Literary Exploration discussion
Literary Exploration Challenge
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The Insane Challenge - 2013
just a thought..for Young Adult..the author of the current monthly read,Carlos Ruis Zafon, has also written some YA books. I've read The Midnight Palace and The Prince of Mist. The Midnight Palace was my favourite..
Book number 1 for me done - Me Talk Pretty One Day. Review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I have chosen to do insane level and I will list them here as I read them. If somebody will just correct me if I have put a book in a wrong genre or if a book fits better in another genre as I am not quite use to genres.Update 1/12/2013: I have now compiled a list for all the genres. With a lot of help from my husband for the genres I never read.
The link to the books is just the first option given when adding a book, most of my books will be Kindle edition
finished 36/36
@ Mish and Flash Beagle - Thank you so much for your book suggestions on some of the genres I was less familiar with! I added them to my TBR.
I have finished only one book so far and posted my review of the #10th Martin Beck novel(Mystery).
I've finished 3, drama, graphic novel, and philosophy
Jill wrote: "@ Mish and Flash Beagle - Thank you so much for your book suggestions on some of the genres I was less familiar with! I added them to my TBR."You're very welcome!
I've managed 3 so far..lit fiction, classics and graphic novel (which was a genre I didn't relish the idea of)
Well, I think I've decided to go with the Insane challenge and I've got all my books picked out. Just picked up my graphic novel from the library since I don't own any. Can't wait to dive into some new genres. :)
Jill wrote: "@ Mish and Flash Beagle - Thank you so much for your book suggestions on some of the genres I was less familiar with! I added them to my TBR."You're welcome Jill
All Right I am in and looking forward to beginning this Challenge, let the reading begin (though I have already finished one of the categories)Erotica:
Can someone tell me if The Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll through the Hidden Connections of the English Language would count for the Educational genre?
Mod
Thanks. Have been struggling with that choice.
This is my first challenge and I couldn't be more excited about it! Here are my books.
Good reading everyone!
I just finished my 'historical' book (which I hated and couldn't even rate) The Prague Cemetery but I guess the point is to give things a go. I am also deviating from the list I made already..should have known I would as I'm not a plan-ahead type of girl..!
Week One and two books under my belt:
Nonfiction and Graphic Novel
@Amy -- I love your choices! A lot of your books are either on my TBR or ones I've already loved and read. I did The Haunting of Hill House for my horror as well, and I just finished it--SO good.I just finished Beautiful Ruins as my literary fiction pick, and in hindsight, I don't know if it qualifies as such, but I'm counting it!
@Jill - Thanks! Your list looks amazing also! The Haunting of Hill House is one that I am really excited about reading. Glad to hear it is so good. It is funny most of your list is on my TBR and I almost picked half of your list for this challenge (Tinker, Tailor, Tigana, American Gods, Etc....)Did you ever find a Noir novel you were excited about? How about
or
?Progress: I've finished three books so far:
Philosophical - Life of Pi I liked it. It was filled with both simple and complex symbolism and themes. It is thoughtful and I will be giving it a second read.
Historical fiction - The Buddha in the Attic - i didn't care for the writing style of this (first person plural). The book didn't have a progressive story just a collective set of experiences listed. I want a do-over.
Humor - Bossypants Was surprised to see all the modern feminist issues that were addressed through her humor. It was much better than I expected!
I read 4 books of my list, I began with genres I don't like.
,
,
,
. I think I read these books only because in the challenge I must mixed various genres.
Well yes. The point of the challenge is not to only read things you know you'd normally like. It's to read genres you wouldn't pick up. Otherwise it isn't much of a challenge.
I have completed Killer Clown: John Wayne: The John Wayne Gacy Murders/True Crime; A Coney Island of the Mind/Poetry, 11/22/63/Historical Fiction and working my way through Ron Jeremy: The Hardest (Working) Man in Showbiz/Auto/Biography, which is surprisingly interesting.
Amy wrote: "@Jill - Thanks! Your list looks amazing also! The Haunting of Hill House is one that I am really excited about reading. Glad to hear it is so good. It is funny most of your list is on my TBR and I ..."Amy I felt the same way when I read
, better than I expected and nice use of humour to address the issues. :) I have been debating
...maybe I will check it out.
I have just read this as my children's book..excellent and not just for kids..
Amy wrote: "@Jill - Thanks! Your list looks amazing also! The Haunting of Hill House is one that I am really excited about reading. Glad to hear it is so good. It is funny most of your list is on my TBR and I ..."Thanks for the noir suggestions! I had to write an epic paper on Hammett's The Maltese Falcon my freshman year of college and I've always meant to get back to him after I recovered from it, so maybe I'll give his other one a try.
Kim wrote: "Well yes. The point of the challenge is not to only read things you know you'd normally like. It's to read genres you wouldn't pick up. Otherwise it isn't much of a challenge."And I'm grateful to the insane challenge for that and because the literary exploration is a great thing.
Mod
Hard-Boiled - The Sins of the Fathers
Philosophical - The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Post-Apocalyptic - Wool Omnibus
Slowly getting through les miserables. I get to kill two birds with one stone. Actually three. I want to read before the movie. It's book of the month for another group and it fills my classics genre. 10% finished and counting
Finished my Non-Fiction:
This book is emotional, hard to believe and at times enraging, yet so worth the read. I could not put it down. I especially loved how the author captures the hopes and then despair of each person's life in the slum. This book is beautifully written and reads like fiction.
So far only picked out a few books, figured I would change my mind many times over if I nailed down titles this early. Some genres I will have problems with though. Espionage? Chick-lit? Romance? Oh well, I guess it will sort itself out in due time. Also having a hard time telling what is noir and what is hard-boiled...
Book 1 was The 39 Steps by John Buchan, finished and reviewed here http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I've done pretty well with the after-Christmas time off and crazy long flights and delays, finishing:
Classics - Persuasion
Educational - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Gothic - Wuthering Heights
Non Fiction - Angela's Ashes
Post-Apocalyptic - Legend
Steampunk - Soulless
Young Adult - Looking for Alaska
And currently reading:
Adventure - Angelfall
I just finished my second book, this one for Poetry, Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats - http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/.... As it was only a short book I am also going to read another T.S. Eliot book at some point.
I'm going to give the insane challenge a shot! I haven't finished my list yet but I'm starting with Mystery: http://d.gr-assets.com/books/12926896...
Sorry! Haven't quite got the hang of how to post book links. :(
When writing a post just click the "add book/author" link above the comment box and then search for what you want - Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter. Some people prefer the book cover links but I don't like them. You have to either hover the cursor over it or click it to find out what the book is. Neither of those options are very good on tablets or phones.
Ah, I see. Thanks! So trying this again. I'll be starting with Mystery: Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter
Alright, this is my tentative list for the challenge. Auto-Biography/Biography: Just Kids
Chick-lit: The Joy Luck Club
Dystopian: Oryx and Crake
Educational: Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel
Erotica: Delta of Venus
Espionage: Casino Royale
Gothic: Titus Groan
Historical Fiction: Moloka'i
Horror: Dracula
Magical Realism: The Master and Margarita
Noir: The Sword-Edged Blonde
Non-Fiction: Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic
Philosophical: The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Post-Apocalyptic: Swan Song
Romance: Outlander
Sci-Fi: The Reality Dysfunction
Steampunk: Infernal Devices
Supernatural: Ghosts by Gaslight:: Stories of Steampunk and Supernatural Suspense
Thriller: In the Woods
True Crime: The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America
Victorian: A Great and Terrible Beauty
I think this will keep me busy this year!
For the poetry category I readThe Essential Neruda: Selected Poems I'm afraid it hasn't changed my overall feeling on the subject. Or maybe it's just not the same reading things in translation, however skilled..
Children's Each Little Bird That Sings
Espionage Casino Royale
Chick Lit The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing
If someone is looking for Chick Lit, this book was a collection of short stories, focused primarily around Jane Rosenal, rather than a traditional novel. Many of the short stories are good and well-written, and some were not "shallow", "pointless", etc. or whatever the criticisms of Chick Lit are in general.
Have just finished 'Angela's Ashes'(autobiography and 2nd book). I shall start Neil Gaimon's 'Neverwhere'.
Can I ask for a general consensus - do people think Platform would count as an Erotica choice? Would really like to avoid Fifty Shades and all its copycats if possible!
Literary Exploration
Books mentioned in this topic
Atlas Shrugged (other topics)Empire Falls (other topics)
A Game of Thrones (other topics)
Neuromancer (other topics)
Their Eyes Were Watching God (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Charlotte Brontë (other topics)Laini Taylor (other topics)
Oscar Wilde (other topics)
Charles de Lint (other topics)
Mark Twain (other topics)
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