A Kind of Failure

Well, the end is past and I did not manage to complete my reading challenge. Despite about a month of finishing a book every day and significant dependence on audio books as I hiked there just never seems to be enough time. I'm still happy with the 91 books I did read (an average of 1 book every 4 days instead of every 3). Maybe one day I'll get to be a faster reader, or a more dedicated one, and actually read 121 books in a year. For now I think I'll settle for 100.

#91 "Girls in White Dresses" by Jennifer Close

This book was refreshingly unpredictable and annoyingly unresolved. It tried too hard to be the novel version of He's Just Not That Into You, and failed to completely tie up any of the story lines. The hours spent listening to this book while weeding were at least productive, as there was nothing entertaining enough in the text to keep me from focusing on which plants to pull up and which to leave.

#90 "The Friday Night Knitting Club" by Kate Jacobs

This cover was just intriguing enough to get me to borrow the audio book. Once started I of course had to finish it. But OH MY GOD! No! This book lands no where near my top 50 books read this year. In comparison to the intrigue and complex relationships that Rebecca Wells generated for Ya Ya this book wouldn't even be counted as airplane-book-worthy. I was very disappointed in myself for even bothering to finish it. Maybe not the worst thing I read this year, but far too predictable for anyone else to pick up.

#89 "The Jane Austen Book Club" by Karen Joy Fowler

This was a re-read for me. While I didn't find the book very Austen-approved the first time through, the $0.99 copy stayed on my shelves long enough to lure me in one more time. This time round the plot went faster, I was not so traumatized by the drama, and the choppy writing was easier to handle. Plus it gave me a good reason to re-watch the movie, which I kind of love. This little pink book will keep moving around with me I guess.

#88 "An Object of Beauty" by Steve Martin

Well I forgot to finish writing these posts...

This book was not a favorite of mine, but Steve Martin writing and reading any book catches my attention. I kind of love this man! The plot was twisty, and in a Breakfast at Tiffany's sort of way, the main characters were aggravating. Martin's voice made up for a lot of it.

#87 "The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" by Rebecca Wells

I was a little young when this book, and later the movie, peaked in popularity. Finding a copy in a B&B in Ireland I jumped at the opportunity to rediscover the story with an older perspective. I have to say, I love it, and I totally understand why it was such a long standing bestseller. It's not making it onto my favorites list, but if you haven't read it or have only seen the movie, the book is worth your time.

#86 "Pain, Parties, Work" by Elizabeth Winder

Another biography, this one focusing on one summer early in Sylvia Plath's life. The book was well written enough and intriguing. Certainly I feel more comfortable exploring Plath's work now, after she's been painted as a happier person, than under previous gloomy descriptions.

#85 "Little Bee" by Chris Cleave

I have to wonder, when men write female leads like this, what they're love life is like. This book is tragic and felt shockingly relevant with all the news about Nigeria these last few months. Worth the time.

#84 "The End" by Lemony Snicket

That was somewhat disappointing. How old is Sunny by the end of this series???

#83 "The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side" by Agatha Christie

So this is why everyone loves Agatha Christie.

#82 "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson

This was my first Bryson book, even though A Short History has been sitting on my bedside bookshelf for the last two Christmases. Listening to it while hiking across Ireland was wonderful, Bryson is clearly a good author and his popularity is not undeserved. But I have to say I was astonished and enraged at Bryson's irresponsible, one-sided presentation of all public silviculture policy in the US. As someone who spent a reasonable amount of their undergrad reading and analyzing the scientific and political influences on US silviculture policy and practice, I know it's a mixed bag. The US has had to create most of these practices from theory and test them before the world can know what practices are successful and which aren't. And when you're talking about trial forestry practices you're talking about 40-100 year dedicated studies that run across entire states.

We still don't know how to foster forests the ideal way, and Bryson doesn't help the matter by informing the public of his single opinion, and suggesting that we all just do it his way. It's so socially irresponsible I could spit.

#81 "Fifth Avenue, 5am" by Sam Wasson

Wasson is so in love with Audrey Hepburn that this book was at times intolerable. But if you ignore the 10 to 20 times where he goes off on a rant about how Audrey is queen and we should all bow down to her, then there is still some good information about the transition of this novel into a motion picture. Middle of the road non-fiction.

#80 "Death Comes to Pemberley" by P.D. James

I really should avoid this whole reading unofficial sequels to books I really enjoy. I liked the book better than the series, but still, Jane Austen should be left to Jane Austen... and Hank Green.

#79 "The Penultimate Peril" by Lemony Snicket

This book was at least an improvement. Almost done!

#78 "The Grim Grotto" by Lemony Snicket

More inventions that don't make any sense. But I can power through!

#77 "The Slippery Slope" by Lemony Snicket

I do think this was possibly the worst of the series... or was it anything after book 3? But if you want to get to the end, you have to read them all.

#76 "The 10pm Question" by Kate DeGoldi

This novel is a classic coming of age story wrapped up in psychological problems. It took me a while to get into it, but about 7 chapters in I found a reason to invest in all the characters and I finished it in that sitting. Worthwhile for mid-to-late teens who have experienced mental issues.

#75 "Must Love Dogs" by Claire Cook

I somehow keep forgetting that I've read this book and then re-reading it, but enjoying it so much more than the movie (which is quite the statement when you consider that Diane Lane is a favorite actress of mine), so much so that I don't stop. I think I'm up to three times now... or is it four? I know it's not serious literature, and a part of me is a little judgmental that I've read it more than once, but the rest of me is too busy enjoying the fluff.

#74 "The Carnivorous Carnival" by Lemony Snicket

Not the best from the series, but I'm pushing through. I will finish these books, if it's the last full series I ever read.

#73 "The Gift" by Lauraine Snelling

This was just a fluff book, but one of the few ebook options from my library which actually discusses horses. Not recommended.