I'm learning to dispute with Callimachus' "A Big Book is a Big Evil"
Talk2024 BIG FAT BOOK CHALLENGE
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1PocheFamily
I used to actively avoid works that were not concise, happily spouting off "mega biblion mega kakon" anytime one was waved beneath my nose. But sometime during these weird 20's I've started to enjoy - shock! - several of them! Last year I managed to read 9 or so, accidentally, to be sure! ...Except for one, because I do participate with a group of friends in a "challenge" book club, and last year's read was The Brothers Karamazov (previous reads since I joined in were DFW's Infinite Jest and Boccaccio's Decameron).
Of course it helps to have company on a long journey, so like mahsdad's (Jeff), I saw this challenge group listed in Tim's January State of the Thing, and thought I'd 'double post' by noting my longest reads here as well as in my 75 challenge list, not to boast but because I want to read what others are thinking of their challenge reads and maybe share a little of mine - totally happy to receive comments, btw.
I'll keep carefully to the plus 500 pages rule. I'll also count audio/audible books in excess of 15 hours listening time as I read in 3 formats (paper, ebooks, audio).
Of course it helps to have company on a long journey, so like mahsdad's (Jeff), I saw this challenge group listed in Tim's January State of the Thing, and thought I'd 'double post' by noting my longest reads here as well as in my 75 challenge list, not to boast but because I want to read what others are thinking of their challenge reads and maybe share a little of mine - totally happy to receive comments, btw.
I'll keep carefully to the plus 500 pages rule. I'll also count audio/audible books in excess of 15 hours listening time as I read in 3 formats (paper, ebooks, audio).
2PocheFamily
Here's my 2023 list:
1. Madam: The Biography of Polly Adler, Icon of the Jazz Age, Debby Applegate ... Audible.
2. The Quiet Warrior, A Biography of Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, Thomas B. Buell ... paperback.
3. TR's Last War: Theodore Roosevelt, the Great War, and a Journey of Triumph and Tragedy, David Pietrusza ... Audible.
4. Sub Tales: Stories That Seldom Surface, Charles Hood ... Kindle.
5. Lindbergh, A. Scott Berg, Lloyd James, Narrator ... Audible.
6. Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver ... paperback.
7.David Copperfield, Charles Dickens... Audible.
8. Middlemarch, George Eliot... Paperback and Audible.
9. The Brothers Karamazov, Fyodor Dostoevsky... Paperback.
(At 496 pages, Star Trek: Enterprise: Kobayashi Maru by Michael A. Martin doesn't quite make it!)
1. Madam: The Biography of Polly Adler, Icon of the Jazz Age, Debby Applegate ... Audible.
2. The Quiet Warrior, A Biography of Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, Thomas B. Buell ... paperback.
3. TR's Last War: Theodore Roosevelt, the Great War, and a Journey of Triumph and Tragedy, David Pietrusza ... Audible.
4. Sub Tales: Stories That Seldom Surface, Charles Hood ... Kindle.
5. Lindbergh, A. Scott Berg, Lloyd James, Narrator ... Audible.
6. Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver ... paperback.
7.David Copperfield, Charles Dickens... Audible.
8. Middlemarch, George Eliot... Paperback and Audible.
9. The Brothers Karamazov, Fyodor Dostoevsky... Paperback.
(At 496 pages, Star Trek: Enterprise: Kobayashi Maru by Michael A. Martin doesn't quite make it!)
4PocheFamily
>3 bryanoz: Thanks! I am starting with Mozart: The Reign of Love, by Jan Swafford, a Christmas present from my youngest. It’s not the focus of my reading at the moment, but best to get going…
(744 pages w/appendices, 810 with endnotes for those who might be curious)
(744 pages w/appendices, 810 with endnotes for those who might be curious)
6PocheFamily
>5 connie53: Thanks, Connie! I look forward to having the company as I read.
I began the Mozart book last night and realized I'd never before read a book about music or musicians. I'm actually enjoying the author's "voice" thus far and so quite excited to make progress, a few pages a day, on this work.
I began the Mozart book last night and realized I'd never before read a book about music or musicians. I'm actually enjoying the author's "voice" thus far and so quite excited to make progress, a few pages a day, on this work.
7johnsimpson
Welcome to the group Leslie, have a good BFB reading year.
8PocheFamily
>7 johnsimpson: Thank you, and you as well!
9PocheFamily
Slightly annoyed to find that Project Hail Mary is listed as 496 pages ... hahaha ... my kingdom for Weir to have written just a bit more dialogue??
My large print edition is well over 600 pages (the regular print has a waiting list at my library), which is why I checked. Mozart: the Reign of Love is going to take a while.
My large print edition is well over 600 pages (the regular print has a waiting list at my library), which is why I checked. Mozart: the Reign of Love is going to take a while.
10PocheFamily
1 BFB (I feel like the Count on Sesame Street)!
The Lincoln Highway, Amor Towles. 576 pages, hardbound.
If you like a good story, this is a wonderful book. There are moral lessons, journeys, struggles and problem solving, and the revelation of histories. References to myths and Shakespearean plays weave through the story but are not "precious". It was very hard to put this book down. 4 stars - and maybe a bit more, because I won't forget the characters.
The Lincoln Highway, Amor Towles. 576 pages, hardbound.
If you like a good story, this is a wonderful book. There are moral lessons, journeys, struggles and problem solving, and the revelation of histories. References to myths and Shakespearean plays weave through the story but are not "precious". It was very hard to put this book down. 4 stars - and maybe a bit more, because I won't forget the characters.
11connie53
>10 PocheFamily: Hi Leslie. I totally agree with you about this book. I loved it as much as you did and I did give it the full 5 stars
I loved his other book too, Graaf in Moskou. With 4,5 star.
I loved his other book too, Graaf in Moskou. With 4,5 star.
12PocheFamily
>11 connie53: I confess I haven't read his others, but am certainly encouraged to do so after reading The Lincoln Highway. And it's always pleasant to find other readers who enjoy the same book!
13PocheFamily
2 BFBs
Struggle for Sea Power: A Naval History of the American Revolution, Sam Willis. Audible: 15h,50m (hardbound = 608 pages)
Really, really enjoyed this book - very worthwhile from a learning perspective as it totally changed my perspective on the American Revolution. Things I knew simply make more sense, and yet I learned so much! A terrific read (I love history), and I'll definitely come back to it. And will be on the lookout for more by this author: his writing style was clear, his statements well-documented, and his thesis/themes consistently presented.
Struggle for Sea Power: A Naval History of the American Revolution, Sam Willis. Audible: 15h,50m (hardbound = 608 pages)
Really, really enjoyed this book - very worthwhile from a learning perspective as it totally changed my perspective on the American Revolution. Things I knew simply make more sense, and yet I learned so much! A terrific read (I love history), and I'll definitely come back to it. And will be on the lookout for more by this author: his writing style was clear, his statements well-documented, and his thesis/themes consistently presented.
14PocheFamily
3 BFBs Poopie Suits & Cowboy Boots: Tales of a Submarine Officer During the Height of the Cold War, Frank Hood and Charles Hood. Kindle (paperback = 550 pages).
One of my hobby-reading areas is Naval History and particularly Submarines - I really enjoy reading about WWII and the Cold War particularly. Maybe it's a leftover from having read The Hunt for Red October at an impressionable age (~14yo)! If I visit a city with a submarine museum, I go visit - I just think they're amazing, technical marvels. I'm not all that fond of Jules Verne, oddly enough ... maybe I just like the problem solving aspects of these boats rather than the fictional/fantasy part.
Anyhow ... I've been slowly working my way through the above book, which is a former naval officer's memoir of his training and career experiences in the submarine warfare community (late 1960s-early 1970s). The author takes a great deal of care to explain technical matters and define terms, which perhaps slows down the pace of the story but actually aids the reader in appreciating the complexity of the boat. Because he also describes his own life experiences and attitudes between the technical stuff one really comes away with an impression of the human-machine-naval service relationship: it's unique.
One of my hobby-reading areas is Naval History and particularly Submarines - I really enjoy reading about WWII and the Cold War particularly. Maybe it's a leftover from having read The Hunt for Red October at an impressionable age (~14yo)! If I visit a city with a submarine museum, I go visit - I just think they're amazing, technical marvels. I'm not all that fond of Jules Verne, oddly enough ... maybe I just like the problem solving aspects of these boats rather than the fictional/fantasy part.
Anyhow ... I've been slowly working my way through the above book, which is a former naval officer's memoir of his training and career experiences in the submarine warfare community (late 1960s-early 1970s). The author takes a great deal of care to explain technical matters and define terms, which perhaps slows down the pace of the story but actually aids the reader in appreciating the complexity of the boat. Because he also describes his own life experiences and attitudes between the technical stuff one really comes away with an impression of the human-machine-naval service relationship: it's unique.
15PocheFamily
4 BFBs ... Soldier, Sailor, Frogman, Spy, Airman, Gangster, Kill or Die: How the Allies Won on D-Day, Giles Milton, (Libby audiobook) 15h, 48m (512 pages).
I'm reading several books on the Normandy campaign and this one stands out particularly because of its inclusion of the firsthand accounts from many nationalities with competing interests. It was a little gory, but then again ... war is hell. The topic of the D-day landings is so complex that I'm glad I'm reading several books: reiteration helps with my understanding of the logistics, geography, etc.
I'm reading several books on the Normandy campaign and this one stands out particularly because of its inclusion of the firsthand accounts from many nationalities with competing interests. It was a little gory, but then again ... war is hell. The topic of the D-day landings is so complex that I'm glad I'm reading several books: reiteration helps with my understanding of the logistics, geography, etc.
16PocheFamily
5 BFBs ... The Deadly Deep: The Definitive History of Submarine Warfare, Iain Ballantyne, (Libby audiobook) 28h, 38m (752 pages).
Another submarine book. This one was quite good in providing a broad picture with lots of good details. The book has a very European slant, and I found that most welcome in many ways, but it was weakest on Asian submarine history and Pacific engagements involving submarines. But that's okay - I benefited a lot from hearing about WW1 engagements and how submarines overcame prejudices against their use during that war.
Another submarine book. This one was quite good in providing a broad picture with lots of good details. The book has a very European slant, and I found that most welcome in many ways, but it was weakest on Asian submarine history and Pacific engagements involving submarines. But that's okay - I benefited a lot from hearing about WW1 engagements and how submarines overcame prejudices against their use during that war.
17PocheFamily
6 BFBs ... The Conquering Tide, Ian W. Toll, (Audible) 27h, 22m (656 pages).
An excellent volume - the middle one as it turns out - of a trilogy on the Pacific War. Excellent writing - not just clear (and concise, despite the length), but organized well - not just chronologically, but taking the time to explore themes such as the Japanese homefront or a particular warfare community.
An excellent volume - the middle one as it turns out - of a trilogy on the Pacific War. Excellent writing - not just clear (and concise, despite the length), but organized well - not just chronologically, but taking the time to explore themes such as the Japanese homefront or a particular warfare community.
18PocheFamily
7 BFBs ... Daniel Deronda, George Eliot, (Kindle and Audible) 36h, 51m (955 pages) - please note that the length varies greatly depending on which edition/printing/recording
Mixed feelings about this one. I both read and listened, alternating or simultaneously. It felt clunkier or less subtle than my favorite George Eliot, Adam Bede, but the writing style really is magnificent. I think that's what carried me through to the end. I wasn't a fan of Eliot until I'd read Bede and now I want to read everything she wrote, and go back and read the books I'd read in my youth to rediscover what I'd missed back then. But I'm not likely to ever re-read this one.
Mixed feelings about this one. I both read and listened, alternating or simultaneously. It felt clunkier or less subtle than my favorite George Eliot, Adam Bede, but the writing style really is magnificent. I think that's what carried me through to the end. I wasn't a fan of Eliot until I'd read Bede and now I want to read everything she wrote, and go back and read the books I'd read in my youth to rediscover what I'd missed back then. But I'm not likely to ever re-read this one.
19PocheFamily
8 BFBs ... On a Sunbeam, Tillie Walden, (hardbound) 544 pages (no audiobook).
Not my cup of tea/thing. My first graphic novel and not the kind of SciFi I'm attracted to - but the panels were beautifully drawn and organized.
Not my cup of tea/thing. My first graphic novel and not the kind of SciFi I'm attracted to - but the panels were beautifully drawn and organized.
20PocheFamily
9 BFBs ... Donovan: America's Master Spy, Richard Dunlop - 592 pages (25h, 1m audiobook)
#230 in the group's list.
A really interesting biography. Very positive towards its subject, yet thoroughly researched and presented in a clear, chronological story of a life that included many explanations of Donovan's motivations and struggles. I'm coming away from this read thinking how lucky our nation was to have this man at this point in time creatively solving the problems he could foresee as the world approached and fought through WW2. I also appreciate the author did not wallow in sensationalism but stuck to facts and information. Definitely disappointed this book ended, and that I'll never get a chance to meet Donovan.
#230 in the group's list.
A really interesting biography. Very positive towards its subject, yet thoroughly researched and presented in a clear, chronological story of a life that included many explanations of Donovan's motivations and struggles. I'm coming away from this read thinking how lucky our nation was to have this man at this point in time creatively solving the problems he could foresee as the world approached and fought through WW2. I also appreciate the author did not wallow in sensationalism but stuck to facts and information. Definitely disappointed this book ended, and that I'll never get a chance to meet Donovan.
21PocheFamily
10 BFBs ... The Sand Pebbles, Richard McKenna - 671 pages (22h, 27m)
#255 in the group's list.
A thoroughly interesting novel set on US naval ship patrolling the Yangtze river in the inter-war years. Reminded me strongly of A Tale of Two Cities a few times. This book definitely captured a particular place and time now long gone.
#255 in the group's list.
A thoroughly interesting novel set on US naval ship patrolling the Yangtze river in the inter-war years. Reminded me strongly of A Tale of Two Cities a few times. This book definitely captured a particular place and time now long gone.
