Sporkredfox's 50 book challenge- starting Summer 2010
Talk 50 Book Challenge
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1Sporkredfox
I was feeling a little upset about all of the good books I hadn't read at the end of the school year. So I basically have been reading a lot of classics here is the list so far that I have read this summer., in no particular order.
1.) Don Quixote by Cervantes
2.) Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut (or as my friends and I call him, Crazy Kurt)
3.) Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
4.) A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
5.) Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
6.) 1984 by George Orwell
7.) Animal Farm by George Orwell
8.) Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
9.) Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger (RIP)
10.) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
11.) The Stand (The Complete and Uncut Edition) by Stephen King
12.) The Road by Cormac McCarthy
13.) The Sorrows of Young Werther by Goethe
14.) And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
15.) Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
16.) The Ice Limit by Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child
1.) Don Quixote by Cervantes
2.) Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut (or as my friends and I call him, Crazy Kurt)
3.) Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
4.) A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
5.) Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
6.) 1984 by George Orwell
7.) Animal Farm by George Orwell
8.) Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
9.) Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger (RIP)
10.) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
11.) The Stand (The Complete and Uncut Edition) by Stephen King
12.) The Road by Cormac McCarthy
13.) The Sorrows of Young Werther by Goethe
14.) And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
15.) Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
16.) The Ice Limit by Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child
2Sporkredfox
17.) Watership Down by Richard Adams
I'm a little biased toward this book because I read it for school I guess. But I don't get the hype. I mean it's a pretty good book, some parts of it were good, but other times it was really slow. I also didn't like his writing style very much.
18.) Thank You, Jeeves by PG Wodehouse
I read this book while reading The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky because Wodehouse is supposed to be the best in comedy and I needed something to clear my brain. At first I didn't get it. But somewhere halfway through the book I couldn't stop laughing
19.) Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick
I seem to have a bad habit of picking up sad books. This one was recommended by a friend who has always recommended great books. This one was no different. A great young adult book. Also great to clear the brain.
20.) The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Finally finished this book. Later in life I am certain I will read it again because it now ranks up there among my favorite books, right beside Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
I'm a little biased toward this book because I read it for school I guess. But I don't get the hype. I mean it's a pretty good book, some parts of it were good, but other times it was really slow. I also didn't like his writing style very much.
18.) Thank You, Jeeves by PG Wodehouse
I read this book while reading The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky because Wodehouse is supposed to be the best in comedy and I needed something to clear my brain. At first I didn't get it. But somewhere halfway through the book I couldn't stop laughing
19.) Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick
I seem to have a bad habit of picking up sad books. This one was recommended by a friend who has always recommended great books. This one was no different. A great young adult book. Also great to clear the brain.
20.) The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Finally finished this book. Later in life I am certain I will read it again because it now ranks up there among my favorite books, right beside Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
3rocketjk
That's a great summer's reading list. Catch 22, Don Quixote. Catcher in the Rye, Brave New World and 1984 are among my favorite books, ever. In fact, Don Quixote and A Confederacy of Dunces I consider to be the two funniest books I've ever read.
I read The Brothers Karamazov recently, too, and enjoyed it, although all in all I like Crime and Punishment better.
I read The Brothers Karamazov recently, too, and enjoyed it, although all in all I like Crime and Punishment better.
4Sporkredfox
Really? Crime and Punishment is better? Is it also more readable? Because I loved The Brothers Karamazov but some of it was difficult to get through because of the style. There were sometimes that I wished he would break up paragraphs every now and then if only to make it easier to read. I didn't mind the places where the pace slowed too much because it left me in suspense and needing to keep reading. I am going to read Crime and Punishment no matter what because I loved Dostoevsky but I'm taking a break from him right now. I need some easy books.
21.) Search for Senna by K. A. Applegate
21.) Search for Senna by K. A. Applegate
5rocketjk
#4> Well, I don't know if I'm comfortable saying Crime and Punishment is "better" than The Brothers Karamazov. Let's just stick with my original statement, which was that I liked it better. I thought the Brothers Karamazov had some long periods of, for me, very dry exposition. C&P focuses more on a single character, and I just found it more compelling, all in all. Personal preference only.
6Sporkredfox
That's what I meant sorry. And yeah, that whole first part of The Brothers Karamazov was just way too much exposition for me too. I guess I'll eventually see which one I like more.
9Sporkredfox
23.5.) The Curious Incident of the dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
I couldn't finish it because the kid was annoying me and I couldn't stop thinking about how this might be the only picture some people have in their heads when they think of asperger's. Well, I have high functioning asperger's and I was insulted to think people associate this kid with people with asperger's because I really didn't like him. He was annoying and pompous. Some of the descriptions were good and enjoyable but when he later took the time to explain how he wrote the descriptions it really killed it for me. The kid was a bit like Holden Caulfield, but he wasn't funny, so what's the point?
I couldn't finish it because the kid was annoying me and I couldn't stop thinking about how this might be the only picture some people have in their heads when they think of asperger's. Well, I have high functioning asperger's and I was insulted to think people associate this kid with people with asperger's because I really didn't like him. He was annoying and pompous. Some of the descriptions were good and enjoyable but when he later took the time to explain how he wrote the descriptions it really killed it for me. The kid was a bit like Holden Caulfield, but he wasn't funny, so what's the point?
10whitewavedarling
I felt the same way about Curious Incident, though we seem to be the minority. I'd love to hear what you think of 600 Hours of Edward if you ever get around to looking it up. I was nervous about reading it after reading Haddon's work, but I went ahead since I got it through the early reviewers program; I ended up really enjoying it though, and still find it hard to believe that it's from a smaller publisher and hasn't gotten as much attention as Haddon's work. It went right (for me) in all of the ways that Curious Incident seemed to go wrong. It's still dealing with asperger's, but from an adult's perspective, and I really enjoyed it. If you ever get around to looking it up, let me know what you think!
11Sporkredfox
It looks interesting, thanks, I've added it to my list. Probably won't get to it for awhile but if it pops up at the one dollar bookstore I'll be sure to grab it. Unfortunately books from smaller publishers rarely get very much attention unless the author gets very lucky. Even books that do get a lot of attention are often underrated by either critics or popular review. I've always thought Daniel Keyes, even with his popularity, is sadly kept out of most best of book lists because he doesn't have enough popularity with either. I'll send you a PM to tell you what I think, thanks.
24.5.) Land of Loss by KA Applegate
Like I said, easier books, I love Katherine so much.
24.5.) Land of Loss by KA Applegate
Like I said, easier books, I love Katherine so much.
12Sporkredfox
Sigh, I'm dissapointing myself with the slow pace, I really need to pick it up.
25.) On the Road by Jack Kerouac
Didn't exactly finish, but I borrowed the audiobook from a friend when he saw me reading it and since I was cast in two plays I've had a little trouble getting time to read
26.) Nightlight by The Harvard Lampoon
Was pretty funny and actually had some meaning to it. A nice candy book in any event. Not a great parody and not a great book but I thought it was cute in any event. No, I don't hate twilight, I just threw up after reading the first five chapters so I find humor in attempts to mock it, think of that what you will.
27.) Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe
Sadly dissapointing. Don't get me wrong, it was good. It's just hard to compare because Goethe's eclipses this so completely.
25.) On the Road by Jack Kerouac
Didn't exactly finish, but I borrowed the audiobook from a friend when he saw me reading it and since I was cast in two plays I've had a little trouble getting time to read
26.) Nightlight by The Harvard Lampoon
Was pretty funny and actually had some meaning to it. A nice candy book in any event. Not a great parody and not a great book but I thought it was cute in any event. No, I don't hate twilight, I just threw up after reading the first five chapters so I find humor in attempts to mock it, think of that what you will.
27.) Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe
Sadly dissapointing. Don't get me wrong, it was good. It's just hard to compare because Goethe's eclipses this so completely.
13Sporkredfox
28.) Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
first of him, certainly won't be my last Steinbeck, beautiful.
first of him, certainly won't be my last Steinbeck, beautiful.
15Sporkredfox
29.) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
I kept putting this one off, hoping I would be taught it in school. Finally I caved because now they're teaching it to the class below me. I wasn't dissapointed. It didn't become my favorite book but it is sure up there.
I kept putting this one off, hoping I would be taught it in school. Finally I caved because now they're teaching it to the class below me. I wasn't dissapointed. It didn't become my favorite book but it is sure up there.
16Sporkredfox
30.) The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Cute and true little book
31.) Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
I love dystopian novels. For some reason it took me awhile to enjoy Ray Bradbury's style. At the beginning it bugged me. It still feels like his writing is a little self-indulgent, but I ended up enjoying the book nonetheless.
Cute and true little book
31.) Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
I love dystopian novels. For some reason it took me awhile to enjoy Ray Bradbury's style. At the beginning it bugged me. It still feels like his writing is a little self-indulgent, but I ended up enjoying the book nonetheless.
17Sporkredfox
32.) Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
I read this sometime after my first Agatha Christie novel but apparently forgot to add it to this list. It wasn't nearly as fun as And Then There Were None but I did manage to figure out the ending. Good plot twist.
33.) Fences by August Wilson
Play for school. It was pretty good, some parts could have been better, this wouldn't be one I think I would enjoy performing very much.
34.) Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
Pretty touching and scary. To me it really doesn't matter if it's true or not because of what it represents. The ending was a little over the top *dramatic* for me though. Not what happened, but how it was presented. Annoyed me in the way James Patterson's exclamation points annoy me.
35.) Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut
His most self-indulgent work I've read. The drawings were fun. In fact, everything about this book was fun.
36.) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
I've been told over and over by friends to read this book. It was already on my tbr list, and after a long day I decided to reward myself with a book from the library. I wasn't dissapointed, I can certainly see why it's so popular. I just wonder when I'll have time to read the next two.
I read this sometime after my first Agatha Christie novel but apparently forgot to add it to this list. It wasn't nearly as fun as And Then There Were None but I did manage to figure out the ending. Good plot twist.
33.) Fences by August Wilson
Play for school. It was pretty good, some parts could have been better, this wouldn't be one I think I would enjoy performing very much.
34.) Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
Pretty touching and scary. To me it really doesn't matter if it's true or not because of what it represents. The ending was a little over the top *dramatic* for me though. Not what happened, but how it was presented. Annoyed me in the way James Patterson's exclamation points annoy me.
35.) Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut
His most self-indulgent work I've read. The drawings were fun. In fact, everything about this book was fun.
36.) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
I've been told over and over by friends to read this book. It was already on my tbr list, and after a long day I decided to reward myself with a book from the library. I wasn't dissapointed, I can certainly see why it's so popular. I just wonder when I'll have time to read the next two.
18Sporkredfox
37.)Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
38.) Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Everyone kept telling me Mockingjay wasn't as good as the first two. I thought Catching Fire was the weak one because it felt kinda like filler and was a little formulaic. In fact, I actually thought Mockingjay, though it lagged at some points and had some unnecessary parts, was better written than the previous two. IMHO the first one felt kind of gimmicky and driven by the concept of the hunger games. Mockingjay was much more character driven and much less predictable.
39.) After by Francine Prose
I really enjoyed this book. It's the sort of creepy psychological parable I enjoy. The book is about a kid in a highschool after a nearby school, Pleasant Valley, has been shot up by a couple of students. At first I'm laughing at his complaints about the rules they add to "keep the kids safe" at school because my school has some of the same rules but as the book goes on things just get worse. And when you break a rule, they send you off to Operation Turnaround, from which you never return.
38.) Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Everyone kept telling me Mockingjay wasn't as good as the first two. I thought Catching Fire was the weak one because it felt kinda like filler and was a little formulaic. In fact, I actually thought Mockingjay, though it lagged at some points and had some unnecessary parts, was better written than the previous two. IMHO the first one felt kind of gimmicky and driven by the concept of the hunger games. Mockingjay was much more character driven and much less predictable.
39.) After by Francine Prose
I really enjoyed this book. It's the sort of creepy psychological parable I enjoy. The book is about a kid in a highschool after a nearby school, Pleasant Valley, has been shot up by a couple of students. At first I'm laughing at his complaints about the rules they add to "keep the kids safe" at school because my school has some of the same rules but as the book goes on things just get worse. And when you break a rule, they send you off to Operation Turnaround, from which you never return.
19Sporkredfox
37.)Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
38.) Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Everyone kept telling me Mockingjay wasn't as good as the first two. I thought Catching Fire was the weak one because it felt kinda like filler and was a little formulaic. In fact, I actually thought Mockingjay, though it lagged at some points and had some unnecessary parts, was better written than the previous two. IMHO the first one felt kind of gimmicky and driven by the concept of the hunger games. Mockingjay was much more character driven and much less predictable.
39.) After by Francine Prose
I really enjoyed this book. It's the sort of creepy psychological parable I enjoy. The book is about a kid in a highschool after a nearby school, Pleasant Valley, has been shot up by a couple of students. At first I'm laughing at his complaints about the rules they add to "keep the kids safe" at school because my school has some of the same rules but as the book goes on things just get worse. And when you break a rule, they send you off to Operation Turnaround, from which you never return.
38.) Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Everyone kept telling me Mockingjay wasn't as good as the first two. I thought Catching Fire was the weak one because it felt kinda like filler and was a little formulaic. In fact, I actually thought Mockingjay, though it lagged at some points and had some unnecessary parts, was better written than the previous two. IMHO the first one felt kind of gimmicky and driven by the concept of the hunger games. Mockingjay was much more character driven and much less predictable.
39.) After by Francine Prose
I really enjoyed this book. It's the sort of creepy psychological parable I enjoy. The book is about a kid in a highschool after a nearby school, Pleasant Valley, has been shot up by a couple of students. At first I'm laughing at his complaints about the rules they add to "keep the kids safe" at school because my school has some of the same rules but as the book goes on things just get worse. And when you break a rule, they send you off to Operation Turnaround, from which you never return.
20Sporkredfox
40.) A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
I'm going to stall judgement of this one for now. I keep bouncing back and forth between loving it and feeling the story is contrived. There were plenty of gems in the book that made me appreciate the writing. I forget which chapter it was, but one chapter in the book was particularly enjoyable and I couldn't put the book down. On the other hand, some parts were boring and slow and the characters felt a little flat so I really can't decide.
41.) Night by Elie Wiesel
Most of the time when I read a book in school I don't like it as much because I'm being forced to read it. I try to give the books a fighting chance and usually do end up liking them but I know I'll always take more pleasure out of the one's I read on my own. This is one of those exceptions. I actually think I enjoyed studying this one because while I was reading it I was so busy and because I was reading past midnight and jotting down random notes I didn't catch a lot of the stylistic things about the book on the first read through and stuying it in class gave me a chance to enjoy the book more.
42.) The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
I'm going to stall judgement of this one for now. I keep bouncing back and forth between loving it and feeling the story is contrived. There were plenty of gems in the book that made me appreciate the writing. I forget which chapter it was, but one chapter in the book was particularly enjoyable and I couldn't put the book down. On the other hand, some parts were boring and slow and the characters felt a little flat so I really can't decide.
41.) Night by Elie Wiesel
Most of the time when I read a book in school I don't like it as much because I'm being forced to read it. I try to give the books a fighting chance and usually do end up liking them but I know I'll always take more pleasure out of the one's I read on my own. This is one of those exceptions. I actually think I enjoyed studying this one because while I was reading it I was so busy and because I was reading past midnight and jotting down random notes I didn't catch a lot of the stylistic things about the book on the first read through and stuying it in class gave me a chance to enjoy the book more.
42.) The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
21Sporkredfox
43.) The Dead Zone by Stephen King
Meh.
44.) The View from Saturday by EL Konigsburg
I'm starting an academic decatholan so I figured I might as well read something about it. Not a great book, but it was ok
45.) The Pearl by John Steinbeck
Mr. Steinbeck you are a gentleman and a scholar. Reading your books gives me great pleasure, the only problem is setting them down.
All of my messages are hidden because apparently I blocked myself, does anyone know how to fix this?
Meh.
44.) The View from Saturday by EL Konigsburg
I'm starting an academic decatholan so I figured I might as well read something about it. Not a great book, but it was ok
45.) The Pearl by John Steinbeck
Mr. Steinbeck you are a gentleman and a scholar. Reading your books gives me great pleasure, the only problem is setting them down.
All of my messages are hidden because apparently I blocked myself, does anyone know how to fix this?
22Sporkredfox
46.) A Farewell to Arms by Hemingway
I don't know what it was that made this book difficult to get through. By all accounts I enjoyed I and thought it was a touching story. The book was paced well so it didn't go off on tangents or become overly descriptive. A lot of the stream of consciousnes was easy to understand and those parts I actually flew through because they were fun to read. But for some reason I felt the characters were flat or fake and the sentence structure made the reading a little dull. An okay book though I guess.
47.) Enduring Love by Ian McEwan
While there was something about Hemingway that made me not like him that much there was something about McEwan that made me love him.
I don't know what it was that made this book difficult to get through. By all accounts I enjoyed I and thought it was a touching story. The book was paced well so it didn't go off on tangents or become overly descriptive. A lot of the stream of consciousnes was easy to understand and those parts I actually flew through because they were fun to read. But for some reason I felt the characters were flat or fake and the sentence structure made the reading a little dull. An okay book though I guess.
47.) Enduring Love by Ian McEwan
While there was something about Hemingway that made me not like him that much there was something about McEwan that made me love him.
23Sporkredfox
48.) The Atlantis Complex by Eoin Colfer
I love this guy so much. I think I'm going to refrain from writing a review because while my reviews rarely sound too literary anything written by a favorite author like Eoin would sound particularly immature. Good, but wasn't his best is all I'm gonna say.
49.) Beloved by Toni Morrison
Still processing, I really liked this book but couldn't seem to get through it because of time constraints.
I love this guy so much. I think I'm going to refrain from writing a review because while my reviews rarely sound too literary anything written by a favorite author like Eoin would sound particularly immature. Good, but wasn't his best is all I'm gonna say.
49.) Beloved by Toni Morrison
Still processing, I really liked this book but couldn't seem to get through it because of time constraints.
24Sporkredfox
50.) Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee
Too soon to judge this book, might possibly be on my top ten books but I don't know. 50! With several months to spare
51.) Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer (re-read)
I want to re-read some of these along with a couple more new books. Plus I want to write some before the summer starts up. Even with my suddenly wonderfully full schedule I think I can manage some of that.
Too soon to judge this book, might possibly be on my top ten books but I don't know. 50! With several months to spare
51.) Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer (re-read)
I want to re-read some of these along with a couple more new books. Plus I want to write some before the summer starts up. Even with my suddenly wonderfully full schedule I think I can manage some of that.
25Sporkredfox
52.) Galápagos by Kurt Vonnegut
53.) Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
54.) Sabriel by Garth Nix
The excuse "I don't have enough time to read", is not really an excuse because if you want to read you can always find the time. For me, recently, I just haven't been able to read. I read Vonnegut during a show because I thought it would feel like at least I'm not that insane. Then I realized I was that insane so I stopped reading for a little while. Now I'm starting to want to read again so maybe soon I'll be back up to my reading pace. School's almost over so I'll have another book challenge, I think I might stay with fifty or even aim lower because I'll be busy and I want to start writing again.
53.) Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
54.) Sabriel by Garth Nix
The excuse "I don't have enough time to read", is not really an excuse because if you want to read you can always find the time. For me, recently, I just haven't been able to read. I read Vonnegut during a show because I thought it would feel like at least I'm not that insane. Then I realized I was that insane so I stopped reading for a little while. Now I'm starting to want to read again so maybe soon I'll be back up to my reading pace. School's almost over so I'll have another book challenge, I think I might stay with fifty or even aim lower because I'll be busy and I want to start writing again.
26Sporkredfox
55.) Looking For Alaska by John Green
My first John Green novel and now my sister's reading it. I got it from the school library and finished it about five hours later. It was funny and thought provoking.
56.) Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank
I have to say I was impressed. This novel I finished the day after I started and the day after I finished Looking for Alaska. This book was terrifying and really drove home a lot of what could have easily happened in the cold war and what could actually still happen today with all out nuclear warfare. The end made me laugh in the way I always do when reading a vonnegut novel.
My first John Green novel and now my sister's reading it. I got it from the school library and finished it about five hours later. It was funny and thought provoking.
56.) Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank
I have to say I was impressed. This novel I finished the day after I started and the day after I finished Looking for Alaska. This book was terrifying and really drove home a lot of what could have easily happened in the cold war and what could actually still happen today with all out nuclear warfare. The end made me laugh in the way I always do when reading a vonnegut novel.
27Sporkredfox
57.) The Stranger by Albert Camus
58.) Titus Andronicus by The Bard and 59.) Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Ok, I've read more shakespeare recently because I just got a complete works and was in a shakespeare competition. Obviously I prefer tragedies, the more blood the better.
60.) Gentlemen and Players by Joanne Harris
61.) Mount Dragon by Douglas Preston
I think those five will be the last as finals are next week and then I start over. I don't think I'll aim for 50 next year, I'll continue posting in a new thread but I've got a lot going on next year so maybe just 30 or 40. Plus, more non fiction is my goal even though it probably won't happen.
58.) Titus Andronicus by The Bard and 59.) Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Ok, I've read more shakespeare recently because I just got a complete works and was in a shakespeare competition. Obviously I prefer tragedies, the more blood the better.
60.) Gentlemen and Players by Joanne Harris
61.) Mount Dragon by Douglas Preston
I think those five will be the last as finals are next week and then I start over. I don't think I'll aim for 50 next year, I'll continue posting in a new thread but I've got a lot going on next year so maybe just 30 or 40. Plus, more non fiction is my goal even though it probably won't happen.
