Thursday, March 4, 2010

Book Challenge Checkup

So, how's everybody doing on their book challenge reading? So far, I have 265 points. Don't be disgusted. I like to read. Here's the list of ones I liked:

The Healing Touch series by Hannah Alexander
"Mirror, Mirror" by Judy Baer (as well as a couple of her other books)
The O'Malley series by Dee Henderson
A Prairie Legacy series by Janette Oke
"Dragon Slippers" - Jessica Day George
"Daddy-Long-Legs" and "Dear Enemy" by Jean Webster

Can you tell I'm on a Christian fiction kick so far this year? Not to mention, I should have joined Austen Knows Best in the series challenge. :) I'm obviously more of a fiction reader than a non-fiction reader. However, I have three non-fiction under my belt so far this year. (Impressive , I know.) And I even enjoyed two of them. But I'm going to brag that I made it through "His Excellency: George Washington" by Joseph Ellis. (Not one of the ones I enjoyed.) Acknowledging that Ellis has done MUCH more research on the subject than I have, I still found myself violently disagreeing (okay, not really violently) with his interpretation of many, many things. He never proved himself in the book to be enough of an authority to make some of the claims he did without backing his assertions with lots of evidence. But I did learn more about George Washington. And I'm still trying to decide whether or not I liked "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" by Lynne Truss. I'm just not a prescriptivist. Hmm... Based on her book, I actually would have used different punctuation in a few of these sentences. But remember, this is my blog. I get to punctuate how I want to. :)

So tell me, how are you doing in your reading? Any good books to suggest? You don't have to give a score, but I always welcome recommendations.

10 comments:

Seth said...

I don't think I've started and finished the same book this year. I finished one. I started Tom Sawyer but have yet to finish it. I just started another book but can't remember its title. I think I'll go ahead and finish Tom Sawyer for the "old book" points.

Sara Lyn said...

Seth - Thanks for answering! Good job for reading Tom Sawyer. I remember hating that book as a kid. But Sarah said she enjoys it now that she has boys. Maybe I should wait until I do. Or maybe John and Sam and Spencer and Thomas will do. :)

Kristy Lynne said...

Good for you on the book reading! It's hard to read books that you don't agree with. I had to stop reading one recently because it made my blood boil-hard to sleep when you're frustrated-and I read before I sleep. (Lovely sentence structure right? Chuckle.)

I read ThetaHealing, which was an awesome book. I recommend reading it with the Doctrine and Covenents (attached to the Book of Mormon).

I just read the original Peter Pan...grotesque.

Joseph Smith History by his Mother Lucy Mack Smith was very interesting as well. She has an interesting perspective on Joseph's life. Somewhat biased, but what mother isn't?

Then I read Hercules, though I'd have to check the author. It makes me realize how many of our beliefs are Greece based.

I am currently reading the journals and writings of Joseph Smith, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Communist Manifesto. The last one is difficult to digest, but I feel that the current climate of the US directs me to become more articulate about the ideals that I oppose.

Mona said...

Sara Lyn,

I haven't read any of your recent finds except for "His Excellency" -- which was part of my presidency-bio series kick I was on last year. I didn't read it very critically, just trying to absorb as much as possible as fast as possible...McCullough's "John Adams" was burning a spot on the bookshelf.

This year, I've been on absorbing books written about women in the Middle East about their lives:
"Reading Lolita in Tehran", Azar Nafisi; "Bagdad Diaries", Nuha Al-Radi; "Iran Awakening", Shirin Ebadi; and "Things I've Been Silent About" also by Azar Nafisi. I want to pick up "Kabal Beauty School", Deborah Ridriguez soon too. Has anyone read it? In between, I've worked in "The Blind Assassin" and am just starting "Manchester Park". Oh. And I'm trying to weave in a little Shakespeare this year. Right now I'm in "Midsummer Night Dream".

How many points is that?

ldsjaneite said...

I'm no where near to the points you have, that I know. But I haven't added up mine, yet. Thank goodness we're counting picture books this year!

Sara Lyn said...

Kristy Lynne - Fun reading. I often forget to count church books. I like all the study you're doing on Joseph Smith.

Mona - If you count those books as being political, that would be 130 points, I think. Or if counted as war, it would be 70 points. Interesting reading. I applaud you for it. :) I've found those books very hard for myself to read, but I enjoy hearing what others have learned from them.

Heidi - I'm sure if we counted children's books as 1 point each, you'd probably have surpassed me by now. :)

ldsjaneite said...

I just counted. It's sad that I can't count some categories with any re-reads (the Narnia series held me back a bit). I'm at 179.3. By the end of the week, I'm hoping to add about 15 more points to that. If I'm to meet my YA challenge goal, I have to start looking for the shorter audio ones!

Leanne said...

I've been told by many people that I should look into "Eats, Shoots, and Leaves." My medical transcription teacher uses examples from that book in her own grammar book. I know the author is British, so I'd assume she'd have a different take on punctuation than an American. Would you recommend it?

Jamie Jo said...

Hey! I have 265 points too! But that is because I have read "Good Night, Moon" 2650 times! Yea for me!
(Actually, I am only around 35 points so far because, well, Rebecca's naps are so darn SHORT!). But I did just finish Gone with the Wind, which is where 80% of my points are coming from right now. If you haven't already read it, give it a go. I was surprised how much I couldn't put it down even though I knew the ending, etc.

Sara Lyn said...

Leanne - The punctuation isn't too terribly different here. Besides, depending on which method you pick, you have a lot of leeway anyway. (Right, Jamie?) It's a fun book, though.

Jamie Jo - I would say you deserve 265 points, too. :) My personal favorite to read that many times, though, is "Good Night Gorilla." Excellent! And really? I should try "Gone with the Wind"? I couldn't stand the movie. Scarlett is such a.... Words can't describe. I am having a hard time finding a 550 page book I want to read, though. I just started "The Once and Future King." We'll see how far I get. :)