2014 May Reading Challenge

[Ann]

May is a month of changes— weather warming up, students graduating— so this month’s challenge is to read a book about change. The change can be big or small. And as always books can be fiction or non-fiction.

[Carolyn]

I have read several books with this theme in the last month or so. I hope I can find another one for this month.

[Britt, Book Habitue]

Interesting... So many options!

[JoAnn]

A friend just loaned me In the Time of Butterflies, which appears to fit this challenge well.

[Jackie]

I just checked out a copy of "God Doesn't Write with a Pen" which should fit in perfectly for this challenge. Yay! I love when I don't have to add another book to the stack of "hopefully I will get to this" in order to complete the challenge. Thanks, Ann.

[Ann]

Our April drawing winner for our humorous reading challenge was Dawnmcd. She read An Apple Core, a Toilet: Misadventures and Memories of a 1970's Childhood.

[Debbie]

Hooray Dawnmcd! Congrats!

[Debbie]

I have just finished reading Can't Wait to Get to Heaven by Fannie Flagg. Fannie is most well known for Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe.

89 year old Elner Shimfissle wants to pick some figs to make fresh fig preserve. She climbs the big ladder hoping her neice Norma won't find out because Norma has stopped her "ladder rights" for fear she will fall. As she reaches for a fig, Elner sees the wasp nest and the wasps flying for her. In shock, she falls off the ladder. Fast forward. At the hospital that is over an hour away, Elner is pronounced dead of cardiac arrest caused by anaphylactic shock as a result of wasp stings. A decision for an autopsy (no I'm not giving away the whole book) is delayed until Norma's daughter Linda can arrive. Five hours later, with the autopsy declined, Elnor opens her eyes and starts talking to Norma.

What follows would, had I finished the book 2 days ago, fit perfectly in the humor topic. Fortunately, it does fit in the changes topic as the book follows the changes in the lives not only of Elnor and her friends and family, but in the lives of several other people affected by her miracle. And being a Fannie Flagg book, it mixes good southern humor with gentle "take care of one another" philosophies.

And I'm excited to again be part of the Monthly Reading Challenges!

[Jackie]

Debbie wrote: "I have just finished reading Can't Wait to Get to Heaven by Fannie Flagg. Fannie is most well known for Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe.

89 year old Elner ..."

I loved this book, and really most of Fannie Flagg's books have a sentimental value to me, so I am glad to hear that you enjoyed it. For some reason, her books are like a journey for me :)

[Becky]

This month I am going to read Roomies by Sara Zarr. Nothing like change associated with starting college and having roommates.

[Becky]

Becky wrote: "This month I am going to read Roomies by Sara Zarr. Nothing like change associated with starting college and having roommates."

I already finished Roomies, which fit this month's topic perfectly. It is a cute story of two girls who email back and forth after they find out they will be college roommates at UC Berkely. Their voices, problems and thoughts seemed fairly realistic as they struggle to face leaving high school friends, family and home and transition to the next phase of their lives.

[Ann]

This month I think I’ll read a teen fiction for the challenge. After all, is there any other time period as constantly fraught with change as that strange between time we’ve labeled adolescence?

Right now I’m reading Of Beast and Beauty, a variation on the classic Beauty and the Beast tale, which is all about changing perceptions. Of course there are a lot more changes that take place for the teenage protagonists, but it's the promise of changing points of view that has caught my attention so far.

[Jackie]

Jackie wrote: "I just checked out a copy of "God Doesn't Write with a Pen" which should fit in perfectly for this challenge. Yay! I love when I don't have to add another book to the stack of "hopefully I will get..."

[Jackie]

Finished this. Gave it 3 stars as the writing is a little lacking, but it's definitely worth a look at if you are interested in a faith building conversion story.

[Cami]

I am reading "I Sit All Amazed" by J. Stephen Mikita. It tells of the change in a family's life when their toddler is diagnosed with a physical disorder that is expected to take his life.

[Ann]

Okay, looking back on the last couple books I've been reading, I'm realizing that most books seem to contain some element of change. Not much can happen plot-wise if everything stays exactly the same.

My latest teen fiction read contained a big change for both the characters and potentially for two worlds. It's a science fiction about the time period shortly after first contact between Earth and the human-like alien inhabitants of another planet, titled, Alienated by Melissa Landers.

[Debbie]

Ann wrote: "Okay, looking back on the last couple books I've been reading, I'm realizing that most books seem to contain some element of change. Not much can happen plot-wise if everything stays exactly the sa..."

Sounds really cool!

[Carolyn]

I just finished "Benjamin Franklin's Bastard". I hadn't originally thought of this book as change, but it took place during one of the biggest changes to our country, America separating from England. The founding fathers "asking" England to leave and taking over our own government. I don't know, and I doubt anyone else does, if it was a good change for use now or not, we will never know and here we are now, the good old USA in 2014!

[Ann]

Carolyn wrote: "I just finished "Benjamin Franklin's Bastard". I hadn't originally thought of this book as change, but it took place during one of the biggest changes to our country, America separating from Englan..."

What a great insight. Sometimes the change within a book does have so much more to do with the setting and timing than the actual characters. That's an aspect of change in books that I hadn't really thought about.

[Ann]

Debbie wrote: "Ann wrote: "Okay, looking back on the last couple books I've been reading, I'm realizing that most books seem to contain some element of change. Not much can happen plot-wise if everything stays ex..."

Alienated had some creative ideas and was a fun read. The author did a good job in her crafting of the teen characters. I'm interested to see how things work out in the sequel, though, while some things remained unresolved it was not a cliff hanger ending-- thank heavens!

[Britt, Book Habitue]

I read The Monuments Men and The Year of Goodbyes-- both excellent, and I think we can all agree that WWII certainly changed the world. :)

[Alyson]

I read "One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies," which is really ALL about change. It was predictable, but possibly purposely so. I really enjoyed it, actually.

[Ann]

Alyson wrote: "I read "One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies," which is really ALL about change. It was predictable, but possibly purposely so. I really enjoyed it, actually."

I've always been so intrigued by the title of this book, but haven't actually picked it up. I'm curious, what are your thoughts on this book?

[Ann]

Remember to post if you finished a book for this month's reading challenge by May 31 if you want to be included in this month's prize drawing.

[Alyson]

It's definitely geared towards older teens--it talks openly about the possibility of having sex--but the main character is very relatable. I could see the ending coming fairly easily, but it didn't bother me. A gay character is part of the plot, so if that bugs you, I'd stay away, but the focus was on Ruby's coming of age. (You can see my detailed review at http://www.eatreadandbemommy.com/2014... if you'd like!)

[JoAnn]

I read David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell. It provides a fresh perspective about being the underdog. Perhaps, being the underdog is the very thing that will propel one to greatness.

[Laura]

I read Dangerous by Shannon Hale. I did not like it. I wrote a review on Goodreads.

[Dawnmcd]

I read 2 werewolf books by patricia briggs last month. Lots of change happening there :D