Ape's 2018 Challenge (2)

Hello everyone and welcome to my thread! My name is Stephen and I don't read nearly as much as I used to. Welcome to my thread, which I will completely neglect for weeks at a time. You should totally add a star and follow, because the lack of activity here means it will take no time at all to keep up with me. I'm very considerate that way.



Currently Reading: Beyond the Pool of Stars
Currently Playing: Apotheon


Books read: 13
Pages read: 3,713

January:
1. The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
2. The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

February:
3. Stranger by Simon Clark
4. Bacchae by Euripides
5. Something Red by Douglas Nicholas

March:
6. Killer Germs by Barry/David Zimmerman

April:
...

May:
7. Beyond the Pool of Stars by Andrew Howard Jones

June:
8. Quidditch Through the Ages by J. K. Rowling
9. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Illustrated Edition by J. K. Rowling
10. Sideshow edited by Deborah Noyes

July:
...

August:
11. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

September
...

October:
12. Blood Prophecy by Stefan Petrucha

November:
...

December:
13. Ship of the Damned by James F. David

-------------------------------

Video Games: 2

January:
1. Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath

October
2. God of War (2018)

2 years ago, I spent most of the year reading Great Tales of Horror by H. P. Lovecraft. I normally only read 1 book at a time, and it was the first time I had an ongoing collection of short stories, and I really liked it! So I'm doing it again this year, except this time I'm reading Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales. I don't yet know how I'm going to post about them, most of the stories are under 5 pages and there is something like 200+ of them, so I might do a weekly roundup or something like that. Anyway, I'll be keeping track of my overall progress on this post!



Pages read: 322 out of 682
Stories read: a few out of a bazillion

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread Stephen! You’re so thoughtful ;0)

Happy new one Stephen. I think that is your longest time ever between threads.

Miss your more active presence around here but I cannot complain it being a case of pot, kettle and black with me too at the minute.

Happy new thread, Stephen!

Just a friendly reminder that Scaife Manor is moving to Ohio in 6 weeks!

Happy New thread!

Happy new thread!

Happy new one, Ape-Man.

Welcome Foggi, Nina, Paul, Leah, Jim, and Micky!! :D

Paul: Yeah, things have been slow, for sure. It's also the worst reading year I've ever had. 6 months into the year and only 7 books finished. Yikes!

Amber: But...that's so SOON! Are you sure you didn't mean "months??" :P

>10 Ape: Ha! Nope. Best get yourself prepared...

Happy new thread, Stephen.
You remind me that the Grimm fairytales are waiting for me, I might join you.

Don't feel bad about 7 books this year, in my worst reading year I had a total of 13...

Happy new thread!

Amber: Oh dear oh dear oh dear...

Anita: Thanks! You can probably catch up to me, I've been reading the complete collection for a year-and-a-half now...and I'm not even halfway through it! :)

At my current rate, I might just match your 13-book total there.

Anita: Thanks! :)

>14 Ape: And if you start from there, you might end up matching her current 75 books a month rate.

75 books a month!? Well, I don't know about that, but maybe "cheating" like this will help me get there! :P

8. Quidditch Through the Ages by J. K. Rowling



Pages: 105
Rating: 4/5
Publication: 2001

-----------------------------------------------------------

Read in 1 sitting, but I swear I'm not just padding my numbers. *ahem*

It’s allowed! It’s not padding. It’s not cheating! Where can I get a copy?

>14 Ape: It took me over a year to get through the complete Andersen fairytales.

>16 humouress: I confess to be reading a lot the last two years, but what Nina said is greatly exaggerated! Only half of that is true ;-)

>19 FAMeulstee: I'm so sorry. Only 38 books a month. :0)

I'm still trying to reach that number in total for the year; another 12 to go.

Nina: I'm afraid you have to go to Hogwarts to get a copy sorry.

Anita: *Bows to Anita's supreme reading speed*

9. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Illustrated Edition by J. K. Rowling



Pages: 133
Rating: 5/5
Publication: 2001 (original), 2017 (illustrated)

Fantasy
Borrowed

--------------------------------------

Nope, still not padding my numbers, definitely not.

It turns out Magic is very expensive. If anyone wants to buy a kidney, let me know. :P

10. Sideshow: Ten Original Tales of Freaks, Illusionists, and other Matters Odd and Magical edited by Deborah Noyes



Pages: 233
Rating: 3/5
Publication: 2009

Fiction: Short Stories
Owned

---------------------------------------------------

A collection of short stories (and comics) centered around carnival life.

Hey! A whole book! :)

I know, right? I mean, it was short and had about 50 pages of "graphic novel" in it, but combined with the 2 Harry Potter books I read I think I practically read a whole book between them. :)

>21 Ape: Good one.

(Turns out I do have a copy.) (So nyah)

>25 MickyFine: woo woo!

Nina: Oh yeah, that's right, they printed it for Muggles, I forgot. :P

So with the talk of Amber moving back to Ohio I've come to realize that I haven't updated my profile picture since 2013. Which is a long, long time, and I've gotten much rounder and stuff since then. So, uh, here I am. I'm pretty sure I smiled. Enjoy.

And new profile pic because I'm so fancy.

>30 Ape: So, so fancy.

>28 Ape: That’s me. Mudblood. *sigh*

>29 Ape: He thinks you may have smiled, too :0) Very handsome.

>29 Ape: >30 Ape: Nice!! Charlie asked me, "Who's that?" and when I told him you're an LT friend who's kind of an expert at Magic the Gathering, and that we'll be pretty close to where you live when we move, he got really excited. So prepare yourself for a meet-up with a smallish geek tagalong...

So, that's what you look like! Love them. : )

*Bows* I hope you enjoy the books in the background that I never read anymore. :P

Fancy photo

>35 Ape: There's always tomorrow...

*gasp* You don't read? Should we be talking to you still? ;0)

Kim: Not always! :P

Nina: Probably not! It's downright scandalous! Then again, scandalous things are usually the most fun...so I'll leave it up to you! :)

>40 Ape: 1) ALways (live in hope).

2) Hmm. Good point.

Live like there is no tomorrow! *Sets fire to everything*

Just realized I never did a summary for last month.

June Summary:

Books read: 3
Pages read: 471

Fiction: 3
Nonfiction: 0

Owned: 1
Library checkout: 0
Borrowed: 2

Three books read! Stats reported!! You are on a roll. : )

Woo woo!

*brushes off ash*

Hi Stephen! Happy weekend!

Any more books yet?

Nope! I basically didn't read this month. I'm about 100 pages into a 400-pager so I won't be finishing anything in July. *Shrug*

So much for July. LOL. How are the plans for August? : )

Uhhh, well, ummm...I think I've read once this month. Maybe...

Making progress then.

Sure! ...kind of... I mean, I might not finish a book 2 months in a row...but progress is being made!

11. A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson



Pages: 397
Rating: 5/5

Nonfiction: Hiking/Memoir
Owned

----------------------------------------------

Bill Bryson attempts to hike one of the worlds longest trails, the Appalachian Trail, stretching from Georgia to Maine, accounting for well over 2,000 miles, and he recounts his adventure here while providing insight into how it was created, how it is maintained, and the future prospects of the trail as society continues to grow and forests continue to be cleared. Very enjoyable book, it was both humorous and enlightening. I loved it!

I loved that one, too, Stephen. He's a good travel companion, isn't he.

Definitely! Plus, I feel like I could totally thru-hike the Appalachian Trail...never mind the fact that I get winded going to the mailbox. :P

Yay! A Book!

You did it! Not the trail...the book! Well done. : )

Hello, fellow Ohioan!!

I haven't read that Bryson yet, but I do love his stuff. Soon, hopefully.

>53 Ape: Ooh, that's a good one!

Yay! A book! And a five star read to boot!

Yep, that's a good one!

>53 Ape: That one is already on my TBR list. Glad to see you enjoyed it!

>53 Ape: The AT runs not far from my house and I have wandered a bit of the trail. One of the candidates I just interviewed for work just got off a 3 month hike from Georgia to Virginia.

Nora: My thoughts exactly!

Kim: I'm practically a reader now.

Amber: It's the only Bryson I've read, but I'll definitely be on the lookout for his books in the future.

Foggi: Agreed!

Micky: It was really good, and I got to enjoy it for a whole month. :P

Jim: Definitely!

Lori: I highly recommend it! :)

Leah: That's awesome! I live in a very popular hiking destination of Ohio (the Hocking Hills) but nothing as crazy as the AT.

I guess I didn't technically do a monthly summary so...uhhh, here it is.

August Summary:

Books read: 1
Pages read: 397

Fiction: 0
Nonfiction: 1

Owned: 1
Library checkout: 0

>55 Ape: In that case, it sounds like a good book. I can empathise with you :0)

>65 Ape: Yay! Way to go!

I didn't read a single book in September...

BUT, I did start reading a horror book in preparation of Fall/October and I'm really liking it so far! Even if I haven't read it for a couple days.

>67 Ape: Great!

Happy spooktober!

Ooh, that is so cool! And scary!

Karen O.

p.s. (Hi, Stephen!)

Hi Karen!

I finished a book! It's a miracle!

12. Blood Prophecy by Stefan Petrucha



Pages: 354
Rating: 3/5

Historical Fiction/Horror
Owned

-----------------------------------------------

An American colonist is bitten by a Native American vampire and gets swept up in the French Revolutionary Wars* in the search for a cure. Yep.

specifically Napoleon's campaign in Egypt/Syria.

Hi Stephen! Yay for reading a book!

Thanks, Mary! I do that sometimes!

*snort* well hey, you've been enjoying making the videos and all. One of my brothers has been reading the same book for like six months, so I've given up asking him what he's reading.

Y'know what's funny? I used to say I was trying to convert my sister into a reader. Well, here I am not reading at all and she has read something like 50-70+ books this year!

Well, if nothing else you were successful haha. I think I read somewhere that reading 12 books a year is pretty much the American average, so really you're not doing bad and may end up above average. It all depends on who you compare yourself to. But I still think that totally counts as being a reader.

Whoa - racing ahead with the posts! Hi Stephen! *waving*

Mary: Above average is good enough for me! :P

Nina: I know, right? And here I thought everyone forgot about me.

And here I thought everyone forgot about me.
never!

Awwww, thanks for saying that... ...who are you again? ;P

Stephen!!! Hi. : )

Hi Kim!!

October Summary:

Books read: 1
Pages read: 354

Fiction: 1
Nonfiction: 0

Owned: 1
Library checkout: 0

>81 Ape: Stephan! That’s not nice.

Everyone knows you only have to be nice to strangers. :P

Besides, Nora is the best. She's even read War and Peace!

I would never forget about you. Ignore your thread for months, maybe, but forget? No.

I can't believe you would do that, Rachel. Nevermind the fact that I haven't been reading threads for a solid year or more. :P

I forgot I had a video game summary for October.

Games completed: 1

Playstation 4: 1

----------------------------------------

Yeah. Noticed you never come around to visit anymore.

Apologies! Making Youtube videos has been alarmingly time-consuming. I'm never would have thought I'd go a whole year and only read 12 books. (So far)

Just dropping in with a Hi!

Hi Kim! I haven't been around, possibly because I haven't read a whole lot in the last month.

Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate such things!

Wishing you a great Thanksgiving Weekend, Stephen, however you decide to spend it.

Thanks, Paul! My family actually celebrated a day early, on Wednesday! Today I'm watching (American) football and hopefully playing in a Magic tournament later tonight.

I hope your tournament went well! Was it online or in person?

Nora: In person! I play almost every Saturday at a local gaming store that hosts several Magic: the Gathering tournaments throughout the week. Then I take the packs that I win and I open them on my Youtube channel, in a video series I call "Spoils of War." So far I've made more money than I've spent because I consistently place high enough to win prize packs. 8-)

That's awesome! Is it usually the same people there every week?

Sort of. There is a core group of 6-7 people that you expect to see regularly, so when I go in I expect to see 2 or 3 of those guys, but then you get plenty of random people who show up once or twice in a blue moon, plus you'll get people who will play every week for a month or 2 and then drop off.

>97 Ape: Wow, you really are being enterprising lately. :) Glad you had a good Thanksgiving.

Yeah! It hasn't been very lucrative, but it's certainly kept me busy enough to not read at all.

Err, so, I have no book summary for November because I didn't finish a book. >_>

So two books in December? :)

Sure! I'l, um, get started on those soon... :P

Happy Holidays Stephen!

Thanks, Rachel! You too! *hugs*

Happy holidays, Stephen.

Seasons Greetings from Singapore! Wishing you and your family joy, peace, good fortune and good health now and in the coming year.

Thanks Paul and Nina!

To anyone who may pass through the thread: Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and have a nice New Year!

Happy Christmas Stephen!

Thanks Nora! You too! :)

13. Ship of the Damned by James F. David



Pages: 384
Rating: 3/5

Science Fiction/Horror
Owned

-----------------------------------------------------------

Started this in October just because it was a spooky looking book. ...aaaand I only just finished it. Pretty so-so to boot. *Shrug*

you finished a book!!!

Nora: I know, it's crazy! I think if I hurry, I can still finish the challenge. I just need to read 62 books over the next couple of days. :P

Go for it Stephen!

...sooo, here are my year-end stats. Super exiting... >_>

Books read: 13
Pages read: 3,713
Average book size: 285 pages

I averaged:
10 pages per day
71 pages per week
309 pages per month

On average, I finished a book every: 28 days

Fiction books read: 11
Nonfiction books read: 2

Owned books read: 9
Library books read: 0
Borrowed from sister: 4

And my increasingly dismal year-by-year stats:

Books read:
2009: 81
2010: 87
2011: 81
2012: 75
2013: 53
2014: 54
2015: 54
2016: 57
2017: 27
2017: 13

Pages read:
2009: 24,492
2010: 25,958
2011: 19,935
2012: 19,168
2013: 17,643
2014: 16,073
2015: 16,217
2016: 19,236
2017: 7,834
2018: 3,713

Average book size:
2009: 302 pages
2010: 298 pages
2011: 246 pages
2012: 255 pages
2013: 333 pages
2014: 297 pages
2015: 300 pages
2016: 337 pages
2017: 290 pages
2018: 285 pages

Average pages read per day:
2009: 67 pages
2010: 71 pages
2011: 54 pages
2012: 52 pages
2013: 48 pages
2014: 44 pages
2015: 44 pages
2016: 53 pages
2017: 21 pages
2018: 10 pages

>117 Ape: That’s more than most people read in a year. (Is that encouraging or depressing?) It’s always good to see you here, no matter the amount read.

I think it's a little bit of both. :P

I'll be here! Uhhh, occasionally! Y'know, sometimes...

How are your YouTube stats?

Steadily growing! Currently at 750+ subscribers and 75,000+ views. It's a paltry amount in the grand scheme of things, but kind of alarming that so many people watched a video and deemed it worthy of subscribing for more. At the current pace the channel should be monetized by my birthday, so that's pretty cool, I suppose!

Most importantly, I feel more confident speaking publicly than I ever have before. In fact, people at my local gaming store (where I play the game in person) probably get tired of the long, rambling speeches I give them about my thoughts on the game.

On the other hand, participating on social media for the channel has probably made me more cynical than ever about humanity as a whole. Don't tell anyone I said that though, I have to keep up appearances and whatnot. ;)

>122 Ape: That's amazing! I had a hunch the videos were probably doing great things for your public speaking skills :-)

Social media is indeed a cesspool. I hope you're taking care of yourself and not feeding the trolls?

Don't forget you can always come talk to us about non-book things! There are only like 2 trolls here.

>122 Ape: That sounds great! Congratulations on the continued growth.

Nora: Indeed it has! If I'm not mistaken, trolls feed on the emotional reactions of the people they are trolling, and I've been dead inside for years. :P

There are trolls on Librarything? Wait, is Micky one of them!?

Zoe: Thanks!

Lori: Thanks, you too!

>126 Ape: Hey! I am not a troll. I'm a My Little Pony. :P

Happy New Year's Eve!!

Micky: Hmmmm... *Lightbulb* It's the goddamn moose, isn't? It's definitely someone from the Canadian Corner, you won't convince me otherwise!

Same to you, Kim! :)

>129 Ape: *throws maple candy at Stephen*

I suspect your reading average over the years may be higher than mine. Good news on the You Tubing! With so much public speaking, we may yet see you in person!