Urban75 Home About Offline BrixtonBuzz Contact

2012 reading challenge

how many books do you expect to read in 2012?

  • Total voters
    89
Not setting a number this year, instead they'll be listed at roughly 3 month intervals. What I am setting myself is the rule that any book started at all, English or not, has to be finished. Parallel reading is still allowed, mind.
 
DotCommunist said:
my favourite modern story about the devil. His 'The Last Werewolf' is also good fun
Click to expand...
It's my friend's choice for this month's book club. I didn't like it much I have to say. I found the flippant tone quite annoying and the endless asides in brackets infuriating and I don't think it was edited very well, in my opinion. I kept finding sentences with words missing and some that didn't make sense/read very well. However, it kept me entertained for a few hours.
 
I thought the flippancy was fairly essential tbh. My half arsed theory about writing satan is that if you play him for serious, you run the risk of him dominating the text unduly, whereas if you play him for laughs you run the risk of doing Satan from South Park.

offhand loquacity, dilettantish sybarite with firmly evil intentions- Glen Duncan walked the line imho.
YMMV obviously :D
 
How To Rob An Armored Car by Iain Levison (1/75)

I can't believe this writer isn't better known. One of the funniest writers I've read in ages.
 
Ill try for around 20 again this year. Cant see it being more unless i change my reading habits (an hour or so in bed at night 5 nights a week usually)
 
october_lost said:
Any good?
Click to expand...

Yeah i expected a bit more from it and the David Copeland letters aren't that ground shaking after all the hype. I did feel that some of what he said was bullshit and put in for effect, but that said i did really enjoy it.

It's worth a read.
 
I'm not committing to anything. But out of curiosity, added up what I read last year though and it was more than I thought. 25. Some were massive. George R R Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series, Neil Stevenson's Cryptanomocon. The latter one of the best books I've ever read. Suppose it will be about 25 again in 2012.
 
Umming and arring a bit here. Been meaning to join in this for the last few years but always forgot to start in January or got waylaid from reading by family/vinyl duties.

I see childrens books are allowed, but I reckon I'll have to draw the line at some of the shorter ones, my youngest gets three books each night but only a few hundred words a piece :)

As I've started George R R Martin's 'Song of Ice and Fire' series, and they're all massive, I'll keep to 20 - 50 and hope to do better. First volume is 780 pages, up to 679 already - my new regime of reading whilst Mrs R watches Coronation Street & Eastenders is paying dividends already, especially combined with knocking smoking weed on the head.
 
1/26 - I, Partridge: We Need To Talk About Alan by Alan Partridge
2/26 - Meg Origins by Steve Alten
 
Just read 'The Yellow House' by Martin Gayford. A biography, of a sort, about Vincent Van Gogh's Arlesiene sojourn. Only lasting 3/4 months. He painted the sunflowers there soon after his arrival and a few weeks later Gaugin came and joined him at the yellow house. Their time together was brief but each artist seemed to inspire the other. My inspiration to read this book was driven by having been given the Hockney book for Christmas, also by Gayford. I decided that I liked Gayford's style and when I spotted The Yellow House, at the library, completely leapt upon it. Was not disappointed. I love Vincent. I love Hockney.
 
1/30 Step-Families by Suzie Hayman
2/30 A Game Of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
 
1/70 Sheila Chandra. Banish Clutter Forever: How the Toothbrush Principle Will Change Your Life.
2/70 Dion Fortune. The Sea Priestess.
3/70 Sergei Dovlatov. The Suitcase.
 
ringo said:
Umming and arring a bit here. Been meaning to join in this for the last few years but always forgot to start in January or got waylaid from reading by family...duties
Click to expand...
Yup, this pretty much sums up my reasons for jumping in too.
ringo said:
I see childrens books are allowed, but I reckon I'll have to draw the line at some of the shorter ones, my youngest gets three books each night but only a few hundred words a piece.
Click to expand...
Happily Lil'FA's now onto 'proper' books now. We worked our way through the Roald Dahl box set last year and now we're on Pippi Longstocking... Still be interested if you find any really good shorter books though ringo. I'm always on the look out for books for kids at school (I'm a primary teacher).
ringo said:
combined with knocking smoking weed on the head.
Click to expand...
Conversely I'm really enjoying toking and reading atm. Properly getting into the cinematic experience of reading, re-reading passages, digging into why they've hooked me etc :)

Anyway;
1/50 The Windup Girl - Paulo Bacigalupi. Inspired to pick it up by reading a sci-fi thread on here. Really enjoyed it - engaging premise but maybe a bit heavy on the political exposition.
 
1/75, How To Rob An Armored Car by Iain Levison
2/75, The People of the Abyss by Jack London

3/75, Hateland by Bernard O'Mahoney and Mick McGovern
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

DaveCinzano
JUNIOR SHELFIE CHALLENGE: SHOW US YER LADYBIRDS
Replies
21
Views
454
Epona
Epona
Pickman's model
  • Poll
Once more unto the book dear friends: 2024 reading challenge thread
25 26 27 28 29
Replies
856
Views
27K
Biddlybee
Biddlybee
T & P
Squid Game: The Challenge
2 3
Replies
63
Views
2K
Orang Utan
Orang Utan
Pickman's model
  • Poll
the strictly come reading 2023 reading challenge thread
21 22 23 24 25
Replies
735
Views
27K
hash tag
hash tag
belboid
University Challenge - the new era
Replies
15
Views
604
belboid
belboid
Back
Top Bottom