Challenge: 50 Books discussion

I'm excited to be a part of this group for the second year!

January 8,2010 I've finished my first book of the year and I'm so excited!

#1 "The Painted Veil" by W. Somerset Maugham. published in 1925. I picked this up to discuss with the group "Bright Young Things" but failed to finish before they moved on to the January read.
Before I read it, I was a fan of Maugham and this novel further cemented my appreciation of him.

January 13,2010
#2 "Vile Bodies" by Evelyn Waugh. published in 1930. This was my second time reading Waugh's second novel and I was delighted at how much more I was able to cull from the prose this time. Waugh paints his characters like an impressionist painter; with quick strokes which appear like blobs of paint if you stand to close. Step back and you will see quite a canvas!
I also loved his use of metaphor towards the end of the novel.

January 16,2010
#3 "Noah's Compass" by Anne Tyler. published in 2010. As a loyal and lifetime fan of Ms. Tyler, I enjoyed this novel. I thought it was well-written and the character development was good. That said, I can understand some of the reviews which claimed Tyler's main character Liam was frustrating and difficult to comprehend. That did not deter me, but it may serve as an obstacle for readers who do not have as much as a fervor for the author as myself.

January 22,2010
#4 "Everybody into the Pool" by Beth Lisick. published in 2005. This collection of stories from the author's life was funny and entertaining. I'm looking forward to reading another of her books.

January 26,2010
#5 "Flying Out with the Wounded" by Anne Caston. published in 1997. This winner of the New York University Press Prize for Poetry was heart-wrenchingly beautiful! The poems were full of haunting images and I understood every poem (quite a feat for me as I don't read poetry on a regular basis). It was recommended by a friend and I would read anything he recommended again based on the strength of this experience.

January 29, 2010
#6 "La's Orchestra Saves the World" by Alexander McCall Smith. published in 2008. This was my first McCall Smith and I enjoyed it very much. I loved the character development and the setting of the novel. Within the story, I found a little peace in this hectic time in my life.

you are off to a great start, Leshawn!!! i got side-tracked and didn't make my goal last year, but i'm back, and glad to be starting from the beginning of the year! best wishes to you for a wonderful 2010!

Thanks anjeee! Good luck to you!
I think it's important to have a goal to inspire yourself but don't be too hard on yourself if you don't achieve it. Think how much less you would have achieved if you didn't have a goal!
Happy Reading!

Feburary 17,2010
#7 "A Little Bit Wicked" by Kristin Chenoweth with Joni Rodgers. Published in 2009. I finally found a few
moments to finish a book. This one was perfect for reading a few paragraphs at a time at the workplace lunch table. I found Chenoweth entertaining and the book worked well in small gulps.

Leshawn wrote: "January 29, 2010
#6 "La's Orchestra Saves the World" by Alexander McCall Smith. published in 2008. This was my first McCall Smith and I enjoyed it very much. I loved the character development and ..."

Oh good! I have this on my TBR list and have been wondering how it is.

Good Morning Melanie,
"La's Orchestra Saves the World" was surprisingly peaceful considering the setting. I enjoyed it and gave it to a friend who is also enjoying it. I hope you like it when you read it!
Happy Thursday!

February 28,2010
#8 "Lisey's Story" by Stephen King. published in 2006.
Well I put my "nose to the grindstone" on Sunday and finally finished one of the many books that I am reading! I wanted to know how Lisey's adventure would end and I was not disappointed with what King gave me. I agree with a review I read on this site that discussed how appealing his stories are when you are lulled into security by the fantastic normalcy of the charaters and plot and then he springs the "other" on you. This story and the characters never won me over with "normalcy". It was strange from the beginning.
I also agree with the reviews that expressed admiration for his portrait of marriage and expressed how awkward it was to "spy" on Scott and Lisey's marriage.
I'm glad I read it but I'm positive I'll never read it again.
I was impressed with the idea of a light and dark heart in every marriage and the idea has given me "pause for thought" ever since I read it.

Congrats on your progress thus far, Leshawn! Blazin'! I have Lisey's Story sitting here by the bed, I got it for our SK group, but haven't truly started it, yet... I do love books that explore marriage, and your review is just the push I needed to get me going on it. I'm like you, I read many books at a time... how long did it take you to finish this one?

The whole month anjeee! I started swiftly, was distracted, read too many other books at the same time and finally dedicated a few hours on the last day of the month to finishing it. Partially because I want to read "Firestarter" with the group in March and partially to finally finish at least one of the books that I was reading. I didn't zoom through it the way I did "Duma Key". It was disturbing in places and that also slowed me down.
Thanks for the encouragement! I was feeling a little low after only finishing 2 books in February. I feel better now!

March 3,2010
#9 "Northanger Abbey" by Jane Austen. written in 1798. published in 1817. I re-read this book in order to discuss it with the Jane Austen group and it was thrilling. It made me laugh and smile and for 2 days I couldn't put it down! I carried it every where I went and I was almost as obsessed as Catherine was with "The Mysteries of Udolpho".
I loved Austen winking at the reader in the prose. I loved how she often ended chapters with sly wit. And I am fond of Catherine in her sweet naivete and her whole hearted abandon to novels!

March 11,2010
#10 "Firestarter" by Stephen King. published in 1980. I promised myself that I would skip the Stephen King selection this month and finish some of the many books that I am in the midst of reading. Then the group chose "Firestarter" and I had never read it nor seen the movie. And to tempt me further, everyone was excited about reading it.
Well I caved and it was very good in that dark place. Mr King weaves an excellent story and I was captivated by the character development and the philosophical musings about the nature of freedom and the possibility of catastrophe within great power.
It was a very enjoyable book!

March 16,2010
#11 "The Brightest Star in the Sky" by Marian Keyes. published in 2010. I bought this book to read with a group on goodreads and then they dropped me and I couldn't discuss it with them. (I'm assuming they dropped me for lack of participation.) I was rewarded by having this book which I wouldn't have bought in hardcover. I've always liked Keyes's character development and the characters in this novel are wonderfully developed. I see them all in my mind's eye and it is a nice portrait.
I also liked the premise which kept me guessing for some time in to the novel. The revelation wasn't as good as the hype but I was not unhappy!
I've loved "Under the Duvet" and wanted to read more of Keyes's work, this was a nice addition to my "have read" of her work.

March 16, 2010
#12 "Seahorse:The Shyest Fish in the Sea" by Chris Butterworth.Illustrated by John Lawrence. published in 2006.
For my second job working at a book company, I'm obliged to review books in the new catalog. I picked this up and was plunged into an informative, beautifully illustrated, delight of a children's book. I smiled, I laughed, I made my co-worker read it after me and I recommend it to adults and children alike.

March 16, 2010
#13 "The Searcher and Old Tree" by David McPhail. published in 2008. I liked the imagery and symbolism of this children's book but the prose was only adequate.

March 16,2010
#14 "Big and Little" by John Stadler. published in 2007. I loved the elephant illustrations in this book. I also liked the design of the book which encourages physical interaction. The story was lackluster but maybe if I was 2 or 3 years old, I would have been more intrigued.

March 17,2010
#15 "Fidelity" by Grace Paley. published in 2008. Posthumously.
This slim volume of poems is my second venture in to poetry this year. It made me laugh and clutch my heart and filled my mind with images that refreshed my perspective on life.
I did struggle with some of the spacing but I was never completely lost.

March 18,2010
#16 "Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang" by Chelsea Handler. published in 2010. I started as soon as it arrived from Amazon and I laughed my way to the end. The book is full of a perverse humor and I love it. She is completely herself and that is rare and worth watching!
And how adorable is it that she calls everyone she loves "Chunk" from her Mom to her beau to her dog?
Cheers Chelsea!

Re your post #19, about Seahorse...how interesting and nice to have a job doing something you love...namely reading for a living! I should be so lucky...but you know, it's not such a bad idea, maybe I will try it. How does one get to be a reader for pay, anyway?

Leshawn wrote: "March 18,2010
#16 "Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang" by Chelsea Handler. published in 2010. I started as soon as it arrived from Amazon and I laughed my way to the end. The book is full of a perverse hum..."

So you liked it? Have you read the others? How does it compaare to the other two? I liked My Horizontal Life better than Are You There Vodka? It's Me Chelsea but they were both very humerous and I loved them both.

Carol,
I liked "My Horizontal Life:" better as well! I think "Are You There Vodka? It's Me Chelsea?" may have suffered from a large intake of the fluid in the title as well as a more hectic work schedule.
What I liked about this one is the sincerity and how well her love for people who aren't normally celebrated is reflected in her stories. I also enjoyed her description of her interactions with her beau.
I liked it better than "Are You There Vodka? It's Me Chelsea". I also think it was short and fun and that it is a plus in my current hectic life.
I hope you enjoy it, Carol.

Carol,
I am not a reader for pay. I wish!
I have to read books to review for my Company's catalog meeting, so I can discuss them with customers.

Ahhhh! Still a good gig. But if you are doing it for your Company, then you ARE getting paid for it...in a way...

That's true Carol! And I do love the company I work for and the company I keep there......

March 22,2010
#17 "Cleaving:A Story of Marriage, Meat and Obsession" by Julie Powell. published in 2009. I think Powell was brave to write this book. She exposed herself as completely as she exposed the bones of the meat she cut.
I also thought the book was well-written because I had no interest in the subject matter and I didn't want to put the book down. She captured me with her tale!
By the end, I had to drag myself away from the book to return to the world and that is always a great sign (and a lovely feeling!).

March, 2010
#18 At some point this month, I finished "How's the Squid?" A book of food cartoons from New Yorker cartoonist Jack Ziegler. published in 2004. It was perfect for reading when I only had a free moment. Some of the cartoons were good and some were only average but it was a perfectly pleasant reading experience.

March 23,2010
#19 "Sundays at Tiffany's" by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet. published in 2008. I read this in one day, so I could discuss it with my baby sister (who read it and enjoyed it). I've never read a James Patterson book before.

March 23,2010
#20 "Rumpole Misbehaves" by John Mortimer. published in 2007. I started watching the British television adaptation of "Rumpole of the Bailey" with my housemates and we all love it. It was nice to read one of the books now. I love the character and Mortimer has a wonderful sense of humor. I'm looking forward to reading more. I bought the first Rumpole Omnibus but this one was available at my second job, so I read it at work. A treat!

March 26,2010
#21 "This is Where I Leave You" by Jonathan Tropper. published in 2009.
Wonderful, wonderful,wonderful! I loved the character development, the plot development, the premise, the language and Tropper's style. I can't wait to read all of his books and I plan to re-read this one in 2012.
Two thumbs up!

March 30,2010
#22 "Half Asleep in Frog's Pajamas" by Tom Robbins. published in 1994. A discussion of the component of asparagus that causes the smell of one's urine to change after eating it led to my third perusal of my favorite Tom Robbins novel. I love the title, the imagery and the exquisite way Mr Robbins has with words. He paints a canvas so full of colors and textures that it resembles those modern painting where the paint is so thick it renders the painting 3-dimensional. I love his characters and philosophies and I will read all of his novels over and over again for as long as I can read!

March 30,2010
#23 "Diary of a Mad Mom-to-Be" by Laura Wolf. published in 2003. As the month draws to a close, I challenged myself to finish a few of the numerous books that I have been reading for months now. Today was a red letter day for that goal because I finished 2 (Now I'm down to 22 which is still ridiculous!). This book was interesting but not exceptionally well-written. It felt like the equivalent of a television show you are sucked in to as you "veg" on the couch. You can't deride it extensively because you watched it but neither is praise tripping from your lips.

March 30,2010
#1 "Say When" by Elizabeth Berg. Brilliance Audio. Read by David Colacci. released in 2003. 6 CDs. This was my first Book on CD for 2010 and it was very good. The characters were suffering a painful transformation but it was well-written and the reader was competent and the character development was so good that I keep wondering where the characters are as I listen to my new book on CD.

April 2,2010
#24 "The Solitude of Prime Numbers" by Paolo Giordano. published in 2008. American edition published in 2010.
I read a glowing review of this international bestseller in a magazine and I was intrigued by the review and the title. The novel lived up to the title and the review. The author is very talented and at no point did I desire to stop reading.
That said, the world view of the characters was gloomy and restricted and it tinged my world with its' sorrow.

April 7,2010
#25 "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" by Alan Bradley. published in 2009.

April 9,2010
#26 "A Mango Shaped Space" by Wendy Mass. published in 2003. I loved the title and thought it tied in well with the plot development.

April 13,2010
#27 "The Recently Deflowered Girl:The Right Thing to Say on Every Dubious Occasion" by Hyacinthe Phypps and illustrated by Edward Gorey. published in 1965.
Mordant wit and succinct.

April 14,2010
#28 "Admission" by Jean Hanff Korelitz. published in 2009. I thought this was a great novel. Interesting subject, well-developed main character and a plot which kept me intrigued. I plan to investigate her other novels!

April 14,2010
#29 "Edwardo, the Horriblest Boy in the Whole Wide World" by John Burningham. published in 2007. This book illustrates well one of the many reasons I love good Children's literature. With brevity and eloquence they reveal a simple truth which resonates through the prose and the illustrations. This one had a great truth and the illustrations and the prose supported it adroitly.

April 20,2010
#30 "Addition" by Toni Jordan. published in 2008. I selected this novel based on the cover which intrigued me. I was not disappointed. It was wonderful and I plan to read whatever Ms. Jordan writes next! I am a fan!
I love how the research that went in to the novel was only apparent because of how well the characters were developed!
I love how it made me laugh out loud and touched my heart!
I would highly recommend this novel!

April 22,2010
#31 "The Last Time I Saw You" by Elizabeth Berg. published in 2010. I liked this novel much more than her last.

May 6,2010
#32 "Brooklyn" by Colm Toibin. published in 2009. I thought I felt disconnected from the main character until I wept through my lunch break yesterday. An interesting book.

May 12,2010
#33 "Christietown" by Susan Kandel. published in 2007. I picked this book up 2 days ago and couldn't put it down. I liked the characters and the story bumped along nicely. It didn't change my outlook on life but it entertained me for a few weekdays and who can complain about that?
This is a series and this one is not the first. I may look into the others.

May 18, 2010
#34 "everything i ate: a year in the life of my mouth" by Tucker Shaw. published in 2005. One of my favorite books this year! Honest, unique and completely absorbing! I couldn't wait to pick it up and jump back in.
I bought it planning to read it and give it to a friend who was a chef. Now I'm letting her borrow it because I liked it too much to give away!

May 19,2010
#35 "The Reader" by Bernard Schlink. published in 1995.

May 22,2010
#36 "Cheri and the Last of Cheri" by Colette. published in 1920. This was my first Colette and I enjoyed it!