2011 Book Challenge

This is the only Book Challenge that I am doing this year. At least, that is the plan. Sometimes I get too excited about challenges and go for them. And I really shouldn't this year. I already have plenty to do. Indeed, I've been so busy in the last few weeks and months, that wonderful Brambler knew this and came up with this year's challenge on her own. I think this is much more do-able without exhausting me. The nonfiction part will be the big challenge for me, but I really should read more of it. 


So, anywho. Here we go!

Two non-fiction books (of any length) a month plus one challenge a month. (10 pts per book)

Here are the challenges:

January – January is the month of resolutions. Read a book you’ve been meaning to read for a long time.

February – Groundhog’s Day happens in February. Read a book about an animal.

March – Beware the Ides of March. Read a mystery.

April – A very important person was born in April… Read a book on marriage.

May – Emerald is the birthstone for May. Read a book with a green cover.

June – I got this idea from a group on Goodreads, but I love it. It’s a longer challenge, but once again, I love it. :) June is the month of weddings. There’s the saying “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.” Read an old favorite, a book you’ve never read before, a book you borrowed either from the library or a friend, and a book that has “blue” either in the title or the cover is blue.

July – July is vacation month. Read a book about a place that you want to visit, but have not yet visited.

August – Back to school in August. Read a book from either a summer reading list (high school, of course), or this link: http://www.neh.gov/projects/summertimefavorites.html.

September – The first comic strip published in an American newspaper was published on September 11, 1975. Read either a comic book or a manga book. (Is that a correct way to use that word? I have no idea. But you know what I mean.)

October – Columbus landed in America in October. Read a book concerning America. (I realize that is pretty wide open. I wanted some options.)

November - November is the best month of the year. Read a fun book.

December – Both Jane Austen and Walt Disney were born in December. Read a book that is somehow related to either of them. (Spin-offs, about the park, biographies, relating to the movies, etc….)

Bonus: Any other books you read this year over 75 pages. (5 pts per book)

2010 Book Challenge Wrap-Up Part 3

The Grand Totals!

Audio Challenge

Goal - 60

Read - 71

Met? - 118%

Kids personal goal (including the picture books worth .1 point each)

Goal - 350

Read - 378

Met? - 108%

YA Challenge

Goal - 75

Read - 85

Met? - 113%

Nonfiction personal goal

Goal - 5

Read - 6

Met? - 120%

1st in Series Challenge

Goal - 12

Read - 13

Met? - 108%

2nd in Series Challenge

Goal - 20

Read - 23

Met? - 115%

Finish that Series Challenge

Goal - 10

Read - 14

Met? - 140%

SnH Book Challenge

Goal - 49 categories

Completed - 44

Met? - 90%

Books Read

Total - 479

Re-reads - 7

Goal - read less than 2009

Non-children's from 2009 - 110

Non-children's from 2010 - 122
Met? no

Points

1076.1!!!

Conclusion:

Go me for more than meeting all but one of the challenges.

Resolve to never do that many challenges again...unless I have twice as much time on my hands!

2010 Book Challenge Wrap-Up Part 2

15 Points Categories:

	Title	Author
1) A book from the London Times' Best Books of the Decade list. (Can look at either http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/262697-london-times-best-books-of-the-decade	Reading Lolita in Tehran	Azar Nafisi
or
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/book_reviews/article6914181.ece)
2) A book about science	The Universe-didn't get to finish	Time-Life Books
3) A book about American History	1776	David McCullough
	Monkey Town	Ronald Kidd
4) A book about language/writing	Cutting a Dash: Eats, Shoots & Leaves (radio series)	Lynne Truss
6) A book by a Goodreads author	The Killer's Cousin	Nancy Werlin
	The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z	Kate Messner
	Wintergirls	Laurie Halse Anderson
	Return to Labyrinth, vol. 4	Jake T. Forbes
7) A book written in 2010.	Apple Turnover Murder	Joanne Fluke
	Heist Society	Ally Carter
	Calamity Jack	Shannon Hale
	Extraordinary	Nancy Werlin
	Missing in Action	Dean Hughes
	Mockingjay	Suzanne Collins
	Twilight: Graphic Novel, vol. 1	Stephenie Meyer
	Wishing for Tomorrow	Hilary McKay
	Only the Good Spy Young	Ally Carter
	Behemoth	Scott Westerfeld
	Eye of the Red Tsar	Sam Eastland

Totals:

Audio - 8

Kids (100pgs+) - 2

YA - 12

Nonfiction - 3

Reread - 0

1st in a Series Challenge - 1

2nd in Series Challenge - 2

Finishes a series challenge - 3

Categories completed: 5 out of 6

Books read - 18

Points earned - 270

25 Points Categories:

1) A book with over 550 pages	Little Dorrit-got half way done!	Charles Dickens
2) A book you’ve been meaning to read for years   (maybe have even started), but haven’t gotten around to finishing yet.	Rapunzel's Revenge	Shannon Hale
3) A book about a political figure/politics	Glenn Beck's Common Sense	Glenn Beck
4) A book written before 1776.	The Epic of Gilgamesh

Totals:

Audio - 0

Kids (100pgs+) - 0

YA - 1

Nonfiction - 1

Reread - 0

1st in a Series Challenge - 0

2nd in Series Challenge - 0

Finishes a series challenge - 0

Categories completed: 3 out of 4

Books read - 3

Points earned - 75

2010 Book Challenge Wrap-Up Part 1

I figured it's about time I update how I did on the 2010 SnH Book Challenge. And because I found the flash drive I saved it on. And I feel I can't fully move on to the 2011 Challenge until this one is wrapped up. So, I'm just putting down which books (and authors) I read for each point category. Then give some totals.

5 Points Categories:

	Title	Author
1) Author to match every letter of the alphabet (Last names, that is.)
a.	The Book of Three	Lloyd Alexander
b.	Thwonk	Joan Bauer
	Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret	Judy Blume
c.	Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy	Ally Carter
	Bloomability	Sharon Creech
	Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane	Suzanne Collins
	Things Not Seen	Andrew Clements
d.	Beauty Sleep	Cameron Dokey
e.	Undiscovered Country	Lin Enger
f.	Inkdeath	Cornelia Funke
g.	The NextGen Librarian's Survival Guide	Rachel Singer Gordon
h.	Palace of Mirrors	Margaret Peterson Haddix
	Farewell, my Lunchbag	Bruce Hale
	The Big Nap	Bruce Hale
i.	The Original Freddie Ackerman	Hadley Irwin
j.	Redwall	Brian Jacques
k.	Kimchi & Calamari	Rose Kent
	From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler	E.L. Konigsburg
	Gideon's Gift	Karen Kingsbury
	The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place	E.L. Konigsburg
	The View from Saturday	E.L. Konigsburg
l.	Skulduggery Pleasant	Derek Landy
	The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe	C.S. Lewis
	The Horse and His Boy	C.S. Lewis
	The Voyage of the Dawn Treader	C.S. Lewis
	The Silver Chair	C.S. Lewis
	The Last Battle	C.S. Lewis
m.	Pushcart War	Jean Merrill
n.	The Borrowers	Mary Norton
o.	Carnival at Candlelight	Mary Pope Osborne
p.	The Last Book in the Universe	Rodman Philbrick
	All Alone in the Universe	Lynne Rae Perkins
	The Subtle Knife	Phillip Pullman
	The Amber Spyglass	Phillip Pullman
q.	A Golden Web	Barbara Quick
r.	The Westing Game	Ellen Raskin
	The Best School Year Ever	Barbara Robinson
	The Best Halloween Ever	Barbara Robinson
s.	The Dark Side of Nowhere	Neal Shusterman
t.	Mimus	Lilli Thal
u.	Journey to Topaz	Yoshiko Uchida
v.	Cloaked in Red	Vivian Van Velde
w.	Searching for Dragons	Patricia Wrede
	Calling on Dragons	Patricia Wrede
	Talking to Dragons	Patricia Wrede
	Each Little Bird That Sings	Deborah Wiles
x. you get a free five points for x. 15 points if you actually find an author whose last name starts with x. :)
y	Fell asleep before completing!
z.	The Scream Museum	Paul Zindel
2) Retold fairy tale	Just Ella	Margaret Peterson Haddix
3) A book written between 1951 and 2009	Betsy and the Great World	Maud Hart Lovelace
	Betsy's Wedding	Maud Hart Lovelace
	Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover	Ally Carter
	The Dangerous Days of Daniel X	James Patterson
	Nightjohn	Gary Paulsen
	Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods	Suzanne Collins
	Gregor and the Marks of Secret	Suzanne Collins
	Brian's Winter	Gary Paulsen
	Brian's Return	Gary Paulsen
	Brian's Hunt	Gary Paulsen
	The Hunger Games	Suzanne Collins
	Catching Fire	Suzanne Collins
	The Rag and Bone Shop	Robert Cormier
4) Throwaway category – Any book that doesn’t fit in any other category.	One Whole and Perfect Day	Judith Clarke

Totals: 

Audio - 44

Kids (100pgs+) - 16

YA - 44

Nonfiction - 1

Reread - 5

1st in a Series Challenge - 7

2nd in Series Challenge - 15

Finishes a series challenge - 8

Categories completed: 27 out of 29

Books read - 63

Points earned - 315

10 Points Categories:

1) A book you own you haven’t read yet
2) A book with a body of water in the title (river, ocean, lake…)	Mistik Lake	Martha Brooks
3) A book with a Title in the title (The Count of Monte Cristo)	The Princess Diaries	Meg Cabot
	Prince Caspian	C.S. Lewis
	A Little Princess	Frances Hodgson Burnett
4) A book with a plant in the title (A Tree Grows in Brookl1n)	Rose in Bloom	Louisa May Alcott
5) A book set in a place you’ve wanted to visit/have visited	Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor	Stephanie Barron
	Jane and the Man of the Cloth	Stephanie Barron
	The Last Siege	Jonathan Stroud
	Jason's Gold	Will Hobbs
	Rebel Angels	Libba Bray
	The Sweet Far Thing	Libba Bray
	Emma, vol. 1	Kaoru Mori
	Emma, vol. 2	Kaoru Mori
	Emma, vol. 3	Kaoru Mori
	Emma, vol. 4	Kaoru Mori
	Emma, vol. 5	Kaoru Mori
	Emma, vol. 6	Kaoru Mori
	Emma, vol. 7	Kaoru Mori
	Emma, vol. 8	Kaoru Mori
	Emma, vol. 9	Kaoru Mori
	Emma, vol. 10	Kaoru Mori
	The London Eye Mystery	Siobhan Dowd
6) A book with a movie adaptation. Then watch the movie.	Hoot	Carl Hiaasen
	Stormbreaker	Anthony Horowitz
7) A book written between 1776 and 1850.	Common Sense	Thomas Paine
	A Christmas Carol	Charles Dickens
8) A book written between 1851 and 1900.	The Moonstone	Wilkie Collins
	Eight Cousins	Louisa May Alcott
9) A book written between 1901 and 1950.	Betsy-Tacy and Tib	Maud Hart Lovelace
	Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill	Maud Hart Lovelace
	Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown	Maud Hart Lovelace
	Heaven to Betsy	Maud Hart Lovelace
	Betsy in Spite of Herself	Maud Hart Lovelace
	Betsy was a Junior	Maud Hart Lovelace
	Betsy and Joe	Maud Hart Lovelace
10) A book about war.	On the Wings of Heroes	Richard Peck
	Gregor and the Code of Claw	Suzanne Collins
	Leviathan	Scott Westerfeld

Totals:

Audio - 19

Kids (100pgs+) - 5

YA - 28

Nonfiction - 1

Reread - 2

1st in a Series Challenge - 5

2nd in Series Challenge - 6

Finishes a series challenge - 3

Categories completed: 9 out of 10

Books read - 38

Points earned - 380

Excuse the Mess

Currently learning (aka playing around) about different blog designs and futures. Bear with me!!

Hunger Games Trilogy Answers - Part 2

Catching Fire

1. What did you think about Gale and Katniss’ relationship after the games?

In all honesty, I never liked Gale. I didn’t feel I knew him well enough from the first book, so I was rather irked that Katniss was upset with how he was acting at the beginning of Book 2. It’s probably just me, but I felt that if he’d had feelings before, he should have told her before she left for the Games. Since he didn’t, he really did not have much of a right to act all mad and stinky about what occurred during the Games because she didn’t know that it was upsetting him. I was glad Gale did most of his annoyance and anger in silence, though.

2. As you read, what did you think Katniss’ feelings were toward Peeta? Gale?

I think Katniss felt obligated to Peeta. That she felt she would forever owe him for many things. While that may be true, it’s no foundation for love. And I felt that what she felt for Gale was confusion overall with what was going on and guilt that things weren’t how they used to be. Also a bit of owing him for how he took care of her family. Again—none of that is a foundation for love either. Yes. I know I’m harsh on Katniss. But that’s because I knew what I wanted and was so angry that I just couldn’t step in and treat Peeta as he deserved. (And if there are any Gale supporters out there, don’t you wish you could have pushed Katniss aside and treated Gale as he deserved?)

3. What were you thinking/feeling when President Snow was in her house?

My main thought was “How dare he come into her home!” The underlying thought from that was “This man is creepy.” My overall feeling was “uh oh.”

4. What did you think about the Victory Tour?

It was interesting to get a glimpse of the other districts. I was saddened about the engagement farce, for Peeta’s sake. I was a bit torn on the whole nightmare-Peeta-holding-Katniss part. I mean, it was sweet and showed just how much Katniss needed Peeta after this life-altering experience. But I struggled with the close proximity of this unmarried couple and couldn’t get beyond how I felt something about it was wrong. Yep—I’m that strict in my personal standards. Why else do you think I hate the 3rd Twilight book?

5. Did you figure out Plutarch’s part?

I had my guesses as soon as he showed the ring that he was on Katniss’ side. But I wasn’t sure just what the part was that he was playing.

6. What were your thoughts about the ending?

“Oh. My. Gosh.” I couldn’t believe it about District 12. It was such a twist and a shock to me. The end of the Games was sudden and fast, and I had to listen to it twice to fully comprehend what happened.