The Next Best Book Club discussion
Personal Reading Goals
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Jill's reading list....Made it to 100!
Allison wrote: "you're gonna kick your 50 book goal's butt. You should totally go for 100."I might up the ante if I can keep up the pace. Last month had a few ice days when I had nothing to do. I'll have to see how I do monthly during months when I don't have any days off except for weekends.
I'm in the middle of The Name of the Rose, and really liking it. But so far I've been taking it kind of slow, which has resulted, unfortunately, in me getting all the monks mixed up. Someone starts talking and I think, hey, didn't he die? So then I have to interupt the flow and go back to find out who is dead, who is suspicious, and who is important.
haha...The Name of the Rose is in my TBR pile, I've been looking forward to reading it for quite awhile.
Hehe. Yeah, the monks' names can get a little confusing. But at least other than Adso (the narrator) and Adelmo (the first victim), the names aren't terribly similar to each other. That helps. :)I really loved The Name of the Rose. It really is a modern literary classic in my mind. There's just so much detail. You can easily picture the Aedeficium in your mind.
Adding:20. Trilobite!: Eyewitness to Evolution by Richard Fortey
21. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
Jill, how did you like Sex, Frugs, and Cocoa Puffs? I've been wanting to read it for years but haven't gotten around to it yet.
Jessica wrote: "Jill, how did you like Sex, Frugs, and Cocoa Puffs? I've been wanting to read it for years but haven't gotten around to it yet."I enjoyed it. It was very entertaining. It's rare to find a book about pop culture that doesn't use the same tired talking points. This one was actually pretty original. I'd recommend it. :)
23. William Shakespeare: The World As Stage by Bill Bryson24. A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett
25. Lies My Teacher Told Me: What Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James W. Loewen.
I am pleased to see Phil Plait up there. I read his blog, but I haven't read either of his books yet (shame on me!)Were they good?
Lysine wrote: "I am pleased to see Phil Plait up there. I read his blog, but I haven't read either of his books yet (shame on me!)Were they good?"
Oh, definitely. If you like his blog, you'll like the books. Death From the Skies! was my favorite. :)
Allison wrote: "haha...The Name of the Rose is in my TBR pile, I've been looking forward to reading it for quite awhile."me too, like about ten years...
27. Monty Python's Tunisian Holiday by Kim "Howard" Johnson.As you can probably guess, it's about the making of Monty Python's Life of Brian.
Jill, you're making great progress and it's only March! What do you think of His Dark Materials so far?
Liz wrote: "Jill, you're making great progress and it's only March! What do you think of His Dark Materials so far?"I'm enjoying it so far. I've given the first two books four out of five stars. And I'm looking forward to seeing what happens to Lyra and Will. :)
36. Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett37. Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds by Charles MacKay
38. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski.
How did you like House of Leaves? I've been meaning to pick it up, but always put it back down. I've noticed that for people it's a bit of a hit or miss.
Alisha wrote: "How did you like House of Leaves? I've been meaning to pick it up, but always put it back down. I've noticed that for people it's a bit of a hit or miss. "I really liked it. I thought it was very well done. Of course, I work in academia, so a satire on academic criticism, which House of Leaves is, makes me happy.
The Grass is Singing by Doris LessingThe House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy
Sister Carrie by Theordore Dreiser
Of Human Bondage by Somerset Maugham
Rites of Passage by William Golding
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively
The Hours by Michael Cunningham
Martin Dressler by Steven Millhauser
Tom wrote: "The Grass is Singing by Doris LessingThe House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy
Sister Carrie by Theordore Dreiser
Of Hu..."
Hey, Tom. Start your own list thread to keep track of your list.
49. Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut50. Bonk by Mary Roach.
That's my fifty. I wonder if I should try for a hundred.
Definitely. It's only mid-May. At the rate you're going, 100 books should be easy! I say go for it!!!
And CONGRATS by the way on hitting your 50!
Congratulations!! (What, me envious? Naahh!) *punching motions in air* 100! 100!
Congrats, Jill! Yes, you should definitely go for 100. Did you enjoy Bonk? How did it compare with Roach's other books?
Thanks for the encouragement, everyone. I'll see if I can do it. :)51. Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett
52. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov.





1. Bad Astronomy by Philip Plait
2. The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
3. How to Win Every Argument by Madsen Pirie
4. Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams
5. Death From the Skies! by Philip Plait
6. Night Watch by Terry Pratchett
7. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
8. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
9. Thud! by Terry Pratchett
10. Going Postal by Terry Pratchett
11. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
12. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
13. Choke by Chuck Palahniuk
14. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
15. The Truth by Terry Pratchett
16. When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
17. The Blank Slate by Steven Pinker
18. Love and Louis XIV by Antonia Fraser
19. The Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson
I'm doing the 50 book challenge. So that's my goal for this year.