The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion
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15.6 - "Eventually, All Things Merge Into One, And A River Runs Through It."
Has anyone figured out a good way to figure out what the second longest book an author wrote is?
Manday wrote: "Has anyone figured out a good way to figure out what the second longest book an author wrote is?"No and I must admit I only looked at authors who I knew had not written a lot of books because I just can't imagine clicking 15 different books to check the pages numbers!
Nicole wrote: "Manday wrote: "Has anyone figured out a good way to figure out what the second longest book an author wrote is?"No and I must admit I only looked at authors who I knew had not written a lot of bo..."
I did the same thing after trying to figure out Dickens (I'm still not sure, what with all of the different editions, etc.).
As soon as I found that I can read either Wise Blood: A Novel by Flannery O'Connor or The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb, I stopped looking.
Here are a few 2nd longest books:The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly
Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
Cait wrote: "Nicole wrote: "Manday wrote: "Has anyone figured out a good way to figure out what the second longest book an author wrote is?"I did the same thing after trying to figure out Dickens (I'm still not sure, what with all of the different editions, etc.)."
This is the author & problem I thought of when I first read this task. I think I'll look for an author that has written only two or three short books....
If you read The Historian with the group in the spring and liked it, The Swan Thieves is Kostova's second book and is shorter than The Historian by around 100 pages. It was the first one I tried and on my TBR pile, so I lucked out choosing this one!
For anyone who read/enjoyed Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen, her second novel The Sugar Queen is shorter.
If you go to an authors profile...click on the link that has the number of distinct works...then you can organize the list by the number of pages.
Cynthia wrote: "If you go to an authors profile...click on the link that has the number of distinct works...then you can organize the list by the number of pages."Beth(MN) wrote: "For anyone who read/enjoyed Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen, her second novel The Sugar Queen is shorter."
Thanks, Beth(MN)! That one's on my TBR pile. And thank you, too, Cynthia. I'm still learning how to use all the features of GR. I figured there was an easier way of figuring this out than the way I'd been doing it!
Oops. That brings up another question. If we sort distinct works by number of pages can we ignore anthologies (collections of short stories the author has written with other authors) and omnibuses (where the publisher has taken several of the author's novels and put them together into one large book)? For example, if you sort Charlaine Harris's book list, you get 7 omnibuses, 10 anthologies, a book Harris wrote an intro for, and book #11 in the Sookie Stackhouse series which is, at least, a year away from publication (#10 was just released) before you get to her longest stand-alone novel which is All Together Dead. Therefore, for this task, could I read her second longest stand-alone novel -- Definitely Dead?
Yes ignore any compilations (two or more of the authors in one edition) or where their is a bunch of stories by multiple authors or unreleased books or foreign editions (all the weird anomalies) - just stand alone books - so yes that works.
Anna Karenina was Leo Tolstoy's 2nd longest.
Cait wrote: "Nicole wrote: "Manday wrote: "Has anyone figured out a good way to figure out what the second longest book an author wrote is?"No and I must admit I only looked at authors who I knew had not writ..."
You're a lifesaver. I've been wanting to read Wally Lamb for a while!
For part C: Second-longest booksMistress of the Art of Death
Mockingjay - comes out in August for those who like The Hunger Games
Wintergirls
Cleopatra's Daughter
Let the Great World Spin
The Namesake
Forest Born
So we need to read 3 different books for this task, correct?And could someone post some good suggestions for A & B (preferably fiction for B) Thanks!
Erin wrote: "So we need to read 3 different books for this task, correct?And could someone post some good suggestions for A & B (preferably fiction for B) Thanks!"
It's actually only two books - 1 book from either of Part A or Part B, and another book for Part C.
For Part C, I'm planning on reading Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger - I checked this by using Cynthia's suggestion in Messege #9.
For my other book, I'll be doing Part A - Blindness by Jose Saramago. I don't have any suggestions for Part B - sorry! :(
ETA: For Part B, Land of a Thousand Hills: My Life in Rwanda by Rosamond Halsey Carr sounds really good! And, I'm sure there are a ton of books about the Rwanda genocide (if your so inclined). Hope this helps! :)
Angola -- Nzingha: Warrior Queen of Matamba, Angola, Africa, 1595 or Persistance Of Memory or The Book of Chameleons
Gorillas in the Mist is a nonfiction book set in Rwanda. But not sure if it'll be accepted since the NF is about gorillas instead of Rwanda.
DR Congo bibliography: fictionHeart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
A Bend in the River - VS Naipaul
The Catastrophist - Ronan Bennett
The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver
DR Congo bibliography: non-fiction
King Leopold's Ghost - Adam Hochschild
In the Footsteps of Mr Kurtz - Michaela Wrong
The King Incorporated - Neal Ascherson
Mod
I did a search on my library website for "Rwanda" and found a lot of books. Won't be cheerful reading, but I do think I'd like to learn more about the background of the genocide there.
Here are some I found:
The Antelope's Strategy: Living in Rwanda After the Genocide
Baking Cakes in Kigali
Justice on the Grass: Three Rwandan Journalists, Their Trial for War Crimes and a Nation's Quest for Redemption
We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families: Stories from Rwanda
A Sunday at the Pool in Kigali
Does anyone know of any more fiction books that are set in either Portugal or one of the countries that Congo runs through?
Alice wrote: "Does anyone know of any more fiction books that are set in either Portugal or one of the countries that Congo runs through?"I'm using Night Train to Lisbon by Pascal Mercier - it is set in Portugal
SuzieR, great book! How far are you into it? I would have used that for this task, but I just finished it, so it doesn't count! I think I might read Blindness instead.
Oh Louvaine, I haven't started it yet! I meant that I'm using it for this task! It looks really good though - can't wait to read it! I have Blindness too and had trouble deciding which to use for this task!
Portuguese: http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/p... (watch those Brazilian books!)Portugal: http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/p...
I've decided upon either The True Sources of the Nile (Burundi) or Over a Thousand Hills I Walk With You (Rwanda) for the first part of this task and The House at Riverton (2nd longest book) for Part B. House at Riverton has been on my TBR list for awhile and the other two sound really good, I think.
Another Rwanda book: Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust. I have heard that it is an amazing, powerful read.
I'm going to read Gorillas in the Mist by Dian Fossey and Woman in the Mists: The Story of Dian Fossey and the Mountain Gorillas of Africa by Farley Mowat which are both set in Rwanda and the region around there.
The Witch Doctor's Wife is pretty good for the Republic of the Congo.I loved Baking Cakes in Kigali (Rwanda)
Using the (Penguin Classics) versions of Charles Dickens novels (excluding the Christmas novels, since they are relatively short) here are the pagelengths of Dicken's novels:• The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club (Monthly serial, April 1836 to November 1837)
The Pickwick Papers (Paperback, 953 pages)
• The Adventures of Oliver Twist (Monthly serial in Bentley's Miscellany, February 1837 to April 1839)
Oliver Twist (Paperback, 554 pages)
• The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (Monthly serial, April 1838 to October 1839)
Nicholas Nickleby (Paperback, 864 pages)
• The Old Curiosity Shop (Weekly serial in Master Humphrey's Clock, 25 April 1840, to 6 February 1841)
The Old Curiosity Shop (Paperback, 608 pages)
• Barnaby Rudge: A Tale of the Riots of 'Eighty (Weekly serial in Master Humphrey's Clock, 13 February 1841, to 27 November 1841)
Barnaby Rudge (Paperback, 768 pages)
• The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit (Monthly serial, January 1843 to July 1844)
Martin Chuzzlewit (Paperback, 864 pages)
• Dombey and Son (Monthly serial, October 1846 to April 1848)
Dombey and Son (Paperback, 1040 pages)
• David Copperfield (Monthly serial, May 1849 to November 1850)
David Copperfield (Paperback, 974 pages)
• Bleak House (Monthly serial, March 1852 to September 1853)
Bleak House (Paperback, 1088 pages)
• Hard Times: For These Times (Weekly serial in Household Words, 1 April 1854, to 12 August 1854)
Hard Times (Paperback, 368 pages)
• Little Dorrit (Monthly serial, December 1855 to June 1857)
Little Dorrit (Paperback, 1024 pages)
• A Tale of Two Cities (Weekly serial in All the Year Round, 30 April 1859, to 26 November 1859)
A Tale of Two Cities (Paperback, 541 pages)
• Great Expectations (Weekly serial in All the Year Round, 1 December 1860 to 3 August 1861)
Great Expectations (Paperback, 514 pages)
• Our Mutual Friend (Monthly serial, May 1864 to November 1865)
Our Mutual Friend (Paperback, 884 pages)
• The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Monthly serial, April 1870 to September 1870. Only six of twelve planned numbers completed)
The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Paperback, 432 pages)
So, the longest novel is: Bleak House (Paperback, 1088 pages)
and the second longest novel is: Dombey and Son (Paperback, 1040 pages)
Jane AustenNovels
Sense and Sensibility (1811) (Paperback, 368 pages)
Pride and Prejudice (1813)(Paperback, 480 pages)
Mansfield Park(1814)(Paperback, 480 pages)
Emma (1815)(Paperback, 512 pages)
Northanger Abbey (1817)(posthumous) (Paperback, 288 pages)
Persuasion (1817) (posthumous) (Paperback, 272 pages)
Again, I used the Penguin Classics Editions; using these editions, the longest Jane Austen book is Emma (Paperback, 512 pages)
Second longest is tied between Mansfield Park (Paperback, 480 pages) and Pride and Prejudice (Paperback, 480 pages)
And, since Mansfield Park has been on my TBR a very long time, I might just read it this time for this task.
FRANK HERBERTIn determining his second-longest novel, I made a list and checked the books on goodreads, using the Ace edition if available, the Ace/Berkley edition as second choice and the Berkley edition as third choice. There were a small number of books not available in those three editions, so I picked an edition that seemed closest in style to those three publishers (besides, those novels were amongst his shorter ones.) Here are my results:
1956. Under Pressure (Aka Dragon in the Sea, The)
isbn: 0345298292, isbn13: 9780345298294
published: 1981 (first published 1956) by Del Rey | binding: Paperback | pages: 212
1965. Dune
isbn: 0441172717, isbn13: 9780441172719
published: 1990 (first published 1965) by Ace/Berkley Books | binding: Paperback | pages: 535
1966. Destination: Void
isbn: 0441143024, isbn13: 9780441143023
published: 1988 (first published 1966) by Ace Books | binding: Paperback | pages: 288
1966. Eyes of Heisenberg, The
isbn: 0425073149, isbn13: 9780425073148
published: 1984 (first published 1966) by Berkley | binding: Paperback | pages: 158
1966. Green Brain, The
isbn: 0441302610, isbn13: 9780441302611
published: 1973 (first published 1966) by Ace Books | binding: Mass Market Paperback | pages: 160
1968. Heaven Makers, The
isbn: 0345302907, isbn13: 9780345302908
published: 1982 (first published 1968) by Del Rey | binding: Mass Market Paperback | pages: 183
1968. Santaroga Barrier, The
isbn: 0425059448, isbn13: 9780425059449
published: 1980 (first published 1974) by Berkley | binding: Paperback | pages: 255
1969. Dune Messiah
isbn: 0441172695, isbn13: 9780441172696
published: 1987 (first published 1969) by Ace/Berkley Publishing | binding: Paperback | pages: 329
1970. Whipping Star
isbn: 0425099628, isbn13: 9780425099629
published: 1986 (first published 1970) by Berkley | binding: Paperback | pages: 192
1972. Godmakers, The
isbn: 0425039196, isbn13: 9780425039199
published: 1978 (first published 1972) by Berkley | binding: Paperback | pages: 221
1973. Hellstrom's Hive
isbn: 0553144383, isbn13: 9780553144383
published: 1982 (first published 1973) by Bantam Books (NY) | binding: Mass Market Paperback | pages: 312
1976. Children of Dune
isbn: 0441104029, isbn13: 9780441104024
published: 1987 (first published 1976) by Ace/Berkley Publishing | binding: Paperback | pages: 408
1977. Dosadi Experiment, The
isbn: 0425038343, isbn13: 9780425038345
published: 1978 (first published 1977) by Berkley Books (NY) | binding: Paperback | pages: 343
1979. Jesus Incident, The
isbn: 0441385397, isbn13: 9780441385393
published: 1989 (first published 1978) by Ace Books | binding: Paperback | pages: 432
1980. Direct Descent
isbn: 0441149030, isbn13: 9780441149032
published: 1981 (first published 1980) by Ace Books | binding: Mass Market Paperback | pages: 186
1981. God Emperor of Dune
isbn: 0441294677, isbn13: 9780441294671
published: 1987 (first published 1981) by Ace | binding: Paperback | pages: 432
1982. White Plague, The
isbn: 0425065553, isbn13: 9780425065556
published: 1983 (first published 1982) by Berkley | binding: Mass Market Paperback | pages: 501
1983. Lazarus Effect, The
isbn: 0441475213, isbn13: 9780441475216
published: 1990 (first published 1983) by Ace Books | binding: Paperback | pages: 400
1984. Heretics of Dune
isbn: 0441328008, isbn13: 9780441328000
published: 1987 (first published 1984) by Ace | binding: Paperback | pages: 480
1985. Chapterhouse: Dune
isbn: 0441102670, isbn13: 9780441102679
published: 1987 (first published 1985) by Ace/Berkley Publishing | binding: Paperback | pages: 436
1986. Man of Two Worlds
sbn: 0441518575, isbn13: 9780441518579
published: 1987 (first published 1986) by Ace Books | binding: Paperback | pages: 432
________________________________________
1988. Ascension Factor, The
isbn: 0399132244, isbn13: 9780399132247
published: 1988 (first published 1989) by Putnam Adult | binding: Hardcover | pages: 381
1988. Soul Catcher
isbn: 0425091414, isbn13: 9780425091418
published: 1985 (first published 1973) by Berkley | binding: Paperback | pages: 256
Dune Paperback | pages: 535 is the longest book; and,
The White Plague Mass Market Paperback | pages: 501 is the second longest book.Let me know if you disagree!
Deedee wrote: "FRANK HERBERTIn determining his second-longest novel, I made a list and checked the books on goodreads, using the Ace edition if available, the Ace/Berkley edition as second choice and the Berk..."
Deedee,
Wow, thank for figuring out an easy way to compare book-lengths for prolific authors with many many different editions & then doing the work for Dickens & Austen!
Cait wrote: "I second Liz, thanks Deedee!"You're welcome :0) These lists will be handy for task 10.4 wherein pagecount is very very important.
I've done another author:
AMY TAN
I've decided to compare the hardback Putnam editions for pagelength, and also to include only her 5 novels.
The Joy Luck Club (Hardcover)
by Amy Tan
avg rating: 4.03 (320 ratings)
isbn: 0399134204, isbn13: 9780399134203
published: 1989 by G.P. Putnam's Sons | binding: Hardcover | pages:
288
The Kitchen God's Wife (Hardcover)
by Amy Tan
avg rating: 3.74 (175 ratings)
isbn: 0399135782, isbn13: 9780399135781
published: 1991 by Putnam Pub Group (T) | binding: Hardcover | pages:
415
The Hundred Secret Senses (Hardcover)
by Amy Tan
avg rating: 3.92 (169 ratings)
isbn: 0399141146, isbn13: 9780399141140
published: 1995 by Putnam Pub Group (T) | binding: Hardcover | pages:
358
The Bonesetter's Daughter (Hardcover)
by Amy Tan
avg rating: 3.59 (278 ratings)
isbn: 0399146431, isbn13: 9780399146435
published: 2001 by G.P. Putnam's | binding: Hardcover | pages:
353
Saving Fish from Drowning (Hardcover)
by Amy Tan
avg rating: 3.17 (333 ratings)
isbn: 0399153012, isbn13: 9780399153013
published: 2005 (first published 1997) by Putnam Adult | binding: Hardcover | pages:
474
So, the longest one was Saving Fish from Drowning , at 474 pages;
And, the second longest one was The Kitchen God's Wife at 415 pages.
Liz wrote: "Mistress of the Art of DeathMockingjay - comes out in August for those who like The Hunger Games
Wintergirls
Cleopatra's Daughter
[boo..."
Hey Liz! Just to clarify, are these all second longest books? Both Mockingjay and Wintergirls are on my TBR. If so, THANK you for figuring that out - it's nice to not have to check pages!
Emily wrote: "Liz wrote: "Mistress of the Art of DeathMockingjay - comes out in August for those who like The Hunger Games
Wintergirls
[book:Cleopatra's Daughter|63404..."
Yes, these are all second-longest books. I just edited my post to clarify that they belong under C. ;)
Sara wrote: "Could I count for (b) Dark Star Safari: Overland from Cairo to Capetown by Paul Theroux. He travels through many of the countries listed, at least I think so. Need to go unpack it."I would prefer if the book focused on just one of those countries.
Mod
I was contemplating reading Sons of the Profits or Doc Maynard: The Man Who Invented Seattle, both by William Speidel, since I have these books. According to the list by author, Doc Maynard is his second longest book, but they don't list any page length for Sons of the Profits. Actually, looking at my physical copies, Sons of the Profits is longer than Doc Maynard, but shorter than the first book they list, so it would actually be his second longest book.
Do we have to go by the info on Goodreads, or can we go by the actual books?
Sandy wrote: "For part C, what if the Goodreads list is inaccurate/incomplete?I was contemplating reading Sons of the Profits or Doc Maynard: The Man Who Invented Seattle, both b..."
If the goodreads info is incomplete you should contact a librarian (I'm one) who can edit the entries and put in the correct information so that the two match.
Steven R. Boyett has 5 books listed; of the 5, Ariel is the second longest at 448 pages. Orphans is listed as a book of his; however, it has no pagecount listed to it, the amazon.com link has no copies available, there are 0 ratings, 0 reviews, and it is listed as "unbound", so I've ignored Orphans when looking at his books.Here's my list:
The Gnole
The Gnole [published: September 1st 1992 by Mandarin (first published 1991)]
ISBN 0749313544
Paperback, 512 pages
Ariel (1983) by Steven R. Boyett
(Paperback, 448 pages) (available only in paperback)
Elegy Beach (2009) by Steven R. Boyett
(Hardcover, 375 pages) (available only in hardcover)
The Architect of Sleep
The Architect of Sleep [published : July 1st 1986 by Ace Books]
ISBN 0441029051
Paperback, 304 pages
Treks Not Taken
Treks Not Taken [published September 1st 1998 by Perennial (first published 1996):]
ISBN 0060952768
September 1st 1998 by Perennial (first published 1996)
Paperback, 192 pages
OK here's a question: for Georgette Heyer, the "sort by pagecount" option (excluding multi-book novels) has The Great Roxhythe has the second-longest novel, at 418 pages; however, it is out-of-print, available for more than $65.00 used, and not present in the library system. Could #3 be used for Heyer? That would be the easily-accessible The Masqueraders (416 pages).
has anyone found a good way to compare page numbers in books?
Delicious Dee the book slut wrote: "has anyone found a good way to compare page numbers in books?"Message 9 will give you what you're looking for.
duh...lol! thanks! now to find one that i have somewhere in my vast TBR...
The Seasonal Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Brazzaville Beach (other topics)The House at Riverton (other topics)
Gorillas in the Mist (other topics)
The Great Roxhythe (other topics)
The Masqueraders (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
William Speidel (other topics)Dian Fossey (other topics)
Farley Mowat (other topics)
Charlaine Harris (other topics)
José Saramago (other topics)
On July 6, 1942 – Portuguese sea captain Diogo Cão found the mouth of the Congo River. In honor of this event in exploration history...
A. Read a novel that takes place in Portugal (EXAMPLE: A Small Death in Lisbon) OR a book written by a Portuguese Author (EXAMPLE: José Saramago)
OR
B.Read a novel that takes place in or a non-fiction book about one of the countries that the Congo flows through...
- Democratic Republic of the Congo (Pre-1997 it was known as Zaire) - (EXAMPLE: The Poisonwood Bible), (EXAMPLE: Rumba Rules: The Politics of Dance Music in Mobutus Zaire)
- Central African Republic - (EXAMPLE: Havoc) (EXAMPLE: Culture and Customs of the Central African Republic)
- Republic of the Congo - (EXAMPLE: Little Boys Come from the Stars) (EXAMPLE:Brazzaville Charms)
- Angola - (EXAMPLE: Heat of Passion) (EXAMPLE: Letters to Gabriella: Angola's Last War for Peace, What the UN Did and Why)
- Zambia - (EXAMPLE: The Eye of the Leopard: A Novel) (EXAMPLE: Glimmers of Hope : A Memoir of Zambia)
- Tanzania - (EXAMPLE: The Place of Lions) (EXAMPLE: The Worlds of a Maasai Warrior: An Autobiography)
- Burundi - (EXAMPLE: The True Sources of the Nile) (EXAMPLE: Life After Violence: A People's Story of Burundi)
- Rwanda - (EXAMPLE: Speak Rwanda) (EXAMPLE: A Thousand Hills: Rwanda's Rebirth and the Man Who Dreamed It)
AND
C. Since the Congo is the second longest river in Africa - Read a book that is the second longest book written by an author of your choice.
If you need suggestions OR have suggestions for books to read for this task post them here.