CHALLENGES: update

I've finished a few challenges lately, and should update.

I only committed to 2 books, but managed more than that. Only 2 were proper long novels, which was probably why I only thought I could manage two.
Something Wicked This Way Comes - Ray Bradbury I am half way through this and loving it.
High Spirits - Robertson Davies (short stories)
The Night Country - Stewart O'Nan
Creepers - Joanne Dahme (young adult)
Child 44 - Tom Rob Smith
Life As We Knew It - Susan Beth Pfeffer
The Borden Tragedy -Rick Geary (graphic novel)

Other books I still really want to read:
Lisey's Story - Stephen King - moves to the next pile of challenges, Book Awards and Genre
Murder on the Strand - Daphne duMaurier - moves to the next pile of challenges
Voices - Arnaldur Indridason - moves to the next pile of challenges as part of a series

RIP is a great challenge, and I easily find books that fit this genre. Likely my most favorite type of book to read. I am in the middle of All That She Was Worth, and Too Close to Home is yelling at me to get started. I think my RIP will continue well into November. Thanks Carl, I love this one.

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Read three books from September 1 - December 1, 2008 that have been turned into movies. Easy peasy.

1. Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
2. Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
3. Last Orders by Graham Swift

Good books all in all. I have a few more here my daughter wants me to read: Because of Winn Dixie and Ella Enchanted. I hope to finish them before the challenge ends. Thanks to Callista for hosting this one a second year.

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Here was a great little challenge - read three science related books. Since I teach physics, it seemed appropriate to join in. The Trouble with Physics was the one I learned the most from.

1. The Quirks and Quarks Guide to Space - Jim Lebans
2. The Planets - Dava Sobel
3. The Trouble With Physics - Lee Smolin

BOOK: Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer, 336 pages

RIP III challenge, end of the world challenge (I iknow it's long over)

I read a review of this book before I read it that suggested you have a good stretch of time available before you pick this up, because it would be very hard to put down. So true. I devoured this book in the past day. I also meant to read this for the End of the World Challenge, but it didn't come in to the library in time. It does fit the criteria for the RIP III though, and regardless of all the reading challenges I am trying to fit it into, it was just a great read.

Miranda is an ordinary teen, arguing with her Mom, dealing with her divorced parents, growing apart from her friends. As an asteroid is about to hit the moon one night, her biggest concern is that all her teachers have assigned a project based on this interesting night sky phenomenon. What nobody expected is the after effect of the moon being a bit closer to the earth: tsunamis, earthquakes, volcano eruptions. Survival becomes the name of the game, and Miranda's journal entries chronicle her changing life focus and how her family tries to survive.

A tremendous book, let's call it The Road -lite but no less powerful, just written with a different audience in mind. It was scary because life could change that quickly. Even the oil shortage and thinking about what would we do it there was no more oil? How would we heat our house and survive if some calamity were to happen? It is very easy to picture the changes that Miranda and her family are forced into. Pfeffer has written another companion novel (the dead and the gone) following another teen, this one in New York City, throughout the same event.

I'll be recommending this book to our school librarian.

also reviewed by tinylittlelibrarian, bookfool , stephanie , dewey, joy

BOOK: The Night Country by Stewart O'Nan

The Night Country by Stewart O'Nan, 229 pages

RIP III

What a great book to read for the RIP and just before Halloween. This was a spooky, melancholy book that takes place on Halloween night. It's the anniversary of a car accident that killed three teenagers from the small town of Avon in New England. The dead kids are narrating the story as they follow, when summoned, a survivor of the accident, Tim, Kyle's mom, whose son survived but is not the same at all, and finally, Brooks, the police officer first on the accident scene. These three are trying to deal with the aftermath of the accident.

I liked the way the 'ghosts' are portrayed, following the survivors around, not at all at rest, but watching out for their people. It was a very overall sad book. Not a crying sad, just a melancholy tone that builds and builds as some grief is dealt with and the anniversary looms. It became apparent that there was more to the accident than was originally believed, and that drives the story along, lurching and speeding like the car in the book. Tragic accidents change many lives for a long time.

Susan at Too many books wrote a wonderful review that made me run out and get this book. I've been wanting to read a book by O'Nan, and I'm looking forward to another by him. There was a Something Wicked This Way Comes vibe as I read this book, noticeable because I am reading it at the same time, and the book is dedicated to Ray Bradbury. A great book for Halloween.

reviewed by susan

BOOK: High Spirits by Robertson Davies

High Spirits by Robertson Davies


RIP III, 2nd Canadian Book Challenge


Short Story Monday:

I finished the last four stories in the collection in time for the RIP III. I am not going to review the last bunch individually. All the stories follow similar patterns, including all being about 10 pages long.

This was a nice group of ghost stories. I liked the theme, that Davies reads a ghost story every year at the Massey College Christmas party. And an important college would only have famous ghosts visits. The overall tone is amusing and wry and a probably satirical. I'm glad I picked up this book for the RIP, and read my first Robertson Davies.

"The King Enjoys His Own Again"
"The Xerox in the Lost Room"
"Einstein and the Little Lord"
"Offer of Immortality"

also reviewed by melanie

SHORT STORY MONDAY: High Spirits by Robertson Davies

High Spirits by Robertson Davies

reviews continued... one more week should finish the book.

"The Cat That Went to Trinity"
A medical biophysics student named Frank Einstein builds a cat.... get it?Nice homage to Frankenstein.

"The Ugly Spectre of Sexism"
Women are admitted to Massey College and a battle of the sexes between ghosts occurs. Some stories are less memorable than others. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the battle of the sexes in the 1970s.

"The Pit Whence Ye Are Digged"
1974 and the anniversaries of the births and deaths of famous poets and politicians has everyone at a dinner transported back in time to 1774 to see what and who their ancestors were.

"The Perils of the Double Sign"
The genie is let out of the bottle and maybe some wishes are granted. Some political commentary on the NDP and the Conservatives is thrown in for fun, timely during this election season.

"Conversations With the Little Table"
William Lyon Mackenzie King is back with his spirits, our famous Prime Minister who was into mysticism and speaking to spirits. Davies puts himself in all of the stories as they are his experiences at the college and the haunting that occurs.

SHORT STORY MONDAY: High Spirits by Robertson Davies

High Spirits by Robertson Davies

reviews continued...


"The Refuge of Insulted Saints"
Who is out revelling on All Hallows Eve? Where do the saints go once they are no longer saints? Why, Massey College of course.


"Dickens Digested"
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity - in short, it was the beginning of the autumn term, and the year was 1969. It seems that there are always students who get absorbed by studying Dickens, and Dickens books stay alive. This story offers a creepy theory.

"The Kiss of Khrushchev"
Part evil-eye curse, part frog-prince, Davies takes the well known and flips them around. I am enjoying his reluctant acceptance of his role in dealing with the spirits that visit Massey College. Sort of a "Oh, great! Here we go again," attitude as another specter appears.

He keeps the tone light, with amusing situations, and then Bam! the creepy part of the ghost story appears and surprises me. I am understanding the appeal of Davies, and will have to add a novel by him to my TBR.

SHORT STORY MONDAY: High Spirits by Robertson Davies

High Spirits by Robertson Davies

a continuation of the reviews

"The Night of the Three Kings"
Davies continues with his annual ghost story during his time at Massey College. His tone is very easy to read and quite amusing. This time he chases down a ghost by the smell of his cigar. King George V was on a mission to reclaim a postage stamp, but carefully following Supernatural Regulations 64A in deciding who he could summon to assist him. Great ending in this one, but it might help to have some understanding of Canadian history and to know about WLM King's interest in the spiritual world.

"The Charlottetown Banquet"
Surely John A MacDonald is worthy of a ghost story himself, and in typical Canadian irreverence, his view of Canada is not what one would expect from the Father of our Country. Plus, amazing descriptions of food and drinks from the Charlottetown Conference in 1864. I could probably find the place downtown where the meal was served and really get in the mood while reading the story.

"When Satan Goes Home for Christmas"
Apparently, his listeners got tired of all his ghosts being famous, so Davies had to change his story a bit. But really, I think Satan is just as famous as the others, Davies just gets a chance to put down the egalitarians that had been complaining. Also, I forgot that the Devil was an angel at one point and got put out of God's Kingdom. Everyone wants to go home for Christmas.

BOOK: Creepers by Joanne Dahme

Creepers by Joanne Dahme (advance uncorrected proof)

RIP III

Creepers refers to the ivy growing in the cemetery, around Prudence's grave, and even developing in the basement of Courtney's house! A creepy ghost story for the young teen and preteen set. I'm going to give this to my ten year old and see what he thinks about it.

Courtney and her parents move to a New England town and set up in an old house beside a cemetery. While a little creeped out to be beside a cemetery, she soon meets the unusual Geyers, a father and daughter who have a special interest in the cemetery, and their ancestor Prudence's grave especially. Courtney works with the Geyers and her family to solve the mystery of Prudence's burial. There are ghosts and witches and that weird ivy everywhere.

Each chapter begins with an article of some sort that adds to the story - a newspaper clipping, a journal excerpt, deed of sale. A nice touch. The ending was a little vague, so the reader is left to wonder who exactly some characters were. But while it was not exactly scary for me, it was a nice little ghost story for a younger reader.

also reviewed by alea

CHALLENGE: RIP III

Mystery. Suspense. Thriller. Dark Fantasy. Gothic. Horror. Supernatural. Mwahhhh!!!

It's that time again, when thoughts turn to back to school. Ugh! A better thought this time of year is the Reader's Imbibing Peril Challenge, third edition. I'm not feeling as ambitious this year, so am only signing up for the Second Peril, commiting to read at least two books between now and October 31, 2008.

Carl is all about the pool of books this year, so here's what I've been hoarding recently:

Lisey's Story - Stephen King

Something Wicked This Way Comes - Ray Bradbury

High Spirits - Robertson Davies

The Night Country - Stewart O'Nan

Murder on the Strand - Daphne duMaurier

Voices - Arnaldur Indridason

Creepers - Joanne Dahme

Child 44 - Tom Rob Smith

The Borden Tragedy -Rick Geary

Hey, I'm reading The Plague right now and that probably fits this category of books.