Challenge: 50 Books discussion

It's that time of the year, setting up a new block of challenges and devouring another stack of books! I hope everyone found new favorites in 2013, I know I did! I'm sneaking in early to set this up before I leave on a vacation! Happy Reads to everyone and to an amazing new year!

2013 Summary :

Books Read: 100 (Goal = 50)
Books Abandoned: 7
Short Stories: 9
Alphabet Challenge: Completed
40 Books from Library: 53
15 Books from Personal Bookshelf: 19
20 Books from Kindle: 28
15 Authors that are new to me: DONE!
5 Books Over 400 pages: DONE!
3 Genres I don't normally read: DONE!
Total Hours Listened: 34 hours, 23 minutes
Total Pages Read: 28,980 (Goal = 25,000)

5-Star Reads of 2013:


1-star reads of 2013:

~♥~ GOALS AND CHALLENGES SECTION ~♥~

My maybe-list of challenges for 2014:

• 75 books minimum
Progress: 39 of 75
• 15 books from personal bookshelf
Progress: 4 of 10
• 5 books over 400 pages (or 20+ hours audio)
Progress: 2 of 5
• 22,000 pages: 10,800
• 1 book over 1000 pages
(includes an audiobook of said book)

• Read at least 4 classics that I've been procrastinating on:
Ham on Rye - 13 Feb
Fahrenheit 451 - 10 Mar
The Bell Jar - 16 Aug


COMPLETED GOALS
• 10 books from library
Progress: 10 of 10
• 20 books from Kindle
Progress: 28 of 20
• 20 authors new to me
Progress: 20 of 20

► ABANDONED BOOK GRAVEYARD ◄
..where all the books I started and painfully abandoned [for a variety of reasons] go to die..



1) I Like You by Amy Sedaris ; 25 pages. --> Short Review Here
2) MWF Seeking BFF by Rachel Bertsche ; 63 pages --> Short Review Here
3) Take the Cannoli by Sarah Vowell ; 97 pages
4) I'm Not Hanging Noodles on Your Ears and Other Intriguing Idioms From Around the World by Jag Bhalla ; 15 pages (novelty and entertainment value wore off very quickly!)
5) My Booky Wook by Russell Brand ; 28 pages --> Short Review Here!
6) You Might Be a Zombie.. by Cracked Authors ; 20 pages.

► Books Under 100 pages ◄
(Not counted towards main goals)



1) A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis - 78 pages
2) Not a Star and Otherwise, Pandemonium by Nick Hornby - 50 pages
3) The Minority Report by Philip K. Dick - 53 pages

Tina this is a great idea to post. I usually put it in a notebook and check off what I've finished.

"Tentatively tiptoes"?!? pfft... Go in with guns a-blazing! :D

I agree with Tiffany! The book over 1000 pages is gonna be tough, but I know your reading style by now and I know you can do it! Start that one early in the year so you have enough time to finish it! :)

I also agree with Tiffany! Good luck! :)

Carmen wrote: "Tina this is a great idea to post. I usually put it in a notebook and check off what I've finished."

Stefanie wrote: "I also agree with Tiffany! Good luck! :)"

Alison wrote: "I agree with Tiffany! The book over 1000 pages is gonna be tough, but I know your reading style by now and I know you can do it! Start that one early in the year so you have enough time to finish i..."

Tiffany wrote: ""Tentatively tiptoes"?!? pfft... Go in with guns a-blazing! :D"


Boo to GR notifications for not telling me anything was here! Well, see, what would I do without you guys? Now I'm all fired up to start annihilating my bookshelves in 2014! I hope everyone else is also!

Carmen, this serves as my digital notebook! I used to keep a paper one but it's sort of fell to the wayside lately. I still keep one for favorite quotes and new words ;)

Glad I found your thread for 2014. I am posting - so I will get the updates - hopefully.

The Stand was amazing. Gone With The Wind is one of my favorite books, and if you've never read it, Anna Karenina is another great book that is over 1,000 pages.

I have Les Miserables on my list to try and finish this year, we'll see.

Ham On Rye is amazing. Actually all the books listed for your classics, except for Rosemary's Baby (haven't read it) are all great.

Good luck on all of your challenges, I look forward to see what you are reading this year!

Oh, I didn't even know you had read Stiff. It makes me feel like I (sometimes) make good decisions about books, when others choose to read them as well or think they are good. Does that even make sense? I have it coming to me from another library. I am really looking forward to reading it.

Also, you collect words too?

I make these posts on tumblr called Words I Like, where I will post the definitions for all the fun new words I learn while reading.

I always mark what pages quotes are on, but forget to write them down before I return a book to the library or lend it out to someone.

Tima wrote: "► ABANDONED BOOK GRAVEYARD ◄
..where all the books I started and painfully abandoned [for a variety of reasons] go to die..

That's a great title for a bookshelf. May I borrow it? :)

Juli

Go Tima!
Happy reading lady!
Love the name change on the thread. LOL You always come up with the best ones. :)

Librarianforhim wrote: "
That's a great title for a bookshelf. May I borrow it? :)..."

Of course, please please do! :)

Diane wrote: "Go Tima!
Happy reading lady!
Love the name change on the thread. LOL You always come up with the best ones. :)"

Melody wrote: "Glad I found your thread for 2014. I am posting - so I will get the updates - hopefully."

Happy to see you both here Melody and Diane! I will be stalking your threads as well this year hehe

Hailey wrote: "The Stand was amazing. Gone With The Wind is one of my favorite books, and if you've never read it, Anna Karenina is another great book that is over 1,000 pages.

I have Les Miserables on my list t..."


Hey girl! I've been on vacation since the 28th so I am just now getting back online and into the year! I think I'm going for either Gone with the Wind or The Stand so it's awesome that you loved both those books!

I super collect words and quotes in a notebook that I drag most places with me, I love it. How cool that I'm not alone in doing that, haha! Everyone keeps telling me how great Ham on Rye is so I can't wait to dive into it and finally read it.

I think you will really enjoy Stiff a lot! From our chats and perusing your book lists, I could see you really getting into it. I read it so fast and even laughed out loud a few times! Can't wait to see you what you will tackle this year!

2 weeks in, zero books read. OMG. *falls over* What's happening to my mojo!?

Tima wrote: "2 weeks in, zero books read. OMG. *falls over* What's happening to my mojo!?"
That's how I was feeling towards the end of last year, so I started the year off with some really quick reads, funny books with short stories to get me going again. That fact that I was able to post that I was reading and finishing books has helped me get my mojo back. No worries. It's only 2 weeks. There's 50 more to go to get back into the swing of things. Good luck!!!

Tima wrote: "2 weeks in, zero books read. OMG. *falls over* What's happening to my mojo!?"

It's not two weeks in, yet. :) Your mojo I'm sure is just fine. :) Just enjoy what you are reading now.

I'm already reading books 4 & 5. Get going!!! lol :)

Diane wrote: " It's not two weeks in, yet. :) Your mojo I'm sure is just fine. :) Just enjoy what you are reading now."

Cry cry cry, now it's 2 weeks in and I'm crawling through pages right now. I just need to hit the right groove of books and I know I'll make up the lost time!

Alison wrote: "I'm already reading books 4 & 5. Get going!!! lol :)"

Ahhhaha! Nooo the pressure! You're already on 4&5!

Maybe find a small book just to get you started.

Or are there any books you have been wanting to read very very badly, but you don't have it? Read that one, and then maybe you will get in the groove of things.

If it is about catch up, don't worry, I read 19 books in December to reach my goal.

If you aren't in the mood to read, you just aren't in the mood to read.

Hailey wrote: "If you aren't in the mood to read, you just aren't in the mood to read"

And sometimes *forcing* yourself to read when you aren't in the mood is even worse than just taking a break from reading because you end up dreading it and hating it and then NEVER WANT TO READ EVER AGAIN EVER NEVER.

So if you can't find a book that jumps out at you and BEGS you to read it right now, go ahead, take a little breather. We give you our permission :)

Towards the end of 2013, I read a lot of short (or short for me) books. I thought for 2014, I needed to read something substantial - so I started with Game of Thrones. The longer book is really slowing me down and cramping my style. I do enjoy the book, but I am definitely not on the same pace as last year. It is still early in the year. You will get your mojo back (because I have to be positive that my mojo will come back too.)

1)
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
By the Dawns Early Light: Short Stories by American Converts to Islam by A Whole Lotta Peeps.

*TRUMPETS AND FANFARE AND CROWD CHEERS!* I finally finished a book this year! Oh boy.

(Owned-Kindle)

Tima wrote: "*TRUMPETS AND FANFARE AND CROWD CHEERS!* I finally finished a book this year! Oh boy."

YAY!!!!

*fireworks*

You go girl!! :)
All is right with the world once again.
*** CHEEEEEEERRRS! ***
with clapping right now.
I will toast your accomplishment when I return home this evening.

YAY!!! Hopefully now this will get you in to the reading mode. I am getting a lot read now because I know later in the year I will slow down or even stop completely. That happened in 2013!

Aaaaand then I got hospitalized. So, we'll see! Maybe I'll crank out an audio book! Haha

Tima wrote: "Aaaaand then I got hospitalized. So, we'll see! Maybe I'll crank out an audio book! Haha"

Your hands again? I hope everything will be okay. I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers.
Audiobooks are good. :) but don't worry about reading -- just get better!

take care

Tima wrote: "Aaaaand then I got hospitalized. So, we'll see! Maybe I'll crank out an audio book! Haha"

oh no! I hope everything is okay. Get well soon!!

Amy wrote: "oh no! I hope everything is okay. Get well soon!!"

Melody wrote: "take care"

Diane wrote: "Your hands again? I hope everything will be okay. I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers."

All good thoughts are appreciated, thank you! I got some extremely bad viral infection and had to be in the hospital for 3 days. Just home and resting now. Thank you for the well wishes ladies!

get better! that viral stuff is going around bad"

2)
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

I'm Sorry You Feel That Way by Diana Joseph

Labeled an "Astonishing but true" story is a misnomer. Nothing about this book is astonishing sans its mediocrity.

(Owned-Kindle-New to Me)

3)
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

What I thought:

This book was the standard of which I base my 3-star ratings. It was a unique story line and very well-written but wasn't captivating or sucking me in to where I lost sleep gobbling it up. In fact, and I so rarely ever think this but, the movie was better than the book.

Had I read the book first, I'm not sure I'd have cared for it at all nor seen the movie. But, I didn't even know the movie was (extremely loosely, as the stories are very dissimilar) a book first. Having seen the movie, I naturally took character elements and personalities with me into the book that gave it a more quirky and lovable feel to it.

(Owned-Kindle-New to Me)

Hope you are feeling better! I love akl your goals. I want to read The Stand this year and several of the classics you've listed!

Kelani wrote: "Hope you are feeling better! I love akl your goals. I want to read The Stand this year and several of the classics you've listed!"

I am feeling much better, thank you! I don't know if I'll actually make it to The Stand this year, as I'm trying to knock the first Games of Thrones book from my shelf, haha. But, so many people have told me how much they liked The Stand, I might not be able to resist!

4)
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Dwarf: A Memoir by Tiffanie DiDonato

Fascinating story, amazing perseverance, bleh writing. With the aid of a co-author, still came out very flat and 2D. Even though the author is a lit grad from Dartmouth and works at a magazine currently.

(Wishlist-From Library-New to Me)

5)
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Well, I finally got around to read this book and it wasn't really good. It wasn't really bad, either. It's just fluff and happens to be fluff that I don't usually read. So, it was a quick read with 2D characters but I can see why people gobble them up. Like most insanely popular books, I don't get why people are obsessed though.

(Owned-Kindle-New To Me)

6)
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
American Savage: Insights, Slights, and Fights on Faith, Sex, Love, and Politics by Dan Savage

(Wishlist-From Library)

Look at you go girl!!
What slump?! :) :)
I'm going to have to add Dan Savage's book.

Diane wrote: "Look at you go girl!!
What slump?! :) :)
I'm going to have to add Dan Savage's book."

I definitely recommend it if the topic interests you! He's a great author.

7)
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Cherry by Mary Karr

Not as good as The Liars' Club but not bad enough to keep me from reading the third one, Lit: A Memoir.

(Wishlist-From Library)

You are doing great!! i want to get to Game of Thrones this year. I am thinking Spring Break or Summer!!

Tima wrote: "7)
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Cherry by Mary Karr

Not as good as The Liars' Club but not bad enough to keep me from reading the third one, [book:Lit: A Memoir|..."

Completely agree with this. Just a warning though, I really couldn't get into Lit. I'm going to try again this year, but I was disappointed after how much I loved these two books.

Tima wrote: "5)
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Well, I finally got around to read this book and it wasn't really good. It wasn't really bad, eit..."

I just read this too and I thought the same thing. I didn't get the hype for it. Maybe the rest of the series will be better.

Alison wrote: "I just read this too and I thought the same thing. I didn't get the hype for it. Maybe the rest of the series will be better. "

Yea, I think I might try to read the 2nd and 3rd books just because I already own them on Kindle. If it hasn't gotten me hooked by the 3rd, I'll just dump the series and move on. They don't take too much time to read, that's a plus side of it!

Lindsey wrote: "Completely agree with this. Just a warning though, I really couldn't get into Lit. I'm going to try again this year, but I was disappointed after how much I loved these two books. "

Really? That's so disappointing to here, I was looking forward to Lit! Hopefully, we both have good luck with it this year, maybe you'll be in the right mood for it the second time around.

Kelani wrote: "You are doing great!! i want to get to Game of Thrones this year. I am thinking Spring Break or Summer!!"

I have a total of 50 hours of flight time (19 hours one way, 31 hours the way back!) coming up in April, I think I'm going to try and tackle Games of Thrones on an audiobook during that to pass the time! I really want to finally read it!

8)
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Coming Clean by Kimberly Rae Miller

Decent and fast read. Not spectacular but it is engaging enough to pull you in. I think she does a good job making you feel the love/loathe relationship that forms when a parent is a hoarder. She also shows you the flip side, the negative effects it has on children and what it can manifest into as an adult.

The author is pretty full of herself in the bios and online blog stuff I read, but she keeps it pretty level-headed in the book. I would recommend this to fellow memoir lovers because the topic isn't often written about.

9)
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
I Love Everybody by Laurie Notaro

One of the better of her books but most likely will be the last book I read of hers. This one made me chuckle audibly a few times and the stories were pretty entertaining.

10)
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

Most fantastic narrator ever.