SnowcatCradle: Here we go again...again!

Well, as the subject of the thread states, here I go again, again! This is my fourth year attempting the 75 book challenge and so far I have only succeeded once. However, I've found out along the way that the number of books I actually finish doesn't really matter to me. What I really love about this group is that it provides me with my own cheering section! And book recommendations....many book recommendations.

I would like to make a list of books to read this year and I will probably edit this thread accordingly, but this will do for now!

Happy New Year everyone and good luck!

The Ever Updated To-Read List:

1) Howard's End by E. M. Forster
2) Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
3) So Long, See You Tomorrow by William Maxwell
4) The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle
5) The Story of a Brief Marriage by Anuk Arudpragasam
6) Alive, Alive Oh! by Diana Athill
7) If On a Winter's Night A Traveller by Italo Calvino
8) Men Explain Things To Me by Rebecca Solnit

Currently Reading:

Good Bye to All That by Robert Graves

The Tally So Far!

January:
1. Sharpe's Tiger by Bernard Cornwell
2. Sharpe's Triumph by Bernard Cornwell
3. Sharpe's Fortress by Bernard Cornwell
4. Valiant Ambition by Nathaniel Philbrick
5. Autobiography of Red by Ann Carson
6. Sharpe's Trafalgar by Bernard Cornwell
7. Sharpe's Prey by Bernard Cornwell
8. Sharpe's Gold by Bernard Cornwell
9. Alive, Alive Oh! by Diana Athill
10. Rome, Inc. by Stanley Bing
11. A Man Without a Country by Kurt Vonnegut
12. How to Survive a Robot Uprising by Daniel H. Wilson
13. Sharpe's Rifles by Bernard Cornwell

February:
14. Sharpe's Havoc by Bernard Cornwell
15. The Girl Who Married a Lion by Alexander McCall Smith
16. Sharpe's Escape by Bernard Cornwell
17. The Mortifications by Derek Palacio
18. Sharpe's Fury by Bernard Cornwell

March:
19. Who Buries the Dead by C. S. Harris
20. Human Acts by Han Kang
21. Revenge: Eleven Dark Tales by Yoko Ogawa
22. When Falcons Fall by C.S. Harris
23. The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaSalle
24. 1776 by David McCullough
25. A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs
26. The Magicians by Lev Grossman
27. Sharpe's Battle by Bernard Cornwell
28. The Story of a Brief Marriage by Anuk Arundpragasm
29. First Family by Joseph Ellis
30. A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver
31. The Magician King by Lev Grossman
32. Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher
33. Sharpe's Company by Bernard Cornwell

April:
34. Sharpe's Skirmish by Bernard Cornwell
35. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
36. The Gates by John Connelly
37. Revolutionary Summer by Joseph J.Ellis
38. The Quartet by Joseph Ellis

May:
39. Sharpe's Sword by Bernard Cornwell
40. Undeniable by Bill Nye
41. Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz
42. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
43. If on a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino
44. Close to Shore by Michael Capuzzo
45. Most Blessed of the Patriarchs by Annette Gordon-Reed
46. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
47. Voluntary Madness by Norah Vincent

June:
48. Children of the New World by Alexander Weinstein
49.Forever Odd by Dean Koontz
50. Brother Odd by Dean Koontz

July:
51. Mr. Tall by Tony Earley
52. The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher by Hillary Mantel

August:
53. Black Hole Blues by Janna Levin
54. God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut

September:
55. Abuse of Language- Abuse of Power by Josef Pieper
56. Goodbye To All That by Robert Graves
57. American Vignettes by John I. White

October:
58. Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut

November:
59. Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy by Karen Abbott
60. Gorgias by Plato
61. Cannibalism by Bill Schutt

December:
62. Hadriana in All My Dreams by Rene Depestre
63. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
64. The Defense by Vladimir Nabokov

Happy reading in 2017, Kaitlyn!

Happy reading! Loved Sharpe in his Sean Bean incarnation...

>2 FAMeulstee: Thanks!

>3 charl08: I actually found out about this series from my boss, who mentioned the movies (mini-series?) to me at work because she knows I'm obsessed with these sorts of things. I'm excited to watch them! Right now I have the Sharpe's Eagle dvd out from the library.

Checking in to see what you are reading.

I am part of the group.
I love being part of the group.
I love the friendships bestowed upon my by dint of my membership of this wonderful fellowship.
I love that race and creed and gender and age and sexuality and nationality make absolutely no difference to our being a valued member of the group.

Thank you for also being part of the group.

1) Sharpe's Tiger by Bernard Cornwell

The first (chronologically) in this historical fiction series. Like many book series I actually already read the first book published in the series which takes place many years later. Still loved this read though! I am beginning to sense that this series may develop into a Horatio Hornblower level obsession...

With that in mind... I would like to apologize to all of the other books that thought they would be finished this year. Sorry!

Welcome back! Glad your first was a good one.

I've really liked all of the Cornwell that I've read, but I've never tried his Sharpe series. Someday, maybe.
And oooh, Madame Bovary - one of my favorites from my university days - I hope you love it when you get to it!

>9 scaifea: I've heard amazing things about Madame Bovary! I recently saw a friend who is OBSESSED and has read it several times. He gave me the impression that my life is incomplete because I haven't read it yet. He was so emphatic that he got me "the best translation" he could find for Christmas. He can read in French, but I've got to settle!

You should definitely give the Sharpe series a shot, so far I've found them very enjoyable!

2) Sharpe's Triumph by Bernard Cornwell

My most recent foray into the Richard Sharpe series. I am still enjoying them immensely and expect to continue reading them at a rapid rate for the rest of the month!

3) Sharpe's Fortress by Bernard Cornwell

My next conquest in the long list of Sharpe books that I still need to read!

4. Valiant Ambition by Nathaniel Philbrick

Just another Rev War history book, no big deal. I listened to this one in the car! Which was fantastic until I realized it was 13 1/2 hours long and I drive that much...

A fantastic book that I would certainly recommend! An interesting take on Washington that I enjoyed when juxtaposed with Joseph Ellis's His Excellency. Also the first biography of any kind that I've read about Benedict Arnold, definitely something for anyone with a Rev War interest to check out!

5. Autobiography of Red by Ann Carson

I don't think I've ever read anything quite like this in all my life. This story is beautiful and tragic and carries all of the lovely elements of magical realism that so often bring joy to my every day. The parallels drawn to Greek myth certainly don't hurt! If you aren't intimidated by a novel in verse, please give this a read!

I am a huge fan of the Sharpe books and Bernard Cornwell in general. That man writes the best battle scenes ever.

>15 Fourpawz2: I just read his take on Trafalgar! Fantastic! The battle scenes are really what make these books such page turners!

6. Sharpe's Trafalgar by Bernard Cornwell

I really should have titled this thread "Kaitlyn Reads Bernard Cornwell All Year"... Another great addition to the Richard Sharpe series!

7. Sharpe's Prey by Bernard Cornwell

Unless one of these stands out as exceptionally wonderful or unpredictably terrible I am going to keep comments to a minimum... It seems obvious that I enjoy them!

I also added many books to my "To Read" List... none of which I am currently reading... classic...

8. Sharpe's Gold by Bernard Cornwell

I swear... I only read this because the library pulled it out of storage for me and it had to go back today...

9. Alive, Alive Oh! by Diana Athill

Saw this on a NPR list of great books and thought I should check it out. Very much worth it. There are certainly some gems here!

10. Rome, Inc. by Stanley Bing

A fantastic brief history of the Roman Empire through the lens of a multi-national corporation. Funny and relevant, I loved this one!

11. A Man Without a Country by Kurt Vonnegut

Also fantastically relevant! This will certainly lead to some more Vonnegut later this year!

12. How to Survive a Robot Uprising by Daniel H. Wilson

Very funny and yet also full of very interesting info! I loved it.

>21 SnowcatCradle: I am curious about A man without a country, Kaitlyn, I hope to get it from the library next week.

>23 FAMeulstee: It is a marvelous read, particularly if you have read other works by Vonnegut and enjoyed them. It is really more of a collection of essays rather than anything else. And he tackles contemporary (as of 2003, I believe) issues with his typical Vonnegut flair. I loved it, but I seldom dislike anything he writes.

13. Sharpe's Rifles by Bernard Cornwell

Another one bites the dust!

I've been super busy this past week or so, but I have managed some light reading throughout. So far this month:

14. Sharpe's Havoc by Bernard Cornwell
15. The Girl Who Married a Lion by Alexander McCall Smith
16. Sharpe's Escape by Bernard Cornwell

As you can see, the Sharpe series is still dominating my reading, but I am putting some honest effort into trying to read other things as well!!!

>25 SnowcatCradle: I just finished A man without a country, Kaitlyn, and liked it very much. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!

>27 FAMeulstee: I'm glad to hear you liked it! I found it just as enjoyable as most Vonnegut and twice as timely!

17. The Mortifications by Derek Palacio

Just finished this one that I got from Early Reviewers. I enjoyed it quite a bit, even though it took me quite a while to really get into it.

If you enjoy elements of magical realism and immigrant narratives this might interest you. Just don't read this book if you are easily depressed!!

18. Sharpe's Fury by Bernard Cornwell

19. Who Buries the Dead by C. S. Harris

20. Human Acts by Han Kang

All great! Two are part of the series that I've bee reading and one was an Early Reviewer book. You can find my review for that one on its page. All I can say here is that it was amazing and it broke me. Highly recommend.

21. Revenge: Eleven Dark Tales by Yoko Ogawa

Amazing read! Beautifully simple and definitely disturbing in the best of ways. I would highly recommend this one!!!

22. When Falcons Fall by C.S. Harris

The latest installment in the Sebastian St. Cyr series... which means that I will probably have to wait a year (if not more) before the next one comes out. This whole unfinished series ting is always such a bummer!

23. The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaSalle

24. 1776 by David McCullough

25. A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Two very different reads here. I will be honest, I expected to like 1776 more than I did. I just think that I've been reading a lot of Revolutionary War histories lately and this one is so often recommended, maybe I was just expecting more than I should have.

A Princess of Mars was just as lovely as I was anticipating. Very similar to his other stuff, with all of its not-so-subtle racist undertones, but as long as you go into it knowing what to expect it is still quite a good read.

26. The Magicians b Lev Grossman

Fantastic fun. And gritty. An terrifying. And angsty. And fun.

27. Sharpe's Battle by Bernard Cornwell

The latest in the series!

28. The Story of a Brief Marriage by Anuk Arundpragasm

This book broke me. It is beautiful and devastatingly tragic. Hard to believe that this is a first novel. Definitely a must read and, at under 200 pages, a short one.

Some really varied reading around the adventures of Sharpe, Kaitlyn.

Have a great weekend.

>37 PaulCranswick: Thanks!! I am trying for some variation at least!

29. First Family by Joseph Ellis

My history audio book of the month and another President's biography after my rather frightening obsession with George Washington. This book is wonderfully researched and written, the heavy emphasis on their correspondence lends itself to an emotional rollercoaster. A great combination of political history and beautiful love story. If you are even a little interested in this time period you should give it a try. If you usually read romance novels, it won't disappoint in that department either.

30. A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver

This is a re-read of one of my favorite collections of Oliver's poetry. It was too sunny and warm NOT to read it.

31. The Magician King by Lev Grossman

The second in Grossman's fantasy trilogy. I enjoyed it, though not nearly as much as the first book. Though it certainly feels a bit rushed, it hasn't put me off. I just got the final book in the trilogy, The Magician's Land, and I am looking forward to starting it in the next couple of days.

32. Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher

A fantastic book of droll humor and blinding honesty. I loved this book, particularly because most members of my family struggle with, or have struggled with addiction and mental illness. This is a marvelously joyous read even when it seems melancholy.

33. Sharpe's Company by Bernard Cornwell

You thought I was done with these? HA!

34. Sharpe's Skirmish by Bernard Cornwell

Another in the Sharpe series, to be honest this is a short one I'm really just thinking of it as half a book.

35. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

This book broke me emotionally. I have never felt so ignorant, angry, and complicit in my entire life. I don't have the words to recommend this one, but if you haven't read it yet you need to.

36. The Gates by John Connelly

A fun young adult fiction that is not nearly as young as it seems. I enjoyed it, but I'm not sure if I will end up reading the other books in the series.

37. Revolutionary Summer by Joseph J.Ellis

ANOTHER Revolutionary War history, because I can't help myself and I have a problem.

38. The Quartet by Joseph Ellis

See previous comment. In my defense! This one is about the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution. Which makes it different!

>42 SnowcatCradle: I almost felt the same after reading Between the world and me, Kaitlyn, and forgot to tell you that I have read A man without a country thanks to you.

>43 FAMeulstee: I'm glad to hear that I am not the only one who felt that way after reading that book and I hope you enjoyed the Vonnegut!

39. Sharpe's Sword by Bernard Cornwell

I can't stop...

>44 SnowcatCradle: Yes, I did enjoy Vonnegut, it was the second book by him that I read.

40. Undeniable by Bill Nye

I read this after seeing him give a talk at the University of Delaware. Although it was a fun book, with some good science info, most of the content was more persuasive than enlightening. Still a good read if you aren't too up to date on some of the more recent findings!

41. Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz

I picked this up because I needed a new audio book for the car and they didn't have any exciting history books in! I enjoyed it quite a bit, although I thought at one point that the near constant use of simile was going to drive me mad...

42. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

I have been looking at this book for ages now and I kept putting off reading it. I'm glad I finally picked it up! This book is inspirational and moving. I would certainly recommend it.

43. If on a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino

I have read some really fantastic books this year, so I am hesitant to say that this is my favorite read so far. However, if it isn't it is definitely in the top three. I loved everything about this book and devoured it in no time. What reader doesn't love a book about reading?

>43 FAMeulstee: I loved If on a Winter's Night a Traveler. As you said, who doesn't love a book on reading?

44. Close to Shore by Michael Capuzzo

45. Most Blessed of the Patriarchs by Annette Gordon-Reed

Two history books here! One about the New Jersey/New York shark attacks of 1916 and one about Thomas Jefferson. I was impressed by the first and vaguely disappointed by the second.

46. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

A fantastically twisted sci-fi love story. I certainly recommend it even if, like me, you have a love-hate relationship with quantum physics.

47. Voluntary Madness by Norah Vincent

An interesting look at the good and the bad of mental institutions.

I'll be honest, between work and travel I have completely forgotten to keep track of my reading these last couple of months.... I don't THINK I'm forgetting anything, but it is entirely possible.

These are the few that I can remember vividly!

48. Children of the New World by Alexander Weinstein

This sort of follows the earlier sci-fi kick started by Dark Matter earlier in the year. A lovely (and often uncomfortably close to home) collection of short stories that carry the reader into the future of our world as technology continues to advance. I loved it and would definately recommend it highly!

49. Forever Odd by Dean Koontz

The second book in the Odd Thomas series that I convinced myself I wasn't going to read. I so loved how the first one ended that I didn't really want to pick up another one, but sure enough, here I am adding it to the list.

50. Brother Odd by Dean Koontz

And if that wasn't enough.... I went on to read the third one as well! Not as good as the others, so I think I'm satisfied to leave the rest of the series to my imagination!

51. Mr. Tall by Tony Earley

If you haven't read this yet, go to you local library and pick it up ASAP. I have been reading many short story collections this year, but I have no problem saying that this was probably my favorite, or at least a tie between this and Revenge.

I won't risk saying too much and ruining it, so just head on out and find out for yourself why this collection was so incredible!

Here's hoping I can manage to keep better track of my reading for the rest of the year!

52. The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher by Hilary Mantel

A delightfully dark collection of short stories full of unreliable narrators and twists like you can't imagine. Loved them!