Andrea's 2010 attempt to read 75

Even though I'll be in Europe for 3 months and may be spending more time on the road, my goal this year is 75-100 books. We'll see how it goes.

About books: I read a wide variety of classics, contemporary fiction and poetry, biographies, non-fiction, short story collections...basically anything I can get my hands on.

Thanks for reading!

Master List for 2010:
1. A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller
2. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers
3. The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters
4. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
5. Sex God by Rob Bell
6. The Curious Incident of the Dog in Night-time by Mark Haddon
7. Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
8. The Twits by Roald Dahl
9. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
10. Boy by Roald Dahl
11. Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
12. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
13. The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Steig Larsson
14. Dead until Dark by Charlaine Harris
15.Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
16. Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
17. The Devil in the White City by Erik Larsson
18. Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
19. Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan
20. Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik
21. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
22. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Foer
23. 1st to Die by James Patterson
24. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
25. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
26. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Selznick
27. Never Let Me Go by Ishiguro
28. Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella
29. The Irresistable Henry House
30. The Lost Symbol by Brown
31. Juliet, Naked by Hornby
32. The Passage by Cronin
33. Witch of Portobello by Coelho
34. To Own a Dragon by Donald Miller
35. Naked Pictures of Famous People by Jon Stewart
36. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
37. Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung
38. Pet Sematary by King
39. The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snickett
40. The Virgin Suicides by Eugenides
41. Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
42. One Day by David Nicholls
43. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Doyle
44. The Alchemyst by Michael Scott
45. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
46. The Collector by John Fowles

Welcome!

Glad to see you back with us for 2010!

I'll be looking forward to hearing about your European adventure! Of course, I'm also interested in what you will be reading. :-)

I edited my first message to include some info on my reading preferences, I'll be reading quite a bit of travel writing for the first couple months, but I like any book with a good story

And thank you Stasia, Jim, and MusicMom for the welcome! I've found all of your threads as well.

1. A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller

*** (3 stars)

I really enjoyed this book, not as much as I enjoyed a few of his others, but it's still worth reading. His basic these for this book is: Each of us are living a story, and we should do all we can to make it the best story possible. That involves taking risks, following your dreams and choosing the right path, even if it’s difficult.

After reading it, I do find myself inspired to not waste my life, to try to grow, to do something crazy.

I can not, however, explain the title.

I'm also reading right now: Forgotten God, Heartbreaking work of Staggering Genius, and Little Stranger...most of them should be done in the next week or so, hoping to get a strong start to the year!

Hallo!

I very much enjoyed Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius - how are you finding it?

Three months travelling in Europe sounds wonderful - where are you planning on going?

I'm so jealous about your three months in Europe, I may have to X you! Nah, just kidding. I'm looking forward to traveling with you vicariously--as well as hearing about what you're reading this year. :-) I've got The Hunger Games and The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo... on my list for this year.

Oh, I loved A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. It's been a few years since I read it, but there are a few lines and scenes from it that keep coming back to me. Hope you enjoy it, too!

welcome!

2. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers

****1/2

I loved this book. It's mostly about a 20-something (Dave) raising his seven year old brother after their parents pass away. Eggers somehow weaves tragedy with comedy. There are touching moments of sober mourning and then silly, ridiculous scenes about the two boys trying to run a household.

And the writing was so good. Eggers grabbed my attention right from the beginning by throwing out the old format rules and making up his own as he went. The only reason it didn't get 5 stars was because of a particularly slow part in the middle that seemed out of place.

I would recommend this book to anyone. It's fantastic.

I had that one out of the library but never had a chance to read it. I will give it another go.

3. The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

I picked this up because Stephen King wrote that it was his favorite book of 2009. And I have to say, I was a little disappointed at first, but the ending made it all worth it.

It was an absorbing tale of a haunted house, but haunted by what? Family madness? A ghost? Spiritual unrest? or Financial woes? You'll have to read it to find out...

3.75 stars

oh! and this was the first Sarah Waters novel I'd ever read. Does anyone want to recommend another of her novels?

The only one I have read is Fingersmith and I thought it very good, so you might give that one a go.

#8, I loved Heartbreaking Work (as you can see above) and as for Europe, we're pretty much going anywhere we can. We start from Madrid and are planning on making a France-England-Ireland-France-Belgium-Germany?-Switzerland-Italy-Greece-Italy-Spain circle. Just wore myself out typing all that. We leave in Feb.

#9, I'm sure you'll enjoy them! I love them both!

#10, Thanks for stopping in!

#16 thanks Stasia for all your comments. Hopefully, I'll get to read Fingersmith soon. I heard a lot of good things about The Night Watch too.

And As for what I'm reading now: I'm onto Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan and i think I'm going to join the group read of the Prydain books. I'll just have to jump on it. I could use some easy, light reading after these last 2.

4. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

*** stars

I really enjoyed this YA read, it reminded me a lot of Hunger Games with the post apocolyptic vibe, and a young strong female lead. My major criticism comes from a lack of writing. I don't want to give anything away, but I thought the author narrated through what could have been one of the most important parts of the book, when Mary is in the house with you-know-who. I wonder why we hardly got to see any scenes between them? That whole section sort of dragged on, but I'll be interested to read the next in the series.

5. Sex God by Rob Bell

I'm not going to rate this one, but I thought it was pretty good, kind of repetitive, not as good as Velvet Elvis. If you're interested in Bell, I would start with Elvis for sure. It's much stronger.

Hi Andrea. I've read all Sarah Waters' books except Affinity which I intend to read some time. I loved Fingersmith and Tipping the Velvet, which have a Victorian setting (as does Affinity) - The Night Watch is set during WWII.

6. The Curious Incident of the Dog in Night-Time by Mark Haddon

3 1/2

I liked this one, didn't love it. It's an interesting mystery seen through the eyes of an autistic boy. I liked the unique voice, and its a quick read at just over 200 pages but something was missing for me.

7. Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane

***

I was a little disappointed in this one after reading so many positive reviews about it. The story was pretty good, but I was not a fan of the end, instead of a twist, it seemed kind of typical to me.

I did, however like Lehane's writing. His style is direct and spare, heavy on dialogue which kept everything moving.

I wouldn't necessarily rec. this one, but I wouldn't tell you to avoid it either, it was just average.

Up Next is The Blind Assassin, The Woman in White, The Book of Three and The Twits.

#22: I am going to give that one a try some time this year! I was supposed to get to it last year and never did. *sigh* I need more than one of me reading.

I need to read Woman in White--thanks for reminding me!

#24 - I love that idea - how many of me would it take to get through all the books I want to read though?

Since it would take at least 5 of me to read as much as Stasia reads on her own I just might as well give up right now!

Andrea--I loved The Curious Incident of the Dog in Night-Time when I read it a couple of years ago. The story was just "okay" but the POV I found fascinating and enlightening. I hope you like Woman in White--its one I've read several times. If you do like it, try The Moonstone which I think is even better--but quite different.

Shutter Island--I will have to look this one up. Not familiar with the title or the author. Again, LT sends me on a book hunt--as if I didn't already have more to read than I can ever get to! :-)

27, I don't know if you would have seen the movie previews of Shutter Island? It stars Leonardo Dicaprio. I picked up the book because I saw the previews and like to read the book before I see the movie.

And I agree with you all, I could always use an extra me for reading while I have to deal with real life :-)

8. The Twits by Road Dahl ****stars!

Dahl is my favorite author from childhood, and I've wanted to pick this one up for some time, but couldn't get my hands on a copy. I was not disappointed at all, except maybe that its so short.

I laughed out loud multiple times, truly enjoyable. Would recommend it to anyone who likes Dahl

#29: I have not read that one yet by Dahl. I will have to see if my local library has a copy. Thanks for the recommendation, Andrea.

Got your thread now. On Shutter Island, the story for me was less provoking than LeHane's writing and character development. And while the twist ending may have been a problem for some, I like how it sent you to thinking back about the layers he built into the characters.

Yay for The Twits!! That's one of my favourite Roald Dahl books ;o)

stasia, its very tiny, 75 pages. It'll probably take you 5 seconds :-)

BDB, agreed, and I loved both aspects you named, but I saw the end coming a long way off, so I think it was less impressive for me. As a kid i read a lot of psychology fiction and/or sci-fi that dealt with the same plotlines. My fav. was Lois Duncan who did a story very similar to this one, if I remember right. I'm glad you found me

flissp, it was cute, but like I said, I wish there had been more! I just discovered I have Boy and Henry Sugar by Dahl on my shelf and I've never read them! I'm starting on them asap.

#33: I do not think I have ever read a book in 5 seconds :)

> 34
Stasia, you are getting mythical proportions in this group ;-)
Maybe it is time someone writes a book about you?

#35: I am positively boring. A book would be a disaster, Anita.

> 36 Stasia: I beg to differ about you being boring ;-)

#33 Oh I loved Lois Duncan growing up also - you'll have to not mention which story it is that's similar as I've yet to get round to reading Shutter Island!

Re Roald Dahl, I've never read Henry Sugar, so I look forward to your thoughts - Boy is hilarious though... Have you read The Magic Finger, The BFG, The Witches or Matilda? If you haven't, I think you'll like them - these would constitute my Top 5 Roald Dahl I think...

...oh and Stasia, I'm with FAMeulstee!

#39: Shows what you guys know!

flissp, I'm afraid if I compare it to one of Duncan's it will ruin the "twist" at the end of Shutter Island. And as for Dahl, I've all you mentioned except boy and The Magic Finger- I'd never even heard of it! SO I look forward to picking it up!
We're actually talking about 2 of my very favorite authors growing up :-) No one I know has even heard of Duncan. :(

And an update on my reading: I'm still working on Blind Assassin and I've enjoyed it very much but its taking me a while because we moved last week so everything's been very busy. I think Margaret Atwood may become one of my favorite authors.

Good luck with unpacking, Andrea!

Hi Andrea. I loved The Blind Assassin when I read it, been trying to read more Margaret Atwood ever since. Hope you enjoy the rest of the book.

Hi Andrea. About to star your thread - you seem to like a lot of the same books I do.

I've read loads of Dahl this year, and I loved The Twits. I think my top 3 Dahls are this (though the description of Mr Twit's beard makes me feel sick), The BFG and, best of all, The Enormous Crocodile - the last of which would probably take less than 5 secs to read. I read Henry Sugar and Boy years ago, and think they would prob fit into the YA category. There's a story called The Swan in Henry Sugar which has stayed with me forever. Very poignant. I think Dahl was a genius.

I really liked Shutter Island and was surprised by the ending. Unlike most people on here I was lucky enough not to see the twist coming.

I read The Little Stranger last year and, though I didn't think it was bad, I was a bit underwhelmed.

Also I've had The Blind Assassin on my shelf for a good long time and must get round to reading it.

#41 Well, here's one person :o) - I absolutely fell on anything I could find by her (Lois Duncan) when I was growing up - of course that wasn't actually very many as she just didn't seem to be widely available where I lived. I've just looked her up - I'd no idea she'd written so many books - clearly I'm going to have to spend some time rooting some out this year, now I have the means to do so!

Andrea, as a writer and burgeoning Atwood fan, I thought you'd be interested in this one: Negotiating with the Dead. I picked it up last year and plan to match it with an Atwood novel this year sometime.

9. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
***** The first 5/5 of the year!

The Blind Assassin is over 600 pages, and I enjoyed every single one. Atwood writes gorgeous prose, the only thing I regretted was that I borrowed this copy so I couldn't earmark favorite passages.

Basically, the story is about 2 sisters and their lives as told by the eldest, Iris. The book covers 100 years, WWI, WWII, the Great depression. I can't trust myself to say more about the plot because I don't want to spoil anything.

As to the themes, you've got love, regret, time (Iris tells the story when shes in her 80s), vanity, money, and trying to figure out what happiness is.

Its beautiful, smart and elegant. And even though the length was long, I still wanted more.

HMMM--I'm not a huge Atwood fan (except some of her poetry--haven't actually finished one her novels yet), but this sounds like one I might enjoy. I will be looking into it. I feel I need to read at least one of her novels because she seems to be so esteemed by people on LT that I "trust."

43- Thanks Stasia! Its almost done, but now its time to pack up for our trip!

44. I loved the book, I think its brilliant

45. I'll head over to your thread after I post this! Dahl is a genius. simply fantastic. There's a book about him being in intelligence in Britian called The Irregulars that I am dying to get hold of. As for Little Stranger, I think I was mostly disappointed because I've heard so much about Sarah Waters, maybe I started with the wrong one?

46. Enjoy it! With so much talk about her, I may reread a few later this year. Her books were just so fun. I think one of my favorites was Locked in Time if you hadn't read it

47. Mac, THANK YOU so much for the recommendation. I had no idea she had written a book on writing. I'm about to order it now.

49. Carolyn, I don't know which Atwood novels you picked up- I had only read The Handmaid's Tale before this one, and the two are very different in setting and tone, but some of the themes are the same as far as females being at the center of the story, and Atwood definitely cares about sexual equality for women.

Andrea

I haven't tried The Handmaid's Tale--my older son is appalled I've haven't gotten to it yet! I started Alias Grace twice and then gave it away a few years ago. I can't remember the other one I tried before Grace. LT is helping to expand my reading range in "modern" fiction--so I want to try Atwood again. Would you recommend I start with Tale or Assassin?

#48: Congratulations on your first 5-star read of the year, Andrea!

I doubt I will get to that one by Atwood this year, but I will shoot for next. I will be reading Alias Grace and Surfacing this year.

MusicMom, my two cents...........The Handmaid's Tale

Thanks BDB--it just went on the wishlist.

Yeah, of the two, I would say The Handmaid's Tale if you haven't liked Atwood in the past. But, I loved Cat's Eye and you might like that one too, Carolyn. What do you think, Andrea?

I think the question between Tale and Assassin comes down to how you feel about post-apocalyptic fiction. If you like or love it (like I do), I would say choose Tale. If you don't, go with Assassin.

Take heart Carolyn, both are excellent, you can't go wrong!

Glad you enjoyed The Blind Assassin so much. The Irregulars sounds really interesting, I'll look out for that.

#50 I shall do! I think that Locked in Time was one of those that I read, but I may have to search it out again as I don't remember it very clearly. I never actually owned any of her books, they were all borrowed from the library, so I haven't re-read any...

I like Cat's Eye a lot - part of it is about growing up and about the friendship between two girls. My memory is hazy but then part of the book is about them when they're much older.

10. Boy by Roald Dahl
****

I definitely enjoyed reading Dahl's stories about his childhood, but I didn't love it the way I loved Matilda, The Witches, and Charlie.

I do think its an essential read for any Dahl fan.

11. Revolutionary Road
****

I loved this book. Mostly because I thought it was brilliant. Because when I think back, I didn't love either of the characters, or the story, but I did like the truth it spoke about dreams and facing reality, and it's also about the games people play with each other in romantic relationships.

Even though I didn't like April or Frank, I could identify somewhat because their biggest problem was selfishness. And that's something I struggle with at times for sure.

#61: For some reason, Revolutionary Road has never appealed to me. After reading your review, I still do not want to rush out and read it. I think I will pass once again on it.

#61: I remember being so excited when I first heard of this book - a classic I had missed! But it was a disappointment. The characters are just so unpleasant. I can see why the theme, and the honesty, appeal, and obviously the author doesn't love the characters either, but it didn't teach me anything I didn't already know - some people are very selfish, and not nice to each other. Yet, your comments make me think maybe I was unfair to it. I'd like to read it again, although probably not really soon. Thanks for the interesting view.

I liked it. I thought the ending was devastating.

hi all- i began my trip to Europe the last week of Feb. and have been loving it ever since- I've read quite a bit as well:

12. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery *** 1/2

I liked the ideas and themes in this one a lot, I was not for the ending. (SPOILER) It felt forced to give the little girl a reason to think about death. It was okay, not one I'll be raving about.

13. The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Steig Larsson *****

I was incredibly excited to find this in a train station in France- the last of the Millenium books. Do any of you know if they're still thinking about writing and publishing the 4th and 5th? I still want more of Salander and Blomkvist- the third book is the best of them all in my opinion, 5 stars.

14. Dead until Dark by Charlaine Harris ***

This one was good. I enjoyed it, but its one of those you don't have to think during at all.

15. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll ****
I read this after I saw Tim Burton's new movie. I really enjoyed the book although it hops from one place to another, the Chesire cat and Hatter are my favorite characters by far.

16. Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll ****

I'm so glad I read this one finally because I heard a report that Lost was influenced by it. Once you read it, you can definitely see the connections. They even mentioned it in an episode this season, and I was so glad I'd read it just before seeing it.

17. The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson ****

I don't read a ton of nonfiction, but the cover caught me and it didn't disappoint. As someone who loves architecture, it was incredibly interesting to hear about this one great event which sadly I'll never be able to experience.
The other part of this story, the murders of so many girls in Chicago kept me very interested, so interested in fact that I may pick up one of the "helpful" books on Holmes Larson cited.
Great read about an incredible time in American history.

Wow! Europe and reading. Some people have it all :)

18. Grapes of Wrath

first thought: how strange is the ending? I wish I had someone to talk it over with, so if you've read it, what do you think it means?

I wasn't very keen on the style Steinbeck chose to do this one in- switching between the Joad narrative and a general narrative of all the working class people. His general sections were a bit rambling and repetitive of the points he made in the Joad section. Even so, about halfway through, I started to like those sections as well. The Joad characters were likable and clearly felt.

Over all, this book def. deserves to be a classic because of the subject matter alone. And even though it was a fictional account of the Great Depression, it felt authentic and it was interesting to compare those times to the current recession.

19. Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan

This is one of the hardest books I've ever read because of the graphic and difficult subject matter: child slavery, ethnic cleansing, Muslim/Christian conflict, prostitution and poverty.

I thought it was well written, but I read it more like a lesson in Africa than for enjoyment. Often, I found myself wondering, how does this happen so much? and when did this happen? and knowing I'll have to look it all up and learn as much as I can. I'll also wat to help, ut Akpan doesn't seem to think too much of outside help coming into Africa, if he presents his ideas clearly in the book, then he almost blames outsiders for the unrest.

Interesting, tough read. Didn't like the use of dialect.

20. Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik

This was a very welcome change of pace- a collection of non-fiction essays on, you guessed it Paris. That lovely, lovely city. The writer lived with his wife and little boy in Paris from 1995-2000 and the essays are mostly about their life, some about food, some about politics, but mostly about the day to day and what it means to be French or American.

21. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

I'd started this book before and discarded it because I wasn't interested or maybe I thought it was too difficult, but this time I could see it for what it was: chic lit.

But it was the perfect book at the time, a great book to read really. and of course, a lovely timeless story of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, who I loved even more in the book than I had in the movies.

#67: I have not yet read The Grapes of Wrath, although I do have it on tap to read over the summer months, so sorry, I cannot talk about the ending yet.

I had Paris to the Moon out from the library last year, but did not get it read before I had to return it. Thanks for the reminder about getting it out again.

Glad you rolled on over and caught up with my thread.

The ending of The Grapes of Wrath caught me by surprise a little also. The more I've thought about it, it seemed to me to have a bit of an implication about the destitue and hopeless feeding on each other but also nuturing one another, sort of a double meaning. There was an element of the girl, having lost her baby, still being the sort of future of the family and sacrificing herself and her life-essence, literally, to nurture and sustain.

I haven't read a lot of literary criticism on the passage but always wondered what it mean to others.

I really like some of the books you've been reading this year. The Devil in the White City was a good read for me too, as well as anything Margaret Atwood, though I haven't read that particular book you read above. I really should bump it up higher on my TBR list.

I gather that you are spending a few months in France (or maybe just around Europe). How exciting! I took French in college, but once you stop speaking it on a daily basis you lose it fast...Hope you're enjoying yourself!

I read The Devil in the White City last year and thought it was great as well. I live near Chicago and it was fascinating hearing about both the good and the bad side of the city's history.

mihess- I am actually in Paris as I reply to you! I took French in college too and I bought Rosetta Stone- I can comprehend a lot more listening than I can speak- the whole conversation thing- connecting all the dots- is my big hurdle to jump. despite that, it's all been very fabulous but the trip is coming to an end...as all good things must...What is your favorite Atwood? I'm currently reading Alias Grace

and Jasmyn- didn't White City make you wish at least part of the expo was still there? It makes me sad I'll never see it in real life

I have Devil in the White City picked for our Halloween reads this year.

22. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close **** 1/2

I adored this book. It's fiction- about a little boy who loses his father in 9/11, but a few years later finds a key in his dad's tuxedo pocket. He makes it his mission to discover what lock the key will open.

This book has it all- it's funny, sad, clever and silly all at once

23. 1st to Die by James Patterson

What a excellent book to read while travelling- I didn't have to think to much, just sat back ad enjoyed this murder mystery.

24. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

Atwood has become one of my favorite authors this year with this book and Blind Assassin. She always features intriguing women whether they are smart, stupid, naive, or cultured, Atwood knows women ad writes them so well. can't wait to read another of hers.

#74: I have Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close home from the library now. I hope I enjoyed it as much as you did, Andrea.

I enjoy the Woman's Murder Club series by Patterson. I think I have read them all to this point.

Alias Grace I will be getting to in the next couple of months. I have heard very good things about it.

Oh Yay! Glad you loved Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close too! I wonder if Stasia's gonna like it. I was surprised how much I enjoyed Paris to the Moon considering I've never been there and most likely will not ever get there. And, lol, P & P is chick lit, but I love the dialogue and the witty observations/commentary by the author, especially in the beginning. Even though I've read it four or five times, I still laugh.

Hi! Just passing by, added Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close to my list. Happy Reading to you!

25. The Bell Jar

I really liked the beginning of this one, but then when Esther started falling apart in the novel, the writing really fell apart for me. I've never known anyone to deal with depression on this scale so i guess maybe the swift decline is realistic, but I thought Esther's plunge was way too abrupt and unexplained.

You're the first one to comment on this one that I've read in my threads since I started LT. Have it on the shelves but not yet read. Always wondered what it was like.

26. The Invention of Hugo Cabret.

BRILLIANT. As a lover of Paris, movies and happy endings, Hugo Cabret had it all for me. If you pick it up, don't be intimidated by its size. Something like 200+ pages are illustrated, and beautifully.

I read it all in one sitting.

***** 5 Stars!

I've been going through a reading drought, nothing was interesting me until the book I just read above. Now I've moved onto Never Let Me Go and the slump is over for good hopefully.

Do any of you have books you remember that pulled you out of reading slumps?

#81: When I am in a reading slump, I fall back on one of my comfort reads - you know, books that you read because you love them. For me, that would be something like Ex Libris or 84, Charing Cross Road.

Good luck with beating the slump, Andrea!

Most of the advice I've seen on this question in the threads is similar to alcott's.....read something that you've already read that is a favorite or a favorite author or genre.....basically go back to something that makes you enjoy reading again.

Great advice! I either go back to a comfort read or try a new book by an author I already know I love.

I'm glad you're enjoying Never Let Me Go. It's such a bizarre story, but equally as beautiful. Speaking of authors I already know I love, Kazuo Ishiguro is an author I'd like to read more of.

>80 AndreaBurke:: I keep hearing good things about The Invention of Hugo Cabret and now I see that it's on my wish list, but with no tag as to who recommended it. Fixed! You're the "guilty" party now! ;-)

bonnie, I'm willing to take full responsibility!

27. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

I really liked Ishiguro's prose, completely sucked me in. This book is a bit of a mystery story, and all-in-all it's pretty sad. Definitely more of a subtle "literary read."

My only complaint was that I wish there was more about the what society was like outside of the "donors" and "carers" side.

28. Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

What a fun, easy read. 100% chic lit

#87: I enjoyed the Ishiguro book when I read it a couple of years ago. I am glad you liked it too, Andrea.

I will have to read the Kinsella book one of these days. I think her Shopaholic books are a hoot!

29. The Irresistible Henry House by Lisa Grunwald

2 1/2 stars SPOILERS

I rented this from the library because I read great reviews. The jacket cover compares House to iconic characters Garp and Forrest Gump, but Henry House doesn't come anywhere close.

The novel can't really decide what it wants to be so it kind of meshes together Garp and Gump-esque stories. The first half of the book is female-centric, sort of wacky and mostly somber like Garp. But halway through, Lisa switches to Gump and throws in incredible encounters, like House meeting with Walt Disney and the Beatles. Then, House returns to his childhood sweetheart....who happens to have a child with no father in the picture....sound familiar?

Okay, maybe its not exactly the same but there were enough similarities that I felt the book was a little bit of a rip off.

I also didn't find Henry House very irresistible. For the most part I thought he was selfish, spoiled, and whiny.

#89: I feel safe in skipping that one. I hope your next read is more to your taste, Andrea!

30. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

Solid ***

This turned out to be more than I expected because it made me think. The book went into ideas much deeper than I had expected. And I'm not sure how much truth is actually blended into this fiction thriller, but I'm definitely going to be looking up "Noetic" science to see if it even exists.

The writing was a little awkward at times, a little tedious at times, but overall I enjoyed the story even though the Solomon ending was a bit obvious, I was pleasantly surprised a few times.

31. Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby

I liked it, but it wasn't a great narrative. I found myself reading it because of the themes and questions it raised about fame, our relationships (or obsessions) with famous people, getting older, the genesis of art and creativity.

I think Hornby used this book to express many of his opinions on all these issues which is one of the few reasons I kept reading. Also, Hornby's prose is so easy to lose yourself in.

32. The Passage

Loved it. This book is what The Strain should have been. Can't wait to read the next one!

33. The Witch of Portobello

I had no idea what to expect, but this one was really nice. Witch is all about our perceptions of people, time, earth, and life.

so interesting. If someone has read this I would love to talk about it.

#92: I have definitely got to get a copy of The Passage. Too many good reviews of that one for me to ignore it.

I've read The Witch of Portobello, but it was a few years ago now, so I'm not sure how intelligent I can be about it. I remember enjoying it - more than Veronika Decides to Die, but less than The Alchemist if that helps! Hmmm. I think I read it pre-LT, but I'll go back and check my 2008 thread...

I've been so busy! I've only read 40 this year so far- probably 41 by the end of the week!

34. To Own a Dragon by Donald Miller
35. Naked Pictures of Famous People by Jon Stewart
36. MockingJay by Suzanne Collins
37. Just Do Something by
38. Pet Sematary by Stephen King
39. The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snickett
40. Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides

Mockingjay and Virgin Suicides were my favorites by far out of the bunch. Although Just Do Something and To Own a Dragon are exceptional spiritual thought books that address my generation very well.

I can not say enough about Eugenides. I read Suicides over a weekend- just couldn't put it down and it's really short.

I'm currently reading The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Alchemyst, and Freedom by Jonathan Franzen which I know is controversial, but also unputdownable.

Hope everyone is still having a successful reading year!

I love the Virgin Suicides - have you seen the movie? If you like comparing books vs movies, then it's one of those movies that manages to capture the book's "mood".

I need to pick up that Jonathan Franzen book...thanks for the reminder!

Hey, Andrea! Glad to see you back again!

41. Freedom by Jonathan Franzen

42. One Day by David Nicholls

more info/reviews coming soon!

#98: I have seen good reviews of both of those books. I look forward to seeing what you thought of them too.

reviews still to come! but i have more to add:

43. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
44. The Alchemyst by Michael Scott
45. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
46. The Collector by John Fowles

#100: I loved When You Reach Me. I hope you enjoyed it, Andrea!

Looking forward to the review on The Collector.

46. The Collector by John Fowles

With The Collector, John Fowles created a unique and brilliant story about a boy (Fredrick/Caliban) who stalks and kidnaps a girl (Miranda). When I read the synopsis, I was worried about where the story may go. So often, thrillers devolve into twisted sex and gore fests, but Fowles never stoops to that. Instead, he looks at the situation from both Miranda and Fredrick’s point of view making the book a study of human behavior.

I couldn’t put it down.

Fowles is so talented. The characters he’s created are so real because they are both flawed and blind. They are so convinced that they are right; they are stubborn, but try again and again to gain the other's approval. (Yes, Miranda seeks approval even though she is being held captive. It infuriates her when Fredrick won't listen or learn from her)

I’m not going to give any more away. If you have the time and inclination, I really recommend this one.

#103: I read that one many years ago and it creeped me out enough that I never want to re-visit it :)

Thanks for posting the review to the thread!

103: I thought I would be done with the Halloween list after reading the Shirley Jackson book, but your review has convinced me to track down this one. Looks creepy!

47. The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman ***** 5 Stars

By far, one of my favorite books of the year- I only wish Rachman would write a sequel continuing with all the characters I found myself so compelled by.

This collection of connected short stories is set in Rome around a dying newspaper. Each chapter focuses on a contributor to the paper- writers, editors, a subscriber, the publisher- and the drama of their personal lives.

Rachman writes each section so well- I can't wait to read what else he will write in the coming years.

48. Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris

I gotta say I was disappointed. The stories were okay, not nearly as funny as some of his other essay collections. I did love "Dinah the Christmas Whore" and "Jesus Shaves" but for the most part, I thought this collection was mediocre.

107: Yeah, Holidays on Ice wasn't my favorite either, but "Jesus Shaves" kind of made up for the whole thing. Hope the next read is better!

Also, Rachman's book looks interesting!

>>107 AndreaBurke:. I've downloaded The Imperfectionists onto the Kindle, now I just have to actually read it.

I can't recommend The Imperfectionists enough.

I loved The Imperfectionists too, Andrea. I am glad to see the book has another fan!

49. The Lonely Polygamist by Udall

I am not a fan of this novel even though its being hailed as one of the greatest of the year. It's okay at best. The ending was completely wrong and the best characters face the worst fates. And I hated the patriarch.

50. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

However, I LOVED this book. It was so giant, it took me a while, but I enjoyed every minute. It seems everyone else on this site loves this book already but I'll add my recommendation to the rest of them.

#112: Have you read Collins' The Moonstone yet? If not, I highly recommend it, Andrea!

I loved The Moonstone as well - very lively, interesting writing