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

22/100 The change of art was jarring at first, but the style grew on me. It's really the story that keeps me coming back, the Rat Queens are quiet a bunch of fantastic characters. Here we delved into Hannah past, why she was expelled from the mage school and more of her dark past. I didn't like the ending, but I'm sure it will be fixed in future volumes. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ #Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

HA!! I knew he was still alive!! After the Crisis Event, Ollie changed his name and moved from Star City to Los Angeles, where he joined a prestigious law firm to continue his fight for justice! It's almost time for Suits: LA (aka The Further Adventures of Oliver Queen) to begin.
#GreenArrow

Is it just me, or is anyone else distressed at the news that Amazon is taking creative control of the James Bond movie series? Barbara Broccoli & Michael G. Wilson, who have guided the series, will be kept as "consultants" but the real power is Amazon's. The idea of Jeff Bezos and Amazon picking the next actor to play Bond turns my stomach. I don't care if he's black or white, male or female, but he/she should definitely be British!!

21/100 Book 4 in the Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. series. I don't think this was my favorite of the series, but it was still a lot of fun. As usual, Chambeaux has several seemingly unrelated cases, that come together in the end. An opera singing Ogre has his voice stolen, a gang of garden gnomes are on a robbery spree, a wannabe junior mad scientist has been kicked out of his secret lair by his landlord, two weather wizards are fighting ⬇️⬇️

Hey there!! Just checking in, I hope everyone found a copy of The Zero Stone and has enjoyed it. I'll be honest, I'm probably going to DNF it, I've been reading it all month, and it's just not working for me. I hope everyone else is having a better experience. Anyway, it's time to plan for March. We are open for nominations until the end of the month. As usual, most votes will be our March read, and the runner-up will be our choice for April.

20/100 I always enjoy another adventure in the world of the xenomorphs, but this one seemed kind of pointless. Picking up after the Aliens 3 movie, Bishop's creator salvaged his body from the prison planet to gain access to the valuable information in his head about the xenomorphs. The Chinese, the Colonial Marines and the Weyland-Yutani corporation are also chasing the same data. Of course a bunch of aliens get loose and theres plenty ⬇️

19/100 Green Arrow has always been one of my favorite superheroes, much more interesting than Marvel's Hawkeye. Green Arrow's origin story was pretty much the same, but updated and streamline. Queen was still the reckless, alcoholic playboy, he still ended up on the desert island with the drug runners, it's just more gritty and violent than earlier versions of his origin. 3.75/5
#Read2025

18/100 I'm not sure what possesses me to read this, it's not my usual kind of material. Graphically violent and bloody, it's the story of the men of the Rath family. From father to son, they passed down their legacy of violence and death, until there were none left. I've seen Ron Garney's art on Captain American & Thor, but this was much grittier, verging on Frank Miller's style on Sin City. 3 ⭐⭐⭐💫
#Read2025

It was a cold and snowy afternoon in the Unnatural Quarter.

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

#notbookrelated Yesterday was the Superbowl, so it's time to think about the 2025-2026 season. The Jets have released Aaron Rodgers. Where do you think he'll end up next? Vikings (following the path of Farve)? Cowboys? Steelers? Raiders? Titans? Browns? It will be one of the big off-season stories, just how he likes it. @KadaGul @Lesliereadsalot @AmyG @MemoirsForMe

17/100 Until now, I've only read one book by Lem, Tales of Pirx The Pilot, and it was kind of mundane. He made being a spaceship pilot as exciting as driving a bus. Anyway, that did not prepare for this book, which is very funny. Trurl and Klapaucius are constructors, who get into many misadventures because their machines often have very unexpected consequences. The format is like short stories, but they build on each other, into absurd ⬇️⬇️

16/100 I've never played the video game or seen the TV series, so maybe I'm missing the context to enjoy this more than I did. It seemed pretty standard post-apocalyptic stuff, two girls escape a military camp/school and see what the world is like outside. 3 ⭐⭐⭐
#Read2025

15/100 I guess I've watched too many westerns, because I found this kind of dry. The Dalton Gang was one of the last big outlaw gangs before the beginning of the 20th century, and their exploits are well know and often overly fictionalized. I don't know why, but I found the lawmen more interesting than the outlaws. 3 ⭐⭐⭐
#Read2025

14/100 Once a year, Batman & Superman agree to meet on the anniversary of the death of a close friend. The story follows each as the two characters change, through various DC storylines like the Death of Robin (Jason Todd), the Death of Superman at Doomsday's hands, and the breaking of Batman by Bane. Well told and heart-felt, with great art by Dave Taylor & Robert Campanella. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

13/100 Judge Dredd is always a fascinating character. A total fascist in his pursuit of justice, which isn't always the same as the Law. These are three stories of Dredd's first year as a street Judge, but he's already cold, stoic, and stone-faced, dogged and unstoppable in his hunt for the guilty. I liked the first two stories, but the third one, by Al Ewing, was more about Dredd's corrupt brother Rico, so I found it less interesting. ⬇️

This is my first time doing a Reading Bracket. It's harder than I thought to get the pic of the book just right. Anyway, Henry V was by far my favorite of January. I always learn new things when I read a Dan Jones book.

12/100 Its been a long time since I read this, back in high school, but I'd forgotten how sad this book is, how melancholy the whole world was, even in the lighter moments. Sometimes Bradbury leans too much into the poetic for my tastes, but his vision of a Mars that will never be, definitely stays with the reader when its finished. 3 ⭐⭐⭐💫 #ClassicLSFBC #Jumpstart2025 #Read2025

One day Trurl the constructor put together a machine that could create anything starting with N.

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

11/100 A different take on traditional murder stories, more the how and why than the who, since it's often the murderer themselves who are narrating the story. Several of the tales are even funny, in a very dark and morbid sense. This is the first book I've read by P.D. James but I'd definitely like to read more. 4⭐⭐⭐⭐
#Jumpstart2025 #Read2025

10/100 Its hard to find a better, more informed writer, when it comes to English History, than Dan Jones. This makes a good companion book to his recent Henry V. Picking up with the disastrous reign of Henry VI, it follow through with various Henrys and Edwards, as different families fought for the crown, ending with the Tudors of Henry VIII. Very informative and entertaining. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
#Jumpstart2025 #Read2025

I found the yo-yo the day before Christmas Eve, in the way one does come across these long forgotten relics of the past, while I was tidying up some of the unexamined papers which clutter my elderly life.

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

09/100 I think I liked this one even more than the first volume. The character development is excellent, I loved the flash backs filling in some of Violet and Hannah's history (especially her relationship with Sawyer), I wish here was one for Betty too, I'm sure it would be hysterical. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 #Jumpstart2025 #Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

Hello everyone!! I hope you're doing well in the first month of 2025, not too snowed in like we are in West Virginia. Of course, bad weather is just another good reason to stay inside and enjoy a good book. I hope everyone was able to find a copy of The Martian Chronicles, and has enjoyed reading it. Just to remind everyone, February's selection for #ClassicLSFBC is The Zero Stone by Andre Norton. Good luck and good reading.

08/100 Imagine Star Trek filtered through Douglas Adams, with a splash of Gilbert & Sullivan, an a huge dollop of the misunderstanding tropes from Three's Company. That's what this book was, the worst kind of slapstick silliness, it even has a pie fight between the Federation and the Klingons!! Amazing that this tripe comes from an author as good as John M. Ford. 2 ⭐⭐
#Jumpstart2025 #Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

The Officers' Mess of the starship USS Enterprise was a small, rather cozy room, with comfortable chairs, moderately bright lighting, and a food-service wall with four delivery slots, no waiting.

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

07/100 I'm happy to say Book Three of the Prof. Croft series was just as enjoyable as the previous two. With each book, he reminds me less of John Constantine and more of his own character. The Mayor of NYC has decided to purge the city (thus the title) of all supernatural creatures, and Croft is enlisted to help. It's all a trap, of course, and he soon finds himself in the middle of a four way battle between werewolves, vampires, the fae, ⬇️

David Lynch has passed away at the age of 78. I know his movies weren't to everyone's taste, but I loved Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive and even his version of Dune. I remember being totally obsessed with Twin Peaks, until it all fell apart.

06/100 One reading goal for 2025 was to try more non- superhero graphic novels. A friend recommended this, and I'm glad she did because it was great. I love the Rat Queens, I love the world they live in, I love the violence and the gory bloodshed. The art by Roc Upchurch was truly amazing. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 I look forward to reading more of the series.

05/100 Dan Jones never fails to entertain and educate. If you want to understand English History this is the author to read. Like Mary Beard with Roman History, Jones work is full of details, from major events like the Battle of Agincourt to seemingly minor things that had a big impact of Henry before he became King. Henry V was a complex man, full of contradictions, he was pious and religious, but he was also cruel, easily angered, and vengeful.

"Svelare" The word vibrated from my mouth, dispelling the magical veil over my floor to ceiling bookcase.

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

04/100 Castle has always been one of my favorite TV shows, so it was fun to return to the "alternate" version with Rook and Heat. I still prefer the pairing of Castle and Beckett to Rook and Heat, but both have their enjoyable qualities. Heat seems almost superhuman at times, too cool under pressure, less human than Beckett. All in all, a good mystery that kept me guessing until the end. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
#Jumpstart2025 #Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

03/100 It's time to crank up some Blue Oyster Cult and read a Godzilla story. This one is kind of unusual, it's not so much about Godzilla as it about Ota Murakami, a man who faces Godzilla in 1957, and spends his life chasing and trying destroy him. If you like Kaiju, then this book is for you, in addition to Godzilla we also get Rodan, Mothra, Hedorah, King Ghidorah, Gigan and several others. The artwork is amazing, full pages of ⬇️

The final two books of 2024:
November - The Bound World by Megan O'Keefe was the end of The Devoured Worlds trilogy, and while I didn't think it was as good as the first two books, the ending was satisfying and we even got a happy ending.
December- Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. What can I say about Gladwell that hasn't been said before? He's an automatic read author for me.
#12Booksof2024 @Andrew65

02/100 I bought this several years ago when I thought Discovery was going to be my new sci-fi obsession. Sadly my interest burnt out after the first season, which is why it's taken me so long to get around to reading it. All in all it's pretty average, middle of the road Trek. It follows the classic formula: a little mystery, a little moral conflict, plenty of action, on and off the planet, some self-discovery, and a dash of humor. 3 ⭐⭐⭐

Goddamn it. What now?

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

My picks for September and October were the easiest. The whole series, so far, has been excellent, although I liked Harrow the Ninth less than the other two.
#12Booksof2024 #September #October @Andrew65

01/100 Its a definite sign of a great writer, who can quickly draw you back into the story, even if it's been months since you read the last volume. There's too much going on here to explain to those not reading the series, but Saga is probably one of the best comics I've ever read, and I highly recommend it to everyone. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
#YearEnd #20in4 #OutWithTheOldInWithTheNew #JumpStart2025 #Read2025

My favorite book for August was the start of yet another trilogy. I know a lot of people were turned off by the romantic elements of this book, and I admit it was eye rollingly heavy at times, but I enjoyed the characters, the world building and the interesting villain.
#12Booksof2024 #August @Andrew65

This was a Christmas present that I bought for myself. I wanted to wait until the new year before diving in. Dan Jones is one of my favorite history writers.

A day late and a dollar short, the story of my life.

1. I'll make reading goals on Storygraph, for both printed books and audio books.
2. Non-Fiction: Henry V by Dan Jones, Source Codes - My Beginnings by Bill Gates, Mark Twain by Ron Chernow, The JFK Conspiracy by Brad Meltzer
Fiction: Four Ruined Realms by Mai Corland, it's the sequel to Five Broken Blades
#Two4Tuesday @TheSpineView

Has anyone had trouble with Storygraph tonight? I was in the middle of looking at my 2024 Wrap-Up, when it suddenly blinked out and said Bad Gateway. Since then, I haven't been able to get the site to open. I guess everyone came to the site at the same time to look at their 2024 stats and cause the site to crash. I'll check it again in the morning.

The voting is done, and here are the winners. The Martian Chronicles will be January's #ClassicLSFBC selection, and The Zero Stone will be the pick for February. The Martian Chronicles should be available at just about any public library, and I've seen The Zero Stone available on Ebay for as low as $5 dollars. Good luck & Happy New Year!!
@Bookwomble @Ruthiella @TheSpineView @BookmarkTavern @wanderinglynn @Readergrrl @Johanna414 @Lizpixie

The sequel to Cascade Failure was my favorite book of July. The crew of the Ambit is forced to work with their worst enemy to save the life of one of their family members.
#12Booksof2024 #July @Andrew65

118/150 My last non-fiction book for 2024. Informative and enlightening, I'm embarrassed how little I know about African history, especially more recent 20th century events. I'm not usually a fan of authors reading their own books, but Faloyin has a pleasant voice. 3 ⭐⭐⭐💫
118th book finished for #Readaway2024 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES @Andrew65

I was so busy yesterday that I didn't do my book for May, so I'll play catch up now.
May - The Demon of Unrest. Any new book by Erik Larson is a reason to rejoice. I don't think this is his best, but it's still very good, very educational and enlightening.
June - Red Side Story. Not only is this my favorite book for the month, it just might be my favorite book of the year.
#12Booksof2024 @Andrew65