I rather doubt that I'll read anywhere close to 81 books this year, but we'll see... I just discovered this group today, and haven't thought about categories (but I chose this group because I like the idea, though I am alarmed at the prospect of 10-10-10 etc.), so I'll start with the books currently in various stages of completion and fill in as I go.




art
1. Art and Fear by David Bayles & Ted Orlando (completed 2 Jan 2009)

biology
1. Parasite Rex by Carl Zimmer (completed 31 Jan 2009)
2. Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin (completed 28 Feb 2009)
3. Dawkins vs Gould by Kim Sterelny (completed 24 Mar 2009)
4. Oaxaca Journal by Oliver Sacks (completed 1 Apr 2009)
5. Genome by Matt Ridley (completed 11 Apr 2009)

computer
1. The Pragmatic Programmer by Andrew Hunt & David Thomas (completed 10 Feb 2009)

economics
1. Economics Explained by Robert Heilbroner & Lester Thurow (completed 1 Feb 2009)
2. The Market System by Charles Lindblom

fiction
1. Galatea 2.2 by Richard Powers (completed 15 Feb 2009)
2. Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear (completed 21 Mar 2009)

garden
1. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver * (completed 25 Feb 2009)
2. The Worm Book by Loren Nancarrow and Janet Hogan Taylor (completed 18 Feb 2009)
3. Mid-Atlantic Home Landscaping by Roger Holmes and Rita Buchanan (completed 19 Feb 2009)
4. Book of Compost by Mike McGrath (completed 25 Feb 2009)
5. Botany for Gardeners by Brian Capon (completed 7 Mar 2009)
6. Flower Confidential by Amy Stewart * (completed 19 Mar 2009)
7. All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew (completed 4 Mar 2009)

history
1. Over the Edge of the World by Laurence Bergreen (completed 17 Jan 2009)
2. The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman * (completed 8 Feb 2009)
3. The Bible: A Biography by Karen Armstrong *
4. The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale * (completed 29 Mar 2009)

mind
1. Blink by Malcolm Gladwell * (completed 4 Jan 2009)

* spontaneously purchased for reading on the bus/train/plane
1. Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
2. The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman
3. The Bible: A Biography by Karen Armstrong
4. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
5. Flower Confidential by Amy Stewart
6. The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale

Message edited by its author, Apr 14, 2009, 4:10pm.

I read The Big Squeeze: Tough Times for the American Worker last year and it was a pretty interesting read. It combined people stories with political / economic what's going on to create the situation. Perhaps an slightly updated version of Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America. I'd recommend either (or both) for your economics category.

I read Nickel and Dimed a few years ago. Another of the same ilk is The Working Poor by David Shipler. I'm going for more theoretical now cuz it's an area of ignorance.

Hmm, how are people in multiple challenge groups dealing with posts? I've posted notes re the two books completed so far to my thread in the 75 books challenge, and merely updated the list here.

qebo - I have done what you suggest above - just list the book I read here, with the category, and a link to my 75 book challenge link with more info (e.g., mini-review).

5: Thanks. I checked your 999 thread and see that you also have a category for books you picked up while/for traveling.

Yes - in fact I'm delayed in an airport right now, and that category is my catchall category as well. There are some good bookstores at O'Hare....!

Yikes - the bookstores might be the ONLY good thing about O'Hare! I've only gone through there once and I'll take Midway any chance I get!

I'm not sure I can get to London from Midway though... ; )

OK, an update finally. I have several books in progress, and not much time to read any of them. I'm posting comments in the 75 books challenge group. So far:

1. Art and Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orlando
http://www.librarything.com/topic/53660#... (message #1)

2. Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
http://www.librarything.com/topic/53660#... (message #5)

3. Over the Edge of the World by Laurence Bergreen
http://www.librarything.com/topic/53660#... (message #7)

Message edited by its author, Feb 18, 2009, 12:27pm.

4. Parasite Rex by Carl Zimmer
http://www.librarything.com/topic/53660#... (message #8)

I'm not doing so well on the pacing here. Should've finished the seven I've listed. Added another category: computer. Added another book: #2 on the bus/train/plane list. Still missing three categories, which await books to suggest them.

Message edited by its author, Feb 18, 2009, 12:28pm.

5. Economics Explained by Robert Heilbroner & Lester Thurow
http://www.librarything.com/topic/53660#... (message #9)

Yay! Another day, another book. (Actually I was only 50 or so pages from the end.)

Message edited by its author, Feb 18, 2009, 12:29pm.

6. The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman
http://www.librarything.com/topic/53660#... (message #13)

Picked this up at the train station last week and got hooked.

Message edited by its author, Feb 18, 2009, 12:30pm.

7. The Pragmatic Programmer by Andrew Hunt & David Thomas
http://www.librarything.com/topic/53660#... (message #17)

Message edited by its author, Feb 18, 2009, 12:30pm.

8. Galatea 2.2 by Richard Powers
http://www.librarything.com/topic/53660#... (message #18)

Message edited by its author, Feb 18, 2009, 12:31pm.

I rearranged the categories. I'm off pace for 81 books, and really anything I'm picking up at the train station (I've been taking the train a lot recently) falls into a category of interest, so I'm going to use it as my overlap. I'm off pace for 72 books also, but this at least seems within reach.

9. The Worm Book by Loren Nancarrow and Janet Hogan Taylor
http://www.librarything.com/topic/53660#... (message 20)

10. Mid-Atlantic Home Landscaping by Roger Holmes and Rita Buchanan
http://www.librarything.com/topic/53660#... (message 23)

11. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
http://www.librarything.com/topic/53660#... (message 24)

12. Book of Compost by Mike McGrath
http://www.librarything.com/topic/53660#... (message 25)

13. Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin
http://www.librarything.com/topic/53660#... (message 29)

Hi there, qebo. Great variety of books. I am going to have to star your 75 Challenge thread so I can catch up on your comments without toggling back and forth. Your Inner Fish is a great title.

22: Yeah, sorry, I don't like toggling either, and I have so many threads starred at this point that I can't keep track of them all. There doesn't seem to be any ideal way to do this, from either the writing or the reading point of view. I didn't want duplicate posts, compromised with links.

Inner Fish sounds great from your review. In the future I would like to do some in-depth reading on evolution ... know nothing beyond the basics but this seems a perfect introduction. Thanks for taking the time to post.

14. All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew
http://www.librarything.com/topic/53660#... (message 30)

I've gotten awfully unbalanced in my categories...

15. Botany for Gardeners by Brian Capon
http://www.librarything.com/topic/53660#... (message 31)

16. Flower Confidential by Amy Stewart
http://www.librarything.com/topic/53660#... (message 32)

17. Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear
http://www.librarything.com/topic/53660#... (message 38)

I read your review for The Zookeeper's Wife. It was one I really enjoyed from the 888 challenge last year. I'm glad to see other people reading it. I thought it was a great story.

18. Dawkins vs Gould by Kim Sterelny
http://www.librarything.com/topic/53660#... (message 39)

19. The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale
http://www.librarything.com/topic/53660#... (message 41)

20. Oaxaca Journal by Oliver Sacks
http://www.librarything.com/topic/53660#... (message 46)

With only 25 pages to go I intended to squeak this one in before midnight yesterday, but decided that I was too tired to do it justice.

21. Genome by Matt Ridley
http://www.librarything.com/topic/53660#... (message 47)

Well, April is pretty much shot, and I have near nothing to show for it. I moved -- not far, but to a different city. What with packing and unpacking and bureaucracy and cleaning and driving back and forth, there have been too many distractions to focus. I started a bunch of books but didn't get far in any. (Now where are they...?) I read a lot of magazine articles though, appropriate for my attention span. I hope to redeem myself in May, but there's still painting to be done...