I saw a fun reading challenge HERE and I decided to give it a go! There are 50 items (but technically 52 books, because one item is a trilogy), so that averages a book a week. As I finish a book that meets one of the descriptions, I will list it here. If I am way behind at year end, I will allow a book to meet more than one description. After all, this challenge is just for fun!
Postscript: I finished all 52 books. Yay, me. :)
Postscript: I finished all 52 books. Yay, me. :)
A book with more than 500 pages - DONE!
War and Peace ~ by Leo Tolstoy
[I'm pretty sure I don't need to prove this book is over 500 pages long! I've always wanted to say, "I have read War and Peace," and now I can. I wrote a blog post about reading this book HERE.]
A classic romance - DONE!
[I'm pretty sure I don't need to prove this book is over 500 pages long! I've always wanted to say, "I have read War and Peace," and now I can. I wrote a blog post about reading this book HERE.]
A classic romance - DONE!
Pride and Prejudice ~ by Jane Austen
[I read this when I was in junior high, I think. Loved it then. Loved it now.]
A book that became a movie - DONE!
[I read this when I was in junior high, I think. Loved it then. Loved it now.]
A book that became a movie - DONE!
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption ~ by Laura Hillenbrand
[I really enjoyed this book about Louis Zamperini. I will have to see the movie at some point.]
A book published this year - DONE!
And the Good News Is...: Lessons and Advice from the Bright Side ~ by Dana Perino
[Released April 21, 2015. My Dad read this book, too. We both enjoyed it.]
A book with a number in the title - DONE!
52 Words Every Christian Should Know ~ by Kendell Easley
[Informative book. I learned a few things.]
A book with a number in the title - DONE!
52 Words Every Christian Should Know ~ by Kendell Easley
[Informative book. I learned a few things.]
A book written by someone under 30 - DONE!
I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban ~ by Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb
[Malala was born on July 12, 1997, so this book definitely fits this category. I remember hearing about the shooting when it happened. She has quite a story to tell at such a young age.]
A book with nonhuman characters - DONE!
Animal Farm: A Fairy Story ~ by George Orwell
[A classic. This was a "re-read" for me. One could argue that some of the nonhuman characters were more human-like than not.]
A funny book - DONE!
Mennonite in a Little Black Dress (A Memoir of Going Home) ~ by Rhoda Janzen
[I laughed out loud several times while reading this book. Her condescension of organized religion got a little tiresome for me, but I'm glad I read it. Fun and easy.]
A book by a female author - DONE!
I Just Lately Started Buying Wings: Missives from the Other Side of Silence ~ by Kim Dana Kupperman
[I can't remember where I heard about this book. It's a collection of essays, none of which I will read again. I know there are people who enjoy this author's writing style, but she's a little too verbose for my liking. Too much imagery. Too many metaphors. Still, it was a different reading experience for me, so I'm glad I took the time to read it.]
A mystery or thriller - DONE!
BrainWeb ~ by Douglas E. Richards
[I enjoyed this thriller. Intriguing story. It could make for a great movie. NOTE: There is a prequel to this book called Mind's Eye. Also good!]
A book with a one-word title - DONE!
Maude ~ by Donna Mabry
[Author tells her grandmother's life story. Enjoyed it! Borrowed it on my Kindle.]
A book of short stories - DONE!
The Complete Short Stories of Mark Twain ~ edited with an Introduction by Charles Neider
[I remember enjoying reading Mark Twain's work while I was in high school. I still enjoy it! There are 60 stories in this collection. Through his stories, Twain made commentary on a lot of topics. I'm sad that he struggled with the Bible and religion, because he really was a brilliant writer.]
A book set in a different country - DONE!
A Lady in France ~ by Jennie Goutet
[Although some of this author's story takes place in the U.S., much of her life is lived abroad. This book is her memoir. Eerily, I finished reading it the night before the terrorist attacks in Paris.]
A nonfiction book - DONE!
[Although some of this author's story takes place in the U.S., much of her life is lived abroad. This book is her memoir. Eerily, I finished reading it the night before the terrorist attacks in Paris.]
A nonfiction book - DONE!
The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible ~ by A.J. Jacobs
[The author began his year as an agnostic. At the end of his year he was a "reverent agnostic." I knew ahead of time this book wasn't written from a Christian perspective, but I was surprised - and challenged - by some of his insights. Plus, I laughed a lot! I like his writing style and I plan to read some of his other books.]
A popular author's first book - DONE!
Childhood ~ by Leo Tolstoy
[I loosely interpreted "popular" to mean "well-known". I read Childhood after I finished reading War and Peace. Fortunately, Childhood is a much, much, much, much, much shorter book.]
[The author began his year as an agnostic. At the end of his year he was a "reverent agnostic." I knew ahead of time this book wasn't written from a Christian perspective, but I was surprised - and challenged - by some of his insights. Plus, I laughed a lot! I like his writing style and I plan to read some of his other books.]
A popular author's first book - DONE!
Childhood ~ by Leo Tolstoy
[I loosely interpreted "popular" to mean "well-known". I read Childhood after I finished reading War and Peace. Fortunately, Childhood is a much, much, much, much, much shorter book.]
A book from an author I love that I haven't read yet - DONE!
All I Need Is Jesus & A Good Pair of Jeans: the tired supergirl's search for grace ~ by Susanna Foth Aughtmon
[I do love this author's books. She and I would be best friends if we knew each other. Unfortunately California and Maine are separated by thousands of miles. Check out her blog, confessions of a tired supergirl, at http://tiredsupergirl.blogspot.com/ ]
A book a friend recommended - DONE!
Sensible Shoes: A Story about the Spiritual Journey ~ by Sharon Garlough Brown
[Recommended by two of my friends, Luanne and Laura. I wrote a blog post about this book.]
A Pulitzer Prize-winning book - DONE!
Breathing Lessons ~ by Anne Tyler
[This novel won the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction in 1989. Easy to read. Interesting characters. I want to see the movie now!]
A book based on a true story - DONE!
The Neon Lawyer ~ by Victor Methos
[I borrowed this book through the Kindle Owners' Lending Library. It is a courtroom drama -- fiction -- but based on actual events according to the author.]
A book at the bottom of my to-read list - DONE!
Nanny Returns ~ by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
[This book is the sequel to The Nanny Diaries, which I read four years ago. I got both books at the same time, so it's taken me a while to get to this one. (There are so many other books that I wanted to read, so this one really has been on the bottom of my to-read list!) I did enjoy this sequel, although the language was a bit crude for my tastes. Still, it was fun to read about Nan's new adventures with the X family!]
A book my mom loves - DONE!
Gone With the Wind ~ by Margaret Mitchell
[I first read this when I was in the 7th grade. I enjoyed it just as much the second time around! Need to watch the movie again now, too.]
A book that scares me - DONE!
Lose Weight, Have More Energy & Be Happier in 10 Days: Take charge of your health with the Master Cleanse ~ by Peter Glickman
[I don't read horror novels, so I didn't know how I was going to satisfy this category. But it ended up being the first one I completed! Some friends from church did this cleanse, so I decided to read up on it. After finishing the book, I felt so unhealthy. I don't know how I manage to stay alive from day to day. Scary. But I still won't be doing the cleanse.]
A book more than 100 years old - DONE!
Tom Brown's School Days ~ by Thomas Hughes
[Published in 1857. Set at an English boarding school, this book is a delightful story about how Tom learns to be an honorable young man. I didn't realize that there would be a strong Christian component, so that was an unexpected bonus. I had to look up a lot of words to learn how they were used in that time period and setting. An educational, inspiring read.]
A book based entirely on its cover - DONE!
Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter ~ by Lisa Patton
[I loved the soft colors when I saw this book at the store. The mittens holding a peach in a snowstorm is cute. I enjoyed reading the book, too! There are currently two more books in this series, and I have ordered them already.]
A book I was supposed to read in school but didn't - DONE!
Walden ~ by Henry David Thoreau
[I always did my reading assignments! So for this category I picked a book I probably should have been assigned during my schooling. I'm glad I read it. But I'm also glad I don't have to write a paper about it.]
A memoir - DONE!
Breaking the Code: A Father's Secret, a Daughter's Journey, and the Question That Changed Everything ~ by Karen Fisher-Alaniz
[The author's father, a WWII veteran, gave her the letters he wrote home during the war. From reading the letters and having talks with her father, she pieces together his wartime experience. This book is not just about her dad and the war; it is also about the discoveries they make together. I'm glad she wrote it.]
A book I can finish in a day - DONE!
Total Home Makeover: A 20-Day Plan to Renew Your Space and Spirit ~ by Renee Metzler
[This book isn't meant to be read in one day! Ha ha! I am an organized person, but sometimes I read books like this to get additional ideas about maintaining a peaceful home. If I were completely disorganized, however, I would have benefited from following the 20-day plan she prescribes. Smile!]
A book with antonyms in the title - DONE!
Found and Lost (Haven Seekers Book Two) ~ by Amanda G. Stevens
[See my comments below regarding the first book in the series, Seek and Hide, which I read for the "set in the future" category. The third book in the series, Take and Give, is scheduled to be released in August of this year. I'm looking forward to reading it.]
A book set somewhere I've always wanted to visit - DONE!
Downriver ~ by Will Hobbs
[I've always wanted to see the Grand Canyon. This book is set there, although not in the part of the canyon that we usually think of. The back of the book says "Winner of the California Young Reader Medal."]
A book that came out the year I was born - DONE!
The Clocks ~ by Agatha Christie
[Copyright 1963 Agatha Christie Limited. I want to read all of her mystery novels.]
A book with bad reviews - DONE!
Wuthering Heights ~ by Emily Bronte
[This well-known novel had some bad reviews when it was first released. I can understand why, given its dark storyline. There aren't many characters in the book, but I still had a hard time keeping them straight. They were all related to each other and I found that confusing. This is a "one and done" read for me.]
A trilogy - DONE!
For this category, I chose the first three books of the Peter Newman series by Oliver North and Joe Musser:
Book 1 ~ Mission Compromised: A Novel
Book 2 ~ The Jericho Sanction: A Novel
Book 3 ~ The Assassins: A Novel
[It took me a while to get through these due to "life" going on around me, but I did enjoy them. My understanding is that these three make up the original series.]
A book from my childhood - DONE!
Charlotte's Web ~ by E.B. White
[I was about eight years old when I read this for the first time. I think I loved it just as much 44 years later!]
A book with a love triangle - DONE!
Mrs. Tuesday's Departure ~ by Suzanne Anderson
[I didn't want to read a silly romance novel, so this historical novel set during WWII fit the bill for me.]
A book set in the future - DONE!
Seek and Hide (Haven Seekers Book One) ~ by Amanda G. Stevens
[I will soon be reading the second book in this series of speculative fiction. If our country continues to "demonize" Christian beliefs and the Bible, I can see a version of these events happening at some point. But I pray it doesn't come to that.]
[Postscript: The second book, Found and Lost, is the book I read to complete the "antonyms in the title" category.]
Seek and Hide (Haven Seekers Book One) ~ by Amanda G. Stevens
[I will soon be reading the second book in this series of speculative fiction. If our country continues to "demonize" Christian beliefs and the Bible, I can see a version of these events happening at some point. But I pray it doesn't come to that.]
[Postscript: The second book, Found and Lost, is the book I read to complete the "antonyms in the title" category.]
A book set in high school - DONE!
Saving Zoë ~ by Alyson Noël
[This is not a teeny-bopper novel. It deals with some serious issues. I read it in a couple sittings.]
A book with a color in the title - DONE!
A Red Herring Without Mustard (A Flavia de Luce Novel #3) ~ by Alan Bradley
[I have enjoyed reading the first three books in this series, and - oh, my goodness - I just learned that the seventh book just came out early this year. I guess I'm a little behind on the stories starring this pre-teen chemistry-loving sleuth!]
A book that made me cry - DONE!
Fly a Little Higher: How God Answered a Mom's Small Prayer in a Big Way ~ by Laura Sobiech
[Written by his mother, this is the story of Zach Sobiech, a teenager who died of osteosarcoma. Zach wrote a farewell song, "Clouds", that became a #1 hit single. (Click HERE to watch a YouTube video of Zach performing the song.) I usually don't cry when I'm reading a book, but I did have a few tears running down my face toward the end of this one.]
A book with magic- DONE!
Boundary Crossed (Boundary Magic Book 1) ~ by Melissa F. Olson
[Other than reading Dracula a long time ago, I have stayed away from the vampire theme in my reading. But I needed a book with magic for this challenge, so I succumbed. Not only did this book have vampires, it also had witches. It was mildly entertaining. The end of the book set up the second book of the series, but I don't think I'll read it. There are too many other books out there in genres that I prefer.]
A graphic novel - DONE!
All You Need Is Kill ~ original story by Hiroshi Sakurazaka; art by Takeshi Obata
[This is a manga adaptation of a hit novel. I first heard of it from a friend whose teenage son was reading it. I wasn't sure how to fulfill this category, so I figured, "Why not?" It was an interesting experience for me. Here is a note in the book: "This book has been printed in the original Japanese format in order to preserve the orientation of the original artwork." That is, I had to read the book from right to left - from "back" cover to "front" cover. Like I said, an interesting experience! It only took me one afternoon to read it. The same evening, Lew and I watched the movie based on this book. It's a Tom Cruise flick called "Edge of Tomorrow." We enjoyed it. I probably liked it more than I would have had I not read the graphic novel.]
A book by an author I've never read before - DONE!
A Noble Pair of Brothers (The Underwood Mysteries Book 1) ~ by Suzanne Downes
[A murder mystery I enjoyed. I'll probably read more of the series at some point.]
A book I own but have never read - DONE!
The Tapestry: The Life and Times of Francis and Edith Schaeffer ~ by Edith Schaeffer
[This book was published in 1981. Francis Schaeffer died in 1984; Edith passed away in 2013. I never had the opportunity to see either one of them in person, but I feel like I know them after reading The Tapestry. I plan on reading more of their books and watching two of Fran's DVD series soon. Good stuff... really, really good.]
A book that takes place in my hometown- DONE!
A book that takes place in my hometown- DONE!
The Cliff Walk: A Job Lost and a Life Found ~ by Don J. Snyder
[The "Life Found" part of this memoir took place in my hometown of Scarborough, Maine.]
A book that was originally written in a different language - DONE!
The Housekeeper and the Professor ~ by Yoko Ogawa
Translated from Japanese by Stephen Snyder
[A lovely novel about a professor whose memory only last 80 minutes, his housekeeper, and her son. Mathematics and baseball are a backdrop for the story. What more could one ask for?]
A book set during Christmas - DONE!
The Christmas Note ~ by Trenton Hughes
[I read this during the first week of December, hoping that it would be a good start to the Christmas season. Boy, am I glad this book wasn't all I had going! It was a sad story and poorly written. I do appreciate the author's efforts to encourage us to have giving hearts and to find joy in life. But I'm glad that it was a quick read and that I got it for free.]
A book written by an author with my same initials - DONE!
The Ripper Code ~ by Thomas Toughill
[A book about Jack the Ripper - which I probably never would have read were it not for the author having the initials "T.T." The author makes the case for identifying the artist Frank Miles as Jack the Ripper. The book really kept my interest, which surprised me!]
A play - DONE!
The Mousetrap and Other Plays ~ by Agatha Christie
[A collection of eight wonderful plays by Dame Agatha. I loved reading them! I also enjoyed the collection's introduction written by Ira Levin.]
A banned book - DONE!
To Kill a Mockingbird ~ by Harper Lee
[Won the Pulitzer Prize (Fiction) in 1961. A great novel... gripping story. In my opinion, it is more appropriate for a college class than a high school class for the reasons it's considered a banned book: use of profanity, racial content, and reference to rape.]
A book based on or turned into a TV show - DONE!
Shopping, Seduction & Mr. Selfridge ~ by Lindy Woodhead
[I enjoy the British TV series, "Mr. Selfridge." I watched it when it first started airing on PBS, and I understand Season 4 will air in Spring 2016. As I read this book, I couldn't help but picturing Jeremy Piven in his title role. The actor has portrayed Harry Gordon Selfridge quite well so far.]
A book I started but never finished - DONE!
Devotional Classics: Selected Readings for Individuals & Groups ~ edited by Richard J. Foster & James Bryan Smith
[I started reading this several years ago. It has 52 selections that can be read in any order, which is probably why I never finished it -- it's not like reading a story. When I picked up the book this time, I started reading "from scratch." Now that I've made it all the way through, I think I would like to read it again at some point -- perhaps as part of a group study.]
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