Fall Into Reading Challenge Completed

Fall into Reading 2008
Host: Callapidder Days
Dates: September 22nd - December 20th 2008
Books required: Participant Decides

• Did you finish reading all the books on your fall reading list? If not, why not?

All but three, and those three were long. In fact, two of the three were multiple-books-in-one. I didn't even attempt them really.

• Did you stick to your original goals or did you change your list as you went along?

I added three books to make up for the three I knew I wasn't going to get to. But I stuck with the rest...which was a pleasant surprise for me!

• What was your favorite book that you read this fall? Least favorite? Why?

Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix was a GREAT GREAT GREAT read. The book I struggled with the most was the unabridged Count of Monte Cristo. A book that was easy to finish but that I didn't care for overall was Madapple. I know some bloggers love it. But I didn't quite.

• Did you discover a new author or genre this fall? Did you love them? Not love them?

The only new authors I read for the challenge were Jeanne Birdsall and Astrid Lindgren. I love the Penderwicks, they were fun. Those two books are all about the characters and very little about the plot. Pippi was GREAT because the illustrations by Lauren Child (of Charlie and Lola fame) added something fresh to the book. And the book itself--the text--is just funny.

• Did you learn something new because of the Fall Into Reading challenge — something about reading, or yourself, or a topic you read about?

I learned that The Count of Monte Cristo is best kept abridged. OR to rephrase that, I think it needs Richard Pevear to come along and translate it. He did wonders with The Three Musketeers--talk about magic!!! If he can make it sparkle throughout...the book--as is--does have a powerful ending--the last two hundred pages are amazingly breezy to get through. But it's a journey.

• What was your favorite thing about the Fall Into Reading challenge?

I loved reading the books. I loved the sense of accomplishment too.

• Would you like to participate in another challenge here this spring?

Yes, of course!

I read:

1. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
2. Madapple by Christina Meldrum
3. Something Wicked by Alan M. Gratz
4. The Diamond of Darkhold by Jeanne DuPrau
5. Manga Shakespeare: MacBeth Illustrated by Robert Deas
6. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
7. Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
8. Impossible by Nancy Werlin
9. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
10. The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
11. The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall
12. Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery
13. Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery
14. Anne of Windy Poplars by L.M. Montgomery
15. Anne's House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery
16. Anne of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery
17. Rainbow Valley by L.M. Montgomery
18. Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery
19. Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery
20. A True and Faithful Narrative by Katherine Sturtevant
21. Secret Garden by Frances Burnett
22. Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix
23. Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

The three I didn't get to...

Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Once and Future King by T.H. White
Pemberley Shades by D.A. Bonavia-Hunt

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews