Do Re Mi Challenge Completed

Hosted by Becky of Becky's Book Reviews.

February 7, 2009 through May 17, 2009.

Four activities are required but personal circumstances only allow me to "read books on music (fiction, nonfiction, biography)".

Completed books are highlighted.

The Spanish Bow**** by Andromeda Romano-Lax
The Cellist of Sarajevo***** by Steven Galloway
The Piano Teacher***+ by Janice Y.K. Lee
The Accordionist's Son**** by Bernardo Atxaga

Completed June 1. Okay, I ran over by a few days. Too many other reading challenges I suspect.

Becoming Abigail by Chris Abani - Review

Becoming Abigail by Chris Abani

Novella, 121 pages Paperback

2006 Nigeria

I've heard only good things about this writer and thought I'd start with a novella to get a taste of his work. All I can say is what a writer!

In Nigeria, Abigail has lived a lonely life with her father who is still pines for his dead wife. At fourteen, Abigail looks so much like her mother that her father is emotionally undone by it. He sends her to England with her Uncle Peter, to what he thinks will be a better life for her. Her uncle is fact a monster, who forces her and other young ones into prostitution. But not without fierce resistance from Abigail who eventually commits a desperate act and flees.
In spare but lyrical writing, and with great compassion, Nigerian poet and author Chris Abani relates a heartbreaking story of loneliness and betrayal that is unforgettable. This is neither an easy read nor a happy story, which are a dime a dozen and don't do much for me. But I recommend it highly.

I have now set my sights on Graceland, a novel which garnered several awards. Also set in Nigeria, Graceland tells the story of a boy who wants desperately to get out of the slums of Lagos, with its poverty and hopelessness. I can't wait to read it.

Have you read either of these novels? What did you think? Feel free to leave a link to any review of Abani's work that you've written, I'd love to read it. And I always welcome good reading recommendations.

Recent Posts: The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing (review)
Best Books of 2009
What's on My Nightstand?

Weekly Geeks - Reading Challenges

Hosted by Terri at Weekly Geeks.

Reading Challenges: a help or a hurt? Do you find that the reading challenges keep you organized and goal-oriented? Or, do you find that as you near the end of a challenge that you've failed because you fell short of your original goals? As a result of some reading challenges, I've picked up books that I would have otherwise never heard of or picked up; that, frankly, I have loved. Have you experienced the same with challenges? If so, which ones? Do you have favorite reading challenges?

As we pass the halfway point of 2009, how are you doing with your reading challenges? Did you participate in any challenges this year?

I love reading challenges. I just discovered them last year and they are perfect for me. I'm disabled and in poor health. I can't go out to libraries, bookshops, book clubs or anything else. The only hobby left to me is reading and while it's decreasing I still read about 150 books of literary fiction every year. I love talking about good books almost as much as I enjoy reading them and having a blog lets me do that. Reading challenges allow me to do even more of it, with people who are interested in the same challenge themes and genres.

Reading challenges also alert me to good reading recommendations for myself and the opportunity to recommend good books to others. This is the main purpose of my blog. Challenge also help me to keep better records of what I read. I've joined about 40 and only left 2 or 3 incomplete, usually because I joined late. The trick for me is to join challenges of the kind of books that I know I'm going to read anyway. I'm a mood reader so I read what I like and then find that it usually fits into a challenge somewhere, often more than one. I've always read award winners, library books, new authors, chunksters, literature in translation, essays, classics, etc. anyway so those challenges are a snap for me. And I have the luxury of more reading time than most people do. And there's no such thing as failing if I don't meet a reading goal. There are no consequences, it's just a fun to do. Lest you think I'd join any reading challenge, the list of those that hold no interest for me is actually longer than those that do.

My favourite challenges are focused on specific countries or cultures, the more different from my own the better. I especially enjoy all the awards Challenges, and Japanese lit, Jewish lit, German lit, Orbis Terrarum, last year's Africa challenge (we need another one), Lost in Translation, Diversity Rocks, 21 Cultures, War Through the Generations, Chunksters, What an Animal, Canadian Books, and LibraryThing Authors.

I'd like to see others such as French, African American, Irish, or Scandinavian literature etc. Yup, reading challenges are my new hobby. Sign me up and I'll meet you on the links page.

Mailbox Monday

Hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page.

In the mailbox this week:



Mooched:

20 Fragments of a Ravenous Youth by Xiaolu Guo (2008)

Fiction, 204 pages; translated from the Chinese.

Village of Stone (2004) by the same author is one of my favourite novels. I can't recommend it enough. I wanted to read this and her first novel written in English, A Concise Chinese-English dictionary for Lovers (2007). 20 Fragments arrived this week all the way from Australia. Thank you Pam.




The Gift Nobody Wants by Dr. Paul Brand with Philip Yancey (1993)

Non fiction, 340 pages; subtitled Why We Hurt and What We Can Do About It.

It's a surgeon's experience of a lifetime of working with people with leprosy around the world and what he learned about pain. Leprosy has been an interest of mine since childhood and I live with chronic pain. Mine is an old copy, it has been reprinted recently as The Gift of Pain and said to have helped people who read it. Also acquired via Bookmooch.

What reading goodies arrived in your mailbox this week?

Todays other posts: What Are You Reading on Mondays?
Musing Mondays:Outstanding favorites read this year.

What Are You Reading On Mondays?

Hosted by J. Kaye at J. Kaye's Book Blog.

Finished this week:

68.Belong to Me**** by Marisa de los Santos (US) 2008

Completed in time to participate in a live author interview on Blog Talk Radio, which you can listen to here. An engaging and suspenseful story of friendship and the wish to fit in. I look forward to reading Loved Walked In, this author's other novel. Recommended.

69.The Fifth Child**** by Doris Lessing (UK)

An unusual story about a child that no one can love. Recommended. My review is here.

70.Becoming Abigail***** by Chris Abani (Nigeria) 2007

A novella, 121 pages; about a young Nigerian girl sent to London and forced into prostitution by relatives. Highly recommended. My review will be posted tomorrow.

Books in hand...

And Let the Earth tremble at its Centers by Gonzalo Celorio (Mexico)

Fiction, translated from the Spanish, a sort of "literary portrait of Mexico City."

Ulysses by James Joyce... in bits and no longer on my own!

Dovegreyreader is starting a read-a-long and discussion of this book."Team Ulysses" will be doing a slow read, giving ourselves a year to finish. Discussions take place on the 16 of each month, there's still time to join if it interests you.

Upcoming books:

Ben in the World by Doris Lessing (UK)

Sequel to The Fifth Child, reviewed here. Lessing is a Nobel Laureate.

Nada by Carmen Laforest (Spain)

An award winning novel, translated from the Spanish, about an orphan's life in post civil war Spain.

Graceland by Chris Abani (Nigeria)

An award winning novel about a boy who wants desperately to escape the poverty and hopelessness of the slums of Lagos, Nigeria.

Addition by Toni Jordan (Australia)

A first novel about a women with obsessive-compulsive disorder. I love finding new Aussie fiction writers. But I suspect this may be more of a romance than an in-depth look at OCD.

Between the Assassinations by Aravind Adiga (India)

A new novel by the author of The White Tiger (Booker Prize 2008), which I enjoyed very much.
Adiga lives in Mumbai and his novels are set in India.

What are you reading this week?

I welcome questions, reading recommendations, or links to any books I've read or reviewed. I'd love to read them.

Today's other posts: Mailbox Monday
Musing Mondays:Outstanding favorites read this year.

Musing Mondays

Hosted by MizB at Just One More Page.

"Today’s Musing Mondays post is about mid-year reading… Now that we’ve come to the middle of the year, what do you think of your 2009 reading so far? Read anything interesting that you’d like to share? Any outstanding favourites?"

Of the 70 books read to date none were a waste of time for me. I did abandon three that were not keeping my interest. I seem to be exactly where I was last year for books completed (143 read in 2008). I choose very carefully and I rated over 60 of them with 4 or 5 stars so no complaints here.

These were the outstanding books to my mind. My standard is simple; was I strongly emotionally engaged with the characters, the story, and/or the writing? Highlighted titles are linked to reviews or comments.

To wit:

We Need to Talk About Kevin***** by Lionel Shriver
Through Black Spruce***** by Joseph Boyden
Tomato Girl***** by Jayne Pupek
The Madonnas of Leningrad***** by Debra Dean
What We All Long For***** by Dionne Brand
The Seamstress***** by Frances De Pontes Peebles
The Cellist of Sarajevo***** by Steven Galloway
Mercy Among the Children***** by David Adams Richards
Mudbound***** by Hillary Jordan
The Gargoyle**** by Andrew Davidson
Little Bee**** by Chris Cleave
An Audience of Chairs***** by Joan Clark
The Blue Fox***** by Sjon

Wanting***** by Richard Flanagan

Historical fiction about Sir John Franklin's years as Governor of early Tasmania. He would later disappear with his ship and crew while trying to find the Northwest passage.

I Had a Black Dog***** by Mathew Johnstone

Non fiction graphic novel, 48 pages. A unique and humourously encouraging perspective of depression.

The Disappeared***** by Kim Echlin

Fiction about the disappeared of Cambodia.

The Lieutenant***** by Kate Grenville

A fictional account of an18th century English lieutenant who became an astronomer and sailed with the First Fleet to the shores of what would become Sydney, Australia. Based on a real person.

The Madwoman of Bethlehem***** by Rosine Nimeh-Mailloux

Fiction about Arab Christian women in Israel.

The Winner of Sorrow***** by Brian Lynch

A fictional account of the details of last years of the English poet William Cowper, set at the end of the 1700's. A very interesting and well written account of Cowper's final years of doubt and melancholy and those around him.

Possession***** by A.S. Byatt

Fiction that follows the love and lives of two Victorian poets through letters and manuscript research.

Becoming Abigail***** by Chris Abani

My review will be posted tomorrow.

I welcome questions about any of these or other books I've read. Feel free to leave links to those you've reviewed. I'd love to read them. I will be around to your blogs looking for good reading recommendations of literary fiction, although I welcome them at all times.

Today's other posts: Mailbox Monday
What are You Reading on Mondays?

New Crayons

Hosted by Susan At Color Line.

"Remember when you were a kid and getting new crayons was a big deal? Getting new books holds the same kind of magic for some of us big kids. Every week on Sunday, I post what's new in our box. I hope you'll share what you picked up from the library, store, or in the mail too."

Library:

Becoming Abigail***** by Chris Abani (Nigeria/US)

2006 Novella, 121 pages; about a young Nigerian girl sent to London and forced into prostitution by relatives. I've heard good things about this writer so I decided to start with this book. Completed. My review will be posted on Tuesday.





Between the Assassinations by Aravind Adiga (India)

2009 Fiction, 336 pages. I really enjoyed The White Tiger, which won the 2008 Booker Prize, so I wanted to read more of his fiction. Adiga lives in Mumbai, his novels are set in India.








Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie (Pakistan/UK)

2009 Fiction, 370 pages; follows the life of a Japanese women from Nagasaki 1945 to India and Pakistan, America, and Afghanistan post 2001.





Complimentary copy:

Belong to Me**** by Marisa de los Santos (US)

2008 Fiction, from Book Club Girl. Completed in time to participate in a live author interview on Blog Talk Radio, which you can listen to here. An engaging story of friendship and the wish to fit in. I look forward to reading Loved Walked In by this author. Recommended.




Mooched:


20 Fragments of a Ravenous Youth by Xiaolu Guo (China)

2008 Fiction, 204 pages; translated from the Chinese.

Village of Stone (2004) by the same author is one of my favourite novels. I can't recommend it enough. I wanted to read this and her first novel written in English, A Concise Chinese-English dictionary for Lovers (2007). 20 Fragments arrived this week all the way from Australia. Thank you Pam.


Which books by authors of colour or that celebrate racial diversity came your way this week?

The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing - Review

The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing

Fiction,133 pages Hardcover

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1988 UK

The idea of a mother not loving her own child seems almost taboo as a subject for a novel. Such feelings just aren't possible, or at least they're not natural or normal, are they? That's the general consensus. I wanted to read The Fifth Child because someone said it put them in mind of Lionel Shriver's We Need to Talk About Kevin, which I reviewed here. They are both about having a child who is difficult to love. Let's be honest, even their mothers find them impossible to love. They do try, very hard, over a period of long years, but ultimately admit their true feelings. Both books are well written and I thought at first they were quite different stories. Kevin, in Shriver's book is a teenager who's killed fellow students in a school shooting before the story even begins. Ben, the fifth child to a couple who planned a large family and celebrated each child's arrival, is odd and frightening and difficult to control from the day he's born. We follow his beleagured mother and family from birth through to his teen years.

Then I realized that the only difference in the stories is whether they are related to us before disaster strikes, as in the case of Ben, or afterward, as with Kevin's killing spree. Each book hits tender spots and like most tragedies are not the easiest to read. But I think they both need to be read. The questions raised need to be faced-by everyone. Should these children be drugged? Is psychiatry or behaviour therapy enough? Should they be "put away" in cases where they cannot be controlled? Then there's the issue of blame. People seem to need to point fingers when things go wrong. Are the parents, especially the mothers, ultimately responsible for the monstrous behaviour of their children? I'm glad I read these books. I learned things, empathy being the very least of these. I highly recommended We Need to Talk About Kevin. I recommend The Fifth Child as well.

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Have you read either of these books? What do you think? Are you averse to reading about this subject in a novel? If you've reviewed either of them please leave a link in the comments. I'd love to read it.

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I welcome recommendations of good literary fiction.

What's On Your Nightstand? June

Hosted by Jennifer at 5 Mintues for Books.

Books read in June:

59. The Prospector**** by J. M. G. Le Clezio

60.The Accordionist's Son**** by Bernardo Atxaga

61.Hard Rain**** by Janwillem Van De Wetering

62.Carpentaria****+ by Alexis Wright

63.The Italian Girl**** by Iris Murdoch

64.Last Night in Montreal**** by Emily St. John Mandel

65.Wanting***** by Richard Flanagan

66.The Great Lover**** by Jill Dawson

67.The Pages***+ by Murray Bail

Still on my Nightstand:

Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos (US)

West with the Night by Beryl Markham (Kenya)

Becoming Abigail by Chris Abani (Nigeria)

Brooklyn by Colm Toibin (UK)

Home Repairs by Liz Rosenberg (US)

And Let the Earth Tremble at its Centers by Gonzalo Celorio (Mexico)

The Weight of Heaven by Thrity Umrigar (India)

Short History of Women by Kate Walbert (US)

Man Gone Down by author Michael Thomas (US)

The Foreigner by Francie Lin (Taiwan)

The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing (UK)

The Wilderness by Samantha Harvey (UK)

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (UK)

Between the Assassinations by Aravind Adiga (India)

Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie (Pakistan)

Nada by Carmen Laforet

What's waiting on your nightstand?

Today's other post: Library Loot

Library Loot

Hosted by Eva at A Stripped Armchair and Marg at Reading Adventures.

This week's plunder:

Becoming Abigail by Chris Abani (Nigeria) 2006

A novella, 121 pages; about a young Nigerian girl sent to London and forced into prostitution by releatives. I've heard good things about this writer so I am starting with this book.

Between the Assassinations by Aravind Adiga (India) 2009

Fiction, 336 pages; I really enjoyed The White Tiger, which won the 2008 Booker Prize, so I wanted to read more of his fiction. Adiga lives in Mumbai, his novels are set in India.

Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie (Pakistan/UK) 2009

Fiction, 370 pages; follows the life of a Japanese women from Nagasaki 1945 to India and Pakistan, US, and Afghanistan post 2001.

Addition by Toni Jordan (Australia) 2008

Fiction, 260 pages; a first novel about a women with obsessive-compulsive disorder. I love finding new Aussie fiction writers. But I suspect this may be a romance more than an in-depth look at OCD.

The Foreigner by Francie Lin (Taiwan/US) 2008

Fiction, 309 pages; "a darkly comic tale of crime and contrition." Set in Taiwan.

The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing (UK)1988

Fiction, 133 pages; the confusing emotional lives of parents who find their own child unlovable.

The Wilderness by Samantha Harvey (UK)

Fiction, 272 pages; about a man experiencing Alzheimer's.

Last week's loot enjoyed:

The Great Lover**** by Jill Dawson, very enjoyable. Pre-WW I England, Rupert Brooke's university years and his poetry. Recommended.

The Pages***+ by Murray Bail 2009 Australia. Shortlisted for this year's Miles Franklin Award.

" A beguiling meditation on friendship and love, on men and women, on landscape and the difficulties of thought itself." A quick read of 199 pages.

I've read Murray Bail's other three novels including Homesickness and Holden's Performance and enjoyed them all. I highly recommend Eucalyptus***** by this author, which won the 1999 Miles Franklin Literary Award and the Commonwealth Writers' Prize.

What treasures have you found at the public library?

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Today's other post: What's on Your Nightstand?

Reading Challenges Completed

Summer Vacation Challenge 2009

Completed July 31, 2009 12/6



Classics Challenge 2009

Completed July 28, 2009 4/4

Themed Challenge

Completed June 5, 2009 4/4


Pub Challenge

Completed June 15, 2009 10/9

Latin America

Completed April 30, 2009 4/4

Spring Reading Thing

Completed June 20, 2009 35.5/40


Unshelved Reading Challenge

Ended June 1, 2009 Incomplete 1/3

Do-re-mi Challenge

Completed May 17, 2009 4/4

The 2nd Canadian Book Challenge, Eh?

Completed Dec. 28, 2008 - 26/13/Ended June 30, 2009

Chunkster

Completed May 25, 2009 Ends December 31, 2009

What's in a Name?

Completed May 12, 2009 Ends on December 31, 2009

Mini Catch-up

Ended April 30, 2009, Incomplete 0/4

Martel-Harper

Ended March 31, 2009 Incomplete 1/2

Book Awards

Completed March 22, 2009

Jewish Literature

Completed February 28, 2009

Lost in Translation

Completed February 20, 2009

War Through the Generations

Completed Feb.24, 2009

Canada Reads

Ended February 15, 2009 Incomplete 3/5

Nine in '09

Completed February 15, 2009

New Classics

Ended January 31, 2009 Incomplete 3/6

The Well-Seasoned Reader

Completed January 16, 2009

Africa

Completed December 28, 2008
The Short Story

Completed December 24, 2008

Fall Into Reading

Completed December 21, 2008


Jewish Book Month

Completed December 18, 2008

LibraryThing Authors

Completed November 30, 2008

Orbis Terrarum

Completed November 15, 2008

On The Porch Swing

Completed September 30, 2008

What an Animal!

Completed September 1, 2008