The Modern Library 100 Best Novels Challenge discussion

Here is your specially designated area for venting frustrations, sharing progress, complaining about waiting for books to arrive, etc. ;) Anything random and pertaining to the group can go here.

Aww shoot Stephanie! I was ready to blow and use you as my armchair psychologist, until I got to the second line of your sentence. I've got lots of frustrations and complaints tonight; but none of them are about books. I guess I'll just go simmer over the pages of an inanimate book. ;)

My frustration is that I have not had a single half-hour to read something of my choosing for two solid weeks. We just finished week two of school and it is insane--furloughs, flu, AYP, and budget cuts. The principals have to read [image error] for our meetings. It is pretty good, but I want to read what I want to read. (Can you hear the whine yet?) I also have been sick, and my eyeballs are scratchy and burning when I leave them open. (whine, whine, whimper, sniff, sniff)

I really like what I have read of Winesburg, Ohio, though...

I have posted the books for October for those that want to read ahead. I will try and post the next month's selections within the first week of the current month. This is our first "themed" month, so I will let you try and figure that one out, although it should be fairly obvious. You can post about that here. ;) Happy reading!

I am terrified by these selections! I have such a vivid imagination and such a screwed-up job, that I can't sleep at night already and these books are going to give me nightmares. If I can get through these, I can do the rest of the challenge...I'm going to try!
PS. I am already freaked out by carnivals, and for some reason, clowns also. I see that one of the descriptions of refers to a "dark carnival"!!! Holy Cow!

There are some great themes in the Bradbury book - look for a lot with religion. It will make for some great discussion.

I should also mention that both of these books have film versions, so that might interest you. I believe Disney did Something Wicked This Way Comes. We watched the movie in 7th grade honors English and it terrified me. My sister and I watched it this summer and laughed a lot, even though it is still disturbing. I think this would be a good candidate for an artsy indie film. The Haunting of Hill House has two - an old black and white and the remake called The Haunting.

I am extremely excited for the month of November. I am rereading three of the best books I have ever read, The Handmaid's Tale easily being in my top five favorites ever. I hope you like dystopic lit, b/c you are receiving a huge, heaping spoonful of it, although each book is completely different. I could have thrown in Brave New World to round it out, but I figured three was enough. Plus, BNW is one of those books that I have NEVER been able to finish. I have tried reading it about 4 times and I just can't get into it. SO, not on next month's list! Three awesome reads...if you have not read any of November's selections, I strongly encourage you to tackle all of them. Bonus? They are all easy to read - every single one of these books, although dealing with some tough issues, is quick to finish. They are all categorized as YA lit as well, with many high school students reading them in English class. Good books, easy to read, the Thanksgiving holiday...should be a good month! I can't remember how F 451 ends, but I KNOW the other two will leave us with endings GREAT for discussion. Instead of a post-turkey nap, read a book! Remember, Big Brother is watching you. ;)

Has anyone read these books?

@Eric
Congrats on winning Michael Connelly's Nine Dragons, but you need to realize you have made me very unhappy! It was suppose to be mine. :(

You'll probably get a second on that from Garlan.

I second that emotion! Now I'll have to buy it (currently 15.71 on Amazon...) :(

But Congrats! It should be a great read.

@Lisa
Thanks, I forgot I even entered. Thanks for the reminder.

Feel free to read any other books from the list at your leisure. You can add them to your ticker, and then when they are the featured book, you can post comments then. I know there are some I am going to read before they are featured b/c of some other book groups I am involved with.

Got good news bad news. First the good. Bought The girl who kicked the hornets nest. From the book depository in the UK. Loved the first 2. Now the bad. I am in a serrious book slump. Having a really hard time reading. This has never really happened to me before. I have so many books to read and I cant get going on any of them. HELP

When I get in a reading slump, I just don't read for a few days, then I start with something totally different (genre) than what I have been reading. That usually does it for me.

I'm curious to hear about the Hornet's Nest. You'll have to update us on it!

Eric wrote: "Got good news bad news. First the good. Bought The girl who kicked the hornets nest. From the book depository in the UK. Loved the first 2. Now the bad. I am in a serrious book slump. Having a real..."

I have the opposite problem. My husband was laughing at me the other night because I was standing in front of our gorgeous World Market bookcase staring at all of my library books (they get their own shelf b/c I check out so many) trying to decide what to read next. Sometimes he makes me let him pick what to start. I am normally in the middle of about 5 books. I have an illness. What can I say?

Sunflower's comment in her ticker section made me laugh - she said her ticker is set to 95 b/c she will no longer read Ayn Rand or anything by L Ron Hubbard. I am dreading all of the sci-fi on the list. This is really the ONLY genre of lit that I REALLY dislike. I cannot believe how many sci-fi titles made the readers' list.

Well, I will at least try most of them, but I'm sure L Ron Hubbard is on my "avoid" list. I'm not a fan of Ayn Rand either, and sci-fi is not my favorite, by far.

NO to L Ron Hubbard!! I do like Ayn Rand, but I've read them before..several times. I'm going to sell someone here on Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game". Its a REALLY GOOD Sci-Fi book. It has a really good story, and its well written.

Garlan wrote: "NO to L Ron Hubbard!! I do like Ayn Rand, but I've read them before..several times. I'm going to sell someone here on Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game". Its a REALLY GOOD Sci-Fi book. It has a ..."

I'll try the sci-fi and the Ayn Rand, it's just the Hubbard I'm sure I'll stay away from. Is Ender's Game a good one for someone who just isn't into the futuristic stuff? An easy-read? And is it long like Dune, or one of the shorter ones? And is it full of the strange names and words that side-line you while you figure out what they mean?

Its a real easy read. You won't want to put it down. The characters are all very believeable, and the writing is fast-paced. Its actually a really good story.

OK, I just put it on Hold at the library, so as soon as it's returned I'll be reading it. We'll see if I agree, though I am a hard sell on liking anything sci-fi! LOL

You and Stephanie both. Maybe if it was clasified as YA (which, coincidentally, it could be) more people would read it. :D I hope you enjoy it!

I have to say, Ender's Game is one that actually interests me somewhat. PLUS, I have to read it anyway for another challenge group that I moderate. Dune sucked. I am over it. On to hopefully thinner and better sci-fi novels. ;)

How is that for an English major wrap-up: "Dune sucked." Jenn and I were English majors together in college, so I can count on her to provide you with a better scholarly analysis. Although she might simply say "Dune sucked" too. Ha.

That one was a hard read. And nowhere near the hype that I've read/heard about it. It actually got better toward the end of the book for me, but if it hadn't been for the challenge, I never would have gotten past page 30 or so...

Oooh, I was at Powell's Bookstore and found a copy of Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard. This is on the "reader's list" and I swore I would not read it. But in all fairness to the list I decided I must, so when I found this copy for $2, I picked it up. It's the mass market paperback, and do you realize it's OVER 1000 pages in that form!! Oh boy - I really doubt that I will make a dent in reading it, but I will try!

If it's any consolation, I am in no hurry to read any more sci-fi at this point! Too bad there are so many freakin' titles on the readers' list. Maybe 2010 will be the year of no sci-fi. :) I already have next month's books ready and one for January. No sci-fi there!

Stephanie wrote: "If it's any consolation, I am in no hurry to read any more sci-fi at this point! Too bad there are so many freakin' titles on the readers' list. Maybe 2010 will be the year of no sci-fi. :) I alrea..."

No sci-fi in 2010? Sounds like a good plan!!

Thanks for posting the upcoming books! I was just about ready to ask about it so I could get a head start because of the holidays in December will cut into reading time. Just got "Ender's Game" the other day at the library by chance, so I'm set for that one. (A few people said it was a sci-fi that I, a non-sci-fi person, would like....so we'll see!)

I have heard the same thing Lynn, so I decided to throw it in with Owen Meany. We have so many sci-fi titles, I thought we would try one more in 2009. :) I am probably going to run my reading into December with the November selections. I still want to reread The Handmaid's Tale and Fahrenheit 451, but have decided not to reread 1984 at this time. Too many new books to read, and I would rather revisit the other two.

I remember reading a book in middle school that was sci-fi and I am really liked it at the time. I have been toying with reading it again but I don't know if it will hold the same charm. The book is called Interstellar Pig and is about a sci-fi board game that comes to life and the player gets involved (think Jumanji but for an older crowd).

Stephanie Anne wrote: "I remember reading a book in middle school that was sci-fi and I am really liked it at the time. I have been toying with reading it again but I don't know if it will hold the same charm. The book i..."

Interstellar Pig looks like one I could actually read and be entertained! LOL

You know, after I posted that for you yesterday, I added it to my to-read list. I decided I WOULD like to read it again after so many years. Did you check out the Goodreads description?

Stephanie Anne wrote: "You know, after I posted that for you yesterday, I added it to my to-read list. I decided I WOULD like to read it again after so many years. Did you check out the Goodreads description? "

Yes, I did. I may just see about reading it after the holidays! I enjoyed Jumanji, so maybe this will be good, too.

Garlan wrote: "I'm going to sell someone here on Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game". Its a REALLY GOOD Sci-Fi book. It has a ..."

Ok, ok, Garlan - You sold me on reading it, and I have to admit I liked it. Me, the non-sci-fi reader....

I am so behind! I cannot get my hands on a copy of Ender's Game, but I am actually excited to read it now that I have heard non sci-fi people say how much they enjoyed it. I own a copy of A Prayer for Owen Meany, but I am trying to finish up library books before they are due. I don't think I will have either of these read by the end of December.

A note on the January books for those in the Seasonal Challenge: Watership Down is one of the books featured in the TV series LOST, so you could use it for that task.

Good January choices. I've haven't read Watership Down before. To Kill a Mockingbird is one I've read twice before, but I won't mind a third time through, it's good.

I probably won't get to Ender's Game until January too! I have 5 library books to finish, plus I'm not in the mood to search boxes in the attic for Ender's Game. I've spent too much time up there recently for Christmas stuff!

I FINALLY happened upon a copy of Ender's Game at the library today. It looks like I might read it in time after all! I checked for a copy every time I went to the library (I go about twice per week) and I never saw one. I was almost at the point of putting it on hold, but now I don't have to. My version has a cheesy YA cover on it.

Lisa and Stephanie - Ender's Game is really a pretty quick read once you get started. (I still can't believe I actually read a SF and enjoyed it.)

TKaM has been on my TBR list a LONG time. Even before I knew what a TBR list was. Now I have no excuse not to finally read it. I tried to read watership Down when I was much younger, but I never got very far into it. I look forward to trying it again.

Garlan wrote: "TKaM has been on my TBR list a LONG time. Even before I knew what a TBR list was. Now I have no excuse not to finally read it. I tried to read watership Down when I was much younger, but I never..."

Garlan if you have never made it to TKaM you will love it. I don't see how anyone can't. But I also loved Watership down! :) and Ender's Game!!

Its on my shelf right here within arms reach. I'll read it first then see if I can't get Watership Down at the library.

If anyone has any particular book they are aching to get to, please send me an email and let me know! I am happy to take requests!

Remember, I do take requests for monthly reads! To the Lighthouse was a request for this month, and I added S-Five because it is short.

I will also make it known that these are two of my most loathed books ever read.

I would also recommend using a guide of sorts to get the most out of To the Lighthouse. There is a great deal of symbolism, and while I am not trying to underestimate your reading prowess, a lot of it went over my head until we discussed it in my English lit courses in college.

Happy reading in February! I will be catching up with Owen Meany and Watership Down!

Hi All-
Not sure if this has already been mentioned elsewhere, but I came across this site: http://www.readbookonline.net/prize/2...

It looks like our list of the top 100 books are all available on-line here, for free! I haven't had time to compare the lists, but it does appear that at least a substantial amount are from the editor's version of the ML 100 list. I know nothing beats the real deal, but this might be helpful if people want to sample one of the books before buying.

Paula wrote: "Hi All-
Not sure if this has already been mentioned elsewhere, but I came across this site..."

Thanks Paula! Some of the books have not been to my liking at all, so this will be a good resource for my purchasing vs library decisions.

Thank you, Paula! I might give this a try.

I had two requests for April books and was able to include both because they are rather short reads. I read The Sun Also Rises a LONG time ago (will reread this one) and Ragtime not too long ago (really liked it) so we should have some good discussion.

Ask, and you shall receive. :)

Is there a May selection? I am new to this so I am not sure what I am doing:)

Hi Mary - No, we haven't heard what the May books will be yet, but Stephanie just started taking requests from the Modern 100 lists. Just e-mail her with your suggestion(s).

Yep, send me an email if you have a request (those that have know that I honor them!) otherwise, you are at my mercy. (wicked laugh here)