Amanda’s Comments (group member since Mar 28, 2016)

Amanda’s comments from the The Reading Challenge Group group.

I am desperately trying! 5 books to go...it's not looking great

I'm in! I'm a teacher and start my winter break today. I've already met my goal of books read for the year, but am stalled out on the Alphabet Soup challenge. I have 6 books I have left to read for that (J, K, Q, U, V, X). I know I'm definitely going to read Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking and Vinegar Hill, but am open to suggestions for the other letters. Hopefully I'll find books that are manageable in a short time frame!

Happy reading!

I FINALLY got my first BINGO, too! My goal was to get multiple BINGOs, but a few books I chose took me a long time to get through (I'm looking at you Living History and Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth...even though I enjoyed both)! Hopefully I can get one more before the official start of winter on the 21st, but I'm also trying to finish up some other challenges for this year.

O1-Foreign Setting: My First Loves (10/12)
O2-Time Travel: The Eyre Affair (11/25)
O3-Illustrated: Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened (10/22)
O4-Religion: Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth (12/15)
O5-Brown Cover: Persuasion (10/27)

I love Bingo! It really allows me to read what I want while also providing a few different genres to challenge my reading.

I'm a bit late to the party, but I figured I would see how far I've gotten with this one! I may not be able to finish by the end of 2016, but you never know! Using all original publication dates.

1800-1809
1810-1819: Persuasion (Pub. 1818, I Finished 10/27/16)
1820-1829
1830-1839
1840-1849
1850-1859
1860-1869
1870-1879
1880-1889
1890-1899
1900-1909
1910-1919: The Thirty-Nine Steps (Pub. 1915, I Finished 1/28/16)
1920-1929: The Sun Also Rises (Pub. 1926; I Finished 2/4/16)
1930-1939: Of Mice and Men (Pub. 1937, I Finished 6/27/16)
1940-1949: The Stranger (Pub. 1942, I Finished 1/23/16)
1950-1959: Lolita (Pub. 1955, I Finished 5/17/16)
1960-1969: The Water is Wide: A Memoir (Pub. 1969, I Finished 9/8/16)
1970-1979: The Book of Laughter and Forgetting (Pub. 1978, I Finished 10/19/16)
1980-1989: The Alchemist (Pu. 1988, I Finished 8/22/16)
1990-1999: Bridget Jones's Diary (Pub. 1996, I Finished 1/18/16)
2000-2009: Olive Kitteridge (Pub. 2008, I Finished 1/11/16)
2010-2016: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2 (Pub. 2016, I Finished 8/26/16)

Yay! I love Bingo. Going to try for more than one this time, but this is my busy time of year at work so we will see!

FALL BINGO

B1-Multiple Awards: Everything Is Illuminated (11/4)
B2-Never Finished
B3-Courtroom or Crime: November 22, 1963 (12/17)
B4-Orange Cover
B5-Politics: Living History (11/23)

I1-Finish a Series
I2-Beloved Children's
I3-Adventure
I4-Dysfunctional Family
I5-Sweater on Cover: Delicacy (11/5)

N1-GR Award Nominated
N2-Challenges Social Norms
N3- Free
N4-Senior Romance
N5-Hometown Setting

G1-First Person POV: Breakfast at Tiffany's (11/26)
G2-Red Cover
G3-Unfamiliar Territory: The Book of Laughter and Forgetting (10/19)
G4-Highly Recommended
G5-Supernatural Character

O1-Foreign Setting: My First Loves (10/12)
O2-Time Travel: The Eyre Affair (11/25)
O3-Illustrated: Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened (10/22)
O4-Religion: Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth (12/15)
O5-Brown Cover: Persuasion (10/27)

Finally, my first Bingo of summer!!!

B4: Information - Women Heroes of World War II: 26 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Resistance, and Rescue (8/9)
I4: Downloaded it - The Last Lecture (7/20)
N4: Yesterday's news - The Color of Secrets (7/14)
G4: One of the guys - The Alchemist (8/22)
O4: Take a look - The Inconvenient Duchess (7/21)

Hoping to get a few more in before the challenge is over!

Yay! I love Bingo!

B1: Exploration
B2: Congratulations!
B3: Participation - Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (6/24)
B4: Information - Women Heroes of World War II: 26 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Resistance, and Rescue (8/9)
B5: Collaboration

I1: Listed it
I2: Bought it
I3: Eyed it
I4: Downloaded it - The Last Lecture (7/20)
I5: Scored it!

N1: Oldie but goodie
N2: New kid on the block
N3: FREE - Austenland (8/6)
N4: Yesterday's news - The Color of Secrets (7/14)
N5: Everybody's talking - The Martian (6/22)

G1: Nice to meet you - Rosie (7/6)
G2: You seem familiar
G3: One of the girls - Midnight in Austenland (8/8)
G4: One of the guys - The Alchemist (8/22)
G5: Old friends - The Ambassador's Daughter (6/28)

O1: Take a stand
O2: Take a friend
O3: Take a trip
O4: Take a look - The Inconvenient Duchess (7/21)
O5: Take a break - The Outsiders (6/29)

I just finished this book, and absolutely loved it. I think it was beautifully written and am loving reading everyone's favorite quotes (I'd say mine is definitely "To be careful with people and with words was a rare and beautiful thing"). I think this is a book I might have "missed" if it hadn't been a group read. Thanks for suggesting it Veronique!

Speaking of the super cute badges...where is a good place to put these? I know there is a thread about it somewhere, but is there a way I can display them without creating a whole thread dedicated to moi on here?

My digital copy of this just came through from the library! I'm hoping to start it in the next day or two.

I read this in High School, but (like many of you) wanted to give it a second chance. I just finished. It took me a lot longer to read than a book of this size usually would. Although I didn't find it a real "page turner" this is such a memorable, well-written story.

Double Bingo for me!! (I am going to keep working on it though!)


B2: Memoir Orange Is the New Black (3/25/16)
I2: Travel The Lost Continent: Travels in Small Town America (5/11/16)
N2: Yellow Cover How I Became a Famous Novelist (5/24/16)
G2: In Translation The Little Prince (5/25/16)
O2: Historical (F or NF) Brooklyn (4/3/16)


N1: Published This Year When I'm Gone (4/2/16)
N2: Yellow Cover How I Became a Famous Novelist (5/24/16)
N3: FREE The Man in the High Castle (4/20/16)
N4: Romance While You Were Mine (3/30/16)
N5: Male POV Lolita (5/17/16)

Thanks, Renee! That's what I figured :-)

Oh, I'm in!

Spring Bingo! (March 20-June 20)

B1: Award Nominated The House on Mango Street (3/28/16)
B2: Memoir Orange Is the New Black (3/25/16)
B3: Audio Book
B4: Green Cover
B5: Pretty Dress The Milliner's Secret (3/20/16)

I1: Published before 1900
I2: Travel The Lost Continent: Travels in Small Town America (5/11/16)
I3: Horror or Suspense
I4: Mental Illness
I5: Fairies or Fae

N1: Published This Year When I'm Gone (4/2/16)
N2: Yellow Cover How I Became a Famous Novelist (5/24/16)
N3: FREE The Man in the High Castle (4/20/16)
N4: Romance While You Were Mine (3/30/16)
N5: Male POV Lolita (5/17/16)

G1: Tear-Jerker Me Before You (4/17/16)
G2: In Translation The Little Prince (5/25/16)
G3: Minority Studies We Too Sing America: South Asian, Arab, Muslim, and Sikh Immigrants Shape Our Multiracial Future (4/13/16)
G4: Young Adult
G5: Magical Powers

O1: Fairy Tale Retelling
O2: Historical (F or NF) Brooklyn (4/3/16)
O3: Play
O4: Based on a True story
O5: Pink Cover

I love it! Totally in. Even though I'm just joining now, I'm backing this up to January 1 for me! Hopefully it's not too annoying that I'm doubling up some letters. I doubt I'll have enough time to make several "soups," so maybe instead mine will just have extra of some!

A-After You (Finished 6/18/16)
B-Brooklyn (Finished 4/3/16) & Bridget Jones's Diary (Finished 1/18/16)
C-The Confidant (Finished 3/12/16)
D-Delicacy (Finished 11/5/16)
E-The Eternal Wonder (Finished 2/4/16) & The Edge of Reason (Finished 1/21/16) & Elizabeth Is Missing (Finished 1/17/16)
F-Finding Rebecca (Finished 1/4/16)
G-The Girl on the Train (Finished 3/2/16) & Go Ask Alice (Finished 1/29/16)
H-The House on Mango Street (Finished 3/28/16) & Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (Finished 1/26/16)
I-I've Got Your Number (Finished 3/6/16)
J-
K-
L-The Lost Continent: Travels in Small Town America (Finished 5/11/16) & Lolita (Finished 5/17/16)
M-The Man in the High Castle (Finished 4/20/16) & Me Before You (Finished 4/17/16) & The Milliner's Secret (Finished 3/20/16) & Mad About the Boy (Finished 1/22/16) & Modern Romance (Finished 1/13/16)
N-November 22, 1963 (Finished 12/17/16)
O-Orange Is the New Black (Finished 3/35/16) & Olive Kitteridge (Finished 1/11/16)
P-The Plum Tree (Finished 3/11/16) & The Paris Key (Finished 1/30/16)
Q-
R-Rosie (Finished 7/6/16)
S-The Sun Also Rises (Finished 2/6/16) & The Stranger (Finished 1/23/16) & Still Alice (Finished 1/3/16)
T-The Thirty-Nine Steps (Finished 1/28/16)
U-
V-Vinegar Hill (Finished 12/22/16)
W-When I'm Gone (Finished 4/2/16) & While You Were Mine (Finished 3/30/16) & We Too Sing America: South Asian, Arab, Muslim, and Sikh Immigrants Shape Our Multiracial Future (Finished 4/13/16)
X-
Y-Yes Please (Finished 2/24/16) & Yellow Star (Finished 1/29/16)
Z-Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth (Finished 12/15/16)

I read this at the end of February/beginning of March. I felt like the first 2/3rds of the story was just sort of slogging along. I know there were twists and turns to add interest, but I didn't find myself caring too much about anyone or anything. With that being said, I thought the last third of the story saved the book for me. It held my interest and included some twists I didn't see (although I think I was in the minority)! Still, this isn't one I'll be revisiting any time soon.