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2014 Challenge: Log a book you finished
The Enormous Room by E. E. Cummings.Published 1922.
Kindle edition May 17, 2012.
Pages 248.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. published in 1876. kindle edition, 298 pages.x- also posted on Facebook
Dracula by Bram Stokerfirst published 1897; 1981
book pgs 400.
I have to say I enjoyed this much more when I was a teenager. Not that I did not like it, I just used to love it.
1599 Geneva Bible by Anonymous.Published 1599.This edition 2006 by Tolle Lege Press.
Pages 1,366.
The Complete Works of H.P. Lovecraft by H.P. Lovecraft.Short stories published 1917-1935.
Kindle edition March 1, 2011.
Pages 1,305.
Was just discussing Lovecraft with a friend. Need to read more of his. Did you like the stories, John?Peyton Place by Grace Metalious
first published 1956
paperback, 372 pages
central Illinois
This was a reread for me and I loved it more than the first time I read it (decades ago).
Martha, yes I loved his stories. A feature I enjoyed was that the were short stories. But reading one after another I started to get lost in them. One of the things a liked is his use of obsolete words. Something I came to dislike was his narrative style. After a while I was wanting to read of some conservation. But if I would of read one story instead of reading many stories, it would of been ok.
Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle.Published 1887.
Kindle edition July 1, 2010.
Pages 198.
Return of the Native, Thomas Hardy, Published 1874, 437 pages, Kindle. I enjoyed reading this and have fond memories of enjoying Hardy's novels when I was in high school.
Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley.Published 1917.
Pages 152.
The Sign of Four (Sherlock Holmes #2).Published 1890.
Kindle edition May 12, 2012.
Pages 118.
Mod
The intersection of science fiction and theology is rich with potential, and Walter M. Miller, Jr. was one of the first to explore it in his only novel released in his lifetime, A Canticle for Leibowitz.
Classic Western history texts always dutifully explain how the Church guided Europe through the "Dark Ages" following the collapse of the Roman Empire. Although studies have poked an increasing number of holes in this simple explanation, the endurance of the Church through politically turbulent times is one of the more noteworthy success stories in history. Miller, writing during some of the frostiest moments of the Cold War, speculates how the Church would continue in the aftermath of a global nuclear disaster and resultant second "Dark Age". Miller explores matters such as how alien our culture might seem to a future culture that has willingly divorced itself from scientific progress. How do secular and religious thinking work together (or against each other) to restore modernity? Would we been doomed to repeat the Dark Ages again and again and how many of these cycles could institutions such as the Church endure? Furthermore, in all of these big questions, Miller is also able to examine issues such as euthanasia, deformities, and the role of religion in interstellar travel. There is no shortage of debate throughout the book.
Two novels clearly influenced by this book are The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell and Anathem by Neal Stephenson. Each book related to a different aspect of this novel. In the case of the former, it is the concrete notion of the continuation of the Church into the future and the implication of going beyond Earth. Stephenson doesn't use the Church itself in his model, but instead examines the relationship between an educated, cloistered community and the wavering secular society over vast stretches of time. I highly recommend either of these books, especially if you are intrigued by A Canticle for Leibowitz.
A couple quibbles. The first is not Miller's fault, but simply the common problem of speculative fiction, which is not knowing then what we know now. In this case the Second Vatican Council is the key difference here, so we have a Church in (what used to be) North America that functions primarily on Latin. The other issue is more structural in nature. The three sections take place in different time periods, each far removed from the others chronologically, which can be very disorientating to the reader. Generally this strategy is employed in the larger multi-generational type novels, like James Michener's books. This is a shorter work, so Miller doesn't have much luxury to build a world before moving on to the next stage.
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A Study in Scarlett by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. First published in 1887, 2003.
ebook 62 pages
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain originally published in 1885. 327 pages. kindle edition.
David wrote: "A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr., 1959, 338 pages, print.The intersection of science fiction and theology is rich with potential, and Walter M. Miller, Jr. was one of the first t..."
David, I have read A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr. the beginning of the month. I found it an interesting book and liked how it was like three different stories within it. I also read Anathem by Neal Stephenson this month. I enjoyed the book too, it’s long very long and slow moving but caught my attention. I think people will have a love or hate relationship with these two books. In June I will start up The Sparrow. So, it’s just interesting you said all three books.
The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. Originally published in 1967. Kindle edition, 215 pagesX-also posted on Facebook
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Dawn by Octavia E. Butler, 1987, 248 pages.
ImagoOctavia E. Butler, 1989, 242 pages.These were interesting, with a central strong black female character. The aliens were unique. Ethical and moral Stockholm syndrome/humanity issues galore. Similar body manipulation, gender, race, and control of oneself issues to the Patternist Series, but I enjoyed the latter a bit more.
My daughter read several junior novelizations of the following classic books by herself (perhaps halve the page numbers).
Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery, 1908, 177 pages.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, 1908, 179 pages.
Heidi by Johanna Spyri, 1880, 226 pages.X-posted on Facebook
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll, 93 pages, 1864, printFrom Cleethorpes, a small town in England
Alice Through the Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll, 228pages, 1871, printSanditon, Jane Austen, 112 pages, 1817, print
From Cleethropes, England
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Annie John is a plucky 150 pages and is a spiritual sister of sorts to an earlier book I read, The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, both in length and topic though Mango was a little more poetic in style. Both are coming of age stories, and both introduce the readers to something that is different (Puerto Ricans in New York and growing up in Antigua, respectively), yet also exploring common truths across cultures (family ties).
Annie John may have rung a little hollow for me in that the mother-daughter bond is something I can observe but not experience. Books like these are important though for "outsiders" like me, though, because it reading a vivid account of it is about as close as I can get to experiencing it. Through others (wife, mother-in-law, sister, mother, grandmother) I have seen the mother-daughter relationship, with its stormy ups-and-downs, in action all around me, but as a son, my own connection to my mother is different. So on one hand I found it interesting to read about the moodiness of the mother-daughter relationship, but on the other I almost felt glad that I didn't have to grapple with such as ordeal. The father-son relationship, far more frequently written about in the history of literature, is plenty enough complicated.
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RachelvlehcaR wrote: "David wrote: "A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr., 1959, 338 pages, print.
The intersection of science fiction and theology is rich with potential, and Walter M. Miller, Jr. was one ..."
I'm from Missouri close to Branson, and I just finished The Awakening by Kate Chopin. It was first published in 1899. It's a quick read at 143 pages, but still an interesting book.
The Lodger by Marie Belloc Lowndes.Published 1913.
Kindle edition May 17, 2012.
Pages 150.
The old man and the seaEarnest Hemingway
Published 1952
127 pages
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie.
First Published 1902
Hardcover, 100th Anniversary Edition, 155 pages
Washington State.
The Norsemen in the West by R.M. Ballantyne.Published 1872.
Kindle edition May 6, 2012.
Pages 207.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle.Published 1892.
Kindle edition March 10, 2012.
Pages 236.
The Amber Witch by William Meinhold. Trans. from the German, published originally in 1846, 149 pages, ebook.
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The White Mountains, 1967, 195 pages.
The City of Gold and Lead, 209 pages.
The Pool of Fire, 1968, 204 pages.
These were a simple read. The books seemed to improve over time, but are slightly hampered by the YA perspective and limited development, especially in the first book. It holds no punches though and touches on a few bigger social issues along the way.
I'm from Idaho.Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, 1938, 441 pages, Print.
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, 1890, 76 pages, Print.
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, 1959, 182 pages, Print.
The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald, 1872, 241 pages, Print.
Isobel by James Oliver Curwood, 1916, 281 pages, Print.
I'm not sure if Isobel and The Haunting of Hill House count as classics.... but they're there just in case.
Rebecca was fantastic. Besides the haunting story, the language was exquisite! The Haunting of Hill House was great too. The Importance of Being Earnest was just a fun read! Too funny!
I love the simple messages that are in The Princess and the Goblin. It's easy to see how C.S. Lewis was inspired by George MacDonald.
The Coral Island by R. M. BallantynePublished 1858.
Pages 272.
Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Samuel Taylor Coolridge, 1797-98, e-book, 24 pages.
The Crew of the Water Wagtail by R.M. Ballantyne.Published 1889.
Pages 138.
Title: The Secret GardenAuthor: Frances Hodgson Burnett
Year of (initial) Publication: 1911
Number of Pages: 7 sound discs
Format: audiobook
A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs.Published 1912.
Pages 172.
John I read the Tripods Trilogy when I was in 4th grade. I loved the books. They were a favorite for a long time. This is back in 1987. I wonder what it would be like now. I have often thought about re-reading them. I have seen a lot of reviews where people didn't like the books. It would be interesting to re-read them, than again it might be better to keep that childhood memory of excitement when I read them.
Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs.Published 1912.
Kindle edition May 16, 2012.
Pages 270.
The Return of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs.Published 1913.
Pages 146.
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Beasts of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs.Published 1914.
Kindle edition May 16, 2012.
Pages 192.
Son of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs.Published 1916.
Pages 244.
Did not know there were so many Tarzan books.
I have a question I hope some one can answer. I have a shelf titled 2014 so I can know what I read for the year. Now my home page has me listed as reading 121 books but my shelf only has 105 books listed. Is there a limit to how many books can be on a shelf? Thank you for any help.
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Diana Gabaldon (other topics)Robert Jordan (other topics)
George Orwell (other topics)
William X. Kienzle (other topics)
Daphne du Maurier (other topics)
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Published 1891.
Pages 462.