2025 Reading Challenge discussion

I am shooting for 105 books for this year. I am flexible, however, and this goal may change.

One big goal have is to work through the 75 or so books on my physical TBR bookshelf... They are almost all books that I've picked up at a used bookstore very cheaply, and the collection has only been growing. Many of them have been sitting there for a long time, and now it's time to get to it!

I'll be trying to work the books on the shelf into yearly/monthly/quarterly challenges, and intersperse new ones to keep things interesting.

June 3rd: I've decided that for right now, my challenges are just stressing me out since I haven't had time to get to them! For this year, I'm not going to worry about my quarterly or yearly challenges and instead will just read books. I may pick up some monthly challenges toward the end.

October: I decided to start trying challenges again, with a one quarterly and one monthly challenge at a time.

December Planned Reading:
The Sandman, Vol. 6: Fables and Reflections

Book #1:
The Impossible Will Take a Little While: A Citizen's Guide to Hope in a Time of Fear by Paul Rogat Loeb.
Rating: 4 stars.
Finished January 1, 2014.

This book is a collection of essays by excellent writers and activists for social justice. I found it very inspiring, and I also learned many things about various conflicts and issues that I either didn't know about, or didn't know about from the "inside." It was hard to read a lot of it in one sitting, though, because it was so disjointed. I would read a few essays and feel like I was done for a while.

Book #2:
The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Rating: 5 stars.
Finished January 3, 2014.

I have to say, this was my favorite of the series. The ending was wrapped up very neatly, much more so than other fantasy epics, but without being cheesy. I still can't believe it took me so long to read the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and I'm glad I finally did.

Book #3:
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle.
Rating: 4 stars.
Finished January 4, 2014.

When I read this book in elementary school, I was really not a fan of it, but now I can't remember why. It's funny, because I liked almost every book as a kid. I had a hunch that if I read it again now, I would like it, and I was right! In many ways it reminds me of a favorite book of mine, The Phantom Tollbooth.

Brianna wrote: "I have this book and hope to read it this year as well. I've flipped through a couple essays when I first got it, but wasn't able to really read it front to back."

Some of the essays are definitely better or more interesting than others. My dad decided he wanted to read it, so I dog-eared the beginnings of about 15 of the essays I thought were the best. I don't know that I'd recommend reading it all the way through.

Book #4:
The Secret Life of Pronouns: What Our Words Say About Us by James W. Pennebaker.
Rating: 2 stars.
Finished January 9, 2014

While I found this book really interesting, I'm not really a fan of it. I found it very difficult to get through and pretty repetitive. The idea that you can use the frequency of pronouns, articles, and other "function words" to predict things about the writer or speaker is interesting, though.

Book #5:
Split Second by David Baldacci.
Rating: 5 stars.
Finished January 17, 2014

I have to say, this is by far one of the best suspense books I've ever read. I'm proud to say that I repeatedly realized that I had no idea what was going on. I found all the characters very likable, and I'm excited to read the next book in the series.

Book #6:
And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini.
Rating: 4 stars.
Finished January 31, 2014

While this book was poignant, A Thousand Splendid Suns is still my favorite book by this author. I couldn't stop thinking that this book was very similar to The God of Small Things, and not quite as good. I would still recommend reading this book, however.

Book #7:
The Lost Years of Merlin by T.A. Barron.
Rating: 3 stars.
Finished February 4, 2014

I originally read this book as a kid and loved it. I still enjoy it as an adult. It's so interesting to see what T.A. Barron comes up with to fill in the gap in our lore about Merlin and his earlier years. While there's nothing incredible about this book, it's still a solid read.

Book #8:
Tripwire by Lee Child.
Rating: 4 stars.
Finished February 5, 2014

I am happy to say that I didn't have any idea what was really going on in this book, and I certainly wasn't prepared for the major twist at the end. I also like how Reacher is forced to start dealing with the possibility of settling down (even though I'm sure he won't!).

Book #9:
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion.
Rating: 5 stars.
Finished February 5, 2014

I am so glad that I read this book. It has such an interesting style and wonderfully likable characters. They are flawed, and because of that, I can see bits of myself in each of them. I had tears rolling down my cheeks toward the end - but then, I am a book crier for sure.

Book #10:
The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease by Daniel E. Lieberman.
Rating: 3 stars.
Finished February 12, 2014

This was a very interesting read. It has tons of information, not just about evolution, but about other many other disciplines as well. For me, the most interesting part was tracing human evolution back to the last common ancestor with chimpanzees. I am familiar with early evolution, but I guess there have been some more recent skeleton discoveries that I hadn't even heard of.

Book #11:
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld.
Rating: 3 stars.
Finished February 13, 2014

I enjoyed myself reading this one. I was fascinated by the genetically engineered airships with an entire ecosystem of animals "fabricated" for specific purposes. I found the characters likable, if a bit predictable. If you like steampunk YA fiction, this is a good choice.

Book #12:
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain.
Rating: 4 stars.
Finished February 21, 2014

I was really able to relate to the people and stories in Quiet. I'm an introvert who is also a pseudo-extrovert, so while I'm able to fool most people and have no trouble with public speaking, I still enjoy my down time and prefer to spend time alone. I'd recommend this book to any introvert, because it is very self-affirming. While extroverts probably would learn a lot from reading this book, it probably won't resonate with them the way it does with introverts.

Book #13:
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
Rating: 5 stars.
Finished February 26, 2014

The Book Thief is both terribly depressing and very compelling. I was so fond of each of the characters in the book, which really contributed to the power of the story. I also really enjoyed that the story was told from the perspective of Death, who I feel is a fitting narrator for Nazi Germany and the Holocaust. It's an interesting literary device, because it provides the close feeling of first-person perspective, but functionally the story is told from a third-person omniscient perspective. I loved the jerky storytelling, the jumping around in time, sometimes spoiling the end first... All in all, I enjoyed The Book Thief very much.

Book #14:
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.
Rating: 3 stars.
Finished February 28, 2014

I knew that the book Frankenstein was pretty different from the pop culture idea of Frankenstein, but I was still surprised by it sometimes. I found this book difficult to get through, but I pushed myself to get it done. My favorite thing about the book was how the story of Frankenstein was told from the perspective of him as a castaway, but in general I thought the ending was a bit contrived.

Book #15:
A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle.
Rating: 4 stars.
Finished March 3, 2014

This was my first Sherlock Holmes adventure, and I really enjoyed myself. It was a quick read, which makes sense because according the wonderful foreword in the edition I read, Arthur Conan Doyle wrote Sherlock Holmes primarily for people to read while on the train. I look forward to reading other Holmes stories!

Book #16:
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris.
Rating: 3 stars.
Finished March 4, 2014

David Sedaris does the best job of writing about all the nutty things in his life, and it makes you think about how crazy your own family can be, and also makes your life feel very normal. I like his irreverent style.

Book #17:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.
Rating: 4 stars.
Finished March 9, 2014

This book is mostly an interesting locked-room whodunit, but as I read further in the book, I realized that there are plenty of other things going on. I really enjoyed all of the characters - especially Lisbeth, Mikael,and Erika - and Larsson did a wonderful job of creating the entire dysfunctional Vanger clan. I look forward to reading his next novel!

if u read the girl with the dragon tattoo you have to read the other 2 in the series. it wraps up nicely! mr. larsson died after he wrote the girl that played with fire, but recently i heard there will be another author from Sweden that is going to finish out the series from notes and drafts that were left. im so excited for it!!

Alison,

I had no idea that Larsson passed away... That's sad to hear. I'll definitely read the next books in the series!

it was shortly after the last book in the trilogy was written. he had started notes for the fourth book.

Book #18:
I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai.
Rating: 4 stars.
Finished March 12, 2014

I really enjoyed reading Malala's story from her own perspective, especially after hearing about her in the news! I think it's so important for people, especially in the United States, to read books like this that really illustrate what it's like in the Middle East... It's an eye-opener to hear about how terrible things can be, but it's almost more important to hear about how wonderful things can be as well, and how great the people are. It's a different story than the one that is told by our main media outlets!

The book is ghostwritten by Christina Lamb, but I felt like I was reading Malala's words... She did an excellent job!

Book #19:
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey.
Rating: 4 stars.
Finished March 14, 2014

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest features the greatest unreliable narrator I've read in a long time. I love his transformation from a pure observer to an active participant as the plot progresses. Despite some of the crazy antics that take place toward the middle and end of the book, I found the characters and ward to be completely believable. Definitely a worthwhile read, and I look forward to watching the movie version at some point.

Book #20:
The Seven Songs of Merlin by T.A. Barron.
Rating: 3 stars.
Finished March 15, 2014

Another great Merlin story from T.A. Barron. The plot pacing is pretty quick, and as an adult I wish there had been some more time spent on each of the songs, but it does fit with the harsh deadline Merlin is facing.

Book #21:
Bad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen.
Rating: 2 stars.
Finished March 21, 2014

I read Bad Monkey on recommendation of my mom, but I really had trouble getting through it. Carl Hiaasen has a really irreverent style, which I typically enjoy. The plot was pretty nutty, but I liked the premise of it. Unfortunately, I like the idea of this book a lot more than I actually liked reading the book. It got a little better as it went, so I figure a 2.5 star rating is probably more accurate.

Book #22:
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.
Rating: 4 stars.
Finished March 26, 2014

My favorite thing about this book was the voice of Charlie, the main character. He is so incredibly thoughtful that I felt like I was truly inside his headspace. The Perks of Being a Wallflower does not shy away from difficult or controversial topics - domestic violence, homosexuality (especially with unaccepting parents), sexual abuse, mental illness - and instead includes them as sometimes messy parts of life. Every character in the book felt real and whole, and I found all of them endearing.

Book #23:
Children of Dune by Frank Herbert.
Rating: 4 stars.
Finished March 30, 2014

I loved Dune, but I thought Dune Messiah got a little too strange and I didn't enjoy it as much. Children of Dune is even stranger, but even as alien as the pre-born twins can be, they have such a human aspect to them that I could really connect to. I love the political, religious, and philosophical themes that run through the Dune series, as always.

Book #24:
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Rating: 4 stars.
Finished April 2, 2014

The Hobbit is much more light-hearted than the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but I enjoyed that about it. There were still plenty of adventures and of course there is danger, but there was no specter of Sauron looming over the characters. I also appreciated Tolkien's style of "breaking the 4th wall" and being the storyteller, sometimes telling stories or giving away details out of order.

Cassandra wrote: "Book #24:
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Rating: 4 stars.
Finished April 2, 2014

The Hobbit is much more light-hearted than the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but I enjoyed ..."

Is The Hobbit something you read after The Lord of the Rings or before? I still don't know :P

Adriana- I read it before!! it sets up their village Hobbittown.

Alison wrote: "Adriana- I read it before!! it sets up their village Hobbittown."

Oh so you read it before The Lord of the Rings?

yes!

Adriana,

I read The Hobbit after I finished the trilogy. I know everyone recommends to read them in the opposite order, I didn't feel like I missed out on anything by not reading The Hobbit first. I guess I was fairly familiar with the general plot points before reading, though, so maybe that helped.

What about you? In which order did you read the books?

I read the hobbit first then the trilogy. but I guess it wouldn't make much difference. I want to read the hobbit again though because its been so long since I read it. so it will probably end up being like you read them. I still have to read Return of the King. that's on the schedule for this quarter.

Return of the King was really excellent. I was going to say it's my favorite book in the trilogy, but then I started considering the other two and I really can't pick a favorite.

I also encourage you to read Return of the King because I really hated the ending of the The Two Towers. ;]

Cassandra wrote: "Adriana,

I read The Hobbit after I finished the trilogy. I know everyone recommends to read them in the opposite order, I didn't feel like I missed out on anything by not reading The Hobbit first...."

I haven't read them yet. I was wondering which order I should read them in. I guess either or is fine (:

Book #25:
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith.
Rating: 5 stars.
Finished April 6, 2014

Nothing much happens in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, but it is a powerful story. The characters are all so real, and I found myself getting attached to them almost immediately. I felt their hardship and joy very strongly, and to me that is the mark of an especially good book. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a real book.

Book #26:
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare.
Rating: 3 stars.
Finished April 8, 2014

City of Bones is not a deep book, but I didn't really expect it to be either. It was a fast and entertaining read, and I'm sure it makes for a good movie. In many ways, the characters and plot were typical of young adult fantasy, but there were some subtle deviations from the mold that I definitely appreciated. On a very personal note, it was nice to see an author with the same first name as me - there aren't too many Cassandras out there. I plan to read the next book in the series.

Book #27:
Big Data: A Revolution That Will Transform How We Live, Work, and Think by Viktor Mayer-Schönberger.
Rating: 4 stars.
Finished April 10, 2014

As someone who is interested in going into the field of information technology, Big Data is fascinating. The concept of using as much data as possible to tease out correlations that wouldn't be visible in a smaller data set is really interesting. To do this, we often have to accept some degree of messiness in the way that data is collected and recorded, but it turns out that this messiness doesn't make a difference when you have so much data to work with. Big data doesn't provide any information about causation, which isn't surprising because causal relationships are notoriously difficult to prove, but the book is full of incredible examples of important correlations between seemingly irrelevant events that never would have been discovered by humans. Computers can look at everything - humans are restricted by limited time and resources.

Altogether, Big Data is the perfect length, not too long, and written to be very accessible even to someone who doesn't know much about computer science or information technology. I highly recommend it!

Book #28:
Dreams Underfoot by Charles de Lint.
Rating: 4 stars.
Finished April 15, 2014

I picked up a book called The Onion Girl at the used bookstore, and I looked all over to figure out if it was part of a series. It looked like a stand-alone book, so I bought it. Before I read it, I realized it was part of a series, and since I always read series in order purchased Dreams Underfoot.

I had no idea that the book would be a collection of short stories. This probably is not a book series that matters if you read it in any particular order. The city of Newford and the fantastic things that happen there if only you bother to look are excellent. The short stories are well-ordered and go together well. Each presents a slightly different view of Newford, and while there are many characters that come and go, there are several recurring ones, as well, that you grow to know and love. I look forward to reading more about Newford with The Dreaming Place.

Book #29:
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.
Rating: 4 stars.
Finished April 17, 2014

The Secret Life of Bees is full of stereotypes, which I usually have a big problem with, but in this case, I didn't. The story is told from the perspective of Lily, a young white girl who runs away from an abusive father with Rosaleen, the black servant nanny who raised her. Lily is white in the very beginning of the integration of blacks and whites, and so she is racist. It makes sense that the story told by a fourteen year old white girl would be full of African American stereotypes.

She finds a wonderful family of beekeepers, and learns a lot about life. I also usually have an issue with over-the-top "life lessons" but, again, it works. Lily has a lot to learn about what it means to have a family, and she learns and grows as she spends time with the beekeepers.

In general, I thought Sue Monk Kidd did a great job characterizing the way Lily would think and behave, so these things that would usually bug me actually fit in really well.

Cassandra - you have read so many interesting books this year and I really enjoyed reading your reviews. Several of the books you've read I have read also and I am on task with your ratings. I actually listened to The Secret Life of Bees on audiobook and I think that added even more to the storytelling. Good luck with your goal for the year!

Book #30:
Godslayer by Jacqueline Carey.
Rating: 3 stars.
Finished April 29, 2014

I'd probably give this book a 2.5 stars if it were possible, which is really disappointing to me because I love Jacqueline Carey. I enjoyed Banewreaker, and I love the Shakespearean tragedy style. The more that Satoris and his Three do to prevent Haomane's prophecy, the closer that prophecy comes to being fulfilled. In general, I just found that I liked the concept from Banewreaker, but that nothing much happened to warrant a second book.

Melissa wrote: "Cassandra - you have read so many interesting books this year and I really enjoyed reading your reviews. Several of the books you've read I have read also and I am on task with your ratings. I ac..."

Melissa, thank you for reading my reviews! I have read some really fantastic books this year, and I have this group to thank for it! It's been great at keeping me motivated. I must admit, that I fell off the wagon a bit this year, and was a little bit discouraged about it, but I think I can shift my challenges around a little bit and still get everything done.

I have to say, I'm not usually one for audiobooks, but I have had so many people tell me about great ones recently that I'm thinking I might have to give it a go again.

Book #31:
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin.
Rating: 3 stars.
Finished April 29, 2014

This was the first book I read by Ursula K. Le Guin, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It had a great story arc with nice pacing, with a tidy, quiet ending that leaves plenty of space for the next books in the series. In many ways, it reminded me of T.A. Barron's The Lost Years of Merlin series - the beginnings of a wizard who will later be known as great.

Book #32:
Pagan's Crusade by Catherine Jinks.
Rating: 2 stars.
Finished April 30, 2014

I'm sure this would be a perfectly entertaining historical fiction book for younger readers, it isn't the kind of young adult book that holds up well for older readers. To my pretty basic knowledge of the crusades, it seemed fairly historically accurate, but it's possible that someone with more knowledge might find some issues there.

Book #33:
Life of Pi by Yann Martel.
Rating: 4 stars.
Finished May 6, 2014

I've been meaning to read Life of Pi for a long time, and I'm glad I finally did. My favorite parts of the book were actually in the beginning, before the boat ride with the tiger. I really enjoyed Pi's interfaith discussions and conception of god, as well as his description of life at the zoo. I found the ending to be interesting and unexpected.

Book #34:
River of Blue Fire by Tad Williams.
Rating: 4 stars.
Finished May 12, 2014

The Otherland trilogy is quickly becoming one of my favorite science fiction/fantasy book series. It's hard to classify it as one genre as the other, because the real world is definitely more advanced than our own world, a world where virtual reality is the norm. However, the Otherland VR simulations are all fantasy-based. It really works out as a great hybrid. Tad Williams is a master of weaving many threads and characters, some of them in Otherland and others in the real world, all obviously converging on what I expect to be a pretty incredible conclusion.

Book #35:
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë.
Rating: 3 stars.
Finished May 15, 2014

Wuthering Heights is one of those classics that I feel like I was supposed to love more than I did, but I'm still glad I read it. The best feature of the book, for me, is Brontë's ability to change your feeling about each of the characters multiple times during the book. She can take you from liking and pitying a character and then make you wonder how you ever could have felt sorry for them, and back again. In Wuthering Heights, as in real life, there are many sides to the story, and Emily Brontë tells them all.