Reading the States: Fiction Complete!

It took me years, but I've finally completed the fiction portion of my Reading the States challenge. My goal is to read one fiction and one nonfiction book set in each state. I try to pick a book that describes the state or really feels like it in someway. Occasionally I'll settle for a book that is just set there if there aren't a lot of options (I'm looking at you Delaware). It's been so fun getting to know each state a bit better through literature. I still have 14 to go on the nonfiction side.

For some of the states I've read multiple books set there and I included a few of my favorites in this list. If you want to see a more complete list of both fiction and nonfiction books set in the state (plus bookstores and authors who live there) check out the complete list here.

Alabama: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Alaska: The Call of the Wild by Jack London

Arizona: Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Arkansas: True Grit by Charles Portis (A Painted House by John Grisham) 
California: East of Eden by John Steinbeck (Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin, The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler) 

Colorado: Plainsong by Kent Haruf 
Connecticut: Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates

Delaware: Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

Florida: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neal Hurston

Georgia: Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Hawaii: The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings

Idaho: Lila by Marilynne Robinson

Illinois: The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, The House on Mango Street is Sandra Cisneros)

Indiana: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (The Magnificent Ambersons by Booth Tarkington)

Iowa: The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Walker (Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella)

Kansas: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (Doc by Mary Dora Russell)

Kentucky: Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry

Louisiana: A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole (Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams)

Maine: Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

Maryland: The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler

Massachusetts: Mystic River by Dennis Lehane

Michigan: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

Minnesota: Peace Like a River by Leif Enger

Mississippi: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Missouri: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Montana: Montana 1948 by Larry Watson

Nebraska: O Pioneers! by Willa Cather

Nevada: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

New Hampshire: A Prayer for Own Meany by John Irving

New Jersey: The Plot Against America by Philip Roth, American Pastoral by Philip Roth

New Mexico: Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya

New York: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer (A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald) 
North Carolina: Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks (The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver) 
North Dakota: The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich

Ohio: Beloved by Toni Morrison (Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld)

Oklahoma: Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts (August: Osage County)

Oregon: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey (If I Stay by Gayle Forman)

Pennsylvania: Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Rhode Island: My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

South Carolina: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

South Dakota: Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

Tennessee: The Firm by John Grisham (An Abundance of Katherines by John Green)

Texas: Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry (11/22/63 by Stephen King)

Utah: When the Emperor was Divine by Julie Otsuka

Vermont: The Secret History by Donna Tartt (Bittersweet by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore)

Virginia: The Known World by Edward P. Jones

Washington: The Last Town on Earth by Thomas Mullen (Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson)

Washington DC: Heartburn by Nora Ephron (Lost Symbol by Dan Brown)

West Virginia: Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Wisconsin: The Story of Edgar Sawtell by David Wroblewski (Loving Frank by Nancy Horan)

Wyoming: Close Range: Wyoming Stories by Annie Proulx

2014 TBR Pile Challenge

The Roof Beam Reader (Adam) is once again hosting the TBR Pile Challenge. I am pretty picky about what challenges I participate in, but I love this one because it encourages me to read books I already own.

The Goal:

To finally read 12 books from your “to be read” pile (within 12 months).

Specifics:

Each of these 12 books must have been on your bookshelf or “To Be Read” list for AT LEAST one full year. Caveat: Two (2) alternates are allowed, just in case one or two of the books end up in the “can’t get through” pile.

Here’s my list for 2014:

1) Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (finished January 2014)

2) The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli (finished May 2014)

3) The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski (finished March 2014)

4) One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (finished February 2014)

5) Dune by Frank Herbert (finished May 2014)

6) Positively Fifth Street by James McManus

7) The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer (finished May 2014)

8) Blankets by Craig Thompson (finished April 2014)

9) Kiwi Tracks by Andrew Stevenson (finished August 2014)

10) Doc by Mary Doria Russell (finished May 2014)

11) Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton (finished January 2014)

12) The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin by Gordon S. Wood (finished January 2014)

ALTERNATES:

1) In Dubious Battle by John Steinbeck (finished August 2014)

2) Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery (finished March 2014)

Photo by moi and from Adam's blog.

2013 TBR Pile Challenge Wrap-Up

One of my favorite challenges has quickly become Roofbeam Reader’s annual TBR Pile Challenge. The whole point is to finally read books that have been sitting on your “To Be Read” shelf for a long time. I am so bad at letting the books I want to read stack up and then neglecting them.

For the second year in a row I’ve completed the challenge. Even if I don’t end up loving every book on my list it’s always such a satisfying feeling to finally get to them.

Here my list of books that I finished this year. There was only one from my list that I bumped and use an alternate for and that’s Dickens. I’m hoping to get to that next year. I am already working on my list for 2014!

1) Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray (finished March 2013)

2) An Abundance of Katherines by John Green (finished January 2013)

3) Birdsong by Sebastian C. Faulks (finished April 2013)

4) One of our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde (finished May 2013)

5) Heart and Soul by Maeve Binchy (finished September 2013)

6) Summerland by Michael Chabon (finished May 2013)

7) About a Boy by Nick Hornby (finished July 2013)

8) Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens

9) 1776 by David McCullough (finished March 2013)

10) The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett (finished January 2013)

11) Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut (finished September 2013)

12) The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet by Reif Larsen (finished October 2013)

ALTERNATES:

1) Among Schoolchildren by Tracy Kidder (finished October 2013)

2) Nobody's Fool by Richard Russo

Photo by moi and from Adam's blog. 

2013 TBR Pile Challenge

Adam aka the Roof Beam Reader is once again hosting the TBR Pile Challenge. I participated in and completed this challenge for the first time this year and loved it! The whole point is to read books that are already languishing on your own shelves. Since I'm incredibly motivated by lists, this challenge is perfect for me.

The Goal:
To finally read 12 books from your “to be read” pile (within 12 months).

Specifics: 

Each of these 12 books must have been on your bookshelf or “To Be Read” list for AT LEAST one full year. This means the book cannot have a publication date of 1/1/2012 or later. Caveat: Two (2) alternates are allowed, just in case one or two of the books end up in the “can’t get through” pile.

I've carefully created my list for 2013 and here's what I came up with...

1) Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray (finished March 2013)
2) An Abundance of Katherines by John Green (finished January 2013)
3) Birdsong by Sebastian C. Faulks (finished April 2013)
4) One of our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde (finished May 2013)
5) Heart and Soul by Maeve Binchy (finished September 2013)
6) Summerland by Michael Chabon (finished May 2013)
7) About a Boy by Nick Hornby (finished July 2013)
8) Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens
9) 1776 by David McCullough (finished March 2013)
10) The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett (finished January 2013)
11) Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut (finished September 2013)
12) The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet by Reif Larsen (finished October 2013)

ALTERNATES:
1) Among Schoolchildren by Tracy Kidder (finished October 2013)
2) Nobody's Fool by Richard Russo

Photo by moi and from Adam's blog. 

The Classics Club

I am officially joining The Classics Club! Jillian at A Room of One's Own came up with the wonderful idea of starting a classics club. We each make a list of 50, 100, 200, etc. books we want to read that are considered classics. This is a five year project and we just update as we go. I'm always reading classics anyway, so I was thrilled to hear about it.

The club basics:

• choose 50+ classics
• list them at your blog
• choose a reading completion goal date up to five years in the future and note that date on your classics list of 50+ titles
• link your classics list to Jillian's blog
• write about each title on your list as you finish reading it, and link it to your main list
• when you’ve written about every single title, go to Jillian's blog and reply to your initial comment when you joined, to let us know you won

If you want to see the books I've chosen, I've posted my list of 100 books on a new page here. I'm giving myself a completion date of March 9, 2017, 5 years from now. Let the classic reading begin!

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
by J.K. Rowling
★★★★☆

Harry Potter enters his second year at Hogwarts with a bang… literally. He crashes into a tree while flying a car to school. The second book in the series has never been my favorite, but I was surprised, upon re-reading it, to discover how many small details foreshadow events in future books. They seem unimportant here, but in retrospect Rowling was clearly setting up the final premise early on.

There are also so many important characters that are introduced in this installment. We meet Dobby and see his eternal loyalty unfold from the first chapters. We meet the entire Weasley family (except the eldest brothers) and visit their home, the Burrow, for the first time. They truly become Harry’s family and so this is an important event. We also see Dumbledore’s office for the first time and his role becomes more prominent.

This is also the book where Voldemort becomes more than just a generic baddie. Until now we knew nothing about his past. Learning about his heritage, childhood and “normal” years makes him an interesting adversary, instead of just a villain. I love Harry’s struggle with the similarities between him and his foe. It adds another great layer to the story.

Rowling has an interesting habit of splitting up the core group at the end of many of the books. In the first one, Ron is separated from Hermione and Harry at the chess game. In the second book, Hermione is debilitated before the Chamber of Secrets sequence. In the third book, Ron is again out of commission before the final section. I never really noticed that before, but it’s an interesting trend. Side note: What happened to Neville? He is barely mentioned at all in this book, which is sad.

A few things I'd forgotten about the second book:

1) This is the first time Harry is really disliked or feared by other students. In future books this happens frequently, but this book marks the first time Harry is rejected by many of the people he knows in the wizarding world.

2) I’d forgotten all about Nearly Headless Nick’s deathday party. It provides a chance to meet a few of the house ghosts, which is important in the final books.

3) Fawkes is such a critical character in this book. I’d forgotten how crucial the phoenix’s role is and how important it is that he comes when Harry needs him. It speaks volumes about Harry’s loyalty to Dumbledore at a time when Harry didn’t know him well.

Read for the Harry Potter Challenge hosted here.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
by J.K Rowling
★★★★★

An 11-year-old orphan lives with his horrible aunt and uncle in England. He finds out that not only does a whole secret wizarding world exist around him, but he is a wizard too! From there we follow Harry off to school at Hogwarts as he takes classes, makes friends and eventually must face off with a villain.

The first book in the Harry Potter series starts off a bit slow, but once Hagrid bursts through the door on Harry's birthday the plot is full steam ahead. Every time I read this book (along with the rest of the series) I am completely swept away by Harry's world. Of course the book isn't perfect and many have criticized the writing style and plot points, but when a story is so engrossing that it makes me forget about everything else, I tend to be very forgiving about the small things.

One of the best things about the book is how real the characters feel. Harry's wonderful friends, Hermione, Ron and Hagrid are all flawed. Ron has no self-confidence and wants to surpass his brother's successes, but doubts he can. Hagrid has a blind spot when it comes to creatures of all kind, even though they might be dangerous. Hermione is a know-it-all and a goody-two-shoes. Yet we love all of them and they work together to bring out the best in each other. As Hermione pushes Ron and Harry to work harder, they help her to loosen up a bit.

The first book is not the best, but it is something special. It's the gateway to a world that has captivated millions in the last decade and will continue to do so in the future.

A few things I'd forgotten about the first book:

1) Dumbledore is in very few sections of the book. His only real interaction with Harry is during the final Mirror of Erised scene and in the hospital at the end. Yet even in this book he is a remarkable character with a perfect blend of odd humor and wisdom.

2) The awe you feel as you see the wizarding world (Diagon Alley, Hogwarts, etc.) through Harry's eyes for the first time. It's easy to forget how foreign it all was to him in the beginning.

3) How big a part of the book Neville Longbottom is. He's a blundering boy, always forgetting things and making mistakes, but he is so brave and loyal. I'd forgotten he played such a big part in this first book.

Read for the Harry Potter Challenge hosted here.

Harry Potter Challenge

I read the first book in the Harry Potter series in 2001, when I was a senior in high school. The first movie was about to come out and I'd been ignoring the series because of the hype. I finally read it because I wanted to read the book before seeing the movie. 300 pages later I was completely hooked and in a week I'd read all the other books that were out at that time. For the final 3 books I pre-ordered each one and read them as soon as I had them in my hands.

There is so much to love about the series. Rowling created a new world where wizardry made just about anything possible. She also created characters that you care deeply about. Some of my all-time favorites, like Dumbledore, come from the series. She balanced a good vs. evil plot with the drama that comes out of regular life. There are family problems, bullying, sibling rivalries, homework, sports teams, first crushes, etc. all while our favorite trio battles bad guys.

So as worldwide Harry Potter love culminates this summer, when the final movie is released, I will be re-reading all seven books. I'm sure I will re-read them in the future, but this does feel like an era is truly coming to an end. Daemon Books is hosting a read-along and here are the details if you want to join...

The Books and Schedule:
1. January 1-31: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
2. February 1-28: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
3. March 1-31: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
4. April 1-30: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
5. May 1-31: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
6. June 1-30: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
7. July 1 – August 31: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Note: The last book will be read over two months in case some people (me included) would like to see the final movie before re-reading the book.

How To Participate Each month:
Step 1: Read the assigned book for that month (see schedule above)
Step 2: Write a review or opinion piece about the book on your blog
Step 3: Starting February 1, 2011 and at the beginning of each subsequent month we will have a post up for you to share links to your reviews, opinion pieces or to write comments (designated comment section). This will count as proof of your participation.

1001 Books Challenge

I bought this book a few years ago and have been checking off titles as I read them ever since. I've found some great books on this list so far and have read 123 out of the daunting 1001. Now Caitie at Pub Writes is hosting a challenge to read books on the list. Since I do that anyway, I'm joining. I'm shooting for the PhD level, which is 16+.

The challenge is simple – read some books from the list! If you don’t own the actual book, you can find a simple list online. For the most basic, check out the Listology list. There are spreadsheets outs there that you can look at too that are more complex.

LEVELS:
High Schoo Diplomal: 5 books from the list

Bachelor’s Degree: 6-10 books

Master’s Degree: 11-15 books

PhD: 16+

RULES:
Challenge runs January 1 2011 – Decemeber 31 2011.
You don’t have to make a list beforehand.
You can use any version of the list, not just the current, since they update it every couple years

Victorian Literature Challenge

Let the challenges begin! In the last two weeks I have seen 2011 reading challenges popping up all over the blogosphere. I can’t believe it’s already time for that! I will probably join a couple challenges for 2011, but I’m trying to reign myself in a bit. I tend to want to join every single one I hear about, because I love making lists and crossing things off.

Bethany is hosting the Victorian Literature Challenge at words, words, words and I can’t help myself. There are so many Victorian era authors I love and a dozen more that have been on my TBR list for too long. So here are some of the details (you can visit her site for the rest)… 



This challenge will run from Jan. 1, 2011 - Dec. 31, 2011.

Participants can sign up at any time throughout the year.



Read your Victorian literature.

Queen Victoria reigned from 1837-1901. If your book wasn't published during these particular years, but is by an author considered "Victorian," go for it. We're here for reading! Also, this can include works by authors from other countries, so long as they are from this period.



Literature comes in many forms.

There are so many Victorian reads out there, including novels, short stories, and poetry. One poem doesn't count as a "book," though. Instead, pick up an anthology instead!



Choose from one of the four levels:
Sense and Sensibility: 1 - 4 books

Great Expectations: 5 - 9 books 

Hard Times: 10 - 14 books
Desperate Remedies: 15+ books

1) Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy (1895)
2) Villette by Charlotte Bronte (1853) 
3) The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1902)
4) Middlemarch by George Eliot (1874)
5) David Copperfield by Charles Dickens (1850) 
6) Lady Susan by Jane Austen (1871) 
7) The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James (1881)
8) The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton (1905) 
9) Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray (1848)10) The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells (1897)
11) Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (1868)
12) North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (1855)
13) The Warden by Anthony Trollope (1855) 
14) Heidi by Johanna Spyri (1880)
15) Kim by Rudyard Kipling (1901) 
16) Cousin Bette by Honore de Balzac (1846)
17) King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard (1885)
18) Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne (1869)
19) The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (1844)
20) The Yellow Wall-Paper and Other Writings by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1892)
21) War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (1869)
22) A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1887)
23) Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass (1845)

Despite my giant list, I’m committing to the Great Expectations level of 5 to 9 books. But I tend to get a bit ambitious with these things and I might end up doing the Desperate Remedies level (15+), we’ll see. I figured I would list 20 I want to get to this year, then I will hopefully read at least half of them.

I haven’t read any of the books on this list, but Austen, Dickens, Doyle, Bronte, James and Wharton are old favorites and I try to read at least one new thing from each of them each year.

I’ve read books by Gaskell, Verne, Kipling, Collins, Eliot and Wells, but want to get to know each author better.

I have never read anything by Trollope, Thackeray, Spyri, Balzac, Haggard, Gilman, Hardy or Dumas, but have always wanted to. I didn’t want to read any author twice for this challenge, so that’s the list I’m going to be choosing from.

Happy reading to all and I hope some of you join in on this challenge if it sounds like fun.

***UPDATE: The books I completed are in bold above. I read 15 books for the challenge and completed the Desperate Remedies Level!**

The Chunkster Challenge

I completed the Chunkster Challenge. Woo hoo! To complete the top channge (Mor-book-ly Obese) I needed to read 6 books that were at least 450 pages, no e-books or audio books allowed. You can find the details and other participants here.

The Girl Who Played with Fire: 512 pages

The Angel's Game : 544 pages

The Lost Symbol: 528 pages

Holly's Inbox: 672 pages

The Little Stranger: 528 pages

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest: 576 pages

Les Miserables: 1,488 pages

The Pillars of the Earth: 973 pages

Everything Austen II - Complete!

I've just completed Stephanie's Everything Austen II challenge. I don't think I could ever burn out on Austen and so this was fun. Here's what I completed for the challenge...

1) The Watsons
by Jane Austen

I wish this one was a complete novel, but I'll take what I can get.

2) The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen
by Syrie James

Loved it! It's a treat for any Austen lover.

(Lost in Austen)

3) Lost in Austen
(2008 Mini series starring Jemima Rooper)

This one was delightful. It's a bit cheesy but so fun. Amanda Price lives in modern day England and is obsessed with Jane Austen. She ends up magically switching places with Elizabeth Bennet. Chaos ensues as she tries to fit into the Bennet family and their society.

4) Emma
(2009 BBC starring Romola Garai)

This is my new favorite Emma adaptation. Garai is the perfect Emma, blending selfish naivete and sincere kindness.

(Northanger Abbey)

5) Persuasion
(2007 ITV starring Sally Hawkins)

I recognized Sally Hawkins, who plays Anne Elliot, as the exuberant Poppy from the movie Happy-Go-Lucky. It was strange to see her as the quiet and caring Anne, but she was great. Though it's good, it's not my favorite. I loved the 1995 version starring Amanda Root.

6) Northanger Abbey
(2008 starring Felicity Jones)

Jones makes a great Catherine Morland. She's sweet and innocent and she let's her imagination run wild. But I think that it's JJ Feild's Tilney that makes this such a good adaptation. He's perfect!

So what have we learned from this challenge? You can never have too much Austen!

Everything Austen II

(Emma 2009)

Stephanie is hosting an Everything Austen challenge and really, I can't resist that. I've read all six of Austen's complete novels and my TBR list is already overwhelming, so I love that she suggests watching Austen movies or reading Austen themed books as an alternative to re-reading the originals.


So here's what I'm doing for the challenge...

1) The Watsons by: Jane Austen
2) The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by: Syrie James
3) Lost in Austen (2008 Mini series starring Amanda Price
4) Emma (2009 BBC starring Romola Garai as Emma)
5) Persuasion (2007 ITV starring Sally Hawkins as Anne Elliot)
6) Northanger Abbey (2008 starring Felicity Jones as Catherine Morland)


The first two are books. I read The Watsons in anticipation of this challenge and I'm going to read James' fictional take on Austen's memoirs. The other four are movies/miniseries of Austen's books or related to them.

I tend to love all things related to Austen, so this should be fun. If you want to join in head over here.