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Who's up for a reading challenge?
When I was in fifth grade, I participated in my first (and only) reading challenge. In order to complete the challenge, a certain number of books (of your choice) in different genres had to be read. It was a challenge that had a deadline (I had 4 months to complete it, I believe) and was an excellent way to break out of my preferred genre and discover something new.
Is anyone up for it? If so, what genres should we include, and how many of each? It'd be great if we gave a brief critique of each book we complete as well.
I'd like to suggest that an autobiographical be part of the challenge, as I never read them.
I'm in...even if it's only the two of us. 
I've recently read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver-- very motivating non-fiction -- easy reading that was hard for me to put down. I like just about everything. The only genre I won't read is horror/slasher-type...even a challenge won't change that.
Challenge accepted.
- Autobiography. There is one out on Castro that is done interview style.
- Business: A book by Seth Godin (Free Prize Inside) or maybe Tom Peters or Donald Trump,
- Mystery/Suspense:
- History:
There are really so many catagories that could be chosen from. Are we looking at maybe five catagories and four months?
um, sure! I never really peruse the book store, so I don't what what different categories are. That's a pretty good list, I would never have thought of reading a history book!
What are some other categories that come to mind? I'm thinking travel, sci-fi/fantasy, how-to's/DIY... (does anyone even read some of these genres for enjoyment??)
Other book recommends:
With Speed and Violence: Why Scientists Fear the Tipping Points in Climate Change, by Fred Pearce.
"Pearce, author of When the River Runs Dry (2006), prides himself on being a skeptical environmental journalist, and now, after covering climate change for 18 years, he has no doubt that we are "interfering with the fundamental processes that make Earth habitable." Believing that everyone needs to understand exactly what is happening on the planet, Pearce consults with experts on ocean currents, polar ice, the carbon cycle, methane, and soot; reports on the rapid melting of polar ice and the Siberian permafrost, the "brown haze" of Asia, and record-breaking heat waves, droughts, and wildfires; and explains that because the earth's systems are intricately interconnected and finely calibrated, small alterations can have abrupt and enormous consequences. Pearce presents a cogent rundown of the findings that establish greenhouse gases as a global warming catalyst and, most disturbingly, provides careful analysis of evidence indicating that climatic change has never been gradual. Donna Seaman Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
The Blue Sword, by Robin McKinley.
"This is the story of Harry Crewe, the Homelander orphan girl who became Harimad- sol, King's Rider, and heir to the Blue Sword, Gonturan, that no woman had wielded since the Lady Aerin herself bore it into battle."
Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi.
"An inspired blend of memoir and literary criticism, Reading Lolita in Tehran is a moving testament to the power of art and its ability to change and improve people's lives. In 1995, after resigning from her job as a professor at a university in Tehran due to repressive policies, Azar Nafisi invited seven of her best female students to attend a weekly study of great Western literature in her home. Since the books they read were officially banned by the government, the women were forced to meet in secret, often sharing photocopied pages of the illegal novels. For two years they met to talk, share, and "shed their mandatory veils and robes and burst into color." Though most of the women were shy and intimidated at first, they soon became emboldened by the forum and used the meetings as a springboard for debating the social, cultural, and political realities of living under strict Islamic rule. They discussed their harassment at the hands of "morality guards," the daily indignities of living under the Ayatollah Khomeini's regime, the effects of the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, love, marriage, and life in general, giving readers a rare inside look at revolutionary Iran. The books were always the primary focus, however, and they became "essential to our lives: they were not a luxury but a necessity," she writes.
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time, by Greg Mortensen.
"While critics agree that Three Cups of Tea should be read for its inspirational value rather than for its literary merit, the book's central theme, derived from a Baltistan proverb, rings loud and clear. "The first time you share tea with a Balti, you are a stranger," a villager tells Greg Mortenson. "The second time, you are an honored guest. The third time you become family." An inspirational story of one man's efforts to address poverty, educate girls, and overcome cultural divides, Three Cups, which won the 2007 Kiriyama Prize for nonfiction, reveals the enormous obstacles inherent in becoming such "family." Despite the important message, critics quibbled over the awkward prose and some melodrama. After all, a story as dramatic and satisfying as this should tell itself."
It's Not Your Mother's Bridge Club, by Michele VanOrt Cozzens .
"A character-driven story of eight women who are middle-aged, middle to upper-middle class, and in the middle of each other's lives. Each character plays an integral role as they face ordinary and extraordinary circumstances, and are forced to come together as a group to support one another. You've heard of Steel Magnolias? This is more like Steel Tumbleweeds. The American women who belong to bunko groups, bridge clubs, book clubs and dice clubs will find this both funny and tragic, and highly relatable. "
The Source: A Novel, by James Mitchener. I make it a point to read this book every couple of years -- and get something different from it each time I do.
“Fascinating . . . a wonderful rampage through history.”—The New York Times
“James Michener is something rare and valuable: an honorable craftsman doing honorable work. . . . He manages to make history vivid.”—The Boston Globe
“Magnificent . . . a superlative piece of writing both in scope and technique. It is, in fact, one of the great books of this generation. . . . It will hold the interest of any reader, no matter what religion he may be.”—San Francisco Call Bulletin
The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausche. I saw Randy on several TV shows, then listened to his book on a long car drive. Fantastic.
"When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn't have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave--"Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams"--wasn't about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because "time is all you have...and you may find one day that you have less than you think"). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living.
In this book, Randy Pausch has combined the humor, inspiration and intelligence that made his lecture such a phenomenon and given it an indelible form. It is a book that will be shared for generations to come."
The Forever War, by Dexter Filkins.
"Filkins, a New York Times prize–winning reporter, is widely regarded as among the finest war correspondents of this generation. His richly textured book is based on his work in Afghanistan and Iraq since 1998. It begins with a Taliban-staged execution in Kabul. It ends with Filkins musing on the names in a WWI British cemetery in Baghdad. In between, the work is a vivid kaleidoscope of vig-nettes. Individually, the strength of each story is its immediacy; together they portray a theater of the absurd, in which Filkins, an extraordinarily brave man, moves as both participant and observer. Filkins does not editorialize—a welcome change from the punditry that shapes most writing from these war zones. This book also differs essentially from traditional war correspondence because of its universal empathy, feelings enhanced by Filkins's spare prose. Saudi women in Kabul airport, clad in burqas and stylish shoes, bemoan their husbands' devotion to jihad. An Iraqi casually says to his friend, Let's go kill some Americans. A marine is shot dead escorting Filkins on a photo opportunity. Iraqi soldiers are disconcerted when he appears in running shorts (They looked at [my legs] in horror, as if I were naked). Carl von Clausewitz said war is a chameleon. In vividly illustrating the varied ways people in Afghanistan and iraq have been affected by ongoing war, Filkins demonstrates that truth in prose. 5 photos." (Sept. 17) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Threaded into the memoir are trenchant discussions of the work of Vladimir Nabokov, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jane Austen, and other authors who provided the women with examples of those who successfully asserted their autonomy despite great odds. The great works encouraged them to strike out against authoritarianism and repression in their own ways, both large and small: "There, in that living room, we rediscovered that we were also living, breathing human beings; and no matter how repressive the state became, no matter how intimidated and frightened we were, like Lolita we tried to escape and to create our own little pockets of freedom," she writes. In short, the art helped them to survive." --Shawn Carkonen --
It looks like it might just be the three of us.
Why don't we each choose a book and take it from there?
Well, I thought maybe we could tell each other the books "chosen," so we could talk about them as we read...We could read each of our choices alone, but then we'd have to wait to have a discussion. If we read/re-read selections together, it might be more insightful. Take turns choosing a book for the group. A book every month or two? What do you think?
Just to make sure I'm understanding you correctly, do you mean we should each read the same book at the same time and discuss it as we go along? If so, that was the suggestion made by nomo in the community read thread.
I had in mind for this particular challenge that it is a personal challenge (vs group) in order to take us out of our reading "comfort" zone. It might look something like this:
- Science fiction- 2 books
- Fictional, your choice- 3 books
- (Auto)Biography- 2 books
- History- 2 books
- Same author- 3 books (can be a favorite author or one you aren't familiar with, of any genre)
- Religion, Inspiration, or Business- 3 books. (for example, they can be all business, or mix and match according to your tastes)
All of the books should be something you've never read before.
This is just an example of what the challenge could look like. The categories can be different if we want something there that I never thought of and the number of books in each category can be different as well. This would give us 18 books, which can be a lot depending on how much time you have. I personally can (and do) read one to two books per week.
If you like the idea of the challenge and how it's set up, we could always give a set amount of time to each category and read and discuss our choices during that time period. For example, if we started with Sci-Fi, we could agree on an amount of time for the 2 books in that category (maybe 3 weeks?), post what we chose and why, and do a write up on it.
Good question. I was searching for an example reading challenge, and I found that most of them are geared towards kids. I found this one, but I'm not sure I can read that many books in a year!
Maybe we should simplify, read whatever genre we want, and aim for a certain amount of books per month. I dunno...what do you think?
I started a new religious suspense novel yesterday, a third in a series...it's very good so far!
Whatever we decide, it looks like it's just going to be a few of us.
That sounds like a great book...what's the series called? I like to read books "in order" if they're part of a trilogy or what have you.
I just received my copy of Filkin's book, the Forever War...saw him on Charlie Rose (PBS) this week. Should be interesting.
Right now I have 800+ pages of reading before a professional conference in Nov. Hope I have time to read for fun!
The series is called "Babylon Rising", and the third book in the series is called "The Europa Conspiracy"
Sometimes I think I spend too much time reading when I could/should be doing something else, but then I see the positive influence it had on my kids (who all love books).
Ditto -- I ALways found/find time to read, but somehow the dishes and vacuuming .....hmmm, why can't it do it by itself!?
Mine are bookaholics, too...and have messy kitchens. Genetic? I also made it a point to read what they were reading as they grew up --- no censoring, but I did learn what was going through their heads (sort of)...Stephen King kick was difficult for me..sko
Hey, this is an awesome idea!
Have you already started or could it be something we could start on Jan. 1 (which will be here before we know it)?
I might be ready by January 1...I've finished my seminar, etc...passed! Am now looking for a job...and in the tail end of home renovation (living in 2 rooms of my barn in the meantime! At least it's heated, but it's a tight squeeze with a big dog & 2 cats! Not to say all my stuff!)
Maybe what would work would be to decide a topic for the month. Then, it's up to each person to read any genre that might come under the topic. Some Ideas...not even suggestions -- I haven't thought this out:
January: Anything having to do with making resolutions, e.g., Dreams, Motivation, Wishes, Exercise, Martin Luther King, Jr., Obama
February: Anything having to do with relationships, e.g., Love (all forms), Hearts (bodily or romantic or how to make them), Flowers, Candy, St. Valentine
March: Anything having to do with new beginnings: wind, starting seeds, babies, new entrpreneurial pursuits, spring
April: Anything having to do with Easter, Passover, resurrecting/restructuring/rescuing, animals, chickens, bunnies, eggs, ducks, rain
May: Anything having to do with gardening, flowers, sun, memorial day, war, survival, joy,
OR, maybe we each can come up with an idea of our own each month to share...what does January this year mean to you? What book spoke to you about this? How?
I'm up for ideas...
