2025 Reading Challenge discussion
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Paul's Spinning Carousel - 180+ books in 2016
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Catherine
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May 12, 2016 10:50AM
I just bought The God of Small Things also! Not sure if I will get to it this year or not. I'm struggling with my TBR challenge so I really need to focus on that and stop getting distracted with new books. But, I say the same thing every year and it never changes!
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If you want to write reviews, you can start out small! My reviews are usually just a paragraph of my random thoughts right after finishing a book. It's nothing fancy, and certainly not as well thought-out as a critical review, but I like being able to look at what I thought right after finishing a book. Sometimes a book gets better with time and sometimes it goes the other way, so it's interesting to compare.
@Catherine: Ah, wonderful! I hope you enjoy it. :)@Cassandra: But I don't want to go small. *pretend pouts* ;) (Plus, it wouldn't be so much "starting" as "resuming".) Really though if what I wrote at the start of the year is any indication I'm going to end up halfway between how you do it and how a critical review does it. It's basically going to be random thoughts but for several paragraphs instead of one, and there's no point pretending it's going to be any different. ^^ Not that that's a bad thing though! I definitely feel like I've got a lot to say. Though that being said I know I'm not going to be say much for some books depending on how much I remember, and even if I've no I idea if I'm going to be able to pull it off I really want to do something special for A Tale for the Time Being. :)
That's perfect! Do what works for you. :) I wish I had time to think about it more, but then I'd never write anything.
Book #107
The Hunger Games (Hunger Games, #1) by Suzanne Collins
Finished 13th May 2016
454p
Why I read it: I felt like reading it again.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Dystopia, female, white, USA, 2000s, May, familiar, physical, series, young adults, medium, novel, reread.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Award Winning Books, Mayrathon, Celebrate: The Soundtrack
Book #108
The Electric Michelangelo by Sarah Hall
Finished 15th May 2016
340p
Why I read it: My library really likes it, and the title's seemed weird and interesting for years now.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Historical, female, white, UK/USA, 2000s, May, new, borrowed, standalone, adults, medium, novel.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Mayrathon, Every Year (2004), I Spy, Celebrate: The Soundtrack
Book #109
Catching Fire (Hunger Games, #2) by Suzanne Collins
Finished 16th May 2016
472p
Why I read it: I felt like reading it again.
Rating: 3/5
Categories: Dystopian, female, white, USA, 2000s, May, familiar, physical, series, young adults, medium, novel, reread.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Mayrathon, Celebrate: The Soundtrack, Award Winning Books
Book #110
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez (translated by Gregory Rabassa)
Finished 16th May 2016
428p
Why I read it: I felt like reading it again, especially seeing as I own it now.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: General/historical/literary/fantasy/magic realism, male, POC, Colombia, 1960s, May, familiar, ebook, standalone, adults, medium, novel, reread.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Mayrathon, Celebrate: The Soundtrack, Award Winning Books, Around the World (Colombia), 10,000 Challenge (Math)
Book #111
Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3) by Suzanne Collins
Finished 19th May 2016
455p
Why I read it: I felt like reading it again.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Dystopian, female, white, USA, 2010s, May, familiar, physical, series, young adults, medium, novel, reread.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Mayrathon, Celebrate: The Soundtrack, Award Winning Books, Special 10,000 Challenge (Biology)
Book #112
Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey
Finished 19th May 2016
370p
Why I read it: I needed some sort of self-improvement thing for Popsugar, and remembered this.
Rating: 3/5
Categories: Advice/how-to, male, white, USA, 1980s, May, new, borrowed, standalone, adults, medium, nonfiction.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Mayrathon, Celebrate: The Soundtrack, Popsugar (self-improvement)
Book #113
Dancing at Lughnasa by Brian Friel
Finished 20th May 2016
112p
Why I read it: It was a well-loved play by one of our best playwrights, and if we hadn't done Hamlet instead we could have done it for our Leaving Cert.
Rating: 3/5
Categories: Historical, male, white, Ireland/UK, 1990s, May, familiar, borrowed, standalone, adults, short, play.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Mayrathon, Celebrate: The Soundtrack, Léamh go Brách
Book #114
Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale - The Final Chapter by Russell T. Davies and Ben Cook
Finished 20th May 2016
704p
Why I read it: It sounded really interesting and it'd got tons of praise.
Rating: 5/5
Categories: Advice/how-to/biography/memoir, male, white, UK/USA, 2000s, May, new, borrowed, standalone, adults, long, nonfiction.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Mayrathon, Celebrate: The Soundtrack, 10,000 Challenge (Extra Curricular)
Book #115
Hold That Thought, Milton! by Linda Ravin Lodding (illustrated by Ross Collins)
Finished 20th May 2016
19p
Why I read it: I was pottering around a bookshop when I saw it, and I couldn't resist that cover. So I read it there and then.
Rating: 3/5
Categories: Humour, female, white, USA, 2010s, May, new, borrowed, standalone, children, short, picture book.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Mayrathon
Book #116
Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle
Finished 22th May 2016
282p
Why I read it: I felt like reading it again.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: General/historical/coming of age, male, white, Ireland, 1990s, May, familiar, physical, standalone, adults, novel, reread, medium.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Mayrathon, Award Winning Books
Book #117
The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
Finished 22th May 2016
374p
Why I read it: It showed up in a Kindle sale and I recognised it - but why? Did people in the Mark Reads cohort recommend it? Was it because one of my friends read The Water Knife and liked it? Did I know by then that it'd gotten the Hugo for Best Novel? I'm not sure to be honest.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Sci-fi, male, white, USA, 2000s, May, new, ebook, standalone, adults, novel, medium.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Mayrathon, Award Winning Books, I Spy
Book #118
We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo
Finished 23rd May 2016
290p
Why I read it: My library really liked it, I remember hearing about it when it came out, and it was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2013.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: General, female, POC, Zimbabwe/USA, 2010s, May, new, borrowed, standalone, adults, novel, medium.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Mayrathon, Award Winning Books, I Spy, Around the World (Zimbabwe)
Book #119
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
Finished 25th May 2016
321p
Why I read it: I felt like reading it again.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: General, male, POC, India/Australia, 2000s, May, familiar, physical, standalone, adults, novel, reread, medium.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Mayrathon, Award Winning Books
Book #120
You, Me, and the Big Blue Sea by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick
Finished 26th May 2016
32p
Why I read it: I'm sure I read it years ago (but how could I? I was only
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Historical/general, female, white, Ireland, 2000s, May, familiar, borrowed, standalone, children, picture book, reread, short.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Mayrathon, Celebrate Goodreads: The Soundtrack
Book #121
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Finished 26th May 2016
393p
Why I read it: I heard about it in the Reader's Digest when it came out, and it stuck with me ever since. Then it showed up in a Kindle sale one year and I had to have it.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Science/biography, female, white, USA, 2010s, May, new, ebook, adults, nonfiction, standalone, medium.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Mayrathon, Award Winning Books, Nonfiction, Recommended by Reading Challengers, 10,000 Challenge (Language Arts)
Book #122
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess (read by Tom Hollander)
Finished 27th May 2016
148p
Why I read it: You see my droogs I'd slooshied it was a malenky bit of a classic or some such other gloopy nonsense for years now, and then when I viddied I could buy it for a horrorshow price in an Amazon Kindle audiobook show without having to pull out a bit of the old ultraviolence something came up in my gulliver and I thought "Well this is horrowshow, this is very very horrorshow, oh my brothers". Now Your Humble Narrator had all the pretty polly bovverating in his pocket that he could ever need. So I ittied ahead and bought it, oh my brothers.
Rating: 3/5
Categories: Dystopian/general, chelloveck, white, UK, 1960s, May, new, audiobook, starry vecks, standalone, novel, short.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Mayrathon, Audiobook, Award Winning Books
Book #123
Perfect State by Brandon Sanderson
Finished 27th May 2016
87p
Why I read it: It was Brandon Sanderson (who I'm more or less open to), it got discounted because it'd been nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novella, and it was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novella.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Fantasy/sci-fi, male, white, USA, 2010s, May, familiar, ebook, adults, standalone, novella, short.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Mayrathon
Book #124
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Finished 29th May 2016
504p
Why I read it: The TV series is coming soon, so I pulled this out again and delved.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Fantasy, male, white, UK/USA, 2000s, May, familiar, borrowed, adults, standalone, novel, reread, long.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Mayrathon, Award Winning Books, 10,000 Challenge (Technology), Léamh go Brách
Book #125
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
Finished 30th May 2016
270p
Why I read it: I've been hearing great things about Kate DiCamillo for years now, and I remembered people thought the film was incredibly weird. Also this book was in my library.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Fantasy, female, white, USA, 2000s, May, new, borrowed, children, standalone, novel, medium.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Mayrathon, Award Winning Books
Book #126
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (Inheritance Trilogy, #1) by N.K. Jemisin
Finished 2nd June 2016
417p
Why I read it: Mark Oshiro read it once.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Fantasy, female, POC, USA, 2010s, June, new, ebook, adults, series, novel, medium.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Award Winning Books, Someone Else's Shoes, Special 10,000 Challenge (Some More Math), Every Year (2010)
Book #127
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain (read by Kathe Mazur)
Finished 4th June 2016
325p
Why I read it: It cropped up in a Kindle book with audiobook sale, and it won the Goodreads Choice Award for Nonfiction in 2012.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Science/advice/self-help, female, white, USA, 2010s, June, new, audiobook, adults, standalone, nonfiction, medium.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Award Winning Books, Someone Else's Shoes, Special 10,000 Challenge (Psychology), Nonfiction, Audiobook, Recommended by Reading Challengers
Book #128
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
Finished 4th June 2016
864p
Why I read it: I felt like reading it again. For some reason.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: General, female, white, USA, 2010s, June, familiar, physical, adults, standalone, novel, very long.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Award Winning Books, Recommended by Reading Challengers
Book #129
In the Woods (Dublin Murder Squad, #1) by Tana French
Finished 5th June 2016
592p
Why I read it: Goodreads had so much good to say about this series that I was surprised I hadn't heard about it, and knew I had to. Thankfully the first book was in my library, so off I went.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Mystery/thriller, female, white, Ireland/USA/Italy/Malawi, 2000s, June, new, borrowed, adults, series, novel, long.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Award Winning Books, Léamh go Brách, Recommended by Reading Challengers
Book #130
The Broken Kingdoms (Inheritance Trilogy, #2) by N.K. Jemisin
Finished 6th June 2016
414p
Why I read it: Mark Oshiro read it.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Fantasy, female, POC, USA, 2010s, June, familiar, ebook, adults, series, novel, medium.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Award Winning Books, Someone Else's Shoes
Book #131
1Q84: Book One and Book Two by Haruki Murakami (translated by Jay Rubin)
Finished 12th June 2016
622p
Why I read it: I felt like reading it again - all of it this time. (Book Three should follow in about a week or so. Hopefully.)
Rating: 3/5
Categories: Fantasy/general, male, POC, Japan/USA, 2000s, June, familiar, borrowed, reread, adults, standalone/series, novel, long.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Award Winning Books, Someone Else's Shoes
Book #132
Maskerade (Discworld #18, Witches #5) by Terry Pratchett
Finished 16th June 2016
285p
Why I read it: Mark Oshiro was reading it.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Fantasy, male, white, UK, 1990s, June, familiar, borrowed, adults, series, novel, medium.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Someone Else's Shoes
Book #133
The Kingdom of Gods (Inheritance Trilogy #3) by N.K. Jemisin
Finished 17th June 2016
621p
Why I read it: Mark Oshiro read it.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Fantasy, female, POC, USA, 2010s, June, familiar, ebook, adults, series, novel, long.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, I Spy Book Edition
Book #134
The Awakened Kingdom (Inheritance Trilogy #3.5) by N.K. Jemisin
Finished 17th June 2016
122p
Why I read it: Even if Mark Oshiro didn't read it, I was still going to read it regardless.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Fantasy, female, POC, USA, 2010s, June, familiar, ebook, adults, series, novella, short.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Someone Else's Shoes
Book #135
1Q84: Book Three by Haruki Murakami (translated by Philip Gabriel)
Finished 18th June 2016
364p
Why I read it: I wanted to finally close that circle, to kill that paper moon and let it be reborn.
Rating: 3/5
Categories: Fantasy/general, male, POC, Japan/USA, 2010s, June, familiar, borrowed, adults, standalone/series, novel, medium.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Someone Else's Shoes, Award Winning Books
Book #136
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Finished 18th June 2016
409p
Why I read it: It was a big thriller thing of last year. It was almost inevitable really.
Rating: 3/5
Categories: Mystery/thriller, female, white, UK/Zimbabwe, 2010s, June, new, physical, adults, standalone, novel, medium.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Someone Else's Shoes, Popsugar (first book you see in the bookstore), Award Winning Books
Book #137
Deep Wizardry (Young Wizards #2) by Diane Duane
Finished 18th June 2016
190p
Why I read it: Mark Oshiro was reading it.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Fantasy, female, white, USA/Ireland, 1980s, June, familiar, audiobook, children, series, novel, short, reread.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Someone Else's Shoes, Léamh go Brách
Book #138
Shades in Shadow (Inheritance Trilogy #0.5, #1.5, #2.5) by N.K. Jemisin
Finished 18th June 2016
60p
Why I read it: Even if Mark Oshiro didn't read it, I was still going to read it regardless.
Rating: 3/5
Categories: Fantasy, female, POC, USA, 2010s, June, familiar, ebook, adults, series, short story, short.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages
Book #139
NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and How to Think Smarter About People Who Think Differently by Steve Silberman
Finished 25th June 2016
534p
Why I read it: It got nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award, it won the Samuel Johnson Prize, and it's very relevant to me personally. (OK, let's face it, I won't beat around the bush here, I've mentioned it already and I'm not exactly shamed about it. I'm autistic. Have been since forever I suppose. It's a teensy bit complicated basically. A teensy bit.)
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Science/?, male, white, USA, 2010s, June, new, borrowed, adults, standalone, nonfiction, long.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Award Winning Books
Book #140
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter, #1) by J.K. Rowling
Finished 26th June 2016
223p
Why I read it: Better late than never, really.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Fantasy/mystery/thriller, female, white, UK, 1990s, June, familiar, physical, children, series, novel, short, reread.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Award Winning Books, Popsugar (book that brings you joy), Recommended by 2015 Reading Challengers, Someone Else's Shoes
Book #141
How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran
Finished 26th June 2016
320p
Why I read it: I'd vaguely heard about this book for years and not known much about it, but then when it showed up on Our Shared Shelf and a Kindle + Audiobook sale I felt like I should probably read it.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Memoir/advice, female, white, UK, 2010s, June, new, audiobook, adult, standalone, nonfiction, medium.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Award Winning Books, Audiobook, Nonfiction, Someone Else's Shoes
Book #142
The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis
Finished 26th June 2016
174p
Why I read it: It was on one of those lists for children I paid attention to for six months ages ago. I was going to get rid of it but never quite got around to it, and then I found out Cartoon Saloon were making a film out of it and figured it was worth a punt.
Rating: 3/5
Categories: General, female, white, Canada, 2000s, June, new, children, series, novel, short, borrowed.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Award Winning Books, Someone Else's Shoes
Book #143
The Green Road by Anne Enright
Finished 30th June 2016
312p
Why I read it: It was the new award-winning novel by Anne Enright. How could I resist?
Rating: 4/5
Categories: General, female, white, Ireland, 2010s, June, familiar, adult, standalone, novel, medium, borrowed.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Léamh go Brách
Book #144
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter, #2) by J.K. Rowling
Finished 3rd July 2016
251p
Why I read it: I wanted to read it again. It had been too long.
Rating: 3/5
Categories: Fantasy, female, white, UK, 1990s, July, familiar, children, series, novel, medium, reread, physical.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages
Book #145
Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O'Farrell
Finished 3rd July 2016
352p
Why I read it: I don't know? I'd wanted to read it for a long time though.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: General/historical, female, white, Ireland/UK, 2010s, July, familiar, adult, standalone, novel, medium, borrowed.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Léamh go Brách
Book #146
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Finished 4th July 2016
228p
Why I read it: It's Pride and Prejudice! It was probably inevitable.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Classic/romance, female, white, UK, earlier, July, familiar, adult, standalone, novel, short, ebook.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Recommended by Reading Challengers
Book #147
A Briefer History of Time by Stephen Hawking with Leonard Mlodinow (read by Erik Davies)
Finished 5th July 2016
176p
Why I read it: I'd been wanting to read Brief for years in a fit of high-minded foolishness but never got around to it. Then this cropped up in a Kindle Whispersync sale and I decided it was time.
Rating: 3/5
Categories: Science, male, white, UK/USA, 2000s, July, new, adult, standalone, nonfiction, short, audiobook.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Popsugar (celebrity)
Book #148
A Bear Called Paddington (Paddington Bear, #1) by Michael Bond
Finished 6th July 2016
179p
Why I read it: It's Paddington Bear! It was probably in a sale though.
Rating: 3/5
Categories: General, male, white, UK, 1950s, July, new, children's, series, short story collection, short, ebook.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, I Spy Book Edition
Wow, Pride and Prejudice only got 4 stars? You are harsh! :)
Catherine wrote: "Wow, Pride and Prejudice only got 4 stars? You are harsh! :)"Am I? I would have thought I was being pretty generous! ;)
But no, while I did like it a lot (more or less), I felt like the characters were maybe a little thin here and there, although Austen did differentiate them pretty nicely, and a lot of the time the text was dense and rambly so I wasn't always sure what was going on. To be fair I was powering through it pretty quickly, almost impatient to have it done, so if I'd slowed down and taken more time I'd say I'd have liked it way more.
Now you say it though I do feel like I mark harsher than most people in general. Though sometimes I don't. I don't always know how to feel like this, but it probably doesn't matter all that much. :)
Book #149
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter, #3) by J.K. Rowling
Finished 7th July 2016
317p
Why I read it: It was about time I read it again.
Rating: 4/5
Categories: Fantasy, female, white, UK, 1990s, July, familiar, children's, series, novel, medium, physical, reread.
Challenges: Let's Turn Pages
Nothing wrong with having high standards. :)
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