Laurie's Books I Own 2019 Quest for Women Challenge

[Laurie]

1920 The Wreath by Sigrid Undset* 1/19/19
1936 Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen* 11/12/19
1949 Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford 4/20/19
1954 Under the Net by Iris Murdoch* 7/28/19
1960 The Country Girls by Edna O'Brien* 9/30/19
1975 Heat and Dust by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala* 11/27/27
1984 Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich 10/31/19
1992 Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison* 9/2/19
2000 Thank You for Not Reading by Dubravka Ugrešić* 9/15/19
2018 Washington Black by Esi Edugyan* 2/15/19

10/10 read

*New to me author

[Laurie]

I have two goals for my 2019 reading: read books I own and books on my personal best of 20th century challenge. Reading books I own should be a no-brainer every year, but somehow they languish on my shelves. So each book in this challenge is either a physical or ebook I already own.

Additionally 6 of the books are on my best of 20th century challenge which I failed to read enough of in 2018. I want to read one a month for that challenge in 2019, so the women's quest will take care of half.

[Aubrey]

Nice list, Laurie. I'm likely going to read 'The Man Who Loved Children' for my own quest, and I've been looking for a copy of 'Thank You For Not Reading' for some time.

[Kathleen]

I know what you mean, Laurie. I have the same problem with neglecting the books I already have. This is a nice list of books to own! I've only read Nightwood, and it was wonderfully strange. Good luck with your challenge.

[Laurie]

Aubrey wrote: "Nice list, Laurie. I'm likely going to read 'The Man Who Loved Children' for my own quest, and I've been looking for a copy of 'Thank You For Not Reading' for some time."

Thanks, Aubrey. My copy of Thank You for Not Reading was a gift, so luckily I didn't have to search.

[Laurie]

Kathleen wrote: "I know what you mean, Laurie. I have the same problem with neglecting the books I already have. This is a nice list of books to own! I've only read Nightwood, and it was wonderfully strange. Good l..."

Thank you, Kathleen. I look forward to tackling my list.

[Pink]

Good luck with your challenge. I’m the worst at not reading books from my shelves, but I hope to change that in 2019 too!

[Laurie]

Pink wrote: "Good luck with your challenge. I’m the worst at not reading books from my shelves, but I hope to change that in 2019 too!"

Thanks, Pink.

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

I also tend to neglect the books on my shelf. Its an unconscious attitude, I think, that now that I have a copy, it will be there when I get time to read it. But I don't, I just keep adding books and the shelf just bends under the weight. Some night I will be awakened by the explosion of a breaking bookshelf. I'll splintered wood and I'' be knee deep in a pile of books.

Have fun with your challenge.

[Laurie]

Bob wrote: "I also tend to neglect the books on my shelf. Its an unconscious attitude, I think, that now that I have a copy, it will be there when I get time to read it. But I don't, I just keep adding books a..."

Thank you, Bob. It's amazing how we all seem to buy and not read the books. I can't believe I need to force myself to pick them up or download them from the cloud. In my case, the ease of ebook purchases has made a huge difference in my life. But both physical and ebooks are on this challenge, so it 's a start.

[Brina]

This is a great list of books :)

[Laurie]

Brina wrote: "This is a great list of books :)"

Thanks, Brina

[Aubrey]

Bob wrote: "I also tend to neglect the books on my shelf. Its an unconscious attitude, I think, that now that I have a copy, it will be there when I get time to read it. But I don't, I just keep adding books a..."

I have a digital shelf devoted to indicating the oldest twenty percent of my owned collection that I refer to whenever I need either inspiration or a swift kick in the pants.

[Laurie]

Aubrey wrote: "Bob wrote: "I also tend to neglect the books on my shelf. Its an unconscious attitude, I think, that now that I have a copy, it will be there when I get time to read it. But I don't, I just keep ad..."

Great idea.

[Laurie]

I had to switch out my 1970s book since I started reading Letter to a Child Never Born today to squeak in a short book before year end. I've replaced it with another book that's been on my TBR for a while, Heat and Dust by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala.

[Laurie]

I realized today that I did not update my thread when I finished the first book of my challenge almost 2 weeks ago. For the 1920s decade, I read The Wreath by Sigrid Undset and here is a link to my review. Originally was going to read Jacob's Room by Virginia Woolf, but I decided to switch it out since I want to read the Lavransdatter trilogy this year.

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

I liked your review. Are you going to continue with the trilogy?

[Sue]

Laurie wrote: "I realized today that I did not update my thread when I finished the first book of my challenge almost 2 weeks ago. For the 1920s decade, I read The Wreath by [author:Sigrid Undset|4203..."

congratulations on your first one Laurie. I want to read that trilogy too.

[Sara, Old School Classics]

I'm another who wants to read these, Laurie. Congrats on having the first one behind you.

[Laurie]

Bob wrote: "I liked your review. Are you going to continue with the trilogy?"

I will continue with the trilogy later this year. I definitely want to finish, and I don't want too long.

[Laurie]

Sara wrote: "I'm another who wants to read these, Laurie. Congrats on having the first one behind you."

Sue wrote: "Laurie wrote: "I realized today that I did not update my thread when I finished the first book of my challenge almost 2 weeks ago. For the 1920s decade, I read The Wreath by [author:Sig..."

Thanks Sue and Sara. So many people in this group love these books, so I hope to feel that way when I'm done.

[Laurie]

I have read the 2nd book for this challenge. Washington Black by Esi Edugyan was highly entertaining. I gave it 4 stars and I think if I had read this at another time, I might have rated it lower for the highly improbable events that occurred at times in this narrative of a young Barbadian slave boy. But it was a fast paced adventure-type story which was engrossing to read even though there were violent and harrowing events, as most slave narratives have. Right now I needed something that moved quickly and didn't require effort from me and this fit the bill nicely.

[MK]

I have just added this to my tbr in the last couple weeks. It was probably from one of your updates :). Looks like a good read.

[Laurie]

My third book of the challenge is finished. I read Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford and here is my review

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Cliffhangers, got to love them or is it hate them. Sometimes I get confused.

[Laurie]

I have to DNF one of my books. Nightwood just isn't for me. I have read it on and off for a few weeks and made it over halfway but I just can't finish this one. I will replace it with something else later.

[Sara, Old School Classics]

Yikes, hate when that happens. I am feeling close to a DNF with the book I am currently reading--but promised to stick it out to page 100 before I bail. Sometimes it happens. Hope the next one is a winner, Laurie.

[Kathleen]

Very understandable about Nightwood, Laurie. That one was so weird. Hope you find a good one to take its place. There's no time for books we aren't enjoying!

[Laurie]

I am finally halfway through my challenge. I finished Bastard Out of Carolina and it packs an incredible punch. Here is my review

[Sue]

Congratulations on being halfway Laurie. Great review.

[Katy, New School Classics]

Laurie wrote: "I am finally halfway through my challenge. I finished Bastard Out of Carolina and it packs an incredible punch. Here is my review"

Hooray for the halfway point.

[Laurie]

Finished my 6th book. I changed my 1960's book to The Country Girls by Edna O'Brien which was much shorter than my original choice. Sadly I gave it 3 stars which felt generous and I might lower my rating with some thought. Oh well, onwards to another on the list next month.

[Laurie]

Just realized I never added my actual 6th book instead of what I wrote in the previous post. Number 6 was Thank You for Not Reading by Dubravka Ugrešić which I finished two weeks ago. So 7 down and three to go.

[Aubrey]

Laurie wrote: "Finished my 6th book. I changed my 1960's book to The Country Girls by Edna O'Brien which was much shorter than my original choice. Sadly I gave it 3 stars which felt ge..."

A shame indeed, although if it makes you feel better, Laurie, you're not the only one who does retrospective lowering of ratings.

[Laurie]

I have finished the 8th book of this challenge. I read Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich which was bleak and powerful. It is about the intertwining lives of three Native American women and their families on a reservation in North Dakota. It was a wonderful book, but it is a hard read since the lives of the characters were so sad. Louise Erdrich depicts the lives of Native Americans with stunning artistry.

[Laurie]

I finished the 9th book of my challenge with Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen). Here is my review.

[Aubrey]

Almost done! Nice!

[Laurie]

Aubrey wrote: "Almost done! Nice!"

Yep but I thought I would be done ages ago. Life just got in the way.

[Sue]

Congratulations Laurie!

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Looks like you have this one well in hand, congrats!

[Laurie]

Thanks Sue and Bob.

[Laurie]

I finished my challenge today. I read Heat and Dust by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. I am happy to be finished but I enjoyed each book and found them all worthwhile.

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Congratulations!!

[Laurie]

Thanks, Bob

[Aubrey]

Congrats Laurie! Now to look forward to your 2020 Quest for Women Reads :)

[Rosemarie]

Congrats on finishing, Laurie!

[Laurie]

Thank you, Aubrey and Rosemarie.

[Lynn, Revisit the Shelf]

Yes congratulations Laurie! I have always liked Louise Erdrich because of her children's book The Birchbark House. I have been meaning to read Love Medicine for years. I liked what you had to say about it. I hope to read it in 2020.