6th Completed Challenge!

This challenge really worked out well for me this year. I am so glad I finally read the first four books on my list, especially being that I put them off for years and years. This challenge was the impetus to pick them up and all four were very good reads! I had some others that I wasn't too thrilled with, but no real duds. Hooray!

Thank you 3M from 1morechapter for hosting this challenge.

Decades Challenge 2008 Reads:

Anne of Green Gables (Mongomery) ~ 1908
Pollyanna (Porter) ~ 1913
Winnie-the-Pooh (Milne) ~ 1926
And Then There Were None (Christie) ~ 1939
Call it Courage (Sperry) ~ 1940
Ginger Pye (Estes) ~ 1951
The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax (Gilman) ~ 1966
The Bluest Eye (Morrison) ~ 1970
When the Bough Breaks (Kellerman) ~ 1985
The Nazi Officer's Wife (Beer) ~ 1999

Here is my original list of books with links to my thoughts.

Favorite:

The Nazi Officer's Wife (Beer)

Least Favorite:

Call It Courage (Sperry)

Ginger Pye (Estes)

POLLYANNA

Eleanor H. Porter

Genre: Children's Classic

Published: 1913

Personal Rating: 4.5/5

Yearly Count: 50

Pollyanna is orphaned at eleven years old. Her wealthy Aunt Polly feels it's her duty to have Pollyanna move in with her. Right from the start, Pollyanna spreads her "gladness" wherever she goes. As time passes, she touches the lives of many people in her community until her own "gladness" is in need of repair.

This was delightful! Of course, I am aware of the Pollyanna stereotype, but now I have a clear image ingrained in my mind. I am so glad that I finally read this uplifting book. I am. I am.

AND THEN THERE WERE NONE

Agatha Christie

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Published: 1939

Personal Rating: 4.5/5

Yearly Count: 47

Ten strangers have been invited by a mysterious host to stay for a visit in the host's luxurious house. This house resides on a private island. Once they all are settled in, they are confronted with the reason why they had been chosen for the occasion. The reason has each member in the house looking at each other with apprehension - and rightfully so. Unfortunately, their time together as a group is limited due to the one-by-one elimination of each house guest.

I really enjoyed this! Throughout the entire book, the level of suspense was kept high by all the twists and turns. It made me eager to get back to it as soon as I could; I was definitely hooked. However, I have to say that the very ending wasn't as exciting as the rest of the book. For some reason, I expected to be wowed and I wasn't, but it was still a very good read and I'm glad I finally made time for it.

WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS

Jonathan Kellerman
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Published: 1985
Personal Rating: 3.75/5
Yearly Count: 46

This is Kellerman's first in the Alex Delaware series. Alex is a 33-year-old, retired, child psychologist and is recouping from burn-out. During this time, Milo Sturgis enters the scene as a LAPD detective who asks for Alex's help with a case that includes a 7-year-old girl who has possibly seen something relating to a double homicide. Once Alex gets involved, he doesn't let up until all questions are answered.

Boy, was this dated. There were turn-tables playing Linda Ronstadt albums, knit ties, Merv Griffin and other 80's sightings. They were fun - not distracting or prevalent.

While Alex came across as a mild-mannered individual (although he could be tough when needed), the subject matter (child abuse) was the opposite - cruel and despicable. While getting to the source of evil, there were some spots that were sluggish due to an abundance of unnecessary details, but overall it was interesting and kept my attention.

Alex ended up playing both psychologist and detective, which I felt was too much for this character; I would have liked to have seen more of Milo. The plethora of bad guys and, in general, the many, many characters lead to a slightly complicated, but . . . satisfying ending. For a first, it was good. I will continue with the series; the next up is titled Blood Test.

Question to those that are up-to-date with this series: Does Alex progress with the times and does Milo play more of a role in future books? Just "Yes" and "No" answers are sufficient. Thank you! :)

THE NAZI OFFICER'S WIFE

Edith Hahn Beer

Genre: Memoir

Published: 1999

Personal Rating: 4.75/5

Yearly Count: 36

This is the story of Edith Hahn, a Jewish girl growing up with her family in Vienna, Austria at the beginning of WWII. Edith shares her unique story of survival from childhood thru adulthood including, as the title indicates, marrying a Nazi.

This memoir was devastatingly excellent. I had never read a memoir of a Holocaust survivor that came from this perspective. It was very difficult to put down. Edith exudes courage throughout the book and I applaud her in mustering up the courage, once again, to enlighten others of her plight.

GINGER PYE

Eleanor Estes
Genre: Children's Fiction

Published: 1951

Personal Rating: 2.25/5

Yearly Count: 13

The Pye children purchase a puppy that they name Ginger. Soon after Ginger becomes one of the family, he goes missing.

While the prospect of getting a new pet is exciting and losing a pet is devastating, the book was actually boring. There is action and mystery involved, but I couldn't get past the repetition and irritating sentence structure. Unfortunately, it's another Newbery winner that I didn't find impressive. It's time for me to shake it off and move on.

CALL IT COURAGE

Armstrong Sperry

Genre: Children's Fiction

Published: 1940

Personal Rating: 2.25/5

Yearly Count: 11

Call It Courage is about a young Polynesian boy that has a fear of the sea. After being branded a coward, he decides to prove that he is courageous and ventures out into the deep blue.

This book won the 1941 Newbery Award. I didn't find it worthy, but apparently someone did. Maybe there wasn't much competition that year.

THE UNEXPECTED MRS. POLLIFAX

Dorothy Gilman

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Published: 1966

Personal Rating: 3.75/5

Yearly Count: 9

Mrs. Pollifax is a widowed grandmother whose meandering life leads her to become a CIA agent. Abruptly her life becomes one with definite direction . . . saving her life! Throughout her assignment, I got to know Mrs. Pollifax and discovered that she's very insightful and clever, as she says - due to her life experiences. She's resourceful and cunning as well, but with the warmth of a grandmother always in reserve.

In general, the plot was just okay, but Mrs. Pollifax grew on me. I'm glad I finally took the time to meet her; it turned out to be a pleasant experience. I think I would like to hear more about her and her escapades in the future. There are thirteen more in the series, so I will have plenty of chances.

ANNE OF GREEN GABLES

L. M. Montgomery

Genre: YA Fiction

Published: 1908

Personal Rating: 4/5

Yearly Count: 7

Anne is an orphan who accidentally gets placed in a home that was requesting a boy. She is quite a vibrant, prolific girl of eleven that wins the hearts of all those she meets, but not without some trials and tribulations.

Now this classic was gratifying. What astounds me the most is that the reader would never know that this was written in 1908. The themes of relationships, responsibilities, teenage thoughts, etc. all transcend time making this very much a good read for today, as I'm sure it did in the 1900's. Anne was a delight to meet and L. M. Montgomery must have had an active imagination herself in order to make Anne seem so alive. I want to follow Anne's life, so I will be continuing with the series.

THE BLUEST EYE

Toni Morrison

Genre: Fiction

Published: 1970

Personal Rating: 2.75/5

Yearly Count: 4

Well, my winning streak of chosen books has come to an end. This book brought flashbacks of Lolita (Nabokov) and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Angelou), both of which were not favorites of mine. With the many controversial issues presented, it would probably make a good adult book club read. For me, it satisfies my desire to read a Morrison novel and the pleasure of crossing it off of my lists.

WINNIE-THE-POOH

A. A. Milne

Genre: Children

Published: 1926

Personal Rating: 4.5/5

Yearly Count: 2

What an absolutely adorable book! It was so simple and silly, yet so very sweet. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing about Winnie-the-Pooh and his friendships, definitely a pleasurable experience. I look forward to reading more of their adventures.

Out of many quotable quotes, here's one I really liked:

"Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon."
Winnie-the-Pooh
(the bear with a very little brain)

Decades Challenge 2008

COMPLETED: April, 2008

I just completed By the Decades Challenge and the Book Awards Challenge (all Newbery titles); overall, I enjoyed them both. Rejoining the Decades Challenge 2008 is the perfect opportunity for me to accommodate my desire to continue reading the award winning titles, so this time around I have incorporated 4 Newbery books into the mix.

Hosted By: 3M

(consecutive decades/2008)

1900

Anne of Green Gables (Montgomery) ~ 1908

(Finished: 1-13-08)

1910

Pollyanna (Porter) ~ 1913

(Finished: 4-16-08)

1920

Winnie-the-Pooh (Milne) ~ 1926

(Finished: 1-4-08)

1930

And Then There Were None (Christie) ~ 1939

(Finished: 4-9-08)

1940

Call it Courage (Sperry) ~ 1940
NEWBERY WINNER 1941

(Finished: 1-21-08)

1950

Ginger Pye (Estes) ~ 1951

NEWBERY WINNER 1952

(Finished: 1-24-08)

1960

The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax (Gilman) ~ 1966

(Finished: 1-17-08)

1970

The Bluest Eye (Morrison) ~ 1970
(Finished: 1-8-08)

1980

When the Bough Breaks (Kellerman) ~ 1985

(Finished: 4-7-08)

1990

The Nazi Officer's Wife (Beer) ~ 1999

(Finished: 3-18-08)

Book Awards Reading Challenge (Newbery) & By the Decades Challenge ~ 70's (1976)

ROLL OF THUNDER, HEAR MY CRY
Mildred D. Taylor ~ BOiPod
Personal Rating: 4.5/5

Yearly Count: 93

A portion of America’s history is brutally told through the lives of Cassie and her family who live in rural Mississippi. It is filled with the tragedy of racial injustice, yet also the perseverance and love of a devoted family. This was a very realistic and powerful book.

At this present stage in my life, I found this book to be fascinating and extremely well-written for children and adults, alike. It most definitely deserves the Newbery Award.

AND . . . I just discovered that this is the first in a trilogy! I will be reading or listening to the rest of them.

By the Decades Challenge ~ 90's (1995)

DEAL BREAKER

Harlan Coben

Personal Rating: 4.5/5

Yearly Count: 76

Finally. I have finally met Myron Bolitar. My experience with three of Harlan Coben's standalones has been very good, but I was even more intrigued with Myron. I couldn't be happier to know that this is just the beginning.

This first Myron novel introduced a sarcastic, witty, tough, yet compassionate sports agent that was unpredictable. I thought I knew his character early on, but ended up being surprised every so often with an unexpected behavior.

Myron's humor was definitely a lot of fun and I often found myself with a grin on my face. Amongst the laughs, there was a serious mystery to be solved, careers to be maintained, relationships resumed, and much more. The realistic writing held my attention from the first page to the last. I so look forward to more of Myron.

By the Decades Challenge ~ 00's (1902)

HEART OF DARKNESS

Joseph Conrad

Personal Rating: 1.5/5

Yearly Count: 59

This book satisfies the 1900's for the Decade Challenge ... and that's about all. Ugh! Okay, there are two things that I liked about this book: 1. the word choice (excellent diction) and 2. it was a novella (short read!). Done.

By the Decades Challenge ~ 10's (1913)

O Pioneers!

Willa Cather

Personal Rating: 2.5/5
Yearly Count: 48

I have read several positive reviews of this book and was looking forward to a pioneer experience. I will have to look elsewhere for what I thought I would find here. This travel back in time just didn't produce anything to keep my interest. On a more positive note, it reminded me of THE GOOD EARTH without the deep storyline. Buy land, farm land, buy more land, we love land. I do love land just like the rest of the world, but a story with a little more depth would have been nice. Plain and simple (like the book) - it was boring UNTIL the last few chapters. She should have started there. :)

Classic, you say. Yep, fits right in with the rest of 'em.

By the Decades Challenge ~ 30's (1931)

THE GOOD EARTH
Pearl S. Buck ~ BOiPod
Personal Rating: 4/5
Yearly Count: 36





Wow! I actually liked this classic. I have surprised myself. :) It happened to be a slow-going story with a few spots when I wanted to push it along, but I think overall the tempo probably added to its charm.

In a nutshell, the story was about a Chinese farmer trying to make a good life for himself. The plot allowed the reader to become familiar with the culture and common practice of the Chinese in the early 1900's. The character development led to caring about the family's well-being and feeling the results of every choice they made.

I enjoyed this. I'm glad I listened it though. I think for this book it kept the story going so I continually wanted to know what was going to happen next, instead of setting it aside during the slower parts and running the risk of not picking it up again.

By the Decades Challenge ~ 80's (1989)

RULES OF PREY

John Sandford ~ BOiPod

Personal Rating: 4.25/5

Yearly Count: 24

This is the first of Sandford's "Prey" series, which I have been meaning to get to for years. Thanks to the Decades Challenge hosted by 3M, I had another reason to finally read about the serial killer named Maddog and the detective who's after him, Lucas Davenport.

Listening to the author's reminiscence at the end of the book gave me a little more insight into the character Lucas and how the author wanted him to be portrayed. Lucas didn't quite make it there for me as a man, but I did like his police work. I'm hoping that the next book in the series is after Lucas receives a slap upside the head, which he so deserves! I'll be checking to see.

By the Decades Challenge

COMPLETED ON: 10-3-07

Sponsored by: 3M

(consecutive decades/2007)

1900

*Heart of Darkness (Conrad) ~ 1902

Finished on 7-15-07

1910

*O Pioneers! (Cather) ~ 1913

Finished on 6-18-07

1920

*Mrs. Dalloway (Woolf) ~ 1925

Finished on 1-27-07

1930

*The Good Earth (Buck) ~ 1931

Finished on 5-14-07

1940

*Animal Farm (Orwell) ~ 1945

Finished on 1-14-07

1950

*Lolita (Nabokov) ~ 1955

Finished on 1-7-07

1960

*Rabbit, Run (Updike) ~ 1960

Finished on 1-1-07

1970
*Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (Taylor) ~ 1976

Finished on 10-3-07

1980
*Rules of Prey (Sandford) ~ 1989
Finished on 3-31-07

1990
*Deal Breaker (Coben) ~ 1995

Finished on 8-25-07

2000

*Twilight (Meyer) ~ 2005

Finished on 3-7-07

*Clicking on a title will link you to "Thoughts of Joy..."

By the Decades Challenge ~ 00's (2005) & Personal Genre Challenge

TWILIGHT

Stephenie Meyer ~ YA

Personal Rating: 4/5

Yearly Count: 16

I actually read a vampire book...AND enjoyed it! Thankfully it was a YA book, which gave me a slow, gentle introduction to the genre. Staying in that simply spoken arena ultimately worked well for me.

Being a teacher, I enjoyed the school setting and the children. I expected some immature behaviors and general teenage angst, which was prevalent, but what I didn't expect was how the vampire issue was discovered and formulated in the first place. (I actually had no expectations.) The manner in which the details were revealed was slow, yet for a newbie it was just right and I found it very interesting to learn about them. The actually plot itself was pretty good and I can see why this has transcended into adult hands.

My intentions are to read the sequel, but TWILIGHT has not persuaded me to dive deeper into this genre; although, it was a fun diversion and I'm glad I read it.

*Recommended By: Lost in the Pages