2015 Reading Challenge [Closed] discussion
. Week 1: More Than 500 Pages
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Week 1: Progress Post
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I chose to read (rather, listen to – I found the audiobook version) LIFE AFTER LIFE by Kate Atkinson. To be totally honest, I got off to a slow start � I am still finishing the story well into this second week! I want to get it done, even if it takes me an extra week or so, so that I can finish each of the challenges. Will let you know what I think once I finish!
Finally finished book 1! Whew, it was long and it made me feel a lot of feelings.
Just finished reading All the Light We Cannot See and I enjoyed it. I would recommend it, but only to someone who has an interest in WWII or is a rabid reader. If you aren't interested in WWII, it is a bit tedious to read at times, but the writing was very good. Reading the 544 pages wasn't too horrible, as I'm used to reading books that size and more. The only thing daunting about it was the time frame, since I was working against the clock to try and catch up with everyone. :)
@Brittany I was thinking of reading that book this year sometime, since it seems to be all the rage on "Best of 2014" lists, but I didn't know it was so long!
Jenna wrote: "@Brittany I was thinking of reading that book this year sometime, since it seems to be all the rage on "Best of 2014" lists, but I didn't know it was so long!"It was good. If you have the time, I would suggest reading it. But yeah, it was looooooonnnnggg.
Mod
How far along are you? Finished a little behind schedule. That's okay. I'm sure I'll have the time to get caught up.
Did you enjoy it? It was just okay for me. It is such a well-loved book I feel a little like, whoa, did I miss something? (My Review)
Would you recommend this title? I don't know. Obviously other people love it, just because I wasn't captivated by it doesn't mean it couldn't be a great book for someone else. I just don't know who I would recommend it to.
Was this a difficult week for you? In the beginning, no. I was speeding right through it. About half way through it got very challenging because the format is odd and I found it wearisome.
I still haven't started my week 1 :( I'm still searching for a book to read. I was thinking about The Tale of Genji, I've really been wanting to read it. Or maybe All the Light We Cannot See just because everyone seems to really like that one. So it sounds good enough to try. I'm totally open to any other suggestions though!So for now it looks like Week 1 is gonna be maybe towards the end or thrown somewhere in the middle. I might just add it to week 27.
Erika wrote: "I still haven't started my week 1 :( I'm still searching for a book to read. I was thinking about The Tale of Genji, I've really been wanting to read it. Or maybe [book:All the Light We..."That's okay!
What book are you reading? The Book of LifeHow far along are you? I'm only about 30 pages in.
Did you enjoy it? so far so good.
Was this a difficult week for you? This was a difficult week as work is phenomenally busy upon completion of the holidays.
Anna wrote: "Finally finished my week one challenge. I read Night Film, and oh my goodness. I absolutely loved it. Very chilling at times. I would definitely recommend it if anyone still needed ..."I started this one forever ago, and need to pick it back up. I'm glad to hear you loved it!
Easier to have the questions:What book are you reading?
I'm reading ( /topic/show/... )Fifty Shades Darker, by EL James => Sorry I don't know how to put the link in a word...
How far along are you?
I'm almost at the end, by the end of the week it will be over, but I already have my opinion on the book.
Did you enjoy it?
Well... No. I already wrote my thoughts on the link.
Would you recommend this title?
No. Read the first one but honestly, I think it's naive and repetitive, read a sum up if you want the story.
Was this a difficult week for you?
I fight myself to read at night before sleeping, it's good for me. And the book is almost over so I think is the easier week right now. Bigger books are waiting for me in my list...
What book are you reading? I'm reading - The inheritance of Loss
How far along are you?
I'm almost at the end - some 10 chapters to finish
Did you enjoy it?
Well...kinda ok i think - tho tad too descriptive to my taste
Would you recommend this title?
Yes - for someone who likes drama and life in post colonial india - very picturesque
Was this a difficult week for you? Not really - im finding abt close to an hours time in the morning and evening which is not bad!
I was a bit late to the party with the reading challenge, so I only started reading my week one book on the 9th. I chose Magician by Raymond E. Feist. I'd never heard of either the series or the author before and so when I was at Boxing Day sales in the bookstore and saw it, I was quite interested, as the author has 30 books in the same universe and so he must be a good writer to have that many published. Oh how glad I am that I stumbled across this gem! I'm only about a quarter of the way through unfortunately as work commitments have been strenuous to say the least but hopefully I'll still finish within a week of when I first started and catch up on the missed time in other weeks with smaller books. I think I might start reviewing the books that I read during this challenge as well if anyone would be interested, I'm not entirely sure where I would post them just yet though! I might even start a blog! This challenge has really opened my mind to a world of possibilities, so thank you everyone who played a part in its conception!
Mod
That's awesome to hear, Sean. I think it is great how this thing has snowballed into this melting pot of diverse readers. It's fantastic!
I finished this on the first week, but I somehow managed to miss this post, so here you go!What book are you reading? Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
How far along are you?
I'm finished.
Did you enjoy it? Loved it :)
Would you recommend this title? Absolutely.
Was this a difficult week for you? Not at all, it's definitely a page-turner. I thought I would struggle with 500+ pages within 7 days, but I actually ended up finishing early!
Arrgh I forgot to post! Ok so here's my answers:What book are you reading? The Lady of The Rivers-Philippa Gregory
How far along are you? Finished it Monday (late)
Did you enjoy it? I somewhat enjoyed it. Philippa is hit or miss with me sometimes. I did enjoy learning about Jaquetta (Great Grandmother to Henry VIII) and her life. It's made me intrigued enough to read more books about her.
Would you recommend this title? Yes, if you like fun historical fiction loosely based. No if you are a Tudor fanatic and hate made up stuff.
Was this a difficult week for you? No I just had to find the time to read it :)
What book are you reading? The Book ThiefHow far along are you? I finished it yesterday.
Did you enjoy it? I did.
Would you recommend this title? Yes!
Was this a difficult week for you? No. Unfortunately, I had the flu and was able to read this book quickly. I really enjoyed it.
Mod
Book: Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
How far along: ~halfway
So far it's really good. I'm hoping to be finished with it before the start of week 3. I'm still hopeful that I can catch up with other books since so many are significantly shorter than 500 pages
What book are you reading? The Little FriendThe Little FriendHow far along are you? I finished it yesterday.
Did you enjoy it? After the first 200 pages or so, when she
started shifting points of view, I really did. I think she
could have used some more editing on that first long section. I almost put it down, and then I found this challenge a week ago, and I picked it back up, because I wasn't going to read some other 500 page book when I was already a week behind. I'm glad I kept going...
Would you recommend this title? Yes!
Was this a difficult week for you? No, though work is busy, so I had to push to find time to read, and the challenge of the reading challenge is not to make reading about the page count. I love to read!
I read A Discovery of Witches. It was pretty wordy, but not too bad. I'm not sure if I'll finish the series, but we'll see.
I finished To the End of the Land so now I'm caught up with the challenge!Did you enjoy it? I enjoyed parts of it very much, but not all of it.
Would you recommend this title? To those interested in the subject, yes.
Was this a difficult week for you? Only because I was listening to this one and came to the challenge a week late, so it took me a while to get through it and I lost focus sometimes.
I finished, on Saturday, Fifty Shades Darker and I changed my opinion a little, with the end of the book. I was glad by the end and I nearly really want to read the third. So, all I said about the book is on the topic about it right here: /topic/show/...
I finally finished The Old Curiosity Shop the middle of last week. On the whole I enjoyed it, it was my first real venture in to Dickens so I'm just pleased I finished it!
It wasn't particularly difficult, it was just one of those books that was quite consuming, required all of my attention but seemed to take a lot of effort. I didn't mind!
I'd definitely recommend it, but until I've read more Dickens I can't really say if it's the best book to read first!
I read Lizzie Collingham's The Taste Of War: World War Two And The Battle For Food. I've become very interested in how individuals practiced frugality and sustainability during World War II and this seemed a way to explore the topic from a more academic perspective. Plus, it discusses both Allied and Axis countries. It's a good, if sobering, read about how food policy was used as a weapon of national defense and war during World War II. While it's not my favorite book on the topic, it's a good read for anyone interested in the subject.
Mod
I've been interested in this topic for a while but became more so after viewing the BBC program "A Wartime Farm" which looks at World War II from a rural, farming perspective. This collection Make Do and Mend: Keeping Family and Home Afloat on War Rations is some of the pamphlets produced by the British government. I love reading cookbooks and Grandma's Wartime Kitchen: World War II and the Way We Cooked is written from the perspective of the U.S. (A fun read for a cookbook but not necessarily what you want to cook for dinner!)
I am so far behind - finally completed WEEK ONE!!! Finished Tess of the D'Urbervilles yesterday. It was such a tough read it put me off reading!!!It's done now. Can say with conviction will not be reading any Thomas Hardy again. What a chore! Skipping week 2 for now as it's another classic and need to give my head a break! Haha!!
Gone Girl next...
No worries, Susan, I am in the same boat -- starting this new habit has proven tougher than I thought! One down, two and a half to go to catch up!
I am doing this challenge all backwards, whoops! I will read The Book Thief as fast as my eyeballs will allow.
Charlene wrote: "I am doing this challenge all backwards, whoops! I will read The Book Thief as fast as my eyeballs will allow."I'm doing the challenge, but not really in date order. As I read and books fit the categories, they go in. My list needs to be updated.
What book are you reading? the Innovators: How a Group of HAckers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital RevolutionHow far along are you? Just under half way
Did you enjoy it? I am really enjoying it.
Would you recommend this title? Yes, absolutely.
Was this a difficult week for you? Not really, I just had to wait for the book to arrive from the library. That is the hardest part...
Cristina wrote: "I finished a few days ago reading Digital Fortress. I did enjoy the book but not as much as I wanted too. I would recommend it to people who love tech thrillers or have a deep love for..."I enjoy it too last year it is very good one but it is like American move typical style
it is not the best work of Dan Brown
Finally finished Week 1, Beautiful Darkness from the Beautiful Creatures series. It was hard to get through but no doubt I'll end up reading the last two books in the series. Looking forward to the first readathon so I can do some catching up!!
Diane wrote: "Charlene wrote: "I am doing this challenge all backwards, whoops! I will read The Book Thief as fast as my eyeballs will allow."I'm doing the challenge, but not really in date order..."
That's what I was doing too.
I finally finished Outlander. I say "finally" because I have been trying to get past chapter one since 1992. I don't know why it took me so long, because once I got into it, I discovered I liked it quite a bit. If I didn't have so many books already bought and waiting for me, I'd buy Dragonfly in Amber tomorrow.
I read [url=/book/show/1... Engagements by J. Courtney Sullivan[/url].I finished it on January 11th. I'm not following the Challenge list week by week.
I really enjoyed the book a lot and highly recommend it. I love the way this book is constructed with the 5 stories running in parallel.
What book are you reading? The Way of ShadowsHow far along are you? I am finished! :D
Did you enjoy it? Yes, mostly cause I had read it before and I remember being indifferent towards it. This was it's second chance.
Would you recommend this title? Hmm, if you can handle a bit of sex, violence and language I would recommend it. I tried reading Game of Thrones and couldn't get past a couple chapters, but I could handle this (if that helps any)
Was this a difficult week for you? Not too bad, but I started this challenge late and it wasn't the proper week. Oops XD
Possession by A. S. Byatt was my choice for Week 1. I cannot say I liked it but it might be someone else's cuppa. I got really bogged down in the Victorian poetry and the discussions on the feminist movement of that time. If I hadn't been reading for the Challenge, I would have skipped LOTS of this book. I know there was also a movie made and I do not intend to see it either. I have invested enough time in characters I did not like.
I read The Cider House RulesI really enjoyed it, and would highly recommend.
It took me much more than a week
What book did you read for week # 1?I read The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Did you enjoy it?A lot!
Would you recommend this title?
Definitely! but I would clarify that is not a finished story, it's just the beginning.
Was this a difficult week for you?
Because I am a slow reader, it took me a long time to read it, but it was worth.
I read The Song of Ice and Fire : Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin. I'm behind schedule but I like to enjoy my books. No rush :)
I am reading The Diviners and I'm currently 70% through it. The world is lovely, there's the right bit of creepy, but it's a little slow moving, which I admit has me dragging my heels a bit meaning this is the longest I've been reading a book this challenge, and I've already read multiple books that would have fit this category.I would however, recommend this to a patient reader who likes murder mysteries, or who likes a little bit of paranormal activity to grace the pages of their books. If you can push through the slow parts in this book you are rewarded with some exciting tidbits.
EDIT: I have finished this now and it is a LONG read, cycling through so many characters that the stories take a while to get through, but all in all I definitely enjoyed it and am waiting eagerly for the sequel to come out.
I read The Tontine by Thomas B. Costain. I had read it when I was a teenager and remembered it as being hilarious...but, re-reading it now, although still a good read, I can't imagine what caused me to love it so much and recommend it to so many people over the years.
What book are you reading? I read Battle RoyaleDid you enjoy it? I absolutely loved it!
Would you recommend this title? Definitely!
Was this a difficult week for you? I didn't manage to read it all in one week so that was difficult but it wasn't difficult actually reading the book!
FINALLY claiming my Week 1 book. The book I was planning on reading - The Signature of All Things - had to go on the back burner for a bit, although I do plan to pick it up again when I get the chance. But in the meantime I read another 500-plus page book, so I'm going to use it in case I don't get to my other one for a while. :)What book are you reading? Rumble by Ellen Hopkins
How far along are you? Finished. For a 560-page book, it reads very quickly, due to the fact that Ellen Hopkins writes her books in verse format.
Did you enjoy it? I did, very much. It's a very good book dealing with teen-relevant issues like religion, bullying and suicide. Read my review .
Would you recommend this title? I would, especially for teens or for adults who deal directly with teens (teachers, counselors, etc.). It's a very good "teen issues" book.
Was this a difficult week for you? Yes! I'm normally not put off simply because of a book's size, but most of the books I've read this year happened to fall under 500 pages. And the book I was planning on using for this week I decided to pick up on audiobook, which I knew was a bad idea - I don't usually listen to books longer than about 350 pages, simply because they take me too long to go through. I didn't finish The Signature of All Things, but I do plan to pick it back up in hardcover at some point - the audiobook was read wonderfully, but it was just too long for the way I use audiobooks.
What book are you reading? Moby-Dick; or, The WhaleHow far along are you? I'm finished (I'm just finally catching up on progress posts!)
Did you enjoy it? It was truly an epic - I loved it.
Would you recommend this title? To certain people, yes. It is definitely not a book for everyone though.
Was this a difficult week for you? Very much, but more on a personal level - it did affect how long it took me to read this though. I found it difficult starting the challenge on such a big book, and it led me (happily!) to being a jumper for the rest of the year.
What book are you reading? Here be DragonsHow far along are you? Finished.
Did you enjoy it? Yes.
Would you recommend this title? To fans of historical fiction, definitely.
Was this a difficult week for you? Not really. I love to read and I'm a fast reader.
What book are you reading? A Feast for CrowsHow far along are you? I really finished this earlier this year (around April), but I wasn't in this group at the time.
Did you enjoy it? Yes I did but not enough for it to be a page-turner
Would you recommend this title? Yes
Was this a difficult week for you? I'm sure I took longer than a week to finish the book.
What book are you reading? (Feel free to link to discussion)The Engagements by J. Courtney SullivanHow far along are you?I finished this book on January 11th.
Did you enjoy it? (feel free to link to your book review)
I gave it five stars. I loved the multi-generational stories that didn't seem like they would ever mesh together. Learning about Frances Gerety was my favorite part of the book.
Would you recommend this title? I would recommend it highly. Just know it's long but reads like a bunch of short stories so it's easy to stop and start in a day.
Was this a difficult week for you? Not at all. I just looked at the books I had checked out of the library and picked one that had 500+ pages.
2015 Reading Challenge [Closed]
Books mentioned in this topic
The Engagements (other topics)A Feast for Crows (other topics)
Here Be Dragons (other topics)
Moby-Dick or, The Whale (other topics)
The Signature of All Things (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
J. Courtney Sullivan (other topics)Patrick Rothfuss (other topics)
Ellen Hopkins (other topics)
Thomas B. Costain (other topics)
Raymond E. Feist (other topics)
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The Unimaginable by Dina Silver (hated it)
The Potty Mouth at the Table by Laurie Notaro (liked it a lot)
Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson (loved it)
Still Alice by Lisa Genova (liked it a lot)
The Rapture of Canaan by Sheri Reynolds (loved it)
Right now, I'm working on Dark Places by Gillian Flynn.
Check out my full reviews here on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ or at the blog I share with my sister: