JonHutchings' 13 in 13!

This is my first time trying out this particular category challenge. I've been a member of LT for a couple of years now and am still finding interesting activities and groups to join. This sometimes distracts me from my actual purpose of joining, reading books! But that's OK, I love it anyway! I am going to try to read 5 books each for 13 categories over the course of this year, which may be a bit of a stretch for me but I'll give it my best shot!




13 Categories in 2013

1) The Real Deal: Non-Fiction/Biography (Read 1 of 5)
2) I am the Greatest!: Books from the 1001 Books to read before you die list (Read 3 of 5)
3) Combining my two favourite things: Historical Fiction (Read 2 of 5)
4) Some good book by's: Books by Newfoundland and Labrador authors or set in Newfoundland and/or Labrador (Read 1 of 5)
5) Chunky Monkey: Books over 500 pages (Read 3 of 5)
6) It's a bird, it's a plane!: Comic books or graphic novels (Read 5 of 5)
7) Are you afraid of the dark?: Horror/Thriller novels (Read 3 of 5)
8) Brave New World: Apocalyptic/Post-Apocalyptic/Utopian/Dystopian novels (Read 3 of 5)
9) Who?: Authors I have not read before (Read 5 of 5)
10) Back in Time: Books written in the 19th Century or before (Read 2 of 5)
11) Places to go, things to see: Books set outside of Canada (Read 2 of 5)
12) Break a leg: Plays (Read 4 of 5)
13) Books from the year I was born: Books published in 1981 (0 of 5)

--Bonus--

Books That Don't Fit Into Any Other Category

(1 of ??)

Category 1 - The Real Deal: Non-Fiction/Biography



1) The Bandido Massacre: A True Story of Bikers, Brotherhood and Betrayal by Peter Edwards
2)
3)
4)
5)

Planned Reads:

The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream by Barack Obama
Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi
Religion and the Decline of Magic by Keith Thomas
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X

Category 2 - I am the Greatest!: Books from the 1001 Books to read before you Die list



1) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
2) Animal Farm by George Orwell
3) The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson
4)
5)

Planned Reads:

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor

Category 3 - Combining my two favourite things - Historical Fiction



1) Catch Me Once, Catch Me Twice by Janet McNaughton
2) After the War by Carol Matas
3)
4)
5)

Planned Reads:

Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels

Category 4 - Some good book, by's!: Books by Newfoundland and Labrador authors or set in Newfoundland and/or Labrador



1) Straight Razor Days by Joel Thomas Hynes
2)
3)
4)
5)

Planned Reads:

Latitudes of Melt by Joan Clark
The Shipping News by Annie Proulx
Kit's Law by Donna Morrissey
Gift Horse by Mark Callanan

Category 5 - Chunky Monkey: Books over 500 pages



1) The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer (721 pages)
2) The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (1,049 pages)
3) The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (536 pages)
4)
5)

Planned Reads:

Category 6 - It's a bird, it's a plane! - Comic books or graphic novels



1) Essential Defenders Vol. 3 by Steve Gerber et al
2) The Arrival by Shaun Tan
3) My Dog: The Paradox by Matthew Inman
4) Essential Defenders Vol. 4 by David Kraft et al
5) Essential Defenders Vol. 5 by J.M. DeMatteis et al

Planned Reads:

Category 7 - Are you afraid of the dark?: Horror/Thriller novels



1) The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
2) The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
3) The House of the Vampire by George Sylvester Viereck
4)
5)

Planned Reads:

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
I am Legend by Richard Matheson
Hell House by Richard Matheson

Category 8 - Brave New World: Apocalyptic/Post-apocalyptic/Utopian/Dystopian



1) Looking Backwards: 2000-1887 by Edward Bellamy
2) Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
3) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
4)
5)

Planned Reads:

The Passage by Justin Cronin
The Twelve by Justin Cronin
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Category 9 - Who?: Authors I have never read before



1) All My Friends Are Dead by Avery Monsen
2) Killing Them Softly by George V. Higgins
3) The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
4) Janey's Girl by Gayle Friesen
5) Our Daily Bread by Lauren B. Davis

Planned Reads:

Room by Emma Donoghue
Man Gone Down by Michael Thomas

Category 10 - Back in Time: Books written in the 19th Century or before



1) The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole (1764)
2) The Vampyre by John Polidori (1819)
3)
4)
5)

Planned Reads:

The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper

Category 11 - Places to go, things to see: Books set outside of Canada



1) The Paperboy by Pete Dexter (Moat County, Florida, United States)
2) The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Dartmoor, England)
3)
4)
5)

Planned Reads:

Category 12 - Break a leg: Plays



1) A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
2) The Crucible by Arthur Miller
3) Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
4) A Steady Rain by Keith Huff
5)

Planned Reads:

12 Angry Men by Reginald Rose

Category 13 - Books from the year I was born: Books published in 1981



1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

Planned Reads:

Red Dragon by Thomas Harris
Cujo by Stephen King
Collected Poems by Sylvia Plath
What We Talk About When We Talk Love by Raymond Carver
Jumanji Chris Van Allsburg

Bonus Category - Books that do not fit into any other category

1) All My Friends Are Still Dead by Avery Monsen

Can anyone tell me how to add pictures to my thread? It would be much appreciated.

Welcome to the challenge! This is my first year too and I am finding it dangerously distracting but enjoyable! Here is a link
that I've been finding very useful that walks you through how to add pictures, websites, and other stuff to your thread.

#17, thank you very much! That's a big help!

Welcome to the challenge! I like your Newfoundland and Labrador category.

Thanks! I've lived here my whole life and wouldn't trade it for anything. Just hope I can round up enough books, I read an awful lot of the best that the province has to offer last year! lol

Historical fiction is my bent these days so I'll be interested to see what you read. I also intend to read some plays this year. Welcome and happy reading!

I love that you have a category called "Are you afraid of the dark?". That was one of my faovurite childhood TV shows and I never missed an episode. Welcome aboard the S/S Category Challenge!

#22 That was one of my favourites as a kid too! I don't think I missed an episode either! I typically haven't read a lot of horror or thriller material, but I went on a kick lately buying some classics and can't wait to read them! Thanks for the welcome, I'm sure it'll be a pleasant ride!

#21 Thanks! I've always loved historical fiction, could be that's why my degree is in history and English, lol. I'm not sure what I'm going to end up reading for that category yet, but I can recommend some great historical fiction that I have read in the past couple of years.

River Thieves by Michael Crummey, which follows the lives of a family of settlers to the interior of the island of Newfoundland during the very early 19th Century. They end up coming into contact with the First Nations people of the area, the Beothuk, and sort of accidentally kidnap a Beothuk princess. The basics of the story are based on fact, but their is a love story/triangle and a bunch of plot twists that the author has imagined.

Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier, a beautifully told story set during the Civil War era about a soldier who desperately wants out of the army in order to get home and see his love. I really liked the movie made of this as well, but the book is better.

Hi welcome aboard, this group is very friendly :)

I'm interested in a couple of your categories as I'm doing Biography and GN this year. I'm from 1981, so looking forward this one.

I also enjoyed Cold Mountain and can't remember if I saw the movie or not. I also really enjoyed his book Nightwoods.

24. Cold Mountain is a better book than the movie? Ooh, I need to push that one further up on the TBR list. I love the movie and have seen it tons of times (I'm not obsessive but it's been doing the rounds on telly and I always seem to catch it).

YES! Are You Afraid of the Dark! I loved that show even though I am normally a wuss about scary shows. Welcome to the challenge!

Welcome! Good categories with some overlap with mine. I'll be following to see what you choose.

Welcome to the challenge. With your interest in Newfoundland I was going to suggest Michael Crummey to you, but I see you have already read River Thieves so you know of this excellent author!

You have a few categories that i am very interested in (biographies, 1001 books, world Lit) so I wil definitely be keeping an eye on this thread.

Welcome to the challenge. You have some interesting options.

Thank you everyone! you seem like a really nice group and I look forward to seeing what you all will be reading as well! I'm really excited to have a good year of reading and have already read a few great books for far this year.

#30 DeltaQueen, Crummey is one of my favourite authors, have you read Galore? It's an amazing book and I highly recommend it! Crummey was actually writer in residence at Memorial University one year while I was a student there, and I have seen him give a couple of poetry readings in St. John's!

So far I have only read River Thieves by him, but both Galore and The Wreckage are on my radar!

Good to hear! I've yet to read The Wreckage myself. That may be an option for my Newfoundlander challenge!

If you're interested in discovering any other interesting Newfoundland authors look out for Down to the Dirt or Right Away Monday by Joel Thomas Hynes, The Town That Forgot How to Breathe by Kenneth J. Harvey or Moonlight Sketches by Gerard Collins. All of which I have read in the past year or two and have really enjoyed.

I love Crummey too. In fact, I have a bit of a soft spot for east coast lit. There is a definite flavour there that is somewhat different than other regions.

Just finished reading the first novel for my horror/thriller challenge, The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux. I chose this book because I have enjoyed the other Gothic horror stories that I have read in the past, namely Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dracula and Frankenstein. When compared to these other heavyweights, I don't feel that the Phantom can compare. I was not thrilled with the point-of-view which seems to be that of a curious historian who researches the case of the phantom years in the future, but you don't find this out until well into the novel. I think the fact that it is translated from the original French may also cause it to lose a little of its original flair. All of that being said though, it is a decent contribution to the genre and has remained in our collective consciousness for over a hundred years due to the film versions and stage productions. I would give it probably 3 and half stars.

I think that I'm going to stick with the Gothic horror for at least another little while and read Henry James' The Turn of the Screw next.

I have to say that I find this challenge great so far as it helps me to focus my reading choices while giving me enough breadth to read almost anything that I find on my shelves! I'm pretty excited by it!

It's odd with a translated book, you can never tell how much damage could be done to the original, they always feel a bit flat. I am getting the sense, no idea if true, that modern translations try to get a sense of the text whereas older ones were all about making it easier for the reader.

Be interested by what you think of The Turn Of The Screw, I keep meaning to read it.

Just going through a big catch up with LT so belated welcome! Some good categories there....

AAGH! Terrifying cover. Good review though. I read Phantom in high school French but it may have been an abridged version. Should dig out the original sometime.

Thanks for the author suggestions, I've added them to my list of authors to check out. I learn about so many good books here on LT that I have no idea when I will ever get to it all!

I love that cover for The Phantom of the Opera!

Welcomes from me as well!! Looking forward to following along!

A belated welcome from me, too! Love your categories and some of your planned reading looks interesting. Looking forward to following you through your challenge!

Just found your thread and starred it. May I just say that it's a stunning picture for your Newfoundland & Labrador category. Welcome aboard!

Thanks again for the warm welcome from everyone!! :)

I have been doing some creeping around the group and have begun following a few of your threads as well! I look forward to this reading year, I think it's going to be a good one!

#45 Thanks, I just found it on our government tourism page. But that being said, rugged coastline is something that we have more than an abundance of for anyone interested in natural beauty!

I have just finished The Turn of the Screw for my horror and thriller challenge and I have to say that after struggling through the first few chapters, I really ended up enjoying it!

The point of view is what really makes this whole story work. It is written from the perspective of a governess who has taken a job looking after two children in a remote part of England. The big thing is that she thinks the two children are being stalked by the ghosts of the former caretakers. The key word is THINKS. The story has such ambiguity that you are never sure if the children really are in danger from supernatural spirits, or is the nanny a little crazy? It seems that no one else can see these spirits and she jumps to such conclusions that no one else really comes to. A very interesting read!

So I'm now trying to put a dent into my post-apocalyptic/dystopian challenge by reading Looking Backward 2000-1887 which tells the story of an upper class Bostonian gentlemen from the latter part of the Nineteenth Century who finds himself thrown into the future world of the year 2000.

At the same time, I am also listening to an audiobook of The Hunger Games. I saw the movie earlier this year and enjoyed it enough to give the book a shot. Plus, I commute over an hour each way to work everyday, so I have plenty of time to listen to a good story!

So far, the Utopian vision of the future (which is now, I guess, in our past) as set out by Mr. Bellamy is greatly different from the post-apocalyptic dystopia of the members of the 12 districts. I hadn't meant to do a comparative reading when I started both of these, but I can't help but see the completely different visions of the future which these two writers have. I'll write to this point further, when I have finished the books.

48. Looking Backward sounds interesting, I'm going to look into that one. I haven't read THe Hunger Games yet but it's on my list.
It's nigh impossible not to make comparisons when you're reading dystopian depictions of the future. I read a whole bunch a few years ago and found it really fascinating to look at the different - yet all equally scary - scenarios.

I agree, I'm really into the dystopian/post-apocalyptic genre. Looking at the different scenarios that people can envision of the future is both intriguing and terrifying at the same time!

I just finished doing A Midsummer Night's Dream with my Grade 10 English class today, so I've decided to include it in my plays challenge. It's a reread, but that's alright.. it's also one of my favourite of Shakespeare's comedies. This story is the ORIGINAL romantic comedy and still works on so many levels today. My students really enjoyed it as well.

It has everything... a love triangle (or rectangle really, I guess), magic, a guy with an ass' head, a play within a play, three marriages, faeries.. What more could one possibly ask for!

PS: Don't know if I mentioned it or not, but I'm a junior high/high school English teacher.. after rereading my post it sounded a little like I was saying that I was in grade 10 myself, lol.

51. A Midsummer Night's Dream is my favourite Shakespeare comedy too. So many different things going on - sweet little love story, the sparring between Oberon and Titania and just the complete bizarre-ness of the whole thing.

>52 JonHutchings:: I immediately figured out what you meant -- perhaps it's because I know a lot of teachers! ;)

We did A Midsummer Night's Dream in Grade 9 and it was quite fun. My favourite parts involve the play within a play. What a hoot! Although for sheer zaniness I don't think much can beat A Comedy of Errors.

I wish we had studied A Midsummer Night's Dream at school. I can only recall doing The Merchant of Venice.

I'm planning on reading A midsummer Night's Dream later in the year

Just finished reading another play for work purposes, I'm doing The Crucible with a world literature class that I'm teaching.

I love this play. I have always had a fascination with the Salem witch trials and the mass paranoia and hysteria which allowed such a tragedy to take place. Miller writes a historically fictional play about some of the real people that were involved in these events.

The fact that the play is also an allegory for 1950s era McCarthyism gives it another layer of depth. I believe that the play was written in response to Miller himself being accused of Communism and was meant to show that history can repeat itself. The '50s certainly were a time of fear and hysteria and McCarthy took it upon himself to start another 'witch hunt', much like the one that scarred the country over 250 years before.

57. That's the fourth time in as many months as someone's mentioned, gushed about or referenced The Crucible in my precense. Wonder if the universe is trying to tell me something...

The Crucible was the first really serious adult thing I read. I read it in grade seven because the protagonist of whichever YA book I was reading was studying it in class. It blew me away. I then read The Death of a Salesman, but the themes were well above a 13 year old girl's understanding. Still, it did open up the entire world of literature, which it had previously not occurred to me to read.

My hubby and I went to Boston last summer and stayed in Salem (and then promptly came home and read The Crucible). It was quite a neat experience.

Just finished reading Looking Backwards: 2000-1887 by Edward Bellamy. A very progressive look at the future by someone writing from the late Nineteenth Century's perspective! Bellamy predicted Radio, telephone, credit cards, shopping malls and other 20th century inventions. He also predicted the future to be a socialist utopia... Well, we certainly haven't arrived there yet, the trappings of good ole' fashioned Capitalism are still alive and well in the year 2013. Large business conglomerates and corporations pretty well all but rule the world.

In the world that Bellamy envisioned, the government is the sole employer of the workforce. Private enterprise has been done away with, as have poverty and inequality of all sorts. People are ALL happy, healthy and live comfortably. As you can imagine this blows away our 19th century protagonist, who could not previously think of a world like this. Essentially this is a forum to Bellamy to espouse his socialist theories intermingled with a love story thrown in to help advance the plot. Overall, not a bad book though the love story is incredibly transparent and essentially a side note to Bellamy's socialist musings.

#58 maybe it is! I do recommend it, the movie from the mid-90's with Daniel Day-Lewis and Winona Ryder does a good job at retelling the story as well.

#60 How was Salem? I would someday like to check it out, maybe around Halloween or something!

Salem is awesome. We went in the beginning of May which was definitely the wrong time to go as it was rather rainy and some things (like the Thornton Burgess Museum in Sandwich) were not open. But we had a blast touring all the witch museums and sites. I enjoyed Salem more than Boston proper to be honest. It's a great place to just wander.

#63 Awesome! I will definitely have to move it higher up on my list of places to visit!

All My Friends Are Dead is my 9th finished read of the year and I managed to fit it in under my new to me authors challenge. Just a cute little picture book that looks at death in a humorous light. If you're a dinosaur, all of your friends are dead. If you're a pirate, all of your friends have scurvy. If you're a zombie, all of your friends are undead. Etc. Etc., cute little book!

I enjoyed visiting Salem a few years ago - I have been tempted to read the crucible ever since....

10. Killing Them Softly by George V. Higgins

Getting this book was purely impulsive as I really liked the cover and had seen the preview for the film. I'm glad I read it! This was originally published in 1974 under the title Cogan's Trade, but they changed the title for this version so it would tie-in with the 2012 film of the same name. I did a little searching and discovered that Higgins was quite a popular crime novelist in his day, but for whatever reason his works have not continued to be read by many people in the years since. It's too bad really, as I kind of like his flow and he has a lot of knowledge of the criminal class of Boston, as he was once an assistant district attorney for the area.

I typically don't read a whole lot of crime fiction, but I may start picking up a little more as I did mostly enjoy this book and it was a quick read. It is written almost entirely in dialogue between the various criminals and low-lives who inhabit this world. Much of which was very entertaining. They didn't just spend all of their time discussing the job at hand, they were often killing time discussing their lives, girlfriends, sex lives, etc., which was sometimes quite funny in a black humour kind of way!

The plot revolves around an illegal poker game that gets robbed by three dimwit criminals, and the ramifications that these actions have on the rest of the Boston underworld. Jackie Cogan is the protagonist, a no-nonsense enforcer for the mob who has been charged with taking care of this mess. He does this both efficiently and ruthlessly. Overall, I'd probably give the book 3 and a half stars as it has held up decently well in the decades since it was published.

The next book I'm going to read is for my Newfoundland and Labrador challenge, Straight Razor Days by Joel Thomas Hynes, one of my favourite local authors. I just realized that I am the only group member on all of LibraryThing that has added this book! Makes sense I guess, as it is published by a small independent publisher, Pedlar Press. This is Hynes' first attempt at non-fiction and I'm looking forward to it! If you have not heard of him, look for Hynes' major published works Down to the Dirt and Right Away Monday, both published by Harper-Collins' Perennial. As a side-note, Hynes was a bartender at an incredibly sketchy bar called The Spur that I used to frequent in St. John's when I was barely old enough to be there. A lot of what he writes about in Right Away Monday seems to be somewhat based on events that occurred there back in those days, which did provide a whole other level of enjoyment for me as a reader!

After that, I plan on starting the The Count of Monte Cristo group read, among other things.

I think I'll have to keep an eye out for the George V. Higgins book (in whichever version it's called). Sounds right up my alley.

I have to admit that I get a better sense of contributing to LT when I am the first LT member to list the book in their library. My local library has copies of Straight Razor Days as well as Down to the Dirt - they appear to have both an audiobook and a DVD by that title, was his book adapted for a movie? - and Right Away Monday, so onto the For Later list they go.

Yeah, I think you're right, being the first to add a new book to LT does make you feel like you're actually contributing to the group! And hopefully you spread the word about a book to others. It's great that your library has Hynes' books! If you do get around to them, I hope you like them. He has a raw sort of writing style and a very East Coast/Newfoundland sort of flavour. But not the old school cod fish and dories kind of Newfoundland... You'll just have to see what I mean for yourself, lol.

Yes Down to the Dirt was turned into a movie a few years ago, with Hynes himself playing the lead role! Hynes is also an actor, having written, directed and acted in plays, TV and film. If you're into reading plays I would recommend looking for his work The Devil You Don't Know which is also sort of loosely based on Down to the Dirt. He was also in a few episodes of this season's Republic of Doyle.

I have added a bonus category to my challenge so that I can add any other book that I read this year that does not fit into one of my current categories. The first book that I am adding this this new category is All My Friends are Still Dead by Jory John and Avery Monsen.

>70 lkernagh:&71 - I always find it a little odd when I am the first, I feel sure that there must have been someone else to do it before me

12. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Yet another play that I have been teaching this year. What can be said about Romeo and Juliet that hasn't been said a thousand times before? It is the best and most tragic love story of them all, and there is a reason that its plot is used time and time again in every form of media.

> 71 - Good to know! Yes, I do enjoy reading plays from time to time so I will keep an eye out for The Devil You Don't know. Thanks!

13. Straight Razor Days by Joel Thomas Hynes

Just finished this one and enjoyed it. A little bit of poetry and some short personal writings reveal the hard life that Hynes has had. At the same time, there is a sort of violent beauty to his writings as well.

I'm off to start The Count of Monte Cristo now for the group read.

I just realized that my copy of The Count of Monte Cristo is abridged, making it considerably shorter than it should be. So I'm going to shelve reading it until I can get my hands on an unabridged copy.

Okay, that's annoying. Abridgments have their place, but I'm not entirely sure where that is.

I have one suggestion...

@ 79 -- lol

79 - haha.

14. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka.

Delightful little picture book which takes the story of the three little pigs and re-examines it from the perspective of the wolf. Apparently all he wanted was a cup of sugar to bake a cake! Who knew?!!

Jon Scieszka is awesome. Have you seen his books about math and science?

No I haven't, I'll have to keep an eye out for them though. I really enjoyed this book!

15. The Paperboy by Pete Dexter.

I really enjoyed this fast paced thriller of a book about a reporter and his brother and the dangers that they encounter as they try to crack a big story near their hometown in northern Florida and save a supposed wrongfully accused man on death row. The book is over 300 pages, but goes by incredibly fast.

16. A Steady Rain by Keith Huff

A gritty dramatic play about two partners of the Chicago police dept. They have been best friends since they were kids and work a beat together now as adults. The twist comes when one of the cops starts to do some questionable things and the other has to cover for him. This play is explosive with a great and unexpected ending. I highly recommend it!

17. Janey's Girl by Gayle Friesen

A heartwarming story of a young girl and her mother who returns to her hometown for the first time since she was a pregnant teenager. The girl meets her father for the first time, despite her mother's objections and learns that he has a son now who desperately needs a bone marrow transplant, and she may be the only acceptable match.

18. Catch Me Once, Catch Me Twice by Janet McNaughton

A story centred around a young girl whose father goes off to fight in North Africa during WWII. As a result, she and her mother end up moving from around the bay to St. John's into her grandparents home. The girl doesn't like living in town at first and experiences a lot of difficulty fitting in. That all changes when she meets Peter who is from down in The Battery. The story goes on to relate some fascinating stories of events that occurred in the city during this time. The blackout curtains that were placed in windows to prevent German planes from bombing St. John's at night and the burning down of the Knights of Columbus on Harvey Rd. where servicemen took local girls to dances on Saturday nights. The story also contains a touch of Newfoundland folklore as Ev comes into contact with one of the Newfoundland fairies, malevolent little people who try to carry off unsuspecting travelers.

So I ended up getting The Count of Monte Cristo as a free e-book off of the Project Gutenberg site and have been reading it since Easter, amongst other things. It has a very engrossing storyline, but is incredibly sprawling and is over 1000 pages long. As a result, despite reading it for over a month I am still only 43% completed according to my Kobo. Will post again when it's finished.

> 88 - Welcome to the slow read of The Count! I started my re-read of the book before the group read opened - I am also reading a free e-book off the Project Gutenberg site - and I am only on Chapter 46. ;-)

Cool! Seems we're at about the same point in the book. I'm on Chapter 47.

19. My Dog: The Paradox by Matthew Inman

Delightfully little humorous picture book by the guy who does The Oatmeal website about his dog. As a dog owner myself, I find his discourse on how his dog likes to poop on and hump everything very entertaining. If you enjoy The Oatmeal, or dogs, you will like this book.

20. Animal Farm by George Orwell.

Classic allegorical tale of the Russian Revolution told through the guise of farm animals overthrowing their owner and establishing the first farm run completely by animals. As the pigs assume command, however, things don't turn out so well for the other animals... absolute power corrupts absolutely.

21. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

One of my favourite science fiction novels. Set in a future world which has narrowly seen the repelling of two alien invasions by the human race. All the nations of the world have been in an uneasy alliance for the past 70+ years as they prepare themselves for a third coming of the alien hordes. Genius children are recruited by the government at an early age and sent to the Battle School in outer space where they are isolated from their families and trained to be the best possible soldiers and commanders they can be for the next ten years. Earth has also become overcrowded and governments have implemented a "two children per family" policy. To have a third child is looked down upon by society and these people are looked upon as social pariah. Ender Wiggan is a third who's birth was commissioned by the government due to the promise shown by his two siblings. All of the world's hopes become pinned on Ender as he is taken to the battle school, the Third Invasion is closer than people think and Ender is considered to be the future fleet commander that the military has been searching for. They mistreat Ender, however, in order to speed up his learning process and Ender learns some shocking secrets concerning the Third Invasion and the alien menace that Earth has feared for decades.

22. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I've been listening to this as an audiobook off and on during my commute to work over the past couple of months. What can you say about The Hunger Games that hasn't already been said before. I found the writing style to be nothing spectacular, but it conveyed the story adequately.. which is all that really matters. The idea of a future dystopian society in which the United States has been divided into 12 distinct districts and each year, these districts must submit two tributes for a battle to the death which happens in the Capital and is televised for all to see. Interesting premise and decently carried out. I may have to read (or listen) on and check out Catching Fire at some point.

Do glad you like Ender's Game. It was my son's favorite book (he's now 27) and probably helped got him to read in middle school. He's really looking forward to the movie.

Ender's Game is on my to-read list, but I keep hearing that it's one you should have read in your youth. I'll just have to remember that when I get around to it!

There are certain elements that do appeal more to youth, but there are also things in the story that can appeal to an adult readership. If you bear that in mind while reading you should still enjoy the book. It is definitely worth a try anyway. :)

There's a film coming out & searching for info I saw this http://www.ottawacitizen.com/opinion/op-ed/Love+book+Ender+Game+disagree+with+wr...

> Interesting article, Pete and probably why I try not to know too much about the personal lives of the authors who's works I enjoy reading!

psutto, I tried to view the article you posted but the site says that the story is not available. :(

23. The Arrival by Sean Tan

One of the most beautiful books I have ever "read." I use the word read hesitantly as there are absolutely no words used in this book and yet the story couldn't be communicated any more effectively than it's been here. Sean Tan is an amazing artist and I recommend him to everyone.

>100 JonHutchings: - ? works for me - basically OSC is a horrible homophobe but we should seperate the art from the artist, for a different view (that you cant seperate the art from the artist) look here http://www.salon.com/2013/03/07/end_game_for_orson_scott_card_partner/

There's a bit of a storm in the comics world about OSC's Superman apparently

Thanks. A very interesting article, I completely agree with the author when he says that he can't understand how someone capable of writing a book about such empathetic characters can himself hold views of how the government should force the population into its way of thinking through violent means if necessary.

Also, I find it odd that Card turned out to be such a homophobe when I always found the scene of naked soaped-up boys Greco-Roman wrestling in the shower to be somewhat homoerotic!

Anyway, I find it too bad that such a talented author has adopted such terrible views and political agendas. I agree, however, that we should always try to separate the art from the artist, especially in a case like Card's. Otherwise people could miss out on a very worthwhile literary gem.

So glad you loved The Arrival. It's my favorite, too. I picked it up in a bookstore and was totally immersed in it. I purchased it for my library and have raved about it ever since.

104, thanks mamzel! Sorry for the late reply, I've been away from LT for a while! It is a phenomenal book and I plan on looking into more of Tan's work in the future!

24. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

I am happy to say that I have finally finished the sprawling work that is The Count of Monte Cristo!! I started reading it back during Easter, so basically I've been reading it for three full months. I have to say, fantastic book. At times you wonder where Dumas is going with the story as you learn so much about seemingly insignificant characters, but it all ties together in the end and you realize that there is no such thing as an insignificant character in this work. Everyone serves some purpose and it's such a ride to find out what happens to each character. Absolutely great read, I recommend it to everyone!!

Congrats on finishing The Count of Monte Cristo!

Congrats on completing The Count - he's a challenge, but absolutely worth it!

Thanks! It was such a slow process, but totally worth it in the end!

Next, I've begun to read Our Daily Bread by Lauren B. Davis as an author I've never read before and The Bandido Massacre by Peter Edwards for my non-fiction challenge.

Our Daily Bread is really, really good. I just finished Empty Room and loved it as well.

@110, I couldn't put down Our Daily Bread, you're right it was very, very good! It was also dark and kind of twisted at times, but it was such a compelling read that I just couldn't put it down. Apparently it is loosely based on the true story of the Goler Clan, a bunch of hillbillies who lived on a mountain in Nova Scotia and were guilty of child molestation, prostitution, drug dealing and who knows what else. This is the first book of Davis' that I have read, but I will have to look out for more!

Yah! Another convert :) Empty Room is good but I liked Our Daily Bread better. I just got her other one (name escapes me) from the library so we will see how that one goes.

25. Our Daily Bread by Lauren B. Davis



As I said above, great book! A must read.

And I've just requested Our Daily Bread from PBS. How could I resist both Nova Scotia and bad hillbillies?

Ha!

These are some pretty bad hillbillies too! But I don't think that the novel itself is meant to be set in Nova Scotia, it's more like a bible thumping small town that could essentially be anywhere in North America. Definitely pick it up though!

26. The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole

I've been trying to get in some of the classics this year with my 1001 list challenge and my books written in the 19th century or before challenge and this book fits both of those criteria, (It also would have fit under my horror category, but I have some other stuff in mind for that one). Written in 1764, The Castle of Otranto is considered by many to be the first true Gothic novel, which is drew me to it. The story is supposedly much older, possibly dating back to the Crusades, but Walpole translated the story from an Italian copy he found in 1764.

As a historical curiosity the novel is pretty decent, you can see many of the elements of the Gothic novel here, though in a very primitive form. Supernatural events, bleeding statues, ghost monks, a damsel in distress, a wicked prince, it's all here, though presented in what is now a very cliched style. The theme of "the sins of the father will be visited upon the sons for three and four generations" is quite heavy handed as well. All in all, I can see why it's been included on the 1001 Novels to Read Before You Die list, simply because of its historical significance to the Gothic genre, but as a novel it doesn't really stand up to most of the literature it inspired.

I may continue on in the Gothic vein with the Vampyre by John Polidori next.

@ 117 -- I liked The Castle of Otranto quite a bit! I got the impression that Walpole was very aware of how ridiculous the story was as he was writing it. Also loved the helmet falling out of the sky in chapter 1!

The Castle of Otranto is on my reading list for this year. Looking forward to reading it!

> 119 - Ridiculous works for me... and now I need to move this one up my reading list to find out more about this helmet falling out of the sky! ;-)

117 I still personally feel like it's not as good as much of the Gothic literature which came later, but it's ok.. The helmet is pretty interesting at the beginning of the novel, as is the rest of the statue.

@118 You may love it, it did have a few interesting elements, but overall I just thought it was ok.

27. The Vampyre by John Polidori

Supposedly the first English language vampire novel, though really it's barely a novella. Very short read about a young man who becomes entangled with the depraved Lord Ruthven, who the protagonist quickly learns to dread and fear. Not a bad read. Apparently it came out of the same story writing contest which prompted Mary Shelly to write Frankenstein.

Next on the list to be read is The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Looking forward to it!

I've been trying to read the entire Defenders comic book series over the past couple of years now through Marvel's cheap reprint Essential series. I finished Volume 3 around six months ago and was beginning to get tired of the series as the writing and storylines were beginning to lose their spark. I'm glad I continued on and just finished reading Essential Defenders Volume 4 as most of the storylines in this set of the series were very interesting. Everything from "Defenders For a Day" when a documentary about the team caused every wannabe superhero around to show up at their headquarters applying for membership, to when the team had to go to Valhalla to fight a usurper to Hela, the death goddess. Other big events in this book include Nighthawk being forced to give up superheroing by the government, Hellcat's mom dying, the return of the Sub-Mariner, the origin and fate of Omega the Unknown, and guest appearances by the Black Panther and Daredevil!! I also enjoyed the artwork in this run of issues as I am a huge fan of the bronze era of comics (from the early 70's through to the early to mid 80s).

In fact, in this entire collection there was only one storyline that I couldn't really get into. At one point Doctor Strange, the Sub-Mariner and the Hulk travel to another dimension called Tunnelworld and have to fight to stop a demi-god known only as the Unnameable, because once you hear his name you immediately fall under his spell. This story spanned several issues of the comic, and was really just too out there for me to enjoy.

Overall, this collection is a big improvement over most of Essential Defenders Volume 3 and a return to the quality Defenders stories of the first two volumes.

I don't know if it will be for this challenge, but I definitely plan on continuing on and reading Essential Defenders Volume 5 in the near future.

29. Essential Defenders Vol. 5 by J.M. DeMatteis

Sooo, I couldn't help myself. I am such a comic nerd at heart, I had to continue on reading The Defenders series and loved every second of it. J.M. DeMatteis took over the writing duties during this period of the series and took it in a very supernatural, occult filled, mystical sort of direction... which I thoroughly enjoyed! Characters such as the Son of Satan and the Devil-Slayer were brought back into the Defenders fold to help facilitate this change and a new character was added to the team, the demonic Gargoyle. Doctor Strange was also brought back to more or less lead the team in these mystical adventures and on more than one occasion the other original Defenders, the Silver Surfer and the Sub-Mariner were called in to help the group. There are also guest appearances by the Ghost Rider, Spider-Man, Captain America, Daredevil, the Man-Thing and the Beast, among others, adding to the already interesting cast of characters which fill The Defenders pages. The last storyline in this collection saddened me, however, as one of my favorite Defenders characters, Nighthawk, appeared to die in an explosion while saving the rest of the group and possibly the world.

I am aware that none of these old Essential Marvel titles are what would be called high literature... but they sure take me back to my childhood, and it's been too warm here lately to read anything that requires too much deep thinking, haha. As a result, I may or may not continue on with Essential Defenders Vol. 6. Also, I want to see if Nighthawk remained dead, or if he was brought back as many heroes are.

How warm is it, way up there?

Just outside St. John's, Newfoundland it's currently 29 degrees Celsius, but it's the humidity that's killing me. The max humidex for the day is 39 degrees and the dew point is a whopping 23C. Apparently we're setting records for up here and our humidex is on par with parts of Florida and the Caribbean. I personally can't handle it, I like cooler temperatures. Damn climate change.

30. The Bandido Massacre by Peter Edwards

A true crime book for my non-fiction challenge, I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I don't read a lot of true crime, or at least I haven't in quite some time, and I find it takes me foreeever to read non-fiction books. This one, however, was written in such a way that it held my interest throughout! I must admit before reading this book I had only a very limited knowledge of outlaw biker culture and only vaguely remembered the aftermath of this massacre in the media. I felt that through Edwards storytelling ability I was able to get a very good glimpse into what biker culture is and how it could end up in so much violence between clubmates. Essentially the Canadian chapter of the worldwide Bandidos organization lacked the structure and resources that many other chapters of the club had around the world. A fact which would eventually lead these men to their deaths at the hands of their "brothers" who had hoped to carry favor with the organization by getting these guys out of the way. In the end, the senseless violence led to 8 deaths and 6 men in prison for multiple life sentences. The whole story is very intriguing.

Are the Essentials in color? I've been going for the Masterworks, but if the Essentials are in color, I wouldn't mind going for those as well.

No, they are unfortunately in black and white and printed on cheap pulpy paper which is why they are so affordable, lol. However, I have been supplementing my comics reading with online .cbz files that are scans of the originals which are in colour.

Thanks, that's great to know - I'll stick to the Masterworks. I did think the prices looked a bit too appealing...

I'm back after a long hiatus caused by holidays, moving and starting a new job... Can't believed I've been away as long as I have!

31. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle



I am ashamed to say that this is the first Sherlock Holmes novel I have ever read. I enjoyed it immensely and it was a perfect read for around Halloween. The atmosphere that Doyle creates on the grey English Moors was perfect, and the plot unfurled at just the right speed to keep me guessing and interested. If other Holmes novels are anywhere near as good, then I will have to read them sooner rather than later.

Where are you now? Still in Newfoundland, I hope. And how's the new job?

Glad you liked the Doyle.

Whoa, that is one scary cover! Glad you liked Baskervilles. I would suggest reading the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes next, because it has a lot of the big-name stories.

I have to admit I'm slightly envious of someone who gets to read Holmes for the first time!

@133 Oh yes, still in Newfoundland. Just bought a new house a couple of months ago, that's all, and the new job is alright, just took some time to get adjusted.

I am so glad that I finally got the chance to read some Sherlock Holmes! Can't wait to read more!

32. The House of the Vampire by George Sylvester Viereck



Great little book written at the turn of the 20th Century about a psychic vampire who sucks the creativity and thoughts out of his victims' minds and using them to become a literary genius. Good stuff.

33. The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson

A supernatural story which was supposedly one of H.P. Lovecraft's biggest influences. The book does a good job of building up a tense atmosphere and overall I did enjoy it, but parts of the book just got very weird.

34. After the War by Carol Matas

A story of a young Jewish girl who survived the Holocaust and tries to make a life for herself afterwards. She ends up joining a group of Jewish people making the illegal trip from Europe to Palestine in the years immediately following the Second World War. It was this influx of immigration that helped to pave the way for the creation of modern-day Israel. Interesting read!

>138 JonHutchings: - Just got hold of a copy of that, good to see you enjoyed it

35. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Perhaps the best read of the year for me! I saw the movie a few years ago and really enjoyed it, I later picked up a secondhand copy of the novel which remained on my shelf until a few weeks ago. It may sound cliche, but the novel is better than the movie. I really enjoyed the back and forth narration between what Henry and Claire are thinking. I also applaud Ms. Niffenegger for being able to keep all the dates, times, character's ages straight throughout the novel, it sometimes got a little tricky to read, but I enjoyed it so much that I didn't mind at all. I guess this will probably be the last book that I get onto this list, I will probably begin next year's list over the next day or two.

I hope everyone has another great year of reading in 2014 and that everyone has been having a wonderful holiday season!

Happy holidays to you too!