Book a Week in 2013 - week fifty two wrap up

[ladydusk]

 

I got SWB's history books for Christmas, and hope to read them next year, as well. I've been filling up my library Overdrive queue with a bunch of recs I've gotten here the last few weeks and I mostly just want to do some better reading. I'll be thinking more about "goals" over the next week. I've read a lot of chick lit and fluff this year and I haven't enjoyed most of it. 

 

 

Maybe we can try a readalong of these ... I only have the first two right now, but will purchase the third some day (If I don't get it as a gift)

[ariasmommy]

Switching my 2013 book list to a new post:

 

1. The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis (audiobook) (5 stars)
2. Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer (3 stars)
3. Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey by Fiona, Countess of Carnarvon (4 stars)
4. The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne (audiobook) (4 stars)
5. Adam and His Kin by Ruth Beechick (4 stars)
6. A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare (5 stars)
7. The Duggars: 20 and Counting by Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar (4 stars)
8. Evening in the Palace of Reason by James R. Gaines (5 stars)
9. Lady of Quality by Georgette Heyer (audiobook) (2 stars)
10. Treasures of the Snow by Patricia St. John (5 stars)
11. The Consequences of Ideas by R.C. Sproul (5 stars)
12. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand (audiobook) (5 stars)
13. Very Good, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse  (audiobook) (4 stars)
14. The White Horse King by Benjamin R. Merkle (4 stars)
15. A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters (audiobook) (4 stars)
16. Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe by  Sara Mae and Sally Clarkson (4 stars)
17. How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill (4 stars)
18. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (5 stars)
19. Unnatural Death by Dorothy Sayers (audiobook) (4 stars)
20. Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick (5 stars)
21. The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield (5 stars)
22. The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling (4 stars)
23. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin (4 stars)
24. Commodore Perry in the Land of the Shogun by Rhoda Blumberg (4 stars)
25. The Tempest by William Shakespeare (4 stars)
26. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (audiobook) (4 stars)
27. A Landscape with Dragons by Michael D. O'Brien (4 stars)
28. For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay (5 stars)
29. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (audiobook)(3 stars)
30. Raising Real Men: Surviving Teaching and Appreciating Boys by Hal and Melanie Young (5 stars)
31. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (4 stars)
32. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie (audiobook) (4 stars)
33. The King's Speech by Mark Logue and Peter Conradi (audiobook) (4 stars)
34. The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gail Tszemach Lemmon (4 stars)
35. How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare by Ken Ludwig (5 stars)
36. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien (4 stars)
37. Buried in a Bog by Sheila Connolly (3 stars)
38. Building Her House by Nancy Wilson (5 stars)
39. The Code of the Woosters: Jeeves to the Rescue by P.G. Wodehouse (audiobook) (4 stars)
40. The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer (5 stars)
41. A Room with a View by E.M. Forster (4 stars)
42. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway (audiobook) (4 stars)
43. The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (audiobook) (3 stars)
44. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens (4 stars)
45. Sun Horse, Moon Horse by Rosemary Sutcliff (5 stars)
46. Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches by Rachel Jankovic (5 stars)
47. Leisure the Basis of Culture by Josef Pieper (5 stars)
48. Justin Morgan Had a Horse by Marguerite Henry (4 stars)
49. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (audiobook) (4 stars)
50. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (3 stars)
51. A Glorious Age in Africa by Daniel Chu and Eliott Skinner (4 stars)
52. The Iliad by Homer (audiobook) (5 stars)
53. Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome (4 stars)
54. The Liberal Arts Tradition by Kevin Clark and Ravi Jain (5 stars)
55. The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux (audiobook) (4 stars)
56. The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene du Bois (4 stars)
57. Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild (4 stars)
58. Holy is the Day by Carolyn Weber (4 stars)
59. Star of Light by Patricia St. John (4 stars)
60. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (4 stars)
61. The Corinthian by Georgette Heyer (3 stars)
62. The Cricket on the Hearth by Charles Dickens (audiobook) (5 stars)

I've been thinking more about Ladydusk's post about her BIL and my response to it regarding planned out reading vs spontaneous reading.  Is planned reading always work?  Is spontaneous reading always leisure?  Is reading ever a chore?

 

I don't know about other readers but there are some books on my personal Books To Read Before I Die list that are not gonna "just happen."  I can gobble up British mysteries by the basketfull, but if I ever want to read Anna Karenina or The Rise & Fall of the Third Reich or the Aeneid, I am going to have to plan it.

 

I've been doing quite a bit of navel gazing recently and thinking about what I want to accomplish in 2014.  I am wondering, does anyone want to share any personal goals for the new year?  Any BIG books you are wanting to tackle?  Any new releases that you are chomping at the bit to read?

 

I anticipate the 2014 Week 1 thread to be a big one (the January threads usually are) so I wanted to ask before some of us regulars lose track of each other.   :bigear:   (sorry, Robin, if I am preempting any of your questions for next week :blush:)

 

We are studying ancient history this coming year, and I am hoping to read a few of the classics (The Odyssey, The Republic. The Aeneid) as well as read SWB's The History of the Ancient World and a few other history books.

[Jane in NC]

I've been thinking more about Ladydusk's post about her BIL and my response to it regarding planned out reading vs spontaneous reading.  Is planned reading always work?  Is spontaneous reading always leisure?  Is reading ever a chore?

 

I don't know about other readers but there are some books on my personal Books To Read Before I Die list that are not gonna "just happen."  I can gobble up British mysteries by the basketfull, but if I ever want to read Anna Karenina or The Rise & Fall of the Third Reich or the Aeneid, I am going to have to plan it.

 

I've been doing quite a bit of navel gazing recently and thinking about what I want to accomplish in 2014.  I am wondering, does anyone want to share any personal goals for the new year?  Any BIG books you are wanting to tackle?  Any new releases that you are chomping at the bit to read?

 

I anticipate the 2014 Week 1 thread to be a big one (the January threads usually are) so I wanted to ask before some of us regulars lose track of each other.   :bigear:   (sorry, Robin, if I am preempting any of your questions for next week :blush:)

 

I too can gobble up mysteries by the basketful--make that wheelbarrow-ful.  Some of the "big books" don't necessarily need planning on my part--more planting. I read Moby Dick when my then sixteen or seventeen year old plopped it into my hands and said "This is the best book I have ever read."  And I am the mother who assigned it but never read it???

 

The Shakespeare that I reread this year was due to you PH planting the seeds.

 

This thread works very well for me with nicely placed nudges although I think the 5/5/5 challenge also gave some good direction.  Dorothy Dunnett's works are rich and complex.  I had thought that I would read all eight volumes in her House of Niccolo series but only read three.  Not a problem.  I will put Dorothy Dunnett back on my 5/5/5 and be satisfied once again if I only read three of her works.

 

I see on Robin's blog that her WTM book list for 2014 includes The Return of the Native.  I'll join that readalong but may skip the others.  Anna Karenina or War and Peace is on my list for 2014--both are in my Dusty Book pile.  And "Dusty Books" remains a category in my 5/5/5.

 

Other 5/5/5 categories?  I like the idea of food novels...toying with that one.  I think I need some sort of Middle or Eastern European author category.  Perhaps I will have the evolving 5/5/5 also known as Rabbit Trails are Good for the Soul.

 

Hmmm...I think I intended to read Shaw in 2013 but didn't put it in writing.  Adding Shaw to the 5/5/5.

 

 

[Onceuponatime]

My home library is giving me fits. I knew it was bad, but really. Half the books on any "100 books you must read" list are just not there. The serendipitous approach serves me well most of the time, but if I'm going to plan any reading ahead, I need a new strategy for getting the books I want. I think I can get some by buying certain books really cheap at the thrift store, then taking them to the book exchange in the city and trading them in on  store credit for the ones I want. Of course that will take planning and a little bit of serendipity, too.

[JennW in SoCal]

I've been thinking more about Ladydusk's post about her BIL and my response to it regarding planned out reading vs spontaneous reading.  Is planned reading always work?  Is spontaneous reading always leisure?  Is reading ever a chore?

 

I don't know about other readers but there are some books on my personal Books To Read Before I Die list that are not gonna "just happen."  I can gobble up British mysteries by the basketfull, but if I ever want to read Anna Karenina or The Rise & Fall of the Third Reich or the Aeneid, I am going to have to plan it.

 

 

 

I'm not big on planned reading.  So many other things in my life are planned and regimented that I prefer to have my reading be spontaneous, to savor it as a purely selfish pleasure.  The spontaneous choice of a classic does happen, especially when it is available for free or for cheap from audible and through the kindle store.  But I don't think I have a "read before I die" list, rather I have a "maybe someday it might be nice to read" list.

 

I've been doing quite a bit of navel gazing recently and thinking about what I want to accomplish in 2014.  I am wondering, does anyone want to share any personal goals for the new year?  Any BIG books you are wanting to tackle?  Any new releases that you are chomping at the bit to read?

 

I anticipate the 2014 Week 1 thread to be a big one (the January threads usually are) so I wanted to ask before some of us regulars lose track of each other.    :bigear:   (sorry, Robin, if I am preempting any of your questions for next week  :blush:)

 

 

Is it nonsensical for a spontaneous reader to have any goals?  My simple goal is to continue reading a wide variety of genres, and to read a couple of classics each year.  And I want to find a better way of tracking recommendations I glean from this list every week!!  

[trinchick]

My home library is giving me fits. I knew it was bad, but really. Half the books on any "100 books you must read" list are just not there. The serendipitous approach serves me well most of the time, but if I'm going to plan any reading ahead, I need a new strategy for getting the books I want. I think I can get some by buying certain books really cheap at the thrift store, then taking them to the book exchange in the city and trading them in on  store credit for the ones I want. Of course that will take planning and a little bit of serendipity, too.

 

Does your local library have a book sale? Ours has an annual sale that is our big book stock-up time. They do a great job of sorting the books into general categories, so you don't have to dedicate a whole day to sorting through boxes if you have a specific type of book in mind (e.g. classics like it sounds you're interested in). Also, our library de-commissions a bunch of books through the sale, so it's a great time to pick up the classics. They may be well-read, but still good condition. Books run about 50 cents for paperbacks and $1 for hard covers. We also get to go to the sale a day early since we're members of the Friends of the Library - well worth the annual fee since we're big library supporters/users in general.

 

Lots of best sellers, too. It amazes me how many people buy the hard-covers only to turn around and donate them to the library right away. It was funny this year to see a whole shelf of copies of Fifty Shades of Gray.

[Onceuponatime]

Does your local library have a book sale? Ours has an annual sale that is our big book stock-up time. They do a great job of sorting the books into general categories, so you don't have to dedicate a whole day to sorting through boxes if you have a specific type of book in mind (e.g. classics like it sounds you're interested in). Also, our library de-commissions a bunch of books through the sale, so it's a great time to pick up the classics. They may be well-read, but still good condition. Books run about 50 cents for paperbacks and $1 for hard covers. We also get to go to the sale a day early since we're members of the Friends of the Library - well worth the annual fee since we're big library supporters/users in general.

 

Lots of best sellers, too. It amazes me how many people buy the hard-covers only to turn around and donate them to the library right away. It was funny this year to see a whole shelf of copies of Fifty Shades of Gray.

 

Our local library's book sale is pitiful too. It's easier to look in nearby thrift stores. We do have membership at a library in another city, but we don't get there often, more regularly in the summer. I have found many books in their friends of the library room. I know I was whining in the previous post, but I think I will enjoy the challenge of trying to figure out how to get what I want. It just might not happen when I want, so I will be forced to be more creative and broaden my choices.

[Angel]

 

Did you come across a story that you enjoyed it so much, you turned around and read it again or plan on  rereading it again in 2014? 

I've been surprised at the responses to this question, that many of you never re-read a book.  I enjoy re-reading and re-listening to favorites, and have recently started re-listening to the Master and Commander books.  I will definitely revisit Hyperion one day soon.

 

:iagree:  Some of my books are like close friends.  I want to revisit and spend time with them again and again.  It's comfortable and fun  ;)   Author's I reread on a regular basis:  

David Eddings' The Belgariad, The Mallorean, The Elenium, and The Tamuli

Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time (though since I've spent all year on this, it will be a while before I revisit again)

All of Jane Austen

J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series

[welovetoread]

Congratulations to all that have made the 52 g and beyond goal and to those that made personal goals, whatever those may have been.  Looking forward to a re start :)

[mumto2]

In terms of new releases I have the new Flavia already on hold at the elibrary and anticipate fighting dd for the right to read it first! ;)

 

Reading plan wise at this moment I am most excited about my planned version of the continental where I read books set in as many countries as possible. I plan to keep track of author's country origin but am hoping settings will get at least 24 -- since it is my game the UK gets broken into four to get a bit of a head start unless Robin sets some ground rules that I need to follow. I have a stack set aside with 6 countries to start. Hoping to include the Nobel authors in this pursuit.

 

Also hope to read more classics with dd. I failed to meet my expectations here this year pretty badly.

 

For a couple of months in the New Year my family will be in the States. I spend a great deal of time with my mom when there which means airports and a lack of wi fi for weeks for me. I hope I manage to keep up here because I will miss this quite a bit. It also means my light and fluffy books will go way up. My mom loves Harlequin Romances and subscribes. She has stacks waiting for me to read and I normally oblige. I also have access to big libraries where I can browse the cozy mystery sections. Basically this means my first bit of the new year won't look much like my challenges unless I get lucky.

 

 

 

 

 

I've been doing quite a bit of navel gazing recently and thinking about what I want to accomplish in 2014.  I am wondering, does anyone want to share any personal goals for the new year?  Any BIG books you are wanting to tackle?  Any new releases that you are chomping at the bit to read?

 

I anticipate the 2014 Week 1 thread to be a big one (the January threads usually are) so I wanted to ask before some of us regulars lose track of each other.   :bigear:   (sorry, Robin, if I am preempting any of your questions for next week :blush:)

[mumto2]

In regards to next year, what happens? Do we start a new thread Jan 1 that goes for a week and a half? I can't remember when it started last year so have been wondering.

[melmichigan]

I've been thinking more about Ladydusk's post about her BIL and my response to it regarding planned out reading vs spontaneous reading.  Is planned reading always work?  Is spontaneous reading always leisure?  Is reading ever a chore?

 

I don't know about other readers but there are some books on my personal Books To Read Before I Die list that are not gonna "just happen."  I can gobble up British mysteries by the basketfull, but if I ever want to read Anna Karenina or The Rise & Fall of the Third Reich or the Aeneid, I am going to have to plan it.

 

I've been doing quite a bit of navel gazing recently and thinking about what I want to accomplish in 2014.  I am wondering, does anyone want to share any personal goals for the new year?  Any BIG books you are wanting to tackle?  Any new releases that you are chomping at the bit to read?

 

I anticipate the 2014 Week 1 thread to be a big one (the January threads usually are) so I wanted to ask before some of us regulars lose track of each other.   :bigear:   (sorry, Robin, if I am preempting any of your questions for next week :blush:)

 

This Anna Karenina is on my list, it sits waiting on my dresser.  Would you be interested in a read along?  This is one I know I won't read on my own.  I would want to take my time with it and question if I would want to read it straight through.  What kind of timeline would you be thinking?

[Robin M]

 

I've been doing quite a bit of navel gazing recently and thinking about what I want to accomplish in 2014.  I am wondering, does anyone want to share any personal goals for the new year?  Any BIG books you are wanting to tackle?  Any new releases that you are chomping at the bit to read?

 

I anticipate the 2014 Week 1 thread to be a big one (the January threads usually are) so I wanted to ask before some of us regulars lose track of each other.   :bigear:   (sorry, Robin, if I am preempting any of your questions for next week :blush:)

 

 

I have a number of "Big Books" to read for next year.  I bought Kristin Lavransdatter (for Kindle) before vacation ... just in case ... and would like to tackle it. I'd like to re-read Island of the World by O'Brien.  I'd like to read SWB's histories.  I'm partway through Ancients (and, sadly, have been for years)

I'm not a good "planner" or "assignment completer", so we'll see how some of those go, but I don't expect to get to 52 next year; maybe 30, and some of those are going to take some effort and, I'm afraid, I'll be posting "still ______" on many weekly threads.

 

I've already made my list unapproachable! LOL

 

ETA: and Bonhoeffer and Unbroken, both of which I started in 2012 ...

 

 

I got SWB's history books for Christmas, and hope to read them next year, as well. I've been filling up my library Overdrive queue with a bunch of recs I've gotten here the last few weeks and I mostly just want to do some better reading. I'll be thinking more about "goals" over the next week. I've read a lot of chick lit and fluff this year and I haven't enjoyed most of it. 

 

 

 

Maybe we can try a readalong of these ... I only have the first two right now, but will purchase the third some day (If I don't get it as a gift)

 

We are studying ancient history this coming year, and I am hoping to read a few of the classics (The Odyssey, The Republic. The Aeneid) as well as read SWB's The History of the Ancient World and a few other history books.

 

I too have SWB's Ancient and Middle Ages on the shelves and have barely cracked either one.  Sooooo....... A readalong would be perfect.  Do we want to start a the the beginning of the year or give it a couple weeks if other folks want to join in.  How would you want to go about it?  One or two chapters a week?  I could post which chapters should be on at the beginning of the week or like all other readalongs, just knowing someone else is reading will spur you on.  I think for me I'd need the incentive of specific chapters each week. (kind of like lessons - but don't want it to turn into a drudge.  Let me know.

 

PH - You aren't preempting anything as the only thing I have planned is Murakami readalong and following rabbit trails.   As far as big fiction books - After Wind Up Bird Chronicles,  I've got Eco's Faucault's Pendulum, Larsson's Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, George's With No One as Witness as well as more James Rollins books which are over 600 pages.  Plus I'm looking forward to tackling the translated books from Archipelago - Blinding and The Great Weaver of Kashmir.

 

In regards to next year, what happens? Do we start a new thread Jan 1 that goes for a week and a half? I can't remember when it started last year so have been wondering.

Good question.  Last couple years, the 1st was at the beginning of the week.   Now it's on Wednesday.  Looking at the calendar and figuring out the weeks, if we go with week 1 from the 1st to the 11th, then that makes week 52 4 days long.  Not enough time for any kind of wrap up, before we are jumping into the new year.   I'm thinking we go with a short week one. 

 

Somebody (sorry can't keep up) mentioned a centuries or decades read / challenge so if we are going to do that, what century or decade do we want to start off with and I'll try to keep track upping it each month.  My historical fiction runs all over the place from the 12th century to 17th/18th, then 20th. 

[Lady Florida.]

I've been thinking more about Ladydusk's post about her BIL and my response to it regarding planned out reading vs spontaneous reading.  Is planned reading always work?  Is spontaneous reading always leisure?  Is reading ever a chore?

 

I don't know about other readers but there are some books on my personal Books To Read Before I Die list that are not gonna "just happen."  I can gobble up British mysteries by the basketfull, but if I ever want to read Anna Karenina or The Rise & Fall of the Third Reich or the Aeneid, I am going to have to plan it.

 

I don't think planned reading is a chore because I only put books on my list that I want to read. Some books though, are harder to get through than others, and I have to set aside time to make myself read such books. I usually don't read those at night because my concentration isn't the best. Before bed is usually when I do my fluff reading, or something that just doesn't require much brain power.

 

I've been doing quite a bit of navel gazing recently and thinking about what I want to accomplish in 2014.  I am wondering, does anyone want to share any personal goals for the new year?  Any BIG books you are wanting to tackle?  Any new releases that you are chomping at the bit to read?

 

I anticipate the 2014 Week 1 thread to be a big one (the January threads usually are) so I wanted to ask before some of us regulars lose track of each other.   :bigear:   (sorry, Robin, if I am preempting any of your questions for next week :blush:)

 

Just like a previous poster (I'd have to look back to see who it was), I like rabbit trails. I might find a new series, or hear about something others are loving. I have some books on my to-read list, and am leaving plenty of room to just read according to my mood. I have a mix chunksters, classics, fluff, and 21st century literature.

 

2014:

 

Moby Dick - I'm going to give it a try

 

Ernest Hemingway - My goal is to get through something, anything, of his.

 

William Faulkner - same as with Hemingway

 

Finish the Silo series (I read Wool, started Shift, and have Dust on my Kindle)

 

Wolf Hall - If I like it, I'll continue

 

The Luminaries - I was going to read this, but The Goldfinch sucked me in instead

 

Americanah

 

Silas Marner

 

North and South

 

Tom Jones

 

finish Don Quixote

 

finish The Divine Comedy

 

2 biographies

 

2 general non-fiction books

 

 

I might do the Nobel Prize winner mini-challenge but if I do it will be on a small scale. I was thinking of doing only 4 - one per quarter. How much of each person's work would depend on who I choose and what else I'm reading. I'm in an IRL book club 

 

 

 

 

 

[ladydusk]

I too have SWB's Ancient and Middle Ages on the shelves and have barely cracked either one.  Sooooo....... A readalong would be perfect.  Do we want to start a the the beginning of the year or give it a couple weeks if other folks want to join in.  How would you want to go about it?  One or two chapters a week?  I could post which chapters should be on at the beginning of the week or like all other readalongs, just knowing someone else is reading will spur you on.  I think for me I'd need the incentive of specific chapters each week. (kind of like lessons - but don't want it to turn into a drudge.  Let me know.

 

 

I was thinking later, I'm planning to participate in a Desiring the Kingdom online book-club. It officially goes through May, but I would like to be done with my posts (pre-written) by March.  So, April?  I was figuring it would be at your own pace, but whatever.  I'm bad at assignments ;)

[Tullia]

I too have SWB's Ancient and Middle Ages on the shelves and have barely cracked either one.  Sooooo....... A readalong would be perfect.  Do we want to start a the the beginning of the year or give it a couple weeks if other folks want to join in.  How would you want to go about it?  One or two chapters a week?  I could post which chapters should be on at the beginning of the week or like all other readalongs, just knowing someone else is reading will spur you on.  I think for me I'd need the incentive of specific chapters each week. (kind of like lessons - but don't want it to turn into a drudge.  Let me know.

 

I'd definitely like to do a read-along, but don't have a strong preference on how to structure it. 

[Lady Florida.]

Here is my 2013 list from Goodreads. I think this link is public so anyone should be able to see it. If not, I'm not sure how to fix that.

[swimmermom3]

It's fun to see what everyone has read. My reading year started off well, but fizzled when when the new school year started. It seems that nearly all the reading I have done this year from May on has been high school-related texts. However, for Christmas dh gave me Kristen Lavransdatter and  Shahnameh. I have stayed up until the wee morning hours reading KL for several days and am now finished. What a guilty pleasure! I look forward to what is on tap for 2014.

[Kareni]

On the plane, I read Law Man (Dream Man Series) by Kristen Ashley.  My husband started A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1) by George R. R. Martin.  

 

Ok, I went to Starbucks for an hour today, to try to eke out a little reading time for myself during this very busy, hectic time, devouring The Goldfinch during my hour of reading.

 

I was reading in a cafe today, too.  Mine was in South Korea!  I was reading while my husband and daughter went to see the Hobbit.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

I was reading in a cafe today, too.  Mine was in South Korea!  I was reading while my husband and daughter went to see the Hobbit.

 

Regards,

Kareni

I hope you have a great time with your dd!

[Jane in NC]

I was reading in a cafe today, too.  Mine was in South Korea!  I was reading while my husband and daughter went to see the Hobbit.

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

Happy Travels Kareni!  Let you daughter know that her WTM "Aunties" wish her the best!

 

Jane (awaiting the arrival of son's British girlfriend today!!)

[Jane in NC]

Here is my 2013 list from Goodreads. I think this link is public so anyone should be able to see it. If not, I'm not sure how to fix that.

 

It is restricted but, since you are a regular poster here, I certainly have a feel for what you are reading. 

 

[Paisley Hedgehog]

. 

 

[Lady Florida.]

It is restricted but, since you are a regular poster here, I certainly have a feel for what you are reading. 

 

 

Thanks. This should fix it though. Just in case someone thinks their TBR list still isn't long enough. :)

[Onceuponatime]

I'm currently reading Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. I've never read Woolf before, the book was on one of the "100 must read" lists, and I had found it in the thrift store recently. This is just my personal opinion, but I feel like I am reading "Emily Dickenson writes a Russian novel."

(I am not fond of Russian novels) I really do not like the heavy, apathetic way it is making me feel, even if the words are golden and lovely. Introspection is one thing, wallowing is another. So, I probably won't read her again.

[Jane in NC]

Thanks. This should fix it though. Just in case someone thinks their TBR list still isn't long enough. :)

 

The link works!

[Heather in Neverland]

 

Ok, final tally for the year...

 

Finished:

58. Morning Glory by Sarah Jio

57. Good News of Great Joy by John Piper

56. The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley

55. Faithful Women and their Extraordinary God by Noel Piper

54. Smart but Scattered Teens: The "Executive Skills" Program for Helping Teens Reach Their Potential by Richard Guare

53. The Collected Writings (So Far) of Rick Wormeli: Crazy Good Stuff I've Learned about Teaching by Rick Wormeli

52. Maya's Notebook by Isabelle Allende

51. And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

50. Big, Dead Place: Inside the Strange and Menacing World of Antarctica by Nicholas Johnson

49. God is Red: The Secret Story of How Christianity Survived and Flourished in Communist China by Liao Yiwu

48. Allegiant by Veronica Roth

47. The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin

46. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

45. Stealing Rembrandts: The Untold Stories of Notorious Art Heists by Anthony Amore (American Author, DD class 700)

44. The Gospel's Power and Message by Paul Washer (American author, DD class 200)

43. They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Persuasive Writing by Gerald Graff (American author, DD class 400)

42. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (American author, DD class 800)

41. Mariana by Susanna Kearsley (Canadian author, DD class 800)

40. Man Seeks God: My Flirtations with the Divine by Eric Weiner (American author, DD class 200)

39. When I Don't Desire God: How to Fight for Joy by John Piper (American author, DD class 200)

38. Inferno by Dan Brown (American author, DD class 800)

37. That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo (American author, DD class 800)

36. The God Who is There: Finding Your Place in God's Story by D.A. Carson (Canadian author, DD class 200)

35. Sandstorm by James Rollins (American author, DD class 800)

34. Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel (Mexican Author, DD class 800)

33. The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific by J. Maarten Troost (Dutch Author, DD class 900)

32. Bill Bryson's African Diary by Bill Bryson (American author, DD class 900)

31. The Millionaires by Brad Meltzer (American author, DD class 800)

30. Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter (American author, DD class 800)

29.The Sherlockian by Graham Moore (American author, DD class 800)

28. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (American authors, DD class 800)

27. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson (American author, DD class 900)

26. The Last Camellia by Sarah Jio (American author, DD class 800)

25. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (Ethiopian author, DD class 800)

24. Having Hard Conversations by Jennifer Abrams (American author, DD class 300)

23.The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe (American author, DD class 600)

22. The Infernal Devices #3: The Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare (American author, DD class 800)

21. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (American author, DD class 800)

20. Why Revival Tarries by Leonard Ravenhill (British author, DD class 200)

19. The Infernal Devices #2: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare (American author, DD class 800)

18. The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (American author, DD class 800)

17. God's Big Picture: Tracing the Story-Line of the Bible by Vaughan Roberts (British author, DD class 200)

16.The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag: A Flavia de Luce Mystery by Alan Bradley (Canadian Author, DD Class 800)

15.The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner (American author, DD class 900)

14. Prodigy by Marie Lu (Chinese author, DD class 800)

13. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand (American author, DD class 900)

12. The Disappearing Spoon: And Other Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements by Sam Kean (American author, DD class 500)

11. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures by Anne Fadiman (American Author, DD class 600)

10. A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World by Paul Miller (American author, DD class 200)

9. Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick (American author, DD class 300)

8. Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald (American author, DD class 100)

7. The Bungalow by Sarah Jio (American author, DD class 800)

6. The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen (American author, DD class 800)

5. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen (American author, DD class 800)

4. The Next Story: Life and Faith After the Digital Explosion by Tim Challies (Canadian author, DD class 600)

3. The House at Riverton by Kate Morton (Australian author, DD class 800)

2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (English author, DD class 800)

1. The Dark Monk: A Hangman's Daughter Tale by Oliver Potzsch (German author, DD class 800)

[Heather in Neverland]

I'm not big on planned reading. So many other things in my life are planned and regimented that I prefer to have my reading be spontaneous, to savor it as a purely selfish pleasure. The spontaneous choice of a classic does happen, especially when it is available for free or for cheap from audible and through the kindle store. But I don't think I have a "read before I die" list, rather I have a "maybe someday it might be nice to read" list.

 

 

Is it nonsensical for a spontaneous reader to have any goals? My simple goal is to continue reading a wide variety of genres, and to read a couple of classics each year. And I want to find a better way of tracking recommendations I glean from this list every week!!

No, I don't think it is nonsensical. I followed a few of the challenges this year and, while I accomplished those challenges, it sometimes forced me to read books that really weren't my style and I only read them to finish the challenge when I'd rather be reading something else.

 

So this year I have only two goals:

 

Read more than I did in 2013

 

Buy less than I did in 2013 (I am trying really hard to make more use of the library because I spend a lot of money on books!)

 

Happy spontaneous reading in 2014!!!

[bobbeym]

I can't believe how many books some of y'all have read!  Where in the world do you find the time to read that much?

 

I've read 30 books so far, and hope to finish 2 more over the next couple days.  I stopped keep track of how many fanfictions I've read, but I know it was a lot and I mostly only read novel-length stories.

[Jane in NC]

I can't believe how many books some of y'all have read!  Where in the world do you find the time to read that much?

 

I've read 30 books so far, and hope to finish 2 more over the next couple days.  I stopped keep track of how many fanfictions I've read, but I know it was a lot and I mostly only read novel-length stories.

 

Woodland Mist Academy asked the same question last week in post #39.  A number of people responded on how time is found.  You'll see that some years are better than others but the ultimate point is not the quantity but just reading!

[Lakeside]

I too have SWB's Ancient and Middle Ages on the shelves and have barely cracked either one.  Sooooo....... A readalong would be perfect.  Do we want to start a the the beginning of the year or give it a couple weeks if other folks want to join in.  How would you want to go about it?  One or two chapters a week?  I could post which chapters should be on at the beginning of the week or like all other readalongs, just knowing someone else is reading will spur you on.  I think for me I'd need the incentive of specific chapters each week. (kind of like lessons - but don't want it to turn into a drudge.  Let me know.

 

 

 

I'd be up for a read along and I would need this incentive as well!

[Just Robyn]

1. How many books did you read, and did you meet or beat your own personal goal? I've read 118 books so far this year, and I think I'll finish one more. I've read more books than last year, but not as many pages. I'm a sucker for a thin book. (See below: chunkster challenge failure)

 

What are your top 5 (or more) favorite stories?  Top 5 least favorites?

 Top 5: Candide, Hopscotch, Leaves of Grass, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Principia Discordia

 Bottom 5: CENTER: A System of Six Practices or Taking Charge of Your Passions..., X'ed Out, Little Brother, Funniest Verses of Ogden Nash, Nine Princes in Amber

 

One book you thought you would never read and was pleasantly surprised you liked it? Maybe The Martian Chronicles? If not for the SF/F Coursera course, I might never have picked that Bradbury book. It was great though!

 

Most thrilling unputdownable book? Maybe a tie between Ender's Game, The Handmaid's Tale and Northanger Abbey - at least as far as unputdownable goes. Thrilling might only apply to Ender's Game.

 

Did you come across a story that you enjoyed it so much, you turned around and read it again or plan on  rereading it again in 2014? I'm another one who doesn't really re-read, but I'd be open to re-reading A Midsummer Night's Dream and Romeo and Juliet.

 

One book you thought you would love, but didn't? The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket - I didn't truly expect to *love* it, but I thought I'd like it a lot more than I did.

 

Which book or books had the greatest impact on you this year? Perhaps Principia Discordia and Hopscotch

 

Do you have a favorite cover or quote from a story you'd like to share?  (Share a shelfie)

 

Here's a quote from Principia Discordia.

 

 

What bother's you, Mal? You don't sound well.

 

"I am filled with fear and tormented with terrible visions of pain. Everywhere people are hurting one another, the planet is rampant with injustices, whole societies plunder groups of their own people, mothers imprison sons, children perish while brothers war. O, woe."

 

What is the matter with that, if it is what you want to do?

 

"But nobody wants it! Everybody hates it!"

 

Oh. Well, then stop.

 

And my favorite cover of the year

 

 

What book would you recommend everyone read?  A Christmas Carol - I think this would be really enjoyable to most people, and it's short enough that I think even the non-reader wouldn't be intimidated by it.

 

What was your most favorite part of the challenge? Did you do any of the mini challenges? Aside from the discussion, suggestions and encouragement here, the 5/5/5 challenge was my favorite part this year. That mini challenge is a great way to focus on specific reading goals and interests. I made a new one for next year. In addition to the 5/5/5, I did the Dewey Decimal challenge and the Continents Challenge, too. I read 19 dusty books (I was hoping to read 20) and sadly, only 3 chunksters, which I consider a fail. I'll try again on that challenge next year, too.

[swimmermom3]

On the plane, I read Law Man (Dream Man Series) by Kristen Ashley.  My husband started A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1) by George R. R. Martin.  

 

 

I was reading in a cafe today, too.  Mine was in South Korea!  I was reading while my husband and daughter went to see the Hobbit.

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

I have been wondering how your trip was going. Have a great time!

 

[Lady Florida.]

I'm currently reading Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. I've never read Woolf before, the book was on one of the "100 must read" lists, and I had found it in the thrift store recently. This is just my personal opinion, but I feel like I am reading "Emily Dickenson writes a Russian novel."

(I am not fond of Russian novels) I really do not like the heavy, apathetic way it is making me feel, even if the words are golden and lovely. Introspection is one thing, wallowing is another. So, I probably won't read her again.

 

I do like Russian novels (somewhere I saw them called BARBs - Big A$$ Russian Books), and I sometimes like Emily Dickenson, but for some reason I've always thought I wouldn't like Virginia Woolf. I should probably at least give her a try so I can determine if I'm right. Who knows, I might be surprised.

[Just Robyn]

My final book list!

 

*dusty book

 

119, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets J. K. Rowling (currently reading)

118. Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish David Rakoff

117. A Christmas Carol Charles Dickens

116. Libriomancer Jim C. Hines

115. Much Ado About Nothing William Shakespeare

114. The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket Edgar Allen Poe

113. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

112. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone J. K. Rowling*

111. The Elegance of the Hedgehog Muriel Barbery*

 

110. Romeo and Juliet – William Shakespeare

109. Beowulf - Unknown

108. Don Quixote – Miguel de Cervantes

107. Fall Harvest – Emily Dickinson*

106. Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind – Shunryu Suzuki

105. The Big Sleep – Raymond Chandler

104. Polyglot: How I Learn Languages – Kato Lomb

103. The Epic of Gilgamesh – Anonymous

102. The Day I Became an Autodidact – Kendall Hailey

101. Soto Zen: An Introduction to Zazen – Shohaku Okumura

 

100. Long Quiet Highway – Natalie Goldberg

99. Ignore Everybody – Hugh MacLeod

98. Carmilla – Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

97. The Emperor of Nihon-Ja – John Flanagan

96. The Waitress Was New – Dominique Fabre

95. Heart of a Dog – Mikhail Bulgakov

94. Bacchae - Euripides

93. Center – Darrell Velegol

92. Innovate or Die! - Jack Matson

91. The Colossus and Other Poems – Sylvia Plath

 

90. Wild Scholars – Darrell Velegol

89. Sea of Monsters – Rick Riordan

88. Free Will – Sam Harris

87. Halt's Peril – John Flanagan

86. The Picture of Dorian Gray – Oscar Wilde

85. Bloggers Boot Camp – John Biggs and Charlie White

84. The Truth About Witchcraft Today – Scott Cunningham

83. Native Tongue – Suzette Haden Elgin

82. What the Buddha Taught – Walpola Rahula

81. After the Quake – Haruki Murakami

 

80. Top of My Lungs – Natalie Goldberg

79. The Nimrod Flipout – Etgar Keret

78. In Watermelon Sugar – Richard Brautigan*

77. Macbeth – William Shakespeare

76. The Conceptual Dialectic – Michael Clay Thompson*

75. The Lightning Thief – Rick Riordan

74. Writing Down the Bones – Natalie Goldberg

73. Candide – Voltaire

72. The Kings of Clonmel – John Flanagan

71. 2012 Family Guide to Groceries under $250 a Month – Melissa Burnell*

 

70. The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack – Mark Hodder

69. Bird by Bird – Anne Lamott*

68. Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint – Nancy Kress

67. The Fugitive Philosopher – Timothy Leary

66. Poet in New York – Federico Garcia Lorca

65. The Tale of the Babmboo Cutter – Anonymous

64. Chocolat – Joanne Harris

63. Woodsong – Gary Paulsen

62. A Mathematician’s Lament – Paul Lockhart

61. Sister Bernadette’s Barking Dog: The Quirky History and Lost Art of Diagraming Sentences – Kitty Burns Florey

 

60. Things Fall Apart – Chinua Achebe

59. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - Anonymous

58. The Song of Roland - Anonymous

57. Waiting for Godot – Samuel Beckett

56. The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Master and Man – Leo Tolstoy

55. Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad

54. Parents and Children – Charlotte Mason*

53. Hamlet – William Shakespeare

52. The Just Bento Cookbook – Makiko Itoh

51. A Coney Island of the Mind – Lawrence Ferlinghetti*

 

50. The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes – Anonymous

49. Oedipus the King – Sophocles

48. Northanger Abbey – Jane Austen

47. The Saga of the Bloody Benders – Rick Geary

46. The Siege of Macindaw – John Flanagan

45. Requiem and Poem Without a Hero – Anna Akhmatova

44. The Fifty Year Sword – Mark Z. Danielewski

43. The Castle of Otranto – Horace Walpole

42. Thieves of Paradise – Yusef Komunyakaa

41. Ender’s Game – Orson Scott Card*

 

40. The Borden Tragedy – Rick Geary

39. Jack the Ripper – Rick Geary

38. 1Q84 – Haruki Murakami

37. Civil War Poetry and Prose – Walt Whitman

36. The Mystery of Mary Rogers – Rick Geary

35. X’ed Out – Charles Burns

34. The Case of Madeleine Smith – Rick Geary

33. Plot and Structure – James Scott Bell

32. Robinson Crusoe – Daniel Defoe

31. Little Brother – Cory Doctorow

 

30. Hopscotch – Julio Cortázar

29. The Martian Chronicles - Ray Bradbury

28. The Summer of the Black Widows – Sherman Alexie

27. A Midsummer Night’s Dream – William Shakespeare

26. Herland – Charlotte Perkins Gilman

25. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Other Poems – Samuel Taylor Coleridge*

24. The Country of the Blind and Other Science-Fiction Stories – H. G. Wells

23. The Island of Dr. Moreau - H. G. Wells

22. Leaves of Grass (1855 edition) - Walt Whitman*

21. Poems and Poetics - Edgar Allen Poe

 

20. The Invisible Man - H. G. Wells

19. Young Goodman Brown and Other Short Stories - Nathaniel Hawthorn

18. Like Water for Chocolate - Laura Esquivel*

17. The Gold-Bug and Other Tales - Edgar Allan Poe

16. Poetics - Aristotle

15. Frankenstein - Mary Shelley

14. Etiquette and Espionage - Gail Carriger

13. Principia Discordia - Malaclypse the Younger*

12. The Power of Half - Kevin and Hannah Salwen

11. The Story of the Stone - Barry Hughart*

 

10. The Reading Promise - Alice Ozma

9. Factotum - Charles Bukowski*

8. Dracula - Bram Stoker*

7. Nine Princes in Amber - Roger Zelazny

6. The Left Hand of Darkness - Ursula K. Le Guin

5. Jennifer Government - Max Barry

4. Apocrypha - Catherynne M. Valente*

3. Funniest Verses of Ogden Nash - Ogden Nash*

2. The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood

1. Good Omens - Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

[melmichigan]

My in-laws bought me a Kindle Paperwhite for Christmas!  I'm not sure that the time left in a book is a good option.  :)

[mumto2]

Hello, this is dd. These are the books I have read since I last posted, and I will be back later with favourites, least favourites, etc.

 

96. Dracula by Bram Stoker

97. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

98. Frost Hollow Hall by Emma Carroll

Some assorted Poe and Hawthorne stories for the Coursera course.

99. The Invisible Man by H G Wells

100. The Island of Dr. Moreau, also by Wells

101. Herland by Charlotte Gilman

102. A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs

103. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K LeGuin

104. A Monstrous Regiment of Women by Laurie R King

105. The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

106. Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

107. The Mist on Brontë Moor by Aviva Orr

108. The Religious Body by Catherine Aird

109. Murder on the Flying Scotsman by Carola Dunn

110. The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs

111. The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde

112. Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger

113. The Last Detective by Peter Lovesey

[Robin M]

I was thinking later, I'm planning to participate in a Desiring the Kingdom online book-club. It officially goes through May, but I would like to be done with my posts (pre-written) by March.  So, April?  I was figuring it would be at your own pace, but whatever.  I'm bad at assignments ;)

 

No, I don't think it is nonsensical. I followed a few of the challenges this year and, while I accomplished those challenges, it sometimes forced me to read books that really weren't my style and I only read them to finish the challenge when I'd rather be reading something else.

 

So this year I have only two goals:

 

Read more than I did in 2013

 

Buy less than I did in 2013 (I am trying really hard to make more use of the library because I spend a lot of money on books!)

 

Happy spontaneous reading in 2014!!!

April for the SWB history books sounds good to me as well, since all I had for that month tentatively planned was poetry month. 

 

 

Yes, my goal is to buy less and read more of what I have on the shelves.  Now I just need to stay off Amazon. :lol:   My fil gave us a huge gift certificate so just did a last end of the year buyathon which included James Rollins Amazonia and Ice Hunt for me. 

 

I discovered reading is very similar to the process of writing.  You can come up with a detailed outlined and not deviate, or make a general outline which allows for following plenty of rabbit trails. You never now when a character is going to highjack the story.   I'm more of a general outline type of gal.  I love to make plans but always allow for plenty of flexibility and rabbit trails.   Spontaneous reading is great. I'm also a mood reader. There are certain books I just have to be in the mood for.  Sometimes I just sit and stare at the shelves, waiting to see which title or story will pop out to be read. 

 

I just finished Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin.  Y'all were right. It was a slog in the middle, but mainly because I was trying to figure out how is this going to be connected to the other characters.  I'm so glad I kept reading. His writing reminded me of how Dean Koontz writes.  It takes a bit of time, but once you get into it, you fall into the story.  I enjoyed the story, but at this point really can't  tell how I feel about it or the ending.  It's one of those books that totally fills up your brain and takes time to process.  Thank you Stacia for once again introducing me to a interesting story.

[mumto2]

If it is going to br April for SWB history books I can join in too. :)

[Stacia]

I just finished Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin.  Y'all were right. It was a slog in the middle, but mainly because I was trying to figure out how is this going to be connected to the other characters.  I'm so glad I kept reading. His writing reminded me of how Dean Koontz writes.  It takes a bit of time, but once you get into it, you fall into the story.  I enjoyed the story, but at this point really can't  tell how I feel about it or the ending.  It's one of those books that totally fills up your brain and takes time to process.  Thank you Stacia for once again introducing me to a interesting story.

 

As much as I would like to take credit :laugh: , I don't think you heard about it from me (unless I've had a severe memory lapse of some sort). I actually added Winter's Tale to my want-to-read list when you posted about it recently.

 

Not sure what my reading goals for 2014 are. I'm mostly a random reader, going down rabbit trails, hearing about cool books here or elsewhere, etc.... Need to ponder a bit because there may be a few things I'd like to tackle (continental challenge & spooky reading months for sure), but I may come up w/ a couple of things. One may be to read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay because my nephew spent the night last night & he was reading it. I read the first chapter & think it would be one I would enjoy. I've been meaning to read it for years, but maybe this is the nudge I needed to check it out from the library soon.

[Jane in NC]

As much as I would like to take credit :laugh: , I don't think you heard about it from me (unless I've had a severe memory lapse of some sort). I actually added Winter's Tale to my want-to-read list when you posted about it recently.

 

Not sure what my reading goals for 2014 are. I'm mostly a random reader, going down rabbit trails, hearing about cool books here or elsewhere, etc.... Need to ponder a bit because there may be a few things I'd like to tackle (continental challenge & spooky reading months for sure), but I may come up w/ a couple of things. One may be to read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay because my nephew spent the night last night & he was reading it. I read the first chapter & think it would be one I would enjoy. I've been meaning to read it for years, but maybe this is the nudge I needed to check it out from the library soon.

That is one of my husband's favs.

 

Another of Chabon's books is collecting dust next to my bedside:  Telegraph Avenue.  Let's see if I get to it in '14.

 

[Robin M]

Yeah for Literary Escapism. I love that site - For those who are working on J.D. Robb's In Death series, the first 8 books are on sale for $1.99 on Kindle

 

From Flavorwire just in time for new years eve - Literary Libations from Famous books

 

From SFsignal, get Soulless, the first book in Parasol Protectorate for $1.99 from amazon, b&n or Itunes for today only.

 

 

 

Also I'm currently redoing the blog roll on 52 Books blog for the new year, so if you have an active blog and want it added to the list, let me know.

 

 

[Just Robyn]

I don't think I told you all that my BIL (Single, Math Teacher, 28 or so) was inspired by our 52 books in 52 weeks and decided to try himself.  He didn't think he'd get to 52, but told me yesterday that he will finish 89 books this year.

 

He approaches the challenge in an interesting way.  When he starts a new book, he writes out a plan on a post it for so much that must be read per day, then doesn't allow himself to do any leisure activities (tv, video games, etc) until he has read at least to that place in his plan for the day. 

 

I laugh about it, it's a very analytical way to accomplish what he sets out to do.  Any of you BaWers plan out your reading like that?

 

I do this sort of thing pretty often. Sometimes I say, I wouldn't want to spend more than a week on this book, and I figure out how much I need to read each day to get that done. Sometimes I say, I don't care how long it takes me to read this, but I feel like this is one I need to get through, and I couldn't bear to read more than a chapter each week. Different plans for different books, all changeable if I get too busy or find out I just love/hate something. And some books I just read, but I usually work best with things broken down into parts and some sort of plan. 

 

I've been doing quite a bit of navel gazing recently and thinking about what I want to accomplish in 2014.  I am wondering, does anyone want to share any personal goals for the new year?  Any BIG books you are wanting to tackle?  Any new releases that you are chomping at the bit to read?

 

I made a new 5/5/5 list (or 5/5/6):

 

1. Five WEM novels

2. Five 1,001 Books You Should Read Before You Die books from the 21st century section

3. Five books of the Bible

4. Five books about learning

5. One book each from five different African countries

 

Some chunksters I'd like to get through are Anna Karenina, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, maybe Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything, The Book Thief, City of Saints and Madmen (by Jeff VanderMeer), Bolano's The Savage Detectives, and now that there's a read-along, SWB's ancient history book. Since I've just started The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, I guess that'll be my first chunkster of 2014.

[Storm Bay]

Once again, I've been remiss in getting here. I was making multiple trips to dd's college (5 in a week before the 6th to pick her up) to help her cram for her marine bio final. Got her from a C- to a B+ in that class-hooray!!! (between Thksgiving study for test 4 & this for the final.) Then crazy getting ready for the holidays, holiday concerts, etc.

 

So Happy New Year!

 

I've read at least 90 books this year, hooray! The last one was a dismal disappointment (Pure by Julianna Baggott), but my dd & I also read Eve & Once by Anna Carey, for a soled 3.5 & then a 4 (so I liked the second one better).

 

Now I'm of to see what we're up to for 2014, and, ideally, I'll be a bit more regular in my posts (I was for so long--this has been a crazy year.)

[Storm Bay]

My official answer, and it's in the quote.

Happy Sunday, dear hearts!  We have come to week 52 in our quest to read 52 books in 52 weeks.  Welcome back to all our readers and to all who are following our progress.  Mr. Linky is all set up on the 52 Books blog to link to your reviews.  The link is below in my signature.

 

52 Books Blog - 2013 Year End Wrap Up:  It's official - Winter has arrived. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Los Posadas or Happy Winter solstice. Which also means it is time for our year end wrap up. This year went by way too fast in my opinion, was a bit more stressful than normal and I'm ready to relax for the next couple weeks, getting cozy on the couch with some good books. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's year end list of reads, which is sure to expand our wish lists and cause our already teetering TBR piles to grow exponentially. 

 

1. How many books did you read and did you meet or beat your own personal goal? 90 books; exceeded goal by 48
2. What are your top 5 (or more) favorite stories? I gave 5 stars to 3 books: The Grace Awakeningn by Swindoll, Agenda 21 and and audio recording of Right Ho, Jeeves  Top 5 least favorites? I gave 1 star to a number of books, 5 of which I finished for various challenges: A Room With a View, The Political Agenda of The Christian Church, The Neddiad, Rosemary’s Glove, The Lightning Thief
3.  
4. One book you thought you would never read and was pleasantly surprised you liked it? 
5. Most thrilling unputdownable book? Not sure.
6. Did you come across a story that you enjoyed it so much, you turned around and read it again or plan on  rereading it again in 2014? Not planning to reread any that soon, but might read Grace Awakening in 2014.
7. One book you thought you would love, but didn't? Too many to list.
8. Which book or books had the greatest impact on you this year? Agenda 21, The Grace Awakening are two of them.
9. Do you have a favorite cover or quote from a story you'd like to share?  (Share a shelfie)
10. What book would you recommend everyone read?  Agenda 21
11. What was your most favorite part of the challenge? Did you do any of the mini challenges? 

To round out the rest of the year, we'll be having a winter read-along,  reading all those books with winter in the title or set in the season of winter.  Which works quite well if you are still reading books set in the Antarctic for the Continental Challenge.  Join me in reading Mark Helprin's Winter's Tale.   

Thank you everyone for joining in on our reading journey once again. I'm happy to have shared the experience with all of you and feel richer for it.  :grouphug:   So happy we'll be doing it all again next year.  :cheers2:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link to week 51

 

[Tullia]

I'm currently reading Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. I've never read Woolf before, the book was on one of the "100 must read" lists, and I had found it in the thrift store recently. This is just my personal opinion, but I feel like I am reading "Emily Dickenson writes a Russian novel."

(I am not fond of Russian novels) I really do not like the heavy, apathetic way it is making me feel, even if the words are golden and lovely. Introspection is one thing, wallowing is another. So, I probably won't read her again.

 

ITA, especially the part of your post I bolded.  I've tried at several points in my life to learn to appreciate her work but have never succeeded.  I did read Night and Day earlier this year prompted by a FB post of my cousin's daughter.  Her book club read it last year and gave it good reviews.  I even tried a read-along with my mother who had never read Woolf.  We both finished N&D, but my mom says no more Woolf for her!  She generally prefers nonfiction so I wasn't all that surprised.  Her remark was that at her age she doesn't think it's a good use of time to read books about excessively introspective characters.  I've read biographies of Woolf which I found fascinating, but even so I don't care for her work. 

[Storm Bay]

1. How many books did you read and did you meet or beat your own personal goal?

 

1

 

I read four great memoirs this year: The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Converty (Butterfield); 

 

 

 

I liked that one, too, but at a 4 star level.

 

 

Orange Is the New Black by Piper Kerman

 

 

 

One book you thought you would love, but didn't?  Orange Is the New Black; so self-aggrandizing I ended up detesting the author.

 

 

 

 

Exactly. I gave it a number of stars just because I learned so much, but she's not too likable!

[Luckymama]

Robin, nice mention of your 52 Books in 52 Weeks on Dear Author yesterday! http://dearauthor.com/news/friday-news-52-books-in-52-weeks-amazons-numbers-are-in-usa-todays-year-in-review-iron-maidens-anti-piracy-strategy-and-alice-walkers-awesome-best-of-list/

[Tullia]

I am super excited, my mom bought me a Kindle Paperwhite! I am still waiting for it to arrive, it's supposed to come Monday. I can't wait. I really hope to like reading on it better than the Fire; and I also look forward to not having little voices ask me if they can play Minecraft on it every 10 minutes, lol. I think I am going to actually purchase Goldfinch to read as my first book on it. :)

 

I hope you enjoy the Paperwhite. :cheers2:  I love mine--dh pre-ordered the wi-fi only version as a late birthday present last fall.  It's so much easier to flip around in a book than on my old keyboard version--still not quite like flipping through a paper and ink book, but it's pretty good.  The lighting system is amazing and easier on the eyes than a tablet.

 

[Guest]

I'm in for whenever you guys want to do SWB's books