SPRING 2015 READING CHALLENGE

[Rachel]

Please post all questions/comments/updates about the spring 2015 challenge in this thread :)

The Spring 2015 Challenge will start March 5th and end May 31st.

Rules of the challenge:

Read 3 books (or more)
Complete 3 tasks (or more)
All genres ok
Re-reads ok


So this spring complete 3 (or more) of the following tasks:


1. Some talented writers celebrate birthdays this season,

so this spring read a book by one of the following:

a. Khaled Hosseini- March 4th
b. Ellen Hopkins- March 26th
c. Douglas Preston- May 20th


2. World Bi-Polar Day is March 30th and May is National Mental Health Month,

so this spring:

Read a book that FEATURES A CHARACTER STRUGGLING WITH MENTAL ILLNESS


3. National Sibling Day is April 10th,

so this spring:

Read a book THAT FEATURES SIBLINGS

OR

Read a book in which THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SIBLINGS IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE STORY


4. Talk Like Shakespeare Day is April 23rd,

so this spring:

Read A PLAY

OR

Read a book SET (AT LEAST IN PART) IN ENGLAND


5. Stay Up All Night Night is May 10th,

so this spring:

Read a book with THE WORD NIGHT IN THE TITLE


6. Geek Pride Day is May 25th,

so this spring:

Read a book with THE LETTERS G-E-E-K

OR

N-E-R-D IN THE TITLE
(These letters do not have to be in order)


7. Random Task-This task counts toward the challenge but is not inspired by the season,

so this spring:

RE-READ AN OLD FAVORITE (this can be a favorite from long ago or as recent as last year)


HAPPY SPRING EVERYONE :D

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Thank you. Today is my birthday and you have made my day :-) I am excited to look over this & start planning what books I might read. Thank You!

[Christine]

Happy Birthday Dustin!!!!!!

The spring challenge looks great. I am excited too to start searching my shelves for my next reads. Thanks again for a fun and creative challenge!!!!

[Rachel]

You're are both very welcome-so glad you both like it :D

[Rachel]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DUSTIN
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!


HAVE A GREAT DAY :D

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Thanks. I will plan to read What the Night Knows beginning sometime mid-March for task #5. A few other Koontzlanders will also be reading this title if anyone is interested :-)

[Rachel]

Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Thanks. I will plan to read What the Night Knows beginning sometime mid-March for task #5. A few other Koontzlanders will also be reading this title if anyone is interested :-)"

I would join you guys but I just ordered Strangers from the bookstore and really want to read it in March (if it wasn't such a big book I might try to read both :)

[Christine]

I am going to read Strangers too!

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

I will be reading Strangers, but I don't see that it will count as any task on the Spring Challenge :-)

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Maybe Strangers could count for the Mental Illness Task?

Rachel, I hope you never get tired of creating these challenges :-)

I recently finished re-reading Her Fearful Symmetry and just wanted to mention that it would meet several of the tasks on the Spring 2015 Challenge:
Character w/ mental illness
Sibling Relationship
Set in England

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

I have been wanting to read more Ellen Hopkins and this is the perfect push I needed to do it!

[Christine]

Her Fearful Symmetry was an awesome book. I think my favorite of Audrey Niffenberger's novels. I recommend it too.

Strangers is not for this challenge. I'm just reading it because the Koontz group is reading it in March.

[Rachel]

Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Maybe Strangers could count for the Mental Illness Task?

Rachel, I hope you never get tired of creating these challenges :-)

I recently finished re-reading Her Fearful Symmetry and just wanted to..."

As long as you guys don't get tired of the challenges, I will post them-I look forward to them and am just happy you all like doing them with me :)

Also glad to hear both you & Christine liked Her Fearful Symmetry-it's been on my tbr for a while.

[Rachel]

Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "I have been wanting to read more Ellen Hopkins and this is the perfect push I needed to do it!"

me too lol :D

[Rachel]

Christine wrote: "Her Fearful Symmetry was an awesome book. I think my favorite of Audrey Niffenberger's novels. I recommend it too.

Strangers is not for this challenge. I'm just reading it because the Koontz ..."

I'm reading Strangers for the monthly read too-have no idea if it fits any of the tasks because it's the first time I'm reading it-look forward to discussing it :)

[Rachel]

Dustin if strangers is a re-read (and a favorite) you can count it toward the random task :D

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Strangers begins with several characters expressing various mental illnesses so I'm gonna count it for that task.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

I wasn't aware that she had written any other novels besides The Time Traveler's Wife & Her Fearful Symmetry:Audrey Niffenegger

[Christine]

Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "I wasn't aware that she had written any other novels besides The Time Traveler's Wife & Her Fearful Symmetry:Audrey Niffenegger"

I've also read
and


Both are a bit different

[Rachel]

Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Strangers begins with several characters expressing various mental illnesses so I'm gonna count it for that task."

sounds like a plan ;)

[Rachel]

Christine wrote: "Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "I wasn't aware that she had written any other novels besides The Time Traveler's Wife & Her Fearful Symmetry:Audrey Niffenegger"

I've also rea..."

I wasn't aware of these books either, thanks for the info Christine :)

[Christine]

Both those books I mentioned are illustrated. Very cool from that aspect.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

I read this one:

I think it was weird.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

I have read my first book for the challenge which has an English Setting:
Silas Marner

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

I am currently reading Strangers for the Mental Illness Task.

[Rachel]

Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "I have read my first book for the challenge which has an English Setting:
Silas Marner"

That was quick, Dustin- You're making me feel like a slacker lol ;)

Thanks for the updates! :D

[Christine]

Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "I have read my first book for the challenge which has an English Setting:
Silas Marner"

I agree with Rachel. You are making us all look like slackers, lol. On top of that, you read a classic. I am impressed!!!

[Jenn]

I am reading this book for national sibling day

[Jenn]

Another great challenge!! Thanks Rachel!!

[Rachel]

Jenn wrote: "Another great challenge!! Thanks Rachel!!"

You're welcome Jenn :D

I loved Garden Spells -hope you like it. i ordered the sequel from the bookstore and hope to read it soon

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

I can get through them pretty quick if I can find an audiobook. Some people say I am cheating, but that is how I get through life.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Strangers is a very long book - even with the help of audiobook. Here are some other books I plan to read for this challenge:

"Night" in the Title:
What the Night Knows by Dean Koontz

A book by Ellen Hopkins:
Impulse

N-E-R-D in the title:
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

Re-read a Favorite:
Watchers by Dean Koontz

[Rachel]

Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "I can get through them pretty quick if I can find an audiobook. Some people say I am cheating, but that is how I get through life."

audiobooks are not cheating!

[Rachel]

Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Strangers is a very long book - even with the help of audiobook. Here are some other books I plan to read for this challenge:

"Night" in the Title:
What the Night Knows by Dean Koo..."

Thanks for the update, Dustin :D I usually don't re-read but may be an exception-I know I loved that book but there's a lot I don't remember about the story.

[Christine]

I finished the first book for the spring challenge, a book set in England.

I knew when I started this book it was different from the Harry Potter series. Wow, was it different! If you think living in a small town is idyllic, think again. These are some of the most unlikable characters I have ever read. This novel shows how awful people can be to each other, especially their own family members.

[Jenn]

For task #5 I chose

[Rachel]

Thanks for the updates, Christine & Jenn :D

[Danell]

Read , which works for #3 in the challenge. Great book! It was chilling and disturbing! The author is Stephen King's daughter in law. Looking forward to reading her other books.

[Rachel]

Thanks for the update, Danell :)

There seems to be a lot of talent in the King family!

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Christine wrote: "I finished the first book for the spring challenge, a book set in England.

I knew when I started this book it was different from the Harry Potter series. ..."

Sounds like my hometown :-) I had to get away.

Did you like the book? Is it worth reading? I haven't read The Causual Vacancy or that other more recent one.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Jenn wrote: "For task #5 I chose "

Erotic Tales of the Vampire?

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Stephen Kings Daughter in Law? Is she a good author? I read a book by Joe Hill and enjoyed it last year.

[Christine]

Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Did you like the book? Is it worth reading? I haven't read The Causual Vacancy or that other more recent one."

I really didn't like Casual Vacancy all that much. It was a hard book to read. People were just horrible to each other and it reminds me a little too much of real life. I do like the mystery series JK Rowling is writing under the name of Robert Galbraith. I can recommend the two of them.

[Christine]

Danell wrote: "Read , which works for #3 in the challenge. Great book! It was chilling and disturbing! The author is Stephen King's daughter in law. Looking forward to reading..."
This looks really good. I have added it to my TBR list.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Ha Ha. Our mutual friend, Jackie just told me the same thing about The Casual Vacancy :-) Maybe I will try the Robert Galbraith novels though.

[Christine]

Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Ha Ha. Our mutual friend, Jackie just told me the same thing about The Casual Vacancy :-) Maybe I will try the Robert Galbraith novels though."

We did a buddy read on it, lol

[Danell]

Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Stephen Kings Daughter in Law? Is she a good author? I read a book by Joe Hill and enjoyed it last year."

Kelly is married to Owen, who is also a writer. Haven't read any of his works, but his brother Joe is a talented writer, read 3 books of his and a few short stories. Stephen King's wife is a writer as well, hope to read some of her works also.

[Rachel]

Christine wrote: "Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Did you like the book? Is it worth reading? I haven't read The Causual Vacancy or that other more recent one."

I really didn't like Casual Vacancy all that mu..."

I really want to read her mystery series!

[Rachel]

Danell wrote: "Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Stephen Kings Daughter in Law? Is she a good author? I read a book by Joe Hill and enjoyed it last year."

Kelly is married to Owen, who is also a writer. Hav..."

Danell, have you read the Locke & Key, Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft graphic novel series? I've been meaning to pick that up for a long time. I also want to read

[Danell]

I haven't read "Locke & Key", on the tbr list. Read "NOS4A2" "Heart Shaped Box", "Horns" "Full Throttle" "Twittering from the circus of the dead". Enjoyed them all! "Nos4a2" was good, but upset me due to children dying. I struggle with stories that have children murdered.

Have you read "Locke and Key"? If you read "Nos4a2" let me know what you think!