A Year in Books - my challenge (updated 19th Jan)

[jupiter_ash]

Part of my New Year’s resolutions is to go back to reading (proper) published novels again.  I may read a ridiculous amount - having an average reading speed of about 100 pages in an hour will do that to a person - but recently I’ve done very little non-fandom reading.  Last year, I think I only finished about 8-10 novels/books - three were The

Comments

[terendel]

Hello, fellow English literature graduate! Also love Jane Eyre and loathe Wuthering Heights. Bleak House is my favorite Dickens (and I loved the BBC production with Gillian Anderson.) Sounds like we have similar tastes

[jupiter_ash]

Hello. :)

I forced my family to watch the BBC production of Bleak House this summer while we were on holiday. Fortunately they actually enjoyed it.

Thanks for you suggestions. I've added them to my Amazon wish list, although the historicals aren't on Kindle yet, so those will have to wait.

I'll check out your one as well when I have the chance and I'm next on a spending spree. Good luck with the sequel. :)

[terendel]

Ah, I forgot to check the Amazon UK store before I made the suggestions. Both the historical books are available on Kindle in the US. Darn territorial restrictions!

Oh, and I meant to mention that the Harry Dresdens get better. I thought Storm Front was a good start but was kind of weak. So no worries. You've got many hours of happy reading ahead of you. If you like audio books, try one of them that way. James Marsters is a fantastic Harry!

[caighlee]

I'm only in my Freshman year of college but I've declared as a Double-English Major. You've just me even more excited for all the interesting classes to come~

I applaud you for reading so much and challenging yourself to read 2 books per month - it seems I have so little time for personal things like reading with school work. I have very few suggestions (and most of what I'm suggesting is just emphasizing books you listed above that you want to read) but here they are!

DEFINITELY READ
Wicked
Les Miserables
Man in the Iron Mask
The Road

MY SUGGESTIONS
The Book Thief
Atlas of Unknowns

Also, it depends on your taste for poetry but Curved Planks by Yves Bonnefoy. I also have a particular love for Maya Angelou, Silvia Plath, and Anis Nin.

[jupiter_ash]

I used to read a lot, but then I stopped reading for fun when I was at uni because I felt guilty that I wasn't reading one of my many core texts. There was always something else to read for my courses. 2 books a month isn't much considering I was studying 4 different texts a week for my degree. I figured it was better to aim sensibly and feel I've achieved something rather than making it feel like a chore.

Anyway, thanks for your suggestions. I've put a mental star against the ones I should definitely read, and I've added the other two to my wish list.

I have a love hate relationship with poetry. I was terrible at studying it. Plath I like, but didn't understand why no one else in my class 'got it'. Then later I realised it was because I was in the middle of a spell of depression and so Plath made perfect sense to me. Thanks for your suggestions there too, I'll be keeping an eye out for them.

[flawedamythyst]

Drive-by The Secret History flail. Read that first! Next! Immediately!

Also, this should totally be my resolution as well, if I made them. Why is fic so much more tempting than actual books?

[jupiter_ash]

Just to check that we are all on the same page... we are talking about The Secret History by Donna Tartt, right?

Turns out Amazon don't have it on Kindle yet, which means it's a good thing I have a hard copy on my bookshelf picked up ages ago from a charity shop. Okay, it's now beside me, all 600+ pages, so I'll probably get to it at the weekend or something.

Fic is tempting because it's like chocolate, but you can't live by chocolate alone...

[flawedamythyst]

Yes, yes we are. I love that book.

HAH! I once had a whole analogy about fic being like biscuits, and actual books being a real meal, and how it was so tempting to just live off biscuits forever. So, yes. Fic=junk food. Only without the problem of putting on weight...

Books!!

[gellmar64]

Dear Jupiter, maybe a year of reading will make the writers block go away? And then we will all be so very happy. If you never wanted to read a russian classic, have you tried The Master and Margarita by Bulkgakov. It is absolutely worth a try. And about Jasper Fforde and Wuthering hights, how I adore his "free Catherine" terrorists. But since you read nothing but fanfics in a year, can´t you put up a rec list? It would be so worthy of your time and effort. Please.

Re: Books!!

[jupiter_ash]

Fingers crossed it will help with the writer's block. It certainly can't make it get any worse. :)

I'd forgotten about the Wuthering Heights bits in Jasper Fforde. I did love the Rage Counselling. I'm one of those who wants to slap Kathy.

I'll keep an eye out for The Master and Magarita, but I can't promise a fanfic rec list mainly because I can't remember what I read and a lot of it wasn't great anyway. Sorry.

Re: Books!!

[jokool12]

Hi gellmar64! If you are looking for recommendations I actually have a rec page set up on my journal. I rec HP, Sherlock, Merlin, Avengers, Teen Wolf, and other various fandoms. http://jokool12.livejournal.com/534.html

[dana1013]

Hah, I have the same New Year's Resolution to ease off the Sherlock fanfic a bit and go back to reading the million and one print books I have on my shelves

[jupiter_ash]

I realised I had a problem when I'd read through lots of fanfic and then didn't have anything else to do but dwell on the fact I have writer's block. Oddly enough, doesn't necessarily help with the writer's block.

I've loved SF & Fantasy since I was a kid. That's where my passion and imagination really lie. No wonder I'm into Doctor Who, Merlin, Lord of the Rings, et al. And no wonder I tend towards AUs when I'm writing.

Thanks for the recommendations, I'll keep an eye out for them and add them to my lists. And I'll see you back here when I finally get my writing back into gear. :)