The 2011 50 Book Challenge

Nathan · Post by **Nathan** » 23 Jan 2011 07:06

Off to a slow start this year -- and last year I read a lot but stopped updating the 50 book challenge so I'm going to try better this year.

1. What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, Haruki Murakami, 180 pgs.

Only interesting if you know the author and have read his novels, as it's a memoir about how his long distance running affects how he writes. Kind of bland overall, I guess. But interesting in parts.

Nathan · Post by **Nathan** » 24 Jan 2011 08:18

1. What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, Haruki Murakami, 180 pgs.
2. A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson, 276 pgs.

Read this one pretty much concurrently with the last one. I read this one because it's about a thru-hike of the 2200 mile Appalachian Trail, which I will be trying to do later this year. It's the most popular of all the At hiking memoirs but not nearly the best. He holds very strong opinions about many things, most of which I disagree with. He also failed to complete his hike, so it was both bothersome to hear him at times downtalking other hikers who managed to finish it, and also interesting to find out why he wasn't successful.

bigdirtyfoot · Post by **bigdirtyfoot** » 25 Jan 2011 18:04

1. Cosmic Trigger Volume Three: My Life After Death, Robert Anton Wilson, 247 pg.
2. Better Than Sex: Confessions of a Political Junkie, Hunter S. Thompson, 247 pg.
3. Schooled, Godron Korman, 224 pg.
4. Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad, 75 pg.
5. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams, 216 pg.
6. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling, 734 pg.
7. Still Life With Woodpecker, Tom Robbins, 277 pg.
8. Welcome to the Monkey House, Kurt Vonnegut, 331 pg.

A collection of stories by Vonnegut. Very forward-thinking for its time. Each story has an interesting concept and hidden social commentary built inside. Totally worth checking out. You can read my review here.

bigdirtyfoot · Post by **bigdirtyfoot** » 28 Jan 2011 22:08

1. Cosmic Trigger Volume Three: My Life After Death, Robert Anton Wilson, 247 pg.
2. Better Than Sex: Confessions of a Political Junkie, Hunter S. Thompson, 247 pg.
3. Schooled, Godron Korman, 224 pg.
4. Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad, 75 pg.
5. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams, 216 pg.
6. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling, 734 pg.
7. Still Life With Woodpecker, Tom Robbins, 277 pg.
8. Welcome to the Monkey House, Kurt Vonnegut, 331 pg.
9. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J.K. Rowling, 870 pg.

This is the fifth book of the series, and the atmosphere is more violent and oppressive than ever before. Rowling's writing style becomes more sophisticated, and the subplots grabbed my attention better than in the previous books. You can read my review here.

bigdirtyfoot · Post by **bigdirtyfoot** » 31 Jan 2011 18:09

1. Cosmic Trigger Volume Three: My Life After Death, Robert Anton Wilson, 247 pg.
2. Better Than Sex: Confessions of a Political Junkie, Hunter S. Thompson, 247 pg.
3. Schooled, Godron Korman, 224 pg.
4. Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad, 75 pg.
5. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams, 216 pg.
6. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling, 734 pg.
7. Still Life With Woodpecker, Tom Robbins, 277 pg.
8. Welcome to the Monkey House, Kurt Vonnegut, 331 pg.
9. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J.K. Rowling, 870 pg.
10. VALIS, Philip K Dick, 242 pg.

The first book in Dick's last trilogy that he wrote before he died. This one explores the concept of the structure of the world, the meaning of life and the effects of becoming insane. I wasn't really hooked until the second half, but once I got there it was pretty addictive. You can read my review here.

dp · Post by dp » 31 Jan 2011 18:28

1. Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick 336pg
2. The Metamorphoses by Ovid translated by Horace Gregory 448pg

Don't get this translation. Over 400 pages and like 3 pages of notes! Lame! The notes in books like the Aeneid, or Herodotus's Histories and stuff are always the most interesting stuff!

bigdirtyfoot · Post by **bigdirtyfoot** » 02 Feb 2011 18:46

1. Cosmic Trigger Volume Three: My Life After Death, Robert Anton Wilson, 247 pg.
2. Better Than Sex: Confessions of a Political Junkie, Hunter S. Thompson, 247 pg.
3. Schooled, Godron Korman, 224 pg.
4. Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad, 75 pg.
5. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams, 216 pg.
6. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling, 734 pg.
7. Still Life With Woodpecker, Tom Robbins, 277 pg.
8. Welcome to the Monkey House, Kurt Vonnegut, 331 pg.
9. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J.K. Rowling, 870 pg.
10. VALIS, Philip K Dick, 242 pg.
11. The Divine Invasion, Philip K Dick, 238 pg.

The Divine Invasion is the sequel to VALIS. It is much easier to digest than the first book... I was able to understand it better, and it has helped me understand VALIS better. It is essentially the same story told again with a different set of characters and events. The explanation of gnosis, how the world came to be and what is going on, etc. You can read my full review here.

sen · Post by **sen** » 02 Feb 2011 21:03

1. Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi - Allies, Christie Golden, 384 Pages
2. Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi - Vortex, Troy Denning, 375 pages

dp · Post by dp » 02 Feb 2011 22:17

1. Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick 336pg
2. The Metamorphoses by Ovid translated by Horace Gregory 448pg
3. SlaughterHouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut 215pg

I'd read this about 4-5 years back, and having read pretty much all Vonnegut books at the same time, this was one of my least favorites. I was obviously really stupid back then and didn't appreciate it because going through it a second time I quickly realized why it's among his most famous novels.

bigdirtyfoot · Post by **bigdirtyfoot** » 04 Feb 2011 22:34

1. Cosmic Trigger Volume Three: My Life After Death, Robert Anton Wilson, 247 pg.
2. Better Than Sex: Confessions of a Political Junkie, Hunter S. Thompson, 247 pg.
3. Schooled, Godron Korman, 224 pg.
4. Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad, 75 pg.
5. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams, 216 pg.
6. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling, 734 pg.
7. Still Life With Woodpecker, Tom Robbins, 277 pg.
8. Welcome to the Monkey House, Kurt Vonnegut, 331 pg.
9. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J.K. Rowling, 870 pg.
10. VALIS, Philip K Dick, 242 pg.
11. The Divine Invasion, Philip K Dick, 238 pg.
12. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling, 652 pg.

This is the penultimate book in the series. Definitely the darkest book yet, this one takes a closer look at Lord Voldemort's past and develops some interesting romantic relationships between the characters. Only one more to go... You can read my full review here.

sen · Post by **sen** » 05 Feb 2011 21:15

1. Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi - Allies, Christie Golden, 384 Pages
2. Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi - Vortex, Troy Denning, 375 pages
3. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, Sean Williams, 319 pages

This was a good read. I had previously enjoyed the video game on Wii, but reading the book allows a deeper understanding of the main character's thoughts and feelings. Plus knowing the canon ending is a good bonus.

bigdirtyfoot · Post by **bigdirtyfoot** » 06 Feb 2011 22:54

1. Cosmic Trigger Volume Three: My Life After Death, Robert Anton Wilson, 247 pg.
2. Better Than Sex: Confessions of a Political Junkie, Hunter S. Thompson, 247 pg.
3. Schooled, Godron Korman, 224 pg.
4. Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad, 75 pg.
5. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams, 216 pg.
6. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling, 734 pg.
7. Still Life With Woodpecker, Tom Robbins, 277 pg.
8. Welcome to the Monkey House, Kurt Vonnegut, 331 pg.
9. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J.K. Rowling, 870 pg.
10. VALIS, Philip K Dick, 242 pg.
11. The Divine Invasion, Philip K Dick, 238 pg.
12. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling, 652 pg.
13. A Long Strange Trip: The Inside History of the Grateful Dead, Dennis McNally, 684 pg.

I finally finished it. I've been reading this on and off since Christmas 2009... it's essentially a Grateful Dead encyclopedia written by the band's historian, Dennis McNally. Very good, lots of new information and tidbits that make it seem personal. McNally does a great job of representing the feeling of a Dead show in his writing. You can check out my full review here.

Jeremy · Post by **Jeremy** » 07 Feb 2011 17:21

1. The Ancestor's Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Life by Richard Dawkins - 629pg
2. Concepts of Nature: A Wildlife Photographer's Art by Andy Rouse - 159pg
3. Tomorrow's Table: Organic Farming, Genetics and the Future of Food by Pamela C. Roland and Raoul W. Adamchak - 167pg
4. The Leafcutter Ants: Civilization by Instinct by Bert Holldobler and Edward O. Wilson - 127pg
5. Imperial Bedrooms by Bret Easton Ellis - 256pg
6. Shark: In Peril In The Sea by David Owen - 294pg
7. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck - 670pg

Fantastic. Recommended to everybody. Bleak and depressing though.

bigdirtyfoot · Post by **bigdirtyfoot** » 08 Feb 2011 20:55

7. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck - 670pg

Fantastic. Recommended to everybody. Bleak and depressing though.

I was just looking at my bookshelves this morning and saw this. I tried to read it in high school but couldn't get through it. Going to have to give it another try sometime. I have so many books to read......

1. Cosmic Trigger Volume Three: My Life After Death, Robert Anton Wilson, 247 pg.
2. Better Than Sex: Confessions of a Political Junkie, Hunter S. Thompson, 247 pg.
3. Schooled, Godron Korman, 224 pg.
4. Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad, 75 pg.
5. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams, 216 pg.
6. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling, 734 pg.
7. Still Life With Woodpecker, Tom Robbins, 277 pg.
8. Welcome to the Monkey House, Kurt Vonnegut, 331 pg.
9. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J.K. Rowling, 870 pg.
10. VALIS, Philip K Dick, 242 pg.
11. The Divine Invasion, Philip K Dick, 238 pg.
12. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling, 652 pg.
13. A Long Strange Trip: The Inside History of the Grateful Dead, Dennis McNally, 684 pg.
14. The Transmigration of Timothy Archer, Philip K Dick, 255 pg.

This is the last book that PKD ever wrote and the conclusion of the VALIS trilogy. It definitely impressed me; the entire trilogy impressed me. I will definitely recommend it to anyone new to Dick's works because it was very concise, fresh and intriguing. And it looks at the concepts of religion and philosophy at many different angles. You can check out my full review here.

sen · Post by **sen** » 10 Feb 2011 21:06

1. Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi - Allies, Christie Golden, 384 Pages
2. Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi - Vortex, Troy Denning, 375 pages
3. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, Sean Williams, 319 pages
4. Footbag Manual, Vasek Klouda and Dan Ednie, 98 pages

Yes, I'm counting this. Honestly, it was a tough read for me, only because I'm a learn it when I need it type of person so I have only learnt the names of moves I can do. This means a lot of the trick tips where lost on my as I didn't know what trick they were discussing. Ya, I could've looked it up to see what trick it was, but I figure as I learn new tricks I'll look 'em up in the manual. It was great seeing Vasek's training thoughts. I hope to implement them in my game.

I've been reading a lot of comics which doesn't really help in this goal, but I enjoy them all the same. lol

bigdirtyfoot · Post by **bigdirtyfoot** » 12 Feb 2011 01:29

Awesome! A Footbag Manual? That's so cool... I've always thought that would be a great idea. Props to Vasek and Ednie for that.

1. Cosmic Trigger Volume Three: My Life After Death, Robert Anton Wilson, 247 pg.
2. Better Than Sex: Confessions of a Political Junkie, Hunter S. Thompson, 247 pg.
3. Schooled, Godron Korman, 224 pg.
4. Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad, 75 pg.
5. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams, 216 pg.
6. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling, 734 pg.
7. Still Life With Woodpecker, Tom Robbins, 277 pg.
8. Welcome to the Monkey House, Kurt Vonnegut, 331 pg.
9. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J.K. Rowling, 870 pg.
10. VALIS, Philip K Dick, 242 pg.
11. The Divine Invasion, Philip K Dick, 238 pg.
12. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling, 652 pg.
13. A Long Strange Trip: The Inside History of the Grateful Dead, Dennis McNally, 684 pg.
14. The Transmigration of Timothy Archer, Philip K Dick, 255 pg.
15. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling, 759 pg.

Great conclusion to the series. The loose ends are tied up neatly. There's a lot to get out of this book... learning from the process of growing up, acceptance of death and the importance of sacrifice. Definitely my favorite in the series. You can check out my full review here.

boyle · Post by **boyle** » 13 Feb 2011 08:02

Got off to a pretty slow start this year, but picking up more momentum now.

1. Tony Hawk- How Did I Get Here- The Ascent of An Unlikely CEO- 224pgs

This was a Christmas Present, a reasonably interesting read. A bit of insight into a skateboarding legend.

2. Thor Heyerdahl- The Kon-Tiki Adventure - 272pgs

A great adventures story, a bunch of (mainly) Norwegians sailing across the Pacific on a raft

3. Paul Theroux- Ghost Train To The Eastern Star- 496 pgs

This is a follow up trip to his trip on "The Great Railway Bazaar". I really enjoyed that book and it's interesting to be able to read him going around experiencing a lot of these places again and to note all the changes, and some things that just stay the same. I'm not actually finished this but I will be finished it by the next time I post I would say.

boyle · Post by **boyle** » 14 Feb 2011 17:32

1. Tony Hawk- How Did I Get Here- The Ascent of An Unlikely CEO- 224pgs
2. Thor Heyerdahl- The Kon-Tiki Adventure - 272pgs
3. Paul Theroux- Ghost Train To The Eastern Star- 496pgs
4. Tim Winton - In The Winter Dark- 154pgs

Tim Winton is one of the most well known authors in Australia, although I'm not sure he's as well known outside of the country. This was one of his earlier stories, written in the late 80s.

The book is quite short, but in this small space of time he builds up a pretty dark scene with only a few characters, set in a bush valley in the middle of nowhere, somewhere in Western Australia.

I really like Tim Winton's writing and I expect there will be a few more in this list by the end of the year.

bigdirtyfoot · Post by **bigdirtyfoot** » 14 Feb 2011 22:34

1. Cosmic Trigger Volume Three: My Life After Death, Robert Anton Wilson, 247 pg.
2. Better Than Sex: Confessions of a Political Junkie, Hunter S. Thompson, 247 pg.
3. Schooled, Godron Korman, 224 pg.
4. Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad, 75 pg.
5. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams, 216 pg.
6. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling, 734 pg.
7. Still Life With Woodpecker, Tom Robbins, 277 pg.
8. Welcome to the Monkey House, Kurt Vonnegut, 331 pg.
9. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J.K. Rowling, 870 pg.
10. VALIS, Philip K Dick, 242 pg.
11. The Divine Invasion, Philip K Dick, 238 pg.
12. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling, 652 pg.
13. A Long Strange Trip: The Inside History of the Grateful Dead, Dennis McNally, 684 pg.
14. The Transmigration of Timothy Archer, Philip K Dick, 255 pg.
15. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling, 759 pg.
16. Hallucinogens and Shamanism, Michael J. Harner, 200 pg.

Focuses on the use of hallucinogens in shamanic rituals. Ten anthropological case studies that take place in The Upper Amazon, cultures undergoing Westernization and the use of hallucinogens in traditional Western society (i.e. witches and priests). Also explores the concept of a trans-cultural psychedelic experience, or the idea that similarities occur with each use of a hallucinogenic substance regardless of one's cultural background (appearance of snakes and jaguars, experiencing one's death, divination, etc.). Really solid material, although not too much that's new, considering this was published in 1973. Check out my full review here.

bigdirtyfoot · Post by **bigdirtyfoot** » 17 Feb 2011 22:42

1. Cosmic Trigger Volume Three: My Life After Death, Robert Anton Wilson, 247 pg.
2. Better Than Sex: Confessions of a Political Junkie, Hunter S. Thompson, 247 pg.
3. Schooled, Godron Korman, 224 pg.
4. Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad, 75 pg.
5. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams, 216 pg.
6. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling, 734 pg.
7. Still Life With Woodpecker, Tom Robbins, 277 pg.
8. Welcome to the Monkey House, Kurt Vonnegut, 331 pg.
9. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J.K. Rowling, 870 pg.
10. VALIS, Philip K Dick, 242 pg.
11. The Divine Invasion, Philip K Dick, 238 pg.
12. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling, 652 pg.
13. A Long Strange Trip: The Inside History of the Grateful Dead, Dennis McNally, 684 pg.
14. The Transmigration of Timothy Archer, Philip K Dick, 255 pg.
15. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling, 759 pg.
16. Hallucinogens and Shamanism, Michael J. Harner, 200 pg.
17. Dubliners, James Joyce, 317 pg.

A collection of Joyce's short stories published in 1914. Focuses on childhood, adolescence and maturity. Joyce is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers. You can read my full review here.