Author Topic: 50 Books in 2017!  (Read 131192 times)

riverffashion

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Re: 50 Books in 2017!
« Reply #100 on: January 20, 2017, 07:56:47 AM »
1. Until the End book 1- The Party (Christopher Pike)
2. Until the End book 2- The Dance (Christopher Pike)
3. Until the End book 3- The Graduation (Christopher Pike)
4. The Bookseller (Cynthia Swanson)
Pretty interesting. About two alternate lives of a woman in early 1960's.
5. Die Softly (Christopher Pike)

Libertea

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Re: 100 Books in 2017!
« Reply #101 on: January 21, 2017, 08:15:17 PM »
I'm doubling the goal.  Posting books I have finished as I finish them along with a brief review/blurb.

1) 17/01/01 - Assholes: A Theory (Aaron James): philosophical treatise about what it means for someone to be an asshole and how we can deal with them
2) 17/01/01 - Assholes: A Theory of Donald Trump (same author): sequel to the prior book, subject obvious
3) 17/01/02 - The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho): I may be the only person on this forum who didn't like this book, but it's supposed to be an allegory about following your dreams.  I appreciate that aspect of it, but I find the whole New Age mumbo jumbo to be a bit over the top.
4) 17/01/04 - Spaceman (Mike Massimino): Hubble telescope spacewalking astronaut's memoirs
5) 17/01/06 - Luna: New Moon (Ian McDonald): sci-fi dystopia played out on the moon in a feudal society (complete with warring great families); ends with a cliffhanger and sequel due out in March
6) 17/01/07 - The Art of Sleeping Alone (Sophie Fontanel): French writer's memoir about the years when she gave up relationships/sex.  Not as enlightening (or even as scandalous) as I would have hoped, but occasionally surprisingly humorous.
7) 17/01/07 - On Bullshit (Harry Frankfurt): philosophical treatise on bullshit, the inspiration for James's treatises on assholes (cited above).  At 67 pages, really more of an essay than a book, but published in book form.
8) 17/01/08 - A Deeper Love Inside (Sister Souljah): sequel to The Coldest Winter Ever, Souljah's novel about ghetto life in NYC.  Silly, unrealistic ending, but Winter's younger sister Porsche is a much more interesting and sympathetic main character than Winter.
9) 17/01/08 - Good Morning, Midnight (Lily Brooks-Dalton): if you're a sci fi fan, all I can say is, wow.  You should read this book.  Loneliness and the myriad connections between an astronomer and an astronaut who unexpectedly and inexplicably find themselves to be two of the last people on or off the earth.
10) 17/01/10 - Dragons of Summer Flame (Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman): last of the Dragonlance series that follows the fates of both the original generation and the second generation (should be read after the original Dragonlance series and after The Second Generation, since it builds on all of those stories).
11) 17/01/15 - Join (Steve Toutonghi): strange, disturbing sci fi novel raising questions about the nature of what it means to be human and mortal in an era where technology makes it possible to combine one's psyche with those of others into a group psyche
12) 17/01/17 - Men We Reaped (Jesmyn Ward): memoir of a black woman growing up impoverished in rural Mississippi, focusing specifically on the many black men she knew (including her brother) who died young due to drugs or accidents.  It's hard for me to explain why, but I came away from this book feeling annoyed with the author (who also had a drug problem with alcohol), not sympathetic.
13) 17/01/21 - The Girl Who Wrote in Silk (Kelli Estes): loosely historical mystery novel based on history of Chinese immigration to and expulsion from Washington Territory (later Washington State).  Initially slow going and took time to get into, but worth the effort.

calimom

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Re: 50 Books in 2017!
« Reply #102 on: January 21, 2017, 09:16:30 PM »
I'm in! Started in 2016, but just finished:

1) The Tumbling Turner Sisters by Juliette Fay

2) The Pure Gold Baby by Margaret Drabble

3) The Nix by Nathan Hill ~ fantastic!

wintertell

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Re: 50 Books in 2017!
« Reply #103 on: January 22, 2017, 09:21:48 AM »
I am on book #3: The Traveler's Wife.

#1 Christmas Joy by Nancy Naigle
#2 Starry Night by Debbie Macomber

Hi Chip! I read Starry Night last Christmas and really enjoyed it! Did you know it was made into a Hallmark movie? I forget which one as I don't have the Hallmark Channel. Watching Hallmark movies and reading Christmas-themed romance novels is one of my favorite treats around Christmastime nowadays.

wintertell

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Re: 50 Books in 2017!
« Reply #104 on: January 22, 2017, 09:48:22 AM »
I'm in! I can't believe I didn't find this thread before.

Right now I'm on a romance reading binge ... perhaps I'll read something deeper after I've recovered a bit from this stressful period right now. I read quite a bit over the holidays, but took a break while we were focusing on packing. Also, all my books are currently packed away in boxes since we are in the middle of moving!

Lynette Eason - Don't Look Back - 1/20
Lynette Eason - Too Close to Home - 1/20
Lynette Eason - Protecting Her Daughter - 1/20
Lynette Eason - Rodeo Rescuer - 1/19
Lynette Eason - The Lawman Returns - 1/18
Lynette Eason - Classified Christmas - 1/12
Lynette Eason - Lethal Homecoming  - 1/12

Shieldmaiden

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Re: 50 Books in 2017!
« Reply #105 on: January 22, 2017, 03:43:23 PM »
1. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
2. Living on a Shoestring

HappierAtHome

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Re: 50 Books in 2017!
« Reply #106 on: January 22, 2017, 06:01:58 PM »
1. Wolf Hall by Hillary Mantel (excellent)
2. The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory (average)

3. The Boleyn Inheritance by Phillipa Gregory (blergh)

LouLou

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Re: 50 Books in 2017!
« Reply #107 on: January 22, 2017, 07:05:32 PM »
I'm joining!  I'll post as a finish.

GeekyGirl

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Re: 50 Books in 2017!
« Reply #108 on: January 23, 2017, 06:11:47 AM »
I'd like to join in! Last year was my first year with a kindle, and after discovering ebooks at the library, my reading really took off again. I managed 48 books last year, so I'd love to hit 50 this year. I'm working my way through the BBC top 100 books (got through 17 last year), along with a smattering of other stuff here and there. Here's my progress so far for the year:

1. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (terrible writing, ugh)
2. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
3. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
4. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arther Golden
Wow this list is great and it apparently wasn't even created by the BBC. I've already read 21 of them in French (lot of reading during middle and high school), so I'll probably reread the ones originally in English. It's funny though how many of those are adapted in films or TV shows and I am discouraged of reading it after seeing the film / show.

Dave1442397

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Re: 50 Books in 2017!
« Reply #109 on: January 23, 2017, 06:42:17 AM »
1. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

That was a great book! I have the sequel on my to-read list.

Dave1442397

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Re: 50 Books in 2017!
« Reply #110 on: January 23, 2017, 06:46:17 AM »
Hit the half way point yesterday.


StarBright

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Re: 50 Books in 2017!
« Reply #111 on: January 23, 2017, 11:43:19 AM »
    I'm in again this year. I'll do the popsugar book challenge as my reading list because it really helped me get out of a genre rut last year.
    http://www.popsugar.com/love/Reading-Challenge-2017-42561300

    1. A book about an interesting woman: The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent. Fiction about Martha and Sarah Carrier from the Salem Witch Trials.[/li][/list]


    2. A book recommended by a librarian: The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman
    3. A book that has been on my TBR for a long time: Dune by Frank Herbert

    next up: a book of letters. I'm thinking Lady Susan by Jane Austen? or maybe the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

    kpd905

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    Re: 50 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #112 on: January 23, 2017, 03:11:50 PM »
    1. A Blistered Kind of Love by Angela and Duffy Ballard (1/11)
    2. Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance (1/19)
    3. Flood by Stephen Baxter (1/23)

    SquashingDebt

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    Re: 50 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #113 on: January 23, 2017, 06:09:49 PM »


    next up: a book of letters. I'm thinking Lady Susan by Jane Austen? or maybe the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

    My all-time favorite book composed of letters is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, if you're looking for recommendations :)

    Fresh Bread

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    Re: 50 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #114 on: January 23, 2017, 08:45:56 PM »
    This is a great idea! I know I definitely want to read more than last year.

    1. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (excellent; page-turning, memorable, couldn't wait to get back to reading when I had to put it down)
    2. Lab Girl by Hope Jahren (one of the best memoirs I've read in a while. Also incidentally learned a lot about trees)
    3. Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo (eh. Good info, but could've been condensed to about 1/3 the length)
    4. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout - in progress

    I'm about half way though Life Changing Magic and I get what you mean. It's definitely worth reading for me though as I'm getting many insights into my own personality. Spark Joy is a well edited version of Life Changing Magic so great for those who just want the tidying tips and not the back story.

    SAfAmBrit

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    Re: 50 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #115 on: January 23, 2017, 10:15:31 PM »
    1)No Place to hide - Susan Lewis
    2) And the mountains echoed - Khaled Hosseini
    3) Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone - JK Rowling (Bracken_Joys fault!)
    4) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - JK Rowling (Bracken_Joys fault! - 1 mention of Harry and I am doomed - what do you mean did I cook - no I was Reading Harry Potter!!!)
    5) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - JK Rowling
    6) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - JK Rowling
    7) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - JK Rowling
    8) Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - JK Rowling
    9) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - JK Rowling
    10) Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
    « Last Edit: February 04, 2017, 10:16:46 PM by SAfAmBrit »

    StarBright

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    Re: 50 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #116 on: January 24, 2017, 07:02:17 AM »


    next up: a book of letters. I'm thinking Lady Susan by Jane Austen? or maybe the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

    My all-time favorite book composed of letters is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, if you're looking for recommendations :)

    I am always looking for recommendations- thanks! :) I read that one a few years ago and really enjoyed it.

    Toffeemama

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    Re: 50 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #117 on: January 24, 2017, 09:56:18 AM »
    1)The Hostile Hospital(read-aloud) - by Lemony Snicket
    2)The Manchurian Candidate - by Richard Condon
    3)Maus - by Art Spiegelman

    FireHiker

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    Re: 50 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #118 on: January 24, 2017, 10:07:17 AM »
    Quote
    I've been slowly working my way through  the BBC list over the past few years as well! So far I am at 53/100. I like lists like these b/c they get me to read books I otherwise may have overlooked... Try to chip away at at least 5 each year.

    I do find it to be a little strange - why does The Complete Works of Shakespeare count, but then Hamlet counts as its own as well? Same question for The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lion The Witch & The Wardrobe..??  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

    I agree; the list does have some strangeness in it! I am sitting at 45/100 right now, and some of my favorite books that I read last year came from the list: Pullman's "His Dark Materials" and Shute's "A Town Like Alice".

    As for me, I just finished another, not from the BBC List:

    5. The More of Less by Joshua Becker

    Next up is the Mazerunner series, which I started last night. My 16 year old just read it for school and I've never read it. After I finish those I'll pick something else from the BBC list I think.


    Edited to add: The BBC list I was using originally for mine was actually related to The Big Read and wasn't one of those quizzes, although there is a lot of commonality. On the list I was using (just looked at my spreadsheet) I've read 48. I'll have to look through and see what's different at some point.
    « Last Edit: January 24, 2017, 10:11:16 AM by jillinsandiego »

    Tick-Tock

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    Re: 50 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #119 on: January 25, 2017, 08:23:27 PM »


    next up: a book of letters. I'm thinking Lady Susan by Jane Austen? or maybe the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

    My all-time favorite book composed of letters is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, if you're looking for recommendations :)

    I am always looking for recommendations- thanks! :) I read that one a few years ago and really enjoyed it.

    How about 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff? 

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    Re: 50 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #120 on: January 25, 2017, 08:24:10 PM »
    5.  Nora Roberts, Key of Light
    6.  Nora Roberts, Key of Knowledge
    7.  Nora Roberts, Key of Valor

    SquashingDebt

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    Re: 50 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #121 on: January 26, 2017, 05:07:14 AM »


    next up: a book of letters. I'm thinking Lady Susan by Jane Austen? or maybe the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

    My all-time favorite book composed of letters is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, if you're looking for recommendations :)

    I am always looking for recommendations- thanks! :) I read that one a few years ago and really enjoyed it.

    How about 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff?

    That one is great too!

    GeekyGirl

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    Re: 50 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #122 on: January 26, 2017, 08:24:07 AM »
    Happy New year everyone,

    I'm doing thing differently this year, the challenge is to read at least 50 books in English and 50 in French, streach goal is to have 200 combined. Thus I'll have two lists.

    FR
    • Une certaine justice par P. D. James

    ENG
    • The Patient by Michael Palmer
    • To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
    • Original Sin by P. D. James
    • The Murder Room by P. D. James
    FR*
    • Meurtres en blouse blanche (Shroud for a Nightingale) par P. D. James
    • Une certaine justice (A Certain Justice) par P. D. James
    • Une vie si convenable (The Child’s Child) par Ruth Rendell
    • Meurtres en soutane (Death in Holy Orders) par P. D. James

    * English title (if applicable) in italics

    FireHiker

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    Re: 50 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #123 on: January 26, 2017, 09:26:55 AM »
    6. The Maze Runner by James Dashner

    I've already started the next one in the series, so it should be pretty quick (as long as my library wait times aren't too long for #3 and #5).

    kaleidoscopicalkris

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    Re: 50 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #124 on: January 26, 2017, 10:09:59 AM »
    1. Thinking in Pictures by Temple Grandin (done!)
    2. Temple Grandin by Annette Wood (done!)
    3. Ahsoka by E. K. Johnson (67%)
    4. The Autistic Brain by Temple Grandin and Richard Panek (20%)

    Slipping a bit behind - I should be able to finish both books by the end of the night Saturday and be back on track. I really need to stop getting caught up on social media in the evenings.

    MgoSam

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    Re: 50 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #125 on: January 26, 2017, 10:50:51 AM »
    I'm in!

    1. The Box by Marc Levinson- 1/15/17
    2. The Theft by Swords by Michael J Sullivan- 1/19/17
    3. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell- 1/25/17
    4. Elantris by Brandon Sanderson- 1/25/17

    StarBright

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    Re: 50 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #126 on: January 26, 2017, 02:17:22 PM »


    next up: a book of letters. I'm thinking Lady Susan by Jane Austen? or maybe the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

    My all-time favorite book composed of letters is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, if you're looking for recommendations :)

    I am always looking for recommendations- thanks! :) I read that one a few years ago and really enjoyed it.

    How about 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff?

    Perfect - I've got in a request for library loan - thanks!

    calimom

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    Re: 50 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #127 on: January 26, 2017, 07:23:16 PM »
    1. Life, the Universe and Everything by Douglas Adams
    2. The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown
    3. So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish by Douglas Adams

    4. Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams

    5. Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott

    Oh, I love Anne Lamott! The whole Rosie trilogy is a wonderful read.

    SoCal Stache

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    Re: 50 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #128 on: January 26, 2017, 07:31:04 PM »
    starting late, got some catching up to do!

    1. Start.: Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average, and Do Work That Matters (complete)
    2. The Crash Course: The Unsustainable Future Of Our Economy, Energy, And Environment (re-reading, in progress)


    riverffashion

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    Re: 50 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #129 on: January 26, 2017, 07:36:18 PM »
    I found a list I'd like to get into-
     http://best-sci-fi-books.com/21-best-post-apocalyptic-science-fiction-books/
    I didn't read through the entire list, but see I have read at least a few. Looks promising.
    I have two Lois Duncan books to read, as well as two more Christopher Pike books first.

    Fresh Bread

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    Re: 50 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #130 on: January 26, 2017, 11:27:51 PM »
    1. How to stay de-junked forever by Dawna Walter (1/1/17)
    2. The Chemistry of Tears by Peter Carey (6/1/17)
    3. Spark Joy by Marie Kondo (20/1/17)
    4. The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo (28/1/17) I had so many epiphanies reading this :)

    Next up is George Orwell: The Observer Years. I'm sure I'll find we have learnt nothing from the past... I've also got Superfreakonomics that DH had from the library.

    SquashingDebt

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    Re: 50 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #131 on: January 27, 2017, 05:11:14 AM »

    1. Tricky Twenty-Two - Janet Evanovich
    2. The Magician's Elephant - Kate DiCamillo
    3. Wife for Hire - Janet Evanovich


    4. The Simple Path to Wealth - J. L. Collins
    5. Crown of Midnight - Sarah J. Maas

    I have to decide what to start next - either Harry Potter and the Cursed Child or the next book in the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas.  Maybe both!

    Dave1442397

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    Re: 50 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #132 on: January 27, 2017, 05:58:42 AM »
    I found a list I'd like to get into-
     http://best-sci-fi-books.com/21-best-post-apocalyptic-science-fiction-books/
    I didn't read through the entire list, but see I have read at least a few. Looks promising.
    I have two Lois Duncan books to read, as well as two more Christopher Pike books first.

    I've read most of the books on that list. The Girl with all the Gifts was my most recent from that list, and it was excellent.

    Hijinks

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    Re: 50 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #133 on: January 27, 2017, 09:16:17 AM »
    Everyone is crushing it! Work has been pretty demanding, so I haven't had as much time to read, but I did re-read the first Harry Potter book (not super impressive, I realize), and I'm also working on The Chosen by Chaim Potok. Really enjoying it so far. I'm about half way done and hope to have it finished by the end of the weekend.

    1. The Girl Who Fell from the Sky - Heidi W. Durrow
    2. Number the Stars - Lois Lowry
    3. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling
    « Last Edit: February 23, 2017, 11:55:03 AM by A&R »

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    Re: 50 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #134 on: January 27, 2017, 09:49:01 AM »
    I found a list I'd like to get into-
     http://best-sci-fi-books.com/21-best-post-apocalyptic-science-fiction-books/
    I didn't read through the entire list, but see I have read at least a few. Looks promising.
    I have two Lois Duncan books to read, as well as two more Christopher Pike books first.

    Glad to see one of my favorites from my teenage years, which no one has ever heard of, on the list -- Emergence.  The picture shows a battered copy, much like mine!

    riverffashion

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    Re: 50 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #135 on: January 27, 2017, 11:50:13 AM »
    I found a list I'd like to get into-
     http://best-sci-fi-books.com/21-best-post-apocalyptic-science-fiction-books/
    I didn't read through the entire list, but see I have read at least a few. Looks promising.
    I have two Lois Duncan books to read, as well as two more Christopher Pike books first.

    Glad to see one of my favorites from my teenage years, which no one has ever heard of, on the list -- Emergence.  The picture shows a battered copy, much like mine!
    I actually ordered Emergence from the library, funny. Nice to hear it's your favorite. 😊

    ringer707

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    Re: 50 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #136 on: January 27, 2017, 01:33:51 PM »
    1. Rose: My Life in Service to Lady Astor by Rosina Harrison
    2. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
    3. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
    4. The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
    5. The Death Cure by James Dashner
    6. Welcome to the World, Baby Girl by Fannie Flagg

    Still have The Kill Order sitting around, haven't felt like reading more of it lately. Related more to current events than the actual book.

    Picked up Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris last night.

    Cookie78

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    Re: 50 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #137 on: January 27, 2017, 02:52:01 PM »
    1. A Kiss of Shadows By Hamilton, Laurell K.
    2. A Caress of Twilight By Hamilton, Laurell K.
    3. The Prisoner of Zenda By Hope, Anthony (audiobook)
    4. Pukka's Promise - The Quest for Longer-lived Dogs By Kerasote, Ted
    5. The Broken Kingdoms By Jemisin, N. K.
    6. The Golem's Eye By Stroud, Jonathan

    tortoiseshell

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    Re: 50 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #138 on: January 27, 2017, 07:00:47 PM »
    1. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (1/7/17)
    2. The Great Divide: Nature and Human Nature in the Old World and the New by Peter Watson (started in 2016, finished 1/14/17)
    3. Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler (1/18/17)
    4. The New Radicalism in America 1889-1963: The Intellectual as a Social Type by Christopher Lasch (1/27/17)

    Tick-Tock

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    Re: 50 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #139 on: January 27, 2017, 09:11:03 PM »
    8.  Agatha Christie, Partners in Crime

    Libertea

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    Re: 100 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #140 on: January 28, 2017, 08:53:58 AM »
    I'm doubling the goal.  Posting books I have finished as I finish them along with a brief review/blurb.

    1) 17/01/01 - Assholes: A Theory (Aaron James): philosophical treatise about what it means for someone to be an asshole and how we can deal with them
    2) 17/01/01 - Assholes: A Theory of Donald Trump (same author): sequel to the prior book, subject obvious
    3) 17/01/02 - The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho): I may be the only person on this forum who didn't like this book, but it's supposed to be an allegory about following your dreams.  I appreciate that aspect of it, but I find the whole New Age mumbo jumbo to be a bit over the top.
    4) 17/01/04 - Spaceman (Mike Massimino): Hubble telescope spacewalking astronaut's memoirs
    5) 17/01/06 - Luna: New Moon (Ian McDonald): sci-fi dystopia played out on the moon in a feudal society (complete with warring great families); ends with a cliffhanger and sequel due out in March
    6) 17/01/07 - The Art of Sleeping Alone (Sophie Fontanel): French writer's memoir about the years when she gave up relationships/sex.  Not as enlightening (or even as scandalous) as I would have hoped, but occasionally surprisingly humorous.
    7) 17/01/07 - On Bullshit (Harry Frankfurt): philosophical treatise on bullshit, the inspiration for James's treatises on assholes (cited above).  At 67 pages, really more of an essay than a book, but published in book form.
    8) 17/01/08 - A Deeper Love Inside (Sister Souljah): sequel to The Coldest Winter Ever, Souljah's novel about ghetto life in NYC.  Silly, unrealistic ending, but Winter's younger sister Porsche is a much more interesting and sympathetic main character than Winter.
    9) 17/01/08 - Good Morning, Midnight (Lily Brooks-Dalton): if you're a sci fi fan, all I can say is, wow.  You should read this book.  Loneliness and the myriad connections between an astronomer and an astronaut who unexpectedly and inexplicably find themselves to be two of the last people on or off the earth.
    10) 17/01/10 - Dragons of Summer Flame (Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman): last of the Dragonlance series that follows the fates of both the original generation and the second generation (should be read after the original Dragonlance series and after The Second Generation, since it builds on all of those stories).
    11) 17/01/15 - Join (Steve Toutonghi): strange, disturbing sci fi novel raising questions about the nature of what it means to be human and mortal in an era where technology makes it possible to combine one's psyche with those of others into a group psyche
    12) 17/01/17 - Men We Reaped (Jesmyn Ward): memoir of a black woman growing up impoverished in rural Mississippi, focusing specifically on the many black men she knew (including her brother) who died young due to drugs or accidents.  It's hard for me to explain why, but I came away from this book feeling annoyed with the author (who also had a drug problem with alcohol), not sympathetic.
    13) 17/01/21 - The Girl Who Wrote in Silk (Kelli Estes): loosely historical mystery novel based on history of Chinese immigration to and expulsion from Washington Territory (later Washington State).  Initially slow going and took time to get into, but worth the effort.
    14) 17/01/28 - The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion (Fannie Flagg): this is actually a re-read, but just as good the second time as the first.  By the same author who wrote "Fried Green Tomatoes," with similar style and theme (older woman telling her life story to a middle-aged present-day woman trying to find herself)

    HappierAtHome

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    Re: 50 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #141 on: January 28, 2017, 04:38:15 PM »
    1. Wolf Hall by Hillary Mantel (excellent)
    2. The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory (average)
    3. The Boleyn Inheritance by Phillipa Gregory (blergh)

    4. Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher

    Libertea

    • Bristles
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    Re: 100 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #142 on: January 29, 2017, 06:56:14 AM »
    I'm doubling the goal.  Posting books I have finished as I finish them along with a brief review/blurb.

    1) 17/01/01 - Assholes: A Theory (Aaron James): philosophical treatise about what it means for someone to be an asshole and how we can deal with them
    2) 17/01/01 - Assholes: A Theory of Donald Trump (same author): sequel to the prior book, subject obvious
    3) 17/01/02 - The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho): I may be the only person on this forum who didn't like this book, but it's supposed to be an allegory about following your dreams.  I appreciate that aspect of it, but I find the whole New Age mumbo jumbo to be a bit over the top.
    4) 17/01/04 - Spaceman (Mike Massimino): Hubble telescope spacewalking astronaut's memoirs
    5) 17/01/06 - Luna: New Moon (Ian McDonald): sci-fi dystopia played out on the moon in a feudal society (complete with warring great families); ends with a cliffhanger and sequel due out in March
    6) 17/01/07 - The Art of Sleeping Alone (Sophie Fontanel): French writer's memoir about the years when she gave up relationships/sex.  Not as enlightening (or even as scandalous) as I would have hoped, but occasionally surprisingly humorous.
    7) 17/01/07 - On Bullshit (Harry Frankfurt): philosophical treatise on bullshit, the inspiration for James's treatises on assholes (cited above).  At 67 pages, really more of an essay than a book, but published in book form.
    8) 17/01/08 - A Deeper Love Inside (Sister Souljah): sequel to The Coldest Winter Ever, Souljah's novel about ghetto life in NYC.  Silly, unrealistic ending, but Winter's younger sister Porsche is a much more interesting and sympathetic main character than Winter.
    9) 17/01/08 - Good Morning, Midnight (Lily Brooks-Dalton): if you're a sci fi fan, all I can say is, wow.  You should read this book.  Loneliness and the myriad connections between an astronomer and an astronaut who unexpectedly and inexplicably find themselves to be two of the last people on or off the earth.
    10) 17/01/10 - Dragons of Summer Flame (Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman): last of the Dragonlance series that follows the fates of both the original generation and the second generation (should be read after the original Dragonlance series and after The Second Generation, since it builds on all of those stories).
    11) 17/01/15 - Join (Steve Toutonghi): strange, disturbing sci fi novel raising questions about the nature of what it means to be human and mortal in an era where technology makes it possible to combine one's psyche with those of others into a group psyche
    12) 17/01/17 - Men We Reaped (Jesmyn Ward): memoir of a black woman growing up impoverished in rural Mississippi, focusing specifically on the many black men she knew (including her brother) who died young due to drugs or accidents.  It's hard for me to explain why, but I came away from this book feeling annoyed with the author (who also had a drug problem with alcohol), not sympathetic.
    13) 17/01/21 - The Girl Who Wrote in Silk (Kelli Estes): loosely historical mystery novel based on history of Chinese immigration to and expulsion from Washington Territory (later Washington State).  Initially slow going and took time to get into, but worth the effort.
    14) 17/01/28 - The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion (Fannie Flagg): this is actually a re-read, but just as good the second time as the first.  By the same author who wrote "Fried Green Tomatoes," with similar style and theme (older woman telling her life story to a middle-aged present-day woman trying to find herself)
    15) 17/01/29 - Hillbilly Elegy (JD Vance): family memoir of a KY "hillbilly" and how he ended up successfully graduating from Yale Law School.  I read this at the rec of several people on this site who were wanting to use it to try to understand why so many people voted for Trump.  Not sure it provides much in the way of help along those lines, but it was an interesting book nonetheless, and well written.

    Tick-Tock

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    Re: 50 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #143 on: January 29, 2017, 07:58:17 AM »
    9.  Chicken Soup for the Soul:  Stories for a Better World
    10.  Mark Pryor, The Paris Librarian

    Toffeemama

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    Re: 50 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #144 on: January 29, 2017, 12:07:11 PM »
    1)The Hostile Hospital(read-aloud) - by Lemony Snicket
    2)The Manchurian Candidate - by Richard Condon
    3)Maus - by Art Spiegelman
    4)The Heart Goes Last - by Margaret Atwood

    Bracken_Joy

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    Re: 50 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #145 on: January 29, 2017, 06:25:10 PM »
    1. Wolf Hall by Hillary Mantel (excellent)
    2. The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory (average)
    3. The Boleyn Inheritance by Phillipa Gregory (blergh)

    4. Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher

    Ooooh I just finished the codex alera series recently. Super good, IMO. What did you think?

    kpd905

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    Re: 50 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #146 on: January 29, 2017, 07:01:31 PM »
    1. A Blistered Kind of Love by Angela and Duffy Ballard (1/11)
    2. Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance (1/19)
    3. Flood by Stephen Baxter (1/23)
    4. A Murder in Time by Julie McElwain (1/29)

    FireHiker

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    Re: 50 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #147 on: January 30, 2017, 01:58:10 PM »
    I shouldn't have any trouble making it to 50 this year I think! Um, all I did all weekend was read...

    7. The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
    8. The Death Cure by James Dashner
    9. The Kill Order by James Dashner

    Now I am #13 on the waiting list for the final book, The Fever Code (library has 4 copies). I think I'll find something less depressing to read next though!

    ringer707

    • Bristles
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    Re: 100 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #148 on: January 31, 2017, 07:16:56 AM »
    14) 17/01/28 - The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion (Fannie Flagg): this is actually a re-read, but just as good the second time as the first.  By the same author who wrote "Fried Green Tomatoes," with similar style and theme (older woman telling her life story to a middle-aged present-day woman trying to find herself)

    Love that one! I'm a huge Fannie Flagg fan, as you can tell from my list. Fried Green Tomatoes is probably my favorite book of all time.

    1. Rose: My Life in Service to Lady Astor by Rosina Harrison
    2. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
    3. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
    4. The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
    5. The Death Cure by James Dashner
    6. Welcome to the World, Baby Girl by Fannie Flagg
    7. Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

    Currently reading Standing in the Rainbow by Fannie Flagg

    Libertea

    • Bristles
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    • Location: USA
    Re: 100 Books in 2017!
    « Reply #149 on: January 31, 2017, 03:37:29 PM »
    14) 17/01/28 - The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion (Fannie Flagg): this is actually a re-read, but just as good the second time as the first.  By the same author who wrote "Fried Green Tomatoes," with similar style and theme (older woman telling her life story to a middle-aged present-day woman trying to find herself)

    Love that one! I'm a huge Fannie Flagg fan, as you can tell from my list. Fried Green Tomatoes is probably my favorite book of all time.

    1. Rose: My Life in Service to Lady Astor by Rosina Harrison
    2. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
    3. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
    4. The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
    5. The Death Cure by James Dashner
    6. Welcome to the World, Baby Girl by Fannie Flagg
    7. Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

    Currently reading Standing in the Rainbow by Fannie Flagg
    Ooh, I haven't read Standing in the Rainbow.  How is it?