SPRING 2014 READING CHALLENGE

[Christine]

I completed task #1, a bird in the title. I read Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life Inspiring whether you want to write or not!

[Rachel]

Thanks for the update, Christine :)

[Jenn]

Finally finished the #1 task with The Bird Room

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Jenn wrote: "Finally finished the #1 task with The Bird Room"

Nice. Is it a creepy book? I guess I am imagining a scene in the Odd Thomas film that I watched a week ago :-) I would like to read something along similar theme to that bird room.

[Rachel]

Thanks for the update Jenn!

How was the Odd Thomas movie, DC?

[Josh]

Rachel wrote: "Thanks for the update Jenn!

How was the Odd Thomas movie, DC?"

I loved it. I saw a bootlegged version of it on youtube back in the summer.

[Josh]

I haven't finished a book yet but I did want to update everyone that since the announcement of Star Wars Episode VII, I will no longer be reading Star Wars books. 70 books before the movie comes out. The announcement has a ripple effect with the books. Everything beginning with the New Jedi Order and beyond is no longer cannon. This now leaves the New Republic Era as being the only era to be still cannon... unless a future announce meant messes those up. I am still planning on reading the New Jedi Order but I will not be making those novels as a priority to read before Episode VII comes out.

Anyways, I now have 49 books, the entire New Republic Era. To break it down a little further, 35 of the books are adult books that are in the official timeline of the novels. 14 of the other books are teen novels, they were on the official timeline back in 2004. They were taken off the timeline in 2005, I am not at all sure why they were but I own all 14, and really want to read them so I plan on reading them. 8 down 41 left.

I'll probably have Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor completed by tonight or tomorrow, probably tomorrow though.

[Rachel]

Thanks for the update Josh! I will have to check out the odd thomas movie when it comes out- i think it may be on dvd now.

[Josh]

Rachel wrote: "Thanks for the update Josh! I will have to check out the odd thomas movie when it comes out- i think it may be on dvd now."

It is. It came out a few weeks ago. I will have to buy it once I get a job. The place I interviewed with today seemed to be very promising. I'll have to see if they call me back.

[Rachel]

Good luck Josh! Hope you get the job :)

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

The Odd Thomas Film is excellent. Just wish we would have seen more of Elvis & Ozzie :-)

[Josh]

Just finished the DEAR Challenge with reading Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor! I've gotta say this book's title is misleading. I say this because this story is not just about Luke as the title suggests, it is about all of the characters from the movies PLUS a few characters from the X-Wing novels. I've gotta say this book is so far my favorite Star Wars book I've read to date. It has everything a Star Wars fan could want I highly recommend this book to all fans of Star Wars whom enjoy reading books.

9 down, 40 to go. =D

3)
5)
7)

My next book is of course another Star Wars Novel. This time it is The Courtship of Princess Leia by Dave Wolverton. It fits the Bestseller challenge by stating it was a New York Times Bestseller right on the book.

[Rachel]

Thanks for the update, Josh :)

[Fato]

I have completed task #7 Francis Collins, Director of NIH. It was very interesting and informative book. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in learning more about personalized medicine revolution. Looking forward to complete more tasks.

[Rachel]

Thanks for the update Fato!

[Danell]

Finished , which works for #5 in the challenge. Good book, I enjoy most of what I have read by Joy Fielding.

[Rachel]

Thanks for the update Danell!

Still Life has been on my tbr a long time-glad to hear she's a good writer-i'll have to move it up on my tbr list :)

[Danell]

I enjoyed "Still Life", but I really loved "See Jane Run" am thinking about rereading it for the memory loss part of the challenge. The main character doesn't know who she is, what she looks like and is covered in blood and has $10,000 cash in her pocket. I haven't read that book in over 10 yrs and wondering if it will have the same effect on me.
Looking forward to what you think of "Still Life"

[Rachel]

Danell wrote: "I enjoyed "Still Life", but I really loved "See Jane Run" am thinking about rereading it for the memory loss part of the challenge. The main character doesn't know who she is, what she looks like ..."

i'm going to add See Jane Run to my tbr- thanks for the recommendation :)

[Christine]

I just finished 2 books, one for task #2 and one for task #7. The Known World won the Pulitzer and The Interestings is a bestseller. Both were very good!

[Rachel]

Thanks for the update, Christine!

[Josh]

Not really an update about finished books but I did get a job! If they keep on working me like they are, I will definitely be reading much slower.

[Rachel]

CONGRATS JOSH! :D

[Josh]

Thanks! I like it so far. The training I have to say is a bit slow because the place is really understaffed and without a manager. I hear a new one is coming in on Saturday. Other than that its been really great. worked for the past three days.

[Rachel]

Glad you like it-hope the new manager is a good one

what kind of place is it?

[Rachel]

Josh-just saw your post in the other group about Jurassic Park lol- i really need to read that this year :)

[Josh]

Its Dollar General. It's a dollar store but with nicer stuff in it than most. Its more along the lines of having their dollar store brand stuff for a dollar, then they have the name brand stuff which is of course more expensive than their store brand stuff so, I don't really consider it a Dollar Store. It does have one of those Atari consoles that has a bunch of games on it. They want $40 and I so WANT it. I've been working more with the stock than anything else. I am really the only guy that can lift things around there. The gay guy that works with me is built like a female.

I am actually about to start rereading Jurassic Park and The Lost World. By about, I was planning on starting it before work today. I am in a Jurassic Park mood since seeing all the new pictures on the set of Jurassic World. I am so behind in reading Star Wars... mainly cause I need some variety... too much Star Wars all at once for me. lol

Freaking keyboard! I am using a new computer... well my mom's old desktop until I can buy a new one.... my laptop finally died... actually it's screen died. So I am really terrible at using the keyboard at the moment. I think I could keep this computer if I wanted, if I do I have to do some major upgrades to the cpu and the graphics card. Its a very slow not powerful enough to handle my gaming problem.

[Josh]

I guess this is needs a book update


I am rereading Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, it was a bestseller and still is a bestseller to me, I own 4 copies of the book. I am going to be reading out of my hardcover copy for the first time! =D

[Josh]

Sorry for the triple post but Just found out back in the 90's Jurassic Park won a lot of awards... says goodreads. So I am going for a new challenge, the award challenge! =D

[Rachel]

Thanks for the update Josh! If I had jurassic park i would read it with you but i still have to get a copy-i'm definitely reading it this year though :D

[Rachel]

i would love to have that atari too lol

[Danell]

I wish I still had my old atari! Had fun playing on that system growing up!

Congrats on the job Josh!

Happy Easter, Passover, weekend and everything else! Hope everyone has a great time! Not going to be on for a few days and wanted to send well wishes to everyone!

[Rachel]

Same to you Danell :)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE :D

[Jenn]

Congrats on the job Josh!!
Happy Easter everyone!!!

[Josh]

Thanks everyone. In about 3 hours, I'll have survived a 30 hour work week for first real job... next week I'll be on training hours. The new manager is training me. I met her. She seems to be nice. Stock is today though. lol

[Josh]

Happy Easter! Hunt the eggs the bunny lays.

[Christine]

Congrats Josh on the new job!

I read a book that completes task #4. Its called Journal by Kristine and Joyce Atkinson. Its written in cards and postcards with some emails and letters thrown in. The story wasn't very good but format was kinda cool, very artistic.

[Rachel]

Thanks for the update Christine :)

[Christine]

I already have my bestseller book but if anyone is looking for something to fulfill that task on the challenge, I highly recommend The Museum of Extraordinary Things Its historical fiction with a little magic mixed in. It was a great read!

[Rachel]

Christine wrote: "I already have my bestseller book but if anyone is looking for something to fulfill that task on the challenge, I highly recommend The Museum of Extraordinary Things Its historical..."

Thanks for the update Christine-that book is on my tbr-glad to hear you enjoyed it-makes me want to read it more :)

[Josh]

I lied... I am not rereading Jurassic Park now. I am now reading Carrie by Stephen King. I just got it today and randomly started reading it. I did get a couple of other of King's novels. So yeah.

[Rachel]

Josh wrote: "I lied... I am not rereading Jurassic Park now. I am now reading Carrie by Stephen King. I just got it today and randomly started reading it. I did get a couple of other of King's novels. So yeah."

lol Josh :)

I've never read carrie but i saw the movie a long time ago and it freaked me out.

what other king novels did you get?

[Danell]

I haven't read Carrie in years. Liked that book, should read it again.

Found this and wanted to share.
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014...

[Rachel]

Thanks Danell!

[Rachel]

Did anyone see that video that was posted months ago to promote the remake of carrie? basically a crew set up a coffee shop in ny to scare the customers and promote the film-

they wired the bookshelves and chairs and tables and filled the place with actors for the day-whenever an unsuspecting customer came in a staged fight would break out between 2 of the actors (one being a young woman)-the girl actress pretended to get mad and thanks to the hidden wires things started flying around the room-

the reactions of the customers are priceless lol

[Josh]

Rachel wrote:"lol Josh :)

I've never read carrie but i saw the movie a long time ago and it freaked me out.

what other king novels did you get?"

I haven't seen the movie. I know the original is on Netflix but I know the basic plot of the movie. I do hear the book is slightly different though. Either way, I am going into the book most of the way blind since I know very little about it. Which is the way I like to read books, knowing just very little.

The other two books are also older King books, and . My edition of Thinner is awesome. It is a third edition hardcover... sadly not a first but I'll take it because its so neat to have one of his books without his name in it. Even the picture in the book is not of him, its of some random guy whom I guess King got the picture of or something. I know the paperbacks do have King's name on it.

I didn't see that video. I must go find it! =D

[Josh]

Danell wrote: "I haven't read Carrie in years. Liked that book, should read it again.

Found this and wanted to share.
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014..."

I bookmarked the page. I think I saw it awhile ago but never read it. It looks familiar. I'll read it after I am done with the book. I love how King writes about what he has written. He is really informative abvout the inner workings of his mind when he knows it. lol

[Christine]

I may have mentioned this before, if any of you are writers, Stephen King has written an excellent book on writing, which is also titled the same, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. I highly recommend it but I am prejudice, King is one of my favorite authors.

[Christine]

I just read the great article Danell posted from The Guardian. I see they mention On Writing in it too.

[Josh]

Christine wrote: "I may have mentioned this before, if any of you are writers, Stephen King has written an excellent book on writing, which is also titled the same, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. I..."

I totally forgot about that book. I must check it out sometime.