9days 2010 50 Books Challenge

That subject line reads like a zip code.

I was so discouraged with my reading efforts last year. I started several books I just couldn't seem to finish, and that led to me feeling guilty and not wanting read anything until they were sorted out, which then led to me just not reading much of anything.

So in addition to my 50 books (or as a part of them), I'm determined to finish these books:

Teatro Grottesco
House of Leaves
Johannes Cabal the Necromancer

I started 2010 off with Daughter of the Blood, which I am thoroughly enjoying. This is promising.

I was incredibly discouraged with House of Leaves in the first forty pages or so, and then again in the middle section of the book, but I kept pressing on since it was for a class, and ended up being glad I did. As consolation, it seemed that every time there was a particularly dense section, it was followed with one that went quickly, and the book did get easier the farther in that I got. Also, there's an interview with Danielewski floating around online that you can probably find without too much trouble, and it makes for an interesting read too, before or after you finish the novel. If you ever look and can't find it, let me know, and I'll find the link for you! Happy reading, and good luck with your three unfinished journeys too :)

Thanks for the encouragement on House of Leaves, it's very needed! I've enjoyed all of what I've read of it, so much so that I bought The Whalestoe Letters to go along with it. But there's something very daunting about it, and I can't quite place what it is.

I'm going to search out that interview, also.

Daughter of the Blood is now finished, my first book of the new year/decade. I really loved it and can't wait to start the second book in the series.

I started Sunshine last night and am blowing right through it. It goes quickly, and isn't bad, but I'm not as invested in it as I'd like to be (hoping to get there soon).

Hey again :) Good luck with Sunshine--I haven't gotten to it yet, but through all I've read by McKinley, Beauty remains my favorite. I did a quick search and re-found that interview I mentioned; you can find it on googlescholar.com It's called "Haunted House--an Interview with Mark Z. Danielewski"; you can probably find it other places as well, but when I did a general search, I came up with so many results that I wanted to get you the exact title :) Good reading!

Excellent, thanks! It took me a bit to really get into Sunshine, but once I did it's hard to put down. I'm going to have to check out some other books from McKinley, so I suppose I'll try Beauty next.

Just finished Sunshine. I'm not sure how I feel about it, exactly. It was good (I'd read it again), but there were so many loose ends, and one aspect in particular is really bugging me.

I'll sleep on it and see how I feel in the morning.

Finished Johnny the Homicidal Maniac: The Director's Cut. So far, that puts me at:

Daughter of the Blood
Sunshine
Johnny the Homicidal Maniac: The Director's Cut

Just finished Heir to the Shadows. I loved it, but unfortunately don't have the third installment in the series yet.

Finally read Griffin and Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence. I have to admit to being very disappointed by this one. I really liked Nick Bantok's The Museum at Purgatory, but this was flat, with very little depth. Not only that, but it took all of 10 minutes to get through.

Anyhow, my tally so far:

Griffin and Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence
Daughter of the Blood
Sunshine
Heir to the Shadows
Johnny the Homicidal Maniac: The Director's Cut

1/10th of the way there and almost finished with The Drowned Life.

Finished The Drowned Life. So many amazing stories in this one, I have to check out more from Jeffrey Ford.

The grand-daddy of all stiff necks has had me laid up for the last day or so, meaning I'm getting plenty of reading done. Started and finished Queen of the Darkness, the last book in the trilogy. Now I have to have more of the Black Jewels books.

Started and finished Valiant yesterday. I was disappointed overall, but thought the last 1/3 was alright.

Tally:

Griffin and Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence
Daughter of the Blood
Sunshine
Heir to the Shadows
Johnny the Homicidal Maniac: The Director's Cut
The Drowned Life
Queen of the Darkness
Valiant

Done with Alabaster. which I liked more and more as the stories progressed. I think I'll start both Chalice and Smoke and Mirrors next.

Finished Smoke and Mirrors, which puts me at 1/5 of my goal.

Started and finished Chalice yesterday. I didn't think I'd get as wrapped up in it as I did.

So far:

Griffin and Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence
Daughter of the Blood
Sunshine
Heir to the Shadows
Johnny the Homicidal Maniac: The Director's Cut
The Drowned Life
Queen of the Darkness
Valiant
Alabaster
Smoke and Mirrors
Chalice

Started and finished The Haunted Vagina this afternoon. A quick read.

Also wound up reading The Whalestoe Letters yesterday, which is something of a companion piece to House of leaves, which is what I really should be reading. In any event, it sort of rekindled my interest in HoL, so I believe I'll pick that up again today.

Finally, finally finished House of Leaves. Success!

The story picked up a couple of pages where I had stopped, so I breezed through the rest pretty quickly. I also think reading The Whalestoe letters before finishing helped (it doesn't give anything away, though). whitewavedarling was absolutely right, I'm so glad I stuck with it.

Tally, then:

Griffin and Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence
Daughter of the Blood
Sunshine
Heir to the Shadows
Johnny the Homicidal Maniac: The Director's Cut
The Drowned Life
Queen of the Darkness
Valiant
Alabaster
Smoke and Mirrors
Chalice
The Haunted Vagina
The Whalestoe Letters
House of Leaves

Started Tempest Rising last night and finished today. I loved it, and can't wait to get my hands on the second in the series.

15/50

Congratulations on finishing up House of Leaves! And, I'm glad you had the same experience I did--it's some book!

Thanks! I actually wound up searching for more interviews, and even found myself trawling a forum dedicated to the book. It was at that point I worried myself, so I left ;)

The more I talk to people about that book, the more I realize that it's not just a book that has a cult following, but a book that's sort of a cult in itself that seems to breed mazes....

Yes, exactly. I was reading about connections other people had made, symbols and interesting bits, and it blew the doors wide open. This books has a ton of potential to inspire obsession.

Been a while. Most of my reading the last couple months has been in the cookbook/reference vein, and I'm not sure if I'm counting those in my 50 books. I don't think I will, unless we're talking about a cookbook I've read cover to cover, and that has a lot of extra info in it. So, onto my updates (or, what I can remember right now, anyway):

1. You Can Run But You Can't Hide
2. The Bread Bible
3. Stitch n Bitch

New tally:

Griffin and Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence
Daughter of the Blood
Sunshine
Heir to the Shadows
Johnny the Homicidal Maniac: The Director's Cut
The Drowned Life
Queen of the Darkness
Valiant
Alabaster
Smoke and Mirrors
Chalice
The Haunted Vagina
The Whalestoe Letters
House of Leaves
You Can Run But You Can't Hide
The Bread Bible
Stitch n Bitch

Received and finished Hint Fiction this morning.

You know, Griffin and Sabine is actually the first in a trilogy (with Sabine's Notebook and The Golden Mean), which may be why it was a little disappointing on its own.