52 Books in 52 Weeks Wrap-Up

So,  the challenge comes to an end...and I think I actually achieved my goal!!!  YEAH!!  Well,  that is if I include all the books I read aloud to my littles (only the chapter ones over 150 pages)  AND the YA fiction,  because I am a firm believer in Brain Candy when it is necessary.

Did you reach the goal of 52 books?:



Why yes,  I think I did!




What was the last book you read?:


The last book for this year is The Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card.  He is one of my all time favorite authors...and I got to read this one on my new Sony E-Reader!!  Thanks Honey!  I love you!!!!




Did you read from a list and fly by the seat of your pants choosing a different book each week?:

I didn't read from a list...and I really did fly by the seat of my pants.  I really wish I could have been more organized and purposeful in my reading,  but this was not going to be the year for it.  I got most of my ideas from the other readers on the WTM forum,  Sonlight lists and Ambleside Online lists.  I also got some ideas from my older kids ("MOM!  You have GOT to read this!!  That is how I came upon the Book Thief and The Heretic's Daughter.)Did you learn something new about yourself, an author, an topic?:
Well,  YES!  I didn;t think about it until now,  but I found I really...R.E.A.L.L.Y.  enjoy Dystopian Literature.  i didn't even know that was a genre!  I just thought i loved Sci-Fi without robots and with a political twist.  I went on one of those reading jags...and got Elvis reading them as well.  This included but was not limited to:  Hunger Games trilogy, Orson Scott Card books,   1984, Brave New World,  This Perfect Day, etc.

How many classics did you read?:


Well,  i read a bunch of Children's Classics like Mary Poppins, The Wizard of Oz, Little House on the Prairie series (not really a classic,   but almost there...LOL)



Did you discover a new author or genre? Did you love them or hate them?


Yes,  I really like Malcolm Gladwell and enjoyed his non- fiction statistical books especially Outlier.  I love how chatty,  but interesting they were.



Name your top ten favorite reads:


I'll try:

OK...Harry Potter...I never read these before and I am so happy I finally did.  They were so much fun, I loved the whole series.

Hunger Games Trilogy

Far North

The Book Thief

I Am the Messenger

The Heretic's Daughter

Water for Elephants

Percy Jackson Olympians series
 Name your bottom ten least favorite reads:
The Outlander by Gil Adamson (not the series of a similar title)

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell




The Time Traveller's Wife
Elegance of the Hedgehog (hated the end!)
The Element (yawn)
Knowing and Teaching Elementary Math (I am not so sure I liked her tone young lady.)
Life of Pi (loved and hated at the same time.  Beautifully disturbing.  It broke my heart.)


Name a book you simply could not finish:

Bill Bryson's book about Australia.  I like him,  but the book was a schnoozer for me.  Ds loved it...go figure...

I remember throwing a few books across the room this year,  but I have blocked them from my memory...sorry...sigh....

Name a book you expected to like but didn't:


The Time Traveller's Wife.  After all the hip and hype...I kept waiting for something besides soft porn to happen.  I really like time travel books,  they fascinate me  BUT this was like a poorly written made-for-tv but had too much skin,  so let's make a movie book.  I think the premise was interesting,  but so poorly carried out...I kept waiting for the story.  Didn't happen...blah!!!! 




Name a book you expected to not like but did:


Harry Potter.  After all the warnings and etc.  I thought I would read it just to say I have and back up my choice not to include it in my children's reading lists.  I was surprised how much i enjoyed these books.  I apologised to my older kids for believing and propagating the "Harry Potter is not ok for Christians"  myth.  They assured me it was OK and they actually all read and enjoyed the books too...rotten kids! 

So,  now I am looking forward to next years challenge.  I am going to put together a list for myself....52 books long,  but I have the right to be wishy-washy and not follow the plan.  I am going to try to include 4 biographies, 4 non-fiction (not biographies)  4 Classics, 4 Christian Classics, 4 Travel Books, 4 science fiction, 4 girl books,  4 Teaching Theory Books,  4 Historical Fiction, 16 books from any category...

I plan on drawing heavily from Ambleside Online, The Well Educated Mind and other bloggers :-)

Come on Reading Challenge 2011!!