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Reading Challenges
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2015 Summer Reading Challenge
I seldom read non-fiction, so I'll read 2 histories because I am going to be a guide at the Utah History Museum. Although I know a lot about Utah history because I taught it in elementary school, but I need to read more detailed histories, written by historians or people "at the scene." I can't think of any "extraordinary" books so I'll follow the posts for ideas. Suggestions, anyone, anyone?
Dang, I JUST finished Dracula, which would totally count as a genre I don't normally read, lol. I don't read a ton of nonfiction, so that may be the route I go also.I'm wondering about extraordinary books too... how are we defining that?
Good question, Britt. I was wondering the same thing. What is extraordinary for one person may be a total dud for someone else.
I never read short stories, and I believe that will be the selection this month for a book club I am a member of, so there is my first of the five. Yay me!!
I, too, am puzzled by "extraordinary" books as a category. I don't usually know a book is extraordinary until I finish it, even if I'm choosing from "Best" lists or from awards lists like Newbery or Pulitzer. Like Jackie said. Even though something I read in the past I might consider extraordinary, I have so much I've not read that I don't want to re-read 3 books just to meet the challenge. Ann, can you please give a little clarification regarding "extraordinary"?
So when I typed in 'extraordinary' into the search, it came up with over 3700 entries. I think I will try one or 3 of them. I find it a fun way to find different books to read.
Linda wrote: "So when I typed in 'extraordinary' into the search, it came up with over 3700 entries. I think I will try one or 3 of them. I find it a fun way to find different books to read."Okay, that's an idea. That would be fun.
I miss the way they used to do the summer reading program for adults-- one year it was a bingo grid and you had to get bingo. The theme was bugs or something like that and the squares had things like "Read a book with 'bee' in the title".
Jackie wrote: "I never read short stories, and I believe that will be the selection this month for a book club I am a member of, so there is my first of the five. Yay me!!"Now, Jackie, how would you know, ahead of time, what your book club will read? ;)
A little hint from my bestie. :) Sorry, I realized after I posted that that you may have not wanted the cat out of the bag. Ewwer! Hope no one else looks at this before Friday.
MY GREAT IDEAShel Silverstein's poetry is definitely extraordinary if you want to laugh:)i.e. WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS, LIGHT IN THE ATTIC etc. Try LAFCADIO for a short story/poetry. Lots of his poetry is best read aloud so everyone can laugh with you. Used to do that on car trips--not just for kids, either. And the illustrations are great but definitely not classic:)
I will be reading what my high school aged kids are assigned for summer reading, which fits in perfectly with this challenge. For the genres I don't usually read: nonfiction/economics, I will read Aftershock: The Next Economy and America's Future, and autobiography, I will read I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban. The three extraordinary books I may have to add after I've read them though I think I will take a look at the list Linda mentioned (thanks, Linda)!
Jackie wrote: "A little hint from my bestie. :) Sorry, I realized after I posted that that you may have not wanted the cat out of the bag. Ewwer! Hope no one else looks at this before Friday.":) No cats out of any bags!!
Jackie wrote: "A little hint from my bestie. :) Sorry, I realized after I posted that that you may have not wanted the cat out of the bag. Ewwer! Hope no one else looks at this before Friday."Becky and Jackie, you two are funny! And sorry, Becky, I did see this...but only hours before book club...and I won't tell anyone else.;). Short stories are definitely not my ordinary so that could work for me as well. Maybe poetry that isn't written for children. I don't read romance or horror, but probably won't start for this challenge. I read some but not much nonfiction so I may do that.
Jenny wrote: "Jackie wrote: "A little hint from my bestie. :) Sorry, I realized after I posted that that you may have not wanted the cat out of the bag. Ewwer! Hope no one else looks at this before Friday."Bec..."
There are quite a few non-fiction books with the word "extraordinary" in the title. I think I will go that route with this challenge. It should be fun!
OK. I went through my books to read and found 5 that will work for this challenge. 4 could fit into the extraordinary (thank heaven for cut and paste, my fingers will not type that word properly) category and 4 fit into genres I usually do not read. There are two poetry books, two award winner books, two books which served as the basis for movies, one book for which I know the author, one graphic novel, and one romance novel. I'll leave you to figure which serve as the unread genres. Till they are done, that is.
I have not participated in a challenge for awhile I will give the summer reading one a try. Although I too am confused about what qualifies and extraordinary. Will be watching for ideas for that. I am thinking maybe an action adventure novel for one of my genre I don't normally read books. Not sure for the other yet.
Poetry is a good idea for the genre I don't normally read. Thanks for the suggestion.
I don't usually read memoirs or autobiographies so for this challenge I am thinking about reading:-Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard
-I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban
-Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World
No idea yet what I am going to read for my 3 extraordinary books - hoping to see some good ideas posted up in the challenge.
I just finished The Temperament God Gave Your Kids. Since it is A) nonfiction B) a parenting book and C) a religious but not LDS book it definitely fits the "genre I wouldn't normally read" category!I really found it interesting and would recommend it!
I pretty much never read non-fiction and never read political. I'm going to read one of each: More Than Money by Neil Cavuto and Guilty by Ann Coulter. For the extraordinary books I chose three that have the word "extraordinary" in the title: Extraordinary* by Adam Selzer, The Extraordinary Cases of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Extraordinary Comebacks by John Sarkett.
Debbie wrote: "OK. I went through my books to read and found 5 that will work for this challenge. 4 could fit into the extraordinary (thank heaven for cut and paste, my fingers will not type that word properly) c..."I goofed. One is poetry, one is short stories.
That's hard. I don't know if there isn't a genre I normally read. I tend to like them all. This is going to take some thought. LOL
I'm also considering re-reading some of the books that I've considered extraordinary in the past, as re-reading is not something I've been able to make time for. Often, when I love a book, I know I want to read it again, but usually don't get around to it. Right away I am thinking of I Am the Messenger and The Poisonwood Bible.
Britt, Book Habitue wrote: "I'm wondering about extraordinary books too... how are we defining that?"I like the idea someone suggested about the word "extraordinary" being in the title. That works, or you read award books, a book someone recommended as being uncommonly good, something by an extraordinary author, a classic, a book about an extraordinary person or event, pretty much the sky is the limit. If you think it's extraordinary then it counts.
I just finished *All the Light We Cannot See* by Anthony Doerr. It is so extraordinary that it won the Pulitzer. I highly recommend this one, as do most Goodreads readers. 5 stars.
I listened to the audio book a while back that I thought was extrordiary: Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat by David Dosa. Another good one I've not read yet, but might is Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron. Each would work as an extraordinary tale and each might fill an unusual read in how many of us read non-fiction tales about a specific animal.
This is the form I'm going to use to track the books I read (or listen to) for completing the summer challenge. If anyone wants to borrow it, feel free. Although you might want to change the titles listed. (This is a queue to chuckle or laugh at my silly little joke.)Category: Read a genre not usually chosen
Genre: Romance
Title: Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks
Genre:
Title:
Extraordinary:
Title:
What is extraordinary:
Title:
What is extraordinary:
Title:
What is extraordinary:
I don't read non-fiction, I find it a little less than exciting, but I will try and read I Am Malala and American Crucifixion. For extraordinary I think: The Museum of Extraordinary Things, All the Light We Cannot See, and ?.
This is a tough challenge. There isn't really a genre that I don't really read, other than Romance, which isn't just because of lack of interest but out of general disgust for the genre.Also, I don't know what extraordinary means, when it comes to books.
I'm going to have to think on this one quite a bit.
Greg wrote: "This is a tough challenge. There isn't really a genre that I don't really read, other than Romance, which isn't just because of lack of interest but out of general disgust for the genre.Also, I d..."
I have pretty much the same reaction to Romance that you do. I read Nicholas Sparks' Nights in Rodanthe for an entry in my challenge. You may find that it's pretty good. Do you read plays? Lots of folks don't. Another suggestion for a Romance is The One and Only Ivan. Because he loves Stella and Ruby, Ivan, the gorilla, does something very extraordinary, especially for a gorilla. But it is love that spurs him to action.
These are the books I read (or listened to) for completing the summer challenge. I've completed an extraordinary book. If a series of fiction books by a single author is done, any maps or plans associated with that series is most commonly done by the author and tend to be only a few. The Atlas of Pern was written covering several hundred years and changes of the locations. Also shown are geographical maps, such as climate, land use (agriculture, forestry, etc), and population density maps. Who does that for a fiction series, even the author of the series? Karen Wynn Fonstad, that's who. A most extraordinary achievement.
Uncommon Genre:
Genre: Romance
Title: Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks
Extraordinary:
Title: The Atlas of Pern by Karen Wynn Fonstad
What is extraordinary: A detailed atlas covering a fiction series not done by the author of the series.
There is quality in romance as in any other genre; I promise. You just have to look for it. (And get past the titles/covers at times.) It's what I read on the treadmill. Try Mary Balogh's "A Summer to Remember." I avoid dystopian fiction myself, so I'll probably end up with something there.
Alyson wrote: "There is quality in romance as in any other genre; I promise. You just have to look for it. (And get past the titles/covers at times.) It's what I read on the treadmill. Try Mary Balogh's "A Su..."A really good dystopian fiction title is The Road by Cormac McCarthy, if you haven't read it. I picked it up as part of my goal of reading all the Pulitzer fiction winners. I was stunned that a dystopian title won a Pulitzer. But it was well deserved.
Debbie wrote: "Alyson wrote: "There is quality in romance as in any other genre; I promise. You just have to look for it. (And get past the titles/covers at times.) It's what I read on the treadmill. Try Mary..."I agree Debbie. The Road is an excellent choice for dystopian. We read this several years ago for book club, and most of the ladies thought it was so hopeless and dark, but we still talk about it years later, so that makes it an excellent book in my opinion. :)
I can't count this one myself, seeing as I finished it over a month ago, but I really liked Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives by Gretchen Rubin. It's a non-fiction book about how everyone has different motivations in habit forming and how to figure out what works for a person individually. (After all, what are the habits we seek, but an attempt to make our lives more extraordinary than they currently are.)
Finished my second bookCategory: Read a genre not usually chosen
Genre: Nonfiction/finance/economics
Title: Aftershock: The Next Economy and America's Future by Robert B. Reich
Review: A struggle to get through due to my intense disinterest in this subject, though I did like his ideas for moving forward, in the future. That part just came too late. I will watch the documentary that was based on this book, though, called, "Inequality for All".
Genre:
Title:
Extraordinary: book finished 6/14/15
Title: We Are Called to Rise by Laura McBride
What is extraordinary: I love how this is in the back jacket from the author: "I wanted to tell a story that might make a reader have a big feeling, the sense that no matter how cruel or unfair life could be at a given moment, no matter how terrible the consequences of a tiny mistake, it was ultimately beautiful to live...I wanted the reader to walk away believing that, with all our faults, human beings are worth something." The author says that and then she did that, in her book. It is beautifully written, poignant, tragic and triumphant.
Includes this quote: "It all matters. That someone turns out the lamp, picks up the windblown wrapper, says hello to the invalid, pays at the unattended lot, listens to the repeated tale, folds the abandoned laundry, plays the game fairly, tells the story honestly, acknowledges help, gives credit, says good night, resists temptation, wipes the counter, waits at the yellow, makes the bed, tips the maid, remembers the illness, congratulates the victor, accepts the consequences, takes a stand, steps up, offers a hand, goes first, goes last, chooses the small portion, teaches the child, tends to the dying, comforts the grieving, removes the splinter, wipes the tear, directs the lost, touches the lonely, is the whole thing. What is most beautiful is least acknowledged. What is worth dying for is barely noticed."
I don't usually read collections of short stories, but I've been reading one written by one of my favorite writing teams Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, A Liaden Universe Constellation: Volume I. I've been loving the flexibility that short stories allow, I can take a break and read for twenty minutes, finish a story, and then jump back in to whatever I was working on.
These are the books I read (or listened to) for completing the summer challenge. If anyone wants to borrow the format, feel free. Uncommon Genre:
Genre: Romance
Title: Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks.
Extraordinary:
Title: The Atlas of Pern by Karen Wynn Fonstad.
What is extraordinary: A detailed atlas of a fiction series not done by the author of the series
Title: The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery by Eric Foner.
What is extraordinary: Eric Foner traces the progress of Abraham Lincoln's views of slavery and emancipation from a position which, today, would be branded racist through changes in his thoughts and experiences leading him to became the Great Emancipator. This extraordinary work won the Pulitzer Prize for History in 2011. If you are curious about the claim of racism, read my review. It's far too long to repeat here.
Hi, My uncommon Genre books will be Romance and Essays. I have started the Making Marion by Beth Maran and will read The opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan. I sure hope I can read 3 extraordinary books also. I am a slow reader but excited of the challenge.
Tammy wrote: "Hi, My uncommon Genre books will be Romance and Essays. I have started the Making Marion by Beth Maran and will read The opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan. I sure hope I can read 3 extraordin..."Tammy, for one of your extraordinary books, read (if you haven't already) The One and Only Ivan. It is a truly incredible and delightful story. And, relatively speaking, a surprisingly quick read compared to other books of it's size. Another one you might like is The Invention of Hugo Cabret which was the base of the movie Hugo. Both of these are children's books, but very well worth reading for adults!
I just finished and extraordinary book: All the Light We Cannot See. Good book, definitely a recommended read. I also started a non-fiction book ( a genre I do not read): I am Malala. So far it is really good, I am pleasantly surprised.
I have finished my next entry for the summer challenge, a book that turned out to be extraordinary, even though I did not expect it to be so.Uncommon Genre:
Genre: Romance
Title: Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks.
Extraordinary:
Title: The Atlas of Pern by Karen Wynn Fonstad.
What is extraordinary: A detailed atlas of a fiction series not done by the author of the series
Title: The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery by Eric Foner.
What is extraordinary: The progress of Abraham Lincoln's views of slavery from his youth through him becoming the Great Emancipator.
Title: Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech.
What is extraordinary: How very much this book touched my heart. More than I expected. I keep finding myself thinking about it.
Just finished my first book for the challenge. The Umbrella Man, which is a collection of short stories. Really good. :) this qualifies as a genre I don't normally read.
I do not care for short stories. I choose to not read short stories unless the collection is part of another goal and I have to read that collection to complete the goal. If I had known this was a collection of short stories, I'd have avoided it. So, officially completing my summer challenge, I listened to the audio book of Assignment in Eternity by Robert A. Heinlein.Uncommon Genre: [2 - done]
Genre: Romance
Title: Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks.
Genre: Short Stories
Title: Assignment in Eternity by Robert A. Heinlein.
Extraordinary: [3 - done]
Title: The Atlas of Pern by Karen Wynn Fonstad.
What is extraordinary: A detailed atlas of a fiction series not done by the author of the series
Title: The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery by Eric Foner.
What is extraordinary: The progress of Abraham Lincoln's views of slavery from his youth through him becoming the Great Emancipator.
Title: Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech.
What is extraordinary: How very much this book touched my heart. More than I expected. I keep finding myself thinking about it.
If I read any more over the summer that meet this challenge, I will list them. Two are actually underway.
Update: finished my third book.Category: Read a genre not usually chosen
Genre: Nonfiction/biography/autobiography
Book: I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban
This book was terrific. I so admire this young lady and her passion and work. Her expressions of her love of God were very moving.
Becky wrote: "Finished my second book
Category: Read a genre not usually chosen
Genre: Nonfiction/finance/economics
Title: Aftershock: The Next Economy and America's Future by Robert B. Reich
Re..."
I have finished my first two books for this challenge:Genre I don't usually read: Short Stories: The Umbrella Man and Other Stories by Roald Dahl
For extraordinary books, I am reading books with the word extraordinary in the title: The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman
I just finished a book that I would say was extraordinary, It is called Tom and Henry. Henry is a sperm whale and the become forever friends. What I found to be extraordinary about it was what if that could happen? What are the chances? I loved Henry, what an amazing animal! And the way the author humanized his thoughts, it makes you wonder?
Endsinger,
last book in the the Lotus War series. "What's that? You say you've got a Japanese steampunk novel with mythic creatures, civil unrest, and a strong female protagonist? I'm afraid I missed everything you said after 'Japanese steampunk.' That's all I really needed to hear."--Patrick Rothfuss.
Reader's Choice just started today. So swing by your branch and check out the new titles! There are definitely some extraordinary books and some pretty diverse reading options too!
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The County Library
Books mentioned in this topic
I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban (other topics)We Are Called to Rise (other topics)
Watership Down (other topics)
Round Ireland with a Fridge (other topics)
Aftershock: The Next Economy and America's Future (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Pat Conroy (other topics)Robin Hobb (other topics)
Ben Coes (other topics)
2 books in a genre you do not normally read, e.g., classics, historical fiction, etc.
and
3 extraordinary books
Because this is a Summer Reading Challenge you have until August 31 to read the 5 books of your choosing for this challenge.