3rd Quarter Challenge: Always a Nominee, Never a Winner

[DeNeal]

I just finished book #1 Orphan Train from good reads awards

[Alisia]

Deneal, I am currently reading Orphan Train and I love it so far. One of the few books that have made me cry! :)

[DeNeal]

I agree Alisia, it's a great book!

[DeNeal]

I just finished book 2/6, sing Down the Moon from Newberry Awards

[Karma]

I've finished The Age of Miracles and Gabriel's Inferno that were both goodsreads choice nominees.

3/15

[Kaitlin]

I have everyone updated to here. Good job all!

[Londa]

Joining this challenge late but I will give it a try

My goal is 4

Will choose from these

Man Booker Shortlisted
Crossing the River 1993
Fingersmith 2002
Cloud Atlas 2004
Room 2010

Pulitzer Nominees
The Things They Carried 1991
The Poisonwood Bible 1999
The Plague of Doves 2001
The Snow Child 2013

[Eggp]

First two books down. I had trouble narrowing my selection to only six, sooo many nerdy possibilities. Thanks to Dan for helping me pick (as always), really enjoyed them so far! :)

Hugo Award Nominees
(1964) - Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut - 27 Jul 2014, 5/5
(1991) - The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons - 08 Jul 2014, 4/5

[Karena]

2/9

Americanah (Women's Prize nominee)
Gilead (PEN/Faulkner nominee)

[Megan]

Just completed my third book - nominated for Walter Scott Prize - Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel. I enjoyed this second book - much better than the first. While Mantel still employs the same odd wording style, the writing was much easier to read and not quite as confusing. Definitely worth reading and cannot wait for the next book! 4.5 stars

3/6

[DeNeal]

Finished book #3, The Husband's Secret, goodreads awards. Excellent!

[Courtney A.J.]

Finished number 3 -
Man Booker Prize Nominee: Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

[Erika]

2/10

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie -- National Book Critics Cricle Nominee (2006)

[Danielle]

Updated post 43, Kaitlin, with my third book. I decided in the meanwhile to double my challenge.

[Courtney A.J.]

Number 4:

Carnegie Medals of Excellence in Fiction 2014 long list: Too Bright to Hear Too Loud to See by Juliann Garey

A good but very strange read.

[Kaitlin]

You all are reading such great books!

Great job, Danielle, in meeting your original goal. I updated your goal. Courtney, I have your fourth read on my TBR. Deneal, I also really liked The Husband's Secret.

Here's where we stand now:

THIRD QUARTER CHALLENGE: ALWAYS A NOMINEE, NEVER A WINNER
Duration: July 1 - September 30, 2014

PARTICIPANTS
Alisia 1/8
Alison 0/2
Amelia 0/5
Brianna 0/7
Courtney 5/12
Danielle 6/6 - COMPLETE!
Deneal 3/6
Eggp 2/6
Erika 3/10
Jacqueline 0/5
Janet 2/6
Jennifer 0/6
Kaitlin 3/?
Karena 6/9
Karma 6/10
Londa 1/4
Michelle 0/5
Megan 3/6
Rabaab 0/6
Robyn 0/6
Sarah 0/?
Sharon 0/6
SilverRaindrops 0/15
Tasha 1/4
Tricia 1/4

[Kaitlin]

Completed 3 so far.

GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD NOMINEES
Girl in Translation
We Are Water
I Wear the Black Hat: Grappling With Villains

[Danielle]

Thanks for updating my goal, Kaitlin. I have just added my fourth read book.

I wrote down the title of your first book; it seems interesting.

[Erika]

3/10

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic was nominated for the National Books Critic Circle Award in 2006 in the memoir category.

Amazing, amazing graphic novel/memoir!

[Janet]

Janet wrote: "Here are the six I plan to read:

Agatha Award Nominees:
[book:The Poisoner's Handbook: Mu..."

I have finah Jar City and Dying to Be Published so far

[Erika]

Also finished 4/10 today:

Tenth of December: Stories by George Saunders was nominated for the National Book Award last year. A really incredible collection of short stories. I read them in a day, which I never do with short story collections.

[Karma]

I've completed Out of the Easy from the Goodreads Choice Awards.

Puts me at 4/15

[Londa]

Finished 1


Pulitzer Nominees
The Snow Child 2013 (5 *****)

[Karena]

6/9

The Magician's Assistant Orange Prize 1998
The House Girl Goodreads Choice Awards (2013)
Divergent YALSA Teens' Top Ten Nominee (2012)
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers Abraham Lincoln Award Nominee (2006)

[Courtney A.J.]

5 of 12: 2013 Nebula Award Nominee: The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

[Karma]

I read another one:

The 5th Wave

Puts me at 5/15

I don't think I'm going to make it. Lol

[Alisia]

I am at 4/8 books read so far. I am not sure I will make it because two of the books left on my list are Mocking Jay (Hunger Games series) and Fifty Shades Freed (Last one of the Fifty Shades series). Perhaps a dumb decision to put them on my list but I thought I could manage it even with having to listen to/read 4 books that weren't in my challenge before I could read those two. It isn't over till it's over! :)

[Courtney A.J.]

#6 of 12 Strand Critics Award for Best First Novel:The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (08-22-14)

[Karma]

I just finished Then We Came to the End, from the National Book Award Nominees.

Also, I'd like to change my goal to 5 from Goodreads Choice and 5 from National Book Award (10 total).

So that puts me at 6/10

[Erika]

6/10

White Teeth by Zadie Smith was nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award in 2000.

[Danielle]

Updated post 43. I read six books - so I have completed my challenge. I'm going to stop here, Kaitlin.

Really loved all the books I have read for this challenge.

[Kaitlin]

Updated to here.

You can do it, Karma!

Great job, Danielle!! I added The Thing Around Your Neck. Booker Nominees can be amazing.

Erika, I've been meaning to read anything by Zadie Smith.

[Brianna Andreda]

I have completed 3 out of 7:

GoodReads Choice Award:
The Cuckoo's Calling Finished: September 1

Edgar Award:
Gone Girl Finished: August 31
The Lincoln Lawyer Finished: August 18

[Karma]

I've read two more National Book Award Nominees:

1. Dark Water
2. My Name is Not Easy

8/10

[DeNeal]

I have finished book #4 The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and #5 Brooklyn. One more to go to complete my challenge.

[Eggp]

That was fun, challenge completed! Thanks Kaitlin, and good luck to all left. :)

[Karena]

The Lies of Locke Lamora - World Fantasy Award Nominee for Best Novel (2007)
Omens Goodreads Choice Nominee for Paranormal Fantasy (2013)

8/9

[Karma]

Just finished my last National Book Award nominee:
The Spectacular Now

9/10

[Courtney A.J.]

Number 7: Hurston/Wright Legacy Award Nominee: The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis (09-13-14)

[Michelle L.]

1.Mudbound-Longlisted for 2010 International Dublin Literary Award
2The Goldfinch-National Book Critics Circle Award Nominee
3.The Cuckoo's Calling-2013
Goodreads Choice Nominee
3/5

[Karma]

I finished Cinder my last goodreads choice nominee. That puts me at 10/10 - challenge complete!

[Megan]

Just completed my 4th book - nominated for Goodreads Choice for Historical Fiction - The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer. Powerful story revolving around a Hungarian Jewish man just before WWII, and his fight for his family and life. Well-written with complex characters. The only reason I didn't give the novel 5 stars was that it was a bit lengthy at the beginning and took me awhile to become invested in the story. However, once through the first section, I was hooked. Definitely worth reading! 4.5 stars

4/6

[Courtney A.J.]

8 of 12 - Nebula Award Nominee: The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker (09-16-14)

Great book, 5 stars.

I am so not going to be able to complete this challenge.

[Erika]

8/10

A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka (Bailey's Prize Nominee)
The History of Love by Nicole Krauss (Bailey's Prize Nominee)

[Londa]

Realized I am actually done! Some other books I read qualify for this challenge.

Finished 7/4


Man Booker Shortlisted
Room 2010 *** August 19
The Testament of Mary 2013 *** September 17

Pulitzer Nominees
The Plague of Doves 2001 *** September 5
The Snow Child 2013 ***** August 3

Abraham Lincoln Award Nominee
The Help 2013 ***** August 26

Goodreads Choice Nominee
Orphan Train 2013 *** August 7

PEN/Faulkner Award Nominee
The Dew Breaker 2005 *** August 5

[Karena]

Last one. 9/9

Burial Rites (Women's Prize) 2014

[Megan]

Just completed my 5th book - nominated for Massachusetts Book for Young Adult Fiction - Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry. I loved the Giver, so I was excited to read this second book. I was disappointed and confused that the book seemed to be completely separate from the Giver with no overlap. That being said the story was good, but there was no real ending. It just stopped. I'm going to give the quartet one more book. 3 stars

5/6

[Alisia]

I have completed 4/8 for this quarterly challenge (I won't be reading anymore on this challenge list before the challenge is over). I set my sights to high and got busy. I fell off the reading wagon but I'm jumping back on and hopefully I can meet my yearly goal of 50 books. Wish me luck :).

[Megan]

My sixth and final section - nominated for National Book Critics Award for Autobiography - Borrowed Finery: A Memoir by Paula Fox. Interesting memoir and my heart broke for the author every time I remembered that it was a true story. While I liked the author's writing, I felt that there were odd gaps in the memoir and that it lacked an ending. Worth reading, though, if you like memoirs. 3.5 stars

6/6 - challenge completed!!!

[Courtney A.J.]

9 of 12. My first incomplete challenge :(

2005 Man Booker Nominee:
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (09-29-14)

I was super disappointed by this novel. I've only read/heard amazing reviews but it was uninteresting. Part three was the only part I sort of enjoyed.