2023 50 Book Challenge

[BernardoSoares]

2. Heart-Shaped Box, Joe Hill. First novel by Stephen King’s son. He’s learned some things from pop, but, best of all, he writes 400 page, instead of 1200 page, novels.

He probably does write 1200 page novels, just gets heavily edited. Stephen King writes 1200 page books and editors are told to back off. Same thing with how Harry Potter books grew by 200 pages with each instalment.

 

[Oswald Cornelius]

I'm on 111 so far. I'll write a few words about my favourites (Dante aside, anything I say about him would be downright pedestrian), and if you want me to comment on any other, just ask. Here's the full list:

Wow. How fast do you read, how much time a day do you read and how do you have time for anything else? Serious questions. I'd love to read more--both faster and spend more time doing it as I have a lot of books on my list and a limited amount of hours left...

 

[BernardoSoares]

I catch the train to and from work 5 days a week, about 45 minutes each way, and read for an hour on my lunch break. For a few months this year there were bus replacements for the train which added about 45-60 minutes each way. I read in the evenings sometimes, and on the weekends rarely. Probably read about 50 pages or so an hour with most books. I also read on my phone while resting between sets at the gym (figured I might as well since I would be on my phone anyway)

 

[Oswald Cornelius]

So, not to be pedantic, but 2.5 hours on the train/lunch each day not including evenings/gym etc. And 50 pages an hour is about what I do (22 pages/30 minutes.) Still, I'm very impressed--the discipline of simply DOING it speaks a lot. Commitment and dedication go a long way. And, although I haven't gone to your goodreads yet, you're not reading throwaway garbage--that's some heady stuff.

I kinda fell off reading in volume when my kids were born two decades ago and have been trying to get back to it. So many distractions and I truly feel it takes a lot of practice and discipline. Plus, my ADD ain't gettin' any better as I get older....

I'll add: The Snow Leopard is a great book. Matthiessen's life is a great story. Love that era of American writers--all of the mostly-dead white men of US letters.

 

[BernardoSoares]

Yeah, it definitely helps being single and childless. Reading on the train doesn't take much discipline for me, there's nothing else to do, and by now it's routine.

Totally agree that it takes practice. Previously I have gone through phases where I'll devour books for a year or two and then lose interest and read nothing for the same period. Each time I get back into it, it takes a few solid months of regular reading before I'm actually understanding every word that I read, and able to give a decent summary of a book after I finish it. And comprehension aside, the attention component takes just as much practice. Being able to sit down and read for a solid hour without checking your phone or getting up every few minutes is a big ask if you're not used to it, and it must be several times more difficult with the distractions of a busy household. Ultimately though, it's an escape. One random image that has always stuck with me came from a documentary I watched, in which an Appalachian farmer decided to spend his entire afternoon sitting on a post and staring into the distance. The interviewer asked him what he was thinking about and he said nothing. I'll never be able to achieve that level of relaxation but reading almost gets me there (so does the gym).

It's a blessing and a curse that there are so many more good books to read than anyone could ever get through, but I'm happy that I'll never run out of good books, even if I kept up this pace for the next 300 years. Making lists previously derailed my reading habits, as I tended to queue up a number of "must-reads", then got bored and eventually stopped reading when I forced myself through them. I'll still head into the library with a list of authors, but it'll be based on the last month's reading, rather than what I "have" to read.

Matthiessen's work was eye-opening for me. I have read and enjoyed other similar authors (Barry Lopez, Bruce Chatwin) but they lack the spiritual element. He's given me another way to look at nature and the world, and hopefully I can cultivate in myself the same respect and awe for it as he had.

 

[Oswald Cornelius]

You've got me in the commute department--mine has only been six miles one-way for 6-7 years but it's the longest its been for 20 years. My office(s) were only 1 to 1.25 miles from the house for the longest time--just lucky, I guess. Also, I find it hard to focus on reading fiction while driving.

19) The End of Faith, Sam Harris. Skip it, read Hitch, God Is Not Great instead.

 

[pasadena man]

So, not to be pedantic, but 2.5 hours on the train/lunch each day not including evenings/gym etc. And 50 pages an hour is about what I do (22 pages/30 minutes.)

Not pedantry to me, it's...math

 

[Salad]

16. "Lincoln in the Bardo", George Saunders. I went in blind so didn't know about the unique format of the book and was briefly thrown by it. I really, really liked this one. Favorite this year so far.

 

[Salad]

17. The Overstory, Richard Powers.

 

[Salad]

18. I am homeless if this is not my home, Lorrie Moore. Some funny as hell dark humor here.

 

[Salad]

19. The Library Book, Susan Orlean.

 

[Salad]

20. Stoner, John Williams.

 

[ppk]

In reverse chronological order:

1. Covenant of Water, Abraham Verghese
2. Tomorrow Tomorrow Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin
3. The Gene: An Intimate History, Siddharth Mukherjee
4. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Robert Pirsig
5. The Italian Gentleman, Hugo Jacomet
6. Project Hail Mary, Andy Weir
7. Piranesi, Suzanna Clark
8. Murderbot Diaries 1-6, Martha Wells
9. Clockwork Boys, T. Kingfisher
10. Wonder Engine, T. Kingfisher
11. The Mountain in the Sea, Ray Nayler
12. Remarkably Bright Creatures, Shelby van Pelt
13. Babel, R.F. Kuang
14. Sea of Tranquility, Emily St John Mandel
15. The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Mohsin Hamid
16. Sea of Rust, C. Robert Cargill

Not going to make 50.

 

[Oswald Cornelius]

20. Stoner, John Williams.

That is an excellent book.

 

[Geoffrey Firmin]

🤬Bezos and Amazon shutting down the book depository.

After a novel for Christmas for Mrs GF not available in Oz till March 2024…😡
Anyone able to suggest a good international book seller?

Sadly will not make 50 this year only up to 36 at present.