= Excellent
= Good/Very Good
= Okay read
= Not recommended
= Ugh! Don't waste your time.
Archive for September 26th, 2008
Friday, September 26th, 2008Weekly Geeks - September 26, 2008 - WRAP UP
This week we were challenged to catch up. Here’s how I did (based on my list I made at the beginning of the week):
1. Post new challenges and events to my blog A Novel Challenge - COMPLETED Sunday, September 21, 2008
2. Update my lists and post new reviews to my blog The Lists: Books for the Obsessive Reader- COMPLETED September 25, 2008
3. Update my to read plan through the end of the year (noting which books must be read for challenges and book discussion groups); determine which challenges I can actually expect to finish and opt out of those which are just not going to get done. - COMPLETED Monday, September 22, 2008 **SEE BELOW
4. Re-organize my TBR Mountain - COMPLETED Monday, September 22, 2008 (It took me two hours!!!)
5. Post an article (or two) to my new blog Women Writers - COMPLETED Friday, September 26, 2008. Read my articles posted here:
6. Update my sidebars for my blog Women Writers- COMPLETED Friday, September 26, 2008 - see my blog here.
******************************
My challenge re-cap and to-read lists:
After reviewing all my challenges which end on December 31st of this year, it is evident that I will not complete the 2008 TBR Challenge OR the 888 Challenge. I’ve read only 3 out of 12 books on my TBR Challenge list and the rules state you cannot change your list (*note: I’ve dented my TBR mountain this year quite a bit, but not with the books I thought I was going to read). In the 888 challenge, I have the following to still read:
6 Pulitzers
5 Bookers
2 TBR books (in my stacks more than a year) **Will finish this category
4 Non fiction **Will finish this category
5 Banned
5 Notables **Will finish this category
6 Classics
0 Books around the World
I’m going to go ahead and leave both these challenges “open” just to see how much of a dent I make…
There are three challenges I might not finish, but I’m not ready to write them off yet: African Reading (I need to read 4 more books), 10 out of 100 Challenge (4 books to read before the end of October), and Russian Reading (I need to read 3 more books).
All the rest of my challenges are probably going to be completed. This includes: 2008 Decades (3 more decades to go), Celebrate the Author (4 books left), In Their Shoes (1 more book left), 2008 Mini challenge for A Novel Challenge Group (3 more to complete), Short Story Challenge (2 more collections), Year of Reading Dangerously (4 more books), 1% Well Read (4 books by the end of February), Notables (5 more books to read), Suspense-Thriller (1 more book by the end of December, then 6 books in 2009), Every Month is a Holiday (3 more books), and 100+ (26 books left).
To see my progress and links to reviews for all these challenges, visit my page for Reading Challenges.
Friday, September 26th, 2008Friday Finds - September 26, 2008
September 26, 2008
I spent a good deal of time earlier in the week re-organizing my TBR mountain. So I really have no business continuing to add books to my wish list - but that said, I can’t help myself. This book addiction thing is clearly out of control…thanks to the fabulous lit-blogs! In an effort to promote the Independent Book Sellers, I’m linking this week’s finds to Powell’s Bookstore rather than Amazon. My Friday Finds this week were:
Wish You Were Here, by Stewart O’Nan as featured on Lori’s blog She Treads Softly. Earlier this year I read Songs for the Missing (read my review) by O’Nan and loved it. So Lori’s review of Wish You Were Here caught my eye. Lori wrote: ‘This is a poignant novel that really is a character study of a family. The action and draw of the novel is found in the old and new complex relationships and behavior patterns of the family members rather than an exciting outside mystery.‘ This is the same style I loved in Songs for the Missing.
The Penelopiad, by Margaret Atwood as featured on Kim’s blog Bold, Blue, Adventure. I have to admit, this book has been on my radar for some time, but Kim’s review reminded me again of why I need to read this book. Kim writes: ‘Penelope, who, like the other inhabitants of Hades can glimpse out into the real world, speaks to us in modern language, and her Greek chorus performs a sea-chanty, a tapdance, and act out a courtroom scene for the benefit of the audience. It’s an interesting presentation. Some readers might find it disconcerting, but I really enjoyed this quick, easily digestible read.‘ I love Margaret Atwood’s books and will be adding this one to the TBR mountain one of these days.
Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, by Jamie Ford as featured on Marcia’s blog The Printed Page. (Note the link here is to Amazon as Powells is currently not offering pre-orders of this novel). This book will be released in January 2009. Marcia loved the ARC she read and wrote: ‘This story encompasses young love, race, family, sacrifice, race and internment camps. It is set on the border between Chinatown and Japantown in the heart of Seattle, Washington.‘ She touts the novel as a must read. She is also hosting a giveaway of 15 copies of the book (through the generosity of Random House). I’ve added my name to the hopefuls!
Heart of Diamonds, by Dave Donelson as featured on J. Kaye’s Book Blog. J. Kaye has not yet read her copy of the book, but she posted a descriptor which intrigued me: ‘The Congo is a very dangerous place for television journalist Valerie Grey in this tragic, fast-paced tale of avarice and betrayal. Amid the bloody violence of the country’s endless civil war, Grey uncovers a deadly diamond-smuggling scheme that reaches the White House by way of a famous American televangelist.‘ Sounds good, doesn’t it? Make sure you watch J. Kaye’s fabulous blog as she will be giving away her copy of the book once she’s read it!
I spent a little time this week at my local Barnes and Noble bookseller browsing the newly released novels. Here are a few that caught my eye:
- The Seamstress, by Frances De Pontes Peebles (published by Harper Collins)
- When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson (published by Little, Brown and Co)
- Everything Under the Sky, by Matilde Asensi (published by Harper Collins)
Visit Jenn at Should Be Reading to see her finds for today…and to get links to other readers’ finds!
Friday, September 26th, 20085 Under 35 Awards Challenge - LINKS TO REVIEWS 2008
To sign up for this challenge, visit this post.
Please post links to reviews in the appropriate Mr. Linky or leave your comment about the books in the comments of this post.
For links to reviews on winning books from 2008, use this Mr. Linky: