Great American Read List discussion
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Bethany's Bookshelf
Mod
Wow, such a long tally of completed list books!
Did you read all six novels in the Earth's Children series? I think that was the first book series I'd ever read. I've read it several times and recommended it to many people. I like them all, except for the last book—The Land of Painted Caves.
I've only read the first, a little earlier this year, actually.
Mod
I'm hoping that the book series (with the exception of the last book) becomes a television series at some point. If done right, I think it would be worth watching!
Making my own copy here to make tracking easier. I'm getting super into this and will probably exceed my goal (if I can keep the follow through).NOVELS
X 1.—1984 by George Orwell
X 2.—The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
X 3.—Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
X 4.—And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
☐ 5.—Another Country by James Baldwin
☐ 6.—Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
X 7.—Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya
X 8.—The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
X 9.—The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz
☐ 10.—The Call of the Wild by Jack London
X 11.—The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
X 12.—Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
☐ 13.—The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah
X 14.—The Color Purple by Alice Walker
X ish 15.—A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
X 16.—The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
X ish 17.—Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
X 18.—The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
☐ 19.—Doña Barbara by Rómulo Gallegos
X 20.—Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
X 21.—Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
☐ 22.—The Godfather by Mario Puzo
X 23.—Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
X 24.—Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
X 25.—The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
X 26.—Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
X 27.—The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
X 28.—Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
X 29.—Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
X 30.—The Help by Kathryn Stockett
X 31.—The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead
X 32.—Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
X 33.—Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
X 34.—The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
X 35.—The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
X 36.—Looking for Alaska by John Green
X 37.—The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
X 38.—The Martian by Andy Weir
X 39.—Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
☐ 40.—The Mind Invaders by Dave Hunt
☐ 41.—Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
X 42.—One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
X 43.—The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
X 44.—The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
X 45.—The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
☐ 46.—A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
X 47.—Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
X 48.—Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
X 49.—Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
X 50.—A Separate Peace by John Knowles
☐ 51.—The Shack by William Paul Young
✖ 52.— Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
X 53.— The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
X 54.—The Stand by Stephen King
☐ 55.—The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
X 56.—Swan Song by Robert R. McCammon
X 57.—The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
X 58.—Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
X 59.—A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
X 60.—War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
X 61.—Watchers by Dean Koontz
X 62.—Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
X 63.—White Teeth by Zadie Smith
X 64.—Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
BOOK SERIES
1. The Adventures of Tom and Huck by Mark Twain
X #1—The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
X #2—The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
☐ #3—Tom Sawyer Abroad
☐ #4—Tom Sawyer, Detective
2. The African Trilogy by Chinua Achebe
X #1—Things Fall Apart
☐ #2—No Longer at Ease
☐ #3—Arrow of God
3. Alex Cross by James Patterson
☐ #1—Along Came a Spider
☐ #2—Kiss the Girls
☐ #3—Jack & Jill
☐ #4—Cat and Mouse
☐ #5—Pop Goes the Weasel
☐ #6—Roses are Red
☐ #7—Violets are Blue
☐ #8—Four Blind Mice
☐ #9—The Big Bad Wolf
☐ #10—London Bridges
☐ #11—Mary, Mary
☐ #12—Cross
☐ #13—Double Cross
☐ #14—Cross Country
☐ #15—Alex Cross's Trial
☐ #16—I, Alex Cross
☐ #17—Cross Fire
☐ #18—Kill Alex Cross
☐ #19—Merry Christmas, Alex Cross
☐ #20—Alex Cross, Run
☐ #21—Cross My Heart
☐ #22—Hope to Die
☐ #23—Cross Justice
☐ #24—Cross the Line
☐ #25—The People vs. Alex Cross
☐ #26—Target: Alex Cross
4. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
X #1—Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
X #2—Through the Looking Glass
5. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
X #1—Anne of Green Gables
X #2—Anne of Avonlea
X #3—Anne of the Island
X #4—Anne of Windy Poplars
X #5—Anne's House of Dreams
X #6—Anne of Ingleside
X #7—Rainbow Valley
X #8—Rilla of Ingleside
X #9—The Road to Yesterday
I know I read all of these as a kid. I don't remember much about them, though.
6. Brian's Saga by Gary Paulsen
X #1—Hatchet
X #2—The River
X #3—Brian's Winter
X #4—Brian's Return
☐ #5—Brian's Hunt
7. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
X #1—Catch-22
☐ #2—Closing Time
8. Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
☐ #1—The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
☐ #2—Prince Caspian
☐ #3—The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
☐ #4—The Silver Chair
☐ #5—The Horse and His Boy
☐ #6—The Magician's Nephew
☐ #7—The Last Battle
9. Darkness by Frank E. Peretti
☐ #1—This Present Darkness
☐ #2—Piercing the Darkness
10. Dollanganger by V.C. Andrews
X #1—Flowers in the Attic
X #2—Petals on the Wind
X #3—If There be Thorns
X #4—Seeds of Yesterday
X #5—Garden of Shadows
11. Dune Chronicles by Frank Herbert
☐ #1—Dune
☐ #2—Dune Messiah
☐ #3—Children of Dune
☐ #4—God Emperor of Dune
☐ #5—Heretics of Dune
☐ #6—Chapterhouse: Dune
☐ #7—Hunters of Dune
☐ #8—Sandworms of Dune
12. Earth's Children by Jean M. Auel
X #1—The Clan of the Cave Bear
X #2—The Valley of Horses
X #3—The Mammoth Hunters
☐ #4—The Plains of Passage
☐ #5—The Shelters of Stone
☐ #6—The Land of Painted Caves
13. Fifty Shades by E.L. James
☐ #1—Fifty Shades of Grey
☐ #2—Fifty Shades Darker
☐ #3—Fifty Shades Freed
14. Foundation by Isaac Asimov
☐ #1—Foundation
☐ #2—Foundation and Empire
☐ #3—Second Foundation
☐ #4—Foundation's Edge
☐ #5—Foundation and Earth
☐ #6—Prelude to Foundation
☐ #7—Forward the Foundation
15. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
X #1—Gilead
X #2—Home
☐ #3—Lila
16. The Giver by Lois Lowry
X #1—The Giver
☐ #2—Gathering Blue
☐ #3—Messenger
☐ #4—Son
17. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
X #1—Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
X #2—Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
X #3—Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
X #4—Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
X #5—Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
X #6—Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
X #7—Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
18. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
X #1—The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
X #2—The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
X #3—Life, the Universe and Everything
X #4—So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
X #5—Mostly Harmless
19. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
X #1—The Hunger Games
X #2—Catching Fire
X #3—Mockingjay
20. Jack Ryan Universe by Tom Clancy
☐ #1—Without Remorse
☐ #2—Patriot Games
☐ #3—Red Rabbit
☐ #4—The Hunt for Red October
☐ #5—The Cardinal of the Kremlin
☐ #6—Clear and Present Danger
☐ #7—The Sum of All Fears
☐ #8—Debt of Honor
☐ #9—Executive Orders
☐ #10—Rainbow Six
☐ #11—The Bear and the Dragon
☐ #12—The Teeth of the Tiger
☐ #13—Dead or Alive
☐ #14—Locked On
☐ #15—Threat Vector
☐ #16—Command Authority
☐ #17—Support and Defend
☐ #18—Full Force and Effect
☐ #19—Under Fire
☐ #20—Commander-in-Chief
☐ #21—Duty and Honor
☐ #22—True Faith and Allegiance
☐ #23—Point of Contact
☐ #24—Power and Empire
21. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
X #1—Jurassic Park
☐ #2—The Lost World
22. Kingsbridge by Ken Follett
X #1—The Pillars of the Earth
☐ #2—World Without End
☐ #3—A Column of Fire
23. Left Behind by Tim LaHaye
☐ #1—Left Behind
☐ #2—Tribulation Force
☐ #3—Nicolae
☐ #4—Soul Harvest: The World Takes Sides
☐ #5—Apollyon
☐ #6—Assassins
☐ #7—The Indwelling
☐ #8—The Mark
☐ #9—Desecration
☐ #10—The Remnant
☐ #11—Armageddon: The Cosmic Battle of the Ages
☐ #12—Glorious Appearing: The End of Days
☐ #13—Kingdom Come: The Final Victory
24. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
X #1—Little Women
X #2—Little Men
X #3—Jo's Boys
25. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
X #1—Lonesome Dove
☐ #2—Streets of Laredo
☐ #3—Dead Man's Walk
☐ #4—Comanche Moon
26. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
X #1—The Fellowship of the Ring
X #2—The Two Towers
X #3—The Return of the King
27. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
☐ #1—The Notebook
☐ #2—The Wedding
28. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
X #1—Outlander
☐ #2—Dragonfly in Amber
☐ #3—Voyager
☐ #4—Drums of Autumn
☐ #5—The Fiery Cross
☐ #6—A Breath of Snow and Ashes
☐ #7—An Echo in the Bone
☐ #8—Written in my Own Heart's Blood
29. Robert Langdon by Dan Brown
X #1—Angels & Demons
X #2—The Da Vinci Code
X #3—The Lost Symbol
X #4—Inferno
☐ #5—Origin
30. A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin
☐ #1—A Game of Thrones
☐ #2—A Clash of Kings
☐ #3—A Storm of Swords
☐ #4—A Feast for Crows
☐ #5—A Dance with Dragons
31. Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin
☐ #1—Tales of the City
☐ #2—More Tales of the City
☐ #3—Further Tales of the City
☐ #4—Babycakes
☐ #5—Significant Others
☐ #6—Sure of You
☐ #7—Michael Tolliver Lives
☐ #8—Mary Ann in Autumn
☐ #9—The Days of Anna Madrigal
32. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
X #1—To Kill a Mockingbird
☐ #2—Go Set a Watchman
33. Toni Morrison Trilogy by Toni Morrison
X #1—Beloved
☐ #2—Jazz
☐ #3—Paradise
34. Track by Jason Reynolds
✖ #1— Ghost —July 1 - 21, 2018 discussion
✖ #2— Patina —July 22 - August 11, 2018 discussion
X #3— Sunny —August 12 - 31, 2018 discussion
35. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
☐ #1—Twilight
☐ #2—New Moon
☐ #3—Eclipse
☐ #4—Breaking Dawn
36. Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan
☐ #1—The Eye of the World
☐ #2—The Great Hunt
☐ #3—The Dragon Reborn
☐ #4—The Shadow Rising
☐ #5—The Fires of Heaven
☐ #6—Lord of Chaos
☐ #7—A Crown of Swords
☐ #8—The Path of Daggers
☐ #9—Winter's Heart
☐ #10—Crossroads of Twilight
☐ #11—Knife of Dreams
☐ #12—The Gathering Storm
☐ #13—Towers of Midnight
☐ #14—A Memory of Light
You are so organized! Good luck with your reading goals for this one.
Mod
Have you seen Netflix's Original series Anne with an "E", based on Anne of Green Gables?
No, I honestly don't remember much about it.
Mod
Finished The Stand 7/31 3 stars.Okay, is it just me or does Steven King kind of actively dislike women? Almost every woman character of his that I've ever read of his was weak, evil,or totally dependent on men. He writes characters so well, so it's pretty annoying.
That's interesting! I haven't read SK in years but I didn't seem to notice that when I read him back in the day.
When I read him now, I'll definitely pay attention especially since my daughter eventually wants to read some of his stuff.
Try reading Sleeping Beauties”. He wrote it with his son, Owen. I thought it was great!
It became kind of noticeable in The Stand because everyone was basically split into the two sides: Good vs Evil. Only one of the main characters on the "good side" (other than Mother Abigail) was a woman, and she went on a whole inner monologue about how women's liberation was pretty much over now and how she had to find a good man. I've read one or two others by him, 11/22/63 and It. What happens in It to the main female character is pretty well-known (and very creepy), but in 11/22/63 I think the female characters just aren't prominent. Maybe this is a byproduct of when they were written.
I've not read Sleeping Beauties, but I have read a few books by another son of his, Joe Hill, who is very talented (and much better at writing endings!)
Finished The Count of Monte Cristo 8/31 3.5 starsGreat story but lots of philosophizing in the middle, which gets long-winded.
Alright, I've been a bit lax in posting due to life and such, but I finished Sirens of Titan, Lonesome Dove, and 1984.Thoughts:
1984-I hate George Orwell. Like, LOATHE. For this challenge, I decided to give the book a try. I can see why it is very influential. It definitely has relevance today, but I don't like it much. I didn't hate it as much as Animal Farm...that's about it.
I'm finding that I really hate it when a book interrupts a perfectly decent story with philosophizing or sermonizing to the reader. Count of Monte Cristo did that for about 400 pages, which really screwed up the narrative. 1984 does it with the last part of Part II.
Lonesome Dove--I enjoyed the story overall. It has great characters and I cared about what happened to most of them, which shows the author's talent. It is a good example of the stark realism of the western genre.
I don't much like westerns. I'll count this as a personal issue and quietly discontinue the series.
Sirens of Titan--I am not sure why this book was chosen for the GAR. I don't know anyone who has ever read it, including two good friends who are EXTREME sci-fi fans and Vonnegut fans, in particular. What I did find interesting are the shades of other Vonnegut stories that are present in this early work. Tralfalmadore is explored much more famously in Slaughterhouse 5, arguably Vonnegut's most famous work. The "handicaps" mentioned that the people of Earth wear are a main focal point in the short story "Harrison Bergeron," which is taught in many middle and high school curriculum as an example of dystopia.
What is noticeably absent is any reference to Kilgore Trout, who Vonnegut works into most of his novels. It's usually a throwaway reference, but I was looking for it :)
I enjoyed Sirens, but think it was misplaced on the list. I would have gone with Slaughterhouse 5, Mother Night, Cat's Cradle, of Breakfast of Champions (I've not read this one). They are the more famous of Vonnegut's work.
Mod
Yeah, I was curious about that too. I would have expected Slaughterhouse 5.
I can relate to your comments on 1984. I have always had an aversion to George Orwell and had no desire to read this one for our group. However, after reading some of the comments I decided to give it a try. I read about 10 pages and just couldn't continue. I think it was partly a mood thing but I think I'll never be in the mood for Orwell. Not my thing. I really don't like politics in my reading for pleasure and so that's that. lolI'm glad you enjoyed Lonesome Dove though! I loved it and plan on moving along in November with the series but I have heard that LD is the best out of the series so it's probably not a bad thing that you stop here. ;)
Mod
The same goes for Lonesome Dove, as you don't like westerns.
I appreciate your participation with these groups reads and wish you'd had a better experience.
You're not alone in wondering why The Sirens of Titan was chosen for The Great American Read. Many members disagree and think Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five should have been selected instead.
As The Sirens of Titan was my first Vonnegut, I didn't mind and I liked the story.
I enjoyed the bonus information you've shared about Vonnegut's works. That's interesting! I'll be sure to pay close attention when I read another of his novels.
Sirens was my first Vonnegut as well so I didn't have anything to compare it to. Maybe that is why I enjoyed it so much.
Lavan, I read pretty much everything. There are some things I know aren't my preferred reading, but this group is about stretching my reading experience. If I hadn't been willing to try new things, I wouldn't have read Siddartha, which I really enjoyed. That said, I am really not looking forward to when the group reads Fifty Shades or Left Behind...don't know if I'll have the stomach for either of them...
Whenever we choose a book I've read before or am just not that into, I just quietly go about my business reading random other stuff. I NEED my spooky October reads! Will be finishing Swan Song and reading Watchers this month, among my other reading.
I need to get some of my accumulated books read while I have time and energy! When my son is born, I'm told I won't have much of either!
Mod
As far as the Fifty Shades series—it would have to win a group poll (which you know). So far, the random number generator hasn't selected it as an option, but when it does I don't think members will be eager to vote for it (but I could be wrong, of course). We'll be reading the Lonesome Dove series until February 28ᵗʰ of next year. It's possible that the Fifty Shades series doesn't get chosen until it's the last remaining GAR series (of 36). It's also possible that our group isn't active anymore long before that time.
I'd never heard of the Left Behind: A Novel of the Earth's Last Days series before the GAR. I wonder if I'm the only one.
Are you enjoying Swan Song?
Congratulations are in order—I thought so! Congratulations, Bethany! I hope the remainder of your pregnancy is healthy, as well as the birth, and your new son.
Thank you, Lavan! Swan Song reminds me a lot of The Stand at the moment (if the apocalypse was nuclear). I'm about 25% in right now.Left Behind is fundamentalist Christian fiction. It gets very rapture-y, from what I hear.
Mod
Do you like Swan Song more than The Stand, so far? I know you rated the latter 3 stars.
I can't tell yet. Swan Song is VERY similar, but I'm trying to see how it all connects.
Finished Swan Song--MUCH more rewarding than The Stand! I'm a big one for character--I have to care what happens to the characters! The writing was harrowing in some places, and the final battle actually felt like a final battle. It had better follow through than The Stand (King has always been kind of terrible at endings).
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this!
Mod
I agree. If I don't care about the characters (at least some of them), then I won't enjoy a book as much. That's important to me as well. Poor character development tarnishes an otherwise good story.
I'd never heard of Swan Song before The Great American Read. I want to read it more now given your enthusiasm.
King is hit or miss for me. I haven't read a lot of his books, but of those I've read—some I think are okay (wouldn't reread or recommend), but some I really like. I'm always hoping to find more of the latter, because King's best novels and short stories stay with you.
For the first time in a few months, I'm attempting a new list book! A Confederacy of Dunces!It's supposed to be funny. I'm about two hours into a 13 hour audiobook.
It's not funny, yet.
The main character is actually really irritating.
The minor characters may be redeeming.
We'll see.
Mod
Your update came across as ironic humor with a hint of sarcasm. I'm not sure if you intended it that way? [I'm grinning.]
Either way, I hope you do enjoy A Confederacy of Dunces. Let us know, please!
Just swinging by to say, I read a Confederacy of Dunces while living in New Orleans. If I had not lived there I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much. It did a good job of portraying some of the subcultures in New Orleans.I always felt the main character was not meant to be likable.
Yes, but so far NONE of the characters are likable. I'm listening to it at 1.5X speed to make it go quicker. About 6 hrs in, now.(I see how you stalk me, Heather :)
So, finally finished Watchers, which I started in October. Talk about procrastination!It was alright. Entertaining. I didn't dislike it, I just got into a funk of apathy and exhaustion and let other books take priority.
I am, however, unofficially on maternity leave right now (the kid isn't here yet, but I am far too pregnant to deal with 100 13-year-olds right now). I'm listening to audiobooks as I (slowly) nest and complete random chores, so working on A Confederacy of Dunces (which I am NOT liking so much) and The Intuitionist (which I find intriguing).
As far as Watchers goes, it's a mainstream Frankenstein. Good story, but I prefer the original.
Mod
I'm sorry you're not liking A Confederacy of Dunces. I feel that way about The Intuitionist. It feels like work to read it. I'm not drawn into the story and I don't feel connected to any of the characters, not even Lila Mae. I will finish it though, because I'm stubborn.
P.S. I hope you're enjoying your time off (as much as you can)!
Mod
That made me laugh. I've occasionally finished a book only because I was too stubborn to give up. I like to think that I've got a healthy attitude about it being ok to give up on a book that I'm not enjoying, but I see that my "abandoned" shelf in Goodreads only has three books on it, so clearly I'm still not willing to give up on a book easily.
Mod
Additionally, I feel as though I should finish our groups reads, because as a moderator I want to encourage members to participate and I want to be able to contribute to discussions.
As far as The Intuitionist—I have mixed feelings, but I can't say I dislike it. I'm on the fence. I want to be sure that grieving from the loss of my dog isn't affecting my view of this novel (which is why I set it aside for a few days), but that's getting better. I was able to pick up where I left off yesterday and the story line did get a bit more interesting.
Alright. Baby is sleeping,so I can update.I have finished both the Intuitionist and The Help, and I have officially abandoned Confederacy of Dunces.
I don't often abandon books, but when I actively dislike all of the characters, and have finished half of the book, I figure any enjoyment I might possibly get out of the book has already passed. Man, I finished Orwell and I couldn't stick it out for this one! Boo! Dislike!
I enjoyed The Intuitionist. It turns out I had actually read another novel by Whitehead and not realized it. I read Zone One several years ago about a zombie apocalypse (when zombies were in fashion, literarily). I remember it being okay, but I wasn't blown away by it. I enjoyed The Intuitionist much more.
I finished The Help in just under a day. It is a quick read, but it was helped by the fact that I had it on Kindle. My baby fell asleep on me and would not let me put him down, so I spent 4 hours trapped under a newborn. My Kindle only needs one hand to flip the pages, AND I can read it in the semi-darkness! I read about 60% of the book that way.
I enjoyed the novel. The characters that were meant t be likable, were, and the ones who were not, were not. I was pleasantly surprised by the multiple times the author addressed the fact that it is a bit messed up that the Help are forced to express themselves through a white protagonist. The author seemed aware that this would be an issue in her book, so she just put it out there. I respect that. It was compulsively readable, and I wanted to keep reading after I'd put it down.
Mod
I'm in a slightly similar situation with The Help. Only in my case, I was trapped in an airplane seat for six hours. Probably much less pleasant than being trapped under a sleeping newborn, but it also allowed me to make a lot of progress on the book.
Today I finished Bless Me, Ultima. These lines really jumped out at me:
"Understanding comes with life...as a man grows he sees life and death, is happy and sad, he works, plays, meets people--sometimes it takes a lifetime to acquire understanding because in the end understanding simply means having a sympathy for people."
This is a touching book.
Mod
Finished Gilead today. That was a truly beautiful reading experience. It sort of reads like stream-of-consciousness, with an old man writing his thoughts and remembrances for his young son.Now, I just need to finish up a couple of other books before I start tackling War and Peace. I got the Briggs translation, I think. Let's do this!
So I'm a multi-bookreader, when I can. I am still working on War and Peace, but I am ambitious and have decided to read several of my thicker books this month.I just finished The Valley of Horses, which is the second book in the Earth's Children series. It is the sequal to Clan of the Cave Bear, which I enjoyed. It's set in prehistory and centers on a girl, Ayla, who is human but who was raised by Neanderthals. The first book was quite interesting, creating a mythology for Neanderthal man and imagining life during the ice age. The sequal...
is kind of caveman porn.
Seriously.
About 1/3 of the book is about the exploits of Jondalar's magical penis.
Entertaining it may be, but a bit awkward and a hell of a lot less literary. All things considered, 3 stars.
Mod
Yikes. I guess I'll avoid that one!
As the baby gets more mobile, my posting ability and reading time diminishes. He's sleeping right now, so...I finished Home early this month, and enjoyed it, but not as much as Gilead. I'm not quite ready for Lila, yet. Plus, October is when I get my spooky on, so I'm reading a variety of short stories of the frightening variety. I love John Connolly and his Nocturnes books.
I am also reading Under the Dome by Stephen King, mostly because a friend gave it to me. I read The Stand last year, so it is fun to see how King matures as a writer. I'm roughly 700 pages in (as you do in King novels), so I can't say whether his endings improve or not (by the way, a running gag in the new IT movie is how bad the author is at writing endings). His writing of women characters is greatly improved. First, there are women characters (more than two!), and they are fully fleshed-out as people instead of archetypes! Yay!
King does a good job of writing scenes that stick with you. In the chaos of 1,000 pages, a few scenes just comeback to haunt your mind. That, I think, is why he is so revered as an author--those few, unsettling, haunting scenes.
Alright...Currently stalled on both War and Peace and Gone With the Wind, but I finished Wuthering Heights and have a copy of White Teeth, so, yay?
I did not like Wuthering Heights. There's nothing romantic about obsession and it doesn't work as a ghost story. Quite silly and dramatic, really.
I also finished The Testaments, the sequal to Handmaid's Tale. I enjoyed it, but it is nowhere near the quality of Handmaid's Tale. I also disliked the ending, but I understand why it ended this way.
Wow. I sound quite judgmental and grumpy in the previous post, don't I? I think that this month I will also try to read some characters I really like, so as to stop being a grumpy butt. I'm 2/3 through the Water Dancer, which is quite good. I also have the last book of the Winternight Trilogy waiting, so I should perk up soon.
Well, here I am, socially distancing and prepping to work from home. For those of us trying to keep our kids learning, commonlit.org is a great resource for middle and high school ELA.Ideally, this would be the time to clean and get some reading done...
Let's see how well the (almost) 1 year-old lets me follow that plan.
Mod
Ok, so I've made it my goal this month to put some serious effort into the group reads I've been lagging on. I'm proud to say I'm almost halfway through War and Peace (after about 2/3 of a year). I've listened to about 5 hours of my Gone With the Wind audiobook, and I'm halfway through White Teeth.
I won't let myself start another book until I'm at 50% for either of those long books or finish White Teeth, and I REALLY want to read the new Grady Hendrix book.
MOTIVATION!
Great American Read List
Books mentioned in this topic
The Valley of Horses (other topics)War and Peace (other topics)
Gilead (other topics)
Bless Me, Ultima (other topics)
The Help (other topics)
More...
A Separate Peace
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
The Alchemist
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass
Americanah
And Then There Were None
Anne of Green Gables (and many of the sequals
Beloved
The Book Thief
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Catch-22
The Catcher in the Rye
Charlotte's Web
The Clan of the Cave Bear
The Color Purple
Crime and Punishment (partially, I didn't finish it)
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
The Da Vinci Code
Don Quixote
Flowers in the Attic
Frankenstein
Ghost
The Giver
Gone Girl
The Grapes of Wrath
Great Expectations
The Great Gatsby
Gulliver's Travels
The Handmaid's Tale
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Hatchet
Heart of Darkness
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Hunger Games
Jane Eyre
The Joy Luck Club
Jurassic Park
The Little Prince
Little Women
Looking for Alaska
The Lord of the Rings
The Lovely Bones
The Martian
One Hundred Years of Solitude
The Outsiders
The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Pilgrim's Progress
The Pillars of the Earth
Pride and Prejudice
Ready Player One
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Things Fall Apart
To Kill a Mockingbird
Where the Red Fern Grows
Total read: 56 I do not plan to reread them for the challenge.
I would like to read at least 5 more before October 18.
Read Siddartha 7/8