2014 TBR Pile Challenge Complete!

I only took on two reading challenges this year. One is the Back to the Classics Challenge and the other is the TBR Pile Challenge. I've finally completed my TBR list for the year! I read both books on my alternates list and only missed one from my original list. Thanks again to Adam at Roof Beam Reader for continuing to host this all year!

My favorite from the list were The Lotus Eaters, Doc, Blankets, and Tooth and Claw. I struggled with a couple of them, but as always, I love this challenge because it gets me reading books that I've been meaning to read for years!   

Here’s my list for 2014:

1) Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (finished January 2014)

2) The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli (finished May 2014)

3) The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski (finished March 2014)

4) One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (finished Feb. 2014)

5) Dune by Frank Herbert (finished May 2014)

6) Positively Fifth Street by James McManus

7) The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer (finished May 2014)

8) Blankets by Craig Thompson (finished April 2014)

9) Kiwi Tracks by Andrew Stevenson (finished August 2014)

10) Doc by Mary Doria Russell (finished May 2014)

11) Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton (finished January 2014)

12) The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin by Gordon S. Wood (finished Jan. 2014)

 

ALTERNATES:

1) In Dubious Battle by John Steinbeck (finished August 2014)

2) Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery (finished March 2014)

Photo by moi and from Adam's blog.

Dune

 

Dune

by Frank Herbert

★★★

 

A Duke and his family are sent to govern the planet of Arrakis. On that desert land dangerous sandworms travel just below the surface, water is a precious commodity and the native people, Fremen, are seen as the enemy. Arrakis is the only planet to produce melange, a valuable spice that is in high demand. Shortly after arriving on Arrakis a betrayal throws the Duke’s household into chaos. His concubine Jessica and their son Paul are in danger and attempt an escape. 

 

I struggled with this one, reading a bit and then putting it down for a week or two while I read other books. I thought the concept was interesting and enjoyed parts of it, but I felt like there was a lot of unfocused meandering which was hard to follow. I love novels that dissect the roles of leadership and question where real power lies, but that aspect of the plot was lost in the shuffle of a story that was trying to cover too much ground.

 

The novel is a unique combination of Sci-Fi, political commentary and philosophy, but that mixture comes across as a bit dry. There were some exciting action-packed moments and some interesting forays into social commentary, but it wasn’t enough of each to make it work for me. I did like seeing Paul’s transformation throughout the novel and Jessica’s training and special set of skills, but I felt like the flow of the book was hampered by the constant shift away from our main characters.

 

BOTTOM LINE: I wanted to like this one more than I did. I’m glad to have read one of the books that is held up as a pinnacle of the Science Fiction genre, but it wasn’t a huge hit with me. It felt stale and distant, more like I was reading a history book about something that had happened.

 

“‘A world is supported by four things...’ she held up four big-knuckled fingers. ‘the learning of the wise, the justice of the great, the prayers of the righteous and the valor of the brave. But all of these are as nothing...’ She closed her fingers into a fist. ‘without a ruler who knows the art of ruling.’”

 

“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”

 

“The vision of time is broad, but when you pass through it, time becomes a narrow door.”

Top Ten Books on My Spring 2014 TBR List

This week's Top Ten from The Broke and the Bookish asks for the Top Ten Books on My Spring 2014 TBR List. I’ve got an interesting collection of books that I need to read for my book club, challenges, trip planning and a few just because books.

 

1) The Warden and Barchester Towers for my Chronicles of Barsetshire Read-Along

2) The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli

3) Positively Fifth Street by James McManus

4) Twenty Years by Alexandre Dumas

5) The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer

6) Blankets by Craig Thompson

7) The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin

8) This is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett

9) Dune by Frank Herbert

10) New Zealand and Australia travel guides!

 

Have you read any of these? Which one should I start with?

Top Ten Books On My Fall 2013 TBR List

This week's Top Ten from The Broke and the Bookish asks for the Top Ten Books on My Fall 2013 TBR List.

1) Among Schoolchildren by Tracy Kidder: It’s on my TBR Challenge list and my book club is reading it this year.

2) The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky: This beast is the last book I need to read for the Back to the Classics Challenge.

3) Dune by Frank Herbert: I’m really looking forward to finally reading this one. It’s been on my list too long.

4) The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith: Caved to the hype. I love the Harry Potter books and I’m a fan of the occasionally crime noir.

5) Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya: I try to read at least one banned book each year and this is my selection for 2013.

6) If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino: Care and I are planning a laid back readalong on this one this fall.

7) The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare: I’m a bit behind on my Let’s Read Plays challenge.  

8) The Night Watch by Sarah Waters: All three of these final ones are books I’ve had my eye on for the annual R.I.P. Challenge. I love a good spooky story or mystery in the fall!

9) The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

10) Faithful Place by Tana French

Image from here. 

Top Ten Most Intimidating Books

This week's Top Ten from The Broke and the Bookish asks for our Top Ten Most Intimidating Books. I’ve learned that most massive books (Moby Dick, The Count of Monte Cristo, etc. aren’t nearly as scary as I thought they’d be, but here are a few that still freak me out.

1) Ulysses by James Joyce – Stream of consciousness ramblings, I just can’t bring myself to read it.

2) Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin – Okay, after getting hooked on the TV show this year I’m dying to read this one, but I’m hesitating for 2 reasons. First is because the books are ginormous and second, I’m worried I’ll finish them and have to wait 5 years for the next one.

3) Remembrance of Things Past by Marcel Proust – It is seven volumes long!

4) Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace – Some say it’s genius, others say it’s pretentious, regardless it is huge.

5) The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser – This massive book is the never-ending tome that Granny has to read before she dies in the Thursday Next series.

6) Dune by Frank Herbert – I think this one scares me because my Dad’s been recommending it for years. I’m worried I’ve built it up too much in my head.

7) The Brothers Karamazov by Leo Tolstoy – It’s big, it’s Russian, etc. I read War & Peace and it wasn’t nearly as scary as I thought it would be, so I just need to dive in.

8) Origin of the Species by Charles Darwin – I’m curious about this book, but I’m also worried it’s going to be really boring and badly written.

9) Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez – Everything by this author scares me for some reason.

10) The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien – I’ve read Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, but this beast just does not look fun.  

Image from here.