Literary Exploration discussion

finished A Dance with Dragons: Dreams and Dust for fantasy.

Finished 'Neuromancer' (cyberpunk). For me it was a difficult read. I don't think I've understood it properly either,will have ti take my son's help.Is everything happening in cyberspace, how much is taking place in the real world which too is not the present...I got the general drift of it. But I am very happy because it was really challenging,I've never read anything like it before. My reference point was rhe Matrix movies & others of that kind.

Finished Moby-Dick: classics, finally!!! Not an enjoyable experience.

Wendy wrote: "Finished Moby-Dick: classics, finally!!! Not an enjoyable experience."
..but now you know everything about whaling, you could sail out and catch one yourself! Yay! ;)

historical fiction finished - Bring Up the Bodies

Educational done:The Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll through the Hidden Connections of the English Language. Really interesting and entertaining.

Finally finished magical realism - midnights children by salman Rushdie. On to non fiction next. The war of the roses

#14: Das Fehlerchen - Science Fiction

Gothic finished - read The Phantom of the Opera and really enjoyed it.

Finished the first of the Time Riders series, enjoyed it very much. I place it under Adventure though it is other genres too- YA,science fiction,dystopian etc.

Have finished 11 books so far of the Challenge. Have read others beyond these of course.As many of you have too.:-)

So far I have completed: Historical Fiction, True Crime, Young Adult, Victorian, Supernatural, Steampunk, Post-Apocolyptic, Poetry, Paranormal, Magical Realism, Graphic Novel, Erotica, Educational, Drama, Cyberpunk, Childrens, Auto/Biography....17/36

Iselin wrote: "#13 Post-Apocalyptic: The Road. Anybody who hasn't read this: Go read it."
It is a wonderful piece of writing isn't it :). Read it a few years back and was a 5 star read for me!

Sally906 wrote: "Iselin wrote: "#13 Post-Apocalyptic: The Road. Anybody who hasn't read this: Go read it."
It is a wonderful piece of writing isn't it :). Read it a few years back and was a 5 star read for me!"
It's one of the books I'd love to own - the one I read was from our library. I want to write some comments and mark quotes so I can come back and read them again. Yes, I liked it very much. The atmosphere was perfect.

#15: Brave New World for Dystopian. I guess I missed some detail by reading it in English, if I happen to get hold of a German translation I might read it again.

Noir done: L.A. Confidential really enjoyed it, which surprised me as I have fell asleep twice within the first 15 minutes of watching the film.

#18 Romance: The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger I thought of this as a very Classic Romance novel.

#19 Urban Fantasy: Skin Trade by Laurell K. Hamilton This is the first Anita Blake Vampire Hunter book I have read, and I'm pretty sure it will be my last.

Skin Trade was awful! The whole Anita Blake series went downhill around book 10 or so. If you like urban fantasy or paranormal in general I would say, don't give up and start from the beginning - the first books have more of a police procedural feel that suits Anita more. It's like a whole different author!

Kazen wrote: "Skin Trade was awful! The whole Anita Blake series went downhill around book 10 or so. If you like urban fantasy or paranormal in general I would say, don't give up and start from the beginning -..."
Thanks Kazen. I might try the earlier ones.

Have finished #12 'Remains of the day' by Kazuo Ishiguro.I tried to get Anthony Hopkins & Emma Thompson out of my head but wasn't successful. I had loved the movie and loved the book.Realised how well the nuances had been conveyed by those two great actors.

Reading faster than I thought I would, so I'm leaving the hard challenge and joining you guys on the Insane Challenge. Here's my list. If it's unlinked, I haven't read it yet. If it's linked, I've read it.

Adventure - Master and Commander
Auto-Biography/Biography - Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!
Chick-Lit - Pride and Prejudice
Childrens Book - The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making
Classics - Their Eyes Were Watching God
Cyberpunk - Neuromancer
Drama - Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Dystopian - Oryx and Crake
Educational - A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present
Erotica - Lady Chatterley's Lover
Espionage - Casino Royale
Fantasy - The Name of the Wind
Gothic - Wuthering Heights
Graphic Novels - Blacksad
Hard-Boiled - The Black Dahlia
Historical Fiction - The Quickening Maze
Horror - At the Mountains of Madness
Humour - Sacre Bleu
Literary Fiction - Choke
Magical Realism - 1Q84
Mystery - Darkly Dreaming Dexter
Noir - The Big Sleep
Non Fiction - Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief
Paranormal - Soulless
Philosophical - Siddhartha
Poetry - Life on Mars
Post-Apocalyptic - The Road
Romance - A Discovery of Witches
Science Fiction - Wool Omnibus
Steampunk - Dreadnought
Supernatural - Frankenstein
Thriller - The Girl Who Played with Fire
True Crime - In Cold Blood
Urban Fantasy - Night Watch
Victorian - Sense and Sensibility
Young Adult - Delirium

Just finished Noir 18/36

Finished non fiction The Wars of the Roses.

Totally brilliant.

Now to read erotica Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night

That didnt take long. just five hours to read Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night

Next something horror

#16: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes for Mystery.
Actually I'm reading an old Complete Sherlock Holmes penguin edition, but I got this book as a standalone from a friend, and as I want to take a break from Sherlock for a while I count this one.

updated post 104
read 20/36

Starting Dr Jekyll and mr Hyde for this months read and covers my horror genre since uveal ready covered classics

What a fun challenge!
Just finished 36 of 36 so here's my list.
There were several genres that not only had I never read but had never even heard of them. I enjoyed all of the genres and would certainly read them all again. The only "painful" book to get through was The Stranger but luckily I was on a long flight without distractions.


Adventure: The Dog Who Danced
Autobiography: The End of Your Life Book Club
Chick lit: The Pact
Childrens: Olivia and the Fairy Princesses, My Brother's Book
Classics: The Age of Innocence
Cyberpunk: Acts of the Apostles
Drama: Macbeth, Anna in the Tropics
Dystopian: The Age of Miracles
Educational: The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child
Erotica: On Dublin Street
Espionage: Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore
Fantasy: V for Vendetta
Graphic novel: Chickenhare
Gothic: We Have Always Lived in the Castle
Hard-boiled: Mildred Pierce
Historical Fiction: Caleb's Crossing
Horror: Something Wicked This Way Comes
Humor: My Man Jeeves
Literary Fiction: The Shadow of the Wind
Magical Realism: The Angel's Game
Mystery: Dark Places
Noir: Caught Stealing
Nonfiction: Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance
Paranormal: Moon Spell
Philosophical: The Stranger
Poetry: Practicing to Walk Like a Heron
Post-apocalyptic: Messenger
Romance: The Fault in Our Stars
Science Fiction: Cloud Atlas
Steampunk: The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Supernatural: Houdini Heart
Thriller: Blood Harvest
True Crime: Shadow on the Hill: The True Story of a 1925 Kansas Murder, Bitter Harvest
Urban Fantasy: Storm Front
Victorian: Silas Marner
Young Adult: Tell the Wolves I'm Home, Liar & Spy,
The Catcher in the Rye

Ellen wrote: "The only "painful" book to get through was The Stranger but luckily I was on a long flight without distractions."

Great, I still have to read that one.

Plenty of time to do the challenge again Ellen :P

Congratulations Ellen! You need to do another Insane list, and start again....well done!

Horror done: Dr Jekyll and mr Hyde was awesome.

#17: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy for Espionage and
#18: The Stranger for Philosophical.

Ellen, you're officially insane.

Finished gothic: fall of the house of usher - Edgar Allen poe

Just started the white tiger by aravind adiga for literary genre. Not what I thought it would be. I thought it would be like shantaram - very long in depth and hard to read. However it is fast paced and fun to read. Quite mad too

#19: Fortinbras Has Escaped for Humor. I'm not so sure with this one, I might read another one for this genre.

I recently finished #23 Espionage Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, #24 Classic The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, #25 Paranormal Dead Until Dark, #26 Biography The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, #27 Science-fiction The Windup Girl and last night completed #28 Noir The Killer Inside Me.

In April I managed to get through four books - Horror, Classic, Fantasy and Victorian:



I think I'm going to stop planning ahead month by month and just see how the mood takes me. I'm currently reading my chick-lit choice, though:

finished literary: The White Tiger

As we approach mid-year I am doing very well with the challenge having read 22 out of the 36. I have made a few changes along the way - but the ones that are left are pretty well set in concrete now!

Anyhow - here's were I'm at:

Adventure: Escape to Murray River by Robert Elmer
Biography: A Tall Man in a Low Land: Some Time Among the Belgians by Harry Pearson
Chick-Lit: Peace, Love and Khaki Socks by Kim Lock
Children's Books: Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome
Classics: Anne's House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery
Cyberpunk: Skinned by Robin Wasserman
Drama: The Asylum by John Harwood
Dystopian: Awakenby Katie Kacvinsky
Educational: Manthropology: The Science of Why the Modern Male Is Not the Man He Used to Be by Peter Mcallister
Erotica: Butterfly by Kathryn Harvey
Espionage: Grave Mercy by R.L. LaFevers
Fantasy: Blood Song by Rhiannon Hart
Graphic novels: The Adventures of Tintin, Vol. 7: The Castafiore Emerald / Flight 714 to Sydney / Tintin and the Picaros by Hergé
Gothic: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Rigg
Hard-boiled: The Lady in the Lake by Raymond Chandler
Historical Fiction: Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth
Horror: The Twelve by Justin Cronin
Humour: Drip Dry by Ilsa Evans
Literary Fiction: The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
Magic Realism: Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen - due to published 2013
Mystery: Borrower of the Night by Elizabeth Peters
Noir: Blood Rites by Jim Butcher
Non-fiction: If the Sun Doesn't Kill You, the Washing Machine Will by Peter Wood
Paranormal: Real Vampires Don't Diet by Gerry Bartlett
Philosophical: The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday by Alexander McCall Smith - Sunday Philosophy Club series
Poetry: If: A Treasury of Poems for Almost Every Possibility by Allie Esiri
Post-apocalyptic: Floodland by by Marcus Sedgwick
Romance: Love Virtually - Gut gegen Nordwind by Daniel Glattauer
Science Fiction: The Planet Thieves by Dan Krokos
Steam Punk: Changeless by Gail Carriger
Supernatural: Three Fates by Nora Roberts
Thriller: The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan
True Crime: Meaner than Fiction by Lindy Cameron
Urban Fantasy: The Outlaw Demon Wails by Kim Harrison
Victorian: The Time of the Hunter's Moon by Victoria Holt
Young Adult: Confessions of a Vampire's Girlfriend by Katie MacAlister

Ellen wrote: "What a fun challenge!
Just finished 36 of 36 so here's my list.
There were several genres that not only had I never read but had never even heard of them. I enjoyed all of the genres and would cer..."

Wow - well done - a great list too!!!

Finished The Annihilation of Foreverland for young adult. quite good.

Have finished my drama genre book:

Drama: The Asylum by John Harwood

Haven't done the review yet

Urban Fantasy, Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World
Thriller, Angels & Demons
Hard-boiled, L.A. Requiem

Enjoyed them all - loved the 1st two.

Thriller finished: the snowman by jo nesbo. Very good read. Will have to read the others in the series

Updated post 104

Finished 22/36

Historical Fiction:Sharpe's Prey
Humour: WLT: A Radio Romance

Espionage, Our Man in Havana
Classics, The Plague
Literary fiction, Slaughterhouse-Five

They were all incredible, fantastic.

Also finished 22/36. My list is not turning out to be what I had originally planned, but I am loving where this challenge is taking me. Some highlights for me have been:

Mystery: When We Were Orphans--Amazing! I imediately went to the bookstore and bought more of Ishiguro's books.

Humor: Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls--Never read Sedaris before, will definitely read more.

Classics: Voyage of the Beagle--Really interesting stuff from one of the most important figures in history.

#20: Iwein Löwenritter. Erzählt nach dem Roman von Hartmann von Aue for Children's book. And what a great retelling it was!

Liz wrote: "Thriller finished: the snowman by jo nesbo. Very good read. Will have to read the others in the series"

I am a big fan of Jo Nesbo...working through the entire Harry Hole series. So far, I've loved them all.

Rob wrote: "Also finished 22/36. My list is not turning out to be what I had originally planned, but I am loving where this challenge is taking me. Some highlights for me have been:

Mystery: When We Were Or..."

David Sedaris is my absolute favorite essayist. I just went to a reading he gave in Louisville Ky last month (I've seen him in Berkeley and Davis, CA as well. My favorite book of his is Me Talk Pretty One Day...actually had me laughing out loud! If you ever gat a chance to see him do not hesitate. He brings magic to his stories.