September 2010 Book Challenge

[NewCrunchyDaddy]

Really? Summer is over already? Where did it go? Hard to believe.

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 September 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
July's Thread can be found HERE
August's Thread can be found HERE

[kangamitroo]

i could not believe it when i turned the calendar page to september. i had to pinch myself. back to school can be exciting, but i don't feel ready just yet.

Fit for freedom, not for friendship: Quakers, African Americans, and the myth of racial justice
this book explores the history of Quakers in relation to racial justice. for example, even as some Quakers were tireless abolitionists, many of the same people would not permit African American members in their meetings. i was very sad to finally realize that refusing membership could be a way to avoid racially mixed marriages (which, sadly, many Quaker—like others in the US—were protesting even as they desegregated public spaces). the book highlights the idea that a commitment to political equality is not the same thing as a true belief in holistic equality, and even being an activist does not mean a person is not racist. the persistence of those truly commited in their hearts to real equality becomes even more inspiring.

for anyone interested in the history of slavery or segregation or civil rights, the footnotes are excellent.

if you are intrigued, there is a whole web page of resources on the book.

[Bufomander]

I'll be coming back soon to post my #138.

Meanwhile . . . who wants to read a 500 page book this month?

Or join me for a 24 hour read-a-thon in October?

[fremontmama]

September!!!!! Ai yi yi! How'd that happen. Crazy busy here, just about to heat up at work for our busy season and dd is starting kindergarten at a co-op primary school and my parent job is to be one of four people on the fundraising committee

I have some books to post, but I'll need to find a spare moment to take the 10 minutes to do it

Originally Posted by Bufomander

I'll be coming back soon to post my #138.

Meanwhile . . . who wants to read a 500 page book this month?

Or join me for a 24 hour read-a-thon in October?

I'll read a 500 page book this month. I have a Jamie and Claire book next in my pile of books in the closet that I decided to read before I got anything else from the library. Just finished Forest House, which I loved and am finishing Pearl in China, which is gooooood. It makes me want to read some Pearl Buck....

[kaliki_kila]

Originally Posted by Bufomander

I'll be coming back soon to post my #138.

Meanwhile . . . who wants to read a 500 page book this month?

Or join me for a 24 hour read-a-thon in October?

I love doing the Fall read-a-thon! I'll be joining for sure.

[konamama]

27. Ivy Briefs by Marth Kimes
- story of the experience of going through Columbia Law School, etc. whatever…

[cathe]

Hey everyone,

My daughter just finished Mockingjay so now it's my turn. Looking forward to the long weekend to read it!

[Bufomander]

#138 We the Children by Andrew Clements

Originally Posted by fremontmama

September!!!!! Ai yi yi! How'd that happen. Crazy busy here, just about to heat up at work for our busy season and dd is starting kindergarten at a co-op primary school and my parent job is to be one of four people on the fundraising committee

I'll read a 500 page book this month. I have a Jamie and Claire book next in my pile of books in the closet that I decided to read before I got anything else from the library. Just finished Forest House, which I loved and am finishing Pearl in China, which is gooooood. It makes me want to read some Pearl Buck....

You sound ever so slightly busy, fremontmama. I wouldn't mind re-reading some Gabaldon. She's coming to a local bookstore this month -- Why don't you come down to Denver and we'll go together.

Originally Posted by kaliki_kila

I love doing the Fall read-a-thon! I'll be joining for sure.

Cool! Maybe you are the person who introduced me to it in the first place!

Originally Posted by cathe

Hey everyone,

My daughter just finished Mockingjay so now it's my turn. Looking forward to the long weekend to read it!

I'm planning to read it this weekend too! I really wanted to re-read H.G. beforehand, but I know it'll take forever to get it from the library, so I'm currently re-reading Catching Fire and I'll start MJ tonight, probably.

[raksmama]

Both of my August reads were historical novels that describe the horrors of slavery in the 17 hundreds. Both books are based on historical events and are fascinating reads.
ISLAND BENEATH THE SEA by one of my favourite authors, Isabel Allende, takes place in Haiti a few years before the revolution and continues on in New Orleans. Allendes' writing mixes real historical facts with elements or magical realism and romance.
THE BOOK OF NEGROES by Lawrence Hill (published as "Someone Knows My Name" in the US) tells the story of a young West African girl who is abducted and sold into slavery. The story follows her long life where she is a slave in South Carolina, escapes to New York and eventually serves the British loyalists, going to Canada finally leaving to Sierra Leone.

[kaliki_kila]

Originally Posted by Bufomander

Cool! Maybe you are the person who introduced me to it in the first place!

Maybe, because I mentioned doing it last year! I never do the Spring read-a-thon but I save up some spooky books and look forward to doing it in October with the RIP Challenge. It's so much fun. If anyone else wants to join, the link is here. You read for 24-hrs straight but you don't have to, you can pick your own block of time to read and you can take breaks and do it up however you want. There are mini-challenges each hour you can participate in and win prizes - last year I won a few books and a beautiful crocheted bookmark. It's so much fun, especially towards the end when the last ones standing turn into zombies and post the funniest updates on their blogs. You can also host challenges, donate prizes, get people to sponsor you for a charity, or be a cheerleader.

68. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I waited til all three books were written before I started reading these so I wouldn't have to wait. Probably most of you have read these already, but it's about a warped government who randomly selects teenagers for a sort of Survivor tv show where they must all fight to the death. This would have been perfect for the read-a-thon because I couldn't put it down!

[BookGoddess]

15. Dark Lover (first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood Book 1) by JR Ward.

Loved it! Finished it in one day because it was quite addicting. This is a vampire fantasy story. The vampire mythology in the series is different from other vampire stories. The vampires actually drink from each other rather than from each other. They also have a religion of sorts and their main battle isn't against humans, but rather soulless humans who hunt them on behalf of the Omega (an evil being like the devil). There's a lot of action, and a lot of romance. Some parts of the narrative could have been much better. The names of the Black Dagger brothers are pretty cheesy (Wrath, Rhage, Zsadist to name a few). They're all huge and they wear black leather. If you don't mind paranormal romance with alpha males then this is the book for you.

[Bufomander]

#139 The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book One: The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood

[cathe]

Swindle by Gordon Korman

Very fun, well-plotted middle grade novel about group of misfit kids trying to right a wrong perpetrated by a swindling collectibles dealer. I see why this is so popular with the boys at my school.

[Bufomander]

#140 Frugal Living for Dummies by Deborah Taylor-Hough

I'm about halfway through this. Nothing revolutionary about it, but always good to remind yourself of ideas, I suppose. I'm not sure what I think about the "Dummies" series to begin with, really...

[kangamitroo]

Originally Posted by jalilah

Both of my August reads were historical novels that describe the horrors of slavery in the 17 hundreds. Both books are based on historical events and are fascinating reads.
ISLAND BENEATH THE SEA by one of my favourite authors, Isabel Allende, takes place in Haiti a few years before the revolution and continues on in New Orleans. Allendes' writing mixes real historical facts with elements or magical realism and romance.
THE BOOK OF NEGROES by Lawrence Hill (published as "Someone Knows My Name" in the US) tells the story of a young West African girl who is abducted and sold into slavery. The story follows her long life where she is a slave in South Carolina, escapes to New York and eventually serves the British loyalists, going to Canada finally leaving to Sierra Leone.

both of these are on my to-read list. they were in my hands at the library this summer. but nearly all of my books this summer were slavery-related; i was feeling heartbroken and needed to put them on hold.

[fremontmama]

#51 Forest House by Marion Zimmer Bradley

I LOVE Marion Zimmer Bradley. This was a fantastic book, as always, she totally transports you into the world of the characters of the book. I couldn't put this one down.

I was hoping there would be other books that take place between this one and The Mists of Avalon, and it looks like maybe there are? Anyone know the order of the books if there are more?

#52 Pearl of China by Anchee Min

Really good book. Fictionalized account of Pearl S. Buck and her childhood and life in China, told from the perspective of her friend. I only had peripheral knowledge of all the different 20th century eras in China, this was really interesting in that regard. Now I need to read The Good Earth.

[kofduke]

The Book of Lost Things

This has been recommended quite a bit...I found it very powerful and well-written.

The Monster of Florence, Preston and Spezi

United in their obsession with a grisly Italian serial murder case almost three decades old, thriller writer Preston (coauthor, Brimstone) and Italian crime reporter Spezi seek to uncover the identity of the killer in this chilling true crime saga. From 1974 to 1985, seven pairs of lovers parked in their cars in secluded areas outside of Florence were gruesomely murdered. When Preston and his family moved into a farmhouse near the murder sites, he and Spezi began to snoop around, although witnesses had died and evidence was missing. With all of the chief suspects acquitted or released from prison on appeal, Preston and Spezi's sleuthing continued until ruthless prosecutors turned on the nosy pair, jailing Spezi and grilling Preston for obstructing justice.

Interesting -- more about the Italian police system than the serial killings themselves...

[cathe]

The Invisible Order by Paul Crilley

Got an ARC for the first book in a new trilogy about the war between the faerie realm and humans. When 12-year-old Emily Snow accidently stumbles on a faerie battle, she becomes the vehicle the faeries can use to destroy London--at least all the humans there. Can The Invisible Order protect her or are they in league with the fey folk. Like Emily, the reader doesn't know who to trust.

The book was well written and the premise interesting. I liked how the faerie lore was incorporated into the story, but I had a hard time caring about the main character as I just didn't like the way she treated the other characters.

[Bufomander]

#141 World Made by Hand by James Howard Kunstler

[Ambishop19]

Hi! I posted some in April and then the summer apparently got away with me. I did do some good reading though. I read and enjoyed Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer, The Girl With A Dragon Tattoo series by Steig Larsson, Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin and To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (a re-read).

So far in September I've only read Mockingjay. Right now I am working my way through Jane Eyre but it's starting to pick up (another re-read) and a book called Women, Food, and God.