I came across a book challenge, the 50 States Challenge 2013, on Book Obsessed which sounded like a lot of fun to me. Of course, as always, I'm a year late, so I'm going to try to do this THIS year.
The goal: To read a book set in every state over the course of the next year.
I'm gonna give it a shot. Who's with me?
The idea came from here, but I'm sure sign-up is waaay over:
Book Obsessed
I will keep track of my progress here!
Alabama:
Alaska:
Arizona:
Arkansas:
California:
Colorado:
Connecticut:
Delaware:
Florida:
Georgia:
Hawaii:
Idaho:
Illinois:
Indiana:
Iowa:
Kansas:
Kentucky:
Louisiana:
Maine:
Maryland:
Massachusetts:
Michigan:
Minnesota:
Mississippi:
Missouri:
Montana:
Nebraska:
Nevada:
New Hampshire:
New Jersey:
New Mexico:
New York:
North Carolina:
North Dakota:
Ohio:
Oklahoma:
Oregon:
Pennsylvania:
Rhode Island:
South Carolina: The Invention of Wings - Sue Monk Kidd
South Dakota:
Tennessee:
Texas:
Utah:
Vermont:
Virginia:
Washington:
West Virginia:
Wisconsin:
Wyoming:
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Sunday, September 2, 2012
May #3 - THINK OF A NUMB3R
Title: THINK OF A NUMB3R
Author: John Verdon
Publisher: Crown Publishers
Copyright: 2010
ISBN: 978-0-307-58892-0
Audience: Adult
Setting: Upstate NY
1st Sentence:
Prologue
"Where were you?" said the old woman in the bed.
Why I chose this book: It is the debut novel by Verdon and it had a good premise. And it had a book trailer. I love book trailers.
Why I read it to the end: I thought for a first time book he did a bang up job. It also was a book I purchased personally and planned to donate to the library so I wanted to read it before doing so. Books have a habit of disappearing from the library. This one is still there, but you never really know...
Rating: 4.5/5
May #2 - TOYS
Title: TOYS
Author: James Patterson and Neil McMahon
Publisher: Little, Brown & Co.
Copyright: 2011
ISBN: 978-0-316-09736-9
Audience: Adult
Setting: New Lake City, Year 2061
1st Sentence:
Prologue
7-4 day
I will not forget this moment for as long as I live, which, in truth, might not be that long anyway.
Why I chose this book: I was hesitant about reading this book because it's not of any of Patterson's series, it's definitely not typical Patterson, but the chapters were his one page wonders so I figured I wouldn't have to invest in a lot before I knew whether or not I would like it even a little bit.
Why I read it to the end: I actually enjoyed this book. The book is set in the future and the world is made up of humans, who are the scourge of the earth, and the Elites, perfect, strong, rich and genetically modified. Hays is an Elite. Or so he thinks. This book had a quality that reminds me of life as we know it. People who are richer, stronger and think they are better than us and the rest of us humans. I actually hope there is more to this story.
Rating: 4/5
May 2011 #1 - BUNNICULA
Title: BUNNICULA
Author: James Howe
Publisher: Scholatic Inc.
Copyright: 1979
ISBN: 0-590-31318-5
Audience: Juvenile
Setting: The Monroe's household
1st Sentence:
I shall never forget the first time I laid these now tired eyes on our visitor.
Why I chose this book: One of my youth patrons came in and said their friend was reading a book about some vampire rabbit and did I know anything about it and did we have it. Of course we did! So I sent her out with the book and when she returned it, I checked it out because I realized I had never read it or if I had, it had been a very long time since.
Why I read it to the end: I was about 8 pages into it and realized I had read it when I was a kid, but wanted to refresh my memory. "Today vegetables! Tomorrow...the world!" I think it's a great story for kids.
Rating: 4/5
Elizabeth and Lyric
Well, I feel like I got substantially caught up but will work on getting the rest of my year's books posted.
Before I begin with the next month though, I want to pause and post some information about some girls who were abducted from our small community.
The went missing July 13th and a week later, after a lake in town was drained and it was ruled out that they were in the lake even though that is where their bikes were found, they were classified as an abduction.
Right away, national news media were notified of their disappearance and their search became a nation wide event.
It's been 50 days and there has been no viable information given to bring these girls home. The FBI, DCI and local agencies have been working on this and nothing! The community is saddened and frustrated and just want them home.
If you know anything or have seen anything, please call. We need to bring Elizabeth Collins and Lyric Cook home!
Before I begin with the next month though, I want to pause and post some information about some girls who were abducted from our small community.
The went missing July 13th and a week later, after a lake in town was drained and it was ruled out that they were in the lake even though that is where their bikes were found, they were classified as an abduction.
Right away, national news media were notified of their disappearance and their search became a nation wide event.
It's been 50 days and there has been no viable information given to bring these girls home. The FBI, DCI and local agencies have been working on this and nothing! The community is saddened and frustrated and just want them home.
If you know anything or have seen anything, please call. We need to bring Elizabeth Collins and Lyric Cook home!
Saturday, September 1, 2012
April #6 - I AM NUMBER FOUR
Author: Pittacus Lore
Publisher: Harper Collins
Copyright: 2010
ISBN: 978-0-06-196955-3
Audience: Young Adult
Setting: Paradise, OH
1st Sentence:
The door starts shaking.
Why I chose this book: The movie was coming out and I was interested in seeing it, but I almost always read the book first.
Why I read it to the end: As a librarian, I have always tried to read a little bit of everything. There are some things of which I read little; science fiction and westerns. Even though this is young adult fiction, it does fall into the category of science fiction with aliens and intergalactic war so I thought I'd try it...and LOVED it! (I enjoyed the movie, too!)
Rating: 4.75/5
April #5 - DEAD CITY
Author: Joe McKinney
Publisher: Pinnacle Books
Copyright: 2006, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-7860-2358-5
Audience: Adult
Setting: San Antonio, TX
1st Sentence:
There's an empty parking lot near the corner of Seafarer and Rood where I used to go to fight with my wife.
Why I chose this book: Zombies, zombies, zombies.
Why I read it to the end: Zombies, zombies, zombies! It was like reading an episode of THE WALKING DEAD, my favorite show on TV these days.
Rating: 4.5/5
April #4 - YOU KNOW WHEN THE MEN ARE GONE
Author: Siobhan Fallon
Publisher: Amy Einhorn/GP Putnam's Sons
Copyright: 2011
ISBN: 978-1-101-48641-6
Audience: Adult
Setting: Fort Hood, TX
1st Sentence:
In Fort Hood housing, like all army housing, you get used to hearing through the walls.
Why I chose this book: I was having a distracting week at work and this book was short stories so I thought it would be a good read.
Why I read it to the end: It was only eight short stories about the effect of the war in Afghanistan and Iraq as it pertains to those from Fort Hood where the author lived. It showed how the wives hold it together -- or not. How the soldiers are affected. It was a very sobering read. There could have been more stories and I would have been satisfied.
Rating: 4/5
April #3 - SING THEM HOME
Author: Stephanie Kallos
Publisher: Kindle edition
Copyright: 2010
ISBN: 0871139634
Audience: Adult
Setting: Emlyn Springs, NE
1st Sentence:
Prologue
It's so hard to explain what the dead really want.
Why I chose this book: It was our book discussion book as well as the All Iowa Reads selection for 2011.
Why I read it to the end: There is a definitive story in the book but the thing that I focused on was the title of the book haling from the Welsh tradition gymanfa ganu, a singing in unison and four part harmony of Welsh traditional hymns. For the book's purpose, it was to honor the dead - an extended wake if you will. While I have not found that it is specifically to honor the dead, what I've read is that it usually happens in get-togethers of more than four people and typically you would find that in the case of someone's death. I thought it somewhat morbid but the musical side of me was overcome by the beauty of this concept of 'singing someone home' after they had passed on. The family dynamics of the book were also spellbinding and Midwest weather was a big part of the story.
Rating: 4.5/5
April #2 - EXPOSED
Author: Kimberly Marcus
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 2011
ISBN: 978-0-375-86693-7
Audience: Young Adult
Setting: Shoreview, MA (Near Martha's Vineyard ferry)
1st Sentence:
I am the first one here.
Why I chose this book: The book is written in verse and that is something that is relatively new to me. The main character is Liz aka Photogirl. As an aspiring/hobbyist photographer, for a long time I was called Paparazzi because I was always shooting pictures of people at parties. The title and cover eluded to photography but the content was a lot darker than photography.
Why I read it to the end: It was a fast read because of the verse and the storyline had me captured.
One section really grabbed me:
My mother has pinned
all her hopes on me.
And I can't pull out
the pins.
Rating: 4.5/5
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