aktakukac's 2009 Challenge

I just joined LT today, and decided to join this challenge to help me read more and keep track of what I read. My goal for 2008 was 60 books. I ended up reading 57, so hopefully I can make it to 60 this year. I won't be disappointed if I don't reach my goal; I'd rather take my time to enjoy what I read than race through to get to 60.

I started reading The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende on the bus to and from Budapest yesterday, so that will be my first book in 2009.

"I won't be disappointed if I don't reach my goal; I'd rather take my time to enjoy what I read than race through to get to 60."

A good philosophy to have!

1. The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
I had heard a lot of good things about this book, but I wasn't as impressed as I thought I would be. This was my first Allende. I have owned Daughter of Fortune for several years and may read it later this year.

2. The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells
This was impossible for me to get into. It was just not interesting and couldn't hold my attention.

I am now reading The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins, and it will take me a while to finish.

Yes, I can really feel that way when I've waited a long time to read a 'classic' or prize-winner. For example, I was really shocked that The Sea by John Banville won the Mann-Booker; I thought that was just about the most boring book I'd ever read! So much of my reaction depends on what I'm in the mood for or what I've read before in that genre, or by that author, and I know that I'm a fairly critical reader. Still, I'm wondering if "not being impressed as I thought I would be" will be much more of a factor for me this year. In the past, I mostly chose my books by chance--whatever looked interesting as I perused the shelves and tables of my favorite bookstores. If I didn't like a book as much as I thought I would I had only myself (or the blurbs on the back cover to blame. :-) But this year I've got all these books I want to read due to multiple 'fave' reviews of LT-ers and I wonder whether my increased expectations will have a similar negative effect on my reading? Hope this isn't too long of a post on your thread; I can delete it later if you want. Happy reading!

3: I tried to read The War of Worlds once, but I stopped after a few pages, because it was so boring. Instead I listened the radio adaptation and found that really interesting.

>3 aktakukac:.
I tried The House of the Spirits in 2007, but gave up after 100 pages as I just wasn't getting it :(

>4 bonniebooks:.
On the other hand, I really enjoyed The Sea.

Fingers crossed that The Woman in White is a good one !

Thanks for the comment. You're doing better than me on The Woman in White, I've read 88 pages, and beginning to understand why it's 600+ pages long- I'm finding it INCREDIBLY descriptive; like, the narrator enters a room, where they proceed to describe the decoration of the room, every piece of furniture and the view outside the window ! LOL

3. Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote
The last time I saw the film was several years ago, and I wish I had read it first.

4. A Precocious Autobiography by Yevgeny Yevtushenko
A quick, interesting read.

5. The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 by Sue Townsend
A friend and fellow teacher had told me about Adrian Mole a few months ago, and I quickly devoured the copy he lent me. I'll read more Adrian Mole in the future.

6. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
My favorite in the Twilight Saga.

7. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
I did not like the ending, that's all I have to say about that.

I'm still working on The Woman in White and enjoying it very much.

Bonniebooks - your post is fine, I don't mind the length! I have added so many books to my want to read list from recommendations on LT. Hopefully they will be good, but if not there are plenty of other books to read...

Katacs - I don't have much experience with radio plays or audiobooks. I bet if I had listened to The Invisible Man I would have a different opinion of it.

My ears perked up when I saw you were reading Woman in White, as Marisa Pessl uses it as a chapter heading in Special Topics in Calamity Physics. I read that it is considered to be "among the first mystery novels" and that the phrase "Woman in White" has come to signify a character "who plays a crucial role in a novel's main events..." or "an important character whose history bears greatly on the lives of the novel's protagonists..." (Wikipedia! lol). Gotta add it to my "classic books I haven't read yet..." list. :-)

8. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
At times I couldn’t stop reading, while at other times it was difficult to get past a page or two. Nevertheless, I was constantly wondering what would happen next and was surprised by several events throughout the story.

If you're willing to give Collins a second chance, I would recommend The Moonstone. I think you would enjoy it very much, although the ending is quite weird and surprising. The best part about it is that there isn't just one narrator, but the various members of one family (and their friends) take turns at telling the story from their own different point of view. That way, it never gets boring and it is quite difficult to put down.

I think I'll put The Moonstone on my "to read eventually" list. I liked how The Woman in White was narrated by different characters, but the slowest parts for me were when Walter Hartright was telling the story...I couldn't get into those parts.

Well I guess you beat me on finishing The Woman in White (and a couple more too inbetween!), I hope to polish it off this weekend- after my dog gave my copy a good chewing last night !

A similar book which I have on Mt. TBR is The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, but I might leave it a while before plunging into more Victorian crime.

9. The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope
I listened to an audiobook of this and really enjoyed it. Will hopefully get to Rupert of Hentzau soon.

I've also been reading Dracula as one of my colleagues/friends really wanted me to read it. I have been pleasantly surprised, as I hate anything dealing with horror. It's not very scary (so far) and I have been to Transylvania, so I can really imagine some of the descriptions of the region.

10. Rupert of Hentzau by Anthony Hope
Sequel to The Prisoner of Zenda. There was more romance than in the first book, and I was quite surprised by the ending!

11. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
I don't know how I managed to not read Austen until now! I've always wanted to, and decided to start with this classic. Now I can finally watch Colin Firth portray Mr. Darcy, as I wouldn't let myself watch any Pride and Prejudice films until after I had read the book!

I have finished the first third of Dracula and hope to finish it this week. When I sit down to read it, it goes by rather quickly, but I haven't had much time for it lately.

12. Dracula by Bram Stoker
The only reason I read this was because a friend really, really wanted me to. I enjoyed some of it, but for the most part I was reading outside of my comfort zone. I can see why many people like it, but it just wasn't for me.

13. The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy

14. The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane

Dracula is creepy on such a subtle level. I really enjoyed it, though.

15. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
This is the best book I have read so far in 2009! It’s not easy to categorize, but there is a little of everything: mystery, romance, murder, politics, war, etc. I had to force myself to read it slowly, so I could enjoy it more and thoroughly understand what was happening. Some things ended up being a little predictable for me, but for the most part I kept wondering what would happen next. I highly recommend this book!

>21 aktakukac: thanks for the review, I've been waiting to mooch it for a long time!

16. In Search of the Castaways or the Children of Captain Grant by Jules Verne
I read a graded reader version of this with some of my students last year and decided to read it. It was my first Verne. Some parts were good, but some parts were a bit tedious.

17. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

I first learned about this book through LT, and I was expecting a lot. I wasn’t disappointed! Outlander has history, romance, time travel (from 1945 to 1743), adventure, and wonderful characters that I plan to continue following through the rest of the series. I highly recommend it!

Before I move on to Dragonfly in Amber, I am going to finish North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell.

18. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

Loved the beginning, disliked the long drawn-out parts, and felt the ending was rather rushed. Overall, I enjoyed it, and I plan to read more from Gaskell.

Dragonfly in Amber is too large to travel with me during my Spring Break. I'm thinking of throwing Captain Corelli's Mandolin into my backpack, but I might pick something else instead. I won't have much time to read during my vacation, but I will have a couple of long train rides; it's always good to have a book on those :)

>24 aktakukac:, Whenever anybody tells me they want to read a "historical romance" novel, I always think of Gabaldon's Outlander first. It really was a good one, wasn't it?

>26 bonniebooks:: Yes, it was fantastic, and I'm surprised it took me so long to learn about the series! Have to thank LT for that :)

19. Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernières

20. The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

21. A Room with a View by E.M. Forster
I hope I will enjoy Howards End more than A Room with a View. It just wasn't the book for me.

22. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
I couldn't put this down! I was drawn into the story from page one and loved every bit of it. Jamie and Claire are two of my favorite characters ever!

I hope you read Outlander first? That was a terrific historical romance novel. You and nannybebette should have fun talking. She just finished the sixth book in the series.

Oops! Sorry about the double posting.

>32 aktakukac:. Can't beat P&P!

Yes, I finished Outlander in March. I'm going to start Voyager soon, but after the third book I'm going to take a little break from the series. I'll wait until I'm back in the US for the summer before reading the others.

Now I'm reading Sense and Sensibility, but I'm having a hard time with it. It just hasn't grabbed me the way Pride and Prejudice did, but I'm going to stick with it and hope it improves.

23. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
This was only my second Austen, and I was terribly disappointed. Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood for it. I'm not giving up on Austen, however.

24. Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
Still loving The Outlander Series! Regardless of what my previous post says, I'm going to read Drums of Autumn now and not wait until summer!

You're doing pretty well on your 50-book challenge :)

Re Dexter; I guess I'd say that No they are not too graphic. Although Dexter IS a killer, he's also the "good guy" ...? I think during the -few- killing scenes they're more about what's not said - it's left up to your own imagination I guess

I can't even watch the opening titles of Dexter (TV show)! When he's shaving really sends a shiver up my spine !

25. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
A lovely story for both children and adults, the writing is wonderful. It's easy to imagine breathing the fresh moor air or sitting in the garden and watching everything/everyone grow. Somehow I missed reading this when I was a child (which I don't understand, because I KNOW it was on the reading list for 5th grade Clue-Me-In) , but I definitely enjoyed reading it as an adult.

I have this one on my tbr. My kids loved it, but I can't recall ever reading it myself. I love special children's books.
--BJ

26. King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard
I've been really busy the last few weeks, but I did manage to finish this one. It wasn't quite what I was expecting, and I didn't enjoy some chapters in the middle (preparing for battle, battles, etc.).

I'm still working on Drums of Autumn and also read a few pages of The Lady in Blue, but I've got so much going on at the moment that I don't know when I will finish either.

>36 billiejean:, BJ: I agree. I love them too!

27. Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon
I love the Outlander series and can't wait to read the next book! It'll be a while, though, because I've got some other books I need to read and return to friends before I fly to the US for the summer. It'll be great to be back home where I can add more of my books to my library, visit libraries and bookstores, and and have so many great books to read! Oh, and see family, friends, and the dogs, too!

28. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
This was sort of a reread...I remember reading part of it when I was in high school. I didn't love it, but I did enjoy it. Having read Wuthering Heights last autumn (which I did NOT like), I think I will try Agnes Grey sometime in the future to see what I think of that.

I'm about halfway through Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult, which is turning out not at all like I'd imagined. I'll take that and March by Geraldine Brooks with me on a trip this weekend; hopefully I can read a lot on the trains.

29. Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult
Not what I expected, not for me, and the only reason I kept reading it was because I was on a train for several hours.

30. March by Geraldine Brooks
I enjoyed March, and can't wait to read some of the author's other novels. She has a wonderful way with words, and although there were some slow parts, I couldn't stop reading.

On a side note, March was book #30, and since my goal is to read 60 books this year, I'm halfway there!

31. Wings Over Delft by Aubrey Flegg
I was a bit disappointed, but it wasn't bad.

32. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
A quick read, not quite what I expected, but enjoyable and a good look at the Puritains.

33. Shopgirl by Steve Martin
Better than I expected.

34. Beneath a Marble Sky by John Shors

35. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

36. Queen of Babble in the Big City by Meg Cabot

37. The German Bride by Joanna Hershon

38. Waterloo Station by Emily Grayson

39. The Christmas Train by David Baldacci

40. The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling

I've been able to get a lot of reading done during my summer vacation in the USA, but I don't have a lot of time to add books to my LT catalogue or to comment about the books I read. I'll hopefully have time to do that by the end of August...

41. The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sís

42. The Russian Concubine by Kate Furnivall

43. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
This book has my favorite opening line that I've read this year: "I write this sitting in the kitchen sink."

44. Letters From Yellowstone by Diane Smith

45. A Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander
When I picked this up, I didn't realize it was the third book in the series. I probably should have stopped reading it and read the other two first.

46. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
It was good, but after hearing so much about it from LibraryThing, I expected more.

47. The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom
A quick read, and good writing style.

Edited for Touchstones

48. The Upstairs Room by Johanna Reiss
A good children's book that describes the author's life while hiding in a Dutch farmhouse during World War Two.

49. Beginner's Greek by James Collins

50. Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz
A series of monologues (and two dialogues) from people with different professions on an English manor. Sometimes humorous, sometimes sad, and always informative. This is a book I want for my classroom library!

51. Postcards From No Man's Land by Aidan Chambers
Finished this right before I flew back to Hungary last week, but I had so much going on that I didn't read it properly. I wish I could have had more time to enjoy it.

52. Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour by Kate Fox
A friend of mine who has lived and worked in England wanted me to read this because it was "so funny." I didn't think it was that humorous, but it did make me want to go to England.

Maybe it's more funny if you ARE English - recognising your own habits and culture, rather than looking at them from an outside perspective? I really enjoyed it because everything in it was familiar from day-to-day English life, which readers from abroad wouldn't pick up on to the same extent...

It was great to learn more about English habits and culture, and to understand more about certain stereotypes. The chapter on "Pub Talk" was great...I can't wait to experience all that for myself!

53. The Slave by Isaac Bashevis Singer

I've been working on Anna Karenina for several weeks, and am really enjoying it. Too bad real life is getting in the way of finishing it anytime soon!

54. Kiss Me Again, Stranger: A Collection of Eight Stories Long and Short by Daphne du Maurier

I usually don't enjoy short stories, but these were absolutely brilliant! Suspenseful, full of unique and interesting characters, and beautifully written. I will definitely read more du Maurier in the future.

That being said, there were a couple of stories that didn't grab me as much as the others. They were still enjoyable, though. I might use "The Old Man" with my advanced 12th graders. Wow! How had I never heard of that story before??

55. Emma by Jane Austen

I did not enjoy Sense and Sensibility when I read it earlier this year, so I wasn't expecting to like Emma. I loved it! I especially liked seeing Emma grow up and mature, and the secondary characters (Mr. Woodhouse, Miss Bates, etc.).

56. The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

A lovely novella about what happens when Queen Elizabeth develops a love for reading.

I didn't finish Anna Karenina by December 31 like I had wanted, but it was the first book I finished in 2010. I also had two rereads in 2009, so the total number of books I read was 58...two short of my goal. My 2010 Challenge thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/81174