So, just by way of clarification (for comers both new and old), 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 2012 ... or not
5) Have fun with books (This one, unfortunately, is MANDATORY)
Happy reading everyone!
I am a newcomer! I don't have a specific quantity goal, just keep using the library and keep reading books this summer as my freelance work permits.
So far I have read:
* American Splendor: Another Day and American Splendor: Another Dollar by Harvey Pekar
* Quitter by Harvey Pekar (these go quickly!)
I am really enjoying Harvey Pekar's books - I love the everyday/slice-of-life aspect and the art (some artists more than others). Ego and Hubris was also very good.
* 8 Men and a Duck: An Improbable Voyage by Reed Boat to Easter Island by Nick Thorpe
A few years ago, I read Kon-Tiki and Aku-Aku by Thor Heyerdahl. This is a similar story following on Heyerdahl's work. Very interesting if you like travel/adventure writing. Great descriptions of all the interpersonal stuff involved in an expedition like this. It's not important whether you believe the premise about Easter Island being settled from South America - that's not really the point of this one.
Welcome Ragana! 
Okay, finally posting a little update on my finished books;
#18 Belong to Me by Maris de los Santos
Picked it up b/c I liked the cover. Thought at first I wouldn't like it, being a story about suburban mean mommies at first. But it ended up being a really fascinating story with good character analysis. I liked it.
#19 Life of Pi by Yann Martel
I started this one a few years back when everyone was reading it, and for some reason, couldn't get into it. Reading it now for one of my book clubs, and I'm glad I picked it back up. It's a good one. A very unexpected plot.
#20 Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James
Enh. Read it for my other book club. Disney-fied, idealized story porn for adult women. It was hot. But, overly cliche and "perfect" and read a little like an extended Penthouse letter. It would have helped if they had hired a decent editor to suggest to the author to use other words besides murmur, mutter, and gasp. But, suspend your critical thinking, and it's a decent candy book.
#21 The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure
A memoir from a woman who decides to revisit her childhood enthusiasm for the Laura Ingalls Wilder books. She re-reads them all and also decides to visit most of the historical sites in the US for the family and read the non-fiction about the family as well. Pretty interesting stuff if you like the Little House books, and she's a fun writer, so it was a good time.
#22 Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls
The author The Glass Castle tells the story of her gramma, an incredibly strong and gritty young woman coming of age in the southwest in the early 1900s. Fascinating to read about her never-ending pluck in the face of adversity. I haven't read The Glass Castle yet, looking forward to it.
#23 Rose: Love in Violent Times by Inga Muscio
Inga Muscio always writes a good book. I wish she had more books. She writes non-fiction social commentary. This one was hard to read in some parts, but I like that she ended with suggestions on how we could make the world a better place.
#24 Peony in Love by Lisa See
Story about a Chinese opera in the 1600's (maybe it was 1700's--it's about 6 books back, I'm foggy on the details already) that was about a young woman who loved a young man so much, but they weren't getting married, so she wasted away. (I think, now I think I might be getting the plot mixed up) The opera/poetry is performed/read all over the country and inspires other young woman to do the same thing, become so lovesick they die. A young woman experiences this after watching the opera at her home and the book follows her throughout her afterlife as she navigates her new world as a ghost. Pretty fascinating actually and somewhat based in truth apparently.
I spent most of April packing and getting ready to move. Most of May was spent on a cross country trip and coping with my new location. Its June and I finally have a library card.
I've missed this group!!
January
1. Skipped Parts - Tim Sandlin (Nook)
2. The Mill River Recluse - Darcie Chan (Nook)
3. I Used to Know That - Caroline Taggart (Nook)
4. Mom Still Likes You Best (audio book) - Jane Isay (Library)
5. The Snow Angel - Glenn Beck (Library)
6. Hurricanes in Paradise - Denise Hildreth (Nook)
February
7. I Didn't Ask to Be Born - Bill Cosby (Library)
8. From The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler (DS Copy)
9. House Rules - Rachel Sontag (Library)
10. On a Dollar a Day - Christopher Greenslate (Library)
11. Ella Enchanted - Gail Levine (Library)
12. House of Secrets - Tracie Peterson (Library)
April
13. Victims - Jonathan Kellerman (Library)
June (no May, not much in April)
14. These Things Hidden - Heather Gudenkauf (library)
Welcome back Zebra! 
How are you settling in at your new place? You found the library, that's a good start! 
I spent most of April packing and getting ready to move. Most of May was spent on a cross country trip and coping with my new location. Its June and I finally have a library card.
I've missed this group!!
January
1. Skipped Parts - Tim Sandlin (Nook)
2. The Mill River Recluse - Darcie Chan (Nook)
3. I Used to Know That - Caroline Taggart (Nook)
4. Mom Still Likes You Best (audio book) - Jane Isay (Library)
5. The Snow Angel - Glenn Beck (Library)
6. Hurricanes in Paradise - Denise Hildreth (Nook)
February
7. I Didn't Ask to Be Born - Bill Cosby (Library)
8. From The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler (DS Copy)
9. House Rules - Rachel Sontag (Library)
10. On a Dollar a Day - Christopher Greenslate (Library)
11. Ella Enchanted - Gail Levine (Library)
12. House of Secrets - Tracie Peterson (Library)
April
13. Victims - Jonathan Kellerman (Library)
June (no May, not much in April)
14. These Things Hidden - Heather Gudenkauf (library)
Welcome back Zebra! How are you settling in at your new place? You found the library, that's a good start!
I'm ok... slower to adjust than I had hoped. Hoping to be employed soon. (living with mom is taking a toll on everyone).. but now I can go hide at the library!! We are submerging into the homeschool groups too.
Subbing ... I'm in the middle of a book right now, I actually had to put another one down--Kraken by China Miéville--I got about a third of the way into it and it started veering off in odd directions and got really WOO for me (wasn't what I was expecting). I had been led to believe it was an H.P. Lovecraft homage, but it was really more of a Neil Gaiman magical-London kind of story, and while it wasn't bad, it wasn't what I was looking for at the moment. So, I shelved it for the moment and moved on to something a little more horrific (its what I'm in the mood for right now) and will probably try Kraken again at a later date. Like I said, it's not bad, just not what I was looking for at the moment in my reading material.
I'm ok... slower to adjust than I had hoped. Hoping to be employed soon. (living with mom is taking a toll on everyone).. but now I can go hide at the library!! We are submerging into the homeschool groups too.
Good luck with the job search! :)
Subbing ... I'm in the middle of a book right now, I actually had to put another one down--Kraken by China Miéville--I got about a third of the way into it and it started veering off in odd directions and got really WOO for me (wasn't what I was expecting). I had been led to believe it was an H.P. Lovecraft homage, but it was really more of a Neil Gaiman magical-London kind of story, and while it wasn't bad, it wasn't what I was looking for at the moment. So, I shelved it for the moment and moved on to something a little more horrific (its what I'm in the mood for right now) and will probably try Kraken again at a later date. Like I said, it's not bad, just not what I was looking for at the moment in my reading material.
Sounds kind of fun :) What are you reading that's horrific instead?
And thanks for offering on the kindle book. I think I have to hold off for now, just because I have 4 books from the library to finish. Soon though!
Sounds kind of fun :) What are you reading that's horrific instead?
17. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
by Max Brooks
--What can I say about this book that hasn't already been said? I love this book. The world Brooks has created is absolutely fascinating and engrossing and is one of the most terrifying and "realistic" depictions of the zombie apocalypse that I have come across in fiction.
Books for 2012: 1. Batman: No Man's Land, 2. Doctor Who: The Day of the Troll, An Exclusive Audio Adventure, 3. The Shimmer, 4. Let the Right One In, 5. Doctor Who: The Pirate Loop, 6. Those Across the River, 7. The Hunger Games, 8. Catching Fire, 9. Mockingjay, 10. Doctor Who: Touched by an Angel, 11. Doctor Who: The Nightmare of Black Island, 12. The Alienist, 13. One Second After, 14. Shadows Over Baker Street: New Tales of Terror!, 15. The Haunted Vagina, 16. The Zombie Autopsies: Secret Notebooks of the Apocalypse, 17. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War,
18. Star Wars: Death Troopers
by Joe Schreiber
--Now, I'm as geeky as the next but I'm not much of a Star Wars fan, however through some zombies in the mix and I'm there. Death Troopers is a very scary (read: claustrophobic, a zombies in space story is a surprisingly frightening prospect given that you're confined to the same location as the ghouls) and gruesome story, something you might not expect from a Star Wars story (things like climbing a mountain of body parts and viscera to escape reanimated stormtroopers ... for example), but given that this is a zombie story ... and despite not being much of a Star Wars fan, I think that this is a pretty kickass story.
Books for 2012: 1. Batman: No Man's Land, 2. Doctor Who: The Day of the Troll, An Exclusive Audio Adventure, 3. The Shimmer, 4. Let the Right One In, 5. Doctor Who: The Pirate Loop, 6. Those Across the River, 7. The Hunger Games, 8. Catching Fire, 9. Mockingjay, 10. Doctor Who: Touched by an Angel, 11. Doctor Who: The Nightmare of Black Island, 12. The Alienist, 13. One Second After, 14. Shadows Over Baker Street: New Tales of Terror!, 15. The Haunted Vagina, 16. The Zombie Autopsies: Secret Notebooks of the Apocalypse, 17. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, 18. Star Wars: Death Troopers,
17. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
by Max Brooks
--What can I say about this book that hasn't already been said? I love this book. The world Brooks has created is absolutely fascinating and engrossing and is one of the most terrifying and "realistic" depictions of the zombie apocalypse that I have come across in fiction.
Books for 2012: 1. Batman: No Man's Land, 2. Doctor Who: The Day of the Troll, An Exclusive Audio Adventure, 3. The Shimmer, 4. Let the Right One In, 5. Doctor Who: The Pirate Loop, 6. Those Across the River, 7. The Hunger Games, 8. Catching Fire, 9. Mockingjay, 10. Doctor Who: Touched by an Angel, 11. Doctor Who: The Nightmare of Black Island, 12. The Alienist, 13. One Second After, 14. Shadows Over Baker Street: New Tales of Terror!, 15. The Haunted Vagina, 16. The Zombie Autopsies: Secret Notebooks of the Apocalypse, 17. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War,
That does sound horrifying!!
18. Star Wars: Death Troopers
by Joe Schreiber
--Now, I'm as geeky as the next but I'm not much of a Star Wars fan, however through some zombies in the mix and I'm there. Death Troopers is a very scary (read: claustrophobic, a zombies in space story is a surprisingly frightening prospect given that you're confined to the same location as the ghouls) and gruesome story, something you might not expect from a Star Wars story (things like climbing a mountain of body parts and viscera to escape reanimated stormtroopers ... for example), but given that this is a zombie story ... and despite not being much of a Star Wars fan, I think that this is a pretty kickass story.
Books for 2012: 1. Batman: No Man's Land, 2. Doctor Who: The Day of the Troll, An Exclusive Audio Adventure, 3. The Shimmer, 4. Let the Right One In, 5. Doctor Who: The Pirate Loop, 6. Those Across the River, 7. The Hunger Games, 8. Catching Fire, 9. Mockingjay, 10. Doctor Who: Touched by an Angel, 11. Doctor Who: The Nightmare of Black Island, 12. The Alienist, 13. One Second After, 14. Shadows Over Baker Street: New Tales of Terror!, 15. The Haunted Vagina, 16. The Zombie Autopsies: Secret Notebooks of the Apocalypse, 17. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, 18. Star Wars: Death Troopers,
Zombies and Star Wars together? Who knew? 
The Snowman, Jo Nesbo
Welcome Butterflymom!
So, who has read The Life of Pi? My friend just told me her book club's interpretation of it, and I'm feeling kinda weird about it. Anyone?
Make Lemonade
Viginia Euwer Wolff's groundbreaking novel, written in free verse, tells the story of fourteen-year-old LaVaughn, who is determined to go to college--she just needs the money to get there. When she answers a babysitting ad, LaVaughn meets Jolly, a seventeen-year-old single mother with two kids by different fathers. As she helps Jolly make lemonade out of the lemons her life has given her, LaVaughn learns some lessons outside the classroom.
I listened to this in audio, so I don't know if I got the full "free verse" experience with this book -- but I did find LaVaughn's voice to be so authentic and real; and her descriptions of her surroundings so authentic.
Sorry all. I have been really busy with work the last month and a half. So finishing books has taken a lot longer than usual for me.
31) "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen as a read aloud with the family. We enjoyed this one very much. The kids took out two more of Hiaasen's books so those will be appearing soon. Happy summer reading everyone!
Igraine- my 11 yr old LOVES Hiassen. There was a new release this year - if I am remembering correctly and he read that in about a day. Yep I had a kiddo who does 1000 pages a week.
January
1. Skipped Parts - Tim Sandlin (Nook)
2. The Mill River Recluse - Darcie Chan (Nook)
3. I Used to Know That - Caroline Taggart (Nook)
4. Mom Still Likes You Best (audio book) - Jane Isay (Library)
5. The Snow Angel - Glenn Beck (Library)
6. Hurricanes in Paradise - Denise Hildreth (Nook)
February
7. I Didn't Ask to Be Born - Bill Cosby (Library)
8. From The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler (DS Copy)
9. House Rules - Rachel Sontag (Library)
10. On a Dollar a Day - Christopher Greenslate (Library)
11. Ella Enchanted - Gail Levine (Library)
12. House of Secrets - Tracie Peterson (Library)
April
13. Victims - Jonathan Kellerman (Library)
June (no May, not much in April)
14. These Things Hidden - Heather Gudenkauf (library)
15. The Weight of Silence - Heather Gudenkauf (library)
16. The Help - Kathryn Stockett (library)
17. Live Wire - Harlan Coben (my copy) - this maybe titled something else as it's the canadian edition from a second hand shoppe
18. Sickened - Julie Gregory (library)
19. Maine - J. Courtney Sullivan (library)
20.
* Game of Thrones - Just finished it!
Will probably not have time to read much in July since I got a freelance job in that involves translating quite a large document and will take most of July. Am noting some of these books/reviews for the future, though!
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