A-Town's Bookshelf: The Year in Books, 2024

We've reached a new year, and with it another annual recap of books read and listened to (but mostly listened to). As I mentioned last year, I'm well aware that my measly little statistics are nothing compared to those who (allegedly) read (but probably listen to - on 2x speed) over a hundred books a year without breaking a sweat. I'm not here to compare. In fact, I know that probably less than a dozen people will ever even look at this post. So I'm mainly just posting this as a way to track my reading habits, year over year. With this being the second year of my annual "A-Town's Bookshelf" recap, we'll start to see a bit more clearly whether I'm actually doing anything impressive or not.

I somehow made it through 68 books this year, which is insane. That's probably about how many books I had completed in my entire life, prior to, like, 2015. As I looked back on this list over the past few days, I was shocked to see and remember some of the stuff I'd finished. Overall, I'd say that most of it was pretty good stuff. From science fiction and fantasy to celebrity memoirs and the rabbit hole of American history, I listened to (and occasionally physically read) some pretty fun literature during 2024.

One fun thing that I've been doing as I've been crushing audiobooks since the birth of my second son in 2023 is keeping track of how much money I'm saving by using Libby and maintaining an Audible subscription, as opposed to buying books or audiobooks at full price. I thought I could crack it by New Year's Eve (and probably could have - I've got two unused credits on Audible right now), but I'm sitting about $100 short of the $2,000 mark, which is absolutely crazy. Two thousand dollars in books?? Sheesh.

I do have to give a few shoutouts quickly, before I get going - because I'm going to try not to ramble on too much, once we get into the actual statistics of it all.

If you're kind of a nerd and into pop culture like me, I would highly, highly recommend the "Magic 2.0" series by Scott Meyer. These were my favorite books of the year. I wouldn't say they were the best books of the year, necessarily, because there were some really, really good books out there, but this was definitely the most fun I had, and I do occasionally look back and miss the series. It's just so silly and fun and doesn't have a lot of swearing, which was really nice. If you're down for a laugh about a bunch of computer nerds who decide to become wizards in the Dark Ages, you've got to check these books out. The audiobook narration was tremendous, as well, and I was constantly cracking up at some of the voices of the characters. Cannot suggest these books to you more highly.

I finally took the plunge into Bill O'Reilly's "Killing" series, which I had seen on bookshelves but had always kind of scared me because of titles like, say, "Killing Jesus" (which I haven't listened to yet, but want to). I know that O'Reilly is a bit of a star in the conservative political sphere, but I try not to get myself too involved in that stuff, so I didn't really have any preconceived notions about his work. Surprisingly, the books stay almost completely apolitical, so he pretty much just presents the facts without giving his opinion on anything, which I appreciated. His books gave me a great look into the lives of Elvis, John Lennon, Muhammad Ali, John F. Kennedy and even the Salem witches, and I was so fascinated the entire time. If you're wanting to delve into the depths of American history, these books were great.

I didn't know anything about "Project Hail Mary," other than that they're making a movie with Ryan Gosling and that it was written by the same guy who did "The Martian." With that little context heading in, I absolutely loved the book. I gifted it to my wife for Christmas, and she's right in the middle of it as we speak. Recommend.

And finally, my wife and I started listening to the "Harry Potter" series again in 2024. We started Book 4 on New Year's Day, so we're still chugging along, but man, what I wouldn't give to be able to go back and read this series for the first time. I don't think we had any idea how world-changing that little wizard boy was going to become. Great, great books, no matter your stance on public restrooms.

Also, ENORMOUS thanks to Goodreads, the site that made this entire post possible.

All right, here you go. Take a gander at which books I finished in 2024. Maybe you'll find something that you're curious about. I'd love to chat with you about any of these books or any recommendations you have for me!

Thanks for reading.

Books Read

Here is a list of all of the books I completed in 2024, along with my star rating:

1. Firefight (The Reckoners #2) by Brandon Sanderson, 4/5 stars
2. Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid, 5/5 stars
3. Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story by Bono, 4/5 stars
4. Starter Villain by John Scalzi, 3/5 stars
5. The Mark of Zorro (Zorro # 1) by Johnston McCulley, 4/5 stars
6. None of This is True by Lisa Jewell, 5/5 stars
7. The Giver (The Giver # 1) by Lois Lowry, 4/5 stars
8. I Found You by Lisa Jewell, 3/5 stars
9. Gathering Blue (The Giver # 2) by Lois Lowry, 2/5 stars
10. The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave, 3/5 stars
11. A Deadly Education (The Scholomance # 1) by Naomi Novik, 1/5 stars
12. Atlantis (Jack Howard # 1) by David Gibbins, 3/5 stars
13. Making It So by Patrick Stewart, 4/5 stars
14. The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians # 1) by Rick Riordan, 3/5 stars
15. Star Wars: Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade by Delilah S. Dawson, 3/5 stars
16. Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life by Arnold Schwarzenneger, 3/5 stars
17. Off to Be the Wizard (Magic 2.0 # 1) by Scott Meyer, 4/5 stars
18. When I Was Your Age: Life Lessons, Funny Stories & Questionable Parenting Advice from a Professional Clown by Kenan Thompson, 4/5 stars
19. The Downloaded by Robert J. Sawyer, 3/5 stars
20. Marvel's Midnight Suns: Infernal Rising by S.D. Perry, 2/5 stars
21. Star Wars: The Eye of Darkness by George Mann, 4/5 stars
22. Spell or High Water (Magic 2.0 #2) by Scott Meyer, 4/5 stars
23. The Horse and His Boy (Chronicles of Narnia # 5) by C.S. Lewis, 2/5 stars
24. The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings # 3) by J.R.R. Tolkien, 4/5 stars
25. Recursion by Blake Crouch, 5/5 stars
26. Calamity (The Reckoners, # 3) by Brandon Sanderson, 2/5 stars
27. An Unwelcome Quest (Magic 2.0 # 3) by Scott Meyer, 3/5 stars
28. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch, 3/5 stars
29. Dune (Dune # 1) by Frank Herbert, 3/5 stars
30. Fight and Flight (Magic 2.0 # 4) by Scott Meyer, 4/5 stars
31. The Singularity Trap by Dennis E. Taylor, 3/5 stars
32. Star Wars: Jedi: Battle Scars by Sam Maggs, 1/5 stars
33. Out of Spite, Out of Mind (Magic 2.0 #5) by Scott Meyer, 3/5 stars
34. The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England by Brandon Sanderson, 3/5 stars
35. Killing the Legends: The Lethal Danger of Celebrity by Bill O'Reilly, 5/5 stars
36. The Vexed Generation (Magic 2.0 #6) by Scott Meyer, 4/5 stars
37. And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle by Jon Meacham, 5/5 stars
38. Star Wars: Defy the Storm by Tessa Gratton, 2/5 stars
39. Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger, 3/5 stars
40. Will Save the Galaxy for Food (Jacques McKeown # 1) by Yahtzee Crowshaw, 3/5 stars
41. The Chase (Isaac Bell # 1) by Clive Cussler, 5/5 stars
42. House of Blades (Traveler's Gate # 1) by Will Wight, 3/5 stars
43. Star Wars: The Living Force by John Jackson Miller, 3/5 stars
44. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy # 1) by Douglas Adams, 2/5 stars
45. The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece by Tom Hanks, 3/5 stars
46. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, 5/5 stars
47. The Magician’s Nephew (Chronicles of Narnia # 6) by C.S. Lewis, 4/5 stars
48. Killing the Witches: The Horror of Salem, Massachusetts by Bill O'Reilly, 4/5 stars
49. The Last Battle (Chronicles of Narnia # 7) by C.S. Lewis, 4/5 stars
50. The Chronicles of Narnia (The Chronicles of Narnia # 1-7) by C.S. Lewis, 4/5 stars
51. Raising Good Humans: A Mindful Guide to Breaking the Cycle of Reactive Parenting and Raising Kind, Confident Kids by Hunter Clarke-Fields, 3/5 stars
52. The Wrecker (Isaac Bell # 2) by Clive Cussler, 3/5 stars
53. Fan Fiction by Brent Spiner, 2/5 stars
54. The Last Outlaws: The Desperate Final Days of the Dalton Gang by Tom Clavin, 3/5 stars
55. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter # 1) by J.K. Rowling, 5/5 stars
56. The Crimson Vault (Traveler's Gate # 2) by Will Wight, 2/5 stars
57. The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill, 3/5 stars
58. Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You by Ali Abdaal, 5/5 stars
59. City of Light (Traveler's Gate # 3) by Will Wight, 2/5 stars
60. Casino Royale (James Bond # 1) by Ian Fleming, 4/5 stars
61. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck, 3/5 stars
62. Outland (Quantum Earth # 1) by Dennis E. Taylor, 3/5 stars
63. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter # 2) by J.K. Rowling, 5/5 stars
64. The Search for WondLa (The Search for WondLa # 1) by Tony DiTerlizzi, 4/5 stars
65. Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot by Bill O'Reilly, 5/5 stars
66. Ready Player One (Ready Player One # 1) by Ernest Cline, 4/5 stars
67. A Hero for WondLa (The Search for WondLa # 2) by Tony DiTerlizzi, 3/5 stars
68. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter # 3) by J.K. Rowling, 4/5 stars

Other Stats

The A-Town Awards

Best Book of the Year: Off to Be the Wizard by Scott Meyer

Honorable Mention: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir; Killing the Legends by Bill O'Reilly; Killing Kennedy by Bill O'Reilly; Recursion by Blake Crouch

Worst Book of the Year: Star Wars: Jedi: Battle Scars by Sam Maggs

Honorable Mention: Marvel's Midnight Suns: Infernal Rising by S.D. Perry; A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

Best Audiobook Narration: Luke Daniels (Magic 2.0 series)

Honorable Mention: Ray Porter (Project Hail Mary, several others)

Yearly Comparison

2024: 68 books read

2023: 48 books read

*****

There you go! Did you discover anything new? Find anything you want to check out? Do you either strongly agree or disagree with me about anything? Do you have a book in mind that you think I'd love? I'm always down for suggestions. Let me know in the comments below, on Twitter (here and here) or on Facebook.

Until next time.

Five reasons why SPECTRE didn't suck

When SPECTRE, the latest James Bond blockbuster, hit theaters in November 2015, I couldn't help but feel that its response was underwhelming, at best. I saw it that first weekend and I thought it was a pretty good show. It wasn't Skyfall, but it wasn't bad. Now, months later and a couple weeks after its release on Blu-ray and DVD, I still don't sense that there is any more excitement about the film that before. Few (if any) of my friends and known associates talked about seeing the movie in theaters and I'm not aware of anyone that ran out to the store to pick it up, now that it's on sale.

I think we can all agree that Lea Seydoux is the least attractive Bond girl of all time, but, other than that, I have a hard time understanding why SPECTRE wasn't a very popular Bond movie. It sits at a measly 63% on Rotten Tomatoes with an equally mediocre rating from audiences. I can think of a couple things that I wasn't necessarily wild about, but I truly believe, overall, that it deserves a bit more credit than it received. I'd like to list five of them in this blog.

[From this point forward, SPECTRE will be discussed in detail, including major spoilers.]

The dead are alive

If nothing else, the enormous scope of the Day of the Dead celebration in Mexico is jaw-dropping. The camera work is tremendous, highlighted by a long, uncut take as Bond traverses the Mexican rooftops. Admit it: when that building comes down and Bond lands on the couch, you chuckled. The brief foot-chase that ensues amidst thousands of costumed extras is undeniably a sight to behold, reminiscent of the Mardi Gras scenes in 1973's Live or Let Die. Also, the helicopter does barrel rolls! Eat your heart out, Fox McCloud! ...And let's not forget Daniel Craig's superb skeleton suit. That thing is stylin'.

"Writing's on the Wall"

Before I had even heard the song, I had heard that some people were unhappy with Sam Smith's theme song, "Writing's on the Wall." I'm still not sure why anybody disliked it. Again, it's not "Skyfall," which Adele knocked out of the park for the last film, but the more I heard Smith's take on the song, the more I liked it. What's more, if you can manage to ignore the practically naked dancers in the title sequence, I've always thought that the Daniel Craig intros have been quite good at storytelling. The opening credits play on the nostalgia of fans of the Daniel Craig era, giving nods to characters from the previous three Bond films, including Javier Bardem's Silva (Skyfall), Eva Green's Vesper (Casino Royale) and our dearly departed M, iconically portrayed by Dame Judy Dench. (Rest her soul.) Once the opening credits wrap, Sam Smith and the folks at MGM have you raring to go as the stage is set for SPECTRE.

The car chase

The fancy cars. The unloaded ammunition. "New York, New York" blasting from the stereo. Bond practically pushing the slow driver out of his way, only to have the old man land perfectly in a parking spot with an airbag to the face. The flames from the exhaust and the ejector seat. That's a fun scene that gives you pretty much everything you could hope for from a Bond car chase.

Honorable mention: Bond's airplane scene that ultimately ends in him driving the dang thing through a barn. Oh, baby.

Batista

After his success in Guardians of the Galaxy, I was excited to hear that former WWE wrestler Dave Bautista had earned a role as a Bond villain. The dude is a beast, no bones about it, and he's as physically imposing as ever in this role. Hinx is right up there, in terms of physicality, with any other Bond baddie. Who else compares? Jaws, certainly, but is there anyone else as overpowering as Batista? One of my favorite moments of his during is the fight scene on the train when he swats a cooking pot out of the air with his forearm. (#baller) It's just a shame that he's used so little in the film. His death is implied as he gets whipped out of the train and any possibility of him returning in a future film is practically impossible, but hey - we can dream, can't we?

Honorable mention: It's also nice to see Q (Ben Whishaw) and the new M (Ralph Fiennes) in action - and out in the field! I like these new guys.

Franz Oberhauser: What's in a name?

Some might argue that SPECTRE's weakest aspect is its main villain. They might say that Christoph Waltz's Oberhauser was "just some boring guy that we all knew was going to end up being Bond's brother." They might say, "We knew they he was going to be Bond's long-lost brother simply by watching the trailer. Big whoop." Big whoop? Big whoop?? My goodness, people! Have you no knowledge of nor familiarity with Bond films past?

It is revealed during one of the movie's most tense plot points that Franz Oberhauser, the man with such historical ties to James Bond (yes, indeed, they are adoptive brothers) at some point in life changed his name, nay, his identity, becoming a man fictitiously renamed Ernst Stavro Blofeld. ERNST STAVRO BLOFELD, PEOPLE!! Blofeld is, like, Bond's arch-nemesis! He is the most classic of all James Bond villains! He either appeared in or made his presence known in at least seven other films, so, other than 007, himself, he should be the most recognized character in any of the movies. No? Is this not ringing any bells? Did a light bulb not go off in your mind when you saw him holding a white cat? Did you not realize that this is the character that inspired Austin Powers' "Doctor Evil"? I think the biggest problem with the Blofeld Bomb was that too many moviegoers had no idea who he was supposed to be. While I was geeking out of my mind, the majority of the theater was probably thinking, "Ernst who??" Ugh. So disappointing.

I mean, we should have seen it coming, right? Blofeld was the head of SPECTRE in the old movies. Why wouldn't he be the big wig in this one? But I had no idea. Not a clue. I didn't see it coming and was genuinely surprised by the reveal. The idea that Blofeld is "the author of all of [Bond's] pain" was a nice touch - that he was the one that orchestrated most (if not all) of Bond's tragic losses, including those of Vesper and M. Unbeknownst to us all, Blofeld has been pulling the strings all along.

At a pivotal point in the film, Blofeld is gravely injured, leaving him his a nasty scar on one side of his face - his trademark physical feature. It was inevitable. It had to happen. And when it did, the transformation was complete. Guys... they rebooted Blofeld. Is that not amazing? What's even more exciting is that he didn't die. No, no. He's still alive and he'll be back for more movies. In my opinion, this is the best thing that came out of SPECTRE.

"Cuckoo!"

Conclusion

SPECTRE is a good Bond movie. It's not Skyfall and it's not Goldeneye, but, thankfully, it's not Moonraker or A View to a Kill, either. If this is Daniel Craig's final go in the tuxedo, you know what? He made me a believer. I was a harsh critic of his in the months leading up to his debut as 007 in Casino Royale and I think that Quantum of Solace was the worst Bond flick since Tomorrow Never Dies, but he was spectacular in Skyfall and did a good job in SPECTRE. He infamously insinuated that his days as James Bond were over, even commenting that he'd rather slit his wrists than do another movie. The degree of sarcasm contained in that comment is up for debate and it's also rumored that Craig is under contract for one more film, so I guess we'll see what happens. However, if this truly is his last movie, he got the girl (yuck) and rode off into the sunset, quite literally, so I suppose it would be a fitting end for his stint with the PP7. Only time will tell.

Did you see SPECTRE? Did you hate it? Did you like it? Was it the best/worst movie you've ever seen? Let SotT: Underground know in the comments below.

JAMES BOND WILL RETURN.

2015's best movies in 140 characters or less

As we come to the end of another year, we pause to reflect on the highlights from 2015. The next few days will certainly be filled with introspection, goal setting and quality time with our families, but let us take just a moment to ponder another important aspect of the past 365 days of our lives: the best movies of the year!

In this blog, I'll count down my favorite movies of 2015 - and I'll do it Twitter-style - in 140 characters or less. (Disclaimer: Keep in mind that I did not see every movie that came out this year, nor am I listing every single show that I watched.) With no further ado, here are my top 15 movies. Let's get to it!

15. The Divergent Series: Allegiant (@Divergent)

• I struggled to finish the book. The movie wasn't any better. I'm losing faith in this series and I'm not looking forward to #Insurgent.

14. Tomorrowland (#TomorrowlandMovie)

• Biggest disappointment of the year, in my opinion. I fell asleep during a pivotal scene in the movie's "third act." No Space Mountain? #lame

13. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 (@TheHungerGames)

• This was the "least good" of the four movies. Felt a bit too long - and I didn't love the ending of book it was based on, either. #TeamGale

12. Inside Out (@PixarInsideOut)

• A witty, clever movie about childhood depression. So sad. I saw it first at a drive-in theater, which was a terrible idea. #BingBongBingBong

11. Ant-Man (@AntMan)

• It definitely didn't suck as much as the previews made it seem. Better the second time. Funny, but not my favorite from Marvel's Phase Two.

10. Bridge of Spies (@BridgeOfSpies)

• Cold. Gray. Amazing. A fascinating story that kind of made me feel bad for the Russian. Tom Hanks is great, as we've all come to expect.

9. SPECTRE (@007)

• Not as good as #Skyfall, but a fun ride with a surprising twist that is a big payoff for long-time Bond fans. Also, Batista is a beast.

8. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (@ManFromUNCLE)

• Bond with a sense of humor. A couple of truly laugh-out-loud scenes and a totally rockin' soundtrack. Cavill and Hammer make a good team.

7.  Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (@MissionFilm)

• Is there anything @TomCruise won't do? The airplane scene was definitely the best opening sequence of 2015. This tweet will self-destruct...

6. The Peanuts Movie (@PeanutsMovie)

• I'll be doggone if this wasn't the cutest little movie I've ever seen. A wonderful, G-rated family film that anyone can enjoy. #TwoThumbsUp

5. Avengers 2 - Age of Ultron (@Avengers)

• Not as good as the first one, but a great addition to the franchise. Gotta love those action scenes with all of the Avengers in action.

4. McFarland, USA (#McFarlandUSA)

• Having served Spanish-speaking, this movie nearly brought me to tears on several occasions - and I don't even like running! A 2015 must-see.

3. Jurassic World (@JurassicPark)

• A big-budget blockbuster with plenty of excitement and superb CGI. A step up from J.P. 2 & 3 and practically on par with the original film.

2. Creed (@creedmovie)

• Creed got me right in the feels like a sucker punch to the kidney. A worthy successor to the Rocky films. Hoping for a sequel. #GonnaFlyNow

1. Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (@starwars)

• My most anticipated film of 2015 was absolutely worth the wait. It's now one of my new favorite movies and I'll definitely see it again.

Well, there you have it. What were your favorite movies of 2015? Feel free to comment below in as many characters as you so choose.

Happy new year, friends.