06 February 2012

50


First of all, Giants!  Woohoo! Yeah!

And second, sorry for the lack of posts here lately.  It's been pretty much the same as the "hour in the life" Ami posted on Dec 13, with a quick break for Christmas.  Once again, we shall strive to post more, with a corresponding increase in baby pictures for those who are interested.

But not this post -- I'm asking for your help on this one.  I should point out first that I am not a fan of bold New Years’ Resolutions, as I find it plenty difficult just to keep up with modest goals.  This year, however, I couldn’t help breaking out a little. 

I used to read during the 7 train portion of my epic daily commute, but for the past few months I’ve found it difficult to organize myself in getting reading material lined up, relying instead on whatever news and other drivel I can pull up on my phone.  So, I decided to try reading 50 books this year. 

Naturally I’m blogging this in the hope that you can help me draft my list.  I don’t have any hard rules at all –- could be any length, genre, whatever – although I do have a few loose parameters.  As some of you know I’m trying to read an interesting book for each country, so I’d love to make progress on that front.  I’d also like to get through some of the books I feel guilty about not reading yet.  Finally, I’d like to get a decent variety.

I do recognize that this goal requires almost one book per week.  But if it spurs me to be more prepared with reading material, that’s all I’m really hoping for.  Also, if I have, say, 50 years left, and I stick with 50 books per year, that’s only 2500 books I’ll get to out of the bajillions available.  Time to get cracking.

So if you’re in the mood, please suggest anything that comes to mind!  Could be a few of your favorites, or just something you read recently and liked.  You can provide explanations or not, I can check out reviews online before deciding if it will fit on the list.  Thanks!


11 comments:

xhart said...

Here’s my list so far… subject to change of course. Comments welcome on these too, if you think I’m headed for disaster.

Curtain [done!]
Getting Stoned With Savages: A Trip Through the Islands of Fiji and Vanuatu [done!]
Middlemarch [halfway!]
Anna Karenina
Atlas Shrugged
Dominica
Annie John
The Tale of Genji
Live From Jordan
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Things Fall Apart
The Tale of Genji
The Tin Drum
Ready Player One
Joy of Man’s Desiring
Frankenstein
Dune
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
The Double Helix
The Hunger Games
Garlic and Sapphires
The Cleanest Race: How North Koreans See Themselves and Why It Matters
My Korean Deli: Risking It All for a Convenience Store
Rome: A Cultural, Visual, and Personal History
Ulysses

Dan said...

born to run.

maybe more suggestions later

Anonymous said...

So there's a blog I peek at every now and then and she's a major reader - I think she read over 150 books last year. Anyway, she provides a quick review of what she thought...you may not like her genres but it might give you a few ideas:
www.shelahbooksit.blogspot.com

-Becki

Emily said...

I don't see anything I recognize that takes place in The Congo in the 60's, so I am going to suggest The Poisonwood Bible. I read it last year and LOVED it (in 2 days, I couldn't put it down). I am sorry to report though that it was on Oprah's Book Club list, but please don't hold that against it, it was a great book and you could use a little Africa on your list.

Might think of a few more later.

Anonymous said...

These have been around for a while....but then so have I...!
1)Book Of Mormon - this year's Sunday School Book-2nd Nephi is great!
2)1776 by McCullough
3)1491 and 1493 by Mann
4)Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
5)A Walk in the Woods by Bryson
(Appalachian Trail)(Funny)
6)10+ volumes of "The Work And The Glory" ...which we can ship to you along with several other many boxes of books from our garage!
7)Italian Survival Guide - by Bingham (Take me along!)
Mom Anderson

The Heps said...

my latest read:

Washington, A Life. By Ron Chernow

Cath

lrh said...

Two good ones I have read lately: The Tiger's Wife, by Tea Obreht, which you could use for a country book, and The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer, by Siddhartha Mukherjee. It sounds dreary but is not. An intensely interesting science read, and not impossible to understand.

Queeey said...

I just signed up with my local library to do what they are calling a Mega Marathon. 52 books for the year. I'm a bit behind right now, hopefully I'll get caught up. As for books,
Another Russian book that's worth the read is A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich.
Also, Julia Child's mermoirs, My Life in France.

Bates Blogger said...

I just read Brooklyn by Colm Toibin, it was excellent.
And you have to read Running in the Family by Michael Ondaatje if you haven't already. I'm also reading Madeleine Albright's autobiography, which I'm enjoying, and previously read a book about Condoleeza Rice by Elisabeth Bumiller. Another good book by Bumiller is "May You be the Mother of a Hundred Sons." And have you read any Salman Rushdie? I'm a big fan of his.

Jacob Hart said...

"Cat's Cradle" by Kurt Vonnegut
"Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" by Richard Feynman
.
Also I have a copy of Ready Player One which I can bring you when I visit, if you want.

Monica Rich said...

If you haven't filled the spot for Spain (or various other European countries) I have been reading (and enjoying) Sister Queens: The Noble, Tragic Lives of Katherine of Aragon and Juana, Queen of Castile by Julia Fox.