franklymydear's 75 book challenge

So last year I successfully read 50 books... so I'm upping the challenge! This year I might actually struggle to finish, with more school work and 25 more books than last year!
But we'll see how it all turns out!

1. Rhett Butler's People by Donald McCaig - Another authorised book based on Gone With the Wind, this one was a LOT better than Scarlett. I think it was well set out with the three parts, but I found the historical figures a bit much at times. It was all right, money well spent for the Gone With the Wind lover.

Books: 1/75

2. My Brother Jack by George Johnston - I've been wanting to read this book ever since my mother told me it was the only school book she enjoyed reading. At every library I went to I searched for this book and could never find it, until, just recently I found a copy of the book in our garage.
I loved this book!
The narrator, David Meredith, is "something of a prig and milksop," and throughout the book he talks in great detail about his older brother, Jack. Jack is "a tough larrikin, fighting, drinking, swearing" and Davy alternates between admiring and judging him.
Brilliant ending...

Books: 2/75

3. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory - this was a book that I was really interested in reading and had heard great stuff about, so I was a little disappointed.
The writing was brilliant and captivating but the history was horrible. And it was a little... uhm? How do you say - graphic? - for my liking.

Books: 3/75

Pages: 1404/22500

I remember reading My Brother Jack for school many years ago. I still remember how good it was after all this time.

Ha! 75 books! What a joke! The fact that the last time I actually completed a book (January 26) just tells you how successful this should be.
So, school life has successfully intervened and the only books I have read since January are school books.

4. Lord of the Flies by William Golding

5. Macbeth by William Shakespeare - and that's a play!

So, whilst I'll continue to count the books I read I can definitely say goodbye to the challenge!

6. Animal Farm by George Orwell

I really liked this book, very, very, very good!

I should think school books would still count. Nonfiction!

LOL, broadening my view of books, I suppose!

7. The Road to Tara by Anne Edwards

8. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

So, I followed the crowd to read Twilight. I thought it was all right, but completely unrealistic (part. the relationship between Edward and Bella - don't kill me!)

9. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

I liked this one HEAPS better (though that's not saying much - again, I value my life, don't shoot me!) because there was more real emotion, and I love Jacob!

Man, should read much, much more...

10. Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer

I really liked this one as well. Not much more to be said.

11. Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

11. Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
I found this in the garage (yet again, there is some amazing stuff in that garage of ours) and really enjoyed it. In a way, it sort of reminded me of My Brother Jack. I don't know, that's just what I thought. I liked it a lot, but yeah, it did seem to kind of go nowhere. But I suppose that is what it was all about.

I think this really, really shows how little time I have had on my hands lately. And I haven't really been able to read lately.

So, I'll continue you this merely as a record of what I have read and a challenge to read anything at all!

12. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Another classic, my friend bought it for me for my birthday (thank you!) amongst some other classic books.
I liked it, but not overly so.
I couldn't really get into it for a while, once I did I quite enjoyed it.

13. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - another book I was given for my birthday, I thoroughly enjoyed it! A great classic.

Well, you haven't read a LOT of books, but you have read some excellent ones this year. I'm glad you enjoyed Jane Eyre. Looking forward to seeing what you read in 2009!

Yeah, hopefully I'll be reading more next year! Unfortunately, I just haven't had the time at all this year =(
And I'm very much doubting that this will change next year, I'm taking on two morning classes as well...
At least I've been able to read during the summer holidays!

It's January, I've been heaps busy, things don't look good for reading in the year ahead.

1. Darwin on Trial by Phillip E. Johnson
Really interesting, reinforced my view on evolution

2. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Another book I was given for my birthday... an okay read, not a favourite.

Looks like you are off to a pretty good start to me! :) I have a couple of Darwin books that I want to read this year, Voyage of the Beagle and On the Origin of Species. I just read a pretty interesting review of both on LT.
Happy New Year!
--BJ

Senior studies at school has kicked in and the time for reading has been kicked out.

3. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
Not so fussed on this one, mainly because I read part 1 at the end of the summer holidays and then didn't get a chance to read it again until the easter holidays.

4. The Parasites by Daphne du Maurier
I really loved this book. Like the blurb said, it had a magnetism to it. The characters weren't likeable, but I wanted to know what was going to happen to them every step of the way. It was a fascinating read.

Wow, I hadn't heard of that du Maurier book before. I will have to check it out!
--BJ

Yeah, not many people have heard of any of her books other than Rebecca. That one had implied 'almost' incest, so maybe that's why. I was given a collection of her books for Christmas, so between assessments I've been trying to read them. I don't have much time during assessments. So it's not very successful =(

5. Julius by Daphne du Maurier
Another interesting one, follows the life of Julius who is driven by a 'hunger for power' always trying to get 'something for nothing.' It is, as the blurb states, unsettling and disturbing in parts (there are a few murders which seem rather uncalled for...) but I couldn't put it down.

6. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
This was actually reread for English Ext. I loved it just as much as the first time I read it, and I have enjoyed analysing it as a gothic novel.

7. Medea by Euripides and Antigone by Sophocles
2 of 3 Greek dramas I'm reading for my research essay for Ancient History. I actually really enjoyed them, Medea was more readable by Antigone was just as interesting... now I have to write the essay!

8. Othello by Shakespeare
Read this one for English Adv, what more can you say about it? It's Shakespeare, of course it was good.

9. Dracula
Read this one for English Ext, another good, classic read.