July 2010 Book Challenge Thread

[NewCrunchyDaddy]

Well, so much for making June stretch out for as long as possible. sigh

I guess summer is in full swing now (though you wouldn't know it by looking out the window at my little corner of the Pacific Northwest) and that means summer readin'.

So, just by way of clarification (for comers both new and old), new and improved guidelines for the Book Challenge Thread are as follows:

1) Post the books you read ... or not
2) Post a recommendation ... or not
3) Number your book ... or not
4) Make a goal ... or not
5) Have fun with books (This one, unfortunately, is MANDATORY)


So, with that, avante, allons-y and a happy reading July to everyone!

2009's Thread can be found HERE
January's Thread can be found HERE
February's Thread can be found HERE
March's Thread can be found HERE
April's Thread can be found HERE
May's Thread can be found HERE
June's Thread can be found HERE

[kangamitroo]

my last book of June was The First Part Last by Angela Johnson, a YA novel told from the perspective of a boy whose girlfriend gets pregnant. he is raising the baby. chapters alternate between "now" (with baby) and "then" (just before and during pregnancy). it is not clear until the end why the mother is not helpng. i enjoyed this. short, but vivid and tender.

[cathe]

Happy July everybody! I just got an advance copy of Ayelet Waldman's new book and will start it tonight.

[Bufomander]

Originally Posted by cathe

Happy July everybody! I just got an advance copy of Ayelet Waldman's new book and will start it tonight.

Ooh, that's fun!

[Bufomander]

#109 The Map of True Places by Brunonia Barry (the author of The Lace Reader)

I'm just 130 pages into this one but am enjoying it. I may recommend it my mother-in-law, as the main character's father has Parkinson's (as does my husband's maternal grandmother). Nathaniel Hawthorne, Salem, psychotherapists, and boats -- what's not to like?

[konamama]

still reading along...

[kofduke]

The Revolution will Not Be Microwaved, Katz

about every challenge to the "chemical-driven agricultural mainstream" he can think of from the protests against genetically modified plants to the fight to legalize unpasteurized milk, with slow food, veganism and supermarket dumpster diving thrown in for good measure.

Much of this is fantastic and inspiring...but not recommended for anyone just starting about reading about food, as the last few chapters (dumpster diving for salvagable food, anyone) might turn some people off. The chapter on vegetarianism/humane meat is great.

#1-World Without End, #2-Giada's Family Dinners, #3 When You Are Engulfed in Flames, #4 Her Fearful Symmetry, #5 First Among Sequels , #6 Under the Dome, #7 Look Again, #8 The Lost Symbol, #9 Sea of Monsters, #10 Protecting the Gift, #11 Titan's Curse, #12 Never Tell a Lie, #13 Man in the Dark Suit, #14 Battle of the Labyrinth, #15 An Abundance of Katherines, #16 Shanghai Girls, #17 Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, #18 The Last Olympian, #19 The Orientalist, #20 Labyrinth, #21 Shutter Island, #22 The Scarecrow, #23 The Road, #24 The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, #25 The Graveyard Book, #26 The Last Dickens, #27 City of Bones, #28 The Fate of Katherine Carr, #29 Just After Sunset, #30 The Last Town on Earth, #31 The Alexandria Link, #32 A Complicated Kindness, #33 The Revolution will not be Microwaved, #34 American Rust, #35 Lost:A Novel, #36 Lunatic Express, #37 Brimstone, #38 Overachievers, #39 The Empty Chair, #40 American Gods, #41 Push, #42 Don't Panic, Dinner's in the Freezer, #43 Children of God, #44 Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos, #45 Slow Fat Triathlete, #46 Ladies' #1 Detective Agency, #47 The Last Child in the Woods, #48 The Book of Lost Things, #49 Monster of Florence, #50 The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, #51 Random Family, #52 Skeletons at the Feast, #53 Hunger Games, #54 Anansi Boys

[*bejeweled*]

Happy July everyone!

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

[workjw]

July? Already? How did that happen?

Originally Posted by *bejeweled*

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

I've been wanting to read this again (and Flowers for Algernon) for months but I'm still on the waiting list at our tiny library.

Prayers for Rain by Dennis Lehane

Enjoyed this one. Lehane's style reminds me a little of Kellerman only more gritty and raw. Pretty quick read.

[paintedfire]

A HUGE book nerd joining in . . .

1) A Field Guide to Getting Lost by Rebecca Solnit

I'm re-reading this again right now because of a pretty traumatic event that I'm going through at the moment - my Dad has prostate cancer and is facing surgery for it this week. I flew in today (yesterday?) to be with him. I HIGHLY recommend it. It's touching, irreverent, and thought-provoking without ever lapsing into cliche. One of my favorite recent works.

[kaliki_kila]

Originally Posted by *bejeweled*

Happy July everyone!

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

I am reading this right now, too, since it is the book's 50th anniversary this year. It was published on July 11, 1960.

[kbond]

Ugh....it's been so long. I'm finding balancing motherhood and working to be much more challenging than I thought so not only am I not getting a lot of reading time anymore; I'm also not getting a lot of time on-line. Plus, I found out that I'm pregnant again and have been exhausted for the past 2 months.

But, I do have some recommendations. (Not numbering anymore 'cause I can't even begin to remember where I left off.)

This Body of Death (Inspector Lynley #16) by Elizabeth George
I liked it. Didn't love it, but I do like what she's doing with Inspector Lynley as far as developing his character.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Fascinating. I could not put this book down. The story of the family behind HeLa (the first immortal cell line that revolutionized 20th century science).

City of Bones and City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
An interesting YA series. Not great, but engaging enough so far. Each book has gotten a little bit better so I have hope.

[cathe]

Congratulations on the new baby, Kbond--but sorry about the working mama time thing. This past year was my first year working out of the home and it was tough. I feel so lucky to be working for the school and having this summer off. I feel like a lady of leisure!

[cathe]

Red Hook Road by Ayelet Waldman

I love reading a book when I have no idea what it will be about and I can be completely surprised. Well, that's what happened with this one because the ARC I received had no description on it. The book starts off kind of slow with a fancy wedding. A girl from a rich summer family marries a Maine "local" boy and while the families are not quite thrilled, they are reconciled to it. Then wham something happens that changes both the bride and groom's family's lives forever and the rest of the book is how they deal with it. I really enjoyed this book. Great characters and lots of tension in the relationships, not only between the families but within the families themselves. Another winner from Waldman.

[kangamitroo]

Originally Posted by kaliki_kila

I am reading this right now, too, since it is the book's 50th anniversary this year. It was published on July 11, 1960.

read this for the first time in May. it was so good!

[cathe]

Boys and Girls Like You and Me by Aryn Kyle

This was a great book of short stories about various girls and women, most of whom make poor choices in friendships or relationships. I really liked about every story in the book. The writing was great. I enjoyed the dark humor in many of the stories and was touched by many of them. I recommend this book.

[cathe]

Confessions of a Prairie Bitch by Alison Arngrim

Well, I might be dating myself but I grew up watching Little House on the Prairie. I remember the whole family, even my parents, getting together to watch. Well, as soon as I heard about this book--written by the actress that played Nellie Oleson, I had to buy it immediately. And it was as good as I hoped. We get all the behind the scenes scoop on the Little House set plus a lot more about Alison's life. Alison is a hilarious writer and this was a great book. Note: I should warn that Alison tells about some really bad stuff that happened in her life as well--so this is not just a light comic read--but she has such a great attitude that this book is definitely not a downer. This is a book I will be sharing with other Little House fans.

[Bufomander]

Originally Posted by paintedfire

A HUGE book nerd joining in . . .

1) A Field Guide to Getting Lost by Rebecca Solnit

I'm re-reading this again right now because of a pretty traumatic event that I'm going through at the moment - my Dad has prostate cancer and is facing surgery for it this week. I flew in today (yesterday?) to be with him. I HIGHLY recommend it. It's touching, irreverent, and thought-provoking without ever lapsing into cliche. One of my favorite recent works.

Welcome! I hope your father's surgery went well.

Originally Posted by kbond

Ugh....it's been so long. I'm finding balancing motherhood and working to be much more challenging than I thought so not only am I not getting a lot of reading time anymore; I'm also not getting a lot of time on-line. Plus, I found out that I'm pregnant again and have been exhausted for the past 2 months.

Thinking of you, kbond. Congratulations on your pregnancy. I hope this will be a restful week for you.

[Bufomander]

#110 Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper

Just excellent. Sharon M. Draper (author of Copper Sun, also excellent) has created a memorable character in her latest juvenile novel, Out of My Mind. Meet Melody Brooks, an incredibly smart almost-eleven-year-old with an enormous vocabulary and a lot to say -- with no way to say it. Melody has cerebral palsy. She struggles with her inability to express herself and Draper does a great job of portraying how heartbreaking this is -- for example, when Melody says she's never been able to tell her parents she loves them. When she gets a new machine that helps her communicate, many aspects of her world change, but she still has to contend with the way others think about and treat her.

Good stuff. The entire book is first person and very believable.

[HerRoyallHighness]

I'm a little behind the times, but I'm reading the Harry Potte books. For the first time. I'm really enjoying them. And whenever I finish a book DH and I rent the movie for that book and watch it. I just started Order of the Phoenix this weekend. I'm trying to finish the series before the Deathly Hallows movie comes out so we can go see it in the theater.