Paper Towns

Paper Towns by John Green
Reason for Reading: YA Reading Challenge
Rating: 4.5/5

Paper Towns is the story of Quentin Jacobsen and an obsession. He's been in love with Margo Roth Spiegelman, his next door neighbor for pretty much his entire life, although they seem to move in different spheres at school. Until the night she climbs through his window dressed as a ninja, demanding he accompany her on a night of revenge.

It's hard to get into what happens next without giving too much away, but when things don't go as Quentin had hoped the next morning, he finds himself obsessed with discovering the real Margo Roth Spiegelman. If she's something that can be known.

Although Margo is absent for much of the action of the book, she casts a shadow over everything, the way she casts a shadow over Quentin's life. We start out seeing her through the lens of Quentin's (longing) eyes, but as he digs deeper into her life, we begin to put together a more complete picture of who she is. What motivates her. Quentin's two best friends are well-drawn, interesting characters, which makes up for his parents being a little flatly drawn. And Margo, of course. She's elusive. She's mysterious. She's at times amazingly mundane.

There are moments you want to tap Quentin on the head and remind him that this is puppy love and to stop being so obsessed, but who doesn't remember the obsessiveness of teen love? Don't worry, though, this never stoops to the tackiness level of say (hack hack Twilight hack hack).

The book keeps you guessing as to the ultimate outcome of the relationship between Quentin and Margo right up to the end, and it ends on just the right note.

Should I read it? Only if you like great fiction with interesting character studies.

This is an "I Love My Husband" post

I give you permission to gag now if that is you are against bragging about husbands. I'm bragging about mine today.

The story starts because I had mentioned off-handedly how I was calling draft one of my Great American novel final at last.

So he bought me flowers to celebrate finishing the first draft of my novel. Aww....

Ender in Exile

Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card
Reason for Reading: Sci Fi Experience
Rating: 2/5

I have so far read two of OSC's most famous books, Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead. This not quite prequel, not quite sequel seeks to fill in the missing years between when Ender defeated the formics, saving the world, and when he discovered the Formic Queen on a distant colony world.

There are other loose ends being tied up in this book, from books in the Ender series I haven't even read yet, and it doesn't really offer much new to the series. To add a bit of tension, there is a ship's captain who thinks he is going to take Ender's job as governer when they arrive at the colony world, but of course Ender is much cleverer and quickly outwits him upon arrival to the colony.

There are some new characters, but none of them became as substantial or memorable as characters from the two previous Ender novels I've read. And then to make this story flow properly, it contradicts several details from Ender's Game, because of course when Card wrote Ender's Game 20 years ago, he wasn't planning to write this type of sequel.

I was most disappointed by the fact that Ender's brother, Peter was not given more ink in this novel, considering the fact he goes on to take over the planet in Ender's absence. Now that might have made things a little more interesting.

In the Afterword, Card admits to having to rely on fansites and companion guides to his Ender series to write this novel, because, "there was no way I had the time or the inclination to reread all those books. It would just depress me to notice all the things in all those books that now, being a better or at least more experienced writer, I would like to change."

And so, the result feels stale, like a few follow up stories that would have read better as short stories or even entries into an official Ender encylopedia.

Should I read it? Maybe if you are a diehard fan. If not, don't bother.

Pfew....

Today, I went to the gym, then the library, and I got home and ended up reading two books. I can't remember the last time I've managed to read two books in one day. Granted neither was exceptionally long, but still. I finished Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Corey Doctorow, and The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury.

And I still had time to go see Slumdog Millionaire, which actually lives up the current hype. If you haven't yet heard of this one, it is about a man from the slums who ends up on the Indian "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire", and improbably begins to win. Accused of cheating, he tells the story of his life, how he has gained the knowledge for the big win.

Husband and I both loved this one. It touched just the right notes, staying sentimental without getting gushy. It is a love story, and a story about brothers, about coming of age. And I just have to add, it has a totally awesome soundtrack which I have already downloaded.

How is your weekend going so far?

Book Memes

I've been tagged for like... forever for a couple of memes, but I was deep into nanowrimoing at the time. So now, only two months behind, here I am! Ta da.

Stephanie tagged me for the Seven Random Bookish Things About Me meme.

The rules are:
Link to the person who tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
Share seven random and/or weird book facts about yourself.
Tag seven random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
Let each person know that they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

1. I am a book abuser. Not because I like destroying books, but because I have the tendency to like to read while doing activities that are incompatible with reading, such as eating, blowdrying my hair, etc.
2. I lose bookmarks at an outrageous rate.
3. More than one of my books has corners chewed or pages licked thanks to my book-loving puppy.
4. My dad can still recite the opening lines of my favorite childhood book, Katy the Kitty. Because he read it over that many times.
5. I never organize my bookshelves. My husband attempts this periodically, and I support this organization system by haphazardly tossing my recent reads wherever there is room, and when there isn't, stacking them in front of the bookshelf.
6. People who get all snooty about what kinds of books should be read by all "literate adults" drive me fracking nuts
7. Mostly due to my insane reading habit as a child, I had a very large vocabulary that I did not always properly know how to use. Or pronounce. I swear, picturesque really looks like it should be pronounced picture-a-skew not picture-esk.

Anywho. Trish presented me with the Bookworm Award/Meme.

Rules:
Open the closest book to you, not your favorite or most intellectual book, but the book closest to you at the moment, to page 56. Write out the fifth sentence, as well as two to five sentences following.

From The Road by Cormac McCarthy:

I should have done it a long time ago. When there were three bullets in the gun instead of two. I was stupid. We've been over all of this. I didnt bring myself to this. I was brought. And now Im done.

That is quite the bright and cheery passage, much like the rest of the novel, which continues on that delightful theme. Note: DO NOT read this before eating, immediately after eating, or right before bed.

And moving right on to Eva's Bookshelf Meme, which Nymeth thoughtfully tagged me for.

Tell me about...

The book that’s been on your shelves the longest: Digging around on my shelf, I discovered that I still have a copy of Sideways Stories From Wayside School. Do ya'll remember this one by Louis Sachar? Man I loved this book, and the sequels to it. The school was supposed to be thirty classrooms all next to each other in a row, but instead they were built one on top of each other.

And my favorite chapter, chapter 19:

"There is no Miss Zarves. There is no nineteenth story. Sorry."

A book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time, etc.): Oh man, Pride and Prejudice always reminds me of staying up late to finish it late at night because once I would pick it up, I couldn't put it back down.

A book you acquired in some interesting way (gift, serendipity in a used bookstore, prize, etc.): I got to pick up a copy of The Graveyard Book at a book-signing event with Neil Gaiman, and that was pretty darn awesome. And it was on my birthday.

The most recent addition to your shelves: My bro got me Papertowns by John Green for Christmas and I already done read it.

A book that’s been with you to the most places: 501 Spanish Conjugations has come with me to more Spanish-speaking countries than you can shake a stick at.

A bonus book that you want to talk about but doesn’t fit into the other questions:
I'm finally going to attempt Pillars of the Earth which I find to be excessively long and intimidating.

So there you have it. I'm going to be a loser and not tag anyone, but if you want to do these memes, please let me know and I'll come visit

Heatwave: Minnesota Style

Yeah, just so you know, we Minnesotans recently suffered from weather so dang cold (-30s, not including windchill) that it was WARMER in Alaska. By like 40 degrees or something outrageous. We are now experiencing a heat wave of weather in the single digits. My snot doesn't immediately freeze. My car actually starts on the first try. The puppy actually likes going outside.

TGIGTAITM

AKA Thank God I'm Going to Arizona In Two Months.

Out of this World Mini-Challenge

To coincide with the Sci-Fi Experience, Carl hosted an Out of This World Mini Challenge for the Dewey's Books Reading Challenge. The goal was to spend the weekend reading sci-fi short stories. Short stories are something I always mean to read, but tend to not get around to, so it was fun to take some time to do so today. And with no further ado, here's what I read and some quick thoughts about it.

The Father Thing by Phillip K. Dick is a chilling little story about what happens when a young boy sees that the man who walks around and looks his his father, is not actually his father. It isn't as if this an uncommon theme in science fiction, but I enjoyed Dick's take on it. Read it here.

The Cold Equations by Tom Goodwin is about what happens when the unexpected element of human nature is thrown into a cold scientific equation. Nail-biting. Read it here.

Neutron Star by Larry Niven is my first return to his "Known Universe" since I reread Ringworld recently. More about the Puppeteers, who send Beowulf Shaeffer to investigate a neutron star that has recently destroyed one of their supposedly indestructible ships. Funny, if some parts get a little too technical. Read it here.

The Egan Thief by Gord Sellar. What happens when every book, every story you try to write ends up sounding suspiciously like a book just recently written by another writer? How can someone steal your ideas before you even think of them? Read it here.

Thanks Carl for hosting this mini-challenge!

New Moon: Mini-Review

Mini-reviews: Just doing my part to help you cut down on your book blog addiction.

New Moon by Stephanie Meyer
Reason for Reading: Seriously, have you tried putting these ones down?
Rating: 2.5/5

New Moon adds little to the Twilight series, aside from lots and lots of angsty-ness. Edward leaves Bella, telling her he doesn't love her and never did, and on top of that, he's leaving town. She manages to swallow this one, and spends like six months or something in a near catatonic state because she can't find a way to exist apart from Edward.

Her incredible teenage angsty pain is alleviated somewhat by a friendship with Jacob, who in some ways is a lot better for her than Edward. Things seem to be going well, but he has secrets of his own that threaten to drive them apart.

So there's more stuff about vampires, more stuff about Bella, and enough teen angst for about ten books.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle: Minireview

Mini-reviews: Spend less time reading reviews and more time reading books!

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
Reason for Reading: Christmas loot!
Rating: 5/5

Shirley Jackson's deliciously atmospheric book is told by a narrator we slowly begin to realize, is not particularly reliable. Merricat loves her sister Constance, whom she lives with in an old manor. They both care for Uncle Julian, who is the only survivor of a horrific accident that wiped away the rest of her family.

Their life revolves around the house. Constance does not leave, but Merricat must trudge out twice a week for books and food, and must put up with the stares of the townspeople she desperately hates.

Why does she hate them? Why do they hate her? And what happened to the rest of her family? Those are the kind of questions you'll be asking yourself immediately after starting the book. What I like about Jackson's writing is that this book presents a story and leaves the reader to connect the many threads. Also, did I mention that the same thing drove me crazy too? I really wanted to have someone else to talk to who had read the book recently so I could exchange ideas.

Anyhow, I'm going to leave my review at that, because this book is best experienced without any foreknowledge.

Should I read it? Yes.

We Can Haz Winner

And with no further ado, here are the winners of my "give this picture a caption" contest:

1st place: Sam from The life and Times of Me! with the caption:

"oh! I never told you I blogged did I? No, you can't have the url, it's private"

2nd place: Ramya from Ramya's Bookshelf with the caption:

"Catching up on all the holiday posts in Google Reader.."

3rd place: Alyce from At Home With Books with the caption:

"Look deep into my eyes... you is getting very sleepy."

So just as a reminder, here's what you won:

Each winner gets to pick 1 book from my list and I will mail it to them. 1st place has first choice, 2nd place has second choice, etc. So Sam, email your choice to boldblueadventure AT blogspot DOT com. I'll email Ramya and Alyce when Sam has made her selection.

So Sam, your choice from this pool of books, including links to the ones I've reviewed on here.

Mercy Street by Mariah Stewart
Breakout by Paul Fleischman
Down to a Sunless Sea by Matthias B. Freese
The Free Lunch by Spider Robinson
Maid Marian by Elsa Watson
Janeology by Karen Harrington
Little Altars Everywhere by Rebecca Wells
Vampyres of Hollywood by Adrienne Barbeau & Michael Scott
Abhorsen by Garth Nix
Bikini Season by Sheila Roberts
Fifteen Minutes of Shame by Lisa Daily
Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult

And here is a random snippet of some of captions:

"on the internet, noone knows you're a dog" (From Mariel)

"This is my personal blogging time, do you mind?" (From Callista)

" And you were wondering who ordered all those pig ears........." (From MJ)

"I sense a dumb caption going over my head." (From Cali)

"I'z givin dis book 4 outta 5 bonez." (From Lauryn)

"I iz sekretary not waitress - get yur own coffee." (From Bermudaonion)

"Stop me before I enter another Reading Challenge." (From Betty & Boo's Mommy)

"You call me "Rusty" yet on here I'm "Ruthless"! Aaarrrrr (From Darby)

"I'm chatting with a young poodle who thinks I'm a doberman!" (From Bridget 3420)

"No. I not selling owner's stuffs on eBay." *looks innocent* (From Paradox)

"I not shopping... Ignore the milkbone delivery." (From donnas)

Thank you all for making me laugh hysterically.

Tales of Beedle the Bard: Mini-Review

The sixth in a series of mini-reviews because my lazy butt is way behind on book reviews.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J. K. Rowling
Reason for Reading: For the love of HP
Rating: 4/5

Although not perhaps earth-shattering, this collection of fairy tales referenced in the final Harry Potter book is a nice addition for HP fans who haven't been able to get an HP fix in a while.

The best part of the book is the commentary written by Albus Dumbledore that follows each fairy tale. He explains the moral that is supposed to be taught by the story, the history of each story, and a little analysis.

Should I read it? If you are already a fan of Harry Potter, these books will mean a lot more to you than if you aren't. Still, non-HP readers will enjoy the stories.

Water For Elephants: Mini-Review

The fifth in a series of mini-reviews because my lazy butt is way behind on book reviews.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Reason for Reading: IRL Bookclub
Rating: 4/5

I have read some mixed reviews of this book, about a soon-to-graduate vet student at Cornell who drops out of college when his parents are killed and winds up joining the circus. So it wasn't one I had on my list of "must-reads". But I'm glad I picked it up for bookclub, because it was a fascinating look at the circus of the Depression era.

The lingo used by the circus workers. The "cooch tent" where bootleg liquor is passed around. The callous attitude towards workers, the hierarchy between workers and performers. This book is about a lot of things. An elephant with a will of its own. Power and corruption. True love. Friendship. Grief, and recovering from tragedy. Gruen balances these themes neatly, only losing the reader occassionally with her multitude of supporting characters that blend together.

Should I read it? Yes, especially if you've ever wanted to run away and join the circus.

Winnie the Pooh: Mini-Review

The fourth in a series of mini-reviews because my lazy butt is way behind on book reviews.

Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne
Reason for Reading: Classics Challenge
Rating: 5/5

I can't believe I allowed my only exposure thus far to Winnie-the-Pooh to consist of the Disney movie. The movie, while it has its charms, does not begin to match this book.

It is absolutely the perfect children's book. Written about the adventures of a "bear of little brain" and the other animals of the Hundred Acre Woods. They set off in search of the North Pole (as it happens, the North Pole is a stick that Pooh encounters), hunt for Woozles, throw a birthday party for Eeyore the melancholy donkey, and survive a Very Big Rainstorm.

Should I read it? Yes, especially out-loud.

Wanna Win?

Sticky Post!

If you haven't used Picasa, you really should. The new Picasa 3 has the ability to add I Can Haz Cheezburger-like captions to your pics. Thus making it even easier to post silly pics of your pets.

Do you have a better caption for my picture? Post one by January 1st at midnight, and you'll be entered into a contest that includes CHOICES. I'll choose my favorite three captions, then I'll sent the winners a list of books and they get to pick which one they want! First place gets first pick, second place gets second pick, etc. Sound good? Okay, ready, set, captionize!

EDIT:

Okay, to make it easier, you can enter by leaving a comment, but you get five entries if you come up with a caption for my picture. The first winner gets their choice of at least five different books (to be announced, but it will be awesome). Second place gets the next choice, third place gets the next choice, etc.

Five more entries for blogging about it on your blog and letting me know you did. So eleven potential entries, and I'll make the deadline January 12th, just because.

Confederates in the Attic

The third in a series of mini-reviews because my lazy butt is way behind on book reviews.

Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War by Tony Horwitz
Reason for Reading: In Their Shoes Reading Challenge
Rating: 4.5/5

The only reason I'm rating Confederates in the Attic 4.5/5 instead of 5/5 is because a few of the chapters are really, really long. I had to skip one of them, because the word 'Civil Wargasm' was getting on my nerves.

Otherwise, an amazing, eye-opening book. Tony Horwitz took his childhood interest in the Civil War to a new level by traveling around the South in search of Civil War relics, battle fields, and most importantly stories. Evenhandedly and well-presented are the many people he encounters with an Obsession (capital O) with the Civil War. Some he meets are reenactors of both the hard-core (weekend-long marches in ill-fitting boots, spooning with fellow soldiers for warmth to have the most authentic experience) and farb (Anything short of hardcore, but mostly showing up for big battle reenactments) variety.

Many of the civil-war obsessed he meets in the South, however, are obsessed with the mythology of the Confederacy. All are inevitably white, most are racist, and all seem to subscribe to a revisionist history of the Civil War that makes them resistant, 150 years later, to Yanks. There are clubs for Daughters of the Confederacy, Sons of the Confederacy, and clubs to teach your kids about the principles of Southern Pride.

Horwitz also examines the Shiloh battlefield, interviews Shelby Foote (famous Civil War historian) and takes the reader on a close-up view of Andersonville, the notorious POW camp where captured Union soldiers were luckily to survive long enough to be released.

Should I read it? If you have even the slightest interest in the Civil War, you'll find at least one of the chapters of this diverse book fascinating.

Twilight: Mini-Review

The second in a series of mini-reviews because my lazy butt is way behind on book reviews.

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
Reason for Reading: To be like all the cool kids who are reading Twilight
Rating: 3/5

Girl meets angsty vampire. Girl, and angsty vampire, for some inexplicable reason, fall obsessively in love. Angsty vampire inadvertently sets up girl as lunch for other hungry vampire. Girl, despite angsty vampire's family's best efforts to save her life seems determined to fall into hands of hungry vampire. SPOILER: Angsty vampire shows up just in time to save girl's life and they go to prom.

What is left to say about Twilight that hasn't already been said? Yes, its true. Some of the writing leaves much to be desired (does she keep having to refer to Edward's 'alabastor brow'? Seriously, how many teenagers know the word 'alabastor'?). Bella is, deep down, kind of annoying and whiny. But at least their obsessiveness for each other is matched.

Still. There is a reason these books are so popular and I'm not going to deny they are hard to put down. My favorite character is Edward's sister Alice, who adopts Bella as her friend immediately. And Charlie, her dad, is pretty cool too.

Should I read it? If you can live with the fact they don't live up to the hype.

Anatomy of a Boyfriend: Mini-Review

The first in a series of mini-reviews because my lazy butt is way behind on book reviews.

Anatomy of a Boyfriend by Daria Snadowsky
Reason for Reading: YA Reading Challenge
Rating: 3.5/5

Yes, as you might guess from the cover, this is a book about teenagers who (gasp) have sex. Dominique, a senior, has been focused on applying for colleges and her dream of becoming a doctor when she meets Wesley, a local track star. They begin to date and things soon become hot and heavy. Everything seems to be going right... then comes the fall, with life at separate colleges.

While not overly explicit, Dom and Wes' relationship quickly revolves around sex. Snadowsky presents their relationship realistically as they tentatively become IM friends. The mixed signals. The misunderstandings. The awkwardness of talking to someone in real life that you were just pouring your heart out to the night before over Instant Messenger, when you're not quite sure what your relationship is. Trying to date long-distance. And oh, yes, all of the little hang-ups, fears and complications about sex.

Recommended if the subject matter interests you.

Thoughts on the evil black box in my living room

There is an evil black box in my living room. It takes these invisible waves in the air and turns them into moving pictures called entertainment mostly consisting of shows where real people are put into bizarre situations and forced to humiliate themselves in front of a camera crew. And the occasional cop drama and/or medical show. The evil black box is extraordinarily good at sucking up perfectly good time and using it up.

And still, getting rid of it seems anti-American somehow. And then again I don't really hate the evil box, because it brings me all sorts of guilty pleasures like 30 Rock and Boston Legal and Pushing Daisies when I am in the mood for something mindless that seems educational, CSI. But I hate that I love television so much. But without it, I would not have kicked everyone's rear end at SceneIt the other night. And I really, really like netflixing old Star Trek episodes and watching them on TV.

So I've struck a kind of compromise with myself this year. I gave up any regular television watching, since the few shows I did watch are either being canceled (Pushing Daisies) or have declined so far in quality as to make them unwatchable (Life). I set goals of stuff I have to do before I can watch tv. And since I hardly ever get them done in time, I hardly ever watch tv. And luckily for me and hubby, I got noise-canceling headphones for Christmas, so when he wants to watch, I can still do writing and reading.

Anyone else have a love/hate relationship with the evil black box?

Gearing Up

Okay, so I figured I should join a few challenges here and there.

You're all laughing at me, aren't you, because you know where this one is headed? A few challenges worked its way into a bunch more. I don't have most of my lists filled out. Recommendations, anyone?

DreamKing Challenge
Challenge Blog
Host: Jessi
Rules:
The Dream King Challenge will run from 1 January 2009 - 31 December 2009. You can join at any time during the year.

There are four different levels:

Neophyte: Read one work and watch one movie
Acolyte: Read three works (from three different categories) and watch one movie
Devotee: Read six works (from six different categories) and watch one movie
Zealot: Read twelve works (from at least six different categories) and watch one movie

List of his works
My list (Devotee Level):
Sandman #4 Season of Mists
Sandman #5 A Game of You
Sandman #6 Fables and Reflections
Fragile Things

Young Adult Challenge
Host: J. Kaye
Rules:
1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.
2. Read 12 Young Adult novels. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.
3. Challenge begins January thru December, 2009.
4. You can join anytime between now and December 31, 2009.

My List:
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Paper Towns by John Green
Tigerheart by Peter David
Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer
Sisters of Misery by Megan Kelley Hall

Sci-Fi Experience
Challenge Blog
Host: Carl V
Rules:
And so with great pleasure I announce The Sci Fi Experience 2009, which will run from January 1st through February 28th, 2009. As I said last year, this is an experience and not a challenge. There are no reading lists, book requirements, etc. I do not argue about what is or is not considered ’science fiction’. Nothing about this two month period of science fiction celebration should cause anyone to feel obligated to participate. I host two other very involved challenges throughout the year and the last thing I want to do is start a new year adding stress to your busy lives or my own. This is simply a time to experience how exhilarating science fiction can be.

My Pool:
Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card
Unholy Domain by Dan Ronco
Strangers in Death by J.D. Robb
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
The Planet That Wasn't by Isaac Asimov
Bluebeard by Kurt Vonnegut
Transition by Vonda McIntyre
The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury
Radio Free Albemuth by Philip K. Dick
Quicker Than the Eye by Ray Bradbury
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
The Toynbee Convector by Ray Bradbury

My Year of Reading Dangerously
Challenge Blog:
Host: Estella’s Revenge
Rules:
Read 12 books you deem "dangerous." between January 1st and December 31st 2009. They may be banned or challenged books, new-to-you genres, books that seem to inhabit a permanent space on your stacks, or authors you're afraid of. The possibilities are endless! If it's dangerous to you, it's challenge-worthy to us!

Instead of breaking the year down into monthly Mr. Linky's, we'll be hosting one ongoing Linky this year. We'll post updates and notices to participants in sticky posts at the top of the blog, but your reading will be the centerpiece of this site. Whenever you finish a dangerous book, come leave the link to your review so other participants can ogle your accomplishments.

My List:

World Citizen Challenge
Challenge Blog
Host: Eva
Rules:
The challenge begins January 1st, 2009 and ends December 31st, 2009. However, you can join any time before the challenge ends. You do not have to have a blog to participate; you can either e-mail your reviews/thoughts to me, or I can make a participant on this blog and you can post here. You do not have to make a reading list ahead of time. There will be monthly mini-challenges that you can choose whether or not to participate in.
There will be prizes. There are six categories of books: politics, economics, history, culture or anthropology/sociology, worldwide issues, and memoirs/autobiographies.

There are six levels of participation to choose from:

The Prospie Level So, you’re a prospective high school student trying to decide if this is the right college for you, and you happen to sit in on a world citizenship class. This is for those of you with no time to read another book, but who still want to do something. I’ll be running a different mini-challenge each month of the challenge, and all you have to do to be a prospie is say you want to participate in at least one of them. I promise they’ll be fun, and there will be prizes involved!

The Auditor Level You thought the class sounded interesting, but you didn’t really want to have to worry about attendence or grades or stuff like that. Good thing you can audit. For this level, you just need to declare your interest in the challenge. Anything else you might want to do: the mini-challenges, making a list of potential books, participating in the discussions, etc. is completely up to you. Maybe you want to commit to reading a newspaper or magazine instead of a book-go for it. Also, if you want to choose a different number of books than what I’ve offered in the other levels, come here!

The World Citizenship 101 Level Maybe you’re a freshman trying to decide what to major in, maybe you’re an upperclassman in need of a distribution credit. Either way, you end up in the intro class. For this level, you need to commit to one book.

The Minor Level You’ve taken a couple classes in World Citizenship and decide to go ahead and get the minor. After all, you’ll learn more stuff and you can still have a practical major! For this level, you need to commit to three books, from at least two different categories.
The Major Level Despite the occasional, impertinent “And what are you going to do with a degree in that?!” question, you’ve realised that World Citizenship is where your passion really lies, so you declare your major. For this level, you need to commit to five books, from at least three different categories.

The Postgraduate Level Four years just wasn’t enough for you! You’ve decided to continue your education in World Citizenship, since you’re a bit obsessive about the whole thing. For this level, you need to commit to seven books, including one book from each category.

Suggested Reading

My List (Minor Level):

Dewey’s Books Challenge
Challenge Blog
Review Blog
Host: Chris and Robin
Rules:
I made a comment in a recent book review of mine that it would be cool to have a “Dewey Challenge” in honor of Dewey from The Hidden Side of a Leaf who recently passed away, where participants would read books that she reviewed. I know my wishlist has grown tremendously as a result of her and I’ve loved every book that I’ve read that she’s recommended. Dewey was such a prolific reader and her reviews were honest, intriguing, and beautifully written. What better way to celebrate her wonderful life than by having a year long challenge in her name!

When I commented about having the challenge, I didn’t think I’d actually do it :p But then Robin (that wonderful person!) emailed me and had already designed a button for it! And it’s quite beautiful. She’s offered to help in any way she can, and I just might take her up on that The original plan was that Robin was going to look up all of her 2003-2005 reads and I was going to do her 2006-2008 reads. I started going through Dewey’s archives and realized that my list would be close to 700 books long and no one would read through all that! I also realized that I was really enjoying my time over at Dewey’s blog, searching through all of her old posts. It was like visiting with an old friend. So instead of me giving you a list of books, I say we all go visit her again and pick out books that sound interesting to us. There are two ways to join this challenge:

1. Pick one book from each of the 6 years that Dewey has archives of. You can access her archives by clicking on the archive link in the sidebar of her website. It’s a dropdown menu. For instance, you would read one book that she reviewed in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 for a total of six books.

2. The other option is to read 5 books that Dewey reviewed. These can be from any year and I’m guessing that each of us has at least 5 books on our TBR list because of Dewey!
And the rules:

1. Choose either option 1 or 2 from above.
2. Commit to read your books (either 5 or 6 depending on which option you choose) throughout 2009. The challenge will end on December 31, 2009 but we’ll go ahead and unofficially start it right away! We’ll officially start it on January 1st, 2009.
3. Check back to this page often as I’ll put up Mr. Linky’s for reviews and I’ll mention prize giveaways!

I’m hoping to do some prize giveaways that have a “Dewey Theme”. I have a couple of books in mind that she reviewed which I read and loved and of course there’s the ever so popular Chocolate Monkey that Dewey would give away! Anyone know where she got that from?

Finally, this is my first time EVER hosting a challenge and Robin’s as well, so please have patience with us, lol. If anyone would like to give me a nudge if I’m missing something or just totally screwing up, please do! It’ll be appreciated. And lastly, if anyone wants to donate prizes to the challenge, you’re more than welcomed to do that too! Don’t feel pressured to though, I’ll have some prizes of my own.

Lastly, have fun!! And enjoy spending time with the books that our wonderful friend recommended to us. Please comment below if you’d like to join and I’ll add your name to a list. Also, feel free to take a button that Robin designed! We’ll have different sizes posted soon!

My List:
Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer
I Am the Cheese by Robert Cormier
Into the Forest by Jean Hegland

Graphic Novels Challenge
Challenge Blog
Host: Laza
Rules:
1. Choose a level of participation:
Minor: Read 6
Major: Read 12
Masters: Read 18
Doctorate: Read 24
2. Challenge begins Jan 1, 2009 and ends Dec 31, 2009. You may join at any point during the year.
3. Can I Overlap? Titles may overlap with any challenges and your list can change at any time.
4. Join the Blog!

My List (Major):
Sandman #4 Season of Mists Neil Gaiman
Sandman #5 A Game of You Neil Gaiman
Sandman #6 Fables and Reflections Neil Gaiman

The Dewey Decimal Challenge
Challenge Blog
Host: The Novel World
The Rules:
- Starting January 1st, the goal is to read 1 book from each Dewey Century per month from 000 to 999.
The Review:
- Post the title and the correlating Dewey Decimal Classification Code
- You can verify this a number of ways. Look up the title in your local library catalog and use that Dewey Code.
- You can look it up on the LibraryThing catalog.
- Post a link to your review on here. Check at the beginning of each month for updates, prizes, giveaways and discussion topics.
So, the Dewey Chain goes as follows:
000 - Generalities
100 - Philosophy and Psychology
200 - Religion
300 - Social Sciences
400 - Language
500 - Natural Sciences + Math
600 - Technology
700 - The Arts
800 - Literature and Rhetoric
900 - Geography and History

My List:
600-Eat This, Not This by David Zinczenko (613)
800-Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint: techniques and exercises for crafting dynamic characters and effective viewpoints by Nancy Kress
900-The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream by Barack Obama (973)

Manga Challenge
Challenge Blog:
Host: Rhinoa
Rules: Read at least 6 manga novels in 2009 (cross overs with other challenges are fine and please feel free to read more!). Sign up with Mister Linky below. I will put up a post each month with a Mister Linky for you to add your reviews to. You do not need to set a list of books to read in advance, just fill them in as you go if it's easier.

My List:

9 Books for 2009
Challenge Blog
Host: Books and Other Stuff
Rules:
This challenge is set up so you can read some books in your TBR (To Be Read) Stacks
(If you need more challenges to keep whittling your TBR stacks, click on A NOVEL CHALLENGE also.)
RULES
• Open to anyone, whether you have a blog or not!
• No need to register or to announce what you are going to read.
• Start in any category that you wish.
• 3 books from this reading challenge can be used in other reading challenges.
• Just post in the comment section.
• The genre of the books can be ANYTHING (fiction or non-fiction), but it must be decent (because you have to write reviews about the books).
• Other reading materials (graphic novels, poetry, museum catalogs, art books, zines etc.) are OK.
• The book must already be in your bookcase or storage area.
• The Challenge starts 12/27/08 to 12/27/09. (I hate to begin anything on January 1st).
• You can post starting on 12/27/08.
• Format of work can be paper, audio, or electronic.
These are the NINE categories to celebrate 2009! See the above tabs for details. (I had to abbreviate some of the categories due to WordPress Code restrictions.)
To post, please click one of the tabs for the specific category and place your review JUST in that category, not on any of the 4 pages on the front of this blog.
1. Long
2. Free
3. Dusty
4. Used
5. Letter
6. Strange
7. Distance
8. Alive or Not
9. Cover
REWARDS
I will give out one prize each quarter, one prize for finishing five books (deadline 8/29/2009), and a nice gift for finishing the challenge (deadline: 12/27/2009).

My List:
1. Long Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
2. Free Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs
3. Dusty
4. Used Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
5. Letter
6. Strange Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
7. Distance The Road by Cormac McCarthy
8. Alive or Not
9. Cover

Books You Can Win

Here is the list of books you can potentially win by entering my contest. Remember, three winners, and you get tons of extra chances for writing a caption for my photo. And you have until January 12th, so what's your excuse for not entering? I thought so.

Mercy Street by Mariah Stewart
Breakout by Paul Fleischman
Down to a Sunless Sea by Matthias B. Freese
The Free Lunch by Spider Robinson
Maid Marian by Elsa Watson
Janeology by Karen Harrington
Little Altars Everywhere by Rebecca Wells
Vampyres of Hollywood by Adrienne Barbeau & Michael Scott
Abhorsen by Garth Nix
Bikini Season by Sheila Roberts
Fifteen Minutes of Shame by Lisa Daily
Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult

2009 Reading Challenges

Here is a list of my current challenges. If it's underlined, I've read it. You can click on the title to see my review of it.

R.I.P. IV
Challenge Blog
Host: Carl V
Rules: Read scary stories September 1, 2009- October 31, 2009

My List:
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (Horror)
Fledgling by Octavia Butler (Supernatural)
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carie Ryan (Supernatural)
Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link (Dark Fantasy)
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafron (Mystery)

DreamKing Challenge
Challenge Blog
Host: Jessi
Rules:
The Dream King Challenge will run from 1 January 2009 - 31 December 2009. You can join at any time during the year.

There are four different levels:

Neophyte: Read one work and watch one movie
Acolyte: Read three works (from three different categories) and watch one movie
Devotee: Read six works (from six different categories) and watch one movie
Zealot: Read twelve works (from at least six different categories) and watch one movie

List of his works
My list (Devotee Level):
Sandman #4 Season of Mists by Neil Gaiman
Sandman #5 A Game of You by Neil Gaiman
Sandman #6 Fables and Reflections by Neil Gaiman
Sandman #8 Brief Lives by Neil Gaiman
Sandman #9 Kindly Ones by Neil Gaiman
Sandman #10 The Wake by Neil Gaiman
Sandman: Endless Nights by Neil Gaiman
Fragile Things
Watch: Coraline

Young Adult Challenge
Host: J. Kaye
Rules:
1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.
2. Read 12 Young Adult novels. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.
3. Challenge begins January thru December, 2009.
4. You can join anytime between now and December 31, 2009.

My List:
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Paper Towns by John Green
Tigerheart by Peter David
Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer
Sisters of Misery by Megan Kelley Hall
Zel by Donna Jo Napoli
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephan Chbosky
The Apprentice's Masterpiece by Melanie Little
Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway

My Year of Reading Dangerously
Challenge Blog:
Host: Estella’s Revenge
Rules:
Read 12 books you deem "dangerous." between January 1st and December 31st 2009. They may be banned or challenged books, new-to-you genres, books that seem to inhabit a permanent space on your stacks, or authors you're afraid of. The possibilities are endless! If it's dangerous to you, it's challenge-worthy to us!

Instead of breaking the year down into monthly Mr. Linky's, we'll be hosting one ongoing Linky this year. We'll post updates and notices to participants in sticky posts at the top of the blog, but your reading will be the centerpiece of this site. Whenever you finish a dangerous book, come leave the link to your review so other participants can ogle your accomplishments.

My List:
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides (literary)
The Lucifer Effect by Phillip Zimbardo (philosophical)
The Gathering by Anne Enright (stream-of-consciousness)
(poetry)
(gay/lesbian)
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (classic)
My New York Diary, by Julie Doucet (graphic novel)
(romance)
(southern lit)
Inferno, by Dante (classic/poetry)
(novella)
(non fiction)

World Citizen Challenge
Challenge Blog
Host: Eva
Rules:
The challenge begins January 1st, 2009 and ends December 31st, 2009. However, you can join any time before the challenge ends. You do not have to have a blog to participate; you can either e-mail your reviews/thoughts to me, or I can make a participant on this blog and you can post here. You do not have to make a reading list ahead of time. There will be monthly mini-challenges that you can choose whether or not to participate in.
There will be prizes. There are six categories of books: politics, economics, history, culture or anthropology/sociology, worldwide issues, and memoirs/autobiographies.

There are six levels of participation to choose from:

The Prospie Level So, you’re a prospective high school student trying to decide if this is the right college for you, and you happen to sit in on a world citizenship class. This is for those of you with no time to read another book, but who still want to do something. I’ll be running a different mini-challenge each month of the challenge, and all you have to do to be a prospie is say you want to participate in at least one of them. I promise they’ll be fun, and there will be prizes involved!

The Auditor Level You thought the class sounded interesting, but you didn’t really want to have to worry about attendence or grades or stuff like that. Good thing you can audit. For this level, you just need to declare your interest in the challenge. Anything else you might want to do: the mini-challenges, making a list of potential books, participating in the discussions, etc. is completely up to you. Maybe you want to commit to reading a newspaper or magazine instead of a book-go for it. Also, if you want to choose a different number of books than what I’ve offered in the other levels, come here!

The World Citizenship 101 Level Maybe you’re a freshman trying to decide what to major in, maybe you’re an upperclassman in need of a distribution credit. Either way, you end up in the intro class. For this level, you need to commit to one book.

The Minor Level You’ve taken a couple classes in World Citizenship and decide to go ahead and get the minor. After all, you’ll learn more stuff and you can still have a practical major! For this level, you need to commit to three books, from at least two different categories.
The Major Level Despite the occasional, impertinent “And what are you going to do with a degree in that?!” question, you’ve realised that World Citizenship is where your passion really lies, so you declare your major. For this level, you need to commit to five books, from at least three different categories.

The Postgraduate Level Four years just wasn’t enough for you! You’ve decided to continue your education in World Citizenship, since you’re a bit obsessive about the whole thing. For this level, you need to commit to seven books, including one book from each category.

Suggested Reading

My List (Minor Level):
The Places In Between by Rory Stewart (Memoir/Autobiography)
The Post American World by Fareed Zakaria (Politics)
Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fate of Human Societies by Jared Diamond

Dewey’s Books Challenge
Challenge Blog
Review Blog
Host: Chris and Robin
Rules:
There are two ways to join this challenge:

1. Pick one book from each of the 6 years that Dewey has archives of. You can access her archives by clicking on the archive link in the sidebar of her website. It’s a dropdown menu. For instance, you would read one book that she reviewed in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 for a total of six books.

2. The other option is to read 5 books that Dewey reviewed. These can be from any year and I’m guessing that each of us has at least 5 books on our TBR list because of Dewey!
And the rules:

1. Choose either option 1 or 2 from above.
2. Commit to read your books (either 5 or 6 depending on which option you choose) throughout 2009. The challenge will end on December 31, 2009 but we’ll go ahead and unofficially start it right away! We’ll officially start it on January 1st, 2009.
3. Check back to this page often as I’ll put up Mr. Linky’s for reviews and I’ll mention prize giveaways!

My List:
Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer
I Am the Cheese by Robert Cormier
Into the Forest by Jean Hegland
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennet
Gossamer by Lois Lowry
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
Looking for Alaska by John Green
When You are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris

Graphic Novels Challenge
Challenge Blog
Host: Laza
Rules:
1. Choose a level of participation:
Minor: Read 6
Major: Read 12
Masters: Read 18
Doctorate: Read 24
2. Challenge begins Jan 1, 2009 and ends Dec 31, 2009. You may join at any point during the year.
3. Can I Overlap? Titles may overlap with any challenges and your list can change at any time.
4. Join the Blog!

My List (Major):
Sandman # 4 Season of Mists by Neil Gaiman
Sandman #5 A Game of You by Neil Gaiman
Sandman #6 Fables and Reflections by Neil Gaiman
Sandman #8 Brief Lives by Neil Gaiman
Sandman #9 Kindly Ones by Neil Gaiman
Sandman #10 The Wake by Neil Gaiman
Sandman: Endless Nights by Neil Gaiman
The Walking Dead #1 Days Gone by by Robert Kirkman
The Walking Dead #2 Miles Behind Us by Robert Kirkman
The Walking Dead #3 Safety Behind Bars by Robert Kirkman
The Walking Dead #4 The Heart's Desire by Robert Kirkman
The Walking Dead #5 The Best Defense by Robert Kirkman
Fables #3 Storybook Love by Bill Willingham
Fables #4 March of the Wooden Soldiers by Bill Willingham
Fables #5 The Mean Seasons by Bill Willingham
Fables #6 Homelands by Bill Willingham
Fables #7 Arabian Nights (and Days) by Bill Willingham
Fables #8 Wolves by Bill Willingham
Fables #9 Sons of Empire by Bill Willingham
Fables #10 The Good Prince by Bill Willingham
Fables #11 War and Pieces by Bill Willingham
Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall by Bill Willingham
Laika by Nick Abadzis

The Dewey Decimal Challenge
Challenge Blog
Host: The Novel World
The Rules:
- Starting January 1st, the goal is to read 1 book from each Dewey Century per month from 000 to 999.
The Review:
- Post the title and the correlating Dewey Decimal Classification Code
- You can verify this a number of ways. Look up the title in your local library catalog and use that Dewey Code.
- You can look it up on the LibraryThing catalog.
- Post a link to your review on here. Check at the beginning of each month for updates, prizes, giveaways and discussion topics.
So, the Dewey Chain goes as follows:
000 - Generalities
100 - Philosophy and Psychology
200 - Religion
300 - Social Sciences
400 - Language
500 - Natural Sciences + Math
600 - Technology
700 - The Arts
800 - Literature and Rhetoric
900 - Geography and History

My List:
000-Library: An Unquiet History
100- The Lucifer Effect by Phillip Zimbardo
200- What Muslims Believe
300-
400-
500-
600-Eat This, Not This by David Zinczenko (613)
700-
800-Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint: techniques and exercises for crafting dynamic characters and effective viewpoints by Nancy Kress
900-The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream by Barack Obama (973)

Manga Challenge
Challenge Blog:
Host: Rhinoa
Rules: Read at least 6 manga novels in 2009 (cross overs with other challenges are fine and please feel free to read more!). Sign up with Mister Linky. I will put up a post each month with a Mister Linky for you to add your reviews to. You do not need to set a list of books to read in advance, just fill them in as you go if it's easier.

My List:
Vampire Knight I by Matsuri Hino
Vampire Knight II by Matsuri Hino
Emma I by Kaoru Mori
Emma II by Kaoru Mori
Emma III by Kaoru Mori
Emma IV by Kaoru Mori
Emma V by Kaoru Mori

9 Books for 2009
Challenge Blog
Host: Books and Other Stuff
Rules:
This challenge is set up so you can read some books in your TBR (To Be Read) Stacks
(If you need more challenges to keep whittling your TBR stacks, click on A NOVEL CHALLENGE also.)
RULES
• Open to anyone, whether you have a blog or not!
• No need to register or to announce what you are going to read.
• Start in any category that you wish.
• 3 books from this reading challenge can be used in other reading challenges.
• Just post in the comment section.
• The genre of the books can be ANYTHING (fiction or non-fiction), but it must be decent (because you have to write reviews about the books).
• Other reading materials (graphic novels, poetry, museum catalogs, art books, zines etc.) are OK.
• The book must already be in your bookcase or storage area.
• The Challenge starts 12/27/08 to 12/27/09. (I hate to begin anything on January 1st).
• You can post starting on 12/27/08.
• Format of work can be paper, audio, or electronic.
These are the NINE categories to celebrate 2009! See the above tabs for details. (I had to abbreviate some of the categories due to WordPress Code restrictions.)
To post, please click one of the tabs for the specific category and place your review JUST in that category, not on any of the 4 pages on the front of this blog.

My List:
1. Long Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
2. Free Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs
3. Dusty The Darcys and the Bingleys by Marsha Altman
4. Used Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
5. Letter
6. Strange Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
7. Distance The Road by Cormac McCarthy
8. Alive or Not The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing Vol 2 by M.T. Anderson
9. Cover Kissing the Virgin's Mouth by Donna M. Gershten

Completed Challenges
Sci-Fi Experience
Challenge Blog
Host: Carl V
Rules:
And so with great pleasure I announce The Sci Fi Experience 2009, which will run from January 1st through February 28th, 2009. As I said last year, this is an experience and not a challenge. There are no reading lists, book requirements, etc. I do not argue about what is or is not considered ’science fiction’. Nothing about this two month period of science fiction celebration should cause anyone to feel obligated to participate. I host two other very involved challenges throughout the year and the last thing I want to do is start a new year adding stress to your busy lives or my own. This is simply a time to experience how exhilarating science fiction can be.

My Pool:
Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card
Unholy Domain by Dan Ronco
Strangers in Death by J.D. Robb
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
The Planet That Wasn't by Isaac Asimov
Bluebeard by Kurt Vonnegut
Transition by Vonda McIntyre
The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury
Radio Free Albemuth by Philip K. Dick
Quicker Than the Eye by Ray Bradbury
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
The Toynbee Convector by Ray Bradbury

Books Read:
Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card
Slaughter House Five by Kurt Vonnegut
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Corey Doctorow
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman
Eclipse One edited by Jonathan Strahan

Once Upon a Time III
Challenge Blog
Host: Carl V
Rules:
Quest The First
Read at least 5 books that fit somewhere within the Once Upon a Time III criteria. They might all be fantasy, or folklore, or fairy tales, or mythology…or your five books might be a combination from the four genres. Runs from March 21-June 20th

Book pool:
Lonely Werewolf Girl by Martin Millar
Tigerheart by Peter David
The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter
Zel by Donna Jo Napoli
Fables #5 The Mean Seasons by Bill Willingham
Fables #6 Homelands by Bill Willingham
Fables #7 Arabian Nights (and Days) by Bill Willingham
Fables #8 Wolves by Bill Willingham
Fables #9 Sons of Empire by Bill Willingham
Fables #10 The Good Prince by Bill Willingham