Katie's Book Club Summer Reading Challenge

I'm joing Miz Kate for her summer reading challenge.  Like her, my local library used to host a wonderful reading challenge every summer - one for the kids and one for the adults.  As the school year closed I anxiously looked forward to my summer reading and to this challenge.


Adults were challenged to read 9 books from the 12 suggestions: 1 mystery, 1 romance, 1 nonfiction, 1 western, 1 Newbery, 1 jur classic, 1 adult classic, 1 sci/fi or fantasy, 1 biography, 1 volume of short stories, 1 volume poetry, and 1 fiction of choice.  This program urged me to read outside my usual choice of mysteries.  I learned so much, developed tastes for just about everything, and I felt growth taking place inside my little cells.  I decided growing - learning new things - is what keeps us young.  I still shy away from westerns, romance, and poetry but I'll read one on a challenge.


Alas, my local library changed their summer reading program a couple of years ago.  Last year was fun because they had the adults choose from several different learning activities, such as learn to twitter or use Facebook, try a new recipe from a library cookbook, go on a 'staycation' by seeing one of our local history sites, download a book from the library's Overdrive digital media collection,  learn to Zentangle, learn a foreign language with interactive audio using Mango, etc.  I was disappointed not to see the usual list of book choices, but I jumped in with both feet and had a ball.


This year the adult program is to simply keep track of how many chapters you read and for every so many, enter our name to win a price.  So very sad and so very whimpy!


So I was thrilled when I ran across Kate's Book Club Challenge.  Her choices are a little different from my libraries, but they are just as fun.  Thanks Katie for rescuing my summer.


Here are the challenges and the book I'm going to use for each one - these are not written in stone and are subject to change.

1. One Book Recommended By A Friend - Elizabeth and Hazel: Two Women of Little Rock by David     Margolick 

2. One Book That Has Been Sitting On Your Shelf For Over A Year - War Crimes for the Home by Liz Jensen

3. One Book You Read A Long Time Ago And Want To ReRead - The Little Country by Charles de Lint OR if 3 years ago qualifies as a long time ago I would like to reread The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny

4. One Book From Your To Be Read List - The Language of Bees by Laurie R. King

5. One Book You've Never Heard Of - On Hitler's Mountain by Irmagard a. Hunt

6. One Classic - I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith  (I hope this counts since it over 60 years old and still highly regarded.)

7. One Book You Started But Never Finished - The Folded Earth by Anuradha Roy

8. One New Release - Odd Apocalypse by Dean Koontz and/or The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny and/or Garment of Shadows by Laurie R. King

9. One Book That Is Outside of Your Typical Genre - Pèlagie :The Return to Acadie by Antonine Maillet

10. One Chunkster (A Book That Is Over 400 Pages) - 11/22/63 by Stephen King (848 pages!)

This is going to be so fun.  I already had fun choosing some books from my shelves and kindly caressing them as I made my choices. I looked longingly at many others and promised them our time together was coming.  I was checking on some new releases from favorite authors.  There's a natural pecking order on the new Louise Penny novel - me first, my husband second, and my daughter third.  After that it's available for sisters, cousins, or anyone else waiting in line. 

Thanks again Kate for challenging my summer!  Love it!