Eclectic List = 16 down, 84 to go

I have these four books that I should blogging about, but with the amount of time it's taking me to finish each entry, I decided it was time for a clean slate. I finished these books in November, so now as 2010 quickly approaches and I'd like to spend my days off reading instead of blogging, I'm taking the easy way out (hopefully, just this one time), and just listing the books minus the editorial.

Short Story
The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing
Melissa Bank
304 pages

Classic
Dracula
Bram Stoker
236 pages

Autobiography/biography
Mornings on Horseback
David McCullough
370 pages

Just for the hell of it
The Apocalypse Stone
Pete Earley
384 pages

Into the Wild + Into Thin Air = 12 down, 88 to go

A couple of years ago I read Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith, which opens with the murder of a wife and infant daughter committed by the husband's two brothers. The book tracks the back story of the murder and its ties to Mormon fundamentalism, of which the brothers were practitioners and claimed they received direct orders from God to commit the heinous murders. The book also told the detailed history of Mormonism and the break off of the fundamental sects. The book was well written and researched, compelling and engaging. After I put it down, I didn't give a second thought to the author.

A couple of months ago while enjoying a bottle of wine with friends, Jon Krakauer's name came up while volleying book recommendations to one another across the table. His book, Where Men Find Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman, was strongly suggested, as were a number of his other books. Once I realized it was the same author, I knew that I would read at least one book by him during my yearlong book challenge.

As I read two Jon Krakauer books back to back (because yes, they were that good!), I've joined them into this shared entry.

Recommendation
Into the Wild
Jon Krakauer
207 pages

After graduating from college, Christopher McCandless made a conscience decision to drop out of society, and he had one ultimate goal in mind -- living off the land in the wilds of Alaska, where his adventure eventually turned deadly.

The book details his journey across the United States, the people's whose lives he touched along the way and then his trip north to Alaska where he ultimately starved to death in an abandoned bus in the backcountry.

Krakauer does a brilliant job of not just telling McCandless' story, but also juxtaposing him against others who over the decades have checked out of mainstream society and taken extreme risks in a man v. nature approach.

To help the reader better understand McCandless' psyche, he tells his own story of an extreme mountaineering trip he took in his early 20s to scale Devil's Thumb:

The closest thing I'd had to human contact since the airdrop, the distant lights triggered a flood of emotion that caught me off guard. I imagined people watching baseball on television, eating fried chicken in brightly lit kitchens, drinking beer, making love. When I lay down to sleep, I was overcome by a wrenching loneliness. I'd never felt so alone, ever.

Other Nonfiction
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster
Jon Krakauer
332 pages

Jon Krakauer was on assignment from Outside magazine in May 1996. He had been tasked with ascending Mt. Everest and writing about his experiences, as well as the commercialization over the years of Everest.

That climbing season though took a horrible turn for the worst when a sudden storm enveloped the world's tallest peak, leaving five hikers dead. This book was a very personal story for Krakauer:

Until I visited the Himalaya, however, I'd never actually seen death at closer range. Hell, before I went to Everest, I'd never even been to a funeral. Mortality had remained a conveniently hypothetical concept, an idea to ponder in the abstract. Sooner or later the divestiture of such a privileged innocence was inevitable, but when it finally happened, the shock was magnified b the sheer superfluity of the carnage; all told, Everest killed twelve men and women in the spring of of 1996, the worst single-season death toll since climbers first set foot on the peak seventy-five years ago.

Of the six climbers on [Rob] Hall's expedition who reached the summit, only Mike Groom and I made it back down; four teammates with whom I'd laughed and vomited and held long, intimate conversations lost their lives. My actions -- or failure to act -- played a direct role in the death of Andy Harris. And while Yasuko Namba lay dying on the South Col, I was a mere 350 yards away, huddled inside a tent, oblivious to her struggle, concerned only for my own safety. The stain this has left on my psyche is not the sort of thing that washes off after a few months of grief and guilt-ridden self-reproach.

Jon Krakauer is a powerful storyteller. These are two of most insightful books that I've read in a long time.

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey = 10 down, 90 to go

Children's
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey
Susan Wojciechowski
P.J. Lynch (illustrator)
40 pages

It is a rare book that tugs at my heartstrings and hangs there forcing it to be noticed. And how perfect that it was on Christmas -- the one holiday that among all the others reminds me most of years of treasured family memories.

I picked up this book this afternoon at the recommendation of my significant other's grandmother. She told me it was a wonderful book and that I should be prepared for some tears. Agreed.

The story begins with a look at the talented woodcarver, Jonathan Toomey, who answers his door one winter's day to find a woman and her son asking him to create a beautiful nativity scene to replace a cherished one they've lost.

You learn as you read through this treasure that Mr. Toomey lost his wife and infant son years ago. Because of this, he has retreated from life and buried himself in his work.

Over the time Mr. Toomey is carving the nativity, the woman and her son visit his studio as the boy wants to watch him at work. Mr. Toomey reluctantly allows them to stay. During their visits, Mr. Toomey slowly warms to widow and her son. As he creates each piece, the son guides the woodcarver through the meaning of each piece, including a cow that is proud that his stable was chosen for the birth of Jesus, three wise men dressed in their finest robes and a Joseph that vigilantly protects his wife and child. Mr. Toomey works for hours and hours to create pieces that reflect the son's insights into each of the characters.

When it comes time to carve the Virgin Mary and her son, he sketches and sketches without any success. Finally, he takes from a drawer long neglected a charcoal sketch of his wife and infant son. On Chirstmas day, the woman and her son are surprised by a knock on the door. Mr. Toomey delivers their nativity scene, which includes a mother adoring her newborn son, just in time to be part of their Christmas celebration. The three of them enjoy the beautiful work of art and then head out hand in hand for Christmas Day services.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was touched by its moving story. This book is a Christmas classic that every family should own and share.

Coming Out = 9 down, 91 to go

Romance
Coming Out
Danielle Steel
195 pages

While there are many people passionate about the romance genre, I am certainly not one of them. It's probably been 10+ years since I've read a Danielle Steel book.

This one followed a mother, her husband, her three college-aged children from her first marriage and the young son from her second. Much of the book centers around the coming-out debutant ball her twin daughters have been invited to since their mother comes from a privileged background.

There is much consternation between the mother and her husband, who is Jewish and views the party as discrimination, and her twin daughters, one of which wants to attend and the other who views is an arcane practice. Throw in a lovely mother-in-law, a dedicated friend, a gay son and a passionate reunion with her husband at the end of the book, and you have a blueprinted romance book.

I didn't hate the book, and it fulfilled my "romance" category. It could have been worse -- it could have been a book with the wind blowing in Fabio's head. I would just rather spend my time being a bit more challenged from a book.

With that in mind, the romantic in me has the potential to be moved by some of the mushy verbiage, including the conclusion.

There had been tears in his eyes several times that night, and in hers. It had been a night of love and celebration, a night of hope and remembrance, a night when girls became women, children become adults, and strangers become friends. Just as she had said it would be, it was a rite of passage, and a lovely tradition, and nothing more. It was a night when he had come out from an old world into a new one, when others got a glimpse backward into an old one. When the past and future met in one shining moment, when time stopped, sadness slipped away and was forgotten, and life began.

Amelia's Are-We-There-Yet Longest Ever Car Trip = 8 books, 92 to go

Children's
Amelia's Are-We-There-Yet Longest Ever Car Trip
Marissa Moss
40 pages

This fun preteen book is another find from Borders' discount section. The author/illustrator Marissa Moss has written a series of clever books designed to reflect a preteen's journal and share Amelia's experiences and challenges.

I can see why a preteen would love this book. The fun illustrations and witty notations give the reader a unique insight into Amelia's point of view and day-to-day experiences. This particular journal follows Amelia and her family on a cross-country driving vacation. It shares the trials and tribulations of sharing a backseat with her younger sister and miles and miles on the road with her parents.

Of course, a long road trip with one's family has the chance to not always go quite exactly the way a preteen would want. Here are a couple of amusing passages:

What we say next was so astounding I'm not sure I can write about it. The Mysterious Place was -- indescribable. At least, I can't describe it, but Mom's word for it was "cheesy" -- and she didn't mean cheddar.
____________________________

Mom says the dessert is peaceful because it's so big and open. And quiet. I've never heard such LOUD quiet as here. Of course, Cleo says it's driving her crazy, but I like it. I wish Cleo would just stay in the hotel and paint her toenails if she's going to whine. All she does is drink soda and burp anyway. How can I hear the quiet with all her burping?
____________________________

Cleo chanted "A million bottles of beer on the wall" on the entire hike back, but I just ran ahead so I wouldn't have to hear her. No way is she going to ruin Yosemite for me!

I hope a mountain lion eats her.

While it was a very quick read for me, I really enjoyed this book. I hope to stumble across another of Amelia's journals in the future.

Keeping score

So as not to lose track of the progress I'm making against the 100 book total, I'm updating the original genre list for how many in each category I've completed.

Twilight Series = 7 down, 93 to go

After months and months and months (and did I mention, months?) of absolutely refusing to read the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer, my goddaughter smiled at me once, said "Please Aunt Kate?" and I proceeded to tackle the series.

While I didn't feel challenged by the writing and found the characters lacking any true depth, I didn't mind the week it took me read through the four books. The entire over-arching phenomenon of pure obsession with the series and being a member in good standing of Team Edward or Team Jacob pretty much alludes me, but I can see some hints of why so many people find it intriguing. My loyalties for a so-called "teen" series though still lie with Team Harry Potter for engaging story lines and characters that demonstrate perception and depth. And if I was going to select a favorite line of vampire books - I'll always default to Ann Rice.

The next step on my Twilight journey is to suck it up and watch the two movies. Hey, I have a 15 year old who will be quizzing me. I have to make sure I'm up to the challenge.

One interesting note on these books - at least for me - is that I read the last three on Kindle for iPhone, which has made me quite obsessed with the idea of getting my hands on an e-reader.

Teen
Twilight
544 pages

Teen
New Moon
576 pages

Teen
Eclipse
640 pages

Fantasy
Breaking Dawn
756 pages

Way, way behind

I am way, way, way behind in posting...though I am pretty up to date on the reading portion of this challenge. I literally have 6+ books to write about. Guess I better get on that, huh? Hope to sit down, draft and post as I have some more time over the holidays. Stay tuned.

Crybaby Ranch = 3 down, 97 to go

Just for the hell of it
Crybaby Ranch
Tina Welling
307 pages

I picked up this book on the discount table at Borders. Pretty much wish I had left it there. Not sure what it was about the concept that attracted me - woman leaves a loveless marriage, moves to Wyoming, continues to make jewelry as an artistic outlet, meets cute male neighbor, they fall in love. And as with any good love story, there are obstacles thrown up in front of the destined couple: mother with alzheimers, crazy in laws, a vixen trying to get the man.

If I wasn't participating in this challenge, I wouldn't have finished the book, but by the time I made my final determination, I was over half way through. Figured then, that I might as well finish it.

While I didn't really enjoy the book, I still had to pull a quote or two that piqued my interest.

"He said in boot camp he was taught to think FIDO: Fuck it, drive on. I use it now when I get stuck. The idea is to just keep the flow going."

I can't help but appreciate this approach.

Hopefully, I'll have better news from the next book. I guess I can't love every book I'm going to read in this coming year.

Some friendly recommendations

For no other purpose than if I don't post them I'm likely to forget them...here is a first round of recommendations from my friend and fellow book junkie Robin:

• Her Fearful Symmetry – Audrey Niffenegger
• Anything by Ann Patchett, but particularly The Magician’s Assistant, Bel Canto and Truth & Beauty (memoir)
• Hypocrite in a Poufy White Dress – Susan Jane Gilman (memoir)
• Driving with Dead People – Monica Holloway (memoir)
• How to Be Good – Nick Hornby
• High Fidelity – Nick Hornby
• Little Children – Tom Perotta
• Election – Tom Perotta
• How to Be Lost – Amanda Eyre Ward
• Sleep Towards Heaven – Amanda Eyre Ward
• Bury Me Deep – Megan Abbot
• The Sookie Stackhouse Novels – Charlaine Harris (Dead Until Dark, Living Dead in Dallas, Club Dead, Dead to the World, Dead as a Doornail, Definitely Dead, All Together Dead, From Dead to Worse, Dead and Gone and A Touch of Dead)

How Starbucks Saved My Life = 2 down, 98 to go

Autobiography/biography
How Starbucks Saved My Life
Michael Gates Gill
272 pages

This book was an interesting dichotomy between past ego and a new-found humility. Michael Gates Gill was let go from his position as a high-powered executive at J. Walter Thompson, an international advertising agency. After failing to get his own consulting business off the ground, he was hanging out at a New York City Starbucks when a 28-year-old store manager offered him a job. He said yes.

This book is his journey at Starbucks and the shift in his consciousness and understanding of what is most important. This passage came from his team of Starbucks Partners when he was leaving the store at 93rd and Broadway to transfer to one in Bronxville.

To Mike,

For all the times you have stood by us, we thank you for showing us what legendary service truly means, we applaud you. You have taught us never to give up our dreams. That one day they come true. This is our prayer for you.

Dear Lord please give him,

• A few friends who understand him and remain his friends
• A work to do which has real value, without which the world would be poorer
• A mind unafraid to travel, even though the trail be rough
  
• An understanding heart
• A sense of humor
• Time for quiet, silent meditation
• A feeling of the presence of God, the patience to wait for the coming of these things, with the wisdom to recognize them when they come

May God continue to guide you, Mike. We love you.

From all of your Partners at 93rd & Broadway

Have a Little Faith = 1 down, 99 to go

Other Nonfiction
Have a Little Faith
Mitch Albom
272 pages

This is the first book of my challenge that I finished. I enjoyed reading it, especially the juxtaposition of the rabbi's story against that of the inner-city minister, as well as the intersections where their stories met in the author's life.

Competitive reading challenge

I need little reason to pick up an interesting book and dive in. Every since I got my grubby little hands on my first book, it's rare not to find one (or 10 or 20) within arm's reach.

Throughout my life, there have been clear examples that I became a bookworm early on:

• Cleaning my room: Growing up, my bedroom was pretty much always a disaster. So when my mom was at her wits' end and forced me to clean it, she would have to regularly check on me, as I would be hiding on the far side of my bed with my nose buried. After a couple of hours, the rolltop desk in the hallway supported a nice pile of books a foot or so high that she had confiscated.

• Want Kate to shut up? Stick a book in her hands: As no one who knows me will be surprised, I can be verbose. Example: Spent most of first grade facing the wall by the pencil sharpener for talking in class. Anyway, family vacations consisted of many, many hours and hours and miles and miles in our camper/van, so my parents learned early on that the best way to manage me was to put a book in my hands. I think my dad instituted a "Kate's book budget" every summer vacation, since I was also a quick reader.

• Everybody knows your name: At our neighborhood library in Lisbon, all of the librarians knew my sister and I by first name. I bet we were there at least once a week picking out a new stash of books to enjoy. (We'll skip the part where I was hoooooorrrrrrriiiiiible about returning books on time. My mom swears I personally paid for the library's addition. Note: She also made me pay the fines out my weekly allowance, which somehow did not deter me from continuing to rack up more.)

Ok, enough of this stupid rambling, this blog isn't about my weirdness (well, it may be down the line) as much as it's about me taking on the challenge of reading 100 books in a year. The book challenge gauntlet was originally thrown down by my friend, The Book Pimp, who obtained the it from her cohort, Magnolia Kelly. (Want to make sure to give credit where credit is due.)

And as it isn't just any 100 books, I'm going to loosely use the same rules as The Book Pimp:

Rule #1: All new material. Although I love to re-read books, and have a number that I re-read on a yearly basis, re-reading kind of defeats the purpose of this exercise.

Rule #2: No audio books. I will limit my audio book listening in the workplace to books I have already read.

Rule #3: The 100 books have to represent a variety of genres and subjects. (From me, I'm changing up my categories from her's a little bit.)

• 20 recommendations from friends, colleagues or random people I meet on the street (or anyone brave enough to leave a comment here) (20 = done)
  

• 15 classics (7)
  

• 10 books that have been adapted into movies (1)

• 5 autobiographies or biographies (5 = done)
  

• 10 other non-fiction books (5)
  

• 2 books of poetry

• 3 short story collections (2)
  

• 5 historical fiction (1)
  

• 5 science fiction

• 10 fantasy (10 = done)
  

• 3 graphic novels (1)

• 3 teen (3 = done)
  

• 2 children's (2 = done)
  

• 1 romance (1 = done)
  

• 1 Oprah's book club pick (1 = done)

• 5 "just for the hell of it" books (5 = done)
  

Hopefully, that equals 100.

Rule #4: I will post a book report style review for each book that I finish, and I will also rate them, using a 1-5 star rating. (From me: I'm not much of a book report writer, so I'm going to choose one quote or passage from each book that is meaningful or impactful to me.)
Ok, I'm ready, are you? Game on!
(By the way, I started my challenge on October 21. And, any book recommendations for the above categories will be much appreciated...)