The Next Best Book Club discussion
Personal Reading Goals
>
Becky's Owned-to-read challenge *Completed* :D
message 101:
by
Kandice
(new)
Mar 29, 2009 11:23AM
I'm sorry to hear you didn't like it. It's weird that some books we seem to really enjoy the same, and others I love and you hate or vice versa!
reply
|
flag
Wow, you are definately making fantastic progress!
It was interesting, but I think that I was just turned off by the overbearing religiousness. I'm not saying that it's WRONG, because I am in no position to judge that, and I know that Lewis is a Christian so naturally that will be the type of religious book he would write, but it just wasn't for me. I think that the idea that bugged me the most was that the tempters didn't just tempt, they manipulated, which seems to me to be a loss of free will. Maybe that is just a matter of semantics, but in my mind, it's one thing to dangle a carrot in front of someone and tempt them to take it, but it's another to starve them to the point where there doesn't seem to be a choice anymore.
That's kind of how I viewed the book. I know that the "patient" still had his free will, and that Good Christians wouldn't allow themselves to be manipulated, but some of the things that Lewis portrayed as damnable sins were so innocuous that I wouldn't think anyone but Mother Theresa would end up in Heaven. LOL
I much preferred the book as a study of human nature. I don't particularly being told that everything I do is a sin, so this book just rubbed me the wrong way from the start.
Sorry for rambling on, I'm trying to explain what exactly it was that I didn't care for, but I don't think I'm doing a good job!
I know what you mean, and I am a Christian, but I didn't take anything in the book to heart. I just loved the way everything was so twisted and, like you said, manipulated. I laughed out loud quite a few times, mostly because some people I know are almost ridiculously religious and "Holier than thou" so I had them in mind while reading.
Yeah.. I laughed at Screwtape's description of the "patient's" girlfriend. That was pretty funny. She seemed like the "Holier than thou" type you mentioned, haha!
Read: 31Left To Read: 82
Total Pages Read: 11,557
31) 03/29/09- 81. Rebecca (380 pgs)
30) 03/26/09- 85. The Screwtape Letters (175 pgs)
29) 03/19/09- 112. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War (342 pgs)
28) 03/17/09- 105. Water for Elephants (335 pgs)
27) 03/14/09- 47. Inferno (288 pgs)
26) 03/13/09- 52. Labyrinth (Audiobook) (528 pgs)
25) 03/11/09- 79. The Princess Bride (450 pgs)
24) 03/08/09- 25. Death Be Not Proud (206 pgs)
23) 03/05/09- 1. 100 Great Fantasy Short, Short Stories (395 pgs)
22) 03/04/09- 10. Angela's Ashes (364 pgs)
21) 03/03/09- 48. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell (1006 pgs)
Just reposted the whole month's reading. :)
Read: 32Left To Read: 81
Total Pages Read: 12,286
32) 04/02/09- 82. Roots (729 pgs)
Reposting the full list so I don't have to keep going back to the first page for it. :)Crossed off books are read.
Underlined books are accounted for in another challenge.
Heres the full list:
2. The 120 Days of Sodom and Other Writings
3. 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea
4. The Age of Innocence
5. The Alchemist's Daughter: A Novel
6.
7. The Amityville Horror
*8. The Amulet of Samarkand
9.
10.
*11. Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony
12. The Bachman Books : Four Early Novels by Richard Bachman
13.
*14. Blackwood Farm
15. Bleak House
*16. Blue is for Nightmares
*17. The Book of Shadows
18. The Brothers Karamazov
19. Catch-22
20. The Chamber
21. The Client
22.
23.
24. The Dante Club: A Novel
25.
26. The Dogs of Babel
27.
28. Emma
29. Everest is Hollow
30. Everything's Eventual: 14 Dark Tales
*31. The Eyre Affair
32. Fall on Your Knees
33. A Farewell to Arms
34. Fatal Cure
35. Foucault's Pendulum
36. The Fountainhead
37.
*38. The Golem's Eye
39.
40. Hell House
41.
42. Howard's End
43. The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
44. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
45. The Idiot
46. Imajica
47. Inferno
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53. Lady Susan, The Watsons, Sanditon
54. Land Under England
55. The Last Juror
*56. The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson)
57. Lisey's Story
58. A Little Princess
59. Lorna Doone
*60. Lost in a Good Book
61. Madame Bovary
62. Magic Terror
63. Middlemarch
64. Middlesex
65.
66. My Antonia
67. Mystery
68. Neverwhere
*69. New Moon
70. Northanger Abbey
71. The Odyssey
72.
73.
74. Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained
75. The Partner
76. The Pelican Brief
77. The Picture of Dorian Gray
78. The Plague
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84. The Scarlet Pimpernel
85. The Screwtape Letters
*86. The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson)
87.
88. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
89. To Reign In Hell
90. Showdown
91.
92. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Stories
93.
94. The Teeth of the Tiger
95. Tess of the D'Urbervilles
96. The Complete Works of Shakespeare
97. Thinner
98. Tigana
*99. The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson)
100. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
*101. Twilight
102. Uncle Tom's Cabin
103. Vital Signs
104. Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse
105.
106. What Dreams May Come
107.
*108. White Is for Magic
109. The Wind in the Willows
110. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
111. The Woman in White
112.
113.
Read: 33Left To Read: 80
Total Pages Read: 12,660
33) 04/04/09- 72. Oryx & Crake (374 pages)
32) 04/02/09- 82. Roots (729 pgs)
Awww... I'm sorry! I will come help if you want! but then I don't know how I would get the experience and feeling of the books I read into your head...
That is so exciting! I'm so proud of you!
Thanks Lori... I'm pretty excited too. Although right now I'm not reading anything from the list. I'm reading Hunger Games, which Kandice sent to me as a trade, so it's not counting toward my list. (But it IS really good!)
I agree, Fiona, although then you'd have to worry about getting someone else's interpretation of the book along with the book itself. I wouldn't want that. So, we'd need a Book Telepathy Reader Interpretation Filter. Then we'd be good!
Yes... If only I had a garage in my apartment. Everyone knows that these kinds of things must be invented in a garage. *sigh* ;)
Becky, did you enjoy Rebecca?
Aww I am jealous... I have been trying to get Hunger Games either through the library or paperbackswap forever. I really want to read it, but don't want to break down and buy it... Sigh! I am glad you like it though.
Vicki, I'll be more than happy to pass it along to you when I'm done. It's an Advance Reader's Copy, so there are some unfinished details (mainly typos, lol) but it is really good and quick. I finished 1/2 of it last night.Message me with your address and I'll mail it out when I'm done! :)
Samantha wrote: "Becky, did you enjoy Rebecca? "I did, but I was kind of disappointed with it as well. I was expecting more of a twist, to be honest. But I loved the tone and the feel of the book, so the short answer is yes, I did enjoy it.
Becky wrote: "Samantha wrote: "Becky, did you enjoy Rebecca? "I did, but I was kind of disappointed with it as well. I was expecting more of a twist, to be honest. But I loved the tone and the feel of the bo..."
I loved the first chapter most especially. I have no idea why.
The first line of the entire book is beautiful as well
Yeah, the first chapter really sets the tone. I agree 100%!
Read: 35Left To Read: 79
Total Pages Read: 13,386
35) 04/10/09- 73. Othello (320 pgs)
34) 04/05/09- --. The Hunger Games (406 pgs)
33) 04/04/09- 72. Oryx & Crake (374 pages)
32) 04/02/09- 82. Roots (729 pgs)
Too funny. All 3 of your recent reads, I either already love, or want to!!!! You're doing very well:)
Oh good Kandice! April will be a good reading month then! :)
Read: 36Left To Read: 79
Total Pages Read: 13,997
36) 04/12/09- --. Duma Key (Audiobook)(611 pgs)
35) 04/10/09- 73. Othello (320 pgs)
34) 04/05/09- --. The Hunger Games (406 pgs)
33) 04/04/09- 72. Oryx & Crake (374 pages)
32) 04/02/09- 82. Roots (729 pgs)
Hey, Becky, how'd you like Duma Key? It's in my TBR pile and I'm wondering if I should move it to the top. Ever since I read Stephen King's The Stand, I've been wanting to read more of him.
Alisha, I loved Duma Key! I would definitely move it up, it was really good, and really creepy. ;)
Read: 37Left To Read: 79
Total Pages Read: 14,128
37) 04/14/09- --. Rage (131 pgs)
36) 04/12/09- --. Duma Key (Audiobook)(611 pgs)
35) 04/10/09- 73. Othello (320 pgs)
34) 04/05/09- --. The Hunger Games (406 pgs)
33) 04/04/09- 72. Oryx & Crake (374 pages)
32) 04/02/09- 82. Roots (729 pgs)
Do you know how many pages you have read total?
her message says 14,128...I think that is total.
btw...you're kicking some book @$$ Becky :)
Thanks Allison! Not as good as you are doing, Miss Speed-reader, but good enough. If I could just pry myself away from GR once in a while!Kathryn, Do you mean how many pages have I read total in my life? No way! I wouldn't even want to try. I read so many books as a kid that trying to count would be impossible. I mean, Nancy Drew books, Hardy Boys, Boxcar Children, Babysitter's Club, Little House books... And those are just a few that I remember off the top of my head! I don't even have those on my GR because I'm not sure which ones of the series I read!
That page count is only since January 1st.
That's true. IT wasn't very kind to you, was it? I have faith in you though Fi!
*beams beautifically* Is that a word? Whateve, you know what I mean.
I did pick up Shogun at B&N. I hefted it and adored it's weight, sniffed it, fondled it - yes, fondled it... And then put it back. *sigh*
Willpower. A lot of willpower. ...... I don't wanna talk about it! *sniffle*
OMG you poor baby! I could never do that, and I own 2 paperbacks and am on the "Holy Grail" search for a used, but good condition hardback. I'll probably never, ever find one...*Eeyore sigh*
It was tough, but I've been skipping all of your discussions about it in the threads, so that helped. If I hadn't, it probably would have been impossible to pass up. I'll keep an eye out for a good condition HC copy. If I find one, I'll pick it up for you and I'll trade you for a PB!
Sorry, my mistake, I was expecting the page total at the bottom, and didn't see that it was above the books with their totals! Wow, impressive!!!
No problem Kathryn! I'm a little bit backward when it comes to logical placement of things. One need only ask my boyfriend for evidence! Today he asked where a particular pair of his pants could be found, and I said "On the kitchen table." As if that's the most natural place in the world to find a pair of men's jeans. :\
You sound like Dom's girlfriend in this lovely tome you sent me! I'll send you paperback anyway;) If you really want one. I was wondering what to send you...
Ha! You're right. At least as far as organization goes. If you want to send Shogun to me, I won't argue! It sounds great...
What? I do not!! *innocently puts away voodoo librarian doll*
Becky wrote: "But... I was being serious! I love listing. ...You should see my movie list. It's beautiful. It's in Excel, with tabs and columns and release years. *sigh*
I should do a similar book list. ..."
OMG!!! we really do lead parallel lives i have the exact same movie list, sorted by rating, year, awards etc etc.. i posted my 10/10 movies in the vine movie thread. i love lists too
Kandice!! I'll have to start scoping out the thrift stores to help you on your search for a good condition hard back.Becky!!!! I ADORED the Boxcar Children when I was a kid, no one I know has ever heard of them :(
Who hasn't heard of the Boxcar Children? Must be people who didn't read as kids...I loved that series!
Thank you Allison! I loved the Boxcar children too, but I always go tthem form the library so don't have them for my children. I don't think they've read any.
The Boxcar Children rock! One of my most fave series as a kid.
Read: 39Left To Read: 77
Total Pages Read: 14,930
Total Average Pages per Book: 383
39) 04/19/09- 64. Middlesex (529 pgs)
38) 04/15/09- 84. The Scarlet Pimpernel (273 pgs)
37) 04/14/09- 12a. Rage (131 pgs)
36) 04/12/09- --. Duma Key (Audiobook)(611 pgs)
35) 04/10/09- 73. Othello (320 pgs)
34) 04/05/09- --. The Hunger Games (406 pgs)
33) 04/04/09- 72. Oryx & Crake (374 pages)
32) 04/02/09- 82. Roots (729 pgs)
Honestly, after reading Boxcar Children, who didn't want to go off live in a boxcar for a little bit and then be adopted by a kindly RICH grandfather?You are making awesome progress by the way!!
I certainly wouldn't object to being adopted by a kindly rich grandfather... even at 26!Thanks... I think I'll make my 100 book goal... Might actually surpass it. Maybe!
The Next Best Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
The Martian (other topics)Sold (other topics)
Annie on My Mind (other topics)
The Ruins (other topics)
The Bartimaeus Trilogy Boxed Set (other topics)
More...
