2025 Reading Challenge discussion

So far in 2013, I have already read four books to my goal of 100- Northanger Abbey and Pride and Prejudice (both by Jane Austen), A Jane Austen Education (by William Deresiewicz), and Pemberley Ranch (by Jack Caldwell). In 2013, I plan on breaking out of my classics kick (or try to at least) and find more modern/contemporary books. I'm really looking forward to seeing how everyone progresses on their goals and will be looking out for books to add to my ever growing list! Happy reading everyone!

An update to my last comment: My current read is Daniel Deronda by George Eliot. I've only read one novel by Eliot (Middlemarch), but that one novel was enough to be hooked on her. I love the level of character development she adds to her novels. Even though I'm only three chapters in, I am completely drawn into the character of Gwendolen and what makes her tick. Definitely looking forward to getting more of this novel read!

Taking a brief break from my current read (Daniel Deronda- taking a while to get through it) to read The Perks of Being a Wallflower for a book club at my local library. I'm really enjoying it so far (about 40 pages in). I like the way it is told- through the letters written by Charlie- it gives the story a different perspective and tone.

Just finished The Perks of Being a Wallflower! I thought it was a very good book. I enjoyed the letter format throughout the entire novel, it provided a refreshing perspective in the life of a teenager. Now it's back to Daniel Deronda to try and finish it by the weekend!

It definitely is hard, but it's nice to read more contemporary stuff! :) I really enjoyed it! I've always enjoyed books that have characters you can connect with and books that make you think critically, and this book definitely does both. I highly recommend it!

FINALLY finishing Daniel Deronda by George Eliot tonight and moving on to The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger!

Done with The Catcher in the Rye now on to Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire!

Wow, Dana--you're doing great in your challenge!

Kara wrote: "Wow, Dana--you're doing great in your challenge!"

Thanks! I felt like Daniel Deronda set me back a little but I'm working to get caught up! :)

Same here. I'm a bit behind schedule with my goal and I'm trying to catch up!

Dana wrote: "Done with The Catcher in the Rye now on to Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire!"

Have you read Wicked?

Adriana wrote: "Dana wrote: "Done with The Catcher in the Rye now on to Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire!"

Have you read Wicked?"

I have! It's been awhile, so I don't remember too much about it. I have it on my list this year, with the other 3 novels that complete the series.

Thanks for the support everyone! :)

Finishing up Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister tonight and moving on to The Good Woman by Jane Porter! Confessions is amazing! It's been awhile since I've read a Gregory Maguire book- its amazing the level of detail/imagination he puts into this book. Definitely a fun twist to the Cinderella story we are all familiar with!

Finishing up The Good Woman tonight- I've really enjoyed it so far. I did have issues with some of the characters early on, but as I progressed through the novel those issues disappeared and I was able to connect with the book and the characters. Moving on to A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court tomorrow!

Finished A Connecticut Yankee last night- it was alright, not really my cup of tea, but the story line was engaging enough. Now I am reading Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain. It's pretty good so far- it focuses on the personality characteristics exhibited by introverts and extroverts and how society rewards/values introverts/extroverts.

It's been a while since I've updated this- I'm now working on the Wicked series by Gregory Maguire. I've already finished Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which I absolutely loved! I love that Maguire gives the Wicked Witch of the West/Elphaba a voice and you see her side of the story, definitely offers you a new perspective! I'm on the second book of the series now, Son of a Witch, which continues with Elphaba's son, Liir, and the events post-Dorothy.

Finishing up the Wicked Series this week. I just got done with A Lion Among Men last week and am about half way done with Out of Oz. I've been studying for the CBEST the last few weeks so I'm a little behind but I'm catching up!

It's been a few weeks since I updated this thing! Since finishing Out of Oz, I have also read Death Comes to Pemberley, Austenland, Gone Girl, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, and The Fault in Our Stars. Of those five, The Fault in Our Stars has to be my favorite one by far. I was completely blown away by it and would recommend it to anyone and everyone! Gone Girl was also a tremendous read- had me on the edge of my seat the whole way through!

A quick update on what I've read the last two months! After The Fault in Our Stars I have completed the following: The Return of Sherlock Holmes, North and South, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, Mrs. Perfect, The Prince and the Pauper, The Three Musketeers, Wuthering Heights, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, The Notebook, and The Great Gatsby. My top 3 in that chunk have got to be North and South, Wuthering Heights, and The Great Gatsby.
It had been a while since I read The Great Gatsby and I found myself noticing things I hadn't before/making connections between characters and society that escaped my attention in previous readings. I had never been crazy about the book- I still considered it a great classic and enjoyed it for what it was- but now I have a deeper appreciation and understanding of the book and it has easily moved into my Top 5 favorite books. I've never been one to mark up my books by underlining sentences/passages or writing notes on the sides of paragraphs, but I found myself doing that with both The Great Gatsby and Wuthering Heights and I think it helped me understand and interact with the text in a more active way.
Wuthering Heights will always be a favorite of mine- I just love her writing and the depth of passion she exhibits in her characters. I know that Heathcliff is one of those characters that people either love or hate, and while I detest the way he treated the Lintons and Cathy, I have to admire the love and passion he and Cathy shared. Some of the most beautiful passages come from Cathy describing how she and Heathcliff are connected, how their soul's are one. Emily Bronte (and Charlotte Bronte) are easily the most celebrated Victorian writers due to their ability to craft unforgettable passages.
North and South can be described as Jane Austen meets Charles Dickens. The romance that Austen is best known for meets the class struggles that Dickens highlighted and you get Elizabeth Gaskell. As a fan of Austen/Pride and Prejudice, this book had what was missing in P&P for me- a captivating/visible sub-plot of class struggles in which both the male and female protagonist change for the better by the end of the novel. Margaret Hale and John Thornton both start out as small-minded by-products of the society they are a part of, but my meeting each other and taking a chance to learn about the other's position in life, they are able to change their outlooks in life and come together by the end of the novel. Gaskell is another remarkable Victorian writer; unlike the Bronte sisters, she focuses on the societal issues of the period and produces a moving account of the struggles that the working class faced at the time.
I will be ending the month with Days That Changed the World- it'll be different going from so much fiction writing to non-fiction, but I'm looking forward to a change of pace! Happy reading everyone!

Sorry for the long absence! My computer died and it took me a while to get a new one! In the mean time I read some great books! After Days That Changed the World, I read: The End of Your Life Book Club, October Sky, To Kill a Mockingbird, How Lisa Loved the King, Little Women, Where'd You Go, Bernadette, Things I Want My Daughters to Know, Second Chance Summer, Life of Pi, The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America, My Ideal Bookshelf, The Genius: How Bill Walsh Reinvented Football and Created an NFL Dynasty, and Beautiful Ruins.

If you have any questions about any of these books, or want to share thoughts, feel free to comment! I don't really have the energy to address each one right now- I didn't realize how much I had read since my last update! Hope everyone is doing well!

To date I have read 86 books from my goal of 100 books. Some I have loved, some I have hated but that's what reading is all about. The good, the bad and the in between. If I reach 100 I will increase my goal.

I'm really behind right now, so I don't know if I'll reach my goal of 100 (at #42 right now), but I've really enjoyed what I have read for the most part- definitely some new favorites to add to my shelves!