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Jenn M's 2009 Book Challenge
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I am going to challenge myself to 36 books in 2009. I have so many books on my shelf at home that have been there for so long and never opened. As a part of my challenge, I am going to attempt to read those and some other books that have or will peak my interest! Working full time and having two part time jobs is going to make this a real challenge for me, but that's what makes it fun right!
Here is the list of books I am challenging myself to this year. There are more than the 36 I am hoping to finish, so maybe I can do better than I hope!
Judy Blume: Superfudge
Fudge-a-mania
Ronald Dahl: Matlida
James Frey: A Million Little Pieces
My Friend Leonard
Something Blue
Kent Haruf: Plainsong
Eventide
Nathaniel Hawthorne: The Scarlet Letter
Wally Lamb: I Know this Much is True
She's Come Undone
Adrian Nicole LeBlanc: Random Family
Billy Letts: Where the Heart is
Lois Lowry: The Giver
Ian McEwan: Saturday
Frances Mayes: Under the Tuscan Sun
Roger Lea MacBride: Little House on Rocky Ridge
Little Farm in the Ozarks
In the Land of the Big Red Apple
On the Other Side of the Hill
Stephenie Meyer:
Eclipse
Breaking Dawn
Henry Neff: The Tapestry
Book 2: The Second Siege
Book 3:
Jodi Picoult: Songs of the Humpback Whale
Keeping Faith
Luis J. Rodriguez: Always Running
Elif Safak: The Bastard of Istanbul
Alexander McCall Smith: The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency
Harriet Beecher Stowe: Uncle Tom's Cabin
T.L. Tedrow (The Days of Laura Ingles Wilder): Missouri Homestead
Children of Promise
Good Neighbors
Home to the Prairie
The World's Fair
Mountain Miracle
The Great Debate
Land of Promise
Mark Twain: The Adventures of Huckelberry Finn
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Koren Zailckas: Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood
Michelle Zink: Prophecy of the Sisters
One down...35 to go! I finished reading The Agency by Ally O'Brien. I really enjoyed this book. It was a nice, light, enjoyable reed!
Started My Horizontal Life late last night and completed it this evening. I liked the book though the Are You There Vodka? It's Me Chelsea" was funnier.
Two down, 34 to go. Now I'm moving on to That White Girl!
I finished That White Girl last night and must say that I really enjoyed this book. The book is based off of the author's own life experiences. She does a good job in showing how the main character, Amber, struggles to fit into different cultures and races in a time where intermixing races and cultures was considered controversial. I enjoy how the book shows how kids, especailly now a days, can loose themselves in what they think they should be and what they want to be.
I have finished three books on my to read list so far! I have really read four books this month as I have also finished Twilight. Working on starting my 5th book, Cut.
Since the weather is so cold, I am hoping to get a jump on my reading that way when the summer months roll around, I can still make my goal of 36 books this year. Hopefully I can surpass my own goal!
I completed Little House In The Big Woods and I enjoyed reading it. It reminded me of when I was younger and would spend the night at my Grandma's and she would read this book to me at bed time. It also really made me think about the challenges of living and growing up in the late 1800's! Now I'm moving on the Little House on the Prairie. A new adventure away from the Big Woods of Wisconsin.
I have just completed Little House on the Prairie. I was going to move onto Farmer Boy where we are introduced to Almanzo, Laura's future husband! I have put the series however on hold as I got two books today from my mom that I am borrowing and would like to get those to her the next time I see her. So now I am reading Lady Q The Rise and Fall of a Latin Queen.
Jennifer wrote: "I have just completed Little House on the Prairie. I was going to move onto Farmer Boy where we are introduced to Almanzo, Laura's future husband! I have put the series however on hold as I got t..."
you are moving right along!
Can't you add the borrowed books to your reading challenge list? I am reading those that you borrowed me and I added them to my challenge list.
I just finished Lady Q: The Rise and Fall of a Latin Queen. I really enjoyed this book and feel the author did an amazing job telling Sonia's story. I was saddened throughout the book at the abuse she suffered at not only the hands of her mother but also her family. I am currently reading Buried Secrets.
Seven books down and 29 to go by the end of the year!
So, I am reading Buried Secrets and I am finding it kind of hard to read due to how graphic the descriptions are. In an effort to get some reading done, I picked up Beetle the Bard, to lighten the mood. About an hour later I found that I finished the book! I am going to try and get back to Buried Secretes now.
I have finally finshed Buried Secrets! I liked the book and thought that it was very interesting, though I found it extremely hard to read at time. It is hard to believe that the basis of the book actually happened only 19 and 20 years ago. It was interesting to see how the cult's "magic" really come to frutation.
I just finished Farmer Boy. I really enjoyed seeing how boys grew up differently from the girls in the "olden days." I am finally feeling like I am back on track with reaching my goal!
I just finished on the Banks of Plumb Creek. I enjoyed reading this book and learning of all the trials and tribulations the family went through while living in Minessota. I felt so bad for the family when the grasshoppers came and ruined the crops the Ingalls family planned on earning a living off of. I loved how the family had some amazing times as well. I cannot wait to continue the adventure in the next book!
I just finished Second Glance by my fav author, Jodi Picoult. I loved the story about loving across time and finding your soul mate. The book had me questioning my own beleifs on how we really find love and about my thoughts on a soul mate. I also liked the historical parts of the book and found it difficult to think only 70 years ago, Vermont had a eugenics society whose goal it was to pass legislation on mandatory sterilization. This is my second favorite book, The Pact being my favorite Jodi book.
Well, I finally finished Pledged! I must say this was not my favorite book. I felt the author at times seemed to be a little biased against Greek Life. I feel as an author she should have been a little more neutral about the way the book was presented. Moving back to Laura Ingalls Wilder!
I just finished By the Shores of Silver Lake. I really enjoyed how in this book, Laura is now 13, is written with more maturity than the other books. It has been fun seeing how the writing progresses as Laura grows older. It was sad to hear that Mary is now blind, but fun and exciting to know that the Ingalls have had a new Baby, Grace. I cannot wait to read The Long Winter!
I finished The Long Winter. It really makes you think just how easy our lives really are. Yes, we all complain about the winter being "too long" and "so cold" but really, do we need to?? In this book, the Ingalls family endured SEVEN months of day long blizzards and well below zero termperatures. Laura recalls looking at the nails poking through the cieling and seeing them covered in frost. She talks about the family running out of coal and having to burn hay for heat. The family nearly starves until a brave Almanzo and Cap go on a search for rumored wheat 20 miles from town. This book makes you appreciate heat, vehicles, grocery stores, semi trucks, etc.
I finished The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time last night. I really enjoyed this book and found it hard to put down. It is writen from the perspective of a 15 year old autistic Christopher Boone. I found this book to be funny and sad throughout. It is a "mystery" of sorts as we follow Christopher while he does detecting, against the wishes of his father, to find out who killed his neighbor's dog, Wellington. 16 down, only 20 to go!!!
You are almost half way finished. Good job! How are you doing with reading stuff you already have? I try to do that and then I make the mistake of visiting Amazon or B&N or the library and the next thing I know I have added to the stack I already had waiting, LOL. I am so weak...
Not doing so hot on the books that I own. I as well have been making multiple trips to the library! Only a couple trips of B & N or to Borders. Oh well, at least I am reading!
I finished Middlesex last night, and I must say that I really enjoyed the book. I though there was a lot of history in the book, but as the story progresses, it makes sense as to why there is so much of it in the book. For me, the book really picked up in the 280 page range where Calliope learns of her medical issue. I would recommend this book to anyone! I began the Graveyard book last night, only 10 pages in, then had to go to bed, but got some reading done on the road! Looking forward to finishing it!
I just finished The Graveyard book. Though I enjoyed this book, I wish the author would not have jumped several years ahead without acknowledging what happened. It was nice to read a light, easy read after Middlesex. Moving on to Devil in the White City. Still listening to The Memory Keeper's Daughter on tape. That is going well!
18 books down! Half way to go until I meed my challenge and there are 8 months left in the year!!! I finally finished The Memory Keeper's Daughter. I started this one a long time ago and could not finish it, so I broke down and got it on CD from the library. I liked the movie when I watched it, however, was shocked after finishing the book to find out just how much was left out. I likely would have rated the book higher if it did not take me so long to finish it. Overall, an enjoyable story many would cherish.
After taking a break from reading, as I felt I had been reading too much, I just finished Little Town on the Prairie. I absolutley loved this book! It was such a sweet story how the courting between Laura and Almanzo begins. Now with Laura obtaining her teaching certificate, I am anxious to read more and see how the courting continues as she will be moving 12 miles south of town to teach school. With Mary off to college, Laura has "grown up" in a sense of working and wanting to help the family provide so that Mary stays in college. Though, Laura still is as mischevious as ever! Reading this series makes me want to take a road trip to see the house where Laura lived. I know I went there when I was younger, but that just sounds like so much fun and after reading the books, I know I would appreciate it even more than I did all those years ago!
I finished The Happy Golden Years last night! It was such a treat to see Laura and Almanzo's courtship end in marriage! So sweet to see how much effort Almanzo puts into making Laura happy and comfortable. I thought it was just darling how much effort he went to to fixing up the house before bringing Laura home as his wife. I started The First Four Years last night and will be too sad when I finish her series of books. I cannot wait to take my trip to Mansfied and Pippen this summer and see where all of this began and ended!
Well, 22 down, 14 to go! I am sad to say that I just finished the Laura Ingalls Wilder series. It was such a nice story to live the first four years with Laura and Almanzo. It was such a treat to be introduced to Rose and such a tragedy to hear of Laura and Almanzo's son dying. I am looking forward to eventually reading the other stories about Laura and her family's lives, though I am a litte apprehensive about it coming from another author. I do have high hopes that the books will be enjoyable! Back to Devil in the White City!
So, I just finished Something Borrowed, I had to take Devil in the White City back to the library (could not renew it again). I loved, loved, loved this book! I found myself throughout the book changing who I was rooting for and changing what I hoped would happen between Rachel, Darcy and Dex. I really needed some light hearted, fun reading and this book provided me with just that. I really enjoyed this author and am looking forward to reading the sequal, Something Blue and also her other books, Love the one your with and Baby Proof.
I feel like I keep jumping around from book to book! I got The Tapestry, Book 1 The Hound of Rowan from the library and finished that! I enjoyed the book, however, felt it was very similar to the Harry Potter series. The children go to a school that helps the children develop skills in old magic. The children have charges, or mystical animals, they take care of. I felt this was somewhat similar to HP in that there are owls, cats, etc that the children have as pets. There were differences, but I still felt it was similar. I am finally going to get back to Devil in the White City, I want to finish it so badly, but had to read this one first as my friend checked it out for me from her library and I did not want it to be late!
Well, I can finally say that I finished Devil in the White City!!!! I really enjoyed reading it and wish I would have dedicated more time to finishing it when I started it. It was interesting to read about the development of the World's Fair and how so many modern day items came about, ie Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer, Shreaded Wheat, the Farris Wheel, etc. I was a little disappointed though in how much time was dedicated to what seemed mundane details! It was interesting to read about a serial killer in the 1800s. An overall good book and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in Fairs and history!
Well, I just finished Water for Elephants. I absolutely LOVED this book! I was, to be honest, a little skeptical as to how good it really was. Sometimes I find I am a little disappointed with #1 NYT bestsellers, but this was SO not the case! I absolutely loved Jacob Jankowski and how his character developed throughout the story. I was shocked by the ending of the book, and so did not see it comeing. This book is a must read for anyone! Honestly, one of the best books I have ever read.
Well, I finally got Cop Without a Badge from the Library. This is the book that features Danielle, from the Real Housewives of New Jersey!!! Have to read this one because I am sure there are people waiting for it and the library probably won't let me re-new it. Hope it is as scandelous as the show made the book seem!
28 down...8 to go!!! Just finished Cop Without A Badge. It was okay, though I was hoping it would have more pages dedicated to Danielle than the approximate 25. As indicated in the show, she was said to be involved in Kidnapping, Prostitution, Extorsion and the Columbian Cartelle. Her boyfriend in the book was said the be a Drug Dealer from Columbia. I was hoping it to be "jucier" but not a horrible read. Moving on to The Time Travler's Wife now!!
I finished The Time Travler's Wife. I really enjoyed this book, though it took me a little while to get into it. Can't wait to see the movie!
Well, I finished the Time Travler's Wife and I am currently working on Julie and Julia, My Year of Cooking Dangerously. So far it is a cute read, about half way through. I am really looking forward to seeing the movie.
So, I just finished Julie and Julia. I did enjoy the book, but it was not as good as I was hoping. Again, sometimes I think I have too high of expectations for National Best Sellers :( Also, a contributing factor to me liking it more may have been if I was not reading it while on vacation and during a move. Sometimes I think not dedicating enough time to a book does a disservice to it. Anyways, now moving on to The Scarlet Letter! A little nervous about reading a classic, sometimes the wording can seem a little akward!!! 29 down...7 to go! I think unfortunatley, I was wrong in the last post about 28, because I have finished two more books since then..and re-counted, the count is accurate this time 29 read!
Well, I put the Scarlet Letter on hold. I tried, but I don't think the timing was "right." For a classic, I think you have to be in a certain "mind set" to readd it. I started Harvesting the Heart by Jodi, and set that aside to read a book my mother let me borrow. I finished Internal Affairs last night and must say that I did enjoy it. I was a little disappointed that I figured it out so quickly. My theroy of who killed Alexandra only became stronger as I continued on reading. I was somewhat hoping for a dramatic twist at the end, but unfortunatley, that did not happen. A nice quick read that is worth picking up. Now..going back to Hearvesting the Heart! 30 down.....6 to go!!
I just finished Harvesting the Heart. I really enjoyed this book and loved Paige's story and how she evolves throughout the book and how in the end she is able to find her self worth. Moving on the New Moon.
32 down...4 to reaching my goal!!! I just finished New Moon, which I though was slightly better than Twilight. I did find Bella's whining and moping a bit too much to handle. I saw the trailor before reading the book and feel somewhat cheated, as I saw things I would rather have read. I found myself being "Team Jacob" throughout this book and almost hating Edward.
Moving on to Handle with Care.
Just finished Handle with Care and I really enjoyed the book. Such a heart renching story on what constitutes the value of life and what fetuses deserve a chance to survive if the parents know that the child will be born with severe birth defects or abnormalities. I was saddened by the way Amilia was treated and made to feel as though she were invisible. Moving on to The Shack. 33 down, 3 to go!
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