September, 2011 Book Challenge

[cathe]

Guess we better move on to September!

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 for how many books you want to read in 2011 ... or not
5) Have fun with books (This one, unfortunately, is MANDATORY) 

Happy reading everyone!

[cathe]

The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen

12-year-old Hannah is bored with her family's Jewish traditions and embarrassed by her Holocaust-survivor grandfather -- until she goes back in time to Poland in the 1940's and experiences first-hand an evacuation to a concentration camp. 

This is very well-done for kids 5/6th grade and older -- the book gets across the horribleness of what happened without being overly graphic.

[raksmama]

The Good Neighbours Trilogy by Holly Black and Ted Naifeh I already mentioned that when I read the first book of this series it was my first time reading graphic novels. I was never interested in them and ordered Good Neighbours not knowing it was one. I think I might develop a taste for them! For one the drawings are beautiful. And the story was good too.        Who could not fall in love with Ted Naifeh's art work? It is such eye candy!  I don't think I would have liked this series nearly as much with another artist.   His drawings are just how I imagine Faeries in an Urban Fantasy should look like. This is YA series is a perfect light read.  The Good Neighbours Part 1  Kin    http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/b/holly-black/kin.htm

The Good Neighbours part 2 Kith     

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/b/holly-black/kith.htm

The Good Neighbours part 3 Kind  

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/b/holly-black/kind.ht

[zebra15]

January

1. Only Son - Kevin O'Brien

2. Planning To Live - Heather Wardell

3. The 7 Wonders That Will Change Your Life - Glenn Beck/ Keith Ablow

4. Life, Love and a Polar Bear Tatoo - Heather Wardell

5. Carved In Bone - Jefferson Bass

February

6. Thirteen Reasons Why- Jay Asher

7. The Abstinence Teacher- Tom Perrotta

8. One Fine Day Your're Gonna Die- Gail Bowen (90 pgs)

9. Term Limits - Vince Flynn

10. Scars - Cheryl Rainfield

March

11. After- Amy Efaw

12. Hold Still- Nina LaCour

13. Pretty Little Things-Jilliane Hoffman

14. Happen Every Day- Isabel Gilles

15. School Days- Robert B. Parker

April

16. I Am Emotional Creature: The Secret Life of Girls Around the World - Eve Ensler

17. Plea of Insanity- Jilliane Hoffman

18. Unsweetined- Jodie Sweetin

19. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants- Ann Brashares

20. The Second Summer of the Sisterhood - Ann Brashares

May

21. Vicious- Kevin O'Brien

22. Listen- Rene Gutteridge

23. No Time Left- David Baldacci

24. Throwaway- Heather Huffman

25. Plan B- Joseph Finder

June

26. Saving Rachel- John Locke

27.Buried Secrets- Joseph Finder 

28.Vanished- Joseph Finder

29. The Abbey- Chris Culver

30. Life's A Beach- Claire Cook

July

31. Brenin- M.B. Forester-Smythe

32. Now You See Her- James Patterson

33. The Reading Promise- Alice Ozma

34. Mockingbird- Kathryn Erskine

35. Al Capone Does My Shirts- Gennifer Choldenko

August

36. The Confession- John Grisham

September

37. Mystery- Jonathan Kellerman

[purslaine]

Monsters of Templeton - I just started it but so far I am happy. It is set in New York State - an areas I am fairly familiar with, which is fun for me.   Amazon blurb:

On the very morning Willie Upton slinks home to Templeton, New York (after a calamitous affair with her archeology professor), the 50-foot-long body of a monster floats from the depths of the town's lake. This unsettling coincidence sets the stage for one of the most original debut novels since The Time Traveler’s Wife. With a clue to the mysterious identity of her father in hand, Willie turns her research skills to unearthing the secrets of the town in letters and pictures (which, "reproduced" in the book along with increasingly complete family trees, lend an air of historical authenticity)

I just finnished Memoirs of a Geisha - it is rich in detail on how Geishas lived (or a rich as it can be as a fictional book written by a American man).  It can be a bit repetative, but I learned a lot.

[kofduke]

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Rowling

I've read the books before, but decided this year to listen to the audiobooks as I drove to work.  Listening to the books after having read the series is really, really wonderful.  Of course I notice all kinds of foreshadowing and character intricacies that I didn't as I was reading the books since the first time is so plot-driven.  The narrator is also fantastic (except for how he has Hermoine say Harry, which comes out as harrrreeeee, which gets a bit annoying).  I'd recommend this audiobook for sure, and I'm going to keep working on the series as I can get them from the library.

[kangamitroo]

Originally Posted by cathe 

The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen

12-year-old Hannah is bored with her family's Jewish traditions and embarrassed by her Holocaust-survivor grandfather -- until she goes back in time to Poland in the 1940's and experiences first-hand an evacuation to a concentration camp. 

This is very well-done for kids 5/6th grade and older -- the book gets across the horribleness of what happened without being overly graphic.

cathe, i've been interested in this one for a long while, but shied away for fear it would be too intense.  (i read 2 or 3 too many Holocaust books in college.) thanks for this.

These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder

this is the book where Laura gets her first job and by the end she and Almanzo are married.  this was my first read, and i enjoyed it enough.  it was a bit repetitious in parts, not quite as fun as some of the earlier books, but it had bright moments.

[raksmama]

Because I liked Ink Exchange, I continued reading the third book of the series called Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr 

 www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/m/melissa-marr/fragile-eternity.htm

  However now I remember why I did not continue reading this series after the first book, Wicked Lovely a few years back. The writing does not draw me in and several of the main characters are annoying, even unlikable. The story is also less original:  Aislinn,  the Faery Queen and her mortal boyfriend Seth are in love. Seth wants to become Fey too to be able to spend Eternity with her, but Aislinn does not want him to have to live with the “curse”. Sound familiar? Yes, there are similarities to the Twilight series. Other similarities to Twilight are a love Triangle between Aislinn, Seth and Keenan the Faerie summer king and that even the faeries go to high school. That being said, I like Twilight way better and The fact that I don’t like the writing is not because  it is a YA book. There are so many good YA books out there for example the good I read next:

  Valiant by Holly Black’s from her Tale of Modern Faerie series   http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/b/holly-black/valiant.htm

I loved the whole series. This one is about a runway living in the subway in New York who starts working for a troll who lives under the bridge.

 I've been on a real Faerie binge  lately and have the same feeling as I do  when I've eaten  too many chocolate chip cookies!  I think I need a break !

Edited by raksmama - 9/10/11 at 12:55pm

[cathe]

It's not too bad -- I'm passing it on to my daughters next.
 

Originally Posted by kangamitroo 

cathe, i've been interested in this one for a long while, but shied away for fear it would be too intense.  (i read 2 or 3 too many Holocaust books in college.) thanks for this.

These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder

this is the book where Laura gets her first job and by the end she and Almanzo are married.  this was my first read, and i enjoyed it enough.  it was a bit repetitious in parts, not quite as fun as some of the earlier books, but it had bright moments.

[zebra15]

January

1. Only Son - Kevin O'Brien

2. Planning To Live - Heather Wardell

3. The 7 Wonders That Will Change Your Life - Glenn Beck/ Keith Ablow

4. Life, Love and a Polar Bear Tatoo - Heather Wardell

5. Carved In Bone - Jefferson Bass

February

6. Thirteen Reasons Why- Jay Asher

7. The Abstinence Teacher- Tom Perrotta

8. One Fine Day Your're Gonna Die- Gail Bowen (90 pgs)

9. Term Limits - Vince Flynn

10. Scars - Cheryl Rainfield

March

11. After- Amy Efaw

12. Hold Still- Nina LaCour

13. Pretty Little Things-Jilliane Hoffman

14. Happen Every Day- Isabel Gilles

15. School Days- Robert B. Parker

April

16. I Am Emotional Creature: The Secret Life of Girls Around the World - Eve Ensler

17. Plea of Insanity- Jilliane Hoffman

18. Unsweetined- Jodie Sweetin

19. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants- Ann Brashares

20. The Second Summer of the Sisterhood - Ann Brashares

May

21. Vicious- Kevin O'Brien

22. Listen- Rene Gutteridge

23. No Time Left- David Baldacci

24. Throwaway- Heather Huffman

25. Plan B- Joseph Finder

June

26. Saving Rachel- John Locke

27.Buried Secrets- Joseph Finder 

28.Vanished- Joseph Finder

29. The Abbey- Chris Culver

30. Life's A Beach- Claire Cook

July

31. Brenin- M.B. Forester-Smythe

32. Now You See Her- James Patterson

33. The Reading Promise- Alice Ozma

34. Mockingbird- Kathryn Erskine

35. Al Capone Does My Shirts- Gennifer Choldenko

August

36. The Confession- John Grisham

September

37. Mystery- Jonathan Kellerman

38. Touch- Francine Prose

[cathe]

Cannery Row by John Steinbeck

This is probably the 4th or 5th time I've read book, but the escapades of these quirky characters just makes me smile every time.

[kofduke]

Ship Breaker, Bacigalupi

In America's Gulf Coast region, grounded oil tankers are being broken down for parts by crews of young people. Nailer, a teenage boy, works the light crew, scavenging for copper wiring just to make quota-and hopefully live to see another day. But when, by luck or by chance, he discovers an exquisite clipper ship beached during a recent hurricane, Nailer faces the most important decision of his life: Strip the ship for all it's worth or rescue its lone survivor, a beautiful and wealthy girl who could lead him to a better life....

In this powerful novel, Paolo Bacigalupi delivers a thrilling, fast-paced adventure set in a vivid and raw, uncertain future.

In a post-oil world, society is divided even further between the haves (swanks) and have-nots.  Nailer is one of the have-nots.  He works as a shipbreaker, pulling apart salvage in old, run-aground ships to create new luxuries.  His father is an abusive drug user.  When a clipper ship runs aground and he finds a survivor on board, Nailer needs to decide whether to stick by his crew or to run the extreme risks and follow his dreams.  Won the 2011 Printz award.  Fans of the Hunger Games will love this book!

The Magician King, Grossman

Quentin and his friends are now the kings and queens of Fillory, but the days and nights of royal luxury are starting to pall. After a morning hunt takes a sinister turn, Quentin and his old friend Julia charter a magical sailing ship and set out on an errand to the wild outer reaches of their kingdom. Their pleasure cruise becomes an adventure when the two are unceremoniously dumped back into the last place Quentin ever wants to see: his parent's house in Chesterton, Massachusetts. And only the black, twisted magic that Julia learned on the streets can save them.

The Magician King is a grand voyage into the dark, glittering heart of magic, an epic quest for the Harry Potter generation. It also introduces a powerful new voice, that of Julia, whose angry genius is thrilling. Once again Grossman proves that he is the modern heir to C.S. Lewis, and the cutting edge of literary fantasy.  

I really liked The Magicians, and this follow-up did not disappoint.  Julia's backstory is rich and colorful, and the ending is truly surprising.

[raksmama]

Drums, Girls, & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick

This book which is both touching and funny is not necessarily a page turner like the Percy Jackson series. However both my son and I really liked it a lot. We both highly recommend this book!

Here is the description from the Fantastic Fiction site:
 http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/s/jordan-sonnenblick/drums-girls-and-dangerous-pie.htm

Thirteen-year-old Steven has a totally normal life: he plays drums in the All-Star Jazz band, has a crush on the hottest girl in the school, and is constantly annoyed by his five-year-old brother, Jeffrey. But when Jeffrey is diagnosed with leukemia, Steven's world is turned upside down. He is forced to deal with his brother's illness and his parents' attempts to keep the family in one piece. Salted with humor and peppered with devastating realities, DRUMS, GIRLS, AND DANGEROUS PIE is a heart warming journey through a year in the life of a family in crisis.

[cathe]

Here's one for you NewCrunchyDaddy:

Dead of Night by Jonathan Maberry

The story begins when the police arrive to investigate a report of a suspected break in at the local funeral home. They find two bodies who have seem to have been bitten to death. But when one comes to life and attacks an officer and the other goes missing, things quickly spiral out of control and the people in charge will do anything they need to to make the problem disappear. There was so much more to this book than just zombies and horror--it makes political and societal statements as well.

 

I was particularly excited to get the ARC of this book because the author, Jonathan Maberry, is keynoting at the Central Coast Writers' Conference next week and I am attending. What impressed me right off the bat was how great the writing is in this book. The first line of Chapter Four stood out to me--this one sentence sums up the protagonist Cop Desdemona Fox so perfectly: "Some days have that 'it's only going to get worse' feel, right from the moment you swing your feet out of bed and step flatfooted into a pile of cold vomit."

 

Beside the great characters, the story held me in page-turning suspense the whole time. I read this book in one day. I seriously could not put it down. This is my first time reading Johathan Maberry--but it absolutely won't be my last.

[cathe]

My daughter is reading that right now . . .
 

Originally Posted by jalilah 

Drums, Girls, & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick

This book which is both touching and funny is not necessarily a page turner like the Percy Jackson series. However both my son and I really liked it a lot. We both highly recommend this book!

Here is the description from the Fantastic Fiction site:
 http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/s/jordan-sonnenblick/drums-girls-and-dangerous-pie.htm

Thirteen-year-old Steven has a totally normal life: he plays drums in the All-Star Jazz band, has a crush on the hottest girl in the school, and is constantly annoyed by his five-year-old brother, Jeffrey. But when Jeffrey is diagnosed with leukemia, Steven's world is turned upside down. He is forced to deal with his brother's illness and his parents' attempts to keep the family in one piece. Salted with humor and peppered with devastating realities, DRUMS, GIRLS, AND DANGEROUS PIE is a heart warming journey through a year in the life of a family in crisis.

[Holland73]

Originally Posted by cathe 

The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen

12-year-old Hannah is bored with her family's Jewish traditions and embarrassed by her Holocaust-survivor grandfather -- until she goes back in time to Poland in the 1940's and experiences first-hand an evacuation to a concentration camp. 

This is very well-done for kids 5/6th grade and older -- the book gets across the horribleness of what happened without being overly graphic.

I love Holocaust literature. In fact, I have quite a large collection of Holocaust literature for the young and old.  I'll definitely be checking this one out.  I have also read a lot of Yolen's other books, mostly picture books, as they were very popular in my classroom. 

I just finished the Shiver trilogy (Shiver, Linger & Forever) by Maggie Stiefvater  and loved and highly recommend them all!

Grace, 17, loves the peace and tranquility of the woods behind her home. It is here during the cold winter months that she gets to see her wolf—the one with the yellow eyes. Grace is sure that he saved her from an attack by other wolves when she was nine. Over the ensuing years he has returned each season, watching her with those haunting eyes as if longing for something to happen. When a teen is killed by wolves, a hunting party decides to retaliate. Grace races through the woods and discovers a wounded boy shivering on her back porch. One look at his yellow eyes and she knows that this is her wolf in human form. Fate has finally brought Sam and Grace together, and as their love grows and intensifies, so does the reality of what awaits them. It is only a matter of time before the winter cold changes him back into a wolf, and this time he might stay that way forever. Told from alternating points of view, the narrative takes a classic Romeo & Juliet plot and transforms it into a paranormal romance that is beautiful and moving.

Up next:

1. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

2. Divergent by Veronica Roth

3. New York to Dallas by JD Robb

Edited by Holland73 - 9/13/11 at 6:54pm

[Igraine]

 50) "Sugar Nation" by Jeff O’Connell "is an important book on diabetes and the caustic world we live in now for those prone to this disease.  It’s not, however, just for diabetics.   The book is a warning to us all that diabetes may well be a part of our future if we don’t heed Mr. O’Connell’s warning.  Sugar Nation is also a remarkably well written perspective of the personal impact of diabetes as well as what your response should be to the danger it poses (who to ignore and what to do).  I’d recommend this to anyone interested in weight loss, nutrition, and of course anyone who has a concern about diabetes."  quote from  http://cravingsugar.net/sugar-nation-book-review-jeff-oconnell-diabetes-hidden-disease-type-2.php

This book has really changed the way I look at food. I have dabbled with a paleo diet, but this book really has challenged me to really change the way I feed myself and my family. A well written, well researched book. Lots of interested medical history of Diabetes and some very thoughtful theories about drug research, drug companies and the organizations that are supposed to be overseeing all of this.

50 books was my goal and I made it! And will have many more books to add before the end of the year. This book challenge was such a good way for me to track what I have read, learn about other interesting books people are reading and as a motivator to keep it up.

[cathe]

YAY! Congratulations!
 

Originally Posted by Igraine 

50 books was my goal and I made it! And will have many more books to add before the end of the year. This book challenge was such a good way for me to track what I have read, learn about other interesting books people are reading and as a motivator to keep it up.

[fremontmama]

I have a bunch of books to post but am behind on things at work.  *sigh* As usual these days!   I'll catch up soon :)
 

Originally Posted by cathe 

Cannery Row by John Steinbeck

This is probably the 4th or 5th time I've read book, but the escapades of these quirky characters just makes me smile every time.

I love that book too.  I remember watching the movie when I was a kid with my parents.  We rented a vcr for the weekend.  Remember when people rented vcrs?!?  :)

PS--thanks for starting the September thread!  Can't believe it's the middle of the month already!!!!

Originally Posted by cathe 

YAY! Congratulations!
 

Definitely!  Congrats Igraine!!!  It's always fun to reach your goal for the year!!!!

[cathe]

You Against Me by Jenny Downham

When Mikey's sister Karyn is raped, he goes to her assaulter's home with a plan to to "smash his head in."  Maybe that would help his sister get over the trauma, be able to leave the house and talk to her friends again. But when he gets to the rich college student Tom's house, he meets his sister Ellie instead--and something sparks between the two. And though Mikey starts up with her to get information he can use to get Tom prosecuted . . . is that really the reason he wants to see Ellie -- and what are Ellie's reasons for going out with Mikey?

 

I just loved this book. Great characters, compelling situation, excellent writing. This book has it all. Great read for teens and adults.