Herding Cats Challenge

Okay, here is my list of books to read for the Herding Cats Challenge:

1. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

2. Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

3. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

3. Good Omens by Terry Prachett and Neil Gaiman

Herding Cats Book Challenge

I found this book challenge listed by Bottle of Shine on LiveJournal
(see official challenge post here)

The gist of it is to list ten books you love, and then read three books from other peoples lists.

My “Herding Cats" List

1. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
2. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
3. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
4. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
5. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
6. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
7. A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
8. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
9. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
10. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

Other Noteworthy Books

1. The Last Lecture by Richard Pausch
2. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

The Year of Magical Thinking

Themed Book Challenge

In a sincere effort to complete the Themed Book Challenge this month, I read The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. This is nonfiction personal account losing her husband and her daughter. I had never read anything by this author and was amazed at the detailed manner in which she wrote about such a raw, personal experience.

In chapter ten, Didion introduces the "vortex effect" which made me glad I put this on my Getting Back in the Game themed reading list. The power of familiar places, objects, or phrases to take us back to "the way things were before" is common to all experiences that we must get through and from which we must move on.

In the final chapter, the author states:

"I know why we try to keep the dead alive; we try to keem them alive in order to keep them with us." (Didion, p. 225)

I feel this also applies to relationships gone sour. We want to hang on the what we feel were "the good times". Moving from "we" to "I" and being open to a new "we" takes you through a very similar process. Respectfully, they are not the same. With divorce or breakup there is still the possibility of positive interactions, no matter how unlikely. In death interaction is no longer possible.

"I could not count the time during the average day that something would come up that I needed to tell him. This impulse did not end with his death. What ended was the possibility of response." (Didion, p. 194)

The message learned from this novel is that as time moves on we gain chronological distance from experiences of loss. In our simple efforts to continue living and be productive, we build new memories, learn to manuveur the rises and falls of life, and gradually get back in the game.

Rating: 8/10
Heavy reading for some. Would not recommend it to anyone who might not appreciate Didion's detailed analytical style.

Themed Book Challenge

Further changes to my list:
My Themed Book Challenge List:

1. How Stella Got Her Groove Back by Terry McMillan Chosen by a Horse by Susan Richards
2. Eat, Love, Pray by Elizabeth Gilbert (this one will be a second reading)
3. Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Woman by Alice Steinbach
4. An Italian Affair by Laura Fraser The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

Themed Reading Challenge

I couldn't resist this one. It turned out to be more difficult to come up with a list than I thought it would be. My theme will be "getting back in the game". Here's my booklist:

1. How Stella Got Her Groove Back by Terry McMillan
2. Eat, Love, Pray by Elizabeth Gilbert (this one will be a second reading)
3. Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Woman by Alice Steinbach
4. An Italian Affair by Laura Fraser

I will update this post with an alternate list at a later time.

Young Adult Challenge 2008

Okay, it is true, I didn't get very far in the Armchair Traveler Challenge. I like the idea of book challenges, (They will definitely help with one item on my '08 To Do List.) so I'm giving it another try. Here is my booklist for the Young Adult Challenge 2008:

1. *2/08 Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue by Julius Lester
2. *7/08 The Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe by Douglas Adams
3. Cut by Patricia McCormick
4. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
5. *2/08 Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
6. Bounce by Natasha Friend
7. *7/08 Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
8. Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
9. Something from the Artemis Fowl Series
10. *7/08 The Bell Jar by Sylvia Path
11. Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher
12. *7/08 Messenger by Lois Lowery

Alternate:
*4/08 Deadline by Chris Crutcher
*6/08 Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

* indicates the book has been finished.

Book Challenge

I've decided to join a book challenge. I am starting a little late, but I figure six books by December 31 can be done. I can take ample time to read inspite of all of the grading, planning, and reading I already have to do. Besides I will have Thanksgiving and Christmas break to catch up if I fall behind.

My six books will be:

Three Bags Full (Ireland)
Brick Lane (London, England)
Dinner with Persephone (Greece)
Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure (India)
The Constant Princess (England and Spain)

I may add alternative books as I get further into this.
This looks like it's going to be fun!

P.S. I am having trouble connecting a link to the image for this book challenge, but here is the URL for the Armchair Traveler Reading Challenge. Hopefully, I can get the problem corrected this weekend.

http://www.alifeinbooks.com/?p=123