Bibliography Challenge

The Bookseller of Kabul

2007-12-28T16:33:00.001-05:00

Stars: ****

I was interested in reading this book ever since I first read a review of it. I’ve seen so many reviews for it since that I can’t remember where I first saw it! I finally was able to fit time in to read it for the Bibliography challenge and Book Around the World challenge and I’m glad I did.

The book was written with information and experiences the author heard and saw when she lived with the family in Kabul. While in some ways the Khan family is a typical Muslim family, in other ways they are not. It’s also one of the few books (that I’ve seen at least) on life in Afghanistan SINCE 9/11 that doesn’t focus on the events that happened. 9/11 is mentioned a few times in the book but it’s not dwelt on, it’s far from the purpose of this book, which is a nice change. It’s nice to hear Afghanistan and not have to hear only about terrorist, Al Qaeda and The Taliban. This book does tell the 16 laws that Afghani’s had to follow during the reign of the Taliban. It’s crazy what was considered illegal. Some I understood, even if I didn’t agree, but I have no idea why they found photos of living things wrong. Posters were burned, books with pictures depicting living things were burned or the photos scratched out. Why? IF anyone know’s the answer to that, I’d love it.

If you have read some of my other reviews, you may have noticed I am intrigued by the religion of Islam and the Muslim way of life. This is a great book if you want to know more about how Muslims live and why some wear the burka (the veil.)
On the other side of things is the book theme. Sultan Khan is an Afghani bookseller. He was a bookseller before the Taliban settled in and he stuck through the Taliban as best as he could. Many of his books were burned but he secretly sold books, postcards and pamphlets and is glad to be back to selling properly, without someone breathing down his neck. It was interesting to see how book selling works in another country. What sort of books he sells and who he sells to is described, as is some of the work that goes into running a bookshop. It’s really quite a lot. It was very interesting.

While searching the net, I found out that there has been quite the uproar by the family in the story. Information here: http://news.bookweb.org/features/1820.html

Just 6 more days until this challenge ENDS

2007-12-25T09:17:00.000-05:00

Just a quick reminder that this challenge ENDS on December 31st. But I see most of us have read and reviewed all our books already. Hope you all have a very Merry Xmas.

In the Company of Writers by Charles Scribner Jr

2007-12-05T10:27:00.001-05:00

I just posted another book for this challenge. In the Company of Writers. That makes 4 books I've read, so I'm done now. I promise.

The Neverending Story - Michael Ende

2007-11-14T16:01:00.000-05:00

I have now finished the third and last book. By reading The Neverending Story by Michael Ende I've completed this challenge. Thanks for the ride. Bibliographies are some of my favourite books and I've really enjoyed the challenge :)

Buzbee's Yellow-Lighted Bookshop

2007-11-03T11:32:00.001-04:00

This was a great memoir/history of bookstores and reading.

Read the rest on the Red Room Library: Buzbee's Yellow Lighted Bookshop

Completed My First Book Challenge

2007-11-02T21:22:00.000-04:00

I finished reading Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading by Maureen Corrigan tonight. I didn't like the book, but I am excited to say that it was the third and final book in this challenge for me. I've finished my first ever reading challenge! You can find my review of Corrigan's book here.

Kristi

Red Room Library's Review

2007-10-31T13:35:00.000-04:00

I finished my second challenge for the Bibliography challenge and here is my review.

Literacy and Longing in LA

2007-10-30T19:21:00.001-04:00

This was one of my alternate/extra books, but I seem to be having a mega-reading month, so I've included it in the challenge. Alas, chick lit + book addiction didn't = quite the fun and funny book I was hoping for. I've got quite a rant about it here.

The Power of Books

2007-10-29T19:57:00.000-04:00

I've just finished my second book for the bibliography challenge. I read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. A beautifully written, haunting book that will stay with me for a long time. You can find my review of the book here.

Old Books in the Old World

2007-10-28T09:10:00.000-04:00

I finished my third book for this challenge. My review is here.

The Polysyllabic Spree

2007-10-27T23:31:00.000-04:00

I loved The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby. I've always liked his novels and I really enjoyed this collection of essays about his reading habits of the course of a year and a bit for The Believer.

I've reviewed it here.

Interred with their Bones

2007-10-23T13:33:00.000-04:00

I have finished my second book for this challenge. Excellent novel.
You can read my review here.

Kristi's first review

2007-10-22T21:34:00.000-04:00

This is Kristi from Passion for the Page. I'm still new at this. I hope sending you an e-mail is OK. Anyway, I finished my first book for the Bibliography Challenge. You can see the review at Passion for the Page

Now I'm on to my next book, The Book Thief. And I already have Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading checked out from my library. So it's just sitting there staring at me while I finish the 550 pages of The Book Thief

Inkheart finished!

2007-10-22T16:51:00.000-04:00

It seems I've polished off the rest of my challenge books in a week, plus an alternate! One of them was really short, though, so that helped. (Though I haven't managed to review it yet.)

But one that was not short is Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. I really enjoyed the premise of the book (that it's possible to read characters out of books and make them flesh and blood) and the characters, but kept feeling that it was much too long, which kept me from really loving it.

See my full review here.

Maria's second book read

2007-10-16T07:43:00.000-04:00

Finished "Inkspell" this past weekend. Not quite as good as "Inkheart" but still well worth reading.

The Library Books: The Story of Libraries from Camels to Computers by Maureen Sawa

2007-10-09T23:24:00.000-04:00

Stars: ***

I read this book for the Bibliography Challenge.

I didn't know anything about where libraries came from so this book was interesting. My only qualm was that I found it a little hard to follow. I don't know my history and so all the names and places mentioned got me a little mixed up. I couldn't keep them straight. I think someone who knows their world history would have done better with that.

However I learned a lot of interesting things about early books as well as libraries. The illustrations are good and fit well with the book.

Kristi's List

2007-10-09T22:07:00.000-04:00

Kristi is new to blogging. In fact she started her book blog just 4 days ago. Here is her list.

The books I've decided to read for the Bibliography Challenge are:
1. Booked to Die by John Dunning
2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
3. Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading by Maureen Corrigan

The first two are fiction, and the last is non-fiction.

First book finished!

2007-10-09T18:56:00.001-04:00

This is a cross-challenge one (with the Something About Me Challenge) - So Many Books, So Little Time by Sara Nelson. My thoughts on it are long and rambling, so as to save space here, if you're interested you can check it out here on my blog.

The Club Dumas - Book Review

2007-10-07T14:24:00.000-04:00

I posted my review of this book on my main blog.

Added Book

2007-10-05T20:02:00.000-04:00

It's not one of my original three but I picked this book up at the library today and will be reading it this week and reviewing it for this challenge.

The Library Book: The Story of Libraries from Camels to Computers by Maureen Sawa, Illustrated by Bill Slavin

It's children's non-fiction that tells the story of how libraries came about. It looks really interesting.

Lisa The Librarian's List

2007-10-04T15:32:00.000-04:00

This is Lisa's List
I've read all 3 books on this list - the first and third were excellent. The second book was good but a bit heavy (and maybe a little slow) in places.

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
Ex-Libris by Ross King
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Finished my first book!

2007-10-03T02:51:00.001-04:00

I finished my first book for the challenge today. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. Absolutely amazing, I couldn't put it down and can't wait to read the sequel :)

Bibliography Challenge Starts TODAY

2007-10-01T07:29:00.000-04:00

This challenge starts today - October 1st.

IF anyone wants to join this blog, please send me your email address - either by email (cesca_nz at yahoo dot com) or leave a comment - use AT for @ and write out dot whatever.

My Books List Part Deux

2007-09-25T19:20:00.000-04:00

I went shopping for more books today.
And am adding some more books to my reading list (see this post)

Possession by A.S. Byatt (crossover with Books to Movies Challenge)
The Intelligencer by Leslie Silbert
Codex by Lev Grossman

Kim's List

2007-09-23T22:04:00.001-04:00

Kim in Ohio's List

Ellen Slezak The book group book: a thoughtful guide to forming and enjoying a stimulating discussion group
Sara Nelson So many books, so little time
Maureen Corigan Leave Me alone, I'm reading: finding and losing myself in Books

Looks like all Non Fiction. I like the title of the Corigan book.

Maria's List

2007-09-23T16:59:00.000-04:00

This is Maria's List. Another All Fiction List

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
Inkspell by Cornelia Funke
The Never-Ending Story by Michael Ende

Lena's List

2007-09-23T13:48:00.000-04:00

This is Lena's List. These are all Fiction.

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
The Secret of Lost Things by Sheridan Hay
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Nice List Lena.

Red Room Library's List

2007-09-21T09:03:00.000-04:00

Here is Red Room Library's list

The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald
Sixpence House by Paul Collins
How to Read a Novel by John Sutherland

10 days and counting

2007-09-21T08:31:00.000-04:00

Ok, just so you all know, this challenge starts in 10 days time - Monday October 1st.

If you want to be able to write your own reviews here, please leave a comment with your email address [Use AT for the @ sign] and I will send you an invite. This is to allow you to post your own review or you can post links to your own blog review.

Please also send me a list of your books if they're not already posted.

Thank you

Historia

Tiny Little Librarian's List

2007-09-17T17:18:00.000-04:00

This is Tiny Little Librarian's List.

Here are my three:
1. Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby
2. So Many Books, So Little Time by Sara Nelson
3. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Here are some extras/alternates:
1. Sixpence House: lost in a town of books by Paul Collins
2. Literacy and Longing in LA by Jennifer Kaufman and Karen Mack

Becky's List

2007-09-17T17:04:00.000-04:00

This is Becky's List for the Bibliography challenge.

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
Inkspell by Cornelia Funke
Pass It Down: Five Picture Book Families Make Their Mark by Leonard S. Marcus

I've never read any of Cornelia Funke's books, but these 2 look rather interesting.

Now what Books about Books should I read?

2007-09-17T09:13:00.000-04:00

My first thought when I dreamed up this challenge, was to read all my Nicholas Basbanes books. (I have 5 and have read exactly one so far). But then I thought, No, I have heaps more books about books. And some of Nicks books are quite big (2 of them are over 500 pages) so I will add Nick to the list.

So here is my list of books - I will read any 3 on this list, so as to not commit myself too much. (But I will TRY and read at least 1 Basbanes book) All of these just happen to be NON-Fiction.

Every Book it's Reader - Nicholas Basbanes
A Splendour of Letters - Nicholas Basbanes
Patience & Fortitude - Nicholas Basbanes
A Gentle Madness - Nicholas Basbanes

The Golden Thread (A Readers Journey through the Great Books) - Bruce Meyer
God's Secretaries (The Making of the King James Bible) - Adam Nicholson
The Professor and the Madman (The Making of the Oxford English Dictionary) - Simon Winchester
Cody's Books (The Life & Times of a Berkeley Bookstore 1956-1977) - Pat and Fred Cody.

I truely wished I had waited before I read Shadow of the Wind, because that was a great novel about a book.

And if anyone finds a Rostenberg and Stern biography or book, please please let me know as I want to read ANY book by Rostenberg & Stern. They were Bibliographers and Antiquarian Book Sellers from New York City. Thank you

Callista's List of Books

2007-09-16T22:53:00.000-04:00

And this is Callista's list of Books. The first two are Fiction and the last is Non-Fiction

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Booked Twice by John Dunning
The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad

Kristen's List

2007-09-16T22:51:00.000-04:00

This is Kristen's list of Books - All excellent choices, and all NON-fiction.

Used and Rare: Travels in the Book World by Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone
Sixpence House: Lost in a Town of Books by Paul Collins
Outwitting History: The Amazing Adventures of a Man Who Rescued a Million Yiddish Books by Aaron Lansky

Bibliography Challenge Oct-Dec 2007

2007-09-15T12:38:00.000-04:00

This is the Bibliography Challenge. The Challenge is to read 3 Books about Books. This challenge starts October 1st. And finishes December 31st. Fiction or Non Fiction, Crossovers are acceptable.

Your books can be about books, about running a bookshop, about antiquarian books, being a book editor, about Publishing Books or a Book Publishing company, about a lifetime of reading, even a biography of an Author is fine.
As long as its about Books in some way. [No Newspaper or Magazine stories.]

Please just post a comment if you want to join in, and list your books.
Have fun.