koalamom goes for 100

I'll start the 100 when I finish my second 50, which as of this date is only on 16, but I am almost finished with 17 and this is for 2009 anyway!

Welcome aboard, koalamom!

Getting closer to starting this 100.

I am up to 34 as of 12/30/08 and this is my second 50.

I guess the 100 challenge (and the 999) is the right place for me.

I started my original 50 in July 2008.

I am up to 37 in my 50 challenge.

Hopefully by the beginning of February I can start this one.

I finished my 2nd 50 on January 28, 2009.

Here's my ticker for my 100 Challenge:

1 The Moon is Down - 1/29/09
2 Street of Shadows - 1/31/09
3 Risk by Dick Francis - 2/1/09
4 Matilda - 2/2/09
5 Ghosts of the Titanic by Pelligrino - 2/3/09
6 Sword Song - 2/6/09
7 Cat Playing Cupid - 2/8/09
8 Echoes and Refractions - 2/10/09
9 A Little Princess - 2/13/09
10 John the Baptist and Jesus A report of the Jesus Seminar - 2/17/09

11 The Magic Cup - 2/18/09
12 Jimmy the Hand -2/21/09
13 H. L. Hunley Secret Hope of the Confederacy - 2/27/09
14 Irish Tweed Nuala McGrail - 2/27/09
15 Carnivorous Carnival - 2/28/09
16 The Partner - 3/1/09
17 Across the Wall - 3/3/09
18 Anna Karenina - 3/4/09
19 Murder Walks the Plank - 3/7/09
20 Through Blood and Fire at Gettysburg - 3/8/09

21 Greater Than the Sum - 3/10/09
22 At Gettysburg or What a Girl Saw - 3/10/09
23 Salmon of Doubt - 3/16/09
24 Cannery Row - 3/17/09
25 The Princess Bride - 3/19/09
26 Cry, the Beloved Country - 3/23/09
27 Stupid American History by Leland Gregory - 3/27/09
28 Death Star - 3/28/09
29 Coalseam - by Karen Blomain - 3/28/09
30 Biblical Literacy - 3/30/09

31 Schild's Ladder - 4/1/09
32 Twenty Wishes - 4/2/09
33 The Secret Garden - 4/4/09
34 Larry's Kidney - 4/09/09
35 Call Me Kate - 4/10/09
36 Mystic River - 4/12/09
37 Bayonet!Forward! - 4/14/09
38 Infinity's Prism - 4/18/09
39 Assignment in Space - 4/20/09
40 Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder - 4/23/09

41 Cursed by Carol Higgins Clark - 4/24/09 -here, but not in 999
42 The Starship and the Canoe - 4/28/09
43 Warriors: Long Shadows - 5/1/09
44 All the Women of the Bible - 5/1/09
45 Wife of the Gods - 5/4/09 - here but not in 999
46 Patterns of Force - 5/8/09
47 The Testament - 5/10/09
48 A Cat is Watching - 5/15/09 - here but not in 999
49 Slippery Slope - 5/16/09
50 To The Hilt - 5/18/09

51 Assegai - 5/23/09
52 Native Religions of North America - 5/27/09
53 The Mayor of Casterbridge - 5/28/09
54 Two to the Fifth - 5/30/09
55 Grim Grotto - 6/2/09
56 The Sound and the Fury - 6/5/09
57 Deep Space Nine Fearful Symmetry - 6/7/09 - here but not in 999
58 The Story of the Confederacy - 6/12/09
59 Of Love and Shadows - 6/12/09 - here but not in 999
60 On The Street Where You Live - 6/14/09 - here but not in 999

61 Riddle-Master of Hed - 6/17/09
62 Mary Chestnut's Civil War - 6/19/09
63 Penultimate Peril - 6/20/09 - here but not in 999
64 Death of the Party - 6/20/09 - here but not in 999
65 Jane Eyre - 6/28/09 - this makes 1700 in my library
66 Christianity and Evolution - 6/29/09
67 Warriors Sunrise - 7/2/09 - here but not in 999
68 The Chocolate Mouse Trap - 7/4/09 - here but not in 999
69 Star Wars Outcast - 7/6/09 - here but not in 999
70 Confederates in the Attic - 7/7/09

71 The Pearl - 7/7/09
72 Heir of Sea and Fire - 7/9/09
73 Gods of Night - 7/10/09 - here but not in 999
74 Inner Reaches of Outer Space - 7/12/09
75 Harpist in the Wind - 7/13/09
76 The Sparrow - 7/17/09
77 Champagne Cocktails by Anistatia Miller - 7/15/09 - here but not in 999
78 Finger Lickin Fifteen - 7/17/09 - see also extra 999 from this point on
79 Strawberry shortcake Murder - 7/17/09
80 Loitering With Intent - 7/19/09

81 Summer on Blossom Street - 7/20/09
82 Murder Most Confederate - 7/21/09
83 Silver and Gold by David Sakmyster - 7/25/09
84 Series of Unfortunate Events The End - 7/26/09
85 The World's Wisdom by Philip Novak - 7/28/09 - last book on the 999
86 Mere Mortals - 7/29/09
87 Before Green Gables - 7/30/09
88 Last Known Address - 8/1/09
89 The Street Lawyer - 8/4/09
90 Star Trek Lost Souls - 8/7/09

91 What in the Word? Wordplay, Lore - 8/7/09
92 Julie and Julia - 8/9/09
93 Portrait of an Unknown Woman - 8/12/09
94 Cat in a Topaz Tango - 8/16/09
95 The Winds of Dune - 8/19/09
96 My Life in France - 8/20/09
97 Under Orders - 8/23/09
98 Lord Jim - 8/25/09
99 206 Bones - 8/25/09
100 Star Trek: SCE: Wounds - 8/28/09

Can't wait to see which books you will be reading koalamom.

Just came by to say Hi, koalamom!
--BJ

Hi BJ - I'll add to this soon. The first book I plan to read is short but a Steinbeck.

Do you have a Challenge as well?

Hi, again!
I have a 50 book challenge. It is "BJ Reads 50+ Books in 2009." I am actually trying to read 81 since I signed up for the 999 challenge as well, but I am not sure that I can read that many. :)
--BJ

It's only 31 more! Good luck!

I have a 999 too, but with a 100 that'll be easy and I have already started the 999 anyway, though after awhile not all the ones that go on the 100 will get to the 999 if I fill in categories but still read out of those categories.

Did that make sense?

Yeah, that makes sense. Since 81 is such a stretch for me, I need to have all of my books that I read now fit in categories of my 999. However, I did make my categories pretty broad, so I think that I am ok there. Have a great day!
--BJ

Ah, here you are. I looked for you at the 50- and 75-Challenge groups but didn't think to look here. Happy reading!

Good to hear from you? How's life going? Here you are teaching a creative writing course?

First ten books took me 20 days! And I have a couple of others partly read as well.

I just want to read everything NOW. Oh,well, I'll just have to learn patience!

I knew I read a lot but putting dates on here really shows that up. I think I am getting a headache from too much reading. Is there such a thing?

koala I started getting headaches at one stage in my reading. A trip to the opticians and a pair of reading spectacles fixed the headaches. Or is yours just a psychological thing! :)

Already wear glasses and I think it's partly sinus problems or the brown and furry guy of the feline variety who just crossed under my legs. I see my optometrist in September.

Hope your headaches clear up soon koalamum.

Actually, it did and I was away from reading for a day while I was visiting Gettysburg with my husband. Didn't do any reading on Thursday, though I did buy some books - Civil War books, of course!

Just to keep the record straight, I did not read Anna Karenina in one day. There were 8 parts and I'd read a part and then read something else. I t actually took, probably, three weeks to get through it.

How appropriate that my twentieth book for my 100 Challenge is about the efforts of the Twentieth Maine at Little Round Top at Gettysburg!

I am 1/5 done with this challenge and it took me 39 days.

Hi, koalamom!
Looks like you are on track to pass 100! Yea! :)
--BJ

I am amazed at how much reading I am getting done. I am busy during the dya and wonder if I'll have a chance to read at all, but the books keep getting read. I know people who have retired who say they don't have any extra time. I'm "retired" but I do - somehow. I guess it's all in what you make of it.

As of 3/19/09 I am one quarter the way through my 100 challenge, that's about 7 weeks for 25 books.

Right on track! Keep up the good work!

Well done!

Thank you all for the encouragement!

koalamom;
Did you not absolutely love Cry, the Beloved Country? That is one of my 5 favorite books of all time. I found it to be a beautifully drawn story with totally believable characters. The story itself is earthshattering and heartrending. Such a powerful drama and the two main characters were both such lovely men. Both their hearts were broken and yet they could find it within themselves to love one another. How very brave they were.
Also the movie made from this novel was beautiful with the music done by John Barry. Gorgeous!~!
I hope you loved it as much as I did.
Happy reading with whatever you are working on now.
N/B

Hi, koalamom!
I wanted to try to give you a link to the Group Reads -- Literature group so you could see how they do things. They do not ask questions, but just put up posts to discuss parts of each work. This is just for comparison.

http://www.librarything.com/groups/groupreadsliterature

I hope that this works!
--BJ

I think it worked. Have a great day!
--BJ

nanny - I did love it - it read really well and I liked the plot, I was glad laytonwoman got me to read it what with her having just done so and did a great review

bj - the link worked - I joined the group and will peruse it later - maybe I'll find something

I guess The Secret Garden puts me a third of the way through this 100 challenge.

40 books on my 100 today and the 40th was also the first to fill a category on my 999 challenge!

Well Done!

thank you, thank you very much!

Hi, koalamom!
I was wondering what you thought of Mystic River and The Starship and the Canoe. I see that you have read some books on my tbr! (A Little Princess and The Secret Garden.) Thanks!
--BJ

I loved Mystic River. Starship and the Canoe was OK - as I said in another thread - there was more Canoe than Starship, but then the Starship part is old news (the book came our in 1983), but I found it readable, especially since I had another book I was reading at the same time. I felt it was a good idea to red a bit of one then the other.

The two in the parentheses were wonderful - took me back to my childhood, even though for some reason I did not read them then!

Thanks, koalamom! Yeah, I do not recall whether I read A Little Princess or The Secret Garden when I was young, but my kids did. I am hoping to read both of them this year. Have a great day!
--BJ

I really liked Mystic River too. We did it for a RL book group. It was the first Lehane I had ever read. Also enjoyed the movie, which is unusual,

I almost got Cry, Beloved Country last night. It is in the $3.99 bin at Borders. I got a second copy of A Passage to India by mistake. Maybe they will let me exchange it for the other book ?

Oh, you really should request that. Although A Passage to India is good, Cry, the Beloved Country is a book everyone world wide who has the ability to read it should do so. I believe that it says so much more to one than the writer ever even intended. It speaks beautifully and directly to the theme but also there is so much underneath that one is just left bereft and speechless when done. If I could recommend only one book this would be that one.
Here's hoping for you. (and 3.99---wow!~!)
belva

laytonwoman got me to read Cry, The Beloved Country and I was glad I did.

Isn't it wonderful?
So very sad but so hopeful.

Hi, koalamom!
I posted on my thread my own garbled instructions for making a link. I am not sure if that is what you were referring to or not. Some people can put in a word and imbed a link. I don't know how to do that. It took me so long just to add my ticker to the new thread. There is a logic to computers that I just don't get.

What did you think of the book All the Women of the Bible? That looks interesting to me. Hope you are not in the midst of all the storms out there today!! Have a great day!
--BJ

It's trying to rain here, but nothing major.

I liked that book (see review), but did find it dated.

Note: any books listed here that don't make my 999 are listed here as such

as of 5/18/09 I am halfway in completing my 100 challenge and I now don't have to change Cursed every time I add a book to this particular list!

my 999 needs only 15 more books at this time as well, but it is getting harder to complete as I fill the "more popular" categories. Religious will be last to fill.

Hi, koalamom!
Just to let you know that I am only using my 75 book thread now. I let my 50 book thread die. Just in case, here is the link to my 75 book thread:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/52768

I haven't finished any books in a while due to my daughter's graduation. But I hope to finish one soon. Hope that you are having a wonderful day!
--BJ

Today I made 60 on my 100 challenge which I started on Jan 28 of this year, a little less that 5 months to read 60 books, some were easier than others and some took less time to read than others and there were times I was actually reading up to three at a time, thus making it look like I had finished two books in one day and there may have been instances where I did start a second book on a day I had finished one and had actually also finished the second as well - it happens.

I am also getting more books that I read for here but that do not fit into my 999 Challenge as I have finished their category (I have eleven books left for that challenge, of which two are currently being read).

Depending on when I finish the next forty books, I will get creative on what to call a new challenge or do a 50 plus or something to finish out the year, so I can start a 100 in the new year. Is there one beyond 100? I'll have to check or create it!

You are really doing well with your challenges! :) How do you decide what to read next? I am halfway through my 999, although there are some short books there, so I think that I might actually finish it. I know some people do a double 999 or do extra credit categories. Hope you are having a great day! Happy Reading!
--BJ

It's a tough choice - I want to read everything! Right now I try and make sure that at least one book on my table is for the 999, otherwise it's what strikes me at that moment or what I think has been on my shelf and/or TBR list for too long. It may mean a trip to the library and my den bookshelf.

now up to 70 books here and I also completed my sixth category in my other challenge, the 999, with the same book

only 25 to go - 3/4's done and the 999 only has 2 more books in one category

#62 congratulations on the progress - do you have specific plans for the rest of the year, or will you just enjoy free and unstructured reading?

I've already posted an "Extra 999" thread and I may do another 50 Challenge and see how far I get in it before the end of 2009. I am almost halfway through one of those two books to finish off my 999. I was thinking of holding off reading the last one so I can finish it on "999" (aka 09/09/09) and that may not be a real problem to do anyway - just thought it was a neat idea since I am that close and have lots to read in the meantime, especially if all those books I have on hold come in in the next week as I predict!

I kind of like the "structure". It lets me know in what genres I am reading and it has made me broaden my reading habits - sometimes to places I love and sometimes not.

#64 As soon as I posted the question, I saw your second 999 thread. I agree about the structure of a challenge. This is the first year I've done one, and I'm loving it. What I've noticed is that it gently nudges me to read the books I always said I wanted to read, but never seemed to find time for.

Yeah and people here reading those books and recommending them highly helps too!

This place has definitely broadened my horizons - readingwise.

It was 70 books on July 7 and today I entered # 80 - that's 10 books in 12 days.

I have also started my Extra 999 and I only have one more book to read to finish the original 999 and I have started that, but will be reading it slowly (it's that kind of book).

You are doing a great job hitting those goals on your challenges. I have found the 999 challenge (my 1st) to be a huge help in encouraging myself to read genres I normally would not.
But all the recs I pick up from threads; there is no way I will ever have time to read all of those. And I write down more every day. Too many good books out there. Ha ha
Anyway I just want to say what a good job you are doing!~!
Take care and happy reading.
belva

I noticed that I forgot to mention that I hit 80 on 7/19

I like the 999 for the same reason you do and I, too, move titles to my To Read collection or other lists- just so much to read - and my 999 is one chapter from being finished - probably today, if I am lucky

Sharleen;
Congratulations on your 80!~! Great!
And almost done with your 999 challenge--YOU GO GIRL!~!----That is where I am struggling right now. I think I really screwed myself when I matched tiffin's challenge to "all Virgo all August".
So I have 11 books to read in the next 2 days and the first 9 days of September. But I have faith. I can do it!~! Thank goodness some of them can cross over to other categories.
Well, you have a good night.
I will catch you later.
belva

I have reached 90 and it has only been six months since I started this challenge. I could conceivably finish this by the end of August, then maybe I'll just start at 101 and see how far I get by the end of the year and start a fresh 100 in January. Yep, I could do a 101010 - it'll be finding categories to read and books to put in them, but not the numbers. I love to read :-)!

Wowza!~! 90 in 6 months. Has anyone ever told you that you read fast?????????
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm???????/
Reading is quite possibly (other than family) the biggest joy of my life. Then would probably come music.
You are doing great!~!~!
Are you doing the (101010, whatever it will be) challenge next year? I am and am anxiously awaiting the set up of the challenge so we know what we are looking at. That challenge really did me a lot of good. I am reading a much wider variety of books than I was a year ago.
Well, later dayz my friend,
belva

I am looking forward to a new challenge next year - whatever it is , as you say. Having to come up with categories and then books to fill them has caused me to read further a field than I have done in the past and I am finding a lot of books to be more interesting and readable than I had thought.

And now I add 91.

Note: Some books, especially non-fiction, may actually take longer to read than it looks here, because there are times when I am reading more than one at a time - like 91-that actually took 6 days - one day per chapter with two chapter on the sixth day.

Six to go as of today and I have numbers 95 and 96 on my table already. I guess the question is can I make it before the end of the month?

Five more books to go and two of them are on my table and my son has one due to him from the library that should be in any day and which I will also read and there are two more that I had picked out to read before this "deluge" from the library - that makes five!

and then there were only four and I have them picked out - I don't think I will get all four read by the end of the month, but I may come close

And then there were three and one is half read and the other two are just waiting - or some other two anyway.

And then there were two and one is 206 Bones and I am already reading that and I have three to choose from on my table. Which will I let me number 100?

And then there was one and I just may make the end of the month "deadline", not that I have such a deadline , but it looks like I may finish this challenge by the end of August - and I only started it January 29 - seven months to read 100 books!

Go girl!!

My goodness Sharleen, but you have been busy while I was away! And good stuff you are reading as well. How did you find the Mary Chestnut to be? I got two of hers while I was away and can't wait to get into them. Reading Battle Cry of Freedom has totally taken me from WWII into the Civil War with a fascination that surpassed anything I was expecting. So I am anxious to read those.
Looks like you will or have made your 100 by month's end. Way to go!~! Congratulations.
Will talk to you again soon.
belva

My goodness Sharleen, but you have been busy while I was away! And good stuff you are reading as well. How did you find the Mary Chestnut to be? I got two of hers while I was away and can't wait to get into them. Reading Battle Cry of Freedom has totally taken me from WWII into the Civil War with a fascination that surpassed anything I was expecting. So I am anxious to read those.
Looks like you will or have made your 100 by month's end. Way to go!~! Congratulations.
Will talk to you again soon.
belva

Hello englishrose60. ***waves***

.....waves to belva.......

and I am halfway through the 100th as I write this - should be done by the weekend

I think I may not do a 100 next year as the 1010 will suffice for both.

and then there were none - or 100!

Here's a link to my extra: http://www.librarything.com/topic/71982

Congratulations on reaching you 100.