Update

I did a double and triple check of the team standings and some of them changed, either based on a book being on a reading or award list or just bad adding on my part.  Sorry!

The leaders are the same.

Doubles by Nic Brown

227 pages
2 hours 17 minutes

My reaction to books like this is, "do people really live like that?"  Lives of fear and depravity?  I'm not sure what you're supposed to take away from this book other than "thank God I'm not that person."

Totally depressing and I must have missed the humorous part that was mentioned in the description.

Pop by Gordon Korman

Pop by Gordon Korman

260 pages

Truman Readers Nominee

I thought this book was excellent. It is about football, obvious from the cover, but it is not weighted down with jargon. Anybody, football fan or not, can easily get caught up with the story.

(from jacket cover)

When Marcus moves to a new town in the dead of summer, he doesn't know a soul. While practicing football for impending tryouts, he strikes up an unlikely friendship with an older man. Charlie is a charismatic prankster-and the best football player Marcus has ever seen. He can't believe his good luck when he finds out that Charlie is actually Charlie Popovich, or "the King of Pop," as he  had been nicknamed during his career as an NFL linebacker. But that's not all. There is a secret about charlie that his family is desperate to hide.

When Marcus begins school, he meets the starting quarterback on the team: Troy Popovich. Right from the beginning, Marcus and Troy disagree-about football, about Troy's ex-girlfriend, Alyssa, but most of all about what's good for Charlie. Marcus is betting that he knows what's best for the King of Pop. And he is willing to risk everything to help his friend.

more

So I have obviously had time to focus on the blog today, what with being stuck at home.

In an attempt to be helpful, I have created tabs with award lists and ALA reading lists if anyone on our team wants to earn extra points by reading any of those titles.  Be sure to note on your post which list or award it comes from.

If anyone has a reading list that they would like to include, feel free to let me know.  I'll set it up. 

Also keep in mind that if you read an award winner book, you get extra points.  For example, I am currently reading a National Book Award Winner nonfiction book.

January Drawing

And the winner of the drawing is Bookworm!  Congratulations -- you have won a lovely black ballcap that reads:  Missouri Libraries -- A Great Investment.  (Just what you need for a blizzard.)

Bookworm:  let me know how I can get your prize to you.

Thanks to all the participants!

Note:  each person who posts on the blog during a calendar month will be included in the drawing for a different fantastic prize!

changes

Decided to move the team totals to their own page.  See tabs above.  I also added a tab for the rules, in case someone wants to refer to them.  On the right, you will now see the teams that are participating in the Missouri Book Challenge.

Standings

What a fantastic beginning!

As you can see, I have posted the standings for January (in alphabetical order by name).

Congrats to our current leader in books, pages, and points -- Bobbie!
Congrats to our current leader in time -- Judy!

Later today, I will announce the winner of this month's drawing.  Everyone who posted this month gets to be in the drawing for a fabulous prize!

(Yes, I know I use exclamation points too much but I am excited!)

Great work, everyone!