The 104 Book Challenge - 2011 discussion

1) The Book Thief. Definately a 5 star.

I've heard it is really good! I might need to move this one up on my to-read list :)

One of my favorite books ever! I'd highly recommend I AM THE MESSENGER if you haven't yet.

Hmm, the summary for I I Am the Messenger doesn't sound that appealing, but if it's even half as good as The Book Thief I'm more than willing to give it a read when I find it. Have put it on my "Look for" list.
Just a thought - would it help anyone else when looking up books, if the genre for each book was also given with the book description. But perhaps everyone else can better figure this out; me, I'm hopeless. Goodread's probably doesn't do this because of lack of demand. Happy reading.

2) The White Tiger 4 stars

Have put Room aside for awhile. Perhaps I started it too soon after The Book Thief and White Tiger, before I had a chance to have the characters settle.
Am going instead with Rat Race, a re-read. Dick Francis (he's one of my favorite authors) never fails to entertain yet doesn't challenge.

I loved the White tiger thought it was really good so I bought and read between the assassinations and I was totally disappointed with it xx

I would definitely recommend Room....although the subject matter sounds quite off-putting, being written from the point of view of the little boy makes it seem a lot less dark.

3) Rat Race 3 stars

4) Room 2 stars. I can't say I really liked this book. The narrative was just too contrived and gimmicky for my taste. Writing as a 5-year old is difficult for an adult to do and in my opinion a little too much for this author.

I couldn't get through Room. I was listening to it on audio though and I think maybe I would have finished it if I had read it instead.

I'm not so sure you would have finished if you had read it Kim. I wish I hadn't wasted the time. The dialogue just didn't ring true. Ma spent considerable time correcting Jack's grammar, "brought" instead of "bringed", taught him words not normally in a 5 year old's vocabulary, but didn't teach him basic pronouns like "you", "me", "she", and "he". I have absolutely no writing talent nor an education in reviewing literature, but this just didn't seem believable to me.

5) The Enemy 4 stars

Mikela wrote: "1) The Book Thief. Definately a 5 star."

This is one I keep hearing is good but can't seem to work up the motivation to read.

With all the good books available Corrine, I wouldn't worry about reading The Book Thief. While I loved it, this may or may not be your kind of story.

Mikela wrote: "With all the good books available Corrine, I wouldn't worry about reading The Book Thief. While I loved it, this may or may not be your kind of story."

Yes. Generally if I put off reading a book, it's with good reason. Thanks!

6) The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks 4 stars. Enjoyed both the medical life of Henrietta's cells and learning about the lives of her family. Not a particularly "fun" book but well worth the read. Now to continue with Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.

7) The Bad Beginning I'm trying to gather up books for the kids in my village in Belize. Really don't know how to rate kids books. Gave it 4 stars

I love Lemony Snicket. I really need to re-read the series. Add it to my list! LOL

I started The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks last night, but couldn't really get into it...not quite sure why, maybe it needed more concentration than I was able to give! Will leave it quite high on my TBR list though.

I actually listened to the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks on audio book. This was the first time that I've ever listened to an audio book and my choice of book couldn't have been better as it would have been a struggle to finish it in print.

8) Snow Flower and the Secret Fan 5 stars. I absolutely loved this book. It is the first book in a long time that has actually reduced me to tears.

9) Water for Elephants 3 stars

Mikela~ GREAT BOOK LIST so far... it seems you have similar taste in books. I am looking forward to seeing what else you are reading!

Mikela wrote: "1) The Book Thief. Definately a 5 star."

I love this book! It's one of my all time favorites.

10)In the Company of Cheerful Ladies 4 stars.
I agree Rainbows, it was excellent.

I just checked the original list of books that I was going to read and found that I had only read one of them and one other I'm currently reading - talk about getting sidetracked. The funny part is that I don't have a great desire to read the remaining ones on my list either (at least not yet). That's okay as I still have several boxes of books that I haven't unpacked yet and a Chapters only 2 blocks away. Perhaps if I keep the list handy it will prompt me to get back to it.
1. Taking Religious Pluralism Seriously: Spiritual Politics on America's Sacred Ground
2. The Collector
3. The Grapes of Wrath
4. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
5. Tears of the Giraffe
6. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach - THIS I READ
7. One Hundred Years of Solitude
8. Dreams Underfoot
9. Siddhartha
10. Without Fail
11. Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions
12. The Culture of Vengeance and the Fate of American Justice
13. The Road to Serfdom
14. Double Cross (Alex Cross, #13)
15. Faithful Place
16. Temples, Tombs & Hieroglyphs: A Popular History of Ancient Egypt

I read Grapes of Wrath many years ago and agree that it was exceptional, sad yet heart warming. I will re-read it after I've gone through more books that I haven't read as yet. Siddhartha will just have to move from my "consider list" back onto my "to-read list" again. A list which I completely emptied so that I could re-evaluate. Thank you for your recommends.

Mikela wrote: "8) Snow Flower and the Secret Fan 5 stars. I absolutely loved this book. It is the first book in a long time that has actually reduced me to tears."

This is one of my all time keepers!!!:)

I am not going to finish Sarah's Key - at least not yet. Have a real problem with authors who insert themselves into what had promised to be a good book.

My daughter, who is moving to the Middle East within the next few months, just had shipped here two huge crates full of books. Arg, there goes any reading order I had even thought of before. Believe me - I'm not complaining. Some of these books are fantastic.

LOL Mikela!!! That is why I didn't create a reading list, but at least you have a crate full of new books to read, and that is not a bad problem to have!! :)

11) Dreams Underfoot debated between 3 or 4 stars. Decided on 3 as I felt the short stories didn't allow the characters to develop as much as I wish they would. A good read though.

12) Sarah's Key - Didn't enjoy at all.
13) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - 2 stars

I read Sarah's Key last year. It was intense, and the storyline itself is really good I thought, but I didn't love it. I felt like the modern day parts were very forced and contrived. What didn't you like about it?

I totally agree. The author did a relatively good job with what transpired in Nazi occupied France but totally lost it with the modern day. She came across, to me, as self-indulgent and self absorbed. Totally boring and highly predictable.

Oh, I'm right there with you. It was a really popular book, though, so I kept wondering if I was just being a booksnob about it.

But I didn't hate it, because I learned a lot about France's history in the Holocaust by reading about it and researching about the Roundup afterwards. At the time I read it, I was dating a Frenchman who had grown up in Paris, but he wasn't aware of that part of WWII history, and he's a war history buff. So it led to interesting conversations.

I enjoyed learning this bit of history that I wasn't aware of and was fascinated by the storyline with the potential it held to be an outstanding book. Perhaps my disappointment was so strong because my expectations were so high.

14) The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America 4 stars. Kept my interest right to the end.

15) A Prayer for Owen Meany 5 stars. Very long (over 500 pages) but a fantastic read.

16) A Wrinkle in Time 3 stars - somewhat cute

Oh, I love Madeleine L'Engle. :)

Mikela wrote: "15) A Prayer for Owen Meany 5 stars. Very long (over 500 pages) but a fantastic read."


Prayer for Owen Meany is one of my top books of all time. It was amazing! And one of the few books that you read where everything that has happened comes together at the end!

A Prayer for Owen Meany is on my list! I'm glad to see that you enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to the read.

Hope you enjoy Owen Meany as much as I did. There was a section in the book where the author espoused his political views that almost made me put the book aside, couldn't figure out why it was important to the book, but it did tie in and am glad that I finished it.

17) The Talisman 4 stars - Another good read.

18) Blindness - I hated this book (I didn't just not like it). Although well written, the depravity and inhumanity depicted were totally depressing. I can understand what he is saying and might even agree with it, but struggled to turn each page. Now I have to cleanse my mind with something light-hearted and clean.

19) A Wind in the Door 3 stars

I am in the mood for a real funny good book. Any suggestions?? : )

Piers Anthony. He's very punny.