BJ's 11 Categories

I am going to have 11 categories, with 5 in each category with bonus possibilities up to 6 more. I will probably go ahead and start, and some of my categories are easier to meet since this is a pretty big challenge for me. My categories are:

I. 1001 (Any List)
II. Books of the Bible
III. Religious
IV. Graphic Novels/Manga
V. Children/YA
VI. SFF/Speculative
VII. Short Stories (Individual)/Novellas
VIII. Book to Screen
IX. Books off the Shelf
X. Mystery/Crime/Thriller
XI. Grab Bag

I hope that I can stick with these categories. I tried to pick familiar and new ones both.
--BJ

I. 1001 (Any List) (DONE)
1. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov.
2. "The Yellow Wallpaper" and Other Stories by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
3. The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie.
4. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell.
5. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen.

Bonus:
6. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
7. The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James.
8. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
9. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen.
10. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
11. Emma by Jane Austen.

II. Books of the Bible (DONE)
1. Jonah
2. Matthew
3. Ruth
4. John
5. Malachi

Bonus:
6. Obadiah
7. Nahum
8. Habakkuk
9. Zephaniah
10. Haggai
11. Joel

III. Religious (DONE)
1. Going to Confession by Rev. L. Lovasik, SVD.
2. My First Catechism by Father Lovasik, SVD.
3. My Picture Missal by Rev. Lawrence G. Lovasik.
4. Seven Secrets of Successful Catechists by Joseph D. White, Ph.D.
5. Praying in the Presence of Our Lord For the Holy Souls by Susan Tassone.

Bonus:
6. Luke: A Devotional Commentary: Meditations on the Gospel According to Saint Luke edited by Leo Zanchettin.
7. Magnificat Advent Companion by The Magnificat (Advent 2010).
8. The Essential Catholic Prayer Book: A Collection of Private and Community Prayers (A Redemptorist Pastoral Publication) by Judith A. Bauer.
9. Don Bosco's Madonna (Mumbai) edited by Father Ian Doulton sdb.
10. Blessed Sacrament Prayer Book edited by Bart Tesoriero.
11. Your Best Confession Ever by Michael Mulhearn.

IV. Graphic Novels/Manga (DONE)
1. The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman.
2. Fables: Legends in Exile (1) by Bill Willingham.
3. Yotsuba&! 1 by Kiyohiko Azuma.
4. Yotsuba&! 2 by Kiyohiko Azuma.
5. Fables: Animal Farm (2) by Bill Willingham.

Bonus:
6. Death Note (1) by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata.
7. Yotsuba&! Volume 3 by Kiyohiko Azuma.
8. Yotsuba&! (Volume 4) by Kiyohiko Azuma.
9. Yotsuba&! (Volume 5) by Kiyohiko Azuma.
10. Death Note (Volume 2) by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata.
11. Britten and Brulightly by Hannah Betty.

V. Children/YA (DONE)
1. Downsiders by Neal Shusterman.
2. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech.
3. Yotsuba&! (Volume 6) by Kiyohiko Azuma.
4. Yotsuba&! (Volume 7) by Kiyohiko Azuma.
5. Yotsuba&! (Volume 8) by Kiyohiko Azuma.

Bonus:
6. Yotsuba&! (Volume 9) by Kiyohiko Azuma.
7. The Great Good Thing by Roderick Townley.
8. Afternoon of the Elves by Janet Taylor Lisle.
9. Ten True Animal Rescues by Jeanne Betancourt.
10. The Ear Book by Al Perkins.
11. A Newbery Halloween edited by Martin H. Greenberg and Charles G. Waugh.

VI. SFF/Speculative/Horror (DONE)
1. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling.
2. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin.
3. Native Tongue by Suzette Haden Elgin.
4. The Giver by Lois Lowry.
5. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling.

Bonus:
6. The Edge of Reason by Melinda Snodgrass.
7. Half Magic by Edward Eager.
8. The Terror by Dan Simmons.
9. Dreadnought by Cherie Priest.
10. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.
11. Death Note 7: Zero by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata.

VII. Short Stories (Individual)/Novellas (DONE)
1. "The Lady's Maid's Bell" by Edith Wharton.
2. "The Eyes" by Edith Wharton.
3. "Afterward" by Edith Wharton.
4. "Kerfol" by Edith Wharton.
5. "The Triumph of Night" by Edith Wharton.

Bonus:
6. "Miss Mary Pask" by Edith Wharton.
7. "Bewitched" by Edith Wharton.
8. "Mr. Jones" by Edith Wharton.
9. "Pomegranate Seed" by Edith Wharton.
10. "The Looking Glass" by Edith Wharton.
11. "All Souls" by Edith Wharton.

VIII. Book to Screen (DONE)
1. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson.
2. Carrie by Stephen King.
3. No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy.
4. Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay.
5. Chocolat by Joanne Harris.

Bonus:
6. All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy.
7. The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman by Laurence Sterne.
8. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen.
9. Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence.
10. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton.
11. Persuasion by Jane Austen.

IX. Books off the Shelf (DONE)
1. The Teeth of the Tiger by Tom Clancy.
2. Firmin by Sam Savage.
3. We Pray: Living in God's Presence by Oscar Lukefahr, C.M.
4. Romans and Galations: A Devotional Commentary Meditations on St. Paul's Letter to the Romans and Letter to the Galations edited by Leo Zanchettin.
5. Revelation: A Devotional Commentary edited by Leo Zanchitten.

Bonus:
6. I & II Corinthians: A Devotional Commentary Meditations on St. Paul's First and Second Letters to the Corinthians edited by Leo Zanchettin.
7. The Fugitive; Time Regained by Marcel Proust.
8. The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly.
9. Schindler's List by Thomas Keneally.
10. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything (Revised and Expanded Edition) by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner.
11. A Catholic Guide to the Bible by Father Oscar Lukefahr.

X. Mystery/Crime/Thriller (DONE)
1. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith.
2. Death Note (Volume 4) by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata.
3. Death Note (Volume 5) by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata.
4. Love Among the Walnuts Or: How I Saved My Family from Being Poisoned by Jean Ferris.
5. Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King.

Bonus:
6. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt.
7. Mercy by David Lindsey.
8. Creepers by David Morrell.
9. Scavenger by David Morrell.
10. 7 Steps to Midnight by Richard Matheson.
11. Death Note (Volume 6): Give-And-Take by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata.

XI. Grab Bag (DONE)
1. Why Go to Confession? Questions and Answers About Sacramental Reconciliation by Monsignor Joseph M. Champlin.
2. Meeting the Merciful Christ: How to Go to Confession (Revised Edition) by Monsignor Joseph M Champlin.
3. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.
4. Lent and Easter Wisdom from Pope John Paul II compiled by John V. Kruse.
5. Daily Strengths for Daily Needs by Various.

Bonus:
6. 100 Facts About Pandas by David O'Doherty, Claudia O'Doherty, and Mike Ahern.
7. The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell.
8. Death Note (Volume 3) by Tsugumi Ohba
9. Empire of the Sun by J. G. Ballard.
10. Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
11. Death Note (Volume 8): Target by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata.

Hey BJ! Glad to see you here.

Thanks! Should be fun!
--BJ

When I was going through some papers, I discovered that I had 4 books borrowed from Church to help with teaching Sunday School, so I quickly read them so that I can return them tomorrow. They are Going to Confession, My Picture Missal, and My First Catechism, all by Rev. Lawrence G. Lovasik, SVD and Seven Secrets of Successful Catechists by Joseph D. White, Ph.D. These are all going in my religious category.

For my book to screen category, I just read The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, which was terrific. Perfect for Halloween. I am hoping that the movie will come on tv sometime in October.
--BJ

I read two short stories by Edith Wharton. The first one was "The Lady's Maid's Bell." This one left me a little confused at the end. The second one was "The Eyes" which I liked much better. These were from The Ghost Stories of Edith Wharton.
--BJ

Still reading short ghost stories by Edith Wharton. This one is called "Afterward" and it was pretty good.
--BJ

I read two more short ghost stories by Edith Wharton. One called "Kerfol" and the other called "The Triumph of Night," both of which I liked. I also read Stephen King's classic Carrie for my book to screen category.
--BJ

Just catching up on what I have been reading. I read 6 more short stories: "Miss Mary Pask;" "Bewitched;" "Mr. Jones;" "Pomegranate Seed;" "The Looking Glass;" and "All Souls," all of which were by Edith Wharton. Turns out that I like Edith Wharton and wish I had read her sooner. I also added a book to my religious category: Praying in the Presence of Our Lord for the Holy Souls by Susan Tassone. And I also read a book for the Books Off the Shelf category: The Teeth of the Tiger by Tom Clancy. I liked it ok but did not love it.
--BJ

Were all the Wharton stories from the same collection? I've read a few of her novels (loved The Age of Innocence!) but have not encountered her short stories before. Is there a particular volume I should check out?

Hi BJ, looking forward to seeing what you choose for your graphic novel/manga section. I read graphic novels, but I am not a manga reader. Maybe you will convert me. :-)

Hi, Christina and Caroline!
Christina, I did not actually think that I would read all 11 stories from the same collection, but I did! It was called The Ghost Stories of Edith Wharton, and I chose this book as it was part of blackdogbooks Halloween group read. It had exactly 11 stories. I quite liked it. I don't read a lot of short stories as a rule. I am glad to see that you liked The Age of Innocence, as that has been on my tbr forever. My daughter read it recently and also liked it.

Caroline, I don't read graphic novels or manga either, but my daughter (the other one from above) really likes to read them -- mostly graphic novels, but also a few manga. She is going to pick out all of my books for me for this category.

I had to go ahead and start this challenge so that maybe I could actually finish it. 121 is a whole lot of books for me! That is also why I have to category of 11 individual short stories and 11 books of the Bible.
--BJ

I have read two books. The first one is The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov from the 1001 list. I read this along with our group read of it and it was a terrific read. I am so glad that I finally read it! The other book for the Young Adult category is Downsiders by Neal Shusterman, about a community living underground in NYC. This was another really great read. Both books could also have been in the Books off the Shelf category, as they have been hanging around the house for a while. :) Glad that I finally got to them.
--BJ

I forgot to list one: "The Yellow Wallpaper" and Other Stories by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Loved this collection of short stories -- especially the creepy first story. This was for the 1001 Group.
--BJ

I loved Downsiders as well. I like just about anything Shusterman writes, to be honest. He's so creative.

I have heard so many good things about him! I am going to have to see if we have other books by him around this house. If I were organized, then I would know, I guess! But I definitely want to read more books by him in the future.
--BJ

Four more to the Religious Category: Luke: A Devotional Commentary: Meditations on the Gospel According to Saint Luke edited by Leo Zanchettin; Magnificat: Advent Companion by The Magnificat (Advent 2010); The Essential Catholic Prayer Book: A Collection of Private and Community Prayers edited by Judith A. Bauer; and Don Bosco's Madonna (Mumbai) edited by Father Ian Doulton. Only two more to go to fill this category and I have the next book picked out. I need to work on the Books of the Bible category, as that is supposed to help me move along in my reading of the entire Holy Bible.
--BJ

Kind of late updating. For the 1001 Group, I read The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie, Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell, and Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, all as part of group reads. For the Books of the Bible, I read Jonah in connection with my Matthew Bible study. For SFF/Speculative, I read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling. I am late to this party, for sure. :) OK, all caught up now.
--BJ

I am not exactly reading at the speed of light here. For the 10th book in my Religious category, I read Blessed Sacrament Prayer Book edited by Bart Tesoriero. I used this as part of my prayer time. For the 2nd book in my SFF/Speculative category, I read A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin. This book was very long, but it was a wonderful read with terrific characters. I will definitely buy my own copy of this book someday. I also read Native Tongue by Suzette Haden Elgin for this category, but it was not a very good read.
--BJ

I just saw a trailer for A Game of Thrones HBO show and it looks GOOD!! I'm glad to read a good review because it's going on my TBR pile!

Too bad I don't get HBO because I would love to see this. I will be reading the other books in the series, too.
--BJ

The final book in my religious category is Your Best Confession Ever by Michael Mulhearn. The first book in my graphic novel/manga category is The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman, which won the Pulitzer Prize. It was a powerful, but sad story of his father's survival of the Holocaust.
--BJ

I went ahead and finished reading Matthew for my books of the Bible category even though my Bible study of it continues for another month. Starting to read John, after just reading a commentary on it.
--BJ

For my 1001 Books category, I just read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. What a terrific read!
--BJ

For my mystery/crime/thriller category, I read The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. I quite enjoyed this book. It has great characters.
--BJ

My third book for my Book to Screen Category is No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy. I ran across this movie on tv not that long ago and ended up wanting to read the book. This book was magnificent. It left me wanting to read more by McCarthy.
--BJ

Can't believe I have only just seen your thread!

I am in a bit of a Jane Austen fest at the mo, and was very tempted to pick up Pride and Prejudice for a reread when I saw it at the library.
I really like Cormac McCarthy, his descriptions make me feel I am there. I read Blood Meridian, a 1001 book a couple of years ago, gruesome, but so well-written.

Do you plan to read more of the Lady Detective Agency series? I am behind on the series, I have read about the first 4 or 5, but there are so many now. One day I'll start at the beginning again.

Hi, soffitta1!
There is a yearlong read of Jane Austen going on in the 75 book challenge group. The next read, starting on May 15, is Mansfield Park. We are going in publication order. I loved rereading P&P this year. I hadn't read it in a while, and I think I like it better each time I read it.

I was wondering if Cormac McCarthy was on the 1001 list! The book I read wasn't gruesome. I was worried about the movie, but it wasn't either.

I will read more of the Lady Detective Agency series. My brother got me the first 5 books for Christmas. :) So I am all set for the beginning of the series. I have heard that people still like the books even pretty far along in the series.

Thanks so much for stopping by! As you can see, I am kind of going slowly here with the challenge. I hope that I finish it!
--BJ

I'll have to have a look at that Jane Austen thread.

Cormac McCarthy has two on the list - Blood Meridian and All the Pretty Horses, which is the first book in The Border Trilogy. Both very good and rather different, despite having a similar setting.

I am lucky that, as a language school teacher, I get lots of time to read, but the 11 in 11 community is just as important - I like reading peoples' threads, seeing their comments.

I have a copy of All the Pretty Horses here (although I seem to have misplaced it!), and I want to read it soon. Which list is it on? Is it the new one? I haven't seen the new one in any bookstores here, just the old one.

Here is the link to the general thread for the Jane Austen reads:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/112821

You can get the links to all the specific threads from there. I hope the link works!
--BJ

thanks for the links :)
Both of his books are on the 2008 and 2010 lists, but not the original one.

Thanks for the info on the Cormac books. I need to download a combined list.
--BJ

The seventh book for the 1001 category is The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James, which I read in a group read. This was my first book by James, and I found it a great read.
--BJ

My second graphic novel was Fables: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham. This series has fairy tale characters driven from their homes to live in exile outside NYC. Although I was not crazy about this book at the beginning, by the end, I was enjoying it quite a bit. I will probably read more of the series. This series is not for children.
--BJ

For my second Books Off the Shelf book, I read Firmin by Sam Savage. This is an unusual book about a rat born in a copy of Finnegan's Wake who grows to love books -- both to eat and to read. (I think he said that Jane Austen tastes like lettuce.)
--BJ

Three Church books read -- the first from Books Off the Shelf and the next two from Grab Bag. This first is We Pray: Living in God's Presence by Oscar Lukefahr, C.M. The second two are Why Go to Confession? Questions and Answers About Sacramental Reconciliation and Meeting the Merciful Christ: How to Go to Confession (Revised Edition) both by Monsignor Joseph M. Champlin.
--BJ

For my third Grab Bag book, I read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon as a part of a group read. I don't know why the touchstone won't come up for this book.
--BJ

I noticed that you have a short story category.... go check out The Nose and Diary of a Madman both by Nikolai Gogol if nothing else you will get a chuckle out of them and The Nose excellent conversation topic........

Smiles

I have been wanting to read some Gogol, and I even bought a book of his short stories. I will see what is in the book. Thanks for the recommendation!
--BJ

He is great BJ loves his storys and look forward to reading a couple more.

For the children/young adult category, I read Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech which was a great read. For the grab bag category, I read Lent and Easter Wisdom from Pope John Paul II compiled by John V. Kruse.
--BJ

For my 4th book in the Book to Screen category, I read the darkly humorous Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay. I am not sure I could watch this on tv.

Of the three that I've read, I enjoyed the second Dexter book the best. I've only watched Season 1 of the TV show. Michael Hall really does play Dexter to perfection, IMHO.

My book had a preview of an upcoming title, and I must say I was a bit surprised by what is in store.

I had no idea Dexter was based off a book! I'm going to have to look this up. How exciting!

There is a whole series. :)

Book #4 in Books off the Shelf is Romans and Galations: A Devotional Commentary: Meditations on St. Paul's Letter to the Romans and Letter to the Galations edited by Leo Zanchettin. Not too many books left in this series, I think.

For the Book to Screen category I read Chocolat by Joanne Harris. I have been meaning to read this for a long time. I did like it.

For the third book in my graphic novel/manga category, I read Yotsuba&! 1 by Kiyohiko Azuma, which was totally fun. I enjoyed that energetic little girl quite a bit.

I certainly have a long way to go to finish this challenge. I better get with it!

Hi BJ! How timely to read Chocolat in the spring, near to Easter. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Do you plan to read the sequel The Girl With the Lollipop Shoes? I've read all but one of Harris' books and I'll be doing that one later this year.

Are you enjoying your Book to Screen category? I have a similar one. It's definitely one of my favorite categories of the challenge.

Hi, VictoriaPL!
I did not realize that there was a sequel to Chocolat. Thanks so much for letting me know. I will definitely look for it. I like the Book to Screen category, because there are so many different genres to choose from within it. Plus, since doing these challenges, I have discovered that almost all the movies out there come initially from a book.

The fourth book in the SFF/Speculative category is The Giver by Lois Lowry. This was a terrific read looking at control and choice in community. I will read more by this author.

The next graphic novel/manga is Yotsuba&! 2 by Kiyohiko Azuma. More fun!

Continuing with the graphic novel/manga category, I read Fables: Animal Farm (2) by Bill Willingham. This is the second in the series about fable/fairy tale characters living in New York. This series is funny, but it is definitely not for children.

One more for the graphic novel/manga category: Death Note (1) by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. What happens when a supersmart teen gains the power over life and death? It took me awhile, but I finally got hooked in the story about halfway through.

@65 I though Death Note was an interesting premise but the film didn't really sell it so I have never sought out the comic. Good to hear it's not a bad a start.

It did take me a while to get hooked on it, but I do want to read the next one.

I have not read the manga but I loved the anime series of Death Note. I think it's a difficult subject to film realistically. Although in the film versions, the actor who portrayed L had his mannerisms down cold. The anime works so much better.

This genre is all so new to me. I have not seen any anime (except a short one as part of The Matrix, which may or may not be representative). I will have to seek some out.

I've been watching anime for almost 30 years (off and on). The diversity is amazing and you can pretty much find any type of genre that you might want. Saying you watch anime is like saying you read books.

That is so amazing to me -- 30 years and I just heard of it recently! I need to explore it some.

If you want any pointers then I'd be glad to help as I'm sure would a few others of this community. I will say though that you can't really go wrong with the movies made by Studio Ghibli. And as you've already mentioned The Animatrix then you might also be interested in Ghost in the Shell which the Wachowski Brothers admit to being an influence for The Matrix.

Thanks for the suggestions. I will check with my daughter, and we will probably check them out. :)

I read the 8th book in my 1001 (any list) category: Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. There was one story arc that I did not like; however, I loved reading this book overall. Now I am hoping that I will be ready to tackle One Hundred Years of Solitude.

Number 6 in Book to Screen is All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy. I thought this was a great book. It is my second by him, and I now want to read another. I think that The Crossing was also made into a movie, but I will have to double-check that.

Another cute manga, Yotsuba&! Volume 3 by Kiyohiko Azuma. This one was all about fireworks, which is perfect this close to the 4th of July.

My next book for the 1001 category is Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. I had never read this one before and it was another wonderful book.

I love Mansfield Park! It's the first Austen book I ever read.

This was my third Jane Austen. She never lets me down! :)

The 10th book for my 1001 category is One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I enjoyed reading this, although it was at times difficult. For my 5th SFF/Speculative book I read Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling, which was terrific fun. I don't know why I am having so much trouble with the touchstones for such a famous book.

My next book for the graphic novel/manga category is Yotsuba&! (Volume 4) by Kiyohiko Azuma. I am still enjoying these books. We have two more of them.

I noticed that I have not been updating all of my categories like I should have. I finished my graphic novel/manga category with more Yotsuba&! and Death Note, and finishing with Britten and Brulightly. I added one of my Yotsuba&! reads to the children/young adult category. My books off the shelf category added three more devotional commentaries on the New Testament. My grab bag category added a positive thinking book of meditations, 100 Facts about Pandas, and The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell. Lots of good reads here!

My two categories needing the most help are books of the Bible (as I did not count that I read the books in the commentaries) and mysteries/crime/thriller. I am not sure that I will finish the challenge by the end of the year, but I will keep trying.

Just read 1, 2, 3 John and call your Bible category finished. Or Jude, Philemon, and Obadiah. Although I supposed the point is to get something out of it, not speed through it just to check it off a list.

I have almost finished the Gospel of John. I don't know why I put it down when I am so close to the end. And I am wanting to read the books that I have finished commentaries on with the notes in the Bible. I think I will put some super short ones in there, too, though. Ultimately, I hope to read the entire Holy Bible with all the notes and commentary that is in the Bible. I have read quite a bit, but I still have a long, long way to go.

Thanks so much for your suggested books of the Bible, and thanks so much for stopping by!

I finished my 1001 category with Emma by Jane Austen. What a delightful book!

My 8th book in the grab bag category was Death Note (Volume 3) by Tsugumi Ohba. I wish I had placed this in the SFF category or the mystery/crime category and those categories need lots more books! If I read another, I will pick a different category.

The search for the criminal Kira continues in Death Note (Volume 4) by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. I put this one in my mystery/crime/thriller category.

Still loving the manga as my children/young adult category adds Yotsuba&! (Volume 7) by Kiyohiko Azuma.

One more Yotsuba&! (Volume 8) by Kiyohiko Azuma, and Volume 9 is the last one we own. Can I read it before it heads off to Houston tomorrow? I hope so!

I see that I have not updated in a while, but I have still been reading. For the Book to Screen category, I read The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman by Laurence Sterne. How they made a movie of this I will never know! For the Children/Young Adult category, I read Yotsuba&! (Volume 9) by Kiyohiko Azuma. I love these books and wish I had the last one. Also, The Great Good Thing by Roderick Townley, a modern day fairy tale about storybooks. I really enjoyed this as well. And the Newberry Honor Book Afternoon of the Elves by Janet Taylor Lisle, which was strongly written but sad. For the Mystery/Crime/Thriller category, I read Death Note (Volume 5) by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. I find these manga compelling and plan to read more. For the Books Off the Shelf category, I read The Fugitive; Time Regained by Marcel Proust, the last two books of In Search of Lost Time bound together and The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly, historical fiction which I quite enjoyed.

My 4th book for the Mystery/Crime/Thriller category is Love Among the Walnuts Or: How I Saved My Family from Being Poisoned by Jean Ferris. This humorous young adult book follows a wealthy family in danger from greedy relatives. This was a fun, quick read.

I am reading some books that could be in the SFF/Speculative Fiction category or might be considered Horror. In the interest of finishing this challenge, I am going to include Horror in this category. Kind of last minute, I know, but I do hope to finish the challenge, and this will help.

I just realized that I read Ruth yesterday which counts for my books of the Bible category! Yea!

For my Mystery/Crime/Thriller category, I read Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King. Although by King, this book of 3 novellas and 1 short story, primarily involved crime. I thought it was pretty good. I also read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt, which involved true crime but read like fiction. I have never seen a cast of characters quite like this one.

Midnight is one of my favorite southern novels. On a trip to Savannah a few years ago I actually made it out to Bonaventure Cemetery where some creepy guy in a pickup was cruising around and asked us if we had read 'the book'. We also ate at Clary's. Never made it into Mercer House though.

Loved Midnight when I read it and like you said, what a cast of characters.

That book was something else! I would love to go to Savannah and see some of the sights mentioned in the book.

I haven't updated in quite a while! For books of the Bible, I read the Gospel of John. For the Children/Young Adult category, I read Ten True Animal Rescues by Jeanne Betancourt and The Ear Book by Al Perkins (I know this is really short, but I am running out of time!) For SFF/Speculative/Horror, I read The Edge of Reason by Melinda Snodgrass, which I did not care for, and Half Magic by Edward Eager, which I loved. For Book to Screen, I read Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen, Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence, and The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton, all of which I enjoyed. For Mystery/Crime/Thriller, I read Mercy by David Linsdsey, Creepers by David Morrell, Scavenger also by David Morrell, and 7 Steps to Midnight by Richard Matheson.

I wonder if I will finish in time? I know I started early, but I giving myself until the end of the year to complete it.

I completed my Children/Young Adult category with A Newbery Halloween edited by Martin G. Greenberg and Charles G. Waugh. This was a terrific collection and a great way to close out the category.

I see that I have only completed 5 categories, although I am close on several.

I read three books of the Old Testament that were part of my two Bible studies. I read Malachi, Obadiah (the shortest book in the OT!), and Jonah. Now this category is looking more like the other ones!

Wait! I see that I have already read Jonah for this challenge! So, I guess I have only read 2 books of the Bible.

My eighth book in the SFF/Speculative/Horror category was The Terror by Dan Simmons. This book involved two ships of British sailors in the mid-1800s seeking for the Northwest Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific. They face great hardship as they are trapped in the ice and they are hunted by a mysterious monster. I thought this was a great read, although maybe a little on the long side. I will read more by Dan Simmons.

I updated all of my lists and marked the completed ones DONE. I still have 7 more books to read to complete this challenge. It is going to be a race to the finish. It will take a little luck to finish this one on time. I am reading two books now, both for the Grab Bag category.

Good luck and good reading.

Thanks! :)

For my SFF category, I read The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. This book was beautifully written. It was a little slow in the middle, but then it all started to come together for a great ending. I read this book as part of a group read, and I really enjoyed it.

I was in B&N the other day and they had one whole shelving unit devoted to The Night Circus. I've seen quite a number of good reviews of it. Glad you enjoyed it.

It is a beautiful book. I was glad that the group read brought it to my attention.

I added another to the Grab Bag category: Empire of the Sun by J. G. Ballard about a boy in a Japanese concentration camp during WW2. This was quite a good book.

I am going to finish the challenge in 2012. I just ran out of time, but I will finish it. (I think!)

For the last book in the Books Off the Shelf category, I read A Catholic Guide to the Bible by Father Oscar Lukefahr. I finished 8 categories. I still need one for the SFF/Speculative/Horror category, one for the Mystery/Crime/Thriller category and two for the Grab Bag category for 4 total still to read.

I have Empire of the Sun on my list for 2012. Glad to hear it was a good read for you!

I hope you like Empire of the Sun. It gains momentum as you read.

I finally finished this challenge. I finished with four short books: Death Notes Volumes 6, 7, and 8 (spread out through three categories of Mystery/Crime/Thriller, SFF/Speculative/Horror, and Grab Bag) and Because of Winn-Dixie in the Grab Bag category. Even though I tried to make this challenge easy to complete, it is just too many books for me, especially with my new job. So I am going to skip the 12 in 12 challenge. I am going to try the five and dime again, even though I still have a book to complete last years five and dime (lol) as it is smaller.

Good luck to everyone moving on to the 12 in 12!

Congratulations on finishing your challenge!

Thanks! I kind of took extra time (and started early, too!), but I am glad that I was able to finish at last.