Books can be Dangerous

May 1 to Sept 1

 

DONE! I’d like to thank Semi-Charmed Kind of Life for hosting this. It was really fun to step outside of my normal genres.

My favorite of the list below: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

Don’t want this to end? Read below for some interesting (and not so interesting) thoughts on getting 14 books read in two months!

Nearly done!!

The last two weeks have been a blast. Lisey’s Story took me nearly a full week to get through but it was a lot better than I first thought. I have had that book for over two years and it was sitting on my shelf just collecting dust, waiting to be read, like so many of my poor books. But this time I decided to get past the first page and it was fantastic! Totally blew me away. The transition that Stephen King uses to go back and forth between realities was amazing and remarkably not confusing at all. I definitely recommend this when you have some time on your hands. And if you’re not a horror fan, this isn’t REALLY horror. There are some horrific parts but mostly it’s a fantasy based book.

Salem’s Lot however is a completely different story. Stephen King puts this in the Dracula category, horrific most definitely and true! It will creep up on you as you he introduces you to all of the characters and just as you’re starting to think that maybe it won’t be “A” Stephen King it comes out of left field and punches you in the gut! It’s fantastic and although I was able to sleep with the lights off, the idea of not opening my window for any reason WHATSOEVER definitely went through my head. Just remember, do NOT invite them in. Vampire Rule #1. Definitely a great read! And I may have find a new Stephen King kick. I haven’t read him in so long that I think I need to treat myself!

For the book that we were supposed to read in High School I’ve had quite a difficult time. I was going to read Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and I have bought that book so I probably still will but I’ve put it on the back burner for now. I just could not get into it. After about three chapters I scoured my house looking for something that would fit this criteria and finally found Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Thinking that this would fit I dove in! And yet again … I just could not get into it. I’m beginning to think it’s this week. So, while at the library (my favorite place on earth next to Disney World), I decided to check out the “School Section”. I was thinking Great Gatsby. It’s been on my list for quite some time PLUS it’s on my new summer challenge. But again, glancing at it I had no impulsion to actually get it. So I’m settling with A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. And after reading the Author’s Foreword I am thinking this will be THE ONE! Boy do I hope so anyway! And with only 212 pages I can settle in today and get it finished before the weekend!

And that leaves me at 195 points! And The Book Thief will be left. And at 550 pages that is going to be a well earned 5 points! 😉

A little more than halfway through!

I have to say I’m impressed with myself and the other readers of this challenge. Firstly, finding the time to sit down and read “A” book can be hard enough, but to do a themed challenge can be difficult, but boy has it been fun! As a matter of fact, I added a second themed challenge for the summer just because I am having so much fun.

Although I’m not in first place anymore! Shakes fist at the reading gods and at Dante’s Inferno for putting me behind a little bit. But still, this is all in good fun so I press on. I just finished Halo and Blackout, both were good but Blackout has been my second favorite read, Grim Reaper takes the first spot! I plan to finish up Dangerous to Know by tomorrow afternoon so I can accrue those points which will give me a total of… 125. Still behind the first spot of 135 (at the moment).

But this is for fun, right? It doesn’t matter who wins as long as we all have fun. That’s what I’ll tell myself while I go cry in a corner! 😉

Alas, all will be fine, next week I plan to finish both Lisey’s Story and Salem’s Lot! It will be a Stephen King week! And one more week to finish up Huckleberry Finn and The Book Thief! All will be fine.

**  Edit! Oy… someone help me with my math! So, I took a look and it just wasn’t adding up. Four books left, a total of 60 points and I am only sitting at 125?! So, I rerere added everything. I mean really, we learned to add in kindergarten, maybe I was absent that day! And yup, here we go, 140 points now. And of course I forgot Dante’s Inferno, the ONE book on this list that just didn’t do it for me. Sometimes it’s so much fun being me! You just have to laugh to keep from crying. 😉 **

• 5- The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (A book from World Book Night)
• 10 – A clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess (A book everyone was supposed to read in High School)
• 10 – Countess, A Novel of Elizabeth Bathory (A memoir or narrative nonfiction)
• 15- Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton (Read a book in a day, at least 150 pages)
• 15- Dante’s Inferno (Something you’ve always wanted to read)
• 20- Halo  & Blackout   (Pair of books with antonyms in the titles)
• 20- Lisey’s Story by Stephen King (A book that is set in a place you’ve wanted to visit)
• 25- Salem’s Lot (A book written the year you were born and became a movie)
• 25- Dangerous to Know by Tasha Alexander (Pick a bookshelf in a store or library, find the 3rd book from the left, 4th shelf down, at least 200 pages)
• 25- Grim Reaper, End of Days by Steve Alten (A book you’ve heard bad things about)
• 30- Marked, Betrayed, Chosen by P.C. Cast (Trilogy!)

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