Challenge Update

It has been a month since the Semi-Charmed Life Summer Challenge has started, and I have made terrible progress so far. 5 points. That is all I have earned so far. I am in the middle of a couple of other books but haven't made much headway. Here are the categories again and how I am doing.

5 points: Read a book chosen for the U.S. 2012 World Book Night.-Done only one that I have managed to do.
10: Read a book you were supposed to read in school, but either bailed on or Cliff-Noted. (If you were super studious and never did this, then read a book most people were assigned to read in high school but you weren’t.)-Still haven't picked a book yet.
10: Read a memoir or narrative nonfiction book. (Examples: Friday Night Lights, When the Game Stands Tall, The Devil in the White City, etc.)-I have this one ready to go, just need to start it.
15: Read a book in one calendar day. (Must be at least 150 pages long.)-This one isn't a problem, I just need to get it done.
15: Read a book that you've always wanted to read but haven't gotten around to yet.-my to-be-read list is super long so I haven't picked one yet.
20: Read a pair of books that have antonyms in the titles. (For example: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Boy in the Suitcase, or The Unbearable Lightness of Being and Heart of Darkness, etc..)-I have this one half done.
20: Read a book that is set in a place you've never been but want to visit.-Still need to pick one.
25: Find a book written the year you were born that was later made into a movie. Read the book and watch the movie; compare. Or find a movie released the year you were born that was based on a book. Do the same thing.-Have this one on my Kindle.
25: Go into a bookstore or library. Pick any bookshelf. Read the third book from the left on the fourth shelf from the top. (If it's not at least 200 pages, pick the next book to the right.)-Picked this one out the other day.
25: Read a book about which you’ve heard bad things. (Hey, you can’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it, right? And I’m upping the points to make it worth your while.)-Atonement is slowly killing me.
30: Read a trilogy (or any three consecutive books in a series). Total page count for all three books together must be at least 500 pages.-You would think that I would do this one first since it is the hardest but most of the series I read, I am caught up and I haven't picked one I want to start yet.

Bel Canto

By: Ann Patchett

Summary from Goodreads: Somewhere in South America at the home of the country's vice president, a lavish birthday party is being held in honor of Mr. Hosokawa, a powerful Japanese businessman. Roxanne Coss, opera's most revered soprano, has mesmerized the guests with her singing. It is a perfect evening until a band of terrorists breaks in, taking the entire party hostage.

But what begins as a life-threatening scenario slowly evolves into something quite different. Friendship, compassion, and the chance for great love lead the characters to forget the real danger that has been set in motion and cannot be stopped.

Review: The blurbs on the jacket of this book describe the writing as having a lyrical style and I would completely agree. There is just something about it that draws you in and makes you want more. Even though it deals with a hostage situation, which never end well, I kept hoping everything would turn out okay. Spoiler alert: I doesn't.

I read this for The Semi-Charmed Life Summer Challenge and got 5 points for it!

Currently Reading

Just a sample of what I am trying to finish reading:

Atonement: I am halfway through this book for the Semi-Charmed Life Summer Reading Challenge, book that you've heard bad things about. I have to say that so far I absolutely hate it! This book is really pissing me off. More about it if I work up the patience to finish it.

Bel Canto: Also reading for the challenge, on the World Book Night list. It is pretty good so far.

Elizabeth the Queen: A biography about the Queen that I just got the urge to read.