Here is where I stand with the challenges I have joined after the month of January (only challenges that I read books for this month are featured here):
E-Book (3/10)
1. Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
2. Blowing Embers by Lauri J. Owen
3. Lizzie and the Guernsey Gang by April W. Gardner
Audio Book (1/12)
1. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Graphic Novels (2/12)
1. The Watchmen by Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons
2. The Secret of the Stone Frog by David Nytra
100 Books in a Year (15/100)
1. Rennefarre by Tamara Ramsey
2. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
3. The Woman from Paris by Santa Montefiore
4. The Watchman Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons
5. The Legend of Mickey Tussler by Frank Nappi
6. Sophomore Campaign by Frank Nappi
7. Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
8. The Secret of the Stone Frog by David Nytra
9. Tempestuous by Kim Askew & Amy Helmes
10. Keeping Secrets by Linda Byler
11. Blowing Embers by Lauri J. Owen
12. The Thirteen by Susie Moloney
13. Flying Blind by Deborah Cooke
14. Lizzie and the Guernsey Gang by April W. Gardner
15. A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver
Book Blogger Recommendation (1/10)
1. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Historical Fiction (2/10)
1. The Legend of Mickey Tussler by Frank Nappi
2. Sophomore Campaign by Frank Nappi
YA Contemporary (1/10)
1. Tempestuous by Kim Askew & Amy Helmes
Dystopia (1/15)
1. Cinder by Marissa Marr
New Adult (1/5)
1. Keeping Secrets by Linda Byler
Standalone (1/15)
1. Rennefarre by Tamara Ramsey
YA/MG Fantasy (3/10)
1. Rennefarre by Tamara Ramsey
2. The Secret of the Stone Frog by David Nytra
3. Flying Blind by Deborah Cooke
Immortal (2/12)
1. Blowing Embers by Lauri J. Owen
2. Flying Blind by Deborah Cooke
Telling Tales (2/10)
1. Rennefarre by Tamara Ramsey
2. Cinder by Marissa Marr
British Books (1/12)
1. The Woman from Paris by Santa Montefiore
Free Reads (3/12)
1. The Watchmen by Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons
2. Lizzie and the Guernsey Gang by April W. Gardner
3. A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver
A to Z (10/26)
1. Rennefarre by Tamara Ramsey
2. Cinder by Marissa Marr
3. The Woman from Paris by Santa Montefiore
4. The Legend of Mickey Tussler by Frank Nappi
5. Sophomore Campaign by Frank Nappi
6. Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
7. Tempestuous by Kim Askew & Amy Helmes
8. Keeping Secrets by Linda Byler
9. Blowing Embers by Lauri J. Owen
10. Flying Blind by Deborah Cooke
Witches and Witchcraft (1/10)
1. The Thirteen by Susie Moloney
Amish Fiction (1/6)
1. Keeping Secrets by Linda Byler
Paranormal Fiction (1/6)
1. Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
Thursday, January 31, 2013
A Thousand Mornings
Author: Mary Oliver
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 9781594204777
ISBN: 9781594204777
Why Read?: Book Club
Challenges: Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year
Challenges: Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year
Thoughts: This is a slim volume of beautiful poetry. Maybe it is because of the title, but all of the works had a misty feel to them, like morning often do. Some of my favorites were “And Bob Dylan Too”, “The First Time Percy Came Back”, “Hum, Hum”, and “I Have Decided”. But my favorite, although it truly made me tear up, was “‘For I Will Consider My Dog Percy’” which was Oliver’s spin on Christopher Smart’s “For I Will Consider My Cat Jeoffry”. While these were my favorites, every poem in the collection makes for wonderful reading and reflection.
Lizzie and the Guernsey Gang
Author: April W. Gardner
Publisher: Astraea
ISBN: 978-1-936852-71-0
ISBN: 978-1-936852-71-0
Why Read?: Book Club
Challenges: eBook, Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year
Challenges: eBook, Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year
Thoughts: Not only does Gardner present wonderful life lessons for younger readers, she also brings to life a difficult time in history in a way that preteens can easily understand. Lizzie and her "Guernsey Gang" are all great, memorable, well-rounded characters who really come to life on the page as they are forced to grow up faster than they should during a time of war.
Elsewhere Online: January 2013
As you know from my Stacking the Shelves posts, I review for two other websites (bookloons.com and bittenbybooks.com). As I cannot post my reviews there and here, but I would still like to count the books I read for the challenges, I am going to have a post like this at the end of the every month listing the books I reviewed and what challenges the went towards.
Title: The Secret of the Stone Frog
Title: The Secret of the Stone Frog
Author: David Nytra
Challenges: Graphic Novel, YA/MG Fantasy, 100 Books in a Year
Title: Tempestuous
Title: Blowing Embers
Author: Kim Askew & Amy Helmes
Challenges: YA Contemporary, A to Z, 100 Books in a Year
Title: Keeping Secrets
Title: Keeping Secrets
Author: Linda Byler
Challenges: New Adult, A to Z, Amish, 100 Books in a Year
Title: The Thirteen
Author: Susie Moloney
Challenges: Witches and Witchcraft, 100 Books in a Year
Title: The Thirteen
Author: Susie Moloney
Challenges: Witches and Witchcraft, 100 Books in a Year
Title: Blowing Embers
Author: Lauri J. Owen
Challenges: Ebook, Immortal, A to Z, 100 Books in a Year
Title: Flying Blind
Title: Flying Blind
Author: Deborah Cooke
Challenges: YA/MG Fantasy, Immortal, A to Z, 100 Books in a Year
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Heart-Shaped Box
Title: Heart-Shaped BoxAuthor: Joe Hill
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 9780061262852
ISBN: 9780061262852
Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: eBook, A to Z, Paranormal Fiction, 100 Books in a Year
Challenges: eBook, A to Z, Paranormal Fiction, 100 Books in a Year
Thoughts: This was a pretty excellent ghostly horror. It truly was terrifying in parts, but I wish the dogs were not a part of it. Otherwise, it was a gripping, fast read.
Sophomore Campaign
by Frank Nappi
published by Sky Horse
2012
ISBN 978-1-61608-663-3
Why Read?: Review
Challenges: Historical Fiction, A to Z, 100 Books in a Year
Frank Nappi has done it again! Just like The Legend of Mickey Tussler, Sophomore Campaign combines baseball with tough issues to create a home run.
After the rollercoaster ride that was the 1948 season for the minor league Milwaulkee Brewers, Arthur Murphy is not quite sure what is in store for him. His girlfriend, Molly, has declared that her autistic son Mickey will not be returning to the team, but his contract for the 1949 season hinges on Mickey returning. Once Molly realizes that baseball is in Mickey's blood, she relents on the condition that if Mickey ever wants to quit, Murph will let him. Happy to have his team back, Murph starts spring training, only to learn that there is something wrong with his team captain and star player, Boxcar. Boxcar refuses to admit anything is wrong or see a doctor, but Murph knows that he must find a good back-up, and he does in Lester Sledge. However, Lester is African-American, and even though Jackie Robinson has made his professional debut, that type of cosmapolitan thinking has not made its way to Wisconsin where Klan activity has recently resurfaced. Can Murph keep his team together - and keep his job - in the face of all this adversity?
Sophomore Campaign is a wonderful follow-up to The Legend of Mickey Tussler and does not suffer from the dreaded sophomore slump. Nappi's writing easily transports the reader back to what seems to a be more simpler time until you really get there. And with adding in issues such as autism, racism, and debilitating illness, Nappi brings to light the real mid-20th century. Sophomore Campaign is filled with memorable characters and a story that will stay with the reader long after.
Frank Nappi has definitely hit his stride with Sophomore Campaign. Hopefully, he has more in store for Murph and Mickey.
Rating: 4/5
The Legend of Mickey Tussler
by Frank Nappi
published by Sky Horse
2012
ISBN 978-1-61608-658-9
Why Read?: Review
Challenges: Historical Fiction, A to Z, 100 Books in a Year
The
Legend of Mickey Tussler is at heart a baseball book. However, Frank Nappi weaves many tough themes
throughout, which makes it so much more.
Arthur Murphy is the manager of the
minor league Milwaukee Brewers. Murph
keeps hoping that each season, will be their season, but 1948 is definitely not
shaping up to be a winning one. His luck
changes, though, when his car breaks down on a scouting trip and he stumbles
across seventeen-year-old Mickey Tussler throwing apples with perfect aim into
a barrel. Murph talks to Mickey’s
parents, but his father, Clarence, tells Murph he is just wasting his time as his
mother, Molly, explains that Mickey has autism.
Murph is undeterred and wins Carl over with money. With some creative coaching, Mickey is soon
the start pitcher of the Brewers, but some of his teammates cannot accept him,
alienating and taunting him at every turn.
When the bullying turns nasty, Mickey is hurt, possibly ending his
budding career for good.
The
Legend of Mickey Tussler heavily relies on baseball, so those with no
understanding of the game may be lost.
However, for those who can at least follow a ball game, there is a story
much deeper than a simple fictional Cinderella sporting legend. Nappi deals with some deep issues that were
not really talked about in the mid-20th century: autism, bullying,
and spousal abuse. Nappi handles these
elements so naturally, that the book easily flows from the public life of the
team on the field to their private lives at home. This adds an amazing richness to this
historical fiction sports story. The
ending is rather sudden, though, leaving the reader feeling a little let down.
While The Legend of Mickey Tussler may be listed as Young Adult, it
actually falls into the category of New Adult and runs over into just plain
Adult. Deep at is core, Frank Nappi has
penned a story as exciting as an actual baseball game.
Rating: 4/5
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