Monday, May 24, 2010

Birth Year Reading Challenge - Progress and Reviews

Here's what's happening with the Birth Year Reading Challenge these days:

Bev Hankins at My Reader's Block: Twenty-Two Candles Completed! (wrap-up)
1. Travels with My Aunt - Graham Greene (review)
2. I Sing the Body Electric - Ray Bradbury (review)
3. Hallowe'en Party - Agatha Christie (review)
4. A Risky Way to Kill - Richard Lockridge (review)
5. Die Laughing - Richard Lockridge (review)
6. The Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle (review)
7. The Green Man - Kingsley Amis (review)
8. The French Lieutenant's Woman - John Knowles (review)
9. The Andromeda Strain - Michael Crichton (review)
10. Cop Out - Ellery Queen (review)
11. Behold the Man - Michael Moorcock (review)
12. Gideon's Power - J.J. Marric (review)
13. Death of a Dude - Rex Stout (review)
14. The Big Bounce - Elmore Leonard (review)
15. Dress Her in Indigo - John D. MacDonald (review)
16. Dune Messiah - Frank Herbert (review)
17. Damnation Alley - Roger Zelazny (review)
18. Portnoy's Complaint - Philip Roth (review)
19. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou (review)
20. Robert F. Kennedy: A Memoir - Jack Newfield (review)
21. Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut (review)
22. The House on the Strand - Daphne du Maurier (review)

Julie at My Book Retreat: Four Candles Completed! (wrap-up)
1. Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach (review)
2. My Name is Asher Lev - Chaim Potok (review)
3. The Stepford Wives - Ira Levin (review)
4. Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator - Roald Dahl (review)

J.G. (host): Four Candles Completed! (wrap-up)
1. Mrs. Bridge - Evan S. Connell (review)
2. Goodbye, Columbus - Philip Roth (review)
3. Pursuit of the Prodigal - Louis Auchincloss (review)
4. Selected Poems - Stanley Kunitz (review)

Beachreader at Beachreader: Seven Candles Completed! (but still reading) (wrap-up)
1. The Moviegoer - Walker Percy (review)
2. The Edge of Sadness - Edwin O'Connor (review)
3. Stranger in a Strange Land - Robert A. Heinlein (review)
4. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller (review)
5. Revolutionary Road - Richard Yates (review)
6. Where the Red Fern Grows - Wilson Rawls (review)
7. The Incredible Journey - Shelia Burnford (review)

Rose City Reader at Rose City Reader: Two Candles
1. Indian Summer - John Knowles (review)
2. Valley of the Dolls - Jacqueline Susann (review)

Stephanie V. at Hookin', Knittin' & Livin': One Candle
1. This Side of Innocence - Taylor Caldwell (review)

Caitlin at Chaotic Compendiums: Five Candles
1. The Group - Mary McCarthy (review)
2. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold - John le Carre (review)
3. Time Cat - Lloyd Alexander (review)
4. The Bride of Pendorric - Victoria Holt (review)
5. That Summer in Paris - Morley Callaghan (review)

Diane at Book In Hand: Four Candles
1. Shadow of a Bull - Maia Wojciechowska (review)
2. Herzog - Saul Bellow (review)
3. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl (review)
4. A Caribbean Mystery - Agatha Christie (review)

Awaris at The Other Lives: Three Candles Completed! (wrap-up)
1. Restoration - Rose Tremain (review)
2. Billy Bathgate - E. L. Doctorow (review)
3. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro (review)

Pam at 100 Books. 100 Journeys: Two Candles
1. The Boys of Summer - Roger Kahn (review)
2. The Great Bridge - David McCullough (review)

L.L. at The Story Girl: Three Candles Completed! (wrap-up)
1. The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho (review)
2. The Bean Trees - Barbara Kingsolver (review)
3. Lioness Rampant - Tamora Pierce (review)

Please let us know as you make progress and we'll link to your posts here.

Also, please let us know when you have met your reading goal. That's when you get to pick out a prize!

Posted by at
Labels: , ,

83 comments:

  1. ShelleyMay 24, 2010 at 11:02 AM

    I haven't officially signed up for this challenge but I've been looking for some birth year books. I'm trying to not get too over my head in challenges, so before I sign up I want to be sure I can really do it!

    ReplyDelete
  2. J.G.May 24, 2010 at 9:45 PM

    Of course, keep searching, Shelley. You still have plenty of time to join!

    ReplyDelete
  3. HopieMay 25, 2010 at 5:16 AM

    I am still working on that. In fact I am needing to pick up another book and it's going to be one from my birth year.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hula Girl at HeartMay 25, 2010 at 9:51 AM

    Oh, I had forgotten about Jonathan Livingston Seagull. I read that when it came out...way back when. I was just a young lass. I promise. Stop laughing.

    ReplyDelete
  5. J.G.May 25, 2010 at 8:42 PM

    Hip Chick, happy choosing! Send your review when you're done and we'll bestow your candle.

    Hula, I read it too, when I was about 5 (yeah, right).

    ReplyDelete
  6. Bev HankinsJuly 18, 2010 at 11:40 PM

    Got my first candle! Only 21 more to go.... :-) Here's my review for Travels with My Aunt by Graham Greene: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2010/07/my-first-candle.html

    ReplyDelete
  7. Bev HankinsJuly 19, 2010 at 10:05 PM

    Now have two candles burning! Just finished Ray Bradbury's I Sing the Body Electric. Review here: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2010/07/candle-2.html.

    Posted a review yesterday for my first candle.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Bev HankinsJuly 20, 2010 at 2:28 PM

    Three candles for Bev now! Just finished Agatha Christie's Hallowe'en Party. Review here: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2010/07/another-candle.html

    ReplyDelete
  9. J.G.July 20, 2010 at 2:34 PM

    Hooray, Bev, you're in the lead! I'll make your candles official tonight when I get home.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Bev HankinsJuly 20, 2010 at 10:59 PM

    J. G. Add another! (I'm reading like mad this week, because I'm going on a High Adventure trip with my son's Scout Troop starting this Saturday.) Fourth candle: A Risky Way to Kill by Richard Lockridge. Review here: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2010/07/fourth-candle-risky-way-to-kill.html

    ReplyDelete
  11. J.G.July 21, 2010 at 7:14 AM

    Okay, you're up, Bev! Way to knock off the list while you have the time. Enjoy the weekend--can't imagine you'll get much reading done then! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Bev HankinsJuly 21, 2010 at 3:44 PM

    Candle #5! (I think I've caught some kind of Birth Year Challenge mania....). Die Laughing by Richard Lockridge. Review here: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2010/07/candle-5-die-laughing.html

    ReplyDelete
  13. J.G.July 21, 2010 at 8:49 PM

    Okay, got it, Bev. You are reading as fast as I can post 'em!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Bev HankinsJuly 21, 2010 at 11:03 PM

    J.G., you'll get a break from me next week. I'm gone from Saturday to Saturday on that Scout Trip. We're going to the Boundary Waters (near Canada) and no internet access!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Bev HankinsJuly 22, 2010 at 4:37 PM

    Snuck in another one...The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Review here: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2010/07/very-hungry-caterpillar-candle-6.html

    ReplyDelete
  16. J.G.July 22, 2010 at 9:38 PM

    Duly noted, Bev. Enjoy your trip!

    ReplyDelete
  17. AnonymousAugust 1, 2010 at 9:04 AM

    Here's my second candle... The Edge of Sadness by Edwin O'Connor.. My goal is to knock this challenge out in August.

    http://beachreader48.blogspot.com/2010/08/review-edge-of-sadness.html

    ReplyDelete
  18. J.G.August 2, 2010 at 9:15 AM

    Okay, Beachreader, you're up! I'm trying to make a lot of summer progress on my challenges, too, before the busy-ness of fall arrives.

    ReplyDelete
  19. AnonymousAugust 5, 2010 at 8:30 PM

    candle #3... Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
    http://beachreader48.blogspot.com/2010/08/review-stranger-in-strange-land.html

    ReplyDelete
  20. Bev HankinsAugust 5, 2010 at 10:49 PM

    Finally finished Candle #7: The Green Man by Kingsley Amis. This was a real bear to get through and I can't recommend NOT reading it strongly enough. Review here: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2010/08/finally-free-of-green-man-candle-7.html

    ReplyDelete
  21. J.G.August 8, 2010 at 10:02 AM

    Beachreader, your new candle is up now. A small consolation for a book that was meh.

    Bev, welcome back. Sounds like you could use a consolation candle, as well!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Bev HankinsAugust 8, 2010 at 2:22 PM

    Have now claimed candle #8: The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Knowles. Review here: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2010/08/french-lieutenants-woman-candle-8.html

    ReplyDelete
  23. J.G.August 8, 2010 at 7:46 PM

    Thanks, Bev. You are really (pardon the pun) burning it up!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Bev HankinsAugust 8, 2010 at 10:23 PM

    Trying to make up for lost time (that whole week of non-reading in the Boundary Waters)...half way through The Andromeda Strain (finally will be back to a positive review!). Besides, I did say I was going to read 22 (or some crazy number like that)...gotta keep burning the candle at both ends. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  25. AnonymousAugust 9, 2010 at 12:21 AM

    candle #4 Catch-22 by Joseph Heller.
    http://beachreader48.blogspot.com/2010/08/review-catch-22.html
    With this book I've reached my goal. I will also put a post about the challenge on my blog.

    ReplyDelete
  26. AnonymousAugust 9, 2010 at 1:07 AM

    Here is my wrap-up post for the challenge, but I am still planning on putting more candles on that cake.
    http://beachreader48.blogspot.com/2010/08/completed-birth-year-reading-challenge.html

    ReplyDelete
  27. Bev HankinsAugust 10, 2010 at 9:59 AM

    Candle #9: The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton--done! Here's the review: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2010/08/andromeda-strain-candle-9.html

    ReplyDelete
  28. Bev HankinsAugust 10, 2010 at 2:08 PM

    And Candle #10: Cop Out by Ellery Queen. Review here: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2010/08/cop-out-candle-10.html

    ReplyDelete
  29. J.G.August 10, 2010 at 8:52 PM

    New candles are posted. Way to go, y'all!

    Congrats to Beachreader, the first to finish the challenge! A list of prizes for meeting the reading goal will be posted soon (as soon as I create it, that is).

    ReplyDelete
  30. Bev HankinsAugust 11, 2010 at 8:13 AM

    Another Candle (half-way there!): Behold the Man by Michael Moorcock. Review here: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2010/08/behold-man-candle-11.html

    ReplyDelete
  31. J.G.August 11, 2010 at 9:51 PM

    You've got it, Bev. It's all downhill for you from here!

    ReplyDelete
  32. Bev HankinsAugust 13, 2010 at 1:10 PM

    Candle #12: Gideon's Power by J J Marric! Review here: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2010/08/candle-12-gideons-power.html

    ReplyDelete
  33. Bev HankinsAugust 13, 2010 at 9:39 PM

    And also--Candle #13: Death of a Dude by Rex Stout. Review here: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2010/08/candle-13-death-of-dude.html

    ReplyDelete
  34. CaitlinAugust 14, 2010 at 8:14 PM

    First candle - yay! Review of The Group by Mary McCarthy is here.

    ReplyDelete
  35. J.G.August 15, 2010 at 8:21 PM

    Updates are posted. Welcome, Caitlin, and congrats on your first candle!

    ReplyDelete
  36. Diane (bookinhand)August 15, 2010 at 8:52 PM

    Here is my current update!
    http://bookinhand.blogspot.com/2010/02/birth-year-reading-challenge.html
    I am enjoying the challenge so far!
    Diane

    ReplyDelete
  37. J.G.August 15, 2010 at 9:30 PM

    Glad you are having fun, Diane. You've got your candles now!

    ReplyDelete
  38. Bev HankinsAugust 15, 2010 at 10:33 PM

    Candle #14: The Big Bounce by Elmore Leonard. Review here: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2010/08/candle-14-big-bounce.html

    ReplyDelete
  39. Bev HankinsAugust 17, 2010 at 10:35 PM

    Candle #15: Dress Her in Indigo by John D MacDonald. Review here: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2010/08/candle-15-dress-her-in-indigo.html

    Only seven more to go!

    ReplyDelete
  40. CaitlinAugust 18, 2010 at 9:46 AM

    Candle #2 - The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carre.

    ReplyDelete
  41. CaitlinAugust 19, 2010 at 6:58 PM

    Candle #3 - Time Cat by Lloyd Alexander.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Bev HankinsAugust 19, 2010 at 7:01 PM

    Candle #16: Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert. Review here: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2010/08/candle-16-dune-messiah.html

    ReplyDelete
  43. AnonymousAugust 22, 2010 at 10:13 AM

    candle #5: Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
    http://beachreader48.blogspot.com/2010/08/two-quick-reviews.html

    ReplyDelete
  44. Bev HankinsAugust 25, 2010 at 6:32 PM

    Candle #17! Damnation Alley by Roger Zelazny. Review here: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2010/08/candle-17-damnation-alley.html

    ReplyDelete
  45. Bev HankinsAugust 28, 2010 at 3:17 PM

    Candle #18 (four more to go!): Portnoy's Complaint by Philip Roth. Review Here: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2010/08/candle-18-portnoys-complaint.html

    ReplyDelete
  46. CaitlinAugust 29, 2010 at 6:49 PM

    Fourth Candle - I reviewed The Bride of Pendorric by Victoria Holt here.

    ReplyDelete
  47. Bev HankinsAugust 30, 2010 at 9:36 PM

    Candle #19: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. Review here: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2010/08/candle-19-i-know-why-caged-bird-sings.html

    ReplyDelete
  48. Bev HankinsSeptember 2, 2010 at 10:12 PM

    Candle #20: Robert F Kennedy: A Memoir by Jack Newfield. Review here: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2010/09/candle-20-robert-f-kennedy-memoir.html

    ReplyDelete
  49. AnonymousSeptember 4, 2010 at 11:43 AM

    I just received my prize for reaching my goal. "The House of Mirth" by Edith Wharton. Thanks J.G. for running this challenge - still reading :)

    ReplyDelete
  50. J.G.September 5, 2010 at 10:35 AM

    Bev, candle up!

    Beachreader, glad your prize arrived safely. Thanks again for reading along!

    ReplyDelete
  51. Bev HankinsSeptember 5, 2010 at 2:53 PM

    Candle #21: Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut. Review here: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2010/09/candle-21-slaughterhouse-five.html

    One more to go!

    ReplyDelete
  52. CaitlinSeptember 11, 2010 at 10:30 AM

    Fifth Candle - That Summer in Paris by Morley Callaghan - http://www.chaoticcompendiums.com/2010/09/book-review-that-summer-in-paris-by.html

    ReplyDelete
  53. AnonymousSeptember 11, 2010 at 11:06 AM

    Here is book #6 Where the Red Ferns Grow by Wilson Rawls
    http://beachreader48.blogspot.com/2010/09/review-where-red-ferns-grow.html

    ReplyDelete
  54. Bev HankinsSeptember 12, 2010 at 9:36 PM

    Candle #22: The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier. Review here: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2010/09/house-on-strand.html

    Mission accomplished! Met my goal! Light those candles & let's have some cake!

    ReplyDelete
  55. Bev HankinsSeptember 12, 2010 at 9:54 PM

    And I just want to say...thanks for hosting this challenge. It has been one of the most interesting that I've signed up for. It's made me read some pretty fabulous books that were outside my usual comfort zone and books that have been on the TBR list way too long.

    ReplyDelete
  56. J.G.September 14, 2010 at 9:33 PM

    Thanks for participating, Bev! I'm glad you had fun. Prize list coming your way soon via e-mail!

    ReplyDelete
  57. Bev HankinsSeptember 14, 2010 at 11:32 PM

    J.G.: Here's my wrap up review: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2010/09/birth-year-reading-challenge-wrap-up.html

    ReplyDelete
  58. J.G.September 15, 2010 at 6:15 AM

    Got it! Glad you had fun, Bev!

    ReplyDelete
  59. AnonymousSeptember 18, 2010 at 12:44 AM

    #7 - The Incredible Journey by Shelia Burnford

    http://beachreader48.blogspot.com/2010/09/review-incredible-journey.html

    ReplyDelete
  60. Bev HankinsSeptember 19, 2010 at 10:03 PM

    J.G.: Just wanted to make sure you got my email reply about the prize list.

    ReplyDelete
  61. AwarisSeptember 23, 2010 at 6:53 AM

    I completely forgot to post them here, but I already have 2 candles:)

    Restoration by Rose Tremain
    http://theotherlives.blogspot.com/2010/03/rose-tremain-restoration-navracena.html

    and Billy Bathgate by E. L. Doctorow
    http://theotherlives.blogspot.com/2010/09/e-l-doctorow-billy-bathgate.html

    ReplyDelete
  62. J.G.September 23, 2010 at 8:33 AM

    Awaris, thanks for the update. Your candles are burning now!

    ReplyDelete
  63. Bev HankinsSeptember 24, 2010 at 11:13 PM

    Gilgamesh arrived in the mail. I can't wait to read it. Thanks again for sponsoring a great challenge!

    ReplyDelete
  64. J.G.September 25, 2010 at 8:26 PM

    Glad you got it okay, Bev. I hope you enjoy it, and thanks again for reading along!

    ReplyDelete
  65. JulieOctober 13, 2010 at 11:19 AM

    I just realized I could give updates here! I read another book: The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin. Here's a link to my review: http://bookretreat.blogspot.com/2010/08/book-review-stepford-wives-by-ira-levin.html

    I just have one more to go to meet my goal of 4 books from my birth year.

    ReplyDelete
  66. J.G.October 14, 2010 at 4:35 PM

    Julie, your latest candle is burning brightly. Good luck on that final book!

    ReplyDelete
  67. JulieNovember 19, 2010 at 10:29 AM

    I finished! Here's my last review: http://bookretreat.blogspot.com/2010/11/book-review-charlie-and-great-glass.html

    And I'm putting up a recap post later today. Thanks so much for hosting this challenge!!

    ReplyDelete
  68. J.G.November 20, 2010 at 9:29 AM

    You're all set, Julie. Congrats on completing the challenge, and thanks for the wrap-up post.

    I'm glad you were able to see a pattern in the books from your birth year. That's what we were hoping for!

    ReplyDelete
  69. Bev HankinsNovember 24, 2010 at 11:24 PM

    I forgot to tell you that I've read Gilgamesh (the book I chose as my prize). Review here: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2010/10/gilgamesh.html

    --if you're interested.

    ReplyDelete
  70. PamDecember 4, 2010 at 4:48 PM

    Here is my review for 1972's The Boys of Summer by Roger Kahn. It was AMAZING and I am so glad this challenge brought me and this book together.

    http://100journeys.wordpress.com/2010/12/04/the-boys-of-summer/

    ReplyDelete
  71. J.G.December 10, 2010 at 7:24 AM

    Bev, so glad you enjoyed it! Good books last forever, don't they?

    Pam, your candle is burning now, and thanks for the review. I need to read it. Not sure how I missed it 'til now; I'm a big baseball fan and this is a classic.

    ReplyDelete
  72. LLDecember 13, 2010 at 9:15 AM

    I have my first candle for The Alchemist! Two to go. Here is my review: http://thestorygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2010/12/alchemist.html

    ReplyDelete
  73. J.G.December 16, 2010 at 11:50 PM

    L.L., candle up now (sorry for the delay). Hope you enjoy the one(s) you have left!

    ReplyDelete
  74. LLDecember 19, 2010 at 4:18 PM

    I finished book 2! http://thestorygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2010/12/bean-trees.html

    ReplyDelete
  75. J.G.December 24, 2010 at 12:05 AM

    Done, L.L. Glad this one was such a successful choice!

    ReplyDelete
  76. Pam Reynolds KlockeDecember 26, 2010 at 12:28 PM

    Here is candle #2, just in time. What a fabulous book!

    http://prologuebooks.wordpress.com/2010/12/26/the-great-bridge-david-mccullough/

    Your challenge actually inspired me to start a new blog just for non-fiction. Both of the books I read for your challenge were non-fiction books and both were fabulous.

    ReplyDelete
  77. J.G.December 26, 2010 at 9:04 PM

    Pam, you're good to go! Glad to hear this led to a new blog. Non-fiction certainly has its place!

    ReplyDelete
  78. AwarisDecember 29, 2010 at 1:34 PM

    Here's my third and final book:
    http://theotherlives.blogspot.com/2010/02/birth-year-reading-challenge.html

    and a wrap-up:
    http://theotherlives.blogspot.com/2010/12/birth-year-reading-challenge-wrap-up.html

    Just in time! It wouldn't be me if I finished something too soon:)

    ReplyDelete
  79. LLDecember 29, 2010 at 4:41 PM

    My third and final book is Lioness Rampant, and I have finished it. However, I don't have long enough access to the internet to publish my review before the New Year. It is in my notebook, just not blogged. Is that ok?

    ReplyDelete
  80. J.G.December 29, 2010 at 11:02 PM

    Congrats on finishing, Awaris! Thanks for the wrap-up, too. You are in plenty of time. :-) I'll e-mail the list of book prizes, so you can pick yours.

    L.L., no problem with the post-dated review. Just let me know when you post it, and I'll add the link. Congrats on finishing! I'll send you the book prize list, too.

    ReplyDelete
  81. LLJanuary 4, 2011 at 5:24 PM

    Got my review finished!! http://thestorygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2011/01/lioness-rampant.html

    ReplyDelete
  82. LLJanuary 5, 2011 at 12:28 PM

    Here's my wrap-up: http://thestorygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2011/01/birth-year-challenge-wrap-up.html

    ReplyDelete
  83. J.G.January 5, 2011 at 8:52 PM

    L.L., both uplinks are up now. Thanks again for joining in!

    ReplyDelete

Talk to me! I love external validation.

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)