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 Masterpiece  Excellent  Very good  Good  Just okay  Not for me  Definitely not for me  | I haven’t read any of these. Are any a must read? You can find the full list of nominations and categories at NBCC. Fiction Jennifer Egan. A Visit From The Goon Squad (Amazon info) Jonathan Franzen. Freedom. (Amazon info) David Grossman. To The End Of The Land. (Amazon info) Hans Keilson.Comedy In A Minor Key. (Amazon info) Paul Murray. Skippy Dies. (Amazon info)
I’ve read these books so far:
I planned on donating $2 for every participant and $5 for every book I read up to a maximum of $100. My money will go to the association in memory of my dad. So I’m up to $52 so far. You choose how you’ll donate! I will set up a Mr. Linky on February 14th for you to link to your wrap-up post. If you don’t have a blog, please use the comments to tell us how you did. I’ll look forward to your posts! Thanks again to those who are participating!
How many have you read? Do you agree or disagree with their choices?
I leave for two months, come back, and what do I find? I was thrilled to find out I had been nominated for a BBAW award. I want to give a huge thank you to those who nominated me. Wow, I’m honored just to be listed with my fellow nominees. I’ve participated in their challenges as well, and they are all fantastic hosts! Good luck to Dewey, Maggie, Carl, and Joy. You’re all winners in my book! Voting ends tonight, so you must hurry if you want to participate. You can vote for and see all the categories at the BBAW voting booth. Winners will be announced September 18. Good luck to all the nominees!
Melanie Jones of The Columbia Spectator is writing a weekly review on Thursdays called the 50 States of Literature. She is giving “a list of 50 books that we think capture the essence of each state, all while telling a great story along the way.” So far she’s written about books for three states (click on the title for the review):
I haven’t read The Virgin Suicides, but I have read Eugenides’ Middlesex and thought it gave a great sense of place for Detroit. To Kill a Mockingbird and Peace Like a River were two of my favorite books that I read last year, and I agree wholeheartedly that they are ideal representatives for Alabama and North Dakota. Any guesses for your particular state? I’m thinking Gilead or A Thousand Acres for Iowa, and perhaps something by Wendell Berry or Silas House for Kentucky. I’m eagerly anticipating the remaining 47 choices! Right now I guess I have blogger’s block. I’d rather it be that than reader’s block, though. Although I’ve read 7 books so far, I’ve only reviewed one. That’s terrible! So be prepared for an onslaught soon. I’ve also only read a few pages of War and Peace, so I’m disappointed I’m behind the group in that. But, the reason is that I joined some challenges that finish in January, so I’d really like to complete them. I hope to catch up with everyone else by February 15. I’ve already read more books this month than I did in January last year, though, so I am happy about that. Right now I’m reading Independent People by Halldor Laxness, an Icelandic Nobel laureate. It’s a perfect read for January because it’s been so cold here that I feel like I’m in Iceland! It really sets the mood. Stay warm, everyone!  |      
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