Challenge: 50 Books discussion

Hi all, a friend of mine challenged me about reading 50 books (or more) a year, and I said yes, and she pointed me to this group, so here I am, a newbie, and just blow a kick off whistle. Wish me luck!! ^_^

January
1. The Tales of Beedle the Bard - JK Rowling
The new year started with a HP fairy tales.

2. The Hunt For Atlantis - Andy McDermott
What could I possibly think of this book.... boooriiiing!

3. The Book of Lost Things - John Connolly
This book was very entertaining. I really loved the story about very annoying Snow White.

February
4. Inkheart - Cornelia Funke
What's not to like from story about people who loves books so much. If you could read like Mo and Meggi, what book(s) will you read aloud?? Me, propably Mr. Darcy... or Edmon Dantes... or even Bartimeaus from the Bartimeaus Trilogi... LOL ;)

5. Magyk - Angie Sage
Hmm... seventh son from the seventh son... Not bad at all, looking forward to Flyte, Physik and Queste.

I love that you would read out Mr. Darcy *giggles* Are you planning on reading the other two in the Inkheart series?

Oh, absolutely! They're already on my TBR list. And I'm looking forward to see the movie too.

Nice meeting you Aprile.

6. Menyelamatkan Dunia dan Olahraga Ekstrem Lainnya Maximum Ride Book 3 - James Patterson
Fang left Max??! Is this scientifreak version of Bella and Edward? Thank God it isn't! :-o
The story's OK, with short chapters and definite story line. I just hate the cover of this edition, GPU should have stick with graphic design like the first two.

7. Segelas Beras untuk Berdua - Sindhunata
A collection of features about people and hope from Dr. Gabriel Sindhunata SJ, a local (Indonesian) writer. Very touching!

Nice to meet you too Cindy! The movie is good. VERY different, but good none-the-less.

8. Bertanya kerbau pada pedati Kumpulan cerpen - A.A.Navis
Collection of short stories by classic Indonesian writer, A.A. Navis. Still sharp as always, actual and grounded. BRAVO!

9. Argenteuil Hidup Memisahkan Diri - Nh. DINI
Latest book from seri cerita kenangan (memoar series).

10. The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Though I heard so much about this book, I never read it until now. LOVE IT! The imagination, the story, the illustration. Great reminder for the open minds of a child.

good job on 10!

March
11. The Secret of the Old Clock - Carolyn Keene
First Nancy Drew story I ever read (after found 6 used books in a book fair). Not quite like I would expecting, but still interesting.

Thx, Mary Todd!

March along trough March ;)

12. Kisah Berhikmah Jilid 2 (Tales of the Dervishes-Stories of Sufi Masters over Thousands Years) - Idries Shah
Old stories that makes you wonder....

13. Petualangan Tintin Penerbangan 714 ke Sydney (Vol 714 Pour Sidney) - Herge
Did not like this Tintin story, too "outer-spacy" than the usual Tintin adventure.

14. The Bungalow Mystery - Carolyn Keene
15. The Mystery at Lilac Inn - Carolyn Keene
Two more Nancy Drew books. Still cannot made up my mind, boring... or quite interesting.... :-/

16. Brisingr - Eragon Book 3 - Christopher Paolini
I'm quite amaze how many extreme-ratings this book got. I guess it just "love it or hate it" kind of book. For me... it got 4 stars!

17. Flyte - Angie Sage
The usual fantasy book stuff, dragon, ghosts, shadows, bones, dark magyk.

April
18. My Name is Red - Orhan Pamuk
Finally....after what?? 23 days of reading.... OMG, this book is hard to read :p

19. Drachenreiter - Cornelia Funke
After reading Pamuk's Red, this book is really a refreshment to the mind. Like it, but love the Ink series more.

20. Sejarah Dunia dalam 10 1/2 Bab (A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters) - Julian Barnes
Honestly... I hate it!
Read the entire book looking for a better explanation, but never find it till the last page. It just not my kind of book. Just hate it!!

21. Anne of Green Gables - Lucy Montgomery
Celebrating 100th anniversary of Anne of Green Gables, 1908-2008
Two words... LOVE IT!!
Anne (with an "e", don't forget the "e") was one of the loveliest character I've ever read. Not just with her imagination, but also with her mistakes and her sharp tongue and her silliness and her wit. Can't wait to read her more.

22. The Worlds of Chrestomanci: Charmed Life - Diana Wynne Jones
It's said that these are series of books that inspired JKR. Could be, but I enjoy both with their own ways. I like the twists in this book. They are really unpredictable!!

23. The Worlds of Chrestomanci The Lives of Christopher Chant - Diana Wynne Jones
Well... It's not HP for sure!
I still like the twist in this story, and I think the character in both CL and tLoCC were too complicated if it was meant for children book.

24. The Witch of Portobello - Paulo Coelho
It's about accepting who you are... honestly.

25. Eendaagsche Exprestreinen - Risdianto et al
A graphic-novel-children-adventure-Tintin-like that tell a story of 3 kids in express train between Batavia and Soerabaia in 1930. Very nice graphics!

26. Usagi Yojimbo - Brink of Life and Death - Stan Sakai
A cute little bunny samurai, #3 in the series that I've read.

27. The Cartoon History of the Universe I - Larry Gonnick
Never know that history could be so much fun!

May
28. Novel Pangeran Diponegoro: Menggagas Ratu Adil - Remy Sylado
The first part of Biographic Novel of Our National Hero, Prince Diponegoro.

29. The Cartoon History of the Universe II - Larry Gonnnick
Not so much fun as the first book, maybe because it covered mostly about Asia, which I learned more thoroughly in school. It just lost its excitement.

30. HARUS BISA! Seni Memimpin a la SBY - Dino Patti Djalal
Got this book during presidential campaign. A book about management and the art of leadership by example of our president. (He get elected again for the second time in last general election.)
LANJUTKAN!! :)

31. Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer
After putting it on halt for soooooo looooooong, finally I finished it just for the sake of finishing the series.

June

32. Anne of Avonlea - L.M. Montgomery
The second book of Anne series. Still LOVE the character, but miss all her silliness. Fortunately, there is Dave to save the day :p

33. Botchan - Natsume Soseki
Actually, I don't have any two cents for this book. The endorsement clearly compare this book to Totto-chan, which other than similarity of its title, there is nothing in common.

34. Metropolis - Windry Ramadhina
One good criminal genre book, which not to many has came from local writer. LIKE IT a lot, but still has many loose thread in the end of the book.

35. The Alchemyst - Michael Scott
Read it after an (A) recommendation given by a stranger I met in the book store. (We both love Bartimeaus and HP, hated twilight, and kind of like septimus heap series)
A repeated theme but found a new taste. Can't put it down until the last page.

July

36. George's Secret Key to the Universe - Lucy Hawking
If you have Prof. Stephen Hawking as a father, maybe this is the kind of bed time stories you'll have. :)

37. Physik - Angie Sage
The third book from Septimus Heap, still about dragon, potion, ghost, etc. The ending was so open, don't feel like it's the end of the book.

38. The High Lord - Trudi Canavan
I was pending to read this book for soooo loooong frightened that it will ended in a disappointment. But I was wrong. This book is far better from book 1 and book 2 of the trilogy!

39. Anne of the Island - L.M. Montgomery
The third book of Anne.... what can I say.... just Two Thumbs UP!

40. Final Warning - James Patterson
I think Patterson just got a global-warming-anxiety while writing this book and forgot to write the actual story about max and the flock!

August

41. Howl's Moving Castle - Diana Wynne Jones
I really like it. I love the hidden clues and the castle with magic door, scarecrow and man-dog, skull and guitar.

42. The Remains of The Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
A very beautiful story about self introspection, regrets, and living your live.

43. Pesta Perpisahan/Farewell Waltz - Milan Kundera
This book is so egoistic, misogynistic, prejudice and exaggerating.... and that's why its great ^_^
Seriously, I never like dark comedy reading, but this book is something else. Four stars from me!

44. Drunken Mama Keluarga Besar Kisah-kisah Non Teladan - Pidi Baiq
45. Drunken Monster - Pidi Baiq
Both books and another one Drunken Molen are from the same authors. A collection of comedy story of some everyday events.

** teuiiing euy **

46. 80 Hari Keliling Dunia / Around the World in Eighty Days - Jules Verne
A hundred times read before, but first time read in unabridge Indonesian version. Ultimate Adventure by Jules Verne.

Sometime after August
47. The Magician's Elephant / Gajah Sang Penyihir - Kate DiCamillo
A fairy tales that have been told in very straight forwarded way. Nice and comforting!

48. Perahu Kertas - Dee
It's been a while since I read a chick lit that does not feel shabby or cheap. This one does. Dee is absolutely one of my fav writer, ever since Supernova and Filosofi Kopi, but this book show a different side of her.

49. Amarah/ The Grapes of Warth - John Steinbeck
**cursing hard**
I didn't saw the mark "satu" until I finished the book and amazed that this story has not ended yet. If to find this book is remarkably hard, then I think to find the second book will next to impossible. **cursing again!**
notes: Pengantar: Sapardi Djoko Damono
Penerbit: Yayasan Obor Indonesia

50. Sutasoma - Cok Sawitri
And I proudly completed my goal by reading this book. A fragment from Mahabharata story, inspired by Empu Tantular's Porusadha and retold by Cok Sawitri in a beautiful phrases. LOVE IT!

Still sometime after August
51. Mawar Yang Hilang / The Missing Rose - Serdar Ozkan
Some moments in this novel reminds me a lot of Coelho. The legend, the metaphors, the oddness. The story itself is like finding your way home again.

52. The Winner Stands Alone A Novel / Sang Pemenang Berdiri Sendirian- Paulo Coelho
Well, if that book reminds me of Coelho, this latest Coelho book completely lost me. He usually told story about life and living, meanwhile this book is about despair and death. Mentally scary!

53. Labirin Lazuardi Langit Merah Saga - Gola Gong
I grew up with Hai Magzn, so no suprise Gola Gong is not a stranger. But I think this novel (#1 from a trilogy, so I've been told) is much mature story about life and choices.

Lost Time between August and October

54. Pulau Dokter Moreau / The Island of Dr. Moreau - H.G. Wells
Scary-unrealistic-science-go-wrong type of story. Don't really like it. Goosebumps all over!

55. The Magicians of Caprona / Penyihir-Penyihir Caprona - Diana Wynne Jones
Romeo and Juliet meet Chrestomancy, added by Sound of Music background. ;)

56. Kartun Riwayat Peradaban Jilid III / The Cartoon History of the Universe III - Larry Gonick
From Arabian Nights to Colombus Journey. It's like seeing the world turn around for a thousand year in a speed 300 pages.

November

57. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell - Susanna Clarke
A fun to read book, with all its bogus footnotes and alternate history. Really piss off with Mr Norrell though.

58. Kenangan Perempuan Penghibur yang Melankolis/Memories of My Melancholy Whores - Gabriel García Márquez
Its about Love. Period.

59. Anne of Windy Poplar - L M Montgomery
I miss Gilbert and Davy and Mrs. Lynde and Marilla.