"And to this purpose"

"If people like to read their books, it is all very well, but to be at so much trouble in filling great volumes, which, as I used to think, nobody would willingly ever look into, to be labouring only for the torment of little boys and girls, always struck me as a hard fate; and though I know it is all very right and necessary, I have often wondered at the person's courage that could sit down on purpose to do it." (In other words: rambling analyses, opinions, ideas, views, and comments from an English major, Essay/paper-writing enthusiastic, Austen-loving Master Librarian on, well, Jane Austen...and a whole lot of other things, too.)

"Celebrated Passages are Quoted"

Heidi's favorite quotes


"What is it really like to be engaged?" asked Anne curiously. "Well, that all depends on who you're engaged to," answered Diana, with that maddening air of superior wisdom always assumed by those who are engaged over those who are not."— L.M. Montgomery

Saturday, January 7, 2012

The Last of the 2011 Challenges


I was so busy at the end of the year that I never got around to updating my Book Challenges. So here are the totals for November, December, and the whole year. I also added my personal "Scrabble" challenge where I count Scrabble points for first letter of each title and author that I read. (Not including  picture books.)

November Totals

Read a fun book           
Crossed by Ally Condie
Greenwitch by Susan Cooper
Stop the Ward! I Want to Get Off! by Joni Hilton
The Death Cure by James Dashner
Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper
Scrambled Home Evenings by Joni Hilton
Ten-Cow Wives' Club            by Joni Hilton
Al Capone Shines My Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko
Around the Ward in 80 in Days by Joni Hilton
Artsy-Smartsy Club by Daniel Pinkwater
Darth Paper Strikes Back by Tom Angleberger
Notes from an Accidental Band Geek by Erin Dionne

Read two Nonfiction
Lives of the Writers: Comedies, Tragedies (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull
Every Thing On It by Shel Silverstein

Other           
Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan

Audio – 5
Kids – 4
YA – 7
Nonfiction – 2
Pages – 3385
Points – 145



December Totals

Read a book somehow related to Jane Austen or Walt Disney           
Who was Walt Disney? by Whitney Stewart
Pride and Prescience: Or, A Truth Universally Acknowledged by Carrie Bebris
Suspense and Sensibility: Or, First Impressions Revisited by Carrie Bebris
Cassandra's Sister by Veronica Bennett                       
                       
Read two Nonfiction
Insanewiches by Adrian Fiorino
The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P.T. Barnum by Candace Fleming
                       
Other           
Grey King by Susan Cooper
Silver on the Tree by Susan Cooper
How to Grow Up and Rule the World by Scott Seegert & Vordak the Incomprehensible
Goliath by Scott Westerfeld
           
Audio – 3
Kids – 2
YA – 5
Nonfiction – 3
Pages – 2435
Points – 80

(December was the 2nd lowest in how much I read. I blame that on wanting to enjoy listening to Christmas music.)


Yearly Totals

Children’s Goal: 250
Children’s Actual: 264, 217 of those being Picture books (106%)

Audio Goal: 50
Audio Actual: 76 (152%)

YA Goal: 40
YA Actual: 75 (188%)

Nonfiction Goal: 25
Nonfiction Actual: 36—including a few children’s (144%)

Rereads: 2

Total Books Goal: 350
Total Books Actual: 399—1 shy!!! I really was trying to finish that book on New Year’s Eve, but I was locked out of the house for 2 hours, urg. (114%)

Pages Goal: 50,000
Pages Actual: 47, 112 (94%)

Points: 1,393.3

A to Z Totals

Titles: 396
Letters not read: K, Q, X, Z
Highest Scoring letter: W (84 points!)

Authors: 282
Letters not read: I, Q, U, X, Y
Highest Scoring Letter: B (42 points)

Grand Total: 678

I haven't looked at the last couple of years' points for this challenge, but I do believe this one is the highest so far. 

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