Challenge: 50 Books discussion
Finish Line 2015
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Juli's 2015 Classic Book Quest
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librarian4Him02 wrote: "Recently I was reading a blog and came across a quote, "C.S. Lewis, an advocate for old books, once wrote, 'It is a good rule, after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one unti..."I think it's a great rule of thumb. Best of luck in 2015.
Mod
Powder River Rose wrote: "librarian4Him02 wrote: "Recently I was reading a blog and came across a quote, "C.S. Lewis, an advocate for old books, once wrote, 'It is a good rule, after reading a new book, never to allow yours..."Thanks, Powder River Rose. I hope you have a great reading year too.
Juli
Tiffany wrote: "Good luck, Juli! I'm looking forward to reading your list this year."Thanks, Tiffany. I hope you have fun reading year.
Juli
Gave it a shotGargantua and Pantagruel - I finally started to get into the writing style and it wasn't a bad book. It was just a bit more raunchy than I generally prefer. I'm glad I gave it a try and I'm on to the next book on my to-read list.
Just Jesus: My Struggle to Become Human by Walter Wink - Tried to keep going with this book, but it was too disjointed for me. I couldn't follow his thoughts, so I decided this particular book isn't for me and have moved on.
January 1) Peer Patterns: 9 Behavior Types and How to Work With Them - Cynthia Clay
1/1-1/15
35 pages
4 stars - A short introduction to her larger work and training series. Very helpful.
2) Out to Canaan - Jan Karon
1/5-1/15
1 audio file - 13.18 hours
5 stars - A comfort read and revisit to Mitford. Great way to start the year.
3) You Can Date Boys When You're Forty - Dave Barry
1/1-1/23
224 pages
4 stars - Huorous. I forgot how much I like Dave Barry's writing.
4) Smart Solutions: Creative Closets, Stylish Shelves, & More
1/31-1/31
160 pages
3 stars - Great storage ideas for every room in the house.
Total Pages Read: 419
Total Hours Listened: 13.18
February5) 1963: The Year of the Revolution How Youth Changed the World with Music, Art, and Fashion - Robin Morgan and Ariel Love
1/17-2/7
240 pages
5 stars - extremely interesting read about a pivitol year in British and American History.
6) Foxe's Book of Martyrs
1/1-2/10
409 pages
4 stars - History of the early church and the Reformation
7) A New Song - Jan Karon
1/15-2/12
1 audio file - 17.26 hours
5 stars
8) A Common Life: The Wedding Story
2/13-2/20
1 audio file, 3.71 hours
5 stars
Total Pages Read: 1068 pages
Total Hours Listened: 34.15 hours
March9) Finding Florida: the True History of the Sunshine State - T.D. Allman
2/11-3/30
556 pages
5 stars - Eye-opening look at Florida's history.
10) Jesus, Keep me Near the Cross - Nancy Guthrie, ed.
2/11-3/31
152 pages
4 stars - Perfect reading for the weeks leading up to Easter.
Total Pages Read: 1776 pages
Total Hours Listened: 34.15 hours
April 11) Kingdom Keepers; Disney After Dark - Ridley Pearson
2/11-4/6
324 pages
3 stars - Action, adventure, and Disney what could be more fun?
12) In This Mountain - Jan Karon
3/24-4/14
1 audio file - 15.47 hours
5 stars - Father Tim's life is changed by a personal crisis in this Mitford years book.
13) Euphues The Anatomy of Wit, Euophues and His England - John Lyly
2/16-4/29
479 pages
3 stars - Part of 1001 Books you must read list. Loved the style of prose - a fun challenge to read.
14) Reilly's Luck - Louis L'Amour
4/22-4/30
1 sound file, 8.33 hours
4 stars - It's just Will and Val, until Will meets his end unfairly. Then Val must seek revenge. My first Louis L'Amour novel and I think I'll be looking for others to enjoy.
Total Pages Read: 2579 pages
Total Hours Listened: 57.95 hours
May15) The Great War: Inspired by Items from the First World War (Jim Kay (Illustrator)
4/29-5/6
290 pages
3 stars - A collection of short stories penned by young adult authors. Stories were inspired by items used in or popular during WWI. All the stories touched my heart in some way.
16) Time Management Magic - Lee Cockerell
5/17-5/19
143 pages
3 stars - Some good time management tips, some I'd already heard of, but was inspired to try them again. Now just need to put the tips into practice.
17) As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust - Alan Bradley
5/22-5/24
9 sound discs, 11 hours
3 stars - A new Flavia de Luce mystery in a new setting. It was okay, but not great.
18) Shepherd's Abiding/Mitford Snowmen/Esther's Gift - Jan Karon
5/24-5/29
1 sound file, 6.35 hours
4 stars - Another nice visit to the town of Mitford.
Total Pages Read: 3,012 pages
Total Hours Listened: 75.3 hours
June19) Midnight in Peking: How the Murder of a Young Englishwoman Haunted the Last Days of Old China - Paul French
5/27-6/4
260 pages
5 stars - A true crime story that was never officially solved. Kudos to Mr. French for keeping Pamela Warner's memory and story alive
20) Mother Songs: Poems For, by, and About Mothers - Sandra M. Gilbert, ed.
5/17-6/13
380 pages
3 stars - Poems on the topic of mothers and motherhood.
21) All the Bright Places - Jennifer Niven
6/19-6/21
388 pages
4 stars - Funny and moving story about finding who you are in the midst of events that rock your world.
Total Pages Read: 4,040 pages
Total Hours Listened: 75.3 hours
July 22) Light From Heaven - Jan Karon
6/6-7/2
1 audio file, 19.31 hours
3 stars
23) Bedtime for Frances
7/4=7/5
31 pages
3 stars - Fun to revisit a childhood classic. Only adding this one because it's part of the 1001 Children's Books...list, which I'm trying to read through. Otherwise I wouldn't normally count a picture book in this challenge.
24) Brown Girl Dreaming - Jacqueline Woodson
6/21-7/9
337 pages
4 stars - Autobiography told in verse.
25) A Holy Ambition: To Preach Where Christ Has Not Been Named - John Piper
6/14-7/10
163 pages
3 stars - A collection of sermons about the Biblical mandate for missions.
26) Home to Holly Springs - Jan Karon
7/4-7/24
1 audio file 11.73 hours
3 stars - Father Tim returns to his roots on a trip home to Holly Springs. A good story, but I enjoyed it more the first time around.
27) The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint Exupery
7/10-7/24
114 pages
4 stars - A children's classic with much to say to adults as well.
28) Project Fatherhood: A Story of Courage and Healing in one of America's Toughest Communities - Jorja Leap
7/5-7/25
241 pages
4 stars - A group of men in the Watts community of L.A. come together to mentor each other on how to be fathers and make efforts to improve their community (Nonfiction)
Total Pages Read: 4,926 pages
Total Hours Listened: 106.34 hours
22015 Reading Challenge from http://www.popsugar.com/love/Reading-...1. A book with more than 500 pages - Finding Florida
2. A classic romance
3. A book that became a movie
4. A book published this year - A Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust
5. A book with a number in the title - 1963: The Year of the Revolution How Youth
Changed the World with Music, Art, and Fashion
6. A book written by someone under 30
7. A book with nonhuman characters - Bedtime for Frances
8. A funny book
9. A book by a female author - Out to Canaan
10 A mystery or thriller - Midnight in Peking: How the Murder of a Young Englishwoman Haunted the Last Days of Old China
11. A book with a one-word title
12. A book of short stories - The Great War: Inspired by Items from the First World War
13. A book set in a different country - In the Company of Others
14. A nonfiction book - Time Management Magic
15. A popular author's first book
16. A book from an author you love that you haven't read yet - Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good
17. A book a friend recommended - From Pride to Humility
18. A Pulitzer Prize-winning book - To Kill a Mockingbird
19 A book based on a true story - Pilgrim's Progress
20. A book at the bottom of your to-read list - The Little Prince
21. A book your mom loves
22. A book that scares you
23. A book more than 100 years old - Foxe's Book of Martyrs
24. A book based entirely on its cover
25. A book you were supposed to read in school but didn't
26. A memoir - Brown Girl Dreaming
27. A book you can finish in a day - Smart Solutions: Creative Closets, Stylish Shelves, & More
28. A book with antonyms in the title
29. A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit - Over Sea, Under Stone
30. A book that came out the year you were born
31. A book with bad reviews - A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar
32. A trilogy
33. A book from your childhood
34. A book with a love triangle - The Great Gatsby
35. A book set in the future
36. A book set in high school
37. A book with a color in the title
38. A book that made you cry - All the Bright Places
39. A book with magic
40. A graphic novel - Ms. Marvel No Normal
41. A book by an author you've never read before - Kingdom Keepers; Disney After Dark
42. A book you own but have never read
43. A book that takes place in your hometown
44. A book that was originally written in a different language
45 A book set during Christmas
46 A book written by an author with your same initials
47. A play
48. A banned book
49. A book based on or turned into a T.V. show
50. A book you started but never finished.
Interesting List. Some of the challenges intrigue me, and some I've already done, though not on purpose.
August29) Thomas Nashe: Selected Works - Stanley Wells (editor)
6/24-8/19
327 pages
2 stars - Collected works by one of the most famous authors of his time; a bit hard to follow, but overall, I enjoyed the language and a couple of the works really stood out to me.
30) To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
7/25-8/24
11 sound discs, 12 hours
5 stars - Classic coming of age story. Enjoyed the re-read
Total Pages Read: 5,253 pages
Total Hours Listened: 118.34 hours
September31) More Than a Carpenter- Josh McDowell
8/20-9/17
128 pages
4 stars - Information wasn't new to me, but i enjoyed the reiteration.
32) In the Company of Others - Jan Karon
9/24-9/27
1 sound file - 13.3 hours
5 stars - Father Tim heads south to his hometown of Holly Springs when he receives a mysterious summons by mail.
Total Pages Read: 5,381 pages
Total Hours Listened: 131.64 hours
October33) Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn
9/15-10/4
15 Sound Discs, 19 hours
2 stars - Good character development and initial suspense...horrible and depressing ending. Not my cup of tea.
34) The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook - Emily Ansara Baines
8/21- 10/12
255 pages
3 stars - Interesting trivia and etiquette vignettes and recipes I wouldn't mind trying (if someone else were cooking as they're a little outside my scope of expertise)
35) From Pride to Humility - Stuart Scott
10/4-10/18
32 pages
4 stars - An in-depth look at two major issues in a Christian's life. Definitely convicting.
36) A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar - Suzanne Joinson
8/21-10/21
375 pages
5 stars - Set in two countries and two different time periods with a steady-paced storyline. I enjoyed it even if others did not.
37) Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good - Jan Karon
10/12-10/30/15
1 audio file - 17.40 hous
3 stars - Enjoyed visiting town of Mitford again...this time with Father Tim as a bookseller.
Total Pages Read: 6,043 pages
Total Hours Listened: 168.04 hours
November38) The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right - Atul Gawande
10/31-11/9
209 pages
4 stars - Inspired me to revisit my checklists and get more organized.
39) Come Rain or Come Shine - Jan Karon
11/2-11/11
1 audio file - 8.47 hours
5 stars - Another visit to Mitford for a wedding that's been a long time coming.
40) Over Sea, Under Stone - Susan Cooper
11/13-11/15
1 audio file - 7.3 hours
4 stars - A childhood classic
41) The Pilgrim's Progress - John Bunyan
8/21-11/18
E-book - 404 pages
3 stars - Classic work of Christian Fiction.
42) Adventures of Beelke: The Unimaginary Friend - Dan Santat
11/22/15
40 pages
5 stars - 2015 Caldecott winner. Great for fans of the movie Inside Out
43) Ms. Marvel: No Normal - Wilson G. Willow
11/22/15
Unpaged
4 stars - Graphic novel about a young girl with super powers and parents who want her to follow traditional ways.
Total Pages Read: 6,696 pages
Total Hours Listened: 183.81 hours
December44) The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
11/21-12/5
222 pages
3 stars - Well-written classic that I somehow missed in high school
45) Katie Loves the Kittens - John Himmelman
12/5/15
32 pages
3 stars - Cute story of friendship between a dog and new kittens.
46) The Midnight Library - Kazuno Kohara
12/5/15
26 pages
4 stars - Adorable story about a library only open at night. Great illustrations too.
47) Tom's Tweet - Jill Exbaum
12/5/15
32 pages
3 stars - The story of an unlikely friendship between a cat and a baby bird.
48) Moo! - David La Rochelle
12/5/15
32 pages
5 stars - One can't say Moo! over and over without smiling. This story made me smile.
49) The Christmas Sweater - Glenn Beck
12/3-12/10
4 sound discs, 5 hours
3 stars - semi-autobiographical story in the vein of "It's a Wonderful Life."
50) Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek - Maya van Wagenen
12/5-12/14
262 pages
5 stars - This book inspired me to step out of my comfort zone more often.
51) El Deafo - Cece Bell
12/13-12/16
240 pages
3 stars - A story of growing, strength, and bravery.
Total Pages Read: 7,542 pages
Total Hours Listened: 188.81 hours
Phew, wasn't sure I was going to make 50 books this year. My final tally was as follows:Books read or listened to - 51
Total pages read: 7, 542 pages (plus one graphic novel that didn't have page numbers)
Total Hours Listened: 188.81.
This year's stand-out books:
Foxe's Book of Martyrs
The Great War: Inspired by Items from the First World War
Midnight in Peking: How the Murder of a Young Englishwoman Haunted the Last Days of Old China
Project Fatherhood: A Story of Courage and Healing in one of America's Toughest Communities
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right
Moo!
Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek
Now, time to make my reading plan for 2016. Happy New Year and happy reading, everyone!
Juli
Mod
My goal for 2015 is 50 books...a mix of books including titles that help me grow in my faith, the classics, modern fiction, poetry, and professional development.
Happy Reading, everyone!