50 Book Challenge 2004 [f]
Somehow last year , I stumbled onto the 50bookchallenge community; it may have been at queenpasiphae's recommendation. I thought it was a great idea, as my mother's a reading teacher and I've had a lusty love affair with books since my first Golden Books. Unfortunately, first college and then working full time with a 45 minute commute each way meant that I hadn't done any substantial pleasure reading since high school and I thought the challenge would be a great incentive to start reading again.
I hit my 50 in June and set a goal of 100 by the end of the year. I didn't actually think I'd make it, what with starting grad school in the fall, but I figured I'd see how far I'd get. Today, I finished my hundredth book. I didn't think I'd manage it, but I did.
I suppose that, in the grand scheme of things, it's probably a nerdy thing to be proud of, but I'm proud nonetheless. For one, I had a really great time. I'd forgotten how much fun reading really is. For two, I learned about so many different things: card counting, string theory, Division I basketball, cadaver research, competitive Scrabble, the porn industry, etc. For three, I had a great time talking books this year with my friends and family and swapping recommendations. But mostly, I feel like I accomplished something and had a good time doing it.
For anyone who's curious,here's my list. Bolded books are those I highly recommend. And if you'd like to recommend something in turn, feel free to do so. :)
1. On Writing, Stephen King
2. The Snow Garden, Christopher Rice
3. Odd Girl Out, Rachel Simmons
4. The Princess Bride, abridged by William Goldman
5. Poker Nation, Andy Bellin
6. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, Douglas Adams
7. Boy Meets Boy, edited by Lawrence Schimel
8. Queer As Folk: Every Nine Seconds, Joseph Brockton
9. The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown
10. Killing Time, Caleb Carr
11. Lamb: The Gospel According To Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, Christopher Moore
12. It Was On Fire When I Lay Down On It, Robert Fulghum
13. Queer As Folk: Never Tear Us Apart, Quinn Brockton
14. 1984, George Orwell
15. Ringing for You: A Love Story With Interruptions, Anouchka Grose Forrester
16. Star Wars: Before The Storm, Michael P. Kube-McDowell
17. Star Wars: Shield of Lies, Michael P. Kube-McDowell
18. Star Wars: Tyrant's Test, Michael P. Kube-McDowell
19. Neverwhere, Neil Gaiman
20. Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut
21. The Partner, John Grisham
22. The Last Amateurs: Playing for Glory and Honor in Division I College Basketball, John Feinstein
23. Hannibal, Thomas Harris
24. A Time To Kill, John Grisham
25. The Fabric of the Cosmos, Brian Greene
26. House of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski
27. Skipped Parts, Tim Sandlin
28. Stiff: The Curious Lives Of Human Cadavers, Mary Roach
29. The Anatomy of Motive, John Douglas and Mark Olshaker
30. The Brethren, John Grisham
31. The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde
32. Asking For Trouble, Elizabeth Young
33. The Dante Club, Matthew Pearl
34. Word Freak, Sefan Fatsis
35. Me Talk Pretty One Day, David Sedaris
36. The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary, Simon Winchester
37. Blue Cats and Chartreuse Kittens: How Synesthetes Color Their World, Patricia Lynne Duffy
38. Star Wars: Phantom Menace, Terry Brooks
39. Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, R.A. Salvatore
40. CSI: Double Dealer, Max Allan Collins
41. Quarterlife Crisis, Alexandra Robbins & Abby Wilner
42. The Boys of Swithins Hall, Chris Kent
43. Song of Susannah, Stephen King
44. How to Be a Canadian, Even If You Already Are One, Will Ferguson & Ian Ferguson
45. Queer As Folk: Always Have, Always Will, Quinn Brockton
46. CSI: Sin City, Max Allan Collins
47. CSI: Cold Burn, Max Allan Collins
48. Lovers' Legends: The Gay Greek Myths, Andrew Calimach
49. High Fidelity, Nick Hornby
50! Rita Hayworth & Shawshank Redemption, Stephen King
51. CSI: Body of Evidence, Max Allan Collins
52. A Place I've Never Been, David Leavitt
53. Vampire$, John Steakley
54. Dave Barry Is From Mars And Venus, Dave Barry
55. CSI: Miami: Heatwave, Max Allan Collins
56. CSI: Miami: Florida Getaway, Max Allan Collins
57. Frasier, Jefferson Graham
58. A Wrinkle In Time, Madeline L'Engle
59. To The Limit: The Untold Story of the Eagles, Marc Eliot
60. Getting Over Jack Wagner, Elise Juska
61. Fight Club, Chuck Palahniuk
62. Welcome To Temptation, Jennifer Crusie
63. Bunnicula, James and Deborah Howe
64. Howliday Inn, James Howe
65. The Celery Stalks At Midnight, James Howe
66. Return to Howliday Inn, James Howe
67. The Dr. Drew and Adam Book: A Surivival Guide to Life and Love, Dr. Drew Pinksy, M.D. and Adam Corolla with Marshall Fine
68. Found, The Best Lost, Tossed, and Forgottten Items from Around the World, Davy Rothbart
69. Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, Anthony Bourdain
70. Finding Your Leading Man, Jon P. Bloch, Ph.D.
71. Hello Darling, Are You Working?, Rupert Everett
72. Rubyfruit Jungle, Rita Mae Brown
73. The Dark Tower, Stephen King
74. Eats, Shoots & Leaves, Lynne Truss
75. How To Make Love Like A Porn Star: A Cautionary Tale, Jenna Jameson with Neil Strauss
76. Sex and the City, Candace Bushnell
77. Fast Women, Jennifer Crusie
78. CSI: Grave Matters, Max Allan Collins
79. Star: A Novel, Pam Anderson & Eric Shaw Quinn
80. The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton
81. Rita Hayworth & Shawshank Redemtion, Stephen King (audiobook)
82. Holiday On Ice, David Sedaris (audiobook)
83. The Stupidest Angel, Christopher Moore
84. Nighty-Nightmare, James Howe
85. The Handbook of Counseling Psychology, Steven D. Brown
86. Bringing Down The House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas For Millions, Ben Mezrich
87. America, The Book, Jon Stewart
88. e, Matt Beaumont
89. Sperm Wars: The Science Of Sex, Robin Baker, Ph.D.
90. Tuesdays With Morrie, Mitch Albom
91. The Hot Zone, Richard Preston
92. Jake, Reinvented, Gordon Korman
93. Notes On A Scandal, Zoe Heller
94. The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook, Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht
95. The Dirty Girls Social Club, Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez
96. Ella Minnow Pea, Mark Dunn
97. That Was Then, This Is Now, S.E. Hinton
98. Condemned To Repeat It, Wick Allison, Jeremy Adams, Gavin Hambly
99. Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone, J.K. Rowling
100! Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, J.K. Rowlin
I hit my 50 in June and set a goal of 100 by the end of the year. I didn't actually think I'd make it, what with starting grad school in the fall, but I figured I'd see how far I'd get. Today, I finished my hundredth book. I didn't think I'd manage it, but I did.
I suppose that, in the grand scheme of things, it's probably a nerdy thing to be proud of, but I'm proud nonetheless. For one, I had a really great time. I'd forgotten how much fun reading really is. For two, I learned about so many different things: card counting, string theory, Division I basketball, cadaver research, competitive Scrabble, the porn industry, etc. For three, I had a great time talking books this year with my friends and family and swapping recommendations. But mostly, I feel like I accomplished something and had a good time doing it.
For anyone who's curious,here's my list. Bolded books are those I highly recommend. And if you'd like to recommend something in turn, feel free to do so. :)
1. On Writing, Stephen King
2. The Snow Garden, Christopher Rice
3. Odd Girl Out, Rachel Simmons
4. The Princess Bride, abridged by William Goldman
5. Poker Nation, Andy Bellin
6. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, Douglas Adams
7. Boy Meets Boy, edited by Lawrence Schimel
8. Queer As Folk: Every Nine Seconds, Joseph Brockton
9. The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown
10. Killing Time, Caleb Carr
11. Lamb: The Gospel According To Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, Christopher Moore
12. It Was On Fire When I Lay Down On It, Robert Fulghum
13. Queer As Folk: Never Tear Us Apart, Quinn Brockton
14. 1984, George Orwell
15. Ringing for You: A Love Story With Interruptions, Anouchka Grose Forrester
16. Star Wars: Before The Storm, Michael P. Kube-McDowell
17. Star Wars: Shield of Lies, Michael P. Kube-McDowell
18. Star Wars: Tyrant's Test, Michael P. Kube-McDowell
19. Neverwhere, Neil Gaiman
20. Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut
21. The Partner, John Grisham
22. The Last Amateurs: Playing for Glory and Honor in Division I College Basketball, John Feinstein
23. Hannibal, Thomas Harris
24. A Time To Kill, John Grisham
25. The Fabric of the Cosmos, Brian Greene
26. House of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski
27. Skipped Parts, Tim Sandlin
28. Stiff: The Curious Lives Of Human Cadavers, Mary Roach
29. The Anatomy of Motive, John Douglas and Mark Olshaker
30. The Brethren, John Grisham
31. The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde
32. Asking For Trouble, Elizabeth Young
33. The Dante Club, Matthew Pearl
34. Word Freak, Sefan Fatsis
35. Me Talk Pretty One Day, David Sedaris
36. The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary, Simon Winchester
37. Blue Cats and Chartreuse Kittens: How Synesthetes Color Their World, Patricia Lynne Duffy
38. Star Wars: Phantom Menace, Terry Brooks
39. Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, R.A. Salvatore
40. CSI: Double Dealer, Max Allan Collins
41. Quarterlife Crisis, Alexandra Robbins & Abby Wilner
42. The Boys of Swithins Hall, Chris Kent
43. Song of Susannah, Stephen King
44. How to Be a Canadian, Even If You Already Are One, Will Ferguson & Ian Ferguson
45. Queer As Folk: Always Have, Always Will, Quinn Brockton
46. CSI: Sin City, Max Allan Collins
47. CSI: Cold Burn, Max Allan Collins
48. Lovers' Legends: The Gay Greek Myths, Andrew Calimach
49. High Fidelity, Nick Hornby
50! Rita Hayworth & Shawshank Redemption, Stephen King
51. CSI: Body of Evidence, Max Allan Collins
52. A Place I've Never Been, David Leavitt
53. Vampire$, John Steakley
54. Dave Barry Is From Mars And Venus, Dave Barry
55. CSI: Miami: Heatwave, Max Allan Collins
56. CSI: Miami: Florida Getaway, Max Allan Collins
57. Frasier, Jefferson Graham
58. A Wrinkle In Time, Madeline L'Engle
59. To The Limit: The Untold Story of the Eagles, Marc Eliot
60. Getting Over Jack Wagner, Elise Juska
61. Fight Club, Chuck Palahniuk
62. Welcome To Temptation, Jennifer Crusie
63. Bunnicula, James and Deborah Howe
64. Howliday Inn, James Howe
65. The Celery Stalks At Midnight, James Howe
66. Return to Howliday Inn, James Howe
67. The Dr. Drew and Adam Book: A Surivival Guide to Life and Love, Dr. Drew Pinksy, M.D. and Adam Corolla with Marshall Fine
68. Found, The Best Lost, Tossed, and Forgottten Items from Around the World, Davy Rothbart
69. Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, Anthony Bourdain
70. Finding Your Leading Man, Jon P. Bloch, Ph.D.
71. Hello Darling, Are You Working?, Rupert Everett
72. Rubyfruit Jungle, Rita Mae Brown
73. The Dark Tower, Stephen King
74. Eats, Shoots & Leaves, Lynne Truss
75. How To Make Love Like A Porn Star: A Cautionary Tale, Jenna Jameson with Neil Strauss
76. Sex and the City, Candace Bushnell
77. Fast Women, Jennifer Crusie
78. CSI: Grave Matters, Max Allan Collins
79. Star: A Novel, Pam Anderson & Eric Shaw Quinn
80. The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton
81. Rita Hayworth & Shawshank Redemtion, Stephen King (audiobook)
82. Holiday On Ice, David Sedaris (audiobook)
83. The Stupidest Angel, Christopher Moore
84. Nighty-Nightmare, James Howe
85. The Handbook of Counseling Psychology, Steven D. Brown
86. Bringing Down The House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas For Millions, Ben Mezrich
87. America, The Book, Jon Stewart
88. e, Matt Beaumont
89. Sperm Wars: The Science Of Sex, Robin Baker, Ph.D.
90. Tuesdays With Morrie, Mitch Albom
91. The Hot Zone, Richard Preston
92. Jake, Reinvented, Gordon Korman
93. Notes On A Scandal, Zoe Heller
94. The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook, Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht
95. The Dirty Girls Social Club, Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez
96. Ella Minnow Pea, Mark Dunn
97. That Was Then, This Is Now, S.E. Hinton
98. Condemned To Repeat It, Wick Allison, Jeremy Adams, Gavin Hambly
99. Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone, J.K. Rowling
100! Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, J.K. Rowlin