Renee’s Comments (group member since Feb 03, 2014)

Renee’s comments from the The Reading Challenge Group group.

If we get a fair number of people reading, I might go ahead and post a thread for each Volume. So far it looks like 5 of us. Any thoughts on how you'd rather see it posted?

I was thinking the same thing. So many great characters.

Well, in fact I was talking about Les Miz without being clear ... But there are still threads posted about War & Peace from 2015. I did W&P in several threads which could easily be used this year. I'd certainly check in, but I'll bet others would join you.

War & Peace awaits anyone who wishes to join. It might make a good doorstopper for 2017.

Some started on Jan 1. If joining now, you could set your goal at 31 chapters by the end of January. Volume 1 (Fantine) is made up of 8 Books or 70 chapters, so it will take us into March.

I think it makes for a do-able doorstopper if done one chapter per night. When I read The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, I found that Hugo laced his novels with some pretty dense chapters on history and politics, while sucking the reader in with fascinating characters.

Jade-
There's a group called Goodreads Feedback which is actually maintained by people associated with the running of Good Reads. If you search that group, you can leave suggestions that would improve the site.

I started a Buddy Read thread for anyone interested.

PLAN: one chapter per day

The novel is divided into 5 volumes, each volume divided into several books, and subdivided into chapters, for a total of 48 books and 365 chapters. Each chapter is relatively short, commonly no longer than a few pages.

•• To avoid spoilers, please start your post with the name of the Volume you are discussing. ...

SCHEDULE
January: 31 days (V1, Bk 3, Ch 4)✔️
February: 28d (V1, Bk 7, Ch 5) 59d✔️
March: 31d (V2, Bk 1, Ch 19) 90d✔️
April: 30d (V2, Bk 6, Ch 3) 120days✔️
May: 31d (V3, Bk 1, Ch 6) 151 days✔️
June: 30d (V3, Bk 4, Ch 6) 181 days✔️
July: 31d (V3, Bk 8, Ch 12) 212 days
August 31d: (V4, Bk 4, Ch 2) 243days
September: 30d (V4, Bk 11, Ch 6) 273d+
October: 31d (V5, Bk 1, Ch 9) 304days
November: 30d (V5, Bk 3, Ch 7) 334d
December: 31d (V5, Bk 9, Ch 6 ) 365d


Book Division...
Volume 1- Fantine
Volume 2- Cossette
Volume 3- Marius
Volume 4- Saint Denis
Volume 5- Fantine

Volume 1 (Fantine). Books 1-8. (70 chapters)
Bk 1: 14c. Bk 2: 13c. Bk 3: 9c. Bk 4: 3c Bk 5: 13c.
Bk 6: 2c. Bk 7: 11c. Bk 8: 5c

Volume 2 (Cosette). Books 1-8. (76 chapters)
Bk 1: 19c. Bk 2: 3c. Bk 3: 11c. Bk 4: 5c. Bk 5: 10c.
Bk 6: 11c. Bk 7: 8c. Bk 8: 9c.

Volume 3 (Marius). Books 1-8. (76 chapters)
Bk1: 13c. Bk2: 8c. Bk3: 8c. Bk4: 6c. Bk5: 6c.
Bk6: 9c. Bk7: 4c. Bk8: 22c.

Volume 4 (Saint-Denis). Books 1-15. (76 chapters)
Bk1: 6c. Bk2: 4c. Bk3: 8c. Bk4: 2c. Bk5: 6c.
Bk6: 3c. Bk7: 4c. Bk8: 7c. Bk9: 3c. Bk10: 5c.
Bk11: 6c. Bk12: 8c. Bk 13: 3c. Bk14: 7c. Bk15: 4c.

Volume 5 (Fantine). Books 1-9. (68 chapters)
Bk1: 24c. Bk2: 7c. Bk3: 12c. Bk4: 1c. Bk5: 8c.
Bk6: 4c. Bk7: 2c. Bk8: 4c. Bk9: 6c.

Wow! That was fast! Nice job, Ladies!

Thanks for the recommendation, Rosemarie. And I think you should count it if you want.

I worked in a bookstore for a few years after college which gave me a great exposure to different genres and recommendations from customers who would rave about their favorite authors and books. It's was a fun, interesting job.

Lol. They're so much fun!

Cross-posting again. Hi, Allison!

I looked at your TBR and I think The Uglies would fit for friendship. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is an obvious one but I think you could make a case for anything that has characters with a strong friendship bond. I'm currently reading the Riyria books by Michael Sullivan. It's sword and sorcery fantasy but the two main characters are bound by friendship and trust.

An Unreliable narrator tells the story but has a limited understanding of the details (sometimes on purpose but often because they are impartial or otherwise inhibited from the whole picture of the events). Gone Girl is a good example. Both The Moonstone and The Sound and the Fury use a series of narrators because each is flawed and only hearing many sides tells the whole story. Although, sometimes when it is used the author lets you know that the narrator is unreliable even as they're telling their story so the reader starts paying attention to prejudices or gaps.

I think Cuckoo's Nest should be okay for that category. You only really see the patient's point of view. It's Not exactly an example of the device but I think you can argue it.

Finished Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal which was both icky and completely fascinating. Somehow Mary Roach makes everything fascinating.

Rolled a 7. BOOK BAN: I'm going with The Bell Jar because I keep putting it on my Currently Reading list, but then not starting it. Might take me awhile. Winter doesn't seem like a great time for an emotionally draining book.

Good for you, Andrea! I gave up cable tv and Internet in my home a few years ago. It is one of the choices that has helped increase my time for reading. (And other things)

I actually read it, but I can't remember all the details. I think it should be a good pick.

I'm not sure. Maybe? If you think so, then yes.