Re: 50 Book Challenge!!!

[xraineyesx]

Okay, Kathyrn! Here I am signing on to this challenge again. Hopefully I'll actually make progress at least this time.

I don't have a list yet, but I plan on starting in the morning.

[Lara]

Psst... >.> <.< ...Hi.

Date started: 1/1/12
Current Count: 2/100

Currently Reading:
Star Wars: Children of the Jedi, by Barbara Hambly

On Hold:

Finished Reading:
1. Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Conviction, by Aaron Allston (366 pages)
2. Anthem, by Ayn Rand (123 pages)
3. Star Wars: Splinter of the Mind's Eye, by Alan Dean Foster (304 pages)
4. Star Wars: The Courtship of Princess Leia, by Dave Wolverton (374 pages)

[Sunwolf007]

I'm going to make another try for it since I failed last year.

1. The Ashes of Worlds by Kevin J. Anderson
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Key
Bold means I’m currently reading a book.
If it has a slash through it, I’ve completed it.
* means I am rereading a book.


Benchmarks
- I have read 0 out of 25 books so far.
- Began: Jan 1st, 2012
- Reached 5 books:
- Reached 10 books:
- Reached 15 books:
- Reached 20 books:
- Reached 25 books:

[Moon Ray]

This is an interesting idea. What is my actual consumption rate?

I'll have to think a bit about what counts. Kids novels vs adult novels vs plays vs text books vs rereadings vs alternate languages... well, I'll come up with something to keep it fair.

Start Date: Wednesday, 9 May 2012

1. Sourcery, by Terry Pratchet
2. Princino de Marso, by Edgar Rice Burroughs
3. The Princess and the Snowbird, by Mette Ivie Harrison
4. Hexwood, by Diana Wayne Jones
5. A Perfect Blood, by Kim Harrison
6. The Red Pyramid, by Rick Riordan
7. Agatha H. And the Airship City, by Phil & Kaja Foglio
8. Fires of Aggar, by Chris Anne Wolfe
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42. The Dark Wife, by Sarah Diemer (22 June).
43. Adeptus Major, by Alex Mykals (21 June).
44. Shadows of Aggar, by Chris Anne Wolfe (19 June).
45. Black Blade Blues, by J.A. Pitts (18 June).
46. The Sublime and Spirited Voyage of Original Sin, by Colette Moody (16 June).
47. Insurgent, by Veronica Roth (16 June).
48. Ash, by Malinda Lo (15 June).
49. Cage the Darlings, by Elora Bishop (14 June).
50. Roses and Thorns, by Chris Anne Wolfe (13 June).

Edit 16 June:
I'd better start posting my reads, if I want to play... Currently working through a lesbian fiction reading list, among other things. Note: some of those fairy tales aren't worth a whole point by themselves; I'll have to reorganize how they're listed later.



I'll borrow some of Sunwolf's key:
Bold means I’m currently reading a book.
If it's dated, I finished it.

[Lara]

Yay, it's January! I can attempt to start this again!

Date started: 1/1/13
Current Count: 25/100

Currently Reading:
1.

On Hold:
1. Winds of Change, by Mercedes Lackey
2. Stalemate, by Iris Johansen
3. Blind Alley, by Iris Johansen

Finished Reading:
1. Winds of Fate, by Mercedes Lackey (464 pages)
2. The Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett (242 pages)
3. The Killing Game, by Iris Johansen (355 pages)
4. The Face of Deception, by Iris Johansen (480 pages)
5. Quicksand, by Iris Johansen (352 pages)
6. The Fairy Godmother, by Mercedes Lackey (432 pages)
7. Eve, by Iris Johansen (384 pages)
8. Quinn, by Iris Johansen (384 pages)
9. Bonnie, by Iris Johansen (373 pagse)
10. Viva Jacquelina!: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of Jacky Faber, Over the Hills and Far Away, by L.A. Meyer (368 pages)
11. The Girl Who Gave Her Wish Away, by Sharon Babineau (280 pages)
12. Eight Days to Live, by Iris Johansen (416 pages)
13. Flash Point, by Nancy Kress (400 pages)
14. Blindsided, by Priscilla Cummings (226 pages)
15. The Adults, by Alison Espach (307 pages)
16. So Yesterday, by Scott Westerfeld (225 pages)
17. Orphan Train, by Christina Baker Kline (288 pages)
18. The Possibility Dogs, by Susannah Charleson (257 pages)
19. Gone by Michael Grant (558 pages)
20. So You Want to Be a Wizard, by Diane Duane (400 pages)
21. Deep Wizardry, by Diane Duane (356 pages)
22. High Wizardry, by Diane Duane (368 pages)
23. A Wizard Abroad, by Diane Duane (372 pages)
24. The Wizard's Dilemma, by Diane Duane (432 pages)
25. A Wizard Alone, by Diane Duane (352 pages)

[The Thing Under The Sink]

Edit: I intend to read 50 books within a year; So pretty much the original challenge. Books will be picked randomly from the free books on offer in the Kindle store, so I will not know the title or author beforehand. Each book must be finished before I move on to the next. Books listed here are completed, aside from the last which will be my current read.

This is an interesting thread, not least because of how I access the site. I tend to come here via Kindle Fire, and there happens to be a specific app on my fun little toy which allows me to get free books from Amazon every day. The downside of this app is that I never know what I'm going to be reading next. The upside is that I never know what I'll be reading next.

Well, that and I never get to lick the pages anymore. I do love that old-book smell.

Finished today is The Princess of Dhagobad, a surprisingly engaging story about a girl and her slave. Next up, after I finish electrocuting myself with the kindle charger, is Heaven Preserve Us (a home crafting mystery). Apparently, it' s about people being poisoned with pickles.

So, yes. I'm meeting the challenge head- on. Or do I mean "teeth-on"?

1 The Princess Of Dhagobad by Anna Kashina
2 Heaven Preserve Us by Cricket McRae
3 Wired by Douglas E. Richards
4 Big Girls Don't Cry by Gretchen Lane (Too short, doesn't count.)
4 Oath of Swords by David Weber
5 Rubies of the Viper by Martha Marks
6 The Soulkeepers by G. P. Ching
7 Out of Time by Monique Martin
8 The Riddler's Gift by Greg Hamerton
9 Post Human by David Simpson (note: )
10 The Last Praetorian by Mike Smith
11 Storm Dancer by Rayne Hall
12 Cure (A Strandville Zombie Novel) by Belinda S. Frisch
13 A Clockwork Fairytale by Helen Scott Taylor
14 The Keeper and the Runestone by Paige W. Pendleton
15 Zero Point by Tim Fairchild
16 How to Date a Werewolf by Rose Pressey
17 Rex Rising by Chrystalla Thoma
18 Daughter of Time: A Time Travel Romance by Sarah Woodbury (Current of 50 randomly selected books)

[Guest]

That is an interesting way of going about the challenge, The Thing Under The Sink! I don't know if I could do that, because I'm rather picky with what I read, but I hope it works out for you

[Gadreille]

Gadreille's 2013 Book Challenge

1. The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien
   
2. The Lost City of Z, David Grann
   
3. A Dance With Dragons, George R.R. Martin
   
4. Morning of Fire, Scott Ridley
   
5. Adam & Eve, Sena Jeter Naslund
   
6. The Coldest Winter, America and the Korean War, David Halberstam
   
7. 
   
8. 
   
9. 
   
10. 
    

Italicized titles are currently being read
Bold titles are finished
Regular titles are to be read

Total Books Read: 0

[Guest]

I will not be able to read 50 books this year, I can guarantee it. My only goal is to finally complete the Wheel of Time series, but I am starting over. I've read two already, and I am at the beginning of the third. By the end of the year, I do hope to have finished A Memory of Light.

1. *The Eye of The World
2. *The Great Hunt
3. *The Dragon Reborn
4. *The Shadow Rising
5. *The Fires of Heaven
6. *Lord of Chaos
7. *A Crown of Swords
8. *The Path of Daggers
9. *Winter's Heart
10. *Crossroads of Twilight
11. *Knife of Dreams
12. The Gathering Storm
13. Towers of Midnight
14. A Memory of Light

Key
If it has a slash through it, I’ve completed it.
* means I am rereading a book.
An underline number means I am currently reading that book.


Benchmarks
- I have read 2 out of 14 books so far.
- Pages Read: ...

[The Thing Under The Sink]

That is an interesting way of going about the challenge

I disagree; it' s the only way of going about the challenge. No book I'm reading now is one I've read before: How else could I possibly find out which genre I prefer more than the rest? How can I truly find my own voice in amongst the words of those people who I've read? I can write like Lovecraft, should I choose to, but he' s not my real voice, any more than Terry Pratchett before him. As authors, I admire them both, and they're both favourites, but I need to become far more well- read before I can be satisfied that I'm speaking as me, and not aping another's style.

If I can do that by legally acquiring random, free books and reading them, then that's what I'll do.

Also, I need to update my list: I've just finished Wired and started my next one. Frankly, I'm not a fan of the way he infodumped characterisation and background, but I'm glad I gave it a chance. I normally wouldn't have.

[Syrena]

I'm going to give this a try!  Fifty books may be a bit much.  But I will definitely try to get close!  Plus, I think it will be interesting to see what kind of books I read throughout the year.  I'm hoping to have a variety rather than my usual fantasy picks.

State Date: January 1, 2013
Current Count: 12 out of 50
Page Count: 4806

Currently Reading—
The Great Pearl Heist: London's Greatest Thief and Scotland Yard's Hunt for the World's Most Valuable Necklace by Molly Caldwell Crosby
The Solitary House by Lynn Shepherd

On Hold—
The Art Forger by Barbara Shapiro
Jill Kismet: The Complete Series by Lilith Saintcrow

Finished—
Confessions of a Master Jewel Thief by Bill Mason (January 3, 2013)
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory (January 10, 2013)
A Friend of the Family by  Lauren Grodstein (February 13, 2013)
Rhett Butler's People by Donald McCaig (February 21, 2013)
Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks (April 19, 2013)
Flawless: Inside the Largest Diamond Heist in History by Scott Andrew Selby and Greg Campbell (May 9, 2013)
The Hundred Secret Senses by Amy Tan(May 30, 2013)
Dark Side of the Moon by Sherrilyn Kenyon (May 31, 2013)
Retribution by Sherrilyn Kenyon (May 31, 2013)
The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling (June 26, 2013)
The Painted Girls by Cathy Marie Buchanan (June 27, 2013)
Thick as Thieves by Peter Spiegelman(June 30, 2013)

[Lara]

My Iris Johansen marathon continues!

I almost feel guilty, since everyone's being so varied. Buuut this is something I wanted to do, so *almost* is where it ends. XD

I really like the idea of reading random things, and not know what you'll read next!

[Syrena]

I think it is only a matter of time before the variation stops. At least, I know I won't continue to have much variance. I've got a pile of fantasy books waiting to be read. Many of them are by the same author, too.

But I would like to try keeping a more varied streak. I'm too picky to read something at random. I'm just hoping to do something close to random--if only to spice up my "to read" list.

[The Thing Under The Sink]

I'm too picky to read something at random. I'm just hoping to do something close to random--if only to spice up my "to read" list.

You're too picky to read random books? That' s weird, so am I. I hate romance, things that come off as a cross between sci-fi, fantasy and the bible (the type with multi-page songs) and books that infodump characterisation as if showing a character' s nature is a bother. If something doesn't hook my interest in the first paragraph, I put it back on the shelf.

Except I chose to do something different for the challenge.

I could easily have chosen 50 books I' d read before and thoroughly enjoyed, but that wouldn't have had any possibility of failure. Instead, I've chosen to only select books from the random ones selected by someone else via app, but only if they're free from Amazon, and added the clause that once opened they have to be read or I fail. The only exception is if the percentage read jumps from 1 to 30 in the space of 6 pages. I've got one like that; it' s the one crossed out on my list. Oh, and I won't read recipe books for this either: The plot tends to be a little flat, and the characters are not at all striking.

But that's my own personal challenge, to make things more interesting. I'm sure no-one signed anything that said they had to copy me. Plus, I'm a sucker for free stuff.

[Lara]

My Iris Johansen marathon was stalled in its tracks when I accidentally left my book on the train. ):

Luckily, I had a spare book I had just bought in my bag. The Fairy Godmother, by Mercedes Lackey. And... it was amazing. Super rushed at the end, but I forgave all its faults because of its content.

It pokes some serious fun at all the cliches of fairy tales. =D

No clue what I'm going to read next. I could go back to Johansen, but I feel that if I do, I'm going to skip to her latest books and go from there, rather than reading all my others and saving those for last.

[Kathryn Lacey]

I have updated the first post with the links to each of your posts that house your list of books for faster/easier access. If the information in the first post isn't accurate, it's because you didn't list the number of books you've read, the number of books you wish to read, and/or the date you began reading. The other option is that I just missed those. Regardless, if you want a more accurate update, you'll want to place them somewhere easily accessed in your reading list. Otherwise, I'm limited to guessing which may or may not always be accurate. =D

[The Thing Under The Sink]

I have updated the first post with the links to each of your posts that house your list of books for faster/easier access.

Am I the only one who feels super special now? I hope not; it'd prove just how very sappy I truly am if I were.

Thanks, Lacey.

Edit: My book post is updated, with necessary information at the top. Apologies for not making it clear what I was doing.

[Kathryn Lacey]

Updated!

[The Thing Under The Sink]

Moving all my stuff from under the sink and then finding a new sink to lurk under is such an effort. Still, I'm reading the 18th book out of the 50 I challenged myself to, and it's only Feburary; I may have to try a more difficult challenge next.

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