Martel-Haper Challenge (2009 3rd Quarter)

It’s time to sign up for the third quarter 2009 Martel-Harper Challenge. This challenge is to read two books during the quarter from the list that Yann Martel sends Stephen Harper.

Because Martel sends Harper a book every two weeks, this list is always growing! If you haven’t looked at it for a long time, you should glance through it, because there may be a few books you want to read. The list has fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and children’s books on it, not to mention classics old and new. He even has recently sent a movie and piano music too. All the works are intended to help produce “stillness” in our lives.

To join for third quarter 2009, commit to read and review two books from the Martel-Harper challenge list between July 1, 2009 and September 30, 2009 by letting us know in the comments. You can choose the books now (in a pool of a few possible choices or two specific books) or you can choose the two books as you go this quarter. Because the list is growing every two weeks, you are free to change your choices at a later point in the quarter if you want.

A hub page for this challenge can be found here on Rebecca Reads; I will keep that updated with links to the current quarter’s challenge posts. Feel free to use one of the buttons above to promote the challenge.

When you have read a work and written a review, leave a link below in the comments on this post. (Note: I previously had a separate post for reviews, but I think it would work just on this post.)

Martel-Harper Challenge Reviews (2009 2nd Quarter)

(I know a few people have already reviewed their choices for the quarter (!), so I’d better get this post up.)

If you would like to share your reviews for the Martel-Harper Challenge (2009 2nd quarter), please leave a link to your post(s) in the comments to this post.

If you do not have a blog, feel free to share your thoughts about the works you’ve read in the comments as well.

If you’d like to join the Martel-Harper Challenge for 2009 2nd quarter, visit here for more information. The Martel-Harper Challenge hub page (with other buttons) is here.

Thanks and happy reading!

Martel-Harper Challenge (2009 2nd Quarter)

It’s time to sign up for the second quarter 2009 Martel-Harper Challenge. This challenge is to read two books during the quarter from the list that Yann Martel sends Stephen Harper, a list that is always growing. The list has fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and children’s books on it, not to mention classics old and new.

To join for second quarter 2009, commit to read and review two books from the Martel-Harper challenge list between April 1, 2009 and June 30, 2009 by letting us know in the comments. You can choose the books now (in a pool of a few possible choices or two specific books) or you can choose the two books as you go this quarter. Because the list is growing every two weeks, you are free to change your choices at a later point in the quarter if you want.

Continue reading »

Martel-Harper Reminder (2009 1st Quarter)

If you signed up for the Martel-Harper Challenge for 2009 1st Quarter, don’t forget to come back and link to your reviews on this post.

If you didn’t get your books read, keep in mind that I”ll be hosting the 2009 2nd Quarter Martel-Harper Challenge as well, same rules. I’ll have a sign up post the last week in March.

Martel-Harper Challenge Reviews (2009 1st Quarter)

If you would like to share your reviews for the Martel-Harper Challenge (2009 1st quarter), please leave a link to your post(s) in the comments to this post.

If you do not have a blog, feel free to share your thoughts about the works you’ve read in the comments as well.

If you’d like to join the Martel-Harper Challenge for 2009 1st quarter, visit here for more information.

Thanks and happy reading!

Martel-Haper Challenge (First Quarter 2009)

In the fourth quarter of 2008, Dewey began the Martel-Harper Challenge. This challenge is to read two books during the quarter from the list that Yann Martel sends Stephen Harper, a list that is always growing.

I am quite excited about this list of books because of the variety (old classics and new classics). In Dewey’s honor, I’d like to continue this challenge for the first quarter of 2009.

To join for first quarter 2009, commit to read and review two books from the Martel-Harper challenge list between January 1, 2009 and March 31, 2009. You can choose the books now or as you go. Continue reading »

Anthem by Ayn Rand + A Giveaway

Equality 7-2521 lives in a dark futurist dystopia in Ayn Rand’s novella Anthem. He has no words for love or self, and being alone is a crime. Yet, as do characters in countless other dystopian novels, he still finds moments to write his story of discovery.

By itself, Anthem is slim – just 100 pages – and quick to read. I enjoyed the story of Equality 7-2521′s literal self-discovery and I love the concepts within it: What is joy? What is pleasure? What is self?

Anthem has its faults, notably a complex ideology that Rand obviously hopes to impart to the reader. For me, this philosophy seemed to overshadow the story of Equality 7-2521 a bit too much. But, because it is a slim story, it was still a worthwhile reread for me. Continue reading »

A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift

Image via Wikipedia

Last week I reread Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal: For Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland from Being a Burden to Their Parents or Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the Public as a part of the Martel-Harper Challenge.

While I was well aware that Jonathan Swift’s short essay is classic satire, I guess because my own chubby one-year-old was crawling around on the floor as I read, I wasn’t laughing out loud at Swift’s well-known call for cannibalism and infanticide.

I’m glad I reread it, though, because I appreciated reading a literary form that I don’t normally read: a satiric essay. I also learned some things about history that I didn’t know. Continue reading »

Martel-Harper Challenge (Fourth Quarter 2008)

I know I’m insane to think about another challenge when I’m already feeling overwhelmed. But I love the concept and the reading list for the Martel-Harper Challenge. Continue reading »