Okay this is what I have so far...
Red Scarf Girl by Ji-Li Jiang
E
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
E
Cirque du Freak: Vampire Assistant by Darren Shan
C
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
Not very impressive so far is it? I'll keep working on it. Suggestions anyone?
I am trying to write a review of Lauri Halse Anderson's book Speak for my adolescent lit blog. I love this book for so many different reasons that I am having a hard time writing about it. Does that make sense?
~Rebecca
Monday, September 22, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
Naming Conventions Challenge
September 1, 2008 - ???
Maria at Reading My Way Through Life is hosting the Naming Conventions Challenge. This one has lots of flexibility built into it - including the length of the challenge and number of books you will read.
Here it is:
1) Write down your first name (or whatever name you usually go by)
2) Do any or all of the following:a) For each letter, pick an author whose last name starts with that letter.b) For each letter, pick an author whose first name starts with that letter.c) For each letter, pick a book that starts with that letter.
3) Books can be cross-overs from other challenges, but each book can only be used once in this challenge. Authors may be repeated though.
4) The challenge lasts one month per letter of your name.
To sign up leave Maria a comment on her post about the challenge.
Too bad my first name isn't Sue. :)
Rebecca
New Classics Challenge
I have decided to just jump right in and join some challenges. Here is one that I think everyone that loves to read can enjoy.
Joanna from Lost in a Good Story is hosting her first challenge! The New Classics Challenge is based on Entertainment Weekly's list of new classics (1983-2008).
Copy the list (which Joanna has pasted here) and bold the titles that you have already read.
Choose at least 6 other books from the list , read and review them between 1 August 2008 and 31 January 2009.
Post links to your reviews at Joanna's blog.
In January 2009, cast your vote for which one of the 100 books on the list is your favorite (and write a post on why). One person will be the lucky winner of the book with the most votes.To sign up, use Mr. Linky at the post about the challenge!
Here is the list with my bolded. Can you tell I have been reading the classics over and over for the pat ten years! Hurray for the English teachers! :)
1. The Road , Cormac McCarthy (2006)
2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling (2000)
3. Beloved, Toni Morrison (1987)
4. The Liars' Club, Mary Karr (1995)
5. American Pastoral, Philip Roth (1997)
6. Mystic River, Dennis Lehane (2001)
7. Maus, Art Spiegelman (1986/1991)
8. Selected Stories, Alice Munro (1996)
9. Cold Mountain, Charles Frazier (1997)
10. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Haruki Murakami (1997)
11. Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer (1997)
12. Blindness, José Saramago (1998)
13. Watchmen, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (1986-87)
14. Black Water, Joyce Carol Oates (1992)
15. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Dave Eggers (2000)
16. The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood (1986)
17. Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez (1988)
18. Rabbit at Rest, John Updike (1990)
19. On Beauty, Zadie Smith (2005)
20. Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding (1998)
21. On Writing, Stephen King (2000)
22. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Díaz (2007)
23. The Ghost Road, Pat Barker (1996)
24. Lonesome Dove, Larry McMurtry (1985)
25. The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan (1989)
26. Neuromancer, William Gibson (1984)
27. Possession, A.S. Byatt (1990)
28. Naked, David Sedaris (1997)
29. Bel Canto, Anne Patchett (2001)
30. Case Histories, Kate Atkinson (2004)
31. The Things They Carried, Tim O'Brien (1990)
32. Parting the Waters, Taylor Branch (1988)
33. The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion (2005)
34. The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold (2002)
35. The Line of Beauty, Alan Hollinghurst (2004)
36. Angela's Ashes, Frank McCourt (1996)
37. Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi (2003)
38. Birds of America, Lorrie Moore (1998)
39. Interpreter of Maladies, Jhumpa Lahiri (2000)
40. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman (1995-2000)
41. The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros (1984)
42. LaBrava, Elmore Leonard (1983)
43. Borrowed Time, Paul Monette (1988)
44. Praying for Sheetrock, Melissa Fay Greene (1991)
45. Eva Luna, Isabel Allende (1988)
46. Sandman, Neil Gaiman (1988-1996)
47. World's Fair, E.L. Doctorow (1985)
48. The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
49. Clockers, Richard Price (1992)
50. The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen (2001)
51. The Journalist and the Murderer, Janet Malcom (1990)
52. Waiting to Exhale, Terry McMillan (1992)
53. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon (2000)
54. Jimmy Corrigan, Chris Ware (2000)
55. The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls (2006)
56. The Night Manager, John le Carré (1993)
57. The Bonfire of the Vanities, Tom Wolfe (1987)
58. Drop City, TC Boyle (2003)
59. Krik? Krak! Edwidge Danticat (1995)
60. Nickel & Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich (2001)
61. Money, Martin Amis (1985)
62. Last Train To Memphis, Peter Guralnick (1994)
63. Pastoralia, George Saunders (2000)
64. Underworld, Don DeLillo (1997)
65. The Giver, Lois Lowry (1993)
66. A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again, David Foster Wallace (1997)
67. The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini (2003)
68. Fun Home, Alison Bechdel (2006)
69. Secret History, Donna Tartt (1992)
70. Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell (2004)
71. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, Ann Fadiman (1997)
72. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon (2003)
73. A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving (1989)
74. Friday Night Lights, H.G. Bissinger (1990)
75. Cathedral, Raymond Carver (1983)
76. A Sight for Sore Eyes, Ruth Rendell (1998)
77. The Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro (1989)
78. Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert (2006)
79. The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell (2000)
80. Bright Lights, Big City, Jay McInerney (1984)
81. Backlash, Susan Faludi (1991)
82. Atonement, Ian McEwan (2002)
83. The Stone Diaries, Carol Shields (1994)
84. Holes, Louis Sachar (1998)
85. Gilead, Marilynne Robinson (2004)
86. And the Band Played On, Randy Shilts (1987)
87. The Ruins, Scott Smith (2006)
88. High Fidelity, Nick Hornby (1995)
89. Close Range, Annie Proulx (1999)
90. Comfort Me With Apples, Ruth Reichl (2001)
91. Random Family, Adrian Nicole LeBlanc (2003)
92. Presumed Innocent, Scott Turow (1987)
93. A Thousand Acres, Jane Smiley (1991)
94. Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser (2001)
95. Kaaterskill Falls, Allegra Goodman (1998)
96. The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown (2003)
97. Jesus’ Son, Denis Johnson (1992)
98. The Predators' Ball, Connie Bruck (1988)
99. Practical Magic, Alice Hoffman (1995)
100. America (the Book), Jon Stewart/Daily Show (2004)
I need to search my shelves because I know that I have purchased many of these books with the intent to read. I think that is how I am going to pick my six.
16. The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood (1986)
24. Lonesome Dove, Larry McMurtry (1985)
29. Bel Canto, Anne Patchett (2001)
31. The Things They Carried, Tim O'Brien (1990)
36. Angela's Ashes, Frank McCourt (1996)
48. The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
74. Friday Night Lights, H.G. Bissinger (1990)
83. The Stone Diaries, Carol Shields (1994)
96. The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown (2003)
Wow. I just dug all these books off my shelves and many of them have bookmarks on page three. ot a good sign. I must have started them at some point and just couldn't do it. This is really going to be a challenge for me. Add a crazy toddler, three CRAZY dogs, a part time job and a college literature course... I hope I can do it, but more importantly I hope I have fun trying. :)
Rebecca
August 1, 2008 - January 31, 2009
Joanna from Lost in a Good Story is hosting her first challenge! The New Classics Challenge is based on Entertainment Weekly's list of new classics (1983-2008).
Copy the list (which Joanna has pasted here) and bold the titles that you have already read.
Choose at least 6 other books from the list , read and review them between 1 August 2008 and 31 January 2009.
Post links to your reviews at Joanna's blog.
In January 2009, cast your vote for which one of the 100 books on the list is your favorite (and write a post on why). One person will be the lucky winner of the book with the most votes.To sign up, use Mr. Linky at the post about the challenge!
Here is the list with my bolded. Can you tell I have been reading the classics over and over for the pat ten years! Hurray for the English teachers! :)
1. The Road , Cormac McCarthy (2006)
2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling (2000)
3. Beloved, Toni Morrison (1987)
4. The Liars' Club, Mary Karr (1995)
5. American Pastoral, Philip Roth (1997)
6. Mystic River, Dennis Lehane (2001)
7. Maus, Art Spiegelman (1986/1991)
8. Selected Stories, Alice Munro (1996)
9. Cold Mountain, Charles Frazier (1997)
10. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Haruki Murakami (1997)
11. Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer (1997)
12. Blindness, José Saramago (1998)
13. Watchmen, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (1986-87)
14. Black Water, Joyce Carol Oates (1992)
15. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Dave Eggers (2000)
16. The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood (1986)
17. Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez (1988)
18. Rabbit at Rest, John Updike (1990)
19. On Beauty, Zadie Smith (2005)
20. Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding (1998)
21. On Writing, Stephen King (2000)
22. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Díaz (2007)
23. The Ghost Road, Pat Barker (1996)
24. Lonesome Dove, Larry McMurtry (1985)
25. The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan (1989)
26. Neuromancer, William Gibson (1984)
27. Possession, A.S. Byatt (1990)
28. Naked, David Sedaris (1997)
29. Bel Canto, Anne Patchett (2001)
30. Case Histories, Kate Atkinson (2004)
31. The Things They Carried, Tim O'Brien (1990)
32. Parting the Waters, Taylor Branch (1988)
33. The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion (2005)
34. The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold (2002)
35. The Line of Beauty, Alan Hollinghurst (2004)
36. Angela's Ashes, Frank McCourt (1996)
37. Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi (2003)
38. Birds of America, Lorrie Moore (1998)
39. Interpreter of Maladies, Jhumpa Lahiri (2000)
40. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman (1995-2000)
41. The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros (1984)
42. LaBrava, Elmore Leonard (1983)
43. Borrowed Time, Paul Monette (1988)
44. Praying for Sheetrock, Melissa Fay Greene (1991)
45. Eva Luna, Isabel Allende (1988)
46. Sandman, Neil Gaiman (1988-1996)
47. World's Fair, E.L. Doctorow (1985)
48. The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
49. Clockers, Richard Price (1992)
50. The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen (2001)
51. The Journalist and the Murderer, Janet Malcom (1990)
52. Waiting to Exhale, Terry McMillan (1992)
53. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon (2000)
54. Jimmy Corrigan, Chris Ware (2000)
55. The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls (2006)
56. The Night Manager, John le Carré (1993)
57. The Bonfire of the Vanities, Tom Wolfe (1987)
58. Drop City, TC Boyle (2003)
59. Krik? Krak! Edwidge Danticat (1995)
60. Nickel & Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich (2001)
61. Money, Martin Amis (1985)
62. Last Train To Memphis, Peter Guralnick (1994)
63. Pastoralia, George Saunders (2000)
64. Underworld, Don DeLillo (1997)
65. The Giver, Lois Lowry (1993)
66. A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again, David Foster Wallace (1997)
67. The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini (2003)
68. Fun Home, Alison Bechdel (2006)
69. Secret History, Donna Tartt (1992)
70. Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell (2004)
71. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, Ann Fadiman (1997)
72. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon (2003)
73. A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving (1989)
74. Friday Night Lights, H.G. Bissinger (1990)
75. Cathedral, Raymond Carver (1983)
76. A Sight for Sore Eyes, Ruth Rendell (1998)
77. The Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro (1989)
78. Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert (2006)
79. The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell (2000)
80. Bright Lights, Big City, Jay McInerney (1984)
81. Backlash, Susan Faludi (1991)
82. Atonement, Ian McEwan (2002)
83. The Stone Diaries, Carol Shields (1994)
84. Holes, Louis Sachar (1998)
85. Gilead, Marilynne Robinson (2004)
86. And the Band Played On, Randy Shilts (1987)
87. The Ruins, Scott Smith (2006)
88. High Fidelity, Nick Hornby (1995)
89. Close Range, Annie Proulx (1999)
90. Comfort Me With Apples, Ruth Reichl (2001)
91. Random Family, Adrian Nicole LeBlanc (2003)
92. Presumed Innocent, Scott Turow (1987)
93. A Thousand Acres, Jane Smiley (1991)
94. Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser (2001)
95. Kaaterskill Falls, Allegra Goodman (1998)
96. The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown (2003)
97. Jesus’ Son, Denis Johnson (1992)
98. The Predators' Ball, Connie Bruck (1988)
99. Practical Magic, Alice Hoffman (1995)
100. America (the Book), Jon Stewart/Daily Show (2004)
I need to search my shelves because I know that I have purchased many of these books with the intent to read. I think that is how I am going to pick my six.
16. The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood (1986)
24. Lonesome Dove, Larry McMurtry (1985)
29. Bel Canto, Anne Patchett (2001)
31. The Things They Carried, Tim O'Brien (1990)
36. Angela's Ashes, Frank McCourt (1996)
48. The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
74. Friday Night Lights, H.G. Bissinger (1990)
83. The Stone Diaries, Carol Shields (1994)
96. The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown (2003)
Wow. I just dug all these books off my shelves and many of them have bookmarks on page three. ot a good sign. I must have started them at some point and just couldn't do it. This is really going to be a challenge for me. Add a crazy toddler, three CRAZY dogs, a part time job and a college literature course... I hope I can do it, but more importantly I hope I have fun trying. :)
Rebecca
Here we go...Lit Flicks Challenge
Per some advice that I read on another blog... duh... I am going to join a challenge. Do you think this will become something else to stress about?So the challenge is this:
RULES1. Challenge runs from September 1, 2008 to February 28, 2009.
2. Read 5 books/pieces of literature that have been made into movies.
3. Then watch at least 2 of the movie adaptations of the works you read.
Books
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Holes by Louis Sacher
Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Memiors of a Geisha
Movies
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Book Blogging
Where have I been? I have blogging about my dogs for a couple of years, but who knew people blogged about books! Mostly it has been therapy for me because lets face it, I live in a small three bedroom ranch with a husband, a toddler, 3 border collies, and 3 cats. Who wouldn't be crazy? Still life has so much to offer, and I can never say no to something of interest, so while I now teach part time at an university in the city, I also work with a goose chasing company (hey, when you have border collies you find yourself doing crazy things). I also work as a dog trainer because when you adopt all rescue border collies, you learn A LOT about training a dog. :) So with that, I still am amazed at all the book blogs I have recently found on the internet! I can't wait (although I am feeling a little overwhelmed) to get started. Are there any book blogging mentors out there? I think I need one.
I don't remember not reading and loving books. When I was little I use to takes piles of them to bed with me, and during the course of the night, they would one by one hit the floor. Nice little surprise for my parents that sleep under me. With this love, I ended up teaching high school English, which does not do much for ones love of reading. I had little time, and kids passionately HATED many of the books that I loved. It was sad; although I must say I loved teaching high school. I miss it... a lot.
I am now at a point in my life where I busier than ever (see above paragraph about kid, pets, husband, and part time jobs), and it would be easy to putting reading aside. Hey, I already did that with running. :) Anyway, I hope blogging is what I need to help me hang on to my love.
~Rebecca
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