Neverwithoutabook and the 999 challenge

I've finally decided on my categories and I think I'll be able to fill them all with no overlaps!

1. Biographies
2. "Prey" series by John Sandford
3. Other Cultures
4. Historical Romance
5. Contemporary Romance
6. Randomosity
7. Classics
8. Movie Tie-In
9. Miscellaneous

I love it that you have 2 romance categories! I thought about having one, but am actually trying to broaden my horizons and read fewer romances. They read so quickly and don't require as much thought, and I was getting lazy. Since I'm reading fewer romances, I find that I either: A) enjoy it more than I used to or 2) am much more critical than I used to be. ;-)

I'll be watching for your choices.

LOL Thanks sjmccreary! I like to mix up my reading choices and sometimes after a 'heavy' read, I find I need something really light and fluffy! On the other side of the page, I find I can't read to much fluff without wanting something more substantial. I'm trying mostly to pick from what I have available so that I get some of my TBR's read, and also trying to leave room for the books I'll acquire through out the year. I haven't got all my choices made yet, tho.

1. BIOGRAPHIES

1. Lawrence of Arabia by Anthony Nutting
2. If I Can Dream: Elvis' Own Story by Larry Geller
3. Amelia Earhart: The Mystery Solved by Elgen M. Long
4. Forever Yours, Fathfully by George Vecsey
5. Tracy & Hepburn: An Intimate Memoir by Garson Kanin
6. Errol Flynn: The Untold Story by Charles Higham
7. Louis Armstrong by Mike Pinfold ---MAR. 12---*****
8. The Measure of a Man by Sidney Poitier ---FEB. 20--- *****
9. Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston ---Jan. 19/09---****

2. ARC's *changed from the Prey Series by John Sandford as I hadn't started it, and have a stack of ARC's t read and review.

1. Memoirs of a Fortune Teller by Gary Turcotte ---March 20---*
2. Vigilante Witch Hunter by Gary Turcotte ---March 30---**
3. Dark Side of the Morgue by Raymond Benson ---April 1---***
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

3. OTHER CULTURES

1. Himalayan Dhaba by Craig Joseph Danner
2. The Moneylenders of Shahpur by Helen Forrester
3. The Mahdi by A.J. Quinnell
4. In the Shadow of the Prophet: The Struggle for the Soul of Islam by Milton Viorst
5. The Last Great Revolution: Turmoil and Transformation in Iran by Robin Wright
6. Unveiled by Cherry Mosteshar
7. Bitter Sweets by Roopa Farooki ---JAN. 25/09---****
8. When We Were Romans by Matthew Kneale ---FEB. 20--- ***
9. Letters From New Orleans by Rob Walker ---FEB. 4/09---*****

4. HISTORICAL ROMANCE (far to easy a category to fill!)

1. It Takes a Hero by Elizabeth Boyle ---JAN. 7--- *****
2. To Marry the Duke by Julianne Maclean ---FEB. 17--- ****
3. This Matter of Marriage by Debbie Macomber
4. Dangerous Angel by Deborah Martin
5. Wicked Promise by Kat Martin
6. Treasures by Jo-Ann Power
7. Allure by Jo-Ann Power
8. The Inheritance by Antoinette Wrighton
9. A Passionate Magic by Flora Speer

5. CONTEMPORARY WOMEN'S LIT

1. Hot & Bothered by Susan Andersen ---FEB. 9---*****
2. Head Over Heels by Susan Andersen ---FEB. 7---*****
3. Tidings of Great Joy by Sandra Brown ---FEB. 13---*****
4. Diary of a Blues Goddess (Red Dress Ink # 21) by Erica Orloff ---JAN. 31---****
5. Gabriel's Angel by Nora Roberts ---JAN. 4---*****
6. Family Plots: Love, Death & Tax Evasion by Mary Patrick Kavanaugh ---MAR. 6
7. Love And Other Natural Disasters by Holly Shumas ---MAR. 8---*****
8.
9.

6. Randomosity (Anything that strikes my fancy or doesn't fit anywhere else!)

1. Legs Talk: let your legs do the talking by D.E. Boone ---FEB. 14---***
2. City Above The Sea and Other Poems by Stephen Alan Saft ---FEB. 14---****
3. Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom ---MAR. 1---*****
4. Land of Marvels by Barry Unsworth ---FEB. 28---****
5. New Orleans Requiem by D. J. Donaldson ---MAR. 13---*****
6. Bark up the Right Tree by Jessie & Ruth Tschudin ---MAR. 9---*****
7. Eagle Brand Classic Recipes ---MAR. 9---*****
8. Top Tarts by Tamasin Day-Lewis ---MAR. 9---*****
9. New Orleans Stories by Various Writers - Edited by John Miller ---April 1---***

7. CLASSICS

1. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
2. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
3. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia
4. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
5. The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri ---Inferno - JAN. 2---***
6. Bleak House by Charles Dickens
7. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
8.
9.

8. MOVIE TIE-IN

1. Possession: A Romance by A.S.Byatt
2. Not Without My Daugther by Betty Mahmoody
3. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
4. The Shania Twain Story: On Her Way by Scott Gray ---JAN. 3---***
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

9. MISCELLANEOUS

1. Wildcat by Craig Thomas
2. The Judas Strain (Sigma Force Novels) by James Rollins
3. Final Approach by John J. Nance
4. Paradise (Oprah's Book Club) by Toni Morrison
5. The Age of Turbulance: Adventures in a New World by Alan Greenspan
6. Acedia and Me by Kathleen Norris
7. Family Plots: Love, Death & Tax Evasion by Mary Patrick Kavanaugh ---MAR. 3---****
8. Jumble Pie by Melanie Lynne Hauser ---JAN. 31---***
9. The Deed by Lynsay Sands ---FEB. 2---****

You have a great selection of books. I saw the movie "Not Without My Daughter," and I would be interested in reading that book. I can't wait to hear what you think of it. Also, I had been thinking about that book Possession: A Romance. I did not realize that there was a movie for that. I also have a Book to Screen category, so I might pick these to read for it. Thanks for the suggestions! :)
--BJ

I love Marquez and One Hundred Years of Solitude. It's a little complex, but that book got me interested in magical realism. I'd love to know what you think of it.

# 13 - Billiejean - Yes, Possession: A Romance is a movie also. It stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Aaron Eckhart, Jeremy Northam and Jennifer Ehle. I haven't see it yet, but I usually like to read the book first before seeing the movie. I have, on the other hand, seen Not Without My Daughter which is what prompted me to get the book.

# 14 - nmhale - I'm intrigued by your comment on One Hundred Years of Solitude. Now I can't wait to read the book!

I'm curious about The Moneylenders of Shahpur by Helen Forrester. Is she the same author who wrote the novel (semi-autobiographical I think) Twopence to Cross the Mersey? I thoroughly enjoyed the heroine's desperate struggle to rise out of poverty and better herself.

Love the movie-tie in category though mostly if I've read the book first I find the movie disappointing. I do remember Possession: A Romance being a great book and pretty good movie. With Colin Firth as the leading male, how can you go wrong?

# 16 - socialpages - Yes, it is the same Helen Forrester. I haven't read Twopence to Cross the Mersey myself. It sounds good, tho.

I didn't see Colin Firth listed on the cover as being in the movie Possession: A Romance, so checked it out on IMDB. I'm sorry to say he wasn't in this movie. I'm sure he would have been good in it, tho, as he's been good in everything I've seen of his!

Sorry you're absolutely right - I checked out IMD and the male lead is Aaron Eckhardt who doesn't ring a bell with me. Good excuse to watch the movie again.

Well, here it is January 1, 2009 and I've started with Dante's Inferno as planned. I'm only 28 pages into it so far, but am planning to push through to the end as it's only 145 pages in all. I'm off to go read now....

I didn't manage to finish Inferno before falling asleep with 30 pages to go to the end! I finished it this evening, tho. It's not the kind of book I'll take to work for reading in the slow times, tho. I've found it requires a lot of attention. The rhythm is so well done, that I get lost in it and then it makes no sense and I have to go back and pay particular attention to the punctuation. I found it much easier to understand that way. That being said, I think this will be a re-read at some point in the future, maybe even with a study guide. There was alot of reference to historical figures, some whose names I don't recognize and a study guide might be useful in that respect.

Since I need to have something somewhat lighter to read at work, I'm planning to take a couple of choices along. Probably Shania Twain's biography, and maybe a historical romance. Not sure what I'm in the mood for at the moment.

I've finished The Shania Twain Story: On Her Way by Scott Gray, as well as Gabriel's Angel by Nora Roberts. Next up will be It Takes a Hero by Elizabeth Boyle. Hopefully this one will last through two nights at work! LOL

I've finished It Takes A Hero and am posting my reviews on my blog.

http://never-without-a-book.blogspot.com/

Not sure yet what I'm moving on to. There are several that are calling my name! LOL

A total of 5 books read and reviewed, and two more underway. Well, three if you count The Divine Comedy which I haven't touched since I finished The Inferno. I may have a lot of reading time at work, but I don't think that is a book I will be able to put down and pick up again after every interruption without losing my train of thought. Currently I'm reading Diary of a Blues Goddess and the ebook Jumble Pie.

Hi,
I read Inferno and Purgatorio last year, and for me at least, it did take some extra concentration. I also read all the notes because there were so many references to people and events from the time of the writing. I still need to read Paradiso! Have a great day!
--BJ

Hi,
You have some very interesting books listed. I love your category for movie tie ins. I prefer to read the book before seeing the movie. I was thinking of making a category like that for myself too. I am compiling a list of movies made into movies with help of other LT members. So far I have 50 books listed yet I know there are probably over 200...I will be watching your thread!!

Crazy :)

# 26 - billiejean - Thanks for the tip. I didn't think to read the notes but have now checked them and I think they'll be useful when I re-read along with the group starting the Inferno on Feb. 25th.

# 27 - crazy4reading - Thanks! I also prefer to read the book before seeing the movie. Occasionally I like a movie so much and then find out there is a book so have to go in search of it. The wierdest thing ever was when my Son and I went to the movie Sahara. Within the first few minutes I was convinced I knew the story and then in the opening credits, there it was, 'based on the story by Clive Cussler'! Of course I had read it! I love his books. It was still a really good movie, tho. :)

I finished The Diary of a Blues Goddess last night and so I started The Brothers Karamazov. I also finished the ebook Jumble Pie and today started another ebook The Alexander Cipher.

Wow! I haven't updated in awhile. Of course life has been a bit crazy lately, but the reading has continued. I've finished the following:

The Deed on Feb 2nd
Letters From New Orleans on Feb. 4th
Head Over Heels on Feb 7th
Hot and Bothered on Feb. 9th
Tidings of Great Joy on Feb. 13th
Legs Talk: let your legs do the talking on Feb. 14th
City Above The Sea on Feb. 14th

As well, I'm still reading The Brothers Karamazov for the group read, The Measure of a Man, and the ebook The Alexander Cipher.

Finished To Marry The Duke on Feb. 19th, and The Measure of a Man AND When We Were Romans on Feb. 20th.

Next up will be The Angry Smile: The Psychology of Passive-Agressive Behavior in Families, Schools, and Workplaces and Land of Marvels. I'm progressing fairly well with The Brothers Karamazov, and will dive into Inferno for that reading group in the next week. The Alexander Cipher is suffering due to not being portable, tho. :( That's the problem with ebooks.

This past week has been slow at work, so I've finished Land of Marvels, Tuesdays With Morrie and Family Plots: Love, Death & Tax Evasion so far.

I started Love and Other Natural Disasters last night.

Still working on The Brothers Karamazov, Inferno (both are for group reads), as well as The Angry Smile: The Psychology of Passive-Agressive Behavior in Families, Schools, and Workplaces, and The Alexander Cipher is still waiting in the background as I'm not spending enough time in front of my home computer.

I also decided to participate in the Book Giveaway Carnival and am giving away a copy of Vigilante Witch Hunter. Details are on my blog at http://never-without-a-book.blogspot.com/

You are doing such a great job with the 999 challenge! Yea! :) I am falling behind on Brothers Karamazov, but I am determined to catch up, and I hope that I will be able to finish it this month. (Or by next month, at the latest.) I am enjoying the book, just need more reading time. Have a great day!
--BJ

Thanks billiejean! I'm working on it. I get lots of reading time at my job, so actually have books that I've finished but haven't written the reviews yet. I'll probably have 5 reviews to do by this weekend. Luckily I'm off for 3 whole days! :)

Well, I never got those reviews written last weekend. Spent to much time doing other necessary things and also participating in the Book Carnivale Giveaway. That means that today I'm doing 9 reviews! Whew! You can check out my blog at http://never-without-a-book.blogspot.com/ for my reviews.