lenereadsnok joins the challenge

Getting a late start here but I think this is a great idea. I am trying for 122 this year. My books read for January: 1. through 17.
01/02/08 The red tent- Anita Diamant .
01/04/08 Snow flower and the secret fan - Lisa See
01/05/08 The bell jar: Bio - Sylvia Plath
01/08/08 The book thief - Marcus Zusik
01/10/08 The kite runner -Hossein.
01/12/08 Suite franchise- Irene Nemirovsky
01/13/08 Crow lake- Mary Lawson
01/15/08 The other side of the bridge - Mary Lawson
01/17/08 Ava’s man: Bio - Rick Bragg
01/18/08 Ray in reverse - Daniel Wallace
01/19/08 Little Heathens: Bio. - Mildred Armstrong Kalish
01/22/08 Love in the time of cholera – Gabriel Marquez
01/24/08 Flowers for Algernon – Daniel Keys
01/25/08 On Chesil Beach- Ian McEwan
01/27/08 I am the messenger – Marcus Zusak
01/29/08 The handmaid’s tale - Margaret Atwood
01/30/08 Whistling in the dark – Lesley Kagen

February reads 18 through 34
02/ 01/08 Some things that stay – Sarah Willis
02/03/08 When crickets cry – Charles Martin
02/04/08 Julia’s Chocolates – Cathy Lamb
02/06/08 Where the heart is – Billie Letts
02/10/08 The pillars of the Earth – Ken Follet
02/12/08 The thirteenth tale – Diane Setterfield-
02/14/08 The snow train – Joseph Cummins
02/15/08 Still life with elephant– Judy Reene Singer
02/16/08 The perks of being a wallflower –Stephen Chbosky
02/17/08 The almost moon – Alice Sebold.
02/20/08 Love warps the mind a little – John Dufresne
02/21/98 Rape: a love story – Joyce Carol Oates
02/22/08 Walking across Egypt- Clyde Edgerton
02/25/06 The Poisonwood Bible – Barbara Kingsolver
02/26/08 Where the red fern grows – Wilson Rawls
02/28/08 Run – Ann Patchett
02/29/08 The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho

March reads 35. through 51.

03/02/08 Prodigal Summer - Barbara Kingsolver –444
03/03/08 Running out of time - Margaret Patterson Haddix –184p
03/04/08 When the day of evil comes - Melanie Wells-317p.
03/05/08 The soul hunter - Melanie Wells-318p.
03/07/08 The bean trees -Barbara Kingsolver-246p.
03/09/08 Atonement – Ian McEwen- 351p
03/10/08 The Gathering – Anne Enright- 261p
03/11/08 Out stealing horses – Per Petterson –258p.
03/12/08 A gathering of old men - Ernest J. Gaines-
03/13/08 The road - Cormac McCarthy-241p
03/15/08 One hundred years of solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez-422p.
03/20/08 World without end – Ken Follet 1024 p.
03/22/08 Middlesex – Jeffrey Eugenides 529p..
03/24/08 Down River – John Hart 325p.
03/26/08 The tin roof blowdown –James Lee Burke 373p.
03/28/08 The known world- Edward P. Jones 388p
03/30/08 A tree grows in Brooklyn – Betty Smith.

April so far 52 through 56

04/01/08 Flight of the Goose: A story of the far north. – Lesley Thomas– 426p
04/02/08 The blood of flowers – Anita Amirrezvani - 368p
04/03/08 A three dog life: A memoir – Abigail Thomas - 182p
04/06/08 Half of a yellow sun – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie– 433p.
04/07/08 Cold Comfort Farm– Stella Gibson- 233p..

Its been a week since the above post and I have read:
57. 04/10/08 Hunting and gathering – Anna Gavalda - 496p I liked this book well enough, dragged on for a while but got better towards the end. Found the dialogue hard to follow sometimes.
58. 04/12/08 The rise of Silas Lapham - William Dean Howells 324 very closely typed pages. The writing was magical, errors and all, I read it from a 1951 edition. Found myself absorbed in the characters. Highly recommend. Heigh?
59. 04/13/08 Never let me go – Kazuo Ishiguro 288p. Long developing but worth it in the end. .
60. 04/15/08 The girl who stopped swimming – Joshilyn Jackson 308p Interesting story but really hard to read, the writing, at least for me, didn't flow.

61. 04/17/08 People of the book by Geraldine Brookes 368 pages - Great storytelling. Had some senior moments towards end of book remembering characters from front of book, had to go back and re-read.

62. 04/19/08 Bridge of birds by Barry Hughart - 248 pages – Heard about this one on LT. A lyrical, fairytale-like epic but hilarious.

63. 04/21/08 Fifth Business by Robertson Davies - 266pages - Really enjoyed it especially the ending. Will probably read more by this author.

64. 04/23/08 Bastard out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison 309pages – Well written, I felt like I really knew the extremely fertile extended Boatwright family. Liked the way the author handled the ending.

I should change my user name to lenereadsnPA instead of OK. We’re driving to our campground in Pennsylvania Saturday and will be there most of the summer. I won’t always have computer access but will keep up with my list when one is available

See you just finished Fifth Business by Davies. I was very surprised by this book and enjoyed it a great deal. I have now found copies of The Manticore and World of Wonders, both which deal with characters introduced in Fifth Business. So, if you get to these during your PA sabbatical and can post a review, I'd be interested in your thoughts on these, as I haven't found time for them yet.

Will you have lot's of reading time in PA? If so, I am jealous!

I like the books you read--a lot of my favorites! Wish I had the time to read as much as you do! It doesn't look like "75" will be much of a "challenge"! Enjoy your summer!

#7 blackdogbooks. I will definitely be on the lookout for more Davies books, and will put the two you mentioned on my TBR list. I will probably have less reading time this summer because even though 2/3 of my kids are here and 1/3 is in PA we always seem to do more up there.
#8 tloeffler. Thanks. I have read a lot of good books this year but then I try to read mostly books highly recommended by blogers or on Amazon or LT. Life is to short and my reading list to long, alas.

I also like your list. There are a lot of my favourites there too. Looking forward to seeing what else you read this year.

Thank you judylou, as anticipated, I've slowed down a lot in my reading this month, have only finished three since April 23. I am now reading All the pretty horses by Cormac McCarthy

I hope you enjoy All the Pretty Horses as much as I did. If so, don't stop reading, but move on quickly to The Crossing and Cities of the Plain, all part of the Border Trilogy with Horses. McCarthy's a favorite of mine. I was just writing about him over in The Kitchen.

65. 05/01/08 Snow falling on Cedars by David Guterson. Slow, hard to get into, took a long time to read.
66. 05/05/08 The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood . Really liked it. Love her writing style.
67. 05/08/08 Bridget Jones's diary by Helen Fielding. Needed something light after last few reads, it was a fun book.

edited because I can't count and to add touchstones

#12 Blackdog , I noticed in the front of All the Pretty Horses that it was the first of a series, glad to learn the names of the others. Thanks so much.

No problem!

Sorry you didn't enjoy Snow Falling on Cedars. I did enjoy it . And, late last year I read East of the Mountains and enjoyed that read as well. But, this whole reading and books thing is a very subjective experience.

Also, saw at the top of your list you read Love in the Time of Cholera early in the year. What were your thoughts on that one, as I have not yet read it?

#12 & #15 blackdogbooks. I really loved All the pretty horses. Especially love McCarthy's writing style and actually enjoy reading without all the quotation marks, had no problem understanding dialog. Have only read one other of his The Road, enjoyed it also. About Love in the Time of Cholera I believe you have a treat in store, I remember several late-nignt reading sessions because I just couldn't put it down. It does drag on in places but worth it.

68. All the pretty horses by Cormac McCarthy 302 pages
69. When we were orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro 336 pages
70. White Oleander by Janet Fitch 446 pages
71. Girl with the pearl earring by Tracy Chevalier 233 pages
72. 1984 by George Orwell 256 pages
73. House of sand and fog by Andre Dubus III 365 pages' I really wish this book were longer but enjoyed it just the same.
74. The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje 302 pages

75. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
76. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
77. The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields
78. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie- No I didn't figure it out.
79. Holes by Louis Sachar- Just like the movie, loved them both.
80. The Last Time They Met by Anita Shreve- Very unusually put together, felt deceived at the end.
81. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
82. The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards Good story, don't know why so many people didn't like it.
83. A Sack of Teeth by Grant Buday
84. The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
85. Dress your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris
86. The Third Twin by Ken Follett
87. The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst

I note that you read A Prayer for Owen Meany Because this is one of my three most favorite books, I'm always curious about how others perceive it.

It looks like you and I have read many of the same books. I also enjoyed The Memory Keeper's Daughter

And, I applaud that you have read so many books thus far.

#19 Thanks for your coments. I really liked both books you mentioned. In The Memory Keeper's Daughter I kept anticipating everyone getting together. Great story I thought. A Prayer for Owen Meany is one of my top 10 also.

I'll make a post on your site re some personal stuff.

Boy!! Have I got a lot of catching up to do.
July
88. Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
89. Drowning Ruth by Christina Schwartz
90. Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
91. The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchet
92. Those who save us by Jenna Blum
93. The 158-Pound Marriage by John Irving
94. A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines
95. Three Junes by Julia Glass
96. The Drowning Tree by Carol Goodman
August
97. Peace Like a River by Lief Enger
98. Lost and Found: A Novel by Carolyn Parkhurst
99. In the skin of a Lion by Michael Ondaatje
100. Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns also read part of Return to Cold Sassy but didn't finish.
101. 90 minutes in Heaven by Don Piper
102. The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan
103. The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
104. Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
105. The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay
106. The Hours by Michael Cunningham
107. White Teeth by Zadie Smith
108. I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb

Don't worry about catching up - there are no penalties here for getting behind. Some of us postly monthly, some weekly and some daily.

What did you think of The Patron Saint of Liars? I discovered Ann Patchett at the end of last year, and her Bel Canto is one of my favorite books.

What a fabulous assortment of authors, books, and styles you have here! I've got to check a couple of them out.

#22 Alcottacre, at the time I read The Patron Saint of Liars I gave it 3
stars. Rose was a major flake wasn't she?
I didn't make any reference in my notes to her writing style (good or bad) so I will probably give Ann Patchett another try and Bel Canto sounds good. Thanks for your post.

How did you like I Know This Much is True. I read it a few years back and recall really enjoying it.

#24 lenereadsnok: Sorry, I did not mean to be misleading in my post about Ann Patchett. The Patron Saint of Liars is one of Patchett's books that I have not yet had a chance to read. I will definitely have to get to that one.

#25 blackdog, I really, really liked I Know This Much is True as I knew I would seeing it was by Wally Lamb but I kept putting it off because of the length, finally just decided to get it over with, so glad I did.
#26 alcottacre, I can see where I assumed to much by your post, I definitely think you will like The Patron Saint of Liars if you like Ann Patchett. I also read Run back in February and had completely forgotten so her books don't stick in my mind much.

September
109. Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquirel
110. The Human stain by Phillip Roth
111. Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
112. Shopaholic takes Manhattan by Sophie Kinsella
113. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DeCamillo
114. Shopaholic Ties the Knot by Sophie Kinsella
115. Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks
116. The Liars Club by Mary Karr
117. Cherry by Mary Karr
118. A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly now I really want to read An American Tragedy.
I believe they are both about the Grace Brown murder.
119. Night Trilogy Night Dawn and The Accident by Elie Wiesel I’m counting them as one book read.
120. Enemies, A Love Story by Isaac Bashevis Singer Such a wonderful story, hard to describe it without giving the plot away.
121. Unless by Carol Shields Beautiful writing.

hi lenereadsnok
How did you like A northern light?
I did read it earlier this year.

October
122. Saturday by Ian McEwan
123. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
124. Rabbit, Run by John Updike A re-read but wanted to refresh my memory before reading the other three Rabbit books.
125. The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles
126. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers
127. Sula by Toni Morrison
128. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
129. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
130. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
131. Chocolat by Joanne Harris

#29 FAMeulstee. I did enjoy A Northern Light I thought it interesting how she tied the past and the present together and one caught up with the other.

Here is my reading list for the first half of November.

132. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe .
133. On Beauty by Zadie Smith
134. The Prime of Miss Jean Brody by Muriel Sparks
135 Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
136. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
137. The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain
138. Ledfeather by Stephen Graham Jones

I have not yet read The Postman Always Rings Twice, but I read Double Indemnity earlier this year. How did you like Postman?

Wow. Lot's of stuff I have read or am interested in. I read Things Fall Apart, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, and The Heart is a Lonely Hunter within the last 18 months or so. My favorite was McCullers book. There was such soul in it.

I have read Autograph Man by Smith fairly recenlty also and have wondered about On Beauty. What did you think?

I have been looking for a used copy of The Postman Always Rings Twice for so long now. I am an avid scrounger - looking in used book stores and other thrift shops for my books. I jsut can't seem to find a good one. All of my 75'er colleagues have been urging me to try bookdiscounters.com but I haven't done that yet. What did you think of Cain's books?

I just read my first Atwood this year, The Handmaid's Tale. Now I am buying up her titles. How was Alias Grace?

#33: Alcottacre There is a lot of story packed into those 116 pages, Cain does not mince words thats for sure, I highly recommend you read it.

#34 BDB: I liked The Heart is a Lonely Hunter but liked both Things Fall Apart and The Prime of Miss Jean Brody better.

And.... I didn't like On Beauty as much as White Teeth which I read this summer. There was something about the ending of On Beauty that didn't set quite right with me. I haven't read Autograph Man yet.

Alias Grace was a little disappointing to me also, too flowery, whereas I Liked both The Handmaid's Tale and The Blind Assassin.

Good luck on your search for The Postman Always Rings Twice in all my Flea Market searching this summer I didn't find a single copy and had to borrow the copy I just read from the library, and I really liked it.

#35 lene: Thanks for the additional info. I think the book that I borrowed from the library with Double Indemnity in it also contained The Postman Always Rings Twice, but I will have to check.

Cain's work is a wonder of few words containing so much! However, I, too, didn't care for On Beauty, although I've read Autograph Man and enjoyed it much more. Some interesting reads, though! Congrats.

Hi lene - haven't posted on your thread before, but wow, some great books here! Looking forward to checking in a bit more in the last few weeks before the year ends.

>36 lenereadsnok: len, I haven't read any Atwood yet - on my 2009 list is The Blind Assassin and Cat's Eye. Have heard a lot about The Blind Assassin but nothing about Cat's Eye. Has anyone read it? Any comments?

- TT

>40 TheTortoise:, TT: Cat's Eye is one of my favourite books, and I have re-read it several times. But then I do slightly attribute my fondness for it to the strong theme of being miserable at school and socially awkward ;-) which it covers very well indeed.

The Blind Assassin is fantastic, if strongly reminiscent of Slaughterhouse Five in its cutting between sci-fi and 'real-life' narratives that shed light on each other in peculiar ways.

TT & Flossie... I haven't read Cat's Eye but from your recommendation Flossie it sounds like one I would really enjoy and will probably get to it next year.
I agree The Blind Assassin was fantastic.

> 41 Flossie, not having read Slaughterhouse Five it will make no difference to my reading of The Blind Assassin!

Thanks for you comments on Cat's Eye. Sound like my kind of book and really looking forward to reading it and TBA.

- TT

I read Blind Assassin and Cat's Eye a long time ago. Perhaps in 2009 I can re-visit this.

I'll second FlossieT's recommendation of Cat's Eye! I love almost all Atwood, but this is my favourite - a perfect evocation of the petty cruelties and miseries of childhood. I hardly ever re-read anything, but this is making me think I should make an exception...

Great reading list, Lene!

It was oddly exciting to find this thread. Amazing how similar some readers are, at least in terms of the books they choose to read. I'll be checking back often to see what's going on with your amazing list. For the first time in my life I have the time to read voraciously but I continue to finish only 4 or 5 a month, not the numbers you're posting. Maybe I should try harder... Just started Lush Life by Richard Price. Hard to put down.

PamFromMD
Please do continue to check in on us and do not be intimidated. We enjoy the quick, lively bantering conversations/posts as much as we enjoy the number of books read.

We welcome you!

Thanks for your comments re. Lush Life by Richard Price. I've not heard of this one. Please post comments when you are finished.

Pam..Wow! Thanks for your comments. I am flattered. We all read at different speeds and I probably have more free time than most. Like Whisper says, keep coming back, I would love to hear what you have been reading.

I haven't heard of or read Lush Life did you like it?

#45 Rachbxl
Glad you like my list and thank you for another recommendation of Cat's Eye now I really have to read it.

I just requested Oryx and Crake from the library
Any comments on that one? Anyone?

lene, Oryx and Crake is OK but a bit closer to sci-fi than most Atwood - more Handmaid's Tale than Robber Bride etc.

I quite liked it, although found it very sad, but most of my friends really didn't. I read more sci-fi and fantasy as a rule than most of my friends, though, so maybe that makes the difference.

Just getting to this thread -- lots of great books. About Ann Patchett (#22, 24, etc): the first book I read by her was Bel Canto and I loved it so much I ran out to get her other books. Although I liked The Patron Saint of Liars and The Magician's Assistant, they just weren't in the same league as Bel Canto. And when Run came out last year, the premise seemed so unappealing I didn't even buy it.

#51 rebeccanyc: I read Run, but to my mind, it is not as good as Bel Canto, which I absolutely love. I have not read the other 2 by her that you mentioned, but I probably will in time. Have you read her nonfiction book Truth and Beauty? You might give that one a try.

Well November is over, here is what I read the last half.

139 Tobacco Road by Erskine Caldwell – 120p. Initially this book upset me but after reading for a while decided to just go with it and then I enjoyed it more. I liked the way Caldwell used repetition to show the hopelessness of the Lester family
140. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie– Tricky, didn’t see that one coming
141. Twenty Chickens for a Saddle:The story of an African childhood by Robyn Scott 449p. Liked it a lot.
142. Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri – 535p. Very good writing.
143. In the Woods by Tana French- 429p. Enjoyed it immensely, even liked the ending.
144. The crying of lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon – 152p. Brilliant
145. Small Steps by Louis Sachar – 250p. Really enjoyed it, almost as much as Holes.

edited to try to add touchstones

Reading through December 15:

146. Firmin by Sam Savage – 148p. Loved it.
147. Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown – 446p. This book was just so sad.
148. Wicked: The life and times of the wicked witch of the West by Gregory Maguire – 406p.
149. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green – 227p.
150. We have always lived in the castle by Shirley Jackson – 214p. Good story, very heartwarming towards the end.
151. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett 318p. Everyone on LT was right, it is the best Ann Patchett I have read so far.
152, The story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski – 562p. Really liked it even the ending.
153. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood – 374 p. Excellent read, but I had to keep a dictionary handy.

lenereadsnok

Your recent reads include many that I've read.

I agree with your comments re. Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee After reading this, I knew how skewed and biased my elementary and high school education was. Somehow the Indians always were portrayed as savages. When he was little, my brother had a plastic set of cowboys and Indians. We always played with the figures, placing the cowboys strategically at the top of the sand pile so they could shoot down at the evil Indians.

How terribly wrong we were to take away their land, their culture and decimate their tribes.

>55 Whisper1: Linda: "How terribly wrong we were to take away their land, their culture and decimate their tribes." It sounds terrible to say it, but also how necessary it appeared to be at the time. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

- TT

TT
Right you are!

I am now reading Three Cups of Tea and don't think I will get it finished tonight so my total read for 2008 is 160. I,m very happy with that number. Dec. 16 through 31 reads are.....

154. The Guernsey Literary and potato peel pie society by Mary Ann Schaffer and Annie Barrows 288p.. It was a little too sweet for my liking.
155. A Mercy by Toni Morrison – 180p. I was expecting so much from this book and was slightly disappointed. After finishing had to go back and re-read the front to understand it.
156. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce – 364p. Tedious, but there is a lot to think about in this book.
157. A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry – 603p. An amazing story.
158. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison – 581p. The writing was good but I thought the story could have been better.
159. Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro - 285p. I finished this book a few days ago and I still find myself thinking about it. To me that is sign of a good book even though I had trouble getting into it at first.
160. The Small Woman by Allen Burgess – 221p. Biography of Gladys Alyward. Glad I read it.

Congrats! 160 is a fantastic number. #159 turned out to be my favourite of the year. I have A Fine Balance on my InfinityPile - I read Such a Long Journey by Mistry a few months ago - it made my top 5 list.