4th Quarter Challenge: Looking Back on 2013

[Megan]

Completed July Must Reads Classics - Villette by Charlotte Bronte. I much prefer Bronte's more straightforward Jane Eyre. There was a significant portion of this book that was difficult to read. However difficult the book was to read, the writing is brilliant and the picture painted in the narrative, particularly the last 25%, was really well done. I typically don't like books that end in a question, but despite not liking the ending, I can still appreciate Bronte's savvy in constructing it. Definitely worth reading! 4 stars

4/5

[Kaitlin]

Great job, Megan! I updated you. I liked Villette too :-)

[Megan]

June's Color of Royalty (Blue) - Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. At the beginning of this book, the concept was interesting but the characters seemed a bit wooden. However, throughout the novel, the author developed the characters well. Really enjoyed the story, and excited to read the next book in the series! Definitely worth reading! 4 stars

5/5

[Kaitlin]

Congrats, Megan! I've been wanting to read Shiver - I'll have to check it out.

Good work, Craig! I updated you.

[Megan]

Kaitlin wrote: "Congrats, Megan! I've been wanting to read Shiver - I'll have to check it out.

Good work, Craig! I updated you."

Thanks:)

[Kaitlin]

I'm up to 3/18...

1. January's New Beginning's Challenge
Read a book in a genre that is outside of what you normally read
Peter and the Starcatchers - Completed 10/8/2013

2. January's Goodreads Chice Awards Mini Challenge
Any category in the first row (Favorite Book of 2012, Fiction, Mystery & Thriller, Historical Fiction, Fantasy)
The Dog Stars - Completed 10/11/2013

LOVED The Dog Stars. But Peter and the Starcatchers was great too!

[Erika]

2/10


January's New Beginning's Challenge- Scorched
March's Award Cover Hunt:Building on cover Throne of Glass

[Theresa~OctoberLace]

I just edited post #40 to add The Violets of March by Sarah Jio as my 4th book for the challenge.

I've also added Life After Life Kate Atkinson as my 5th book.

5/10

[Jodi]

Just finished so I am 2 for 10. I edited my post on the previous page. May decades mini-challenge.

[Kaitlin]

Awesome job, Erika, Theresa and Jodi! I updated you all.

@Jodi - How was Carrie? I saw they're remaking the movie. I'm afraid to read the book, though...I'm a little wussy sometimes.

[Jodi]

It wasn't scary at all. I was hoping it would be. I liked it. It really showed her telekinesis ability. I liked being able to see people's thoughts.

[Heather]

I will try for 9.

I just finished reading The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis, which fits this task for Kelsi's Royalty Challenge: 8. Isabella and Ferdinand of Castile and Aragon r. 1474-1504. The Spanish Inquisition ladies and gentlemen! Read a book where religion is closely related to the plot or is the main theme of the book.

Treasure Island works for the Must Read Classics Challenge.

The Sea of Monsters works for the Epic Poem task for the Poems Type Mini-Challenge.

This gives me 3/9.

[Danielle]

1: Types of non fiction challenge (August) - dictionary: Dissolution



1/5

[Kaitlin]

Welcome, Heather! Glad to have you here.

@Danielle - I updated you. Good work!

@Jodi - Good to know. I've loved some of his other books (The Stand, The Green Mile), but to this point I haven't read any of his horror.

[Jodi]

January
4. Read a book where the main character starts out on a new part of his or her life - Interview With The Vampire
Louis gets turned into a vampire and begins a new chapter in his life, learning what it means to be a vampire and how to be one.

May: Decades Mini Challenge
1. Read a book from the decade you were born. Carrie 1974

September: Back to School Challenge
9. Government. Read a book that is about politics or has a character who participates in politics in some way. Speaker for the Dead

July: Definition of a Classic
14. A classic is a work which persists as a background noise even when a present that is totally incompatible with it holds sway. Read a book that has "Classic" listed as a genre on its main page. The Shining

April: Word Play Challenge
5. Homophone. Read a book with a title containing a homophone (a word that is pronounced the same as another word but differs in meaning) Examples: Cannery Row (row a boat versus a row of chairs), The Handmaid's Tale (tale versus tail) Streaks of Blue: How the Angels of Newtown Inspired One Girl to Save Her School The whole title is a word play. The cover shows a girl with blue streaks in her hair but one of the main characters is a boy who struggles with depression and dealing with his emotions. The male main character is feeling "blue".

August: Types of Non-fiction
2. Diary. Read a diary OR read a book written in diary entries or letters. Some examples can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of... World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War

June: Kelsi's Royalty Challenge
6. Catherine the Great of Russia 1762-1796 was Russia’s longest ruling female. Read a book with a strong, independent heroine. Nil The main character Charley (view spoiler)[ gets stuck on what she thinks is a deserted island. She survives on her own for 12 days, having to find her own food, build a shelter and avoid the strange wild growling sounds at night. After she runs into other kids who are also stranded on the island, Charley is the one who figures out the patterns of the gates to take them home. (hide spoiler)]

February: All About Cupid Challenge
8. Cupid's Arrows: Read a book that is either set in an age in which bows and arrows were used in combat or is about Native American Indians. A Storm of Swords

February: History of Civil Rights
2. Read a book from 1929, the year that women were declared "persons" under law in Canada (thanks to The Famous Five!) OR read a book with a female heroine. Divergent Tris the main character is a female heroine.

March's Literary Awards Mini Challenge
1. Read a book by an author who has received the Nobel Prize in Literature. All the Names Jose Saramago won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1998


10/10 Challenge Completed

[Pat]

Just finished my first book for the challenge. Reading a book that has won a Pulitzer. March by Geraldine Brooks. Eight more to go

[Lianne]

1/9

January's New Beginning’s Challenge
1. Read a book by an author new to you
Rebecca *****

[Kaitlin]

Super, Lianne & Pat! I updated you.

[Barb]

Updated my post, Message #35
17/25 books read, 9/17 challenges complete

[Megan]

Completed #4 (anagram) of April's word Play challenge - The Traitor's Wife: A Novel of the Reign of Edward II by Susan Higginbotham (spells WREN and WENT). Impressively written and with a good historical background! Apart from the confusing repeated names and titles, which any author would have difficulty with, the story was entertaining and the historical characters made quite real. Definitely worth reading! 4 stars

6/5

[Kaitlin]

Look at you guys go! I updated you, Barb and Megan.

[Danielle]

2: Word play challenge (April)- alliteration: The Mist in the Mirror

2/5

[Kaitlin]

Good work, Danielle!

[Kaitlin]

I finished two more:

3. February's All About Cupid Challenge
Breaking Up is Hard to Do
Up Jumps the Devil - Completed 10/18/2013

4. February's History of Civil Rights Mini Challenge
Read a book from 2012, the year that President Obama said he believes homosexuals should have the right to marry
The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Completed 10/19/2013

[Theresa~OctoberLace]

I just edited message #40 to add my most recently read books. I'm now at 9/10 for this challenge.

[Pat]

2 down 7 to go. August, spell out modified to a book with a summer themed title: I chose and completed Summerland by Elin Hilderbrand.

[Kaitlin]

Good stuff, Theresa and Pat! Updated.

[Theresa~OctoberLace]

I just edited post #40 to add Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden which I finished 10/20/13. This is #10 for me and completes this challenge.

[SibylM]

I've done my five:
January New Beginnings: read a book by an author new to you.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

February All About Cupid: Read a book that either has a heart on the cover or "Heart" in the title.

How to Love by Katie Cotugno

March Cover Awards Hunt: Grammy Awards are given by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to music artists. Read a book with something related to music on its cover.

Love is a Mix Tape

April Word Play Challenge: Anagram. Read a book that you can, using the first letters of the title, spell a word from. You do not need to use all of the letters, and they do not need to be in order. Examples: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (DEAD), In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin (HALF or LOAF or FLAT, etc.)
Our Babies, Ourselves: How Biology and Culture Shape the Way We Parent (chap, chaw, boob, scow, etc.)

August Types of Nonfiction Challenge: Travel writing. Read a travel writing book OR read a book that takes place in a country that you would like to visit.
A House in the Sky

[Laura Jane]

Just discovered that I had posted this in the wrong challenge. Oops.

This is what I'm aiming for:

1. January's New Beginning's Challenge
Read a book by an author new to you. One Day

2. January's Goodreads Choice Awards Mini Challenge
Any category in the third row: (Memoir & Autobiography, History & Biography, Nonfiction, Food & Cooking). Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

3. February's All About Cupid Challenge
Be My Valentine: Read a book that has Chocolate or Flowers (or a type of flower like roses or lilies) in the title. Chocolat

4. February's History of Civil Rights Mini Challenge
Read a book from 2012, the year that President Obama said he believes homosexuals should have the right to marry OR read a book with characters who identify as LGBT. The Picture of Dorian Gray

5. March's Award Cover Hunt
The winner of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is given the title of Best in Show. Read a book with a dog on its cover. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

6. March's Literary Awards Mini Challenge
Read a book that has won a Goodreads Choice Award.Bossypants

7. April's Word Play Challenge
Alliteration. Read a book whose title contains alliteration of some sort (words that begin with the same or similar sounds). Examples: The Lies of Locke Lamora, Pride and Prejudice. The Myth of Mr. Mom

8. April's Poem Types Mini Challenge
Haikus are best known for their brevity. Read a book under 100 pages. My Friend Asmodeus

9. May's Spell It Out Challenge
A book/author beginning with 'M'. The Master and Margarita

10. May's Decades Mini Challenge
Read a book from the decade you were born. 1980s The Handmaid's Tale

11. June: Kelsi's Royalty Challenge
Julius Caesar of Rome r. 60-44 BCE was a Roman consul who contributed to the fall of the Roman Republic. Numerous biographies were written about him, most notably one by Suetonius. Read a biography on any figure you are interested in. Rosa Parks: My Story

12. June's Colors of Royalty Mini Challenge
A book with purple/royal blue on the cover. A Discovery of Witches

13. July's Definition of a Classic Challenge
The classics are books which exercise a particular influence, both when they imprint themselves on our imagination as unforgettable, and when they hide in the layers of memory disguised as the individual's or the collective unconscious. This task is all about imagination--read a fantasy or science fiction book. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

14. July's Must Read Classics Challenge
This works much like our standard Listopia challenge or our Goodreads 100 challenge, but instead, your task is to read as many books from the Must Read Classics list as you can. Let us know how many of the top 100 you've read so far and what your goal is for the month. To Kill A Mocking Bird

15. August's Types of Nonfiction Challenge
Self-help. Read a self-help book OR read a book in which one character gives advice to another. Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Finding Peace in a Frantic World

16. August's Spell Out Challenge
A book/author beginning with 'A'. Behind the Scenes at the Museum

17. September's Back to School Challenge
Geography. Read a book that takes place in a country you've never visited. Memoirs of a Geisha

18. September's Labor Day Mini Challenge
Read a book that highlights a particular worker (teacher, doctor, writer, etc). Sick Notes: A Doctor's Tale From The Front Lines Of Medicine

I have completed 1 and 5 so far.

[Megan]

Completed #9 of June's Kelsi's Royalty Challenge - dubious death - Baltimore Blues by Laura Lippman. There are several dubious deaths, including one by a serial killer. Overall, it was interesting read. The detective story picked up more at the end. Most of the middle of the story was the main character complaining of her boring life. The characters were rather wooden and lacking in personality. Probably won't continue with the series. 2.5 stars

7/5

[Lorelei]

I have completed 2/7 so far. I'm keeping track in a previous post.

[Kaitlin]

Amazing job, Theresa & Sibyl! I tried to post a graphic here for you a couple days ago, but I don't see it now. So...CONGRATULATIONS!!!

[Kaitlin]

Laura, Megan & Lorelei - I updated all of you. Great work! Lorelei, sorry I missed you before!

[Megan]

Completed #4 (Heroes) of April's Mini Poem - Gone by James Patterson. Really good book in the series! Good further character development with only minor gaps in the narrative. Definitely worth reading! 4 stars

8/5

[Kaitlin]

Gotcha again, Megan. Look at you go!

[Kaitlin]

We're about three weeks in - here's where we stand:

Aislinn: 0/5
Alison: 0/5
Barb: 15/17 (23/25 books read)
Craig: 6/9
Danielle: 4/10
Elizabeth: 0/6
Erika: 2/10
Heather: 0/9
Joanne: 0/?
Jodi: 4/10
Kaitlin: 11/18
Karina: 5/10
Katrina: 1/9
Laura: 2/18
Lianne: 2/9
Lorelei: 4/7
Mave: 0/10
Megan: 10/5 - COMPLETED!
Pat: 4/9
Sharon: 0/9
Sibyl: 5/5 - COMPLETED!
SilverRaindrops: 0/18
Teresa: 3/6
Theresa: 10/10 - COMPLETED!

[Barb]

Update my post, Message #35

[Kaitlin]

Thanks, Barb! I updated you.

[Megan]

Completed August Nonfiction #2 (Diary) - Linger by Maggie Stiefvater. Much better character development in this book and an interesting twist in the series. Worth reading! 4 stars

9/5

[ilovebakedgoods (Teresa)]

Update:
3/6

February: All About Cupid Challenge
Task #2: The Heart of the Matter: Read a book that either has a heart on the cover or "Heart" in the title. Or read a book by your favorite author or your all-time favorite book.

Favorite Author: Sue Grafton. - 10/5/13 (*****) Loved it! So good to get back into the mind of one of my all-time favorite characters.

June: THE COLORS OF ROYALTY MINI CHALLENGE
Task: Read a book with a purple or yellow or red or blue cover.

- 10/18/13 (***) Such a dark, bleak book but with the perfect atmosphere for a rainy, October night!

July: The Definition of a Classic Challenge
Task# 12: Read a book that's part of a series.

- 10/25/13 (*****). 5th in a series, really good, fast read.

[Barb]

ilovebakedgoods (Teresa) wrote: "Favorite Author: Sue Grafton. W is for Wasted (Kinsey Millhone #23) - 10/5/13 (*****) Loved it! So good to get back into the mind of one of my all-time favorite characters"

I'm actually looking forward to X now. After some of the earlier installments in this series, I wasn't so sure!

[Jodi]

Just edited post 69 to include July: Definition of a Classic
14. A classic is a work which persists as a background noise even when a present that is totally incompatible with it holds sway. Read a book that has "Classic" listed as a genre on its main page. The Shining

4/10

[Kaitlin]

Great job, Megan, Teresa and Jodi! You're all updated.

[Lorelei]

I read Murder on the Orient Express and updated my original post #51. Now I'm at 3/7.
Thanks for updating Kaitlin!

[Kaitlin]

Got you, Lorelei! No problem :-)

[Pat]

3/9. July definition of a classic. The Catcher In The Rye. J. D. Salinger. Glad to get to a classic that's been on my to read list for a while.

[Lianne]

I finished another one, so now I'm at 2/9.

September's Back to School Challenge
3. Art. Read a book whose cover has all three primary colors (red, yellow, blue) on it.
Eleanor & Park

[Barb]

Updated my progress, Message #35

[Megan]

Completed May's mini decade #4 (decade of choice - 1990s) - The Black Ice by Michael Connelly. Well-written with good plot and character development. Definitely worth reading! 4 stars

10/5