Pope Joan - Donna W. Cross

Due to a really unfortunately timed 24-hour virus I finished Pope Joan much faster than I'd expected to. Not a problem, I'd forgotten how good it is :-)

The Clan of the Cave Bears - Jean M. Auel

The Clan of the Cave Bears has always been one of my favourite books, and fortunately it hasn't lost any of its magic in the years since I read it last. I hope I'll have time to reread "The Valley of the Horses" soon too.

Hollywood Crows - Joseph Wambaugh

Hollywood Crows is a mixture between a short story collection and a novel, but unlike "Evacuation Plan", here it actually works. It was disturbing, but interesting.

Mrs. Darcy's Dilemma - Diana Birchall

Mrs. Darcy's Dilemma is the first Pride and Prejudice sequel I've read, and fortunately I wasn't disappointed, as Diana Birchall managed to copy Jane Austen's style better than I would have thought possible. A relief as P&P is one of my favourite books.

Matilda - Roald Dahl

Together with "The BFG" and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", Matilda has always been one of my favourite Roald Dahl stories, and one that stands the test of time well :-)

The Red Tent - Anita Diamant

The Red Tent claims to be based on the story of Dinah (Genesis 34), but it's a very loose connection at best, and the story would have benefited from either being closer to the original or not trying to follow it at all.

Winter Reading Challenge - A Wrap-up

The Winter Reading Challenge ended yesterday, so I think it's fitting with some concluding comments.

These were the books I chose for the challenge.
# Terrier (Beka Cooper #1) - Tamora Pierce
# The Last Jew - Noah Gordon*
# Looking Forward - Marcia Willett
# Around the World in 80 Days - Jules Verne*
# The Hiding Place - Corrie ten Boom*
# Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank*
# Wild Magic - Tamora Pierce*
# Wolf Speaker - Tamora Pierce*
# Emperor Mage - Tamora Pierce*
# The Realms of the Gods - Tamora Pierce*
# Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH - Robert O'Brien
# The Stormcaller - Jacob L. Grant

At the start of the challenge, Inksplasher wrote:
'I would like to suggest that we stretch a little. If you normally read fiction, put at least one non-fiction on your list (and vice versa). Or try a genre you don't usually read. Or try a new author chosen totally at random. But most importantly, make your list FUN so you'll want to read!'

I certainly had lots of fun, but upon looking back at it, there was an incredible number of rereads on the list (all those marked with an asterix). Compared to how seldom I reread books these days, to have a list that's 67% rereads is very surprising, and probably went quite a lot against Inksplasher's suggestion. Can't say I stretched myself a lot in any way. I've been more conscious of this for the Sring Reading Thing, so hopefully that reading list will be more diverse.

Favorite book of the challenge: Terrier
Least favorite book of the challenge The Realms of the Gods
Any new authors read in this challenge: Marcia Willett, Robert O'Brien and Jacob L. Grant.
What I learned: Rereads are lots of fun too!

Robin Hood - Howard Pyle

Robin Hood was unfortunately a huge disappointment. A childhood illusion burst.

Orbis Terrarum Challenge - DONE

- The Orbis Terrarum Challenge begins April 1 2008
- For the challenge each reader is to choose 9 books (for the 9 months).
- Each book must be by an author from a different nation in our world.

1) Whitethorn Woods - Maeve Binchy (Ireland)
2) Hollywood Crows - Joseph Wambaugh (USA)
3) The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas (France)
4) A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khalad Hosseini (Afghanistan)
5) Wild Mountain Thyme - Rosamunde Pilcher (Scotland)
6) Long Walk to Freedom - Nelson Mandela (South Africa)
7) The Alpine Path - Lucy Maud Montgomery (Canada)
8) The No 1. Ladies Detective Agency - Alexander McCall Smith (Botswana)
9) A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth (India)

Alternatives:
Wild Swans - Jung Chang

Non-fiction Five - DONE

1. Read 5 non-fiction books during the months of May - September, 2008

2. Read at least one non-fiction book that is different from your other choices (i.e.: 4 memoirs and 1 self-help)

My books:
* No Compromise - Melody Green (Biography)
* Long Walk to Freedom - Nelson Mandela (Autobiography)
* The Alpine Path - L.M. Montgomery (Biography)
* Wild Swans - Jung Chang (Memoir)
* The Five Love Languages - Gary Chapman (inspirational)

Another Blooming Challenge x2 - DONE?

More cool challenges are coming up, so here we go again :-)
Here's flower-themed challenge to get you in the spirit of the season.

1. The challenge will run from March 20, 2008 - June 20, 2008.
2. You can choose one of the four levels (or participate in several levels!)
3. You can cross-post with other challenges. You can even count the same book for different levels in this challenge!

You can see all the levels at the original challenge. I'm going for the bud-vase (DONE) and/or bouquet (DONE).

Books:
Biggest disappointment: The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver
Favourite read: The Primrose Way - Jackie French Koller
Whitethorn Woods - Maeve Binchy
Wild Mountain Thyme - Rosamunde Pilcher

Extra credit:
Rose in Bloom - L. M. Alcott
Flowers in the Rain - Rosamunde Pilcher

(If I get the two 'extra credit' read I qualify for the Garden challenge as well.)

f2f - Phillip Finch

While waiting for the Spring Reading Challenge starts, I'm catching up on some of my rereads. Weirdly enough f2f wasn't nearly as good as I remembered it, but never mind. Still a quick read :-)

Looking Forward - Marcia Willett

Marcia Willett reads a lot like Rosamunde Pilcher, so Looking Forward made for a very enjoyable and relaxing read.

D.E.A.R. challenge - DONE

The D.E.A.R. challenge starts today for level 4 participants, so I figured it was time to post about it here :)

What is National D.E.A.R. Day? (which has just become International as D.E.A.R. stands for Drop Everything and Read. National D.E.A.R. Day is a special reading celebration to remind and encourage families to make reading together on a daily basis a family priority.

Level One: Commit to reading 30 minutes on D.E.A.R. day, April 12, 2008. It's a Saturday in case you're wondering.
Level Two: Commit to reading 30 minutes per day for three days. April 11, 2008 - April 13, 2008.
Level Three: Commit to reading 30 minutes per day for an entire week. April 6, 2008 - April 12, 2008.
Level Four: Commit to reading 30 minutes per day for an entire month. March 12, 2008 - April 12, 2008.

It can come as no surprise to you, that I've signed up for level 4. For the next month I will try to remember to write down exactly how much time I've spent reading each day. I won't be posting daily updates here, but will probably make a post with the grand total.

Edit April 13th: Well, I forgot to keep track of how long I read each day after the initial half hour was passed, but I easily made 30 mins each day - most days lots more.

Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank

I've read Diary of a Young Girl several times before, but for some reason it made me really depressed and restless this time. I think it's time for me to read something not ww2 related.

Spring Reading Thing - Done!

It will probably come as no surprise that I'm signing up for a Spring Reading Challenge.

Who: Anyone! Everyone! If you read, you can join :)

What: Spring Reading Thing 2008 is a casual, low-pressure challenge. There is no required number of reads to 'reach'. Just make a list of books you'd like to read (or books you'd like to finish!) this spring.

When: I bet you can guess: Spring 2008. The official dates are March 20th through June 19th.

As per usual the challenge runs for 13 weeks, so I'm picking 13 books to read for it:

• The Red Tent - Anita Diamant
  
• The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
  
• Pope Joan - Donna W. Cross
  
• Mathilda - Roald Dahl
  
• Seven For A Secret - Victoria Holt
  
• Mrs. Darcy's Dilemma - Diana Birchall
  
• 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea - Jules Verne
  
• Wild Swans - Jung Chang
  
• No Compromise - Melody Green
  
• The No 1. Ladies Detective Agency - Alexander McCall Smith
  
• The Clan of the Cave Bears - Jean M. Auel
  
• Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen
  
• The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver
  

The Hiding Place - Corrie ten Boom

The Hiding Place was one of the first books I ever read about World War 2, and it still stands to me as one of the most important books to read on the subject, in order to remember that God is present - even when we cannot see Him.

Evacuation Plan - Joe M. O'Connell

Unfortunately Evacuation Plan was quite a disappointment, so it'll be going straight up on my bookmooch list. But at least it still counts for a book read :-D

Helvedet - og en kærlig Gud - Claus Tondering

Helvedet - og en kærlig Gud (Hell - and a Loving God) is an amazing book of how to unite the belief in God's love with the reality of Hell. I've learned a LOT from it.

Spiritual Reading Challenge - DONE

Yeah, I figured it was time to sign up for another challenge ;) The Spiritual Reading Challenge runs from March 1st to June 1st. The goal is to read three books with a spiritual theme in that timeframe.

My books are:
* Celebration of Discipline - Richard Foster
* No Compromise, The Life Story of Keith Green - Melody Green
* Hell and a Loving God - Claus Tondering

The Princess and the Goblin - George MacDonald

The Princess and the Goblin is a sweet fairytale, but I would probably have enjoyed it more, had I read it when I was the target age.

The Enchanted Castle - Edith Nesbit

I finished The Enchanted Castle by Edith Nesbit yesterday on my way home from work. Very sweet and charming novel :)

Seduced by a Spy - Andrea Pickens

It's been some time since I posted last. Not because I haven't been reading, but because I've been reading non-challenge stuff. Yes, there's time for that as well :-D However, now I'm back on track with Seduced by a Spy - a wonderful regency novel I read for the 888 challenge.

Sweet Valley High 2: Secrets

The first SVH of the year read and snarked at 1Bruce1. Probably only interesting to read if you already know the Sweet Valley universe.

The Emerald City of Oz - L. Frank Baum

The Emerald City of Oz is the last 'real' book of Oz... or at least the one L. Frank Baum himself intended to be the last, so I'll end my foray into Oz here as well. They were charming books, but not entertaining enough that I feel any need to continue my visits there.

Anybody Out There? - Marian Keyes

I always enjoy reading about the Walsh-sisters, and fortunately Anybody Out There? was no exception. Highly recommendable.

Anatomy of a Boyfriend - Daria Snadowsky

I finished Anatomy of a Boyfriend over the weekend - would have liked it a LOT more if it hadn't been aimed at teenagers. I'm not usually a prude, but this book handled sex much too casually to be appropriate for somebody that age.

The Dark is Rising - Susan Cooper

I think my expectations had probably been raised too much about The Dark is Rising, because unfortunately I ended up quite disappointed. It's okay, but not as amazing as I'd been lead to believe.

Stolen Lives - Malika Oufkir

Stolen Lives absolutely blew me away. I highly recommend it, even if it is disturbing reading. See my review for details.

The Eponymous Challenge - DONE

I finish one challenge and immediately sign up for the next.

The Eponymous challenge runs from 1 March to 31 May, 2008.

During that time the mission is to read 4 books whose titles are the name of one or more of the characters (e.g. Evelina, Oscar and Lucinda); or a description of one or more of the characters (e.g. The Merchant of Venice, Sylvia's Lovers).

Non-fiction books and overlaps with other challenges are welcome, as are books named after four-legged characters.

I've chosen:

• The Diary of Anne Frank (so called in the translation I'm reading, so I'd say it counts)
  
• The Princess and the Goblin - George MacDonald
  
• Mathilda - Roald Dahl
  
• Pope Joan - Donna W. Cross

Possible books for extra credit/alternatives: Robin Hood, Meeting the Malones, The Swiss Family Robinson, Hollywood Husbands, Victorias År, The Woman in White,

Nothing Lasts Forever - Sidney Sheldon

It happened sooner than I thought it would... by finishing Nothing Lasts Forever this afternoon, I've finished my first challenge of 2008: Medical Madness :-D

Those Who Trespass Against Us - Karolina Lanckoronska

After reading it on and off for a month, I finally finished Those Who Trespass Against Us this morning. An interesting subject, but unfortunately a dull book (writing, not plot).

Between the Sheets - Robin Wells

It's chick-lit with a capital C and absolutely delightful. I highly recommend Between the Sheets as a very pleasant escape from reality.

Cross-Stitch (Outlander) - Diana Gabaldon

I finished my first chunkster way ahead of time. I was supposed to just read 3 chapters a week, but once I got into it, I couldn't put it down and read 600 pages over the weekend ;) This is the first time I've read Cross-Stitch (UK version) rather than Outlander (US version) and though the changes were small and insignificant, they were still large enough for me to notice. I might just pick up Outlander soon and read the scenes I know were changed.

The Realm of the Gods - Tamora Pierce

By reading The Realm of the Gods I've finished the Immortals Quartet by Tamora Pierce. Probably my least favourite of the quartets, but still worth reading.

Emperor Mage - Tamora Pierce

It's a testimony to Tamora Pierce's writing that I enjoy even her weak books. Emperor Mage is one of those as my review (see link) shows.

Such a Time as This - Rebecca Velez

Such a Time as This is a gorgeous retelling of the Book of Esther. Very recommendable :)

Wolf Speaker - Tamora Pierce

My favourite in the Immortal quartet would have to be Wolf Speaker. The last two aren't nearly as good as the two first, but still worth reading.

Two more books read.

Thanks to a lazy Friday evening I managed to get another 2 books crossed off my list :)
Sue Barton, Staff Nurse by Helen Dore Boylston and Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce :)

Heidi - Johanna Spyri

There's nothing better than a good, old-fashioned, feel-good novel, and in that category, Heidi is one of the best. I was almost sad to have finished it.

Sue Barton, Neighborhood Nurse - Helen Boylston

After having read the second to last Sue Barton book I'm almost through both the series and the first challenge of the year. Not too shabby :-)

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH - Robert O'Brien

After having had it on my to-read list for several years, I finally finished Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH earlier today :-)

Sue Barton, Superintendent of Nurses - Helen Boylston

Yet another Sue Barton book read - only two more to go now!

Sue Barton, Rural Nurse - Helen D. Boylstore

Another Sue Barton book read. I'm rushing through these, but they really are quick reads and good comfort books for a lazy weekend.

Sue Barton 1-3 - Helen Dore Boylston

I've read the three first Sue Barton books - the reviews are here, here and here. They're quick comfort reads.

Two more reviews

I finished another two books yesterday: Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne (for the Celebrate the Author, 888, Whitcoulls, Reading through the Decades and TBR-challenge) and The Stormcaller by Jacob Grant and Mark Russel (for the Winter Reading and 888 challenges). Good stuff :-)

Around the World in 80 Days - Jules Verne

Unfortunately not nearly as good as I remembered it, still it is a classics and thus good to have read :) Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne fits 4 challenges - cool :)

Around the World in 80 Books

Goal: Read 80 books set in 80 different countries of the world. There's no time frame, so just plod along at your own speed. Since there's no time frame, I'm going to include books already read in 2007, and just keep adding to this list, whenever I read a book set in a new country. Without a doubt the majority of books I read are set in USA, England or a fantasy country, but perhaps this will make me more conscious of choosing books set in other countries as well.

Updated December 4th, 2008: 38 countries.

Europe (16 countries)
Greece: Nights of Rain and Stars
Ireland: Quentins
England: Famous Five
Scotland: Wild Mountain Thyme
Denmark: Kald mig prinsesse
Sweden: Jerusalem
Switzerland: Heidi
Turkey / Hungary / Bulgaria / Romania: The Historian
Holland: Far Above Rubies
Poland: Those Who Trespass Against Us
Germany: The Book Thief
Bosnia: A Grave Breach
Italy: Under the Tuscan Sun
France: The Girl with the Blue Bicycle
Spain: People of the Book
Serbia: Den serbiske dansker

Africa (7 countries)
Ethiopia: A Man Called Blessed
South Africa: God Has A Dream
Egypt: Prophecy
Marocco: Stolen Lives
Congo: The Poisonwood Bible
Somalia: Infidel
Botswana: The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency

Asia (8 countries)
Palestine: Burned Alive
Lebanon: Taken on Trust
Japan: Geisha of Gion
India: Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
Afghanistan: The Kite Runner
Israel: The Red Tent
China: Wild Swans
Iran: Reading Lolita in Tehran

America (3 countries)
USA: White Oleander
Canada: Anne of Green Gables
Brazil: Frit fald over Amazonas

Oceania (2 countries)
New Zealand: The Bone People
Australia: Thunderwith

Unknown (2 books)
Swiss Family Robinson
The Millionaire's Proposal

The Chunkster Challenge - DONE

A chunkster is a really nice, thick book - at least 450 pages normal type. The challenge will run from January 7th-December 20th 2008, but any book started after January 1st counts. In this time frame read at least 4 chunksters (one each quarter).

There are a number of chunksters on my to-read list already, so for this challenge I've picked for of those:
* Wild Swans - Jung Chang (617p)
* A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth (1379p)
* The Clan of the Cave Bears - Jean M. Auel (542p)
* Cross-Stitch - Diana Gabaldon (863p)

Celebrate The Authors Challenge - DONE

This challenge is designed to "celebrate" author birthdays. For each month of the year, choose one author whose birthday is in that month and read a book by him/her. The book does not have to be read in the birthday month. Alternatives are in brackets.

* January: A.A. Milne: Winnie-the-Pooh
* February: Jules Verne: Around the World in 80 Days (LIW)
* March: Howard Pyle: Robin Hood (Libba Bray)
* April: Anne McCaffrey: Dragonflight
* May: Francine Pascal: Sweet Valley High #2 - Secrets (L. Frank Baum: The Emerald City of Oz, Susan Cooper: The Dark Is Rising)
* June: Johanna Spyri: Heidi
* July: E.B. White: Charlotte's Web (J.K. Rowling)
* August: Edith Nesbit: The Enchanted Castle (Orson Scott Card, Enid Blyton)
* September: Roald Dahl: Mathilda
October: Jackie Collins (Ursula LeGuin) Trudi Canavan: The Magician's Guild
* November: Madeleine L'Engle: A Wrinkle in Time (C.S. Lewis: Prince Caspian, LMM: The Alpine Path, Frances H. Burnett, Astrid Lindgren)
* December: George MacDonald: The Princess and the Goblin (Stephenie Meyer)

In Their Shoes - DONE

In 2008 read memoirs, autobiographies and/or biographies. You pick the number of books and which books to read - simple, eh?

My books:
The Hiding Place - Corrie ten Boom
Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank
Those Who Trespass Against us - Katherine Lanckorosta
The Alpine Path - L.M. Mongtomery
Long Walk to Freedom - Nelson Mandela
Stolen Lives - Malika Oufkir

Medical Madness - DONE!

The challenge runs from Jan 1st-Dec 31st, 2008 but start whenever's good for you. Read books that have to do with hospitals, doctors, illnesses... anything medical. It can be non-fiction or fiction but no mysteries or thrillers.

I already have 8 medical books on my to-read list, so these choices are easy:
Sue Barton, Student Nurse - Helen Boylston
Sue Barton, Senior Nurse - Helen Boylston
Sue Barton, Visiting Nurse - Helen Boylston
Sue Barton, Rural Nurse - Helen Boylston
Sue Barton, Superintendent of Nurses - Helen Boylston
Sue Barton, Neighbourhood Nurse - Helen Boylston
Sue Barton, Staff Nurse - Helen Boylston
Nothing Lasts forever - Sidney Sheldon

2 New 2 U Challenge - DONE

Between Feb 1st and May 1st read 2 books by authors you've never read before, OR read 2 books outside your reading "comfort zone".

I'm not sure I have a reading "comfort zone" (no, that's not true, of course I do, but I stray outside it often), so I chose two books by authors I've read nothing of before, and that I wouldn't read ordinarily.
* Stolen Lives - Malika Oufkir
* The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas

Unread Author Challenge - DONE!

The Unread Authors Challenge runs from September 2007 to February 2008 (both months inclusive). In this time, read 6 books by authors you've never read before.

September: The Book of Lost Things - John Connelly
October: Inkheart - Cornelia Funke
November: Noughts & Crosses - Malorie Blackman
December: Under the Tuscan Sun - Frances Mayes
January: Those Who Trespass Against us - Katherine Lanckorosta
Feburary: Stolen Lives - Malika Oufkir

Romantic Reading Challenge - DONE

Choose 5 romance novels and read them in 2008. Note that "Romance" isn't limited to steamy Harlequin novels, but can also be contemporary romance, historical romance, romantic suspence etc. At long as the story has romantic love between two main characters, it will fit this challenge. You can change your choices at any time.

My picks:
Cross-Stitch - Diana Gabaldon
Sue Barton, Visiting Nurse - Helen Dore Boylston
Avalon High - Meg Cabot
The Host - Stephenie Meyer
Around the World in 80 Days - Jules Verne

Themed Reading Challenge - DONE

Between January 1st and June 30th read 4 books that share a theme. This theme can be books set in a particular country, books all with animals as their main characters or whatever. The sky's the limit.

My theme is 4 books with an animal in the title and the books are:
The Clan of the Cave Bears - Jean M. Auel
Water for Elephants - Sarah Gruen
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH - Robert O'Brien
Wolf Speaker - Tamora Pierce

Personal Challenge

I want to make it crystal clear before I even start that I do not expect to complete this challenge in 2008. I just took a look at the amount of owned unread books I have and said to myself "I have to do something about this!". So by mixing the 888-challenge and the TBR-challenge I've come up with this personal challenge.

No time-frame, just some sort of structure to my to-read shelf so I have an idea of where to start and where to end. I've structured it similar to the 888 challenge by having 8 categories of 8 books. The numbers are totally arbitrary, I just figured I'd give my self a bit of lee-way by 'only' using 64 of the 96 books I have. I want to get through at least half of these this year, but we'll see how it goes. It's not a 'proper' challenge, so it won't be listed in its entirety in the sidebars.

1. Chick-lit
1. Monday's Child - Louise Bagshawe
   
2. When She Was Bad - Louise Bagshawe
   
3. Where Rainbows End - Cecelia Ahern
   
4. Hollywood Husbands - Jackie Collins
   
5. Last Chance Saloon - Marian Keyes
   
6. Little Earthquakes - Jennifer Weiner
   
7. Goodnight Nobody - Jennifer Weiner
   
8. Behaving Badly - Isabel Wolff
   
2. Christian fiction
   
1. Toward Home - Aasen
   
2. Patterns of Love - Hatcher
   
3. A Rush of Wings - Heitzmann
   
4. Twilight - Heitzmann
   
5. Love One Another - Valerie Hansen
   
6. Matched Pearls - Grace Livingstone Hill
   
7. Puritans - Jack Cavanaugh
   
8. Waterfalls - Robin Gunn
   
3. Pilcher / Binchy
   
1. Light A Penny Candle - Maeve Binchy
   
2. Whitethorn Woods - Maeve Binchy
   
3. September - Rosamunde Pilcher
   
4. Flowers in the Rain - Rosamunde Pilcher
   
5. Snow in April - Rosamunde Pilcher
   
6. The Empty House - Rosamunde Pilcher
   
7. Voices in Summer - Rosamunde Pilcher
   
8. The End of Summer - Rosamunde Pilcher
   
9. Wild Mountain Thyme - Rosamunde Pilcher
   
4. Sagas etc.
   
1. The Color Purple - Alice Walker
   
2. Looking Forward - Marcia Willett
   
3. Holding On - Marcia Willett
   
4. Winning Through - Marcia Willett
   
5. Invitation to Live - Lloyd Douglas
   
6. Green Light - Lloyd Douglas
   
7. The Godfather - Puzo
   
8. Battle Surgeon - Frank Slaughter
   
5. Sci-fi/Fantasy/Suspense
   
1. Xenocide - Orson Scott Card
   
2. Equal Rites - Terry Pratchett
   
3. Dragonflight - Anne McCaffrey
   
4. Deception Point - Dan Brown
   
5. Digital Fortress - Dan Brown
   
6. Whiteout - Ken Follett
   
7. The Web - Kellerman
   
8. Bitten - Kelley Armstrong
   
6. Classics
   
1. Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe
   
2. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
   
3. The Deerslayer - Cooper
   
4. Robin Hood - Howard Pyle
   
5. Ivanhoe - Scott
   
6. Winnie-the-Pooh - A.A. Milne
   
7. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea - Jules Verne
   
8. Ben Hur - Wallace
   
7. Historical
   
1. The Red Tent - Anita Diamant
   
2. Stolen Lives - Malika Oufkir
   
3. Wild Swans - Jung Chang
   
4. People of the Fire - Kathleen Gear
   
5. Pompeii - Robert Harris
   
6. Seven for a Secret - Victoria Holt
   
7. Reunion - Frank Uhlman
   
8. The Other Boleyn Girl - Philippa Gregory
   
8. Books I Just Want To Read But Fit Into No Other Category
   
1. Kramer vs. Kramer - Corman
   
2. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini
   
3. The Primrose Way - Koller
   
4. The Pilot's Wife - Anita Shrever
   
5. Atonement - Ian McEwan
   
6. Perfect Match - Jodi Picoult
   
7. Avalon - Seton
   
8. Kirstens breve - Susan Moody
   

The Last Jew - Noah Gordon

Since I finished the last book of 2007 on the last day of the year, of course I also have to finish the first book of 2008 on the first day of the year. The Last Jew by Noah Gordon. Good, but definitely not his best.

Challenges completed in 2007

2007

• 2nds Challenge


• Bibliography Challenge


• tbr-reading-challenge 2007


• Fall Into Reading 2007


• Baby Steps Challenge

Under the Tuscan Sun - Frances Mayes

The last book for 2007 was fortunately also a GREAT one: Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes. I want to visit Tuscana - or at least Italy now!

Rest of 2007 book list

This post is a sticky post. Scroll down for newest posts. No longer. All done! :-D

This is mostly for my own sake. A list of the books I've committed to reading before the end of 2007 for one or more of my challenges.

• Flowers in the Attic (2nds, Fall Into Reading)
  
• Noughts and Crosses (Fall Into Reading)
  
• Over Sea, Under Stone (The Dark Is Rising 1) (Fall Into Reading)
  
• The Big Over Easy (Fall Into Reading, TBR, Baby-Steps)
  
• The Stand (Fall Into Reading, Whitcoulls)
  
• My Best Friend's Girl (Fall Into Reading)
  
• Lords and Ladies (Fall Into Reading, TBR, Baby-Steps)
  
• Taken On Trust (Fall Into Reading, TBR, Baby-Steps)
  
• To Say Nothing of the Dog (Fall Into Reading)
  
• Inkspell (2nds, Bibliography)
  
• The Neverending Story (Bibliography)
  
• April Fool's Day (Whitcoulls)
  
• Under the Tuscan Sun (Whitcoulls)
  
• (The Last Jew (Jewish Literature) (Postponed until next year)
  

Books to read...

This post doesn't really have anything to do with my challenges, I just thought it'd be a fun post to do. The photo above is a selection of my books, and the ones within the black circle are the ones I have yet to read... (yes, the left shelf is double-lined... so's the right one, but those books I have read... but I digress.)

I've contemplated completely redoing all my challenges for next year to only use those books, but to be completely honest, I think I'd grow tired of that quite quickly. Besides, if I know myself right, I'll get just as many new ones during the year as I manage to read ;)

I know a lot of the titles are in Danish, so if you want to see exactly which books I'm talking about, click on the Goodreads link at the top of the page, and choose my "to-read-owned" shelf. It ought to be up to date :)

Winter Reading Challenge - DONE!

Now that the Fall Into Reading challenge is over, it's time to start the Winter version - the Winter Reading Challenge, running from December 22nd to March 19th. The rules are the same as for the FIR challenge - you set your own goals.

Again, since it runs for 12 weeks, I've picked 12 books to read. Hopefully that won't tax my already busy reading schedule too much ;)

I've picked the following books to read:

• Terrier (Beka Cooper #1) - Tamora Pierce
  
• The Last Jew - Noah Gordon
  
• Looking Forward - Marcia Willett
  
• Around the World in 80 Days - Jules Verne
  
• The Hiding Place - Corrie ten Boom
  
• Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank
  
• Wild Magic - Tamora Pierce
  
• Wolf Speaker - Tamora Pierce
  
• Emperor Mage - Tamora Pierce
  
• The Realms of the Gods - Tamora Pierce
  
• Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH - Robert O'Brien
  
• The Stormcaller - Jacob L. Grant
  

Subject to change if I get completely stuck ;-)

Fall Into Reading 2007 - Wrap Up

The Fall Into Reading Challenge ended yesterday. I'd decided to read 13 books for the challenge - one for each week the challenge covered. It was close, but I managed to finish the last one before the challenge ended. Here are the 13 books I picked with a link to the review of each book at my book review blog.

• PS, I Love You - Cecilia Ahern
  
• Flowers in the Attic - Virginia Andrews
  
• Noughts and Crosses - Malorie Blackman
  
• The Book Of Lost Things - John Connolly
  
• Over Sea, Under Stone (The Dark Is Rising 1) - Susan Cooper
  
• The Big Over Easy - Jasper Fforde
  
• Inkheart - Cornelia Funke
  
• The Stand - Stephen King
  
• Rikki-Tikki-Tavi - Rudyard Kipling
  
• My Best Friend's Girl - Dororthy Koomson
  
• Lords and Ladies - Terry Pratchett
  
• Taken on Trust - Terry Waite
  
• To Say Nothing Of The Dog - Connie Willis

This was my first challenge, and I have to say I enjoyed the experience. I've never been very structured in my reading, so making a list 3 months in advance and actually sticking to it (even if I did read a lot of other books in those months too) was a novelty to me. I may get tired of it after away and want to resort to my unstructured reading again (especially with all the challenges I've got going for next year... I'll have to remind myself to not be afraid of dropping out if it takes the fun out of reading), but for the time being it's fun!

I was really lucky in that I enjoyed all the books I'd chosen, but think the most pleasant surprise was My Best Friend's Girl - I'd expected a very shallow book, but ended up with one that made me laugh, cry and - most importantly - think.

Lords and Ladies - Terry Pratchett

By finishing Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett, I've managed to finish all challenges for 2007. Now I can get a head-start on those that spand the New Year until a load of new ones start on January 1st ;)

Over Sea, Under Stone - Susan Cooper

I've finished the first book in The Dark is Rising Sequence: Over Sea, Under Stone. It was okay, but didn't leave me rushing to read the rest of the series. We'll see if I like TDIR any better.

To Say Nothing of the Dog - Connie Willis

I found it very difficult to get properly interested in To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis, so it wasn't until I was half way through that I got to the point where I couldn't put it down, which is why it took me a lot longer to read than I'd have expected. All done now though, and only missing another 2 books to finish my Fall Into Reading challenge.

TBR Challenge 2008 - DONE

Yesssss!!! The TBR Challenge 2008 is finally up. I've literally been waiting for this for 6 months, as I was too late to join the 2007 one (not discovering it until July, that's fair enough).

The challenge is: In 2008 read 12 books that have been on your 'to-read' list for more than 6 months. I'm going to expand it and say the 12 books HAVE to be books I already own, in order to make a dent in my ever increasing pile of unread-but-owned-books.

There's my list:

• Wild Swans - Jung Chang
  
• The Red Tent - Anita Diamant
  
• The Dark Is Rising - Susan Cooper
  
• A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini
  
• Seven For A Secret - Victoria Holt
  
• The Color Purple - Alice Walker
  
• Dragonflight - Anne McCaffrey
  
• Winnie-the-Pooh - A.A. Milne
  
• Stolen Lives - Malika Oufkir
  
• Bitten - Kelley Armstrong
  
• 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea - Jules Verne
  
• Looking Forward - Marcia Willett
  

My Best Friend's Girl - Dorothy Koomson

I'm having great luck with chick-lit these days. My Best Friend's Girl is yet another in a fortunately growing line of not-shallow-chick-lit. It's very sweet, very sad and very thought-provoking. I highly recommend it.

The Stand - Stephen King

I finally managed to finish The Stand by Stephen King. Very unlike me this one took about 3 weeks to read! Not because it was bad, nor even because it was terribly long (sure 1007 pages is a lot, but I've read that in less time before), but despite liking it it was just a slow read. Anyway, it's done now and I can strike yet another book off my Fall Into Reading list :)

The Big Over Easy - Jasper Fforde

Yesterday I finally managed to finish The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde. An absolutely delightful book that I highly recommend to anybody - especially people who enjoy bibliographies.

The Neverending Story - Michael Ende

By reading The Neverending Story by Michael Ende I've managed to complete the Bibliography Challenge!! That's two down... a whole lot to go :)

Noughts & Crosses - Malorie Blackman

I've just finished Malorie Blackman's "Noughts & Crosses" and loved it. Link will be up as soon as I get the review written. Link is up :) This was my first book for the Speculative Fiction challenge.

April Fool's Day - Bryce Courtenay

I've managed to finish my first book for the Whitcoulls Challenge: April Fool's Day by Bryce Courtenay. It's an angry and a heart-breaking book. I highly recommend it

What's In A Name - DONE

I wasn't going to sign up for more challenges, but the can be completed using only one new book, and the premise is fun, so I'm going to try anyway :) Cross-overs are encouraged, but no book can be read for two categories.

Dates: January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2008

The Challenge: Choose one book from each of the following categories.

1. A book with a color in its title. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
2. A book with an animal in its title. The Clan of the Cave Bears by Jean M. Auel
3. A book with a first name in its title. LOTS of possibilities here. Probably Charlotte's Web, although Mary Poppins, Mathilda and The Diary of Anne Frank* are also options.
4. A book with a place in its title. Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi.
5. A book with a weather event in its title. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
6. A book with a plant in its title. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver.

* That's the Danish title, so I'd say it counts :)

Flowers in the Attic - Virginia Andrews

By finishing Flowers in the Attic by Virginia Andrews I've finished my first challenge!! "Anyone For 2nds" is now completed :)

Taken on Trust - Terry Waite

I've just finished Taken on Trust by Terry Waite, which covers a whole lot of challenges and is absolutely fascinating. Go read it!

Speculative Fiction Challenge - DONE

In Speculative Fiction the action of the story can take place in a culture that never existed, a world we know nothing of, or an earth that might have been or might be, to name a few. ... This distinctiveness is best illustrated in the primary question asked by the writers of Speculative Fiction,
"What if?" ... this genre has a special capacity to deal with the human equation.

Read six books within the speculative fiction umbrella. That is: fantasy, sci-fi, alternative history and magic realism.

My path is A Theoretical Handbook For the Unseasoned Speculator: otherwise known as the speculative fiction buffet, meaning a mixture of all genres.

My picks:
4 fantasy: Tamora Pierce's "Wild Magic" quartet:
Wild Magic
Wolf Speaker
Emperor Mage
The Realms of the Gods
2 alternative history: "The Dark is Rising" by Susan Cooper
"Noughts and Crosses" by Malorie Blackman.

Alternatives are "Rebel Angels", "The House of the Spirits", "Ironweed", "Xenocide" or the next Thursday Next novel (I've read the two first), but if time gets short, I'll add another fantasy book instead - like "Lords and Ladies".

Inkspell - Cornelia Funke

I finally finished Inkspell, the sequel to Inkheart. Unfortunately not nearly as good as the first one, but may still be redeemed by the last book in the trilogy.

That's one more book to strike off the Bibliography Challenge, and also an alternative for the 2nds Challenge.

Numbers Challenge - DONE

This second challenge I had to sign up for because the concept is so neat:
The challenge is to read 5 books whose titles have a number in them from Jan 1, 2008 to June 1, 2008 This includes written numbers like "one" or "forty."

My picks:

• Seven For A Secret - Victoria Holt
  
• Wild Swans - Three Daughters of China - Jung Chang
  
• 20,000 leagues under the Sea - Jules Verne
  
• The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
  
• Around the World in 80 Days - Jules Verne
  

Young Adult Challenge - DONE

Yes, I know I'm getting obsessed, but I've just found two new challenges that I have to join. This one for obvious reasons as I love YA literature.

The rules are very simple, in 2008 read 12 YA books. The list may change at any time.
My list as it looks right now:

1. Wild Magic - Tamora Pierce
   
2. Wolf Speaker - Tamora Pierce
   
3. Emperor Mage - Tamora Pierce
   
4. The Realms of the Gods - Tamora Pierce
   
5. Bitten - Kelly Armstrong
   
6. A Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank
   
7. The Dark is Rising - Susan Cooper
   
8. Avalon High - Meg Cabot
   
9. Sue Barton, Student Nurse - Helen Boylston
   
10. Sue Barton, Senior Nurse - Helen Boylston
    
11. Sue Barton, Visiting Nurse - Helen Boylston
    
12. Sue Barton, Rural Nurse - Helen Boylston
    

Extra credit: Sue Barton 5-7

The Baby Steps Challenge - Completed

In memory of Natalie Rose, an avid reader who died earlier this year, The Nattie Challenge blog has been set up. This blog will constantly run one or more challenges in memory of Natalie Rose.

The first of these challenges is The Baby Step Challenge:


We cannot possibly read everything we want to. We don't have time.

So, take a baby step. Or 2. Or 3.

Oct, Nov, Dec and then we leap into a new year. Before that new year greets us, we shall knock 3 books off the pile.

This can work two ways.

Option A. Pick 3 books you own but have not read and read them before 2008.
Option B. Pick 3 books you have on a To Be Read list and read them before 2008.

My three books are owned but not yet read:
"Lords and Ladies" by Terry Pratchett
"Taken on Trust" by Terry Waite
"The Big Over Easy" by Jasper Fforde

These double for both the "Fall Into Reading" challenge and the TBR challenge. I love efficiency! :-D

The Marvelous Land of Oz - L. Frank Baum

As this is a possible alternative for the 2nds challenge, I thought it fitting to post a link to the review of The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum here. It was quite good, and I'm working my way through the rest of the series.

Jewish Literature Challenge - DONE

Between Hanukkah 2007 (December 4th) and Passover 2008 (April 26th) read at least 5 books by Jewish authors or about Judaism

My picks:

• The Diary Of A Young Girl - Anne Frank
  
• Reunion - Fred Uhlman
  
• The Last Jew - Noah Gordon
  
• The Hiding Place - Corrie ten Boom
  
• The Red Tent - Anita Diamant
  

Alternatives: A Voice In The Wind - Francine Rivers, The Book of Hosea, Such a Time as This - Rebecca Velez

Reading Through The Decades - DONE

Read 8 books in 8 consecutive decadres in '08.

Any book from the decade is eligible, the list may be changed at any time. Titles may be cross-posted with any other challenge. Books from this decade do not count.

I thought this could be interesting as I seldom read REALLY old books. This list is subject to change as I have a lot of alternatives, but here is the list as it looks right now. My goal is to read at least 8.

1810s The Swiss Family Robinson - Johann David Wyss (1812)
1820s The Pirate - Sir Walter Scott (1822)
1830s The Pickwick Papers - Charles Dickens (1836)
1840s The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas (1844)
1850s Villette - Charlotte Bronte (1853)
1860s Little Women - L.M. Alcott (1868)
1870s Around the World in 80 Days - Jules Verne (1878)
1880s Heidi - Johanna Spyri (1880)
1890s Quo Vadis - Henryk Sienkiewicz (1895)
1900s The Enchanted Castle - E Nesbit (1907)
1910s The Emerald City of Oz - L. Frank Baum (1910)
1920s Winnie-the-Pooh - A. A. Milne (1926)
1930s Ballet Shoes - Noel Streatfeild (1936)
1940s Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank (1947)
1950s Charlotte's Web - E.B. White (1952)
1960s A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle (1962)
1970s Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIHM - Robert C. O'Brien (1971)
1980s Mathilda - Roald Dahl (1988)
1990s The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver (1996)

An easy way to find books from different decades is on Wikipedia. Follow this link and then change the year to suit your purposes.

Inkheart - Cornelia Funke

I've just finished Inkheart which means I can strike one off both Fall into Reading AND the Bibliography challenge :-)

The book is absolutely amazing, and I'm really looking forward to reading the sequel.

PS, I Love You - Cecelia Ahern

I bought this book when I was in London last and finally finished it last night. It's beautiful and heartbreaking. Do read it, but have tissues handy. PS, I Love You has been an amazing read for the Fall Into Reading challenge.

The Whitcoulls Challenge - DONE

Since I'm hosting this challenge, I thought I'd better actually sign up for it too ;) The list is subject to change if I'm unable to find some of the books at the library, and I make no plans of which book to read which month :-P

My list:

• The Red Tent - Anita Diamant (TBR)
  
• Wild Swans - Jung Chang (TBR)
  
• The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver (Library)
  
• Anybody Out There - Marian Keyes (Library)
  
• Long Walk to Freedom - Nelson Mandela (Library)
  
• Under the Tuscan Sun - Frances Mayes (TBR)
  
• Winnie-the-Pooh - A.A. Milne (TBR)
  
• The Clan of the Cave Bears - Jean M. Auel
  
• Mathilda - Roald Dahl
  
• April Fool's Day - Bryce Courtenay
  
• The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency - Alexander McCall Smith (TBR)
  
• The Stand - Stephen King
  
  

Alternatives:
My Sisters Keeper - Jodi Picoult, The Other Boylen Girl - Philippa Gregory, A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth, The Pilot's Wife - Anita Shreve, Sophie's World - Jostein Gaarder

The 888 challenge - DONE

This challenge is rather daunting, so I wavered for a long time whether or not I wanted to sign up for it. It was really tempting though, and what finally pushed me over the edge was the fact that I can change categories and/or titles at any time, so if I need to tweak it to fit another challenge or if I can't find all these books at the library, it's no big deal.

Read eight books in eight categories in the year 2008 (8 "overlaps" are allowed, so 56 unique titles).

My problem with this challenge is although I read a LOT I seldom plan ahead what I read, as I don't like it to get too rigid. 56 books in a year won't be a problem, but will I still feel like reading them when next year rolls around. We'll see, and if not, rule 5 here says that I can change books at any time, so hopefully it'll all work out :-D

After "great and deep brain things inside my head" this is the list I came up with:

1. Children / YA - DONE
1. Mary Poppins (Library)
   
2. Winnie-the-Pooh (Own)
   
3. Charlotte's Web (Library)
   
4. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh (Library)
   
5. The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye
   
6. Ballet Shoes (Own)
   
7. Mathilda (Own)
   
8. Meet the Malones (Own)
   
2. Historical Fiction (will double for "Back to History") - DONE
1. Such a Time as This (Own)
   
2. The Last Jew (Own)
   
3. Pope Joan (Own)
   
4. Cross-Stitch (Own)
   
5. Water for Elephants (Library)
   
6. The Red Tent (Own)
   
7. The Scarlet Spy (Own)
   
8. The Clan of the Cave Bears (Own)
   
3. TBR (owned unread books) - DONE
• Behaving Badly - Isabel Wolff
  
• 20.000 Leagues Under the Sea - Jules Verne
  
• Looking Forward - Marcia Willett
  
• The Colour Purple - Alice Walker
  
• Robin Hood and his Merry Men - Unknown
  
• Dragonflight - Anne McCaffrey
  
• Last Chance Saloon - Marian Keyes
  
• Seven for a Secret - Victoria Holt
  
4. Rereads - DONE
1. f2f (Own)
   
2. Eclipse
   
3. Dragonsinger (Own)
   
4. Nothing Lasts forever
   
5. Cross-Stitch
   
6. Mathilda
   
7. A Breath of Snow and Ashes
   
8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
   
5. Armchair Interviews - Done
1. The Stormcaller (Own)
2. Such a Time as This (Own)
   
3. Between the Sheets (Own)
   
4. Anatomy of a Boyfriend (Own)
   
5. Seduced by a Spy (Own)
   
6. Evacuation Plan
   
7. Mrs. Darcy's Dilemma (Own)
   
8. Hollywood Crows (Own)
   
6. Non-fiction - Done
1. A Diary of a Young Girl (Own)
   
2. Wild Swans (Own)
   
3. Long Walk To Freedom (Library)
   
4. The Alpine Path (Own)
   
5. The Hiding Place (Own)
   
6. Celebration of Discipline (Own)
   
7. Stolen Lives (Own)
   
8. Those Who Trespass Against us
   
7. Top 100 - DONE (will double for the Whitcoulls challenge)
1. Wild Swans (Own)
   
2. The Poisonwood Bible (Library)
   
3. The Red Tent (Own)
   
4. Anybody Out There? (Library)
   
5. Life of Pi (Library)
   
6. The Stand (library)
   
7. Long Walk To Freedom (Library)
   
8. Medical Madness - Done
1. Sue Barton, Student Nurse (Own)
   
2. Sue Barton, Senior Nurse (Own)
   
3. Sue Barton, Visiting Nurse (Own)
   
4. Sue Barton, Rural Nurse (Own)
   
5. Sue Barton, Superintendent of Nurses (Own)
   
6. Sue Barton, Neighbourhood Nurse (Own)
   
7. Sue Barton, Staff Nurse (Own)
   
8. Nothing Lasts forever (Own)
   

The Whitcoulls Challenge

Whitcoulls was my favourite bookstore in New Zealand. Every year they published the "Top 100 List" as chosen by New Zealanders. Everybody can nominate their three favourite books, and the 100 books with most votes made the list. Unlike many other of these lists, this one represents what people actually read. I've managed to find the list for three years - 1998, 2002 and 2006.

I've been wanting to host a challenge myself, and this seems like the perfect opportunity. Read Your Way Through The Whitcoulls Top 100 List.

When: From November 1st, 2007 to November 1st, 2008.
What: Pick 12 books from either or all of the lists linked above, and read one a month (or - if you're feeling daring - pick 12 from each and read 3 a month!! But that's only for the obsessed ;) )
Why: To broaden our horizons and because it's fun of course!

I can't figure out how to use Mr. Linky, so just leave a comment with either your list or a link to your blog post and you're in! :-D

Have fun!

Just4thehelluvit

This is not a real challenge as much as a reminder to myself that despite all the wonderful challenges out there, I need to remember to make time and place for spontaneous reading as well.

No pre-made list here. It will grow as I go, adding the reviews to it as I read them. And these books can ONLY be some I read 'just4thehelluvit' - not for any (other) challenge, not for book clubs and not for reviewing.

Let's see how large that list grows in a year.

Casual Reading Challenge

I know I said I wouldn't add more challenges for the time being, but once you see the twist of this one, you'll understand why I couldn't help myself.

WHEN: October 1, 2007 -to- October 1, 2008


TO TAKE PART:

• Make a list of books you've been wanting to read (from your collection, the library, etc)
  
• read books from this list between the dates specified
  
• THE TWIST! You do NOT have to have read every book on your list by the end of this challenge!

The idea is to have crossed of at least some of the titles on your list by the end of the challenge, and to feel good that you have been able to do so! There is absolutely NO PRESSURE to complete the entire list, so it can be as long as you want!

On List of Bests I have a list of 100 books I want to read before I die. Some of these are already crossed off, but there are 70-something left still. This will be my list for the Casual Reading Challenge - with lots of cross-overs to other challenges. For this one I won't post my list here as it'd be far too long for the sidebar, but you can follow my progress via the link above.

Bibliography Challenge - Completed

I know, I know. I said I'd be good and not sign up for any challenge I came across, but I love books and I love books about books so... I couldn't help myself! Besides, cross-overs are allowed and it might spur me to finally reread "The Never-Ending Story" - something I've been meaning to do for 5 years now!

This is the Bibliography Challenge. The Challenge is to read 3 Books about Books. This challenge starts October 1st. And finishes December 31st. Fiction or Non Fiction, Crossovers are acceptable.

My picks:

• Inkheart - Cornelia Funke
• Inkspell - Cornelia Funke
• The Neverending Story - Michael Ende
  

The Book of Lost Things - John Connelly

"Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" was so short that I had time to finish yet another book - The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly. I've been reading it for awhile, but since it was so very different from what I expected (even though I have no clue what I actually did expect) it's taken me awhile to get through it, but today I sat down to read the last 100 pages so I could strike it off my list :-)

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi

The Fall Into Reading 2007 Challenge started today, and I've finished my first book! Rikki-Tikki-Tavi by Rudyard Kipling. A quick read (only 43 pages) and a very cute story for kids :)

Back To History - DONE

Okay, I probably should start to limit myself about now, but this challenge doesn't start until 2008 and sounds absolutely fascinating. I LOVE historical fiction, but read far too little of it, so this is a great chance for me to read (or reread) a bit more of it.

The challenge is to read one historical non-fiction, or historical fiction novel a month. They can't all be of the same type (all novels, all biographies, all memoirs etc.) but otherwise no limits. I haven't completely figured out my list yet, but as it runs for all of 2008 that doesn't matter really :)

For now it looks something like this:

• "Such a Time as This" by Rebecca Velez
  
• "The Last Jew" by Noah Gordon (novel)
  
• "Pope Joan" by Donna W. Cross (novel)
  
• "Those Who Trespass Against Us" by Karolina Lanckoroska
  
• "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant (novel)
  
• "Wild Swans" by Jung Chang (non-fiction)
  
• "A Diary Of A Young Girl" by Anne Frank (journal)
  
• "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom (non-fiction)
  
• "The Clan of the Cave Bears" by Jean M. Aule (novel)
  
• "Selected Journals Volume II" by L.M. Montgomery (journal)
  
• "The Scarlet Spy" by Andrea Pickens
• Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen

but I hope to find more inspiration from Mr. Linky on the original challenge site.

Anybody Care for 2nds? - Completed

In October-December read three books by authors you've only read one other book by.

"I know many of us have discovered several new authors as we have participated in the gazillion challenges we joined this past year (Joy said endearingly!) and I also know that we have stumbled upon some books that we thought were really great and some maybe not-so-great. Well, here's the perfect excuse opportunity to explore 3 new-found authors that you would love to go back for a second helping. I hope you'll join me."

My picks:

• "Flowers In The Attic" by Virginia Andrews (have read "My Dear Audrina")
  
• "The Amateur Marriage" by Anne Tyler (have read "Digging To America")
  
• "The Junglebook" by Rudyard Kipling (have read "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi")
  

Alternatives

• Amy Tan (have read "The Joy Luck Club")
  
• Agatha Christie (have read "Murder in the Orient Express")
  
• Valerie Martin (have read "Mary Reilly")
  
• George Orwell (have read "1984")
  
• Sarah Dessen (have read "Just Listen")
  
• Charles Dickens (have read "A Christmas Carol")
  
• Isabel Wolff (have read "Rescuing Rose")
  
• Inkspell - Cornelia Funke (have read nothing yet but will have read "Inkheart" by next month)
  
• John Irving (have read "The World According to Garp")
  
• The Marvelous Land of Oz - L. Frank Baum (have read "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz")
  

Fall Into Reading 2007 - Completed

Fall Into Reading 2007 has no set guidelines and is a casual, low-pressure challenge. The point is simply to provide motivation to read, and to provide an opportunity for all of us to set goals when it comes to our personal reading. All I have to do is make a list of books I'd like to read (or books you'd like to finish!) this fall.

The timeframe of this challenge is September 23rd-December 21st. Since that's 13 weeks exactly, I figured I'd pick 13 books. A book a week should be doable.

These are the books I ended up choosing:

• PS, I Love You - Cecilia Ahern
  
• Flowers in the Attic - Virginia Andrews
  
• Noughts and Crosses - Malorie Blackman
  
• The Book Of Lost Things - John Connolly
  
• Over Sea, Under Stone (The Dark Is Rising 1) - Susan Cooper
  
• The Big Over Easy - Jasper Fforde
  
• Inkheart - Cornelia Funke
  
• The Stand - Stephen King
  
• Rikki-Tikki-Tavi - Rudyard Kipling
  
• My Best Friend's Girl - Dororthy Koomson
  
• Lords and Ladies - Terry Pratchett
  
• Taken on Trust - Terry Waite
  
• To Say Nothing Of The Dog - Connie Willis
  

TBR Reading Challenge - Completed

I'm not actually an official participant of this challenge as I didn't find out about it until July. I thought it was a brilliant idea though, so I made my own half-year TBR (To Be Read) Reading Challenge, and will be joining in on the official one next year.

The rules are very simple:
For this challenge you should....

** Pick 6 books - one for each month of the second half of 2007 - that you've been wanting to read (have been on your "To Be Read" list) for 6 months or longer, but haven't gotten around to.

** Then, starting July 1, 2007, read one of these books from your list each month, ending December 31, 2007. :o

My books are/were (as we're already half-way through):

• "The Devil Wears Prada" by Lauren Weisberger (read in July)
• "Nights of Rain and Stars" by Maeve Binchy (read in August)
• "Mary Reilly" by Valerie Martin (read in September)
• "Lords and Ladies" by Terry Pratchett (read in December)
• "Taken on Trust" by Terry Waite (read in October)
• "The Big Over Easy" by Jasper Fforde (read in November)
  

Welcome!

I got this blog a couple of years ago, in order to be able to comment on another blogger's blog because they'd disabled anonymous commenting, so I had to sign up. Ever since then I've tried to figure out what to do with it.

Over the years I've tried several things, but somehow updating it just never got to be a regular thing. So now I've gotten a new idea - a book blog! Yes, I already have one for my book reviews at LiveJournal (http://bogormen.livejournal.com - the link is also shown in the sidebar), but there are some features LJ just doesn't have, which blogger does - like totally customizable sidebars (as long as you know html) and the ability to embed flash - so I thought, let this be my book challenge blog!

Reviews will still go to Bogormen although I will post links here, but the descriptions of the different challenges I sign up for, the lists and my progress will all go here.

Why do I sign up for all sorts of different challenges when I read a lot anyway? Beause I'd like a bit of method behind the madness. I have a to-read list a mile long and at least two shelves filled with books I own but have never read, so instead of the happy-go-lucky method of reading I've used until now, I thought I'd actually make a conscious effort to work my way through those - hopefully discovering a bunch of new favourites along the way.