What's in a Name? Challenge

Annie is hosting this interesting challenge. Between January 1 and December 31, 2008, participants must read 1 book in each of 6 different categories. Below, I will list the six categories and their respective books:

1. A book with a color in its title: The Red Room by Nicci French -- finished 1/12/2008
2. A book with a first name in its title: Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susannah Clarke -- finished 4/25/2008
3. A book with a weather event in its title: Night Frost by R.D. Wingfield -- finished 6/27/2008
4. A book with an animal in its title: Top Dog by Jerry Jay Carroll -- finished 7/14/2008
5. A book with a plant in its title: Nathaniel's Nutmeg by Giles Milton -- finished 7/17/2008
6. A book with a place in its title: Surviving Antarctica: Reality TV 2083 by Andrea White -- finished 9/4/2008

Surviving Antarctica: Reality TV 2083 by Andrea White

First sentence:

"What chance did Stephen Michael have of winning his Toss?"

Description:

"It's 50 degrees below zero.

The wind and snow blow so hard, you can't see your hand in front of your face. Your heating fuel is nearly gone, and so is your food. How do you survive?

Five fourteen-year-olds face this desperate situtation on a deadly journey in Antarctica. It is 2083. They are contestants on a reality TV show, Antarctic Survivor, which is set up to re-create Robert F. Scott's 1912 doomed attempt to be the first to reach the South Pole.

But in 2083 reality TV is not just an act. Contestants literally relive -- or die during -- the simulations of events. Robert Scott and his team were experienced explorers and scientists, but their attempt to reach the Pole proved fatal. What chance does the Antarctic Survivor team have?

This action-packed, riveting adventure-- full of fascinating, direct quotes from Scott's journals and other accounts of the expedition -- is both a heart-wrenching drama from the past and a disquieting glimpse into the future." -- from the inside flap

My thoughts:

At first I wasn't sure if I would like this book as I thought the premise was cliched. However, soon I found myself enjoying the story as the young teens face many challenges both in Antarctica and back home. I liked the mix of historical events (Scott's expedition) and current events in a future where television ratings determine everything.

Date read: 9/4/2008
Book #: 64
Challenge: What's in a Name? Challenge
Rating: 4*/5 = great
Genre: YA/Adventure

ISBN-10: 006055455X
ISBN-13: 9780060554552
Publisher: Eos
Year: 2005
# of Pages: 318
Binding: Hardcover
LibraryThing Page

Nathaniel's Nutmeg by Giles Milton

First sentence:

"The island can be smelled before it can be seen."

Description:

"The tiny island of Run is an insignificant speck in the middle of the Indonesian archipelago--remote, tranquil, and now largely ignored. At the beginning of the seventeenth century, however, Run's harvest of nutmeg turned it into the most lucrative of the Spice Islands, precipitating a fierce and bloody battle between the all-powerful Dutch East India Company and a small band of ragtag British adventurers led by the intrepid Nathaniel Courthope. The outcome of the fighting was one of the most spectacular deals in history: Britain ceded Run to Holland, but in return was given another small island, Manhattan.

A brilliant adventure story of unthinkable hardship and savagery, the navigation of uncharted waters, and the exploitation of new worlds, Nathaniel's Nutmeg is a remarkable chapter in the history of the colonial powers." -- from Amazon.com

My thoughts:

Engaging and informative, this history of the English-Dutch conflict over the spice trade kept my interest throughout the book. I had known a little about how important spices were, and how the search for a new way to the Far East led to Columbus' voyages, but I didn't know all the details about the hardships the merchants and sailors went through.

Date read: 7/17/2008
Book #: 45
Challenges: What's in a Name? Challenge, Non-Fiction Five Challenge 2008
Rating: 3*/5
Genre: History

ISBN-10: 0340696761
ISBN-13: 9780340696767
Publisher: Sceptre
Year: 2000
# of Pages: 373
Binding: Trade Paperback
LibraryThing Page

Top Dog by Jerry Jay Carroll

First sentence:

"Just running at first."

Description:

"One day, William B. Ingersol sat in an office high above Wall Street conducting corporate takeovers.

The next day, he was a big dog, surviving by instinct alone in a strange new world.

Same difference.

Alice in Wonderland meets Wall Street in Jerry Jay Carroll's brilliant and witty debut novel. A high-powered executive gets a real lesson in looking out for #1 when he wakes up as a dog. Gone are the stock reports, limos, and cocktail parties. In thier place are fairy-tale forests, magical creatures, and hideous monsters. It's a world where you're either good or evil. Our hero decides to thoroughly explore both options before choosing. Because he may be a dog now, but he's still no idiot. And making moral decisions was never one of his strong points..." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

This was a good fantasy fable about learning what's important in life and what's not. I liked the main character, William Bogart Ingersol, aka "Big the Dog," even when he recounts his past behavior. I also liked the interactions between "Big" and the creatures and people of the Fair Lands.

Date read: 7/12/2008
Book #: 44
Challenges: What's in a Name? Challenge, What an Animal! Challenge
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0441005136
ISBN-13: 9780441005130
Publisher: Ace Books
Year: 1996
# of Pages: 330
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
LibraryThing Page

Night Frost by R.D. Wingfield

First sentence:

"The old lady's name was Mrs. Haynes - Mary Haynes, but no-one called her Mary for years, not since her husband died."

Description:

"A serial killer is terrorizing the senior citizens of Denton, and the local police are succumbing to a flu epidemic. Tired and demoralized, the force has to contend with a seemingly perfect young couple suffering arson attacks and death threats, a suspicious suicide, burglaries, pornographic videos, poison-pen letters...

In uncertain charge of the investigations is Detective Inspector Jack Frost, crumpled, slapdash and foul-mouthed as ever. He tries to cope despite inadequate back-up, but there is never enough time; the unsolved crimes pile up and the vicious killings go on. So Frost has to cut corners and take risks, knowing that his Divisional Commander will throw him to the wolves if anything goes wrong. And for Frost, things always go wrong..." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

I liked this gritty police procedural featuring Detective Inspector Jack Frost and his new partner Frank Gilmore who's often appalled by Frost's unorthodox and often slovenly behavior. Despite reduced staff and persistent bad luck, Frost and Gilmore somehow manage to find the answers they seek. I look forward to reading the first two books in the series, Frost at Christmas and A Touch of Frost.

Date read: 6/27/2008
Book #: 40
Challenges: What's in a Name Challenge, Initials Reading Challenge
Series: Jack Frost #3
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Mystery

ISBN-10: 0552145580
ISBN-13: 9780552145589
Publisher: Corgi Books
Year: 1992
# of Pages: 432
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
LibraryThing Page

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

First sentence:
"Some years ago there was in the city of York a society of magicians."

Description:

"Susanna Clarke's brilliant first novel is an utterly compelling epic tale of nineteenth century England and the two very different magicians who, as teacher and pupil and then as rival, emerge to change its history. In the year 1806, in the throes of the Napoleonic Wars, most people believe magic to be dead in England--until the reclusive Mr Norrell of Hurtfew Abbey reveals his powers and becomes a celebrity overnight. Soon, another practicing magician emerges: the young, handsome, and daring Jonathan Strange. He becomes Norrell's student, and the two join forces in the war against France. But as Strange is increasingly drawn to the wildest, most perilous forms of magic, he risks sacrificing not only his partnership with Norrell, but everything else that he holds dear." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

I admit when I first saw this book I was reluctant to read it - not because of the subject. I like books about magic and history, but because of the size. From the beginning, however, Clarke's writing pulled me into this world in which magic is studied and practiced, used and misunderstood. I especially liked the interactions between Norrell and Strange and the ones between the servant Stephen Black and the faery gentleman with the thistle-down hair.

Date read: 4/25/2008
Book #: 25
Challenges: Book Awards Challenge; Chunkster Challenge; Spring Reading Thing Challenge 2008; What's in a Name Challenge?; Man Booker Challenge
Rating: 4*/5 = great
Genre: Historical Fantasy

ISBN-10: 1582346038
ISBN-13: 9781582346038
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Year: 2005
# of Pages: 846
Binding: Trade Paperback
LibraryThing Page

The Red Room by Nicci French

First sentence:

"Beware of beautiful days."

Description:

"Kit Quinn is a young woman who inhabits dangerous worlds: crime scenes, interrogation scenes, hospitals for the criminally insane. Horribly wounded in a brutal attack, she must return to the site of her worst fears. She is asked by the police to advise them on a simple murder inquiry. A young runaway has been found killed by a London canal and the chief suspect is the man who wounded her.

But it isn't a simple case. Kit refuses to accept appearances, against opposition from the police and her own fears; she finds other crimes, other victims. Her obsessive search for the truth draws her into an underworld of abandoned and exploited young people, and puts her at terrible risk."

My thoughts:

This was an interesting mystery. I liked how the clues were revealed bit by bit as Kit tried to discover the truth about the canal killings.

Date read: 1/12/2008
Book #: 3
Challenges: What's in a Name Challenge, Winter Reading Challenge, TBR Challenge 2008
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Mystery

Publisher: BCA
Year: 2001
# of Pages: 340
Binding: Hardcover
LibraryThing Page