SUMMER 2023 READING CHALLENGE

[Rachel]

Please post all comments/updates/questions about the Summer 2023 challenge in this thread. :)


The Summer 2023 Reading Challenge will begin June 1st and end August 31st.

Rules of the challenge:

Read 3 books (or more)
Complete 3 prompts (or more)
All genres okay
Rereads okay

This Summer, complete 3 (or more) of the following:

1. Several authors have birthdays this season.

So this summer,

READ A BOOK BY ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:

S.A. Cosby
Cherie Dimaline
Jennifer Hillier
Curtis Sittenfeld
Jeff VanderMeer

2. June is National Rose Month.

So this summer,

READ A BOOK WITH THE LETTERS R-O-S-E
IN THE TITLE/SUBTITLE.

3. The 76th Tony Awards will be televised June, 11th. All the best broadway shows are recognized and celebrated.

So this summer,

READ A BOOK THAT HAS BEEN ADAPTED FOR THE STAGE (PLAY OR MUSICAL).

4. Elemental will be released in theaters on June 16th. It’s about a fire element named Ember and a water element named Wade who fall in love. Although they face obstacles (including not being able to touch) they still want to make it work.

So this summer,

READ A ROMANCE THAT FEATURES OPPOSITES FALLING IN LOVE.

OR

READ A BOOK WITH AN ELEMENT IN THE TITLE/SUBTITLE. FIRE/WATER/EARTH/AIR(WIND)

5. No Hard Feelings will be released in theaters on June 23rd. A woman having financial problems and worried about losing her home answers a um interesting job listing. Helicopter parents are looking to hire a woman to “date” their 19year old shy son before he leaves for college. It’s kind of a ridiculous premise but the trailer is really funny. Jennifer Lawrence stars.

So this summer,

READ A BOOK THAT FEATURES A CHARACTER HAVING FINANCIAL PROBLEMS.

OR

READ A BOOK THAT HAS BEEN MADE INTO A FILM STARRING JENNIFER LAWRENCE.

6. They Cloned Tyrone will premier on Netflix on July 21st. An unlikely trio stumbles onto a government conspiracy and decide to look for answers. Jamie Foxx stars.

So this summer,

READ A BOOK IN WHICH A CONSPIRACY IS PART OF THE STORY.

7. Random-This counts towards the challenge but is not inspired by the season. Usually I choose a group read that is going to be published that season but none of the summer releases felt like the right choice so decided to go with a new release that is already available.

So this summer,

READ THE WAGER: A TALE OF SHIPWRECK AND MURDER BY DAVID GRANN
AND DISCUSS IT WITH THE GROUP.

HAVE A HAPPY SUMMER, EVERYONE! :D

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

I'm planning to read all the Cherie Dimaline (1) and Jennifer Hillier (3) books that my library has available on audiobook.

[Rachel]

Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl wrote: "I'm planning to read all the Cherie Dimaline (1) and Jennifer Hillier (3) books that my library has available on audiobook.
[bookcover:Things We Do in the Dark|5..."

Look forward to hearing your thoughts-hope you enjoy them. :D

[Rachel]

I think I’m going to try The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline and maybe something by Jeff VanderMeer.

[Rachel]

Possibly

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

VanderMeer sounds quite strange and I noticed his average ratings were lower than the other authors featured on task#1 for birthdays.
VanderMeer is a definite Maybe for me :-)

[Rachel]

Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl wrote: "VanderMeer sounds quite strange and I noticed his average ratings were lower than the other authors featured on task#1 for birthdays.
VanderMeer is a definite Maybe for me :-)"

He does! That’s why I probably will have to read him lol. :D

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

The first book I'm reading for Summer is Brene Brown's Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone
This title features the letters R-O-S-E

[Rachel]

Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl wrote: "The first book I'm reading for Summer is Brene Brown's Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone
This title features the letters R-O-S-E
[b..."

Thanks for the update, Dustin! :)
I’ve been meaning to read something by Brene Brown for a while.

[Christine]

Thank you for the new challenge. I’m hoping for a summer of reading! Some of the books I didn’t finish for last challenge may go for this one. I’m just finishing up Demon Copperhead and it will count for a character with financial troubles. It’s probably the saddest book I’ve ever read. It’s beautifully written and I see why it won the Pulitzer.

[Rachel]

Christine wrote: "Thank you for the new challenge. I’m hoping for a summer of reading! Some of the books I didn’t finish for last challenge may go for this one. I’m just finishing up Demon Copperhead and it will cou..."

You’re welcome, Christine! :D
I feel the same way about Demon Copperhead.

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

I have read my second R-O-S-E titled book
Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know

[Rachel]

Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl wrote: "I have read my second R-O-S-E titled book
Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know
[bookcover:Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the Peo..."

Thanks for the update, Dustin! :)

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

Movie Recommendation: YOU HURT MY FEELINGS
Starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tobias Menzies, Michaela Watkins, Arian Moayed, Owen Teague etc.
I have watched the film twelve times so far, including three times today.

[Rachel]

Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Movie Recommendation: YOU HURT MY FEELINGS
Starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tobias Menzies, Michaela Watkins, Arian Moayed, Owen Teague etc.
I have watched the film twelve times so far, including thre..."

I’m so glad to hear good things about it-love Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
I’ll definitely check it out-thanks! :D

[Rachel]

Hey Everyone-,


It’s been pretty quiet in this thread. Please check in and let everyone know how you’re doing. Hope all is well with all of you. xo

[Rachel]

Read Slaughterhouse-Five for R-O-S-E in title/subtitle.

Interesting I guess. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the phrase “So it goes” :)

[Christine]

Hello! All is well in the PNW. We've been having such nice weather (except for today) that I've been out and enjoying it and not spending much time indoors and on my computer. I have been reading, usually late at night. I read It counted for R-O-S-E. I just re-read for my book club, It doesn't count for my challenge but If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. Its on my all-time favorite list.
I did finish Demon Copperhead. Its one of the saddest books I've ever read. I counted it for character with financial troubles.

Thanks Rachel for checking in!

[Rachel]

Christine wrote: "Hello! All is well in the PNW. We've been having such nice weather (except for today) that I've been out and enjoying it and not spending much time indoors and on my computer. I have been reading, ..."

Glad all is well, Christine! :D

I enjoyed all the books you’ve mentioned.

Demon Copperhead recently won the Women’s Prize in addition to the Pulitzer so Barbara Kingsolver is having quite the year.

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

I also enjoyed reading The Invisible Life of Addie Larue two years ago and plan to revisit the book at some point.

For the Summer challenge I read Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline, but yikes - did not like it much.

[Rachel]

Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl wrote: "I also enjoyed reading The Invisible Life of Addie Larue two years ago and plan to revisit the book at some point.

For the Summer challenge I read Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline, but yikes - di..."

Thanks for the update, Dustin! :D
Hope your next book is more enjoyable.

[Danell]

I’m halfway through Demon Copperhead and it’s due tomorrow. Hopefully I can renew it and finish it. I’m listening to a VanderMeer book and also reading Somebody’s Daughter and The Wager came in on my holds so I’m slowly chipping away at that.

Between work and Dr appointments I should finish these books in, oh 2 years. Lol

I’m late putting seeds in my containers but hopefully something grows, if not for me but for the neighborhood rabbit.

Happy reading!
Happy Summer!!

[Rachel]

Danell wrote: "I’m halfway through Demon Copperhead and it’s due tomorrow. Hopefully I can renew it and finish it. I’m listening to a VanderMeer book and also reading Somebody’s Daughter and The Wager came in on ..."

I enjoyed Demon Copperhead but it took me a long time to finish it due to the length and the heavy subject matter.

Hope all goes well with your doctor’s appointments. :)

Thanks for checking in. Happy Reading! :D

P.S.
Keep us updated about the neighborhood rabbit!

[Danell]

I listened to Annihilation by VanderMeer. It was ok.

I had to return Demon Copperhead was on page 227. I’ll see about getting the book back and finishing it. I did have a laugh when I called the library to see about renewing it, the librarian said I’m not condoning it but sometimes it’s worth the fine for finishing the book. 😂

[Rachel]

Danell wrote: "I listened to Annihilation by VanderMeer. It was ok.

I had to return Demon Copperhead was on page 227. I’ll see about getting the book back and finishing it. I did have a laugh when I called the l..."

lol

[Danell]

I read Somebody’s Daughter which works for R-O-S-E. It was good.

[Rachel]

Danell wrote: "I read Somebody’s Daughter which works for R-O-S-E. It was good."

Thanks for the update, Danell! :D

[Rachel]

I tried to read Borne by Jeff VanderMeer but put it down. It wasn’t bad-I really liked the premise but found it too slow. I’m not a patient reader lol.

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

I'm currently reading Caste by Isabel Wilkerson
the letters R-O-S-E are in the long subtitle: Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents.
I'm quite impressed with this book, as I was with The Warmth of Other Suns. I think it might have been 2020 when Isabel Wilkerson was featured in seasonal reading challenge. Since Caste was a new release at that time, I opted for The Warmth of Other Suns and have been meaning to read Caste. The subject matter is heavy, but presented and documented extremely well. I'm glad to have picked up this book, because I've been reading some more mediocre books lately. I'd been thinking about re-reading one of my five star favorites just so I'd know I wouldn't be disappointed.

I also recently read my first book by Jennifer Hillier, Things We Do in the Dark. I gave the book 4 stars and intend to read two more by the author this Summer, Little Secrets and Jar of Hearts.

[Rachel]

Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl wrote: "I'm currently reading Caste by Isabel Wilkerson
the letters R-O-S-E are in the long subtitle: Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents.
I'm quite impressed with this b..."

Thanks for the update, Dustin! :D
Look forward to hearing your thoughts about Caste. I really loved The Warmth of Other Suns. Her research skills are impressive.
Hope you enjoy all of your books!

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

Another R-O-S-E title I recently read: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
I really liked the 2022 short film adaptation and was thrilled to find a printed copy of the book at my library book sale.

[Rachel]

Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Another R-O-S-E title I recently read: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
I really liked the 2022 short film adaptation and was thrilled to find a printed copy of the book at ..."

I’ve never heard of this-will have to add it to my tbr list.

[Danell]

I read Wager by David Grann, it was good and I enjoyed it. Can’t imagine going through all what the crew went through. I have Flowers on the Killer Moon and didn’t realize it was written by the same author. I really should read that book.

I have had Caste on my shelf for a few years should get around to that one also.

Happy reading!

[Rachel]

Danell wrote: "I read Wager by David Grann, it was good and I enjoyed it. Can’t imagine going through all what the crew went through. I have Flowers on the Killer Moon and didn’t realize it was written by the sam..."

Thanks for the update, Danell-Glad you enjoyed it! :D

Psst-Killers of the Flower Moon is going to be featured in the Fall Challenge (unless the film’s premiere date gets changed).

[Danell]

Yeah! I’ve got plenty to read before the Fall challenge and gives me something to look forward to!

[Christine]

Happy 4th!

I finished The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder Its a wild tale for sure. I've been in a cruise ship thru Drake's Passage, I can't image what is like in a sailing ship or one of their little boats.

[Rachel]

Christine wrote: "Happy 4th!

I finished The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder Its a wild tale for sure. I've been in a cruise ship thru Drake's Passage, I can't image what is like in a ..."

Glad you liked it, Christine! :D
Happy 4th!

[Danell]

I read the Fortunes of Jaded Women which works for R-O-S-E.. it was also a book club pick for the club I belong to. It was good.
Hope all is well with everyone!
Happy reading!!

[Rachel]

Danell wrote: "I read the Fortunes of Jaded Women which works for R-O-S-E.. it was also a book club pick for the club I belong to. It was good.
Hope all is well with everyone!
Happy reading!!"

Thanks for the update, Danell!
Happy Reading :D

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

Christine wrote: "I finished The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder Its a wild tale for sure. I've been in a cruise ship thru Drake's Passage, I can't image what is like in a ..."

I'm going to attempt The Wager later this week.

[Rachel]

Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Christine wrote: "I finished The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder Its a wild tale for sure. I've been in a cruise ship thru Drake's Passage, I can't image what is like ..."

I’m in the middle of it and it’s a crazy story. The narrator is good-hope you enjoy it. Look forward to hearing your thoughts. :D

[Rachel]

I finished The Wager-can’t imagine surviving half of the hell those people went through.

[Rachel]

Finished All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby.

I enjoyed Razorblade Tears a little more than this one but still think it’s a good thriller. It’s a page turner.

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

I'm having a rough time on The Wager but determined to see it through.

[Rachel]

Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl wrote: "I'm having a rough time on The Wager but determined to see it through."

Sorry you’re not enjoying it Dustin. I hope you don’t feel obligated to read it for the challenge-feel free to put it in the dnf pile. :)

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

I'm finishing up The Wager tonight. The subject just isn't that interesting to me.

[Danell]

I read The Covenant of Water, which works for the elemental challenge. The book was ok, my mind was wandering while reading some of it. It could be the wrong book at the wrong time.

[Rachel]

Danell wrote: "I read The Covenant of Water, which works for the elemental challenge. The book was ok, my mind was wandering while reading some of it. It could be the wrong book at the wrong time."

Thanks for the update, Danell! Hope your next book is more enjoyable. :)

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

I've read a lot of titles with R-O-S-E in the title. With only four letters, it's an easy task.
Most recently I read Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian and Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See.

[Rachel]

Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl wrote: "I've read a lot of titles with R-O-S-E in the title. With only four letters, it's an easy task.
Most recently I read Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian and Lady Tan's Circ..."

Thanks for the update, Dustin! :D