2023 Challenges!

 I'm participating in three reading prompt type challenges this year. They are:

Popsugar (find that one here)

This is a popular one through the bookish community. I even found a Facebook group where people give tons of suggestions for all these prompts. So fun to see what people are coming up with!

Pioneer Book (the local used bookstore, you can find that one here)

This is one I've tried in the past, but is quite a difficult one. The thing that makes this one unique is that you have to read something from their various displays in the store. But it's fun to go support the store and find something to buy from these displays. I bought three there the other day. 

Orem Library (the local library)

I've taking all the lists and made a huge spreadsheet so I can easily see which prompts are similar from all the lists. I will use the same book across the three different challenges, but not the same book within one challenge, if that makes sense. Anyway, I'm only 4 books into this year, but doing okay making them all work for a challenge!

I'm also still doing the #ReadWhatYouOwnChallenge, trying to read 15 of my own books before I buy any other books. I've had to fudge a bit on this one, but I'm about half way done now. I will be glad to get the 15 books read, and after that I'll continue to read off my own shelf, but without the no buying restriction!

What fun challenges are you all doing this year? 

2010 TBR Challenge

The Challenge: To read 12 books this year from the pile of books I have (for six months at least) waiting their turn. (Books can overlap with other challenges.)

My List:

1. The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

2. The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti

3. The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

4. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

5. Bleak House by Charles Dickens

6. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

7. Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass

8. When My Name was Keiko by Linda Sue Park

9. The Naming by Alison Croggon

10. The March by E.L. Doctorow

11. The Secret History by Donna Tartt

12. I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

Alternates

1. Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen

2. Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen

3. The Confessions of Max Tivoli by Andrew Sean Greer

4. Falling Angels by Tracy Chevalier

5. The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

6. Oil by Upton Sinclair

Okay, so it appears I'm carrying much of my last years list on over! See, I really do want to read them, I just get.... distracted.

So... what should I read first?

To learn more about the TBR challenge, and to sign up, click here.

Review: The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper

Review: The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rating: A-
For: Lit Flicks Challenge... and I think TBR? I forget.

Yes, I've been wanting to read this book for quite awhile. I got a bit discouraged when I realized it was the second in a series and I didn't have the first one nearby. But I was told it didn't matter, and that the first one was about different characters anyway. So, I did the big taboo and went ahead and read it!

This is the story of Will, a young boy in a big family, growing up in England. One day, just before his 11th birthday and Christmas, strange things begin to happen. First, the animals are acting weird. Then a guy in town gives him a strange little round ornament and told him to put it on his belt and never lose track of it. Besides that, it starts snowing like crazy, even though it normally never snows! By the next morning, the snow is really deep and when he looks outside, he discovers that the whole neighborhood has disappeared and all he can see are snow covered trees!

And so the adventure begins! Will slowly learns his destiny and who he really is. His mission in this book is to prevent the Dark from taking over. He has to accomplish several things, and get past many scary people before that can happen.

It's a wonderfully written book. But I found myself thinking throughout the whole thing, whether or not kids are able to understand it when they read it. The descriptions and concepts are all quite complex, to the point that I found it sometimes hard to follow. It's another one of those books that once you get into the flow and groove, things start making more sense.

It's a fun book, and I hope to read more of the series when I get a chance. I'm still trying to get a hold of the movie, "The Seeker," to watch as part of the Lit Flicks Challenge, but it could be awhile yet. But in the meantime, here's the trailer (which I can tell already they've made Will older and set the whole thing in modern times, but still it looks fun):

Other reviews:

Things Mean A lot

Book Nut

The 2009 TBR Challenge

And now for the challenge that started it all (this blogging business that is): The TBR Challenge! For the third year in a row I'm joining this challenge and I will try to read these 12 books that have been on my TBR shelf for more than six months. Included is also a small alternate list... you know.... just in case. For more info and to sign up for this challenge, click HERE.

1. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

2. Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

3. The Road by Cormac McCarthy

4. The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper

5. The Namesake by Jhupa Lahiri

6. The Map of Love by Ahdaf Soueif

7. The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

8. The Absolutely True Diaryof a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie

9. The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham

10. Oil by Upton Sinclair

11. The House of the Spirts by Isabel Allende

12. The Traveler John Twelve Hawks

Alternates:

1. The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley

2. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray

3. Bleak House by Charles Dickens

4. The House on the Strand by Daphne DuMaurier

5. The March E.L. Doctorow

I LOVE making this list. I can't wait to get to them all!

Review: Jamaica Inn by Daphne duMaurier

Book: Jamaica Inn by Daphne duMaurier

Genre: Classic, Gothic

Rating: A-

For: R.I.P. III, Lit Flicks and TBR 2008

I thought this book was great! Though not as great as Rebecca. It was quite creepy and often surprisingly violent. There's some pretty rough guys in this story!

To summarize: It's about a girl, Mary, who comes to live with her aunt after her mother dies. Her aunt lives in a creepy lonely place called Jamaica Inn, located out in the middle of the desolate moors. She learns that there's quite the bad reputation surrounded this place and she decides to figure out what it is. Before she knows it, she's mixed up in the whole bad business herself! There's just a touch of romance, though I'm not sure I approved! The romantic hero is himself a pretty rough guy too!

So, as part of the Lit Flicks Challenge, I was supposed to watch the movie too. Years ago I watched a version of this with Jane Seymour in it. When I went to rent it this time, the Jane Seymour was only on tape and way too long. So instead I choose the old Alfred Hitchcock version which was on DVD and starred Maureen O'hara.

I'm quite the Alfred Hitchcock fan so I thought I'd like it fine. However, I tried to watch it last night and just couldn't get through it! It was AWFUL! In the first place, it was nothing like the book at all. I mean, not even close. Same characters was all, but everything else was not a thing like it! It made me crazy. Then, it was just too old. Too silly, too B movie-ish. Too boring. I wanted to fall asleep, and since there were other things I needed to do, I decided to give up instead. It was disappointing. I guess I need to find time to try the Jane Seymour one.

Other Reviews:

Things Mean A Lot

Stephanie's Confessions of a Book-a-holic

Bell Literary Reflections

The Insatiable Reader

Review: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon

Book: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon

Genre: Historical Fiction, Pulitzer Prize Winner

Rating: A

Challenges: Awards II, TBR, Pulitzer

I really feel a sense of accomplishment having finally finished this book. First, because it's been sitting there waiting it's turn for so long. Second, because I've put it on so many challenge lists (mostly because it's been waiting it's turn for so long!) Third, because I tried to start it many times and it just didn't take and fourth, because once I finally committed to it, it seemed to take forever to get done!

Now, that all sounds as if it was a hard, boring, too long, excruciating book to read. But it wasn't! Well, it was long. But it was very interesting and engaging and clever and different. I really enjoyed it.

I was surprised that this is basically an historical fiction book. We learn about the history of comic books and escape acts. We learn about the history of the Empire State Building. We get a different perspective on WWII events, including a stint at the South Pole during the war. We get a wonderful glimpse of New York City during this fascinating time of history. Basically, I forgot while reading that this was a novel. Everything seemed so real.

Then there's the characters. I loved Kavalier the best. He escaped his home in Prague just before things became unbearable there with the Jewish persecution. He came to live with his cousin in New York and they became a partnership in a comic book business. Meanwhile, he's trying to get his family over to NY also. His cousin, Clay, also has his own struggles to deal with, one that made me a little uncomfortable to read about. Then there's the girl, Rosa, who plays a big part in both of their lives.

So, even though it took me awhile to read, I truly enjoyed it and look forward to picking up some others by this author.

Challenge Wrap Ups

Two challenges that I've been participating in, recently concluded with the end of the year. Here's how I did:




The TBR Challenge: my first challenge, the one that brought me to this world of blogging about books and where I learned that many many other book challenges exist!


For this challenge, I choose 12 books that had been sitting on my shelf forever (the rule is at least 6 months, many of mine had been years!) and read them throughout the year. I did REALLY well with this until it fell apart just this last month when I couldn't find my last book and couldn't get interested in any of my alternate books, so... I fell short ONE BOOK! Oh, well. Here's what I did finish:

• Nights of Rain and Stars by Maeve Binchy
• Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Green
• The Stand by Stephen King
• Giliad by Marilynn Robinson
• The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier
• The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks
• Sea Glass by Anita Shreeve
• The Netherworld by George Gissing
• The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
• The Eustace Diamonds by Anthony Trollope
• Zorro by Isabel Allende

And book I couldn't find: The Hostile Hospital by Lemony Snicket!





The Something About Me Challenge: this one was where we all suggested 5 books that we thought said something about us... then we choose, from all that HUGE list, some that we'd like to read. Of course, back in the summer, I was very optomistic, and made my list too long. I did read a bunch before the challenge officially started, so if you include that, I did okay!


From the official list I read:

• Evening Class by Maeve Binchy (Raidergirl)
• Ida Mae Tutweiler and the Traveling Tea Party by Ginnie Siena Bivona (Lynne)
• Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel (Maryanne)
• The Stand by Stephen King (A Book in the Life)
• Sea Glass by Anita Shreeve (Beachreader and Library Lady)
• A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (Diane)
• The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishigiro (Lucca)

Ones I read before the official start of the challenge:

• Papa Married a Mormon by John D. Fitzgerald
• The Quilter's Apprentice by Jennifer Chiaverini
• The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud
• I Am Legend by Richard Matheson (Stephanie)
• So Many Books, So Little Time by Sara Nelson (BookInLife)
• Sixpence House by Paul Collins (Nattie)
• I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak (Jill)

Ones I didn't get to that I'll still be working on:

• Tracon by Paul McElroy (Lisa)
• The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards (3M)
• The Writing Life by Annie Dillard (Megan)
• Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin (Stephanie)
• The March by E.L. Doctorow (Jill)
• The Petit Prince by Antoine De Saint Exupery (Soleil)
• Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See (Juli)
  
  

My 2008 TBR Challenge List

The other day when I should have been doing many other things, I ended up staring at my bookshelves (aka. the Too Be Read Pile) trying to determine what I'd be in the mood to read this next year for the TBR Challenge. I think the rule is that they must be books I've had for six months at least... and still haven't read and I'm assuming there can be a few crossovers with other challenges.

So, here's what I've come up with for my new list of 2008 TBR's:

1. Moloka'i by Alan Brennert
2. Magyk by Angie Sage
3. The Secret Hour (Midnighters book 1) by Scott Westerfeld
4. Messenger by Lois Lowry
5. Eugenie Grandet by Honore de Balzac
6. Quentins by Maueve Binchy
7. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon
8. Man and Wife by Wilkie Collins
9. The Painted Veil by Somerset Maugham
10. Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier
11. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
12. The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

Alternates:

1. Sabriel by Garth Nix
2. The Passion of Artemisia by Susan Vreeland
3. The Moon Below by Barbara Bickmore
4. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
5. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

I can't wait to get going on a new year of reading!

As for this past year's challenge? I still have one more on my list to read, but I can't find it anywhere. I KNOW we had that book! So I may try one from the alternate list and hopefully have time to read it before the year ends. Anyway, all the results of that will be in another post!

Review: Sea Glass by Anita Shreve

Book: Sea Glass by Anita Shreve

Rating: A

Genre: Literary Fiction

For: Both the TBR Challenge and the Something About Me Challenge

I'm finally catching up on some Anita Shreve books! The first one, A Pilot's Wife, I liked so-so, but this one, I really liked. I cared about the characters, and loved how all their lives came together, and apart, at the end.

This story takes place just as the stock market crashes in 1929 and how all the different characters deal with this tradgedy and how their lives are affected. It also centers around the mill workers strike and how that fires them up and gives them something to live for, yet also makes a complete mess of their lives.

Anyway, it is a sad story, but still, I enjoyed it and I think that if I lived by a beach, I could really get into collecting sea glass!

I've got a couple more Anita Shreve books on my shelves waiting for me, and soon, I'll be getting to them!