It's a wrap! Well, actually, it's a bit of a failure but I'm going to go ahead and throw in the towel on the War Through the Generations: Vietnam challenge because I've got quite the lovely stack by my reading spot and I don't think I'm going to finish up any more Vietnam reads in the coming 28 days or so. That doesn't mean I won't continue to read Vietnam books. I've still got Semper Cool and Matterhorn waiting for me to read them. To be honest, after a while the challenge buttons in the sidebar start to annoy me if I'm not succeeding.So, here's what I managed to read for the challenge:
1. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
2. The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli
3. A Hundred Feet Over Hell by Jim Hooper
Of the three, The Things They Carried and A Hundred Feet Over Hell are a pretty close tie. I liked The Lotus Eaters, but The Things They Carried was so hauntingly beautiful that it just can't be beaten and A Hundred Feet Over Hell was a roller-coaster emotional ride.
Next up? I am not currently signed up for any challenges in 2011, but I'm considering creating my own One Shelf At a Time Self-Challenge, in which I choose one of my personal shelves and work my way through it.
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I've read 3 out of 5 for this one too, but I'm not going to give up quite yet, since movies count too.
ReplyDeleteKathy,
ReplyDeleteYou know, I wondered about that. But, I didn't bother going back to read the rules. I still plan to get to Semper Cool, as soon as humanly possible. I just didn't feel like having a challenge hanging over my head as I finish up the year. :)
Well thanks for giving it a go! I haven't even officially finished my own challenge, but I'll be finishing up the last book today and I have that plus one other to review. Thanks for joining us this year.
ReplyDeleteAnna,
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting the challenge, again! I had fun; I just kind of lost steam at some point and I think that may have to do with the fact that I'm pretty much constitutionally unable to balance more more than one challenge at a time. Pathetic, but true. I'll keep reading Vietnam books. And, I already have a couple of Civil War books I'll read next year, even if I don't officially participate. I haven't decided about that, yet. I live in a city where a major siege occurred, so I really like reading about the Civil War.
I saw that The Lotus Eaters was being given away to a lucky book club from TLC tours, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to put in for it. Books about war are very hard for me. My son just chose War Ethics as the topic for his Philosophy course. Is there such a thing? I'm wondering...
ReplyDeleteBellezza,
ReplyDeleteI like The Lotus Eaters *less* upon reflection than I did while reading. How weird is that? I did tour it with TLC, I think. War Ethics . . . hmm. I suppose there are ethics in war. For example, since the U.S. blew up Nagasaki and Hiroshima, we have never repeated ourselves. I think there was quite an ethical dilemma in that move. It ended the war and yet I think we all know it was wrong, bloody wrong, to wipe entire cities off the planet and leave the survivors with disfiguring and eventually cancer-causing radiation, right?
Well at least you gave the challenge a go! Well done on completing 3 of 5. You still have time to watch 2 movies if you like, and I know Good Morning, Vietnam is always on at least once per week these days.
ReplyDeleteIf not, no worries. Like this year, you can watch up to 2 movies on the civil war in addition to reading between 3-5 books.
I have finished my goal, but I have 2 more I want to read before the end of the year.
Serena,
ReplyDeleteI'm happy with what I accomplished, actually. I'm not quitting - just wrapping up the challenge portion. I'll continue to read Vietnam books. I've already seen Good Morning, Vietnam and I love Air America. It's around here, somewhere. What I'd really like to see is We Were Soldiers Once and Young, although it scares me just a little. :)
I may have to do the Civil War challenge, if only to make myself FINALLY read Gone With the Wind. I don't know why I keep putting that book off.
Good luck with the rest of your challenge!
We were soldiers once was a good movie. I saw it for the first time this year.
ReplyDeleteI hope you join us again in 2011.
Serena,
ReplyDeleteI'm leaning heavily toward signing up, again. I have several Civil War books I need to get around to reading. They're just sitting around, after all. Sounds like I need the challenge! :)
You still did good with 3!
ReplyDelete