Challenge: 50 Books discussion
Finish Line 2011
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Deb's 2011 reading extravaganza
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I now have the chance to try e-books. The Sony e-reader was a very welcome birthday present. It's all loaded up and ready to try out when I feel the urge.
4: (30) The Bad Beginning - Lemony Snicketwow - what is this, a children's book?? I will definitely read more.
Well written, entertaining, but black. Death, orphans, child abuse. Really well painted characters. But written as a kids book. Interesting.
I've read a few reviews that have been somewhat offended by the content, but I wonder if familiarity has made them forget the rather alarming content of some favourite fairy tales...
6: (32) Tar Baby - Toni Morrison4 stars
Fabulous writing. Loved this book. Knocked off a star for a slow start that caused me to put this book down and read Gilgamesh before getting back to finish it.
That dinner scene got me to thinking how it would be if everyone at my last Christmas dinner had revealed their deepest darkest secrets, their ugliest thoughts.
Toni Morrison is without a doubt the most talented writer I have read this year. Reading this felt like moving from high school to uni.
10: (36) Still Alice - Lisa Genova4 stars - a moving story of a 50 year old woman struggling with early onset Alzheimers - a good read that really gives you insight into this terrible disease.
13: (39) All Our Worldly Goods - Irène Némirovsky3.5 stars. Small town France from WW1 to WW2. See the wars from a different, more human point of view.
You haven't followed all of the rules for this year.
I love Toni Morrison as well, Deb!I think about "Tar Baby" whenever I eat a mango!
18: (44) Garlic Is Life: A Memoir With Recipes - Chester Aaron5 stars http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
19: (45) The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara KingsolverAstounding writing, 4 stars.
Review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
20: (46) Ethan Frome - Edith Wharton4 stars - some stunning writing, unresolved sexual tension, beautiful depiction of midwinter. The ending could give you nightmares.
21: (47) A Garlic Testament: Seasons on a Small New Mexico Farm - Stanley Crawford4 stars - Garlic, politics, philosophy, a celebration of the joys of a simple, agricultural life.
Review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
22: (48) The Shape of Water Andrea Camilleri3 stars - detective in Sicily solves the mystery of a local big dog found dead in dodgy circumstances.
I didn't enjoy this as much as I expected, finding the translation a little stilted.
25: (51) The Genesis Flaw - L.A. LarkinA white-knuckle ride through a near future where genetically modified food has alarming side effects. Our heroine seeks to out the multinational corporate behind it and save the world! A great eco-thriller.
26: (52) The Unknown Terrorist - Richard Flanagan4 stars. Terrorism strikes Sydney and fear flames up in the hot summer air, fanned by the media circus after bombs are found at Homebush Bay. Finally fear and hate ignite in a blazing finale.
27: (53) The New Optimum Nutrition Bible - Patrick Holford4 stars - change the way you eat, be healthy and live long
28: August - Gerard Woodward3 stars - Beautifully written. A story of an English family that visits Wales every August for their Summer holiday. Some sections were enthralling, in others I lost interest.
29: Jasper Jones - Craig Silvey4 stars - dubbed the Australian "To Kill a Mockingbird", it's not quite that but a good read about growing up in small town Western Australia.
30: The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography - Sidney Poitier3 stars - Sidney Poitier muses on his life and what he has learned in his 70+ years. Poitier is not just a black actor. He is the black actor, the first real star to break through in Hollywood. He acted in iconic roles that he carefully selected as depicting the sort of man he wanted to be, the role model he wanted to present. His history is therefore of interest as a personal story but also as a glimpse into what it was like to live in his skin in those times.
31: Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury4 stars - Great classic sci fi about a fireman who burns books for a living, then begins to wonder why people hide books and are even prepared to die for them. The fireman, like a moth, gets drawn towards the flames, becoming discontented with the anaethetized soundbite, advertising jingle world he lives in and fascinated with the words and phrases he finds in the forbidden books.
32: Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell4.5 stars - Fabulously written rollercoaster ride through six different interlocking voices, stories, times and contexts. Brilliantly written. Mitchell is a real talent.
33: A Gardener's Log - Edna Walling3 stars - lovely collection of articles on landscape design from one of the iconic figures of Australian landscape design. This edition includes many of Walling's evocative photographs. Recommended reading for gardeners.
34: Kinglake-350 - Adrian Hyland4 stars - An account of the Black Saturday bushfires that took place in February 2009 in Victoria, Australia. The events are told from the point of view of the local CFA and policeman from Kinglake, a small town located in high country to the north of Melbourne. This is essential reading for anyone who lives in a fire prone area. It will bring you to tears, both of sadness for those who perished and of awe for those who showed incredible courage and acted to save others while their own homes and families were in danger. Hyland not only brings these human stories to life, but also reflects on our 21st century culture, where we live so divorced from the natural world that for some the first indication that their homes were on fire was looking up from the TV and seeing the firefighting foam dripping down their walls.
35: Growing Great Garlic: The Definitive Guide for Organic Gardeners and Small Farmers - Ron L. Engeland4 stars - Lots of interesting facts about garlic, the plant's history, and how to grow it. I liked the diary log of his own experiences. I have much to learn about this garlic growing game and it's great to have this as a reference book.
37: Bel Canto - Ann Patchett4 stars. I picked this one up from a second hand book stall at the local market. I didn't know quite what to expect, but loved the unusual mix of hostage scenario and music. Has Ann Patchett written a female fantasy?
38: The Man Who Planted Trees - Jean Giono3.5 stars - lovely little fable about a shepherd who selflessly plants thousands of trees and brings back life to a desolate landscape.
39: The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat - Oliver Sacks3.5 stars - an interesting collection of stories from Dr Sacks casebook
Challenge: 50 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (other topics)The Man Who Planted Trees (other topics)
Bel Canto (other topics)
The Bonesetter's Daughter (other topics)
Growing Great Garlic: The Definitive Guide for Organic Gardeners and Small Farmers (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Oliver Sacks (other topics)Jean Giono (other topics)
Ann Patchett (other topics)
Amy Tan (other topics)
Ron L. Engeland (other topics)
More...
I'm still tracking my 50 books by next Bastille Day challenge ( July 2010 - July 2011). I'll show the number for that challenge in brackets in this post.
Rules for this year?
- Write a review for every book I read.
- Read all the books on my physical TBR shelf (that's not necessarily all the unread books I own, just the ones that are on display.
- Try ebooks - I don't have a reader yet, but planning to pick up a Sony in the post Xmas sales.