Robin M Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah, my dears. today is the start of week 52 in our quest to read 52 books in 52 weeks and the end of our reading year. Welcome back to our regulars and to all who are following our progress. Mr. Linky is all set up on the 52 books blog to link to your reviews and year end wrap ups. The link is in my signature. I know it's Sunday already for some of you and I don't know what time I'll be coming on in the morning, so posting now and will bumped it up when I come online. Besides it will give those who are night owls some time to work on the answers. :) :party:52 Books blog - All wrapped up and tied with a ribbon! We did it. Made it through another reading year. How did you all do? Are you ready to answer some questions.... Did you reach the goal of 52 books or did you manage to beat your own personal best? What book are you ending the year with? Did you discover a new author or genre? Did you love them or hate them? Did you challenge yourself to read more non fiction if prefer fiction or more fiction if you prefer non fiction? Did you read from a list or wing it? How many classics did you read? What did you think of the writing style or author? Name one book that you thought you'd never read and was pleasantly surprised you like it. What are your top ten favorite books? What are your ten least favorite books? Did you start any books that you just simply couldn't finish? What did you think of the mini challenges and did you join in or complete any? Did your family join in on the fun? How many books have you added to your wishlist since the beginning of the year? What was your favorite thing about the challenge? Thank you to everyone. I've had so much fun this year and it's all because of you all. Look forward to doing it all over again in 2012. And yes you still have til the 31st to finish reading your books.Link to week 51 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted December 25, 2011 Author Share Posted December 25, 2011 I'm almost there. Just have to finish Marian Zimmer Bradley's The Forest House and I will have completed the A to Z challenge by title and author. Will be back later to post wrap up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 This week it is "A Discovery of Witches" and that makes only 37 books for me. :( Boo hoo. Next year I will do it for sure!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah, my dears. today is the start of week 52 in our quest to read 52 books in 52 weeks and the end of our reading year. Welcome back to our regulars and to all who are following our progress. Mr. Linky is all set up on the 52 books blog to link to your reviews and year end wrap ups. The link is in my signature. I know it's Sunday already for some of you and I don't know what time I'll be coming on in the morning, so posting now and will bumped it up when I come online. Besides it will give those who are night owls some time to work on the answers. :) :party: 52 Books blog - All wrapped up and tied with a ribbon! We did it. Made it through another reading year. How did you all do? Are you ready to answer some questions.... Did you reach the goal of 52 books or did you manage to beat your own personal best? I am just going to make it. I included books I read aloud to my kids....but only ones that I personally enjoyed or learned from. What book are you ending the year with? I am going to finish with Son of Neptune which is Rick Riordan's new book Did you discover a new author or genre? Did you love them or hate them? I have been reading a lot of books about the English Monarchy. This year I discovered Anya Seton....and I fell in love with her. I also have been reading a lot of Philppa Gregory. I like her books, but not nearly as much as Anya Seton's. Did you challenge yourself to read more non fiction if prefer fiction or more fiction if you prefer non fiction? I did challenge myself to read a bit more non fiction, but for some reason did not include those books in my count...or at least most of them. I read many books on vitamin therapy and nutritional healing. Why didn't I count them Did you read from a list or wing it? Definitely winged it. I would love a list. How many classics did you read? What did you think of the writing style or author? I started outnlast year reading a lot of the classics that are required reading in high school and basic college English classes such as Lord of the Flies, 1984, To Kill A Mockingbird and The Great Gatsby. Some of these I read back in high school or college. It was fun. I liked coming into these books with a more mature outlook, but quite funnily, I found the ones I liked back then, I still liked...and those that were meh....were still meh. Name one book that you thought you'd never read and was pleasantly surprised you like it. What are your top ten favorite books? My top few books this year were Katherine by Anya Seton, The Hobbit, Lord of the Flies, Bossypants by Tina Fey...because it was cute...and Dead End in Norvelt.... What are your ten least favorite books? I really didn't like the Girl with the Dragon Tatoo and the others in that series. I read them because I read the fist one...and then had to finish...but, they were too bloody, too graphic sexually and not really all that well written. I read them pretty quickly, and I guess they were sort of like watching a ridiculous TV drama....but, other than that...not my favorite. Did you start any books that you just simply couldn't finish? Yes...but I don't even remember which ones they were. What did you think of the mini challenges and did you join in or complete any? I completed 2 mini challenges. One was the e book challenge...which was easy...just bread books on your e reader. The other one was the Science fiction/ dystopian literature. I set a goal of 10 books and completed that one too Did your family join in on the fun? My kids listened t quite a few of the books counted in my final tally. How many books have you added to your wishlist since the beginning of the year? None....I just fly bybthe seat of mybpants. :D What was your favorite thing about the challenge? The camaraderie here. I love talking about books with the ladies here...and have found some of my all time favorites on this list. Thank you to everyone. I've had so much fun this year and it's all because of you all. Look forward to doing it all over again in 2012. And yes you still have til the 31st to finish reading your books. Thank you for keeping this post going...and your faithfulness to us. I appreciate you. I am looking forward to the 2012 challenge...and may even try to make a list Link to week 51 Thanks again, Faithe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 (edited) Did you reach the goal of 52 books or did you manage to beat your own personal best? Yes. If I finish the book I'm currently reading (Darkmans), I will have read 62 books this year! :001_smile: What book are you ending the year with? Darkmans. Don't know if I'll get another one started before 2012.... Did you discover a new author or genre? Did you love them or hate them? Yes -- many new authors: Mark Hodder, Haruki Murakami, Nicola Barker, jsut to name a few. Loved them. Got into surrealist works & steampunk this year too. Great fun! Did you challenge yourself to read more non fiction if prefer fiction or more fiction if you prefer non fiction? Not really. I tend to read more fiction overall, but also have enough non-fiction (imo) mixed in. At least enough for me... ;) Did you read from a list or wing it? Both, though my lists are really just neat books I see mentioned in various places, so I have titles & authors scribbled down on a list or requested from the library & (hopefully) find time to read them. How many classics did you read? What did you think of the writing style or author? Hmmm. I think I read only two 'classics' this year, both by Robert Louis Stevenson: Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I loved Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde -- a perfectly written novella; spare; every word perfectly chosen. Just amazing. I was less enamored of Treasure Island, which was harsher than I anticipated. I also found the dialect made it harder to read too. Not sure if Poe counts as classic, but I enjoyed the short story collection I read by him. As for modern classics, I read something by Thor Heyerdahl (not sure he counts as 'classic' but I'll list him anyway because I think he deserves to be in the category) & Kurt Vonnegut. Both amazing, wonderful writers. Name one book that you thought you'd never read and was pleasantly surprised you like it. World War Z. I really never thought I'd read a zombie book. Ever. Turns out, it was pretty good. (That doesn't mean I will necessarily read other zombie books, though. :tongue_smilie:) What are your top ten favorite books? This year's faves in no particular order: The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack by Mark Hodder All the Names by Jose Saramago Fatu-Hiva by Thor Heyerdahl Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami A Curable Romantic by Joseph Skibell Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut The Guinea Pig Diaries by A.J. Jacobs Darkmans by Nicola Barker (going out on a limb because I'm 2/3 of the way through, but not finished with, this book; loving it so far) What are your ten least favorite books? If I don't like a book, I don't finish reading it. However, of the books I did read, here are my least faves this year in no particular order: The Perfect Man by Naeem Murr Three Ways to Capsize a Boat by Chris Stewart Sister Pelagia and the Red Cockerel by Boris Akunin Meeting Faith: The Forest Journals of a Black Buddhist Nun by Faith Adiele Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffeneger The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno by Ellen Bryson Well-Schooled in Murder by Elizabeth George A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick The Music of Chance by Paul Auster Judgement of Tears: Anno Dracula 1959 by Kim Newman Did you start any books that you just simply couldn't finish? Yes, plenty. Things like The Looking Glass Wars, Cutting for Stone, The Crying of Lot 49, Cleopatra, etc.... What did you think of the mini challenges and did you join in or complete any? I think the mini-challenges are neat. I enjoy reading about them, even when I don't participate. I think the only one I did this year was the 'choose a book by its cover'. Did your family join in on the fun? No. How many books have you added to your wishlist since the beginning of the year? Um.... lots?!?! What was your favorite thing about the challenge? Getting to share what I read, seeing what everyone else is reading, getting reviews (both good & bad) of books, etc.... I love this challenge & thread! Thank you to everyone. I've had so much fun this year and it's all because of you all. Look forward to doing it all over again in 2012. And yes you still have til the 31st to finish reading your books. Thanks, Robin!!! Edited December 25, 2011 by Stacia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 Robin, thank you for all that you have done and continue to do with this fabulous weekly thread. I just started a totally brain-candy book - by Raquel Welch, of all people. I've always thought she's gorgeous. The book had good reviews and was super-cheap on Kindle, plus I really and truly need fluff at this point in my life. I'm at the part where she describes yoga. I love this part and it's encouraging me to do yoga more often. Now, to answer your great questions. Did you reach the goal of 52 books or did you manage to beat your own personal best? Yes, my goal as some of you may recall is now 26 books per year. I am now on #41. I have not included the read-alouds with my dc. What book are you ending the year with? Raquel Welch: Beyond the Cleavage - catchy title :lol:. Did you discover a new author or genre? Did you love them or hate them? I started my first No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. Liked them a lot at first. I think I read 3 or 4 of them and am really quite tired of them now. I feel obligated to finish them all eventually, since I've paid for them all. I never thought I would like A Good Earth (Pearl Buck). I did and I may read other books by her. Did you challenge yourself to read more non fiction if prefer fiction or more fiction if you prefer non fiction? Yes and no. I'm at a point in my life where I can handle only so much non-fiction, before I feel like crawling under the covers and throwing the book out the window. :lol: Did you read from a list or wing it? Both. How many classics did you read? What did you think of the writing style or author? The Good Earth - liked it a lot. Wouldn't mind reading more by her. Name one book that you thought you'd never read and was pleasantly surprised you like it. The Good Earth What are your top ten favorite books? Of the year, or of all time? :confused: Of the year ... No particular order - my top 9: Barack Obama – The Audacity of Hope Night The Geography of Bliss The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise Confessions of a Prairie B**ch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated Middlesex The Poisonwood Bible Mindset Someone Knows My Name What are your ten least favorite books? If a book doesn't grab me or engage me in the first 10%, I seldom continue. Rick Steves Paris - since he gave some rubbish recommendations - including our rubbish B&B. :glare: A Great Deliverance - Elizabeth George Payment in Blood - Elizabeth George Too many books by Alexander McCall Smith - starts to get boring after a while Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - dragged on and overly predictable Did you start any books that you just simply couldn't finish? Yes, quite a few. What did you think of the mini challenges and did you join in or complete any? Nope. I seldom join challenges. I'm the Queen of Quitters. :tongue_smilie: Did your family join in on the fun? No. How many books have you added to your wishlist since the beginning of the year? Far too many and I love it! :D What was your favorite thing about the challenge? Everyone's feedback and comments. Friendship and camaraderie. Thank you sooo much and Happy Holidays to all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Robyn Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 (edited) :party: 52 Books blog - All wrapped up and tied with a ribbon! We did it. Made it through another reading year. How did you all do? Are you ready to answer some questions.... Did you reach the goal of 52 books or did you manage to beat your own personal best? I did reach the goal of 52 books. I counted read-alouds, but I started in July. I like to thing those even each other out. What book are you ending the year with? I don't know! I am most of the way through Zone One right now. I know I will finish it before the year is over, maybe even today. I might try to read the next Ranger's Apprentice book before the year is over, or maybe I'll just stick to very short and quick (short stories, pamphlets, graphic novels) until 2012. Did you discover a new author or genre? Did you love them or hate them? I read all of the Earthsea series by Ursula K. Le Guin and those were the first books I read by her. I then got her Catwings books for my kids and plan to read some more of her books soon. Did you challenge yourself to read more non fiction if prefer fiction or more fiction if you prefer non fiction? I just tried to have a mix, no particular ratio. Did you read from a list or wing it? I read books chosen by a local book club, books chosen by friends, and a few off the top of my head. How many classics did you read? What did you think of the writing style or author? Not sure. Does Sir Arthur Conan Doyle count as a classic? I read the first two Sherlock Holmes novels and a book of spooky short stories by Doyle. I also read Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I have no strong opinions about the writing styles. Oh, I read The Metamorphosis - loved it! Name one book that you thought you'd never read and was pleasantly surprised you like it. The Rum Diary by Hunter S. Thompson. He got so popular for awhile I was just turned off by trying out his books, but I really like The Rum Diary and I will probably read more books by him. What are your top ten favorite books? The Earthsea series - that's 6. The two Persepolis graphic novels. After that it gets tough. Player Piano, Ronia, the Robber's Daughter, The Metamorphosis, and The Rum Diary are possibilities for the final two choices. What are your ten least favorite books? Night of the Living Trekkies by Kevin David Anderson and Sam Stall The Adventures of Prickly Porky by Thornton Burgess The Passage by Justin Cronin The Cabin Faced West by Jean Fritz Phantoms by Dean Koontz - just 5, sorry Did you start any books that you just simply couldn't finish? Nope. Most of the books I really disliked were for a reading group and I didn't want to slack on that. What did you think of the mini challenges and did you join in or complete any? Didn't do any. Did your family join in on the fun? Not officially, but I could see my increased reading having positive effects on a few people. How many books have you added to your wishlist since the beginning of the year? :lol: I'm not counting. What was your favorite thing about the challenge? The weekly reports! Thank you to everyone. I've had so much fun this year and it's all because of you all. Look forward to doing it all over again in 2012. And yes you still have til the 31st to finish reading your books. Link to week 51 This week I finished reading The Passage by Justin Cronin. The story is hard to sum up. It involved vampires created by the government which escaped, survival camps, a girl capable of communicating with animals. It was an okay book, but I don't think it was worth the number of pages involved. Also, too many semicolons, too many odd compound phrases, too many giant clauses stuck into the middle of a sentence so I have to go back and read the beginning of the sentence once I finally get to the predicate (or subject complement, or object, or whatever portion was cut off by the annoying, invasive clause). I am currently reading Zone One by Colson Whitehead. It is a zombie book, but not a fast paced suspense novel. It is like WWZ in that it is more about the people than the horror. There are still zombies, but the people believe they are over the hump and working toward "reconstruction" of civilization. The story takes place over the course of only three days (except that there are flashbacks and stories told). I have to agree with many reviewers that this novel is overly verbose. As much as I like the word "winnow" I swear it has appeared 5 times already. The book is only 260 pages - so that's almost once every 50 pages. Also, though I compared it to WWZ, it is not as good. Edited December 25, 2011 by crstarlette Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 (edited) Here's my list. It doesn't includes books I started but didn't finish, or books I read aloud to the kids. Also it's not completely in order of books read. 1. The Help 2. The Alchemist 3. A Briefer History of Time- Hawking 4. The Last Lecture-Pauch 5. Whimsical Christianity- Sayers 6. Pilgrim’s Regress- Lewis 7. McGillicuddy Mc Gotham- Wibberly 8. The Sunday Philosophy Club- McCall Smith 9. Twelve Types- Chesterton 10. Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow- Jerome 11. Pay it Forward 12. The Battle for God- Armstrong 13. The History of God- Armstrong 14. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep 15. The 5 Love Languages 16. God’s Universe- Gingrich 17. Rose Cottage- Stewart 18. The Danger Box- Balliet 19. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd- Christie 20. Secret Adversary- Christie 21. Boomerang Clue- Christie 22. Moving Finger- Christie 23. The Mouse That Roared- Wibberly 24. The Bible- Armstrong 25. All Things Bright and Beautiful- Herriot 26. In the Beginning- Armstrong 27. Cards on the Table- Christie 28. Destination Unknown- Christie 29. Misquoting Jesus- Ehrman 30. A Short History of Myth- Armstrong 31. Lost Christianities- Ehrman 32. Still Life- Penny 33. The Master’s Wall 34. The Sea Wolf- London 35. Siddarta- Hesse 36. Blink- Gladwell 37. Outliers- Gladwell 38. Foundation- Asimov 39. Second Foundation- Asimov 40. Foundation and Empire- Asimov 41. Life in Year One- Korb 42. The Scripture and Authority of God- 43. In The Beginning- Asimov 44. Marley and Me- Grogan 45. The Wilder Life- McClure 46. The Sisters of Sinai- Soskice 47. Before the Flood- Wilson 48. A Holiday Yarn- Goldbaum 49. Corduroy Mansions- McCall Smith 50. Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar- Cathcart and Klein 51. Shadows At the Fair- Wait 52. The Ghost and the Haunted Mansion I'm currently reading How to Prosper in Hard Times and should finish it by the first of the year. I liked most of the non-fiction books I read. The worst book was The Master's Wall. It wasn't really horrible just corny "historical" Christian romance, and I didn't care for it. The more modern mysteries always disappointed me, they just don't measure up to Christie. ETA: Just finished The diaries of Adam and Eve by Twain,The Lost Art of Lying also by Twain, and As a Man Thinketh by James Allen. Edited December 28, 2011 by Onceuponatime Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paisley Hedgehog Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-M- Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 (edited) #116 Lord of the Flies (William Golding) Fiction. With the Misses. This was my fourth go-round with Golding's classic, and I see something new each visit. What a startlingly perceptive view of people and what little holds us together, eh? And how eye-opening to read this after having seen, loved, and dissected "LOST." I'll have more to say about this one in January. #117 Brain Jack (Brian Falkner) YA fiction. This fast-paced blend of cyber-geekery and thriller put me in mind of Cory Doctorow's Little Brother and Robert J. Sawyer's WWW: Wake: Teen hacker Sam Wilson lands a position with a national cyber defense organization in lieu of a jail sentence. His job? To help protect the world from a malicious presence on the internet. #118 Tomorrow Code (Brian Falkner) YA fiction. Not quite as seamless as Brain Jack, this was still a competent effort from New Zealand author Brian Falkner. This time, the protagonists race against (and through) time to save humanity from a virus. #119 Missed Connections (Sophie Blackall) Art. This collection of illustrated love stories is delightful and touching. Have you seen the Australian illustrator's whimsical art before? If not, start with the blog that inspired the book. #120 Why We Broke Up (Daniel Handler) YA fiction. Written by none other than the man behind the pen name Lemony Snickett and illustrated by the incomparable Maira Kalman, this is, quite possibly, my favorite book of 2011. Imagine Ellen Page's Juno narrating the unlikely (and short-lived) romance between a smart-talking, "different" girl and the co-captain of the high school basketball team. Now couple that sarcastic and searingly honest insight with the detritus of a failed relationship -- the ticket stubs, books, shirts, combs, matchbooks, and so on that hold so much meaning. Voilà ! It's magic. It's also wonderfully cinematic; I will not be surprised when plans to translate it into film are announced. Highly recommended. _________________________________________________ And now to your questions... Did you reach the goal of 52 books or did you manage to beat your own personal best? Yes, I reached (surpassed) the 52-book goal, but, no, I will not beat my personal best. What book are you ending the year with? Technically, we still have all of this week, right? I have a stack for my winter break and don’t know which one I will end the year with. Did you discover a new author or genre? Did you love them or hate them? I don’t know if this counts as a discovery, but earlier this year, I spent a lot of time with house and garden design and decoration books. I am glad that part of my reading life is behind me. Heh, heh, heh. Did you challenge yourself to read more non fiction if prefer fiction or more fiction if you prefer non fiction? No, the challenge for me this year was to remember that I am, in fact, a reader. Dana Reinhart’s novel, Things a Brother Knows, which I read in early April helped. Did you read from a list or wing it? No lists. As Alan Jacobs puts it: “Plan once appealed to me, but I have grown to be a natural worshiper of Serendipity and Whim; I can try to serve other gods, but my heart is never in it. I truly think I would rather read an indifferent book on a lark than a fine one according to schedule and plan.” How many classics did you read? I (re)read seven of Shakespeare’s plays. I also (re)read The Time Machine (H.G. Wells), classic science fiction, and a boatload of Sherlock Holmes shorts stories, as well as The Hounds of the Baskervilles, classic mysteries. Name one book that you thought you'd never read and was pleasantly surprised you like it. No answer. What are your top ten favorite books [of 2011]? I’m guessing you mean from 2011. I will set aside the seven Shakespeare plays and all of the Sherlock Holmes adventures since, as the Misses have pointed out, “These are obviously the favorites.” That leaves the following (presented in the order in which I read them): ■Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (Winifred Watson; fiction) ■Things a Brother Knows (Dana Reinhart; YA fiction) ■Sempre Susan (Sigrid Nunez; memoir) ■Daytripper (Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon; graphic novel) ■In a Perfect World (Laura Kasischke; fiction) ■The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction (Alan Jacobs; non-fiction) ■A Hope in the Unseen (Ron Suskind; non-fiction) ■Feynman (Jim Ottaviani; graphic biography) ■Elizabeth Rex (Timothy Findley; play) ■Why We Broke Up (Daniel Handler; YA fiction; illustrations by the incomparable Maira Kalman) I reserve the right to make changes to this list between now and January 1. What are your ten three least favorite books [of 2011]? ■ Sarah's Key (Tatiana de Rosay; fiction) ■ Mid-Life (Joe Ollmann; graphic novel) ■ 101 Things I Hate about Your House (James Swan; non-fiction) Did you start any books that you just simply couldn't finish? Sure. What did you think of the mini challenges and did you join in or complete any? I didn’t participate in the mini challenges. Did your family join in on the fun? They did not participate in the 52 Books, but the Misses read at least that many books this year. Mr. M-mv read quite a bit, too. How many books have you added to your wishlist since the beginning of the year? Forget the wishlist. How many did I simply add to the cart! Heh, heh, heh. What was your favorite thing about the challenge? Seeing what others are reading and having an opportunity to share what I’m reading. Edited December 25, 2011 by Mental multivitamin My last answer was truncated and mis-formatted. Now it's fixed. 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laughing lioness Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 (edited) Did you reach the goal of 52 books or did you manage to beat your own personal best? Reached the goal - I think I made it to 57 and hope to add another 1-2 before the 31rst. I did add in our read-alouds. It is becoming more tedious to me the older I get and I want a gold star from somewhere! What book are you ending the year with? I'll finish Anne Lammott's Operating Instructions today and hope to get another of hers read before the end of the year. Did you discover a new author or genre? Did you love them or hate them? Got kind into fantasy, thanks to a compiliation of interviews of fantasy lit. due to my digging around about L'Engle. Discoered Le Guin. Brilliant. Also Allen Addison- total brain candy but loved it. Lamott- edgy, liberal and crude but a brilliant writer. Did you challenge yourself to read more non fiction if prefer fiction or more fiction if you prefer non fiction? My goal was to do a even amount of non and fiction but I definitly erred on the side of fiction. Did you read from a list or wing it? I start with a list from and add and subtract as I go. Lots of titles from this thread- thanks, fellow bilbiophiles!;) How many classics did you read? What did you think of the writing style or author? MacBeth by Shakespeare. Love the language but had to read it several times as well as read a cliff's note version. Feel like I know the play now, though. Can I count the Little House series? If so, I love the colloquialisms, the descriptions of what life was like. It's especially interesting to me as we live so close to the De Smet homestead. Name one book that you thought you'd never read and was pleasantly surprised you like it. Probably Le Guin's Left Hand of Darkness. A difficult thought exercise and brilliantly executed. What are your top ten favorite books? A God Who is There; Daughter of China The Book Thief, The Help, Bird by Bird, Garden Spells, The Necklace, Grooming the Next Generation for Success, Son of Hamas, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother What are your ten least favorite books? Handmaid and the Carpenter, In the Land of Believers, She Looks Just Like You, Wisdom Hunter, Zipporah, Escape, Half the Church Did you start any books that you just simply couldn't finish? I started several other books that I skimmed and several I took back to the library. Just not in the mood for them, I guess. What did you think of the mini challenges and did you join in or complete any? I did my own mini-challenge on Memoirs. I read 8 of them, if you don't count the Little House books. I read authors and that turned in to a mini-challenge of sorts- got into L'Engle again this year, Addison, Lamott, re-visited Potok and Gladwell, along with Lewis and Lawhead. Did your family join in on the fun? No. But they all read voraciously. How many books have you added to your wishlist since the beginning of the year? hmmm. A bunch. What was your favorite thing about the challenge? Just keeping myself reading in a pro-active way. I remember much more about the story when I write blog reviews but I kept running out of time to do so this year. Here's my list for the year: Addison Allen, Garden Spells Addison Allen, Peach Keeper Addison Allen, The Girl Who Chased the Moon Addison Allen, The Sugar Queen Albom, The Five People You Meet in Heaven Arthur, Wisdom Hunter Berg, The Handmaid and the Carpenter Burnett, This Time Together Chua, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother Coulter, Godless Downing, Silesian Station Ephron, I Remember Nothing Flinchbaugh, Daughter of China Gladwell, What the Dog Saw Gonzales, A Biography of Madeline L'Engle Green, Bloodroot Haigh, Faith Halter, Zipporah, Wife of Moses Hanley, Seize the Story James, Half the Church Janzen, Mennonite in a Little Black Dress Jarvis, The Necklace Jessop, Escape Johnson, Grooming the Next Generation for Success Johnson, UnPlanned Klempnauer Miller, She Looks Just Like You Kuffel, Passing for Thin L'Engle, A Swiftly Tilting Planet L'Engle, A Wind in the Door L'Engle, A Wrinkle in Time L'Engle, The Last Unicorns L;Engle, A Circle of Quiet Lamott, Bird by Bird Lamott, Operating Instructions Lawhead, SkinMap Lewis, C.S.; A Grief Observed Peretti, Piercing the Darkness Platt; Radical Potok, Old Men at Midnight Potok, Zebra & Other Stories Roth; They Thought for Themselves Schaeffer, The God Who Is There Shakespeare, MacBeth Stockett, The Help Walls, The Glass Castle Welch, In the Land of Believers Wilder, By the Shores of Silver Lake Wilder, Farmer Boy Wilder, Little House in the Big Woods Wilder, Little House on the Prairie Wilder, Little Town on the Prairie Wilder, On the Banks of Plum Creek Wilder, The First Four Years Wilder, The First Four Years Wilder, The Long Winter Wilder, These Happy Golden Years Yousef, Son of Hamas Zusak, The Book Thief Thanks, Robin! I love this thread and the challenge! Edited December 25, 2011 by laughing lioness Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-M- Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 The winter break stretches out before me, so I know I will have more to add, but here are the 120 I've finished at this writing: January (reviews/discussion here) ■ The Nest Home Design Handbook (Carley Roney) ■ Decorating Ideas That Work (Heather J. Paper) ■ Speed Decorating (Jill Vegas) ■ Flip! for Decorating (Elizabeth Mayhew) ■ Home Decor: A Sunset Design Guide (Kerrie L. Kelly) ■ Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother (Amy Chua; memoir, parenting) ■ Macbeth (William Shakespeare) ■ The Other Side of the Island (Allegra Goodman; fiction) ■ A Lantern in Her Hand (Bess Streeter Aldrich; fiction) ■ Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (Winifred Watson; fiction) March (reviews/discussion here) ■ The Source of All Things: A Memoir (Tracy Ross; memoir, review copy) ■ Heaven Is for Real (Todd Burpo; memoir, religion) April (reviews/discussion here) ■ Things a Brother Knows (Dana Reinhart; YA fiction) ■ Illyria (Elizabeth Hand; fiction) ■ The Merchant of Venice (William Shakespeare) ■ Model Home (Eric Puchner; fiction) ■ Mouse Guard, Volume 1: Fall 1152 (David Petersen; graphic novel) ■ Mouse Guard, Volume 2: Winter 1152 (David Petersen; graphic novel) ■ The Worst Loss: How Families Heal from the Death of a Child (Barbara D. Rosof) ■ Beyond Tears: Living after Losing a Child (Ellen Mitchell) ■ Love Never Dies: A Mother's Journey from Loss to Love (Sandy Goodman) ■ After the Death of a Child: Living with Loss through the Years (Ann K. Finkbeiner) ■ Trapped (Michael Northrop; YA fiction) ■ Sherlock Holmes: Short Stories (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; fiction) ■ The Colony (Jillian Marie Weise; fiction) ■ The Sandman, Vol. 3: Dream Country (Neil Gaiman; graphic novel) May (reviews/discussion here)■ Daughters-in-Law (Joanna Trollope; fiction) ■ Sempre Susan (Sigrid Nunez; memoir) ■ Gardening Step by Step (Phil Clayton, et al.) ■ John Brookes' Natural Landscapes (John Brookes) ■ Month-by-Month Gardening in Illinois (James A. Fizzell) ■ The New Gardener (Pippa Greenwood) ■ Glorious Gardens (Jacqueline Heriteau) ■ Midwest Top 10 Garden Guide (Bonnie Monte, ed.) ■ Midwest Gardens (Pamela Wolfe) ■ Low Maintenance Garden (Jenny Hendy) ■ The Complete Beginner's Guide to Archery (Bernhard A. Roth) ■ Know the Sport: Archery (John Adams) ■ Sherlock Holmes: More Short Stories (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; fiction) ■ The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton; YA fiction) ■ The Raising (Laura Kasischke; fiction) ■ The Life before Her Eyes (Laura Kasischke; fiction) ■ No Time for Goodbye (Linwood Barclay; fiction) ■ Too Close to Home (Linwood Barclay; fiction) June (reviews/discussion here) ■ The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth (Alexandra Robbins; non-fiction, education) ■ Confessions of a Prairie ***** (Alison Arngrim; memoir) ■ Pitch Uncertain (Maisie Houghton; memoir) ■ The Silent Land (Graham Joyce; fiction) ■ A Midsummer Night's Dream (William Shakespeare; play, classic) ■ The Hound of the Baskervilles (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; fiction) ■ Robopocalypse (Daniel H. Wilson; science fiction) July (reviews/discussion here) ■ Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie: A Tale of Love and Fallout (Lauren Redniss; biography, graphic book) ■ A Short Course in Canon PowerShot S5 IS Photography (Non-fiction) ■ Short Stories (Doyle, Henry, Poe; fiction) ■ The Winter's Tale (William Shakespeare; classic, play) ■ Ender's Game (Orson Scott Card; science fiction) ■ The Sister Knot (Terri Apter; psychology) ■ My Man Jeeves (P.J. Wodehouse; fiction, audiobook) ■ Acceptance: A Legendary Guidance Counselor Helps Seven Kids Find the Right Colleges--and Find Themselves (Dave Marcus; non-fiction) ■ The Millionaire Next Door (Thomas Stanley; non-fiction, personal finance) ■ Fear the Worst (Linwood Barclay; fiction) August (reviews and discussion here) ■ The Time Machine (H.G. Wells; classic science fiction) ■ Umbrella Summer (Lia Graff; YA fiction) ■ Sarah's Key (Tatiana de Rosay; fiction) ■ Never Look Away (Linwood Barclay; fiction) ■ Blank Confession (Pete Hautman; YA fiction) ■ Joy for Beginners (Erica Bauermeister; fiction) ■ Boy Heaven (Laura Kasischke; YA fiction) ■ Feathered (Laura Kasischke; YA fiction) ■ Daytripper (Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon; graphic novel) ■ In a Perfect World (Laura Kasischke; fiction) ■ The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction (Alan Jacobs; non-fiction) ■ One Day (David Nicholls; fiction) ■ The Idle Parent (Tom Hodgkinson; non-fiction) ■ Drawing Birds (John Busby; non-fiction) ■ Be Mine (Laura Kasischke; fiction) ■ Suspicion River (Laura Kasischke; fiction) ■ White Bird in a Blizzard (Laura Kasischke; fiction) ■ Want to Go Private? (Sarah Littman; YA fiction) ■ Mid-Life (Joe Ollmann; graphic novel) ■ A Hope in the Unseen (Ron Suskind; non-fiction) ■ A New Culture of Learning (Doug Thomas and John Seely Brown; non-fiction) ■ The Accident (Linwood Barclay; fiction) ■ The Hypnotist (Lars Kepler; fiction) ■ This Beautiful Life (Helen Schulman; fiction) ■ Beginner's Guide to Traditional Archery (Brian Sorrells; non-fiction) ■ This Girl Is Different (J.J. Johnson; YA fiction) September (reviews and discussion here) ■ Before I Go to Sleep (S.J. Watson; fiction) ■ A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith; fiction) ■ 101 Things I Hate about Your House (James Swan; non-fiction) ■ DMZ: Volume 9: MIA (Brian Wood; graphic fiction) ■ The Leftovers (Tom Perrotta; fiction) ■ Barns of Illinois (Larry and Alaina Kanfer; non-fiction) ■ Gunn's Golden Rules: Life's Little Lessons for Making It Work (Tim Gunn; non-fiction) October (reviews and discussion here) ■ The Sibling Effect (Jeffrey Kluger; non-fiction) ■ The Magic Flute (P. Craig Russell; graphic retelling) ■ Johnny Tremain (Esther Forbes; fiction) ■ Henry IV, Part I (William Shakespeare; classic, play) ■ The Belles Heures of Jean, Duke of Berry Prince of France (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1956; art) ■ Très Riches Heures: Behind the Gothic Masterpiece (Lillian Schachert; art) ■ The Walking Dead: Rise of The Governor (Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga; fiction) ■ Feynman (Jim Ottaviani; graphic biography) November (reviews and discussion here) ■ Blue Nights (Joan Didion; memoir) ■ Henry IV, Part II (William Shakespeare; play, classic) ■ Elizabeth Rex (Timothy Findley; play) ■ Food Rules: An Eater's Manual (Michael Pollan; non-fiction) ■ Toxic Parents (Susan Forward; psychology) ■ DMZ: Volume 10: Collective Punishment (Brian Wood; graphic fiction) December ■ The Schwa Was Here (Neal Shusterman; YA fiction) ■ My Lobotomy (Howard Dully; memoir) ■ World War Z (Max Brooks; fiction) ■ Mean Mothers (Peg Streep; psychology) ■ Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Ransom Riggs; fiction) ■ Twisted Summer (Willo Davis Roberts; YA fiction) ■ The Grounding of Group 6 (Julian F. Thompson; YA fiction) ■ Lord of the Flies (William Golding; fiction) ■ Brain Jack (Brian Falkner; YA fiction) ■ Tomorrow Code (Brian Falkner; YA fiction) ■ Missed Connections (Sophie Blackall; art) ■ Why We Broke Up (Daniel Handler; YA fiction) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted December 25, 2011 Author Share Posted December 25, 2011 Keep adding those lists ladies. :001_smile: Enjoying see all you've read and adding them to my wishlist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted December 26, 2011 Share Posted December 26, 2011 I can't believe another year has gone! Dh and I were just talking about how fast the years are flying by. I haven't had much reading time this past week with having house guests here. I have a few days until the next set of guests arrive. I hope to get in some nice reading time both with and without my dc. Now to answer the questions. Did you reach the goal of 52 books or did you manage to beat your own personal best? Yes, I met the 52 goal. I wouldn't have if it weren't for audio books. :tongue_smilie: What book are you ending the year with? I'm reading three books right now. Not sure which I will finish within the week. Probably The Orthodox Church by Timothy Ware. Did you discover a new author or genre? Did you love them or hate them? Yes, I discovered memoirs, in particular Bill Bryson. Love him. I also discovered Wilkie Collins. I'm not a mystery type but I loved his book, and will read more. Did you challenge yourself to read more non fiction if prefer fiction or more fiction if you prefer non fiction? I had a challenge to read more fiction. I always have a non-fiction book going, and have to force myself to pick up a fiction book. This year I've read 15 fiction books and 46 non-fiction. So, um, I think I failed my challenge. :tongue_smilie: Did you read from a list or wing it? I pick something I'm in the mood for from ongoing lists that I revise all the time. How many classics did you read? What did you think of the writing style or author? I read eight. Name one book that you thought you'd never read and was pleasantly surprised you like it. Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict. What are your top ten favorite books? In no order: 1. Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe, Bill Bryson 2. The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan 3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling 4. My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse 5. Sherlock Holmes The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Doyle 6. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins 7. Charles and Emma by Deborah Heiligman 8. The Scientist in the Crib by Alison Gopnik 9. How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas Foster 10. The Dyslexic Advantage by Eide What are your ten least favorite books? 1. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson 2. The Tree Shepard's Daughter by Gillian Summers 3. Wuthering Heights by Bronte 4. Baggage Claim by David Talbert 5. Fascinating Womanhood by Helen Andelin 6. The Plantation Mistress by Catherine Clinton 7. Celiac Disease by Silvia Bower 8. The Sorceror's Companion by Allan Kronzek 9. I'm too Sexy for My Volvo by Betty Londergan 10. True Fires by Susan McCarthy Did you start any books that you just simply couldn't finish? Yes. What did you think of the mini challenges and did you join in or complete any? I dropped out of the WEM challenge Did your family join in on the fun? No. Although I'll see if my boys would like to join in 2012. How many books have you added to your wishlist since the beginning of the year? Many! What was your favorite thing about the challenge? Reviews of books and getting ideas for new books to read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvnlattes Posted December 26, 2011 Share Posted December 26, 2011 I made it through 2 books last week - Drive: 9: Ways to Motivate Your Kids to Achieve and The Sugar Queen which brought me to 51 books completed. I was pleasantly surprised by The Sugar Queen. I loved it! Not sure what book I'll read this week but I'm committed to making 52. Now to answer Robin's questions.... Did you reach the goal of 52 books or did you manage to beat your own personal best? I should reach the goal of 52 as long as I read a book this week. What book are you ending the year with? I'm undecided. Did you discover a new author or genre? Did you love them or hate them? Sarah Addison Allen introduced me to a new genre. It gets a split review from me. I loved one book, liked another, and disliked a third. That can be typical for any author though, can't it? Did you challenge yourself to read more non fiction if prefer fiction or more fiction if you prefer non fiction? I read both but didn't challenge myself regarding them. Did you read from a list or wing it? I started out reading books that were recommended on Amazon's best books of 2010. By the end of the year I was winging it. How many classics did you read? What did you think of the writing style or author? No classics read here. Name one book that you thought you'd never read and was pleasantly surprised you like it. A book that was really different from what I typically choose was The Big Short by Michael Lewis. I enjoyed it and learned quite a bit from it. What are your top ten favorite books? My top 10 in no particular order: The Art of Eating In, Cathy Erway Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand Outliers, Malcom Gladwell The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Steig Larsson The Girl Who Played with Fire, Steig Larsson The Snowman, Jo Nesbo Little Princes, Conor Grennan Before I Go to Sleep, S. J. Watson The Sugar Queen, Sarah Addison Allen What are your ten least favorite books? My bottom 10 in no particular order: You on a Diet, Michael Roizen & Mehmet Oz The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin Grooming the Next Generation for Success, Dani Johnson The Judas Gate, Jack Higgins Venom, Joan Brady Vicious Cycle, Terri Blackstock Whitethorn Woods, Maeve Binchy The Gendarme, Mark Mustian Now You See Her, Joy Fielding Sleep in Me, Jon Pineda Did you start any books that you just simply couldn't finish? Just a couple What did you think of the mini challenges and did you join in or complete any? I didn't do any mini challenges. Did your family join in on the fun? Not really but I did include 2 read alouds in my count. How many books have you added to your wishlist since the beginning of the year? Several What was your favorite thing about the challenge? Hearing other's thoughts on what they had read, especially if it was a book that I'd read as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted December 26, 2011 Share Posted December 26, 2011 Did you reach the goal of 52 books or did you manage to beat your own personal best? I'm about 2/3 of the way through Silent Spring and it will be my 52nd book--so yes, will meet the goal. Did you discover a new author or genre? Did you love them or hate them? John le Carré was a surprise hit for me--I think I read 3 or 4 of his. How many classics did you read? What did you think of the writing style or author? Agnes Grey, Alice in Wonderland. Will aim for more next year. What are your top ten favorite books? Top three: Cutting for Stone, The Invisible Wall, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan What are your ten least favorite books? Bottom three: True You, God's Middle Finger, Parallel Play What was your favorite thing about the challenge? Keeps me reading! Here's my list, anticipating finishing Silent Spring soon. May even read another after that. 2011 Reading List 52. Silent Spring-Rachel Carson 51. The Tombs of Atuan-Ursula Le Guin 50. Remarkable Creatures-Tracy Chevalier 49. The Tenth Circle-Jodi Picoult 48. A Wizard of Earthsea-Ursula Le Guin 47. The Honourable Schoolboy-John le Carré 46. A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver-E.L. Konigsberg 45. The Spy Who Came In From The Cold-John le Carré 44. Parallel Play-Tim Page 43. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan-Lisa See 42. Call for the Dead-John Le Carre 41. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy-John LeCarre 40. Alice in Wonderland-Lewis Carroll 39. Seven Daughters and Seven Sons-Barbara Cohen 38. Augustine Came to Kent-Barbara Willard 37. Trudy’s Promise-Marcia Preston 36. All Together In One Place-Jane Kirkpatrick 35. The Invisible Wall-Harry Bernstein 34. A Red Herring Without Mustard-Alan Bradley 33. At the Sign of the Sugared Plum-Mary Hooper 32. The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag-Alan Bradley 31. Do Hard Things-Alex and Brett Harris 30. Anna of Byzantium-Tracy Barrett 29. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie-Alan Bradley 28. Cutting for Stone-Abraham Verghese 27. Stay With Me-Sandra Rodriguez Barron 26. Radical Homemakers-Shannon Hayes 25. Heaven is for Real-Todd Burpo 24. Under the Tuscan Sun-Frances Mayes 23. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother-Amy Chua 22. These Three Remain-Pamela Aidan 21. Chocolat-Joanne Harris 20. Where the Red Fern Grows-Wilson Rawls 19. Duty and Desire-Pamela Aidan 18. An Assembly Such As This-Pamela Aidan 17. Left Neglected-Lisa Genova 16. Classics in the Classroom-Michael Clay Thompson 15. True You-Janet Jackson 14. The Samurai’s Garden-Gail Tsukiyama 13. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet-Jamie Ford 12. God’s Middle Finger-Richard Grant 11. Kristin Lavransdatter-I: The Wreath-Sigrid Undset 10. The Housekeeper and the Professor-Yoko Ogawa 9. A Lucky Child-Thomas Buergenthal 8. Three Cups of Tea-Greg Mortenson 7. Run-Ann Patchett 6. The Red Queen-Philippa Gregory 5. Agnes Grey-Anne Bronte 4. The Daughter of Time-Josephine Tey 3. Mythology-Edith Hamilton 2. Phantom Toll Booth-Norton Juster 1. Her Fearful Symmetry-Audrey Niffenegger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted December 26, 2011 Share Posted December 26, 2011 (edited) I read two more books this week, Cecelia Ahern's 'The Book of Tomorrow' and 'Twilight' by Azhar Abidi. I enjoyed them both. Did you reach the goal of 52 books or did you manage to beat your own personal best? I can't remember! I really must keep a list this year. What book are you ending the year with?A book of short stories related to 'Watership Down' by Richard Adams. Did you discover a new author or genre? Did you love them or hate them?I can tell you I'm over medieval autobiographies. Not a new genre this year, but I had never read St Teresa or Michel de Montaigne before and don't plan to read any more of theirs in the future! I discovered Sherlock Holmes. I can't believe I've never read them before!!! Did you challenge yourself to read more non fiction if prefer fiction or more fiction if you prefer non fiction? Did you read from a list or wing it? I kept chugging along with picking books from the library beginning at A and 001. Last week we had to swap to a new library, so I had to go back to the beginning again (according to the rules to the silly game I play with myself :p) I found nothing new on the 001 shelf, but did find the two new A authored books mentioned above. How many classics did you read? What did you think of the writing style or author? I didn't finish the two just mentioned. I listened to all of Jane Austen's from Librivox and enjoyed them. Northanger Abbey was entirely new to me, but I'm familiar with the others and enjoyed listening more than reading them myself, which is a new experience for me. I almost enjoyed 'Emma,' even! (I love Karen Savage and Elizabeth Klett is very good too.) Oh, and I read the two volumes of 'Arabian Nights' to dd. They are going to be put away for at least a decade. :eek: And I listened to 'Flatland' by Edward Abbott Abbott. Not delighted by his opinion of women. :glare: What are your top ten favorite books? What are your ten least favorite books?What? !!! Last year you only asked for 5, so this year I only noted down 5 and you ask for 10? I posted them on another thread a few weeks back and deleted them off my records document so now I don't remember what other books I didn't like. I do remember like Richard Rutt's 'History of Handknitting,' a book about a piano player from Adelaide (I can like autobiographies!!) and a book about omega 3's 'The Queen of Fats' I think it was called. What a fabulous title. Did you start any books that you just simply couldn't finish?I truly believe this years WEM autobiographies will be better. If they are not, don't tell me. Did your family join in on the fun? I persuaded dh to read a book a month. I think he piked out in March. :rolleyes: How many books have you added to your wishlist since the beginning of the year? I'm inclined to think that is a question along the lines of asking how much I weigh. Did you consult Miss Manners before asking this? :glare::tongue_smilie: What was your favorite thing about the challenge? How many classics I managed with Librivox's help! I became better at listening with the practice. Which is not to say I don't listen to people speaking and this is a new idea to me. :tongue_smilie: But I've always preferred to read a book myself than listen to it, but it seems I've strengthened my skills in that department. :) Rosie Edited December 26, 2011 by Rosie_0801 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted December 26, 2011 Author Share Posted December 26, 2011 How many books have you added since the beginning of the year: I'm inclined to think that is a question along the lines of asking how much I weigh. Did you consult Miss Manners before asking this? :glare::tongue_smilie: I'm inclined to agree at this point due to all the response. Can't be 100% creative with all my questions. :tongue_smilie: Hmm! Didn't know Miss Manners had anything to say on reading etiquette except for "You will be relieved to hear that reading is permitted at the breakfast table, although at no other meals. The rule was made for the reading of newspapers, and Miss Manners dearly hopes this will forever continue to apply, but hedges by allowing wider interpretations.";) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangermom Posted December 26, 2011 Share Posted December 26, 2011 Did you reach the goal of 52 books or did you manage to beat your own personal best? I blogged about over 100 books, so yep. I have no idea how that measures up to the quantity of books read in the past, but I had less time for reading this year so I expect I read less. What book are you ending the year with? I'm preparing for my Greek Classics challenge with The Classical World, and for the Medieval Challenge with Reading the Middle Ages (which I am loving, thank you Eva!). Did you discover a new author or genre? Did you love them or hate them? This year I discovered H. R. James, Joyce Dennys, and Erin Bow, among others. I guess if I read an author I didn't like, I didn't think of it as a discovery, more like a chore. Did you challenge yourself to read more non fiction if prefer fiction or more fiction if you prefer non fiction? No, I just read whatever I wanted. It turns out that I read almost exactly 50% of each--I counted up (for the first time ever) and got 71 fiction titles and 71 non-fiction, but that does not include mystery novels or other fluff I didn't bother to document, and most of that was probably fiction. Did you read from a list or wing it? I only read from a list when I have to, and I did with the Feminist Classics Challenge. Otherwise I winged it. I have a very hard time sticking to a list. How many classics did you read? What did you think of the writing style or author? I enjoyed reading Pushkin most, and I also really liked Trollope and Thackeray. And Nabokov too! But I don't know exactly how many I read. Name one book that you thought you'd never read and was pleasantly surprised you like it. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. What are your top ten favorite books? The Scent of Water Nine Lives Plain Kate The Rational Optimist Little Princes The Con Albion Count Magnus and Other Stories Who Killed Homer? One of Our Thursdays Is Missing Henrietta's War What are your ten least favorite books? What the Tortoise Taught Us Radical Homemakers Gender Trouble The Twentieth Wife The Beauty Myth Farm City (I liked parts but not other parts) The Secret History The Fall of Troy Did you start any books that you just simply couldn't finish? The Twentieth Wife--I didn't bother to finish that one. And Gender Trouble. Any others I couldn't finish were forgotten. I often don't finish things if I don't like them, but then they don't get written down either. What did you think of the mini challenges and did you join in or complete any? I thought they were a good mix. I did the one about reading in different countries and got about 30. Did your family join in on the fun? No, but my older daughter sure does covet a book blog now. How many books have you added to your wishlist since the beginning of the year? Way too many, but I don't know a number. What was your favorite thing about the challenge? This is the challenge that got me started in book blogging and challenges, so I'm grateful to Robin because I'm having a lot of fun with it! I especially like how many WTM people participate so we can trade titles easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleopatra Posted December 26, 2011 Share Posted December 26, 2011 Did you reach the goal of 52 books or did you manage to beat your own personal best? Did not beat my personal best (62) but I managed to squeak in 52! .... just ..... Did you discover a new author or genre? Did you love them or hate them? Yes ............... dystopian novels. The few I read were very interesting and I'm going to continue exploring this genre in the new year. How many classics did you read? What did you think of the writing style or author? Beowulf - Seamus Heaney Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - James Winny (trans.) The New Testament Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte I loved all of them! :001_wub: Name one book that you thought you'd never read and was pleasantly surprised you like it. Beowulf & Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (sorry, that's two but they were both a big surprise! ) What are your top ten favorite books? 1. And Quietly Flows the Don - Mikhail Alexandrovich Sholokhov 2. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen 3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte 4. The New Testament 5. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 6. Beowulf 7. Till We Have Faces - C.S. Lewis 8. Elizabeth and Essex - Lytton Strachley 9. A Canticle for Leibowitz - Walter M. Miller, Jr. 10.My Name is Asher Lev - Chaim Potok What are your ten least favorite books? 1. The Golden Compass - Philip Pulman 2. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins (may I just say "Ugh!" :tongue_smilie:) 3. Petite Anglaise - Catherine Sanderson These three were the real stinkers! Just average were: 4. The Dog Who Came In From the Cold - Alexander McCall Smith (not my favourite series of his) 5. A Wizard of Earthsea - Ursula LeGuin (I know crstarlette enjoyed the series so I may have to give them another try .... :001_smile:) I can't wait to start the new challenge! I'm going to try to decide whether to make a list of just wing it! For all of you veterans out there, how do you structure your lists if you plan to do a number of challenges? I've noticed in my internet-travels there was the A to Z challenge, a feminists challenge, a Victorian literature challenge, a Greek literature challenge, etc., etc., etc. ......... Do most of you pick one challenge or more? If more, how do you structure your lists or otherwise make sure that you're covering all the books on these challenges. I'm all :bigear:! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 26, 2011 Share Posted December 26, 2011 Squeaked in a book yesterday on my new Kindle Fire! That puts me at 68, although I hope to get one or two more in before next weekend. Did you reach the goal of 52 books or did you manage to beat your own personal best? At 68, I think it was a personal best! Yahoo! What book are you ending the year with? I am currently reading Scott Westerfeld's Behemoth and Darian Gee's Friendship Bread. Did you discover a new author or genre? Did you love them or hate them? I read through the entire Chronicles of Narnia for the first time; not a genre, but a lot of C.S. Lewis! I also enjoyed Stephen Lawhead and realized how much I enjoy biographies! Did you challenge yourself to read more non fiction if prefer fiction or more fiction if you prefer non fiction? I did challenge myself to read more non-fiction and found that I do enjoy historical books, as well as biographies. Did you read from a list or wing it? Is this thread considered a list? I sure got a lot of suggestions from this forum. :) How many classics did you read? What did you think of the writing style or author? :blushing: Hey, there's a reason I got 68 books read, lol! Name one book that you thought you'd never read and was pleasantly surprised you like it. Math Wars by Carmen Latterell What are your top ten favorite books? In no particular order: Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas Safely Home by Randy Alcorn The Help by Kathryn Stockett The Skin Map by Stephen R. Lawhead The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle What are your ten least favorite books? In no particular order: Immanuel's Veins by Ted Dekker Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins The Final Summit by Andy Andrews 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe by Todd Wilson A Sound Among the Trees by Susan Meissner Did you start any books that you just simply couldn't finish? The Red Tent by Anita Diamant William and Kate: A Royal Love Story by Christopher Andersen What did you think of the mini challenges and did you join in or complete any? I didn't participate in them last year, but looking forward to reading some from the sci-fi challenge in 2012. Did your family join in on the fun? I kept a running list of what my 6 yo son read - he read 27 books! How many books have you added to your wishlist since the beginning of the year? I prefer to borrow from the library vs. buying, but my library wishlist has grown exponentially this last year!!! What was your favorite thing about the challenge? The weekly posts and people's feedback of other books. Here is my 2011 list: The Ambition by Lee Strobel Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand The Affinity Bridge by George Mann Decision Points by George W. Bush His Steadfast Love by Golden Keyes Parsons The Tower, The Zoo, and the Tortoise by Julia Stuart Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis The Doctor's Lady by Jody Hedlund Tuck by Stephen Lawhead A Heart for Freedom by Chai Ling A Sound Among the Trees by Susan Meissner Scarlet by Stephen Lawhead The Jefferson Key by Steve Berry The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson Revolution in World Missions by K.P. Yohannan Safely Home by Randy Alcorn Why God Won't Go Away by Alister McGrath PrayerWalk by Janet Holm McHenry The Help by Kathryn Stockett Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder Once Upon a Summer by Janette Oke Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen Desiring God by John Piper The Charlemagne Pursuit by Steve Berry The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis An Unlikely Suitor by Nancy Moser The War That Killed Achilles by Caroline Alexander Immanuel's Veins by Ted Dekker Why Grace Changes Everything by Chuck Smith Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis How Should We Then Live? by Francis A. Schaeffer The Skin Map by Stephen R. Lawhead Hood by Stephen R. Lawhead The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss Don't Make Me Count to Three by Ginger Plowman The Girl in the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen The Lightkeeper's Ball by Colleen Coble The Final Summit by Andy Andrews The Alarmists by Don Hoesel The Reason Why: Faith Makes Sense by Mark Mittelberg The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis The Story of the Bible by Larry Stone Mine is the Night by Liz Curtis Higgs The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss Here Burns My Candle by Liz Curtis Higgs The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis Curiosities of the Civil War by Webb Garrison The Way They Learn by Cynthia Ulrich Tobias Math Wars by Carmen Latterell Dragons of the Valley by Donita K. Paul The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Going Rogue: An American Life by Sarah Palin A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery Glenn Beck's Common Sense by Glenn Beck The Emperor's Tomb by Steve Berry Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah The Faith of Ronald Reagan by Mary Beth Brown Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe by Todd Wilson Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger Thank you to everyone. I've had so much fun this year and it's all because of you all. Look forward to doing it all over again in 2012. And yes you still have til the 31st to finish reading your books. Thank YOU, Robin!!!! And thanks to everyone who participates in this thread. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangermom Posted December 26, 2011 Share Posted December 26, 2011 For all of you veterans out there, how do you structure your lists if you plan to do a number of challenges? I've noticed in my internet-travels there was the A to Z challenge, a feminists challenge, a Victorian literature challenge, a Greek literature challenge, etc., etc., etc. ......... Do most of you pick one challenge or more? If more, how do you structure your lists or otherwise make sure that you're covering all the books on these challenges. I'm all :bigear:! 2011 was the first year that I did a bunch of challenges, and I did 4. I tried to just always have something from each challenge in mind, and it worked out pretty well. I think this year will be harder since I'm doing 6, two of which are pretty difficult, but you can usually make some books count for more than one challenge. So for example, I'm running the Greek Classics challenge, but if I want to, I can read Sophocles' Oedipus cycle and count it for the Back to the Classics play requirement too. And then if I read Herodotus it can count as a Greek classic and for the Mixing It Up challenge's history requirement. One person I saw has taken on about 15 challenges (!!) but will be double-counting a lot. :svengo: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted December 27, 2011 Author Share Posted December 27, 2011 For all of you veterans out there, how do you structure your lists if you plan to do a number of challenges? I've noticed in my internet-travels there was the A to Z challenge, a feminists challenge, a Victorian literature challenge, a Greek literature challenge, etc., etc., etc. ......... Do most of you pick one challenge or more? If more, how do you structure your lists or otherwise make sure that you're covering all the books on these challenges. I'm all :bigear:! I did four or five challenges and kept a list on my blog that I could refer to and update as I went along. Tried to do challenges where there was a lot of crossover. Here's what my 2012 page I set up to keep me organized. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleopatra Posted December 27, 2011 Share Posted December 27, 2011 2011 was the first year that I did a bunch of challenges, and I did 4. I tried to just always have something from each challenge in mind, and it worked out pretty well. I think this year will be harder since I'm doing 6, two of which are pretty difficult, but you can usually make some books count for more than one challenge. So for example, I'm running the Greek Classics challenge, but if I want to, I can read Sophocles' Oedipus cycle and count it for the Back to the Classics play requirement too. And then if I read Herodotus it can count as a Greek classic and for the Mixing It Up challenge's history requirement. One person I saw has taken on about 15 challenges (!!) but will be double-counting a lot. :svengo: Thanks for the tips! I keep up with your blog (love it! ....you seem to like the same types of books as I do) so I've gleaned some wisdom there too! :001_smile: I think it's a matter of just going for it and the books will fall into place (although the thought of 15 challenges makes me whoozy! :D). I did four or five challenges and kept a list on my blog that I could refer to and update as I went along. Tried to do challenges where there was a lot of crossover. Here's what my 2012 page I set up to keep me organized. Thanks, Robin, especially for the links. It's allowed me to get my head around it a little more. It seems like it's wisest to come up with some sort of list, even it's a partial one. That way I won't be grabbing any book, just because it starts with "B" or it's a new author; with a list, I'll be able to target quality books better. Thanks again, both of you, for your advice! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted December 27, 2011 Author Share Posted December 27, 2011 (edited) Did you reach the goal of 52 books or did you manage to beat your own personal best? I read more than I read the past two years so yes did beat my personal best. I read a lot more ebooks so that may account for it. What book are you ending the year with? Think it will be Lisa Scottoline's Dead Ringer or perhaps An Irish Country Doctor by Patrick Taylor Did you discover a new author or genre? Did you love them or hate them? I discovered quite a few new to me authors and thoroughly enjoyed their books. Went on a paranormal bent for half the year reading the series of Laurel K. Hamilton, Majorie M. Liu, and Lara Adrian Did you challenge yourself to read more non fiction if prefer fiction or more fiction if you prefer non fiction? I should have challenged myself to read more non-fiction and really tried but didn't get too far. Did you read from a list or wing it? Both. I would choose alphabetically and sometimes when I couldn't make up my mind, used random.org to pick a number for me. I have a TBR list of most, not all of the books on my shelves. How many classics did you read? What did you think of the writing style or author? I totally failed with the WEM challenge and only read two classics: Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte. Hope to do better next year. The writing style is more difficult to read and you really have to slow down to absorb everything, but really worth it in the end. Name one book that you thought you'd never read and was pleasantly surprised you like it. I read a political / police procedural set in china called the Death of the Red Heroine by Qui Xiaolong. Something I wouldn't have normally picked up, except for the A to Z challenge and not many authors names begin with X. What are your top ten favorite books? Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss. It was one of the few non fiction books I read and totally got a kick out of it. Heatwave by Richard Castle. Hush by Cherry Adair. Murder in the Marais by Cara Black Guilty Pleasures (#1 Anita Blake Vampire) by Laurell K. Hamilton. In the Wood by Tana French Janeology by Karen Harrington River Marked by Patricia Briggs Treachery in Death by J.D. Robb The Preacher's Bride by Jody Hedlund What are your ten least favorite books? I could only think of 5 (You were right Rosie. :lol: Should have stuck with 5) Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel Sealed with a Kiss - Mary Daughtridge Dark Prince by Christine Feehan The Botticelli Affair by Traci Slatton Everything Beautiful Began After by Simon Van Booy Did you start any books that you just simply couldn't finish? A few but can't remember what they were. :tongue_smilie: What did you think of the mini challenges and did you join in or complete any? Tried and failed WEM. Successful with Ireland Reading Challenge and forgot to keep track of my travels for Armchair Traveler. Did your family join in on the fun? Nope. How many books have you added to your wishlist since the beginning of the year? A lot but forgot to keep track. :laugh: What was your favorite thing about the challenge? Hosting it and and discovering a jillion new books and talking about them. :grouphug: I finished the A to Z Challenge by Author and Title. Finished Miriam Zimmer Bradley's The Forest House today. Down to the wire practically but I did it. Click on the link to see all the books I read. Edited December 27, 2011 by Mytwoblessings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladydusk Posted December 27, 2011 Share Posted December 27, 2011 Hey! I finished another book (it's only been a month and a half :tongue_smilie:) I read Nancy Guthrie's Come Thou Long Expected Jesus which is a compilations of sermons/essays for Advent. It was great and helped keep me focused on Christ during the season. I haven't written a review yet, but will soon. My 2011 Reviews: 1. Her Daughter's Dream - Francine Rivers 2. Island of the World - Michael O'Brien (AMAZING!) 3. Mennonite in a Little Black Dress - Rhoda Janzen 4. Cinderella Ate My Daughter - Peggy Orenstein 5. Devil's Cub - Georgette Heyer 6. Keeping a Nature Journal - Clare Walker Leslie and Charles E Roth. 7. Politically Incorrect Guide to Western Civilization (Audio Book) - Anthony Esolen 8. Excellent Women - Barbara Pym 9. The Abyssinian - Jean-Christophe Rufin 10. In the Company of Others - Jan Karon 11. One Thousand Gifts - Ann Voskamp 12. Regency Buck - Georgette Heyer 13. Bath Tangle - Georgette Heyer 14. The Convenient Marriage - Georgette Heyer 15. The Organized Heart - Staci Eastin 16. Your Home: A Place of Grace - Susan Hunt 17. Christian Encounters: Jane Austen - Peter Leithart 18. Bambi: A Life in the Woods - Victor Salten 19. Aunt Jane's Hero - Elizabeth Prentiss 20. The Magician's Nephew (Audio Book) - C.S. Lewis 21. The Horse and His Boy (Audio Book) - C.S. Lewis 22. Beauty for Truth's Sake - Stratford Caldecott 23. A Mother's Rule of Life - Holly Pierlot 24. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen 25. Persuasion - Jane Austen 26. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen 27. Real Love for Real Life - Andi Ashworth 28. Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies - Marilyn Chandler McEntyre 29. The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction - Alan Jacobs 30. The Help - Kathryn Stockett 31. The Waiting Sands - Susan Howatch 32. Prince Caspian (Audio Book) - C.S. Lewis 33. Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R. Tolkien (review forthcoming) 34. Garden Spells - Sarah Addison Allen 35. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame 36. The Two Towers - J.R.R. Tolkien 37. The Return of the King - J.R.R. Tolkien 38. Lady of Quality - Georgette Heyer 39. Come Thou Long Expected Jesus - edited by Nancy Guthrie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladydusk Posted December 27, 2011 Share Posted December 27, 2011 Did you reach the goal of 52 books or did you manage to beat your own personal best? No and no. I did 39 in 2011 which is approximately the same as last year's 40. Oh, I'm going to hit 40 ... we have only one chapter of A Christmas Carol to go. Yay! What book are you ending the year with? I'm going to attempt to read some more of North and South on my new Kindle :) Did you discover a new author or genre? Did you love them or hate them? I read a couple of books about reading and words which I really enjoyed. Did you challenge yourself to read more non fiction if prefer fiction or more fiction if you prefer non fiction? I read a lot of fiction this year, I had hoped to read more non-fiction, but the brain power was more up for fiction. Did you read from a list or wing it? I read by "Whim" as per Alan Jacobs' "Pleasures of Reading ..." But, then, I always have. How many classics did you read? What did you think of the writing style or author? I seriously read Tolkien for the first time and adored it. I read Austen (again) and see more each time I do so. Name one book that you thought you'd never read and was pleasantly surprised you like it. The Help. I didn't love it, but I liked it better than expected. What are your top ten favorite books in 2011? This is hard because I read some awesome books this year! Island of the World, All the completed Austen, Pleasures of Reading, In the Company of Others, Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies, The Lord of the Rings What are your ten least favorite books in 2011? This is hard because I didn't read much that I didn't like. Mennonite in a Little Black Dress (worst read of the year) The Abyssinian (which was actually well written, I just had issues with the premises) Christian Encounters: Jane Austen (disappointing, I've read much better Austen biographies) Garden Spells (Pretty good story, a little too "adult" for my taste) Otherwise, there isn't much else that I disliked very much. Did you start any books that you just simply couldn't finish? I began a lot of books that I intend to return to ... Did your family join in on the fun? Several of our read-alouds are counted in my list. How many books have you added to your wishlist since the beginning of the year? I've read several books from other participants, but I don't have anything on my list right now. What was your favorite thing about the challenge? I appreciate that it just keeps me reading! I love seeing all the other books being read and the discussion. I love reading the weekly threads. Thank you to everyone. I've had so much fun this year and it's all because of you all. No, no, thank you Robin! This is such a wonderful program and we appreciate your hard work at keeping it going :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglei Posted December 27, 2011 Share Posted December 27, 2011 (edited) Finished last week: #77 - Once Upon a Town: The Miracle of the North Platte Canteen, by Bob Greene. One of my favorites this year! #78 - Raphael, The Herald Angel, by David Appel and Merle Hudson. This is an annual, Christmas, read-aloud, family selection. Now for the questions: Did you reach the goal of 52 books or did you manage to beat your own personal best? Yes, so far I have completed 78 books - 41 fiction, 36 non-fiction, 1 classic. The book I'm currently reading is non-fiction. What book are you ending the year with? Not sure. I am currently reading Operating Instructions by Anne Lamott. I *think* I will read one more before year's end - but not sure if or what . . . Did you discover a new author or genre? Did you love them or hate them? The first author that comes to mind is Sarah Addison Allen. I learned about her on this thread, and read all four of her books. The second author that comes to mind, also encountered here, is Fannie Flagg; I've read two of hers. Finally, George MacDonald. I enjoyed the first two authors, and ultimately, toward the end, the third. Did you challenge yourself to read more non fiction if you prefer fiction or more fiction if you prefer non fiction? No. My reading was mostly for enjoyment, escape, etc. Did you read from a list or wing it? Winged it! Although my list of *wanna-reads* grew quite a lot! How many classics did you read? What did you think of the writing style or author? Only one short one by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Last year I purposed to read a dozen classics and met the challenge. This year, I opted for no classics and indeed, for no personal challenges at all. Name one book that you thought you'd never read and was pleasantly surprised you like it. How about two books? --Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury --Packing for Mars, by Mary Roach (learned about it here) What are your top ten favorite books? From this year's reading, and in no particular order: --Raising the Dead, by Chauncey W. Crandall IV, MD (non-fiction) --Lady's Maid, by Margaret Forster (learned about it here) --Heaven is for Real, by Todd Burpo (non-fiction - learned about it here) --A Secret Gift, by Ted Gup (non-fiction - it seemed I saw this mentioned everywhere, including here) --The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (learned about it here) --The Williamsburg Series (7 volumes) by Elswyth Thane (historical fiction - have read this several times over the years) --Once Upon a Town, by Bob Greene (non-fiction) I think I overshot the ten (since the series has seven volumes) . . . even after I went back and deleted five titles . . . What are your ten least favorite books? From this year's reading, and in no particular order: --In Every Pew Sits a Broken Heart, by Ruth Graham --Sundays in America, by Suzanne Strempek Shea --How Elizabeth Barrett Browning Saved My Life, by Mameve Medwed I was disappointed with: --Angels in the ER, by Robert D. Lesslie, MD --Gone for 18 Minutes, by Teresa G. Simmons Did you start any books that you just simply couldn't finish? No. I almost quit on The Peasant Girl's Dream, by George MacDonald, but having invested time in a relatively short book by an author about whom I had heard such rave reviews, I stuck with it and, toward the end, was glad I did. What did you think of the mini challenges and did you join in or complete any? Kudos to those who participated! No, I did not join in any challenges. Did your family join in on the fun? No. That is, other than asking me at various times if I was meeting the goal. However, they are also avid readers. How many books have you added to your wishlist since the beginning of the year? Too many! Actually, not to a wish list, but rather to my alphabetized document of books I [mostly] read about here that sounded like something I'd like to read. As I mainly use the library, some of those books may be a long time waiting to be read! This year, I noticed that I added several older books to my list that ladydusk mentioned; and, I also added quite a few books that laughing lioness mentioned. I saw that laughing lioness is currently reading the same book I am by Anne Lamott (Operating Instructions) and her description is spot on: "edgy, liberal and crude but a brilliant writer." What was your favorite thing about the challenge? This is my absolute favorite thread, and I look forward to it each week! I like seeing what others are reading, and their comments. Thank you to everyone. I've had so much fun this year and it's all because of you all. Thank YOU, Robin! You are so dedicated and faithful in keeping this thread current each week! Edited December 27, 2011 by eaglei Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted December 27, 2011 Share Posted December 27, 2011 New paranormal favorites!! Plowed through these working on the rest of October Day. Ilona Andrew's Edge series On the Edge Bayou Moon Seanan McGuire's October Daye series Rosemary and Rue A Local Habitation An Artificial Night Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted December 27, 2011 Share Posted December 27, 2011 I have reached my goal of 100+ books this year with 128 as of 12/27/2011 I was delighted to find some wonderful new authors this time around. Sadly, there is a lot of crap in and among the paranormal and it's even worse in the Young Adult genre, but I've found a few writers that are new favorites and definite re-reads. The characters have become such good friends it is hard to believe we only just met this year! It was a year for mostly recreational reading with the exception of all the hours I've put in researching the Lyme disease our girls were diagnosed with, there were days I swear my eyes were bleeding and my heart was so heavy I was grateful to have my books in which to retreat. This was the year in which I met and fell in love with Harry Dresden and Atticus Finch. The year in which, because I had finished the Dresden files that I went looking for and met Mercedes Thompson, October Daye, Clary Chase,Kate Daniels and Rose Drayton. This was yet another year for the familiar and beloved, I re-read the Harry Potter series in preparation for the Deathly Hallows and the end of a decade. There were a few misses, I could not abide Steven Tyler's autobiography and never made it through Known and Unknown, not the First World War, though I intend to finish them at some point. A couple of gems really stood out, Coop, A Year of Poultry, Pigs and Parenting, by Michael Perry. Get it, read it, love it. Also Bill Bryson's, I'm a Stranger Here Myself. I almost peed my pants reading through his description of ice skating. Every time I pick one up I am reminded of why he is one of my all time most beloved writers. I couldn't put down Brandon Mull's Fablehaven series and moved right into Book I of the Beyonders as well. I couldn't stand the little brother in the first two books but by the last, I was on the edge of my seat. I really enjoy the challenges and am looking forward to 2012. http://www.aworkinprogress.net/2010/12/100-reading-challenge.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted December 27, 2011 Share Posted December 27, 2011 (edited) Here is my list. I'm currently reading The Social Animal by David Brooks, and will finish it up by the end of the week. 1. Evening Class by Maeve Binchy 2. The Adventures of Sally by P.G. Wodehouse 3. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender 4. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen 5. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night by Mark Haddon 6. The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown 7. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield 8. The Tiger’s Wife by Tea Obreht 9. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness 10. The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy 11. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 12. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain 13. State of Wonder by Ann Patchett 14. Plato in 90 Minutes by Paul Strathern 15. The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson 16. Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood 17. One Amazing Thing by Chitra Banarjee Divakaruni 18. Dream Angus by Alexander McCall Smith 19. The Neddiad by Daniel Pinkwater 20. The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand 21. The Masque of the Black Tulip by Lauren Willig 22. The Deception of the Emerald Ring by Lauren Willig 23. The Seduction of the Crimson Rose by Lauren Willig 24. The Favored Child by Philippa Gregory 25. The Enchantment of the Night Jasmine by Lauren Willig 26. Meridon by Philippa Gregory 27. The Betrayal of the Blood Lily by Lauren Willig 28. Secret Son by Laila Lalami 29. Mr. Chartwell by Rebecca Hunt 30. The Tenth Song by Naomi Ragen 31. Blood Orange by Drusilla Campbell 32. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson 33. Still Alice by Lisa Genova 34. L’heure des elfes by Jean Louis-Fetjaine 35. Babyville by Jane Green 36. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett 37. Malpertuis by Jean Ray 38. Girls in Trucks by Katie Crouch 39. A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly 40. The Mischief of the Mistletoe by Lauren Willig 41. The Orchid Affair by Lauren Willig 42. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon 43. The Gift by Cecilia Ahern 44. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon 45. Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares 46. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese 47. Disconnected Kids by Dr. Robert Melillo 48. Why the Chinese Don’t Count Calories by Lorraine Clissold 49. Going Gray by Anne Kreamer 50. The Celtic Realms by Myles Dillon and Nora Chadwick 51. Well Behaved Women Seldom Make History by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich 52. Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horwitz 53. Why Don’t I Do The Things I Know Are Good For Me? by B.J. Gallagher 54. Children of the Self Absorbed by Nina W. Brown 55. Living Green by Greg Horn 56. The Anglo Files by Sarah Lyall 57. Vita Brevis: A Letter to St. Augustine by Jostein Gaarder 58. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver 59. The Social Animal by David Brooks Did you reach the goal of 52 books or did you manage to beat your own personal best? I surpassed the 52 books by a little bit, and I'm sure this is the most I've read since having children, so, I'm very happy. Books 1-14 on my list were actually audiobooks. I've truly enjoyed getting into audiobooks. My list is chronological within groups. I grouped audiobooks separately from fiction and then nonfiction. What book are you ending the year with? The Social Animal by David Brooks. It's quite interesting so far. When he describes what it's like to be a new mother, he is spot on. Did you discover a new author or genre? Did you love them or hate them? I discover the Outlander books from this board. I've read the first two, and received the third for Christmas. I can't decide if I love them, yet, but so far, I've kept reading. Did you challenge yourself to read more non fiction if prefer fiction or more fiction if you prefer non fiction? I realized that I hardly ever read nonfictions, so I did challenge myself to read some nonfiction this year. Books 47-59 on my list are non fiction. Did you read from a list or wing it? Mostly wing it. I started with books I had at home that I hadn't read yet. Then I got some ideas from this thread. Mostly I just picked up whatever looked interesting at the library. How many classics did you read? What did you think of the writing style or author? I didn't really read any classics, unless you count Mark Twain. Maybe that should be a goal for next year. I've already read a lot of classics, though. Name one book that you thought you'd never read and was pleasantly surprised you like it. Vita Brevis: A Letter to St. Augustine by Jostein Gaarder. I'd tried to read Sophie's World by the same author several years ago, and never got into it, so I was reluctant to read this. He basically just translated a letter from a former lover to St. Augustine. It was short, but excellent. What are your top ten favorite books? 1. Cutting for Stone, Abraham Verghese 2. State of Wonder, Ann Patchett 3. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Barbara Kingsolver 4. The Social Animal, David Brooks 5. Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen 6. Sisterhood Everlasting, Ann Brashares 7. Well Behaved Women Seldom Make History, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich 8. Bel Canto, Ann Patchett 9. The Hound of the Baskervilles, Arthur Conan Doyle 10. Vita Brevis, Jostein Gaarder. What are your ten least favorite books? 1. The Celtic Realms, Dillon and Chadwick (could have been a great topic, but very boringly written.) 2.The Anglo Files, Sarah Lyall 3. L'heure des elfes, Jean-Louis Fetjaine 4. The Castaways, Elin Hilderbrand 5. Girls in Trucks, Katie Crouch 6. Charlie St. Cloud, Ben Sherwood 7. Mr. Chartwell, Rebecca Hunt 8. Malpertuis, Jean Ray 9. Plato in 90 minutes, Paul Strathern 10. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Mark Twain. They all had redeeming qualities, so I didn't hate any of them, but they just weren't my favorites. Did you start any books that you just simply couldn't finish? No, I made myself finish them all. I almost gave up on Malpertuis and The Celtic Realms, but I barreled through. What did you think of the mini challenges and did you join in or complete any? I didn't participate in any of the mini challenges. I liked the idea, though, and I may try to do some this coming year. This was my first year participating in the challenge, so I just read what I could. Did your family join in on the fun? No, not really. I also read many chapter books as read alouds to the kids, including, but not limited to 3 of the Harry Potter books. I didn't count them, as I wanted this to be a challenge to myself to read some things just for me. How many books have you added to your wishlist since the beginning of the year? I have 12 on my "to read" list on Goodreads, but I want to go through these posts some more and add several more. What was your favorite thing about the challenge? Reading everyone's lists and getting ideas. Thank you so much for coordinating this all year! You rock! Edited December 27, 2011 by thescrappyhomeschooler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Bay Posted December 27, 2011 Share Posted December 27, 2011 Part 1 52 Books blog - All wrapped up and tied with a ribbon! We did it. Made it through another reading year. How did you all do? Are you ready to answer some questions.... Did you reach the goal of 52 books or did you manage to beat your own personal best? Yes, I reached the goal & beyond, but how do you define personal best? I probably read a lot more than this in a year when I was in high school, for example, but haven’t been a good record keeper so have no idea. What book are you ending the year with? Papa’s Wife, which I heard about here. It’s not gripping, which means it doesn’t keep my up at night, it’s not great lit, but I’m enjoying the gentleness right now & the culture/history of it. Did you discover a new author or genre? Did you love them or hate them? Yes, a few, but the main one I had avoided reading before that I really loved was Corrie ten Boom and her book The Hiding Place. One author I really liked that was a surprise was Sally Goddard Blythe who wrote The Well Balanced Child, nonfiction. Did you challenge yourself to read more non fiction if prefer fiction or more fiction if you prefer non fiction? Yes, and I did read more, but not enough. That challenge came later in the year. Of course, one nonfiction book I read was amusing, but not necessarily always accurate in it’s anecdotal parts. Did you read from a list or wing it? Winged it. It’s better, since what I want to read is going to change throughout the year, and sometimes for good reasons. How many classics did you read? What did you think of the writing style or author? None, but I was tired of classics and wanted to take a year off from them. Name one book that you thought you'd never read and was pleasantly surprised you like it. I was surprised that I enjoyed All Creatures Great and Small by Herriot. What are your top ten favorite books? Why is everyone concerned with favourites ;)? I don’t tend to have favourites ever, and this year wasn’t a great year for me finding books that would normally be in my favourites’ category. Only the first one listed comes under my all-time favourite reads category (of which there is no way I really have a favourite). Here are six I really liked or thought profitable this year in no particular order other than how I found them going through my list: The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom All Creatures Great and Small Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie Children of God Darwin on Trial The Well Balanced Child by Sally Goddard Blythe What are your ten least favorite books? Well, since I didn’t finish some of my least favourite books and have forgotten the titles, this isn’t going to be a full or accurate list. The Dog Who Came in From the Cold. While I like a lot of the humour in this series, this story was really stupid, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted December 27, 2011 Share Posted December 27, 2011 Robin, how did you like Forest House? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Bay Posted December 27, 2011 Share Posted December 27, 2011 Part 2 Do you have any books that you read all the way through even though you knew you shouldn’t because they are not your type or are two dark/macabre/boring/fluffy? Yes, glad I asked ;). The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series The Maximum Ride books my girls were reading Eldest & it’s sequels. What’s sad is that I’ll probably try to read the 4th one that is now out to find out what happens. It’s just not well written after the first one, and it’s obvious he started this very young. There are more, but as I see it, this wasn’t my wisest year despite some great reads. Plus, some of them I read because my dc were reading them, which includes the Maximum Ride & Eldest books. We did the Inheart trilogy together, and I won’t even go into how I ended up hating it’s darkness. Did you start any books that you just simply couldn't finish? Absolutely. I just remembered one that I should put under books I hated, and that was Mennonite in a Little Black Dress. I know some of you liked this. What did you think of the mini challenges and did you join in or complete any? I think they’re fine, but can’t remember if I joined in any of them. Did your family join in on the fun? No, but my girls are prolific readers & ds is starting to read more now. How many books have you added to your wishlist since the beginning of the year? I don’t keep an official wish list, but have some books on my save for later part of my Amazon cart. What was your favorite thing about the challenge? This thread and exploring new authors even if I didn’t like them all. It’s good learing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Bay Posted December 27, 2011 Share Posted December 27, 2011 Part 3 My list Since I didn’t write down every book and had to go back to threads to find them, this is not a complete list as I one week I wrote “I read three books†and didn’t put down all three titles—I only remembered 2 of them. And to be honest, Papa’s Wife is in progress, but should be done before Jan 1. 1. Eldest 2. Simon Bloom: the Octopus Effect 3. The Hunger Games 4. Murder on Ice 5. The Invention of Hugo Cabret 6. Elsewhere 7. The Game of Sunken Places plus sequel 8. Brisingr 9. Fallen Angels 10. Nazareth’s Song 11. Whisper Town 12. The Elevator 13. Ross Poldark 14. Earthly Vows 15. All Creatures Great and Small 16. Excellent Women 17. High Rising 18. The Girl Who Played with Fire 19. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest 20. One Crazy Summer 21. Olivier and Parrot in America 22. A Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague 23. Fire by Kristin Cashore 24. The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party 25. Graceling 26. Glittering Images 27. Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie 28. The Dark Shore 29. The Weed that String's the Hangman's Bag 30. A Red Herring Without Mustard 31. Tamar by Mal Peet 32. Children of God 33. Darwin on Trial 34. The Book Thief 35. Inkheart 36. Inkspell 37. Inkdeath 38. The Well Balanced Child by Sally Goddard Blythe 39. Incident at Hawk's Hill 40. The Myth of the First Three Years 41. Goliath 42. Confessions of a Prairie B*tch 43. As the World Churns 44. The Hiding Place 45. The Sugar Queen 46. Jin Ling’s Two Left Feet by Helen Chen 47. The Dog Who Came in From the Cold 48. Museum of Thieves 49. City of Lies 50. The Doc’s Side 51. School’s Out Forever 52. The Final Warning 53. Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports 54. What 55. Papa’s Wife Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted December 27, 2011 Share Posted December 27, 2011 It was a year for mostly recreational reading with the exception of all the hours I've put in researching the Lyme disease our girls were diagnosed with, there were days I swear my eyes were bleeding and my heart was so heavy I was grateful to have my books in which to retreat. How are your girls? :grouphug: I read around 6 books on celiac (along with quite a few sites) when I was diagnosed with celiac. Not fun reading, but I had to educate myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted December 27, 2011 Share Posted December 27, 2011 Here's my list of books read in 2011: 01. The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley 02. People Die by Kevin Wignall 03. Three Ways to Capsize a Boat by Chris Stewart 04. Food Rules by Michael Pollan 05. The Perfect Man by Naeem Murr 06. The Abyssinian by Jean-Christophe Rufin 07. Empress Orchid by Anchee Min 08. Sister Pelagia and the Red Cockerel by Boris Akunin 09. A Voyage Long and Strange by Tony Horowitz 10. All the Names by José Saramago 11. When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro 12. Meeting Faith: The Forest Journals of a Black Buddhist Nun by Faith Adiele 13. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffeneger 14. The Guinea Pig Diaries by A.J. Jacobs 15. 13, rue Thérèse by Elena Mauli Shapiro 16. The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno by Ellen Bryson 17. Twelve Fingers by Jô Soares (for the 'pick a book by its cover' mini-challenge) 18. Fatu-Hiva: Back to Nature by Thor Heyerdahl 19. Apartment Therapy: The Eight-Step Home Cure by Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan 20. Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie 21. The Broom of the System by David Foster Wallace (for the 'pick a book by its cover' mini-challenge) 22. Well-Schooled in Murder by Elizabeth George 23. A Red Herring without Mustard by Alan Bradley 24. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson 25. I Have America Surrounded: A Biography of Timothy Leary: by John Higgs 26. Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami 27. The Dream of Perpetual Motion by Dexter Palmer 28. Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris 29. The Wooden Sea by Jonathan Carroll 30. The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack by Mark Hodder 31. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris 32. The Reluctant Entertainer: Every Woman's Guide to Simple & Gracious Hospitality by Sandy Coughlin 33. A Curable Romantic by Joseph Skibell 34. A Reliable Wife by Rober Goolrick 35. Living the Simple Life by Elaine St. James 36. The Music of Chance by Paul Auster 37. The Tower, The Zoo, and the Tortoise by Julia Stuart 38. Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui by Karen Kingston 39. The Book of Jhereg by Steven Brust 40. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown 41. Storm Front by Jim Butcher 42. The Clutter Cure by Judi Culburtson 43. Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne 44. Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran 45. The Map of Time by Félix J. Palma 46. The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes 47. The Island of Lost Maps: A True Story of Cartographic Crime by Miles Harvey 48. The Adventurer's Handbook: Life Lessons from History's Great Explorers" by Mick Conefrey 49. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen 50. Dracula the Un-Dead by Dacre Stoker 51. The Gold Bug by Edgar Allen Poe 52. The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell 53. Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco 54. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson 55. Boneshaker by Cherie Priest 56. Judgment of Tears: Anno Dracula 1959 by Kim Newman 57. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut 58. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman 59. World War Z by Max Brooks 60. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams 61. The Man Who Swam the Amazon: 3,274 Miles on the World's Deadliest River by Martin Strel and Matthew Mohlke 62(?). If I finish by the end of the year, Darkmans by Nicola Barker (It's kind of fun to look on my Goodreads page & see that in 2011, I managed to read over 20,000 pages! :D If I finish Darkmans this week, that should put me over 21K pages....) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted December 27, 2011 Share Posted December 27, 2011 Robin, I like your idea of linking our Amazon wish lists. It would be fun to surprise people with books. :001_smile: To do this we make the list public? Then if someone buys something it goes to person whose wish list it is? Are addresses only displayed if someone buys something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted December 27, 2011 Author Share Posted December 27, 2011 Robin, how did you like Forest House? I like your idea of linking our Amazon wish lists. It would be fun to surprise people with books. :001_smile: To do this we make the list public? Then if someone buys something it goes to person whose wish list it is? Are addresses only displayed if someone buys something? The Forest House wasn't as good as The Mists of Avalon imho. I almost gave up on it a time or two. The second half of the book was better so glad I pushed through. Regarding Amazon, they don't publish the address, they keep it hidden. When I bought something off my brother in law's list, it said Full Address hidden for privacy. But yes, the list needs to be public. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted December 27, 2011 Share Posted December 27, 2011 The Forest House wasn't as good as The Mists of Avalon imho. I almost gave up on it a time or two. The second half of the book was better so glad I pushed through. Regarding Amazon, they don't publish the address, they keep it hidden. When I bought something off my brother in law's list, it said Full Address hidden for privacy. But yes, the list needs to be public. Now I'm trying to decide if I should read Bradley's book. I liked Avalon. So, how/where would we keep track of each other's wish list? Compile a list for those who want to share their lists, and PM it so we can keep it in our inbox? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted December 28, 2011 Author Share Posted December 28, 2011 So, how/where would we keep track of each other's wish list? Compile a list for those who want to share their lists, and PM it so we can keep it in our inbox? Your idea is a good one. Better than my thought which was to just put a link in our signatures. Not sure that will fly with some people since names may be different on amazon. Yes, let's do that. I'll mention it in the first 2012 thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 We're a few minutes away from the end of our holiday (4 nights on a houseboat) so this is just a quick check-in to post: #51 Blood Games - Faye Kellerman #52 The Elegance of the Hedgehog Muriel Barbery The first was my Christmas gift to myself - pure entertainment. The second was The Fates (in the shape of the unpredictable library reservation system) stepping in to end my reading year on a sublime note. Thanks to whoever here recommended this one, I'll be buying a copy for myself. I'll answer the round-up questions when I have my full list of books in front of me. N Nikki Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladydusk Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 Your idea is a good one. Better than my thought which was to just put a link in our signatures. Not sure that will fly with some people since names may be different on amazon. Yes, let's do that. I'll mention it in the first 2012 thread. How about in the Social Group ... it doesn't get much use, but it's there and underutilized ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladydusk Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 We finished A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens this evening. First time I've ever read it (although, I'm familiar with the story, obviously :lol:) I enjoyed it tremendously, my children enjoyed it a lot, my husband tolerated it (too much repetition, you know). If I finish Gaskell's North and South by Saturday, I'll officially have read more books than I did last year :hurray: My 2011 Reviews: 1. Her Daughter's Dream - Francine Rivers 2. Island of the World - Michael O'Brien (AMAZING!) 3. Mennonite in a Little Black Dress - Rhoda Janzen 4. Cinderella Ate My Daughter - Peggy Orenstein 5. Devil's Cub - Georgette Heyer 6. Keeping a Nature Journal - Clare Walker Leslie and Charles E Roth. 7. Politically Incorrect Guide to Western Civilization (Audio Book) - Anthony Esolen 8. Excellent Women - Barbara Pym 9. The Abyssinian - Jean-Christophe Rufin 10. In the Company of Others - Jan Karon 11. One Thousand Gifts - Ann Voskamp 12. Regency Buck - Georgette Heyer 13. Bath Tangle - Georgette Heyer 14. The Convenient Marriage - Georgette Heyer 15. The Organized Heart - Staci Eastin 16. Your Home: A Place of Grace - Susan Hunt 17. Christian Encounters: Jane Austen - Peter Leithart 18. Bambi: A Life in the Woods - Victor Salten 19. Aunt Jane's Hero - Elizabeth Prentiss 20. The Magician's Nephew (Audio Book) - C.S. Lewis 21. The Horse and His Boy (Audio Book) - C.S. Lewis 22. Beauty for Truth's Sake - Stratford Caldecott 23. A Mother's Rule of Life - Holly Pierlot 24. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen 25. Persuasion - Jane Austen 26. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen 27. Real Love for Real Life - Andi Ashworth 28. Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies - Marilyn Chandler McEntyre 29. The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction - Alan Jacobs 30. The Help - Kathryn Stockett 31. The Waiting Sands - Susan Howatch 32. Prince Caspian (Audio Book) - C.S. Lewis 33. Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R. Tolkien (review forthcoming) 34. Garden Spells - Sarah Addison Allen 35. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame 36. The Two Towers - J.R.R. Tolkien 37. The Return of the King - J.R.R. Tolkien 38. Lady of Quality - Georgette Heyer 39. Come Thou Long Expected Jesus - edited by Nancy Guthrie 40. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 Did you reach the goal of 52 books or did you manage to beat your own personal best? YES! I reached 52 books, even though I fell well behind in the first half of the year, and at times thought it would be impossible. I am ridiculously pleased with myself. What book are you ending the year with? #52 was supposed to be a light crime novel, but instead the library reservation system unexpectedly provided me with Muriel Barbery's beautiful The Elegance of the Hedgehog which was a much more elegant way to end the reading year! Did you discover a new author or genre? Did you love them or hate them? I read books by 32 authors I had never read before. I discovered that I enjoy "hardboiled" crime novels, that a non-fiction book can be just as absorbing and entertaining as fiction, and that a classic adventure story on audiobook rivals TV for fun. I found that I enjoy reading books translated from another language, although I'm not sure whether it's because they offer a window into another culture or because they do actually offer something unique in writing style. Did you challenge yourself to read more non fiction if prefer fiction or more fiction if you prefer non fiction? I didn't set out to do this, but I read five "proper" non-fiction books, which is more than I normally would. I'm not counting personal stories (as opposed to serious biographies) as "proper" non-ficiton, as I would read these anyway. Did you read from a list or wing it? I winged it. I spent a lot more time planning my reading this year, though - reading reviews, Googling authors, reserving books, borrowing from friends - and picked a much lower proportion of my reads by randomly browsing the library shelves. How many classics did you read? What did you think of the writing style or author? I listened to three classics, but didn't read any. I was amused and delighted to be reminded how universal and timeless good stories and well-developed charcters are. It's been many years since I carved out regular reading time for myself, and I just had fun with it this year. I'd like to read some classics next year. Name one book that you thought you'd never read and was pleasantly surprised you like it. Nothing stands out, although there were a few that I collected from the library, thought were going to be too much effort, and persevered with anyway, only to really enjoy them. These stand out: Adam Resurrected – Yoram Kaniuk The Veil – Woman Writers on Its History, Lore and Politics – Jennifer Heath (Ed) The Liberated Bride – A.B. Yehoshua What are your top ten favorite books? The Elegance of the Hedgehog – Muriel Barbery Adam Resurrected – Yoram Kaniuk Ivanhoe – Sir Walter Scott **AUDIO BOOK Cloudstreet - Tim Wonton A Thousand Cuts - Simon Lelic The Botany of Desire - Micheal Pollan The Big Sleep – Raymond Chandler The Cure for Modern Life – Lisa Tucker The Cellist of Sarajevo - Stephen Galloway The Housekeeper and the Professor - Yoko Ogawa What are your ten least favorite books? I'll give four: The Bones in the Womb – Patricia Tyrrell Fire Fire – Eve Sallis Julie and Julia - Julie Powell Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert The rest of my bottom ten would be there by default, as lacking a truly wonderful story or particularly skillful writing. Doesn't mean I didn't enjoy them! Did you start any books that you just simply couldn't finish? The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton. It actually shares a lot of features with the top two on my "Least Favourite" list - too much unadulterated misery for my taste, with characters that didn't engenger any compassion in me. What did you think of the mini challenges and did you join in or complete any? I came in late, and wasn't really aware of them. Did your family join in on the fun? Not officially, but dd11 benefited from many more visits to the library, and seeing me reserving books online. She will participate next year, initially aiming for 26 books. Dh read more than he usually does, as I fed him books I thought he would enjoy - he probably read half a dozen from my list. How many books have you added to your wishlist since the beginning of the year? I make mental notes of books, then forget them! I will try to get organised with Good Reads for next year. What was your favorite thing about the challenge? I turned 40 in October, and dedicated the whole year to doing more for myself, to challenge myself and to simply be me again. This challenge was one of the ways that I reconnected with who I was pre-family, and I am very grateful for that. More specifically, because I was so intent on getting to the magic #52 I persevered with books I would normally have given up on - "If I just read 15 pages a day while I am reading something else "fun" I can finish this one and add it to my List, so why not keep reading?". I'm more confident about stepping outside of my reading comfort zone, thanks to this aspect (or perhaps "side-effect") of the challenge. Thank you to everyone. I've had so much fun this year and it's all because of you all. Look forward to doing it all over again in 2012. And yes you still have til the 31st to finish reading your books. Thank you, Robyn! Nikki Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted December 28, 2011 Author Share Posted December 28, 2011 (edited) How about in the Social Group ... it doesn't get much use, but it's there and underutilized ... Good idea as well and hadn't thought of that. Completely forgot about the social group. The old one is 2010 reading challenges so need to start a new one. Another task for my task list - Do we want the 2012 52 Books group or more general for everybody like the 2012 Reading Challenges social group? Edited December 28, 2011 by Mytwoblessings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAMom Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 Did you reach the goal of 52 books or did you manage to beat your own personal best? Yes and Yes! What book are you ending the year with? I'm almost finished with The Poisonwood Bible. I may have time to finish up one or two other non-fiction that I have going. We'll see. Did you discover a new author or genre? Did you love them or hate them? I discovered both Sarah Addison Allen and Lisa See. Loved both of them! Did you challenge yourself to read more non fiction if prefer fiction or more fiction if you prefer non fiction? Not really. I did read more fiction, though. Did you read from a list or wing it? Just read whatever I felt like at the time. Although, I got lots and lots of ideas from these threads! How many classics did you read? What did you think of the writing style or author? I think Of Mice and Men was the only classic I read and I really liked it! Name one book that you thought you'd never read and was pleasantly surprised you like it. Don't think I had one in this category. What are your top ten favorite books? One Thousand Gifts The Book Thief The Cellist of Sarajevo Night A Tree Grows in Brooklyn The Geography of Bliss Sold Respectable Sins Walk on Water Snow Flower and the Secret Fan What are your ten least favorite books? The Handmaid's Tale Peony in Love Did you start any books that you just simply couldn't finish? A Game of Thrones What did you think of the mini challenges and did you join in or complete any? Didn't complete any Did your family join in on the fun? No. But they were very impressed by my accomplishment.;) How many books have you added to your wishlist since the beginning of the year? Haven't counted but lots! What was your favorite thing about the challenge? Spending so much time with such enjoyable characters! Can't wait to keep going in the New Year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 I've been adding a lot from all your lists to my wish list. This particular thread is my favorite of the entire year. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawneinfl Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 Did you reach the goal of 52 books or did you manage to beat your own personal best? I finished about 26 books which is great, considering the year I had. What book are you ending the year with? Unbroken Did you discover a new author or genre? Did you love them or hate them? I found that I really like biographies. Did you challenge yourself to read more non fiction if prefer fiction or more fiction if you prefer non fiction? I seem to gravitate to non-fiction but I'm adding more fiction. Did you read from a list or wing it? Most of my selections come from recommendations on this board. I don't follow any lists. How many classics did you read? What did you think of the writing style or author? The only classics were part of school. Name one book that you thought you'd never read and was pleasantly surprised you like it. On Writing by Stephen King What are your top ten favorite books? Some favorites were: The Help The Glass Castle Half-Broke Horses One-Thousand Gifts Total Truth What are your ten least favorite books? Water for Elephants Did you start any books that you just simply couldn't finish? Sure What did you think of the mini challenges and did you join in or complete any? No, I was barely keeping up as it was. Did your family join in on the fun? My daughter has read about 50 books. What was your favorite thing about the challenge? Hearing all your recommendations. I look forward to this board every Sunday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglei Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 Another task for my task list - Do we want the 2012 52 Books group or more general for everybody like the 2012 Reading Challenges social group? I may be misunderstanding this; however, just wanted to say that I really hope that whatever is done to facilitate the wish lists, that this particular thread remains as-is!:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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