Tututhefirst joins in

I'm going to post by decades and simply edit with the date when I add a book I've completed. I've been going thru my library to identify those that already fill in a number, so I can then look for new ones as I complete other challenges. I'll be keeping an offline list of 'extras' if I have more than one in any category. For instance, I could probably fill the 900's about 4 times over.

there are a total of 92 categories currently not in use or unassigned so the total books in the challenge is actually 908.

000-099 - Generalities
There are 16 numbers currently no longer assigned or not in use so there are 84 to read in this category.

011.73 1001 Books you must read before you die Peter Akroyd. 9/08
016.822 The Book of William:How Shakespeare's First Folio Conquered the World by Paul Collins
020.00 Free for all:Oddballs, Geeks, and Gangstas in the Public Library Don Borchert
091.00 The Friar and the Cipher Lawrence Goldstone

100-199 - Philosphy and psychology
11 not assigned

102.000 Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar Thomas Cathcart.

200-299 -Religion
12 not assigned

221.600 These Stones will shout Link, Mark 4/15/87
222.110 The Woman who Named God by Charlotte Gordon
225.082 The Women Around Jesus by Elisabeth Moltmann-Wendel
225.400 Misquoting Jesus: The Story behind who Changed the Bible and Why Ehrman, Bart 2/19/09
230.000 Mere Christianity C.S. Lewis
234.160 A New Look at the Sacraments Bausch, William 11/88
242.500 There is a Season Joan Chittister 4/09
248.843 Empty Nest, Full Life Drew, Anne Marie11/98
261.835 The Mardi Gras Syndrome Timmerman, Joan 2/01
262.910 Rome has Spoken by Maureen Fiedler
264.230 Best loved songs of Christmas Collins, Ace 12.08
277.308 Dating Jesus A story of fundamentalism, feminism and the American Girl Susan Campbell, 3/09
282.092 Confessions of a parish priest Greeley, Andrew 5/97
282.092 Being Catholic Now
289.000 The Sins of Brother Curtis by Lisa Davis 7/2011
291.13 Power of Myth Campbell, Joseph 4/00

300-399 - Social Sciences

10 not assigned

305.513 The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement by David Brooks
306.095 Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick 4/19
306.874 What My Mother Gave me ed. Elizabeth Benedict 2/13
320.973 The Parties Versus the People Mickey Edwards 10/12
346.730 How to Settle an Estate Leimberg, Stephen 8/00
347.723 The Nine: Inside the Secret Life of the Supreme Court Toobin, Jeffrey 2/09
362.196 The Diving Bell and The Butterfly Bauby,Jean-Dominique 12/08
363.705 The New 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to save the Earth The Earthworks Group 4/09
371.072 Three Cups of Tea.. Mortensen, Greg
373.788 Columbine Cullen, Dave
378.120 Tuesdays with Morrie Albom, Mitch early 2008
394.120 The Food of a Younger Land by Mark Kurlansky

400-499 - Language

15 not assigned

428.2 Eats, Shoots, and Leaves; The Zero Approach to Punctuation Lynne Truss

500-599 - Natural Sciences and Mathematics
5 not assigned

520.920 Galileo's Daughter Sobel, Dava 2/00
526.620 Longitude Sobel, Dava 5/09
551.578 Field Guide to Snowflakes Libbrecht, Ken 11/05
571.092 Packing for Mars by Mary Roach
574.970 Hammonds' nature Atlas Jordan, E.L. 1/85
577.309 Field Guide to Eastern Forests Kricher, J.L.4/06
582.130 Spring Wildflowers of New England Dwelley,Marilyn 3/05
594.047 Field Guide to North American Seashells Audobon Society 6/01
595.780 Peterson's 1st Guide to Butterflies and Moths Opler 5/05
598.290 Peterson's 1st Guide to Birds of N. America Peterson 6/05
599.938 The Link - uncovering our earliest ancestor Colin Tudge

600-699- Technology
7 not assigned

610.820 In the Land of Invisible Women Ahmed, Quanta 12/08
611 Stiff: The Curious lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
613.200 In Defense of Food Michael Pollan.
616.027 The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Roberta Skloot
616.842 Life on Wheels the A to Z guide to living fully with Mobility issues Gary Karp
621.450 The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William KamKwamba
629.130 West with the Night by Beryl Markham
634.310 Manana, Manana Peter Kerr
636.089 Best of James Herriott Herriott, James 3/95
639.054 Lobster Chronicles Greenlaw, Linda 4/06
641.097 Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
641.000 Brunetti's Cookbook
641.502 Sweet Potato Queens Big-Ass Cookbook (and Financial Planner Browne, Jill Conner 5/03
643.700 Converting Garages, Attics & Basements Beneke, Jeff
647.947 New England's Best Bed & Breakfasts Fodor
684.080 Readers Digest Complete Guide to Home Maintenance 12/95
692.800 The Complete Guide to Contracting your Home10/02

700-799 - Arts and Recreation
5 not assigned

736.982 Lost Art of Towel Origami 12/07
741.590 Fugitive from the Cubicle Police Adams, Scott
770.000 Windjammer watching on the coast of MaineThorndike, Virginia
792.702 700 Sundays Crystal, Billie summer 2008
795.400 150 Ways to Play Solitaire
796.357 The Eastern Stars: How Baseball Changed the Dominican Town of San Pedro de Macoris by Mark Kurlansky

800-899 Literature
2 not assigned

813.000 American Fiction - will not list separately
814.540 Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader Ann Fadiman
818.540 Miss Piggy's Guide to Life Beard, Henry long ago
820.820 One Hundred and One Famous Poems long ago
821.800 Sonnets from the Portuguese Browning, Eliz Barrett
822.300 Shakespeare: The World As stage Bill Bryson 1/2009
823.900 God is an Englishman Delderfield, R. L. long ago
843.912 Suite Francaise Nemirovsky, Irene 12/08
851.100 Inferno Dante 4/09
853.914 Shape of Water Camilleri, Andrea 2/09
859.320 Little Fingers Filip Florian 7/09
863.000 Daughter of Fortune Allende, Elizabeth7/05
869.320 The Alchemist Paulo Coelho 7/09
889.300 Last temptation of Christ Katzantsakis, Nikos long ago
891.000 Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam Edward Fitzgerald
895.210 Japanese Haiku

900-999 History, geography and biography
10 not assigned

909.070 Sailing the Wine-dark Sea Cahill, Thomas 8/05
910.400 Eat, Pray, Love Gilbert, Elizabeth 10/08
910.916 Burning Cold: The Cruise Ship Prinsendam and the Greatest Sea Rescue of all Time by H. Paul Jeffers
914.404 A Walk in the Woods Bryson, Bill 8/08
915.213 More Footloose in Tokyo Pearce, Jean 5/85
917.000 Maine's Most scenic Roads Gibson, John
919.404 In a Sunburned Country Bryson, Bill 8/08
920.000 Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman
921.000 Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain
932.021 Cleopatra: A Life by Stacey Schiff
940.210 The world Lit only by Fire Manchester, Wm. 8/93
941.501 How the Irish Saved Civilization Cahill, Thomas 8/95
945.000 Summers in Supino by Maria Coletta Maclean
946.942 Lisbon: War in the Shadows of the City of Light Neil Lochery 4/12
956.704 Rule Number Two Lessons I learned in a Combat Hospital Kraft, Heidi Squier
959.704 War Torn: Stories of War from the Women Reporters who covered Vietnam Tad Bartimus
970.004 American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America by Woodard, Colin
971.600 Curse of the Narrows by Laura MacDonald
973.720 The Wrecking Crew Frank, Thomas 10/08
973.931 The Dark Side: The inside story of how the War on Terror turned into a War on American Ideals Jane Mayer 1/09
974.710 Tis McCourt, Frank 6/05
975.529 On Hallowed Ground by Robert Poole
978.032 The Worst Hard Time Egan, Thomas 9/08

I love how cheerful your thread looks with all the tickers!

Entered my first 400 - Eats, Shoots, and Leaves a book I actually read last year and forgot to enter.

Another lit (800) Ex Libris - great book. Review is here

My first 100 -philosophy. Plato and a Platypus walk into a bar by Thomas Cathcart.

I picked this audio book up the other day when I went to get another book at the library I had on reserve. It was a quick (only 4 discs) listen, and lots of fun. I had a long drive to make to another funeral (don't worry -- no one in my family) and this helped pass the drive. Having gone to a Catholic college, and taken many credits of philosophy, ethics, and logic, in addition to my pure mathematics degree, I was transported back to Sr. Mary Benedicta's classes. She would probably not have approved of teaching philosophy this way.....but then, we didn't always 'approve' of having to put our lunchtime bridge game on hold to get to class on time either.

Updated several category lists and tickers -000,100,200,300,500,600,800 and the totals.

Comments,reviews, etc are on my75 for 2008, my 75 in 09 , or 999 challenge threads.

Added 225.5 - New Testatment studies. msg 4. Misquoting Jesus A slow but very interesting read. Scholarly but accessible.

More in the 200's (lotta Lenten reading)

277.308 History of Christianity in North America. Dating Jesus by Susan Campbell.

I found this book thought provoking and educational. The description of her church experiences as a child were so different from mine but the issues she dealt with in teenage and adult years were similar. I have a full review on my 999 thread msg 158.

Tutu, I have been interested in reading Misquoting Jesus but have heard mixed reviews. I think another author has written a response to that book, but I can't remember for sure. I tried reading The Sins of Scripture, which I think is based on the same general idea, but it was pretty bad.

carlym..Misquoting Jesus is a bit dry, but very interesting. I think it's at least worth skimming a library copy, not necessary to buy.

Finished The Inferno. 851.100 I could joke and say I've been to hell and back, but actually it was a very enjoyable experience. We had a group read over on the 999 challenge, exploring different translations, listening to a recording of the original Italian, and discussing the politics, religion, mythology and other references Dante was so good at. Highly recommended.

363.705: The New 50 Simple Things Kids Can do to Save the Earth The Earthworks Group.

I got this as an ER book and found it well organized, interesting, and bound to appeal to the age group it is written for --youngsters from about age 9-15. I have a granddaughter coming this summer for a long visit, and I envision we will really have a great time. It covers recycling, water pollution, wildlife preservation, keeping the earth green, and energy conservation. Full of games, quizes, experiments, it is easy to read, but doesn't talk down to kids. Also has a incredibly deep list of web pages for more information. I give it 5 stars.

ETA - touchstone is to an older edition of the book.

242.50 There is a Season by Joan Chittister. 242 is listed as devotional literature but this one is much, much more. As much as art book as a meditation on Ecclesiastes, it is worth at least an afternoon's browse. I wallowed for over a week in its beauty, and waxed eloguent (I hope) here.

Edited to fix touchstone

526.62 Longitude by dava Sobel

I won't claim to be able to explain or review this book. I think I understood about 1/2 of it, but it was short, and well written. It's the story of the development of the chronometer and the discovery and standardization of measuring longitude for sailors at sea. There is political intrigue, some history, and lots of technical science. If you're a sailor, and do any celestial navigation, you'll probably love it. My husband did, but then he's the guy who still takes his sextant to sea with him and shoots stars rather than depend on satellites!

I wish there had been a few diagrams, and illustrations....I think it would have helped a lot.

#24 The title and subject look interesting, but based on your comments I think I'll pass and hope for something more comprehensible for this category.

891.000 East Indo-European Lit : rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam by Edward Fitzgerald.

I'm not an english lit or poetry major, but I found the poetry to be enchanting, the rhyme scheme melodic and the illustrations definitely enhance the words.

I did do some research to make sure there was not some deep hidden meaning I was missing. I came away with an appreciation of the beauty of the words, the pictures, and life in general. It can be read in about an hour. It can be studied and analysed for a lifetime.

Hmm. I just started reading Longitude a few days ago and had to put it down for lack of reading time, but I can't say your review has inspired me to continue with it immediately.

I'm also supposed to be reading The New 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth, so I'm glad you liked that one. I've started to feel like ER books are a bit of a chore, so it's definitely nice to hear good things about them!

Circumference, a former ER book, is in the same category as Longitude and is pretty readable and non-mathy.

it's interesting to hear that many of you are having second thoughts about longitude. my wife really enjoyed it and enthusiastically put it on my tbr shelves. that being said, she's pretty mathy, being a mathematician and all. i haven't gotten to it yet but am looking forward to it. i'll post my review when i get to it (which, to be upfront, may not be for a long while given a looming workload).

I remember being excited to see Circumference: Eratosthenes and the Ancient Quest to Measure the Globe in the ER catalogue, and was disappointed when it turned out not to be available to Canadians. The topic is certainly something that I'd be more interested in, since I'm actually studying ancient math and science. The ratings and reviews were less than encouraging, though, so I'm not going to rush out and buy it in hardcover.

I do plan to finish Longitude in the end since it's quite a short book and I enjoyed Sobel's The Planets well enough. I just didn't find the opening pages of Longitude entirely compelling, and I have a problem with buying too many new books that I want to start reading immediately....

956.704 Rule Number two Lessons I learned in a Combat Hospital by Dr. Heidi Squier Kraft.

There are two rules of war. Rule number one is that young men die. Rule number two is that doctors can't change rule number one.

This is a well written story of a young female Navy clinical psychologist who is sent to a field Marine medical unit (think MASH) in Fallugah Iraq at the height of the battle. She left behind her 15 mo old twins in the care of her parents and her husband (a Marine pilot). It's incredibly an honest, compassionate, compelling, and heartwrenching story of her tour of duty and the heroes she counts herself privileged to serve with. I count her as one of the heroes.

The book is not long, not technical and 'easy' to read on the one hand--the prose is sharp and clear. It is difficult to read about a young woman separated from her family, enduring incredible hardships, but able to help those Marines both younger and older than herself to not only endure and function, but survive with some humanity.

613.200 In Defense of Food Michael Pollan.

An excellent explanation of how the field of 'nutritionism' and marketing forces in the US have changed the diet (and-- the author posits--the health) of the western world, specifically the US.

My full review is on my 999 x 2 thread

634.310 Manana, Manana by Peter Kerr.

I listened to the audio of this book while packing for our upcoming trip (packing takes two hands) and was instantly transported to the land of manana. (wish I could figure out how to get the tilde over that n!). Any way...we are making a stop there on our cruise. Hubbie has been there (he brought back some beautiful pearls over 40 years ago!), but I haven't. We are both looking forward to this being one of the more leisurely stops on our trip.

In addition to enjoying the travel reading, I found the story a fascinating follow-on to my reading last week of Pollan's In Defense of Food, where Pollan advocates as much as possible going back to old ways of growing, farming, etc. Peter Kerr's story of a couple from Scotland who purchase a rundown orange orchard on Mallorca, and uproot themselves and two teenage sons is amusing, and at the same time, rather inspiring.

I admire someone who has the courage in mid-life to decide to give up a big riding deisel tractor, and revert to plowing behind a push-tractor. The advise from the local tree pruners, and donkey dung collectors, while probably excellent horticulturally, is related in Kerr's normal hilarious, tongue-in-cheek style.

There are the usual stories that one finds in any book about ex-pats living in a foreign land- the language gaffes, the strange foods, the different customs, dealings with police etc. I got a good flavor of the Mediterranean.

Now I'm off to sample the real thing.

959.704 War Torn: Stories of War from the women reporters who covered Vietnam Tad Bartimus

I'm doing a Vietnam reading challenge this year and this is the first book I've completed of the five I'm supposed to do. There's an extensive review on my blog, so I'm just going to link here

It's also posted on my 75 in 2010 challenge and my 1010 challenge thread.

Great book--especially for those who may have emotional issues to address.

Boyo---I'm way behind on this thread...

Here are books read since Feb that go toward the challenge. Reviews are posted in each book...

016.822 The Book of William:How Shakespeare's First Folio Conquered the World by Paul Collins
222.110 The Woman who Named God by Charlotte Gordon
225.082 The Women Around Jesus by Elisabeth Moltmann-Wendel
910.916 Burning Cold: The Cruise Ship Prinsendam and the Greatest Sea Rescue of all Time by H. Paul Jeffers
262.910 Rome has Spoken by Maureen Fiedler
616.027 The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Roberta Skloot
621.450 The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William KamKwamba
641.097 Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
796.357 The Eastern Stars: How Baseball Changed the Dominican Town of San Pedro de Macoris by Mark Kurlansky

disappointed to hear that the Kurlansky book was a dud. Generally I find him to be pretty interesting.

Bfertig....agree that Kurlansky is usually much better. In fact, I'm currently doing his The Food of A younger land--so far so good, so don't let one icky one back you off his others. He's a great researcher and good writer...I just had differing expectations of the baseball book.

edited to correct misspelling

that looks great tutu. would really complement some of the other food books Ive read in recent memory including Michael Pollan's books

That's a lot of progress in a couple of months!

Actually, I think some of those may even go back to last year. I've been keeping them in a spreadsheet but forgot to transfer over here. I'll try to do better next time.

975.529 On Hallowed Ground - the story of Arlington National Cemetery. My review is on the book.....If you're looking for a good one for 975 - this has tons of general history as well as info about the National site itself. Very readable.

394.12 The Food of a Younger Land by Mark Kurlansky

The subtitle gives a great synopsis: "A Portrait of American Food -before the national highway system, before chain restaurants, and before frozen food, when the nation's food was seasonal, regional, and traditional -- from the lost WPA Files."

My full review is posted on the book page. Kurlansky has done an incredible job and gives us a really fun, readable book about food and social mores.

glad to hear a good review of another Kurlansky book - I really like his stuff. That will go on my Mt TBR, thanks Tutu!

Thanks tututhefirst, that's a very good review. I have that on my TBR pile already, although I don't need it for 394 -- glad to see you liked it!

373.788 Columbine by Dave Cullen.

A great retrospective comprehensive workup of everything about the event that shocked the nation back in April 1999.

611 Stiff: The Curious Lives of human cadavers by Mary Roach.

This was a riot-- I was laughing the whole time listening to her raucous but well-researched comments on various episodes of 'life after death'. Like her Packing for Mars, this one is not for the squeamish, but it is definitely interesting, and full of fun-facts.

I bet Mary Roach would be a fun person to know.

After I read Spook I was certain we could hang. And I love her TEDtalk.

Stiff was really great.

Finally trying to get caught up. All reviews are in the book page.

added
305.513 The Social Animal: Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement by David Brooks
394.920 The Food of a Younger Land by Mark Kurlansky
289.000 The Sins of Brother Curtis by Lisa Davis
571.092 Packing for Mars by Mary Roach
629.130 West with the Night by Beryl Markham
917.000 Maine's Most Scenic Roads by John Gibson
920.000 Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman
932.021 Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff
970.004 American Nations: The History of the Eleven Regional Cultures of North America by Colin Woodard
971.600 Curse of the Narrows by Laura MacDonald
975.529 On Hallowed Ground by Robert Poole.

I read a lot of non-fiction this past year, but most were in the 920 memoirs and biographies group. I need to get going to broaden my horizons.

This year, I'm doing a lot of World War I reading, so there will be clusters of more 940's = a category already filled, but such is life.

I read a lot of non-fiction this past year, but most were in the 920 memoirs and biographies group. I need to get going to broaden my horizons.

This year, I'm doing a lot of World War I reading, so there will be clusters of more 940's = a category already filled, but such is life.

I can well relate to that. I've just finished another 394 and started another 362 (and would have also started another 940 if somebody hadn't checked it out before me - while I was in the library!).

Catching up, not a lot of new categories filled in. Lots of WW I reading going on, along with bios.

Added
320 the Parties Versus the People a great but demoralizing read in a election year
306 Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea = excellent insider look at a depressing life. Well worth the time spent.
946 Lisbon: War in the Shadows another one that tells a little known story of Portugal's "neutrality" during WWII.

All of these reads are expanding my knowledge in areas I previously knew little or nothing about.

Huh, I have Nothing to Envy (which is an excellent book!) as a 306; 346 is "Private law", according to Wikipedia, and I don't see any other copies on LT with that classification; is that a typo?

Thanks Lorax....306 is the correct #- blame in on my being so tired from four days of travel! I've corrected my postings. I had it correctly listed up in msg #5, but didn't carry that correctly down below.

been reading a lot of biographies, but not adding new categories. I did add
921.000 Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain. Terrific Book.

I have a couple of non-fiction in the queue - one is an ongoing read of a very intense study of Islam, the other a study of cancer. Someday I'll get them both finished.

Also hope to read the monstrous Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years by Diarmaid MacCulloch....at least want to get the 1st thousand years read for Lent....it may take me three years to finish it!

Good luck with that! Dairmid MacCulloch is the Jared Diamond of the religious scholar world. His books are almost intimidatingly chunky. It took me a month of straight reading to get through The Reformation: A History.

There's always Preserved Smith. Not so famous maybe, but his book on Christian theophagy was a page turner. One of these days I'm going read one of his books on Martin Luther.

>57 fundevogel:
Preserved Smith? Holy freeze-dried ironworker, Batman!

(Then again, in reading about the Salem Witch Trials as a kid, I thought Cotton Mather was a kind of fabric for a while.)



Edited to make touchstone work, dammit.

I know right? They don't name 'em like that anymore.

Added 945.000 Summers in Supino Have been doing some non-fiction reading, but it all ends up in the same dewey categories. Still on the lookout to expand the list. Maybe I'll finish by the time I reach 90 years old.