~2014 Reading Challenge~ discussion

1. The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman

2. The Ringmaster's Daughter by Jostein Gaarder (+11 in 11)

3. Homer & Langley by E.L. Doctorow (+11 in 11)

4. The Comfort of Strangers by Ian McEwan (Italy challenge)

5. Swindle by Gordon Korman

6. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand(+11 in 11)

7. My Reading Life by Pat Conroy

Beth,
What does the +11 in 11 mean??

It's a challenge that's being done in the Books on the Nighstand group here on GR. The idea is to read 11 more books than last year and to make your own category for it. For example, some people are reading 11 books published in 2011. I was going read 11 books of short stories but I decided to read 11 books that are from my own collection. The only "rule" of the challenge is that the 11 books must be books you've never read before.

Thanks, Beth! I was just curious as it looked as if those were a bit "heavier" reading than the others.
This is my first year to keep track; I really had no idea how much to pick because I usually read in "spurts".

You're welcome, Darla. Let me know how the tracking is going!

8. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

9. Who Was Harriet Tubman? by Yona Zeldis McDonough My youngest son is reading this for school so I read it too so we can discuss it.

10. Great House by Nicole Krauss

11. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

12. Holes by Louis Sachar My ten year old son read this for his school book club so I decided to read it too

I had never heard of the book but saw the movie. It was a very good movie and I bet that the book was even better! What did you and your son think of it?

Hi Darla, we loved the book and watched the movie last night. You're right, the movie was very good but the book was better. I'm very glad that my son enjoyed the book so much. He told me that he loves it when I read along with his school book club so we decided that we're going to have a mother/son book club this summer (just us). That made me very happy!! My son decided that our first book is going to be The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg. I've been wanting to read this book so I'm really looking forward to it.

13. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry(+11 in 11) I just have to say I can't believe how much I liked this book. I didn't think I would!

14. So Much for That by Lionel Shriver(+11 in 11)

15. The Fates Will Find Their Way: A Novel by Hannah Pittard

16. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (+11 in 11)

17. The Gollywhopper Games by Jody Feldman (+11 in 11)

18. The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom
19. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
20. The Map of True Places by Brunonia Barry

21. The Organized Student: Teaching Children the Skills for Success in School and Beyond by Donna Goldberg

22. The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht

23. The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney
24. Any Human Heart by William Boyd

25. The Reading Promise: My Father and the Books We Shared by Alice Ozma

26. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua

27. I Survived The Sinking Of The Titanic, 1912 by Lauren Tarshis I read this with my 10 year old for his book club

28. The Diving Pool: Three Novellas by Yoko Ogawa

29. House Arrest: A Novel by Ellen Meeropol

30. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (+ 11 in 11)

31. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

32. The Lake by Banana Yoshimoto

33. The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg (+11 in 11)
34. 22 Britannia Road by Amanda Hodgkinson

35. The Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich (+11 in 11)

36. The Glass Room by Simon Mawer

37. The Dragonfly Pool by Eva Ibbotson

38. Half a Life: A Memoir by Darin Strauss

39. Honeysuckle House by Andrea Cheng
40. Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick

41. The Borrower by Rebecca Makkai

42. Just as Long as We're Together by Judy Blume

43. Here's to You, Rachel Robinson by Judy Blume
44. The Law of Similars by Chris Bohjalian
45. Secrets of Eden by Chris Bohjalian

46. The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan

47. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
48. Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading by Nina Sankovitch

49. Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta
50. Behind the Bedroom Door: Getting It, Giving It, Loving It, Missing It by Paula Derrow
51. The Beasts of Clawstone Castle
52. Night of the Howling Dogs by Graham Salisbury

53. A Novel Bookstore by Laurence Cossé

54. Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close

55. The Uncoupling by Meg Wolitzer