Sky34's 888 Challenge

I'm so excited to try to organize my reading for 2008, and the 888 Challenge looks like a great way to do it! It's a bit ambitious for me, actually, as I have a two year old and a seven month old - this reduces my reading time immensely! I read 51 books in 2007 -and for five months I was on bedrest with a difficult pregnancy- so I will be lucky if I get even close! I have to attempt it though, because my bookshelves are buckling under the weight of literally hundreds of unread books that are calling out to me!

What I like best about this challenge is the flexibility - I can change my categories and books at any time. Later today I will post my tentative list.

Here is my potential reading list for the 888 Challenge:

Books about Books

1. 84, Charing Cross Road – Helene Hanff - Finished Jan 15
2. Book Lust-Nancy Pearl
3. More Book Lust - Nancy Pearl
4. Bibliotherapy - Beverly West and Nancy Peske
5. So Many Books, So Little Time - Sara Nelson
6. The Uncommon Reader - Alan Bennett
7. Interred with their Bones - Jennifer Lee Carrell
8. Literacy and Longing in L.A. - Jennifer Kaufman

Early Reviewers and Recommendations

1. The Story of Forgetting - Stefan Merrill Block - ER) - Attempted and Abandoned, Jan 14
2. Firefly Lane - Kristin Hannah - ER
3. Sea Change - Alison McLeay - Recommended by Sarah Johnson, NoveList
4. The Greatest Knight -Recommended by John Hopper
5. Doomsday Book - Connie Willis
6. A Crowded Marriage - Catherine Alliott
7. Beau Crusoe - Carla Kelly - Recommended by Sarah Johnson , NoveList - Finished Jan 13
8. TBD

Award Winning Books

1.The Golden Compass – Carnegie Medal
2. Suite Francaise – 2004 Prix Renandot
3. Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell – Hugo and World Fantasy Award
4. The Book Thief – Jewish Book Award
5. Homestead – Rosina Lippi -Pen/ Hemingway
6. Prep – Notable book
7. Matrimony –Joshua Henkin –Notable Book
8. The Tender Bar –Notable Book

Published in 2007

1. The Story of Forgetting – Stefan Merrill Block
2. World Without End –Ken Follett
3. Heartsick– Chelsea Cain
4. A Thousand Splendid Suns – Khaled Hosseini
5. Lottery – Patricia Wood
6. Still Summer – Jacqueline Mitchard
7. Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade – Diana Gabaldon
8. Lord John and the Hand of Devils – Diana Gabaldon

Classics

1. Tom Sawyer – Mark Twain
2. Cold Comfort Farm –Stella Gibbons
3. Swann’s Way – Marcel Proust
4. Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray
5. Slaughterhouse 5 –Kurt Vonnegut
6. A Tree Grows In Brooklyn– Betty Smith
7. Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen
8. Emma –Jane Austen

Memoir / Biography

1. The Little Princesses – Marion Crawford
2. Into the Wild – Jon Krakauer
3. Notes from a Small Island –Bill Bryson
4. Deep Waters – James Raffan
5. The Glass Castle – Jeanette Walls
6. The Cure for Anything is Salt Water -Mary South
7. A Year with the Queen - Alan Bennet
8. The Tender Bar - J.R. Moehringer

In a Series

1. One for the Money – Janet Evanovich
2. The Golden Compass –Phillip Pullman
3. Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade- Diana Gabaldon
4. The Proud Villeins – Valerie Anand
5. Tatiana and Alexander – Paullina Simons
6. Gildenford –Valerie Anand
7. The Eyre Affair – Jasper Fforde
8. Lord John and the Private Matter – Diana Gabaldon

Royalty

1. The Little Princesses – Marion Crawford
2. A Year With The Queen - Robert Hardman
3. The Uncommon Reader – Alan Bennet
4. The Diana Chronicles – Tina Brown
5. Princess Mia (Princess Diaries # 9)- Meg Cabot– a stretch, but hey, its my challenge!
6. The Duchess of Aquitaine – Margaret Ball
7. The Book of Eleanor – Pamela Kaufmann
8. Eleanor of Aquitaine – Alison Weir

I'm already finding I have to change my categories! I did some browsing on Amazon and discovered that a lot of my favourite authors of Chick Lit are coming out with new novels this year. I actually just got my hands on an ARC of Remember Me by Sophie Kinsella - hands down my favourite Chick Lit author. She really manages to keep her characters fresh and believable, even when they are behaving in a way that could come across as unlikable or ridiculous- she's a really delightful author.

So... I think my Royalty Category will go the way of Anne Boleyn...off with its head, hee hee! I still want to read those books, but until I find a way to organize my categories to fit everything in, I will scrap it for now in favour of a Women's Fiction category:

Women's Fiction / Chick Lit

1. Remember Me? -Sophie Kinsella
2. A Crowded Marriage - Catherine Alliott
3. Herself Leslie Carroll
4. Second Chance - Jane Green
5. The Beach House - Jane Green
6. Certain Girls- Jennifer Weiner
7. This Charming Man - Marian Keyes
8. Young Wives' Tales - Adele Parks

Reading these books is not much of a challenge, really. The challenge this year will be to keep from reading too much Chick Lit!

I finally finished my first book of 2008. Considering it is now January 13th, and the book, Beau Crusoe by Carla Kelly, was not a chunky tome at 293 mass market paperback pages, I'm already behind schedule for my challenge! This falls under the category of Recommendations, recommended on NoveList by Sarah Johnson. I'll post a review shortly.

I keep finding new books to read! A couple more to try to fit in...I just got a mooched copy of And Only to Deceive by Tasha Alexander, which I was intrigued by. The blurb enticed me with a quote that said something along the lines of, "If Jane Austen wrote the Da Vinci Code, this would be it!" What a cool combination!

I also want to read I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith, a book I mooched recently.

Where do I find the time for all these books????

I am now reading 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff. Should be finished it today or tomorrow.

I finished 84, Charing Cross Road yesterday. It was a delightful book! Super quick read, I feel like it is cheating to list it as a completed book on my list. Thank you KarenInMaryland for sending it to me!

(Possible Spoiler for The Story of Forgetting below)

I started The Story of Forgetting, which I was thrilled to have won as an ARC here on LT. Unfortunately, I could not get into the book at all. I got through about 40 pages before I decided I would have to give up- life is too short to slog through books that aren't for you.

I read many reviews of it though, and it seems to be very well-regarded. That reminds me of another book that I did slog through, The Memory Keeper's Daughter. I kept reading, searching for the wonderfull-ness I had heard so much about, and was ultimately left with a frustration that I did not know the characters well enough to care about them, and a vague depression about how a poor decision ultimately ruined a man's life.

I am very susceptable to depression from reading. Not a true depression, more of a shift of my attitude from the glass being "half full" to "half empty" when I read about sad things happening to characters in novels. I don't like to read about terminal illness, mental illness, or untimely deaths. I closed The Story of Forgetting when Seth opened the suitcase full of rotting lunchmeat that his mother was taking away with her. I didn't feel that getting into the lives and minds of these characters would enhance my own life.

On to the next book!

I haven't decided if I'm going to start The Eyre Affair or Notes from a Small Island. Maybe I'll read them concurrently.

If I recall (and it's only been a week or two!), The Story of Forgetting never got much sadder than what you already read. But it didn't get lighter, either. And it was an effort to finish. I never cared much about the characters -- I thought the two opening chapters introduced both protagonists unsympathetically. An ambitious work, yet also derivative of many other novels. I really felt like an outlier when I posted a 3-star review.

Detail Muse, I am so excited about ARCs, the last thing I want is to be excluded from future offerings because of my inability to write a review. What is your take on that? I just checked out your blog and saw that we are on the same page with the ARCs, I just received Firefly Lane today. That one, thankfully, looks fully readable and up my alley, even if there is some sadness, which there is sure to be. I like to go in fresh, without an idea of the story. Are you enjoying it so far?

I started Notes from a Small Island last night and laughed out loud almost immediately. Having lived in the UK for a year I can see the actual conversation that he describes at the start of the book, about driving "long distances". I look forward to getting into it more, however today a juicily intriguing ARC arrived, yay!!! Firefly Lane by Kristen Hannah is bumping Mr. Bryson temporarily to my side table. So far I've only read the prologue, and Kirsten Hannah already has me, hook, line and sinker! (Prologue Only Spoiler) A mysterious loss of friendship, during the worst week of a woman's life, has her picking up the phone to reconnect. Can't wait to see what happens!

>10 sky34: Hi sky -- read this thread regarding ER reviews. Per Tim: "You don't need to finish it; I think you only need to give it a good chance, maybe slightly more of a chance than if you hadn't received it for free and to review. Feel free to write a review along the lines of "This was so terrible, I didn't finish it and here's why." That's data, as they say."

Elsewhere, he defines the minimum length of a "review" as being at least 25 words.

But DO review the book, otherwise it'll lessen your chances of snagging another ARC.

I'm very early still in Firefly Lane, only page 76. But I'd just finished the fabulous Everything is Illuminated, involving the Holocaust, and I think I need to set Firefly Lane aside for awhile -- until I get some distance from that violence, which makes the problems of these two girls seem trivial. :)

Thanks for the clarification and the link to that thread, Detail Muse. I will write a review in the next couple of days. I just traded my copy of The Story of Forgetting for an ARC of Dreamers of the Day and that is a book I am really excited about!

I'm about a hundred pages into Firefly Lane, and I can see how the angst of children and teenagers doesn't quite fit with your frame of mind after Everything is Illuminated. What did you pick up instead?

So, as of January 22nd, my categories have changed to the following:

Books About Books
Early Reviewers and Recommendations
Women's Fiction
Memoir / Biography
In a Series
Award Winners
New Authors (to me!)
Published in 2007 or 2008

Books about Books

1. 84, Charing Cross Road – Helene Hanff - Finished Jan 15- 4 Stars
2. Book Lust- Nancy Pearl
3. More Book Lust - Nancy Pearl
4. Ex Libris - Anne Fadiman
5. So Many Books, So Little Time - Sara Nelson
6. The Uncommon Reader - Alan Bennett
7. The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde
8. Literacy and Longing in L.A. - Jennifer Kaufmann

Your reaction to The Memory Keeper's Daughter was about the same as mine. I read it on the recommendation of my best friend, and I read it on the heels of Ian McEwan's Amsterdam, which might be one of the most depressing books I've ever read (but at least it was a well-written depressing book). I had to switch to quick, easy YA novels to recover from that pairing.

14: sky34 What did you pick up instead?

The Man in My Basement by Walter Mosley -- darker than I'd expected, but a good transition.

Detail Muse, have you read anything else by Ian McEwan? I was thinking of a Books to Movies category, and I thought of Atonement. My best friend read it and found it hard to plod through- in her opinion too much description.

She and I don't necessarily mesh though, when it comes to reading. She hated Bel Canto, for example, and I thought it was brilliant - though I did need to spend time thinking about it to come to that assessment.

I can't do depressing these days - Fall On Your Knees I finished, though it was certifiably depressing! As you know, The Story Of Forgetting didn't make the cut! What is the most uplifting book you have read? I should start a forum post with that question, I want to read happy things, or at least stories of overcoming hardships and becoming stronger for it. I love survival memoirs - Into Thin Air, The Climb,The Hungry Ocean, Maiden Voyage, Alive.

>19 sky34: sky, I hated plodding through Atonement. Hated. But its generally terrific reviews made me suspect I must have missed all of its subtleties, so I gave McEwan another chance with Saturday -- to be discussed in an online book group. I liked it better, but it was a non-renewable library copy, and I read only about 1/3 of it. I did lurk in the online discussion and was amazed at the good things readers got from it. But I will not try McEwan again outside of a reading group (or Cliffs Notes, etc).

Whereas Ann Patchett is one of my favorite authors -- she delves deeply into emotion and I'm making my way through her entire list. Bel Canto is one of my favorite books of all time.

Let me look through my library re: inspirational books and books-to-film...

I'd love to see a thread about uplifting books. I looked at your library and would recommend these that you haven't yet rated: To Kill a Mockingbird (would also fit in the books-to-films) and The Inn at Lake Devine (Lipman writes fast, fun dialogue). I also liked The Glass Castle ... uplifting, but you have to get through her tough childhood first.

Coming-of-age stories usually persevere through adversity to optimism. Peruse LT's list of books with that tag.

Also recommended: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, and Everything is Illuminated (another book-to-film) and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, both by Jonathan Safran Foer. Bees is an easy read; Foer's require some effort, but he's original and imaginative, and very funny in the midst of content about the Holocaust and 9/11, respectively.

#19 : have you read anything else by Ian McEwan? I was thinking of a Books to Movies category, and I thought of Atonement. My best friend read it and found it hard to plod through- in her opinion too much description.

------------------

I've read six books by Ian McEwan, and I'd say that Atonement is the most different from the others. I happened to really love it. Actually, I really, really loved the first part, and the rest of it was pretty good, which evens out to "really love it."

His other books are different, so if Atonement didn't do it for you, try another. I find his books to be a super quick read, in fact I find myself reading them too fast. Kinda like great food--I really need to savour it, but it tastes so good I bolt right through. The last McEwan that I loved was Enduring Love, which has a misleading title, I realized, when I added it to my husband's TBR pile. He said "you think I'm going to read a book called Enduring Love?" and I had to ensure him that it wasn't a love story. But it is odd.

Thanks, Nickelini, for giving me a positive perspective of Atonement- with such varied reactions, I think I will just have to pick it up and see where my opinion lies on the spectrum.

I'm on a bit of a Women's Fiction spree at the moment, started with the ARC of Firefly Lane that I finished last week. I'm going to write a review, which I am not overly motivated to do, as the only word that comes to mind is Meh. Is it even a word? I don't know, but I do know that you can convey a lot in that little syllable....and that's what I thought of Firefly Lane.

I went to San Diego with my husband last weekend, the first trip away from my kids in two years, and devoured the ARC for Remember Me by Sophie Kinsella. It was a perfect beach read, laugh out loud funny- everything a Sophie Kinsella book should be - pure escapist fun!

Now I've picked up The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan and am completely drawn in by her narrative. I was captivated by the idea of "The Middle Place" - a time in your life where you feel that you are both a parent to your own children and a child of your own parents at the same time - a feeling I relate to strongly. I'm a mother of two young boys that often has the thought "I need my Mum!!!!" I am only two chapters in, and though the subject is one I normally avoid - breast cancer - I was impressed with the universal five star rating on Amazon.

.+-.+-

I'm way behind where I should be to complete this challenge, and so many new books keep popping up to capture my attention away from my original list. I'm wondering if I should abandon my attempt at the 888 and go for the 50 book challenge instead.

I will list my latest changes to my 888 here now....

Don't give up! The year is still young, and you can always revise your categories/the books within your categories.

Thanks, Shootingstarr! I needed that encouragement right about now!

I just finished The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan and really enjoyed it. I know that I'll love a book when I am running for a highlighter before I finish the first chapter. I will post a review soon...again, way behind on reviewing as well as reading.

I am going to take a recommendation from DetailMuse and read The Inn at Lake Devine - Elinor Lipman, which will be going into my Recommmended By... Category. I will repost a revised list of reads for this challenge....sigh....maybe when my kids have grown up? Hee hee!! Or at least when they nap at the same time!

Updated Category-

Early Reviewers and Recommendations

1. Beau Crusoe - Carla Kelly - Recommended by Sarah Johnson , NoveList - Finished Jan 13 - 3 Stars

2. Firefly Lane -Kristin Hannah - ER - Finished Jan 30 - 2.5 Stars

3. Remember Me? -Sophie Kinsella - Finished Feb 3 - 4.5 Stars

4. The Inn at Lake Devine - Elinor Lipman - Recommended by Detail_Muse

5. Dreamers of the Day - Mary Doria Russell - ARC/ Recommended by Speedhaven

6. Sea Change - Alison McLeay - Recommended by Sarah Johnson, NoveList

4. The Greatest Knight - Elizabeth Chadwick Recommended by John Hopper

5. Gildenford - Valerie Anand - Recommended by John Hopper

6. The Glass Castle -Jeannette Walls - recommended by Detail_Muse

7. Atonement - Ian McEwan - Recommended by Nickelini

8. Snow Flower and Secret Fan - Lisa See - Recommended by Moira

I just finished The Inn at Lake Devine on Detail_muse's suggestion. A great fast read that had me laughing and thinking. Thanks for the suggestion, Detail_Muse. You were right on, her dialogue is stellar! My first time reading Elinor Lipman, and now I am hooked. I just requested a copy of Isabel's Bed from BookMooch.

I'm thinking of changing my categories yet again. Elinor Lipman falls under the new category of Authors I've Been Meaning To Read. Also under this category is David Sedaris, I just picked up a copy of Me Talk Pretty One Day from the used bookstore and need to find a way to fit that in. Ian McEwan's Atonement could fit into this category, as could Mary Doria Russell's Dreamers of the Day, and/or A Thread of Grace.

I got a brand new looking copy of World Without End from the used book store yesterday too. I loved Pillars of the Earth but read it so many years ago I would like to do a re-read before I pick up the sequel, and I don't feel in the mood for it quite yet. Maybe for 2009?

I've picked up The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde and am enjoying inhabiting Thursday Next's parallel universe.

I'm having the same reaction to World Without End! I got a copy on sale at B&N before Christmas, then couldn't find Pillars of the Earth (must have loaned it out & not gotten it back). My daughter gave me a copy of Pillars almost a month ago... I keep thinking it will be the next book... and then I pick up something else!

I've just discovered that Anne of Green Gables is celebrating its 100th Anniversary in 2008! It is my favourite comfort read, and I am thinking of re-reading the eight books in the series in honour of that. It could qualify as a YA category, a Classics category, or a Canadian Lit category. Being a Canadian, maybe I will use the CanLit category! A Canadian author I have never heard of, Budge Wilson, has written a prequel called Before Green Gables that is definitely on my TBR list for this year.

Also, the Las Vegas Library has a fantastic annual book club program called Reading Las Vegas and this year's pick is The Great Gatsby. Also a Classic and Author I've Been Meaning to Read.

So many possibilities!

ivyd, I hear you! I had put World Without End on my wishlist at BookMooch and thought as soon as I got my hands on it I would devour it, but now, not so much. Maybe its the sheer size of the two in succession that is daunting? I'm not normally shy of big books, but it is a big commitment to inhabit medieval cathedrals for, let me check.....1997 pages!!

World Without End is well-reviewed though, and I remember being totally drawn in when I read Pillars the first time.

>28 sky34: sky -- I just finished The Inn at Lake Devine

Bet you'll never hear "Massa-chu-setts" the regular way again, huh?! :)

>30 sky34:

I think you're right about it being daunting! Although I loved Pillars of the Earth when I read it, and medieval Britain is my favorite time and place in all the world's history, I just haven't been in the mood to immerse myself in it for several weeks when there are so many other books I want to read as well.

I like your idea of reading the 'Anne' books for a category, since this is the 100 year celebration. I think I may add them for a category also.

32
Detail_Muse, I actually sat in the bath repeating "Massachusetts" in as many ways as I could to assess the possibililty of misinterpretation!
My husband called through the door to ask if I was OK! LOL...

Great book....Ingrid was a piece of work. Well crafted by Lipman, her character was flawed but not entirely without sympathy. Very well done.

33: ivyd, Medieval Britain is my favourite too! I recently got a recommendation from a friend to read Valerie Anand's books. Have you read her? Also, Elizabeth Chadwick seems to be a favourite in that timeframe of historical fiction. What are your favourites?

34: lisalouhoo, have you read Anne before? If not, you are in for a huge treat! My favourite is book eight, Rilla of Ingleside.

My Memoir category has changed with the addition of The Middle Place which I read recently, and Steve and I by Terri Irwin which I just received from PBS. I'm sure that one will be heartbreaking, I could not have imagined I would be so affected by the death of someone I'd never met, but I was a real mess after I heard he'd been killed.

My Memoir/Biography category is now:

1. The Middle Place - Kelly Corrigan
2. The Glass Castle - Jeannette Walls
3. Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
4. Steve and Me - Terri Irwin
5. The Little Princesses - Marion Crawford
6. The Tender Bar - J.R. Mohringer
7. The Cure For Anything is Salt Water - Mary South
8. Down The Nile -Rosemary Mahoney

Into the Wild has been bumped for now, as have a couple of others...I may separate this category into two Non-Fiction categories, depending on how my interests develop as I pick up more books. Still way behind, but happily reading. I am currently still meandering through The Eyre Affair and also picked up a women's fiction romp about pregnancy, Gucci Gucci Coo by Sue Margolis for a bit of a giggle.

35: sky34
ROFL!!!

>36 sky34:

sky, I'm finding your question somewhat embarassing, since even after giving it a lot of thought, I can't really tell you my favorites! Over the years (my granddaughter is older than your children), I've read so many, both good and bad, historical fiction and biography and some just plain histories... and enjoyed almost all of them.

I've read most (maybe all) Jean Plaidy, Antonia Fraser, Norah Lofts, Jude Deveraux (her early books are set in medieval times), some Alison Weir, some Ellis Peters. And one of my favorites was Katherine by Anya Seton, though it's probably been 15 years since I last read it.

More recently, I've read a couple of Philippa Gregory's books (very interesting, though I don't think I agree with many of her characterizations), and I highly recommend Princesses by Flora Fraser (Antonia's daughter), but it's later than medieval, and rather slow going, based on letters by, to and about George III's daughters.

I love Edward Rutherfurd's books, especially the ones about England, though they encompass far more than the medieval period.

Thanks for mentioning Elizabeth Chadwick (who I have heard of, but haven't read) and Valerie Anand (who I haven't heard of). I've made a note of them, and when I whittle down my To-Be-Read list a bit, I may give them a try.

I put aside Gucci Gucci Coo for the moment. I might pick it up later- though I doubt it. I'm looking for a "Wow!" book that grabs me from page one and gives me that warm anticipatory thrill. I read three books (out of 52) that gave me that feeling in 2007-The Thirteenth Tale in March, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in July and Eat Pray Love in August. I wonder where my next one is? If I knew, I would start it tomorrow. I'm going to finish up The Eyre Affair in the next couple of days and then jump into life with Anne of Green Gables in Avonlea. At least I know I will love it!

40

ivyd, thanks for the recommendations. I haven't heard of Princesses, but will look it up. I am a big Philippa Gregory fan, looking forward to The Other Queen coming out soon. I agree with you about her characterizations seeming a bit far off the factual mark...though she's always entertaining. When I get frustrated by what seem to be innaccuracies, I always say to myself, who can ever know what really happened, and how these people really were?

The Rutherfurds are looking at me from my TBR shelf as we speak- they've been there far too long. Ditto Katherine, though your recommendation is moving it up the TBR ranks!

Valerie Anand's Bridges Over Time series is well regarded, though I must admit I haven't had a chance to read it yet. It follows the inhabitants of a small British town over centuries, and I always enjoy books of epic length. The first is The Proud Villeins.

Happy reading!

I received a bunch more books in the mail over the last couple of weeks, and I wonder how to fit them in. New additions, without the time to really reorganize my categories....

Expecting Adam - Martha Beck - love her columns in O Magazine, and can't wait to hear about her experiences as she learned that the son she was expecting had Down Syndrome.

Slaughterhouse-five -Kurt Vonnegut - my younger brother says this is his favourite book and I am ashamed I haven't read it yet.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Prep are already on my challenge lists.

I started The Little Princesses the other night after watching the Barbara Walter's special on the royals. How fascinating they are!

I finished The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde last night, and thought it was pretty good. I had really high expectations and it didn't quite live up to them.
I expected to be fascinated on every page, but I found my interest waning sometimes. I'm all for suspension of disbelief, (Oz, Hogwarts, Time Travel through standing stones...) but even I found it a bit much at a couple of points. Was this Mr. Fforde's intention? Hmmm. I have the sequels in my collection but I think I'll take a break from Thursday for now. I'd give it 3.5 stars.

>42 sky34:

I just edited my earlier message to correct the Flora Fraser book to daughters of George III -- don't know what I was thinking when I posted...

Rutherfurd is something of a commitment. But thinking about them in conjunction with your comment about Valerie Anand's series... each book is sort of a series of shorter books. (Definitely think I will try Anand...)

I was a little bit disappointed in the Barbara Walters special, since so much of it seemed to have been filmed a year or more ago, and since there wasn't as much "behind the scenes" as I'd hoped. On the other hand, Prince Charles seemed more human and more likeable than I've ever seen.

I'll be watching to see what you think of The Little Princesses. I remember, when I was a little girl, cutting out features from Life magazine which had pictures of Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret from each year of their lives. I pored over those pictures for hours, imagining what it would be like to be a princess!

ivyd, have you read The Little Princesses? I haven't read much of it yet, as most of my reading takes place in the bath and my book is a nice edition hardcover that I would prefer not to get damp!

So, instead of looking at my list of planned books for this challenge, I picked up an unplanned book. I seem to be rebelling against my own list...I'll have to redo it entirely, I think.

My local Library is doing a special Big Read promotion for April, involving all manner of events related to this year's book pick...The Great Gatsby. I'd never read it, and thought, what better time than now? It had been sitting on my TBR shelf for eons...and now it has spent hours with me in the bath! I'm looking forward to finishing it this weekend. Not sure what I think yet, I have to finish it and reflect on it for a few days.

I finished The Great Gatsby. My thoughts on this "Consummate American Classic"? Meh. My problem with the book is a problem I have often when I read -little or no connection with the characters. In particular, no insight into their experiences or personalities that would indicate a reason behind the actions they take.

Why is Tom so belligerent? Why is Daisy so flimsy? Why does Carraway want to tell this story? Why is Jordan so enticing to Carraway? Gatsby is the most fleshed-out character, and still seems distant, raising more questions than answers. My big question is - What does everyone find so great about this book???

On the positive side, I found some of the descriptive sentences absolutely brilliant.

Basically I'm glad I read it, that I can scratch it off the books on the proverbial lifetime "To Do List" in reading, but I came away feeling dissatisfied.

Yay! I snagged an ARC of The Venetian Mask! I've wanted to try Rosalind Laker for a while, specifically The Golden Tulip, but as so often happens, it gets bumped from the top of the TBR pile. Being an Early Reviewer, though, means this one will get read as soon as it gets here. I'm looking forward to getting into a historical again.

Right now I am escape reading...the most recent Princess Diaries book, number nine. It will be a quick one, and it is going in my newly created YA category, along with Finn Family Moomintroll that is waiting for me- thanks to Lisalouhoo's 888 page for the suggestion.

I'm also picking up Notes from a Small Island and The Little Princesses from time to time. Nothing is compelling me to read rapidly now though. It makes me think of reading a Maeve Binchy, one of my favourite authors, when I can slowly saunter through books rather than racing through. It's pleasant sometimes.

>48 sky34:

I'm also slowly reading Notes from a Small Island. While I am enjoying it, and find it interesting, I do not find myself compelled to race through it. Which is interesting as I read A Walk in the woods in one morning. I guess there is more unfamiliar place and detail in Notes from a Small Island.

I hope you like Jannson's book. I haven't read that one yet, but will as soon as I get ahold of a copy.

Lisalouhoo, those Moomins are tough to find! I got Finn Family Moomintroll from my library, but it was the only one of them that they had. I got Moominpappa at Sea and Moominsummer Madnessfrom Paperbackswap. Looking forward to them!

I lived in England for a year, so Notes from a Small Island is somewhat familiar...not that a year makes me an expert on all things British by any means! Did you like A Walk in the Woods? I assume if you read it in a morning you must have.

re 42, 46

sky, I found a nice copy of Valerie Anand's The Proud Villeins, and it looks great! But what happened was... it is a much longer book than I expected (300 pages with small print), and it's only the first of a series, and I looked and looked at it, and then thought... well, if I'm going to get into something big, I might as well read Pillars of the Earth. So I am. I'm about 3/4 of the way through and loving it as much as I did the first time! I don't think I'd read even 50 pages before I realized that was part of my hang-up in starting... I was really afraid I wouldn't like it as much as I thought I did. But I do! I'm surprised at how much I had forgotten (though of course that was the point of re-reading it), and even though the big events (which I did remember) aren't quite as shocking, it's still fascinating -- I can't wait to get back to it every evening, and am so glad that there will be another book to read when I'm done.

>51 ivyd:

LOL, Ivyd!! So pleased you got a copy of Proud Villeins, (Where?) and I'm thrilled that Pillars is living up to your previous reading. Your thoughts echo mine exactly! I remember loving it and not wanting to leave that world at the end - so why am I so reluctant to pick it up again? You are inspiring me to it, though, Ivyd. But I have so much to read, and mooched books keep pouring in! This week I received The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennet, a novella about the Queen discovering books that us commoners have loved. Looking forward to it! I also received Jane Austen: A Life by Claire Tomalin, Down the Common by Ann Baer, A Tree Grows in Brooklin by Betty Smith, and I have the ARC of The Venetian Mask on the way as well! Whew! I love the quote by Emily Dickinson, "I dwell in Possibility," and I feel like that as I peruse my shelves. The funny thing is, I keep picking out books that I hadn't planned on - rebelling against my own lists! The Blind Assassin was at the very back of my double-stacked shelves, and somehow taunted me into picking it up. Sigh. Do you think you'll pick up Anand when you are done?

Hi, sky!

I ordered The Proud Villeins from Barnes & Noble used & out-of-print department, less than $10 including postage. Apparently most of her books are out of print. Seems strange....

As for reading it next... World Without End is definitely next, but after that I don't know... I'm in the same situation as you are... with stacks of books that I haven't gotten to yet! I can't remember when I've had (in hand) so many books that I want to read! My daughter & son-in-law finally finished The Time Traveler's Wife (which they really liked), I've now received the next 3 Margaret Maron books, I have 3 stacks of early 20th century children's books, and there are several other miscellaneous books on my coffee table.

My shelves are double-stacked too... and I have several boxes of books in storage... was thinking the other day that the only solution is more bookshelves... am debating the merits of free-standing vs built-in... right now, they are all free-standing...

Do you like Jane Austen? I don't dislike her books, but I never have been able to really get into them. I read several many years ago, then a few years ago borrowed an audio book of Pride and Prejudice to see if I had missed something... was still just mostly indifferent to it...

Ivyd,

So pleased you were able to get your hands on the first of the Bridges Over Time series! I'll have to check out B&N too for used books. I didn't realize they did that.

I'm going on vacation to NC in two weeks - my first real trip away from my boys, and I am looking forward to doing as little as possible for a whole week. Only reading! I'm formulating my list in my mind - though I think I won't have enough to wear as my books will take up all the space in my suitcase. All these books from PaperbackSwap and BookMooch leave me in the same position as you- huge TBR pile! I really have to recommend The Time Traveller's Wife - I really enjoyed that one. I like time-travel in general.

I have all free-standing bookshelves - Expedit from IKEA - and I love them. Someday, in my dreams, I would love to have rooms of floor-to-ceiling books on built-in shelves...I loved the description of Vida Winter's library in The Thirteenth Tale, my favourite fiction read of 2007. Have you read that?

Yes, I am a full-fledged Austen fan...I love her books so much that I have actually "saved" two books so that I know I will have Austen to look forward to. I completely loved Pride and Prejudice!

I just finished Book Lust and started More Book Lust which is causing me to want to pick up books I've never been interested in before. Reading Book Lust actually made me want to pick up a non-fiction book about Cod!

Here are my current categories and the books read so far in each:

Books About Books:

1. Book Lust - Nancy Pearl
2. More Book Lust - Nancy Pearl
3. 84, Charing Cross Road - Helene Hanff

Classics:

1. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

YA/ Children's

1. Princess Mia - Meg Cabot

New (to me) Authors

1. The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde
2. The Inn at Lake Devine - Elinor Lipman

Biography / Memoir

1. The Middle Place - Kelly Corrigan

Women's Fiction

1. Firefly Lane - Kristin Hannah
2. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella

Historical - Fiction and Non-Fiction

1. Beau Crusoe - Carla Kelly

Anne of Green Gables - 100 Year Anniversary

None read yet

That makes eleven so far. The ones I am currently reading are Notes from a Small Island - Bill Bryson, for Memoir, The Blind Assassin - Margaret Atwood for New Authors and I will be starting my ARC of The Venetian Mask by Rosalind Laker as soon as it arrives.

Sky,
I don't know how much you enjoy children's / young adult literature, but if you liked Nancy Pearl's Book Lust books, I would suggest reading / perusing her Book Crush (touchstones not working). I haven't read the whole thing. I skipped most of the Youngest Readers section, though I do plan to go back and read it since I have a young reader in the house. But I found lots of books I'd like to read (especially in the Teen section). I read it with a notebook and pencil, and now I have a pretty long wishlist. My ten year old saw me reading it, and now he's got it in his room making his own list.

Thanks for the suggestion, virginiahomeschooler. I love Children's and YA literature, and I will be sure to check out Book Crush. I am actually a bit scared to read any more Books About Books right now. As someone who has no only a TBR shelf, but a whole ROOM of books TBR, reading Book Lust is a bit ridiculous. I have no time to read all the books I have, but it doesn't seem to stop me from accumulating them.

Just got home from a week's vacation. I took a ridiculously ambitious nine books with me. Of course, in my subconscious desire to rebel against my own challenge, I read only one of them! I was introduced to a new author by my friend who I was staying with, and read almost his whole collection- the brilliant Brian Andreas.

He calls his work "Stories and Drawings", I would call it poetry....but it is simple, profound, relatable and brilliant. I read all that I could get my hands on - Mostly True , Still Mostly True, Strange Dreams, Hearing Voices, Travelling Light, Some Kind of Ride. Loved them!

The one planned book that I read was The Uncommon Reader - (touchstone not working), a novella about the Queen discovering literature. Quick read, subversive and fun.

Now I'm reading my ARC The Venetian Mask...not brilliant, but enjoyably entertaining.

I finished The Venetian Mask. I need to write a full review as it was an ARC, but for now I'll say that overall, it was a three star book. I found it entertaining, but the characters left a bit to be desired: Pure-as-the driven-snow orphans, Marietta and Elena, with extraordinary musical talent, grow up as close as sisters in the Pieta, raised by the nuns and groomed to be world-class singers. They are portrayed as almost flawless in every way, an occasional bout of jealousy being the only evidence that they are human. As they grow up, they find their friendship tested as they become involved in generations-old family disputes in a Romeo and Juliet style vendetta. What really disappointed me, was that the back cover told too much of the story. I suggest if you read it, go in fresh and don't read the blurb. Its a spoiler for the first half of the book. That said, the descriptions of Venice are vibrant and enjoyable- great sense of place.

Now I'm continuing The Blind Assassin.

Wow, I've been AWOL a long time. I've read only two books in the last month, but I have a good reason. I've been applying to MLIS programs! I've decided that I want to be a librarian. And, I was just offered a job as a Children's Library Assistant, starting later this month. I am completely thrilled, I applied for the job in March, and thought I wouldn't get it, but now, I'm starting my new career!! I was previously a teacher, counsellor, and SAHM. So exciting!

So...the two books I've read. The first is The Blind Assassin. I can't believe how slowly I read this book. I kept reading and re-reading passages to soak up the brilliance of her similies, and her spot-on description. As an aspiring writer, I sat slack-jawed reading this book, thinking, "How does she come up with this stuff???" I always think of Canadian Lit as being a bit too grim, but this was an unexpected and wonderful, wonderful read. I fully recommend it.

The second book I read was Time Bandit, an ARC that I received last month. I love adventure memoir, and had loved other fishing adventure books, like The Hungry Ocean and The Perfect Storm. Review coming soon.

Now I've started Ex Libris, which resonates with me, though I've only read the first chapter.

I wonder how my new job will affect my reading time?

September already. My odds of getting 50 in are looking pretty grim, but I won't lose hope!! I've read about 500 picture books in the last few months though, in my new job as a children's library assistant.

Authors New To Me

The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Blind Assassin - Margaret Atwood
The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde
The Inn at Lake Devine - Elinor Lipman

YA

Princess Mia - Meg Cabot
Twilight - Stephenie Meyer
New Moon - Stephenie Meyer
Eclipse- Stephenie Meyer
Breaking Dawn -Stephenie Meyer

Biography

The Middle Place - Kelly Corrigan
Candy Girl - Diablo Cody
Time Bandit - Johnathan and Andy Hillstrand
Notes from a Small Island - Bill Bryson

Books About Books

Book Lust - Nancy Pearl
More Book Lust - Nancy Pearl
84, Charing Cross Road - Helene Hanff

Historical Fiction

The Venetian Mask - Rosalind Laker
Beau Crusoe - Carla Kelly

100 Years of Anne..my ultimate Comfort Reads

Anne of Green Gables - Lucy Maud Montgomery
Anne of Avonlea
Anne of the Island
Anne of Windy Poplars
Anne's House of Dreams
Anne of Ingleside

"....and Everything of Something" - the Short Stories of Brian Andreas

Mostly True- Brian Andreas
Still Mostly True - Brian Andreas
Strange Dreams - Brian Andreas
Some Kind of Ride - Brian Andreas
Hearing Voices - Brian Andreas
Travelling Light - Brian Andreas
Going Somewhere Soon - Brian Andreas

Mental Relief, Brain Candy, or, officially...Women's Fiction

Remember Me? - Sophia Kinsella
Firefly Lane - Kristen Hannah

Authors New To Me

The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Blind Assassin - Margaret Atwood
The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde
The Inn at Lake Devine - Elinor Lipman
Before Green Gables - Budge Wilson

YA

Princess Mia - Meg Cabot
Twilight - Stephenie Meyer
New Moon - Stephenie Meyer
Eclipse- Stephenie Meyer
Breaking Dawn -Stephenie Meyer

Biography

The Middle Place - Kelly Corrigan
Candy Girl - Diablo Cody
Time Bandit - Johnathan and Andy Hillstrand
Notes from a Small Island - Bill Bryson
L.M. Montgomery - Marylou Morano Kjelle

Books About Books

Book Lust - Nancy Pearl
More Book Lust - Nancy Pearl
84, Charing Cross Road - Helene Hanff

Historical Fiction

The Venetian Mask - Rosalind Laker
Beau Crusoe - Carla Kelly

100 Years of Anne..my ultimate Comfort Reads

Anne of Green Gables - Lucy Maud Montgomery
Anne of Avonlea
Anne of the Island
Anne of Windy Poplars
Anne's House of Dreams
Anne of Ingleside
Rainbow Valley
Rilla of Ingleside

"....and Everything of Something" - the Short Stories of Brian Andreas

Mostly True- Brian Andreas
Still Mostly True - Brian Andreas
Strange Dreams - Brian Andreas
Some Kind of Ride - Brian Andreas
Hearing Voices - Brian Andreas
Travelling Light - Brian Andreas
Going Somewhere Soon - Brian Andreas

Mental Relief, Brain Candy, or, officially...Women's Fiction

Remember Me? - Sophia Kinsella
Firefly Lane - Kristen Hannah
The Chocolate Lover's Club - Carole Matthews

With 12 books left to go, I'd say I'm not going to be completing the official challenge that I set for myself at the beginning of the year. Since I've been working at the library, though, I've read so many kids' books that I feel like I still win! Next year, its the 50 book challenge for me!