July Book Blowout round-up

This challenge has come to an end, (well officially it ends tomorrow but I won't finish Bellefleur tomorrow so its ended for me). I aimed to read 13 books and ended up beating that target by 1 and a half books.

My favorite out of the 13 would be joint between Persepolis and Twilight, there was a few books in there which weren't amazing but it was generally a good month. I liked having a goal for the month, and for once being able to meet it!

Mrs S' questions:

1. Did you discover a new author?

10 out of the 14 where new-to-me authors!
2. Where was the most unusual place you found yourself reading?

I read in all my usual haunts plus the garden as it finally got sunny.
3. Did you read more than usual?

I read more than a normal month as it is now the summer holidays so I have days on end to fill with reading ;-D
4. Did you give up anything in order to read more?

Working on all the stuff I planned to get ahead with for next term
5. If you won the Amazon voucher what would you spend it on?

Books, possibly The Beadle and the Bard pre-order
6. Would you like to see a 2009 Book Blowout?

Yeah, was nice to keep track of what I had read in a month

My What I actually have read list:
I finished The Red Queen by Margaret Drabble 1/2

1. Junky - William Burroughs
2. Stardust - Neil Gaiman
3. Twilight - Stephanie Meyer
4. Siddartha, Hesse
5. Persepolis
6. Breakfast at Tiffany's, Capote
7. Stuart: A Life Backwards, Masters
8. Persepolis, Satrapi
9. The Unabridged Pocket Book of Lightning, Foer
10. The Secrets We Keep, Monroe
11. Mirrormask, Gaiman
12. Journey to the River Sea, Ibbotson
13. Gatty, Crossley-Holland
14. Tomaree, Robson

My Thoughts: Tomaree by Debbie Robson

I got sent this novel as a bookring, like so many book I seem to be reading at the moment it isn't the type of book I normally read but I thought it was fairly good.
The story is told in a series of flashbacks. Peggy has returned to Australia after her mother's death and the recent breakdown of her marriage. She has gone back for the funeral and to sort out the house she has been left, with the view to possibly living there again, after 30 years living in the U.S. Whilst back at the house she unearths some family secrets, discovering why her mother has always been so distant over the years.
She also recalls her early romance with her estranged husband, this romance is told through flashbacks, there love existing amongst the war and her mother's disapproval. As with all books like this a happy ending is guaranteed.

It wasn't original, I could see the ending coming a mile away, but it was an easy way to pass a grey morning.

Challenge:
July Book Blowout Book 14

My Thoughts: Gatty by Kevin Crossley-Holland

Today had the most stunning weather, I enjoyed it by doing a tiny bit of gardening and sunbathing with this book. I managed to read the whole book in pretty much one go as it was such a good read.
Gatty is a land girl, with no one in the world except for her cow, Hopeless and her 7 chickens. One day she is called upon out of the blue to be a chambermaid to Lady Gwyneth, because of her wonderful singing voice. Lady Gwyneth believes that Gatty's voice will protect her, and those she is taking with her on their pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The voyage holds many problems, adventures and tales, as well as transforming Gatty from a young restless girl to a well rounded young woman.

This is one of the books I'll be putting up on my wall of recommended reads at school. Its a fantastic tale, well written and well steeped in history. Its full of historical and religious contexts but as Gatty has led a fairly secluded life they need to be explained to her, and thus to the reader who may have little knowledge of this time and of religion (especially in England where RE tends not to focus on Christianity from what I remember of school). Definately well worth a read.
This is the first of the Carnegie shortlist for 2008 that I am planning on reading, then winner has been announced but I like to read as many of them as can. As this didn't win I'm expecting the winner to be great.

Challenges:

YA Challenge Book 4 of 12

July Bookblowout Book 1

If you have read this book leave a link to your post here and I'll put it in my post

Sunday Salon and My Thoughts on Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson

England has been so sunny and hot this week, as its the first week of the summer holidays I've been able to go out sunbathing, go to the beach and spend time in many beer gardens working on my tan, and I've also managed to get some books read. I finished this week: Stuart: A Life Backwards, Persepoilis 2, The Unabridged Pocketbook of Lightning, The Secrets We Keep and Journey to the River Sea (see below for my thoughts). The heat has definately gone to my head as I also joined 3! challenges!!!

In this coming week I need to finish a couple of bookrings and try and start reading some Joyce Carol Oates stuff.

Journey to the River Sea has been one of those kids books I have wanted to read since it came out as it has a gorgeous cover, won the Smarties Gold Awards and got great reviews.

The book is abpout an orphan who has to move to Brazil to live with her family over there. As with most orphans in books (and there are loads) the adopted family is mean and has taken on the orphan as a way to swindle money. Being set in Brazil we are promised adventures up the Amazon River, and with the two new friends she meets also orphans).

I'm not sure if I expected to much but I just thought this book was okay, it started off fairly slowly and I never got a sense of tension and adventure. I like kids books to take me back to being a kid, but this one didn't do this. If you want adventure in the Amazon you would do far better to read City of the Beasts bu Isabel Allende.

Challenges:

July Book Blow Out book 12

Young Adult Challenge book 3 0f 12

If you have reviewed this book please leave a link to your review here and I'll tag it on.

My Thoughts: The Secrets We Keep by Mary Alice Monroe

Yay! I finally read a book for the Southern Reading Challenge! I've been reading Gone With the Wind forever and I've still got masses to go so I thought I should start picking up my other Southern reads.

This book is set in balmy North Carolina. The Blakey family has to come to terms with the sudden stroke of their previously active father and the prospect that they may lose the family home and land which has been with the family for many generations. This tragdey brings the family together and lets out more than a few family secrets.

Now this is far more my Mums type of book, I brought it in one of those 3 for 2 book deals where I was just searching out anything that could be the free book, and this is what came out. The book has sat on the shelves for a few years after going on hols somewhere sunny with my Mum, and it seemed more attractive than The Awakening which I can't seem to make myself pick up. It was a fairly good read once I got past the first 50 pages, kind of a holiday read, something easy for the beach or plane, and it certainly won't be recieving any rewards as a great piece of literature. But it's a good 'feel good read'.

Challenges:

The Southern Reading Challenge book 1 0f 3

July Book Blow Out: Book 10

If you have read this book, please leave a link to your review in my comments

2nds Challenge

Joy is hosting yet another great challenge:

Have you recently (or not so recently) read a book by a "new-to-you" author and can't wait to dive into another one of his/her books? If so, please join us in the second 2nds Challenge!
WHO: Anybody

WHAT: Read 4 books by authors that you have only read one other

WHERE: Mister Linky will keep track of monthly books read here on "Thoughts of Joy..."

WHEN: September, October, November and December, 2008

WHY: Because we love to read...why else?

My List:

The Virgin Blue, Chevalier
Two Carvans, Lewycka

Beloved, Toni Morrison

The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea, Mishma

Coupland, Girlfriend in a Coma

Family Matters, Rohinton Mistry

The Second Unread Authors Challenge Aug 1st 2008 - January 31st 2009

Sycorax Pine is hosting this challenge over at her site:
Almost all of us have authors who we have long meant to read, but somehow never gotten around to (you can see a long list of mine at the bottom right of the blog). Perhaps you have always been intrigued but intimidated by their work. Perhaps "required reading" and your favorite authors have taken up most of your time. Perhaps they have been sitting on your shelves for years, continually trumped by new fascinations. Well, now is their time.The rules:
The challenge will run from August 1, 2008 to January 31, 2009. You may join at any time before or during those six months.
During those six months, read at least SIX books by an author whose work you have never read before.
You may choose six different "unread" authors to introduce yourself to, or you may choose just one or two and explore their work in greater depth.
Authors may be drawn from any genre of literature. The only requirement is that they be authors whose work you substantially regret not having read yet.
Your choices may overlap with other challenges you have underway.To join the challenge or to get ideas from the posts of last year's participants, go to the Challenge Blog. You will find instructions on how to join in the post at the top of the blog.

Here's my possibles:
Maus, Art Spiegelman
The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver
The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls
Gilead, Marilynne Robinson
Out by Kirino
Gatty's Tale, Kevin Crossley Holland
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Moshin Hamid
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Goodbye Tsugumi by Banana Yoshimoto
Saul Bellow- Humboldt’s Gift
The Sea by John Banville
The Gathering by Anne Enright
Wild Swans - Chang

My reads for this challenge

1. Apache, Landman - a really good read, most of her books are for little kids but I will be checking out her YA book, Aztec: The Goldsmith's Daughter in the future

2. Gone with the Wind, Mitchell

3. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Mildred Taylor Table Talk, has recommended her other books 'Let the Circle Be Unbroken' and 'Road to Memphis' so I'll be checking them out at some point

4. Gods Behaving Badly, Marie Phillips A new author

5. Ruby Red, Linzi Glass
6. The Changeling, Jenkins

7. Meet Me Under the Ombu Tree, Montefiore
Some of these are books I've been meaning to read for ages, others are books I have read about on other blogs. Maybe I'll discover a favorite author somewhere amongst these.

8. Goodbye Tsugumi by Banana Yoshimoto, I've been meaning to read her stuff for ages and it didn't disappoint