The Reading Challenge Group discussion

My goal for 2015 is 101 books. I also want to tackle a few challenges below.

20 / 101

[] A book with more than 500 pages
[] A classic Romance
[] A book that became a movie
[] A book published this year
X A book with a number in the title - I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced 2/15/15
[] A book by someone under 30
[] A book with nonhuman characters
X A funny book The Rosie Project 2/1/15
X A book by a female author The House of the Spirits 1/25/15
X A mystery or thriller The Haunted Hotel 1/15/15
X A book with a one-word title Persuasion 1/1/15
X A book of short stories The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes 1/21/15
X A book set in a different country - Girl With a Pearl Earring 1/1/15
[] A non-fiction book
X A popular author's first book The Pickwick Papers 2/2/15
X A book from an author that you haven't read yet - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer 1/1/15
[] A book a friend recommended
[] A Pulitzer Prize winning book
[] A book based on a true story
[] A book at the bottom of your to read list
[] A book your mom loves
[] A book that scares you
X A book more than 100 years old - A Tale of Two Cities 1/21/15
[] A book based entirely on its cover
X A book you were supposed to read in school but didn't - Of Mice and Men1/18/15
[] A memoir
[] A book you can finish in a day
[] A book with antonyms in the title
X A book set somewhere you always wanted to visit - On Hallowed Ground: The Story of Arlington National Cemetery 1/6/15
[] A book that came out the year you were born
X A book with bad reviews Anarchism: A Beginner's Guide 2/8/15
[] A trilogy
[] A book from your childhood
[] A book with a love triangle
[] A book set in the future
X A book set in high school - Paper Towns 2/15/15
X A book with a color in the title - The Yellow Wallpaper 1/15/15
X A book that made you cry - The Book Thief 1/10/15
[] A book with magic
[] A graphic novel
X A book by an author you've never read before - Love in the Time of Cholera 1/4/15
[] A book you own but have never read
[] A book that takes place in your hometown
X A book that was originally written in a different language - The Nose 1/16/15
[] A book set during Christmas
X A book written by an author with your same initials - Thin Air 1/17/15
[] A play
[] A banned book
[] A book based on or turned into a tv show
[] A book you started but never finished

2015 Challenges

January:
G- Historical Fiction - Girl With a Pearl Earring 1/1/15
NF- History - On Hallowed Ground: The Story of Arlington National Cemetery 1/6/15
W- South American Lit - Love in the Time of Cholera 1/4/15
February:
G- Romance & Chick-Lit
NF- Sociology/Relationships/Family
W- Middle Eastern Lit - I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced 2/15/15
March:
G- Contemporary and Literary Merit
NF- Autobiography/Memoir
W- Sub-Saharran African Lit
April:
G- Poetry and Plays
NF- Arts/Hobby/Skill related
W- Southeast Asian Lit
May:
G- Fantasy (including Utopian)
NF- Health/Wellness/Self-Improvement
W- Central America/Mexico & Caribbean Lit
June:
G- Minority Studies/LGBT
NF- Biography
W- Western European Lit
July:
G- Manga/Graphic Novels &/OR Humor
NF - Nature/Animals
W- North African Lit
August:
G- Mysteries (Crime/Cozy/Espionage)
NF - True story/True crime/Current Events
W- Lit of South Asia/Indian sub-continent
September:
G- Science-Fiction (including Dystopian)
NF- Science/Math/Technology
W- North American Lit
October:
G- Horror/Thriller &/OR Short Story Collections
NF- Psychology
W- Eastern European Lit
November:
G- Adventure &/OR Travel
NF - Travel/Food/Essays
W- Oceania/Australian Lit
December:
G- Children's Lit &/OR Traditional Lit
NF - Religion/Spirituality/Philosophy
W- East Asian Lit

Decade Challenge
(Original publication date)

1800-1809:
1810-1819: Persuasion by Jane Austen 1/1/15
1820-1829:
1830-1839: The Nose by Nikolai Gogol 1/16/15
1840-1849:
1850-1859: A Tale of Two Cities
1860-1869:
1870-1879: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer 1/13/15
1880-1889:
1890-1899: The Yellow Wallpaper 1/15/15
1900-1909:
1910-1919:
1920-1929:
1930-1939: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck 1/18/15
1930-1949:
1950-1959:
1960-1969:
1970-1979:
1980-1989: Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcí­a Márquez 1/4/15
1990-1999: Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier 1/1/15
2000-2009: On Hallowed Ground: The Story of Arlington National Cemetery by Robert M. Poole
2010-2015: The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

Plan for January
Girl With a Pearl Earring - Genre Challenge Historical Fiction 1/1/15
On Hallowed Ground: The Story of Arlington National Cemetery - NF Challenge History
Love in the Time of Cholera - World Lit Challenge South America
Persuasion - Group Read Classics 1/1/15
The Book Thief - Group Read YA 1/01/15
A Tale of Two Cities - Group Read Hist Fiction 1/21/15
The House of the Spirits - Group Read World Lit 1/25/15
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Because I live in Missouri now 1/13/15

#1 Persuasion by Jane Austen 1/1/15

Great start to the year, really enjoyed the book and Austin's writing style. Besides, it's nice to start the year with a "happy ever after" type ending.

#2 Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier 1/1/15

This was a surprisingly quick read. I liked it, and the insight into the Duch art scene of the time was interesting. But it left me wanting more depth. Still worth the read.

Woah, you're off to a great start.

Thanks! I'm trying to get a good start before I head back to work next week. Then things will probably slow down quite a bit.

#3 Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcí­a Márquez 1/4/15

Great story. It makes me sad that we don't write letters anymore, especially love letters. Book reminded me how much dating, and communication in general, has changed in just 100 years.

#4 On Hallowed Ground: The Story of Arlington National Cemetery by Robert M. Poole

I highly recommend it. The core of the book is the history of Arlington National Cemetery and the Lee estate, but the author weaves in history of US involved conflicts, stories of soldiers, and discusses the lengths the U.S. goes to to find and bury their war dead, including the history of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

#5 The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. I don't think I'd. Have ever picked it up if it wasn't a group read, so I'm glad the group chose it. It's one of those stories that reminds you incredible good can be found in the worst of times.

#6 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

I wanted to read this and Huck Finn because we recently moved to Missouri and I'd never read them. Good story, easy read.

#7 The Haunted Hotel by Wilkie Collins

Another group I participate in is doing this as a group read. It was underwhelmingly average. Somewhat predictable and I didn't think the characters were developed as well as they could have been.

#8 The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

This was a short and easy read from The Boxall 1001 book list. I enjoyed it quite a bit for a short read.

I like the Adventures of Tom Sawyer, but I found Huck Finn so much better, especially the language. Tom Sawyer is an annoying brat, but Huck rules!

#9 The Nose by Nikolai Gogol

This is another short read from Boxall's 1001 list. I honestly didn't get it, but it was a quick, easy read.

#10 Thin Air by Kate Thompson

I found this when looking for an author with my initials (KT). It was surprisingly hard to find an author! Katie Thompson is an Irish writer and the book is about the disappearance of a teenager from a farm I'm Ireland. It was surprisingly good, well developed characters and a dash of Celtic history.

#11 Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Great classic.

#12 A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

One of my all time favorites. My first audiobook of the year. I listened to the Libribox recording by Paul Allen, which was very, very well done. He was a very good storyteller and had the British accent that was perfect for this story.

#13 The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

How had I never read this? Flew through it and enjoyed it quite a bit.

That's an amazing start and a great set of books! Can't wait to see what the rest of the year will bring for you!

#14 The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

Last group read book for January. I really enjoyed it and learned a bit of Chilean history along the way.

#15 The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

I'm not a romance novel person, so I wasn't sure about this one. But it was a good read, funny and the characters remind me of some of the PhD types I work with.

#16 The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens

I listened to this one and enjoyed it. It's long, but entertaining.

#17 Anarchism: A Beginner's Guide by Ruth Kinna

A poorly written book on a topic that could be very interesting.

#18 Paper Towns by John Green

Exactly what I needed. An easy read with interesting characters.

#19 I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali

Wow, short book with a lot of impact. It's amazing that this still happens and what a brave and strong young woman. The criticism of this book is that it doesn't read like it was written by a 10 year old. And I have to say that's true. But it doesn't undermine the power and significance of this young woman and her story.

#20 The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

Very good.