Challenge: 50 Books discussion
Finish Line 2012!
>
Tiffani Tore Up 2012! (100 books and beyond!)
Books Completed Thus Far [Jan-Current 2012]:01)
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Captain Freedom: A Superhero's Quest for Truth, Justice, and the Celebrity He So Richly Deservesby G. Xavier Robillard
See full review here.
02)
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Before I Say Goodbye: Recollections and Observations from One Woman's Final Year by Ruth Picardie
See my full review here.
03)
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Name All the Animals by Alison Smith
See my full review here.
04)
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby - There's nothing to say here other than I love Nick Hornby and this book is wonderful! Good luck getting John Cusack out of your head while reading though ;) See my full review here.
05)
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler
See my full review here.
06)
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
So Far... by Kelsey Grammer
I think the key to enjoying Kelsey Grammer is to never read one of his books. See my full reivew here.
07)
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Other People's Dirt: A Housecleaner's Curious Adventures by Louise Rafkin - Awful. I thought this would be fun read about a housekeeper's funny anecdotes but it was more akin with rubbing sandpaper on your face.
08)
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
First Person Plural: My Life as a Multiple by Cameron West
09)
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
My War at Home by Masuda Sultan The potential in this book is so thick it just fell short. Masuda has been through so much, seen so many sides of a tumultuous cultural relationship that most of us will never be familiar with. See my review here.
10)
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
How to Be Good by Nick Hornby - I'm a Nick Hornby addict but I will admit, this book has its slow moments but it also has one of my favorite book quotes of the year: "It is easier to stereotype racially than it is to find out the truth". See my review here.
11)
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill
12)
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
13)
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Plain and Simple: A Journey to the Amish by Sue Bender - 2 stars is pretty generous, in my opinion. This book seemed more like a book about the process she went through writing a book about visiting Amish families. See my review here.
14)
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
15)
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Medal of Honor: Profiles of America's Military Heroes from the Civil War to the Present by Allen Mikaelian - Amazing.
16)
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult - The book ended really ridiculously and I had a hard time getting Alec Baldwin out of my head while reading the lawyer's perspective. See my review here.
17)
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Pretty much an Americanized loosely-based version of the Japanese story, Battle Royale
18)
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
19)
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
20)
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan - The way she speaks of her Father, her boundless and obvious admiration of him, is alone a reason to read this book.
21)
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Jesus Land by Julia Scheeres
22)
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
The Camera My Mother Gave Me by Susanna Kaysen - A book about Ms. Kaysen's lady bits and all the trouble she has with it.
23)
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club: True Tales from a Magnificent and Clumsy Life by Laurie Notaro
24)
See my review of An Unquiet Mind here.
25)
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Lucky by Alice Sebold
I enjoyed her candor, her bluntness, her strength.
26)
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven by Susan Jane Gilman
See my review here.
27)
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Fat Girl: A True Story by Judith Moore
"Even when I was slender, I was fat."
See my review here.
28)
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
- Her book is, as an under-statement, absolutely ravishing. I devoured every word of this book; reading many pages more than once before moving on. Her descriptions of life around her, right down to the hum of tension in a room, are perfection. Her description of all the events leading up to, during and after her rape and abuse, are all so crystal clear and painful to read, if only because they are so real. So undeniably childlike in their pureness.
I was moved by Ms. Angelou's honesty, shamed by how herself and all around her were treated but also, for the first time, I felt enlightened about a time I had no experience in. I felt I had finally read a real account of "simple" life when racism was not only commonplace but still widely accepted as no-big-deal.
This book is wonderful, eye-opening, descriptive, a real-life page turner that leaves you feeling full and simultaneously more curious than before
29)
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
To Hell with All That: Loving and Loathing Our Inner Housewife by Caitlin Flanagan
- I credit Ms. Flanagan for her unwavering bluntness and for the audacity to dive into the highly controversial topic that she did, but I truly struggled to not throw this book against a wall and light it on fire.
See my review here.
30)
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Waiting: The True Confessions of a Waitress by Debra Ginsberg.
Quick, easy and fun read. There's some glaring grammar errors, missing words and strange spellings [eyebrow raising, considering her previous work as an editor...]. Otherwise, a very lovingly composed book about an industry we are all extremely familiar with - though maybe not as much as we thought ;)
I wish people got more involved in look at other people's lists, it really makes it a lot more fun! Or maybe I just read really boring books :D
Tiffani wrote: "I wish people got more involved in look at other people's lists, it really makes it a lot more fun! Or maybe I just read really boring books :D"I always read other people's lists and I have found some good books that I might not have gotten the pleasure to read otherwise. :-)
Mod
Just because they're not commenting doesn't mean they're not oohing and aahing and adding books to their own lists. They might be like me -- I enjoy reading people's reviews (including yours), but don't always chime in because I don't have anything more intelligent to say than "hehehe... That's a good review." :) Your comments about High Fidelity and the Kelsey Grammer book both made me smile, as did your warning that no books were being harmed :)
Tiffany wrote: "I've found WAY too many books from other people's lists! :)Just because they're not commenting doesn't mean they're not oohing and aahing and adding books to their own lists. They might be like m..."
Thank you for this comment, Tiffany! You put it perfectly, I think I was just having a not-so-great day. I've also lurked and found a few new friends and many new books I wouldn't have checked out on my own, thanks to this group.
Deborah wrote: "Tiffani wrote: "I wish people got more involved in look at other people's lists, it really makes it a lot more fun! Or maybe I just read really boring books :D"I always read other people's lists ..."
Thank you Deborah, I have been doing the same thing, silly of me to let that slip of my mind for a few minutes. :)
31)
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Baggage: My Childhood by Janet Street-Porter
The book jacket lures you in with statements like, "tried to murder her sister" and "extraordinarily bizarre childhood". Being the lover of memoirs and human's life stories that I am, these lines had me interested enough to pick up the book. Lies, all lies.
See my review here.
Page Count update: now at 9087
Tiffani wrote: "I wish people got more involved in look at other people's lists, it really makes it a lot more fun! Or maybe I just read really boring books :D"
I think people are looking at each others lists BUT I do wish that we would all comment a little more. I really want to hear what people think about what I'm reading :D
I think people are looking at each others lists BUT I do wish that we would all comment a little more. I really want to hear what people think about what I'm reading :D
Lindsey wrote: "Tiffani wrote: "I wish people got more involved in look at other people's lists, it really makes it a lot more fun! Or maybe I just read really boring books :D"I think people are looking at each ..."
Well now that you said something...I'll just have to wander over and start stalking your book lists :D
32-PL)
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
The book didn't live up to all the hype, but it was still a sound book with a very, very intriguing story line. I would love to be able to read it in German and get the full value of the book in its native language.
Page Count Update: 9305
Tiffani wrote: "Books Completed Thus Far [Jan-Current 2012]:
01) Captain Freedom by G. Xavier Robillard
[incredibly funny, unique, many times I found myself actually chuckling outloud.]
02) Before I Say Goodbye..."
What did you think of Jesus Land? It's definitely on my bookshelf right now and it was going to be one of my summer reads?
Also what did you think of First Person Plural? I read it a while ago in the midst of a BUNCH of other DID books and I was a little burnt out on the genre.
I like your take on Unquiet Mind. I read it as a part of a psychology class in college and I really enjoyed it (it may have been my first psych memoir) but I can see how it can get dry. Maybe she intellectualizes her disease a little too much? It could come from being a big name in the field.
We definitely read a lot of the same stuff!
01) Captain Freedom by G. Xavier Robillard
[incredibly funny, unique, many times I found myself actually chuckling outloud.]
02) Before I Say Goodbye..."
What did you think of Jesus Land? It's definitely on my bookshelf right now and it was going to be one of my summer reads?
Also what did you think of First Person Plural? I read it a while ago in the midst of a BUNCH of other DID books and I was a little burnt out on the genre.
I like your take on Unquiet Mind. I read it as a part of a psychology class in college and I really enjoyed it (it may have been my first psych memoir) but I can see how it can get dry. Maybe she intellectualizes her disease a little too much? It could come from being a big name in the field.
We definitely read a lot of the same stuff!
Lindsey wrote: "Tiffani wrote: "Books Completed Thus Far [Jan-Current 2012]:What did you think of Jesus Land? It's definitely on my bookshelf right now and it was going to be one of my summer reads?
Also what did you think of First Person Plural? I read it a while ago in the midst of a BUNCH of other DID books and I was a little burnt out on the genre.
I like your take on Unquiet Mind. I read it as a part of a psychology class in college and I really enjoyed it (it may have been my first psych memoir) but I can see how it can get dry. Maybe she intellectualizes her disease a little too much? It could come from being a big name in the field.
We definitely read a lot of the same stuff!
I would definitely recommend squeezing Jesus Land into your summer read list if you have time for it, especially since you already own it! I did feel like it was missing something when I finished though. I'm not sure what that "it" was, maybe just that there were some glaring issues she never really elaborated or detailed. Still a really good book though.
First Person Plural was a great read for me, maybe I'd recommend you re-reading it someday when the feeling of burnt out wears off a little? It was so fascinating to me to read a DID book from a first-person point of view, which I hadn't ever done before. I thought he did a pretty good job putting voices to all the personalities and the various ways they affected his daily life. I did find him a little pretentious at times, but that's just me. [like when he is constantly describing his high-class cars, clothes, appliances, etc, lol]
As for Unquiet Mind, I think you hit the nail on the head. She definitely intellectualizes her disease too much, which I think is probably inevitable in her field. Have you read many psych memoirs since then? :)
YES! It's definitely one of my favorite genres to read (probably because I was a psych student)
I'd recommend:
Divided Minds: Twin Sisters and Their Journey Through Schizophrenia
9 Highland Road: Sane Living for the Mentally Ill
And if you want another DID book:
When Rabbit Howls
I have a bunch more on my shelf, but I just went through a book purge to make more room.
I'd recommend:
Divided Minds: Twin Sisters and Their Journey Through Schizophrenia
9 Highland Road: Sane Living for the Mentally Ill
And if you want another DID book:
When Rabbit Howls
I have a bunch more on my shelf, but I just went through a book purge to make more room.
Lindsey wrote: "YES! It's definitely one of my favorite genres to read (probably because I was a psych student)I'd recommend:
Divided Minds: Twin Sisters and Their Journey Through Schizophrenia
9 Highland Road: ..."
Awesome! I will have to check those out, I love psych memoirs. To a borderline obsessive level...haha!
33)
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver
This book was captivating. Kingsolver has a rare gift of painting emotion with every word. She does not spend pages writing detailed descriptions of a character's face; she spends a novel intertwining characters personalities. You can feel the passion, the heavy sadness; you can see the world in which this story lives. She wrote so beautifully of Native American life, modern city life, loss in many ways (loss of body, mind, feeling). This is a wonderful book, I hope to compose a more solid review later this evening.
update - review posted: Click here for my review
Page Count Total: 9956/15,000
34)
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris.
Ugh.
The only good story in this book was the first one, "Santaland Diaries". Click here for my review
I just read through your book list. Great finds and ideas for other books. I am also talking up the 50 book challenge. I am up to 36 so far--thorough some are quick mindless reads. I have enjoyed most of them.
So I guess I don't have to ask what you thought about The Year of Magical Thinking. :) How far did you get, and what made you abandon it?
Maureen wrote: "I just read through your book list. Great finds and ideas for other books. I am also talking up the 50 book challenge. I am up to 36 so far--thorough some are quick mindless reads. I have enjoyed..."Hello Maureen! I'm glad you found some potential for new books to read here. I looked for your book list in the group but couldn't find one -- what's yours called? I'd love to check out your books. I've been sneaking in some mindless reads, as well. They can be a nice palette cleanser :)
Kristin wrote: "So I guess I don't have to ask what you thought about The Year of Magical Thinking. :) How far did you get, and what made you abandon it?"
Though I was interested in the story, her writing is a bit clinically dry for my liking. I got about halfway through the book and fully intended on finishing it, when I discovered that someone had ripped a few pages out. I had a hard time keeping reading at that point, but if I find it again I'll likely purchase it and keep reading! Have you read it? :)
I have read it. You commented on my thread a few weeks ago...I was the one who thought there were maybe too many details of her privileged life and not enough details of her relationships with her husband and daughter.
Kristin wrote: "I have read it. You commented on my thread a few weeks ago...I was the one who thought there were maybe too many details of her privileged life and not enough details of her relationships with her..."Sorry, Kristin! I thought your name looked familiar, I can be really bad about remembering things lately. I remember now though and would say that I largely agree from the half of the book that I did read.
36)
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
I am shaming myself for having waiting so long to begin reading [outside of mandatory school reading] H.G. Wells. What an incredible author; his prose is impeccable. The Time Traveler is a mad scientist, in that sort-of manically frenzied yet still loveable and thought-provoking way.
Click here for my review.
Page Count update: 10,877/15,000
37)
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Edit: Goodreads timed out while I was writing my review and I finally re-wrote it. Click here for my review.
Page Count update: 11,402/15,000
that sucks :( did u like the book? i have noticed that they have been down for maintenance A LOT this past week. kind of annoying!
Alison wrote: "that sucks :( did u like the book? i have noticed that they have been down for maintenance A LOT this past week. kind of annoying!"The book was okay, I'd still recommend the series to people but I wouldn't say it's the best book ever. A lot of people didn't like it as much as Divergent but I thought it was better.
I bet it's been down so much because of increased summer traffic. Very annoying that all the "down for maintenance" seems to happen at random all day long!
38)
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
I. Loved. This. Book. OH SWOON.
Click here for my review
39)
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
The Graduate by Charles Webb
Really disappointing novel.
(6/29: I watched the movie today. It also was terrible with additional scenes that were just ridiculous.)
See my full review here.
41)
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Pigs in Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver
Gush, swoon, adore, read this book! (But not before reading its prequel, The Bean Trees!
See my full review here.
42)
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult
Final Review: This book was pretty bad. It started out strong, interesting plot. Then gave way to a boring, predictable love triangle, a random section involving the Hopi Indians that seemed really out of place in the story and really awful decision with the father's story line.
See my full distaste for this book here
Page Count update: 12,797/15,000
43)
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Where We Belong by Emily Giffin won from - First Reads
I wouldn't say this book was bad but I won't say I'll ever read it again and will probably mail it off to my Mum.
Review, review, review!
Page Count update:12,693/15,000
I updated my page count after removing all the children's books from the page tally :)
44)
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Wasted by Marya Hornbacher
I think this is an important book, a book that really needed to be written and put in the hands of everyone. If I thought he would understand, I would hand this off to my boyfriend and tell him that every girl healthy or not has felt similar to Marya in their lives, in their judgments of themselves, their food, etc. Not many to her extent, but I would say this book can strike a chord with just about all women to some degree. I admire her forthrightness, her bluntness and her bravery for writing this book. I, especially, think the last 20 pages of her book are very powerful. Just for their striking honesty and the light they shed on the after math of a life ravaged by eating disorders, often silently. By rule, I almost never give 5-star ratings to even my favorite books, but, I had to pull one out for this book.
Part I didn't like and Memorable quotes here
45)
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
This book was really difficult for me to get into and had an incredibly slow, disjointed beginning that I didn't find particularly engaging. It wasn't until after about a hundred pages, when Guterson delves into the history of the Japanese families and the uneasiness between the white Islanders & japanese-american island residents that the story really started becoming cohesive. From that point on, I was pretty engaged in it.
Except, there seemed to be an inordinate amount of talk about the deceased's penis. Which, I thought was a tad bit strange.
Page Count Progress: 13,473/15,000
Tiffani wrote: "45-B) Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
This book was really difficult for me to get into and had an incredibly slow, disjointed beginning that I didn't f..."
Glad to see you liked this one. I read it back in maybe 1999 or thereabouts and I vaguely remember struggling through the first hundred pages. Then, while at Jury Duty (wasn't on a Jury just had to spend a day at the courthouse waiting to see if I was going to be selected for one) I got engaged and read the rest of the book that day.
Seeing your thoughts on it makes me want to grab my old copy and give it another read.
Jason wrote: "Glad to see you liked this one. I read it back in maybe 1999 or thereabouts and I vaguely remember struggling through the first hundred pages. Then, while at Jury Duty (wasn't on a Jury just had to spend a day at the courthouse waiting to see if I was going to be selected for one) I got engaged and read the rest of the book that day.Seeing your thoughts on it makes me want to grab my old copy and give it another read."
I would say it is definitely worth a second read, especially now that it has been over 10 years since you last read it. I could see this book as being one that gets better with time so long as you always remember it has a rough beginning, haha.
46)
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Icy Sparks by Gwyn Hyman Rubio
This book was almost too easy to read, there was just about zero plot or character development. The author displays an obvious talent for writing but I feel like this was not a good book to showcase it. All the ingredients were there: an interesting story line, descriptive, great dialect display but.. it somehow didn't mesh together. At all.
47)
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron
There is not much to say about this book but that is not to say that this is not a good book. It is.
It is clever and funny and true-to-life. Even though she is an incredibly wealthy woman, she does not dote upon those or make them the point of her story (Joan Didion, cough cough). She comes across humble and ordinary.
'Twas only in this book that I learned has written some of my favorite movies (Including, When Harry Met Sally, You've Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle..etc).
I found her story on Death to be extremely sad. She talks of the unexpected death of her close friend, just over 60. She talks of how the lousiest place to meet up with old friends is at a funeral. How sad, to read this book just 3 weeks and 2 days after Ms. Ephron passed away at 71. It gave that story a different feel which likely is what added a stronger layer of emotion to a whimsical and funny little book.
50)
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Klonopin Lunch by Jessica Dorfman Jones
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
*plays dramatic music*
And with that, I hit my 50 books (54 including the few children's books I've re-read this year) AND also hit my page count goal with this last book bringing the count to 15,006/15,000. Woohoo!
Goal has been extended to 75 books and 25,000 pages. :D
Alison wrote: "yay!"*does a dance!* How is yours coming along so far? :)
lol... not good :( at least im getting a few done. im kinda cheating this year too and reading really short essays that shouldnt count, but there is no way ill make it this year so why not. im at around 10 i think. after i get done with blood meridian im gonna start the Hunger Games series.
Challenge: 50 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Everything Is Wrong with Me: A Memoir of an American Childhood Gone, Well, Wrong (other topics)The Age of Miracles (other topics)
How Evan Broke His Head and Other Secrets (other topics)
Sleep Demons: An Insomniac's Memoir (other topics)
Epilogue: A Memoir (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Jason Mulgrew (other topics)Karen Thompson Walker (other topics)
Garth Stein (other topics)
Michael Grant (other topics)
Katherine Applegate (other topics)
More...
16 July: passed 50 books & 15,000 pages
25 Oct: passed 100 books
**ABANDONED BOOK GRAVEYARD**
..where all the books I started and painfully abandoned [for a variety of reasons] go to die..
**CHILDREN'S NOVELS**
I've decided to place any/all of the children's books I read into this area and not count them towards my ultimate goal of 50 books.
See my review of Freaky Friday here. ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
See my review of The Witches here. ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
See my review of Sign of the Beaver here. ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
See my review of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret here. ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆