It was a close vote, but in the end, Foundation prevailed as June's selection for #ClassicLSFBC. A close second was Lord of Light, which will be the selection for July. Copies of Foundation should be available at most libraries, and I've see very cheap copies available on Ebay, the audiobook is available free on Spotify with a premium account. I hope everyone can find a copy to enjoy. @Bookwomble @Ruthiella @TheSpineView @BookmarkTavern

Somewhere to the south and east lay Hungnam, the North Korean port on the Sea of Japan.

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

We have a very eclectic selection for June's #ClassicLSFBC. I think any of them would make for a enjoyable read or reread. As usual, the book with the most votes will be for June, and the next closest will be the choice for July. I'll announce the winners on Monday. #ClassicLSFBC
@Bookwomble @Ruthiella @TheSpineView @BookmarkTavern @wanderinglynn @Readergrrl @Johanna414 @Lizpixie @BookBelle84 @Larkken @julesG @Deblovestoread @majkia

52/100 I love football. Pro football, college football, high school football, Canadian football and the USFL. Heck I'd rather watch the Puppy Bowl than most half time show. The author has Collected 100 moments, players, coaches, and games that makes football such a special sport. However the author doesn't mention one of the things I love about NFL football: the length of the season. Baseball plays 162 games, hockey & basketball plays 82 games ⬇️

Honestly, I'm not much of a cryer, but when they reached the part about Sharkie's child abuse in the foster care system, I had to stop the audiobook and get myself back together. I knew from the Tik Tok series that it was bad, but I never imagined the depth of the abuse. It broke my heart. 💔

In the moment, the key moment, the winning moment, only one thought raced through the mind of Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay: "Aaron Donald is going to make a play."

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

51/100 I know it's an old saying, but honestly, I could listen to Stephen Fry read a phone book, if they still existed. His narration really brings the story of Odessus to life, it's often quite funny when it's not being tragic, as Odessus has one misadventure after another, both helped and hindered by the various gods of Olympus. I know this is the last book of his Greek Mythology series, but I love to see him tackle Norse mythology. 5 🌟 read

Since we skipped May for #ClassicLSFBC, it's time to do nominations for June. Nomination from today until the end of the month, then we can vote. I'll get the ball rolling by nominating The Great Time Machine Hoax by Keith Laumer.
@Bookwomble @Ruthiella @TheSpineView @BookmarkTavern @wanderinglynn @Readergrrl @Johanna414 @Lizpixie @BookBelle84 @Larkken @julesG @Deblovestoread @majkia @LeticiaToraci @sebrittainclark @kwmg40 @CatLass007

50/100 The first of a series, where corporations have their own superheroes, and make contracts to protect people and property. It doesn't really work as a superhero story, but as a work place comedy, it's actually pretty funny. Andrea starts as a fish out of water, but quickly comes to be invaluable to C.U.P. I don't know if I'll listen to more of the series, but I enjoyed this one. 3.75/5 ⭐ #Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

49/100 I will give this short story collection a Pick with an asterisk. Each story is set in the worlds of the author's various novels, so if you haven't read the original novel, the story might be confusing. However if you're a fan, like myself, then each story is a mini sequel to the novels, involving some side characters the author wanted to give more attention to. 3.75/5 ⭐ #Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

Oh Boy! Oh Boy! Oh Boy! I did not know that Stephen Fry had a 4th book in the Greek Mythology series. I need to finish my current audiobook so I can get to this. I know it's going to be another winner. #SeriesLove2025

1. This might be a bit of a cheat, since she's only written one book, but I really enjoyed Jaysea Lynn's writing.
2. Tagged. If you're into romantasy, I highly recommend this book, it's amazing! Romantasy isn't even my usual reading choice, and I loved it.
#Two4Tuesday @TheSpineView

48/100 You know you're reading a gifted writer, when he/she can take the daftiest idea possible, and turn it into a fun and enjoyable story. While not as funny as say Starter Villain, it made me smile and chuckle often. I enjoyed the various POVs, how the average person was effected by the change in the moon, along with the rich and the powerful people in government. I don't think sweet is the word I'd use but it's more lightly amusing ⬇️

#unpopularopinion I know a lot of people really enjoyed this book, but it's just not doing it for me. Maybe it's because I've just listened to two mysteries, I'm burnt out on solving murders, or maybe Lafferty isn't an author for me. I also bailed on The Shambling Guide to New York City. I think it's time for something lighter.

47/100 I've seen a couple of reviews that said they liked the shorter version, more novella than novel, as opposed to the first two longer stories. I disagree, I don't feel the author had the space to adequately flesh out his characters or product a compelling mystery. I am still enjoying the series, and I'll read it if a fourth one is published, but I hope its given more space to develop next time. 3 ⭐⭐⭐💫 #Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

Sound struggled to make it's way through the thick synth-amneo fluid.

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

46/100 While I don't think this was as good as the first novel, it was still a fun adventure, with enough mystery and hijinks to keep me involved and interested in the final outcome. I liked all the characters, especially Billy, so I hope we do see a third novel in the future. 4.25/5 #Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

Holy Crap!! Did I forget about May?!? I really dropped the ball guys, I'm sorry that I forgot about doing the #ClassicLSFBC selection for May. The new job has taken most of my time, and April just slipped through my fingers.
I didn't realize, until I saw @swynn review of The Weapon Shops of Isher, that I'd forgotten. I apologize. I'll leave it up to everyone else, we can skip May and make a selection for June instead, or we can do some ⬇️

44/100 I've always enjoyed Chris Hayes' TV show, and this book is very relevant to today's information overload society. Our attention is divided by many sources fighting for our views, twits, posts and likes. As readers, we all know the struggle to maintain our attention, when the cellphone, the internet, and the TV is trying to lure away our attention. Donald Trump is the first president of the "Attention Age", someone pathetically unqualified⬇️

I like it when life syncs up with what I'm reading. Yesterday a storm knocked out the power from 7pm until 10am this morning. No TV, no wi-fi, no internet, and once my phone ran down, no ebooks or audiobooks. No distractions at all, just the printed book to read. Is there something wrong with me when I say that I found no distractions very distracting? I tried to concentration on the book, but I found my mind wandering. It's not the book's ⬇️

43/100 Sadly, the concluding volume of Rat Queens is not as satisfying as I had hoped. They didn't stick the landing, but it wasn't a thud either. Hannah has her final confrontation with Evil Hannah, but the ending is ambiguous as to which one really won. The most jarring thing was the change of art style, again!, to a much more cartoonish style. I little manga like at times. I'll give it a low pick, but its disappointing to see ⬇️

42/100 I hate to sound like an old foggy, but I miss the days when comic creative teams stayed on a title more than 2 or 3 issues, not that I expect anyone to do 102 issues like Lee & Kirby did on Fantastic Four, but I appreciate continuity in writing and art. That said, I miss Kurtis Wiebe's writing style. This issues humor seemed forced, as if every other word being a cuss word was funny. I didn't mind the art style change, it was close ⬇️

1. The tagged book made me laugh, made me cry, and had me blushing from the spice. I plan a relisten to the audiobook soon.
2. The Zero Stone by Andre Norton & Aristoi by Walter Jon Williams

#wonderouswednesday @Eggs

41/100 There is a killer lose in Gotham, named Midnight, who takes the heart of their victims. Working with some of Batman's most notorious foes, Joker, Scarecrow, Clayface, they wreak terror on the city. The story is kind of clunky, exposition heavy, and Midnight's true identity is pretty obvious. What saves this from a so-so rating, is the amazing artwork by Kelly Jones. Jones truly captures Batman as a creature of the night, and since this ⬇️

40/100 For those of you unfamiliar with the excellent Tik Tok series, Hell's Belles, this is the prequel novel. You don't have to have watched the series to enjoy the book, but it does hit different if you have. Romantasy isn't my usual chosen genre, but this book was a rollercoaster ride, one minute laughing, the next crying, then blushing from the spice. Wow, and what spice 🌶🌶🌶 The author has a very vivid imagination, and her sex scenes ⬇️

39/100 Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Norris, Van Damme, Willis, Seagal, and Chan, all the giants of 80s action movies. I grew up with these movies, especially the ones by Stallone and Schwarzenegger. I never cared for Steven Seagal, his acting was horrible and his "martial arts" always seemed faked and staged. The nostalgia is strong, plus there's plenty of behind the scene gossip. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐?

38/100 I love books like this, written in 1977, envisioning the world of 2000, but looking back from 2025 and seeing how off the author's vision came to be. Sadly, no hovercars or helio-jets for the police, no Universal Credit Cards to replace money, no instant purchases delivered to your home by vaccum tube. It's still a fun read, although too short for any character development. 3 ⭐⭐⭐💫 #Read2025

37/100 This series of "Further Adventures" of Sherlock Holmes are very hit or miss. I deem this one a definite miss. While the author does a good job mimicking the writing style of Conan Doyle, the story is kind of flat and the ending is seriously anticlimactic. Other SH stories, like The Hounds of the Baskervilles, had supernatural elements, but they were all explained in logical, reality based solution. I was hoping it wouldn't really be the ⬇️

Hey everybody!! I'm sorry I'm so late with this, March was not a good month for me, hopefully April will be better. I also hope everyone enjoyed Childhood's End. It's not my favorite Clarke novel, but different strokes for different folks. A reminder, April's selection is The Weapon Shops of Isher by A.E. Van Vogt. Hope everyone enjoys. #ClassicLSFBC
@Bookwomble @Ruthiella @TheSpineView @BookmarkTavern @wanderinglynn @Readergrrl

36/100 I loved this book, I've loved every book I've read by this author, but Hawk & Fisher were the first and have always remained my favorites. Once again the Forest Kingdom is threatened by the Demon Prince and his minions, so Hawk & Fisher (once Prince Rupert & Princess Julia) return to save the day and met out some bloody, gory justice. I'm sorry this is the fifth and final book in the Forest Kingdom series, but it went out with a bang! 5 🌟

35/100 Thankfully this was fairly short, I think I would have bailed if it was longer. I liked the idea of an AI hologram agent, but it seemed used mostly for comedic effect. 3 ⭐⭐⭐ #Read2025

34/100 This wasn't the conclusion that I wanted, but I guess it is the ending that best suits the story. In the end, there's no justice, for anyone, people die, the studio covers more scandals, and everyone shrugs and goes about their business as if it's all supposed to be this way. 3.75/5 #Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

33/100 The mystery deepens as our writer "hero" foolishly falls in love with the actress hired to replace the other actress. Plenty of secrets come out, dirty tricks, sexual assaults, perversions, scandals the studio is willing to kill to keep quiet. Charlie, the writer, is too drunk most of the time to realize the real danger he is involved in. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ #Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

32/100 A very dark and gritty story of late 1940s Hollywood. A young starlet is found dead, and the studio rushes to cover up the scandal. A screenwriter, with writer's block, becomes involved because he knows the studio's story isn't true. It's very dark, there aren't any really likeable characters, even the MMC is a coward you folds under studio pressure to keep quiet. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ #Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

31/100 This is more like it, much better than the last volume. The story was a straight forward adventure, plenty of action and gory violence, plenty of the snarky humor that I enjoy so much. Not to spoil the ending, but I love Orc David and Violet's love story. Also, is it weird that I found the half owl woman kind of sexy? 3.75/5 #Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

The Dutchy of Lancre's greatest pride, problem, and most profitable tourist attraction is the Hawk and Fisher Memorial Academy.

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

30/100 This is my least favorite volume so far. I've finally got used to the change in artwork, Gieni's art grows on you, but the story was so confusing. Flashbacks, flashforward, alternate realities, alternate futures, alternate pasts, all jumbled together so by the end I wasn't sure who was who, who died and who replaced them. 2 ⭐⭐💫 #Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

29/100 I think I enjoyed his other book, Taste, more, but this is still a very fine book for those that love food and fine dining. Obviously Tucci's palate is much more refined than my own meat and potatoes appetite, but his loving descriptions of foods makes me want to venture out to try new dishes. I'm curious how Tucci keeps his slim shape, while he does eat very healthy, lots of fresh veggies, he also consumes a lot of pasta, potatoes ⬇️

28/100 The only reason I didn't DNF this after 50 pages is my respect for the author's writing. If you've read any Brunner, you know he writes serious, thought provoking science-fiction, so I don't know what possessed him to write this comic farce. Sadly it's not funny, there are quite a few painful stereotypes, the gay guards at the Vatican called the Swish Guards 🙄. The only amusing part was how many famous sci-fi writers names ⬇️

27/100 I bailed on Schreiber's other Star Wars book, Red Harvest, but I really enjoyed this one. All I know about Darth Maul is what I got from Episode 1, but he's a very interesting character, brutal, viscous, and very good at fighting. For some reason, I like the Star Wars books dealing with the bad guys, more than the heroes. Schreiber's writing is dark, violent, gory and intense, definitely showing the dark ⬇️

26/2025 Cannibalism. It brings up horrible images, Hannibal Lector and his fava beans, but humans and animals have a long history of cannibalism, for survival, for medicinal reasons, for rituals, for conquest, and sadly for pleasure in some. Fortunately, the author sticks to the scientific reasons, and isn't lured into the sensational aspect with serial killers like Jeffery Dahmer and Ed Gein.
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ #Read2025

25/100 While I still enjoy the characters and the world building, this is my least favorite volume for one reason: The Artwork. I really liked Roc Upchurch's more realistic art in Volumes 1 & 2, the art by Owen Gieni was much more cartoony, especially the facial expressions. It's still a pick, but on the low end, hopefully things will improve in the next volume. 3.25/5 #Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

24/100 I don't believe that I have ever listened to a less interesting book involving dinosaurs and paleontology, two subjects that I'm very interested in. IMO the book spends too much time discussing religious leaders, and how they tried to align fossils with the teachings of the bible. Even when discussing Darwin and evolution, it was more about the affect on the religious community than on the validity of the theories. 3 ⭐⭐⭐ #Read2025

With the majority of votes, Childhood's End will be #ClassicLSFBC selection for March. The other three books were tied for 2nd, so I threw the names in a hat to pick April's selection. April's selection is The Weapon Shops of Ishtar by A.E. van Vogt. Childhood's End should be available at most libraries, and I've seen it on Ebay for as little as 5 dollars. Good luck and happy reading. #ClassicLSFBC
@Bookwomble @Ruthiella @TheSpineView

You would think, since I'm not working, that my numbers for February would be higher, but the stress of not having a job has reeked havoc on my level of concentration. I've got some good interviews lined up this week, so I think March will be a much better month for me.

I decided to go with just writing in the name of the book, as I found trying to line up the picture of the book very frustrating. There was no 5 🌟 book for February, but The Cyberiad came close at 4.5. If it had been a bit shorter and a little less repetitive, it would have hit 5 for sure. Looking forward to the new Scalzi book for March.

Sadly, my first DNF for 2025 is also #ClassicLSFBC selection for February. I tried to get into it, but it just wasn't for me. I've read and enjoyed several of Andre Norton's novels & short stories, but this one I'll have to bail on.

23/100 First of all, ignore Litsy's description of this book, it's totally wrong. I've given them the correct one but they have never changed it. Anyway, what this book is about is the Hotel Andromeda, a space station located in the hub between many alien and human civilizations. A collection of short stories, mostly humorous, about the employees and the visitors to the station. 3 ⭐⭐⭐💫 #Read2025

Here are the choices for March's #ClassicLSFBC selection:
A Princess of Mars - Edgar Rice Burroughs
Childhood's End - Arthur C. Clarke
The Weapon Shops of Isher - A.E. van Vogt
The Eyes of Heisenberg - Frank Herbert
It's a very unusual and wide ranging selection. Voting is open from today until Sunday, to give people more time to chose. I'll announce the choice on Monday 03/03. As always, the book with the second most votes will be April's choice