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Reading Challenges
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Ultimate 2015 Reading Challenge
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So far I have finished 13 classics this year, am halfway through another (Far From the Madding Crowd), and have two more on the horizon for Aug and Sept group reads: The Island of Dr. Moreau and Treasure Island.
I just finished the last of my books. A book with more than 500 pages The Scottish Prisoner
A classic romance Mansfield Park
A book that became a movie Revenge of the Witch
A book published this year Murder with Fried Chicken and Waffles
A book with a number The 3-1-2-1 Diet: Eat and Cheat Your Way to Weight Loss--up to 10 Pounds in 21 Days
A book written by someone under 30 The Tiger's Wife
A book with nonhuman characters Into the Wild
a funny book Food: A Love Story
a book by a female author Binding Ties
a mystery or thiller Ghost in the Guacamole
A book with one-word title Changeling
a book of short stories The ChangelingThe Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
A book set in a different country The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel
a nonfiction book Wines of Italy: The Definitive Guide to Understanding Italian Wines
a popular author's first book Captive Bride
A book from an author you love, that you haven't red yet Dreamer's DaughterDreamer's
a book a friend recommended The Secret Life of Bees
a Pulitzer Prize winning book Collected Poems, 1917-1952
a book based on a true story The Other Boleyn Girl
A book at the bottom of your read list To Kiss In the Shadows
A book your mom loves Moll Flanders Murder on the Orient Express (I did my mother in law since my mother died and I could not ask her. And, my mother, I recall loved Agatha Christie, so I picked one of those as well.)
A book that scares you No Ghouls Allowed
a book more than 100 years old The Complete Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales
a book based entirely on its cover Spell BookedSpell Booked
a book you were suppose to read in school but didn't Flowers for Algernon
a memoir Can't We Talk about Something More Pleasant?
a book you can finish in a day Mummies in the Morning
a book with antonyms in the title Short & Tall Tales: Moose County Legends Collected By James Mackintosh Qwilleran
a book set somewhere you have always wanted to visit Hawaii Peril Under the Palms
a book that came out the year you were born It's Like This, Cat
a book with bad reviews The Da Vinci Code
a trilogy The Ruby Red Trilogy Boxed Set
a book from your childhood Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator
a book with a love triangle On What Grounds
a book set in the future Siren's Call
a book set in high school Eleanor & Park
a book with a color in the title Lavendar and Old Lace
a book that made you cry Change of Heart
a book with magic Burn for Me
a graphic novel The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes
a book by an author you've never read before A High-End FinishHigh End Finish By
a book you own but have never read Do Not Disturb
a book that takes place in your hometown Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief
a book that was originally written in a different language Planet of the Apes
a book set during Christmas The Diva Cooks a Goose
a book written by an author with your initials Yesterday and Forever
a play Same Time Next Year
a banned book A Light in the Attic
a book based on or turned into a TV show Dead Until Dark
a book you started but never finished Mr. Monk Gets Even
Congratulations, Valerie. I still have eight to go.
Heather L wrote: "I've had the 10-12 classics goal for a few years now, and usually succeed. It helps when you mix in a few children's classics, and one year I (re)read the entire Narnia series. I read [book:Dracula..."Great goal. May have to try that for myself next year. Though, I am not sure I would go with 10. Might try half that. I have read a LOT of them...and, there are reasons I have not done some of the others. LOL But, I have many that I would like to read...and, possibly reread. Since a few might read different now that I am older.
Teresa wrote: "Thanks. One of my reading goals this year was to read 10 classics. I've had that same goal for years and never seem to make it. I usually wind up reading one or two. ..."Heather L wrote: "I've had the 10-12 classics goal for a few years now, and usually succeed. It helps when you mix in a few children's classics..."
I didn't set a goal this year for reading classics, but I've read 13 so far (I listened to most of them). Eight of those were written for children.
Teresa wrote: "... I just finished Dracula (my book that scares me - I read the first 100 pages or so at night before I went to bed and was up for hours)..."
Yesterday I started a book that someone at another board said was scary. If it scares me, I'll use that for #22." However, Dracula is on my bookshelf for this challenge in case the other book isn't scary. I'm planning to listen to the eaudio; I often listen to books when I can't sleep during the night. Do you think Dracula will keep me awake? :->
Valerie wrote: "I just finished the last of my books. A book with more than 500 pages The Scottish Prisoner
A classic romance Mansfield Park
A book that became a movie [book:Revenge o..."
Congratulations Valerie! I checked out your list and I've shelved a couple that sounded really good.
AlegnaB wrote: "Yesterday I started a book that someone at another board said was scary. If it scares me, I'll use that for #22." However, Dracula is on my bookshelf for this challenge in case the other book isn't scary. I'm planning to listen to the eaudio; I often listen to books when I can't sleep during the night. Do you think Dracula will keep me awake? "I think it depends. What scares one person doesn't always scare another. I've read a couple of books this year that people told me were scary and they didn't bother me. Werewolves and witches, even crazy serial killers really don't bother me. (Strange, I know.) Vampires have always been scary to me. I also live in an older house so there are a lot of creaks and groans in the night. I thought the first part of the book and the last part of the book were scary and suspenseful. The middle wasn't as much. I thought it was a good, well written book and, whether it scares you or not, I hope you enjoy it.
Congrats Valerie! I have 2 to go & I compared our lists & it's amazing neither of our 52 books are in common or maybe even authors!I should be joining the club this weekend or next week--I have the Pulitzer book (The Color Purple) and the Play (Midsummer Night's Dream) to go...which I am trying to squeeze in around Book Club books & new releases I'm reading too.
Teresa wrote: "AlegnaB wrote: "Yesterday I started a book that someone at another board said was scary. If it scares me, I'll use that for #22." However, Dracula is on my bookshelf for this challenge in case the ..."I think that scary could also be interpreted as a character that scares you. I loved Gone Girl, but Amy scared the crap out of me, so I would use that book as one that scared me. But I can't use it because I read it when it first came out.
Oh well done Valerie! That was really quick! Hope you had fun with it! :)
Congratulations Valerie! :) Awesome job finishing so soon.
Valerie wrote: "I just finished the last of my books. A book with more than 500 pages The Scottish Prisoner
A classic romance Mansfield Park
A book that became a movie [book:Revenge o..."
Congratulations Valerie. Lots of good books on your list!
❂ Jennifer (reviews on BookLikes) wrote: "Oh well done Valerie! That was really quick! Hope you had fun with it! :)"I mostly had fun. The Grimm's Fairy Tales was VERY hard to get through. Lots of repetition, and gore. I had to do it in chunks. Took me three months. Did a few tales a day.
Enjoyed a couple of others, though, more than I thought I would, and discovered a couple of new authors. So, it was all good. Not sure I will do one like this again. I like the scavenger hunt feel, but some of the categories I am not a fan of and would prefer other ones. Example, poetry.
Thanks all. Looks like some other folks will be posting their success soon as well. You notice that several of mine were cozies. Gotta get them in as well. LOL
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Some books definitely read different as an adult than as a child. I reread Little Women a few years ago and was surprised at how "preachy" it seemed as an adult. For others I have reread, there was a lot about the books I remembered, but just as many scenes I did not, which made it seem like a first read. And then there was Hercule Poirot's Christmas, which I read last December and did not recall a single thing about the book.
Heather L wrote: "Valerie wrote: "Great goal. May have to try that for myself next year. Though, I am not sure I would go with 10. Might try half that. I have read a LOT of them...and, there are reasons I have not d..."The ones I am interested in rereading are the Mark Twain ones. I read many as a young adult, and now over 30 years later...I am sure they will read differently. May make that a goal next year. To read several Mark Twains.
Valerie wrote: "Heather L wrote: "Valerie wrote: "Great goal. May have to try that for myself next year. Though, I am not sure I would go with 10. Might try half that. I have read a LOT of them...and, there are re..."You are SO right, Valerie. I re-read Grapes of Wrath in 2008, after having read it in high school. It was so much more relevant now.
Jill wrote: "I think that scary could also be interpreted as a character that scares you..."I read some books about serial killers by Steven James. Although the stories were disturbing and the killers were creepy, they didn't scare me, probably because I knew they were fiction. I started listening to SJ's prequel to his Patrick Bowers Files series, but I had to quit that. It was just too disturbing to even think about. Think Jeffrey Dahmer and you'll get the idea of what that book was about. There were detailed descriptions of the horrific acts of past serial killers. If I had finished that book, I'm sure I could have used it for the scary category.
I've had no desire to read The Grapes of Wrath, partly due to my seeing the movie starring Henry Fonda. That was decades ago, and I remember it being soooo boring. I've watched thousands of movies from the 1930's-1940's and usually like most of them at least a little.
Valerie wrote: The Grimm's Fairy Tales was VERY hard to get through. Lots of repetition, and gore. I had to do it in chunks...."
I own The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm. I read some of it after I got it and was surprised at how violent and gory it was. I decided not to read it to my kids.
I too own a book of Grimms Fairy Tales, although I've never actually read it. You guys have me very curious... ;) I was going to read a short stories collection of Hemingway for my short stories challenge, but maybe I'll switch... :)
I bought a compilation of several of the more popular Grimm's Fairy Tales a couple of years ago for my 9 year old niece. Luckily I decided to read it before I gave it to her. The original stores are very violent and gory. Cinderella would have probably given her nightmares. I read the complete works of Hans Christian Andersen for this challenge and they weren't what I was expecting either. They don't seem as violent over all as the Grimm stories but they are still depressing and sad.
I definitely prefer the Disney versions for my fairy tales.
AlegnaB wrote: "Jill wrote: "I think that scary could also be interpreted as a character that scares you..."I read some books about serial killers by Steven James. Although the stories were distu..."
The original Grimm fairy tales were just that - Grimm!
About the Grapes of Wrath, I recently re-read it in 2008 and was surprised how relevant it was especially after the financial crisis. I originally read it when I was in high school in 1980's and found it boring then.
Valerie wrote: "I just finished the last of my books. A book with more than 500 pages The Scottish Prisoner
A classic romance Mansfield Park
A book that became a movie [book:Revenge o..."
Congratulations Valerie. I have not checked this thread in a while, I might have some more to add, but am not near finishing. That is quite an accomplishment.
COMPLETED 8/9/15 (Finishing the last 2 this weekend: how fitting that 1 was 1 of the most enjoyable The Color Purple & the other 1 of the most difficult & least enjoyable, the play-A Midsummer Night's Dream.)2015 Ulitmate Reading Challenge
January 1 - December 31, 2015
Completed: 52/52
From //www.popsugar.com/love/Reading-You can also track this on DayZeroProject.com (it's a featured item)
*A book with more than 500 pages Postmortem, Patricia Cornwell 5/2/15 (509 pgs)
*A classic romance The Fault in Our Stars, John Green 6/28/15 ?if not Baby, Don't Go
*A book that became a movie The Help, Kathryn Stockett 5/6/15
*A book published this year I Was Here, Gayle Forman 5/11/15 (Pub 1/27/15)
*A book with a number in the title 7 Brides for 7 Bodies, Stephanie Bond 4/12/15
*A book written by someone under 30 Red Queen, Victoria Aveyard (24) 5/15/15
*A book with nonhuman characters The Underneath, Kathi Appelt 7/18/15
*A funny book Bubbles Unbound, Sarah Strohmeyer 4/13/15 (read series; all funny)
*A book by a female author Indemnity Only, Sara Paretsky 1/28/15
*A mystery or thriller The Kind Worth Killing, Peter Swanson 5/30/15
*A book with a one-word title Snagged, Carol Higgins Clark 3/1/15
*A book of short stories Kinsey and Me: Stories, Sue Grafton 2/10/15
*A book set in a different country The Mysterious Affair at Styles, Agatha Christie (England) 4/9/15
*A nonfiction book Everything I Needed to Know about Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume, Jennifer O'Connell 5/10/15
*A popular author's first book The Ritual Bath, Faye Kellerman 3/20/15
*A book you haven't read from an author you love Full House, Janet Evanovich 5/12/15
*A book a friend recommended Finding Jake, Bryan Reardon 6/6/15
*A Pulitzer Prize-winning book The Color Purple, Alice Walker 8/8/15
*A book based on a true story The Far End of Happy, Kathryn Craft 4/25/15
*A book at the bottom of your to-read list R is for Ricochet, Sue Grafton 1/?/15
*A book your mom loves The Storekeeper's Daughter, Wanda E. Brunstetter 6/2/15
*A book that scares you NOS4A2, Joe Hill 7/20/15
*A book more than 100 years old Twelve Years a Slave, Solomon Northup 5/8/15
*A book based entirely on its cover Wallbanger, Alice Clayton 4/19/15
*A book you were supposed to read in school but didn't The Diary of a Young Girl, Anne Frank 5/14/15
*A memoir Orange Is the New Black, Piper Kerman 7/12/15
*A book you can finish in a day Thank You Notes, Jimmy Fallon 5/24/15
*A book with antonyms in the title You and Me and Him, Kris Dinnison 8/6/15
*A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit The Rosie Project, Graeme Simsion (outside US-Australia) 5/20/15 & Burned, Carol Higgins Clark (US-Hawaii) 3/15/15
*A book that came out the year you were born Lovingly, Helen Steiner Rice 5/2/15 & The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax
*A book with bad reviews Soapsuds, Finola Hughes 7/11/15
*A trilogy Stieg Larsson's: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (5/10/15), The Girl Who Played with Fire (6/10/15), The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest 6/16/15)
*A book from your childhood Tiger Eyes, Judy Blume 5/25/15
*A book with a love triangle Murder at the Vicarage, Agatha Christie 4/17/15 (also Goodnight June)
*A book set in the future Man in the Empty Suit, Sean Ferrell 7/25/15
*A book set in high school Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, Chris Crutcher 5/28/15
*A book with a color in the title Gray Mountain, John Grisham 4/13/15
*A book that made you cry The Nightingale, Kristin Hannah 5/31/15
*A book with magic Bras & Broomsticks, Sarah Mlynowski 5/17/15
*A graphic novel Black Widow, Vol. 2: The Tightly Tangled Web (Vol 1 & 2), Nathan Edmondson 7/9/15
*A book by an author you've never read before Sofie Metropolis, Tori Carrington 4/10/15
*A book you own but have never read Out to Pasture: But Not over the Hill, Effie Leland Wilder 4/18/15
*A book that takes place in your hometown The Doll Maker, Richard Montanari 7/8/15
*A book that was originally written in a different language The Quiet Girl, Peter Høeg 7/2/15 (Danish)
*A book set during Christmas Santa Cruise: A Holiday Mystery at Sea, Mary Higgins Clark 7 Carol Higgins Clark 3/25/15
*A book written by an author with your same initials You Know When the Men Are Gone, Siobhan Fallon 7/15/15
*A play A Midsummer Night's Dream, William Shakespeare 8/9/15
*A banned book The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini 5/28/15
*A book based on or turned into a TV show The Surgeon (Rizzoli & Isles), Tess Gerritsen 8/4/15
*A book you started but never finished I Got This: How I Changed My Ways and Lost What Weighed Me Down, Jennifer Hudson 5/2/15
Congratulations Sherri, that is amazing.
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When we read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in high school I hated it. Had to reread it four years later in college and liked it much better. Read The Prince and the Pauper earlier this year and enjoyed that one, too.
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I've read this one at least three times, and seen the movie equally as often. I didn't find the book or movie boring, and as Kirsten said, it is quite relevant today.
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Congrats on finishing, Sherri! I have [book:A Midsummer Night's Dream|1622] set aside for this challenge as well, just need to actually get to it. :-/
I'm also going to read A Midsummer Night's Dream, but I'm going to read the No Fear Shakespeare version so I'll understand it better.
Can anyone help me find a book from an author under 30 that is not by Anne Frank, a dystopian novel, or full of vampires, etc.? Have been looking for a library or used book but would have better luck if I knew what I was seeking.It has also been long enough that I have forgotten if there is any book I did not read in school. Besides I would not count textbooks! It is getting close to the end of summer reading season and the last ten books of the challenge are looming.
The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton is classic. She was a teen when she wrote it. It's been around forever but is still read in schools.
Carol wrote: "Can anyone help me find a book from an author under 30 that is not by Anne Frank, a dystopian novel, or full of vampires, etc.? Have been looking for a library or used book but would have better lu..."I read The Tiger's Wife and I REALLY enjoyed it. It should be at your library since it was on the best seller list.
Also, I have heard Swamplandia! is pretty good. It is on my TBR list.
Maureen and Valerie thanks so much for the suggestions. I will start with
S. E. Hinton on my kindle from the library.
Charity wrote: "Updated message 59. 39/52"
Doing well!
Thanks for this challenge. I have not been reading much at all, due to double vision, and really miss it. Hope this spurs me on! Bought three books yesterday and started reading two of them last night. I've read a few books this year, but I'm way behind!
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Did you check this list? There are a lot of suggestions, and not all are YA, vampire or dystopian. For example, The Call of the Wild, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Wuthering Heights, The Sun Also Rises, The Outsiders, Sense and Sensibility -- to name a few.
Carol wrote: "Can anyone help me find a book from an author under 30 that is not by Anne Frank, a dystopian novel, or full of vampires, etc.? Have been looking for a library or used book but would have better lu..."A couple of books I was looking at, that are non-fiction and written by someone under 30... My Story by Elizabeth Smart (which I'm going to use for this category) and Waiting to Be Heard: A Memoir by Amanda Knox. :) I used the Amanda Knox book for my memoir and I thought it was pretty good.
Carol wrote: "Can anyone help me find a book from an author under 30 that is not by Anne Frank, a dystopian novel, or full of vampires, etc.? Have been looking for a library or used book but would have better lu..."I used The Bell Jar which is not really a fun read due to the subject matter but I am trying to diverse my reading this year and I did find it interesting. The Author was under 30....actually she took her own life by 31.
I have a post for this one on my blog as well. I just haven't been very good with record keeping. This is a slightly-past-mid-year attempt to get back on track.[ ] A book with 500 pages
[ ] A classic romance
[ ] A book that became a movie
[ ] A book published this year
[ ] A book with a number in the title
[ ] A book written by someone under 30
[ ] A book with nonhuman characters
[ ] A funny book
[X] A book with a female author Climax
[ ] A mystery or thriller
[ ] A book with a one-word title
[ ] A book of short stories
[X] A book set in a different countryHeir to a Prophecy
[ ] A nonfiction book
[ ] A popular author's first book
[ ] A book from an author you love that you have not read yet
[ ] A book a friend recommended
[ ] A Pulitzer Prize winning book
[ ] A book based on a true story
[ ] A book at the bottom of your to-read list
[ ] A book your mom loves
[ ] A book that scares you
[ ] A book more than 100 years old
[ ] A book based entirely on its cover
[ ] A book you were supposed to read in school but didn't
[ ] A memoir
[ ] A book you can finish in a day
[ ] A book with antonyms in the title
[ ] A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit
[ ] A book that came out the year you were born
[ ] A book with bad reviews
[ ] A trilogy
[ ] A book from your childhood
[ ] A book with a love triangle
[ ] A book set in the future
[ ] A book set in high school
[ ] A book with a color in the title
[ ] A book that made you cry
[X] A book with magic A Grave Inheritance
[ ] A graphic novel
[X] A book by an author you've never read before Kill 'Em with Cayenne: A Spice Shop Mystery
[ ] A book you own but have never read
[ ] A book that takes place in your hometown (or close to where you live)
[ ] A book originally written in a different language
[ ] A book set during Christmas
[ ] A book written by an author with your same initials
[ ] A play
[ ] A banned book
[ ] A book based on or turned into a TV show
[ ] A book you started but never finished
I'm at 31/52 now. A book a friend recommended-Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the West by Cormac McCarthy: I'm not sure about this book. I see why my husband liked it, but I thought it was...weird. It was written in a different style than I'm used to. There wasn't a single quotation mark to separate the dialogue between the different characters. It made it hard to follow at times. Not sure I'd read anything else by the author.
A memoir-Waiting to Be Heard: A Memoir by Amanda Knox: I read this book out of curiosity about the case. I honestly never really paid much attention when it happened. From what I read I feel sorry for everyone involved. Except maybe the police who made an assumption and then forced the evidence to support their beliefs. Overall, it was a good read and made me think, how would I react in a situation like that...
A book based solely on the cover-
Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins: I usually have to read the info about a book before I decide to read it or not, so this category was a little difficult for me. My library always has different displays of books for different things, like specific authors or books about a historical event, and had been keeping my eye out for a possibility. On this occasion, it was "what the staff is reading" and I thought that this one looked interesting... And, I was NOT disappointed! :) I was very delighted with this choice and am planning on reading others in the series. :) Good story and I like the characters.
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Helps when you are off for the summer, and you break your dominant hand.
Cozy Mysteries
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Thanks. One of my reading goals this year was to read 10 classics. I've had that same goal for years and never seem to make it. I usually wind up reading one or two.
This year, because of this challenge, I've been sticking to my plan a little better. I've been trying to fit the classics into this challenge to knock two goals off at once. I just finished Dracula (my book that scares me - I read the first 100 pages or so at night before I went to bed and was up for hours) this weekend and started Kim (one word title).