Anneliesa's 2011 challenge

This is my first book challenge and I say, "Bring it on!" My overall goal for 2011 is to expand the genre of books I enjoy. I usually stay faithful to the satirical books that make me laugh, but I'm ready to reach out for something new and different. Here we go!

Welcome to the 75'ers! You'll find your reading expand a lot in here, and you tbr pile will probably grow out of proportions:)

Welcome!

Welcome. You will definitely pick up some great recommendations from other readers here and probably find some genre's you've never read before. It's a great group.

Welcome! If you want new and different, you're in the right place. Be ready to have your reading horizons expanded and then exploded... but in a good way! :D

To consolidate my thread, I'll just update my January reads right here.

January

01 Fluke by Christopher Moore
Excellent start to the new year with lots of laughs, a bit of science fiction, and even a little magic.

02 Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss
Usually I wouldn't waste time mentioning all the books that my kiddo begs me to read to her, but this one is worth it! I remember when I was small, my grandmother had all the Suess books on audio and it's so amazing to me that they are still so popular!

03 Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett
A delightful tale of women dressing up as men to go into battle. They each have their own reasons, but the most important thing to find is that they are not nearly as alone as they thought.

04 Coyote Blue by Christopher Moore
A man who has spent most of his life running away from his roots, he finally comes to terms with who he is and what he really wants with his life. I loved this book, it even made me cry a little! (Just a tiny bit..)

05 The Storm by Kate Chopin
A powerful short story that simplifies the lust that lays in the hearts of many. No matter your personal opinion, Chopin makes a very good point that baser desires don't have to be as complicated as we make it.

06 Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway
A short story I've had to read in every English class. Full of symbolism, the limited amount of information about the main characters allows the reader to take what they want from the story. According to my upcoming essay, it's about abortion.

07 Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove by Christopher Moore
A fast paced book about an ancient sea beast that has been awakened by the sound of the Blues, and the town he visits is already in the middle of chaos since the local psychiatrist replaced all the antidepressants with placebos.

08 Dewey's Nine Lives by Vicki Myron
A collection of stories about people and the cats in their lives. Call me a big sap, but I cried in a few of the chapters! These are just regular people going through regular lives, but when they write about the deep love they have for their feline companions, I love them too. And when they grieve after their deaths (whether untimely or from a long and fulfilled life), I had to grieve as well.

09 Amelia Bedelia Under Construction by Herman Parish
Okay, I see how this can teach kids about play on words and would probably be really funny for 4 and 5 year olds. However, it's annoying trying to explain the play on words to a 2 year old since she doesn't exactly recognize the difference yet. Needless to say, I didn't like it.

A new semester has started at college and my free time to read has been significantly reduced. So if I don't meet the challenge this year, don't hold it against me!! I promise I will have a nice TBR pile by the end! ^_^

Welcome to the group!

Welcome! You couldn't have picked a better place to expand your reading interests! That is why I joined, and I have gone from a 'one genre' reader to very eclectic in my reading taste. Its amazing how many really good books I was missing! Good Luck! Look forward to seeing where you go with it!

Hi!
I'm a big Christopher Moore fan, and I really enjoyed Fluke - have you read any of his other stuff?

Absolutely! He's become one of my favorites ever since I picked up You Suck at the library. I've been going through all his other works and I only have coyote blue and lust lizard left to read. Do you know if he's coming out with anything new?

Welcome to the 75ers! Monstrous Regiment is not one of my favorite Pratchetts--but any Pratchett is more fun than most other books, right?

ETA have you read any Jasper Fforde? He would seem to be right up your alley.

Monstrous Regiment has been a little slow going... I really enjoyed Going Postal when I read it years ago in high school so I thought I'd give his other books a try!

And I have not read any of Fforde's works. I'll certainly check him out though!

#10: I still have a couple of his to read (his latest few), and I don't know what/if he's working on anything now. Let's hope so, eh?
Lust Lizard is one of my favorites, though - you'll love it!

I vote for school textbooks counting for our challenge! *Big cheesy grin*
I've got lots to say about macroeconomics.

I wouldn't have made it to 75 last year without counting textbooks I read. Sometimes they were the only reading I did. I say if you read 'em, count 'em!

I agree with Anne!

15,
Thanks! I think I just needed a go ahead so I don't feel like a cheater! :)

I agree three! If you read it, you count it!

While I'm waiting on two more of Christopher Moore's HILARIOUS books to be sent to my local library, I think I'll take a break and start reading some nonfiction. I'll take on any suggestions for anything that is inspiring or educational.

I'd like to take a moment to rant, though. I've had a few people over the years tell me that reading fiction is a hopeless hobby that doesn't serve me any good. This is ridiculous, since most fiction books are not only pleasurable to read, but they can certainly be educational. In many of the Moore books I've been reading, I have had to look up certain 'facts' that creep up in the books to verify that the author wasn't just being his normal crazy. For instance, Coyote Blue taught me some interesting things about a Native American god that I wanted to learn more about. In researching said god, I was able to find a lot of cool information about Native Americans I wouldn't have been interested in before. That being said, I'm very glad I've found this group where so many people enjoy ALL kinds of books and now I have a specific reason for having my nose always buried in some type of book!

Kayso, I started to read Bite Me but when I realized the whole book was in Valleyspeak, I thought, OMG, I'd go crazy. Had to give it a pass.

Haha, That is the only one of his books so far that has Valleyspeak in it. That part was told from a 16 year old girls' point of view. You should give some of his other ones a try! Maybe Stupidest Angel or Coyote Blue to start out with.

Happy February everyone!

Happy February to you too!

Hi There

I'm compiling a list of birthdays of our group members. If you haven't done so already, would you mind stopping by this thread and posting yours.

Thanks.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/105833

>19 Anneliesa:, I'll join you on your rant -- it's amazing what you can learn in a fiction book!

FEBRUARY READS!

10. You Changed My Life by Max Lucado
This was a cute little book filled with inspirational and spiritual quotes and stories. You don't have to belong to a certain faith to enjoy reading about kind people!

11. The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia by Rebecca Wood
This was a very cool book that I didn't even mean to read in it's entirety! Rebecca Wood believes that your relationship with food (just like any other relationship) benefits from learning more about the other. Not only does she include what the food is, she writes the medicinal properties, how to cook it, and where to buy it! Some recipes and tips throughout.

12. A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore
Charlie is just a regular guy with a regular life until the day his daughter is born. Suddenly people are dying around him, he sees weird glowing objects, and names of the dead are appearing on his calendar. A book shows up in his shop explaining (sorta) that he is now death. It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it! Great read! (But then, I wouldn't expect any less from Christopher Moore)

#26: The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia looks good! Thanks for the recommendation.

13. Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food by Jessica Seinfeld
Hiding those pesky child-resistant veggies has never been so easy with this Deceptively Delicious book! It is full of great tips on how to puree certain foods, the nutritional value, and the recommended serving size for little ones. The trick is in purees and if you have any picky eaters at home (child OR adult) I would recommend picking up this book.

So far I made macaroni with navy bean puree (excellent!) and mozzarella sticks made with cauliflower puree. (not as delicious but only because I couldn't get them to stay very stick like..) The cheese hides the cauliflower very well by the way.

#28: I have always been very lucky with my kids. They grew up loving veggies, so I never had any problems getting the girls to eat them. I am glad you found a solution for your family!

#29: Thanks, I'm glad too! Sneaking in healthy things isn't very difficult. My kiddo is two and the only veggies she'll eat are carrots and corn. She sees me munching on vegetables all the time but her dad refuses the healthy stuff. So I have to be sneaky!

14. Pearl of China by Anchee Min
Not a very happy book.. but it was still heartwarming and very well written. This follows the real life Pearl S. Buck who was a Nobel Prize-winning writer and activist. Set in the nineteenth century, Pearl's parents come from America and are in China spreading the good work of the Lord. Willow's father becomes interested in the Christian church so his family can have food on the table. Willow and Pearl become thick as thieves and the unbreakable friendship that has formed follows them throughout wars, uprisings, and the eventual banishment of Pearl and her family.

Although this is a work of fiction, historical accuracy is woven in every page. It was delightful to read about the Chinese culture and their fierce loyalties and a little scary to read about the havoc that the Cultural Revolution wreaked. All in all this was a good read.

I'm adding the book A Dirty Job to my tbr pile. Thanks for your excellent review.

Sure thing! Anything to get someone to be a Christopher Moore fan!

Something I learned from my SIL who has a veggie-hating daughter is to mash carrots with the potatoes. I do it now, not that I can't get my kids to eat their veges but because I think they're pretty and less heavy.

#31: Pearl of China sounds really interesting, even though I've never read any of Pearl Buck's books.

15. Dedication by Emma McLaughlin

Dedication is a very quick and entertaining read. Kate Hollis is trying to live her own life, but is held back by the fact that her ex boyfriend (now a super famous rock star) keeps the hits coming that happen to display her own personal life. Imagine the embarrassment she feels every time she's on a date and a song about her very first intimate experience comes on the radio! For 13 years, she has waited for this rockstar to come back to his hometown so she can make him 'regret his entire existence.'

Every other chapter, McLaughlin's style is to switch to the past so the reader can catch up on Kate's life and see why she is so hell bent and determined to make her ex regret his existence. This is most definitely a chick book, but as far as entertaining novels go, I highly recommend this one.

16. Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Beth Revis paints a riveting tale that delves deep into lies, secrets, science fiction, love, and hope. This is a classic story answering the age old question of whether or not ignorance is bliss. 17 year old Amy makes the difficult decision to join her parents as a cryogenically frozen passenger aboard a ship destined to colonize a new planet. Unfortunately, she is violently awoken 50 years ahead of schedule to a tiny world where everything is backwards! A tyrannical leader looks after the ship's monoethnic inhabitants, but something is wrong. The people with individuality are labeled "insane" and must live in the mental ward. The "normal" people appear to have no emotion at all and cannot function outside of their simple work tasks. When more frozen people are woken up and left for dead, Amy and the future leader of the ship begin to work together to unravel the secrets that the generation ship has concealed for centuries. The problem is, maybe the secrets were better left in the dark..

I really enjoyed this one! Not a happy read, but a good one nonetheless.

That Revis books sounds very intriguing, good review, I am curious despite you rnote of it not being a happy read.

Thanks for the review of Across the Universe! I've added it to my bookmooch wishlist (soon to be TBR pile!). It sounds like an interesting premise, and it intrigues me!

17. Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague by Geraldine Brooks

Year of Wonders is told by Anna Frith, a woman of great character who lost her husband to the mines and then her two sons to the bubonic plague in 1665. As the outbreak became known for what it was, the village rises to panic but makes the extraordinary decision to quarantine themselves from the other villages. This powerful sacrifice proved time and time again to be more than just difficult, as the best and worst of the villagers comes to light in the face of every death. Anna herself is unsure of her potential, but with the help of the Rector and his wife, she becomes a hero by building up the sick, afflicted, and healthy alike.

I was riveted to each page as the story was written beautifully. The strong emotions that issued forth out of the villagers that felt trapped and scared moved me to tears, yet many pages were full of the hope and life that cannot be squashed no matter what a person faces! No one was ready to throw in the towel and that's what makes this book so wonderful. The ending did throw me for a loop that I did not enjoy one bit. Like other reviewers, I didn't think it seemed very plausible but it probably is a "to each their own" kind of situation.

Sounds like a great book Anneliesa. I'll have to keep my eye out for Year of Wonders, as it sounds like a book I'd enjoy. Thanks for the review!

I very much enjoyed Year of Wonders too, but Brooks does seem to have problems with endings for her books.

@Whitknight
You're very welcome!

Alcottacre
Does she really? This was the first one of hers that I've read and I'd love to read more of her books. But I don't want to be left unsatisfied by each ending lol!

I have read her People of the Book which was excellent, but suffers from a weak ending. I do not remember the ending being a problem with March, so perhaps try that one?

I got this book from Early Reviewers! It was my first one, which was cool.

18. The Athlete's Clock by Thomas Rowland is a superb read about human kinetics and how time and biology affect sports performance. The author combines science, psychology, physiology, and experience to back up his theories on just how our internal clock affects performance.

This is a very easy read with lots of interesting trivia thrown in with answers to some very deep questions. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in sports and how the human body can push its own limits.

19. The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

Willa Jackson hails from a family that once was very wealthy and owned the Blue Ridge Madam (the grandest of homes in the town of Walls of Water). Once her family became destitute, the Osgood's took over to become the prominent family of the town. Paxton Osgood and her family have renovated the Blue Ridge Madam to become a "top flight inn" that everyone can share considering the towns rich history around it. Unfortunately, when a skeleton is dug up along with a non fruit bearing peach tree, things get a little shaky. Now, Paxton and Willa form a very unlikely friendship to unravel the strange mystery of a secret that has been kept for 75 years.

I'm so glad I found this book, as I was captivated from the very beginning. It's a quick read, but very profound. Two women who have lost the need to live their own lives to the fullest find each other and ultimately realize the true meaning of love, family, and the true bond and peace that only real friendship can provide.

20. The Bird Sisters: A Novel by Rebecca Rasmussen

This book was beautiful and brought out many emotions in me, including the ones that made me bawl like a baby over the story line!!! (I'm not really a fan of that, but it definitely means that the book was powerful!)

I recommend this for anyone looking for a coming of age story or one about the unbreakable bond between siblings who are brought closer together as their whole world comes crashing down around them.

Because of the strong emotions that I felt through this book, I won't write a full review in case I spoil anything on accident... so there may be more about this one later!

21. Island of the Sequined Love Nun By Christopher Moore

Always a good story with Christopher Moore!! I was a little sad that I wasn't laughing at every sentence, but then I realized this was only his third book so I guess he had to have time to get into his hilarity groove.

Tucker Case is a pilot. He's got it all. A great job, good looks, and women galore! Then one night in a fit of clouded judgment, he crashes his jet while drunk... Now he's got injuries, lawsuits, a revoked license, and no more wonderful job. Tucker Case is broken and feeling pretty sorry for himself.

Then to his surprise, a mysterious letter reaches Tucker asking him go to a remote island and fly a Learjet for some doctor missionaries for way more money than his old job. The missionary doctor makes a point to include how he doesn't care about Tuckers spotty predicament, he only wants him there...

When Tucker gets to the island, he finds some suspicious guards around the compound with guns, and he has some strict rules against making any type of contact with the islanders. He keeps seeing the spirit of a pilot long gone that tells him just enough to confuse him, and a fruit bat starts talking to him in an American accent. He knows the doctors are hiding something, he just can't quite figure out what. And for all that money he's making, does he really need to know?

#47: I will have to see if my local library has that one. Thanks for the recommendation!

I got book number 22 from Early Reviewers! Yay!!!

22. For a Dancer: The Memoir

For a Dancer: The Memoir is a beautiful tale of a woman's life as she struggled to find the acceptance and love she could not receive at home. Through all the ups and downs, Emma must decide what is truly important about life, and what she must let go of and actually pursue. A great read for everyone, this book is especially inspiring to those who have been brought up in poverty stricken and abusive families. The biggest message being that even when the chips are down, there are still bright shining rays of second chances and hope everywhere you look! There is no limit on who you can become despite any negative background you hold!

I will have to look for For a Dancer. Thanks for the review!

BOOK 23! Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

Warm Bodies is an incredible tale about R, a zombie who has very vague recollections of his former life. He has resigned himself to the life of a shambling zombie, but one day on a hunting party, he consumes the brain of a teenage boy who's vivid memories become infused with R and ignites something new inside of him. He sees the teenage boy's girlfriend, and makes an instant conscious decision to save her life and get her out of the danger area. The love he has seen in his new memories and his immense remorse for what he has done and what he is sparks a fierce determination to protect Julie at all costs.

This book is heartwarming, deep, and just a little bit gory. Together, R and Julie show us that love and conscious thought have the power to break the bonds of any difficult situation as long as you try hard enough. That no matter the state of decay the world is in, no one has any right to take those two things from you. I will certainly be looking forward to more works by Isaac Marion!

I will have to see if my local library has Warm Bodies yet. Thanks for the recommendation!

No problem!! It was so engaging, I read it all night and finished it up in the morning. I haven't done that in quite awhile!

Unfortunately my local library does not have the book yet. Maybe soon.

I love books that make me just want to keep on reading!