lawgrrl07's 50 Book Challenge for 2009

I tried to read 50 books in 2008, but didn't quite make it despite several 5-hour flights...oh, well. Trying again in 2009!

1. A Thousand Veils by D.J. Murphy

2. The Secret Man: The Story of Watergate's Deep Throat by Bob Woodward
3. The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
4. The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie

What did you think of The Enchantress of Florence? I read my first Rushdie book last summer and it was difficult but interesting.
--BJ

I've always felt that if you enjoy magical realism, Rushdie is a genius; if you don't, well, he's just entertaining (or boring, in some instances). There are whole sections of the Enchantress where I felt like there was just way too much backstory for the characters, but overall I really loved this one. I had barely started the novel and didn't really know what I was getting myself into, but then I saw an interview with Rushdie on BookTV. After getting a better understanding of the historical figures he based the characters on, I was in a much better position to appreciate the novel.

Which Rushdie book did you read?

~Jillian

5. The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

Read. This. Book.

I read Midnight's Children last summer. It took me a while to get used to his style, but I found that he ended each section well and I loved the end of the book.
--BJ

Midnight's Children is my favorite Rushdie novel, followed closely by The Moors Last Sigh. I haven't read The Enchantress of Florence, but it will go on my TBR pile.

I will be reading The Enchantress of Florence for a bookclub read next month. I have never read anything of his, but I am up to reading most things.

Finally — a thread where I can follow your reading!

I have read The Reader and yes, I too enjoyed it thoroughly. Good luck with your challenge!

If anyone is interested, this is a video of Rushdie speaking about the real story of the characters in The Enchantress of Florence:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ah9PyZNb4F8

Part of the Authors@Google series on YouTube...

6. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
7. New Moon by Stephanie Meyer

I couldn't resist reading the series any longer...I was too much in danger of seeing the movie before I read the book, so it was a literary emergency of sorts! I'm sure I'm supposed to be embarrassed about this, but I'm so into this series...it's waking up my inner teenager and my secret love of good vampire tales at the same time. Definitely a guilty pleasure!

8. Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer
9. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

I read all of Eclipse on Saturday (yes, all 600+ pages) and finally finished the last 120 pages of The Book Thief on Sunday...a very good weekend of reading! Now if I can just get motivated to clean off the dining room table...hmmm... ;o)

lawgrrl07 I just read The Book Thief and New Moon also. I really enjoyed The Book Thief, I like that it was told in Death's point of view. I was the same way about the Twilight series, had to read it and brought out the teenager in myself again. I still have the next two books to read. Did you find that New Moon wasn't exciting as the first, but I hear that the next ones are better. Good luck on getting to that table :)

>heidimorden: I had exactly the same reaction to The Book Thief; it was exquisitely cool that he decided to write it from Death's point of view. It was one of those literary devices that at first felt wildly experimental (Death has a point of view? who knew?) and then became so obvious that there was no other vantage point from which to tell such a story. I was very sad to leave Liesel...

I wasn't sure how I felt about New Moon at first, but Bella was in such pain over Edward leaving that Jacob went from annoying to awesome really quickly for me...once that happened, it was hard for me to decide who I wanted her to end up with! I can't believe how girly I get over this series...except for maybe the "Sweet Valley High" series that I read toward the end of 6th grade, I don't remember reading a series like this when I was younger. Meyer really has a gift...

I think you will love Eclipse...I'll only give you one spoiler - there's a chapter called Fire & Ice (I think it's Chapter 20) where Edward and Jacob finally confront each other over Bella...really well done! And you are sooooo not going to believe what happens in Breaking Dawn... ;o)

(Edited to - hopefully - get the touchstones to work!)

>lawgrrl07 I remember reading Sweet Valley High in grade school, but them didn't make me get into the book as much as Twilight has. I can't wait tio read the next books, nothing will stop me to read them. Have you seen the movie yet? No here, but IU will rent it when it comes out.

10. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

>heidimorden No, I haven't seen Twilight yet (I have this thing about seeing a movie before I read the book it's based on...if I see the movie first I never go back to the book, which is sort of sad)...hoping it's good! I reserved it on Amazon VOD, so I can see it on my Roku player the day it comes out!

11. Book of Shadows by Cate Tiernan

Not bad...not sure what I'm playing at here...do I really want to read the whole series (all 14 books!)???

12. Fueling Our Fears: Stereotyping, Media Coverage, and Public Opinion of Muslim Americans by Brigitte L. Nacos
13. Will the Vampire People Please Leave the Lobby? by Allyson Beatrice

...hoping the touchstones work this time...

14. Doomed Queens: Royal Women Who Met Bad Ends, From Cleopatra to Princess Di by Kris Waldherr

15. Literature from the "Axis of Evil": Writing from Iran, Iraq, North Korea, and Other Enemy Nations - a Words Without Borders Anthology

If you've ever had aspirations of living the high(ness) life, Doomed Queens will chill that desire...apparently, most of the time, it is decidedly NOT good to be queen. Whether beheaded, burned at the stake, poisoned, or some other nefarious methode de mort, all the queens in this book probably wished their lives had not been quite so royal...

Anyone wishing to read more literature from overseas should check out Literature from the "Axis of Evil". Not every selection will stun you, but the fabulous gifts of a collection like this include (1) a reminder that there are countries outside Europe and the Americas that produce great art and artists and (2) regardless of our diplomatic relations (or lack thereof) the human condition pulls us together rather than pushes us apart. Also check out http://www.wordswithoutborders.org for more lit from abroad.

16. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

There is only one word for this book...delightful! Highly recommend it - if you can't decide what to read next, treat yourself to this one.

17. The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

Your favorite fairy tales are re-told in twisted, murderous ways all throughout this classic boy-hero tale...much fun to be had!

18. On Kingdom Mountain by Howard Frank Mosher

Vermont...1930...lost treasure...mountain people...mysterious bi-plane pilot...what's not to love?

I've fallen quite a bit behind in my reading -- I better step up the pace!

19. Season of the Witch by Natash Mostert
20. Geekspeak: How Life + Mathematics = Happiness by Dr. Graham Tattersall
21. Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez

22. The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood

Possibly the best knitting novel I've read...

23. The Glister by John Burnside

24. Dervishes by Beth Helms
25. Peace Be Upon You by Zachary Karabell

Read it and I found it extremely tedious and boring.

>mariajackman Which book?

26. Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana by Anne Rice

27. The Geographer's Library by Jon Fasman

28. Crash Proof by Peter Schiff

Unbelievably prescient...contains some very solidly conservative financial advice, such as the only stocks that are really worth it for the average investor are those that pay cash dividends. (This was the audiobook - lovely listen.)

"new moon" by stephanie myer is the best book ever well all four are the best books ever im a big twilight fan

>annaperales: I know, I really love those books...have you read anything else by her?

29. The Speed of Light by Elizabeth Rosner

Atmospheric, emotional, tender and true...and I need to get it back to the library because it's a month overdue!

I fell behind keeping this list up-to-date...here is the last book I read in 2009:

30. Seeds of Terror: How Heroin is Bankrolling the Taliban and Al Qaeda by Gretchen Peters