I’m on vacation…

Tags

books

There will be a silence on the blog front for the next week or so as I am on vacation. I am still reading and will post reviews when I return. Happy holidays!

Jeopardy Audition 2011

Tags

books, jeopardy, tv

I had my long-awaited Jeopardy audition two days ago in Kansas City, and it went very well!  I am in the contestant pool, which means I can be called any time in the next 18 months to be invited to LA for a taping.  It was quite an experience.  A cancelled flight turned a quick trip to Kansas City into an epic road trip that covered 1000 miles in two days.  The audition itself consisted of a written test, a miniature game of Jeopardy, and a personality interview.  Out of fifty test questions, I think I missed roughly 8.  The mini game was fun and I didn’t answer any questions incorrectly.  The interview also went well.  Overall, I think my chances are good to get invited to LA.  That said, I won’t be waiting by the phone.  There were quite a few really smart people in Kansas City and I am sure there have been many more auditioning around the country.  I will keep everyone posted if I get a taping.  Until then, I look forward to less studying and more reading.  Thanks for all of the support and encouragement!

My goal is in Jeopardy…

Tags

books, jeopardy, tv

A recent development could potentially impact my quest for 100 books– I have been selected to audition for Jeopardy! My audition will be June 13th in Kansas City, MO.  After the novel I am currently reading, I will not read another novel until June 14th. Instead, I will read reference books and historical works in order to prepare for the audition. This might slow my pace a bit. I am still confident that I can get to 100, but it will require me to work even harder in the second half of the year. It will be worth it to meet Trebek!

The Number One Obstacle to Reading…

Tags

books

The Beast imposes his will...

… is a 65 pound Border Collie mix named Duke who firmly believes two things: that he deserves your undivided attention and that he is a lap dog despite his size.  Tomorrow he might let me finish another book.  Maybe.

Month in Review: February

Tags

100 books, books

Another month has gone, which means it is time to check out my overall progress.  My target for February was eight books, which I missed by one.  That puts my current total at fourteen, giving me an average of  1 book/4.21 days.  I am still well behind the necessary 1/3.65 average, but am pleased with my progress thus far.  I am still two books ahead of last year’s pace.

  Here is the breakdown of February’s books:

1 Novel: The Spy Who Came in from the Cold

2 Plays: The Comedy of Errors and Julius Caesar

2 Historical/Biographical Works: Churchill: An Unruly Life and A Moveable Feast

1 Philosophical Book: Human, All Too Human

1 Educational Book: The Elements of Style

Book of the Month: The Spy Who Came in from the Cold

All of the books I read over the past month were excellent, but le Carre’s book was definitely my favorite.

Last year I read 13 books in March, and I hope to match that total this year.  Wish me luck!

Month in Review: January

Tags

100 books, books

Despite the flu’s best efforts to take me out, I made it to February!  I thought a post reviewing my progress thus far would be in order.  Without any further ado, here is my Month in Review for January 2011.

I got through seven books in January, which gives me an average of one book every 4.4 days.  That is behind the average of 1/3.65 needed to get 100 in the year.  In other words, I need to step it up in February.

On the bright side, last year I only read five books in January.  That means I am ahead of last year’s pace (that ended with 63 read).

Here is the breakdown:

3 Novels: Cancer Ward, The Sirens of Titan, and Rosshalde

1 Collection of Short Stories: Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned

1 Poetry Collection: A Boy’s Will

1 History Book: The River War

1 Philosophical Book: Of the Conduct of the Understanding

Best Book of January: Cancer Ward by Alexander Solzhenitsyn

I enjoyed all seven books that I read over the past month, but Cancer Ward was my favorite.  If you haven’t already, find a copy and read it.

My February target is eight books.  Stay tuned for my progress!

Which 100?

Tags

100 books, books, classics, literature, Raphael

A few faithful readers have asked me how I am choosing which 100 books to read.  The answer is a patchwork.  Some of the books are ones that I have planned to read for some time.  Others are suggestions offered by friends and family.  Some of my choices are dictated by which books are already sitting on my shelves, as my wife likes to point out that I have a pretty good collection of unread titles in my library.   Still more are books that randomly spring into my mind, which I then hunt for at Half-Price Books (thanks to a few HPB Christmas gift cards).  I try to get a good balance of genres and authors through the course of a year, with an emphasis placed on books and classics that have stood the test of time.  My 2010 list gives a pretty good idea of the kind of mixture I am trying to achieve.

 The ultimate goal of my quest is self-improvement.  I could read 100 works of junk fiction and call the challenge completed, but that would defeat my purpose.  I look at every book I read (and encourage my students to do the same) as an opportunity to learn something.  Even junk fiction can teach you something about yourself and humanity as a whole.  Think how much more the classics can teach.  Although my challenge has a stated quantitative goal, it does not ignore qualitative considerations.  I am not just reading 100 books for the sake of reading 100 books.  Instead, I am trying to read 100 books that I can use to better myself. 

One of my favorite paintings of all time is The School of Athens by Raphael.  In it, the greatest philosophers are all gathered together in one place, arguing the fundamental questions of philosophy.  This is how I view reading.  As readers, we have the opportunity to assemble exactly this type of supergroup.  I do not mean that I wouldn’t let Dean Koontz or Steve Berry say a word or two in my conversation.  But when it comes down to it, if you can learn from anybody, you want Plato, Churchill, Locke, Newton, etc.  That is how I decide my 100—I want books that I will enjoy, but I want books that will teach me something even more.

Happy New Year! The Challenge begins…

Tags

100 books, books

Welcome to 1 Year, 100 Books.  Last year I resolved to read 100 books before the end of 2010.  I fell 35 books short.  This year, I will be using this blog to hold myself accountable as I try to succeed in my quest for the century mark.  Please feel free to suggest books to include in my 100, to give me updates on your own reading, or to offer suggestions for improvements to the blog.  I will post updates regarding my progress every few days, and will post reviews of each book I finish.

The Current Count:

0 Read, 100 To Go

Coming soon…

Nothing to see yet, check back next week!