Bucketyell's 101010 Challenge

I guess it had to happen sometime.... I never could resist a challenge!

Categories?

1) Must Reads - Classics & stuff from the 1001 books you must read before you die list.

2) Loonies, hosers & double-doubles - all things Canadian

3) That can't be true! - social commentary

4) Skeletons in the Closet - dysfunctional family fiction (gotta love it!)

5) Back in my Day - memoirs/autobiographical stuff

6) When I Was a Girl - childhood classics that I loved or somehow missed reading

7) Don't Turn Off the Lights - suspense/thrillers

8) When's it Due? - library books

9) What's in a Word? - Books about books, about writing or about words

10) Hodgepodge - for stuff that just doesn't fit any where else

I love the title for the library books, how appropriate. (Mine would be Renewal Roulette)

I like Renewal Roulette! I play that game ALL the time (just today as a matter of fact).

Must reads - Classics & stuff from the 1001 books you must read before you die list

1) A Doll's House by Ibsen - 24/01/10
2) The Outsider by Camus - 07/03/10
3) Call of the Wild by London - 19/04/10
4) The Secret History by Tartt - 24/04/10
5) The Children's Book by Byatt - 01/05/10
6) The Tin Flute by Roy - 02/05/10
7) Heart of Darkness by Conrad - 09/05/10
8) The Plague by Camus - 09/05/10
9) Kim by Kipling - 13/05/10
10) We by Zamyatin - 14/05/10

COMPLETED 14/05/10

Loonies, hosers & double-doubles - - all things Canadian

1) The Sea Captain's Wife by Powning - 10/01/10
2) An Accidental Canadian by Wente - 27/01/10
3) The Stranger in the Plumed Hat by Karafilly - 31/01/10
4) The Armchair Detective #1 by Weber - 06/02/10
5) Creation by Govier - 07/02/10
6) The Weekend Man by Wright - 23/02/10
7) Stonyground by Chambers - 28/02/10
8) Never Look Away by Barclay - 10/03/10
9) The Golden Mean by Lyon - 13/03/10
10) The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag by Bradley - 30/03/10

COMPLETED 30/03/10

That can't be true! - social commentary

1) Living it Up: America's Love Affair with Luxury by Twitchell - 02/01/10
2) Overspent American by Schorr - 03/01/10
3) Trading Up by Silverstein/Fiske - 09/01/10
4) Affluenza by de Graaf et al - 10/01/10
5) Spree: A Cultural History of Shopping by Klaffke - 11/01/10
6) Can't Buy My Love by Kilbourne - 18/01/10
7) Nickel and Dimed by Ehrenreich - 21/01/10
8) Bobos in Paradise by Brooks - 29/01/10
9) The Young and the Digital by Watkins - 29/01/10
10) Shoptimism by Eisenberg - 07/03/10

COMPLETED 07/03/10

Skeletons in the Closet - dysfunctional family fiction (gotta love it!)

1) The Eternal City by de Rosa - 08/01/10
2) Truelove and Homegrown Tomates: A Story - 17/01/10
3) Not My Daughter by Delinsky - 23/01/10
4) Altered Land by Hardy - 25/01/10
5) Secrets of Eden by Bohjalian - 13/02/10
6) Ellen Foster by Gibbons - 14/02/10
7) Brava, Valentine by Trigiani - 02/03/10
8) The Lace Reader by Barry - 06/03/10
9) The Wild Zone by Fielding - 09/03/10
10) A Thread of Sky by Fei - 24/03/10

COMPLETED 24/03/10

Back in my Day - memoirs/autobiographical stuff

1) Sky Burial by Xinran - 13/01/10
2) Too Close to the Falls by Gildiner - 05/02/10
3) The Camera my Mother Gave Me by Kaysen - 06/02/10
4) Q's Legacy by Hanff - 06/02/10
5) My Life in France by Child - 12/02/10
6) A More Perfect Union by Schank - 20/02/10
7) After the Falls by Gildiner - 23/02/10
8) Anne Frank Remembered by Gies - 24/02/10
9) I Am First a Human Being by Wituska/Tomaszewski - 26/02/10
10) Eat Pray Love by Gilbert - 28/03/10

COMPLETED 28/03/10

When I Was a Girl - Childhood classics that I somehow missed reading

1) Heidi by Spyri - 14/02/10 (I finally have one to add here!)
2) The Swiss Family Robinson by Wyss - 20/02/10
3) The Education of Little Tree by Carter - 13/03/10
4) The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Baum - 28/03/10
5) Peter Pan by Barrie - 02/04/10
6) Alice in Wonderland by Carroll - 02/04/10
7) Through the Looking Glass by Carroll - 02/04/10
8) Black Beauty by Sewell - 11/04/10
9) The Neverending Story by Ende - 16/04/10
10) The Wind in the Willows by Grahame - 18/04/10

COMPLETED 18/04/10

Don't Turn Off the Lights - suspense/thrillers

1) The Girl Who Played with Fire by Larsson - 16/01/10
2) The River Sorrow by Holden - 17/01/10
3) Pirate Latitudes by Crichton - 23/01/10
4) No Good Deeds by Lippman - 30/01/10
5) The Lake of Dead Languages by Goodman - 31/01/10
6) The Secret Cardinal by Grace - 05/02/10
7) The Flanders Panel by Perez-Reverte - 08/02/10
8) Impact by Preston - 09/02/10
9) U is for Undertow by Grafton - 13/02/10
10) Fantasy in Death by Robb - 28/03/10

COMPLETED 28/03/10

When's it Due? - library books

1) Street Gang by Davis - 21/01/10
2) Get Me Out by Epstein - 24/01/10
3) Shades of Grey by Fforde - 24/01/10
4) Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation by Stein/Kim - 27/01/10
5) Swan Thieves by Kostova - 29/01/10
6) Caught by Coben - 03/04/10
7) Lunch in Paris by Bard - 10/04/10
8) Carjacked by Lutz/Fernandez - 10/04/10
9) Falling Apart in One Piece by Morrison - 10/04/10
10) Arcadia Falls by Goodman - 11/04/10

COMPLETED 11/04/10

What's in a Word? - Books about books, about writing or about words

1) Stylized by Garvey - 12/02/10
2) The Shadow of the Wind by Zafon - 14/02/10. I am counting this one here because at its essence, it's a book about a book (and I am a little behind in this category!)
3) How I Became a Famous Novelist by Hely - 16/02/10
4) Literary Hoaxes by Katsoulis - 07/03/10
5) Rereadings by Fadmian - 13/03/10
6) Everybody's Favourites by Rae - 14/03/10
7) Righting the Mother Tongue by Wolman - 03/04/10
8) A Man of My Words by Lederer - 11/04/10
9) A Reading Diary by Manguel - 12/04/10
10) A Gentle Madness by Basbanes - 17/04/10

COMPLETED 17/04/10

Hodgepodge - for stuff that just doesn't fit any where else

1) Sarah's Key by de Rosnay - 25/01/10
2) The Wedding: An Encounter with Jan Van Eyck by Rees - 06/02/10
3) Middlesex by Eugenides - 21/03/10
4) Leisureville by Blechman - 26/03/10
5) The Survivors Club by Sherwood - 31/03/10
6) Eating my Words by Sheraton - 04/04/10
7) Lust in Translation by Druckerman - 07/04/10
8) The Tipping Point by Gladwell - 09/04/10
9) You Couldn't Ignore Me if You Tried by Gora - 14/04/10
10) Sex, Bombs and Burgers by Nowak - 18/04/10

COMPLETED 18/04/10

Touchstones to be added later because I really can't be bothered fighting with them each time....

>7 Yells: 1) Living it Up: America's Love Affair with Luxury by Twitchell - 020110

Well that's going on the to-read list.

It's not a bad read. He argues that luxury is not necessarily a bad thing (which I tend to disagree with) but he presents a good case. The book was written in 2002 so I do think it would be interesting to see if his opinion has changed any.

One book/author that he seems to take issue with is The Overspent American by Schor, which I also got from the library, so it will be interesting to read her side of the story.

Living it Up sounds interesting! I read Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster a few years ago, so it would be interesting to get another viewpoint on the topic.

Looks like you've got some great categories going there! I've starred your thread and can't wait to see what you read!

I read Deluxe: How Luxury Lost its Luster as well and liked it. That is the book that got me interested in this topic. If you know any more, let me know :)

I haven't read anything else on the topic, unfortunately. But I am open to your suggestions, as well.

Trading Up: Why Consumers Want New Luxury Goods... And How Companies Create Them (Revised and Updated) was pretty interesting.

Edit: Robert Frank's Richistan covers a lot of that ground too, but none of it stuck in my head.

Thanks for the reminding 'cus I have a copy of Trading Up around somewhere! I will move that one up the list.

And I will investigate Richistan too. I tend to find a topic and then obsess about it, get bored and move on. Story of my life!

Overspent American by Schor was interesting and while I do agree with her that we are all in big trouble with regards to over-extending etc., I don't really agree with her solutions. Gathering neighbours together to collectively buy a riding lawn mower to share? Sure if everyone stayed put long enough to make use of it. And if everyone had the same views with regards to maintenance and upkeep. And, and, and....

I liked Trading Up a lot better than the other 'luxury' themed books I have read recently. It had a lot of vignettes about companies who recognized this market trend early and embraced it against the odds ie: Panera Bread and Calloway Golf Clubs.

It also recognized that while someone will pay a high price for one type of good, they will shop frugally for other types. I see this happening all the time around my neighbourhood and I think this is the reality for most people.

I also finished reading The Sea Captain's Wife by Powning. This was an ARC that I won (yeah me!) and I quite liked it. I am, however, a little perplexed that Knopf would publish it. It just doesn't seem the calibre of writing that Knopf normally publishes. Have they relaxed their requirements? Who knows... But, it was enjoyable nonetheless.

Finished Sky Burial by Xinran and loved it! It's a short little read but it really packs a punch. And, I had no idea before starting that it was a true story.

I love you category names. I really have to step up my creativity level these days.

I liked Street Gang by Davis but found that it was waaaay too long. I am not sure I needed the entire history of everyone who ever had a job at CTW. Once I got to the middle part where it explained how the show came together and how each of the characters were created, I enjoyed it a whole lot more. It totally fulfilled my need for nostalgia.

>#25 Ooh! Another Xinran book to put on my list. I read The Good Women of China a few years ago--it was a fascinating book. It details the lives of several women--interesting but some sad stories.

With Street Gang, I loved how they first conceived of Sesame Street at a Julia Child-inspired dinner party. Tying all that early PBS goodness together.

I've long maintained that the fundamental difference between Gen-X and Gen-Y/Millennials is Elmo.

28 - I will add The Good Women of China and her other stuff to my list because I absolutely loved Sky Burial.

29 - As a Gen X'er, I heartily agree.

I just finished a neat little book called Get Me Out by Epstein. It's basically a series of vignettes about key defining moments in the history of childbirth. It starts briefly with Adam & Eve and continues on the modern day and deals with issues like twilight births (had no idea what they were until now), IVF/sperm banks and planned parenthood. The author is an MD but she is also a writer so the book is written is a very readable, enjoyable manner.

Finally finished A Doll House by Ibsen. I read it in high school but honestly didn't remember anything about it. It's a very strange play. It jumps around a bit and then just ends. I think I am still waiting for the other shoe to drop.

This has been a weekend of finishing up half-read books. All week I have been picking things up, reading half of it and then moving on to other things because I want something different. Since I generally finish one before starting another, it's been a weird week for me!

Accidental Canadian by Wente was good but it took me awhile to figure out what type of book it was supposed to be. She is a newspaper columnist in Canada but she grew up in Chicago. I thought this book was musings on her experiences in both places. But it seemed to be divided in three sections. The first highlighted things that she deemed to be utterly Canadian - hockey and Margaret Atwood. Then she veered off into memoir country and talked about buying a farm with her husband and their experiences running it. And then, it veered off again into an overall of her views on a number of topics from sex to the fall of Conrad Black. Really interesting but strangely written.

And then for something totally different... Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation by Stein/Kim. Just when I thought I knew everything about my body, this book shows up and proves that I know very little.

I loved it! It's part history & part sex-ed with a lot of old ads for various products thrown in for good measure.

#33..in spite of my initial reaction, that looks really interesting...especially if it has some of those old magazine ads (the prom dresses???) we used to drool over. ;D

Tutu - I got it out of the library more out of curiosity than anything else but its awesome! There are all kinds of old kotex ads, even ones for old-fashioned vibrators (cures hysteria and other ailments!). I highly recommend it. :)

I submitted a library purchase recommendation for Flow but my hopes are not high for it showing up.

The Swan Thieves by Kostova - interesting story but way toooooooo long. The Historian suffered the same fate (but I found it much more interesting). This one had 500 pages of warm-up and then 60 odd pages of intense action crammed in. It seems to be a trend with this author.

I must admit, overall I was a little bored with this follow-up novel.

Well, seeing as how I have read 8 of the 10 books for my social commentary column, it's obvious where my interests lie this month. Oddly enough, before I joined here last year, I rarely read non-fiction books. Now they are slowly starting to outnumber fiction.

Bobos in Paradise by Brooks is a well-written high-level look at 'bobos' (bourgeois/bohemians). These are the upper crust of society who grew tired of the staid rules that previously dictated their parents behaviour and have now managed to combine their bourgeois money with a 'bohemian' lifestyle to form a new class for themselves.

While I enjoyed it for the most part, I think it was a little high level for my tired old brain. I might have to revisit this one in the summer when work and school aren't quite so hectic.

Bobos in Paradise is one I'll probably read for my challenge this year too. I picked up a copy at a Friends of the Library sale last summer. I'll be sure not to try it right after something heavy.

I was going to suggest Deluxe, but that's the book that got you started, so I won't bother! Will look with interest at your other thrillers; was kinda daunted by your thoughts on Swan Thieves, which would be my first Kostova. Oh well...

Was kind of amused by your take on Peggy Wente's book. (Decades ago, she was so sure I wouldn't stay in Canada, she didn't want to give me a job; I guess she was right, after all...) Bobos in Paradise is a hilarious send up of the whole 'Restoration Hardware' crowd. His follow-up (post dot.com crash) was On Paradise Drive, which didn't have the same edge or focus. Richistan is by a former colleague of mine; I know the material well, since I write about the same high-net-worth goofballs and the issues. It's a good collage, but very episodic; one of those books where, even while I appreciated the detail, I kept wondering what the overarching point was, and not being content with the fact that it was that these folks live in their own gated virtual country called, surprise, Richistan. Once the point is made once, that's it, and just restating it doesn't make it feel fresh the fourth time. Also, it ended up feeling a bit voyeuristic. But definitely well-reported and right on the money if you want to be voyeuristic!

If anyone is looking at Xinran's books, do try China Witness. It's an oral history, stories told by people who lived through the worst of the worst: the last days of the empire, the floods and famines; the political upheaval and civil wars; the various stages of the Revolution and into Deng Xiaoping's era. How any of them survived, much less kept a sense of self and identity, is truly astonishing. Reminded me of talking to elderly Russians in the 1970s -- and the reasons the police would always try to break up those chats!!

Richistan is on my wishlist so I will let you know my thoughts. I did enjoy Bobos but I was hoping for something a little less theory-behind-the-concept and a little more real-life-examples of what bobos are doing (a more anthropologic approach?). Normally this is exactly my type of book but lately, my brain seems a little fried so I am sure I missed quite a bit.

I didn't mean to scare you away from The Swan Thieves! It really is a good novel but Kostova needs to learn to be more concise. I found that both of her novels are well-researched and based on really interesting topics but she goes a little too far in her execution. Cut it in half and I would have been enthralled the whole time.

The Young and the Digital by Watkins was today's read. I don't know whether I am just in a crabby mood lately (because I seem to be really hard on authors these days) or whether my picks are a little off but this one was disappointing.

What I was hoping for was a well-written, well thought out look at today's youth and the effects that social media, gaming etc. has had on the them. The first 100 pages was basically a debate on which is better, Facebook or Myspace. It wasn't until halfway through that Watkins brings up other types of media (cell phones, mp3 players).

It's more an overview of what kids are doing as opposed to an in-depth look at the effect it's having.

Richistan is definitely far heavier on examples than on theory.

I saw Deluxe on the remainder table at B&N the other night but it looked too brand-specific for me. Or, more accurately, the brands were too high-end. I'm more interested in why people buy the Trading Up level of stuff.

What I liked about Deluxe was the emphasis on craftsmanship and artistry that is still involved in some 'luxury' items. What does couture mean, beyond the status and high price? That was the real 'value added' by Dana Thomas's book, for me at least. The brand stuff -- well, that's fine for anyone interested in that sort of stuff. I'm not, but found the book fascinating for discussions like that about a tiny shoe company in Paris (whose name I actually can't even recall) and what is meant by truly custom-designed and custom-made shoes. It made me really appreciate what is meant by 'custom', and think about how firms like Prada have really damaged that by building a brand rather than a product. (an interesting part of the book is partly implicit -- can we talk about luxury goods that are mass manufactured in China??)

#41 -- I'm being crabby about books too, right now. Maybe it's the season?? But you're right, the FB/Myspace debate feels a bit old, and more like a grownup's view of what youth are up to than anything organic. I'd be interested in reading something about this topic, since I sometimes feel there's a greater barrier between today's teens and their elders than at any time in history, thanks to the technology that they adapt to and use so readily and that I just don't see the need for! (And the fact that I use the word 'need' in this context probably says it all...)

#43 - It's funny you should mention the 'great divide' because one of the things mentioned in The Young and the Digital was that young people just aren't using email any more (they consider it for old people). They instead turn to messenger services to commuicate. I was a little surprised by that and then realised that at the ripe old age of 37, I rarely use IM (I find it too interruptive) and instead rely on email so that I can answer people in my own time. Maybe that's the first sign of getting older? You grow tired of being 'on-demand' when others want you and realise that what you really want is time and space to do your own thing without interruption. The funny thing is, both sides seem to think that their way gives them that!

This has been a weird week. I started so many books and then finished them on pretty much the same day.

I read half of Too Close to the Falls by Gildiner while waiting at the doctor's office. This is NOT a book that one should read while sitting alone in public because it will make you laugh out loud and you look a little crazy. It's Gildiner's memoir of her childhood growing up in Lewiston, a small town near Niagara New York. She was a somewhat hyperactive, precocious child who had a very unique way of looking at things (she believed that the TV set was speaking directly to her and so she felt rude not answering). I am curious to read the sequel now.

The Camera my Mother Gave Me by Kaysen was downright weird but yet really compelling at the same time. I can't explain it - I spent an afternoon reading a book about someone's sore vagina and I found that I just couldn't put the book down. Maybe someone else can explain it to me...

Q's Legacy by Hanff is one that I just bought and then had to read (breaking my own rule of not reading the new stuff until I got the old stuff under control). Having read 84, Charing Cross Road again just last summer, I had a definitive image in my head of who Hanff was but after reading this one, I realise that I was completely wrong! I had pictured this doddering old lady who was stubborn, set in her ways and was somewhat well off. Instead, Hanff was quite young and poor when this correspondence took place. It's so weird when that happens.

I loved Q's Legacy as much, in a different way, as 84 Charing Cross Road. It also sent me in quest of Q's own writings, which I now own!

The Flanders Panel by Perez-Reverte is one I picked up mainly because I needed something mindless for another 3 hour wait at the doctor's office. This one I 'discovered' on LT and thought it looked really interesting. The reviews weren't all that favourable but I figured I would still give it a chance.

Overall, I enjoyed it until the end and then it was, well, crap to be perfectly honest. It is certainly not going to win any awards but I did enjoy the writing style so I will try something else by him before I officially pass judgment. One more book off the shelf!

I know I read The Flanders Panel but that's really all I can tell you about it. So I agree it's not one of his best.

The Club Dumas is the way to go.

It's been so long since I've read either The Flanders Panel or the The Club Dumas. I wish I could make another recommendation for you. I need to read one of his more recent books to see if there's been any improvement...

The most recent one I read was The Nautical Chart, which I didn't like at all. Not least because it's contemporary, which isn't what I read him for. That was followed by another modern day one, The Queen of the South, which I didn't bother trying. If there have been more since, I haven't noticed.

The Club Dumas it is then.

Impact by Preston. What can I say? The premise sounded interesting and I needed something mindless to take my mind off the root canal I need to have done tomorrow. But this one? Kind of sucked. I think I prefer the Preston/Childs books more than I like the stand-alones. Very disappointed because it had promise.

Stylized by Garvey is a neat little book about the history of The Elements of Style by Strunk/White. It's an interesting mix of biographical data, letters (by the authors to various people) and excerpts/essays written by other authors about this book.

I must say, after being disappointed with the last few in the series, U is for Undertow was really good. The mystery was intriguing and kept me guessing until the end and there was a lot of back story about Kinsey Millhone. I think my faith in Grafton is temporarily redeemed.

I am on a roll this week. Despite totally guessing whodunnit right from the start, Secrets of Eden by Bohjalian was a pretty good story. I quite like his writing style (I f'loved Midwives and Double Bind) and he is talented enough to write about many different topics.

I finally read The Shadow of the Wind by Zafon and I liked it a lot better than his other one (can't remember name). He has a unqiue way of describing mundane things in a magical way (and I can only assume, since it's translated, that that is his talent and not a product of the translation).

Bohjalian and Zafon are two of those authors that I have shied away from, in part because they seem so ubiquitous... Like Paulo Coelho, whose novels, when I started to read them, I thought were dreadful and self-conscious. It just seems that there are some writers who get stuck in the public consciousness as "good" and "literary", but it's pretty much 50-50 odds as to whether they actually are, like Ishiguro. Maybe will have to try them. But you did prompt me to take another stab at The Club Dumas...

I will admit, I can't quite understand the overwhelming Zafon love. He writes an entertaining book but his stuff is way too long. Cut the story in half and tightened up the story and it would be a great tale. I do enjoy his way with language and that is why I keep reading them.

Bohjalian is hit or miss. I really, really loved Midwives and Double Bind -- mostly because he put an O Henry twist at the end and I just didn't see it coming (others have said his stuff is predictable but I really didn't see the ending coming). Some of his other stuff, like Trans Sister Radio was just plain bizarre. He was trying to do the whole Jodi Picoult thing but didn't quite make it (neither does she most of the time).

Overall, neither author is going to win any major literary awards but they are entertaining.

PS.. I read The Alchemist years ago and while it was okay, I really didn't understand why everyone raved about it. I have an ARC of Zahir on my shelf that I will get to at some point. We will see if that changes my perception of Coelho any.

Jodi Picoult always reminds me of Lifetime's movie of the week. She taps into the domestic zeitgeist, but when stripped down, there's really nothing much there. In my mind, books that pretend to be literary fiction and aren't are the worst offenders. I'm becoming wary of anything that has a "Reader's Guide" or book club discussion guide in the back!! :-)

Coelho -- I read both The Alchemist and Veronika Decides to Die and thought they were pompous, full of hot air and almost droning in tone. Great cure for insomnia.

Wow, am I a harsh critic, or just particularly cranky today???

Must be the weather 'cus I am crabby too. But, some things deserve constructive criticism too so it's all good!

While I enjoyed Plain Truth by Picoult (the first one of hers that I read), she hasn't quite lived up to that one again. She means well and tries to be different, which is probably why I keep reading, but she is lacking some depth there.

There are a lot of authors that people just rave about. And while they can write interesting stuff, it tends to be the same sort of interesting stuff that others are writing. I will admit, I read it because I am curious about the hype but often I am let down because it's nothing new. Same stuff in a different package (I call it the Danielle Steel syndrome).

What I find strange is that I used to be that reader that I am now shying away from. I read all the Mary Higgins Clark's and Sidney Sheldon's of the world. I loved all the top 10 novels on the drugstore rack and thought I was so well read.

It's only over the last 10 years or so that my tastes have broadened out exponentially. I still have my fallbacks (although I have cut the ties to a few who continue to fail me -- Patricia Cornwell, I am looking right at you) but my tastes are vastly different now.

Strange what age does to a person :)

The saving grace of a Mary Higgins Clark or a Sidney Sheldon is that they never pretend to be anything other than entertainers delivering potboilers. In a way, I'd rather read a James Patterson thriller, with all its flaws and formulae, than a book that is just as formula but uses polysyllables and pretends to be 'literary'. I think I'll create a category for those books and call them "snob fiction"! (To go along with "stunt fiction", "stunt travel/memoir", and "thumping good reads".) I know what I'm reading with a potboiler -- it's like cotton candy for the brain. You can't survive on it, but it's fun sometimes. And while we gush about Dickens today, in his day, he was writing potboilers and was looked down on! (Not that Patterson or Sheldon are at all Dickensian, just that there's something about mass market fiction that engages you.)

Yes, I agree re Cornwell... I couldn't read her last book, and won't even buy her new one. There's nowhere left to go with this set of characters, and her attempts to do new stuff have been massive flops.

Sometimes a writers' best work is knowing when to finish a series. I loved Ian Rankins' Rebus series, but was glad he had to good sense to end it!

#61- Too true. I was pleasantly surprised with U is for Undertow by Grafton but her last few weren't very good. I know why she is continuing (I guess the alphabet thing sounded promising in the beginning) but that series should have ended a few letters ago.

How I Became a Famous Novelist by Hely - I picked this one up because it was recommended around here somewhere. While it had its funny moments, I really didn't like the book overall. I think the author was just trying to hard to be funny and ended up flat in some cases. Interesting premise though.

I just finished After the Falls by Gildiner and liked it. I picked up Too Close to the Falls at a book sale and read it last month in preparation for this one. The first one was hilariously funny but the sequel, while it had its funny moments, was much more serious (probably because she is much older now and she doesn't believe in the 'talking box' any more). Her life reminds me of a somewhat less dysfunctional version of Running with Scissors by Burroughs.

I was very disappointed in The Golden Mean. After plowing through 200+ pages, I just couldn't finish it. How does a book get nominated for all the major Canadian awards when it's incredibly boring to read?

I took a break from fiction and dove into reality with Leisureville by Blechman. It's a long, hard look at retirement communities in the US and he examines how they came about, what really goes on behind-the-scenes (there is not enough brain-bleach to get some of THOSE scenes out of my head) and the good and bad points of living in these types of sheltered communities. He questions whether they are really a good idea and I think he makes a compelling argument that segregation may not always be the best thing.

I was worried that it might be too fluffy so I was pleasantly surprised that it had some substance to it.

Peter Pan is a very weird and strange book. I suppose if I had of read it as a child, it wouldn't have squeed me out quite so much.

I read a very funny but serious book about one of the biggest leisure communities in Florida, and wish I could remember the title now. It was written by a younger guy, who was very curious about this hyper-organized and very homogeneous, somewhat artificial world. I may plump for Leisureville as well, since it's a bargain book from Amazon right now, if only to remind myself that is where I do NOT want to be in 20 years, however irritated I become about teenagers and 20somethings.

Well, Leisureville might be that book Chatterbox. It is written by a guy who sees his older neighbours sell their New England home and give in to the hype of the retirement villa craze in Florida. He decides to write a book about the realities (good and bad) of this type of living and so he goes down for a birds-eye view. For some, this is just a Club Med for seniors but for others, it's a carefree, maintenance-free lifestyle where everything is at your fingerstips.

Someone in the book likens it to the whole Stepford Wives thing and I would have to agree. For me, there is something creepy about the whole set-up (way too many rules and regulations for my taste) but I suppose for some, this is exactly what they are looking for in retirement so they are welcome to it.

If this isn't the book Chatterbox, let me know if you remember the title because I am still fascinated with this stuff (it's kind of like a train wreck!)

Caught by Harlen Coben was next on the list of library-books-that-must-be-read-asap. And I must say, I liked it. Someone reviewed it and said that it was way over the top and to a degree it was. But I liked all the twists and turns. It was a little unbelievable at times but overall, it was entertaining and it kept me guessing until the end. It was exactly what I needed to read before buckling down to study for my upcoming exam. Ugh...

You know, it is Leisureville that I read; I was working on a package of multimedia stories about next-gen retirement (the antithesis of what Blechman describes) when I read it. I hopped over to Amazon where one of the reviews kind of encapsulated exactly what Blechman is criticizing -- the "I don't care about this" and "I don't want to worry about that" attitude to society, the pick-and-choose lifestyle that is so dissociated from 'reality'. Maybe we all just want to live in a giant Disneyland??

I've got the Coben book on my Kindle. Yes, he's predictably OTT, like a lot of thriller writers, but I tend not to care as long as it is convincing enough to keep me reading!

Good luck with the exam...

Thanks! I have been studying... honest!

But in the meantime, I read Eating My Words: An Appetite for Life by Mimi Sheraton. It's part memoir of her life as a New York food critic and part overview of the restaurant business in general. I found parts to be really interesting and other parts to be a little boring.

Some of the food descriptions just made me want to gag -- I guess it's a good thing that I don't have to eat for a living! I am not sure that I could force down monkey brains or beef kidneys. And I don't do fish. Or duck. Or lamb. Or goat. Or.... heh. :)

I never even know this book exists but it sounded interesting and I needed to add another book to a bookmooch so I figured why not?!?

Lust in Translation: Infidelity from Tokyo to Tennessee by Druckerman is a look at well, fidelity or lack thereof around the world (except Canada - no idea why but it's just not mentioned at all). I had no idea that there are countries in this world where cheating is pretty much accepted by the majority of people as a way of life. I guess I have lived a very sheltered life up here in Canada!

Now I don't consider myself to be a prude by any means (I know ALL the interesting sex words, heh) but colour me shocked that there are places where a large number of people feel that this kind of behaviour is not bad at all and believe that sometimes it is necessary for a successful marriage!

Interesting but very disturbing at the same time.

All right, 6 categories down and I am getting close on a few others. And now that exams are done, I can read for pleasure again. What bliss!

Arcadia Falls was vintage Goodman but it really reminded me of her last one. It's a good thing I liked the last one but something a little different would have been good. It's your typical thriller: mom and daughter come to spooky old private school to escape some demons and end up in the middle of a big old mystery dating back some years. People die (Goodman really likes to kill people off!) and others try to find out why by looking into the past.

Carjacked was just downright scary. It's a look at how Americans have grown completely dependent on their vehicles to the point where sometimes food and shelter come second. It also looks at the increasing divide between those who can afford a car and those who can't. Those who can't must rely on sometimes not-so-reliable public transit and in some cases, have become margalized because of their lack of reliable transport.

It's kind of a doomsday approach to our (and I say our because while the book is about America, I have no illusions that we are that much better up here in Canada) gas-guzzling, toxin-spewing behemoths. I do think it's somewhat ridiculous that people will drive 2 blocks to drop there able-bodied kid off at school but I don't think we are quite as bad off as the book implies. It's interesting but a little over the top at times.

Lunch in Paris is a delightful little book about an American woman who falls in love with a frenchman and decides to move in France. It's a format that has been over done but at the same time, it's a light enjoyable read. Perfect for a warm afternoon in the sun.

And finally, Falling Apart in One Piece was a long, whine-fest. I got divorced 5 years ago and so I was hoping to read something that I could relate to. And I did to a certain degree. I understood some of the anger and frustration. But geez, I didn't need a blow-by-blow of all the other crap that was going on in your life and how crappy it was that EVERYTHING bad always happened to you and oh woe is me, isn't life a craptacular crapfest for you and only you. Sheesh...

>72 Yells:, the author of that is a friend and former colleague of mine! I must say I enjoyed it, having lived not only in Canada (where I know a couple of strong marriages that have featured some infidelities...) but also Europe and Japan. It was interesting for what it was: a look at morality in a relative rather than absolute context, and the ways it differs from one society to another. The most famous example is Francois Mitterand's wife and illegitimate adult daughter attending his funeral alongside his wife. But then, 'le cinq a sept' is a French tradition...

Had to take a break from this challenge for a bit while I got the library book problem under control. One that I just finished is Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things by Frost. While this book horrified the neatfreak in me, I really enjoyed reading the vignettes of each type of hoarder and then learning the psychology behind why they are the way they are.

68, 70> A book on the same basic topic that came out a couple of years ago is Early Bird, by Rodney Rothman, a man who took early retirement and moved into a retirement community in Florida.

76 - Thanks! I will have to hunt that one down.

Just got back from a fun-filled (albeit rainy) week in Chicago and lo & behold, I have finished my challenge. I found a ton of stuff at Powells and Myopic Books so I had my choice of stuff to read to fill the last two spots.

The first was Kim by Kipling. I have seen a few people around here read it and I generally like stuff about India so I gave it a go. I must say that I was not impressed at all. Maybe I am just too slow to understand the vernacular or maybe it was all the door banging and strange noises at the hotel (it was great last year when we first visited!) but I just couldn't get into it. I will try other examples of Kipling before commenting on his writing style.

The second was We by Zamyatin and I loved it! I went on a dystopian fiction kick a few years back but somehow missed this one. Again, this is one that I have seen on quite a few lists around here so when I saw it for $2, I jumped on it.

So, now that this is done, I contemplated doing it again but I think I will try to make significant in-roads with my TBR challenge first. Between making room for the newbies (20 more on this trip) and trying to tackle the library book problem, I have enough on my plate to last for the rest of the year. I will continue documenting all in my 250 book challenge (because, nerd that I am, I am always curious to see the final number at the end of the year) :)

Congratulations!

(Be sure to post on the "All Done" thread!)

Yes, congratulations on completing your challenge and good luck in whittling that TBR pile down.