BJ's 2010-2011 5x5

I will have 5 categories with 5 books in each category.

1. Poetry
2. Nonfiction
3. In Translation
4. New Author for me
5. Plays

1. Poetry
~Paradiso by Dante.
~Four Quartets by T. S. Eliot.
~Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle . . . And Other Modern Verse by various poets, compiled by Stephen Dunning, Edward Lueders, and Hugh Smith.
~A Pizza the Size of the Sun poems by Jack Prelutsky, drawings by James Stephenson.
~

2. Nonfiction
~The ABC's of A. D. D. for Catechists by Madonna Wojtaszek-Healy, Ph.D.
~Michelle Kwan My Story: Heart of a Champion by Michelle Kwan as told to Laura James.
~Life's Too Short Not to Live it as a Texan by Peg Hein.
~Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman.
~John A Devotional Commentary: Meditations on the Gospel According to St. John edited by Leo Zanchettin.

3. In Translation
~Within a Budding Grove by Marcel Proust. (From French)
~The Guermantes Way by Marcel Proust. (From French)
~Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich. (From Middle English)
~Sodom and Gomorrah, also called Cities of the Plain by Marcel Proust. (From French)
~The Captive by Marcel Proust. (From French)

4. New Author for me
~Galilee by Clive Barker.
~The Time Machine and The Island of Doctor Moreau by H. G. Wells.
~Lydia Cassatt Reading the Morning Paper by Harriet Scott Chessman.
~South of Broad by Pat Conroy.
~Songs in Ordinary Time by Mary McGarry Morris.

5. Plays
~Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus.
~Lovers' Vows by Mrs. Elizabeth Inchbald.
~Alcestis by Euripides.
~Medea by Euripides.
~The Bacchae by Euripides.

Welcome! And thanks for the reminder that my high schooler needs to read a play for her drama class. Better get to the library. Do you already have some in mind?

I am not sure. Maybe Sophocles. Probably at least one Shakespeare. I usually enjoy the plays that I read. My girls read several plays in high school, and they were all terrific. They pack a lot of punch in a small amount of space!
--BJ

For my first new to me author, I read Galilee by Clive Barker, which was on the list for the 75 Book Challenge Halloween group read. I liked it ok, but I didn't love it. I thought it was too long.
--BJ

For my nonfiction category, I read The ABC's of A. D. D. for Catechists by Madonna Wojtaszek-Healy, Ph.D. This was a resource for Sunday School teachers at my Church.

For my In Translation Category, I read Within a Budding Grove by Marcel Proust. It was translated from French, and I think this book must have been a profound challenge to translate!

For my New to Me Author Category, I read The Time Machine and The Island of Doctor Moreau by H. G. Wells. This book had two books in it. I quite enjoyed this first look at Wells, especially for October!

Also, new to me Lydia Cassatt Reading the Morning Paper by Harriet Scott Chessman. This book was lovely.
--BJ

My first book for the poetry category is Paradiso by Dante. This is the third volume in The Divine Comedy and I really enjoyed reading it.
--BJ

Another new author book for me was South of Broad by Pat Conroy. This was a great read that took me back to the 80s.

I am in the midst of another poetry book, a juvenile autobiography for the nonfiction category, and another Proust translation.
--BJ

Keeping an eye on your poetry category. Very interesting.

Right now I am reading Beowulf for that category. But I am at the very beginning of it.
--BJ

I just finished the Seamus Heaney translation and really enjoyed it.

Good! Everyone seems to like it so far. I only put it down because I could not stop on another book I was reading at the same time.
--BJ

I read the juvenile autobiography Michelle Kwan My Story: Heart of a Champion by Michelle Kwan as told to Laura James because my daughter had targeted it for donation. I just wanted to read it before it left the house! :) Michelle Kwan is the last figure skater that I have followed, so I enjoyed reading this positive, uplifting book.
--BJ

For my last book in the New Author to me category, I read Songs in Ordinary Time by Mary McGarry Morris. For the Nonfiction category, I read Life's Too Short Not to Live it as a Texan by Peg Hein.
--BJ

I am 2/3 through a volume of Proust translated from the French. I hope to finish that soon.
--BJ

Just finished The Guermantes Way by Marcel Proust, translated from French to English. Three more translated works to go!
--BJ

Very impressive.

I have a reading buddy to help me along.
--BJ

For my Nonfiction category, I read Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman. This book was wonderful!
--BJ

I'll have to look for this one.

It is not very long, but every bit of it is wonderful. I think you will like it.
--BJ

I finished my nonfiction category with John A Devotional Commentary: Meditations on the Gospel According to St. John edited by Leo Zanchettin. I really need to read some poetry and plays!
--BJ

I finally read a play! I read Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus, which is the first play in a trilogy, but the other two plays are lost. I enjoyed this play quite a bit.
--BJ

I read two books in translation. The first book was translated from Middle English and was called Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich. The second book was translated from French (which seems to be what I read in translation the most) and was Sodom and Gomorrah, also called Cities of the Plain by Marcel Proust. It the fourth volume of In Search of Lost Time.
--BJ

My second poetry book is Four Quartets by T. S. Eliot, which went nicely with the Proust that I am reading.

I finished my In Translation category with The Captive by Marcel Proust. I guess I was kind of boring by reading almost all Proust, but I am trying to finish all of In Search of Lost Time.

Only two categories to go: Poetry and Plays. I hope to finish by the end of the year and start a new challenge here then.

I'm very impressed with the amount of Proust you are reading! He is way too intimidating for me!

I bet you could read it no problem. I have a reading buddy. Reading it together keeps us interested and going. The big thing is it is just so long and not a lot of action. Thanks for your kind words!

For my second play, I read Lovers' Vows by Mrs. Elizabeth Inchbald. I read this because it figured prominently in Mansfield Park by Jane Austen which I just finished. I found the play melodramatic and amusing. I am glad that I was able to see how this fit into the Austen book so nicely.

I read Lovers' Vows a few years ago...I remember being quite surprised to discover that Agatha and Frederick aren't lovers in the play, but rather mother and son! It casts a whole new light on Maria Bertram and Henry Crawford's excessive rehearsals of Act I!

I found that the play added to the book and was lots of fun. The play seemed to really focus on the relationship between Edmund and Mary Crawford, but Maria and Henry would get to spend lots of time together rehearsing, I guess. I was a little surprised by the subject of the play they had chosen.

I finished my play category with Alcestis, Medea, and The Bacchae, all by Euripides. I have only one more category to finish. The poetry category needs three more books. I hope to finish by the end of the year and am trying to decide on next year's categories.

My third book for the poetry section is Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle . . . And Other Modern Verse by various poets, compiled by Stephen Dunning, Edward Lueders, and Hugh Smith. As with most books of poetry, I liked some poems more than others.

I am hoping that I can finish the last two poetry books to complete the challenge by the end of the year. I am already planning for 2012.

My fourth poetry book was A Pizza the Size of the Sun by Jack Prelutsky. These poems are for children. I enjoyed some more than others. But I think I read it too soon after the previous poetry book which was quite different. One more poetry book to go to finish this challenge.

I never did finish Beowulf! I still plan to read one more book of poetry to finish this off, but I might not get it read by the end of this year.