How many books can you read in a year?

Start Date: January 21st, 2014
1. "George Washington, Spymaster: How the Americans Outspied the British and Won the Revolutionary War" by Thomas B. Allen
2. "Bloody Crimes: The Chase for Jefferson Davis and the Death Pageant for Abraham Lincoln's Corpse" by James Swanson
3. "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" by Seth Grahame-Smith

Currently Reading:
"The Law of Dreams" by Peter Behrens

Backlog:
"The Around the Rim Flight" by Miriam Orr Seymour
"Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishigiro
"Brave Story" by Miyuki Miyabe
"Autobiography and Other Writings" by Benjamin Franklin
"The Immortals" by Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell
"Confessions of a Mask" by Yukio Mishima

Spoiler: Archives

Start Date: January 20th, 2013 - January 20th, 2014
1. "After Dark" by Haruki Murakami
2. "The Garlic Ballads" by Mo Yan
3. "Norwegian Wood" by Haruki Murakami
4. "The Ruined Map" by Kobo Abe
5. "Project Believe" by Jonathan Frahm
6. "Babuta's Kingdom" by Jonathan Frahm
7. "Outliers" by Malcom Gladwell
8. "The Sound of Waves" by Yukio Mishima

 

Meant to post this earlier, but I have officially joined this! Especially with my semester one exams being finished. Hopefully I get to do lots of reading in the future~

Started: February 9, 2013
"The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
"How to Live Safely in a Science-Fictional Universe" by Charles Yu
"The Amazing Adventures of Clay and Kavalier" by Michael Chabon
"Fifth Business" by Robertson Davies
"A Clockwork Orange" by Anthony Burgess
"The O'Briens" by Peter Behrens
"The Serpent's Shadow" by Rick Riordan
"Project Believe" by Jonathan Frahm
"Railsea" by China Miéville
"The Faults in Our Stars" by John Green
"Eleanor and Park" by Rainbow Rowell
"House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

Current: "Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore" by Robin Sloan

Backlog:
"Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron" by Jasper Fforde
"A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini
"Crossroads" by Wm. Paul Young
"S." by Doug Dorst and J.J. Abrams

 

A challenge... on reading?!

CHALLENGEACCEPTED.png

...Um... does fanfiction count? The long, complete ones, that is? I mean, I've read a lot of books too, but believe me when I say that there are some real doorstoppers out there on the internet, and some of it can easily contend with what we have on the bookstands today. ...Well, whatever. I'll just track them separately.


Started: Febuary 4, 2013

BOOKS

The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett
The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett
Bioshock: Rapture by John Shirley


FANFICS

Fallout: Equestria by Kkat
  

Currently Reading: The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

 

As an update to this, I have finished a couple books to add to my list, and am working away at a couple more (thank you, English class!)

In particular, though, I'd like to give a huuuuge recommendation to "The Amazing Adventures of Clay and Kavalier" by Michael Chabon. Excellent book, in my opinion, and it is definitely worth a read if you have an interest in comic books (especially those of the Golden Age, in which the novel is set), and brilliant writing. Great book, overall.

 

Another update to my progress. Finished reading my two English class books, and now am primed to move on to reading a sequel/follow-up/companion to the most fantastic novel I have read in a long time, called The Law of Dreams by Peter Behrens. Absolutely beautiful book. If you can find it, definitely read it. I'll be sure to write my thoughts on The O'Briens, as well, once I have started to read it.

Additionally, I've added what is perhaps a familiar name to the list of to-reads. :5

Also, Rose, noting the bunch of books pertaining to Angels/Demons, can I make a recommendation that you look for the book Angelology by Danielle Trussoni? It was slow to pick up, admittedly, but it was a really well-written book which I thoroughly enjoyed. You might, as well.

 

I've decided to update my list as well, now that I finally feel settled enough into my new home to really get started at my well-sized backlog. It's time to play catch-up, and I have an incredible set of starting stories to do just that with. I'll even eventually sit down and read through my own work, start to finish, to really get a feel of what to improve in later installments. Can't wait to finish "Bloody Crimes"- from what I've read of it thus far, it is excellent, but right now I'm feeling for something along the lines of understated, purely effective fiction, so I'm shooting to finish Kobo Abe's low-key mystery novel, "The Ruined Map", first and foremost. Should be done with it within the following week.

-
EDIT: Just read the first sixth of "The Ruined Map" and can firmly assess that it is a truly brilliant piece of work. It's written in first person, and the lead character is so incredibly astute that he captures everything that makes the classic detective a classic, while bringing something fresh in his mildly sarcastic, fictitiously slaggish demeanor all at the same time. He would make a great rival to Sherlock Holmes, and to that, there is no doubt. So far, I am enjoying this book very much.

On a side note, "After Dark", "Norwegian Wood", and everything else by Haruki Murakami are novels which I enthusiastically recommend for anyone. They open your eyes to certain aspects of human psyche and societal philosophy in the most unlikely of ways. They're absolutely brilliant- every last one of them! As per The Garlic Ballads" - there's no doubting the reasoning behind just why it won a Nobel Peace Prize for Literature when it was first published, and that is because it lifts the curtain on a very real, very specific problem amongst agricultural China that few people would ever think to even research, let alone write about, but what Mo Yan has managed to create is a truly touching work of fiction interwoven amongst a realistic, modern theme, and the end result is compelling and poignant.

 

Another update as I've just finished "The Ruined Map". All in all, I'd say that this was a very fulfilling read. I picked it up at the local thrift shop for $4, so it was a steal at its price, too. It goes places you wouldn't suspect it to go by reading the first chapter- I'll tell ya that much. It's very much so a psychological thriller more than it is a detective novel, and it takes you through loops and explanations which you'd never fathom upon first entering the seemingly nondescript, run-of-the-mill realistic world it takes place in. Therein lies "The Ruined Map's" true brilliance, in that it is so surreal, yet it never escapes the realm of realism. Incredibly intriguing, if not mildly meticulous read. I'd give it a 4 out of 5.

Now, in a need for something more straightly fantastical, I'm giving the final book in one of my favorite series ever ("The Edge Chronicles") that I've been keeping up with ever since I was in the 5th grade, "The Immortals", a spin. This came out a couple of years ago but somehow remained sneakily near the back of my mind until now, when I found it on Amazon through Bookcloseouts.com (I highly recommend the site), library bound without any nicks for only $6! I'm greatly looking forward to tackling it, and I suspect I'll finish it within just a couple of weeks despite its daunting size. I love the series that much.

I'm also taking on "Bloody Crimes" around the same time, on account of the fact that I'm practically already halfway through the book so I may as well, and since it is an incredibly engaging book, even for non-fiction. It is written in an intuitive manner that keeps you drawn in. It's an excellent story to be told, too, and explores all of the different sides of Lincoln, as well as his Southern counterpart, Davis, whom we don't really see much of in popular historical media, now do we? It's an engrossing read, and I can tell you now that I definitely recommend it.

On top of all of this, I've got a "to-buy" notepad document on my Desktop now. It's going to grow pretty massive once I really start researching all of the great stories out there, and I have a feeling I'm paying a visit to that super awesome thrift shop again here shortly, so who knows what quality stories I'll find there for cheap! This is exciting.

 

Listdump! I started at precisely 5:32 PM, 23rd January '13. I will end at precisely the same time, 1 January '14.

1. List so far: begun 23rd Jan '13 //IN CONSTRUCTION:
   
   Spoiler

   [*] The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams, 1997) //Began the year with this—perfect!
   [*] The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini, 2003)
   [*] A Thousand Splendid Suns (Khaled Hosseini, 2007)
   [*] Inkheart (Cornelia Funke, 2003)
   [*] Inkspell (Cornelia Funke, 2006)
   [*] Inkdeath (Cornelia Funke, 2008)
   [*] Grimm’s Fairy Tales (Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, 1812) //Bitch please, this book's fabulo— er well actually, it's far from fabulous...
   [*] Nineteen Eighty-Four (George Orwell, 1989)
   [*] Life of Pi (Yann Martel, 2001)
   [*] Tales of the Jazz Age (Scott Fitzgerald, 1922)
   [*] The Thief Lord (Cornelia Funke, 2000)
   [*] A Room of One’s Own (Virginia Woolf, 1929)
   [*] Anna Karenina (Leo Tolstoy, 1877) //Which, might I add, was the most difficult read for me so far.
   [*] The Tempest (Shakespeare, 1610)
   [*] Dragon Rider (Cornelia Funke, 2004)
   [*] King Lear (Shakespeare, 1623) //Theatrical version.
   [*] One Hundred Years of Solitude (Gabriel García Márquez, 1967)
   [*] I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou, 1970)
   [*] The Perks of Being A Wallflower (Stephen Chbosky, 1999)
   [*] Brave New World (Aldous Huxley, 1931)
   [*] Mary Poppins (Pamela Travers, 1934-88) //Full series, though I consider it only one book since each volume is far more continuous w.r.t. the other and not very long.
   [*] Chennaivasi (TS Tirumurthi, 1990?-present?)
   [*] The Name of This Book Is Secret (Pseudonymous Bosch, 2007)
   [*] If You're Reading This, It's Too Late (Pseudonymous Bosch, 2008)
   [*] This Book Is Not Good for You (Pseudonymous Bosch, 2009)
   [*] This Isn't What It Looks Like (Pseudonymous Bosch, 2010)
   [*] You Have To Stop This (Pseudonymous Bosch, 2011)
   [*] The Importance of Being Earnest (Oscar Wilde, 1895) //Book version of farce.
   [*] The Canon: A Whinging Tour of the Beautiful Basics of Science (Natalie Angier, 2007)
   [*] Septimus Heap: Magyk (Angie Sage, 2005)
   [*] Septimus Heap: Flyte (Angie Sage, 2006)
   [*] Septimus Heap: Physik (Angie Sage, 2007)
   [*] Septimus Heap: Queste (Angie Sage, 2008)
   [*] Septimus Heap: Syren (Angie Sage, 2009)
   [*] Septimus Heap: Darke (Angie Sage, 2011)
   [*] Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You: A Guide to the Universe (Marcus Chown, 2007)
   [*] The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella, 2000)
   [*] Shopaholic Abroad (Sophie Kinsella, 2001)
   [*] Shopaholic Ties The Knot (Sophie Kinsella, 2002)
   [*] Shopaholic & Sister (Sophie Kinsella, 2004)
   [*] Shopaholic & Baby (Sophie Kinsella, 2007)
   [*] Mini Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella, 2010)
   [*] Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (JK Rowling, 1997)
   [*] Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (JK Rowling, 1998)
   [*] Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (JK Rowling, 1999)
   [*] Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (JK Rowling, 2000)
   [*] Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (JK Rowling, 2003)
   [*] Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (JK Rowling, 2005)
   [*] Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (JK Rowling, 2007)
   [*] Le Pétit Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, 1943)
   [*] East of Eden (John Steinbeck, 1952) //Yuck. IDEK why I bother with this guy.
   [*] Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck, 1937) //Still don't know why.
   [*] Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky, 1866)
   [*] The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas, 1844-45)
   [*] Flowers for Algernon (Daniel Keyes, 1966) //TAKE ALL MY FEELS
   [*] Beautiful Souls: The Courage and Conscience of Ordinary People in Extraordinary Times (Eyal Press, 2012) //Yucky-ish.
   [*] The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values (Samuel Harris, 2010) //Extremely anti-religion and propagandic. -10/10 would not read to save myself).
   [*] Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Jeff Kinney, 2007)
   [*] Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (Jeff Kinney, 2008)
   [*] Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw (Jeff Kinney, 2009)
   [*] Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (Jeff Kinney, 2009)
   [*] Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth (Jeff Kinney, 2010)
   [*] Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever (Jeff Kinney, 2011)
   [*] Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel (Jeff Kinney, 2012)
   [*] Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters (Matt Ridley, 1999) //Fuck this is a good book. ಠ_ಠ
   [*] Siddhartha (Hermann Hesse, 1922)
   [*] Charlotte’s Web (EB White, 1952) //Hurrrk, right in the feels.
   [*] Dubliners (James Joyce, 1914)
   [*] Les Misérables (Victor Hugo, 1862) //Yes, it was a book before it was a musical, and it's better. Let that sink in.
   [*] War and Peace (Leo Tolstoy, 1869)
   [*] The Scarlet Letter (Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1850)
   [*] Tell Me What You See (Zoran Drvenkar, 2005) //Well hallo there, nightmares.
   [*] Sorry (Zoran Drvenkar, 2012) //OKAY WHY AM I DOING THIS TO MYSELF.
   [*] The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (L Frank Baum, 1900)
   [*] The Marvelous Land of Oz (L Frank Baum, 1904)
   [*] The Emerald City of Oz (L Frank Baum, 1911)
   [*] Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (Gregory Maguire, 1996) // Whoaaaaa... This was the book the musical was based on, but...
   [*] The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Mark Twain, 1884)
   [*] The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Mark Twain, 1876)
   [*] TO BE UPDATED
   

I had read a few more at the beginning of the year, but I've confused them with my to read list, so I'll update it soon. Upon this I've read around twenty or so books.

 

I'll be updating my list with another 14 books by the end of the week if I can finish my current one by then. I think I can, I have only 100 pages left.

 

I have almost 75 more books to add and I'm lazy is all.