|
Books read: 4/90. #2: The Dog Stars - Peter Heller: Post-apocalyptic book about a man and his dog. Like Cormac McCarthy's 'The Road', but much more optimistic. Challenge met: A post-modern book. 4/5. #3: Poor Man's Fight - Elliott Kay: Space opera about a man trying to pay off his debt by joining the (space) Navy. Not as exciting as Marko Kloos' Terms of Enlistment, but still pretty good. Challenge met: Something dealing with space. 4/5. #4: The Girl With All The Gifts - M R Carey: A story about a zombie-like girl who isn't a mindless slavering monster like most of the not-zombies in the world. (The zombies in the book are called 'hungries', but they're definitely zombies). An interesting story with a slightly more original take on zombies. 4/5.
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2015 04:03
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 25, 2024 18:00 |
|
|
A lot of people seem to treat this as a rigidly adhered to competition against yourself and that's a weird approach imo. Please just use the reading challenge to expand the scope of your reading, no one cares if you didn't make 50 books because you got stuck on this one book for ages, 50 books is an arbitrary constraint you placed on yourself a year ago. If you ended up reading one thing that you enjoyed, and you might not have read if you hadn't posted in this thread then that's a good reading challenge.
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2015 04:03
|
|
|
For people asking what translation of the Blind Owl I would recommend: D.P. Costello's or Iraj Bashiri's. I am not so big on Law's translation and Naveed Noori's I have not read. Good news on the Bashiri translation is that it is available for free here so if you are ok with a screen instead of physical book its there to go.
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2015 04:07
|
|
|
Thanks guys, posts makes it all clearer.CestMoi posted:A lot of people seem to treat this as a rigidly adhered to competition against yourself and that's a weird approach imo. Please just use the reading challenge to expand the scope of your reading, no one cares if you didn't make 50 books because you got stuck on this one book for ages, 50 books is an arbitrary constraint you placed on yourself a year ago. If you ended up reading one thing that you enjoyed, and you might not have read if you hadn't posted in this thread then that's a good reading challenge. I've never done something like this before and I guess I latched onto "challenge" a little too much. Last reading challenge I did was when I was 8 and it was to raise money for charity. Those lists were very formal and rigid.
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2015 04:50
|
|
|
I have updated op with everyone's challenge and will fix the formatting and stuff later. Plus this serves as a marker of where I have not added new peoples challenges yet.
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2015 05:16
|
|
|
1. After Adorno: Rethinking Music Sociology by Tia DeNora - I guess that hits my female author requirement, even If i didn't really do it purposely. A very good introduction to Theodor Adorno's thought on music but it's not really the focus of the book. Denora tries to make Adorno more useful for modern approaches to musical sociology. Building upon her dissertation / past work that I'm not really familiar with but I don't think it's needed to appreciate her framework. Adorno is super cool so this book is super cool. Adorno was a composer and a Philospherof the Frankfurt school, famous for the latter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9vU36JCbIM Adorno's compositions were very schoenberg-esque , he did love schoenberg after all. Adorno wrote some really polemic articles dealing with popular music and jazz etc, they are really funny and good. Many of Adorno's ideas are interesting (and to me, correct) but he is guilty and over generalizing but its all intentional. He writing structure is very unique and demanding, read more in this book to find out!!! Lumius fucked around with this message at 07:19 on Jan 8, 2015 |
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2015 06:19
|
|
|
ZakAce posted:Like Cormac McCarthy's 'The Road', but much more optimistic. That's kind of like saying "nicer than Hitler". (I read The Road right around the time my first child was born. Smart choice. Probably the best book I'll never reread.) Okay, I'm in for this year: Overall goal of 40 books (did 50 last year, will probably have a bit less time this year). And gently caress, I'll take the challenge list from the OP. Additionally I'll set myself the goal of reading at least 10 books in Norwegian by Norwegian authors (this will encourage me to make more use of my local library branch as well). And at least 5 nonfiction books. And to combat laziness I'll not count more than 5 rereads toward my goal, even if it's a reread from 20 years ago. So far this January: 1. Menneskefluene by Hans Olav Lahlum. 2010 debut crime novel by a fairly well-known Norwegian media personality (really a historian but a general power nerd), but it's a period piece set in 1968 and dealing with one-generation-later fallout from WW2. Very much a classic mystery with a great locked-room murder, memorable characters, dramatic reading of the murder victim's last will and testament, etc. Enjoyable and clever, liked it a lot. 2. Teckla by Steven Brust. #3 in the Vlad Taltos series, and a decades-later reread for me. I love this series so much. Also I'm reading the superhero web serial Worm inbetween other stuff. About 10% in so far, it's pretty neat I think.
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2015 10:45
|
|
|
CestMoi posted:A lot of people seem to treat this as a rigidly adhered to competition against yourself and that's a weird approach imo. Please just use the reading challenge to expand the scope of your reading, no one cares if you didn't make 50 books because you got stuck on this one book for ages, 50 books is an arbitrary constraint you placed on yourself a year ago. If you ended up reading one thing that you enjoyed, and you might not have read if you hadn't posted in this thread then that's a good reading challenge. Well yeah but I'm also doing the challenge to keep the habit of reading for pleasure even when I get really busy with school or whatever. I certainly would have posted about what I read even if I hadn't met the numbered challenge, but it's also fun to try to meet a quantitative goal. Rise of the Warrior Cop is great but also infuriating. gently caress Richard Nixon.
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2015 11:34
|
|
|
This year, in addition to breaking the century mark, among those books will be The Recognitions, Finnegan's Wake, and V. So that's my challenge. Started with Gaddis on New Year's Day and still making progress. Oughta set me back pace-wise to start the year though. I'm slowly reading the Wake aloud to my son, so I guess that counts even if I only have the barest handle on the plot at any given time. mdemone fucked around with this message at 17:18 on Jan 8, 2015 |
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2015 17:16
|
|
|
Someone give me a wildcard book! I was going to wait till I was out of other stuff to read but I am anxious to know now.
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2015 17:52
|
|
|
Guy A. Person posted:Someone give me a wildcard book! I was going to wait till I was out of other stuff to read but I am anxious to know now. Lilith's Brood by Octavia Butler. Trilogy of novellas about humans saved from the brink of extinction by aliens with a compulsion for genetic experiments.
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2015 18:35
|
|
|
Dienes posted:Lilith's Brood by Octavia Butler. Trilogy of novellas about humans saved from the brink of extinction by aliens with a compulsion for genetic experiments. Okay sounds good; I read Parable of the Sower from her and liked it so this should be cool too. Thanks!
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2015 19:01
|
|
|
What the hell, wildcard me too.
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2015 19:44
|
|
|
Groke posted:What the hell, wildcard me too. The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat.
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2015 20:37
|
|
|
Walh Hara posted:The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. Sure, I've been interested in that one before, never actually got around to reading it, and it's easily available. Thanks.
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2015 21:18
|
|
|
Groke posted:That's kind of like saying "nicer than Hitler". (I read The Road right around the time my first child was born. Smart choice. Probably the best book I'll never reread.) 1) Eh, all I meant by comparing it to Cormac McCarthy was that both books take place in the post-apocalypse, both involve travelling and both are written without dialogue markers. I'll probably read some McCarthy at some point. 2) I'm currently reading Jhereg at the moment. I started reading it a while ago, but stopped when I had to take the book back to the library, so I'm giving it another go. Looking forward to finally finishing it.
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2015 04:13
|
|
|
While I failed last year, sign me up for 52 books and the Stravinsky challenge. Wildcard me!
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2015 08:58
|
|
|
The Erland posted:While I failed last year, sign me up for 52 books and the Stravinsky challenge. Wildcard me! George Saunder's Pastoralia. It's a collection of short stories and a novella by a contemporary American author. He handles dark comedy really well and has been favourably compared to Kurt Vonnegut and Thomas Pynchon: http://www.amazon.com/Pastoralia-George-Saunders/dp/1573228729
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2015 09:03
|
|
|
Blind Sally posted:George Saunder's Pastoralia. It's a collection of short stories and a novella by a contemporary American author. He handles dark comedy really well and has been favourably compared to Kurt Vonnegut and Thomas Pynchon: http://www.amazon.com/Pastoralia-George-Saunders/dp/1573228729 That looks really interesting, thanks!
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2015 09:36
|
|
|
I'll take the Challenge and will try to read 50 books this year. I'll also take a wildcard, please!
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2015 09:38
|
|
|
Blind Sally posted:George Saunder's Pastoralia.[/url] Hell, I want to read that too. I like Vonnegut and Pynchon.
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2015 11:35
|
|
|
Last year I had 65 books, which I managed to surpass, but it felt a bit too much like a chore, so 55 books this time around. Challenge: 10 non-fiction books. https://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/1805433
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2015 13:56
|
|
|
Gotta say, I'm really coming to appreciate your custom challenge, Stravinsky. It's a great way of getting people to vary their reading as opposed to yelling that comic books shouldn't count. You are a benevolent booklord.
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2015 14:14
|
|
|
The Erland posted:That looks really interesting, thanks! It's really good! I'm going to re-read it after I finish my current book.
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2015 18:52
|
|
|
Rand Ecliptic posted:I'll take the Challenge and will try to read 50 books this year. Anathem by Neal Stephenson.
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2015 19:11
|
|
|
My goal for this year is to read the (7) Harry Potter books in German. I'm about 3/4s of the way through the first book right now. I'm in school full time (German and philosophy major) and work full time, so it'll be pretty tough to do, but I think I can make some good steady progress daily.
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2015 23:20
|
|
|
Mahlertov Cocktail posted:Gotta say, I'm really coming to appreciate your custom challenge, Stravinsky. It's a great way of getting people to vary their reading as opposed to yelling that comic books shouldn't count. You are a benevolent booklord. If I had the time, I would look up a graphic novel that covered each of those categories. Part of me feels bad because I already read a good chunk of those categories, but stuff like poetry is going to be a huge challenge, so I guess it evens out.
|
|
#
?
Jan 10, 2015 00:47
|
|
|
thespaceinvader posted:Anathem by Neal Stephenson. And I have now revised my goal to 45 books  Seriously, thanks for the pick. I'm really looking forward to it.
|
|
#
?
Jan 10, 2015 00:48
|
|
|
Psssh Anathem I did in a week. Albeit, a week in which I was visiting my future mother in law and had literally nothing to do but read and watch TV. That book made my shoulders hurt so much. It's well worth the time though.
|
|
#
?
Jan 10, 2015 01:51
|
|
|
2. Insomnia has lead me to finish The Republic of the Imgination : American in Three books by Azar Nafisi. Female , non-white and something else probably off the challenge, still going to work through it in order. Anyway, the book examines how the author views America, past and present, through three (really four) famous American Authors. Nafisi uses Twain, Sinclair Lewis, Carson Mcullers, and James Baldwin. The second section of the book was the weakest, comparring babbitt to current American educational woes. I would've enjoyed the book more (maybe less?) if I've read more of these Authors, something to do during the challenge now!
|
|
#
?
Jan 10, 2015 09:59
|
|
|
I forgot to look for this thread until now, but I'm planning on reading 52 books again this year, of which at least 24 must be by women and 12 must be non-fiction, and no more than five books by a single author can be counted. So far I've only read Chestnuts: A True Story about Being Bullied by Gilbert Ohanian, which is absolute garbage. I'll post a review of it here at the end of the month, but I've already posted one on my Goodreads.
|
|
#
?
Jan 10, 2015 12:54
|
|
|
I'm in for 100. Goodreads 3 down so far: 1. A Quiet Revolution: The Veil's Resurgence, from the Middle East to America by Leila Ahmed - Really great, though probably not too interesting if this isn't a subject you're already into 2. People Who Eat Darkness: The Fate of Lucie Blackman by Richard Lloyd Parry - True crime. Nothing special, but not bad. 3. First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers by Loung Ung - Really, really depressing, as you might imagine the memoirs of someone living in Cambodia in the late 70s to be. Fortunately, you know there's going to be a (somewhat) happy ending, because she survived to write a book!
|
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2015 00:44
|
|
|
1. But is it art? by Cynthia Freeland - This is a reread, but it's enjoyable. It's essentially one long essay composed of seven smaller essays where Freeland discusses different ways of looking at art and the theories that support them. It's a great introduction to anyone who is interested in expanding their knowledge of art criticism and theory. Freeland is easy to read, and her own analysis is strong. If anyone is interested, monoskop.org has the full text on PDF available: http://monoskop.org/images/e/ec/Freeland_Cynthia_But_is_it_Art_2002.pdf I've already got a bunch of female authors on my to-read list year, but I'll use Freeland here to mark that off my challenge list:
|
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2015 00:56
|
|
|
I am gonna be pretty busy this year so I have no idea how many books I will be able to read, but after thinking about it I am just gonna see how many of the challenges I can knock out since that should be pretty fun.
|
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2015 02:29
|
|
|
Actually, while I'm at it, could someone wildcard me, please?
|
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2015 06:02
|
|
|
Blind Sally posted:Actually, while I'm at it, could someone wildcard me, please?
|
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2015 06:09
|
|
|
I will accept the booklord's challenge. In addition, I would like to read these four books this year: The Wings of the Dove - Henry James, The Prophet, the Life of Leon Trotsky - Isaac Deutscher, The Recognitions - William Gaddis, and Marcel Proust, a Life - William Carter Edit: 30 books this year. PatMarshall fucked around with this message at 20:06 on Jan 11, 2015 |
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2015 20:01
|
|
|
1. Tom Clancy - The Cardinal of the Kremlin I can't say that these books are amazing, because they're not, but I at least find them interesting. Since I started on the last year, every few months I usually pick one up and give it a shot. With the amount of fantasy and sci-fi I read, it can be nice to read something that attempts to feel a bit more authentic. That being said while it isn't "hard" to read, reading Clancy can be a bit dense. His books tend to slow me down as I will just focus on it instead of trying to do three at a time. 2. Red Rising -Pierce Brown This book is totally a Hunger Games / Ender's Game rip-off. That being said, I just so happen to have enjoyed reading both of those books. I had a lot of fun reading it, once we got into the nitty gritty of it all. It hits the same notes as the books it borrows heavily from. The only concern i have is that it is a part of a trilogy. A book that starts this way, in which the entire thing is essentially a gigantic self-contained war, is a lot of fun to read, but very seldom can it maintain and hold onto that vibe the next time around... so I will probably check it out, but I'm not tripping all over myself to do so. In the mix, I'm working on 4 books. Tricked -By Keven Hearne, Shame of the Nation - Jonathan Kozol, The Republic of Thieves - Scott Lynch & Shadow's Edge - Brent Weeks.
|
|
#
?
Jan 12, 2015 06:05
|
|
|
Put be down for 50 books, and I'll do the challenge in the OP as well.
|
|
#
?
Jan 12, 2015 10:57
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 25, 2024 18:00 |
|
|
Put me down for 25. Last year was the year of a new job, in a new flat on the other end of the country; I barely made time for reading and only managed 10 books. If I manage 25 I'll at least have got back into a habit of semi-regular reading.
|
|
#
?
Jan 12, 2015 14:36
|
|