The Well-Rounded Reader Challenge

[Jessica]

This is a spin off on the genre challenges from years past but with a little bit of a twist to make it new and (I hope) fun.

Here's how it works:

STEP ONE: Choose your level of involvement from the following:

1. "I'll Try This Out"--pick any 5 Categories but no more than one from the Romance group, one from the Biography/Memoirs groups and one from the Graphic Novel Groups. At least one choice must be from the Fiction Categories and one from the Non-Fiction Categories.

2. "I Think I Can Be Well-Rounded"--pick any 10 Categories but no more than two from the Romance group, one from the Biography/Memoirs groups and one from the Graphic Novel Groups. At least one choice must be from the Fiction Categories and one from the Non-Fiction Categories.

3. "I'm Really Going to Try to Be Well-Rounded"--pick any 20 Categories but no more than five from the Romance group. At least three choices must be from the Fiction Categories and two from the Non-Fiction Categories.

4. "I'm Determined to Be Well-Rounded"--pick any 30 Categories. At least five choices must be from the Fiction Categories and three from the Non-Fiction Categories.

5. "I Will Be the Most Well-Rounded Reader Ever"--pick any 40 Categories. At least five choices must be from the Fiction Categories and five from the Non-Fiction Categories.

STEP TWO:

Choose your categories. There are 50+ categories in this challenge (if I missed any major ones, please let me know).

Fiction Categories:

Romance-traditional (by this I mean your "classic doesn't fit in a sub-genre" romance book)
Romance-Paranormal
Romance-Historical
Romance-Erotic
Romance-Cry Your Eyes Out
Romance-Contemporary
Romance-YA
Romance-NA (I think this is New Adult but correct me if I'm wrong)
Romance-Religious
Romance-LGBT
General/Literary Fiction
Action/Crime
Western
Amish
Chick lit (or Dude lit if there is such a thing)
Mystery
Thriller
Horror
Suspense
Historical Fiction
Drama
Fantasy
Science Fiction
Classic
Children's Literature
Humor
Dystopian
Young Adult
Religious Fiction
Poetry
Short story or essay collection
Play or Movie/TV Script
Graphic Novel-Mainstream Superhero (ie Batman, Superman, X-Men basically your mainstream these guys have a movie and an action figure line kind of book)
Graphic Novel-Indie
Graphic Novel-Non-Superhero (let's not debate what makes a super hero and just say that any minor character in the DC/Marvel universes can work here, any non-mainstream character, or anything that wouldn't be your stereotypical superhero book i.e. Sandman)


Non-Fiction Categories:

Self-help
Inspirational
Motivational
Sports
Heath/Medical
Social Science
Natural Science
Mathematics/Computer Science
Business/Finance
Religious
Philosophy
Literary Criticism or Analysis
Political Science/Politics
Arts/Art History/Photography
Music/Dance
Biography-Historical
Biography-Contemporary
Memoir/Autobiography-Historical
Memoir/Autobiography-Contemporary
History-Recent
History-Ancient
Travel
Humor
Instructive (i.e. cook book, how-to book)
Other Non-Fiction (basically a catch all for any categories I missed)

STEP THREE: List your (tentative) choices below and fill us in on how you progress.

[Jessica]

I'm Really Going to Try to be Well-Rounded…or at least that's what I hope to make this year.

FICTION

Romance-Historical Bluebells in the Mourning by Karalynne Mackrory
Historical Fiction Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Classic Gone with the Wind (currently reading)
Graphic Novel-Non-Superhero The Exile by Diana Gabaldon

NONFICTION

Arts/Art History/Photography Girl with a Pearl Earring Dutch Paintings from the Maritshuis (currently reading)

[Teri Pre]

Fiction

Mystery: A Dangerous Mourning by Anne Perry
Romance-traditional
Romance-Historical: Hope by Lori Copeland
Romance-Religious
General/Literary Fiction: Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
Action/Crime: Deadline by Sandra Brown
Suspense: The Stranger You Know by Andrea Kane
Historical Fiction: A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
Drama: Midwife's Confession by Diane Chamberlin
Classic: Animal Farm by George Orwell
Children's Literature: Heaven to Betsy by Maud Hart Lovelace
Humor
Chick lit: Results Not Typical by Catherine Ryan Howard
Thriller: Deadline by Sandra Brown
Young Adult: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Religious Fiction: First Phonecall from Heaven by Mitch Albom
Western: True Grit by Charles Portis
Short story or essay collection: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty by James Thurber
Fantasy: Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings


Non-Fiction

Inspirational: The Vow by Kim Carpenter
Business/Finance: How to Retire the Cheapskate Way by Jeff Yeager
Sports
Heath/Medical: Complications by Atul Gawande
Social Science
Natural Science
Religious
Political Science/Politics
Arts/Art History/Photography: Monuments Men by Robert M. Edsel
Music/Dance
Biography-Historical
Biography-Contemporary: Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
Memoir/Autobiography-Historical: The Seamstress by Sara Tuvel Bernstein
Memoir/Autobiography-Contemporary: My Story by Elizabeth Smart
History-Recent
History-Ancient
Travel
Humor
Instructive: Circle of Friends 25 One-Pot Dinners by Gooseberry Patch

[Toni]

I'm Really Going to Try to be Well-Rounded - Really, I'm going to try!

[Toni]

1) Romance-Na
2) General/Literary Fiction: Orphan Train - Christina Baker Klein
3) Action/Crime: The One I Left Behind - Jennifer McMahon
4) Mystery: The Wicked Girls-Alex Marwood
5) Thriller: NOS4A2 - Joe Hill
6) Horror - The Remaining - DJ Molles
7) Suspense: Bird Box - Josh Malerman
8) Drama: The Promise of Stardust-Priscilla Sibley
9) Fantasy: Written in Red - Anne Bishop
10)Science Fiction: Red Rising - Pearce Brown
11)Classic
12)Children's Literature
13)Humor: How to Tell if your cat is trying to kill you - The Oatmeal
14)Dystopian: Ready Player One-Ernest Cline
15)Young Adult: The Impossible Knife of Memory-Laurie Halse Anderson
16)Poetry
17)Graphic Novel-Non-Superhero
18)Heath/Medical
19)Humor
20)Instructional: Christmas with Family and Friends - Gooseberry Patch

[Jessica]

Toni wrote: "I'm Really Going to Try to be Well-Rounded - Really, I'm going to try!"

:)

[Jessica]

FYI-I added a couple of new choices, western fiction (i.e. cowboys) and Amish fiction.

If anyone thinks of more categories that really don't fit in any of the ones listed please let me know.

[Uday]

Well, I Think I Can Be Well-Rounded...

Romance-traditional
Romance-Cry Your Eyes Out
Science Fiction
Classic
Children's Literature
Humor
Thriller
Religious Fiction
Motivational
Memoir/Autobiography-Contemporary

I have no idea which books I'll read for each category but I'll fill in my progress :)

[Uday]

Jessica, why don' you add a Romance-LGBT category. Though it can get covered in other romance sub-genres, I think it still warrants a separate sub-genre of its own.

[Ruth]

5. "I Will Be the Most Well-Rounded Reader Ever"--pick any 40 Categories. At least five choices must be from the Fiction Categories and five from the Non-Fiction Categories.

FICTION

Fiction Categories:

Romance-traditional..One True Love by Barbara Freethy...Jan. 2014
Romance-Paranormal
Romance-Historical
Romance-Erotic
Romance-Cry Your Eyes Out
Romance-Contemporary..Foul Play by Janet Evanovich...January 1, 2014
Romance-YA
Romance-NA (I think this is New Adult but correct me if I'm wrong)
Romance-Religious
General/Literary Fiction
Action/Crime..Black Jasmine by Toby Neal...Feb. 1, 2014
Western
Amish
Chick lit (or Dude lit if there is such a thing)
Mystery..Trickster's Point by William Kent Krueger...January 3, 2014
Thriller...In the Blood by Steve Robinson...Feb. 2, 2014
Horror
Suspense
Historical Fiction... The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert...Jan 27, 2014
Drama
Fantasy
Science Fiction
Classic
Children's Literature
Humor..The Heist by Janet Evanovich..Jan. 2014
Dystopian..Allegiant by Veronica Roth...Jan. 2014
Young Adult ...The Fault in Our Stars by John Green...January 5, 2014
Religious FictionThe Reluctant Prophet by Nancy Rue...Jan. 2014
Poetry
Play or Movie/TV Script
Graphic Novel-Mainstream Superhero (ie Batman, Superman, X-Men basically your mainstream these guys have a movie and an action figure line kind of book)
Graphic Novel-Indie
Graphic Novel-Non-Superhero ..The Walking Dead, Vol. 5: The Best Defense by Robert Kirkman...Jan. 2014

[Ruth]

NON-FICTON

Non-Fiction Categories:

Self-help
Inspirational..Made to Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food by Lysa TerKurest..Jan.2014
Motivational..The Season Never Ends - Wins, Losses, and the Wisdom of the Court by Don Shelby..Jan. 2014
Sports
Heath/Medical
Social Science
Natural Science
Mathematics/Computer Science
Business/Finance
Religious
Philosophy
Literary Criticism or Analysis
Political Science/Politics
Arts/Art History/Photography
Music/Dance
Biography-Historical
Biography-Contemporary
Memoir/Autobiography-Historical
Memoir/Autobiography-Contemporary
History-Recent
History-Ancient
Travel
Humor
Instructive (i.e. cook book, how-to book)
Other Non-Fiction (basically a catch all for any categories I missed)

[Jessica]

Uday wrote: "Jessica, why don' you add a Romance-LGBT category. Though it can get covered in other romance sub-genres, I think it still warrants a separate sub-genre of its own."

Done :)

[Jessica]

Ruth wrote: "5. "I Will Be the Most Well-Rounded Reader Ever"--pick any 40 Categories. At least five choices must be from the Fiction Categories and five from the Non-Fiction Categories.



WOW! I didn't know if anyone would try for this one. Go Ruth!

[Jessica]

New category added: Short story or essay collection

[Ruth]

Jessica wrote: "Ruth wrote: "5. "I Will Be the Most Well-Rounded Reader Ever"--pick any 40 Categories. At least five choices must be from the Fiction Categories and five from the Non-Fiction Categories.



WOW! I didn't know if anyone would try for ths one.Go Ruth!..."

Key word is 'Trying'...lol