2016 Reading Challenge

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BOOKS READ

Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler
Comments: Quick read. Funny lady. Will definitely grab more of her books.
Categories Covered: A book written by a comedian and A New York Times Bestseller and A Book Written by a Celebrity

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Comments: Its Hunger Games with superpowers but less kids killing and more romance but poorly developed romance. I called the plot twist a mile away. The sequel comes out this year.
Categories Covered: A Young Adult Bestseller and A dystopian novel

Hard Choices by Hilary Clinton
Comments: I'll likely never read another Political memoir again. A lot of "I did this. I said this. I loved this. We didn't get along BUT..." And I was really upset when this clocked in just under 600 pages.
Categories Covered: A Political Memoir

Meat Market: Inside the Smash-Mouth World of College Football Recruiting by Bruce Feldman
Comments: Such a great read. Its a few years old, so its even better knowing the people discussed turned out to be relevant or irrelevant. A must read for any college football fan.
Categories Covered: A Book from the Library, A Book with a Blue Cover

Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter
Comments: Fun book. A good sequel to a really fun book and while this is a bit cheesy with the romance stuff, everything heist centered is just lovely.
Categories Covered: A Book That Takes Place on an Island

Reaching Higher: Mark Dantonio and the Rise of Michigan State Football by The State News
Comments: Lots of pictures and lots of praise for the head football coach of the Michigan State Spartans. That's about all I can say about this. Nothing special, and certainly not worth the 20 bucks I paid for it. Maybe if the team had won the National Championship, it could hold a sentimental value or something but I'm not even a fan of the team, just an admirer of the coach and I'm still left unimpressed.
Categories Covered: A Book Set in Your Home State, A Book Published in 2016



BOOKS BEING READ

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman

Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter

Updated. I finished Uncommon Criminals on Friday and Reaching Higher on Saturday morning.

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UPDATED

After finishing this one, I'll only have six categories left and my next one will be a quick read.

Now, I'm reading The Jungle Books by Rudyard Kipling, which is a book becoming a movie this year. If I don't read something else that fits better, I'm counting it for the unfamiliar culture (Indian) category, which I could even do for Takei's since I learned about Japanese American culture and what life was like in internment especially.

I read The Treasure Hunt by Bill Cosby, which yes is a little kid's book and took about ten minutes, but I "read" it because it seemed somehow weird (like a sociology experiment) to read a possible rapist's kid's book and (more importantly) because it counted for two quick categories: (1) An Oprah Book Club selection; and obviously (2) a book written by a comedian (the book I'd like to read I'll have to pick up second-hand online and I'm in no rush).

I read To the Stars: The Autobiography of George Takei as my autobiography choice (also a backup celeb book).

I read William Shatner's Leonard, which will count as (1) a book written by a celebrity; and in (2) this year.

I read Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters by August Ragone, which I'll count for a book recommended by someone I just met. I had the book recommended to me by several people (including the author ), one or two of which I'm pretty sure was on the day I met them.

I read Spade and Archer by Joe Gores, which covers the prequel portion of the challenge a book (The Maltese Falcon) and its prequel, finishing it. Both were mysteries.

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PACE YOURSELF! You're making me look bad.

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PACE YOURSELF! You're making me look bad.

Well, since it took me a long time to finish the children's book (it was two volumes), I guess I did. Next up is Little Red Riding Hood: A Casebook (ed. by Alan Dundes), which I'm counting for a book based on a fairy tale. It has the alternate bonus of making up one of last year's categories (I'm sort of trying to make up the 2015's Challenge too): a title with a color in it.

Finished Virginia M. Wright's Route 1 Maine for a Road Trip book.

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BOOKS READ

Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler
Comments: Quick read. Funny lady. Will definitely grab more of her books.
Categories Covered: A book written by a comedian and A New York Times Bestseller and A Book Written by a Celebrity

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Comments: Its Hunger Games with superpowers but less kids killing and more romance but poorly developed romance. I called the plot twist a mile away. The sequel comes out this year.
Categories Covered: A Young Adult Bestseller and A dystopian novel

Hard Choices by Hilary Clinton
Comments: I'll likely never read another Political memoir again. A lot of "I did this. I said this. I loved this. We didn't get along BUT..." And I was really upset when this clocked in just under 600 pages.
Categories Covered: A Political Memoir

Meat Market: Inside the Smash-Mouth World of College Football Recruiting by Bruce Feldman
Comments: Such a great read. Its a few years old, so its even better knowing the people discussed turned out to be relevant or irrelevant. A must read for any college football fan.
Categories Covered: A Book from the Library, A Book with a Blue Cover

Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter
Comments: Fun book. A good sequel to a really fun book and while this is a bit cheesy with the romance stuff, everything heist centered is just lovely.
Categories Covered: A Book That Takes Place on an Island

Reaching Higher: Mark Dantonio and the Rise of Michigan State Football by The State News
Comments: Lots of pictures and lots of praise for the head football coach of the Michigan State Spartans. That's about all I can say about this. Nothing special, and certainly not worth the 20 bucks I paid for it. Maybe if the team had won the National Championship, it could hold a sentimental value or something but I'm not even a fan of the team, just an admirer of the coach and I'm still left unimpressed.
Categories Covered: A Book Set in Your Home State, A Book Published in 2016


How to Write a Novella in 24 Hrs by Andrew Mayne
Comments: Great for the price but I doubt it actually gets any creativity flowing for me.
Categories Covered: A Book That's Under 150 Pages, A Self Improvement Book, A Book You Can Finished in a Day

BOOKS BEING READ

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman

Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter

A World of Ice and Fire The Untold History of Westeros and the Game of Thronesby George R R Martin

The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer

Updated! FINALLY! Slight progress.

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Updated! FINALLY! Slight progress.

Good. At least I'm not the only one trying.

Finished the above and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by JK Rowling, John Tiffany, and Jack Thorne, which is my choice for the first book I saw in a bookstore.

Now, I just started (barely) Tom Wolfe's The Right Stuff, which is a National Book Award winner (as a bonus, it's also a category I missed last year (I'm half heartedly aiming to finish that too)--a book from the year I was born, 1979.

When I'm done this, I'll only have two categories left, but I know the one (political memoir) will bog me down.

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BOOKS READ

Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler
Comments: Quick read. Funny lady. Will definitely grab more of her books.
Categories Covered: A book written by a comedian and A New York Times Bestseller and A Book Written by a Celebrity

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Comments: Its Hunger Games with superpowers but less kids killing and more romance but poorly developed romance. I called the plot twist a mile away. The sequel comes out this year.
Categories Covered: A Young Adult Bestseller and A dystopian novel

Hard Choices by Hilary Clinton
Comments: I'll likely never read another Political memoir again. A lot of "I did this. I said this. I loved this. We didn't get along BUT..." And I was really upset when this clocked in just under 600 pages.
Categories Covered: A Political Memoir

Meat Market: Inside the Smash-Mouth World of College Football Recruiting by Bruce Feldman
Comments: Such a great read. Its a few years old, so its even better knowing the people discussed turned out to be relevant or irrelevant. A must read for any college football fan.
Categories Covered: A Book from the Library, A Book with a Blue Cover

Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter
Comments: Fun book. A good sequel to a really fun book and while this is a bit cheesy with the romance stuff, everything heist centered is just lovely.
Categories Covered: A Book That Takes Place on an Island

Reaching Higher: Mark Dantonio and the Rise of Michigan State Football by The State News
Comments: Lots of pictures and lots of praise for the head football coach of the Michigan State Spartans. That's about all I can say about this. Nothing special, and certainly not worth the 20 bucks I paid for it. Maybe if the team had won the National Championship, it could hold a sentimental value or something but I'm not even a fan of the team, just an admirer of the coach and I'm still left unimpressed.
Categories Covered: A Book Set in Your Home State, A Book Published in 2016


How to Write a Novella in 24 Hrs by Andrew Mayne
Comments: Great for the price but I doubt it actually gets any creativity flowing for me.
Categories Covered: A Book That's Under 150 Pages, A Self Improvement Book, A Book You Can Finished in a Day

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard
Comments: Better than the first novel, which I mention above is a poor attempt to do Harry Potter and Hunger Games at once. Its the second novel that sheds that skin and becomes something that feels truly original.
Categories Covered: A Science Fictional Novel, A Book and its Prequel

BOOKS BEING READ

Cane Mutiny: How the Miami Hurricanes Overturned the Football Establishment by Bruce Feldman

The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman

Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter

A World of Ice and Fire The Untold History of Westeros and the Game of Thronesby George R R Martin

The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer

Updated again.

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Finally on to the political memoir with Ronald Reagan in Private by Jim Kuhn, who was his personal assistant.

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BOOKS READ

Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler
Comments: Quick read. Funny lady. Will definitely grab more of her books.
Categories Covered: A book written by a comedian and A New York Times Bestseller and A Book Written by a Celebrity

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Comments: Its Hunger Games with superpowers but less kids killing and more romance but poorly developed romance. I called the plot twist a mile away. The sequel comes out this year.
Categories Covered: A Young Adult Bestseller and A dystopian novel

Hard Choices by Hilary Clinton
Comments: I'll likely never read another Political memoir again. A lot of "I did this. I said this. I loved this. We didn't get along BUT..." And I was really upset when this clocked in just under 600 pages.
Categories Covered: A Political Memoir

Meat Market: Inside the Smash-Mouth World of College Football Recruiting by Bruce Feldman
Comments: Such a great read. Its a few years old, so its even better knowing the people discussed turned out to be relevant or irrelevant. A must read for any college football fan.
Categories Covered: A Book from the Library, A Book with a Blue Cover

Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter
Comments: Fun book. A good sequel to a really fun book and while this is a bit cheesy with the romance stuff, everything heist centered is just lovely.
Categories Covered: A Book That Takes Place on an Island

Reaching Higher: Mark Dantonio and the Rise of Michigan State Football by The State News
Comments: Lots of pictures and lots of praise for the head football coach of the Michigan State Spartans. That's about all I can say about this. Nothing special, and certainly not worth the 20 bucks I paid for it. Maybe if the team had won the National Championship, it could hold a sentimental value or something but I'm not even a fan of the team, just an admirer of the coach and I'm still left unimpressed.
Categories Covered: A Book Set in Your Home State, A Book Published in 2016


How to Write a Novella in 24 Hrs by Andrew Mayne
Comments: Great for the price but I doubt it actually gets any creativity flowing for me.
Categories Covered: A Book That's Under 150 Pages, A Self Improvement Book, A Book You Can Finished in a Day

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard
Comments: Better than the first novel, which I mention above is a poor attempt to do Harry Potter and Hunger Games at once. Its the second novel that sheds that skin and becomes something that feels truly original.
Categories Covered: A Science Fictional Novel, A Book and its Prequel

The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer
Comments: Hilariously funny and inspiring. She never hits you over the hit with a preachy "You can do it!" sermon or catchphrase but her story is filled with a bunch of "Don't repeat the same mistakes I did, please." lessons amidst the comedy.
Categories Covered: An Autobiography

BOOKS BEING READ

Cane Mutiny: How the Miami Hurricanes Overturned the Football Establishment by Bruce Feldman

The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman

Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter

A World of Ice and Fire The Untold History of Westeros and the Game of Thronesby George R R Martin

Updated with me finishing Amy Schumer's book.

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I finished my last category (a book you haven't read since high school) with JD Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. However, I won't really be done until I finish my through-the-Bible-in-a-year readings next month since that would appear to be the only book I'm reading over 600 pages.

Next, I think I'll try to knock off the categories I missed from last year's challenge.

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^^Update:

I officially finished this year's challenge this morning with my normal through-the-Bible-in-a-year (King James) reading.

Today, I'm going to finish the last category I missed from last year's Challenge (report to come); have about 60 pages left at this minute.

I read 31 books this year. That number, however, includes 5 or 6 young adult and children's books. The Cosby one was for little kids and took about three minutes to read. On the other hand, one of them was a collection of three novellas and another was a bundle of two original books. I did not count graphic novels or portions of books I read (like short stories or for research).

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If anyone's interested, here's the 2017 Reading Challenge. There are 40 categories in the regular challenge and an additional 12 in the advanced section (bringing it up to one a week).

Since I don't intend to do it this year (I need some more reading freedom for a while) and since there were only two of us by the middle of last year, I'm not going to start a new thread, but feel free if anyone wants to. Conversely, the mods can feel free to merge the two old threads.

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lol Thanks for posting anyway.

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lol Thanks for posting anyway.

There's some fun ones there and some goofy ones too (just like last year). It looks doable to me, but a few would be chores (like a book with career advice). I may do this again some year, but I have a stack of books I'd like to read for now (not to mention accumulated comics, magazines, and trade paperbacks).

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Yeah, I'd rather have my freedom.