September: U & P

October: A & V

November: L & Q

December: J & R

Year Long: X & Z
X
The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino
Z

1. Author shares your initials:
2. Set before you were born: The Poisoned Pilgrim by Oliver Potzsch, 1666
3. Author born in the 1930s:
4. Debut work: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
5. Book about books:
6. Author abroad:
7. Science related: Galileo's Middle Finger: Heretics, Activists and the Search for Justice in Science by Alice Dreger
8. Place name in title: The Underground Girls of Kabul by Jenny Nordberg
9. Book or title about an animal:
10. Set in a beach community/resort: Fun House by Chris Grabenstein
11. Next in a series: Love Songs From a Shallow Grave by Colin Cotterill, book 7 in Dr. Siri
12. Owned more than five years:
13. Read a CAT: Priceless: How I went Undercover to Rescue the World's Stolen Treasures by Robert K. Wittman, January RandomCAT search & rescue
14. A satire: Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett
15. Set somewhere you want to visit:
16. Author born or book published in 1917:
17. One word title: Dawn by Octavia E. Butler
18. Color in the title: Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen by Lois McMaster Bujold
19. Published in the 1940-1960s: Ross Poldark by Winston Graham, 1945
20. Author uses initials: My Man Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse
21. Made into a movie: Firestarter by Stephen King
22. Short story collection: Guys Read: Terrifying Tales by various
23. Title refers to another literary work:
24. Set in a country you’ve never been: The Vegetarian by Han Kang, South Korea
25. Appeals to the senses:

Sounds like a great plan. Good luck with your category reading in 2017!

Great setup! Good luck with your challenge!

Great categories, I suspect I will get hit with a few book bullets along the way. Very interested in your 1001 Books as I have started to work on this list although I'm only up to 117 so far.

Lovely to see you back. Good luck with your challenge!

Good luck with all you CATs and KITs and BINGOs. Looks like you've made good progress already and we're still in the first month! Priceless looks very interesting.

Thanks for stopping by everyone! I've been slow with getting things started over here, but have still been getting some good reading in. I still need to make my way around everyone's threads. I have a three day weekend coming up, so hopefully will make some more progress then.

>23 mamzel: I really enjoyed Priceless. it moved at a quick pace, and he worked on some interesting cases. It was interesting that it wasn't about getting the arrest, but recovering the stolen pieces.

Finally getting around to posting my reads so far this year. I think I’m off to a pretty good start to the year. Now if I can just get caught up here on LT.

The Boatman; The Persistence of Memory; Dirty Little Fishes
Category/Genre: Short Stories
CATS/KITS/DOGS: Awards, Costa
These were the three finalists for the 2016 Costa Award Short Story Prize. I listened to the audio versions which were available on the Costa web site. I voted for The Persistence of Memory. I really enjoyed that one. I didn’t really get Dirty Little Fishes. It was confusing to me. The Boatman was ok.

Firestarter by Stephen King ****
Category: Horror/Horror
CATS/KITS/DOGS: Alpha, S/Made into a movie

I’ve been working on a reread of King’s bibliography in publication order. This is one that I don’t think I had read before. I really enjoyed it.

Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World’s Stolen Treasures by Robert K. Wittman ****
Category: Non-fiction
CATS/KITS/DOGS: Random, search & rescue/Read a CAT

I chose this one for the RandomCAT because of the word rescue in the title. This was pretty interesting. Wittman is a former FBI agent who worked to recover stolen art.

The Vegetarian by Han Kang ***
Category: Everything Else/Fiction
CATS/KITS/DOGS: Awards, NYT 10 best books of 2016/Set in a country you’ve never been, Korea

I don’t remember how this book had caught my attention, but it had been in my to read list for a bit. I decided to read it now for the AwardsCAT, best of lists portion. It started out good, but then went downhill for me with part 2. A woman has a dream and decides to become a vegetarian. Her story is told from the point of view of first her husband, then her brother in law, and then her sister. It was interesting, but something just didn’t work for me.

Ross Poldark by Graham Winston ****
Category: Everything Else/Historical Fiction
CATS/KITS/DOGS: Publishes 1940s-1960s, 1945

I decided to give this a try for the group read. I was not familiar with the books or the show, but it sounded interesting. I’m glad I picked it up. Ross Poldark returns to Cornwall after fighting in the American Revolution to find his father has died, his home is in shambles and the woman he planned to marry engaged to his cousin. Graham has created a great group of characters and a great story here. I’m looking forward to continuing with the series.

Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen by Lois McMaster Bujold ***
Category: Series, Vorkosigan Saga 17
CATS/KITS/DOGS: Culture, reproductive issues/Alpha, M/SFFF/Color in title

I had been looking forward to reading this last year, but it was never available at the library until now, so it fit perfectly for the SFFKit. It also ended up fitting for the CultureCAT bringing up interesting questions about reproduction. This installment focuses on Cordelia, not Miles. I was a bit disappointed with this one actually. I prefer the Miles adventure stories. This one was a bit too romancy for my tastes.

The Accidental by Ali Smith ***1/2
Category: 1001 Books/Fiction
CATS/KITS/DOGS: Awards, Costa 2005 novel/Alpha S

I’ve owned this book for quite some time. I finally decided to read it for this month’s AwardsCAT. It was the Costa novel winner in 2005. I’m glad to have finally read it. It was told from the points of view of each of the members of the Smart family: Michael, dad; Eve, mom; Astrid, daughter; Magnus, son. The family is on holiday in Norfolk when a woman, Amber, shows up and insinuates herself into their lives.

Galileo’s Middle Finger: Heretics, Activists and the Search for Justice in Science by Alice Dreger ***1/2
Category: Non-fiction
CATS/KITS/DOGS: Culture, ethics in science/Random, search &
rescue/Alpha M/Science related

I chose this because I thought it would fit for the CultureCAT, which it definitely did, and then realized it would also fit for the RandomCAT, when I paid closer attention to the full title of the book. From the description on the library’s website: “A powerful defense of intellectual freedom told through the ordeals of contemporary scientists attacked for exploring controversial ideas, by a noted science historian and medical activist.” This was an interesting read. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, I don’t do a lot of reading in this area. I’m glad I stumbled upon this one.

I also listened to two more short stories from the Costa awards site, from 2015, Rogey by Danny Murphy, winner & Fallen by Erin Soros, second place. I enjoyed both of them, Rogey a bit more than Fallen.

Currently working on:

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen, audio/classics
The Poisoned Pilgrim by Oliver Potzsch, audio, historical mystery
Lords & Ladies by Terry Pratchett, paperback/audio, fantasy
The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham, ebook, fiction
The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare, ebook, drama

>25 staci426: Wow, you have been busy reading! I read The Midwich Cuckoos last year and I found it rather odd; but I can't say it was "bad"! Hope you enjoy!

>25 staci426: - Wow, great batch of reading there!

>26 Tess_W: I am enjoying it so far. I really like Wyndham's style, it is a bit odd, but that's what I like about it. Hoping to get it finished soon.

I've finished two more books, both in my series category.

The Poisoned Pilgrim by Oliver Potzsch ****
Genre: Mystery
CATS/KITS/DOGS: none

This is the book 4 in the Hangman's Daughter series which takes place in 17th century Germany. In this installment, Magdalena and Simon join a pilgrimage to a monastery where there have been some mysterious deaths. I'm still really enjoying this series. The characters are great and I really enjoy the setting.

Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett ****
Genre: Fantasy
CATS/KITS/DOGS: SFFF/A Satire

This is book 14 in publication order of the Discworld. This one features the witches, Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg & Magrat. They have returned from their trip and it's time for Magrat's wedding. Pratchett takes on Shakespeare and A Midsummer Night's Dream in this installment. This one fit for the SFFKIT, I was hoping to get it finished last year, but wasn't able to. It also fits for Bingo square, a satire.

Still working on:
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen, audio/classics
The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham, ebook/fiction
The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare, ebook/drama

And just started:
Love Songs From a Shallow Grave by Colin Cotterill, audio/mystery

Just finished another batch of Costa Award Short Stories. These were the 2015 shortlist and third runner up. Third place was Watching the Storms Roll In by Annalisa Crawford. This one was good. The rest of the shortlist included: The Night Office by Peggy Riley, I really enjoyed this one; Gerardo Dreams of Chillies by Niall Bourke, I didn't care for this one, plus the narrator on the audio had such a slow monotone voice, it seemed like it took forever for the story to finish; To William Burroughs, from His Wife by Rupert Thomson, this one was good.

Wow - lots of great reading! I'm reading the 1001 books also - I've only just cracked 100 recently; I really enjoyed Ali Smith's How to Be Both; I'll have to get to The Accidental sooner rather than later.

I loved Ready Player One when I read it in 2013.

Dropping a comment so that I get to follow your thread - happy reading! (I'm a little behind, so apologies for the generic comment - better to come, I hope.) :)

I was in a bit of a reading/LT funk in February. I'm working on a new project at work which involves more attention than previously, so I can't listen to audiobooks while I'm working like I used to be able to do. Also can't spend as much time on LT as I would like while I'm at work. I contemplated giving up on the group for the year, but I've gotten re-motivated and do want to continue. I'm looking forward to many of March's CATS/KITS. If anyone is interested in my February reads, they are in my first post.

I am currently working on:
Blood of Tyrants by Naomi Novik, historical fantasy/audio fits for WomanCAT
Henry the VI, part 1 by William Shakespear

(This list looks so short lol. Usually I have more books going at once).

>32 staci426: I know how the work thing goes. It's exactly why I'm not doing the challenge this year. Glad to hear you're managing to juggle the two and are continuing on. Best of luck!

Good luck with the new project at work! And it looks like you had a good reading month in February!

Will be interested to hear what you think of Henry VI. Have you watched the second season of The Hollow Crown? It adapts the three Henry VI plays and Richard III.

>33 AHS-Wolfy: Thanks. Sorry you weren't able to work things out to be able to do the challenge this year. I'm hoping this is a short term project and things will get back to normal soon.

>34 rabbitprincess: Thanks. I'm enjoying Henry VI so far. I'm not that familiar with the actual history involved in the story, so have been consulting Wikipedia as I read. I'm not familiar with Hollow Crown. I will have to check it out.

I've finally managed to finish a few books to start off March:

Blood of Tyrants by Naomi Novik ***1/2
Category: Series/Historical Fantasy
CATS/KITS/DOGS: Women, genres

This is book 8 in the Temeraire alternate history/fantasy series which takes place during the Napoleonic Wars. In this installment, Laurence has been shipwrecked separated from Temeraire and the crew in Japan. This was another enjoyable installment in this series. Temeraire is one of m favorite characters. it's always fun to visit with him. This book fits this month's CATWomen for genres, I think it fits under several genres; historical fiction, alternate history & fantasy.

Doll Bones by Holly Black ***1/2
Category: Horror
CATS/KITS/DOGS: Awards, Newberry Honor Book 2014 & Women, genres

This was a young adult ghost story about three friends with a haunted doll who decide to have one last adventure together. I chose this for the AwardsCAT since it was a Newberry Honor book and it also works for the CATWomen, it's YA and horror. It was an enjoyable quick read.

I also finished another short story:
The Lake by Tananarive Due ***1/2
Category: short stories/horror
CATS/KITS/DOGS: Women, genres

This author has been on my radar for awhile, and I found this story available for free on Kindle. I enjoyed it. A new teacher from Boston moves into an old house by the lake in a small Florida town. Nobody has warned her that she should not swim in the lake. This was a good story. It was uncomfortable in parts, but horror is not supposed to make you feel good. I will definitely be looking to read one of her novels. This fits for the CATwoman genres, horror.

I am currently working on:

The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber, audio/sci fi
Henry the VI, part 1 by William Shakespeare, ebook/drama
The Elusive Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman, ebook/mystery

Finished two more books:

The Underground Girls of Kabul by Jenny Nordberg ****
Category: Non-fiction
CATS/KITS/DOGS: Culture, Alpha, place name in title

This was a very interesting book which I happened to stumble upon while browsing my library's audio collection. It is about the tradition in Afghanistan of young girls being raised as boys in families where there is no son. Once the girl hits puberty, she is expected to return to life as a young woman. This was an eye-opening look into a culture that I knew nothing about. Highly recommended. I initially chose to read this for the AlphaKIT K, then realized it would fit nicely for the CultureCAT as well. I also used it for the Bingo square, place name in the title.

The Elusive Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman ***1/2
Category: Series/Mystery
CATS/KITS/DOGS: Woman, Alpha

This is book 3 in the Mrs. Pollifax cozy spy series. In this installment, Mrs. Pollifax is sent on a courier mission to Bulgaria, which, of course, does not go as planned. I'm really enjoying this series. Mrs. Pollifax is such a great character. I will be looking forward to where her next adventure will occur. This book fits for the CATWomen, genres theme since it's a mystery. It also fits AlphaKIT for the letter E.

I also had one abandoned book, The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber. I had started listening to the audio version for the SFFFKIT this month. I decided to stop listening because of the audio quality. It seemed a bit echo-y to me, which I was dealing with. But then, when the narrator started the alien voice, it was a very annoying voice, which I was having difficulty understanding, so decided I would come back to this one at another time in print form. I was really enjoying the story, so would like to finish it.

I am currently working on:
Henry the VI, part 1 by William Shakespeare, ebook/drama
Some Experiences of an Irish R. M. by E. Somerville & Martin Ross, ebook/fiction
Alive: Book One of the Generations Trilogy by Scott Sigler, audio/horror
Cujo by Stephen King, audio/horror

"when the narrator started the alien voice, it was a very annoying voice, which I was having difficulty understanding, so decided I would come back to this one at another time in print form."

Good information to know! I was thinking about listening to the audiobook version. I think I will pass on listening to it.

It’s been a while since I’ve posted. My reading and LT participation has drastically dropped ever since I became obsessed with Dungeons & Dragons earlier this year. My boyfriend had always been talking about how it was his favorite game and he wanted to start up a campaign for me. I was not really interested, but finally decided to do some research since he was so enthusiastic about it. I discovered some podcasts & videos and became hooked. Then we finally started playing and I became even more hooked. I was mainly reading & listening to D&D related things since early summer. I’m finally at the point where the obsession has died down a bit and I want to listen to some regular books again. Just in time to start off the new year. I’ve started exploring next year’s group and am excited for the CATS & KITS. I’m still trying to come up with my categories and will hopefully get a thread started over there soon.
E
ven though my reading slowed down halfway through the year, I still managed to finish 86 books. I stopped trying to find books for specific categories, but did put the books I ended up reading into the appropriate category. I’m really happy with the progress I made in series, with 26 books read in that category. I also made good progress in non-fiction and speculative fiction. I didn’t have any five star reads this year, but some of the stand outs were:

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham
Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
The Apocalypse Triptych an interesting collection of short stories
Different Seasons by Stephen King, three out of the four stories, a reread for me

I’m finishing off the year with another Stephen King, Christine. This is one that I haven’t read yet. So far I’m enjoying it.

Glad to hear you've been having a good reading year and made great progress on series! It's so easy to start series and so hard to keep on top of them (at least that's my experience). See you over in the 2018 group!

Stopping by to wish you and your loved ones peace, joy and happiness this holiday season and for 2018!