Quarterly Challenge (Spring 2011)

[alisonwonderland (Alison)]

Well, I'm not sure if I can read all of these by May 31, but it was fun making the list:

1. Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman (Printz Honoree)
2. What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen (May 2011 Release)
3. The Scorch Trials by James Dashner (Part of a Series)
4. The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages (Debut Novel)
5. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (ALA Top Ten)
6. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (Set in Foreign Country)
7. Far from You by Lisa Schroeder (Book in Verse)
8. The Schwa Was Here by Neal Shusterman (Male POV)
9. Code Orange by Caroline B. Cooney (Poll Loser)
10. Incarceron by Catherine Fisher (Sci Fi)
11. Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley (Fantasy)
12. All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab (Mystery)

[Lori]

I may change my #8 book(male POV) I have Invincible in my list right now but i am on a role and don't know if I want to wait for that one to come out. I may switch it to Will Grayson Will grayson. I really enjoyed John Greene's book Looking for Alaska and would love to try another book by him. I have also heard wonderful things about that book.

[eliza]

Pretty excited for this challenge:

01. Going Bovine
02. Stay
03. Uglies
04. That Summer
05. The Hunger Games
06. I Am the Messenger
07. Skim
08. The Thief
09. Elsewhere
10. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (mystery) (TWO STARS: I didn't like it as much as I thought I would, the style it's written in is quite excellent though.)
11. Tamar: A Novel of Espionage, Passion, and Betrayal (historical fiction)
12. Little Brother (dystopia)

[Julia]

1. Printz- Nothing.
2. March-A Hundred Words for Hate.
3. part of series- Unfallen Dead.
4. debut novel- The Scorpion's Gate.
5. ALA Alex award- The Radleys.
6. foreign-Krik? Krak! (Haiti).
7. verse- Make Lemonade. *** 3/19/11 This 18 year old verse novel isn't as delightful as Ellen Hopkins or Ron Koertge's, but I'll see if I can get the two sequels from the library...
8. male- Sunrise Over Fallujah.
9. also ran- To Kill a Mockingbird.
10 a) historical fiction- Sovay
b) LGBTQ- Torn
c) science fiction- Feed

[Jess]

A YA reading challenge, love the idea!

[Kimberly]

This certainly is a challenge. I accept!
Tatiana wrote: "Welcome to YA Book Club's first Reading Challenge!

Rules

Duration: March 1, 2011 - May 31, 2011.

We are an YA Book Club, so all books should be young adult.

You have 3 months to read 12 YA book..."

[Kritika]

I just finished reading Identical by Ellen Hopkins for my book in verse. Like most of Ellen Hopkins' books, it was scary and shocking and disturbing, but hopeful and beautiful all the same. Here's my review

[Lori]

Kritika wrote: "I just finished reading Identical by Ellen Hopkins for my book in verse. Like most of Ellen Hopkins' books, it was scary and shocking and disturbing, but hopeful and beautiful all the same. Here's..."

I will have to give this one a go. I used Impulse as my book in verse but when deciding it was between that one an Identical. It was my first time reading one of her books and I enjoyed it. Made me feel a lot of different emotions and was hard to put down.

[Tatiana]

Finished my male POV book this afternoon - Where She Went. Cried my eyes out. 5 stars!

[[deleted user]]

I don't know which book I want to read for my foreign country book does anyone have ideas?!

[Kritika]

Lori wrote: "Kritika wrote: "I just finished reading Identical by Ellen Hopkins for my book in verse. Like most of Ellen Hopkins' books, it was scary and shocking and disturbing, but hopeful and beautiful all t..."

There's something about Hopkins' writing that makes you keep reading no matter how dark and disturbing the subject matter is. The first time I read one of her books, I think I was too young and I just hated the graphic details of it. Now that I've read another after 4 years, I can appreciate the way she deals with hard topics. I'm thinking of reading Impulse as well, just not for this challenge.

[Tatiana]

Nelly wrote: "I don't know which book I want to read for my foreign country book does anyone have ideas?!"

Nelly, here are some books set in foreign countries:

Revolution, Anna and the French Kiss (France)
Looking for Alibrandi, Saving Francesca, Jellicoe Road (Australia)
Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging, Before I Die (UK)

[[deleted user]]

Thanks Tatiana I'll try one of those!

[Julia]

Say You're One of Them is an anthology with stories set in Kenya, Rwanda, Nigeria...
Half of a Yellow Sun is set in Nigeria...
Cutting for Stone is set in Ethiopia...
I'm reading Krik? Krak! set in Haiti. For another challenge Sunrise Over Fallujah though the same author's Fallen Angels would also work. Also Q & A.

[mstan]

1) Please Ignore Vera Dietz (March 17 - Pretty good.) I am going to read
Ship Breaker soon.

2) Where She Went (May 9 - So very satisfying. I <3 Adam!)

3) Mockingjay (March 13 - An OK ending to a trilogy with a great premise.)

4) Vixen (April 13 - Oops, just found out that my previous one, Lips Touch: Three Times, isn't a debut piece of work by Laini Taylor. Since we're reading Vixen for April, I can add it in, right?)

5) The Graveyard Book (ALA 2009)

6) Jellicoe Road (March 17 - I didn't expect to like it so much after the confusing stuff about turf wars!)

7) Stitches (March 12 - Utterly scary and sad.)

8) Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie (March 19 - After much laughing, crying and hiccuping...)

9) How I Live Now (March 18 - kind of strange.) I also want to read Thirteen Reasons Why quite soon.

10)
Z for Zachariah (post-apocalyptic) (March 18 - the voice of the narrator is strangely detached.)

11)
Real Live Boyfriends: Yes. Boyfriends, Plural. If My Life Weren't Complicated, I Wouldn't Be Ruby Oliver (chick-lit) (March 6 - I love this series.)

12)
Fire (fantasy) (March 14 - I prefer Graceling but this is still very good.)

[[deleted user]]

Thanks Julia!

[Kimberly]

Does True Grit by Charles Portis count as a YA book?
Tatiana wrote: "Welcome to YA Book Club's first Reading Challenge!

Rules

Duration: March 1, 2011 - May 31, 2011.

We are an YA Book Club, so all books should be young adult.

You have 3 months to read 12 YA book..."

[Lori]

Michelle wrote: "My list:
1. Looking for Alaska **READ** 4 stars
2. Steel
3. Demonglass **READ** 5 stars
4. Angelfire **READ** 4.5 stars
5. [book:Along for ..."

I think YOU should have to do this challenge THREE times in a row, lol

[Tatiana]

Kimberly wrote: "Does True Grit by Charles Portis count as a YA book?
Tatiana wrote: "Welcome to YA Book Club's first Reading Challenge!

Rules

Duration: March 1, 2011 - May 31, 2011.

We are an YA Book Clu..."

I've never read True Grit, Kimberly. I am afraid you'll have to be the judge of it's YA or not.

[Kimberly]

1. Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King Printz Honoree
2. The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan
3. Switched by Amanda Hocking
4. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
5. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
6. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
7.
8. Going Bovine by Libba Bray
9. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
10. Delirium by Lauren Oliver (Dystopia)
11. True Grit by Charles Portis (Historical Fiction)
12.

[Michelle]

Lori wrote: "Michelle wrote: "My list:
1. Looking for Alaska **READ** 4 stars
2. Steel
3. Demonglass **READ** 5 stars
4. Angelfire **READ** 4.5 star...

I think YOU should have to do this challenge THREE times in a row, lol "

Ha Ha. Funny. I would be done by now but I just can't get back into Steel. I've read 2 other books since though. =)

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer]

This sounds like fun. Here's my list:
1. The White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean. (Printz)
2. Anastasia's Secret by Susanne Dunlap. (new release)-- 5 STARS--Outstanding!
3. The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson (series)
4. The Mourning Wars by Karen Steinmetz (haven't confirmed that this is a debut novel yet)
5. Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson (ALA list)
6. The Queen of Water by Laura Resau (set in Ecuador)
7. Glimpse by Carol Lynch Williams (novel in verse)-- 4 STARS--Excellent!
8. Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick (male POV)
9. The Ransom of Mercy Carter by Caroline B. Cooney (poll loser)
10. The Eye, the Ear, and the Arm by Nancy Farmer (science fiction)
11. The Vanishing of Katharina Linden by Helen Grant (mystery)
12. What Curiosity Kills by Helen Ellis (fantasy/urban fantasy)

[Lori]

I just finished Don't Die, Dragonfly(book#6) I really liked it. I am going to have to find the rest of the series to put on my shelf.

This book was one of my choices for category 10. I have it listed as fantasy but I don't think that is correct. Maybe supernatural? Anyways, I gave it 4 stars. I like that the ending was a cliffhanger, and one that makes me want to get the next book on payday.

[Mariama]

1) Going Bovine

2)

3) The Sweet Far thing (Gemma Doyle)

4)

5)

6) Anna and the French kiss

7)

8)

9)

10)

[Alicia]

Could someone give me some suggestions of popular/easily-accessible/cheap new releases? Maybe a cheap e-book or something? I'm having a hard time finding a new release because my library usually takes several months to get in new books (they don't have anything released in march yet), and I don't have the money to buy a hardcover (which is the only format most new releases come in). I also do not have access to ARCS. Suggestions appreciated!

[Nathan]

Heres my list; Slow reader and a month late start... Let's see if I can pull this off...

1 Cryer's Cross, by Lisa Mcmann
2 Delirium, by Lauren Oliver
3 The Iron Thorn, by Caitlin Kittredge
4 Stolen, by Lucy Christopher
5 Wither, by Lauren Destefano
6 City of Glass, by Cassandre Clare
7 Paranormalcy, by Kiersten White
8 Going Bovine, by Libba Bray
9 Twilight, the Graphic Novel, by Stephanie Meyer FINISHED
10 Where She Went, by Gale Foreman
11 The King's Arrow, by Michael Cadnum
12 Lirael, by Garth Nix FINISHED

Now as I've started late I might remove one or two books from the list later on if I'm not doing too well... Hopefully I will be fine.

This is a really good idea; I'm participating in my first reading challenge, shaving my to-read list and having a whole bunch of fun at the same time.
I will edit this post to include a review of every book once I have read it to let you guys know what I thought of it.

[Tatiana]

Just finished book #5 for my challenge - Genesis . Great sci-fi about artificial intelligence.

[Michelle]

I think I'll finish Steel this weekend while I'm away at a retreat. =)

[Julia]

1. Printz- Nothing.
2. March-A Hundred Words for Hate.
3. part of series- Unfallen Dead.
4. debut novel- The Scorpion's Gate.
5. ALA Alex award- The Radleys
6. foreign-Krik? Krak! (Haiti)
7. verse- Make Lemonade *** 3/19/11
8. male- Sunrise Over Fallujah **** 3/25/11
9. also ran- To Kill a Mockingbird
10 a) historical fiction- Sovay
b) LGBTQ- Torn
c) science fiction- Feed
, ,

[Lori]

Ok, I am trying to get my books chosen.
1. Looking for Alaska
2.Defiance
3.The Iron Daughter
4. Chloe Doe OR 13 to Life
5. The Chosen One
6. Sold
7. Impulse
8.Invincible
9. Rules of Attraction
10a.Storm Thief dystopia
10b. Don't Die, Dragonfly fantasy?
10c.Queene of Light paranormal

Just finished Rules of Attraction and I gave it 4 stars. What can I say, I am a sucker for a happy ending.

[Lori]

Lori wrote: "I may change my #8 book(male POV) I have Invincible in my list right now but i am on a role and don't know if I want to wait for that one to come out. I may switch it to Will Grayson..."

I am not switching Invincible, I was able to buy it yesterday. Very happy about that. Though Will Grayson, Will Grayson keeps calling me so I may switch it with Storm Thief. Not sure yet.

I can NOT believe how many books I have read this month. I think it is a record for me. Thank you for this challenge!!

[Marija]

Reading Challenge: Complete as of March 28:

1.) Printz winner: On the Jellicoe Road (read Mar 9) really liked
2.) New Release: Afterlife (Mar19) OK
3.) Series: Tempestuous (Mar 18) liked
4.) Author Debut: Between Shades of Gray (Mar 26) excellent book
5.) ALA Best Books: Saving Francesca (Mar 20) liked
6.) Male POV: Getting the Girl (Mar 23) a new favorite
7.) Epistolary novel: Stolen: A letter to my captor (Mar 27) liked
8.) Foreign setting: I Am the Messenger (Mar 7) really liked
9.) YA Group Book Nomination: The Last Summer Of The Death Warriors (Mar 28) OK
10.) My choice-sci-fi/dystopian: Ship Breaker (Mar 24) OK
11.) My choice-contemporary: The Piper's Son (Mar 21) a new favorite
12.) My choice-fantasy: Keturah and Lord Death (Mar 22) really liked

This challenge was rather fun. Found a couple new favorites, some I rather liked and others that I thought would be good, could have been better.

[Tatiana]

Well, Helen, it seems like you completed the challenge first. Here is your gold star!:)



Congratulations!

[Angie, YA lovin mod!!]

Wow Helen! Congrats! I try to read like you... in fact on Mon and Wends I go to the library and do a dedicated 2 hour reading night! So good job! Which one was your favorite that you would recommend to everyone?

[εїз♫Vanessa♫εїз]

Oh forgot to post my finished list it's on pg. 3

message 105: by Young Adult Book (last edited Mar 20, 2011 02:59pm) Mar 09, 2011 10:39pm

This is my list of reads for the challenge:

1. Speak (Printz winner) --- 4/5 stars
This book is so realistic it makes you think, "What if this happened to me?" I loved this book and the movie wasn't so bad either. I just wish it had a little more so it wasn't so obvious.

2. Evercrossed(published in March 2011) --- 5/5 stars
I have to say, I really loved this book. It's sad, but in a good way. Elizabeth Chandler really knows how to write good books. The whole series was good and well written.

3. Matched(Book in a series) --- 4/5 stars
This book overall was pretty good. Some parts I wish were explained a little better, but i liked it anyway. Just thinking that this is a future based book makes me wonder if something like this could actually happen. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

4. Angelfire(Debut Novel) --- 5/5 stars
I loved this book... it was so well written and it had so many action scenes that I couldn't put it down...I think out of all the books I have read I finished this one the quickest 'cause it was so good!

5. The Summer I Turned Pretty(ALA for YA) --- 4/5 stars
This was a pretty good book. I liked the story, but it felt like I knew what would happen from the very beginning. I had actually seen this book but it hadn't caught my attention all that much. If it wasn't for this challenge I don't think I would have ever read it.

6. Goddess Boot Camp (Foreign Country Setting) --- 5/5 stars
This story is set in Greece so I knew I would love it because I love Greek culture...it's a great book with a lot of drama.

7. Flirt Club (book in form of letters) --- 4/5 stars
This book is about 8th graders but I feel like they are actually juniors or seniors in high school by the things they say in there letters...but I guess thats truly how our culture is nowadays!

8. So Yesterday (Male P.O.V.) --- 3/5 stars
This was a pretty good book. It could have had a little more added to it but overall I liked it. I've read a few books in a male P.O.V. and most of them have been good. Maybe I should start reading them more often.

9. The Secret Hour (Group Pick Nominee) --- 4/5 stars
I liked this book. Well I like most of the books I read. But this book I felt went a little too fast at some parts and I wanted to know more about each of the characters. I guess if there were a few more details I would have liked it even more.

10. Lock and Key(chick lit.) --- 5/5 stars
I loved reading this book...it just makes me think about how many people actually go through the types of things the main character goes through. Out of all the books of Sarah Dessen I have read, I have to say that this one was my favorite. Her books are never disappointing.

11. Desires of the Dead(fantasy) --- 3/5 stars
I loved the first book in the series, but I felt like this one was a given from the beginning. I wish it had me guessing from the beginning, but it didn't. It's not a bad read, but I'm pretty sure it could've been so much better!

12. A Kiss in Time(fantasy) --- 5/5 stars
A retelling of sleeping beauty in modern times. I loved this book. It was a cute love story with a lot of twists compared to Sleeping Beauty.

I'll put a C next to the ones I'm currently reading
Yay, I finished my list...
3/19/11

[Tatiana]

Congratulations to Young Adult Book too!

We have some super-fast readers here.

[Marija]

I did particularly enjoy Getting the Girl and The Piper’s Son. But, I’d actually recommend reading all of the books I’ve listed. When reading a book, every individual brings their own experiences to a story. And thus a story can affect each individual in a different way.

[Lisa]

I just love your challenges! I am on my way....

1. Stolen by Lucy Christopher--3/5 stars. The book was very slow in parts. There was not alot of connection with the characters to the reader.
8. I am Number 4.--5/5 stars. I loved this book! Can't wait for the sequel.

[N.L.]

7/12 Read

Printz – Stolen
New – Afterlife
Series – Bite Club
Debut – Angelfire – 3/10 – 3 Stars – Wasn't fond of the main character as I found her spoiled & rather vapid persona to be a hard sell due to what she was/is suppose to be. The pacing of the story dragged and the ending seemed to be lacking. Uncertain if I will continue with this trilogy.
ALA – Stealing Heaven – 3/29 – 3 satrs – A solid entry from Elizabeth Scott but it isn't one of her best. The characters and the concept were decent but I felt that the story ended on a strange note. I wanted more from it.
On Foreign Soil – Demonglass – 3/22 – 4 Stars – A very nice continuation to Hex Hall. It ended with a major cliffhanger and a lot of unanswered questions which I found annoying and kept me from rating it a 5 star read.
Verse – You Are Not Here – 3/2 – 3 stars – While I like verse novels a lot, I am not a fan of this author's verse style. Found the MC to be too angst-ridden and self-absorbed for the main plot to have merit. It is hard to mourn the loss of someone when one is much too wrapped up in their own head.
Male POV – Invincible
Always the Bridesmaid –
Historical – Father of Lies – 3/9 – 3 stars – A retelling of the Salem Witch Trials, interesting but I didn't care for the author's writing style – for some reason unknown, I found it awkward to read.
Paranormal – Once in a Full Moon – 3/10 – 3 stars – For some reason, Scheiber's books are lackluster yet one cannot stop reading them. However, I found this book to be somewhat inferior to her vampire YA series. Not sure if I will be reading future installments of this series.
Urban Fantasy – Darkness Becomes Her – 3/9 – 4 stars – An interesting take on Greek Mythology, vampires, witches, warlocks & shapeshifters with a dystopian element. One of the best dystopian-oriented books I've read this year.

[Jessica-Robyn]

The beginning of a new month, in April I'm hoping to read four books off the list. I am however a little worried about getting my hand on the new release book. It's on order at my library but I don't know when they will actually get around to getting it on the shelf. eek!

Here's my current list:
1) American Born Chinese - Printz Winner, 07.
2) Steel - March
3) The Ruby in the Smoke - (Sally Lockhart Trilogy #1)
4) The Iron King (Iron Fey #1) - Julia Kagawa Debut
5) Along for the Ride - 2010 Best YA List
6) Anna and the French Kiss - France
7) American Vampire, Vol. 1
8) Will Grayson, Will Grayson
9) Thirteen Reasons Why - November Poll
10) XVI - Dystopia
The Body in the Library - Mystery
Inkheart - Fantasy

[Nat]

1.The Monstrumologist

2. The Gathering

3. The Merchant of Death

4. The Iron King

5. Leviathan

6. & 8. Sunrise Over Fallujah (DONE!)

7. Burned

9. The Sledding Hill

10. A Boy at War: A Novel of Pearl Harbor (Historical Fiction)

11. Double Helix (Science Fiction)

12. Dash & Lily's Book of Dares (Romance)

[Kritika]

As I've been reading, I've constantly been shuffling the book's I've read into different tasks for the challenges (ex: The Knife of Never Letting Go from "male protagonist" to "never picked for group read"). It helps me fit books that I'm reading into the challenge even when I wasn't planning on counting them. Has anyone else been shuffling their books and tasks?

[Jen]

Wow, I finished the challenge! I just finished Anna and the French Kiss, it was so, so good!

1. On the Jellicoe Road Printz winner 2009 (5 stars!)

2. Demonglass a new release (5 stars)

3. Fallen in a series (4 stars)

4. The Iron King author's debut (3.5 stars)

5. Graceling ALA list 2009 (3.5 stars)

6. Anna and the French Kiss takes place in Paris (5 stars, loved it!)

7. Stolen: A letter to my captor a letter 4 stars

8. Beastly male point of view (4 stars)

9. Forget You club nomination that lost (4 stars)

10a. Perfect Chemistry romance (5 stars! LOVED it!)

10b. Babe in Boyland chick-lit (4 stars)

10c. Hex Hall paranormal (4.5 stars)

[Tatiana]

Congrats Jen!

[Tatiana]

Finished my book #6 - Where Things Come Back - May release.

[Lori]

After having such a great running start last month, this month has been extremely busy leaving me not much time to read. I haven't even been reading before bed because I am hitting hte pillow exhausted, lol.

Congrats to all of you who have finished your lists already!!

[Megan]

I'm sad I didn't see this earlier! We should definitely do a summer one like this, I'd love to participate!

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer]

Megatron wrote: "I'm sad I didn't see this earlier! We should definitely do a summer one like this, I'd love to participate!"

I second the summer challenge!

[Tatiana]

I promise to have something for summer as well:)

[Lori]

Yay!! I am looking forward to the summer one as well. Even though I haven't done much reading hte past couple week I still read more in March then 2 months combined last year.