GeorgiaDawn's 2008 Challenge

I'm going to keep my 2008 challenge at 50 books even though I read more during 2007. I have a few classes I need to take and that will take up alot of my time. I also want to reread The Bible and I will not include that in my 50 Book Challenge.

I say that you should include the Bible in your challenge. Its a book after all so it should count. =)

Good luck with your goal!

Thanks, Irisheyz77! I will post what I've read here so I keep a record, but I intend to read at least 50 books in addition to The Bible. Maybe I should just say 51 books. :)

I've been so slow reading so far. I'm not sure where the time has gone the last few days, but I certainly haven't been reading much!

1) Christmas Jars by Jason F. Wright, 122 pages. This is not a book I would normally read; I read it for a RL book club.

I can't believe I'm just now listing my second book! I have got to find more time.

2) Rhett Butler's People by Donald McCaig, 498 pages

Total pages = 620 pages

What did you think of Rhett Butler's People? I enjoyed it - more than I thought I would. Though I was disappointed in McCaig's depiction of Scarlett.

I agree with you! Scarlett was spoiled and certainly self-centered, but I never thought she was heartless. McCaig's Scarlett is too hard; no feelings at all.

I found you! I've looking for your list for 2008, and at last I've succeeded!

This book is one I want to read too. Did you ever read Scarlett? (Touchstone's not working on that one!) It was horrendous!! I've not had high hopes as a result.

I did read Scarlett. Very disappointing! Rhett Butler's People is much better! I hate to post a spoiler here, but it may help you to decide whether to read about Rhett or not. The new novel completely ignores Scarlett.

I'm starting an online class today so my reading may suffer for a few weeks. Don't you hate that!

3. Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson, 308 pages

I loved this book!

It's January 21 and I've listed three books. **hanging my head in shame**

What are you talking about? You're doing great!

Don't do that! Wasn't Alcatraz wonderful?
I'm glad to know that the Rhett Butler's People totally ignored Scarlett. Very smart move on their part!

Ahh....thanks mrstreme and princess! I'm just kidding; I've been really busy lately.

I'm not making any progress in my TBR pile. I keep finding books to add to it!

Sometimes you just read more than others. I know I only read 4 books last January and February, each, but other months it was 9 or 10 books. It's supposed to be fun--after a while of reading less, it is fun to immerse yourself in a bunch of reading.

4. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 368 pages

Total Pages = 1296 pages

**edited to add number of pages**

What did you think of this book? I haven't read any of Marquez's stuff, and I was wondering if he was worth "the hype." =)

I really liked One Hundred Years of Solitude but I couldn't get into Love in the Time of Cholera at all.

I rated Love in the Time of Cholera with 3 starts and that's probably too generous. I read it for a real life book club. I was not impressed at all. :(

4 books by the end of January isn't too far off track. 4 books a month is 48 per year. Are you going to keep us informed of your progress through the Bible? Are you just reading straight through from Genesis to Revelation?

#19 - Robertgreaves - I'm reading in the Old Testament and in the New Testament each day. My husband and I are reading it together. I will post my progress! We've really just started; I'll start posting my progress over the weekend.

I'm not worried about the 50 books. I teach and do most of my reading in the summer. I read 98 last year. :)

5. The Translator: A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur by Daoud Hari, 200 pages

This was an Early Reviewer book and it was amazing!

I am SO glad to hear that you liked The Translator - it's my next book to read!

mrstreme - It's a wonderful book even though the subject matter is very, very sad. After reading the book, I immediately went to the website on the back of the book to learn more about what is happening in the efforts to help the people of Darfur. Read it soon!!

6. The 13th Reality: The Journal of Curious Letters by James Dashner, 428 pages.

Total Pages = 1924

7. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult, 464 pages.

Total pages = 2388

8. Understanding Adolescents by Sonya Jodoin, 120 pages (This was an online class that I took. Each lessons consisted of at least 10 pages written by Sonya Jodoin. The lessons also contained many additional articles and references to read. I am counting the reading portions of the lessons themselves, but not the additional reading. This has cut into my pleasure reading so much that I think it deserves a place on my list! I have two more classes to go and I'll be listing those as well.)

Total pages = 2508

What did you think of Nineteen Minutes?

I read it when it first came out and I enjoyed it. One of her better books of the last few years. For me, I think that she hit a slump after My Sister's Keeper.

I did like Nineteen Minutes even though the subject matter is incredibly sad. I've only read one other book by Jodi Picoult, The Pact. Would you recommend My Sister's Keeper?

You can't go wrong with My Sister's Keeper if you like Picoult books. =)

Thanks, mrstreme. I checked it out today!

For my part I wouldn't recomend My Sister's Keeper. Its my least favorite of Picoult's.

Thanks, Irish! I'm going to give it a try. I'll be sure and let you know!

Irisheyz77 - without giving out too much, was it the ending that turned you off?

GA Dawn - I have friends who have thrown the book across the room in total disgust at the ending. I think it's a hallmark of a good writer if she can evoke such a strong reaction from her reader, but I can understand the other perspective too.

LOL, this will all make sense after you read the book! =)

32 mrstreme

I haven't read any of Picoult's books, so this is in no way referring to her, but I have read emotionally manipulative books, and books with endings that were unsatisfying or didn't fit with the rest of the book to the degree that I felt like doing what your friends did. I don't think evoking a strong reaction (particularly that kind of reaction) necessarily means one is a good writer.

#33 bluesalamanders - a great point. If you feel emotionally manipulated, then I can definitely understand the frustration.

Okay, now you realize that I have to read the book to see what happens! I was not happy with the ending of Nineteen Minutes. But then again, I'm not sure any ending would have been satisfying.

@32 msrtreme - i'll leave you a private comment on my thoughts about MSK. I wouldn't want to give anything away.

I'm with Blue. I think that in many ways Picoult was being manipulative in this book. MSK is my least favorite by hers partly for that reason. Vanishing Acts was better but for me was still missing that special something that I felt in some of her earlier books. I STILL haven't gotten around to reading Tenth Circle yet. I tried when I fist got it and it didn't suck me in so I put it aside. Nineteen Minutes I really liked. Its not my favorite but it gripped me like her earlier novels did. The ending wasn't perfect, but it wasn't horrible either. I'll have to pick up her newest soon and see how that one goes.

Thanks, Irisheyz77, for the message. =) I have only read My Sister's Keeper and Nineteen Minutes, so I appreciate reading your other recommendations. I figure it's better to read Picoult sporatically, so it's time to check another books of hers soon. I am intrigued by her latest release too.

The Pact was my first Picoult and I loved it. That book has a sort of sequel in Salem Falls. Both The Pact and Salem Falls have the same lawyer in it as My Sister's Keeper. I think that Picture Perfect is my favorite. I also enjoyed Songs of the Humpback Whale - that is a story in 5 parts. Each of the main characters tell the same story but each start from different points, which I found enjoyable. Another one that I enjoyed was Plain Truth....and the character Ian Fleming that is featured in her newest book got his start in Keeping Faith so you might want to read that one first in order to get a feel for him. Its also a good story. Speaking of recurring characters, the cop that was in Nineteen Minutes got his start in Perfect Match - which was another good story. =)

Wow, I totally learned something new. I didn't know she reused her characters for different stories. Very cool!

I've read My Sister's Keeper, and I can understand why someone would throw it across the room in the end! Until the very end, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I recently read The Pact and enjoyed it. One of the 6 books I'm currently reading is Plain Truth. It's interesting to me, especially since I have an interest in the Amish.

If you have an interest in the Amish hobbitprincess you should definatly visit Amish country in Lancaster County, PA. =) Lots of things to learn and people to meet.

mstreme - I like how she reuses some of her characters. Kind of adds a little bit of realism to her stories. =)

I've driven through and stopped at one store, but I didn't stay long. Knowing what I know about the Amish, I was actually very uncomfortable there because I didn't want to intrude on their privacy. The area is sure beautiful. I have friends whose backgrounds are Amish and Mennonite, but they are related to people in Indiana rather than PA.

My godmothers husband's father was raised as a menonite. So it was always educational to talk to him and learn why he decided to leave the church and stuff like that.

There are also lots of places in Lancaster County in which you can learn about the Amish and see how they live without intruding on the actual Amish themselves. Altough if you do run into them in a store they are usually very friendly as long as you aren't all agressive. Not that I think you would be or anything, but I'm sure you know the sort of people that I mean.

It is a beautiful area around there. Filled with lots of history. Not to mention the Hershey Factory which is right in Harrisberg. mmm....chocolate. lol

Now I'm really curious about Picoult, if a bit wary... For my part, I had a very strong reaction to burn Ursula Hegi's Vision of Emma Blau--I only threw it across the room though. I'm not sure that's the reaction many authors would go for even above ambivilence, but perhaps. And yes, it was due to drastic emotional manipulation.

Okay, okay! Now I simply MUST read all of Picoult's books. I can't help it; it's not my fault that I must read more! :)

She's a good author Georgia. Even even when I don't agree with the storyline I still think that her books are beautifully written. =)

I just finished Plain Truth. Great book! I didn't want to throw it across the room the way I did My Sister's Keeper.

Maybe we can visit Lancaster again one day. I hope so!

JP has been starting to repeat some her characters with each new book...so I won't be surprised to see a return to the peeps in Lancaster.

9. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult, 448 pages

10. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, 224 pages

Total Pages = 3180

What did you think of MSK? and Into the Wild? That one is one my tbr list.

Yes, inquiring minds want to know your thoughts about the Picoult book! =)

I liked MSK, but hated the ending! I can't believe the way it ended!! Picoult has a gift for making me very upset! :) I will read more of her books.

I was disappointed in Into the Wild. After reading it, I watched the movie and did a bit of research. The disappointment came more after the research and the questions about the realiabilty of the information. :(

LOL. I don't think you're alone in hating the ending of MSK. I didn't enjoy the ending per se, but I thought the book was good. If that makes any sense.

mrstreme - That makes perfect sense!

I thought the book was good, and the ending was kind of interesting, but it was so manipulative that I find myself not wanting to read any more Picoult.

> 53 Georgia Dawn, I felt the same distrust of the narrator (author) in Into the Wild. I read some of the books by others who were on Everest at the time, including The Climb by Boukreev and Left for Dead by Beck Weathers. These led to a large Everest TBR list that I'm only partway through.

#56 ktruh - Of course now I have to add those to my TBR list. Why did you twist my arm like that? :)

#11. Solving Classroom Discipline Problems by James Thompson, 125 pages (See message 25 for the blurb about the on-line class. This is another one!)

#12 - The Awakening by Kate Chopin, 116 pages

Total pages = 3421

#13 A Painted House by John Grisham, 400 pages

Total Pages = 3821

#14 Duma Key by Stephen King, 592 pages

#15 Playing with the Grown-ups by Sophie Dahl, 269 pages

#16 Forrest Gump by Winston Groom, 228 pages

Total Pages = 4910

#17 Weird Georgia by Jim Miles, 249 pages

This was a fun book!

Total Pages = 5159

#18 2012: The War for Souls by Whitley Strieber, 319 pages

Total Pages = 5478

This is going much slower than last year. I'll catch up over the summer!

My reading graph tells me I should finish what I did last year, but I don't know. I seem to be reading much slower these days! Teaching literature has helped my numbers, though, thankfully!

I'll have to check out Weird Georgia. I've seen it in the bookstores but just never bought it. Since I am sure I'll be teaching 8th grade again next year, it just might come in handy.

It was really fun to read. I'm not sure about everything in there, but it was still fun!

I'm not reading near as fast as I was last year! I'll catch up this summer!

#19 Breaking Free: My Life With Dissociative Identity Disorder by Herschel Walker, 256 pages.

Total pages = 5734

#20 The N Word: Who Can Say it, Who Shouldn't, and Why by Jabari Asim, 257 pages.

Total pages = 5991

#21 The Bad Seed by William March, 217 pages.

I have loved the movie for years. The book is just as great!

Total Pages = 6208

#22 Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson, 413 pages.

I finished several books lately that I had started and put aside. Whew! My total is growing!

Total pages = 6621

#23 The Husband by Dean Koontz, 400 pages.

Total Page = 7021

What do you think of Maximum Ride? My sister recommended that book (series? is it a series?) to me, but I haven't gotten around to reading it yet.

Hey, Blue! It is a series with several books included. I've only read the first one and I enjoyed it. It's a very quick read.

#24 The Hours by Michael Cunningham, 230 pages

Total Pages = 7251

#25 All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, 408 pages

I read this in 2007, too! We have used the book in two World History classes so I read it again to refresh my memory.

#26 Differentiated Instruction in The Classroom by Tracey Birch, 109 pages (Like two others mentioned above, this was for an online class I took. I'm counting because it is reading!)

Total Page = 7768

I'm halfway there!

#27 The Day the Martians Came by Frederik Pohl, 248 pages

#28 Night Fall by Nelson Demille, 496 pages

Total Pages = 8512 pages

#29 Time Bandit by Andy Hillstrand, 230 pages

#30 A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest J. Gaines, 214 pages

Total pages = 8956 pages

#31 Sideways Stories From Wayside School by Louis Sachar, 118 pages
My 9 year old nephew told me I "must read this book". It was cute!

#32 Kiln People by David Brin, 460 pages

Total Pages = 9534

#33 The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer, 267 pages

Oh, what did you think, Georgia? The Supernaturalist is high up on my tbr list.

Hey, Blue! I enjoyed the book, it was a quick, easy read. I think you'll enjoy it!

#34 Frankenstein: Prodigal Son by Dean Koontz, 467 pages

You're doing a lot more reading than I am! even though summer's here, I still keep finding other things to do (like rearrange my books and put in two new bookshelves!).

What did you think of #20 on your list? Is it something you would recommend that I read?

#20 was okay, but not really what I expected. I had to work to stay interested. I agreed with some of the book and disagreed with others. I think it would be worth looking at, but a good skimming might be enough. :)

My total pages are no where near yours! I'm reading The Pillars of the Earth now. That should help my page count!

#35 Angels and Demons by Dan Brown, 736 pages

Total Pages = 11004 (Wow, I'm over 10,000!)

#36 Christ the Lord Out of Egypt by Anne Rice, 336 pages

I was disappointed in this book. I had started it several months and finally finished.

Total Pages = 11340

#37 The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, 991 pages.
Whew! I loved this book, but I'm glad I can now move on to something else!

Total Pages = 12331

#38 Invasion of the Body Snatchers by Jack Finney, 216 pages

This movie is one of my favorites so I had to read the book. The movie is better. Maybe that's because I love old scifi/horror movies.

#39 Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott, 270 pages

I had started this particular book and put it down. I finally had the chance to finish it.

Total Pages = 13033

#40 Father and Son by Larry Brown, 347 pages

I read this book for a group read in the Deep South group. It is a very good book, but also deeply disturbing.

Total Pages = 13380

#41 Can You See What I See? The Night Before Christmas by Walter Wick, 32 pages

I'm counting this one because I just spent 2 hours helping my nephew find these little, itty, bitty things inside pictures. My eyes are crossing!

Total Pages = 13412

#42 The Great Good Thing by Roderick Townley, 216 pages

This was a great book! I wonder how many children go to sleep wondering if the characters in their books are joining them in their dreams.

Total Pages = 13628

You are definitely ahead of me now! Painting at my brother's has cut into my reading time in a serious way. I loved Pillars of the Earth too and want to read World Without End eventually. Someday!

I will definitely read World Without End, but I had to take a break!

#43 A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole, 416 pages

Total Pages = 14044

#44 Nightfall by Isaac Asimov and Robert Silverberg, 339 pages

Total Pages = 14383

#45 A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George, 305 pages

#46 World War Z by Max Brooks, 342 pages

Total Pages = 15030

You must be out of school because you're knocking these books out! =)

GD: What did you think of Nightfall? I read it a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. And how about World War Z? My BFF keeps bugging me to read it and I just haven't gotten around to it - what did you think of it?

mrstreme - Yep, I'm out of school and LOTS of time on my hands. It's a blessing and a curse.

scaifea - I loved Nightfall! I read it several years ago and decided to read it again. I was not disappointed.

I really liked World War Z. I would recommend the book and the audio version. The audio version is read by author Max Brooks, Carl Reiner, Alan Alda, Mark Hamill, Henry Rollins, John Turturro, Rob Reiner, and others. I was hooked from the very first!

Did you like A Great Deliverance? I have such a soft spot for Havers. Of course, Lynley is wonderful too . . .

Hello, Princess! I did like it, very much. It certainly had a surprise ending! I've requested the next one from the library.

#47 The Road by Cormac McCarthy, 241 pages

Total Pages = 15271

#48 The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier, 272 pages

Total Pages = 15543

#49 Infected by Scott Sigler, 342 pages

Total Pages = 15885

Now, what will be number 50?? And to think that I was worried at the beginning of the year. For some reason, I feel this great pressure when I set goals. I must get it done as soon as possible even though I have plenty of time. I guess I should join the 75 Book Challenge. No! Too much pressure!! I wouldn't sleep until I had read 75 books.

You can't leave the 50 Book group - I would miss your posts! =) Congrats on reaching your goals!

Thanks! I'm not leaving; that would be way too much pressure! I'll just keep reading! :)

#50 Velcoity by Dean Koontz, 496 pages

Total Pages = 16381

#51 And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, 228 pages

Total Pages = 16609

This was a fun, quick read.

#52 Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn, 205 pages

Total Pages = 16814

#53 The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke, 352 pages

#54 First Boy by Gary Schmidt, 224 pages

How did you like The Thief Lord? I picked that up once, but I only got about halfway through.

I liked it, but the ending was disappointing. I did struggle with it at first.

#55 Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters, 472 pages

Total pages = 17862

#56 First Daughter by Eric Van Lustbader, 400 pages.

Total pages = 18262

#57 Sweetsmoke by David Fuller, 310 pages

#58 Geek Chic: The Zoey Zone by Margie Palatini, 186 pages

ETA - number of pages

#59 The American Boy's Handy Book by Daniel C. Beard, 298 pages

#60 The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell, by 254 pages

#61 When We Were Romans by Matthew Kneale, 224 pages

Total pages = 19,534

I've had a touch of insomnia lately. Can you tell? Numbers 56 and 58-61 have all come as ARCs from Shelf Awareness. It's amazing! I love getting free books! I have a three others waiting to be read and reviewed.

#62 The Host by Stephanie Meyer, 624 pages

#63 Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt, 192 pages

I have When We Were Romans on my book shelf. Did you like it?

I gave it 3 out of 5 stars. There were parts of it that I liked, but overall I was not thrilled with the book. Most of the ratings here on LT are higher than my 3. I'd love to know what you think when you read it.

Another reviewer (I can't remember who) was lukewarm about it. I will have to check it out - at least it looks like a short book. =)

#64 Flight: A Novel by Sherman Alexie

I loved this book! I almost put it down after the first few pages; I'm so glad I didn't.

#65 Griffin & Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence by Nick Bantock

#66 Sabine's Notebook by Nick Bantock

So what do you think of the Griffin and Sabine books?

I love the Griffin & Sabine books! I am borrowing them from the library; I placed an ILL request today for the remaining four.

#67 Song Yet Sung by James McBride

I love this book! It deals with the evils of slavery from several very different points of view.

I'm finishing up teaching And Then There Were None. Christie is a great author to teach because the kids generally love the books.

I loved Griffin and Sabine too! Can you believe someone would give those books away?? I'll have to see if the library has the others. With the Pines system, I should be able to get them somewhere.

I just bought Host and hope to read it soon, but I need to read the Early Reviewer's book I got first, Any Given Doomsday. I'm going to start on it today.

I have Any Given Doomsday, too! I have a paper due Tuesday night so I'll be working on it. I hope to finish it Saturday and reward myself by reading all Sunday afternoon!

126 hobbitprincess
I adore the Griffin and Sabine books, but I talked to someone who disliked them so much that she 'gave them to her son to cut up the pretty pictures'. Not kidding. *cringes*

Wow, she felt it was not even worth giving away. I don't think I have ever felt that way about a book.

Right now I'm borrowing the books from the library, but I want to purchase them. I got the next three today!

#68 New Moon by Stephanie Meyer

I can't believe I forgot to list this book! I finished it a few weeks ago.

Fifty isn't very many for a whole year, one of us voracious readers me. But this year I'm a little slower than usual. So much to do that keeps me from my books. But I did buy The Secret Magdalene by Ki Longfellow and finished it this week. One of my biggest most important reads ever.

#69 Any Given Doomsday by Lori Handeland

#70 The Golden Mean: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Concludes by Nick Bantock

#71 Education of the Gifted and Talented by Gary A. Davis and Sylvia B. Rimm, 534 pages

I've been reading this for a class I'm taking. I'm glad I finished it!

koodos to u, georgia

Thanks, superpablo!

#72 The Gryphon: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine is Rediscovered by Nick Bantock

#73 A Rose for Emily by William Faulker

This copy contained several essays concerning the short story. The opinions were fasinating. I'm finding that I enjoy Faulker's works more and more.

#74 Alexandria: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Unfolds by Nick Bantock

#75 The Morning Star: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffn & Sabine is Illuminated by Nick Bantock

#76 Tall Betsy and Dunce Baby: South Georgia Folktales by Nariella Glenn Hartsfield

This was fun to read and many of the stories were just in time for Halloween.

What did you think of the latter Griffin and Sabine books? Much as I love the art and style of them all, the first three will always be my favorites.

Also, I recommend The Venetian's Wife by the same author.

I agree that the first three are by far the best. The later three got a little weird. I will definitely take a look at The Venetian's Wife. Thanks!

#77 Octavian Nothing by M.T. Anderson

Hmmm it looks like you were visited by a bored grade school kid. I've flagged them and hope others do too.

I always check your thread--since our tastes on the Netflix friends lists is so similar, I always think you must be reading something interesting, too!

I haven't checked this thread in a few days. Thanks for helping to flag my visitor. :)

Thanks, streamsong! I really wish I had more time to read. I'm a little frustrated because I spent a fair amount of time trying to read The Eye of the World; I finally gave up. After getting half the way through it, I was still struggling to read it. I may it back up later.

#78 Sunrise by Jacquelyn Cook
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It's an innocent view of love and life in Georgia before and during the Civil War. It was fun reading about cities, small towns, and even streets that I'm very familiar with.

Now for a book more like what I usually read. I'm going to reread Carrie for a group read. :)

#79 The Day the Tripods Came by John Christopher

#80 Here Be Dragons: Tales of DragonCon edited by Bill Fawcett

#81 World Without End by Ken Follett

This book was absolutely amazing! I hated to see it end.

#82 Mudbound by Hillary Jordan

This book was remarkable. I hope to see more books from Jordan!

I enjoyed my last two books so much that I'm afraid my next will pale in comparison. I know that's not fair, but it's true!

#83 The Venetian's Wife: A Strangely Sensual Tale of a Renaissance Explorer, a Computer, and a Metamorphosis by Nick Bantock

#84 Carrie by Stephen King

What did you think of The Venetian's Wife?

I have Mudbound on my bookshelf. I must get to it soon!

blue - I liked The Venetian's Wife, but I wanted it to move along faster. It was a very interesting plot. Thanks for recommending it!

mrstreme - Mudbound is a quick read, but very good. Get to it soon!

#85 The Dead and Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer

I love this series. It's sad is so many ways, but I like the way Pfeffer dealt with a worldwide tragedy.

#86 The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent

#87 Three Act Tragedy by Agatha Christie

What did you think of The Heretic's Daughter? I've read some excellent reviews about this book.

I really struggled with it. I think it is a great story, it just took forever to get to the story! There is alot of detail at the beginning that really didn't play an important part in my opinion. I really wanted this to be a great book! I will probably reread it when I'm not so busy and I may not be as critical.

Maybe a great book for the less-hurried times of our life? And when exactly is that? =) LOL!

When you find those unhurried times, please let me know! I want to borrow some from you! :)

#88 Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

I really, really wanted to like this book. It's okay, but just okay.

Oh, I enjoyed it, though I did find it a bit confusing at first and difficult to get my bearings with the different time frames. Actually it was the first one of hers I've read since the early 1980s when I read The Handmaid's Tale, another dystopia.

I loved The Handmaid's Tale; I've read it several times. There was something about Oryx and Crake that turned me off to it and I can't really put my finger on it. I may revisit the book another time.

Don't feel bad - I couldn't get into Oryx and Crake either. I loved The Handmaid's Tale too, but something about Oryx was very unapproachable to me. Maybe it was the weird animal names. =)

Oryx and Crake was so depressing! The Handmaid's Tale wasn't exactly a comedy, but there was hope.

I'm glad I'm not the only one! :)

#89 Salem's Lot by Stephen King

#90 The Shinning by Stephen King

I reading through King's books in the order of publication for the King's Constant Reader's group. I love rereading these books! The Stand is next.

#89 Salem's Lot by Stephen King

#90 The Shinning by Stephen King

I reading through King's books in the order of publication for the King's Constant Reader's group. I love rereading these books!

I remember reading Pet Semetary and it scaring the poop out of me. =) Enjoy - he's such a great writer. Have you read his writing memoir, On Writing? Highly recommended.

Yes, I have read On Writing. It's very good!

Hey! It's interesting that you're reading King. My brother, who has moved into his new house and is getting settled in, has shelves of King's books. We were talking about them the other day, and I've decided I might have to try some of them soon, once this award committee commitment is done (in January). I've not read many of his books, and the ones I've read were years ago. I tried It twice and never got very far into it. The one my brother had a hard time reading was Bag of Bones. He said he couldn't put his finger on it, but that that book disturbed him greatly for some reason.

I'm rereading them for the King group here. It's been fun revisiting the books. Join us for one of the reads!

I just might do that. What should I read first?

We started at the beginning with Carrie and we're reading them in order. There is a list in the "King's Constant Readers" group. So far we've read Carrie, Salem's Lot, and December's read is The Shining. We'll be reading The Stand for January and February. Some are reading the original version of The Stand and others are reading the expanded version. I have only read the expanded version so I think I'll read the original for this group.

Check out the group! Some of the above may have changed over the weekend. This is what had been decided the last time I checked.

#91 The Gates of Trevalyan by Jacquelyn Cook

#92 Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

This is such a wonderful book.

#93 The Devil's Eye by Jack McDevitt

Merry Christmas, GADawn! Are you planning on staying on the 50 Book thread or switching over to the 75 one? I love watching your thread, so let me know! =)

I will be going to the 75 Book thread, but I'm considering posting my first 50 here. What do you think? Are you staying or moving?

#94 Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz

I am thinking about moving to the 75 thread...

I was thinking about moving too. This is the 2nd year that I've overshot 50 books by a long ways, so it's time to move on!

I thought so too, hobbitprincess. Now I'm feel the pressure all the more!

#95 The Centurion's Wife by Davis Bunn and Janette Oke

There is no pressure to leave the 50 book challenge thread even if you pass 50 books. I would be sad if you left 50 book, Georgia, I wouldn't see your thread anymore!

Ah, thanks Blue! I might post in both. Why not? :)

#96 The Last Girls of Pompeii by Kathryn Lasky

This book was recommended by Hobbitprincess and I enjoyed it very much.

#97 The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

I thought I might reach 100, but I didn't finish the three books I have going right now.

Visit me in the 75 Book Challenge here. I'll be checking in here at the 50 Book Challenge often!