So because FanSee's been doing it forever...
I decided I'd do her Read Fifty Books in a Year Challenge foor my current mission101 and frankly, so far I'm not doing very well having only read 11 terrific books, when I should have read around 20 or so terrific books to meet my goal by November 1, 2016. Hurumph :(
Still,what's read is read.
1_The Aspirin Age: 1919 to 1941 Edited by Isabel Leighton_short essays about various American events, political, social, religious, that take place from 1919 to the 1940s written by various writers, some professional, some not. Well written and informative. Made me realize that in many ways, Americans have always been a little nuts.
2_Anathem by Neal Stephenson_a 1200 page sci-fi tome, time-consuming and so worth it; it's about, ultimately, the multi-verse.
3_Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman_a strange tale of above and especially below ground in London where the oddest people live. I call it fantasy.
4_The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien_my fourth, fifth who-even-knows reread
5_Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien_my third reread
6_The Martian by Andy Weir_described as a love story to science, while different, it is entirely worth reading before or after viewing the movie.
7_Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers_see Fellowship
8_Lord of the Rings: Return of the King_see Fellowship
9_The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin_one story from a future time when humans, sort of ala Star Trek, are making first contact with inhabited planets.
10_A Street Cat Named Bob by James Bowen_a true story and so easy, so engaging a read that I finished it in one day. It's the story of how James survived the streets of New York because he needed to take care of Bob, the cat he found on his neighbor's doorstep one fine day.
11_The Little Prince by by Antoine de Saint-Exupery_a reread, the first since I originally read it a long while ago and I found it to be just as engaging as I did then. I am often nervous about rereads. With this little book I needn't have been.
12_Pull Yourself Together, Baby by Sylvia of Hollywood_a reread because I so enjoy this long-gone woman's advice on how to live well if you happen to be living in the 1940s. Some of her advice is pitch-perfect, don't eat fried foods, do eat veggies and fruit, and some is not, wash your hair every TEN!!! days. She is charming and I so want her to think I am too :)
Also, I just happened to visit her jounral only to notice that fansee has added to the mix as follows:
Book published this year
Book that can be finished in a day
Book I've been meaning to read (I only read books I've been meaning to read but...whatever)
Book recommendation by librarian or bookseller
Book first read in school
Book recommended by spouse, child, or friend
Book published before I was born
Book that has been banned
Try again a book that was previously abandoned
Book I own but have not read
Book that intimidates me
Another book that I've already read
Even though I could, I am not going to satisfy any of the above with what I've already read. THAT would be cheating somehow. Somehow that just wouldn't be right and so, ON WITH THE CHALLENGES!!
I'm also doing the Watch 100 Movies in a Year Challenge, another idea taken from fansee, but I'll leave all that chatter for another day.
