Rarcar1's 50 Challenge

I am new to LT and am so excited about tracking my reading for 2008. I am in the process of adding all of the books that I have read and of course cannot remember half of them!

2008 Challenge is off to a slow start. :(
1. "Ahab's Wife"
2. "The Alchemist"
3. "The Other Boleyn Girl"
4. "The Boleyn Inheritance"

Currently Reading "Constant Princess"

Obviously I am new hence the quotes. Next time I will use the brackets.

Even if you call that a "slow start," you're on track to reach 50! (And those Philippa Gregory books are thicker ones, right?)

Good luck and welcome to LibraryThing!

No kidding! I'm still on book 4 -- this with a short book 2 and having started book 1 before New Year's.

Thank you both for the encouraging words!

You're welcome!

5. The Constant Princess
Finally finished! This was not a favorite. I thought it dragged on and on and was about 200 pages to long. I was hoping there would have been more of when Anne Boleyn came into the picture but it was only the last few pages. Sorry if I am giving too much away in saying that.

Next up Mary, Mrs. Todd Lincoln

6. Mary Mrs. A. Lincoln by Janis Cooke Newman. Fantastic! I could not put this one down. I can't wait to see what this author is working on. I highly recommend this book.

I have decided to do a page count as well so here goes:

1. Ahab's Wife 704
2. The Alchemist 208
3. The Other Boleyn Girl 672
4. The Boleyn Inheritance 544
5. The Constant Princess 416
6. Mary Mrs. A. Lincoln 636

What to read now?

I started Holy Fools last night, it's pretty good so far.

7. Holy Fools by Joanne Harris 355

8. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 314 pages

9. Dissolution by C.J. Sansom 387 pages

Ahab's Wife is one of my favorite books of all times. I read it several years ago. What did you think of it?
I also am a fan of Gregory and have read all of those you have.

Ahab's Wife was not one of my favorites but I listened to it on audio and may have a different opinion after reading it. I plan to re-read it after I get through my TBR pile. I really liked Abundance, have you read that?

10. A Gracious Plenty by Sheri Reynolds 205 pages

11. Ordinary Life by Elizabeth Berg 192 pages
12. The Appeal by John Grisham Audiobook

I am currently reading The Thirteenth Tale and about to start Honeymoon with my Brother for bookclub, not very excited about this one.

I started The Book Thief a few weeks back and need to pick it up again, it wasn't holding my interest. I also just started The Road on audio. Rambling I know. I just spent 7 hours in the car today so I'm a little punchy!

13. The Thirteenth Tale - wow, what a story. I finished it this morning and keep thinking about it.

14. The Sister by Poppy Adams 275 pages

15. Honeymoon With My Brother by Franz Wisner - possibly the worst book I have ever read. It was a bookclub selection. What to read next???

16. The Road
17. Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict

18. Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

19. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett 973 pages - wow, fantastic! There were about 300 pages where I wanted to abandon the book and am so glad I did not. I can't wait to read World Without End next.

20. Slaughterhouse Five - so it goes. This was a reread. I read this 20 years ago and remembered nothing, oh my!

21. Duma Key by Stephen King

22. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - finally finished. I enjoyed this book although it was very depressing at times. It did take me a while to finish because I kept falling asleep!

23. Everyman by Philip Roth

The year isn't half gone yet and already you're pretty much at the half way point to your goal =)

Thanks Irish! I guess I will exceed 50!

24. The Venetian Mask by Rosalind Laker review to come.

25. Duchess A Novel of Sarah Churchill by Susan Holloway Scott.

This book took me a while to finish but it was worth it in the end. Duchess follows the lives of Sarah and John Churchill starting at the Court of Charles II. Sarah was such a strong-willed woman and an inspiration to many.

I'm at the half-way point in my challenge. I had no idea how many books I read in a year so it looks like I will exceed the 50.

April 25, 2008
25 books read
10,359 pages read

Currently reading Middlemarch and listening to World Without End. Up next, Rebecca.

26. World Without End by Ken Follett
Unabridged audiobook which was 44 hours and 55 minutes long read by John Lee. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction. John Lee is by far the best narrator I have ever listened to on audiobooks. I never tired of the story, characters or narrator.

25 books on april 25th.....what a coincidence. =)

I didn't even notice that! My reading time has been cut down thanks to LT and reading book blogs. I had a good pace going. Hmmm, do book blogs count on this? ha ha

27. Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

This was the first book I have read by Brooks and I am now a fan. She took a story that was such a tragedy and told it beautifully.

I, too, am a fan of Brooks and am looking forward to reading her latest: People of the Book. I had mixed feelings about March. Also read Nine Parts of Desire in the 90's which made a lasting impression on me. It was the first book I read about the status of women in the Middle East. A real eye-opener. She was a foreign correspondent for the Wall Street Journal and witnessed the treatment of the women there firsthand. I recommend any and all of her books.

I just read about Nine Parts of Desire and now have it on my tbr list. My tbr pile should be taking over my house any day now.

28. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll. I read this as a recommendation from a co-worker who just happens to be obsessed with all things Alice. While I enjoyed it very much I still do not understand what the obsession is over this story. Perhaps if I had read it as a child I would feel differently.

29. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov very disturbing

I just finished Nine Parts of Desire, and I will second the recommendation! It was a really great book.

42 - thanks, I will look for it the next time I am out at the bookstore or library.

30. The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton I couldn't put this one down. I have been reading a lot of historical fiction and a few classics so this was a welcome break. I will have a review up shortly.

So glad you liked The Wednesday Sisters as it is up next for me after People of the Book. I thought it looked like a good Memorial Day weekend book.

Donna, you can check out my review on my blog at www.journeythroughreading.blogspot.com. How was People of the Book? I have added that to my TBR list after reading Year of Wonders.

#13 Hey Rarcar1. How did you like Dissolution? My sister loved it and I have it on my TBR pile, but haven't started it yet.

I enjoyed looking at your blog and reading your review of The Wednesday Sisters which is up next for me; unfortunately, Memorial Day week end was too busy to get much reading done. Oh well, the entire (busy) summer is just ahead. Now if we'd just get some summer weather!

I did think People of the Book was first-rate. I just posted a full review (on my Profile Page) and some shorter comments on my thread here.

Kirconnell- I really like Dissolution and have some of the other books on my tbr list. It was a very fast read. Good luck with it!

Donna- it was hot here yesterday, hot and very humid. I realized that I really hate the heat. Did you get hit with any of the tornados this weekend?
I'm headed over to read your review now.

31. Black Wave by John and Jean Silverwood an ER book, nonfiction. Tells the story of the Silverwood's sailing trip around the world with their four children. They hit a coral reef and lose their boat, Emerald Jane. This is their story of survival and what they learn about each other. Review will be up shortly.

Touchstones not working.

32. Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan received from the first look program at Barnes and Noble. I really expected more from this book although it was not bad I did not like that the story was told from different perspectives every chapter. I thought it dragged on a bit as well. I will post a full review shortly.

33. The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson - advanced reader copy sent from publisher. Excellent! I will be on the lookout for more books by Davidson. I will have a review up shortly.

34. The Dangerous Joys of Dr. Sex and Other True Stories by Pagan Kennedy. Sent by Santa Fe Writers Project for review. This book is 15 short stories and nonfiction. Kennedy tells the story of everyday people trying to make a difference.

35. Matrimony by Joshua Henkin review will be posted later today.

36. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. I don't even know what to say about this one. I was glad to see her overcome everything but there wasn't much emotion in the book.