Challenge: 50 Books discussion

#1-The Help - Kathryn Stockett
Great book

#2-Generation Me - Jean M. Twenge

#3 - We'll Always Have Paris (stories) - Ray Bradbury

#4-Absolute Power - David Baldacci
Thought story was just too far-fetched

#5-The Lacuna - Barbara Kingsolver
Kingsolver is an amazing writer.

#6-Paul Newman, A Life - Shawn Levy
Very well-researched. Interesting that of all Newman's accomplishments, he was most proud of his camps for kids with cancer.

#7-The Seven Dials Mystery - Agatha Christie

#8-The Spark - Chris Downie

#9-Murder on the Orient Express - Agatha Christie
Surely one of Christie's best!

#10-The Vintage Caper - Peter Mayle
Not up to Mayle's usual standards

#11-The Audacity of Hope - Barack Obama
This is very well-written, and he makes a LOT of sense.

#12-New Moon - Stephenie Meyer
The first half drags, and the book is just too long. Because of my daughter, I suppose I'll have to finish the last two in the series.

#13-The Echo Maker - Richard Powers
Not a big fan of this one. It was slow-moving, I didn't like the ending, and I felt the author just tried to tackle too much.

#14-The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
Very good book. I am amused to think it was banned - it's positively prudish by today's standards.

#15-The Good Husband of Zebra Drive - Alexander McCall Smith

#16-The Brothers Karamazov-Fyodor Dostoevsky
Not an easy read, but well worth the effort. Dostoevsky has to be one of the greatest thinkers of the last few centuries.

#17-The Miracle at Speedy Motors-Alexander McCall Smith

#18-The Sunday Philosophy Club-Alexander McCall Smith
Disappointed in this, after how much I liked his No. 1 Ladies' Detective series

#19-Little Bee-Chris Cleave
Don't know what to say about this one. I'd give it a lukewarm review, but can't really put my finger on what would have made it better. Perhaps more focus on Little Bee's character.

#20-The World is Flat-Thomas L. Friedman
Very interesting book. Friedman has a real grasp of the issues facing today's world.

#21-Pride and Prejudice and Zombies/Dawn of the Dreadfuls-Steve Hockensmith
Started off rather amusing, but then I lost interest (still finished it!)

#22-The Elegance of the Hedgehog
WONDERFUL book - probably my favorite of the year so far.

#23-Dr. Zhivago-Boris Pasternak
Got bogged down in places, but overall worth the effort.

#24-The Art of Racing in the Rain-Garth Stein
Good (not GREAT), quick read

#25-Game Change (Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime)-John Heilemann, Mark Halperin
Fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at the 2008 American Presidential campaigns. I feel like this is legitimate and well-researched, not tabloid stuff.

#26-High Fidelity-Nick Hornby
Good writing, but didn't get into the story.

#27-The Empty Chair-Jeffery Deaver
Got tired of the "twists" in the last 100 pages.

#28-The Pilot's Wife-Anita Shreve
Pretty good - a page-turner.

#29-The Secret Adversary-Agatha Christie
Very early Christie. She gets better in later books at hiding who the villain is.

#30-The Magician's Assistant-Ann Patchett
Loved Bel Canto - didn't like this one much.

#31-Bridge of Sighs-Richard Russo
Didn't love the characters, but Russo is a great writer.

#32-All That Matters-Jan Goldstein
Juvenile writing, and sickeningly sweet.

#33-Sparkling Cyanide-Agatha Christie
Dame Christie fooled me again!

#34-Three Cups of Tea-Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin --Wonderful book! I would encourage EVERY person in the western world to read this and learn about the "war on terror" from a different perspective.

#35-A Visit From The Goon Squad-Jennifer Egan
Definitely unique.

#36- To the Lighthouse-Virginia Woolf
Some beautiful writing, but one has to get used to her style (for example, the LONG sentences)

#37-Eclipse-Stephenie Meyer
Like New Moon, the first half of the book is just too long. I'm not a big fan (Bella annoys me), but because my daughter is, I'll finish out the series and read Breaking Dawn at some point.

#38-Macbeth-William Shakespeare
I read this prior to seeing a live performance. Shakespeare is amazing.

#39-Shutter Island-Dennis Lehane
A good, quick read-I have not seen the movie.

Readerann - regarding Shakespeare: My interest was sparked by a clip of the British Queen of Comedy, Katharine Tate, and the then-Dr. Who, David Tennant. In this clip she surprises by quoting from Shakespeare, a sonnet about the common woman...so when The Complete Works of Shakespeare in 90 Minutes was advertised at a local playhouse, I was inspired to go to it, and was not disappointed. And this is the way that I believe people should study 'classics', out of inspiration and not necessarily out of force or pressure, simply because 'it's good for you'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxB1gB...

I was so inspired by this sonnet that I memorized it and recited it at our yearly poetry day at my job. I've also recited it at open-mike talent nights at local coffee-shops. I will be forever grateful to the person who sent me the original Catherine Tate clip of 'The Translator' (another of her characters), and pointed me to this comedy sensation on You-Tube.

Carol wrote: "Readerann - regarding Shakespeare: My interest was sparked by a clip of the British Queen of Comedy, Katharine Tate, and the then-Dr. Who, David Tennant. In this clip she surprises by quoting from..."

Hilarious clip!! Thanks so much for sharing it. I'm intrigued that your workplace has an annual poetry day. What a great idea!

#40-Provinces of Night-William Gay
Really liked this, and was happy to discover William Gay. The man can write.

#41-Much Ado About Nothing-William Shakespeare
Shakespeare's wit never ceases to amaze me.

"Hilarious clip!! Thanks so much for sharing it. I'm intrigued that your workplace has an annual poetry day. What a great idea!"

It's part of a program called 'Doing Something Right' which recognizes achievement in various areas, individual and team...they have had 'music month' too in the past, which highlights one artist, with a talented employee singing that artist's song(s). It's an interesting hour-long break, and we get to hear and see our team-mates perform and sometimes hear guest speakers, as well as give encouragement and recognition for achievements that we otherwise would not hear about from departments we don't deal with.

The company also does special things for Diversity, like on Cinco De Mayo they might have a dance club come in and do Flamenco. One presentation I especially liked was an Asian one, in which two women dressed in kimonos did pantomime as if they were dressing as Geishas...very graceful, as they powdered and selected jewelry and clothing...also very moving

Oh, and I forgot to mention, on Poetry Day, we are advised not to clap...instead we click our fingers (cause we're cool), which is rather hard for me to do now, but it sounds weird, a roomful of people snapping instead of clapping. (or trying anyway)

Carol wrote: ""Hilarious clip!! Thanks so much for sharing it. I'm intrigued that your workplace has an annual poetry day. What a great idea!"

It's part of a program called 'Doing Something Right' which recog..."

Snapping! That's too funny. It IS cool, though - think West Side Story!

WSS...a favorite of mine..."When you're a jet, you're a jet all the way..from your first cigarette to your last dyin' day..." I particularly identify with 'Officer Krupke'...

#42-The Mother Tongue-Bill Bryson
Very interesting (and amusing) look at the English language.

#43-The Phantom Tollbooth-Norton Juster
A childhood favorite of mine. I think I appreciate it even more as an adult. Witty and hilarious, it surely will remain a classic.

#44-The Widower's Tale-Julia Glass
My first book by this author. I liked the characters, especially the witty humor of the "hero", Percy Darling.
Six more to number 50. I'm going to make it!!

#45-The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo-Steig Larsson
Some disturbing parts, but overall well-written and entertaining.