Nov 1, 2009

Critical Monkey - update the fourth! One-third done!

Wow, has it been a third of a year already? Four months of challenging yourselves to be the best your can be? Well, cowboy up, buttercup, because you gots eight months to go! You think this is a challenge for sissies? You gotta have serious literary cojones to compete here!

Sorry, that came off a little harsh. I'm fighting something as I write this, something internal. No, not swine flu; good guess, but this feels different, more watery. Call it fish rabies.

Anyways, to the stats:

Acceptance (seven reviews)

Depression (six reviews)

Anger (five reviews)

Guilt (four reviews)

Bargaining (three reviews)
Corey Redekop
Lori L
Steve Zipp
Denial (two reviews)
gypsysmom
Jeanne
Shock (one review)
Betty

We've got some real movement here on some fronts, and some stagnation on others. I know its not easy, people, but its of vital importance that you see this through. Remember, you don't necessarily have to choose a novel you think you'll hate, just one that you feel you've ignored. I never would have read W.O. Mitchell otherwise, and I'm sure Lori L though she'd never read a Star Trek novel.

But, since it isn't easy, here's the first giveaway I promised to all contestants, a copy of Douglas Coupland's Generation A, which, by means of a random number selector, is hereby is awarded to:

Betty!

Congratulations, Betty. Write to me with your postal info at shelf.monkey@hotmail.com, and Coupland's latest (and a secret second novel) will be winging off to you as fast as Canada Post can fly it over (general delivery).

And as a reminder, at the halfway point I will be drawing one name to win a signed copy of Canadian author Mark Rayner's absurdist epic The Amadeus Net. For this one, I think a little more participation is in order (let's gird those loins, people!), and only those contestants who publish a new review between now and January 2, 2010 will be eligible for this particular prize. And this goes for anyone new to the game; there's still plenty of time for newcomers, and the more is definitely the merrier in this case.

So tell your friends!

For me, I am loading up on carbs and vitamins to properly tackle my next choice. This one will be a personal Everest for me; one of only two novels I can remember not finishing because it was so damned terrible. (The other novel? The Ninja by Eric Van Lustbader.) I fear this is going to be a bad one, my friends, the Hurricane Katrina of crap. The one that's going to taunt me mercilessly all the way with its unmitigated awfulness.

I refer, of course, to the Kirk Cameron-approved, fundamentalist dogma-infused, rapture-tastic epic Left Behind.

Wish me luck. I already feel nauseous. But that could be the rabies.

8 comments:

Lori L said...

I feel a definite sense of personal accomplishment at reaching three books now. I hereby swear I will cowboy up (literally), gird my loins, pretend I have cojones, and make it to the end!

Betty (Beth) said...

Left Behind?? You must have courage beyond belief. I am so frightened and proud at the same time! Good luck!

This has inspired me to get going with these reviews! And I already shot an email your way with my contact info!
Thanks!!

Lori L said...

I've finished my 4th Critical Monkey book, a western historical romance,
A Texan's Honor.

http://shetreadssoftly.blogspot.com/2009/11/texans-honor.html

Alison said...

Clearly I'm behind on this, but I did read my first book for the contest a while back: http://pilethemon.blogspot.com/2009/08/on-road-by-jack-kerouac-18-august-23.html

Just working up the courage to get to the next one...

Corey said...

Awesome! Lori is the first to crack the Guilt barrier! And a newbee arrives! Welcome, Alison, to Hell!

Jeanne said...

I've been finishing up the academic quarter (and sidelined by H1N1 for over a week) but I'm girding now!

Steve said...

If Margaret Atwood had turned to the dark side, or perhaps if she'd been born 60 years earlier, she might have written something like this -- The Whiteoaks of Jalna!

Corey said...

Wow, that sounds really...odd, Steve.

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