55/150 I love hot dogs. More than pizza, burgers, fried chicken, Mexican, Chinese or Italian. To me, it is the perfect food that I would eat every day if my stomach would allow it. This hysterical book is part travelogue, part hot dog history and part social commentary. Listening to this made me hungry, and jealous I can't do my own cross country hot dog tour. 5 🌭🌭🌭🌭🌭
TW: Graphic language.

Within seconds after the air lock had cycled open, Cain was covered with sweat.

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

54/150. Barely squeaked this one end before May is done. This really shouldn't work, it's kind of a crazy idea, but it's more entertaining than I expected. The Space Ghost/Green Lantern tale was the best, following traditional comic book tropes of having them fight before they team up to fight the real bad guys. Adam Strange/Jonny Quest was also a lot of fun. Sadly, the Booster Gold/Flintstones and Batman/Top Cat chapters ⬇️⬇️⬇️

📚 The Moon Pool by A. Merritt 1918

📚 As long as the author doesn't leave me waiting YEARS between volumes, I don't care how long it goes on.

📚 The Nightside series by Simon R. Green. It was 12 books, but still plenty of potential for more.

Thanks for the tag @Eggs #wonderouswednesday

1. The Wager by David Grann. It's an amazing true life story of survival. I highly recommend it.
2. I finished Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, but I contemplated bailing on it many times. I don't think I've ever yelled at an audiobook before, and I rolled my eyes enough to give me headaches.
#Two4Tuesday @TheSpineView

53/150 I was expecting something grim, like the previous Punisher Kills The Marvel Universe, but this was actually quite funny. I'm not sure how or why Frank Castle became the Cosmic Ghost Rider, but it didn't lessen my enjoyment of the story. Castle travels back in time to prevent the death of his family, that lead to him becoming the Punisher. While hanging out with his kids, pretending to be Uncle Fredo, he entertains them with stories ⬇️⬇️⬇️

52/150 If it hadn't been for the, IMHO, sappy schoolgirl romance, I would have given this book 4 stars at least. I loved the dragons, the dragon rider school, the training, the world-building, and the camaraderie among the cadets. However, ever time I really got into the book, it would flip over to Violet's nauseating (to me) infatuation with *spoiler* and the story would come to a screeching halt while she described how beautiful he was ⬇️⬇️⬇️

It was a foul autumn morning in Jaffa when the pilgrimage came out of the church.

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

It's hard to believe May is almost over and it's time for another #20in4 readathon. Sadly, I'm working the whole Memorial Day weekend, so I'll keep my goals simple. The main goal is to finish Fourth Wing, which I'm not enjoying that much but I'm determined to finish. Also, starting two new books and throw in whatever graphic novels I can squeeze in too.
#20in4 @Andrew65

51/150 Simak's science fiction is often labeled as folksy or homey. It's easy to see why from this collection, where he is more interested in relationships, in what it means to be human, and what our humanity would mean when faced with aliens and robots, than he is in science, spaceflight and rayguns. I think this would be a good book for scifi fans and those who claim they don't like science fiction.
4 🚀🚀🚀🚀 1/2

50/150 I loved the original Batman animated series, even though I wasn't a kid anymore when it showed on Fox. This was a lot of fun, as it matched the art style and storytelling of the TV series perfectly. I wasn't thrilled with how they changed the Jason Todd/Red Hood backstory, but that's a minor quibble to an overall entertaining read. 4 🦇🦇🦇🦇

49/150 The blurb describes this as "Patrick O'Brien Meets James Bond" and that's pretty much spot on. Thomas Grey, a spy for Her Majesty's Secret Service, resigns after the tragic death of his wife. So he finds himself approached by Irish mercenaries who want to use his knowledge to aid France in the war with England. Grey sees it as a change to get revenge on the man who killed his wife. Lots of action, daring escapes...continued in comments ⬇️

The inventory list was long, on its many pages, in his small and precise script, he had listed furniture, paintings, china, silverware and all the rest of it - all the personal belongings that had been accumulated by the Barringtons through a long family history.

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

48/150 I love a good dive into science. Fortunately, this is written for the science layman, so I wasn't overwhelmed with theories and mathematical equations. I'm not sure if I fully understand how gravity and quantum mechanics work in relation to black holes, but I have more appreciation for the science involved. 3.75/5

It's been awhile since I completed all my goals for a readathon, so I'm very pleased with myself.
Finished Alternate Routes ✅ So-So
Finished Lore: Dreadful Places ✅ Pick
Finished The Declassification Engine ✅ Pick
Started (and finished) The Wager ✅ 5 🌟 Pick
Started All The Traps of Earth ✅

Thank you @Andrew65 for hosting, and I'll see you again for the #20in4 readathon at the end of the month.

#MagnificientMay

Pet Peeve:

I absolutely HATE ambiguous endings, where the author leaves it to the reader to "interpret" how the story ends.
To me that's a cop out and a sign of lazy writing. I feel the author has painted themselves into a corner, and would rather give their book no ending than risk a bad one.

Second worst is the unreliable narrator. I will stop reading a book if I come on that overused, tired trope.

#sundayfunday @ozma.of.oz

47/150 One last book squeezed in before #MagnificientMay readathon is done. I really enjoyed this, it wasn't scary but it did give me the creeps. It might sound weird, but I started watching the so-called scary supernatural videos on Tik-Tok before starting the book each day. It really got me in the mood, gave me goosebumps sometimes. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
5th and final book finished for #MagnificientMay @Andrew65

46/150 This book isn't what I was expecting, from the title. I thought the author was going to discuss eight specific plagues, but instead, the book is a discussion of history as seen through the lens of infectious diseases. It is very informative, but the author allows his own bias and political leanings to influence his conclusions. It would have been better if he had been more objective. 3 ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

The places we live have a way of coming to look like us over time.

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

45/150 While I thought the books premise was wildly creative, I found the execution lacking. The books pacing was a problem for me, it was erratic, jumping for fast paced actions scenes and chases to chapters where not much happens. Also trips to the "afterlife", an alternate realm when "ghosts" of people who died on or near the highway lived, was never clearly explained. 3.25/5
3rd book finished for #MarvellousMay @Andrew65

44/150 One of the best non-fiction books of 2023. It's an amazing story of courage, resilience, honor and betrayal. The Wager was wrecked while sailing around the Cape of Good Hope, leaving the survivors stranded on a desolate part of Patagonia. What they went through, and what they did to survive was tragic, at times inhumane, but ultimately inspiring. 5 🌟
TW: cannibalism, animal cruelty
2nd book finished for #MarvellousMay @Andrew65

1. I already took my "summer vacation" back in March, when I went to the Philippines. That pretty much used up my vacation time and PTO for 2023. I do hope to take a mini vacation in October for my 60th birthday.
2. Tagged! I'm not a seasonal reader, but I do tend to read lighter, more upbeat books in the summer.
#Two4Tuesday @TheSpineView

43/150 I found this book extremely infuriating. I know the government lies, and I know that government keeps secrets, that's a given. However, so much of what is stamped "classified-National Security" is just to cover up the government's ignorance, incompetence, corruption and greed. Every administration since FDR has promised that they would be transparent, they would be the government
of the people. Sadly, millions (billions?) ⬇️⬇️

42/150 Along with Calvin and Hobbes, Bloom County was one of my favorite comic strips. Much more topical humor than C&H, so someone, who didn't grow up in the 80s, might not find it very relatable almost 40 years later. I still find it funny has heck. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Perfect time for a readathon since I'll be off work 4 of those days.
Goals:
Finish Alternate Routes
Finish Lore: Dreadful Places
Finish The Declassification Engine
Start All The Traps of Earth
Start The Wager

Thank you for the tag @Andrew65

41/150 I will be the first to admit I'm no big fan of Stephen A. Smith. I think he's a pompous ass most of the time. So why read his autobiography? While his arrogance drives me up the wall, I can't deny he's one of the best sports commentators around. He has a distinct voice, and isn't afraid to let his opinions fly, no matter who it pisses off.
I don't have to like him to admire that. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
1st and only book finished for #20in4 @Andrew65

In a dark, wood-paneled room on the second floor of the Admiralty House, Sir Edward Banks tapped his fingers and waited to be asked to speak.

#FirstLineFridays on Saturday @ShyBookOwl

Since I'm working straight through this #20in4 readathon, I doubt I will finish any of these, so my goal is to finish 20 chapters. @Andrew65

40/150 Detailed history of the conflicts between the Persian Empire and the Greek city states, although it was a bit dry. I don't understand the book's title, since Sparta played a small part in the overall battles. The Battle of Thermopylae, where 300 Spartans fought Xerxes and the overwhelming Persian army is the highlight. The narration by Bronson Pinchot was excellent. 3 ⭐⭐⭐

39/150 I am a big fan of the oral history format, and I listened to a lot of this music in my 20s, but I think I was expecting this to be a lot juicier and gossipy. For me, the most interesting part was the beginning of the 90's when grunge groups like Nirvana and Pearl Jam came alone and pretty much killed the hard rock "hair bands" that had dominated the music charts for a decade. 3 ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

When a car slows down on a freeway, a spreading wave of brake lights flickers on behind it; cars further back slow in response, and then cars behind them, and even when the original car has sped up again, the wave of deceleration continues to move backward.

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

38/150 The final book in the Dragons of the Nether trilogy. I'm glad we finally got some dragons in the story because up till now the trilogy title made no sense. The final battle with Dorthu, the orc god, has begun. Heroes die, new heroes arise, and in the end we get a HEA. Not as good as book 2, but a satisfying ending. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

37/150 I've always enjoyed cooking shows, so for that, I'll give this a soft pick instead of a so-so. Six contestants come to Grafton Manor to compete in Bake Week, each with their own reasons and agendas. I would have like more baking and less melodrama. 3 ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

I might have gotten a little carried away at today's bookstore visit, but it's been awhile since I splurged. 4 of these books were on my wishlist to read. The Dan Jones book I'd been eager to read after reading his excellent book on the Dark Ages, Powers and Thrones. The Lore book was just a whim, it sounded interesting.
#bookhaul #nevertoomanybooks #neverenoughshelves

Dirt pressed on Tace's eyelids and collapsed into her nostrils.

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

36/150 In the future, everyone is blinded, then technology, called Vidders, allows electronic signals straight to the brain which let's people "see" again. I liked the premise, and the kind of PKD take on what's real and what's not if people can manipulate what the Vidder shows them. I thought the book dragged at several points, spending too much time in flashbacks to events that happened during The Blinding. The conclusion was a bit weak ⬇️⬇️

35/150 This trilogy just gets better and better. The middle book of a trilogy is usually the weakest, lots of set up for the concluding volume. I think this is better than the first book, the character are more fleshed out, and when some die (3 main characters die here) you feel the loss. I'm excited to see how this ends, since the cliffhanger ending leaves many plotlines dangling. 5 🌟
1st book finished for #AwesomeApril @Andrew65

"What do we do with them?" The human male looked at the two orcs with distaste, his upper lip curled and his eyes narrowed.

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

Except for being off Easter Sunday, I'll be working through most of this readathon, so I'll keep my goals simple.
Finish Blind Spots
Finish A Legacy of Blood
Start and finish The Runes of Destiny
Read 30+ Hours
#AwesomeApril @Andrew65

I'm bailing on this at 28%. I don't think I'm enough of a Poe fan to find this examination of his death, and events leading up to it, very interesting. I do think people who are big fans of the author would enjoy the book.

34/150 After taking a break for a couple of months, I'm back to reading the series. I'd forgotten Kitty Pryde "died" in the last volume, so we get the ramifications here, especially with Emma Frost and Storm. The Wolverine section is pretty average, Logan doing what he does best, killing people. The final section, with Jean Grey and Emma Frost bringing Storm back from "death" had some amazing artwork, which was good ⬇️⬇️⬇️

33/150 I wasn't sure what to expect from the first book of a trilogy by an unknown (to me) author, but I was pleasantly surprised. Yes it's a bit Fantasy 101, and there's some box checking to do, but overall it's the beginning of a nice epic fantasy. I appreciate the various viewpoints, and that neither the humans nor the orcs are painted as being wholly good or evil. Plenty of characters to keep track of, but never too many to be confusing.

32/150 Very dated golden age science fiction. Lots of mind numbing pseudoscience and no characterization. The three lead scientists are only distinguished because they have different names, they're all bland and one dimensional. Also, the narrator sounds like he's covering a golf tournament instead of reading a galactic adventure, monotonous and low key. 1 ⭐

Tace held a dagger to the human's throat, the silver tip of the blade glinting in the pale moonlight.

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

31/150 I used to be an Oscar fanatic! I loved the show, filled out my ballot, had Ocars parties, the whole nine yards. I've drifted away now, or maybe I should my taste and the Academy's has drifted apart, but I seldom watch anymore. That said, this story of the feuds and rivalries that make up Oscar history was very informative. There's plenty of big name gossip and stories of people forgotten by the industry to keep everyone entertained.

⛵ Quintana Roo Its a mexican state where Cancun is located. I remember hearing the name in a R.A. Lafferty story when I was young, its stuck with me as a cool name.
📚 As many book from my TBR shelves as I could load without sinking the boat.
Thank you @Monica5 and @Read4life for the tag.
@TheSpineView #Two4Tuesday

30/150 I might have enjoyed this more if I felt better when I finished it, but being sick I became impatient with the author to get on with the story. I love a good quest novel as much as the next guy, but this dragged in several places, which forced a quick, hectic and a little absurd ending. 3.5/5
1st book finished for #20in4 @Andrew65, 3rd book finished for #MarvellousMarch @Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES

Going from 90 degree temps in the Philippines to 38 degrees in WV is not good for the body. I caught a major cold, but luckily it wasn't covid. I need this readathon to get back in the reading groove.
#20in4 @Andrew65

Well the #MarvelousMarch readathon went pretty much as I predicted. I finished 2 books before leaving for the Philippines, and have done very little reading since arriving here. I'll get back into the groove when I return to the USA on the 18th. @Andrew65

I admit I haven't done much reading today, exploring the wonders of the Philippines. I did find a bookstore in the Mall of Asia, the biggest mall in Asia. I hope to find some smaller, more independent bookstores. This one is perfectly situated between a coffee shop and a case of delicious baked goods.