Reading challenge: tackle the book that you have owned the longest

[bibliomania]

Its time has finally come - pick up the book that has accompanied you through the last umpteen house moves, or the one that has languished longest in the depths of your kindle. The challenge is simple: to read it between now and the end of June.

If you start it and it's not for you, maybe it's time to let it go to a new home.

With physical books, you won't always know which you've owned the longest, but go on - pick one!

I'm going with Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World, by Jack Weatherford. It was published in 2004 and acquired by me in December 2015. Its time has come!

Well done @SheilaFentiman ! I'm still dragging my heels over The Corner.. Need to finish a library book first as it's due back, then I'll go for it (or get rid).

I finished Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin, which I e owned for at least 14 years. An interesting book, but one I had to force myself to continue with and finish. It’s about Mortenson’s efforts in the 1990s to finance and build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan, particularly to educate girls. Since finishing it I’ve learned that Relin sadly took his own life, following the accuracy of some of the ‘story’ being called into question and allegations of financial mismanagement by Mortenson, whose heart was unquestionably in the right place. I’m still trying to process this.

Not sure what to read next.

I didn't realize the background to that book, @LifeOfBriony . That's really sad. Well done for finally tackling it!

I'm now on p105 of The Corner That Held Them, just over a quarter of the way through. It's the story of a convent over several centuries in the Middle Ages. It's written from an unusual perspective - the author's attention alights on a character for a paragraph or two and then moves on, and so we move through the centuries. There's no space to get attached to individuals, or to wonder how a plot-point will work out. I am enjoying it and I'll finish if I stay focused and avoid getting distracted by something else.

I'm now going to boast about finishing The Corner That Held Them, by Sylvia Townsend Warner. A quote from one reviewer on the back cover promised I'd finish and immediately want to turn to page 1 again. That was not my feeling.

We start briefly in the twelfth century with an unflattering account of the convent's founder, and then move swiftly on to the fourteenth century, where we follow the life of the convent for 33 years (length of Jesus' life?) We see off the Black Death, the building of a spire, terrible accounting, dodgy priests, disapproving bishops and the occasional runaway nun. It's not a serene life. You don't get the chance to get attached to any character and there are incidents but not an overarching plot-line, so it's somewhat austere as a reading experience. All you really get is an atmosphere. I'm pleased that I finished it and have given my copy away to someone who might enjoy it more.

I set the end of June at the end of the challenge (the year's halfway point) so I'm aiming to get through one more long-owned book, alongside some library books I need to return.

Congrats @bibliomania
I am now half way through The Mitfords which I’m still really enjoying. I still have Winter in Madrid and The Making of Modern Britain on my 2012 list. I think ai will try the latter first as I’ve no desire to read it and think it is a likely DNF- part of me thinks I should delete before I even try. The other is my last ever Sansom to read which is sad but I think I will love it. Will save it for when school finishes for the summer.

Glad you're enjoying The Mitfords, @ÚlldemoShúl

Well done @bibliomania

Thanks @SheilaFentiman . At least I get a small glow of achievement!

Finished The Mitfords- great read- loved it! Will try to tackle the others after the summer I think- Winter in Madrid in Winter and Making of Modern Britain maybe September time.

Well done @ÚlldemoShúl !

Closing down the challenge. Pleased to have blown the dust of my copies of Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World and The Corner that Held Them. Nuns and Huns, we did it.

Well done @bibliomania
I still have 2 to go which I’ll add to my reading after the summer. Determined to get them done in 2025.

Thanks for running this @bibliomania, I'm very close to completing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, I'll have it done tonight just in time for the deadline!

Well done to you both - @InTheCludgie good luck in escaping from Oz by midnight!

My oldest unread book is My Name is Red, Orhan Pamuk - bought on the recommendation of a much-loved colleague in 2001/2 and has been with me through 5 house moves. I just googled the synopsis and it looks like what I'd like to read right now!

That's satisfying, Myrobalanna. It sounds like its hour has come!

Thank you for this challenge, @bibliomania . I’ve returned to the thread to say that I decided to also read Human Croquet, which was the book I’d had on my Kindle the longest without reading it. I realised that part of the reason I hadn’t read it was because I find I sometimes need to flick back through Kate Atkinson’s books to remind myself of a significant point of detail, which I find I can only do easily with a physical book. I very much enjoyed it, so much so that I intend to read more Kate Atkinson.

My intention is still to reduce my tbr pile - I think there’s another challenge for that on MN.

Well done, @LifeOfBriony