Top 5 Books Read in 2021

 

My 5 Favorite Books Read in 2021

5. Molly House by A.R. Pip

4. Saga: Compendium One by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

3. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

2. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

1. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

My Top 5 Books of 2020

 

My Five Favorite Books Read In 2020:

5. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

4. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

3. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L Konigsburg

2. The Plague by Albert Camus

1. Lab Girl by Hope Jahren

My Top 5 Books of 2019

My 5 Favorite Books Read In 2019:

5. The Dragon With A Chocolate Heart by Stephanie Burgis

4. The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

3. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

2. Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman

1. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

Reading Books By Women Authors In 2019

I'm going to do a year of reading only books by women in 2019. I've got some amazing-looking books lined up, and I'm looking forward to this as an opportunity to hear some different voices and to read some things I might not have otherwise chosen.




Here is the list of works by female authors that I've got on my shelf right now:

Finished Reading:

Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova
The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

Currently Reading:

So You Want To Be A Wizard by Diane Duane
The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin
Hack College Like An Entrepreneur by Antonia Liu

To Be Read:

Shut Up Shakespeare and Other Poems by Ellen Beener
A Book Without Dragons by Olivia Berrier
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart by Stephanie Burgis
The Distant Land of my Father by Bo Caldwell
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper
The Vengeful Half by Jackie Dolamore
Moonlight Sonata by Elizabeth Donald
Deep Wizardry by Diane Duane
Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
China Homecoming by Jean Fritz
Seaworthy by Linda Greenlaw
The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
A Thousand Miles to Freedom by Eunsun Kim
Mambo in Chinatown by Jean Kwok
Dragon Magic by Andre Norton
Seven Spells To Sunday by Andre Norton
Lady Knight by Tamora Pierce
Lumberjanes Vol. 4 by Noelle Stevenson, Shannon Watters, and Brooke Allen
The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Saving Fish From Drowning by Amy Tan
Spectra by Rebecca Thompson and Kerry G. Johnson
Space Opera by Catherynne Valente
The Flutter Collection by Jennie Wood
Wizard's Hall by Jane Yolen

That accounts for just under half of the goal of 75, although I will pick up some of the remaining ones from the Kiddo's to-be-read pile. Open to suggestions of any genre. I am somewhat limited in terms of what is available at easily accessible bookstores in Shanghai (I prefer not to read ebooks, which limits things a bit further, but I expect to have some opportunities over the course of the year to do a bit of book shopping).

Exceptions:

With any absolute statement, there are usually some exceptions attached.

I have three books by male authors that I am in the process of reading, and one I'm reading with the Kiddo and the other two are books that I've been reading in really slow bits at a time.

I do a comic review blog, and individual issue comics in my Random Stack of Unread Comics are, well, random, so I'm not including them in this exercise.

I sometimes have required professional development books for my job that I don't get to choose.

For the books that I read for bedtime reading with the Kiddo, I do have a really nice selection of books by women authors lined up, and I plan to try to stick with those and let him read other books on his own, but some of this is his choice.

I got a huge list of ideas to add to my wishlist from Facebook friends, but I am always happy to take other suggestions! Looking forward to some great reading in 2019!

2018 Reading Recap

I ended the year having read 84 books, which beat my reading goal of 70! I also beat last year's record for most books read in a year since I started counting. My recap on Goodreads can be found here.

Here is my set of top-five lists for myself and the Kiddo:

My Top 5 Books Read In 2018

5. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.
4. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan.
3. The Thief of Always by Clive Barker.
2. I Kill Giants by Joe Kelly and J.M. Ken Niimura.
1. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien.

My Top 5 Books That I Read With The Kiddo In 2018

5. Dog Man and Cat Kid by Dav Pilkey.
4. Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan.
3. Amulet Book Seven: Firelight by Kazu Kibuishi.
2. The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger.
1. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Kiddo's Top 5 Books Read In 2018

5. The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger.
4. Captain Underpants and the Invasion of the Incredibly Naughty Cafeteria Ladies from Outer Space and the Subsequent Assault of the Equally Evil Lunchroom Zombie Nerds by Dav Pilkey.
3. Alvin Ho: Allergic to the Great Wall, the Forbidden Palace, and Other Tourist Attractions by Lenore Look.
2. Dog Man and Cat Kid by Dav Pilkey.
1. Amulet Book Six: Escape From Lucien by Kazu Kibuishi.

Summer Review Recap

Once again, things got busy and I dropped out of the habit of doing these weekly recap blogs.

Here is a quick recap of reviews I wrote over the summer.

We had a great summer trip to the USA, half of our vacation in New Hampshire, and half on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, with a Father/Son Road Trip to Maine. Plenty of summer photos have been posted on Flickr and Instagram.

I also joined Bookcrossing. You can find me here.

And I did a lot of reading and wrote a lot of reviews.

Comic Reviews on Comic A Day

Avengers: Age of Ultron Prelude from Marvel Comics.

Princeless Book 4: Be Yourself #1 from Action Lab Entertainment.

Batwoman #7 from DC Comics.

Doodles Vol. 1 from Kaiser Studio.

Dark Sights from Against Studios.

Lumberjanes Vol. 3: A Terrible Plan from Boom! Studios

Daredevil Noir from Marvel Comics.

Batman '66 Meets Steed and Mrs. Peel #1 from DC Comics and Boom! Studios

The Heavenly Bride Book 2 by Katrina Joyner.

Geraniums and Bacon #5 by Cathy Leamy.

Coelacanthid #5 by Michael Connor.

Robin Red and the Lutins #1 from ACE.

Darth Vader #1 from Marvel Comics.

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Volume 1: Squirrel Power from Marvel Comics.

Marvel Fanfare #2 from Marvel Comics.

DC Nation #0 from DC Comics.

Captain Phasma #1 from Marvel Comics.

Metamo Kiss Vol. 1 by Sora Omote.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi #1 from Marvel Comics.

The 13-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton

I Kill Giants by Joe Kelly and Ken Niimura from Image Comics.

Eensy Weensy Monster Vol. 1 by Masami Tsuda

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Vol. 2: Squirrel You Know It's True from Marvel Comics

Magic: The Gathering #4 from IDW.

Dog Man by Dav Pilkey.

Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties by Dav Pilkey

Axis Powers Hetalia Artbook Artestella Piccolo by Hidekaz Himaruya

Errand of Mercy: The Irish Potato Blight And The Good Ship Jamestown by J.L. Bell and Olivia Li

Warriors: Graystripe's Adventure by Erin Hunter, Dan Jolley, and James L. Barry.

A Prelude To Penemue by Sara M. Harvey.

Batwoman #6 from DC Comics.

Steal This Comic.com Presents: The Punchlines by Carlisle Devonish

This is a Sampler! by Aya Rothwell.

Batwoman #8 from DC Comics.

Rival Angels: Damsels of Destruction: Wrestling Maneuvers And Techniques Volume 1 by Rival Angels

Infinity Countdown: Black Widow #1 from DC Comics.

Red Sonja / Tarzan #1 from Dynamite.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi #3 from Marvel Comics.

Red Sonja / Tarzan #2 from Dynamite.

Steven Universe #17 from Kaboom!.

Action Comics #1000 from DC Comics.

Captain Spectacular #1 from Gumshoe Comics.

Batman: Prelude to the Wedding: Red Hood vs. Anarky #1 from DC Comics.

Book Reviews on Goodreads

Exit, Pursued by a Bear by Greer Gilman.

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan.

Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee.

The Fault in our Stars by John Green.

Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl.

The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss.

One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey.

Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl.

A Little Book of Campfire Songs by Brian Denington.

How to be a Pirate by Cressida Cowell.

Bozo the Clone by Dan Greenburg.

Alvin Ho: Allergic to the Great Wall, the Forbidden Palace, and Other Tourist Attractions by Lenore Look.

Paul Revere's Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger.

A Glory of Unicorns edited by Bruce Coville.

The Giver by Lois Lowry.

Who Is Stan Lee? by Geoff Edgers.

Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett.

Shanghai Bund Architecture by Michelle Qiao.

Sarah Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan.

Wild Fairies: Daisy's Decorating Dilemma by Brandi Dougherty.

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien.

Who Was Rosa Parks? by Yona Zeldis McDonough.

Succeeding With Inquiry in Science and Math Classrooms by Jeff C. Marshall.

Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke.

Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.

Bad Gurus: Fiction From a Near Future by Jay O'Connell.

Phineas and Ferb: Wild Surprise by Helena Mayer.

Upcoming

We are heading to Xi'an by train the first week in October. I'm excited for the chance to photograph this historic city.

Weekly Recap For April 15-28 2018

The school year is beginning to wind down. Summer plans are starting to fall into place. We have a four-day weekend right now for International Labor Day, and we did a bit of sightseeing today at Qibao Old Street, which is the closest of the several "canal town" historical districts around Shanghai. I had been there previously with the Kiddo, but it was nice to go on a less crowded day (our previous visit was during the Chinese New Year holidays) and to show Gynn around.

This weekend was also WWE's Greatest Royal Rumble event, which we watched last night and today. Lots of spectacle, and some fun moments, but the matches could have been better.

For most of the rest of the world, this weekend is the opening of Avengers: Infinity War, but we have to wait until May 11 in China. (So no spoilers, please!).

I also started playing in the D&D group I was invited to join, and the first session was great. We play again tomorrow. I also attended a Magic: The Gathering Prerelease tourney here in Shanghai. Didn't have much success in terms of wins and losses, but had fun playing the new cards (in Chinese!).

While all of this has been going on, I've posted a few book reviews:

Book Reviews on Goodreads

Jax Starlight Volume 1 by Jenn Nixon. (5*).

The Complete Plays by Christopher Marlowe. (3*).

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany. (4*).

Star Wars: What Makes a Monster? by Adam Bray. (3*).

Trickster's Choice by Tamora Pierce. (4*).

Supporting

I'm Supporting Daniel Hurd, my wife's cousin, who is riding in the Great Cycle Challenge to raise money for the fight against children's cancer.

Upcoming

In the immediate future: D&D tomorrow, and then two days off, which will be spent reorganizing a bunch of paperwork around the house.

All sorts of end-of-school things are happening in the coming weeks. We're planning on heading for one more visit to one of the canal towns before the school year ends, and we may have some other random sightseeing around Shanghai.

It looks like we will be in Merrimack NH from June 20 to July 8, and then splitting our time between Dedham MA and Cape Cod MA from July 9 to August 2. I'll be taking the Kiddo to Maine for the annual father/son road trip during our time in NH. More specific arrangements should be coming together in the next week or so.

Reading Recap For 2017

I ended the year having read 72 books, which blew away my reading goal of 55! It's also the most I read in a year since I started keeping track about 10 years ago. There's a nice recap on Goodreads that can be found here.

I've also put together a set of top-five lists for myself and the Kiddo. Here they are:

My Top 5 Books Read In 2017

5. Never Let Me by Jennifer Brozek
4. Lisey's Story by Stephen King
3. Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
2. Castle Waiting by Linda Medley
1. The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

My Top 5 Books That I Read With The Kiddo In 2017

5. The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
4. The Diary of Amos Lee by Adeline Foo
3. Darth Vader and Son by Jeffrey Brown
2. The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen
1. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

Kiddo's Top 5 Books Read In 2017

5. How To Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell
4. Magic Tree House #35: Night of the New Magicians by Mary Pope Osborne
3. Diary of a Wimpy Kid #4: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney
2. Darth Vader and Son by Jeffrey Brown
1. Dog Man Unleashed by Dav Pilkey

Review Recap For March 13-20, 2017

I've read fifteen books so far in 2017 (this includes chapter books read aloud to the Kiddo). I'm ahead of pace on my goal of 55 for the year. Here's a look at what I've read so far:



A couple of the above books are in this week's set of reviews.

On Goodreads

The Case of the Cursed Dodo: A hardboiled animal detective story by Jake G. Panda.

On Comic A Day

Leave It To Chance #1: The first issue of the great urban fantasy series by James Robinson and Paul Smith from Image's Homage Comics imprint.

X-Men #1: Free Comic Book Day 2008: An excellent example of how to do a good story that is accessible to new readers for a series with as complex a continuity as Marvel's X-Men.

Heavenly Bride Book One: A supernatural romance by Katrina Joyner.

Also This Week

Pi Day was also Giving Day at my Alma Mater, Cornell University. I chose to support undergraduate scholarships in the College of Arts and Sciences. Donations are still being accepted.

Friday and Saturday was the SaiMUN Model United Nations conference here in Ho Chi Minh City, which my students attended (and I helped to chaperone). I posted a set of pictures here.

Upcoming

We leave for a week in Hanoi, Halong Bay, and Sapa, Vietnam on August 2.

Camp Nanowrimo will be happening in April, and I'll be working on putting together a second draft of the novel I wrote in November 2016. 

I have plans to do some last bits of sightseeing around Ho Chi Minh City in the time between our Spring Break and the end of the school year.

We'll also be starting to pack up for our move to China. We depart for the USA on June 16, and we'll be heading to China around the end of July. We're still figuring out our plans for our time in the US. We have a wedding to attend in Maryland, and some possible time we'll be spending in the New York City area, in addition to our usual haunts in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. I'm also looking at a trip to Maine with the Kiddo, which may include the Port Con Maine convention.