KAzevedo's 1010 Challenge

KAzevedo’s 1010 Challenge

This is my first book challenge, and I have decided to attempt 100 books; 10 books in each of 10 categories. My categories are pretty set and at least five reflect my desire to stretch myself and read more than my comfortable SF, Fantasy, and Mystery/Thriller novels. I haven’t chosen most of the books yet and would love any suggestions, or any comments in general.

"Even when reading is impossible, the presence of books acquired produces such an ecstasy that the buying of more books than one can read is nothing less than the soul reaching towards infinity... we cherish books even if unread, their mere presence exudes comfort, their ready access, reassurance."
--- A.E. Newton

Categories - y = yes I have it, n = no, not yet, **=finished

1. Mothers and Daughters - F or NF; exploring M/D relationships
2. Life Stories – NF; Biographies/Autobiographies/ Memoirs
3. Catchall
4. Award Winners - F or NF
5. 1001 Book List
6. Horses - F or NF
7. Contemporary Fiction - Not SF/F/Myst/Thrill
8. Fantasy - Have to have some
9. Classic and/or New Science Fiction - ditto
10. Mystery/ Thriller etc - Again, can’t go without

1. Mothers and Daughters

A. The Book of Dead Birds by Gayle Brandeis (y)
B. The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold (**Jan)
C. The Common Thread by Martha Manning (y)
D. My Mother Never Dies by Claire Castillon (n)

2. Life Stories

A. Old Jules by Mari Sandoz (**Apr)
B. The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester (y)
C. 2294::A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers (**Jun)
D. 7903::The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls (n)
E. 23791::West with the Night by Beryl Markham (**Feb)
F. 177466::The Last American Man by elizabethgilbert::Elizabeth Gilbert (y)
G. 270212::Breaking Clean by bluntjudy::Judy Blunt (y)
H. 171530::So Many Enemies, So Little Time by burkettelinor::Elinor Burkett (**Jan)
I. 4055::All Over But the Shoutin' by braggrick::Rick Bragg (y)
J. 2110560::American Shaolin by Mathew Polly (**Mar))

3. Catchall

A. 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (**Jun)
B. The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant (**Sept)
C. The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig (**Jun)
D. Blood and Memory by Fiona McIntosh (**Oct)
E. Bridge of Souls by Fiona McIntosh (**Oct)
F. Son of the Shadows by Juliet Marillier (**Aug)
G. Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier (**Aug)

4. Award Winners

A A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley (**Feb)
B. Empire Falls by Richard Russo (**Jan)
C. The Shipping News by proulxannieproulxean::E. Annie Proulx (**Jul))
D. Waiting by Ha Jin (y)
E. Cold Mountain by charlesfrazier::Charles Frazier (**Mar)
F. Two Old Women by Velma Wallis (y-BM)
G. The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney (y)
H.
I.

5. 1001 Book List

A. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (**Jan)
B. Foucault’s Pendulum by Umberto Eco (n) Group Read- June
C. The Story of O by Pauline Reage (y)
D. A Thousand Cranes by Yasunari Kawabata (n)
E. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (**Jan)
F. Wild Swans by Jung Chang (** Mar)
G. Fingersmith by Sarah Waters (**Oct))
H. The Secret History by Donna Tartt (**Feb)
I. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (**Jul)
J. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (**Jan)

6. Horses - F or NF

A. Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls (y)
B. Forward Motion: World-Class Riders and the Horses Who Carry Them by Holly Menino (n)
C. Horse Boy: A Father’s Quest to Heal His Son by Rupert Isaacson (n)
D. Quality of Care by Elizabeth Letts (y)
E. House Rules by Heather Lewis (y) Incorrect touchstone
F. Some Horses by Thomas McGuane (y)
G. The Pinto Horse and the Phantom Bull by Charles Elliott Perkins (y)
H. Last of the Saddle Tramps by Mesannie Wilkins (y)
I. Stud; Adventures in Breeding by Kevin Conley (y)
J. Wild Ride by Ann Hagedorn Auerbach (y) Incorrect touchstone

7. Contemporary Fiction

A. The JumpOff Creek by Molly Gloss (y)
B. INto the Woods by Tana French (**Jun)
C. Work Song by Ivan Doig (**Oct)
D. Crow Lake by Mary Lawson (**May)
E. The Shadow of the Wind by zafoncarloruiz::Carlos Ruiz Zafon (**Mar)
F. I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb (**May)
G. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfied (**Feb)
H. 2784::Peace Like a River by engerleif::Leif Enger (**Jul)
I. 4053::Alias Grace by atwoodmargaretatwood::Margaret Atwood (**Apr)
J. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson (**Oct)

8. Fantasy COMPLETED

A. Briar Rose by Jane Yolen Group Read - March (**Mar)
B. The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay (**Apr)
C. Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling Bk 1 (and prob other 3) (**Feb)
D. Aurian by Maggie Furey Bk 1 (and prob other 3) (**Jan)
E. The Moon and the Sun by Vonda McIntyre (**Jun)
F. Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings (**Sept)
G. Myrren's Gift by Fiona McIntosh (**Oct)
H. Child of the Prophecy by Juliet Marillier Bk 1 (**Aug)
I. Little,Big by John Crowley (**June)
J. War for the Oaks by Emma Bull (**Sept)

Add 9 more to completed tally for remainder of books in the series for C, D, and F.

9. Classic and or New Science Fiction

A. The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury (y)
B. The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester (n)
C. Cities in Flight by James Blish (n)
D. Phases of Gravity by Dan Simmons (y)
E. Coils by Fred Saberhagan and Roger Zelazny (y)
F. Anathem by Neal Stephenson (**Feb)
G. Malevil by Robert Merle (**Feb)
H. Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny (**Mar)
I. Alas Babylon by Pat Frank (**Apr)
J. Neuromancer by William Gibson (**May)

10. Mystery/Thriller/Etc.

A. Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger (**Jan)
B. The Hundredth Man by Jack Kerley (**Apr)
C. 937882::The Last Sanctuary by Craig Holden (y)
D.
E. 2638192::A Thousand Bones by P.J. Parrish (**Mar)
F. Knots and Crosses by Ian Rankin (y)
G. Cold Granite by Stuart MacBride (**Mar)
H. Fractured by Karin Slaughter (**Jul)
I. Still Life by Louise Penny (**Mar)
J. Forty Words For Sorrow by Giles Blunt (**June)

I'd love comments and suggestions!

I can't figure out why the touchstones work sometimes and not others.

For Fantasy try The Sevenwaters Trilogy by, Juliet Marillier its a great story really anything she writes is good also
Dragon Riders of Pern by, Anne & Todd McCaffrey
or anything by Patricia McKillip

Hi Susie
The Sevenwaters Trilogy is on my WL. Read and loved all of Pern many years ago. I definitely want to read more McKillip. Thanks!

Looking for suggestions for my lists. Could especially use some help for Mothers and Daugters category. My mom was a powerfully negative influence on my life and I want to gain some understanding about why I still kept her so close until the end. Plus, I don't want to BE her, which I think is pretty universal. Thanks

The Last Bridge by Teri Coyne dealt with the mother/daughter relationship as well as a disfunctional family.

You have some interesting choices here and I'll look forward to seeing what you think of them.

I second the Patricia McKillip nomination if you are not familiar with her stuff. I find her magic more magical than most, her stories more layered. A nature literature entry you might like is Mary Austin's The Land of Little Rain about Death Valley. I have you starred.

FYI: Betterworldbooks.com is having a bargain book sale. I've been finding books on my WL and for this challenge. It's 5 books for $15 with free shipping.

Thanks NST (hope you don't mind the initials), The Land of Little Rain is on my possibles list.

Thanks Ridge, I'll check it out. I'm looking for good NF in that category also.

I just finished reading Caught Stealing. Do you have any issues with violence towards animals? I mean, I know Huston's work is violent in general, but the animal abuse in this one bothered me.

I've been curious about Half Broke Horses. Do you plan on posting your comments? I'd love to know what you think of it.

Hi Victoria, yes, I hate reading about violence toward animals. Don't you also hate it when a pet plays a prominent part and you just know it's going to get killed off. Thanks for the warning about Caught Stealing. I "plan" to comment on everything for 1010, but you know, "The best laid plans....." If I haven't done so by about June, please remind me.

I added Waiting and The Shipping News to Cat.4-Prize Winners, and Crow Lake to Cat.7-Contemporary Fiction. Found them at the thrift store in good shape for $.50. Love that.
Got in Quality of Care from a mooch and added to Cat.6-Horses.

Hi! Two good reads that will fit in this category for you are "Two in the Far North" and "Snowstruck" They were book club assignments that I just fell in love with!

I just finished Crow Lake.
You are freaking me out. Just Kidding. I enjoyed it and I hope you do too.

> Hi Viginia, thanks for the recs. What category did you mean. I'll try to find these.

> Victoria, I hope it's in a good way!?

>24 KAzevedo: Absolutely in a good way. It's awesome when you find yourself reading on the same vibe with another LTer.

Re horses -- What about Seabiscuit -- highly recommended by friends, although I've never read it. (Was turned into a movie, but the book, I think, won awards.

Have you read any Val McDermid for thrillers?

Thanks Chatterbox. Yes, I've read the one Seabscuit, by Laura Hillenbrand, and it was terrific. I would definitely recommend it.
I read everything I can find by Val McDermid. She is so dark. Did you ever seen the series based on some of her books on BBC? I think it was called "A Wire in the Blood". Or close. Excellent series!

Hi KAzevedo, if you like Val McDermid then I would suggest trying Stuart MacBride, he has a series, the first one is Cold Granite set in Aberdeen, Scotland. Excellent british crime novels.

Thanks Delta, I think he is completely new to me...on my way to check him out.

Or Peter Robinson who writes dark detective novels set in Yorkshire. His best is In a Dry Season, but they are addictive.

Hi, KAzevedo.

For your nature/conservation/environment category, two NF works that are still with me after 10+ years are Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner and The Control of Nature by John McPhee. You may have read them already, but I didn't see them in your library. (There are probably a bunch of other John McPhee titles that would be good, too..)

Hi Ridge, I know I have read one with Inspector Banks and liking it very much. I had forgotten about this author; thanks for the reminder.

Burneyfan, Hi. You know, I have been thinking about putting Cadillac Desert on the list, because I own it and have only read pieces, BUT, it's buried in a box somewhere. This might be a good time to get in to those boxes, but if I do, I'll want them all out and there's no place to put them. Aaaarrrrggggghhhhhh!!! The water issue is so important, not just in the West, and few people seem to be aware. Of course, John McPhee should be on the list. I know there are several I haven't read and I just have to do some research. Thanks!

I was very taken by My mother never dies by Claire Castillon, a collection of nineteen short stories all dealing with mother-daughter realtionships where the balance is completely tilted one way or the other. It's more than a little disturbing (dealing with issues like incest and Münchhausen syndrome by proxy) and by no means a gentle ride, but it left me quite stunned. So, consider this a recommendation with a little warning sign attatched to it :)

Thanks Gingerbread. Sounds perfect for that category. Don't worrry, my ride with my mom was nothing like gentle and I'm looking for insights, so this might work. I'm off to look at your challenge.

Just added The Common Thread to Cat 1, House Rules to Cat 6, Cold Mountain to Cat 4.

Got A Thousand Acres and Briar Rose from BM.

Also got The Secret History by Donna Tartt but I don't know whether to add it to 1001 books or Mystery/Thriller.

Added Some Horses to Cat. 6 and A Thousand Bones to Cat. 10

I'll be interested to hear your reaction to The Common Thread - it's on my list, and my mom got it for me ages ago. I too am fascinated by mom-daughter relationships - especially now that I am the mom of a preteen!!

>38 lalbro: If you are interested, let me know when you want to read it and we could discuss some of it. I decided early on not to have children (then became a teacher, go figure) but I am ever more aware of how similar I am to my very difficult mother, and always on the lookout to catch and destroy some of the worst traits.

Finished Empire Falls yesterday, reviewed it, and started One Hundred Years of Solitude.

Empire Falls was engrossing and a great start to 2010. I liked the subtle tension that built among the characters and in the story as a whole. I could enjoy the people and their interactions in the small town while at the same time feel a building dread. Excellent!

http://www.librarything.com/review/54040809

Added All Over But the Shoutin to Cat. 2 and Rewilding the World to Cat. 3

Added American Shaolin to Cat. 2. That finishes the books for that category. (Disclaimer: not a committment to read those 10; the management reserves the right to substitute without warning.)

Added Two Old Women to Cat. 4.

Good luck with the challenge! I read Curious Incident a couple of years ago and enjoyed it.

Thanks cmbohn. It sounds good. Funny, without meaning to I have three books on my challenge that n some way relate to autism.

Finished and reviewed One Hundred Years of Solitude for cat. 4. Started Aurian for Fantasy, cat. 8.

http://www.librarything.com/review/54037267

I loved The curious incident of the dog in the night time! One of the most interesting narrators I've had the pleasure of following in years.

With those recs, I have moved The Curious..... to next on my reading pile. Thanks, won't have to stand over the piles dithering for 30 minutes.

Finished Aurian and wrote a short review.

http://www.librarything.com/review/53786993

Last night,started So Many Enemies, So Little Time by Elinor Burkett for my Life Stories Category.
Very interesting and an easy read.

Curious Incident of the Dog...next.

We have some categories in common.
I'm reading Awards (Prizes) and from the 1001 list. I also have an interest in horses though I don't read much horsey fiction anymore - too hard on the heart for me.
Some horse non-fiction from Aus, but probably a bit hard to get Horse control and the bit and The Phar Lap story.
From your 1001 reads & awards - I read Curious Incident of the Dog.. a few years ago and really enjoyed it. Also loved Wild Swans, The shipping news, cold moutain and One Hundred Years of Solitude. I'm yet to read the others on your list.
I'm now reading Wolf Hall last years booker winner, seems promising so far :-)

Hi Kim, yes, some horse fiction sure can be hard on the heart. I just got The Last Saddle Tramp which I'm hoping is not too sad, doesn't seem so from what I've read. Here is a wonderful, funny, heartwarming story that no one else seems to know about;
12 Miles to Paradise. It's a great book! I loved the Phar Lap movie but haven't read the book. I'll have to look for it. Thanks
I'm glad you loved Wild Swans. I'm not much of a non-fiction reader, so I've been a bit worried about that one. I was also worried about One Hundred Years of Solitude, but liked it alot and will read it again. Wolf Hall is on my wishlist, let me know how you liked it. Keep in touch.
Kasey

1

Finished So Many Enemies, So Litte Time by Elinor Burkett.
I have not enoyed reading History or nonfiction and was pleasantly surprised by this book. The author is a Pullitzer nominated journalist. The book is an easy read, covering the year she spent in Krygyzstan on a Fullbright exchange teaching Journalism, and her travels to other parts of Central Asia. She searches for the reasons for the purported hatred of Americans and reports on her time there and the people and culture she encounters.
I enjoyed it; it has stimulated me to search out more on the history of the region, especially Afghanistan and the Taliban.

Finished The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Strange and amazing. I was amazed at how the author was able to create the voice of an autistic teen and make it seem (to my mind) so authentic. There were so many layers, but all revealed through what IS explained and NOT explained by Christopher; the mystery, the family dynamic, the personalities of the parents, the way in which those with autism can be taught, the math. So good!

Started Iron Lake a thriller set in the wilds of Minnesota with an ex-Chicago cop. First of a series. Good atmosphere so far.

So many people have recommended The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time that I am planning on reading it soon for this challenge. It sounds like a really good read.

>52 DeltaQueen50: It's a quick read too!
Also, a very good insight to someone with mild autism or Aspergers.

@51 Always a relief when you push for something and the person pushed ends up liking it! It truly is a book not quite like any other I've read.

>52 DeltaQueen50:,53 Yes, it's a great read!

>54 GingerbreadMan: I agree and thank you for pushing. It will stay in my memory. I have another book in my challenge that will reveal more about autism, Horse Boy; A Father's Quest to Heal His Son. I will probably re read Curious before I read it.

You also recommended a book for my Mother/Daughter Category, My Mother Never Dies, which I plan to read. I just finished The Almost Moon which was harrowing. It will take a while to process, but I certainly gained some insights. I found that many of the previous readers missed the point and I was amazed at Sebold's unflinching look at mental illness.

http://www.librarything.com/review/53986459

Found a bunch of books at the Goodwill today:

Exchanged West with the Night for Out of Africa in Category 2, Life Stories.

Added That They May Face the Rising Sun and Never Let Me Go for the 1001 Books Category.

Added I KNow This Much is True to my Contemporary Fiction Category.

Also added Beyond the Hundredth Meridian: John Wesley Powell and the Second Opening of the West to Nature/Conservation category

You've got some interesting books listed above, I especially like the sound of West With The Night, I think I will have to add that to my wish list.

West with the Night is a book that I can use in a few of my categories and including Off the Shelf . I may have to make sure that I pick that one.

I just heard of West with the Night -- but I can't remember where. And I think I was able to bookmooch it. Which is cool.

Very cool. I had planned to read Out of Africa, but when I saw West.... at the thrift store, I switched since I didn't have Out of Africa yet.

>57 DeltaQueen50:, 58, this is why i'm loving LT; it's so fun to hear about books new to me, and talk about them and the ones I love, etc.

I know what you mean, since joining LT I have expanded my reading, discovering new authors and trying (and loving) books I probably would never had heard of before.

#50, There are a lot of very interesting books out there on Afghanistan & Central Asia. Carpet Wars by Christopher Kremmer kind of ties together the history of Afghanistan as the place where cultures collide. On the pure history front, there is The Tournament of Shadows about the perpetual conflict over Afghan territory by Russians, the British empire in India and even the Persians. There's also Peter Hopkirk's The Great Game, which is a good read. A lively and fascinating look at the region in more recent times is Sons of the Conquerors by Hugh Pope, who is a v. good journalist. Depending on what you want approach you want to take, any of those would be great. Elinor Burkett's book was one of the better journalistic memoirs. My former editor went to 'teach' journalism in Kazakhstan as a Fulbright fellow in the mid-90s, and keeps up his ties there; he has some intriguing/amazing stories. It's a part of the world that I yearn to visit!

Those look interesting chatterbox - Ive added tournament of shadows and great game to my wishlist

Oh, and a tidbit of gossip re the McGahern book. He lived in Co. Leitrim (population 20,000) and according to friends there, he wrote about so many local scandals that had never previously been discussed openly that people had begun to shun him! The perils of living in and writing about a small and relatively insular community... (Perhaps that's why my ancestors left Leitrim in about 1820?)

Thanks Chatterbox. Since I've not posted for a while, I'm sending a message to you personally.

While I was away, I read Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, my first by him. What an amazing and horrific story. I think one of the best books I've ever read. Here's my review:

http://www.librarything.com/review/55562896

Oh, and technically, Never Let Me Go is not on the 1001 list anymore, but was part of the 2006 list that was removed. I don't care, I'm still counting it as my 1001 Category.

I'm still reading West With The Night and enjoying it very much, but as with most non-fiction with me, I have a hard time resuming after I put it down. So I think I will attempt to read a chapter or two each day before I go back to my fiction. Now reading Anathem which is not listed on my challenge and may be a bonus book.

West with the Night looks excellent. I've added it to all my wishlists!

I am glad you enjoyed Never Let Me Go. I read A Pale View of Hills and wanted to fling the book at the wall when I was done.

I still plan on reading Never Let Me Go at some point this year.

>Belladonna1975, What made you want to throw it against the wall? It's funny, as much as I loved Never Let... I haven't found the descriptions of any of his other books very enticing. He sure has a bunch on the 1001 list, doesn't he. Have you read any of his that you like?

>Pamelad, It is so worth reading. I hope you enjoy it.

68> I hated that it didn't really resolve itself at the end. We were left to "figure things out" on our own and I HATE books like that. I like to be told what is happening/has happened. I noted on my 1010 thread that if I wanted to "figure it out on my own" I would just write my own damn book!

Unfortunately, it was the first of his books that I have read. I wanted to read Never Let me Go and Remains of the Day first but happened to get a copy of A Pale View of Hills first.

Immediately after finishing it, (after quelling the urge to fling) I had to pull up the wiki to read about the book to see if there was a better explanation of the end. There was, but it didn't make me feel any better. It made me feel stupid for not getting it. LOL

Needless to say, I have chucked it into my bookmooch box.

I didn't like Never Let Me Go. I felt that they were all sheep, just passively accepting their deaths. I wanted fighters. I am giving Ishiguro another chance with this year's challenge. I'm reading Remains of the Day.

>70 Belladonna1975:, lol! I guess there's not a real ending to Never Let Me Go either. But I don't think there is anything left to figure out. For some reason, Remains of the Day doesn' apeal to me, but I think I will try A Pale View of the Hills. Do you still have it? If so I'd like to mooch it from you. I'll go check soon.

> Hi Victoria. But you see, that's why I called it a great horror book in my review. It was shocking and repellant how passive they were and yet it somehow seemed entirely possible. My impression was that the whole world had accepted cloning for donation as an ordinary part of life and no one was even capable of thinking of an alternative.

Please let us know how you like Remains of the Day.

I haven't listed it yet because I am a bit behind on sending stuff out...but I will put a note in it and reserve it for you once I list it. :)

To me, Never Let Me Go was about how human, fundamentally, this group of people are. We all -- in one way or another -- accept things that others of us find incomprehensible. Maybe it's just not as dramatic, or perhaps it's like those heading off to the gas chambers in Nazi Germany or those under Stalin who suffered and didn't rebel. We only rebel when there is absolutely nothing to lose, and even then it's hard; it's a tiny minority of people. I think it's something fundamental to the human condition, that we don't ever let hope die, or the hope of life being something meaningful. It's almost as if they develop a meaning out of what to us is absurd, foolish, unacceptable. I'm re-reading Ninni Holmquist's "The Unit" now for my 1010 dystopia category, and realizing that really the people who seem to suffer in the dystopic world she paints are also those who find an enviable sense of utopian community that they hadn't found in their previous lives, and that may (we might deduce) elude those who are deemed to have a greater 'utility' to society outside the unit. Both books deal with the same set of questions -- how only an individual can really determine the value of a life, and how even a life or fate that seems to us absurd and painful can have value to the individual whose life it is. Sorry, clumsily expressed, but it's a particularly intriguing question at the heart of both these books, and one that is powerful & central to both life and literature. And I very much liked the reference to this as a 'great horror book'. I hadn't even thought of it as such, but it's VERY true. After all, isn't the greatest horror sometimes the ordinary that is so distorted and misshapen? And the way Ishiguro reveals what lies ahead for these children is so gradual that, like all the best horror stories, the real horror dawns on us only slowly, leaving us gasping in a kind of incredulity.

The only Ishiguro I have read is Remains of the Day and I loved it. It starts slow, but just as I was about ready to give it up, I got hooked and just sort of fell into the rhythm of the writing.

It amazes me that he has written such very different books.

I've read all of Ishiguro's novels except A Pale View of the Hills, and thought all of them worth reading. The Remains of the Day is possibly the best book I read last year, and An Artist of the Floating World is another favourite. Both of them are about people who maintain their old values in a changing world, making them anacronisms.

Great review of Never let me go. And an interesting discussion following it!

" After all, isn't the greatest horror sometimes the ordinary that is so distorted and misshapen? And the way Ishiguro reveals what lies ahead for these children is so gradual that, like all the best horror stories, the real horror dawns on us only slowly, leaving us gasping in a kind of incredulity."

>74 Chatterbox: Yes Chatterbox, you said it so well.

It's interesting, I don't think of the people in Never Let Me Go as having hope. And certainly, they are not hopeless at all in my mind. It's more as if there is no thought that the system could be wrong, or unjust or despicable, from anyone in the book. Even the slight hope of getting a deferral for "true love" was so easily given up. Even Madame and Miss Emily weren't trying to stop the practice, just make better lives for the clones before they complete (what a creepy way of saying die). Oh, and I jst thought again of the implication that most people think of the clones as having no souls. Wow.

I'm not really saying what I'm thinking very clearly. I will be thinking and puzzling over the book for a long time. Maybe we can discuss it again some time.

It is almost as if the children/clones were trained to have no hope, but simply to progress from one stage to another. If we, in our post-Enlightenment world, are encouraged to have goals and things we want to accomplish for ourselves, it seems to me that the 'education' for this group was as much about detaching them from the idea that personal goes are achievable or possible.
And yet, the hope was still there, struggling around the edges. The hope of creating a work of art that was good enough to be in 'the collection', for instance. The hope of finding that missing piece of music, from which the title was drawn. They are much tinier 'hopes' than we are accustomed to, but the mere presence of hope is also a sign of humanity.
I'd certainly be interested in discussing this more -- I'll be re-reading it later this year for my dystopia challenge...

Yes, I like what you say about detaching them from the achievement of goals or even the idea of having them. And yes, I se what you mean about the tiny incidences of hope and goals achieved.

A question for later; do you think it is humanly possible to accept so completely the life set out for the characters?

I'll look forward to further discussion,Chatterbox.

I was reading and loving West With The Night -beautiful writing and a wild, exciting childhood - when I as sidetracked by Anathem by Neal
Stephenson which I have just finished. This is my second of his (Cryptonomicon) and he is becoming a favorite. I had to change my SF category slightly in order to add the book to my challenge.

Also added two to finish out my "Horses" category.

Now, back to Berlyl Markham, with pleasure.

Finished and reviewed the wonderful West With the Night:

http://www.librarything.com/review/55562253

On to The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield which I added to my Contemporary Fiction category.

Really enjoyed the discussions on Never Let Me Go here. That was my favorite book of 2008. It is becoming an all-time favorite, I think. A book that still resonates with me so strongly two years later.

Thanks Lisa, I still can't get it out of my mind. I think it will be an all time favorite for me also.

Hi Kasey- I thought I would visit you on your Challenge! I liked your review of West With the Night. My review is right below yours! I will look through the Never Let Me Go comments, as soon as I finish the book. Stop by my Challenge sometime, the link is:
here

#80 -- Humanly possible for us, as readers, to accept this, or for them to accept it?

I think the former -- definitely not. Particularly in Western society, where we aren't trained (and haven't been for centuries) to value any collective good above our personal good. The idea of value in self-sacrifice in the broader interests of a society is one that has lost its currency in the 20th century, perhaps as that broader society has proved to be a less than worthy entity.

The ultimate irony confronting those raising Ishiguro's clones is that if they succeed in proving that they are real human beings, then they open the door to the fact that they have individual rights distinct from their utility value -- that the more they are trained in ways that reward them as individuals, the greater the potential for conflict between their assigned role and their desires for their own future. It's almost as if the teachers are sending mixed messages -- without even realizing it. All the more tragic for the clones. Perhaps it would have been more just to warehouse them in the first place?? There's a provocative thought... Instead of creating in them the possibility & desire for something that they can't have. (Think of the narrator dancing to the title of the song...)

Wow! It's been almost a month since I last posted here. I've been reading, but haven't been in the right frame of mind to write the intelligent, thoughtful reviews that I want to write. ;^) I'll get back to it eventually. Since last posting, I've read:

The Thirteenth Tale Loved the atmosphere, the story, and the writing.

A Thousand Acres Couldn't put it down; great and realistic dialogue.

The Secret History Kept me interested but kept having major deja vu, though I know I've never read it.

A Thousand Bones Mediocre mystery.

Luck in the Shadows Very good start to a fantasy trilogy that I am excited to continue.

Shadow of the Wind Another atmospheric, wonderful read.

Briar Rose Powerful

I am about to start Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny for the SciFi category. I see that I haven't been terribly motivated by my non-fiction categories; have to see how that goal turns out.

There. Now up to date.

You've been busy reading, if not posting! I've already got some of these on my TBR piles and challenge lists...

I loved Shadow of the Wind it was one of my favorites of 2009.
I have a Secret History on my TBR pile.

I am reading Shadow of the Wind now. It is fantastic!!!

Yes 89, 90; It will probably be one of my favorites for 2010. I never would have read it without LT, and am enjoying so much of the reading I'm doing that came from LT member mentions and conversations.

Secret History was good, but it left me feeling like I'd spent a lot of time on something I'd already read. or nearly.

Did some updating of my categories.

Read Lord of Light. Published in 1967, there is nothing dated about this terrific SF story. Review later.

Read Still Life by Louise Penny for Mystery category. Reviewed:

http://www.librarything.com/review/55384661

I'm reading Dead Cold right now its the second in that series I've really enjoyed it!

Hi susie, yeah, I put every one of the published books on my BM wishlist. Even a few days later, I have this feeling of wanting to be there.

I discovered these books last year when I won Brutal Telling ER on goodreads I now have all but Still Life.

I thought when I started this that reading books from the 1001 List would be one of the hardest parts. Wow was I wrong. I just finished another great one, Wild Swans by Jung Chang. She is only two years older than I. I can't help thinking of how incredibly easy I had it growing up in California, while she endured life and death situations from birth. Have to let this one settle for a while.

I wanted a bit more China, so I picked American Shaolin by Matthey Polly. It was fun and entertaining, and did tie in with some of what I'd learned about Chinese culture in Wild Swans. I must say that I have not been "eating bitter" while doing this challenge!

Yesterday, I finished Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier for my Award category. I lay awake last night trying out ideas in my head for reviewing it. I don't think I did it justice, but here it is:

http://www.librarything.com/review/54583583

Kasey- Great job on the review! It's been many years since I read it but this brought back some nice memories!

Thanks so much Mark. Had a full page of notes and ideas to write about but the review would have been pages and pages full of his writing. The passage about living in a silence so deep you wouldn't need ears haunts me. What great writing. I have his Thirteen Moons on my TBR pile; going to save it for some special time.

I read Neuromancer for my Sci Fi Classics category in April; glad to have finally read it but still not a big fan of "cyberpunk".

Just read Crow Lake for Contemp Fiction. Loved it and reviewed it. Now reading I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb for the same category; at about 200 pages in, having a hard time putting it down. First of his.

Kasey- I've never read Neuromancer, although I've heard great things about it. I have Crow Lake in the tbr and I loved I Know This Much Is True. His other books are also excellent!

Hi Mark. I didn't dislike Neuromancer, it just didn't sing for me despite some really good concepts. I think his insights into the future of moving data were pretty amazing for the time it was written and I'm glad I read the 25th anniversary edition for his forward which was very funny.

Crow Lake was soooo good. In some books about families there seem to be such portentious, momentous expositions by the writer that one knows are "very important". This was just REAL, simple and real.

I think the same feeling is what's drawn me so quickly into "I Know....". It seems so real, no big moments when I stop and think, wow, this passage is so special; I have to write it down or reread it or mark it or something. Just great story telling and the ability to make me care for the people and what happens to them. All his are going on the wishlist!

Thanks for visiting. Kasey

Read The Handmaid's Tale in May. Second Atwood for me and she's fast becoming a favorite. No review yet. I'm having a hard time keeping up with my reviews which I wanted to do for every book.

Started Little,Big in May and finished a couple of days ago. I read over a weeks time; I think one has to be in a certain OTHER frame of mind to really drop in to the story. I loved it but I know I missed so much and will want to reread it. Reviewed it (sort of).

I see my usual pattern, little desire to read non-fiction. I doubt very much that I'll get them read by the end of the year.

Read and reviewed Forty Words For Sorrow by Gile Blunt, a debut mystery that was pretty good. I have the next one from BM and will put the rest of the series on my WL to see how the main characters change and grow.

I was planning to read Foucalt's Pendulum in a group read this month, but haven't seen any sign of the group starting up yet.

We're over here:

http://www.librarything.com/groups/groupreadoffoucault1

Please come join us. I'm finding that Foucault's Pendulum is quite the thriller.

Updated.

Have read 58 from list to date. Approx 15 not on list, maybe more. As usual, far behind in non-fiction.

Updated again 10/25