The Challenge Factory discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
♦Factory Archives♦
>
Read, Reading Now and Reading Next (2015)
Anne of the Island by L M Montgomery – 4**** I never read these books as a child, but I am certainly enjoying them now. Anne is a marvelously engaging character and the interactions of the college roommates seems spot on perfect for students of that age. Susan O’Malley does a fine job performing the audio book.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The New Yorkers by Cathleen Schine – 3*** This is a lovely, quick read – a Valentine to New York City. The characters are charming and sometimes exasperating. The dogs are all loveable (even the one that bites). It’s a year in the life of these lonely people wherein they meet and connect over their beloved pooches. Nicole Roberts does a fine job narrating the audio book.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers – 4**** PVT John Bartle met PVT Daniel Murphy in basic training, and promised Murph’s mother that he’d bring the 18-year-old back from Iraq. The novel relates Bartle’s experiences in Iraq – the horror, excitement, confusion, mental and physical stress. His internal struggle to come to grips with his actions, his regrets, his losses is what makes this novel so powerful. There were sections of this book that had me completely immersed in the narrative, but I think that I, like John Bartle, was looking for answers where there are none. As a result, the ending was less than satisfying for me.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster – 5***** I’ve been hearing about this book forever, but never read it before. I’m so glad I finally got to it! It is an absolute delight. I love Milo – a boy “who didn’t know what to do with himself” – and his spirit of adventure. What I find particularly delightful is the way Juster plays with words and ideas. Introducing readers (young and old) to some lofty ideas and imparting more than a little wisdom along the way. It’s been over fifty years since this book was first published, but I feel certain it will remain popular for at least another fifty years.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mod
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster – 5***** I’ve been hearing about this book forever, but never read it before. I’m so glad I finally got to it! I..."
BC, have you read
? I feel like you have.
Mod
★★★★
★★★½
★★★Reading:
Next:
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch (with Jeffrey Kaslow) – 3.5*** Randy Pausch was a professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University when he was asked to prepare a presentation for the popular “last lecture” series. Much of what he relates here is found in many other books, lectures, essays, and articles. What makes this so poignant is the personal story of his circumstances – a father with three children ages 1 to 5, who is dying of pancreatic cancer.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Ezinwanyi~the Impish Angel wrote: "C, have you read by Rainbow Rowell? I feel like you have. ..."No, I haven't read anything by RR ... yet. There's an SRC Spring challenge task that focuses on New-to-you authors ... maybe that will be my "excuse" (like I need one ... LOL)
Mod
(Done 2/19) ★★★¾Reading
Freak Show by James St James – 2** Billy Bloom is a gay teenager who has recently moved to Florida. There is a nugget of a great story here. Billy’s situation is shared by many teens, who struggle with being themselves and also fitting in. I found myself alternately cheering for Billy and cringing at his antics. He was so over-the-top and the other students such caricatures that the important message here was somewhat lost in the glitter and drama. I am way past the teenage years and not very interested in wallowing in teen angst and self-absorption. But the young adult audience will probably enjoy it more.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker – 3*** This is a sort of fairy tale, with settings and happenings that are grounded in reality, but sprinkled with a little folklore and magic. Truly Plaice is a giantess, courtesy of a pituitary problem. Her sister Serena Jane is the epitome of feminine beauty. Both girls suffer because of their appearance. I found the book slow to get started, but the more I read, the more invested I became in Truly. Ultimately, she emerges as a heroine with grace and dignity, and she is able to love and be loved for who she is, not what she looks like. Carrington MacDuffie does a fine job narrating the audio book.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This Token of Freedom by Jon Helminiak – 3*** During World War II millions of children were evacuated from London and sent away to safe locations to spare them from witnessing the aftermath of the German blitzkrieg. This is the story of one of those evacuee children, Jayne Jaffe, who at age nine left her family behind in London to come to Milwaukee Wisconsin to live with total strangers. It was a life-changing experience for her.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I typically have 3 books going at a time; one in print, one on my ereader and one audio book in my car. In Print
Read,
(✿✿✿✿)...Reading,
... Reading Next, Ebooks
Read,
(✿✿✿✿)...Reading,
...Reading Next,
Audio Books
Listened to,
(✿✿✿✿✿)...Listening to,
...Listening to Next,
The Country Ahead of Us, the Country Behind by David Guterson – 2** This collection of short stories explores relationships – man and wife, boy and girl, father and son, brothers or friends. I liked a couple of these stories very much, but somehow this collection fell flat for me. I have always liked the short story form, but these felt somehow incomplete, more like random chapters lifted from larger works than cohesive individual stories. That’s the reason for my lower rating.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mod
Reading
Reading Next
Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson – 3*** A gypsy fortune teller predicts that Rose Mae Lolley will either have to kill her husband or be killed by him. That wake-up call sets her on a mission to face her past and find her future. Jackson writes good contemporary fiction featuring Southern women in unusual circumstances. It was a fast read and I was interested in finding out how the story would unfold, but I was somewhat disappointed in the ending, and I didn’t really connect with the central characters. This is not Jackson’s best work, though it shines a light on a subject that needs our attention.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Ezinwanyi~the Impish Angel wrote: "Read "Ezi - how did you like it?
Mod
"Ezi - how did you like it?"
Mixed emotions. I am still thinking about it. It was funny, sad, interesting...I experienced a gamut of emotions. Definitely gave me a very small glimpse into the life of a quadriplegic and I felt sooo sorry for him. It was emotionally taxing for me.
The last book I read was
I'm currently reading
And I plan to read
next
Mod
I'm currently reading
And I plan to read
next"Dreams, my hubby loves Arthur C. Clarke as well as Asimov. Have you tried
by Kevin J. Anderson
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett – 3.5*** A research scientist is sent by her Minnesota pharmaceutical company to Brazil to find out what has happened to the company-funded project. There are some passages that are beautifully written, and evocative of place, but there are also sections of dialogue that are stilted and abrupt. I could never quite make sense of Dr Marina Singh – was she a strong, accomplished woman, or a passive automaton doing what she’s told whether it makes sense or not. Patchett brings up several issues that book groups will enjoy discussing. Hope Davis does a fine job performing the audio version.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mod
Reading
Next
Read
--> Reading
--> Reading Next
(Buddy Read)
Mod
--> Reading --> Reading Next (Buddy Read)"Lol
Crazy by Linda Vigen Phillips – 5***** Told entirely in verse, this is a moving look at one teen’s efforts to come to grips with an issue that no one wants to talk about. Her own ups and downs as a teenager are fairly typical, but what sets her apart is her mother’s mental illness. My heart about broke for her as she struggled to understand her mother’s illness and bravely sought answers to her most fearful question. In an afterword the author states that this work is partly based on her own experiences as a teen in the early 1960s. The result is a very personal, emotional story.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Hey guys I'm an author and my book It was Serendipitous
is free on amazon from March 2-March 6th. It's pretty hot so check it out if you'd like.http://www.amazon.com/was-Serendipito...
Whistlin’ Dixie in a Nor’easter by Lisa Patton – 2** Southern Belle Leelee Satterfield is surprised but ultimately supportive when her husband announces that his dream is to quit the family insurance business and buy an inn in Vermont. This is a typical chick-lit romance, featuring a naïve southern belle who still wishes “Daddy” were there to save her. Granted, Leelee is not a complete doormat; she does manage to get a spine and make the most of what she’s been handed. Marguerite Gavin has decent pacing reading the audio, but I didn’t like her accent either for the Southern characters or the Vermonters.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mod
Reading
Reading next
His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik – 4**** The Napoleonic War is the framework for this fantastical adventure tale that includes not only naval battles, but air combat aboard dragons. It’s a rollicking good adventure/war story. Temeraire is a dragon unlike any I’ve previously encountered in literature. He’s intelligent, a keen judge of character, loyal to a fault, intensely curious, brave and playful. Capt Laurence is truly an officer and a gentleman – principled, duty-bound, intelligent, a fair taskmaster, kind to animals, and a true leader. I love how the relationship between Laurence and Temeraire develops over the course of the novel. I’ll definitely read the next in the series.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mod
Next
The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis – 3*** The novel is told in twelve chapters, each detailing the story of one of Hattie’s children or grandchildren, over six decades, and reads more like a collection of short stories than a cohesive novel with a single story arc. This is Mathis’ debut novel and I see evidence of a great writing talent. I’ll probably read another book by her. But at the end of THIS novel I find myself struggling to explain my reactions to the book, as much as Hattie’s children struggled to make a good life after being raised by such seemingly uncaring parents. The audio version is performed by three talented voice artists: Andrele Ojo, Bahni Turpin, and Adam Lazarre-White.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein – 4**** American ATA pilot Rose Justice is captured by the Nazis and sent to the concentration camp at Ravensbruck, where she meets an unforgettable group of women. I liked how Wein showed the women banding together and forming “families” who looked out for one another. Make no mistake, however, there are horrific scenes in this book, albeit this is a young adult novel and not as graphic as an adult novel might be. The audiobook is capably performed by Sasha Pick.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Matchmaker of Perigord by Julia Stuart – 3*** Barber Guillaume Ladoucette decides to convert his barbershop into a matchmaking agency. But the thirty-three residents of his small French village already know – and dislike – one another. Stuart crafts a delightful – and delicious – comedy of manners. The villagers are quirky, the blind dates hilariously awkward, the descriptions of food are scrumptious, and love triumphs in the end! A fun read.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mod
and 
Reading
and 
Reading next [bookcover:The Young Elites..."
you have some good books going.
I love Divergent series!!
Mod
★★★★½ and
★★★Reading
and
Will Read
wow 4.5 for E&P Ezi ?I need to reread it I think, I DNF it last year sometime as I couldn't get into it at all.
Read:
- awesome readReading:
(audio)
(kindle)Next:
(audio)
(kindle)
Mod
I need to reread it I think, I DNF it last year sometime as I couldn't get into it at all."
I really related to their high school experience! After my dad left, we moved to a not so great area where my mom could afford considering she had 4 kids and a couple of boys (brothers best friends, one of them was abused and his mom let him stay with us, the 2nd Friend of my brothers had a crack head mom and she never had food, electricity was never on because the crackhead spent all her welfare money on drugs so Cedric perpetually stayed out our house until he just stayed)
I was having some flashbacks in this book! Bus rides, cafeteria, k-mart clothes etc...I was having Deja Vue. The ending wasn't pleasing to me as it was vague but falling in love with a guy gave me something else to focus on to distract me from our lack of decent clothes.
I think I truly feel in love with books then to escape reality.
High school wasn't the most pleasant experience for me and even though I live 30-45mins from my high school. I don't keep in touch with a single person from high school. it wasn't the best time of my life
Mod
up next 
& 
"How is Confess?
The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez – 4**** The residents of one Delaware apartment building have different backgrounds but a common goal: a better life in America. The narration switches among various characters from chapter to chapter, sometimes exploring the same situation from a different perspective. The central focus is on the two teenagers – Mirabel and Mayor – and their families. I found myself so caught up in these characters’ dreams that when tragedy struck I was as stunned as they. Still, there is hope at the end. I’ll be thinking about these “unknown Americans” for a long time.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mod
The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez – 4**** The residents of one Delaware apartment building have different backgrounds but a co..."
BC, where do you get your reading ideas? I am curious because I usually haven't heard of these books so I wonder if they are amazon best sellers or something like that.
I just finished
I enjoyed both books. It was nice after a slightly bad streak before that.
Then I'm currently working on:
Templar Legacy was a little slow build I think, but I think it's started to pick up now. As for Web of Lies I've only read the first 3 chapters, but it's picked up fast.
Next I'm planning on starting:
V Audio Nerd wrote: "up next "I'm about half way through this one now...
Penni wrote: "
Next:
(audio)"Yay!!!
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
The Challenge Factory
Books mentioned in this topic
The Clockwork Dagger (other topics)White Night (other topics)
Poison Promise (other topics)
Jane's Melody (other topics)
Gabriel's Rapture (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Danielle Paige (other topics)Jerome K. Jerome (other topics)
Edith Wharton (other topics)
Lisa Kleypas (other topics)
Kristen Ashley (other topics)
More...
I am sad to say Peanut hasn't grown on me yet.
Reading
Next: