50 book challenge
Originally posted 20-03-10
I've decided to take part in a book challenge, just for me really. It's 50 books in one year. I'll start from today, even though I'm cheating because I'm already a little into The Lovely Bones. It'll be book one. I would have gone back and started from the beginning of the month or year, but I can't remember exactly what I've read lately. This will be my entry where I'll record all the books and when I finish them. I've never written a book review and I don't care much for starting now. End date will be 20 March 2011.
1. The Lovely Bones Alice Sebold (finished 25-03-10)
2. 300 Astronomical Objects; A visual reference to the universe Jamie Wilkins & Robert Dunn (finished 8-06-10)
3. Vanishing Acts Jodi Picoult (finished 7-04-10)
4. Brisngr Christopher Paolini
5. Gossip Girl: I Will Always Love You Cecily Von Zeigesar (finished 9-04-10)
6. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Steig Larsson (finished 19-04-10)
7. The Other Queen Phillipa Gregory (finished 19-05-10)
8. The Jane Austen Book Club Karen Joy Fowler (finished 28-05-10)
9. Dracula Bram Stoker (finished 15-8-10)
10. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince JK Rowling (finished 7-7-10)
11. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows JK Rowling (finished 7-8-10)
12. Eat Pray Love Elizabeth Gilbert (finished 10-8-10)
13. Lolita Vladimir Nobokov (finished 7-9-10)
14. Tomorrow When The War Began James Marsden (finished 28-09-10)
15. Tuesdays with Morrie Mitch Albom (finished 26-09-10)
16. The Ethical Slut: A Practical Guide to Polyamory, Open Relationships and Other Adventures Dossie Easton and Janet W. Hardy
I decided to include factual books, because I am actually reading it from first to last page. It's the "book" challenge, not a "novel" challenge.
Gossip Girl has been such an awesome, guilty pleasure book. It's a little different from the TV series though, taking up after the current season is up to, which is good. Very guilty pleasure, and I definitely recommend it for a bit of fun!
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was a bit of a weird one. I only really got into it in the last third of the book, after everything came together and made sense and the interesting stuff happened. Before that it seemed like a load of pointless stories about people who's lives hadn't intervened yet. But when it got interesting it really got interesting and I couldn't put it down. I probably wouldn't have stuck with it if I wasn't bored on a train for eight hours. The rape scene also didn't bother me. It was definitely not as bad as I'd heard. Sure, it was a little gruesome, detailed and out of place, but it wasn't a shock to the system, it didn't come from no where. And I'm a bit desensitized to that sort of thing anyway. Now that I've read the story and found it pretty interesting, I'll buy the second and third.
Yes, unfortunately, it took me a month to read The Other Queen. I really did like it, I just lost time to read with uni and work. I didn't know the history, so it was sad for me because, as usual, I was rooting for the underdog, and well, Mary Queen of Scots didn't win. If I had spare time I'd look into all the histories and all the different points of views and read all the books listed in Phillipa Gregory's bibliographies. This sort of history does read more like good fiction than actual events. I still haven't finished Brisngr, I guess because I've sort of lost taste for it, and it's too big to take anywhere in my handbag. Plus, I usually study on my lunch breaks now. I am glad to have finished The Other Queen now, I feel like I was getting way behind.
I finished The Jane Austen Book Club today, but I feel it's a little unresolved. I feel like it was too centred on some of the characters, and there wasn't enough about some of the others that got more time than just extras. And I had a few hopes for a few of the characters that didn't come through. I thought for sure there'd be a lesbian fling, considering one of the main characters was gay, and there was a sweet cute girl that I got the impression that there might be something there. I liked it though. It should be longer and more involved though.
I know I said no rereads, but I lied. I'm making an exception for the movies that are coming out this year; Harry Potter, Eclipse and Tomorrow When the War Began. It seems to be taking me forever to read, which is really annoying. I need to change that, or else I will never reach 50. I'm already three months in and only a fifth of the way through!
Eat, Pray, Love has been a really great book for me to read, and it has inspired me in a few ways. I absolutely loved the style of narration and how laid back and unintentionally humourous, while still inspiring, this book has been. I definitely will recommend it to friends.
I am reading so damn slowly. Twelve books in five months is not going to get my 50 in one year done. I really need to step it up. I spend far too much time on the internet and not enough time reading! It's time to change that I think! I want to at least make 50 books in one year, I can do this! And I've got about 17 books on my shelf that I haven't even read, and I just bought four new ones. Time to read lots!
I finally finished Dracula. It was good, and I quite enjoyed it, but it just wasn't something that I felt compelled to read all the time. It was also a little hard to read with all the first person character switching, but over all, quite enjoyable.
I started Lolita, and as soon as I read the first page my mind went "ooh, I'll like this". It's definitely something that's going to appeal to my inner, completely disturbed mind. Plus it's written quite beautifully, and is definitely going to be an easy read.
Lolita has definitely been one of my favourites so far. It's quite romantic, and amazingly written, and it even kind of tricks you into thinking the main premise is actually ok with its beautiful language and tales of love and sorrow. Then you kind of snap out of it and remember exactly what's going on. I didn't realise it would be so amazingly written and that I would pretty much just fall in love with it. I'm actually quite sad after reading it because I bought it in a generic Penguin orange cover, but I love books with pretty covers, so one day I shall have to buy it again. I might just give away this copy; anybody want a paperback Penguin covered Lolita? It's a bit tattered around the edges from living in my handbag, but other than that it's definitely worth the read.
Starting TWTWB. Of course I've already read the whole series, but I'm going to see the movie in about two weeks. I know the movie will be totally different, but still, a refresher of the original story is always good.
Tuesdays With Morrie has got to be the most inspiring book I have ever read. It was so beautiful, and it carries such a powerful message. I loved every page of it. I suggest that every single person read it and absorb it. It will make you cry. I tried so hard not to, considering I read it in the lunch room at work over two days. Yes, that's right, it took me about two hours to read. I easily could have read the whole thing in one sitting. Go. Read it. Now. It is amazing.
The Ethical Slut. Everyone, go, read now. You will all understand me better!