What's in a Name 6 Challenge Wrap Up

What's in a Name 6 was hosted at Beth Fish Reads. Between January 1 and December 31, 2013, I read one book in each of the following categories:

• A book with up or down (or equivalent) in the title: Stirring it Up
• A book with something you'd find in your kitchen in the title: United States of Pie
• A book with a party or celebration in the title: The Cocktail Party
• A book with fire (or equivalent) in the title: Wings of Fire
• A book with an emotion in the title: Bitter Brew
• A book with lost or found (or equivalent) in the title: A Discovery of Witches

 In 2014 What's in a Name will be hosted at The Worm Hole. There are 5 excellent categories for WIN7 and I am looking forward to participating in this challenge again in the new year.

Review: The Cocktail Party

The Cocktail Party by T.S. Eliot

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

There were some wonderful lines in this play, but overall I didn't think it was as impressive a piece of writing as Murder in the Cathedral.

The premise is quite interesting: at the start of the play a party is beginning and we come to find out that the hostess, who invited everyone, isn't there. There is an unidentified guest on hand however. The second act adds to the layers of unexpected actions and connections. The third act is just weird. One of the reviews on Goodreads suggested that you skip the 3rd act. I think that is a bit harsh, but I understand the reaction. Eliot makes various intriguing observations about the human condition in this modern morality play.

"It will do you no harm to find yourself ridiculous. Resign yourself to be the fool you are."
"Two people who know they do not understand each other, breeding children whom they do not understand and who will never understand them."

This is a play worth reading, possibly even re-reading, but it is not Eliot's best.
This book counts toward the What's in a Name Challenge in the category of "a party or celebration".

Challenge Update - October 2013

Since July 1st I have read 4 books for the Canadian Book Challenge 7, so I am on track with 1 per month. I need to read two books one month to hit the goal of 13, but mostly one book per month will suffice.  I have a good sized pile of Canadian books (thanks Lisa!) waiting to be read, plus there are 2 more books in the MaddAddam trilogy that I must read now that I finished Oryx and Crake. Also my friend Rob pointed out this cool list of Canadian authors.

Tea and Books Challenge: The book I am working on for this is 1,076 pages (not counting indices or the notes which I read as I go along). I have  484 pages to go which should be doable in 2 months. The book is a biography of Eleanor Roosevelt which is very well written and keeps my attention. The tough part is that the book is too heavy to carry around with me or to read in bed. It is a good thing I only signed on for 2 books.

For the colorful reading challenge I have 2 books left to read, so if I read 1 in November and 1 in December I will complete this challenge.

In my first year of Classics Club (Sept. to August) I finished 10 books from my list. My goal for that project is to read 10-12 titles from that list each year so I did fine for year 1. Since the beginning of September I have read Something Wicked This Way Comes, Agnes Grey, and To the Lighthouse, so I am a little bit ahead at this point for year 2.

I need to read one more book for What's in a Name. Something with a "party or celebration" in the title. Recommendations would be welcome.

I am a few books ahead of schedule (at 88%) with my Goodreads goal of 101 books in 2013 and have read at least the minimum number of books committed to for my other 2013 challenges.

Challenge Update - August 2013

I haven't posted a challenge update since May, but I have been reading books that count toward my challenges.


I have read 9 Classics Club titles since September 2012, so I need to read at least one more before the end of August to stay on track. I am participating in Austen in August for which I plan to read books off my Classics Club list, so that should work out.


I have read 5/6 books in the What's in a Name Challenge. I thought I needed a "something you find in the kitchen" book until I realized that the Pie book I read in January totally counts. Pie is often found in my kitchen (though admittedly not as often as my husband would like). I still need to find a book with "a party or celebration" in the title. Suggestions would be welcome.


I need to read one more chunkster for the Tea & Books Challenge and have begun a biography of Eleanor Roosevelt by Blanche Weisen Cook. So far it is quite interesting, but a genealogical table would be really helpful.


I successfully completed the 6th Canadian Book Challenge which ended on July 1. I signed up for the 7th Canadian Book Challenge and haven't finished anything for it so far. I did start reading Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood which will be book 1 of 13 when I finish it.


I need to read 5 more books for the Colorful Reading Challenge, so a book per month will do it. I have read a book each for white, green, orange, and black and have books tentatively selected for blue, purple, yellow, scarlet (not too sure about this one), and grey.

I am a few books ahead of schedule (at 66%) with my Goodreads goal of 101 books in 2013 and have completed at least the minimum number of books committed to for the Vintage Mystery Challenge, the Foodies Read Challenge, and the Books About Books Challenge.

The Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge has disappeared from the blogosphere and I am therefore abandoning it.

Review: Wings of Fire

Wings Of Fire
by Charles Todd

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked the character of Rutledge, though I found the voice in his head a bit disconcerting at first. The question he goes to Cornwall to investigate is complex and I didn't figure out who the villan was until the very end. This is definitely a series I will read more of.
This title counts toward the What's in a Name 6 Challenge. Thanks to TracyK of Bitter Tea and Mystery for the recommendation.

Challenge Update - May 2013

I am doing well with most of my challenges. I participated in the Bout of Books Readathon which was really fun and encouraged me to read a lot toward my challenges.

I have one more book to read for the Canadian Book Challenge which ends on July 1. I am currently reading a book of Robertson Davies essays which will be book #13. In May I finished Twenty Six, Speaking from Among the Bones, and Anne of Green Gables. Anne was a hat-trick as it also counted toward the  Colorful Reading Challenge (4/9) and Classics Club.

To meet my Classics Club goal of 50 books over 5 years I need to read 10 books each year (September to September is my "year" for this). I have read 8 books since last September and have 2 that I have committed to read in June as part of  Classics Spin and 18th Century English Literature in June. I think I am going to plan to read at least 12 books each year so that I can spend a whole year on a huge book (probably The Decameron).

I have completed at least the minimum number of books committed to for the Vintage Mystery Challenge (11/8), the Foodies Read Challenge (4/4-8), and the Books About Books Challenge (6/6-10 books). I really like all three of these challenges and may move up to a higher level in each of them, but I have decided to focus on my other challenges first.

I have read 3/6 books in the What's in a Name Challenge. I still need to find books with "something you'd find in your kitchen," "a party or celebration," and "fire" in the titles. Suggestions would be welcome.

I need to read one more chunkster for the Tea & Books Challenge and am working up to taking on a huge biography of Eleanor Roosevelt.

The Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge has kind of disappeared from the blogosphere, but the Reading with Tequila blog which hosted it recently reappeared so I am going to hold off on abandoning this challenge.

I am a few books ahead of schedule  (at 50%) with my Goodreads goal of 101 books in 2013.

Challenge Update - April 2013

My main reading goal for this month was to make progress on the Canadian Book Challenge which I did. I have now read 9/13 bringing me to the Nanaimo Bar level. This month I finished reading Generation X, The Beautiful Mystery, and Alias Grace. I am currently in the middle of Twenty Six and have several more Canadian books in my to-read pile so I may actually get 13 Canadian books read by Canada Day.

I read, and really enjoyed, The Chinese Orange Mystery which completes 8 books for the Vintage Mystery Challenge. I am considering whether to push on to the 16-book level. This book also counts toward the Colorful Reading Challenge for which I have read 3/9 books.

Bitter Brew brings me to 3/6 in the What's in a Name Challenge. This book also counts toward the Foodies Read Challenge. I also finished Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder which brings me to 4 books for that challenge. I signed up at the Pastry Chef (4-8 books) level, so I have met the minimum book count for this challenge. I have more foodie books in my to-read pile however, so will probably have more read by the end of the year.

Crafting a Life in Essay, Story, Poem was my 6th book for the Books About Books Challenge. I signed up at the short story (6-10 books) level, so I have met the minimum book count for this challenge.

I didn't finish anything during April for the Tea & Books Challenge,  the Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge, or Classics Club.


I am on track (at 39%) with my Goodreads goal of 101 books in 2013.

Review: Bitter Brew

Bitter Brew: The Rise and Fall of Anheuser-Busch and America's Kings of Beer 
by William Knoedelseder

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was a combination of business analysis, brewing history, pop culture retrospective, and gossip column. It worked. The Busch family was, for the most part, a train wreck in their personal lives and how that intersected with running one of the worlds largest and most successful companies is a fascinating tale. I found the discussions of brewing formulations, which were a small part of the book, particularly interesting. For example, to get Bud Light (which they were pushed unwillingly into by the success of Miller Lite) to have any taste at all, they had to increase the IBUs on the beer to well above the normal Budweiser levels. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in US business or brewing. I will warn you that you may get really thirsty while reading. 

This book counts toward 2 of my current challenges, what's in a name 6 (an emotion) and foodies read. 

Review: Stirring It Up

Stirring It Up: How to Make Money and Save the World
by Gary Hirshberg

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I found Hirshberg's tale of eco-minded business and the bottom line both entertaining and informative. There was information about the development of Stonyfield Farm (though not as much as in For Better or For Work: A Survival Guide for Entrepreneurs and Their Families), but the best part of this book was the profiles of other companies Hirshberg thinks are doing things right. Honest-T, the guys making worm-poop fertilizer, and New Belgium Brewery were my favorite profiles. I learned a lot about packaging issues, cows, and the importance of mission statements.

This book counts toward two of my current reading challenges: Foodies Read and What's in a Name 6.

Challenge Update: February 2013

I made a lot of progress on one challenge this month and not much on the others.



I finished A Discovery of Witches which counts towards both the What's in a Name 6 Challenge and the Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge. This is a total of one book completed for each of these.

For the Vintage Mysteries Challenge I finished Enter a Murderer (category: staging the crime), Why Shoot a Butler? (the butler did it, or not), The Black Mountain (colorful crime), and The Plague Court Murders (things that go bump in the night). This brings me to 5 out of 8 categories completed.

I didn't finish any books in February for the Tea and Books Challenge, Foodies Read Challenge, or the Classics Club. Nothing got finished for the Canadian Book Challenge 6 either, but I read a good chunk of A Short History of Canada, so there was progress on that one. During March I hope to finish the Short History and to read at least 2 books for Classics Club (my spin title and a book for Modern March).

I am on track (at 17%) with my Goodreads goal of 101 books in 2013.

I signed up for another challenge this month as well, The Books About Books Challenge. I committed to reading between 6 and 10 books for this. In Janurary I read 3 books about books and Mr. Penumbra's 24-hour Bookstore so I have already finished 4 out of the 6.

Review: Discovery of Witches

A Discovery of Witches
by Deborah Harkness

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book creates a world where vampires, witches, demons and humans co-exist. The humans don't know anything about this fact. Diana Bishop, science historian and descendent of a long and illustrious line of witches, is the main character and the story revolves around her relationship with a scientist/vampire. The world that Harkness creates is complex and well drawn, I found the characters (including secondary ones) detailed enough to be interesting but not so detailed that there is nothing more to learn about them. There is a distinctly "thriller" quality to the story and the writing suits that. There is a lot of history mixed in, particularly a lot about alchemy. I'm looking forward to the next installment in this trilogy.

This book counts toward two of my challenges: What's in a Name 6 and 2013 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge.

Challenge Update: January 2013

I have undertaken quite a few reading challenges this year, so rather than do updates on each one my plan is to write a monthly update on the whole endeavor.  I feel like I am off to a good start.

For the Tea and Books Challenge I read The Woman in White which counts as one of the two books I need for the "chamomile lovers" level I signed on for. This book also counts toward the Colorful Reading Challenge (book 1 of 9) and is one of my Classics Club titles. For Classics Club, thanks to the readathon, I also finished Murder in the Cathedral and The Phantom Tollbooth.

For the Vintage Mysteries Challenge I finished Cat Among the Pigeons (1959) which I am counting toward the "Dangerous Beasts" category (1 category down, 7 to go).

For the Foodies Read Challenge I read United States of Pie (1 out of 4).

I didn't finish any books in January for the Canadian Book Challenge 6, the What's in a Name 6 Challenge, or the Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge. I am currently reading books that will count toward these, so February will have some progress on these.

I am on track (at 8%) with my Goodreads goal of 101 books in 2013.

Review: United States of Pie

United States of Pie: Regional Favorites from East to West and North to South
by Adrienne Kane

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My husband loves pie, which is why he got this book for Christmas. It is full of out-of-the-ordinary pie recipes many of which sound delicious. It also includes background info on the various pies and essays about regional pie makers to start each chapter. The directions for making the pies are clear and the sidebars on unusual ingredients and how to make component parts of the recipes (if you want to render your own lard, or make your own pumpkin puree, this book tells you how) are informative. The chapter about making pie crust makes it sound do-able. I liked Kane's philosophy that even a less-than-perfect pie is a learning experience and probably still going to be delicious.

The first pie I baked from this book was Chipmunk Pie, which was delicious. It is a recipe from Delaware and my pantry included all the ingredients for it. I didn't make my own crust, I used a Pillsbury ready-make crust from the freezer. The recipe calls for 1/2 cup of chopped nuts and I used 3/4 cup. I only had pecans on hand, but I think this recipe would be a great use of the little bits of various nuts (hazelnuts, pecans, almonds, etc.) that I sometimes end up with after holiday baking.

Chipmunk Pie, recipe from United States of Pie

WIN6 Challenge

I have signed on for my first challenge of 2013: What's in a Name 6 at Beth Fish Reads.

Between January 1 and December 31, 2013, I need to read one book in each of the following categories (examples are from the sign up post):

1. A book with up or down (or equivalent) in the title.
   Deep down True, The Girl Below, The Diva Digs up the Dirt
2. A book with something you'd find in your kitchen in the title.
   Loose Lips Sink Ships, The Knife of Never Letting Go, Breadcrumbs
3. A book with a party or celebration in the title
   A Feast for Crows, A Wedding in Haiti, Cocktail Hour under the Tree of Forgetfulness
4. A book with fire (or equivalent) in the title.
   Burning for Revenge, Fireworks over Toccoa, Catching Fire
5. A book with an emotion in the title.
   Baltimore Blues, Say You're Sorry, Dreams of Joy
6. A book with lost or found (or equivalent) in the title.
   The Book of Lost Fragrances, The World We Found, A Discovery of Witches