Challenge: 50 Books discussion
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Susan and the Pups 2014 Reading Challenge
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Susan
(last edited Jan 01, 2014 05:40PM)
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Jan 01, 2014 05:28PM
Last year I missed my goal of 85 books by three books. So, this year, to take off the pressure, I am scaling back to a goal of 80 books for 2014. Since both my dogs, Hunter and Henry, have been reading with me, I have included them in the topic name. They especially enjoy audio books. The three of us hope that we have as interesting and entertaining a reading year as we did in 2013 (the non-reading parts of the year pretty much sucked).
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No. 1 - Defending Jacob by William Landay (audiobook) ***** This was a great start to my 2014 reading. I am not a big fan of courtroom drama,but I found this book riveting. The structure and the pacing are perfect. It also brings up thought-provoking questions of nature versus nurture, and the legal process versus truth, and how justice is best served.PAGES:--
LISTENING TIME: 12 hours, 13 minutes
Wishing a great year of reading to you and your pups! Looks like you're off to a good start. Dogs make great reading companions, don't they?
Thanks, Ann, you, too. Yes, dogs make great reading companions, especially if you need a little plot clarification along the way.
No.2. Tenth of December by George Saunders ***** This book was amazing. The writing is unique and innovative. Sometimes a touch of the Twilight Zone, sometimes O. Henry or Saki, stream of consciousness.. A challenge to the mind, because everything is not spelled out for you. A second great book for this year.
PAGES: 251 pages
LISTENING TIME: 12 hours, 13 minutes
No. 3 A House in the Sky by Amanda Lindhout ***** Whew! This book was a harrowing experience. Various thoughts went through my mind at various stages of book: I was such a cowardly wimp when I was young; Haven't you ever heard of Europe? What are you THINKING? You got yourself in this mess; (censored) Islam; Nobody deserves that.PAGES: 251 pages
LISTENING TIME: 12 hours, 13 minutes + 13 hours = 25 hours, 13 minutes
No. 4 Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline **** This is a pick for my in person book club. I was a bit reluctant to read it because I know quite a bit about the orphan trains through both fiction and non-fiction reading, and I was afraid it would be a superficial treatment of the subject, like the Japanese internment camps and Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. However, I was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed the book, especially Vivian's story, and liked the comparisons between the orphan of yesteryear and present day. I loved the friendship that grew between Molly and Vivian. I think that it will provide a lot of material for a good discussion.PAGES: 251 pages + 274 pages = 525 pages
LISTENING TIME: 25 hours, 13 minutes
No. 5 We Are Water by Wally Lamb(audiobook) ***** I love Wally Lamb's books. I couldn't stop listening.PAGES; 525 PAGES
LISTENING TIME: 25 hours, 13 minutes + 23 hours = 48 hours, 13 minutes.
No. 6 Burial Rites by Hannah Kent ***** I have been extremely lucky with the books I have read since the beginning of 2014. This one is another five star book. This is a really absorbing book, and it is an amazing work for a first-time author. Based on the events surrounding a well-known murder in Icelandic history, the author, Hannah Kent, not only breathes life into the character of the convicted murderer, but gives an excellent view of life in Iceland at the time. The final scene is excellently done.PAGES: 525 pages + 322 pages = 847 pages
LISTENING TIME: 48 hours 13 minutes
No. 7 The Sound of Things Falling by Juan Gabriel Vásquez **** I enjoyed the writing in this book very much. It was about a man searching for the connection between things. However in the end it did not appear that things connected, and I was confused. It was very interesting to read about how life in Colombia was in the 80's.Pages: 847 pages + 288 pages = 1,135 pages
LISTENING TIME: 48 hours, 13 minutes
No. 8 Two Old Women: An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival by Velma Wallis *** An in-depth telling of an ancient Alaskan legend that I had heard before. This book fleshes out the story. I enjoyed it.Pages: 1,135 pages + 145 pages = 2,280 pages
Listening time: 48 hours, 13 minutes
No.9 Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed **** (audiobook) 2/8/14 - This is my second reading of the book for my book club. I see that for some reason I did not write a review of it in January 2013, although I gave it four stars at that time. I liked the hiker Cheryl, although I found that even now, at my age and experience level, I had to overcome some prejudices about her. Her sojourn took place at about the same age I was going through some personal trauma and soul searching, and I found it interesting to compare her journey with mine. She is much more honest than I, but, of course, she is writing from a perspective of 15 years after her trek. This time I listened to it and the first time I read it in print form. I am hovering between 4 and 5 stars. I guess I'll stick with four right now, although I have been giving a lot of books 5 stars now, and I wonder -- why not this one? Both times I came to end with the same question, "Who's Doug?"Pages: 2,280 pages
Listening time: 48 hours, 13 minutes + 13 hours = 61 hours, 13 minutes
No. 10 - The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (audiobook) **** I gave this book four stars because about 3/4 of the way through the book, I got really annoyed. I had listened with rapt attention to the audiobook until the point where it seemed that no two people could have a real conversation and say what they meant. It got to the point of ridiculousness. (view spoiler) Other than that thoroughly annoying aspect of the book, I enjoyed the writing and the story. I loved dear Hobey and pictured him looking like Stephen Fry. I pictured Andy as looking like Milhouse in The Simpsons. I found David Pittu's narration excellentPages: 2,280 pages
Listening time: 61 hours, 13 minutes + 32 hours, 30 minutes = 93 hours, 43 minutes
Susan wrote: "No.9 Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed **** (audiobook) 2/8/14 - This is my second reading of the book for my book club. I see th..."I enjoyed this too, although someone in my book club who has hiked part of the trail hated it!
Ann A wrote: "Susan wrote: "No.9 Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed **** (audiobook) 2/8/14 - This is my second reading of the book for my book ..."She probably had a completely different experience and couldn't relate. Something tells me I won't have that problem with any of the members of my book club.
No. 11 And the Mountains Echoedby Khaled Hosseini ***** This was a reread for a group book discussion. I listened in part and read in part. I am once again amazed at what an excellent book this is. The connections among the different characters slowly reveal themselves upon second readings and thinking about the material. I loved the interwoven theme of caregiving, and whom one can bear to give care to, and the theme of the favored child -- one person is always favored in some way over another and there is nothing we can do to change that fact. Most of the group dismissed the book as being "too gloomy." Philistines!Pages: 2,280 pages
Listening time: 93 hours, 43 minutes + 14 hours = 107 hours, 43 minutes
No. 12 The $1,000 Challenge: How One Family Slashed Its Budget Without Moving Under a Bridge or Living on Government Cheese by Brian J. O'Connor ** This financial columnist challenged himself to cut $1,000 a month from his expenditures. What you are supposed to do is go through all your finances and come up with the top ten categories in which you spend the most and then work on them to find where you can save money. Without doing the exercise, I know that my top expenditures are medical and my dogs. There is nothing I can do about the medical except die, and I try to do the best I can for my dogs. None of the author's categories (child care, transportation, job location) coincided with any of my concerns, so I guess there is nothing that can be done for me.Pages: 2,280 pages + 207 pages = 2,487 pages
Listening time: 107 hours, 43 minutes.
No.13 After Visiting Friends: A Son's Story by Michael Hainey *** A man searches for an explanation of the death of his father who he lost at a young age. The explanation is not that terribly unusual but he does learn something about his father's life. I like people's stories. Another nod to the orphan trains.Pages 2,487 pages + 299 pages = 2,786 pages
Listening time: 107 hours, 43 minutes
No. 14 TransAtlantic by Colum McCann (audiobook) (reread) *** I reread this (in audiobook form) six months after initially reading it (in print form) in the hopes of attending a discussion on it. I was not able to go to the discussion because I got totally bogged down on the second segment, the one about George Mitchell. I eventually did finish listening to the whole audiobook. On my first reading of it I gave it five stars. A mere six months later I could not figure out why. I am of predominantly Irish dissent and know something about Irish history, but I think what took my breath away in the first reading was the reaction of the character of Frederick Douglass and his reaction to the living conditions of most of the Irish. Without this shock and surprise, there wasn't too much to the book. The second segment that bogged me down, had to do with the Good Friday Peace Agreement, and, not only was it long and exceedingly boring, it centers on the fatigue the constant traveling caused Mitchell, and the fact that he didn't know there was a shower in the office building, rather than what the agreement was about. Granted, the book was about crossing the Atlantic, but . . . . Usually the rereading of a good book increases my fondness for it, but not in this case. I have reduced the number of stars to three.Pages: 2,786 pages
Listening time: 107 hours, 43 minutes + 10 hours, 30 minutes =118 hours, 13 minutes
No. 15 Bellman & Black: A Ghost Story by Diane Setterfield (audiobook) *** I enjoyed listening to this. Reader is somewhat hit over the head with symbolism. Not disappointed by expectations of author's work,because I was not one of those swept away by The Thirteenth Tale.Pages: 2,786 pages
Listening time -118 hours, 13 minutes + 9 hours, 30 minutes = 127 hours, 43 minutes
No. 16 On Such a Full Sea by Chang-rae Lee (audiobook) **** 2/18/14 -- I had to return this to the library. I like it, but found it slow going because of the language used to make it sound futuristic (and I got involved in listening to The Goldfinch). I am on the hold list for it again.3/9/14 -- Listened to it on audiobook. Found it a very interesting view of the future. Well narrated by B. D. Wong
Pages: 2,786
Listening time - 127 hours, 43 minutes + 11 hours = 138 hours, 43 minutes
No. 17 The Night Guest by Fiona McFarlane **** A carer comes to help a widow living on her own. The story as it evolved was unsettling and upsetting to me, but it was well written. March 15, 2014Pages: 2,786 + 256 = 3,042 pages
Listening time: 138 hours, 43 minutes
No.18 TransAtlantic by Colum McCann (audiobook) *** I reread this (in audiobook form) six months after initially reading it (in print form) in the hopes of attending a discussion on it. I was not able to go to the discussion because I got totally bogged down on the second segment, the one about George Mitchell. I eventually did finish listening to the whole audiobook. On my first reading of it I gave it five stars. A mere six months later I could not figure out why. I am of predominantly Irish dissent and know something about Irish history, but I think what took my breath away in the first reading was the reaction of the character of Frederick Douglass and his reaction to the living conditions of most of the Irish. Without this shock and surprise, there wasn't too much to the book. The second segment that bogged me down, had to do with the Good Friday Peace Agreement, and, not only was it long and exceedingly boring, it centers on the fatigue the constant traveling caused Mitchell, and the fact that he didn't know there was a shower in the office building, rather than what the agreement was about. Granted, the book was about crossing the Atlantic, but . . . . Usually the rereading of a good book increases my fondness for it, but not in this case. I have reduced the number of stars to three. Reread in February and March 2014. Audiobook. Read a second time to discuss with the Severna Park Book Club, but was not able to go.
First read August 16-25, 2013. Very good read following a family back and forth across the Atlantic between North America and Ireland. The best section is about Frederick Douglass in Ireland at the beginning of the Potato Famine, describing the living conditions of the Irish. Also, the irony (now I always wonder if I am using the word correctly) of the Anglo-Irish working for the emancipation of American slaves while ignoring the plight of the Irish in their own country, and denying the ability of Irish to make anything of themselves. It is also very interesting about the icemaking.
Pages: 3,042 pages
Listening time: 138 hours, 43 minutes + 10 hours, 46 minutes = 149 hours, 29 minutes
I didn't even list all my books on this page this year. I failed my goal in 2013 by a few books, so I lowered it to 80 for 2014. And I read 64 books, which is a measly 80%. And, the strangest thing is that I retired this year, which should have given me more time to read. Not so. Too busy.
Onward to 2015 inSusan and the Pups 2015 Reading Challenge
Challenge: 50 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
TransAtlantic (other topics)The Night Guest (other topics)
On Such a Full Sea (other topics)
Bellman & Black (other topics)
TransAtlantic (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Colum McCann (other topics)Fiona McFarlane (other topics)
Chang-rae Lee (other topics)
Diane Setterfield (other topics)
Colum McCann (other topics)
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