Challenge: 50 Books discussion

I'm excited to join this. I know we're waaay into 2010, but I decided at the New Year that one of my goals this year would be to read more. This became a choice of mine after I was faced with the sad task of counting the number of books I'd read for pleasure in 2009, and coming up just short of 20 :( Granted, I was in 3rd/4th year of uni, already piled under texts, but that just didn't seem right to me, a former book absorber.

I'm already off to an ok start for the year, so I'll chronicle accordingly. [The good news is that I'm now a graduate and about to start a permanent full-time job, and I always read more when I have to work than when I study!:]

As a side note, does anybody else notice how much more quickly they're reading now that they've jumped back on the book-wagon? I used to have such difficulty and trudged through novels for the last 2-3 years, and I'm stunned and thrilled by the fact that my speed and absorption have increased after those few first pushes :)

January:

1. Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

A great meta-level start to a year full of reading. I've since recommended it to friends who were also interested in becoming born-again book nerds, a benefit owed to both its length and content.

2. Generation A - Douglas Coupland

Was pleasantly surprised by this one. I read Hey! Nostradamus ages ago and wasn't expecting a life-changer - which this certainly wasn't - but I did really enjoy Coupland's signature style. The novel is worth reading for his great short-stories alone.

3. Someone Knows My Name (The Book of Negroes) - Lawrence Hill

Deserving of all of the praise piled on it.

4. Confessions of an Economic Hit Man - John Perkins

I'm an international development major, so I approached this with simultaneous skepticism and open-mindedness. I'm glad I did, as Perkins' tales are a little too far on the conspiracy-theory-sans-supporting-evidence side for me, although I will admit that I was thrilled to read abou his firsthand experience in manipulating econometrics for the sake of increasing dvm-nations' debt/oiling the political wheels of the rich. I was also annoyed by the holier-than-thou attitude that Perkins had throughout: He constantly talked about what a wonderful human being he was for having a conscience and questioning his horrible actions, even as he continued to work and profit from them.

Short of producing an in-depth review, I'll simply say that I'd absorb this baby with a grain of salt on hand.

February:

5. Disgrace - J. M. Coetzee

I wasn't expecting to love this book, but I really appreciated the way that Coetzee intertwined themes of age, animal rights, apartheid, forgiveness/disgrace, etc. And you really can't go wrong setting a novel in the cultural landscape of South Africa (unless you are Nadine Gordimer - Good god, I tried reading her before I studied in RSA last summer, and I couldn't push through her unemotional and unrewarding prose)

6. The White Tiger - Aravind Adiga

Really enjoyable. I've since heard lots of criticism about his narrator, but I really connected with Balram and loved every moment of reading this. Outside of my studies of the country, I had yet to read any novel set in India, and I found that this book weaved together fiction and the reality I've come to understand very effectively (and left me with many more questions - Good Sign!). The ending was a bit lackluster, I'll admit - But that's not a reason not to devour this!

7. Eating Animals - Jonathan Safran Foer

What can I say? Maybe I'm too impressionable, but this book helped facilitate my choice to become vegetarian this year. This choice was supported by many years of vacillating between meat-eating and avoidance, but Foer's book effectively brought together the facts with philosophical debate to produce a clear and resonant case for avoiding factory-farmed meat at all costs - because the economic, environmental, animal, costs are just too high.

What I really loved about it was that it read like a novel, eliciting both emotional and intellectual responses from me throughout. Foer doesn't push every reader to give up meat, but simply asks: "Now that you know all of this, can you continue to eat meat that is sourced almost entirely from an unsustainable, inhuman(e) system?"

Highly recommended, but with a warning: You may have a tough time eating meat when you're done. It's the reason I can't convince my dad to read it.

March: (This is where the school work really starts...)

8. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao - Junot Diaz

I also really enjoyed this book! (Perhaps choosing award-winners is tainting my 'sample', but I won't deny myself this pleasure purely for the sake of diversity!)

I loved Oscar, loved the way the family was characterized, and really loved the little bits describing the reign of DR caudillo/dictator Trujillo. I think that I first picked up this book because I was taking a course on Latin American development issues/"The Left," and wanted to pull out bits and pieces to inspire a paper I was writing. In the end, I wrote about Bolivian coca instead, but I don't regret reading Brief Wondrous Life! (too brief, if you asked me)

April: (...and exams)

9. DOWN TO THIS: Squalor and Splendour in a Big-City Shantytown - Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall

An old friend of mine told me about this 'ethnography' written by a Canadian who lived in Tent City in Toronto that she absolutely loved. A few years later, I wound up with this book in my hands and couldn't put it down. This was both due to the story and the author's ability to tell it.

I won't pretend that one can learn everything about the homeless or addicted from reading this book, but I do believe that this should be required reading for anybody engaging in the fields of social work or community development. Actually, I think it should be required reading for just about every person living in a North American city who tries to have an opinion on the 'homelessness problem.'

I left this book feeling like the people he described deserved ANYTHING BUT a binary response: Not pity, but not warm, 'oh-look-they're-a-loving-community' romanticism either. That's what makes this book so fantastic: It manages to take those people who are normally caricatured in the media or mainstream discussions and fill in the layers and dimensions that we can't see, or refuse to see.

Even in writing a short review, it feels like I'm misrepresenting the book and its talented writer, so: READ IT!

May: (back to bookish bliss between beers)

10. The Year of the Flood - Margaret Atwood

Before you go any further, I have to say: don't read this unless you've already read Oryx and Crake. I did read her previous book, and I doubt that you could appreciate the world created in Atwood's 'simulta-quel'(?) without reading O&C.

In writing this review, I realized that most of the comments I had were along the lines of "I like that she added to the world she started creating in O&C." That makes me feel like the book didn't merit enough praise as a stand-alone novel. I also felt like her characters were not well-developed and there were far too many convenient coincidences to be believable. Altogether, the novel felt a bit thrown-together. I will credit dear Marg on her very creative use of religious elements (creating her own hymns, saints, etc.), but it just didn't seem like enough material to make a book that could measure up to the enthralling and far more carefully written Oryx and Crake.

11. Memories of My Melancholy Whores - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Read this in a night. I love Garcia-Marquez, and I guess this was kind of like GGM-lite. At 115 pages, it was just enough of a taste of his prose to momentarily create the pretty/dirty/magical atmosphere that he is so known for. I think it's better suited to those who already like his world and body of work than as a piece on its own. I also don't doubt that most of the whores were, indeed, melancholy.

Kate wrote: "May: (back to bookish bliss between beers)

10. The Year of the Flood - Margaret Atwood

Before you go any further, I have to say: don't read this unless you've already read Oryx an..."


I completely agree with your take on Year of the Flood. I read it before reading Oryx and Crake and didn't think it was that great. However, I just recently read Oryx and Crake and really enjoyed it. I think having that background information on the characters would have made me like Year of the Flood way more. Otherwise, you just didn't seem to know enough about them.

12. The Hunger Games and
13. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Well, I didn't think I'd ever end up reading these, as I've tended to stay away from popular YA series' since my days with Harry Potter came to an end (I never gave a second thought to avoiding Twilight after reading one chapter). BUT, I decided to take a stab at both of these because I was craving a quick, fun, and thrilling read and keep hearing wild praise about them from anyone just a few years my junior. Luckily, they both totally delivered. The Hunger games/Catching Fire were perfect for satisfying the guilty pleasure place in my mind and heart without feeling too cheap, because the story really is pretty well done despite some silly YA-type flaws (awkward romances that could have been more complex, plot over setting and character development). Overall, I totally dug this fast-paced tale and would encourage anyone looking for a light but riveting read to dig in one cold Saturday afternoon. You'll be done in a few hours.

Jessica wrote: "Kate wrote: "May: (back to bookish bliss between beers)

10. The Year of the Flood - Margaret Atwood

Before you go any further, I have to say: don't read this unless you've alr..."

That's actually really good to hear, Jessica. I was hesitant to generalize like that because I only ever experienced one after the other, so thanks for helping confirm my suspicions. Glad you liked Oryx and Crake too - I really felt like Atwood was working at her best and most creative there.

Kate wrote: "12. The Hunger Games and
13. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Well, I didn't think I'd ever end up reading these, as I've tended to stay away from popular YA series' ..."

I've seen these books, especially "The Hunger Games" on every list imaginable around here and I've thought about picking it up the next time I see it. But I guess I'm a sort of snob and I had never really considered reading YA books. I told myself I would read "twilight" if I didn't have to pay for it and I haven't braved it yet to read the "Harry Potter" books.

Meagan wrote: "Kate wrote: "12. The Hunger Games and
13. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Well, I didn't think I'd ever end up reading these, as I've tended to stay away from popula..."

I've definitely found myself in a similar spot, Meagan - Taking a semi-book-snobby approach and avoiding those books that are insanely popular with teens (or Oprah's book club, for that matter), so I wouldn't stress if you're just not down with these Hunger Games. They really just scratched an itch I had, wanting to dive into an easy read before I take on a few more 'serious' ones (Like Catch-22, which I'm simultaneously ploughing through). Plus, I will admit that I wanted to see what all the hype was about. Meh.

I definitely wouldn't put them at the top of a 'must read immediately to enrich life' list, though. They might act nicely as catalysts when you've taken a reading break of a few days or just can't get into your current book or something. Happy reading!

Kate wrote: "Meagan wrote: "Kate wrote: "12. The Hunger Games and
13. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Well, I didn't think I'd ever end up reading these, as I've tended to stay a..."

Well that's good to know. When I see books like that being talked about alot, I wonder if I am missing out. I'll probably still read it if I come across it, but I have a growing pile of "to-be read" books stacking up...and "Catch 22" is one of them. :D

14. Looking for Alaska by John Green

After whipping through the aforementioned Hunger Games, I thought I'd try another YA read that I could digest casually in under 3 summery days. I have followed Green on youtube for a while and always enjoyed his tidbits of personal philosophy, and I was not disappointed by his book! I'm having a hard time describing how this book works well - I think it's the combination of entertaining and relatable adolescent drama/banter coupled with some beautiful, intelligent, and philosophical moments that were unexpected. Really glad I read this and I plan to read his other two sometime soon!

Catch 22 hasn't gotten finished yet (none of the 8 well-read ladies in my book club actually did finish it before we met this week!). I'm going to take a break so I can read more of these plot-driven page turners this summer!

15. Demian - Siddartha by Hermann Hesse

Great. Short. Inspiring.

16. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

I had about 4 days where I went on a reading strike: think I reached saturation point. But thank god for Agatha Christie!

I have never really been a murder mystery fan, but this one is such a classic (seventh most popular book ever published?!) that I just couldn't turn away. I'm super glad I picked it up. I suspect I spent less than 3 hours reading its 250+ short pages, and it was so un-put-downable that I actually came to write about it on goodreads at 11:45 when I have to wake up at 5am! In any case, a fantastic summer read, with an ending that actually surprised me even though I thought I remembered what was supposed to happen after reading a wiki entry about the book a few months back.

Now, to plod on with Catch-22 or Everything is Illuminated...orrrr maybe I'll just try something light like this again!

July!

17. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Maybe I was just in the right state of mind to attack this book, but I really, really enjoyed it. Card writes simply but engagingly, and somehow I found myself stuck to the page during odd descriptions of zero-gravity flash suit battles. I was a bit disappointed by the rushed feeling of the last 50 or so pages, but I suspect some more of the "Ender" series might remedy the quickly tied ends. Really really liked it and was glad to get into some SF after I wasn't captured by The Dispossessed (Le Guin) earlier this summer.

18. Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis

Eh. I mean, this was a book club read and I wasn't all that excited about it to begin with. I can see where this would have been 'shocking' in the 80s. Sadly, pathetic tales of coked up/'party-crash-party' California kids are pretty common nowadays. All of us commented, however, that we were really impressed that Ellis was able to create in the reader the kind of apathy felt by the characters - partly towards the troublesome actvities you're reading about, and partly towards reading the book itself...meta-apathy?

...mind you, I didn't buy this book and instead read it in 3 hours on a Chapters floor, so maybe I wasn't able to give it the concentration it deserved. Still: Eh.

August:

I'm running behind quite a bit! I think adjusting to the new full-time work, plus the partying, apartment searching and and car buying that I've been doing all summer has gotten in the way of delving into some good reads! Here are August's conquests. Hope there'll be more as I'm off on vacation next week!

19. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by P.K. Dick

I should admit now that I didn't actually finish this one 100%. I got through most of it and had to admit mild defeat about 30 pages from the end since it was book club meeting time. Regardless, I very much enjoyed the world that Dick created here, and although I found myself wanting more out of both protagonists, I was wholly in appreciation of the story. We all watched Blade Runner right after and laughed our heads off. It was brilliant and yet too funny: It was hard for us to transport ourselves to the 1982 mindset and environment and appreciate the innovation of Ridley Scott's film. We were too caught up in the ridiculous-looking styling and awkward, stilted dialogue. But it was fun to take in both book and movie.

Fun Fact: Scott never even finished Dick's book when he created Blade Runner. Wah-waaah

20. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Uuuugh, what can I say about this overly pretentious "allegory"? I was completely underwhelmed and just plain didn't enjoy reading this international bestseller. I think it's because I've already contemplated the points he makes, and more articulately. In my opinion, Just not a good pick for anybody who already reads or contemplates the meaning of things at all in their everyday life.

September:

I've fallen almost irredeemably behind now! And I really thought that the summer would see me read more than this ... I guess I should maybe re-think my goal and change it to 30 books a year, which would still be a major improvement over the sad 12 or so I read last year. But, let's start September off early at least and see what happens this fall:

21.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Yes, I fell victim to a tiny bit of the teen-girl excitement which surrounded the release of this book. As you can see, I already read the first two and felt it only necessary to finish off the trilogy - and it was really tasty doing so. I had a hard time putting this one down. The story was so engaging and I really like the way that Collins writes - Perhaps I'm just sick of the haughty and overwrought writing of many authors, so it's nice to read something that perfectly blends descriptive passages with riveting narrative. This certainly isn't high lit, and some of the basic political concepts she alludes to (MAD, government corruption & propaganda) makes me feel a bit too old to be reading this, but I'm SO glad to see some YA lit with a WICKED COOL and tough and bright female character gain tons of popularity - it's definitely a major improvement over any of that Twilight crap.

22. The Space Between Us: A Novel by Thrity Umrigar

October:

23. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

24. Push by Sapphire

25. Room by Emma Donoghue