Challenge: 50 Books discussion
2010
>
Chris's 2010 Challenge
message 1:
by
Chris
(new)
Jan 18, 2010 12:51PM
Hi all! I used to read 60 or more books a year. That fell off when my son was younger. Now I'm lucky to do 30. But I am going to try for 50 this year. A number of them will be Young Adult books, as I've taken a big interest in them lately. Some will be an audio. And we'll see if I make it. Right now I'm reading The Girl Who Played with Fire and listening to The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane.
reply
|
flag
1.Nick of Time by Ted BellThis is a great, swashbuckling, time-travel, adventure story for young teens. I laughed at myself for enjoying it. A boy living on one of the Channel Islands in 1939 gets drawn into hunting for Nazi subs and then find a time machine that sends him back to 1805 to battle a pirate. Argh! Where are me buccaneers? It reads much like a movie of the time. In fact, I tended to "view" the story in black and white. Jolly good fun.
2. The Physick Book of Deliverance DaneThis is one incredibly aggravating good read. The basic plot is excellent: would-be doctoral candidate in colonial studies finds evidence of a previously unknown Salem witch. Combine with spending a summer in her grandmother's ancient Marblehead cottage, a little romance, a little magic and a menacing thesis advisor and you have the makings of a good story. But there are so many things that just don't add up - and I'm not talking about the magic/supernatural parts. Here's just a couple of examples:
1. There's no way a grad student in colonial studies (much less her advisor, one of the leading colonial historians in the country) would not know that in the 17th century a "receipt" was a "recipe."
2. It seems highly unlikely that a Harvard grad student described as a "top-notch researcher" would never have visited the special collections of the Widener library. (It also seems highly unlikely that in 1991 the library would have their 17th-century books standing "in the stacks" like a bunch of modern fiction, but I have no personal knowledge here.)
3. It would be highly unusual for Marblehead to experience the kind of heat wave described in the book in the first half of June. Nor would the kids be hanging out at the ice cream stands; they'd still be in school. And even if it were that hot, the ocean temperature would still be very, very cold. (Marblehead and Salem are on Boston's North Shore; I grew up on the South Shore.)
4. In the climactic scene, Connie would need to have at least four arms to do what is being described - and she would have needed to be in a hospital afterwards.
These kinds of mistakes really detracted from the story for me because they were so unnecessary. The reader can guess everything that's about to happen long before Connie does, to the point where you want to scream at her. If she's so bright, why can't she figure these things out before I can?
One final harumpf: I listened to the audiobook version and the narrator made all the modern people in Marblehead sound like they're from "Bah Hahbah" Maine, not Massachusetts.
I usually don't pan books this badly, but this one got to me.
3. The Girl Who Played with Fire
I liked it, but not as much as the first one.
Three stars.
4. Babe & Me
three and a half stars. not as good as Honus & Me, but still a really good kids series.
5. Temptation of the Night Jasmine by Lauren Willig
This series has become a guilty pleasure over the years.
6. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
4 stars. I'm glad I finally read this.
7. Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr
My son brought it home for a class assignment. I've heard this story for many years but never actually read it.
10. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
My second five star book in two days. And I've met 20% of my goal for the year!
Read my review.
12. Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer
Three and a half stars. Good, but not as good as I had expected.
Read my review.
13. The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
4 stars. A young adult read, but a very interesting look at an alternate world and what makes people tick.
Read my review.
Chris wrote: "10. The Glass Castle by Jeannette WallsMy second five star book in two days. And I've met 20% of my goal for the year!
Read my review."
This is on my short list of books to read this year. I keep reading such incredible things about it.
By all means, move it up on the list. I also held off on reading it for quite a while. It is an absolutely amazing book (and also a great listen if you like audio books).
If you want to stay on a 5 star book kick, you may want to pick up "THE Help" soon!
I agree. The Help is the best book I've read in years. I've loaned out my copy to more friends than any other book I've ever owned.
The link to your review isn't working :-(
Sorry about that. Don't know why either, because when I replaced the link it was the same as what had been there before.
18. Ophelia Joined the Group Maidens Who Don't Float by Sarach Schmelling. 
Two-and-a-half stars
Read my review.
19. The People of Sparks by Jeanne DuPrau
Four-and-a-half-stars. I really liked this one.
Read my review.
24. I'm Dying Up Here: Heartbreak and High Times in Stand-Up Comedy's Golden Era by William Knoedelseder
4 stars
Read my review.
Yeah, I'm officially halflway there and it's not even June first yet!
31. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
Pleasantly surpised.
4 stars
Read my review.
36. Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss
3 stars
Read my review.
I'm getting through a lot of smaller books. Now for something a bit meatier.
40. Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris
3 stars
Didn't like this as much as the first one, but enough to immediately go to the library and get the third book. Because of the TV series, I'm on Team Bill and the constant bickering between Sookie and Bill gets grating at times. Hepburn and Tracy they're not.
42. Club Dead by Charlaine HarrisClub Dead
3.5 stars
OK, I'm reading these like I eat chocolates. One just isn't enough. And I'm beginning to see why there's a Team Eric and how different some of the characters are from the TV series.
Challenge: 50 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Year of Wonders (other topics)Year of Wonders (other topics)
The Battle of the Labyrinth (other topics)
Dead in the Family (other topics)
A Touch of Dead (other topics)
More...
