Do you have a book you read in school that you swore was the worst book ever? Have you ever thought that maybe your teachers weren't out to torture you, and there may have been a method to their madness after all? Then the July Challenge is for you!

Details on the challenge can be found here...check it out, and join us!

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

From the back of the book:

This is the story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who dreams of travelling the world in search of a treasure as extravagant as any ever found. From his home in Spain he journeys to the exotic markets of Tangiers and then into the Eqyptian desert, where a fateful encounter with the alchemist awaits him.

My thoughts:

I enjoyed this book. It's style is simple, like that of a fairy tale or a fable - all telling and no showing - but that suits the story. It reminded me of a parable. I felt as if I were sitting around a camp fire while and aged Bedouin wove a tale to entertain and educate me. The message could be considered an old one, but there is nothing new under the sun. Take the message with a pinch of salt, and don't expect to find a new philosophy for life. Just enjoy and then think about what you've read.

Fiction List (9/50)

basic info -
written by gordon cope
213 pages
3.5/5

i'd started reading this book last summer i believe but only got just over a third of the way through before i had to return it to the library. seeing as i'll be going to the south pacific next feb. i figured it was as good a time as any to finish it.

its a travel novel by a canadian who -along with his wife- decides to sell most of their belongings, leave another harsh canadian winter and spend a year or so travelling through the south pacific.
they don't really have plan, its all rhyme or reason, happenstance and circumstance.

i really liked this book for what it was, a short, funny, simple account of their time halfway across the world. the first half of the book is much more fun, mostly because it seems like they just happened to find people and places that they adored in the cook islands and australia, more than fiji or new zealand.

my favorite author (bill bryson) is a brilliant travel author so its often hard not to critique other books of the same genre but i like the way cope lays out their journey and most of all the characters and routines they settle into.

all in all i'd recommend it for anyone wanting an easy, first person account of some interesting tales from faraway lands.

... I haven't updated my list here since mid-October. Oops. Well, in my defense, I was preparing to move, and hence packing, and working, and then the holidays hit, and well, now I'm updating. I did quite a bit of reading though, especially in the last month!

My numbers are based on my running total, which I started sometime last year, not since the beginning of 2008.

23. Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul by Douglas Adams (256 pages)

I really enjoyed this one. I love how Douglas Adams can make everything just so... whimiscal? I don't know if that's the right word, but there's just something about his writing that I love. And this book was no exception - indeed, I think I like it better than the parts of Hitchhiker's I've gotten through. Maybe "mundanely surreal" is a more appropriate description, I don't know - but it is a style that I love, but I see very rarely, so if anyone can recommend authors who write in similar styles, I'm all ears! (Though I'll only be getting to them after I finish reading all of the storybooks(*) I own.

24. Kalyna's Song by Lisa Grekul (472 pages)

More love. As a third-generation Latvian-Canadian, I sympathize greatly with characters in books who are also Eastern European-Canadians. In this case, the character in question is Ukrainian-Canadian, and spends much of the book trying to figure out what that means to her - while on exchange at a school in South Africa. Very thought-provoking book, and I think it was meant to be somewhat autobiographical.

25. Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (304 pages)

While Vonnegut seems to share some styles with Douglas Adams, I just couldn't really get into this one. I do have two more Vonnegut books to get through in my collection though (Sirens of Titan and God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater), so we'll see if my opinion of his writing improves.

26. Zodiac by Neal Stephenson (308 pages)

I loved Snow Crash, and I loved this one as well, though not as much. Stephenson is a brilliant writer, but this one was maybe a little too realistically terrifying for me. Though I guess that was probably the point. I think though I'll probably stick to his science fiction type writing more - Diamond Age is one of the books coming up in my queue.

27. Heart of a Dog by Mikhail Bulgakov (128 pages)

This was a fairly quick read, and really, typical Eastern European surrealist/dystopic fare. I was more intrigued with the social dynamics present than I was about the "science" of it all. I don't have any more Bulgakov books, but I may be willing to give him another shot later on down the line.

28. A Kiss of Shadows by Laurell K. Hamilton (480 pages)
29. Seduced by Moonlight by Laurell K. Hamilton (367 pages)

I read A Kiss of Shadows in five hours while on the train to Montreal, since when I got to Montreal I'd have to give it back to my boyfriend, who I'd borrowed it from. I liked it so much that upon getting home, I dove into the copy of Seduced by Moonlight that I'd picked up on sale somewhere, even though it is the third book of the series rather than the second. I'll get to the second later at some point, but I needed my fix of pretty long-haired men in sexual situations, even if it was just mental images of them. Though after I awhile I did start to tire of the whole "Merry meets another guy. They start to have sex immediately, or at least consider it" plot, though that did get somewhat better in Seduced by Moonlight

30. Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher (496 pages)

While at my boyfriend's, I was able to snag this eighth book of Dresden Files to read, to continue along in the series. Again, doesn't disappoint, I love Dresden, but I think I love Thomas more. And as I said before, the only way I know that Dresden survives is that there's another book after the one I'm reading...

31. Idoru by William Gibson (383 pages)

This was an intriguing book, because I tend to love cyberpunk futuristic things, and especially this one let me take more glimpses into the actual working of the society, rather than just showing characters in that setting. I'm a fan, and I'll probably read more Gibson later on, however, being as I don't currently have any more of his books, that will have to wait.

32. The Postman by David Brin (336 pages)

Definitely liked this one better than the movie, which I saw years ago. The various different subplots of "lying to the people to give them hope" intertwined quite well, and I think hope is an important thing that people need, particularly in such a post-apocalyptic world. While I don't think that lying is necessarily the best answer, it did inspire people to begin to create a society again, rather than just surviving, so I guess there is some merit to the idea.

33. Kushiel's Justice by Jacqueline Carey (720 pages)

I actually read this book many months ago, but I'd forgotten to note it down, so I'm including it now. I know I read it during the time that I've been doing the 50bookchallenge, since the book that comes before it in the series is on my list, so this one fits. As always, Jacqueline Carey is stunning, and I'm happy that the characters were able to travel to places previously untravelled again, though I wish she'd shown that there is more to Eastern Europe than just Rus.

( Previous books, Page totals, Around the World in 100 Books countries )

Currently reading: R.U.R. and the Insect Play by Josef and Karel Čapek.

(*) I couldn't figure out a good way to name this category - I'd say "fiction", but some of the books are non-fiction. I'd say "novel", but some of these books are plays or epic poems. So I've settled for "story", which encompasses anything written in a non-formal manner (formal being things such as scholarly writing or non-fiction meant for popular consumption).

It's been a while since my last post... I've been really busy with university and things, so my leisure reading has slowed down, but not quite as much as my ability to get anything else done. Hm.

Anyway... ( here's books 37-44 )

But my goal is really 63 (one more than last year)

46. Ginger Man - (9/24) - J.P. Donleavy 

I don't think I've already posted this one.  It's an interesting book.  I'm glad I read it.  Written in the 50's and banned for a long time.  The writing style is very unique.  Glad I read it, won't be reading more though.

3.5/5

47. Hotel Pastis - (9/30) - Peter Mayle 

Headed to the South of France in a couple of weeks so I'm trying to read a lot of books which take place there, because that's what I do.  This was pretty lame.  Won't be reading more Mayle.

2/5


48. Chocolat - (10/1) - Joanne Harris 
 
I really believe the movie was as good as the book, but I could have Johnny Depp blinders on.

4.5/5

I'm looking for suggestions on books which take place in the South of France.  Preferably fiction.  I've got The Good Men, The Debt to Pleasure, The something of Scipio, The Olive Farmer ... And I've read most of Joanne Harris's other books, so I'd love to hear anything I may have missed.  

My complete list

Finished:
( 1-36 )
37. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (7/23/07) A re-read, but quite honestly my favorite book ever.
38. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (7/25/07) I had to catch up and remind myself what was happening. It was a good thing too. I couldn't remember what on earth a horcrux was. Luckily I finished it as soon as the new one showed up on my doorstep!
39. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (7/27/07) Brilliant!
40. Fools Rush in by Kristie Higgins (8/1/07) fluffy chick lit. Would toss it.
41. The Care and Feeding of Unmarried Men by Christie Ridgeway (8/2/07) This author is a horrible writer. Just terrible. Her sense of foreshadowing is blunt and crass and the only thing that kept me reading this book was the raunchy sex scenes. Sad, huh?
42. Book of Fate by Brad Meltzer (8/8/07) I enjoyed this one, lots of twists and turns
43. Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich (8/20/07)This had me laughing out loud on an airplane. There is nothing unfunny about a beaver-bomb.

Currently:
The Bourne Supremacy by Robert Ludlum Wow, this book is a lot tougher to read than I thought it would be. There is a lot of Chinese jargon that isn't explained, but I'm slogging through.
Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon This should be finished in the next few days. The Outlander series is qualifying as my "favorite book," even though there are 6 novels total.

Next:
The Janson Directive by Robert Ludlum


Abandoned:
Confessions of a Pagan Nun by Kate Horsley (recommended by sarahxines ) I just couldn't do it. Nothing was drawing me to this book. The plot had not hit a crux of any kind by the middle and I gave up. Which is sad because it is a short little book; but I hadn't learned anything by the middle, so back to the library it goes.
Pope Joan by Donna Cross I gave up after chapter 5. Life is too short to read books that don't grip you by chapter 5. I also have a hard time reading books containing names that I cannot pronounce readily.

These I need to get or want to read:
The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
Doppleganger by Marie Brennen
The Secret Supper by Javier Sierra

I need inspiration of a large sort to get through all the story-books(*) I own... I can't buy any new books until they are finished, but some of the books are just a drag to slog through. But I *must* finish them. I finished Deathly Hallows in five and a half hours in one sitting, it shouldn't take me two weeks to make my way through a book a third of the size. But it has. Recommendations on how to inspire myself to ge through my other reading?

9. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling (607 pages) - reread

What can I say about it? A reread in preparationg for Deathly Hallows. My second favourite book of the series, beat only by Order of the Phoenix.

10. Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi (343 pages)

Quite an interesting book, I loved getting a glimpse into the world of revolutionary Iran. It would have been better if I had read all of the books that they were talking about, but I'll get to doing that after I've read my collection of books and am allowed to start acquiring new ones again. What struck me most here was how life in totalitarian regimes, regardless of what the totalitarian ideology is, is still very similart. Ordinary people are commiting "crimes" every day just by living their lives the way they choose to. Even the smallest act can be an act of resistance.

11. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling (607 pages)

( Nothing specifically spoilerish, but cutting anyways )

12. A Map to the Door of No Return by Dionne Brand (224 pages)

Not so much a story per se as a meandering through thoughts in a quasi-story format, but without a linear plot. Didn't bother me though, because I can relate to a lot of what she writes. Even though she is writing about the Black Diaspora, and I am not Black, the stories that she tells hold true for any group of people forced from their homes through little to no choice of their own and sent out into the rest of the world, and the generations that grow up in that exile. Quite poignant.

( Previous books, Page totals, Around the World in 100 Books countries )

Next up: The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri, Paradise Lost by John Milton.

(*) I couldn't figure out a good way to name this category - I'd say "fiction", but some of the books are non-fiction. I'd say "novel", but some of these books are plays or epic poems. So I've settled for "story", which encompasses anything written in a non-formal manner (formal being things such as scholarly writing or non-fiction meant for popular consumption).

Finished:
1. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova - Not my favorite, won't read it again. I think I hate vampire books.
2. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philipa Gregory - LOVED it. I must read everythng else she has written.
3. Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl - I felt smarter after I finished this.. and there was a good story in there too.
4. The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club: True Tales from a Magnificent and Clumsy Life by Laurie Notaro - Not wonderful, but a good airplane read. I laughed out loud twice
5. From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler - I liked it better as a kid
6. The Charm School by Nelson DeMille - A perennial favorite
7. The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant - Depressing but vibrant
8. King Dork by Frank Portman - took a great long while to get through. Too long for a book this short
9. ( Plum Lovin' by Janet Evanovich )
10. Map of Bones by James Rollins - very entertaining
11. Wanted: An Interesting Life by Bev Katz Rosenbaum (Harlequin Flipside)- sneeze and you're done with this book
12. Life According to Lucy by Cindi Myers (Harlequin Flipside) - sneeze and you're done with this book
13. Pop-Up Dating by Natalie Stenzel (Harlequin Flipside)- sneeze and you're done with this book
14. Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay (2/21/07) - Disturbing, but readable
15. The Alexandria Link by Steve Berry (2/28/07) - Really enjoyed this. It was a fast read, 3 days, and entertaining. I didn't figure out whodunit too soon, which is also a plus.
16. Stress & The City by Stephanie Rowe (Harlequin Flipside)(3/10/07) - I needed a paperback that would fit in my purse. I actually enjoyed this little romance. It was cute!
17. Burning the Map by Laura Caldwell (3/21/07) - I got this for the airplane and didn't end up reading it there. But it only took me 2 days to read and realy made me want to take off to Greece with my girlfriends.
18. The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen (3/23/07) - Murder thriller about the essence of evil and a "society" that attempts to seek it out and understand it. Poor character development, too many plot threads not wrapped up, but a fast read and I didn't see the end coming.
19. Mary, Queen of Scotland and the Isles by Margaret George (3/28/07) Oh this was a lovely book and I cried at the end. It was more fact than fiction, and as such, took a bit longer for me to read. I will definitely be reading more from this author.
20. Baby Proof by Emily Giffin (4/2/07) Cute, smart Chick lit. It reminds me of me!
21. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray (4/5/07) More of a book for younger girls, but the imagery is quite vivid. About Victorian English boarding school girls and their forays into the occult.
22. Eating the Cheshire Cat by Helen Ellis (4/6/07) A blip of a book that I will forget that I read one day. It concerns 3 girls and how their lives are intertwined from childhood through college in Alabama. BLAH.
23. Dearly Devoted Dexter by Jeff Lindsay (4/12/07) Not as good as the first one, but still disturbing and vivid.
24. Sharp Objects: A Novel by Gillian Flynn (4/16/07) This was a good mystery, but reminded me of a Lifetime movie.
25. Black Order: A Novel by James Rollins (4/20/07)
26. The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory (4/25/07)
27. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (5/7/07) This was an amazing book. A wonderful story with twists and turns and beautifulle-developed characters. I would recommend it to anyone.
28. The Archer's Tale: Book one of Grail Quest by Bernard Cornwell (5/11/07) I kept waiting for this to get to the plot, but the "waiting for the plot" part was actually the plot. Very graphic battle scenes, lots of vivid rape and plundering. I won't be reading anything by this author again. Good writing and very historical, just not my cup of tea.
29. The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier (5/25/07) I enjoyed this book, but it was a bit slow in the beginning and soul-wrenching at the end. I definitely need some lighter fare next
30. Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs (6/2/07) Canadian Medical Examiner thriller murder mystery. Sadly, better that some newer Stuart Woods/James Patterson drivel
31. Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin(6/11/07) Chick lit read in one day
32. Something Blue by Emily Giffin (6/12/07) More chick lit, same characters as the previous book, but from a different perspective and following a different plot. It was about babies, so I was sobbing by the end. Damn pregnancy hormones.
33. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett (6/17/07) Historical fiction and I loved it. Just LOVED it.

Next:
Book of Fate by Brad Meltzer
The Janson Directive by Robert Ludlum

Abandoned:
Confessions of a Pagan Nun by Kate Horsley (recommended by sarahxines ) I just couldn't do it. Nothing was drawing me to this book. The plot had not hit a crux of any kind by the middle and I gave up. Which is sad because it is a short little book; but I hadn't learned anything by the middle, so back to the library it goes.
Pope Joan by Donna Cross I gave up after chapter 5. Life is too short to read books that don't grip you by chapter 5. I also have a hard time reading books containing names that I cannot pronounce readily.

These I need to get or want to read:
The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
Areas of my Expertise by John Hogeman
Doppleganger by Marie Brennen
The Secret Supper by Javier Sierra
Letters to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris

Wow, it's been such a long time since I updated. Here are the reviews of the books I've read lately (x-posted from my book blog:

44. Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay ( Review... )

45. Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz ( Review... )

46. Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel ( Review... )

47. The Samurai’s Garden by Gail Tsukiyama ( Review... )

48. Sky Burial by Xinran ( Review... )

49. Portrait in Sepia by Isabel Allende ( Review... )

50. Cordelia Underwood, Or the Marvelous Beginnings of the Moosepath League by Van Reid ( Review... )

51. The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay ( Review... )

52. Speak Rwanda by Julian R. Pierce ( Review... )

53. Women of the Silk by Gail Tsukiyama ( Review... )

54. The Language of Threads by Gail Tsukiyama ( Review... )

55. Mélusine by Sarah Monette ( Review... )

56. The Virtu by Sarah Monette ( Review... )

57. The Silent Pool by Patricia Wentworth  ( Review... )

I forgot to update last month so this list is for the last two months.

( Previous List... )

10. Stephen King - The Shining
11. Robert Loius Stevenson - The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde
12. Oscar Wilde - The Picture of Dorian Gray
13. Stephen King - The Tommyknockers
14. Tennessee Williams - The Glass Menagerie

15. Stephen King - Pet Sematary
16. Alex Garland - The Beach
17. William Shakespeare - Hamlet

( Mini-reviews )