Challenge: 50 Books discussion

3/09
1, Echo Park
Connelly, Michael

2, Relic (A Pendergast Novel)
Preston, Douglas

3. Outliers
Gladwell, Malcolm

2/09
4. Bangkok 8 Burdett, John

5. Sail
Patterson, James

6. A Midsummer Night's Dream
Shakespeare, William

7. Let the Circle Be Unbroken
Taylor, Mildred D.

8. Scarpetta
Cornwell, Patricia

9. Sophie's World
Gaarder, Jostein

10. Great Expectations
Dickens, Charles

11. Eclipse
Patterson, Richard North

12. Blink
Gladwell, Malcolm

13. Cross Country
Patterson, James

14 The Book of the Dead (Diogenes Trilogy, Book 3)
Preston, Douglas

15. Eats, Shoots & Leaves: Truss, Lynne

16. Bangkok Haunts
Burdett, John

1/09
17. Mayday
Block, Thomas

18. Julius Caesar
Shakespeare, William

19. Twilight Meyer, Stephenie

20. Plum Spooky Evanovich, Janet

21. The Brass Verdict
Connelly, Michael

22. Hour Game
Baldacci, David

23. Stone Cold Baldacci, David

2009 #24 and 25
March
The Book Thief by Zusak
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Alexie Sherman (THE AUDIO read by him is excellent)

I forgot to list this one from January

#26 Bums by Peter Golenbock- it'e one of my brother's best books.

#27 Missing Persons by Stephen White
#28 Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving

Not the best day for reading!!!!

#29 Maximum Ride #3 Saving the World
Not very cleverly crafted. Anne McCaffrey is better!!

#30
The Associate by Grisham
You would enjoy the book more if you reread The Firm. The Firm was better.

#31 Water for Elephants by Gruen
I ignored any of the imperfections: sexism, animal cruelty, weak female character and just loved the story as excellent entertainment. The Protagonist as an old man was just as engaging as he was as a young man. Best of all I fell in love with Rosie the elephant.

#32 The Devil in the White City by Eric Larsen
Too dry for me, but it was informative.

#33 Gathering Blue by Lowry
#34 Turnabout by Haddix

#35 The Keepsake by Gerritson
Too many psychos.

Wow! 35 is great!!!

Aprile wrote: "Wow! 35 is great!!!"

My son is now a freshman in college so now I read instead of chauffer!!!! LOL

36. The Land by Taylor
Outstanding series on post-Slavery southern culture

37. The Surrender Tree by Engle
Poems on the Cuban struggle during their war of independence

38. The Fool by Moore A fun book to read .
39. Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams. Fifth book in his trilogy...

40. Brisingr by Paolini Third book in the four book Eragon series. Needs to be read in order.

April, 2009
41. Night and Day by Parker. One of his best.

42.Salmon of Doubt by Douglas Adams posthumously. Wonderful tribute to Adams.

43. The Monkey's Raincoat by Crais

44. The Hard Way by Lee Child
I love Jack Reacher. Thanks ED, who recommended the series.

45. New Moon by Meyer

Beginning Wendy's countdown to 50...

...45...

Mary Todd wrote: "Beginning Wendy's countdown to 50...

...45..."

Thanks for the encouragement. I'm reading Team of Rivals for the Spring Challenge (book on shelf too long) so it's slowing me down a little). I'm off to the library to get the Ireland, Mexico challenge books!

46. The Poet Slave of Cuba by Margarita Engle
Wonderful and painful.

...46...

47. Hole in my Life by Jack Gantos

...47...

48. Hate That Cat by Creech

...48...

49. Broken Prey by Sandford
Loved it!!!

50. Team of Rivals by Goodwin
I learned so much. This book was on the top of my to read list for a year, thanks to The Spring Challenge , it is read!!!

51. Persuader by Child
I love Jack Reacher

YAY 50!!!!!!!!

Sky Rockets!!! Whoohoo!!! Champagne and roses!

Aprile wrote: "YAY 50!!!!!!!!"

Thanks. Team of Rivals was on my to-read shelf for a year so I gave it the honor.

Mary Todd wrote: "Sky Rockets!!! Whoohoo!!! Champagne and roses!"

Thanks. Team of Rivals was on my to-read shelf for a year so I gave it the honor.

52. Girl who Married a Lion by A. M. Smith

53. Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha by Doyle
Excellent story by Irish author Roddy Doyle, I loved it!

54. True Detectives by Jonathan Kellerman

55. 39 Years of Short-Term Memory Loss: The Early Days of SNL from Someone Who Was There by Tom Davis

Tom Davis shares his intimate moments as an SNL writer. The audio book read by him was fabulous. The details were hilarious and poignant, Grateful Dead, Paul McCartney, The Stones, the Belushi Bros. Dan Ackroyd, Gilda Radner, Lorne Michaels there's a vignette for everyone. I loved every minute. Thanks for sharing Tom.

56. Monarch by Lacey
I learned a lot about Queen Elizabeth II, which surprised me as I thought I was relatively knowledgable. I was in Paris when Princess Di died so I thought that the part about the Queen's take on Di's death was more balanced than portrayed in the media. It all goes to show that the media cannot be trusted to give a balanced perspective.

Wendy wrote: "56. Monarch by Lacey
I learned a lot about Queen Elizabeth II, which surprised me as I thought I was relatively knowledgable. I was in Paris when Princess Di died so I thought that the part about..."

Did you see The Queen with Helen Mirren? That was an interesting portrayal. My folks were in Paris as well when Princess Diana was killed - we knew about it here in the US before they did though since the didn't speak French and they didn't come across any English TV until the end of the next day.

Molly wrote: "Wendy wrote: "56. Monarch by Lacey
I learned a lot about Queen Elizabeth II, which surprised me as I thought I was relatively knowledgable. I was in Paris when Princess Di died so I thought that ..."

I love Helen Mirren. She was a great Queen.
I was watching the French TV and it kept saying Diana "was" instead of "is", so I quickly went to buy a newspaper. The crass headline was MORT (DEAD). So my French was better than I thought!!!

57. Persuasion by jane Austen

58. The Shadow of the Wind by Zafon

59. Sanctuary by Carroll (Meg Cabot) Too unrealistic

60. Haunted by Meggin Cabot
61. Emma by Austen
62. Neverwhere by Gaiman

63.Tripwire by Child
64. Running Blind by Child
Lots and lots of Jack Reacher!!!

65. Reacher Number 5- Echo Burning by Lee Child.

66. Fahrenheit 450 by Bradbury

67. Nothing to Lose by Child

68. Gonzalez and Daughter Trucking Co. by Maria Amparo Escandon
What an excellent interwoven story.

May, 2009
69. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez