Baker's Dozen Challenge Book 13

It's the end of the Baker's Dozen Challenge so it was only fitting I saved The End for my final book. I read After the Apocalypse, a short story collection by Maureen McHugh. Rather than explain the whole world and everything that had changed, we saw through the eyes of ordinary people just trying to get by. 

I liked seeing what the world looked liked to everyday people after that particular disaster. It's what my own experience would be like in the same situation. So many people write about the post-apocalyptic heroes or warriors we'd like to be rather than the regular people we are.

'The Naturalist' gave a unique take on zombies while 'Useless Things' showed a devastated economy not too different from our own. 'Special Economics' showed what happened in China after the bird flu wiped out a large part of the population. 'The Effect of Centrifugal Forces' is about a brain rotting disease transmitted in processed chicken. There were others but these were the ones that really resonated with me.

I liked the new take on a post-disaster/apocalyptic world. It was very refreshing. If this is a sub-genre you like, definitely give this a read.

I'm really pleased I was able to finish this challenge early. I'm debating what to do for my next book challenge. I want to do something longer like the 42 Book Challenge or the Alphabet Challenge but with more freedom that I've done previously.

1) Another World – Wild Cards edited by George R. R. Martin

2) Learned Something – Animals Make Us Human by Temple Grandin

3) Movie Book – The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

4) Graphic Novel – Fanboys vs. Zombies Vol. 1 by Sam Humphries

5) Dust – You Don't Sweat Much for a Fat Girl by Celia Rivenbark

6) Nonfiction – A Little F'ed Up by Julie Zeilinger

7) Reread – Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (as read by Wil Wheaton)

8) Shorts – 20something Essays by 20something Writers

9) Fiction – The Rosie Project by Graeme Simison

10) Shiny – Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay

11) Retelling – Classics Mutilated edited by Jeff Connor

12) Wild Card – Will Grayson, Will Grayson by Jon Green and David Levithan

13) The End – After the Apocalypse by Maureen McHugh

Music: Cool Kids by Echosmith

Baker's Dozen Challenge Book 12

I have completed my Wild Card for the Baker's Dozen challenge. I was driving out to The Boonies, NY (more on that in another post) when we hit a Wal-Mart for a bathroom break. In the interest stretching my legs before driving another few hours, I wandered around. I saw Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan and was so pleased to see a book about gay teens in a podunk Wal-Mart I bought it on the spot.

This shows the ever increasing popularity of these writers and that I can't be left unsupervised around books. I've read the ubiquitous The Fault in Our Stars by John Green and The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan. I found both of them to have an excellent writing style and fantastic way with words.

Each writer took on a Will Grayson in this alternating first person narrative. John Green's Will Grayson was fairly standard but he had a strategy of shutting up and not caring I didn't totally understand. Nothing is supremely wrong in his life so what's with the 'tude? Despite that, I understood his desire to not care, not get attached, etc. so he was still a likable character. Plus Tiny Cooper is all sorts of fabulous in every way possible.

Levithan's Will Grayson was, to be blunt, a snarky, angry, emo punk. I'd have thrown in bitch but he was abandoned by his father an clinically depressed so his attitude made sense. Plus some of his observations were hilarious. I will forever remember his rant early in the book about how 'if you think a <  3 looks like a heart then clearly you've never see a scrotum.'

Each writer has an amazing way with words. I kept dog-earring pages (only tiny ones at the bottom. I'm too OCD for anything else.) so I could go back and make sure those quotes were on GoodReads. One of Levithan's gems was "Need is never a good basis for any relationship. It has to be much more than that," and Green had "I don't really want to be the costar in anyone's life," and "Love is the most common miracle."

I looked up several of the bands mentioned in the book. I listened to Neutral Milk Hotel and the Mr. T Experience. I swear I thought NMH was something Green got from a random band name generator. I got a more realistic sounding band name in that meme I did a few entries ago. It is incredibly well written and poetic. I absolutely recommend it.

1) Another World – Wild Cards edited by George R. R. Martin

2) Learned Something – Animals Make Us Human by Temple Grandin

3) Movie Book – The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

4) Graphic Novel – Fanboys vs. Zombies Vol. 1 by Sam Humphries

5) Dust – You Don't Sweat Much for a Fat Girl by Celia Rivenbark

6) Nonfiction – A Little F'ed Up by Julie Zeilinger

7) Reread – Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (as read by Wil Wheaton)

8) Shorts – 20something Essays by 20something Writers

9) Fiction – The Rosie Project by Graeme Simison

10) Shiny – Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay

11) Retelling – Classics Mutilated edited by Jeff Connor

12) Wild Card – Will Grayson Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

13) The End –

Music: O, You Sinners by Eliza Rickman 

Baker's Dozen Challenge Book 11

For Retelling I read Classics Mutilated which was an anthology of mash-ups between well-known classics and other classics or contemporary concepts like Twilight meeting Norse mythology or Alice in Wonderland and Snow White

My favorites were Death Stopped for Emily Dickinson, The Happiest Hell on Earth, From Hell's Heart, and The Green Menace. I liked some of the small touches in Frankenbilly and Dread Island that helped set the voices of the characters, like Cut Through You. It took me a little longer than I'd like to admit to make that connection.

Despite having very different themes and voices, these stories all went together very well. The only time I was 'meh' about a story was when I lacked a connection to the source material like Little Women in Black. I've never read Little Women so I couldn't tell what exactly was being mutilated about that classic.

I loved the section at the end about why the writers chose the mash-ups they did. The Happiest Hell on Earth is described as the place between "Are We Not Men?" and "Why Is That Dog Wearing Pants?" It was fascinating to hear why the writers chose what they did.

This book won't change your life but if you like the mash-up idea, you'll enjoy this.

1) Another World – Wild Cards edited by George R. R. Martin

2) Learned Something – Animals Make Us Human by Temple Grandin

3) Movie Book – The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

4) Graphic Novel – Fanboys vs. Zombies Vol. 1 by Sam Humphries

5) Dust – You Don't Sweat Much for a Fat Girl by Celia Rivenbark

6) Nonfiction – A Little F'ed Up by Julie Zeilinger

7) Reread – Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (as read by Wil Wheaton)

8) Shorts – 20something Essays by 20something Writers

9) Fiction – The Rosie Project by Graeme Simison

10) Shiny – Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay

11) Retelling – Classics Mutilated edited by Jeff Connor

12) Wild Card –

13) The End –

Music: 300 Violin Orchestra by Jorge Quintero

Baker's Dozen Challenge Book 10

For Nonfiction I read A Little F’ed Up by Julie Zeilinger. It’s a book about feminism written by a young woman who isn’t even out of college yet. I am seriously questioning some of my life choices. I wish I’d been that mature and driven in high school.

A Little F’ed Up is a great book to introduce young women to feminism. Zeilinger does a great job at relating feminist issues to what’s happening to high school and college women right now. As someone who’s a little closer to thirty than university, I didn’t get as much out of it as I would have liked.

Jessica Valenti has written several topics on what’s relevant to me right now. I’m dealing with feminism as it pertains to adult relationships, friendships, work, and the possibility of children (eventually, someday, maybe). Zeilinger hasn’t been alive long enough to relate to that. She’s a voice for young women and even gave them a place to express their voices (thefbomb.org).

Her tone was very conversational which is probably more welcoming to teenagers. I found it to work sometimes and a bit grating at others. She also uses a lot of the same language. I have an incredible amount of respect for Zeilinger for doing all this at such a young age. It’s a excellent read for young women but somewhere in your twenties, you’ll start to relate a little bit less.

1) Another World – Wild Cards edited by George R. R. Martin (Wild Cards #1)

2) Learned Something – Animals Make Us Human by Temple Grandin

3) Movie-Book – The Fault in Out Stars by John Green

4) Graphic Novel – Fanboys vs. Zombies Vol 1 by Sam Humphries

5) Dust – You Don’t Sweat Much for a Fat Girl by Celia Rivenbark

6) Nonfiction – A Little F’ed Up by Julie Zeilinger

7) Reread – Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (as read by Wil Wheaton)

8) Shorts – 20something Essays by 20something Writers edited by Matt Kellogg and Jillian Quint

9) Fiction – The Rosie Project by Graeme Simison

10) Shiny – Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay

11) Retelling –

12) Wild Card –

13) The End –

Music: Scheherazade by Abney Park

Baker's Dozen Challenge Book 9

For Learned Something I read Animals Make Us Human by Temple Grandin. Each chapter is about a different sort of animal. It was a good way to structure it but I inevitably got more out of some chapters than others. Here’s some of the stuff I learned:

-Animals born in the wild then taken into captivity had normal brain development and are therefore healthier animals than most animals born in captivity.

-Wild wolves don't live in packs but rather family units with a breeding pair. Wolf packs with an alpha as we know them are a result of captivity. Lone wolves are mature cubs who are now looking for a mate.

-Cats chose to domesticate themselves since humans was where their prey was rather than be domesticated and shaped the way dogs were. They are also more scent based hence head rubbing and kneading.

-Horses have hyper specific fears. Seeing a white cowboy or a ball cap won't remind them of the bad experience but a black one cowboy hat will.

-Dairy cows only produce milk after birthing a calf. Because they do this so often, they've been breed to have lower social bonding so the mother and baby aren't upset upon separation.

-Broilers are chickens sold for meat. Layers are hens who lay the eggs we eat. Hens require privacy when they lay their eggs.

-Thousands of years ago, cheetahs were so scarce they had to inbreed to survive leading to a lack of genetic diversity. It is also ladies choice when it comes to mating which was only discovered through fieldwork.

-The biggest determinate of repetitive behavior in zoo animals is the range they usually cover in the wild. Polar bears are some of the biggest offenders because they usually range around 5 miles on a typical day.

Much like her last book, it was very interesting and informative. Some of her points seem so obvious it’s a wonder they don’t occur to other people more often. Inevitably I found the dog chapter more rewarding than the chicken chapter but this is definitely one of my new favorites.

1) Another World – Wild Cards edited by George R. R. Martin (Wild Cards #1)

2) Learned Something – Animals Make Us Human by Temple Grandin

3) Movie-Book – The Fault in Out Stars by John Green

4) Graphic Novel – Fanboys vs. Zombies Vol 1 by Sam Humphries

5) Dust – You Don’t Sweat Much for a Fat Girl by Celia Rivenbark

6) Nonfiction –

7) Reread – Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (as read by Wil Wheaton)

8) Shorts – 20something Essays by 20something Writers edited by Matt Kellogg and Jillian Quint

9) Fiction – The Rosie Project by Graeme Simison

10) Shiny – Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay

11) Retelling –

12) Wild Card –

13) The End –

Music: Good Guys by Aqua

Baker's Dozen Challenge Book 8

For dust I read an essay collection by Celia Rivenbark that’s been collecting dust on my shelf for too long. One of the perils of buying books faster than you can read them is that some of the subject matter feels a little dated. 

I get the references to Bernie Madoff, Jon Gosselin’s asshole phase, Fabolous, and the underwear bomber but they definitely aren’t the most recent crazy bits of our culture. All of them are funny but they felt especially southern.

I know she bills herself as a southern writer but she felt more southern in this book than in Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like A Skank. She wrote about her elementary school age daughter a bit more and that was always some of her best stuff. 

With a combination of age and internet, I think her daughter finds her role as subject matter less amusing. The collation ended with an essay about her middle school aged daughter and the craziness of being 13. I wish she’d done a little more on that.

I’m adjusting to her style that is less centered on her family and more centered on pop culture. My favorite essays were the ones about dogs on Twitter, Christmas gifts, politics, TLC, and Chinese bachelors. If you like her other stuff, this is definitely worth a read.

1) Another World – Wild Cards edited by George R. R. Martin (Wild Cards #1)

2) Learned Something –

3) Movie-Book – The Fault in Out Stars by John Green

4) Graphic Novel – Fanboys vs. Zombies Vol 1 by Sam Humphries

5) Dust – You Don’t Sweat Much for a Fat Girl by Celia Rivenbark

6) Nonfiction –

7) Reread – Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (as read by Wil Wheaton)

8) Shorts – 20something Essays by 20something Writers edited by Matt Kellogg and Jillian Quint

9) Fiction – The Rosie Project by Graeme Simison

10) Shiny – Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay

11) Retelling –

12) Wild Card –

13) The End –

Music: Fool's Gold by Fitz & the Tantrums

Baker's Dozen Challenge Book 7

For Another World I started the Wild Card series edited by George R. R. Martin. I LOVE the premise for this series. Right after WWII an alien virus is released on earth that is a total wild card. The infected will either draw the black queen (die), become deformed or mutated (jokers), or gain a power (aces). Sometimes it's hard to tell if someone is a joker or an ace. The uninfected or with a dormant strain are called nats or naturals.

I loved the grit and realism and darkness of these stories. The fate of the four aces and Tachyon (the lone alien who survived the trip and tried to stop the virus) is a very realistic portrayal of human nature and it's failures. It's disappointing but that's life especially during the McCarthy era. We also saw how people can become heroes with Stop Watch and Turtle so that was a nice boost. Ghost Girl brought some levity just trying to get through one bad night.

The stories here inspire disappointment, hope, disgust, and most other emotions you would expect if something like this happened in our world. The variety of powers and deformities was fascinating. The telepathic bartender with no eyes, the brain trust who had trouble with so many minds living in her head, the girl who stopped being human to cope with her pain.

My biggest problem was how long it took me to finish the book. It was a combination of being busy, being distracted, and 600 pages of fiction. I enjoyed almost everything I read but I was ready to be done. The appendix was a nice touch though. The 'nonfiction' scientific pieces helped add to the world and round out the main narrative.

The depravity and ugliness of the world didn't bother me but I can see where some parts may disturb others. It's not for the faint or heart but I went into it warned. If you like the premise and can handle some darkness, give this series a shot.

1) Another World – Wild Cards edited by George R. R. Martin (Wild Cards #1)

2) Learned Something –

3) Movie-Book – The Fault in Out Stars by John Green

4) Graphic Novel – Fanboys vs. Zombies Vol 1 by Sam Humphries

5) Dust –

6) Nonfiction –

7) Reread – Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (as read by Wil Wheaton)

8) Shorts – 20something Essays by 20something Writers edited by Matt Kellogg and Jillian Quint

9) Fiction – The Rosie Project by Graeme Simison

10) Shiny – Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay

11) Retelling –

12) Wild Card –

13) The End –

Music: Virus by Abney Park

Baker's Dozen Challenge Book 6

For fiction I read The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. Professor Don Tillman has always had problems with relationships. Because of his social ineptitude, conventional dating has always been a disaster. When he decides it’s time to find a partner, he decides to be as scientific about it as possible. He creates a questionnaire and begins The Wife Project. The results are crazier than any scientist could have ever predicted.

Simsion’s protagonist has a raging case of high-functioning autism. Apparently Asperger’s syndrome is on it’s way out due to lack of a concrete definition. Don’s voice is so different from regular narrators because he’s so different from regular people. I found it incredibly delightful.

As a nerd I see a larger than average number of people who fall on the high functioning end of the autism spectrum. This gave me really good insight into how their mind works. If this had painted a better picture it could have fallen under Learned Something.

I think it should be on the required reading list for Aspie’s who want to socialize better. Don gets a gradual lesson on interacting with people from several people who are very patient with him. It took Don a lot of practice and effort to get things right. I wasn’t sure how much I loved what he did in the end but I liked that he was willing to put in more effort.

I really enjoyed this and would definitely recommend it.

1) Another World –

2) Learned Something –

3) Movie-Book – The Fault in Out Stars by John Green

4) Graphic Novel – Fanboys vs. Zombies Vol 1 by Sam Humphries

5) Dust –

6) Nonfiction –

7) Reread – Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (as read by Will Wheaton)

8) Shorts – 20something Essays by 20something Writers edited by Matt Kellogg and Jillian Quint

9) Fiction – The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

10) Shiny – Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay

11) Retelling –

12) Wild Card –

13) The End –

Music: Love Me by Katy Perry 

Baker's Dozen Challenge Book 5

I  have completed another book. I ‘reread’ Ready Player One this time via audio book. It’s narrated by Wil Wheaton which gives it some additional nerd cred. I was never big on audio books before but I may start to come around. It was easy listening to a book I was already familiar with. If I had interruptions from the outside world, I didn’t risk missing anything crucial.

It’s a love song to 1980’s pop culture including music, movies, video games, and books. Some minor parts are from before and after (classic sci-fi books, various Star Trek incarnations) but all the relevant pieces to the story are from the time of neon, big hair, and even bigger computers.

In a dystopian future where poverty is rampant and natural resources are running out, the whole world gets away from it by plugging into The Oasis. The biggest virtual reality game ever, it allows the world to forget their problems. When its creator dies without an heir, he creates an Easter Egg that will bestow ownership of this world and his entire company to whoever can find it. But in a world of corporate greed and unexpected heroes, it can never be that simple.

This is still one of my favorite books. It is almost required reading for nerds. I have insisted several people read it and everyone has thanked me for it. Listening to it added a different dimension. I could experience my favorite book while running errands, commuting, or engaging in drudgery which was pretty great. I also enjoyed catching moments where Wheaton takes a drink or turns a page. It was like a little ‘gotcha’ moment.

I always enjoy rereading this book and I’m glad I got to do it again.

1) Another World –

2) Learned Something –

3) Movie-Book – The Fault in Out Stars by John Green

4) Graphic Novel – Fanboys vs. Zombies Vol 1 by Sam Humphries

5) Dust –

6) Nonfiction –

7) Reread – Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

8) Shorts – 20something Essays by 20something Writers edited by Matt Kellogg and Jillian Quint

9) Fiction –

10) Shiny – Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay

11) Retelling –

12) Wild Card –

13) The End –

Music: The Whole World Is Watching by Within Temptation

Baker’s Dozen Challenge Book 4

The Fault in Our Stars is a massively popular book and recently made into a movie. I’ve had friends who’ve loved it and it’s even been included in some of the fandom memes you see on the internet. For all the fandoms and all the hype, my biggest feeling was “It was OK.” 

My dad died of cancer half my life ago so the only thing that was brand new to me was the perspective. Cancer sucks. It steals your life and takes your dignity on its way out. Most of the teens in this book handle their situation with a grace and maturity not afforded to most healthy people.

I enjoyed the protagonist Hazel. She was very down-to-earth and likable. Her instant relationship with Augustus felt a little convenient but when you’re dying I supposed you’re pressed for time. 

For the most part I enjoyed Augustus but he was so obsessed with leaving a legacy and not being forgotten that it wore on me. At first it was an understandable feeling but eventually it felt like those that would remember him just weren’t good enough. 

The ending also reminded me of the ending in the fictional An Imperial Affliction. It stopped while action was still happening but if it had kept going we would have watched Hazel die. When you’ve got teens dying of cancer, it isn’t always easy to decide where to leave it.

I enjoyed this book but it didn’t change my life or rock my world. I’m not a big crier especially when it comes to fiction and this was no exception. If not crying at TFIOS and Up makes me a heartless bitch, so be it. As sad as this book was, it was also lovely and worth reading if you’re not turned off by the concept.

1) Another World –

2) Learned Something –

3) Movie-Book – The Fault in Out Stars by John Green

4) Graphic Novel – Fanboys vs. Zombies Vol 1 by Sam Humphries

5) Dust –

6) Nonfiction –

7) Reread –

8) Shorts – 20something Essays by 20something Writers edited by Matt Kellogg and Jillian Quint

9) Fiction –

10) Shiny – Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay

11) Retelling –

12) Wild Card –

13) The End –

Amy Amy Amy by Amy Winehouse

Baker’s Dozen Challenge Book 3

I’ve had this book since college but didn’t get around to reading it until now. I was running out of years to be a 20something so I thought I should read it sooner rather than later. 

There were some real gems in here. Sex and the Sickbed, My Roaring Twenties, In-Between Places, In from the Outside, and Working at Wendy’s were excellent. Unfortunately Rock My Network and Sheer Dominance were a fight to get through. They weren’t worth the paper they were printed on IMHO.

The geography also left something to be desiredAfter about the sixth essay, I got sick of hearing about New York. Growing up in DC, the nation’s capital, you know from birth that New York is not the world but people from everywhere else haven’t gotten the memo on that yet.

Since this collection came out, people have been really hard on millennials and just as many have been coming to our defense. Rather than reiterate what’s already been said, I’d really like to hear another collection of this same concept 10 years later. I’m sure the content would have shifted.

1) Another World –

2) Learned Something –

3) Movie-Book –

4) Graphic Novel – Fanboys vs. Zombies Vol 1 by Sam Humphries

5) Dust –

6) Nonfiction –

7) Reread –

8) Shorts – 20something Essays by 20something Writers edited by Matt Kellogg and Jillian Quint

9) Fiction –

10) Shiny – Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay

11) Retelling –

12) Wild Card –

13) The End –

Music: We’ll Be Here (When You’re Gone) by The Goo Goo Dolls

Baker's Dozen Challenge Book 2

For Shiny I read a shiny new book Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay. Sam, a 23 year-old orphan, has just been given the opportunity of a lifetime. She gets a grant that will allow her to attend graduate school for free but will she be able to succeed. 

I saw it and was immediately drawn to it but didn’t get it right away. It was filed under Christian Fiction which initially turned me off the book. I’ve been preached at by judgmental hypocrites too many times to seek out Christianity. Fortunately it’s a very minimal element of the book. 

Some characters mention being blessed or praying or saying grace but it was never the main character doing it. There were Christian undertones but I never felt hit over the head with it. It was also respectful Christianity rather than the ‘I-go-to-church-so-I’m-better-than-you attitude’ I’ve seen a lot of. The subtlety works for a mainstream audience without being preachy.

Most of the book was about Sam learning to open up and get out of her own way. She was likable but closed off because of her difficult childhood. She grows and develops well as a character. A little bit Austen, a little bit Cinderella story, Sam was consistently naive but was someone I could see being friendly with. If only I had her luck.

I’d file this under women’s fiction and say that you have to like Austen and coming of age stories to appreciate this. I honestly think calling it Christian will hurt sales. When I think of Christian fiction I expect God or Jesus or faith or praise to be on every other page and I’m not the only one. It can be appreciated by a much wider audience but will almost definitely be pigeonholed because of the label on the back.

1) Another World –

2) Learned Something –

3) Movie-Book –

4) Graphic Novel – Fanboys vs. Zombies Vol 1 by Sam Humphries

5) Dust –

6) Nonfiction –

7) Reread –

8) Shorts –

9) Fiction –

10) Shiny – Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay

11) Retelling –

12) Wild Card –

13) The End –

Music: Damaged by Love by Tom Petty

2014: A Baker's Dozen Challenge

I have been debating on what I wanted to do for next year’s book challenge. I decided on only doing 13 books but was debating the categories. Now, I’ve finally nailed it down.

The categories are loose enough that I can read what I want but guarantee a good variety. I should have plenty of freedom to go off challenge to read what I want. If I finish early, I can find other challenges but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. I have to get through these 13 first. I tried to get a good balance between fiction, nonfiction, and flexible options.

The categories for next year are:

1) Another World –

2) Learned Something –

3) Movie-Book –

4) Graphic Novel –

5) Dust –

6) Nonfiction –

7) Reread –

8) Shorts –

9) Fiction –

10) Shiny –

11) Retelling –

12) Wild Card –

13) The End –

I’m looking forward to this challenge. It should cause me less stress than doing 42 different books in a year and I shouldn’t have a problem finishing it.

Music: A Silent Night with You by Tori Amos