Terminalcoffee discussion

I'm issuing myself a random challenge. Since challenges are so popular elsewhere on the site. I'm going to read 10 books:

1. A book by a woman.
Done. Shadows on the Rock by Willa Cather.

2. A book about American politics (nonfiction).
Done. The Liberal Tradition in America by Louis Hartz.

3. A novel set in 20th century Britain.
Done. The Longest Journey by E.M. Forster.

4. A book with author's last name beginning with N.
Done. The Great Silence: 1918-1920 Living in the Shadow of the Great War by Juliet Nicolson.

5. A nonfiction work that discusses literature.
Done. The Cambridge Introduction to the Novel.

6. Any work of historical nonfiction.
Done. Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality: Gay People in Western Europe from the Beginning of the Christian Era to the Fourteenth Century by John Boswell

7. A book about art (nonfiction).
Done. Rackstraw Downes by Sanford Schwartz, Robert Storr, and Rackstraw Downes.

8. A book of essays.
Done. On the Contrary: Articles of Belief, 1946-1961by Mary McCarthy.

9. A novel set in France.
Done. La Bête Humaine.

10. A novel written between 1910-1940.
Done. Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh.

No time limit, they don't have to be read in any order. They aren't required to be the next 10 books I read. The only rule is that they can't be re-reads. I will come back and make a note of what book I've read, as I finish it.

Feel free to make your own random challenges here. Or not.

Are you allowed to knock off several of the 10 with a single book? Maybe a novel set in 20th century Britain from a female author whose name begins with N?

I'm involved in a couple of challenges - All About You and Around the World in 52 Books

Enjoy your challenge, LG. I'm looking forward to your choices.

Phil wrote: "Are you allowed to knock off several of the 10 with a single book? Maybe a novel set in 20th century Britain from a female author whose name begins with N?"

Uh......NO.

Oh I like this. If I could I would. Right now I am reading a book by a woman, can that be my number one?

Sure.

Janice wrote: "I'm involved in a couple of challenges - All About You and Around the World in 52 Books

Enjoy your challenge, LG. I'm looking forward to your choices."

Janice is a moderator for several challenge groups. Interesting, Janice.

Sally wrote: "Oh I like this. If I could I would. Right now I am reading a book by a woman, can that be my number one?"

Cheater.

Fucker.

Also, I snickered when you said, "Can that be my number one?"

Number one. Heh. What's going to be your number two, Sallers?

My challenge for this year was to read 100 books, just 3 more to go and I'm done.

I guess they'll have to be small books.

I go for quality, not quantity.

I go for quality as well (just look at my read shelf), I'm just a fast reader. I have read around 100 books for the past few years, one year even more than 150, but I read a lot of plays and poetry that year.

Yes lots of quality there. I didn't mean to imply otherwise, I hope you know. I'm just making excuses for my lack of speed.

I know you weren't saying I don't read quality, but I still had to defend myself :) I've had a look around your read stats and you do seem to be reading longer books than me. You read 26 books = 11000 pages, I've read 97 books = 26000 pages. You don't have to make excuses for your 'lack of speed'. 11000 pages is still very substantial, and quality really is more important than quality. So as long as you can say you enjoyed what you're read and were challenged by some of what you read I say you had a succesful year book-wise.

I just looked through my copy of Ulysses and saw that I finished reading it in 2007. I'm working on Modern Library's list of 100 best novels of the 20th century, and I'm discouraged that it's taking me so long (I'm little more than half way through). I thought it would take two years at most, but I think I'm actually becoming a worse reader as time goes on. I'll pass on any new challenges for now.

Often the only time I have to read is late at night when I start falling asleep after 3 or 4 pages. It's a miracle and a wonder I have read that many pages, J.

And yes, I do enjoy what I read. I have learned so many things this past year from the books I've read.

great idea. i may consider a book challenge my self.

::watches as Kevin considers his own self a book challenge::

Kevin is an open book.

Kevin needs some curtains.

como?

ko?

what? (in espanol)

La puerta esta abriendo. Puedo veerlo su "self challenge" en technicolor. Necisitas, como se dice, "curtains" in espanol?

cortinas

bueno. gracias.

guacamole?

yes, that is my ferret's name

Sally was able to ferret that out quite nicely.

I'm a ferreteer.

At least she didn't badger it out of him.

We don't need no stinkin' badgers!

People. Please. Could we have a clean thread and limit our discussion to book challenges?

Thank you.

This is my TBR challenge from a different group (12+2 books that have been on my TBR for a year or more).

1. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
2. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
3. Nightwood by Djuna Barnes
4. A Gentle Madness by Nicholas Brasbanes
5. Chicks Dig Time Lords by Lynn M. Thomas
6. Possession by A.S. Byatt
7. Franny & Zooey by J.D. Salinger
8. Camilla by Frances Burney
9. The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
10. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
11. The Princess Bride by William Goldman
12. The Golden Bowl by Henry James

Alternates:
1. Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen
2. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

I also want to make a challenge especially for TC, but I haven't determined the parameters yet.

Amber, how did you pick those particular books? Did everyone pick from their TBR?

Lobstergirl wrote: "Amber, how did you pick those particular books? Did everyone pick from their TBR?"

Most of them were just books that I've been saying I would read for years, or that I have started and never finished. They also needed to be books I owned, as I don't want to buy any books for the challenge (with the exception of Chicks Dig Time Lords, as I plan on buying it soon anyway). Yes, for this specific challenge everyone chose from their TBR, whether on Goodreads or just in general.

I made my list not thinking of any particular books, but with categories broad enough that I wouldn't have much trouble finding a book from my personal collection. I was surprised though how few (unread) authors I own whose names start with N.

Lobstergirl wrote: "I made my list not thinking of any particular books, but with categories broad enough that I wouldn't have much trouble finding a book from my personal collection. I was surprised though how few (..."

That's the approach I think I will take with my own TC challenge. The TBR challenge is very specific, and I had rotten luck with it last year, so much so that several of the books on this year's list were also on the last one.

Lobstergirl wrote: "People. Please. Could we have a clean thread and limit our discussion to book challenges?

Thank you."

well, better not catch you making off topic comments anywhere....

Barb wrote: "Lobstergirl wrote: "People. Please. Could we have a clean thread and limit our discussion to book challenges?

Thank you."


*hiss*
Seriously, though. The only challenge I've ever really a..."

You have, but it's ok because I think I've mentioned the book several times, as I keep starting it and not getting anywhere. It's weird, because I like it, so I don't know why I can't ever seem to get past the middle, especially as I love Arthurian legends in nearly any form.

Amber, I loved your 9 through 11. I hope you do too!

Barb wrote: "Oh, how did I miss Book of Lost Things? That was great."

That's another one I always get halfway through and then get distracted! Weird.

I told my sister to read it. She called me right after the scene with the huntress and said "Really? You want me to finish this book?" But I told her to persevere, and then to follow it with The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making. She ended up loving both.

Sarah Pi wrote: "I told my sister to read it. She called me right after the scene with the huntress and said "Really? You want me to finish this book?" But I told her to persevere, and then to follow it with [book:..."

That's the thing; it's right up my alley so I can't figure out why I don't finish it. And The Girl Who, etc. has been on my TBR since I first discovered it existed.

Barb wrote: "OK! I figured one out.
Imma gonna read in order of the alphabet.
The authors last name must start with the correct letter, going in order from A to Z, and I'll try to pull them from my existing ..."

I like that challenge, Barb!

Barb wrote: "The authors last name must start with the correct letter, going in order from A to Z, and I'll try to pull them from my existing TBR mountain."

Wouldn't that be from "A to Zed?"

Zed's dead, baby. Zed's dead.

Sally wrote: "Zed's dead, baby. Zed's dead."

The Link.

Other challenges I've done this year: I sometimes like to read all of the nominees (or some) from a prize that catches my eye. If you pick the right one you're set for a year in discussing literary prizes because they all nominate from the same pool of books.