Challenge: 50 Books discussion

In 2009, I exceeded my goal - and my expectations - and managed to read 81 books, so I'm setting my goal for 2010 just a bit higher. I will try to read 90 books this year, not an impossible task, I think. I hope, also, to read an even greater variety of books than I read in 2009, possibly branching out into new genres.

06/09/10 - Oh, I am so far behind on my goal for 2010! Only 22 books so far. A lot of that has to do with the great length of many of the books I've read, including that 1000 pager "The Memoirs of Cleopatra" that took me over a month to slog through. What I need now are some really short books and fast reads to pick up the pace a bit!

Book list for 2010, including rating:

1. Killer Keepsakes by Jane K. Cleland - ** (01/03)
2. Audubon's Masterpieces by John James Audubon with introduction by David Reinhardt - **** (01/03)
3. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel - **** (01/13)
4. Border Songs by Jim Lynch - ***** (01/16)
5. Laughter of Dead Kings by Elizabeth Peters - ** (01/21)
6. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese - ***** (01/31)
7. Night Train to Memphis by Elizabeth Peters - **** (02/04)
8. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde - *** (02/09)
9. The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver - ***** (02/19)
10. Wife of the Gods by Kwei Quartey - ** (02/24)

Book list for 2010, including rating - continued:

11. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson - *** (03/02)
12. The Highest Tide by Jim Lynch - **** (03/06)
13. Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier - *** (03/14)
14. The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler - **** (03/23)
15. The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Allan Bradley - **** (04/06)

Book list for 2010, including rating - continued:

May books

16. Cleopatra's Memoirs by Margaret George - ** (05/15)
17. Knots and Crosses by Ian Rankin - **** (05/19)
18. Hide and Seek by Ian Rankin - **** (05/21)
19. Tooth and Nail by Ian Rankin - **** (05/25)
20. The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich - ***** (05/29)

Book list for 2010, including rating - continued:

June books

21. The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson - ***** (06/04)
22. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson - **** (06/08)
23. Strip Jack by Ian Rankin - **** (06/12)
24. The Black Book by Ian Rankin - **** (06/16)
25. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett - **** (06/21)
26. Agincourt by Bernard Cornwell - **** (06/21)
27. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson - **** (06/25)
28. Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier - **** (06/27)
29. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown - * (06/30)

Book list for 2010, including rating - continued:

July books

30. The God of the Hive by Laurie King - *** (07/03)
31. River in the Sky by Elizabeth Peters - *** (07/08)
32. Mortal Causes by Ian Rankin - *** (07/13)
33. Let it Bleed by Ian Rankin - ** (07/15)
34. Eva Luna by Isabel Allende - **** (07/19)
35. The Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb - *** (07/23)
36. Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb - *** (07/29)

Book list for 2010, including rating - continued:

August books

37. Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb - ** (08/05)
38. Christine Falls by Benjamin Black - ** (08/08)
39. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert - *** (08/12)
40. Noah's Compass by Anne Tyler - **** (08/14)
41. Black and Blue by Ian Rankin - **** (08/18)
42. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen - ***** (08/21)
43. Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich - *** (08/23)
44. The Double Comfort Safari Club by Alexander McCall Smith - *** (08/26)
45. Emma by Jane Austen - **** (08/31)

Dorothy wrote: "Dorothy wrote: "Book list for 2010, including rating - continued:

September books

46. The Hanging Garden by Ian Rankin - *** (09/03)
47. Burn: An Anna Pigeon Novel by Nevada Barr - ** (09/08)
48. The Help by Kathryn Stockett - **** (09/13)
49. Nemesis: A Marcus Didius Falco Novel by Lindsey Davis - *** (09/20)

My reading slowed considerably in September as I busied myself with gardening, birding, and other activities, to the dimunition of my time available for reading. Too, at the end of the month, I started reading "Mansfield Park" which was a hard, hard slog. Finally, I'm done with that. On to better days of reading in October.

Book list for 2010, including rating - continued:

October books

50. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen - ** (10/04)
51. Three Stations: An Arkady Renko Novel by Martin Cruz Smith - *** (10/12)
52. Body Work by Sara Paretsky - **** (10/22)
53. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen - **** (10/29)

Congrats on reaching 50 Dorothy! Your avatar is cute :-)

Thanks, Connie. I had hoped to reach 90 this year but looks like I'm not going to make it - too many other things going on that cut into my reading time. Oh, well...

Book list for 2010, including ratings - continued:

November books -

54. Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart - *** (11/05)
55. The Careful Use of Compliments by Alexander McCall Smith - ** (11/10)
56. The Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of North America by Donald and Lillian Stokes - **** (11/11)
57. Dead Souls by Ian Rankin - ***** (11/15)
58. Set in Darkness by Ian Rankin - **** (11/23)

Book list for 2010, including ratings - continued:

December books -

59. The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson - **** (12/02)
60. The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday by Alexander McCall Smith - ** (12/07)
61. Jane and the Madness of Lord Byron by Stephanie Barron - *** (12/15)
62. Djibouti by Elmore Leonard - *** (12/20)
63. The Falls by Ian Rankin - **** (12/28)

I fell far short of my goal of 90 books read in 2010, but I read some very good books and enjoyed the reading experience tremendously. Onward to 2011!