From the Stacks Challenge

The Flame Trees of Thikka

2 Comments / 2008, Books in Bed, Favorites, From the Stacks Challenge, Non-Fiction /

This is another book in my From the Stacks challenge and when TW saw me reading The Flame Trees of Thikka she said – “Didn’t you read that in middle school?” Err no. I cannot imagine such thing even being in my middle school library in Charleston, SC. It certainly wouldn’t have been on the required reading list for either middle or high school. So no. I hadn’t read it or anything else by Huxley. I should read more though. Old, dated, African non-fiction – awesome. Loved it.

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Daughter of the Queen of Sheba

1 Comment / 2008, Books in Bed, From the Stacks Challenge, Non-Fiction, Women /

Daughter of the Queen of Sheba is an orange Penguin book on my “From the Stacks” challenge, and probably the last book from that challenge that I’ll read for awhile. I realized last night that I’m going about my challenges all wrong and that I should hang onto the books from that one ’til summer when library visits will probably be few and far between. So, anyway, about the book.

Non-fiction, memoir from Jackie Lydon. Interesting in that watching a never-ending train wreck sort of way. Also depressing in that mental health care in this country STUNK in the 70s and 80s and isn’t a whole lot better now sort of way.

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The Lady, the Chef, and the Courtesan

1 Comment / 2008, Books in Bed, Favorites, Feminism, Fiction, From the Stacks Challenge, Women /

I do believe we purchased The Lady, the Chef, and the Courtesan a few years (four years ago? five? goodness time flies) when we were in Denver… let’s see, that would have been February of 2004? Maybe I don’t know. Anyway, it’s an autographed copy and the author lives in Denver so I’m guessing we bought it at The Tattered Cover.

Thanks to my “From the Stacks” challenge, I finally found the time to read it and I’m glad. Too bad it took me so darn long to get to it. The book… surprisingly good. I’m tempted to describe it as Latin American chick lit but it’s more than that, or better than that, or something.

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Bleeding Out

1 Comment / 2008, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction, From the Stacks Challenge, Mystery, Queer /

TW picked up Bleeding Out during a quick trip we made to Wild Iris, in search of a couple of laptop stickers for Michelle and Prince J for Christmas. We didn’t really find the stickers we wanted but we did find books. As usual. Heh.

TW picked up Bleeding Out and never put it down. That doesn’t always mean it’s a great book but she has probably said “that was really good” a dozen times since she finished it. And after a really slow start, I would have to agree. It was a really good lesbian cop novel.

I’m not sure I like having a character named “Lawless” and Frank felt a little too Kate Delafield for me at times – but overall, I was happy with it and I liked the characters. Let’s see if we can find the next one in the series and let’s see if it is just as good.

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From the Stacks Challenge – 2008

4 Comments / 2008, Books in Bed, From the Stacks Challenge /

Alrighty, I wandered around the bookshelves and selected a few from each color (well only one from the white books ’cause those I don’t really like the white books, for some reason.) I’m not reading these in any particular order but am listing them by color so I can find them on my shelves when the time comes to read them, heh.

Red
The Lady, The Chef & The Courtesan – 1/14/8
Bleeding Out – 1/5/8

Orange
Things Fall Apart – 9/1/8
Flame Trees of Thika – 7/27/8
Daughter of the Queen of Sheba – 2/19/8
Queer – 8/4/8
The Magic Shop – 8/23/8
Chloe & Olivia – 11/27/8

Green
Hood – 8/27/8
Queenmaker – 9/7/8

Blue
Here There Be Dragons – 9/19/8
Dancing with Elvis – 8/6/8
Cinnamon Gardens (though upon closer look, maybe this is white and should be moved?) – 10/11/8
Quatrocento (oops, I’ve already read this!)

Purple
Murder Most Crafty – 8/21/8
Beware the Kiss – 10/18/8
Rosemary & Juliet – 9/5/8
Wicked Witch & Curse – 11/12/8

Black
Nasty Bits – 8/10/8
Coffee Trader – 9/21/8
Women in Their Beds – 10/2/8

Silver
First Among Sequels – 8/19/8

Brown
On the Occasion of My Last Afternoon – 11/15/8

White
The Complete Claudine – 8/28/8

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No resolutions for me, but…

1 Comment / 2008, Books in Bed, From the Stacks Challenge, Printz Award Challenge /

I said recently, in a blog post elsewhere, that I don’t DO resolutions. And that’s true, I don’t. I also said that I love lists and I love a good list meme. And that’s also true, I do. And since I’ve been saying off and on that I would love to do a whole year of YA reading but know that I just cannot do that, I’m going to do a mini YA challenge.

Sassymonkey recommended the Printz Award Challenge but it’s too easy. Six YA books is not a challenge, ya know? So – how about I read all of the Prince Award winners and honor books (that I haven’t already read)? That doesn’t make it a hard challenge but it does make it more interesting. That’s 34 YA books.

I’ll also be combining that with my own “From the Stacks” challenge. 24 books that I own but have not read – two a month.

I’ll create new posts for both of these 2008 reading challenges later tonight or tomorrow, I’ll need to peruse my bookshelves for good candidates for my “From the Stacks” challenge.

No resolutions for me, but… Read More »