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

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

Daniel Defoe currently holds the record for most pen names used. He is believed to have used roughly 198 in his lifetime.

Stephen Chbosky, author of "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," wrote the screenplays for which two feature films? Take a guess here.

Thank you to everyone for their one word sentences! Those were fun.

Once again, I need thoughts! Not guaranteeing anything, but what would you all like to potentially see as the smallish prize you get this year for completing 52 books? I have thoughts but I wanted to see what you all thought. Again, no guarantees.

As the weather begins to cool again (fingers crossed), what reading do you have planned for the week? I'm trying to finish Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View. It was due last week and it has holds. Oops. Even librarians get fines.

I also have Star Wars: Knight Errant and Why Dinosaurs Matter.

Green Eggs and Ham was banned for 26 years in the People's Republic of China for portraying "early Marxism."

Which author holds the record for most pen names used? Take a guess here.

We're 10 weeks away from 2018!! Where has time gone? I can't believe we're halfway through October already. How's everyone doing on their goals?

This week I thought it'd be fun to try to sum up the current book you're reading in one sentence. Here's mine:

Ghostly librarian tells scary stories to unwitting victim who refuses to believe.

Give us your book in one sentence!

Co-authoring is becoming more popular with best-selling authors. It went from 2% in 1994 to 10% percent in 2014. You may insert a James Patterson joke here.

Do you know which book was banned for 26 years in the People's Republic of China for portraying "early Marxism?" Take a guess here.

October is under way, despite the weather feeling like summer. What are you all reading this week? I've managed to make a tiny dent in my pile! Finished the first and second volumes of Ouran plus Last Descendants and A Crown of Wishes.

But I must tell you all about Dear Fahrenheit 451. This book was great. The book is a series of short letters to various books the author has either read or encountered in the library. The author is also a librarian. The book was hilarious. I've never laughed so hard over a book. She was snarky and witty but also sincere. The back part of the book is a list of recommendations. It's a fairy short book, easy to read and digest. I highly recommend it, just for the laughs. Chesapeake owns a few copies so check it out!

Fall has arrived! Jump into reading with these books:

1. Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks

2. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

3. The Faraway Tree Collection by Enid Blyton

4. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

5. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

6. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

7. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

8. Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie

9. The Secret History by Donna Tartt

I've read two on this list- The Little Prince and Little Women. I remember enjoying Little Women, though definitely not as much as I enjoyed Austen's and the Bronte sister's works. The Little Prince I haven't read since I was a child and I've been meaning to reread it. I vaguely remember it being confusing but I think it was the age I was. I'd love to read it now and see what I pick up.

The Handmaid's Tale has definitely been in the news, what with the Emmy nominated and winning series. Has anyone seen the series and read the book? If so, what did you think?

One day I will also get around to those classic Russian authors but I don't think it'll be this year.

Let us know what you think of this month's selections!

This month, we head out West and visit these states:

Kansas

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

Book Set in Kansas
5 Novels Every Kansas Citian Should Check Out

Oklahoma

The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

Books Set in Oklahoma
Novels Set in Oklahoma

Colorado

The Shining by Stephen King
The Dog Stars by Peter Heller

Novels Set in Colorado
Books Set in Colorado

Utah

When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka
Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer

Book Set in Utah
Novels Set in Utah

Wyoming

Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx
Close Range: Wyoming Stories Annie Proulx

Books Set in Utah
Wyoming Mysteries

New Mexico

Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey

Books Set in New Mexico
New Mexico Authors and Books

Happy Reading!

September 24th - September 30th was Banned Books Week! The Harry Potter series was the top banned/challenged book for the years 2000-2009.

Co-authoring is becoming more popular with best-selling authors. It went from 2% in 1994 to what percent in 2014? Take a guess here.

Happy October! We are now in the final run until the end of the year. How is everyone doing with the challenge? Are you behind? Ahead? Right where you want to be? I'm behind but I have a plan to do a lot of reading this month (until I get distracted by tv shows, but I can dream). October challenges should be up by the end of the week!

What is everyone reading this week? I'm working on my reread of Pride and Prejudice as well as A Crown of Wishes. I love this book. The descriptions are gorgeous and the two main characters are beautifully snarky. I also got addicted to an anime this weekend and I'm now reading the manga series- Ouran High School Host Club. After years of resisting (I only read graphic novels!!), I have caved. Lol.

Have you ever done that? Resisted a genre and then accidentally got sucked into something and now you're hooked?

Have a great week, everyone!

The opening of Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities"- It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, etc.- is an example of the literary device anaphora.

September 24th to September 30th is Banned Books Week! This week, we celebrate the freedom to access and read books. What makes a banned book? Generally, they are books that have been challenged for a particular reason- such as violence, adult content, depiction of a group of people, etc. It was asked that these books be removed from either a school, library, or bookstore.

The American Library Association keeps a record of challenged books. In 2016, they recorded 323 challenges across the United States. The top book for 2016 was This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki.

Many surprising books have been banned/challenged: Tarzan, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Sherlock Holmes: A Study in Scarlet, Where the Wild Things Are, The American Heritage Dictionary, The Giver, Where's Waldo, Charlotte's Web, Winnie the Pooh...



Have you ever read a challenged/banned book? Do you have a favorite? Was there one that helped shape you as a person?

Tell us about it!

Of course, this week's poll is Banned Book themed! Do you know which book was the top banned/challenged book for the years 2000-2009? Take a guess here.

Celebrate your freedom to read this week and every week!

Best-selling lawyer-turned-author John Grisham came out of retirement to take a case for an old client. He won.

The opening of Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities"- It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, etc.- is an example of what literary device? Take a guess here.

For some reason I didn't think it was going to rain today but as I sit here, rain is thudding against the roof. My co-worker just pointed out that Jose is supposed to be brushing past us so perhaps this is his way of saying "Hello." As long as he stays far out to sea, I'm good.

What is everyone reading this week? I finished a fun book called Nabokov's Favorite Word Is Mauve which combined statistics and novels to look at various trends. I love numbers so it was right up my alley. Currently working on Wonder Woman: Warbringer and Star Wars: Fatal Alliance. Next in queue, I have Chokshi's A Crown of Wishes. Went to Norfolk and checked out 10 books but I don't know which one I want to read next from that pile.

I asked last week and got a few responses (thank you to those who answered!) but I need some more input- if you were in a book club, would you rather everyone read the same book or read a book by the same author?

Happy reading!

Woo hoo!! I'm finally going to get some points (like you, I am so behind on this challenge- kudos to everyone who has been on top of it!).

1. Finished Return of the King this weekend which I started in August.

5. How can I choose a favorite? But I will pick one- Pride and Prejudice. Why? Because I thought I would hate it. I resisted reading it for so long. But my mom wanted me to read it for school so read it I did. And loved it. The language, the wit, the characters- I fell in love. This sparked an Austen obsession and I went out and read all her other books. But Pride and Prejudice will always hold a special place for me and it's one of the books I try to reread every year.

6. I try really hard now to read books that I will at least like (life is short). I went on a classics kick a few years ago and while I liked almost all I read, I hated Gulliver's Travels. Hated it. I forced myself to finish by reading like 5-10 pages a day. I don't know why I hated it. Maybe because there were so many undertones that I, reading in the 21st century, just didn't understand. It might have also been how he wrote. But never again.

7. December 2002. Almost 15 years. Can I say I love everything about the library? I love getting materials, from books to DVDs. I love the fact that we offer access to information and resources not everyone is able to get on their own- for free! We have internet, computers, job help, computer classes, notary services, newspapers, magazines, laptops, etc. Libraries are so much more than just books. We are the portal that leads to discovery. It's amazing.

Which best-selling lawyer-turned-author came out of retirement to take a case for an old client? Take a guess here.

Help! Opinions needed!

If you were in a monthly book club, would you rather everyone read the same book or the same author? For example, everyone reads Stephen King's It or everyone reads a horror book by Stephen King.

Thank you!!!

I hope everyone had a nice weekend! What have you all been reading? I finished Return of the King and started on The Lost Book of the Grail. I've really enjoyed the other books by Charlie Lovett and this one has been great so far. I also have the new teen novel, Wonder Woman: Warbringer, to read and continuing my Star Wars books, Fatal Alliance.

Let us know what your weekly reads are! And thank you in advance for your book club thoughts!

Better late than never, I present to you the nine classics for this month!

1. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

2. Bleak House by Charles Dickens

3. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

4. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

5. The Complete Works of Shakespeare by William Shakespeare

6. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon

7. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

8. Persuasion by Jane Austen

9. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

I've read a third of this list. I read Alice a few years ago and remember enjoying it, despite the nonsense. The Chronicles of Narnia are classic and I've read through all seven a couple of times. While I love The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, I have to say my favorites out of the entire series are The Magician's Nephew (my copy is signed by Douglas Gresham, C.S. Lewis' stepson) and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. And of course, there is an Austen book on this list- Persuasion is my favorite of hers after Pride and Prejudice.

Notice I didn't mention Shakespeare. While I've seen a few of the plays, I've actually never read one in its entirety. There is a homeschooled joke in there somewhere. They are something I've definitely been meaning to read. Any recommendations on which play to start with? I will say I'm not that interested in Romeo and Juliet.

What do you all think of this month's list? Which have you read? Did you love them? Hate them? Let us know!

Ingrid wrote: "Question. When I went to log in my books for the challenge, I accidently hit "I read a book" without tapping the other part about logging my book.
So my count is off by at least 3 books.
So I've r..."

Hi, Ingrid! Unfortunately, there is no way to remove books that have been added. I'm sorry. I wouldn't worry too much about the count being off, though; just keep on reading! Let me know if you have any other questions.

Take a trip to the bayou with these books!

Mississippi

The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Mudbound by Hillary Jordan

Books Set in Mississippi
Novels Set in Mississippi
Mystery Books Set in Mississippi

Louisiana

Dead until Dark by Charlaine Harris
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy

Books Set in Louisiana
Novels Set in Louisiana
Six Books Set in New Orleans

Texas

Friday Night Lights by H. G. Bissinger
Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain

Books Set in Texas
Novels Set in Texas
Seven Essential Books on Texas

Happy trails!

George R.R. Martin credits his time working chess tournaments with helping to establish him as a writer. He said that since he just had to work weekends, this left him with time during the week to write.

Weekly Book Trivia is on hiatus this week. Thanks for understanding!

I am also aware that I am behind on posting this month's challenges. So sorry! They should be up in the next day or two.

Did everyone have a good Labor Day? I hope you enjoyed the holiday. Of course, Labor Day celebrates workers and their achievements. This has me thinking... what job from a book would you want?

I had to think about this. Obviously, I want some sort of librarian job. Perhaps the job of Irene in The Invisible Library, who tracks down important works in multiple dimensions; or literary detective Thursday Next from Jasper Fforde's The Eyre Affair; or the keeper of archives in Rivendell (come on, you know Elrond has someone watching over all those manuscripts); or Nallab, the head librarian in Waterfall City (because dinosaurs).

Whose job would you like to have? Let us know in the comments!

Did everyone get to see the eclipse? I was amazed by how bright the sun still was despite how much was covered by the moon. While we only saw a partial, a total solar eclipse traveling across the entire continental US is rare. The last time this happened, it was 1918.

George R.R. Martin credits his time working these tournaments with helping to establish him as a writer. Take a guess here.

How is everyone doing? How are your reading goals going? Are you making them? Are you behind? I'm definitely behind. But I'm slowly making progress on my piles.

What is everyone reading this week? I'm working on The Return of the King, Star Wars: Deceived, and Lois Lane: Triple Threat.

James Patterson is co-authoring a book with former US president Bill Clinton. Tentatively titled The President is Missing, the book is slated to make its appearance in June 2018.

In honor of the 2017 solar eclipse... total solar eclipses traveling across the entire continental US are rare. Do you know the last time this happened? Take a guess here.

Today's the day! The solar eclipse travels across the continental US. While we won't be seeing a total eclipse here in Hampton Roads, we should see a decent partial eclipse. Make sure you wear the special glasses when looking at the sun. Alternatively, you can use the pinhole method to watch the eclipse (instructions here).

Have fun everyone! Total eclipses are rare so make sure you enjoy it.

What is everyone reading this week? I managed to make a nice dent in my pile last week (actually finished five books!!! Woo hoo!!). This week, I'm working on The Return of the King, Star Wars: Revan, and Lois Lane: Triple Threat.

Happy reading and enjoy the eclipse!

Surprisingly, it's true! The famous balcony of Romeo and Juliet actually does not appear in Shakespeare's play. Balconies did not yet exist in England so Juliet is standing in a window during the famous scene. Learn more in this fascinating article by The Atlantic.

Do you know which former US president James Patterson is co-authoring a book with? Take a guess here.

I'm on a week long stay-cation and I'm sure you all know what that means... reading! Lots of reading. I always have lofty reading goals (because shoot for the moon and all that) so this week, I'm going to try to finish the Lord of the Rings trilogy, finally complete The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O., and begin a reading venture I've been wanting to do for the past ten years- read the entire Star War's Extended Universe (obviously not reading all of them this week; just starting).

What are you all reading this week? Any highlights? Low-lights? Let us know!

Dracula was originally titled The Un-Dead. Stoker changed the name a few weeks before publishing.

True or false: The famous balcony of Romeo and Juliet does not appear in Shakespeare's play. Take your guess here.

Have you ever been reading a book and experienced deja vu? I'm currently working on Star Wars: Into the Void and every few pages, I kept getting the weirdest sense of deja vu. Of course, for some reason, I thought I'd never read the book before. Just checked on Goodreads and guess what- I have... 4 years ago. Deja vu explained.

Has that ever happened to you?

What is everyone reading this week? I've taken a break from The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O despite enjoying the book. I have a week off coming up and I'm going to push through the book then. Working on Star Wars: Into the Void and if I can finish that, I have Lost Tribe of Sith checked out (see a pattern?).

Happy reading!

This month's books are:

1. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

2. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

3. A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

4. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell.

5. His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman

6. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

7. Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson

8. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

I think this is the first time I can say that I have not read any of these books. Shocking, I know. Brave New World is a school staple but my high school education was a bit different so I missed out on certain books. Maybe that's the one I will read. I also have read a few of Bill Bryson's books so I may try tackling his. I've also heard good things about the Pullman series, despite an interesting ending.

What do you all think?

Let us know!

This month, we take a long road trip! Journey through Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota with these reads!

Arkansas

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

Books Set in Arkansas
Novels Set in Arkansas

Iowa

A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley

Books Set in Iowa
5 Great Books Set in Iowa

Missouri

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Books Set in Missouri
Novels Set in Missouri

Minnesota

The Long-Shining Waters by Danielle Sosin
In the Lake of the Woods by Tim O'Brien

Top 15 Books Set in Minnesote
Books Set in Minnesota

Nebraska

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
My Antonia by Willa Cather

Books Set in Nebraska
Novels Set in Nebraska

North Dakota

The Round House by Louise Erdrich
Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich

Book Set in North Dakota
Novels Set in North Dakota

South Dakota

61 Hours by Lee Child
By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Books Set in South Dakota
Novels Set in South Dakota

Happy Travels!