Charbel's 2014 Reading Challenge

[Charbel]

The aim is to be organized and efficient in my reading this year.
I want to keep it simple, so I'll organize my books according to categories. Of course more books will be added in time, but this should be a good first step toward my 2014 reading experience.

[Amber]

Good luck Charbel! ^_^

[Gill]

I've spent most of my life trying to be organised! Good luck!

[Charbel]

Nonfiction Part 1: Completed

My Brief History by Stephen Hawking.
The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins.
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell.
What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures by Malcolm Gladwell.
A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking.
Nothing: A Very Short Introduction by Frank Close.
Antimatter by Frank Close.

Classics Part 1: Completed


Middlemarch by George Eliot.
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins.
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra.
Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott.
The Monk by Matthew Gregory Lewis.

Fiction (General):

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.
And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.
The Labours of Hercules by Agatha Christie.
The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle.
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle.
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle.
Nemesis by Jo Nesbø.
Scorpia by Anthony Horowitz.
The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles.
Hyperion by Dan Simmons .
The Charlemagne Pursuit by Steve Berry .
Deception Point by Dan Brown .

Series: Completed

A song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin :
A Game of Thrones
A Clash of Kings
A Storm of Swords
A Feast for Crows
A Dance with Dragons

[Charbel]

Thanks!

[Leslie]

Charbel wrote: "The aim is to be organized and efficient in my reading this year.
I want to keep it simple, so I'll organize my books according to categories. Of course more books will be added in time, but this s..."

Good goal! And I see some great books in your lists!

[Charbel]

Thanks, Leslie! Usually I decide what to read on the spot, but I figured that this would save me a lot of needed time.

[Charbel]

Gladwell is brilliant. My favourite book of his is Outliers: The Story of Success. As for The Sheltering Sky, maybe we can have a read-along later this year as an incentive!

[Jenny]

Charbel, simple is good! May I join you for A Brief History of Time and The God Delusion?

[Charbel]

Absolutely, Jenny!

[Jenny]

Great, just message me a little in advance, I have the books already so I just need to make time for them!

[Charbel]

Brilliant!

[[deleted user]]

Enjoy the Game of Thrones series, great books!

[Charbel]

Heather wrote: "Enjoy the Game of Thrones series, great books!"

I've already read them. It just feels like the time for a reread. Plus it's something to do while waiting for the next season of the tv series.

[[deleted user]]

I think they are a bit too long for me to reread! I haven't watched the tv series past series 1 so I'm planning on doing that this year

[Charbel]

It's great, but it feels like they're stalling as much as possible till the next book comes out. Guess they're just waiting like everyone else.

[[deleted user]]

Is there any news on when the next book will be? I think I'll watch the series in preparation for that!

[Charbel]

I don't think Martin himself knows when the next book will be done, but he estimates that it will be more than 1500 pages long, according to Wikipedia.

[[deleted user]]

That is probably a bit too long. I'm sure it will be great but I wish he'd get a move on!

[Bionic Jean]

I like this challenge Charbel! It's structured without being rigid, and I think that will keep what you intend to read in your mind and allow for some extras :)

Glad to see you've built in a few "lighter" novels for balance too.

[Charbel]

@Heather- Lol.

@Jean- Thanks. I have to take my hectic schedule into consideration. But I think it'll do just fine.

[Pink]

I have lots of these on my TBR for next year also, including the GOT box set!

[Charbel]

Well if you feel like having a read-along,you know where to find me.

[Alannah]

Good Luck Charbel. :)

[Charbel]

Thanks Alannah!

[Charbel]

Nonfiction Part 2: Completed

The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud .
The Problems of Philosophy by Bertrand Russell.
The Republic by Plato.
Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris.
Letters to a Young Mathematician by Ian Stewart.

[Tracey]

read first GOT but have the rest on my shelf so may I join you for one or two next year ?

[Charbel]

Definitely, Tracey.

[Charbel]

Two books down... eh... 98 to go!

[Tracey]

You are racing through your books Charbel. I am going to stick to 2 or 3 chapters a day with my Dickens and I am about half way through The Book of Lost Things: A Novel which is a cracking good story.
Next up for me is Inkheart which is 'shouting' to me from my bedside table but I am resisting for now. :)

[Charbel]

@Tracey- Enjoy Dickens! He's one of those authors whose words you'd like to dwell on as much as possible!

@Chimney- Shame about The Kite Runner! I've been meaning to get to it for a while now, but I keep putting it off for some reason.

[Tracey]

love my Dickens Charbel :) you're right his words are written to absorb and linger over.
Chimney I postponed Inkheart until the 15th so if you can join me then it would be good to have you along for the adventure. :)

[Charbel]

Classics Part 2:

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo.
Oblomov by Ivan Goncharov.
Ulysses by James Joyce.
1984 by George Orwell.
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells.
A Modern Utopia by H.G. Wells.
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.

[Jenny]

I've been wanting to read Oblomov for a while. Might join you when the time comes!

[Charbel]

Absolutely! But I don't think I will able to get to it until maybe after a few months, is that ok?

[Jenny]

Oh absolutely! No rush at all :)

[Charbel]

Brilliant!

[Holly]

I love your selections! There's a really amazing selection of fiction and classics. I'm hoping to get through A Song of Ice and Fire too, although I have already read the first book. It will be interesting to see what you think!

You'll definitely have to recommend me some non-fiction books. I never quite know where to start with them, and I should read more.

[Charbel]

No problem, Holly! What type of nonfiction do you prefer?

[Charbel]

My to-read list keeps getting longer and longer! Maybe after my exams I can get some proper reading done.

[Leslie]

Charbel wrote: "My to-read list keeps getting longer and longer! Maybe after my exams I can get some proper reading done."

Yes, mine too!

[Charbel]

Total books read in January:8.

[Charbel]

Fiction Part 2: Completed

The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes.
Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman.
Unnatural Creatures by Neil Gaiman.
Black House by Stephen King.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King.
The Color Purple by Alice Walker.
It by Stephen King.

[Charbel]

I don't seem to be really moving through the order that I've assigned, but at least I have clear picture of what needs to be read next!

[Leslie]

Charbel wrote: "I don't seem to be really moving through the order that I've assigned, but at least I have clear picture of what needs to be read next!"

lol! I am neither moving through my challenge in any kind of order nor very clear on which of the many books I should read next! :/

[Charbel]

Leslie wrote: "Charbel wrote: "I don't seem to be really moving through the order that I've assigned, but at least I have clear picture of what needs to be read next!"

lol! I am neither moving through my challe..."

Lol. That is quite a problem!

[Charbel]

This break has helped me finish a good part of my challenge. Really proud of the progress I've made so far, just hope I can keep it up.

[Amber]

What are you going to read next Charbel? just curious. great job so far.

[Charbel]

I just started The Sign of Four, and will continue with Middlemarch. I would like to start Doctor Sleep soon. How about you?

[Amber]

Well, I just started another of the ebooks I got for free on goodreads called Eryanwhich is pretty good so far and am also reading Eleven on Topwhich is a pretty good read so far too as it is the eleventh book of the Stephanie Plum series.