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2022 Annual Reading Challenge
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Lea's 1st Annual Reading Challenge - 2nd List Complete...There will be no 3rd List! :-)
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Alissa
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Aug 22, 2022 07:16AM
WOOHOO YOU DID IT!
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Patricia wrote: "Congrats on finishing your list! I don't think I will ever finish one!"Hopefully you'll finish a list sometime, or at least keep reading good books. I have to confess, I've done a challenge like this one for many years, and sometimes I don't finish. I read so many books, it seems silly that I cannot get 16 previously chosen books read, but sometimes, other books line butt their way in ahead and other times I just wasn't in the mood.
Bill wrote: "Congratulations on completing your list. :)"Thanks, Bill. It is a good feeling! :-)
Alissa wrote: "WOOHOO YOU DID IT!"Yes, but now I have another list to tackle! Stressful! :-)
Lea wrote: "Alissa wrote: "WOOHOO YOU DID IT!"Yes, but now I have another list to tackle! Stressful! :-)"
No stress! Fun!
Whats gonna be the first one lol
Alissa wrote: "Lea wrote: "Alissa wrote: "WOOHOO YOU DID IT!"Yes, but now I have another list to tackle! Stressful! :-)"
No stress! Fun!
Whats gonna be the first one lol"
I just finished The Dictionary of Lost Words, letter to come, and started Fight Club. :-)
Mod
Yes, but now I have another list to tackle! Stressful! :-)"
No stress! Fun!
Whats gonna be the first one lol"
I just finished [book..."
Looking forward to your comments on Dictionary. I just bought it and hope to read it in September.
1. 2. A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf
3. Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
4. Robot Visions by Isaac Asimov
5. The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
6. Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
7. Somebody's Daughter by Ashley C. Ford
8. The Switch by Sandra Brown
9. Before and Again by Barbara Delinsky
10. Flirting with Disaster: Why Accidents Are Rarely Accidental by Marc S. Gerstein
11. Cities of the Plain by Cormac McCarthy
12. No Good Men Among the Living: America, the Taliban, and the War through Afghan Eyes by Anand Gopal
Alternates:
13. Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
14. The Secret History by Donna Tartt
15. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind
16. The Mountain Shadow by Gregory David Roberts
Dear Ms. Williams,
There were parts to The Dictionary of Lost Words that I really appreciated. After reading The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary, I was fascinated with the making of the Oxford English Dictionary and I think it is important to note that shortcomings of those volumes. And there definitely was a bias against certain words, based upon the life experiences of the lexicographers and the sources they used.
But, overall, I question whether every single word and every single usage of a word should find its way to a dictionary. I still have plenty of nonsense words that my friends and close family members use amongst ourselves, but that doesn't make it something that should go into a dictionary. Language is all about communication, and a large enough population should be using that word in that fashion before it becomes dictionary defined, or something that would be considered a standard.
Setting that aside, I didn't feel a connection with any of the characters, so while I thought it was an important topic, it just wasn't that compelling of a story for me. I liked it without loving it, and feel like this will become just another one of the many other books about words, book stores, libraries, etc. that you authors think that we will love, simply because they have those things within them.
The ending was the best part to me, and it caused me to push it to 3 stars versus the 2 stars I had originally been considering giving your book.
I would read another book you wrote, but I wouldn't race out to buy it first thing.
Regards,
Lea
Would you recommend I keep Dictionary on my TBR or is it skippable/forgettable?
Bill wrote: "Looking forward to your comments on Dictionary. I just bought it and hope to read it in September."Bill, most people seem to like it better than I did. It starts very slow. But, I thought the ending was strong and overall, I liked the book. Hope you enjoy it - I look forward to reading your thoughts!
Alissa wrote: "Would you recommend I keep Dictionary on my TBR or is it skippable/forgettable?"Since you seem to gravitate towards books with a lot of action and plot, I don't think this one's for you. I think you'll be bored in the beginning and I don't think the payoff at the end will be worth it.
I was thrilled to read your letter on Dictionary. I thought I was the only person who felt that way about this book. You summed it up perfectly when you said you "liked it without loving it". I thought the idea of this story had so much potential and there were moments that I really liked it but there were also moments when I didn't like the direction the story took. I felt like the author tried to squeeze too much into one story.
Lea wrote: "Since you seem to gravitate towards books with a lot of action and plot, I don't think this one's for you. I think you'll be bored in the beginning and I don't think the payoff at the end will be worth it."I guess this applies, at least partially, to me too. I don't need a lot of action and plot, but at least some. Stream of consciousness books don't work for me. Slow start is another thing that puts me off fast...so I think I'll skip this. Not a big loss, there are over 3000 books on my TBR...thank you!
Mod
Bill, most people seem to like it better than I did. It starts very slow. But, I th..."
Like you, I enjoyed The Professor and the Madman and Winchester's other book about the making of the OED so that's why I thought this might be interesting too. I'll keep you posted on my thoughts. I liked your review of it.
Michelle wrote: "I was thrilled to read your letter on Dictionary. I thought I was the only person who felt that way about this book. You summed it up perfectly when you said you "liked it without loving it". I thought the idea of this story had so much potential and there were moments that I really liked it but there were also moments when I didn't like the direction the story took. I felt like the author tried to squeeze too much into one story."Well, there are at least two of us that think this way. :-) I agree, I thought the book tried too hard.
Nice review Lea. I've been seeing that book a lot and wondered if I should read it too. Well, i doubt i would now :D
List 21.
2.
3.
4. Robot Visions by Isaac Asimov
5. The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
6. Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
7. Somebody's Daughter by Ashley C. Ford
8. The Switch by Sandra Brown
9. Before and Again by Barbara Delinsky
10. Flirting with Disaster: Why Accidents Are Rarely Accidental by Marc S. Gerstein
11. Cities of the Plain by Cormac McCarthy
12. No Good Men Among the Living: America, the Taliban, and the War through Afghan Eyes by Anand Gopal
Alternates:
13. Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
14. The Secret History by Donna Tartt
15. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind
16. The Mountain Shadow by Gregory David Roberts
Dear Mr. Palahniuk,
I knew I am probably not your target demographic audience for Fight Club. I have never watched the movie. Even so, not knowing what would happen, I still thought that the reveal happened pretty early and I kind of knew what was going to happen, so the book didn't really keep my attention. I would write you a longer letter, but since the first rule of Fight Club is that you don't talk about Fight Club...I guess we shouldn't talk much more about this one.
Moving on,
Lea
Faouzia wrote: "Nice review Lea. I've been seeing that book a lot and wondered if I should read it too. Well, i doubt i would now :D"Thanks, Faouzia! I would say that it wasn't a terrible disappointment, but it just wasn't that special. I enjoyed the nonfiction book The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary, so much more. I get that The Dictionary of Lost Words was written to underscore the lack of representation in the dictionary, which is important, but it just didn't hold my interest as much as I'd hoped. I am excited to hear that you will read other books, because no doubt I'll have book envy and want to read what you're reading too. :-)
Mod
2. A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf
3. [book:Fight Club|362..."
Fight Club is weird, but that is how the author writes, so be prepared.
Alondra wrote: "Fight Club is weird, but that is how the author writes, so be prepared."Maybe I have too much of imagination, because when the author was describing the injuries, I could taste the blood and feel the holes, etc. so I was a bit relieved when it was over. Otherwise, I thought it was clever and the reveal held together really well. Should I read more by this author, or should I steer clear? My letter to him is above (message 168)
List 21.
2.
3.
4. Robot Visions by Isaac Asimov
5. The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
6. Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
7. Somebody's Daughter by Ashley C. Ford
8. The Switch by Sandra Brown
9. Before and Again by Barbara Delinsky
10. Flirting with Disaster: Why Accidents Are Rarely Accidental by Marc S. Gerstein
11. Cities of the Plain by Cormac McCarthy
12. No Good Men Among the Living: America, the Taliban, and the War through Afghan Eyes by Anand Gopal
Alternates:
13. Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
14. The Secret History by Donna Tartt
15. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind
16. The Mountain Shadow by Gregory David Roberts
Dear Ms. Woolf,
I ended up hearing about the premise to your book before I read it, and I wasn't sure I would agree with it, so I've been procrastinating reading your essays in A Room of One's Own. I did read and partially agree that there can be an advantage to having a dedicated quiet place and enough money to support yourself while you undertake a writing effort, but I don't think it is always necessary and sometimes I think being too comfortable can be a bit anti-motivational since there isn't as much drive to create something. I use J.K. Rowling as an example; she wrote the first few Harry Potter books flat broke in a coffee house, and those books are excellent (and maybe better than the books she has written since, from her comfortable room of her own with economic comfort). That said, I think you made some good points and certainly there are some excellent works of fiction out there, unwritten, because the potential authors do not have the time to put their thoughts to paper.
Sincerely,
Lea
List 21.
2.
3.
4.
5. The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
6. Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
7. Somebody's Daughter by Ashley C. Ford
8. The Switch by Sandra Brown
9. Before and Again by Barbara Delinsky
10. Flirting with Disaster: Why Accidents Are Rarely Accidental by Marc S. Gerstein
11. Cities of the Plain by Cormac McCarthy
12. No Good Men Among the Living: America, the Taliban, and the War through Afghan Eyes by Anand Gopal
Alternates:
13. Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
14. The Secret History by Donna Tartt
15. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind
16. The Mountain Shadow by Gregory David Roberts
Dear Mr. Asimov,
I was super intimidated to read your books, having started reading the Foundation series many moons ago in high school and not understanding what I was reading. Last year, I started reading the Robot series, and I have enjoyed the variety of stories that you have written about robots and the underlying issues of them. I am sad that this compilation is probably the last of your robot books I can read...for the first time. It has created a desire to see if I can read and enjoy the Foundation series at some point, but I'll probably take a break before attempting it.
Until then,
Lea
Lea wrote: "List 21. The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams 3 STARS; READ 8/24/2022
2. A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf 3 STARS; READ 8..."
I had A Room of One's Own on my list forever, i couldn't get the courage to read (after almost hating Mrs. Dalloway)
After reading your letter, I think i will pick it up in the near future.
Lea wrote: "Faouzia wrote: "Nice review Lea. I've been seeing that book a lot and wondered if I should read it too. Well, i doubt i would now :D"Thanks, Faouzia! I would say that it wasn't a terrible disappo..."
The Professor and the Madman seems fascinating, so i had to add it :D
"Book envy" is actually the perfect description of what happens to me in this group lol, i keep adding more books than i could ever manage to read 😁
Faouzia wrote: "I had A Room of One's Own on my list forever, i couldn't get the courage to read (after almost hating Mrs. Dalloway)After reading your letter, I think i will pick it up in the near future."
I have been avoiding Mrs. Dalloway. I'm not a big fan of stream of consciousness fiction. Her essays have a little bit of the same, but it doesn't confuse the narrative at least. See what you think. I'm not sure I agree 100% with her thoughts, but I love differing perspectives. It helps me refine my own thinking. :-)
Faouzia wrote: "The Professor and the Madman seems fascinating, so i had to add it :D"Book envy" is actually the perfect description of what happens to me in this group lol, i keep adding more books than i could ever manage to read 😁"
I forgot where I heard the term "book envy" first, but it resonated so much with me that it is now part of my normal vocabulary. Should we make an entry in the Oxford English Dictionary for that phrase now? LOL. I hope you enjoy The Professor and the Madman, whenever you get around to reading it, Faouzia!
Mod
Maybe I have too much of imagination, because when the author was describing the injuries, I could taste th..."
I tried one other book; Haunted; and I was bored and confused. So, I don't think I am truly the target audience for his work.
Look at you knocking down List #2 like a boss!
List 21.
2.
3.
4.
5. The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
6. Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
7. Somebody's Daughter by Ashley C. Ford
8. The Switch by Sandra Brown
9.
10. Flirting with Disaster: Why Accidents Are Rarely Accidental by Marc S. Gerstein
11. Cities of the Plain by Cormac McCarthy
12.
Alternates:
13. Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
14. The Secret History by Donna Tartt
15. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind
16. The Mountain Shadow by Gregory David Roberts
Dear Mr. Gopal,
Your book No Good Men Among the Living: America, the Taliban, and the War through Afghan Eyes was eye opening, and I rated it 4 stars - I liked it very much. There is so much about Afghanistan that I don't know, but the indiscriminate attacks and arbitrary arrests that come from all sides make it very difficult for the Afghani people to live their lives in comfort. It is truly heart breaking. One thing I know for sure: when you treat your friends like enemies, your friends become your enemies. And this book reveals that for sure. One thing I don't think you highlighted in your book was the shifting loyalties. You say that the terrorists disappeared into Pakistan, you talk about people who are with the Taliban and people who are with the Alliance, but I believe there were plenty people playing both sides. Very few people in Afghanistan have the luxury of being loyal to a single ideology. If there were some easy solutions, they would have already been tried. It's heartbreaking, really.
Gratefully,
Lea
List 21.
2.
3.
4.
5. The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
6. Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
7. Somebody's Daughter by Ashley C. Ford
8. The Switch by Sandra Brown
9.
10. Flirting with Disaster: Why Accidents Are Rarely Accidental by Marc S. Gerstein
11. Cities of the Plain by Cormac McCarthy
12.
Alternates:
13. Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
14. The Secret History by Donna Tartt
15. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind
16. The Mountain Shadow by Gregory David Roberts
Dear Ms. Delinsky,
I had a hard time with Before and Again. It started slow and I felt like the main character was a little too much of a Mary Sue. Everyone wanted to be her friend and was attracted to her. And then the returning people to her life felt so fake to me. Forgiveness was quick and understanding extended for people who ghosted the main character for over five years. This book just didn't gel for me, but I'd read another book you wrote to see whether maybe this book wasn't right for me.
All the best,
Lea
Alondra wrote: "I tried one other book; Haunted; and I was bored and confused. So, I don't think I am truly the target audience for his work."Probably you and me both, then. I have heard so many people say that he is a genius, and he probably is...but it sounds like his work might not be my cup of tea either. Thanks for your thoughts!
Alissa wrote: "Look at you knocking down List #2 like a boss!"I might have to do this strategy for my 12 + 4 list next year. You know, wait until the very last moment and put down all the books I want to read right then. But, I do also have so much fun planning out my lists in advance. Maybe half and half?
Lea wrote: "There is so much about Afghanistan that I don't know, but the indiscriminate attacks and arbitrary arrests that come from all sides make it very difficult for the Afghani people to live their lives in comfort."I think it just makes it hard for them to live their lives. At this point, when basic needs are not met, comfort is irrelevant. War is not black and white, and while I understand (or try to understand) the actions of the soldiers and fighting men, regardless of their ideology, the impact on the civilians is heartbreaking. I don't know what the solution is.
Lea wrote: Very few people in Afghanistan have the luxury of being loyal to a single ideology."This right here, I believe, captures what is happening in Afghanistan. As the daughter of an Afghan immigrant to the US, I see it in my family and in their friends. You end up having to have one foot in one camp and one foot in the other. It's about trying to survive.
I'm currently reading Games Without Rules: The Often Interrupted History of Afghanistan by another Afghan immigrant. It's been so interesting learning the history of a country I know little about.
Also, wanted to comment on the fact that you are zipping through your second list! Woohoo! I can't even get myself to finish the first one, lol
Ioana wrote: "I think it just makes it hard for them to live their lives. At this point, when basic needs are not met, comfort is irrelevant. War is not black and white, and while I understand (or try to understand) the actions of the soldiers and fighting men, regardless of their ideology, the impact on the civilians is heartbreaking. I don't know what the solution is."I agree with what you're saying and think maybe I shouldn't have phrased my sentence that way. What was in my head was the awful things that are happening, and even if a person wasn't directly injured or killed or arrested or disappeared, someone they knew has been, and it must feel super uncomfortable whether it happened to you or not. I feel like everyone in the region is probably suffering from some form of PTSD.
Lillie wrote: "Lea wrote: Very few people in Afghanistan have the luxury of being loyal to a single ideology."This right here, I believe, captures what is happening in Afghanistan. As the daughter of an Afghan immigrant to the US, I see it in my family and in their friends. You end up having to have one foot in one camp and one foot in the other. It's about trying to survive.
I'm currently reading Games Without Rules: The Often Interrupted History of Afghanistan by another Afghan immigrant. It's been so interesting learning the history of a country I know little about.
Also, wanted to comment on the fact that you are zipping through your second list! Woohoo! I can't even get myself to finish the first one, lol"
Well, now I have to add Games without Rules. I am going to make a new rule though. I'm only up to read one heartbreaking book per month, and I've already had my quota for September. LOL. And I'm reading Sula next month, so that will be my quota for October.
Lillie, how interesting that you're a daughter of an Afghan immigrant to the US, yet you say you know little about your country of origin. I was able to travel to the country where three of my four grandparents were born with my parents many years ago and that was a wonderful experience. I am sure that your family and friends have a lot of stories. I know I forget sometimes how lucky I am to be able to worry about my 1st world problems, like the rock that chipped my car windshield, as opposed to the fight to survive.
I haven't always been able to finish my Reading Challenges, so this year has been pretty exciting. I think having children's books on the first list helped. And I didn't think too hard about this list, just added books I wanted to get read soon. :-) Good luck with your list!
Lillie wrote: "I'm currently reading Games Without Rules: The Often Interrupted History of Afghanistan by another Afghan immigrant. It's been so interesting learning the history of a country I know little about."This sounds really interesting, so I had to add it to my list. I know I became interested in the history and life of Afghani people after the recent political events, and I just checked, I've read 22 books set in Afghanistan. Some fiction, some non-fiction, but one way or another, all interesting and some really fascinating.
The life of real people in Afghanistan, their struggle to just survive is something that we can empathize with, but probably never truly understand. I hope their future gets easier somehow.
Lea wrote: "I haven't always been able to finish my Reading Challenges, so this year has been pretty exciting. I think having children's books on the first list helped. And I didn't think too hard about this list, just added books I wanted to get read soon. :-) Good luck with your list!"Still a great accomplishment and it sounds like you really enjoyed the first list and you’re zooming through the second list :)
Games Without Rules: The Often Interrupted History of Afghanistan is an interesting book but needs to be read critically. I wouldn’t say it’s heartbreaking, more straightforwardly written history book.
Ioana wrote: "The life of real people in Afghanistan, their struggle to just survive is something that we can empathize with, but probably never truly understand. I hope their future gets easier somehow."The fact that you’ve read 22 books on the subject is pretty awesome. Definitely more than I have. I’ve started reading a bit more about Central Asia because the history really fascinates me. I’ve come to that point in my life where I have the time to explore the different histories of the world, including the US, that we never learned about in school.
Lillie wrote: "I’ve come to that point in my life where I have the time to explore the different histories of the world, including the US, that we never learned about in school."I think we're both at the same point in our lives 🤣
It's not that I've never learned about the history and geography of other countries, but I had no interest in any of these subjects then. Things are different now, and I really enjoy reading and learning about them.
Sounds like we’re on a similar journey Ioana :) I feel like I missed so much because I wasn’t paying attention. I remember geography and history being the subjects that interested me the most but that - “oh look, shiny object” disease I have got in the way.
Lillie wrote: "I remember geography and history being the subjects that interested me the most but that - “oh look, shiny object” disease I have got in the way."LOL, I can't even say that. They were just BOOOORING.
Lillie wrote: "Still a great accomplishment and it sounds like you really enjoyed the first list and you’re zooming through the second list :)Games Without Rules: The Often Interrupted History of Afghanistan is an interesting book but needs to be read critically. I wouldn’t say it’s heartbreaking, more straightforwardly written history book."
Thanks! I am happy about my progress, and have even finished one more book.
I am excited to read Games Without Rules too. It's good that it is very different from No Good Men Among the Living, that means I can start it sooner. I do need some variety in my reading, or I'll start to slow down. :-)
Ioana wrote: "Lillie wrote: "I remember geography and history being the subjects that interested me the most but that - “oh look, shiny object” disease I have got in the way."LOL, I can't even say that. They were just BOOOORING."
I also didn't enjoy geography class and history class, because the classes were all about memorizing facts and figures and I'm not interesting in memorization. And I couldn't make connections to see why those facts and figures were important.
Later on, I became very interested in history when I was able to see places and talk to people and learn their life stories. When there was a practical application...when I talked to the fisherman who sold the fish to my local fish store...I began to make connections and was able to have an interest for the fish import/export numbers that had been discussed (in a very dry fashion) in class.
List 21.
2.
3.
4.
5. The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
6.
7. Somebody's Daughter by Ashley C. Ford
8. The Switch by Sandra Brown
9.
10. Flirting with Disaster: Why Accidents Are Rarely Accidental by Marc S. Gerstein
11. Cities of the Plain by Cormac McCarthy
12.
Alternates:
13. Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
14. The Secret History by Donna Tartt
15. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind
16. The Mountain Shadow by Gregory David Roberts
Dear Ms. Boulley,
I really enjoyed Firekeeper's Daughter; I rated it 4 stars. I liked stories about small communities and I like hockey. I liked the main character for the most part, although some of the things that she did really had me shaking my head. I really liked learning about the Ojibwe’s community, culture, customs and language. There were some points in the plot where I had to suspend my disbelief, I don't think things could have actually happened that way. It starts slow and there was a lot of repetition. But overall, I was entertained and drawn in to the mystery. I would recommend this one and definitely read another book you wrote.
Thank you, thank you,
Lea
Glad you liked Firekeeper's Daughter Lea. I had some of the same misgivings about the book that you did but I really enjoyed the setting and atmosphere of the story. I also enjoyed the main character and the treatment of women's issues in the story. All in all it was classified as YA but tackled some heavy issues and still remained entertaining.
Michelle wrote: "Glad you liked Firekeeper's Daughter Lea. I had some of the same misgivings about the book that you did but I really enjoyed the setting and atmosphere of the story. I also enjoyed the main character and the treatment of women's issues in the story. All in all it was classified as YA but tackled some heavy issues and still remained entertaining."Yes, I almost felt like this book took on too many heavy issues, but I think so many of them are important and interrelated, so I understood why the choice was made. It was such a unique book. It makes me wonder where the author will go next.
Nice review Lea, the story seems interesting. I'm glad you enjoyed it
Lea, glad you liked
, I thought that was a really good book. Also, love the cover. I read about it after I finished the book and was done by an indigenous artist and explains all the symbolism that was in the book.
Lea wrote: "I really enjoyed Firekeeper's Daughter; I rated it 4 stars. I liked stories about small communities and I like hockey."It's on my TBR, and I'm glad to hear it's a good one. I agree with Kristine, beautiful cover with an interesting story.
On The Same Page
Books mentioned in this topic
The Dictionary of Lost Words (other topics)The Dictionary of Lost Words (other topics)
A Room of One’s Own (other topics)
Fight Club (other topics)
Robot Visions (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Pip Williams (other topics)Pip Williams (other topics)
Virginia Woolf (other topics)
Grady Hendrix (other topics)
Pip Williams (other topics)
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