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I've only finished 8 on my 2022 list, and I've got a lot of remaining books from previous years. Thus, instead of picking all new books, this year I'm going to finish some of the ones I've previously skipped. I may still swap out a few of these.

UPDATE: I have about 100 pages left of my 12th book for 2022, so hopefully I can finish it today. I swapped out one books since I read it in December. The odds are very high that I'll start 2023 with Battle Ground.

Reading Group Challenge (Preliminary) FINAL
1. The Likeness (2014) 12/5, 4*
2.The Day of the Triffids (2016) 12/23, 4.5*
3. The Time Machine (2016) 5/29, 4.5*
4. The Final Empire - Mistborn #1 (2017)
5. The Grace of Kings (2017)
6. To Green Angel Tower (2018)
7. A Plague of Giants (2018) 10/22, 4.25*
8. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (2019) 3/30, 4*
9. Necroscope IV: Deadspeak (2020) 12/16, 4.25*
10. Necroscope V: Deadspawn (2020)
11. Severance (2021) 3/26, 3*
12. Babel-17 (2021) 11/27, 3.75*
13. Imago (2022) 12/31, 4*
14. Early Riser (2022) 12/13, 4*
15. Downpour (2022) 10/31, 3*
16. Battle Ground (2022) 12/30, 4.25*

Excellent choices. The Day of the Triffids is a longtime favorite of mine. I've read many times. Good luck with all of your selections.

Anne, this seems like a good idea. Best of luck. The only book on your list that I've read is The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, which was many years ago. I was in a Douglas Adams phase way back when. I hope you enjoy it. Best of luck!

Lea wrote: "Anne, this seems like a good idea. Best of luck. The only book on your list that I've read is The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, which was many years ago. I was in a Douglas Adams phase way..."

I know I like Restaurant at the End of the Universe since I've read it before. That is one of the ones that could get swapped out, but I do really want to read it again. If I were to do all the books from my past lists that I haven't read, I would currently be able to fill 2 lists. I'm still hoping to remove a few more from my 2022 list before the end of the year, though.

Bill wrote: "Excellent choices. The Day of the Triffids is a longtime favorite of mine. I've read many times. Good luck with all of your selections."

Thanks, Bill. That is one that is a lock to stay on this list. I have a beautiful leather-bound copy of The Day of the Triffids, and I am annoyed with myself for not getting around to reading it yet.

Anne wrote: "I know I like Restaurant at the End of the Universe since I've read it before. That is one of the ones that could get swapped out, but I do really want to read it again. If I were to do all the books from my past lists that I haven't read, I would currently be able to fill 2 lists. I'm still hoping to remove a few more from my 2022 list before the end of the year, though."

Good luck trying to squeeze a few into 2022. I think we're all doing the same thing!

Glad to hear you've read The Restaurant at the End of the Universe before. I re-read one series a year, and I gave some thought to re-reading Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series again, but I finally selected Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH instead. Maybe next year.

I loved Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH when I read it as a child (probably several times), but I haven't reread it as an adult.

So many great books on your list!
I loved The Likeness and To Green Angel Tower (the book I'm reading next is from the follow-on series in the same world, Osten-Ard), enjoyed Day of the Triffids (I think Bill put that one on my list, lol) and The Final Empire.
I've only ever read the first Hitchhiker's Guide book...good idea, I think I'll add this series to my challenges. :)

Anne wrote: "I loved Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH when I read it as a child (probably several times), but I haven't reread it as an adult."

Same, Anne. I haven't reread it in years. I wonder if it will hold up or not. Sometimes childhood books do and sometimes, it is such a disappointment. Let's hope for the former!

Lea wrote: "Same, Anne. I haven't reread it in years. I wonder if it will hold up or not. Sometimes childhood books do and sometimes, it is such a disappointment. Let's hope for the former!."

Absolutely! I've had a mix of both.

Linette wrote: "So many great books on your list!
I loved The Likeness and To Green Angel Tower (the book I'm reading next is from the follow-on series in the same world, Osten-Ard), enjoyed Day of the Triffids (I think Bill put that one on my list, lol) and The Final Empire.
I've only ever read the first Hitchhiker's Guide book...good idea, I think I'll add this series to my challenges. :)"

We usually like the same books, so it's good that you liked the ones you've read.

You definitely should finish off the Hitchhiker's Guide books. It's such a fun, quirky series. For whatever reason, the humor in these books perfectly suits my sense of humor, so I end up laughing a lot. I actually met someone once who didn't think they were funny at all, which I found startling.

I'm not familiar with any of your choices. Good luck!

Anne. I think this is a duplicate thread.

I know; because I don't want you to change it. LOL

I wonder how it made it twice. ŷ������ was acting strange when I first made it, so it must have been a glitch.

I copied over the two comments that weren't on both and deleted the extra.

Alondra's comment:

"Anne. Anne! Anne!!!!

Don't change a thing! I will steal this list, do you hear me!! 📚📚📚📚📚👀

A Plague of Giants is excellent. I really loved this trilogy... (??)(series). I knew I would love it from the first time I saw the cover.

The Likeness is my least favorite in the series, so far. That series isa hit or miss, based on who the MC is from murder squad; but it is a must read.

The Day of the Triffids is just excellent and really fun.

I really hope you enjoy this list. Good luck, Anne!!"

Ioana's comment: "I agree with Alondra, A Plague of Giants is excellent and The Day of the Triffids is a lot of fun. I read The Time Machine many years ago, and I remember enjoying it.
I too try to read books that I've neglected for years, and I was very pleasantly surprised many times. I hope you will too with this list. Happy reading!"

Alondra wrote

"Anne. Anne! Anne!!!!

Don't change a thing! I will steal this list, do you hear me!! 📚📚📚📚📚👀

A Plague of Giants is excellent. I really loved this trilogy... (??)(series). I kn..."

I have a signed copy of A Plague of Giants that I have been meaning to read for years, and I am going to get to it next year.

The Likeness is the oldest of my reading group challenge books that I haven't gotten to. I think part of the issue is that that I thought her prior book was okay, but it wasn't a favorite. That is one of the books most likely to get dumped entirely if I don't finish my 2 Dresden books before the end of the year.

Ioana wrote: "I agree with Alondra, A Plague of Giants is excellent and The Day of the Triffids is a lot of fun. I read The Time Machine many years ago, and I remember enjoying it.
I too try to..."

I'm glad you enjoyed all 3 of those books. They are ones I'm actually excited to read and I just haven't gotten to them yet. The hardest part next year may be deciding which book to read first.

Anne wrote: "I wonder how it made it twice. ŷ������ was acting strange when I first made it, so it must have been a glitch.

I copied over the two comments that weren't on both and deleted the extra."

Awww; poor Anne! ŷ������ will getcha! LOL

Anne wrote: "I have a signed copy of A Plague of Giants that I have been meaning to read for years, and I am going to get to it next year.

The Likeness is the oldest of my reading group challenge books that I haven't gotten to. I think part of.."

That is so awesome! I think you will find that having that signed copy is going to add to how awesome and fun that book is.

Nothing will beat the first murder squad book; but I have hope something else comes close. I still enjoy them.

I have a few of these on my TBR. Wish you the best of luck with your challenge.

I finally got started on my list this month. I finished Severance today. I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. The writing was mostly okay (other than some misused words that a decent editor should have caught), but the characters were mostly undeveloped. The flashbacks were detailed (sometimes too much so), but the post-apocalyptic parts were somewhat lacking. The things that were happening were terrible, but the narrator never seemed to feel the horror you would expect. Also, we did experience a pandemic just 2 years after this book was published, so I've already lived too much of this experience to want to read a book about a fictional one. Oh, well. At least it was decent enough that I finished.

I've started my re-read of The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, which is about as different from Severance as you can get. At least I know I like this book since I've read it at least twice before, although not for many years.

I finished my re-read of The Restaurant at the End of the Universe. Although I didn't love it quite as much as I remembered, it was still a fun book. I'm looking forward to rereading the remaining books in the series at some point.

Next up from the list is likely to be Battle Ground.

Anne wrote: "Next up from the list is likely to be Battle Ground..."

I need to get back to Dresden, as well. I am being refreshed with the graphic novels, so I don't feel so lost.

I didn't get Hitchhikers, so I won't even try the rest. :(

I finished my third book today - The Time Machine. I'm feeling rather dumb that I procrastinated on it for so long because I ended up liking it a lot. It was very thought-provoking, as all of this author's books are.

I have too many library books checked out, so it may be a little while until I get back to these books. I am looking forward to reading most of these books, so I need to make them more of a priority.

Anne wrote: "I finished my third book today - The Time Machine. I'm feeling rather dumb that I procrastinated on it for so long because I ended up liking it a lot. It was very thought-provoking, as ..."

Glad you enjoyed it.

I finished A Plague of Giants this week, and I enjoyed it very much. I am excited to read the next two books in this series.

I am very behind on this challenge. I still need to read 8 more books, and it is almost November. I am going to have to be much more focused for the rest of the year if I'm going to finish.

Anne wrote: "I finished A Plague of Giants this week, and I enjoyed it very much. I am excited to read the next two books in this series.

I am very behind on this challenge. I still need to rea..."

Yay! So glad you enjoyed this book. The 2nd one keeps up the action and we get even more world building and learning of the "kennings"... I need the 3rd book to come now!

You can finish Anne! If not; its okay. You have really completed a lot of the challenges you had, already.

I finished another book yesterday: Downpour. It had been quite a while since I read the earlier books in the series, and it took me some time to get back into this world. It was an okay book, but I didn't like it as much as I remember liking earlier books in the series.

Alondra wrote: "Yay! So glad you enjoyed this book. The 2nd one keeps up the action and we get even more world building and learning of the "kennings"... I need the 3rd book to come now!

You can finish Anne! If not; its okay. You have really completed a lot of the challenges you had, already"

I am very excited to read the 2nd book, and I am looking forward to going to the book signing for the 3rd book. I probably won't have time to get caught up before then, but I can still enjoy the books even if I hear a few spoilers. The author is always very entertaining and fun at book signings, and I have a few books that were purchased since the last time he was in town.

I am going to try to finish my list, but it is going to be difficult. I will need to be much more focused than I have proven to be capable of earlier in the year. I am taking the last week of the year off from work, and I may need all that time to even come close. We'll see how I do.

I finished my 6th book: Babel-17. It was a very thought-provoking book, and I can see why it is considered a science fiction classic. I plan to read other books by this author some day.

I now will really have to scramble since I have less than 5 weeks to finish the last 6. I often read that many books in that timespan, but I am going to have to be much more focused than I normally am. I have been reminding myself to focus on these all year (as can be seen on this thread), but obviously that hasn't worked.

Anne wrote: "I now will really have to scramble since I have less than 5 weeks to finish the last 6. I often read that many books in that timespan, but I am going to have to be much more focused than I normally am. I have been reminding myself to focus on these all year (as can be seen on this thread), but obviously that hasn't worked."

Same! It always seems like such a struggle at this time of anyway but it took me several months to tackle the last book on my list. I kept passing it over. No idea why cause I wouldn't have put it on if I hadn't been interested. Sometimes a book causes a mental block regardless of how excited I'd been to read it. I just can't seem to pick it up. So strange.

Lillie wrote: "Same! It always seems like such a struggle at this time of anyway but it took me several months to tackle the last book on my list. I kept passing it over. No idea why cause I wouldn't have put it on if I hadn't been interested. Sometimes a book causes a mental block regardless of how excited I'd been to read it. I just can't seem to pick it up. So strange."

It is, These are all books I have wanted to read for quite some time, and I actually own them, so there is nothing stopping me from picking them up. Still, I am strugging.

I finished the 7th book earlier this week: The Likeness. It was a solid mystery, but it could have used a little more editing. I did enjoy it, though, and I always looked forward to picking up again. It was the oldest book on the list, so I am glad to have it finished.

I have started 2 more books from my list: Early Riser and Deadspeak. I should be done with the former within the next few days.

Anne wrote: "I have started 2 more books from my list: Early Riser and Deadspeak. I should be done with the former within the next few days. ..."

I really don't know why I cannot get into the Necroscope series. I really wanted to love it, but each time I pick it up it just either bores me or bores me. Ugh. I think I will try one last time when I'm feeling froggy.

Also; the Day of the Triffids is a short book, great pacing; so, you could probably read it in one sitting. It's excellent. Highly recommended

Alondra wrote: "
I really don't know why I cannot get into the Necroscope series. I really wanted to love it, but each time I pick it up it just either bores me or bores me. Ugh. I think I will try one last time when I'm feeling froggy.

Also; the Day of the Triffids is a short book, great pacing; so, you could probably read it in one sitting. It's excellent. Highly recommended"

I first read and loved The Necroscope when I read it as a teenager in the 1990s. The pacing of books has changed, and we're all in a different place now, so maybe it doesn't hit the same way now.

Day of the Triffids is one of the ones I have put in my pile to try to get to this year, along with Battleground and Imago. Those books are shorter and likely to be easier to get through with the time I have left.

I'm up to 8 finished now because I finished Early Riser. It was a wonderfully weird book by Jasper Fforde, who always seems to make me laugh.

I loved JF's Thursday Next series! So clever. I'll have to give this one a try

Anne wrote: "I first read and loved The Necroscope when I read it as a teenager in the 1990s. The pacing of books has changed, and we're all in a different place now, so maybe it doesn't hit the same way now.

Day of the Triffids is one of the ones I have put in my pile to try to get to this year, along with Battleground and Imago...."

Mmmm; I will try again; but I think I will wait until I feel like the book is "calling" me. We will see.

I hope you enjoy all 3. I think I have Battleground on my tbr... yes.

Linette wrote: "I loved JF's Thursday Next series! So clever. I'll have to give this one a try"

You should! I think you'll enjoy it. The humor is similar to the Thursday Next series.

Alondra wrote: "Mmmm; I will try again; but I think I will wait until I feel like the book is "calling" me. We will see.

I hope you enjoy all 3. I think I have Battleground on my tbr... yes"

If it doesn't work for you, it's fine. Not all books are for all people. I did finish Deadspeak today, and I enjoyed this 4th book in the series. I read it slower than I typically would for a fast-paced book of this length, but that was because it is a terrible bedtime book. It's too creepy and violent, and it gives me weird dreams if I read it before I go to sleep.

I'm down to 3 books left with 15 days to go. That seems doable since I already said I was going to focus on the 3 shortest books left on my list.

Anne wrote: "Linette wrote: "I loved JF's Thursday Next series! So clever. I'll have to give this one a try"

You should! I think you'll enjoy it. The humor is similar to the Thursday Next series.

Alondra wrot..."

You can do it..

Bill wrote: "You can do it."

Thanks, Bill.

I finished The Day of the Triffids last night. It was excellent, and I'm a little annoyed with myself for not reading it sooner.

I need to finish 2 more, and I have week to finish them. I am off work for the rest of the year, so that is doable. I plan to start Battle Ground later today.

Anne wrote: "Bill wrote: "You can do it."

Thanks, Bill.

I finished The Day of the Triffids last night. It was excellent, and I'm a little annoyed with myself for not reading it sooner.

I need ..."

It's an interesting slow-paced story. His style actually. Have you read The Chrysalids? Good luck til the end of the year.

Bill wrote: "It's an interesting slow-paced story. His style actually. Have you read The Chrysalids? Good luck til the end of the year.."

I have not read The Chrysalids, but I might have a copy. I'll have to check.

Anne wrote: "Bill wrote: "It's an interesting slow-paced story. His style actually. Have you read The Chrysalids? Good luck til the end of the year.."

I have not read The Chrysalids, but I might have a copy. I..."

I've always wanted someone to do a movie about it. They always seem to do The Day of the Triffids or The Midwich Cuckoos.

Anne wrote: "f it doesn't work for you, it's fine. Not all books are for all people. I did finish Deadspeak today, and I enjoyed this 4th book in the series. I read it slower than I typically would for a fast-paced book of this length..."

This is true. I will still hold out hope for it.

glad you enjoyed Day of the Triffids. It was one of my favorites.

I need to get back to Dresden. I think I will wait until the final book comes out, and then do a reread of the entire series. It is just that enjoyable for me.

I finished Battle Ground yesterday. It was excellent, although I wish I had read it closer in time to the previous book like I originally intended.

I have started Imago, and my goal is to finish it today, which would get me to 12. We'll see how well that goes.

Alondra wrote: "This is true. I will still hold out hope for it.

glad you enjoyed Day of the Triffids. It was one of my favorites.

I need to get back to Dresden. I think I will wait until the final book comes out, and then do a reread of the entire series. It is just that enjoyable for me."

I would like to do a reread of Dresden also. Maybe in a few years I will do it.

Bill wrote: "I've always wanted someone to do a movie about it. They always seem to do The Day of the Triffids or The Midwich Cuckoos."

Are any of the movies any good? I have never seen any of them, which somewhat surprises me because my dad was a huge sci fi fan. We used to spend a lot of time watching those kinds of movies and tv shows when I was a kid.

Anne wrote: "I finished Battle Ground yesterday. It was excellent, although I wish I had read it closer in time to the previous book like I originally intended.

I have started [book:Imago|60934..."

You got this Anne!! 💪🏽💪🏽