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

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

Novellas are short works of fiction that generally contain between 20,000 and 50,000 words. Some of the latest examples are the Book Shots by James Patterson.

Do you know which book was originally titled The Un-Dead? Take a guess here.

Ah, summer. The time of vacations; getting away from your house and going somewhere new, different, and fun. Of course we all have real world places we love going but I'm wondering... what is your ideal literary vacation spot?

Not surprisingly, mine would be Middle-Earth. I'd love to visit Hobbiton or walk through the halls of Rivendell or even ride a horse over the plains of Rohan. There are so many different environments within Middle-Earth, it would make for an epic summer vacation (you would also probably never see me again).

A good book does draw you into its environment, allowing you to feel and see what the characters are feeling and seeing. The environment is also important in setting up the atmosphere of the book. The dark and foggy night of a gothic novel gives you a different feeling than a sunny day on New Earth.

What about you? What book environment do you wish you could take a summer vacation to?

Let us know!

With themes usually involving good vs. evil and galaxy-scaled conflict, the science fiction sub-genre Space Opera is generally set in outer space and adventure-themed.

Novellas are short works of fiction that generally contain between how many words? Take a guess here.

How was everyone's weekend? I hope you all had a nice, relaxing one. What books are you working on this week? I'm still making my way through The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. and Eliza and Her Monster. Hopefully I can get those done this week as I am still a bit behind.

PSA: On Saturday, July 22 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, join us at Chesapeake Public Library's Central branch for FantaSci - our annual fantasy/science fiction convention. There will be vendors, authors, panels, a costume contest, Lightsaber Academy, Riddler-themed Escape Room, Doctor Who scavenger hunt, potion making, and so much more! Join us for all the fun on July 22nd!

Jack London, best known for his books Call of the Wild and White Fang was the first American to earn $1,000,000 for his writings.

Do you know the name of the science fiction sub-genre, usually with good vs. evil themes, that is set in space and adventure-themed? Take a guess here.

What is everyone reading this week? I'm making some dents in my piles but when I went to pick up books in Norfolk, I walked away with 15 new reads. Oops! This week, I'm working on The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O., Eliza and Her Monsters, and Kenobi.

Jennifer wrote: "New challenges for the month of July. Remember to list the challenges you completed for previous months on those threads...."

I'm super excited because The Rise and Fall D.O.D.O is told in alternating diary entries/letters. I just need to finish all 700 + pages before the end of the month...

Weekly Book Trivia is back!! Who do you think was the first American author to earn $1,000,000 for their writing? Take a guess here.

I was scrolling through my Facebook and I came across a post from Goodreads. It was an adorable picture of a penguin with his books and the caption said:

"Read the books that make you happy even if they're not classics or academic novels that won awards."

This struck home for me. I tend to get a bit nervous when people ask me about the books I like to read because I am a devourer of tie-in novels- Star Wars, Star Trek, Marvel, DC, Supernatural- I love them all. But they're not classics; they're not real "literature." And I get a bit ashamed. I should be reading high literature. I shouldn't have such low tastes.

But the quote is true- read what you love. There isn't enough time to read what you don't or won't enjoy. So why do it? Read what makes you happy. Be proud of what you love to read. All books have their merits and we shouldn't judge because someone reads mysteries while another reads classics.

So let yourselves go and enjoy your books! And when someone asks what you love to read, proclaim it loudly.

Jasmine wrote: "Joanna wrote: "Ann wrote: "My favorite book was (big surprise, I'm sure), Hamilton. Fascinating book, well written, and he tells a great story.
My first thought was that I would love to win a bag o..."

I've heard such great things about Saga. I flipped through the first volume but didn't really read it. Thanks for the recommendation!

Congratulations, Jasmine! You are the winner of our Halfway Celebration bag of books! You should be seeing an email from me (jherlan@infopeake.org) shortly.

Weekly book trivia is going on hiatus for this week due to the holiday. Thank you to everyone who posted their favorite book they've read so far this year! There were some great entries.

Did everyone have a nice 4th of July? I was a terrible reader but I managed to watch all 8 Star Wars films. Now I'm getting back on track with the reading. Currently have The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O, Lois Lane: Double Down, and The Hobbit.

What are you reading this week?

This month's books include:

1. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

2. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

3. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

4. Animal Farm by George Orwell

5. The Color Purple by Alice Walker

6. Dune by Frank Herbert

7. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

8. Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne

The Count of Monte Cristo, I love that book. I remember reading it for the first time and wondering how in the world they were able to abridge it. I could think of nothing worth taking out, as everything all leads to the end. Read it.

I've also read Jane Eyre, Great Expectations, and The Woman in White. Jane Eyre is probably my third favorite classic after Pride and Prejudice and The Count of Monte Cristo. I love its atmosphere and its story. There is just something about Jane. I've read The Woman in White once, a long while ago, but I remember it being very good. I really need to go back and read it. Dickens is always hit or miss with me. I wasn't impressed by Great Expectations.

The rest I know of but have never read. I do need to read Animal Farm so perhaps that is the one I will try tackling.

What are your thoughts on this month's selections? Let us know in the comments!

This month we're visiting Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana!

Wisconsin

The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

Books Set in Wisconsin
11 Novels to Read if You Love Wisconsin

Illinois

Divergent by Veronica Roth
Native Son by Richard Wright

Books Set in Illinois
10 Prominent Novels Set in Illinois

Indiana

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Alive and Dead in Indiana by Michael A. Martone

Books Set in Indiana
Novels Set in Indiana

Happy trails!

Valeria wrote: "I just signed up so I'm woefully behind. Hoping to catch up over the summer!
vwwilliamson@me.com"

Welcome, Valeria!! We're so excited to have you join us. Good luck in your reading this summer! :)

Ann wrote: "My favorite book was (big surprise, I'm sure), Hamilton. Fascinating book, well written, and he tells a great story.
My first thought was that I would love to win a bag o' books, but I'm also tryin..."

I completely understand! We just got a bunch of new science books and I may or may not have gone overboard in checking them out. *sigh* One day I won't have a pile; one day I will learn control.

Jasmine wrote: "Jasmine Holloman.
hollomangray@gmail.com
I am surprisingly on track this year and proud of myself. Reading comic books is helping out a lot!"

What graphic novels are you reading? I'm always up for good graphic novel recommendations. :)

Julie wrote: "Joanna wrote: "Julie wrote: "I haven't posted in forever, and haven't been reading my normal quantity of books either (new baby thus year!).
However, I just finished Confessions of a domestic fail..."

So glad to hear that you are doing well! :) I've been slowly learning the value of e-audiobooks; they really can be a life saver when you're not in a position to actually read a physical book. Scrappy Little Nobody is great. I hope you enjoy it!

Michael Crichton is the best selling author who has a dinosaur genus named after him- Crichtonpelta.

We're celebrating being at the halfway point! So this week we want to know, what's your favorite book you've read so far this year? Let us know here.

We're halfway through!!! Everyone cheer!!!

To celebrate, we're doing another bag of books giveaway! Comment with your name and contact email to be entered. The drawing will take place on July 5th.

How is everyone doing on their goals? Are you meeting them? Falling behind? Zooming far ahead? Personally, I'm behind, not because I'm not finishing books but because I'm only counting certain books towards the 52 goal. Now that summer is here and shows are on hiatus, I'm hoping to catch up.

Enjoy basking in our halfway accomplishment and have a wonderful 4th of July holiday!

Julie wrote: "I haven't posted in forever, and haven't been reading my normal quantity of books either (new baby thus year!).
However, I just finished Confessions of a domestic failure, and it was quite an enjo..."

Hi, Julie!!! It's so good to hear from you. How are you? How is your baby? I hope you all are well! Humor is incredibly important in our outlooks and it's cool that you found it in a book. I always find I like reading books that mirror my life but are funny. It does put everything into perspective.

Kayzee wrote: "What age group do you think is appropriate for the Black Widow Novel? I'm always on the look out for cool things for my niece"

I'm about halfway through it and so far, I'd say 15/16, though of course it depends on the parents. It is Black Widow so she is using guns and shooting people. And there is mention of mild torture and the Red Room where she was trained. The main characters are two teenagers, though, and there is definitely going to be a romance factor (haven't quite gotten to that part yet). It's been a fun novel so far, so you might want to read it and see what you think! :)

The oldest bookstore in the world is located in Lisbon, Portugal. It is the Bertrand bookshop.

What best selling author has a dinosaur genus named after him? Take a guess here.

Summer is almost upon us! And the weather seems to have decided that rain is what we really need. Did everyone enjoy our lightning storms this weekend? I found out that the Great Bridge was struck by lightning on Friday, which explains why the bridge lights seemed to be going crazy when I went home. So if you regularly drive over the Bridge, just be aware that the lifts will be longer and that there might be backup there until it's fixed.

What is everyone reading this week? I've fallen so far behind in my reading, but I picked up Jane Austen, the Secret Radical which has been interesting so far. I don't agree with all the conclusions the author draws (some seem a bit far fetched, despite her evidence), but I definitely agree with her that we've lost something because we are not reading the books in the correct time period. There are subtle things that Austen's readers would have understood but us being 200 years away miss. It is definitely a book to make you think about these subtle references and what they indicate.

For lighter reading, I have Black Widow: Forever Red which so far is as fun a YA superhero adventure as one could wish for.

There was no fooling you all. Dame Agatha Christie made front page headlines when she disappeared for 10 days and was later found at a hotel. No explanation was ever given.

Do you know where the oldest bookstore in the world is located? Take a guess here.

The Summer Reading Challenge has begun! Have you all signed up yet? If not, head over to this link to sign up. Even if you signed up last year, you will still need to create a new account.

Of course, with Summer Reading, comes prizes! We're changing things up a bit this year. You get a total of 10 raffle tickets - one for signing up and one for each week you read at least one book. You can pick up your raffle ticket at any branch where there will be a list of the prize baskets. Fill out the ticket with the number of the prize basket you want to be entered for. At the end of the summer, we will draw for all the baskets.

We have some really great prizes this year so make sure you come in and fill out those tickets each week.

What is everyone reading this week? I finished two books over the weekend: And Then There Were None and Sun, Moon, Earth, which was about eclipses. This week, I'm working on rereading A Countess Below Stairs and Jane Austen, the Secret Radical.

Kurt Vonnegut took his experience of being a POW who survived the bombing of Dresden in World War II and turned it into part of his satirical novel, Slaughterhouse-Five. The slaughterhouse is a real building. He and other POWs were in the basement during the bombing and this was how they survived the attack.

Dame Agatha Christie made front page headlines with this curious incident. Do you know which one? Take a guess here.

This week saw the release of the trailer for the new adaptation of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express. Click here to watch the trailer. While I am very excited (Agatha Christie on the big screen!), I'm nervous because Kenneth Branagh does not look like my idea of Hercule Poriot; my idea being basically David Suchet. I am very excited for the rest of the cast, though.

For those who are Christie fans, what do you think of the trailer?

For everyone else- what has been your experience when a beloved book becomes a movie? Have you been pleased with the adaptation? Or did they fall below expectation?

Let us know! And may every movie adaptation be faithful.

Marialyce wrote: "So nice to have our library back and the new carpet looks great.

This week I just finished Full Wolf Moon (pure entertainment for those who like scary stuff) and [book:Birdcage Wal..."

You are always reading the most interesting books! I saw Radium Girls come in the other day and it looked good. I'll have to put that on my list. And let me know what you think of Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore! That definitely looks like the kind of book I would like.

Marialyce wrote: "Oh wow! This is a super list! I have read To Kill a Mockingbird, Pride and Prejudice, The Lord of the Rings, The Kite Runner, and [book:The Remains of..."

The new version of Poldark? If so, I definitely agree- Aidan Turner is dreamy. I will have to check out the show at some point; right now, I'm watching so many other things, it's hard to keep up!

Jodie wrote: "I have read Captain Corelli's Mandoln (beautiful!) and The Kite Runner. (By the way, you must also read Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Different Suns). I think I read Pride and Prejudice and To Kill ..."

I would highly recommend Pride and Prejudice. I remember my mom forcing me to read it for school and getting three chapters in and falling in love. It's been one of my favorites ever since. And of course, Harry Potter is always great.