Challenge Met!

It's only September and I've already met the challenge I set myself. I wonder how many I will manage by the end of the year!

2011 Reading Challenge

Webfrau has completed her goal of reading 50 books in 2011!

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50 of 50 (100%)

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Pick of the Pack Again.

Yay! Lauren picked one of my layouts to feature on her blog. :)

Laurens Digital Scrapping Adventures: Pick of the Pack–September 5th- Summer holidays by...:   I love the modern yet retro feel to this gorgeous layout by DSP member Webfrau- the simple yet so very effective design really draws you...

I had a good digi-scrapping month in August. I took part in the Consistent Scrapper challenge at DSP in which the aim is to scrap everyday. I missed 4 or 5 days but still managed to complete 36 pages for the month. I'm not about to include them all here but they're all in my gallery at DSP.

Animal Farm

Animal Farm by George Orwell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I thought it was about time I read this classic. I was surprised at how short it was, I hadn't realised it was an essay rather than a novel. I enjoyed it, the parallels were rather amusing and spoke volumes about power and corruption.

I found the appendix explaining how it came to be written and the difficulty in publishing it fascinating too.



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12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women

I got this out of the library on the basis of a review I heard on a podcast but was, I'm sad to say, very disappointed.

The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women: A Portable Mentor by Gail McMeekin

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I gave this book 2 stars on the basis that it has some good quotes in that I liked but overall I didn't find it helpful or useful in any way. It's just not my style, far too "new age" and "touchy feely' for my liking. It really is a huge compilation of anecdotes from creative women but really they're just snippets of their experiences without showing any significant depth to the way they dealt with them or any real point. Maybe I just missed the point?



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The Ring of Solomon

The Ring of Solomon: A Bartimaeus Novel by Jonathan Stroud

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This was a fun book but I didn't enjoy it as much as the original Bartimaeus series. All the footnotes and "asides" from the djinni had worn a bit thin by this stage and I found myself skipping most of the notes to get on with the story.



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Pride & Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I last read this when I was in high school and this time I enjoyed it far more than I ever expected to. Right from the start I found it very funny, especially Mr Bennet's thinly veiled jibes at his wife. The second half of the book was gripping as the intrigue began to unfold and true characters were revealed. A thoroughly enjoyable read.



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The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Initially I felt a bit detached from the book but once I got to the second half, where all the action was I found it quite gripping. It reminded me a little of Incarceron, though I can't specifically say why. The ending left it ripe for a sequel or two and if that's the case I will definitely read them.



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Web of Air

A Web of Air by Philip Reeve

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I enjoyed this but it was nowhere near as compelling as the Mortal Engines books were. I discovered after I'd started, that this is Prequel #2 and I haven't read the previous one so perhaps I would've been more invested in the characters if I had. It was still an amusing, if simple, read and I will look for the first prequel that I've missed.



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Visual Chronicles

Visual Chronicles: The No-Fear Guide to Creating Art Journals, Creative Manifestos and Altered Books by Linda Woods

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This was a pretty quick read. It had some good prompts for journaling but nothing significantly new or different.



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The Creative Entrepreneur

The Creative Entrepreneur: A DIY Visual Guidebook for Making Business Ideas Real by Lisa Sonora Beam

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


At the beginning, this book says it's not a self help book but it is. On the surface it's a bit touchy feely but if you actually sit and read it, it poses some very thought-provoking and insightful questions. I really enjoyed all the accompanying artwork and inspiring quotes. A really good tool for the creative person, whilst aimed at business a lot of it can be applied to personal goals too.



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