Good news is I have now started my Top 100 list. Bad news is my memory isn't making it easy. I need to find the readers journal I kept before I started blogging. I'm telling myself I know where it is so uh, hopefully.
I have 38 titles so far and some have been pulled off already. Also, I'm wondering about books I haven't re-read in years. Or heck, those that I can't remember the plots to! I read every McNaught book but the only one I really remember is P - crap. It's one word. OH!! I think I loved the one with the hero almost getting killed by the heroine's family. I'll be looking that up as soon as I'm done here.
So I'm fumbling because I keep thinking, if the story was that great, if I loved it so much, shouldn't I remember it? I was telling Kristie the last time she visited that in my book journal I only kept brief notes. I had marked a book as a keeper and it had been read 3 months before. I couldn't tell you the first thing about it. Seriously.
Which in turn has me wondering about long term memory verses short term memory. They talk about the memory going when you get older so are the books I read years ago really the best of the best because I remember them or is it just because I was younger and thus had more time to crank it into long term memory? My short term memory blows nowadays so how does any book have a chance to make it into long term memory? I guess it would be pretty damn special.
Ride the Fire by Pamela Clare is on my list and I read it in the past two years so obviously my short term isn't fried. I know this because I have not re-read the book but I still remember so much about it. Then again, I don't remember scenes per se as the feel of the story and the setting and that it was my kind of romance.
I'm wondering about Shanna by Woodiwiss. I really don't remember much about this story and I think it made me mad at points but it's been years since I read it and I have no wish to drag it out right now.
That said, I'm putting A Rose In Winter by Woodiwiss on the list because I remember many of the scenes. Not word for word, but I remember the poignant parts.
Then - I know I loved Darkling, I Listen by Katherine Sutcliffe but again, no clue. I think she is a reporter and he is a fallen movie star. Other than that, I got nothing. So I'm thinking it shouldn't be on the list.
So there is just some of the method to my madness on how I'm approaching the poll.
Another thing. I have many books that are category stories that I would want to put on the list but I have noticed (at least in my section) that people aren't really doing this. Doesn't matter though. It's my Top *mumble* list so there will probably be the odd category.
And finally, (I heard that sigh of relief) I know that many of my choices don't fall on others ballots. I'm really only looking at a third of them and have glanced at others but I have more than a few titles that I haven't seen anywhere else.
And just for my own edification (I didn't know I would ever be able to pull that word out and use it) can someone tell me how The Thorn Birds ends? I rented the DVD about a year ago and wanted to throw things at the TV. As it's getting close to the end, the DVD cracks up - scratches or something so I never saw how it ended. I got to the part where the son dies and the priest guy finds out but uh, I don't see how this story could end happily.
9 comments:
I would think that after 20 my list would probably get very inaccurate. I find the method of voting weird.
I read Thorn Birds when I was a teenager. I've blocked it out of my memory, but Wikipedia should be able to help. :-)
I've never done the AAR 100 poll and I'm really reluctant to do so, because once I found 100 books, I have to put them in order of preference... ugh. Also, I'm an author's fan... so probably almost all the books from one author would be on the list, then another author and again, another one... I don't know, just doesn't seem right ^^;
Hooray! You've started your list. I know from just looking at my third of the ballots that some of the books on my ballot have only appeared on it (did that make sense). I have a couple real favorites, including some categories, that I just couldn't leave off my ballot.
I'm about 3/4 of the way done. And I'm not going to have any trouble getting to 100. The problem is the order. Although a book will be 99, it just as easy could be 35. My first 25 are pretty easy but after that - it's tough for order.
As for The Thorn Birds - it doesn't have a HEA as one envisions it. The priest dies of a heart attack brought on by the death of his son not long after the son and the daughter and Maggie get a slightly better relationship - that's pretty much it
I think Kristie covered the Thorn Birds subject :D I honestly can't remember if I ever finished watching it. I know I never read it.
I don't think I could do the AAR top 100 ~ it's too hard. I'm all about simplicity :D I look forward to seeing what the results are though!
I'm trying to work on my Top 100 but after the first 25 or so, it's a struggle. I made the list in author order first by looking thru my Readerware and picking out alll the books I remember loving (although some of the details are very vague). Now I'm to the point of sorting into order of preference and it's hard!
I've got some category books on mine and I know there aren't going to be on anyone else's list...*sigh*
Oh Cinnnnnddddyyyyy. The Cravenators are calling!
The Thorn Birds - oh, don't get me started. I read it the first week I was in college, and bawled my head off. The ending sucks. Heck, the whole thing sucks. No HEA. Ralph makes Cardinal and they die apart. His ambition doomed them, although she didn't make the wisest choice in picking a priest and then not moving on. Ack.
No Woodiwiss titles made my list. At one time at least 4 would have. But I've tried to re-read them in the last several years, and it's like slogging through mud, the prose is so dense and purplish. This stinks because Once Upon a Time I just looooooved A Rose in Winter and The Wolf and the Dove. Sigh.
argh, blogger ate my comment...stupid blogger.
anyway, good luck with the list. :)
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