I attempted this challenge last year...and didn't make it. But, the best thing about challenges is that you can try them again the following year. New year, new start.

So far for January

1. A Thousand Years of Good Prayers by Yiyun Li
Wonderful short stories set in present day China

2. The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
A truly delightful read which reminded me why reading is such a wonderful thing.

3. The Loved One by Evelyn Waugh
Dark and humourous, with no-one looking good at the end.

4. A Fortunate Life by A.B. Facey
Simply written and truly inspirational

5. The Code Book by Simon Singh
A fascinating history of codes and cryptography

6. Kissing Games of the World by Sandi Kahn Shelton
I read this as a reviewer and loved it.

7. Now is Gone by Geoff Livingston
A primer on social media which I read for work. Interesting, if a bit simplistic

8. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
I read this four years ago, but enjoyed it more the first time

2009 is going to be my year to achieve this challenge!

Welcome to the group. You've got a great start to your challenge!

welcome, nice reads you've got so far! Will be keeping an eye on your challenge. Good luck -

Tiger! Glad you could join us. Nice list for January!

Do you think Now Is Gone would be good for association executives? I am currently working on expanding our social media use at work, but I keep hearing a lot of talk about why it's not for us because we're "different" than for-profit companies.

Welcome back! Great start to your reading year.

Hi.
It is good to have you back! I'll be sure to check your thread. You are off to a great start in 2009.

>1 Agree with you on A Fortunate Life - a great book with wonderful descriptions of Western Australia.

Hello everyone!

Thank you so much for the warm welcome!! It is great to be a part of the group. I am going through everyone's threads (slowly - there are a lot of us) and, goodness we are an active lot!

dfreeman2089 Now is Gone is a good primer, but is is quite simple and a little 'preachy' in parts. As a starter, and an easy read yes - but I can recommend a few other books which are a little more detailed. I am just reading Tactical Transparency (which I should get finished in the next day or two). It seems to be a better guide book, in my opinion, for larger organisations. I do this for a living, so it is hard to not think 'I have heard this before' but I was a little disappointed with Now is Gone.

digifish_books I was so amazed at how inspirational and uplifting A Fortunate Life was. It makes you realise how easy it is to take your life for granted and complain about silly things. When you see what Albert Facey went through, and he still saw himself as having a fortunate life, it makes you quite humble.

Onward and upward - I have a pile of 8 books to try and read in February, as well as catch up on all the threads here, and my blog (which is currently a month behind). So many books, so little time...

>10: tigertwo, I'd be interested in hearing some more social media recommendations also. We're feeling our way a bit at the moment and I'm an old-fashioned gal at heart - I learn much better from a good book :)

I've just found your thread - what a great list for January.

I really enjoyed the Code Book and Singh's book on Fermat's Last Theorem was excellent too if you haven't already read it.

I just clicked on your profile and see we share Cathedral of the Sea (and 46 others). Have you read it? I bought it last year based on the back cover... not always a good move!

Hey Tiger, I have missed you!!! Where have you been? How is the marathoning(is that a word) going? Very good reads so far. I've been wanting to read The Uncommon Reader for awhile.

Wow, I had to search for my thread. It has been a busy month but I did manage to get quite a bit of reading done (although not much else it seems, aside from work :( )

So, for February:

9. Irrationality by Stuart Sutherland

10. The Hidden by Tobias Hill

11. The Bethlehem Murders by Matt Rees

12. Fear of Flying by Erica Jong

I am almost finished three others, but I won't write them until I get to the end.

I had read Fear of Flying many years ago and I was so glad I revisited it. It is sexy, seventies and truly wonderful.

And another couple:

13. Beat The Reaper by Josh Bazell
This was a read and a half! I was asked by Josh's publicist to review this and I could hardly put it down. Not for the faint of heart though - it is really graphic.

14. La Symphonie Pastorale by Andre Gide
Two novellas in one - both pretty grim. Both to do with shattered dreams, disappointment and the end of hope.

I'm curious, why is Beat the Reaper
"not for the faint of heart though"

To answer that question Whisper, it is very graphic physically, sexually and linguistically. The violence is so graphic that sometimes it may get hard to stomach. Very interesting story though.

Agreed, Trish. There were parts of it that I was physically cringing at and my mind kept coming back to even after I had read on. That's the problem with having a really visual imagination - for books like this it can be pretty nasty!

Then I think I'll skip this one, even though I had previously added it to my tbr pile.

If it is that graphic, I am not sure I will be able to read it. I have it home from the library and will give it a try, but if it gets too bad, I will just give it up as a bad job. I do not do well with books like that, period.

I must be getting old. It is only a couple of weeks and I am trying to remember what I have read :(

15. The Death Maze by Ariana Franklin
I love it when a second book in the series is 10 times better than the first! I really enjoyed Mistress of the Art of Death when I read it last year, but she has got better. A great medieval whodunnit with a fabulous, feisty heroine.

16. The Outcast by Sadie Jones
Can people really be that broken and damaged, or worse, that blind to the emotional problems of their children while they keep up appearances? A well written but quite depressing book.

I've slowed down a bit due to a house move - must get a wriggle on otherwise I won't get my 75 in!

17. Saffron Dreams by Shaila Abdullah
A heartfelt story about a Muslim woman living with her husband in New York. He worked as a waiter in the Twin Towers and is killed in the 9/11 attacks. This story explain how she copes through her loss and through the prejudice and anger which she is subjected to, despite her individual innocence. Very thought provoking.

#22: Congratulations on the house move! I understand how that can slow your reading down - we just did it last year.

Book #17 looks very good. Thanks for the recommendation.

#23 Thank you! I now have a whole room as a 'library' with all my books in alphabetical order. It is like my world is finally balanced and at peace :)

18. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
Kate Atkinson has a magnificent way with words, and an imagination to match. This is her first foray into 'crime fiction' but it is written just as beautifully as all of her other books. A fantastic read.

19. A Certain Justice by P.D. James
When I sorted through my books I discovered I owned several P.D. James novels. I had always meant to read them, and now I have got started. And got addicted! This is thinking crime and Adam Dalgliesh is the gentleman of detection. Fantastic.

20. The Story Of Lucy Gault by William Trevor
Urgh. Boring. Dull. Artificial and self indulgent pathos. The only reason I finished this was because it was for my book group. What did I gain out of reading this book? I'll get back to you when I figure it out.

21. The Black Tower by P.D. James
An early Adam Dalgleish novel. Although I am troubled by the timeline (Dalgleish, I have worked out, is the same age in 1974 as he is in 1995), it was still a great book. And necessary to get me through the previous one!

#24: Sorry you did not enjoy The Story of Lucy Gault! It was one of my favorites from last year.

On the other hand, I am a big P.D. James fan, too. I remember when we moved last year and I unpacked books that had been in storage for 3 years it was like having old friends to visit. You can do the same thing with the James' books. Enjoy!