Challenge: 50 Books discussion

I managed to reach my goal of 50 books last year and added two more for good measure. This year I'd like to at least do the same thing or better. Also, my last year's list only consisted of the book's title and author, but this time around I want to include a little bit of what I thought about each book. So here goes...

January
1. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

I finished this in two days over New Year's break. The language is simple but beautiful; I must have underlined a passage every few pages. A touching, heartfelt and essentially female novel.

2. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

The fun, silly and oftentimes dangerous exploits of young boys.

3. Neverwhere Author's Preferred Text by Neil Gaiman

As always Gaiman offers a journey into a unique, magical world. Wasn't too amazing or anything, but I still like it.

4. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

I was sort of in a magical mood after Neverwhere, and I decided to check out the Narnia books since I liked the films. Quite an interesting, quick read.

Hi Dini,
I liked Neverwhere too. I REALLY liked Coraline, the children's book. Have you read that?

Hi, Barbie. I've only read some of Gaiman's adult books, but I might check out his stuff for younger readers some time. Coraline sounds interesting.

ooooooo. Loved Coraline :)

See, this is how I get introduced to new books: getting recommendations from people in Goodreads. It's why I love this site!

5. A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks

Simple and sappy, but it had some good moments.

See I need to read Coraline - besides that, it's coming to movie. Neverwhere is one of the my favorites though. Every time I go to New York, I want to reread it because of the subways.

I've also heard that The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaimon, kind of like The Jungle Book,is very good too. My library doesn't have it yet. Hope they have the money to buy it.... :(

Yeah I think i convinced my dad to buy that for me today :)

I didn't know there's a Coraline movie in the works. Will it be animated or live action? The Graveyard Book looks interesting too.

6. Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis

I watched the movie first. Though I like both works, in the book we see more dynamics between the Pevensies (instead of Peter-Caspian conflict like in the movie). And of course the siblings argue a lot -- what else is family for?

On to the Dawn Treader now...

Animated.

http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2009/01...

as seen here on his weblog. Looks awesome.

7. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis

Some parts were good, some were a little weird. I especially enjoy the adventure in the island of the voices -- first it's a little mysterious and scary but turns out to be funny in the end. I think I'm not going to continue the Narnia series in a while since I love the Pevensie children and they aren't in the next book :(

8. The Debutante Divorcee by Plum Sykes

Quite fun for a light, fluffy read.

February
9. Perpustakaan Ajaib Bibbi Bokken by Jostein Gaarder & Klaus Hagerup

A delicious treat for book and reading lovers. Translated from Bibbi Bokkens magische Bibliothek (Bibbi Bokken's Magic Library), this book is thrilling, clever and humorous.

10. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald

I read this as a preparation for the movie. Though I feel it lacks many details, the story is quite good.

11. Anak Lelaki Berpiama Garis-Garis by John Boyne

Translated from The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. A story whose strength comes from not explaining certain parts but letting the readers draw their own conclusions.

12. Coraline by Neil Gaiman

A nice mix of horror, fantasy and adventure, with a spunky young girl as the main character.

Dini wrote: "12. Coraline by [a:Neil Gaiman|1221698|Neil Gaiman|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/12..."

Would I be right in assuming you've already seen the movie? There's a version of it in 3d that was interesting.

Cassandra, I haven't seen the movie but I want to. Some movies usually come out a little late in my country :(

13. Q & A by Vikas Swarup

The novel that was adapted into the movie Slumdog Millionaire. An enjoyable read which is by turn sad, funny and hopeful.

14. The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

Dubbed 'a fairy tale for adults', this book has violence and gruesome images. But it is ultimately a coming of age story with unexpected twists. I read the Indonesian translation.

15. Persepolis 1 The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi

A graphic memoir about the author's life during the Iranian revolution, with lots of funny and also sad moments. I never thought I would like this kind of drawing (I'm more of a manga person), but I enjoyed the book.

16. Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar

I was curious about this book series since I enjoy the Gossip Girl TV show. I don't think I'm gonna continue to the other books – just stick to the show.

I agree with that sentiment Dini! I was interested in how the books compared to the series but after just one book, that interest waned!

I read the books before I watched the show and I like them for different reasons. The storylines are really different and so are the characters. She does a few other series too, like the "It Girl" (which is Jenny at boarding school) and a few others.

Yeah, my opinion might've been different if I've read the books first, but by now I'm totally hooked to the show. As for the characters, I felt like in the book they have less... heart. You know, in the show, some people do very bad things but we are also shown that they actually have feelings and do those things for a reason. I found less of that in the book.

That's exactly why I didn't like the book, Dini! I wasn't sure if the television network put pressure on the show's creators to make the characters more sympathetic or the visual nature of television made me more aware of their humanity. What ever the reason, I enjoyed the television show more.

17. Persepolis 2 The Story of a Return by Marjane Satrapi

Marji further describes her life after moving to Austria to study, and her subsequent return to Iran. Once again the book gives an eye-opening account of living under a fundamentalist regime.

I've read 17 books in two months, much better than my record last year :)

18. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh

The language is beautiful and poetic, and some parts are quite thought-provoking.

19. Honeymoon with My Brother by Franz Wisner

Read the translated version. A light and humorous memoir about a journey across the globe. Some parts felt a bit hurried, though.

20. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

It is rare that a book this long successfully sustained my interest up till the end, but this one did.

21. Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

It was just all right for me. The story drags on in parts because everybody keep launching into the story of their life when talking to the main character.

You are almost 1/2 way Dini!!!!!

Thanks Aprile! Wish me luck :)

Of course! :)

22. The Little Lady Agency by Hester Browne

This was somewhat different from the usual chick lit, but still funny and enjoyable.

Good Morning Dini,
I just swapped for this book on swaptree. I heard it was good and unusual for chick lit. I'll send you a note after I read it!
Congratulations on 22 books!

Thanks Leshawn! Do tell me what you think about the book once you've read it.

Hi Dini, I liked "The Little Lady Agency" as well. It was fun. The second book, "Little Lady, Big Apple" wasn't bad. I wasn't hugely fond of the third one and didn't finish it.

She does have a new book coming out soon called "The Finishing Touches". I'm looking forward to that one!

Hi MB, thanks for the recommendation. I'm gonna check out the second Little Lady book some time and maybe also the third one.

23. Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

I understand why this is a timeless classic. Awesome.

24. Mi Familia by Sylvia L' Namira

A nice book written by a friend. She really knows how to tap into the female emotion.

25. A Very Yuppy Wedding by Ika Natassa

A light chick lit novel in Indonesian, with smooth-flowing dialogue.

Thanks for the encouragement, Mary Todd!

26. Gadis Jeruk Sebuah Dongeng Tentang Kehidupan by Jostein Gaarder

Another novel with philosophical elements from Gaarder, translated from The Orange Girl. Short and meaningful.

27. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

Chilling, absorbing, mystifying. A great book!