2011-01 - Coming of age - What will you Read in January?

[Slayermel]

The January shelf has been decided and it's
*drum roll*

Coming of age :0)
http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/c...

[Candiss]

New year, new shelf. Let's see...

I will definitely read:
Moloka'i - Alan Brennert

Potential follow-ups:

Kafka on the Shore - Haruki Murakami
Bless Me, Ultima - Rudolfo Anaya
Rite of Passage - Alexei Panshin

Edit Jan. 20: Unfortunately, I don't think I will be getting to any of these this month! Group read discussions I've committed to (in addition to Real Life) have cut into my reading time terribly this month. But I hope to read each of these in future. I'm just going to have to sit this month out, I think.

[Blarneygod]

The Giver
Catching Fire
Mockingjay
Keeping the Moon

[Tara]

I am going to use this shelf to get back into some series that I had not finished yet.
So I am going to try to get to...

City of Ashes
Rebel Angels
Girl in Translation
Linger



and/or any other books I happen to come across the shelf as I read for other groups.

[LynnB]

I've read a bunch of the books on the list, so finally decided to read an old classic,
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (read 1/8/11)
and to read two from my TBR:
Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson (read 1/13/11)
The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls (read 1/21/11

I'll pick some more if I find time to do more reading.

[Lyn (Readinghearts)]

The first two on the list are my group reads for another group for this month, the next four are the first four on the list that I own. I am hoping to read at least the first two, if not one more. s

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender

[Lahni]

Natasha wrote: "I'm going to try for three this time since I won't have to back to graduate school until half the month is over.

She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb
Elsewhere by Gabrielle Z..."

I read the bluest eye several years ago and loved it!

[Cam]

I'm going to follow on with the technique I used last month which means the first book that I came across that I have but haven't read is
I Capture the Castle By Dodie Smith

followed very closely by A Tree Grows in Brooklyn By Betty Smith (which coincidentally is my monthly group read). Perfect choice Lahni

[Sara]

I am going to read The Hunger Games since it has been on my tbr and I just got it from pbs.

[Coralie]

If I can acquire them, I will read
The Giver
Stardust
I Am the Messenger
Siddhartha

[Vivian]

Hunger Games is on the list. May retry Middlesex too.

[onarock]

i have read quite a few.....but i think i will do that no buy book thing in jan., feb., and march too........lol


i have some free books downloaded and some others too......i will try to read at least three.......

thanx to everybody for putting the time into this site.........it is such a pleasure to be a part of....i just wish i was better at writing book reviews, but i guess practice makes perfect.....

k

[Pollyanna]

My list:
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The Graveyard Book
Ender's Game
Where the Heart Is

[LynnB]

Just an FYI - If any of you are Bookmarks Magazine subscribers, the newest issue has an article on coming-of-age books.

[Adrienne]

LynnB wrote: "Just an FYI - If any of you are Bookmarks Magazine subscribers, the newest issue has an article on coming-of-age books."

How do you know that? Have you already got yours! I'm going crazy waiting for mine to come! It's killing me!!!

[LynnB]

Adrienne wrote: "How do you know that? Have you already got yours! I'm going..."

No, but I got their email yesterday mentioning it had just gone out in the mail and it showed a picture of the cover. What perfect timing for this shelf!!

[Adrienne]

LynnB wrote: "Adrienne wrote: "How do you know that? Have you already got yours! I'm going..."

No, but I got their email yesterday mentioning it had just gone out in the mail and it showed a picture of the co..."

Oh okay. That's reassuring. And I wonder if our shelf-picker had insider information. Hmmm. ;)

[Erin E]

I am having a really tough time deciding what to read. Is it wrong that nothing is jumping right out at me screaming "READ ME!!!"?

[Vicki]

Erynn, I have felt that way for the last few weeks. I hope you get out of the slump soon.

[Vicki]

Lyn M wrote: "Here are the first four on the list that I own. I should be able to get to at least one of these.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
[book:I Capture the Castle..."


I absolutely loved Secret Life of Bees.

[Meghan]

Candiss wrote: "Kafka on the Shore..."

Oh yay! That will be my pick as I need to read it for a different challenge.

[Lahni]

I have several I need to try to read. We'll see how many I get through.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The Secret Life of Bees
I Capture the Castle
The Giver
Speak

[Laurel]

Hello all, I'm new!

This month, I'm going to try:

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
The Magicians
Dune
Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter: A Novel
The Long Walk
Ender's Game

I love the approach your group takes to reading! Thanks for the chance to join you all!

[Candiss]

Laurel wrote: "Hello all, I'm new!

This month, I'm going to try:

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
The Magicians
Dune
[book:Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter: A Nov..."

Laurel, I read The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie recently and loved it. The young heroine is "plucky" in a very good way and terrifically smart.

I also liked The Magicians a lot. It's a very "mature" book in many ways - gritty, uncompromising at points, and the main character is often very hard to like. (It's not "Harry Potter all grown up", as I've noticed many people expect it to be and then are disappointed and/or review it badly for not fulfilling their assumption.) It's a very interesting story, with complex themes, but it's not always pleasant, and it's quite satirical of cookie-cutter fantasy. (I looked through your shelves, and I think you might enjoy it for what it is, though.)

Dune is a favorite. Such wonderful world-building!

Happy reading!

[Laurel]

Thanks for the well wishes Candiss! Happy reading to you, too!

[Susan]

It's hard to commit to anything for January with the ROAR just introduced -- so I may totally change my mind once I see what challenges and shelves are announced.

But for right now, I'm using a modification of Cam's method of choosing from last month.
I'm starting off with books I spotted on the first few pages of the shelf that either I already have checked out from the library, or I've intended to read from recent month's shelves and never gotten to. That gives me:
Will Grayson, Will Grayson
Elsewhere
Bless Me, Ultima
Fire
House of the Scorpion
The Dead and the Gone
The Realm of Possibility

More than I'll get to, I'm sure. But they're all ones I'm looking forward to.

And, as I said on the December review page, I really recommend The Shadow of the Wind for anyone -- it's listed on January's shelf, too.

[[deleted user]]

[Christy]

Another shelf where I already have a bunch of the books on my shelf waiting to be read. It looks like I can try to finish out some of the series that I am already in the middle of from this list as well. I'm looking forward to it.

List I'll choose from:
Catching Fire
Mockingjay
Water for Elephants
Wintergirls
A Great and Terrible Beauty
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
The Last Olympian
The Red Pyramid
The Battle of the Labyrinth

[Karen]

I'm definitely going to read Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War and Gregor the Overlander as I have both of them from the library.

Might also attempt The Red Pyramid and something else but I can't decide what

[Coralie]

Karen wrote: "I'm definitely going to read Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War and Gregor the Overlander as I have both of them from the library.

Might also attempt The R..."</i>

I will also be reading [book:Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War as I, too, have it from the library. I hadn't realised that it was on the coming of age shelf.

[Karen]

Coralie wrote: "Karen wrote: "I'm definitely going to read Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War and Gregor the Overlander as I have both of them from the library.

Might also attempt..."


I was surprised to see it there as well, I think it's towards the end of the shelf.

[Lynne]

I am going to read:

The Red Pyramid
Fire
The Wizard Heir
and maybe re-read
Johnny Tremain
The Once and Future King
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

[Lynne]

Candiss wrote: "New year, new shelf. Let's see...

I will definitely read:
Rite of Passage - Alexei Panshin

Potential follow-ups:
Moloka'i - Alan Brennert
Kafka on the Shore..."

I just read Bless Me Ultima and I thought it was one of the best books I have read in quite a while.

[Lynne]

Blarneygod wrote: "The Giver
Catching Fire
Mockingjay
Keeping the Moon"

Blarneygod..start with "The Giver". It is a 5* read.

[Lynne]

Lyn M wrote: "Here are the first four on the list that I own. I should be able to get to at least one of these.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
[book:I Capture the Castle..."

I'll be interested to see what you think of "Hunger Games". I am about the only person in the world who didn't like it that much.

[Lynne]

Coralie wrote: "If I can acquire them, I will read
The Giver
Stardust
I Am the Messenger
Siddhartha"

The Giver and Messenger are both fantastic.

[Lynne]

Laurel wrote: "Hello all, I'm new!

This month, I'm going to try:

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
The Magicians
Dune
[book:Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter: A Nov..."

Welcome. In my humble opinion, this is the best group on/in GR.

[Lyn (Readinghearts)]

Lynne wrote: "Laurel wrote: "Hello all, I'm new!

This month, I'm going to try:

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
The Magicians
Dune
[book:Crooked Letter,..."

I second the comment about this being the best group in/on GR.

I think your opinion of Hunger games, Lynne, is one of the things that have kept me from prioritizing it.

I wanted to read Bless Me Ultima in January, but I don't own it and I am only reading books I own in January. Plus two library books I already have. Bummer.

[Blarneygod]

Thanks Lynne, I will start with the Giver. I am reading Hunger Games, right now. I am loving it!

Lynne wrote: "Blarneygod wrote: "The Giver
Catching Fire
Mockingjay
Keeping the Moon"

Blarneygod..start with "The Giver". It is a 5* read."

[Vicki]

I think I am going to start with Where the Heart is by Billie Letts.

[Blarneygod]

I love Where the Heart is!!! Enjoy!
Vicki wrote: "I think I am going to start with Where the Heart is by Billie Letts."

[Stormy]

I am going to read I Love Yous Are for White People: A Memoir since it's already on my TBR.

[Vicki]

Blarneygod wrote: "I love Where the Heart is!!! Enjoy!
Vicki wrote: "I think I am going to start with Where the Heart is by Billie Letts.""

Thanks. I am excited to read it.

[Erin E]

I found one!



A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

[Sarah]

I'm going to revisit the first ever 'long' book I read all by myself many years ago now with The Neverending Story.

[BJ Rose]

I'll be reading:
The Giver & Gathering Blue

If I have time, I may do a reread of Out of the Dust, which is excellently told.

[Christopher]

I think I'm going to go for The Graveyard Book - I started reading Neil Gaiman back in the early days of the Sandman comics and it's taken me far too long to get around to reading this.

[Krait]

Hmm my first go at this. I've been wanting to read Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer for some time. Time to buy it. Also on the re-read list shall be:

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan, and The Farthest Shore all by Ursula K. LeGuin

[Luann]

Welcome, Krait!

[Debbie]

I am looking at reading Catching Fire most likely. I love this category so I might even try to squeeze in something else too.