Reading Challenge 2020

[nianjufe]

5 hours ago, Scalyfreak said:

 

AP = ?

 

And after I made my post I remembered that my high school forced us to read Strindberg, so I have no room to talk... 😏

The horror! I actually am unfamiliar with this author, but by your statment....I will probably stay away until I'm sufficiently motivated 😂

 

AP = Advanced Placement (like graduate work but for HS students)

 

3 hours ago, Defining said:

Waitwait, you guys did Leo Tolstoy in high school?!? Dude, we had to pick one of his to read in grade 8. Now I'm jealous. 😂

 

 

 

2 hours ago, Scalyfreak said:

I've always suspected that if the assigned reading in school wasn't forced on us, we'd appreciate at least some of those books a lot more.

Agreed! Probably the reason Sci Fi/Fantasy and crime novels are so popular, don't see much of those in a traditional classroom.

 

 

PS, I'm loving everyone's book suggestions thank you to all! My list just keeps on growing😍

[Mad Hatter]

My traumatising HS moment was reading The Dwarf by Pär Lagerkvist. As a goodreads reviewer put it

 

Quote

Recommends it for: people who enjoy the smell of methadone and sadness in the morning 

Shelves: fiction , own , make-you-put-a-gun-in-your-mouth

 

[Renate]

Great challenge!

 

I just got Jules Verne's Around the world in 80 days on my phone. I am excited! And got to chapter 4 in the train. (Have read 20.000 leagues under the sea on paper some years back.)

 

Last year I had the goal to read 8 books and managed, mostly aided by the Artemis Fowl series & two books by Agatha Christie. But quite happy with that. This year let's go for 9 books!  (When abook is 400 pages I will count it for 2 because I am difficult with reading for fun.)

 

Honestly enjoy many genres... and I like the idea of reading many books. I just find it difficult to do things without deadlines Then again, when I decreased my mobile fidgetting and replaced i by reading I started reading more. We will see if I can keep that up.

[Scaly Freak]

31 minutes ago, Mad Hatter said:

My traumatising HS moment was reading The Dwarf by Pär Lagerkvist.

 

Oh good lord yes. The Law of Jante wasn't very pleasant either.

[Morag]

On 1/3/2020 at 5:13 PM, NeverThatBored said:

 

What are some of your favorites? Maybe we can help you come up with a list of similar books?

 

On 1/3/2020 at 5:25 PM, Defining said:

100% no metrics needed.

 

Ha, I need metrics for my own damn self. I forget if I don't track. I have so many balls in the air, it's simply unkind to expect myself to remember. So I track. I love numbers and metrics, they are misleadingly objective, suggesting I have control over anything, really, it's comforting to have metrics... yes, I'm weird.

 

Onto the favourite authors:

I have read (and partially reread) all the books by Anne Bishop.

Kelley Armstrong (Women of the Otherworld and Darkest Powers Trilogy)

Ann Aguirre (Sirantha Jax 1-6)

J. K. Rolling (loved HP, currently reading book 1 to my son)

Charles de Lint ("Someplace to be flying" and "The wind in his heart" have to reread the first, was that the one with the house??)

Jane Lindskold (Firekeeper series, never finished though, though I have read the first 2(3?) at least 3 times)

Jonathan Stroud (Bartimäus)

Kenneth Oppel (Silberflügel, currently my son is trying out book 1 on his own :so proud:)

Mistborn (was that a Sanderson?)

Jim Butcher (Dresden Files)

Kevin Hearne (Iron Druid)

Kiersten White (And I Darken Now I Rise Bright We Burn -LOVED THOSE BOOKS)

Tamora Pierce (those circle books, read as far as circle opens 2 I believe, they spoke to me)

Maggie Stiefvater (Shiver Linger Forever and RavenBoys too, but stuck on Dream Thief ugh)

Naomi Novik (Uprooted was so good Spinning Silver not so much)

Holy Black (Darkest Part of the Forest)

Helen Harper (Slouch Witch - love her familiar! "Food! Bitch!")

Taran Matharu (Summoner)

Annie Bellet (20 sided Sorceress)

Patricia Briggs (both Mercy Thompson as well as Alpha and Omega)

Marion Zimmer Bradley (Nebel von Avalon)

Steven Brust (Vlad Taltos series, Jhereg I've read at least 4 times -"Watched the place that watched the place that watched the front door. Determined it was unoccupied, then moved up a place. Did you get that?" -loved it!)

Neil Gaiman (Ocean at the End of the Lane, Instructions, not many more yet)

Joshua Gaylord (When we were Animals -so good!)

Patrick Rothfuss (King Killer Chronicles - will rereread book 1 and reread book 2 when he ever publishes the last one - when, not if!)

 

Graphic Novels

Firefly season 2 and shepherd's tale and everything, really

The Gifted by Wassel&Gooden

Fathom by Michael Turner

Silage by Morvan&Buchet

Goddess by Ennis & Winslade

 

 

I kind of turned myself off of reading by trying to read to improve myself on too many fronts at the same time.

Currently stuck in:

I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

Being with Dying by Joan Halifax

Stoicism and the Art of Happiness by Donald Robertson

Futuristic Violence & Fancy Suits by David Wong

Kings of the Wyld

Das 4-Stunden-Startup by Felix Plötz

Harry Potter und der Stein der Weisen (Little boy is a bit impatient - and sadly not quite in the lets keep reading way)

 

Can't wait to get started on:

The Hathor Material by Tom Kenyon & Virginia Essene

Asha by David Ball (recom from a dear friend)

Als die Sonne erlosch by David Keys (recom by my professor some 13 years ago, finally found and bought it used this last year)

Malta und die Baukunst seiner Megalith-Tempel by Joachim von Freeden

 

 

Wow... that's a longer post than I had meant to type... maybe I do need a good reads account of my own...

[TheGreyJedi]

16 hours ago, Scalyfreak said:

 

In my experience, the opposite is more likely to be true. I recall being forced to read a lot of "elite literature" at various stages in life, that wasn't enjoyable at all.

 

I was a "late bloomer" when it came to reading... all through high school, I wasn't a fan of reading anything beyond comic books or YA books (short mystery & horror books). It wasn't until my mid-20s when I started reading for pleasure again and discovered it can actually be fun lol

[Scaly Freak]

10 hours ago, Morag said:

Firefly season 2

 

Wait, WHAT? 

 

Where!?!?

[NeverThatBored]

13 hours ago, Morag said:

Mistborn (was that a Sanderson?)

 

 

13 hours ago, Morag said:

Tamora Pierce (those circle books, read as far as circle opens 2 I believe, they spoke to me)

 

 

13 hours ago, Morag said:

Charles de Lint ("Someplace to be flying" and "The wind in his heart" have to reread the first, was that the one with the house??)

 

 

These three authors all have more books, so it would probably be safe to start with more of their work!

 

13 hours ago, Morag said:

Kings of the Wyld

 

 

This is on my list for the year! I keep hearing that it's really good.

[nianjufe]

2 hours ago, Scalyfreak said:

 

Wait, WHAT? 

 

Where!?!?

Graphic Novel.

 

I had the same reaction and then read more carefully

[Scaly Freak]

7 minutes ago, nianjufe said:

Graphic Novel.

 

I had the same reaction and then read more carefully

 

[Morag]

3 hours ago, Scalyfreak said:

 

Wait, WHAT? 

 

Where!?!?

 

I have books 1, 3 and 4, missing the second and fifth:

1st: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/133765.Those_Left_Behind

2nd: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11279472-better-days-and-other-stories

3rd: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8596384-the-shepherd-s-tale

4th: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21532236-leaves-on-the-wind

5th: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35275576-serenity

 

I actually don't mind a media change, I am glad Whedon got to tell these stories afterall, glad I got to read them, though I was unaware of these holes in my bookshelf, must remedy soon.

 

[Scaly Freak]

20 minutes ago, Morag said:

I actually don't mind a media change, I am glad Whedon got to tell these stories afterall, glad I got to read them, though I was unaware of these holes in my bookshelf, must remedy soon.

 

So it is the original story he wanted to tell, just in graphic novel format?

 

I am completely okay with this. I wonder if I can find these in a bookstore nearby somewhere....?

[Morag]

13 minutes ago, Scalyfreak said:

 

So it is the original story he wanted to tell, just in graphic novel format?

 

I am completely okay with this. I wonder if I can find these in a bookstore nearby somewhere....?

I obviously can't say how much original story there is in them, how much he changed after switching to graphic novel format, or for other, unknown-to-me reasons, I mean I never even met the man. But yes, it is Joss Whedon's writing and I am completely okay with it too, I keep mentioning they exist, and there's always more fans who never heard about them, so I keep mentioning...

[Pesky Squall]

On 12/30/2019 at 11:13 PM, fitnessgurl said:

Good stuff.

I'd pick a girl who reads over one who frequent clubs any day.

[bigm141414]

On 1/8/2020 at 12:09 AM, Morag said:

Firefly season 2 and shepherd's tale and everything, really

 

 

 

22 hours ago, nianjufe said:

On 1/8/2020 at 10:58 AM, Scalyfreak said:

 

Wait, WHAT? 

 

Where!?!?

Graphic Novel.

 

I had the same reaction and then read more carefully

 

22 hours ago, Scalyfreak said:

 

 

Speaking of all things Firefly I happened to find this in my news feeds today: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2020/01/fox-executive-teases-browncoats-with-hints-of-possible-firefly-revival/

 

You may all begin squeeing with delight until Fox decideds to crush this dream. 

[Scaly Freak]

First report towards my goal of getting rid of books I will never finish or read again: I looked closely at the list of "in progress" books on my primary eReader, and identified all the ones I haven't touched in a month. I read a few pages in each to make sure it was one I was not going to finish, then removed it from the account. 

 

Total number of liberated books: 8

[nianjufe]

18 hours ago, bigm141414 said:

Speaking of all things Firefly I happened to find this in my news feeds today: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2020/01/fox-executive-teases-browncoats-with-hints-of-possible-firefly-revival/

 

You may all begin squeeing with delight until Fox decideds to crush this dream. 

 

I hope they don't crush my dreams, my poor heart!

[miss_marissa]

On 1/8/2020 at 4:41 PM, Scalyfreak said:

 

So it is the original story he wanted to tell, just in graphic novel format?

 

I am completely okay with this. I wonder if I can find these in a bookstore nearby somewhere....?

If not, most local bookshops (or comic shops if applicable) will order or otherwise try to find them for you if they can. 

[Scaly Freak]

1 hour ago, miss_marissa said:

If not, most local bookshops (or comic shops if applicable) will order or otherwise try to find them for you if they can. 

 

I discovered my library district has them. Holds have been placed.

[Lateral Planet]

On 1/7/2020 at 9:51 AM, Lateral Planet said:

I'm about to spend the next four hours on a bus, so it's the perfect time to dive in with some reading! Starting with The Power by Naomi Alderman, which I read half of on a short holiday in 2018 and failed to pick up again once the trip was over. Going to have to start again!

Done! It was great, highly recommended. 

 

And then today I did a proper audit of my bookcase and identified this many unread books:

Oops, that's more than I thought! I've got some work ahead of me this year, but I'm pretty confident it's all good stuff so hopefully it won't be too great a challenge!

[Lateral Planet]

On 1/8/2020 at 5:11 PM, analoggirl said:

Last year I had the goal to read 8 books and managed, mostly aided by the Artemis Fowl series & two books by Agatha Christie.

If you want to make a head start on this year, Eoin Colfer just started a sequel series around Arty's little brothers, only one book so far but it's brilliant! And he's got a standalone novel about a dragon coming out in a few weeks which will seriously derail my plan to prioritise books I already own

[Akura]

So... I finished Never Grow Up by Jackie Chan. As an interlude I'll read the second volume of the Ultimate Edition of Monster by Naoki Urasawa: a reprint of the original manga where they bundled two (or more...?) tankobons together. Then I'll start with... the audiobook of Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson...?

 

[Mad Hatter]

You know how I was saying how much I love when I get notifications from the library to pick up books? Well, it's great until you get a whole stack at once. 😅Actually it's still great, I just hope I can read them all. 

 

Yesterday I picked up and finished my first book of the year - Trevor Noah's Born a Crime. There's some dark shit in it but it's told in such an entertaining, often innocent, way it makes it a very enjoyable read.

[Jupiter]

So I've read 3 books towards my goal of 40 this year (though I did skim a lot of the second book). Not a bad start for the year.  

[theophilus]

For as much non-fiction as I consume for law school, you think I'd balance it out with fiction when it comes to reading for pleasure. And yet somehow it's almost always more non-fiction...

 

This is a great challenge for me to up my fiction intake. I just want to read one fiction book per month this year. I have two in-progress for 2019: Brave New World, and a collection of Ursula K. LeGuin's short stories. I'll count the two half-books as my one book for January. Would love recommendations for Feb and beyond!