Christine's 2012 Reading Challenge

[Christine]

Here's what I'm going to try to read in 2012:

1. Catherine The Great by Robert K. Massie--read 5/8/12
2. Midwives by Chris Bohjalian--read 8/20/12
3. Thirteen Moons by Charles Frasier--read 9/6/12
4. Lindbergh by A. Scott Berg
5. The Piano Teacher by Janice Lee--read 5/31/12
6. The Shack by William P. Young--read 3/14/12
7. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Marquez--gave up on 9/10/12
8. Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum--Wow!--read 6/18/12
9. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins--read 5/20/12
10. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett --- So good!--read 1/30/12
11. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt--read 4/4/12
12. Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon--gave up on 11/6/12
13. Another Picoult book--read House Rules on 10/8/12
14. Child 44 by Tom Robb Smith--read 10/15/12
15. These is My Words by Nancy Turner--So good!--read 6/27/12
16. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery--read 7/23/12
17. Pope Joan by Donna Cross
18. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards--read 8/6/12
19. On Gold Mountain by Lisa See--Wow!--read 11/6/12
20. The Secret History by Donna Tart--Amazing!--read 7/15/12
21. Empire of the Summer Moon by S. C. Gwynne--Wow!--read 9/23
22. Molokai by Alan Brennert--read 7/2/12
23. All Aunt Hagar’s Children by Edward P. Jones--gave up on 9/16
24. Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer--read 3/12/12
25. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Foer--read 8/18/12
26. Saving the Jews –FDR and the Holocaust by Rosen et. al.
27. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins--read 3/17/12
28. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen--read 6/19/12

[Linda]

We like a lot of the same books. I've read your 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 27, and 28. I gave up on Molokai as it didn't begin to compare with Michner's "Hawaii." It'll be interesting to compare our ratings. Don't you love Goodreads!

[Chris]

As for your Jodi Picoult selection, I wouldn't recommend Second Glance for that. It isn't one of her better ones.

I'm impressed that Love in the Time of Cholera made your list and will be eager to see your rating. One Hundred Years of Solitude was enough for me.

[Christine]

I've heard too many times how good it is, and how much better than 100 Years of Solitude. A friend of mine at the bookstore said it is a must-read, and I really respect his opinion, so there it is. I actually liked 100 Years for the first half of the book as I remember. Before the magical realism became too much for me.

[Christine]

I've swapped out three of my original books for different ones. Hope that's not cheating. But I thought of older ones that I really needed to get read before the newer ones on the list. I don't know how I'm ever going to finish all these by the end of the year though! I'm having serious doubts already.

[Christine]

Well, I've knocked off 8 out of my 28 challenge books. That's only about 30%. Pathetic. By the end of June I should have finished 14.
That's going to be a neat trick!

[Christine]

I just finished Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum. It has completely knocked me off my feet. What an amazing, haunting, beautiful book!
I was overwhelmed by it. I think I liked it better than Sarah's Key, yet it didn't get nearly as much notoriety. I wonder why. It is a dazzling work of fiction that I will never forget.

[Christine]

I'm finishing The Corrections by tomorrow come hell or high water. Then I'll have 10 read out of my 28. Whew. Still so far behind though.
If I'm lucky I'll be able to knock off two or more over my vacation and be close to half done by the end of June.

[Christine]

Almost halfway through at last! I'll have 14 read by the end of this week when I finish Hedgehog. Why oh why did I pick such long books?
The Secret History took me forever. But it sure was worth it. What an awesome book.

[Linda]

We'll certainly know better next year! Keep it up - you're doing great.

[Christine]

Thirteen more to go!

[Linda]

Yay!!! I'm on hold again for my list since I stupidly requested more library books.

[Christine]

Linda wrote: "Yay!!! I'm on hold again for my list since I stupidly requested more library books."

How many more do you have to read? I've got 11 more after I finish The Midwives, which should be soon this week. And many of my books are over 400 pages. I must have been crazy when I compiled my list!

[Chuck]

I'm new to this group - Thought I'd join! Great selection of books Christine. I've "Lindberg," "The Shack," "Bel Canto" and "The Hunger Games."

[Christine]

Welcome to the group!

[Chuck]

Chuck wrote: "I'm new to this group - Thought I'd join! Great selection of books Christine. I've read "Lindberg," "The Shack," "Bel Canto" and "The Hunger Games.""

[Christine]

Chuck wrote: "Chuck wrote: "I'm new to this group - Thought I'd join! Great selection of books Christine. I've read "Lindberg," "The Shack," "Bel Canto" and "The Hunger Games."""

This is just our individual reading challenges. The Literazzi group selections are quite different. You should introduce yourself and join on the main page.

[Christine]

So far, Empire of the Summer Moon may be the best book of my whole challenge. It's amazing how much not-commonly-known historical information the author stuffs into this book! I cannot put it down! And I was a history major with an emphasis on the American West. Go figure.

When I'm done with this (soon), I'll have 7 left to read before the end of the year. That may be possible after all.

[Christine]

Soon I'll only have 4 books left to read in two months. This will be a done deal soon. I don't think I'll ever succumb to a book challenge again. It's just too restricting with book clubs also dictating what you read. Live and learn!