2012 Reading Challenges

2012 Reading Challenges

This year I took on four reading challenges.   I was able to complete two of the challenges.  Completed challenges up first.

World War 1 Challenge completed-  I read 3 books that took place during World War 1.  

1.  Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool
2.  A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
3.  The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian

What's in a Name 5 Challenge completed
I have read 6 books out of the 6 required.  Each book must have something in the title which corresponds to the category.   

1.  Something you'd carry in your pocket, purse, or backpack-  Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay 

2.  Something you'd see in the sky- Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool.   

3.  A book with a topographical feature (land formation)- The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

4.  A book with a creepy crawly in the title- Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol 

5.  A book with a type of house in the title - The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield

6.  A book with a something you'd find on a calendar - March by Geraldine Brooks

*These are the two challenges I didn't successfully complete but had a lot of fun trying.

The Pulitzer Prize Challenge.  

I read a total of 6 books for this challenge and my goal was to read 12.  It is hard to commit to reading a book a month especially when there are so many great books to read.  I am happy with my progress in this challenge.

1.  Tinkers by Paul Harding
2.   March by Geraldine Brooks
3.   A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
4.  To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 

5.  Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

6.  The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields

Where are you reading Challenge was really fun.  The Goal is to read a book that takes place in each of the 50 different states.

I successfully kept track of the places I was reading about throughout the year.  I started off really good at the beginning and wrote everything down but by the end of the year, I was slacking and not keeping track as well.

I read books that took place in 5 Continents, 19 countries and 28 states.

Check out my map on Google Maps.

https://maps.google.com/maps/myplaces?

Reading Challenge Update for May

Reading Challenge Update

I am taking part in four reading challenges this year and am updating my progress monthly.  So here is how I am doing.


1.  Where Are You Reading?
I read and reviewed 6 books this month.  So far I have traveled to four continents, fifteen states and twelve countries.  I can't wait to see where my reading adventures take me next.

Check out my map on Google Maps.
View Where are you reading challenge 2012 in a larger map

Here are my books, review links and locations for May:

1. This Burns My Heart by Samuel Park.  Takes place in post war South Korea.  An excellent story that contemplates the questions of life.


2.  Impulse by Ellen Hopkins.  Takes place in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Hopkins writes fast paced novels in verse for young adults. 


3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.  Takes place in a fictional town in Alabama in the 1930's.


4.  Last Night I Dreamed of Peace by Dang Thuy Tram.  Takes place in Vietnam.  It is a diary of a doctor on the side of the Viet Cong.

5.  The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton.  Takes place in Australia and England.  I chose England because I felt most of the story took place there.

6. Delicate Armor by Connie Claire Szarke.  Takes place in Minnesota.  Since I have already read from Minnesota, this book is not included on my map.

The Pulitzer Prize Challenge.  So far I have read 3 books and my goal is to read 12.  I am currently one book behind.

January- Tinkers by Paul Harding
February- March by Geraldine Brooks
March- A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
April-To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Currently I am a month behind.  I hope to play catch up this summer.



What's in a Name 5 Challenge
I have 2 books out of the 6 required.  Each book must have something in the title which corresponds to the category.  

1.  Something you'd carry in your pocket, purse, or backpack-  Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

2.  Something you'd see in the sky- Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool.   I clearly need to start reading with this theme in mind.

World War 1 Challenge-  I am trying to read at 3 books that take place during World War 1.  So far I have read 1 book.  1 down, 2 to go.

1.  Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool


There you have it.  I love being a nerd and a book snob!  I hope you challenge yourself this year and read widely.

Reading Challenge Update

Reading Challenge Update

I am taking part in four reading challenges this year and am updating my progress monthly.  So here is how I am doing.

1.  Where Are You Reading?
I read and reviewed 6 books this month.  So far I have traveled to four continents, thirteen states and nine countries.  I can't wait to see where my reading adventures take me next.

Check out my map on Google Maps.
View Where are you reading challenge 2012 in a larger map

Here are my books, review links and locations for April:

1. The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon.  This book takes place in Afghanistan during the reign of the Taliban.  

2.  Hereafter by Tara Hudson.  This book takes place in Oklahoma and it is a creative ghost story.

3.  Feed by M.T. Anderson.  This place takes place in the future but I chose the state Vermont because the author teaches there.

4.  Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward.  This book takes place in Mississippi during Hurricane Katrina.  It won the National Book Award. 

5.  Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool.  This book takes place in Kansas and it won the Newberry Medal.

6.  Chasing Alliecat by Rebecca Fjelland Davis.  This book takes place in Mankato, Minnesota.  I did not include it on my map since Minnesota is already done.

The Pulitzer Prize Challenge.  So far I have read 3 books and my goal is to read 12.  I am currently one book behind.

January- Tinkers by Paul Harding
February- March by Geraldine Brooks
March- A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

What's in a Name 5 Challenge
I have 2 books out of the 6 required.  Each book must have something in the title which corresponds to the category.  

1.  Something you'd carry in your pocket, purse, or backpack-  Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

2.  Something you'd see in the sky- Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool





World War 1 Challenge-  I am trying to read at 3 books that take place during World War 1.  So far I have read 1 book.  1 down, 2 to go.


1.  Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool



There you have it.  I hope you challenge yourself this year and read widely.

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

Laura Lanik's News Auxiliary

           April 27, 2012

I hope all of you are enjoying a glorious day today and are celebrating the joys of Spring.  The News Auxiliary of the Manifest Herald is taking a break from talking about the news around town to tell you all about Moon Over Manifest, the most recent Newberry Prize winner.   I am just tickled pink and knew you would be interested in reading all about it.

Abilene is as sweet as pie and she just arrived here in Manifest, Kansas in 1936.  Her daddy decided to send her for the summer and so she is staying over at Shady's place.   I heard she found a hidden box in her room containing all sorts of mementos and letters and she is looking for someone called the Rattler.  Abilene's favorite thing is a compass that her father gave her, but one night, while out spying with her friends, Lettie and Ruthanne, she lost it.  Doesn't that just stink.

Well I want to tell you first off that Abilene found her compass hanging off a porch on the Path to Perdition.  She was so scared but she knew she had to get her compass back and so Abilene approached Miss Sadie's Divining Parlor.  Well divining is hard work, as you well know, so Abilene was committed to helping out around the house.  Lucky for her, Miss Sadie was a great story teller and told Abilene about Manifest during World War I.  He stories mainly focused around the two boys Jinx and Ned and their adventures about town in 1917.  Ned, like many of the boys in town, signed up and went off to fight in the trenches of the War leaving Jinx brokenhearted and without a friend.  Well, adventure always finds someone whose looking and Jinx got caught up in plenty of fun for the times.

I really enjoyed reading the letters Ned sent home and the News Auxiliary from 1917.  I loved the characters and there semi-southern feel. So much has changed since then and it is like stepping into a time capsule to try and solve the mystery of the Rattler and trying to figure out who Abilene's father really is.  Why, reading this book is almost like taking a step back through time.

Well there you have it folks.  I hope you visit (I mean read) Moon over Manifest real soon. 

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

Paris is the city of love and lights and on the fateful day of July 16, 1942, it became a city of unspeakable horrors.  On July 16th, 1942, Jewish families were forcibly removed from their home by the French police.  The police came for Sarah's family in the middle of the night and Sarah made a decision that would affect generations. She locked her little brother in a cupboard in their bedroom and promised to release him when she got home.  The Jewish families were brought to the Velerdrome d'Hiver, to await transportation to a nearby camp and then many continued to Auschwitz. Sarah was not going home.

Fast forward to 2002, the 60th commemeration of the Jewish roundup.  Julia is assigned to write a news article about the roundup that most French people would rather forget.  As Julia begins investigating the past, she discovers a story that will change her life.  Sarah's story.

In this amazing duel storyline, every other chapter switches narrators from Sarah to Julia.  Half way through the book Sarah's narration ends as Julia tries to solve the mystery of what happened to Sarah.  Julia becomes consumed by Sarah's story and unraveling her husband's family secrets.

Sarah's Key is a compelling historical drama that had me riveted from the first page.  I was also consumed by Sarah's story and was hopeful for a positive outcome.  The personal tragedies that people suffer and overcome are a testament to the resilience of humanity.  Sarah's Key is haunting, compelling, emotional and mesmerizing.  I couldn't tear my eyes or my heart away from this remarkable novel.  Make sure you have a handful of tissue for the ending. 

What's in a Name Challenge

What's in a Name Challenge

I see lots of Book Bloggers participate in this challenge and so I thought this year, is my year, to join the fun.  It is the 5th year of the challenge but the first year I am joining in and I am super excited.  I looked at the categories and then on my book shelves and found lots of possibilities.  I think now I am totally obsessing about filling my categories and am trying to find a creepy crawly book on my shelf and it is totally in hiding.  Feel free to leave book suggestions.

If you are interested the challenge is run by Beth at www.BethFishReads.com 

Here are the categories:
Between January 1 and December 31, 2012, read one book in each of the following categories:

1. A book with a topographical feature (land formation) in the title: Black Hills, Purgatory Ridge, Emily of Deep Valley
2. A book with something you'd see in the sky in the title: Moon Called, Seeing Stars, Cloud Atlas
3. A book with a creepy crawly in the title: Little Bee, Spider Bones, The Witches of Worm
4. A book with a type of house in the title: The Glass Castle, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Ape House
5. A book with something you'd carry in your pocket, purse, or backpack in the title: Sarah's Key, The Scarlet Letter, Devlin Diary
6. A book with a something you'd find on a calendar in the title: Day of the Jackal, Elegy for April, Freaky Friday, Year of Magical Thinking

The book titles are just suggestions, you can read whatever book you want to fit the category.

Other Things to Know

• Books may be any form (audio, print, e-book).
• Books may overlap other challenges.
• Books may not overlap categories; you need a different book for each category.
• Creativity for matching the categories is not only allowed but encouraged.
• You do not have to make a list of books before hand.
• You do not have to read through the categories in any particular order.