Literary Exploration discussion

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..."

I love Ishiguro's writing - after reading Never Let Me Go I bought The Remains of the Day - will have to add When We Were Orphans to my to-reads.

Philosophical done: eat pray love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Sort of interesting but won't read again

#21: Non-Fiction Die Kunst des Bücherliebens by Umberto Eco.

Finished poetry: dantes inferno. Really should have read dan browns version first I think but I loved the imagery and concept of the circles of hell

#15 - Post-Apocalyptic: The End Games by T. Michael Martin

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


#16 - Erotica: Nauti Siren by Lora Leigh

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


#17 - Romance: Last Kiss Goodnight by Gena Showalter

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


#18 - Historical Fiction: The Terrible Wave by Marden Dahlstedt

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

After a month-long reading slump (grah!) I'm back on track. My latest reads:

#23 Adventure - Ready Player One by Earnest Cline 6.27.13 ★★★★
#24 Horror - The Passage by Justin Cronin 7.10.13 ★★★
#25 Mystery - Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye by Victoria Laurie 7.15.13 ★
#26 Drama - Cul-de-sac by Daniel MacIvor 7.18.13 ★★★

#22: Hard-boiled - The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy. A really good book, although there were some not so interesting parts in the middle. I'm glad I read it; it made me curious about The Man Who Laughs, which has been on my shelf for over a year now.

Just finished adventure. Christopher Paolini inheritance

I stopped reading for a little while so I've not finished the challenge yet. I hope to get back in to it soon.

I too went off the challenge, reading other books which I found interesting. However I've got back,to my non-fiction listed, and have finished the first two chapters of 'From the ruins of Empire' Its pretty serious and I'm deserting it again to read Jo Nesbo's The Leopard.:-)

I've still got a long way to go but this is what I've read so far

Adventure – Finnikin of the Rock
Auto-Biography/Biography – Affection
Chick-Lit - Mad Cows
Childrens Book – The Jungle Book
Classics - Delta of Venus
Dystopian - Divergent
Gothic – Florence and Giles / The Turn of the Screw
Hard-Boiled – The Lady in the Lake
Historical Fiction – Seven Nights in a Rogue's Bed
Humour – Gods Behaving Badly
Magical Realism – The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope
Mystery - The Prisoner of Heaven
Non Fiction - Melbourne
Romance - Sheltering Rain
Science Fiction -Never Let Me Go
Thriller – A Beautiful Place To Die
Young Adult - Mice

I'm currently reading, Noir - The Postman Always Rings Twice

I've just joined, but I've read a number of books this year that qualify for this challenge and will fill in the rest before the year ends!

Finished 24 of 36

1. Adventure The Dark Monk Finished 7/29/13

2. Auto-Biography/Biography Da Vinci's Ghost: Genius, Obsession, and How Leonardo Created the World in His Own Image Finished 3/20/13

3. Chick-Lit Never Seduce a Scot Finished 6/15/13

4. Childrens Book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass Finished 8/9/13

5. Classics The End of the Affair Finished 2/1/13

6. Cyberpunk Ready Player One On Wish List

7. Drama Room Finished 2/5/13

8. Dystopian The Handmaid's Tale Finished 6/15/13

9. Educational Pride and Prejudice Own a copy to re-read, since I read it decades ago

10. Erotica In Bed with a Highlander Finished 7/10/13

11. Espionage Bloodline: A Sigma Force Novel I own a copy but have not read it yet

12. Fantasy A Crown of Swords Finished 7/15/13

13. Graphic Novels The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes Just added to wish list

14. Gothic The Shadowy Horses Finished 8/18/13

15. Hard-Boiled Killing Floor I have the audiobook, but haven't read it yet

16. Historical Fiction Beautiful Ruins Finished 5/7/13

17. Horror The Woman in White Finished 1/2/13

18. Humour The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Reading

19. Literary Fiction Bring Up the Bodies Finished 3/1/13

20. Magical Realism The Rose Garden Finished 7/5/13

21. Mystery The Witness Finished 6/24/13

22. Noir L.A. Noir: The Struggle for the Soul of America's Most Seductive City Finished 3/15/13

23. Non Fiction Pacific Crucible: War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942 Finished 2/28/13

24. Paranormal The Hangman's Daughter Finished 4/22/13

25. Philosophical Atlas ShruggedI own a copy but haven't yet read it

26. Poetry The InfernoI own both the audiobook and Kindle versions of two different translations but have not yet read/listened to it

27. Post-Apocalyptic Divergent On my wish list

28. Romance The Virgin's Lover Finished 5/16/13

29. Science Fiction The Path of Daggers Finished 7/22/13

30. Steampunk Soulless I own a copy but have not yet read it

31. Supernatural Dracula I own a copy but have not yet read it

32. Thriller Inferno Finished 1/9/13

33. True Crime The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America Finished 8/11/13

34. Urban Fantasy Season of the Witch: Enchantment, Terror and Deliverance in the City of Love Finished 3/10/13

35. Victorian Tess of the d'Urbervilles I own a copy but have not read it yet

36. Young Adult Heft Finished 4/27/13

just finished romance One Day

I've updated my list (message 312), and I've already read 23 books meeting the challenge categories. I'm kind of stuck on Graphic Novels, but I'm sure I'll sort it out before the year ends.

Edited to add: I found Neil Gaiman's The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes for my Graphic Novel selection. I'm all set now!

Chick lit devil wears prada

For chick lit, I'll choose Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella. I loved it, very funny, woman being haunted (harassed) by the twenty-something-year-old ghost of her 80-year-old great aunt. Nostalgic too, and in some ways more so than books that set out to be.

For noir, I decided on The Thief by Fuminori Nakamura. It manages to be noir, modern, and feels like glass, so clear. About as spare as you can get. Fuminori's fist book translated into English and was awarded the Oe Prize, Japan's largest literary prize.

Finished neuromancer. Different but still not my thing. Love sci fi but not this

Insane Challenge

Adventure - Bring Up the Bodies 6/11/13
Auto-Biography/Biography - Out of Africa 8/16/13
Chick-Lit - The Jane Austen Book Club 4/14/13
Children’s Book - Lift Every Voice and Sing 5/1/13
Classics - The Ponder Heart 7/12/13
Cyberpunk - Neuromancer 12/30/13
Drama - Romeo and Juliet 7/16/13
Dystopian - The Hunger Games 1/8/13
Educational -How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines 7/11/13
Erotica - Vox 6/11/13
Espionage - The Summer of the Bear 5/29/13
Fantasy - The Song of Achilles 7/28/13
Graphic Novels - Raven Girl 8/30/13
Gothic - Pure 5/28/13
Hard-Boiled - The Big Sleep 12/20/13
Historical Fiction - The Invention of Curried Sausage 7/13/13
Horror - The Painted Bird 6/22/13
Humor - Drinking Coffee Elsewhere 7/19/13
Literary Fiction – Rabbis and Wives 8/22/13
Magical Realism - Island Beneath the Sea 6/14/13
Mystery - The House on Garibaldi Street 7/21/13
Noir - The Devil All the Time 12/29/31
Non Fiction - The Good Women of China: Hidden Voices 7/18/13
Paranormal - The Ghost Bride 10/19/13
Philosophical - Within a Budding Grove 7/22/13
Poetry - Failure 8/15/13
Post-Apocalyptic - How I Live Now 5/15/13
Romance - The History of Love 6/22/13
Science Fiction - The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 5/19/13
Steampunk - The Time Machine 10/26/13
Supernatural - The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane 11/22/13
Thriller - Gone Girl 4/7/13
True Crime - The Journalist and the Murderer 7/31/13
Urban Fantasy - The Ocean at the End of the Lane 12/14/13
Victorian - Arms and the Man 3/19/13
Young Adult - The Accidental 7/25/13

Finished 12/30/13

Finished dystopia Fahrenheit 451 ray Bradbury. Very interesting

#23:Thriller 11/22/63 (King)
#24: Romance The Briefcase (Kawakami)
#25: Poetry Ein Maulwurf im Karton (Bukowski)

ETA: I just realized it is a much better choice to use "The Angel's Game" for the Gothic genre; I had read it for Literary Fiction. Since I read a lot of the latter, I have a bunch to choose from.
Hence:
#4: Death in Venice for Literary Fiction
#26: The Angel's Game for Gothic

Enjoying the challenge a great deal. Here's my list and my progress to date. 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 - Gulp
Erotica - Lady Chatterley's Lover
Espionage - Casino Royale
Fantasy - The Name of the Wind
Gothic - We Have Always Lived in the Castle
Graphic Novels - Blacksad
Hard-Boiled - The Black Dahlia
Historical Fiction - The Quickening Maze
Horror - At the Mountains of Madness
Humour - Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
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 - White Night
Victorian - A Study in Scarlet
Young Adult - Delirium

#27: Educational Lesen Schreiben Denken
#28: Adventure The Princess Bride

edit:
#29: Steampunk Leviathan
#30: Chick Lit Bridget Jones's Diary

Changed my philodophy choice toSiddhartha

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..."

When We Were Orphans is a great novel, isn't it? One of my all time favs.

Steampunk done - clockwork angel Cassandra clare

So far i have read:

Adventure: Inheritance
Biography: Henry: Virtuous Prince
Chic lit: The Devil Wears Prada
Classics: Les Misérables
Cyber punk: Neuromancer
Drama: One Day
Dystopian: Fahrenheit 451
Education:
Erotica: Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night
Espionage:
Fantasy: Rivers of London
Graphic novel:
Gothic: The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Tales
Hard boiled:
Historical Fiction: Bring Up the Bodies
Horror: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Humour:
Literature: The White Tiger
Magical realism: Midnight's Children
Mystery: Inferno
Noir: Double Indemnity
Non Fiction: The Wars of the Roses
Paranormal: Skin Trade
Philosophy: Eat, Pray, Love
Post apocalypse:
Poetry: Inferno
Romance:
Science fiction: Journey to the Center of the Earth
Steam punk: Clockwork Angel
Supernatural: City of Fallen Angels
Thriller: The Snowman
True Crime: Underbelly - The Gangland
War
Urban fantasy: Daughter of Smoke & Bone
Victorian: Clockwork Prince
Young adult:

Updated Post 104

I have finished 31 books so only 5 to go.

Great job Jane! I have 9 left.

#31 (Supernatural): Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice
#32 (Paranormal): The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

I see the 'countdown' was started ;) You're doing great, Jane and Cyndi!
For me it's only 4 to go.
I love this challenge!

Finished off the challenge (ready for next year)

Adventure - The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists
Auto-Biography/Biography - Occupation Diaries
Chick-Lit - Addition
Childrens Book - Darth Vader and Son
Classic - Heart of Darkness
Cyberpunk - Altered Carbon
Drama - The People of Forever Are Not Afraid
Dystopian - Oryx and Crake
Educational - You Are Not So Smart: Why You Have Too Many Friends on Facebook, Why Your Memory Is Mostly Fiction, and 46 Other Ways You're Deluding Yourself
Erotica - A Sport and a Pastime
Espionage - Casino Royale
Fantasy - The Lions of al-Rassan
Graphic Novels - Fables, Vol. 1: Legends in Exile
Gothic - The Thirteenth Tale
Hard-Boiled - The Sins of the Fathers
Historical Fiction - The Remains of the Day
Horror - The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Humour - Decline and Fall
Literary Fiction - Infinite Jest
Magical Realism - Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World
Mystery - Crooked Little Vein
Noir - In a Lonely Place
Non Fiction - The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon
Paranormal - Ex-Heroes
Philosophical - The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Poetry - Leaves of Grass
Post-Apocalyptic - Wool Omnibus (Silo, #1)
Romance - Outlander
Science Fiction - Consider Phlebas
Steampunk - Retribution Falls
Supernatural - Night Watch
Thriller - Nothing Lasts Forever
True Crime - Gangster Squad: Covert Cops, the Mob, and the Battle for Los Angeles
Urban Fantasy - Fool Moon
Victorian - Pride and Prejudice
Young Adult - If You Find Me

Congratulations Michael! Nice list.

Cyndi wrote: "Congratulations Michael! Nice list."

Thanks

Congratulations Michael. I've only got a couple to go.

Newly entered the Insane Challenge and I think I'm going to make it too!

Am picking books as I go but here's what I've settled on so far:

A) Easy Challenge - completed 7th May!
1) Classics - The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
2) Fantasy - A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
3) Graphic Novel - Blankets by Craig Thompson *****
4) Historical Fiction - Here be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman
5) Horror - Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
6) Literary Fiction - The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
7) Mystery - The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
8) Non Fiction - Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business by Neil Postman ***
9) Romance - Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcí­a Márquez
10) Science Fiction - Neuromancer by William Gibson
11) Thriller - The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
12) Young Adult - The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
B) Hard Challenge - completed 13th October!
13) Adventure - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain; A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin.
14) Biography/AutoBiography - Call the Midwife: A True Story of the East End in the 1950s. by Jennifer Worth
15) Chick Lit - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
16) Drama - Hamlet by William Shakespeare
17) Comedy - Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
18) Magical Realism - Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie *****
19) Paranormal - Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor; A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin.
20) Philosophical - Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
21) Poetry - Ariel by Sylvia Plath
22) Hardboiled Pulp - The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
23) SteamPunk - Perdido Street Station by China Miéville
24) Victorian - Dracula by Bram Stoker
C) Insane Challenge - completed 22nd December!
25) Children's - James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
26) Cyberpunk - Count Zero by William Gibson
27) Dystopian - Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
28) Educational - The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease
29) Erotica - Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller
30) Espionage - Call for the Dead: A George Smiley Novel by John le Carré
31) Gothic - The Vampyre; a Tale by John William Polidori; Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
32) Noir Pulp - The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain
33) Post Apocalyptic - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
34) Supernatural - The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde; A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin
35) True Crime - In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
36) Urban Fantasy - Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris

I have 4 more to read to finishe the challenge - I must have been insane to try the insane challenge!!!!!

Have books lined up for 3 of them - but struggling with hard-Boiled. Have picked up and discarded a few just can't find one I like.

Still I have 8 more weeks until the end of the year!!!

Oh Forgot my list of read - the ones in Italics are my still to be reads so could be subject to change :)

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: The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie
Cyberpunk: Skinned by Robin Wasserman
Drama: Daughters Who Walk This Path by Yejide Kilanko
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: Birthright by Mari Freeman?
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: The Asylum by John Harwood
Hard-boiled: The Lady in the Lake by Raymond Chandler?
Historical Fiction: The Wild Girl by Kate Forsyth
Horror: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Rigg
Humour: Drip Dry by Ilsa Evans
Literary Fiction: The Perks of Being a Wallflowerby Stephen Chbosky
Magic Realism: Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth
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 Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith
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: Red Lily by Nora Roberts
Thriller: Poisoned Waters by Ermisenda Alvarez
True Crime: Meaner than Fiction by Lindy Cameron
Urban Fantasy: The First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones?
Victorian: The Time of the Hunter's Moon by Victoria Holt
Young Adult: Confessions of a Vampire's Girlfriend by Katie MacAlister

Michael wrote: "Finished off the challenge (ready for next year)

Adventure - The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists
Auto-Biography/Biography - Occupation Diaries
Chick-Lit - Addition
Childrens Book - Darth ..."

Well done Michael!

Hard boiled - lee child the killing floor. Loved it. Now got a new series to read... Dammit!!

Liz wrote: "Hard boiled - lee child the killing floor. Loved it. Now got a new series to read... Dammit!!"

Trouble is this is a genre that I loathe so will be the ultimate challenge for me to read one - I keep hoping I will find a lighter version - was recommended Lady in the Lake as a possible contender but just hated it.

Maybe this will be the stumbling block to me not finishing a challenge for the first time ever - a dark day indeed!!

I may need therapy :)

I'm a newbie to the site and this group. Could someone explain to me what this is, and how I sign up to participate? I kind of get the general idea ( I think). I just want someone to confirm me, I guess.

Nicolet wrote: "I'm a newbie to the site and this group. Could someone explain to me what this is, and how I sign up to participate? I kind of get the general idea ( I think). I just want someone to confirm me, I ..."

Welcome, the year is almost over so maybe wait till next year. Basically you pick books from each genre and read them. The idea is to take people out our confit zone

Michael wrote: "Nicolet wrote: "I'm a newbie to the site and this group. Could someone explain to me what this is, and how I sign up to participate? I kind of get the general idea ( I think). I just want someone t..."

Michael thank you for your reply.

If I have read at least one book in each genre of 2013 book list, can I still join in for 2013 and keep on reading till end of this year, or do you still think it would be better for me to wait to begin in January?

Sure, I don't see why not

Sally906 wrote: "Liz wrote: "Hard boiled - lee child the killing floor. Loved it. Now got a new series to read... Dammit!!"

Trouble is this is a genre that I loathe so will be the ultimate challenge for me to read..."

as far as hard boiled goes lee child is pretty light. i read one a few years go assuming i would find i a bit naff and ended up loving it...it is a strange genre though and haven't been impressed by much in this genre

romance - Beautiful Creatures
Dammit!! another series to get hooked on. first lee child now this...comfort zone my ass lol. don't like either genre but have found series from both i love...i dont have room for this in my flat lol

That's the great thing about this challenge, right? I found some new authors, too. How about borrowing them? But I know sometimes you just have to own the books you like ;)

yep...definitely have to own them. starting to think might need my kindle for more than just travel

Hardboiled - K is for Killer by Sue Grafton

Sue Grafton's PI, Kinsey Millhone is usually linked with Marcia Muller's Sharon McCone and Sarah Paretsky's V.I. Warshawski as the new American tough-gal hard boiled sleuths. I read her books before and enjoyed them - this is the next in the series that i haven't read so going for it - whoo hoo!!!

Interesting fact - while going through a "bitter divorce and custody battle that lasted 6 long years," Grafton imagined ways to kill or maim her ex-husband. Her fantasies were so vivid that she decided to write them down so the Alphabet series was born.

#33 Erotica: Fanny Hill, or Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure
Sexier than I expected.

Graphi novel - walking dead vol 1. Interesting. Like the story just don't like the latout