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November challenge
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Yep, October flew and here we are the beginning of November already! I'm starting my November Challange and here's what I'm reading:7. Read a book about crime.
"Othella, Arcadian Heights" by Therin Knite.
-John Green 11-1-15This was an odd story that was partly a suspense novel and partly a coming-of-age novel. It is written fairly well, and the characters are well drawn even though I didn't actually like most of them, but I kept reading the novel because I wanted to know the end of the story, to know what happened to Margo. Ultimately, this is the second novel I've read by John Green full of unquestionably strange teenagers who I don't really like or care about at all, so I'm starting to wonder if I should just stop bothering to read any other books by John Green.
literary awards: Anthony Award Nominee for Best Children's/Young Adult Novel (2009), CORINE Internationaler Buchpreis for Young Adult (2010), School Library Journal Best Book of the Year (2008), Edgar Award for Best Young Adult (2009), Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis Nominee for Preis der Jugendjury (2011)
The Inky Awards Nominee for Silver Inky (2009), Abraham Lincoln Award Nominee (2011), Bronzener Lufti (2010), Literaturpreis der Jury der jungen Leser for Jugendbuch (2010), The Inky Awards Shortlist for Silver Inky (2009)
November:1. Read a book whose author's last name begins with I. N/A
2. Read a book about gratitude. N/A
3. Read a book by an author who has your last name. N/A
4. Read a book that won any award. Paper Towns-John Green 11-1-15
5. Read a book about current events. N/A
6. Read a book set in Asia. (if the empire in this fantasy saga was real, it would be in Asia) Eon: Dragoneye Reborn-Alison Goodman 11-21-15, Eona: The Last Dragoneye-Alison Goodman 11-23-15
7. Read a book about crime. The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession-Allison Hoover Bartlett 11-5-15, The Final Reveille-Amanda Flower 11-25-15
8. Read a book written or set in the '50's. N/A
9. Your choice. Doctor in Petticoats-Mary Connealy 11-7-15, Come Juneteenth-Ann Rinaldi 11-8-15, Alice's Tulips-Sandra Dallas 11-10-15, Slaughterhouse-Five-Kurt Vonnegut 11-13-15, Close Range: Wyoming Stories-Annie Proulx 11-30-15
I'm starting my November Challange and here's what I'm reading:7. Read a book about crime.
"Othella, Arcadian Heights" by Therin Knite.
9. Your choice.
"Hotel Pastis" by Peter Mayle
Now reading "Hotel Pastis" by Peter Mayle, our book club selection for this month."Simon Shaw is 42, freshly divorced and tired. As he surveys the desolation of his former home in the wake of his ex-wife, he yearns for a life free of complications. But somehow a short break in the warm seductive air of Provence quickly turns into something more."
-Allison Hoover Bartlett 11-5-15This was a well-written and entertaining nonfiction narrative about a book thief who loved books, the book seller who brought him down, and the journalist writing about both. I enjoyed it, and I learned a lot about rare books and book collecting.
-Mary Connealy 11-7-15I really enjoyed this Christian historical romance. It was well written and was full of really well done and interesting characters. I really liked the author's portrayal of Alex's PTSD, not that they knew what that was back in the late 1800s, which was why Beth kept thinking of him as a lunatic. This book definitely claimed its place on my favorites list, and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
-Ann Rinaldi 11-8-15On June 19, 1865 the slaves in Texas were announced to be free, two whole years after slaves were freed in the East. This was an interesting historical YA novel about that period of time, about a family and how it is affected by Reconstruction, and, more particularly, about what happens when a slave girl who'd been raised as one of the family finds out that not only is she free but that she has been free for two years. It's a novel about relationships and about truth versus lies. It is well written and has good character development.
Mod
-Allison Hoover Bartlett 11-5-15This was a well-written and entertain..."
I loved The Man Who Loved Books Too Much. I had the opportunity to meet the author when she did the book tour when the book came out. Fascinating read!
Mod
Here's my list for November.
0/9, 12 books
1. Read a book whose author's last name begins with I.
2. Read a book about gratitude.
3. Read a book by an author who has your last name.
4. Read a book that won any award.
5. Read a book about current events.
6. Read a book set in Asia.
7. Read a book about crime--Paper, Scissors, Death by Joanna Campbell Slan--finished 11/19/15
8. Read a book written or set in the '50's.
9. Your choice--Tall, Dark, and Wicked by Madeline Hunter
Scarecrow and Betsy McGee by Trixie Stilletto--finished 11/2/15
The Best Laid Plans by Lynn Schnuenberger--fnished 11/5/15
Unlovable by Cynthia St. Aubin--finished 11/6/15
I Survived Hurrican Katrina by Lauren Tarshis--finished 11/6/15
101 Dalmatians by Dodie Smith--finished 11/8/15
First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones--finished 11/10/15
Unlucky by Cynthia St. Aubin--finished 11/22/15
Unhoppy by Cynthia St. Aubin--finished 11/24/15
Unbearable by Cynthia St. Aubin--finished 11/30/15
The Naughty List by Michael Fry & Bradley Jackson--finished 11/30/15.
-Sandra Dallas 11-10-15This was a well-written historical fiction novel written in epistolary form. What I learned about the characters and about small town Iowa life during the Civil War era was interesting, and there was even an element of mystery. The book dealt with several tough issues in the midst of the main character's lighthearted approach to life. Overall, I liked it even though I don't prefer reading books in the epistolary form.
-Kurt Vonnegut 11-13-15I will grant that this book was well-written and that it was quite thought-provoking at several points, so I understand why it's considered to be a classic. That being said, this book was weird, and it was extremely vulgar for no legitimate literary reason that I could determine. It is also anti-Christian in addition to being anti-war, so I also had an issue with it for that reason. I will classify this book as historical fiction with science fiction elements. However, Vonnegut does make a very good point about Americans and their tendency to look down on the poor and to berate themselves if they are poor, refusing to acknowledge the fact that it is difficult rather than easy to make money, and for this point, I have given three stars as opposed to the two I was first inclined to assign to it.
My continuing November Challenge. 7. Read a book about crime.
"Othella, Arcadian Heights" by Therin Knite.
9. Your choice.
"Hotel Pastis" by Peter Mayle
"The Bazaar of Bad Dreams" by Stephan King
Just started reading "The Bazaar of Bad Dreams" by Stephan King."A thrilling collection of twenty stories - some brand new, some published in magazines, all entirely brilliant and assembled in one book for the first time - with a wonderful bonus: in addition to his introduction to the whole collection, King gives readers a fascinating introduction to each story with autobiographical comments on their origins and motivation."
-Leila Meacham 11-18-15This historical fiction novel was written very well, and the main characters were well developed. Also, I loved how this novel felt, a sweeping saga of love, forgiveness, and family ties and what it portrayed, the consequences of hurtful obsession and both good and bad choices throughout the generations of three families.
-Alison Goodman 11-21-15This was a brilliant fantasy novel with Asian cultural influences throughout its invented world. It was well-written, and the character development was well done. The story was full of intrigue and action, and it also had a love story woven throughout this book and its sequel.
-Alison Goodman 11-23-15This was a brilliant fantasy novel with Asian cultural influences throughout its invented world. It was well-written, and the character development was well done. This book continues the story line begun in its prequel, Eon: Dragoneye Reborn, and it is action-packed and full of surprises. Even though I was pleased with how the story concluded, I wish there had been an epilogue about how things resolved for Kygo and Eona and the whole empire after Sethon's defeat and the dragon's freedom, so I dropped this book down to four stars from the five it would have deserved otherwise.
-Amanda Flower 11-25-15This was a fairly entertaining mystery. The novel was fairly well written, the characters were well drawn, and I found the living museum setting to be a lot of fun. I was surprised by who the murderer turned out to be at the end as well. However, I just can't bring myself to give the book more than 3 stars; it just lacked something for me, and I'm not sure what.
-Annie Proulx 11-30-15The short stories in this collection have just a few things in common: 1. All of them primarily take place in Wyoming, 2. All of them are full of dysfunctional people and are about dysfunctional relationships and families, and 3. All of them are depressing even the two with some elements of macabre humor. I liked the last two stories in the book better than the others: "The Governors of Wyoming" and "Brokeback Mountain." Although I strongly disliked the homosexual vein in "Brokeback Mountain," I couldn't help but feel sympathy for those two men caught in a storm of their own making; they were the most well done characters in the entire book.
Mod
-Amanda Flower 11-25-15This was a fairly entertaining mystery. The novel was fairly well written, the characters were well drawn, and I found the living muse..."
I like Annie Proulx but she is not a cheerful, uplifting writer. Her books are gritty.
Mod
Well I just wrote a long post about what I was reading and I lost it. Just posted 14 new reviews under my books. I spent the last few months reading lots of Star Wars books to prepare for the new movie, including the Rebel Force series for young readers and "Star Wars Aftermath" dealing with the fall of the Empire. Good book for fans of Wedge Antilles. I also read Anne Rice's "The Wolves of Midwinter" where the werewolves celebrate the Christmas holiday and their own version of a winter holiday. It was fun if you like Anne Rice. I read "Letting in the Wild Edges", which I found at the library. It shows how to use local, natural plants as food and medicine. It also talks about earth celebrations. I read "Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire". It definitely keeps the action moving in that story and shows how friendships change over time. I read another in the Warriors series "Rising Storm". Now I am starting to do some Christmas reading. Hope to be on here with more reviews soon.
Read 100+ Books in 2015
Books mentioned in this topic
The Final Reveille (other topics)Close Range: Wyoming Stories (other topics)
The Final Reveille (other topics)
Close Range: Wyoming Stories (other topics)
The Final Reveille (other topics)
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1. Read a book whose author's last name begins with I.
2. Read a book about gratitude.
3. Read a book by an author who has your last name.
4. Read a book that won any award.
5. Read a book about current events.
6. Read a book set in Asia.
7. Read a book about crime.
8. Read a book written or set in the '50's.
9. Your choice.