2025 Reading Challenge discussion
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~~~Jane's 2016 Reading Challenge~~~
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***QUARTERLY CHALLENGES***1st QUARTER CHALLENGE: Box Sets
(message 58)
3/3
Writing the Right Way
3/3
Memories of Twenties Paris
2ND QUARTER CHALLENGE: Clear the Shelves
***I will be finishing the oldest books on my to-read list
(message 13)
4/4
4th QUARTER CHALLENGE - Race to the Finish
(message 31)
4/7
1.
2.
3.
4.
5. The Best Kind of People by Zoe Whittall
6. The Fish Can Sing by Halldór Laxness
7. TBA
***MONTHLY CHALLENGES***January - Marathon Challenge
*I'm starting with 6 books for my marathon, but likely will increase it!
(message 70)
10/8
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
December - Advent Calendar
(message 70)
Option A: reading one short story per day for the entire month.
17/31
1. "Claus and Effect" from You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas
2. "Ask Again Later" from You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas
3. "Why Do You Reward Me Thus?" from You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas
4. "The Best and Only Everything" from You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas
5. "Silent Night" from You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas
6. "Santaland Diaries" from Holidays on Ice
7. "Season's Greetings to Our Friends and Family!!!" from Holidays on Ice
8. "Front Row Center with Thaddeus Bristol" from Holidays on Ice
9. "Based Upon A True Story" from Holidays on Ice
10. "Jesus Shaves" from Holidays on Ice
11. "Us and Them" from Holidays on Ice
12. "Six to Eight Black Men" from Holidays on Ice
13. "The Cow and the Turkey" from Holidays on Ice
14. "Physical" from Faithless: Tales of Transgression
15. "Gunlove" from Faithless: Tales of Transgression
16. "Faithless" from Faithless: Tales of Transgression
17. "The Scarf" from Faithless: Tales of Transgression
January - Marathon ChallengeI've finished three books so far. Need to giddy up so I can see just how many I can finish in a month!
3/6
1. The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields - 3.5 stars
2. They Shall Inherit the Earth by Morley Callaghan - 4 stars
3. Tenth of December by George Saunders - 3 stars
January - Marathon ChallengeTwo more books done. I'm going to increase my books to 8 this month since I'm so ahead.
4/8 Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott - 3.5 stars
This book was very funny and I highly enjoyed it. The writing tips are good for people just starting out I think, otherwise every writer has probably already heard this stuff a long time ago. Lamott hilariously talks about envy, jealousy, insecruity - all those fun things that come with being a writer - but I felt like she was a little TOO envious of people she should be happy for. Who knows maybe all writers who have very successful writer friends feel that way and she's the only one brave enough to say it. The thing that really didn't do it for me was a lot of ambiguous flowery talk of ideas coming out of nowhere and of characters speaking to you and writing themselves. Um no. They're not magical characters that are going to speak to you. They are being pulled out of the writer's butt. There's better, concrete advice out there on what to do when you have writer's block or a character isn't working out (aka get rid of them and it might set you free!). The second issue that lowered my star rating was that I simply wasn't inspired to write. I think it was too abstract, too English lit class for me. Personally I prefer and respond better to grounded advice. I am definitely going to seek out more of her writing though! She is a funny lady.
5/8 Mother, Come Home by Paul Hornschemeier - 3 stars
6/8 The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood - 2 stars
1st Quarter Challenge: Box SetsWriting the Right Way
1/3 Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
YEARLY CHALLENGE - PopSugar 2016 Reading Challenge1/35 Mother, Come Home by Paul Hornschemeier - 3 stars
YEARLY CHALLENGE - From Fiction to Reality Challenge1/6 - The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood - 2 stars
What just happened? Did I really read a Margaret Atwood? lol
January - Marathon Challenge8/8
So apparently I'm marathoning pretty hard and I need to increase my goal a second time.
7. The Bitch in the House: 26 Women Tell the Truth About Sex, Solitude, Work, Motherhood, and Marriage by Cathi Hanauer - 4 stars
8. Dark Laughter by Sherwood Anderson - 2 stars
POPSUGAR Reading Challenge 20162/35
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood - 4 stars
3/35
The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes - 3 stars
That also adds 2 books to my January - Marathon Challenge
My goal was 8 books and these are books 9 and 10, so I'm going way past and there's still a week to go!
1st Quarter Challenge - Box SetsWriting the Right Way
2/3
A Year of Writing Dangerously: 365 Days of Inspiration and Encouragement by Barbara Abercrombie - 4 stars
POPSUGAR 2016 Reading Challenge4/35
33. A Classic from the 20th Century - Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert - 4 stars
About one third through the book, I ditched my Kindle copy and got a physical book from the library, so it was a different translation. This was the first time I noticed that translations of the same work can be good or bad. I was about to quit to the book on my Kindle. Very glad I didn't since I really ended up enjoying it! Despite its 1856 publication date, the commentary about religion and marriage is completely relevant today.
February Round UpSince I know I won't finish another book by the end of tomorrow, I've decided to round up all my reading this past month.
PopSugar Reading Challenge 2016
4/35 - Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert - 4 stars
5/35 - Purity by Jonathan Franzen - 3 stars
So I THINK I liked Purity. This is one of those books you probably need to read 2-3 times to really comprehend and appreciate everything the author is saying. I'm still not sure if Franzen actually has the biggest chip on his shoulder for mothers and ex's (and thinks they ruin men's lives), or if he was commenting on the fact that there are men out there who don't take responsibility for their own lives and blame women for their problems. The format was a bit wonky too which made it difficult to get into the book, but I liked it enough not to keep track of how many pages I had left (if I'm keeping track that's a big sign I'm not into it).
First Quarter Box Sets
Memories of Twenties Paris Box Set:
1/3 - Being Geniuses Together, 1920 1930 by Robert McAlmon - 2 stars
2/3 Memoirs of Montparnasse by John Glassco - 4 stars
This was one of my favourite memoirs from the 1920s. It really invokes the spirit of Montparnasse, the wild cafe life, the poverty, the drinking, the (avoidance of) writing.
Writing the Right Way Box Set:
2/3 - A Year of Writing Dangerously: 365 Days of Inspiration and Encouragement by Barbara Abercrombie - 4 stars
From Fiction to Reality Challenge
2/6 - A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories by Flannery O'Connor - 5 stars
Beautiful, simple writing. My favourite kind!
March Round UpPopSugar Reading Challenge 2016
6/35 A book that's more than 600 pages A Son of the Circus by John Irving - 3.5 stars
This is probably one of Irving's funniest novels that I've read so far, and I've read a whole lotta Irving. My main problem was that I thought there were at least 3 characters (one of them major) that could've been cut from the book completely and the plot would barely have been affected. I had a suspicion they weren't necessary characters as I was reading their stories and I stand by it having read the whole thing. It also would've resulted in probably 200 fewer pages to struggle through.
7/35 A book of poetry milk and honey by Rupi Kaur - 4 stars
8/35 A book about a culture you're unfamiliar with The Reluctant Tuscan: How I Discovered My Inner Italian by Phil Doran - 3 stars
9/35 A book that takes place during summer The Summer Book by Tove Jansson - 2.5 stars
10/35 A satirical book The Torrents of Spring by Ernest Hemingway - 1.5 stars
I give this 1.5 stars. I guess Hemingway did successfully make fun of the novel Anderson wrote, the friend who introduced him to all of the influential expats in Paris that helped him launch his career. The book by Anderson was annoying and terrible in my opinion and so was the Torrents of Spring. I'm embarrassed for Hemingway though for making fun of Anderson's repetition and simple word usage considering he worked so hard to put in word repetition into his own writing. Satire is less effective when it's a thin veil for jealousy and resentment for being compared to an author that inspired your own writing.
1st Quarter Challenge
Memories of Twenties Paris Box Set
3/3 The Crack-Up by F. Scott Fitzgerald - 2 stars
Some of Fitzgerald's essays written in the 30s are so fascinating. I really enjoyed reading them. But some of the other stuff in there like letters he wrote, snippets of ideas and phrases he had were just tedious to read through and unfortunately that was most of the book.
This completes all of my 1st quarter challenges!
Other
This wasn't part of any challenge except an attempt at reading 70 books this year:
The Shining by Stephen King - this was a reread and I still give it 5 stars!
April Round UpI feel like I'm in a time warp. April has seemed to go on forever for me. Perhaps that's because I've read so many books this month! Here goes:
PopSugar Reading Challenge 2016
11/35 A murder mystery Night Film by Marisha Pessl - 5 stars
12/35 A graphic novel Daytripper by Fábio Moon - 5 stars
From Fiction to Reality Challenge
I got one entire set this month.
3/6 One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill Bryson - 5 stars
4/6 All the Sad Young Men by F. Scott Fitzgerald - 3 stars
Clear the Shelves Quarterly Challenge
1/4 The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton - 4 stars
Other
It was a very Scott Fitzgerald month, which might also explain why the month has felt so long. I feel like I've been living his entire life for the past 30 days. ;)
Some Sort of Epic Grandeur, The Life of F. Scott Fitzgerald by Matthew J. Bruccoli - 4.5 stars
The Cruise of the Rolling Junk by F. Scott Fitzgerald - 2 stars
The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World's Most Glorious - and Perplexing - City by David Lebovitz - 5 stars
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi - 4 stars
May Round UpPopSugar Reading Challenge 2016
13/35 - A National Book Award Winner: White Noise by Don DeLillo - 2.5 stars
14/35 - A book set in your home province: The Piano Man's Daughter by Timothy Findley - 4 stars
15/35 - A self-help book: The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play by Neil A. Fiore - 4 stars
16/35 - A book you haven't read since high school The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy - 4 stars
I read the Mayor of Casterbridge 12 years ago as a teenager and I vaguely remembered liking it, but I couldn't remember all the details. Upon my second reading I think I enjoyed it even more. I will admit though, had this been written today with modern language I would brush this off as melodramatic and a huge soap opera. I definitely think 1800s English dialect is its saving grace.
17/35 - A book written by a comedian: Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari - 5 stars
I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I picked this book up. I've read some books by comedians (Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Chelsea Handler) and I thought they were alright and a nice change of pace from what I usually read. Sooooo this book was nothing like that.
Turns out it's a social science book written by a comedian, which is super random. Luckily I love social science and I love Aziz Ansari so obviously I'm gonna love the two together. From the reviews it seems people really expected more knowledge and academic from a comedian. Okay that's cool. And weird. Mostly weird. I get not liking it because it's all social sciencey and stuff and you wanted more humour, less learning, but it's kind of silly to expect Aziz to go into complex academic discussion and criticism. The dude wrote a book to entertain you, not to remind you of the days of reading academic journal articles for that degree that never got you a job (*sobs onto multiple degrees*).
BUT WERE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED GOODREADERS?!?...... okay if not, to each their own. But damnit Aziz, I certainly was.
2nd Quarter Challenge: Clear the Shelves
2/4 - The Long Goodbye by Meghan O'Rourke - 4 stars
OTHER
City of Glass by Paul Auster - 3 stars
June Round UpPopSugar Reading Challenge 2016
A book with a blue cover: Post Office by Charles Bukowski - 2 stars
A book from Oprah's book club: A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry - 5 stars
I highly enjoyed the book, but doesn't Oprah ever get tired of searching out the most depressing written word of all existence and adding it to her book club list? Ha!
A book written by a celebrity: Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini - 5 stars
From Fiction to Reality Challenge
5/6 Mama Makes Up Her Mind and Other Dangers of Southern Living by Bailey White - 2 stars
2nd Quarter Challenge
3/4 A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry - 5 stars
A heavy, sad, but engaging novel. It's been on my reading list for so many years, I'm glad I finally got to experience it!
OTHER
Ghosts by Paul Auster - 3 stars
The Locked Room by Paul Auster - 4 stars
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - 5 stars
July Round UpSuch a busy month. I can't remember the last time I read so few books in a month!
PopSugar Reading Challenge 2016
A book published in 2016: Three-Martini Lunch by Suzanne Rindell - 2.5 stars
A dystopian novel: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood - 4 stars
Other
So We Read On: How The Great Gatsby Came to Be and Why It Endures by Maureen Corrigan - 3 stars
My Lost City: Personal Essays 1920-40 by F. Scott Fitzgerald - 5 stars
August Round UpPopSugar Reading Challenge 2016
A New York Times best seller - Night by Elie Wiesel - 4 stars
An autobiography - Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward - 5 stars
A book about a road trip - Flaming Iguanas: An Illustrated All-Girl Road Novel Thing by Erika Lopez - 4 stars
Hilarious crude feministy road trip book. Loved it!
A book guaranteed to bring you joy - Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving - 3 stars
A book recommended by a family member - The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondō - 1.5 stars
A book set in Europe - Super-Cannes by J.G. Ballard - 2 stars
September Round UpWow somehow I didn't read a single book from my challenges this month! Perhaps it's a sign I need to do monthly goals or quarterly goals next year.
Well I did however add to my overall goal of reading 70 books this year, so here goes:
Other
Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West by Blaine Harden - 4 stars
When the Nines Roll Over and Other Stories by David Benioff - 3 stars
Deep South: Four Seasons on Back Roads by Paul Theroux - 3.5 stars
The Summer that Melted Everything by Tiffany McDaniel - 5 stars
Laughter in the Dark by Vladimir Nabokov - 3 stars
October Round UpPopSugar 2016 Reading Challenge
A book with a protagonist with your occupation (writer): The Door by Magda Szabó - 4 stars
A book based on a fairy tale: The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly - 4 stars
A book translated to English: Every Man Dies Alone by Hans Fallada - 3 stars
Other
Foxlowe by Eleanor Wasserberg - 3 stars
Naked by David Sedaris - 3.5 stars
WOO HOO!Finished my 70 books for the year! Just going to keep on reading and see how many more I can finish!
November Round UpThis month I just read towards my overall goal of reaching 70 books for the year and I've gone a couple over with a month still left! Whoop!
Other
Making It New: The Art and Style of Sara and Gerald Murphy by Deborah Rothschild - 3 stars
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins - 5 stars
Can't We Talk about Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast - 5 stars
What I Thought I Knew: A Memoir by Alice Eve Cohen - 3 stars
A Christmas Memory, One Christmas, & The Thanksgiving Visitor by Truman Capote - 4 stars
Monthly ChallengeDecember - Advent Calendar (read one short story per day for the entire month)
31/31
1. "Claus and Effect" from You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas
2. "Ask Again Later" from You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas
3. "Why Do You Reward Me Thus?" from You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas
4. "The Best and Only Everything" from You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas
5. "Silent Night" from You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas
6. "Santaland Diaries" from Holidays on Ice
7. "Season's Greetings to Our Friends and Family!!!" from Holidays on Ice
8. "Front Row Center with Thaddeus Bristol" from Holidays on Ice
9. "Based Upon A True Story" from Holidays on Ice
10. "Jesus Shaves" from Holidays on Ice
11. "Us and Them" from Holidays on Ice
12. "Six to Eight Black Men" from Holidays on Ice
13. "The Cow and the Turkey" from Holidays on Ice
14. "Physical" from Faithless: Tales of Transgression
15. "Gunlove" from Faithless: Tales of Transgression
16. "Faithless" from Faithless: Tales of Transgression
17. "The Scarf" from Faithless: Tales of Transgression
18. "What Then? My Life?" from Faithless: Tales of Transgression
19. "Referential" from The New Yorker by Lorrie Moore
20. "Secret, Silent" from Faithless: Tales of Transgression
21. "A Manhattan Romance" from Faithless: Tales of Transgression
22. "Murder Two" from Faithless: Tales of Transgression
23. "The Vigil" from Faithless: Tales of Transgression
24. "We were Worried About You" from Faithless: Tales of Transgression
25. "Little Match Girl" by Hans Christian Andersen
26. "A Telephone Call" by Dorothy Parker
27. "The Stalker" from Faithless: Tales of Transgression
28. "The Vampire" from Faithless: Tales of Transgression
29. "The High School Sweetheart: A Mystery" from Faithless: Tales of Transgression
30. "Death Watch" from Faithless: Tales of Transgression
31. "In *COPLAND*" from Faithless: Tales of Transgression
December Round UpWow it's been a pretty great reading year, with me getting 8 books ahead of my original goal of 70! I think I'll aim for 80 next year!
I didn't finish all my goals. I was a book or two shy of a couple challenges because I had trouble getting into certain books, or I really didn't like the genre. I've learned from this year that perhaps a little more flexibility is needed so in 2017 I'm counting pages instead of choosing a lot of particular titles. This leaves me free for quarterly and monthly challenges too though juuuuust incase!
The books I read this month were:
You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas by Augusten Burroughs - 4 stars
The Josephine Baker Story by Ean Wood - 3.5 stars
Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris - 3 stars
The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror by Christopher Moore - 4 stars
An Episode of Sparrows by Rumer Godden - 2 stars
Faithless: Tales of Transgression by Joyce Carol Oates - 4 stars
Gigi by Colette - 3 stars
READ A TOTAL OF 78 BOOKS OUT OF ORIGINAL GOAL OF 70!
Happy New Year to anyone who actually reads these things. Ha!
2025 Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
The Josephine Baker Story (other topics)An Episode of Sparrows (other topics)
The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror (other topics)
Gigi (other topics)
You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas (other topics)
More...
Yearly Goal: 70 books in total
I did 70 in 2015 and it was challenging enough to be rewarding without too much pressure to finish. I'm very excited about this upcoming reading year!
78/70
1. The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields - 3.5 stars
2. They Shall Inherit the Earth by Morley Callaghan - 4 stars
3. Tenth of December by George Saunders - 3 stars
4. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott - 3.5 stars
5. Mother, Come Home by Paul Hornschemeier - 3 stars
6. The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood - 2 stars
7. The Bitch in the House: 26 Women Tell the Truth About Sex, Solitude, Work, Motherhood, and Marriage by Cathi Hanauer - 4 stars
8. Dark Laughter by Sherwood Anderson - 2 stars
9. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood - 4 stars
10. The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes - 3 stars
11. A Year of Writing Dangerously: 365 Days of Inspiration and Encouragement by Barbara Abercrombie - 4 stars
12. Still Writing: The Perils and Pleasures of a Creative Life by Dani Shapiro - 5 stars
13. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert - 4 stars
14.Purity by Jonathan Franzen - 3 stars
15. Being Geniuses Together, 1920 1930 by Robert McAlmon - 2 stars
16. A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories by Flannery O'Connor - 5 stars
17. Memoirs of Montparnasse by John Glassco - 4 stars
18. A Son of the Circus by John Irving - 3.5 stars
19. The Shining by Stephen King - 5 stars
20. milk and honey by Rupi Kaur - 4 stars
21. The Reluctant Tuscan: How I Discovered My Inner Italian by Phil Doran - 3 stars
22. The Summer Book by Tove Jansson - 2.5 stars
23. The Torrents of Spring by Ernest Hemingway - 1.5 stars
24. The Crack-Up by F. Scott Fitzgerald - 2 stars
25. One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill Bryson - 5 stars
26. The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World's Most Glorious - and Perplexing - City by David Lebovitz - 5 stars
27. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi - 4 stars
28. Night Film by Marisha Pessl - 5 stars
29. Daytripper by Fábio Moon - 5 stars
30. Some Sort of Epic Grandeur, The Life of F. Scott Fitzgerald by Matthew J. Bruccoli - 4.5 stars
31. The Cruise of the Rolling Junk by F. Scott Fitzgerald - 2 stars
32. All the Sad Young Men by F. Scott Fitzgerald - 3 stars
33. The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton - 4 stars
34. The Long Goodbye by Meghan O'Rourke - 4 stars
35. White Noise by Don DeLillo - 2.5 stars
36. The Piano Man's Daughter by Timothy Findley - 4 stars
37. The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play by Neil A. Fiore - 4 stars
38. The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy - 4 stars
39. City of Glass by Paul Auster - 3 stars
40. Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari - 5 stars
41. Ghosts by Paul Auster - 3 stars
42. The Locked Room by Paul Auster - 4 stars
43. Mama Makes Up Her Mind and Other Dangers of Southern Living by Bailey White - 2 stars
44. Post Office by Charles Bukowski - 2 stars
45. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - 5 stars
46. A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry - 5 stars
47. Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini - 5 stars
48. So We Read On: How The Great Gatsby Came to Be and Why It Endures by Maureen Corrigan
49. My Lost City: Personal Essays 1920-40 by F. Scott Fitzgerald
50. Three-Martini Lunch by Suzanne Rindell - 2.5 stars
51. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood - 4 stars
52. Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward - 5 stars
53. Flaming Iguanas: An Illustrated All-Girl Road Novel Thing by Erika Lopez - 4 stars
54. Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving - 3 stars
55. Night by Elie Wiesel - 4 stars
56. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondō - 1.5 stars
57. Super-Cannes by J.G. Ballard - 2 stars
58. Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West by Blaine Harden - 4 stars
59. When the Nines Roll Over and Other Stories by David Benioff - 3 stars
60. Deep South: Four Seasons on Back Roads by Paul Theroux - 3.5 stars
61. The Summer that Melted Everything by Tiffany McDaniel - 5 stars
62. Laughter in the Dark by Vladimir Nabokov - 3 stars
63. Foxlowe by Eleanor Wasserberg - 3 stars
64. The Door by Magda Szabó - 4 stars
65. Naked by David Sedaris - 3.5 stars
66. The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly - 4 stars
67. Every Man Dies Alone by Hans Fallada - 3 stars
68. Making It New: The Art and Style of Sara and Gerald Murphy by Deborah Rothschild - 3 stars
69. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins - 5 stars
70. Can't We Talk about Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast - 5 stars
71. What I Thought I Knew: A Memoir by Alice Eve Cohen - 3 stars
72. A Christmas Memory, One Christmas, & The Thanksgiving Visitor by Truman Capote - 4 stars
73. You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas by Augusten Burroughs - 4 stars
74. The Josephine Baker Story by Ean Wood - 3.5 stars
74. Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris - 3 stars
75. The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror by Christopher Moore - 4 stars
76. An Episode of Sparrows by Rumer Godden - 2 stars
77. Faithless: Tales of Transgression by Joyce Carol Oates - 4 stars
78. Gigi by Colette - 3 stars
POPSUGAR 2016 Reading Challenge
(message 37)
32/35
1.
A book based on a fairy tale - The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly2.
A National Book Award winner - White Noise by Don DeLillo3. A YA bestseller - N/A
4.
A book you haven't read since high school - The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy5.
A book set in your home province - The Piano Man's Daughter by Timothy Findley6. A book translated to English -
Every Man Dies Alone by Hans Fallada7. A romance set in the future - N/A
8. A book set in Europe -
Super-Cannes by J.G. Ballard9.
A book that's under 150 pages - Mother, Come Home by Paul Hornschemeier10.
A New York Times bestseller - Night by Elie Wiesel11. A book that's becoming a movie this year
12. A book recommended by someone you just met - N/A (never trust a book recommendation from someone you've just met haha)
13.
A self-improvement book -The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play by Neil A. Fiore14.
A book you can finish in a day - The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes15.
A book written by a celebrity -Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology - Leah Remini16. A political memoir - N/A
17.
A book at least 100 years older than you - The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins18.
A book that's more than 600 pages - A Son of the Circus by John Irving19.
A book from Oprah's Book Club - A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry20.
A science-fiction novel - The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood21. A book recommended by a family member -
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondō22.
A graphic novel - Daytripper by Fábio Moon23.
A book that is published in 2016 - Three-Martini Lunch by Suzanne Rindell24. A book with a protagonist that has your occupation -
The Door by Magda Szabó25.
A book that takes place during summer - The Summer Book by Tove Jansson26. A book and its prequel - N/A
27.
A murder mystery - Night Film by Marisha Pessl28.
A book written by a comedian - Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari29.
A dystopian novel - The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood30. A book with a blue cover -
Post Office by Charles Bukowski31.
A book of poetry - milk and honey by Rupi Kaur32. The first book you see in a bookstore - The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney
33.
A classic from the 20th century - Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert34.
A book from the library - Purity by Jonathan Franzen35.
An autobiography - Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward36.
A book about a road trip - Flaming Iguanas: An Illustrated All-Girl Road Novel Thing by Erika Lopez37. A book about a culture you're unfamiliar with -
The Reluctant Tuscan: How I Discovered My Inner Italianby Phil Doran38.
A satirical book - The Torrents of Spring - Ernest Hemingway39. A book that takes place on an island - The Fish Can Sing by Halldór Laxness
40.
A book that's guaranteed to bring you joy - Last Night in Twisted River by John IrvingFrom Fiction to Reality Challenge
(message 48)
***I am starting off with 3 pairs and a total of 6 books for this challenge
5/6
1a.
The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood1b. The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves by Matt Ridley
Both books have elements of utopia in them. Atwood's novel features a couple that enters a utopian society, while the Ridley book explains why the world isn't going completely down the drain like the media would have us believe It's a bit more complicated than that.
2a.
A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories by Flannery O'Connor2b.
Mama Makes Up Her Mind and Other Dangers of Southern Living by Bailey WhiteBoth books are southern fiction and nonfiction.
3a.
All the Sad Young Men by F. Scott Fitzgerald3b.
One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill BrysonFitzgerald's book was written and published in the 1920s and the Bryson book is about a particular summer in the 1920s.