My "Read My Own Books" Challenge

[Sue]

I do intend to read The Iliad later too. Another I haven't read since college and I know I didn't like very much then. I didn't realize that Fagles had translated it too. I'll have to get a copy. Much as I like my kindle. I am enjoying reading a paper copy of the Odyssey. You are right though Barbara about the ability to check things on the kindle. (I have this wonderful Libran ability to come down on both sides of an issue)

[Carol]

Okay Kindle it is, thanks Barb.

[Mary Ellen]

Nicole, I also preferred The Iliad. For some reason the figure of Hector really touched me. Loved the scene in which his little son is frightened by his battle gear (helmet maybe?). It seemed very human. But that was many years ago. Maybe I'd respond differently now.

[Nicole]

That's a terrific scene, Mary Ellen. The small moments with Hector and his family are really touching, especially since you know what will happen....

There also a scene, I think, where Andromache begs Hector to stay inside the walls and hold the siege instead of going out to fight.

[Barbara]

You all are motivating me to try The Iliad again. I wonder if it would be possible to get enough votes for the Classics list.

[Ann D]

I'd vote for it Barb. I've never read the whole thing.

[Sue]

I would too though I wouldn't want to read it quickly. I'm in a Odyssey/Ulysses group now and we are reading Honer slowly over 2 months, 3 books per week which fits in great with other reading.

[Carol]

I might be persuaded to read it also, as long as it is over a month or two.

[Mary Ellen]

I would try to make it - I last read it in college but I still have vivid memories of certain scenes. (Not so much for the Odyssey & I wonder why?)

[Barbara]

Ok, I am going to try to remember to nominate it. Maybe it could be scheduled for 2 months. The only way I would do it is if I had all of you available for discussion.

[Sue]

Barbara wrote: "Ok, I am going to try to remember to nominate it. Maybe it could be scheduled for 2 months. The only way I would do it is if I had all of you available for discussion."

Sounds like a plan. And I'll vote for it.

[Nicole]

I'm pretty sure I saved my copy from the transatlantic purge. If it's still on my shelves, I could be up for a re-read.

[Sherry, Doyenne]

In a nice convergence of events, Birdsong, the book for our reading list this month, was also a book I've had for years. What a powerful book. I urge you all to read it.

[Ann D]

I've read it Sherry, and really enjoyed it.

[Ruth]

Sherry wrote: "In a nice convergence of events, Birdsong, the book for our reading list this month, was also a book I've had for years. What a powerful book. I urge you all to read it."

I do hope the pace picks up soon.

[Sherry, Doyenne]

Ruth wrote: "Sherry wrote: "In a nice convergence of events, Birdsong, the book for our reading list this month, was also a book I've had for years. What a powerful book. I urge you all to read it."..."

Toward the last quarter, I couldn't put it down.

[Carol]

Stayed up last night and finished it.

[Lynn]

I just saw that I'm at the top of the waiting list for Birgsong at the Wisconsin e-library, so maybe I will be able to join in before it's too late.

[Sherry, Doyenne]

Yesterday I started a book I've owned for a very long time, The Deep Green Sea by Robert Olen Butler. I love his writing, and I haven't read him in a while. This book didn't garner the praise many of his other books have, but the writing is still dreamy and evocative. As I read, I feel like I'm floating on a cloud, or traveling down a slow, gentle river.

[Mary Ellen]

Coming down the home stretch with Birdsong, and then I'll be back to finishing up a book I own - also about WWI - a nice confluence and will get me back on track for the challenge.

[Sherry, Doyenne]

Yesterday I finished The Deep Green Sea. I really enjoyed it, although it's probably not for everyone. It has a kind of Greek myth quality to it, or maybe Greek drama would be a better phrase. From the reviews I've read people either love it or hate it. The writing is gorgeous, and I can see and smell Butler's Vietnam. He's got a rare gift for describing through vision and smell.

[Sherry, Doyenne]

Today I started a book that I have no idea how it came to my house. I keep a journal of all the books I buy and have kept it since 1995. I don't see it there, but maybe I've overlooked it. ANYway, it's a P.D. James book called A Mind to Murder, number three, I think, in the Adam Dalgliesh series. I've read many books in this series, but none in order. I needed a mystery after the last two intense books I finished.

[Sherry, Doyenne]

Today I finished the P.D. James book, A Mind to Murder. A satisfying mystery, although a bit claustrophobic and a tad old-fashioned. It was written in 1963. I was only 15 then! So there is an excuse for it being old-fashioned. James is great at describing characters, and although there was a lot of talking and not much action, I still liked it for what it was.

[Sue]

Sherry wrote: "Today I finished the P.D. James book, A Mind to Murder. A satisfying mystery, although a bit claustrophobic and a tad old-fashioned. It was written in 1963. I was only 15 then! So the..."

When you add the publication date, Sherry, it really puts things into perspective. So much has changed in 50 years. England was really still recovering from WWII in the 60s and of course we were quite young, weren't we.

[Mary Ellen]

Celebrating another book read toward the challenge (and another book I can donate to our annual book sale which, coincidentally, is where I picked this up last year)!
People of Darkness by Tony Hillerman. This is a re-read for me - I ran through all the Hillerman mysteries a number of years ago, loving them all. As a re-read I was probably a little less captivated, but still enjoyed it.

[Sue]

Mary Ellen wrote: "Celebrating another book read toward the challenge (and another book I can donate to our annual book sale which, coincidentally, is where I picked this up last year)!
[book:People of Darkness|53056..."

This is a series I want to read again someday. I do own some of the books but have donated the later ones that I didn't like as much.

[Mary Ellen]

Like most Hillerman fans, I love the descriptions of the terrain, the presentation of Navajo customs and beliefs, and the chance to "hang out" with Chee & Leaphorn.

My love of the series was such that it was a huge thrill for me when, on vacation and passing through the Navajo reservation, we were pulled over by an officer of the Navajo Tribal Police. (Sad, I know.) He was very nice, too. Kind of like life imitating art.

[Sue]

Mary Ellen wrote: "Like most Hillerman fans, I love the descriptions of the terrain, the presentation of Navajo customs and beliefs, and the chance to "hang out" with Chee & Leaphorn.

My love of the series was suc..."

I have a book on the area, Hillerman Country: A Journey Through the Southwest With Tony Hillerman which goes into more depth on the landscape and peoples, though I haven't read the whole book yet. Hillerman's books are a main reason I took a Smithsonian trip to the Southwest back in the mid-90s. Loved it.

[Mary Ellen]

I've been able to go there a few times, conferences as well as vacation. Would love to live there, if I didn't love where I am! The book sounds great.

[Sue]

Mary Ellen wrote: "I've been able to go there a few times, conferences as well as vacation. Would love to live there, if I didn't love where I am! The book sounds great."

I've hoped to get there again but haven't yet. Maybe someday. I was struck by the physical beauty of the land--the many types of beauty.

[Cateline]

I haven't posted my previously bought read (this year) books in a while, so here is the list. Counting from last April:

Dance for the Dead by Thomas Perry
Dixie City Jam by James Lee Burke
The First Man in Rome by Colleen McCullough
The Grass Crown by Colleen McCullough
American Gods by Neil Gaiman (reread)
The World Without Us by Alan Weisman
I, Claudius and Claudius the God and His Wife Messalina by Robert Graves (both rereads)

I'm pretty sure that's it. :)

Sherry, not sure if I mentioned this, but up the thread you posted that you'd read Ripley's Game....I loved most of the Ripley series. There is an excellent film of RG staring John Malkovich as Ripley. He was Ripley. :)

[Sherry, Doyenne]

Cateline wrote: "I haven't posted my previously bought read (this year) books in a while, so here is the list. Counting from last April:

Dance for the Dead by Thomas Perry
[book:Dixie City Jam|57194..."

I should see that. I saw the one with Matt Damon. But I suspect this one is even better.

[Sherry, Doyenne]

I've started a new book for this challenge, Briar Rose by Robert Coover. I picked it because it is short and I'm behind (hate having to admit that), but it is beautifully written and dense like a chocolate truffle. It's a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty myth told in alternating sections between the Prince trying to reach the castle, and the dreaming Princess.

[Tonya]

Sherry wrote: "I finished Jim the Boy by Tony Earley. What a wonderful little book. There was some talk of it here which was what made me want to read it. I especially wanted to read it after I found..."

I have that sitting here for "next," I probably noticed comments about it here too. Glad to know you liked it!

[Ruth]

Tonya wrote: "Sherry wrote: "I finished Jim the Boy by Tony Earley. What a wonderful little book. There was some talk of it here which was what made me want to read it. I especially wanted to read i..."

I liked it too.

[Carol]

I did also.

[Sherry, Doyenne]

I finally finished Briar Rose by Robert Coover. A little thing like the CR meeting in STL came in the way of my reading it as quickly as I would have liked. It is small, but as I said before, it's very dense. It's not a book you can read without concentration. I think I'm just not smart enough for this book. I'm sure there were so many things I missed. Coover delves into "happily ever after" quite seriously and examines what that might mean. He has the prince contemplate heroism, he has the fairy (both evil and good) examine archetypes and ego and female-ness and male-ness. The princess is caught in a dream, or is it real? How long IS a hundred years anyway? All in beautiful language.

[Sherry, Doyenne]

I'm reading Chemistry and Other Stories by Ron Rash. I had read a couple of the stories, and decided to finish the whole thing. What a book. This is looking like it will be a 5-starrer. I highly recommend it.

[Barbara]

I read those too, Sherry. Really outstanding writing.

[Amy]

I've started Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald. So far I'm enjoying it.
Tender Is the Night

[Sue]

I just finished The Mill on the Floss so I'm making gains toward my goal.

Have you thought of keeping this going in 2015, Sherry? I like the idea since it keeps it in the forefront, reducing the stacks.

[Sherry, Doyenne]

I'll do a version of it. I'm going to allow myself to buy a few books, and won't require as many read as I did this year. I've given myself 30 books to read for this challenge, and I'm one behind and don't know if I'll catch up. I end up only reading small books. Next year I'll probably challenge myself to 15 so that I can read thick books, too.

[Sue]

Sherry wrote: "I'll do a version of it. I'm going to allow myself to buy a few books, and won't require as many read as I did this year. I've given myself 30 books to read for this challenge, and I'm one behind a..."

I challenged myself to 15 and have only read 11. Of course one of them was The Mill on the Floss :) I didn't take the challenge as strictly as you did either and have purchased some books, especially for kindle (primarily deals). But I still like the idea of this challenge.

I understand what you are saying about choosing small books. That's always s risk when trying to meet a goal too religiously. but you have done well, with 2 months still to go.

[Mary Anne]

I went "shopping" on my own shelves for a book to read, and found The Road to San Giovanni by Italo Calvino, translated by Tim Parks. This is a book of 5 stories. Lovely language.
I am struggling to get to my goal of 12 because most of my already owned books are tomes, and I am daunted by the prospect. We'll see if I can make it.

[Sherry, Doyenne]

I finished Chemistry and Other Stories by Ron Rash and I am still one book behind in my challenge. I wanted to be caught up before I started the Lahiri for the Reading List. I may have to search for a small book of poems that I know is around here somewhere.

The Last couple of stories changed my rating for this book from a five to a four. Not that the writing was worse, it was still excellent. It was just that the characters were so awful and left me with a bad feeling. True-to-life but awful. The penultimate story was about Serena. I had read the whole book about Serena and I really didn't enjoy spending more time with her. She seemed even worse here than in the book, if that's possible. When I read Serena, I liked it at the time. But I was really ready to be done with her. The last story was about a 16-year-old boy who was out looking for a way to make some money. He came across a marijuana field and stole some plants. Well, you can guess how that turns out.

I like stories that have some element of hope, even though that may be pollyanna thinking. I'm a pollyanna in an old lady's body, I suppose.

[Barbara]

I especially remember the marijuana story which probably says something about its quality given the number of short stories I've read over the years. It was definitely sad. I didn't like the Serena novel much and actually decided that Rash is a better short story writer than a novelist after that one. I can't remember how I felt about that story though I do recall it being in the collection. Did you like the fishing one?

I am reading Lahiri's book now and think you are going to like it so go for that short book of poetry!

[Sherry, Doyenne]

I had read the fishing story twice, so I didn't reread it this time. Yes, I remember liking it a lot. I think my favorite was the one where the father was trying to rescue his son from the drug life and ended up giving him an ultimatum. I found the whole thing very moving.

[Ruth]

After the Serena potboiler, I decided I was through with Rash.

[Sherry, Doyenne]

Ruth wrote: "After the Serena potboiler, I decided I was through with Rash."

Some of these short stories are wonderful, Ruth. Very different from Serena. He seems to have a thing about her, but when he steps away from that operatic theme, he has a real feel for this place (where I am right now) and the people who are from here.

[Sherry, Doyenne]

I've had Picnic, Lightning for over a decade and have read several of the poems, but I decided to read the whole thing in order. Collins is always at the Key West Literary Seminar and I have heard him read there several times, so when I read a poem out of this book, it's like I have Billy in my ear.