UPDATE: Completed Challenges

It's time to update some challenges I've completed recently:



Once upon a Time Challenge Mar 21 - June 21/08

goal: Read 5 books in the fantasy/fairy tale/folklore genre.
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
Zel by Donna Jo Napoli
The Complete Fairy Tales by Oscar Wilde
Beauty, by Robin McKinley
Stardust by Neil Gaiman

I'm learning that this isn't my favorite genre, it can be rather hit or miss.
Hits: The Goose Girl and Zel
Misses: Stardust and Oscar Wilde

But Carl V still rocks and I'll definitely be around for his RIP III in the fall.

In the Pub '08 all year
Goal: read 8 books published in 2008
1. Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella
2. The Quirks and Quarks Guide to Space by Jim Lebans
3. The Bleeding Dusk by Colleen Gleason
4. The Ravine by Paul Quarrington
5. A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif
6. The Outcast by Sadie Jones
7. Mudbound by Hillary Jordan
8. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway

I was quite surprised how easy this one was, but getting advanced copies, winning books, and just being more aware of new releases made this one easy. There are some great books on this list. Favorite: Remember Me?, but they were all good and I would recommend any of them for different readers. A toast to 3M(Michelle) for hosting this and bringing me into the new release section of the bookstore. There is still time to join this challenge, the year is only half over.

Heard it Through the Grapevine May 1 - Nov 30/08
Goal: read 3 books that have been recommended to you

1. The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett, recommended by 3M at onemorechapter
2. Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill both recommended by kookiejar at a fraternity of dreamers
3. Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips, recommended by tinylittlelibrarian, and kookiejar

Haven't got to yet, but still plan to:
1. Sacred Cows by Karen E. Olsen, recommended by chris at book-a-rama
2. Broken For You by Stephanie Kallos, recommended by literary feline at musings of...
3. Then We Came to The End by Joshua Ferris, also by kookiejar

You can't go wrong with this challenge, because all the best people with the best taste are suggesting great reads. Thanks to Lynne at her little corner of the world for putting this one together. There is a whole blog for this one that I didn't join mostly so Iwouldn't get even more recommendations, but there is still time to join up; three books in four months? Easy.

Chunkster Challenge 2 til Dec 20th, beating the Christmas rush

Goal: read 4 books, each over 450 pages.

from the original list:
1. The Book Thief, Markus Zusak: 550 pages
3. The Night Watch, Sarah Waters: 503 pages
6. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Betty Smith: 483 pages
8. Angry Housewives Eating Bonbons, Lorna Landvik, 483 pages

The best of these is The Book Thief, but none felt like a chunkster, which is the best compliment I can give a big book. Thanks to think pink dana for hosting this one. You should see all the Chunksters that have been read already for this one.

BOOK: Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill

Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill

notable books 2007, Heard it Through the Grapevine

Great suspenseful thriller and winner of the Bram Stoker Award 2007 for a first novel.

Jude Coyne, an aging heavy rocker collects young girlfriends and occult-ish items, so when he sees a ghost for sale on an E-Bay type site, he snaps it up. Bad decision. The book follows the ramifications of their interactions. It's hard to describe a good horror novel, because what makes it so good is the way the author takes you into an unbelievable world so perfectly and gradually that all of a sudden it has happened and you can't put it down and you can't look away and you don't want to know but you have to know. Hill has done this. It's like a great Stephen King novel. The kind where you wish it had been 2oo pages shorter but it was still very good. This is the one that is 200 pages shorter but still as good. Hill takes such a risk of comparison by writing a novel like his father would, but he pulls it off.

I'd recommend this as a book for the RIP III that might happen in the fall. Ghosts and festering wounds and vengeance all lead to a rip-roaring great spooky read. The rave review for the "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" challenge I remember was from kookiejar. Thanks for the suggestion.

BOOK: Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips

Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips

Heard it Through the Grapevine Challenge

This was the perfect book for this challenge, because I wanted to read it after reading reviews at tinylittlelibrarian's and kookiejar's. Both described it as cute and funny and a delightful romp. Well, maybe they didn't say exactly that, but they were right. I envisioned American Gods light, and that wasn't far from the truth.

The Greek Gods, like Apollo, Aphrodite, Eros, Ares, and the rest who I have never been able to keep straight, are living in London, in squalor since cleaning is totally beneath them. The Gods' powers have weakened since mortals don't believe in them anymore. They are trying to get by doing what they can: Aphrodite works for phone sex, Artemis walks dogs, and Apollo is trying to break into television. Although they all live together, they are not getting along the best after centuries of in family fighting. In trying to take revenge, Apollo is made to fall in love with Alice, a quiet mousy girl. Her nerdy, almost boyfriend Neil has to save Alice, and eventually the world.

I learned more about the Greek Gods reading this book than I ever have before. It was amusing and fun, and perfect for me today when I am full up with the cold. I just wanted to read an easy, fun book. For the squeamish, there were some incestuous relationships amongst the Gods described frankly. It doesn't bother me, but there was some descriptive language. I liked how the Gods operate within their own rules and guidelines, like the witches in Harry Potter. They may be powerful, but they still have rules that guide their lives. The book had a great idea and was executed well, in an amusing and fast-moving plot.

I was able to get 11/12 plus two minor Greek Gods on this quiz after reading the book.

also reviewed at: tinylittlelibrarian and katrina's

BOOK: The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett




novella challenge, I Heard it Through the Grapevine Challenge



What would happen if the Queen wandered into a mobile library and discovered all the books she had never read? This book explores the eye opening that happens as the Queen become engrossed in books and ideas she never knew about. The slim little volume was full of literary references (Great Expectations again!) and had a cute little story, nothing too much, but it feels like we get a peep at the life of the royals. It is fiction of course, but I imagine there were aspects to how a person might feel after over 50 years of tiring duty and protocol.



I could identify with her quick immersion and sudden obsession with reading and books and always looking for the next fix, I mean book. I particularly liked Norman, her supplier of books who gets promoted to being her 'book guy', who had a bent to gay literature. There were lots of cute moments, finagling behind the scenes, and the Queen herself was great. It made me want to watch The Queen movie. If you want to read a short, cute, book-based novel, this will fit the bill.


I chose this book after 3m rated it her favorite book published in 2007.

CHALLENGE: I Heard it Through the Grapevine

Oh no. I've succumbed to another button. That shouldn't be a reason to join a challenge, but sometimes you never know what will catch your eye. In addition, there are books that have been recommended by some of my favorite bloggers that I'd really like to read, so this might be the chance to get them read. Lynne over at Lynnes' Little Corner of the World is the brainchild behind this challenge.

The goal of this challenge is to read 3 new-to-you books between June 1 May 1 and November 30 that have been recommended to you. Feel free to read more if you want! Any type of book is OK. It can even be a book by an author you've read before. Cross-overs with other challenges are fine, and you can change books at any time. And there will be a prize at the end of the challenge. You will need to sign up before June 1.

the books my pals raved about last year:

1. The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett, recommended by 3M at onemorechapter

2. Sacred Cows by Karen E. Olsen, recommended by chris at book-a-rama

3. Broken For You by Stephanie Kallos, recommended by literary feline at musings of...

4. Then We Came to The End by Joshua Ferris

or Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill both recommended by kookiejar at a fraternity of dreamers

5. Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips, recommended by tinylittlelibrarian, and kookiejar

And while I really don't see when I'll get to these books, everytime I see the names of the books, I know I want to read them.