Fraterfest Readathon

 It is time to to celebrate love of horror, suspense, thrillers, the paranormal and more together with Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer. This is going to be a fun easy readathon with very little requirements to participate. See rules below.

 Official Rules 

•     Linkup

•     Spread the Word Grab the button and/or use social media to share the signup post

•     Read or Listen Between Midnight October 11th and ending at 11:59 pm October 16th read or listen to thrillers, mysteries, paranormal, horror, supernatural, witchy, ghostly, fantasy, or serial killer novels and novellas. (to clarify..these can be cozies and include romance. No need to sleep with the lights on if you don’t fancy a good scare!)

•    Share your progress on Twitter or Instagram using #FraterfestRAT

•    Participate in at least one challenge.

•    Create a shelf on Goodreads  (or blog post) marked FraterfestRAT to share your progress

•    Win, Have Fun, Discuss Books and Make New Friends

August 2018 Wrap up

Read books: 
read: 6/ listen: 0/ pages: 2517/ hours listened: 0
1. Часовой ключ by Natalya Sherba p. 365
2. Часовое сердце by Natalya Sherba p. 395
3. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery p.512
4. Часовая башня by Natalya Sherba p. 383
5. Часовое имя by Natalya Sherba p. 383
6. Убежище by Kir Bulychev p.479


Movie watched:
none

Challenges overview:
Goodreads Reading Challenge: 64/52
2017 PopSugar Reading Challenge 24/40
Pages Read Challenge: 16847/12000
Audiobook Challenge: 11/15
Russian Literature: 2/30
World of Literature: 18/50
Booker Prize Project: 7
Classics Club: 4/50

July 2018 Wrap up

Read books: 
read: 7/ listen: 0/ pages: 1786/ hours listened: 0
1. The Final Diagnosis by Arthur Hailey p. 164
2. Strong Medicine by Arthur Hailey p. 265

3. The Evening News by Arthur Hailey p.543
4. One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus p. 360 - my review
5. Murder on the Thirty-first Floor by Per Wahlöö p. 141
6. Murder at the Savoy by Maj Sjöwall, Per Wahlöö p.152
7. The Abominable Man by Maj Sjöwall, Per Wahlöö p. 161

Movie watched:
none

Challenges overview:
Goodreads Reading Challenge: 58/52
2017 PopSugar Reading Challenge 22/40
Pages Read Challenge: 14330/12000
Audiobook Challenge: 11/15
Russian Literature: 2/30
World of Literature: 18/50
Booker Prize Project: 7
Classics Club: 3/50

June 2018 Wrap up

Read books: 
read: 3/ listen: 0/ pages: 437/ hours listened: 0
1. Animal Farm: A Fairy Story by George Orwell p. 95 - my review
2. Ottoline and the Yellow Cat by Chris Riddell p.172
3. Ottoline Goes to School by Chris Riddell p. 170

Movie watched:
1. The Circle (2017) **
2. Into the Woods (2014) **
3. Annihilation (2018) **
4. A Cure for Wellness (2016) **
5. The Zookeeper's Wife (2017) ***
6. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011) ***
7. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016) ***
8. You Again (2010) ***
9. Peaceful Warrior (2006) ***
10. Years a Slave (2013) ***
11. Mr. Mercedes (2017-) 1st season ****
12. Persuasion (2007) ****
13. Why Him? (2016) ****
14. Persuasion (1995) *****


Challenges overview:
Goodreads Reading Challenge: 51/52
2017 PopSugar Reading Challenge 20/40
Pages Read Challenge: 12544/12000
Audiobook Challenge: 11/15
Russian Literature: 2/30
World of Literature: 18/50
Booker Prize Project: 7
Classics Club: 3/50

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Author: George Orwell
Original title: Animal Farm
Pages: 95
Edition Language: English
Series: no
Format: Paperback
Genres: Classics
Goodreads

Blurb:    
    Mr. Jones of Manor Farm is so lazy and drunken that one day he forgets to feed his livestock. The ensuing rebellion under the leadership of the pigs Napoleon and Snowball leads to the animals taking over the farm. Vowing to eliminate the terrible inequities of the farmyard, the renamed Animal Farm is organized to benefit all who walk on four legs. But as time passes, the ideals of the rebellion are corrupted, then forgotten. And something new and unexpected emerges...
My thoughts: 
      This book sounds like a children's tale: all of his animals on the Manor Farm meet in the big barn at the request of old Major, an old pig. Major delivers a political speech about the evils inflicted upon them by their human keepers and their need to rebel against the tyranny of humans. Shortly after, when Jones forgets to feed the animals, the revolution occurs, and Jones and his men are chased off the farm. Manor Farm is renamed Animal Farm, and the Seven Commandments of Animalism are painted on the barn wall. 
     But this is not a children's tale at all. That's some very heavy stuff. The book reflects events leading up to the Russian Revolution of 1917 and then on into the Stalinist era of the Soviet Union. It felt as I was reading the history of the USSR in a nutshell and this experience is terrifying. I read a chapter every second or third day as the writing was dense; and with every event in the book I had a lot of other information occurring in the head making connection to reality out of Orwell's metaphors.
     George Orwell created the brilliant analogy to the October 1917 Bolshevik Revolution and the development and establishment of the USSR and his ability to keep it short is purely amazing. My only regret was that he did not write the rest of the history of "Aminal Farm" and how it ended. I liked that the book was written in the politically neutral voice without painting black and white, which made this book unique as, though the idea is based on Russian history, I could not help but thinking that the scenario of Aminal Farm is applicable to any revolution. It is actually terrifying how universally applicable it is. History is repeating itself, people are driven by money, profit and power; and Aminal Farm is revealing the history of humankind on this planet. 

"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."

    In conclusion, Animal Farm is a novel that completely shook and terrified me and one of the few books that I think everyone should read at some point in their lives.

Rating: 

        5/5 

 

May 2018 Wrap up

Read books: 
read: 3/ listen: 2/ pages: 967/ hours listened: 28h31m
1. The Hidden Light of Objects by Mai Al-Nakib p. 240
2. The Unbound by Victoria Schwab p. 416
3. Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray 21h25m
4. The Last Quarter of the Moon by Chi Zijian p. 311
5. Looking for Alaska by John Green 7h6


Movie watched:
1. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
2. Ready Player One (2018)
3. Hidden Figures (2016)
4. Murder on the Orient Express (2017)


Challenges overview:
Goodreads Reading Challenge: 48/52
2017 PopSugar Reading Challenge 19/40
Pages Read Challenge: 12107/12000
Audiobook Challenge: 11/15
Russian Literature: 2/30
World of Literature: 18/50
Booker Prize Project: 7
Classics Club: 2/50

June 2018 TBR

    My May TBR did not work out completely as I pictured it, but still I am optimistic and will continue with publishing TBRs. Even if I will read two books out of the whole list it still be a success.
    This month I want to concentrate on books which will help me to cover as many PopSugar Reading Challenge prompts as possible.

    So...
1. Number 4. A book involving a heist - Headhunters by Jo Nesbø
2. Number 5. Nordic noir - Blood on Snow by Jo Nesbø  
3. Number 11. A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym - The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
4. Number 12. A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist - Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
5. Number 13. A book that is also a stage play or musical - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
6. Number 21. A book with your favorite color in the title - Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
7. Number 28. A book with song lyrics in the title - The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro (Tim Burton's Corpse Bride main song - Remains of the Day)

Of course I will not be able read all those books, but I can at least start some and see maybe I will find my new favorite.