Reading Wrap-Up

(I'm actually backdating this post because I totally flaked!)

This Wrap-Up post covers March 18 - April 30. (Why does this cover 6weeks?)

• Alanna: The First Adventure
• The Crimes of Paris: A True Story of Murder, Theft, and Detection
• The Unfinished Clue
• Girls in Trucks
• Behold, Here's Poison
• Follow Me: A Novel
• The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

These are the books that Reaghan (my 3yo) and I finished during March 18 - April 30

• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 100th Anniversary Edition
• Wild Cherry Makes a Wish: Flower Fairies Chapter book #4
• Jasmine's Starry Night
  

Challenge Update #1 -- Reading Wrap-Up

I haven't done a Reading Wrap-Up since I wrapped up December's reads. I thought I'd combine a wrap-up for January, February and the first half of March with an update on where I stand with my Reading Challenges.

In January I finished:

• Emily Post by Laura Claridge
• The Smart One by Ellen Meister
• Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
• Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

In February I finished:

• A Day with My Dad at the Beach by Lance Waite
• King's Fool by Margaret Campbell Barnes

In March I have finished (so far):

• Baron Thinks Dog are People Too! by Laurie Dean
• Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

Now for Challenge Updates!

1. 100+ Reading Challenge -- 8/100
2. 18th & 19th Century Woman Writer's Challenge -- 0/4
3. 2009 Pub Challenge -- 0/9 {I am currently reading THE CRIMES OF PARIS which qualifies for this challenge.}
4. 2009 Support Your Local Library Challenge -- 0/12
5. 2009 Young Adult Book Challenge -- 2/12
6. American Civil War Reading Challenge -- 0/12
7. Genre Challenge -- 2/12
8. John Steinbeck Mini-Challenge -- 0/2
9. Pulizter Prize Challenge -- 0/5
10. Scott Westerfeld Mini-Challenge -- 2/2
11. Well-Seasoned Reader Challenge -- 0/3 {In all honesty, I forgot about this challenge. It ends in 2 weeks...}
12. What's in a Name? 2 -- 1/6
13. Winter Holiday Reading Challenge -- There was no set # to read; I read an anthology of 4 stories and a book.
14. The World Citizen Challenge -- 0/1

I will skip the Reading/Challenge Wrap-Up for March, but on May 2nd I will post a wrap-up that covers March 18 - April 30. After that I will resume regular monthly wrap-ups!

Dewey’s Books Reading Challenge

I'm probably pushing the limit on the number of challenges that I'm joining, but I can't NOT join this one. Dewey was an inspiration and an example for me in my early blogging days. I have not decided which other the 2 options I'll choose and which books I'll read (I'll update this post when I do). The challenge runs (officially) January 1 to December 31, 2009.

1. 
   

2009 Young Adult Book Challenge

This makes 15 challenges. I decided to join this one because these are the books that my oldest daughter is reading. She will be 15 by the time this challenge starts. (There is a widget at the bottom of my blog if you're interested.) She's read all 4 Twilight books; I've read just the first so far. She has read 3 out the 4 Scott Westerfeld Uglies books; I've read just Uglies. I think it will be good for me to read more of what she is reading (she reads a lot). I think it may even make us closer, make it easier for me to understand how her mind is working, etc.

Enough rambling. Go here to join this challenge and to read the rules. I will be updating this post as I read.

1. Pretties by Scott Westerfeld [review]
2. Specials by Scott Westerfeld [review]
   

Books that I have on hand for this challenge:

• Daughter of the Forest
• Life of Pi: Student Edition
• The Bar Code Tattoo
• Secret Speakers and the Search for Selador's Gate
• Marked
• Betrayed
  

2009 - 100+ Reading Challenge

I wasn't going to join this challenge becasue I didn't think I could read so many books in one year. I've decided that it's okay to 'fail' the challenge. I want to give it a shot; the worst that can happen is I won't read 100 books. No one is going to hunt me down if I come up short. =)

Go here for full rules. All books count for this challenge. Challenge runs from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009. I will update this post as books are finished. I will link the titles to the reviews as they are written.

1. Emily Post: Daughter of the Gilded Age, Mistress of American Manners by Laura Claridge
   
2. The Smart One by Ellen Meister [reviewed for IJustFinished]
3. Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
4. Specials by Scott Westerfeld
5. A Day with My Dad at the Beach by Lance Waite
6. King's Fool by Margaret Campbell Barnes
7. Baron Thinks Dogs Are People Too! by Laurie Dean
8. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
9. Alanna (Song of the Lioness, Book 1) by Tamora Pierce
10. The Crimes of Paris by Dorothy Hoobler and Thomas Hoobler
11. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Frank L Baum
12. The Unfinished Clue by Georgette Heyer (review will post in late May as per Sourcebooks)
13. Girls in Trucks by Katie Crouch
14. Wild Cherry Makes a Wish by Pippa le Quesne
15. Behold, Here's Poison by Georgette Heyer
    
16. Follow Me by Joanna Scott
17. Jasmine's Starry Night by Kay Woodward
18. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe
19. Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
20. Kushiel's Justice by Jacqueline Carey
21. Strange Angels by Lili St Crow
    
22. Naamah's Kiss by Jacqueline Carey
23. Mating Rituals of the North American WASP by Lauren Lipton
24. LOST Ate My Life by Jon "DocArzt" Lachonis and Amy "hijinx" Johnston
25. Santa Olivia by Jacqueline Carey
26. Kushiel's Mercy by Jacqueline Carey

Last Updated: June 10, 2009

What's in a Name 2

For full rules go here. Challenge runs from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009. 6 book requirement - 1 in each of 6 specific categories. I will update this post as I finish books.

1. 
   

Books I have on hand for this challenge.

• A book with a "profession" in its title.-- Ask a Policeman -- The Handmaid's Tale -- The Majesty of the Law: Reflections of a Supreme Court Justice -- Teacher Man: A Memoir -- Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy -- The Kitchen Boy
  
• A book with a "time of day" in its title. -- Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil -- The Darkest Evening of the Year
  
• A book with a "relative" in its title. -- Daughter of the Forest -- The Memory Keeper's Daughter -- The Other Daughter -- Pandora's Daughter -- Forever Lily: An Unexpected Mother's Journey to Adoption in China -- A Day with My Dad at The Beach
  
• A book with a "body part" in its title. -- Bag of Bones
  
• A book with a "building" in its title. -- The Old Curiosity Shop -- The Ruins -- The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club -- The Woman of the House -- The Little House: A Novel -- The Body in the Belfry: A Faith Fairchild Mystery
  
• A book with a "medical condition" in its title. -- 1st to Die -- Appointment W/death -- Death in the Clouds -- Parasite -- Thyme of Death
  

If anyone thinks that the "death" and "die" titles do not qualify as "medical conditions", please let me know.

Well Seasoned Reader Challenge

For full rules go here. Challenge runs from January 1, 2009 to March 31, 2009. I will update this post as I finish related books.

1. THE CRIMES OF PARIS - I finished the book before March 31, review was posted April 1.
   

Scott Westerfeld Mini-Challenge

For full rules go here. 2 books by Scott Westerfeld. Challenge runs January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009. I will update as I finish books related to this challenge.

1. Pretties [review]
2. Specials [review]

Last Updated March 13, 2009

John Steinbeck Mini-Challenge

For full rules go here. 2 books by John Steinbeck. Challenge runs January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009. I will update this post as I finish the books.

1. 
   

Books I have on-hand for this challenge:

• Cannery Row

Last Updated: March 13, 2009

Jewish Literature Challenge

For full rules go here. 4 book requirement. Challenge runs from December 21, 2009 to April 27, 2009 (beginning of Hanukkah to end of Passover). I will update this post as I finish books related to this challenge.

1. 
   

Genre Challenge

For full rules go here. Challenge runs November 1, 2008 to November 1, 2009. I'll be updating this post as I complete books that satisfy the requirements for this challenge. Click on linked titles to read my review.

1. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (Science Fiction)
2. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (Realistic Fiction)
3. 
   

American Civil War Reading Challenge

For full rules go here. 12 book requirement. Challenge runs from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009. I will update this post as I complete books.

1. 
   

2009 Pub Challenge

For all of the rules go here. Challenge runs from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009.

From the site: Read a minimum of 9 books first published in 2009. You don’t have to buy these. Library books, unabridged audios, or ARCs are all acceptable. To qualify as being first published in 2009, it must be the first time that the book is published in your own country. For example, if a book was published in Australia, England, or Canada in 2008, and then published in the USA in 2009, it counts (if you live in the USA). Newly published trade paperbacks and mass market paperbacks do not count if there has been a hardcover/trade published before 2009.

This is the post that I will be using to list the books for this challenge. The linked titles go to my reviews.

1. The Crimes of Paris by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler
2. Follow Me: A Novel by Joanna Scott
3. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe
4. Shanghai Girls: A Novel by Lisa See
5. Strange Angels by Lili St Crow
   
6. Naamah's Kiss by Jacqueline Carey
7. Mating Rituals of the North American WASP by Lauren Lipton
8. Santa Olivia by Jacqueline Carey
9. Shimmer by Eric Barnes
10. The Painter from Shanghai by Jennifer Epstein
11. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
12. The Treasures of Venice by Loucinda McGary
13. The Greatest Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick
14. Tell Me Something True by Leila Cobo
    

I'm Buying Books for the Holidays!

I'm a reader of the blog My Friend Amy. She has challenged us with something great! Amy has suggested that we buy books the holidays this year. You can pop over to either of the links to read about what prompted Amy's challenge. Here is what stuck a chord with me most.

Have you been reading the book news lately? It's not pretty. I feel like everyday I'm hearing about plummeting profits, massive lay-offs, book stores and libraries (!!) closing. We are living in dark and difficult book times.

So there it is. For those people that I can afford to buy gifts for this year: BOOKS! And I promise to not cop-out and buy bookstore gift cards. ;)

2009 Support Your Local Library Challenge

This makes 14 challenge so far. This challenge runs from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009. There are 3 options in this challenge. One of the following:

** The first is to read 12 books from your local library in 2009.
** The second is to read 25 books from your local library in 2009.
** The third is to read 50 books from your local library in 2009.

I will commit to reading 12 books from my library. That's only 1 a month and our library happens to be about a 10 minute walk from our apartment. I will be posting a list of which books I read from the library in this post.

UPDATE 9-17-09: I'm going to break this up into two lists. One list of books that I checked out and read myself. The other will be a list of books that I checked out and read to/with my 3yo daughter.

Kylee's list {I've already reached my goal of 12, but I have one checked out right now and one to pick up; not including audios}:

1. Blood Orange Brewing
2. Lord Peter : The Complete Lord Peter Wimsey Stories
3. Magyk
4. Flyte
5. Inkheart
6. A Lion Among Men
7. The Painter from Shanghai
8. Enter Three Witches
9. Lord of the Flies
10. Goddess of Yesterday
11. Burning Up
12. The Awakening and The Struggle

Kylee and Reaghan's list:

1. Strawberry Shortcake's Filly Friends: All Aboard Reading Station Stop 1
2. The Berry Best Friends' Picnic
3. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
4. Arthur's Computer Disaster: An Arthur Adventure
5. Arthur's Birthday Surprise: An Arthur Adventure
6. D.W.'s Lost Blankie

Last updated: 9-17-09

Winter Holiday Reading Challenge

There's no official button for this challenge, so I'm going to use this one. BookInHand is hosting this challenge. She is letting you pick how many books to read. The full rules are on her page. Challenge runs November 1, 2008 to January 31, 2009.

The books that you choose to read must have a storyline that includes celebrating a winter holiday, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year's, etc. (However, the holidays are not limited to just these examples.)

I have only chosen one book so far (A Different Kind of Christmas by Alex Haley). It is the only book I had on hand to use; however, my local library is about a 10 minute walk from here. =) I will update this post as I finish books related to this challenge.

1. An Object of Charity by Carla Kelly [review for 1-4; an anthology]
   
2. The Wexford Carol by Emma Jensen
3. Mistletoe and Folly by Sandra Heath
4. Upon a Midnight Clear by Amanda McCabe
5. A Different Kind of Christmas by Alex Haley [review]

Will link the reviews when I post them.

18th & 19th Century Woman Writer's Challenge

Becky @ Becky's Book Blog is hosting this challenge (and many other challenges). Between 4 and 12 books written by women writers in the 18th and 19th centuries. The challenge runs from January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009. Click the picture to go to her original post. The rules are all there.

I have picked 2 books as of this writing. Both are 19th Century books.

• Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
• Castle Rackrent by Maria Edgeworth

I'm having a hard time finding books first published in the 18th Century at my library. I'll update this post when I decide on my other 2 (minimum).

Pulitzer Prize Challenge

Heather @ What Was I Reading? is hosting this challenge. Five books that have won the Pulitzer Prize during your lifetime. Challenge ends October 31, 2009. Click the picture to go to her original post. All of the rules are there.

Here are my choices:

• The Known World by Edward P Jones (2004 winner)
• Breathing Lesssons by Anne Tyler (1989 winner)
• Foreign Affairs by Alison Lurie (1985 winner)
• Ironweed by William Kennedy (1984 winner)
• The Color Purple by Alice Walker(1983 winner)

Will update as I finish the books.

1. 
   

More Challenges

I'm joining some more challenges!

• 2009 Pub Challenge
  
• Winter Holiday Reading Challenge - committing to 3
  
• Decades '09
• Jewish Literature Challenge - committing to 3
• What's in a Name Challenge
  

My List of 2009 Reading Challenges (as of today)

So far there are only 4 that I have signed up for, but I expect the number to grow as we get closer to the end of the year.

1. The 2009 Read & Review Challenge - hosted by MizB
2. Pulitzer Prize Challenge - hosted by Heather
3. 18th and 19th Century Women Writers' Reading Challenge - hosted by Becky
4. Genre Challenge - hosted by Samantha

The books that I have chosen for challenge #2 (Pulitzer Prize) are:

• The Known World by Edward P. Jones (2004 winner)
  
• Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler (1989 winner)
• Foreign Affairs by Alison Lurie (1985 winner)
• Ironweed by William Kennedy (1984 winner)
• The Color Purple by Alice Walker (1983 winner)

The books that I have chosen for challenge #3 (18th & 19th century) are:
undertermined

The genres that I have chosen for challenge #4 are:

• all 12 - I'm going to attempt to read one from each genre listed (option C)

1. crime fiction
2. detective fiction
3. mystery fiction
4. horror fiction
5. thriller fiction
6. romance fiction
7. science fiction
8. action/adventure fiction
9. fantasy fiction
10. realistic fiction
11. historical fiction
12. western fiction