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This year I am the booklord What's this all about? We make reading goals, then keep track of the books we read. Not much to it. This isn't pyf so say some stuff about the books you read beyond listing them. Why is it rad? What did you hate? How is your grandmother? So where's the challenge In this crazy new world we live in you can make your own challenge. Want to try and read 200 books in a year? Go for it. I suggest you branch out a little from that though. Read all of Proust's In Search of Lost Time? You go girl. Read the "classics"? Work it girlfriend. Just declare what your challenge is and pop in every now and then to tell us how its going. I will also keep a general track of how people are doing in the first couple of posts and give you nice little graphics that say hey you reach a milestone or something. However since its 2015, the year of the sheep, instead of being free spirits you should follow me and take on my challenge designed to get people out of their comfort zones and read a bunch of different things by doing each of the following: 1. The vanilla read a set number of books in a year. 2. Read a female author 3. The non-white author 4. Philosophy 5. History 6. An essay 7. A collection of poetry 8. Something post-modern 9. Something absurdist 10. The Blind Owl (Free translation if your ok with reading on a screen or cant find a copy!) 11. Something on either hate or love 12. Something dealing with space 13. Something dealing with the unreal 14. Wildcard (Some one else taking the challenge will tell you what to read) 15. Something published this year or the past three months 16. That one book that has been sitting on your desk waiting for a long time 17. A play 18. Biography 19. The color red 20. Something banned or censored 21. Short story(s) 22. A mystery There are no real rules so feel free to stretch and define what you put in these categories as you see fit. Not only will you get the smug sense of self satisfaction by taking on and overcoming this challenge, I will figure out some sort of special reward for you at the end of the year. Stravinsky fucked around with this message at 04:16 on Jan 8, 2015 |
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Jan 1, 2015 22:04
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Those taking my challenge Lumius-50 books Namirsolo-70 books,10 classics, plus Ulysses Prolonged Shame-100 books,12 presidential biographies and 25 nonfiction books Hantama-50 books Quidnose-24 books Radio!-52 books Fellwenner-52 books Erakko- 40 books DannyTanner Meander-60 books Spadoink-60 books (I interpreted your post as taking part) ltr-52 books clq-40 books,3 pratchet,3 stephen king,five Norwegians with one published in 2015 knees of putty Trek Junkie-50 books High Warlord Zog-52 previously unread authors saphron-30 books Siminu-52 books elbow-60 books Cithen-42 books Captain Vittles-24 books true.spoon-52 books Chamberk-52 books The Berzerker-35 books Bobby The Rookie-50 books belt-52 books, every other one nonfiction Popular Human guppy-30 books Guy A. Person-12 female,12 nonfiction,12 non-American/European books,Gravity's Rainbow Dienes-52 books,  Roydrowsy-100 books,10% rereads, 10% like 100 years old Mahlertov Cocktail-45 books tookie-60 books Sodacan-26 books, a DFW collection/novel, a Dostoevsky,Camus' "The Plague", Gene Wolfes side stories Corrode-40 books SwimGood-25 books Stravinsky fucked around with this message at 05:13 on Jan 8, 2015 |
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Jan 1, 2015 22:05
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Misc. Challenges Tsyni-26 Books, + trolling me with comics apophenium-30 books,5 non-fiction, and at least 5 (unique) females Aethersphere-30 books (not sure if taking my challenge or not will move if asked) screenwritersblues-45 books thespaceinvader-70 books CestMoi-Harold Bloom's Western Canon ZakAce-90 books and a smattering from op challenge Aphra Bane-37 books, this challenge list Damo-40 Books,8 Non-Fiction,4 Non-SciFi/Fantasy Fiction,4 Books by women anilEhilated-20 non scifi,House of leaves Albinator- Jonathan Yardley’s favorite books oliven-45 books Walh Hara-52 books,20% female authors,10 different nationalities, Blind owl Talas-60 books,finish discworld Blind Sally-books sitting around unread nerdman42-18 books Ex-Priest Tobin-35 books rrrrrrrrrrrt-24 books phuqueyoo- all murakami, and killing himself with the wheel of time HIJK-15 books Hocus Pocus-72 books, all of Herman Hesse, read more John Steinbeck,blind owl, more Kobo Abe,straya,Jane Austen and of mysteries such hawks-26 books, branch out from scifi/nonfiction Arrgytehpirate-30 books Burning Rain-70 books, 2 from the rebellious and seperarist catalan language Loten-30 books Strong Mouse-50 books Ursus Veritas-20 books, suicidal? ToxicFrog-96 books,25% max on rereads,10% nonfiction Whalley-52 books thehomemaster-52 books mrchinchin25-20 books,all of Neal Asher's Polity/AgentCormac/3rd thing books, finish Malazan fritzov-35 books Stravinsky fucked around with this message at 05:13 on Jan 8, 2015 |
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Jan 1, 2015 22:05
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hell, why not one more?
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Jan 1, 2015 22:05
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Hantama posted:How are you going to do "14. Wildcard (Some one else taking the challenge will tell you what to read)" ? Figured nothing formal, just pop whenever your ready and say you need your wildcard and someone will shout a book at you. Tsyni posted:As a challenge I'm going to shoot for at least half of them being comic books, in honour of Stravinksy being the book lord. It's between you and god and soon me when I finally figure out how to focus my chi and explode your head scanners style over cable. Aethersphere posted:I really like the idea of a challenge. How will it work? Like, I am reading 30 books, so of those 30 books, one has to be by a female author, one has to be a collection of poetry, etc.? Or would it be that I would read 30 books, and then extra books on top of that? Follow your heart, do what you feel is right. Radio! posted:Going for 52, as usual, but I'll do the Stravinsky Challenge™ too since it seems easy enough. Booklord, do you have any suggestions for books in the various categories? Especially the post-modern, absurdist, and hate/love categories. Some dudes already gave you some answers but part of my ideal is to generate some book/suggestion talk here and in recommended and specific threads all throughout tbb. ZakAce posted:Seeing as I managed to read 90 books last year, I'll start with that number. I'll probably try to widen my scope of reading as well - I'll try to read some more classics (e.g. The Count of Monte Cristo, Effie Briest, Anna Karenina). Follow your heart. Or go by the standard of would someone call him a white cracker devil. Aphra Bane posted:I met my goal of 45 last year but it was a bit of a desperate stretch towards the end, so this year I'm scaling back to 37. It seems I managed to meet most of Stravinksy's challenge criteria last year so I'm not doing too bad diversity-wise. I'm considering doing this challenge list that I mentioned in the last thread. That's a good list Blind Sally posted:You should have done this a year ago rather than bitching about what people read. Glad you're doing it now, though. 
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Jan 2, 2015 20:22
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knees of putty posted:I'm just going to do the challenge; numbers are irrelevant (to me). Looking for books that will challenge me - my choices for the first (#2, female author) are All of them saphron posted:Do people typically count audiobooks in this, or is that more of a 'at your own discretion' kinda thing? Follow your heart Siminu posted:(Does Machiavelli's The Prince count as philosophy? That's been on my pile for a while now) It's political philosophy so go ahead. Really its ok to stretch any of the requirements and in fact I encourage others to do so. elbow posted:Sorry, somehow I forgot to include that I've never read any poetry I've liked. I enjoy Carver's short stories but haven't tried his poetry. I'm probably looking for something fairly easy; I dislike overly ornamental language and experimental poetry. Maybe make your challenge (or incorporate it into your current one) to find poetry that clicks with you? Just a cool suggestion from me to you. Hocus Pocus posted:I am determined to accomplish last year's stretch of 72. I read a mix of things last year, but this year I'd like to read more nonfiction and poetry - do you have a babby's first poetry list somewhere in SA, Stravinsky? Last year I read some Baudelaire and some Keats and that was it. Go to a used bookstore and look for one of those english 111 or whatever textbooks with poetry (or if you can find one thats all poetry go for that). That is what I ended up doing last year to really start looking at poetry. There is also a poetry thread somewhere that has some real good suggestions in the op. (oh cestmoi is already on it and knows whats up in general so listen to him)
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Jan 6, 2015 00:33
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ToxicFrog posted:I'm probably not going to bother with the Booklord Challenge -- if for no other reason than that I've tried The Blind Owl before and found it completely unreadable, and I'm not going to force myself through a book I hate just so that I can say that I did -- but I might use it as a tiebreaker when I'm deciding what to read next. And it's already generated some interesting recommendations, so thanks for posting it. You can still do the challenge if you want to but skip the blind owl if you found it disagreeable. The idea is to just try and get people to try different things and have a little bit of fun beyond posting lists of books to fill an arbitrary number requirement. This way your also arbitrarily fulfilling my requirements as well. Part of the reason for the book being on the list is because it is a middle eastern arabic writer (not many people read any of those and I am not going to count the kite runner in that category) who most people would never read any of his works so its there. Mostly its just self indulgence on my part. Also what makes you think it is unreadable? Popular Human posted:edit: I feel like I should know this already, but Stravinsky: what's so great about The Blind Owl? The recursive nature of the book that is partly about death, partly about making art, and partly a opium dream that does not overstay it's welcome. I think it is wonderfully written. For people who can not get a physical copy I will put a link to a free translation in the op when I remember where I put it.
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Jan 6, 2015 00:42
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There was someone asking about something about the color red category but I can not find you but its an intentionally vague and broad category kinda like the love/hate one. Anything that you can think or someone can think of that can go into that category. Like you can read a book on communism or that one grr martin book with the wedding. Or maybe something a bit more literal. It is meant to generate some book talk and suggestions. I will be kind of disappointed if everyone picks like where the red fern grows, the red badge of courage, or the scarlet letter though  I will start putting up peoples challenges and stuff in the op tomorrow/sometime this week
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Jan 6, 2015 00:48
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SwimGood posted:How interpretative is the OP list? Like, can I read Stoner and tick off Something dealing with space? Considering the book, to me, is all about social and inter-personal barriers we all force others into/try to break out of in order to connect with our fellow people. CestMoi posted:The list isn't actually anything that's going to be rigidly administered if you read something and say "yeah this book was about red" but actually that book wasn't about red nothing is going to happen. It's a guideline to get you maybe reading broadly and outside your comfort zone, rather than reading 200 spiderman comics and calling it a year. Blind Sally posted:The idea is to challenge yourself, rather than just reading, say, Animorph books all year. If you feel this interpretation keeps the challenge intact, then go for it. If it's not, then you're only going to be letting yourself down. You got it.
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Jan 8, 2015 03:59
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For people asking what translation of the Blind Owl I would recommend: D.P. Costello's or Iraj Bashiri's. I am not so big on Law's translation and Naveed Noori's I have not read. Good news on the Bashiri translation is that it is available for free here so if you are ok with a screen instead of physical book its there to go.
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Jan 8, 2015 04:07
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I have updated op with everyone's challenge and will fix the formatting and stuff later. Plus this serves as a marker of where I have not added new peoples challenges yet.
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Jan 8, 2015 05:16
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GenericGirlName posted:I'm lame as heck and only keep up with these for like 15~ books a year BUT THIS YEAR IS DIFFERENT! Because I will set the bar lower and lower. Gonna go for a cool 22 books. I'll try to hit a bunch of different categories by picking some stuff from Stravinsky's list, but I don't want to tie myself to that because I have a couple of other books I want to read, including finally just reading stuff I really want to read, including a bunch of plays and some history books written by professors I really like LETS DO THIS!!! :/ I do feel bad that I have not read anything yet this year, feels gross man. I believe in you
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Jan 21, 2015 06:13
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Lets see, so far I did Capitalist Punishment a series of essays on the privatization of prisons that is outdated because it was put out in I think 2008 but is still very good and relevant. I got it off of the old lf goodreads reading list and was given to me at christmas. Assisted Living by Nikanor Teratologen, which surprisingly for a book full of incest rimjobs on infected holes and murder and gay sex was the most boring thing I read in years but it made me laugh when it referred to a self suck as a 34 and a half and also the grandpa going off on how proust was a piece of poo poo that was not worth anything. The play The Wild Duck where the son of a wealthy corrupt merchant decides he wants to be a self righteous prick and expose his father's lies and underhanded dealings way after the fact and destroys his friends life. I finally read Death in Venice and its cool but my copy fell apart when I dropped it in the river. Going to finish up Broue's The German Revolution 1912-1923 sometime this month and it's really good and I could probably murder someone with it. Thanks for reading I will probably update stuff tomorrow or sometime when I am not lazy.
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Feb 2, 2015 00:32
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Argali posted:So what are people gonna read for their censored/banned book? I am reading Ferdydurke and it is hilarious.
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Mar 16, 2015 00:22
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Argali posted:3. The Blind Owl, Sadegh Hedayat. This is a horrendous work of pathetic, pointless depression, like the scribblings from a high school freshman's notebook disguised as literature. Travel along as an agoraphobic opium addict drones on and on about death and shadows and madness, gets mocked by his adulterous wife, and stumbles around random ruined landscapes in Iran thinking deep thoughts. Other authors have done this with far greater skill - in fact, I couldn't help but read this as a kind of "Maldoror For Dummies" in many sections. 0/5. Booklord Challenge 2 completed: Read this lovely book. I'm glad that you gave it a chance even if you did not like it. I would not consider it rambling personally but :that one shrugging smiley: it is about death in a Tibetan sense (it is also about the process of creating art) where you enter bardo, a intermediary state where you have hallucinations and visions based on your life and can be repeated on end and be terrifying if you do not accept your fate and move on into your next life. Hence the repeated imagery of the old man the lady and the sense of rambling you had etc. I wouldn't say he ever has deep thoughts in the book but rather rumination due to being unable to move on. He was an opium addict though and addiction does play a huge role and can be seen as one of the core themes it touches on. Stravinsky fucked around with this message at 21:49 on Mar 17, 2015 |
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Mar 17, 2015 21:41
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It is not an easy, feel good thing to read so I understand if anyone comes off reading it not liking it. That's OK 
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Mar 17, 2015 21:45
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Argali posted:Have you read Georges Bataille's The Impossible? I think that's far better than The Blind Owl and, thematically, is in the same general ballpark. I have not read any of bataille's stuff yet but I will check this one out.
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Mar 24, 2015 21:11
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Mahlertov Cocktail posted:This post is already too fuckin' long, so I'll go ahead and post my booklord challenge since you're gonna skip it anyway. I actually read everything everyone posts itt.
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Apr 22, 2015 01:48
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My reading kind of slowed down since march because I have been reading stuff required or acting as an editor for some dudes I put out a lit zine with last year but here is what I did read so far since then: Kokoro, in which a student who hangs around a depressed man for a long time Ferdydurke, a hilarious book that I highly recommend people read plus reinforced the idea that interwar/early20th century is my favorite literary time period The curious casebook of inspector hanshichii, boring serialization detective stories and I can understand why Kido wanted to stop making them. The politics of Herion, because i guess I am making my way through the old lf reading list but its very good.
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Apr 22, 2015 02:02
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Schizotek posted:
I warned you.
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May 17, 2015 01:50
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apophenium posted:Could use a few non-fiction suggestions, if the thread obliges. Capitalist Punishment prison privatization & human rights- Made up of 17 different essay/articles on the trend on privatization of prisons in the west and its adverse effects. Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq's Green Zone- A reporter's look on how the first year of occupation went, the effects of idealism in the face of reality by people with good intentions What is History by Edward Hallet Carr
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May 29, 2015 19:27
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Stravinsky posted:Capitalist Punishment prison privatization & human rights- Made up of 17 different essay/articles on the trend on privatization of prisons in the west and its adverse effects. To add to this bring back LF!
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May 30, 2015 02:21
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Chamberk posted:
The cool thing about absurdist literature is that they are all pretty funny. I read Ferdydurke this year and it is probably the funniest thing I have ever read. Another idea would be the old standby of Catch22 if you have not read that yet. If you want something darker there is always Kafka with which I love The Trial. If you want to go the poetry rout e.e. cummings is fun to read (in short burst, his style can get a little tiring.)
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Jun 30, 2015 23:13
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Why not? Its pretty absurd.
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Jul 3, 2015 03:01
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I am reading Farewell to Matyora for the love/hate category. It is a book ridden with nostalgia and missing the simple village life (a love for it that resides particular in childhood) but at the same time does not glamorizes it. I thought it would end up being nothing but pastoralism but it definitely does not.
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Jul 29, 2015 23:15
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There is a right and wrong way to fulfill the red category. But I'm not telling and will destroy you if you get it wrong. 
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Jul 29, 2015 23:17
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Fedelm posted:I think I'm still open to this unless I missed something? I got you, North by Louis-Ferdinand Céline
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Nov 7, 2015 19:07
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note.
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Years not up yet, plus someone else can be booklord or something because I'm going to be super busy for the foreseeable future
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Nov 25, 2015 23:26
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The blind owl is long?
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Nov 28, 2015 22:52
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