The Next Best Book Club discussion
Personal Reading Goals
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Reading from my own shelves
I think that's awesome about you wanting to join AmeriCorps. We need more people who are willing to do volunteer work. I do hope that you get accepted right away. When will you find out?I think I understand what you mean about the longevity of digital storage mediums. I hadn't thought of it that way.
When I was growing up I lived in NYC, Chicago, Boston and parts of California. I enjoyed Chicago and Boston the most. Although living in NYC was alot of fun them, I'm not sure how it would be now. I just loved all of the entertainment.
What are you reading now? Are you enjoying it? I'm reading one of my last few library books, although I do have three of my own started. Two of them I'm having a really hard time getting through so I have set the aside for the time being. The other one I read or try to read a chapter a day.
There is definitely no right away with AmeriCorps NCCC, unfortunately. I applied in June with full knowledge that it would be months before I found out, and I actually expected the application process to take significantly longer than it did. I got from submission through all paperwork being filled out and cleared in a month and seven days, but apparently the average person spends around 2-3 months doing that. I'll hopefully be finding out in October or November, though. I love doing service and volunteer work, though. It's a great way to learn how to do so many things without having to worry about getting fired. Once I get through with AmeriCorps and land myself in a city with a job (I'm seriously considering DC), I want to have figured out something to get a Master's in, save up money, take the GRE, and apply to grad schools. A few months (no less than 6-7) out from graduation, I want to apply for the Peace Corps and take my love of service abroad again.I lived in NYC for 8 weeks last summer and really enjoyed it, but there are so many cool cities to explore in this country. I was so happy when I essentially got a free trip to New Orleans this past March, so I got to go there for my first time AND I got to miss several days of school for it with full knowledge I could make up all missed work. I had never been before and knew I wanted to go. What a fantastic little city! So much culture and history and so many opportunities to help people still in need. I've also been to DC, Chicago, San Diego, St. Louis, Kansas City, Indianapolis, and San Antonio, plus a few others. I loved San Diego and I dearly miss St. Louis. I lived on the Illinois side of the St. Louis metro for 7 years and hated it then, but now that I'm gone I definitely want to go back.
As far as what I'm reading right now, I'm trying so hard to get through Citizens of London: The Americans Who Stood with Britain in Its Darkest, Finest Hour, but my normal genre is Fantasy, so the style is not what I'm used to and I'm having a hard time staying interested, despite being a definite WWII lover. I love the 1940s in general, actually. But yeah, definitely struggling with this one and really not sure if I should risk picking up another book, since I need to finish it and write the review I should have done in February (I got it from a GR give-away).
Well, I will pray that you do get accepted. You're absolutely right about the not getting fired bit and you can gain alot of usefull experience that will give you help you get into the Peace Corps.You are very fortunate to have lived and visited so many wonderful places that you can remember. Up until high school my dad was in the military and worked for a company called General Dynamics. Because of this we were transferred to alot of different states. Out of five children, with one set of twins, we were all born in different states. My favorites were York, Maine, Boston, chicago, NYC and California.
I looked up the book that you're reading and although I do love WWI and WWII books, I don't think I would be interested due to the description. I also won a book, my first, from GR. I too am having trouble with it. Alot of the sentences in the book are so long that by the time I've finished it I've forgotten what it said at the beginning. I've put it on hold for awhile.
I have been a good girl and just finished Northern Lights from my bookshelf. Now I have to read a library book but I have already decided which of my own I'm reading next.
Good for you Esther. That's what I'm doing right now. Finishing a library book right now, and then going to read one of my own.
Currently reading My Dearest Mr. Darcy: An Amazing Journey into Love Everlasting, from my own bookshelves
What date did we start this challange? I forgot. :{
I think most people were just gonna start in September...Wait. It's September now. Thanks, time, for moving without me. My brain is stuck in, like, January 2004 or something.
I've just started a book-ban for September as well as I'm doing a Read-A-Thon on my blog (http://escapismthroughbooks.blogspot.com) if anyone wants to "officially" join me... No need to be a blogger! Basically, I'm aiming to read as much as possible over the Labor Day weekend, from Friday afternoon through Monday night. Participate as much or as little as you like.
Readers welcome! :P
Erika, wow, lucky you!! I dont blame you for checking them out!
Thanks Erika! I can't really claim the idea since it's been done lots of times before, but I think it will be a good way to get myself motivated, if I can see some progress on my shelves, you know?
@ Esther, I need to join you in this challenge. I have five physical books on my nightstand, 100 ebooks on my e-reader and many many more on my to-read GR shelf. I don't know where to start. I need to stop adding books to my to-read shelf here on GR until I get half those books read.
Lekeshua, welcome to the challenge!!I have read another book from my shelf Mothers Who Think but I didn't enjoy it much and wish I had saved my time and sent it straight to the bookmooch box.
Now I am reading Angel's Game. It is a library book but I love Carlos Ruiz Zafon's writing and I need a treat.
Thanks Caity. I guess that means when I finish the book I started on August 30th I can add to my books read for September? lol
Thank you for the Challenge welcome. I'm currently reading William Samples's Fe Fi Foe Comes and listening to Lev Grossman's The Magicians.
Lekeshua wrote: "Thank you for the Challenge welcome. I'm currently reading William Samples's Fe Fi Foe Comes and listening to Lev Grossman's The Magicians."The Magicians is smiling at me from my shelf. Must get to it soon.
Just had a quick reread of Politically Correct Bedtime Stories by James Finn GarnerIt is mine and I hadn't yet catalogued it on Goodreads so it counts!
I really need to join in this challenge. We are in the middle of moving and when I was packing, I put all the books I had read in some boxes and then the ones I hadn't in separate boxes. Well, I ended up with 11 unread boxes and 3 read boxes. And when I got off work last night, I had to visit Half Price Books as they had their 20% off sale, so I ended up with another unread box. Time to start this challenge, I dare say! This is such a great idea. How is it working out for everyone?
DO you have any kind of system for choosing what to read next?
I was doing so good reading from my own shelves. I've read 6 since last month. Then Mockingjay came in at the library and I quickly forgot all about my own books!
Today we met some friends and I mentioned the fact we were considering moving. My husband made a face. He claims it takes him an hour to move all my books off the dining room table (it's an exageeration I have about 4-5 dozen piled there) so he is dreading packing up our bookshelves!!
:) I actually enjoyed packing them up as I could put my hands on some that I completely forgot I owned. Considering the fact that my new room is about the size of a closet, it will be interesting to see how they fit, but there is no way I can part with any at this point. I am really looking forward to reading from my own shelves for a change!
Emma wrote: ":) I actually enjoyed packing them up as I could put my hands on some that I completely forgot I owned. Considering the fact that my new room is about the size of a closet, it will be interesting t..."Under the bed storage - that's my secret.
I used to do that, too! But then I found myself buying books I already owned because I would forget about the ones under my bed. Woops!
I've sorted my bedside bookcase by 2 shelves of "rereads" of Elizabeth George, PD James, Kazuo Ishaguru and Martin Cruz Smith, one shelf of poetry and essays, the other two a mix of short stories "in process" and "maybe I should read" so I'll always have something to read before I go to sleep.
Hey Natalie, is PD James good? I own a few of her books but have not taken the time to read any of them. Other books got in the way, as usual.
According to my mom, PD James is a must if you are a mystery lover. I do own a few, but have never read. They are being placed at the front of the shelf of to read books when I get everything set up. The book shelves always come first!
Emma wrote: "According to my mom, PD James is a must if you are a mystery lover. I do own a few, but have never read. They are being placed at the front of the shelf of to read books when I get everything set..."I find PD James slightly pretencious but that might only be a Brit thing. Also too long. But she does have interesting plots.
Good to know! Thanks for the input! My expectations always make or break the reading experience for me, so I will keep this in mind when I get to her work!
Well, I went on a spending spree a few years ago when I had a job and I bought probably 7 or 8 of her books. So I'm going to try real hard to read all of them. I just don't want to waste the money I spent on them, although I have had them for years. lol Other books just always seem to get in the way.
Karen wrote: "Well, I went on a spending spree a few years ago when I had a job and I bought probably 7 or 8 of her books. So I'm going to try real hard to read all of them. I just don't want to waste the money ..."I always go to a thriller/detective for a light read which she is definitely not.
I do have a collection of Agatha Christie which I am planning to reread in the not too distant future.
I love Agatha Christie. Unfortunatly I don't own any, yet. Right now I'm re-reading BoneMan's Daughters by Ted Dekker. I give it 5 stars. It's a great mystery. I tried to add it to my currently-reading shelf yesterday but the search wouldn't work. I'll try again today.
@ Karen, I read BoneMan's Daughter but it wasn't my favorite Ted Dekker book. I really enjoyed in The Circle Trilogy Black, Red and White. Have you read those yet. It's different from BoneMan's Daughter but just as suspenseful.@ Esther, I borrowed the audio version of The Magician from the library so that it could stop staring at me from the bookshelf. It is taking me some time to get into because it's a North America Harry Potter thus far.
Lekeshua wrote: "@ Esther, I borrowed the audio version of The Magician from the library so that it could stop staring at me from the bookshelf. It is taking me some time to get into because it's a North America Harry Potter thus far. "So far every review I've read has said that it starts out Harry Potter-ish but then takes a sharp left turn.
Esther I'm hanging in there and looking all directions for the turn.
Lekeshua wrote: "Esther I'm hanging in there and looking all directions for the turn."LOL!
I fail at this. I ordered 8 more books last night.The thing about them is that 6 of the 8 are a part of various series I happen to own. I was missing the second and fourth books of two different series before I found them on the looong list of books that were part of betterworldbooks' labor day sale, so I bought those, the second and third books of a trilogy, and two travelogues. I have a growing obsession with travelogues.
Esther wrote: "Karen wrote: "Well, I went on a spending spree a few years ago when I had a job and I bought probably 7 or 8 of her books. So I'm going to try real hard to read all of them. I just don't want to wa..."I have yet to read an Agatha Christie novel, which continues to confound me! I usually read everything my grandmother does and Agatha Christie some how keeps getting pushed down the list. I really want to get to them! Are they as good as their "classic" status make them sound?
Esther and Emma,I was wrong. :{ I don't have any PD James. I have quite a few PJ Tracey, Jonnie Jacobs and Jan Burke. I guess that shows you how many books that I have. I can't even keep track of them. Has anyone read any of these authors?Lekeshua, I do have The Circle Trilogy. I just bought it a few months ago. Haven't read it yet, but maybe I'll get to it in this challange. Th book that got me started on Ted Dekker was The Martyrs Song and is my favorite so far. I'm not sure how many books he has out but I've only read about 4 of them.
Emma wrote: "....I have yet to read an Agatha Christie novel, which continues to confound me! I usually read everything my grandmother does and Agatha Christie some how keeps getting pushed down the list. I really want to get to them! Are they as good as their "classic" status make them sound?."My Grandmother got me into Agatha Christie too.
They are classics as mysteries but not in the sense of The Brontes or Jane Austen.
Her writing style is light and she has no message to get across. Also her writing is very much of her time which means that in her ealier books some of the attitudes and even the language are shockingly non-PC to modern sensibilities. Though, of course, the most offensive phrases have been edited in modern editions.
On the other hand because she wrote over such a long time period you can get a good idea of changing attitudes.
Wow, I never thought about that! I am really excited to get into the ones I just purchased now!
I'm not starting off very well because I still have a few library books that I do want to finish. But I have read 1 of my own books so far and am starting on another now. This is a great challange for me because I own ALOT of books.
I am enjoying The Angel's Game but it won't let me read more than a dozen pages at a time and I really needed to be a bookworm this weekend so I picked-up The Cradle Will Fall which is my own ancient copy that is falling apart and will probably have to be binned when I finish reading it.
Esther r u really enjoying The Angel's Game? What are you enjoying about it? When I first started it I thought that I would really enjoy it. But although I thought it was very interesting and enjoyed part of the plot I ended up not likeing it. I hope that you enjoy it more than I did.
Esther wrote: "I am enjoying The Angel's Game but it won't let me read more than a dozen pages at a time and I really needed to be a bookworm this weekend so I picked-up [book:The Cradle Will Fall|..."I have been wanting to read The Angel's Game for so long. Are you enjoying it? I have heard mixed reviews. Did you read Shadow of the Wind first?
Karen wrote: "Esther r u really enjoying The Angel's Game? What are you enjoying about it? When I first started it I thought that I would really enjoy it. But although I thought it was very interesting and enjoy..."Yes really, really. I find his writing style easy to read but still satisfying. I love his characters and even though most of the female love objects are a little aloof (I'm sure a shrink would have a field day!) it suits the story. The main characters though flawed are not so flawed as to be irritating. I also love the subtle touch of Gothic - mysterious but not too Poe.
Emma wrote: "....I have been wanting to read The Angel's Game for so long. Are you enjoying it? I have heard mixed reviews. Did you read Shadow of the Wind first?"
Shadow of the Wind is one of my all time favourites. It was the first time in ages that I felt I had found a book successfully set in a genre that was totally new, and exciting, for me.
To be honest I think I like The Angel's Game even more than Shadow of the Wind. I can't really judge yet as I am only 1/3 way through but it is certainly a lot easier to get into than Shadow of the Wind.
Confession Time: I supposed to be alternating My own books with those borrowed.I was reading The Angel's Game which was a library book and then the librarian bought the Millenium books for the English section of the library and of course I had to take them home with me :0(
I read The Girl Who Played With Fire straight away but now I am reading Incarceron before I start Hornet's Nest.
My TBR pile is never going to decrease at this rate!
I too have to make the same confession. I just has to read The Burning Wire by Jeffery Deaver. I absolutely love his books. And I just could not and would not pass up on reading this book. Shame on me!
I have now finished Incarceron and am so glad I own it because it was excellent - my favourite book of this year.I have two books to review - The Marriage Artist and an e-book Drummer Boy so I am reading them now and feeling very virtuous becasue I own them. Though I have acquired both of them since starting this challenge :0(
Oh goodness, I need to get back on track here. I have acquired more books in the past couple months than I have the last few years combined. And I am still checking out library books by the bagfull. Once I finish the stack I have not (I feel bad returning them unread), I HAVE to start only reading from my shelves. Thanks for the reminder!
The Next Best Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
The Marriage Artist (other topics)Incarceron (other topics)
Drummer Boy (other topics)
The Burning Wire (other topics)
The Girl Who Played with Fire (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Jeffery Deaver (other topics)Ted Dekker (other topics)
James Finn Garner (other topics)
Carlos Ruiz Zafón (other topics)
Gerald Durrell (other topics)
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Basically, though, it's a community service thing for 18-24 year-olds that has five base campuses, and then the teams at each campus travel around doing volunteer work (anything from tutoring and mentoring at schools to trail-building to firefighting) within the region of the campus they are on. Food, housing, and transportation are covered and members get a small stipend every other week to cover other needs, save up if desired, or have some fun during time off.
I won't get into my eReader issues here, but they stem from what I learned in school about the joyous issues of digital technology and the longevity of digital storage mediums.
As for where I want to live, after AmeriCorps I want to move somewhere with good, or at least decent, public transportation. This is easier said than done in the US, sadly, but I don't want to have to worry about paying for a car, buying, paying car insurance, etc. So I've been looking at cities like NYC, Chicago, DC, Boston, Portland, San Francisco... Places that I can get around without a car and not have to worry. Lots of research involved in figuring that one out.