All About Books discussion

Here we go with a new list :)

* denotes a book from the Guardian's list and MOB = my own bookcases

I am going to put in the Theme challenges here too. Reminder of the 2014 Themes:
New Starts = read a book that is by a new author or is the beginning of a series new to you
Low Vision Awareness = Listen to an audiobook or read a book available in large-print
Iditarod = Read an adventure book (either fact or fiction) or a book that involves the Artic or dogs in some way
April Fool's Day = Read a book that makes you laugh
Cinco de Mayo = Read a book about war (fact or fiction) or read a book about Mexico or written by a Mexican author
Ramadan = Read a book that involves spirituality or religion in some way
Tour de France = Read a book about France or written by a French author
Tree Climbing Days = Read a book about childhood or about nature
Interpreters and Translators = Read a book that was originally written in a language other than that you are reading it in
Halloween = Read a ghost story, horror, or a book about the paranormal
Family Literacy = Read a young-adult or children's book
Abolition of Slavery = Read a book that involves human rights or freedom fighting

1. (finally!) "Alias Grace" by Margaret Atwood, 468 pgs, hardcover; source: library; country: Canada

uh, I like the source, page number thing!

Jenny wrote: "uh, I like the source, page number thing!"

Since I am trying to read more books that I already own, I am going to track where I got the books from this year.

2.* "Nightmare Abbey" by Thomas Love Peacock, 118 pgs; source: Kindle (Project Gutenberg); country: Great Britian; Theme = New Starts and April Fool's

running totals:   586 pages

3.* "The Child in Time" by Ian McEwan, 245 pgs; source: Amazon Prime lending library (Kindle book); country: Great Britian

running totals:   831 pages

Great job so far Leslie! ^_^

"Twenty Poems" by Anna Ahkmatova, translated by Jane Kenyon, 30 pgs; source: library; country: Russia (not counting in book totals)

4. "The Rubber Band" by Rex Stout, 187 pgs, paperback; source: MOB; country: U.S.A.

running totals:   1048 pages

(MOB = my own bookcases)

5. "Twelve Drummers Drumming" by C.C. Benison, 387 pgs; source: library Kindle book; country: England
6. "The Happy Prince and Other Tales" by Oscar Wilde, 57 pgs; source: Kindle (Amazon); country: undetermined; Theme = Family Literacy

running totals: 1492 pages

7. "Dog River Blues" by Mike Jastrzebski, 248 pgs; source: Kindle (Amazon freebie); country: U.S.A.

running totals: 1740 pages

You are counting pages?! Why?

Tweedledum wrote: "You are counting pages?! Why?"

Habit, mostly. I was doing a page count the past few years for a 100,000 page challenge so I got used to it.

8. "The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster, 218 pgs, paperback; source: MOB; country: undetermined; Theme = April Fool's and Family Literacy {reread}

running totals: 1958 pages

Leslie wrote: "Tweedledum wrote: "You are counting pages?! Why?"

Habit, mostly. I was doing a page count the past few years for a 100,000 page challenge so I got used to it."

I do it as well (also inspired by a challenge I joined) because I find it a better way to keep track of how much I read. I read books with 60 and books with 1200 pages during the year, so the system of counting books doesn't make as much sense to me. In the end it all doesn't matter much, but I can be a bit nerdy when it comes to numbers and statistics ;)

Jenny wrote: "Leslie wrote: "Tweedledum wrote: "You are counting pages?! Why?"

Habit, mostly. I was doing a page count the past few years for a 100,000 page challenge so I got used to it."

I do it as well (a..."

I like numbers & stats also :)

9. "Measure for Measure" by William Shakespeare, 108 pgs; source: Kindle (Project Gutenberg); country: Vienna (Austria); Personal Challenge = CAT #13

running totals: 1958+108= 2066 pages

10. "The Game of Kings" by Dorothy Dunnett, 512 pgs; source: MOB paperback; country: Scotland; Personal Challenge = CAT #6; Theme = Cinco de Mayo {reread}

running totals: 2066+512= 2578 pages

11.* "The Golden Notebook" by Doris Lessing, 635 pgs; source: library paperback; country: England & Southern Rhodesia; Theme = New Starts

running total: 2578+635= 3213 pages

12. "Happy Return" by Angela Thirkell, 307 pgs; source: borrowed hardcover; country: England

running total: 3213+307= 3520 pages

13. "The Red Box" by Rex Stout, 189 pgs; source:MOB, paperback; country:U.S.A.

running total: 3520+189= 3709 pages

14. "Travesties" by Tom Stoppard, 99 pgs; source: borrowed paperback; country: Switzerland

running total: 3709+99= 3808 pages

15.* "Vile Bodies" by Evelyn Waugh, 321 pgs; source: MOB, paperback; country: England; Theme=April Fool's Day

running total=3808+321= 4129 pages

15!!!!! Your regressing!! ;) (well actually you're just missing the 1)

How was the book though? I have yet to read some Waugh.

Jenny wrote: "15!!!!! Your regressing!! ;) (well actually you're just missing the 1)

How was the book though? I have yet to read some Waugh."

Thanks! My Bluetooth keyboard for my Kindle Fire has some sticky keys (most annoyingly the spacebar is one of them)...

I really liked the Waugh, but I am a satire fan & you aren't... you would probably like his more serious books such as Brideshead Revisited or the Sword of Honor trilogy.

Lol, I am very glad I said 'Waugh' because otherwise my post would have read: I've never read anything by HER. Obviously by telling you now I am absolutely self-defeating my attempt to remain dignity in the face of incorrect gender attribution to very famous authors.

Jenny wrote: "Lol, I am very glad I said 'Waugh' because otherwise my post would have read: I've never read anything by HER. Obviously by telling you now I am absolutely self-defeating my attempt to remain digni..."

I was just thinking today that I find the fact that his name is Evelyn confusing -- it must be a British thing :)

And us Brits find the fact that you spell your name "Leslie" rather than "Lesley" confusing, because in Britain that is the male spelling. But doubtless you've been told that before.

Once when we were introduced as a couple to 2 Americans they looked stunned at first, and then both went "Oooooh!" They had thought we were Gene (male) and Chris (female) until they met us! LOL

Jean wrote: "And us Brits find the fact that you spell your name "Leslie" rather than "Lesley" confusing, because in Britain that is the male spelling. But doubtless you've been told that before.

Once when we ..."

Here women are Leslie or Lesley... but as a child I was peeved about Leslie Howard for a while until I got used to having an androgynous name. :P

Your story reminds me of my brother's in-laws -- Carol and Julie (which do you think is the man? (view spoiler)[Julie is the man, short for Julius (hide spoiler)])...

Before looking at the spoiler and trying to be a cleverboots... Karel? Is he a man?

After looking at the spoiler... hahaha! Serves me right :D

Jean wrote: "Before looking at the spoiler and trying to be a cleverboots... Karel? Is he a man?

After looking at the spoiler... hahaha! Serves me right :D"

I thought that it was Carol before meeting them - like the actor Carol O'Connor...

I was always confused by the actor Dana Andrews and thought it must really be Dan! Sorry - will get off your thread now!

Jean wrote: "I was always confused by the actor Dana Andrews and thought it must really be Dan! Sorry - will get off your thread now!"

Another of those androgynous names!

16. "Hot Chocolate" by Dawn Greenfield Ireland, 460 pgs; source: Kindle (Amazon freebie); country: U.S.A.

running total: 4219+460= 4679 pages

17. "The Caves of Steel" by Isaac Asimov, 270 pgs; source: library paperback; country: U.S.A.

running total: 4679+270= 4949 pgs

Finally done❢  18.* "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy, 1802 pgs; source: library (audiobook) & Kindle (Feedbooks.com); country: Russia

running total: 4949+1802= 6751 pages

Leslie wrote: "Finally done❢ 18.* "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy, 1802 pgs; source: Kindle (Feedbooks.com); country: Russia

running total: 4949+1802= 5751 pages"

Well done! Now that's an achievement!

Hooray!!

I do feel pleased with myself! And I see that I made an addition error... will go back and edit that!

19. "The Booktaker" by Bill Pronzini, audiobook - unknown # of pgs but I estimate 45 pgs based on the length of the recording; source: iPod (Audible freebie); country: U.S.A.

running total: 6751 + ~45 = ~6796 pages

20.* "Something New" by P.G. Wodehouse, 207 pgs; source: Kindle (Project Gutenburg); country: Britain; reread
(this book is better known as "Something Fresh")

21. "Outrage" by Arnaldur Indridason, 281 pgs; source: library hardcover; country: Iceland; Theme=Interpreters and Translators

running total: ~6796+207+281= ~7284 pages

22. "The Song of Hiawatha" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 110 pgs; source: iBook (Apple store); country: U.S.A.

23. "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri, 198 pgs (audiobook); source: iPod (Audible); country: U.S.A & India; short stories

running total: ~7284+110+198 = ~7592 pages

24. "Knots and Crosses" by Ian Rankin, 182 pgs; source: library; country: Scotland

running total: ~7592+182= ~7774 pages

You've read an amazing number of books this month Leslie! Some real biggies too :)

Jean wrote: "You've read an amazing number of books this month Leslie! Some real biggies too :)"

*grin* -- Thanks! I am feeling that I scheduled myself too many big ones this year though... so now I am trying to figure out how best to organize that.

Good idea; I may think about it ...

I'm doing this too on the actual challenge thread :) It's nice and open-ended so "Asia" or "Africa" for instance could have quite a few countries entered! I'm not bothering recording more than one book though (plus fiction and non-fiction categories) as for me it's the diversity which is of interest with this challenge :)

Jean wrote: "I'm doing this too on the actual challenge thread :) It's nice and open-ended so "Asia" or "Africa" for instance could have quite a few countries entered! I'm not bothering recording more than one ..."

I like the idea of the diversity but clearly my reading is mostly British!

25. "The Prime Minister" by Anthony Trollope, 740 pgs; source: Kindle (Amazon); country: England; Personal Challenge A

26. "Love Among the Chickens" by P.G. Wodehouse, 153 pgs (audiobook); source: library CDs; country: England

running total: ~7774+740+153= ~8667 pages

I had noticed that Leslie! You are far more "British" in your taste than many English people who hanker after Americana :D

Jean wrote: "I had noticed that Leslie! You are far more "British" in your taste than many English people who hanker after Americana :D"

And it has been since I was a teen... English classics, English mysteries, English humor all appeal to me! It is hampering my progress in my cozy mystery "Read the U.S.A." challenge :D

27. "The Cruelest Month" by Louise Penny, 311 pgs; source: library (hardcover); country: Canada

Running total: ~8667+311= ~8978 pages