Bucketyell's 13/13/13

Snak2013 Category Challenge

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Bucketyell's 13/13/13

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1Yells
Redigeret: aug 4, 2013, 11:34 am

I am going to do a full challenge but instead of pre-picking categories, I think I will just go with whatever floats my boat that month. The focus is getting stuff read that is on my own shelves (so my house doesn't collapse around me).

January: In honour of Orange January, my first category is all about the Orange. I have 13 books on my shelves that fit this category so it works. I will endeavour to read:

Small Island by Levy
On Beauty by Smith
The Lacuna by Kingsolver
Bel Canto by Patchett
The Hundred Secret Senses by Tan
Feasting, Fasting by Desai
The Little Friend by Tartt
Purple Hibiscus by Adichie
The Mammoth Cheese by Holman
Case Histories by Atkinson
A Gate at the Stairs by Moore
Life After Life by Atkinson
The Book of Colour by Blackburn

FINISHED

2whitewavedarling
dec 30, 2012, 4:50 pm

Purple Hibiscus is absolutely wonderful. I'll look forward to hearing what you think of The Lacuna too--I've been meaning to read that one for ages!

3-Eva-
dec 30, 2012, 7:39 pm

That's what I did for the 2012 challenge - it feels quite good to be able to finally get around to the collected mess. :) Looking forward to seeing what is hiding in your stacks!

4LucindaLibri
dec 30, 2012, 7:48 pm

Lots of great books on your January list. I'm also tackling Bel Canto in January. I loved her State of Wonder and I'm a musician, so we'll see how I like Bel Canto . . . some folks seem to love it and others just hate it :)

5lkernagh
dec 31, 2012, 12:27 pm

Welcome back! I like the idea of making up the categories as you read through the year..... that probably makes it easier to clear more books off the shelves! Looking forward to seeing what you read for 2013.

6Bcteagirl
jan 1, 2013, 5:26 pm

Just starting to get back in, found and starred! :)

7rabbitprincess
jan 1, 2013, 5:50 pm

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Small Island. I liked the Masterpiece TV adaptation.

8mamzel
jan 1, 2013, 6:45 pm

Good luck working on your collection. It looks like January will get you off to a good start. Happy reading!

9Yells
jan 4, 2013, 9:11 am

Purple Hibiscus by Adichie. Loved it! The father really reminded me of my grandfather and so I felt somewhat connected to the book because of that. It was rather difficult to read at times (partly because the resemblence was a little too close sometimes) but overall, I was totally drawn in. This one was more story driven than Half of a Yellow Sun and I did like it better. It's one that I will be thinking about for a bit.

Next up is A Gate at the Stairs by Moore.

10GingerbreadMan
jan 4, 2013, 7:06 pm

Just popping in to drop a star. Looks like a great january lined up!

11Yells
jan 6, 2013, 1:25 pm

A Gate at the Stairs by Moore. I liked it more than I thought. The story meandered a bit and I was confused at times about what the main plot was (there were a few threads throughout) but at the end, it came together nicely. I loved the last few sentences! And the sarcastic wit.

12lkernagh
jan 6, 2013, 4:49 pm

I have seen so many mixed reviews for A Gate at the Stairs. Nice to see that, overall, it was a decent read. I love sarcastic wit so that alone adds to the potential that I will add it to my reading list at some point.

13Yells
Redigeret: jan 6, 2013, 7:20 pm

I tend to be rather sarcastic myself so I like finding kindred literary spirits!

A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers by Xialou. Beautiful writing and a really neat premise but man, what a dysfunctional relationship. I loved watching Zhuang discover the english language with all its weird and wonderful idiosyncrasies. But her sexual journey made me cringe.

Up next... The Little Friend by Tartt.

14Yells
jan 10, 2013, 10:36 pm

A Little Friend by Tartt. Can't say I was all that impressed (weird because I loved Secret History). It started off strong but dragged on forever. And the ending kind of ticked me off ("oops? was I wrong? oh well, no harm done right?").

15GingerbreadMan
jan 11, 2013, 2:20 am

I agree with that analysis. Disappointing book. Less then a year after reading it I remember very little.

16Yells
jan 13, 2013, 12:49 pm

Bel Canto by Patchett - I must admit, this is one that I tried numerous times to get into and hated it. But I pushed on and it wasn't all that bad in the end. I think my problem is that I just didn't buy it. This whole thing occurred over five months and no one tried to escape? No one tried to break in and save everyone? And the terrorists just waited? I found this one to be just plain weird.

17Yells
Redigeret: jan 13, 2013, 8:54 pm

Small Island by Levy. This one surprised me a little. The premise sounded good and it got great reviews so I was expecting to be wowed from the start. But I found that it is a story that you need to slowly immerse yourself in. It's told from the point-of-view of four characters who are connected in some way and it alternates between past and present. I really liked how you would meet a character, form an opinion of them and only then get to see who they really are and how they got to that point. I loved how my views changed as I progressed.

Now to track down the Masterpiece Production... thanks!

18cammykitty
jan 13, 2013, 9:43 pm

Great plan for your challenge!!! Flexible, and clears off the shelves. Small Island was one I had hoped to read last year in my Caribbean category. You're right. People rave about it. But it got bumped by other books from the Caribbean. Interesting review. Maybe when I get around to an England category...

19lkernagh
jan 14, 2013, 12:21 am

No one tried to break in and save everyone? And the terrorists just waited? I found this one to be just plain weird.

Okay, I will admit what you say about Bel Canto does make some sense. I tend to suspend belief when I read, which means I am okay with a lot that goes on in books that other readers may roll their eyes at. ;-)

Small Island does change your perspective as you read it. I found I was most affected by the movie theatre scene... that one got my blood boiling... along with some other part of the book.

20Yells
jan 20, 2013, 8:21 pm

Fasting, Feasting by Desai. I love Desai's writing. Her novels are so subtle but yet they leave you thinking afterwards. This is one takes place in Indian and Boston and it chronicles the paths that the children in an Indian family take. Arun, the son, is allowed to go to America to attend school while the daughters are groomed for marriage (despite most being just as smart). There is no central story here but instead a few different stories weaven together.

Fingersmith by Waters. What a romp! Mystery, suspense, twists and turns and a little romance thrown in for good measure. I spoiled myself as I saw the movie beforehand and it followed the book to the letter (although the book explained a lot more of the backstory) so I knew what was coming. But it still sucked me in. Loved it!

21Yells
jan 20, 2013, 8:26 pm

I think I just have it in my head that I don't like Patchett (I read something else of hers and hated it... can't remember which one now). I had tried Bel Canto years ago and gave up half way through because I found it rather boring. I was more into the story this time around and enjoyed it overall but I think, because I expected to hate it, I found myself nitpicking more. I give her other stuff a go and try to be fairer :)

That movie scene in Small Island pissed me off too.

On to Lacuna and On Beauty...

22whitewavedarling
jan 21, 2013, 11:24 am

Great to hear that review of Fingersmith--it's been sitting in my tbr shadows for a while, so I'll have to make it more of a priority!

23RidgewayGirl
jan 21, 2013, 12:19 pm

Fingersmith is excellent. Good to know the twists and turns hold up even if you know they're coming.

24lkernagh
jan 22, 2013, 5:11 pm

Great to see Fingersmith was worth the read. I also have that one waiting for me....

25Yells
jan 22, 2013, 10:01 pm

On Beauty by Smith. I liked this one more than White Teeth but I must admit, I really didn't see the point of it. It's the Montagues and Capulets modernised but without any characters to cheer for. Dad is in idiot who can't keep it in his pants. Daughter is one of those annoying people who always thinks they are right and never lets anything go. One son is a moron who jumps on the flavour-of-the-month bandwagon depending on who he is friends with at that time. The other son flits around life never knowing who he is or what he wants. Even mom, who I guess I am supposed to feel sorry for, seems more doormat than anything else. And that is just the Montagues! Smith writes very well but I just can't engage with any of her characters.

26Yells
jan 27, 2013, 5:59 pm

Lacuna by Kingsolver. Loved it and hated it. The beginning sucked me in. I loved reading about Harrison's childhood in Mexico and about his friendship with Frida Kahlo. Once he came back to the US, the book meandered and got bogged down with too many details. I found it a bit of a chore to get through that part but then FBI showed up and I found myself sucked back in again (mostly just because of the absurdity of the whole thing). Overall I enjoyed it. Kingsolver is a brilliantly prolific writer.

27LittleTaiko
jan 27, 2013, 9:35 pm

Hmmm. Good to know about Lacuna - on my list of books to read.

28Yells
jan 29, 2013, 10:13 pm

Hundred Secret Senses by Tan. Wonderful book! It starts off slow but once it gets going, it is a great read. Libby-ah (Olivia) and Kwan are sisters born worlds apart but raised together in the US. The novel chronicles their childhood and adulthood as they slowly grow to understand each other. I love Kwan - she is so full of passion and fire and definitely someone who marches to their own drummer. She sees Yin people (ghosts) and thinks she can communicate with the spirit world although her sister is often sceptical.

29Yells
Redigeret: jan 31, 2013, 10:12 pm

Case Histories by Atkinson. I just couldn't get into Inheritance of Loss (good book but just the wrong time to try) so I did a last minute sub. I enjoyed this one although I think there is just a little too much going on and I was hoping that all the threads would tie together nicely in the end. They were interesting on their own but it was a lot to remember - I had to keep going back and reviewing who was who.

Halfway through Mammoth Cheese which is my last one in this category. Next up is Books that have been made into TV series/movies. I cheated and read The Hobbit early :)

30Yells
Redigeret: jul 21, 2013, 8:22 pm

February: I started the month off by re-reading The Hobbit (saw the movie) and so I figured why not have a month of books that were made into TV shows/series or movies. So I will try to read:

Faceless Killers by Mankell
About a Boy by Hornby
French Lieutenant's Woman by Fowles (for Fowles in February)
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Dick
Like Water for Chocolate by Esquivel
Sweet Hereafter by Banks
Cold Mountain by Frazier
The Beach by Garland
Talented Mr Ripley by Highsmith
Seabiscuit by Hillenbrand
All Quiet of the Western Front by Remarque
Jamaica Inn by du Maurier
Fingersmith by Waters

FINISHED

31Yells
feb 2, 2013, 9:39 pm

Faceless Killers by Mankell. This is the first of the series (and my first time reading him as well). Good story but I must say, I really didn't like Wallander (the main character) and I found that it really coloured the story for me. I will continue on (as my hubby has now bought all the books in this series) but I really hope this git learns to control his temper and stop being a whiny ass.

32Yells
feb 2, 2013, 9:39 pm

About a Boy by Hornby. Loved it. I seriously laughed myself silly. I would never, ever date someone like Will (completely self-absorbed and oblivious) but at the same time, I could totally relate to him. He said things out loud that I have often thought in my head. Hugh Grant was cast perfectly in this role. In fact, I come hear his voice throughout the story and it fit beautifully. The ending was a little weak and perhaps a little too perfect but overall, I enjoyed this one tremendously.

33PawsforThought
feb 3, 2013, 6:22 am

30. I hope you end up reading (and liking) The Beach. I read it about 10 years ago and absolutely loved it. Didn't care much for the movie which Danny Boyle must've had a brain freeze when he made (he's usually great).

34cbl_tn
feb 3, 2013, 6:58 am

The Lacuna and Bel Canto are on the list of books I want to read this year. I haven't tried Ann Patchett before. I hope I connect with her writing. She seems like one of those authors you either love or hate.

35aliciamay
feb 4, 2013, 1:00 pm

I really must read some Hornby. I've really liked the movies based on his books, High Fidelity and About a Boy, and I'm sure the books are even better.

I've been meaning to read The Talented Mr. Ripley too since I've heard nothing but good things about it. Maybe this will be the month...

36Yells
feb 4, 2013, 2:43 pm

33 - The Beach is great so far. I liked the premise of the movie (and so far, the book is quite similar) but I didn't like the casting. DiCaprio is okay now but his older stuff is awful.

34 - I can't say that I am a Patchett convert but I did enjoy Bel Canto more this time than the last time I tried. I read Run a few years ago and really didn't like it.

35 - I also have High Fidelity so I will try to get to that one sooner rather than later. I really hope it's as good.

I am curious about Talented Mr Ripley. I have heard great things about it but I wasn't all that impressed with the movie (although its been years since I watched it so who knows how I would feel about it now).

37PawsforThought
feb 4, 2013, 3:24 pm

36. DiCaprio was in both good and bad stuff back then but The Beach is definitely not good. Everyone was bad in that - even the lovely Guillaume Canet. It was just wrong.

The Talented Mr. Ripley is on my list for most boring movie in the history of everything. I don't remember even finishing it - not even the pretty face of Jude Law could keep me from falling asleep watching that thing.

38whitewavedarling
feb 5, 2013, 6:05 am

I read Garland's novel long before I saw the movie, and I adore the book, but I can on some level appreciate what the movie Tried to do. Some things in the novel just can't be translated into film, but I think the ways that they attempted the translation were interesting, casting aside...

39PawsforThought
feb 5, 2013, 7:08 am

38. I watched the movie first and just thought it was horrendous (this was during my teen years when I loved nearly every movie I watched, so that's saying something). Then I read the book and couldn't for the life of me understand why they'd made the movie that way. The whole Daffy-plot was changed. *Spoiler for those who haven't read or watched*
Rather than everyone else being bonkers, the movie made it out that it was Leo's character (can't remember his name) who'd lost it. Completely the opposite!

40whitewavedarling
feb 5, 2013, 12:53 pm

It's been forever since I've seen the movie, but I think I ended up feeling as if the filmmakers attempted to hold onto all of the themes and loose storyline, but translate it to a new medium. Of course, it also may be that I've re-read and taught the book far too many times, and that I'm just unimaginative when it comes to figuring out how a book can be translated into film when it's as strange as The Beach... Oh my, this conversation is making me want to re-read the book, when I've already read it far too many times!

Oh, and I just have to chime in that I agree that The Talented Mr. Ripley is on my list for the most boring movies also!

41PawsforThought
feb 5, 2013, 1:05 pm

40. I gave up on The Talented Mr Ripley after a scene in some jazz bar where you had to look at Matt Damon listening to jazz for like fifteen minutes. (It felt like 4 hours.)

42Yells
feb 5, 2013, 4:17 pm

It's been years since I watched The Beach but yah, I thought the book was heading in a different direction. I have had quite a few 'wait a minute... that isn't what happened' moments so I am glad my memory is better than I thought. I am about halfway through and really liking it so far. It's definitely making me think.

And thanks... I hated the movie Talented Mr Ripley so I am glad it wasn't just me.

43Yells
feb 6, 2013, 12:20 pm

The Beach by Garland. Yup, much better than the movie. I see that most people likened it to Lord of the Flies and while I can understand why, I don't really see them as being all that similar. Golding was trying to prove that without rules, society would soon break down and people would given in to their basic urges (become savage). But this book starts with a group of people who want to be secluded from the world. Even though there are no formal rules, they still organise themselves into groups to cover the basic tasks and personality conflicts aside (wouldn't it be lovely to choose with we live near?), they succeeded. Garland looks at how realistic and sustainable this kind of thing is. If humans are social creatures, can we mentally survive being shut off from the world? And what happens when new people enter and the dynamic changes? I was a psych major so this kind of thing fascinates me :)

44sandragon
feb 6, 2013, 3:04 pm

I had to go back and read the previous comments about The Beach. They make more sense, now that I've read your review of it. I'd forgotten there was a movie called the same and had no idea it was based on the book. I never had the urge to watch the movie (not a big diCapprio fan, though I have liked some of his movies), but the book sounds great. Onto the wishlist it goes!

45whitewavedarling
feb 6, 2013, 4:49 pm

I'm so glad to see people reading Garland--I always feel like I'm telling people about him (not on LT), and they disregard everything I say as soon as they realize his The Beach was responsible for the movie! I like the distinction you make between his work and Golding's also---I have to say that I just never liked Lord of the Flies. For me, the writing dragged incredibly, and my gut instinct is that it's one of those books which is forced on kids in school, and ends up making them dislike reading :( (Whereas, when I've taught Garland's work, 90% of my students absolutely love it.) I think his The Tesseract is really wonderful too, though I'm never sure what to make of The Coma...

46Yells
feb 6, 2013, 5:54 pm

Thanks... will add Tesseract to my ever expanding wishlist!

I liked LOTF but I found it to be somewhat implausible. You have to have a rather poor view of humans to think that we will descend so quickly into savagery. I think we tend to crave rules more than we realise so in the absence of them, we make our own. You see it on shows like Survivor. There are basic things that need to be done and everyone knows who doesn't pull their weight. These people may make it through the game but unless they are the best of the worst or have some other redemning quality, they aren't generally awarded at the end.

I was taught LOTF in school but would have rather read The Beach!

47PawsforThought
feb 6, 2013, 5:56 pm

46. People are much crueler and sadistic than we usually like to think. You know of Philip Zimbardo's prison experiment, right? If someone told me The Lord of the Flies was based on a 100% true story, I wouldn't even pat an eyelid.

48sandragon
feb 6, 2013, 6:07 pm

I read Lord of the Flies for school and actually liked it. It was one of the first books that showed me how powerful words can be. I remember being so engrossed in the story, and then BAM, at the end suddenly being reminded that these are still only just young boys. They'd grown somehow in my mind, because of the situation they were in, having to try and survive on their own, and their actions.

49Yells
Redigeret: feb 13, 2013, 7:56 am

47 - true enough. I supppose one just needs to open a newspaper to see the cruel things we do to each other. And speaking of cruel things...

Talented Mr Ripley by Highsmith. I totally got sucked into this one. Highsmith created an awesome tale with lots of twists and turns. It reminded me a lot of Rebecca by duMaurier and I quite enjoyed that one too. I was a little apprehensive about it because I loathed the movie but the book is a million times better. I think I will check out Strangers on a Train next (liked that movie!)

50PawsforThought
feb 12, 2013, 5:49 pm

49. Oh, well if the book is that much better than the godawful movie I might be tempted to pick it up myself. Thanks!

51psutto
feb 13, 2013, 4:36 am

reminding you of Rebecca puts it on my list....

52Yells
feb 13, 2013, 10:02 pm

Like Water for Chocolate by Esquivel - odd but really neat as well. I like magical realism so I enjoyed that part of this novel. The storyline was more than a little strange (just tell your mother where to go already) but yet it was rather compelling as well. It's just such a hard novel to define! I saw the movie years ago and liked it so I always wondered about the book.

53cammykitty
feb 13, 2013, 10:46 pm

The Beach does sound interesting, and it's reminding me of some experiments I heard NASA has been running on small, isolated groups of people to see what qualities people would need for extended time in space.

54-Eva-
feb 14, 2013, 1:15 pm

I've seen the Like Water for Chocolate movie as well, rather a long time ago, but it'd be interesting to see what kind of book it was based on.

55Yells
Redigeret: feb 15, 2013, 8:17 am

Sweet Hereafter by Banks - good book but I think I like the movie better. It's rare that I can say that but the movie really captured the mood of a small town experiencing the tragic loss. Of course, I watched the movie first so who knows how I would feel if I read the book first.

56Yells
feb 16, 2013, 8:14 pm

All Quiet on the Western Front by Remarque. What an amazingly powerful novel. One of the few 5* reads I have.

I am young, I am twenty years old; yet I know nothing of life but despair, death, fear, and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow. I see how peoples are set against one another, and in silence, unknowingly, foolishly, obediently, innocently slaying one another. I see that the keenest brains of the world invent weapons and words to make it yet more refined and enduring. And all men of my age, here and over there, throughout the world see these things; all my generation is experiencing these things with me. What would our fathers do if we suddenly stood up and came before them and proffered our account? What do they expect of us if a time ever comes when war is over? Through the years our business has been killing; -- it was our first calling in life. Our knowledge of life is limited to death. What will happen afterwards? And what shall come out of us?

57cammykitty
feb 16, 2013, 9:58 pm

What a powervul quote.

58clfisha
feb 17, 2013, 5:25 am

It's a fanatastically powerful book isn't it?

59Yells
feb 17, 2013, 1:00 pm

Cold Mountain by Frazier. The book is a love story between two unlikely characters. First you have Inman, a soldier who one day while convalescing, decides that war isn't all it's cracked up to be so he leaves and sets out on foot to return to the love of his life. Then there is pampered Ada who loses her father and finds herself penniless. To survive, she goes looking for a servant but instead finds a close friend in Ruby and together they build up the farm. I really loved the strong female characters in this novel. Ada, Ruby and a few others who Inman meets along the way are all more than compable of taking care of themselves. Very well done.

60Yells
feb 17, 2013, 7:33 pm

Jamaica Inn by du Maurier. Lots of murder and intrigue - a good way to spend a lazy afternoon (day two of my 4-day weekend - yippee!). I saw the end coming a mile away but other than that, a fast enjoyable read. Now I am curious about the movie.

61cammykitty
feb 18, 2013, 12:40 am

Looks like you read two good ones yesterday! Eventually I'll read Cold Mountain.

62Yells
feb 18, 2013, 8:49 am

I have a 4-day weekend so I am trying to finish all the half-read books I have lying around!

Seabiscuit by Hillenbrand - I bought this one to give to my mom (she loves horses and racing) but somehow I started reading it which is weird because I have little interest in horse racing. But I found myself cheering for Seabiscuit and Smith and Pollard and Iceman. It's an interesting look at racing in the 30's. I would never want to be a jockey back then!

63Yells
feb 19, 2013, 9:29 am

The Book of Colour by Blackburn (really? Pride and Prejudice comes up for this touchstone?). I have no idea how to even describe this one. It's a rather surreal book about zombies, curses, pigs and racism. Intrigued yet? I liked it. Blackburn is a gifted writer and I quite enjoyed her descriptions of dreams and nightmares. But I can't say I truly understood it all. I think there is a great deal of symbolism in this one and some of it went right over my head.

64Yells
feb 24, 2013, 6:47 pm

Finally finished... Mammoth Cheese by Holman. I started this one back in January and found it rather tedious so it sat on my nightstand for weeks. But this weekend, I decided to plug away and finish it but to my surprise, I enjoyed the second half much more than the first. The ending confused me a bit and felt more than a little rushed (after 450+ pages, why sum things up in a page?) but it was an interesting look at small town life and the things that bring people together.

65Yells
mar 1, 2013, 8:14 am

French Lieutenant's Woman by Fowles. Finished this one just under the wire. It was good but I must say, I enjoyed the author's asides and footnotes more than I enjoyed the actual story. I loved how he managed to step outside the story to chat about whatever (sexuality in the late 1800's for one thing) and then rejoin the story later on. Sometimes this technique can be jarring but he managed to make it rather seamless. Now to watch the movie this weekend and see if it compares.

66Yells
Redigeret: jul 21, 2013, 8:23 pm

March: This month will be an alphabet challenge. I have 13 books where the author's last names start with A, B, C etc.... I will continue on with the other half of the alphabet later on this year at some point.

Invisible by Auster
The Sea by Banville
Elizabeth and After by Cohen
Farming of Bones by Danicat
The Virgin Suicides by Eugenides
The Wars by Findley
The Ringmaster's Daughter by Gaarder
To Live by Hua
When We Were Orphans by Ishiguro
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonasson
The Ha-Ha by King
The Scent of Sake by Lebra
February by Moore

FINISHED

67rabbitprincess
Redigeret: mar 2, 2013, 12:15 pm

Yay, new category! Haha yesterday I was catching up on LT, looked at the calendar and said "Oh, today's the first of March! I wonder what bucketyell's next category will be." :) Looks like an interesting lineup.

68Yells
Redigeret: mar 2, 2013, 12:13 pm

Ha... I woke up this morning, saw the calendar and thought "Crap! What is my new category?"

69rabbitprincess
mar 2, 2013, 12:16 pm

March really came in quickly this year, it seems! Even with February being a short month.

70RidgewayGirl
mar 2, 2013, 4:37 pm

There are quite a few books in that list that I'd like to read your opinion of.

71Yells
mar 3, 2013, 2:01 pm

Invisible by Auster. I think I am an Auster fan. This was my first but now I want to read more. It reminded me of Talented Mr Ripley but it wasn't really the story that was similar, it was more that the character Born reminded me of Ripley; charismatic and charming but with a very dark side. It's a story told in different voices but it's not told by the usual suspects. Adam is the main character and it is his life (or at least, his life as he sees or wants it to be) but the missing parts are filled in by bit characters who he encounters along the way. I really liked that detail because they were somewhat detached from him so their version of events seemed more honest.

Sigh... the horror of finding a new fave author and realising that your TBR pile is never going down... :)

72Yells
mar 3, 2013, 2:02 pm

70 - thanks! I had better get cracking then. One down and 12 more to go (although I did start picking out ones for the rest of the alphabet even though I vowed to myself not too). I need help...

73PawsforThought
mar 3, 2013, 2:56 pm

71. I hope I will be an Auster fan once I get around to actually reading hs works. I bought The New York Trilogy ages ago, intending to read it during a trip but the other book I was reading took so long I never got around to it. So it's just been languishing on a shelf since.

74RidgewayGirl
mar 3, 2013, 4:46 pm

Sigh... the horror of finding a new fave author and realising that your TBR pile is never going down... :)

That brief moment of satisfaction at getting a book off of the TBR utterly overwhelmed by the realization that you've just added a half dozen as a result. Yeah, I don't know anything about that.

75PawsforThought
mar 3, 2013, 5:00 pm

74. Yeah, it's horror and joy rolled into one. There are times when I'm grateful for authors who only push out a new book every ten years or so...

76RidgewayGirl
mar 3, 2013, 7:05 pm

I was thinking that when I picked up the new Jeffrey Eugenides. He writes really slowly, allowing me to keep up with his output without straining the TBR.

77psutto
mar 4, 2013, 7:31 am

some books just fill you with an urge to read everything else by that author don't they, as you say it's a mixed blessing when that happens especially if the author is alive and well and churning them out!

78aliciamay
mar 4, 2013, 12:50 pm

I've already come to terms with the fact that I will be reading a lot more of Auster : ) I really liked The New York Trilogy, so glad to hear Invisible is another good one!

79Yells
mar 9, 2013, 10:46 am

The Sea by Banville. I loved his writing style, especially his descriptions of everything, but I was really confused by the story. He jumps back and forth a lot and I found it rather challenging to keep up. I was reading the Wikipedia blurb afterwards and only then realised that that part with the Graces was in the past (I lost a close family member this week so I will admit that my brain wasn't working at full capacity). I might need to give this one another whirl later on because I think knowing what I know now, I would approach the book differently (and not think the main character was a creepy old man lusting after a young teenager).

80RidgewayGirl
mar 9, 2013, 1:47 pm

I'm sorry for your loss. Are you ok?

81Yells
mar 9, 2013, 2:58 pm

I am okay. This was my mom's only sibling so I am more worried about how she is handling things. My mom lost her parents quite young so her sister was all she had left. We spent a lot of time up north with cousins so we were quite close to my aunt. Thursday was the funeral and I must say, it was a nice service with little tears and lots of reminiscing. When I go, that is what I want.

82Yells
mar 12, 2013, 8:18 am

Elizabeth and After by Cohen. I can't say I was impressed with this one. It was an interesting story but it was one of those books that you put down afterwards and wonder what it was even really about. There were two streams going; before Elizabeth died and then after. It basically chronicles life in a smalltown and highlights how much fun it is to live in a fish bowl so maybe that is why I didn't connect (city mouse that I am).

Farming of the Bones by Danticat. Now this one was great. Disturbing and horrific but great. It looks at a massacre that occurred in the Dominican in the 30's. Haitians were brought over to work the fields but they were never accepted and eventually tensions escalated into violence. It never ceases to amaze me how horrible we can treat each other.

83RidgewayGirl
mar 12, 2013, 11:02 am

Ha! I just got a copy of Elizabeth and After. I hope I'll like it more than you -- I wanted it because it is supposed to draw a great picture of small town Ontario.

84Yells
mar 12, 2013, 12:07 pm

That part it did well! My husband grew up in a small town and he could relate to this one.

Part of my issue I think was that I kept changing my mind about whether I liked a character or not. On the one hand, they were all flawed in some way and I liked that. It's nice to see someone warts and all because you can generally relate to them better but in a typical novel, they usually either stay the bad guy through to the end or they somehow redeem themselves along the way. Or they are the flawed 'good guy'. These characters seemed to be all over the place. Some I hated and then liked... some I hated all along... and some I liked in the beginning but grew tired of them by the end. It was a bit of a rollercoaster ride but by the end, instead of wanting to ride again, I was tired and wanted to go home.

I am really curious to see what your thoughts are!

85GingerbreadMan
mar 12, 2013, 6:03 pm

Catching up a bit here. I tend to be completist with authors I like, so I completely agree with the feeling of mixed blessing when stumbling onto a potential new favorite with a vast back catalogue.

Very sorry for your loss.

86lkernagh
mar 13, 2013, 11:06 pm

I am another one that has Elizabeth and After waiting for me on my TBR bookcase. Can't exactly say why I bought it and I doubt that I will get around to it anytime soon by your comment It basically chronicles life in a smalltown and highlights how much fun it is to live in a fish bowl so maybe that is why I didn't connect has struck a cord with me. Makes me curious to check it out.

87Yells
mar 16, 2013, 11:02 am

I have just started my husband-free weekend by finishing two rather good reads.

Virgin Suicides by Eugenides. I was rather surprised at how different this one was from Middlesex. I love finding authors who can write about many different things and do justice to them all. This one looks at the decline of a rather ordinary family. At first, they were that mysterious family on the street who kept to themselves but did enough odd things to make them a constant topic of gossip. Then, as the family began to interact with society more, the family dynamic began to decline and slowly the daughters committed suicide. It is a rather complex novel that asks more questions than it answers.

Ringmaster's Daughter by Gaarder. I just love the fantastical stories that this man writes. Sophie's World has got to be one of my favourite books (just because it is such an inventive, magical story). This one was not the same calibre but enjoyable nonetheless. The main character was a rather narcissistic individual but he could spin a good yarn so I could forgive him for his arrogance. He reminded me of Big Bang Theory's Sheldon except his gift was stories (and I loves me some Sheldon). He starts a black market of story ideas and makes a rather successful living at it. But people soon realise that having this fount of ideas readily available means that you don't have to do much in the way of thinking yourself and soon his little project turns into a dangerous game. It also leaves a lot unanswered but I think that adds to the story.

88Yells
mar 16, 2013, 4:18 pm

To Live By Hua. Thank you Secret Santa for bringing me this gem! Fugui starts off as a rich, spoiled brat who feels the world is his playground and all the people in it his puppets (this is a guy who is married with a kid on the way who would make a prostitute piggyback him home after sex). One day, he shames his family by gambling away the family fortune and he spends the rest of the novel trying to repent for his sins. He slowly learns what life is really about and how fragile it all is. I laughed and cried and then laughed and cried some more.

89RidgewayGirl
mar 16, 2013, 6:43 pm

Jeffrey Eugenides has become one of my favorites. I just finished The Marriage Plot. It's entirely different from either of his other two books.

And isn't SantaThing the best?

90Yells
Redigeret: mar 17, 2013, 10:28 pm

I need to read The Marriage Plot. I know I have taken it out of the library but returned it for lack of time. Must add that back to the list!

I read How Should a Person Be? today and I am mixed. It is definitely not my type of book - I am not a fan of the whole stream-of-consciousness thing and while I am certainly not a prude, I found this one to be a little over the top (having a Nazi crap on you in a dumpster? Seriously.. who thinks that kind of thing up?) But I will admit, I was vaguely compelled to finish it and in the end, I found it to be an okay read. The characters irritated me with all their 'who am I?' and 'why do we exist?' ramblings but there was a small thread in there that I found I could relate too. It's kind of like seeing a child's finger painting hanging in an art gallery and alternating between laughing at the absurdity of it all and not being able to take your eyes off it because it continually draws you in.

I also finished The Wars by Findley and really liked it. It's been a rather hard month as I now have a second funeral to go to this week (a friend of the family) so I am in a rather odd mood. I was going to read Fforde for my F title but just don't think that I am in the right frame of mind to really enjoy it so my tastes are running more towards the darker side of things. And there isn't much darker than war. This one is a war story told from a Canadian soldier's point-of-view (interesting contrast to All Quiet on the Western Front which I read earlier this year). It is my first Findley (which is a horrifying thing for a Canadian to admit!) but not my last.

91Yells
mar 18, 2013, 11:18 am

Lamb by Nadzam. After reading Lolita, this one really paled in comparison. It is perhaps unfair to compare the two but since the stories were so similar, it was hard not to. This one was Lolita Light but without the brilliance (and without the sexual abuse). I think Nadzam has talent but perhaps a different type of book would have highlighted that more. Overall I found the whole thing to be rather unsettling but not in a 'let's read more' kind of way. I just wanted it to be finished so I could move on to something else.

92rabbitprincess
mar 18, 2013, 5:07 pm

I am sorry for your losses. Hope that books can provide some solace.

93Yells
mar 20, 2013, 12:18 pm

Red Book by Kogan. Dumb. A slightly more literary Real Housewives of Boston.

94-Eva-
mar 20, 2013, 1:03 pm

Sorry you had a bad read, but that's a hilarious description, so thanks for the laugh and for taking the bullet! :)

95Yells
mar 22, 2013, 12:12 pm

The Ha-Ha by King. Somehow this one sat unread on my shelf since 2005 and now I am regretting that decision because it was great! Howard is a vet who suffered a blow to the head in Vietnam and now cannot talk or write (but has cards that state he is of normal intelligence!). As he bumbles through life in a house with some rather odd-ball characters, his old girlfriend drops off her young son to stay for the summer while she is in rehab. After years of calling it in, Howie now gets a new lease on life and re-discovers what it is like to really live.

96Yells
mar 23, 2013, 4:57 pm

February by Moore. Another awesome book. This is a fictionalised account of an oil rig that went down in Newfoundland in the 80's. It looks at a young mother who lost her husband and it flips back and forth from life before the accident and life afterwards as she tries to rebuild. Very well done.

97RidgewayGirl
mar 23, 2013, 5:00 pm

I really liked February as well.

98Yells
mar 26, 2013, 11:50 am

The Forrests by Perkins. I am counting it as I made it through 200 pages but man, what a chore. Not impressed at all and really didn't care what happened to any of the characters.

99Yells
Redigeret: mar 30, 2013, 12:01 am

When We Were Orphans by Ishiguro - started off slowly but picked up as it went along. I swear, this man could write a phone book and I'd read it and enjoy. He is another author who can write about so many different topics and do them justice.

100RidgewayGirl
mar 29, 2013, 10:04 pm

Which Ishiguro would you suggest to someone who hasn't read anything by him?

101Yells
Redigeret: mar 30, 2013, 7:37 am

Remains of the Day is my favourite although Never Let Me Go is good too (disturbing but well done). Both movies are great as well now that I think about it!

Orphans is about a white boy growing up in Shanghai. His parents go missing and this haunts him enough that when he gets older, he becomes a rather famous detective and goes looking for answers.

102Yells
Redigeret: mar 30, 2013, 12:08 am

Scent of Sake by Lebra. I needed a light read today and this one fit the bill. This one takes place in the early 1800's and is about a sake brewery in Japan. Rie is a head-strong female who is married off to someone the family sees fit to take over the business. Turns out she has more business acumen than her rather useless husband so she spends her time running the business while he runs around getting geisha pregnant. It was rather fluffy at times and it lacked some of the historical information that would have made it a great book but for a lazy Friday morning, it was enjoyable.

103PawsforThought
mar 30, 2013, 6:39 am

101. Never Let Me Go is a really good movie. I didn't think I would like it but I did - nice surprise. Great acting. I haven't read the book (or any of Ishiguro's) so can't make any judgement on that but the story is great and I recommend the movie for anyone interested.

104Yells
Redigeret: jul 21, 2013, 8:23 pm

Now I am two books behind... but other shiny ones kept calling my name! Oh well, I still have 9 months to catch up.

April: this month is all about learnin' and stuff. I have 2 ARC non-fiction books so I will add another 11 to the pile and make it a non-fiction month.

Wordstruck by MacNeil
The Smart Woman's Guide to Eating Right with Diabetes.
The Real Toy Story by Clark
Lead Us Into Temptation by Twitchell
The Fortune Cookie Chronicles by Lee
Paths of Desire by Browning
How To Tell If Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You by The Oatmeal
God's Doodle by Hickman
Do Americans Shop Too Much? by Schor
Howards End is on the Landing by Hill
Suburban Nation by Duany
Witches, Midwives & Nurses by Ehrenreich
Yokohama Yankee by Helm

FINISHED

105Yells
apr 6, 2013, 8:17 pm

I have so many Orange nominees out of the library right now that I am taking a brief break to read some of them. The People of Forever Are Not Afraid by Boianjiu - I am really surprised by this one because when I read the summary I thought I would hate this book. But somehow, despite the depressing subject matter, I quite enjoyed it. It's about a group of three young women growing up in Israel as they leave high school and get conscripted into the army. At times they are gossiping about boys and sneaking off to the mall and then other times they are conducting drills with assault rifles and searching for suicide bombers. The whole thing was highly disturbing but yet the author did a good job at presenting it.

106Yells
Redigeret: apr 7, 2013, 11:37 pm

Finished Gone Girl by Flynn and Where'd You Go, Bernadette and enjoyed both. I think I am finally on a roll with Orange books! I am not sure why Gone Girl is on the list but it is a great thriller. It's about a woman who disappears on her 5-year anniversary and of course, her husband becomes the prime suspect. But things are not what they seem and then the roller coaster ride begins. I must say, the ending was a little odd but the twists and turns kept me frantically reading page after page.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Semple. This was another odd book and one I never would have read had it not been nominated. It's also about the disappearance of someone; in this case, Bernadette, stressed out mother and wife. It's told in the form of emails, letters and transcripts with excerpts from other characters injected in. Her gifted daughter is set to go to boarding school and as a reward for her good grades, she wants to go to Antarctica with her parents. Bernadette is trying to deal with nosy neighbours, her increasing anxiety (as well as a concerned husband who wants her committed) and an internet scam that she innocently wandered into so needless to say, the last thing she wants to do is go on a trip. So she does want anyone would do... she disappears. At times both fun and sad, this is a novel about sorting through the crap in life and figuring out what it is really all about.

107RidgewayGirl
apr 7, 2013, 8:59 pm

I never would have considered reading Where'd You Go, Bernadette, except the Tournament of Books made it sound intriguing. I'm waiting to get it from the library.

Gone Girl was unputdownable for me. I like unsympathetic characters.

108LittleTaiko
apr 9, 2013, 11:41 am

I'm waiting on Where'd You Go, Bernadette from the library as well - it sounds like it's well worth the wait.

109Yells
Redigeret: jul 14, 2013, 10:55 am

The Real Toy Story by Clark - if I had kids, I'd be feeling rather duped right about now. This is a rather high-level look at the toy industry, what it takes to discover the next big thing and the lengths companies will go to market their wares. Fascinating and scary at the same time.

Suburban Nation by Duany - and then if the first book didn't make me want to check out of the human race, I read this one and learned all about how city design, in large part, isolates people from each other. Things are a little different here in Canada because we all tend to congregate around the border so you don't find a lot of gated communities and sprawling lots (no space unless you are rich). Personally, I can't think of a worse place to live then a gated community an hour away from work but I can see the appeal for some. The book does a really good job at deconstructing the arguments for living in the 'burbs and showing how they just don't work. Very well done.

110rabbitprincess
apr 12, 2013, 6:40 pm

>109 Yells:: I read Suburban Nation in high school and it was an eye-opener for me. Not that I particularly enjoyed living in the suburbs, but it articulated what I didn't like about the suburbs and crystallized my desire to live in a city with good public transit. (Some might argue that Ottawa is a laggard in that department but it is a lot more functional than what I left behind.)

111Yells
apr 13, 2013, 10:02 pm

Fortune Cookie Chronicles by Lee - this reads like a series of vignettes about Chinese food, fortune cookies and all things in between. Some of the chapters were a little odd and didn't seem to fit the flow but overall, it was an interesting look at where fortune cookies actually came from (not China) and which country has the best Chinese food (again, not China).

Paths of Desire by Browning - I am so not a gardener but long to have a green thumb so sometimes I live vicariously through others. This is a memoir about a woman who loses her garden (thanks to her unthinking neighbours and a weak retaining wall) and decides to re-build not only the garden but her life as well. An enjoyable way to spend a rainy afternoon.

112Yells
apr 13, 2013, 10:09 pm

110 - Ottawa is paradise compared to Kitchener! Our major thinks throwing billions to build an over-priced LRT system that won't go anywhere is the answer to our woefully inadequate transit problem. It's sad when I can get in my car and drive to Toronto in half the time it would take for a train to get me there. Our buses and trains just don't go anywhere!

113Yells
Redigeret: apr 15, 2013, 9:26 pm

Flight Behaviour by Kingsolver - now here is an Orange nominee that I can fully endorse. I really, really liked this one. Dellarobia had plans for her life that didn't include living paycheque to paycheque in the rural south with two kids and husband she may or may not love. One day she has enough and runs away. But as she runs, she stumbles upon a site that stops her cold. Thanks to changing weather patterns, Monarch butterflies are blown off course and end up wintering on her land. Soon, people from all around the world are travelling to this small town to either witness the miracle or study the bugs to see whether they will make it. Dellarobia soon finds herself changed in ways that she never imagined.

114LittleTaiko
apr 15, 2013, 3:26 pm

I've been curious about Flight Behaviour so am glad to see your positive revew. I'll have to get to it sooner than planned.

115Yells
apr 23, 2013, 12:44 pm

The Smart Woman's Guide to Eating Right with Diabetes. I am not diabetic yet but have other issues that could lead to it (and a history of it in my family) so I was curious about this one. It's a nice mix of helpful tips and personal experiences.

116Yells
apr 23, 2013, 12:47 pm

Wordstruck by MacNeil. This is a wonderful memoir of a boy and his books. I loved the way he talked about how words affected him.

117Yells
apr 25, 2013, 12:02 pm

May We Be Forgiven by Homes - if you asked me why I liked this book, I honestly wouldn't be able to tell you. It is long and odd and it got stranger as it went on but yet I laughed and cried and loved it.

118Yells
apr 27, 2013, 10:53 pm

How To Tell If Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You by The Oatmeal - cute but not as funny as I thought it would be

God's Doodle by Hickman - heh, all the things I never knew about the penis

119Yells
apr 29, 2013, 2:39 pm

NW by Smith - turned out better than I expected. I liked the circular flow of the book and how things all became interconnected. I didn't like how I got invested in one set of characters and then had to move on. I am still not a huge fan but this is my fave Smith so far.

120Yells
maj 2, 2013, 7:52 pm

Yokohama Yankee by Helm - part history and part memoir but written with the excitement of a good fictional family saga. This is a look at five generations of a mixed race family and all their ups and downs as they try to fit in in Japan and the US. Very well done.

121Yells
maj 3, 2013, 7:24 pm

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Dick. I don't normally read sci-fi so I am thinking that something passed right over my head with this one. I liked it but I feel like there is something profound that alluded me; something that connects all the weird randomness. I will have to google and see what I missed.

122Yells
maj 6, 2013, 9:20 am

Howards End is on the Landing by Hill - I really don't need to read another book full of interesting suggestions for new books to read. :)

123Yells
Redigeret: aug 2, 2013, 8:55 am

Three more April books to read and May is well underway! I think May's category will be:

May: Books that Contain Words. I have too many things lying around half read and they don't really fit into a specific category so I think it's time for a random grab-bag.

The Painter of Battles by Perez-Reverte
High Fidelity by Hornby
Wasp Factory by Banks
Camel Bookmobile by Hamilton
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Chabon
Then We Came to the End by Ferris
Paris Enigma by de Santis
The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Durrow
Story of O by Reage
Uh-Oh by Fulghum
All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Fulghum
Calculated in Death by Robb
Heaven is Real by Burpo

FINISHED

124RidgewayGirl
maj 6, 2013, 1:29 pm

You made it all the way to May before having a random category. Well done!

125Yells
maj 6, 2013, 9:08 pm

I held off as long as I could :)

126Yells
maj 6, 2013, 11:35 pm

Do Americans Shop too Much? by Schor - this is an odd collection of essays about consumerism. The first part is Juliet Schnor's brief essay about the dangers of spending, part two is rebuttal essays from others (although they do sometimes agree) and then part three is her response to the criticism.

127cammykitty
maj 7, 2013, 3:17 am

Ooooo!!! Glad to know that How to know if your cat is plotting to kill you is 1. a real book and 2. really funny. I saw the photo of the guy reading that book and the plotting cat that has been floating around. ROFL.

128Yells
Redigeret: maj 9, 2013, 10:14 am

Witches, Midwives & Nurses by Ehrenreich & English. One of the first things published by Ehrenereich - it's a brief history of women healers. She continues it in another book I am in the middle of called For Her Own Good. Interesting stuff.

129Yells
maj 10, 2013, 6:00 pm

Lead Us Into Temptation by Twitchell. A little dated (written in 1999) but fascinating nonetheless. This is a look at consumerism/materialism. It's interesting to compare what is happening with what he thought would happen.

130Yells
Redigeret: maj 12, 2013, 9:39 am

The Painter of Battles by Perez-Reverte. First of all, I loved PR's writing. He is so descriptive with his prose (and the translator is wonderful if there is one). I was going to start the Captain Alatriste series now that I have the first one but something made me choose this stand-alone one instead. It started slowly but once it got going, it was quite good. The painter of battles is a man who spent his life travelling to war-torn countries photographing all kinds of horrors. He tells himself that he is documenting these things for good reason but later on, after he retires and takes up painting, someone who once photographed comes into his life and they both start to question everything they have done.

High Fidelity by Hornby. I loved About a Boy so I had high hopes for this one. It was good but I was mildly annoyed by Cusack's face on the cover. I haven't seen the movie but just can't imagine an American playing the role of Rob as well as say someone like Simon Peg (if he were around when the movie came out). I mean, Hugh Grant NAILED it in About a Boy and that was in part due to the fact that the producers remained true to the book, location and all. I am curious about the movie HF but I think I might now be irritated by it after reading the book.

This is a story about a bumbling moron who slides through life and never really appreciates what he has. He feels like a failure because instead of a 'real' job, he owns a fledgling record shop (one that has been around for many years and seems to be doing okay but he doesn't see this). His girlfriend gets tired of all his whinging and leaves him for someone else. This then becomes a tipping point in his life. He starts to question, in his own hilariously bumbling way, why he does the things that he does and he starts to change a little. This one reminded me of The Ha-Ha by King.

131cammykitty
maj 12, 2013, 12:12 am

I love the movie, High Fidelity, so I'll be interested to hear what you thought of the book. Witches, Midwives & Nurses oh my! Sounds interesting.

132Yells
Redigeret: maj 12, 2013, 9:43 am

I typed up a blurb for both books and the computer ate it so I gave myself a time-out :)

I love Ehrenreich so I was curious about WMN. It's only about a hundred pages or so and it just touches on the history of women healers but it's a neat little book. For Her Own Good was written a few years later and it expands everything into an actual book.

133Yells
Redigeret: maj 12, 2013, 9:55 am

Wasp Factory by Banks. Where to start? Frank is a 17-year-old boy growing up in rural Scotland. He loves to behead animals (and blow up rabbits), kill his relatives (but that was when he was younger and going through a phase) and when he needs advice, he turns to his wasp factory, a device he created to tortures wasps in various ways and apparently divine the future by the method of their death. His brother has escaped from a mental hospital (he is considered the crazy one) and is slowly making his way home much to the dismay of the town folk who are finally able to have pets again. The whole thing culminates with one of the strangest endings I have ever read in a book. But yet, despite its weirdness, I actually liked it. And found myself mildly amused by Frank and his antics. I think Banks is a lot like Nabokov in that way. Both have an amazing ability to write about vile people and then make you almost like them.

134Yells
maj 12, 2013, 7:28 pm

The Camel Bookmobile by Hamilton. Had this not been a Harper Perennial book, I wouldn't have purchased it because it's not my type of novel. It is a fictionalised account of an actual service called the Camel Bookmobile. This is a roaming library that brings books to rural areas. It's an okay book but to be honest, I found the characters flat and one-dimensional. The story was rather predictable yet somewhat interesting.

My beef: I get rather irritated with books about people who travel around to so-called third world countries 'educating' others. Don't get me wrong, some people do important work and definitely strive to make a difference so I am not against help in general. But in this case, the aim is to bring westernised books to rural parts of Kenya and I fail to see how reading The Cat in the Hat is going to help people with growing crops and obtaining clean water. Yes, it will help them learn English but what does that do? It encourages people to have dreams beyond the community they live in and I am not sure that enticing young kids away is the best way to deal with the issues they have. It gives people a choice I suppose but it is a choice with a high cost attached.

135DeltaQueen50
maj 12, 2013, 10:40 pm

I enjoyed your review of The Wasp Factory as I read it a couple of years ago, and it left quite an impression on me. I don't want to sound weird, but I really liked it. I haven't read anything else by Banks but since I was so taken with The Wasp Factory I should.

136christina_reads
maj 16, 2013, 2:56 pm

@ 130 -- I really liked High Fidelity, both book and movie. I would encourage you to give the movie a chance...they DID change the setting from London to Chicago, but otherwise the film adaptation is pretty faithful. Of course, I'm a Cusack fan (at that period in his career, anyway), so I'm a bit biased!

137GingerbreadMan
maj 16, 2013, 3:43 pm

I've read many books by Banks, but nothing quite compares to the force of this debut. Not all of his books are this stark -even if they often have some weird streak to them. For something rather different, try Whit. Or his sci-fi!

138Yells
maj 17, 2013, 8:53 pm

I love Cusack too! But the whole time reading, I heard Simon Peg's voice. I probably will see the movie at some point but I do hate when producers change something that seems to be rather integral to the plot (of course, it could be just me who sees it integral - having been to London many, many times, I could just feel the city in the book).

I will definitely read more Banks. He has me very intrigued!

Then We Came to the End by Ferris. I was expecting Office Space but instead I got a story that made me laugh and cry and cringe. It was good but it felt like the author was trying to be too many things at the same time. It's basically a story about office life and all the different personalities that must find a way to mesh together. It started off funny but then moved into deeper subjects. It's enjoyable to anyone who has found themselves a cubicle-dweller at one point in their life - when you start assigning real life names to characters, you know you are in trouble!

The Paris Enigma by de Santis. Similar to The Alienist in flavour. It's a murder-mystery set around the 1889 Paris World Fair and the building of the Eiffel Tower. A group of world-class detectives gather together and soon find themselves investigating a murder of one of their own. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon in bed with a cold.

139Yells
maj 18, 2013, 10:29 am

Miss Garnet's Angel by Vickers. I must say, I loved all the descriptions about Venice but the main character rather annoyed me. I get that this was supposed to be somewhat of a rebirth for her, but she really didn't seem to learn much along the way. And she didn't treat her new friends well either. Enjoyable but I am glad to move on to the next one.

140Yells
maj 18, 2013, 10:37 pm

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Chabon. Finally finished and quite enjoyed it. I had no idea what it was about before starting so really didn't know what to expect. But who can find fault with a book that combines history, comics and magic?

141Yells
maj 19, 2013, 12:16 pm

The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Durrow. I really liked this one. It is about a young girl who loses her family and comes to live with her grandma. She is biracial and struggling to figure out where she belongs in a world that is still not quite ready to accept her. The story flips back to her mothers diary and highlights the struggles that her mom felt with prejudice as well.

This stupid spring cold has given me lots of time to read. I guess it's good for something!

142Yells
maj 19, 2013, 9:58 pm

A Marriage Made in Heaven or Too Tired for an Affair by Bombeck. Even though I am in the middle of a few books, I needed a light-hearted tub read and this one seemed to call out for me. I read all her stuff years ago and it made me giggle then. And now that I have been married for a number of years, I related a little more to this one.

143Yells
maj 20, 2013, 10:12 pm

Story of O by Reage. I was rather mixed with my reaction so I went on-line to see what others thought. I do understand how risqué this was coming out in 1950. It really was miles ahead of its time because really, who wrote about BDSM then? Fifty Shades (as horrible as it is) is just bringing that subject out of the closet now! The writing style was great and the language used was actually rather subdued comparatively speaking so it really is less porn and more erotic literature.

Just a warning... while the overall nature of the book is well known, my comments to follow are spoilers....

My problem with it, and I guess my problem with BDSM in general, is about consent. I get that the premise is that submissive actually has the power in the relationship because they ultimately choose if and when they wish to stop. I suppose for the garden-variety part-time BDSM participant, this works. But in this case, this was an overall, all-consuming lifestyle choice. O, while being told she could say no at any time, was completely infatuated with Rene and went along with everything because she felt that that was the only way to keep him. Sure she has a choice but really, what kind of choice is it? My boss gives me projects all the time and I have the choice of whether to do them or not. But if I don't, I won't have a job much longer. Rene asks her if she is okay with things but since he has tremendous power over her to begin with, she goes along with it all for fear of losing him.

I also had a big problem with Rene. He continually says that he loves her but the whole time he seems to view her as a psychological experiment. He sells her to the highest bidder (Sir Stephen) because he claims that he isn't strong enough to handle her conversion but I think it was more that he wanted to be a passive observer. He was prominent in the beginning but by the end, he almost becomes part of the furniture as he watches from the sidelines.

O starts off the novel with no name and by the end, she doesn't even have a personality. It is presented as if she is okay with everything that occurs but really, does someone being brainwashed know that they are being brainwashed? How does one really know what she wanted until after she is removed from the situation and can verify things for herself? Apparently the author wrote this as a love story for her boyfriend and that makes me really sad.

144Yells
Redigeret: aug 2, 2013, 8:44 am

June: Since I am ahead of schedule (first time for everything!), I will start my next category a little early. I am about 17 books shy of hitting the 200 mark for the 1001 Books to Read Before you Die challenge so I will concentrate on those this month and see if I can't edge a little closer.

Wolf Hall by Mantel
Confederacy of Dunces by Toole
Miss Smilia's Feeling for Snow by Hoeg
Moon Palace by Auster
Strait by the Gate by Gide
Portnoy's Complaint by Roth
The Namesake by Lahiri
Kestrel for a Knave by Hines
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Diaz
The Fox by Lawrence
Life and Times of Michael K by Coetzee
Disgrace by Coetzee
Cloud Atlas by Mitchell

FINISHED

145cammykitty
maj 21, 2013, 5:52 am

Hmmmm... I pearl ruled Kavalier and Clay. You are tempting me to pick it up again. Real magic? or 'real' magic?

146Yells
maj 21, 2013, 9:19 pm

All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Fulghum. Light and fun and just the right thing to read at 2am when you are wide awake for the second night in a row and desperately craving sleep. I read this one years ago and liked it. And found that it still holds true.

145 - magic as in Houdini, card tricks and disappearing bodies! I did find the book to be long so I can see how someone would lose interest (as I look around at all the long, unfinished books on my shelf) but what I liked best about it was that Chabon took a mish-mash of stuff that I know little about (comics, history, magic etc) and brought it all together in a fascinating way.

147lkernagh
maj 21, 2013, 9:52 pm

> 146 - My folks have that one by Fulghum and I keep forgetting to read it when I go to visit them! I really need to try to remember on my next trip home. ;-)

148mathgirl40
maj 21, 2013, 10:07 pm

Just catching up on all your reviews! I really liked the Hi Fidelity movie but haven't read the book yet. Wasp Factory is another that sounds intriguing.

149Yells
maj 26, 2013, 9:48 am

Uh-Oh by Fulghum. Another little, quick read.

Silver Linings Playbook by Quick. To be honest, I am not sure which I like better; the movie or the book. That never happens! I think Jennifer Lawrence made the movie and the producers added an edge to it that wasn't in the book (my morose, sarcastic side related well to this part). But the book was great as well. They were just presented differently but both were believable and enjoyable.

150Yells
Redigeret: jun 2, 2013, 12:45 pm

Life After Life by Atkinson. Loved the premise but I found it rather annoying after awhile. It reminded me a lot of Time Traveler's Wife but I think I liked that one a little bit better.

151-Eva-
jun 1, 2013, 9:06 pm

->133 Yells:
I have Wasp Factory waiting on Mt. TBR. "one of the strangest endings I have ever read in a book" bodes well!! :)

->143 Yells:
I got halfway through Story of O and meant to pick it up again, but I still remember that queasy feeling I got from it. I will try again - some day.

152Yells
jun 2, 2013, 7:19 pm

Wolf Hall by Mantel. I am sure 50% of this one went right over my head but it was fascinating nonetheless. I made full use of the handy-dandy tutored read from last year (75 books thread) to give myself a crash course in Tudor history (thanks for that!). I will now start the next one...

Strait is the Gate by Gide. A short yet powerful read to finish the day. This is a sad little tale of unfulfilled love.

153Yells
Redigeret: jun 9, 2013, 9:37 am

Portnoy's Complaint by Roth. What did you get when you take a man obsessed with his penis, add in some residual Jewish guilt leftover from overbearing parents and a profound fear of sexually transmitted diseases? One of the more interesting books I have read this read. Not sure whether to laugh at the poor schmuck or be very, very happy that I never dated him!

154-Eva-
jun 11, 2013, 11:22 pm

I remember loving Portnoy's when I read it at Uni - it's absolutely on the to-reread pile!

155Yells
jun 12, 2013, 12:01 pm

I alternated between love and horror! I just wanted to pat him on the head and whisper 'you poor idiot... wait until you grow up'. I am in the middle of Confederacy of Dunces and I see a lot of similarities.

156-Eva-
jun 12, 2013, 5:26 pm

->155 Yells:
Those two are a very interesting combo! :)

157Yells
jun 22, 2013, 10:23 pm

Confederacy of Dunces by Toole. I have finally finished this one. Interesting but exhausting! I gotta admit, as horrible as Ignatius was, I actually felt bad for him at times. Mr Levy reminded me of that boss that George had on Seinfeld. I totally pictured him the whole time I was reading. And now that I think about it, Mrs Reilly could be Estelle...

158Yells
jun 24, 2013, 10:12 pm

Moon Palace by Auster. I am fast becoming an Auster fan. It was weird at times and over-the-top but I couldn't stop reading.

The Namesake by Lahiri. Proof that she can write a good full-length story as well! I think overall, I liked her short stories a bit better - they seemed more complex with greater depth. But this story made me angry, happy and sad. Will have to get her other one out of the library now...

159cammykitty
jun 24, 2013, 10:56 pm

Must read Lahiri some day!

160Yells
jun 25, 2013, 8:21 am

I'd be happy to mooch both to you if you want. They are in one volume.

The Nose by Gogol. After reading The Namesake, I had to read something by Gogol. What a neat short story!

161rabbitprincess
jun 25, 2013, 4:35 pm

>160 Yells:: Isn't it! We studied that story in one of my first-year English classes and it is still probably one of the weirdest stories I've ever read :)

162Yells
Redigeret: sep 18, 2013, 10:00 am

Since I keep getting sidetracked by other books (damn Amazon and library), I am just going to set the rest of my categories and go from there. I am still focusing on stuff I own because I really need to get a handle on the TBR problem.

July: All things Canadiana in honour of Canada Day (thank you long weekend!)

Boys in the Trees by Swan
Just Gone by Kowalski
Empty Room by Davis
Fixer-Upper by Eliot
The Search Angel by Cohen
Caught by Moore
Small Ceremonies by Shields
The Box Garden by Shields
The Bull is Not Killed by Dearing
A Celibate Season by Shields/Howard
Falling Angels by Gowdy
Going Home Again by Bock
A Bird's Eye by Fagan

FINISHED

163Yells
Redigeret: okt 6, 2013, 7:22 pm

August: Alphabet Challenge (continued). These would be authors names that end in whatever letter. I ended at M last time so now it's N - Z

N - Lamb by Nadzam
O - Zombie by Oates
P - The Forrests by Perkins
Q - Silver Linings Playbook by Quick
R - Insurgent by Roth
S - Burgess Boys by Strout
T - The Hobbit by Tolkien
U - Into the Beautiful North by Urrea
V - Enchanted April by Von Arnim
W - Here is New York by White
X - A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers by Xiaolu
Y - Throwaway Daughter by Ye
Z - The Book Thief by Zusak

FINISHED

164Yells
Redigeret: dec 2, 2013, 11:01 pm

September: Biographies, autobiographies, memoirs and the such. I am apparently curious about other people as I have a ton of this stuff (yet I haven't read much... curious)

Imperfect Harmony by Horn
The Godfather was a Girl ... And Blanche Dubois Was a Guy by Evans
Still Life With Chickens by Goldhammer
Under the Table by Darling
A Marriage Made in Heaven or Too Tired for an Affair by Bombeck
Hijacked: How Your Brain Is Fooled by Food by Kessler
Orange is the New Black by Kerman
The Hunger: A Story of Food, Desire and Ambition by DeLucie
iDisorder by Rosen
1982 by Ghomeshi
The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World by Veness
This Book is Overdue! by Johnson
Enough: Breaking Free From the World of Excess by Nash

FINISHED

165Yells
Redigeret: nov 3, 2013, 11:33 am

October: The real oldies... these are the things that are covered in dust and have been languishing around my house forever. Poor things need to be read and moved on to new homes (where hopefully they will be treasured and not languish for another decade or two).

Peony in Love by See
The Condition by Haigh
Turtle Valley by Anderson-Dargatz
Spot of Bother by Haddon
Miss Garnet's Angel by Vickers

Since I am in the middle of packing up all my books to move, finishing this category is proving a little difficult so I will just finish off with library books to make it easier.

Emancipation Day by Grady
Son of a Certain Woman by Johnston
Minister Without Portfolio by Winter
Kicking the Sky by De Sa
Tap on the Window by Barclay
Extraordinary by Gilmour
Thankless in Death by Robb
W is for Wasted by Grafton

FINISHED

166Yells
Redigeret: sep 16, 2013, 10:39 am

November: In honour of the Giller and GG Award, I will read award-winning/nominated books (any kind of award)

NW by Smith
How Should a Person Be? by Heti
The Red Book by Kogan
Flight Behaviour by Kingsolver
The People of Forever are Not Afraid by Boianjiu
May We Be Forgiven by Homes
Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Semple
Gone Girl by Flynn
The Light Between Oceans by Stedmsn
The Little Stranger by Waters
Bring Up the Bodies by Mantel
We So Seldom Look On Love by Gowdy
Transatlantic by McCann

FINISHED

167Yells
Redigeret: sep 1, 2013, 11:07 pm

December: Library books...

Americanah by Adichie
Only Time Will Tell by Archer
Sins of the Father by Archer
Best Kept Secret by Archer
The Ophelia Cut by Lescroart
Lolita by Nabokov
Divergent by Roth
Six Years by Coben
Wedding Night by Kinsella
Sisterland by Sittenfeld
Long Way Down by Hornby
How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Hamid
Sea Change by White

FINISHED

168Yells
jun 29, 2013, 8:16 pm

A Kestrel for a Knave by Hines. A 1001 book and quite enjoyable. It's about a young boy growing in a Yorkshire mining town who finds and trains a hawk.

169Yells
jun 29, 2013, 9:20 pm

The Fox by Lawrence. This short novella had me until the end - I thought this one would end much differently.

170mamzel
jun 30, 2013, 4:35 pm

Sounds like you have the rest of your reading year laid out for you. I look forward to seeing what dust-covered books you dig up.

171-Eva-
jun 30, 2013, 7:21 pm

->168 Yells:
I loved the movie-version of that when I was a kid and I know I have a copy of the book somewhere - gots to get to reading. :)

172Yells
jun 30, 2013, 10:16 pm

I was looking for the movie in our local video store - it has all kinds of stuff new and old and sadly, not that one. Will have to do some digging as it looks like a good movie!

173-Eva-
jul 2, 2013, 11:25 pm

I just had a look-see and that movie seems quite impossible to find. Except, some kind soul has put it up on youtube!

174Yells
jul 3, 2013, 11:51 am

Sweet! Thanks for investigating that Sherlock :)

175Yells
jul 3, 2013, 12:04 pm

Imperfect Harmony by Horn. Loved it! It's about a young woman and her experiences in a choir. Its the perfect mix of musical history and memoir.

176Yells
jul 5, 2013, 11:10 pm

Summer Daydreams by Matthews. I can usually count on Matthews to deliver a light, fluffy summer read but this one was definitely not her best. Annoyingly stupid characters, unlikely situations and tons of loose ends flying all over the place.

177cbl_tn
jul 5, 2013, 11:40 pm

I loved Imperfect Harmony too! It brought back lots of pleasant memories of my choir days.

178Yells
jul 7, 2013, 1:38 pm

Life and Times of Michael K by Coetzee. I just love this author! He has the ability to so completely immerse the reader in the novel. I only came up for air when I turned the last page and realised the ride was over. I will move Disgrace up the list.

177 - it did for me too! I haven't sung in a choir since grade school but it totally brought back why I loved it so much then. I just watched the movie Quartet and it reminded me a lot of the book. You may want to check it out because it's a wonderful movie about a retirement home for ex-musicians. And really... how can Maggie Smith be in something that isn't wonderful?

179Yells
jul 7, 2013, 11:04 pm

Boys in the Trees by Swan. Meh. Can't say I was impressed. It jumped around way too much.

180Yells
jul 14, 2013, 10:58 am

Disgrace by Coetzee. Very well done. It's a very disturbing book overall but well written. I didn't get the ending I was hoping for but it was a satisfying one.

181Yells
jul 17, 2013, 10:40 pm

A little reshuffling to include some of the library books I have read. I realised that just reading stuff off my own shelves was silly as I will never finish!

182aliciamay
jul 18, 2013, 2:01 pm

One of these days I will get to Disgrace, I'm still hoping to read Foe this month.

The category I am doing worst in is reading books I own...somehow the library books or the shiny new releases always take precedent!

183lkernagh
jul 18, 2013, 9:55 pm

The category I am doing worst in is reading books I own...somehow the library books or the shiny new releases always take precedent!

Happy to see I am not alone in neglecting my own books! I joined the ROOTS challenge to try and keep me on track and while that worked great at the start of the year, I think I have to make a promise to ignore my local library and its offerings for a couple of months..... after I read all of the library books I currently have checked out, of course! ;-)

184Yells
jul 18, 2013, 10:18 pm

I try... I really do! But the new ones practically take my Visa/library card from my wallet and buy/rent themselves. I swear I am not helping them along. They are evil little buggers I tell you.

185Yells
Redigeret: jul 21, 2013, 8:27 pm

Little Stranger by Waters. What spooky fun! Who doesn't like a book about haunted houses and ghosts? My only criticism is that it was quite long.

Caught by Moore. Not my favourite of hers but enjoyable. It's about a man who escapes from jail in Nova Scotia and then races across Canada to meet up with his old buddy and revive their drug smuggling business.

186Yells
jul 26, 2013, 7:57 pm

Zombie by Oates. Okay then... that was a strange and disturbing trip.

187Yells
aug 4, 2013, 9:53 am

The Book Thief by Zusak. This was another Secret Santa gift and I am ashamed of how long it took for me to read this gem! It's a rather unique look at World War II and very well done.

188Yells
aug 5, 2013, 1:21 pm

Peony in Love by See. Not her best but enjoyable all the same. Love, tradition, ghosts... what more do you need?

189Yells
Redigeret: dec 2, 2013, 11:01 pm

And finally... lucky #13.... my last free-for-all category...

Interpreter of Maladies by Lahiri
Summer Daydreams by Matthews
A High and Hidden Place by Lucas
Three Men in a Boat by Jerome
Hunger Games by Collins
Catching Fire by Collins
With All My Love by Scanlan
The Honey Queen by Kelly
A by Alexis
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy by Fielding
Cuckoo's Calling by Galbraith
Hellgoing by Coady
Cataract City by Davidson

FINISHED

190Yells
aug 10, 2013, 10:34 am

The Box Garden by Shields. This is a sorta sequel (or parallel novel) to Small Ceremonies. They are each written from the point-of-view of a McNinn sister but cover different events. This one was about a divorced woman who is trying to find the strength to love again while she attends her mother's second wedding. Very well done. I have read a lot of Shields' latter stuff but these first two novels are just as good.

191Yells
aug 10, 2013, 6:43 pm

A High and Hidden Place by Lucas. Fascinating story but awful execution. It's about a woman living in 1963, who after witnessing the shooting of Oswald on TV, starts to remember a French massacre that took her family in 1944. She comes back to France to find out what happened and try to make peace with it. The story was really interesting and based on real events but the writing/editing was horrible. It is a first novel so I would hope if she decides to write more, a better publisher could be found.

192Yells
aug 11, 2013, 8:59 am

The Bull is Not Killed by Dearing. Part history and part love story (with a little fraud thrown in for good measure).

Into the Beautiful North by Urrea. A rather odd story about a young woman from a small Mexican town who decides to head north to the US so she can wrangle up some Mexican men (seven to be exact) and bring them back so they can defend her town. The actual male citizens of the town headed north for work and never came back and the womenfolk are tired of being hassled by banditos. She also decides to find her own father who left years ago and aside from a postcard, has never been heard from since. Per the blurb on the back, this was supposed to be a hilarious story but I didn't find much humour in it. The writing was good but the story was a little too weird.

193Yells
aug 12, 2013, 9:29 am

The Condition by Haigh. I like this one but I will admit, I am confused about the title. If you went by the blurb on the back, you would think that this is a story about how a family deals with the newly diagnosed illness of a child (and therefore the title makes sense). But the actual story jumps all over the place from character to character and chronicles the life of one highly dysfunctional family and all the 'conditions' they each have. Good story overall (reminds me a lot of Beach Music) but I feel rather mislead on the purpose it.

194Yells
aug 17, 2013, 9:56 am

A Spot of Bother by Haddon. Sorry, no... THIS is a dysfunctional family. Dad is slowly going nuts and thinks he has cancer, mom is lonely and finds comfort in the arms of dads old co-worker, daughter is marrying someone who may or may not be right for her (not even she knows) and one son is gay and even he can't admit it. Everyone else is varying degrees of normal/crazy. Overall, it rather makes you laugh and cringe.

195lkernagh
aug 17, 2013, 12:08 pm

> 194 - Sounds like the perfect book for this month's Random CAT! ;-)

196Yells
aug 20, 2013, 9:00 am

Enchanted April by Von Arnim. This book rather annoyed me. I hated just about everyone - these women were all either doormats or snobs. The description of Italy was nice but no one on this trip really seemed to truly appreciate where they were.

A Celibate Season by Shields/Howard. What a neat book! These two great authors decided to collaborate and write a book of letters between a husband and wife separated by her job. It was written a few years ago in a time before email and cheap cross-Canada phone rates. It chronicles the six-month separation of a stay-at-home dad, who is taking writing classes and trying to find challenging work as an architect, and a career-minded lawyer who gets a temp gig in Ottawa.

I haven't been following the CAT challenge at all but perhaps I have done a few unknowingly :)

197aliciamay
aug 22, 2013, 12:04 pm

>194 Yells: Well shoot, oddly enough your description makes me want to read it now!

198Yells
aug 24, 2013, 2:31 pm

Three Men in a Boat by Jerome. Abso-frickin'-hilarious! Well, except the part with the woman in the water. But everything else made me giggle like a little kid.

199christina_reads
aug 24, 2013, 4:00 pm

@ 198 -- YES, Three Men in a Boat is great!

200GingerbreadMan
aug 24, 2013, 6:14 pm

>198 Yells: One of my fondest memories from when Flea (my wife) and I started dating was reading Three men in a boat aloud. I was living in a dorm with no TV, and we would lie in my narrow bed and read, taking frequent pauses because we laughed so hard.

201Yells
aug 25, 2013, 8:59 am

Turtle Valley by Anderson-Dargatz. I got this book six years ago as an ARC and I know over the years I have tried a few times to read it but with no success. I love this author but for whatever reason, this one never grabbed me. This year I am trying to read the stuff that has been on my shelves the longest so I pressed on and finished this one finally. And loved it! Part of my earlier reluctance could be that this is a much darker story than her others.

The story takes place in BC and there a forest fire bearing down on Turtle Valley where Katrine has returned home to help her parents pack and evacuate. In the middle of the preparations, she realises that her past was not exactly what she thought and she starts to uncover family secrets that her family thought had been buried forever. The story has just about everything in it - mystery, drama, romance....

202Yells
aug 25, 2013, 9:01 am

200 - I can totally see this as a book to read aloud and enjoy! Thanks for the lovely story :)

203Yells
aug 27, 2013, 11:39 am

Orange is the New Black by Kerman. I quite enjoyed this one although I did feel like she sanitised it quite a bit. And I never really got the sense that she was all that unhappy there - she described the relationships she had with other inmates well but wasn't all that great at expressing her own feelings.

I might need to check out the TV show.

204Yells
aug 28, 2013, 9:16 pm

Falling Angels by Gowdy. And continuing my run of dysfunctional family novels.... this one tops the list so far. Just when you think you have everyone figured out, they turn out to be more horrible than you thought.

205Yells
aug 31, 2013, 6:38 pm

Bring Up the Bodies by Mantel. Finally finished... not sure why it took so long as it was a great book but I could only handle so much history in a single seating I suppose. I didn't particularly like Anne Boleyn but she got royally screwed (snerk).

206Yells
Redigeret: sep 1, 2013, 11:29 am

How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Hamid. This is an awesome book! Part tongue-in-cheek 'self-help book', part love story and overall a look at the reality that is the new India.

207Yells
Redigeret: sep 1, 2013, 11:06 pm

Sea Change by White. Decent story but a little too many coincidences for my liking. Still, not a bad way to spend an afternoon. I think if I had of read this 20 years ago, it would have been the greatest thing ever. But, my tastes have changed and the whole supernatural twist thing doesn't appeal anymore.

208clfisha
sep 2, 2013, 5:03 am

I thought How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia was quite good, I did like the self help book aspect and the ending was so good it made me cry!

209Yells
sep 2, 2013, 10:14 am

We So Seldom Look On Love by Gowdy. I am becoming more and more a fan of short stories and these were especially good. They were a little odd at times though - not one but two stories about Siamese twins.

210lkernagh
sep 2, 2013, 3:35 pm

Stopping by to get caught up and have to say "Wow" on the reading front!

211Yells
sep 2, 2013, 5:15 pm

Long weekend with nothing to do :)

212Yells
sep 8, 2013, 6:19 pm

Going Home Again by Bock. I seem to have all of Bock's previous books on my TBR shelf but for whatever reason, never read any of them. He is one the many authors that I am convinced I will enjoy but have never actually read until now. Fortunately, I did enjoy this one so now maybe I will get to the rest!

This one has a lot going on in it but it is basically about a man who is separating from his wife and struggling to figure things out. His estranged brother comes back into his life and he seems to have finally grown up a little bit. His daughter is living in Madrid with mom and her new boyfriend, which is a bitter pill to swallow since his business takes him back to Toronto. And an ex-girlfriend walks back into his life and brings back memories of a tragic event that occurred many years before.

The transitioning from present to past was a little jarring at times but other than that, I enjoyed it

213Yells
sep 11, 2013, 10:48 pm

The Hunger: A Story of Food, Desire and Ambition by DeLucie. Part interesting look at how to climb the restaurant ladder as a chef and part self-important chef bragging about his climb up the corporate ladder. I think all the parts about cheating, drinking and drugs kept my attention away from the story and didn't really do much to endear me to this guy.

214Yells
sep 16, 2013, 10:36 am

Transatlantic by McCann. I love books where seemingly unrelated things all come together in a neat little package by the end. Very well done.

215Yells
sep 18, 2013, 9:59 am

A Bird's Eye by Fagan. Good book but way too short. It rather reminded me of a super condensed version of Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.

216lkernagh
sep 18, 2013, 8:16 pm

I will keep A Bird's Eye in mind if I ever get back to reading Kavalier and Clay..... ;-)

217Yells
okt 5, 2013, 6:39 pm

Minister Without Portfolio by Winter. Awesome writer but meh story. I'm afraid I lost interest half way through and had to force myself to finish.

218thornton37814
okt 5, 2013, 9:34 pm

I need to make sure I pick up Transatlantic at the library. Everyone seems to love it.

219Yells
okt 6, 2013, 7:21 pm

You do need to read it :)

Throwaway Daughter by Ye. Not something I would have normally picked up but I needed a 'Y' author for a challenge and found this YA book. Not a bad story - interesting and enjoyable.

220LittleTaiko
okt 11, 2013, 9:25 pm

Second the nod for Transatlantic - really enjoyed it.

221Yells
okt 14, 2013, 9:40 am

Catching Fire by Collins - reread

222Yells
okt 14, 2013, 12:56 pm

Emancipation Day by Grady. I really liked this one. I think it struck a cord as my first marriage was interracial and I always joked with my ex-husband that he was the whitest Trinny I knew. The book is about a black family who give birth to a very light-skinned baby and it looks at how they each react to this.

223rabbitprincess
okt 14, 2013, 2:28 pm

Emancipation Day looks really interesting. I wanted it to make the Giller shortlist.

224Yells
okt 17, 2013, 1:00 pm

Son of a Certain Woman by Johnston. This was quite the weird and wonderful trip! Religion, homosexuality, scandal.... everything one wants in a book all rolled into one. Now to finally read some of his stuff...

225Yells
okt 17, 2013, 10:59 pm

1982 by Ghomeshi. What a cool blast from the past! I grew up not far from him so his ramblings about Thornhill, ON were quite familiar. And of course New Wave is the BEST kind of music so loved hearing about all the bands I grew up listening to.

226Yells
okt 19, 2013, 4:39 pm

iDisorder by Rosen. The psych major in me loved this book while the '40-something throwback to the 80s' was horrified by these tech-obsessed people. Social media is fun but I certainly don't need to update my Facebook status every 15 minutes or sleep with my cell phone (already I do quite like my book-related sites). This is a great book for people who have friends/loved ones who are more than a little obsessed with the internet and electronic gadgets as it offers suggestions on how to deal with them and on what underlying factors could be influencing this behaviour.

227Yells
nov 24, 2013, 4:13 pm

A by Alexis - short but really neat (no touchstone)

Bridget Jones: Mad About a Boy by Fielding - Bridget goes high-tech and I go home (boring)

This Book is Overdue! by Johnson. Interesting look at libraries and the people who make or break them.

228thornton37814
nov 25, 2013, 11:29 am

I simply couldn't get into This Book is Overdue. I abandoned it.

229-Eva-
nov 26, 2013, 11:43 pm

I was worried about Bridget Jones: Mad About a Boy when I heard what had happened to Darcy. Thanks for also adding that it's boring - I'm easily skipping this one.

230Yells
nov 29, 2013, 12:22 pm

228 - it rambled a lot so it took awhile for me to finish. It was more like a series of essays about libraries and librarians.

229 - I liked the first two but this one was a little different for me. Part of the appeal with Bridget was that she still wrote in a diary, she was awkward and somewhat geeky. Now she has lots of money to spend (she has become a little shopaholic), two kids and although she still uses the diary, most of the book is just her texting everyone. I think the author was trying to make her awkward still but it just didn't come across well.

231Yells
dec 1, 2013, 3:27 pm

Hellgoing by Coady. I am slowly becoming a short story fan - who knew! These were really well done. I can see why she took the Giller this year.

Cuckoo's Calling by Galbraith. This was probably a good book but I'm afraid with everything going on recently, I really didn't have the concentration to give it a fair go. I might re-read it later on

232-Eva-
dec 2, 2013, 4:09 pm

I have Cuckoo's Calling on the schedule for MysteryCAT in January - I've heard good things about it.

233Yells
Redigeret: dec 2, 2013, 10:59 pm

Cataract City by Davidson - loved this one. I had this author mixed up with another and will admit, I wasn't looking forward to reading it (but I try to make a point to read ones nominated for Canadian awards so I wanted to at least try). Now I am wondering why it sat in the pile for so long. It's about two old friends who take different paths in life. They meet up later on and realise that they haven't become all that different.

Enough by Nash. This was a Secret Santa book that looked really interesting (and turned out to be rather interesting) but for whatever reason, sat on the shelf for a long time. It's a non-fiction book about why we crave so much stuff and how we can wean ourselves off.

And with that, I am done this challenge. 169 books read in just over 11 months. Gotta admit, I surprised myself by finishing. The last two months have been crazy busy so I haven't had a lot of time to read lately. Hopefully December will be calm enough to get a few more in.

234cbl_tn
dec 3, 2013, 5:50 am

Congratulations on finishing your challenge!

235lkernagh
dec 3, 2013, 9:46 am

Congratulations!

236christina_reads
dec 3, 2013, 11:38 am

WOW, 169 books -- that's amazing! Congrats on finishing!

237rabbitprincess
dec 3, 2013, 6:12 pm

Woo hoo! Congratulations!

238-Eva-
dec 3, 2013, 10:17 pm

Congratulations!!!! 169 is fantastic!

239AHS-Wolfy
dec 4, 2013, 6:13 am

Congrats on completing your challenge!

240mamzel
dec 4, 2013, 11:43 am

A. Maz. Ing!

241paruline
dec 13, 2013, 9:52 am

Belated congratulations from me too!

Holy cow Batman, that's a lot of books!