The Book Challenge discussion
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Julianne's 8/08-8/10 Book Challenge
August:Fiction-The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
Non-fiction-A Walk in the Woods
Classic-Pride and Predjudice
Also, finished:
Atonement*-goal to finish this to see the movie
Murder 101
The Book Thief*-first book club read EVER!
On Chesil Beach
Twilight*-finally started this series
From a Buick 8
July Reads (an FYI for me):The House of God
The Woman Who Swallowed a Toothbrush
Aunt Dimity's Death
The Big Over Easy
The Pillars of the Earth (900+pgs, should count as 3 books!)
Life of Pi
June Reads (again, an FYI for Me):Step on a Crack
Fearless Fourteen
The Poe Shadow
Prodigal Son (Frankenstein #1)
Along Came a Spider
Elements of Style (Non-fiction)
Heart Shaped Box
Saving Faith
What the Dead Know
May Reads (For my FYI)-The Journals of Eleanor Druse
In Defense of Food (Non-fiction)
The Colorado Kid
The Thirteenth Tale
Eat This Not That
The 5th Horseman
The Mediterranean Caper
On Writing (Non-fiction)
September Goal: Fiction-The Princess Bride
Non-fiction-A Voyage Long and Strange (finally finished 10/20)
Classic-Jane Eyre
Bookclub-The Talisman...Didn't Finish :-(
Also:
The Art of Racing in the Rain
The Alchemist
Practical Magic
Lambs of London
The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox
I was Told There'd be Cake
From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
I'm doing better at actually finishing a book here! I have like 5 books on my "currently reading" shelf (I never do that!!), so I'm working hard to get them done. Should be able to finish Jane Eyre really soon!The Talisman may (again!) be put down. It's a shame, cause I'm sure it's a good book, but it's not holding/capturing my attention. I could put this one down, and it never calls to me ("I miss you! don't you wanna know what happens next? Come back, puh-leeze?!"). *SIGH*
But I'm looking forward to a Voyage Long and Strange, even though Toni Horwitz is not a quick read for me.
Oh, and I'm "audio-ing" (new word, feel free to use!) Lambs of London, and I'm not really enjoying it. I think I need to avoid 2 things in the near future:
1) books written by British authors (or narrated by Brits)
2) books that take place in the 1800s
I've been over run by these 2 lately, and they're not my forte. I don't mind them, but I have to read something else. Ya know?!
There might go your "classic" goal.Also, did you buy The Dead Zone?
9 days? That's all?! I'd better get myself moving on some of my books again.
October Goal: Fiction- House of Leaves
Non-Fiction-Devil in the White City
Classic-Around the World in Eighty Days
Also:
The Dead Zone
The Devil and Miss Prym
The Secret Life of Bees
The Spellman Files
Death on the Nile (2 discs long)
The Curse of the Spellmans
Shopgirl
Odd Thomas
Forever Odd
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal-I am taking a long time with this one but it is sooo worth it!
Did Not Finish This Month
The Bourne Identity (Pick a Shelf bookclub)
Naked in Death (not sure if this was a terrible book, or just a terrible audio. I really wanted to like this)
I thought September was a disappointing month for me. I felt like I really struggled through a bunch of books. Looking back, though (message 6), I got 9 books completed, one I stopped reading, and one I'm 2/3 through. Gotta finish the Horwitz one, though, before I start on my next non-fiction.Kudos to me, though.
Both would be pretty quick reads. I say go for both! lol New Moon is kind of long, but you can read pretty quick. But, New Moon can be a bit frustrating, too.
So, I have a new favorite author (since I've read and loved two by him): Paulo Coelho. Read The Alchemist and The Devil and Miss Prym: A Novel of Temptation
You're making me sad with all the books you're able to whip through. I made it through a lot more of Love is a Mix Tape last night. Dracula is kicking my butt.
I have GOT to start on my three mandated books! But, I've read 8 books already this month! I think October will be a record month for me!
November (tentative):Fiction: A Great and Terrible Beauty (Pick-a-Shelf)
Non-Fiction: Me Talk Pretty One Day
Classic: The Three Musketeers (Pick-a-Shelf)
Book Clubs:
The Constant Princess (Pick a Shelf)
Blindness (You'll Love This One)
Also:
Brother Odd
New Moon
Think Big
The Book of Lost Things
Shoeless Joe
Ugh, this reminds me, I need to revamp my goals for November!
Me, too! Yeah! It's November.I'm breaking one of my rules. Even though I finished Lamb on Nov. 1, I'm still counting it for Oct. It took me a long time to read this (I don't know why, but I think it was external/scheduling influences, not content or writing style), but I think it belongs with Oct.
Besides, they're my rules, so I can do what I want!
Finished 2 books almost at the same time:Brother Odd (good)
Blindness (not-so-good)
Forgot to add to this Friday night--read A Great and Terrible Beauty. Yeah! Thanks Emma, I loved it!
December (Tentative):Because Pick-a-Shelf has their "CHRISTMAS DAY" challenge, and the Winter Challenge should be starting up for TNBBC, I want to write down right now the books I would like to read regardless in December. Then I'll look at these two challenges and see if I want to participate.
Fiction: Just After Sunset-Stephen King
Non-Fiction: Sippy Cups are not for Chardonnay-Pick a Shelf
Classic: Great Expectations
Also:
Smashed, Splattered...
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
20th Century Ghosts
Rebel Angels
Monster of Florence (audio)-Pick a Shelf
Think Big-Pick a Shelf
Naptime is the new Happy Hour-Pick a Shelf
The Complete Stephen King Universe
The Graveyard Book
Eclipse
I need to get A Great and Terrible Beauty from you, in case I can read it this month. That way maybe I can put Rebel Angels as my R.
I'm 10 pages into A Great and Terrible Beauty!
So, I'm gonna try something (not-so) new in December...aside from my fiction/non-fiction/classic thing, I'm going to read whatever I want in December.No stress, no lists, no contests, no group reads...just me and whatever book I feel like.
Novel Idea, huh?
"Novel" idea?! You dork! I think that's a good idea. Have fun with your books again!
Wow! What books? I wish I had finished 3!! I only got to read something like 150 pages this weekend!
So, seriously, this has been a terrible month for reading! I have sooo many brand new books on my shelves to read, yet I got less than half the reading done that I normally do. Sheesh! Ah, well.Oh, and the last two months I've been slacking on the classics. Oops!
January:Fiction: Breaking Dawn
Non-Fiction: Steve & Me
Classic: The Old Man and the Sea
Bookclubs:
Monsters of Templeton
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
A Sweet Far Thing
Rebel Angels (YA is Pick-a-shelf's theme. Gonna use it to finish the 2 series I'm in the middle of)
Also:
Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse #1)
Stardust
Three Bags Full
Great Expectations
I'm about halfway through Steve and Me and am really enjoying it. She loved him so much. They had a very interesting life. And, no worries, I'm slacking hardcore, too!
Yes, a very easy read. I would probably have finished it last night or today, had Chris not been screaming his head off (I mean, ear-splitting shrieks) due to that one stupid tooth trying to come through. Not to mention, Jimmy and I have our new video game!Starting next week, if I'm not sleeping both ways on the train, I will be getting so much more reading done!
So, January is already much more productive than Dec.--3 books completed by 1/6 (that's an average of one book finished every other day!!)
I have finished just one so far, I think, but I read that in just about 24 hours -- that includes sleeping and working for a few hours! :-) Yay for being more productive!
Finished 2 books before the weekend started--scrapped and puked all weekend (not a great recipe for getting my reading done!!)
February:Fiction: Odd Hours
Non-Fiction: Johnstown Flood
Classic: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Great Expectations
Bookclubs:
A Sweet Far Thing
The Historian
(maybe) Love in the Time of Cholera
Also:
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell
Naptime is the New Happy Hour
Plum Spooky
20th Century Ghosts
I will be done The Sweet Far Thing today. Only 50 pages left. Parts drag and parts fly -- just to warn you!So, are you actually reading The Other Boleyn Girl or listening? You had said listening would take forever. The read isn't too bad.
Mel wrote: "I will be done The Sweet Far Thing today. Only 50 pages left. Parts drag and parts fly -- just to warn you!So, are you actually reading The Other Boleyn Girl or listening? You had said liste..."
I think I'm gonna listen. I did HP #6, which is a doozie, too, and it was do-able. Plus, I figured I can rip the CDs onto my iPod and won't have to keep the discs from the library for AGES!
So, I'm counting myself as done for January. It's the 28th, and I should be able to finish one more book (that isn't even on my list), but won't finish either Great Expectations OR Sweet Far Thing. But, I will have 8 books done for the month, which is quite respectable!
Good job for this month. I hope to finish Gifted Hands tonight or tomorrow morning, so I can count that for January. What other book are you going to read?
I've been listening to Stardust, by Neil Gaiman (saw the movie first). Finished it this afternoon
Dunno about Jonathan Strange. Not really into the story and I'm 6+ hours into the read (OUT OF 26). That's a BIG committment for something I'm so-so about.
March: Fiction: A Dirty Job
Non-Fiction: The Wordy Shipmates
Classic: Great Expectations (NEVER GOING to finish)
Also:
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell
The Shack
OMG I am sooo slow this month! What is wrong with me? And 2009 was going sooo good...
The Book Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Incarceron (other topics)Wither (other topics)
Matched (other topics)
Unwind (other topics)
The Pillars of the Earth (other topics)
More...
Every month:
1 Non-fiction
1 Classic
1 Fiction
I usually tend to get ~1 book/week read, plus 1-2 audiobooks per month. After I meet these 3 criteria, free choice for the remainder of the month. Hopefully, this will include online book club choices!