May Challenge Book

I loved A tree grows in Brooklyn! It was wonderful. It not only tells Francie's story of growing up but divulges bits and pieces of her family's past. Life was hard for her family, but they knew that it made them stronger.

My Year of Reading Dangerously=April Book

My book this month was the Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.

I had picked it up a few times and started reading it, I even bought my own copy but discovered that I don't like the feel of the book club quality paper.
This time, I listened to it. I loved it. I started with the abridged version, switched to the unabridged as as soon as it arrived through ILL. I loved it. It was wonderful. There was so much I was missing with the abridged! I didn't listen much farther than I had read before, so that was good. I finished the unabridged on Wednesday and just loved it. The epilogue was odd, but I loved the book.
Can you tell that I loved it? I do think that it would not make a good movie, they would have to cut too much out or it would end up really boring like the Da Vinci Code. That was a boring movie.

My Year of Reading Dangerously=March Book

Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood.
I loved this book. I don't know who I could recommend it to, but I loved it.
It was mostly about relationships, how women relate to each other not only as women but as small children.
The main character, Elaine, returns to her childhood home for an art showing and is besieged by images of the past.
Follow Elaine on her journey as she reconciles her history with her present.

Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

Yes, I did finish it in February. It was very good. I was glad that they took the time line as far as they did, I needed to know what happened to Aliena!
Even though it is not the type of book I normally read, I really liked it. Yes, it is realistic in that people have sex, but that's part of life.
I love the descriptions of the architecture and building. After reading about their day to day lives, I am so glad that I live in 2008! So much easier and safer.

Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

I am glad that I chose this title as my February My Year of Reading Dangerously challenge book. That was a whole lot of words! I'm on page 167/973 and hope to read more today. I can't read when it get loud, but until then, its free game. :-}

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

As part of the My Year of Dangerous Reading Challenge, I read Great Expectations. I had seen some of the movies, so I had a general idea of the plot (even though the Ethan Hawke version was not really all that much like the book). I think that helped. I found the language frustrating at times, especially uncle Joe; though he was a great character, I did find him taxing at times.
On the whole, I'm glad that I read it. I loved a Tale of Two Cities so I had some hopes of really liking this one. I liked it, but it didn't become a page turner until the last 5th of the book, which I read in one day.

My year of dangerous reading-change book for February

My List:
January: Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens
February: Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
March: Cat's Eye, by Margaret Atwood
April: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
May: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
June: Animal Farm by George Orwell
July: The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
August: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte
September: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
October: The Human Stain, by Philip Roth
November:A Month of Classic Short Stories, Various
December: The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck

My Year of Reading Dangerously

Yes, okay, I never blog anymore. Sorry.
I also never read actual books anymore so I've decided (through Amy's encouragement) to join a reading challenge. Check out My Year of Reading Dangerously to sign up. You can either read their books or pick your own list.
Most of mine are either books they suggest, Amy is reading or books I've always thought that I should have read by now.

My List:
January: Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens
February: The hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
March: Cat's Eye, by Margaret Atwood
April: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
May: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
June: Animal Farm by George Orwell
July: The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
August: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte
September: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
October: The Human Stain, by Philip Roth
November:A Month of Classic Short Stories, Various
December: The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck