TinaV's 2013 Categories

I'm joining the Category Challenge group for 2013! Since this is my first time, I may have to do a bit of tweaking on the categories I choose, but I've tried to take hints from others and not get too narrow in my themes. I'm not going to set a specific goal for each category, but if I could average 5 in each, I'd be thrilled. Here goes nothing!! :)

The Categories / Explanations
1. "A Little Slice of Orange"
Orange Prize for Fiction Nominees (now called Women's Prize for Fiction)

2. "Fangtastic"
Vampire themed

3. "Paranormal Adventures"
Anything remotely 'other wordly' or fantasy based

4. "Young at Heart"
YA Lit

5. "Noteworthy"
Prizewinners / nominees (except Women's Prize for Fiction) and/or Bestsellers

6. "Shoulda Read It Already"
Classics

7. "Mysteries and Mayhem"
Mysteries (duh), Crime, Thrillers

8. "Highly Recommended"
Books recommended by my fellow LT'ers

9. "Grow Up Already"
Self Help / Spiritual Growth

10. "Languishing Literature"
Books that have been on my shelves for more than 6 months

11. "Interesting Fluff"
Just for fun - guilty pleasures

12. "For the Journey"
Audio books from my lengthy commutes

13. "The Junk Drawer"
Selections that don't fit anywhere else

Category 1: "A Little Slice of Orange"

1. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
2. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
3. Swamplandia! by Karen Russell
4.
5.

Category 2: "Fangtastic"

1. Sunrise at Sunset by Jaz Primo
2.
3.
4.
5.

Category 3: "Paranormal Adventures"

1. Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett
2. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
3. Wake by Amanda Hocking
4. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
5.

Category 4: "Young at Heart"

1. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
2. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
3. Fire by Kristin Cashore
4. Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
5.

Category 5: "Noteworthy"

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Category 6: "Shoulda Read it Already"

1. The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
2. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
3.
4.
5.

Category 7: "Mysteries and Mayhem"

1. Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich
2.
3.
4.
5.

Category 8: "Highly Recommended"

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Category 9: "Grow Up Already"

1. The Purpose Driven Life
2.
3.
4.
5.

Category 10: "Languishing Literature"

1. Selected Poems of Emily Dickinson
2.
3.
4.
5.

Category 11: "Interesting Fluff"

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Category 12: "For the Journey"

EDITED: Most of my audios fit into other categories, so I may just add those that I 'read' here later in the year...
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Category 13: "The Junk Drawer"

1. The Gordonston's Ladies Dog Walking Club -- and Early Reviewer book
2. Approaching the Hunger Games Trilogy -- another Early Reviewer book
3.
4.
5.

Started my 2013 challenge tonight! I began & ended this powerful YA novel called Speak within a few hours. I barely put the book down once I started. Few books do that to me these days.

I will review it later (i.e. not when it's this late at night cause I'm getting older every day...)

Welcome to the challenge. Please come and check out the various Cats (optional group challenges) we are doing this year. In the January AwardCats the focus will be on the Orange Prize and Spur Awards. This may fit into your Orange Prize category nicely.

BTW, I love Laurie Halse Anderson and I highly recommend both Chains and Forge. I hope to get to Speak this year.

Welcome! Looking forward to seeign what books you choose and I agree with DQ above that you should check out the AwardsCAT.

16 & 17... Thanks for the heads up on the "cats". I will check them out tonight after work!

Looks like you have a good plan for the year.

Welcome, and with one book already finished, you are well on your way with your challenge! Looking forward to seeing what you thought of Speak..... any book that is read straight through is worthy of some attention!

Welcome!! Looks like you have lots of good reading ahead of you, and, like @DeltaQueen50 said, quite a few that would fit the CATs.

Thanks for the welcomes and encouragement DeltaQueen, PawsforThought, hailelib, lkernagh, and Eva!

I'm very excited to get started on a fun 2013 and follow along with all of you!

I've just been looking at the CAT pages and they look like great fun! Thanks for the heads up.

Here are my thoughts on Speak, btw.

http://www.librarything.com/work/2298201/reviews/92425814

Can I be dumb here and ask what the CAT acronym stands for? Or is it just a shortened version of the word 'category'?

The CAT acronym stands for Categories and Themes ("CAT"). The group decided to come up with a different acronym to distinguish the 2013 Challenge "take it or leave it" style sub-challenges as being distinct from the TIOLI sub-challenges that are named as such over on the 75 group.

Just so you know.... I did have to look up what the acronym stands for so I could respond to your question. I knew it had something to do with coming up with something that can be distinguished from the TIOLI, but damned if I could remember what the acronym stood for! We both learned something from your question.... so I consider it a goodie! ;-)

24. "The best way to learn is to teach" ;)

24. Thank you so much! That makes good sense. I kept looking for references on the wiki pages but couldn't come up with the answer. Glad we both learned... Don't feel as goofy about asking.

25. Isn't that the truth?!?!

I think the explanation can be found on the "General Organizational Things" thread (http://www.librarything.com/topic/145203) if you're interested.

Speak is an excellent choice to start your 2013 challenge. Welcome aboard! I'll be interested to follow your reads.

Thank you Paws and mamzel! This seems like a very fun group of folks. I'm excited to be here & give themed reading a whirl.

So I'm feeling a bit guilty over starting early....

I'm not sure whether to add my recent book or take off Speak and start Jan 1.

Decisions, decisions. Thoughts?

Hi Tina - Its your challenge and you are not the only one to start before Jan 1st - which is totally allowable - so I wouldn't sweat it.

There's a bunch of people that started early, it's fine if that's your choice! I was considering it, as I've been anxious to get started, but it'd have messed up the way I count (annually), so I decided not to complicate mattes and just do it on the 1st.

Thanks so much for the opinions! I appreciate it!

There are quite a few people already started, I think - I wouldn't worry about that at all. We'll all look forward to the bookbullets you hand out, regardless of the date. :)

I started early as well. The only down side is having different numbers for books read if you follow a books for the year challenge as well. Still, I did it last year, and elected to do it again.

Thanks Eva and majkia! :)

I guess I'm going to continue on and have different numbers for my 75 challenge.

Thanks for the input everyone!

"Fangtastic" category - book 1
Sunrise at Sunset

I read this on my Nook while traveling to Houston for Christmas. I was just looking for a little light reading in the airport to keep me from feeling antsy on a long wait.

The forward of the book held promise for me. I really liked how the main character - a female vampire - was emotionally moved by a little boy who saved her life just as she is almost beyond help. In short order, she in turn saves him. A nice beginning.

It got 'squicky' for me as the story progressed and the heroine finds the boy-turned-good looking man and begins inserting herself into his life. The two characters are attracted to one another and fall in love. I was over the story at that point. I still read the book, because I'm a weirdo that way (haven't learned to Pearl Rule yet).

It was a decent read. There was action, plot twists and other redeeming characters. Thankfully, there were no over the top sex scenes - just vague innuendos. But I just had a problem with the concept of how the two characters originally meet. Needless to say, I will not continue the series.

I'll still give it 3 stars but they are a hesitant three :)

Sounds like that was a perfect airport read - light and forgettable.

Hi Tina! Looking forward to following your reading in 2013!

38... Exactly!! Well stated.

39... Thanks Laura. I'm looking forward to following you too!

"A Little Slice of Orange" category - book 1

Case Histories by Kate Atkinson

Read also as a "CAT trick" -- 'new to me' author, Orange Prize nominee, 'A' or 'M' challenges!
Loved it! If I didn't have so many other books sitting on my shelves unread, I would request another Atkinson from the library, as I loved the PI, Jackson Brodie.

ETA:
Here's a link to my review:

http://www.librarything.com/work/17818/reviews/92750992

That's one that's also on my shelves, TBR. Glad you loved it, I've only heard good things!

Thanks Laura! I hope you love it when you arrive at that point of your TBR mountain :)

Paranormal Adventures - book 1

Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett

Here's my review:

I must start off by acknowledging that the only reason I gave Terry Pratchett a second chance is due to the nudging of several of my friends in the 75 group. My previous attempt at Pratchett was several years ago when I read his first Discworld novel, The Color of Magic. I did not enjoy it and had decided Discworld was not a series I wanted to continue.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago... LT'ers in the 75 group urged me to give him another try. They told me several books to choose from that would give me a better / more representative glimpse at Pratchett. Although the Wyrd Sisters was not first on the list, it was the only choice I had when I made an unplanned book therapy stop on my recent business trip.

I am pleased to share that I reallllllly enjoyed this book! I found the humor refreshing and I thought the three witch characters were extremely amusing. It almost feels like a different author from the Pratchett I remember in The Color of Magic. Suffice to say, I can now say that I will read more Discworld in the future.

Here's a snippet (mostly from 'footnotes') that had me laughing out loud in my hotel room!

"Goodie Whemper had, in fact, been a 'research witch.'*

*Someone has to do it. It's all very well calling for eye of newt, but do you mean Common, Spotted or Great Crested? Which eye, anyway? Will tapioca do just as well? If we substitute egg white will the spell a) work b) fail or c) melt the bottom out of the cauldron? Goodie Whemper's curiosity about such things was huge and insatiable.**
**Nearly insatiable. It was probably satiated in her last flight to test whether a broomstick could survive having it's bristles pulled out one by one in mid-air. According to the small black raven she had trained as a flight recorder, the answer was almost certainly no."

Case Histories was good wasn't it? Which two characters didn't you like? I didn't like 'crazy cat lady' but I loved how she would call Brodie when one of her cats would go missing to investigate - hillarious.

I do mean to read Pratchett's series as I really like Neil Gaimon and the book they wrote together Good Omens. The Boyfriend who has read them all many times has over and over recommended starting with Guards, Guards! or 'the witch books' I of course try the first one and didn't get past chapter 2.

Your extract had me smiling... oh no book bullet!

Pratchett's humor is great, isn't it? I started with The Colour of Magic, which I somewhat enjoyed, and I'm now ready for the fourth book. As long as they keep getting better, I'm going to keep on with the series.

The 75ers are talking me into reading Pratchett too. I'll have to soon.

Hi kiwi... The sisters drove me a little batty :) I didn't mind the others as much but wanted to hear less of their bickering. Reminded me a bit too much of my sister & I haha. A few other LTers told me to try him again with the witches. It certainly was a lot more fun than the first one I tried. Hope you enjoy if you give him a go!

Casvelyn - do you think they get funnier as the series progresses?

Cammykitty - they are the ones who got to me :)

"A Little Slice of Orange" category, book #2

A Visit from the Goon Squad - Jennifer Egan

I should begin my ramblings with the admission that I listened to A Visit from the Goon Squad on audio book throughout several weeks of commute time... With that fact in mind, I will be honest about my reactions to this novel.

AVftGS was long-listed for the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2011. With that distinction, this reader expects a different type of novel from the ordinary piece of literary fiction. AVftGS delivered on that expectation.

It is difficult to even summarize the plot for me. In a nutshell, Egan's work follows two main characters -- Bennie and Sasha -- throughout the course of their lives through the stories of multiple other characters and their intersected lives. Both Bennie and Sasha are involved in the music industry at various times in the narrative and we are introduced to many interesting characters through these connections.

The way Egan tells this story is innovative. But, I found it very hard to follow due to the continual switch in narrators and timelines. I chalk this up to the fact that I was listening in the car, but I think I still would have had difficulty remembering how character X was connected to Bennie / Sasha, even if I had been reading the print version.

My other problem was that I found several characters more interesting than Bennie or Sasha and I would have liked to hear more of their stories... What happened to them? How did they fare after their chapter? Egan re-mentions some characters in other chapters, but I was still left with questions.

In all, I enjoyed the listening experience, but A Visit from the Goon Squad left me wanting more.

At present, I'm giving 3.5 stars.

Great review, Tina, and I've heard similar things about Visit. I think it's one of those books that I'll get around too eventually but that I won't seek out. Hope you have fun plans for the weekend!

I have been dodging A Visit from the Goon Squad here on LT since it came out. I have to say I am impressed that you tackled it as an audiobook. I find I tend to get distracted very easily when listening to audiobooks - I usually listen to then while out walking - and for that reason I have stuck to audiobooks with a single narrator and linear storyline, but even that is not a guarantee that I won't find myself confused at some point in the story.

Thank you Laura!!! I hope you are having an enjoyable weekend as well! :)

51... I listen to audiobooks as I drive so I usually pick fun / entertaining reads that will distract me from the long hours & bad traffic. In this case, I chose it because of my Orange January challenge. Not such a wise choice for audio it turns out :/

Wow Tina, your thread's moving right along! You gave great reviews, especially A Visit from the Goon Squad. I will be very interested to see what you read throughout the year.

Thanks Abby!! :)

I look forward to seeing what you are reading too!

My other problem was that I found several characters more interesting than Bennie or Sasha and I would have liked to hear more of their stories... I hate it when that happens!!! I find myself making up stories for them, and then I get irritated with the author for implying such a great story but not following up on it! Like the author could possibly know what I'm thinking. ;)

They should think about that, though... Don't you agree??

I like your solution of creating your own stories. That's an ingenious solution! :)

I finished "Orange" book #3 last night -- Swamplandia! by Karen Russell...

My review is not so much a review as it is a general recap of my thoughts on the book. If you're interested, read along :)

REVIEW:
I will not recap the plot summary as there are plentiful reviews that do a fantastic job of that already.

Instead, I will give my somewhat muddled thoughts on this book...

I was left lukewarm by my reading of Swamplandia! I absolutely loved the premise of the novel and fell head over heels for the engaging narrator (13 year old Ava).

I was quickly immersed in the story and felt early on that I would be on the "love it" side of the "Swamplandia! debate."

Indeed, the three Bigtree children were great characters. I loved older brother, Kiwi and his adventures into the real world. The adults in this novel were extremely disappointing to me. After the mother passes away, the father unravels, leaving the children alone. I have a philosophical problem with this from the get-go.... Then Russell brings in the "Bird Man" character. That's where I really lost my love of the book. I will NOT include any spoilers, but to say that I was disappointed and angry with the direction the plot took is to understate things a bit.

The ending was unreal and abrupt; and the last paragraphs really fell flat for me.

There were some really great moments, though... Here's what the super intellectual Kiwi had to say about his idea of Heaven (which pretty much sums up what most LT'ers probably think).

"Heaven, Kiwi thought, would be the reading room of a great library. But it would be private. Cozy. You wouldn't have to worry about some squeaky-shoed librarian turning the lights off on you or gauging your literacy by reading the names on your book spines, and there wouldn't be a single other patron. The whole place would hum with a library's peace, filtering softly over you like white bars of light."

Now, throw in a wonderful comfy recliner and Russell has me pegged!!

In short - I started out a Swamplandia! fan, but ended up in the middle of the road. I did not hate it, but I was left wanting Russell to have taken the story in a wholly other direction.

Tina, have you thought about reading Property? It's one of the Orange Prize winners from some years ago, though it seems not to have had as much lasting power as some of the earlier ones. Catching up on your thread, though, some of the stylistic things you point out make me think you might enjoy it. It's a serious one, being about slavery, but it's one of the shorter orange prize winners, and I think it's a really worthwile read if you're still looking for books in that category....

I will have to add that to my list... when I'm ready for a hard one!

I am beginning to gets the feeling I am in the minority of really liking Swamplandia :). I didn't mind the direction it took, that's just my personal taste but I can really see how it would annoy.

I really wish I had liked it more, clfisha! I really wanted to love it! :(

>48 TinaV95: I think they do, but maybe the humor is just more to my taste. They seem to get wittier and more intellectual, rather than just zany and absurd.

Totally agree with your review of Swamplandia! I started it, loved the concept, but ended up not being able to finish it.

62.. Just bought Equal Rites so I'm going to stick with the witches line first I think.

63.. I'm sorry we agree on that cammykitty. I have such high respect for authors and I genuinely feel bad that I disliked it! :/

Finished "Shoulda Read it Already" / Classics book #1 - The Hobbit

Fun and fast read. My first foray into Tolkien.

4 stars

Since my last entry, I have finished two books...

YA category #2 selection was Graceling by Kristin Cashore. I 'read' this in audio and fully loved it! Just checked out its prequel from the library today, in fact.

Classics category #2 Anna Karenina. I did not enjoy reading this one. I'm still trying to decide if I will write a review of this one, but I was disappointed in this classic. I will not return to Russian literature based on this experience!

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy - 2.5 stars

This is NOT a review, but is a brief overview of my thoughts on this very popular classic novel-turned-movie.

I am in the definite minority that is not overwhelmed by Anna Karenina. I have heard that this is the "greatest novel ever written." NOT in my opinion. I can say that Tolstoy has written one of the most memorable characters I've ever read in the person of Anna. And I do not mean that I will remember her fondly... :) Anna started off as a intelligent character, but once she "got the guy" she turned into a pathetic, insecure, waffling woman who ties all her hopes and reason for living into her relationship with Vronsky.

There are scores of reviews that will summarize the plot lines and basic premises of this novel. I will say that there are portions of the narrative that are beautifully written and that I enjoyed. The only reason I continued reading this behemoth is because of the plot line between Kitty and Levin (which were the only decent characters in the novel for me).

Might be a Spoiler --
When the end came, I would have thought I would have rediscovered some sympathy for Anna. I did not. I was ready for the end much sooner than it came and when it did occur, I thought "Thank God. No more whining." I don't like feeling this way about characters.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

I picked this to read based on several LT'ers recommendations. I fell in love with it from the start. I listened to this on audio book with "Full Cast Audio" voicing the multiple characters, which was quite a nice touch.

The concept of Gracelings (people who have extraordinary abilities and are generally kept as "property" of a king) was innovative and done exceptionally well. Although Graceling is a YA fantasy, it is so much more. The heroine (Katsa) is a strong character that keeps true to her convictions about marriage even after she falls in love. Cashore deals with Katsa in a feminist light that allows her to grow as a person, a female, a warrior, a lover, a friend, and a caretaker while coping with the challenges her grace presents.

This is my first 5 star read of the year. I have already started the second book in the series on audio this week. I can recommend this very enthusiastically!

I've been keeping an eye on Graceling for awhile. Glad you loved it. It'll have to go high on my WL!

I hope you love it as much as I did! A few folks are reading it now or have just read it for the Fantasy February challenge in the 75'er group and their reactions have also been overwhelmingly positive.

I've seen a lot of reviews of it. Yes, people seem to love it.

Just finished another book for my "Fantasy February" challenge. It's #2 in my 'Paranormal Adventure' category -- The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. This is my first Fforde and I really enjoyed it, despite never having read Jane Eyre. I will read more Fforde in the future. :)

@ 72 -- Yay, glad you've become a Fforde ffan! You'll be spelling all your words with extra F's in ffuture. ;)

That's Ffunny! :)

Just read Wake by Amanda Hocking. A light, YA fantasy that I picked up at the library looking for choices that fit into Fantasy February.

Very enjoyable for the genre. I will look for the next in the series when it is published later this year.

I just finished listening to Fire by Kristin Cashore. It was excellent -- I give it 5 stars!

I think I may have to re-work my categories, because the Cashore books really are more fantasy than YA. Hmmm... What to do?

Finished my first in my "Grow Up" / personal & spiritual development category... The Purpose Driven Life.

Finished Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman for Fantasy February. I've put this one in the "Paranormal Adventures" category.

4 stars on this one!

Yay! I'm reading Neverwhere too and really enjoying it. Glad you liked it! :)

Let me know your thoughts after you finish! :)

I just completed the fourth book in my YA category (which would also fit into my paranormal category).

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

My review link is here if you are interested in reading a review that isn't really a review. :)

http://www.librarything.com/work/8895486/reviews/94689754

Since my last post, I have finished the first in my "Junk Drawer" and "Languishing Literature" categories.

Junk Drawer book was:
The Gordonston's Ladies Dog Walking Club by Duncan Whitehead
This was sort of a mix of genres for me, so I put it in the junk drawer category. It was an LT Early Reviewer book. My review is http://www.librarything.com/work/13287960/reviews/94771110 Please feel free to review and leave me comments!

My Languishing Literature book was:
Selected Poems of Emily Dickinson

Read the first in my mystery category -- Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich.

Fun, plain & simple!

Second in the 'Junk Drawer' is
Approaching the Hunger Games by Tom Henthorne

My Review:
Disclosure: I received this book free as a part of Library Thing's Early Reviewer program.

The Hunger Games has been a best-seller phenomenon in the YA world, as well as the larger adult market for some time now. A late comer to the party, I was an immediate fan as soon as I delved into the world that Suzanne Collins penned. So, when I saw this book as an Early Reviewer pick, it was an easy selection for me.

Tom Henthorne has taken this widely popular trilogy and offered readers -- both serious readers and lay persons alike -- a look into the more literary aspects of Collins' works. He analyzes The Hunger Games from multiple perspectives that offer different takes on how the underlying themes of the trilogy can be understood on a deeper level.

I enjoyed how Henthorne structured his work. Each chapter approaches THG from a different literary analysis school of thought. He uses a style that is accessible for most of the general population, but that would also be a great study for an introductory college course on literary analysis.

Some of my favorite essays are titled:
"Make of It What You Will: The Hunger Games Trilogy as a Literary Production"
"The Importance of Being Katniss: Identity, Gender, and Transgression"
"'Real or Not Real?' Reality Television and the Hunger Games Trilogy"
"Survivor Stories: Trauma, Recovery and Narrative"
"Make of It What You Will (Remix): The Hunger Games Trilogy as Digital Text"

I think one of the aspects I liked most was the wide variety of the essays. I did find that some points were reiterated in multiple essays, but I was reading through this as a reviewer, rather than as a study. With more careful study (say in a classroom setting), with longer periods to read and discuss each chapter, I doubt I would have noticed the recurring points as much.

Henthorne also includes helpful character lists and a glossary of terms at the back of the book. This reader needed some refreshing and found these lists quite helpful as reminders, as it has been quite a while since I read the books. As a note to future readers: I really wished I had read the trilogy more recently as I was exploring Henthorne's analyses. I may decide to re-read it in the future when I re-read the trilogy.

I still haven't read The Hunger Games but will eventually. Do you think a YA reader who was a bit on the literary geek side would get into Approaching the Hunger Games? It might be a good way to push students into thinking more deeply about what they read.

Speaking of, one of the kids I work with, 6th grader so about 11 years old? read Life of Pi about a month ago. We're working on poetry now and the specific terms, irony and symbolism, so he's pretty bright so I'm trying to push him. I asked him about irony and symbolism in Life of Pi and he said SPOILER "Oh yeah. I was thinking it was very ironic that the only way he could survive on the lifeboat was with a tiger." Wow - he put together an irony I hadn't spotted.

I think if the YA in question is pretty literary already that they would really appreciate thinking more deeply about THG. At least I would have & I was pretty geeky! :)

Haven't read Pi yet, but it's pretty amazing that an 11 year old could get that concept of irony & symbolism at that age. Don't know if I would have at 11...

Good job teaching little grasshopper. We'll have another wonderful LT member soon, I think.