Masterpiece
*****
Excellent
**** 1/2
Very good
****
Good
**** 1/2
Just okay
***
Not for me
**
Definitely not for me
*

Bear by Marian Engel

bear.JPGUmmm…..no. No, no, no, no, no. I don’t think I can recommend this title. That this book won the Governor General’s Award flabbergasts me. A librarian and a bear get kinky on a small Canadian island. That’s all you really need to know to realize why I didn’t like this book.

1976 Governor General’s Award
1976, 141 pp.
Rating: starsh.gif

Canadian Challenge II, Eh?

canadianchallenge2.jpg13 books about or by Canadians
July 1, 2008 through July 1, 2009
Click on the button for more info.

Miraculously, I just finished the first Canadian Reading Challenge when I read the last two books for it during the read-a-thon. Of the 13 books required, I actually read 6 for this challenge in June! Many of them were short, which is why I was able to finish. I’ll be posting a wrap-up post about it when I can sit down and write all the reviews.

Meanwhile, I’ve got a partial list going for the second challenge. I’m going for an all female line-up this time, I changed my mind and am just going to the Free Spirit with no more than 2-3 by a single author. Here’s the list so far; I’m sure some will be added to it.

  1. Oryx and Crake by Atwood
  2. Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) by Anne-Marie MacDonald
  3. The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson
  4. Atmospheric Disturbances by Rivka Galchen (shortlisted for Governor General’s Award)
  5. Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery
  6. Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery
  7. A Certain Mr. Takahashi by Ann Ireland
  8. Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels
  9. Natasha and Other Stories by David Bezmozgis
  10. The End of the Alphabet by C.S. Richardson
  11. Mistik Lake by Martha Brooks
  12. Yarrow by Charles de Lint
  13. The Tricking of Freya by Christina Sunley
  14. Skim by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki
  • Alias Grace by Atwood
  • Collected Stories of Carol Shields
  • Unless by Shields
  • Larry’s Party by Shields
  • Fall on Your Knees Ann-Marie MacDonald
  • The Way the Crow Flies by MacDonald
  • De Niro’s Game by Hage
  • Shadow on the Rock by Cather
  • Latitudes of Melt by Joan Clark
  • ? by Alice Munro
  • Crow Lake by Lawson
  • Other Side of the Bridge by Lawson
  • Sweetness in the Belly by Gibb

Thanks, John, for hosting again. I’ll probably participate each time until I get my fill of Atwood, Shields, Montgomery, and the many other fantastic female Canadian authors!

Post Read-a-thon Survey TSS

readathon.jpgFinal Stats:
10 hours of reading
634 pages
3 books completed (see below)

1. Which hour was most daunting for you? I fell asleep at 1 am ET for five hours. I thought I was going to make it longer, but I just can’t stay up late any more!

2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? Two of the books I read, The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood and The Chocolate War by Cormier would be great choices.

3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? The only thing I can think of is to give a little leeway (maybe 3-6 hours) if we choose. For instance, the best times for me would have been 9 am ET to 9 am ET the next day. This would have been 3 hours earlier than everyone else started, but it would have given me 3 more hours of reading time during the readathon. Obviously, we can’t expect you to be there during these pre or extended hours, and we wouldn’t be eligible for mini-challenges or prizes during those hours if we chose a slightly different schedule, but it would give us more reading time if we have other commitments during part of the regular hours of the readathon. It’s not that big a deal if you don’t change it, though. I’ll still participate during the hours that I’m able.

4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? Just having it! It’s a fun way to read together and accomplish some much needed reading goals.

5. How many books did you read? I read three complete books and parts of two others.

6. What were the names of the books you read? I completed Bear by Marian Engle, The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood, and The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier. I also read parts of the Bible and parts of Lolita by Nabokov.

7. Which book did you enjoy most? The Bible; also The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

8. Which did you enjoy least? Bear by Marian Engle and Lolita

9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? N/A

10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? I would love to be a reader in the next Read-a-thon. It’s a fun way to knock some books off the TBR pile.

Readathon Update #7 (9:30am ET) TSS

readathon3_lg.jpgI just spent half an hour reading the Bible; I read James and I and II Peter for 11 pages.

I’m going to have to quit now so I can go to church. I’ve enjoyed participating again and accomplished many of of my reading goals. Can’t wait for the next one! I’ll have to do the end of readathon survey later this afternoon.

Stats:

Time spent reading: 10 hours
Pages read: 569 pages + 2 CD’s (65 pages)
Books completed: Bear by Marian Engel, The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood, and The Chocolate War by Cormier
Other incomplete books read: Lolita by Nabokov and the Bible (what a combination!)

Readathon Update #6 (8:30 am ET) TSS

readathon3_lg.jpgI finished The Chocolate War, yay! It took about an hour to read the final 83 pages. That’s my third finished book for the readathon.

Stats:

Time spent reading: 9.5 hours
Pages read: 558 pages + 2 CD’s that I’ll figure out the pages later
Books completed: Bear by Marian Engel, The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood, and The Chocolate War by Cormier

Readathon Update #5 (6:45 am ET)

readathon3_lg.jpgWell, I just woke up from sleeping for about 5 hours. Right after I said I was going strong, too! I had just eaten something, though, and that can definitely put me out. Plus, I hadn’t really slept much the night before, either, so that didn’t help.

Before I fell asleep, I read 60 more pages of The Chocolate War in 45 minutes.

Total time spent reading: 8.5 hours
Pages read: 475 pages + 2 CD’s that I’ll figure out the pages later

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