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Cynthia's Reading Challenges of 2014
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Read the Month Around the WorldCOMPLETE!!!
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For each letter, read a book where that letter is contained somewhere in the title or the author's name. It does NOT need to be the first letter of the word. The book used must be read in the month it represents.
Duration: January 1, 2014 - December 31, 2014
January: Kapampangan (a language of the Philippines)
E The Day I AtE WhatEvEr I WantEd: And Other Small Acts of LibEration
N The DiNosaur Feather
E TEnth of DEcEmbEr
R The Rosie PRoject
O BOnk: The CuriOus COupling of Science and Sex
February: Arabic (Algeria & Tunisia)
F The InFatuations
I The Golem and the JInnI
F Love You Forever
R BuRial Rites
I The SIgnature of All ThIngs
March: Malay (a language of places like Indonesia etc)
M AMericanah
A PyongyAng: A Journey in North Korea
C The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew QuiCk
April: Papiamento (a language of the Caribbean ABC Islands => Aruba, Bonaire & Curacao)
A Fried Green TomAtoes at the Whistle Stop CAfe
P Ajax Penumbra 1969
R BRilliance
E My YEar of MEats
L A House in the Sky by Amanda Lindhout
May: Romanian (Romania)
M And the Mountains Echoed
A The DAylight GAte
I We Are All Completely BesIde Ourselves
June: Greenlandic (Greenland)
J Lucy by Jamaica Kincaid
U The Gods of GUilt
N Prodigal SoN
I The HospItal
July: Swahili (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda etc.)
J Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by MarJane Satrapi
U The HoUse Girl
L HyperboLe and a HaLf: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened by ALLie Brosh
A We Are WAter by WAlly LAmb
I LIberace Extravaganza!
August: Japanese (Japan)
H Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
A Instant Mom by NiA VArdAlos
D You Don't Look Like Anyone I Know
U Yes, Chef: A Memoir by MarcUs SamUelsson
K BlacK Hole
I ShIne
September: Basque (Basque Country, Spain)
I My RealIty
R The EneRgy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy by Jon Gordon
A WAlking Softly in the Wilderness: The Sierra Club Guide to Backpacking
I The LIttle PrInce Graphic Novel
L The Perks of Being a WaLLfLower
October: Ewe (is a Niger–Congo language spoken in southeastern Ghana and southern Togo)
K Do Princesses Wear HiKing Boots?
E SEx Criminals, Vol. 1: One Weird Trick
L WiLd: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
E The Bippolo SEEd and Other Lost Stories
November: Venda (South Africa) (is a Bantu language predominately spoken in the Limpopo Province, Botswana)
L BLankets
A What I SAw and How I Lied
R BelzhaR
A The Andy Cohen DiAries: A Deep Look at a Shallow Year
December: Niuean (Niue Island, Tokelau)
T Tomboy: A Graphic Memoir
E Just MErcy: A Story of Justice and Redemption
S Schroder
E BEautiful DarknEss
M I AM PilgriM
O Can't We Talk abOut SOmething MOre Pleasant?
Around the World in Books/topic/show/...
Read books from different regions of the world. The book must take place in that region, be written in a language of that region, OR be written by an author from that region.
Duration: January 1 - December 31, 2014
North America One Summer: America, 1927
Central America
Caribbean Antigua and Barbuda Antigua
South America Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle That Set Them Free
West Europe The Dinosaur Feather Denmark
East Europe and Former Soviet Union We Are On Our Own Hungary
Africa Americanah Africa
Middle East The Golem and the Jinni Syria
East Asia Boxers and Saints China
South Asia And the Mountains Echoed Afghanistan
Southeast Asia Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea North Korea
Australia & South Pacific The Rosie Project Australia
FIRST QUARTER CHALLENGE: THE CHINESE ZODIAC (Shēngxià o)COMPLETE!!!
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1. The Horse. On January 31, 2014, it becomes the Year of the Horse! Horses like being the center of attention. Read a book where the main character is famous OR read a memoir about or a biography of a celebrity.
2. The Goat. Home is where Goats feel the most comfortable. Read a book that takes place in the country you were born in.
3. The Monkey. Monkeys are the masters of practical jokes. Read a humorous book.
4. The Rooster. Roosters tend to "tell it like it is." Read a non-fiction book.
5. The Dog. While loyal and faithful, Dogs have trouble finding mates. Read a book that contains a troubled romance.
6. The Pig. Pigs love to have fun but tend to prefer spending to saving. Read a book you have purchased (rather than borrowed).
7. The Rat. Constantly seeking knowledge, Rats are curious and clever. Read a book that teaches you something.
8. The Ox. Oxen aren't very sociable and prefer life-long friendships to casual acquaintances. Read a book in which the main character could be described as an introvert.
9. The Tiger. Tigers love to be challenged. Read a book you find challenging in some way maybe because of its length, style, or subject matter.
10. The Rabbit. Rabbits tend to enjoy meeting people from different places and learning about different cultures. Read a book about a culture not your own.
11. The Dragon. The Dragon is often considered to be the strongest sign, and the only one that is a mythical animal. Read a book that contains a mythical or paranormal creature.
12. The Snake. Snakes work hard but tend to be easily bored. To prevent boredom, read a short book (i.e., one with fewer than 100 pages).
FIRST QUARTER CHALLENGE: LILAC'S RAINBOW CHALLENGEDuration: January 1 - March 31, 2014
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Make a rainbow out of the book covers. You can use as few as four books (red, yellow, green, blue) or as many as you like as long as the final result is a rainbow of books. Try for all seven colors of the rainbow.
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME MINI CHALLENGECOMPLETE!!!
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1. Read a book set in a place that currently uses daylight savings time.
2. Read a book set in a place that does not currently use daylight savings time.
3. Daylight savings time was first implemented in 1916. Read a book that takes place before 1916.
4. Daylight savings time was first proposed by a man named George Veronon Hudson. Read a book by an author who shares an initial with George Vernon Hudson.
Guy Delisle
SECOND QUARTER CHALLENGE: #READWOMEN2014Duration: April 1 - June 30, 2014
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#readwomen2014 is a movement started by Joanna Walsh who was tired of the status quo. In her own words, this is what the movement is all about:
It’s a truth universally acknowledged, and confirmed by VIDA, that, though women read more books than men, and female authors are published in comparable numbers, they are more easily overlooked: a smaller presence in literary journals both as reviewers, and the reviewed, they also account for fewer literary translations.
It’s not whether women are published (because they are) but how they are published. Are men more likely to write what’s considered ‘important� literary fiction, or could it be that more are regarded that way? I’ve heard female writer friends grouse when their books are given flowery covers though their writing’s not, when reviews, even press-releases, describe their work as “delicate� when it is forthright, “playful� when it is experimental, “delightful� when it is satirical, “carving a niche� when it is staking a claim (none of these examples is made up).
For this challenge, decide how many new-to-you female authors you would like to read.
1. Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach
2. The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted: And Other Small Acts of Liberation by Elizabeth Berg
3. The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer
4. Relish by Lucy Knisley
5. The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro
6. Coming Clean by Kimberly Rae Miller
7. The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud
8. Skinny Bitch in the Kitch: Kick-Ass Solutions for Hungry Girls Who Want to Stop Cooking Crap by Rory Freedman
9. The Round House by Louise Erdrich
10. The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert
11. The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
12. We Are On Our Own by Miriam Katin
13. Gray Horses by Hope Larson
14. The Property by Rutu Modan
15. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
16. Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
17. Orange Is the New Black by Piper Kerman
18. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
19. Longbourn by Jo Baker
20. A House in the Sky by Amanda Lindhout
21. Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg
22. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg
23. My Year of Meats by Ruth Ozeki
24. We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler
25. Vampires in the Lemon Grove: Stories by Karen Russell
26. Fever by Mary Beth Keane
27. Antigua and Barbuda by Sara Louise Kras
28. American Widow by Alissa Torres
29. Lucy by Jamaica Kincaid
30. Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters
31. Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh
32. The House Girl by Tara Conklin
33. Liberace Extravaganza! by Connie Furr Soloman
34. Before I Die by Candy Chang
35. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi
36. Anya's Ghostby Vera Brosgol
37. Instant Mom by Nia Vardalos
38. You Don't Look Like Anyone I Know by Heather Sellers
39. Everybody's Got Something by Robin Roberts
40. Through the Woods by Emily Carroll
41. My Reality by Melissa Rycroft Strickland
42. Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots? by Carmela LaVigna Coyle
43. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
44. Hand to Mouth: Living in Bootstrap America by Linda Tirado
45. Off the Sidelines: Raise Your Voice, Change the World by Kirsten Gillibrand
46. If You Ask Me by Betty White
47. French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure by Mireille Guiliano
48. Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes
49. What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell
50. Tomboy: A Graphic Memoir by Liz Prince
51. Claire of the Sea Light by Edwidge Danticat
52. Schroder by Amity Gaige
53. Can't We Talk about Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast
54. Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner by Judy Melinek
55. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
56. El Deafo by Cece Bell
57. Sisters by Raina Telgemeier
58. This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki
59. Lena Finkle's Magic Barrel: A Graphic Novel by Anya Ulinich
60. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
61. The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters
61.5 Yes Please by Amy Poehler
THIRD QUARTER CHALLENGE: HUNGER GAMES/topic/show/...
Duration: July 1 - September 30, 2014
May the odds be ever in your favor.
The Capitol: The capitol is filled with beautiful extravagant people. Read a book with “beauty� in the title OR read a book where the main character is said to be extraordinarily beautiful.
District 1: District 1 produces luxury items. Read a book about people who are rich OR read a book where a piece of jewelry plays an important role.
District 2: District 2 produces weapons and trains peacekeepers. Read a book about a war OR read a book with a cop as one of the characters.
District 3: District 3 makes electronics. Read a book about a technologically advanced society OR read a book with a computer (or robot) as a main character.
District 4: District 4 is a fishing district. Read a book about a fisherman OR read a book that at least partially takes place on a boat.
District 5: District 5 is the source of electrical power. Read a book that features a lightning storm OR read a book that is set in a place without electricity.
District 6: District 6 is the hub of transportation. Read a book written by an author from a different country OR read a book that takes place in a real location you could visit.
District 7: District 7 produces lumber and paper. Read a book that takes place in a forest OR read a physical book made out of paper (as opposed to an ebook).
District 8: District 8 makes textiles. Read a book about fashion OR read with an item of clothing on its cover.
District 9: District 9 produces grain and has no characters named in the books. Read a book with an unnamed main character OR read a book with a character who is a vegetarian.
District 10: District 10 specialized in raising livestock. Read a book that has a domestic animal as a character OR read a book that has an animal in the title.
District 11: District 11 is an agricultural district and Rue, a young herbalist, originated here. Read a book where a young person dies OR read a book where an herbalist saves someone from dying.
District 12: District 12 is the mining district, and Katniss and Peeta, its tributes, wear clothes that catch fire. Read a book that has a fire that is helpful in it OR read a book that has the word “coal� somewhere in it (add a quote of the sentence where you found the word).
"You know if you eat enough burned [marshmallows] you'll crap coal." pg.282
District 13: District 13 is a rebellious district that specialized in nuclear technology. Read a book centered around a nuclear disaster OR read a book where the main character is rebellious.
2025 Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
The Paying Guests (other topics)Yes Please (other topics)
Station Eleven (other topics)
Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle That Set Them Free (other topics)
Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle That Set Them Free (other topics)
More...
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One book per category (10) non-fiction only
Duration: January 2014 � December 2014
000-099: Computer Science, Bibliographies, Library Sciences, Encyclopedias & Books of Facts, Associations, Organizations & Museums, News Media, Journalism & Publishing, General Collections, Manuscripts & Rare Books
100-199: Philosophy, Metaphysics, Epistemology, Parapsychology & Occultism, Philosophical Schools of Thought, Psychology, Logic, Ethics, Ancient, Medieval & Eastern Philosophy, Modern Western Philosophy
200-299: Religion, Natural Theology, Bible, Christian Theology, Christian Moral & Devotional Theology, Christian Orders & Local Church, Christian Social Theology, Christian Church History, Christian Denominations & Sects, Other & Comparative Religions
300-399: Social Sciences, Sociology, General Statistics, Political Science, Economics, Law, Public Administration, Social Services, Education, Commerce, Customs, Etiquette, Folklore
400-499: Language, Linguistics, English & Old English, German, Romance Languages, Italian, Romanian, Spanish, Portuguese, Italic, Latin, Hellenic, Classical Greek, Other
500-599: Sciences, Mathematics, Astronomy, Physics, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Paleontology, Life Sciences, Plants, Zoological Sciences
600-699: Technology (Applied Sciences), Medical Sciences, Engineering, Agriculture, Home Economics & Family Living, Management, Chemical Engineering, Manufacturing, Buildings
700-799: Arts, Civic and Landscape Art, Architecture, Plastic Arts and Sculpture, Drawing & Decorative Arts, Painting, Graphic Arts, Photography, Music, Recreational & Performing Arts
800-899: Literature, American Literature, English & Old English Literature, German Literature, Literatures of Romance Languages, Italian, Romanian, Spanish, Portuguese, Italic, Latin, Hellenic, Classical Greek
900-999: History, Geography/Travel, Ancient History, General History of Europe, General History of Asia, Far East, Africa, North America, South America, Other