17 Aug, 2008
Book Blowout - final wrap up and winner announcement!
Posted by: Clare Swindlehurst In: Asides| Book Blowout
First of all can I give a big thank you to everyone who took part in the challenge - and congratulations! It looks like we have 46 people who ‘crossed the finish line’ (I’m not sure what happened to the rest of the people who signed up!).
And the survey said…
Thanks for completing the little survey that I made - from it I was able to see the following:
The total target for the 46 people who completed the challenge was 514 books - and between us we actually read 546 and a half! That’s 106% of target.
We beat our target!
Then I looked at how many people exceeded their target. Forty six percent of people beat their target, 26% of people met theirs, and 28% of people didn’t quite manage it (but it’s the taking part that counts).
How many people beat their own target?
The good news is that 59% of people read more than usual by taking part in the Book Blowout - which is what the challenge set out to do 
Did we read more than usual?
The answer to the question - would you take part again next year? - was unanimous - so put July 2009 in your diaries as the month to read lots of books *lol*
The meme
I’ve enjoyed reading your answers to the meme that I posted - though I still have a few more sites to visit!
Personally I managed to beat my target and read more books than usual - I counted 15 which is a massive record for me! I discovered a few new authors but my favourite book was Skylight Confessions by Alice Hoffman. The strangest place I found myself reading was in the kitchen while making scrambled eggs!
There can only be one winner
And here’s the news I know you’ve all been waiting for - the winner of the Amazon gift voucher.
I’m sitting here watching the Olympics - so I’m going to pick the winner in a topical way. It’s 10.41am (UK time) and they have just shown the latest medal table - and Team GB has a total of 24 medals. So the winner of the voucher is the participant in the number 24 spot on the closing challenge Mr Linky… who was…
Janicu challenged herself to 7 books - and managed to read 8 - well done!
1) Frederica by Georgette Heyer
2) Nightwalker by Jocelynn Drake
3) I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d have to Kill you/Cross My Heart And Hope to Spy by Ally Carter
6) Hotter Than Hell anthology edited by Kilm Harrison (still need to review this)
7) Dream Quest anthology edited by Linnea Sinclair and J.C. Wilder (also need to review)
Easy Connections by Liz Berry (again - need to review. This one left me a bit speechless).
[Editor's note] It sounds like you’re planning a wedding Janicu - hopefully you’ll be able to treat yourself to some books to help you escape the wedding madness
I’ve just discovered that Janicu actually got married on 08/08/08 - which incidentally is a very lucky day according to the Chinese - so congratulations on your recent wedding! Can you please email me at clareswindlehurst at gmail .com with the email address I should send the voucher to.
It’s a wrap
And that’s it - thanks for joining in the fun folks and keep up the good work!
Favourite books
Oh - one more thing to finish with. Here’s the list of favourite books as list by the challenge finalists. Just in case you have room on your wish lists, TBRs for any more books!
A Passion Most Pure by Julie Lessman
A tie between: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, The Poisonwood Bible, The People of the Book
Crow Lake
Dogwood by Chris Fabry
Girls Like Us by Sheila Weller
Gods in Alabama by Jossilyn Jackson
Hostage to Pleasure
How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier
I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone, The Host, Rumors, Chasing Windmills, and Play Me [[it was a good reading month!]]
In Cold Blood
Into the Fire by Suzanne Brockmann
Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder
Jhumpa Lahiri, Unaccustomed Earth
Just Listen
Just one? A three-way tie between Suzanne Enoch’s After the Kiss, Julia Navorro’s The Brotherhood of the Shroud and Jose Saramago’s The Gosple According to Jesus Christ
K.I.A. or The Fourth Watcher - can’t decide
Keeping The House
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
Master of Verona by David Blixt
Merciless by Robin Parrish (the final book in the Dominion Trilogy)
Moloka’i
Palestine by Joe Sacco
Persepolis - Marjane Satrapi
The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
Resistance
Rules of Prey by John Sandford
Skylight Confessions
Starcross by Philip Reeve
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
The Blue Castle by LM Montgomery
The Book Thief
The Gargoyle
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
The Ruby in the Smoke by Phillip Pullman
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig
The Soloist by Steve Lopez
The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society
things my girlfriend and i have argued about by mil millington
Tomato Girl by Jayne Pupek
Twilight
Twilight or Persepolis
Twilight Series 1-3 by Stephenie Meyer
Wanderlust by Ann Aguirre
wow… I really got lucky this month and loved most of them. Maybe Garden Spells? Or Belong to Me?
Writing the Mind Alive by LInda Trichter Metcalf, PH.D. & Tobin Simon, PH.D. - see my review at jottingsfromjan.blogspot.com
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