Bonus Challenge - Rock the Vote

[Sarah]

Message 16 Updated

3/9

[Megan]

Updated to here! Great progress, everyone! Congrats on completing the challenge, Rachael!

[Megan]

Just finished a Sci Fi nominee - The Deep by River Solomon. Really fascinating book about what makes us human and what makes us connected. Imagine if there was life beyond for the kidnapped people thrown off the slave ships. Loved the writing! Definitely worth reading! 4 stars

I wouldn't really classify this as sci fi, more fantasy. Still really good, but not supplanting Dark Age for my vote in this category.

6/10

[Jeannine]

progress update for message #50

1/4

[SarahKat, Buddy Reads]

2/2

2. Finale by Stephanie Garber

[oshizu]

Updated msg 4:

Fiction: Red at the Bone

Progress: 5/6

[Janine]

Semi-final update: 4/4

Two more books completed:

3. Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love - this one took me a while to get into it. It's very much written as they speak, and it was a bit overwhelming. I got used to it, though, and did enjoy it. I think the audio book would probably be better.

4. Ninth House - absolutely loved this. 5 stars! Leigh Bardugo has to be one of my favourite authors.

[Lulu]

Update to msg #44:

3/6, completed:
1. The Ten Thousand Doors of January
2. My Sister, the Serial Killer
3. The Turn of the Key

[Megan]

Congrats to SarahKat and Janine on finishing the challenge! Great progress to everyone!

[Megan]

Just completed one of my Memoir selections - Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive by Stephanie Land. Powerful read and a definite must! Her writing is clear and focused for most of the book - loses the timeline just a touch in the middle. My one main criticism is that while she's careful to state she is writing from her perspective and circumstances, she rarely acknowledges that her privilege factors in to her eventual survival. There are small acknowledgements and comparisons, but not a full exploration. That being said, it is an excellent book about poverty and shame-culture in America. Definitely worth reading! 4.5 stars

And I voted for it!

7/10

[Megan]

Finished another Mystery selection - My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite. I am incredibly impressed that the author managed to convey that powerful of a story in that small amount of words! I loved and hated all of her characters - they were fully fleshed out and presented as flawed beings. Great writing! I felt like she could have explained a bit more towards the end, but otherwise, really good. Definitely worth reading! 4.5 stars

And I changed my semi-final vote to this one!

8/10

[Megan]

Just completed my first Children's/Middle Grade - To Night Owl from Dogfish by Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer. This was a fantastic book! I loved that it was written in email/letter format! And the modern parent trap trope was done really well. The two distinct personalities of the two girls really came through. Definitely worth reading! 5 stars

And I voted for it!

9/10

[oshizu]

Updated msg 4

Memoir & Biography: In the Dream House
4.5 stars (This got my vote)

Progress: 6/6

I still plan to read 2-3 more books but without raising my challenge goal. :D

[Catka]

update msg 43:
Progress: 5/5

I have finished my reading for the Fiction: section. For this I selected the following books:
The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms ★★★★★ - that is four stars for the story, one star for featuring a librarian as a main character. A librarian going to a library conference, discussing reading. Intelligent, witty romance.
on the other hand, I did not enjoy Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams ★★☆☆☆ It disappointed my expectations and also bored me and I cannot decide which was worse. (my review here)
I also previously read When All Is Said ★★★☆☆ but was not that impressed by it either, so I guess my vote is clear here: The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms

So I have finished my pledged number of books for this challenge, but nevertheless I am going to read one more for the Historical Fiction : The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes - she is my favourite author and I have the book ready at home. It also features librarians. On horses.
I have already voted in this section, so I am just reading that for my own pleasure, I do not expect anything to exceed the book I have voted for here: The Huntress by Kate Quinn ★★★★★

[Tara]

Janine wrote: "Semi-final update: 4/4

Two more books completed:

3. Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love - this one took me a while to get into it. It's very much written as they speak, and i..."

Ninth House was so awesome!

[Tara]

I am just going to keep reading even though I have completed my personal rock the vote challenge

3 of 2
Maid by Stephanie Land

The author read the audio book herself and it wasn't too bad. I feel like her writing is pretty basic but it fits the narrative. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

[Megan]

Congrats on completing the challenge, oshizu and Catka! Love the reviews and votes!

[Megan]

Final Round of Voting will be announced tomorrow!

[Dominique]

I completed my four books.

I might 2 more if I have the time

[Megan]

Update to msg 48:

2/4 read

made it onto the second round with write-ins... and has fallen off already. Which is too bad, because I would have considered voting for it.

[Lulu]

Can we still use books that were on the semifinal ballot? Or can it only be books still on the ballot? I feel like the latter is more in the spirit of the challenge, but I already own a few books that have fallen off the ballot!

[Megan]

Lulu wrote: "Can we still use books that were on the semifinal ballot? Or can it only be books still on the ballot? I feel like the latter is more in the spirit of the challenge, but I already own a few books t..."

I think anything that has been nominated qualifies

[Megan]

Congrats on completing the challenge, Dominique! Updated to here

[Dominique]

Megan wrote: "Congrats on completing the challenge, Dominique! Updated to here"

Thanks!

[Sarah]

Message 16 Updated

5/9

[Crystal]

Update msg 21: 2/2

[Megan]

Great progress, Sarah! Congrats on completing the challenge, Crystal!

[Megan]

Great job, everyone! The Final Round of Voting ends in 9 days on December 2 and the winners are announced on December 10. Plenty of time still to read those nominees:)

[Janine]

Update: 5/4

I read Shades of Magic Vol. 1: The Steel Prince from the Graphic Novels & Comics. I enjoyed it a lot as a prequel to the Shades of Magic series, and looking forward to reading the next one, but I'm still sticking with my vote for Heartstopper: Volume Two for this category as I prefer the art style.

[Megan]

Just completed my fiction pick - Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane. Overall, I enjoyed this book. I appreciated that she sought to accurately portray what a police career entails for both the officer and his or her family. I enjoyed the characters, even though they were flawed. While the writing was good, it felt almost quiet or cautious. It was slow for me in parts. Worth reading! 4 stars

Even though I enjoyed it, I’m not voting for it.

10/10 - challenge completed!

[Megan]

Just completed my YA Fantasy/Sci Fi pick - Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte. Good, solid YA fantasy with a nice mystery element to it. I found it a bit slow in parts, as I liked the sections involving the four queens and wasn't as fond of the sections involving Keralie. Kept me guessing to the end, though. Worth reading! 4 stars

Didn't make it out of the 2nd round. Solid but not one that would get my vote.

11/10

[Jeannine]

Update Progress for #50

2/4

[Sarah]

Message 16 Updated

9/9-Challenge Completed

[Tara]

4 of 2


by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

Science Fiction and I voted for it!

I picked this book based solely on the cover. I don't know which I love more, books or birds?!?!?!?!? Obviously the book is not about birds but the main characters are named Red and Blue so a Cardinal and a Blue Jay are excellent choices for cover art. I really loved this unique book.

[Megan]

Tara wrote: "4 of 2


by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

Science Fiction and I voted for it!

I picked this book based solely on the cover. I don't know w..."

Ooh, love the review, definitely going to check this one out!

[Megan]

Congrats on completing the challenge, Sarah!

[Cassie]

Updated message 36 - finished 1 out of 2

[Megan]

Update to msg 48:

brings my total up to 3/4, but it's been knocked out so I obviously won't/can't be voting for it.

[Crystal]

Update msg 21: 3/2

[Janine]

Update: 6/4

I read The Priory of the Orange Tree from the Fantasy category. Really enjoyed it (4 stars), but sticking with my vote for Ninth House.

[TerryJane, Challenges]

Updated message 27.
Progress 12/3.

I didn't expect to finish so many, and may read a few more before December 4. We'll see.

[Megan]

Just completed a Fantasy selection - The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. I have so many complicated feelings about this book - all positive! It's a much more complicated book than Night Circus (think doctoral dissertation compared to college thesis). This book carries the same elegance and whimsy but with a more serious edge. There's more twisty and questioning and for a moment there, I thought she was going to lose me. But then it snapped back, and I'm now prattling on because I don't know where to put all my book emotions. Definitely worth reading! 5 stars

It's a toss-up for me but I'm sticking with my original vote for Winter of the Witch.

12/10

[Megan]

Great job, everyone! Wow, TerryJane, congrats on completing the challenge!

Voting ends on Monday, so two more days to get those votes in! But don't forget, our challenge doesn't end until the final votes are revealed on December 10, so plenty of time to get in more amazing reads:)

[oshizu]

Updage to msg 4

HISTORY & BIOGRAPHY
✔️Reading: Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland

I voted for this book for every round and it very much lived up to my expectations. 5 stars and one of my 2019 favorites.

Progress: 7/6

[Ilona]

Updated message 5

4/4 Completed the challenge!

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
4 stars

[Lulu]

Update to msg #44:

5/6 completed

4. The Flatshare (Romance)
5. Ask Again, Yes (Fiction)

Now to decide on my last book!

[Jeannine]

update to message #50

3/4 completed

[Margie]

Message #32 updated. 8/7 read.

Challenge complete! I'll be interested to see which books win each category.

[TerryJane, Challenges]

Megan wrote: "Great job, everyone! Wow, TerryJane, congrats on completing the challenge!

Voting ends on Monday, so two more days to get those votes in! But don't forget, our challenge doesn't end until the fina..."

Thanks for the date correction, Megan. Perhaps I will get some more reads in, in that case. 🙂

[Megan]

Congrats to Ilona and Margie on completing their challenges! Margie, I will also be glued to my screen on 12/10 to see the final winners:) Everyone's reading progress is excellent!