Linda's 2012 Reading Challenge

[Linda]

1. Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry
2. Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero by Chris Matthews
3. Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
4. Sarah's Quilt by Nancy E. Turner
5. Star Garden by Nancy E. Turner
6. A Prayer for the Dying by Stewart O'Nan
7. The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta
8. Claire Marvel by John Burnham Schwartz
9. March by Geraldine Brooks
10. The Eighty-Dollar Champion by Elizabeth Letts
11. Jamrach's Menagerie by Carol Birch
12. The Gin & Chowder Club by Nan Parson Rossiter
13. The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough
14. Texas by James Michner
15. Eliza Calvert Hall by Lynn E. Niedermeier
16. Consider Poor I: Nancy Luce by Walter M. Teller
17. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
18. Jubilee Trail by Gwen Bristow
19. Clover & Blue Grass by Eliza Calvert Hall
20. The Land of Long Ago by Eliza Calvert Hall
21. Juno's Daughters by Lise Saffran
22. State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

[Christine]

I've only read three on your list (9, 17, 18)! See, you out-read me with your hands tied! I want to read four of yours as well--2, 4, 13, and 22. Looks like you've already read several on this list. I'm impressed.

[Christine]

Probably because you don't mind being forced to sit down and read non-stop! It's almost guiltless when you have to!

[Christine]

Yeah, guiltless reading would be heaven, wouldn't it?

[Christine]

Still I think 4 is quite the accomplishment, since we're only about 6 weeks into the year! I've only read ONE!

[Christine]

Linda wrote: "I've finished a few more books on my challenge: Salvage the Bones and Johnstown Flood. Now I'm starting another one: Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero. Is it just me or is this harder than it sounded ..."

It may feel harder to you, but then you'll be done in 6 months at this rate!

[Christine]

Yeah, and if it's a library book, you only have 3 weeks, right? I assume there's still a waiting list for it, which means no renewals. Ouch!

[Linda]

I've finished five on my challenge now. This is harder than it sounded in December. Elusive Hero was good. I just finished 11/22/63 and boy do I have egg on my face. It's so long and I wasn't crazy about it, but I thought 'at least I can mark it off my challenge list,' then I discovered it wasn't one ON my challenge list. Honestly! I'm such a doofus.

[Christine]

Linda wrote: "I've finished five on my challenge now. This is harder than it sounded in December. Elusive Hero was good. I just finished 11/22/63 and boy do I have egg on my face. It's so long and I wasn't c..."

That's hilarious Linda! I did the exact same thing. So we're both doofuses. Or is that doofae? I started 11/22/63 and was intruiged, but knew I was never going to hold up that heavy a book for days, so gave up until I get it on my Kindle. Sorry to hear you were disappointed by the end.

I think the challenge is harder than I anticipated as well. My list is way too long & I wish I could change it!

[Christine]

Linda wrote: "Next year I'll put TWO on my book challenge!"

I agree! There's no way I'm going to finish all these books by the end of the year. I don't know what I was thinking! I've only read 4 1/2 and it's already April.

[Christine]

I've stopped requesting books too. But I've been picking them off of the shelf as you check out. I'm on number 2 now. A history of the Thames River. How dumb is that? But I can't help myself. They look sooooo good.

[Christine]

Once I finish Catherine the Great, I'm going to read from my list in earnest. Sorry Jubilee Trail wasn't a hit. I read it in my teens and was crazy about it. But I guess I might feel differently about it now too!

[Christine]

I think they made a movie out of Jubilee Trail, btw. Don't know if they changed the title or not.

[Christine]

I don't think I've even heard of Wendell Berry. Must look him up. . . .

[Christine]

I agree. I'm finding it horribly difficult. And I've only read six out of my 28. Next time I'm only going to pick 10 or 12! Chris had the right idea!

[Linda]

Hooray - one more down. I just finished "Consider Poor I, The Life and Works of Nancy Luce" by Walter Magnes Teller. It's very good and quite haunting; a true story about a woman in the 1800's on Martha's Vineyard. I think I'm about half way through my list, which hopefully puts me right on schedule - fingers crossed! Huff, puff.

[Christine]

Linda wrote: "Hooray - one more down. I just finished "Consider Poor I, The Life and Works of Nancy Luce" by Walter Magnes Teller. It's very good and quite haunting; a true story about a woman in the 1800's on..."

Showoff!

[Christine]

I know, I did get us into this, I must confess. But I regret it! I am hopelessly behind and probably will never catch up. I'm hoping audio books will give me a leg up. That or a speed reading course. But I've tried that before and it did no good whatsoever.

[Christine]

I saw State of Wonder in the bookstore yesterday for $4. Do you have it yet? I was sorely tempted to get it, but opted for Rachel Maddow's new book instead, as well as The Language of Flowers. Hope I don't regret it.

[Christine]

It turns out that I already had State of Wonder! It's yours whenever you want to borrow it.

[Christine]

I also have The Blind Assassin if you need it.

[Christine]

Definitely.

[Linda]

Just finished another book on my challenge "The Land of Long Ago" by Eliza Calvert Hall, written in 1909 and a continuation of the Aunt Jane of Kentucky stories. Have started another book on my list; I'm determined to see this through. Wish me luck!

[Christine]

Good for you Linda! I just finished two on my list too. We CAN do this!

[Linda]

I have 7 books to read to meet my challenge of 22 chosen books.

[Linda]

I finished Blind Assassin and have only five more books to the finish line. Whew!

[Christine]

I can't believe it! You're almost done already??? I still have 14 more to finish by December. It's going to be close. . . .

[Linda]

I would have finished by now if I hadn't kept requesting books AND if I hadn't put "Texas" on my list. Grumble, grumble.

[Christine]

Texas is HUGE. Poor you. You sure are blasting through your list. Did you give up on any of them? I keep hoping I'll start a book that I don't like, so I can stop reading it. But it hasn't happened yet!

[Linda]

No, I haven't given up on any that were on my list (I felt that would be cheating.) But I've given up on a few others that I requested. I thought I was knocking them off fairly well, but I've really gotten sidetracked lately and the calendar pages are turning rapidly. Ugh!