Tuesday, December 8, 2009

December (last month) Links to Your Books Reviews

This is the last month of the OT challenge!!! Post all your reviews for this month below, you can also post the links to your wrap up posts on this Mr. Linky.

As always, be sure to include the nation of origin (or where he/she resides or resided or if you are choosing to go with where the author was born) of the author, as well as the title of the book. For example: (Absent by Khedairi- Iraq)or (Half of a Yellow Sun - Nigeria)

Thank you all SO MUCH for joining in on this Orbis Terrarum Challenge this year, I have loved interacting with you all!!!

Blessings in this wonderful Christmas season to you and your families.


Thursday, November 5, 2009

November Book Links!

Post your reviews for the month of November below. I can't wait to see where you have traveled this month!!

As always, be sure to include the nation of origin (or where he/she resides or resided or if you are choosing to go with where the author was born) of the author, as well as the title of the book. For example: (Absent by Khedairi- Iraq)or (Half of a Yellow Sun - Nigeria)

Make sure you head over to each other's reviews to comment! We all love comments :)


Thursday, October 1, 2009

Kristin Lavransdatter Readalong



Dear Orbis Terrarum Challenge Readers:

Since Emily from Evening All Afternoon and I are hosting a Kristin Lavransdatter Readalong from October through December, Bethany has asked me to post something about the readalong here in case any of you are interested in joining us.  Full details can be found at Emily's blog here or my blog here, but basically we'll be reading one book a month from Sigrid Undset's 1920-1922 trilogy (above, photo by Emily) as part of a shared read with a friendly group of readers--sort of an online book group.  While Undset's status as a Nobel Prize winner may provide a bit of an intellectual incentive for some of you, the rest of you should rest easy in knowing that Kristin Lavransdatter is wildly acclaimed by many people who just like a good read!  As an added bonus for Orbis Terrarum Challenge participants, Undset can count as either a Norwegian author (based on where she lived much of her life) or as a Danish author (where she was born).  Anyway, I hope you'll consider reading along with us as the last readalong that many in the Kristin Lavransdatter crew participated in was so much fun that we decided to carry on with our online book group thing one more time!

Best,

Richard

P.S. Orbis Terrarum host Bethany is just one of several O.T. challengers reading along with us.  Feel free to stop by everybody's blogs even if you don't have the time to participate!  Bethany has also created a group for the Kristin Lavransdatter Readalong over at the Book Blogs Ning here.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

September Reviews for Orbis Terrarum Travelers!

Post your reviews for the month of September below. I can't wait to see where you have traveled this month!!

As always, be sure to include the nation of origin (or where he/she resides or resided or if you are choosing to go with where the author was born) of the author, as well as the title of the book. For example: (Absent by Khedairi- Iraq)or (Half of a Yellow Sun - Nigeria)

Make sure you head over to each other's reviews to comment! We all love comments :)


Mister Linky is back up!!!!


Sunday, August 30, 2009

Who am I? Guessing Game for a book!!!

Time for a GIVEAWAY!!!!!

I am going to copy what Richard did for his giveaway and give one clue each day until the book is figured out. I want you to guess the author and the book in order to win.

I will just edit this post with a new clue daily until someone gets it!!

Clues:

1.) International fiction writer.
2.) The writer is Female.
3.) She is from California.
4.) Born to first generation immigrants.
5.) Won the National Book Award

HAVE FUN PLAYING, You may guess in the comments to win, but I will only answer yes or no. Enjoy!
(you must be a part of the Orbis Terrarum Challenger to play)

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

August Reviews!!

Hey international traveler peeps!
So this is our 6th month, and so you should be working on your 6th book in August.

To add in a little excitement I have a great book to giveaway this month. It is one of my favourite reads, so stay in touch.

Post your reviews in the comments, Mr Linky is still down, I think I will give up on it.

Be sure to include the nation of origin (or where he/she resides or resided or if you are choosing to go with where the author was born) of the author, as well as the title of the book. For example: (Absent by Khedairi- Iraq)or (Half of a Yellow Sun - Nigeria)

Make sure you head over to each other's reviews to comment! We all love comments :)

Enjoy your reading travels.

EDIT: Mister Linky is BACK!! Just when I had given up! :)

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

July Reviews!!

How is the summer treating you? Do you read more during the summer or less? So far for me it has been so much less this time around with my husband graduating with his masters and my sister getting married, plans go to Spain in September for a visit to my parents....you know all fun stuff, but still completely distracting. Happy reading peeps!

Here is the Mr. Linky for July, where you can post your links to the reviews you have written the month for the OT challenges. I am going to post one mr. linky for all of the OT challenges so make sure that you specify in your review what challenge (or challenges if there is overlap) you are posting the review for.

Be sure to include the nation of origin (or where he/she resides or resided or if you are choosing to go with where the author was born) of the author, as well as the title of the book. For example: (Absent by Khedairi- Iraq)or (Half of a Yellow Sun - Nigeria)

Make sure you head over to each other's reviews to comment! We all love comments :)

Mr. Linky (where you put your links) is down right now, just post the url to your review, along with Country,Author, Book in the comments. THANKS!

Friday, June 12, 2009

Reviews for June

Here is the Mr. Linky for June, where you can post your links to the reviews you have written the month for the OT challenges. I am going to post one mr. linky for all of the OT challenges so make sure that you specify in your review what challenge (or challenges if there is overlap) you are posting the review for.

Be sure to include the nation of origin (or where he/she resides or resided or if you are choosing to go with where the author was born) of the author, as well as the title of the book. For example: (Absent by Khedairi- Iraq)or (Half of a Yellow Sun - Nigeria)

Make sure you head over to each other's reviews to comment! We all love comments :)

Mr. Linky (where you put your links) is down right now, just post the url to your review, along with Country,Author, Book in the comments. THANKS!

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Reviews for May!!!

Here is the Mr. Linky for May, where you can post your links to the reviews you have written the month for the OT challenges. I am going to post one mr. linky for all of the OT challenges so make sure that you specify in your review what challenge (or challenges if there is overlap) you are posting the review for.

Be sure to include the nation of origin (or where he/she resides or resided or if you are choosing to go with where the author was born) of the author, as well as the title of the book. For example: (Absent by Khedairi- Iraq)or (Half of a Yellow Sun - Nigeria)

Make sure you head over to each other's reviews to comment! We all love comments :)

Mr. Linky (where you put your links) is down right now, just post the url to your reivew, along with Country,Author, Book in the comments. THANKS!

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Thank you!

Hey OT folks!

I want to thank you for all the commenting you have been doing on each other's blogs, and checking out the OT reviews that the other members have posted!! You all are really helping me out. My initial goal was to comment on every OT review, and I guess it is a good sign, but I keep falling way behind. You all are crackin' out those international reviews like crazy. So, keep up the good reviewing and the commenting. I love the community feel that it breeds. LOVE IT! Keep it up. Thank you all so much.


Stay posted, I will host a giveaway, Guess that Author game soon ( thanks Richard for the idea from your Juan Rulfo giveaway). So keep checking, I'll get it up in the next couple days!

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Juan Rulfo

Congratulations to One Swede Read, who correctly guessed that Mexico's own Juan Rulfo (above, with pre-columbian friend) was the name of the author in this week's trivia contest! Rulfo (1917 or 1918-1986) is primarily famous for two works, his 1953 short story collection El llano en llamas (The Burning Plain) and his 1955 novel Pedro Páramo, but he's almost universally revered in Latin American literary circles for his contributions to the craft of writing. Jorge Luis Borges, for example, called Pedro Páramo one of the best novels ever written, and Gabriel García Márquez has claimed that reading that same novel helped him break the writer's block he was suffering early on in his own career--a breakthrough that would soon lead to the creation of García Márquez' own classic Cien años de soledad (100 Years of Solitude). Rulfo has lately begun to receive a lot of posthumous attention for his wonderful photography, and photographic compilations of his work are now available in both English and Spanish as well as online. The Prize: One Swede Read, please get in touch with me to claim your prize: a copy of El llano in llamas (The Burning Plain) or Pedro Páramo in either Spanish or English. One final note: OT host Bethany somehow managed to guess the author's identity on the very first day of the contest, but she took herself out of the running so that others could have a chance at the prize. How about a round of applause for her sportsmanship? Thanks to everybody who participated in the trivia contest--we'll do another one down the road if you thought it was fun!

A Spanish-language version of Rulfo's classics

An English version of the novel

One of Rulfo's more ethereal photographs: two dancers on a plain in Mexico

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

"Guess the Name of the Author" Book Giveaway Contest

To help get April's Orbis Terrarum reading off to a fun start, I'm giving away a free paperback (author and title to be revealed later) to the first OT challenger who can guess the name of the mystery man above (no resemblance to the actual author, of course!). All OT contestants are welcome to play, and the only rule is that you should limit yourself to one guess a day (no anonymous entries) in the comments box until the writer's identity is revealed. I'll provide a new clue here daily until a winner is declared, but here are three to start you out. P.S. Given that these clues may apply to more than one person, don't get too mad if you guess the "wrong" writer based on a similar description. I know who the right one is!

  • The author in question, one of the most influential of his times by many accounts, was a writer and a photographer.
  • English was not the author's native language.
  • A son of the author is a filmmaker.
  • (Bonus clue) Jorge Luis Borges, no stranger to talent himself, was a huge fan of this writer's work.
  • (Latest clue) Although this celebrated short story writer and novelist did write in Spanish, he wasn't born in either South America or Spain.

Can you guess the name of this author?

April OT Books Read:

Here is the Mr. Linky for April, where you can post your links to the reviews you have written the month for the OT challenges. I am going to post one mr. linky for all of the OT challenges so make sure that you specify in your review what challenge (or challenges if there is overlap) you are posting the review for.

Be sure to include the nation of origin (or where he/she resides or resided or if you are choosing to go with where the author was born) of the author, as well as the title of the book. For example: (Absent by Khedairi- Iraq)or (Half of a Yellow Sun - Nigeria)

Make sure you head over to each other's reviews to comment! We all love comments :)

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

National Poetry Month! Want to join in?

http://www.poets.org/images/npm_poster_2009_550.gif

April is National poetry month and I wanted to be sure and mention it so that you'd each have a chance to bust out some good international poetry to read. We have the good Orbis Terrarum Poetry Mini Challenge and this would be a great month to focus on that if you are signed up. That is what I am going to do at least. (although any other month would be great too :)



Katrina gave us this good little tid bit:
For people that want to read 5 different poems, On this page. Their are audio's of all the poems we study in England for GCSE's the poems specifically have to come from a different culture. Copies of each poem are easily found on line as well if you google the title.

What international poets are you going to read for this Poetry Mini-Challenge??

Monday, March 2, 2009

Post links to your March OT reviews!!

I will put up a new mr. linky every month where you can post your links to the reviews you have written that month for the OT challenges. I am going to one mr. linky for the main OT challenge and the Mini-challenges so make sure that you specify in your review what challenge (or challenges if there is overlap) you are posting the review for.

Be sure to include the nation of origin (or where he/she resides) of the author, as well as the title of the book. For example: (Absent by Khedairi- Iraq)or (Half of a Yellow Sun - Nigeria)

Make sure you head over to eachother's reviews to comment! We all love comments :)


Sunday, March 1, 2009

may the journey begin!!

[orbis+terrarum+map.jpg][OT+film.jpg]
[OT+bilingual.jpg][OT+Poetry.jpg]


Today is the 1st of March, and the beginning of:

The Orbis Terrarum Challenge
The Orbis Terrarum Film Challenge
The Orbis Terrarum Bilingual Challenge
The Orbis Terrarum Poetry Challenge

Which country are you visiting in first!? I am torn. I have several really good options. I put together (with the help of several of you amazing volunteers) a list of the books read last year and links to what other bloggers thought of those books. If you email me links as we go I can just add them. Make sure to remember that I list them by the author's nation of origin, I know sometimes it isn't the best fit, but I think over all it is the best way of doing things.

Are you ready to start???

And the Winner Is...

Beastmomma, you have just won a copy of The Best of Youth on DVD. I'll be in touch soon to get your mailing address, but for now happy day one of the Orbis Terrarum Challenge to you and to all the other giveaway participants.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Orbis Terrarum Film Mini-Challenge Giveaway

Dear Orbis Terrarum 2009 Challenge Participants:

With Bethany's approval, I'll be sponsoring a DVD giveaway in early March to help kick off this year's Orbis Terrarum Film Mini-Challenge. One lucky winner will receive a copy of director Marco Tullio Giordana's 2003 The Best of Youth (original title: La meglio gioventù), a six-hour Italian epic that follows the fortunes of brothers Matteo and Nicola Carati through almost forty years of recent history in the bel paese. Everybody I've shown this movie to has been blown away by it, so I hope I can continue the streak with you if you turn out to be the giveaway winner!

Although the DVD winner will be determined by a random drawing, you can increase your chances to earn up to five raffle entry points by doing one or more of the following: 1) Comment on this post to let me know that you're interested in being entered into the drawing. 2) For a bonus point, let me and Bethany know what three of your all-time favorite foreign films are in the course of your comments. 3) For three bonus points, sign up for the Orbis Terrarum Film Mini-Challenge using Mister Linky by the end of the month. I plan on holding the drawing on March 1st, the official start of the main OT Challenge and all the mini-challenges this year, so please comment and/or sign-up by the end of February to be eligible to win.

One last thing: This Best of Youth DVD is a region one DVD, which means it will only play on U.S. and Canada DVD players unless you have a multi-region DVD player or program. If you win the contest but aren't sure if you're able to play U.S. DVDs on your system, let me know if you'd prefer that I send you a copy of Giuseppe di Lampedusa's 1958 novel The Leopard (Il gattopardo) instead. Ciao!

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Reviewed by OT Challengers

Africa

Asia




Europe


North America



South America


Oceania: