Books to Read Before I Die Challenge – 2010

Hosted by: Bibilophile by the Sea
January 1, 2010 – December 31, 2010

Yet another challenge, but this one should be more fun. I’m going to try and keep my list within a reasonable amount and a list I know I can finish.

Guidelines:

1. Between now and December 31, 2009, make a list of between 10 and 20 Books to Read Before You Die. (depending on interest, this may be an annual event challenge).
2. The books on your list can come from your stacks or the library, and be in print or audio format.
3. Once you’ve created your post with tentative titles, THEN sign up using Mr. Linky, by pasting the link to your post, along with your name/blog name. This is how you will be registered. Finalize your list by 12/31/09 (no changes to the list after 12/31/09).
4. NOTE: If you don’t have a blog, you can still sign up and join in the fun.
5. All bloggers who complete the challenge will be entered in giveaway to win an Amazon Gift Card.
6. Questions/comments, please feel free to comment or email me.

I’ll start finalizing my list and post when the time gets closer.

MY LIST:

1. Blonde by Joyce Carol Oats
2. The Bone Collector by Jeffrey Deaver – finished December 31, 2010
3. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens – finished November 21, 2010
4. Four Past Midnight by Stephen King
5. Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews – finished December 5, 2010
6. Heartsick by Chelsea Cain – finished January 12, 2010
7. Interview with the Vampire by Ann Rice
8. Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
9. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen – finished December 20, 2010
10. A Mighty Heart by Mariane Pearl
11. Rhett Butler’s People by Donald McCaig
12. Secret Diary of a Call Girl by Belle de Jour – finished November 30, 2010
13. Smash Cut by Sandra Brown – finished November 27, 2010
14. Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire
15. Spook by Mary Roach
16. Bonk by Mary Roach
17. Seven Up by Janet Evanovich – finished February 14, 2010
18. Glory in Death by J.D. Robb – finished February 27, 2010
19. Witches of Eastwick by John Updike – finished December 21, 2010
20. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte – finished December 31, 2010

The Four Month Challenge

Hosted by: Virginie Says
November 1, 2009 – February 28, 2010

I’m trying to cut back on challenges and complete some before starting more, but this one I passed on last year, but this year seems fun. It’s more about points than anything else. I won’t feel like a failure if I can’t finish all the categories, which I’m sure I won’t.

Here are the categories. When I finish a book I will post it next to the corresponding category with review.

5 Point Challenges

Read a book with a proper name in the title – Emma by Jane Austen

Read a book about a queen or king – Queen of Babble in the Big City by Meg Cabot

Read a book by a Bronte

Read a book about Vampires – From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris

Read a book by V.C. Andrews

10 Point Challenges

Read a book by Canadian author

Read a book by Charles Dickens

Read a book set in France

Read a book by Georgette Heyer

Read an ‘art’ themed book.

15 Point Challenges

Read a book with a Civil War theme (any country)

Read a book with characters inspired by King Arthur or about King Arthur/Camelot

Read a biography/autobiography

Read a book related to or something by Shakespeare

Read a book by an author born in December – Sex and the City by Candace Bushnell

20 Point Challenges

Read a book with a wintery theme (Christmas, snow, ice, freezing etc.)

Read a book that was a winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction

Read a book that begins with A – The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama

Read a book that that begins with Z

Read a book from The Modern Library Top 100

Read a book and then write a review – Heartsick by Chelsea Cain

TOTAL POINTS: 70

REVIEW: Murder of King Tut

Title: Murder of King Tut
Author: James Patterson
Finished: October 17, 2009
Pages: 332
Published: 2009

This is the first nonfiction book I’ve read by James Patterson, and for the most part it hardly even felt like it. Patterson does such an amazing job telling the story, you almost feel like you’re reading another Alex Cross novel, and not a true story.

The Murder if King Tut tells the story and history of King Tut, the man who found him, and Patterson’s quest for writing the story and proving Tut was murdered.

The time span is amazing, covering thousands of years through turmoil, life and discovery. I never had a huge interested in mummy’s and kings and tombs, but after reading this it makes me want to travel the world and see the amazing artifacts that were found, not to mention the mummy itself.

I hope to see Patterson writing similar types of nonfiction in the future as they keep the audience captivated telling all different angles of the story in a quick and easy, unboring way.

*challenges: 100+ challenge, 999×2 challenge, james paterson challenge, countdown challenge

other reviews: Reading With Tequila