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UPDATE #7 (and final): Summer Reading Challenge
Happy fall, followers and readers! My Summer Reading Challenge timeline has met its end, much more quickly than I expected and hoped. Here is a summary of my progress with the Penguin 80 and Challenge Your Shelf book lists: Total Number of Titles: 110 Number of Days: 89 (oh God why didn’t I make this 90?! Cue OCD freakout) Titles Read Before Challenge: 9 Titles Read During Challenge: 3 Titles in Limbo: 1 (I haven’t forgotten about you, Anna Karenina) Even I understand the math between the total number of titles and the number of days; I knew this from the beginning. Did I purposely set myself up for failure, you ask?…
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UPDATE #6: Summer Reading Challenge
Okay, so my Summer Reading Challenge did not turn out as successful as I hoped, but I’m not going to dwell on that now, because I want to talk about Early Warning, the novel I just finished. I was excited to read this, because Jane Smiley’s A Thousand Acres was, from what I remember, enjoyable. Early Warning, was different. Apparently, it’s the second book in a trilogy, which I was unaware of for maybe the first couple of chapters. When I began getting extremely confused at the sudden character “introductions,” and believe me, there are many, I realized they were not introductions, and as I looked back on the family…
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UPDATE #5: Summer Reading Challenge
I finished East of Eden last night, after making it through my first Fantasy Football Draft. That’s right, I FINISHED A BOOK ON MY LIST. Here are some quick thoughts, as I am already weaving the words together of a new post that I really want to get out. (I read from the Steinbeck Centennial Edition [1902-2002], 2002) Minor disappointment: Editing/proofreading errors. -While I did find more than the following, this is the only error I can pick out with a quick flip through of the pages (I always circle errors I find): “The others didn’t even know they needed him. he had the ability to get money and to…
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UPDATE #4: Summer Reading Challenge
Just a little over 200 pages stands between me and the next book on my list. 200 pages of eloquent, intriguing words from John Steinbeck stands between me and. . . finishing Anna Karenina and Early Warning, a novel by Jane Smiley. If you remember, I have been battling through Tolstoy’s novel since [what seems like] the beginning of time. Jane Smiley’s new novel is off of the Book Club Summer Reading Challenge list (#challengeyourshelf), which you can find here. I’m finding August is drawing to a close way too quickly, which has actually motivated me to crack down on myself and become more organized and deliberate with these challenges and goals I have…
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UPDATE #3: Summer Reading “Challenge”
It can’t be August already, it just can’t. I have just finished Candide, and am happy to say I will be reading it again. It’s a story surrounding the ideas of “the grass is always greener on the other side,” “someone else in the world is worse off than I am,” “perfection does not always mean ultimate happiness,” and “if I search long and hard enough for something I will [hopefully] attain it, because all happens and is for the best.” It’s also a story full of pillaging, war, gore, rape, pirates, death and other disheartening acts – so it’s not for the faint of heart. However, these trials and…
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UPDATE #2: Summer Reading “Challenge”
This is going to be barely an update – more of a declaration of my excitement for the books I just purchased. I am still plugging away at Anna Karenina, but I’ve decided to take on the challenge of reading more than one book at once, especially since I’m moving at a snail’s pace towards my reading goal(s). Here’s an image of the books I have recently (today) added to my library: Besides the obvious reason – because I need/want to read them – here is why I chose these specific titles: On My Reading Challenge List(s) East of Eden – John Steinbeck [Penguin 80] Candide – Francois Voltaire [Penguin 80]…
A blog about books and miscellany
