2015 Reading Challenge Review: Witches and Ghosts, Pirates and Thieves, Murder and Mayhem

Wow, it's been a while! I'm sorry for that, everyone. Illness and the passing of a family member put a hold on things, but we're back!

The first book I read for the 2015 Reading Challenge was 'Witches and Ghosts, Pirates and Thieves, Murder and Mayhem: Scary Tales from Colonial Williamsburg' from The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation of Williamsburg, Virginia, copyright 2007 and compiled by John P. Hunter.

It may seem odd that a historical society would publish a book of folk tales and ghost stories, but the stories told in this book were stories that were actually told eighteenth-century Virginia. Oral tradition is one of the best way to learn about a society, and offers many ways to better understand their morals and beliefs. After all, almost every fairy tale teaches a lesson to those who listen.

What I found most interesting about the book was that the stories are written as if someone is speaking them, sometimes writing phonetic dialect of the speaker. Nearly all of them are told in first person, and some of them even contain an introduction in the first sentence of the story.

While some of the stories are comical and others rather grim, they are all well researched and included for particular reasons, as the Sources section at the back of the book explains. Each story has a paragraph or two about where it came from, who told it, and any historical documentation that goes along with it. Dark Corners, Black Ink, and The Houseguest are some of my favorites. The Combustible Woman caused me to put the book down and step away from it for a few minutes. As that kind of reaction was probably the goal of the story, I have to say they succeeded.

Rank: A-
I love the stories, the historical significance, and the research done into them. The only thing that dropped it from an A was the writing phonetic writing style, which sometimes drew me out of the book. There is some mild violent content, so I recommend this book for ages 10 and up. If you enjoy scary stories, I highly recommend this book!

2015 Reading Challenge - Always adding new books and updating!

I am doing a Reading Challenge that was shared with me by my good friend, Carla Day! I have had a very late start, but I'm working on it.

Here is the URL if you are interested in joining me on it! 2015 Reading Challenge

Below you will find the list of what I plan to read, what I have read, and what I have yet to choose for the category. Let me know if there are any you would suggest!

1. A book with more than 500 pages - 'Shogun' by James Clavell (recommended by Donna Kutlus and Jon Bryant)
2. A classic romance -  'Persuasion' by Jane Austen
3. A book that became a movie - 'Ella Enchanted' by Gail Carson Levine (recommended by Laura Hilton)
4. A book published this year - 'Go Set A Watchmen' by Harper Lee (recommended by Toni Lancey)
5. A book with a number in the title - 'Counting by Sevens' by Holly Goldberg Sloan (recommended by Melanie Barth and Mighty Girls)
6. A book written by someone under 30 - 'Hollow City' by Ransom Riggs
7. A book with non-human characters - 'The Wind in the Willows' by Kenneth Grahame
8. A funny book - 'Good Omens' by Terry Pratchett
9. A book by a female author - 'Goldie Blocks' by Debbie Sterling (This is a kids book and it comes with toys. I'm really psyched for this one.)
10. A mystery or thriller -
11. A book with a one word title - 'Fingersmith' by Sarah Waters (recommended by Lisa Ferguson)
12. A book of short stories - 'Witches and Ghosts, Pirates and Thieves, Murder and Mayhem' compiled by John P. Hunter
13. A book set in a different country - 'Bamboo People' by Mitali Perkins (recommended by Terry Doherty)
14. A nonfiction book - 'Indoor Kitchen Gardening' by Elizabeth Millard (I picked this one up at the Denton Public Library!)
15. A popular author's first book -
16. A book from an author you love but haven't read yet - 'Reflections' by Diana Wynne Jones
17. A book a friend recommended - 'Eyes of the Dragon' by Stephen King (recommended by Jon Bryant)
18. A Pulitzer Prize winning book -
19. A book based on a true story -
20. A book at the bottom of your to-read list -
21. A book your mom loves - 'A Christmas Carol' by Charles Dickens
22. A book that scares you - 'A Clockwork Orange' by 
23. A book more than 100 years old - 'The Count of Monte Cristo' by Alexandre Dumas (published in 1844, recommended by Jon Bryant)
24. A book based entirely on the cover -
25. A book you were supposed to read in school but didn't - 'To Kill A Mockingbird' by Harper Lee (another recommended by Melanie Barth)
26. A memoir - 'Still Foolin' 'Em' by Billy Crystal (recommended by Jon Bryant)
27. A book you can finish in a day - 
28. A book with antonyms in the title -
29. A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit -
30. A book that came out the year you were born -
31. A book with bad reviews -
32. A trilogy - 'Inkheart', 'Inkspell', and 'Inkdeath' by Cornelia Funke
33. A book from your childhood - 'The Hobbit' by J.R.R. Tolkien
34. A book with a love triangle - 'Splintered' by A.G. Howard
35. A book set in the future - 'Old Man's War' by John Scalzi (recommended by Lisa Ferguson)
36. A book set in high school - 'Shadow's Edge' by Maureen Lipinski
37. A book with a color in the title - 'The Color Purple' by Alice Walker
38. A book that made you cry - 'Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher' by Bruce Coville
39. A book with magic - 'Theodosia and the Last Pharaoh' by R.L. LaFevers (recommended by Deanna Easton)
40. A graphic novel - 'Fun Home' by Allison Bechdel (recommended by Tyler Murphy)
41. A book by an author you've never read before - 'Naked Lunch' by William Burroughs (recommended by David Pierce)
42. A book you own but have never read - 'The Man in the Iron Mask' by Alexandre Dumas (recommended by Eden Lakner)
43. A book that takes place in your hometown - 'Ghosts of Denton' by Shelly Tucker (Denton isn't technically my hometown, but I can't find any books set in Sharon Springs, NY. I wasn't born there, either, but I was 8 months old when we left Cleveland, Ohio, so I don't really count that as my hometown, either.)
44. A book that was originally written in a different language - 'The Little Prince' by Antoine de Saint-Exupery (recommended by Donna Kutlus)
45. A book set during Christmas - 'The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus' by L. Frank Baum
46. A book written by an author with your same initials - 'Home from the Sea' by Mercedes Lackey
47. A play - 'The 39 Steps' by Patrick Barlow (recommended by Mike Strecher)
48. A banned book -
49. A book based on or turned into a tv show - 'America Entertains' by David Tutera
50. A book you started but never finished - 'The Crown of Dalemark' by Diana Wynne Jones

Red means I have read it! Blue means I am currently reading it. If it is black and followed by a blank, then I need recommendations. If it is black but filled in, then it is on my list. Comment with recommendations!