It was another great month! I read a graphic novel and some shorter books, and in the end, I’m pretty happy with the balance of fiction and nonfiction. I’m feeling like a fiction mood is about to begin. I once again can’t believe the total number of books: 16. I feel like I read less this month.
With BBAW in September, I suspect I won’t read quite as many books (I’ll be busy blog hopping and finding new favorite blogs), but I am really looking forward to that week of book blogging love.
Fiction and Nonfiction Reviews
In August, I reviewed a few things I finished previously.
- *Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
I also read or reviewed the following things:
- Twenty Years at Hull-House by Jane Addams (290 pages; nonfiction). Began in July.
- The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (375 pages; fiction). Began in July.
- Abraham Lincoln: A Man of Faith and Courage by Joe Wheeler (280 pages; nonfiction/biography). Began in July.
- The Arabian Nights II, translated by Husain Haddawy (270 pages; fiction). Began in July.
- Castle Waiting by Linda Medley (455 page; fiction/graphic novel).
- The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (librivox.org audiobook, on 38 segments, 25.5 hours total; fiction)
- Pretend Soup by Mollie Katzen and Ann Henderson (95 pages; children’s nonfiction/cookbook).
- The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne (180 pages; children’s fiction). Reread; revisited in poetry here.
- 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (95 pages; nonfiction/memoir). I also watched the movie.
- The Duchess of Bloomsbury by Helene Hanff (145 pages; nonfiction).
- The Chicago School of Architecture: A History of Commercial and Public Building in the Chicago Area, 1875-1925 by Carl W. Condit (220 pages; nonfiction).
- The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (about 11 hours total, audiobook; fiction).
- Poetry of John Donne (98 pages; poetry).
- An Edge in the Kitchen by Chad Ward (210 pages; nonfiction/reference).
- Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathon Swift (355 pages; fiction).
- Nineteenth-Century Mormon Architecture and City Planning by Mark Hamilton (120 read of 140 pages, plus 50 pages of notes; nonfiction).
Children’s Projects
I read Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathon Swift for my history of children’s literature project history of children’s literature project. I definitely wouldn’t classify it as children’s literature today!
Other picture books I reviewed were as follows:
- Cars and Truck and Things That Go by Richard Scarry
- Hands are Not For Hitting by Martine Agassi
- First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
- Velveteen Rabbit by Margaret William Bianco, illustrated by Monique Felix
Other Posts
Not all my posts were reviews this month.
- July in Review
- Reading Journal (5 August): Library Loot
- Reading Journal (12 August): You Know Your Reading Too Much
- Library Summer Reading Program Completed
- Bookworm Carnival Reminder
- 35th Edition of Bookworms Carnival: Really Old Classics
- Reading Journal (19 August): Miscellany (about how I want to talk about reading)
- BBAW Meme and Thank You for Nominations
- Reading Journal (26 August): Focused Reading
- RIP List for a Lifetime
- TBRs and Other Lists
New pages
I really like these pages because I like to track what I read and keep it organized. I’ll try to add the month’s reads after I post the monthly updates each month.
Challenges Update
I have not been good at finishing challenges. But I certainly have been enjoying reading! The Beowulf on the Beach Challenge ends on Monday. I will probably finish reading my choice (Beloved) by then, but I certainly won’t have a review up. That also is counting for my Summer Lovin’ Challenge. I’ll try to get another reread in before September 22.
New Challenges
- The Japanese Literature Challenge (until Jan 30 2010). 0/1. I’m planning on reading The Pillow Book by Sei Sonagon.
- The RIP IV Challenge (until October 31 2009). 0/4. I’m signing up for Peril the First. I have a huge pool of books, and I’m sure I can finish four of them.
Challenge Progress
Some projects appear on more than one list because part of the challenge is timed, but the overall project is not. I’ve made a note if I’m currently reading a book that applies to a particular challenge.
Timed Challenges
If this is correct, I have 31 books to read before the end of the year. Hmmm. Too bad there aren’t really any cross-overs.
- Beowulf on the Beach Challenge (until 7 Sep 2009). 0/1 (currently reading Beloved)
- Summer Lovin’ Challenge (until 22 Sep 2009). 1/3 (currently reading Beloved)
- The RIP IV Challenge (until October 31 2009). 0/4 (currently listening to audio of Dracula)
- Take a Chance Challenge (until 30 Nov 2009). 3/10
- 9 for 09 challenge (until 27 Dec 2009). 3/9
- BiblioShakespeare Challenge (until 31 Dec 2009). 3/6
- Dewey Decimal Reading Challenge (until 31 Dec 2009). 7/10
- Everything Austen Challenge (until 31 Dec 2009) 2/6
- Science Book Challenge (until 31 Dec 2009). 0/3
- The Spice of Life Challenge (until 31 Dec 2009). 5/8
- World Citizen Challenge (until 31 Dec 2009). 5/7
- The Japanese Literature Challenge (until Jan 30 2010). 0/1
Personal Projects
I have been horrible on my personal projects. Maybe next year I’ll drop the other challenges and focus on these.
- HTR&W project: poetry. 0/21 poems
- Nobel Challenge. 14/101 authors
- Pulitzer Challenge. 11/82
- Newbery Medal. 28/88
- Caldecott Medal. 42/72
- My History of Children’s Literature Project. 6/15 chapters
- U.S. Presidential Reading. 2/44 presidents
- Presidents of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1/15 presidents
- My Short Story Author Project.
- My Poets Project.
- Favorite Authors to Read.
Well done!!
Lezlie
31 books before the end of the year? ! I am impressed at the range of challenges you are doing. Good luck!
I look forward to hearing about The Pillow Book. I think I’ll stick with Genji for now though.
Gulliver’s Travels was considered children’s fiction!!?? Wow. Times have definitely changed…
Great month!
Jackie, That’s what I’m *supposed* to do to “finish” all my challenges. But the chances are I’m not going to make it….I read too many other things too!
16 books! Wow! I felt like I was in a bit of a reading slump this month, so I’ll be lucky if I hit 4 books in August, I think!
AManda, well, it was the precursor to children’s fiction. My book is “a reader’s history” of children’s lit, so I take it to mean this was what kids read if they wanted an adventure story. The other English “novels” before it were Pilgrim’s Progress and Robinson Crusoe. I need to read the chapter about it again before I can write up my thoughts clearly.
Steph, I know, I have no idea how it comes to be so many books every month!
I love your reviews-by-century-list! I think I may have to steal that idea… 😀
Boy you are on a roll! I read 10 books last month and that’s high for me.
Paula, steal away! I love tracking the books I read.
Anna, I have no idea how I’m getting so much read these days! Kind of weird for me too. I’m happy with 12 a month.
Wow! Looks like you’re having a great month! How in the world do you do it? Good job!
Jules, I have no idea how I do it!