2015 Summer Reading Challenge

[Jackie]

I just finished my first extraordinary book, "The Promise of a Pencil: How an Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary Change" by Adam Braun. Amazing story about changing the world, one pencil at a time. I now have two books down. :)

[Kara]

I would have stayed-up all night to read this book in one go. The Martian is extraordinary!

[Debbie]

For my personal "enhancement" of the challenge, I chose to read 3 and 3 of the groups. My final entry in the challenge is a genre I don't normally read. So here goes: I do not care for graphic novels. The number I've read as an adult can be counted on one hand with room left over. When I was a kid there was no such thing, only comic books. My problem is (you note I'm placing the blame precisely where it belongs and not with the genre) that any skill set you need to read and follow graphic novels I lost a long time ago. I don't understand them, I can't figure out the story and I feel lost and very disappointed. In fact, this particular graphic novel left me more puzzled and confused than any of the other few I've read. I only finished reading it as part of a personal reading challenge I made. Otherwise, it would have joined the very short list of titles on my "unfinished" shelf. All I can say is "WHEW, it's over." Um, the graphic novel, not the challenge.

Uncommon Genre: [3 - done]

Genre: Romance
Title: Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks.

Genre: Short Stories
Title: Assignment in Eternity by Robert A. Heinlein.

Genre: Graphic Novel
Title: The Complete Frank Miller Batman by Frank Miller.

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.

[Jenny]

Debbie,
I tend to not like graphic novels either. However, I ended up really liking El Deafo. It was one of the 2015 Newbery Honor books. Good job finishing the challenge and even doing a bit extra. :)

[Ann]

While I read tons of children's picture books it's been a while since I've read a children's chapter book, so Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library is going to count toward my types of books I don't usually read.

[Deidre]

Non-fiction is a genre I rarely choose. I've read several historical fiction books this year, but I realize that's not the same. I'll have to work on that.

[Becky]

Update: finished my fourth book.

Category: Extraordinary AND a genre not usually chosen: nonfiction/travel/humor

The book is Round Ireland with a Fridge and is extraordinarily silly, a nonfiction travel around Ireland with a refrigerator with many visits to pubs AND the bonus of the wonderfully helpful, cheerful and inventive Irish people.

Becky wrote: "Update: finished my third book.

Category: Read a genre not usually chosen

Genre: Nonfiction/biography/autobiography

Book: [book:I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by t..."

[Becky]

Update: finished my fifth book, an extraordinary book Watership Down an terrifically written adventure about loyalty and friendship. I read this book about 30 years ago, when I was in junior high and always wanted to get back to it. Highly recommended.

Becky wrote: "Update: finished my fourth book.

Category: Extraordinary AND a genre not usually chosen: nonfiction/travel/humor

The book is Round Ireland with a Fridge and is extraordinarily silly,..."

[Jackie]

I just finished my second "Extraordinary" book, UNBROKEN, by Laura Hillenbrand. As sad as it made me, it was still a 4 star read.

[Ann]

I just finished Lives in Ruins: Archaeologists and the Seductive Lure of Human Rubble, a book about people with an extraordinary career. Though archaeologists jobs aren't anything like an Indiana Jones movie, something the author makes sure to point out, the book was fascinating and gave me a greater appreciation for all the effort that goes into gaining new information about the past and preserving historic sites.

[Lorna]

Dang, this is hard! I read some of *everything*: history, science, paranormal, (classic) fiction, mystery, SF&F. Lately I've even gotten into romance. Oh, yes: I read JF, YF, and picture books, too. . . I think I may have to read a James Patterson to break out of my usual reading habits! :-)

[Jenny]

I have finished 4 of my books for this challenge:

Extraordinary books:
The Museum of Extraordinary Things
Pudd'Nhead Wilson and Those Extraordinary Twins
The Extra-Ordinary Princess

Not my typical genre:
The Umbrella Man and Other Stories. Short stories

Working on my last one:Essential Dickinson. I read children's poetry at school (I'm a teacher) and with my children fairly often. But I very rarely read poetry written for adults. So that is my fifth and final book for the challenge.

[Debbie]

For those of you who are frustrated because you read the genres already, I suggest three that you may not normally read, because few people do:
Plays (not Shakespeare -- everyone reads Shakespeare)
Musical Librettos -- search the catalog for "librettos" as a keyword.
Film Scripts (Browser search "free movie scripts online").

[Carolyn]

Just finished my first genre I don't usually read: Non Fiction: I am Malala. I really enjoyed the book. I usually find non fiction dry and boring, but I found this one to be interesting. I learned a lot about the real reason she was shot, it wasn't just for attending school. She has conviction in what she believes and i found myself cheering for her and I hope she is successful in her cause!
I also finished another extraordinary book: The Boy on the Wooden Box. A book about a Schindler's list survivor. I find the survivors lives to be extraordinary! These Jews lived through such horrors and the ones that were able to survive went on to lead good lives after wards. The people in this book are no exception! If you like books on the holocaust, I highly recommend this one!

[Ann]

The Lions of Little Rock is my latest extraordinary read. It's about two amazing little girls who become friends at school in 1958 Alabama, under the backdrop of the fight over integration in the schools.

[Linda]

I just completed the reading challenge. The books I read were
Genre:Poetry--Dizzy in Your Eyes by Pat Mora
Genre:Non-fiction--Underground Girls of Kabul (which I highly recommend) by Jenny Nordberg
Extraordinary books
1. Extraordinary by Miriam Fitzer Franklin
2. The extraordinary Journey of the Fakir Who Got Trapped in an Ikea wardrobe by Romain Puertolas
3. Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier

[Linda]

Jenny wrote: "Debbie,
I tend to not like graphic novels either. However, I ended up really liking El Deafo. It was one of the 2015 Newbery Honor books. Good job finishing the challenge and e..."

I really liked El Deafo also when I read it earlier this year. I don't normally enjoy graphic novels, but it was recommended highly by the librarian at the school I work at.

[Ann]

There's still a month left of the challenge, so I'm going to be ambitious and try to read War and Peace for my final extraordinary book. (It appears on so many "best books" lists I figure it's got to be pretty amazing!)

[Jackie]

Wow, Ann, that is a lofty endeavor. Happy reading!
I may have to include my book club's selection for this month into the challenge if I want to finish...

[Greg]

For my "unusual" books, I went with
1. The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel J. Siegel (completed June 6)
2. Flight of the Angel Falls by Quinn Orr (completed August 2)

For my "extraordinary" books, I read
1. Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer (completed June 2)
2. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America (read on July 4)
3. Teachings of Presidents of the Church - Heber J. Grant (completed July 20)

[Debbie]

Ann wrote: "There's still a month left of the challenge, so I'm going to be ambitious and try to read War and Peace for my final extraordinary book. (It appears on so many "best books" lists I figur..."

I read War and Peace when I was 17, thinking I could finish it in the summer before college. I finished at the end of my first year in college. Very good, very enjoyable, no problem in keeping reading. Just that it's an extremely difficult read. I tell people I read it before I learned it's considered unreadable. I'm not trying to discourage you from reading it, but I'd suggest you choose something else amazing for the challenge. Or consider listening to the audio book -- 62 recorded hours.

[Britt, Book Habitue]

Genre I don't usually read:
Lo! Jacaranda-- I don't generally read novellas/short stories
The Temperament God Gave your Kids-- I don't usually read parenting books

"Extraordinary" books:
nothing yet, lol

[Carolyn]

I am still reading (always and forever), but I have finished the challenge.
Genre I don't read: biography/memoir/nonfiction:
I am Malala
Learning to Play with a Lion's Testicles.
extraordinary:
All the light we Cannot See
The Road
The Boy on the Wooden Box (could fit in both categories)

[Jenny]

I am done with the challenge as well:

Genres I don't normally read:
The Umbrella Man and Other Stories. Short stories
Essential Dickinson Poetry (for adults...I read lots of children's poetry)

Books with Extraordinary in the title (my take on the challenge):
The Extra-Ordinary Princess
The Museum of Extraordinary Things
Pudd'Nhead Wilson and Those Extraordinary Twins

Three Books that I thought were extraordinary stories:
Wonder
The Nightingale
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

[Donna]

All summer, I've been perplexed about what my own definition of "extraordinary" was. For this particular challenge, I think I'm going with 5 star ratings. I don't come across many of those....I am way too picky and my husband says that I'm hard to impress. Only about 2 percent of the books I've read this summer were 5 star reads. So that is what I'm using for this challenge.

Extraordinary:
1. The Water is Wide: A Memoir by Pat Conroy -- I love almost everything he has written. He is one of my top favorite authors of all time.

2. Fool's Assassin by Robin Hobb -- fantasy is not a genre I spend a lot of time in, but this was amazing. Robin Hobb can weave a great story filled with memorable characters. She has a wonderful way with words.

3. Independence Day by Ben Coes. I love crime/mystery novels and I love Ben Coes. He is one of my top 3 favorite crime writers.



Genres I don't spend a lot of time in.

1. Horror>Zombies
Deadline -- this is the 2nd one in this series. Can't wait to read the 3rd one.

2. Sci-fi>Cyberpunk
Carlucci's Edge -- this one was my least favorite in this trilogy.

[Donna]

Kara wrote: "I would have stayed-up all night to read this book in one go. The Martian is extraordinary!"

I agree Kara. This book was definitely extraordinary.

[Ann]

Debbie wrote: "Ann wrote: "There's still a month left of the challenge, so I'm going to be ambitious and try to read War and Peace for my final extraordinary book. (It appears on so many "best books" l..."

Thanks for the warning. I know it'll be a stretch to get it read in time, but I enjoyed Anna Karenina and have meant to read another of his books ever since. The extraordinary read challenge portion of the summer reading challenge seems like a good way to get started, even if I do find I need more time to finish and have to switch to another title to complete in time.

[Ann]

Donna wrote: "Kara wrote: "I would have stayed-up all night to read this book in one go. The Martian is extraordinary!"

I agree Kara. This book was definitely extraordinary."

It really is quite amazing. I'm looking forward to seeing how they portray it in the movie, when it comes out in October.

[Debbie]

Ann wrote: "... I'm looking forward to seeing how they portray it in the movie, when it comes out in October. "

DANG! Another book to finish before the movie comes out! Ha ha ha.

[Ann]

Just one more week to finish up the Summer Reading Challenge.

Remember to post if you've completed the challenge and share your books so we all can see what you've read.

[Carolyn]

I am still reading (always and forever), but I have finished the challenge.

Genre I don't read: biography/memoir/nonfiction:
I am Malala
Learning to Play with a Lion's Testicles.

extraordinary:
All the light we Cannot See
The Road
The Boy on the Wooden Box (could fit in both categories)
Added: The Museum of Extraordinary Things (Not a great book in my opinion)

[Jackie]

I finished the reading challenge with my last "Extraordinary" book, titled "Extraordinary" by Mariam Spritzer Franklin. :)
Thank you, Ann, for the fun challenge this summer.

[Ann]

Becky is our prize drawing winner for the summer reading challenge. She read:

A genre not usually chosen:

I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban
Aftershock: The Next Economy and America's Future

Extraordinary:

We Are Called to Rise
Watership Down

Extraordinary AND a genre not usually chosen:

Round Ireland with a Fridge

[Becky]

Thank you! A fun summer of reading!

Ann wrote: "Becky is our prize drawing winner for the summer reading challenge. She read:

A genre not usually chosen:

[book:I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban|17851..."

[Jackie]

Yay!!!! Congrats, bestie!

[Becky]

:)

Jackie wrote: "Yay!!!! Congrats, bestie!"

[Debbie]

Hooray Becky!

[Jenny]

Yay Becky!! So happy for you!

[Becky]

Thank you all! So fun to be in this group.