Oklahoma's 75 challenge

Talk75 Books Challenge for 2008

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Oklahoma's 75 challenge

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1Oklahoma
May 10, 2008, 4:41 pm

I didn't know there was a 75 book challenge too. Perfect! Last year I finished the year with 62 books, this year I wanted to aim a little higher. I'm also challenging myself to read ten classics I've never read before, Re-read a couple of classics I read when I was ten or eleven, read a few non-fictions, read a few 'popular novels' and to read up at least twenty of the books in my TBR pile.
Whew!

My list so far:

January:

1.The Lovers-Philip Jose Farmer
2.The Chamber of Secrets-J.K. Rowlings
3. Must Love Dogs--Claire Cook
4. Mutiny on the Bounty--C. Nordhoff/J.N. Hall
5.The Looking Glass War Frank Beddor
6. Owls well that Ends Well--Donna Andrews
7.Quite a Year for Plums--Bailey White
8. Called Out--A.G. Mojitbai
9. The Ides of March--Thornton Wilder

February:

10. The Reader--Bernhard Schlink
11. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie--Muriel Spark
12. Memoirs of a Geisha--Arthur Golden
13. Gertrude and Claudius--John Updike
14.Frankenstein Unbound--Brian w, Aldiss
15. Ice Station Zebra--Alistair MacLean
16. American Psycho--Bret Easton Ellis
17. The Owl and the Pussycat--Richard Hubbard
18. The DeerHunter
19. Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister--Gregory Maguire
20. Communion---Whitley Striber
21. Deliverance--James Dickey

March;

22. Tobacco Road--Erskine Caldwell
23. Atonement--IanMcEwan
24. West of the Moon--Nasaw
25. Ladies of Missalonghi--Colleen McCullough
26. Hatchet--Gary Paulsen
27. The Great Gatsby--F. Scott Fitzgerald
28. Goodbye Mr. Chips--James Hilton
29. Lord of the Flies--William Golding
30.Life of Pi--Yann Martel
31. Silverhill--Phyllis A. Whitney
32. The Adam Experiment---Geoffrey Simmons
33. The Book of Fred ---Abby Bardi

April--

34. Born For Love--Leo Buscaglia
35.The Rag Nymph --- Catherine Cookson
36. Tanner's Twelve Swingers---Lawrence Block
37. All Quiet on the Western Front--Eriche Maria Remarque
38. Field Guide to Chickens --Pam Percy
39. At Wit's End--Erma Bombeck
40. Oh, Kentucky!--Betty Layman Receveur
41. Woman's Doctor--Dr. William J. Sweeney III
42. Forever--Judy Blume
43. Flowers for Algernon Daniel Keyes
44. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency Douglas Adams

2blackdogbooks
May 11, 2008, 6:34 pm

Welcome....and it looks like you'll easily meet your challenge at this pace.

How did you find The Ides of March. I own it but haven't read it yet but I really enjoyed The Bridge of San Luis Rey when I read that last year. Read The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and was really surprised. I didn't expect to enjoy it quite so much.

Was Must Love Dogs any good? I enjoyed the movie. Same question for American Psycho. I really liked the movie because it set you up to question whether he was fantasizing or really comitting all of the crimes.

I loved Deliverance. After seeing the movie, I was much surprised at how much richer and deep in terms of story and character.

Look forward to hearing more on your reading!!

I have Lord of the Flies and All quiet on the Western Front in my current TBR stack. I'll have to exchange thoughts with you on those when I finish them

3alcottacre
May 11, 2008, 8:38 pm

Oh, I love Flowers for Algernon! I just read it for the first time last year. The ending makes me cry, however.

4Oklahoma
Edited: May 13, 2008, 5:18 pm

blackdogbooks---Thanks! I really loved the Ides of March. I checked it out in a hurry from the library and wasn't certain it would be good, especially when I saw the way it was written. However it only took a few pages to hook me.

Prime of Miss Jean Brodie was the same for me. I didn't expect to like it...and it took week of thinking on it to realize that I did indeed, like it.

Must Love Dogs was pretty funny. I thought the part about the navel piercing was hilarious. I haven't seen the film yet. American Psycho was one of those books you don't forget easily. It was much nastier than the film, but still kept you guessing as to whether or not he was fantasizing.

I highly recommend Lord of the Flies as a good adventure. Don't try to analyze it, just enjoy it. That's the beauty of it...pure and simple. As for All Quiet on the Western Front, it was a good novel, but a little sad and disturbing. I'm eager to hear what you think of them as well!

-------------------------------------------------

alcottacre---I know, it was a pretty sad book, but not in the usual way. I liked him better before and after the effects of the experiment.

5blackdogbooks
May 13, 2008, 7:37 pm

Thanks for the support on Ides of March, I had the same trepidation about the style of the book but will not discount it now based on your good experience.

I will let you know what I think of both Lord of the Flies and All Quiet on the Western Front when I finish them. And I am now on the lookout for both Must Love Dogs and American Psycho. Not having read the book, I don't know if you'll like Dogs. But, I did. I am a John Cusack fan and the movie had a quirky feel to it. Perhaps the book will also.

6Oklahoma
Edited: May 19, 2008, 2:27 am

8alcottacre
May 19, 2008, 8:12 am

#7: I get a hoot out of Cheaper By the Dozen every time I read it. I prefer it to the sequel, Belles on their Toes.

9Whisper1
May 19, 2008, 10:53 pm

Hi
Your reading list thus far looks very interesting.
In particular, I note #34, Born for Love. When I was in college (seems like a long, long time ago, a psychology professor showed a tape of Leo Buscaglia. This was during the 70's and I was very much influenced by the man in many positive ways.

10Oklahoma
May 20, 2008, 12:33 am

alcottacre--I loved Cheaper by the Dozen! Not only did I laugh out loud, but I followed my family around reading them passages until they laughed too. It was too good not to share!

Whisper1--My mother showed me a Leo Buscaglia tape when I was eleven and I thought he was awesome. I can't believe I waited this long to read one of his books. The things he said are just wonderful--too bad the whole world doesn't live by them.

11dihiba
May 20, 2008, 5:32 pm

Thanks you guys, for mentioning Cheaper by the Dozen and Belles on Their Toes. I read those books when I was 11 or 12 but had forgotten - just added them to my LT library. I loved Cheaper by the Dozen!

12Oklahoma
Edited: May 20, 2008, 9:32 pm

48.The Shadow Riders--Louis L'Amour

So everyone had read Cheaper by the Dozen except me? What other great books do you guys know about and are keeping secret? *wink*

13Oklahoma
May 21, 2008, 6:32 pm

49. A Boy Called Hopeless--David Melton

14orangeena
May 21, 2008, 10:39 pm

Haven't thought about Cheaper by the Dozen in years - I remember rolling with laughter.
Same humor - Our Hearts Were Young and Gay by Cornelia Otis Skinner - naivete abroad in the 1920s

15Oklahoma
May 22, 2008, 4:25 am

That one sounds really enjoyable! I'll have to look for it at the library!

17Oklahoma
May 24, 2008, 10:45 pm

51. Beneath the Wheel--Hermann Hesse

Every time I read him I ask myself why I waited so long to read him again.

18Oklahoma
Edited: May 27, 2008, 6:25 pm

52. The Stone Diaries--Carol Shields

Comment: ???!

19blackdogbooks
May 27, 2008, 8:52 pm

You've captured my feelings about many a book in such a succint way!!!

20Oklahoma
May 27, 2008, 10:08 pm

I can't help but feel that it was 409 pages of my life I'll never get back.

21blackdogbooks
May 28, 2008, 2:39 pm

At what page did you know? Did you hold out hope that the ending would redeem the rest of the story?

22Oklahoma
May 28, 2008, 5:10 pm

Well I was getting pretty impatient with it, then halfway through it had what I considered to be a good turning point so I decided to stick it out. I held out hope, but it was never realized. Mostly because everything just skipped ahead so fast.

23Oklahoma
May 29, 2008, 5:33 pm

53. Jamie--Jack Bennett

A charming story about Africa, and a boy who wants to avenge his father's death during a time of hardship.

24Oklahoma
Jun 1, 2008, 4:19 pm

25Oklahoma
Jun 3, 2008, 7:25 pm

26Oklahoma
Jun 7, 2008, 6:33 pm

How to Murder Your Mother-in Law--Dorothy Cannell

This everything-that-can-go-wrong-will murder mystery is a great read for anyone who enjoys a lighter mystery with believable human actions, characters that are easy to relate to, and an overtone of dry English humor.

One of the better books I've read this year, Ms. Cannell's mystery heroine, for once, managed to be witty and sarcastic without being self-pitying or gripey...two unfortunate traits that keep turning up in some of the newer mystery novels.

There wasn't a page that didn't make me smile, even though as far as crime goes it was light and fluffy around the edges.

28blackdogbooks
Jun 20, 2008, 3:14 pm

Replied to your comment about The Virginian over at your profile page. Did you enjoy Dreamcatcher? It is one of my least favorite King novels. And how did you find The Bell Jar? I keep passing that one on my shelves - it's rigth at eye level and it shames me frequently, staring out coldly from neglect.

29Oklahoma
Jun 21, 2008, 12:08 pm

I liked 'Dreamcatcher' well enough. Not as good as some of his older stuff, but a lot better than some of his newer stuff. I'm probably the only person out there who thought Insomnia was one of his best. As for the Bell Jar, personally I didn't care for it. It was not what I was expecting at all. I thought she stretched her creative writing to it's limit as well, with her similes. But that's just me, and I'm no expert.

30blackdogbooks
Edited: Jun 22, 2008, 9:25 am

I very much enjoyed Insomnia! Which of his recent ones were you unhappy with? This is always very interesting to me as a King fan. I love finding out what books folks were drawn to and which ones they were disappointed with when it comes to King.

31Oklahoma
Jun 22, 2008, 5:25 pm

You did? That's great, because I loved Insomnia! The recent ones I was disappointed with were Rose Madder, Black House, ( a disappointment, because I loved The Talisman so much,) and The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. I also wasn't bowled over by Everything's Eventual, except for the very first story.

My mother is a huge King fan, and got me started on him when I was very young, probably much younger than advised. I love his older stuff best, The Dead Zone, Cycle of the Werewolf, The Talisman.

I guess it would offer quite a bit of perspective about his readers, now that he has such a variety of novels, to see which ones are more popular than others. I also happen to love Desperation and all the other King fans I have spoken with detested it.

32blackdogbooks
Jun 24, 2008, 8:36 pm

Can't say I didn't like The Black House, though it had such a different feel to the main character because he was grown up. Rose Madder I read sometime ago and I remember liking it pretty well, especially the more real plot line. I was disappointed by The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon but more because I expected something else upon starting it.

I have been recently disappointed by Dreamcatcher and From a Buick 8 and The Regulators. I also liked Desparation. I have been really pleased with most of the newest King though, Lisey's Story, Bag of Bones, Duma Key and Blaze. These are, to me, a re-emergence of the old King but better.

33Oklahoma
Jun 24, 2008, 10:56 pm

I think The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon was such a dud for me because I grew up on a 190 acre farm, surrounded on three sides by nearly a million acres of timber land. The forest was just not scary for me, and I thought the characters were rather shallow and silly. I'm looking forward to reading Lisey's Story. My copy of Cell had an excerpt from it, which hooked me straight away.

There were parts about Black House that I truly loved. The explanation of borderlands for instance still gives me chills when I think about it!

34blackdogbooks
Jun 25, 2008, 10:45 am

What about Cell? I was kinda in between on that one. I liked the sort of apocolyptic feel to it and was hooked by the characters, but there was a bit of a feeling of 'rote' to it that I couldn't shake in some sections.

I think you will love Lisey's Story!!

35Oklahoma
Jun 26, 2008, 11:07 am

I really liked Cell. It was fun and campy, and I'm a fan of camp. It also had great characters. ( Tom, especially). It was more like watching a movie than reading a book.

36Oklahoma
Jun 27, 2008, 1:30 am

37LizzieG
Jun 27, 2008, 7:35 am

No. 42 Forever! There was a 'class-copy' when I was younger, passed around from girl to girl. There's still a whole bunch of us who get terrible giggles whenever there's somebody called Ralph around. So mature....!

38Oklahoma
Edited: Jul 11, 2008, 2:45 pm

I've been rather sick for the past two weeks, and decided it was a good time to finish off the Children of Earth series. Never do that with a fever!

62. Plains of Passage--Jean M. Auel

Compared to the previous three, this book was rather humdrum. Neither bad nor good. A little too much sentimentality for my taste, and of course it sometimes reaches levels of plain silliness. ( the mammoth mating at the beginning springs to mind).

63. The Shelters of Stone--Jean M. Auel.

I found this book to be agonizingly boring. The repetition alone counted for more than half the page count-not just repeating key ideas from previous books, but also things said and done in the same book. Sometimes the same chapter! I lost count of how many times she re-explained how the firestones were found, how the horse was found, how Ayla was taken in by 'flatheads' in the first book, how she accidentally drank that damn magic brew, etc. I felt somewhat cheated that I was only getting re-hashed stuff from the other books.
Also I've enjoyed traveling with these characters and meeting all the interesting tribes and their strange ways. It was interesting to read about basket-weaving, spear-making, bowl carving, bead-making, leather-working, herbal lore, flint-knapping, etc, (and I like reading accounts, truth or fiction of how certain people live and survive in their day to day lives.) ...but then they end up with the most boring cavemen on Earth, ( who apparently don't really have to work as hard as everyone else to survive) and all the description turned to politics and religion! That and those painfully long introductions. What a let-down.

64. Needlework in America--Virginia Churchill Bath
Good history of American needlework, including the quilling of the Native Americans. She includes some good traceable patterns as well.

39Oklahoma
Jul 27, 2008, 10:29 pm

65. Lord Jim--Joseph Conrad

A very interesting study in character development and personal ideals of courage and nobility. At first the book was not intriguing. It seemed to lack any real direction and the author was being seemingly overly dramatic about issues and gestures that today seemed insignificant. As it neared the end however, everything locked into place smoothly. I won't say it was a favorite, but it was definitely thought-provoking.

66. Steffie Can't Come Out to Play--Fran Arrick

A YA book I picked up for free. The story is about a young, very vain and naive girl who runs away to New York City, where she is certain she will find instant success as a fashion model. Instead she is found by a pimp who quickly convinces her of his 'love' for her and puts her to work. Not an uncommon story, and not one that was particularly well-explored. It was meant to be a message to young girls to beware but the author spent a lot of time talking about all the nice clothes and jewelry she received as presents until it almost sounded like she was promoting the idea. The girl's realization at the end that she had been duped wasn't strong enough to be called indignant. More like she just shrugged it off.

67. Me and Emma--Oh when will they stop promoting all impoverished Southerners as un-scrupulous, abusive drunks? I understand that these situations do arise, ( everywhere, not just among poor people) and the story was very interesting from the psychological point of view, but it does become tedious and predictable over time.

There were some entertaining moments here however, such as the girl talking about picking up cardboard boxes for moving, and saying that "it was a bad box day", because the boxes were flat or soiled, or the type with holes in the bottom. As someone who has a moved a lot, that brought a smile to my face.

68. Star Trek:The Lost Years--J.M. Dillard

Okay, this was funny in a really bad sort of way. It was exactly what I wanted before launching into Upton Sinclair though...a light, easy read. Being a Star Trek fan, and the child of serious Trekkies...I found it amusing to read the author's take on the familiar characters...some of their dialogue was laugh out loud funny. And at the risk of having everyone on here know that I have read online fan-fiction...there was some seriously bad Mary Sue-ism's running around in there!

40blackdogbooks
Jul 28, 2008, 11:15 pm

Are you a Picard or Kirk loyalist? Big defining moment here..........drumroll please!!!!

What a strang mix on your last few reads here but that's one of the reasons I have your postings starred. I was imagining Bones lilting off a few Conrad lines of dialog. It must be late.

41Oklahoma
Edited: Jul 29, 2008, 2:23 am

Haha! Kirk loyalist. I'm first and foremost a fan of the original Enterprise and her crew. However, I also like the Next Generation. When I was four my most prized possession was a set of stickers with Riker, Worf and Geordi on them.

Yep, I love variety. I know my list looks hectic and peculiar, part of that is because I buy boxes of random books from the library or thrift shops, grabbing up whatever looks interesting. Then when it comes time to pick a new book to read, I'm always going " ooh, this one." or " I am completely in the mood for Viking raids this morning..." or *cough* " That's a pretty cover..." . My immediate TBR pile is a mess!

As for mixing the books though, I won't deny that sometimes I have reeeaally weird dreams...although thankfully Star Trek and Conrad did not mesh!

42Whisper1
Jul 29, 2008, 7:43 am

#67..loved your comments regarding southern genre and the predictibility of the hard drinking abusiveness that seems to be a common theme. Though, having said this, I recently finished All Over But the Shoutin followed by Ava's Man, Bragg wrote from first hand experience and it wasn't a pretty life.

43Oklahoma
Jul 29, 2008, 5:55 pm

I understand writing about it factually and autobiographically, but sometimes you would love to read a modern Southern novel talking about some of the good stuff, like the close families, the beautiful geography, the funny mishaps, the triumphant struggles against poverty...

I'll have to look into reading some Bragg...( had not heard of either of those books before. ( I'm trying to expand my Southern lit shelf, for better or worse.)

44Whisper1
Jul 29, 2008, 9:30 pm

Oklahoma
I highly recommend Rick Bragg's books! He is an excellent writer.

And, I certainly agree with you regarding the fact that writing of the south needs to have a happy lilt to it once in awhile.

45Oklahoma
Aug 19, 2008, 7:05 pm

69. The Grasshopper Trap--Patrick McManus

Highly recommend this collection of comedic articles to anyone who is a sportsman or outdoorsman.

70. The Jungle--Upton Sinclair
I'm now very interested in reading Oil!.

71. Star Trek The Forgotten War-William Forstchen. Haha. This book was a fun read.

72. Beloved--Toni Morrison
Not quite sure how I really feel about this book. From the aspect of a simple ghost story it is very interesting...definitely unusual.

73. Corelli's Mandolin-Louis de Bernieres
My favorite modern book from the 1001 book list so far. I was dreading getting into a sludgy romance, and highly pleased to be getting a tongue-in-cheek, old fashioned, blood-and-guts war story. I absolutely loved it from beginning to end...especially the character of Dr. Iannis.

46Whisper1
Aug 19, 2008, 9:02 pm

hello and congratulations on nearing the 75 challenge.

47Oklahoma
Aug 20, 2008, 12:40 am

Thank you! I'm so close to the goal I can taste it! I wish I could just stop everything else and read!

48blackdogbooks
Aug 20, 2008, 9:52 pm

I am about to read Beloved....it's in my newest stack so I should get to it sometime in the next 3 - 4 weeks. My first experience with the story was the movie.......and I decided never to read Morrison. Then, I saw her intereviewed and reading Paradise which sounded so interesting. So, I bought it and read it and liked it pretty well. So, I tried another one, Jazz. And again, I found the book interesting, readable, and worth my time. So, I am now going to confront my original feelings about the story and read it. I'll let you know what I think at the end.

I have a couple of those old Star Trek books from the original series. They were so cool when I was a kid and I've kept them a long time now.

49Oklahoma
Sep 2, 2008, 6:44 pm

I just discovered that my local library has installed several more of Morrison's books. I'm planning to give Jazz a try sometime in the future.

Due to a recent set of tragic deaths in my family I haven't felt much like reading. Today I finally picked up a short book and read it through. That's one closer to my goal.

74. Father of the Bride--Edward Streeter.

Kind of funny...with some good illustrations.

50Whisper1
Sep 2, 2008, 7:15 pm

Oklahoma.
I'm sorry to hear of the tragic deaths in your family..a hug is sent your way.

51blackdogbooks
Sep 2, 2008, 10:49 pm

I too am sorry for your losses! My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

52FlossieT
Sep 3, 2008, 6:08 am

#49 - there is a new Morrison due out this autumn (possibly out already in the US?) - A Mercy, also I believe with the slavery theme. I can't wait - have to say I found Love a bit of a disappointment.

53alcottacre
Sep 5, 2008, 7:50 am

#49: Our thoughts and prayers are with you in this time of loss. I hope you and your family will find comfort over the coming days.

54Oklahoma
Sep 5, 2008, 10:45 pm

#75 at last. Serpent and the Rainbow--Wade Davis.
I saved this one for number 75, but it didn't quite meet my expectations. Fascinating stuff in general, but his writing style was rather slow.

Thank you so much, Whisper, Alcottacre, and Blackdogbooks. I, and my family, greatly appreciate the kind thoughts and wishes. Hugs to you all.

FlossieT-I was fortunate enough to find three Morrison books for sale at the library, for .30 each. Tar Baby. Sula, and song of Solomon. I was hoping for Love or Jazz...but no such luck. I'll keep an eye out for her new one. Thanks.

55FAMeulstee
Sep 6, 2008, 8:53 am

congratulations on reaching #75.

and a bit late, a big hug and healing thoughts for you in this difficult time.
Anita

56Whisper1
Sep 6, 2008, 3:45 pm

congratulations on reaching the goal. ...additional hugs coming at you!

57blackdogbooks
Sep 7, 2008, 9:43 am

Another one meets the goal........well done!!!

I am afraid I will just eek in. Last year I read 87 and hoped to get to 100 but I'll be happy to meet this goal.

58alcottacre
Sep 9, 2008, 10:41 am

Congratulations on meeting the goal, Oklahoma!

Whether we all meet the 75 book goal or not, I think this has been a great group and I hope we do this again next year!

59Whisper1
Sep 9, 2008, 12:55 pm

count me in for next year. I have tremendously enjoyed reading the posts and adding books to my list that I would never have read or heard about prior to joining LT. Thanks to all!

60drneutron
Sep 9, 2008, 12:59 pm

Yup. Me too!

61alcottacre
Sep 10, 2008, 11:09 pm

OK, everyone pounce on Cariola'a thread and start begging - "Can we do this again next year? Huh, can we? Can we?", lol.

62Oklahoma
Sep 11, 2008, 2:40 am

I hope it's go for next year too. The 75 challenge was perfect, not too few, not too many. Even with a very busy schedule and studying I was able to meet it...with months left to go to add more! It's been great being here and reading everyone else's lists too.

63FlossieT
Sep 11, 2008, 5:44 pm

Belated congrats on hitting the target! Definitely again next year... I have found this group WAY too late and missed out on so many happy opportunities to gossip about books.

64blackdogbooks
Sep 11, 2008, 10:16 pm

Congratulations!!!!

65Fourpawz2
Sep 12, 2008, 1:27 pm

I know I did a lot of whining about the pressure of setting a particular number - and I haven't reached the magic 75th book yet - but I too would love, love, love to do it again next year.

66alcottacre
Sep 13, 2008, 2:41 am

I think whether or not a person hits 75, the main idea of the challenge (and LT in general) is to encourage the exchange of ideas, opinions, etc on books and the group as a whole has done a wonderful job. I for one have added a ton of books to my TBR list that I would probably have never considered previously. Thanks, Cariola, for allowing all of us to come along for the ride!

67Oklahoma
Sep 16, 2008, 9:06 pm

I think one of best things about assigning a challenge number was that it kept me focused on reading. I love to read, and do so voraciously...but I sometimes get more interested in buying books and making lists of all the books I want to read, than in actually sitting down and finishing one. It gets pretty tough when I have more than three at a time that I am desperate to read, I end up only reading snippets, and taking three times as long. Its better when choosing just two books and focusing on them. With the challenge, I couldn't really afford to dawdle. ( Well I could,but I was pretend-disciplining myself). I actually made dents in my piles of to-be-read books.
But there are still miles to go before I sleep!

# 76 Lisey's Story--Stephen King

68blackdogbooks
Sep 18, 2008, 7:04 pm

What did you think of Lisey's Story?

69Oklahoma
Sep 19, 2008, 2:01 am

I...I liked it. I didn't enjoy reading it, I only liked it after it was finished and I could look back on the whole story. I think he overdid it a bit with the purple prose in places, but Lisey was one of his more enjoyable female characters. ( to me, at least.)

I love it when he does the parallel worlds and psychic stuff, I only wish he had put more detail about those aspects, and less repetition about Scott's injury and the spade. I also mourn the days when his good guys were everyday people and not just the well-off of the world. It seems like now wealthy/famous=good, and poor/ignorant=bad. A far step from the classic King novels.

anyhow, I'd give it a comfortable seven on a scale of one to ten. I wasn't my favorite, but neither was it anywhere near my least favorite.

70blackdogbooks
Sep 20, 2008, 12:59 pm

Keen insight on his tracking towards the wealthy/famous as the good guys.....I hadn't picked up on that. I agree about Lisey being one of his best written female characters in a long time if not ever. And the relationship between Lisey and Scott is also one of his better attempts. Have your read Blaze? It doesn't follow the track you pointed out, but it's a re-work of an old story he wrote sometime ago and came back to. Much better and more complicated characters. I also thought that he did a good job of writing a good female character in Bag of Bones, though I can't recall her name.

His newest fascination with the comic book world leaves me a little unenthusiastic.

71Oklahoma
Sep 27, 2008, 12:29 am

Maybe I'm just being sensitive about the whole rich/poor thing, but it does seem to be very pronounced in his later books. He also trends toward stating that bright colors are cheap and garish too.
I've not read Blaze or Bag of Bones, but my mother really liked the latter too. Have you read Duma Key? I looked at a copy of it, but it just didn't sound Kingish enough to be interesting.

77. World War Z--Max Brooks

78. At Play in the Fields of the Lord--Peter Matthiessen

72blackdogbooks
Sep 27, 2008, 1:15 pm

I have read and very much enjoyed Duma Key and, so far, everyone I've talked to about it agrees that it captures much of what has always been good about King's earlier work, the rich and deeply drawn characters, the building of tension slowly but agonizingly throughout the whole book, and the placement of the main character in a moral quandry where not everything will work out perfectly no matter how he/she chooses. Though, beware, your insights about rich/poor plays a part here, though some of the rich and privileged are not hero in this book, while some are.

What did you think of At Play in the Fields of the Lord? I saw this movie years ago in the theater and enjoyed it but never picked up the book.

73Oklahoma
Sep 28, 2008, 1:12 am

Hmmm...I might give it a shot then, in the future. Thanks for the insight on it.

I enjoyed At Play in the Fields of the Lord quite a bit. I saw the movie years ago too. I didn't particularly like the film style--but the book brought it together nicely. Being able to see into the minds of the characters is always more appealing, especially in this story, where the events were so far removed from anything I could personally relate to. ( Mainly the social interaction between the different classes of people in South America). I am looking forward to re-watching the film now.

74blackdogbooks
Sep 30, 2008, 8:28 pm

Have you read any other Matthiessen?

75Oklahoma
Oct 1, 2008, 1:16 am

Nope. This is the first for me, but I might try some more. I think what mostly drew me to this book ( and first the movie) was that it was about missionaries in South America. I'm not really fascinated with missionaries, but I like any stories where people go to different places and live awhile among the native peoples.

I might try his Spirit of Crazy Horse next.

76Oklahoma
Oct 22, 2008, 12:02 am

79. The Honk and Holler Opening Soon--Billie Letts

Really enjoyed this one...probably because I only love a few miles from where the story is set, and can relate for the most part with all the characters.

80. Midwives--Chris Bohjalian

As a student of this very art, this was a very tense book. Our greatest nightmare perhaps, but cleverly written. I only wish he had focused more on the midwife, and less on the hormones of her fourteen year old daughter.

81. The Midwife's Apprentice--Karen Cushman
Cute book for young adults. I like that she didn't write a period novel with an overly feminist character. That's get remarkably tiring, when your reason for reading period tales is to see how they really lived. Not how they would have lived had they been modern.

82. The Covenant--Beverly Lewis
Always trying new genres. Not too bad.

83. The Searchers--Alan Le May
I've read better westerns.

77Prop2gether
Oct 22, 2008, 11:45 am

Belated congrats on making your 75, with a fascinating list of reads. Add my hugs for your family and good wishes.

As for next year--yes, yes, yes! This group is unique among the LT groups I've explored in that people actually write to and listen to each other about--books they've read. And such great recommendations and encouragement to try new authors or genres--it's a trip I really enjoy. And, best yet, the year is still going on....

78Oklahoma
Nov 13, 2008, 2:55 am

Thanks prop2gether, for the kind words. I'm no where near close to your astounding list though! You are truly inspirational.

84. Where are the children? --Mary Higgins Clark

85. Keep Stompin' Till the Music Stops--Stella Pevsner

86. The Nanny Diaries--Emma McLaughlin

87.Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass

88.Heart and Hands--Elizabeth Davis

89.Search for Spock--Vonda N. McIntyre



79Oklahoma
Dec 4, 2008, 1:37 am

90. Star Trek; Shadows on the Sun--Jan Michael Friedman

91. Planet of the Apes--Pierre Boulle

92. Parsival or a Knights Tale--Richard Monaco

93. The Dog Who Wouldn't Be--Farley Mowat

94. Animal Farm--George Orwell

Between Star Trek and Planet of the Apes I read exactly half of Wicked. I gave it over two hundred pages to enchant me, but it just wasn't happening.

80TadAD
Dec 4, 2008, 8:29 am

Farley Mowat was one of my favorite writers when I was younger. Two Against the North (I think also titled Lost in the Barrens was read eight or ten times. I'm glad to find someone else who reads him.

81drneutron
Dec 4, 2008, 8:57 am

I finished Wicked, but only because I made myself do it. I guess I just don't get Maguire's stuff. I'm 0 for 3 on his books...

82Prop2gether
Dec 4, 2008, 11:56 am

I love the Oz books, and really, really looked forward to reading Wicked. It was fun for almost half the story, but then I had to push myself to finish the book and I've had no temptation to read the sequels. I found huge sections overwritten or just plain boring.

83Oklahoma
Dec 6, 2008, 1:26 am

TadAD--I found the Mowat book by accident. I enjoyed it so much that ended up reading long passages from it to anyone that would hold still. I loved it! I can't wait to read more of his books!

drneutron--I certainly won't be trying another McGuire book. I finished Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, but Wicked I just couldn't manage. It was giving me headaches it was so awful. I felt so relieved when I turned it back in! Definitely not the way a book should make you feel!

Prop2gether--It was just plain boring! He wrote and wrote and just never went anywhere. I lost it about the time Elphaba started to the ' spy ' thing. Just couldn't recognize any of Oz left in the book at all! Whew! I'm glad that other people didn't care for it either...I was beginning to feel kind of awkward since I haven't enjoyed any of the popular books that I've read about on here!

84TheTortoise
Dec 8, 2008, 11:36 am

>83 Oklahoma: Oklahoma: Bring on the Classics!

- TT

85Whisper1
Dec 16, 2008, 5:01 pm

I'm chiming in on the posts regarding Wicked, and I agree. I was more than 2/3 into the book and felt like I wasted a lot of time.
I did see the play on broadway and it was incredible and so much better than the book.

While I thought the author was very creative in taking the story line and putting a new twist on it, the writing was redundant and unclear. I'm VERY surprised to see he has yet another book out on this subject.
I saw it in the book store today. The cover is lovely, but I wasn't tempted to buy it at all!

86Oklahoma
Dec 20, 2008, 1:44 am

All righty! I made 100 books! Normally I wouldn't be quite so proud, since I read a lot of short books and young adults books this year. However, I did read one hundred, while studying to get my diploma ( I was home-schooled and only recently required one) and then studying for nursing schoo. I've taking several art commissions, entered a couple of embroidery contests, and helped my sister get her business on its feet. All while remodeling a house. Its been a Murphy's Law year too, so I'm amazed I had the sanity left with which to read books!

Anyhow, here's the remainder:

95. Dave Barry's Book of Bad Songs--Dave Barry Unfortunately, I only agreed with him on two percent of the choices.

96. Thuvia, Maid of Mars--Edgar Rice Burroughs
I was amused and enthralled from the moment he said " Prince of Helium".

97. Darkness At Noon--Arthur Koestler Yes, Blackdogbooks, I loved this book. Very unique perspective.

98. No Time For Sergeants--Mac Hyman

99.Husband for Mama--Louis Paul. I can't find anything on the author or the book, but it is quite possibly one of my favorite books this year.

100. Star Trek: Log One--Alan Dean Foster

And possibly more to come.

Amen Whisper. I can't believe he wrote another book either. I had to kindly refuse when the librarian suggested it.

87alcottacre
Dec 20, 2008, 3:53 am

Woo Hoo!! Congratulations Oklahoma!

88TheTortoise
Dec 20, 2008, 5:37 am

>86 Oklahoma:: Oh Oklahomaaaaaa! Where the corn is as high as an elephant’s eye and Okie’s books reach up to the sky! Congratulations on all you have accomplished this year.

- TT

89blackdogbooks
Dec 20, 2008, 9:32 am

Glad you enjoyed Darkness at Noon. I think torontoc let me in on a secret about it being part of a triology, the other two books following other characters. Haven't dug any of the others up yet.

Star Trek, hmmmm. Picard or Kirk? Or did we do this already?

90alcottacre
Dec 20, 2008, 9:41 am

Picard gets my vote, lol.

91drneutron
Dec 20, 2008, 12:16 pm

Congrats on cracking 100!

92Whisper1
Dec 20, 2008, 5:20 pm

Congratulations Oklahoma

And, TT...(message 188)
May I borrow some of your creativity? Certainly, you have lots to spare.
I have a feeling the book you will write will be highly original and very funny!

93Prop2gether
Dec 22, 2008, 11:25 am

Congrats! I certainly hope you enjoyed Mac Hyman's book--it was turned into such a successful play and movie (okay, a mediocre television series, too), and it is one of my favorites.

94TheTortoise
Dec 22, 2008, 11:28 am

> 92 Linda, you keep on saying the nicest things - it will be your fault if I inflict another book on the world!

- TT

95Oklahoma
Dec 25, 2008, 3:18 am


Kirk. Or at least...the original Star Trek. I'm not so much a fan of the captains as of the crews. I have favorites in the original, and the Next Generation. As for which books? I've liked 'em all so far.

Prop2gether--I loved the movie " No Time for Sergeants", so the book was like visiting with an old friend!

96TadAD
Dec 25, 2008, 7:52 am

If you liked No Time for Sergeants, you might like Now Hear This by Daniel Gallery. It's a similar type of book, only Navy instead of Army.

97Oklahoma
Dec 25, 2008, 4:50 pm

Thanks for the recommendation TadAd! My dad is Navy so that one might be even more fun to read.

98Oklahoma
Dec 27, 2008, 2:04 pm

101. Star Trek Logs: Three--Alan Dean Foster

Silly library doesn't have Log 2! Oh well, they are set in episodes anyhow, and fairly independent of each other. Just wondering how they can can have 1, 3,4,5,6,7,8, and 9...and not poor little 2?

99alcottacre
Dec 28, 2008, 8:46 am

The same way my library has books 1, 3, and 5 of a mystery series, but not books 2, 4, and 6!

100Oklahoma
Dec 31, 2008, 10:11 pm

102. Innocent Traitor--Alison Weir

**Warning this review may contain spoilers!!!!**

It is in keeping with my somewhat bad literary luck for this year that I should have the privilege of ending 2008 with a rotten book. The story of Lady Jane Grey, which I already knew well, is told here with an incredible amount of inconsistency and pointless ( if not irritating) modernization. The moment Lade Frances turns to her husband and says ' You catch my drift then?', I began to suspect that I was not in Kansas anymore. Or Tudor era England, for that matter.

Maybe its just residual grumpiness from the holiday season but this book really rankled me on several levels. For instance, repeatedly writing about the harsh discipline children in that time endured became tedious. Yes, it was common then, now it isn't. Because it was common then, I doubt this one child would have sat about feeling sorry for herself all the time, as though she were the only little girl ever spanked for being disobedient.

Lady Jane Grey was very well educated. This is historical fact. In the book, the author is certain to detail the grueling regimen her parents and tutors have set for poor Jane, who is very pleased to be educated because she doesn't want to be an ordinary girl. ( here we use the very common literary cliche of pointing out that all the strong minded women in the book did not want to 'just do needlework'. Apparently to modern woman that is the very symbol of the slave collar.) On one hand we listen to Jane's lament about how demanding her parents were, and how high their expectations of her conduct and learning. She hates them for insisting she always try harder and do better...yet when complimented on her intelligence and learning by respected tutors she is quick to feel pride in herself for being advanced beyond other pupils. In fact, she is downright smug about it.

The book is chock full of the modern cliches. Jane's parents don't understand her. She is forced to fight hard to keep from conforming to standards. She has to struggle to be equal to men. Her parents were strict with her, but unfairly lenient to her prettier younger sister. Everyone who does not believe as she does is wrong. Etc, etc.

As well as inconstancies . An example? Jane has been on a horse since a toddler but though she showed great aptitude for it in the touching scene where we have to introduce her father as being way cooler than her mom...she soon lost all talent for it when she reached the age where she only wanted to pluck the lute. I'm sure there are millions of parents of millions of teenagers the world over who can translate that scene into " you used to like to go out with your father and me but now you only like to sit in the house and play your drums/guitar/computer games/."

That's okay though, dad kept changing personalities anyhow...as did every single character in the book, which made it very difficult to scrape up any sympathy for their plight.

I won't even go into religion.

The tragedy is, this was one of my favorite eras of history and I may never enjoy this person again due to this presentation. I thought I was treating myself to a good read...but I got stuck with a real lemon. Better luck next year...and I'm sorry if I offended any of the people who really loved it. These are just my views.

101Whisper1
Dec 31, 2008, 10:48 pm

Thanks for your description of the Alison Weir book. Like you, the tudor period of history is one of my favorite eras. But, I'll skip this book on Lady Jane Grey. I enjoyed your well written review....

Perhaps Weir has become like Phillipa Gregory who also writes of the Tudor era and has filled book after book of inconsistencies and trite, trivial misinterpretations.

102dihiba
Jan 1, 2009, 8:05 am

My only experience with Weir was her book on the young princes (Richard III's nephews) in the Tower, which I just found boring. I will certainly avoid this book on Lady Jane.
I detest it when authors put modern viewpoints onto other eras. It shows them as being faux historians, as the whole point of studying history is to understand how things were different and how things evolved (or simply, just changed) over the years. Even the idea of adolescence has only gained ground in the later 20th century - before that kids went to work at 11 or 12 and got a cuff around the head if they pulled any of that rebellion crap.

103Oklahoma
Jan 1, 2009, 1:47 pm

Hmmm...I think I might steer clear if Gregory too then.

Dihiba--I agree. When I read historical books I want to know as closely as possible how things really were. How they felt, acted, dressed, ate, thought, etc. If I want to read how a modern woman feels, I'll read a modern book. It came out sounding like the author was not so much a historian as a modern woman outraged by the inferior role played by historical women. Well...it happened. Rewriting history isn't going to change it. Get over it.
Oh, and if you didn't get enough of Richard III's nephew's , she mentioned them several times in this book. Awkwardly. I didn't know she had written a book on them as well, but now in retrospect, it makes those insertions sound like subliminal messages to get readers curious for her other book.

104Oklahoma
Jan 1, 2009, 2:29 pm

Well, I was digging through my list to see if I met my reading goals and decided to compile some end of the year stats. I probably won't be back on this challenge next year but it sure was fun!

I read 102 books. 11 were non-fiction. 12 books could be considered classics/contemporary classics. 17 books were from the 1001 Books To Read Before You Die List. 8 were young adult. 11 were new ' popular' novels. 13 were science fiction. 3 were re-reads, and 51 came from my TBR stack.

Top Ten books of the Year;

Frankenstein Unbound--Brian W. Aldiss
Husband For Mama
Captain Corelli's Mandolin
Gertrude and Claudius
Life of Pi
The Book of Fred
Ice Station Zebra
Ladies of Missalonghi
Darkness at Noon
Flowers For Algernon

Ten Least Favorites;

Owls well that Ends Well--Donna Andrews
Atonement
Stone Diaries
Confessions of an Ugly Step-Sister
Innocent Traitor
The Bell Jar
Neverending Story
Serpent and the Rainbow
World War Z
Shelters of Stone

Complete List ;

1.The Lovers-Philip Jose Farmer
2.The Chamber of Secrets-J.K. Rowlings
3. Must Love Dogs--Claire Cook
4. Mutiny on the Bounty--C. Nordhoff/J.N. Hall
5.The Looking Glass War Frank Beddor
6. Owls well that Ends Well--Donna Andrews
7.Quite a Year for Plums--Bailey White
8. Called Out--A.G. Mojitbai
9. The Ides of March--Thornton Wilder
10. The Reader--Bernhard Schlink
11. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie--Muriel Spark
12. Memoirs of a Geisha--Arthur Golden
13. Gertrude and Claudius--John Updike
14.Frankenstein Unbound--Brian w, Aldiss
15. Ice Station Zebra--Alistair MacLean
16. American Psycho--Bret Easton Ellis
17. The Owl and the Pussycat--Richard Hubbard
18. The DeerHunter
19. Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister--Gregory Maguire
20. Communion---Whitley Striber
21. Deliverance--James Dickey
22. Tobacco Road--Erskine Caldwell
23. Atonement--IanMcEwan
24. West of the Moon--Nasaw
25. Ladies of Missalonghi--Colleen McCullough
26. Hatchet--Gary Paulsen
27. The Great Gatsby--F. Scott Fitzgerald
28. Goodbye Mr. Chips--James Hilton
29. Lord of the Flies--William Golding
30.Life of Pi--Yann Martel
31. Silverhill--Phyllis A. Whitney
32. The Adam Experiment---Geoffrey Simmons
33. The Book of Fred ---Abby Bardi
34. Born For Love--Leo Buscaglia
35.The Rag Nymph --- Catherine Cookson
36. Tanner's Twelve Swingers---Lawrence Block
37. All Quiet on the Western Front--Eriche Maria Remarque
38. Field Guide to Chickens --Pam Percy
39. At Wit's End--Erma Bombeck
40. Oh, Kentucky!--Betty Layman Receveur
41. Woman's Doctor--Dr. William J. Sweeney III
42. Forever--Judy Blume
43. Flowers for Algernon Daniel Keyes
44. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency Douglas Adams
45. Practical Demonkeeping--Christopher Moore
46. The Neverending Story--Michael Ende
47. Cheaper By the Dozen--Frank Gilbreth Jr.
48.The Shadow Riders--Louis L'Amour
49. A Boy Called Hopeless--David Melton
50. The Strange Case of the Walking Corpse-Nancy Butcher
51. Beneath the Wheel--Hermann Hesse
52. The Stone Diaries--Carol Shields
53. Jamie--Jack Bennett
54. Crazy Ladies--Michael Lee West
55. The New Year--Pearl S. Buck
56. How to Murder Your Mother-in Law--Dorothy Cannell.
57. The Green Berets--Robin Moore
58. So Dear to My Heart-Sterling North
59. The Bell Jar--Sylvia Plath
60. Dreamcatcher-Stephen King
61. This Perfect Day--Ira Levin
62. Plains of Passage--Jean M. Auel
63. The Shelters of Stone--Jean M. Auel.
64. Needlework in America
65. Lord Jim--Joseph Conrad
66. Steffie Can't Come Out to Play--Fran Arrick
67. Me and Emma
68. Star Trek:The Lost Years--J.M. Dillard
69. The Grasshopper Trap--Patrick McManus
70. The Jungle--Upton Sinclair
71. Star Trek The Forgotten War-William Forstchen.
72. Beloved--Toni Morrison
73. Corelli's Mandolin-Louis de Bernieres
74. Father of the Bride--Edward Streeter.
75. Serpent and the Rainbow--Wade Davis.
76. Lisey's Story--Stephen King
77. World War Z--Max Brooks
78. At Play in the Fields of the Lord--Peter Matthiessen
79. The Honk and Holler Opening Soon--Billie Letts
80. Midwives--Chris Bohjalian
81. The Midwife's Apprentice--Karen Cushman
82. The Covenant--Beverly Lewis
83. The Searchers--Alan Le May
84. Where are the children? --Mary Higgins Clark
85. Keep Stompin' Till the Music Stops--Stella Pevsner
86. The Nanny Diaries--Emma McLaughlin
87.Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass
88.Heart and Hands--Elizabeth Davis
89.Search for Spock--Vonda N. McIntyre
90. Star Trek; Shadows on the Sun--Jan Michael Friedman
91. Planet of the Apes--Pierre Boulle
92. Parsival or a Knights Tale--Richard Monaco
93. The Dog Who Wouldn't Be--Farley Mowat
94. Animal Farm--George Orwell
95. Dave Barry's Book of Bad Songs--Dave Barry
96. Thuvia, Maid of Mars--Edgar Rice Burroughs
97. Darkness At Noon--Arthur Koestler
98. No Time For Sergeants--Mac Hyman
99.Husband for Mama--Louis Paul.
100. Star Trek: Log One--Alan Dean Foster
101. Star Trek Logs: Three--Alan Dean Foster
102. Innocent Traitor--Alison Weir

For once I met all my goals, except that I only re-read one classic that I had read as a child. Therefore, that's this year's goal.

105TheTortoise
Jan 2, 2009, 10:12 am

>100 Oklahoma: Okie, I enjoyed you acerbic review. I bet it is better than Innocent Traitor! I have managed to avoid Weir and Gregory - I just suspected that they were hacks trading on our love of the Tudors. I will stick with Jean Plaidy whose research was impeccable and her writing is immnesely enjoyable.

- TT