Sunday Salon - The Past Two Months - May 31, 2010

I'm back! These last two months have been crazy busy for me!  I think I've finally recovered enough to start actively blogging again!

I will be "joining" The Book Whisperer, Donalyn Miller, as she tries to read one book a day for summer vacation. I'll post as soon as my list is complete! For now, here are my fake challenge updates for April and May.

1. Reading Challenges - short updates on my unjoined challenges

Debut Author Challenge (10)
The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez
Happyface by Stephen Emond

In the Middle Reading Challenge (24)
The Red Umbrella
Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale
The London-Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd
Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
Tighty-Whitey Spider by Kenn Nesbitt
100 Cupboards by ND Wilson
The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling

Young Adult Reading Challenge (43)
Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti
Asking for Trouble by Sandra Byrd
After the Kiss by Terra Elan McVoy
Heaven by Angela Johnson
The First Part Last by Angela Johnson
Sweet, Hereafter by Angela Johnson
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott
Happyface
Gimme a Call by Sarah Mlynowski
Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve
She's So Dead to Us by Kieran Scott
The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong
The Cardturner by Louis Sachar

POC Reading Challenge (18)
The Red Umbrella
The Heaven Trilogy
The Summer I Turned Pretty
Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Loving Your Library (24)
The First Part Last
Sweet, Hereafter
Rapunzel's Revenge
Here Comes the Garbage Barge by Jonah Winter
Happyface
Gregor the Overlander
100 Cupboards

2. Book Buying -I will still keep track of this but, clearly, I have a problem that I'm not willing to give up yet.

I'm on an HP kick so I bought all 7 Harry Potter books in the Adult Edition from the UK. Thought it would be fun to see if there are significant differences. Yes, I do own all 7 Hardcovers. Your point?

14 US books - ~$108
7 UK books - £64.82 (I'll let you figure this out!)

Total books read in April and May - 32 (16 each month)
Best Book of April - Happyface by Stephen Emond
Best Books of May - Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon and The Cardturner by Louis Sachar