5X5? But I have a 4X4

Finally a challenge with no pressure. This past year has been hectic so this is a nice way to take little steps, and feel like I'm making progress on my 50 book challenge (which I'm not going to make this year 2011)

1. "I've taken a liking to medieval mysteries so my that is my first group ;
OR
"That would hang us, every mother’s son." A Midsummer Night’s Dream

1. The Queen's Head by Edward Marston (3 stars)
2.
3.
4.
5.

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2. The second group will be Sci-Fi / Fantasy ;
OR
"That it should come to this!". Hamlet

1. The Trees of Zharka by Nancy Mackenroth
2. Terrible Swift Sword (Lost Regiment #3) by William R. Forstchen
3. Dorsai! by Gordon R. Dickson (3 Stars) Military. Sci Fi
4. Logan's Run by William F. Nolan, George Clayton Johnson
5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Sci-Fi 2 1/2 stars)

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3. It's always nice to learn a little along the way, so history is next (will include memoirs,Biographies etc. );
OR
"Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall" - Measure for Measure

1. Over the Top by Arthur Guy Empey (4 stars WW1 memoirs)
2. The Fighting Temeraire: The Battle of Trafalgar and the Ship that Inspired J. M. W. Turner's Most Beloved Painting by Sam Willis (3 1/2 stars Naval history)
3. Count Luckner, The Sea Devil by Lowell Thomas (WW1 History 4 stars)
4.
5.

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4. I'll include some Literature also;
OR
"I cannot tell what the dickens his name is" -The Merry Wives of Windsor

1. Norwood by Charles Portis
2.
3.
4.
5.

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5. And last but not least one of my old favorites - "Age of Sail" (will include modern Naval books also);
OR
" Of his bones are coral made; " The Tempest

1. HMS Saracen by Douglas Reeman (3 Stars)
2.
3.
4.
5.

Just started The Queen's Head by Edward Marston. An Elizabethan mystery novel. Not really a medieval mystery, but what's 100 or so years among friends

Like your categories. I'll be watching your reading. Enjoy.

I still have one book left to finish my challenge started last year, but I am already thinking about my next one. I agree that this challenge is perfect for me, too.

I am also looking forward to seeing your book choices.

The Queen's Head by Edward Marston (3 stars)

Nicholas Bracewell, book holder , prompter and manager of a group of temperamental thespians in Elizabetan England.tries to solve a murder as England rejoices in it's triumph over the Spanish Armada.

A good story light reading mystery of the kind that seem that the English write better than anyone else.

The first one for the;
"That it should come to this!". Hamlet ,
is The Trees of Zharka by Nancy Mackenroth

The Trees of Zharka by Nancy Mackenroth (3stars)

The people of zharka live lives filled with hard work and no joy. In fact the greatest sin are the sins of joy and happiness. They must atone for the great sin of their ancestors and be ruled by the priest who take care of the scared grove of trees. Why?

This book is full of common themes that were all too common 70's. Books like
Weeping May Tarry by Raymond F. Jones, To Open The Sky by Robert Silverberg, A Planet Called Treason,by Orson Scott card, The Last Starship From Earthand The Rakehells of Heaven by John Boyd. All a little dated now but can be fun to read.

next in the Sci fi group is "Terrible Swift Sword" (Lost Regiment #3 of 8)
by William R. Forstchen

Well, the title The Rakehells of Heaven certainly intrigues me. Haven't read much vintage sci fi, but maybe I should start!

>christina_reads

Here's the 2 cent summary of The Rakehells of Heaven;

Ens. John Adams returns 6 months early from a deep space probe. His partner Ens. O'Hara is not with him. It falls to a junior intern psychiatrist to debrief him and find out what happened.
While on a deep space probe, they discover the Planet Harlech (which in the aliens language means Heaven). A planet where there are no wars, crimes or religion. The planet is run by universities where the population learn their trades.
One of the purpose's of these probes is to establish trade with the worlds they find, but the people of Harlech have no interest in trade with or of Earth at all. The Earthmen are allowed to set up classes which will teach Earth History and culture. They start by teaching ethics, religion and law. Of course they cause havoc along the way, and manage to introduce crime, student protests, marriage, police, law courts and lawyers to heaven.
Of coarse the burning question is what happened to O'Hara, and why does John Adams risk a court marshall and return to Earth six months early?
As with other of Boyds books he pokes fun at religion and lawyers so this isn't for the easily offended.

Funnily enough, I am both religious AND a lawyer...but hey, I can laugh at myself. :)

The 2nd book of my
Sci-Fi / Fantasy ; OR "That it should come to this!". Hamlet

"Terrible Swift Sword" (Lost Regiment #3) by William R. Forstchen

This is the 3rd book of an 8 book series about Civil War regiment that is whisked to a far planet through a worm hole.
The 35th Maine regiment continues it's battle on a far distant planet against the dreaded Merki hordes and free the subjected people.

A fairly good yarn if you enjoy these cross world / alternate history type books (which I do)

Next up is Charles Portis's first novel Norwood. I recently read True Grit and really enjoyed it. The writing and subtle humor were fantastic.i So I'm trying another of his books.

O.K. I was really, really bad at keeping up with all of my challanges and goals last year. Will try and do better this year.
So with that in mind I'll start this year off where I was.

5. And last but not least one of my old favorites - "Age of Sail" (will include modern Naval books also);
OR
" Of his bones are coral made; " The Tempest
1. HMS Saracen by Douglas Reeman (3 Stars)

In 1915 Midshipman Rchard Chesnaye reports aboard the HMS Saracen, a new type of war ship called a monitor, it's shallow draft and large guns are designed to provide close support for troops during the Gallipoli Campaign. His experiences scar him for life and serve him well when he is called back to service in 1941 to be Saracen's Captain.

I only stared reading Reeman's modern naval books recently and find them enjoyable. Have read (and enjoyed) most of his Age of Sail books about the life Richard Bolitho that he wrote under the name Alexander Kent.

2.
3.
4.
5.

2. The second group will be Sci-Fi / Fantasy ;
OR
"That it should come to this!". Hamlet
1. The Trees of Zharka by Nancy Mackenroth
2. Terrible Swift Sword (Lost Regiment #3) by William R. Forstchen

3. Dorsai! by Gordon R. Dickson (3 Stars) Military. Sci Fi

Donal Graeme is a professional mercenary (a Dorsai). From a long line of professional mercenaries. Who are a part of a race of professional mercenaries. He's not the strongest, tallest or smartest he just has a different way at looking at and solving military problems. This gift or strangeness in him wins him fast promotion and fame.

4.
5.

I'm filling my Sci-Fi section fast Latest is Logan's Run by William F. Nolan, George Clayton Johnson. No big surprises here if you familiar with the movie. More running around (the whole world not just a domed city) and you only get to live to 21 not 30 like the movie.

2. The second group will be Sci-Fi / Fantasy ;
OR
"That it should come to this!". Hamlet

1. The Trees of Zharka by Nancy Mackenroth
2. Terrible Swift Sword (Lost Regiment #3) by William R. Forstchen
3. Dorsai! by Gordon R. Dickson (3 Stars) Military. Sci Fi
4. Logan's Run by William F. Nolan, George Clayton Johnson

Just started to read my first book in my - "Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall" - Measure for Measure -

Over the Top by Arthur Guy Empey. Originally publish in 1917 it's the memoirs of an American that went to England and enlisted in the English Army before the U.S. entered the war.

first book in my;
"Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall" - Measure for Measure

1. Over the Top by Arthur Guy Empey (4 stars WW1 memoirs)
2.
3.
4.
5.

Arthur Guy Empey went to England and enlisted in the British army after the sinking of RMS Lusitania in 1915.
As the U.S. was technically neutral at the time, this was against U.S. and English law (he was turned down at least once that he writes about).
He fought on the western front until he was wounded in the Battle of the Somme and medically discharged in 1916.
Upon his return to the U.S. he wrote Over the top to tell of his experiences and what life was like in the trenches. Each chapter covers different part of an infantry man’s life from enlistment to battle. How they lived, fought, entertained themselves and endured life in the trenches.
Overall the book is an easy read and full of insights of the life and plights of the WW1 soldier. A little simplistic and light hearted by todays standards, it still does a good job of telling of the horrors of trench warfare.

"Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall" - Measure for Measure

1. Over the Top by Arthur Guy Empey (4 stars WW1 memoirs)
2. The Fighting Temeraire: The Battle of Trafalgar and the Ship that Inspired J. M. W. Turner's Most Beloved Painting by Sam Willis (3 1/2 stars Naval history)

A good history inspired by Turner's 1839 painting of the H.M.S. Temeraire being towed to the break up yard by a steam tug. The history covers the years from 1759 (The Seven Year's War) till 1815 (The Battle of Trafalgar). Reads like a novel in many places, because Wiliis doesn't let history get in the way of a good story.

"Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall" - Measure for Measure

1. Over the Top by Arthur Guy Empey (4 stars WW1 memoirs)
2. The Fighting Temeraire: The Battle of Trafalgar and the Ship that Inspired J. M. W. Turner's Most Beloved Painting by Sam Willis (3 1/2 stars Naval history)
3. Count Luckner, The Sea Devil by Lowell Thomas (WW1 History 4 stars)

This was a great book!! It's the story of Count Luckner and how he took a sailing ship (yes a square rigger) and raided allied shipping during WW1. If that isn't enough he was awarded a humanitarian medal by the Pope after the war because while doing the raiding he never so much as hurt a ship's cat. He took on the crews of the ships he sank on his own ship and let them go as soon as possible.
The first few chapters Lowell tells how he met and befriended Luckner, then Luckner tells his story in his own words, not only of his raiding but also how he ran away from home at a young age (he didn't want to carry on the family tradition of being a calvary officer) and went to sea.

Time to close out one category!!

"That it should come to this!". Hamlet

1. The Trees of Zharka by Nancy Mackenroth
2. Terrible Swift Sword (Lost Regiment #3) by William R. Forstchen
3. Dorsai! by Gordon R. Dickson (3 Stars) Military. Sci Fi
4. Logan's Run by William F. Nolan, George Clayton Johnson
5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Sci-Fi 2 1/2 stars)

This was the big book several years ago and with the movie coming out the end of the month I decided to give it a read. It wasn't a bad story (for a youth/ young adult book), think it was over hyped though. (Just my opinion). Interesting concept and idea. I can see way it was a hit with the younger generation. Might read the next one in the series.