ŷ������

Congratulations Greg, Voracious, and Janet for finishing your goals! It's so fun to see people getting to the end of their challenges.

As for Vanessa, welcome to the challenge! We're glad you're here.

READ WOMEN 2015
For this challenge, decide how many new-to-you female authors you would like to read. Once your goal is set, read! And come back and tell us who your favorites were to get great female authors more exposure. Each author can only count once

(16/20)

Marta Perry �� Heart of Christmas
Patricia Davids �� A Plain Christmas
Virna DePaul -- Bedding the Wrong Brother
Mary Connealy �� Out of Control
Noelle Adams �� One Night with her Boss
Margaret Daley �� The Yuletide Rescue
Maggie Shayne �� The Brands who came for Christmas
Susan Mallery �� The Girls of Mischief Bay
Emma Cane �� A Town Called Valentine
Tracy Wolff �� About the Baby
Pamela Kelley �� Six Months in Montana
Amanda Torrey �� Not Over You
Marie Force �� Treading Water
Eve Langlais �� Kodiak’s Claim
Ciara Knight �� Winter in Sweetwater County
Darcy Burke -- Where the Heart Is

I just found this challenge... May i join please? I'd like to set my goal for 20 "authors who happen to be women". I looked my list of books read so far, and i'm at 14 for the year, so another 6 should be doable!

#READWOMEN
Duration: January 1, 2015 - December 31, 2015

Progress: 21/20 Complete!
1) Margaret Atwood - I've read 4 of her books this year, including the MaddAddam series, which i loved
2) The Aviator's Wife
3) The Selection - Kiera Cass's series was not my favorite
4) Sharp Objects
5) Still Alice - loved this book
6) Gregory, Philippa - read several of her books and loved them.
7) The Girl on the Train
8) Euphoria
9) The stone cutter - one of my new favorite authors
10) Station Eleven
11) Consequences - i hated this book
12) The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
13) The Burgess Boys
14) The Goldfinch

update for 10/16
15) I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - i will plan to read more of her in the future.
16) And Then There Were None - a quick read, and i want to read more of her in the future too!
17) Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption - i read this earlier this year but forgot about it. Such a great book!
18) The Heir Apparent: A Life of Edward VII, the Playboy Prince - I read this earlier this year as well. it struck me as so well researched.
19) We Were Liars - also read earlier this year, and while not my favorite, it was still fun.

update for 11/8:
20) The Night Circus
21) The Iron King

I got to my 20! I'll probably continue to keep track of this as the rest of the year goes by.

Thanks for organizing this!

Welcome to the challenge, Renee!

L'Agnese va a morire by Renata Viganò puts me at 16/30.

READ WOMEN 2015
For this challenge, decide how many new-to-you female authors you would like to read. Once your goal is set, read! And come back and tell us who your favorites were to get great female authors more exposure. Each author can only count once

(17/20)

Marta Perry �� Heart of Christmas
Patricia Davids �� A Plain Christmas
Virna DePaul -- Bedding the Wrong Brother
Mary Connealy �� Out of Control
Noelle Adams �� One Night with her Boss
Margaret Daley �� The Yuletide Rescue
Maggie Shayne �� The Brands who came for Christmas
Susan Mallery �� The Girls of Mischief Bay
Emma Cane �� A Town Called Valentine
Tracy Wolff �� About the Baby
Pamela Kelley �� Six Months in Montana
Amanda Torrey �� Not Over You
Marie Force �� Treading Water
Eve Langlais �� Kodiak’s Claim
Ciara Knight �� Winter in Sweetwater County
Darcy Burke -- Where the Heart Is
Roxanne Snopek -- Small Town Secrets

Message 234 update:

I've got 9/10 so far.
1.) "Some Girls: My Life in a Harem" by Jillian Lauren
2.) "Fangirl" by Rainbow Rowell
3.) "The Art of Asking" by Amanda Palmer
4.) "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant
5.) "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins
6.) "Bad Feminist" by Roxane Gay
7.) "You're Never Weird on the Internet (almost)" by Felicia Day
8.) "The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty" by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
9.) "Men Explain Things to Me" by Rebecca Solnit

������é wrote:
"I've also read "You're never weird on the Internet (Almost)." How did you find it? If you've like that type of book you might like the "I'm not that kind of girl" that is if you haven't read it yet. "

������é, I enjoyed reading Felicia Day's book. I found a few parts to be a bit bland, but I really liked that she talked about her personal experiences with GamerGate. A few people have recommended "I'm Not That Kind of Girl" to me, but I'm just not a huge fan of Lena Dunham. I appreciate the suggestion though!

Brindolyn wrote: "������é wrote:
"I've also read "You're never weird on the Internet (Almost)." How did you find it? If you've like that type of book you might like the "I'm not that kind of girl" that is if you have..."

Yeah the GamerGate anecdotes where interesting, especially because it kind of fits one of my school project. I'm writing a research paper about gender stereotypes and the gaming culture.

Lena Dunham was funny and interesting, but many things made me cringe. A few thing she wrote sort of bumped against some of my view on feminism. Her writing could still be argue as feminist, and she has some nice view on things, but overall she did leave me a bit uncomfortable at different points in her book.

Updated message 17

23/25

Added:
22. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Purple Hibiscus
23. Nadine Gordimer - July's People

READ WOMEN 2015
For this challenge, decide how many new-to-you female authors you would like to read. Once your goal is set, read! And come back and tell us who your favorites were to get great female authors more exposure. Each author can only count once

(18/20)

Marta Perry �� Heart of Christmas
Patricia Davids �� A Plain Christmas
Virna DePaul -- Bedding the Wrong Brother
Mary Connealy �� Out of Control
Noelle Adams �� One Night with her Boss
Margaret Daley �� The Yuletide Rescue
Maggie Shayne �� The Brands who came for Christmas
Susan Mallery �� The Girls of Mischief Bay
Emma Cane �� A Town Called Valentine
Tracy Wolff �� About the Baby
Pamela Kelley �� Six Months in Montana
Amanda Torrey �� Not Over You
Marie Force �� Treading Water
Eve Langlais �� Kodiak’s Claim
Ciara Knight �� Winter in Sweetwater County
Darcy Burke -- Where the Heart Is
Roxanne Snopek -- Small Town Secrets
Tina Leonard - The Rebel Cowboys Quadruplets

I updated post 879 with my progress to date:

update for 10/16
15) I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - i will plan to read more of her in the future.
16) And Then There Were None - a quick read, and i want to read more of her in the future too!
17) Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption - i read this earlier this year but forgot about it. Such a great book!
18) The Heir Apparent: A Life of Edward VII, the Playboy Prince - I read this earlier this year as well. it struck me as so well researched.
19) We Were Liars - also read earlier this year, and while not my favorite, it was still fun.

Only one more left... I think i'll exceed this goal for the year. One thing these challenges have taught me is that i really have no idea how much I read :)

16/20 (have updated post #800)

Nothing to Do but Stay: My Pioneer Mother by Carrie Young (3 stars)

Being a pioneer on the prairie has always seemed one of the most horrendous lives possible, so I picked up this book to see why someone would actually want to do it. The book is not, in fact, a story about the author's mother, but reminiscences of the author's own childhood. I wish she would have explained why her mother, when she was young and unmarried, got a plot to homestead all alone, but that motivation was never explained. Still, the book painted a wonderful picture of family life on the prairie.

Just finished Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.

3/10

Read another new to me female author so I have completed 14/13.
I read These Is My Words by Nancy E. Turner. The author, in her debut novel, did an excellent portrayal of her characters. I felt like I was part of the family and needed to have a hankie handy during parts of the book. However, she should have done more historical research. Some of the things that happened could not have taken place during the time frame of the book.

#READWOMEN
Duration: January 1, 2015 - December 31, 2015



25/25

1. Elizabeth Gilbert ��
2. Amy Poehler ��
3. Sophia Amoruso ��
4. Jillian Michaels ��
5. Marina Keegan ��
6. Marissa Meyer ��
7. Emily St. John Mandel ��
8. Rainbow Rowell ��
9. Abigail Barnette ��
10. Diana Wynne Jones ��
11. Eloisa James ��
12. Jojo Moyes ��
13. Jill Sanders ��
14. Michelle Duffy ��
15. Mary Ann Shaffer ��
16. Annie Barrows ��
17. Paula Hawkins ��
18. Holly Madison ��
19. Ellen DeGeneres ��
20. Sara Gruen ��
21. Naomi Novik ��
22. Edith Wharton ��
23. Mary Roach ��
24. Shirley Jackson ��
25. Alice Hoffman ��

Congratulations, Vernice! I love the stamp.

Cassandra wrote: "Congratulations, Vernice! I love the stamp."

Thanks! I find it motivates me to finish a challenge if I can put a nice big FINISHED sign on it!

I'm hoping to read more women, but for now I can put my stamp on it!

17/20 (have updated original post #800)

Your Best Year Yet!: Ten Questions for Making the Next Twelve Months Your Most Successful Ever by Jinny Ditzler (4 stars)

A friend said this program changed her life and she has used it for quite a few years now. It will be a while before I can evaluate it, but I found the plan well thought out. I like the idea of aligning goals with personal values and the strategies for implementation sound promising.

Vernice wrote: "#READWOMEN
Duration: January 1, 2015 - December 31, 2015

25/25

I love the FINISHED! Very motivating.

Cheri wrote: "17/20 (have updated original post #800)

Your Best Year Yet!: Ten Questions for Making the Next Twelve Months Your Most Successful Ever by Jinny Ditzler (4 stars)

A f..."

This book sounds really interesting, Cheri. It would be interesting to see your review on it!

Renee wrote: "Cheri wrote: "17/20 (have updated original post #800)

Your Best Year Yet!: Ten Questions for Making the Next Twelve Months Your Most Successful Ever by Jinny Ditzler ..."

Thanks, Renee, it was interesting. I always post my reviews in my main folder (Cheri52), but here it is, short but hopefully gives you a little taste of what it's about:
A friend said this program changed her life and she has used it for quite a few years now. It will be a while before I can evaluate it, but I found the plan well thought out. I like the idea of aligning goals with personal values and the strategies for implementation sound promising.

18/20 (have updated original post #800)

How Carrots Won the Trojan War: Curious (but True) Stories of Common Vegetables by Rebecca Rupp (2 stars)

Such a great title, how could I resist? Sadly, the book is nothing more than a compilation of miscellaneous anecdotes about various vegetables, and the author uses an annoyingly cutesy style throughout. There is no analysis and no consistency about type of information or order of presentation, making it difficult to read and follow. And as for that clever title? All I could find about carrots and the Trojan war was part of one sentence: “It thus must have been an anthocyanin-laced purplish carrot that Agamemnon’s soldiers legendarily munched (presumably quietly) inside the Trojan Horse ‘to bind their bowels’…��. That’s how carrots won the war?

updated message 789!

21/21 :)

Congratulations, Angela!

Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli.

Complete- 26/30

What did you think, Sakina? I finished that one a month or two ago.

Absolutely enjoyed it! I actually wished there were a few more chapters. :D

Awesome! I really liked it too. I wish it had been written when I was a teenager, although it still really resonated with me as a younger adult.

Updated message 494

Challenge complete!

I'm 30/30:
1. Shungiku Nakamura
2. Anno Moyoko
3. Hina Sakurada
4. Junko
5. Suzanne Collins
6. Roxane Gay
7. Charlotte Brontë
8. Anne Brontë
9. Asumiko Nakamura
10. Sylvia Plath
11. Margaret Atwood
12. Simone de Beauvoir
13. Akiko Higashimura
14. A.S. King
15. Amy Poehler
16. Germaine Greer
17. Cassandra Rios
18. Mika Yamamori
19. Emily Carroll
20. Juliet Marillier
21. Mariko Tamaki
22. Noelle Stevenson
23. Ashley Marie Witter
24. Jung Chang
25. Maya Angelou
26. Kyōko Okazaki
27. Felicia Day
28. Amanda Palmer
29. Vera Brosgol
30. Natasha Allegri
Complete!

I also want to mention some authors I read that are not the main author of their books on goodreads:
. Jen Wang
. Jillian Tamaki
. Renae De Liz
. Amy Reeder
. Anne Rice

I edited my list a lot because I was adding authors that were not listed as the main author on goodreads. The list is now updated with only main authors. I will keep adding more writers until 2016, but will leave the challange at 30!

Congratulations, Diana! There are many authors on your list that I haven't heard of, so I'll have to check them out.

I updated message #6.

Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher (11/03/15, ****)

Read: 14/20

I can't remember when I last updated this but I see that it was about 13 books ago, so I think it's time for another update!

I have completed 38/50, with my list below:

1. Candle in the Darkness by Lynn Austin - 3.5 stars

2. Though the Bud Be Bruised by Jo Wanmer - 3 stars

3. Passion Play - the Oberammergau Tales by Valerie Volk - 4 stars

4. Oceans Apart by Karen Kingsbury - 3.5 stars

5. The Opal Desert by Di Morrissey - 5 stars

6. Elianne by Judy Nunn - 4 stars

7. Wild Lavender by Belinda Alexandra - 4 stars

8. Family Secrets by Liz Byrski - 4 stars

9. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein - 4.5 stars

10. The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert - 3 stars

11. The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker - 4.5 stars

12. The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty - 4 stars

13. Fractured by Dawn Barker - 5 stars

14. Ronan's Echo by Joanne van Os - 4 stars

15. Questions of Travel by Michelle de Kretser - 3 stars

16. Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner - 2 stars

17. Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - 2.5 stars

18. Pennies for Hitler by Jackie French - 4.5 stars

19. The Heavy: A Mother's Battle Against her Seven-year-old Daughter's Obesity by Dara-Lynn Weiss - 4 stars

20. Big Brother by Lionel Shriver - 4 stars

21. The Happy Endings Book Club by Jane Tara - 3 stars

22. The Lady's Maid: My Life in Service by Rosina Harrison - 3.5 stars

23. Goodbye Piccadilly by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles - 4 stars

24. Longbourn by Jo Baker - 4 stars

25. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson - 3 stars

26. I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai - 3.5 stars

27. Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler - 3 stars

28. Life After Life by Kate Atkinson - 4 stars

29. Alice Brown's Lessons in the Curious Art of Dating by Eleanor Prescott - 3.5 stars

30. Not Quite Nice by Celia Imrie - 3 stars

31. The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindell - 4 stars

32. Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick - 4 stars

33. While We Were Watching Downton Abbey by Wendy Wax - 4 stars

34. Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta - 4 stars

35. Before I Go by Colleen Oakley - 3.5 stars

36. Me Without You by Kelly Rimmer - 4 stars

37. Malicious Intent by Kathryn Fox - 4 stars

38. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins - 4.5 stars

It doesn't look likely that I will reach my goal of 50 new female authors this year, but I have definitely found some good ones as I've worked my way through!

19/20 (have updated original post #800)

Gut : The Inside Story of Our Body's Most Under-Rated Organ by Giulia Enders (5 stars)

If you eat, this book's for you. Written in a light-hearted tone, the book tells you everything you never knew about your own gut -- including the incredible ways it can affect your mind and behavior. A must read.

Updated message 17

24/25
24. Lily King - Euphoria 11/4/15

Laurie wrote: "Updated message 17

24/25
24. Lily King - Euphoria 11/4/15"

I read this a couple months and thought it was wonderful. I hope you enjoyed it, too.

20/20 (have updated original post #800)

Finished! And finished for the second time, since my original goal had been 15. It's been interesting for me to discover how easy it is now to find good books by women authors. :)

The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant (3 stars)
An easy, pleasant read, but the characters had no depth. Explanations were rarely more than clichés, tragedy was glossed over, and everything came up roses. The book seemed like a young adult novel, though it talked down to that audience, too.

Updating message 760 with Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

38/40

Cheri wrote: "Laurie wrote: "Updated message 17

24/25
24. Lily King - Euphoria 11/4/15"

I read this a couple months and thought it was wonderful. I hope you enjoyed it, too."

I enjoyed it very much. I will have to check out some of her other novels now.

Life in Outer Space by Melissa Keil.

Completed- 27/30

Updated Post 879 with completed challenge!

update for 11/8:
20) The Night Circus
21) The Iron King

this was fun! I'll probably continue to keep track of my authors for the rest of the year... if that's ok? I hope to see this challenge again next year!

I ran out of space in my original post, so I'm starting part 2 here.


134. Uprooted by Naomi Novik read 11/8
135. Aster Wood and the Lost Maps of Almara by J.B. Cantwell read 11/9
136. Stormbound by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez read 11/16
137. Forever My Girl by Heidi McLaughlin read 11/18
138. Dangerous Talents by Frankie Robertson read 11/18
139. Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins read 11/19
140. Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter read 11/19
141. Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead by Sara Gran read 11/20
142. Christmas in Greektown: Greektown Stories Book Three by Suzanne Jenkins read 11/26
143. The Big Tiny: A Built-It-Myself Memoir by Dee Williams read 11/27
144. Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir by Jenny Lawson read 11/27
145. The Advocate's Betrayal by Teresa Burrell read 11/30
146. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo read 12/1
147. Ever After by Rachel Lacey read 12/2
148. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater read 12/3
149. Overruled by Emma Chase read 12/7
150. Stealing the Wind by Shira Anthony read 12/10
151. The Trouble With Valentine's Day by Rachel Gibson read 12/12
152. Christmas Crazy by Kathi Daley read 12/12
153. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng read 12/13
154. Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave read 12/14
155. What Happens At Christmas by Victoria Alexander read 12/15
156. Viral: Stories by Emily Mitchell read 12/15
157. The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie read 12/16
158. Kissed by Kimberly Loth read 12/17
159. The Duchess War by Courtney Milan read 12/18
160. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins read 12/22
161. Falling for Autumn by Heather Topham Wood read 12/22
162. VIP by Riley Edgewood read 12/26
163. The Short Life of Sparrows by Emm Cole read 12/26
164. Get A Clue by Jill Shalvis read 12/27
165. Nefertiti's Heart by A.W. Exley read 12/27
166. Walking The Edge by Zee Monodee read 12/28
167. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood read 12/29
168. Pointe of Passion by Annalie Walker read 12/29

Updating message 760 with Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume

39/40

8/10



Sarah Norton, Brian Green, and Rhona Dynes

Update message:

Book 19/20 completed: A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara.

21/20 (have edited original post #800)

The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher by Hilary Mantel (5 stars)

The ends meet in this amazing collection of short stories, which are both horrifying yet occasionally so bizarrely funny that they make me vaguely uncomfortable in my own reactions. Mantel writes clear, precise prose with fresh (and sometimes freaky) images that make it impossible not to finish a story once started. My paperback has the addition of a new story called "The School of English" that is worth seeking out if your edition does not contain it.

I finished The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler

(15/10)

Updated message 760 with Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi

40/40 - Success! I know for a fact that this number is going to go up, but I'm happy to leave my goal as it is without increasing it for now. :)

Congratulations Cheri, Renee, and Paul for achieving your goals!

Updated message 17

25/25 Challenge complete!!!

25. Kate Chopin - The Awakening