Constant Reader discussion
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Constant Reader
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My "Read My Own Books" Challenge
I just finished Crusader's Cross by James Lee Burke. I hadn't read a Dave Robichaux book in quite some time, but I found this one quite good. I usually listen to mysteries, but this time I had a Kindle edition which I got fairly cheap a while back. I love the atmosphere Burke evokes. And his books always make me want to eat Cajun food.
I was very conservative since I know myself. I only put 4 books on my challenge, but so far, haven't read anything. I'm having trouble keeping up with Constant Reader and my f-to-f book club. Of course, we moved in November and a move can slow you down for months.
I've just this minute started Larry Watson's Orchard. I loved his Montana 1948 and White Crosses. We met him in 2001 when CR had its meeting in Milwaukee. I've owned this book a long time.
Just finished Orchard. It wasn't my favorite of his, but it was still pretty good. I wasn't quite sure I believed in all the characters' motivations or psychology, but he writes beautifully.
I did it! I finally, finally finished Infinite Jest.It was amazing, but I think I need something light. And short, also. Short and light.
Congratulations, Nicole! How long did it take?
My stats say: Read from January 29 to March 08, 2014. ooof.
I'm finally starting to read another book for this challenge. I have a serious mystery and thriller addiction, but usually I listen to them. This time I'm reading Chasing Darkness by Robert Crais the old-fashioned way. I had bought the mass market paperback at a library sale. The type is big enough for me, though. Usually I avoid reading them. I had stalled on the Elvis Cole mysteries, because Robert Crais wasn't at the Key West Dark Side seminar last year. (He should have been!) My challenge last year was to try to read at least one book by all the authors there. But now I can read more Elvis. I have missed him and Joe Pike.
Being grounded with bronchitis has done wonders for this challenge - I have no other recourse than my overcrowded bookshelves for distraction.Finally finished Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving. I had really loved several of his other books, but this one tried my patience. Another example of Famous Writer Who Gets No Editor, I think, because so, so much needed editing.
Then I ran through The Ghost Walker by Margaret Coel, a mystery set on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, featuring a Jesuit priest and an Arapaho woman attorney as detectives. More enjoyable than the Irving, for sure.
Finally: Blessings, by Anna Quindlen. I gave it 4 stars though I was tempted to go down to 3, because of the predictable plot contrivances. But I thought the writing was lovely and the main characters well-drawn.
Well this challange is down the drain. I have to get Alias Grace, and read it. It looks so interesting. Blame it on the CR's it is their fault, they should not expose me to so many interesting books.
Carol wrote: "Well this challange is down the drain. I have to get Alias Grace, and read it. It looks so interesting. Blame it on the CR's it is their fault, they should not expose me to so many in..."heh :)
Carol wrote: "Well this challange is down the drain. I have to get Alias Grace, and read it. It looks so interesting. Blame it on the CR's it is their fault, they should not expose me to so many in..."Carol, you're suffering from the Constant Reader disease. I contracted it when I first found Constant Reader. That's why I need this challenge, because I bought a kazillion books and have decided to try to whittle the unread ones down. Here is a discussion of Alias Grace we had a while back:
http://constantreader.com/discussions...
Carol, just see this as a setback not a defeat! I'm being bad with one hand and good with the other though really trying to cut down on the bad side a lot.
Carol wrote: I have to get Alias Grace, and read it."1. This book is fantastic. Totally worth cheating for.
2. I've also cheated, I admit it. I bought Cloud Atlas.
I look at it this way: I can still read a whole big pile of books that have been sitting unread on my shelves for years, so it is, as Sue says, not a defeat.
I will also admit here that I found myself wondering if I could count Mansfield Park if I reread the copy I already own. I feel that this style of rules-wrangling is not really in the spirit of the thing.
Now you know all my dirty book secrets.
I did manage to read Mansfield Park. I probably would not have read it if it was not on the reading list. It had been on the shelf for 10 years. Heh! I am in good cheating company, The Cheater's Club for those who really can't pass up buying a good book, even though many are already waiting to be read in the wings.Not only did I purchase Alias Grace, but The Black-Eyed Blonde: A Philip Marlowe Novel. I bought Black's book twice, hehe. I put it on the wrong Kindle( Snort ,snort, guffaw....cough....hehe).
Carol, it's been my experience that you can put any Kindle book you buy on any Kindle or Kindle app. If you've bought it twice, you can probably return it (unless you didn't buy it from Amazon).
I think we all suffer from Constant Reader disease. I haven't read anything on my challenge yet, but I'm having such a great time reading books for our discussion, for my face-to-face book club, and my personal book choices (most of which were recommended on Constant Reader).
I knew I would never make it through a year without buying new books, so I limited myself to committing to read 10 books sitting on my shelves. I have read 2 and now I get this little note from the Goodreads book challenge software telling me what a good job I am doing every time I log on. Baby steps.
Ann wrote: "I knew I would never make it through a year without buying new books, so I limited myself to committing to read 10 books sitting on my shelves. I have read 2 and now I get this little note from the..."Don't you love those little pats on the back! I set a goal of 15, maybe too ambitious) and have also read 2. I also plan to sell or give to the library at least some of those books I do read for this challenge. Small steps toward reducing the piles!
I can't give my children(books) up just yet. I was too ambitious.
Carol wrote: "I can't give my children(books) up just yet. I was too ambitious."The books I plan to give up are newer acquisitions...say within the past 5 o4 so years or books I'm not emotionally attached to. It is difficult to part with any but I really am over run with them.
I refuse to get stressed about anything to do with reading! Books are where I go for refuge and restoration!
Who said anything about giving away books?! I'm not going to be giving any away. But I can certainly see the benefit in adding that to your part of the challenge. I might give some to my daughter to read, when she's over tax season. But not books I haven't read. I lose them that way.
If we all lived closer together we could do our own library exchange.
I was going to read the Classics selection, but after having read nine pages, I decided to put it aside and start another of my books for this challenge. I couldn't have chosen a more different book than Cities of the Plain by Cormac McCarthy. I bought this when it first came out, and it surprised me when I looked at the copyright page that that was 1998. It doesn't seem that long ago. Going from Jane Austen to Cormac McCarthy is giving me whiplash.
I finished Local Souls, now I will finish Raintree County for this challenge. I told myself I can't read the books I bought until I finish it and one more of my other books first. I am about 75% done with Raintree. Then I will pick a small one. I do have three other Benjamin Black books , this is the second in the Quirk series, so I will hunt it out.The Silver Swan
I have to laugh, Sherry. Having just read The Sound and the Fury, I tried to read the Exploding Mango book over yonder. Couldn't do it. Went back to Faulkner, The Unvanquished. BTW, both Faulkner's were in fact already on my shelf. :)
And, On the Beach was on my stack as well, so that's three more.
Well this email didn't do anything to help me only read my already-owned books:"eBooks Antitrust Settlement Information
Dear Sherry Keller,
Good news! You are entitled to a credit of $44.55 for some of your past Kindle book purchases. The credit results from legal settlements reached with publishers Hachette, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan, and Penguin in antitrust lawsuits filed by State Attorneys General and Class Plaintiffs about the price of eBooks.
You don't have to do anything to claim your credit, we have already added your credit to your Amazon account. We will automatically apply your available credit to your next purchase of a Kindle book or print book sold by Amazon.com, regardless of publisher. The credit applied to your purchase will appear in your order summary. If your account does not reflect this credit, please contact Amazon's customer service."
I will try hard to wait until we have voted on a new list. That would be the sensible thing to do.
Yipee! A free book. I didn't get as much as you Sherry because a lot of my Kindle books were received as gifts from my kids.
Yabba Dabba Dooooooo! Good show, Sherry!! Right, save the credit. It's too late for me, I've already spent it. heh
It wasn't that much, only 8 USD, but still, a free book is a free book. I'll take it!
Cateline wrote: "Yabba Dabba Dooooooo! Good show, Sherry!! Right, save the credit. It's too late for me, I've already spent it. heh
It wasn't that much, only 8 USD, but still, a free book is a free book. I'll ..."
I'll try to save the credit. Now all I have to do is remember to use it when the next book list comes along! I hope using it is automatic.
Sherry, I believe you can redeem the credit AND keep to the challenge if you give book gifts to the grandchildren for their birthdays. Never give up! Never surrender!
Buy the books for your next read your own challenge next year. What better time than to start now.
I just bought two books for Sara's birthday. But I don't count those. I went to Barnes and Noble.
Carol wrote: "Buy the books for your next read your own challenge next year. What better time than to start now."What would be a good challenge for next year, Carol? I could do this same challenge for a few years and still not be finished with my unread books.
I haven't gotten any e-mail from any of the ebook vendors about my share of the settlement :( -
My Amazon email is right after this one...I got 21.90. Somehow I have a feeling it won't make it until the next vote but I may take a close look at my wishlist.
Sherry wrote: "Carol wrote: "Buy the books for your next read your own challenge next year. What better time than to start now."What would be a good challenge for next year, Carol? I could do this same challeng..."
I will think on that.
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Constant Reader
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The five were:
The Cuckoo's Calling, The Secret History, Octopussy & the Living Daylights, From Russia With Love, and Doctor No.
And I'm now reading Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, also from my previously owned books.
Ennh, it's a start. :)