Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Mind Voyages Jan 1 2010-Dec 31 2010

My third challenge for next year is a Sci Fi one (which I seem to have been neglecting lately). It's called Mind Voyages found at: http://www.scifimindvoyages.blogspot.com/

I'll definitely be doing the Moon Voyage, perhaps upgrading to the Mars Voyage. I need to go look at some of the lists and figure it out. Looks like alot of fun!

Historical Fiction Jan 1 2010 - Dec 31 2010

My second challenge for next year is the Historical Fiction challenge, to be found here: http://theroyalreviews.blogspot.com/2009/11/historical-reading-challenge.html

I'll be doing the Fascinated level which is 6 books. I'll make up my list later but I have plenty on my TBR already.

Chunkster Challenge Feb 1 2010 - Jan 31 2011

My first challenge pick for next year is the chunkster challenge. I have several books I've been avoiding on my TBR shelf that would qualify. I'll make up my list later, but I'm signing on for level 2 which is 4 books over the year. 1 book a quarter sounds good.

http://chunksterchallenge.blogspot.com/

Monday, October 12, 2009

Monster Nation by David Wellington

copyright = 2004
pages = 285

source = purchase

date completed = 10/09/09
challenges: R.I.P.

Monster Nation is the second book of a zombie trilogy by Wellington. This one tells the story of how the zombie outbreak began. The author has an interesting twist on the zombies--they have other powers humans don't have, such as telepathy. I know this is partly a device used so he can write from the zombies' perspective, but it's definitely different. About half of the book is written from the Nilla's point of view (a "thinking" zombie, due to her having oxygen to her brain when she died) and the other half is from Bannerman Clarke, a military man in charge of combatting the zombies. This book explains what caused the zombie outbreak and how the initial humans and zombies react to it.

Overall, it's a good story. The whole telepathy, psychic powers thing is kind of hard to believe. (I know, like zombies are, but still...). I have the third book in the series of course so I'll pick that one up soon.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Challenges Updates

I've decided I'm going to have to cut some of the challenges. I definitely don't have enough time to finish most of these. In some cases, I've only read 1 or 2 books from the list.

So, I'm dropping the following:
Whitcoulls
Reading Your Name
What's in a Name
It's the End of the World II

And keeping the following:
Non-Fiction Five (need to read 1 out of 5)
TBR (need to read 11 out of 12)
Guardian 1000 (need to read 10 out of 10)
R.I.P. (need to read 3 out of 4)


At least that's how it is so far. I might have to drop another 1 or 2.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Joining the RIP challenge again this year.

http://www.stainlesssteeldroppings.com/?p=1132

I'll be doing Peril the First of course (4 books) and here is my book pool. I might add a couple more but this should be plenty if I don't.

Monster Nation - Wellington
Ghost Road Blues - Maberry
Dead City - McKinney
Mister B. Gone - Barker
Living with Ghosts - Sperring
Dead to the World - Harris
Manitou Blood - Masterson
The Red Tree - Kiernan
Street Magic - Kittredge

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

copyright = 1962
pages = 297

source = purchase

date completed = 07/11/09
challenges: Non-Fiction Five

There's really nothing that can be said about the content of this book that hasn't already been said, analyzed, etc. I didn't particularly enjoy reading it until it got to the biology--genetics, cell structure changes, cancer. Before that it just seemed all muddled. Obviously all these things are known now so there were no revelations, but it was interesting to see what wasn't known during that time.