Pick-a-Shelf discussion

oh dear, I kept my favourites closed to my chest and won't let them out of my sight! I have learnt from many hard experiences :p

Finally! Another down:

4. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway (*** 9/05/13)

Read: 4/10

This is a catch-up post. I finished Nerd Do Well last week and started Embassytown. I gave it 100 pages, but at that point I only had a vague hint of what was going on and I didn't even care. I decided it was time to quit.

So I added The American Heiress to take it's place to keep 10.

Just 3 left!

I started one of mine today and I think I'll end up dnfing it...I think I'll give it another chapter and if I still don't like, I'll just pick something else.

ETA: ended up dnfing the book...well, at least it's out of my TBR.

I've completed my list last week!! woo hoo!!

@D.G.: I DNFed one of my LOST book too then just added another one to make up for it ;p

Off to somehow topple that Mt. TBR with moving mountains (I'm pushing hard but it's refusing to move!)

The POTS book I am starting is on my LOST list! Yippee! Another book off the list - 2012 list, that is.

Tien wrote: "I've completed my list last week!! woo hoo!!"

Wow, Tien! That's great!

Tien wrote: "@D.G.: I DNFed one of my LOST book too then just added another one to make up for it ;p"

That's what I did, Tien.

I've finished my list. It's good to have some of them read and off the pile. I really had no excuse for leaving some of them unread for so long.

Coralie wrote: "I've finished my list. It's good to have some of them read and off the pile. I really had no excuse for leaving some of them unread for so long."

Yay, Coralie!. Awesome work ;)

WTG, Coralie!

I'm halfway done. I've read two books in the last week!

Wow, Coralie! Great going! I still have 2 to go.

One more down:

5. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (***/3.5?, October 14, 2013 - I love Christie, but this one didn't do it for me like some of her other works.)

Read: 5/10

Well done, Candiss... you're halfway :D

For the 2013 LOST list, I have just completed one more book - Aunt Dimity Down Under. That makes 3 done for 2013.

Of the 2012 list, which I am still working on, I have completed 7/13, and I have another in my sights for Shelf-O-Poly.

So...my count is 7 + 6 = 13 books on lost lists still to read. I have made the decision to skip, for this year, any book over 700 pages...so that takes 5 out of the running for completion and leaves me 8 to go!

lol, Bea... 8 books in 2 months++, good luck! :D

6. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (11/4/13, ****)

Read: 6/10

7. China Mountain Zhang by Maureen F. McHugh (***** - 11/14/13)

Woot, 3 more to go, Candiss! You'll smash them in no time :)

How are people going with their LOST books?

I know some of you have finished very early and some are smashing their lists now, just before the year ends.

Am only asking cuz I'm tempted to put up the thread for 2015 already, ha ha ha... I just want to plan, okay! Lists Lists Lists PLEASE ;D

Tien wrote: "How are people going with their LOST books?

I know some of you have finished very early and some are smashing their lists now, just before the year ends.

Am only asking cuz I'm tempted to put up ..."

I'm 1/4 of the way through #8 and about 1/6 of the way through #9. #10 is a shortie and won't take too long, but I probably won't get to it til mid-December.

At least I'm pretty sure I'll actually finish my list this year!

Edit to add: Planning is good! I've been making my 2014 lists and shelves already, so a 2014 LOST thread would actually be pretty cool. ;)

Tien wrote: "How are people going with their LOST books? I know some of you have finished very early and some are smashing their lists now, just before the year ends. Am only asking cuz I'm tempted to put up ..."

I only have 2 to go and I'm planning to get those read soon. (Haha, always planning to get them read soon -- that's why they're on my LOST list!) Anyway, I wouldn't mind a thread for 2014 lists to start my new plan.

I have 4 left on my 2012 list and 7 left on my 2013 list. I know that sounds like a lot, but I have been chipping away at it pretty regularly in the last couple of months.

My biggest challenge is that, of the 11 left to read, 6 are over 500 pages and that intimidates me.

I would appreciate a 2014 thread. However, I plan to finish the 11 books, no matter what.

Geez Wheez, Bea, I actually Laughed Out Loud! you're so funny ;p

Looks like I'll be creating a 2014 thread soon! :)

Tien wrote: "Geez Wheez, Bea, I actually Laughed Out Loud! you're so funny ;p

Looks like I'll be creating a 2014 thread soon! :)"

HaHa! If we can't keep our sense of humor active, we might as well be dead.

Thanks for the new thread. I am going to be ambitious and select some new books....and work on all three!

I have 4 to go on my list but I don't think I'll make it.

But I'll do like Bea and just keep the lists going from year to year, LOL!

So, Rutherford Park did not hold my attention, so I'm switching it to Sense & Sensibility since they were both published in 2013.

Adrienne wrote: "So, Rutherford Park did not hold my attention, so I'm switching it to Sense & Sensibility since they were both published in 2013."

You have a LOST book that published in 2013?!

Aw man!!! Wrong page! Thanks for catching that.

I set way too high a goal. I've done 24 books out of the 50 I'd hoped to do. I'll try to finish one more, to make it 25.

But I'll be glad to start on the 2014 thread. Maybe I'll make the goal more reasonable, like 30.

8. The Ballad of the Sad Cafe by Carson McCullers (12/1/13) **** (3.5?)

Read: 8/10

Good reading, Candiss! 2 to go -you can do it!

I just finished #9 (Chocolat) of my 10 books! I only have a biography left to go and hope to read it over the holiday week. Yay!

LynnB wrote: "I just finished #9 (Chocolat) of my 10 books! I only have a biography left to go and hope to read it over the holiday week. Yay!"

Yay, LynnB, 1 book & 15 days, you can do it! :)

Btw, did you enjoy Chocolat? Did you keep imagining Johnny Depp? lol

Tien wrote: "Btw, did you enjoy Chocolat? Did you keep imagining Johnny Depp? lol

I swear I am the only woman on the planet who had not read Chocolat before this. And, yes, Johnny Depp...!!

I just had to...

OK, now you guys (LynnB and Tien) are making me feel like I'm really out of it. I have neither read the book (Chocolat) nor seen the movie. Which should I do first?

Susan wrote: "OK, now you guys (LynnB and Tien) are making me feel like I'm really out of it. I have neither read the book (Chocolat) nor seen the movie. Which should I do first?"

LOL - I don't know at all if you should, Susan. LynnB rated it 4 stars whilst it seems that I only rated it 1!! I read it years ago with my bookclub and none of them appear to enjoy it that much either. All I can remember is there was 1 particular problem I had with the book though it was another personal thing and I probably need a reality check there :p

I think the movie & book were quite different (from what I remember) and I did see movie before book so I'm not sure whether it's better if you read before you watch. The movie missed a lot so you might be better off reading first.

Susan wrote: "OK, now you guys (LynnB and Tien) are making me feel like I'm really out of it. I have neither read the book (Chocolat) nor seen the movie. Which should I do first?"

I always read the book first! (And my 4 stars were not because it was so well-written or deep, but it was just -- to me -- simply an enjoyable read.)

9. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle - Haruki Murakami (December 23, 2013) ****

Read: 9/10

10. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (December 26, 2013) ****

Read: 10/10 Finally finished!

Yay! Way to go, Candiss!

Candiss wrote: "10. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (December 26, 2013) ****

Read: 10/10 Finally finished!"

Woot! Congrats! Just in time to break open your new books from Christmas ;)

I am only going to finish the year with 9 of my 10 done, but that's 9 more than I had done a year ago :)