A new challenge

I saw this challenge and couldn't pass it up, especially since it's being hosted by a 10-year-old reader!

The challenge is to choose one book from each of the following categories; time period Jan - Dec 2008.

1. A book with a color in its title.
Blackthorn Winter by Kathryn Reiss

2. A book with an animal in its title.
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

3. A book with a first name in its title.
Cyrano by Geraldine McCaughrean

4. A book with a place in its title.
Pompeii: Lost and Found by Mary Pope Osborne

5. A book with a weather event in its title.
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

6. A book with a plant in its title.
Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata

Some Reviews and such

I just updated my sidebar and realized there are several books I haven't even given a nod.

Year of the Dog by Grace Lin: This was cute, but nothing that remarkable. I enjoyed it most, because I had heard her speak at TLA and knew that all of the happenings in the story were based on true events. I think maybe it was just slightly below my preferred reading level.

Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean: This was a rolicking good read! I think the whole family enjoyed this, and we'll probably read the second in the series at some point.

Aurora County All-Stars: My daughter and I listened to this on our morning commute. All Stars is the third novel by Deborah Wiles; the others are Each Little Bird That Sings and Love, Ruby Lavender. I think Ms. Wiles is my current favorite children's (chapter) book writer. The books are set in rural Mississippi, about halfway or so between where my husband and I grew up, and I can so relate. She is a master of setting and characterization. And All Stars throws in a lot of Walt Whitman, too, which prompted my and my daughter to go buy a copy of Leaves of Grass. Unfortunately, my daughter was a little disenchanted once she actually tried to *read* Whitman. She is, after all, only 11. I think the snippets we heard, though, were a good exposure.

I picked up Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil this weekend, and this is the first time in a while I've not wanted to put a book down. I had forgotten it is nonfiction, and almost put it down when I realized, because I wasn't really in the mood for nonfiction. However, this reads just like a fiction book, and Berendt's portrayal of Savannah, GA is just captivating. I highly recommend this book!

Review and challenge summary

I did it! With just hours to spare, I finished House of Leaves, thus completing the RIP II Challenge. And a challenge it was, indeed. (FOrgive my shoddy typing, I got a paper cut UNDER my pinkie nail and am having a hard time typing with a bandaid on that finger!) For the challenge I also planned to read short stories, but ended up giving that up about a month into the challenge. Just couldn't find the time.

Now for the review. I have to say, I was greatly disappointed with this book. I didn't find it in the least bit scary. In fact, I thought it was horribly boring. There were parts I liked. Actually, any of the story about the house and Navidson's family caught my attention. And I liked the letters in the appendix at the end - really shed a light on the book (heh heh...pun not intended - but you'll only get that if you read the book). I was VERY glad to be done with it, but I was determined to actually finish it. Phew! Now I can move on to something else.

I noticed that I accidentally posted my review of The Blue Ghost on this blog instead of my children's lit blog. I think I might abandon the other one and just do all my reviews here. It feels redundant. I hardly have time to keep up one blog, much less two, anyway. (Not to mention my personal Live Journal...)

This week I finished two books. The Blue Ghost, which I already reviewed, and The Good Earth, which I'll try to review soon. I've now finished two books for the Unknown Authors challenge which I'm participating in (Going Postal and The Good Earth). I'm not immediately starting the next on my list for that challenge (Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil) since I have so many other books going, and I'm trying to trim the list down a bit. I've picked up Fast Food Nation as a more steady read - I had been just reading it here and there.

I'm pretty close to being done with House of Leaves. This book sure fits the definition of challenge. I'll be glad when I'm done.

I have picked up another off the nominee list for the Texas Bluebonnet Award - The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin. I saw Lin speak at the Texas Library Association conference last spring and have been really wanted to read this book since then. It's cute so far, but not mind-shattering.

Today I took my daughter to Barnes & Noble to use a gift card she got for her birthday. I can't remember the name of the book she bought, but it looked good. She bought The Name of This Book Is a Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch. From the bargain shelf I bought Thud! by Terry Pratchett, not realizing my husband had already bought it. We're either going to Bookcross it or bookmooch it. He wants to release it at the coffeeshop we frequent by our house, which I think's a pretty good idea. I also bought The Dewey Decimal System of Love, a corny romance novel with a librarian as the protagonist. It was just too cheesy to pass up! My last buy was a new copy of The Golden Compass, since I can't find our copies of His Dark Materials. I think we must have given them to a friend, but I can't imagine why we would have done that, knowing the girl will want to read them...

It's supposed to get cool tomorrow, and I would love to just curl up with a book. Alas, work beckons...

The Blue Ghost by Marion Dane Bauer

I wasn't very impressed with this Bluebonnet nominee. It was a sweet story, but I think this level books are just lacking. I can see how it would be an enticing choice for someone at that level, though.

Liz is the 5th Elizabeth in a long line of women family members. While staying at her grandmother's cabin, she encounters the ghost of the first Elizabeth and her children. Liz's encounter makes a lasting impression on Elizabeth's daughter (the 2nd Elizabeth), as you discover at the end of the story.

Live and in person

I read other people's "Booking Through Thursday" posts every week, but I haven't ever posted my own. Mostly because I read posts at work, but can't post from my work computer. I really wanted to answer this week's question, though.

• Have you ever met one of your favorite authors? Gotten their autograph?

Being a librarian in a large metropolitan area, I actually get this opportunity pretty regularly. I haven't met as in sat down and talked with a favorite author, but in the past three years I've gotten books autographed by Libba Bray, Rick Riordan, Graeme Base, and Garth Nix (actually, my husband got this one, but I was with him). The best was Libba Bray, because she had mentioned in her talk that all her fans were girls, and my husband loves her books. I told her this and she signed Rebel Angels "to her lone male groupie" or something similar. Graeme Base was really cool, too, because he draws pictures with his autograph. I bought The Eleventh Hour (which has a birthday theme) for my daughter's 8th birthday, and he drew a "happy birthday" picture.

• How about an author you felt only so-so about, but got their autograph anyway? Like, say, at a book-signing a friend dragged you to?

I've gotten a couple of books autographed at library conferences by authors I didn't know.

• How about stumbling across a book signing or reading and being so captivated, you bought the book?

Haven't had this happen, unless you count the library conference book signings.

Sunday Summary

You know, I don't think there's really much to say this Sunday. I haven't finished anything this week, but I did pick up The Blue Ghost by Marion Dane Bauer. This is one of the Texas Bluebonnet Nominees for this year, which I'm slowly but surely working through. I read half in one sitting, but haven't had time to finish yet.

I feel myself slowing down with the reading for a little while. Christmas is coming all too soon, and I want to do some crochet projects for friends and for teacher gifts. I suspect most of my reading time is going to be over lunch and at bedtime. But even bedtime lately has been skimpy on the personal reading. For the past few years we've had silent reading time as a family, followed by a chapter or two from whatever current read-aloud we have going. Life has been so busy that all we've really had time for most nights is the read-aloud.

Only so many hours in a day...

Going Postal by Terry Pratchett

This is the first Terry Pratchett book I've read, and it most definitely won't be my last. This book had me cracking up often, and I just loved it.

Moist von Lipwig is a crook who is given a reprieve from death if he'll just take the job of postmaster of Ankh-Morpork. Suddenly Moist finds himself with a golem for a bodyguard and a wreck of post office to somehow bring back to life. And much to his bemusement, he finds he cares!

Going Postal is an installment in the Discworld series, which does not need to be read in any particular order. This is as good a place to start as any if you are interested in a highly entertaining read!

Sunday Summary

This has been a good book week, I think. Here's where I stand:

Finished:

Going Postal (review to follow)

In progress:

House of Leaves - I'm allocating 30 minutes a day to this. I will finish it!
The Princess Bride - This book is so great so far! When I first saw the movie almost 20 years ago (OMG, how on earth has that been 20 years????) I thought it was incredibly stupid. But over the years, it really grew on me. This is supposed to be a "side read," with me only reading it during our family reading time, it seems to have maneuvered itself into "main book" position.
The Good Earth - I just started this on Wednesday or Thursday. At first I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy it, but I seem to be getting drawn into it. This was supposed to be my new "main" book, but it's sort of become my lunchtime/wait-for-the-shuttle book.
Outlander - Still plugging along on this audiobook. I've become emotionally involved with the characters now...
Vampirates - The fam's still enjoying this one.
Fast Food Nation - I say this in progress, but I haven't read any of it this week. Not sure I'm invested in it yet.

Starting this week:

Aurora County All-Stars - This is the third novel by Deborah Wiles, all based in rural Mississippi. The first two were just so good: Each Little Bird that Sings and Love, Ruby Lavender. This isn't a series, but they're all interconnected, if only by a reoccurring character or two. My daughter and I are going to listen to All-Stars on our morning commute.

I was going to do a challenge update, but I think I'll make that a monthly post and wait until 11/1 to do an update.

Banned Books Week

In the spirit of banned books week , I purchased this book for my (almost) 11-year-old daughter. Knowledge is power!