2012 Book Challenge [It is almost ending!] UPDATED!

How do you decide what to read?

The book covers	18.7%	[ 29 ]
Suggestions from others	14.8%	[ 23 ]
Online book reviews	11.6%	[ 18 ]
If it sounds good, sure why not?	45.8%	[ 71 ]
Gimme my gold!	9.0%	[ 14 ]
Total Votes:			[ 155 ]

[StarfruitPanda]

mihaela

True. However, I can read Jane Austen without flinching. She's so mean at times, but in a sort of jovial way almost. It's very cleverly written and you can't help but smirk to yourself even as you're thinking she's mean. I'm very biased towards dear ol' Jane, I must admit.

I liked Wuthering Heights more than Jane Eyre by a lot, though, again, kind of on the fence. Half-way through I was thinking something is about to happen, and something did, and the plot fell off a cliff and I lost interest, but it was a short-ish read overall, so meh. At least it wasn't Thomas Hardy, where I'm always wondering if character no. 348 is the hero/heroine or the someone I should care about at all and women always get the short end of the proverbial stick.

I love Pratchett, but I can see how, if you don't get into his writing style/story, you're just left standing there staring blankly. I can only recommend Thief of Time as a very good read and probably the best to start with because the writing is a lot neater than in the earlier Discworld novels, the characters are some of the most likeable (even the anti-heroes/heroines), and it made me laugh in a very unsightly way every few minutes (which few things, if any, have managed to do quite so well).

I haven't officially tried to read Jane Austen yet, though I have skimmed through it and liked what I saw. I have a harder time with the classics and if I don't put some sort of classical music I can't focus on what's going on. I really do wanna read Northanger Abbey first, if I ever get the chance. Maybe if I get through my 66 real quick this year I'll try to get to it. I always end up reading a ton in the summer when I'm not working or have school.

Yeah, I read the first two in the discworld series and was completely unimpressed. I mean I didn't hate it, only book I've ever truly hated was Catcher in the Rye. I loathe back. I had to force myself to finish it cause I knew if I didn't I would never go back like I do with other books.

[mihaela]

I loved Catcher in the Rye. Before that I didn't even know people could write like that. I grew up reading a lot of classics from all over the world... and tons of romance novels (my mum had a giant collection and nobody cared what I read in my household as long as I was picking up a book).

The types of books I generally dislike because I find boring are modern popular thrillers. I just... can't. I tried, I did, but I care nothing for the characters, the writing is often laughably amateurish (though easy to read, thus appealling to the masses, I guess), and I lose any interest in what is going on. I know there must be some out there that I haven't tried that are actually my style and something I could get into, but I don't often have the patience for that sort of thing. I'd rather read romance novels that are kind of sweetly pathetically written. Or pulps. I love pulps for some reason, but they are hard to find.

[StarfruitPanda]

mihaela

Sorry for the delayed response, I never got a notification that you had replied. Yeah, I can understand why you would think they are amateurish, but I assure you there are some out there that are well written. If you can find it, I really suggest the Myst trilogy. It's not romance or anything like that, but it is very very well written. No a days all the romance I find are trashy romance, not the ones you can fall in love with because its a deep love.

I'm still experiencing books that I used to find hard, which is funny because I read To Kill a Mockingbird when I was like 11 or 12. (Which blew my teachers mind when I told him I read it AND understood it. He assumed I was too young, daft p***k.) My mom got annoyed because I was going through books too fast, we weren't poor but it was rare for me to be able to get book when I wanted one, so when my brother brought it home from his English class I read it. She always encouraged me to read, didn't really care what it was as long as I was reading.

What's pulp?

[bloodie_roses]

StarfruitPanda

INTRODUCTION

Last year I stumbled upon a challenge through Goodreads.com. It was to see how many books I could read in a year. I set a goal for myself and attempted to achieve it, however, I failed miserably. 111 books in 2011 is quite impossible when you also have school to deal with and getting sick. If any of you don't know, that's about a book every 3 days or so. I was going strong up until March when I got sick and couldn't keep up. Needless to say, I abandoned my quest for the year; at least at that rate. I did end up reading somewhere around 70 books for the year.


This year, I'm doing the challenge again. My goal is 66 books in 2012 (because 6+6=12. I know, I'm clever.) I invite you to join me in this quest: How many books can you read in 2012?? I know, I'm jumping the gun a little, it being only October and all, but it's a good idea to get your list going for the next year.

WHEN

Start: January 1, 2012, 12:00 a.m.
End: December 31, 2012, 11:59 p.m.

MY LIST

I am also keeping track of my books on goodreads.com. StarfruitPanda Goodreads Page If any of these sound interesting, please feel free to look them up. This is just a partial list, I will add more as the year goes on. I will keep this list up-to-date as often as possible.

0/66

1. The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern
2. Hold Me Closer, Necromancer - Lish McBride
3. Going Bovine - Libba Bray
4. The Bronze Horseman - Paullina Simmons
5. Tatiana and Alexander - Paullina Simmons
6. The Summer Garden - Paullina Simmons
7. Paranormalcy - Kiersten White
8. Supernaturally - Kiersten White
9. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson
10. The Girl Who Played with Fire - Stieg Larsson
11. The Girl Who Kicked a Hornets Nest - Stieg Larsson
12. Slaughterhouse V - Kurt Vonnegut
13. Room - Emma Donghue
14. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe - Fannie Flagg
15. Entwined - Heather Dixon
16. Awaken - Katie Kacvinsky
17. Animal Farm - George Orwell
18. House of Leaves - Mark Z. Danielewski
19. Wildwood Dancing - Juliet Marillier
20. The Book of Lost Things - John Connolly
21. A great and Terrible Beauty - Libba Bray
22. Rebel Angels - Libba Bray
23. The Sweet Far Thing - Libba Bray
24. Ghost and the Goth - Stacey Kade
25. Anna Dressed in Blood - Kendare Blake

YOU AND YOUR LIST

If you're going to join me in this quest, let me know how many you want to read within the year. I will add your names below along with the your goal and total amount. (ie Name - 14/20) Post which books you are reading, and keep up with the progress. You can either edit your previous post, or re-post as you end/finish another book.

good series(es) i thought you might enjoy (since i LOVED entwined~heather dixon, if you forget~)

1. The Tigers Curse series
2. Desires of the Dead series
theyre preeeetty good :3

and of course, my favorite most enjoyable and amazing, Hunger Games. biggrin

[StarfruitPanda]

bloodie_roses

I'll put those down on my suggestions. Will you be joining us in this years challenge?
Oh, and yes, The Hunger Games was good, though the last book pissed me off.

[bloodie_roses]

StarfruitPanda

bloodie_roses

I'll put those down on my suggestions. Will you be joining us in this years challenge?
Oh, and yes, The Hunger Games was good, though the last book pissed me off.

yes, i think so. i read quite a bit, so i need lots and lots of reccomendations xD
and OH MY JESUS ME TOO. i wanted to throw a chair at suzanne collins. emotion_kirakira emotion_kirakira emotion_kirakira then grovel for her autograph biggrin

[StarfruitPanda]

bloodie_roses

I feel you there, lol. How many do you wanna try to read this year?
And what kind of books do you like, I'm sure I have a bunch of recommendations.

[Soaring Sheep]

StarfruitPanda

WickedREMY

Well, I'm all for lurking, but I hope you still stay for some conversation.
Reading casually is better than not reading at all.

Depending on how conversation I'm feeling, lol. Alright then:

Have any favorite books or anything in particular you look forward to reading this year?

[StarfruitPanda]

WickedREMY

I have tricked you into talking to me! mwahahah
Um, my favorite book would be the Myst Trilogy.
However, I am really looking forward to the Night Circus, just because it sounds good.
What about you?

[bloodie_roses]

StarfruitPanda

bloodie_roses

I feel you there, lol. How many do you wanna try to read this year?
And what kind of books do you like, I'm sure I have a bunch of recommendations.

hmm... well, maybe around 250 x) and i looooove fiction with a little bit of romance in it :3 and action would be a great addition.

[Kristallos]

I like this idea! I wanna try it! But do you count books you're half way through or even a couple chapters in? And what about books that hold multiple stories? I have a lot of the Barns and Noble leather back collection books that I'm going through slowly. Should they count as one book or separate?

I think I'm going to go for 50.

[StarfruitPanda]

Kristallos

I like this idea! I wanna try it! But do you count books you're half way through or even a couple chapters in? And what about books that hold multiple stories? I have a lot of the Barns and Noble leather back collection books that I'm going through slowly. Should they count as one book or separate?

I think I'm going to go for 50.

General rules: Has to be a new book. Must finish the book. And how many stories are in the collections?

[eye_eight_u]

I will definitely participate. I did this challenge in 2009 and 2010, but this past year I decided to skip it. I didn't realize I would miss it so much!

I'm going to set a high goal for myself because I seem to be going through books like water lately.

Name: Kelly
Goal: 110

I don't know yet what I'll be reading for 2012. Right now I'm reading:
Watchers by Dean Koontz
The Edge Chronicles: Vox by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Also I will soon be getting:
Buried Fire by Jonathan Stroud
The Last Siege by Jonathan Stroud
The Edge Chronicles: Winter Knights by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
The Edge Crhonicles: Clash of the Sky Galleons by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
The Ring of Solomon by Jonathan Stroud

[StarfruitPanda]

bloodie_roses

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (the entire series actually)
And I'll put you down for 250.
I'll give you more recommendations when I can think.

[StarfruitPanda]

eye_eight_u

Alright, I'll put you down for 110.
That's a pretty good list so far. smile
Jonathan Stroud... why does that sound familiar?