08.Jul.2010 Mid Year Challenges Wrap-up
It’s mid year so it seems like a good time to wrap up some challenges I’ve completed! Once Upon a Time IV Once Upon a Time IV ended on 20th June. I read 6 books that fall into category folklore, fantasy, fairy tales, or mythology, so I actually completed Quest the First (5 books) despite [...]
21.Mar.2010 Short Saturday: Gaiman, Jackson, and Gilman
In Short Saturday I will journal my journey to find 5-star quality short stories, whose virtual trophy right now is held by Truman Capote and Haruki Murakami. Unlike my book reviews, I will talk more about my thoughts and what I learn, why I choose the story and how I come upon it. Unlike books, [...]
01.Feb.2010 Japanese Season Has Ended, For Now
Can you believe we have gone through the third round of Japanese Literature Challenge, and it has again, ended? I did a lot better this time around than last year. Funny. Last round I intended to read a lot and ended up reading much less. This round I intended to read one or two, and [...]
24.Jan.2010 Read the Book, See the Movie Challenge
1 January 2010 – 31 December 2010 You do know that I need to join this challenge, right? Comparing book and its movie adaptation is really my thing. In 2009, I did that with: Breakfast at Tiffany’s The Color Purple Silk A Christmas Carol Wicked (not a movie, but with its musical) Dracula + movie [...]
19.Jan.2010 Aussie Author Challenge, Oi!
In conjunction with my own personal challenge to read more Aussie authors, I should naturally join the Aussie Author Challenge! (1 Jan-31 Dec 2010) There are many to choose from. The ones more known internationally like Markus Zusak and Geraldine Brooks, Steve Toltz for his A Fraction of the Whole, to the ONLY two double [...]
11.Jan.2010 Book Awards IV, Bring It On!
Book Awards IV 1 January – 1 November 2010 10 months. 10 awards. Do I dare say, “Bring it on!” ? I do! Books read: Waiting by Ha Jin (finished 01/10, rating 5/5) 1999 National Book Award for Fiction 2000 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction Finalist of 2000 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction Flowers for Algernon by [...]
09.Jan.2010 Orbis Terrarum Wrap-up
I kinda dreaded wrapping up this challenge, because I predicted it would be the longest of them all. And it is. But here we go, my last challenge wrap-up of 2009! I joined Orbis Terrarum Challenge in March 2009, running from 1 March to 31 December 2009. The rule is to read 10 different books [...]
08.Jan.2010 Foodie Books (or End of The Spice of Life Challenge)
I’m rather sad that The Spice of Life Challenge has ended (it ran from 1 July to 31 December 2009). I’m a huge foodie and though I only ended up reading 3 books, I had lots of fun thinking about books that could fit into the challenge. There are 4 categories: Cookbooks Nonfiction Memoirs, autobiographies, [...]
06.Jan.2010 Herding Cats II Herded
Herding Cats II Challenge ran from 1 April to 31 December 2009. In this challenge we list 5 books we love (read in 2007-2009 only) and everybody’s recommendations make the master list from which everybody would read any number of books for the challenge. There are 163 books in the list and I read 3: [...]
04.Jan.2010 Lost in Translation Challenge (Barely) Completed
Frances @ Nonsuch Books hosted Lost in Translation Challenge running from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2009, required us to read 6 books in translation. I said, it sounds like an easy rule. I did manage to complete it, but barely. I read 6 books, sort of, or 5 1/3 if you want to [...]
