Fall Into Reading Wrap up

I cannot believe that it is over already! I wish that it could keep going because I just arrived at the beach armed to the teeth with books to try and catch up from the few days last week where all I did was cross stitch and try to finish my sister's Christmas present by Friday when we celebrated Christmas.

Katrina suggested a few questions to answer so I will use those questions as the framework for this entry.

Did you finish reading all the books on your fall reading list? If not, why not?
For once I did actually finish all of the books on my original list. In past challenges either the library did not have the book when I needed to read it or I became so disgusted with the book that I chose not to finish it. Neither of those situations happened this time. (Perhaps because I got my requests in early this time. :D)

Did you stick to your original goals or did you change your list as you went along?
I did stick to my original goals and as always had in mind the idea of adding more books later as I read them and after I read all of the books on my original list. I got a little nervous towards the beginning of December when I hadn't finished everything on my list but as my reposted list at the bottom of this post shows I was indeed able to add books not originally on the list.

What was your favorite book that you read this fall? Least favorite? Why?
I would have to say that my favorite book that I read this fall was Backwater by Joan Bauer. See the question below for more info. I have a couple least favorites. The first of which was A Separate Peace by John Knowles. The second was The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. I won't elaborate here on why I did not like them because I already did that in my review.
*Disclaimer* The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a strikingly beautiful book. I just hated how it ended.

Did you discover a new author or genre this fall? Did you love them? Not love them?
I actually did discover a new author this fall... Joan Bauer. I wish that I had encountered her books when I was in junior high and high school. Granted, I still thoroughly enjoyed the two that I read this fall but they are so good that I wish I had discovered them earlier. Great books!

What was your favorite thing about the Fall Into Reading challenge?
For me personally, this reading challenge kept me reading during a semester of school when I probably would have let it fall by the wayside in favor of other projects and things. Having the list and the internal motivation to finish by yesterday kept me reading.

Would you like to participate in another challenge here this spring?
Most definitely. I love these reading challenges. My spring list though will probably be even shorter than this fall list. I have to focus on real life and my student teaching after all. :D


Found by Karen Kingsbury (09/26/08)
Family by Karen Kingsbury (09/27/08)
Bachelor's Puzzle by Judith Pella (09/30/08)
Death's Door by Betsy Byars (10/05/08)
Disappearing Acts by Betsy Byars (10/10/08)
Randall's Wall by Carol Fenner (10/04/08)
The Ransom of Mercy Carter by Caroline B. Cooney (10/11/08)
Shattered Justice by Karen Ball (10/25/08)
The Great Bridge by David McCullough (10/28/08)
Blue Like Jazz by Donald R. Morris (10/18/08)
The Washing of the Spears by Donald R. Morris (11/06/08)
The Revealers by Doug Wilhelm (11/07/08)
Ice Story: Shackleton's Lost Expedition by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel (11/19/08)
The Living Stone by Jane Orcutt (11/08/08)
Traitor: The Case of Benedict Arnold by Jean Fritz (11/14/08)
Hitch by Jeanette Ingold (11/17/08)
Secrets of a Wildlife Watcher by Jim Arnosky (11/07/08)
My Face to the Wind by Jim Murphy (11/02/08)
Hope was Here by Joan Bauer (11/18/08)
Backwater by Joan Bauer (11/21/08)
The Haunting by Joan Lowery Nixon (12/04/08)
A Family Apart by Joan Lowery Nixon (11/25/08)
A Place to Belong by Joan Lowery Nixon (11/24/08)
Circle of Love by Joan Lowery Nixon (12/03/08)
A Dangerous Promise by Joan Lowery Nixon (11/29/08)
In the Face of Danger by Joan Lowery Nixon (12/01/08)
David's Search by Joan Lowery Nixon (12/02/08)
Nobody's There by Joan Lowery Nixon (12/05/08)
Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne (12/11/08)
Last Shot by John Feinstein (12/10/08)
A Separate Peace by John Knowles (12/09/08)

Books added after the contest started
Brisingr by Christopher Paolini (12/09/08)
What Jesus Demands from the World by John Piper (12/09/08)
Harry Potter y la Piedra Filosofal by J. K. Rowling (12/10/08)
Social Studies in the 21st Century by Jack Zevin (12/12/08)
My Heart is on the Ground by Ann Rinaldi (12/12/08)
Rain Song by Alice J. Wisler (12/15/08)
A Rush of Wings by Kristen Heitzmann (12/16/08)
We Are Patriots by Kristiana Gregory (12/20/08)
The Edge of Recall by Kristen Heitzmann (12/20/08)
Little Wizard Stories of Oz by Frank L. Baum (12/20/08)