2025 Reading Challenge discussion

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ARCHIVE: Yearly Challenges > From Fiction to Reality Challenge - 2016

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message 51: by Cassandra (new)

Cassandra | 5832 comments Sure thing, Candiss!


message 52: by Theresa~OctoberLace (last edited Dec 08, 2015 11:46PM) (new)

Theresa~OctoberLace (octoberlace) | 773 comments I'll join in with 10 pairs to start.


message 53: by Prerana Patil (new)

Prerana Patil (preranaupatil) | 43 comments This sounds interesting and I wanna be a part of this!
Will aim for 3 pairs for now...might update as we go along...

Thanks! :)


message 54: by Cassandra (new)

Cassandra | 5832 comments Welcome to the challenge, Theresa and Prerana!


message 55: by Julie (new)

Julie  Webb | 135 comments Marina H wrote: "I really shouldn't, but this is a great challenge and I ought to read some non-fiction books once in a while, so maybe this could give me that little push in the right direction :)
I'll sing up for..."


I feel the same way about"I really shouldn't" but I'm going for it too.


message 56: by Julie (new)

Julie  Webb | 135 comments 5 pairs 10 books


message 57: by [deleted user] (new)

I think I'm going to commit to 2 pairs/4 books. I have no idea what they will be....


message 58: by SibylM (new)

SibylM (sibyldiane) | 223 comments Sign me up for five pairs. Thanks!


message 59: by Cassandra (new)

Cassandra | 5832 comments Welcome to the challenge, ladies!


message 60: by Kadijah Michelle (last edited May 04, 2016 04:29PM) (new)

Kadijah Michelle (kadmich) | 2176 comments I love this challenge! Sign me up for 10 pairs, please!

1. Fiction: Wild Seed
Non-Fiction: The Witches: Salem, 1692
Both discuss early America and Witches.

2. Fiction: Little Women
Non-Fiction: How to Win Friends and Influence People
Both discuss how to improve character.

3. Fiction: Across the Creek
Non-Fiction: Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America
Both discuss how hard it is for single mom's have to struggle to get by and often end up in trailer parks.

4. Fiction: The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Non-Fiction: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Both books go into just about the worst thing that could happen to a child.

5. Fiction: Allegiant
Non-Fiction: All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood
Both books go into the parent child relationship. Actually the entire Divergent series can relate to All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood.

6. Fiction: The Time Traveler's Wife
Non-Fiction: The World's Strongest Librarian: A Memoir of Tourette's, Faith, Strength, and the Power of Family
This one is almost too easy. Both books are about Male librarians with a special challenge.

6/10


message 61: by Meg (last edited Dec 10, 2015 05:33PM) (new)


message 62: by SibylM (new)

SibylM (sibyldiane) | 223 comments Meg wrote: "I've picked out another pair
A Kim Jong-Il Production: The Extraordinary True Story of a Kidnapped Filmmaker, His Star Actress, and a Young Dictator's Rise to Power (nf)
and
[book:T..."

Meg, that sounds like a great pairing! I heard a radio story about the kidnapped filmmaker and the actress just after I read The Orphan Master's Son (one of my favorite books of all time) and the parallels were striking.


message 63: by xo Jules (last edited Jan 01, 2016 12:14PM) (new)


message 64: by Prerana Patil (last edited Dec 10, 2015 09:37PM) (new)

Prerana Patil (preranaupatil) | 43 comments Prerana wrote: "This sounds interesting and I wanna be a part of this!
Will aim for 3 pairs for now...might update as we go along...

Thanks! :)"


so here are my 3 pairs. 2 of them are taken from the original 1 is my own. hope this works!
Shantaram (non-fiction) and Breathless in Bombay - both take place in Mumbai

Modern Romance and Match Me If You Can - the first is about dating in this technological age while the second is about a matchmaking agency

The Catcher in the Rye and The Promise of a Pencil: How an Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary Change the first book is a classic about the experiences of a teenager after he is expelled from school and the non-fiction book is based a modern account of countless kids who are not able to receive formal education. The times in which both the books are set also separate but connect the two books in a unique way.


message 65: by Delitealex (last edited Feb 29, 2016 10:46AM) (new)

Delitealex I really like this idea of pairing fiction and nonfiction I have a few nonfiction books that I have been wanting to read maybe this challenge will help me to get to them.

1. As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride(nonfiction) The Princess Bride (fiction)

2. (nonfiction) The Disappearing Girl both are about people struggling with eating disorders

3. I'm the One That I Want(nonfiction)

4. ✔Read My Lips: A Book of Sexual Subversion and the End of Gender (nonfiction) Parrotfish(fiction) both about transgender experiences

5. ✔Butch Is a Noun

I'm starting with 3 pairs may add more later now I just need to find fiction books to pair with them.


message 66: by Stephanie (new)

Stephanie  | 976 comments So, I will be joining this one too :) Sign me up for 5 pairs of books, 10 total.


message 67: by Sharon (last edited Apr 05, 2016 07:26AM) (new)

Sharon (sharint) | 749 comments Sign me up for 3 pairs (6) don't read much non-fiction so this should be interesting! 5/6 moving quicker than I thought may increase my goal, I'll let you know


FROM FICTION TO REALITY
Duration: January 1 - December 31, 2016
aim for 3 pair (6)

Set #1 Fiction book about a group of Navy SEALS
Lock & Key by Traci Hunter Abramson
led to biography about Pat Tillman - NFL football player who joined military after 9/11
Where Men Win Glory The Odyssey of Pat Tillman by Jon Krakauer

Set #2 Just days into 2016 had read 3 books all with Mafia/mob connections maybe I'll read a non fiction book about the mob? Reading this book
Code Word by Traci Hunter Abramson
led to wanting to read about the real mob
Making Jack Falcone An Undercover FBI Agent Takes Down a Mafia Family by Joaquin "Jack" Garcia

Set #3 This fictional book about baseball
The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach
led to ...
Opening Day The Story of Jackie Robinson's First Season by Jonathan Eig FROM FICTION TO REALITY
Duration: January 1 - December 31, 2016
aim for 3 pair (6)6/6 probably increasing goal to 6 pair for total of 12
We thought it'd be cool to learn more about the people, places, or time period in the fictional books we read! This challenge lets your fictional reading inspire you to read nonfiction books or vice versa.

You'll read books in pairs. Read any fiction book. Then, read a nonfiction book about any part of that fictional work. Or read a nonfiction book, then find a fictional work that's related to it.

If you were to read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, your nonfiction book could be about witches, boarding schools, alchemy, or anything else related to the world of Harry Potter.

If you were to read Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania, you could read a fictional book that includes a submarine, takes place during WWII, or is about a ship that sinks.

Set #1 Fiction book about a group of Navy SEALS
Lock & Key by Traci Hunter Abramson
led to biography about Pat Tillman - NFL football player who joined military after 9/11
Where Men Win Glory The Odyssey of Pat Tillman by Jon Krakauer

Set #2 Just days into 2016 had read 3 books all with Mafia/mob connections maybe I'll read a non fiction book about the mob? Reading this book
Code Word by Traci Hunter Abramson
led to wanting to read about the real mob
Making Jack Falcone An Undercover FBI Agent Takes Down a Mafia Family by Joaquin "Jack" Garcia

Set #3 This fictional book about baseball
The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach
led to ...
Opening Day The Story of Jackie Robinson's First Season by Jonathan Eig


message 68: by Maureen (last edited Feb 26, 2016 03:48PM) (new)

Maureen (ryrou) | 14 comments From Fiction to Reality Challenge
January 1, 2016 - December 31, 2016
0/20

1. World War I
Somewhere in France (fiction) & The Guns of August (non-fiction)

2. World War II
Once We Were Brothers (fiction) & The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story (non-fiction)

3. Berlin Wall
A Night Divided (fiction) & 1989 The Berlin Wall: My Part In Its Downfall (non-fiction)

4. LGBT
The Price of Salt (fiction)

5. Russia
The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra (non-fiction)

6. Autism
In a Different Key: The Story of Autism (non-fiction)

Somewhere in France by Jennifer Robson The Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman Once We Were Brothers by Ronald H. Balson The Zookeeper's Wife A War Story by Diane Ackerman A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen 1989 The Berlin Wall My Part In Its Downfall by Peter Millar The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith The Romanov Sisters The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra by Helen Rappaport
In a Different Key The Story of Autism by John Donvan


message 69: by Jodi (last edited Dec 15, 2015 07:24AM) (new)

Jodi (readinbooks) | 1971 comments This is an interesting challenge. I am going to start small....Please sign me up for four paris, 8 books total.

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message 70: by Clare (last edited Jan 06, 2017 10:46PM) (new)

Clare Skeets | 1073 comments I'm in, please sign me up for 10 books (5 pairs). Looking forward to this challenge - thank you. I have a few ideas for my pairings but but also want to read The Story of My Life and will depend on what the library has in so will be interesting to see what I end up counting towards this challenge.

8/10
1a The Story of My Life Helen Keller
1b The Eagle Tree Ned Hayes

2a Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail Cheryl Strayed
2b Night Falls in the Gorge: A Pacific Northwest Mystery Myrna Daly

3a I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban Malala Yousafzai
3b

4a The Romanovs: The Final Chapter Robert K. Massie
4b Anna Karenina Leo Tolstoy

5a
5b The Girls Emma Cline


message 71: by Carri (last edited Jan 02, 2016 09:28PM) (new)

Carri | 316 comments Add me for 3 pairs please.

1a. Fact - Fat Girl by Judith Moore
1b. Fiction - The Perfectly True Tales of a Perfect Size 12 by Robin Gold
Both are about women struggling with weight issues.
2a. Fact - MS Beyond the Red Door
by Dr. Rick Yeager and Mary Ellen Ziliak, R
2b. Fiction - A Sundog Moment
Both are about being diagnosed and living with MS
3a.
3b.


message 73: by Cassandra (new)

Cassandra | 5832 comments Welcome to the challenge, folks! I added you.


message 74: by Jackie B. - (last edited Aug 01, 2016 11:31AM) (new)

Jackie B. - Death by Tsundoku (reiwing2040) | 1343 comments Fascinating. I am remarkably terrible at reading non-fiction books, so this might help push me into a new place. I want to commit more, but I think I'll stick with 3 pairs (6 books). This should be a good way to dip in the pool of non-fiction slowly.

...Pair ideas to come in the future... This will require true thought:

4/6

Lock In (1/1/16) - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
--Both of these books are about Lock In syndrome, which I didn't know existed until I read Lock In. I look forward to learning more about what the real experience is.

Lone Wolf and Cub, Vol. 8: Chains of Death(5/7/16) - Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai
-- I've slowly been making my way through the Lone Wolf and Cub graphic novel series. I recently realized that I don't really understand a lot about Samurai code, and why people might not respect a Ronin. Time to find out!

Agatha Heterodyne and the Siege of Mechanicsburg (7/27/16) - What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions(3/10/16)
-- I read What If and realized, well, a lot of these things are similar to mad science. The Girl Genius graphic novel series relates a lot back to mad science. It's a bit of a stretch, but I love the idea of being curious about things and just understanding how they happen. What Randall Munroe does seems like magic to me, just like the Sparks of Girl Genius.


message 75: by Chloé (new)

Chloé (fullmetalclo) | 573 comments If you're not sure what non-fiction to read, I'm pretty sure that if you post your fiction books, members could make suggestions.


message 76: by Sarah (new)

Sarah Black (ohfortheloveofbooks) | 87 comments Chloé wrote: "If you're not sure what non-fiction to read, I'm pretty sure that if you post your fiction books, members could make suggestions."

I would love some suggestions.


message 77: by Jackie B. - (new)

Jackie B. - Death by Tsundoku (reiwing2040) | 1343 comments Thanks for the offer for assistance, Chloé! You're right that the great hive-mind of the challenge boards are probably going to help a ton. I'll definitely do that once I pin down my 2016 reading list a bit more. So smart.


message 78: by Cassandra (new)

Cassandra | 5832 comments That's a great suggestion, Chloé! I'd be happy to help direct. I don't read a ton of non-fiction, but I do read a fair amount.


message 79: by Michelle (new)

Michelle | 4 comments I am liking this idea because I usually prefer nonfiction. This will definitely challenge me. I am going to start with 3 pairs and go from there.
1.
2.
3.


message 80: by Cassandra (new)

Cassandra | 5832 comments Welcome to the challenge, Michelle! Maybe you can help suggest books to people who normally read fiction. :)


message 81: by Jammin Jenny (last edited Mar 29, 2016 08:48PM) (new)

Jammin Jenny (jamminjenny) I would like to participate in this challenge, I need to read more non-fiction and am hoping that it will inspire me.

Update Mar 29 2016
Six sets (1/6), 12 books (4/12)

1. Dr. Sleep. By Stephen King read Feb 2016 Doctor Sleep and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Dreams and Premonitions (1/2)

2. Holy Cow and Fast Food Maniac

3. Nefertiti's Heart and The Lost Tudor Princess

4. Memoirs of a Geisha and The Body Book

5. Beauty and the Biker - read 3/10/16 and Route 66 by Harley Davidson: An American Motorcycle Road Trip - read 3/29/16
Beauty & The Biker by Glenna Maynard Route 66 by Harley Davidson An American motorcycle road trip by William Jonell

6. The Winds of Folly (Nathan Peake #4) and Soldier with a Backpack: Living and Dying Simultaneously read 3/5 Soldier With a Backpack: Living and Dying Simultaneously(½)


message 82: by Kme_17 (last edited Jan 08, 2016 10:14AM) (new)

Kme_17 | 40 comments I am going to try for 5 pair of books. 10 all included.
1-10

1a- The Last Romanov by Dora Levy Mossanen
1b

2a
2b

3a
3b

4a
4b

5a
5b


message 83: by Deborah (last edited Jan 18, 2016 03:05PM) (new)

Deborah Pickstone | 74 comments A very, very interesting challenge - and something I often do; in fact, right now I am reading Pompeii: The Living City and have already read Complete Letters because I read A Day of Fire: A Novel of Pompeii. I highly recommend them all! So, I will add 5 pairs for now;

1a The Eagle: Book Nine: Dream of Eagles
1b The Anglo Saxon Chronicle *read

2a The Evolution of Jane
2b My Father's Island: A Galapagos Quest

3a My Family and Other Animals *read
3b The Greek Myths

4a Reindeer Moon
4b Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies

5a The Legate's Daughter
5b Reading Roman Women


message 84: by Daye (new)

Daye | 5 comments 2 pairs to start for me please!


message 85: by Kim (new)

Kim (kimparonish) | 36 comments Can I sign up for 5 pairs for a total of 10 books?
Progress 0/10

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5.


message 86: by Katharine (last edited Dec 15, 2016 05:30PM) (new)

Katharine | 101 comments I'm in for 5 pairs/10 books.

Pair #1
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate (6/25/16) ✬✬✬✬✬+
Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of... by Katherine Applegate (6/28/16) ✬✬✬✬✬

Pair #2
Napoleon's Pyramids by William Dietrich (2/19/16) ✬✬✬✬
Beneath the Pyramids: Egypt's Greatest Secret Uncovered by Andrew Collins (8/3/16) ✬✬✬✬

Pair #3
The Rosetta Key by William Dietrich (2/21/16) ✬✬✬✬
The Age of Napoleon by Susan P. Conner (8/27/16) ✬✬✬✬

Pair #4
Hot Ice by Nora Roberts (4/11/16) ✬✬✬
The Aye Aye and I by Gerald Durrell (11/21/16) ✬✬✬✬

Pair #5
The Venetian Betrayal by Steve Berry (4/22/16) ✬✬✬✬
Alexander the Great by Dennis Wepman (12/15/16) ✬✬✬


message 87: by Carol (new)

Carol Strange | 22 comments This sounds like something I'd enjoy. I would like to try 5 pairs.


message 88: by Sarah (new)

Sarah I would love the opportunity to join the challenge. Please count me in for five pairs.


message 89: by Cassandra (new)

Cassandra | 5832 comments Glad to see so many new participants! Welcome to the challenge.


message 90: by Jojobean (new)

Jojobean FROM FICTION TO REALITY
Duration: January 1 - December 31, 2016

We thought it'd be cool to learn more about the people, places, or time period in the fictional books we read! This challenge lets your fictional reading inspire you to read nonfiction books or vice versa.

You'll read books in pairs. Read any fiction book. Then, read a nonfiction book about any part of that fictional work. Or read a nonfiction book, then find a fictional work that's related to it.

If you were to read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, your nonfiction book could be about witches, boarding schools, alchemy, or anything else related to the world of Harry Potter.

If you were to read Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania, you could read a fictional book that includes a submarine, takes place during WWII, or is about a ship that sinks.


message 91: by Cassandra (new)

Cassandra | 5832 comments How many pairs would you like to aim for, Joanne?


message 92: by Renee (new)

Renee | 108 comments I'm in for this year! I'm thinking i'll start with 5 pairs.... This will totally feed my habit of reading books about the same subjects in a row. I don't plan my reading in advance, so it will be interesting to see how i do for this...


FROM FICTION TO REALITY
Duration: January 1 - December 31, 2016


Progress; 0 / 5 pairs

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.


message 93: by Robyn (new)

Robyn | -15 comments This is right up my alley! Put me down for 12 pairs, 24 books. 1 per month which will also work with my 12 non fictions for the year goal. I will keep track in my corner but will update monthly here.


message 94: by Bobbi (last edited Mar 12, 2016 06:05PM) (new)

Bobbi  (schadenfreudian) | 628 comments I'll try out 2 pair/4 books.

Read: 4/4
1. The Witches: Salem, 1692✯✯/The Crucible✯✯✯
2. Man o' War: A Legend Like Lightning ✯✯✯✯/Man O' War ✯✯✯✯✯


message 95: by Cassandra (new)

Cassandra | 5832 comments Welcome, Renee, Robyn, and Bobbi!


message 97: by Cosmic (last edited Mar 07, 2016 12:14AM) (new)

Cosmic Arcata | 919 comments I would like to participate.

Sign me up for 8 books/4 pairs
1. The Beautiful and Damned January 14,2016
Dick talks about how to write. Anthony is an alcoholic writer.
And
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

2.Heart of Darkness about a trip up the Congo to get Kurtz. Many people at the time this book was written thought that it was based on Stanley and Dr. Livingston.
I read Into Africa: The Epic Adventures of Stanley and Livingstone

3.A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and ScienceFebruary 29

Paired with We a book about a mathematician.

4.


message 98: by Holli (new)

Holli (hollidemyan) | 95 comments I would like to try for 3 pairs please.
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message 99: by Carri (last edited Dec 24, 2015 11:43PM) (new)

Carri | 316 comments Jenny wrote: "I would like to participate in this challenge, I need to read more non-fiction and am hoping that it will inspire me.
Six pairs


1. Dr. Sleep. By Stephen King and a non-fiction book about premon..."


Jenny wrote: "I would like to participate in this challenge, I need to read more non-fiction and am hoping that it will inspire me.
Six pairs


1. Dr. Sleep. By Stephen King and a non-fiction book about premon...s"



message 100: by Kylie (last edited Jan 15, 2016 04:36AM) (new)

Kylie Cantwell | 720 comments I'm in! It's a great idea. I usually read more non-fiction than fiction, but rarely do the two come together like this.

I'll start with three pairs / 6 books.

1a - Tricky Teens by Andrew Fuller
1b - any suggestions for books about younger teenagers who have difficult relationships with well-intentioned parents?

2a - The Outsourcerer's Apprentice by Tom Holt
2b -

3a -
3b -


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