As Usual, I Need More Bookshelves: 42

Showing posts with label 42. Show all posts

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Challenge completed - 42 Science Fiction Challenge

42 sci-fi goodies I come up with next.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

TSS - Sunday Shorts

Here are a few shorter reviews. =)

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
published 9/09
391 pages

Synopsis:

(short, no spoilers!)

The Hunger Games are over. The winners return home. The people in charge are NOT HAPPY!! Things go from bad to worse. Cliffhanger!!

My thoughts:

Okay, I know that's a horrible plot summary, but I really don't want to spoil this book for anyone who hasn't yet read it. I managed to remain spoiler-free, and am SO GLAD I did! Wow. So much good stuff in this trilogy, and Katniss is one of my favorite heroines. I didn't have any problems with pacing or plot twists like I've read about is some reviews - mostly, I just loved it. And also, I HATE cliffhangers, so now I'm really mad I didn't wait until book 3 was out to read this one! But seriously, if you haven't read this series yet, why not?? And maybe you should wait for book 3, because the cliffhangers will kill you!

Finished: 10/12/09
Source: my shelves
Rating: 9/10

Palimpsest by Catherynne M. Valente
published 2/09
384 pages

Synopsis from publisher:

Between life and death, dreaming and waking, at the train stop beyond the end of the world is the city of Palimpsest. To get there is a miracle, a mystery, a gift, and a curse -- a voyage permitted only to those who’ve always believed there’s another world than the one that meets the eye. Those fated to make the passage are marked forever by a map of that wondrous city tattooed on their flesh after a single orgasmic night. To this kingdom of ghost trains, lion-priests, living kanji, and cream-filled canals come four travelers: Oleg, a New York locksmith; the beekeeper November; Ludovico, a binder of rare books; and a young Japanese woman named Sei. They’ve each lost something important -- a wife, a lover, a sister, a direction in life—and what they will find in Palimpsest is more than they could ever imagine.

My thoughts:

I will be honest - I'm including this book in my Sunday Shorts post because I have no idea how to review it. I really, really enjoyed it, but have been struggling with the words to explain why. I loved the premise, and the writing was beautiful, but at times it was like peering through a fog - I felt like I really didn't know what exactly was going on. I think I would like to read it again, because I feel like it's the type of novel that will get better with familiarity. I expect some readers to be frustrated by it, but I was captivated. If you are a speculative fiction fan, and are up for a bit of a challenge, I'd definitely recommend this novel!

Finished: 10/14/09
Source: Forest Avenue Library
Rating: 8/10

Pasta Imperfect by Maddy Hunter (A Passport to Peril Mystery)
published 08/04
285 pages

Synopsis from publisher:

The discount travel package to Italy seemed like a great deal: Emily Andrew could lead her globe-trotting Iowans on the trip of a lifetime and bring her family to boot. Maybe she should have read the fine print....Sharing their itinerary with a group of hyper-competitive aspiring romance writers is just a prelude to more Machiavellian drama than an Italian opera.

First, their hotel burns to the ground. Then, when Emily's lost luggage turns up found, the disgruntled literary ladies raid her clothing supply like she's a one-woman Gucci outlet. But the real killer is a contest sponsored by a publishing house — and the depths to which the dime-novel divas will plunge to win a book contract. Amid backstabbing and catcalling, bodies start turning up — in Emily's favorite outfits! Now, Emily will need more than a phrasebook to say ciao to someone with a hot and spicy passion for murder.

My thoughts:

This is such a fun series - Emily is smart and sarcastic as usual, and in this installment the author adds tension with her boyfriend, Etienne, and another possible love interest to confuse matters a bit more. I still enjoy Nana, and the addition of Emily's mom to the cast was a lot of fun. Of course, being from Iowa, I can relate to a lot of the characters, and that might add to the appeal. This continues to be a great series, and I am looking forward to the next installment.

Finished: 10/21/09
Source: Forest Avenue Library
Rating: 7/10

Sugar Time by Jane Adams
published 2009
208 pages

Synopsis from publisher:

Charlotte “Sugar” Kane hasn’t produced a hit TV series in so long her last one‘s now on Nick at Nite, so when her kids grew up and the last guy in her life moved out she left L.A. for New York, where a woman over 40 doesn’t have to file an environmental impact statement to go out in public.

But since the network green lighted her new show, Sugar’s back in Hollywood, older, wiser, and ready to prove she can still deliver a hit - unless her young, clever and manipulative assistant doesn’t manage to steal it away. Then Sugar is struck by a crisis that threatens everything she holds dear – her career, her health, and the unconditional love she’s finally, unexpectedly found, long after she stopped hoping she ever would.

My thoughts:

I don't think I was the right reader for this book. Part of the appeal of chick-lit, for me, is the ability to relate to the main character as she searches for something - even if I don't really like her, I can usually understand her motivations. I didn't feel that sense of connection with Sugar, and I personally need that when reading this style of novel.

That said, I thought it was well-written, although my copy did contain several grammar and punctuation errors. (I don't know if this was a review copy, though, so those might be fixed in the final printing.) I can see that it would definitely appeal to readers - unfortunately, I just don't think I was the right demographic for this one.

Finished: 10/22/09
Source: the author - thank you!
Rating: 6/10

Sunday, September 20, 2009

TSS - Review - Watchmen

Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
published 1986
334 pages

Synopsis from publisher:

It all begins with the paranoid delusions of a half-insane hero called Rorschach. But is Rorschach really insane or has he in fact uncovered a plot to murder super-heroes and, even worse, millions of innocent civilians? On the run from the law, Rorschach reunites with his former teammates in a desperate attempt to save the world and their lives, but what they uncover will shock them to their very core and change the face of the planet! Following two generations of masked superheroes from the close of World War II to the icy shadow of the Cold War comes this groundbreaking comic story — the story of The Watchmen.

My thoughts:

Well. There is almost too much to say about this bleak, beautiful piece of fiction. I think I'm going to arrange my thoughts in list form, to try not to forget anything.

1 - The Story. One of the most famous graphic novels of all time, on numerous "Best Of" lists, the story of the Watchmen is a modern classic. I completely understand why it was so groundbreaking when it was first introduced in the 1980s - these are not the movie superheroes America was used to up until then. These heroes are flawed - greedy, malicious, vain, superheroes for kicks and for hire. It's the characters that make the story so compelling, the structure of the novel allows each to have his or her moment to tell their tale. The plot itself is dense and packed with deep moral and political questions, but I found the characters to be the best part of the novel.

2 - The Writing. There is a perception that graphic novels, or "comics", are somehow not for serious readers - they're light, less challenging, than "real" novels. Or at least that's the impression I had before I started reading them. Watchmen blows this theory out of the water. Each character's voice is so incredible distinct, and the writing is intense, precise, and in many places beautiful. I often found myself so caught up in the words on the page that I realized I hadn't looked at the pictures for some time - so I would backtrack, put the two together, and find even more layers to the story.

3 - The Graphics. I don't know that I would call the pictures beautiful - they seemed very traditionally "comic-y" to me, which isn't a style I'm necessarily drawn to. But they had such detail, and depth of meaning, that I quickly learned to appreciate the complexity they added to the story. Watchmen so completely integrates its words and pictures - I don't think it would be half as great an experience if it lacked one of its components.

4 - The Ending. I won't spoil it for you, but it's pretty love-it-or-hate-it. My husband thought the entire novel was great, until the ending, which he hated. I actually thought it was just the right ending for the story - and I can't say more than that, but I didn't share his dislike at all.

This is definitely a story for adults - I would not give this to kids thinking it's just another comic, as it has seriously adult themes and language. However, I can certainly understand why it garnered all the praise it has received, and it is a reading experience I will surely savor again, as it is the kind of work that will only grow richer with subsequent readings.

Finished: 9/7/09
Source: my shelves
Rating: 8/10

Don't just take my word for it! Here's what some other fabulous bloggers had to say:

Fyrefly's Book Blog
Medieval Bookworm
S. Krishna's Books
Literary Feline
Ready When You Are, CB
Things Mean A Lot
eclectic/eccentric

This book counts toward:

Sunday, July 26, 2009

TSS - Relative Reads Review - The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon

I was given the great fortune of growing up in a family of readers. Both of my parents read, and so do the majority of my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. In fact, my Great-Grandma had cataract surgery in her 90's, because she couldn't bear to not be able to read. I thought it would be interesting to read some of the books THEY have discovered and enjoyed over the years, so I asked them to send me some recommendations, and the fun began! I have a list of the titles various family members have suggested on the side of the blog, so if you want to see what will be coming up you can take a peek.

The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon (recommended by Aunt Leah)
published 2002
384 pages

Synopsis:

In the near future, disease will be a condition of the past. Most genetic defects will be removed at birth; the remaining during infancy. Unfortunately, there will be a generation left behind. For members of that missed generation, small advances will be made. Through various programs, they will be taught to get along in the world despite their differences. They will be made active and contributing members of society. But they will never be normal.

Lou Arrendale is a member of that lost generation, born at the wrong time to reap the awards of medical science. Part of a small group of high-functioning autistic adults, he has a steady job with a pharmaceutical company, a car, friends, and a passion for fencing. Aside from his annual visits to his counselor, he lives a low-key, independent life. He has learned to shake hands and make eye contact. He has taught himself to use "please" and "thank you" and other conventions of conversation because he knows it makes others comfortable. He does his best to be as normal as possible and not to draw attention to himself.

But then his quiet life comes under attack. It starts with an experimental treatment that will reverse the effects of autism in adults. With this treatment Lou would think and act and be just like everyone else. But if he was suddenly free of autism, would he still be himself? Would he still love the same classical music?with its complications and resolutions? Would he still see the same colors and patterns in the world?shades and hues that others cannot see? Most importantly, would he still love Marjory, a woman who may never be able to reciprocate his feelings? Would it be easier for her to return the love of a "normal"?

There are intense pressures coming from the world around him?including an angry supervisor who wants to cut costs by sacrificing the supports necessary to employ autistic workers. Perhaps even more disturbing are the barrage of questions within himself. For Lou must decide if he should submit to a surgery that might completely change the way he views the world . . . and the very essence of who he is.

My thoughts:

I'm not entirely sure I can write a review that will do this book justice. What I'd like to do is gush on and on, and tell you it's one of the best books I've read this year, and go read it go go go!! But that's not terribly productive, so I'll try to compose myself and write something that sounds somewhat intelligent.

I am not autistic, nor do I have close acquaintance with anyone who is, so I don't really know what living inside an autistic brain would be like. I also realize that there is a broad spectrum of autism-related diagnosis, so what one person experiences is not necessarily what another would experience. That said, I'm not sure I remember the last time I read a work of fiction where I believed in the narrator as much as I believe in Lou Arrendale. The author uses his first-person perspective to tell almost the whole story, and she never wavers in his pitch perfect voice. I could see the world through Lou's eyes, and everything he did - every thought process, every action, every wish and dream - was completely logical and true. About halfway through the novel I realized that he made much more sense than the "normals" he interacted with, and by the end of the novel, I didn't want him to have the procedure, because I didn't want his beautiful brain tampered with.

"Autistic persons do not understand these signals; the book says so. I have read the book, so I know what it is I do not understand. What I haven't figured out yet is the range of things they don't understand. The normals. The reals. The ones who have the degrees and sit behind the desks in comfortable chairs. I know some of what she doesn't know. She doesn't know that I can read. She thinks I'm hyperlexic, just parroting the words. The difference between what she calls parroting and what she does when she reads is imperceptible to me...She knows I work on a computer, she knows I went to school, but she has not caught on yet that this is incompatible with her belief that I am actually illiterate and barely verbal.

She talks to me as if I were a rather stupid child. She does not like it when I use big words (as she calls them) and she tells me to just say what I mean. What I mean is the speed of dark is as interesting as the speed of light, and maybe it is faster and who will find out?"

Moon tackles some hefty issues in this novel, most specifically who gets to decide what is normal? Why does one person's normal become superior to another? If we truly love someone, why should we want them to change? If we are all made in God's image, would changing be the right thing to do? She asks these questions, but doesn't present easy, trite answers - the reader is left to draw their own conclusions, and I would bet you'll be thinking about them long after you've turned the final page.

"What I have in my head is light and dark and gravity and space and swords and groceries and colors and numbers and people and patterns so beautiful I get shivers all over. I still do not know why I have those patterns and not others. The book answers questions other people have thought of. I have thought of questions they have not answered. I always thought my questions were wrong questions because no one else asked them. Maybe no one thought of them. Maybe darkness got there first. Maybe I am the first light touching a gulf of ignorance. Maybe my questions matter."

I loved this book. I didn't want it to end. I know it will be a book I will read again, and that's pretty rare. If you haven't read it, I think you should. GO GO GO!!!

Finished: 7/5/09
Source: Franklin Avenue library
Rating: 10/10

Don't just take my word for it! Here's what another fabulous blogger had to say:

Semicolon

This book counts toward:

Friday, July 10, 2009

By the Chapter, day 3 - Somewhere in Time by Richard Matheson

Somewhere in Time by Richard Matheson

originally published 1975, as Bid Time Return
316 pages

Synopsis:

Like What Dreams May Come, which inspired the movie starring Robin Williams, Somewhere in Time is the powerful story of a love that transcends time and space, written by one of the Grand Masters of modern fantasy.

Matheson's classic novel tells the moving, romantic story of a modern man whose love for a woman he has never met draws him back in time to a luxury hotel in San Diego in 1896, where he finds his soul mate in the form of a celebrated actress of the previous century. Somewhere in Time won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel, and the 1979 movie version, starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour, remains a cult classic.

By the Chapter is a week-long event in which Marcia and I pick a book to read together, and then discuss it. You can read Marcia's first post about this novel, as well as my first post. Be sure to stop by The Printed Page today, where Marcia will be sharing her final thoughts about Somewhere in Time.

My final thoughts:

I'm happy to say that part 2 of Somewhere in Time was immensely better, for me, than part 1. Almost as soon as Richard manages to find his way back to 1896, the story picks up. The narration becomes much smoother, and things actually start to HAPPEN, which is a nice addition to any story. I'm not sure I was ever completely drawn in to the story - something about it didn't engage me emotionally. I was anticipating a real tear-jerker, so perhaps I had created too high an expectation in my mind, but it never quite reached that level for me.

I found each of the central aspects of the novel - the time travel story, and the love story - to be interesting in their own way. The idea of time travel by hypnosis - for that is essentially what Richard does - was quite interesting. It's certainly a way to get around building a machine or some other such contraption. I'm a little bit fascinated with the idea of time travel, so I always find new author's conceptions of the phenomenon interesting, and this novel was no exception.

"That has to be the secret practicality of traveling thorough time. If Ambrose Bierce, Judge Crater, and all such disappearing people actually moved back in time, they would, by now, have no remembrance whatsoever of where they came from. Nature protects her workings. If a rule is broken or an accident occurs in the order of existence, compensation must be made, the scales brought back to level by some counterweight. In this way, the flow of historical incidence is never altered more than temporarily by anyone who circumvents time. The reason, then, no traveler has ever returned from this bourn is that it is, of natural necessity, a one-way trip."

And then there is the love story. The Greatest Love Story of Our Time. (or so they say.) I never found myself swept up in the grand romance, but rather interested in the concept Matheson explores of love being a means by which one can express their true self. I'm not sure I totally agree with the idea, but I do believe that learning to be completely honest and open with someone allows you to learn things about yourself you may not have known before. I feel like this idea might have been a new one in literature when the book was published, and I would have liked to see it explored further - unfortunately, Matheson's novel ended before that could take place.

"She began to cry. I welcomed it; I knew it meant release. She held herself against me tightly, sobbing, breathing in torturous gasps. I felt it coming all the years of harsh confinement ending. She was, at long last, unlocking the door of that subterranean dungeon in which she had kept her nature imprisoned. I could have wept along with her, so deeply overjoyed was I by her release."

I thought Somewhere in Time was a good book. I don't think it will be on my list of favorite stories of all time, but I did ultimately enjoy reading it, and found some of its ideas quite interesting. I'm looking forward to watching the movie, to see how the two compare.

Finished: 7/8/09
Source: Franklin Avenue library
Rating: 7/10

This book counts toward:

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Review - Steal Across the Sky by Nancy Kress

Steal Across the Sky by Nancy Kress
published 2/09
320 pages
Purchase from Amazon or Powell's

Synopsis from publisher:

The aliens appeared one day, built a base on the moon, and put an ad on the internet:

“We are an alien race you may call the Atoners. Ten thousand years ago we wronged humanity profoundly. We cannot undo what has been done, but we wish humanity to understand it. Therefore we request twenty-one volunteers to visit seven planets to Witness for us. We will convey each volunteer there and back in complete safety. Volunteers must speak English. Send requests for electronic applications to witness@Atoners.com."

At first, everyone thought it was a joke. But it wasn’t.

This is the story of three of those volunteers, and what they found on Kular A and Kular B.

My thoughts:

It's books like this that remind me of why I love science fiction. The description from the publisher is really only the tip of the iceberg that is Steal Across the Sky. All of the above action takes place in part one, leaving the bulk of the novel to reveal what happens when the Witnesses return home to share the Secret - and boy, it's a doozy.

The Secret reveals itself slowly, with Kress dropping neat little hints all along the way. When the Witnesses finally understand the truth of what they were sent to discover, it is their personal journeys that form the heart of the novel. Each of the four main characters has a distinctly different response to what they have seen, and each struggles to come to terms with the realities of The Secret. The diversity of their reactions allows for each reader to indentify with one of the characters - I think everyone will find a part of themselves in at least one of the four. Kress allows each room to grow throughout the novel, and the result is an extremely believable, sympathetic group.

There isn't much more I can say without revealing too much - this is the kind of book you definitely want to read without being spoiled. I couldn't put it down, and now immediately want to go find every book Kress has written and read them all. If you like science fiction, you should look for this one!

Finished: 5/1/09

Source: Franklin Avenue library

Rating: 8/10

Sunday, March 15, 2009

TSS - Review - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Synopsis from publisher:

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before - and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win. she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against her love.

My thoughts:

It has been a while since I've had dreams about a book. I read a lot of books that I really enjoy, but it takes something special for one to cross over into my sleep pattern. And it almost always takes a couple of days - I need to have lived with a book for a while, breathed it, mulled it over in my mind, befor

e it starts taking over my unconscious. I started dreaming about The Hunger Games the first night I brought it home from the library - I had read all the way to page 63.

I'm sitting here finding it hard to describe how much I liked this book. Many of the ideas in the novel have been written before - drawing names to see who will be sacrificed, the Big, Evil Government keeping its people enslaved by fear tactics, the priviledge of the rich vs. the struggle of the poor, the plucky, underdog of a heroine who must overcome unfathomable odds....I have read this before, right? But there is just something about THIS PARTICULAR heroine, with her SPECIFIC set of circumstances, that was just genius.

And it wasn't just Katniss, although I can't remember when I have liked a heroine more. Each character in The Hunger Games was so good - multifaceted, rich, completely human. There were some pretty bad people in this book, and yet even they were interesting, and sometimes really funny.

And, of course, there is the nonstop adrenalin rush of a plot that kept me up at night, NEEDING to read just one more chapter. The only thing I don't like is that it's the first in a series, so now I have to wait for (probably) years to find out how the story ends. Man, I HATE falling in love with a series in progess. I hate it, but I love it. Yep, I'm that girl.

Honestly, the best thing I can say is Go Get This Book! I can't imagine that you will be sorry. I am quite sure this is one I will be reading and re-reading for years to come.

Finished: 3/12/09
Source: Franklin Avenue Library
Rating: 9.5/10

Don't just take my word for it! Here is what some other fabulous bloggers thought:

Amy of My Friend Amy
Lenore of Presenting Lenore
Trish of Hey Lady...
Tasses of Random Wonder
Aerin of In Search of Giants

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Review - Fahrenheit 451

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Synopsis from B&N:

Guy Montag was a fireman whose job it was to start fires...

The system was simple. Everyone understood it. Books were for burning...along with the houses in which they were hidden.

Guy Montag enjoyed his job. He had been a fireman for ten years, and he had never questioned the pleasure of the midnight runs nor the joy of watching pages consumed by flames...never questioned anything until he met a seventeen-year-old girl who told him of a past when people were not afraid.

Then he met a professor who told him of a future in which people could think...and Guy Montag suddenly realized what he had to do!

My thoughts:

I can't believe I'd never read this novel before. It's odd to think of all the English classes I've taken, and realize that no professor ever thought this would be worthwhile to teach. I'm sure lots of them assumed it had been read before - but that certainly didn't stop them from making me read Huckleberry Finn 5 times! (But that's another story...)

There is so much to consider in this short little novel - Bradbury really packed a lot into a small package. His writing style is full of simile and metaphor, which sometimes seem a little over-the-top, but they give the narrative a feeling almost like a dream. It is very visual, giving the reader detail after minute detail in which to see the drama unfolding. When Montag goes to a house to burn books one night, "Books bombarded his shoulders, his arms, his upturned face. A book lit, almost obediently, like a white pigeon, in his hands, wings fluttering. In the dim, wavering light, a page hung open and it was like a snowy feather, the words delicately painted thereon."

Guy Montag is the focus of the book, and as such the only character who really gets a chance to develop. Mildred, Guy's wife; Clarisse, Guy's neighbor; Faber, the professor - we meet each of these people, but never get the opportunity to find out much about them. They are merely catalysts, propelling Guy forward on his journey. Each has their small part to play, and then they are gone, because the author is mostly only interested in Guy.

It is fascinating to read Bradbury's vision of a world gone mad, written in the 1950s, and realize how similar it is to the world we live in today. In his world, people don't want to read books, or be challenged by new ideas - they would rather sit in front of their gigantic television sets and be entertained. In his world, no one wants to stand out or be different, but would rather conform to the image that the majority has decided is ideal. In his world, people don't connect with each other, but spend their time blocking out the world with the earphones in their ears. Does this sound familiar to anyone else? I have to wonder if Bradbury ever feels chilled by his prophetic vision.

Of course, what resonates most clearly with me is the few people in the novel who are trying to save the books. When Montag decides, for the first time, to sit down and read one of the books he has been secretly stashing away, his life is forever changed, and that is truly the moment of triumph in the novel. When he finds Professor Faber, and later the band of men in the forest (Bradbury has referred to them as the Book People), and decides he wants to do something - anything - to keep the books from being lost, it is the flash of hope that lifts the novel from despair.

And Bradbury knows it is not the books themselves that are important. Books are little more than ink and paper, which don't add up to very much. "It's not the books you need, it's some of the things that once were in books...Books were only one type of receptacle where we stored a lot of things we were afraid we might forget. There is nothing magical in them at all. The magic is only in what books say, how they stitched the patches of the universe together into one garment for us."

The only part of the novel that really disappointed me was Montag's meeting with the Book People. They are a group, scattered throughout the land, that are trying to keep the ideas of books alive. Instead of trying to save the books themselves, however - which would be really dangerous - they choose to "become" a book. They memorize the book, word by word, and tell each other the stories. Eventually, they will pass their knowledge on to the next generation. Their great hope is that one day, they will once again be able to commit what they remember to paper, and the books will be born again. I just wanted MORE of this section - I was fascinated by it, and wish his time with the Book People would have lasted longer.

Fahrenheit 451 is quite a magnificent novel. I have no doubt it is one I will be reading again and again.

Finished: 2/27/09

Source: Franklin Avenue Library

Rating: 8/10

As a side note, my mom (the brilliant english teacher) has her class participate in a very interesting activity to go along with reading this novel. Inspired by the Book People, she asks her students to list 5 books they believe are important enough that they should be saved, and the one novel from that list they are passionate enough about that they would be willing to "become" that book. It's an interesting question, which I'm going to ask of myself. If enough people are interested, I'd love to make it a feature on the blog for a while. So what do you think? Would you like to answer that question for yourself? Let me know!

Sunday, June 1, 2008

And because I can never stop at just one....

I'm going to join this one as well. All I have to do is experience 42 science fiction items - books, movies, tv episodes, short stories, etc. by the end of 2009. This one will be a breeze, as Battlestar Galactica is going to be ending sometime around then, and each episode counts as 1 entry! This one is going to be right up my alley.

And while I am at it..

I am going to join this one too. (See, I knew as soon as I did one the floodgates would open.) For this challenge I have to pick 10 award winners to read over 10 months, from at least 5 different award categories. I don't have to have my final list yet, so here are the current list of possibilities:

Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson (Arthur C. Clarke)
Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie (Man Booker) - finished 4/23/09, rated 6/10
An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro (Costa/Whitbread)
The In-Between World of Vikram Lal by M.G. Vassanji (Giller)
Mercy Among the Children by David Adams Richards (Giller)
The Tin Flute by Gabrielle Roy (Governor General)
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke (Hugo)
This Blinding Absence of Light by Taher Ben Jelloun (IMPAC Dublin)
The Known World by Edward P. Jones (IMPAC Dublin)
Sacred Country by Rose Tremain (James Tait Black)
The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai (NBCC)
Atonement by Ian McEwan (NBCC)
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis (Hugo and Nebula)
Half of a Yellow Sun by Adichie (Orange)
The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale (Samuel Johnson prize) finished 8/12/08
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (Newbery) - finished 2/16/09, rated 9/10
Infinity in the Palm of Her Hand by Gioconda Belli (Biblioteca Breve) finished 3/19/09, rated 7/10