Borrowed Book Challenge Recap

I thought I might be able to do the Borrowed Books Challenge, and even started off OK, but I still failed miserably. I really have too many books on my shelves to borrow from friends or the library, so I don't think I will try again. Here's what I read:

1. Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane

2. Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

3. The Allegra Biscotti Collection by Olivia Bennett

4. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

5. This Day in the Life by Joni B. Cole , Rebecca Joffrey & B.K. Rakhra, eds.

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This Day in the Life

Title: This Day in the Life: Diaries from Women Across America

Author: by Joni B. Cole , Rebecca Joffrey & B.K. Rakhra, eds.
Publisher: Three Rivers
ISBN: 9781400082322
Why Read?: Book Club
Challenges: Borrowed Books

Thoughts: This was different from any book I have read before. Each chapter was a day diary of a different American woman. What I liked better, though, were the shorter chapters that either included just a few hours from the day or one paragraph. Despite the format, it was slow reading.
Rating: 2 stars

The Help

Title: The Help
Author: Kathryn Stockett
Publisher: Amy Einhorn
ISBN: 9780399155345
Why Read?: Book Club
Challenges: Borrowed Books, Books to Movies, Vacation Reads, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: Everyone has been talking about The Help, I can see why. This novel is phenomenal, and I cannot wait to see the movie next month (I will add a review of it to this for the Books to Movies Challenge). Stockett presents a tough topic is a charming manner, excellently capturing the voices of all three of her protagonists. This is the type of book that just begs to be discussed, making it an excellent book club pick.
Rating: 5 stars

Books to Movies Challenge: The Help movie was definitely worth it. Yes, some things had to be changed so that it could work in a movie storyline, but all that was to be loved was still there. I am so glad that Hilly's mother had a larger role - she totally cracked me up.

Vacation Reads Challenge: 1960s Mississippi is so far removed from the way that I grew up that I would love to travel back in time and down South to really experience it.

The Allegra Biscotti Collection

Title: The Allegra Biscotti Collection

Author: Olivia Bennett

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

ISBN:

Why Read?: For Fun

Challenges: Young Adult Contemporary, Borrowed Books, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: This was sort of a Hannah Montana-type story (except with the fashion industry), but it was so much cuter. Emma/Allegra was very likable and seemed like any middle-school girl. Her choices were interesting, but that made her character all that more real.

Rating: 4 stars

Because of Winn-Dixie

Title: Because of Winn-Dixie

Author: Kate DiCamillo

Publisher: Candlewick

ISBN: 0-7636-1605-2

Why Read?: Book Club

Challenges: Young Adult Contemporary, Borrowed, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: Normally, I shy away from books about dogs (especially ones for MG), but my book club was reading this, so I had to. I am glad I did. There was a sad part, but unlike some children's classics, this did have (SPOILER ALERT!) a happy ending. DiCamillo has written a heart-filled story about a lonely little girl, her stay dog, and the meaning of friendship.

Rating: 4 stars

Borrowed Book Challenge

My husband would definitely prefer if I borrowed more books than I owned, so Book'd Out's Borrowed Book Challenge 2011 looks like a great one. I'm going to do the Borrower Be level (1 book per month/12 books total).

1. Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane

2. Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

3. The Allegra Biscotti Collection by Olivia Bennett

4. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

5. This Day in the Life by Joni B. Cole , Rebecca Joffrey & B.K. Rakhra, eds.

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Shutter Island

Title: Shutter Island

Author: Dennis Lehane

Publisher: Harper Perennial

ISBN: 9780061807404

Why Read?: For fun

Challenges: Mystery & Suspense, TBR Pile, Borrowed Books, International, Mini-Challenge, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: A superb psychological thriller. Lehane really warps your perception of reality as the plot twists and turns. Chapter 24 ends with a great ending, but then the last chapter, Chapter 25, opens it up to so many possibilities. I have not seen the movie, but I really want to (hopefully it will make the ending clearer).

Rating: 5 stars