November in Review

I completed just five books in November (links are to my reviews):

• The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
  to finish up the R.I.P. Challenge


• Way Down Deep by Ruth White
  for the mother-daughter book club I attend with Sugar Plum


• The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
  for Book Buddies


• A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
  for the Yahoo Classic Lit group and the "Something About Me" Challenge


• Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Picoult
  for the Reading the Author Challenge and the "Something About Me" Challenge

I was also working on Silvia Nasar's biography of John Nash, A Beautiful Mind, as well as reading more of Don't Know Much About the Universe. Right at month-end, I started the children's sci-fi novel The Mysterious Benedict Society.

Needless to say, this pace is too slow to reach my on-going goal to read 104 books in one year. This month's pace was even slower than my pace for the year - as these books were the 67th through 71st I've read this year. I'm still striving for 80 books this year; do you think it's possible?

The progress I made in the many and varied challenges I'm participating in:

• I completed the R.I.P. challenge just a few days late, having read four novels.


• I added two more to the seven I'd already read for the "Something About Me" challenge. My original plan was a "five-plus-five" list, but I've picked up two more along the way. By the end of challenge, on December 31, I'm planning to read at least the remaining book on my "first tier" list, Marley & Me.


• I neglected to complete the Book to Movie challenge, which ended yesterday. Three books were required, and I finished the first one back in October but my second selection, A Beautiful Mind, is going more slowly than I had hoped. (It's very interesting, but it's not a fast read.) I needed to get the first book read back in September but didn't, so I've really been behind from the start - but I think I'll persevere with the challenge and maybe I can get partial credit for turning in a late assignment. This really was a great challenge idea - there are so many books that have made their way into movie form - and you can see links to the many reviews of the participants here. (By the way, I may change my third selection to Bridge to Terabithia, which I need to read for the Newbery Challenge anyway.)

The reading I want to accomplish in December:

• Read Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf for the Yahoo Classic Lit group


• Read The Hours by Michael Cunningham for the Yahoo Book Awards group


• Read Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons for Book Buddies


• Complete the Fall Into Reading Challenge by December 21 (four of six books remaining, although I'm part way through two of them)


• Read Marley & Me for the "Something About Me" Challenge by December 31, which will count for the Book Awards Reading Challenge as well


• Complete the Newbery Challenge by December 31 (four of six books remaining), which will also result in progress on the Book Awards Reading Challenge


• Complete the Reading the Author Challenge by December 31 (one of three books remaining)


• Complete the 2nds Challenge by December 31 (three of three books remaining)


• Read Christmas Jars by Jason Wright, which was sent to me for review

I just did the math: that's seventeen books in December! I guess I'd better get reading!

A Status Report on Challenges

These are the challenges in which I'm currently participating, in order of completion date, with my current status:

• 2007 R.I.P. Autumn Reading Challenge, hosted by Carl.
  Links to reviews are posted here.
  Time remaining: Negative two days, and counting ...
  Current status: Completed two of three on original list; added an additional selection; about 100 pages (of 650ish) to go in The Historian.


• Book Buddies, hosted by Bonnie Jacobs.
  Discussion of monthly selection is posted on the group blog.
  For November: I picked up The Boy in the Striped Pajamas from the library, but I haven't started reading it yet. I'm supposed to have the first half read by the 8th.


• Book to Movie Challenge, hosted by Callista.
  Links to reviews are posted here.
  Time remaining: 29 days.
  Current status: Completed one of three required.


• Fall into Reading 2007, hosted by Katrina.
  Links to reviews are tracked at Callapiddar Days.
  Time remaining: About seven weeks.
  Current status: Completed two of six on my original list.


• Newbery Challenge, in memory of Nattie.
  Time remaining: Almost two months.
  Current status: Finished two of six required.


• "Something About Me" Challenge, hosted by Lisa.
  Time remaining: Almost two months.
  Current status: Finished five of original five-plus-five, with one additional selection completed; about 100 pages to go in The Historian. After that one, I'd at least like to read Marley & Me and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn before the end of the challenge.


• Reading the Author Challenge, hosted by verbivore.
  Time remaining: Almost two months.
  Current status: Finished one of the required minimum of three; checked out several others from library.


• 2nds Challenge, hosted by Joy.
  Links to reviews will be tracked on Joy's blog.
  Time remaining: Almost two months.
  Current status: Still haven't started any of the three required.


• The Unread Authors Challenge, hosted by Pour of Tor.
  Reviews are posted to the challenge blog.
  Time remaining: Four months.
  Current status: Finished two, but still constructing the list of at least six required.


• Book Awards Reading Challenge, hosted by 3M (Michelle).
  Reviews are posted to the challenge blog.
  Time remaining: Eight months.
  Current status: Finished two of twelve required.


• "In Their Shoes" Reading Challenge, hosted by Vasilly.
  Reviews are posted to the challenge blog.
  Runs: January to December 2008.
  Current status: Posted "long list" of my picks.


• Cardathon Challenge, hosted by Becky.
  Reviews are posted to the challenge blog.
  Official starting date: January 1.
  Continuing for: "A year to whenever."
  Current status: Thinking about which of Card's books I'd like to read this year. Enchantment has been highly recommended. I'm also interested in Invasive Procedures.


• The Newbery Project, hosted by Alicia.
  Reviews are posted to the challenge blog.
  Ongoing.
  Current status: Still trying to figure out which ones of the eighty-six (to date) I've read recently enough to count as "already read".

I'm still thinking about the other challenges in which I'd like to participate in 2008. There are just so many fun, interesting possibilities! I've almost settled on my eight categories for the Triple 8 Challenge. Besides those fifty-six to sixty-four books, how many more do you think I can read in one year?

The Freedom Writers Diaryby The Freedom Writers with Erin Gruwell

Published in 1999. 292 pages.


I had heard good things about and planned to view the movie version of this book before I even knew that it was based on a book. It was when I discovered (through BookGal) the Book to Movie Challenge (hosted by Callista) that I learned about the book - and I definitely wanted to read the book and view the film for the challenge.

I am so glad I read this book! A compilation of anonymous diary entries, the book describes the successes newbie teacher Erin Gruwell had with a group of 150 students at Wilson High School in Long Beach, California, following the Los Angeles riots of 1992. More than anything, I think the book is a testament to the power of words - both those read, such as when Gruwell's students read The Diary of Anne Frank, and those written, as these young people's lives were changed through the keeping of diaries, by being able to tell their stories.

I liked the movie too. I generally enjoy Hilary Swank - Iron Jawed Angels is an all-time favorite - and I loved being given some names and faces for the "freedom writers." I wish the movie had told more of the story - it ended after the student's sophomore year - and a subplot about Gruwell's husband was completely unnecessary (and was not part of the book). (By the way, Patrick Dempsey played the husband, and he also played a love interest for Swank's character in Iron Jawed Angels, a superfluous subplot, not based on the historical account of Alice Paul's life.) But I still was moved by the film, a tribute to the ability of one teacher to change the lives of a group of children.

I plan to read Teach with Your Heart: Lessons I Learned from the Freedom Writers next year for the "In Their Shoes" Challenge.

You might be interested to know that BookGal did not like either the book or the movie, and you can read her thoughts here.

2007.62

Trying to Keep It Straight in My Mind

My sister Carrie is the queen of spreadsheets! If there is anything that needs to be mentally sorted out and organized, she will create a spreadsheet for it. One that I benefit from is her ongoing record of our book club reads (date, host, book title), going back to the group's inception in June 2002. I've decided that I need a spreadsheet to help me keep track of all the current and upcoming book challenges in which I'm involved or interested - but because school is back in session, Carrie is extremely busy, so I guess I'm on my own to sort it all out. This is my attempt!

Most but not all of the challenges in which I'm currently participating are listed in my sidebar. Those challenges are as follows, in order of completion date:

• 2007 R.I.P. Autumn Reading Challenge, hosted by Carl.
  Links to reviews are posted here.
  Completion date: October 31.
  Current status: Reading first of three required.


• Book to Movie Challenge, hosted by Callista.
  Links to reviews are posted here.
  Completion date: December 1.
  Current status: Contemplating four for three required.


• Newbery Challenge, in memory of Nattie.
  Completion date: December 31.
  Current status: Finished two of six required.


• "Something About Me" Challenge, hosted by Lisa.
  Reviews are posted on the challenge blog.
  Completion date: December 31.
  Current status: Finished five of planned eleven, with many, many more possibles.


• Reading the Author Challenge, hosted by verbivore.
  Completion date: December 31.
  Current status: Contemplating three of the required minimum of three.


• 2nds Challenge, hosted by Joy.
  Links to reviews will be tracked on Joy's blog.
  Start date: October 1.
  Completion date: December 31.
  Current status: Contemplating the required three.


• The Unread Authors Challenge, hosted by Pour of Tor.
  Reviews are posted to the challenge blog.
  Completion date: February 29.
  Current status: Finished one, but still constructing the list of at least six required.


• Book Awards Reading Challenge, hosted by 3M (Michelle).
  Reviews are posted to the challenge blog.
  Completion date: June 30.
  Current status: Finished two of twelve required.


• "In Their Shoes" Reading Challenge, hosted by Vasilly.
  Reviews are posted to the challenge blog.
  Runs: January to December 2008.
  Current status: Brainstorming.


• Cardathon Challenge, hosted by Becky.
  Reviews are posted to the challenge blog.
  Official starting date: January 1.
  Continuing for: "A year to whenever."
  Current status: Thinking about which of Card's books I've already read.


• The Newbery Project, hosted by Alicia.
  Reviews are posted to the challenge blog.
  Ongoing.
  Current status: Trying to figure out which ones of the eighty-six (to date) I've read recently enough to count as "already read".

While I'm personally still not used to the idea that it's 2007, there are a lot of book bloggers out there who are already planning their various and sundry challenge lists for 2008. Because I definitely want in on the fun, these are several challenges I'm considering joining, in alphabetical order:

• 1st in a Series, hosted by Joy.
  January to December 2008.
  Twelve books required.


• Back to History Challenge, hosted by Shannon.
  January to December 2008.
  Twelve books required.


• Celebrate the Author Challenge, hosted by Becky.
  January to December 2008.
  At least twelve books required.


• Every Month is a Holiday, hosted by Kim.
  January to December 2008.
  One book per month, for a total of twelve.


• Series Challenge, hosted by Kathrin.
  December 2007 to May 2008, with possible six-month extension.
  No set number of books.


• Themed Reading Challenge, hosted by Wendy.
  January to June 2008.
  At least four books required.


• Triple 8 Challenge (or 888), hosted by 3M (Michelle).
  January to December 2008.
  Eight books in eight different categories (with eight overlaps allowed), for a total of at least fifty-six books required.

So many books, so little time! I'm not kidding, am I?

I Can't Help Myself

Yep, another one! This irresistible opportunity is Callista's Book to Movie Challenge, which runs from September 1 through December 1. The requirement is to pick and read at least three books that were made into movies. There are so many possibilities!

After almost a month of contemplation, I've decided on (at least) three of these four books:

• The Freedom Writer's Diary
  by The Freedom Writers with Erin Gruwell
  (I haven't yet seen the recent Hilary Swank movie.)


• Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells
  (I saw the movie in 2002 with some of my sisters.)


• The Razor's Edge by Somerset Maugham
  (The 1984 movie version, with Bill Murray, is one of my all-time favorite films.)


• A Beautiful Mind by Silvia Naser
  (I have not seen the 2001 Russell Crowe film.)