Topic: 50 Books for 2008: List Thread

[roger]

I'm not on target for 50 books, but am doing better than I thought I would. 

1. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman   (Jan 3)
2. The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman   (Jan 8 )
3. The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court by Jeffrey Toobin  (Jan 19)
4. I Am America (and So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert (Jan 24)
5. The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman (Feb 12)
6. The Pilgrim of Hate by Ellis Peters (Feb 19)
7. Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story by Leonnie Swann (translated by Althea Bell) (Feb 23)
8. T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton (Mar 8 )
9. Taming a Sea Horse by Robert Parker (Mar 15)
10. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight translated by Simon Armitage (Mar 17)
11. Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney (Mar 30)
12. An Excellent Mystery by Ellis Peters (Apr 11)
13. How the Mind Works by Steven Pinker (Apr 13)
14. The Forever War by Joe Haldeman (Apr 18)
15. The Raven in the Foregate by Ellis Peters (Apr 30)
16. The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin (May 9)
17. Principles of Stellar Evolution and Nucleosynthesis by David Clayton (long term read - May 13)
XX. A Plague of Doves by Louise Edrich (abandoned)
18. A Certain Ambiguity by Gaurav Suri (May 20)
19. Pale Kings and Princes by Robert Parker (May 26)
20. The Rose Rent by Ellis Peters (Jun 6)
21. Words and Rules by Steven Pinker (Jun 23)
22. The Hermit of Eyton Forest by Ellis Peters (Jul 1)
23. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith (July 10)
24. Skeleton at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian (Aug 11)
25. Crimson Rose by Robert Parker (Aug 19)
26. The Confession of Brother Haluin by Ellis Peters (Aug 30)
27. Mastering knife skills by Norman Weinstein (long term read, Sep 2)
28. The Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov (Sep 7)
29. Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov (Sep 13)
30. The Black Hole War by Leonard Susskind (Sep 22)
31. The Road to Reality: A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe by Roger Penrose (long term read - Sep 24)
32. Playmates by Robert Parker (Sep 26)
33. The Snake Stone by Jason Goodwin (Oct 27)
34. The Cosmic Landscape (Oct 30)
35. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (Nov 10)
36. Stardust by Robert Parker (Nov 13)
37. The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket (Nov 16)
38. The Heretic's Apprentice by Ellis Peters (Nov 30)
39. The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket (Dec 1)
40. Pasttime by Robert Parker (reading)
41. Einstein by Walter Isaacson (reading)

...

[Apharinde]

I'm up for this one! I love to read!

1.  The Star of the Devil. (Djävuls stjärnan: swedish title)  by Jo Nesbö
2.  The Wonderful Adventures of Nils by Selma Lagerlöf,  (If you're not interested in Swedish history and geography, you should not read this book!)
3.   Jackdaws by Ken Follett
4.   Watermelon by Marian Keyes
5.   Behind the star (Bakom stjärnan) by Elisabet Nemert (SILLY!)
6.   The white lily (Den vita liljan) by Elisabet Nemert (Also silly!)
7.   The testament of Nobel (Nobels testamente) by Liza Marklund
8.   Lifetime (Livstid) by Liza Marklund (Like this one!)
9.   Zorro by Isabel Allende
10. Daughter of faith (Ödets dotter) by Isabel Allende
11. The devil wears Prada (Djävulen bär Prada) by Lauren Weisberger

I also have an idea. If you read a book that you find really really good or extremly bad, please make a note so that others can read it to, or avoid it!

[Talus]

This is a great idea for a thread.

So far in 2008.

1) Big bang, Simon Singh.
2) Crow country, Mark Cocker
3) Shakespeare, Bill Byson
4) Why people believe weird things, Michael Shermer

[StinkyPete]

Stinky Pete's Stinky Books of 2008

1.  The Demon Haunted World by Carl Sagan
2.  Human Body an illustrated guide to human anatomy that I read on the toilet.  Edited by Ann Baggaley

[Vellon]

Most books read in physical form, some listened to in audiobook form.  For longer series like the Wheel of Time I will both listen to and read them depending on where I am.

Addendum July 7:  It's a little over halfway through the year now and I'm sitting at 27 books read.  Mostly Sci-Fi so far, I've been reading through a lot by the old grand masters.  I picked up about a dozen novels by Robert A Heinlein at a used bookstore while on vacation, and have been working through those steadily.  So far the highlights of this year in reading have been Dermaphoria and One Hundred Years of Solititude.


1.Next By Michael Crichton Enjoyed it more for its bibliography than the story.
2.2061: Odyssey Three by Arthur C. Clarke Definetly the weak link in the series. Conflict is non-existant.
3.3001: The Final Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
4. Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche
5. Crime Stories & Other Writings by Dashiell Hammett A collection of 20 odd detective stories by the author of The Maltese Falcon.  The film Brick has led me on a quest to read/watch as much of the old school detective/noir as I can.
6. Dermaphoria by Craig Cevenger  Amazing!  Highly recommended.
7.The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan No explanation needed in this crowd.
8. Consciousness Explained by Daniel C. Dennett Heavy book, but the picture it paints of human consciousness is elegant.
9. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
10. Victory by Joseph Conrad
11.Neuromancer by William Gibson
12.The Dispossessed by Ursula K Le Guin
13. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez This book is on my top 5 books of all time list.  This was my third read through and it just gets better each time.  Highly recommended.
14. The Cat Who Walks Through Walls by Robert A Heinlein
15. Friday by Robert A Heinlein
16. Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A Heinlein
17. Dune by Frank Herbert

The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan
    - Consumed in a combination of hard copy and audiobook form.
1. The Eye of the World
2. The Great Hunt
3. The Dragon Reborn
4. The Shadow Rising
5. The Fires of Heaven
6. Lord of Chaos
7. A Crown of Swords
8. The Path of Daggers
9. Winter's Heart
10. Crossroads of Twilight

I began this series reading the hard copies several years ago but stalled out somewhere around book six.  Now that it seems the series will in fact be finished I decided to start listening/reading again, assuming that by the time I'm done all 11 books the final one will be finished.

[LaPalida]

My list:
1. The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman (Sometime 2007 - January 11, 2008)
2. The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman (January 01, 2008 - February 24, 2008)
3. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (February 25, 2008 - March 25, 2008)
4. A Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein (March 30, 2008 - ?)
5. 21: Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich (July 01, 2008 - ?)
6. Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (July 25, 2008 - ?)
7. V for Vendetta by Alan Lee
8. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
9. The Anarchist in the Library by Siva Vaidhyanathan

[seanahan]

1.  Labyrinths of Reason by William Poundstone
2.   Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein
3.   Banquets of the Black Widowers by Isaac Asimov
4.  Conversations with Carl Sagan
5. Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors by Carl Sagan
6. Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein
7. The Babylon File, Volume 1 by Andy Lane
8. Before the Golden Age Anthology, edited by Isaac Asimov
9. A Brief History of Time
10. Man-Kzin Wars Volume I, Larry Niven, Poul Anderson, Dean Ing

A.  (reading) The Cat Who Walks Through Walls (progress 2/3)
B.  (reading) I Sold My Soul on Ebay by Hemant Mehta (progress 1/5)
C.  (reading) An Incomplete Education (no Wikipedia link) (progress 1/12)
D.  (reading) Welcome to the Monkey House by Kurt Vonnegut (3/25)
E.  (reading)  The Emotion Machine by Marvin Minksy. (progress 1/9)
F.  (reading) Asimov's Guide to the Bible (About 500/1200)

[EricAK]

"The End of America. A Letter to a Young Patriot" Naomi Wolf
Currently reading "Sagas of Icelanders"

[Kaktrot]

Okay, I accept.  I doubt I've ever read 50 books in a year, but I think I can hack it.  I've got about 15 on my "not yet read" shelf.

1. No god but God, Reza Aslan.

A good introduction to the history of Islam, as well as the super-liberal light that Aslan would like it viewed under.

2. The Three Musketeers, Alexander Dumas

Even better than I expected.  The way that the Musketeers bitchslap their lackeys is hilarious and sad from a modern perspective.

3.
The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins

Like The Blind Watchmaker, very good and informative, but not a light read.

[Hazzel]

00 = fiction
00 = Non fiction
00 = School Book
[(comment)]
# = when I started reading
order = when I finished

-Booklist 2008-
Started 07, Finished 08

• 01.  Lord of Chaos
  ^{by Robert Jordan (1994)}
• 02.  How the Universe Got Its Spots. Diary of a Finite Time in a Finite Space
  ^{by Janna Levin (2002)}
• 03.  Byggnadsmaterial: Uppbyggnad, tillverkning och egenskaper [Swedish original title]
  ^{by Per Gunnar Burström (2001, second edition 2007)}
• 05.  The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography,
  ^{by Simon Singh (1999)}

Started 08, Finished 08

• 04.  The Northern Lights
  ^{by P.Pullman (1995)}
• 12.  The Subtle Knife
  ^{by P.Pullman (1997)}
• 11.  Digital Fortress
  ^{by D.Brown (1998)}
• 08.  Företagsekonomi 100 [Swedish original title]
         Business administration 100 (Title self translated)
  ^{by Olsson, Skärvad}
• 09.  Installationsteknik AK för V [Swedish original title]
         Installation Engineering AK for Civil engineering (Title self translated)
  ^{by Warfvinge, C (2006)}
• 14.  The Amber spyglass
  ^{by P.Pullman (2000)}
• 13.  När änglar dör [Swedish original title]
         When angels die (Title self translated)
  ^{by A. Roman (2001)}
• 06.  Byggkonstruktion, 3: Betongkonstruktion [Swedish original title]
         Category of construction type, 3: Concrete construction (Title self translated)
  ^{by Langesten, B (1995)}
• 15.  Byggkonstruktion, 1: Statik [Swedish original title]
        Category of construction type, 1: Statics (Title self translated)
  ^{by Langesten, B (1995)}
• 16.  Byggkonstruktion, 2: Trä- och stålkonstruktion [Swedish original title]
         Category of construction type, 2: Wood and Steel construction (Title self translated)
  ^{Langesten (1995)}
• 07.  Byggprocessen [Swedish original title]
        The building process (Title self translated)
  ^{by Nordstrand, U (2000)}

• 18.  Linjär Algebra [Swedish original title]
         Linear Algebra (Title self translated)
  ^{by Gunnar Sparr (1994)}
• 19.  Teknisk Geologi AK [Swedish original title]
         Technical Geology AK (Title self translated)
  ^{by Conny Svensson (2007)}

• 10.  Klassisk nöjesmatematik [Swedish original title]
         Classic mathematical delightedness (Title self translated)
  ^{by Paul Vaderlind (2003)}
• 17.  Equal Rites,
  ^{by Terry Pratchet (1987)}
• 20.  Ivanhoe
  ^{Sir Walter Scott (1819)(my copy published 1995, of course)}
  

Reading

• 21.  Dracula
  ^{Bram Stoker (1897)(my copy published 2000, of course)}

• 22.  Projekt Management Body of Knowledge
  ^{by (Projekt Management Institute - PMBOK Guide) (2004)}

• 23.  Vardagens Arkitektur - Vem bestämmer din livsmiljö? [Swedish original title]
        Every day's Architecture: Who decides your living environment? (Title self translated)
  ^{by Lindvall, J & Myrman, A-C. (2001)}

• 24.  Byggstyrning [Swedish original title]
        Construction control (Title self translated)
  ^{by Nordstrand, U & Révai, E (2006)}

• 25.  Boken om Detaljplan och områdesbestämmelser [Swedish original title]
        The book on Local plans and Area regulations (Title self translated)
  ^{by (Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning) (2002)}

Planned, or on "my list to read"

• Cien años de soledad
  ^{Gabriel García Márquez (1967) [will read it in swedish]}

[johnny red]

The Amber Spyglass (reading)

then on to:

 American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer (stop reading so I could start reading His Dark Materials trilogy)
Ancestor's Tale
How We Believe
God Delusion
The Varieties of Scientific Experience: A Personal View of the Search for God
Reading Judas

[Henning]

Books to read in 2008. Good idea. I don't read as much as I should. I'll be happy to get 25.
(Black denotes finished reading, Green currently reading, gray on deck. * denotes I have/had already read it)
1. The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand*
2. The Stranger by Camus
3. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
4. Blindness by Jose Saramago
5. Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris (more of a letter than a book?)
6. The God Delusion by Dawkins*
7. Walden by HD Thoreau
8. 1984 by George Orwell*
9. Moby Dick by Herman Melville (Oi. I can see why this is usually abridged)
10. Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut
11. Why People Believe Weird Things by Shermer
12. A Brief History of Time by Hawking
00. Making Sense by Julian Baggini (FAIL, boooring, didn't finish)
13. Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
14. Candide by Voltaire
15. A Brief History of Time (again) by Hawking*
16. Watchmen by Alan Moore*
17. Macbeth by Shakespeare*
18. QED by Feynman
19. Surely You're Joking... by Feynman
Death From the Skies! by Phil Plait

Animal Farm by George Orwell*
Flatland by Edwin A Abbott*
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Doug Adams*
Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors by Sagan
The Crucible (play) by Arthur Miller*
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde*
Janus by Arthur Koestler
Cities of the Red Night by William S. Burroughs
Welcome to the Monkey House by Vonnegut
Franny and Zoey by JD Salinger

[Skeptress]

1. Septimus Heap, Book One: Magyk by Angie Sage (liked it very much)
2. Simple Genius by David Balddci (absolute crap)
3. The Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman (better than book one)
    3a. The Plot Against America by Phillip Roth (depressing)
    3b. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh (boring)
4. Septimus Heap, Book Two: Flyte by Angie Sage (enjoyable)
5. The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan (NMS)
6. Next by Michael Crichton (unrealistic)
7. God is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens (thought provoking)
8. Alphabet of Thorn by Patricia A. McKillip (fantastic!!)
9. Easy Halloween Costumes for Children by Leila Albala (learning to draft patterns.)
10. Winter Rose by Patricia A. McKillip (odd)
11. The Deception of the Emerald Ring by Lauren Willig (funny/romantic)
12. Sweet Revenge by Diane Mott Davidson (ok)
13. Passage by Connie Willis (good and enjoyable)
14. Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (classic)
15. World Without Us by Alan Weisman (fantastic!)
16. Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams (classic)
17. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer (good)
18. Life, the Universe, and Everything by Douglas Adams (eh, not my fav)
19. Amber Spyglass by Phillip Pullman (not sure I still understand the whole trilogy  :? )
20. Seduction of the Crimson Rose by Lauren Willig (okay)
21. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton (perfection)
22. Touchstone by Laurie R. King (okay, she's written better)
23. Hope's Boy by Andy Bridge (very good)
24. Summer by Edith Wharton (very sad)
25. Almost Moon by Alice Sebold (intense)
26. Three for the Chair by Rex Stout (enjoyable)
27. The No Cry Potty Training Solution by Elizabeth Pantley (helpful)
28. Under the Duvet by Marion Keyes (funny)
29. Games for Writing by Peggy Kaye (buying it)
30. Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson (funny)
31. Artemus Fowl by Eion Colfer (okay)
32. William Shakespeare by Bill Bryson (very very good)
33. Shakespeare's Sonnets (perfection)
34. Madness by Marya Hornbacher (good)
35. Misquoting Jesus by Bart. Ehrman (disappointing)
36. Remember Me by Sophie Kinsella (mind candy)
37. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (re-reading the series)
38. The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff (good)
39. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
40. Arthur-The Seeing Stone by Kevin Crossley-Holland (good)
41. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
42. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
43. Montessori at Home
44. Catch 22 (awesome on audio!)
45. The Devil Wears Prada (mind candy but a bit boring)
46. Scarlet Feather by Mauve Binchy (great vacation read)
47. The Stand by Stephen King (did it always have that many references to god?)
48. Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper (good)
49. Stranger with My Face by Lois Duncan (thrift store freebie)
50. Man Without a Country by Kurt Vonnegut (must read!)
51. Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris (okay)
52. The Bone Garden (good)
53. Dyer Consequences (horrible)
54. Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them (funny and kind of sad)
55. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (probably my favorite)
56. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
57. New Moon by Stephanie Meyer
58. Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer
59. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (listening on iPod, Jim Dale rocks!)
60. Tales of Beedle the Bard b JK Rowling (short so maybe 59.5?)
61. Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer (the best of the series)

[Neutral Milk]

There is no way I'm gonna get 50 books, but this is as good a place as any to keep track of what I have read.

Read
1. Eternal Golden Braid: Godel Escher Bach - Douglas Hofstadter
2. Persepolis I - Marjane Satrapi
3. Persepolis II - Marjane Satrapi
4. Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman - Richard Feynman
5. Prelude to Foundation - Isaac Asimov
6. Foundation - Isaac Asimov
7. Equal Rites - Terry Pratchett
8. Wyrd Sisters - Terry Pratchett
9. Witches Abroad - Terry Pratchett
10. What do YOU care what other people think? - Richard Feynman
11. Foundation and Empire - Isaac Asimov
12. A Brief History of Time - Stephen Hawking
13. Eye of the World - Robert Jordan
14. Lords and Ladies - Terry Pratchett
15. Great Hunt - Robert Jordan
16. Mort - Terry Pratchett
17. Choke - Chuck Palahniuk
18. The Dragon Reborn - Robert Jordan
19. Second Foundation - Isaac Asimov
20. A War of Gifts - Orson Scott Card

In Progress
1. The Ancestor's Tale - Richard Dawkins
2. The Portable Atheist - Various Authors
3. Reaper Man - Terry Pratchett
4. Carpe Jugulum - Terry Pratchett

[Anachronism]

Everyone is reading Philip Pullman. =p

Finished list:
1. Darkwitch Rising by Sara Douglass
2. Druid's Sword by Sara Douglass
3. Nisa: The Life and Words of a !Kung Woman by Marjorie Shostak
4. Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich
5. Medalon by Jennifer Fallon
6. Treason Keep by Jennifer Fallon
7. Harshini by Jennifer Fallon
8. Mage heart by Jane Routley
9. Fire Angels by Jane Routley
10. Odalisque by Fiona McIntosh
11. The will of the empress by Tamora Pierce
12. Expecting Emily by Clare Dowling
13. Emissary by Fiona McIntosh
14.  Goddess by Fiona McIntosh
15. Barry Trotter and the shameless parody by Michael Gerber
16. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
17. New Moon by Stephanie Meyer
18. Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer
19. Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
20. Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop
21. Heir to the Shadows by Anne Bishop
22. Queen of the Darkness by Anne Bishop
23. The Invisible Ring by Anne Bishop
24. The Pillars of the World by Anne Bishop
25. Shadows and Light by Anne Bishop
26. The House of Gaian by Anne Bishop
27. Heartbreaker by Julie Garwood
28. Mercy by Julie Garwood
29. Killjoy by Julie Garwood
30. Murder List by Julie Garwood
31. Slow Burn by Julie Garwood
32. Shadow Dance by Julie Garwood
33. The Lion's Lady by Julie Garwood
34. Guardian Angel by Julie Garwood
35. The Gift by Julie Garwood
36. Castles by Julie Garwood
37. Honor's Spendour by Julie Garwood
38. The Smoke Thief by Shana Abe
39. The Dream Thief by Shana Abe
40. Queen of Dragons by Shana Abe