Challenge: 50 Books discussion
*Retired* 2008 Lists
>
Charity's 50+ Books 2008 - The End
BOOKS OF 2008
:January
1.The Hunt by Jennifer Sturman
2.Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
3.Persuasion by Jane Austen
4.Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
**********************************************************
February
5.Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
6.The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
BOOKS OF 2008
:January
1.The Hunt by Jennifer Sturman
2.Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
3.Persuasion by Jane Austen
4.Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
February
5.Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
6.The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
**********************************************************
March
7.Ten Days in the Hills by Jane Smiley
8.The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis
9.Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
10.My Ántonia by Willa Cather
11.The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
What did you think of Ten Days in the Hills? It sounds like it would be interesting but it has gotten such bad reviews.
Well, I admit that it is somewhat of a chore to get through. It doesn't really have much of a plot...just a lot of conversation and a few 'situations'. I've found that even Jane Smiley fans couldn't really stand behind it. I can't say that I would personally recommend it to anyone unless they were very interested in lengthy political discussions. I would advise most people to skip it and check out some of her other, far more superior, titles.
Hope this helps!
BOOKS OF 2008
:January
1.The Hunt by Jennifer Sturman
2.Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
3.Persuasion by Jane Austen
4.Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
February
5.Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
6.The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
March
7.Ten Days in the Hills by Jane Smiley
8.The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis
9.Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
10.My Ántonia by Willa Cather
11.The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
**********************************************************
April
12.Atonement by Ian McEwan
What did you think of Atonement? I've heard mixed reviews, but I think I'd still like to pick it up and read it myself...
Hey Paula,I can definitely see why there would be mixed reviews on Atonement. There are a lot of elements that could turn people off...mainly an overall disliking of the characters (er...their actions) and the overly descriptive nature of the text.
That being said, I found it to be very compelling. I personally liked the characters, warts and all. The description did become rather tedious at times, but it sucked me in all the same. Ian McEwan definitely made some bold choices in the story that I commend him on. The longer I think about the book, the more I like it.
I watched the movie adaptation right after finishing the book and I wasn't blown away. There were some changes made that I thought were unnecessary and I was disappointed with how they wrapped up the ending. It was good overall...it just didn't measure up to the book (which is to be expected). However, the movie score was absolutely haunting!! I definitely understand why it won the Oscar for best score. Chilling!
Hi Charity...Your comments about "Atonement" make me think that I might just have to pick that book up again and give it another try. I only got like 5 chapters in and I was OVERWHELMED with how "trite" (and I don't know if that is a good word really for it) the characters seemed. But, I just MAY give it another shot. Thanks for being honest about how you felt about it. I think you actually changed my mind about a book I thought I would never pick up again!
Same here; I think I'll pick it up tomorrow while I'm running errands. I have a feeling it will be like reading Gatsby again: In Gatsby, the characters drove me crazy at times but the language and description were beautiful and made me keep reading. Plus, I want to see the movie (someone I work with hated it, but I don't really like her so I'm sure I'll disagree at least a little bit) but I'm a stickler for reading the book first.
I want to read "Gatsby" too. Its on my list. At least I know I will have someone to commiserate with when I do read it! :)
Well, if a book isn't really speaking to me, I generally like to follow the '50 Pages or 3 Chapters (whichever is longer) Rule'...if it hasn't grabbed me by then, it will probably be a chore to get through.However, with Atonement, I recommend at least reading Book One, which is half of the book, because if you aren't hooked at the end of that, you probably won't be.
Interesting that you both brought up Gatsby because I had been thinking about rereading it for sometime now. I picked it up when I was maybe a junior or senior in high school because (gasp!) they never assigned it to me in school and I wanted to see what all the hoop-la was about. I wonder what my perception will be now that I'm older. It is definitely something I'd like to revisit.
Finally, I'm not the only person who didn't have to read Gatsby in high school! I only read it in grad. school for... I think it was a "Jazz Age" class. Best book I read in that class but, then again, I was stuck reading Hemingway, too (he's not my favorite). I think I want to read Tender is the Night before I reread Gatsby, though. Then again, my pile of half-finished books is overwhelming me, so we'll see...
Well, I feel that I missed out on a lot of the normal high school reads because I was in AP English.To really shock you, I was never required to read:
The Great Gatsby (obviously)
The Catcher in the Rye
To Kill a Mockingbird
Animal Farm
Lord of the Flies
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
and many, many more typical high school reads that I see popping up on lists everywhere. I read all of these on my own, most when I hit my twenties.
I never read Gatsby in high school either but I did read it for a film and lit class in college. The only books on your list that I read in high school are Animal Farm and To Kill a Mockingbird (which I also had to read in junior high when I was private school.) In honors English we didn't have to read A Separate Peace either, but the regular class did. Weird how schools vary on that stuff.
I hope that you have (or WILL) read "To Kill a Mockingbird". It is a great book and one I think everyone at some point in their life should read!Out of your list, I didn't have to read three of them *Catcher, Animal Farm and The Adventures of Huck Finn, though I read the last one on my own and enjoyed it.
OK...just re-read what you wrote up there. SILLY. I need to REALLY read before commenting. What did you think of these books when you read them later??
Same here; I never was required to read any of those either because of AP English! The only one I read on my own was Lord of the Flies, which I disliked, so after that I stayed away from most of the books high school kids are supposed to read.
They have all become some of my favorite books. I wonder if it is because I wasn't forced to read them...I was able to discover them on my own. Most of them I want to reread now that I'm older.Paula, have you not read To Kill a Mockingbird? I insist that you read it! I will loan you a copy if I have to. Please, please read it asap!! :-)
Agrees with Charity!!! READ READ READ!!! Then both of you go and read "Mockingbird" the biography on Harper Lee. AWESOME read and really delves into her life and WHY she never wrote another book (touches on her weird friendship with Truman Capote as well. HE was a piece of work that is for sure!)
Ooooo. Thanks, Dawn! I will definitely add that to my to-read list. :-)
Going to find my copy of Mockingbird... I loaned it to my brother (of course he never finished it) so now I have to figure out where he put it. Sigh...
BOOKS OF 2008
:January
1.The Hunt by Jennifer Sturman
2.Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
3.Persuasion by Jane Austen
4.Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
February
5.Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
6.The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
March
7.Ten Days in the Hills by Jane Smiley
8.The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis
9.Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
10.My Ántonia by Willa Cather
11.The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
April
12.Atonement by Ian McEwan
13.No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy (Click Here for My Review)
For lack of a better word, No Country for Old Men is gruesome. Awesomely gruesome. Too me, this is like the ultimate guy's-guy book. Totally beer and nachos. Fast-paced, reckless, gory. However, I am NOT a guy, so at times it was a little much for me. Still good though. I'll try to watch the movie in the next day or two. I'm sure it will be quite excellent. There are a lot of times that the book seems to read like a movie.
I did watch Atonement and it was okay. I wasn't crazy about the ending (different from the book). Plus, why is that Briony had to have the exact same hairstyle throughout her entire life? Did they not think we would figure out that it was still the same character unless she had the same hairstyle? I must say that I LOVED the music. Extremely haunting/chilling/exciting...all that good stuff! I can totally see why it won the Oscar for Best Score.
Just started A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
I was in mostly advanced/upper level english classes from junior high through high school. I didn't read any of those books either (except for To Kill A Mockinbird) and also felt I was left out. I also never read The Jungle or The Outsiders which many of my college friends had to read. The up side is that I did get to read many great books I'm sure I would never have picked up. Some that come to mind:
Things Fall Apart
Age of Innocence
Metamorphosis
A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
I LOVED The Outsiders. Wonderful book. And the movie wasn't half bad either. I loved the movie version of Age of Innocence. I wonder if I would love the book?? Maybe I will add it to my list.
I'm a huge Cormac McCarthy fan, and I know, his stuff is gruesome, but I think that's what I like about it. I can see how one would think it's super guy-oriented, and usually I am so turned off by guy-oriented fiction, but for some reason, his work just grabs me. I think his writing is like prose, and my partner and I have had many conversations about what his message is; what is he trying to tell us? Does he hate humankind? Does he think we're all doomed? Or is he just willing to point out the nasty stuff that does indeed happen out there? It's like whatever bad thing COULD happen to his characters, does. I mean, in more than one book, he references dead babies, either hanging from trees or on a BBQ spit. It's some bizarro shit, and I love it. But I can see how other people just think it's bizarro and want no part in it!
I'm definitely intrigued enough to read more by McCarthy. I'd like to read The Road and maybe his Border Trilogy. He has definitely managed to modernize the westerns genre. I really love his characters. :-)
BOOKS OF 2008:
January
1.The Hunt by Jennifer Sturman
2.Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
3.Persuasion by Jane Austen
4.Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
February
5.Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
6.The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
March
7.Ten Days in the Hills by Jane Smiley
8.The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis
9.Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
10.My Ántonia by Willa Cather
11.The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
April
12.Atonement by Ian McEwan
13.No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
14.A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini Click Here for My Review
A Thousand Splendid Suns was every bit as good as The Kite Runner, in my opinion. I think Khaled Hosseini is an amazing storyteller and has become a 'must read' author for me. The friendship between Mariam and Laila absolutely blew me away. There is a whole new level of evil in the villainous Rasheed and I spent much of my reading hoping for his demise. I would highly recommend those who loved The Kite Runner to give A Thousand Splendid Suns a go. You might be surprised that Hosseini can do it again...that his stories and characters can haunt you once more.
Currently reading Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer...and I've been forcing myself to put the book down briefly because I will otherwise gobble it up in one sitting.
BOOKS OF 2008
:January
1.The Hunt by Jennifer Sturman
2.Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
3.Persuasion by Jane Austen
4.Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
February
5.Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
6.The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
March
7.Ten Days in the Hills by Jane Smiley
8.The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis
9.Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
10.My Ántonia by Willa Cather
11.The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
April
12.Atonement by Ian McEwan
13.No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
14.A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
15.Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer Click Here for My Review
Into the Wild = Amaaaaaaazing!!! I have not been so deeply affected by a book in such a long time. I am absolutely haunted by this story. I started reading it late at night and kept hearing that eerie voice from 'Forensic Files' in my head as the narrator. After getting sufficiently spooked, I went to bed, but woke up with such an urgency to pick the book right back up and start reading immediately.
I hope to get to watch the movie tonight. I am getting so excited just thinking about it that I have goosebumps and butterflies.
I began reading Krakauer's Into Thin Air this afternoon...
Into the Wild
**Incredible movie. Incredible book. Incredible story. Incredible!**
BOOKS OF 2008
:January
1.The Hunt by Jennifer Sturman
2.Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
3.Persuasion by Jane Austen
4.Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
February
5.Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
6.The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
March
7.Ten Days in the Hills by Jane Smiley
8.The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis
9.Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
10.My Ántonia by Willa Cather
11.The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
April
12.Atonement by Ian McEwan
13.No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
14.A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
15.Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
16.Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer Click Here for My Review
Jon Krakauer is an amazing writer and I just can't seem to get enough. Into Thin Air is his personal account of the Mt. Everest disaster of 1996. I can't imagine what it would be like to survive a catastrophe of that magnitude and all the guilt and anguish that would follow. The entire book was phenomenal.
About to begin: The Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson....apparently I'm in 'non-fiction mode'.
I've become a huge Krakauer fan. I just can't put his books down.If you want a movie accompaniment to Into Thin Air, check out the IMAX movie Everest. Parts of it were filmed during that time Krakauer was there. It's amazing scenery and an awesome depiction of climbing the mountain, yet chilling when you know the backstory.
Thanks Stephanie! I have it in my queue on blockbuster. :-) Can't wait.Krakauer is really a great writer. I'm really looking forward to reading Under the Banner of Heaven and Eiger Dreams.
BOOKS OF 2008:
January
1.The Hunt by Jennifer Sturman
2.Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
3.Persuasion by Jane Austen
4.Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
February
5.Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
6.The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
March
7.Ten Days in the Hills by Jane Smiley
8.The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis
9.Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
10.My Ántonia by Willa Cather
11.The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
April
12.Atonement by Ian McEwan
13.No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
14.A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
15.Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
16.Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
17.The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way by Bill Bryson Click Here for My Review
Well, things have been slow-going lately because we just closed on our new house and all the painting, packing, and moving has begun. *sigh* What a drag!
Anyway, I just finished The Mother Tongue and found it to be extremely interesting. Bryson is rather witty and I can't even begin to imagine the meticulous research that had to go into the writing of this book (you should see the bibliography!!). While it is a little dated in terms of statistics and new slang, it does offer a rather interesting look back through the history of the English language. If you love words, the English language, or even just quirky trivia, you will definitely enjoy this book.
Entertainment and educational value was definitely 4 stars, but dated material brought it down to 3. :-(
Just started: The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta
BOOKS OF 2008:
January
1.The Hunt by Jennifer Sturman
2.Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
3.Persuasion by Jane Austen
4.Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
February
5.Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
6.The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
March
7.Ten Days in the Hills by Jane Smiley
8.The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis
9.Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
10.My Ántonia by Willa Cather
11.The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
April
12.Atonement by Ian McEwan
13.No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
14.A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
15.Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
16.Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
17.The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way by Bill Bryson
May
18.The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta Click Here for My Review
I really enjoyed The Abstinence Teacher. No, it wasn't 'shocking'...at least not for those of us who are even semi-aware of what is going on in America with the rise of evangelical Christianity...but, I still managed to get managed to get pissed off by the agenda-pushing fundamenalists portrayed in the book just the same.
About to start: Ballad of the Whiskey Robber by Julian Rubinstein
Also reading: The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
And: Submarine by Joe Dunthorne
I did really like My Antonia! Antonia herself was a great character and, like I wrote in my review, the other girls were also really well-developed.Glad I read your heads-up about No Country for Old Men; that's staying on the waiting list. Let me know what you think about Gergory's books. I'm wary of investing in an entire series after the Wicked fiasco (bad choices on my part; Wicked was way, way slow a read and now I have the rest of the fariy series sitting on my shelf), so I'm holding out until I find out what other people have to say.
BOOKS OF 2008
January
1.The Hunt by Jennifer Sturman
2.Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
3.Persuasion by Jane Austen
4.Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
February
5.Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
6.The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
March
7.Ten Days in the Hills by Jane Smiley
8.The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis
9.Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
10.My Ántonia by Willa Cather
11.The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
April
12.Atonement by Ian McEwan
13.No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
14.A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
15.Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
16.Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
17.The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way by Bill Bryson
May
18.The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta
19.Submarine by Joe Dunthorne Click Here for My Review
Eh. Can't say that I enjoyed Submarine at all. Definitely DO NOT judge a book by its cover because this is one case where the cover was as good as it got.
Slow month due to moving.
Next up: The Other Boleyn Girl
BOOKS OF 2008
January
1.The Hunt by Jennifer Sturman
2.Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
3.Persuasion by Jane Austen
4.Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
February
5.Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
6.The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
March
7.Ten Days in the Hills by Jane Smiley
8.The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis
9.Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
10.My Ántonia by Willa Cather
11.The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
April
12.Atonement by Ian McEwan
13.No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
14.A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
15.Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
16.Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
17.The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way by Bill Bryson
May
18.The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta
19.Submarine by Joe Dunthorne
June
20.The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory Click Here for My Review
Did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. While I cannot say that I will be rushing out to get other books by Gregory, I admit that this book was like candy for a Tudor fan, such as myself.
Picked up: Naptime is the New Happy Hour...also reading, Ballad of the Whiskey Robber
BOOKS OF 2008
January
1.The Hunt by Jennifer Sturman
2.Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
3.Persuasion by Jane Austen
4.Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
February
5.Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
6.The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
March
7.Ten Days in the Hills by Jane Smiley
8.The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis
9.Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
10.My Ántonia by Willa Cather
11.The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
April
12.Atonement by Ian McEwan
13.No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
14.A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
15.Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
16.Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
17.The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way by Bill Bryson
May
18.The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta
19.Submarine by Joe Dunthorne
June
20.The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
21.Naptime is the New Happy Hour by Stefanie Wilder-Taylor Click Here for My Review
Not as great has her first book, Sippy Cups Are Not for Chardonnay, but still a rather funny take on the ins and outs of parenting. Definitely enjoyable for parents of toddlers.
Still reading: Ballad of the Whiskey Robber
BOOKS OF 2008
January
1.The Hunt by Jennifer Sturman
2.Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
3.Persuasion by Jane Austen
4.Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
February
5.Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
6.The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
March
7.Ten Days in the Hills by Jane Smiley
8.The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis
9.Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
10.My Ántonia by Willa Cather
11.The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
April
12.Atonement by Ian McEwan
13.No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
14.A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
15.Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
16.Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
17.The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way by Bill Bryson
May
18.The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta
19.Submarine by Joe Dunthorne
June
20.The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
21.Naptime is the New Happy Hour by Stefanie Wilder-Taylor
22.Ballad of the Whiskey Robber by Julian Rubinstein Click Here for My Review
Very fast-paced read. Enjoyed the cat & mouse aspect of the story. I love a book with an unlikely protagonist!!
Just started: The Namesake
BOOKS OF 2008
January
1.The Hunt by Jennifer Sturman
2.Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
3.Persuasion by Jane Austen
4.Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
February
5.Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
6.The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
March
7.Ten Days in the Hills by Jane Smiley
8.The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis
9.Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
10.My Ántonia by Willa Cather
11.The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
April
12.Atonement by Ian McEwan
13.No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
14.A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
15.Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
16.Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
17.The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way by Bill Bryson
May
18.The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta
19.Submarine by Joe Dunthorne
June
20.The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
21.Naptime is the New Happy Hour by Stefanie Wilder-Taylor
22.Ballad of the Whiskey Robber by Julian Rubinstein
23.The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
Wow. What a fabulous and powerful story! Definitely one of the best books I've read this year. I am very excited to read more by Lahiri. Such a fabulous voice.
Next: Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer
Hi Charity!Good to see you back here! I had to go back and re-read what had been written because its been awhile.
I too love Krakauer. I have not read Under the Banner of Heaven, but its on my list. And I think the husband is FINALLY getting me My Antonia today while he is out. YAY!!
I totally loved The Namesake. Just LOVED that book. I read her new book (Unaccustomed Earth) as well that is filled with short stories. It was SO good as well, though I wanted the stories to be longer (I have a review on it if you want to read it). I have The Other Boleyn Girl on my list. I may just pick that up one of these days.
Hope things are going well with the new house!!
BOOKS OF 2008
January
1.The Hunt by Jennifer Sturman
2.Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
3.Persuasion by Jane Austen
4.Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
February
5.Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
6.The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
March
7.Ten Days in the Hills by Jane Smiley
8.The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis
9.Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
10.My Ántonia by Willa Cather
11.The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
April
12.Atonement by Ian McEwan
13.No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
14.A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
15.Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
16.Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
17.The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way by Bill Bryson
May
18.The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta
19.Submarine by Joe Dunthorne
June
20.The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
21.Naptime is the New Happy Hour by Stefanie Wilder-Taylor
22.Ballad of the Whiskey Robber by Julian Rubinstein
23.The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
24.Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer Click Here for My Review
A rather in depth look at the history of Mormonism and Fundamentalist Mormonism, complete with violence and criminal activity. Since I was familiar with much of the subject matter (due to heavily researched papers I had written for a class), I didn't find it as shocking as Krakauer had probably intended. However, I think that many readers would find the material compelling if they have little knowledge of the Mormons' violent past.
Next up: Some 'fluff' to lighten the load...I have chick lit sitting on my shelf that will be great while I'm soaking up the summer sun.
BOOKS OF 2008
January
1.The Hunt by Jennifer Sturman
2.Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
3.Persuasion by Jane Austen
4.Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
February
5.Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
6.The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
March
7.Ten Days in the Hills by Jane Smiley
8.The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis
9.Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
10.My Ántonia by Willa Cather
11.The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
April
12.Atonement by Ian McEwan
13.No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
14.A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
15.Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
16.Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
17.The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way by Bill Bryson
May
18.The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta
19.Submarine by Joe Dunthorne
June
20.The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
21.Naptime is the New Happy Hour by Stefanie Wilder-Taylor
22.Ballad of the Whiskey Robber by Julian Rubinstein
23.The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
24.Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer
25.32AA by Michelle Cunnah Click Here for My Review
Excellent chick lit. Read this little gem in a day. I suppose it qualifies as Brit Chick Lit despite being set in America since it is written by native Brit (who currently lives in NYC) and features a half-Brit, half-American heroine. Not sure though. Good stuff for lazy summer days.
Starting: Call Waiting...also by Cunnah
BOOKS OF 2008
January
1.The Hunt by Jennifer Sturman
2.Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
3.Persuasion by Jane Austen
4.Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
February
5.Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
6.The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
March
7.Ten Days in the Hills by Jane Smiley
8.The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis
9.Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
10.My Ántonia by Willa Cather
11.The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
April
12.Atonement by Ian McEwan
13.No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
14.A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
15.Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
16.Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
17.The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way by Bill Bryson
May
18.The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta
19.Submarine by Joe Dunthorne
June
20.The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
21.Naptime is the New Happy Hour by Stefanie Wilder-Taylor
22.Ballad of the Whiskey Robber by Julian Rubinstein
23.The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
24.Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer
25.32AA by Michelle Cunnah
July
26.Call Waiting by Michelle Cunnah Click Here for My Review
Another great chick lit read. Cunnah's follow-up to 32AA features the same delightful main characters and new people to despise. Love it. Off to read her next book...
Currently reading: Confessions of a Serial Dater by Cunnah
Hey Dawn! Thanks and it is good to be back online, back in the company of fellow bibliophiles, such as yourself. :-)I'm still amazed by how much I enjoyed The Namesake. Lahiri is truly a gifted author and I'm very excited to read her other books. Glad to know I'm not the only one. The movie was also incredible. Excellent casting!!
Under the Banner of Heaven was good, but since I already knew a lot about the subject matter due to research papers, it just wasn't all that shocking to me. However, I think a lot of people would be able to devour this book in one or two sittings. Krakauer has a way with story-telling that sucks you in completely.
I think that you will enjoy The Other Boleyn Girl...especially if you have a penchant for the Tudor dynasty and/or historical fiction. Have to say that after reading the book, I wasn't overly impressed with the movie. Of course, that seems to rule rather than the exception these days.
Can't wait to hear what you think about My Ántonia. I know you've been wanting to read this for some time now.
Moving has been a chore, but now that things are more or less put away to our satisfaction, I can relax some and get back to chatting it up on this site.
Thanks for the warm welcome back. Can't wait to catch up on everything you've been reading. :-)
Charity dear, you might want to think twice about "Blue Velvet". It is WEIRD!! I thought it was good, but it was one whacked out ride that is for sure that is VERY typical of David Lynch.
Yeah, I was kind of worried about that. I can't say that I was ever even remotely a fan of Twin Peaks...I just didn't 'get it'. Then, I tried watching Mulholland Drive and again, I didn't understand it at all. Someone said that it was originally supposed to be the beginning of a series before they decided to make it a movie, but that still didn't resolve anything for me.David Lynch is an odd, odd fellow. Apparently, Dune is also supposed to be good, but I'm always apprehensive about David Lynch projects.
Blue Velvet is really one of the best movies I've ever seen. But I also loved Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive, so...maybe you're just not a Lynch person.
You're probably right. I think I might still give Blue Velvet a shot because of the actors involved, but I certainly have mixed feelings going in. I'm hoping that I'll be pleasantly surprised.
BOOKS OF 2008
January
1.The Hunt by Jennifer Sturman
2.Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
3.Persuasion by Jane Austen
4.Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
February
5.Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
6.The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
March
7.Ten Days in the Hills by Jane Smiley
8.The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis
9.Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
10.My Ántonia by Willa Cather
11.The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
April
12.Atonement by Ian McEwan
13.No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
14.A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
15.Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
16.Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
17.The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way by Bill Bryson
May
18.The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta
19.Submarine by Joe Dunthorne
June
20.The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
21.Naptime is the New Happy Hour by Stefanie Wilder-Taylor
22.Ballad of the Whiskey Robber by Julian Rubinstein
23.The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
24.Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer
25.32AA by Michelle Cunnah
July
26.Call Waiting by Michelle Cunnah
27.Confessions of a Serial Dater by Michelle Cunnah Click Here for My Review
After coming off two great reads by Michelle Cunnah, I was very much disappointed by this selection. I found the entire plot cheesy and the characters to be pretty annoying. Oh well. You win some, you lose some.
About to begin: The Beach House by Jane Green
BOOKS OF 2008
January
1.The Hunt by Jennifer Sturman
2.Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
3.Persuasion by Jane Austen
4.Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
February
5.Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
6.The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
March
7.Ten Days in the Hills by Jane Smiley
8.The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis
9.Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
10.My Ántonia by Willa Cather
11.The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
April
12.Atonement by Ian McEwan
13.No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
14.A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
15.Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
16.Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
17.The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way by Bill Bryson
May
18.The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta
19.Submarine by Joe Dunthorne
June
20.The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
21.Naptime is the New Happy Hour by Stefanie Wilder-Taylor
22.Ballad of the Whiskey Robber by Julian Rubinstein
23.The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
24.Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer
25.32AA by Michelle Cunnah
July
26.Call Waiting by Michelle Cunnah
27.Confessions of a Serial Dater by Michelle Cunnah
28.The Beach House by Jane Green Click Here for My Review
A lightning fast read...could have read this one in a day if I had the chance. A great beach book filled with interesting characters who create little twists and turns throughout the book.
Just started: Heidi by Johanna Spyri
Challenge: 50 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Tender Is the Night (other topics)Beloved (other topics)
Beloved (other topics)
Beloved (other topics)
Beloved (other topics)
More...
January
1.The Hunt by Jennifer Sturman
2.Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
3.Persuasion by Jane Austen
4.Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Currently working on Mansfield Park by Jane Austen.
More to come...