Reading Challenges - Books from Lists or Prizewinners

I am hoping that these challenges will add a little more "depth" to my reading.

1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die Challenge hosted by Pub Writes

Challenge Details:

• Timeline:  Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012
• Levels:
• Go to trials: 5 books from list (My level)
• Made the Olympic team: 6-10 books from the list
• Bronze Medal: 11-15 books from the list
• Silver Medal: 16-20 books from the list
• Gold Medal: 21+ books from the list
• Must choose your level, but don't need to make a list ahead of time
• Crossovers are acceptable
• Do not need a blog to participate - see host site for details
• Reviews not mandatory
• Even if you don't own the book - can find a list here.
• There will be a link up for those writing reviews
• Prize for one participant at the end

Books:

1.  The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Alex Awards Challenge hosted by The Story Girl

Challenge Details:

• Timeline: Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012
• Levels:
• 1 - read 1-3 books (My Level)
• 2 - read 4-6 books
• 3 - read 7-9 books
• 4 - read 10+ books
• Alex Awards - The Alex Awards are given each year to books written/marketed to adults that have special appeal to young adults (age 12-18).  They often feature teen protagonists.  You can find lists here.

Books:

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Reading the Awards Challenge hosted by Girlxoxo

Challenge Details:

• Timeline: Jan 1, 2011 - Dec 31, 2012
• Levels:
• Bronze - Read 1-5 books (My Level)
• Silver - Read 6-9 books
• Gold - Read 10+ books
• Read books that won a book award IN 2011.
• Not necessary to list books in advance
• Do not need blog to participate
• Note that this challenge started Jan 1, 2011 - so books can have been read and reviewed in 2011 also.
• Host site has links to list of major awards



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That's What You Think Reading Challenge hosted by Blethering About Books

Challenge Details:

• Timeline: ??  Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012
• From the host site: You may remember a few years ago that the BBC published a list of 100 books that they believed the majority of us have only read 6 off - personally I think that the list is a little off as there are whole collections (e.g. The Complete Works of Shakespeare) listed and then individual works from the collection listed (obviously Hamlet isn't part of the Complete Works of Shakespeare :/). I for 1 hate being told what is expected of me (when it comes to this kind of thing) and slotted into a nice little box.
• Read more than six books on the list which can be found at the host site.
• There will be a monthly link up for reviews.

I have read all the books bold in purple prior to this challenge.  The underlined ones have been completed and reviewed for this challenge.

Books:

1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2. The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4. Harry Potter series
5. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6. The Bible
7. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8. Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9. His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11. Little Women - Louisa M. Alcott
12. Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14. Complete Works of Shakespeare
15. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18. Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20. Middlemarch - George Eliot
21. Gone With the Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
23. Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25. The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28. Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33. Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34. Emma - Jane Austen
35. Persuasion - Jane Austen
36. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38. Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40. Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41. Animal Farm - George Orwell
42. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44. A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving
45. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46. Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47. Far From the Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
49. Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50. Atonement - Ian McEwan
51. Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52. Dune - Frank Herbert
53. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57. A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60. Love in the Time of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65. Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66. On the Road - Jack Kerouac
67. Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68. Bridget Jones' Diary - Helen Fielding
69. Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70. Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72. Dracula - Bram Stoker
73. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74. Notes From a Small Island - Bill Bryson
75. Ulysses - James Joyce
76. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77. Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78. Germinal - Emile Zola
79. Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80. Possession - AS Byatt
81. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchel
83. The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87. Charlotte's Web - EB White
88. The Five People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom
89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90. The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92. The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint Exupery
93. The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94. Watership Down - Richard Adams
95. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96. A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98. Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Jan 9, 2012)

What are you reading on Mondays is hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey - You can hook up with the Mr. Linky there with your own post - but be sure and let me know what you are reading too! 

Currently reading:

Family Storms by V.C. Andrews  - Still reading this one.

Airel by Aaron Patterson  - I like this one, but was only in it about 20 pages and then took a little hiatus from reading - so started over and now about 1/4 of the way through - interested to see where this one will go!

More Than Words Can Say by Robert Barclay - This one grabbed me with the prologue! 

 

Books up this week:

Demi-Monde by Rod Rees

Archon: The Book of Raziel by Sabrina Benulis

Cancelled by Elizabeth Ann West

 

Bathroom Book:

Prophecy of the Sisters  by Michelle Zink

 

Books finished since last post:

The Gift by Cecelia Ahern

 

Books reviewed since last post:

The Kingdom of Childhood by Rebecca Coleman

The Gift by Cecelia Ahern

Until next week ----  Ready - Set - Read!

Cozies, Mysteries and Suspense Reading Challenges

Believe it or not, I am getting choosier in my reading challenges - I originally had 8 challenges that fell into this category and I ended up with only these 3! 

Mystery & Suspense Reading Challenge hosted by Book Chick City

Challenge Details:

• Timeline: Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012
• Levels:
• Level 1 - Read 12 Mystery/Suspense Novels (My Level)
• Level 2 - Read 24 Mystery/Suspense Novels
• Can join at anytime
• Monthly links at host site for reviews - but reviews are not mandatory
• All formats EXCEPT audiobooks count
• Crossovers are okay
• Blog not necessary - see host site for details
• You can choose from the numerous sub-genres of mystery and suspense, from cozies to hard-boiled, or romantic suspense to forensic crime.  Paranormal/supernatural suspense are also eligible.  Host has provided a sub-genre list here.
• Not necessary to list books ahead of time.

Books:

1.  Lovesick by Spencer Seidel
2.  Voices of the Dead by Peter Leonard
3.  Not in the Heart by Chris Fabry
4.  A Place to Die by Dorothy James
5.  Frantic by Mike Dellosso
6.  One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
7.  How to eat a Cupcake by Meg Donahue
8.  Shore Excursion by Marie Moore
9.  The Thirteen by Susie Moloney
10.  Gods and Fathers by James LePore
11.  A Grand Murder by Stacy Verdick Case
12. Banana Split by Josi Kilpack
13. Titanic 2012 by Bill Walker
14. Paskagankee by Allan Leverone

Cozy Mystery Challenge hosted by Debbie's Book Bag

Challenge Details:

• Timeline: Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012
• Levels:
• Snooper - 1-3 Cozy Mysteries
• Gumshoe - 4-6 Cozy Mysteries (My Level)
• Private-Eye - 7-9 Cozy Mysteries
• Super Sleuth - 10-12 Cozy Mysteries
• Definition of a cozy can be found at host site
• Can sign up until Feb 4, 2012
• You do not have to be a blogger, but must post reviews somewhere
• Any and all book formats count
• Bi-monthly post for reviews at host site
• Six mini-giveaways throughout the year - your review link will gain you entry
• Other mini challenges throughout the year
• One grand prize at year end for participants who meet the guidelines.

Books:

1.  A Place to Die by Dorothy James
2.  One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
3. Shore Excursion by Marie Moore
4. A Grand Murder by Stacy Verdick Case
5. Banana Split by Josi Kilpack

Cruisin thru the Cozies Reading Challenge hosted by Socrates' Book Reviews

Challenge Details:

• Timeline: Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012
• Levels:
• Snoop - Read 6 Cozies (My Level)
• Investigator - Read 7-12 Cozies
• Super Sleuth - Read 13+ Cozies
• Books can be in any format
• Crossovers are okay
• No need to create a list of books in advance
• Reviews are not mandatory
• Don't need a blog to participate - see host site for details
• Check out cozy-mystery.com for defintion of a cozy. There is also a great list of books/authors there!

Books:

1.  A Place to Die by Dorothy James
2.  One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
3.  Shore Excursion by Marie Moore
4.  A Grand Murder by Stacy Verdick Case
5.  Banana Split by Josi Kilpack
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YA Reading Challenges (Some of my favorites!)

YA books have turned into some of my favorite books - they are entertaining and quick to read - and ones that I can share with my daughters.

YA Contemporary Challenge hosted by Katies Book Blog and Reading Angel

Challenge Details:

• Timeline: Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012
• Sign up until May 1, 2012
• Read any Contemporary YA novel PUBLISHED between Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012
• All formats are accepted
• Your challenge hosts created a spreadsheet of acceptable books that will be published this year.  They will add books to it if they meet the criteria.
• Anyone with a blog, or a member of Goodreads can join.
• There will be giveaways throughout the year and a grand prize at the end
• List of books not required ahead of time

Books:

1.  The Jerk Magnet by Melody Carlson
2.  Night Sky by Jolene Perry
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Completely Contemp Challenge hosted by Chick Loves Lit

Challenge Details:

• Timeline: Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012
• Levels:
• You must choose a number of books (between 1-99) to read from each of the years - 2010, 2011, 2012 (I am choosing 1 book from each year)
• Anyone can join - do not need to have a blog
• Any YA contemporary book published in 2010, 2011, 2012 qualifies.  Challenge host has provided some lists to get you started:
• 2010
• 2011
• Expected 2012
• Crossovers are okay

Books

1.  2010 -
2.  2011 -
3.  2012 - The Jerk Magnet by Melody Carlson

Just Contemporary Reading Challenge hosted by Basically Amazing Books

Challenge Details:

• Timeline: Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012
• Can set your own goals and levels
• Monthly updates and mini-challenges at the beginning of each month
• Weekly link-up for reviews
• Reviews are not mandatory, but will get you extra entries in giveaways
• Do not need to be a blogger to participate

I am hoping to just add more contemps to my reading - so I will go for 6 this year.

1.  The Jerk Magnet by Melody Carlson
2.  Night Sky by Jolene Perry
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YA Audiobook Challenge - hosted by A Book and a Latte

Challenge Details:

• Timeline: Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012
• Listen to at least 12 YA Audiobooks
• Review the audiobooks on your blog or goodreads and link back to host site
• Reviews should include the length of the audiobook and name of narrator(s) at minimum, and also include your opinion of the narrator(s)/production.
• There will be a linky open here each month to link up your reviews. You don't have to link a review each month, however to complete the challenge you must link a total of 12 by the end of 2012.
• There will be at least one giveaway

Books:

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Mailbox Monday (Jan 9, 2012)

 Mailbox Monday will be hosted in December by Alyce at At Home With Books.  In My Mailbox is hosted Sundays at The Story Siren. Please visit these posts and take a look at what packages everybody else got this week! 

I have had a slow start to the new year, but have received one book for review and three that I have won from giveaways.

The Jerk Magnet

by Melody Carlson

When Chelsea Martin's future stepmother helps her transform from gawky and geeky into the hottest girl at her new school, Chelsea is pretty sure it's the best thing that ever happened to her.  But her hot new look has a downside.  She's attracting lots of guys who all have one thing in common:  they're jerks.  Oh, and stealing the attention of all the guys in school doesn't exactly make her BFF material for the girls.

Finally a great guy catches her eye.  But he's the only one around who doesn't give her a second glance.  Can Chelsea come up with a plan to get his attention?  Or will her new image ruin everything?

Pregnant Pause

by Han Nolan

won from Christi the Teen Librarian

 

Okay, I'm pregnant, and so here's what I'm scared about.  What if my kid turns out to be a mass murderer?  You know, one of those kids who shoots half the school, then shoots himself?  Or maybe a drug dealer, or really, just -- just what if my kid lies to me, or sneaks out a window to go see her boyfriend, or gets pregnant at sixteen like me?  I'd hate to have me for a kid.

 

Eleanor Crowe has a mind of her own, and nobody gets away with bossing her around.  She usually makes decisions based on who she can piss off most, although that hasn't always worked out so well.  Now she's pregnant and sixteen -- and her opinion doesn't seem to matter to everyone who's trying to tell her what to do.

 

But as Elly's delivery date approaches, she has more questions than answers.  Is she being punished for being such a rotten daughter?  Does she really love this boy she married?  And what's she going to do with this baby?  Being headstrong got her into this mess. . .maybe now it can get her out of it.  But is that what she really wants?

 

I won these next 2 books plus a Book Lover's 2012 Calendar from Mary at Bookhounds

 

Season for Temptation

by Theresa Romain

Two sisters. . .

Julia Herington is overjoyed when her stepsister, Louisa, becomes engaged -- to a viscount, no less.  Louisa's only hesitation is living a life under the ton's critical gaze.  But with his wry wit and unconventional ideas, Julia feels James is perfect for Louisa.  She can only hope to find a man like him for herself.  Exactly like him, in fact. . .

One choice. . .

As the new Viscount Matheson, James wished to marry quickly and secure his title.  Kind, intelligent Louisa seemed a suitable bride. . .until he met her stepsister.  Julia is impetuous -- and irresistible.  Pledged to one sister, yet captivated by another, what is he to do?  As Christmas and the whirl of the London season approach, James may be caught in a most scandalous conundrum, one that only true love, a bit of spiritous punch -- and a twist of fate -- will solve. . .

Tis the Season to be Sinful

by Adrienne Basso

The season for surprises. . .

Juliet Wentworth knew what she was getting into:  a marriage of convenience that will save her estate and protect her family long into the future.  But she wasn't expecting to find the passion of a lifetime in her new husband's arms.  After just one night, Juliet knows a marriage in name only will never be enough. . .

The season for seduction. . .

Richard Harper's beautiful new bride has him reeling with desire -- and running for cover.  After all, falling in love was never part of the bargain.  Yet when Christmastime celebrations bring him back to their country manor and back into Juliet's arms, Richard finds his wife is determined -- and all too able -- to win over his heart, one kiss at a time. . .

What books came home to you this week?

Dystopian and Paranormal Challenges

There was a whole slew of challenges for these popular genres.  I can't wait to see all the books that fall into these categories this year!

12 Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic in 12 Month Reading Challenge hosted by Rosey's Reviews

Challenge Details:

• Timeline: Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012
• Goal is to read 12 books
• You can join at anytime
• Books can be in any format
• You do not have to be a blogger to participate
• You do not have to make your list in advance
• Reviews are not required

Books:

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The Dystopia Challenge hosted by Bookish Ardour

Challenge Details:

• Timeline: Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012
• Levels:
• Asocial - Read 5 books - My Level
• Contagian - Read 15 books
• Soldier - Read 30 books
• Drone - Read 50 books
• Conditioned - Read 75 books
• Brainwashed - Read 76 - 135 books
• Totalitarian - Read 136+ books
• Sign up through Dec 15, 2012
• Challenge includes Dystopia, Post-Apocalypse, and Ecotopia (environmentally dystopian)
• Crossovers are allowed
• Choose a level, but can change at any time
• Any format allowed - including short stories and graphic novels
• Do not need a blog to participate - see host site for details
• Extra challenges available at host site.

Books:

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Read Dystopia Challenge hosted by Book Journey

Challenge Details:

• Timeline: Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012
• Levels:
• Beginner: 1-3 Dystopian Books -  My Level
• Intermediate Post World Trainee: 4-6 Dystopian Books
• Leader of Your District: 7-10 Dystopian Books
• Survivor: 11+ Dystopian Books
• Dystopia - an imaginary place where the conditions and quality of life are unpleasant.  The opposite of Utopia.
• Dystopia - a work of fiction describing an imaginary place where life is extremely bad because of deprivation or oppression or terror.
• Great list of dystopian books here

Books:



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Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge hosted by Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf

Challenge Details:

• Timeline: Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012
• Levels:
• Initiate - Read 1-5 Witchy Books - My Level
• Maiden - Read 6-10 Witchy Books
• Mother - Read 11-15 Witchy Books
• Crone - Read 16-20 Witchy Books
• There is a nice list of witch books at the host site
• Any full length book that includes a witch as a main character or major witchcraft elements counts - Fiction or non-fiction.
• Books can be any format
• Rereads and crossovers allowed
• No need to list books in advance
• Choose a level, can move up, but not down
• Can sign up until Dec 15, 2012
• Participants will be given one entry into a giveaway for every review they link up

Books:

1.  The Thirteen by Susie Moloney
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Immortal Reading Challenge hosted by Under the Covers Book Blog

Challenge Details:

• Timeline: Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012
• There are 4 categories and you can choose how many books you want to read and which categories you want to choose from
• Vampires (List of Vampire Books)
• Angels and Demons (List of Angel and Demon Books)
• Fae (List of Fae books)
• Shifters/Werewolves (List of Shifter/Werewolf Books)

I am not sure if I am going to do more than one category - but I am going to start with Angels/Demons

1. Airel by Aaron Patterson, Chris White
2. Until Next Time by Amy Lignor

Vampire Reading Challenge hosted by More Tales From the Crypt

Challenge Details:

• Timeline: Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012
• Levels:
• Level 1 - Read 1-5 Vampire Novels (My Level)
• Level 2 - Read 6-10 Vampire Novels
• Level 3 - Read 11-20 Vampire Novels
• Level 4 - Read 21+ Vampire Novels
• Anyone Can Join
• Do not need a blog to participate
• Reviews not required
• Crossovers are okay
• All book format okay
• No need to list books in advance

Books:

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Paranormal Reading Challenge hosted by More Tales From the Crypt

Challenge Details:

• Timeline: Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012
• Levels:
• Level 1 - Read 1-5 Paranormal Novels (My Level)
• Level 2 - Read 6-10 Paranormal Novels
• Level 3 - Read 11-20 Paranormal Novels
• Level 4 - Read 21+ Paranormal Novels
• Anyone Can Join
• Do not need a blog to participate
• Reviews not required
• No Vampire books allowed
• Crossovers are okay
• All book format okay
• No need to list books in advance

Books:

1.  Airel by Aaron Patterson, Chris White
2.  Pyxis by K.C. Neal
3.  Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink
4. The Thirteen by Susie Moloney
5.  Until Next Time by Amy Lignor
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Paranormal Romance Reading Challenge hosted by More Tales From the Crypt

Challenge Details:

• Timeline: Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012
• Levels:
• Level 1 - Read 1-5 Paranormal Romance Novels (My Level)
• Level 2 - Read 6-10 Paranormal Romance Novels
• Level 3 - Read 11-20 Paranormal  Romance Novels
• Level 4 - Read 21+ Paranormal Romance Novels
• Anyone Can Join
• Do not need a blog to participate
• Reviews not required
• No Vampire books allowed
• Crossovers are okay
• All book format okay
• No need to list books in advance

Books:

1. Airel by Aaron Patterson, Chris White 
2. Pyxis by K.C. Neal 
3. Until Next Time by Amy Lignor

The Gift by Cecelia Ahern (Book Review)

Title: The Gift
Author: Cecelia Ahern
Publisher: Harper

About the book: Lou Suffern's successful career demands that he be in two places at one time -- and neither of those is with his devoted wife and children.  One frigid morning Lou meets a homeless man named Gabe and buys him a cup of coffee. . . then gives him a job -- a surprising random act of kindness.  But soon Gabe is meddling uncomfortably in Lou's life, popping up at the most inopportune times -- as if Gabe actually can be two places at once.  With Lou's personal and professional fates at important crossroads and Christmas looming, Gabe resorts to some unorthodox methods to show his stubborn patron what truly matters and how precious the gift of time is.  But can he help him fix what's broken before it's too late?

My thoughts:  I read this for the TuesBookTalk Read-a-Longs at Goodreads.  I have been part of this group forever but this is only the second book that I have read "with" them - or as much with them as I can.  This was the December book and I just finished it last night.  I must say though, that this was a great book to read in December. 

While it is Lou's story, it is actually being related to a young boy who has gotten in trouble and is waiting for his mom to pick him up from the police station.  I would get so engrossed in the story that when they would go back to the police officer telling the story it was like - "oh yeah - I forgot about them!"

I felt a little sorry for Lou, especially in the beginning.  He had such little will power in certain situations, and even though he thought he was in control, I think the situations were really controlling him.  He didn't even understand his own motivations toward Gabe when he gave him the coffee and offered him the job.  He quickly resented Gabe when he felt like Gabe was getting attention and praise that he deserved, but at the same time he came to feel that Gabe was one of the few people that he could trust.  You see, Gabe gave him a pill that allowed him to be in two places at once - so he was able to attend two important meetings, staying out late with one of them, but also going home after the other one and tending to a sick wife and daughter.  Even though he didn't understand how that was possible, he didn't question the accolades that he received on his accomplishments at the two meetings.  It wasn't until later that he began to appreciate the time that he had been able to spend with his family while he was "split".

This was a really good book with a good lesson about the gift of time, and spending it with those that really matter. But first you have to decide what it is that really matters to you. 


Challenges:  Unfortunately this book does not count towards any challenges as it was started in December.

The Gift
Publisher/Publication Date: Harper, Nov 2009
ISBN: 978-0-06-170626-4
302 pages