Dianestm's 11 in 11 Challenge

Hi everyone, I'm looking forward to another year of good reading and lots of hearty discussions.

Category 1 - Short Stories

1. The Shawl Cynthia Ozick - 3 stars

Category 2 - Classics

1. The Woman in White Wilkie Collins - 2 stars

Category 3 - Young Adult

1. No and Me Delphine de Vigan - 4 stars
2. Lock and Key Sarah Dessen - 3 1/2 stars
3. Revolver Marcus Sedgwick - 3 1/2 stars
4. Stolen Lucy Christopher - 3 1/2 stars
5. Ship Breaker Paolo Bacigalupi - 3 1/2 stars
6. You Against Me Jenny Downham - 4 1/2 stars
7. Where the Moon Meets the Mountain Grace Lin - 4 stars

Category 4 - Award

1. Sunnyside Joanna Murray-Smith - 4 stars
2. The Radleys Matt Haig - 4 stars
3. Girl in Translation Jean Kwok - 4 stars
4. Room Emma Donoghue - 5 stars
5. Three Girls and their Brother Theresa Rebeck - 3 stars
6. Shiloh Phyllis Reynolds Naylor - 4 stars
7. Carry on Mr Bowditch Jean Lee Latham - 4 1/2 star
8. One-Eyed Cat Paula Fox - 3 1/2 stars
9. Sarah Plain and Tall Patricia MacLachlan - 4 stars
10. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Mildred D Taylor - 4 stars
11. Caddie Woodlawn Carol Ryrie Brink - 3 stars
12. Whittington Alan Armstrong - 2 stars
13. Dear Mr Henshaw Beverly Cleary - 3 1/2 stars

Category 5 - Series

1. Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone J.K. Rowling - 4 stars
2. The Weed that Strings the Hangmans Bag Alan Bradley - 4 1/2 stars
3. Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy Ally Carter - 4 stars
4. Murder with Puffins Donna Andrews - 3 1/2 stars
5. Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets J.K. Rowling - 4 stars
6. Harry Potter and the Prisoner from Azkaban J.K. Rowling - 4 stars
7. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire J.K. Rowling - 4 stars

Category 6 - Biographies

1. The Greedy Bastard Diary Eric Idle - 4 1/2 stars
2. Breaking Night Liz Murray - 3 stars

Category 7 - NZ Authors

Category 8 - Recommendations

1. Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie Alan Bradley - 4 1/2 stars
2. The Hundred Dresses Eleanor Estes - 4 1/2 stars
3. The Book of Lost Things John Connolly - 3 stars
4. A Tiny Bit Marvellous Dawn French - 4 stars

Category 9 - Off the shelf (owned but unread)

Category 10 - Around the World Challenge http://www.librarything.com/topic/71274

1. Cutting for Stone Abraham Verghese - 3 1/2 stars (Ethiopia)
2. The Night of the Mi'raj Zoe Ferraris - 4 1/2 stars (Saudi Arabia)

Category 11 -

Book No. 1

Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone J.K. Rowling

4 stars

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The story moved along at a good pace and it was very easy to read the escapades of Harry and his friends at Hogwarts.

I thought it was about time I picked these up and read them.

I like the Harry Potter series. I think the third book is my favorite. You're right about the pacing in the early books; I think her editors really worked with her. With the later ones (once she was clearly a runaway success), it got a bit iffier, I'm afraid, to the point that I'm rather afraid to reread (not that you shouldn't keep reading onward if you're inclined!)

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie Alan Bradley

4 1/2 stars

I really enjoyed this book. The narrator-protagonist is one of the cleverest, liveliest, most entertaining characters I have had the pleasure to meet in many a year. I laughed aloud many times and couldn't wait to get back to reading this gem. Flavia is the 11-year-old daughter of a widower in England in the 50s. She loves science and mystery, despises her haughty clueless sisters, and is plotting to poison them and get away with it. When a mysterious crime happen at the family home, she thrusts herself into solving it.

I have a definite soft spot for wit and humor in fiction and this book hit the spot. Add to the mix a good mystery and the prospect of many more stories to come featuring this spunky scientist pre-teen and I am hooked.

The Shawl Cynthia Ozick

3 stars

Two thoughtful and moving stories on the Holocaust. The opening story is extended with a companion story about a Holocaust "survivor" living in Miami.

#13, thanks for stopping by. I am hoping to get to the next HP book very soon.

I find when I am reading other LT members' threads that an author's name can stop me. Cynthia Ozick is an author I became enamored with two years ago after reading her short story collection Dictation: A Quartet. I just picked up Foreign Bodies from the library and I have now 'found' another book, The Shawl based on your post here. Thanks!

Your very welcome for the book. I will certainly be on the lookout for more of her books.

The Greedy Bastard Diary Eric Idle

4 1/2 stars

Personable, funny, sad, interesting. Sometimes all at once!

A complete joy to read.

Sunnyside Joanna Murray-Smith

4 stars

Follows the lives of 4 couples in the suburb of Sunnyside and the fall out when Molly decides to have an affair with the pool man. Think Desperate Housewives in a book.

Something I was definitely in the mood for, light fluffy and frivolous.

The Weed that Strings the Hangmans Bag Alan Bradley

4 1/2 stars

Flavia de Luce is back, the dangerously smart, rather wicked 11-year old with a passion for chemistry (especially poisons) and funnier than ever. Following Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, this second book in the series involves Rupert, a puppeteer who has a television show on the BBC. When his van breaks down in Fravia’s town of Bishop’s Lacey, he and his assistant/girlfriend are recruited to put on a puppet show. When Rupert ends up electrocuted the question becomes whether it is an accident or murder. Is there a connection to the hanging death of young boy Robin 5 years previously? What does Mad Meg, the mad woman of Gibbet Wood, know? And how does the field of (medicinal) marijuana that Flavia discovers on her daily jaunts on her trusty bike fit in?

Bradley beautifully captures the slower-paced, small-town life in 1950s England. Add quirky characters, two wicked sisters and a page-turning mystery, and you have a winner. I am already looking forward to the next book in the series.

Good review of The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag Diane! I am also waiting, rather impatiently, for book three in the series to be released.

The Hundred Dresses Eleanor Estes

4 1/2 stars

I picked this one up on the recommendation of Linda (Whisper1) and it was absolutely brilliant.

An immigrant girl is teased because she talks about having 100 dresses, despite the fact that she is obviously poor and wears the same dress to school day after day. Through this book, readers can consider the consequence of teasing and perhaps more importantly, consider the consequences of sitting quietly when others do the teasing. The protagonist maintains her dignity, despite her classmates unfortunate behavior.

Cutting for Stone Abraham Verghese

3 1/2 stars

A sweeping, emotionally riveting first novel — an enthralling family saga of Africa and America, doctors and patients, exile and home. Marion and Shiva Stone are twin brothers born of a secret union between a beautiful Indian nun and a brash British surgeon at a mission hospital in Addis Ababa. Orphaned by their mother’s death in childbirth and their father’s disappearance, the twins come of age as Ethiopia hovers on the brink of revolution. Yet it will be love, not politics that will tear them apart and force Marion, fresh out of medical school, to flee his homeland. He makes his way to America, finding refuge in his work as an intern at an underfunded, overcrowded New York City hospital. When the past catches up to him Marion must entrust his life to the two men he thought he trusted least in the world: the surgeon father who abandoned him and the brother who betrayed him. An unforgettable journey into one man’s remarkable life, and an epic story about the power, intimacy, and curious beauty of the work of healing others.

Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy Ally Carter

4 stars

Most times lies aren't such a good thing, but in the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, lies are everything. Because this school is no ordinary school, it is a training program for young spies. Cammie Morgan, who goes to this school, finds herself wondering how to be herself when, as a young spy, she must have many other identities that are a part of who she is. because lying, blending in, and spying is what she does best. but on top of it all, there is something new approaching the Gallagher Academy, something none of them expected. BOYS, from another spy school that they heard of. But these boys are carrying a secret and it is up to Cammie and her friends to discover. What are they hiding? And what are they about to find out?

The second book in the Gallagher Girls series and a quick, easy and fun read.

No and Me Delphine de Vigan

4 stars

Lou, a 13-year-old, does research for school on homelessness and follows a 18-year-old homeless girl in order to interview her.

Homelessness is not the only somber topic covered in the book. Lou's family has a history they never talk about. Her school friend Lucas has his own set of problems. And of course, we meet No, the 18-year-old homeless girl, and get a hint of her issues.

Somber, but well worth the read.

Murder with Puffins Donna Andrews

3 1/2 stars

Vey funny book. The characters were so strange I found myself laughing out loud as they stumbled around Monhegan Island looking for a murderer. I'm looking forward to reading more in this series.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets JK Rowling

4 stars

Another good book in this series. Character development of the three primary characters is well done. The plot also develops the surrounding cast, introduces new characters, and extends out knowledge of the Hogwarts Castle. The end of the book races to its conclusion, really moving you on a quick journey. Despite this speed, the ending is very well done and extremely well thought out.

The Night of the Mi'raj Zoe Ferraris

4 1/2 stars

Nouf, a young Muslim girl in Saudi Arabia goes missing, then turns up dead, just a few days before her wedding. A very pious man must team up with a female medical examiner to figure out what happened. Did she run away? Was she kidnapped? What is the family hiding?

Loved it! Beautiful. The author did a great job of placing the reader right in the situations, feeling the discomfort as the fight between the traditional rules and laws in Saudi Arabia clash with more modern ideas.

Oooohhhh ..... The Night of the Mi'raj looks good!

The Zoe Ferraris book has been on my wish list for a while. It's nice to know it's as good as it sounds!

Harry Potter and the Prisoner from Azkaban JK Rowling

4 stars

The third book in the series and so far the best. I am not embarrassed to admit it, but I'm finding this series to be addictive. The first two books were a little slow, but this one was a bit better. I like how the characters are developed with each book and are already looking forward to the next one in the series.

Lock and Key - Sarah Dessen

3 1/2 stars

When Ruby finds herself deserted by her mum during her senior year of high school she trys to get by living on her own, only to be discovered by the authorities. Ruby is sent to live with her older sister that she has not seen in over ten years and thrust into a life of wealth and privilege that she is completely unaccustomed to. It is a Sarah Dressen book so of course there is romance mixed into the whole plot. A good quick teen genre read.

Revolver - Marcus Sedgwick

3 1/2 stars

This was an interesting tale of a single event in a boy's life and the events that precipitated it. Sig and his family have lived in the arctic for as long as he can remember. His story takes place on the day he finds his father frozen on the lake and then finds his home invaded by a violent stranger who claims to have had a deal with Sig's father. Sig has to figure out the best path to take to save himself and his family. Should he shoot the stranger, or is the peaceful path his mother always urged a better choice?

The Radleys Matt Haig

4 stars

I really enjoyed this book! It was like a comic without the pictures, with characters that were really odd, and fitted perfectly with the situation they were in. I loved the plot. The take on vampires was a bit odd, and didn't fit in with many of the more romantic ideas about them, but it made for a good plot line, which was really orrigonal especially compared with many of the other vampire stories around. Funny and interesting, definitely something to read with spare time on your hands!

Stolen Lucy Christopher

3 1/2 stars

It was good, just not my favorite type of book to read. It is about a girl who is kidnapped and what she goes through. It is not graphic or hard to read, it is almost sweet but I am not sure how I am supposed to feel throughout the book. Was I supposed to empathise with the Kidnapper - because I did, and was Gemma supposed to annoy me - because she did, a lot!

Girl in Translation

4 stars

Kimberly Chang and her Mother emigrate from Hong Kong to America. They start their lives in NYC in the comfort of Aunt Paula's home only to find themselves quickly deposited into poverty and long hours in a sweatshop. Kimberly Chang's dedication and determination to make a better life for her mother and herself is the fuel that motivates her to not only learn the English language but also to excel academically, set goals, and achieve. Kimberly successfully overcomes the language, economic, and social differences in order to fit into her new world. After achieving every goal and meeting every challenge, she learns exactly what she has had to give up to get there. Ultimately, Kimberly's success is both happy and sad. This is another story that reminds us that everything in life has a price.

Breaking Night Liz Murray

3 stars

I have read a few biographies along the same lines - parents are drug addicts and or alcoholics, kids are abused either physically or mentally and the eventual coming right of the person narrating the story. Don't get me wrong, I think what Liz Murray was able to achieve was fantastic and I applaud her efforts and aspirations to be something better than what she was but the book was kind of predicatable and I was hoping for something unique in her story.

Room Emma Donoghue

5 stars

The novel tells the story of 5-year-old Jack, who lives in one room with his mother, Ma. The reason they live there is that Ma was kidnapped when she was nineteen, and has been held prisoner in a specially designed room by her captor, Old Nick. The first part of the book is about Jack and Ma’s captivity, and the tension and sense of dread builds really well as Ma realises that there is no way mother and child will continue to survive in this situation as it is, and they have to attempt a daring escape.

Donoghue is spot on with the voices, obviously of Jack and the immensely sympathetic Ma, but also with Ma’s doctor, nurse, mother, brother, sister-in-law, father, and new stepfather. Each of these minor characters adds layers to the complexity of Jack’s adaptation to the big world outside, and to Ma’s difficulty dealing with her feelings of guilt and sadness.

Ship Breaker Paolo Bacigalupi

3 1/2 stars

This is a fast paced novel of a distopia future, where the global-warming and a shortage of oil has radically changed the face of the planet.
Nailer, a young teen, ship breaker who wants to escape his father and life, finds his chance when he discovers a luxury yacht washed up from a hurricane filled with lots of salvage. But, he finds a survivor on the ship, a beautiful young woman, who he must choose between helping or grabbing what he can and dashing.

Three Girls and their Brother Theresa Rebeck

3 stars

This book is a tale of what happens to a family when fame hits the three sisters in a family after a picture of them appears in The New Yorker. It talks about their instant rise to fame and how they each deals with the consequences of their fame. The book is in four parts with each part being told from the point of view from a different sibling. The mother was a horrible character who only had her own interests in mind and completely neglected her young children.

I found this hard to get into but for some reason kept going. This was a very average read.

Carry on Mr Bowditch Jean Lee Latham

4 1/2 stars

I was delightfully surprised at how much I loved this Newberry Award winner. Inspiring, exactly the kind of book I enjoy reading. Historical fiction based on the life of Nathaniel Bowditch, the book teaches you moral lessons being a self-starter & learning self-control, as well as interesting facts about navigation, mathematics, and science, while still being an engrossing and endearing story.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire JK Rowling

4 stars

Found this one to be a bit drawn out but still managed to hook me from the beginning.

Sarah, Plain and Tall Patricia MacLachlan

4 stars

The story has but a small plot, a dead mother, a child who misses what he's never known, an older sister who is bored with comforting her younger brother in the same, repetitious way, a father who does his best but is overwhelmed and lonely as the only adult holding his family together. And then comes Sarah. Answering an advert for a wife, we never learn why she never married and was willing to leave her home for an unknown man, hard work in deeply rural setting and a ready-made family. Problems are presented, solutions suggested but most important in this book, are the feelings engendered by the meeting of this lonely family and this lonely woman and how they all bond into a beautiful family with a future expanded by love. Loved this story.

Shiloh Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

4 stars

Set in the hills of West Virginia, a young boy faces the dilemma of doing the right thing by the law or by his heart. Marty befriends the beagle Shiloh when it tags along on one of his fishing expeditions. He finds the pooch to be very shy but hungry for companionship. It doesn't take long before Shilo's affable puppyish enthusiasm shows through. The become fast inseperable friends. After some particulary savage treatment by the beagle's owner, Marty builds a sanctuary for the little creature. The young boy shows many shining qualities such as selflessness, and bravery confronting and overcoming evil with good. Will he be able to keep the dog? Dependent on this is how his parents, sister, neighboring friend, local authorities, and Shiloh's owner respond. Marty must find a way to please all involved while finding justice for his canine friend.

One-Eyed Cat Paula Fox

3 1/2 stars

Ned gets a gun from his uncle for his birthday, but his father takes it away, stating that he doesn't want him to have it yet. That night, Ned sneaks the gun out of the attic and shoots it at a shadow. He is sure that the one-eyed cat that turns up soon afterward is the result of his handywork, and he feels horribly guilty about it.

I recognize that there was good writing here, and I thought it had flashes of insight about human nature, but the plot was just a little to internal for me. The entire story was about Ned's guilt and how he dealt with it, so the character did a lot of introspection, and describing.

Thanks for the reviews! :)

A Tiny Bit Marvellous Dawn French

4 stars

Well written and is laugh out loud funny as well as sensitive & poignant. I could really identify with some of it. All characters were developed naturally and stayed within their roles. Recommend it if you are after a good light read.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Mildred D Taylor

4 stars

The Logan family are a black family who own land in Missippi and work hard to tend and keep it, even though they pay a high price at times. It chronicles the lives of the family through a time in history where the were treated with disprespect and degradation.

The Book of Lost Things John Connolly

3 stars

I enjoyed this book, but not as much as I expected from hearing what other people have said about it. My favorite part was the sort of "fractured fairy tales" element of it that pulled in elements from well-known stories, like Snow White, and warped them into things a child might think about or fear when hearing the story. At its worst, however, it's a plodding trek through an unhappy land full of dead children and homophobia.

Dear Mr Henshaw Beverly Cleary

3 1/2 stars

This book Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Clearly is a awesome book that shows a young boy having a hard time in his life. His parents are divorced and he lives in a trailor park. Man his life is rough but everyday he writes to his favorte author, Mr. Henshaw.

Whittington Alan Armstrong

2 stars

I am not impressed with this book. Was it a story about a cat telling the story of his lineage? Was it a story about a boy who had learning difficulties? Both, but neither story connected in any way, they seemed to be merely coincidentally included in the same book. Left me very unsatisfied.

The Woman in White Wilkie Collins

2 stars

Wow, long and predictable, but fascinating for the way Collins influences many of the modern mystery authors I love today.

Caddie Woodlawn Carol Ryrie Brink

3 stars

A cute youth book. I love that this girl is a tomboy who is healthy because she runs around with the boys. I liked that these sound like they are based on true stories and I liked the interactions with the Native Americans.

You Against Me Jenny Downham

4 1/2 stars

You Against Me is an emotional, realistic tear jerker. Ellie's brother Tom has been accused of assaulting Karyn McKenzie. He says he didn't do it, Karyn insists he did. Ellie meets Karyn's brother Mikey when he gatecrashers a party for Tom's release on bail. His goal: Beat Tom to a pulp. But then he starts to fall for Ellie, and she for him. As the court date looms, Ellie is cracking up. Her brother needs her, but so does Mikey.

This is a great read. I liked the characters of Ellie and Mikey, but Tom was really the star of the show.

Where the Moon Meets the Mountain Grace Lin

4 stars

This one of those books that is a joy to read in part because of the physical qualities of the actual book. Wonderful thick quality paper, full color illustrations, interesting text, lovely detailing in color throughout the book.

Grace Lin was influenced by the Chinese myths she read in her youth and she does a wonderful job incorporating them into the story of a poor girl who sets out to do the impossible. Although there are many intermissions, such as people Minli bumps into while on her journey telling their own tale, it all comes together at the end. It is a fast read too, since it never feels like the tales never slow down the pace of Minli's journey. It is obvious why this book is getting Newbery mentions.

>42 dianestm: Thanks for bringing this book to my attention! I'm always looking for books for my granddaughter (and myself too), and this sounds like a good one.

Thanks for stopping by ivyd. I'm sure your granddaughter will enjoy the book.