Yearly Targets (2016) - Totals and Specifics

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SilentRoamer

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« on: January 11, 2016, 02:56:46 pm »
Happy 2016!

Ok so with it being a New Year I wanted to start a new year long thread.

So would like you to post your personal reading targets:

How many books do you want to read?
Any specific books you want to read?
Any re-reads?

Personally I am going for 20 books (again) in total this year.

I will post individual reading targets on the next post and keep this updated if anyone is interested.

SilentRoamer

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« Reply #1 on: January 11, 2016, 02:58:29 pm »
---- SilentRoamer ----

Totals: 16/20
Target Specifics:
Susannah Clarke: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell - Try to finish this year although it may put me into a coma.
Finish Dune Series: Frank Herbert: God Emperor of Dune (Completed 19/01/2016) Heretics of Dune Dune: Chapterhouse
Cormac McCarthy: Blood Meridian
Dan Simmons: Endymion Duology
Hugh Howey: Wool
More Abercrombie
Finish James S. A. Corey: The Expanse
Finish Adrian Tchaikovsky: Shadows of the Apt
Dave DeBurgh: Betrayals Shadow Completed
Peter F. Hamilton: Abyss Beyond Dreams - Completed 10/02/2016
Roger Zelazny: Guns of Avalon Completed
Roger Zelazny: Sign of the Unicorn Completed 03/03/2016
Roger Zelazny: The Hand of Oberon Completed 03/2016
Roger Zelazny: The Courts of Chaos Completed
Robin Hobb: Farseer #2: Royal Assassin Completed
Robin Hobb: Farseer #3: Assassins Quest Completed
Robert Heinlein: Starship Troopers Completed
Brandon Sanderson: The Alloy of Law Completed
Robin Hobb: Royal Assassin - Completed
Robin Hobb: Assassin's Quest - Completed
Robert Heinlein: Starship Troopers - Completed
R. Scott Bakker: The Great Ordeal - Completed
Richard Mathieson: The Shrinking Man - Completed
Richard Mathieson: I Am Legend - Completed


---- Madness ----

Totals: 8/25 minimum
Specifics:
Jonathan L. Howard: Johannes Cabal: The Necromancer Completed 11/01/2016
C.J. Cherryh: Gates of Ivrel - Completed 11/01/2016
Daniel Abraham: The Dragon's Path - Completed 23/01/2016
Dan Hurley: Smarter: The New Science of Building Brain Power - Completed 27/01/2016
Mark Lawrence: Prince of Fools - Completed 30/01/2016
Benedict Carey: How We Learn - Completed 03/02/2016
Glen Cook: The Black Company - Completed 10/03/2016
Charles Duhigg: Smarter, Better, Faster - Completed


---- Wilshire ----

Totals: 17/10
Specifics:
R. Scott Bakker: The Great Ordeal - Completed - Reread
Asimov's original foundation trilogy  - Completed
Steven Erikson: The Dust of Dreams - Completed
Steven Erikson: The Crippled God - Completed
Patrick Rothfuss: The Wise Man's Fear - Completed
Startide Rising remains on my bookshelf, unread, so I'd like to get to that.
R. Scott Bakker: The Warrior-Prophet - Completed 04/03/2016
R. Scott Bakker: The Thousandfold Thought - Completed
R. Scott Bakker: The Judging Eye
Terry Brooks: The Sword of Shannara - Completed
Scott Lynch: The Lies of Locke Lamora - Completed
Courtney Schafer: Whitefire Crossing - Completed
Isaac Asimov: Caves of Steel - Completed 13/10/2016
Robert Heinlein: Stranger in a Strange Land - Completed 20/10/2016
Brent Weeks: The Way of Shadows - Completed 22/10/2016
Brian McClellan: Promise of Blood - Completed 08/12/2016


---- Alia ----

Totals: 10/10-15
Specifics:
Yuval Harari Sapiens: a Brief History of Humanity (non-fiction, antropological, started it in January, so far fascinating) - Completed 06/02/2016
Brunner Stand on Zanzibar (there are some classics I sadly missed) - Completed 21/03/2016
Glukhovsky Futu.re and maybe Metro 2035 (His Metro series was translated into English, I'm not sure about this one)
Danielewski House of Leaves (in Polish translation, sometimes I'm lazy, it's due to appear in April)
And some works in Polish, not translated, among them certainly a new novel by my high-school friend, due to appear in March.
Olga i Osty by Agnieszka Hałas - Completed
Czytanie z wnętrzności by Wit Szostak - Completed
Łzy Diabła by Magdalena Kozak (military s-f) - by the way, her first novel, Nighter is available now in English: https://www.amazon.com/Nighter-Vesper-Book-Magdalena-Kozak-ebook/dp/B01H9QOVAC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1475947933&sr=1-1&keywords=nighter - it's about vampires in special forces, fun read. - Completed
Wilki by Adam Wajrak - Completed
Pawel Majka: Pokój światów - Completed
Amy Stewart: Wicked Plants - Completed
Peter Wohlleben: Hidden life of trees - Completed
Brunner: Sheep Look up - Completed


---- mostly.harmless ----

Totals: 5/35
Specifics:
Kieran Shea: Koko the Mighty
Robin Hobb: Fool's Quest
Robert Charles Wilson: Spin
Jenny Lawson: Furiously Happy
Adam Christopher: Made to Kill


---- MSJ ----

Totals: 15/20-25
Specifics:
R. Scott Bakker: The Warrior-Prophet
N.K. Jemisin: The Fifth Season
R. Scott Bakker: The Thousandfold Thought
Daniel Polansky: Low Town - Completed 05/03/2016
R. Scott Bakker: The Judging Eye - Completed
R. Scott Bakker: The White-Luck Warrior - Completed
R. Scott Bakker: The Great Ordeal - Completed
Mark Lawrence: The Prince of Fools - Completed
Mark Lawrence: The Liar's Key - Completed
Ian Esslemont: Dancer's Lament - Completed
Mark Lawrence: The Wheel of Osheim - Completed
Luke Scull: The Grim Company - Completed
Luke Scull: The Sword of the North - Completed
R. Scott Bakker: The Great Ordeal Reread - Completed
Max Gladstone: Three Parts Dead - Completed
N.K. Jemisin: The Obelisk Gate - Completed
Anthony Ryan: Blood Song - Completed


---- Bolivar ----

Totals: 4/13
Specifics:
R. Scott Bakker: Prince of Nothing Completed
R. Scott Bakker: The Judging Eye Completed
R. Scott Bakker: The White-Luck Warrior
R. Scott Bakker: The Great Ordeal
Daniel Abraham: The Spider's War
Maurice Druon: The Lion & The Lily
Maurice Druon: The King Without a Kingdom
Steven Erikson: The Bonehunters
Steven Erikson: Reaper's Gale
Ian C. Esselmont: Night of Knives
Andrzej Sapkowski: The Sword of Destiny


---- rhizome ----

Totals: 4/?
Specifics:
Gene Wolfe: The Book of the New Sun - Completed


---- Redeagl ----

Totals: 3/?
Specifics:
Anthony Ryan: Raven's Shadow Trilogy - Completed


---- H ----

Totals: 8/?
Specifics:
Chuck Palahniuk: Rant: The Oral Biography of Buster Casey - Completed
R. Scott Bakker: The Great Ordeal - Completed
James S. A. Corey: Abaddon's Gate (Expanse Book 3)  - Completed
James S. A. Corey: Cibola Burn (Expanse Book 4) - Completed 31.10.2016
N.K. Jemisin: The Obelisk Gate - Completed
Josiah Bancroft: Senlin Ascends - Completed
Josiah Bancroft: Arm of the Sphinx - Completed
Jonathan Haidt: The righteous mind: Why good people are divided by politics and religion - Completed
« Last Edit: December 31, 2016, 12:14:53 pm by SilentRoamer »

Madness

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« Reply #2 on: January 11, 2016, 04:09:33 pm »
Just to correct that specifically:

Jonathan L. Howard: Johannes Cabal: The Necromancer
C.J. Cherryh: Gates of Ivrel

EDIT: Also, no real number in mind, but since this is the first time in a couple years that I'll be reading anything but Bakker or textbooks, I'm going to read as many as I can before either Summer semester or Fall Semester, depending on when and if I get back into school.
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Wilshire

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« Reply #3 on: January 11, 2016, 07:30:41 pm »
Oh man, another year already? Thought I was going to take this one off from reading, but maybe I'll get a couple.

Of course I'll be reading TGO when it comes out in July.
Asimov's original foundation trilogy should be accomplish-able
Finish up Malazan with Dust of Dreams and The Crippled God.
The Wise Man's Fear, so I can wait for another book's sequel for an untold number of years.
Startide Rising remains on my bookshelf, unread, so I'd like to get to that.

Maybe a few more laying around on my shelf, unread but forgotten, so lets say 10 again.

If they don't leave me where I lie on the slog, I might continue that and it will be another 4, but I have my doubts that I'll make it though that.

My bid remains at 10. If I finish the slog, I'll probably not read Asimov or Startide Rising, so it'll balance out.

-- Madness, goals should be specific, otherwise they don't really count. Put a number up there, dont be a sucker.
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Madness

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« Reply #4 on: January 11, 2016, 08:27:32 pm »
Lol - yeah, but you know I have almost zero obligations. I'm certain that I'll read my sixteen (counting the separate portions of the two omnibuses) Christmas purchases before the end of March. And I also know that as soon as I get back into school, I'm going to be insanely dedicated towards that - especially this time around - and will go back to reading nothing but textbooks and Bakker.

But to satisfy your arbitrary wants, let us hazard that I'll read twenty-five before May ;).
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Wilshire

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« Reply #5 on: January 11, 2016, 08:35:11 pm »
Satisfactory, yes.
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SilentRoamer

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« Reply #6 on: January 12, 2016, 12:19:31 pm »
Nice guys. Updated your totals. Agree with Wilshire and glad Madness has set goals - measure is unceasing.

Alia

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« Reply #7 on: January 14, 2016, 04:23:43 pm »
I would like to read 10-15 books this year, but it all depends on my work schedule. Until the end of May at least, I will be reading mostly on the underground and at staff meetings, so not much progress there. Then in the summer, maybe a bit more (like last year, when I read the whole Amber). Last year I read 25, but then again, Amber books are rather short by modern standards.
Specific targets:
Yuval Harari Sapiens: a Brief History of Humanity (non-fiction, antropological, started it in January, so far fascinating)
Brunner Stand on Zanzibar (there are some classics I sadly missed)
Glukhovsky Futu.re and maybe Metro 2035 (His Metro series was translated into English, I'm not sure about this one)
Danielewski House of Leaves (in Polish translation, sometimes I'm lazy, it's due to appear in April)
And some works in Polish, not translated, among them certainly a new novel by my high-school friend, due to appear in March.
The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom - William Blake

SilentRoamer

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« Reply #8 on: January 19, 2016, 08:38:49 pm »
Finished God Emperor of Dune this morning.

Not what I expected and an odd anti climactic ending that both fulfilled me and left me empty - like a belly full of fast food.

Wilshire

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« Reply #9 on: January 20, 2016, 05:51:34 pm »
lol, God Emperor is an odd one. It did feel very odd. The last two are worth forging ahead to imo.
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SilentRoamer

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« Reply #10 on: January 20, 2016, 07:08:53 pm »
Yeah its weird. I can't say I didn't enjoy the book, I mean I really enjoyed it, it was just not what I was expecting. I almost feel like we see Herbert exploring new avenuse and thought processes.

My assumption is the next book is a few thousand years after the death of Leto II with a new cast and possibly gholas or some link to the past somehow. Anyway I am determined to finish them this year but I don't want to forge ahead yet because I think I'll enjoy ruminating on such an odd book.

Started Peter F. Hamiltons: The Abyss Beyond Dreams. Im a Hamilton fan and I have had this and been looking forward to reading it. Sometiems I have a hard time deciding what to read so I just browse through my books and see what grabs me, saw this and thought: yeah - you're next!


Madness

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« Reply #11 on: January 23, 2016, 02:44:00 am »
I'll say again about Herbert - and the conspiracies around God-Emperor: the first three were written serially. God-Emperor is the first written as a complete novel.

Finished Daniel Abraham: The Dragon's Path (I will be purchasing The King's Blood).
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Madness

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« Reply #12 on: January 27, 2016, 08:19:41 pm »
Finished Dan Hurley: Smarter: The New Science of Building Brain Power

A little disappointed in this one; not exactly ground-breaking, especially for being published in 2014.
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Madness

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« Reply #13 on: January 30, 2016, 03:47:14 am »
Finished Mark Lawrence: Prince of Fools.

After reading this, I'm almost tempted to try the of Thorns trilogy again, if only for the world lore (as, so far as I understand it, Lawrence didn't have this shared vision planned when he started writing what will be three trilogies, I believe). But for now, I'll be picking up The Liar's Key after I finish the initial "Christmas Sixteen" I bought.
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Madness

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« Reply #14 on: February 03, 2016, 03:43:37 pm »
Finished Benedict Carey - How We Learn.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I have the same problem with it that I do with all pop-science books, in that, there's so much more information than what the author feels they can communicate clearly to a lay audience.

It reminded me of a list I "intended" to accrue during my fourth year at university - stuff that absolutely everyone should know and use to study but without all the explanatory baggage of Carey's book, which is "necessary" to convince people of its validity. Except my list probably had nearer to twenty "study rules of thumb" whereas Carey's has nine. When I reunite with my textbooks, I shall revisit this; though, there is motivation to disseminate with the encroaching exam season.

All in all, worth a (much, more abbreviated) read for anyone interested in learning anything ;)...
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