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Category Archives: Reading Challenges

posts about various reading challenges

2019 Diverse Reading Challenge

01 Jan

A few weeks ago an author I’ve previously read and is pretty much on my go-to pile (the amazing Robin Covington) posted on her facebook page about a reading challenge she wanted to undertake in 2019. The goal of the challenge is to expand the diversity of your reading choices by including more diverse authors and characters. While 18 books (1 for each character/author) will barely scratch the surface of the availability of diverse books – it will hopefully give me a starting point to consistently consider more diverse reading choices.

Here’s finding new authors to read and love in 2019!

 
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Posted by on January 1, 2019 in Diversity Reading Challenge, Reading Challenges

 

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Dewey Decimal Reading Challenge

25 Mar

I’d like to thank Katie from Doing Dewey for the inspiration for this challenge. A week or so ago, I posted a question on twitter to ask if there were any blogs that did weekly non-fiction features – because recently I have found myself reading more and more non-fiction. Rather than gravitating towards the new release fiction section in the library, I’ve been browsing the non-fiction shelves looking for a book about whatever random topic catches my eye (and there have been some interesting ones that I’ve added to my shelves recently).

Anyways, while browsing Doing Dewey, I found that she had been working on a challenge, to read 100 non-fiction books, each one from a different class and division within the Dewey Decimal system. This caught my eye because I figured it would be a way to push me outside my comfort zone when it came to picking new books to read (even within non-fiction, I tend towards books in the 900 series, or biographies/autobiographies.

I’m declaring that I officially started the challenge March 1 – even if I’m just blogging about it now. I’ll be posting reviews for books on Friday’s, as part of Doing Dewey Non-Fiction Friday feature.

You can see my overall list of books read HERE

 
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Posted by on March 25, 2017 in Dewey Decimal Reading Challenge

 

Classics Club – December Check-In

16 Dec

classics club check inI don’t normally do these posts (and I’ll readily admit that I’ve been really bad about working on this challenge), but when the update post showed up in my inbox this morning, I figured what the heck. Mostly because this month has actually been semi-successful on the reading/listening front when it comes to this challenge.

In the last two months, I’ve finished up the Lord of the Rings trilogy that I had listed in my classic scifi/fantasy category. however, I have to admit, I can’t say that I was a huge fan. I enjoyed the Hobbit, as well as the first book in the trilogy – but The Two Towers and Return of the King were just too much for me. I’ll be the horrible person who admits that they liked the movies better – in general, they flowed better. I’m almost halfway through listening to Brave New World (in my dystopia category). I should have it finished in the next couple of days. And to finish out the year, I have Slaughterhouse Five lined up for my next listen.

Overall Challenge Update: Overall I’ve read 14 of the 50 books in my original challenge (16 out of 52 if you consider the Lord of the Rings Trilogy as 3 books, not 1). Although, I am WAYYY behind on writing reviews, so that is going to be my goal for 2016 – getting caught up on those, as well as continuing to read my books. I do need to get my ass into gear because September 2017 is rapidly approaching and that is my end goal date.

Cheers to a solid 2015 reading year and looking forward to 2016!

 
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Posted by on December 16, 2015 in classics challenge

 

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The Classics Club – Classics Spin #9…the results are in…

06 Apr

classicsclubThe Results are in…

Last week I posted the 20 books that I had randomly selected for Classics Club Spin #9 – with the purpose of me picking up a book that had been on my Classics Challenge list that I was hesitant to read (although when it comes to classics in general, I sometimes struggle with them). Anyways, the results are in and the lucky number drawn was….2. Number 2 correlated to Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. On my list of classics, this fell under the sub-heading of Utopia/Dystopia Classics.

fahrenheit 451From the description:
Guy Montag is a fireman. His job is to burn books, which are forbidden, being the source of all discord and unhappiness. Even so, Montag is unhappy; there is discord in his marriage. Are books hidden in his house? The Mechanical Hound of the Fire Department, armed with a lethal hypodermic, escorted by helicopters, is ready to track down those dissidents who defy society to preserve and read books.

The classic dystopian novel of a post-literate future, Fahrenheit 451 stands alongside Orwell’s 1984 and Huxley’s Brave New World as a prophetic account of Western civilization’s enslavement by the media, drugs and conformity.

Bradbury’s powerful and poetic prose combines with uncanny insight into the potential of technology to create a novel which, decades on from first publication, still has the power to dazzle and shock

Anyone interested in joining in with me while I read (or maybe listen to) Fahrenheit 451?

 
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Posted by on April 6, 2015 in classics challenge

 

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The Classics Club – Classics Spin #9

01 Apr

classicsclub

The Classics Spin is a bi-monthly challenge hosted by The Classics Club to encourage individuals to read a random book off their pile for their classics challenge (a bit more about the challenge can be found HERE). The Classics Spin will run from April 6 (date of spin) until May 15th.

My 20 books are:
1. Brave New World
2. Fahrenheit 451
3. The Chrysalids
4. The Catcher in the Rye
5. The Two Towers
6. The War of the Worlds
7. Neuromancer
8. The Red Badge of Courage
9. Looking Backward
10. Invisible Man
11. The Iron Heel
12. Slaughterhouse-Five
13. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
14. Dandelion Wine
15. The Handmaid’s Tale
16. The Running Man
17. Little Women
18. A Room with a View
19. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
20. The Member of the Wedding

What number will be rolled?

 
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Posted by on April 1, 2015 in classics challenge

 

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2015 Challenge – French Bingo

29 Jan

french-bingo-2015-logo2Ok, so I totally admit it, I’m a sucker for reading challenges – because I find that they are normally a quick and easy way to make me broaden my reading horizons without going too too far out of my comfort zone (although sometimes I really do). And who knows – maybe I’ll find a new authors that I love. Anyways, while browsing/stalking some of the various blogs that I follow, I came across Words and Peace who is hosting a Reader’s version of Bingo with a French theme (she also hosted it last year – I think I signed up and then epically failed – as in didn’t read anything). So I thought what the heck.

The goal is simple – as with normal bingo – you need to make a straight of 5 books – either horizontally, vertically or on the diagonal. Each square on the card has a different twist on France and French books (writers from different time periods; different genres etc).

The card looks like this (if you click on the link, it should take you to the original challenge page):
french bingo

In order to complete a square – read a book that fits the requirements; post a review on your blog and then link back to the challenge – and voila!

I’m looking forward to checking this out – and hopefully getting a BINGO some time during the year.

Wish Me Luck…

 
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Posted by on January 29, 2015 in Reading Challenges

 

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2015 First Book of the Year

02 Jan

first book of the year

Picking the first book to start in the new year is always a fun venture. Do I re-read a favorite that I have indulged in many times? A new book by a favorite author? A new release? Do I tackle one of the books loitering on my to-read pile or buy something brand spanking new? Those were just a few thoughts going through my mind as I considered how to approach this momentous task – because honestly, that first book of the year sets you up for your year or reading – if you start with a mediocre book, is that how your year is going to be? or vice versa, if you have a mind-blowing awesome book, then you are on track for a great year!

When I started considering the book I was going to start on the 1st (because that is how I decided to approach the task), I really only knew one thing – that the book somehow needed to find into one of the reading challenges I was doing in 2015.

the winter guestAfter much thought and consider, tossing and turning, I decided that my first book of 2015 would be The Winter Guest by Pam Jenoff. This will be my first stand-alone novel by this author, although, I did read and enjoy her contribution to an anthology in 2014.

The Winter Guest – Pam Jenoff
World War 2 Historical Fiction
Life is a constant struggle for the eighteen-year-old Nowak twins as they raise their three younger siblings in rural Poland under the shadow of the Nazi occupation. The constant threat of arrest has made everyone in their village a spy, and turned neighbor against neighbor. Though rugged, independent Helena and pretty, gentle Ruth couldn’t be more different, they are staunch allies in protecting their family from the threats the war brings closer to their doorstep with each passing day.

Then Helena discovers an American paratrooper stranded outside their small mountain village, wounded, but alive. Risking the safety of herself and her family, she hides Sam—a Jew—but Helena’s concern for the American grows into something much deeper. Defying the perils that render a future together all but impossible, Sam and Helena make plans for the family to flee. But Helena is forced to contend with the jealousy her choices have sparked in Ruth, culminating in a singular act of betrayal that endangers them all—and setting in motion a chain of events that will reverberate across continents and decades.

I’m looking forward to reading and starting off 2015 in style.

What was/is your first book of 2015?

 
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Posted by on January 2, 2015 in Reading Challenges

 

Classics Retold Review – Emma – Jane Austen

23 Sep

classics retold

EmmaEmma
Author: Jane Austen

Description:
‘I never have been in love; it is not my way, or my nature; and I do not think I ever shall.’

Beautiful, clever, rich – and single – Emma Woodhouse is perfectly content with her life and sees no need for either love or marriage. Nothing, however, delights her more than interfering in the romantic lives of others. But when she ignores the warnings of her good friend Mr Knightley and attempts to arrange a suitable match for her protegee Harriet Smith, her carefully laid plans soon unravel and have consequences that she never expected. With its imperfect but charming heroine and its witty and subtle exploration of relationships, Emma is often seen as Jane Austen’s most flawless work.

Review:
I have to say that this is probably one of my favorite Jane Austen (only slightly behind Pride and Prejudice). Of all the characters in the various Jane Austen books, I found the ones in Emma to be the most relatable. While all of them were bound by the various society dictates, there was a quirky-ness that shone through with Ms Austen’s descriptions and the development of the story.

It’s hard to say exactly what I really enjoyed about the book, there wasn’t one specific thing that I can say, yes, it was this scene, this person…but rather it was the amalgamation of everyone together. It was like seeing a stained glass mirror…while each part is individually created when its built and is pretty on its own, it is the final product that make people ohhhh and ahhh.

But I always find it hard to write reviews of these classics, because they are classics for a reason…so I’ll leave my review of Emma at that, but since I did listen to the audiobook, I need to address the narration a little bit. I have to admit when I saw that the only version of the audiobook that my library had had a male narrator (Michael Page), I was a tad skeptical, since Emma is told from a female POV and I can’t remember a classic that i’ve listened to, off the top of my head, that has had a male narrator. So it was a completely new experience for me. But I was pleasantly surprised. There was something smooth and flowing about his narration. I know that i’ll be checking out more books narrated by him in the future (and taking a peek, it looks like he had a pretty decent backlist).

 
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Posted by on September 23, 2013 in Audiobook Review, classics challenge

 

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Classics Review – Dracula – Bram Stoker

06 Jun

draculaDracula
Author: Bram Stoker

Narrators: Alan Cumming, Tim Curry, Simon Vance, Katherine Kellgren, Susan Duerden, John Lee, Graeme Malcolm, Steven Crossley
Run Time: 15 hrs and 28 minutes
Producer: Audible, Inc

Description:
The first and most terrifying of all vampire stories.

Jonathan Harker has a job to do. The young lawyer must go to the mysterious country of Transylvania to work for a man he knows as “the Count.” At first, Jonathan is excited by the chance to travel and meet new people. But after his arrival in Transylvania, he begins to wonder what’s going on. People act strangely upon hearing he is going to visit the Count. When Jonathan arrives at the Count’s dark, deserted castle, he too begins to feel afraid. Soon after meeting his host, Jonathan begins to feel trapped in a horrifying nightmare. Only this nightmare is real and he can’t wake up.

Why Dracula?
Nowadays you can’t enter a bookstore without running into a vampire novel of some shape/size/description. From books like The Historian (literary fiction), to the Paranormal Romances of Christine Feehan, Kresley Cole and Kerrelyn Sparks. Each author brings their unique perspective to answer the question what is a vampire. So it seemed like a good idea to go back to the beginning (or at least almost the beginning). And so, here I am…lol!

Review:
So I went into Dracula pretty much blind – I knew the basic premise (I mean who doesn’t) and the fact that it was told in an epistolary type format (which, BTW, i love that word!) Other than a vague recollection of character names, I didn’t know anything else. I will admit that I was expecting more of a horror novel than what I got. It turned out to be rather…academic (for lack of a better word) in the telling of the story. There was some emotion at times, but ultimately, it was very stark. But that isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy it…in fact there was something almost addicting about the story – whether it was the writing or the narration of the audiobook, i’m not quite sure. I do know that friends of mine have had issues getting going with it – but I was pretty much sucked in from the beginning.

I can also see why Dracula won the best audiobook category for Multi-Voiced Performance this year. While it wasn’t the one in the category that I picked, it was in my top 3. i really like the cast of narrations – with some of my favorites like Simon Vance who was the voice of Jonathan Harker and Katherine Kellgren, to more well-known movie stars, like Tim Curry. Each voice was unique (because they were pretty much done all by different people). the quality of the audiobook was great – I know that I will be checking out more books produced by Audible in the future. Overall, 3.5 stars, but rounding up to 4.

 
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Posted by on June 6, 2013 in Book Review, classics challenge

 

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Classics Review – The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald

29 May

great gatsbyThe Great Gatsby
Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald

Narrator: Jake Gyllenhaal
Run Time: 4hr 52 minutes
Produced By: Audible Inc

Description:
The Great Gatsby is a novel by the American author F. Scott Fitzgerald. Written in 1925, it is often referred to as “The Great American Novel,” and as the quintessential work which captures the mood of the “Jazz Age.”

The novel takes place following the First World War. American society enjoyed prosperity during the “roaring” 1920s as the economy soared. At the same time, Prohibition, the ban on the sale and manufacture of alcohol as mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment, made millionaires out of bootleggers.

Why I Chose The Great Gatsby:
So this is one of those books that most American students read in high school, but since I went to school overseas, it was never on a required reading list. But when I was putting together my classics list for the challenge, it seemed like a good book to include – I mean, its on reading lists for a reason right? (I’ve yet to actually figure that reason out, even after listening to it). And since there is a movie remake of it that was just released starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey McGuire – I figured it was a good time to listen to it. I have to say though that I was decidedly underwhelmed with it.

Review:
This is one of those books that isn’t long – and the audiobook is only like 5 hours long – but those 5 hours seemed to drag. I just never felt like I was connected with the characters; I couldn’t care about them. I get that it was supposed to highlight the decadency of the 1920’s and the Jazz age – all the parties; the soirees; anti-prohibition etc – but it just didn’t work for me. I honestly about cheered when the climax of the book played out because I knew that I was almost done and that the goal of knocking it off my list was behind me. I find it hard to even write a constructive review of the book because I didn’t struggle with it so much. So this is about it…

Even the narration by Jake Gyllenhal – an actor who I enjoy – didn’t improve on the experience. I found his narration to be a bit lacking in places. The first hour or so was very dull and you could tell that there were some issues with him developing the characters voices – but he did soon settle into a good rhythm and the narration improved – but by then, I just didn’t care…
I do have to wonder why this book is still on high school reading lists – because if I was still in high school, I probably would have rebelled against reading this or just skimmed it enough to BS my way through any class discussions/papers on themes…it wouldn’t be of interest to me. I guess that is why I never took any American Literature courses in college…

 
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Posted by on May 29, 2013 in Audiobook Review, classics challenge

 
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