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Laura's Imperfect 999 ChallengeJoin LibraryThing to post. This topic is currently marked as "dormant"—the last message is more than 90 days old. You can revive it by posting a reply.
You know, I was wondering just the other day if a book from the Bible could count as a book, or whether I'd need to read the entire OT or NT before I could count it. Thanks for clearing that up for me!
I don't think I've ever read any of your other books, but they are just the think to catch my eye. I'll be watching for your comments.
You have some very impressive choices. I'll be interested to read what you think of them -- hope you'll be posting comments/reviews. 4lauranavDec 30, 2008, 7:41pm 
I had the same question about Books of the Bible. But after looking at my Classics and History sections I decided this would be fair.
That look like a great list, lauranav. And very ambitious. I've read quite a few of these and several more are on my TBR pile--I'll be interested to find out what you think of them. Herodotus, Thucydides, and Plutarch as 1/3 of 1 category is impressive! I own all of them but have never read them "straight through." I'll see which one you recommend and try that when my challenge is done. Republic is a great book. I've read most of your classics and have Anna Karenina on my 999 list. The only other one I haven't read is The Trial and I'm considering that one for this year also. The others I think you will really enjoy. I'm reading my fist Guy Gavriel Kay book this year-- Tigana--beccause my son sent his copy home with me when we visited them in Chicago at Thanksgiving. Have you read others of his? Fantasy is an area I'm exploring this year. I look forward to "talking books" with you this year. 7lauranavDec 31, 2008, 8:14am
MusicMom41 I've read most of Guy Gavriel Kay's books. I have enjoyed all of them. The Fionavar Tapestry trilogy is probably my favorite. I started with the Sarantium duology which is a great story. Tigana is very good and should give you a good feel for his work. At times I'm a little daunted by some of the books on my reading list but I'm looking forward to the challenge.
Just checked out your selections. You have alot of "Oh I didn't think of that one" books on your list. I plan to add 19 more to the 999 and do the 100 challenge also. May pop by now and again for ideas. I'm reading Confessions of St. Augustine also but not for the challenge. I've starred you and look forward to seeing your progress
Have you heard of the LM Montgomery family authorized Before Green Gables? It's a prequel to Anne of Green Gables and tells how Anne ended up in the orphanage and her travels before ending up with Matthew and Marissa.
ShannonMDE I had not heard of that, I'll look for it as it sounds interesting. Thanks for the tip!
Some reviews are in order. Heart of Darkness was still interesting. I see it as a discussion of the depravity of man's heart. I read Heart of Darkness and in Mr. Kurtz I see a portrayal of a man who was good at many things (painting, music, politics, writing) and considered a good man. He took his ideals to Africa, enlightened attitudes of treatment of the natives and bringing them the benefits of civilization. What he found in Africa was the darkness of his own sinful heart. I don't think that Africa turned him bad or wiped away the good of his civilization. I do think that the environment (the greed of the white colonialists who wanted ivory and the vulnerability of the natives) provided the opportunity for his base nature to overpower the veneer of civility. He finds that his goodness is not very deep, his talent is not earned or appreciated, and his ideals do not have enough foundation to withstand the evils that man is capable of. And what I see in Heart of Darkness is all about the white men showing their true colors. To complement (or counter) that, I then read Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. Things Fall Apart describes a decade in the life of a member of a village on the River Niger. We learn about Okonkwo, his father, his wives and children, his role in the village, and his love of the traditions of his tribe. The first part of the book gives us a picture of what life is like, the rules of the society and the meaning they give to Okonkwo's life. We see things done for tradition's sake that are disagreeable, but accepted. Perhaps they should be questioned, but then arises the difficulty of preserving what is good while allowing debate and change. In the second and third parts, we see Okonkwo in exile and missionaries (white and black) move in to preach Jesus Christ. There are many clashes, from cultural differences between men willing to listen to each other, to violent clashes between men unwilling to learn about the other side. In the end, Okonkwo cannot bear to see his village destroyed by the change that has come. More interesting was the the speech/essay by Achebe decrying the racism in Heart of Darkness. Mr. Achebe challenges me though, as I realize that while I find the natives portrayed sympathetically, abused and wronged by the white man, they are not portrayed honestly. As Marlow travels down the river, I felt he was characterizing our loss of touch with life and the daily immediacy and intimacy with nature and the world as a whole that "civilization" keeps at a distance through business and politeness. An African ceremony is used to get closer to nature and inner emotions, while a European ceremony is much better at keeping emotions and intimacy at a great distance. Achebe sees it all as a cheat of the Africans though. They are producing art and literature and a history at the very time that Conrad is showing them as shadows that appear on the river bank, jump up and down, and then melt back into the jungle. Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God was really inspiring. I find audio-books difficult, I lose focus and forget to pay attention. This book was a great audio-book, and it kept my attention. My argument this time is that I heard things I wanted to write down and meditate on but couldn’t given where I was and that the recording just kept going. One of Oswald’s sayings was that he wanted to spend and be spent only for God. His work wasn’t just a job, it was his life and God was present in everything he did. Related to this was his belief that he should give to whoever asks. He knew that people would take advantage of him, but that was God’s to handle. If Oswald gave when he was asked, then God would provide for Oswald. And this is how it worked every single time. Eon: Dragoneye Reborn was my pleasure read last week. This was a great book. It speaks to every female who has wanted to be the hero but knows it doesn't fit in the rules. Eona is masquerading as Eon, a candidate for Dragoneye Apprentice. Training is harsh and losing is not a real healthy option (they don't kill them, there just isn't much other hope) so the candidates are not friends. Eon isn't chosen by the Ascendant Rat Dragon so things look dismal. Then suddenly the Mirror Dragon appears and chooses him (or her). That's when things get really dangerous. It's lie upon lie and secret upon secret as Eon tries to find out how to access the power of the Mirror Dragon while trying to learn what it means to be a Dragoneye without the benefit of being an Apprentice for 12 years. Not to mention learning to be a Lord after being a peasant all his life. What's a girl to do but try to be even more male and wonder who to turn to for help without revealing anything that earns a death sentence (oh, like being a *girl*, which is immediate death, no passing go). This, of course, is all happening in the midst of a major power struggle and the power of right and good is depending greatly on Lord Eon's power as the Dragoneye of the Mirror Dragon. That's a lot of responsibility for a 12 year old boy (or even a 16 year old girl) with a very tenuous grasp on the power and no understanding of how to make it all right. The characters are very interesting, and I found them well developed. The world and the power of the Dragons is interesting and introduced well. I read a lot of stuff like this, but I found this story easy to follow and get in to. Yes, Eon is hiding a lot of stuff, but it all makes sense and there just isn't time or place for sharing. Alison Goodman provides charts and details, but they aren't necessary to understand and follow the story. They are a nice whipped cream topping on a very tasty dessert.
Recently I have completed Mere Christianity. This is a great book, with the first 3 parts being better than the last. C. S. Lewis is great at apologetics and not so great at theology, but these essays are a great read. My favorite is still The Great Divorce. I also read Sense and Sensibility over the past few days for my book club next Sunday. It is a great story showing the differences between giving in to each emotion completely and using self-control to contain emotions instead of being controlled by them. Both Marianne and Elinor are very good and dear women, but it does seem that the lack of self-control is very immature and we are happy to see Marianne grow some by the end. This book reminds me of Anne of Green Gables in many ways. Anne was completely at the mercy of her emotions. Marilla and age helped instill some self-control, while Anne gave Marilla a bit more feeling and joy. I bought a copy of Les Miserables so I'm not tied down to the library schedule. I still need to finish The Seven Storey Mountain and get it back to the library.
I finally finished The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton. Interesting story, but for a bio I could have gotten enough from the wikipedia article. I didn't find inspiration in his on again, off again struggle. But his contemplation and observation of life from the perspective of a believer deep in the heart of his faith was great so I will be sure to read some of his contemplative writings at some point.
Finished Deeper Water. This was a quick read, and pretty good Christian fiction. I posted a review in LT. 21amckieFeb 23, 2009, 8:41pm
I hope you enjoy Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery! I've read a lot of her books, but for some reason it has always remained my favorite :) 22tracyfoxFeb 26, 2009, 10:37am
Thanks for your commments on Things Fall Apart and Heart of Darkness. I decided to read HOD because of the contrasts you and others on the Reading Globally thread have pointed out. Are the remarks from Achebe
>>More interesting was the the speech/essay by Achebe decrying the racism in Heart of Darkness.
I finished Christianity in Crisis: 21st Century by Hank Hanegraaff. I also read the book of Judges.
30. The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom. I finally read a book that was on my 999 list. I've read 14 this year that weren't on my list and I have 3 more sitting on my desk. But I did fit this one in. I can't believe I took this long to read it, I should have read it years ago and I am sure I will read it again. I want to be like Betsie - seeing the world the way she does. Seeing people the way she does. I'd settle for having the faith and strength that Corrie had.
31. Peace Like a River by Leif Enger Ha, I read another book from my 999 list. This was a recommendation from the Desiring God blog. I didn't find it as moving or challenging as John Piper (which I would say is my loss, not his). It was a well told story with interesting descriptions of the people and places and events.
32. Emily Climbs by LM Montgomery Very nice to be adding to my LM Montgomery reading. 29cmbohnApr 25, 2009, 8:07pm
I loved The Hiding Place. I also read it this year. So good! I was so inspired. What a great example of forgiveness. I had heard parts of it before, but knowing the whole story makes it so much more meaningful. I think it's a message the world can still use, whether Christian or not.
37. How Long, O Lord by D. A. Carson - 240 pp Another book on my 999 Challenge list. I try to get in one or two each month, since they keep getting crowded out by others. 37lauranavEdited: Jun 29, 2009, 4:32pm
41. The Odyssey by Homer A very fine read. I'm glad I've finally read these 2 and I look forward to the Aeneid soon. But first, Metamorphoses by Ovid.
42. Metamorphoses by Ovid Well, I read 135 pages of this 441 page book. That was plenty for me - either the style or the subject isn't working for me. At least I have an idea of what the book is like now. On to other things.
43. Emily's Quest by L. M. Montgomery It's 100 pages shorter than the others and it's a good thing it was. Many more pages of broken engagements and people trying to fit with the wrong people would have killed me. The last chapter was the best, where everyone ended up where they should. 40lauranavEdited: Jul 30, 2009, 10:19pm
44. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier - 328 pp Gothic romance, love story, tragedy, ghost story. I actually found it on the young adult shelf at the library, and I think it belongs there. I might have enjoyed this more if I read it 10 or 20 years ago. I could relate to the very active imagination and storylines of the narrator. And I understand misreading how other people think and react, so the overblown opinion of Rebecca makes sense. But I really wanted to give her a kick in the rear and tell her to grow up. Also, similar to The Scarlet Pimpernel in that he loved her but then the secrets they wouldn't tell each other or ask each other about grew between them. Now I know the story and who Rebecca was. And I can feel smart because I saw the twists just before they happened.
House-cleaning time. I have removed some books and authors and one category. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevski - maybe next year Ezra Pound and TS Elliot Graham Greene is moved to next year. Since I've read most of the OT this year due to our church study I replaced Ephesians and Romans with some prophets. 1. The Histories by Herodotus 2. History of The Peloponnesian War by Thucydides 3. Plutarch's Lives4. selections by Xenophon5. The Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle 6. The Republic by Plato 7. Utopia by Sir Thomas More 8. Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville 9. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon Progress: Classics I read The Painted Veil by Somerset Maugham (replaced Crime and Punishment). That means 4 done and I think the last 5 are reasonable. Book Club Selections This includes the 5 Minutes For Books, Reading Classics with Tim Challies, and my church book club. I'm almost done with John Adams and Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment so by end of Sept I'll have 7 done and maybe I'll get back to Les Mis this year. Biography/Auto-Biography 5 done, looking forward to the other 4. I admit Confessions seems a bit daunting, but I want to read it so I'll get to it. Books of the Bible - I've read all but the minor prophets this year so I think I can count that as done. Recommendations These tend to be easy because they are books people have given me or heartily recommended. I had someone hand me The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society so I'm pushing Graham Greene to next year. That means 7 done History/Philosophy - this entire category is gone. Just not something I want to work on this year, maybe because it just seems like to much to finish in the timeframe. But I'll revisit them. Drama & Poetry - a surprise hit, as I don't do much reading of either. 5 done, I am listening to The Divine Comedy in audio book and I'm through Inferno and Purgatorio and into Paradiso now so I should be done in Sept. Then on to the Aeneid since Virgil has accompanied Dante through Hell and Purgatory. Growth - 5 done, a good 4 left Just for Fun - the easiest since I populated it as I read odds and ends. Life of Pi seems like it's available as an audio book from the library so I should get it started in Sept when I finish Dante. L. M. Mongtomery - 5 down, 4 to go - easy finish this year.
Obviously, I'm not trying to finish my 999 by 9/9/09. I see this as an entire 2009 project. Although, I have read 90 books in 2009 so if we go by number and allow massive redoing of the list, then I finished. I did finish John Adams and Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment today so I have 29 left in my 999 list. I have one review book to read next, then on to the two bios by Chesterton. That's the one category where I'm not half-way through yet so this will get me over that hump. Of course, I'm tempted to count John Adams twice, but only if I can't find the Elliot or Liddell biographies before end of year.
Changed out a classic as I decided to read Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell along with the Constant Reader group on Goodreads. Interesting read on the Spanish Civil War. Then changed out a recommendation book as I read Find Your Strongest Life by Marcus Buckingham. Very good book, as his usually are. That's 60 done, 21 to go. I have to stop reading misc other stuff and stick to 999 challenge books if I'm going to finish. I moved Les Miserables out of the book club list and added in the next 2 for our local book club. I'll join a group read of Les Mis and finish it in 2010.
Finished the St. Thomas Aquinas biography by Chesterton.
Finished five on vacation. The Yada Yada Prayer Group by Neta Jackson - great book about a group of women who meet at a Christian conference and continue to meet as a prayer group. Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery - in some ways different from her others, but in some ways very much like all the rest. This is about a 29 year old-maid who is told she has one year to live and finds she resents dying when she hasn't even lived yet. She makes it a great year while scandalizing her family with her newfound honesty and independence. Robert Murray M'Cheyne by Andrew Bonar - this little bio of the Scottish preacher/writer was interesting. It was written shortly after M'Cheyne's death by a dear friend so the details covered were not necessarily what I would have looked for in a bio, but it was a good read. Unpacking Forgiveness by Chris Brauns - I had read enough about this book to expect it to be very good. It was a very good book, providing plenty of food for thought. I'll be re-reading it in the next few weeks to spend time on each concept again. Highly recommended. Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte - I didn't even know this book (or this author) existed until this year. I had it on the Kindle and found it an easy read. She certainly ran into some unpleasant families with spoiled children. | 289 members 20,056 messages  AboutThis topic is not marked as primarily about any work, author or other topic. Touchstones |
