BJ's Lucky 2013 TBR

I really struggled with the lists for 2013. There were so many books that I wanted to read, and I couldn't fit them all onto my lists. I finally had to just finish. So this is my primary list that I came up with today:

1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling. (13) (Read 3/17/13)
2. The Magician's Nephew by C. S. Lewis (13) (Read 2/4/13)
3. Fool Moon by Jim Butcher (13) (Read 2014)
4. Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss (13) (Read 2017)
5. The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford (13) (Read 2014)
6. Watchmen by Alan Moore (13) (Read 2015)
7. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carre (13)
8. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (13) (Read 3/6/13)
9. The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham (13) (Read 2015)
10. Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake (13) (Read 2018)
11. Life of Pi by Yann Martel (13) (Read 2017)
12. The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis (13) (Read 2/21/13)

I also got curious about how long some of these books have been on the lists carried from year to year, so I am tracking what year each book first appeared on my list.

Here is my alternate list:

1. On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin (08) (Read 2016)
2. The Voyage of the HMS Beagle by Charles Darwin (09) (Read 2017)
3. Sarum by Edward Rutherford (09)
4. The Bear and the Dragon by Tom Clancy (09)
5. The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster (10) (Read 2016)
6. Neuromancer by William Gibson (11) (Read 2016)
7. Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke (13) (Read 7/13)
8. The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy (13) (Read 2014)
9. The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff (13) (Read 2015)
10. The Inimitable Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse (13) (Read 2014)
11. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz (13) (Read 2016)
12. Villette by Charlotte Bronte (13)

The first year that I did this challenge was 2008. All 24 books were new to the list at that time. The only one left from 2008 is On the Origin of Species. I find biology difficult, but this year I want to read this one no matter what!

>1 billiejean:

6. Watchmen by Alan Moore

WOO-HOO! My all-time favorite. Get ready for the ride of your life. 8)

Harry Potter is a destined classic, and Narnia already qualifies. Eats, Shoots and Leaves is a book I ought to read someday but never seem to. Watchmen was in my 2011 challenge and was worth the visit. I recently sampled John le Carre in The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and I was impressed. Mark Haddon ... didn't feel this measured up to all the hoopla, but it's a unique story. Midwich Cukoos I read in highschool, very good. Hello Titus Groan on my TBR pile, looking forward to your review. As you've already observed we'll compared notes on Life of Pi this year. :)

I might skip the Origin, but I'd like to read the Beagle voyage. I've read three novels by Rutherford and liked them all, but not (yet) that one (ps - I find he demands a slow read). The New York Trilogy is another someday title for me. I'm not a big fan of Clarke but Rama is held as one of his best. Interesting about Charlotte Bronte; I've been sad that none of her titles besides Jane Eyre sound good to me, so I hope you like this one and can recommend it.

#3- I am tempted to pick this one up sooner rather than later. I need a quick start, I think.

#4-Nice run down of my titles. Makes me excited to get reading. :) The Spy Who Came in from the Cold was also my first John le Carre book, and it made me a big fan. Haven't read any other of his books in quite a while, and I wanted to revisit this author. (Seems like I reread The Spy Who Came in from the Cold a few years ago.) And I started HP already. I am at the very beginning, but it is a fun read so far.

>5 billiejean:

I need a quick start, I think.

You were probably better off starting with the HP book, then. Watchmen is a dense, complex work, as is almost all of Alan Moore's stuff, and one that you really need to take your time on to catch all the little nuances. Having said that, it's also a cracking murder mystery, so there's plenty to draw you into the story. Also, as someone who read Infinite Jest all the way through, I imagine you'll do okay. :)

But Infinite Jest took me how long? 8 or 9 months, I think.

I am still not hooked on HP yet. I think I will get there soon. I hope I do!

But Infinite Jest took me how long? 8 or 9 months, I think.

Lol - well, Watchmen shouldn't take you that long, I wouldn't think. I think it took me about four days on my initial read. There is a lot of playing around with superhero tropes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superhero_fiction#Common_plot_elements) in the work, so you may want take in a superhero movie or two before reading it if you're not familiar with the genre. Just a thought.

I am still not hooked on HP yet. I think I will get there soon. I hope I do!

Yeah, the Clarke novel I'm working on (The City and the Stars) is a bit of a slow starter, too. I imagine it will pick up eventually, though. :)

When are you going to read Rendezvous with Rama? Maybe I could read along with you.

>9 billiejean:

Probably not for a while, since I'm reading a Clarke novel now. July or August, maybe?

That would be great. Especially since I have gotten nowhere with Harry Potter. What is up with that? I am going to have to start making real progess or switch to a different book soon.

>11 billiejean:

What is up with that?

Sometimes you have to "require" yourself to read a certain amount each day (1-2 chapters, say) until the narrative picks up a little bit. That's what I've been doing with The City and the Stars.

Yes, that it what I should do. I have been reading only other books. I know that if I stick with it, soon I will be hooked.

Drowning in Harry Potter. Don't know why. I know I will get into it eventually, but I have switched to The Magician's Nephew, which is great fun. I need to finish a book already! :)

>14 billiejean:

It just happens sometimes. It's not at all unusual for me to start reading something that I've been waiting months (or years!) to read and then discover about 1/4 of the way in that I'm just not that into it at that particular time. You're probably much better off putting HP aside and waiting until the time is right to pick it back up again, imho.

Yeah, and I think I will finish The Magician's Nephew tonight!

Order of the Pheonix is so full of Harry's teenage anger, and probably the most unnecessarily long of the series, I think a lot of readers get bogged down the most in that one.

I've read The Magician's Nephew three times and still love it. Once as a kid, once as an adult who wanted a refresher, then a third time to my own kid.

I did not finish The Magician's Nephew until today, but I have at last finished one of the books on my list. This book was a lot of fun. I will continue with the series.

All of the temper tantrums are bogging me down. I think you hit the nail on the head. I have returned to it, but I agree that it is too long. After 300 pages I expected to be loving it.

>18 billiejean:

Hurray! :D

I kind of felt that way, too! :)

Still reading Harry Potter, but I am also starting The Screwtape Letters. I read my lists to my daughter, and she recommended that one.

Almost through with The Screwtape Letters. I hope to finish tonight. In the meantime, we have had snow!! At last!!

I'm in Northern Ontario; feel free to have some of ours!

The snow was lots of fun, but not enough for sledding. Thanks for the offer of your snow. I would love to have it. :)

I finished The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis, which was quite interesting. The letters were advice to a demon trying to gain a soul. I am becoming quite the C. S. Lewis fan.

I also read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, which is a mystery story written by an autistic teenager. This was also a great read.

I am still hanging in there with Harry Potter, having passed the halfway point. But also looking at the list for something else, too. My daughter recommended that I read the Cormac McCarthy book, so I am going to track it down. I am afraid that it might take me from HP again, but I will finish HP this year, I promise.

I finally got interested in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix when I reached about page 500, so I have put off the Cormac McCarthy book for now (plus I seemed to have misplaced it).

Still hanging in there with HP. There is hope. :) I would love to finish this before the end of March.

Stay strong, BJ. :)

Only 20 pages left!!!!

Drum roll, please! I finally, finally finished Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling. I actually did end up liking the book; however, I thought it was too long and could have used some editing. Only two more books left in the series to go.

I don't know which book I will read next. I noticed that I have not picked up On the Origin of Species, which I had promised myself I would read this year. But I need something easier after HP. I'm thinking either The Pursuit of Love or The Eagle of the Ninth. I was going to read The Crossing, but I seem to have temporarily misplaced it. I try to keep all of these challenge books together, but I must have moved it. Same with Life of Pi.

>28 billiejean:

Hurray! 8)

I have started The Eagle of the Ninth. I am still at the beginning, but it is lots shorter than Harry Potter.

Wow, I haven't made much progress in a while. I misplaced Eagle of the Ninth, but I still hope to get it read this year. I have started Rendezvous with Rama, which I am enjoying so far. I hope that this one will get me out of my slump! :) Especially since I am reading it with Art.

And I can tell that Darwin will not get read this year. Too much going on otherwise to focus on biology, which I always find challenging.

>31 billiejean:

I have started Rendezvous with Rama, which I am enjoying so far.

Yeah, me too. Actually had to force myself to put it aside for a while as I didn't want to get too far ahead before we start our discussion! :D

I have started Watchmen, which I know is well-liked. I am not sure what I think of it yet, as I am at the beginning. But this genre is not my favorite.

I have misplaced Eagle of the Ninth. I am wanting to finish that one soon.

Watchmen is one of the few graphic novels I've read, and lived up to its reputation. Do some background reading on its production values and you might appreciate it more as you go. Take your time perusing the visuals, there's value-added stuff in many of the frames.

I usually pick up interest as I go, but graphic novels just aren't my favorites. I am at the end of Chapter 1, so not too far in.

I have really fallen apart on all challenges this year. But the new year makes me optimistic, so I am hoping to do better next year!

I didn't do a whole lot better myself. Hard to predict on January 1st what's going to happen in the next 365 days.