Unread Authors Challenge

And another book challenge, this time my own!

Where: This is my own challenge.

What: I want to read some authors whose work I have never read before.

When: August 1, 2008 - July 31, 2009

My list is below, with the books I've already read crossed out.

1. The Forever War by Joe Haldeman - August
2. Ringworld by Larry Niven - September
3. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole - October
4. King Solomon's Carpet by Barbara Vine - November
5. The Way Through the Woods by Colin Dexter - December
6. Neptune Crossing by Jeffrey A. Carver - January
7. Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks - February
8. Luna Benamor by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez - March
9. The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon - April
10. Of Love and Shadows by Isabel Allende - May
11. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood - June
12. I.O.U. by Nancy Pickard - July

Review: Obscene in the Extreme: The Burning and Banning of John Steinbeck's the Grapes of Wrath… by Rick Wartzman

First of all, I'm really grateful to LibraryThing's EarlyReviewers program: if not for you guys, I would've never read this book. Even when I started reading it I kept thinking: I know this great book (Grapes of Wrath) was banned like many others before and after its time, what else is there to know.

Boy, was I wrong! There is so much more. All the historical background, the people, the politics behind this book and its banning.

I loved the way some of the main characters were presented in detail: people instrumental in banning the book like Bill Camp or Stanley Abel or opposed to it, Raymond Henderson or Gretchen Knief. I also loved some of the images created, for example the mention of the American flag in the background of the supervisors meeting when they voted to ban Grapes of Wrath. End the ending was great, ending which if doesn't justify by any means the banning if the book puts everything in a larger perspective.

I am not saying this book is perfect - I would've liked to see more details about Gretchen Knief, the librarian and more about the libraries in that time. However, there is much information that is new to me that I am very happy I've read it.

Thanks again LT guys for sending me this book!

4 out of 5 stars

Free eBooks from TOR reinstated

TOR is restarting their offer of free eBooks, this time with two of them:

Emma Bull - War for the Oaks
Will Shetterly - Dogland

New Elizabeth Bear story from TOR

Newly-published on Tor.com is “The Girl Who Sang Rose Madder,” an original contemporary fantasy story by Elizabeth Bear, illustrated by Brad Holland.

My Princess' book challenge

I just convinced my Princess to get into a book challenge as well so here it is:

Where: BookAwardsChallenge

What: Read 10 award winners from August 1, 2008 through June 1, 2009. The rules and the list of eligible books are here.

When: August 1, 2008 - June 1, 2009

My list is below, with the books I've already read crossed out.

Edgar Award
1. 1987 Barbara Vine, A Dark Adapted Eye
2. 1970 Dick Francis, Forfeit

Gold Dagger Award
3. 1985 Monkey Puzzle Paula Gosling
4. 1963 The Spy Who Came In From The Cold John le Carre
5. 1976 A Demon in my View Ruth Rendell

PEN/Faulkner Award
6. 1995 David Guterson, Snow Falling on Cedars

Pulitzer Prize
7. 1921 - The Age of Innocence - Edith Wharton
8. 2002 - Empire Falls - Richard Russo

Agatha Awards
9. 1991 - I.O.U. by Nancy Pickard

Man Booker Prize
10. 1989 The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

A few more books to trade

I added a few more books available for trade on my trading page. If you see something you like, please let me know: I can list the book at BookMooch.com, titletrader.com or sf-books.com or we can trade directly.

If you are a fan of PaperbackSwap... well, I like it too but since the site works like "first listed in the system - first offered when requested", there is no guarantee that if I list a book and you request it you'll get mine so we can't use it.

Book Awards Reading Challenge

One more book challenge!

Where: BookAwardsChallenge

What: Read 10 award winners from August 1, 2008 through June 1, 2009. The rules and the list of eligible books are here.

When: August 1, 2008 - June 1, 2009

My list is below, with the books I've already read crossed out.

Hugo Award
1. 1976 The Forever War by Joe Haldeman - August
2. 1967 The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein - September

Nebula Award
3. 1977 Gateway by Frederik Pohl - October
4. 1970 Ringworld by Larry Niven - November
5. 2003 The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon - April

Carnegie Medal
6. 2001 Terry Pratchett, The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents - January

Gold Dagger Award

7. 1992 The Way Through the Woods Colin Dexter - December
8. 1979 Whip Hand Dick Francis

Arthur C. Clarke Award
9. 2005: Iron Council by China Miéville

Pulitzer Prize
10. 1940 - The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck

1% Well-Read Challenge

My very first book challenge!

Where: 1morechapter

What: The goal of this challenge is to read 10 books in 10 months from the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list.

When: May 1, 2008 - Feb. 28, 2009

I just found out about the 1% Well-Read Challenge, a bit too late since it started in May. However, looking at the list of books I found that I already read 4 books from the list so that works out perfectly. My list is below, with the books I've read crossed out.

1. The Time Machine H.G. Wells - May
2. Nineteen Eighty-Four George Orwell - June
3. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time Mark Haddon - July
4. The Once and Future King T.H. White - August
5. Confederacy of Dunces John Kennedy Toole - September
6. Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency Douglas Adams - October
7. The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide Douglas Adams - November
8. Franny and Zooey J.D. Salinger - December
9. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Philip K. Dick - January
10. Of Love and Shadows Isabel Allende