Category Archives: Book Awards

December 28, 2011 · 1:53 pm

REVIEW: Life of Pi

Title: Life of Pi
Author: Yann Martel
Finished: December 6, 2011
Pages: 326
Published: 2001
Format: paperback & audiobook

I started this one off on audiobook then when I got closer to the end I picked up my own paperback and finished it off a lot faster.

When a young boy raised working at a family zoo and his family are offered the opportunity of a lifetime traveling across the ocean with some rare animals to join another zoo, the temptation is hard to resist.

But once on the journey Pi, the young boy, finds himself the lone survivor of a sinking ship. The story of Pi and his journey is one that is hard to believe and even at the end one questions which is reality and which is fiction.

A great story! Can’t wait to see how it transforms on film.

*challenges: project fill in the blanks, tbr stack, 11 in 11 reading challenge, 100+ reading challenge, a-z reading challenge, off the shelf, countdown challenge, monthly mixup

Cold Mountain

Title: Cold Mountain
Author: Charles Frazier
Finished: June 20, 2009
Pages: 356
Published: 1997

Made into a movie starting Nicole Kidman, Renee Zellweger and Jude Law, Cold Mountain is the story of Inman, a wounded soldier who deserts the Confederate army during war with intent to return to cold mountain and find the love of his life, Ada. It also tells the story of Ada and her struggle in life, trying to survive with no means, as she befriends Ruby (Zellweger), who helps Ada learn to live on her own.

Having seen the movie when it was first released, I wasn’t fully remembering what happened when I started reading the book. I don’t believe Frazier’s style is my favorite. I’m unaccustomed to dialogue mixed in without the use of quotations. Once I finished the book I found I enjoyed it a little more than I started out, but I’m sad that I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I really wanted to.

Challenges: EW New Classics, 100+ Challenge, New Authors Challenge, RYOB Challenge, TBR Challenge, Book vs. Movie Challenge, Project Fill in the Gaps, Summer Vacation Reading, 999×2 Challenge, Create a Colorful Summer

Other Reviews: jules’ book reviews

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Filed under adapted to film, Book Awards, Fiction

May 11, 2009 · 12:22 pm

Book Awards III Challenge

bookawards3

Details Here
Starts: July 1, 2009

It feels like that last Book Awards just finished, even though I completed it early, but the next one is right around the corner.

I have a couple months to decide what to read for my five books, and so I’ll be waiting to choose until it gets closer, seeing as many award winning book could be read by them.

The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje – MAN BOOKER

Some choices:

Curious Incident of Dog at Night-time (Alex Award; Costa/Whitebread Award)
Stardust (Alex Award)
City of Bones (Anthony Award)
Blood Work (Anthony Award)
Life of Pi (Man Booker Award)
The Blind Assassin (Man Booker Award)
Lisey’s Story (Bram Stoker Award)
Silence of the Lambs (Bram Stoker Award)
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (British Book Award)
The Hours (Pultizer Prize)
Gone With the Wind (Pulitzer Prize)

Book Awards II

I didn’t participate last year but ran across this new challenge just recently. The goal is to read 10 books from August 1, 2008 – June 1, 2009. You have to choose from at least five different eligible award lists (ie Pulitzer, Agatha, etc).