Odds and Ends

I have finished 2 books since I last posted. I read The Gifts of War by Mackensie Ford, and The Bluest Eyes by Toni Morrison. Was not especially impressed with either.

Gifts of War is about WWI, a Christmas Eve truce in the trenches, and a promise made and broken. It begins with a promise in the trenches during a one night truce to a German soldier (Wilhelm) to take his picture back to his girlfriend in England. Of course, when Henry goes to find the girl, named Sam, he falls in love with her. Unbeknownst to Wilhelm, Sam has had his baby, a son named Will. Henry meets Sam and pursues her, even though she tells him about Wilhelm and how she is waiting for his return. Henry never tells her that he knows/met Wilhelm. And so the story goes...

I thought that the story had great potential, but it pretty much let me down.

The Bluest Eyes was ok, but I just loved Beloved and Song of Solomon so much, that I found this book to be disappointing. I think that I must like when Ms. Morrison goes into the "spirit" world somewhat.

On a different note, I actually signed up for the Read 100 books in 2010 Challenge! I don't know what possessed me although I have been feeling as if I have been letting myself down with my lack of reading. I used to read like a fiend and I miss it. Now that I have retired, I thought I would get back to it, but it seems like I am always doing something else, often involving the computer! So I am pushing the envelope and going for the challenge. If you are interested in joining, go to this site:

http://j-kaye-book-blog.blogspot.com/2009/11/new-2010-reading-challenge-100-reading.html

First Book Challenge

I did it! I joined my very first book challenge! I joined the What's in a Name? 3 Challenge over at: http://whatsinname3.blogspot.com/.

The challenge only involves 6 books (only, I say? check with me at the end of 2010), so surely I can manage that! It may be more of a challenge than I realize. The challenge is to read books that have the following in their names:
1) Food (rats, I just finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society-so it won't count for 2010)

2) Body of Water

3) Title (ie. President, Queen, Mr. etc)

4) Plant

5) Place Name (city, country, etc)

6) Music Term (rats again, I just finished Song of Solomon)

Of course, right now I am blank on what to read, other than books that I have already read. But I am looking forward to the challenge of finding books for the categories.

BTW-I am open to suggestions!

2009 Challenge

I finished The Tenderness of Wolves last night (check for new posting on it) and was so impressed with it that I decided to check out the Costa Book Awards site. The Tenderness of Wolves won the 2006 Costa Book of the Year for a 1^st Novel. If they were good enough to choose this book, I wanted to see what other books have been chosen.

From the website: “The Costa Book Awards is one of the most prestigious and popular literary prizes in the UK and recognises some of the most enjoyable books of the year by writers based in the UK and Ireland.”

My challenge to myself for 2009 is to read at least 5 of the winners of the Costa Award. I printed off a list of them, beginning from 1971. And to be honest, most of them, I have not heard of. But that is not going to hinder my pursuit.

I will report at the end of this year on how I did with the challenge I have given myself!