BYL Reading Challenge discussion

It's the end of the month, so let's talk about what we read and what challenges we completed!

Me:

A story told in multiple perspectives - Pocahontas by Joseph Bruchac
A book about Climate Change - Eye of the Storm by Kate Messner
A book with a character with teh same name as you - Edge of Extinction: The Ark Plan by Laura Martin

I'm also nearly finished reading Sawkill Girls which I marked on my checklist as a book I think will be a new favorite. It isn't, but I'll still count it for that challenge, lol.

My twins:

They both just finished The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. Robbie counted it as a book that got a lot of hype and Riley counted it as a book with his favorite color on the cover.

We are also halfway through reading aloud An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green which all three of us are going to count as a book written by someone famous for something other than writing.

Regina:

She is finishing up Amulet tomorrow and she marked it as a book she thought would be a new favorite. We're also about halfway through The War I Finally Won which she will count as the next book in a series she had already started.

Phew! What did you and your family reading this month?

We have had a rough and busy month, so I'm lagging behind. My daughter and I are finishing Wonder and my son and I are finishing The Hate U Give. I've also been reading To the Bridge: A True Story of Motherhood and Murder.

I have gotten through several books myself, but only three I could tie into this challenge, lol.

Me:
✅ 26. A fantasy book with at least one mythical creature. The Last Unicorn: The Lost Journey
✅ 27. The next book in a series you have already started. Evolution
✅ 29. A book that you judged based on its cover. This Phenomenal Life: The Amazing Ways We Are Connected with Our Universe

With the kiddos, since they don't read solo yet we have mostly just been working our way through the BYL curriculum list and I'm planning on using the challenge to introduce some variety into our other read alouds. My daughter is juuuuuust on the tipping point of being able to read, I'm not rushing her by any means, but goodness it will be fun to see when she can begin diving into books and I can't wait to see where she goes with it! I'm so excited to see her sudden ability to understand how to sound out written words. :)

Kiddos:

☐ 4. An #ownvoices story that takes place in Africa. Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales (still working on this one but my daughter loves it!)
✅ 19. A book from a previous Family Reading Crate that you haven't read yet. A Boy Called Christmas (just finished, such a good book!)

The kiddos are excited to dive into The Ark Plan next as their 40. A book that is similar (in theme or story) to your favorite movie or tv show. They are big fans of Jurassic Park and anything dinosaur.

I've been keeping track of my several challenges here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I'm loving this. I had added March to my TBR ages ago & forgot about it but this challenge brought it back to my attention and it will be on my Feb update!

Here's my progress:
- A book written by someone famous (for something other than writing) - I read Full Disclosure by Stormy Daniels because it arrived on my Kindle from the library at the start of the year!
- A book from a previous Family Reading Crate that you haven't read yet - Nightfall by Halpern & Kujawinski which I'd wanted to make time for but hadn't yet.
- A book you have never heard of before - Breaking Free by Abby Sher - this is about human trafficking/modern day slavery and I picked it up from a table at the library.
- A book that takes place in two different time periods - The Art of the Swap by Kristine Carlson Asselin and Jen Malone - I'm looking forward to many read alouds filling some of these categories for me! :)

I recently convinced my daughter to give the challenge a try so we'll see how she does. She' s 7 and is not afraid to try a new book so I'm hopeful!

I really took this list as an opportunity to spread my horizons, so to speak, and read books that I normally would not... I think it is funny that I spent a week preparing a list of the books I wanted to read that fit these prompts. Because, as it turns out, I found that books (unplanned) I was reading fit the criteria, and allowed me to feel accomplished when I could put a check on the list.
BUT, as silly as it sounds there are some I read that could allow me to check off, but I refuse because I REALLY want to read the book I researched and planned for it, and some I checked off that I still plan to go back and read the original choice. LOL, I sound crazy!

An "own voices" story from Africa:
I read- "My sister the serial killer" by Oyinkan Braithwaite.
I originally planned to read The Fisherman by Chigozie Obioma, and will go back and read this one.

A book that takes place in two different time periods:
I read, "The German Girl" by Armando Lucas Correa

A story told in multiple perspectives:
I read "The Passage" by Justin Cronin
Planned, and want to read, "Fingersmith" by Sarah Waters.

Historical Fiction from a time I know nothing about. This book was forced on me, by my sweet old lady friend who said, "You have to read this!" I know nothing about the royal family and didn't think I wanted to, but this book surprised me with it's unique format (that of a diary) and it's humor. SO, I read "Gone with the Windsor's" by Laurie Graham. It is about the king who abdicated his throne to marry a twice divorced, tyrant of an American. Allowing the York's to take the throne.

A book written by someone famous:
I read "The Pleasure of my Company", by Steve Martin. It was a witty, comical, quick read.

A book that I think will be a new favorite:
This book was given to me by a dear friend for our Christmas Eve book exchange. It was "Year One" by Nora Roberts. Not usually an author I read, but I was glued to this exciting book!

I couldn't get my kids to do this challenge (sad face) they said I make them read so much for Homeschool that they don't want to read anymore! lol

I'm loving this challenge so far!

I've read 'Born a Crime' by Trevor Noah, which I thought was excellent. It's checks off the #ownvoices for Africa box as well being a book written by someone famous for something other than writing.

I've also read 'Prodigal Summer' by Barbara Kingsolver which covers a story told in multiple persepctives and a book with your favorite color on the front (oh, how I love green!). Also, I guess I would have to say she is one of my more favorite authors, so I'll likely read another of her's to check off that box.

And rounding out January I read 'The Smell of Other People's Houses' for the book from a BYL family reading crate.

I'm also listening to 'The Good Daughter' by Karen Slaughter which is an excellent listen! It's set (at least partly) in my state (Ga) and in the actual region that I live in. That was a pleasant surprise. I'm also reading The Radium Girls, which is very moving...err emotional....um somewhat anger provoking...? And that will check off a book with a periodic element in the title.

I'm just plowing through my TBR pile and then hopefully sorting them out at the end of the year. I would be lying to say I don't have a spreadsheet to keep track.

In January I read:
The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle which could be a book told in an unconventional format, a book I had never heard of (until they chose it in the popsugar challenge group), or a book that will be your new favorite because I love mystery books where they give you all the information but I still didn't solve it.

What Happened which could count for a book written by someone famous (for something other than writing) or a book about a political issue that is important to you.

My Own Words Which could be a memoir by someone you find fascinating, A book written by someone famous (for something other than writing)

The Cruel Prince which could either be a book that got a lot of hype or a fantasy book with a mythical creature (fairies)

Hamilton: The Revolution which is another book written by someone famous (for something other than writing)

I really need to mix it up in February because I feel like I read a lot of non-fiction in January and those challenges are pretty robust.