Jess’s Comments (group member since Aug 23, 2018)

Jess’s comments from the Pick-a-Shelf group.

Jess' Lost List 2021

1. Hurma
2. Last Train to Istanbul
3. Shadow and Bone
4. Jackaroo
5. No More Heroes
6. A Report for an Academy
7. Sister Noon
8. Time and Again
9. Everyday
10. Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption

I added all of these to my TBR in 2015 so they are well overdue!

My goals:
1: 1,500 pages (about 8% of my 2018 pages)
2. Translated book

Historical Fiction
A History of the World in 10½ Chapters by Julian Barnes 320

pages read so far: 320
OOZ bonus:
Pages with OOZ bonus:

My goals:
1: 1,500 pages (about 8% of my 2018 pages)
2. Translated book

Victorian
The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde 126

60s
The Muse by Jessie Burton 447

Future
The Twelve by Justin Cronin 569



pages read so far: 1142
OOZ bonus:
Pages with OOZ bonus:

COMPLETED

My goals:
1: 1,500 pages (about 8% of my 2018 pages)
2. Translated book

England
Beside Myself by Ann Morgan 416 pages
The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall 496

Vietnam
The Quiet American by Graham Greene 208 pages

USA
The Hunger by Alma Katsu - 384

pages read so far: 1504
OOZ bonus:
Pages with OOZ bonus:

COMPLETED

My goals:
1: 1,500 pages (about 8% of my 2018 pages)
2. Translated book

Child
The Passage by Justin Cronin 963 pages

Magician
The Bullet Trick by Louise Welsh 363 pages

Musician
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell 530 pages

pages read so far: 1856
OOZ bonus:
Pages with OOZ bonus:

COMPLETED

My goals:
1: 1,500 pages (about 8% of my 2018 pages)
2. Translated book

R.S. Merritt
Enchantment 387

Casey
The Perfume of the Lady in Black by Gaston Leroux - 304 (OOZ - French)

McPhaul M
Born Under a Million Shadows by Andrea Busfield - 384
The Asylum by John Harwood - 257
The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie - 464

pages read so far: 1796
OOZ bonus: 30
Pages with OOZ bonus: 1826

COMPLETED

My goals:
1: 1,500 pages (about 8% of my 2018 pages)
2. Translated book

Booker Prize
Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle - 290

Betty Trask Award
Never Mind by Edward St. Aubyn - 197 pages

Prometheus Hall of Fame Award
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand - 1168 pages

pages read so far: 1655
OOZ bonus:
Pages with OOZ bonus:

COMPLETED Stage 2

My goals:
1: 1,500 pages (about 8% of my 2018 pages)
2. Translated book

LGBT
The House on Half Moon Street 377 pages 22/04/19

British
Crooked House 303 pages 26/04/19
The Fifth Child 160 02/05/19

Race
Blackass 272

Drugs
The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood 576

pages read so far: 1,688
OOZ bonus:
Pages with OOZ bonus: 1,688

Stage 11 COMPLETED

My goals:
1: 1,500 pages (about 8% of my 2018 pages)
2. Translated book

1. One word title
344 - Circe - 07/01

2. 6 letter word in title
384 - Shadow of The Fox 23/01

3. Name in title
505 - The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle 04/02
201 - Rasputin: A Short Life by Frances Welch 10/04/19

4. Place name in Title
364 - The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff 24/05/19

Out of zone: 0
Page total: 1,798

I didn't realise that I was supposed to be updating here as I completed the stages. These are the stages I have completed so far:

Stage 6: DIY

My goals:
1: 1,500 pages (about 8% of my 2018 pages)
2. Translated book

1. Book on the Boxall 1001 Books to read before you die list
Love in the Time of Cholera (348 pages) 10/02 (translated)

2. On TBR for over a year
Sorrow of the Earth (155 pages) 12/02 (translated)

3. Book with an amateur detective
The Mystery of the Yellow Room (195
pages) 16/02 (translated)
A Twist in Time (464 pages) 01/03

4. Books featuring a wedding
Reckless (394 pages) 05/03

Total Pages - 1556
Out of zone Bonus - 110
Total with Out of Zone - 1660

Stage 4: Listopias

Man Booker Eligible 2015
Did You Ever Have a Family 294 pages 03/04/19

Man Booker Eligible 2017
Dalila 354 pages 09/03/19

Historical Fiction 2018
Caught in Time 496 pages 10/04/19

NYT 100 Notable Books of 2018"
The Wych Elm 528 pages 24/04/19

Total Pages - 1,659
Out of zone Bonus - 0
Total with Out of Zone - 1,1659

Stage 13: Covers

1. Person on cover
993 pages - OOZ

2. Something broken on cover
341 pages

3. Clue weapon on cover
496 pages

Total Pages - 993
Out of zone Bonus - 99
Total with Out of Zone - 1929

COMPLETED

My goals:
1: 1,500 pages (about 8% of my 2018 pages)
2. Translated book

LGBT
The House on Half Moon Street 377 pages 22/04/19

British
Crooked House 303 pages 26/04/19
The Fifth Child 160 02/05/19

Race
Blackass 272

Drugs
The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood 576

pages read so far: 1,688
OOZ bonus:
Pages with OOZ bonus: 1,688

1. How many have you read on page 1 alone
11

2. How many of (1) above did you rate 5 stars
4

3. How many have you got to-be-read on page 1 alone
5

4. Finally, what would you actually pick up to read in May?

Tien wrote: "I've finished War and Peace a few nights ago, YAY!!! Though I could've done without that last 80-pager essay right at the end of a thousand pager book, wwhhhyyyy....

I am halfway throug..."

Blind Faith was one of my first 'adult' books. I read it when I was about 16 grabbed it off my dad's shelf and it has still stuck with me today. It seemed like something that could really happen and sadly still does.

COMPLETE

My goals:
1: 1,500 pages (about 8% of my 2018 pages)
2. Translated book

1. Person on cover
993 pages - OOZ

2. Something broken on cover
341 pages

3. Clue weapon on cover
496 pages

Total Pages - 993
Out of zone Bonus - 99
Total with Out of Zone - 1929

COMPLETE

My goals:
1: 1,500 pages (about 8% of my 2018 pages)
2. Translated book

Man Booker Eligible 2015
Did You Ever Have a Family 294 pages 03/04/19

Man Booker Eligible 2017
Dalila 354 pages 09/03/19

Historical Fiction 2018
Caught in Time 496 pages 10/04/19

NYT 100 Notable Books of 2018"
The Wych Elm 528 pages 24/04/19

Total Pages - 1,659
Out of zone Bonus - 0
Total with Out of Zone - 1,659

Tien wrote: "I started The Dig Tree: Text Classics: The Story of Burke and Wills this afternoon - struggling to get into it but that's always the case with me with NF. All these names & titles t..."

I'm also on the home stretch of War and Peace I just finished book 12 and (view spoiler)[I'm in tears at Andrei's death! (hide spoiler)]

Lusie wrote: "Jess, thanks! Do you think it is just as good as Anna Karenina? Is the writing similar? I'll add War and Peace to my tbr."

I've not read Anna Karenina so can't say. It's definitely on my tbr though.

You should all definitely read War and Peace. It's very readable, not intimidating at all apart from in its size.

The novel is split into 16 'books' so you can take them as slowly as you want. I've been reading it since October and basically reading a section in between other each other book that I read. I'm currently on Book 10 and 60% though the novel.

The writing is very interesting, Tolstoy has a way of really bringing characters to life despite writing in quite a detached style. A very impressive feat.

COMPLETE

My goals:
1: 1,500 pages (about 8% of my 2018 pages)
2. Translated book

1. Book on the Boxall 1001 Books to read before you die list
Love in the Time of Cholera (348 pages) 10/02 (translated)

2. On TBR for over a year
Sorrow of the Earth (155 pages) 12/02 (translated)

3. Book with an amateur detective
The Mystery of the Yellow Room (195
pages) 16/02 (translated)
A Twist in Time (464 pages) 01/03

4. Books featuring a wedding
Reckless (394 pages) 05/03

Total Pages - 1556
Out of zone Bonus - 110
Total with Out of Zone - 1660

COMPLETED

My goals:
1: 1,500 pages (about 8% of my 2018 pages)
2. Translated book

1. One word title
344 - Circe - 07/01

2. 6 letter word in title
384 - Shadow of The Fox 23/01

3. Name in title
505 - The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle 04/02
201 - Rasputin: A Short Life by Frances Welch 10/04/19

4. Place name in Title
364 - The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff 24/05/19

Out of zone: 0
Page total: 1,798