2013 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge: Wrap-Up

Isn't that a wonderful button?

The 2013 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge was hosted by Historical Tapestry.  I signed up at the "Victorian Reader" level (read five books), and actually read seven books that would qualify.  As usual, I haven't managed to review ALL of them (I might work on that in the next couple of days), but here's my list, with links to the reviews that I did get written:

1. The Heat of the Sun. David Rain
2. The Flamethrowers. Rachel Kushner 
3. Clea. Lawrence Durrell 
4. Is This Tomorrow. Caroline Leavitt (review to come)
5. A Fatal Likeness. Lyn Shepherd (review to come)
6. The Shooting Party. Isabel Colegate  
7. The 13 Clocks. James Thurber 

I was hoping to do a little better than that - this is one of my favorite challenges, and I want to say thank you to the challenge hosts.  If there's a 2014 edition of the challenge, maybe I can give it another try. 

2013 Nonfiction Reading Challenge: The Wrap-Up

The 2013 Nonfiction Reading Challenge was hosted by The Introverted Reader.  I signed up at the "Dilettante" level (1-5 books), and read one book:

Darwin's Ghosts: The Secret History of Evolution, by Rebecca Stott

Not a great achievement - I really need to work more nonfiction into my reading routine.  Still, I enjoyed the one book I read, and want to thank my host for giving me some motivation.

Challenge Wrap-Up: 2013 Pre-1960 Classic Children's Books

Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2013

I believe this challenge might have slowly died over the course of the year.  It was hosted by Kimberly @ Turning the Pages, but I don't think she's been doing updates lately.  Which is OK, since I haven't been doing reviews for the books I read, either.  But I thought I should go ahead and do a little wrap-up post - especially since the books I read provided some of my favorite reading moments of the year.

Here's my list:

1. The Happy Hollisters, by Jerry West (1953) 

 2. Half Magic, by Edward Eager (1954)

 3. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum (1900)

 4. Pretty Polly Flinders, by Mary Frances Blaisdell (1914)

 

5. The 13 Clocks, by James Thurber (1950)

I also started, and then abandoned, Mistress Masham's Repose by T.H. White.

Just couldn't get into it.  The "little people" in the book turned out not to have anything very magical or special about them, aside from being tiny.  Yes, that's intriguing, but I just needed something more.  Frankly, it was actually sort of boring.  Well, one clinker out of half a dozen isn't bad, I suppose.

So, thanks to Kimberly for hosting the challenge, and spurring me into reading a few of the books I've been meaning to read for years now.

Book Beginnings on Friday: Cheri by Colette

Cover portrait by Antonio de la Gandara

I've just started reading Colette's classic novel, Chéri.  The portrait of a fading love affair between a middle-aged woman and her much younger lover caused a huge stir when it was first published in 1920, and is still controversial today. This is the opening paragraph, with the eponymous Chéri speaking:

'Give it me, Léa, give me your pearl necklace! Do you hear me, Léa? Give me your pearls!'

Initial thoughts:
The first sentence was intriguing and drew me in.  What comes after that is more problematic.

I've wanted to read this one since I was in my teens - back in the '60s it was still considered pretty steamy stuff.  I imagine that's not the case today, although I have to confess I'm finding it a teensy bit  disturbing.  It's not just that Chéri himself (yes, Chéri is the male half of the duo) is so much younger than his lover/mentor, Léa - it's also that he's portrayed as more than a little...well, effeminate I guess is the best word.  Which makes the whole situation very...OK, disturbing is all I can come up with.

I've only read about twenty pages, so I don't have a very firm opinion yet.  For now, though, I'm sticking with it.

Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Fridays. As she says, the idea is to post the first sentence (or so) of the book you're currently reading, along with any first impressions or thoughts you have about the book, the author, etc.  It's a wonderful way of adding new books to your must-read list, and a chance to connect with other readers and bloggers.

The Newbery Reading Challenge 2014

Hosted by: Julie @ Smiling Shelves
Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2014

This one really looks like a lot of fun. I've always wanted to read more of the Newbery Medal winners and honor books - and this challenge even allows you to read Caldecott Medal winners, too.  And since re-reads are also allowed, I might even revisit some of my childhood favorites.  The challenge works on a point system, with a different number of points given for Newbery winners, Newbery honor books, and Caldecott winners; and there are five different levels of participation to choose from.

For all the guidelines, see the challenge announcement/sign-up page HERE.  (And be sure to read Julie's explanation for those "smiling shelves"!)

I'll be signing up at the first level, L'Engle - so I'll be gathering a total of 15-29 points.  Haven't made a list of potential books yet, but during the year I'll be tracking my reading progress over on my challenge blog, HERE. 

USA Fiction Challenge: State By State in 2014

Hosted by: Kerrie of Mysteries in Paradise
Dates: Throughout 2014 (or longer)

See the challenge announcement/sign-up page HERE

Guidelines (quoted from the challenge announcement/sign-up page):
"Read just one novel from each state - you choose whether the link is the setting or the author. You choose whether you confine yourself to a particular genre or not."

I'm signing up for this one knowing, going in, that I'll never finish it in one year.  So I'm going to consider it an ongoing challenge and just see how far I get.  Should be interesting.

Kerrie says it's OK to start reading for the challenge now, so I can get going. Here's my list of states, with a few possible titles (all from my TBR list).  During the year, I'll be tracking my progress and listing the books I've actually read, over on my challenge blog.

1. ALABAMA 
2. ALASKA 
3. ARIZONA 
4. ARKANSAS 
5. CALIFORNIA
   Tales of the City. Armistead Maupin
6. COLORADO 
7. CONNECTICUT 
8. DISTRICT of COLUMBIA 
9. DELAWARE 
10. FLORIDA 
11. GEORGIA 
12. HAWAII 
13. IDAHO 
14. ILLINOIS 
15. INDIANA 
16. IOWA 
17. KANSAS
    In Cold Blood. Truman Capote
18. KENTUCKY 
19. LOUISIANA 
20. MAINE
    The Burgess Boys. Elizabeth Strout
21. MARYLAND 
22. MASSACHUSETTS
    The Cranefly Orchid Murders. Cynthia Riggs
    Night Passage (Jesse Stone #1). Robert B. Parker
23. MICHIGAN 
24. MINNESOTA 
25. MISSISSIPPI 
26. MISSOURI 
27. MONTANA
    The Whistling Season. Ivan Doig
28. NEBRASKA
    My Antonia. Willa Cather
29. NEVADA 
30. NEW HAMPSHIRE 
31. NEW JERSEY 
32. NEW MEXICO 
33. NEW YORK
    The League of Frightened Men. Rex Stout
34. NORTH CAROLINA
    Guests on Earth. Lee Smith
35. NORTH DAKOTA
    Ancient Shores. Jack McDevitt
    The Beet Queen. Louise Erdrich
    Born Brothers. Larry Woiwode
36. OHIO 
37. OKLAHOMA 
38. OREGON
    The Quick and the Thread (Embroidery Mystery #1). Amanda Lee
39. PENNSYLVANIA
    Mickelsson's Ghosts. John Gardner
40. RHODE ISLAND
    The Ivory Tower. Henry James
    Theophilus North. Thornton Wilder
    The Witches of Eastwick. John Updike
    The Widows of Eastwick. John Updike
41. SOUTH CAROLINA
    The House on Tradd Street. Karen White
42. SOUTH DAKOTA 
43. TENNESSEE 
44. TEXAS
    Texas. James Michener
45. UTAH 
46. VERMONT
    The Secret History. Donna Tartt
47. VIRGINIA 
48. WASHINGTON
49. WEST VIRGINIA 
50. WISCONSIN 
51. WYOMING

Book Beginnings on Friday: Evil Under the Sun

Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Fridays. As she says, the idea is to post the first sentence (or so) of the book you're currently reading, along with any first impressions or thoughts you have about the book, the author, etc.

This week, I'm just starting Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie, a mystery novel featuring her Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot.  I've had this one on my TBR list for years now.  Here's the first sentence:

When Captain Roger Angmering built himself a house in the year 1782 on the island of Leathercombe Bay, it was thought the height of eccentricity on his part.

Initial thoughts: Standard Christie opening - many of her novels begin with a bit of "back story" to set the scene. Also fairly typical of the Poirot novels to find the master detective off on a jaunt somewhere - this time to an out-of-the-way resort in the south of England.  And we also have one of those wonderfully unpronounceable surnames Christie is so fond of throwing at us - Angmering (apparently, also the name of a village in West Sussex).

I generally love Poirot, and so far I'm enjoying the book, although I'm only a few pages into it.

I'm reading this on my Kindle - so, no interesting cover. Above is the first American Edition from 1941.