UPDATE: January Books

I came so close to reading 10 novels this month, but a nonfiction book (Dewey) and a really long book (Cloud Atlas) conspired against me, leaving me at 9 novels read. The pretty badges were an incentive but I couldn't quite get to the gold. I finished a couple challenges - Unread Authors, Book Awards II, the Orange January Project, and NaJuReMoNoMo.

10. Beat the Reaper - Josh Bazell
9. Bel Canto - Ann Patchett
8. Three Bags Full - Leonie Swann
7. Dewey - Vicki Myron
6. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
5. Book of a Thousand Days - Shannon Hale
4. Amsterdam - Ian McEwan
3. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer
2. The Road Home - Rose Tremain
1. Mercy Among the Children - David Adams Richards

That was a really good month of books there and I don't think I can even pick my favorite.

LIST: Books Read in 2008

Here's the numbers and the lists. (Last year's totals are in parenthesis, I'm remarkably consistent!)



Titles in green were my favorite reads.

total books: 132 -I'm not including some very short books, including some graphic novels, or the book I didn't finish, but sometimes they get included in other stats (131 )
average per month: 10.9 (10.9)



Fiction: 115 (117)
Nonfiction: 20 (14)
books for Around the World in 80 books: 17 (24)
books for Booking the 50 States: 7 (11)
Pulitzers: 2 this year + 8 previous = 10
Bookers: 6 this year + 5 previous = 11
Canadian: 18
new to me authors: 100 (76)
short story collections: 3 (7)
mystery: 16 (17)
young adult/children: 21(22)

Challenges Completed: I completed 38 challenges and didn't get 2 finished at all. Here's my list of them:
Year of Reading Dangerously - on haitus
It's the End of the World - DNF
decades challenge - done
Winter Holiday Reading Challenge - done
Japanese Literature Challenge - done
What an Animal! - done
A - Zed Author and Titles Challenge - done
888 Challenge - done
A Well-Rounded Challenge - done
2nds Challenge - done
RIP III - done
Books to Movies - done
Science Book Challenge - done
Nonfiction Five 2008 - done
mini-challenges 2008 done
African Reading Challenge - done
Cardathon Challenge - done
Orbis Terrarum Challenge - done
Graphics Novel Challenge - done
notable books 2007 - done
July Book Blowout - done
in their shoes - done
342745 Ways to Herd Cats - done
chunkster challenge 2 - done
Southern Reading Challenge 2008 - done
Heard It Through the Grapevine - done
In the Pub - done
Once Upon a Time II -done
novellas challenge - done
Canadian Book Challenge - done
Series Challenge - done
Man Booker Challenge - done
Book Award Challenge - done
What's in a Name? - done
Austen Mini-Challenge - done
YAC books - done
Themed Reading Challenge - done
Hometown Challenge -done
The Eponymous Challenge - done

The Book List:
132. Lisey's Story - Stephen King
131. Ukridge - PG Wodehouse
130. Voices - Arnaldur Indridason
The Christmas Shoes - Donna Van Liere
129. After Dark - Haruki Murakami
128. The Camel Bookmobile - Masha Hamilton
Weetzie Bat - Francesca Lia Block
127. Heart and Soul - Maeve Binchy
126. The Penguin Book of Christmas Stories - ed by Alberto Manguel SS
Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston DNF
125. Montmorency - Eleanor Updale
124. Gentlemen of the Road - Michael Chabon
123. The Secret Scripture - Sebastian Barry
122. The Xibalba Murders - Lyn Hamilton
121. Too Close to Home - Linwood Barclay
The Scream - Rohinton Mistry
120. Drive Like Hell - Dallas Hudgens
119. All She Was Worth - Miyuki Miyabe
The Borden Tragedy - Rick Geary (graphic novel) NF
118. Life As We Knew It - Susan Beth Pfeffer
117. The Night Country - Stewart O'Nan
116. People of the Book - Geraldine Brooks
115. High Spirits - Robertson Davies SS
114. Shiloh - Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
113. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - Lisa See
112. When Will There Be Good News? - Kate Atkinson
111. Miss Julia Hits the Road - Ann B Ross
110. Who Killed Palomino Molero? - Mario Vargas Llosa
109. A Complicated Kindness - Miriam Toews
108. Child 44 - Tom Rob Smith
107. A Pale View of Hills - Kazou Ishiguro
106. The Trouble with Physics - Lee Smolin NF
105. Creepers - Joanne Dahme
104. Fight Club - Chuck Palahniuk
103. The View from Saturday - EL Konisburg
102. Last Orders - Graham Swift
101. Exit Lines - Joan Barfoot
100. The Plague - Albert Camus
99. Rain Song - Alice J. Wisler
98. Flying Too High - Kerry Greenwood
97. The Stone Angel - Margaret Laurence
96. Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict - Laurie Viera Rigler
95. The White Tiger - Aravind Adiga
94. The Stone Diaries - Carol Shields
93. Speaker for the Dead - Orson Scott Card
92. Out Stealing Horses - Per Petterson
91. Mama Makes Up Her Mind - Bailey White NF
90. Before Green Gables - Budge Wilson
Pedro and Me - Judd Winick NF
89. The Birth House - Ami MacKay
88. Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe
87. The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher - Kate Summerscale NF
86. Pretties - Scott Westerfeld
85. A Fraction of the Whole - Steve Toltz
84. Maus I and II - Art Spiegelman NF
83. The Planets - Dava Sobel NF
82. Running With Scissors - Augusten Burroughs NF
81. The Princess Diaries - Meg Cabot
80. Crow Lake - Mary Lawson
79. The Night Watch - Sarah Waters
78. The Snack Thief - Andrea Camilleri
77. Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen
76. Miss Julia Throws a Wedding - Ann B Ross
75. Hotel du Lac - Anita Brookner
74. Heart-Shaped Box - Joe Hill
American Born Chinese - Gene Luen Yang
73. Mudbound - Hillary Jordan
72. A Case of Exploding Mangoes - Mohammed Hanif
71. A Long Way Gone - Ishmael Beah NF
The Complete Fairy Tales - Oscar Wilde
70. The Awakening - Kate Chopin
69. The Cellist of Sarajevo - Steven Galloway
68. Shadow Family - Miyuki Miyabe
67. The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd
66. How to be a Canadian - Will and Ian Ferguson NF
65. The Kalahari Typing School for Men - Alexander McCall Smith
64. The Interloper - Antoine Wilson
63. In the Country of Men - Hisham Matar
62. A Lesson Before Dying - Ernest J Gaines
61. The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid - Bill Bryson NF
60. The Call of the Wild - Jack London
59. 28 Stories of AIDS in Africa - Stephanie Nolen NF
58. The Jane Austen Book Club - Karen Joy Fowler
57. The Goose Girl - Shannon Hale
56. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips
55. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith
54. The Uncommon Reader - Alan Bennett
53. The Chocolate War - Robert Cormier
52. The Outcast - Sadie Jones
51. The Gathering - Anne Enright
50. Mister Pip - Lloyd Jones
49. The Chatham School Affair - Thomas H Cook
48. This Blinding Absence of Light - Tahar Ben Jelloun
47. Stardust - Neil Gaiman
46. The Ravine - Paul Quarrington
45. Latitudes of Melt - Joan Clark
44. Beauty - Robin McKinley
43. Miss Julia Takes Over - Ann B Ross
42. Maniac Magee - Jerry Spinelli
41. Yellowknife - Steve Zipp
40. Zel - Donna Jo Napoli
39. The Bleeding Dusk - Colleen Gleason
38. Vegan Virgin Valentine - Carolyn Mackler
37. Lost in a Good Book - Jasper Fforde
36. Princess Academy - Shannon Hale
35. Speak - Laurie Halse Anderson
34. Shopaholic and Baby - Sophie Kinsella
33. The Terra-Cotta Dog - Andrea Camilleri
32. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist - Rachel Cohn
31. Life and Times of Michael K - JM Coetzee
30. The End of East - Jen Sookfong Lee
29. Angry Housewives Eating Bonbons - Lorna Landvik
28. Black Swan Green - David Mitchell
27. The Quirks and Quarks Guide to Space - Jim Lebans NF
26. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella
25. Silence of the Grave - Arnaldur Indridason
24. All in Together Girls - Kate Sutherland SS
23. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things - Carolyn Mackler
22. Atonement - Ian McEwan
21. So Long, Jackie Robinson - Nancy Russell
20. Reading Lolita in Tehran - Azar Nafisi NF
19. Never Have Your Dog Stuffed - Alan Alda NF
18. Lorelei - Lori Derby Bingley
17. Shakespeare's Counselor - Charlaine Harris
16. Island of the Blue Dolphins - Scott O'Dell
15. Booked to Die - John Dunning
14. Persepolis 1,and 2 - Marjane Satrapi NF
13. Ex Libris - Anne Fadiman NF
12. House of Meetings - Martin Amis
11. The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde
10. Eleanor Rigby - Douglas Coupland
9. The Case of the Missing Books - Ian Sansom
8. Shakespeare's Trollop - Charlaine Harris
7. The Remains of the Day - Kazou Ishiguro
6. 84, Charing Cross Road - Helene Hanff NF
5. The Book Thief - Marcus Zusak
4. Housekeeping vs The Dirt - Nick Hornby NF
3. Brainiac - Ken Jennings NF
2. From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler - E.L. Konisburg
1. The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz - Mordecai Richler

CHALLENGE: Non Fiction Five 2008 Update

I finished this one with a week to spare, but it felt rushed. Some nonfiction can take so long to read, especially when I'm trying to learn something at the same time. Thanks to Joy for hosting this one, I looked forward to picking some NF, which I don't do often enough. I liked all these books, and would easily recommend any of them.

The Trouble with Physics: The Rise of String Theory... - Lee Smolin
The Planets - Dava Sobel
28 Stories: Stories of AIDS in Africa - Stephanie Nolen
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid - Bill Bryson
The Suspicions of Mr Whicher - Kate Summerscale

UPDATE: June Book News

Aah, June. You knock the stuffing out of me every year. I always think that since school is winding down that I will have more time, but it turns into a real decompressing time and my brain takes a holiday. Soccer starts, so we are at the pitch every night - 3 kids and they all are at different places. Getting ready for graduation is more tiring than I expect. This is the long way to say I didn't read as much as I usually do, but, I had quality books this month. And I bought a bunch more.

Challenges are going well, I have finished a lot, and right now, 5 more books will finish 5 other challenges, so I feel like I have a handle on things, and I have a great list of books for July. The last week of June, the teachers go through the library and get their summer reading. We are so lucky to have a library at work!

75. Hotel du Lac - Anita Brookner
74. Heart-Shaped Box - Joe Hill
American Born Chinese - Gene Luen Yang
73. Mudbound - Hillary Jordan
72. A Case of Exploding Mangoes - Mohammed Hanif
71. A Long Way Gone - Ishmael Beah
The Complete Fairy Tales - Oscar Wilde
70. The Awakening - Kate Chopin
69. The Cellist of Sarajevo - Steven Galloway



Books Acquired (in my defense, it was my birthday this month)
Wine Food Bar
The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
A Case of Exploding Mangos by Mohammid Hamid
Planets by Dava Sobel
The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene
The Trouble With Physics by Lee Smolin
Mudbound by Hillary Jordan (won in Southern Reading Haiku contest)
Voices by Arnaldur Indridason
Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris
The Camel Bookmobile by Masha Hamilton
Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann
Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson

UPDATE: May Books

Great month of reading! I finished the What's in a Name Challenge, Book Awards Challenge, Man Booker Challenge, Canadian Book Challenge, Series Challenge, and I have another couple that only need one more book. I expect to finish 3 or 4 more challenges next month. Unfortunately, I also signed up for 5 more challenges. It's just like being on a treadmill without the actual exercise.

Best Book: The Secret Life of Bees, Gods Behaving Badly
Nonfiction: 3
Best surprise: The Call of the Wild, Shadow Family

68. Shadow Family - Miyuki Miyabe
67. The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd
66. How to be a Canadian - Will and Ian Ferguson
65. The Kalahari Typing School for Men - Alexander McCall Smith
64. The Interloper - Antoine Wilson
63. In the Country of Men - Hisham Matar
62. A Lesson Before Dying - Ernest J Gaines
61. The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid - Bill Bryson
60. The Call of the Wild - Jack London
59. 28 Stories of AIDS in Africa - Stephanie Nolen
58. The Jane Austen Book Club - Karen Joy Fowler
57. The Goose Girl - Shannon Hale
56. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips
55. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith
54. The Uncommon Reader - Alan Bennett


Books Acquired (Oh dear, it was the annual used book sales month here and I won the 50/50 at work one week so I had money to spend. Please don't keep reading, but I want to keep a record of what books I get so I am listing them)
Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips
A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz
The Interloper by Antoine Wilson
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
Line of Beauty by ?
Mirrormask by Neil Gaiman

The Last Single Woman in America by Cindy Guidry from bookfool
Drive Like Hell by Dallas Hudgens from scoopgirl

Call of the Wild and White Fang by Jack London
The Inn at Lake Devine by Elinor Lipman
Mercy Among Children by David Adams Richards
Vinyl Cafe Diaries by Stuart McLean
The Art of Mending by Elizabeth Berg

The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields
The House on the Strand by Daphne duMaurier
High Spirits by Robertson Davies
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
The Innocent by Ian McEwen
Silent Night by Mary Higgens Clark
The 12 Frights of Christmas
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K Le Guin
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver

UPDATE: April books

I'm pleased with nine books this month, and challenges are moving along, but I expect to knock a few off next month. I'm in the middle of two books: 29 Stories of AIDS in Africa and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, both big books.

Books Read:
53. The Chocolate War - Robert Cormier
52. The Outcast - Sadie Jones
51. The Gathering - Anne Enright
50. Mister Pip - Lloyd Jones
49. The Chatham School Affair - Thomas H Cook
48. This Blinding Absence of Light - Tahar Ben Jelloun
47. Stardust - Neil Gaiman
46. The Ravine - Paul Quarrington
45. Latitudes of Melt - Joan Clark


Books Bought/Received
28 Stories of AIDS in Africa by Stephanie Nolen
The Outcast by Sadie Jones
The Sister by Poppy Adams
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe by Douglas Adams
Catch Me If You Can by Frank Abagnale
Three to Get Deadly by Janet Evanovich
Crow Lake by Mary Lawson

Challenge updates:
Book Award Challenge July 1 2007 - June 30, 2008
read 22/12, but I have 1 more that I want to read before I consider this done
Canadian Book Challenge Oct '07 - July 1 '08
read 11; still Alta, Yukon to go.
Series Challenge Dec 1 - May 31, 2008
read 8 books; finished the Lily Bard mysteries and Shopaholic series and Gardella Vampire Chronicles.
this one is going to start again, on June 1st - Nov 30th

A - Zed Author and Titles Challenge all year 2008
read 33/52
decades challenge - all year 2008
only 2, haven't begun thinking of this one yet
in their shoes - all year 2008
4/8
Cardathon Challenge - all year 2008
6/8
What's in a Name? all year 2008
4/6; first name, color, animal, place


YAC books all year 2008 completed!
12/12

Man Booker Challenge all year 2008
5/6 ,
notable books 2007 - all year 2008
4/8
In the Pub - all year 2008
5/8
mini-challenges 2008
10/12
chunkster challenge 2
2/4
Novella Challenge
2/6
Soup's On!
0/6
Orbis Terrarum Challenge til December 20
2/9
once upon a time challenge II til June 21
3/5

888 challenge
2/8 categories completed


Themed Reading Challenge finished, read 8/8 First category in the 888 completed!
Hometown Challenge read 2/1 completed!
eponymous challenge read 4/4 completed!

UPDATE: March Books and Challenges

My top 5 books of the year, so far, would be:

The Eyre Affair
The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
Black Swan Green
The Book Thief
Persepolis I & II


Books Read in March
44. Beauty - Robin McKinley
43. Miss Julia Takes Over - Ann B Ross
42. Maniac Magee - Jerry Spinelli
41. Yellowknife - Steve Zipp
40. Zel - Donna Jo Napoli
39. The Bleeding Dusk - Colleen Gleason
38. Vegan Virgin Valentine - Carolyn Mackler
37. Lost in a Good Book - Jasper Fforde
36. Princess Academy - Shannon Hale
35. Speak - Laurie Halse Anderson
34. Shopaholic and Baby - Sophie Kinsella
33. The Terra-Cotta Dog - Andrea Camilleri
32. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist - Rachel Cohn
31. Life and Times of Michael K - JM Coetzee
30. The End of East - Jen Sookfong Lee
29. Angry Housewives Eating Bonbons - Lorna Landvik


Books Bought/Received:
Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
Beach Music by Pat Conroy
Mama Makes Up Her Mind and Other Dangers of Southern Living by Bailey White
The Ravine by Paul Quarrington
Microserfs by Douglas Coupland
So Big by Edna Ferber
Amsterdam by Ian McEwan
Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner
The Prince of The Pond by Donna Jo Napoli
The Pleasure of My Company by Steve Martin

Challenge updates:

Book Award Challenge July 1 2007 - June 30, 2008
read 17/12, but I have 2 more that I want to read before I consider this done
Canadian Book Challenge - Oct '07 - July 1 '08
read 10; still Nfld, Alta, Yukon to go.
Series Challenge Dec 1 - May 31, 2008
read 8 books; finished the Lily Bard mysteries and Shopaholic series and Gardella Vampire Chronicles.
A - Zed Author and Titles Challenge all year 2008
read 26/52

decades challenge - all year 2008
only 1, haven't begun thinking of this one yet
in their shoes - all year 2008
4/8
Cardathon Challenge - all year 2008
4/9
What's in a Name? all year 2008
4/6; first name, color, animal, place
YAC books all year 2008
11/12
Man Booker Challenge all year 2008
3/6 although I might make this all short listed books since I own six, which means 1/6
notable books 2007 - all year 2008
3/8
In the Pub - all year 2008
3/8
mini-challenges 2008
9/12
chunkster challenge 2
2/4
eponymous challenge up to May 31, completed!
4/4
once upon a time challenge II til June 21
2/5
888 challenge
2/8 categories completed

Themed Reading Challenge finished, read 8/8 First category in the 888 completed
Hometown Challenge read 2/1 completed

UPDATE: February books and Challenges

Books Bought/Received:

Terry by Douglas Coupland
All in Together Girls by Kate Sutherland
Bleeds the Dusk by Colleen Gleason
Northanger Abbey (it was a really pretty edition!)
The Quirks and Quarks Guide to Space by Jim Lebans
Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella
The End of East by Jen Sookfong Lee

Books Read
28. Black Swan Green - David Mitchell
27. The Quirks and Quarks Guide to Space - Jim Lebans
26. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella
25. Silence of the Grave - Arnaldur Indridason
24. All in Together Girls - Kate Sutherland
23. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things - Carolyn Mackler
22. Atonement - Ian McEwan
21. So Long, Jackie Robinson - Nancy Russell
20. Reading Lolita in Tehran - Azar Nafisi
19. Never Have Your Dog Stuffed - Alan Alda
18. Lorelei - Lori Derby Bingley
17. Shakespeare's Counselor - Charlaine Harris
16. Island of the Blue Dolphins - Scott O'Dell
15. Booked to Die - John Dunning


Challenge Update for February

Themed Reading Challenge Jan - June 2008
finished, read 8/8 First category in the 888 completed

Hometown Challenge Nov '07 - March 1, 2008
read 2/1, this month, completed

Book Award Challenge July 1 2007 - June 30, 2008
read 17/12, but I have 2 more that I want to read before I consider this done

Canadian Book Challenge - Oct '07 - July 1 '08
read 8; still Nfld, Alta, BC, Yukon, NWT to go.

Series Challenge Dec 1 - June 30, 2008
finished the Lily Bard mysteries
but I only have one more to read in 2 series: Shopaholic, Gardella Vampire Chronicles.

A - Zed Author and Titles Challenge all year 2008
read 18/52; still a long way to go obviously

decades challenge - all year 2008
only 1, haven't begun thinking of this one yet

in their shoes - all year 2008
4/8

Cardathon Challenge - all year 2008
2/9

What's in a Name? all year 2008
2/6; first name and color

YAC books all year 2008
4/12

Man Booker Challenge all year 2008
2/6 although I might make this all short listed books since I own six, which means 1/6

notable books 2007 - all year 2008
2/8

In the Pub - all year 2008
2/8

mini-challenges 2008
8/12

chunkster challenge 2
1/4

UPDATE: January 2008

Books Bought:
American Girls About Town short story collection
The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde
Shopaholic and Baby by Sophie Kinsella
The Last King of Scotland by Giles Foden
The Great Influenza John M Barry
Awakening by Kate Chopin
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar
Black Swan Green by David Mitchell
An Audience of Chairs by Joan Clark

Books Read:

14. Persepolis 1,and 2 - Marjane Satrapi
13. Ex Libris - Anne Fadiman
12. House of Meetings - Martin Amis
11. The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde
10. Eleanor Rigby - Douglas Coupland
9. The Case of the Missing Books - Ian Sansom
8. Shakespeare's Trollop - Charlaine Harris
7. The Remains of the Day - Kazou Ishiguro
6. 84, Charing Cross Road - Helene Hanff
5. The Book Thief - Marcus Zusak
4. Housekeeping vs The Dirt - Nick Hornby
3. Brainiac - Ken Jennings
2. From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler - E.L. Konisburg
1. The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz - Mordecai Richler


Challenge Update for January
Book Award Challenge July 1 2007 - June 30, 2008
read 14/12, but I have 3 more that I want to read before I consider this done

Canadian Book Challenge - Oct '07 - July 1 '08
read 6; still Nfld, PEI, Sask, Alta, BC, Yukon, NWT to go.

Series Challenge Dec 1 - June 30, 2008
haven't finished any series yet, but I only have one more to read in 3 series: Lily Bard, Shopaholic, Gardella Vampire Chronicles. I'll work on this for Feb

A - Zed Author and Titles Challenge all year 2008
read 10/52; still a long way to go obviously

Themed Reading Challenge Jan - June 2008
I've read my at least 4 already, but it's an 888 list, so 2 more to go; I'm waiting for The Uncommon Reader from the library

decades challenge - all year 2008
only 1, haven't begun thinking of this one yet

in their shoes - all year 2008
2/8

Cardathon Challenge - all year 2008
2/9

What's in a Name? all year 2008
1/6; first name

YAC books all year 2008
1/12

Man Booker Challenge all year 2008
1/6 although I might make this all short listed books, which means 0/6

notable books 2007 - all year 2008
1/8

In the Pub - all year 2008 nada

mini-challenges 2008
5/12

chunkster challenge 2
1/4

UPDATE: December Books

At times I didn't think I'd finish 3 books this month, but some books go much faster than others. I am still loving the Lily Bard series, and since it only has two more books, I'll have to start the Sookie Stackhouse vampire mysteries to get more Harris. I usually wait until the month completely ends for an update, but everyone is writing year-end posts today, and I hate to feel left out. I really wanted to finish my 50_books challenge and other than Lord of the Rings which I had no intention of reading this year, I managed to get 13 excellent books read. At the first of the month, with both Lolita and the 600 page Owen Meany left, plus all the Christmas stuff, it didn't look good. I think I signed up for way too many challenges for next year; I can't even print them all out or I will have to be committed somewhere.

I am not liking this arbitrary year end date; I don't feel like starting a book today because I don't know where I would list it! So instead, I've taken all the ornaments off the tree, cleaned the living room a bit, and looked out the window at the 20ish cm of snow falling down. If the winds pick up like expected, it will be a zero-visibility blizzard out there. Luckily, we have no plans for ringing in the New Year. I am trying to decide what to do with all the reading challenge buttons and lists from this year. I like looking at them, but how long can this blog be? I'll be scouting around other blogs and shamelessly stealing great ideas, like I always do.

Here's to a Safe and Happy New Year to all the reading bloggers out there and anyone else who happens to stop by.

Christmas Book Challenge: 2 more read
2nds challenge: 1 and completed
50_books top 20: 2 read and completed

Best book of the month: A Prayer for Owen Meany

131. Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures - Vincent Lam
130. A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving
129. The Christmas Thief - Mary Higgins Clark
128. Mercy - Jodi Picoult
127. Ishmael - Daniel Quinn
126. Shakespeare's Christmas - Charlaine Harris
125. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
124. The Cricket and the Hearth - Charles Dickens

CHALLENGES: 2007 Update

I want to make a list of all the challenges I completed this year. How lucky that I started doing challenges in January of 2007, it feels more complete that way. These challenges are what got me into blogging, so my blog started sometime after the first challenge. Both the challenge and wrap ups have links to reviews of any books.

1. Winter Classics
2. chunkster challenge wrap up posted here
3. banned book challenge
4. spring reading challenge wrap up posted here
5. once upon a time challenge wrap up posted here
6. summer reading challenge round 2 wrap up posted here
7. southern reading challenge wrap up posted here
8. summer mystery reading challenge wrap up posted here
9. non-fiction five wrap up posted here
10. classic challenge (summer) wrap up posted here
11. dystopian challenge wrap up posted here
12. RIP II Sept - Oct 31 2007 wrap up posted here
13. 15 books / 15 decades challenge all year 2007
14. books to movies challenge wrap up posted here
15. something about me challenge wrap up posted here
16. Christmas Book Challenge wrap up posted here
17. 2nds Challenge wrap up posted here
18. NYT notable books 2006 challenge wrap up posted here
19. 50_books top 20


20. A - Z Author and Book challenge: DNF, stupid U and Y authors and X books!

Favorite Books in a Challenge: I liked reading the RIP II challenge books best; they are my favorite genre, and Carl hosts a hell of a challenge, lots of prizes and mini challenges within the big one challenge. Two books here made my top ten reads of the year.

Biggest Challenge: the Chunkster is always going to be the hardest, because the books are the biggest.

Best Discovery Challenge: the Dystopian genre was one I didn't even know existed, and then I discovered some simply wonderful books. I kept adding boks to my list, and read more than I expected. I wouldn now say I like dystopian books.

Best Challenge: the Something About Me was the best TBR generator I've ever seen, with so many wonderful participants that I got to know, because of the books they chose. It was a genius idea and executed wonderfully as well.

CHALLENGE: 2nds Challenge Completed

2nds Challenge Completed

This one didn't go quite the way I expected, but I read at least three authors for the second time during the time frame October to December 2007. Not the books I planned, but they were authors who called out to me, again:

• Monkfish Moon by Romesh Gunesekera ( I read The Reef)
• Shakespeare's Champion by Charlaine Harris (I read Shakespeare's Landlord)
• Rises the Night by Colleen Gleason (I read The Rest Falls Away)
• Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler (I read The Big Sleep)
• Mercy by Jodi Picoult (I read My Sister's Keeper)

I read one I planned, two that were alternates, and two I hadn't read the author for the first time when I made up my original list back in June. I feel like I am back dating this list, but, Joy is understanding about changing lists when the books call to you.

So, thanks for the second helpings Joy. I have a big list of authors that I still want to read for the second time. Thanks Joy, it was a great idea. I'm still challenging with Joy next year for the Young Adult Book challenge, and she has another couple on the go as well.

UPDATE: November Reads

November was my slowest reading month this year, with only 7 books completed. Midterm exams took their toll on prime reading time. I imagine December will slow as well, what with shopping and wrapping and Christmas baking. But all in all, I've read so much more this year that I can't believe that I'd consider seven books a slow month.


Canadian Book Challenge - 2, puts me at 4/13
Books to Movies Challenge - 2 and done.
nyt notable books challenge - 1 (I'm doing extra credit now)
2nds challenge - 1/3 (I'm worried about this challenge)


best reads - a boy of good breeding, Hockey Dreams


123. Irish Stories for Christmas - John B Keane
122. The Hours - Michael Cunningham
121. One Good Turn - Kate Atkinson
120. Monkfish Moon - Romesh Gunesekera
119. Gods & Monsters - Christopher Bram
118. Hockey Dreams - David Adams Richards
117. a boy of good breeding - Miriam Toews

Challenges left for 2008 2007:oops!
2nds Challenge: 2/3 looks tricky, but The Plague is short and Mercy would be fast.
Something About Me: reading Lolita now to finish up
50_books top 20: Lolita and A Prayer for Owen Meany, with no intention of reading LoTR
NYT Notable Books: I read the 6 I said I would, but I have 2 more that I bought that I'd like to finish this year before the next one starts: Lisey's Story and Special Topics in Calamity Physics
Christmas challenge: read 1/2, should be easy to finish
A - Z book: I read all but X, so am considering this done
A - Z author: I still have Q, U, and Y. If I consider 25 to be completed, I might be able to squeak this one out.

UPDATE: October Books Read

It was looking slow at the beginning of the month, but with the wisdom extraction on the 25th, I was able to get to a very respectable 11 books. I can't believe the number of books I've read this year, and it just happened with a more concerted effort, an awareness of reading, and trying to read more places than just in bed at night. And these challenges have certainly focused goals. Next month I'll focus on completely a few challenges - Books to Movies, Something About me and the Seconds challenge. And I'm very distracted by the Canadian Book Challenge. Off I go to correct - I wish I could read, A Boy of Good Breeding is such a good book so far and I want to read more, but alas, school work calls. happy reading!
total books read: 11 books

RIP II reads: 4 and done!
Canadian Book Challenge: 2, 11 more to go
Books to Movie: 1, 2 more to go
something about me: 1 and pretty much done
Dystopian: 1 and done!

116. Veronika Decides to Die - Paulo Coelho
115. Fragile Things - Neil Gaiman
114. The Lost Salt Gift of Blood - Alistair MacLeod
113. The Inuk Mountie Adventure - Eric Wilson
112. Rises the Night - Colleen Gleason
111. The Road - Cormac McCarthy
110. Everything's Eventual - Stephen King
109. Farewell, My Lovely - Raymond Chandler
108. Shakespeare's Champion - Charlaine Harris
107. The Gum Thief - Douglas Coupland
106. The Tale of Despereaux - Kate DiCamillo

UPDATE: September Reads

It's been a struggle to get reading in, with back to school and all, but some good books have helped and some review books in the mail have changed my reading plans. Thanks randomhouse.
I tried to immerse myself in the RIP II challenge for fall, and did very well, reading all four of my books; just a few short stories to keep in the mood, and start on some new challenges, like the Seconds Challenge and the Book to Movie Challenge. A few more books to finish the NYT Notable Books challenge, and The Road (I'm at 5 of 16 in the library queue, I started at 24!) for complete the Dystopian Challenge. Things are looking good; well, except for that pile of physics labs over there, looking at me, wanting ot be corrected.

Total Books: 10

Challenge Books:
RIP II: 4 books
Something About Me Challenge: 1
Classics Challenge: 1 and COMPLETED

Best Book: Neverwhere

Best New Series: The Gardella Vampire Chronicles by Gleason
New Authors: Gleason, Feynman, Setterfield, McEwan, Swift, Shriver

The List:
105. The Rest Falls Away - Colleen Gleason
104. Surely You're Joking Mr Feynman - Richard P Feynman
103. The Thirteenth Tale - Diane Setterfield
102. On Chesil Beach - Ian McEwan
101. Other Colors - Orhan Pamuk
100. Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman
99. The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
98. Among the Shadows - LM Montgomery
97. Tomorrow - Graham Swift
96. We Need to Talk About Kevin - Lionel Shriver

UPDATE: August Books

I felt I tackled some large books this month, Jane Eyre, The Blind Assassin, and We started the month off slowly, and I didnt' expect to end up reading this many books. A few children's novels helped the stats at the end of the month. I am pleased with the quality of books and the variety: I had dystopian, classic, scifi, childrens, young adult, contemporary and just released fiction. I've got Canadian and world views, old and new authors, with a total of 13 books. A few challenges are just about done, and there are some great ones about to begin. Happy Reading!

Books Read for Dystopian Challenge - 2
Books Read for Something About Me Challenge - 5
Books Read for Classic Challenge - 2
Award Winners - 4
top 50_books list - 2

Best Books: Never Let Me Go, I Am the Messenger, Cloud of Bone these three might make my year's best list they were so good
Best New Author: Markus Zusak, Kazou Ishiguro
Favorite Canadian Author: Bernice Morgan

95. Fighting Ruben Wolfe - Markus Zusak
94. O Pioneers! - Willa Cather
93. Cloud of Bones - Bernice Morgan
92. Number the Stars - Lois Lowry
91. The Reluctant Fundmentalist - Mohsin Hamid
90. Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
89. Never Let Me Go - Kazou Ishiguro
88. Inkheart - Cornelia Funke
87. The God of Small Things - Arundhati Roy
86. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
85. We - Yevgeny Zamyatin
84. I Am the Messenger - Markus Zusak
83. The Blind Assassin - Margaret Atwood

OTHER: what I'm reading

How in the world am I ever going to get back into the real world of work in September?
It takes me all morning to get through my 'reading' before I even pick up a book.

First, I roll out of bed, hopefully by nine o'clock. Seriously, I am so lazy these days and since my children have figured out how to pour a bowl of cereal themselves, I don't have to be up.
I read the local paper, focusing on the letters to the editor and the obituaries. (I live in a small community, and funerals and wakes are a big deal here.) Then I turn on the computer, my downfall. Check gmails. It seems the readers of the yahoo novel group stay up late chatting about their challenges, because every morning I need to take while to get caught up. There are new challenges afoot I believe, *rubs hands with glee*

I first started blogging on Livejournal, and I read my friends page there. With an assortment of communities, including recipes, teaching, and reading challenges - my first, the 50 book challenge is a great place to read reviews and get ideas, plus the coolest site: bento lunches. I get hungry there every day, and yet, still only manage to toss some grilled cheese in the pan for my own kids. C'est la vie of the lazy woman.

Next, I feed my TV fix with the snark that is Television Without Pity. They do hilarious recaps of shows, such as Hell's Kitchen and Big Brother,my summer TV fare. The forums are an abyss I try to avoid getting sucked into, because I could read for hours the analysis and speculations that go on there. This fall, the Lost stuff will really pick up, but there is almost too much to wade through.

For some reason, I have a compulsion to do the daily jobs at Webkinz everyday. Now, these are really my kids toys and games, but for a computer gamer like myself, it is quite addictive. Most parents I know reluctantly admit they play more on the site than their kids.
Luckily this summer I found out about blogreader on my gmail, which helps me not spend all day checking on my reader pal's blogs. It has helped me a lot.

In real reading news, I am 30 pages from finishing We, by Yevgeny Zamyatin and 80 pages from finishing Jane Eyre. These books have taken me forever, or 3 weeks to read. I think it's because I have to think a little more and cannot scan-read like I usually do. It's slowing me down, this real reading I'm doing. I can feel my brain growing though, three times its usual size.(2 points for the first person who gets that allusion)

Books I am hoping to get to before the end of August include:
Inkheart somthing about me challenge
The God of Small Things book awards challenge
Ender's Game something about me challenge
Cloud of Bones random house book
Special Topics in Calamity Physics nyt notable books challenge
and poor Never Let Me Go, dystopian challenge,which has been on every month's reading list since April. Maybe this month!

I think we are going to go here this weekend, with my sister and her family and my parents. Looks like a lot of fun. I'm definitely ordering a meal to be cooked at the table. mmm

UPDATE: July Books

Here's a big advantage of being a teacher: able to read all day, while I watch my kids play at the park, or the beach, or the back yard. So, I've been doing a lot of reading. I don't usually read several books at a time, but I've got books stashed in several places for reading while I'm there: in my purse, in bed, in the living room. I read 15 books in July! I finished off 4 challenges: the nonfiction, summer reading, summer mystery, and the southern Reading challenge which was probably my favorite of the year. I'm going to do a wrap up post for those challenges soon. Happy reading to you all.


Total books read: 15, 14 fiction and 1 nonfiction

Books Read for Nonfiction Challenge: 1 and DONE!
Books Read for Southern Challenge: 2 and DONE!
Books Read for Classics: 1
Books Read for Summer Reading Round 2: 1 and DONE!
Books Read for Dystopian Challenge: 1
Books Read for NYT Notable Books: 2
Summer Mystery Reading Challenge: 5 and DONE!
Books Read for Book Awards Challenge: 2

Best Finish to a Series: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows
Best New Series: Uglies, Lily Bard mysteries
Best Book: The Bone People, Arthur & George, Harry Potter

the list:
82. The Halifax Connection - Marie Jakober
81. Galileo's Daughter - Dava Sobel
80. Murder on a Girls' Night Out - Anne George
79. The Year of Secret Assignments - Jaclyn Moriarty
78. The Princess of Burundi - Kjell Eriksson
77. HP and the Deathly Hallows - JK Rowling
76. Killer Swell - Jelff Shelby
75. Arthur & George - Julian Barnes
74. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris
73. Restless - William Boyd
72. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
71. The Hound of the Baskervilles - AC Doyle
70. The Bone People - Kerri Hulme
69. Uglies - Scott Westerfeld
68. Alentejo Blue - Monica Ali

UPDATE: June Books

An amazing total for June, because it is a very busy month at work for me. Challenge reading is continuing, and it seems at the end of each month I start worrying about getting books finished, reading a big list, and then I remember: it's all for fun. It doesn't matter whether I finish a challenge or not, it's about reading great books and enjoying them.

Total books read: 12 8 fiction, 4 nonfiction
Books Read for Nonfiction Challenge: 3
Books Read for Southern Challenge: 2
Books Read for Something About Me Challenge: 2
Books Read for Summer Reading Round 2: 3
Books Read for Dystopian Challenge: 1
Books Read for NYT Notable Books: 2
Reading Across Borders : 2

Best New Author : Larson, Vowell
Best New Series: Miss Julia, Stephanie Plum
Best Book: The Devil in the White City; So Many Books, So Little Time

the list:
67. The Echo Maker - Richard Powers
66. One for the Money - Janet Evanovich
65. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
64. Zlata's Diary - Zlata Filipovic
63. Good Intentions - Joy Fielding
62. The Translator - Leila Aboulela
61. Quite a Year for Plums - Bailey White
60. The Devil in the White City - Erik Larson
59. So Many Books, So Little Time - Sara Nelson
58. Flowers for Algernon - Daniel Keyes
57. Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind - Ann B Ross
56. Assassination Vacation - Sarah Vowell

UPDATE: Spring Reading Thing Challenge

Katrina has asked that everyone write a wrap-up post about the Spring Reading Thing. I finished this up a while ago, but she even gave some homework questions to complete! Sometimes school work can be fun however. Here's my list, including links to each review:

1. Reef by Romesh Gunesekera (completed March 24, 2007)

2. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler (completed March 25, 2007)

3. A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (completed March 29,2007)

4. History of the World in 10.5 Chapters by Julian Barnes (completed April 6, 2007)

5. The Virgin Suicides by Jeffery Eugenides (completed April 13, 2007)

6. His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman

book 1 The Golden Compass (completed April 26, 2007)

book 2 The Subtle Knife (completed April 29, 2007)

book 3 The Amber Spyglass (completed May 22, 2007)

What was the best book you read this spring? I can't pick, because the books were so different, and each have different assets. Mystery, sci-fi, fantasy, . . .
What book could you have done without? The Virgin Suicides didn't do it for me, partly because I loved Middlesex and it wasn't nearly as captivating.
Did you try out a new author this spring? If so, which one, and will you be reading that author again? Ironically, the only author I had read before was Eugenides. I plan to read another of Gunesekara, Adams, Barnes, and Chandler. I even have the books for each of these picked out.
If there were books you didn't finish, tell us why. Did you run out of time? Realize those books weren't worth it? I debated not finishing The Amber Spyglass, but I'm so glad I did because the ending was fantastic. Also, how could I not finish the third book in a trilogy?
Did you come across a book or two on other participants' lists that you're planning to add to your own to-be-read pile? Which ones? I'm sure I did, but I can't remember where I got them or from whom. I've been making such a big list of books to read, I think I'm in denial from where they came from.
What did you learn -- about anything -- through this challenge? Maybe you learned something about yourself or your reading style, maybe you learned not to pick so many nonfiction books for a challenge, maybe you learned something from a book you read. Whatever it is, share! I learned I only like to commit to one book per month for a challenge, and I wouldn't pick a trilogy again, because what if you don't like it?
What was the best part of the Spring Reading Thing? the pretty button!!
Would you be interested in participating in another reading challenge this fall? oh probably!
Any other thoughts, impressions, or comments. Thanks a lot Katrina, you were a great hostess