Pick-a-Shelf discussion

Yikes! We haven't finished one challenge and here we are planning the next! Here are my probables for the challenge; will add others as I think of them.

From the stacks at home.
1. Open- Andre Agassi. 1/12/10
2. Meridon- Phillippa Gregory. 19/8/10
3. The Samurai's Garden- Gail Tsukyama. 7/11/10
4. Cutting for Stone- Abraham Verghese. 5/11/10
5. The Surgeon- Tess Gerritson. 17/10/10

Borrowed so can be returned.
1. Last night in Twisted River -John Irving 17/9/10
2. Towards Another Summer- Janet Frame 31/10/10
3. Die Trying- Lee Child. 10/7/10
4. Stones into Schools- Greg Mortenson. 9/10/10
5. The Enemy- Lee Child. 25/10/10

Recommended
1. John Dies at the End- David Wong.(Zack) 21/9/10
2. Please don't tell Mum I work on the Rigs: She thinks I'm a piano player in a whorehouse.-Paul Carter. (Gordon) 3/12/10
3. The Forest of hands and Teeth- Carrie Ryan (Amy) 26/9/10
4. Little Brother- Cory Doctorow (Susan and Luann) 12/11/10
5. Storm Front- Jim Butcher (Lyn M) 6/12/10

Dreading to start:
1. Gold Diggers- Tasmina Perry (chicklit.Ugh!) 16/10/10
2. Eragon- Chrisopher Paolini (can't get past the fact that it sounds like a computer game written by a 13 year old)
3. The Rat- Gunter Grass.(loved the Tin Drum so much that this one can't measure up)
4 2666- Roberto Bolano (small print size)
5 Birds without Wings- Louis de Bernieres.(long)

TBR longest duration:
1. The Quiet Girl- Peter Hoeg. 11/7/10
2. The Winter Vault- Anne Michaels. 2/1/11
3.
4. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil- John Berendt. 23/10/10
5. Marley and Me- John Grogan 10/9/10

TBR shortest books:
1. Heart of Darkness- Joseph Conrad.
2. A Mercy- Toni Morrison. 3/10/10
3. If on a Winter's night a Traveller- Italo Calvino. 8/10
4. How late it was, How Late- James Kelman.
5. Seize the Day- Saul Bellow.

Spell something using titles of picture books:
1. Why are there more questions than answers, Grandad?-Kenneth Mahood 29/10/10
2. Horton hears a Who?- Dr Seuss. 29/10/10
3. Each Peach Pear Plum- Janet and Allan Ahlberg. 29/10/10
4. Asterix and the Roman Agent- Goscinny and Uderzo. 31/10/10
5. Teddy- Simon Bond. 29/10/10

Non-fiction:
1. I am Ozzy- Ozzy Osbourne. 28/8/10
2. Codependent No More- Melody Beattie. 27/10/10
3. This is not a drill- Paul Carter 22/12/10
4. Turkey. Pocket Guide. (Berlitz) 10/8/10
5. Hiroshima- John Hersey. 27/9/10

Series books:
1. The Dead-Tossed Waves- Carrie Ryan (Forest of Hands and Teeth 2) 1/10/10
2. Dead in the Family- Charlaine Harris.(Sookie Stackhouse no 10) 23/9/10
3. Vampire Academy- Richelle Mead. 12/12/10
4. Echo Burning- Lee Child. (Jack Reacher no 5) 12/8/10
5. Mockingjay- Suzanne Collins(Hunger Games 3) 17/11/10

Started but never finished:
1. The Greatest Benefit to Mankind- Roy Porter.
2. Wolf Hall- Hilary Mantel. 25/7/10
3. The Lacuna- Barbara Kingsolver. 8/9/10
4. Three Forms of Sudden Death- F.Gonzalez-Crussi.
5. Of Human Bondage- W.Somerset Maughan.

Back from holiday. Hardly any reading done while away-and on reviewing some of my choices think that six months might not be long enough!

Finished Meridon. 6 down. Barely scratched the surface-but I did pick some long and difficult ones this time. (not that Meridon could be called either).

Finished Ozzy Osbourne's (ghost written)autobiography. Compulsively readable-this guy's life leaves you wondering. 7 books down.

If on a Winter's Night a Traveller. Done and dusted. 8 down.

Wolf Hall! That is a big one! That could go on my list in that category as well. So was it worth finishing?

Tara wrote: "Wolf Hall! That is a big one! That could go on my list in that category as well. So was it worth finishing?" Yes, but didn't really enjoy it. It had to be done!

The Lacuna finished. 9 down. Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars.

Finished "Marley and Me". Not a great novel, but doesn't pretend to be, just a dog's life story. 10 done, not even one out of each category yet!

Sunflower wrote: "10 done, not even one out of each category yet!"

That's what I was thinking of as my next intermediate goal for the challenge - to finish at least one book out of each category. I'm worried I'll get to the end and have to read all of my nonfiction and all of my "started but never finished" and the rest of my "books you've been dreading" one right after the other.

11 down. If nothing else, I am reading all the long books with this challenge. And now I can return "Last night in Twisted River" to its owner!

Hi Natasha, I know what you mean! I am using this challenge to do just that, and to finally get around to reading all the ones people have lent me-about to start one my son lent me. It's bound to be a real boy's book ie violence, warped sense of humour and strange behaviours. Not looking forward to it....

12 down. John Dies at the End. Remind me not to read recommendations from my younger son again.

13 down. Dead in the Family- and enjoyable and fast read, with the gripe mentioned in my review that I am getting tired of the over-explaining.

Raced through "The Forest of Hands and Teeth" on my Kindle. 14 down.

"Hiroshima" re-read. Really worth it. 15 done.

"The Dead-Tossed Waves" done. Quick, easy read, fast-paced. Very dystopia. 16/50.

"A Mercy". Books: 17/50.

"Stones into Schools" Books: 18/50. Still haven't tackled any of the dreading-to-read!

Finally got one of the "dreading to read". It took effort.
Books 19/50. Tasks 0

Books 20/50. Tasks remain at 0

books 21/50.

22/50.

Books 23/50. Creeping towards the half way mark. Still no tasks though. Congrats to those who are already there!

Books 27/50.

Books 29/50 and finally Tasks 2/10!!!

books 30/50.

Gail Tsukiyama's beautiful "The Samurai's Garden" brings the total to 31/50.

32/50

33/50. Getting there slowly.

Finally finished "Open". Really good read.
Books 34/50
Tasks 3/10

"Please don't tell Mum I work on the Rigs... etc" a very funny read. 35/50. still 3/10 tasks.

36/50, and now 4/10 tasks. Storm Front forgettable.

37/50 and now 5/10 tasks.

38/50 and 6/10 tasks.

Ok. 2 and a 1/2 hours till the end of the year, and I am not going to finish any more of my challenge in time. Congratulations to those who finished!