1st Completed Challenge!

I just discovered that this is my first completed challenge! I changed some titles along the way, but it turned out to be a lot of fun. Interestingly enough, I look at titles in a different light now. I constantly notice animal names, colors and places! Fun stuff.

Thank you Annie from Words by Annie for hosting this challenge.

What's in a Name? Reading Challenge Reads:

The Bluest Eye (Morrison)

The Monkey's Raincoat (Crais)

Anne of Green Gables (Montgomery)

A Year of Fog (Richmond)

New Moon (Meyer)
Violet on the Runway (Walker)

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


Favorite:
Violet of the Runway (Walker)


Least Favorite:
A Year of Fog (Richmond)

VIOLET ON THE RUNWAY

Melissa Walker

Genre: YA Realistic Fiction

Published: 2007

Personal Rating: 4.25/5

Yearly Count: 27

Violet Greenfield is a high school senior who is "discovered" while working at her part-time job at the Palace Theater. After her discovery, Violet's tranformation goes from a simple and insecure Carolina girl to a complex and strong New Yorker; however, that change comes with a price. Violet discovers and experiences the cost for herself.

What a good book! I am thoroughly impressed by the realistic nature of this novel. It, by no means, is a "teeny-bopper wanna-be a model" story. It reads as an honest-to-goodness real-life story of a 17 year old young lady that gets a fabulous opportunity. The teenage conversations were an absolute delight and I especially enjoyed Roger's humor, Violet's childhood friend.

If you have any interest in modeling or know someone that does, this is a MUST read. If you don't fall into either of those categories, but like YA fiction - this is for you.

Many, many thanks go to Melissa Walker for sending me this book! I really enjoyed Violet on the Runway and think of Violet as a friend (okay, okay . . . a daughter). I look forward to her further adventures in Violet by Design.

NEW MOON

Stephenie Meyer

Genre: YA Fantasy

Published: 2006

Personal Rating: 2.75/5

Yearly Count: 23

This installment of the Twilight Saga brings a separation for Bella and Edward which throws Bella into a depression. During this time, she deepens her friendship with Jacob and discovers that there is more to him than she thought. Once Bella and Edward reunite, their agenda is to figure out what to do with the rest of their lives.

There were many issues regarding the story line, the realism, and the message that this book portrayed that disappointed me. And, yes, I did state realism. Twilight was presented in such a way that the supernatural didn't seem so far-fetched. New Moon turned hokey and silly in some scenes that made me remember why I don't care for vampire stories. I'm happy to cross it off my lists and move on.

THE YEAR OF FOG

Michelle Richmond
Genre: Fiction
Published: 2007
Personal Rating: 2/5
Yearly Count: 16

Well . . . A Year of Fog created a couple of days of fog for me.

The story was told by Abby (Jake's fiance) who takes, Emma (Jake's daughter), to the beach and she disappears. It was a very drab, drawn out and repetitive story that I really should have abandoned.

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 MONKEY'S RAINCOAT

Robert Crais

Genre: PI Mystery

Published: 1987

Personal Rating: 3.5/5

Yearly Count: 6

The Elvis Cole Detective Agency consists of Elvis Cole and Joe Pike with the office located in Los Angeles. A married woman enters the office and wants to hire them to find her missing husband and nine-year-old son. The investigation includes some hit or miss strategies, but then they get on the right path and find themselves immersed in the world of drugs and murder. Lots of murder.

I believe this makes my 7th Crais book. I have read 4 in the Elvis Cole and Joe Pike series and several standalones. This one happens to be the first in the series. Being that I headed back to the beginning, my hope was to gain some insight on Elvis and Joe, but that didn't happen. I guess the later books give enough background that the earlier books aren't required reading to understand the characters.

I did find that this one was not quite as good as others, but I still enjoyed it. There were a few things I didn't care for, but if my memory serves me right, I think further into the series some of those wrinkles are ironed out. This was not bad writing by any means, but I can see and feel the difference in his writing today versus 1987.

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.

COMPLETED: February, 2008

This is GREAT! This challenge has enabled me to make some final choices from my "list of possibilities" for several upcoming 2008 challenges.

Hosted By: Words by Annie

(6 books/January - December, 2008)

COLOR:

The Bluest Eye (Morrison)

(Finished: 1-8-08)

ANIMAL:

The Monkey's Raincoat (Crais)

(Finished: 1-12-08)

FIRST NAME:

Anne of Green Gables (Montgomery)

(Finished: 1-13-08)

PLACE:

New Moon (Meyer)

(Finished: 2-17-08)

WEATHER EVENT:

The Year of Fog (Richmond)

(Finished: 1-31-08)

PLANT:

Violet on the Runway (Walker)

(Finished: 2-29-08)