Finishing up Kafka on the Shore, by Haruki Murakami. It's weird, definitely different from anything I've read before, but I really enjoyed it. It made me want to read more foreign literature! Though it also made me realize some things about translations that I hadn't really taken into account before

I'll probably move on to either The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, by David Mitchell or Catch-22, by Joseph Heller. Not quite sure yet

Finished Catch-22, by Joseph Heller

For my challenge this year I read two classics each month, and this one was definitely the best one so far. I never laughed as much reading before and the ending chapters were absolutely devastating. Can only recommend to anyone.

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. I'll be done reading it by the end of the day, on the final part. I'm a big fan of the movie, watched it a lot of times and the book has been amazing to get to read.

And I picked up Catch 22 by Joseph Heller to begin reading afterwards.

Finished "Walden & Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau" Started "Catch - 22 by Joseph Heller"

Catch-22, by Joseph Heller

I’m trying to get into it, but I find really hard to understand what’s happening (maybe because english is not my first language, but I usually don’t have a problem with that, as I read mostly in english).

People say it’s really funny but I just don’t see it? Maybe I haven’t gotten to the funny bits? I honestly don’t know.

Finished Catch 22, by Joseph Heller man it was hard to get through but it was worth it. I purchased the sequel Closing Time, by Joseph Heller

Also started A Confederacy of Dunces, by John Kennedy Toole Jr Its amazing.

Started: All That's Dead by Stuart MacBride - I'm a huge fan of MacBride so have been looking forward to this. Not that far into it, but it's as good as expected.

Started and finished: Before the Fall by Noah Hawley - re-read this as a friend mentioned reading it on FB. Just as good as I remember.

Gave up on: Catch 22 by Joseph Heller - was enjoying it, but turned into a bit of a slog. Will likely try again at some point

Reading through both Catch-22, by Joseph Heller and All Quiet On The Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque

I've become really interested in how wars are started and the mindset behind those who start them. I think both books expose the hypocrisy of war well.

I finished:

Just Kids, by Patti Smith (review)

Whose Story Is This?: Old Conflicts, New Chapters, by Rebecca Solnit (eARC) (review)

I started:

Catch-22, by Joseph Heller

I finished Catch-22, by Joseph Heller (review)

I started Jamaica Inn, by Daphne du Maurier

I finished A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. Interesting and funny read. Was disappointed he didn't actually walk the whole AT (not much of a spoiler) but entertaining.

Started Catch 22 by Joseph Heller and Pines by Blake Crouch. Catch 22 has been on my list for 20 years so glad to finally be diving in!

Finished Mary Shelly's Frankenstien It was better than I expected.

Finished Harry Potter: Goblet of Fire

Started Heat Wave by Richard Castle Was a fan of the show and always wanted to read the books just to see how they hold up.

Started Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

Just finished Life Of Pi by Yann Martel. Liked it but the end is really confusing.

Now I am reading Mere Christianity by C.S Lewis and also Leonardo Da Vinci by Walter Isaacson.

To-read in the near future: Catch-22 by Joseph Heller and Crime and Punishment by F.M. Dostoyevsky.

Finished Blood Meridian, by Cormac McCarthy

Started Catch-22, by Joseph Heller

I just finished The Sun Also Rises By Ernest Hemingway, because I loved A Farewell to Arms... I enjoyed the prose, but the lack of plot really annoyed me. Also what was Brett doing and why couldn't any of them find another woman?

Started Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

Just started Catch-22, by Joseph Heller. I'm only a couple of chapters in but I love it so far, the humor is absolutely brilliant

First time posting, so hello everyone! 👋 Just finished reading The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood, and thoroughly loved it. Now moving onto Catch-22, by Joseph Heller. Another classic!

On Friday I finished

All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque

That book blew me away and I have never had such attachment to characters before!

Today I start

Catch-22, by Joseph Heller

Finished:

The Hiding Place, by C.J. Tudor Pretty similar to her first book. If you read and loved it, go ahead and try this one. If you didn’t, don’t bother. It was meh, like the book you’d buy and throw away while waiting for a flight.

Byzantium: The Empire of New Rome, by Cyril Mango Interesting, but not that interesting. Sadly this book is in bad shape and I’m tossing it now that I’ve read it.

Reading:

Murder by the Book: The Crime That Shocked Dickens’s London, by Claire Harman I listened to a podcast about this a little while back. I like crime and the Victorian era, but things weren’t always....well documented? So it’s nice to read a book that really looks into an infamous case.

Catch-22, by Joseph Heller Haven’t read this in forever. Caved and bought a copy because of the Hulu series.

Finished: Try This at Home by Frank Turner - an interesting look at his song writing process and the meaning behind some of his songs. Probably more for fans and people interested in song writing.

Started and finished: Cari Mora by Thomas Harris - it's been a while since I have read any Harris, so I'd forgotten how beautiful his writing can be. It's also nice to finally read another non Lecter book by him (much as I like Lecter). It's a very good book, but there are odd tangents in it.

Started: Catch 22 by Joseph Heller - finally got round to this, inspired by the new TV series. Not that far in yet, but enjoying it

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

Currently in the middle of this although I started it last week. About 70% in. Honestly my opinion on it has been flip-flopping a bit. In the beginning, I thought it was funny and trying to figure out the chronology was a fun challenge. But at the current time, I find myself growing a little tired of the joke format. It's pretty much the same joke repeated in every chapter which I understand is the point but it doesn't make reading it too enjoyable. And certain characters still blur together in my mind (I can barely tell the difference between the Generals) and it is really hard for me to sympathetize with anyone in the book so far.

I however appreciate what it is doing and the messages and themes prevalent through its writing. I'm going to finish it no matter what so I hope my opinion turns around on it by the time I finish.

Just started Catch-22, by Joseph Heller, and it's already one of my favourite books of all time

Finished: Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

I loved it. It was so clever and funny, and yet inspiring and uplifting in the end.

Started: To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

About 1/4th of the way in... Can't say I'm in love with the style of prose, but I'll give it a chance.

Recently finished reading: Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury I missed this one growing up, so I wanted to give it a shot. I really enjoyed the read, even though it was super short so I was able to read it in a couple of sittings. I feel like there was more story to tell, but I did enjoy the somewhat optimistic ending! The themes of the book were very obvious but at the same time not too heavy-handed to the point where it felt too over the top. It’s a “what if” story that I feel is an exaggerated version of something that could realistically occur in our world (though not in our lifetimes). Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys reading and the philosophy behind books and also since it’s so short and can be read in one sitting.

Just started Catch-22, by Joseph Heller I’m only a few chapters in, and it’s sort of all over the place. They throw a lot of characters and dialogue at you at once, but based on what I’ve read in this sub, it pays off in a good way. That’s not to say I’m not enjoying it, because I am! The humor is something I’ve never experienced in a book before, and it almost feels like an old, quirky comedy at times. I’m gonna keep readying this one and hopefully things will start to make more sense.

Also reading Wizard and Glass, by Stephen King I’ve been making my way through this series while reading other books in between. Absolutely adore these books so far. Weird mix of Sci-fi and fantasy that just hits every button for me.

Finished:

The English Major by Jim Harrison I really thought this was a riot and a gem. Harrison has a way with curmudgeonly stream of consciousness that keeps narration light and moving with quips and you never get lost or bored. His phrasing and message were great.

Quit:

Catch 22 by Joseph Heller I really wanted to like this one. I laughed a lot throughout for a majority of the book and at some point I realized I didnt really know what was going on or care. It felt like a series of interrelated parts where Heller just wants to remind you how clever he is.

Starting:

The Sound and The Fury by William Faulkner With regard to my other two recent picks, this one probably seems ironic. So far I'm dumbstruck and had to semi spoil it so I even understood who the characters are and the time frame and the switches in and out of italics. The whole first part was a slog. The second part is better but it's another stream of consciousness monster of text. Despite the difficulties, I am drawn to continue and just ride the wave. The language is impressionistic and reminds me of reading Blood Meridian but with even less plot at the forefront.

Started: Seabiscuit: An American Legend, by Laura Hillenbrand
Catch 22, by Joseph Heller

Finished: The Girl in Red, by Christina Henry
My review from GoodReads:
NOTE: I received an advanced copy as part of a Goodreads giveaway

You heard the tale of red riding hood, but did you hear the tale of the girl in a red hoodie called “Red”. The Girl in Red is a retelling of the classic tale Red Riding Hood. The tale is set against a dystopia backdrop of rural America Midwest. Red is making her journey to her grandma’s house but there are other dangers besides coyotes. The story is told through flashbacks and the present during the Crisis. The development of Red’s character was well done, and her survival mindset and empathy clash often. I thought the characters that joined her weakened her narrative. >!The kids were useless and served as trouble for Red to save the day. Her brother’s fate was underwhelming after a steady buildup. The conflict with the Real military was great, but it was short-lived.!< Overall, I gave it a 2 out of 5. An ok retelling that seemed to carry on too long in some spots and not enough in others.

Finished:

The spy who came in from the cold by John Lecarre

Girl Gone Viral by Arvin Ahmadi

Started:

Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

*Finished girl gone viral after posting my previous comment

Yesterday I finished Catch-22, by Joseph Heller

Overall, I was very impressed. I have never read a book so consistently funny. It's so iconic as well; you see the echoes of its influence everywhere in popular media ever since (think Seinfeld). It also contained moments of surprising sensitivity, like in the main character, Yossarian's, conversation with his bunkmate Orr. I can't recall a more disquieting chapter in literature.

Today I started White Noise, by Don Delillo and have already read the first 10 chapters (~40pgs). I am not terribly fond of it. Though it's obvious that Delillo is a creative fellow with a lot to say, he just doesn't know how to write.

Catch-22, by Joseph Heller

Confused as shit before 50 pages and then started get into the book. Great so far.

I finished 10% Happier by Dan Harris. It wasn't bad but didn't really resonate with me. It was less self help and and more memoir than I was hoping for. Essentially, it is his story of how he discovered meditation despite the voice in his head demeaning it and through that process found it made him... 10% Happier. I do love the title.

This week I also started reading Catch-22 by Joseph Heller.

Catch-22, by Joseph Heller

Just started reading it. The first chapter alone made me laugh out loud at multiple occasions.

Finished:

Dune by Frank Herbert

It was incredible and I'm afraid to read the sequels because I feel like they can't live up to the original.

Started:

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

I'm only 50 pages in. It's hilarious so far, but I feel like I don't really know what's going on. But I can't stop reading. The writing just feels so good.

Started and finished Catch-22, by Joseph Heller - I had way too high expectations for this from people who rave over it. I did not enjoy it at all.

Started: Cryptonomicon, by Neal Stephenson

Finished:

Catch-22, by Joseph Heller

I reread this every once in awhile, ready for the Hulu series.

Reading:

N or M?, by Agatha Christie

The Tommy & Tuppence books are the slightly more light hearted series to me. But the mentions of two world wars throughout and seeing T&T reflect on them is a little heartbreaking to me?? Otherwise, entertaining book.

By the Pricking of My Thumbs, by Agatha Christie

The Subtle Knife, by Phillip Pullman

I think I read part of this...fourteen years ago? Whoops.

Rereading ASOIAF, finished A Clash of Kings, by George R. R. Martin a week and a half ago and A Storm of Swords, by George R. R. Martin. Frankly, I'm a bit bored by now, and an having trouble going on with AFFC. I've already reread the series once, so Everytime I finish a chapter I think about the other books I could be reading for the first time instead. AGOT remains my favorite besides ADWD.

Finished Naked Lunch, by William Burroughs a week ago. This book was a difficult read, not because of the subject matter per se but because of the disordered, feverish style and Burroughs' crazy vocabulary and ability with the English language. This is easily the most difficult book I've read. Blows J R out of the water, which though at times confusing was always extremely coherent.

Finished Catch-22, by Joseph Heller. Reddit seems to love this book (second only to Steinbeck's East of Eden), so I tried it out. Reminds me a lot of Vonnegut, and is the funniest book I've read since Breakfast of Champions.

Continued to read Alexander Hamilton, by Ron Chernow. I haven't read a lot of history books, but I enjoy biographies quite a bit. Chernow does a really excellent job compiling his life into an understandable, dramatic, and fascinating tale. Though I'm not a superfan or anything, I did buy this book after seeing the play in person. I wish I had read this before seeing it!

Last week I finished Catch-22, by Joseph Heller, Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, and Meditation is Not What You Think, by Jon Kabat-Zinn.

This week I started The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger, by Steven King.

After a long time of seeing it sit on my shelf, I picked up Catch-22, by Joseph Heller and boy am I annoyed that I didn't start it sooner. It's quick and witty, character descriptions are amazing and the dialogue is second-to-none. Great reading from it.