Friday, April 25, 2014

2014 Summer Book Challenge Sign Up

I'm behind on posts and have not been getting as much reading done as I'd like (thanks a lot, grad school!) so of course it makes sense to sign up for another reading challenge!  Don't judge me, Malin!  However, my term is almost over, and I'm only taking one course over the summer and I think I have a good idea of what the work load will be since it's currently scheduled with a professor I've already had.  Plus, the challenge is from 1 May through 31 August, and during that time I am taking around 30 days leave from work and going on a cruise so I should totally have reading time!  (I'm also moving and deploying but minor details - plus, what else am I going to do on a plane ride across the Atlantic.)

http://megancstroup.blogspot.com/2014/04/summer-2014-book-challenge-preliminary.html


Anyway, I stumbled upon Megan's blog when she was hosting her fall reading challenge last year, and even though I didn't sign up for that one, I've been following it ever since.  And I already have books at home that should help me complete this challenge (some of them I actually just got Monday when my mom took me to Barnes and Noble for my birthday and had me pick some books out).

As you can see, my list is still very tentative and I haven't completely made my decisions since a few of them have more than one option.  Anyway, here are the topics and my choices.  Also, the first five people done get to suggest a category for the next reading challenge - I don't know if I will be one of the five but I totally already have two ideas for what I would suggest!

5 points: Freebie! Read any book that is at least 200 pages long. - Will probably depend on what I do for the last category - a few of them involve books in series that I actually need to read a few books to reach first.

10 points: Read a book that was written before you were born. - The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

10 points: Finish reading a book you couldn't finish the first time around. (You must have at least 150 pages left in the book to use it for this category.) - Hood by Stephen Lawhead, Consider the Fork by Bee Wilson

10 points: Read a book from the children’s section of the library or bookstore. - The Twistrose Key by Tone Almhjell

15 points: Read a book that is on The New York Times' Best Sellers List when you begin reading it. - Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (8), Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline (2), The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer (16), Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter (14)

15 points: Read a historical fiction book that does not take place in Europe. - Serena by Ron Rash, Palisades Park by Alan Brennert

15 points: Read a book another blogger has already read for the challenge. (Yes, you will have to wait until the first check-in to choose this book! So no one will be able to finish this challenge in only one month; sorry!) - I'm hoping I can use one of the ones that I already have listed in the bestseller list for this since I already own the books and all and figure that one would have the most overlap between bloggers.

20 points: Read a book with “son(s),” “daughter(s)” or “child(ren)” in the title. No other words will count—including kids, offspring, etc.—so please don’t ask. :) - Son of a Gun by Justin St. Germaine, Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire or The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson

20 points: Read a book that was/will be adapted to film in 2014. (Here are 16 ideas to get you started, but I know there are plenty more options.) - If I Stay by Gayle Forman, Serena by Ron Rash or Monuments Men by Robert Edsel and Bret Witter

25 points: Read a book written by a blogger. (Submitted by Jessica of The Tangerine.) - Jack by Shannon LC Cate, The Purity Myth or Why Have Kids by Jessica Valenti

25 points: Read a biography, autobiography or memoir. - I Don't Know Where You Know Me From by Judy Greer, Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan

30 points: Read a pair of books with antonyms in the titles. - Girl in Translation and Out of Oz - In and Out? Any Which Way But Dead and Living History - Dead and Living?; Brain on Fire and Miracles on the Water - are Fire and Water antonyms or would that be fire and ice? Monuments Men/Lion Among Men and Dangerous Women - Men and Women? City of Lost Dreams/Number9Dream and The Truth of All Things - Dream and Truth?
 
A friend of mine gave me the books from Maguire's Wicked series for Christmas (we'd seen the musical together in December).  I already the first one years ago, but that's why they are showing up a lot here.  Also, a few books could work for different categories - I can't use them for more than one category of course, but I haven't decided yet which one I want to use them for - it's all going to depend on my mood at the time.  Fortunately, we are also allowed to switch the books as we go if we end up changing our minds later about how we categorized something.

10 comments:

Malin said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Malin said...

My last comment got deleted by mistake. What I said in it was: Good luck on the new reading challenge. It looks like fun. Myself, I think I have more than enough to complete without adding another one - although I will be signing up for the RIP reads in September-October, but only because it fits with a whole bunch of books I would read anyway. I'm quite proud that I've already managed to complete at least one: Meet the Protagonist.

When are you getting deployed, and do you know where you're going yet?

Jen K said...

Thanks! I'm going to a unit in Afghanistan so it will be a different process than I'm used to. My leave ends mid-July which is when I'll report to base in the States that handles individual deployers and then about a week later, I should be flying to Kuwait, and from there, I'll head further. Not sure how long I'll be in Kuwait (I think last time, when I was a late deployer I was there for about three or four days before flying to Iraq) so I should be with my unit by August.

Kaity B. said...

Americanah was fantastic! I would highly recommend it :)

Anna Belle said...

I loved the Wicked series - and you're right, they work in so many categories! I had not know much about Americanah, but I'm intrigued. I may add that to my list!

Megan said...

I definitely think fire and water count as antonyms, if you decide to use that pairing. I'm so happy you're joining us for this challenge!

P.S. - Where are you going on your cruise?

P.P.S. - Even if you aren't one of the first five finishers, I always appreciate category suggestions. ;)

Kristen said...

what a fabulous list! a lot of books i haven't heard of, but i always love finding new books!

Jen K said...

Anna Belle - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie also wrote Half of a Yellow Sun which is amazing, and I think the movie should be coming out this year - it's already been made, I think it's just a matter of distributors.

Megan - I'm doing a 7 night Western Caribbean cruise so I'll be visiting an island in Honduras, Belize City and Cozumel, Mexico. I've never been south of the US so it should be fun. My parents live four hours from Galveston and its port which was one of the main reason I chose this one.

Kristen said...

i wanted to respond to your comment on my blog via email, but i couldnt :( thank you so much for all your opinions, i am now more excited to read the snow child & light between the oceans & persuasion. i must say, i love a good crying book sometimes!

Anonymous said...

Visiting your list from the linkup - I love it!
Brain on Fire was a fascinating read, if that helps narrow anything down :-)
I love that you picked Son of a Witch! The library just notified me that it's available again, so maybe I'll change my answer and do that one too.