Challenge: 50 Books discussion
*Retired* 2008 Lists
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Jennie's 50 for 2008
date
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The RoadIf Grace is True
The Faith Club
The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters
The RoadIf Grace is True
The Faith Club
The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters
Persepolis
Was Philip Gulley the author of the If Grace is True book? How did you like it?
Could you tell us more about The Road? Did you like it?
Yes, Philip Gulley and Jim Mulholland are the authors of If Grace is True. It was amazing. I have met Gulley and I've read some of his less serious stuff, but this stuff still blew my mind. I have completely changed my ideas of Heaven and what happens to us after death.
I kind of liked the Road. I read it for my bookclub, but I don't like post-appocolyptic stuff. I did like the two main characters, and I thought that McCarthy did a good job of developing the plot with them, but the book made me cold. I wish I had read it in summer rather than January. I was glad I had read it, but I was glad when it was over.
Hi Jennie,How did you like Persepolis? I just recently heard about it and want to read it.
The Road was easily one of the best books I've read in the last couple of years. Then again, I like McCarthy quite a bit.
About Persepolis. I loved it. I read it in about two hours. I'm not much of a graphic novel fan, but Satrapi had me from the first frame. I"m teaching a class next fall about memoir, and this is soooo going on the reading list.
I heard that The Road is one of McCarthy's best. I didn't hate it, but he isn't my favorite. I kind of dug his unusual dialog syntax; maybe I'll try one of his novels that doesn't entail the end of the world.
The RoadIf Grace is True
The Faith Club
The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters
Persepolis
Gracie: a love story
Gracie was a fluffy book, but it was so sweet. George Burns wrote it, and he was simply devoted to her. She was one of my favorite comediennes, and I have so enjoyed hearing her story. She was the hardest working woman in show business for years.
I loved Persepolis and the sequel. I was never into graphic novels either but then I read Maus and MausII and both Persepolis books and loved them.
The RoadIf Grace is True
The Faith Club
The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters
Persepolis
Gracie: a love story
Enduring Love
How was The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters? I have this on my TBR list and wa wondering if it was worth reading.
The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt sisters was OK. Pretty entertaining, but not really my thing. My husband got it for me because our last name is Hunt and we have three girls who are undoubtedly bound for some pretty outstanding adventures themselves.The main character is not the kind of person I would like, but I think she grew on me during the story, and the plot moves pretty well, for the most part.
The RoadIf Grace is True
The Faith Club
The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters
Persepolis
Gracie: a love story
Enduring Love
Around the World in 80 Days
I loved Loved LOVED Around the World... What a great adventure! The movies don't come close to doing this story justice. I am looking for an unabridged, illustrated, reasonably priced edition for our family library. The kids are going to love this story in a few years.
I literally finished two books this evening. One was an online book I was listening to at work, and the other was a hardcopy that is going to back to the library. Ok, here goes:The Road
If Grace is True
The Faith Club
The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters
Persepolis
Gracie: a love story
Enduring Love
Around the World in 80 Days
Ethan Frome
To the Lighthouse
Ok, Ethan Frome wasn't what I expected at all. I enjoyed it a lot more than I was afraid I would. I was a little disappointed with To the Lighthouse, but I"m still a big Woolf fan.
I read your comments about Around the World in 80 Days and it actually inspired me to look around for copies of that classic for you. I am a huge fan of collecting illustrated classics (unabridged, if possible) for my family's library, too. I found a few copies that might interest you (available at Amazon):
Copy #1
Copy #2
Copy #3
and I poked around a little on eBay and found several beautiful copies which (some) were very reasonably priced:
Collectible Copies
including a gorgeous edition by Doubleday:
Doubleday Collectible
Of course, I would recommend looking up any copy you are considering on Half.com to see if you can get the best price possible...especially if you don't care if it is gently used.
Also, in case you are interested in other titles...Everyman's Library has a fabulous collection of illustrated children's classics that would be great for your home library. Not all of their available children's classic titles are listed in this set, so you can browse around and see if there are others that would interest you (for instance, Robert Louis Stevenson's A Child's Garden of Verses and Treasure Island are included in the set, but the illustrated version of Kidnapped is not).
Everyman's Library Children's Classics
P. S. If you decide you would like to buy the set, it is cheaper through Amazon.
Children's Classics Set at Amazon
Thanks, Charity!I'll look into this over the weekend. I think that (sooner or later) my kids will love it!
The RoadIf Grace is True
The Faith Club
The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters
Persepolis
Gracie: a love story
Enduring Love
Around the World in 80 Days
Ethan Frome
To the Lighthouse
Babbitt
I'm working on The Historian, so it's going to be a while.
I have finally finished that book, and I never have to read it again. Ever.The Road
If Grace is True
The Faith Club
The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters
Persepolis
Gracie: a love story
Enduring Love
Around the World in 80 Days
Ethan Frome
To the Lighthouse
Babbitt
The Historian
I don't usually waste time reading books I don't enjoy, but there was just enough hook in me to keep reading it. I'm done, I know the ending, and I can move on with my life.
The RoadIf Grace is True
The Faith Club
The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters
Persepolis
Gracie: a love story
Enduring Love
Around the World in 80 Days
Ethan Frome
To the Lighthouse
Babbitt
The Historian
The Accidental Tourist
I started this book back in about 1987, and I put it down for a while (a pretty long while). I finally finished with the help of an audio version that I listened to while I was processing some books at work. After this and Searching for Caleb, I'm beginning to wonder if I really like Anne Tyler as much as I thought I did. I like the Baltimore settings, and I like some of the family dynamics, but the closed off, quirky family members being matched up with the messy people who drive them crazy wears a little thin after a while.
I finally realized I didn't like Tyler much either--after reading many of her books. Everyone was always just so darn unhappy.
1. The Road2. If Grace is True
3. The Faith Club
4. The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters
5. Persepolis
6. Gracie: a love story
7. Enduring Love
8. Around the World in 80 Days
9. Ethan Frome
10 To the Lighthouse
11 Babbitt
12 The Historian
13 The Accidental Tourist
14 Long Way Gone
Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah is our freshman read on campus this year. It was so articulate, so sincerely expressive, so "in touch", but so excruciatingly sad. I have chosen to teach two First Year Seminar sections on memoir with an emphasis on Africa and the middle east, so I have a feeling that I'm in for some rough stories ahead. I'm finishing up the second volume of Persepolis, which is sad but she has such a sense of humor! Next is a memoir of Rwanda, then Algeria, then Zimbabwe. I'm going to have to pepper these stories with Sedaris or someone who can keep me from sticking my head in the oven.
1. The Road2. If Grace is True
3. The Faith Club
4. The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters
5. Persepolis
6. Gracie: a love story
7. Enduring Love
8. Around the World in 80 Days
9. Ethan Frome
10 To the Lighthouse
11 Babbitt
12 The Historian
13 The Accidental Tourist
14 Long Way Gone
15 The Complete Persepolis (so now I get to see how the story ends)
1. The Road2. If Grace is True
3. The Faith Club
4. The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters
5. Persepolis
6. Gracie: a love story
7. Enduring Love
8. Around the World in 80 Days
9. Ethan Frome
10 To the Lighthouse
11 Babbitt
12 The Historian
13 The Accidental Tourist
14 Long Way Gone
15 The Complete Persepolis (so now I get to see how the story ends)
16 Price Caspian (re-read with my big girl)
17 The Virgin Suicides
1. The Road2. If Grace is True
3. The Faith Club
4. The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters
5. Persepolis
6. Gracie: a love story
7. Enduring Love
8. Around the World in 80 Days
9. Ethan Frome
10 To the Lighthouse
11 Babbitt
12 The Historian
13 The Accidental Tourist
14 Long Way Gone
15 The Complete Persepolis (so now I get to see how the story ends)
16 Price Caspian (re-read with my big girl)
17 The Virgin Suicides
18 Rwanda means the universe
19 I was told there'd be cake (nice, light balance to genocide research)
11 Babbitt12 The Historian
13 The Accidental Tourist
14 Long Way Gone
15 The Complete Persepolis (so now I get to see how the story ends)
16 Price Caspian (re-read with my big girl)
17 The Virgin Suicides
18 Rwanda means the universe
19 I was told there'd be cake
20 Marley and Me
I figured I'd give myself a break from killing and snark and read about a sweet dog. I so enjoyed this silly little book. I'm saving it for my kids.
16 Price Caspian (re-read with my big girl)17 The Virgin Suicides
18 Rwanda means the universe
19 I was told there'd be cake
20 Marley and Me
21 Princess Academy
What a great kids story -- kind of fantasy like, but also really strong girls, even if they are competing to be a princess...
17 The Virgin Suicides18 Rwanda means the universe
19 I was told there'd be cake
20 Marley and Me
21 Princess Academy
22 Fun Home
Alison Bechdel's work is a little more personal than Spiegleman or Satrapi, because her focal point of the book was a family issue (and her own sexuality) rather than a larger historical event. I have assigned parts of it to my freshmen (along with the other two "autographers"), and I'm looking forward to what they have to say about her.
18 Rwanda means the universe19 I was told there'd be cake
20 Marley and Me
21 Princess Academy
22 Fun Home
23 The Eyre Affair
19 I was told there'd be cake20 Marley and Me
21 Princess Academy
22 Fun Home
23 The Eyre Affair
24)Where Have all the Flowers Gone? (Dear America)
25) Ramona and Her Father
OK, I know, two kids books, but I read them with Molly, and we had a good time discussing them. I promise -- grown up books next time.
22 Fun Home23 The Eyre Affair
24)Where Have all the Flowers Gone? (Dear America)
25) Ramona and Her Father
26) One Sunset a Week (better than I expected)
23 The Eyre Affair 24)Where Have all the Flowers Gone? (Dear America)
25) Ramona and Her Father
26) One Sunset a Week (better than I expected)
27) A Virtuous Woman
24)Where Have all the Flowers Gone? (Dear America)25) Ramona and Her Father
26) One Sunset a Week (better than I expected)
27) A Virtuous Woman
28) The Other Boleyn Girl -- a little trashy but interesting and well written.
26) One Sunset a Week (better than I expected)27) A Virtuous Woman
28) The Other Boleyn Girl
29) Candy Girl (a little high on the eeww factor)
30)Catherine (Royal Diaries) Recommended by my seven year old -- she has good taste
27) A Virtuous Woman28) The Other Boleyn Girl
29) Candy Girl (a little high on the eeww factor)
30)Catherine (Royal Diaries) Recommended by my seven year old -- she has good taste
31)Honky by Dalton Connolly. Really well written memoir about growing up in lower east side housing projects. I might vote for it for my college's freshman read next year. lots of entertaining meat about class, race, and social policy.
29) Candy Girl 30)Catherine (Royal Diaries)
31)Honky by Dalton Connolly.
32)Rumors of Our Success Have Been Greatly Exaggerated by Carolyn Maloney
33)The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao -- as my two year old says, "that was so cool and awesome -- let's do it again!"
31)Honky by Dalton Connolly. 32)Rumors of Our Success Have Been Greatly Exaggerated by Carolyn Maloney
33)The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
34)Anne of Green Gables -- so much fun to read with my big girl
35)I am Charlotte Simmons -- Next time I pick up a Tom Wolfe novel, someone hit me with it, ok?
The Road
If Grace is True
The Faith Club
Since we're in our third week of 2008, looks like I'm on schedule. Maybe I'll get a little ahead and then try a big, thick, juicy book. This isn't the time, though.