Sunday, August 1, 2010

Sunday Salon: Aug 1, 2010

The Sunday Salon.com

July seems to have flown by - as I reviewed my July posts, I realized I did not post a single Sunday Salon!  That is a shame - I find these posts anchor my week and I enjoy catching up with everyone via their Sunday Salon posts.  I am glad to be back!

Challenge Check-In
Now that we are part way into the 3rd quarter I thought it was a good time to assess my challenge progress:

Finished:
Memorable Memoirs - read 4 memoirs.  Here is my wrap-up post if you want to see what I read for this challenge

New York Challenge - only 1 NY book required for this one (gotta love a slam dunk!)  I read and reviewed Brooklyn by Colm Toibin for this one.

Ireland Reading Challenge - I signed up for the "Kiss the Blarney Stone" level which required 6 books - I am, finished but haven't done my wrap-up posts yet.  My "Books Reviewed" link has a segment dedicated to books in/about Ireland

In Progress (there are many more of these!)
Battle of the Prizes (British Version) - this challenge pits the Booker prize (English) against the Tait Prize (Scottish) - participants read one book that read each prize and one that won both (for a total of 3).  I am reading Rushdie's Midnight's Children (in progress), Corrections by Jonathan Franzen (will read later this week on vacation) and Life of Pi (not started).

TwentyTen Challenge - I won't go into all the categories for this one (although they are clever) - check out the link for the challenge.  My progress thus far? 8/20

Social Justice Challenge - Each month this challenges focuses on a social justice issue and asks participants to read a book around the theme and/or take action around the theme.  Some of the most impactful books read this year have been done for this challenge (Mountains Beyond Mountains immediately comes to mind)

World Religion Challenge - fortunately I took the "unshepherded path" so I set my own requirements (1 book finished so far)

Typically British Reading Challenge - Gordon Bennett level (4 books by British authors).  Almost there - 3  books finished!

South Asian Authors Challenge - 3/7 complete.  Swapna recently lauched a database of South Asian Author reviews on her blog  - check it out!

What's In A Name Challenge - 2/6 complete.  Suggestions for books with a "plant" in the title welcome!

Non-Fiction Five - 1/5.  I read a lot of non-fiction so I am confident I can make this one even though it ends Sep 30th

Not Started (aka in jeopardy)
Gilmore Girls - I love, love, love this show and the books included in the challenge are excellent (and diverse) but I better get a move on if I am to finish 5 books by the end of the year

451 Challenge - this challenge also has some of my all time "must read" books but I need to plan to work in 2 before the end of the year

How are your challenges going this year?

In other news . . .



photo credit: pdphoto.org

I am heading to sunny Mexico later this week for a 5 day minbreak - yay!  This has been a tough year at work and I am looking forward to the following schedule for a few days - nap, read, nap, bar, dinner, bar - repeat!  I am debating which books will make the suitcase cut and I may use Jenners's Vacation Books Selection Algorithm (my name, not hers - and because I live in a world of acronyms  - JVBSA) - I love the analytical approach to picking books and think she has nailed it perfectly!

Hope you all have a wonderful week - no matter where you spend it!

8 comments:

  1. Hope you have a great time in Mexico and come back all refreshed!

    This week, I'll be the one "left behind" slaving extra hard on a different shift than normal while one of my co-workers goes on vaction. Boo! LOL

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  2. I really want to visit Mexico again. It's been about a decade and that was only in a border town. I need to get my passport renewed and fly further south!

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  3. That margarita looks pretty tasty. Enjoy your vacation!

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  4. Have a wonderful time in Mexico. Sounds well-deserved.

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  5. Ooh that vacation sounds so nice! Have fun!!

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  6. Sunday Salons are my favorite too--both to write and especially read. As far as challenges go, I am doing pretty well. I am not the best at following through with challenges!

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  7. Have a wonderful well deserved vacation!

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  8. Wow - that is an impressive list of challenges! Hope you have a great time in Mexico!

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