Joanna’s Comments (group member since Dec 27, 2013)

Joanna’s comments from the CPL's Book a Week Challenge group.

It's that time of year again- time for our Halfway Celebration! We're celebrating having made it through the first 26 weeks of the year. Whether you've read the 26 books, are so far ahead you've finished the challenge, or you've just gotten started, we're happy that you are here with us on this journey.

This week look for special mini challenges every day.

The first is to sign up for the Summer Reading Challenge. Sign up for the challenge and then comment in the thread to let us know you did.

As per tradition, we're going to be giving away a bag of books (see Week 25 for a picture). How do I enter to win, you ask? Sign up for the Summer Reading Challenge and then participate in 1 other mini challenge. I'll throw your name in a hat and draw a winner next Monday.

Participate in all 5 mini challenges and you'll get an extra entry!

Let's celebrate!

Are you ready for the Summer Reading Challenge?!?!?!

Sign up here!

Adults earn 1 ticket for each week they read a book (that's a ticket a week for a total of 7 tickets- you get an extra ticket if you read all 6 weeks!). Put in your ticket for one of our fabulous prizes.

Book entering begins July 1st.

Comment below when you have signed up! Sign up and then participate in 1 other mini challenge to get your name in for the Bag of Books prize drawing here on Goodreads. Participate in all 5 mini challenges to get an extra entry.

As this month comes to a close, so too must the Chicago World's Fair come to an end. Buildings are shut down; the employees are dispersed; a dream in white fades away. We also see the close of a haunting case of serial killings. Holmes was brought to justice, though nothing could probably comfort the family of his victims. Especially not his final target- to trust your children to that man, not realizing what he was capable of... that was hard to read about.

What did you all think of the book? Did you like its use of narrative non-fiction? Did you wish it stuck more to the facts? What did you think of the juxtaposition of Holmes and Burnham?

Let us know what you thought!

One of the best parts, in my opinion, of non-fiction books is learning new facts, especially historical ones. When things started, why things started, how things started, who the person was behind them- all these things fascinate me. So I am happy to see as I go through The Devil in the White City that there are interesting historical facts sprinkled in and around.

I'm pretty sure I knew about the Ferris Wheel. I have to have known. But the Ferris Wheel! World's Fair Chicago. I love how Larson kept hinting at this massive, unprecedented idea without giving the man's name. It definitely built up the suspense.

I did not know about the Pledge of Allegiance. That this was created to show solidarity on the Dedication Day for the Fair and nothing else is so interesting. And the fact that it was a magazine/newspaper man who came up with it; not the government. I now need to do research to see how it became a permanent part of our culture.

What fun historical tidbits have you discovered so far?

Who doesn't love celebrations? Next week is halfway through the 52 weeks and we'll be having our annual Halfway Celebration! Look for mini challenges, trivia, and of course, one lucky winner will win the above books. Join us beginning Monday for our Halfway Celebration!

July 1st is right around the corner and that means Summer Reading! We're super pleased to announce a brand new, easy to use Summer Reading site. But what's even more exciting is starting in 2019, this site will be hosting our 52 Book Pickup event.

What does that mean for you? Make sure to remember your user name and password when you sign up this summer because you'll be using that to log into the site for 52 Books next year.

You can register for Summer Reading today by clicking this link. Book logging begins July 1st.

July 1st also starts the next round for the Online Book Club. We'll be reading The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. Make sure to pick up your copy today!

With all the excitement, we should still take time to do some reading. What is everyone reading this week? I'm working on The Devil in the White City, which is way more fascinating than I thought it would be. I love the juxtaposition between Burnham and Holmes. I'm also reading the first Witcher book, The Last Wish, which is actually a collection of connected short stories.

Tell us your reads!

July's Online Book Club book is The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith.

Pick up your copy today!

"Beneath the gore and smoke and loam, this book is about the evanescence of life, and why some men choose to fill their brief allotment of time engaging the impossible, others in manufacturing sorrow. In the end it is a story of the ineluctable conflict between good and evil, daylight and darkness, the White City and the Black."

The stories in this book showcase two very different sides of humanity. Burnham used his potential to build things, to bring people closer. Holmes used his potential to destroy lives, to fulfill his darker side.

How does the juxtaposition of the two stories offer insights on each? What can we learn about each man by reading about the other?

Editor's Note Sorry for the late post on this discussion thread! Time can sometimes get away from you when you have a thousand things going.

People have always been fascinated by crime. Stories of sensational criminal acts populate old newspapers; myths are littered with people committing both illegal and immoral acts; people would gather around to observe criminal sentencing and public executions. Whether reality or fiction, people cannot seem to get enough of it.

Do you have a preference in your criminal reading? Do you like it to be true crime? Or do you prefer fictional crime?

Despite the novelistic way the book is written, The Devil in the White City is a work of fact. Larson has worked hard to present a book that can capture you with words and images but does not stray from the reality of what happened. This is probably a big reason why his books are so popular.

I will admit, I am not a huge true crime fan. Like the rest of humanity, I am fascinated by it but it gives me an uncomfortable feeling in my spine so I tend to avoid reading it. But if I had to read it, I prefer Larson's style of writing. So I am looking forward to getting into this book.

Tell us your opinion on true crime or fictional crime!

Vote now for July's Online Book Club Book. The theme is Mystery. Click here to vote!

June's book is The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. Join us each week in June for new discussions.

What is everyone reading this week? I am so excited; after nearly two months of really not doing any reading outside the manga, I am finally going to get back into reading.

Have you ever had a reading slump? How long did it last? What do you think caused it? I think I was just in a place where I couldn't concentrate on more detailed wordy books. I needed lighter things. But I am back!

I am going to finish March's online book club book, All the Light We Cannot See. Yes, I know. I should have been good and finished it in March but so far, it's probably been my least favorite of the books chosen. I don't know why. But I will finish it this month.

Also working on The Devil in the White City.

I've picked up Blue Planet 2: A New World of Hidden Depths (I am such a sucker for books about the ocean or ocean life), Legendary (a sequel to last year's amazing Caraval novel), The Fandom (because getting catapulted into your favorite story may not be as much fun as you think), and I'm going to reread The Hand of Dinotopia.

Can't you tell I'm excited to be back into reading?

Tell us what you are reading this week!

I'm really enjoying how everyone was late to the party for Harry Potter because I was too! By the time I read it, the last movie had already come out.

Funny story, when I worked at the Aquarium, we had to sit in the back of the IMAX theater to ensure no one snuck in. They were playing the first part of Deathly Hallows so having no Harry Potter experience whatsoever that was the first movie of the series I ever saw. It was definitely interesting.

Back to books, I'm generally late to the party for anything that becomes a movie or a television show. Read Twilight after the first two movies. Still haven't read the Divergent series or A Handmaid's Tale or A Wrinkle in Time. Also, one of the only reason I've read any of the classics is because I forced myself to as an adult.

Writing this, I feel like I am basically late to every book party.

June's Online Book Club book is The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson.

Pick up your copy today!

(Sorry for such a late notice! I went out of country and forgot to post this before I left.)

How did everyone like The Hound of the Baskervilles? Would you consider it the best of the Sherlock Holmes stories? Is there one you prefer more?

Let us know your thoughts!

Because of how central they are to the plot, the moors in The Hound of the Baskervilles are basically their own character in the story.

If you were to describe them the way you would describe a human character, what would you say about them?

Is there a person in the story they resemble? If so, who and why?

(Discussion question courtesy of Menomenee Falls Library)

The Hound of the Baskervilles is one of Doyle's more famous (and longer) Sherlock Holmes stories. Written after he killed off Holmes, Hound is set before the confrontation with Moriarty and was Doyle giving in to the pressure of public to write another story about his famous detective.

Hound is atmospheric, intense, and spooky. Is there really a hound? Is it really a ghost? What exactly is going on with the Baskervilles?

It's been a while since I've read this Holmes story so I'm excited to reread it. Has anyone read it before? Do you already have an impression of the book? Or will this be your first time?

Let us know!

Happy 1st full week of May!

What is everyone reading this week? Started any good books? I'm working on finishing up some manga series before I go on my trip next week. It's also the time of year for my Lord of the Rings reread. It's the perfect book series for a trip around a foreign country.

Don't forget, May's Online Book Club book is The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Join us each week for discussion questions about the book.

Happy reading, everyone!

As we head into the end of April, what are your final thoughts on Ready Player One? Did you like it? Hate it? Never want it to end? Wish some plot points had been different? Wouldn't change a thing?

Let us know!

April's showers are almost over and soon it will be time for May flowers! Join our discussion for April's Online Book Club book, Ready Player One. And get ahead start for May- we'll be reading the Sherlock story, The Hound of the Baskervilles.

Also with regards to the Online Book Club... feel free to join in on discussions for past months! The discussion boards will be open for the whole year.

What is everyone reading this week? I finally finished Star Wars: Canto Bight which was a lead up book to the latest Star Wars movie. I've had the book for a good five months. I almost gave up on it- it's an anthology and not all the stories appealed to me. The third one just dragged (partly because it's been done so many times before and there was nothing new about it). But I buckled down yesterday and read it.

What books have you almost given up on? Or what books did you give up on? In the world of bibliophiles, "Did Not Finish" (or DNF for short) can be seen as a dirty phrase. We're supposed to finish all the books we start. But there's no shame in not finishing something. There are too many great books out there to get bogged down in books that we hate. I only have a small handful of books that I did not finish and a slightly longer list of books that I should have stopped reading but kept going.

Pushing through Canto Bight was worth it for the fourth story in it so I don't regret reading it. But I definitely regret pushing myself through Gulliver's Travels. I ended up reading 5 pages a day just to finish it (I obviously hate that book). I gave up on A Feast for Crows because I couldn't get into the new characters; I do want to go back and try again, though. There are definitely others but those two stick out most in my mind.

What are your DNF books? Are there any you would go back and try again with? Let us know!

One of the cool things about Ready Player One are the components of the Easter Egg Hunt. From having to reenact movies to playing classic arcade games, the Easter egg hunt components were clever and a lot of fun.

If you had to make an Easter egg hunt in the world of the Oasis, what obstacles would you have people go through? Would they have to reenact your favorite movie? Book? Do an elaborate puzzle? Where would you hide your clues?

Create your Easter egg hunt in this thread!

If I had to create a hunt, I think my components would be:

1. Reenact The Fellowship of the Ring movie (while Return of the King is my favorite of the LotR movies, I think Fellowship would make a more enjoyable reenactment)
2. Play through an old school Star Wars arcade game (I have fond memories of playing a Star Wars arcade game where you were driving the various vehicles during important plot points of the movies)
3. Discover all the anachronisms in Pride and Prejudice (I would recreate the novel and people would have to find what didn't belong)

Not sure how I would word the clues or even what sort of planet they would be on. I'll have to think about that.

Give us yours below!

Regan wrote: "My 15 yrold son and i Finished this book in Feb! Really enjoyed it! We saw the movie on opening weekend and WOW! So different from the book, but completely enjoyable all the same! Names were the sa..."

That's good to know! I'm glad they were still able to interpret the book into an enjoyable movie, retaining the same concept. I probably won't get to see it until it's out on DVD but I'm looking forward to it.

May's Online Book Club book is The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Pick up your copy today!