Finished Challenges

For the Once Upon a Time Reading Challenge III, I finished Quest the First:

1. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
2. Wake
3. Poison Study
4. 11 Birthdays
5. Magic Study
   

For the 2009 YA Challenge I read:

1. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
2. Hush
3. Hattie Big Sky
4. Uglies
5. A Northern Light
6. Saffy's Angel
7. Just Listen
8. The Adoration of Jenna Fox
9. Wake
10. Unwind
11. The Season
12. The Loser's Guide to Life and Love

For the Book Awards Reading Challenge, I read:

1. Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!
   
2. An Abundance of Katherines
   
3. The Road Home
   
4. Ender's Game
   
5. The Glass Castle
   
6. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
   
7. The Hunger Games
   
8. A Wrinkle in Time
9. Because of Winn-Dixie
10. A Bride Most Begrudging

I'm almost done with the Support Your Local Library Challenge, so that leaves just the Orbis Terrarum Challenge and the Classics Challenge (not forgetting the omnipresent 100+ Reading Challenge of course).

So, dare I ask, what other challenges should I be joining this year? Suggestions??

Miss Buncle's Book

Miss Buncle's Book by Dorothy Emily Stevenson

Book 43 of 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge
Book 23 of 25 for the Support Your Local Library Challenge

rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you haven't checked out Jeanette's blog at A Comfy Chair and a Good Book, I highly recommend you do. She recommended Miss Buncle's Book about two months ago and it really was a delightful find. Originally published in 1934, Miss Buncle's Book was re-released last year by Persephone Books. My library had an old copy in the stacks that was printed in the 1960s, and even though some of the pages were a little grody, I was happy to get my hands on it.

Miss Buncle is a middle-aged woman living in the village of Silverstream. As her financial situation is becoming somewhat dire, she decides to write a book to bring in some money. The problem is, according to Miss Buncle, she has very little imagination. So, she writes about what she knows--all of the people who live in her village. Silverstream becomes Copperfield and the characters assume names somehow related to their own. I think my favorite was Mr. Fortnum who becomes Mr. Mason. When the book hits the shelves under the pseudonym of John Smith and the residents start recognizing themselves with all their faults and idiosyncracies in the writing, the village is turned upside down as the residents try to discover who wrote it.

Reminiscent of Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, this is a perfectly charming book from the first page to the last and is definitely worth tracking down a copy. There is a sequel called Miss Buncle Married, which is actually combined with my copy of Miss Buncle's Book. So, hopefully I'll get to it before I have to take it back to the library!

Magic Study

Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder

Book 42 of 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge
Book 22 of 25 for the Support Your Local Library Challenge
Book 5 of 5 for the Once Upon a Time III Reading Challenge

Awards: 2006 Booksense pick; RITA Award finalist

rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the second book in the Study series by Maria V. Snyder. I loved the first book, Poison Study, which I read during the read-a-thon. To be honest, I don't expect much from the second book in a trilogy. They kind of wrap up what happened in the first book and set you up for the last book. But, I did enjoy this enough to stay up faaaar too late last night to finish it.

I can't really reveal much plot without spoiling the first book. But, this book has more mystery, more magic and fantasy, and less romance than the first book. This one was missing some of the tension for me that the first book had. But, I think it is a good solid book for those who love a feisty female heroine. I am excited to finish this trilogy with Fire Study and to start Snyder's new series with Storm Glass, which features a character introduced in Magic Study.

Also reviewed by:

• Bitten by Books
• reading is my superpower
• Poisoned Rationality
• Alaine - Queen of Happy Endings
• Literary Escapism
• Tempting Persephone
• The Eclectic Reader
  

Let me know if I missed yours!

The Uncommon Reader

The Uncommon Reader: A Novella by Alan Bennett

Book 41 of 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge

rating: 4 of 5 stars

I don't think anyone can deny that this book is clever, intellectual, and witty. I read this book over two evenings and actually laughed out loud.

Queen Elizabeth is wandering by the kitchen in Buckingham Palace one day when she notices a mobile library outside. She steps out to have a look, and feels compelled to check a book out. She enjoys reading so much, that she turns into a voracious reader, much to the dismay of palace officials and the public at large.

This is a book about readers. It's a book about what reading does for those who read, and how it impacts others. I could relate how suspicious people became of the Queen for reading. I could relate with her feelings that there would never be enough time to read everything she wanted. I could relate with her finding out that reading makes us learn more about humanity and how she found herself changed because of how reading shaped her thoughts and desires.

I actually wish I had read this book with a pencil to underline my favorite parts. I do think that at just 120 pages, I may tempted to pick it up again someday. I should warn that some parts dragged a little for me and there was a couple instances of crude humor that just seemed out of place with the rest of the book. I also found Bennett's style a little reminiscent of his playwright self. I could almost read the stage directions: Enter Queen stage left. Exit Kitchen Servant stage right.

But overall, this is a book any serious reader should pick up.

Also reviewed by:

• It's All About Books
• Bloggin' 'bout Books
• Books on the Brain
• Page After Page
• Books of Mee
• paper diet books
• just add books...
• book-a-rama
• The Bluestocking Society
• Melody's Reading Corner
• 1morechapter.com
• ReadingAdventures
• The Hidden Side of a Leaf
• Reader for Life
• Stuff As Dreams Are Made On
• Rebecca Reads
• Bermudaonion's Weblog
• Book Chase
• A Reader's Respite
• Shelf Life
• Reading and Ruminations
• Confessions of a Bibliophile
• Lesa's Book Critiques
• Outlandish Dreaming
• Booking Mama
• Savvy Verse & Wit
• The Family With Three Last Names
• booklit
• Under a Blood Red Sky
• Linus's Blanket
• Behold, the thing that reads a lot
• A Comfy Chair and a Good Book
• One Literature Nut
  

Let me know if I missed yours!

Perfect You

Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott

Book 21 of 25 for the Support Your Local Library Challenge
Book 40 of 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge

rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I really had to read this book. Once I saw the cover, there wasn't a choice even. Let's put it this way, when my 2 year old saw the cover, she said, "It's Mom and Dad!" Since the proof is in the pudding, here's the pudding:


Kate is a 16 year old high school sophomore who thinks she is having the worst year of her life. Her dad quit his job to sell vitamins in the mall and he's not making any money. Her best friend is ignoring her. And all she ever does is fight with the guy she's crazy about because he has a reputation of hooking up with half the school.

This book definitely had a similar feel to Sarah Dessen's books. It was a cute romance, but there was also a little too much senseless making out. I think it made the novel feel more shallow than it needed to. However, I was super pleased with how the book ended. The author didn't try to wrap everything up with a perfect bow, and I do think that gave the book honesty and authenticity.

Also reviewed by:

• Becky's Book Reviews
• Teen Book Review
• Book Addiction
• Reading Keeps You Sane
• Hope's Bookshelf
• Zoe's Book Reviews
• Liv's Book Reviews
• Writer's Block Reviews

Let me know if I missed yours!

The Loser's Guide to Life and Love

The Loser's Guide to Life and Love: A Novel by A. E. Cannon

Book 39 of 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge
Book 12 of 12 for the 2009 YA Challenge

rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a cute modern take on A Midsummer Night's Dream set in Salt Lake City. The novel is written in the four distinct voices from the love quadrangle: Ed McIff (otherwise known as Sergio), Scout (Ed's best friend, who happens to be a girl, and fellow video store employee), Quark (Ed's very tall and nerdy neighbor), and Ellie (the gorgeous new girl in town desperate for friends).

I think Cannon did a great job with her four voices and they helped the book clip along at a fast pace. This would make a great read-along with the original Shakespeare that I think teens would appreciate. Nothing too deep here--just fun mind candy that's easily gobbled up in a day.

Also reviewed by:

• It's All About Books
• Books Are King
• Kawzmik World
• Overdue Books
• The Indextrious Reader

Please let me know if I missed yours!

11 Birthdays

11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass

Book 38 of 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge
Book 20 of 25 for the Support Your Local Library Challenge
Book 4 of 5 for the Once Upon a Time III Challenge

Recommendations: Junior Library Guild Selection

rating: 3 of 5 stars

Amanda and Leo have the same birthday and have always celebrated together. However, on their 10th birthday they have a fight and they don't talk for a whole year. Their friendship is rekindled again when they realize they are both having their 11th birthday over and over and over again and they need to figure out how to make it stop.

This book was cute but nothing I would write home about. It was basically a middle school ripoff of Groundhog Day. I gave it to my 8 year old, so I'm interested to see what she thinks about it. I suspect that since I read this in the dead of the night, she'll like it a lot more than me. However, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this for 4th-6th grade readers. It's a good clean book about friendship and following your own dreams.

Also reviewed by:

• Teen Lit Review
• Children's Book Reviews and Then Some
• T.V and Book Addict

As always, let me know if I missed yours!

24 Hour Read-a-Thon Final Meme

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?
Waking up at 2:20am to finish reading was tough. So, I guess that was Hour 19.

2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?
Poison Study and Unwind were great choices for me this time. The Hunger Games would be a great choice as well.

3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
nope

4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?
I liked the mixture of mini-challenges. I didn't feel compelled to participate in all of them, but I enjoyed the ones I did participate in.

5. How many books did you read? 5

6. What were the names of the books you read?
Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
The Season by Susan MacLean
11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass
The Loser's Guide to Life and Love by A.E. Cannon

7. Which book did you enjoy most?
Poison Study

8. Which did you enjoy least?
11 Birthdays

9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? n/a

10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?
I would be thrilled to participate again as a reader.

24 Hour Read-a-Thon Update #6

It's 5:10am here on the East Coast and I've only slept 90 minutes since I started 21 hours ago. I just finished The Loser's Guide to Life and Love by A.E. Cannon. It's a cute modern-day version of A Midsummer Night's Dream set in Salt Lake City.

I'm signing off the Read-a-Thon now. I've thoroughly enjoyed it, both participating and reading everyone else's blogs. I'll review my last two books in the next few days. But for now, here's my final totals:

Books read: 5
(with 5 BookMooch points going to charity)
Pages read: 1,426
Hours read: 14.5

Thanks to the organizers, the cheerleaders, the readers, and everyone who stopped by to comment today! You guys are the best!

24 Hour Read-a-Thon Update #5

Less than 5 hours left. I can't believe I'm actually awake. I did fall asleep for about an hour and a half, but my cute husband left the light shining on my face because he knows I'd be disappointed if I slept the rest of the night.

Totals so far:

Books read: 4
Pages read: 1,170
Hours read: 13

I just finished read 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass. It's a cute juvenile fiction book with a Groundhog Day plot. I'm not coherent enough to attempt writing a review, so that will have to wait for another day.

I'd really like to read one more book tonight to reach my goal. So, I better go choose a book and get to it.

Good thing I have church in the afternoon!