My "Read My Own Books" Challenge

[Barbara]

I hadn't taken the time to check my email yet, but this talk of Amazon credits motivated me. I got 7.55 which brightened up my evening!

[Deborah]

Well, I still haven't heard from Amazon, but I am getting $48.18 from Barnes and Noble!

[Charles]

Some time ago I segregated out onto my desk about three feet of my books I would like to re-read. Among them is Saul Bellow's Herzog I am getting nowhere with this pile of books, and yet my eye keeps lighting on this one. Has anyone read it recently? Is it one anyone else's shelf to read for this challenge?

[Charles]

Facing, at last, a free summer, here's my 16 books, from left to right as shelved. It's hopeless.

Cities in Civilization (Peter Hall)
The Birth of the Modern (Paul Johnson)
The Poems of Emily Dickinson
Gravity’s Rainbow (Thomas Pynchon)
The Demons (Heimito von Doderer, 3rd time)
The Master of Go (Yasunari Kawabata, 3rd time)
An Instance of the Fingerpost (Iain Pears)
Dos Passos USA trilogy
Herzog (Saul Bellow)
Life, A User’s Manual (Georges Perec)
The Scholars (Wu Ching-Tzu)
The Master and Margarita (Mikhail Bulgakov)
Cigarettes (Harry Mathews)
Big Sur and the Oranges of Heironymus Bosch (Henry Miller)
The Road to Oxiana (Robert Byron)
Death on the Installment Plan (Louis-Ferdinand Céline)

[Sue]

I've only read one of them, Charles, the Pears, but the Master & Margararita is waiting for me. That's a great list.

[Carol]

Master and Margarita was different. I did like it as I recall.

[Mary Ellen]

Master & Margarita is on my shelf, too! I will mentally place it on my "definitely reading this for the GR challenge" list, so I can share thoughts & responses with Charles & Sue!

Like Sue, the only book on your list that I've already read, Charles, is the Pears. IIRC, it was a fun read.

[Ruth]

I've read Fingerpost, Dickinson, USA trilogy, and Big Sur, and I may have read Herzog. I do know I gave up on Master& early in.

[Sherry, Doyenne]

I just now finished Cities of the Plain by Cormac McCarthy. It took me a while. The language is so beautiful and rich that I had to space it out and read it in short bits. The end, however (excluding the epilog which was dense) raced. I gave it five stars, not because I enjoyed it so much (how can you "enjoy" McCarthy, but because I think it is an important book.

[Rose]

First, I should mention that I didn't read all the messages here.

But I think I might have misunderstood the point of this thread. (Is that what you call it?) I thought it was about re-reading books. I re-read books all the time.

But to buy books and not read them! Why would anyone do that? I'm more like Ruth in this. I buy 4 or 5 books and I don't buy more until I've finished those. But to have more than a thousand books waiting to be read! Don't you ever think of how those poor books feel? Even a book wants to be loved and to a book being loved starts with being read.

But I have to admit that, every December, I get a double pension. Here in Italy, many people are paid, salary or pension, once a month and many of us get a double pay or pension in December. I treat mine like found money and buy a bunch of books. And then there are the outdoor markets where they often sell used books for 3 or 2 or even just 1 euro, which is more than 3 or 2 or 1 dollar, but not much. And sometimes, you can find really good stuff. I once bought 7 old paperback editions of classics in murder mysteries--for 50 cents each!

But I never have more than 30 books at a time that I haven't read yet.

How can you stand all those books staring resentfully at you, thinking, 'I could be on the shelf of someone who would read me.' and not feel a little guilty?

[Charles]

OK, I have four books added to my challenge shelf, three marked as read and one as in progress. Yet the challenge says I have read no books. Wot's going on?

[Mary Anne]

I'm no expert, Charles, but are you sure you checked the "already-owned" category?
My complaint is with the fact Goodreads doesn't seem to acknowledge the re-reading of a book as reading. I recently re-read Bel Canto, which I own, but get no credit for the effort. This happens with non-challenge books as well.

[Sue]

I usually classify re-read books as re-read in the year I re-read them and also mark them as read so that they get picked up as read by Goodreads. Just a little extra categorizing.

[Charles]

Mary Anne wrote: "I'm no expert, Charles, but are you sure you checked the "already-owned" category?
My complaint is with the fact Goodreads doesn't seem to acknowledge the re-reading of a book as reading. I recentl..."

The problem is, I found out, that the books need a date finished.

[Sue]

Charles wrote: "Mary Anne wrote: "I'm no expert, Charles, but are you sure you checked the "already-owned" category?
My complaint is with the fact Goodreads doesn't seem to acknowledge the re-reading of a book as ..."

Ah yes! That too!

[Rose]

It took me 3 hours to get to this point because my computer thinks this is a dangerous site and, for my protection, sends me to a site with all ads.

I know this has nothing to do with the discussion. I just couldn't take it any more.

Does anybody else have these problems? I look around in this wi-fi cafe and everybody seems happy, except me.

[Charles]

Rosabeatrice -- In your browser, probably in the area for settings, or else in Windows itself (I don't know about Mac) there is a place for declaring trusted sites. Add Goodreads to this list. Then keep an eye out, because Goodreads is not in fact to be trusted.

However, it sounds to me that instead, your computer has been infested with a bug which attaches itself to webpage links (either by click or by hover) and redirects you in the way you say. Are you using Firefox? Not only is Firefox particularly susceptible, but de-installing and re-installing won't help. If I am correct, you should either switch browsers (e.g. to Chrome) or get your machine professionally cleaned.

BTW, verify my infestation hypothesis BEFORE you declare Goodreads a trusted site.

[Ruth]

That's my impression, too, Charles, that she's been infested with some kind of malware that keeps sending her where it wants her to go instead of where she wants to go.

Did you run a virus check Rosabeatrice?

[Rose]

Thanks Charles and Ruth! I'm going to bring my computer to someone who knows a lot about these things.
I just bought this machine and, even today, with all the nonsense it put me through, it took me 45 minutes to check my e-mail and another hour to get here. In fact, just 2 seconds ago, the machine froze.
Thanks again! I will do as I'm told.
Internet used to be so much fun. Now, it's just one never-ending commercial!

[Sherry, Doyenne]

I've finally started another book for this challenge, Killer's Wedge by Ed McBain. I bought a few of McBain's books on Kindle because they were very inexpensive. My father-in-law was forever trying to get me to read them, but I never did while he was alive, so now I'm reading them, thinking of my wonderful father-in-law.

This particular book was written in 1956. It's interesting to read a police procedural from so long ago. I have to admit that another reason I picked this one is that I'm behind on this challenge, and I wanted something short.

[Charles]

Sherry, I hope not to spoil the fun, and McBain is very good, and rhe first practitioner of the detective ensemble, the 87th Precinct novels. However, the first police procedural was The Cask (1920) Detective Inspector French. The other early practitioner was R Austin Freeman, whose detective Dr John Thorndyke was also the first to make direct use of medical evidence. So 1956 was not so long ago. As far as McBain's achievement with the detective team goes, that really is old in comparison. The Martin Beck novels began to be published only in 1965, and I can't think of any others before about 20 years ago. Killer's Wedge was the fourth novel in the series. I may go look into it -- I've never read any early McBain. According to Wikipedia McBain says he was influenced by the TV show Dragnet [!]

[Sherry, Doyenne]

You won't spoil the fun, Charles. I certainly knew he probably wasn't the first, but this one is old compared to others I've read.

[Sherry, Doyenne]

Finished this already. Charles, he obviously was influenced by Dragnet because there were two references to it in this book. A nice quick read. I'm back on track with this challenge, but probably not for long because the next book I'm reading is almost 900 pages.

[Mary Ellen]

I was doing so well....I was actually ahead....
Then, I downloaded Mansfield Park - for free, so does that count?! - on the Kindle, and haven't even finished it yet... THEN I went to the library - first time in 7 weeks...and checked out 6 books....

I have fallen, hard, off the wagon. ;)

[Ruth]

50 lashes with a wet library card for you!

[Charles]

Sherry wrote: "Finished this already. Charles, he obviously was influenced by Dragnet because there were two references to it in this book. A nice quick read. I'm back on track with this challenge, but probably n..."

And what IS the next book? Of 900 pages?

[Sherry, Doyenne]

Charles wrote: "Sherry wrote: "Finished this already. Charles, he obviously was influenced by Dragnet because there were two references to it in this book. A nice quick read. I'm back on track with this challenge,..."

It's our reading list book A Place of Greater Safety which I know I'll never finish by the 15th of May. I'm only 9% through and it seems I've been reading it for days. Well, if I don't, I'll still read the thread, because I think I know how the French Revolution turned out.

[Carol]

Sherry wrote: "Charles wrote: "Sherry wrote: "Finished this already. Charles, he obviously was influenced by Dragnet because there were two references to it in this book. A nice quick read. I'm back on track with..."

I set a goal of fifty pages a day, and I did finish it. So many character's almost did me in.

[Barbara]

I'm about 35% through A Place of Greater Safety and it gets better once the characters are established. I still really appreciate that my Kindle allows me to do searches for names to help my poor memory.

[Sue]

Barbara wrote: "I'm about 35% through A Place of Greater Safety and it gets better once the characters are established. I still really appreciate that my Kindle allows me to do searches for names to help my poor ..."

I'm not as far as you but I do like it. I like the diversity of the characters. I decided not to worry if I forgot a character as I figured (hoped) context would bring details back to me. So far that seems to be working.

[Deborah]

I didn't realize A Place of Greater Safety (which is waiting for me for pickup from the library) was so long. I think I'm going to have to pass on this one.

[Mary Ellen]

Ruth wrote: "50 lashes with a wet library card for you!"

;)
Tx, Ruth!!

[Mary Ellen]

I just picked up Greater Safety at the library yesterday (and did return ONE of the books I'd checked out in my splurge, unread....still keeping an unrealistic number of them!).

I know I'll never finish it on time, but I've been wanting to read it for a while, so I think it's now or never.

And Sherry, I read the last chapter first! As if I didn't know how it would end!

[Lynn Dee]

Coincidentally (because I hadn't been here for a while), I'm also reading A Place of Greater Safety, and am about 1/3 through. I did put it aside for a while because, when I read the reference to people being strung up on lanterns (lamp posts) rather than executed by the "more formal" guillotine, I suddenly flashed on the name of a book whose title I'd been trying off and on to remember for years: The Way to the Lantern by Audrey Erskine Lindop (so I ordered and read it). It's also set in Paris during the French Revolution but the central storyline is a purely fictional one. It's a true swashbuckler of a novel, thoroughly researched and well written, with a dry, often laugh-out-loud sense of humor evident throughout from our hero and narrator. Desmoulins, Danton and of course Robespierre pop up on occasion in small but critical parts of the story, so I had the odd but exhilarating sense of suddenly stepping back from Mantel's book and viewing the same events from another neighborhood.

Anyway, it's a fun and immensely satisfying read. It's out of print but you can still pick up a copy through amazon and no doubt other places as well. I highly recommend it.

[Cateline]

Since I posted in February, I've read a few more from the previously bought books.

On the Beach
The Sound and the Fury
Big Fish
11/22/63
Naoko: A Novel

So, some small progress. :)

[Gina]

I haven't read any of my challenge books yet, but I did pick 4 out. I'm not reading as much right now so I'm behind with everything. I plan to read:
Silk Fish Opium
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America
Half Broke Horses
World Without End

[Charles]

Cateline wrote: "Since I posted in February, I've read a few more from the previously bought books.

The Sound and the Fury"

Gee whiz. I haven'r read Faulkner in over 40 years. Maybe I'll read this in the fall.

[Nicole]

Gina: I remember really enjoying the devil in the white city, though it's hard to say how much of that was that I was living with walking distance of the midway and Burnham park at the time.

[Cateline]

Charles wrote: "Cateline wrote: "Since I posted in February, I've read a few more from the previously bought books.

The Sound and the Fury"

Gee whiz. I haven'r read Faulkner in over 40 years. Mayb..."

:). In truth I loved Absalom, Absalom! more.

[Carol]

Aw heck, I just like Faulkner period.

[Ruth]

Lynn Dee wrote: "Coincidentally (because I hadn't been here for a while), I'm also reading A Place of Greater Safety, and am about 1/3 through. I did put it aside for a while because, when I read the reference to p..."

Lynn! Welcome home!

[Tonya]

Gina wrote: "I haven't read any of my challenge books yet, but I did pick 4 out. ...."

Long time ago, but I was completely sucked in by The Devil in the White City, remember I enjoyed the fool out of it.

[Lynn Dee]

Ruth wrote: "Lynn! Welcome home!"

Hey there, Ruth! The years just flow by, don't they? How have you been?

[Sue]

I re-read The Sound and the Fury Recently and liked it a lot but I had also bought it fairly recently so it can't be part of this challenge. I am going to read Light in August (first time since college) shortly and I think that will qualify. I plan to read as much of Faulkner as I can as I am enjoying him now even more than when I was younger (and he was actually still alive!)

[Ruth]

Lynn Dee wrote: "Ruth wrote: "Lynn! Welcome home!"

Hey there, Ruth! The years just flow by, don't they? How have you been?"

I'm fine. How are you?

[Lynn Dee]

Ruth wrote:
I'm fine. How are you?

Fine here as well. Still working. Seems I didn't anticipate the whole retirement thing very well. :)

Fortunately, there will always be books.

How is your art? Or is that way too broad a question?

[Barbara]

Welcome back, Lynn! I love seeing you here.

[Ruth]

Not making much art, Lynn, but I've had two books of poetry published.

[Sherry, Doyenne]

I'm way behind on this challenge. Damn you, Hilary Mantel. Last night I started Cry, the Beloved Country. It serves double duty as a Classics selection and reading a book I already owned (actually this belonged to my son who left it here after college. But it's in my house, so it counts.)

[Mary Ellen]

Indeed, Hilary put up a great big roadblock to my read-your-own race. But I am finding the detour well worth it! :)