50 Book Challenge for 2011

[kate_is_goddess]

^I think I'm speaking for all of us when I tell you: Screw those 4 missing pages, of course it counts!!

 

[saann]

haha Alvedansen, it's ok with me

I'm still reading 'the Imperfectionists' but I managed to squeeze another book in between: Ingo Schultz - Adam and Evelyn. It's about a couple living in old DDR 1989 just around the time the Berlin wall fell with different wishes in life, one wanting to cross the border to western Germany and the other wanting to stay. It was quite good, and very informative.

1. The Gargoyle - Andrew Davidson
2. Never let me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro
3. The Road - Cormac McCarthy
4. the Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
5. Pop Co - Scarlett Thomas
6. jPod - Douglas Coupland
7. Freakonomics - Stephen D Levitt and Stephen J Dubner
8. The bell jar - Sylvia Plath
9. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
10. for one more day - Mitch Albom
11. Prayers for Rain - Dennis Lehane
12. The Sunset Limited - Cormac McCarthy
13. The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
14. The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
15. the Lover - Marguerite Duras
16. On the Road - Jack Kerouac
17. the Imperfectionists - Tom Rachman
18. Adam and Evelyn - Ingo Schultz

 

[Alvedansen]

well i just wanted to make sure that it's ok

i needed i quick read...Goodreads always tells me i'm one book behind

01. John Steinbeck - The grapes of wrath
02. Richard Matheson - I am legend
03. Joyce Carol Oates - Big mouth & Ugly girl
04. Ken Follett - The pillars of the earth
05. Haruki Murakami - Afterdark
06. Gayle Forman - If I stay
07. J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
08. Patti Smith - Just kids
09. J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
10. Rick Riordan - Percy Jackson - The lightning thief
11. Rick Riordan - Percy Jackson - The sea of monsters
12. Rick Riordan - Percy Jackson - The titan's curse
13. Rick Riordan - Percy Jackson - The battle of the labyrinth
14. Stephen Baxter - Ark
15. Markus Zusak - The book thief
16. Ethan Hawke - Hin und weg (original title: the hottest state)
17. Patrick Süskind - Der Kontrabaß (english title: 'the double-bass')

still reading Justin Cronin - The Passage

 

[Alvedansen]

another quick read

01. John Steinbeck - The grapes of wrath
02. Richard Matheson - I am legend
03. Joyce Carol Oates - Big mouth & Ugly girl
04. Ken Follett - The pillars of the earth
05. Haruki Murakami - Afterdark
06. Gayle Forman - If I stay
07. J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
08. Patti Smith - Just kids
09. J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
10. Rick Riordan - Percy Jackson - The lightning thief
11. Rick Riordan - Percy Jackson - The sea of monsters
12. Rick Riordan - Percy Jackson - The titan's curse
13. Rick Riordan - Percy Jackson - The battle of the labyrinth
14. Stephen Baxter - Ark
15. Markus Zusak - The book thief
16. Ethan Hawke - Hin und weg (original title: the hottest state)
17. Patrick Süskind - Der Kontrabaß (english title: 'the double-bass')
18. Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt - Monsieur Ibrahim und die Blumen des Koran (english title: 'Monsieur Ibrahim and the flowers of the Qu'ran')

still reading Justin Cronin - The Passage

 

[ChrissyM]

well i just wanted to make sure that it's ok

i needed i quick read...Goodreads always tells me i'm one book behind

i agree, it's DEFINITELY ok... i'm 3 books behind according to goodreads
i need to get off the computer and try to catch up

 

[Annu]

1. Pieces of Modesty by Peter O'Donnell
2. Treasure Yourself: Power Thoughts for My Generation by Miranda Kerr​

3. My story by Marilyn Monroe
4. I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts On Being a Woman by Nora Ephron

5. Diary of a bad year by J M Coetzee
​

6. Solar by Ian McEwan
7. Consolation by Anna Gavalda
8. the Gun seller by Hugh Laurie
9. The Solitude of Prime Numbers by Paolo Giordano
10. Ruusumadonna by Tuija Lehtinen

11. Ruutumadonna by Tuija Lehtinen
12. The Quantum Thief by Hannu Rajaniemi
13. Andorra by Peter Cameron
14. The Darling Buds of May, A Breath of French Air, When the Green Woods Laugh by H.E. Bates
15. Unaccustomed earth by Jhumpa Lahiri
16. 101 Experiments in the philosophy of everyday life by Roger-pol Droit
17. Witch tree symbol, Mystery of the moss-cover mansion & The mystery of the fire dragon by Carolyn Keene
18. Love virtually by Daniel Glattauer
19. The land of painted caves by Jean M. Auel
20. The Blythes are quoted by L. M. Montgomery
​

I like Anne.. well, at first. I hate when she turned to be so perfect, that's annoing. I have The Blythes are Quoted waiting for me, I hope that it's better.

Ooh, this was amazing! Well, I have told earlier I love short stories, and yeah, there are lots of them. There are mystery, dead, nasty people but also love and happy endings. Not usual Anne stuff, Blythes are mostly only mentioned in stories (actually the stories would have worked very well without them, their family sounds annoingly perfect as always) and there are also poems which are written by Anne and Walter. After them the family talk about them, which kind of make them less interesting, I don't feel that you need to explain them.. But overall, I'm falling in love with this

 

[ChrissyM]

1: This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper
2: Just Kids by Patti Smith
3: The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K.Rowling
4: Cities of the Plain by Cormac McCarthy
5: The Monster of Florence: A True Story by Douglas Preston with Mario Spezi
6: Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
7: Little Bee by Chris Cleave
8: The Orchard Keeper by Cormac McCarthy
9: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
10: The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
11: The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
12: The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
13: The Last Titan by Rick Riordan
14: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
15: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
16: The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
17: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

finished the year of magical thinking late last night... was a quick read which was good considering the subject matter (coping with death)
i'll write a quick review in the book reviews thread

 

[tigerrouge]

29: Herzog by Saul Bellow

A man writes imaginary letters to people inside his head as he comes to terms with his position in life, trying to make sense of his disintegrating marriage. By the end of the book, he feels no need to say anything further, because he has passed through the madness, to the brink of a new beginning, and the start of a real life.

 

[iperlchen]

^ Sounds interesting.

I quite liked Auster's New York Trilogy, the last story was the best by far and gave the book a solid ending. I do like this genre of literary detective. You have to keep track of the characters in the different stories, they're spying on each other and then turning out to be the same character. Just reading the first pages it immediately reminded me of a book I had read by Siri Hustvedt. I didn't realize they are a couple! Clearly.

01) Victor Pelevin - The Life of Insects
02) Albert Camus - The Stranger
03) Valerio Evangelisti - Magus, Il Presagio
04) Alain de Botton - Kiss & Tell
05) Haruki Murakami - Norwegian Wood
06) Alain de Botton - How Proust Can Change Your Life
07) Joost Zwagerman - Duel
08) Alain de Botton - The Romantic Movement
09) Alain de Botton - The Art of Travel
10) Bill Bryson - A Short History of Nearly Everything
11) John Steinbeck - Of Mice and Men
12) Paul Auster - The New York Trilogy
13) Simon van Booy - The Secret Lives of People In Love
14) Alain de Botton - Essays on Love
15) J.M. Coetzee - Disgrace

 

[ChrissyM]

1: This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper
2: Just Kids by Patti Smith
3: The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K.Rowling
4: Cities of the Plain by Cormac McCarthy
5: The Monster of Florence: A True Story by Douglas Preston with Mario Spezi
6: Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
7: Little Bee by Chris Cleave
8: The Orchard Keeper by Cormac McCarthy
9: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
10: The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
11: The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
12: The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
13: The Last Titan by Rick Riordan
14: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
15: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
16: The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
17: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
18: The Secret History by Donna Tartt

made it through Beautiful Creatures... I got through it quickly because it was an easy read but was never really into it

it's the first in a series of three or four books and i have no interest in continuing... i just don't really care about what happens to any of the characters or what happens next in the story...
even after 500+ pages i didn't feel invested or attached to them

 

[Nemova]

16: The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

"The Year of Magical Thinking" is such a heartbreaking book. I read it a couple of years after my father passed away and I could relate to most of the author's feelings towards her own loss.

 

[kissmesweet]

Can't believe I haven't joined yet, will start soon!

Hmmm, think I'll start with William Dalrymple's City of Djinnes. Travel writing. I bought it ages ago and have never been able to finish!

 

[Belowen]

01: American Subversive by David Goodwillie
02: The Collector by John Fowles
03: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
04: Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank
05: The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
06: The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis
07: Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O'Brien
08: The Forest Of Hands & Teeth by Carrie Ryan
09: The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
10: The Odyssey by Homer
11: The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan
12: The Woman In Black by Susan Hill
13: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
14: Sweet Valley Confidential by Francine Pascal

15: Cloudstreet by Tim Winton​

16: The Day Of The Triffids by John Wyndham

17: Bossypants by Tina Fey
​

 

[tigerrouge]

30: The Journalist's Handbook by Kim Fletcher

It sounds like a dry reference manual but it's actually a witty and informative look at the world of journalism from a range of angles, including the author's own career path, with plenty of tales from his time spent working on major newspapers.

 

[Susann]

finished nr. 8: Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

 

[kate_is_goddess]

1 // Imperial Bedrooms by Bret Easton Ellis
2 // Limit by Frank Schätzing
3 // Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk
4 // The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
5 // Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
6 // Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote
7 // The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
8 // The Collector by John Fowles
9 // The Chemistry of Death by Simon Beckett
10 // Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk
11 // Slapstick! or Lonesome No More by Kurt Vonnegut
12 // Bei Einbruch der Nacht (L'Homme à l'envers) by Fred Vargas
13 // A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon
14 // To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
15 // Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow by Peter Hoeg

 

[mint condish]

So far I have finished:

1. Marian Keyes, This Charming Man
2. Lucy Kellaway, In Office Hours
3. Lisa Lutz, The Spellmans Strike Again
4. Lisa Lutz, Revenge of the Spellmans
5. Lisa Lutz and David Hayward, Heads You Lose
6. Tina Fey, Bossypants
7. Emily Giffin, Heart of the Matter

I really enjoyed both Bossypants and Heart of the Matter. I have some issues with Bossypants -- maybe I'd outline them in a review someday -- but really, it is a well-written, perfectly-paced, thoroughly entertaining read.

I've read all of Emily Giffin's books (by the way, the movie Something Borrowed is a fantastic adaptation!) and I really enjoyed Heart of the Matter. It is just far too compelling. I liked it as much as Something Borrowed, maybe more, but Something Blue is my favourite of her books (the other two were a disappointment).

This thread has really been encouraging me to read way more than I think I normally would. Thank you.

ChrissyM -- The Secret History -- I read this after reading such glowing reviews. I thought it was overhyped. Would love to hear what you thought. If you'd like to read a similar type of story that I think is much better, I'd recommend Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl, a favourite.

 

[ChrissyM]

^^oh, i'll have to look into that! i'm only about a quarter of the way through so far and i think maybe this is the point where it's really going to start getting weird, or make sense, or certain things will be revealed...

i feel like i just keep getting these tantalizing bits and pieces but i want to know what everyone's hiding!
will definitely send you a pm and try to post a review once i've finished reading it.

 

[Belowen]

01: American Subversive by David Goodwillie
02: The Collector by John Fowles
03: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
04: Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank
05: The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
06: The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis
07: Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O'Brien
08: The Forest Of Hands & Teeth by Carrie Ryan
09: The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
10: The Odyssey by Homer
11: The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan
12: The Woman In Black by Susan Hill
13: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
14: Sweet Valley Confidential by Francine Pascal

15: Cloudstreet by Tim Winton​

16: The Day Of The Triffids by John Wyndham

17: Bossypants by Tina Fey​

18: Brief Interviews With Hideous Men by David Foster Wallace

 

[Alvedansen]

i've finished another quick read

01. John Steinbeck - The grapes of wrath
02. Richard Matheson - I am legend
03. Joyce Carol Oates - Big mouth & Ugly girl
04. Ken Follett - The pillars of the earth
05. Haruki Murakami - Afterdark
06. Gayle Forman - If I stay
07. J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
08. Patti Smith - Just kids
09. J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
10. Rick Riordan - Percy Jackson - The lightning thief
11. Rick Riordan - Percy Jackson - The sea of monsters
12. Rick Riordan - Percy Jackson - The titan's curse
13. Rick Riordan - Percy Jackson - The battle of the labyrinth
14. Stephen Baxter - Ark
15. Markus Zusak - The book thief
16. Ethan Hawke - Hin und weg (original title: the hottest state)
17. Patrick Süskind - Der Kontrabaß (english title: 'the double-bass')
18. Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt - Monsieur Ibrahim und die Blumen des Koran (english title: 'Monsieur Ibrahim and the flowers of the Qu'ran')
19. Eva Ibbotson - The secret of Platform 13

still reading Justin Cronin - The Passage