want to do a book challenge?! tell me about it!

Since there is some interest and so I'll spill the sites that I have found (mostly on other book blogger's pages as my new book buddy Trish ). I will let all my friends know about them too. It isn't nice to hoard anything good, right!?

Here are the things I have discovered so far:

There is a Book Awards Reading Challenge (Which Trisha would probably be interested in!) They have Newbury, Pulitzer, Booker and the Nobel...you can choose a challenge or do them all!!!!

If you are a lover of long saga-esk books, try the Chunkster Challenge 2008
You are supposed to read at least 4 books that are over 450 pages each. I choose to do a couple more, but that is only because the doubled up for other challenges.


If you have not seen a challenge to fit your fancy...go to A Novel Challenge
There you will find, tons of challenges: A-Z Challenge, Dragons and such Challenge, Princess Challenge...Royalty Challenge (Okay...I am just trying to remember what I saw) there are too many so you need to go for yourself!

Interested in memoirs or autobiographies and such?? Go to the In Their Shoes Challenge and you be in heaven. The rules are posted there..it looks like fun!

The TBR (to be read) Challenge is really neat, it is the books you ALREADY own, and you choose from those to read, thus eliminating our ever expanding need for more, and I mean MORE BOOKS!

Okay, so this is the last one I am going to search out for you...it is called My Year of Reading Dangerously...seriously, what a title!? Who wouldn't want to join with that one! This one is for those of us who have been intimidates (scared) of reading certain books, authors, genres, and so on. There is an official list of books that you can read, or you can make up your own scary list! I joined this one, it looked like too much fun. There are 12 picks for this one...so it is a longer list of books. I chose many off of the actual list, because it is always more fun to read with others, and there are many that I am interested on the official list.

A word to the peoples: If you are going to try to do this, start off slow. Also, I noticed that a lot of the challenges will be closed for joining in March, so if you want to join you should think about how many books you can actually read this year. Also, do yourself a favor and use the books several times, or more! You'll be happy when it is time to check off those lists!

Oh, and as payment for all this super-duper useful info: you HAVE TO let me know if you do join a group and what you decide on...I am nosy that way!!!

My Book Challanges:

As a commitment to reading a lot this next year and as a tiny motivator I have joined in on two book challenges. Our book club at Pretty Paper is just dandy, but I seem to get through the books way fast and wanted some inspiration to keep me reading. I also wanted to put some of the book club books on my lists so that I wouldn't have way too much to read. I will try to use each book in more than one list so that I am not overwhelmed, yes, I know my limits. I have selected two challenges for this year so far. I am deciding on my books for them, so here it goes!

The Chunky Chunkster Challenge:
(Consisting of large/massive good books)
1.) Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
2.) Portrait of a Lady, Henry James
3.)What is the What, by Dave Eggers
4.)Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov
5.)The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak
6.) Cat's Eye, by Margaret Atwood






My Year of Reading Dangerously Challenge:
(Consisting of books or authors that you were intimidated by previously)
1.)Franny and Zooey, JD Salinger
2.)Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy
3.)Cat's Eye, by Margaret Atwood
4.)Portrait of a Lady, Henry James
5.)Transformations, by Anne Sexton
6.) As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner
7.) The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
8.)Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov
9.) The Secret Lives of People in Love, by Simon Van Booy
10.)Transformations, by Anne Sexton
11.)Maus I and II, by Art Spiegelman
12.)What is the What, by Dave Eggers

The History of Love-Rated!

I finished The History of Love by Nicole Krauss last week. Oh, my goodness...what a good book to read. It is one of those in-between books for me, it is not a silly nothing total chic lit (which I do enjoy sometimes too), and it is not loaded with information so that I needed to read and re-read paragraphs to make sure I didn't miss anything. It is an amazing book, it caused me to think, it is somewhat of a mystery and a love story of not just husband and wife, but best friends who are up in their years and share loss and history, of a mother and daughter learning to relate, brother and sister growing up together. For each character in the book it is the loss of such a love and what has caused the pain, and how they reach through that pain to continue on in their love even after death or distance or choices that have put a separation mark between them.

Even thought the title would give off a mushy, sappy book, this is not that. It is not that only because it concentrates on people and their difficulties in conquering their loves, but also in how they were or were not able to maintain them. This book deals with the deeper aspects of love, as in loyalty, devotion, patience and trust. I was not able to put it down, and even when I had to (I do have two little boys!), I would just keep on thinking about it until I was reunited with it once again. Now it is over...I wish it weren't. This book struck deep within me, I loved it...truly. It is one of my all time faves.

my rating:
The History of Love 5/5

JD Salinger-Rated!

I have recently finished three of JD Salinger's books, and here they are with their ratings:
*Nine Stories 3.5/5
*Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters 4.5/5
*Franny and Zooey 5/5

I really enjoyed all three, but I think I overdid it on Salinger stuff in a row.

I recommend them all, some folk seem to not like that style of writing though...it is pretty precocious, just like his characters. It drew me in thoguh, I didn't even have to work at it...it just happened.

Here is what I have to say about Franny and Zooey which is my favourite of the three books:

I enjoyed the book and the characters and all, but that was completely secondary to what I got out of the book. It is almost like I got what I did despite the fact that the book talks about a group of wonderbread kids who have life so easy that they try and make it complicated. I realised that I did have a hard time tolerating their fainting spells, and when they insulted their mamma and called her fat and such. I began to see them as more spoiled and less actually practising what they knew. So, like I said it is almost as if the donkey was speaking for me...like God used Zooey despite who he was, not because of who he was. I would argue that God does that with us all to a certain extent.

It seems that Salinger could have chosen to use these wealthy, upper class, wonderbreads because of the impact it could have on the reader. It is easier to take something from a preacher who you can see does not have it all together either, you can relate to him...and maybe that is why the author chose to do it that way. Maybe he was mocking the whole idea, as in these are they only type of people who can afford to mope around and recite little prayers....who knows what he meant to do...I do know what I got from it though. No matter what he meant, God spoke to me, even if it was through a talking donkey.

my faithful friends: my trusted books

This is what I came up with. It is constantly changing a tad, but most of these have been here for years. These are the ones that I read and re-read and love it each time. Let me know if you've read any of them and what you thought!!!!

*La Frontera de Cristal (The Crystal Frontier)-Carlos Fuentes
*Aura- Carlos Fuentes
*Uncle Tom's Cabin- Harriet Beecher Stowe
*One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich -Alexander Solzhenitsyn
* Nobel Lecture -Alexander Solzhenitsyn
*Franny and Zooey- JD Salinger
*Washington Square- Henry James
*A History of Love- Nicole Krauss
*A Tale of Two Cities- Charles Dickens
*Woman Warrior-Maxine Hong Kingston
*Lizard- Banana Yoshimoto
*Interpreter of Maladies- Juhmpa Lahiri
*Del Amor y Otros Demonios (Of Love and Other Demons)- Gabriel García Márquez
*The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings Trilogy by JRR Tolkien

VOTE! vote for a human.

Did you know that we youngsters are expected to really actually vote this time around! Did you know that usually we don't, that usually we have a lot to say about the way things should be run, but we don't do our part in seeing that we wouldn't have to complain any longer.

Who will make the difference, who will lead the way that one should lead a nation? Who will give more than he/she as to lead the way we insatiables expect. We don't expect a man or a woman to lead this nation...that is why we are constantly let down, we are so excited about Super Tuesday because all the candidates put on their best shoes and their prettiest faces and head on over to make us be charmed into loving them, into submission. But the real problem is that we don't want to follow a mere man/woman...we want a super person....one with no faults, no blind spots, no personal problems, that always says the right thing, always argues the best, always leads the way we want them to, always looks nice, always makes their kids behave, always worth us looking up to, always unwavering, always happy, always our puppet.

The problem is that there are too many billion people here in this nation, that there are too many perfects, that their are too many people who would want their leader to do the opposite of what we would choose. I'll tell you now, no leader that is elected will be hero worthy. Our current president is not, the next one will not be either...we are expecting things that they cannot give. Sure "promises are made and should be kept" is the war cry of so many who are annoyed with candidates and their vows to change this and that and then never change a thing. But aren't we the ones who expect them to make promises, we want big promises, promises that they will treat us right, that our lives will be better, easier, things will be more peaceful, we will all be able to afford going to the doctor....but they can't meet this. They shouldn't promise what they can't keep...but we should not beg of them to make them, when they have no idea how it will happen. Let's allow them to be real, to be honest, to be people instead of perfect. We are a blood-sucking nation, we require so much more than ever possible...and when it is not met we sit on our wealthy white butts and complain, complain, complain. What about worrying about the people who really do need help? What about doing something about it ourselves? This is not a one-man-show. You want change? Change it.


I think there would be a lot fewer people let down if they realized that the president is not some holy entity. Faults will be found, mistakes made and re-made, our personal goals will not be looked after....but truthfully being the president of the United Sates is the most horrible job description I could ever think of. I would not will it on anyone.

peace out homies...keep it peaceful out there all you Clinton, Obama, McCain, Hukabee, Romney enthusiasts...keep it peaceful.

PS the thing that I do think is the most excellent is something my sis ellyn mentions in her blog (see sidebar if you want to head there) That FINALY we have a woman and a minority in the run...this should happened long, long ago. I am at least greatful that it has happened now.

Leaning Tower of Pisa

The Leaning Tower of Pisa build out of Jenga blocks...Check it out!







moral of the story...
don't spend two weekends doing what some old guy can knock over with a microphone chord in 1 minute!

silly reporter!

C-Town here we come!!!

I've been warning and re-warning all of you. Now the time has come. My parents are leaving next Tuesday for España and we will head on over to rent their house. I am excited, but I hate moving...so that is the way it looks right now.

The boys will be sharing a room, we will live in Corvallis, and we will be in search of a church. These are all exciting and freaky at the same time. However what we do know really helps: this is exactly what we are supposed to be doing right now. What comes after...we'll just wait that one out. (meaning: we have no idea)


ps: this picture is not us...but I wish it were!! They are sillies!

thanks!

Thank you to all of you who stepped up and gave me a list of your favourite books!! I'm looking forward to getting my hands on those. fo sho!

For those who have yet to leave a list...or still want to leave another list...KEEP THEM COMING!! It is never too late! Oh, and from now on know if you ever read a book that you absolutely love, I'd love to know.

At some point I will post my favourite 10 books of all time...I just have to figure out which ones they are.

Thank you tons!