shootingstarr7's 2008 50 Book challenge

I've been a member of the community for a long time now, but this is my first post. I set a goal of 50 books for 2007 and didn't even come close. I'm off to a better start this year, though.

1. Amsterdam by Ian McEwan
2. The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
3. This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen.

I'm currently reading Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon, Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, and I'll probably start something else, too (I tend to be reading three or four books at once).

4. Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen

I think I'm trying to give myself a little bit of a cushion by reading short books earlier in the year. It only took me a few hours each to read the two Sarah Dessen books. And it's taking me awhile to get through Dragonfly and Fingersmith.

5. Until Tomorrow by Robin Jones Gunn
6. As You Wish by Robin Jones Gunn
7. I Promise by Robin Jones Gunn

I purchased and read these because I'd loved the books in the Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen series when I was quite young, and I wanted to see the story resolved. I was actually a bit disappointed: the books were much more preachy than I remember the older series being, and I think I pushed myself through them in order to satisfy my twelve-year old self. They were quick, easy reads, so it's not like I'd invested a lot of time in them, but I felt a bit let down.

I am still reading Dragonfly in Amber, though Fingersmith is a lot more slow-going. I think it will take me a bit longer to get through them now that I am back in school. For school, I am currently reading The Hanged Man by Robert Bartlett, and will soon be starting The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson.

8. Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys by Kate Brian
9. The Hanged Man by Robert Bartlett

Megan Meade was a cute, quick read about an only child who is sent to live with a family of seven boys when her military parents are deployed to South Korea. Not a whole lot of redeeming social value, but I have a weakness for YA novels (I think this is a result of not actually reading them when I was a teenager; I'm making up for it now). The Hanged Man was an interesting look at the English-Welsh colonial relationship in the Middle Ages, as well as the canonization process of the Roman Catholic Church. As a non-Catholic, I don't know much about the Church, but this was an interesting look at what it took to achieve sainthood in the Middle Ages.

Up next: I am just about done with The Ghost Map, as well as Strange Revelations by Lynn Wood Mollenauer, and will hopefully finish them in the next few days. Dragonfly in Amber is still a work in progress, but Fingersmith has been shelved for the time being.

10. The Seduction of the Crimson Rose by Lauren Willig
11. Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

I never did finish those non-fiction books, but it's not out of the realm of possibility yet. I've posted my review of Lock and Key, but I haven't yet completed one for The Seduction of the Crimson Rose. I enjoyed both books a lot, though certainly for different reasons.

I am approximately 150 pages from being done with Dragonfly in Amber, and 250 pages from being done with Fingersmith (I'd shelved it for awhile, but picked it up again early this month and made significant headway with it).




(edited to add ticker)

12. Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

What a beautifully written, compelling book. Some books have predictable plot twists, yet I was quite surprised by many of the twists I found in this book (well, one I expected, but that came after many of the unexpected twists). I highly recommend this book; I'd say it's the best book I've read so far in 2008.

13. Forget About It by Caprice Crane

This was a nice, fluffy read to kind of relax after the haunting beauty of Fingersmith. I'd given it to a friend for Christmas, with the stipulation that I be allowed to read it when she was done. It was mindless and fun, and just what I needed for the afternoon.

14. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon

Finishing this book was almost like the end of an era for me. I've been reading it on and off for the better part of six months. I'm beginning Voyager, the next book in the series, right away, yet book 7 will probably be out by the time I finish book 6.

15. The End of the Affair by Graham Greene

I enjoyed this book, but not on the level of some of the other books I've read this year. I felt that Greene spent a little too much time talking about how much the characters distrusted faith and religion, without really exploring the reasons why they did (except perhaps in Sarah's case). It was a good read, though, and I wouldn't be opposed to reading more by Greene in the future.

I read Fingersmith early last year and really enjoyed it. Have you read any of Sarah Waters other books?

No, but I own the other three. I'm not sure which I'll read next, and since my TBR pile is currently hovering around 300 books, I might not get to them as soon as I would like.

16. Voyager by Diana Gabaldon

Considering it took me six months to finish Dragonfly in Amber, I was really surprised I was able to finish this book in only two weeks. I thought it was an excellent read, though I am beginning to think Jamie and Claire have more lives than a cat.

I'm still behind in terms of how many books I've read so far this year, but I'm five or six books ahead of where I was at this time last year, which is promising.

Glad you liked Voyager, it's my 2nd favorite in the series. I was the same way, DIA took me a long time to read, and then the next flew by, except for The Fiery Cross which takes a long time.

Yeah, I've heard from a lot of people that The Fiery Cross nearly made them quit the series, but that the sixth made up for it. I loved Voyager, though. I think maybe what made me take so long with Dragonfly was the fact that I knew Jamie and Claire would have to be separated, and I was trying to put it off. I'm going to start the fourth book tonight, and I can't wait to read it.

That's exactly why it took me so long to read DIA too! I just didn't want to get to the separation part - I knew it would be heartwrenching (as it was!) But the reunion in V made up for it! I've reread the whole series a few times, and I enjoyed DIA much more the 2nd time around. Reading the books the 2nd time was like suddenly seeing them all in Technicolor!

17. Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri

This was my first Lahiri, and it won't be my last. What a beautiful collection of stories; she's quite a talented writer. The first five stories are all individual, the final three are interconnected. I don't want to give anything away, but trust me when I say they're powerful and worth it.

18. The Alcestiad by Thornton Wilder

I'm not going to lie: this would have languished in my TBR pile for all eternity if I hadn't been asked to read it in the Go Review That Book! group. But now that I have read it, I'm glad I did. It was a quick, entertaining read. I've posted my review of it (it's currently the only review).

19. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

I loved this book. Really, really loved it. I went in knowing nothing about the plot (only what was on the back cover), and was quite surprised when I discovered exactly what was happening in the book. I will definitely be reading more by Ishiguro in the future.

20. If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince by Melissa Kantor

This was a cute read to pass a couple hours with this afternoon. It's nothing groundbreaking; it's quite predictable as YA novels go. But I enjoyed it.

21. The Dark Lantern by Gerri Brightwell

An interesting read that explores the relationships between servants and their masters in London in 1893. It reminded me a lot of Fingersmith, and I'm not alone in thinking so, as the two were compared on the back of the dust jacket.

An interesting collection with some of my favourites! Good luck for the rest of the year.

>21 amandameale:,

Thanks. I've really enjoyed some of the books I've read this year. I've read some that are quite a decent quality.

22. A Room With a View by E.M. Forster

Being able to cross this book off is something of a relief. It took me a *lot* longer to read it than it should have. But I finished it, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. It took me awhile to find the rhythm, but once I did, I got a lot better.

23. Austenland by Shannon Hale

I really enjoyed this book; it was fun and frivolous, and the perfect way to spend a lazy afternoon buried under a cloud of perpetual smoke. There were several parts that made me laugh out loud, including the dedication.

For Colin Firth, You're a really great guy, but I'm married, so I think we should just be friends.

24. Rites of Spring (Break) by Diana Peterfreund

The third book in Diana Petefreund's Ivy League series, in which Amy Haskel and her Rose & Grave friends spend Spring Break on the society's private island. I read the first two books in the series last year, and I look forward to the final book in the series coming out next year.

25. After Dark by Haruki Murakami

This was an interesting read. A bit more thought-provoking than a couple of my other recent reads, for sure. He's an excellent storyteller, and I could feel myself exploring the world of the night right along with him.

I'm halfway to my goal of fifty books for the year. It's a little behind schedule, but considering I only completed 28 books in 2007, I'd say I'm going along pretty well. I'd only read 14 books at this time last year.

26. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Not going to say much, because I finished this pretty quickly, and I know there are quite a few people wanting to avoid being spoiled on it. But I liked it, and I thought it was a good conclusion for the series.

27. Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott

This came in the mail from BookMooch today, and I flew through it. I wanted an easy read because I was battling a headache, and this definitely fit the bill.

28. The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler

This has been sitting on my bookshelf for years, and after watching the movie earlier this year (blasphemy, I know), I decided it was time to make some progress and get this book read. I enjoyed it a lot, and, as a Sacramento resident, loved the references to the places I know (we're all about the Sacramento connection here).

29. Silk by Alessandro Baricco

Beautifully written novella. My review is posted on my blog at Reading and Ruminations.

30. Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott

Another fantastic YA read from Scott. I enjoyed it very much. My review can be found at Reading and Ruminations.

Still enjoying your reviews.

>32 amandameale:,
Thanks, Amanda! I'm glad you're enjoying them.

31. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Loved this book. I definitely thought it lived up to the hype. My review is at Reading and Ruminations.

32. Sweet Love by Sarah Strohmeyer

This was a really quick read, and honestly, when I finished it, I wasn't particularly impressed. But the more I think about it, the more I realize I really enjoyed it. There was a lot more to it than meets the eye. My review is at Reading and Ruminations.

#34 glad to hear you enjoyed Shadow of the Wind, I'll be picking it up again as soon as I finish my current book, I was sort of having my doubts about it, and had to stop reading it for a while in order to finish some library books.

>36 ktleyed:,
There were definitely times that it was a bit slow, but it was worth it when everything was said and done. I hope you enjoy it when you do get the chance to finish it.

34> You made it sound so good I just ordered a copy.

I really hope you enjoy it. You'll have to let me know what you thought when you're through.

Two more books:

33. I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

A cute YA read, the first in the Gallagher Girls series. I love the idea of teenage girls training to be spies. My review is here.

34. Midwife of the Blue Ridge by Christine Blevins

A lovely piece of historical fiction. My review is here.

35. The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff

This book completely deserves every accolade it's received. My review is here.

I'm a bit behind in my updates here! I've read and reviewed three more books since my last post:

36. Going Down South by Bonnie Glover

This is the first book I've read and reviewed at the author's request, and I enjoyed it very much. My review is here.

37. Outside Beauty by Cynthia Kadohata

I was actually a little disappointed with this book, but it was still pretty good. I've reviewed it here.

And last but not least...

38. North by Northanger by Carrie Bebris

This was a fun, relaxing, easy read, though a touch predictable. My review is here.

You have some interesting books on your list. I am enjoying your reviews.

43,
Thanks. I try to read a wide variety of books to keep myself from getting too comfortable in any one genre.

39. The Matters at Mansfield by Carrie Bebris

40. Hitler and Mars Bars by Dianne Ascroft

Haven't yet posted my review of The Matters at Mansfield, but I should get to it in the next few days. My review of Hitler and Mars Bars is here. I'll be hosting the author, Dianne Ascroft, for a guest post on Friday, November 7. It's my first guest post, and I'm really excited about it.

41. Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

It only took a few hours to read the book, and I posted my review right away. But this is a book that will stay with me for a long, long time. It was a library book, but I may have to buy it someday. Powerful, haunting book.

I have your no 41 on my list. The review I read in the paper and now your review has pushed it up to the top!

>47 judylou:,
It's such a striking book. I can't say I hope you enjoy it, because it's not the type of book one should enjoy. But I hope you find it as thought-provoking a read as I did.

42. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

This was probably not the best choice of reading material on the heels of Living Dead Girl. But I read it, and connected with it in a way I haven't connected with any book in a long, long time. My review is very personal, and in some ways not a very good one. But I recommend it, very highly. And with tissues handy, particularly if you've known someone who has committed suicide.

43. The Rest Falls Away by Colleen Gleason
44. The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

My reading has slowed down a little more than I would have liked it to, but I think I'm still on track to finish 50 books this year. These are the two most recent reads. I've reviewed The Uncommon Reader (it was my Early Reviewer book this month), but probably won't get around to reviewing The Rest Falls Away. It's one of those kind of trashy reads I wouldn't admit to normally.

Okay, so I did review The Rest Falls Away this past week. My review is at Reading and Ruminations.

Both Libby and I thought the second was better than the first (although I think the series goes downhill from there).

Hm. That's not promising... I'm about a hundred pages in to the second one, so we'll see how it goes. Maybe they'll make a quick read during the holidays.

For me, they were good escapist material for a particularly hard week in real life.

I was a bit embarrassed to be seen with those books in public considering the covers though! :)

Oh, mine haven't left the house. They're before-bed reading only. But they are good escape material.

Some people buy those covers to hide what they're really reading in public, and I can't imagine they'd be too difficult to make. Have you considered something like that? :)

Hmm, can't say I have, but that reminds me of a book I saw in the Barnes & Noble kids' section last week: it was a very fluffy girly non-fiction book with a reversible cover that said "Chemistry Notes" on the other side (I thought to myself: who think a high schooler would walk around with 200 pages of chem notes).

My usual out-of-home reading material is a paperback, usually a crime novel, so I've no need to hide P. D. James or Rex Stout. :)

Well, I knew a few girls in school who would have, but only because they were the driven, top-ranked-student types. None of my close friends would have done it, that's for sure.

Yes, crime novels are more socially acceptable. It's interesting.

45. The King's Daughter by Sandra Worth

I'll post the link to my review later this week, but for now, let me just say that I really loved this book. I thought it was excellent; one of the best historical fiction novels I've read in awhile.

Rory Gilmore would never read such a book with or without the fake cover. ;)

Rory Gilmore also slept with a married man and got herself into trouble that sounds like a bad chick lit plot. That might cancel out some of her literary credibility. ;)

That's her evil plan. She lives a bad chick lit plot so she doesn't have to read one.

*grins* Touche.

My review of The King's Daughter is now up at the new home of Reading and Ruminations. The review is here and the new homepage is here.

46. Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

This was a charming set of Christmas stories for a YA audience. They reminded me of some of the things I loved best about high school. My full review is here.

47. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

Very good story. I found it to be thought-provoking in all the best ways. My review is here

This sounds like a worthy goal for 2009. There are some books in my library I haven't read yet. Fifty books - about a book a week. Hmmmm. Forget November when I do NaNoWriMo. I'll try it!

48. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald

I received this as part of my Santa Thing gift, and read it quickly, as it's a short story. Very interesting, and I'm curious to see what tack the movie takes. My review is here.

Hmm, I've never read that one. I wonder if it's in my FSF short story anthology. It sounds like something from The Twilight Zone.

>68 suzecate:,
It is a bit odd. And the weird thing was, it didn't seem odd to anyone that he was aging in reverse. Or it did, but people had short term memories, and things that seemed odd wouldn't seem odd a few years later, or would seem odd for different reasons.

49. American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld

Very fascinating story. My review is here.

50. Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers

Haven't written the review yet; that will probably happen later today- maybe between work and my New Year's Eve plans. But I made it to 50 books, and just in the nick of time.