It's the End of the World II Challenge

Ah, another fun one. Here are the rules:

Read at least four books about "the end of the world." This includes both apocalyptic fiction and post-apocalyptic fiction. There is quite a bit of overlap with dystopic fiction as well. The point being something--be it coming from within or without, natural or unnatural--has changed civilization, society, humanity to such a degree that it radically differs from "life as we now know it." (Aliens, evil governments, war, plague, natural disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, hurricanes, depletion of resources, genetic manipulation, etc.) Here is a wikipedia article on the subject. Also see here. These changes can be small-but-still-significant or huge-and-life-threatening.

The Road by Cormack McCarthy
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Liberation by Brian Francis Slattery
A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller

Orbis Terarrum 2009 Challenge

Bethany is hosting this very cool challenge.

Challenge Rules:
*The Orbis Terrarum Challenge begins March 1 2009(you are welcome to join later) Through the end of 2009.
*For the challenge each reader is to choose 10 books (for the 10 months).
*Each book must from a different country, I have decided to go by the country of origin of the author, or the country he/she lives in is fine as well.
*You don't have to have a list, that means you can change your mind at any time. As long as there are 10 from 10 different countries, written by 10 different authors: Anything goes.

The bottom line: choose 10 different books, written by 10 different authors, from 10 different countries.

I love making lists so here is my preliminary one:

India - Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet by Kashmira Sheth
Egypt - A Map of Love by Ahdaf Soueif
Iran - Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
Cuba - Where the Flame Trees Bloom by Alma Flor Ada
France/Israel - A Bottle in the Gaza Sea by Valerie Zenatti
Japan - Silence by Shasaku Endo
England - The Midwife by Jennifer Worth
Hungary - We Are On Our Own by Miriam Katin
Poland - All But M y Life by Gerda Weissmann Klein

Once Upon a Time III

Oh fun! The Once Upon a Time Challenge II was the first book challenge I ever did so this new one looks massively fun. I am going to do Quest the First which is: Read at least 5 books that fit somewhere within the Once Upon a Time III criteria. They might all be fantasy, or folklore, or fairy tales, or mythology…or your five books might be a combination from the four genres. I am reading my first one now which is The Innkeeper's Song by Peter Beagle. I have so many other ideas. Here are just a few:

Aurelie by Heather Tomlinson
Skin Hunger by Kathleen Duey
Dragon Flight by Jessica Day George
Harrowing the Dragon by Patricia McKillip
Abhorsen by Garth Nix
One of a number of books by Sherwood Smith
The Last Dragon by Silvana de Meri
Snow White and Rose Red by Patricia Wrede

Jewish Literature Challenge

Here are the rules for the Jewish Literature Challenge:

What: Reading at least 4 books by Jewish Authors or about Judaism
When: December 21, 2008 (Beginning of Hanukkah) to April 27, 2009 (End of Passover)
Who: Anyone who wants to participate! Bloggers or Non-Bloggers alike
Where: Right here of course! You can also post your picks and reviews to your own blog if you have one of course.
How: Sign the comments on THIS post to join the challenge. Tell me if you want to be added to the blog. If so, include your email address. (put it like this to prevent spam: yourname AT yourdomain DOT com) Once I've added you, you can post your picks here and when the time comes, post your reviews here too.

I think I will read:
The People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
The Innkeeper's Song by Peter S. Beagle
Freefall by Anna Levine
Old Men at Midnight by Chaim Potok

YA Romance 2009 Challenge

Hurray hurray. With my Well-Seasoned Reader Challenge wrapped up I wanted to start another one. So on to YA Romance!

Here are the rules:

Read six YA romance novels between March 1, 2009 and June 30, 2009.
Romance should be a strong element with the story. But it doesn't have to be the only element.
All genres are allowed.
They can be part of a series, or stand-alones.
They can be long or short.
Audio books are allowed.
Some re-reads are allowed, but try to have at least two new-to-you books.

Here are my choices:
Fire by Kristin Cashore
North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley
Need by Carrie Jones
Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Cybele's Secret by Juliette Mariellier

The Patron Saint of Butterflies (YA Challenge 2009 #9 of 12)

This was a one-day read for me. It's not a short book or a fluffy book by any stretch...the story was just so compelling and sad that I just have to see how it turned out. Cecilia Galante's first young adult novel alternates between the views of Agnes and Honey, two teenage girls living in a commune in Connecticut called Mount Blessing. Under their leader, Emmanuel, the people of Mount Blessing live their lives according to stringent rules, the disobedience of which produces harsh physical consequences inflicted by Emmanuel. Honey is disillusioned, scared, and wants out of Mount Blessing. Agnes wants to be a perfect believer and truly believes what Emmanuel has told her about being a Christian and what God expects of her.

The Patron Saint of Butterflies reminded me in an odd way of The Witch of Blackbird Pond - both of these books made me reel from what some people believe it means to be Christian. The way they treat each other is so repugnant to me. In both of these books, God is a vengeful taskmaster who is waiting to punish those who sin and people take it upon themselves to judge others by what they believe God would think about their behavior.

I truly could not stop reading this book, it was a 1A.M. finisher for me. Highly recommended.

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China

In this heart-wrenching memoir written by Jung Chang, the true horrors of China under the Kuomintang and then under the Communists and Mao are detailed through the story of her life as well as the lives of her mother and grandmother. Though I have read about China in other stories, this particular account was just painful to read...mesmerizing and fascinating but the atrocities committed by the leaders and citizens of China are so far beyond my scope of understanding it was difficult for me to absorb it all. I feel inadquate to try to describe both what I read and my feelings about it.

The story begins with Jung Chang's grandmother who was a concubine to a chief of police in Peking and she gives birth to Chang's mother. After her first husband dies, she marries a doctor and they live through attacks from Japan and the Communists and the Kuomintang form an alliance to defeat them. Chang's mother joins the Communist underground and a civil war erupts between the former allies. Chang is born a few years after the Communists take over and over the course of twenty-six years she endures a stint in the Red Guard, the defamation and detention and torture of her parents, "reeducation" in the country and horrible illness. It is a life I cannot imagine.

The women in Wild Swans were trapped - truly trapped. Death was the only escape from the hardship, the fear, the pain. Certainly they had happy moments, but they were far outweighed by the horrible ones. The memoir contained vast amounts of historical information about China but it was so well written and integrated into the story that I didn't feel like I was reading a history book. A truly eye-opening book.

A-Z Challenge 2009

I am going to do this fun challenge this year...here are the guidelines:

Option A: Read authors A to Z. Commit to reading 26 books theoretically speaking.
Option B: Read titles A to Z. Commit to reading 26 books theoretically speaking.
Option C: Read both authors A to Z and titles A to Z (52 books; this is the challenge Joy created)
Option D: Read internationally A to Z (books representing 26 different countries) (The books could be from international authors (writers from that country); however, it's fine if a book is only set in that country. If need be, instead of countries one could use cities, states, regions, etc. The idea is to use proper place names. If you'd like you could even use a few fictional countries.)
Option E: Read 26 Alphabet books. Embrace your inner child and go visit the children's section!

Here are the full rules.

I am going to go for option C...both authors and titles. It's a good thing this starts tomorrow!!

2009 100+ Reading Challenge!

I haven't ever done a numbers challenge before so this will be fun!

1) You can join anytime as long as you don’t start reading your books prior to 2009.

2) This challenge is for 2009 only. The last day to have all your books read is December 31, 2009.

3) You can join anytime between now and December 31, 2009.

4) If you don’t have a blog, please join our Yahoo Groups. 5) When you sign up under Mr. Linky, list the direct link to your post where your 100+ books will be listed. If you list just your blog’s URL, it will be removed.

6) All books count: children’s, YA, adults, fiction, non-fiction, how-tos, etc.

I may try to do a sidebar for this one...I'll have to see how savvy I can get with this blog.

1. The New Policeman by Kate Thompson 1/2/09

2. First Test by Tamora Pierce 1/4/09

3. The Hollow Kingdom by Clare Dunkle

4. Close Kin by Clare Dunkle

5. In the Coils of the Snake by Clare Dunkle

6. Quest for a Maid by Frances Mary Hendry

7. Whirligig by Paul Fleischman

8. The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper

9. The Professor's Daughther by Joann Sfar and Emmanuel Guibert

10. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

11. Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl

12. Raising the Griffin by Melissa Wyatt

13. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon

14. Seeker by Jack McDevitt

15. The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam by Ann Marie Fleming

16. How the Garcia girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez

17. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

18. Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins

19. Alive and Well in Prauge, New York by Daphne Grab

20. The Warrior's Daughter by Holly Bennett

21. Blood Red Horse by K. M Grant

22. Green Jasper by K. M. Grant

23. Blaze of Silver by K. M. Grant

24. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

25. The Bonemender by Holly Bennett

26. The Bonemender's Oath by Holly Bennett

27. The Bonemender's Choice by Holly Bennett

28. The Patron Saint of Butterflies by Cecilia Galante

29. Wild Swans by Jung Chant

30. The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner

31. Impossible by Nancy Werlin

32. A Laodicean by Thomas Hardy

33. Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr

34. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

35. Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George

36. Double Helix by Nancy Werlin

37. How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

38. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

39. Magic's Child by Justine Larbalestier

40. Sabriel by Garth Nix

41. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson

42. The Off Season by Catherine Murdock

43. Ironside by Holly Black

44. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

45. Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George

46. The Possibilities of Sainthood by Donna Freitas

47. The Other Side of the Island by Allegra Goodman

48. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

49. The Swan Kingdom by Zoe Marriot

50. Need by Carrie Jones

51. North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

52. Lirael by Garth Nix

53. Silence by Shusaku Endo
54. Bog Child by Sibohan Dowd
55. Squire by Tamora Pierce
56. Lady Knight by Tamora Pierce
57. Tamar by Mal Peet
58. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
59. Away Laughing on a Fast Camel by Louise Rennison
60. The Dark Mirror by Juliette Marillier
61. Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet by Kashmira Sheth
62. Unwind by Neal Shusterman

63. Freefall by Anna Levine
64. The Innkeeper's Song by Peater S. Beagle

65. Sunshine by Robin McKinley

66. Old Men at Midnight by Chaim Potok

67. Aurelie by Heather Tomlinson

68. Skin Hunger by Kathleen Duey
69. Dune by Frank Herbert
70. Abhorsen by Garth Nix
71. Snow White and Rose Red by Patricia Wrede
72. A Company of Swans by Eva Ibbotson
73. Fire by Kristin Cashore
74. Galway Bay by Mary Pat Kelly
75. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
76. We Are On Our Own by Miriam Katin
77. 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
78. Cybele's Secret by Juliet Marrilier
79. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
80. Tell Me if the Lovers are Losers by Cynthia Voigt
81. Harrowing the Dragon by Patricia McKillip
82. Regarding the Fountain by Kate Klise
83. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
84. Mystic and Rider by Sharon Shinn
85. Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
86. Wings by Aprillynn Pike
87. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
88. Saffy's Angel by Hilary McKay
89. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
90. A Voice of Her Own: Becoming Emily Dickinson by Barbara Dana
91. What the Dickens? by Gregory Maguire
92. The Legend of Lady Ilena by Patricia Malone
93. Liberation: Being the Adventures of the Slick Six After the Collapse of the United States by Brian Slattery
94. In the Land of Invisible Women by Qanta Ahmed
95. Madapple by Christina Mildrum
96. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Graham-Smith and Jane Austen
97. Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank
98. Sahara Special by Esme Raji Codell
99. The Wings of a Falcon by Cynthia Voigt
100. Sovay by Celia Rees
101. The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale
102. All But My Life by Gerda Weissman Klein

Young Adult Challenge 2009

Hurray! Another YA challenge! I'm in. Here are the rules, just like last year:

1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.
2. Read 12 Young Adult novels. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.
3. Challenge begins January thru December, 2009.
4. You can join anytime between now and December 31, 2009.

Now the fun part...my list!
1. Skin Hunger by Kathleen Duey
2. Raising the Griffin by Melissa Wyatt
3. Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George
4. The Warrior's Daughter by Holly Bennett
5. Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins
6. The Patron Saint of Butterflies by Cecilia Galante
7. A Voice of Her Own: Becoming Emily Dickinson by Barbara Dana
8. Whirligig by Paul Fleischman
9. The Hollow Kingdom by Clare B. Dunkle
10. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
11. The Boy in Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
12. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

A Curse Dark as Gold (Y.A. Romance Challenge #1)

Elizabeth Bunce created a fantastic new version of the Rumplestilskin story with this novel. Set in an industrial era, Charlotte Miller is trying to keep her family's woolen mill running after her father passes away. She and her sister Rosie are forced to deal with the mill's debts, their scheming uncle, the superstitions of the mill workers, and a mill that does not seem to want to run anymore...as if it has a will of its own.

I have always thought the story of Rumplestilskin was full of gaps though this is not atypical of fairy tales. It is a story I have never read a truly satisfying version of, where the actions of the characters make sense. A Curse Dark as Gold absolutely did. Charlotte's desperation to save her family and their business clarify why a mother would promise to give her firstborn child to a sinister figure. Jack Spinner's past explains why he would care about children at all.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. As this was part of my Y.A. Romance Challenge, I have to say that Randall, Charlotte's husband, is wonderful. Their courtship develops in a way that seems appropriate for the setting Bunce created. However, their relationship also demonstrates the potential destructiveness of secrets and lack of communication.

Book Awards II Reading Challenge

Corinne told me about this challenge and it seemed up my wanna-be librarian alley so here goes.

Read 10 award winners from August 1, 2008 through June 1, 2009.
You must have at least FIVE different awards in your ten titles.
Overlaps with other challenges are permitted.
You don't have to post your choices right away, and your list can change at any time.
'Award winners' is loosely defined; make the challenge fit your needs, keeping in mind Rule #2.

Here is my list - I tried to branch out a little from my usual YA but there are still some on there:

1. The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss (Alex Awards)
2. Monster, by Walter Dean Myers (Printz Award)
3. Dancing on the Edge by Han Nolan(National Book Award)
4. Keeper of Dreams by Orson Scott Card (Margaret A. Edwards Award)
5. Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon (Pulitzer Prize for Fiction)
6. Seeker, by Jack McDevitt (Nebula Award)

7. Dune by Frank Herbert (Nebula Award)
8. Tamar by Mal Peet (Carnegie Medal)

9. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (Quill Award)

10. How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff (Printz Award)

ya romance challenge

okay so this makes three challenges at one time but luckily they all last a while and this one is seriously too good to pass up. here are the guidelines for the ya romance challenge:

Read six YA romance novels between July 1, 2008 and February 28, 2009.
Romance should be a strong element within the story. But it doesn't have to be the only element. Realistic fiction (contemporary). Historical. Fantasy. Science Fiction. Retold Fairy Tales. All genres are allowed.
They can be part of a series, or stand-alones.
They can be long or short.
Happy books are NOT a requirement

Audio books are allowed.
Up to three movies can be substituted for books. So you could watch 3 movies, read 3 books if you prefer.

Here is my list:
1. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
2. Ever by Gail Carson Levine
3. Princess Ben by Catherine Murdock
4. Beastly by Alex Flinn
5. The Swan Maiden by Heather Tomlinson
6. A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce

wahoo!

graphic novel challenge

well, i finished hans christian andersen and i have been wanting for a while to give graphic novels a try so here i go! the graphic novels challenge is to read 6 graphic novels before the end of the year. here are my choices:
1. american born chinese by gene luen yang (a printz winner)
2. re-gifters by mike carey and marc hempel
3. laika by nick abadzis
4. the case of madeleine smith: by rick geary
5. the plain janes by cecil castellucci
6. castle waiting by linda medley

finishing the hans christien andersen challenge

well i've done it! my second challenge completed. this one was interesting because it combined both ya and children's lit and introduced me to authors i am not sure i would have come across otherwise. it was good times.

just too tempting - young adult challenge

so this challenge is right up my alley. read 12 young adult books in 2008. how can i resist?






here is my list

1. dairy queen by catherine murdock

2. larklight by philip reeve
3. magic study by maria v. snyder
4. magic lessons by justine larbalestier
5. wildwood dancing by juliette marillier
6. the dream-maker's magic by sharon shinn
7. hush by donna jo napoli
8. the light-bearer's daughter by o. r. melling
9. ten cents a dance by christine fletcher
10. briar rose by jane yolen
11. megiddo's shadow by arthur slade
12. memoirs of a teenager amnesiac by gabrielle zevin

hans christian andersen award challenge

and now for my second challenge! corinne told me about this one too. here is what the hans christian andersen award is all about

Every other year IBBY presents the Hans Christian Andersen Awards to a living author and illustrator whose complete works have made a lasting contribution to children's literature. The Hans Christian Andersen Award is the highest international recognition given to an author and an illustrator of children's books. Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II of Denmark is the Patron of the Andersen Awards. The nominations are made by the National Sections of IBBY and the recipients are selected by a distinguished international jury of children's literature specialists.

the challenge is to read 4-8 books between may 2008-may 2009 by authors or illustrators that have won this award. and since it's a long time and some of them will be children's books i'm going to try to do 8! wahoo for me. here's my list:

authors
aiden chambers - postcards from no man's land
uri orlev - lydia, queen of palestine
martin waddell - tiny's big adventure
margaret mahy - 17 kings and 42 elephants

illustrators
lisbeth zwerger - swan lake
robert ingpen - the ugly duckling
max velthuijs - crocodile's masterpiece
quentin blake - mrs. armitage: queen of the road