Chapter Adventure Reading Challenges (Formerly GXO) discussion

The Motif this month is:

"Red Carpet Reads"

+ Read a book that has won an award or been nominated for one +

Share with us!

What book did you pick? What award did it win? Did you enjoy the book and would you recommend it?

I just started The Silent Patient yesterday and finished it today!! It was such a great book.

It has been nominated for several awards Barry Award Nominee for Best First Novel (2020), Goodreads Choice Award for Mystery & Thriller and Nominee for Debut Novel (2019), Book of the Month Book of the Year Award Nominee (2019), Barnes & Noble Book of the Year Award Nominee (2019)

I love romances, so I chose Scandal in Spring
that has been nominated to RITA AWARDS in 2007.

I am reading The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward. It was nominated for many Mystery, Horror and Thriller Awards. It won the British Fantasy Award for Best Horror Novel in 2022.

I just finished The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins.

It has won a few awards, including Goodreads for best Young Adult Fantasy and Science Fiction 2020.

I wasn't a fan but if you liked Hunger Games and want to know about Cornelius Snow I would check it out.

The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
🏆 Governor General’s Award
🏆 1st Arthur C. Clarke Award
Fantastic! I don’t know why I’ve dragged my feet for so long to read this (aside from the fact that I have a massive amount of TBR books to choose from), but I do tend to put off reading extremely popular books until the hype has died down. Atwood’s style of writing is right up my alley, and her storytelling is magnificent. I loved every second of it.

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse.

I read this book once growing up. It's stayed with me for years. It was nice to revisit.

It has won several awards. it's won the Newberry Medal, the Scott O'Dell Award, ALA Notable Children's book, ALA Best Book for Young Adults, School Library Journal Best Book of the Year and a few others.

it's not a bad book. I would recommend it; but I probably won't revisit it again.

I am beginning The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters. The novel is a Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction Finalist. The book cover reveals that secrets from the past define the course of the future. Lies will always come to light. Looking forward to this book!

I killed two birds with one stone here; for both the motif challenge and the word challenge, I read the book The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. It won the 2021 Alex Award.

I did enjoy this book, though it’s probably not a book I would reread. If someone is looking for a heartwarming story, I would absolutely recommend it! It was a super cute story!

I also picked, and finished, The Silent Patient for this month, which won the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Mystery & Thriller in 2019.

I did enjoy this, even though there was some point mid-story where I guessed where this would go - still an engrossing read!

As per usual, I’m reading as many books as I can that are already on my shelves that fit the challenge - this is an excellent way of picking what to read next out of my massive TBR 😆

The Testaments - Margaret Atwood
🏆 Booker Prize
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...

I didn’t enjoy this one *quite* as much as The Handmaid’s Tale, but we’re talking maybe a half star less - 4.5 rather than 5. It was interesting to go from reading a book that was published in 1985, to its sequel published in 2019. But what’s most impressive to me personally, is the fact that Atwood was able to write such a cohesive sequel 34 years later, at the age of 80….when I can’t reliably remember a person’s name 2 seconds after they introduced themselves.

I am reading a collection of stories by Alice Munro- winner of the Man Booker International Prize. The book is called The View from Castle Rock. I’m already loving it.

Challenge Complete - Inferno by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle

Nominated for the Hugo and Nebula awards.

I read this years and years ago, and it hasn’t lost its punch. As Carpentier makes his reluctant way through Hell, led by the mysterious Benito, he’s faced with its ugly reality. Or is there more going on here than is apparent? And why does Benito have free reign in Hell?

The punishments are often the same as those described by Dante, usually over the top and don’t usually fit the crime (the illustrations by Gustav Doré in my copy of The Divine Comedy, are truly grotesque.) It’s the question that Carpentier struggles to answer; why would a god create a hell? And why would a punishment last through eternity? The answer is a surprising one.

I read The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths (Mary Higgins Clark Award 2011); now a fan and will read more of the Dr. Ruth Galloway series.

Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend was the 2014 Dolly Gray Award winner and was nominated for a 2017 Nutmeg Award in Connecticut. I really enjoyed it. Holly by Stephen King is on y list. It won a Goodreads Readers Choice Award in 2023.

I read The Invention of Hugo Cabret which won the Caldecott award. It is a beautiful story about the beginnings of the making of film. I had to read it for the Battle of the Books as I am the advisor at my elementary school.

I read My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite.

I have mixed feelings about it but don't regret reading it.

I read The Testaments by Margaret Atwood, which won the Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Fiction and the Booker Prize.

Hatchet - Gary Paulsen
🏆 John Newbery Medal
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

Have you ever loved a movie without even knowing it was based on a book? This was one of those situations. My husband was actually reading a book (I don’t recall which, as it’s been a while since) that gave mention to the book “Hatchet”, and he asked me to look it up because he thought it sounded like something we’d like to read. So I looked it up, and as I’m reading the blurb, I’m thinking to myself…wait a dang minute…..
Yup, the blurb was familiar to me because I really loved the 1990 movie A Cry In the Wild that was based on the book Hatchet. Need less to say, I also enjoyed this book immensely. It’s marketed as suitable for readers 10+, but I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it as a quick, entertaining, read for adults as well.

I began the Heaven and Earth Grocery Store and after an hour decided to read later.

I am listening to Sparring Partners by John Grisham. It won the Audio Award in 2023 for Multiple Voiced Performance. Narration by Ethan Hawke, January Lavoy, Jeff Daniels and John Grisham.
It's Jake Brigance #4, set in Ford County.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Volume 1, Young Kim (Art/Adaptation), Stephenie Meyer
This was a fun read & got the Goodreads Choice Award for Graphic Novels & Comics (2010)

CHALLENGE COMPLETE with “Holly” by Stephen King. Awesome read! I can see why it won GoodReads 2023 "Best Horror" award. I was thrown off a bit because the antagonists are suffering from the same ailments as I am. Made me question how far I am willing to go to alleviate pain.

I read The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides. It was a good book and loved the twist.

I read The Heir by Kiera Cass

Being #4 in what was to be a trilogy, I didn’t feel as invested in this book as the previous ones, but still an easy read.

I read The Silent Patient this month which won the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Mystery & Thriller in 2019.

This book was absolutely amazing and that plot twist was so goood!! I never saw it coming, I was rooting for Alicia and Theo getting together!

I read "The Vanishing Half" by Brit Bennett. It was shortlisted for Women's Prize for fiction. I have mix feelings about the book. I would have organize the book differently. Plus, a very underwhelming end. ⭐⭐⭐

I read "Niesamowite przygody dziesięciu skarpetek (czterech prawych i sześciu lewych)" by Justyna Bednarek which was nominated for Metų verstinė knyga Children and Young Adult (2022).

Read it since my friend loved it and it was great!! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

My January read for Motif Challenge was The Mermaid Of Black Conch by Monique Roffey. It's a Costa Book Award Winner for Novel for 2020 so definitely a red carpet read. Lovely book so I'm glad to have read it.

I read Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka. It was the winner of the 2023 Edgar Award for Best Novel.

Challenge complete!

Read the 2019 Goodreads Choice Award winner for Best History & Biography and the 2019 winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-fiction The Five: The Lives of Jack the Ripper's Women by Hallie Rubenhold.

I will say that I really admire all the research done to write this book. It definitely made you rethink many of the victims of Jack the Ripper.

Kara wrote: "I just started The Silent Patient yesterday and finished it today!! It was such a great book.

It has been nominated for several awards Barry Award Nominee for Best First Novel (20..."

I really need to read this one.

Deb wrote: "I am reading The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward. It was nominated for many Mystery, Horror and Thriller Awards. It won the British Fantasy Award for Best Horror Novel in 2022."

This one blew my mind!!!

Linzi wrote: "I killed two birds with one stone here; for both the motif challenge and the word challenge, I read the book The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. It won the 2021 Alex Award.

I did enjoy this..."

I love when I can get both challenges with one book. I agree- I liked this book and can see why people are raving about it. I don't think I'll ever re-read it though.

Gilda wrote: "Challenge Complete - Inferno by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle

Nominated for the Hugo and Nebula awards.

I read this years and years ago, and it hasn’t lost its punch. As Carpentier m..."

I should look into this one. I typically love Hugo and Nebula award winners.

Marta wrote: "I read The Invention of Hugo Cabret which won the Caldecott award. It is a beautiful story about the beginnings of the making of film. I had to read it for the Battle of the Books as I am the advis..."

This was a lovely book with the most amazing illustrations.

A Wrinkle in Time

I finished reading A Wrinkle in Time, which was written by Madeleine L'Engle and won the Newbery Medal back in 1963. I couldn't put it down. It may be a children's book, but I saw the movie long ago. I heard about it winning a literary award, so I decided to make this my book for our challenge this month. Plus, I was running short on time as I'm participating in other reading challenges for the year and your Keyword challenge as well.

It took me a while but finally finished Saint Death's Daughter by C.S.E. Cooney which won the 2023 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel.

I read Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold. Shards of Honor came in second place for a Locus Award for Best First Novel in 1987 and was nominated for a Compton Crook Award for Best First Novel of 1986. The Reader's Chair audio edition won the "Earphones Award" in June 1997 and the "Critics' Choice Romantic Favorites" in February 1998, both from AudioFile.