Which LIST book did you just finish? Showing 551-600 of 10,317

[Stephanie "Jedigal"]

What Maisie Knew. With four of his List titles down, and two to go, its clear to me that I'm not much of a Henry James fan.

[Luke]

Manny wrote: "If I tried for a week, I could not come up with a better argument against this kind of list."

*snort* Good one.

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

Manny wrote: "If I tried for a week, I could not come up with a better argument against this kind of list."

Aw, c'mon. Give it a year. Bet you still couldn't. (Roth is another author I won't read, having read Portnoy's Complaint years and years ago.)

[Jean]

The Beggar Maid: Stories of Flo and Rose by
Alice Munro

[Wendy]

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen.

This was my 4th J.A. novel, and my least favorite story-wise. What can I say, I'm more of a Persuasion fan. Review is here.

[Laura]

Stephanie "Jedigal" wrote: "What Maisie Knew. With four of his List titles down, and two to go, its clear to me that I'm not much of a Henry James fan."

Are you in intending on reading the other 2 Henry James books despite not enjoying 4 of them?

[Stephanie]

Re: Henry James......finally suffering through the final 100 pages of The Ambassadors

[Lauren]

I just finished Go Tell It On the Mountain by James Baldwin. He's an amazing writer, but I did not enjoy this book, maybe, simply, because it mostly revolved around church, sin, and God. Based in large part on Baldwin's own life. I could see how people could really enjoy this novel, but it just didn't do it for me.

[Stephanie "Jedigal"]

Laura wrote: "Stephanie "Jedigal" wrote: "What Maisie Knew. With four of his List titles down, and two to go, its clear to me that I'm not much of a Henry James fan."

Are you in intending on reading the other 2 Henry James books despite not enjoying 4 of them?"

Well, weirdly enough, yes. I will just make sure they are framed on either side by other works I expect to enjoy more. I can get extremely stubborn about things. Even if I never really like James, at least I'll end up with a more informed opinion.

An example of my determination is Moby Dick. My sis, a lit major, advised me strongly to skip reading Moby Dick. Her take was I wouldn't enjoy the book, and I could just study commentary and summaries to understand its place in literary history. But I just wanted to see for myself. Turns out she was right, I did NOT enjoy it at all, but I'm still glad I read it.

It's not that I don't read for PLEASURE, I do, but there are different kinds of reading pleasure for me. The purely in-the-moment pleasure of a story that carries-you-along or carries-you-away, but also the pleasure of learning, persevering, thinking a little harder.

I'll definitely be glad for the exposure to James, and I did find something to like in all the books, even though I also found annoyances. I DO recommend Turn of the Screw, though! I did enjoy that one.

Hmmmm..... As I write this, now I'm thinking that maybe I take some books like people - the good along with the bad. And even if I don't 'judge' them negatively, later on I'll just avoid them. I'll avoid James AFTER I finish the list titles.

[Steve]

Stephanie "Jedigal" wrote: "Laura wrote: "Stephanie "Jedigal" wrote: "What Maisie Knew. With four of his List titles down, and two to go, its clear to me that I'm not much of a Henry James fan."

Are you in intending on read..."

Well said!!!! A lot of what you say is the same reason I wont stop a book once I decide to read it.

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

I have read only one James title: Daisy Miller, which I gave 3 stars. I just looked at my review, in which I say that I look forward to reading more James. What is it that you find so annoying about him?

[Laura]

Stephanie "Jedigal" wrote: "Laura wrote: "Stephanie "Jedigal" wrote: "What Maisie Knew. With four of his List titles down, and two to go, its clear to me that I'm not much of a Henry James fan."

Are you in intending on read..."

I admire your dedication! Sometimes it used to take me forever to finish a book or I'd have to keep restarting it so I know the satisfaction of finishing a book no matter how tedious it is, I've made sure I keep reading a book how ever much I dislike it because it's part of my whole attempts of "finishing what I start".

Although if there's a book I don't enjoy I won't read anything else by that author as I don't want to put myself through the discomfort again!

I really enjoyed turn of the screw, this was my first Henry James so I want to read something else by him- probably Wings of a dove but the length is a little off putting if it isn't very good!

Are you planning on reading every single one of the list books?

[Stephanie "Jedigal"]

Steve wrote: "Well said!!!! A lot of what you say is the same reason I wont stop a book once I decide to read it."

I myself WILL stop, but often to pick the book up later - a year, five years, sometime. I had to start Wuthering Heights 3 times. I don't really remember why it wasn't grabbing me, but the third time it totally did, and I loved it. However, if I'm going to put a book down for a time, I usually do it fairly quickly. Once I've gotten very far, I just keep going.

[Kayla]

Just finished Candide by Voltaire. I absolutely loved how over the top and ridiculous it was. I couldn't put it down.

[Stephanie "Jedigal"]

Laura wrote: "Stephanie "Jedigal" wrote: "Laura wrote: "Stephanie "Jedigal" wrote: "What Maisie Knew. With four of his List titles down, and two to go, its clear to me that I'm not much of a Henry James fan. ..."

... Are you planning on reading every single one of the list books?"

Well, that's hard to say. :o) I don't know if its a firm PLAN, or it if its one of those goals to work towards that is more about the journey. I guess at this point its a definite maybe.

[Stephanie "Jedigal"]

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "I have read only one James title: Daisy Miller, which I gave 3 stars. I just looked at my review, in which I say that I look forward to reading more James. What is it that you find so ..."

I hope it's not too annoying to anyone, but I'll move my answer to that to the Henry James thread under Specific List Authors. :o)

[Kat]

I finished reading Michel Houellebecq's 'The Elementary Particles' in today's lunch break, and despite dreading it before I started I ended up really liking it!

[Ellinor]

Finished Cost by Roxana Robinson.

[Laura]

Just finished Middlemarch by George Eliot. I really enjoyed getting into the lives of these provincial families and people and rather miss riding along with them.

[Luke]

Finished The Color Purple by Alice Walker; review here.

[Diane]

Read Dictionary of the Khazars by Milorad Pavić. Not sure why this book is on the list.

Also read The Killer Inside Me which was very good.

[Peter]

Just finished Enduring Love by Ian McEwan. My third novel by the author and for the third time felt under-whelmed by the end of it.

[Lauren]

Peter wrote: "Just finished Enduring Love by Ian McEwan. My third novel by the author and for the third time felt under-whelmed by the end of it."

I really don't like Ian McEwan, and I was disappointed by the number of his books on the list. I'm just skipping them!

[Christina]

I just finished Isabel Allende's House of Spirits. I was sorta "meh " in the beginning, but by the end I was really into it and liked it a lot.

[Stephanie]

Finally finished The Ambassadors by Henry James. I struggled with James writing style. I didn't particularly like any if the characters. I guess it is safe to say I didn't like this book

[Yrinsyde]

1001 Nights - a wonderful collection of stories!

[Ellinor]

Finished The Holy Terrors by Jean Cocteau.

[Karina]

Finished Mansfield Park. Not my favorite of Austen's. Pride and Prejudice hands down is my favorite of all the Austen books and I have finally finished all of Austen on the list!

[Lauren]

I just finished March's read...a little early, Casino Royale. I really enjoyed this book, despite the platitudes about women, but I looked at that more as a sign of the times than anything else. Fun read!

[Laura]

Lauren wrote: "I just finished March's read...a little early, Casino Royale. I really enjoyed this book, despite the platitudes about women, but I looked at that more as a sign of the times than anything else. ..."
I thought it was really good! Are you tempted to try Fleming's other Bond books?

[Lauren]

Laura wrote: I thought it was really good! Are you tempted to try Fleming's other Bond books?

Yes...I put Bond #2 on my list. I think I'll read them in order. I'm funny about series though. I usually end up getting sick of them.

[Tasha]

The Day of the Triffids, I liked it.

[Stephanie "Jedigal"]

Tasha wrote: "The Day of the Triffids, I liked it."

I really enjoyed that one too. I'm a big SF fan from childhood (so was my dad, so when I ran out of my own books and was poking around for something, SF is often what I ended up with), so I've read quite a lot, and was surprised to find on the list this book that I'd never heard of, and found quite original and captivating.

[Tasha]

Stephanie "Jedigal" wrote: "Tasha wrote: "The Day of the Triffids, I liked it."

I really enjoyed that one too. I'm a big SF fan from childhood (so was my dad, so when I ran out of my own books and was poking a..."

Yes. I savor the SF reads on the list, but I'm running out of them. :(

[Steve]

finished The Floating Opera by Barth, very good short novel.

[Edwin]

I just finished Chess Story, also known as The Royal Game, by Stefan Zweig.

Wow, for such a short book, this story carries a powerful punch.

[Jonpaul]

Chess Story was a great book. I'm looking forward to reading more Zweig.

[J_BlueFlower]

The Left-Handed Woman. At least it was short (86 pages)

[Angelique]

The Count of Monte Cristo. Great book but I would definitely suggest making it a long term read.

[Ursula]

Angelique wrote: "The Count of Monte Cristo. Great book but I would definitely suggest making it a long term read."
I started it a couple of years ago and was really enjoying it, but I got distracted by other things and put it down. I could just kick myself, because I was halfway through and I know I'm going to have to start over if I want to keep everyone straight. At least I know it'll be a good read. :)

[Wendy]

Just finished The Plague by Albert Camus...and hit my 150 book milestone!

[Nicole]

Congratulations, Wendy!

[Ellinor]

I finished They Shoot Horses, Don't They?. It was entirely not what I expected but still very good.
The dance marathon reminded me a bit of Gilmore Girls. I'm just glad that one didn't end in such a way!

[Steve]

Gilmore girls????

I thought that was an excellent short story though :)

[Steve]

Just finished Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

By Phil K Dick

Great scifi story!

[Nicole]

Steve wrote: "Just finished Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

By Phil K Dick

Great scifi story!"

I love that one! Great, quick read.

[Wendy]

Nicole wrote: "Congratulations, Wendy!"

Thanks, Nicole!

And now I just finished Love in the Time of Cholera.

[Ellinor]

Steve wrote: "Gilmore girls????

I thought that was an excellent short story though :)"

In one episode of Gilmore Girls there's a dance marathon. It's only 24h and also not such a serious business as in this story. But the book reminded me of it anyway.

[Jen]

Wendy wrote: "Just finished The Plague by Albert Camus...and hit my 150 book milestone!"

Nice one, Wendy!

[Rusty]

Just finished reading The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. I liked it. Poor Hester. What a life she led after adultery. And, her daughter, Pearl, is quite an interesting character who was so affected by her mother's sinning.