2017 March Reading Challenge

[Elizabeth]

March is Women's History Month. For this challenge, you need to read an adult Non-Fiction book about women, or one woman. You could read about a group of women like Hidden Figures or about women involved in a movement like Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. You can also read a memoir like I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Happy reading.

[Debbie]

Thanks for getting the topic up so early! I have never read it so I'm going to read The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.

[Elizabeth]

Debbie, I love that one. it's sad, but it's good.

[Becky]

I'm going to read A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea: One Refugee's Incredible Story of Love, Loss, and Survival

[Alyson]

Out of curiosity, just how strictly are we defining adult? I've been wanting to read this one https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
but assumed that it didn't qualify as adult; if Anne Frank qualifies, however, that puts a different spin on it.

[Debbie]

Alyson wrote: "Out of curiosity, just how strictly are we defining adult? I've been wanting to read this one https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
but assumed that it did..."

Anne Frank's work kind of straddles fences, but is definitely NOT a children's book. The County library system classes it as Young Adult biography. The City system classes it as history and not as part of the "younger reader" books.

Still, I'd like Elizabeth to make the call on this one because it does straddle fences.

[Alyson]

Really, both In Disguise (my hopeful) and Anne Frank are more intermediate; I didn't realize that In Disguise wasn't actually aimed more at teenagers, and Anne Frank is definitely a book by an adolescent about an adolescent. Does adult mean adult? Or does adult mean, say, not a picture book?

[Jenny]

Becky wrote: "I'm going to read A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea: One Refugee's Incredible Story of Love, Loss, and Survival"

That sounds really good...and very timely!

[Debbie]

Alyson wrote: "Really, both In Disguise (my hopeful) and Anne Frank are more intermediate; I didn't realize that In Disguise wasn't actually aimed more at teenagers, and Anne Frank is definitely a book by an adol..."

Library History Lesson: There was a point, which in my old age I'd forgotten, that Anne Frank's diary was considered a Children's books. Then librarians noticed that, nation-wide, teenagers stopped, for the most part, coming into the library. This was, I believe, in the mid to late 60s. As librarians talked to the teens, they learned these absent readers were offended being seen and treated as Children. Having to go to a Children's section to get their books. 'We aren't children!', they insisted. So the term "Young Adult" was devised (in the 70s or 80s) to create a section for teens to choose their own books without having to peruse the same shelves the 4th and 5th graders were looking at. At this same timeframe, libraries ended policies that some had of not allowing teens to check out books that were in the Adult portion of the library without a permission form being submitted by a parent. Weird, isn't it.

[Debbie]

If Diary of a Young Girl won't work for this challenge, I have a couple of other titles that intrigue me. Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us, from Missiles to the Moon to Mars by Nathalia Holt or The Glass Universe: How the Ladies of the Harvard Observatory Took the Measure of the Stars by Dava Sobel or Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race Margot Lee Shetterly. Muchly options. There are also Eden's Outcasts: The Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Father by John Matteson , Crusader in Crinoline: The Life of Harriet Beecher Stowe by Robert Forrest Wilson , Eleanor and Franklin by Joseph P. Lash , No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II by Doris Kearns Goodwin , Harriet Beecher Stowe by Joan D. Hedrick , Edith Wharton by R.W.B. Lewis , Julia Ward Howe, 1819-1910 by Laura E. Richards , and Mary Chesnut's Civil War by C. Vann Woodward -- Pulitzer winners all.

[Britt, Book Habitue]

Library rules can be weird. When I was in 2nd grade the school library didn't allow 2nd graders to check out chapter books. How's that for weird?
At the end of the day, though, teen (which is what YA is) is still not the same as adult (no matter what my 12-year-old says) and so the question is still: how strictly are we interpreting adult? Since "adult" is what was specified.
I think I may read Hidden Figures, so it's neither here nor there, but I'm still curious.

[Teresa]

I made myself hold off on commenting until March 1 :-). I'm reading either The Girls Who Went Away: The Hidden History of Women Who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades Before Roe v. Wade or She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth.

[Elizabeth]

Hello everyone,

I hadn't logged onto Goodreads for a couple of days, so I didn't see the questions until today. The challenge is Adult Non-Fiction books about women. I didn't even realize until everyone pointed it out that Anne Frank is actually a YNF (Youth Non-Fiction) instead of an Adult Non-Fiction. And In Disguise, which sounds awesome, is also a Teen Non-Fiction. But, you know what? I'm gonna allow both books. We'll also include YNF books for this challenge. Just avoid books that are cataloged as Juvenile Non-Fiction.

Thanks everyone!

[Debbie]

Elizabeth wrote: "Hello everyone,

I hadn't logged onto Goodreads for a couple of days, so I didn't see the questions until today. The challenge is Adult Non-Fiction books about women. I didn't even realize until ev..."

Thanks for the clarification and for including YA in the adult grouping. If Anne Frank had been JNF, I'd not have asked and just read something else. Well, I'd have still read it, just not for this challenge.

[Becky]

Debbie wrote: "Thanks for getting the topic up so early! I have never read it so I'm going to read The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank."

Debbie, in case you're interested, Judge Memorial High School is presenting the play, The Diary of Anne Frank, this weekend, Friday and Saturday at 7pm. I saw it last night and it was very moving and well done.

[Audrey]

Anne Frank is a must-read.

[Carolyn]

Perfect! I am currently reading the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. It is a very interesting book.

[Brianon]

I'm just starting Women Heroes of World War II, by Kathryn J. Atwood. I picked up a few other books about women spies. I'm excited for this challenge, because I don't normally read non fiction.

[Debbie]

I have finished The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. It was set as "the definitive edition". In the foreword it talked about the history of the diary, including Anne's personal editing of it planning on a future publishing. Also, in the latter part of the 20th century, additional pages were discovered and incorporated in the diary where appropriate.
I hadn't realized:
1. There were multiple editions of the diary by Frank herself.
2. Names in the diary were originally changed from the actual names. Otto changed the names of family members to their right names, but left the altered names of the others.
3. Otto hesitated publishing the diary but finally relented, following his daughter's written plan to publish it herself.
4. There was more than one Peter in Anne's life.
5. 14 year old Anne was such a whiner, a regular 14 year old girl, and not some extraordinary savant!

[Teresa]

I started She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth. It's engaging. However, it's also 400+ pages and densely packed with info. I can only read a bit at a time. I don't want to rush through the book and not take in all the information, so I'm saving this one for later. For this month's task, I found a book about the founder of the Girl Scouts!

[Linda]

I am reading Frontier Grit: The Unlikely True Stories of Daring Pioneer Women Wasn't able to finish it yet because of holds for it at the library.

[Pam]

I recently finished The Invention of Wings, by Sue Monk Kidd. The story of two women Abolitionists and early Women's Rights champions. Very interesting historical fiction based on real women who inspired the suffragette movement.

[Becky]

This month I read The Diary of a Young Girl, A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea: One Refugee's Incredible Story of Love, Loss, and Survival, and just started Hands on the Freedom Plow: Personal Accounts by Women in SNCC. All meaningful, powerful reads.

[Jackie]

I also read "A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea: One Refugee's Incredible Story of Love, Loss, and Survival". Heart breaking, but definitely a must-read.

[Jackie]

I am now reading "Never caught : The Washingtons' relentless pursuit of their runaway slave, Ona Judge". So far, very interesting! I did not know that George Washington became wealthy by marrying Martha. the things we learn when we read!!!! :)

[Audrey]

I finished a Judy Garland biography, Judy, on InterLibrary Loan.

[Elizabeth]

Good reading guys! I just got back from a vacation, so it's nice to see how everyone's doing. Some of you have read a LOT of books this challenge. Good for you!

[Jackie]

I am also listening to "I am Malala", which will be the second time for me, and won't need to be considered for this challenge, but I highly recommend it for those of you who need a quick, really good read.

[Laura]

I am reading "Born Survivors: Three Young Mothers and Their Extraordinary Story of Courage, Defiance, and Hope" by Wendy Holden. I am about halfway through, and keep wondering if I can really finish. It deals with the Holocaust, and the horrors that these women had to endure.

[Linda]

I read Focused: Keeping Your Life on Track, One Choice at a Time It was bout and by Noelle Pikus Pace

[Jackie]

I just finished 'Never Caught: The Washingtons' Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge'. I gave it 3 stars.

[Elizabeth]

Just a few more days to get your challenge reading finished. Good luck everyone.

[Elizabeth]

It's the last day to get your challenge book recorded for the drawing. The drawing will be held next Wednesday, April 5.

Also, if you haven't noticed it yet, in the General section we are doing a giveaway! If you like Brandon Mull, click on this link and enter the contest.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Alyson]

I read a new graphic memoir, "The Facts of Life." It dealt with infertility and how motherhood (or the lack thereof) can define our identities as women in society. I didn't agree with all of the author's conclusions, but it was an interesting read. Due to the topic, the art is not something I would leave around for my littles to see, by the way...

[Donna]

I read:

Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us, from Missiles to the Moon to Mars

and

In Such Good Company: Eleven Years of Laughter, Mayhem, and Fun in the Sandbox

[JoAnn]

I read a biography of Louisa May Alcott. I didn't know how progressive she was, not how hard her life was.

[JoAnn]

Louisa May Alcott; a Personal Biography, by Susan Chever. It was an eAudioBook from the library.

[Elizabeth]

Donna is our prize drawing winner for March’s reading challenge. She read Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us, from Missiles to the Moon to Mars by Nathalia Holt.

Congratulations!

[Jackie]

Congrats, Donna!

[Debbie]

Hooray Donna!

[Teresa]

I readWomen Heroes of World War II: 26 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Resistance, and Rescue. It gives summaries of different women involved in WWII, mostly resistance workers. Many of them were arrested and tortured, some were killed by the Nazi's. First it highlights women in Germany, then Poland, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Great Britain, finally US women working overseas.
I did not know so many women were vital to the Allies victory. I wish this were taught in school.