Category — Blue Leafs

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Here is an abstract of my literary doings in October.

Books Read

The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman - 10/8/2008
The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood - 10/13/2008
An Abundance of Katherines, by John Green - 10/20/2008
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows - 10/21/2008
Midnight Sun, by Stephenie Meyer - 10/23/2008
Rue de la Pompe, by James Earle McCracken - 10/28/2008
The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield - 10/29/2008
Coraline, by Neil Gaiman - 10/29/2008

October Total = 8
Year-to-Date Total =71

One five-star book this month: The Handmaid’s Tale. Lots of excellent four-star reads this month too: An Abundance of Katherines, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Midnight Sun, The Thirteenth Tale, and Coraline. My pick of the month has to be An Abundance of Katherines. I know it got four stars, not five, but this is the book I’ll be rereading the most. Love the John Green.

Book Club

Bleak House, by Charles Dickens - Meeting: 10/23/2008

No one finished this month’s selection, so we continued the discussion to our next meeting.

Challenges

Ah, the cyclical challenge update. I completed the R.I.P. Challenge this month - barely. I finished up The Thirteenth Tale and Coraline on the 29th in order to complete my four books. I joined the Really Old Classics Challenge and am looking forward to my selections. At the same time, I quit the Wind-Up Book Chronicles Challenge. It ends on November 15, 2008, and I haven’t read a single one of my four selections. Sigh. Finally, I couldn’t resist adding another perpetual challenge - the Printz Project.

R.I.P. III - 4/4 COMPLETE!
The Wind-Up Book Chronicles Challenge - 0/4 [ends 11/15/2008]
The Classics Challenge 2008 - 1/6 [ends 12/31/2008]
Lit Flicks Challenge - 5/5 books; 2/5 movies [ends 2/28/2008]
Book Awards II Challenge - 4/10 [ends 6/1/2009]
Really Old Classics Challenge - 0/2 [ends 7/31/2008]
The Pulitzer Project - 7/91 [perpetual]
The Printz Project - 1/8 (+2 Honor books) [perpetual]
The Newberry Project - 12/87 (+7 Honor books) [perpetual]

Miscellany

• The Lit Flicks Challenge is concluding its second month. You can still sign-up and win prizes every month!
• I reviewed two movies for the Lit Flicks Challenge: Rebecca and City of Ember.
• I won The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield from Lisa @ Books Lists Life in celebration of her first Sunday Salon post. Thanks, Lisa!
• I won Sailing Alone Around the Room, by Billy Collins from unfinishedperson @ Just a (Reading) Fool in celebration of his 200th post. Thanks and congratulations, unfinishedperson!
• I created a new Blue Leaf: The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows. All of the Blue Leafs available for download can be found here.
• I participated (for 15 whole minutes) in the 24-hour Read-a-Thon, hosted by Dewey.
• I hosted one blog tour stop this month: Rue de la Pompe, by James Earle McCracken.
• I submitted an entry in this month’s Bookworm Carnival.
• And, as always, I participated in Booking Through Thursday and Weekly Geeks.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by my blog this month!

Blue Leaf #7 is hot off of the virtual presses. This one contains all the usual info on The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows. Download Blue Leaf: The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society now!

Blue Leafs are one-page notes on a book - a quick reference for before or after you’ve read the book. Blue Leafs include the following information:

Bibliographic info, main characters, setting, point of view, author bio, related websites, plot summary, discussion questions.

Great as a reading group guide, a book club discussion starter, a self-study reference, etc.

(All Blue Leafs available for download are listed on the Blue Leafs page.)

Here is an abstract of my literary doings in September.

Books Read

When We Were Romans, by Matthew Kneale - 9/2/2008
The Willoughbys, by Lois Lowry - 9/3/2008
The Lost Diary of Don Juan, by Douglas Carlton Abrams - 9/8/2008
Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier - 9/10/2008
Amsterdam, by Ian McEwan - 9/11/2008
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee - 9/14/2008
Run, by Ann Prachett - 9/15/2008
Midwife of the Blue Ridge, by Christine Blevins - 9/17/2008
Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen - 9/19/2008
Reasons To Be Pretty, by Neil LaButte - 9/19/2008
The Boy Next Door, by Meg Cabot - 9/20/2008
Shimmering Images, by Lisa Dale Norton - 9/22/2008
The City of Ember, by Jeanne DuPrau - 9/25/2008
College Girl, by Patricia Weitz - 9/27/2008

September Total = 14
Year-to-Date Total =63

Three five-star books this month (and I read them right in a row): Rebecca, Amsterdam, and To Kill a Mockingbird. Lots of excellent four-star reads this month too: The Willoughbys, Run, Midwife of the Blue Ridge, Shimmering Images, and The City of Ember. My pick of the month has to be Rebecca.

Book Club

Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier - Meeting: 9/25/2008

Everyone loved our selection for this month, Rebecca. We had an extensive discussion ranging from the missing first name of the second Mrs. de Winter to the Electra complex that plays out. The overall consensus was: new (to us) favorite.

The selection for next month is Bleak House, by Charles Dickens.

Challenges

Lit Flicks Challenge - 3/5 [ends 2/28/2008]
R.I.P. III - 1/4 [ends 10/31/2008]
The Wind-Up Book Chronicles Challenge - 0/4 [ends 11/15/2008]
The Classics Challenge 2008 - 1/6 [ends 12/31/2008]
Book Awards II Challenge - 3/10 [ends 6/1/2009]
The Pulitzer Project - 7/91 [perpetual]
The Newberry Project - 12/87 (+7 Honor books) [perpetual]

Miscellany

• The Lit Flicks Challenge is coming along. You can still sign-up!
• I created a new Blue Leaf: Run, by Ann Patchett. All of the Blue Leafs available for download can be found here.
• I signed up to participate in the 24-hour Read-a-Thon, hosted by Dewey. It will take place on October 18, 2008.
• I hosted several blog tours this month: The River, by Moonlight, by Camille Marchetta; Asking for Murder, by Robert Isleib; The Lost Diary of Don Juan, by Douglas Carlton Abrams; and Midwife of the Blue Ridge, by Christine Blevins.
• I submitted an entry in this month’s Bookworm Carnival.
• And, as always, I participated in Booking Through Thursday.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by my blog this month!

Blue Leaf #6 is ready for release, just in time for the discussion over at Everyday I Write the Book Blog! This one contains all the usual info on Run by Ann Patchett. Download Blue Leaf: Run now!

Blue Leafs are one-page notes on a book. A quick reference for before or after you’ve read the book. Blue Leafs include the following information:

Bibliographic info, main characters, setting, point of view, author bio, related websites, plot summary, discussion questions.

Great as a reading group guide, a book club discussion starter, a self-study reference, etc.

(All Blue Leafs available for download are listed on the Blue Leafs page.)

Here is an abstract of my literary doings in August.

Books Read

Breaking Dawn, by Stephenie Meyer - 8/2/2008
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, by Junot Diaz - 8/6/2008
Creepers, by Joanne Dahme - 8/9/2008
Soupy Saturdays, by Judy Blume - 8/9/2008
Looking for Alaska, by John Green - 8/10/2008
Asking for Murder, by Roberta Isleib - 8/12/2008
84, Charing Cross Road, by Helene Hanff - 8/15/2008
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey, by Trenton Lee Stewart - 8/21/2008
The Trouble with Poetry, by Billy Collins - 8/27/2008
Something Wickedly Weird: The Icy Hand, by Chris Mould - 8/29/2008
The River, by Moonlight, by Camille Marchetta - 8/31/2008

August Total = 11
Year-to-Date Total = 49

Two five-star books this month: 84, Charing Cross Road, by Helene Hanff (one of my top 10 favorite books ever) and The River, by Moonlight, by Camille Marchetta (a new favorite). Lots of excellent four-star reads this month too: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Looking for Alaska, The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey, and The Trouble with Poetry.

Book Club

Breaking Dawn, by Stephenie Meyer - Meeting: 8/28/2008

Our selection for this month, Breaking Dawn, was quite controversial. Everyone was generally pleased that the last book had arrived, but there was plenty to be dissatisfied with too. We discussed it all: the wedding, the honeymoon, the kid, the transformation, the imprinting, the “battle.” The overall consensus was: disappointing. The selection for next month is Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier.

Challenges

There was lots of challenge action here this month. First, I completed the Olympic Challenge and won a $5 Amazon gift certificate from Annie for tying for silver! Also, I joined one more challenge, Carl’s R.I.P. III. Finally, and most adventurously, I’m hosting my very first challenge, the Lit Flicks Challenge - but more on that below.

The Olympic Challenge - 5 Gold Medals; 1 Silver Medal COMPLETE!
Lit Flicks Challenge - 0/5 [ends 2/28/2008]
R.I.P. III - 0/4 [ends 10/31/2008]
The Wind-Up Book Chronicles Challenge - 0/4 [ends 11/15/2008]
The Classics Challenge 2008 - 0/6 [ends 12/31/2008]
Book Awards II Challenge - 2/10 [ends 6/1/2009]
The Pulitzer Project - 7/91 [perpetual]
The Newberry Project - 12/87 (+7 Honor books) [perpetual]

Miscellany

I’m hosting my own challenge! I created the Lit Flicks Challenge in anticipation of the February 2009 Bookworms Carnival (also to be hosted by me). The theme of the carnival (and the challenge) is movies and books. Thus, the challenge asks participants to read five books that have been adapted into movies and to then watch two of the accompanying movies. (As I mentioned here, this challenge will likely fit in with the rest of your challenges and reading lists easily.) Also, my brother is hosting a companion challenge reversing the requirements for movie lovers here.

In other goings-on on this blog, I created a new Blue Leaf: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, by Junot Diaz. All of the Blue Leafs available for download can be found here. I also completed a couple of memes about me and my reading habits. Also, I suffered a bout of book block. And, as always, I participated in Weekly Geeks and Booking Through Thursday.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by my blog this month!

Blue Leaf #5 is hot off the virtual presses! This one contains all the usual info on The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz, winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. See my original review here. Download Blue Leaf: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao now!

Blue Leafs are one-page notes on a book. A quick reference for before or after you’ve read the book. Blue Leafs include the following information:

Bibliographic info, main characters, setting, point of view, author bio, related websites, plot summary, discussion questions.

Great as a reading group guide, a book club discussion starter, a self-study reference, etc.

(All Blue Leafs available for download are listed on the Blue Leafs page.)

Here is an abstract of my literary doings in July.

Books Read

The Fires, by Alan Cheuse - 7/6/2008

The Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stewart - 7/13/2008

Mariposa, by Candis C. Coffee - 7/15/2008

The Questory of Root Karbunkulus, by Kamilla Reid - 7/16/2008

Stardust, by Neil Gaiman - 7/20/2008

The Post-Birthday World, by Lionel Shriver - 7/24/2008

Monique and the Mango Rains, by Kris Holloway - 7/28/2008

Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer - 7/30/2008

New Moon, by Stephenie Meyer - 7/31/2008

July Total = 9

Year-to-Date Total = 38

Two five-star books this month: Twilight and The Mysterious Benedict Society. Wow. I probably wouldn’t have guessed that I would feel that way about Twilight on this reread. I think I gave it five stars because of the foundation it set for the rest of the series. The Mysterious Benedict Society is also the first of a series and quite delightful. The rest of the line of up received three or four stars. That’s a pretty good reading month - no duds.

Book Club

Stardust, by Neil Gaiman - Meeting: 7/22/2008

Our selection for this month, Stardust, was appreciated by the members of my book club. The discussion generally focused on a comparison of the book and the movie. We also briefly discussed The Host, by Stephenie Meyer and ruminated on whether it gave insight into the ending of Breaking Dawn. The selection for next month is, of course, Breaking Dawn, by Stephenie Meyer.

Challenges

I completed the Novella Challenge this month!

The Novella Challenge - 6/6 COMPLETE!

The Wind-Up Book Chronicles Challenge - 0/4 [ends 11/15/2008]

The Classics Challenge 2008 - 0/6 [ends 12/31/2008]

Book Awards II Challenge - 0/10 [ends 6/1/2009]

The Pulitzer Project - 6/91 [perpetual]

The Newberry Project - 12/87 (+7 Honor books) [perpetual]

Other

In other goings-on on this blog, I participated in two blog tours: Farworld: Water Keep, and The Questory of Root Karbunkulus, with accompanying interviews of J. Scott Savage and Kamilla Reid, respectively. I also reviewed two other ARCs: Mariposa and Monique and the Mango Rains. I changed my blogroll, leaving my top 15 favorite book blogs on the sidebar, and creating a List o’ Book Blogs for the rest of the gang. I also created three new Blue Leafs: Stardust, by Neil Gaiman, The Gathering, by Anne Enright, and The Goose Girl, by Shannon Hale. All of the Blue Leafs available for download are listed in the right sidebar. And, as always, I participated in Weekly Geeks and Booking Through Thursday.

I was also touched to be nominated for a blog award by three of my favorite book bloggers: Suey at It’s All About Books; Nari at The Novel World; and Unfinished Person at Just a (Reading) Fool. Thank you to each of you for your thoughtfulness and great blogging.

Finally, I had three giveaways this month! Suey at It’s All About Books won a signed copy of The Questory of Root Karbunkulus, and Shana at Literarily won a signed copy of Farworld: Water Keep. AND, the GRANDPRIZE WINNER of MY 100th POST CELEBRATORY GIVEAWAY is Rebecca Reid at Rebecca Reads!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by my blog this month!

Blue Leaf #4 is ready for the virtual presses! This one contains all the usual info on Stardust by Neil Gaiman. See my original review here. Download Blue Leaf: Stardust now!

Blue Leafs are one-page notes on a book. They are versatile, i.e., can be used either before or after you’ve read the book. They are multi-purpose, i.e., would be helpful as a reading group guide, a book club discussion page, a self-study reference, etc. Discussion questions are included.

(All Blue Leafs available for download are listed on the Blue Leafs page.)

Are you ready for Blue Leaf #3? Well, it’s here! This one is on The Gathering by Anne Enright. See my original review here. Download Blue Leaf: The Gathering here.

Blue Leafs are one-page notes on a book. They are versatile, i.e., can be used either before or after you’ve read the book. They are multi-purpose, i.e., would be helpful as a reading group guide, a book club discussion page, a self-study reference, etc.

(All Blue Leafs available for download are listed on the Blue Leafs page.)

Blue Leaf #2 is ready for release!! For those of you who were not tuned in last week, here is a quick rundown of the Blue Leaf concept:

Blue Leafs are one-page notes on a book. Bibliographic info. Main characters. Setting. Point of view. Brief plot summary. Author info. Websites. A few discussion questions. The end. (As in, the end of that sentence. No spoilers in Blue Leafs.) They are designed to be used before or after you’ve read the book. They’re handy guides for book clubs/reading groups, literature classes, and self-study.

The second Blue Leaf is for The Goose Girl, by Shannon Hale. Download Blue Leaf: The Goose Girl here. Thanks for stopping by!

(All Blue Leafs available for download are listed on the Blue Leafs page.)