Robin Hobb’s “Assassin’s Apprentice” is the 1995 selection for the My Novel Life reading challenge. The task: Read a novel from every year of your life in chronological order with no author represented more than once. The book is rated four stars out of five. Challenge created by author Mark Hodder.

ASSASSIN’S APPRENTICE was my first Robin Hobb novel, but I don’t think it’ll be my last. It’s so character-focused and low-stakes that the first 90% could be labeled “cozy fantasy.” I want to see how the second book flows with all the exposition out of the way. #books #MyNovelLife

I'm a little more than halfway through Max Brooks' WORLD WAR Z (ebook). I finished listening to Robin Hobb's ASSASSIN'S APPRENTICE (my 1995 pick for the #MyNovelLife reading challenge). Next up is F. Paul Wilson's excellent vampire apocalypse novel, MIDNIGHT MASS. #FridayReads #books

John Grisham's "The Chamber" is the 1994 selection for the My Novel Life reading challenge. The task: Read a novel from every year of your life in chronological order with no author represented more than once. The book is rated four stars out of five. Challenge created by author Mark Hodder.

THE CHAMBER was a gut punch of a legal thriller, following a young lawyer as tries to save his racist grandfather from execution in the gas chamber. It was a solid choice for 1994 in the #MyNovelLife challenge. Up next for 1995 will be Robin Hobb's ASSASSIN'S APPRENTICE. #books

Scott Smith's "A Simple Plan” is the 1993 selection for the My Novel Life reading challenge. The task: Read a novel from every year of your life in chronological order with no author represented more than once. The book is rated four stars out of five.

I finished Scott Smith's A SIMPLE PLAN. It's a well-written crime thriller with characters I hated. I'm glad I read this one for #MyNovelLife but I know I'll never touch it again. There's a detachment there, the same vibe that made THE RUINS such a slog for me that I eventually DNF'd it. #books

My 1993 nominees for #MyNovelLife were:
Octavia Butler - The Parable of the Sower
Margaret Atwood - The Robber Bride
Michael Connelly - The Black Ice
Larry McMurtry - Streets of Loredo
Scott Smith - A Simple Plan

Today I finished Jim Butcher’s FIRST LORD’S FURY (excellent) and Ed McBain’s THE PUSHER (pretty good). Next up, I’m going to start Scott Smith’s A SIMPLE PLAN, which is my 1993 pick for the #MyNovelLife reading challenge. I didn’t finish THE RUINS, but I have high hopes for this one. #books

Robert McCammon’s “Gone South" is the 1992 pick for the My Novel Life reading challenge and is rated 5 stars out of 5. The Task: Read a novel from every year of your life in chronological order with no author represented more than once. Challenge created by Mark Hodder.

Robert McCammon’s GONE SOUTH was my 1992 pick for the #MyNovelLife reading challenge. A Vietnam veteran kills a man in a moment of panic and is chased by two outlandish bounty hunters. It’s one of my top ten for the year. I’ll read it again one day, Lord willing and the creek don’t rise. #books

I started reading Robert McCammon's GONE SOUTH on my dinner break. It's my 1992 pick for the #MyNovelLife reading challenge. My break ended just as I finished the second chapter and my reaction was "Nooooooooooo!" because I wanted to keep reading. Silly job gets in the way... #books

Dick Francis' "Comeback" is the 1991 pick for the My Novel Life reading challenge and is rated 3.5 stars out of 5. The Task: Read a novel from every year of your life in chronological order with no author represented more than once. Challenge created by Mark Hodder.

I finished reading Dick Francis' COMEBACK, my 1991 pick for the #MyNovelLife reading challenge. This was a good little mystery. I had no idea there were so many ways to murder horses. This is the second Francis novel I've read, and I think I'm becoming a fan. #books

I finished reading Jonathan Carroll’s THE LAND OF LAUGHS, which was just as wild and magical and quietly disturbing as I remembered. Next up is Dick Francis’ COMEBACK, my 1991 pick for the #MyNovelLife reading challenge. #books

Nelson DeMille's "The Gold Coast" is the 1990 pick for the My Novel Life reading challenge and is rated five stars. The Task: Read a novel from every year of your life in chronological order with no author represented more than once. Challenge created by Mark Hodder.

Nelson DeMille's "The Gold Coast" was my 1990 pick for the #MyNovelLife reading challenge. I liked it a lot. It's sad and nostalgic for a way of life that's disappearing, but still has room for optimism. "The Great Gatsby meets The Godfather," indeed. #books

I started reading Nelson DeMille’s “The Gold Coast,” my 1990 pick for the #MyNovelLife reading challenge. It’s described as “‘The Great Gatsby’ meets ‘The Godfather,’” so I’m taking a quick detour and reading “The Great Gatsby.” Can’t have too many #books going at once, I guess…

Kazuo Ishiguro's "The Remains of the Day" is the 1989 pick for the My Novel Life reading challenge and is rated five stars. The Task: Read a novel from every year of your life in chronological order with no author represented more than once. Challenge created by Mark Hodder.

Kazuo Ishiguro's "The Remains of the Day" knocked me on my ass. What a sad, tragic story about a man married to his job and ideals and missing out on the possibilities of a richer life. I'm glad I chose that for the #MyNovelLife challenge. Up next for 1990 is Nelson DeMille's "Gold Coast." #books

I’ve started listening to Kazuo Ishiguro’s “The Remains of the Day,” my 1989 pick for the #MyNovelLife reading challenge. I’ll need to watch the movie and finally give “Downton Abbey” a try after this. #books

Peter Straub's "Koko," a 1988 choice for the My Novel Life reading challenge, is rated 3.5 stars out of five. The Challenge: read a novel from every year of your life in chronological order. No author represented more than once. No novel you have read before. No non-fiction. No story collections. You can stretch out the challenge for as long as you like and read whatever you want between challenge entries.

Peter Straub's "Koko" was my 1988 pick for the #MyNovelLife reading challenge. It's "I Know What You Did Last Summer in Vietnam," basically. I didn't hate it, but I never would've gotten through it if I hadn't been powering through by listening to the audiobook. #books

Fannie Flagg's "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe" is the 1987 pick for the My Novel Life challenge and is rated four stars out of five. The Task: Read a novel from every year of your life in chronological order with no author represented more than once.

I chose Fannie Flagg's "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe" for the #MyNovelLife reading challenge because I'd seen the movie a few times and was curious to see how well it was adapted. Turns out they did a good job, although the ending is very different. Good stuff. #books

I finished Frederick Forsyth's "The Cobra." It was decent, but the characters are flatter than cardboard. I enjoyed it enough that I'll give some of his other #books a try. Next up is Fannie Flagg's "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe," my 1987 pick for the #MyNovelLife reading challenge.

Lawrence Block’s “When the Sacred Ginmill Closes” is the 1986 selection for the My Novel Life reading challenge. The task: Read a novel from every year of your life in chronological order with no author represented more than once. The book is rated four stars out of five.

I finished Lawrence Block’s “When the Sacred Ginmill Closes.” That was a good story. I soft-DNF’d it last year, and I’m glad the #MyNovelLife reading challenge gave me an excuse to pick it up again. My book next month for 1987 is Fannie Flagg’s “Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe.” #books

Lawrence Block's "When the Sacred Ginmill Closes" is my 1986 pick for the #MyNovelLife challenge of reading one novel from each year I've been alive and no repeat authors. I tried reading it last year, but my mood shifted and I quit about two chapters in. It's going better this time. #books

Wikipedia: "Blood Meridian initially received little recognition, but has since been recognized as a masterpiece..."

Maybe in 20 years I'll give it a fifth star. Today I just think it's a brutal, pointless, self-indulgent slog. I'll stick with "The Road." #books #MyNovelLife

I finished Alan LeMay’s “The Searchers” late last night. It wasn’t what I was expecting, but still very good. Up next is Cormac McCarthy’s “Blood Meridian.” It’s a #JuneOnTheRange pick as well as my 1985 entry in the #MyNovelLife challenge to read one book from each year I’ve been alive. #books 🤠

I might have to do this. #MyNovelLife 📚

The cover of John Halkin's novel "Slither" shows an angry monster of a jellyfish. The book is rated three stars out of five. It is listed as 1984 of My Novel Life. The task: Read a novel from every year of your life in chronological order with no author represented more than once.

John Halkin's "Slime" was my 1984 pick for the #MyNovelLife challenge. It was a fun creature feature, if you don't mind the incredibly slow-moving apocalypse of killer jellyfish swarming the coasts and pushing inland. I prefer his novel "Slither" over this one. #books

My #FridayReads update. I'm about 40% through John Halkin's "Slime," my 1984 pick for the #MyNovelLife reading challenge. I'm near the end of Paul Tremblay's "A Head Full of Ghosts" and should finish it tonight. For the weekend, I want to read Robert E. Howard's "Worms of the Earth." #books

"Phantoms" by Dean Koontz is rated four out of five stars. My Novel Life, 1983. The Task: Read a novel from every year of your life in chronological order with no author represented more than once.

"Phantoms" was my 1983 pick for the #MyNovelLife reading challenge. I don't think I've given Dean Koontz enough credit as a horror writer. This book was creepier than expected. If Pennywise has any missing relatives, it's probably hanging out in Snowfield, California. #books

I just read for the #MyNovelLife challenge: THE BLACK DAHLIA (L.A. Quartet 1) by James Ellroy (from 1987, when I was 25). Based on a real unsolved murder case, this novel is as brutal as they come. www.tumblr.com/markhodderau... #bookreviews #bookworm #booklover #bookbloggers #booksky 📚💙

I couldn’t settle on one book and decided to bounce between two of them. One is Matt Dinniman’s “Dungeon Crawler Carl.” The other is Dean Koontz’s “Phantoms,” my 1983 pick for the #MyNovelLife reading challenge. #books

Photo by @markhodderauthor I was reading for the #MyNovelLife challenge (rules in the comments): INHUMAN by John Russo (1987, when I was 25) but… DNF. Set in the depths of the American south, it concerns a small community atta…

BOOK REVIEW: I was reading for the #MyNovelLife challenge: INHUMAN by John Russo (1987, when I was 25) but… DNF. I made it halfway thru but... bored. www.tumblr.com/markhodderau... #bookreviews #bookworm #booklover #bookbloggers #booksky 📚💙

Isaac Asimov's "Foundation's Edge" is rated four out of five stars.

Isaac Asimov's "Foundation's Edge" was my 1982 pick for the #MyNovelLife reading challenge. This was my first of his Foundation sequels, and it was pretty good. I like how he tied it into his Robot stories, which makes me want to read those again. #books

I started reading Isaac Asimov’s “Foundation’s Edge.” This my 1982 pick for the #MyNovelLife reading challenge. I’ve read the original Foundation trilogy a couple times, but this is my first time reading the sequel #books.

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