2023 February Reading Challenge

[Elizabeth]

Hello all,

This month, we will celebrate Presidents Day by reading a book that includes Presidents. Remember, there are lots of different kinds of presidents. Obviously, there is the President of the United States of America, but there are also PTA presidents, student council presidents, any presidency will work! You can also stretch it to be those who are near the president, or somehow involve a presidency, like books about the Secret Service, or a White House Chef or Butler, etc.

If you like thrillers, you may enjoy Tom Clancy’s Chain of Command where President Jack Ryan’s first lady is kidnapped, or No Way Back which is about the mysterious death of a White House reporter. If you like cozy mysteries you might like State of the Onion where a White House Chef solves a mystery, or this cozy mystery Clause of Death, where a couple of characters are co-presidents of the Stoneham Chamber of Commerce. If you’re more interested in a funny romance, try Red, White & Royal Blue, which is about the relationship between the son of the president, and the son of a king.

For children’s fiction, you may enjoy Susie B. Won't Back Down about running for student council president. If you’re in the mood for something sillier, try Bad Kitty for President. Want a kids mystery? Give The Election-Day Disaster or The Case of the Diamond Dog Collar a try.

If you enjoy nonfiction, you might enjoy You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington, or The Butler: A Witness to History, about a White House Butler, and stories through different administrations, or The Big Book of American Presidents: Fascinating Facts and True Stories about U.S. Presidents and Their Families or Unusual Pets of Presidents, .

Let me know your presidential book pick and how it relates to a presidency. Don’t forget to post when you finish reading your book to be entered into the February prize drawing.

Also, I hope that you are either working on, or have finished the Winter Reading Challenge. Remember, the Winter Reading Challenge ends on February 18!
thecountylibrary.org/WinterReading

[Deborah]

I actually have State of the Onion in queue. I most likely will read it for this challenge.

[Elizabeth]

Deborah wrote: "I actually have State of the Onion in queue. I most likely will read it for this challenge."

Nice! I really liked that series - although, I don't think I read them all. State of the Onion was a Reader's Choice nominee, many years ago, and I really liked it. AND there are recipes!

[Brittany]

For this challenge I am going to read Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman, a poetry collection which features the poem she read for Biden's presidential inauguration titled "The Hill We Climb."

[Elizabeth]

Brittany wrote: "For this challenge I am going to read Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman, a poetry collection which features the poem she read for Biden's presidential inaugur..."

Nice! I do love poetry and I really like how she performed her work at the inauguration. I don't think I saw it live, but watched a video later. She shared a really great poem.

[Brittany]

I was working from home that day and watched it live. Her poem was so powerful and memorable. I am really excited to read it in print.

[Britt, Book Habitue]

I read State of the Onion when it was a Readers' Choice. It was fun!

I might also read Call Us What We Carry.... hmmm.... I also got Sofia Valdez, Future Pres for Christmas so maybe I'll opt for that.

[Greg]

I read The President's Daughter by Bill Clinton and James Patterson.

Hit the topic in the plot and the author.

2 out of 2 (challenges so far) for 2023.
or 10 (total challenges)
or 15 (total books)

[Debbie]

I am currently reading The January 6 Report by The Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol so I will use it. I think it's relationship to the Presidency is self-evident. I'm also reading Truman by David McCullough. I usually manage one children's book. Now I'm in the midst of two long adult non-fiction works. Talk about a switch!

[Greg]

Debbie wrote: "I am currently reading The January 6 Report by The Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol so I will use it. I think it..."

I can't speak to the Jan 6 report (though I suspect a snooze-fest!), but Truman is a great book! I've read all of McCullough's works, and I'm a huge fan!

[Mary]

A great nonfiction choice for this challenge would be Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies.

[Elizabeth]

Greg wrote: "I'll be reading
The President's Daughter
by Bill Clinton and James Patterson.

Hit the topic in the plot and the author."

Fun! I've been curious if that's an interesting book. You'll need to let us know.

[Elizabeth]

Debbie wrote: "I am currently reading The January 6 Report by The Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol so I will use it. I think it..."

I know! I try to always suggest kids book titles, too. Since I know so many people on here read them.

If you need a break, maybe you could try one of these picture books:
Grace for President
President Squid
Duck for President
Froggy for President!
Buddy for President

[Elizabeth]

Mary wrote: "A great nonfiction choice for this challenge would be Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies."

That one sounds really interesting, too.

[Greg]

Elizabeth wrote: "Greg wrote: "I'll be reading
The President's Daughter
by Bill Clinton and James Patterson.

Hit the topic in the plot and the author."

Fun! I've been curious if that's an interesting book. You'..."

This is a follow-up to the first book they did together, The President is Missing. I gave that one 3-stars. I expect more or less the same.

[Debbie]

Greg wrote: "I can't speak to the Jan 6 report (though I suspect a snooze-fest!)..."

Actually, it's not a snooze-fest for me. It's really quite compelling and appalling.

[Greg]

Debbie wrote: "Actually, it's not a snooze-fest for me. It's really quite compelling and appalling."

You're a better person than I! I can't sustain all that political mess!

[Darin]

Thanks for the ideas - I love thrillers, so I'll listen to "The President is Missing," by Bill Clinton/James Patterson.

[Linda]

I will be reading .
It is a mystery based on Lincoln when he was a lawyer and cases he handled. This is the second book in the series.

[Elizabeth]

Linda wrote: "I will be reading .
It is a mystery based on Lincoln when he was a lawyer and cases he handled. This is the second book in the series."

Ooh, that sounds really fun. Let me know if you liked it.

[Brittany]

I just finished "Call Us What We Carry" by Amanda Gorman, and loved it! Her power of language is extraordinary.

[Teresa]

I already dnf'd 2 books for this month's challenge and I've looked through at least a hundred different books. Nothing is grabbing my attention so I'm calling this month a bust for me. I don't need suggestions, thanks anyway.

[Em]

I have completed All the President's Menus to check off the challenge this month.

[Mary]

I finished The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams by Stacy Schiff. John Adams figures prominently in this history/biography, as he is the cousin of Samuel.

[Elizabeth]

Teresa wrote: "I already dnf'd 2 books for this month's challenge and I've looked through at least a hundred different books. Nothing is grabbing my attention so I'm calling this month a bust for me. I don't need..."

Darn. I hate it when that happens. But, in general, I don't want people to have to read anything they don't want to. So, I hope you can find something that catches your interest this month.

[Elizabeth]

Can you believe this month is more than half over? Make sure you post your book if you finished to be entered into the prize drawing.

[Linda]

I finished . It was a really good book.

[Carolyn]

We'll see if this gets finished before the end of the month, but I picked up and read the first few pages of Booth by Karen Joy Fowler. Since it is about the family that John Wilkes Booth grew up in, of course the presidency it connects to is Abraham Lincoln's. In just the first few pages Lincoln has already appeared.

[Carolyn]

For this challenge I read Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman.

[Darin]

I finished listening to The President is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson, and really enjoyed it.

[Elizabeth]

I'm so glad people read a variety of different books, fiction and nonfiction for this challenge.

[Brittany]

Any chance we could get the March challenge up a little early? I have extra time on my hands today with the snow day and would love to start planning my reads for next month.

[Deborah]

I finished State of the Onion by Julie Hyzy for this challenge.

[Elizabeth]

Brittany wrote: "Any chance we could get the March challenge up a little early? I have extra time on my hands today with the snow day and would love to start planning my reads for next month."

I am so sorry I didn't see this until today. I popped in around 8 am yesterday, and then didn't come back. (Too much shoveling!)

[Elizabeth]

Deborah wrote: "I finished State of the Onion by Julie Hyzy for this challenge."

Did you like it? I remember the series pretty fondly.

[Deborah]

Elizabeth wrote: "Deborah wrote: "I finished State of the Onion by Julie Hyzy for this challenge."

Did you like it? I remember the series pretty fondly."

I loved it! I literally could not put it down.

[Tanya]

My friend recently read Red, White, and Royal Blue and she was urging me to read it too, so I did that one this month. It was pretty fun.

[Carolyn]

I am only halfway through "Booth" and probably won't be finished in time to count -- don't want to rush it. I am going to keep going though. We'll see what I find on my TBR for March.

[Elizabeth]

Last day! Don't forget to tell me what you read so you can be entered into the prize drawing!

[Elizabeth]

Carolyn wrote: "For this challenge I read Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman."

Carolyn (With the Martial Arts icon) is our prize drawing winner for February 2023’s reading challenge for reading the above book.

Congratulations!

Carolyn, friend me on Goodreads, so I can give you details on how to collect your prize!

[Deborah]

Congrats Carolyn!

[Debbie]

I know February is over, but I hit a reading slump. I wanted to let you know I did finally finish The January 6 Report by The Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. It was most interesting.