Fall Into Reading Challenge

Katrina from Callapidder Days is sponsoring the Fall into Reading Challenge that runs from September 23, 2011 through December 21, 2011 for all of us to list the books we still are planning to read through the fall1

Out of the 9 challenges I signed up for, I have completed 4. (now to write the reviews!)Which means I have a few books to go on 5 different challenges! In no particular order, here's what's coming up for me:

The Century Challenge
I have completed books published in 1970-1975 and am currently reading Roots, which was published in 1976. Coming up are:
1977: Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
1978: The World According to Garp by John Irving
1979: The Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe by Douglas Adams

Wordsworth Classics Challenge
I have completed 5 of the 8 that I committed to. Coming up for this challenge are:
Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift


Celebrate the Author Challenge
For this challenge, you read a book(s) by an author born in the particular month. coming up:
October: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
November: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
December: The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

Memorable Memoirs Challenge
I committed to reading 10. I have three more to go after Roots:
Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Twain biography

A-Z challenge
I'm down to the most difficult letters. But here's what I'm looking at:
Q: The Quiet American by Graham Greene
X: Xisle by Steve Augarde
Y: You Know When the Men Are Gone by Siobhan Fallon
Z: Zorba the Greek by Niko Kazantzakis

I am also planning to read Dracula for the A Literary Odyssey's October Read-A-long.

There are a few others I would like to read if I can get to:
Franny and Zooey by JD Salinger
Tess of the D'Urbanvilles by Thomas Hardy
Unbroken by Laura Hildebrand
Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji

WWW Wednesday

MizB of Should Be Reading sponsors this weekly event so we can share what we're reading!

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading:

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More Tales by Roald Dahl (with my son-we'll finish this one tonight)

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

Roots by Alex Haley
This may take me awhile ;)

Recently Finished:

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
I read this as my for the Back to the Classics Challenge. It is the story of a young girl during WWII in Germany who begins to steal the books the Nazis are burning but it is so much more. told from the perspective of Death (yes you read that right), the narration took some getting used to. I really enjoyed this one and can't say enough good things about it!

Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl
I read this for two challenges: the Celebrate the Author challenge and Memorable Memoirs. The last of my Dahl books for this challenge which I suppose seemed appropriate. It's the autobiography of Dahl and wow, did he live a crazy life. He details experiences that you can recognize in his books!



Coming Up:

Dracula by Bram Stoker
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser this week is from Roots by Alex Haley:

"Kunta knew not to let anyone, especially his mother, even suspect what he dreamed of. He felt certain that not only would Binta disapprove, but she would also probably forbid his ever mentioning it again, and that would mean Omoro would never know how desperately Kunta hoped he could go. So Kunta knew that his only hope lay in asking Fa himself--if he could ever catch him alone."
~from Roots, p.75

WWW Wednesday

Currently Reading:

Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar by Roald Dahl (with my son)

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak


Finished:

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kessey
I read this for the 1001 Book You Must Read Challenge. I have been wanting to read it for years and I'm glad I finally took the time to! Next I'm going to watch the movie-I can't wait to see Jack Nicholson in it!

The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory
This the story of Margaret Beaufort, the mother of King Henry VII and her fight to make sure her son takes the throne. It also features the murder of the princes in the tower and I have acquired the book by Alison Weir and plan to read that after Roots. As usual I enjoy anything by Philippa Gregory.

Matilda by Roald Dahl
I read this for the Celebrate the Author challenge. I was going to read this with my son but he had already read in school last year. I love the movie and I really loved the book too! Cute story!


Coming Up:

Roots by Alex Haley

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I am reading books by Roald Dahl this month for the Celebrate the Author challenge.

"Another thing. She resented being told constantly that she was ignorant and stupid when she knew she wasn't. The anger inside her went on boiling and boiling, and as she lay in bed that night she made a decision. She decided that every time her father or her mother was beastly to her, she would get back in some way or another."
~from Matilda by Roald Dahl

WWW Wednesday

To play along just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

This covers two weeks time as I was without power for a week due to Hurricane Irene!

Currently Reading:

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory


Recently Finished:

Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult
This one was powerful on so many levels and I found myself frustrated, happy, sad all at the same time. It's the story of a woman who's marriage falls apart after some particlularly trying times (don't want to give anything away) and her struggle to build a new life and identity. If you like Jodi Picoult, you need to read this!

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
I read this for 3 challenges: 1001 Books You Must Read, Celebrate the Author, and Wordsworth Classics. First of all, I always thought the monster was Frankenstein but that is actually the name of the creator. Really good book and just sorry I waited so long to read it.

The Enoumous Crocodile/The Minipins by Roald Dahl
I read these with my son for the Celebrate the Author challenge for this month. There were short stories and were probably the most "normal" stories I've read by Dahl! Both are really good and highly recommended!

Dreams of Joy by Lisa See
I really enjoyed Snowflower and the Secret Fan and Shanghai Girls by See so I was quick to grab this one at the library. what I didn't realize is that is the continuation of Shanghai Girls, the story of the daughter of one of the girls and her struggle to find out who she is. Another really good one!

Coming Up:

The Book Thief

Matilda by Roald Dahl (with my son)

Death and the Virgin Queen by Chris Skidmore

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's mine:

"...I am interested, however, that the doctor at the work farm added this statement: 'Don't overlook the possibility that this man might be feigning psychosis to escape the drudgery of the work farm'. He looks up at McMurphy. "And what about that, Mr. McMurphy?"

~from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey