| 50 Books in 2008 Challenge! |
[Jan. 13th, 2008|04:29 am] |
5o Books, Rules and Guidelines:
oo1. Read 5o books or more in 2oo8.
oo2. Keep track of how many I read.
oo3. First-time books only.
oo4. Leaving entry public. If you want to
recommend any books, go for it.
oo1. "The Catcher in the Rye" (1951)
author: J.D. Salinger pages: 277
finished: Jan. 14 rating: 4/5
comments: I really enjoyed this book, although I personally
found the main character hard to like. I get it, you're an angry teenager.
Shut up and fulfill your responsibilities for a change. But the book itself
is interesting, despite the ending. It ends too abrupt for my liking.
But it's a classic book with such a deep-rooted history that you have to
check it out for yourself.
oo2. "I Am America (And So Can You!)" (2007)
author: Stephen Colbert pages: 227
finished: Jan. 20 rating: 3.5/5
comments: As far as humorous political commentary goes,
you can't beat this. It's loaded with comedy gems in the footnotes and
margin notes, plus some sticker pages and hilarious illustrations. As
a special treat, the transcript of Colbert's Presidental Address at the
2006 White House Correspondents' Dinner is included at the end,
accompanied by commentary in the margins!
oo3. "Where I Was From" (2003)
author: Joan Didion pages: 226
finished: Jan. 28 rating: 4/5
comments: Didion's examination of California's history is
unlike any other; it's not a mundane timeline of facts, but rather a deep
investigation into what makes California what it is and how it's changed,
or hasn't changed, from the time pioneers first settled the land to the
present. She also delves into her own family's history and examines her
roots as a Californian born and raised in Sacramento, making
"Where I Was From" a beautifully woven story not of a place, but of people.
oo4. "Fahrenheit 451" (1953)
author: Ray Bradbury pages: 165
finished: Feb. 5 rating: 4/5
comments: Once you get past the convoluted imagary
this book really pulls you in with a well-developed characters and
relationships and keeps you blazing through its pages with its
thrilling and frightening tale of a future where books are outlawed.
oo5. "The Great Gatsby" (1925)
author: F. Scott Fitzgerald pages: 189
finished: Feb. 28 rating: 5/5
comments: I absolutely loved this book. The story is so
well-constructed and the characters are so finely developed that
you're fully immersed into the enthralling world Fitzgerald has
created before you even finish the first chapter.
oo6. "Of Mice and Men" (1937)
author: John Steinbeck pages: 108
finished: March 2 rating: 4.5/5
comments: A short read, "Mice" chronicles a short
period in the life of two friends. A tale of hopes and
aspirations in the time of monotony and depression that
anyone who's ever yearned for something better can relate to.
oo7. "To Kill a Mockingbird" (1960)
author: Harper Lee pages: 281
finished: March 11 rating: 5/5
comments: I would recommend "To Kill a Mockingbird"
over any other book I've read to date. A great story of growing up,
family, ethics, race and humanity, this Harper Lee novel is the most
compelling book I've ever read.
oo8. "The Other Boleyn Girl" (2002)
author: Philippa Gregory pages: 661
finished: April 17 rating: 3.5/5
comments: This novel is a real page-turner, making it
seem more like a 300-page book than a 600-page one. Not only
is it an intriguing story about family ties and independence, but its
historical roots make an exceptionally interesting backdrop.
oo9. "Darkly Dreaming Dexter" (2004)
author: Jeff Lindsay pages: 285
finished: May 31 rating: 3.5/5
comments: I think having first seen the series based on this
book spoiled my chances of appreciating the book as the original work
that it is. With every chapter I was comparing it to the show and with every
comparison the series fared better. However, I believe if I'd read the book
before witnessing the amazing experience that is the show this book
inspired, I would have been thoroughly impressed with this read.
o1o. "Dispatches From the Edge:
A Memoir of Wars, Disasters, and Survival" (2006)
author: Anderson Cooper pages: 212
finished: June 2 rating: 5/5
comments: A riveting and insightful read that perfectly weaves
his professional and personal experiences in telling the story of how he
became the person he is today. A deeply personal look at the fears, regrets
and memories of a man who does what he must to survive, to keep moving.
o11. "What Happened: Inside the Bush White House
and Washington's Culture of Deception" (2008)
author: Scott McClellan pages: TBA
finished: TBA rating: TBA
comments: TBA
  
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